bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Constitutive Activation of Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription 3 Correlates with Better Prognosis, Cell Proliferation and Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1α in Human Gastric Cancer
Authors: Woo Sungmin , Lee Byung Lan , Yoon Jiyeon , Cho Sung Jin , Baik Tai-Kyoung , Chang Mee Soo , Lee Hee Eun , Park Jong-Wan , Kim Young-Hoon , Kim Woo Ho
Published: November 2011

Objective: We aimed to investigate the biological significance of signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3) in gastric carcinoma. Methods: Immunohistochemistry was performed on tissue array slides containing 285 gastric carcinoma specimens. The relationship between the nuclear expression of phospho-Tyr705-STAT3 (pSTAT3), an active form of STAT3, and prognosis, clinicopathological factors, proliferation, cell cycle regulators, apoptosis regulators, or angiogenesis-related proteins was evaluated. Results: In nonneoplastic gastric mucosa, pSTAT3 was observed primarily in the nuclei of cells in the proliferative zone and intestinal metaplasia. In gastric carcinomas, nuclear STAT3 activation was observed in 36% of cases and was positively correlated with the Ki-67 labeling index and earlier tumor stage, whereas it was inversely correlated with lymphatic metastasis and distant metastasis (p< 0.05). Moreover, survival analyses showed that pSTAT3 expression was an independent prognostic factor of good survival. In addition, the expression of nuclear pSTAT3 positively correlated with that of cyclin D1, p21, p27, hypoxia-inducible factor-1α, or vascular endothelial growth factor (p< 0.05). Conclusions: STAT3 activation is an early event in gastric tumorigenesis and significantly correlates with better prognosis, proliferation and angiogenesis. Thus, STAT3 activation may be a valuable prognostic variable and therapeutic target in gastric carcinoma.
The Roles of Surgical Oncologists in the New Era – Minimally Invasive Surgery for Early Gastric Cancer and Adjuvant Surgery for Metastatic Gastric Cancer
Authors: Yoshida Kazuhiro , Yamaguchi Kazuya , Okumura Naoki , Osada Shinji , Takahashi Takao , Tanaka Yoshihiro , Tanabe Kazuaki , Suzuki Takahisa
Published: November 2011

In the new era of technical development in surgery, operative devices, molecular targeting and chemotherapeutic agents, surgical oncologists have two main roles in the treatment of gastric cancer. One is to provide patients with minimally invasive surgery, including laparoscopy- or robot-assisted surgery in early gastric cancer patients, and the new concept of surgical intervention toward advanced and metastatic disease. Since recently, laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy has become prevalent in Japan as a surgery which is minimally invasive for the patients and provides them with a good quality of life afterwards. However, the provision of advanced surgical techniques, including lymph node dissection and reconstruction, is more important for patient survival. The second role of surgical oncologists is to evaluate the significant values of the aggressive treatment which we term ‘adjuvant surgery’ for stage IV gastric cancer patients who have successfully responded to initial chemotherapy for curative intent. Stage IV gastric cancer patients are now being informed about the possibility of longer survival with the new chemotherapeutic and surgical strategic approach.
Perception of a Naturalistic Stressor Interacts with 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 Genotype and Gender to Impact Reward Responsiveness
Authors: Nikolova Yuliya , Bogdan Ryan , Pizzagalli Diego A.
Published: November 2011

Background: Stressful life experiences frequently precede the onset of major depression; however, the mechanisms that underlie this link are poorly understood. Importantly, some individuals are more susceptible to the depressogenic effects of stress than others. Carriers of the S or LG allele of the 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 polymorphisms (S’ participants) have been found to be more prone to developing depression under stress relative to L or LA homozygotes (L’ participants). Moreover, emerging evidence indicates that stress-induced anhedonia may be a mechanism underlying links between stress and depression. Given these findings, we hypothesized that exposure to a naturalistic stressor (school final examinations) would disrupt reward responsiveness (a key behavioral component of anhedonia), and that this effect would be strongest in S’ participants. Methods: To objectively assess reward responsiveness, we administered a probabilistic reward task to 70 Bulgarian high school students over two sessions in the 6-month period preceding school finals. For each participant, the two sessions were designated as the ‘stress’ and ‘control’ conditions based on self-reported perceived stress. Results: A genotype × condition interaction emerged in males, with S’ participants showing larger stress-related reduction in reward responsiveness relative to L’ participants. Conclusion: While in need of replication in a larger sample, our results indicate that stress associated with a real-life event is linked to reduced reward responsiveness, the susceptibility to which is modulated by 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 genotype. Although preliminary, these findings identify anhedonia as a promising mechanism linking 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 genotype and stress to depression.
Staged Gamma Knife Radiosurgery for Large Cerebral Arteriovenous Malformations
Authors: Amponsah Kwame , Ellis Thomas L. , Chan Michael D. , Bourland J. Daniel , Glazier Stephen S. , McMullen Kevin P. , Shaw Edward G. , Tatter Stephen B.
Published: November 2011

