bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A possible heating mechanism for the X-ray-emitting plasma within clusters of galaxies
Authors: BINGHAM R. , KELLETT B. J. , DE ANGELIS U. , TSYTOVICH V. N. , SHUKLA P. K.
Published: March 2013

X-ray and extreme ultraviolet emission from galaxy clusters can be interpreted as thermal emission from a hot plasma gravitationally bound to the cluster and constituting a significant amount of the mass of the cluster. The origin of this plasma and its thermal energy content can be linked to the formation process through the theory of self-organization of these structures.
Molecular cloning and characterization of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase from Brugia malayi
Authors: VERMA ANITA , SUTHAR MANISH K. , DOHAREY PAWAN K. , GUPTA SMITA , YADAV SUNITA , CHAUHAN PREM M. S. , SAXENA JITENDRA K.
Published: March 2013

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), a regulatory enzyme of the pentose phosphate pathway from Brugia malayi, was cloned, expressed and biochemically characterized. The Km values for glucose-6-phosphate and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP) were 0·25 and 0·014 mm respectively. The rBmG6PD exhibited an optimum pH of 8·5 and temperature, 40 °C. Adenosine 5′ [γ-thio] triphosphate (ATP-γ-S), adenosine 5′ [β,γ-imido] triphosphate (ATP-β,γ-NH), adenosine 5′ [β-thio] diphosphate (ADP-β-S), Na+, K+, Li+ and Cu++ ions were found to be strong inhibitors of rBmG6PD. The rBmG6PD, a tetramer with subunit molecular weight of 75 kDa contains 0·02 mol of SH group per mol of monomer. Blocking the SH group with SH-inhibitors, led to activation of rBmG6PD activity by N-ethylmaleimide. CD analysis indicated that rBmG6PD is composed of 37% α-helices and 26% β-sheets. The unfolding equilibrium of rBmG6PD with GdmCl/urea showed the triphasic unfolding pattern along with the highly stable intermediate obtained by GdmCl.
Fraternity and Equality
Authors: Cupit Geoffrey
Published: March 2013

Is there a connection between the values of fraternity and outcome equality? Is inequality at odds with fraternity? There are reasons to doubt that it is. First, fraternity requires us to want our ‘brothers’ and ‘sisters’ to fare well even when they are already better off than we are and their doing better will increase inequality. Second, fraternity seems not to require equality as a matter of fairness. Fairness requires (a certain) equality, but fraternity does not require fairness.

In examining what fraternity requires I discuss Rawls' suggestion that the difference principle corresponds to a natural meaning of fraternity, arguing that fraternity may be even more tolerant of inequality than the difference principle. Nevertheless, I defend the claim that fraternity and equality are linked, albeit not in such a way as to make inequality inconsistent with fraternity. Fraternity is related to equality since equalizing expresses the connectedness at the core of fraternity; but inequality is consistent with fraternity since there are other ways of expressing that connectedness.
The Monetization of Temperate Europe
Authors: Howgego Christopher
Published: March 2013

By considering monetization across the Iron Age and Roman periods and across the whole of Temperate Europe some major developments become apparent. The spread of coinage in the Iron Age bears some relationship to the eventual extent of the Roman Empire. Coins stand in the archaeological record for systems of doing things, for ways people relate to each other and to things, and for ways of conceptualizing the world. They provide a useful way to approach the meeting of the worlds of the Iron Age and of Rome. Material forms of being Roman became increasingly important as a dimension of Roman identity. The commercialization implicit in Rome's ‘Cultural Revolution’ was underpinned by the extension of Roman-style monetization. In this light the monetization of Temperate Europe emerges as a process of considerable importance.
The artful mind meets art history: Toward a psycho-historical framework for the science of art appreciation
Authors: Bullot Nicolas J. , Reber Rolf
Published: March 2013

Research seeking a scientific foundation for the theory of art appreciation has raised controversies at the intersection of the social and cognitive sciences. Though equally relevant to a scientific inquiry into art appreciation, psychological and historical approaches to art developed independently and lack a common core of theoretical principles. Historicists argue that psychological and brain sciences ignore the fact that artworks are artifacts produced and appreciated in the context of unique historical situations and artistic intentions. After revealing flaws in the psychological approach, we introduce apsycho-historical framework for the science of art appreciation. This framework demonstrates that a science of art appreciation must investigate how appreciators process causal and historical information to classify and explain their psychological responses to art. Expanding on research about the cognition of artifacts, we identify three modes of appreciation:basic exposureto an artwork, theartistic design stance, andartistic understanding. The artistic design stance, a requisite for artistic understanding, is an attitude whereby appreciators develop their sensitivity to art-historical contexts by means of inquiries into the making, authorship, and functions of artworks. We defend and illustrate the psycho-historical framework with an analysis of existing studies on art appreciation in empirical aesthetics. Finally, we argue that the fluency theory of aesthetic pleasure can be amended to meet the requirements of the framework. We conclude that scientists can tackle fundamental questions about the nature and appreciation of art within the psycho-historical framework.
Fechner revisited: Towards an inclusive approach to aesthetics
Authors: Fitch W. Tecumseh , Westphal-Fitch Gesche
Published: March 2013

