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Certain Forms (certain + form)
Selected AbstractsComplementary and alternative medicine: the move into mainstream health careCLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL OPTOMETRY, Issue 2 2004Kylie O'Brien BSc (Optometry) BAppSc (Chinese Medicine) MPH The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in Australia is extensive with over 50 per cent of the Australian population using some form of complementary medicine and almost 25 per cent of Australians visiting CAM practitioners. Expenditure on CAM by Australians is significant. The scope of CAM is extremely broad and ranges from complete medical systems such as Chinese medicine to well-known therapies, such as massage and little known therapies, such as pranic healing. There is a growing focus on CAM in Australia and worldwide by a range of stakeholders including government, the World Health Organization, western medical practitioners and private health insurance companies. CAM practices may offer the potential for substantial public health gains and challenge the way that we view human beings, health and illness. Several issues are emerging that need to be addressed. They include safety and quality control of complementary medicines, issues related to integration of CAM with western medicine and standards of practice. The evidence base of forms of CAM varies considerably: some forms of CAM have developed systematically over thousands of years while others have developed much more recently and have a less convincing evidence base. Many forms of CAM are now being investigated using scientific research methodology and there are increasing examples of good research. Certain forms of CAM, including Chinese medicine in which ophthalmology is an area of clinical speciality, view the eye in a unique way. It is important to keep an open mind about CAM and give proper scrutiny to new evidence as it emerges. [source] Can We Derive the Principle of Compositionality (if We Deflate Understanding)?DIALECTICA, Issue 2 2009Antonio Rauti Paul Horwich has claimed that we can derive a certain form of the principle of compositionality from a deflationary account of what it is to understand a complex expression. If this were the case, we would realize a surprising theoretical economy, and if the derivation involved basic ideas from a use theory of meaning, we would have a novel argument for use theories of meaning. Horwich does not offer a detailed derivation. In this paper I reconstruct a possible derivation and show that it begs the question. I then extend my discussion to explain why it is unlikely that alternative arguments can fare better. [source] Due Diligence and "Reasonable Man," OffshoreCULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 4 2005Bill Maurer In the wake of an international crackdown against preferential tax regimes, Caribbean tax havens and other jurisdictions have adopted "due diligence" procedures to manage financial and reputational risk. Due diligence relies on qualitative forms of evaluation and defers grounded and definitive knowledge claims through continuous peer review. In doing so, it mirrors certain forms of ethnographic practice at a number of levels of scale. This article tracks the shifts in financial regulation from crime to harm and from certainty to scrutiny and reflects on their implications for ethnography,as a limited and open-ended process of evaluation warranted by qualitative forms of judgment. It seeks to complicate our picture of contemporary capitalisms by drawing attention to the nonquantifiable and the ethical that lie "inside" them. Where conventional forms of ethnographic critique might look to expose the political or economic interests behind actions, symbols, or social relationships, this article has a more modest goal: to try to understand the similarity of form between due diligence and anthropology. [source] Metacognition as a mediator of the effects of impairments in neurocognition on social function in schizophrenia spectrum disordersACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 5 2010P. H. Lysaker Lysaker PH, Shea AM, Buck KD, Dimaggio G, Nicolò G, Procacci M, Salvatore G, Rand KL. Metacognition as a mediator of the effects of impairments in neurocognition on social function in schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Objective:, This study explored whether Mastery, a domain of metacognition that reflects the ability to use knowledge about mental states to respond to psychological challenges, mediated the effects of neurocognition on the frequency of social contact and persons' capacity for social relatedness. Method:, Participants were 102 adults with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Neurocognition was represented by a single factor score produced by a principal components analysis of a neurocognitive test battery. Mastery was assessed using the metacognitive assessment scale and social functioning by the quality of life scale. Results:, Using structural equation modeling, specifically measured-variable path analysis, a mediational model consisting of neurocognitive capacity linked to mastery and capacity for social relationships and mastery linked with frequency of social contact and capacity for social relatedness showed acceptable fit to the observed data. This persisted after controlling for negative and cognitive symptoms. Conclusion:, Results suggest that certain forms of metacognition mediate