bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interferon-γ Induces Major Histocompatibility Class II Transactivator (CIITA), Which Mediates Collagen Repression and Major Histocompatibility Class II Activation by Human Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells
Authors: Butticè Giovanna , Miller Janice , Wang Lin , Smith Barbara D.
Published: January 2006

Chronic inflammation in atherosclerosis is responsible for plaque instability through alterations in extracellular matrix. Previously, we demonstrated that major histocompatibility class II (MHC II) transactivator (CIITA) in a complex with regulatory factor for X box 5 (RFX5) is a crucial protein mediating interferon (IFN)-γ–induced repression of collagen type I gene transcription in fibroblasts. This article demonstrates that, in smooth muscle cells (SMCs), IFN-γ dramatically increases the expression of CIITA isoforms III and IV, with no increase in expression of CIITA isoform I. Expression of CIITA III and IV correlates with decreased collagen type I and increased MHC II gene expression. Exogenous expression of CIITA I, III, and IV, in transiently transfected SMCs, represses collagen type I promoters (
COL1A1
and
COL1A2
) and activates MHC II promoter. Levels of CIITA and RFX5 increase in the nucleus of cells treated with IFN-γ. Moreover, simvastatin lowers the IFN-γ–induced expression of RFX5 and MHC II in addition to repressing collagen expression. However, simvastatin does not block the IFN-γ–induced expression of CIITA III and IV, suggesting a CIITA-independent mechanism. This first demonstration that RFX5 and CIITA isoforms are expressed in SMCs after IFN-γ stimulation suggest that CIITA could be a key factor in plaque stability in atherosclerosis.
NBCn1 (slc4a7) Mediates the Na
+
-Dependent Bicarbonate Transport Important for Regulation of Intracellular pH in Mouse Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells
Authors: Boedtkjer Ebbe , Praetorius Jeppe , Aalkjaer Christian
Published: January 2006

The contribution of sodium-dependent bicarbonate transport to intracellular pH (pH
i
) regulation in vascular smooth muscle cells is controversial, partly because the molecular identity of the transporter(s) responsible has not been identified. Here, using the pH-sensitive fluorophore 2′,7′-bis-(2-carboxyethyl)-5-(and-6)-carboxyfluorescein (BCECF), we show that smooth muscle cells of intact mouse mesenteric, coronary, and cerebral small arteries all display a sodium- and bicarbonate-dependent pH
i
recovery after an NH
4
+
-prepulse. The sodium-dependent bicarbonate flux was largely 4,4′-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2′-disulphonic acid (DIDS) sensitive (56% to 91%) and of a magnitude similar to the amiloride-sensitive flux. Additionally, steady-state pH
i
was lower (0.2 to 0.4 pH units magnitude) in all 3 vascular beds when CO
2
/bicarbonate was omitted. RT-PCR analyses showed that NBCn1 (slc4a7) is the only Na
+
-dependent bicarbonate transporter of the slc4 family detectable at the mRNA level in all 3 vascular beds investigated. Whole-mount immunolabeling and immunogold electron microscopy confirmed the presence of NBCn1 protein in the sarcolemma of mouse mesenteric small arterial smooth muscle cells. Intact mouse mesenteric small arteries were electropermeated to facilitate transfection with small interfering RNA targeting NBCn1, which resulted in an approximate 43% decrease in the ratio of NBCn1 to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase mRNA. After knock-down, we found a decreased steady-state pH
i
(0.21±0.08 pH units) as well as a 68±10% decrease in the net Na
+
-dependent, amiloride-insensitive base influx after acid load. Finally, omission of CO
2
/bicarbonate resulted in a decreased contractile response to norepinephrine after sustained exposure to the agonist, underlining the importance of CO
2
/bicarbonate for vascular contractility. We conclude that NBCn1 mediates the Na
+
-dependent bicarbonate transport important for pH
i
regulation in smooth muscle cells of mouse mesenteric, coronary, and cerebral small arteries.
Neuronal Chemorepellent Slit2 Inhibits Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Migration by Suppressing Small GTPase Rac1 Activation
Authors: Liu Dong , Hou Jie , Hu Xing , Wang Xuerong , Xiao Yan , Mou Yongshan , De Leon Hector
Published: January 2006

