bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Molecular Characterization ofStreptococcus PyogenesIsolates to investigate an outbreak of Puerperal Sepsis
Authors: Raymond Josette , Schlegel Laurent , Garnier Fabien , Bouvet Anne
Published: April 2006

Objective:

To describe microbiological characteristics and epidemiologic features of an outbreak of postpartum endometritis.

Methods:

Various markers were investigated in five patients and three throat carriage isolates ofStreptococcus pyogenesobtained during an outbreak of endometritis occurring in a 13-week period. Molecular characterization included biotyping, T-serotyping,emmgene sequence and restriction, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis.

Results:

Biotype, T-serotype, and genotypic data (emmanalysis, PFGE, and RAPD analysis) revealed a close relationship among the isolates from three patients, suggesting that cross-contamination had occurred. These isolates were biotype 1, T type 28, andemmtype 28. The isolates from one patient and one carrier differed from those of the index patient by minor variations of theemmamplicon restriction pattern, PFGE pattern, or RAPD pattern. The remaining isolates were phenotypically and genetically different.

Conclusion:

Identification of different isolates demonstrated that different strains may circulate simultaneously during a true outbreak and that the predominant strain might persist for several months.
Evaluation of Hospital and Patient Factors that Influence the effective Administration of Surgical Antimicrobial Prophylaxis
Authors: Turnbull Bruce R. R. , Zoutman Dick E. , Lam Mui
Published: April 2006

Objective:

To analyze and model the patient and healthcare system factors that may interfere with the appropriate administration of surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis.

Design:

Between 1994 and 1998, surgical-site surveillance data were collected prospectively for a cohort of eligible surgical patients. For all cases, and each individual procedure (cardiothoracic, colonic, gynecologic, orthopedic, or vascular), forward stepwise multiple logistic regression was applied to relate key hospital and patient factors to an effective first prophylactic dose (ie, appropriate administration time, dose, route, and drug).

Setting:

A 450-bed, tertiary-care teaching hospital in Canada.

Patients:

A total of 4,835 patients admitted for surgical procedures who required antimicrobial prophylaxis.

Results:

Factors positive for an effective first prophylactic dose for all cases were when an order was written (OR, 19.7; CI95, 9.1–42.7; P < .001) and given in the operating room (OR, 13.9; Cl95, 7.5–25.6; P < .001). Factors negative for an effective first prophylactic dose were beta-lactam allergy (OR, 0.49; CI95, 0.4–0.61; P < .001) and same-day surgery (OR, 0.57; CI95, 0.4–0.82; P < .001).

Conclusions:

With few exceptions, the four factors included in the procedure models showed that when a preoperative order was written or the antibiotic was given in the operating room, a patient was more likely to receive an effective first prophylactic dose. Conversely, when a patient had a beta-lactam allergy or the surgery was performed on the day the patient was admitted, the administration of an effective first prophylactic dose was less likely.
An Outbreak ofPichia anomalaFungemia in a Brazilian Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Pasqualotto Alessandro Comarú , Sukiennik Teresa Cristina Teixeira , Severo Luiz Carlos , Amorim Cledja Soares de , Colombo Arnaldo Lopes
Published: April 2006

Objective:

To report an outbreak ofPichia anomalafungemia that occurred in a Brazilian pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) from October 2002 to January 2004.

Design:

Unmatched case-control study.

Methods:

We randomly selected four control-patients for each case-patient from a list of all patients admitted to the ICU for at least 48 hours during the outbreak. A second control group was composed of all consecutive patients with nosocomial candidemia in the ICU during the outbreak. An environmental study was performed, and genetic relatedness among the clinical isolates was characterized by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA assay.

Results:

During the study period, 1,046 children were admitted to the pediatric ICU, 17 of whom developedP. anomalafungemia (attack rate, 1.6%). The median age was 1.1 years, and the main underlying conditions were congenital malformations (35.3%) and neoplastic diseases (11.8%). The overall mortality rate was 41.2%. Two patients received no antifungal treatment; all of the others were treated with amphotericin B. On multivariate analysis, only the presence of a central venous catheter was significantly associated withP. anomalafungemia. The yeast was not found on healthcare workers' hands or in the environment. Molecular studies showed that the outbreak was caused by a single strain. The distribution of risk factors was similar between patients withP. anomalafungemia and control-patients with candidemia.

Conclusions:

This study highlights the importance ofP. anomalaas an emerging nosocomial fungal pathogen. Patients withP. anomalafungemia seem to have risk factors in common with those who have candidemia.
Dragon Promoter Mapper (DPM): a Bayesian framework for modelling promoter structures
Authors: Chowdhary Rajesh , Tan Sin Lam , Ali R. Ayesha , Boerlage Brent , Wong Limsoon , Bajic Vladimir B
Published: April 2006

Summary: Dragon Promoter Mapper (DPM) is a tool to model promoter structure of co-regulated genes using methodology of Bayesian networks. DPM exploits an exhaustive set of motif features (such as motif, its strand, the order of motif occurrence and mutual distance between the adjacent motifs) and generates models from the target promoter sequences, which may be used to (1) detect regions in a genomic sequence which are similar to the target promoters or (2) to classify other promoters as similar or not to the target promoter group. DPM can also be used for modelling of enhancers and silencers.

