bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A new method for the improvement of data production in phytochemical analysis
Authors: Ponte‐e‐Sousa João , Neto‐Vaz António
Published: December 2009

Introduction – The use of the average analytical signal for the construction of curves by the least squares method (LSM) over the standard addition method (SAM) is widespread. It would be advantageous, however, to find a way to avoid intermediary averages, which are known to be the cause of significant increases in standard deviations (SD).

Objective – To develop a protocol that uses all gathered data to create curves by LSM over SAM. To use Excel® for the estimation of y = mx + b and R2 rather than using LSM equations for the SD of m, x and b.

Methodology – The level of lead (II) in the bark (cork) of Quercus suber Linnaeus was determined using differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV). Three current samples were taken for each of the four standard additions. These signals were combined for adjustment by LSM. The results were compared with those obtained after averaging the current for each addition, and the expression of uncertainty in the measurements determined.

Results – The new method shows an expanded uncertainty of ± 0.3321 μg/g (nearly 1.42%). The difference between the results obtained by the new and the old method is 0.01 μg/g (23.41 and 23.40 μg/g). The limit of detection changed approximately from 4.8 to 4 μg/g and the relative SD approximately from 9 to 6%.

Conclusion – The absence of intermediary averages in curves improved the determination of lead (II) in cork by DPASV. Estimation of SD only with LSM equations produced results that were significantly worse. The changes are large enough to transform an apparently internally non‐validated procedure (repeatability for precision) into an internally validated procedure. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Immunoproteomics of the active degradome to identify biomarkers for Trichomonas vaginalis
Authors: Ramón‐Luing Lucero A. , Rendón‐Gandarilla Francisco J. , Cárdenas‐Guerra Rosa E. , Rodríguez‐Cabrera Norma A. , Ortega‐López Jaime , Avila‐González Leticia , Angel‐Ortiz Claudia , Herrera‐Sánchez Carmen N. , Mendoza‐García Manuela , Arroyo Rossana
Published: December 2009

Trichomonas vaginalis, a sexually transmitted parasite, has many cysteine proteinases (CPs); some are involved in trichomonal pathogenesis, express during infection, and antibodies against CPs have been detected in patient sera. The goal of this study was to identify the antigenic proteinases of T. vaginalis as potential biomarkers for trichomonosis. The proteases detected when T. vaginalis protein extracts are incubated without protease inhibitors, the trichomonad‐active degradome, and the immunoproteome were obtained by using 2‐DE, 2‐D‐zymograms, 2‐D‐Western blot (WB) assays with trichomonosis patient sera, and MS analysis. Forty‐nine silver‐stained spots were detected in the region of 200–21 kDa of parasite protease‐resistant extracts. A similar proteolytic pattern was observed in the 2‐D zymograms. Nine CPs were identified in the 30 kDa region (TvCP1, TvCP2, TvCP3, TvCP4, TvCP4‐like, TvCP12, TvCPT, TvLEGU‐1, and another legumain‐like CP). The major reactive spots to T. vaginalis‐positive patient sera by 2‐D‐WB corresponded to four papain‐like (TvCP2, TvCP4, TvCP4‐like, TvCPT), and one legumain‐like (TvLEGU‐1) CPs. The genes of TvCP4, TvCPT, and TvLEGU‐1 were cloned, sequenced, and expressed in Escherichia coli. Purified recombinant CPs were recognized by culture‐positive patient sera in 1‐D‐WB assays. These data show that some CPs could be potential biomarkers for serodiagnosis of trichomonosis.
Pycnogenol® improves left ventricular function in streptozotocin‐induced diabetic cardiomyopathy in rats
Authors: Klimas Jan , Kmecova Jana , Jankyova Stanislava , Yaghi Diana , Priesolova Elena , Kyselova Zuzana , Musil Peter , Ochodnicky Peter , Krenek Peter , Kyselovic Jan , Matyas Stefan
Published: December 2009

We studied whether Pycnogenol® (PYC) may attenuate the development of experimental streptozotocin‐induced diabetic cardiomyopathy in rat. In addition, we aimed to study whether PYC affects cardiac oxidative stress and the protein expression of reactive oxygen species (ROS)‐producing molecules (gp91phox‐containing NADPH oxidase and NO‐signalling proteins). Experimental diabetes mellitus was manifested by hyperglycaemia and impaired cardiac function estimated using left ventricular catheterisation in vivo. PYC lowered fasting plasma glucose and normalized basal cardiac function. Excessive oxidative stress in streptozotocin (STZ) hearts, evidenced by 40% increase (P < 0.05) of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) concentration, was associated with increased expression of gp91phox (by 75%, P < 0.05), iNOS (by 40%, P < 0.05) and alpha‐tubulin (by 49%, P < 0.05), but unchanged expression of eNOS and its alosteric regulators, as compared to CON. PYC failed to affect these expression abnormalities. Our study shows that PYC corrects diabetic cardiac dysfunction, probably by its metabolic and direct radical scavenging activity without affecting the molecular maladaptations of ROS‐producing enzymes and cytoskeletal components. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Withanamides in Withania somnifera fruit protect PC‐12 cells from β‐amyloid responsible for Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Jayaprakasam Bolleddula , Padmanabhan Kaillathe , Nair Muraleedharan G.
Published: December 2009