The Slits are secreted proteins with roles in axonal guidance and leukocyte migration. On binding to Robo receptors, Slit2 repels developing axons and inhibits leukocyte chemotaxis. Slit2 is cleaved into Slit2-N, a protein tightly binding to cell membranes, and Slit2-C, a diffusible fragment. In the present study, we characterized the functional role of Slit2-N in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and the cell association properties of 2 truncated versions of Slit2-N. Here, we document for the first time that Slit2-N is a chemorepellent of VSMCs. Intact blood vessels expressed Slit2 and Robo receptors as demonstrated by immunohistochemistry and quantitative real time PCR. Recombinant Slit2-N prevented the platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-stimulated migration of VSMCs. Slit2-N also abrogated PDGF-mediated activation of small guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase) Rac1, a member of the Rho GTPase superfamily of proteins involved in regulating the actin cytoskeleton. Furthermore, Slit2-N inhibited the PDGF-induced formation of lamellipodia, a crucial cytoskeletal reorganization event for cell motility. Slit2-N had no effect on the PDGF-mediated increase in DNA synthesis determined by [
3
H]thymidine uptake, suggesting that VSMC growth is unaffected by Slit2. Analysis of 2 engineered Slit2-N fragments (Slit2-N/1118 and Slit2-N/1121) indicated that 3 amino acids upstream of the putative cleavage site (Arg1121, Thr1122) are involved in the association of Slit2-N to the cell membrane. Our data assign a novel functional role to Slit2 in vascular function and show that cell guidance mechanisms that operate in the developing central nervous system are conserved in VSMCs.
High-Density Lipoprotein Hydrolysis by Endothelial Lipase Activates PPARα
Authors: Ahmed Waleed , Orasanu Gabriela , Nehra Vedika , Asatryan Liana , Rader Daniel J. , Ziouzenkova Ouliana , Plutzky Jorge
Published: January 2006

Although high-density lipoprotein (HDL) is known to inhibit endothelial adhesion molecule expression, the mechanism for this anti-inflammatory effect remains obscure. Surprisingly, we observed that HDL no longer decreased adhesion of U937 monocytoid cells to tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α-stimulated human endothelial cells (EC) in the presence of the general lipase inhibitor tetrahydrolipstatin. In considering endothelial mechanisms responsible for this effect, we found that endothelial lipase (EL) overexpression in both EC and non-EL-expressing NIH/3T3 mouse embryonic fibroblasts cells significantly decreased TNFα-induced VCAM1 expression and promoter activity in a manner dependent on HDL concentration and intact EL activity. Given recent evidence for lipolytic activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs)—nuclear receptors implicated in metabolism, atherosclerosis, and inflammation—we hypothesized HDL hydrolysis by EL is an endogenous endothelial mechanism for PPAR activation. In both EL-transfected NIH cells and bovine EC, HDL significantly increased PPAR ligand binding domain activation in the order PPAR-α≫-γ>-δ. Moreover, HDL stimulation induced expression of the canonical PPARα-target gene acyl-CoA-oxidase (ACO) in a PPARα-dependent manner in ECs. Conditioned media from EL-adenovirus transfected cells but not control media exposed to HDL also activated PPARα. PPARα activation by EL was most potent with HDL as a substrate, with lesser effects on LDL and VLDL. Finally, HDL inhibited leukocyte adhesion to TNFα-stimulated ECs isolated from wild-type but not PPARα-deficient mice. This data establishes HDL hydrolysis by EL as a novel, distinct natural pathway for PPARα activation and identifies a potential mechanism for HDL-mediated repression of VCAM1 expression, with significant implications for both EL and PPARs in inflammation and vascular biology.
Impact of White Matter Hyperintensities Scoring Method on Correlations With Clinical Data
Authors: van Straaten Elisabeth C.W. , Fazekas Franz , Rostrup Egill , Scheltens Philip , Schmidt Reinhold , Pantoni Leonardo , Inzitari Domenico , Waldemar Gunhild , Erkinjuntti Timo , Mäntylä Riita , Wahlund Lars-Olof , Barkhof Frederik
Published: January 2006

Background and Purpose—

White matter hyperintensities (WMH) are associated with decline in cognition, gait, mood, and urinary continence. Associations may depend on the method used for measuring WMH. We investigated the ability of different WMH scoring methods to detect differences in WMH load between groups with and without symptoms.

Methods—

We used data of 618 independently living elderly with WMH collected in the Leukoaraiosis And DISability (LADIS) study. Subjects with and without symptoms of depression, gait disturbances, urinary incontinence, and memory decline were compared with respect to WMH load measured qualitatively using 3 widely used visual rating scales (Fazekas, Scheltens, and Age-Related White Matter Changes scales) and quantitatively with a semiautomated volumetric technique and an automatic lesion count. Statistical significance between groups was assessed with the χ
2
and Mann-Whitney tests. In addition, the punctate and confluent lesion type with comparable WMH volume were compared with respect to the clinical data using Student
t
test and χ
2
test. Direct comparison of visual ratings with volumetry was done using curve fitting.

Results—

Visual and volumetric assessment detected differences in WMH between groups with respect to gait disturbances and age. WMH volume measurement was more sensitive than visual scores with respect to memory symptoms. Number of lesions nor lesion type correlated with any of the clinical data. For all rating scales, a clear but nonlinear relationship was established with WMH volume.

Conclusions—

Visual rating scales display ceiling effects and poor discrimination of absolute lesion volumes. Consequently, they may be less sensitive in differentiating clinical groups.
Hemorrhage in the Interventional Management of Stroke Study
Authors:   The IMS Study Investigators
Published: January 2006

Background and Purpose—

The incidence of hemorrhage after combined intravenous (IV) and intra-arterial (IA) recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) was examined in patients entered into the Interventional Management of Stroke (IMS) trial. We also analyzed factors predicting symptomatic and asymptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH).