the influence of neurocognition upon function in schizophrenia. [source] Bapx1 homeobox gene gain-of-function mice show preaxial polydactyly and activated Shh signaling in the developing limbDEVELOPMENTAL DYNAMICS, Issue 9 2006Carla Tribioli Abstract To explore Bapx1 homeobox gene function in embryonic control of development, we employed a gain-of-function approach to complement our previous loss-of-function mutant analysis. We show that transgenic mice overexpressing Bapx1 are affected by skeletal defects including hindlimb preaxial polydactyly and tibial hypoplasia. Bapx1 overexpression generates limb anteroposterior patterning defects including induction of Shh signaling and ectopic activation of functions downstream of Shh signaling into the anterior region of the autopod. Moreover, Bapx1 overexpression stimulates formation of limb prechondrogenic condensations. We also show that Shh is reciprocally able to activate Bapx1 expression in mouse embryos as the orthologous hedgehog (hh) does with the bagpipe/Bapx1 gene in Drosophila. Our results indicate that Bapx1 can modulate appendicular skeletal formation, that the genetic hierarchy between Shh/hh and Bapx1/bagpipe has been conserved during evolution, and that in mouse embryos these two genes can influence one another in a genetically reciprocal manner. We conclude that it is reasonable to expect overexpression of Bapx1 in certain forms of polydactyly. Developmental Dynamics 235:2483,2492, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Local and descending circuits regulate long-term potentiation and zif268 expression in spinal neuronsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 3 2006Lars Jørgen Rygh Abstract Long-term potentiation (LTP), a use dependent long-lasting modification of synaptic strength, was first discovered in the hippocampus and later shown to occur in sensory areas of the spinal cord. Here we demonstrate that spinal LTP requires the activation of a subset of superficial spinal dorsal horn neurons expressing the neurokinin-1 receptor (NK1-R) that have previously been shown to mediate certain forms of hyperalgesia. These neurons participate in local spinal sensory processing, but are also the origin of a spino-bulbo-spinal loop driving a 5-hydroxytryptamine 3 receptor (5HT3-R)- mediated descending facilitation of spinal pain processing. Using a saporin-substance P conjugate to produce site-specific neuronal ablation, we demonstrate that NK1-R expressing cells in the superficial dorsal horn are crucial for the generation of LTP-like changes in neuronal excitability in deep dorsal horn neurons and this is modulated by descending 5HT3-R-mediated facilitatory controls. Hippocampal LTP is associated with early expression of the immediate-early gene zif268 and knockout of the gene leads to deficits in long-term LTP and learning and memory. We found that spinal LTP is also correlated with increased neuronal expression of zif268 in the superficial dorsal horn and that zif268 antisense treatment resulted in deficits in the long-term maintenance of inflammatory hyperalgesia. Our results support the suggestion that the generation of LTP in dorsal horn neurons following peripheral injury may be one mechanism whereby acute pain can be transformed into a long-term pain state. [source] Innovation and Innovators Inside Government: From Institutions to NetworksGOVERNANCE, Issue 4 2007MARK CONSIDINE Innovation and innovators inhabit an institutional space, which is partially defined by formal positions and partially by informal networks. This article investigates the role of politicians and bureaucrats in fostering innovation inside government and provides an empirical explanation of who the innovators are, whether this is mostly an attribute of position or role, or mostly an effect of certain forms of networking. The study uses original data collected from 11 municipal governments in Australia in order to define and describe the normative underpinnings of innovation inside government and to show the importance of advice and strategic information networks among politicians and senior bureaucrats (n = 947). Social network analysis is combined with conventional statistical analysis in order to demonstrate the comparative importance of networks in explaining who innovates. [source] Ab Initio Structure/Reactivity Investigations of Illudin-Based Antitumor Agents: A Model for Reaction in vivoHELVETICA CHIMICA ACTA, Issue 12 2003Laura (Hydroxymethyl)acylfulvene (HMAF, irofulven; 4), a third-generation derivative of a natural product extracted from the mushroom Omphalotus illudens, is selectively toxic towards certain forms of malignant tumors. Conversion of HMAF and cognates to stable aromatic derivatives is triggered by thiol attack in vitro and in vivo. Quantum-chemical methods predict well the structure for several functionalized derivatives of irofulven as compared to known X-ray crystallographic structures. Computational reaction profiles for thiol attack and aromatic rearrangement of irofulven and illudin S, a toxin from which irofulven is derived, provide insight into HMAF's selectivity and toxicity. Methods used include hybrid density-functional theory (HDFT), HartreeFock (HF), and MøllerPlesset second-order perturbation theory (MP2). Solvent effects have been explored by means of the new continuum-solvation method, COSab, presented in an accompanying paper. [source] Academics on Non-Standard Contracts in UK Universities: Portfolio Work, Choice