Availability:

Contact: vlad@sanbi.ac.za

Supplementary information: Manual for using DPM web server is provided at
Video-induced yawning in stumptail macaques (Macaca arctoides)
Authors: Paukner Annika , Anderson James R
Published: April 2006

This study reports the first experimental exploration of possible contagious yawning in monkeys. Twenty-two stumptail macaques (Macaca arctoides) were presented with video clips of either yawns or control mouth movements by conspecifics. At a group level, monkeys yawned significantly more often during and just after the yawn tape than the control tape. Supplementary analysis revealed that the yawn tape also elicited significantly more self-directed scratching responses than the control tape, which suggests that yawning might have been caused by tension arising from viewing the yawn tape. Understanding to what extent the observed effect resembles contagious yawning as found in humans and chimpanzees requires more detailed experimentation.
Passive internal dispersal of insect larvae by migratory birds
Authors: Green Andy J , Sánchez Marta I
Published: April 2006

It has long been assumed that the resistant eggs of many zooplankton are able to survive passage through the gut of migratory waterbirds, thus facilitating their dispersal between isolated aquatic habitats. We present the first evidence that such passive internal transport within birds may be relevant for insect populations. In three out of six faecal samples from black-tailed Godwits on autumn migration in southwest Spain, we found larvae of the chironomid
Chironomus salinarius
which had survived gut passage. Although adult chironomids can fly, they are likely to disperse greater distances when transported as larvae via birds. In insects with discrete generations, such passive transport also enables colonization of new habitats at times when flight by adults is not an option.
Changes in the histaminergic system during vestibular compensation in the cat
Authors: Tighilet Brahim , Trottier Suzanne , Mourre Christiane , Lacour Michel
Published: April 2006

To determine how the histaminergic system is implicated in vestibular compensation, we studied the changes in histidine decarboxylase (HDC; the enzyme synthesizing histamine) mRNA regulation in the tuberomammillary (TM) nuclei of cats killed 1 week, 3 weeks and 3 months after unilateral vestibular neurectomy (UVN). We also used one‐ and two‐step bilateral vestibular neurectomized (BVN) cats to determine whether HDC mRNA regulation depended on the asymmetrical vestibular input received by the TM nuclei neurons. In addition, we analysed the HDC mRNA changes in the TM nuclei and the recovery of behavioural functions in UVN cats treated with thioperamide, a pure histaminergic drug. Finally, we quantified binding to histamine H3 receptors (H3Rs) in the medial vestibular nucleus (VN) by means of a histamine H3R agonist ([3H]N‐α‐methylhistamine) in order to further investigate the sites and mechanisms of action of histamine in this structure. This study shows that UVN increases HDC mRNA expression in the ipsilateral TM nucleus at 1 week. This increased expression persisted 3 weeks after UVN, and regained control values at 3 months. HDC mRNA expression was unchanged in the one‐step BVN cats but showed mirror asymmetrical increases in the two‐step BVN compared to the 1 week UVN cats. Three weeks' thioperamide treatment induced a bilateral HDC mRNA up‐regulation in the UVN cats, which was higher than in the untreated UVN group. Binding to histamine H3Rs in the MVN showed a strong bilateral decrease after thioperamide treatment, while it was reduced ipsilaterally in the UVN cats. That such changes of the histaminergic system induced by vestibular lesion and treatment may play a functional role in vestibular compensation is strongly supported by the behavioural data. Indeed, spontaneous nystagmus, posture and locomotor balance were rapidly recovered in the UVN cats treated with thioperamide. These results demonstrate that changes in histamine levels are related to vestibular compensation.
Integrative spike dynamics of rat CA1 neurons: a multineuronal imaging study
Authors: Sasaki Takuya , Kimura Rie , Tsukamoto Masako , Matsuki Norio , Ikegaya Yuji
Published: April 2006

The brain operates through a coordinated interplay of numerous neurons, yet little is known about the collective behaviour of individual neurons embedded in a huge network. We used large‐scale optical recordings to address synaptic integration in hundreds of neurons. In hippocampal slice cultures bolus‐loaded with Ca2+ fluorophores, we stimulated the Schaffer collaterals and monitored the aggregate presynaptic activity from the stratum radiatum and individual postsynaptic spikes from the CA1 stratum pyramidale. Single neurons responded to varying synaptic inputs with unreliable spikes, but at the population level, the networks stably output a linear sum of synaptic inputs. Nonetheless, the network activity, even though given constant stimuli, varied from trial to trial. This variation emerged through time‐varying recruitment of different neuron subsets, which were shaped by correlated background noise. We also mapped the input‐frequency preference in spiking activity and found that the majority of CA1 neurons fired in response to a limited range of presynaptic firing rates (20–40 Hz), acting like a band‐pass filter, although a few neurons had high pass‐like or low pass‐like characteristics. This frequency selectivity depended on phasic inhibitory transmission. Thus, our imaging approach enables the linking of single‐cell behaviours to their communal dynamics, and we discovered that, even in a relatively simple CA1 circuit, neurons could be engaged in concordant information processing.
Transient behavior of the driven RLC circuit
Authors: Faleski Michael C.
Published: April 2006