Methods—

The IMS study treated patients within 3 hours of stroke onset with 0.6 mg/kg IV rt-PA followed by up to 22 mg IA rt-PA. Any hemorrhage within 36 hours associated with clinical deterioration was considered symptomatic. Logistic regression analysis was applied to possibly relevant variables selected from the baseline data to test for associations between these factors and symptomatic hemorrhage, asymptomatic hemorrhage, and all hemorrhage.

Results—

Symptomatic hemorrhage occurred in 6% and asymptomatic hemorrhage in 43% of patients. The rate of symptomatic hemorrhage was similar to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) trial with IV rt-PA alone. Asymptomatic hemorrhage was more frequent but consistent with the rate observed in more recent IV and IA thrombolytic trials. The small number of symptomatic hemorrhages precluded meaningful analysis of risk factors. Significant factors associated with ICH in univariate analysis were baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (asymptomatic and all ICH), edema or mass effect on initial computed tomography (asymptomatic ICH), atrial fibrillation (all ICH), and location of arterial occlusion (internal carotid artery [ICA] compared with middle cerebral artery [MCA]; asymptomatic and all ICH). In multivariate analysis, ICA versus MCA occlusion remained an independent factor associated with asymptomatic and all hemorrhage, and atrial fibrillation was significantly associated with all hemorrhage.

Conclusions—

Symptomatic and asymptomatic hemorrhage with combined IV and IA rt-PA occurred at rates similar to previous thrombolytic trials. Site of vascular occlusion and atrial fibrillation may be risk factors for hemorrhagic transformation.
Impaired Progression of Cerebral Aneurysms in Interleukin-1β–Deficient Mice
Authors: Moriwaki Takuya , Takagi Yasushi , Sadamasa Nobutake , Aoki Tomohiro , Nozaki Kazuhiko , Hashimoto Nobuo
Published: January 2006

Background and Purpose—

Subarachnoid hemorrhage caused by cerebral aneurysm rupture remains a life-threatening emergency despite advances in treatment. However, the mechanisms underlying aneurysm initiation, progression, and rupture remain unclear. We developed a method to induce experimental cerebral aneurysms in rats, monkeys, and mice. Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) is a key inflammatory mediator, and it is thought to be a promising target for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. In the present study, we examined the role of IL-1β in cerebral aneurysm development.

Methods—

Cerebral aneurysms were experimentally induced in 5-week-old male C57BL/6 mice, IL-1β gene–deficient (IL-1β−/−) mice, and age-matched control B10 mice (wild-type). Their cerebral arteries were dissected and examined histologically and immunohistochemically.

Results—

IL-1β was expressed in vascular media in mice at an early stage of aneurysmal models’ cerebral arteries. No differences were seen in the rate of aneurysm development between IL-1β−/− and wild-type mice, but the percentage of advanced aneurysm change was significantly larger in wild-type animals. Furthermore, in IL-1β−/− mice, increased caspase-1 expression was seen compared with wild-type animals. Additionally, the number of apoptotic cells assessed by single-stranded DNA immunoreactivity and TUNEL was significantly reduced in IL-1β−/− mice compared with wild-type animals.

Conclusions—

IL-1β is important for the progression of cerebral aneurysms in a mouse model. Disruption of the IL-1β gene results in the reduced incidence of mature experimental cerebral aneurysms.
Ten-Year Incidence of Retinal Emboli in an Older Population
Authors: Cugati Sudha , Wang Jie Jin , Rochtchina Elena , Mitchell Paul
Published: January 2006

Background and Purpose—

To assess 10-year incidence of retinal emboli and its predictors in an older population.

Methods—

Survivors of 3654 Blue Mountains Eye Study participants ≥49 years of age were re-examined 5 and 10 years later. Incident emboli were assessed from retinal photographs.

Results—

Cumulative 10-year incidence was 2.9% (95% CI, 2.1% to 3.6%) among 2361 at risk. Age was associated with incident emboli (
P
trend
=0.0001). After multivariate adjustment, hypertension (odds ratio [OR], 1.8; CI, 1.0 to 3.1), hypercholesterolemia (OR, 1.3; CI, 1.0 to 1.6), overweight (OR, 3.3; CI, 1.6 to 6.9), current smoking (OR, 2.5; CI, 1.1 to 5.9), increasing fibrinogen level (OR per mg/dL, 1.1; CI, 1.0 to 1.2), and retinal vascular signs (arteriovenous nicking OR, 2.0; CI, 1.2 to 3.6; arteriolar wall opacification OR, 2.3; CI, 1.1 to 5.0; retinal vein occlusion OR, 3.2; CI, 1.0 to 9.9) were significantly associated with incident emboli.

