bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Inmate Characteristics on Perceptions of Race Relations in Prison
Authors: Hemmens Craig , Marquart James W.
Published: January 2006

Race relations is an issue of great concern to correctional administrators. Prior correctional research has examined only tangentially the impact of race and other sociodemographic variables on inmate perceptions of the institutional experience. Virtually no research has been conducted on Hispanic inmates, one of the fastest growing inmate populations. This research builds on prior research on the impact of race on inmate adjustment patterns, and adds to the literature by including other significant sociodemographic and criminal history variables as well as including a significant number of Hispanic subjects. The authors surveyed 775 recently released Texas inmates, or exmates. Exmates were asked their perceptions of race relations in prison. The relationship between selected sociodemographic and criminal history characteristics and exmate perceptions of race relations is examined.
Therapeutic Jurisprudence and the Sentencing of Sexual Offenders in Canada
Authors: Peebles Jason E.
Published: January 2006

The incidence of sex crimes against women and children continues to alarm the public. Frequently, the crimes receiving greater media attention involve men with past convictions for sexual offences. To address the issue of recidivism, the Canadian criminal justice system has placed more emphasis on rehabilitation. The author contends that further changes could be introduced to facilitate the treatment of these men. Typically, judicial responses have involved short-term incarceration and/or community supervision (i.e., probation). Research on treatment efficacy supports the utilisation of specific sex offender treatment, and to some extent these interventions have been employed. In this article, legal procedures for sentencing men convicted of sexual offences are examined from the perspective of therapeutic jurisprudence and recommendations are made. These include long-term community supervision following periods of incarceration and mandated treatment specifically addressing sexually abusive behaviour. The recommendations are considered in light of the legal challenges that might be raised.
A Ten-Year Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Rapists upon Return to the Community
Authors: Hagan Michael P. , Gust-Brey Karyn L.
Published: January 2006

This is a 10-year longitudinal analysis examining the recidivism of adolescent perpetrators of rape upon return to the community. All subjects were adolescent rapists who had completed a sex offender treatment program. The 10-year follow-up found that the majority were involved in other crimes but did not perpetrate another sexual assault. The pattern of sexual assault was similar in the years 6 to 10 as compared with the years 1 to 5. This suggests that adolescent rapists continue to commit offenses at a similar level of risk after conviction for an initial sexual assault for 6 to 10 years after release. There appears to be no decrease in the risk of sexual recidivism even up to 10 years after release. Although it may be premature to suggest that these findings are comparable to trends found in the adult populations, there is no evidence to suggest they are inconsistent.
The Fallacy of Reducing Rape and Violent Recidivism by Treating Anger
Authors: Loza Wagdy , Loza-Fanous Amel
Published: January 2006

This study was designed to investigate the usefulness of targeting anger for the treatment of violent offenders and rapists. Four anger inventories were administered to 271 Canadian incarcerated male offenders comprised of four groups of offenders (violent vs. non- violent and rapists vs. nonrapists). These groups were compared according to their scores on the measures of anger. All comparisons were not significant. This study casts doubt on the usefulness of targeting anger for the treatment of rapists and violent offenders and on the effect of these programs on reduction of recidivism.
Perceptions of Neighborhood Safety and Support for the Reintroduction of Capital Punishment in Romania: Results from a Bucuresti Survey
Authors: Keil Thomas J. , Vito Gennaro F. , Andreescu Viviana
Published: January 2006

Data from a probability sample of 400 households in Bucuresti are used to examine the nature of support for the reintroduction of the death penalty, abolished in 1989, in Romania. Results show that workers are more likely to support the reintroduction of the death penalty. Persons who see crime as increasing wish to reinstate the death penalty. Also, persons who perceive their neighborhoods as unsafe are more likely to support the return of executions. Two significant interaction effects were found. One was between worker status and perceptions of neighborhood safety. Neighborhood safety has the strongest negative effect on support for the reintroduction of capital punishment among workers. The second interaction effect was between perceptions that crime is increasing and perceptions of neighborhood safety. Among respondents who see crime as increasing, the variable of neighborhood safety has a positive effect on support for the reintroduction of capital punishment in Romania.
Acculturation and the Mental Health of Latina Women in the Women, Infant, and Children Program
Authors: Cordero Antonia , Kurz Brenda
Published: January 2006

Studies have reported discrepant findings about the relationship between acculturation and mental health, often because of inattention to interethnic group differences. This 2003 exploratory study of various Latina ethnic groups attending the Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) Program compared five measures of acculturation and mental health status/utilization. The subgroups differed on language, immigration/migration history, and the prevalence of anxiety attacks and depressive syndrome. The prevalence of anxiety attacks was the highest among those who spoke primarily Spanish, the prevalence of the depressive syndrome was the highest among those with more traditional beliefs, and the use of mental health services was the highest among those with less traditional beliefs. Implications for practice are discussed.
Women, Abuse, and the Welfare Bureaucracy
Authors: Laakso Janice H. , Drevdahl Denise J.
Published: January 2006

