bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Towards a Hermeneutic-Phenomenological Methodology for Theology
Authors: Horner Robyn 
Published: October 2018

Abstract
The question of methodology in theology is sometimes vexed. In this article I seek to offer a hermeneutic phenomenological methodology for theology, utilising the insights of recent French phenomenology. Such a methodology demands that we refrain from making judgments in advance about the kinds of phenomena it is possible to encounter. Not only does this enable us to re-frame questions about the distinctions between philosophy and theology, but it also frees theologians from the problematic requirement of assuming a methodological atheism, particularly as they undertake practical theological research.
“I speak English but i am still me” – English language practices in Alter do Chão, Brazil
Authors: de Souza Hall Silvia Cristina Barros 
Published: October 2018

Abstract
This article addresses how English language practices were performed, conducted and interpreted by six inhabitants of Alter do Chão village, a popular tourist destination for locals and with increasing numbers of tourists, located in the Amazon region, in the north of Brazil. Developed through an ethnographic perspective and based on the data analysis resulted from interviews and fieldwork, this article advocates, mainly, that people are creative in their linguistic encounters and that languages find their places in social practice. The article also sheds light on the spread of the English language and the encounters among languages and cultures that the technology and the recent mobility of people have facilitated. The results show that English language practices performed by the six participants in Alter do Chão village, often highlighted through hybrid language practices, are constituted by locally situated attitudes, related to their creative performances.
Framing the diaspora and the homeland: language ideologies in the Cuban diaspora
Authors: Alfaraz Gabriela G. 
Published: October 2018

AbstractThis article discusses language ideologies in relation to political ideologies in the Cuban diaspora in the United States. The findings of three longitudinal attitude studies, two conducted using the methods of perceptual dialectology, and a third with the matched-guise method, indicated that the diaspora’s political beliefs have a robust effect on its beliefs about Cuban Spanish in the diaspora and in the homeland. The perceptions studies showed that the national variety has a high degree of prestige in the diaspora, and that it has very low prestige in Cuba. The results of the matched-guise test showed that participants were unable to differentiate voices recorded in the 1960s and the 1990s, and that social information about residence in Cuba or the diaspora was more important to judgments of correctness than the presence of nonstandard variants. It is argued that the diaspora’s language ideology is maintained through erasure and essentialization: social and linguistic facts are erased, and the homeland is racially essentialized. It is suggested that through its language ideology, the Cuban diaspora claims authenticity and legitimacy vis-à-vis the homeland.
“It sounds like the language spoken by those living by the seaside” – language attitudes towards the local Italo-romance variety of Ghanaian immigrants in Bergamo
Authors: Guerini Federica 
Published: October 2018

AbstractIn this article, I focus on the position of Bergamasco, the Italo-romance variety spoken in the Province of Bergamo (Northern Italy), in the linguistic repertoire of the local Ghanaian immigrant community. I argue that Ghanaian immigrants do not speak Bergamasco since the local people refrain from speaking Bergamasco to them. Bergamasco can be regarded as a we-code (Gumperz, John. 1982.Discourse Strategies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.) of the indigenous community, whereas Italian – in most cases, a simplified variety of standard Italian – is the default choice when communicating with immigrants. The lack of input in combination with negative attitudes and a lack of motivation to acquire the dialect triggers a self-reinforcing dynamic, making the incorporation of Bergamasco into the linguistic repertoire of Ghanaian immigrants unlikely. Excerpts from a sample of face-to-face interactions and semi-structured interviews involving a group of first-generation Ghanaian immigrants reveal that Bergamasco tends to be perceived as a sort of “secret language” deliberately used by local people to exclude immigrants and other outsiders. This stereotype originates from and is reinforced by lack of competence on the part of the migrants, but is devoid of any foundation.
“An unrealistic expectation”: Māori youth on indigenous language purism
Authors: Albury Nathan John , Carter Lyn 
Published: October 2018