In introductory physics the series RLC circuit usually is discussed in the context of the discharging underdamped circuit or the ac-driven circuit. The connection to a dc battery by a switch typically is neglected. A detailed investigation of the transient behavior of the dc-driven underdamped RLC circuit reveals a response with many interesting features, including a potential difference across the inductor that can have the same polarity as that of the battery and a potential difference across the capacitor that can exceed the magnitude of the potential difference from the battery. The circuit provides a wide range of laboratory problems, demonstrations, and theoretical and computational activities. A mechanical analogy using a mass-spring system to demonstrate the qualitative response of the capacitor’s potential difference is described.
New features of the Franck-Hertz experiment
Authors: Rapior Gerald , Sengstock Klaus , Baev Valery
Published: April 2006

The fundamental properties of the signal structure in Franck-Hertz experiments are analyzed. The central result is that the spacings between the minima in Franck-Hertz curves are not equidistant but increase linearly with the number of minima. This increase is especially pronounced at low atomic pressure. We suggest that the increase of the spacings is caused by the additional acceleration of electrons over their mean free path after the excitation energy is reached. Our model accurately estimates the lowest excitation energies of mercury (4.67eV) and neon (16.6eV) atoms and the mean free path of electrons in standard Franck-Hertz experiments. These results contradict the usual assumption that the spacings between successive minima or maxima are equal. We demonstrate that a standard Franck-Hertz apparatus can be upgraded to do more advanced experiments.
Nanotechnology and Society: A discussion-based undergraduate course
Authors: Tahan Charles , Leung Ricky , Zenner G. M. , Ellison K. D. , Crone W. C. , Miller Clark A.
Published: April 2006

Nanotechnology has emerged as a broad, exciting, yet ill-defined field of scientific research and technological innovation. There are important questions about the technology’s potential economic, social, and environmental implications. We discuss an undergraduate course on nanoscience and nanotechnology for students from a wide range of disciplines, including the natural and social sciences, the humanities, and engineering. The course explores these questions and the broader place of technology in contemporary societies. The course is built around active learning methods and seeks to develop the students’ critical thinking skills, written and verbal communication abilities, and general knowledge of nanoscience and nanoengineering concepts. Continuous assessment was used to gain information about the effectiveness of class discussions and enhancement of student understanding of the interaction between nanotechnology and society.
Effect of luminal acidity on the apical cation channel in rabbit esophageal epithelium
Authors: Tobey N. A. , Argote C. M. , Awayda M. S. , Vanegas X. C. , Orlando R. C.
Published: April 2006

Esophageal epithelial cells contain an apical cation channel that actively absorbs sodium ions (Na+). Since these channels are exposed in vivo to acid reflux, we sought the impact of high acidity on Na+channel function in Ussing-chambered rabbit epithelium. Serosal nystatin abolished short-circuit current ( Isc) and luminal pH titrated from pH 7.0 to pH ≥ 2.0 had no effect on Isc. Circuit analysis at pH 2.0 showed small, but significant, increases in apical and shunt resistances. At pH < 2.0, Iscincreased whereas resistance ( RT) decreased along with an increase in fluorescein flux. The change in Isc, but not RT, was reversible at pH 7.4. Reducing pH from 7.0 to 1.1 with H2SO4gave a similar pattern but higher Iscvalues, suggesting shunt permselectivity. A 10:1 Na+gradient after nystatin increased Iscby ∼4 μAmps/cm2and this declined at pH ≤ 3.5 until it reached ∼0.0 at pH 2.0. Impedance analysis on acid-exposed (non-nystatin treated) tissues showed compensatory changes in apical (increase) and basolateral (decrease) resistance at modest luminal acidity that were poorly reversible at pH 2.0 and associated with declines in capacitance, a reflection of lower apical membrane area. In esophageal epithelium apical cation channels transport Na+at gradients as low as 10:1 but do not transport H+at gradients of 100,000:1 (luminal pH 2.0). Luminal acid also inhibits Na+transport via the channels and abolishes it at pH 2.0. These effects on the channel may serve as a protective function for esophageal epithelium exposed to acid reflux.
Dynamic responses of the glutathione system to acute oxidative stress in dystrophic mouse (mdx) muscles
Authors: Dudley Roy W. R. , Khairallah Maya , Mohammed Shawn , Lands Larry , Des Rosiers Christine , Petrof Basil J.
Published: April 2006