Using critical and feminist theoretical frameworks, this report of a qualitative study describes women’s perspectives of the welfare bureaucracy. An analysis of interviews with 38 women revealed emotional and economic abuse both in the welfare system and their personal lives. Interactions with frontline workers who implement the rules and regulations of welfare reform disempower recipients and mimic the conditions of abuse that these women have already experienced. Genograms provide a context for the women’s personal histories. Recommendations include removing sanctions as a form of economic abuse, screening every applicant for interpersonal violence, and referring women to mental health services if necessary.
Using Feminist Methods and Restorative Justice to Interview Capital Offenders’ Family Members
Authors: Beck Elizabeth , Britto Sarah
Published: January 2006

Researching sensitive topics is critical to understanding women’s lives. However, this research often carries the risk of retraumatization and exploitation. This articleexamines the development of a sensitive-topic interview protocol that sought to minimize harm and to gain reliable and valid data by using principles from feminist methods and theory, and restorative justice. The development of the protocol is examined and its effectiveness is explored in a postinterview survey of family members of capital offenders. The data indicate that the methods minimized harm and that the protocol resulted in a robust understanding of the participants’ lived experience from their perspectives.
Professionalizing Social Work at the National Level
Authors: Stotzer Rebecca L. , Tropman John E.
Published: January 2006

This study examines the presidential addresses of the 21 women presidents of the National Conference of Social Work. Although content analysis is difficult because the speeches cross seven decades, three components stood out: The women presidents primarily used their expertise as power, used partisan leadership techniques with a conservative slant, and avoided discussing women or women’s issues. The authors argue that these three stylistic components reflect the common desire of the women presidents to advance the professional status of social work, under conditions of subdominant professional and gendered status, despite the span of years.
Making Men in Gay Fraternities
Authors: Yeung King-To , Stombler Mindy , Wharton Reneé
Published: January 2006

This article examines gay men’s efforts to break into the exclusive traditional fraternity institution by adopting the hegemonic model on their own terms. The authors examined to what extent members of a national gay fraternity, Delta Lambda Phi challenged or modified the entrenched fraternity culture that was hostile to homosexuals and whether they resisted or reproduced hegemonic masculinity in their efforts to redefine the meaning of college fraternities. This research examines gay fraternities in relation to two dimensions of hegemonic masculinity. The authors explore how members of gay fraternities negotiated their stigmatized status among other men—that is, within the internal dimension of hegemonic masculinity. They explore the external dimension of hegemonic masculinity by analyzing how gay brothers, as men, related to all women (gay or straight). The authors further examine the connection between these two hegemonic dimensions and provide evidence showing how these two dimensions are coupled or disjointed.
The Consequences of Maternal Employment During Men’s Childhood for their Adult Housework Performance
Authors: Gupta Sanjiv
Published: January 2006

Using data from the first two waves of the National Survey of Families and Households, the author finds that married and cohabiting men exposed to maternal employment during childhood spent more time on housework as adults than did other men. By contrast, there is no such association for single men. These findings show that men’s housework performance is affected by both their childhood socialization and their adult circumstances, that is, whether they live with women. Furthermore, the positive relationship between maternal employment and adult housework for partnered men is restricted to men who grew up with their fathers present. Taken together, these results demonstrate that men’s adult housework performance is influenced by a combination of factors, namely, maternal employment, father presence, and marital status, rather than any one of them in isolation. The study suggests that we need both the socialization and the situational, or interactionist, perspectives to understand men’s adult family behavior.
Honor and Virtue
Authors: Dreby Joanna
Published: January 2006

Recently, scholars have described the emotional consequences of transnational motherhood on families. Research, however, has neglected to address the lives of migrant fathers and how they compare to those of migrant mothers. This article fills the gap by analyzing the experiences of Mexican transnational mothers and fathers residing in New Jersey. Ethnographic data and interviews show that parents behave in similar ways when internationally separated from children. However, their migration patterns and emotional responses to separation differ. I show that these differences are tied to Mexican gender ideology in which women’s maternal roles are sacralized, whereas fathers’ roles are tied to financial provision. Although the contemporary Mexican transnational family structure challenges gender norms, the analysis of how parents understand their family roles when separated from their children proves gender ideals to be highly durable in the transnational context.
“I’m Not Thinking of It as Sexual Harassment”
Authors: Welsh Sandy , Carr Jacquie , MacQuarrie Barbara , Huntley Audrey
Published: January 2006

How do diverse groups of women in Canada define sexual harassment? To answer this question requires incorporating race and citizenship into the analysis of sexual harassment. The authors use data from seven focus groups of Canadian women. The white women with full citizenship rights most easily identify with existing legal understandings of sexual harassment and believe they have the right to report their harassment. For women of color and women without full citizenship rights, issues of racialized sexual harassment emerge as central factors in their harassment experience. Black women with full citizenship rights call into question whether the term sexual harassment captures their experiences. Filipinas working as live-in caregivers on limited visas demonstrate how racism and lack of citizenship changes definitions of sexual harassment. Their experiences of harassment combine elements of isolation due to their lack of citizenship, racialized sexual harassment, and abuse. The authors argue that intersectional analyses are needed to understand women’s harassment experiences and their ability to complain and seek legal recourse.
Home Is Where Their Health Is: Rethinking Perspectives of Informal and Formal Care by Older Rural Appalachian Women Who Live Alone
Authors: Hayes Patricia A.
Published: January 2006