Conclusions—

The 3% incidence of retinal arteriolar emboli found in this older population is likely to be an underestimate attributable to the transient nature of emboli and differential loss to follow-up. Most cardiovascular risk factors predict retinal embolism.
Healing and the "Son of David": Matthew's Warrant
Authors: Baxter Wayne
Published: January 2006

This article examines Matthew's warrant for linking the christological title "Son of David" with Jesus' healing activity, arguing that the Evangelist based this connection on the Davidic Shepherd of Ezekiel 34. The study will seek to demonstrate this premise by sketching a composite of the Matthean "Son of David" and comparing this composite to Ezekiel's Davidic Shepherd, bringing to light the contextual, verbal and thematic links between Matthew's Son of David motif and Ezekiel 34, and by pointing out the inadequacies of other competing theories.
Future Changes in Biogenic Isoprene Emissions: How Might They Affect Regional and Global Atmospheric Chemistry?
Authors: Wiedinmyer Christine , Tie Xuexi , Guenther Alex , Neilson Ron , Granier Claire
Published: January 2006

Isoprene is emitted from vegetation to the atmosphere in significant quantities, and it plays an important role in the reactions that control tropospheric oxidant concentrations. As future climatic and land-cover changes occur, the spatial and temporal variations, as well as the magnitude of these biogenic isoprene emissions, are expected to change. This paper presents a study of the change in biogenic isoprene emissions that would result from both anthropogenic land-cover and climate-driven changes. Annual global isoprene emissions were estimated to be 522 Tg yr−1 under current climatological and land-cover conditions. When climate-driven land-cover changes are predicted, but climate does not change, total global emissions did not change significantly, although regional impacts were important. However, the use of future temperature and land-cover drivers to estimate isoprene emissions produced a global estimate of 889 Tg yr−1. Anthropogenic land-cover changes, such as urbanization and changes of natural vegetation to plantation forests, can also have substantial impacts on isoprene emissions (i.e., up to 717 Tg yr−1, a 37% increase, when land-cover changes but temperature remains at current-day values). The Model for Ozone and Related Tracers, version 2 (MOZART-2) was run with the different isoprene emission scenarios to simulate the potential changes in global atmospheric chemical composition. The simulated regional surface ozone concentrations changed as much as −9 to 55 ppbv under certain emission and climate scenarios. These results were used to evaluate changes in the ozone production chemistry under different emission scenarios. As expected, the impacts of changing isoprene emissions are regionally dependent, with large changes in China, the Amazon, and the United States.
Party Competition and European Integration in the East and West
Authors: Marks Gary , Hooghe Liesbet , Nelson Moira , Edwards Erica
Published: January 2006

How does the ideological profile of a political party affect its support or opposition to European integration? The authors investigate this question with a new expert data set on party positioning on European integration covering 171 political parties in 23 countries. The authors’ findings are (a) that basic structures of party competition in the East and West are fundamentally and explicably different and (b) that although the positions that parties in the East and West take on European integration are substantively different, they share a single underlying causality.
Arumuga Navalar, Saivite sermons, and the delimitation of religion, c. 1850
Authors: Bate Bernard
Published: January 2006

This article considers the production of the Tamil sermon in Christian and Saivite practices in mid-nineteenth-century Ceylon, and the fateful entailments of oratory to far larger realms of practice. I will discuss a series of Saivite sermons delivered by Arumuga Navalar (1821–79) in the late 1840s and early 1850s in terms of their antecedents in Christian sermons. I will also consider the role of communicative practices in the production of what we understand today as ‘religion’. The discussion will begin with an orientation to the role of communicative genres within religion. I will then move to an account of Arumuga Navalar and his times, provide some rather detailed descriptions of the events in question, and close with the sig-nificance of shifts in speech genres to transformations of larger-scale socio-cultural and political-economic organization.
Can the subaltern sing? Music, language, and the politics of voice in early twentieth-century south India
Authors: Weidman Amanda
Published: January 2006

Beginning in the late nineteenth century, ‘music’ and ‘literature’ began to emerge as two separate fields in south India, allowing a new kind of relationship between music and lan-guage to be imagined: one of analogy, rather than direct connection, contiguity, or co-mingling. This culminated in the twentieth-century canonisation of Tamil literature and Karnatic classical music as categories mutually opposed in their orientation to the ‘mother tongue’. Such shifts enabled the emergence, in the 1930s and 1940s, of new discourses on music and language in the context of the Tamil Icai [music] movement.
Where are the Men? Gender Segregation in the Childcare and Early Years Sector
Authors: Rolfe Heather
Published: January 2006

Men are a small minority of childcare workers, and this has contributed to skills shortages which have affected the sector's ability to meet rising demand. The paper looks at current initiatives aimed at recruiting men, particularly through the Government's National Recruitment Campaign, and the benefits which might be gained from their inclusion in the workforce. It explores the barriers to men's employment in the sector, including men's own perceptions of gender roles and attitudes towards ‘women's work’. The paper identifies a range of measures which might lead to greater effectiveness in both recruiting and retaining men to the sector.
Childcare and Mothers’ Employment: Approaching the Millennium
Authors: Hansen Kirstine , Joshi Heather , Verropoulou Georgia
Published: January 2006