The precise mechanisms underlying skeletal muscle damage in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) remain ill-defined. Functional ischemia during muscle activation, with subsequent reperfusion during rest, has been documented. Therefore, one possibility is the presence of increased oxidative stress. We applied a model of acute hindlimb ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) in mdx mice (genetic homolog of DMD) to evaluate dynamic in vivo responses of dystrophic muscles to this form of oxidative stress. Before the application of I/R, mdx muscles showed: 1) decreased levels of total glutathione (GSH) with an increased oxidized (GSSG)-to-reduced (GSH) glutathione ratio; 2) greater activity of the GSH-metabolizing enzymes glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione reductase; and 3) lower activity levels of NADP-linked isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICDH) and aconitase, two metabolic enzymes that are sensitive to inactivation by oxidative stress and also implicated in GSH regeneration. Interestingly, nondystrophic muscles subjected to I/R exhibited similar changes in total glutathione, GSSG/GSH, GPx, ICDH, and aconitase. In contrast, all of the above remained stable in mdx muscles subjected to I/R. Taken together, these results suggest that mdx muscles are chronically subjected to increased oxidative stress, leading to adaptive changes that attempt to protect (although only in part) the dystrophic muscles from acute I/R-induced oxidative stress. In addition, mdx muscles show significant impairment of the redox-sensitive metabolic enzymes ICDH and aconitase, which may further contribute to contractile dysfunction in dystrophic muscles.
Gastrointestinal and renal responses to water intake in the green-backed firecrown (Sephanoides sephanoides), a South American hummingbird
Authors: Hartman Bakken Bradley , Sabat Pablo
Published: April 2006

To maintain water balance, nectar-feeding vertebrates oscillate between meeting the challenges of avoiding overhydration and preventing dehydration. To understand how green-backed firecrowns ( Sephanoides sephanoides) accomplish this, we examined the response of water-handling processes in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and kidney to different rates of water intake during the evening, night, and morning. Fractional water absorption in the GIT was independent of water intake rate (evening: 0.91 ± 0.08; morning: 0.88 ± 0.04). Consistent with this nonregulated water absorption, we found linear increases in water flux, fractional turnover of body water, and the rate of renal water loading as water intake rate increased during both the evening and morning. Despite these relationships, glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was insensitive to water loading (evening: 2.08 ± 0.56 ml/h; morning: 1.84 ± 0.68 ml/h) and less than the allometric expectation (2.92 ml/h). During the evening, fractional renal water reabsorption decreased linearly as the rate of water intake increased. At night, a period of natural fasting for hummingbirds, mean GFR was not different from zero (0.00 ± 0.05 ml/h). These findings indicate that green-backed firecrowns eliminate excess ingested water by decreasing water reabsorption in the kidney; to conserve water, it appears that hummingbirds arrest whole kidney GFR, effectively preventing urinary water losses. After discounting evaporative water losses, our results show that hummingbirds rely principally on their renal system to resolve the osmoregulatory quandary posed by nectarivory.
Intermediate filament protein nestin is expressed in developing kidney and heart and might be regulated by the Wilms' tumor suppressor Wt1
Authors: Wagner Nicole , Wagner Kay-Dietrich , Scholz Holger , Kirschner Karin M. , Schedl Andreas
Published: April 2006

Nestin is an intermediate filament protein originally described in neural stem cells and a variety of progenitor cells. More recently, nestin was detected in rat kidney podocytes. We show here that nestin is expressed in a developmentally regulated pattern in the kidney. Nestin was detected by immunohistochemistry in the condensing mesenchyme surrounding the ureter, in developing glomeruli, in podocytes of the adult kidney, and in a podocyte cell line. Nestin shared a striking overlap in expression with the Wilms' tumor suppressor Wt1. Nestin was significantly upregulated in a cell line with inducible Wt1 expression upon induction of Wt1. Cotransfection experiments in human embryonic kidney cells (HEK293) revealed stimulation of a nestin intron 2 enhancer element up to six-fold by the Wt1(-KTS) splice variant. Nestin expression was significantly reduced in an inducible mouse model of glomerular disease. This model is based on podocyte-specific overexpression of Pax2 and associated with a loss of Wt1 expression ( 33 ). Furthermore, also in the developing heart, nestin was found in an overlapping pattern with Wt1 in the epicardium and the forming coronary vessels. Strikingly, in the hearts of Wt1 knockout mice, nestin was barely detectable compared with the hearts of wild-type embryos. Our results show that nestin is expressed at different stages of kidney and cardiac development and suggest that its expression in these organs might be regulated by the Wilms' tumor suppressor Wt1.
ACE inhibition prevents myocardial infarction-induced skeletal muscle mitochondrial dysfunction
Authors: Zoll Joffrey , Monassier Laurent , Garnier Anne , N'Guessan Benoit , Mettauer Bertrand , Veksler Vladimir , Piquard François , Ventura-Clapier Renée , Geny Bernard
Published: April 2006