Background: We present our experience over a 10-year period of staged radiosurgery for large arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) including patient outcomes and methods. Methods: From July 2000 to December 2010, 80 patients with AVMs were treated with gamma knife radiosurgery (GKS) at our institution; of these patients, 5 were treated for large AVMs with staged GKS (volumes >20 cm3). The mean interval between treatments was 10 months (range 7–16). The mean dose for the margin used was 18.0 Gy (range 16–20). The mean volume treated was 37.2 cm3 (range 22–50). The mean total follow-up was 76.5 months (range 42–120). Results: Two patients had complete obliteration of the AVM nidus. One patient had 95% obliteration (31 months after radiosurgery), one had 90% obliteration (38 months after radiosurgery), and one had less than 50% obliteration at 53 months with a 16-month interval between staged treatments. Conclusions: Staged radiosurgery is an effective and safe method for the treatment of large AVMs. We report achieving higher marginal doses with staging in planned intervals of 6–9 months between staged treatments. It appears that the longer the wait between treatments, the less likely it is that complete obliteration will be achieved.
Operating Room to Bench for Gastric Cancer
Authors: Yang Han-Kwang
Published: November 2011

Gastric cancer is the most common cancer in Korea, with an age-standardized rate of 61.2 in males and 23.9 in females (in 2007), one of the highest in the world. Using a large gastric tissue depository and the extensive clinical experience gained from gastric cancer surgery, we work as a ‘translational researcher’ to apply basic research tools and results to the clinical field. We are also interested in providing answers to the questions in the operating room using the methods of basic research. I would like to introduce our research activities in this review paper.
Age-Related Changes in the Elastic Tissue of the Human Aorta
Authors: Fritze Olaf , Romero Beatriz , Schleicher Martina , Jacob Marie Paule , Oh Djin-Ye , Starcher Barry , Schenke-Layland Katja , Bujan Julia , Stock Ulrich A.
Published: November 2011

Background: Age-related arterial alterations affecting cells, matrix and biomolecules are the main culprit for initiation and progression of cardiovascular disease. The objective of this study is to gain further insights into the complex mechanism of elastic tissue ageing in human aortic blood vessels. Methods: One hundred and nineteen human aortic tissue samples were collected from adult patients (101 males, 18 females; age 40–86 years) undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. Overall extracellular matrix architecture was examined by multiphoton laser scanning microscopy and histology. Matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9, corresponding tissue inhibitors 1 and 2 as well as desmosine were determined. mRNA levels of tropoelastin were assessed by quantitative RT-PCR. Results: Age-related destruction of the vascular elastic laminas as well as a loss of interlamina cross-links were observed by laser scanning microscopy. These results were confirmed by histology indicating increasing interlamina gaps. There were no significant differences in matrix turnover or desmosine content. A steady decrease in tropoelastin mRNA by about 50% per 10 years of age increase was observed. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that ageing is accompanied by a destruction of the elastic vascular structure. However, tropoelastin expression analysis suggests that elastogenesis occurs throughout life with constantly decreasing levels.
Changes in Motor Function Induced by Chronic Motor Cortex Stimulation in Post-Stroke Pain Patients
Authors: Yamamoto Takamitsu , Katayama Yoichi , Watanabe Mitsuru , Sumi Kohichiro , Obuchi Toshiki , Kobayashi Kazutaka , Oshima Hideki , Fukaya Chikashi
Published: November 2011

Background: In well-designed multicenter studies, the protocol of continuing motor cortex stimulation (MCS) temporarily for 3–6 weeks was employed with rehabilitation therapy, and these studies showed some recovery of motor weakness in post-stroke patients. Objectives: We aimed to clarify the effects of long-term MCS and the optimal stimulation conditions to improve motor weakness in post-stroke patients. Methods: We applied chronic MCS in 6 post-stroke pain patients with motor weakness. We then examined the correlation between the duration of daily MCS applied over 6 months and motor function assessed on the basis of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) score of the patients. Results: In the 6 patients with motor weakness, the FMA score of the upper extremity increased in 4 patients who underwent daily MCS for less than 4 h. On the other hand, 2 patients who continued excessive MCS to control their complicating post-stroke pain showed decreased FMA scores and worsened motor function owing to their increased rigidity and/or spasticity. These 2 patients recovered their motor function after their daily MCS was restricted to less than 4 h. Conclusions: These findings indicate that MCS could be a new therapeutic approach to improving motor performance after stroke by attenuating rigidity and/or spasticity. However, it may be important to define the appropriate number of hours and conditions of daily MCS.
Dasatinib Overrides Imatinib Resistance Mediated by the F359I Residue Mutation in Two Patients with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Serpa Mariana , Sanabani Sabri S. , Dorlhiac-Llacer Pedro Enrique , Nardinelli Luciana , de Barros Ferreira Patricia , Borges Martins Thays Fernanda , Seguro Fernanda , Bendit Israel
Published: November 2011

Despite the beneficial effects of imatinib mesylate, some patients may either not respond or respond suboptimally. Here, we report two chronic myelogenous leukemia patients; one had a suboptimal response according to European LeukemiaNet criteria (a major molecular response was not achieved after 18 months of standard-dose imatinib therapy) and the other had failure with a standard dose of imatinib. At the time of the suboptimal response in patient 1 and the failure in patient 2, we were able to detect the F359I mutation in the BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase domain using DNA sequencing in both patients. Therefore, it was decided to change the therapeutic regimen to dasatinib at a dose of 100 mg once daily in both patients. This change resulted in the achievement of complete cytogenetic remission in patient 1 after 4 months and a major molecular response within 2 and 3 months in both patients. Detection of the F359I mutation in our two cases likely explains the suboptimal response to imatinib in case 1 and the failure in case 2. This implies that in such cases dasatinib should be considered to effectively suppress the mutated clones.
Calcium Effects on Superoxide Dismutase and Catalase of the Rabbit Urinary Bladder Muscle and Mucosa
Authors: Fitzpatrick Brittany , Schuler Catherine , Leggett Robert E. , Levin Robert M.
Published: November 2011