and CompulsionHIGHER EDUCATION QUARTERLY, Issue 4 2007Donna Brown This paper analyses the profile and motivation of over 1,300 academics employed on part-time, fixed term or temporary contracts at 10 post-1992 UK universities, whom it categorises as ,non-standard academics'. Based on a questionnaire survey, it investigates their demographic background, including age, gender and ethnic background, as well as the factors behind acceptance of their current employment status. It reveals that six out of ten chose their status and correspond in some ways to the profile of ,portfolio worker' (high level of qualifications, multiple job holding and sense of independence). This tends to correct the perception of them as mainly ,casual'. However, commitment to their current employment status is less clear, with over one-third stating that they would accept a permanent job on their current hours. There are, therefore, signs of adaptation to certain forms of non-standard status (hours) but not to others (impermanence). Such uncertainty illustrates the hazy boundaries between casual and portfolio status. [source] Late postnatal maturation of excitatory synaptic transmission permits adult-like expression of hippocampal-dependent behaviorsHIPPOCAMPUS, Issue 5 2005Theodore C. Dumas Abstract Sensorimotor systems in altricial animals mature incrementally during early postnatal development, with complex cognitive abilities developing late. Of prominence are cognitive processes that depend on an intact hippocampus, such as contextual,configural learning, allocentric and idiocentric navigation, and certain forms of trace conditioning. The mechanisms that regulate the delayed maturation of the hippocampus are not well understood. However, there is support for the idea that these behaviors come "on line" with the final maturation of excitatory synaptic transmission. First, by providing a timeline for the first behavioral expression of various forms of learning and memory, this study illustrates the late maturation of hippocampal-dependent cognitive abilities. Then, functional development of the hippocampus is reviewed to establish the temporal relationship between maturation of excitatory synaptic transmission and the behavioral evidence of adult-like hippocampal processing. These data suggest that, in rats, mechanisms necessary for the expression of adult-like synaptic plasticity become available at around 2 postnatal weeks of age. However, presynaptic plasticity mechanisms, likely necessary for refinement of the hippocampal network, predominate and impede information processing until the third postnatal week. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Neurogenesis may relate to some but not all types of hippocampal-dependent learningHIPPOCAMPUS, Issue 5 2002Tracey J. Shors Abstract The hippocampal formation generates new neurons throughout adulthood. Recent studies indicate that these cells possess the morphology and physiological properties of more established neurons. However, the function of adult generated neurons is still a matter of debate. We previously demonstrated that certain forms of associative learning can enhance the survival of new neurons and a reduction in neurogenesis coincides with impaired learning of the hippocampal-dependent task of trace eyeblink conditioning. Using the toxin methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM) for proliferating cells, we tested whether reduction of neurogenesis affected learning and performance associated with different hippocampal dependent tasks: spatial navigation learning in a Morris water maze, fear responses to context and an explicit cue after training with a trace fear paradigm. We also examined exploratory behavior in an elevated plus maze. Rats were injected with MAM (7 mg/kg) or saline for 14 days, concurrent with BrdU, to label new neurons on days 10, 12, and 14. After treatment, groups of rats were tested in the various tasks. A significant reduction in new neurons in the adult hippocampus was associated with impaired performance in some tasks, but not with others. Specifically, treatment with the antimitotic agent reduced the amount of fear acquired after exposure to a trace fear conditioning paradigm but did not affect contextual fear conditioning or spatial navigation learning in the Morris water maze. Nor did MAM treatment affect exploration in the elevated plus maze. These results combined with previous ones suggest that neurogenesis may be associated with the formation of some but not all types of hippocampal-dependent memories. Hippocampus 2002;12:578,584. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The Court in England, 1714,1760: A Declining Political Institution?HISTORY, Issue 297 2005HANNAH SMITH Although recent studies of eighteenth-century English politics have moved beyond viewing political activity solely in parliamentary terms and consider the extra-parliamentary dimensions to political life, the royal court has not been included in this development. This article seeks to reassess the political purpose of the court of George I, and particularly that of George II, by analysing how the court functioned both as an institution and as a venue. Although the court was losing ground as an institution, with the royal household declining in political importance, the article argues that the household should not be the only means of measuring the court's political role. Through analysing the court's function as a venue for political