Abstract
Linguistic purism can play an especially political role in legitimising and authenticating indigenous identities. For languages now undergoing revitalisation after histories of colonial conquest, purism that precludes foreign influences in language corpora and behaviour can be seen as reversing the impacts of language contact and reasserting indigeneity. This is indeed the case for te reo Māori, the indigenous language of New Zealand, that was suppressed and essentially outlawed by the British but is now undergoing revitalisation. How indigenous New Zealanders feel about such purism, however, has been subject to minimal inquiry. This article analyses the attitudes of around 200 Māori youth, solicited through an online survey, to purism in Māori vocabulary development and to a recurring purist discourse, commonly reproduced by indigenous elders, that criticises errors when speaking te reo Māori. The article reveals a tension between supporting purism for the linguistic self-determination of the indigenous collective, and rejecting purism on the basis this inhibits the linguistic emancipation of individuals. On balance, it appears these Māori youth may hold significantly less purist attitudes than current language policy and locally pervasive ideology.
Towards an understanding of African endogenous multilingualism: ethnography, language ideologies, and the supernatural
Authors: Carlo Pierpaolo Di 
Published: October 2018

AbstractIn a globalised sociolinguistics “[d]ifferent types of societies must give rise to different types of sociolinguistic study”, as Dick Smakman and Patrick Heinrich argue in the concluding remarks of their (Smakman, Dick. 2015. The westernising mechanisms in sociolinguistics. In Dick Smakman & Patrick Heinrich (eds.),Globalising sociolinguistics. Challenging and expanding theory, 16–35. London: Routledge) bookGlobalising sociolinguistics. Challenging and expanding theory. To this end, a basic condition must be met: both target languages and societies must be well known. This is not the case in much of Central and West Africa: with only few exceptions, here local languages and societies are generally under-researched and sociolinguistic studies have focused mainly on urban contexts, in most cases targeting the interaction between local and colonial languages. With regard to individual multilingualism, this urban-centered perspective risks to limit scholarly attention on processes that, while valid in cities, may not apply everywhere. For one thing, there might still be areas where one can find instances of endogenous multilingualism, where speakers’ language repertoires and ideologies are largely localised. The case in point is offered by the sociolinguistic situation found in Lower Fungom, a rural, marginal, and linguistically highly diverse area of North West Cameroon. The analyses proposed, stemming from a strongly ethnographic approach, lead to reconsider basic notions in mainstream sociolinguistics – such as that of the target of an index – crucially adding spiritual anxieties among the factors conditioning the development of individual multilingual repertoires in local languages.
Language threat in the United Arab Emirates? Unpacking domains of language use
Authors: Kennetz Keith , Carroll Kevin S. 
Published: October 2018

Abstract
The United Arab Emirates’ economic and population growth within the past 30 years has led to a vibrant country where linguistic, cultural and religious diversity is the norm. Nevertheless, as Arabic-speaking Emiratis comprise approximately 10–15% of the country’s residents, academics and Emiratis themselves have questioned the level to which Arabic is threatened in the country. Given the use of English in many domains outside of the home, coupled with its global prestige, such uncertainty regarding the future of Arabic are warranted, yet there is currently no baseline data on how Emiratis are using language in their daily lives. This article examines language threat within this context and uses survey data completed by 248 Emirati participants regarding their reported use of Arabic and other languages. Findings suggest that although Arabic plays a major role in the daily lives of majority of Emiratis, English often co-exists in a variety of different domains and adds to the context’s multilingualism. The authors argue that Emiratis live in a multilingual country where Arabic and English co-exist together in relative harmony. Nevertheless, given the rapidly changing demographics and educational policies in the country, further research is essential.
Transcending networks’ boundaries: losses and displacements at the contact zone between English and Hebrew
Authors: Eilam Efrat , Lynch Julianne 
Published: October 2018

