bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Psychometric Properties of the Spanish Consumer Assessment of Health Plans Survey (CAHPS)
Authors: Morales Leo S. , Weech-Maldonado Robert , Elliott Marc N. , Weidmer Beverly , Hays Ron D.
Published: October 2003

This study describes the psychometric properties of the Consumer Assessments of Health Plans Survey (CAHPS) in 279 persons who completed it in Spanish and 439 persons who completed it in English. We found negatively skewed distributions of responses and significant ceiling effects in both English and Spanish surveys. Cronbach’s alphas for English and Spanish multiple-item composites were 0.69 or higher. Correlations between the CAHPS measures and willingness of individuals to recommend their doctor and health plan to family and friends were all moderately strong and statistically significant except for one global rating. There were significant differences in the patterns of correlations between global ratings and composites for English and Spanish surveys. This study suggests that the Spanish CAHPS 2.0 core survey has acceptable psychometric properties.
Loan Performance of Group-Based Microcredit Programs in the United States
Authors: Hung Chikan Richard
Published: October 2003

Peer group lending programs in the United States adapt methodologies first used in developing countries and apply them domestically to benefit low-income communities. This article investigates the effects of context, program design, and staff as well as peer group actions on the loan performance of such programs in the United States. Based on surveys of programs across the country, loan delinquency is primarily a function of context, especially the credit risk of borrowers and time. However, evidence suggests that the payoff structure and peer group actions have discouraged some loan default. Peer group members must be persistently more vigilant than pro- gram staff members throughout the process to ensure loan repayment within the group. Expanding the clientele to the working poor in small towns and rural areas rather than focusing on welfare recipients in big cities may ensure greater financial viability of these programs in the United States.
The Returns on Higher Education: Estimates for the 48 Contiguous States
Authors: Goetz Stephan J. , Rupasingha Anil
Published: October 2003

Governors of a number of states are seeking to expand the proportion of workers with college degrees so that their economies do not fall behind in the new economy. How- ever, because of pronounced differences in the compositions and levels of development of state economies, returns on higher education are far from equal across the states. We estimate the average return on a college degree in each state in terms of its effect on per capita income, holding constant other factors that also influence levels of per capita income.
A Framework for Assessing Cluster Development
Authors: Colgan Charles S. , Baker Colin
Published: October 2003

Clusters, especially those based in some way on technological innovation, have become a key concept in regional development. But precise measurement and assessment of the concept is difficult. This is particularly the case in regions where techno- logical innovation has lagged significantly and where policy support has only recently expanded. This study examines the use of the “cluster” idea in seven industry groups in Maine defined by the state. An eight-element framework is proposed to describe cluster characteristics appropriate to these technology and industry-related groups. Based on extensive interviews with firms and other organizations, the strengths and weaknesses of cluster characteristics are identified. The role of clusters in the economy is also assessed by comparing cluster strength with market growth potential. The results show that none of the technology clusters currently has strong economic impact potential but that some could achieve that potential more quickly than would others.
The Rise of the Entrepreneurial Society
Authors: Von Bargen Patrick , Freedman Doris , Pages Erik R.
Published: October 2003

The rise of the entrepreneur has been one of the least understood phenomena affecting the U.S. economy for the past few decades. When business observers and economic developers do acknowledge the impact of entrepreneurship, they tend to think of rugged individualists who go it alone and respond to market forces alone. We argue that the real story is more complicated. U.S. government policies—from research and development funds to tax codes—played a critical role in creating an environment conducive to new fast-growing businesses. This policy mix—the American formula for growth—fostered a vibrant system in which entrepreneurs could thrive. Effective future policy requires that we understand the genesis of these initiatives and continue to support and nurture this system.
Educational Attainment and Metropolitan Growth
Authors: Gottlieb Paul D. , Fogarty Michael
Published: October 2003

This study explores the relationship between educational attainment at the bachelor’s degree level and subsequent economic growth in U.S. metropolitan areas. It reviews the theoretical literature in human capital that predicts faster productivity and income growth in cities that have high education levels and numerous opportunities for inter- action among skilled workers. In this study, the authors found that there was a significant relationship between educational attainment in 1980 and the rate of per capita income and employment growth during the next 17 years. We found some evidence of divergence in the incomes of the most- and least-educated metros, raising the prospect of a new inequality across U.S. regions driven by cumulative differences in human cap- ital stocks. The study lists several possible causes of high educational attainment in metropolitan areas, concluding that this is a difficult but nevertheless worthwhile instrumental goal for policy makers.
Private Initiative and Public Responsibility for the Redevelopment of Industrial Brownfields: Three Baltimore Case Studies
Authors: Howland Marie
Published: October 2003