brokerage and as a type of political theatre, it is argued that the court retained a political significance throughout the period from 1714 to 1760. The article examines the importance of the court as a place where certain forms of patronage might be obtained, and as a location for political negotiation by ministers and lower-ranking politicians. Moreover, it also analyses how the court was employed as a stage for signalling political opinion through attendance, ceremony, gesture, and costume. [source] Aversive Workplace Conditions and Employee Grievance Filing: The Moderating Effects of Gender and EthnicityINDUSTRIAL RELATIONS, Issue 2 2008PETER BAMBERGER Studies examining the direct effects of employee demographic differences on grievance filing have yielded mixed results. Moreover, little is known regarding the possible moderating effect that such differences might have on the link between workplace adversity and grievance filing. Using a sample of 866 blue-collar workers drawn from four unions, we examine the potential moderating effects of gender and race/ethnicity. Our findings suggest that while gender and ethnicity are not significantly associated with perceptions of workplace adversity, grievance filing in response to certain forms of adversity is amplified among women (as compared to men) and among African Americans and Hispanics (as compared to whites). The meaning and implications of these findings are discussed. [source] A zoological perspective on payments for ecosystem servicesINTEGRATIVE ZOOLOGY (ELECTRONIC), Issue 2 2007Jeffrey A. McNEELY Abstract The concept of payments for ecosystem services is being developed as an important means of providing a more diverse flow of benefits to people living in and around habitats valuable for conservation. The Kyoto Protocol, under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, includes a Clean Development Mechanism to provide for payments for certain forms of carbon sequestration that may benefit animal species (at least as an incidental benefit). Other market-based approaches for paying for carbon sequestration services outside the Kyoto framework are being promoted in various parts of the world. Another common form of payment for ecosystem services is compensating upstream landowners for managing their land in ways that maintain downstream water quality; this can include habitat management that benefits wild animal species. While biodiversity itself is difficult to value, it can be linked to other markets, such as certification in the case of sustainably-produced forest products. This paper expands on some of the markets for ecosystem services that also benefit wildlife, identifies relevant sources of information, and highlights some of the initiatives linking such markets to poverty alleviation. Making markets work for ecosystem services requires an appropriate policy framework, government support, operational institutional support, and innovation at scales from the site level to the national level. Zoologists have much to contribute to all of these steps. [source] Does cytomegalovirus play a causative role in the development of various inflammatory diseases and cancer?JOURNAL OF INTERNAL MEDICINE, Issue 3 2006C. SÖDERBERG-NAUCLÉR Abstract. Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a herpes virus that infects and is carried by 70,100% of the world's population. During its evolution, this virus has developed mechanisms that allow it to survive in an immunocompetent host. For many years, HCMV was not considered to be a major human pathogen, as it appeared to cause only rare cases of HCMV inclusion disease in neonates. However, HCMV is poorly adapted for survival in the immunosuppressed host and has emerged as an important human pathogen in AIDS patients and in patients undergoing immunosuppressive therapy following organ or bone marrow transplantation. HCMV-mediated disease in such patients has highlighted the possible role of this virus in the development of other diseases, in particular inflammatory diseases such as vascular diseases, autoimmune diseases and, more recently, with certain forms of cancers. Current research is focused on determining whether HCMV plays a causative role in these diseases or is merely an epiphenomenon of inflammation. Inflammation plays a central role in the pathogenesis of HCMV. This virus has developed a number of mechanisms that enable it to hide from the cells of the immune system and, at the same time, reactivation of a latent infection requires immune activation. Numerous products of the HCMV genome are devoted to control central functions of the innate and adaptive immune responses. By influencing the regulation of various cellular processes including the cell cycle, apoptosis and migration as well as tumour invasiveness and angiogenesis, HCMV may participate in disease development. Thus, the various drugs now available for treatment of HCMV disease (e.g. ganciclovir, acyclovir and foscarnet), may also prove to be useful in the treatment of other, more widespread diseases. [source] Mechanism of the persistent sodium current activator veratridine-evoked Ca2+ elevation: implication for epilepsyJOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY, Issue 3 2009Ádám Fekete Abstract Although the role of Na+ in several aspects of Ca2+ regulation has already been shown, the exact mechanism of intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) increase resulting from an enhancement in the persistent, non-inactivating