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an irreversible neurodegenerative disorder with symptoms of confusion, memory loss, and mood swings. The β‐amyloid peptide, with 39–42 amino acid residues (BAP), plays a significant role in the development of AD. Although there is no cure for AD, it can be managed with available drugs to some degree. Several studies have revealed that natural antioxidants, such as vitamin E, vitamin C and β‐carotene, may help in scavenging free radicals generated during the initiation and progression of this disease. Therefore, there has been considerable interest in plant phytochemicals with antioxidant property as potential agents to prevent the progression of AD. Our earlier investigations of the Withania somnifera fruit afforded lipid peroxidation inhibitory withanamides that are more potent than the commercial antioxidants. In this study, we have tested two major withanamides A (WA) and C (WC) for their ability to protect the PC‐12 cells, rat neuronal cells, from β‐amyloid induced cell damage. The cell death caused by β‐amyloid was negated by withanamide treatment. Molecular modeling studies showed that withanamides A and C uniquely bind to the active motif of β‐amyloid (25–35) and suggest that withanamides have the ability to prevent the fibril formation. Further understanding of the mechanism of action and in vivo efficacy of these withanamides may facilitate its development as a prophylaxis. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Evaluation of Brazilian plants on cancer chemoprevention targets in vitro
Authors: Endringer Denise C. , Valadares Ydia M. , Campana Priscilla R. V. , Campos Jussara J. , Guimarães Keller G. , Pezzuto John M. , Braga Fernão C.
Published: December 2009

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. Cancer chemoprevention is one of the promising strategies to decrease its incidence and both plant extracts and natural products may constitute sources of new chemoprevention agents. Some Brazilian species popularly used to treat inflammatory conditions were selected for evaluation for cancer chemoprevention. A total of 32 extracts/fractions from Hancornia speciosa, Davilla elliptica, Jacaranda caroba, Mansoa hirsuta, Remija ferrugina, Solanum paniculatum and Xyris pterygoblephara, along with a mixture of ursolic and oleanolic acids obtained from J. caroba and a dihydroisocoumarin isolated from aerial parts of X. pterygoblephara were tested for their cancer chemoprevention activity [inhibition of 12‐O‐tetradecanoyl‐13‐acetate (TPA)‐mediated NF‐κB activation, ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and cyclooxygenase‐1 (COX‐1); induction of antioxidant response element (ARE)]. Several extracts / fractions were active in more than one assay and those from H. speciosa, M. hirsuta and J. caroba mediated strong responses with NF‐κB, COX‐1 and ARE, respectively. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
β‐Carotene exhibits antioxidant and anti‐apoptotic properties to prevent ethanol‐induced cytotoxicity in isolated rat hepatocytes
Authors: Peng Hsiang‐Chi , Chen Jiun‐Rong , Chen Ya‐Ling , Yang Suh‐Ching , Yang Sien‐Sing
Published: December 2009

The study was designed to evaluate the effects of 1 μM β‐carotene on antioxidant status in ethanol‐treated rat hepatocytes and investigate possible anti‐apoptotic mechanisms of β‐carotene in protecting ethanol‐induced cytotoxicity. The isolated rat hepatocytes were incubated for 48 h in a medium with or without alcohol (100 mM) and μ‐carotene (1 μM) using the following groups: the control (C), β‐carotene (CB), ethanol (E), and ethanol + β‐carotene (EB) groups. The cell viability, antioxidative status, cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) and caspase expressions in hepatocytes were measured. The E group demonstrated lower cell viability, glutathione (GSH) levels, and lipid peroxide accumulation in rat hepatocytes; meanwhile, CYP2E1, caspase‐3, and caspase‐9 expressions increased. In contrast, cell viability, GSH levels, and glutathione reductase (GRD) activity significantly increased while lipid peroxides and expressions of CYP2E1, casapse‐3, and caspase‐9 decreased in the EB group. The results suggest that ethanol treatment decreases cell viability in rat hepatocytes via induced oxidative stress. 1 μM β‐carotene decreased oxidative stress and prevented ethanol‐induced cell death by inhibiting caspase‐9 and caspase‐3 expression. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Quantification of triacylglycerol regioisomers by ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography and ammonia negative ion atmospheric pressure chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Leskinen Heidi M. , Suomela Jukka‐Pekka , Kallio Heikki P.
Published: December 2009

The regioisomer composition of triacylglycerols (TAGs) in various vegetable oils was determined with a new liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS method). A direct inlet ammonia negative ion chemical ionization (NICI) MS/MS method was improved by adapting it to LC negative ion (NI) atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) MS/MS system using ammonia as nebulizer gas. The method is based on the preferential formation of [M–H–RCOOH–100]− ions during collision‐induced dissociation by loss of sn‐1/3 fatty acids from [M–H]− ions. Calibration curves were created from nine reference TAGs: Ala/L/L, Gla/L/L, L/L/O, L/O/O, P/O/O, P/P/O, Po/Po/V, Po/Po/O, and C/O/O. The calibration curves were used to quantify the regioisomer compositions of selected TAGs in rapeseed oil, sunflower seed oil, palm oil, black currant seed oil, and sea buckthorn pulp oil. The method discriminates the different regioisomers and the results obtained by this method were in good agreement with previous results. This proves that this new method can be used for the determination of regiospecific distribution of fatty acids in TAGs. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Determination of relative sensitivity factors during secondary ion sputtering of silicate glasses by Au+, Au and Au ions
Authors: King Ashley , Henkel Torsten , Rost Detlef , Lyon Ian C.
Published: December 2009