The purposes of this qualitative descriptive study were to describe the perceptions of rural, older Appalachian women who live alone regarding systems of informal and formal care and to understand if traditional cultural norms influence attitudes and decisions to access these two systems. Older Appalachian women in this study defined themselves and their health in terms of their homes and as women who care for themselves informally and value independence and privacy. Five major themes emerged from the data for informal care, and three related to formal care or use of it. The findings support a reconceptualization of informal and formal care and point out reasons why these women chose to use or not use these two systems of care. Furthermore, they reveal how changes in the formal care system could support health promotion and prevention strategies grounded in everyday ways of maintaining health within the context of home.
The Subfornical Organ, a Specialized Sodium Channel, and the Sensing of Sodium Levels in the Brain
Authors: Noda Masaharu
Published: January 2006

Dehydration causes an increase in the sodium (Na) concentration and osmolarity of body fluid. For Na homeostasis of the body, controls of Na and water intake and excretion are of prime importance. However, though the circumventricular organs (CVOs) are suggested to be involved in body-fluid homeostasis, the system for sensing the Na level within the brain that is responsible for the control of Na- and water-intake behavior has long been an enigma. The authors found that the Nax channel is preferentially expressed in the CVOs in the brain and that Na x knockout mice ingest saline in excess under dehydrated conditions. Subsequently, the authors demonstrated that Nax is an Na-level-sensitive Na channel. When Nax cDNA was introduced into the brain of the knockout mice with an adenoviral expression vector, only animals that received a transduction of the Nax gene into the subfornical organ (SFO) among the CVOs recovered salt-avoiding behavior under dehydrated conditions. Here, the authors advocate that the SFO is the center of the control of salt-intake behavior in the brain, where the Na-level-sensitive Nax channel is involved in sensing the physiological increase in the level of Na in body fluids.
Psychophysics of CNS Pain-Related Activity: Binary and Analog Channels and Memory Encoding
Authors: Bagley C. A. , Ohara S. , Lawson H. C. , Lenz F. A.
Published: January 2006

The forebrain neuronal system signaling pain has been poorly characterized. The pain pathway afferent to the thalamus may be a labeled line consisting of neurons in the pain-signaling pathway to the brain (spinothalamic tract, STT) that respond only to painful stimuli. It has recently been proposed that the STT contains a series of analog-labeled lines, each signaling a different aspect of the internal state of the body (interoception), for example, visceral/cold/itch sensations. In this view, pain is the unpleasant emotion produced by disequilibrium of the internal state. The authors now show that stimulation of an STT receiving zone (thalamic principal somatic sensory nucleus, ventral caudal) in awake humans produces two different exteroceptive responses. The first is a binary response signaling the presence of painful stimuli. The second is an analog response in which nonpainful and painful sensations are graded with intensity of the stimulus. Such stimulation can evoke both the sensory and emotional components of previously experienced pain. These results illustrate the diverse functions of human pain signaling pathways.
Synaptic Vesicle Reuse and Its Implications
Authors: Kavalali Ege T.
Published: January 2006

Presynaptic nerve terminals are exquisite vesicle trafficking machines. Neurotransmission is sustained by constant recycling of a handful of vesicles. Therefore, the rate and the pathway of vesicle trafficking can critically determine synaptic efficacy during activity. However, it is yet unclear whether synaptic vesicle recycling becomes rate limiting on a rapid time scale during physiologically relevant forms of activity in the brain. Several forms of synaptic plasticity arise from persistent alterations in the dynamics of vesicle trafficking in presynaptic terminals. What makes presynaptic forms of plasticity particularly interesting is that they not only increase or decrease the amplitude of synaptic responses but also cause frequency-dependent changes in neurotransmission. In this manner, plasticity can alter the information coding in neural circuits beyond simple scaling of synaptic responses. However, studying the synaptic vesicle cycle beyond exocytosis and endocytosis has been difficult. In the past decade, several methods have been developed to infer vesicles’ trajectory during their cycle in the synapse. Nevertheless, several questions remain. A better understanding of the role of synaptic vesicle trafficking in neurotransmission will require novel approaches that either combine existing methods or the development of new methods to trace vesicles during their cycle. Recent evidence suggests that various presynaptic proteins involved in the synaptic function and homeostasis are either mutated or altered in their expression in several neurological and psychiatric disorders. Therefore, elucidation of the mechanisms that underlie the synaptic vesicle cycle may reveal novel therapeutic targets for brain disorders.
Synaptic Vesicles: Turning Reluctance Into Action
Authors: Moulder Krista L. , Mennerick Steven
Published: January 2006