Na+ current (INa,P), a decisive factor in certain forms of epilepsy, has yet to be resolved. Persistent Na+ current, evoked by veratridine, induced bursts of action potentials and sustained membrane depolarization with monophasic intracellular Na+ concentration ([Na+]i) and biphasic [Ca2+]i increase in CA1 pyramidal cells in acute hippocampal slices. The Ca2+ response was tetrodotoxin- and extracellular Ca2+ -dependent and ionotropic glutamate receptor-independent. The first phase of [Ca2+]i rise was the net result of Ca2+ influx through voltage-gated Ca2+ channels and mitochondrial Ca2+ sequestration. The robust second phase in addition involved reverse operation of the Na+,Ca2+ exchanger and mitochondrial Ca2+ release. We excluded contribution of the endoplasmic reticulum. These results demonstrate a complex interaction between persistent, non-inactivating Na+ current and [Ca2+]i regulation in CA1 pyramidal cells. The described cellular mechanisms are most likely part of the pathomechanism of certain forms of epilepsy that are associated with INa,P. Describing the magnitude, temporal pattern and sources of Ca2+ increase induced by INa,P may provide novel targets for antiepileptic drug therapy. [source] Human brain aminopeptidase A: biochemical properties and distribution in brain nucleiJOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY, Issue 1 2008Nadia De Mota Abstract Aminopeptidase A (APA) generated brain angiotensin III, one of the main effector peptides of the brain renin angiotensin system, exerting a tonic stimulatory effect on the control of blood pressure in hypertensive rats. The distribution of APA in human brain has not been yet studied. We first biochemically characterized human brain APA (apparent molecular mass of 165 and 130 kDa) and we showed that the human enzyme exhibited similar enzymatic characteristics to recombinant mouse APA. Both enzymes had similar sensitivity to Ca2+. Kinetic studies showed that the Km (190 ,mol/L) of the human enzyme for the synthetic substrate- l -glutamyl-,-naphthylamide was close from that of the mouse enzyme (256 ,mol/L). Moreover, various classes of inhibitors including the specific and selective APA inhibitor, (S)-3-amino-4-mercapto-butyl sulfonic acid, had similar inhibitory potencies toward both enzymes. Using (S)-3-amino-4-mercapto-butyl sulfonic acid, we then specifically measured the activity of APA in 40 microdissected areas of the adult human brain. Significant heterogeneity was found in the activity of APA in the various analyzed regions. The highest activity was measured in the choroids plexus and the pineal gland. High activity was also detected in the dorsomedial medulla oblongata, in the septum, the prefrontal cortex, the olfactory bulb, the nucleus accumbens, and the hypothalamus, especially in the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei. Immunostaining of human brain sections at the level of the medulla oblongata strengthened these data, showing for the first time a high density of immunoreactive neuronal cell bodies and fibers in the motor hypoglossal nucleus, the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus, the nucleus of the solitary tract, the Roller nucleus, the ambiguus nucleus, the inferior olivary complex, and in the external cuneate nucleus. APA immunoreactivity was also visualized in vessels and capillaries in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus and the inferior olivary complex. The presence of APA in several human brain nuclei sensitive to angiotensins and involved in blood pressure regulation suggests that APA in humans is an integral component of the brain renin angiotensin system and strengthens the idea that APA inhibitors could be clinically tested as an additional therapy for the treatment of certain forms of hypertension. [source] The downside of religious attire: The Muslim headscarf and expectations of obtaining employmentJOURNAL OF ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR, Issue 1 2010Sonia Ghumman As laws are being passed or considered to ban certain forms of religious attire in the current international arena (France, Netherlands, Italy), it is important to address some of the concerns that Americans who wear religious attire might have. Based on stereotype threat theory, data from 219 American Muslim females were examined regarding their expectations of receiving job offers for a variety of occupations. Results indicated that Muslim women who wear the headscarf (Hijabis) had lower expectations of receiving a job offer than Muslim women who do not wear the hijab. This difference increased as the amount of public contact associated with the occupation decreased and job status of the occupation increased. Furthermore, work centrality moderated this relationship, but only for Muslim women who did not wear the headscarf. Implications of these findings with regard to Hijabis and occupational attainment are discussed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Acute Effects of Ethanol on Behavior of Adolescent Rats: Role of Social ContextALCOHOLISM, Issue 3 2001Elena I. Varlinskaya Background: First experiences with alcohol in humans occur predominantly in adolescence, and to a large extent the attractiveness of alcohol at this age is based on its ability to facilitate certain forms of social behavior (social facilitation). Adolescence is strongly marked by a focus on peer relationships, and the social nature of the situation plays an important