Purpose: Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase are two important antioxidant mechanisms that work together to reduce free radical damage. Intracellular free calcium in smooth muscle can change rapidly and many enzymes can be affected. The sensitivity of SOD and catalase activity to calcium was determined in both rabbit bladder smooth muscle and mucosa. Materials and Methods: Calcium sensitivity was analyzed by determining SOD and catalase activity in muscle and mucosa at the following calcium concentrations: 0 (in the presence of 1 mM EGTA), 1 and 5 mM CaCl2. Results:SOD: EGTA resulted in increased SOD activity of bladder smooth muscle, whereas both 1 and 5 mM calcium significantly decreased SOD activity. EGTA had no effect on SOD activity of the mucosa whereas 1 and 5 mM calcium decreased SOD activity of the muscle. Catalase: 1 mM calcium resulted in decreased catalase activity of the muscle and no change in the activity of the mucosa, whereas 5 mM calcium resulted in increased catalase activity of the mucosa but no change in the activity of the muscle. Discussion:Mucosa showed more SOD and catalase activity than the muscle. Both SOD and catalase showed differing sensitivities to EGTA and calcium.
Improvement in Word Recognition Score with Level Is Associated with Hearing Aid Ownership among Patients with Hearing Loss
Authors: Halpin Chris , Rauch Steven D.
Published: November 2011

Market surveys consistently show that only 22% of those with hearing loss own hearing aids. This is often ascribed to cosmetics, but is it possible that patients apply a different auditory criterion than do audiologists and manufacturers? We tabulated hearing aid ownership in a survey of 1000 consecutive patients. We separated hearing loss cases, with one cohort in which word recognition in quiet could improve with gain (vs. 40 dB HL) and another without such improvement but nonetheless with audiometric thresholds within the manufacturer’s fitting ranges. Overall, we found that exactly 22% of hearing loss patients in this sample owned hearing aids; the same finding has been reported in many previous, well-accepted surveys. However, while all patients in the two cohorts experienced difficulty in noise, patients in the cohort without word recognition improvement were found to own hearing aids at a rate of 0.3%, while those patients whose word recognition could increase with level were found to own hearing aids at a rate of 50%. Results also coherently fit a logistic model where shift of the word recognition performance curve by level corresponded to the likelihood of ownership. In addition to the common attribution of low hearing aid usage to patient denial, cosmetic issues, price, or social stigma, these results provide one alternative explanation based on measurable improvement in word recognition performance.
Modulation of Peripheral Inflammatory Pain Thresholds by M1 and Nicotinic Receptor Antagonists
Authors: Motta Patrícia G. , Perez Andrea C. , Alves Daniela P. , Duarte Igor D.G.
Published: November 2011

The study used the paw withdrawal test to investigate the role of the cholinergic system on the modulation of inflammatory pain induced by carrageenan (Cg) at the peripheral level, through activation of muscarinic and nicotinic receptors. Intraplantar administration of the specific M1 receptor antagonist telenzepine (TEL; 6, 12 and 24 µg/paw) caused a dose-dependent reduction in the nociceptive threshold induced by Cg (125 µg/paw). This effect was not observed with increasing doses (4, 10 and 40 µg) of other specific receptor antagonists: M2 (dimethindene), M3 (4-DAMP) and M4 (tropicamide). The nicotinic antagonist mecamylamine (MEC; 25, 50 and 100 µg/paw) also caused a dose-dependent reduction in the nociceptive threshold induced by Cg (125 µg). To exclude a non-local effect, Cg (125 µg) was injected into both hind paws, while TEL (12 µg) and MEC (50 µg) were administered only in the right paw. At these doses, the muscarinic antagonists increased inflammatory pain only in the treated right paw, suggesting a peripheral effect. In the presence of prostaglandin E2 (1 µg/paw), TEL (12 µg) and MEC (50 µg) did not reduce the nociceptive threshold, suggesting that this hyperalgesic agent does not induce the release of endogenous acetylcholine. These data suggest that muscarinic M1 and nicotinic receptors participate in the modulation of endogenous cholinergic inflammatory pain at the peripheral level.
A Multicenter Phase II Randomized Trial of Docetaxel/Gemcitabine versus Docetaxel/Capecitabine as First-Line Treatment for Advanced Breast Cancer: A Gruppo Oncologico Italia Meridionale Study
Authors: Vici P. , Giotta F. , Di Lauro L. , Sergi D. , Vizza E. , Mariani L. , Latorre A. , Pizzuti L. , D’Amico C. , Giannarelli D. , Colucci G.
Published: November 2011