This article examines three case studies of brownfield redevelopment in Baltimore, Maryland, to refine understanding of the boundary between privately and publicly initiated brownfield redevelopments. The cases range from Camden Crossing, a city- initiated project that promised to turn an abandoned and contaminated site into middle-income housing, to Crown Cork and Seal, a privately funded site reclaimed for industrial use. The cases suggest trade-offs between the following three conditions: (a) the strength of local market demand, (b) the level of contamination, and (c) new use. When market conditions are strong, contamination relatively minor, and land use is remaining industrial, the private sector is more likely to be the sole initiator and implementer of redevelopment. When a project calls for a transfer from contaminated industrial to residential use, faces weak market demand for the final project, and con- tends with a complicated cleanup, the greater is the required public subsidy.
Kyllo v. United States
Authors: Worrall John L.
Published: October 2003

In Kyllo v. United States, the Supreme Court handed down an apparently bright-line rule stating that government use of devices not in “general public use” (e.g., thermal imagers), which can be used to view the “details of a home,” constitutes a search within the meaning of the Fourth Amendment. This article argues that the Court’s decision is flawed for several reasons: (a) There is no agreement over the “general public use” standard, (b) there is no agreement over what can be considered “details of the home,” (c) the Court failed to exercise judicial restraint, (d) the Court restricted law enforcement officials’ ability to draw “inferences” about criminal activity, and perhaps most important, (e) the decision does not place restrictions on the use of thermal imagers for other law enforcement purposes besides the direct procurement of criminal evidence.
Atwater v. City of Lago Vista
Authors: Walker Jeffery T. , McKinnon Kristi M.
Published: October 2003

Since the early 1990s, the Supreme Court has increased the influence of the police through a series of court cases. Atwater v. City of Lago Vista held that the Fourth Amendment does not forbid a warrantless arrest for a minor criminal offense punishable only by a fine. This case will be discussed as it relates to the current climate of policing and the Supreme Court. The potential implications for police and the public will also be addressed.
Goal Conflict in the Juvenile Court
Authors: Urban Lynn S. , Cyr Jenna L. , Decker Scott H.
Published: October 2003

The United States has experienced significant changes in its juvenile justice system since it began in 1899. The focus of juvenile sentencing has shifted from the best interests of the child to more punitive sanctions, which are based on the offense committed. An alternative method for dealing with offenders has arisen in the form of restorative justice, which focuses on balancing the justice response between offender, victim, and community. This article describes the changes in the U.S. juvenile system, highlights the sentencing practices in other countries, and addresses this conflict between punitive and restorative practices.
The Role of Emotional Intelligence in the Career Commitment and Decision-Making Process
Authors: Brown Chris , George-Curran Roberta , Smith Marian L.
Published: October 2003

The relations between career decision-making self-efficacy, vocational exploration and commitment, and emotional intelligence were investigated. Furthermore, the extent to which sex moderates the relationship between emotional intelligence and career decision-making self-efficacy and between emotional intelligence and vocational exploration and commitment was also examined. Findings revealed that emotional intelligence as measured by the Empathy, Utilization of Feelings, Handling Relationships, and Self-Control factors is positively related to career decision-making self-efficacy and that the Utilization of Feelings and Self-Control factors were inversely related to vocational exploration and commitment. Findings, however, failed to reveal sex as a moderator of the relationship between emotional intelligence and the career variables under investigation.
Seeking Career Services on Campus: Racial Differences in Referral, Process, and Outcome
Authors: Carter Robert T. , Scales James E. , Juby Heather L. , Collins Noah M. , Wan Carol M.
Published: October 2003

The lack of research that examines usage of career development services by racial/ethnic groups has been noted. The current study attempts to explore the relationship between students' racial/ethnic backgrounds and their experiences of a university career counseling center in terms of referral, process, and outcome. The authors examined the experiences of 1,051 students of diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds who sought career counseling at a university career development center. Chi-square analyses found racial/ethnic differences in various aspects of the counseling process, such as referral sources, reasons for seeking counseling, counselor perception of client outcomes, and number of sessions held. Implications for service provision are discussed, including the need for career development centers to be proactive in ensuring that the needs of diverse racial/ethnic students are being met.
Correlates of Adolescent Reports of Sexual Assault: Findings from the National Survey of Adolescents
Authors: Hanson Rochelle F. , Kievit Lisha W. , Saunders Benjamin E. , Smith Daniel W. , Kilpatrick Dean G. , Resnick Heidi S. , Ruggiero Kenneth J.
Published: October 2003