Heart failure is associated with alterations in cardiac and skeletal muscle energy metabolism resulting in a generalized myopathy. We investigated the molecular and cellular effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition (ACEi) on skeletal muscle metabolism in infarcted animals. Myocardial infarction (MI) was obtained by left descending coronary artery ligation. Sham, MI, and MI-treated rats (perindopril, 2 mg·kg−1·day−1 given 7 days after MI) were studied 1 and 4 mo after surgery. Oxygen consumption of white gastrocnemius (Gas) muscle was studied in saponin-permeabilized fibers, using the main substrates of mitochondrial respiration. mRNA expression of nuclear factors (PGC-1α, NRF-2α, and mtTFA), involved in the transcription of mitochondrial proteins, and of MCIP1, a marker of calcineurin activation, were also determined. Echocardiographic left ventricular fractional shortening was reduced in both MI and perindopril group after 1 and 4 mo, whereas systemic blood pressure was reduced by 16% only in the MI group after 4 mo. The capacity of Gas to oxidize glutamate-malate, glycerol-triphosphate, or pyruvate (−30%, P < 0.01; −32%, P < 0.05; −33%, P < 0.01, respectively), was greatly decreased. Furthermore, PGC-1α (−54%), NRF-2α (−45%), and MCIP1 (−84%) gene expression were significantly downregulated. ACEi improved survival, left ventricular function, and blood pressure. Perindopril protected also totally the Gas mitochondrial function and preserved the mRNAs concentration of the mitochondrial transcriptional factors. Moreover, PGC-1α correlated with Gas oxidative capacity ( r = 0.48), mitochondrial cytochrome- c oxidase ( r = 0.65), citrate synthase ( r = 0.45) activities, and MCIP1 expression ( r = 0.44). Thus ACEi totally prevented MI-induced alterations of skeletal muscle mitochondrial function and protein expression, halting the development of this metabolic myopathy.
Hypoxia-Mediated Degradation of Na,K-ATPase via Mitochondrial Reactive Oxygen Species and the Ubiquitin-Conjugating System
Authors: Comellas Alejandro P. , Dada Laura A. , Lecuona Emilia , Pesce Liuska M. , Chandel Navdeep S. , Quesada Nancy , Budinger G. R. Scott , Strous Ger J. , Ciechanover Aaron , Sznajder Jacob I.
Published: April 2006

We set out to determine whether cellular hypoxia, via mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, promotes Na,K-ATPase degradation via the ubiquitin-conjugating system. Cells exposed to 1.5% O
2
had a decrease in Na,K-ATPase activity and oxygen consumption. The total cell pool of α1 Na,K-ATPase protein decreased on exposure to 1.5% O
2
for 30 hours, whereas the plasma membrane Na,K-ATPase was 50% degraded after 2 hours of hypoxia, which was prevented by lysosome and proteasome inhibitors. When Chinese hamster ovary cells that exhibit a temperature-sensitive defect in E1 ubiquitin conjugation enzyme were incubated at 40°C and 1.5% O
2
, the degradation of the α1 Na,K-ATPase was prevented. Exogenous reactive oxygen species increased the plasma membrane Na,K-ATPase degradation, whereas, in mitochondrial DNA deficient ρ
0
cells and in cells transfected with small interfering RNA against Rieske iron sulfur protein, the hypoxia-mediated Na,K-ATPase degradation was prevented. The catalase/superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimetic (EUK-134) and glutathione peroxidase overexpression prevented the hypoxia-mediated Na,K-ATPase degradation and overexpression of SOD1, but not SOD2, partially inhibited the Na
+
pump degradation. Accordingly, we provide evidence that during hypoxia, mitochondrial reactive oxygen species are necessary to degrade the plasma membrane Na,K-ATPase via the ubiquitin-conjugating system.
The Costs and Benefits of Policies to Advance Work/Life Integration
Authors: Gault Barbara , Lovell Vicky
Published: April 2006

This article discusses the need for improvedwork/life policies, provides examples of successful and promising policy approaches, and describes methods of assessing the costs and benefits of expanded work/life supports. The current need arises from women's influx into the labor force, a decline in employer-provided benefits that support family care, an inadequate supply of child care, and inequality in the distribution of work/life benefits across income levels. Advocates in a number of states are engaged in intensive advocacy to pass paid parental leave and paid sick leave laws. Meaningful policy and programmatic change requires building public will within governments, business, and the general public. To achieve expansive policy change over the long-term, innovative efforts are needed to build a broad-based grassroots movement focused on work/life issues, to encourage businesses to vocally endorse improved practices, and to cultivate policy maker champions through improved female political representation.
Learning to Lead in All Domains of Life
Authors: Friedman Stewart D.
Published: April 2006

A new vision of management in the 21st century must address how organization members align their core values with their actions. Recent trends have changed the landscape on which business leaders pursue interests of various stakeholders. To be successful in the 21st century, business leaders at all levels must possess three important capacities— authenticity, integrity, and creativity—and enact them at work, in their families, in their communities, and in their personal growth. Building these capacities requires innovative means for educating and developing leaders. This article discusses the author's approach to realizing this goal— total leadership—which aims to help participants increase business results by enriching lives, to learn to lead in new ways that integrate work, home, community, and self for mutual gain. This article reviews the principles and skills of total leadership and describes experiments undertaken by participants to produce changes in both their leadership identity and their performance in all life domains.
Parenting Styles, Individuation, and Mental Health of Arab Adolescents
Authors: Dwairy Marwan , Achoui Mustafa , Abouserie Reda , Farah Adnan
Published: April 2006