Objective: To evaluate two docetaxel-based regimens as first-line treatment in advanced breast cancer patients. Methods: Patients were randomly assigned to docetaxel/gemcitabine (arm A: docetaxel 75 mg/m2 on day 1, gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8) or docetaxel/capecitabine (arm B: docetaxel 75 mg/m2 on day 1, capecitabine 1,250 mg/m2 twice daily on days 1–14); both chemotherapy regimens were repeated every 21 days. The primary objective of the study was to evaluate the response rate. Results: Seventy-two patients were enrolled (36 each in arms A and B). Responses according to intention-to-treat analysis were as follows: arm A, 41.7% [95% confidence interval (CI) 25.6–57.8]; arm B, 38.9% (95% CI 23–54.8). Median progression-free survival was 10.9 months (95% CI 8.1–13.7) in arm A and 10 months (95% CI 8.8–11.2) in arm B. Overall survival was 26 months (95% CI 22.0–30.0) in arm A and 28 months (95% CI 23.4–32.6) in arm B. Both treatments were well tolerated; myelosuppression was the dose-limiting toxicity, with grade 3–4 neutropenia in 13.8 and 19.4% of the patients in arms A and B, respectively. No relevant differences in other toxicities were observed in the two arms, except for diarrhea (13.9%) and hand-foot syndrome (11.1%), which occurred only in arm B. Conclusions: Both regimens were active and well tolerated in advanced breast cancer.
Studies on the genus Aporcelaimellus Heyns, 1965 (Dorylaimida: Aporcelaimidae). An interesting new species from Western Africa
Authors: Álvarez-Ortega Sergio , Peña-Santiago Reyes , Ahmad Wasim
Published: November 2011

Aporcelaimellus porosus sp. n., collected in rice fields from Guinea and Ivory Coast, is described and illustrated. The new species is characterised by its body length of 2.51-2.81 mm, numerous, particularly conspicuous ventral body pores, lip region offset by constriction and 19.5-21.5 μm broad, odontostyle 26-30 μm long with its ventral side distinctly thickened at its anterior portion and aperture occupying 64-70% of its length, neck 589-626 μm long, pharyngeal expansion 305-332 μm long or 50-55% of total neck length, uterus tripartite and 287-446 μm long or 3.5-5.5 times the corresponding body diam., pars refringens vaginae with two well developed sclerotised pieces, vulva transverse (V = 52-56), tail short and rounded (25-33 μm, c = 84-103, c′ = 0.5-0.7), spicules 81-87 μm long, and eight spaced ventromedian supplements which lack a hiatus. It is compared in detail with its closest congeners.
Description of Rhyssocolpus vinciguerrae sp. n. (Dorylaimida, Nordiidae) from Iran and the first molecular study of this genus
Authors: Peña-Santiago Reyes , Ye Weimin , Robbins Robert T. , Pourjam Ebrahim , Pedram Majid
Published: November 2011

Rhyssocolpus vinciguerrae sp. n., from natural habitats in Iran, is described, illustrated and sequenced. It is characterised by the body length of 1.04-1.37 mm, lip region offset by depression and 11-13 μm broad, odontostyle 8-10 μm or 0.7-0.8 times the lip region diam. long, neck 227-265 μm long, pharyngeal expansion 80-95 μm long or 31-35% of total neck length, a dorsal cell mass present between cardia and the end of the anterior ovary/testis, uterus bipartite, 90-170 μm long, vulva longitudinal (V = 48-55), abundant irregularities in body cuticle around vulva, female tail conical with rounded terminus (35-55 μm, c = 24-34, c′ = 1.4-1.9), spicules 43-51 μm long and 6-8 spaced ventromedian supplements located outside the range of the spicules. It is very similar to R. aquilonius, R. arcticus and R. iuventutis. A molecular characterisation of the new species was done on ribosomal DNA nearfull-length small subunit 18S gene, internal transcribed spacer and partial 5.8S gene. The results obtained support a close relationship between Rhyssocolpus and Heterodorus, and a more distant relationship with Enchodelus.
Molecular and morphological characterisations of two new species of Rotylenchus (Nematoda: Hoplolaimidae) from Iran
Authors: Castillo Pablo , Pourjam Ebrahim , Palomares-Rius Juan E. , Atighi Mohammad Reza , Cantalapiedra-Navarrete Carolina , Pedram Majid
Published: November 2011

Two new amphimictic species, Rotylenchus iranicus n. sp. and R. conicaudatus n. sp., are described. Rotylenchus iranicus n. sp. is characterised mainly by an offset hemispherical lip region with 5-6, rarely 7, annuli, stylet 39-44 μm long, vulva located at 53-65% and rounded tail with 4-9 annuli and typical smooth tip. Morphologically this species is related to R. montanus, R. provincialis and R. aqualamus. Rotylenchus conicaudatus n. sp. is characterised mainly by a slightly offset conoid-rounded lip region with four or five, rarely six annuli, stylet 27-32 μm long, vulva located at 52-63% and conoid-rounded tail with 10-16 annuli and a typical annulated tip. Morphologically this species is related to R. pumilus, R. abnormecaudatus, R. acuspicaudatus and R. provincialis. The results of the phylogenetic analysis based on sequences of the D2-D3 expansion regions of 28S and ITS1-rRNA genes confirmed the species differentiation. Phylogenetic relationships with other species were difficult to assign using D2-D3 expansion regions of 28S. However, using ITS1-rRNA, R. conicaudatus n. sp. presented a close relationship with R. unisexus, whilst R. iranicus n. sp. was closely related to R. conicaudatus n. sp., R. unisexus, R. incultus and R. laurentinus.
Effect of the green manures Sinapis alba, Brassica napus and Raphanus sativus on hatching of Globodera rostochiensis
Authors: Valdes Yirina , Perry Roland N. , Viaene Nicole , Moens Maurice
Published: November 2011

