Why practical theology must go public

This is the author's post-print pdf version of an article published in Practical Theology. The article can be found at http://essential.metapress.com/content/122841/This journal article makes the case for a strong affinity between pastoral studies and practical theology as conceived in the UK and the emerging field of public theology

PSR B1828-11: a precession pulsar torqued by a quark planet?

The pulsar PSR B1828-11 has long-term, highly periodic and correlated variations in both pulse shape and the rate of slow-down. This phenomenon may provide evidence for precession of the pulsar as suggested previously within the framework of free precession as well as forced one. On a presumption of forced precession, we propose a quark planet model to this precession henomenon instead, in which the pulsar is torqued by a quark planet. We construct this model by constraining mass of the pulsar ($M_{\rm psr}$), mass of the planet ($M_{\rm pl}$) and orbital radius of the planet ($r_{\rm pl}$). Five aspects are considered: derived relation between $M_{\rm psr}$ and $r_{\rm pl}$, movement of the pulsar around the center of mass, ratio of $M_{\rm psr}$ and $M_{\rm pl}$, gravitational wave radiation timescale of the planetary system, and death-line criterion. We also calculate the range of precession period derivative and gravitational wave strength (at earth) permitted by the model. Under reasonable parameters, the observed phenomenon can be understood by a pulsar ($10^{-4}\sim10^{-1}M_{\odot}$) with a quark planet ($10^{-8}\sim10^{-3}M_{\odot}$) orbiting it. According to the calculations presented, the pulsar would be a quark star because of its low mass, which might eject a lump of quark matter (to become a planet around) during its birth.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, accepted by MNRAS (Letters

Protecting Rights, Preventing Windfalls: A Model for Harmonizing State and Federal Laws on Floating Liens

This Article examines the conflict between state law which permits the creation of security interests in a debtor\u27s after-acquired property--or floating liens --and federal bankruptcy law\u27s potential cutoff of many of those security interests. This conflict arises in virtually every bankruptcy case. However, because of ambiguous statutory language and a failure of the jurisprudence conceptual center. This Article argues that using a model of a debtor in liquidation to analyze the cutoff of floating liens would balance the underlying policy considerations and make judicial outcomes more predictable

Differential thresholds for motions in the periphery

Differential thresholds for rotary and linear motion in the peripher

Interaktionen zwischen Genotyp und Ort sind ein Vorteil von lokaler Züchtung von Ackerbohnen (Vicia faba L.)

Organic farming is based on low productivity environments regarding the restricted supply of inputs. Thus, to maximize the response of selection, the local breeding approach was put forward for organic agriculture. To analyse this approach, efforts of organic farmers and scientists were combined in a pertinent, participatory breeding approach using spring faba bean as crop. A set of genotypes with different levels of heterozygosity and heterogeneity were tested in four organic farms and one conventional location. Results for grain yield showed that the genotype-location interaction was highly significant and contributed to a large extent to the yield variation. The findings indicated that indeed local breeding programs could give greater genetic gains for organic cropping systems than traditional, formal plant breeding programs

Social epidemiology

Social epidemiology is the branch of epidemiology concerned with understanding how social and economic characteristics influence states of health in populations. There has been a resurgence recently in interest among epidemiologists about the roles that social and economic factors play in determining health, leading to valuable synergies with the social sciences. The determinants of health commonly studied in social epidemiology include absolute poverty, income inequality, as well as race and discrimination. Recently, social epidemiologists have been at the forefront of conceptual developments within the discipline that view the determinants of health at different levels of social organization. © 2008 Copyright © 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Remote sensing of aquatic plants

Various sensors were tested in terms of their ability to detect and discriminate among noxious aquatic macrophytes. A survey of researchers currently studying the problem and a brief summary of their work is included. Results indicated that the sensor types best suited to assessment of the aquatic environment are color, color infrared, and black-and-white infrared film, which furnish consistently high contrasts between aquatic plants and their surroundings

Screening cut-stump control of Chinese tallowtree, sweetgum and yaupon with aminocyclopyrachlor

Aminocyclopyrachlor (MAT28) was investigated for the potential control of unwanted woody rootstocks of Chinese tallowtree (Triadica sebifera), sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), and yaupon (Ilex vomitoria). A cutstump application of MAT28+Brush and Basal Oil by Helena was tested against standard treatments: (1) MAT28 2.5%, (2) MAT28 5%, (3) MAT28 10%, (4) MAT28 15%, (5) Garlon 4 Ultra 30%, (6) Garlon 4 Ultra+Stalker 20+1%, (7) MAT28+Stalker 10+1% and (8) untreated check. Herbicides were applied on February 4, 2009. Stems were severed with a chainsaw and herbicide applied immediately and sufficiently to thoroughly wet the surface, edges and top 2 inches of the stump. All rootstocks were free of sprouts 30 and 60 days after treatment (DAT). The total height of Chinese tallowtree checks averaged 8.8-feet initially and 7.5-feet 540 DAT. MAT28 (10%), MAT28+Stalker and Garlon Ultra mixtures all provided 100 percent control 540 DAT. For sweetgum, total height for check rootstocks averaged 11.8-feet initially and 5.9-feet 540 DAT. Least sprouting and best control occurred on rootstocks treated with Garlon Ultra alone. Sprouts averaged 2.4-feet 540 DAT. For yaupon, total height of checks averaged 11.1-feet initially and 4.8-feet 540 DAT. No sprouts (100 percent control) were detected 540 DAT on rootstocks treated with Garlon Ultra, Garlon Ultra+Stalker, or MAT28+Stalker. Cut-stump treatments of MAT28 show potential for reducing unwanted rootstocks of Chinese tallowtree, sweetgum and yaupon