Vesicle availability partly determines the efficacy of synaptic communication in the CNS. The authors recently found that some hippocampal glutamate vesicles exhibit reluctance to exocytose during short, high-frequency action potential trains. These same vesicles can be “coaxed” into exocytosis by increased Ca2+entry, by direct depolarization of synaptic terminals, or by challenge with hypertonic sucrose, a tool used to cause fusion of the population of release-ready synaptic vesicles. Interestingly, the authors did not find evidence of reluctance at hippocampal GABA synapses, suggesting that vesicle reluctance might be a negative feedback mechanism to prevent runaway excitation. It is also possible that synapses exhibit reluctance to retain a dormant population of readily accessible vesicles, ready to respond to triggers such as enhanced Ca2+ influx or neuromodulators. Recent work from the calyx of Held synapse suggests that reluctance might arise from inactivation of Ca2+ channels. The authors review this work, along with several other potential mechanisms of reluctance.
How Can Corticospinal Tract Neurons Contribute to Ipsilateral Movements? A Question With Implications for Recovery of Motor Functions
Authors: Jankowska Elzbieta , Edgley Stephen A.
Published: January 2006

In this review, the authors discuss some recent findings that bear on the issue of recovery of function after corticospinal tract lesions. Conventionally the corticospinal tract is considered to be a crossed pathway, in keeping with the clinical findings that damage to one hemisphere, for example, in stroke, leads to a contralateral paresis and, if the lesion is large, a paralysis. However, there has been great interest in the possibility of compensatory recovery of function using the undamaged hemisphere. There are several substrates for this including ipsilaterally descending corticospinal fibers and bilaterally operating neuronal networks. Recent studies provide important evidence bearing on both of these issues. In particular, they reveal networks of neurons interconnecting two sides of the gray matter at both brainstem and spinal levels, as well as intrahemispheric transcallosal connections. These may form “detour circuits” for recovery of function, and here the authors will consider some possibilities for exploiting these networks for motor control, even though their analysis is still at an early stage.
Making Life Work in Crowded Places
Authors: Rae Douglas W.
Published: January 2006

The author of City: Urbanism and its End (2003) recounts his stint as Chief Administrative Officer of New Haven, Connecticut under that city’s first Black mayor and during one of its toughest fiscal crises. The piece seeks, first, to interpret the failure of Black political succession, which is increasingly evident in many American cities, and to chart the changing features of urban regimes such as New Haven’s. Among the regime changes to which the paper gives special attention are: (1) the decline and delocalization of business, (2) the shift of labor politics from private to public (and nonprofit) institutions, (3) the rising importance of well-capitalized nonprofits such as hospitals and universities, (4) the declining significance of political parties, and (5) the expanding importance of state government in local governance.
Race, Social Capital, and Trust in the Police
Authors: Macdonald John , Stokes Robert J.
Published: January 2006

Using a national survey of U.S. residents this study examines racial, socioeconomic, and community explanations for the trust of local police. We hypothesize that the construct of social capital offers a nexus for explaining racial differences in attitudes toward the police. We measure social capital as a construct by aggregating together measures that assess the degree of trust and civic engagement in communities. The results indicate that depleted levels of perceived community social capital contribute to higher levels of distrust of local police. Social capital, however, partially mediates the relative distrust of Blacks toward the police. These findings suggest only partial support for a social capital explanation of Blacks’ distrust in the police. The implications of these findings for police reform efforts to mend minority relations in urban cities are discussed.
Local Choices for Development Impact Fees
Authors: Jeong Moon-Gi
Published: January 2006

This article investigates the patterns and determinants of local impact-fee adoptions. The theoretical framework combines political market approaches based in interest-group theories of property rights and diffusion theories of innovation. Event history analysis is employed to estimate impact-fee adoptions in 66 Florida counties from 1977 to 2001. The empirical results demonstrate clear spatial and temporal patterns, showing that counties experiencing rapid growth actively adopted impact fees. The findings also provide several lessons. First, the development community has a significant influence on the adoption or nonadoption of impact fees. Second, intergovernmental constraints (or incentives) affect local choice. Third, counties are more likely to adopt impact fees as more neighboring counties have adopted them. Fourth, administrative capacity is a critical resource that influences impact fee adoptions. Fifth, the results confirm that rapid growth promotes impact fee adoptions.
TLR4-dependent hepcidin expression by myeloid cells in response to bacterial pathogens
Authors: Peyssonnaux Carole , Zinkernagel Annelies S. , Datta Vivekanand , Lauth Xavier , Johnson Randall S. , Nizet Victor
Published: January 2006