Abstract
This conceptual article applies a theoretical-linguistic analysis for examining the socio-cultural-historical networks that gave rise to two distinct forms of out-of-school education. One form is practiced in western English speaking cultures and termed “informal education”. The other form is practiced in Israel and termed “complementary education”. The process of examination applies the theoretical lens of Actor-Network-Theory (ANT) to analyse how social- historical-cultural-political processes have interacted to produce “complementary education” in Israel. This is followed by analysis of the bi-lingual translation processes that take place at the contact-zone (Pratt, M. L. 1991. Arts of the contact zone. Profession, ofession, 33–40. Modern Language Association Publishers.) between the two languages. The ANT analysis revealed a network consisting of a unique educational model that closely aligns with Ivan (Illich, I. 1971. Deschooling society. New York, USA: Harper and Row.) model presented in his seminal book Deschooling society. The examination also revealed that over time, the Anglophone term “informal education” displaced the Hebrew term “complementary education”, yet the network itself with its unique model continues to thrive. Examination of the contact zone between English and Hebrew found a strong Anglophone dominance, which permits only unidirectional translation from English to Hebrew. The discussion argues for developing post-monolingual research which provides opportunities for bi-directional translation processes to take place, thus eliminating losses of valuable knowledge at both sides of the contact zone.
Antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic potential of ethanol extract of Salacia lehmbachii stem bark in alloxan-induced diabetic rats
Authors: Akuodor Godwin C. , Eban Linus K. , Ajoku Gloria Ahunna , Nwobodo Ndubuisi N. , Akpan Joseph L. , Ezeokpo Basil C. , Nwadike Kenneth I. , Aja Daniel OJ 
Published: October 2018

Abstract

Background

Salacial lehmbachii stem bark is used traditionally for the treatment of diabetes mellitus and its associated complications. Treatment of diabetes is necessary to reduce these complications.

Methods
In this study, the antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic potential of S. lehmbachii ethanol stem bark extract was evaluated in alloxan-induced diabetic rats at a dose of 100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg, and 400 mg/kg p.o. daily for 21 days. Blood glucose levels, serum total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL), and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) were assessed in the animals.

Results
Treatment of alloxan-induced diabetic rats with S. lehmbachii stem bark extract showed significant (p<0.01) reduction in blood glucose levels when compared with diabetic control. The elevated levels of serum cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, and VLDL were significantly (p<0.01) reduced by S. lehmbachii stem bark extract, while the level of HDL significantly (p<0.01) increased.

Conclusions
The results obtained suggest that S. lehmbachii stem bark extract has the potential to treat diabetes condition and hyperlipidemic disorders.
Nephroprotective properties of the methanol stem extract of Abrus precatorius on gentamicin-induced renal damage in rats
Authors: Falayi Olufunke Olubunmi , Oyagbemi Ademola Adetokunbo , Omobowale Temidayo Olutayo , Ayodele Emmanuel Abiodun , Adedapo Aduragbenro Deborah , Yakubu Momoh Audu , Adedapo Adeolu Alex 
Published: October 2018

Abstract

Background
The use of plants for the treatment and prevention of diseases in man and his animals has led to a renewed scientific interest in the use of medicinal plants for therapeutic purposes. The nephroprotective properties of methanol stem bark extract of Abrus precatorius against gentamicin-induced renal damage in rats was evaluated in this study.

Methods
Thirty male Wistar rats were divided into five equal groups. Group A was the negative control group while B was the positive control group which received gentamicin 100 mg/kg intra-peritoneally for 6 days. Group C were pretreated with 100 mg/kg extract for the 3 days and then concurrently with gentamicin 100 mg/kg for 3 days and group D were pretreated with 200 mg/kg extract for 3 days and then concurrently with gentamicin 100 mg/kg for 3 days. Group E received gentamicin intraperitoneally for 6 days followed by administration of 200 mg/kg of the extract for 3 days. Blood samples, kidneys and kidney homogenates were collected for haematological, biochemical, histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis.