The Psychological State Scale, Multigenerational Interconnectedness Scale, and the Parental Authority Questionnaire were administered to 2,893 Arab adolescents in eight Arab societies. In these tests, adolescents raised according to the inconsistent parenting scored lower in connectedness and higher in mental disorders than those raised according to the controlling or flexible-oriented parenting pattern. Authoritative parenting was associated with a higher level of connectedness with the family and better mental health of adolescents. A higher level of adolescent-family connectedness is associated with better mental health of adolescents. Results indicate that authoritarian parenting within an authoritarian culture does not harm the adolescents' mental health as it does within the Western liberal societies. These results give rise to the hypothesis that inconsistency in parenting and inconsistency between the parenting style and the culture cause harm to adolescents' mental health.
SAS Programs for Generating Winsteps Control Files and Web-Based Presentations
Authors: Yu Chong Ho
Published: April 2006

Winsteps (Rasch Measurement Software and Publications, 2003), as its name implies, is a psychometric program created specifically to compute the step function (Wright & Masters, 1982) for exams carrying partial-credit items. Despite the clarity of the Rasch model (Bond & Fox, 2001) and the availability of rich features in the program, such as the item-person map, Scalogram, and fitness indices, coding the input file for Winsteps, especially the partial-credit key, and interpretation of Winsteps’s output could be challenging to novices. This challenge is partly due to the Winsteps’s text-based interface. To augment Winsteps, two SAS macros programs were written to aid users by formatting the input file for Winsteps and by adding graphical presentation of the Winsteps item parameter output.
Model-Based Versus Empirical Equating of Test Forms
Authors: Quenette Mary A. , Nicewander W. Alan , Thomasson Gary L.
Published: April 2006

Model-based equating was compared to empirical equating of an Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test form. The model-based equating was done using item pretest data to derive item response theory (IRT) item parameter estimates for those items that were retained in the final version of the test. The analysis of an ASVAB test form indicated that the model-based equatings were nearly as accurate as the preliminary empirical equating, using the final empirical equating as a standard against which to judge the equatings. The fact that the model-based equatings so closely forecast the final ones suggests some indirect support for the assumptions commonly made in IRT analyses—that IRT models reasonably approximate human behavior when confronted by multiple-choice test items and a normal distribution for the latent trait being measured.
IRT Models for Ability-Based Guessing
Authors: Martín Ernesto San , del Pino Guido , De Boeck Paul
Published: April 2006

An ability-based guessing model is formulated and applied to several data sets regarding educational tests in language and in mathematics. The formulation of the model is such that the probability of a correct guess does not only depend on the item but also on the ability of the individual, weighted with a general discrimination parameter. By so doing, the possibility that the individual uses his or her ability to some extent for differentiating among responses while guessing is also considered. Some important properties of the model are described and compared with analogous properties of related models. After simulation studies, the model is applied to different data sets of the Chilean Sistema de Medición de la Calidad ń (SIMCE) tests of mathematics and language. The conclusion of this analysis seems relevant—namely, that the examinees use their ability to guess in the language test but not in the mathematics test.
Sportophobia
Authors: Plummer David
Published: April 2006

Studying what triggers homophobic expressions such as “poofter” and “faggot” reveals that homophobia has significance far beyond it being a simple prejudice against homosexuality—homophobia is deeply implicated in the gender order and its influence on contemporary masculinities and male identity is comprehensive. Although clearly related to misogyny, antigay bias, and heterosexism, homophobia means much more. For young Australian males, homophobia is used to police the boundary between “ successful manhood” and those who, according to their peers, fail to “measure up.” From this perspective, the complex and problematic relationship between homophobia and men's sport becomes much clearer. A key factor that emerges is the pivotal importance of the discrediting power of homophobia, making it respected and feared (homophobiaphobia). The data reveal this to be a key mechanism though which homophobia exerts its extraordinary purchase on all men, gay and straight.
Reforming Regional Governance in East Central Europe: Europeanization or Domestic Politics as Usual?
Authors: O’Dwyer Conor
Published: April 2006

In recent years, a number of East Central European (ECE) governments have undertaken to radically alter the territorial structures of their public administration. Some have suggested that this development represents the growing Europeanization of ECE politics, in particular the role of the European Union. This article questions that view by examining the crucial role of domestic party politics in the enactment and implementation of regional governance reform. It does so through a close comparison of Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia.
The Viability of the Minority-Oriented Venture-Capital Industry Under Alternative Financing Arrangements
Authors: Bates Timothy , Bradford William , Rubin Julia Sass
Published: April 2006