Accepting Bullot & Reber's (B&R's) criteria for art appreciation would confine the study of aesthetics to those works for which historical information is available, mainly post–eighteenth-century Western “high art.” We reject their contention that “correct” artistic understanding is limited to experts with detailed knowledge or education in art, which implies a narrowly elitist conception of aesthetics. Scientific aesthetics must be broadly inclusive.
Integrating holism and reductionism in the science of art perception
Authors: Graham Daniel J.
Published: March 2013

The contextualist claim that universalism is irrelevant to the proper study of art can be evaluated by examining an analogous question in neuroscience. Taking the reductionist-holist debate in visual neuroscience as a model, we see that the analog of orthodox contextualism is untenable, whereas integrated approaches have proven highly effective. Given the connection between art and vision, unified approaches are likewise more germane to the scientific study of art.
Memories of Art
Authors: Hirstein William
Published: March 2013

Although the art-historical context of a work of art is important to our appreciation of it, it is our knowledge of that history that plays causal roles in producing the experience itself. This knowledge is in the form of memories, both semantic memories about the historical circumstances, but also episodic memories concerning our personal connections with an artwork. We also create representations of minds in order to understand the emotions that artworks express.
Extending the psycho-historical framework to understand artistic production
Authors: Kozbelt Aaron , Ostrofsky Justin
Published: March 2013

We discuss how the psycho-historical framework can be profitably applied to artistic production, facilitating a synthesis of perception-based and knowledge-based perspectives on realistic observational drawing. We note that artists' technical knowledge itself constitutes a major component of an artwork's historical context, and that links between artistic practice and psychological theory may yet yield conclusions in line with universalist perspectives.
Questioning the necessity of the aesthetic modes
Authors: Tullmann Katherine
Published: March 2013

I question both the necessity and the sufficiency of Bullot & Reber's (B&R's) aesthetic modes. I argue that they have not shown how the aesthetic modes are truly “aesthetic” – how they concern our experience of artworks as opposed to other kinds of experiences or why the modes are individually necessary for one. I suggest the causal dependence of the modes should be modified.
Extended artistic appreciation
Authors: Wilson Robert A.
Published: March 2013

I propose that in at least some cases, objects of artistic appreciation are best thought of not simply as causes of artistic appreciation, but as parts of the cognitive machinery that drives aesthetic appreciation. In effect, this is to say that aesthetic appreciation operates via extended cognitive systems.
Spanish Civilian Labour for Germany During the Second World War?
Authors: Golson Eric
Published: March 2013

For political reasons, the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco limited the number of civilian Spanish workers sent to Germany during the Second World War. Despite agreeing to send 100,000, the number of workers never exceeded 9,550. Their impact on the German war economy was small. This paper demonstrates that, in limiting worker transfers, Franco went against his own economic incentives, considering that the Spanish government was taking a commission from the workers’ remittances. By limiting the number of workers sent, Franco satisfied the Allies’ pressure to minimise cooperation with Germany. In support of this argument, this article offers updated estimates for the number of workers, their skill levels and remittances. It also provides the first estimates of Spanish costs and income from the programme.
The homogenization of elliptic partial differential systems on rugous domains with variable boundary conditions
Authors: Casado-Díaz J. , Luna-Laynez M. , Suárez-Grau F. J.
Published: March 2013

This paper is devoted to studying the asymptotic behaviour of a sequence of elliptic systems posed in a sequence of rough domains Ωn. The solutions un are assumed to satisfy un(x) ϵ Vn(x), where Vn(x) is a vectorial space depending on $\smash{x\in\bar\varOmega_n}$. This enables one to consider several types of boundary conditions posed in variable sets of the boundary. For some choices of the vectorial spaces Vn(x), our study provides, in particular, some classical results for the homogenization of Dirichlet elliptic problems in varying domains.
On Writing a History of the College Theology Society: Reviewing Fifty Years of Theological Conversations
Authors: Mize Sandra Yocum
Published: March 2013

The historian remains in many an imagination nothing more and nothing less than the purveyor of facts about the past. The historian's task appears simple, straightforward—to report the facts accurately. According to the logic of this image, once one has “the facts” about a selected topic, then the history nearly writes itself. Fortunately for the historian, even the most focused historical study demands more than setting the events in their proper order. I write “fortunately” because if the historical task were as straightforward as just described then a single history written by no particular historian would suffice on any given topic, and historian unemployment rates would rise even higher than they are now. Though most contemporary academics know the subtle and complex influences of social location, those whose work is other than historical tend to exempt history from such influences. They have little reason to ponder the many variations possible in constructing a historical narrative nor to consider the merits of each variation. The historian, on the other hand, must consider as many variations as possible in trying to figure out what story to tell about the given subject and how best to tell it. Even writing on a relatively focused topic like the fifty-year history of the College Theology Society requires careful reflection on exactly what story is to be told and numerous choices on how best to tell that story.