Childcare provision in the UK has evolved alongside the expansion of mothers' employment, transforming the experiences of successive generations. This paper reviews some mixed evidence on child outcomes of maternal employment and offers a detailed examination of the working mothers' use of childcare. In particular, it looks at the differential use of formal and informal childcare provision using the first survey of the Millennium Cohort Study, which is compared, as far as possible, with evidence from the earlier birth cohort studies in 1970 and 1958. The affordability and trustworthiness of formal childcare remains a constraint on its use and indirectly on labour supply for some mothers.
Traditional and Rights-Informed Talk about Violence
Authors: Solomon Brenda
Published: January 2006

By examining discursive practices of educators in two New England high schools, the author shows how educators’ claims of student violence were formed in relation to two discursive fields found in professional academic texts on the subject: a traditional and a rights-informed discourse. These discourses were distinct from one another in terms of how they constituted violent acts and accounted for violent subjects or perpetrators and victims. The analysis shows that educators described student acts to obey one or the other discourse’s extra locally derived meaning but also, at times, incorporated one discourse’s beliefs and ideas into the other or slipped from one to the other’s language and related meanings as they spoke. These findings call attention to the complex ways power relations mediate claims and are embedded and critical to the simultaneous production of students and their actions at school.
The Triumph of Numbers
Authors: Hummel Ralph P.
Published: January 2006

We live in a world of numbers, but numbers have become so dominant that we consider nothing to be real unless it can be measured and mathematized. How did we come to live by the numbers? An answer is offered by Edmund Husserl. By constructing a history of mathematics rooted in the geometry of land surveying, it is possible to point to breaking points showing how it came to be that man is no longer the measure of all things. This provides indicators of typical misuses of measurement to be avoided in management.
The Democratic Prospects of Network Governance
Authors: Bogason Peter , Musso Juliet A.
Published: January 2006

This article considers the democratic implications of the shift toward policy making and implementation through networks, integrating articles presented at a 2003 conference on democratic network governance. The authors argue that the effect of increased cross-sectoral and civil society involvement in governing has been to stretch liberal democratic processes to comprise greater numbers of actors involved in lateral network relationships. Although network governance has the potential to promote deliberation and to improve flexibility and responsiveness in service provision, it also raises serious issues regarding equity, accountability, and democratic legitimacy. There is a need to improve political coherence through, for example, steering or metagovernance of governance activities. Important questions for future research involve the character of actors who will take responsibility for metagovernance (e.g., politicians or public administrators) and the approaches they will use to steer governance processes.
Participatory Governance as Deliberative Empowerment
Authors: Fischer Frank
Published: January 2006

This article argues that there is a need to enrich the theory of citizen participation and the design of deliberation practices through greater attention to the cultural politics of deliberative space. The article focuses on the ways the social valorization of political space influences basic discursive processes such as who speaks, how knowledge is constituted, what can be said, and who decides. From this perspective, decentralized design principles are necessary but insufficient requirements for deliberative empowerment. The point is illustrated through an analysis of the Science for the People movement in Kerala, India, a prominent example of deliberative empowerment. The discussion shows how the movement employed cultural and pedagogical strategies to facilitate an empowered participation of local citizens in the deliberative planning process. These experiences demonstrate the importance of a deeper understanding of cultural meaning and political identity in the theory of democratic deliberation and the practice of participatory governance.
Metagovernance
Authors: Sørensen Eva
Published: January 2006

Current changes in governing tasks that face the political systems in liberal democracies require governance to be performed in new ways. Governance can no longer take the form of sovereign rule but must be performed through various forms of metagovernance, regulation of self-regulation. The consequence is a transformation of the role that politicians play in the governance of society that endangers representative democracy aswe knowit but does not necessarily endanger representative democracy as such. A case study of the specific, narrow way in which the newmetagoverning politician role is interpreted and institutionalized in four Danish municipalities suggests that network governance marginalizes politicians and consequently weakens representative democracy. If this weakening of democracy is to be avoided, politicians must strengthen their roles in metagovernance by broadening their leadership repertoire to include framing through institutional design, storytelling, supporting and facilitating, and participating.
The Difficulty of Protecting Merit in a Plural Society
Authors: Bissessar Ann Marie
Published: January 2006

This article examines problems encountered in introducing and sustaining the merit principle in the public sector of an ex-colonial country. It offers a historical overview of the Public Service Commission, which was introduced as early as 1950 to protect public employees from undue political interference. The article contends that a number of problems have persisted, particularly in areas of recruitment, selection, promotions, and transfers. The article also suggests that the merit principle has been compromised further with the general loosening of vital controls that accompanied the introduction of new public management during the 1990s. It appears that the merit principle may experience a further decline with the advent of new public management.
Pathways In and Out of Substance Use Among Homeless-Emerging Adults
Authors: Tyler Kimberly A. , Johnson Katherine A.
Published: January 2006

Although high rates of alcohol and drug use have been found among homeless young people, less is known about who is responsible for their initiation, the reasons for their continued use, and why some individuals eventually transition out of using whereas others do not. Based on qualitative interviews with 40 homeless individuals 19 to 21 years of age in the Midwest, results revealed that the majority of respondents were initiated into substance use by friends and acquaintances, although family also played a significant role. Almost one half of respondents reported using substances to cope with early family abuse, stress, and life on the streets. Additionally, the majority indicated that they had no intentions of quitting. Substance misuse that is left untreated may lead to chemical dependency among homeless emerging adults and may contribute to long-term homelessness.
Ecological Correlates of Neglect in Infants and Toddlers
Authors: Connell-Carrick Kelli , Scannapieco Maria
Published: January 2006