In recent years, Au‐cluster ions have been successfully used for organic analysis in secondary ion mass spectrometry. Cluster ions, such as Au and Au, can produce secondary ion yield enhancements of up to a factor of 300 for high mass organic molecules with minimal sample damage. In this study, the potential for using Au+, Au and Au primary ions for the analysis of inorganic samples is investigated by analyzing a range of silicate glass standards. Practical secondary ion yields for both Au and Au ions are enhanced relative to those for Au+, consistent with their increased sputter rates. No elevation in ionization efficiency was found for the cluster primary ions. Relative sensitivity factors for major and trace elements in the standards showed no improvement in quantification with Au and Au ions over the use of Au+ ions. Higher achievable primary ion currents for Au+ ions than for Au and Au allow for more precise analyses of elemental abundances within inorganic samples, making them the preferred choice, in contrast to the choice of Au and Au for the analysis of organic samples. The use of delayed secondary ion extraction can also boost secondary ion signals, although there is a loss of overall sensitivity. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The use of acetone as a substitute for acetonitrile in analysis of peptides by liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry
Authors: Keppel Theodore R. , Jacques Martin E. , Weis David D.
Published: December 2009

The recent worldwide shortage of acetonitrile has prompted interest in alternative solvents for liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS). In this work, acetone was substituted for acetonitrile in the separation of a peptide mixture by reversed‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography (RP‐HPLC) and in the positive electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS) of individual peptides. On both C12 and C18 stationary phases, the substitution of acetone for acetonitrile as the organic component of the mobile phase did not alter the gradient elution order of a five‐peptide retention standard, but did increase peak width, shorten retention times, and increase peak tailing. Positive ESI mass spectra were obtained for angiotensin I, bradykinin, [Leu5]‐enkephalin, and somatostatin 14 dissolved in both acetonitrile/water/formic acid (25%/75%/0.1%) and acetone/water/formic acid (25%/75%/0.1%). Under optimized ESI‐MS conditions, the mass spectral response of [Leu5]‐enkephalin was increased two‐fold when the solvent contained acetone. The substitution of acetone for acetonitrile resulted in only slight changes in the responses of the remaining peptides. A higher capillary voltage was required for optimum response when acetone was used. Compared with acetonitrile/water/formic acid (50/50/0.1%), more interfering species below m/z = 140 were found in the ESI‐MS spectra of acetone/water/formic acid (50/50/0.1%). Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On‐line monitoring of the dynamics of trihalomethane concentrations in a warm public swimming pool using an unsupervised membrane inlet mass spectrometry system with off‐site real‐time surveillance
Authors: Kristensen Gert H. , Klausen Morten M. , Hansen Vagn A. , Lauritsen Frants R.
Published: December 2009

To study the long‐term dynamics of trihalomethanes (THMs) in a warm (31–33°C) public swimming pool, we built a robust membrane inlet mass spectrometer that could perform unsupervised, on‐site monitoring of the concentration of these compounds with off‐site, real‐time surveillance. The instrument was installed in a technical room below the pool and operated continuously for more than a year practically only interrupted for filament replacements every 6–8 weeks. One to two days after a filament replacement, the instrument stabilized and kept its calibration until shortly before the next filament burnout. The on‐line monitoring of THMs revealed a daily rhythm in the concentrations of chloroform and bromodichloromethane. They increased during the pool's closing hours and decreased during opening hours with the minimum concentration being approximately half of the maximum. Over the 1 year monitoring period, the variation in the maximum registered daily concentration was 30–100 µg/L for chloroform. The variation of bromodichloromethane was 5–10 µg/L, except during bursts of 1–2 days duration, where the concentration of bromodichloromethane could reach 100 µg/L. The burst in bromodichloromethane concentration was directly correlated with salt addition (sodium chloride) to the pool water for use in the pool's electrolytic in‐line chlorination system. A correlation between THM removal from the pool water and the operation of a strong water jet system was also found. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Secure information sharing for grid computing
Authors: Abbadi Imad M. , Alawneh Muntaha
Published: December 2009

Computational grids require secure information sharing between users and resources. Users and resources are members in collaborating organisations, which form a virtual organisation (VO). The heterogeneous distribution of resource providers and requesters require a mechanism to protect shared information and resources from being misused not only by unauthorised individuals but also from authorised individuals. This paper proposes a novel mechanism for controlling information sharing but protection between members in a VO. Content can be shared between members of a VO subject to the VO policy and content owner organisation policy. In the proposed mechanism a member in a VO, who is authorised to access content, is not capable of transferring unprotected content, or protected content and the means for accessing it accidentally or deliberately to others. The VO project managers and collaborating organisations administrators decide which device can access content. Also, when a resource/user leaves the VO the resource/user will not be capable to access the shared information; thereby preventing uncontrolled content leakage. In the proposed solution, we used trusted computing technology to provide a hardware‐based root of trust on user devices. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mucin Complexes of Nanomaterials: First Biochemical Encounter
Authors: Belgorodsky Bogdan , Drug Eyal , Fadeev Ludmila , Hendler Netta , Mentovich Elad , Gozin Michael
Published: December 2009

