bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of the Rate and Degree of Deformation on the Texture, Structure and Mechanical Properties of Steel
Authors: Usov V. V. , Shkatulyak N. M. , Bryukhanov A. A. , Fasmann D.
Published: March 2014

The tests of uniaxial tensile by 10, 20, and 30% at strain rates of 0.1, 1, 60, 120, and 300 mm/min in rolling direction and transverse direction of recrystallized cold-rolled low-carbon steel sheets were carried out. The effect of rate and degree of deformation on the texture, structure, and mechanical properties were studied. The texture transformations and the growth of the anisotropy of mechanical properties with increasing strain rate up to 120 mm/min are explained by the effect of crystallographic intragranular slip and twinning of deformation mechanism. The further increase of deformation rate leads to texture scattering and decreasing of properties anisotropy, which are bound to the difficulty of intragranular sliding and activation of grain boundary sliding.
The Dynamic Evaluation of Tilted Support Spring Nonlinear System with Critical Components under the Action of a Rectangular Pulse
Authors: Duan Ningning , Song Shuang , Chen Anjun
Published: March 2014

Dimensionless nonlinear dynamical equations of a tilted support spring nonlinear system with critical components were obtained under the action of a rectangular pulse, and the numerical results of the shock response were studied using Runge‐Kutta method. To evaluate the dynamic characteristics of critical components, a new concept of three‐dimensional shock response spectra was proposed, where the ratio of the maximum shock response acceleration of critical components to the peak pulse acceleration, the pulse duration, and the frequency ratio were three basic parameters of three‐dimensional shock response spectra. Based on the numerical results, the effects of the angle, the peak pulse acceleration, the mass ratio, the frequency ratio, and the pulse duration on the shock response spectra were discussed.
The Hybrid Taguchi-Genetic Algorithm for Mobile Location
Authors: Chen Chien-Sheng , Lin Jium-Ming , Lee Chin-Tan , Lu Chyuan-Der
Published: March 2014

To estimate the mobile location is an important topic in wireless communication. It is well known that non-line-of-sight (NLOS) problem is the most pivotal part that causes the estimated error. When we transmit the signal from mobile station (MS) to base stations (BSs), the direct path between MS and BS is sealed off by some obstacles, and the signal measurements will measure the error due to the signal reflection or diffraction. The hybrid Taguchi-genetic algorithm (HTGA) combines the Taguchi method with the genetic algorithm (GA). In this paper, we bring up a novel HTGA algorithm that utilizes time of arrival (TOA) measurements from three BSs to locate MS. The proposed algorithm utilizes the intersections of three TOA circles based on HTGA to estimate the MS location. Finally, we compare HTGA with GA and find that the Taguchi algorithm can enhance genetic algorithm. We also can find that the average convergence of generation number will not be affected no matter which propagation models we use. Obviously HTGA is more robust, statistically sound, and quickly convergent than the other algorithms. The simulation results show that the HTGA can converge more quickly than GA and furthermore the HTGA can enhance the accuracy of the mobile location.
Exploration of a Capability-Focused Aerospace System of Systems Architecture Alternative with Bilayer Design Space, Based on RST-SOM Algorithmic Methods
Authors: Li Zhifei , Qin Dongliang , Yang Feng
Published: March 2014

In defense related programs, the use of capability-based analysis, design, and acquisition has been significant. In order to confront one of the most challenging features of a huge design space in capability based analysis (CBA), a literature review ofdesign space explorationwas first examined. Then, in the process of an aerospace system of systems design space exploration, a bilayer mapping method was put forward, based on the existing experimental and operating data. Finally, the feasibility of the foregoing approach was demonstrated with an illustrative example. With the data mining RST (rough sets theory) and SOM (self-organized mapping) techniques, the alternative to the aerospace system of systems architecture was mapping from P-space (performance space) to C-space (configuration space), and then from C-space to D-space (design space), respectively. Ultimately, the performance space was mapped to the design space, which completed the exploration and preliminary reduction of the entire design space. This method provides a computational analysis and implementation scheme for large-scale simulation.
Hydraulic Fracturing: Paving the Way for a Sustainable Future?
Authors: Chen Jiangang , Al-Wadei Mohammed H. , Kennedy Rebekah C. M. , Terry Paul D.
Published: March 2014

With the introduction of hydraulic fracturing technology, the United States has become the largest natural gas producer in the world with a substantial portion of the production coming from shale plays. In this review, we examined current hydraulic fracturing literature including associated wastewater management on quantity and quality of groundwater. We conclude that proper documentation/reporting systems for wastewater discharge and spills need to be enforced at the federal, state, and industrial level. Furthermore, Underground Injection Control (UIC) requirements under SDWA should be extended to hydraulic fracturing operations regardless if diesel fuel is used as a fracturing fluid or not. One of the biggest barriers that hinder the advancement of our knowledge on the hydraulic fracturing process is the lack of transparency of chemicals used in the practice. Federal laws mandating hydraulic companies to disclose fracturing fluid composition and concentration not only to federal and state regulatory agencies but also to health care professionals would encourage this practice. The full disclosure of fracturing chemicals will allow future research to fill knowledge gaps for a better understanding of the impacts of hydraulic fracturing on human health and the environment.
Age and SPARC Change the Extracellular Matrix Composition of the Left Ventricle
Authors: de Castro Brás Lisandra E. , Toba Hiroe , Baicu Catalin F. , Zile Michael R. , Weintraub Susan T. , Lindsey Merry L. , Bradshaw Amy D.
Published: March 2014

Secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC), a collagen-binding matricellular protein, has been implicated in procollagen processing and deposition. The aim of this study was to investigate age- and SPARC-dependent changes in protein composition of the cardiac extracellular matrix (ECM). We studied 6 groups of mice (n=4/group): young (4-5 months old), middle-aged (11-12 m.o.), and old (18–29 m.o.) C57BL/6J wild type (WT) and SPARC null. The left ventricle (LV) was decellularized to enrich for ECM proteins. Protein extracts were separated by SDS-PAGE, digested in-gel, and analyzed by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS. Relative quantification was performed by spectral counting, and changes in specific proteins were validated by immunoblotting. We identified 321 proteins, of which 44 proteins were extracellular proteins. Of these proteins, collagen III levels were lower in the old null mice compared to WT, suggestive of a role for SPARC in collagen deposition. Additionally, fibrillin showed a significant increase in the null middle-aged group, suggestive of increased microfibril deposition in the absence of SPARC. Collagen VI increased with age in both genotypes (>3-fold), while collagen IV showed increased age-associated levels only in the WT animals (4-fold,P<0.05). These changes may explain the previously reported age-associated increases in LV stiffness. In summary, our data suggest SPARC is a possible therapeutic target for aging induced LV dysfunction.
D-Glucosamine Conjugation Accelerates the Labeling Efficiency of Quantum Dots in Osteoblastic Cells
Authors: Igawa Kazunari , Xie Ming-Fang , Ohba Hideki , Yamada Shizuka , Hayashi Yoshihiko
Published: March 2014

Quantum dots (QDs) are useful imaging tools in the medical and biological fields due to their optical properties, such as a high fluorescence intensity, remarkable resistance to photobleaching, broad absorption spectra, and narrow emission spectra. This is the first study to investigate the uptake of carboxylated QDs conjugated with D-glucosamine (core size: approximately 3 nm, final modified size: 20–30 nm) into cultured osteoblastic cells. The QDs attached to the cell surface and were transported into the cytoplasm within approximately three hours of culture, whose process was clearly demonstrated using specific fluorescent staining of the cell membrane. Although the intranuclear distribution was not observed, a dramatic decrease in the transfer of quantum dots into the cytoplasm was recognized after approximately seven days of culture. Other interesting phenomena include the escape of the quantum dots from lysosomes in the cytoplasm, as confirmed by the merging of both QD fluorescence and specific fluorescent staining of lysosomes in the cytoplasm. These findings suggest that D-glucosamine conjugation enhances proton absorption in acid organelles and promotes the lysosomal escape of QDs.
Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography Imaging of a Patient with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Prostate
Authors: Kara Gedik Gonca , Yavas Guler , Akand Murat , Celik Esin , Sari Oktay
Published: March 2014

Primary squamous cell carcinoma is an uncommon tumor of the prostate gland. We report a 77-year-old male patient with urinary frequency and constipation. Fine needle biopsy from prostate was suspicious of squamous cell carcinoma of the prostate. Whole body positron emission tomography/computed tomography scan revealed high fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in prostate gland. Transurethral resection confirmed the diagnosis. In contrast to prostatic adenocarcinoma, high fluorodeoxyglucose accumulation was observed in the primary tumor of the prostate gland.
The Role ofHelicobacter pyloriSeropositivity in Insulin Sensitivity, Beta Cell Function, and Abnormal Glucose Tolerance
Authors: Malamug Lou Rose , Karnchanasorn Rudruidee , Samoa Raynald , Chiu Ken C.
Published: March 2014

Infection, for example,Helicobacter pylori(H. pylori), has been thought to play a role in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Our aim was to determine the role ofH. pyloriinfection in glucose metabolism in an American cohort. We examined data from 4,136 non-Hispanic white (NHW), non-Hispanic black (NHB), and Mexican Americans (MA) aged 18 and over from the NHANES 1999-2000 cohort. We calculated the odds ratios for states of glucose tolerance based on theH. pyloristatus. We calculated and compared homeostatic model assessment insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and beta cell function (HOMA-B) in subjects without diabetes based on theH. pyloristatus. The results were adjusted for age, body mass index (BMI), poverty index, education, alcohol consumption, tobacco use, and physical activity. TheH. pyloristatus was not a risk factor for abnormal glucose tolerance. After adjustment for age and BMI and also adjustment for all covariates, no difference was found in either HOMA-IR or HOMA-B in all ethnic and gender groups except for a marginally significant difference in HOMA-IR in NHB females.H. pyloriinfection was not a risk factor for abnormal glucose tolerance, nor plays a major role in insulin resistance or beta cell dysfunction.
Psychosocial Adjustment to Sex Reassignment Surgery: A Qualitative Examination and Personal Experiences of Six Transsexual Persons in Croatia
Authors: Jokić-Begić Nataša , Lauri Korajlija Anita , Jurin Tanja
Published: March 2014