The potato cyst nematode, Globodera rostochiensis, is a quarantine organism. Environmentally benign control measures for this economically important pest are needed. Green manures, in particular plants from the Brassicaceae, suppress some plant-parasitic nematodes and have potential as control agents. This study examined if growing and incorporating cover crops from the Brassicaceae family influenced hatching of G. rostochiensis. The effect of root diffusates and plant extracts, as well as soil incorporation of plant material from three commonly used species of green manures, was studied in in vitro bioassays and pot tests. The results showed that brassica diffusates and plant extracts were not nematicidal. In addition, although they did not cause hatch by themselves, pretreatment with these solutions enhanced subsequent hatch in host root diffusates. The results are discussed in the context of the hatching response of G. rostochiensis and the likely influence on field usage of these green manures.
Low temperature survival of post-eclosion stages of the potato rot nematode Ditylenchus destructor Thorne (Tylenchida: Anguinidae)
Authors: Williams Ingrid H. , Mänd Marika , Ploomi Angela , Metspalu Luule , Vilponis Eha , Hiiesaar Külli , Kaart Tanel , Luik Anne
Published: November 2011

The potato rot nematode, Ditylenchus destructor, may experience extreme environmental stress caused by freezing temperatures when overwintering in the field. A series of laboratory experiments were conducted in order to clarify overwintering strategies of the nematode. The current study aimed to examine the cold tolerance of this species in various aqueous environments as well as in plant tissues in order to determine its ability to survive 24 h exposure to subzero temperatures. Cold tolerance of adults and fourth-stage juveniles was significantly lower than that of younger juveniles. The lower lethal temperature of adults was –15°C. Although external ice formation affects all life stages, a few second-stage juveniles were able to survive temperatures as low as –30°C. The results expand the current understanding of freezing survival in the potato rot nematode and will lead to better comprehension of its ability to withstand subzero temperature conditions.
The effect of temperature on hatch and activity of second-stage juveniles of the root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne minor, an emerging pest in north-west Europe
Authors: Morris Karen S. , Horgan Finbarr G. , Downes Martin J. , Griffin Christine T.
Published: November 2011

Meloidogyne minor is a serious threat to turfgrass in north-west Europe, and has a broad host range that includes other economically important plants. The species was described only recently and little is known about its biology. This study examines the effect of temperature on hatch and motility of second-stage juveniles (J2), and records hatching from egg masses collected from golf greens in different seasons. Eggs were present throughout the year and a high percentage hatch (46-88%) was recorded when they were incubated at 20°C. When egg masses were incubated at constant temperatures, J2 hatched between 15 and 25°C, with limited hatch (<1%) at 10 and 30°C. The percentage hatch was lower at 15°C (43%) than at 20-25°C (63-76%). J2 hatched fastest at 23°C, with an average duration to hatching of 7 days compared to 17 days at 15°C. The range of temperatures at which J2 was active was broader than that at which they hatched. J2 were active from 4-30°C, with greatest activity between 15 and 25°C. The addition of grass root extract temporarily increased J2 activity at 10-20°C, but not at lower temperatures.
A microcosm experiment on the effects of permethrin on a free-living nematode assemblage
Authors: Sellami Badreddine , Boufahja Fehmi , Beyrem Hamouda , Aïssa Patricia , Dellali Mohamed , Mahmoudi Ezzeddine
Published: November 2011

Microcosms were used to assess the impact of permethrin on the abundance and diversity of free-living marine nematodes. The nematodes were exposed to three permethrin concentrations (50, 100 and 150 μg l–1), and the effects were examined after 25 days. The abundances of nematodes at all permethrin concentrations significantly exceeded those in the controls. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that responses of nematode species to permethrin treatments were varied: Pselionema sp., Prochromadorella neapolitana and Spirinia gerlachi were eliminated at the low dose and seemed to be species intolerant to permethrin; Trichotheristus mirabilis and Xyala striata, which increased with increasing contamination levels, seemed to be 'opportunistic' and/or 'resistant' species. Results showed significant differences between univariate measures of diversity of control nematodes and those from permethrin- contaminated microcosms, where all decreased significantly with increasing abundance of the most tolerant species to permethrin. The use of microcosms has allowed the effects of permethrin on nematodes to be assessed individually, which is not possible in the field.
Herman Trunk’s Cubist Crucifix: A Case Study
Authors: Fowler Cynthia
Published: November 2011

Abstract

American modern artist Herman Trunk (1894–1963) serves as a noteworthy case study in a consideration of the relationship between religion and American modern art in the first half of the twentieth century. One of his few overtly religious works, Crucifix (c. 1930), stands out for its intriguing convergence of a most important Catholic subject with Cubist art. This essay examines Trunk’s Cubist Crucifix in relation to other Crucifix and Crucifixion paintings created around the same time period. Trunk’s Crucifix is unique among abstract paintings of religious subjects in the artist’s distinctive use of Cubism to create a quiet meditation on the crucified Christ. In some respects affirming the long tradition of Crucifix and Crucifixion paintings, Crucifix also counters those traditions to provide an alternative perspective on the Crucifix as a subject. Through his Crucifix painting, Trunk successfully brings together two traditions that historically have been viewed as diametrically opposed—Catholicism and Cubist abstraction—to produce a devotional image of the Crucifix as a form of veneration.
Cultural and Religious Reversals in Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino
Authors: Roche Mark W.
Published: November 2011