Hepcidin is an antimicrobial peptide secreted by the liver during inflammation that plays a central role in mammalian iron homeostasis. Here we demonstrate the endogenous expression of hepcidin by macrophages and neutrophils in vitro and in vivo. These myeloid cell types produced hepcidin in response to bacterial pathogens in a toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-dependent fashion. Conversely, bacterial stimulation of macrophages triggered a TLR4-dependent reduction in the iron exporter ferroportin. In vivo, intraperitoneal challenge with Pseudomonas aeruginosa induced TLR4-dependent hepcidin expression and iron deposition in splenic macrophages, findings mirrored in subcutaneous infection with group A Streptococcus where hepcidin induction was further observed in neutrophils migrating to the tissue site of infection. Hepcidin expression in cultured hepatocytes or in the livers of mice infected with bacteria was independent of TLR4, suggesting the TLR4-hepcidin pathway is restricted to myeloid cell types. Our findings identify endogenous myeloid cell hepcidin production as a previously unrecognized component of the host response to bacterial pathogens.
Interleukin-21 receptor (IL-21R) is up-regulated by CD40 triggering and mediates proapoptotic signals in chronic lymphocytic leukemia B cells
Authors: de Totero Daniela , Meazza Raffaella , Zupo Simona , Cutrona Giovanna , Matis Serena , Colombo Monica , Balleari Enrico , Pierri Ivana , Fabbi Marina , Capaia Matteo , Azzarone Bruno , Gobbi Marco , Ferrarini Manlio , Ferrini Silvano
Published: January 2006

Interleukin-21 (IL-21) is a member of the IL-2 cytokine family, which mediates proliferation or growth arrest and apoptosis of normal B cells, depending on their activation state. Here we demonstrate that surface IL-21 receptor (R) is expressed at variable levels by chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) B cells freshly isolated from 33 different patients. IL-21R expression was up-regulated following cell stimulation via surface CD40. Therefore, IL-21 effects were more evident in CD40-activated CLL B cells. IL-21 induced an early signaling cascade in CLL B cells, which included JAK-1 and JAK-3 autophosphorylation and tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT-1, STAT-3, and STAT-5. IL-21 signaling failed to stimulate CLL B-cell proliferation, but induced their apoptosis. In addition, IL-21 counteracted the proliferative and antiapoptotic signals delivered by IL-15 to CLL B cells. IL-21-mediated apoptosis involved activation of caspase-8 and caspase-3, cleavage of Bid to its active form t-Bid, and cleavage of PARP and of p27Kip-1. Recent data indicate that CLL B cells require interaction with the microenvironment for their survival and expansion. The present findings thus provide a set of new mechanisms involved in the balance between cell-survival and apoptotic signals in CLL B cells.
Enhancement of thrombogenesis by plasma fibronectin cross-linked to fibrin and assembled in platelet thrombi
Authors: Cho Jaehyung , Mosher Deane F.
Published: January 2006

To learn how plasma fibronectin stabilizes platelet-rich thrombi in injured mesenteric arterioles of mice, we studied the impact of plasma fibronectin on platelet thrombus formation ex vivo in a parallel flow chamber. Thrombi were greater on surfaces coated with fibrin cross-linked to fibronectin by activated factor XIII than on surfaces coated with fibrin lacking cross-linked fibronectin or with fibronectin alone. Platelet thrombi were even greater when plasma fibronectin was perfused with platelets, resulting in deposition of the perfused fibronectin in platelet thrombi. The effect of perfused fibronectin on thrombogenesis was lost if fibronectin deposition was blocked by coperfusion with the N-terminal 70-kDa fragment of fibronectin or a peptide based on the functional upstream domain of protein F1 of Streptococcus pyogenes. Increases in thrombus formation were dependent on a platelet activator such as lysophosphatidic acid, amount of fibronectin cross-linked to fibrin, and concentration of fibronectin in the perfusate. The dependency of fibronectin concentration extended into the range of fibronectin concentrations associated with increased risk of coronary artery disease. At such concentrations, the 2 mechanisms for insolubilization of plasma fibronectin—cross-linking to fibrin and assembly by adherent and aggregating platelets—synergize to result in many-fold enhancement of platelet thrombus formation.
Monocyte-derived CXCL7 peptides in the marrow microenvironment
Authors: Pillai Manoj M. , Iwata Mineo , Awaya Norihiro , Graf Lynn , Torok-Storb Beverly
Published: January 2006

The marrow microenvironment consists of several different interacting cell types, including hematopoietic-derived monocyte/macrophages and nonhematopoietic-derived stromal cells. Gene-expression profiles of stromal cells and monocytes cultured together differ from those of each population alone. Here, we report that CXCL7 gene expression, previously described as limited to the megakaryocyte lineage, is expressed by monocytes cocultured with stromal cells. CXCL7 gene expression was confirmed by quantitative reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and secretion of protein was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot. At least 2 stromal-derived activities, one yet to be identified, were required for optimal expression of CXCL7 by monocytes. NAP-2, the shortest form of CXCL7 detected in the coculture media, was confirmed to decrease the size and number of CFU-Meg colonies. The propeptide LDGF, previously reported to be mitogenic for fibroblasts, was not secreted by stimulated monocytes. The re-combinant form of LDGF produced in a prokaryotic expression system did not have biologic activity in our hands. The monocytic source of CXCL7 was also detected by immunohistochemistry in normal bone marrow biopsies, indicating an in vivo function. We conclude that stromal-stimulated monocytes can serve as an additional source for CXCL7 peptides in the microenvironment and may contribute to the local regulation of megakaryocytopoiesis.
TGF-β1 increases proliferation of airway smooth muscle cells by phosphorylation of map kinases
Authors: Chen Gang , Khalil Nasreen
Published: January 2006

Background

Airway remodeling in asthma is the result of increased expression of connective tissue proteins, airway smooth muscle cell (ASMC) hyperplasia and hypertrophy. TGF-β1 has been found to increase ASMC proliferation. The activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), p38, ERK, and JNK, is critical to the signal transduction associated with cell proliferation. In the present study, we determined the role of phosphorylated MAPKs in TGF-β1 induced ASMC proliferation.