In Croatia, transgender individuals face numerous social and medical obstacles throughout the process of transition. The aim of this study was to depict the factors contributing to the psychosocial adjustment of six transsexual individuals living in Croatia following sex reassignment surgery (SRS). A combination of quantitative and qualitative self-report methods was used. Due to the specificity of the sample, the data were collected online. Standardized questionnaires were used to assess mental health and quality of life alongside a series of open-ended questions divided into 4 themes: the decision-making process regarding SRS; social and medical support during the SRS process; experience of discrimination and stigmatizing behaviors; psychosocial adjustment after SRS. Despite the unfavorable circumstances in Croatian society, participants demonstrated stable mental, social, and professional functioning, as well as a relative resilience to minority stress. Results also reveal the role of pretransition factors such as high socioeconomic status, good premorbid functioning, and high motivation for SRS in successful psychosocial adjustment. During and after transition, participants reported experiencing good social support and satisfaction with the surgical treatment and outcomes. Any difficulties reported by participants are related to either sexual relationships or internalized transphobia. The results also demonstrate the potentially protective role that a lengthier process of transition plays in countries such as Croatia.
Circulating Long Noncoding RNA, LIPCAR, Predicts Survival in Patients With Heart Failure
Authors: Kumarswamy Regalla , Bauters Christophe , Volkmann Ingo , Maury Fleur , Fetisch Jasmin , Holzmann Angelika , Lemesle Gilles , de Groote Pascal , Pinet Florence , Thum Thomas
Published: March 2014

Rationale:

Long noncoding RNAs represent a novel class of molecules regulating gene expression. Long noncoding RNAs are present in body fluids, but their potential as biomarkers was never investigated in cardiovascular disease.

Objective:

To study the role of long noncoding RNAs as potential biomarkers in heart disease.

Methods and Results:

Global transcriptomic analyses were done in plasma RNA from patients with or without left ventricular remodeling after myocardial infarction. Regulated candidates were validated in 3 independent patient cohorts developing cardiac remodeling and heart failure (788 patients). The mitochondrial long noncoding RNA uc022bqs.1 (LIPCAR) was downregulated early after myocardial infarction but upregulated during later stages. LIPCAR levels identified patients developing cardiac remodeling and were independently to other risk markers associated with future cardiovascular deaths.

Conclusions:

LIPCAR is a novel biomarker of cardiac remodeling and predicts future death in patients with heart failure.
Cognitive Impairment and Risk of Stroke
Authors: Rostamian Somayeh , Mahinrad Simin , Stijnen Theo , Sabayan Behnam , de Craen Anton J.M.
Published: March 2014

Background and Purpose—

Cognitive impairment is linked to vascular risk factors and brain vascular pathologies. Several studies have tested whether subjects with cognitive impairment have higher risk for stroke. The aim of this study was to systematically review available evidence on the association between cognitive impairment and risk of stroke to obtain precise effect estimates of the association and to identify which cognitive domains associate most with incident stroke.

Methods—

PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science were searched from January 1, 1980, to October 1, 2013, without language restriction. Only prospective cohort studies were included. From each study, data on the association between cognitive impairment and stroke estimated with hazard ratios or relative risks with 95% confidence interval (CI) were extracted. For each study, risk of stroke per SD lower performance in various cognitive tests was calculated.

Results—

Twelve studies were included, comprising 82 899 participants of whom 3043 had an incident stroke. The pooled relative risk per SD lower global cognitive performance was 1.19 (95% CI, 1.12–1.27). Each SD lower score in executive function or attention was associated with 1.14-fold (95% CI, 1.06–1.24) higher risk of stroke. Lower scores in memory were associated with 1.07-fold (95% CI, 1.02–1.12) higher risk of stroke, and lower scores in language were associated with 1.08-fold (95% CI, 1.02–1.16) higher risk of stroke.

Conclusions—

Cognitive impairment is associated with higher risk of stroke. The associations were not significantly different for executive function, memory, and language.
Pushdown Automata in Statistical Machine Translation
Authors: Allauzen Cyril , Byrne Bill , de Gispert Adrià , Iglesias Gonzalo , Riley Michael
Published: March 2014