To convey to students what writing history entails, I often ask them to imagine producing a history of the preceding day as each of them lived it. Most immediately understand that even to write such a limited history would demand choices not only in terms of details to include and omit but also in terms of organizing those details within a framework selected to provide a particular view of the day. A single event or a special relationship might frame the narrative. Then again, a series of interconnected events organized conceptually might create the intended effect. Audience shapes these choices. Students admit that their narratives would change if the audience shifted from peers to parents.
Saving God
Authors: Masson Robert
Published: March 2013

Thomas Sheehan has made the “atheological” charge that “Christianity's original sin is to think it is about God,” but there is a different lesson to take if attention is paid to the metaphoric dimension of the ways Aquinas, Rahner, Heidegger and even Sheehan himself think and speak about God. If there is an original fault from which Christianity must be saved, it has as much to do with the conception of what is happening when Christianity thinks and speaks, as it does with the conception of what this speaking and thinking is about.
“Sufficiently Edified”—The Use of Stories in the Spiritual Formation of College Students
Authors: Steele Richard B.
Published: March 2013

This essay argues that undergraduate theological education at Christian colleges and universities ought to concern itself with the spiritual and moral formation of undergraduate students, and suggests ways that the use of edifying stories can be especially conducive to that end. The meaning of the term “edification” is unpacked by reference to its use in Christian scripture, and especially by reference to a delightful story told by Palladius about two Desert Fathers, Pachomius of Tabennisi and Macarius the Alexandrian. Then two crucial qualities of spiritually edifying story-telling are delineated: (1) the story chosen must invite students to engage in candid self-examination. (2) the teacher must embody the virtues that her story illustrates, but at the same time tell the story in a way that does not draw attention to herself. One who seeks to edify others must avoid all self-promotion, even while exemplifying one's lessons in one's conduct.
The Dual Vocation of Parenthood and Professional Theology: How are we Doing? Where are we Headed?
Authors: Bourg Florence Caffrey
Published: March 2013

This article focuses on an increasing trend—the attempt to combine responsibilities of parenthood and professional theology in a dual vocation. Today, many theologians are attempting to complete doctoral studies and earn tenure with young children in tow. Most likely, this will become the majority trend in the near future. How well is our profession adjusting to this significant demographic shift? This article compiles results of a survey of parent-theologians, covering family planning decisions, financial stability, attempts to balance work and leisure, and impact of parenthood on their work as theologians, as well as their suggestions for making the profession more conducive to this dual vocation.
“When the Son of Man is Lifted Up”: The Redemptive Power of the Crucifixion in the Gospel of John
Authors: Romanowsky John W.
Published: March 2013

Some scripture scholars argue for an interpretation of Johannine soteriology as primarily one of revelation which questions the redemptive centrality of the historical crucifixion. Others insist on the primacy of historical event in the Johannine narrative—“The Word became flesh” (Jn 1:14)—and the spiritual meaning of this event, which is at once concrete in its historicity and universal in its meaning as symbol. The historical event of the crucifixion as an object of Johannine theological reflection is indeed central in his soteriology, but only insofar as he reflects upon its transcendent meaning. The three “lifting up sayings” in John's gospel offer us a window into this crucial aspect of his soteriology. In this essay, the author's textual analysis of each saying provides us with ample evidence for the redemptive centrality of the historical crucifixion; but it also will make clear that the “lifting up of the Son of Man” in his “hour” on the cross is at the same time his exaltation and glorification, when he returns to the Father whence he came.
“Holy Thursday After the Holocaust”
Authors: Sanders Theresa
Published: March 2013

The Holy Thursday Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper relies heavily on language and imagery borrowed from the Jewish festival of Passover. This borrowing has become increasingly problematic after the Holocaust. It leads to supersessionism, and it does not take account of how the meaning of Passover has changed since the time of Jesus, sometimes as the direct result of Christian persecution. This article examines the three readings from the Mass of the Lord's Supper as well as the responsorial psalm in order to show how Catholic interpretations of Passover differ from Jewish ones. It suggests that the difference both can be harmful and is unnecessary.
“Living in the Master's House”: Race and Rhetoric in the Theology of M. Shawn Copeland
Authors: Pramuk Christopher
Published: March 2013

M. Shawn Copeland joins a liberationist epistemology with the conceptual framework of Bernard Lonergan to offer both a stinging critique of racism and a constructive Catholic theological anthropology. This essay examines Copeland's grounding of theological anthropology in two dimensions: the historical experience of poor women of color, and eschatological solidarity in the Mystical Body of Christ. The second major concern of this essay is the rhetoric of race in black theology and its reception among white theologians. The author, from his perspective as a white, male Catholic theologian, probes questions of white conversion, black anger, and race essentialism raised by Copeland's theology. Highlighting a tension between speaking the truth about white racism “in the master's house” and maintaining the Christian vision of “one humanity” bound by grace, the author argues that, as far as possible, the race critique must flow from a contemplative and pastoral spirit.
The Social Ethics of Pope John Paul II: A Critique of Neoconservative Interpretations
Authors: Sniegocki John
Published: March 2013