Methods

Confluent and growth-arrested bovine ASMCs were treated with TGF-β1. Proliferation was measured by [3H]-thymidine incorporation and cell counting. Expressions of phosphorylated p38, ERK1/2, and JNK were determined by Western analysis.

Results

In a concentration-dependent manner, TGF-β1 increased [3H]-thymidine incorporation and cell number of ASMCs. TGF-β1 also enhanced serum-induced ASMC proliferation. Although ASMCs cultured with TGF-β1 had a significant increase in phosphorylated p38, ERK1/2, and JNK, the maximal phosphorylation of each MAPK had a varied onset after incubation with TGF-β1. TGF-β1 induced DNA synthesis was inhibited by SB 203580 or PD 98059, selective inhibitors of p38 and MAP kinase kinase (MEK), respectively. Antibodies against EGF, FGF-2, IGF-I, and PDGF did not inhibit the TGF-β1 induced DNA synthesis.

Conclusion

Our data indicate that ASMCs proliferate in response to TGF-β1, which is mediated by phosphorylation of p38 and ERK1/2. These findings suggest that TGF-β1 which is expressed in airways of asthmatics may contribute to irreversible airway remodeling by enhancing ASMC proliferation.
Linkage analysis of alcohol dependence using both affected and discordant sib pairs
Authors: Shih Pei-Ying , Wang Tao , Xing Chao , Sinha Moumita , Song Yeunjoo , Elston Robert C
Published: January 2006

The basic idea of affected-sib-pair (ASP) linkage analysis is to test whether the inheritance pattern of a marker deviates from Mendelian expectation in a sample of ASPs. The test depends on an assumed Mendelian control distribution of the number of marker alleles shared identical by descent (IBD), i.e., 1/4, 1/2, and 1/4 for 2, 1, and 0 allele(s) IBD, respectively. However, Mendelian transmission may not always hold, for example because of inbreeding or meiotic drive at the marker or a nearby locus. A more robust and valid approach is to incorporate discordant-sib-pairs (DSPs) as controls to avoid possible false-positive results. To be robust to deviation from Mendelian transmission, here we analyzed Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism data by modifying the ASP LOD score method to contrast the estimated distribution of the number of allele(s) shared IBD by ASPs with that by DSPs, instead of with the expected distribution under the Mendelian assumption. This strategy assesses the difference in IBD sharing between ASPs and the IBD sharing between DSPs. Further, it works better than the conventional LOD score ASP linkage method in these data in the sense of avoiding false-positive linkage evidence.
Linkage analysis of GAW14 simulated data: comparison of multimarker, multipoint, and conditional approaches
Authors: Barber Mathew J , Wheeler Eleanor , Cordell Heather J
Published: January 2006

The purposes of this study were 1) to examine the performance of a new multimarker regression approach for model-free linkage analysis in comparison to a conventional multipoint approach, and 2) to determine the whether a conditioning strategy would improve the performance of the conventional multipoint method when applied to data from two interacting loci. Linkage analysis of the Kofendrerd Personality Disorder phenotype to chromosomes 1 and 3 was performed in three populations for all 100 replicates of the Genetic Analysis Workshop 14 simulated data. Three approaches were used: a conventional multipoint analysis using the Zlr statistic as calculated in the program ALLEGRO; a conditioning approach in which the per-family contribution on one chromosome was weighted according to evidence for linkage on the other chromosome; and a novel multimarker regression approach. The multipoint and multimarker approaches were generally successful in localizing known susceptibility loci on chromosomes 1 and 3, and were found to give broadly similar results. No advantage was found with the per-family conditioning approach. The effect on power and type I error of different choices of weighting scheme (to account for different numbers of affected siblings) in the multimarker approach was examined.
Identifying genomic regions for fine-mapping using genome scan meta-analysis (GSMA) to identify the minimum regions of maximum significance (MRMS) across populations
Authors: Cooper Margaret E , Goldstein Toby H , Maher Brion S , Marazita Mary L
Published: January 2006