This article describes the use of pushdown automata (PDA) in the context of statistical machine translation and alignment under a synchronous context-free grammar. We use PDAs to compactly represent the space of candidate translations generated by the grammar when applied to an input sentence. General-purpose PDA algorithms for replacement, composition, shortest path, and expansion are presented. We describe HiPDT, a hierarchical phrase-based decoder using the PDA representation and these algorithms. We contrast the complexity of this decoder with a decoder based on a finite state automata representation, showing that PDAs provide a more suitable framework to achieve exact decoding for larger synchronous context-free grammars and smaller language models. We assess this experimentally on a large-scale Chinese-to-English alignment and translation task. In translation, we propose a two-pass decoding strategy involving a weaker language model in the first-pass to address the results of PDA complexity analysis. We study in depth the experimental conditions and tradeoffs in which HiPDT can achieve state-of-the-art performance for large-scale SMT.
The Two-Layer Structure of the Entrainment Zone in the Convective Boundary Layer
Authors: Garcia Jade Rachele , Mellado Juan Pedro
Published: March 2014

The entrainment zone (EZ) of a dry, shear-free convective boundary layer growing into a linearly stratified fluid is studied by means of direct numerical simulation. The scale separation between the boundary layer thickness and the Kolmogorov length scale is shown to be sufficient to observe Reynolds number similarity in the statistics of interest during the equilibrium entrainment regime. Contrary to previous considerations, the vertical structure of the entrainment zone is found to be better described by the superposition of two sublayers: 1) an upper EZ sublayer that is dominated by overshooting thermals and is characterized by a penetration depth that scales with the ratio of the convective velocity and the buoyancy frequency of the free troposphere and 2) a lower EZ sublayer that is dominated by troughs of mixed fluid and is characterized by the integral length scale of the mixed layer. Correspondingly, different buoyancy scales are identified. The consequences of this multiplicity of scales on the entrainment rate parameters are evaluated directly, without resorting to any bulk model, through an exact relation among the mean entrainment rate, the local buoyancy increment, and both the turbulent and the finite-thickness contributions to the entrainment ratio A measured at the height of minimum buoyancy flux. The smaller turbulent contribution to A that is usually observed for relatively thick EZs is found to be compensated by the smaller local buoyancy increment instead of by the finite-thickness contribution. The two-layer structure of the entrainment zone is found to affect the exponent of the power-law relation between the normalized mean entrainment rate and the convective Richardson number such that the exponent deviates from −1 for typical atmospheric conditions, although it asymptotically approaches −1 for higher Richardson numbers.
Transient Cold Air Drainage down a Shallow Valley
Authors: Mahrt L. , Sun Jielun , Oncley S. P. , Horst T. W.
Published: March 2014

Drainage of cold air down a small valley and associated near-surface wind maxima are examined from 20 stations with sonic anemometers at 1 m and from a 20-m tower that includes six sonic anemometers in the lowest 5 m, deployed in the Shallow Cold Pool Experiment (SCP). The small valley is about 270 m wide and 12 m deep with a downvalley slope of 2%–3%. The momentum budget indicates that the flow is driven by the buoyancy deficit of the flow and opposed primarily by the stress divergence while the remaining terms are estimated to be at least an order of magnitude smaller. This analysis also reveals major difficulties in quantifying such a budget due to uncertainties in the measurements, sensitivity to choice of averaging time, and sensitivity to measurement heights.

Wind maxima occur as low as 0.5 m in the downvalley drainage flow—the lowest observational level. The downvalley cold air drainage and wind maxima are frequently disrupted by transient modes that sometimes lead to significant vertical mixing. On average, the downvalley drainage of cold air occurs with particularly weak turbulence with stronger turbulence above the drainage flow. The momentum flux profile responds to the shear reversal at the wind maximum on a vertical scale of 1 m or less, suggesting the important role of finescale turbulent diffusion.
Trends in Extreme U.S. Temperatures
Authors: Lee Jaechoul , Li Shanghong , Lund Robert
Published: March 2014

This paper develops trend estimation techniques for monthly maximum and minimum temperature time series observed in the 48 conterminous United States over the last century. While most scientists concur that this region has warmed on aggregate, there is no a priori reason to believe that temporal trends in extremes and averages will exhibit the same patterns. Indeed, under minor regularity conditions, the sample partial sum and maximum of stationary time series are asymptotically independent (statistically). Previous authors have suggested that minimum temperatures are warming faster than maximum temperatures in the United States; such an aspect can be investigated via the methods discussed in this study. Here, statistical models with extreme value and changepoint features are used to estimate trends and their standard errors. A spatial smoothing is then done to extract general structure. The results show that monthly maximum temperatures are not often greatly changing—perhaps surprisingly, there are many stations that show some cooling. In contrast, the minimum temperatures show significant warming. Overall, the southeastern United States shows the least warming (even some cooling), and the western United States, northern Midwest, and New England have experienced the most warming.
Storm-Centered Ensemble Data Assimilation for Tropical Cyclones
Authors: Navarro Erika L. , Hakim Gregory J.
Published: March 2014