Neoconservative interpreters of the social ethics of Pope John Paul II have made the claim that John Paul shifted the tradition of Catholic Social Teaching in the direction of an embrace of “democratic capitalism” and other neoconservative ideals. This article challenges those claims. Major differences between the social ethics of Pope John Paul II and those of neoconservatives such as Michael Novak, George Weigel, and Richard John Neuhaus are highlighted. These differences include contrasting assessments of current forms of capitalism and of economic globalization, as well as differing views concerning economic democracy, economic rights, consumerism, the significance of structural injustice as a cause of poverty, the proper economic role of the state, the value of the United Nations, the importance of lifestyle simplification, and the urgency of ecological issues. An understanding of these major differences is essential in enabling Catholic Social Teaching to play a truly prophetic and constructive role in responding to current global crises.
Rahner's Primordial Words and Bernstein's Metaphorical Leaps: The Affinity of Art with Religion and Theology
Authors: Masson Robert
Published: March 2013

Karl Rahner's notion of primordial words and Leonard Bernstein's conception of music as intrinsically metaphorical are engaged to suggest that there is a fundamental affinity between artistic and religious imagination. The affinity is grounded, in part at least, in metaphoric process—an elemental cognitive act in which the human spirit is stretched so that its expressions can address what lies beyond them.
The Ecclesial Responsibilities of Theologians, Forty Years after Vatican II
Authors: Rigali Norbert
Published: March 2013

There was a time when theological discourse occurred generally in either of two modes, as a professor-to-students lecture/dialogue or as a theologian-to-other-theologians scholarly communication of books, journals and professional meetings. This twofold role of teacher and professional colleague defined essentially what a theologian does. Although the theologian's work is still thought of in this way by some, this is no longer an adequate model. Contemporary theologians, to be sure, still bear the responsibilities of professors and professional colleagues, but because of changes in Church and society they now have a new responsibility as well.

The most important change in the Catholic Church effected by the Second Vatican Council was arguably the emergence in recent decades of a new kind of laity, a laity empowered to exercise a more active and participatory role in the life and works of the Church. During the same period, moreover, a well-educated laity has grown up in many countries, including the United States.

These changes in the Catholic laity—the great majority of whom, of course, are lay persons in relation to the theological profession as well—have had direct repercussions on the vocation of theologians. As the catalogues and sales of religious publishing houses readily show, contemporary theological works are being read by many lay persons who are not theologians. With their more active and participatory role in the Church's life and mission, lay persons now experience a vested interest in theology and its development.
The Systematic Elusiveness of God: On the Fiftieth Anniversary of Ian Ramsey's Religious Language
Authors: Tilley Terrence W.
Published: March 2013

Ian Ramsey (1915–1972) had a significant impact on analytical philosophy of religion in the second half of the twentieth century. This article claims that one of his early articles, “The Systematic Elusiveness of ‘I’,” and the passing comments on Thomas Aquinas in his most famous work, Religious Language (1957), are keys to understanding his contributions. Though his work is out of vogue with many philosophers of religion today, he anticipated a number of significant developments in philosophy and his work remains used by and useful for systematic theologians.
Women and Martyrdom: Feminist Liberation Theology in Dialogue with a Latin American Paradigm
Authors: Gandolfo Elizabeth O'Donnell
Published: March 2013

In recent decades, Latin American liberation theologians have sought to find meaning in the deaths of women and men throughout their continent who have been killed for their pursuit of God's kingdom by naming these individuals “martyrs” and correlating their lives and deaths to the life and death of Jesus. The concept of martyrdom presents special difficulties when viewed from a feminist perspective, especially since the subjugation of women has been perpetuated by Christianity's tendency to idealize women who embody “martyr-like” qualities. However, the use of this concept as a way to find meaning in the deaths of those who lose their lives in the struggle for liberation is not beyond retrieval. Feminist theologies should take into account the reality of martyrdom, which, especially in the so-called “Third World,” is a part of women's experiences in which God is present in liberating, female form.
Called and Gifted: Charism and Catholic Social Teaching
Authors: Pfeil Margaret R.
Published: March 2013

This essay explores the formulation of Catholic social teaching as a form of ministry structured in relation to charism. After situating the concept of charism theolgically, it addresses the significance of charism as an organizing principle for the ministry of Catholic social teaching, referring in particular to the experiences of Oswald von Nell-Breuning and Dorothy Day. Finally, it suggests a form of ecclesial participation, such as the retrieval of mystagogy, that would facilitate the free and full exercise of charisms by all those called and gifted to serve the church in the formulation of Catholic social teaching.
Beyond the Modern-Anti-Modern Dilemma: Gaudium et spes and Theological Method in a Postmodern Context
Authors: Boeve Lieven
Published: March 2013