In recent years, the exposure of biological systems to various nanomaterials has become an issue of great public concern. Although living organisms have arrays of biological defense mechanisms against exposure to exogenous compounds, the biochemical mechanisms allowing various nanomaterials to enter the body are not well understood. A unique example of a typical mucosal glycoprotein capable of binding and solubilizing nanomaterials in physiological solution is provided, suggesting a possible route for entry into biological systems.
Aptamer‐Based Multicolor Fluorescent Gold Nanoprobes for Multiplex Detection in Homogeneous Solution
Authors: Zhang Juan , Wang Lihua , Zhang Hua , Boey Freddy , Song Shiping , Fan Chunhai
Published: December 2009

The design of a novel multicolor fluorescent gold nanoprobe for homogeneous detection of small‐molecule targets is reported, which combines the specific binding abilities of aptamers with the ultrahigh quenching ability of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Dye‐tagged aptamers and their complementary sequence with thiol labels are co‐assembled at the surface of AuNPs. As a proof of concept, it is demonstrated that such a multicolor fluorescent gold nanoprobe can simultaneously detect adenosine, potassium ion, and cocaine with high selectivity. This potentially generic strategy is shown to be promising for rapid screening of small molecular targets.
Maximizing safe design of engineered nanomaterials: the NIH and NIEHS research perspective
Authors: Tinkle Sally S.
Published: December 2009

Estimating potential risk of an emerging technology as its products are being developed offers the greatest potential for success of the technology. The National Nanotechnology Initiative was launched in 2000 to provide a federal framework to support safe and responsible development of nanotechnology.Within this framework, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) focuses resources and expertise on both the biomedical applications of nanotechnology and the possibility of adverse health effects, or implications research. NIH developed the NanoHealth and Safety Enterprise Initiative by identifying shared research needs across the nanotechnology applications and implications research communities to create an integrated research strategy to maximize resources and expedite the development of engineered nanomaterials (ENM) that are safe by design.

The central goal of this program is to decipher the fundamental principles of ENM interactions with biological systems that are relevant to human exposure and physiological response. Program components include materials science, basic biology, pathobiology, and informatics, as well as a cross‐disciplinary training program for new nanotechnology scientists. The magnitude of this program will be best supported by flexible, dynamic funding and research mechanisms including the formation of public‐private partnerships that span the expertise and interests of government, industry, academia, public interest, and other stakeholders. It is through such innovative, integrated, and cross‐disciplinary programs that the full promise of nanotechnology may be realized while ensuring that this emerging field does not succumb to hidden perils. WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2010 2 88–98

This article is categorized under:

Toxicology and Regulatory Issues in Nanomedicine > Regulatory and Policy Issues in Nanomedicine
H. influenza Panaritium Tendineum. A Rare Pathogen
Authors: Molegraaf Marijke J. , Marle Alexander G. J. van , Tseng L. N. L.
Published: December 2009

Panaritium tendineum is a severe infection of the hand in most cases caused by infection with staphylococcal or streptococcal species. In this article, a case of panaritium tendineum caused by Haemophilus influenzae is described. In the literature, no cases of H. influenzae causing a panaritium tendineum are described before. The patient in this case was treated by repeated surgical incision and drainage, local antiseptic treatment, intravenous antibiotics, and 2 months of physiotherapy after which there remained some loss of function of the left hand.
Roasting‐Related Changes in Oxidative Stability and Antioxidant Capacity of Apricot Kernel Oil
Authors: Durmaz Gökhan , Karabulut İhsan , Topçu Ali , Asiltürk Meltem , Kutlu Türkan
Published: December 2009

Apricot kernels were roasted for various lengths of time (0–30 min) at 180 °C and changes in the oxidative stability, antioxidant capacity, color, as well as the level of tocopherols and fatty acids of the apricot kernel oil (AKO) were monitored. While the level of tocopherols decreased, the oxidative stability and antioxidant capacity of AKO increased with roasting, probably due to the formation of antioxidative Maillard reaction products (MRPs) during the roasting. Medium roasted samples (15–20 min) were found to be more resistant to oxidative deterioration. The oil from the 30‐min roasted sample was more susceptible to oxidation compared to the oil from the 20‐min roasted sample in most of the stability tests. Relatively shorter roasting periods (5–10 min) also led to a decrease in oxidative stability in comparison to the unroasted sample. Brownish color and antiradical activity increased with roasting and the highest values were measured in the 30 min roasted sample.
Health‐risk behaviors in adolescents as indicators of unconventional lifestyles
Authors: León José C. , Carmona José , García Pilar
Published: December 2009

This study analyses the dimensions of health‐risk behaviors in adolescence. Based on the Theory of Problem Behavior, the study hypothesises that the structure of relations between risk behaviors may be explained in terms of their level of social transgression or unconventionality. With a sample of 771 adolescents, this study explores the association between the behaviors which, according to the WHO, have a greater impact on morbidity and mortality. The results of these analyses point to the existence of a latent variable grouping the risk behaviors that lead to greater confrontation with the norms of conventional society. The analysis of the relation of this latent variable with indicators of academic failure and satisfaction with peers and adults also produces findings that are consistent with the proposed interpretation. Finally, some recommendations are made for the planning of preventive interventions as a result of the findings.
Reproductive health experiences among women with physical disabilities in the Northwest Region of Cameroon
Authors: Bremer Kimberly , Cockburn Lynn , Ruth Acheinegeh
Published: December 2009

Objective

To investigate the reproductive health experiences among women with physical disabilities in the Northwest Region of Cameroon.