role in responsiveness to alcohol. Peer-directed social activity of adolescent rats may be a valuable experimental model for the study of ethanol-induced changes in social behavior and assessment of the role of the social context in responsiveness to ethanol. Method: In the present study we used a modified dyad social interaction test to characterize acute effects of ethanol on different forms of social behavior (social investigation, contact behavior, and play) and social motivation (preference/avoidance of a peer) in adolescent rats. Ethanol effects on behavior directed toward a peer were compared with those induced by exposure to an inanimate novel object. Results: In the social context, the effects of ethanol were dose-dependent and biphasic. Low doses of ethanol (0.25,0.75 g/kg) produced apparent social facilitation (increased social activity and enhanced social preference), whereas higher doses (3 and 4 g/kg) caused social inhibition (decreased social activity and avoidance of a peer). This pattern was not observed for a nonsocial stimulus: Although overall activity in the nonsocial context was suppressed by 2 and 3 g/kg of ethanol, 0.5 g/kg of ethanol did not activate overall activity directed to the inanimate object. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that the social nature of the testing situation plays an important role in responsiveness to alcohol in adolescence, especially to its activating effects. The results suggest also that the study of ethanol effects on social behavior of adolescent rats may be an effective tool for the study of adolescent alcohol use and abuse. [source] Evaluative Criteria for Qualitative Research in Applied Linguistics: Whose Criteria and Whose Research?MODERN LANGUAGE JOURNAL, Issue 1 2003Anne Lazaraton This paper examines various criteria that have been proposed for evaluating the increasing number of empirical studies carried out using qualitative research methods, and it demonstrates how such criteria may privilege certain forms of qualitative research while excluding others. A broader disciplinary view is taken by defining qualitative research, and by discussing in more detail the two qualitative traditions that have achieved prominence in applied linguistics, ethnography, and conversation analysis. Then, select existing evaluative criteria for qualitative research proposed by applied linguists, as well as additional criteria developed outside applied linguistics, are examined. Finally, the issue of criteriology is considered, on which some of the assumptions underlying the existing evaluative criteria are based. To conclude, this article discusses the complex relationship between research method and evaluative criteria and the role of professional journals in establishing and validating such criteria. [source] Disjuncture, Continental philosophy's new "political Paul," and the question of progressive Christianity in a Southern California Third Wave churchAMERICAN ETHNOLOGIST, Issue 1 2009JON BIALECKI ABSTRACT Drawing on recent anthropological debates on temporality, hope, and the relationship between Christian eschatology and political action, I use Alain Badiou's reading of St. Paul's epistles to trace out the internal logic of a left-leaning Southern California church in the Vineyard, a strongly charismatic Christian denomination. I argue that members of this church see progressive politics as a function of the incomplete eschatological event of Jesus's redemption of the world. This view of progressive politics as demarcating an ontological divide serves to foreclose certain forms of political organizing and alliances because such political activity, being recognizable, does not fit the condition of radical alterity associated with the divine in church members' religious practice. [anthropology of Christianity, anthropology of temporality, Pentecostal/charismatic Christianity, Southern California, progressive Christianity, Badiou, critical anthropology] [source] Realism and Human KindsPHILOSOPHY AND PHENOMENOLOGICAL RESEARCH, Issue 3 2003AMIE L. THOMASSON It is often noted that institutional objects and artifacts depend on human beliefs and intentions and so fail to meet the realist paradigm of mind-independent objects. In this paper I draw out exactly in what ways the thesis of mind-independence fails, and show that it has some surprising consequences. For the specific forms of mind-dependence involved entail that we have certain forms of epistemic privilege with regard to our own institutional and artifactual kinds, protecting us from certain possibilities of ignorance and error; they also demonstrate that not all cases of reference to these kinds can proceed along a purely causal model. As a result, realist views in ontology, epistemology, and semantics that were developed with natural scientific kinds in mind cannot fully apply to the kinds of the social and human sciences. In closing I consider some wider consequences of these results for social science and philosophy. [source] Untimeliness as Moral Indictment: Tamil Agricultural Labouring Women's Use of Lament as Life NarrativeTHE AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 2 2007Kalpana Ram How do Dalit women forge certain forms of critical perspectives in relation to their existence? This paper explores the very particular poetics that shape the women's responses to an invitation by the ethnographer to tell her their life stories. Their narratives made use of several dominant discourses