A significant challenge for tropical cyclone ensemble data assimilation is that storm-scale observations tend to make analyses that are more asymmetric than the prior forecasts. Compromised structure and intensity, such as an increase of amplitude across the azimuthal Fourier spectrum, are a routine property of ensemble-based analyses, even with accurate position observations and frequent assimilation. Storm dynamics in subsequent forecasts evolve these states toward axisymmetry, creating difficulty in distinguishing between model-induced and actual storm asymmetries for predictability studies and forecasting. To address this issue, a novel algorithm using a storm-centered approach is proposed. The method is designed for use with existing ensemble filters with little or no modification, facilitating its adoption and maintenance. The algorithm consists of 1) an analysis of the environment using conventional coordinates, 2) a storm-centered analysis using storm-relative coordinates, and 3) a merged analysis that combines the large-scale and storm-scale fields together at an updated storm location. This algorithm is evaluated in two sets of observing system simulation experiments (OSSEs): first, no-cycling tests of the update step for idealized three-dimensional storms in radiative–convective equilibrium; second, full cycling tests of data assimilation applied to a shallow-water model for a field of interacting vortices. Results are compared against a control experiment based on a conventional ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) scheme as well as an alternative EnKF scheme proposed by Lawson and Hansen. The storm-relative method yields vortices that are more symmetric and exhibit finer inner-core structure than either approach, with errors reduced by an order of magnitude over a control case with prior spread consistent with the National Hurricane Center (NHC)’s mean 5-yr forecast track error at 12 h. Azimuthal Fourier error spectra exhibit much-reduced noise associated with data assimilation as compared to both the control and the Lawson and Hansen approach. An assessment of free-surface height tendency of model forecasts after the merge step reveals a balanced trend between the storm-centered and conventional approaches, with storm-centered values more closely resembling the reference state.
Counterbalancing the integration policy for migrants through social work
Authors: De Roo Paul , Braeye Sarah , De Moor Alexandra
Published: March 2014

Migration problems are mainly reduced unilaterally to problems that migrants cause in the guest society regarding housing, employment, education and health care. At the same time migration research often focuses on the same reduction: the living conditions of migrants in our society and ghettoization, unemployment, the concentration of migrant children in so called ‘sink’ schools, unsuccessful integration and the sense of insecurity within the native community due to the presence of foreigners. Social workers proceed according to this evidence-based practice. Social workers are committed to the realization of a social policy that needs to accomplish an effective integration of migrants. In this article we question the evidence of the integration policy that is pursued. The reasons for this are multiple, but not least because the integration practices are often very counterproductive. I argue that migrant problems are not confined to the borders of our own community. A social policy of integration, addressed to migrants and other newcomers, which only depends on the conditions of our own society, must fail. Social work has increasingly been drawn into a role of punishment in its work with newcomers. This article looks to enlarge evidence-based practice to a reflexive collaboration with professionals in order to counterbalance the current rejection and submission of ‘unsuccessful’ migrants and newcomers.
How People React to Social-Psychological Accounts of Wrongdoing
Authors: Tang Ying , Newman Leonard S. , Huang Lihui
Published: March 2014

While social-psychological research has afforded much insight into the causes of human behavior, its emphasis on “the power of the situation” has been met with resistance from laypeople. Previous research found that American participants, when provided with different accounts of wrongdoing, were comfortable endorsing dispositional explanations of the behavior, but suspected that psychologists were exonerating wrongdoers when they were provided with situational explanations. The current study extends this research by examining the moderating effect of culture on laypeople’s perceptions of different explanations of wrongdoing. Chinese and American participants read about two hypothetical studies about wrongdoing and learned that either situational factors or personality variables seemed to account for the behavior. They then made responsibility attributions for the wrongdoer from both their own perspective and from what they perceived was the psychologists’ perspective. When given dispositional explanations, both Chinese and Americans reported consistency between their own and what they perceived to be the psychologists’ perspectives. However, when given situational explanations, although Chinese participants again reported consistency between their own and the psychologists’ perspectives, American participants thought the psychologists were exonerating the wrongdoer. These findings shed light on why social-psychological research sometimes faces skepticism and on cross-cultural variations in how people explain human behaviors. Practical implications of the study include a reminder that when social psychologists package their messages, they should take into account the biases of different targeted audiences.
Time, Judgment, and Competitive Spirituality: A Reading of the Development of the Doctrine of Purgatory
Authors: Thiel John E.
Published: March 2014

Why has purgatory virtually disappeared from Catholic belief and practice since Vatican II? A competitive spirituality, gravitating around the religious vocation of ascetics from the late Middle Ages, enabled the doctrine by extending the temporal horizon within which God's favorable judgment could be secured, first, in the lifelong practice of ascetics in their spiritual competition with martyrs, and then into a supernatural time required for laypersons and ascetics who could not meet the standard set by saintly ascetics. The loss of this competitive spirituality after Vatican II led to the loss of belief in purgatory and devotional practice surrounding it.
Crossing the Divide: Foundations of a Theology of Migration and Refugees
Authors: Groody Daniel G.
Published: March 2014