Methods

Data were collected in the city of Bamenda through semi‐structured interviews with women with mobility impairments, discussions with healthcare providers, hospital observations, and field notes. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, coded and analyzed for key themes.

Results

The 8 participants included in the study had limited understanding of reproductive health and many had not received basic reproductive health education. Unplanned pregnancy was common and pregnancy was often feared. Respondents reported both positive and negative responses from family, community members, and healthcare workers regarding reproductive health. Most healthcare centers were physically and financially inaccessible.

Conclusion

Women with disabilities need greater education on reproductive health and improved access to health care.
NON-UPTAKE OF FACILITY-BASED MATERNITY SERVICES IN AN INNER-CITY COMMUNITY IN LAGOS, NIGERIA: AN OBSERVATIONAL STUDY
Authors: OLUSANYA B. O. , ALAKIJA O. P. , INEM V. A.
Published: December 2009

Scaling-up of skilled attendants and facility-based services is necessary for improving maternal and child care in developing countries but their effectiveness is crucially influenced by the uptake of such services. This study set out to establish the pattern and uptake of maternity services and associated factors against the backdrop of rapid urbanization in Nigeria. A cross-sectional study of socio-demographic and obstetric characteristics of mothers attending the Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) immunization clinics in inner-city Lagos was conducted from July 2005 to December 2007, and their association with non-hospital delivery and use of unskilled attendants was determined by multiple logistic regression analyses. Of the 6465 participants, over half (51.4%) delivered outside hospital facilities and 81.8% of this group had no skilled attendants at delivery. Non-hospital delivery or the presence of unskilled attendants at delivery was associated with teenage mothers, Muslim religion, low or middle social class and use of herbal drugs in pregnancy. Additionally, non-hospital delivery was associated with ethnicity (Yoruba tribe), lack of tertiary education or full-time employment, accommodation with shared sanitation facilities and multiparity. The results suggest that availability of and access/proximity to hospital facilities or skilled attendants is no guarantee of uptake of maternity services. Efforts aimed at improving maternal and child health in developing countries should take cognisance of the socio-demographic and cultural underpinnings of maternal health-seeking behaviour of urban mothers beyond the provision of facility-based services or strengthening of the existing health care systems.
George Ridding and the Diocese of Southwell: A Study in the National Church Ideal
Authors: MORRIS JEREMY
Published: December 2009

This article examines the mindset and episcopal policy of George Ridding, first bishop of the new diocese of Southwell from 1884 until his death in 1904. Ridding's intellectual formation was rooted in Liberal Anglicanism, and is analysed here through his ‘Broad Church’ understanding of the Church of England as a comprehensive national Church. His commitment to this ideal is demonstrated through his episcopal charges and speeches, and through elements of the policy of diocesan management that he adopted. A brief evaluation of this policy identifies limitations, as well as continuity with the earlier movement of diocesan reform.
The Shadow of a Doubt?A Note on the Dialogues and Registrum Epistolarum of Pope Gregory the Great (590–604)
Authors: SANTO MATTHEW DAL
Published: December 2009

Since the 1980s the British scholar Francis Clark has challenged the traditional attribution of the Dialogues on the miracles of the Italian Fathers to Pope Gregory the Great (590–604). While Clark's thesis has generally been rejected by experts, it retains considerable persuasive force for those new to the field. This paper focuses on the misplaced intuitive foundation of Clark's thesis and points to the enthusiasm exhibited by Gregory the Great for the miracles of the saints in several understudied letters from his Registrum epistolarum. It particularly highlights Gregory's discussion of four miracles performed by St Andrew the Apostle at Rome in ep. 11.xxvi written to the patrician Rusticiana at Constantinople in 601. It concludes that there is no discrepancy in mentalité between Gregory as author of the Dialogues and his other recognised works.
‘High Solemn Ceremonies’: The Funerary Practice of the Late Medieval English Higher Clergy
Authors: LEPINE DAVID
Published: December 2009

Medieval funerals combined the accumulation of merit for the soul of the deceased with social display. During the late medieval period funerary practice became more elaborate, formalised and expensive, a reflection of its eschatological and social importance. An extended funeral lasting several weeks, comprising a vigil, procession, liveried mourners, a hearse, heraldic elements, almsgiving and a feast, developed. Several of these elements were repeated a week, a month and a year after death. The late medieval higher clergy shared the same funeral culture as the wealthy laity but with significant differences, particularly greater liturgical sophistication and more generous charity.
How Catholic was Augustine? Confessional Patristics and the Survival of Erasmus in the Counter-Reformation
Authors: VISSER ARNOUD
Published: December 2009