The Church has the duty in every age of examining the signs of the times and interpreting them in the light of the gospel, so that it can offer in a manner appropriate to each generation replies to the continual human questionings on the meaning of this life and the life to come and on how they are related. There is a need, then, to be aware of, and to understand, the world in which we live, together with its expectations, its desires and its frequently dramatic character (Gaudium et spes 4).
Nature's Bonfire, Million-Fueled: The Poetic Cosmologies of G. M. Hopkins and A. N. Whitehead
Authors: Doud Robert E.
Published: March 2013

This article provides a critical interpretation of Gerard Manley Hopkins' poetry and vision of reality by comparing some of his focal ideas with those of Alfred North Whitehead. There is a fairly explicit theological cosmology in Hopkins' poetry, just as there is poetic expression in the cosmology of Whitehead. The creative and idiosyncratic terms and phrases of Hopkins are explained as they are correlated with technical terms in Whitehead's cosmology. Some of the comparisons or tentative equations worked out in this article include creativity in Whitehead with instress in Hopkins, concrescence in Whitehead with inscape in Hopkins, style in Whitehead with selving in Hopkins, selftaste with satisfaction, and transmutation in Whitehead with rhyming in Hopkins.
And Yet It Exists: In Defence of the ‘Equality of Belligerents’ Principle
Authors: KOUTROULIS VAIOS
Published: March 2013

The equal application of international humanitarian law (jus in bello) to all parties to an international armed conflict is a cornerstone principle of jus in bello. In his article, Professor Mandel casts doubt on the legal basis of this principle. Reacting to this claim, this contribution demonstrates that the ‘equality of belligerents’ is a principle firmly grounded in both conventional and customary international law. Moreover, its legal force withstands the test of international jurisprudence, including the International Court of Justice's controversial Nuclear Weapons advisory opinion.
Discussing the factors contributing to students’ involvement in an EFL collaborative wiki project
Authors: Lee Hsiao-chien , Wang Pei-ling
Published: March 2013

A growing number of researchers have acknowledged the potential for using wikis in online collaborative language learning. While researchers appreciate the wikis platform for engaging students in virtual team work and authentic language learning, many also have recognized the limitations of using wikis to promote student collaboration (Alyousef & Picard, 2011; Arnold, Ducate & Kost, 2009; Coniam & Kit, 2008; Judd, Kennedy & Cropper, 2010; Warschauer, 2010). The current study aims to examine what factors facilitated or hindered student collaboration when a wiki environment was used to engage 103 Taiwanese students from two universities in an online picture book production project. Divided into 17 groups of four to six members, the students spent approximately one academic year forming online communities, learning to conduct peer editing, and collaboratively completing a final learning product, an online picture book. A variety of data, including the electronically archived versions of the wiki pages, students’ responses to retrospective surveys, and focused follow-up interviews were collected and analysed. The findings suggested that the nature of the learning tasks, students’ constant communication and appreciation of different opinions, the difficulties they encountered when communicating asynchronously, and students’ expectations toward English learning affected to what extent they were involved in the online collaboration.
Authenticity in CALL: three domains of ‘realness’
Authors: Buendgens-Kosten Jules
Published: March 2013

This paper discusses the role of authenticity and authenticity claims in computer assisted language learning (CALL). It considers authenticity as the result of a social negotiation process rather than an innate feature of a text, object, person, or activity. From this basis, it argues that authenticity claims play an important role in both second language acquisition (SLA) and CALL, being utilized to support the legitimacy of an approach or discipline more generally, as well as in defending a specific didactic design, especially with regard to transfer and motivation. The paper distinguishes between three domains of authenticity claims essential to CALL contexts: authenticity through language (linguistic authenticity), authenticity through origin (cultural authenticity), and authenticity through daily life experiences (functional authenticity). It points out problematic aspects of engaging in authenticity claims and argues that a reflexive stance might be useful in questioning the role of authenticity claims in CALL theory and practice.
Minimizing Casualties in Biological and Chemical Threats (War and Terrorism): The Importance of Information to the Public in a Prevention Program
Authors: Noy Shabtai
Published: March 2013

The most effective means of defending against biological or chemical warfare, whether in war or as a result of terror, is the use of primary prevention. The main goal of such a prevention program is to minimize the human loss by reducing the number of casualties (fatalities, physical wounds, and psychological injury). A secondary objective is to prevent the widespread sense of helplessness in the general population. These two aims complement each other. The more the public is active in defending itself, rather than viewing itself as helpless, the lesser the expected number of casualties of any kind. In order to achieve these two goals, educating the civilian population about risk factors and pointing out appropriate defensive strategies is critical. In the absence of an effective prevention program and active participation by the public, there is a high risk for massive numbers of physical and psychological casualties.