in south India that ritually construct a woman's life as a teleology of an unfolding essence, an embodied force that comes into flower and fruition, and must be socially shaped and tended in order to bring about an auspicious confluence for both woman and the social order. The women also made use of the structure and tropes of several styles of performance that have tragedy at their emotional heart, and which gain their force against the normative construction of life cycle as temporality. By using these forms, women were able to bring into discourse several aspects of their experience of marriage that would otherwise gain no social recognition. In particular, they highlighted the prematurity of their marriage, having wed while still children themselves. The wider argument of this paper engages with two very different versions of agency,one predicated on the use of reason and consent by the individual, the other derived from an examination of the Dalit women's narratives. [source] Analytic impasse and the third: Clinical implications of intersubjectivity theoryTHE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PSYCHOANALYSIS, Issue 2 2006LEWIS ARON The author examines the notion of the third within contemporary intersubjectivity theory. He utilizes a variety of metaphors (the triangle, the seesaw, strange attractors, and the compass) in an effort to explain this often misunderstood concept in a clear and readily usable manner. An argument is made to the effect that intersubjectivity theory has direct implications for clinical practice, and that the notion of the third is particularly useful in understanding what happens in and in resolving clinical impasses and stalemates. Specifi cally, the author suggests that certain forms of self-disclosure are best understood as attempts to create a third point of reference, thus opening up psychic space for self-refl ection and mentalization. He provides a clinical case as well as a number of briefer vignettes to illustrate the theoretical concepts and to suggest specifi c modifi cations of the psychoanalyst's stance that give the patient greater access to the inner workings of the analyst's mind. This introduces a third that facilitates the gradual transformation from relations of complementarity to relations of mutuality. [source] The Conservationist Mode of Production and Conservation NGOs in sub-Saharan AfricaANTIPODE, Issue 3 2010Dan Brockington Abstract:, The work of conservation non-governmental organizations (NGOs) is vital to the conservation movement and has attracted a good deal of comment and observation. Here we combine recent writings about the interactions of conservation and capitalism, and particularly the idea of "the conservationist mode" of production to explore the roles of conservation NGOs with respect to capitalism. We use an analysis of the conservation NGO sector in sub-Saharan Africa to examine the ways in which conservation NGOs are integral to the spread of certain forms of capitalism, and certain forms of conservation, on the continent. We examine their mediating role in mediating and legitimizing knowledge, in effect forging and reproducing desires for particular visions and versions of Africa, and in producing and promoting new commodities which meet these needs, all of which facilitates capitalism's growth. Finally we consider a number of limitations to the activities of NGOs, and on the nature of the research we have undertaken, which may help to place their work in context. [source] PHYSICOCHEMICAL COMPOSITIONAL ANALYSIS OF CERAMICS: A CASE STUDY IN KENTING, TAIWAN,ARCHAEOMETRY, Issue 4 2006MAA-LING CHEN The composition of ceramics does not just reflect the component of some specific, unprocessed, geological, raw material source, but also certain forms of human behaviour involved in its manufacture. The purpose of this research project is to apply the acid-extraction chemical method, complemented by a thin-section petrographic study, to the compositional analyses of certain local ceramic collections (mainly from several sites in the southern Taiwan area). The results present the raw materials that the ceramic manufacturers of the two cultural traditions (O-laun-pi Phase II and Phase III,IV), which overlapped temporally, used. These materials came from the same sources, but the ceramics were manufactured in different ways. Particularly, the people of O-laun-pi Phase III,IV also procured certain materials from either local sources or from somewhere in eastern Taiwan to make their pots. The results also indicate that there might have been a variation in terms of their manufacture among sites of the same cultural tradition. [source] Vasopressin receptor antagonists: pharmacological tools and potential therapeutic agentsAUTONOMIC & AUTACOID PHARMACOLOGY, Issue 2 2006J. O. Streefkerk Summary 1 The present survey deals with the development and applications of non-peptidergic vasopressin receptor antagonists. 2 The existence of at least three vasopressin receptors (V1, V2 and V3 respectively) is firmly established. 3 V1 -receptors play a relevant role in the regulation of vascular tone, whereas V2 -receptors are known to mediate the antidiuretic activity of vasopressin at the level of the renal collecting ducts. The V3 -receptor appears to be involved in the release of the adreno-corticotropic hormone. 