This article explores the impact of Catholic confessionalism on humanist scholarship by focusing on the edition of Augustine of Hippo's collected works produced by the Leuven theologians in 1577–8. This edition replaced Erasmus' controversial version and claimed to provide an authoritative, Catholic text. Yet an analysis of the paratextual presentation shows that the result was a neutralised Augustine, rather than a paragon of Tridentine Catholicism. The editors avoid controversial theology, while silently copying substantial parts of Erasmus'censuraeand marginal notes. Local politics and publishing interests explain the intriguing survival of Erasmus and exemplify the disparate implementation of Trent in Catholic Europe.
Holy Scripture and the Quest for Authority among Three Late Medieval Masters
Authors: LEVY IAN CHRISTOPHER
Published: December 2009

John Wyclif (d. 1384), Thomas Netter (d. 1430) and Jean Gerson (d. 1429) had a good deal in common. They were all theologians, and thus ‘masters of the sacred page’ by trade. They all recognised the absolute authority of Scripture in matters of the Catholic faith over and against any pretensions of canon law. What separated them, therefore, was not the recognition of authority as such, but rather the correct application of that authority. Wyclif exercised his rights as a university master to dissent from ecclesiastical determinations that ran contrary to the truth as revealed in Scripture. Netter and Gerson set out to curb this sort of magisterial excess which they believed would inevitably lead to the destruction of all proper norms of authority within the Church. Rather than being a simple tale of heresy and orthodoxy, therefore, this late medieval conflict turned on the question of professional expertise, rights and responsibilities.
Three-dimensional direct numerical simulation of a turbulent lifted hydrogen jet flame in heated coflow: flame stabilization and structure
Authors: YOO C. S. , SANKARAN R. , CHEN J. H.
Published: December 2009

Direct numerical simulation (DNS) of the near field of a three-dimensional spatially developing turbulent lifted hydrogen jet flame in heated coflow is performed with a detailed mechanism to determine the stabilization mechanism and the flame structure. The DNS was performed at a jet Reynolds number of 11,000 with over 940 million grid points. The results show that auto-ignition in a fuel-lean mixture at the flame base is the main source of stabilization of the lifted jet flame. A chemical flux analysis shows the occurrence of near-isothermal chemical chain branching preceding thermal runaway upstream of the stabilization point, indicative of hydrogen auto-ignition in the second limit. The Damköhler number and key intermediate-species behaviour near the leading edge of the lifted flame also verify that auto-ignition occurs at the flame base. At the lifted-flame base, it is found that heat release occurs predominantly through ignition in which the gradients of reactants are opposed. Downstream of the flame base, both rich-premixed and non-premixed flames develop and coexist with auto-ignition. In addition to auto-ignition, Lagrangian tracking of the flame base reveals the passage of large-scale flow structures and their correlation with the fluctuations of the flame base. In particular, the relative position of the flame base and the coherent flow structure induces a cyclic motion of the flame base in the transverse and axial directions about a mean lift-off height. This is confirmed by Lagrangian tracking of key scalars, heat release rate and velocity at the stabilization point.
Spatiotemporal dynamics of ice streams due to a triple-valued sliding law
Authors: SAYAG ROIY , TZIPERMAN ELI
Published: December 2009

We show that a triple-valued sliding law can be heuristically motivated by the transverse spatial structure of an ice-stream velocity field using a simple one-dimensional model. We then demonstrate that such a sliding law can lead to some interesting stream-like patterns and time-oscillatory solutions. We find a generation of rapid stream-like solutions within a slow ice-sheet flow, separated by narrow internal boundary layers (shear margins), and analyse numerical simulations in two horizontal dimensions over a homogeneous bed and including longitudinal shear stresses. Different qualitative behaviours are obtained by changing a single physical parameter, a mass source magnitude, leading to changes from a slow creeping flow to a relaxation oscillation of the stream pattern, and to steady ice-stream-like solution. We show that the adjustment of the ice-flow shear margins to changes in the driving stress in the one-dimensional approximation is governed by a form of the Ginzburg–Landau equation and use stability analysis to understand this adjustment. In the model analysed here, the width scale of the stream is not set spontaneously by the ice flow dynamics, but rather, it is related to the mass source intensity and spatial distribution.
Run-up and backwash bore formation from dam-break flow on an inclined plane
Authors: ANTUONO MATTEO , HOGG ANDREW J.
Published: December 2009

Nonlinear shallow water equations are employed to model the inviscid slumping of fluid along an inclined plane and analytical solutions for the motion are derived using the hodograph transformation to reveal the run-up and the inception of a bore on the backwash. Starting from rest, the fluid slumps along the inclined plane, attaining a maximum run-up, before receding and forming a relatively thin and fast moving backwash. This interacts with the less rapidly moving fluid within the interior to form a bore. The evolution of the bore and the velocity and height fields either side of it are also calculated to reveal that it initially grows in magnitude before diminishing and intersecting with the shoreline. This analytical solution reveals features of the solution, such as the onset of the bore and its growth and decline, previously known only through numerical computation and the method presented here may be applied quite widely to the run-up of other initial distributions of fluid.
Passive and active bodies in vortex-street wakes
Authors: ALBEN SILAS
Published: December 2009