An essential ingredient of any preventive program, which ultimately may determine the success or failure of all other protective actions, is early, gradual dissemination of information and guidance to the public, so that citizens can become active participants in the program. The public needs to be given information concerning the nature of the threat and effective methods of coping with it, should an unconventional attack occur. Lack of such adaptive behavior (such as wearing protective gear) is likely to bring about vast numbers of physical and psychological casualties. These large numbers may burden the medical, political, and public safety systems beyond their ability to manage. Failure to provide reasonable prevention and effective interventions can lead to a destruction of the social and emotional fabric of individuals and the society. Furthermore, inadequate preparation, education, and communication can result in the development of damaging mistrust of the political and military leadership, disintegration of social and political structures, and perhaps, even risk the collapse of the democracy.
Change and Impact of Illness Perceptions among Patients with Non-cardiac Chest Pain or Benign Palpitations Following Three Sessions of CBT
Authors: Jonsbu Egil , Martinsen Egil W. , Morken Gunnar , Moum Torbjørn , Dammen Toril
Published: March 2013

Background:Many patients with non-cardiac chest pain or benign palpitations have poor prognosis in terms of symptom persistence, limitations in everyday activities, and reduced health-related quality of life (HRQOL).Aims:The aims of the study were to evaluate the changes and impact of illness perceptions during a three-session cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) intervention for patients with non-cardiac chest pain or benign palpitations.Method:Patients with persistent complaints 6 months after a negative cardiac evaluation were invited to participate in a randomized controlled trial. Patients in the intervention group (n= 21) received three manualized sessions with CBT, including one physical activity exposure session; the control group (n= 19) received usual care from their general practitioner. Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ) was used to measure illness perceptions. Patients were assessed at start and end of the intervention and at 3- and 12-month follow-up.Results:The intervention and control group differed significantly on five of the eight items of BIPQ at least at one follow-up assessment. At end of treatment and at 3-month follow-up change in illness concern (Item 6 in BIPQ) mediated about 40% of the change in depression from baseline, and at 12-month follow-up about 50% of the change in depression was mediated by change in personal control (Item 3 in BIPQ).Conclusion:Illness perceptions measured with BIPQ may mediate the short and long term treatment effects of a three-session CBT-programme for patients with non-cardiac chest pain and benign palpitations.
LEARNING THE OPTIMAL BUFFER-STOCK CONSUMPTION RULE OF CARROLL
Authors: Yıldızoğlu Murat , Sénégas Marc-Alexandre , Salle Isabelle , Zumpe Martin
Published: March 2013

This article questions the rather pessimistic conclusions of Allen and Carroll [Macroeconomic Dynamics5 (2001), 255–271] about the ability of consumers to learn the optimal buffer-stock-based consumption rule. To this end, we develop an agent-based model in which alternative learning schemes can be compared in terms of the consumption behavior that they yield. We show that neither purely adaptive learning nor social learning based on imitation can ensure satisfactory consumption behavior. In contrast, if the agents can form adaptive expectations, based on an evolving individualmental model, their behavior becomes much more interesting in terms of its regularity and its ability to improve performance (which is a clear manifestation of learning). Our results indicate that assumptions on bounded rationality and on adaptive expectations are perfectly compatible with sound and realistic economic behavior, which, in some cases, can even converge to the optimal solution. This framework may therefore be used to develop macroeconomic models with adaptive dynamics.
Maternal HIV infection and other factors associated with growth outcomes of HIV-uninfected infants in Entebbe, Uganda
Authors: Muhangi Lawrence , Lule Swaib A , Mpairwe Harriet , Ndibazza Juliet , Kizza Moses , Nampijja Margaret , Nakazibwe Esther , Kihembo Macklyn , Elliott Alison M , Webb Emily L
Published: March 2013

Objective

To assess the associations between maternal HIV infection and growth outcomes of HIV-exposed but uninfected infants and to identify other predictors for poor growth among this population.

Design

Within a trial of de-worming during pregnancy, the cohort of offspring was followed from birth. HIV status of the mothers and their children was investigated and growth data for children were obtained at age 1 year. Length-for-age, weight-for-age and weight-for-length Z-scores were calculated for each child; Z-scores <−2 were defined as stunting, underweight and wasting, respectively.

Setting

The study was conducted in Entebbe municipality and Katabi sub-county, Uganda.

Subjects

The sample consisted of 1502 children aged 1 year: HIV-unexposed (n 1380) and HIV-exposed not infected (n 122).

Results

Prevalence of stunting, underweight and wasting was 14·2 %, 8·0 % and 3·9 %, respectively. There was evidence for an association between maternal HIV infection and odds of being underweight (adjusted OR = 2·32; 95 % CI 1·32, 4·09; P = 0·006) but no evidence for an association with stunting or with wasting. Young maternal age, low maternal education, low birth weight, early weaning and experiencing a higher number of episodes of malaria during infancy were independent predictors for stunting and underweight. A higher number of living children in the family was associated with wasting.