Examining theological reflection in an age of migration, the author focuses on four foundations of a theology of migration and refugees: (1) Imago Dei: Crossing the Problem—Person Divide; (2) Verbum Dei: Crossing the Divine—Human Divide; (3) Missio Dei: Crossing the Human—Human Divide; and (4) Visio Dei: Crossing the Country—Kingdom divide. As a call to cross borders and overcome barriers, migration is a way of thinking about God and human life and an expression of the Christian mission of reconciliation.
Gestimmtheit: Attunement as a Description of the Nature-Grace Relationship in Rahner's Theology
Authors: Coolman Boyd Taylor
Published: March 2014

Karl Rahner uses the language of attunement (Gestimmtheit) in his Christology and in his theological anthropology to describe human nature's relationship to grace. An analysis of this term's use prior to Rahner, especially in the thought of Martin Heidegger, illuminates the meaning of this key term in Rahner's thought.
The Freedom of Christ in the Later Lonergan
Authors: Moloney Raymond
Published: March 2014

The human freedom of Christ is a test case for how genuinely we admit the reality of Christ's humanity. This article presents Christ's freedom in light of Bernard Lonergan's later theology. A defining influence on the matter in this period was Lonergan's developing understanding of intentionality analysis. The article explains this complex notion and then shows how it throws light on the reality and historicity of Christ's human freedom.
Metaphysics and Society: A Commentary on Caritas in Veritate
Authors: Christiansen Drew
Published: March 2014

The article examines the place of Caritas in veritate in the documentary tradition of Catholic social teaching, its application of metaphysics to social questions, and its interpretation of social norms and the natural law. It treats the formative role of charity on government and world community and the application of the ethic of gratuitousness and communion on the market economy, government, and civil society. It concludes with a look at social carriers in advancing the message of the letter and with the suggestion of possible topics for investigation in theology and social ethics.
The Danish Cartoons Reconsidered: Catholic Social Teaching and the Contemporary Challenge of Free Speech
Authors: DeCosse David E.
Published: March 2014

The Danish cartoon controversy was extremely problematic for Muslims. But the publication of the cartoons also raised profound normative questions about speech for the Catholic Church as well. This article addresses the cartoon controversy in light of the Catholic social teaching's tradition on speech. In particular, the article addresses the issues of offensive speech; the relationship of speech and the secular; and the normative prioritization of the rights to the free exercise of religion and to freedom of speech.
The Theological Problem of Grace and Experience: A Lonerganian Perspective
Authors: Petillo L. Matthew
Published: March 2014

For Bernard Lonergan and Karl Rahner, grace is a reality that can be not only professed in worship or inferred through metaphysical analysis but also experienced in the depths of consciousness. Here the author uses a Lonerganian hermeneutic to study the evolution of the theology of grace from the writings of Augustine through the Scholastic work of Aquinas to the theology of Lonergan. His analysis demonstrates that the transition to an account that expresses grace in terms of human experience represents a development in the Catholic theology of grace.
Evolution, Altruism, and the Image of God
Authors: Mahoney Jack
Published: March 2014

Responding to a question of Pope John Paul II on what light evolution can throw on creation in the image of God, this article first considers how the creation of humanity in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26–27) has been variously understood. It then examines how sociobiology seeks to explain the origin and role of altruism. Finally it proposes a theology of altruism that originates in God's interpersonal mutual commitment, is humanly and archetypally expressed by Jesus as “the image of God” (Col 1:15), and invites the human species to pursue mutual concern as created in the image of the divine altruism.
A Right to Beauty: A Fair Share of Milk and Honey for the Poor
Authors: McCormick Patrick T.
Published: March 2014

The author argues that humans have a right to beauty, and that the poor, often immersed in ugliness, have a particular and urgent need for and claim upon this right. Beauty provides a contemplative and self-transcending rest essential to human flourishing, while the encounter with beauty enables human persons to realize their vocation as cocreators. Deprived of their fair share of creation's bounty and mired in filth and squalor, the poor have a right to savor and create beauty.
Woman of Many Names: Mary in Orthodox and Catholic Theology
Authors: Daley Brian E.
Published: March 2014

Catholic emphasis on Mary's role in the Christian story of salvation and on the unique privileges given her by God to accomplish that salvation for humanity continues to trouble some Protestants and seems to distract from the Church's central preaching. This article attempts to show the continuity between Catholic and Orthodox liturgical and theological traditions on Mary, despite apparent differences in terminology and image, and draws on the works of Sergei Bulgakov and Karl Rahner to reflect on the fundamental meaning of Mary for both Eastern and Western forms of Christian faith.
Grace and Growth: Aquinas, Lonergan, and the Problematic of Habitual Grace
Authors: Wilkins Jeremy D.
Published: March 2014

Thomas Aquinas's theory of habitual grace rests on a generically metaphysical account of the faculties of the soul and of the natural and supernatural habits that perfect them. Bernard Lonergan opened up fruitful avenues for rethinking nature, grace, and virtue in a developmental perspective. His intentionality analysis transposes the conception of human nature; the dynamic state of being in love transposes sanctifying grace; the development of skills provides an analogue for virtue; and the role of love in the development, orientation, and transformation of skills provides an analogy for grace as habitual.
On Ovarian Tissue Transplantation and the Metaphysics of Self-Recognition: A Response to Paul Lauritzen and Andrea Vicini
Authors: Austriaco Nicanor Pier Giorgio
Published: March 2014