We model the swimming of a finite body in a vortex street using vortex sheets distributed along the body and in a wake emanating from its trailing edge. We determine the magnitudes and distributions of vorticity and pressure loading on the body as functions of the strengths and spacings of the vortices. We then consider the motion of a flexible body clamped at its leading edge in the vortex street as a model for a flag in a vortex street and find alternating bands of thrust and drag for varying wavenumber. We consider a flexible body driven at its leading edge as a model for tail-fin swimming and determine optimal motions with respect to the phase between the body's trailing edge and the vortex street. For short bodies maximizing thrust or efficiency, we find maximum deflections shifted in phase by 90° from oncoming vortices. For long bodies, leading-edge driving should reach maximum amplitude when the vortices are phase-shifted from the trailing edge by 45° (to maximize thrust) and by 135° (to maximize efficiency). Optimal phases for intermediate lengths show smooth transitions between these values. The optimal motion of a body driven along its entire length is similar to that of the model tail fin driven only at its leading edge, but with an additional outward curvature near the leading edge. The similarity between optimal motions forced at the leading edge and all along the body supports the high performance attributed to fin-based motions.
Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the Pacific, 1895–1945
Authors: LIN MAN-HOUNG
Published: December 2009

For the history connecting East Asia with the West, there is much literature about contact and trade across the Atlantic Ocean from the sixteenth to the early nineteenth centuries.1 This paper notes the rapid growth of the Pacific Ocean in linking Asia with the larger world in the early twentieth century by perceiving the economic relationships between Taiwan and Hong Kong while Japan colonized Taiwan. The Pacific route from Taiwan directly to America or through Japan largely replaced the Hong Kong–Atlantic–Europe–USA route to move Taiwan's export products to countries in the West. Other than still using Hong Kong as a trans-shipping point to connect with the world, Japan utilized Taiwan as a trans-shipping point to sell Japanese products to South China, and Taiwan's tea was sold directly to Southeast Asia rather than going through Hong Kong. Taiwan's exports to Japan took the place of its exports to China. Japanese and American goods dominated over European goods or Chinese goods from Hong Kong for Taiwan's import. Japanese and Taiwanese merchants (including some anti-Japanese merchants) overrode the British and Chinese merchants in Hong Kong to carry on the Taiwan–Hong Kong trade. America's westward expansion towards the Pacific, the rise of the Pacific shipping marked by the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914, and the rise of Japan relative to China, restructured intra-Asian relations and those between Asia and the rest of the world.
Erastus,Quaestorof Corinth: The Administrative Rank of ὁ οἰκονόμος τῆς πόλεως (Rom 16.23) in an Achaean Colony
Authors: Goodrich John K.
Published: December 2009

Erastus (Rom 16.23) has featured prominently in the ongoing debate over the social and economic make-up of the early Pauline communities, since how one renders his title (ὁ οἰκονόμος τῆς πόλεως) dramatically affects the range of economic stratification represented in the Corinthian church. Relying chiefly on epigraphy, including an important new inscription from the Achaean colony of Patras, this article engages the scholarly dialogue about the Latin equivalent of Erastus' title, rebutting the arguments in favour ofarcariusandaedilis, and contends that he served asquaestor, a high-ranking municipal position exclusively occupied by the economic elite.
Umkehr und Ausgleich bei Lukas: Die Gleichnisse vom verlorenen Sohn (Lk 15.11–32) und vom reichen Mann und armen Lazarus (Lk 16.19–31) als Schwestergeschichten
Authors: Roose Hanna
Published: December 2009

The observation that the exemplary narrative of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16.19–31) has a ‘sister-story’ in the parable of the Lost Son (Luke 15.11–32) takes us to the centre of Luke's theology. In 16.19–31 two motifs collide, which in different ways determine a person's eschatological fate: the repentance of a sinner (16.30) and the compensating balance between the good and the bad that one receives in this life and in the next (16.25). Through the connectedness of the parable-trilogy in Luke 15 and the parable of the rich man and Lazarus both concepts are set in tension with one another. The theological centre of Luke's Gospel lies in the tense inter-relationship between Luke 15 and Luke 16.
Ambiguity, Ancient Semantics, and Faith
Authors: Downing F. Gerald
Published: December 2009

While allowing for polysemy, scholars seem mostly averse to ambiguity, as in the πίστις Χριστοῦ debate; but, it would seem, without engaging with ancient semantic theory. There the model of ‘naming’ and so of evoking an otherwise unspecified mental impression, predominates. Meaning is taken to lie in the mind, not in the word or words that are hoped to evoke it, as is also shown in ancient discussions of metaphor, allegory, and paraphrase. Connotations of individual words are rarely distinguished, rarely if ever purged. We are not justified in expecting verbal precision where our ancient authors will neither have attempted it nor will their hearers have expected it; nor, indeed, do modern psycholinguists appear to find space for it.
Executive function in body dysmorphic disorder
Authors: Dunai J. , Labuschagne I. , Castle D. J. , Kyrios M. , Rossell S. L.
Published: December 2009

Background

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a poorly understood disorder that involves a preoccupation with imagined or minor bodily defects. Only a few studies of neuropsychological function have been conducted. Two previous studies have indicated executive dysfunction in BDD. The current study sought to further define these executive deficits.