4 Vasopressin receptor antagonists which are peptides have been known for several decades, more recently, both V1 - and V2 -receptor blockers which are non-peptidergic have been introduced, as well as agents with affinity for both V1 - and V2 -receptor subtypes. A survey of these non-peptidergic antagonists is presented here. Such compounds are useful as pharmacological tools, and they can also be thought of as therapeutic agents as therapeutic agents in cardiovascular and renal diseases. 5 Selective V1 - and V2 -receptor antagonists were used to study the interaction between vasopressin receptors and sympathetic neurones. Depending on the experimental model used this interaction can occur at either the pre- or postsynaptic sites. In both cases predominantly V1 -receptors are involved. 6 A brief survey is given of the potential use of V-receptor antagonists in the drug therapy of syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion and other water retaining disorders, congestive heart failure and certain forms of hypertension (in particular in the Negroid hypertensive patients). [source] Should Aspirin be Used to Counteract ,Salicylate Deficiency'?BASIC AND CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY & TOXICOLOGY, Issue 4 2003Gareth Morgan Emerging evidence suggests that aspirin reduces the risk of other chronic diseases such as certain forms of cancer. Salicylate may contribute to the disease reduction effects. It is present naturally in fruits and vegetables and individuals with a low intake of these foods may be ,salicylate deficient'. This deleterious state may constitute a significant public health threat. Interventions to prevent deficiency, such as low-dose aspirin programmes, could have substantial beneficial health impacts around the world. [source] 2263: Analysis of the utility of QuantiFERON-TB GoldTM in tube and measurement of IFN, release by peripheral mononuclear cells in response to different mycobacterium antigen in the work-up of patients with uveitisACTA OPHTHALMOLOGICA, Issue 2010D MAKHOUL Purpose Tuberculosis remains an important cause of infectious uveitis and immune reaction against mycobacteria may contribute to the development of certain forms of autoimmune uveitis. Moreover, many non-infectious uveitis patients are treated with immunomodulatory treatment. The evaluation of tuberculosis immunity is thus an important aspect in the work-up of patients with uveitis. In this work, we would like to investigate the usefulness of different methods of tuberculosis immunity testing in a series of patients with intraocular inflammation. Methods Patients with uveitis will undergo a standard diagnosis procedure, including a chest Xray. Quantiferon TB Gold in Tube (QFT) and tuberculin skin test (TST) will be performed. IFN, production by mononuclear cells in response to PPD and to HBHA will be measured by ELISA. Results Thirty-two patients have already been recruited. Sixteen had a negative QFT and a negative TST. In two of them, mononuclear cells produce IFN, in response to PPD (but not to HBHA) and in 1 in response to HBHA (but not to PPD). In 11 patients QFT and TST were positive. In this group, IFN, response to PPD was observed in 82% but only in 50% in response to HBHA. Discordant results between QFT and TST were observed in 5 patients. One had a positive QFT and a negative TST and 4 had a positive TST and a negative QFT. In this group IFN, response to PPD or HBHA was not observed. Conclusion Discordant results between QuantiFERON-TB Gold and TST were observed in 15 % of uveitis patients. Analysis of the IFN, production in response to PPD and to HBHA seems to add important information in both concordant and discordant group. [source] Study of the immune response in patients with uveitis and latent tuberculosisACTA OPHTHALMOLOGICA, Issue 2009D MAKHOUL Purpose Mycobacterium tuberculosis infects up to 30 % of the population worldwide. In the majority of the cases a lifelong immune response, based on the production of IFN, by CD4+ lymphocytes, restricts the infection into lung granulomas. A dysregulation of T regulatory cell function has also been implicated. It has been postulated that this constant immune response might contribute to certain forms of tuberculosis associated uveitis (hypersensitivity uveitis). The aim of this work is to analyse the lymphocyte production of IFN, and the percentage of regulatory T cells in sight threatening uveitis patients with or without latent tuberculosis. Methods Patients with sight threatening uveitis suspected to be related to tuberculosis or to autoimmune disease will be recruited at the CHU St-Pierre. Patients will be included if the work-up is compatible with the diagnosis of tuberculosis related uveitis or autoimmune uveitis used as a control. Signed informed consent will be obtained and blood samples will be taken. Results IFN, production in response to different mycobacterial peptides will be measured by QuantiFERONÔ-TB Gold in-tube and by ELISA. IL-17 will be quantified by ELISA and the percentage of T regulatory cells analysed by flow cytometry (CD3+CD4+ CD25high, CD127low, FOXP3+). Conclusion The diagnosis of tuberculosis uveitis is a clinical challenge. The disease is probably mediated through infectious and immune mechanisms. By studying the CD4 + and regulatory T lymphocytes function in patients with uveitis and latent tuberculosis, we hope that we will better understand this pathology. In addition, this study will evaluate the usefulness of QuantiFERONÔ-TB Gold in-tube in the evaluation of patient with uveitis. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||