In order to detect linkage of the simulated complex disease Kofendrerd Personality Disorder across studies from multiple populations, we performed a genome scan meta-analysis (GSMA). Using the 7-cM microsatellite map, nonparametric multipoint linkage analyses were performed separately on each of the four simulated populations independently to determine p-values. The genome of each population was divided into 20-cM bin regions, and each bin was rank-ordered based on the most significant linkage p-value for that population in that region. The bin ranks were then averaged across all four studies to determine the most significant 20-cM regions over all studies. Statistical significance of the averaged bin ranks was determined from a normal distribution of randomly assigned rank averages. To narrow the region of interest for fine-mapping, the meta-analysis was repeated two additional times, with each of the 20-cM bins offset by 7 cM and 13 cM, respectively, creating regions of overlap with the original method. The 6–7 cM shared regions, where the highest averaged 20-cM bins from each of the three offsets overlap, designated the minimum region of maximum significance (MRMS). Application of the GSMA-MRMS method revealed genome wide significance (p-values refer to the average rank assigned to the bin) at regions including or adjacent to all of the simulated disease loci: chromosome 1 (p < 0.0001 for 160–167 cM, including D1), chromosome 3 (p-value < 0.0000001 for 287–294 cM, including D2), chromosome 5 (p-value < 0.001 for 0–7 cM, including D3), and chromosome 9 (p-value < 0.05 for 7–14 cM, the region adjacent to D4). This GSMA analysis approach demonstrates the power of linkage meta-analysis to detect multiple genes simultaneously for a complex disorder. The MRMS method enhances this powerful tool to focus on more localized regions of linkage.
Calculation of multipoint likelihoods using flanking marker data: a simulation study
Authors: George Andrew W , Mangin LaVonne A , Bartlett Christopher W , Logue Mark W , Segre Alberto M , Vieland Veronica J
Published: January 2006

The calculation of multipoint likelihoods is computationally challenging, with the exact calculation of multipoint probabilities only possible on small pedigrees with many markers or large pedigrees with few markers. This paper explores the utility of calculating multipoint likelihoods using data on markers flanking a hypothesized position of the trait locus. The calculation of such likelihoods is often feasible, even on large pedigrees with missing data and complex structures. Performance characteristics of the flanking marker procedure are assessed through the calculation of multipoint heterogeneity LOD scores on data simulated for Genetic Analysis Workshop 14 (GAW14). Analysis is restricted to data on the Aipotu population on chromosomes 1, 3, and 4, where chromosomes 1 and 3 are known to contain disease loci. The flanking marker procedure performs well, even when missing data and genotyping errors are introduced.
Modeling the effect of an associated single-nucleotide polymorphism in linkage studies
Authors: Houwing-Duistermaat Jeanine J , Uh Hae-Won , Lebrec Jeremie JP , Putter Hein , Hsu Li
Published: January 2006

For linkage analysis in affected sibling pairs, we propose a regression model to incorporate information from a disease-associated single-nucleotide polymorphism located under the linkage peak. This model can be used to study if the associated single-nucleotide polymorphism marker partly explains the original linkage peak. Two sources of information are used for performing this task, namely the genotypes of the parents and the genotypes of the siblings. We applied the methods to three significantly disease-associated single-nucleotide polymorphisms and five microsatellite markers at the end of chromosome 3 of replicate 1 of Aipotu population. Two out of five of the microsatellite markers showed a LOD score higher than 3. The question to be answered was whether one of the single-nucleotide polymorphisms partly explains these high LOD scores. We did not have the answers when we analyzed the data.
A gene-model-free method for linkage analysis of a disease-related-trait based on analysis of proband/sibling pairs
Authors: Sung Heejong , Finch Stephen J , Ye Kenny Q , Mendell Nancy R
Published: January 2006

In this paper we investigate the power of finding linkage to a disease locus through analysis of the disease-related traits. We propose two family-based gene-model-free linkage statistics. Both involve considering the distribution of the number of alleles identical by descent with the proband and comparing siblings with the disease-related trait to those without the disease-related-trait. The objective is to find linkages to disease-related traits that are pleiotropic for both the disease and the disease-related-traits. The power of these statistics is investigated for Kofendrerd Personality Disorder-related traits a (Joining/founding cults) and trait b (Fear/discomfort with strangers) of the simulated data. The answers were known prior to the execution of the reported analyses. We find that both tests have very high power when applied to the samples created by combining the data of the three cities for which we have nuclear family data.
Epidemiological geomatics in evaluation of mine risk education in Afghanistan: introducing population weighted raster maps
Authors: Andersson Neil , Mitchell Steven
Published: January 2006

Evaluation of mine risk education in Afghanistan used population weighted raster maps as an evaluation tool to assess mine education performance, coverage and costs. A stratified last-stage random cluster sample produced representative data on mine risk and exposure to education. Clusters were weighted by the population they represented, rather than the land area. A "friction surface" hooked the population weight into interpolation of cluster-specific indicators. The resulting population weighted raster contours offer a model of the population effects of landmine risks and risk education. Five indicator levels ordered the evidence from simple description of the population-weighted indicators (level 0), through risk analysis (levels 1–3) to modelling programme investment and local variations (level 4). Using graphic overlay techniques, it was possible to metamorphose the map, portraying the prediction of what might happen over time, based on the causality models developed in the epidemiological analysis. Based on a lattice of local site-specific predictions, each cluster being a small universe, the "average" prediction was immediately interpretable without losing the spatial complexity.
Report card on school snack food policies among the United States' largest school districts in 2004–2005: Room for improvement
Authors: Greves H Mollie , Rivara Frederick P
Published: January 2006

Background

Federal nutritional guidelines apply to school foods provided through the national school lunch and breakfast programs, but few federal regulations apply to other foods and drinks sold in schools (labeled "competitive foods"), which are often high in calories, fat and sugar. Competitive food policies among school districts are increasingly viewed as an important modifiable factor in the school nutrition environment, particularly to address rising rates of childhood overweight. Congress passed legislation in 2004 requiring all school districts to develop a Wellness Policy that includes nutrition guidelines for competitive foods starting in 2006–2007. In addition, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recently published recommendations for schools to address childhood obesity.