This study examines how key demographic variables and specific child sexual assault (CSA) incident characteristics were related to whether adolescents reported that they had told anyone about an alleged sexual assault. The study also investigates whether there were differences in the correlates of CSA disclosure as a function of gender and race/ethnicity. A national household probability sample of 4,023 adolescents was interviewed by telephone about childhood experiences, including CSA history. Significant gender and racial/ethnic differences were obtained in rates of CSA disclosure: Sexually abused boys and African American youth were less likely to report telling anyone they had been sexually abused. Separate regression models examining correlates of CSA disclosure yielded differences as a function of gender and race/ethnicity.
Parenting Characteristics of Women Reporting a History of Childhood Sexual Abuse
Authors: DiLillo David , Damashek Amy
Published: October 2003

This article reviews research on the parenting characteristics of female survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA). Various aspects of parenting are considered, including (a) childbearing patterns, (b) the intergenerational transmission of CSA, (c) maternal reactions to child CSA disclosure, (d) parenting skills and behaviors, (e) parental violence toward children, (f) attitudes toward parenting, and (g) adjustment of survivors' children. Overall patterns suggest CSA survivors may experience difficulties with some aspects of parenting. Among the more consistent trends are findings that survivors may have difficulties establishing clear generational boundaries with their children, may be more permissive as parents, and may be more likely to use harsh physical discipline. Despite associations between CSA and parenting difficulties, the limited research addressing specific aspects of parenting, and limitations in study design, preclude causal inferences and make conclusions tentative at the present time. The clinical implications of this work and directions for future research are discussed.
The Impact of Complex Trauma and Depression on Parenting: An Exploration of Mediating Risk and Protective Factors
Authors: Banyard Victoria L. , Williams Linda M. , Siegel Jane A.
Published: October 2003

The current study examined (a) maternal depression as a mediator between mothers' complex trauma exposure and parenting difficulties and (b) protective factors within a sample of adult survivors of complex child and adult trauma. Participants were a sample of 152 women selected from 174 women interviewed in the third wave of a longitudinal study of a hospital sample of girls. The women in the current study represent a subsample that includes all participants who had given birth to a child. Measures included assessments of women's own trauma history and parenting outcomes. Higher rates of trauma exposure were related to decreased parenting satisfaction, reports of child neglect, use of physical punishment, and a history of protective service reports. These links were partially mediated by the relationship between trauma exposure and increased maternal depression. Exploratory analyses were also conducted to examine protective factors for fewer parenting problems within a further subsample of trauma survivors.
Parental Cognitions and Satisfaction: Relationship to Aggressive Parental Behavior in Child Physical Abuse
Authors: Mammen Oommen , Kolko David , Pilkonis Paul
Published: October 2003

There are limited data on cognitions and satisfaction with the child in parents who have physically abused their children. Therefore, we examined convergence among these constructs, and their relationships to parental aggression among participants in a treatment study for child physical abuse. Data were examined at two time points 12 weeks apart. The cognitions (unrealistic expectations of the child, perception of lack of control, and hostile attribution bias)and satisfaction with the child showed little convergence. Only parental satisfaction correlated significantly with aggressive parental behavior directed at the child, even after controlling for social desirability. Where there were significant correlations between externalizing child behavior and aggressive parental behavior and between parental depression and aggressive parental behavior, some limited support was found for an indirect path through parental satisfaction. If replicated, these findings suggest it may be useful to focus on parental satisfaction in research on child physical abuse.
Core Content for Residency Training in Child Abuse and Neglect
Authors: Starling Suzanne P. , Boos Stephen
Published: October 2003

Since the identification of child abuse as a medical diagnosis, physicians have become resources to children, families, and communities to assist in diagnosing abuse, consulting with community agencies, testifying in courts of law, administering abuse prevention programs, and participating on teams to investigate and manage child abuse. Because the distribution of pediatric specialists in child abuse is limited, primary care physicians often are asked to perform these functions.