The minority business-oriented venture-capital industry grew rapidly in the 1990s, as did its target market of large-scale minority-owned firms. This niche of the venture-capital industry traditionally relied upon the U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for funding and guidance. In the 1990s, another branch of the minority venture-capital industry arose that was funded largely by public pension funds. The authors’ comparative analysis of the SBA and pension fund branches of this industry indicates that the former is stunted while the latter is thriving. The analysis indicates that the SBA is too unstable an agency for promoting the minority venture-capital industry. In contrast to the SBA’s propensity to alter policy based on shifting political priorities, the pension funds have been a stable source of support for the growing minority venture-capital industry.
What Do Census Data Tell Us About Headquarters Location?
Authors: Ono Yukako
Published: April 2006

This article provides insight into several topics that are closely linked with firms’ decisions on headquarters location. Reviewing previous studies, the author examines characteristics of firms that have stand-alone headquarters and compares them with the characteristics of firms that perform management at their production facilities. The frequency of openings and closings of headquarters is also examined. The locations of headquarters are further compared with the geographical distribution of other economic activities among major U.S. metropolitan areas. The author then shifts the focus to New York City, which is often considered the nation’s primary headquarters center, and compares New York’s Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area’s share of headquarters with its share of business service industries. The author then looks into the distribution of headquarters and other service industries in Manhattan, points out their differences, and provides possible explanations.
Simulation of Natural and Social Process Interactions
Authors: Christiansen John H. , Altaweel Mark
Published: April 2006

New multimodel simulations of Bronze Age Mesopotamian settlement system dynamics, using advanced object-based simulation frameworks, are addressing fine-scale interaction of natural processes (crop growth, hydrology, etc.) and social processes (kinship-driven behaviors, farming and herding practices, etc.) on a daily basis across multigenerational model runs. Key components of these simulations are representations of initial settlement populations that are demographically and socially plausible, and detailed models of social mechanisms that can produce and maintain realistic textures of social structure and dynamics over time. The simulation engine has broad applicability and is also being used to address modern problems such as agroeconomic sustainability in Southeast Asia. This article describes the simulation framework and presents results of initial studies, highlighting some social system representations.
Profiling the Adopters of E-Government Information and Services
Authors: Dimitrova Daniela V. , Chen Yu-Che
Published: April 2006

This exploratory study examines the effects of nondemographic characteristics on the adoption of e-government services in the United States combining two main theoretical perspectives: diffusion of innovations and the technology acceptance model. The results of a national survey suggest that nondemographic audience characteristics influence e-government adoption. The study adds to previous research in the area by identifying several sociopsychological characteristics that play a role in the adoption process: perceived usefulness, perceived uncertainty, and civic mindedness. The study also ascertains the influence of interpersonal communication and mass media channels on e-government adoption. Theoretical implications for future researchers and policy implications for producers of governmental web sites are discussed.
School Diversification in Second-Best Education Markets
Authors: Lubienski Christopher
Published: April 2006

According to theorists, choice and competition are intended to force schools to innovate and diversify their programs. However, evidence from several countries suggests that schools are not responding to competitive incentives as expected: (a) instead of innovating in the classroom, schools often embrace traditional practices; (b) innovations in administration tend to enable schools to more effectively shape their enrollment, rather than pursue more effective or diverse educational practices; and (c) public-sector policies, not competitive pressures, produced the most innovative and diversified options for families. The analysis considers the predominant theoretical perspective on organizational change, and points to difficulties in applying this reasoning to education. Instead, the article suggests a more complex understanding of market processes in education. The peculiar nature of public education as a “second-best” market corrupts the incentives intended by reforms that impose market-style competition on schools.
Being on Track for No Child Left Behind
Authors: Alexander Nicola A.
Published: April 2006

The purpose of this article is twofold. First, it examines the requirement in No Child Left Behind (NCLB) that states have all students “proficient” in math and reading by 2013-2014. Second, the article assesses the organizational capacity of eighth-grade programs in Massachusetts to meet that directive. Issues of organizational capacity, system adequacy, and performance accountability frame this discussion. The findings reveal that significant differences persist in the organizational capacity of eighth-grade programs across the state. Moreover, no Massachusetts school has met the NCLB goal of 100% proficiency in either math or reading, calling into question the adequacy of the system or the appropriateness of the policy.
The Significance of Language, Culture, and Communication in Researching Post-Soviet Crime and Policing
Authors: Robertson Annette
Published: April 2006

This article considers some of the problems associated with studying crime and criminal justice in countries where the lingua franca is not the native language of the main researchers involved. It reviews some of the more salient difficulties facing nonnative researchers in conducting cross-national research and the various approaches used to mitigate any adverse implications for the research outcomes. In doing so, the article draws on existing literature and the author's own expertise as a translator and interpreter and experiences as a member of a research team conducting both primary and secondary criminological research in Russia. The intention is not to produce a technical how-to guide that deals exclusively with translation because translation is only one aspect of the linguistic problems facing international researchers. As the title of the article suggests, the focus is much broader than translation and encompasses notions of communication and culture.
Professional Codes of Ethics
Authors: Schneider Jacqueline L.
Published: April 2006