Infants and toddlers are more likely to be victims of neglect than any other form of maltreatment. Infants and toddlers are at highest risk of fatality because of maltreatment and experience behavioral, social, academic, medical, and cognitive consequences of neglect during their most formative years. Within an ecological framework, this study examines the correlates of the substantiation of neglect in children 0 to 36 months of age. Using an ex post facto design and a random sample of 148 child protective services cases, bivariate analysis revealed significant differences in families who were substantiated for neglect in the areas of child characteristics, home environment, social environment, caregiver, and maltreatment situations. Multivariate analysis found children who were substantiated for neglect were exposed to greater environmental dangers and had caregivers who had poor parenting skills. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.
Islamophobia Pre– and Post–September 11th, 2001
Authors: Sheridan Lorraine P.
Published: January 2006

Although much academic research has addressed racism, religious discrimination has been largely ignored. The current study investigates levels of selfreported racial and religious discrimination in a sample of 222 British Muslims. Respondents indicate that following September 11th, 2001, levels of implicit or indirect discrimination rose by 82.6% and experiences of overt discrimination by 76.3%. Thus, the current work demonstrates that major world events may affect not only stereotypes of minority groups but also prejudice toward minorities. Results suggest that religious affiliation may be a more meaningful predictor of prejudice than race or ethnicity. General Health Questionnaire scores indicate that 35.6% of participants likely suffered mental health problems, with significant associations between problem-indicative scores and reports of experiencing a specific abusive incident of September 11th–related abuse by respondents. The dearth of empirical work pertaining to religious discrimination and its effects is a cause for concern.
Will Words Ever Harm Me?
Authors: Geiger Brenda , Fischer Michael
Published: January 2006

Based on in-depth qualitative interviews, this article gives the opportunity to 145 sixth graders to tell, in their own words, how they felt and reacted when verbally and emotionally abused by their classmates. Content analysis of interviews revealed gender differences in students’ reactions to verbal aggression. Another interesting finding was the differentiation between verbally aggressive messages meant to be for fun from those that were not so meant based on (1) contextual cues, (2) other peers’ reaction, and (3) the malleability of the personal features that were the topic of the attack. Observing friendly peers were found to play an important role in reducing tension and preventing the escalation of violence. However, when the verbally aggressive message targeted a permanent physical characteristic or the student's social or ethnic identity, then suffering, anger and humiliation legitimized the escalation from verbal to physical aggression for students of both genders.
Increasing Honest Responding on Cognitive Distortions in Child Molesters
Authors: Gannon Theresa A.
Published: January 2006

Professionals conclude that child molesters (CMs) hold offense-supportive beliefs (or cognitive distortions) from CMs'questionnaire responses. Because questionnaires are easily faked, we asked 32 CMs to complete a cognitive distortion scale under standard conditions (Time 1). A week later (Time 2), the same CMs completed the scale again. This time, approximately one half of CMs were attached to a pseudo lie detector (a bogus pipeline), and the rest completed the scale again under standard conditions (controls). At Time 1, CMs showed low cognitive distortion scores, seeming to indicate that they were faking good. At Time 2, bogus pipeline CMs seemed to believe that the apparatus could detect lies. However, this did not encourage more distorted belief disclosure compared with (a) their own previous scores and (b) controls. Furthermore, the bogus pipeline appeared to reduce cognitive distortion endorsements. The results stand in marked contrast to the common view that most CMs hold distorted beliefs.
Psychopathology in Women Arrested for Domestic Violence
Authors: Stuart Gregory L. , Moore Todd M. , Gordon Kristina Coop , Ramsey Susan E. , Kahler Christopher W.
Published: January 2006

This study examined the prevalence of psychopathology among women arrested for violence and whether the experience of intimate partner violence (IPV) was associated with Axis I psychopathology. Women who were arrested for domestic violence perpetration and court referred to violence intervention programs ( N= 103) completed measures of IPV victimization, perpetration, and psychopathology. Results revealed high rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, substance use disorders, borderline personality disorder, and antisocial personality disorder. Violence victimization was significantly associated with symptoms of psychopathology. Logistic regression analyses showed that sexual and psychological abuse by partners were associated with the presence of PTSD, depression, and GADdiagnoses. Results highlight the potential importance of the role of violence victimization in psychopathology. Results suggest that Axis I and Axis II psychopathology should routinely be assessed as part of violence intervention programs for women and that intervention programs could be improved by offering adjunct or integrated mental health treatment.
Effect of Psychopathy on Physical Aggression Toward Gay and Heterosexual Men
Authors: Parrott Dominic J. , Zeichner Amos
Published: January 2006