Even in the face of this increasing demand, the education of physicians in the field of child abuse is very limited. Primary care residency programs can provide a good initial base to prepare physicians for forensic evaluations. This document outlines the basic elements of residency education in child abuse and neglect.
The Historiography of American Violence
Authors: Leonard Ira M. , Leonard Christopher C.
Published: October 2003

Historians have generally agreed that the United States has always been an extremely violent nation; however, since the 1950s they have been myopic in their treatment of violence in America and have not provided the American people with essential information about their society and culture. Those historians who focused on violence in America, until the 1990s, have focused on only one form of violence—collective social violence. Largely overlooked, and equally significant, are interpersonal violence (including criminal and domestic violence) and the effect of war. This deficiency helps explain why Americans seem genuinely at a loss to understand the nature, character, and frequency of violence in America’s past and present, especially when a high-profile violent incident occurs. This article surveys the historiography of violence in America through the 1990s and examines the contributions of historians and legal scholars who have focused on interpersonal and criminal violence.
Mapping the Remains of the Postindustrial Landscape
Authors: Kirk John
Published: October 2003

This article examines class and its relevance for contemporary cultural studies in Britain through a reading of a recent publication concerned with the current state of the British working class in the wake of rapid socioeconomic change occurring in the United Kingdom and across the developed world. Although the subject of social class in Britain has always been contentious, the past two decades have witnessed a retreat from class analysis in a whole range of areas for a variety of reasons. With the emergence of postmodernism, some cultural commentators have identified a new, unprecedented proliferation of social and cultural identities clamoring for recognition, reducing the importance of class, if not eclipsing it altogether. By focusing on Charlesworth’s text, this article examines the “neglect” of class on the cultural studies agenda; it also addresses and criticizes some of the theoretical premises for understanding working-class experience developed by Charlesworth, while welcoming the return in his book to the subject of class.
Malaysia’s National Expressway
Authors: Williamson Thomas
Published: October 2003

A transient site like an expressway raises questions about modern forms of power and the shifting role of the state in regulating space. Since 1994, an 850-kilometer expressway has linked peninsular Malaysia north and south. As both a stunning infrastructural achievement and a heavily used traffic artery, the expressway has reworked the Malaysian experience of travel. This article examines the myriad social effects of such a roadway, focusing on issues of speed and power. First, a brief history of roads and motorized transportation in Malaysia contextualizes the country’s contemporary dependence on road travel. The heart of the article explores the “life” of the expressway, including the road’s effects for Malaysian nationalism, the implications for the Malaysian state in privatizing such an important project, the danger and disposition of high-speed accidents, and the changing relationship between local and rural space wrought by the expressway’s limited-access design. The article contributes to a growing literature on mobility and modernity.
Monitored Mobility in the Era of Mass Customization
Authors: Andrejevic Mark
Published: October 2003

Just as Web browsers use information about surfing habits to customize content and advertising, so the development of mobile commerce (m-commerce) promises to capitalize on the real-time monitoring of the time-space paths followed by consumers. Thanks to the development of wireless, networked devices, gathering detailed information about consumer mobility is becoming increasingly cheap and efficient. The result is that spaces associated with leisure and domesticity can become increasingly economically productive insofar as consumers are subjected to comprehensive monitoring in exchange for the promise of customization and individuation. Drawing on examples from e-commerce and popular culture, this article explores the connection between the consumption of space and the incitement to mobility, arguing that the mass customized economy represents a continuation of the logic of market rationalization in the network era.
The Nature of the Boreal Forest
Authors: Baldwin Andrew
Published: October 2003

This article addresses the ontological status of nature in environmental politics by taking up the question of sustainable forest management in the Canadian boreal. In particular, it draws from Michel Foucault's notion of governmentality to argue that the historicity of “forest-nature” is indispensable for understanding the politics of sustainable forest management. In the end, it is argued that recent efforts to politicize the boreal should be regarded as an exercise of knowledge/power that rerepresents the boreal as a space of community and land stewardship, climate regulation, and biological diversity promotion, as opposed to simply a passive space of resource extraction. The article concludes by addressing some of the political implications of forest-nature for the practice of everyday life.
Memory, Visibility, and Public Space
Authors: Haskins Ekaterina V. , DeRose Justin P.
Published: October 2003

This article explores three loci of commemoration of 9/11 in New York City: the street memorial exemplified by makeshift shrines, posters of the missing, and graffiti; the museum installations that reflected on these street memorials and on the media's role in our collective experience of 9/11 and its aftermath; and the contested site of the permanent memorial at Ground Zero. The authors argue that both street memorials and museum exhibitions exemplify a tension between utopian and critical relations between the art and its public and that a balance between utopia and critique is perhaps the greatest challenge for the yet-unfinished memorial project in downtown Manhattan. The authors' goal is not so much to propose an ideal design for the memorial as to reflect on the aesthetic and political function of commemoration within the context of debates over public art and public space in the United States.
Bounded Rationality and the Implications for HRD
Authors: Herling Richard W.
Published: October 2003