International criminological research is growing both in terms of prominence and occurrence. Boundaries for conducting research are expanding well beyond our respective national borders. Foreign nationals or visiting fellows—who venture outside their home countries to compare or contrast existing crime trends, events, policies, or practices—are faced with a myriad of challenges. One methodological challenge is to conduct research within ethical constructs. However, the issue becomes “To which country's code of practice or ethical standards does the international researcher adhere?” The purpose of this article is to explore the issue of doing ethical international research with the aim of offering pragmatic suggestions on how to proceed with international studies that can withstand ethical scrutiny.
Expanding the Frame
Authors: Esparza Marcia
Published: April 2006

This article explores the use of photographs in documenting the lives of women in Santa Maria Ixcotel state prison in southern México. In living for the audience in the photos, the women provide a deeper understanding of their own experiences and those of all women behind bars. The author argues that an interplay among photographs, a textual narrative, and existing facts, statistics, and knowledge from sociological and criminological literature allows for a deeper understanding about incarcerated women's lives. The photographs are particularly important because, in lieu of the absence of literature on indigenous women in prison in Latin America, they become a powerful testimony, evidence of these women's abandonment.
Murder in Ciudad Juárez
Authors: Ensalaco Mark
Published: April 2006

The murder of hundreds of women in Ciudad Juárez during the past decade has compelled women to mobilize. This mobilization is a parable of women’s struggle for human rights because the factors that cause gender-based violence in Mexico are common throughout the world, the authorities’ failure to punish those crimes constitutes a form of gender discrimination that is prevalent throughout the world, and the imperative for Mexican women to mobilize in defense of their own human rights is shared by women throughout the world. This struggle involves a double transformation: the transformation of women’s organizations into human rights organizations and the transformation of human rights advocacy through the integration of the gender perspective.
Responding in Their Best Interests
Authors: Macy Rebecca J. , Nurius Paula S. , Norris Jeanette
Published: April 2006

Using an investigation of 202 college women who completed a survey about coping with sexual aggression from a known male assailant, the authors examined assailant behaviors, along with women’s victimization history, alcohol use, positive relationship expectancies, and sexual assertiveness, to clarify how these factors shape women’s responses to acquaintance sexual aggression. Multivariate regression analyses showed that these factors and assailant actions accounted uniquely and cumulatively for women’s responding. Rape avoidance and resistance training programs can benefit by using a two-pronged approach: by targeting factors that impede and promote women’s assertion and by helping women anticipate and respond to assailant actions.
Dating Aggression, Sexual Coercion, and Aggression-Supporting Attitudes Among College Men as a Function of Participation in Aggressive High School Sports
Authors: Forbes Gordon B. , Adams-Curtis Leah E. , Pakalka Alexis H. , White Kay B.
Published: April 2006

Aggressive male sports have been criticized as bastions of sexism and training grounds for aggression against women, but there have been few empirical demonstrations of these alleged relationships. The authors studied self-reported dating aggression and sexual coercion in 147 college men. Men who had participated in aggressive high school sports, as compared with other men, engaged in more psychological aggression, physical aggression, and sexual coercion toward their dating partners, caused their partners more physical injury, were more accepting of violence, had more sexist attitudes and hostility toward women, were more accepting of rape myths, and were less tolerant of homosexuality. Results indicate that participation in aggressive high school sports is one of the multiple developmental pathways leading to relationship violence.
The Spectacle of The Prisoner
Authors: Morreale Joanne
Published: April 2006

The “Spectacle of The Prisoner” examines the British television series The Prisoner through the writings of Guy Debord. The Prisoner illustrates Debord's proposed method of detournement as a means to critique the society of the spectacle. Yet the ultimate fate of The Prisoner, articulated both within its narrative and in its ultimate commodification as a “cult” text, demonstrates the futility of resistance within the society of the spectacle.
Octavia Hill’s Philosophy of Housing Reform: From British Roots to American Soil
Authors: Spain Daphne
Published: April 2006

Victorian tenement manager Octavia Hill significantly influenced nineteenth-century British and U.S. housing reform. She provided clean tenements for London’s poor that generated a modest profit for her first investor, social philosopher John Ruskin. Hill’s success depended on regular personal contact with tenants and insistence on prompt rent payment. The migration of Hill’s system from British roots to American soil involved a network of settlement house workers in which Ruskin, the settlement movement’s originator, played a central role. American histories of housing reform often identify Lawrence Veiller’s Tenement House Exhibition of 1899 as a milestone, and American settlement house histories typically feature Jane Addams and Chicago’s Hull House. The purpose of this article is to highlight, and identify connections among, lesser known other settlement pioneers who fought for British and U.S. housing reform. The article describes Hill’s philosophy, documents how it reached the United States, and illustrates how Hill, Henrietta Barnett, and Vida Scudder significantly contributed to the production and dissemination of housing reform ideas.