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the effect of psychopathy on antigay aggression. Participants were 84 heterosexual men who competed in an aggression paradigm in which electric shocks were received from and administered to a randomly determined fictitious opponent (heterosexual male, gay male) during a competitive reaction time task. Aggression was operationalized as shock intensities administered to the opponent. Prior to the task, all participants completed measures of psychopathy, sexual prejudice, and state anger; viewed a male-male erotic video; and reported state anger a second time. After controlling for sexual prejudice, analyses revealed that psychopathy significantly predicted aggression toward the gay, but not the heterosexual, male confederate. Psychopathy was not associated with increases in anger in response to the erotic video. These findings indicate that psychopathy is a significant marker for antigay violence, though anger experienced in response to homosexuality does not seem to underlie this association.
Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness
Authors: Baer Ruth A. , Smith Gregory T. , Hopkins Jaclyn , Krietemeyer Jennifer , Toney Leslie
Published: January 2006

The authors examine the facet structure of mindfulness using five recently developed mindfulness questionnaires. Two large samples of undergraduate students completed mindfulness questionnaires and measures of other constructs. Psychometric properties of the mindfulness questionnaires were examined, including internal consistency and convergent and discriminant relationships with other variables. Factor analyses of the combined pool of items from the mindfulness questionnaires suggested that collectively they contain five clear, interpretable facets of mindfulness. Hierarchical confirmatory factor analyses suggested that at least four of the identified factors are components of an overall mindfulness construct and that the factor structure of mindfulness may vary with meditation experience. Mindfulness facets were shown to be differentially correlated in expected ways with several other constructs and to have incremental validity in the prediction of psychological symptoms. Findings suggest that conceptualizing mindfulness as a multifaceted construct is helpful in understanding its components and its relationships with other variables.
Internal Consistency Reliability of the Self-Report Antisocial Process Screening Device
Authors: Poythress Norman G. , Douglas Kevin S. , Falkenbach Diana , Cruise Keith , Lee Zina , Murrie Daniel C. , Vitacco Michael
Published: January 2006

The self-report version of the Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD) has become a popular measure for assessing psychopathic features in justice-involved adolescents. However, the internal consistency reliability of its component scales (Narcissism, Callous-Unemotional, and Impulsivity) has been questioned in several studies. This study evaluates the internal consistency reliability of the self-report APSD by examining various indices (e.g., Cronbach's alpha, mean interitem correlation) across 11 studies. Whereas the Narcissism and Impulsivity scales display moderate to good reliability, internal consistency indices for the Callous-Unemotional scale are consistently poor across studies. Suggestions are made for revisions to this scale that would substantially improve its internal consistency reliability.
Psychometric Properties of the Dominic Interactive Assessment
Authors: Scott Teresa J. Linares , Short Elizabeth J. , Singer Lynn T. , Russ Sandra W. , Minnes Sonia
Published: January 2006

The reliability and validity of the Dominic Interactive (DI) assessment were evaluated. The DI is a computerized self-report measure for children, which assesses symptom presence for seven DSM-IV diagnoses. The participants were 322 children (169 cocaine exposed, 153 noncocaine exposed) who were recruited at birth for a prospective longitudinal study. At 6 years of age, measures of self-report, parent report, and observational data were collected. Moderate to excellent internal consistencies on the DI were found for the total sample as well as for subsamples based on cocaine status and gender. Concurrent validity correlations between DI scales and the Child Behavior Checklist, Affect in Play Scale, a modified Conners's Teachers Rating Scale, and the Parenting Stress Index were examined. Significant relationships among scales were more apt to be among comparisons that assessed externalizing behaviors. Overall, low correlations were obtained, which are comparable to other studies that evaluate agreement between child and parent report of behaviors.
Positionality in Teaching Culturally Diverse Students: Implications for Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher Education Programs
Authors: Rehm Marsha L. , Allison Barbara
Published: January 2006

This survey research study was designed to identify FCS teachers' beliefs about their experiences with cultural diversity, with particular interest in identifying implications for FCS teacher education programs. The sample consisted of 83 FCS teachers who together taught students from 37 cultural backgrounds including many with limited English proficiency. Respondents' ratings of selected experiences and beliefs regarding cultural diversity were analyzed using descriptive statistics. More than 70% of teachers adapted teaching strategies, time/instructions for assignments, student grouping patterns, and communication. Fewer than 20% adapted teaching goals, texts, or classroom rules. Teaching strategies used most frequently and perceived as most effective were visual aids, cooperative learning, and alternative assessments. It is recommended that teacher education programs provide an encompassing study of cultures, a repertoire of appropriate teaching adaptations, reflective and critical thinking, and multiple experiences with culturally diverse people.
An Exploratory Study of Lifestyle Entrepreneurship and Its Relationship to Life Quality
Authors: Marcketti Sara B. , Niehm Linda S. , Fuloria Ruchita
Published: January 2006