The problem and the solution. Initiatives intended to bring about positive organizational change and improvement often fail to achieve their intended goals. Although hindsight can be used to generate a list of reasons why a program failed, these reasons tend to be symptomatic of the real problem. The examples presented in this article are representative of the type of program and the nature of the decision making that HRD (human resource development) professionals could be involved in or responsible for. To truly be strategic within the organization, HRD professionals need to take a leadership role in anticipating and preventing program failures. This means that HRD professionals need to understand and be aware of the implications of bounded rationality in decision making.
Political Factors in Decision Making and Implications for HRD
Authors: Yang Baiyin
Published: October 2003

The problem and the solution. Despite the vast range of theoretical conceptualizations and empirical studies, little is considered about the impacts of organizational political factors on decision making. The dominant perspective views decision making as an individual psychological process and regards social and political factors as irrelevant. Viewing organizational decision making as a social and political process, this article proposes an integrative model of decision making and draws implications for human resource development practice.
Decision Premises and their Implications for Developing Decision-Making Expertise
Authors: Swanson Richard A.
Published: October 2003

The problem and the solution. Decision making is a complex phenomenon, even when studied in relative isolation. Decisionmaker premises that influence the decision-making process are not fully understood. One solution for gaining further understanding of actual decision making in practice could be through longitudinal case studies of actual decision makers. This report is from a 4-year case study of a small business owner's decision making within the two core realms of his work-business operations and technical production. New insights about decision premises being both mediators and constraints in the process were revealed.
Mental Models in Decision Making and Implications for Human Resource Development
Authors: Chermack Thomas J.
Published: October 2003

The problem and the solution. Humans constantly construct mental models of reality, which include their assumptions, beliefs, experiences, and biases about the world. In fact, humans construct mental models of reality often without an awareness of it. In decision making, mental models include an individual's perception of a situation, variables in the system, alternative solutions, decision premises, and biases. Because mental models reflect the decision structure and are difficult to understand on a concrete level, this article aims to illustrate the influence of mental models on decision-making processes and, more important, how they can be made explicit and altered. In addition, this article suggests that working with mental models can be viewed as a developmental process and thus is within the domain of human resource development expertise.
Branding Public Service
Authors: Hoynes William
Published: October 2003

In recent years, U.S. public television, an ostensibly noncommercial system founded on public service principles, has become increasingly integrated into the commercial broadcasting industry. This article examines the new, market-oriented business practices within American public television that emphasize the building of brand identity. Since the mid-1990s, the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) has sought to extend its brand beyond broadcast television and cash in on consumer loyalty to PBS. This branding strategy targets an audience of consumers, and it sells both "content" and an image to these consumers. This is part of a broader strategy aimed at leveraging the PBS brand to create new revenue streams by licensing the PBS logo, selling new forms of advertising, and developing several PBS brandname product lines. After mapping the contours of this new strategy, the article explores the consequences of the brand-building approach for the future of public service broadcasting.
"Democracy as Defeat"
Authors: Jacka Elizabeth
Published: October 2003

In countries with a mature public broadcasting sector and where public broadcasting is being challenged by the multichannel and digital environment, there is a veritable avalanche of discourse aiming to ensure the future of the sector. Various key concepts are intoned like mantras-public service, public sphere, citizenship, democracy-as if by their very repetition they had the power to hold hostile forces at bay. The present article examines just one of these-democracy-and suggests that the invocation of the term in typical defenses is at best imprecise and at worse outdated. Furthermore, in its devaluation of various forms of popular media, the typical defense ends up championing a set of media practices that are increasingly irrelevant. The article concludes that a generalized defense of public service broadcasting is "impotent" and must be replaced by localized and specific analyses of where public broadcasting fits in various media ecologies.
Challenges to Public Television in the Era of Convergence and Commercialization
Authors: Syvertsen Trine
Published: October 2003

The question of whether public broadcasting should be sustained and protected is at the heart of current media policy debates in Europe. The main issue is whether traditional forms of regulation, including regulation protecting public communication and the media's social and cultural functions, are still relevant in the emerging digital media system. In this article, the situation of public television is discussed with reference to the Norwegian experience and the media policies emanating from the European Union. In the article, it is argued that the momentous changes associated with convergence, globalization, and privatization have produced a new set of challenges to public broadcasters and policy makers. Although the range of possible responses is curtailed by an ideological climate that favors market regulation over more traditional forms of cultural policy, it is argued that the situation also creates space for new policies destined to protect and defend public broadcasting.
Media Education Comes of Age
Authors: Gandy Oscar H.
Published: October 2003

