The Self-Enclosing God: John Chrysostom and Ephrem Syrus on divine self-limitation as gift of love in Genesis 1-3

Peursen, W.T. van [Promotor]Noble, I. [Promotor]Kucova, L. [Copromotor

Manifestation of Chaos in Real Complex Systems: Case of Parkinson's Disease

In this chapter we present a new approach to the study of manifestations of chaos in real complex system. Recently we have achieved the following result. In real complex systems the informational measure of chaotic chatacter (IMC) can serve as a reliable quantitative estimation of the state of a complex system and help to estimate the deviation of this state from its normal condition. As the IMC we suggest the statistical spectrum of the non-Markovity parameter (NMP) and its frequency behavior. Our preliminary studies of real complex systems in cardiology, neurophysiology and seismology have shown that the NMP has diverse frequency dependence. It testifies to the competition between Markovian and non-Markovian, random and regular processes and makes a crossover from one relaxation scenario to the other possible. On this basis we can formulate the new concept in the study of the manifestation of chaoticity. We suggest the statistical theory of discrete non-Markov stochastic processes to calculate the NMP and the quantitative evaluation of the IMC in real complex systems. With the help of the IMC we have found out the evident manifestation of chaosity in a normal (healthy) state of the studied system, its sharp reduction in the period of crises, catastrophes and various human diseases. It means that one can appreciably improve the state of a patient (of any system) by increasing the IMC of the studied live system. The given observation creates a reliable basis for predicting crises and catastrophes, as well as for diagnosing and treating various human diseases, Parkinson's disease in particular.Comment: 20 pages, 8 figures, 3 tables. To be published in "The Logistic Map and the Route to Chaos: From the Beginnings to the Modern Applications", eds. by M. Ausloos, M. Dirickx, pp. 175-196, Springer-Verlag, Berlin (2006

Species of Bursaphelenchus Fuchs, 1937 (Nematoda: Parasitaphelenchidae) and other nematode genera associated with insects from Pinus pinaster in Portugal

Insects associated with maritime pine, Pinus pinaster, in Portugal were collected and screened for the presence of Bursaphelenchus species. Nematodes were identified using Internal Transcribed Spacers-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (ITS-RFLP) analysis of dauer juveniles and morphological identification of adults that developed from dauer juveniles on fungal cultures or on cultures in pine wood segments at 26 C. Several associations are described: Bursaphelenchus teratospicularis and Bursaphelenchus sexdentati are associated with Orthotomicus erosus; Bursaphelenchus tusciae, B. sexdentati and/or Bursaphelenchus pinophilus with Hylurgus ligniperda and Bursaphelenchus hellenicus with Tomicus piniperda, Ips sexdentatus and H. ligniperda. An unidentified Bursaphelenchus species is vectored by Hylobius sp. The previously reported association of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus with Monochamus galloprovincialis was confirmed. The association of Bursaphelenchus leoni with Pityogenes sp. is not definitively established and needs further studies for clarification. Other nematode genera besides Bursaphelenchus were found to be associated with the insects sampled, including two different species of Ektaphelenchus, Parasitorhabditis sp., Parasitaphelenchus sp., Contortylenchus sp. and other unidentified nematodes. The Ektaphelenchus species found in O. erosus is morphologically similar to B. teratospicularis found in the same insect; adults of both the species are found in cocoon-like structures under the elytra of the insects. Introduction Approximately one third of the nematodes belonging to the order Aphelenchida Siddiqi, 1980 are associated with insects (Poinar, 1983). These nematodes establish a variety of associations with the insects, which may be described as commensalism, e.g. phoresy (to the benefit of the nematode but not affecting the insect), mutualism (both the organisms benefit) or parasitism (nematodes benefit at the expense of the insect) (Giblin-Davis, 2004). Most Bursaphelenchus Fuchs, 1937 species are mycetophagous, feeding on fungi in the galleries of bark beetles and thu

Accessing elite nurses for research: reflections on the theoretical and practical issues of telephone interviewing

Elite groups are interesting as they frequently are powerful (in terms of position, knowledge and influence) and enjoy considerable authority. It is important, therefore, to involve them in research concerned with understanding social contexts and processes. This is particularly pertinent in healthcare, where considerable strategic development and change are features of everyday practice that may be guided or perceived as being guided, by elites. This paper evolved from a study investigating the availability and role of nurses whose remit involved leading nursing research and development within acute NHS Trusts in two health regions in Southern England. The study design included telephone interviews with Directors of Nursing Services during which time the researchers engaged in a reflective analysis of their experiences of conducting research with an `elite' group. Important issues identified were the role of gatekeepers, engagement with elites and the use of the telephone interview method in this context. The paper examines these issues and makes a case for involving executive nurses in further research. The paper also offers strategies to help researchers design and implement telephone interview studies successfully to maximise access to the views and experiences of `hard to reach groups', such as elites, while minimising the associated disruption

Granular discharge and clogging for tilted hoppers

We measure the flux of spherical glass beads through a hole as a systematic function of both tilt angle and hole diameter, for two different size beads. The discharge increases with hole diameter in accord with the Beverloo relation for both horizontal and vertical holes, but in the latter case with a larger small-hole cutoff. For large holes the flux decreases linearly in cosine of the tilt angle, vanishing smoothly somewhat below the angle of repose. For small holes it vanishes abruptly at a smaller angle. The conditions for zero flux are discussed in the context of a {\it clogging phase diagram} of flow state vs tilt angle and ratio of hole to grain size

A Rapid Screening Psychometric Test

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/66666/2/10.1177_000992286900800506.pd

Construction of markov processes from hitting distributions

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/47648/1/440_2004_Article_BF00538487.pd

Mushy Zone Morphology During Directional Solidification of Pb-5.8 Wt Pct Sb Alloy

The Pb-5.8 wt pet Sb alloy was directionally solidified with a positive thermal gradient of 140 K cm(-1) at a growth speed ranging from 0.8 to 30 mu m s(-1), and then it was quenched to retain the mushy zone morphology. The morphology of the mushy zone along its entire length has been characterized by using a serial sectioning and three-dimensional image reconstruction technique. Variation in the cellular/dendritic shape factor, hydraulic radius of the interdendritic region, and fraction solid along the mushy zone length has been studied. A comparison with predictions from theoretical models indicates that convection remarkably reduces the primary dendrite spacing while its influence on the dendrite tip radius is not as significant

Some Consequences of Thermosolutal Convection: The Grain Structure of Castings

The essential principles of thermosolutal convection are outlined, and how convection provides a transport mechanism between the mushy region of a casting and the open bulk liquid is illustrated. The convective flow patterns which develop assist in heat exchange and macroscopic solute segregation during solidification; they also provide a mechanism for the transport of dendritic fragments from the mushy region into the bulk liquid. Surviving fragments become nuclei for equiaxed grains and so lead to blocking of the parental columnar, dendritic growth front from which they originated. The physical steps in such a sequence are considered and some experimental data are provided to support the argument