Abstract

Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino is one of the most fascinating religious films of recent decades. Its portrayal of confession is highly ambiguous and multi-layered, as it both mocks confession and recognizes the enduring importance of its moral core. Equally complex is the film’s imitation and reversal of the Christ story. The religious dimension is interwoven with a complex portrayal and evaluation of multicultural America that does not shy away from unveiling elements of moral ugliness in American history and the American spirit, even as it provides a redemptive image of American potential. The film reflects on the shallowness of a modern culture devoid of tradition and higher meaning without succumbing to an idealization of pre-modern culture. The film is also Eastwood’s deepest and most effective criticism of the relentless logic of violence and so reverses a common conception of Eastwood’s world-view.
Built back better? Housing reconstruction after the Tsunami disaster of 2004 in Aceh
Authors: Kitzbichler Stephan
Published: November 2011

Abstract

The Tsunami disaster on the morning of December 26th, 2004 caused thousands of casualties and created enormous destruction in the twelve affected countries around the Indian Ocean. The hardest hit region was the conflict ridden province of Aceh in Indonesia, with an estimated 165,000 people dead or missing and around 15 percent of the surviving population made homeless (see BRR 2005).

The Tsunami catastrophe was followed by — at least for developing countries — an unprecedented scale of relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction operations. A multitude of actors from all over the world took action in the affected areas and contributed to the rebuilding of the devastated areas, following a “build back better” policy. In the light of the huge number of people made homeless, one of the most prominent aspects of the reconstruction process was housing, where about 130,000 reconstruction homes were built in Aceh alone after the disaster (see UNORC-IAS 2009).

This paper discusses the housing reconstruction approach based on a case study in a Tsunami affected village on the north-east coast of Aceh. In conclusion this case demonstrates the benefits of more participation in reconstruction.
Sociology and Communism: Coming to Terms with a Discipline’s Past
Authors: Fleck Christian , Fleck Christian , Hess Andreas
Published: November 2011

Abstract

In this introduction we provide a brief overview over the various periods of the sociological engagement with communism. We argue that the relationship has often been an uneasy, in some cases even a highly questionable one. However, on occasion the discipline also produced some decent research on the subject of communism. We conclude that it is still a long way to a proper sociology of communism worthy of the name.
Prediction and Prophecy in Communist Studies
Authors: Outhwaite William , Outhwaite William , Ray Larry
Published: November 2011

Abstract

Contrary to Popper’s classic article with this title, it can be argued that the principal failure of Western analyses of communism was not the failure to predict the collapse of most of the communist regimes in and around 1989 but more a failure of prophecy, in the sense of a more speculative theory of the contradictions of those regimes and their unsustainability.

The reasons can be found in the polarisation between overblown theories of totalitarianism and excessively bland comparative approaches couched in terms of the, then popular, theories of industrial society and, often, convergence. There were also methodological reasons arising from the positivist shibboleths of factual documentation, with the consequence that dubious statistics were considered better than none, and value-freedom.
The Social Roles of Polish Sociologists after 1945
Authors: Bielecka-Prus Joanna
Published: November 2011

Abstract

In this article I discuss the social roles of Polish sociologists in the period between 1945 and 1989. Sociologists in Poland are assumed to have constituted a heterogeneous group representing various attitudes towards the political system. Over time, they defined their intellectual role in public discourse differently. This picture remains incomplete without consideration of some crucial aspects: whether there were ways in which sociologists neutralized their participation in building the regime; and the techniques used for evasion and “legal criticism” of the system. The analysis is based on my comments of well-known sociologists published in the press and in books. Issues discussed include the function of sociology, the role of sociologists in a socialist country, and the position of sociology among other sciences and political doctrines.
An Empathetic Psychological Perspective of Police Deadly Force Training
Authors: Broomé Rodger E.
Published: November 2011

Abstract

Police officers must be able to make an accurate appraisal of a lethal encounter and respond with appropriate force to mitigate the threat to their own lives and to the lives of others. Contemporary police deadly force training places the cadet in mock lethal encounters, which are designed to simulate those occurring in the real lives of law enforcement officers. This Reality Base Training (RBT) is designed to provide cadets with experiences that require their reactions to be within the law, policies and procedures, and ethics while undergoing a very stressful, emotional, and physically dynamic situation (Artwohl & Christensen, 1997; Blum, 2000; Grossman, 1996; Miller, 2008; Murray, 2006). Three police cadets provided written accounts of their deadly force training experiences in the RBT format. The descriptive phenomenological psychological method was used to analyze the data and to synthesize a general psychological structure of their experiences. The results reveal the perceptions, thoughts, feelings and behaviors reflecting the role of consciousness and psychological subjectivity in the participants’ understandings and decision-making in the simulated situations.
Egypt’s Uzbek Mirror: Muḥammad al-Mansī Qandīl’s Post-Soviet Islamic Humanism
Authors: Litvin Margaret
Published: November 2011