To resolve questions regarding ovarian tissue transplantation, the author proposes a metaphysical theory positing that the common ensoulment shared by all the cells in a woman's body is manifested primarily in her immune system's ability to distinguish her own cells from those of another. The author therefore suggests that human procreation, to be morally licit, has to involve the giving of one's gametes, defined, not by their genetic constitution, but by their being part of the immunologically defined self given in the mutual self-gift that is conjugal love.
Does Vatican II Represent Continuity or Discontinuity?
Authors: O'Collins Gerald
Published: March 2014

The article examines changes in teaching and practice endorsed by Vatican II. What “combination of continuity and discontinuity” (Pope Benedict XVI) shaped those reforms? Several conciliar documents set out principles guiding the changes by retrieving neglected traditions (ressourcement) and bringing the church's life up to date (aggiornamento). The article suggests going beyond such schemes as “changing forms and permanent principles” or changes in “nonessentials but not in essentials” and instead recognizing that the council embraced reform with a view to renewing the church's apostolic identity.
The Reception of Vatican II in Latin America
Authors: Valiente O. Ernesto
Published: March 2014

Since Vatican II the Latin American church has come of age to become an autochthonous and distinctive expression of the universal church. The article enlists the postconciliar general conferences of Latin American bishops to explore the creative reception of the council and how it has shaped the identity and mission of this church. Three theological elements reflect the renewal that Vatican II made possible in the Latin American church: reading the signs of the times, the preferential option for the poor, and the communion ecclesiology expressed in the Christian Base Communities.
Conscience and Selfhood: Thomas More, John Henry Newman, and the Crisis of the Postmodern Subject
Authors: Merrigan Terrence
Published: March 2014

Both Thomas More and John Henry Newman understood the human subject as a historically situated, responsible, and dynamic being that realizes itself through conscientious moral action amid the ambiguities of history. Both men were also obliged to come to terms with the tensile relationship between loyalty to conscience and loyalty to tradition. Their lives and their work would seem to resonate with, and constitute a challenge to, the contemporary postmodern debate about the nature of selfhood.
What Nostra Aetate Inaugurated: A Conversion to the “Providential Mystery of Otherness”
Authors: Boys Mary C.
Published: March 2014

The Second Vatican Council's declaration Nostra aetate (NA) is regarded as a “watershed” document. NA no. 4, on relations with the Jewish people, is frequently cited as evidence of a turning point in the Catholic Church's attitudes toward the religious Other. Yet the full significance of NA no. 4 becomes manifest only when it is situated in the complex history of the church's understanding of Judaism, including the contentious debates at the council and current theological disputes.
Phenomenology of Redemption? Or Theory of Sanctification?
Authors: Daly Robert J.
Published: March 2014

Can there be empirical evidence for a universal mechanism of salvation? To take up such a question will require students of both theology and the social and natural sciences to be in serious conversation with one another. Robert Doran suggests a possible beginning by bringing Bernard Lonergan's “Law of the Cross” and theology of conversion into conversation with René Girard's mimetic theory. The result falls well short of a full phenomenology of redemption but is sufficiently promising to allow us to begin thinking about a possible universal theory of sanctification.
Jean Pierre Gury's Sources: A Missing Chapter in the History of Double Effect
Authors: Fleming Julia
Published: March 2014

Analysis of Gury's sources for his two principles governing the indirect voluntary both illuminates its historical development and raises questions about its meaning. The historical review reveals not only that Gury relied far more on later theologians than on Thomas Aquinas in formulating his principles, but also that two critical changes in the understanding of the indirect voluntary have created a deceptive appearance of historical continuity regarding double-effect reasoning.
Discernment within a Mutual Love Relationship with God: A New Theological Foundation
Authors: Vacek Edward Collins
Published: March 2014

Theologians disagree on whether Christians can know what in particular God wills. Appropriate decisions often conflict with decisions God seems to want us humans to make. Methods of discernment are numerous and fallible. Spiritual writers depict discerners as passively receiving God's will or discovering God's predetermined plan. As an alternative, this article proposes that an illuminating, mutual love relationship with God requires humans to codetermine God's will for themselves and others. They respond to the Spirit who frees and leads by attraction.
Method and Catholic Theological Ethics in the Twenty-First Century
Authors: Salzman Todd A. , Lawler Michael G.
Published: March 2014

The article proposes a Catholic ethical method for the 21st century. To that end, the authors first address the magisterium's concerns with relativism and distinguish relativism from Bernard Lonergan's perspectivism. After proposing perspectivism as an epistemological tool that accounts for a plurality of Catholic ethical methods, the authors explore virtue ethics, virtue epistemology, and a Christian stance that contribute to a reconstructed Catholic ethical method. The article concludes with a definition of chastity from two methodological perspectives that have different anthropological and normative implications.
Critical incidents’ impact on front-line South African police personnel in light of the current briefing and debriefing strategies
Authors: Elntib Stamatis , Armstrong Trish
Published: March 2014