Method

Fourteen DSM-IV BDD patients and 14 age- and sex-matched control participants took part. Because of the high incidence of co-morbidity in BDD, patients with co-morbid Axis I disorders were not excluded. Control participants had no history of psychiatric illness. All participants completed the following executive function (EF) tests: Spatial Span (SS), Spatial Working Memory (SWM) and the Stockings of Cambridge (SOC) task. They also completed the Pattern Recognition (PR) test, a test of visual memory (VM).

Results

BDD participants made significantly more between-search errors on the SWM task, an effect that increased with task difficulty. Between-search errors are an example of poor maintenance and manipulation of information. SOC results indicated slower subsequent thinking times (i.e. the time taken to plan) in BDD participants. There were no group differences in SS or PR scores. The severity of BDD, depressive or anxiety symptoms was not correlated with performance on any of the cognitive tasks.

Conclusions

The results of this study indicate that BDD patients have EF deficits in on-line manipulation, planning and organization of information. By contrast, spatial memory capacity, motor speed and visual memory were intact. Considered with evidence from lesion and neuroimaging studies, these results suggest frontal lobe dysfunction in BDD.
Impaired verbal self-monitoring in individuals at high risk of psychosis
Authors: Johns L. C. , Allen P. , Valli I. , Winton-Brown T. , Broome M. , Woolley J. , Tabraham P. , Day F. , Howes O. , Wykes T. , McGuire P.
Published: December 2009

Background

Cognitive models suggest that auditory verbal hallucinations arise through defective self-monitoring and the external attribution of inner speech. We used a paradigm that engages verbal self-monitoring (VSM) to examine whether this process is impaired in people experiencing prodromal symptoms, who have a very high risk of developing psychosis.

Method

We tested 31 individuals with an At-Risk Mental State (ARMS) and 31 healthy volunteers. Participants read single adjectives aloud while the source and pitch of the online auditory verbal feedback was manipulated, then immediately identified the source of the speech they heard (Self/Other/Unsure). Response choice and reaction time were recorded.

Results

When reading aloud with distorted feedback of their own voice, ARMS participants made more errors than controls (misidentifications and unsure responses). ARMS participants misidentified the source of their speech as ‘Other’ when the level of acoustic distortion was severe, and misidentification errors were inversely related to reaction times.

Conclusions

Impaired VSM is evident in people with an ARMS, although the deficit seems to be less marked than in patients with schizophrenia. Follow-up of these participants may clarify the extent to which the severity of this impairment predicts the subsequent onset of psychosis and development of positive symptoms.
Item response modeling of DSM-IV mania symptoms in two representative US epidemiological samples
Authors: Agrawal A. , Nurnberger J. I. , Lynskey M. T.
Published: December 2009

Background

There is considerable debate surrounding the effective measurement of DSM-IV symptoms used to assess manic disorders in epidemiological samples.

Method

Using two nationally representative datasets, the National Epidemiological Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC, n=43 093 at wave 1, n=34 653 at 3-year follow-up) and the National Comorbidity Survey – Replication (NCS-R, n=9282), we examined the psychometric properties of symptoms used to assess DSM-IV mania. The predictive utility of the mania factor score was tested using the 3-year follow-up data in NESARC.

Results

Criterion B symptoms were unidimensional (single factor) in both samples. The symptoms assessing flight of ideas, distractibility and increased goal-directed activities had high factor loadings (0.70–0.93) with moderate rates of endorsement, thus providing good discrimination between individuals with and without mania. The symptom assessing grandiosity performed less well in both samples. The quantitative mania factor score was a good predictor of more severe disorders at the 3-year follow-up in the NESARC sample, even after controlling for a past history of DSM-IV diagnosis of manic disorder.

Conclusions

These analyses suggest that questions based on some DSM symptoms effectively discriminate between individuals at high and low liability to mania, but others do not. A quantitative mania factor score may aid in predicting recurrence for patients with a history of mania. Methods for assessing mania using structured interviews in the absence of clinical assessment require further refinement.
Behaviour regulation at the family dinner table. The use of and response to direct and indirect behaviour regulation in ten Swedish families
Authors: BRUMARK ÅSA
Published: December 2009

This study explores parents' and children's use of and response to direct or indirect behaviour regulation in a family context. Ten families with two children each were divided into two groups depending on the age of the children (6–7 and 10–11 years or 10–11 and 13–14 years). Video-recorded regulatory dinner talk was transcribed, coded and analysed with regard to directness or indirectness in relation to behavioural outcome. Dinner talk was predominantly direct, but younger children were addressed by direct regulators as two-thirds of all regulators, whereas the opposite was seen with older children. Though children also tended to be direct, younger children used three times as many direct regulators as older ones. Compliance appeared in two-thirds of all direct regulators, but almost one-half of all indirect regulators were not complied with. Differences between groups were furthermore distinguished by instances of compliance: those who were most non-compliant were the children in group 2.