Conclusions

Maternal HIV infection was associated with being underweight in HIV-exposed uninfected infants. The success of programmes for prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission means that an increasing number of infants will be born to HIV-infected women without acquiring HIV. Therefore, viable nutritional interventions need to be identified for this population.
Factors associated with a low adherence to a Mediterranean diet pattern in healthy Spanish women before pregnancy
Authors: Olmedo-Requena Rocío , Fernández Julia Gómez , Prieto Carmen Amezcua , Moreno Juan Mozas , Bueno-Cavanillas Aurora , Jiménez-Moleón José J
Published: March 2013

Objective

To analyse the factors associated with the level of adherence to a Mediterranean dietary pattern in healthy Spanish women before pregnancy.

Design

A prospective series of 1175 women. An FFQ validated in Spanish populations served to collect dietary data. The Mediterranean Diet Adherence Index was used to assess the level of adherence to a Mediterranean diet pattern. Polytomic regression was performed to identify the associated factors.

Setting

Catchment area of Virgen de las Nieves University Hospital, Andalusia, Spain.

Subjects

The women were invited to participate in the study at the 20th–22nd gestational week. The selection criteria were: Spanish nationality, 18 years of age or older, singleton pregnancy and absence of health problems that required modifying the diet or physical activity.

Results

An inverse relationship was found between women's age and level of adherence to a Mediterranean diet pattern, with a clear dose–response association: a younger age entailed worse adherence (P < 0·001). The habit of smoking and sedentary lifestyle had a positive relationship with low adherence, giving OR = 5·36 (95 % 1·91, 15·07) for women who smoked >20 cigarettes/d and OR = 2·07 (95 % CI 1·34, 3·17) for sedentary women. Higher age, higher educational level, and higher social class of the women were associated with a higher level of adherence to the Mediterranean diet (P < 0·001).

Conclusions

In our sample population, younger age, lower social class, primary educational level and elements of an unhealthy lifestyle such as smoking and lack of exercise were associated with low adherence to a Mediterranean diet.
DYNAMICAL SYSTEMS ANALYSIS OF A MODEL DESCRIBING TASMANIAN DEVIL FACIAL TUMOUR DISEASE
Authors: BEETON N. J. , FORBES L. K.
Published: March 2013

A susceptible–exposed–infectious theoretical model describing Tasmanian devil population and disease dynamics is presented and mathematically analysed using a dynamical systems approach to determine its behaviour under a range of scenarios. The steady states of the system are calculated and their stability analysed. Closed forms for the bifurcation points between these steady states are found using the rate of removal of infected individuals as a bifurcation parameter. A small-amplitude Hopf region, in which the populations oscillate in time, is shown to be present and subjected to numerical analysis. The model is then studied in detail in relation to an unfolding parameter which describes the disease latent period. The model’s behaviour is found to be biologically reasonable for Tasmanian devils and potentially applicable to other species.
Recent Political–Legal Developments, Practical Legal Training and the Law Development Centre Library in Uganda
Authors: Semugabi Joseph A.
Published: March 2013

Joseph A. Semugabi, Chief Librarian at the Law Development Centre, discusses political-legal developments since 1986 which resulted in the restoration of rule of law and the liberalization of university education in Uganda. He then explains how these have had a significant impact on the country's only institution of practical legal training and its law library.
Politicized Justice in Emerging Democracies: A Study of Courts in Russia and Ukraine. By Maria Popova. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2012. 210p. $99.00.
Authors: Crowe Justin
Published: March 2013

In the United States, the borderline obsessive academic focus with judicial independence as a political science concept would lead one to believe that judicial independence as an empirical political reality is persistently endangered. And yet, periodic partisan apoplexy about controversial Supreme Court decisions notwithstanding, it is anything but: Even with judicial potency in polities as disparate as Israel, India, and Germany, the American judiciary remains perhaps the most powerful and most stable in the world. But with all due respect to John Locke, all the world is emphatically not America. Elsewhere, of course, there are locales where the climate surrounding law and courts is rather different, where judicial independence is inconsistent, threatened, or downright fictitious. It is in the study of these nations that judicial independence deserves the central place in public law scholarship it already occupies in America. And with the publication of Maria Popova's Politicized Justice in Emerging Democracies, students of at least two sets of those nations—post-Soviet states specifically and emerging democracies more generally—have both a clarion call for what they could be studying and a first-rate example of how they could be studying it.
Social capital and self-reported general and mental health in nine Former Soviet Union countries
Authors: Goryakin Yevgeniy , Suhrcke Marc , Rocco Lorenzo , Roberts Bayard , McKee Martin
Published: March 2013

Social capital has been proposed as a potentially important contributor to health, yet most of the existing research tends to ignore the challenge of assessing causality in this relationship. We deal with this issue by employing various instrumental variable estimation techniques. We apply the analysis to a set of nine former Soviet countries, using a unique multi-country household survey specifically designed for this region. Our results confirm that there appears to be a causal association running from several dimensions of individual social capital to general and mental health. Individual trust appears to be more strongly related to general health, while social isolation- to mental health. In addition, social support and trust seem to be more important determinants of health than the social capital dimensions that facilitate solidarity and collective action. Our findings are remarkably robust to a range of different specifications, including the use of instrumental variables. Certain interaction effects are also found: for instance, untrusting people who live in communities with higher aggregate level of trust are even less likely to experience good health than untrusting people living in the reference communities.
Emerging Issues In Southeast Asian Geography: Local, Non-Local and Collaborative Scholarship
Authors: Hirsch Philip
Published: March 2013