Results
The results showed that no significant haematological changes were noted. The groups treated with extract exhibited significant increase in body weight gain. While group B significantly exhibited focal areas of inflammation, fatty degeneration, congestion of vessels, tubular necrosis and glomerular atrophy, the lesions were mild with the treated groups. Treated groups exhibited a dose dependent significant decrease in serum creatinine, urea, XO, NO and Myeloperoxidase, AOPP, Protein carbonyl, H2O2 generated and MDA levels when compared with group B. There were significant dose dependent improvements in SOD, GST, GSH, Protein thiol, and non-protein thiol levels in the treated groups when compared with group B. In immunohistochemistry, Group B exhibited over expression of CRP and NF-κB levels, and marked reduction in expression of Bcl-2 while the reverse was seen in the groups treated with methanol extracts of Abrus precatorius.

Conclusion
The methanol extract of Abrus precatorius plays a vital role against gentamicin induced renal damage by reducing levels of renal markers of oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis, enhancing enzymatic and non enzymatic renal antioxidant system, alongside an increase in Bcl-2 and a decrease in NF-κB and CRP expressions.
Effects of Spiritist “passe” (Spiritual healing) on stress hormone, pain, physiological parameters and length of stay in preterm newborns: a randomized, double-blind controlled trial
Authors: Carneiro Élida Mara , Barbosa Luana Pereira , Bittencourt Ana Carolina , Hernández César Gómez , Timóteo Rodolfo Pessato , Almeida Claudienne de Oliveira , Borges Maria de Fátima 
Published: October 2018

Abstract

Background
Among the practices of complementary medicine used to treat several diseases is the Spiritist “passe (SP).” Experimental studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of this energy therapies in reducing anxiety in adults. However, studies evaluating the effects of the “passe” energy therapy on health outcomes in newborns (NBs) are lacking. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of SP on stress hormone levels, pain, physiological parameters and length of stay in NBs.

Methods
NBs were randomly allocated into two groups: intervention (3 days SP sessions, n=13) and control (3 days sham sessions, n=12).

Results
In the SP group, respiratory frequency (RF) was found significantly lower (p<0.05), and reduction of heart rate and length of stay were observed, without statistical differences. While in the control, there was higher tendency of cortisol levels (p=0.05).

Conclusions
In this pilot study, RF reduced and prevented the elevation of the salivary cortisol concentration in preterm NBs receiving the SP compared with the control group.
A Content-Based Retrieval Framework for Whole Metagenome Sequencing Samples
Authors: Şener Duygu Dede , Santoni Daniele , Felici Giovanni , Oğul Hasan 
Published: October 2018

Abstract
Finding similarities and differences between metagenomic samples within large repositories has been rather a significant issue for researchers. Over the recent years, content-based retrieval has been suggested by various studies from different perspectives. In this study, a content-based retrieval framework for identifying relevant metagenomic samples is developed. The framework consists of feature extraction, selection methods and similarity measures for whole metagenome sequencing samples. Performance of the developed framework was evaluated on given samples. A ground truth was used to evaluate the system performance such that if the system retrieves patients with the same disease, -called positive samples-, they are labeled as relevant samples otherwise irrelevant. The experimental results show that relevant experiments can be detected by using different fingerprinting approaches. We observed that Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA) Method is a promising fingerprinting approach for representing metagenomic samples and finding relevance among them. Source codes and executable files are available at www.baskent.edu.tr/∼hogul/WMS_retrieval.rar.
An Improved Robust Fuzzy Algorithm for Unsupervised Learning
Authors: Dik Amina , Jebari Khalid , Ettouhami Aziz 
Published: October 2018