This exploratory study examined the relationship between lifestyle entrepreneurship and life quality. The researchers defined lifestyle entrepreneurs as individuals who owned and operated businesses closely aligned with their personal values, interests, and passions. Researchers used a systems theory perspective to examine the role and impact of lifestyle entrepreneurship on life quality for individual business owners, their families, and communities. Through 12 descriptive case studies, researchers examined characteristics of lifestyle entrepreneurs, their businesses, and their perceived life quality. Many of the entrepreneurs owned and operated businesses related to family and consumer sciences, including apparel retail, interiors, food service, and hospitality firms. Two common themes emerged from the data: enhancement of business owners' quality of life as a result of the entrepreneurial venture and a perception of the entrepreneurial venture providing enhanced quality of life to employees, customers, and the community.
Building Blocks for a Methodology for Comparative Urban Political Research
Authors: Denters Bas , Mossberger Karen
Published: January 2006

Comparative urban political research offers scholars the opportunity to develop theory and to compare practice, yet there is a need for more conscious attention to the comparative method and the special opportunities and challenges involved in its application to local political phenomena. This article examines and makes recommendations on issues that are particularly relevant to cross-national research in urban politics and policy, including dealing with multiple levels of analysis, improving research design, and improving conceptualization.
Creating the Public Domain
Authors: Digaetano Alan
Published: January 2006

To understand the origins of modern local governing institutions in Britain and the United States, this article examines how the forces of nineteenth-century urbanization, industrial and commercial development, nation-state consolidation, and democratization converged to form a historical context ripe for creating a public domain through a process of local state formation. The comparative-historical study also takes into account the role of political mobilization in the creation of the public domain by demonstrating that the formation of modern local state entailed highly contested political processes that produced uneven local state development between and within the two nations.
Bringing the State (Government) Back In
Authors: Sonenshein Raphael J. , Hogen-Esch Tom
Published: January 2006

Theories of urban power have explored limitations on municipal governance by power elites, by global economic forces, and by economic competition. Less attention has been given to the impact of state government. This article explores the state role in recent secession conflicts in Los Angeles (San Fernando Valley) and New York City (Staten Island). Secession proponents expanded the scope of conflict to their state governments. Although both cities eventually survived secession battles, both were forced to accede to significant reforms. Though state interference with home rule is always a possibility because of the formidable role of the state in local government, it is not inevitable. The capacity of local political actors to form alliances at the state level and political incentives for state actors to get involved are crucial. Older debates about state limitations on urban home rule have much to offer in discussions of the twenty-first-century city.
Katrina and Power in America
Authors: Dreier Peter
Published: January 2006

The Katrina disaster exposed the major fault lines of American society and politics: class and race. It offers lessons for urban scholars and practitioners. Katrina was a human-made disaster more than a natural disaster. The conditions that led to the disaster, and the response by government officials, were the result of policy choices. Government incompetence was an outgrowth of a more serious indifference to the plight of cities and the poor. As a result, the opportunity to reconstruct New Orleans as part of a bold regional renewal plan was lost. Whatever positive things happen in Katrina’s aftermath will be due, in large measure, to the long-term work of grassroots community and union-organizing groups who mobilized quickly to provide a voice for the have-nots and who found allies among professionals to help formulate alternative plans to those developed by business and political elites.
The Failure of the Nonregime
Authors: Burns Peter , Thomas Matthew O.
Published: January 2006

Hurricane Katrina’s effect on New Orleans raised serious questions about governmental preparedness and response. New Orleans operates without a stable and long-lasting partnership among resource providers, and the absence of a regime greatly affected how it readied for and reacted to Hurricane Katrina. We employ regime analysis to identify how three key differences between regimes and nonregimes impeded New Orleans’s ability to respond to this event. New Orleans lacks an understood agenda; it depends on issue-based coalitions rather than more permanent governing arrangements; and it ineffectively targets resources in the absence of a scheme of cooperation. These characteristics place New Orleans and other nonregime cities in a much more precarious position than urban areas with regimes, and this crisis exacerbated the negative effects of this nonregime environment.
Legislative Parties and Leadership Choice
Authors: Harris Douglas B.
Published: January 2006

Treating the selection of party leaders as strategic choices legislators make to advance party goals, this article examines conflict and consensus in leadership selection. Analysis of unique archival data from Newt Gingrich's 87 to 85 vote victory over Ed Madigan in the 1989 Whip race reveals that ideology, terms in office, and a prior commitment to majority building significantly determined individual legislators' support for Gingrich's confrontational style to build a Republican majority over Madigan's style of accommodating Democrats to win legislative concessions. Aconcluding discussion considers the applicability of these findings for developing theories of member choice in leadership elections.
Ideology, Electoral Incentives, and Congressional Politics
Authors: Crespin Michael H. , Gold Suzanne M. , Rohde David W.
Published: January 2006

Following the work of Downs and Mayhew, some theories of legislative politics assume that candidates are motivated only by electoral interests and their behavior is driven by the median voter in their district. Other theories, however, posit that legislator behavior is driven by additional factors such as member's policy interests or those of the primary constituency. It is our theoretical expectation that Downs was not incorrect but rather incomplete. In this article, we classify the Republican freshman representatives elected in 1994 according to these different motives and conclude that different motives are related to systematic differences in behavior. We observe pressure from the district median, and the representatives' primary electorate and personal ideological commitments exert a significant and independent effect on the positions taken by representatives. Our results indicate that members are influenced by factors outside of their district median.