Methods

Representatives of school districts with the largest student enrollment in each state and D.C. (N = 51) were interviewed in October-November 2004 about each school district's nutrition policies on "competitive foods." District policies were examined and compared to the Institute of Medicine's recommendations for schools to address childhood obesity. Information about state competitive food policies was accessed via the Internet, and through state and district contacts.

Results

The 51 districts accounted for 5.9 million students, representing 11% of US students. Nineteen of the 51 districts (39%) had competitive food policies beyond state or federal requirements. The majority of these district policies (79%) were adopted since 2002. School district policies varied in scope and requirements. Ten districts (53%) set different standards by grade level. Most district policies had criteria for food and beverage content (74%) and prohibited the sale of soda in all schools (63%); fewer policies restricted portion size of foods (53%) or beverages (47%). Restrictions more often applied to vending machines (95%), cafeteria à la carte (79%), and student stores (79%) than fundraising activities (47%). Most of the policies did not address more comprehensive approaches to the school nutrition environment, such as nutrition education (32%) or advertising to students (26%), nor did they include guidelines on physical education (11%). In addition, few policies addressed monitoring (32%) or consequences for non-compliance (11%). No policy restricted foods sold for after-school fundraising or required monitoring physical health indicators (e.g. BMI).

Conclusion

When compared to the Institute of Medicine's recommendations for schools' role in preventing obesity, none of the nutrition policies among each state's largest school district had addressed all the recommendations by 2004–2005. Nutritionists, nurses, pediatricians, parents, and others concerned about child health have an unprecedented opportunity to help shape and implement more comprehensive school district nutrition policies as part of the Congressional requirement for a "Wellness Policy" by 2006–2007.
Rehabilitation medicine summit: building research capacity Executive Summary
Authors: Frontera Walter R , Fuhrer Marcus J , Jette Alan M , Chan Leighton , Cooper Rory A , Duncan Pamela W , Kemp John D , Ottenbacher Kenneth J , Peckham P Hunter , Roth Elliot J , Tate Denise G
Published: January 2006

The general objective of the "Rehabilitation Medicine Summit: Building Research Capacity" was to advance and promote research in medical rehabilitation by making recommendations to expand research capacity. The five elements of research capacity that guided the discussions were: 1) researchers; 2) research culture, environment, and infrastructure; 3) funding; 4) partnerships; and 5) metrics. The 100 participants included representatives of professional organizations, consumer groups, academic departments, researchers, governmental funding agencies, and the private sector. The small group discussions and plenary sessions generated an array of problems, possible solutions, and recommended actions. A post-Summit, multi-organizational initiative is called to pursue the agendas outlined in this report (see Additional File 1).
Differences in oxygen uptake but equivalent energy expenditure between a brief bout of cycling and running
Authors: Scott Christopher B , Littlefield Nathanael D , Chason Jeffrey D , Bunker Michael P , Asselin Elizabeth M
Published: January 2006

Background

We examined aerobic and anaerobic exercise energy expenditure and excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) between a 250 Watt, 1-minute bout of cycling and uphill treadmill running.

Methods

Fourteen active to well-trained subjects volunteered for the investigation (VO2 max: 57.0 ± 12.9 ml·kg·min-1 cycle; 59.3 ± 13.7 ml·kg·min-1 run; p = 0.44). Anaerobic energy expenditure was estimated from △blood lactate. Statistical analysis was completed using a paired t-test (mean ± SD).

Results

Perceived exertion did not differ between exercise bouts (14.0 ± 2.3 cycle; 13.2 ± 2.1 run; p = 0.29). Exercise oxygen uptake was significantly greater for running (41.4 ± 6.9 kJ) compared to cycling (31.7 ± 7.7 kJ) (p = 0.0001). EPOC was not different between cycling and running (p = 0.21) so that exercise oxygen uptake + EPOC was greater for running (103.0 ± 13.5 kJ) as compared to cycling (85.4 ± 20.2 kJ; p = 0.008). Anaerobic energy expenditure was significantly greater for cycling (32.7 ± 8.9 kJ) versus running (22.5 ± 11.1 kJ) (p = 0.009). Aerobic + anaerobic exercise energy expenditure (cycle 64.3 ± 12.2 kJ; run 63.9 ± 10.1 kJ) (p = 0.90) and total energy expenditure (including EPOC; cycle 118.0 ± 21.8 kJ; run 125.4 ± 19.1 kJ; p = 0.36) were similar for cycling and running.

Conclusion

Oxygen-only measures reveal discrepancy in energy expenditure between cycling and uphill running. Measurements of exercise oxygen uptake, △blood lactate and a modified EPOC promote the hypothesis of a similarity in exercise and total energy expenditure between 1-minute work-equivalent bouts of cycling and uphill running.