Abstract
This paper presents a robust, dynamic, and unsupervised fuzzy learning algorithm (RDUFL) that aims to cluster a set of data samples with the ability to detect outliers and assign the numbers of clusters automatically. It consists of three main stages. The first (1) stage is a pre-processing method in which possible outliers are determined and quarantined using a concept of proximity degree. The second (2) stage is a learning method, which consists in auto-detecting the number of classes with their prototypes for a dynamic threshold. This threshold is automatically determined based on the similarity among the detected prototypes that are updated at the exploration of a new data. The last (3) stage treats quarantined samples detected from the first stage to determine whether they belong to some class defined in the second phase. The effectiveness of this method is assessed on eight real medical benchmark datasets in comparison to known unsupervised learning methods, namely, the fuzzy c-means (FCM), possibilistic c-means (PCM), and noise clustering (NC). The obtained accuracy of our scheme is very promising for unsupervised learning problems.
Two puzzles on the nominative particle ga in Japanese
Authors: Kawasaki Noriko 
Published: October 2018

Abstract
Back in the 1970s, Kazuko Inoue observed that some active sentences in Japanese allow a prepositional subject. Along with impersonal sentences pointed out by S.-Y. Kuroda, such examples suggest that the nominative subject is not an obligatory element in Japanese sentences. While this observation supports the hypothesis that important characteristics of the Japanese language follow from its lack of (forced-)agreement, Japanese potential sentences require the nominative ga on at least one argument. The present article argues that the nominative case particle ga is semantically vacuous even where a ga-marked phrase is indispensable or the ga-marked phrase is construed as exhaustively listing. Stative predicates require a ga-marked phrase because they can ascribe a property to an argument only by function application. The exhaustive listing reading arises by conversational implicature when the presence of a ga-marked phrase signals that a topic phrase is being avoided. The discussion leads to a semantic account of subject honorification whereby the honorification only concerns the semantic content of the predicate, and does not involve agreement with the subject. It is also shown that sentences with a prepositional subject allow zibun only as a long-distance anaphor, which indicates that they do lack a subject with the nominative Case.
Cardiometabolic risk factors in preschool children with abdominal obesity from Medellín, Colombia
Authors: Marín-Echeverri Catalina , Aristizábal Juan C. , Gallego-Lopera Natalia , Santa-Ramírez Hugo A. , Hoyos-Gómez Marcela , Ruiz-Pineda Adriana Marcela , Arias Andrés A. , Barona-Acevedo Jacqueline 
Published: October 2018

AbstractBackgroundAbdominal obesity (AO) is linked to inflammation and insulin resistance (IR). However, there is limited information on whether preschoolers with AO present these risk factors. We evaluated the association between AO and cardiovascular risk factors in preschoolers.MethodsWe enrolled 232 children (2–5 years), of whom 50% had AO. Serum total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-c), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-c), triglycerides (TG), apolipoprotein B (Apo-B) and apolipoprotein A-1 (Apo-A1), glucose, insulin, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP-1/CCL2), leptin, adiponectin, vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM-1/CD106) and intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM-1/CD54) were measured. The homeostatic model assessment of IR (HOMA-IR) was calculated. We analyzed these variables according to the presence of AO and other metabolic syndrome (MetS) components.ResultsA total of 75.8% of children with AO had one or more risk factors for MetS. Children with AO had significantly higher body mass indexes (BMIs), insulin, HOMA-IR, TG, very low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (VLDL-c) and TC/HDL-c ratio and lower HDL-c, compared to children without AO; but there were no differences in inflammatory markers. After adjusting for BMI, sex and age, the differences between groups were not significant for any variable. Waist circumference (WC) was correlated with insulin (r=0.547; p<0.001), TG (r=0.207; p=0.001), ICAM-1 (r=0.213; p=0.039), hs-CRP (r=0.189; p=0.015) and glucose (r=0.187; p=0.004). After adjusting for BMI, age and sex, AO plus one MetS component contributed to individual variation in glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR and TG.ConclusionsAO in preschool children is associated with greater IR and atherogenic lipid profiles, although these findings seem to be more related to general obesity than just central obesity. In addition, our data suggest that IR may precede the elevation of systemic cytokines in obese children, unlike findings in adults. More studies in pediatric populations are needed to elucidate these associations.