This paper reviews several prominent journals to identify key trends and issues in Southeast Asian geography. The review identifies the locus of articles' geographical scholarship, the balance between issue-based versus other types of articles, and the trends in the subject matter of the issue-based publications. The paper considers the meaning of an ‘issue-based’ approach to geography in local and non-local geographical scholarship on and in Southeast Asia. Geography as taught and practiced in Southeast Asia has followed a largely idiographic tradition based on description of landscapes, regions, settlement patterns, and so on. At an applied level, geography in some Southeast Asian countries has tended toward regional planning rather than engaging more centrally with the social sciences. Geography as a critical social science has only a loose purchase in the inherently geographical debates around development, environment, globalisation, and regionalisation in Southeast Asia. On the other hand, geographers from outside the region have engaged in more critical study, and geographical teaching and research on Southeast Asia in Australasia, North America, and Europe tends to take an issue-based approach and to be situated broadly within the realm of ‘development geography’. The paper also concludes with the question of how the discipline can better serve an issue-based agenda without being dominated by western critical social science.
A randomized comparison of a commercially available portion-controlled weight-loss intervention with a diabetes self-management education program
Authors: Foster G D , Wadden T A , LaGrotte C A , Vander Veur S S , Hesson L A , Homko C J , Maschak-Carey B J , Barbor N R , Bailer B , Diewald L , Komaroff E , Herring S J , Vetter M L
Published: March 2013

Objective:

This study examined the efficacy of a commercially available, portion-controlled diet (PCD) on body weight and HbA1c over 6 months in obese patients with type 2 diabetes.

Research Design and Methods:

One-hundred participants with a mean±s.d. age of 55.6±10.6 year, body weight of 102.9±18.4 kg and HbA1c of 7.7±1.3% were randomly assigned to a 9-session group lifestyle intervention that included a PCD or to a 9-session group program of diabetes self-management education (DSME). Participants in the two groups were prescribed the same goals for energy intake (1250–1550 kcal per day) and physical activity (200 min per week).

Results:

While both groups produced significant improvements in weight and HbA1c after 6 months of treatment, PCD participants lost 7.3 kg [95% confidence interval (CI): −5.8 to −8.8 kg], compared with 2.2 kg (95% CI: −0.7 to −3.7 kg) in the DSME group (P<0.0001). Significantly more PCD than DSME participants lost ⩾5% of initial weight (54.0% vs 14.0%, P<0.0001) and ⩾10% (26.0% vs 6.0%, P<0.0001). HbA1c declined by 0.7% (95% CI: −0.4 to −1.0%) in the PCD group, compared with 0.4% (95% CI: −0.1 to −0.7%) in DSME (P<0.026). Across both groups, larger weight losses were associated with greater reductions in HbA1c (r=0.52, P<0.0001).

Conclusions:

These findings demonstrate that a commercially available portion-controlled meal plan can induce clinically meaningful improvements in weight and glycemic control in obese individuals with type 2 diabetes. These data have implications for the management of obesity in primary care, as now provided by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Differential regulation of glucose transport activity in yeast by specific cAMP signatures
Authors: Bermejo Clara , Haerizadeh Farzad , Sadoine Mayuri S. C. , Chermak Diane , Frommer Wolf B.
Published: March 2013

Successful colonization and survival in variable environments require a competitive advantage during the initial growth phase after experiencing nutrient changes. Starved yeast cells anticipate exposure to glucose by activating the Hxt5p (hexose transporter 5) glucose transporter, which provides an advantage during early phases after glucose resupply. cAMP and glucose FRET (fluorescence resonance energy transfer) sensors were used to identify three signalling pathways that co-operate in the anticipatory Hxt5p activity in glucose-starved cells: as expected the Snf1 (sucrose nonfermenting 1) AMP kinase pathway, but, surprisingly, the sugar-dependent G-protein-coupled Gpr1 (G-protein-coupled receptor 1)/cAMP/PKA (protein kinase A) pathway and the Pho85 (phosphate metabolism 85)/Plc (phospholipase C) 6/7 pathway. Gpr1/cAMP/PKA are key elements of a G-protein-coupled sugar response pathway that produces a transient cAMP peak to induce growth-related genes. A novel function of the Gpr1/cAMP/PKA pathway was identified in glucose-starved cells: during starvation the Gpr1/cAMP/PKA pathway is required to maintain Hxt5p activity in the absence of glucose-induced cAMP spiking. During starvation, cAMP levels remain low triggering expression of HXT5, whereas cAMP spiking leads to a shift to the high capacity Hxt isoforms.