Abstract

This article interrogates the post-Soviet Central Asian setting of Egyptian writer Muḥammad Mansī Qandīl’s novel Qamar ʿalā Samarqand (2004). Unusually for an Arabic literary work set in the post-Soviet space, Qamar expresses no nostalgia for Communist ideals. Instead it uses Uzbekistan as a double mirror for Nasser- and Sadat-era Egypt, grimly exposing life under authoritarian rule and also, more remarkably, conjuring an alternative humanist utopia based not in socialism but in the mythopoetic and spiritual resources of the classical Islamic tradition. Heavily expurgated at first and later republished in full, Qamar illustrates the richness of the Arab-Soviet cultural nexus and the continuing provocativeness of the literary works it has inspired.
The Performative in Ilyās Khūrī’s Bāb al-Shams
Authors: Head Gretchen
Published: November 2011

Abstract

This article focuses on Ilyās Khūrī’s engagement of performative aspects within his 1998 novel Bāb al-Shams (The Gate of the Sun).The novel utilizes different forms of the performative—the most transparent being oral narrative, but also video representations, television appearances, Jean Genet’s essay-turned-play Quarte heures à Chatila, and street performances—to show the collapse of nationalist myths in Beirut’s Palestinian refugee camps and to comment on the near impossibility of collective historical memory under the difficult conditions prevailing in the Palestinian diaspora. The failure of the epic genre in the context of the Shatila camp is the failure of the nationalist project and of historical memory; with the camp’s inhabitants severed from both their land and their history, nationalist myths based on ideals of heroism cannot hold, the collective memory is acutely compromised and Palestine becomes little more than a simulacrum. The logical result of the narrator’s failed epic cycle is a dislocation on the part of the camp’s inhabitants from authentic forms of representation. The Palestinian experience is performed through the tools of modern media—video cassettes, television programs and Western theatre—by which the residents of Shatila lose both whatever remaining connections to Palestine they may have held as well as their ability to build a collective memory for their own history as an exiled community. The way in which the 1982 Shatila massacre is remembered and performed takes on particular importance. The only hope Khūrī offers is through a street performance which allows Shatila’s residents the chance for reconnection to the tradition and an alternative to the simulacra by which they find themselves surrounded.
Rabīʿ Jābir’s Bayrūt Trilogy: Recovering an Obscured Urban History
Authors: Hayek Ghenwa
Published: November 2011

Abstract

How does a generation without personal memory begin to grapple with its urban past in a nation that has silenced its memories? Moreover, how are symbolic sites of memory recovered and represented by such a generation? Much recent scholarship on post-war Lebanon has studied the memory culture of the decades following the declared end of civil war in 1990. This scholarship deals with the implications of Lebanon’s ‘amnesiac’ political culture on the social and political landscape. In the meantime, Lebanon—and especially Beirut’s—urban landscape has been altered beyond recognition by post-war reconstruction, mostly by private real estate holding companies, the most notorious of which is Solidere. In the early 2000s, as Solidere’s activity picked up speed, a slew of historical novels about Lebanon and especially Beirut was published in both Arabic and French. In this article, I will focus exclusively on the strategies of urban commemoration in Rabīʿ Jābir’s trilogy. I argue that the genre of historical fiction is used in these novels to re-create the downtown life of Beirut in and around Martyrs’ Square from the 19th and early 20th century, a commemoration of a cityscape and an urban lifestyle that its author recreates using the tools of the archive (documents, bibliographies, etc.). This post-memorial fiction—here, I use Marianne Hirsch’s definition of postmemory as “second-generation memories of cultural and collective traumas and experience” (22)—attempts to recover Beirut’s repressed Ottoman urban history, and to re-write Solidere’s narrative of the city center. By intertwining downtown Beirut’s past with its present, in a clever back-and-forth palimpsestic act that superimposes the historical city upon the present city—site of capitalist consumption—Jābir’s novels map out the old upon the new, and thus refuses the erasure of the ancient city by its newest urbanists. In Jābir’s novels, a new, contestatory commemorative narrative of Beirut’s history and—more significantly, its present—emerges.
The Pentecostal Movement among Bulgaria’s Gypsies
Authors: Atanasov Miroslav
Published: November 2011

Abstract

The Pentecostal Movement among Bulgaria’s Gypsies discusses the Pentecostal movement among the most marginalized ethnic group on the European continent — the Roma, more widely known as ‘Gypsies.’ This movement started about sixty years ago, but continues to be a powerful force of impact among this people. It has transformed the Roma communities in positive and constructive ways and advanced their integration into society. The article begins by introducing the Roma as a minority and briefly explores the historical relationship between them and Christianity. It reviews Roma Pentecostalism as an international phenomenon impacting these socially stigmatized people wherever they live. It gives some of the movement’s historical highlights in Europe, focusing on Bulgaria where the author’s field research took place. It outlines the main factors contributing to its phenomenal growth and reviews some of the important changes the movement has brought about in the Roma communities and culture.
Standing at the Crossroads: The Battle for the Heart and Soul of Pentecostalism
Authors: Alexander Kimberly Ervin
Published: November 2011