Long-term exposure to critical incidents can have a negative impact on officers’ well-being while affecting their capacity to maintain public safety. Operational flaws can, similarly, lead to hasty and incorrect decision-making; therefore, adequate briefing and debriefing systems are needed to facilitate the management of critical incidents. This study aimed to investigate the types of critical incidents and their impact on front-line officers’ well-being in light of the existing briefing and debriefing systems in Metro South African Police. A qualitative exploratory method was used to understand the impact of critical incidents and the Police officers’ perceptions of briefing and debriefing structures in the South African Metro Policing context. A total of 25 Metro Police officers were invited to share their experiences regarding their handling of critical incidents. The findings indicated that incidents involving mutilated victims or the death of a fellow police officer induced strong feelings of guilt and anger. Incidents with faceless crowds involving poor operational planning and execution strategies induced confusion, helplessness, frustration, and often humiliation. Participants were clearly fearful of appearing soft or inadequate in asking for help from their supervisors. Consequently, they remained reluctant to disclose their fears and concerns so as to avoid subsequent stigmatization in the absence of a systematic debriefing procedure. The current system of briefing and debriefing procedures cannot address the psychological and operational needs of the members of the police force. Internationally recognized briefing and debriefing systems must be urgently adjusted to and implemented within the South African policing landscape.
Is There a Relationship Between Tic Frequency and Physiological Arousal? Examination in a Sample of Children With Co-Occurring Tic and Anxiety Disorders
Authors: Conelea Christine A. , Ramanujam Krishnapriya , Walther Michael R. , Freeman Jennifer B. , Garcia Abbe M.
Published: March 2014

Stress is the contextual variable most commonly implicated in tic exacerbations. However, research examining associations between tics, stressors, and the biological stress response has yielded mixed results. This study examined whether tics occur at a greater frequency during discrete periods of heightened physiological arousal. Children with co-occurring tic and anxiety disorders ( n = 8) completed two stress-induction tasks (discussion of family conflict, public speech). Observational (tic frequencies) and physiological (heart rate [HR]) data were synchronized using The Observer XT, and tic frequencies were compared across periods of high and low HR. Tic frequencies across the entire experiment did not increase during periods of higher HR. During the speech task, tic frequencies were significantly lower during periods of higher HR. Results suggest that tic exacerbations may not be associated with heightened physiological arousal and highlight the need for further tic research using integrated measurement of behavioral and biological processes.
An Extension of the DINA Model Using Covariates
Authors: Park Yoon Soo , Lee Young-Sun
Published: March 2014

When students solve problems, their proficiency in a particular subject may influence how well they perform in a similar, but different area of study. For example, studies have shown that science ability may have an effect on the mastery of mathematics skills, which in turn may affect how examinees respond to mathematics items. From this view, it becomes natural to examine the relationship of performance on a particular area of study to the mastery of attributes on a related subject. To examine such an influence, this study proposes a covariate extension to the deterministic input noisy “and” gate (DINA) model by applying a latent class regression framework. The DINA model has been selected for the study as it is known for its parsimony, easy interpretation, and potential extension of the covariate framework to more complex cognitive diagnostic models. In this approach, covariates can be specified to affect items or attributes. Real-world data analysis using the fourth-grade Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) data showed significant relationships between science ability and attributes in mathematics. Simulation study results showed stable recovery of parameters and latent classes for varying sample sizes. These findings suggest further applications of covariates in a cognitive diagnostic modeling framework that can aid the understanding of how various factors influence mastery of fine-grained attributes.
Complete alleviation of treatment refractory primary SUNCT syndrome with clomiphene citrate (a medicinal deep brain hypothalamic modulator)
Authors: Rozen Todd D
Published: March 2014

Objective

To report the first ever case of primary short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks (SUNCT) syndrome completely responsive to clomiphene citrate.

Methods

Case report.

Results

SUNCT is a primary headache disorder marked by frequent attacks of one-sided headache with cranial autonomic associated symptoms. When SUNCT is deemed medicinally treatment refractory, it can cause tremendous patient-related disability. Surgical treatment options are available including hypothalamic deep brain stimulation, occipital nerve stimulator placement or arterial decompression surgery, but these procedures carry significant morbidity. A patient presented with a 10 month complaint of multiple, daily short-lasting, right-sided headaches each lasting from 60 to 120 seconds in duration and occurring from 100 to 200 times per day. The head pain was associated with ipsilateral eyelid ptosis and conjunctival injection. The patient was diagnosed with SUNCT but was unresponsive to multiple recognized medicinal treatments. He had complete alleviation of his attacks with clomiphene citrate, a synthetic, non-steroidal, ovulatory stimulant that directly binds to hypothalamic estrogen receptors. The clomiphene was tolerated without any adverse events. A putative mechanism of action for clomiphene in the prevention of SUNCT will be presented.

Conclusion

Clomiphene citrate is a unique treatment for SUNCT and appears to be very safe and effective.