Abstract

This address, delivered at the 40th annual meeting of the Society for Pentecostal Studies in Memphis, Tennessee (March 12, 2011), examines the present state of Pentecostalism and Pentecostal studies through an analogy with American indigenous blues music. Seeing Pentecostalism at a significant juncture, the address seeks to call Pentecostals and Pentecostal scholars to a consideration of what is essential to Pentecostal scholarship. Proposed is a conversational model of scholarship characterized by: 1) an openness to what the Spirit is saying and/or doing in other theologies or movements; 2) commitment to a Pentecostal way of doing theology in the Spirit; 3) interdisciplinary approaches; 4) a commitment to narrative and experience over dogma and proposition; and 5) an openness to hearing the visionary work of young scholars.
Adaptive thermogenesis of the liver in a tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri) during cold acclimation
Authors: Zhang Lin , Wang Rui , Zhu Wan-long , Liu Peng-fei , Cai Jin-hong , Wang Zheng-kun , Sivasakthivel S. , Lian Xiao
Published: November 2011

Environmental cues play important roles in the regulation of an animal's physiology and behavior. The purpose of the present study was to test the hypothesis that ambient temperature was a cue to induce adjustments in body mass, energy intake and thermogenic capacity, associated with the role of the liver for adaptive thermogenesis in tree shrews (Tupaia belangeri), a unique species of small mammals in the Oriental realm. Many targets were measured, such as the state 3 and the state 4 of mitochondrial respiration, the protein content of mitochondria of the liver in T. belangeri under prolonged cold acclimation (5±1°C, 12L : 12D light cycle) during different times [0 d (control), 7 d, 14 d, 21 d, 28 d]. We found the total protein, mitochondrial protein, and the state 3 and the state 4 of mitochondrial respiration of the liver greatly increased by 39.9%, 39.3%, 84.9% and 181.1% after 28 d in T. belangeri when exposed to cold, as compared with the controls, respectively. Thus, the liver plays a key role in the adaptive thermogenesis during cold acclimation in tree shrews; we believed that evidence from the physiological ecology is equally supportive of the island origin of tree shrews, T. belangeri.
Research in Religion on the Political Agenda A Swiss National Research Programme on Religion and Its Implications
Authors: Morgenthaler Christoph , Plüss David , Sterkens Carl
Published: November 2011

Abstract

This introductory article for this special issue of the Journal of Empirical Theology, sketches the political and societal context in which the Swiss National Research Programme on “Religion, State, and Society” was developed and gives a general overview of this research programme. First, it introduces recent developments in Switzerland’s religious landscape and illustrates their relevance for the development of a broad state-funded research programme on religion. The authors reflect on Switzerland’s understanding of religious neutrality which has been both questioned and reactivated due to increased religious plurality in Switzerland. While interdisciplinary approaches open new possibilities for research on religion, theology seems to be perceived as manifesting an ‘ecclesiastical captivity’. Consequently, theology clearly plays a secondary role in interdisciplinary research programmes. The impending marginalisation of theology, even in the realm of its main research competence, is forcing theological disciplines to position themselves in a new way.
The Permissibility of Aiding and Abetting Unjust Wars
Authors: Bazargan Saba
Published: November 2011

Common sense suggests that if a war is unjust, then there is a strong moral reason not to contribute to it. I argue that this presumption is mistaken. It can be permissible to contribute to an unjust war because, in general, whether it is permissible to perform an act often depends on the alternatives available to the actor. The relevant alternatives available to a government waging a war differ systematically from the relevant alternatives available to individuals in a position to contribute to the war. Hence the conditions determining whether it is permissible for a government to wage a war often differ from the conditions determining whether it is permissible for others to promote that war. This difference is manifest most often in unjust wars with putatively humanitarian aims—an increasingly common type of war.
Drawn to the Good? Brewer on Dialectical Activity
Authors: Besser-Jones Lorraine
Published: November 2011

In The Retrieval of Ethics, Talbot Brewer defends an Aristotelian-inspired understanding of the good life, in which living the good life is conceived of in terms of engaging in a unified dialectical activity. In this essay, I explore the assumptions at work in Brewer’s understanding of dialectical activity and raise some concerns about whether or not we have reason to embrace them. I argue that his conception of human nature and that towards which we are drawn stands in tension with empirical research on motivation. Given this tension, I conclude that it is implausible to construe living the good life as a unified dialectical activity.
Effects of different land-use on grasshopper diversity in lac agroecosystems
Authors: Chen Youqing , Chen Yanlin , Li Qiao , Chen Zhen
Published: November 2011

We describe grasshopper (Acridoidea) diversity in differentially used lac ecosystems located in Lüchun County, Yunnan Province, China. Grasshoppers were sampled by sweep netting in 13 plots, representing four land utilization ecosystems: 1) secondary natural lac forest occurred from afforestation of lac plantations (3 plots); 2) lac plantations (3 plots); 3) crop lands (3 plots); and 4) agricultural paddy fields (4 plots). A one-year sampling effort yielded 1,385 acridids, representing 31 species in five families. Grasshopper abundance and richness were correlated to plant resources, which, in turn, correlated to land utilization. Local grasshopper assemblages were reasonable indicators of habitat differences, although they were not consistent with land utilization intensity. In term of grasshopper biodiversity conservation and economic development, the lac agroecosystem, which is composed by lac plantations, paddy fields and crop lands, most likely is the better choice for a balanced approach between conservation and development in mountainous areas of southwest China than any of the any of those areas by themselves because this combination of land use maintains the highest number of species and allows human farming activities.