This article responds to the insights, challenges, and issues raised by the contributors to this special issue. It underscores the need for greater attention to the social, economic, and ideological constraints that limit the ability of media educators to narrow the some of the gaps that define the digital divide. It calls attention to the especially difficult problems that have to be addressed in overcoming limitations on the right to understand and to be understood across borders and boundaries defined by race, class, and culture. It concludes with a warning about the conflicts of interest that may lie hidden in programs designed to bridge these communication gaps.
Why U.S. Media Education Lags Behind the Rest of the English-Speaking World
Authors: Kubey Robert W.
Published: October 2003

The article considers historical, political, and sociological explanations for why the United States lags behind the rest of the English-speaking world in the formal delivery of media education. Developments in media education are examined with respect to how media, leisure, and the popular arts are conceptualized in the United States and in contrast with other nations. Among the issues addressed are problems of parochialism and the politics of local schools; the sheer physical geographic size of the United States; and obstacles to teacher organization, teacher empowerment, and limited or nonexistent preservice or in-service training. Attention is given to the limits of federal education and broadcasting policy making. The ongoing conflicts between protectionist and cultural studies approaches are discussed. The research relies on formal documents and newsletters, interviews with leading media education researchers and teachers from numerous nations, and visits to schools and training sites in various countries.
Myth and Realities of New Media Technology
Authors: Anyanwu Chika
Published: October 2003

This article takes a critical look at how new media technology is used as both a medium of instruction as well as a subject of instruction in educational institutions. It tries to sieve the realities of techno-enhanced education from its hype and in the process discusses the sociocultural and economic implications of such a novel idea in a digitally divided global economy. It uses results gathered from a study that evaluated students' performances in physical and virtual classroom environments as a case study. The research came out with the following summary: the online/virtual classroom environment is a useful complement and not a substitute to physical classroom interaction. New media technology has a lot to offer society in flexible delivery of educational materials but it is still at the experimental stage and more work is needed to extract its full potential. It is, however, still predominantly a Western preserve.
Questions of Knowledge in Australian Media Education
Authors: Edith Robyn Quin
Published: October 2003

This article draws on the work of Foucault to construct a history of the invention and introduction of media studies in the Australian context through the analysis of two of its epistemological regimes: audience studies and media production. In so doing, it challenges contemporary assumptions about the subject's foundations, purposes, and achievements, most significant the belief that the story of media education is a story of seamless progress marked by the movement from a protectionist philosophy to one that approaches the media as a representational system. Questioning the normative, taken-for-granted history and conduct of a school subject does not necessarily mean that a subject will, or should, be changed. However, there exists at least the opportunity to bring about change when current practices can be located and understood in terms of historical contingency rather than the more common change and reform rhetoric of curriculum developers.
Support For A Supreme Court Affirmative Action Decision
Authors: Clawson Rosalee A. , Waltenburg Eric N.
Published: October 2003

Unlike other policy-making institutions that actively attempt to shape public opinion, the Supreme Court is largely dependent upon others to disseminate its policy pronouncements to the public. One consequence: How the media frame the Court’s actions can affect public support for Court policies. This article presents the results of an experiment designed to take soundings on the effect of different media frames on White and Black support for a controversial affirmative action ruling. Using stimuli we created based on coverage of the Adarand v. Pena (1995) decision in the Black press and the mainstream press, we find that media framing has a significant effect on agreement with the Court’s policy among White subjects. For Blacks, the impact of the media framing is moderated by ideological predispositions. In addition, both White and Black support for the Court’s ruling is influenced by the media portrayal of Justice Clarence Thomas.
Explaining State-Level Variations In Levels And Change In The Distribution Of Income In The United States, 1978-1990
Authors: Barrilleaux Charles , Davis Belinda Creel
Published: October 2003

Income concentrations increased markedly in the United States during the period since 1980. Income concentrations occurred within states at differing levels and rates. We estimate models that explain variations in levels of income concentration among states in 1980 and 1990 and of changes in state-level income concentration during the period 1978 to 1990. We test for the effects of state and national government redistributive policies along with a number of states’ economic, demographic, and political characteristics linked to income distribution in previous research. Results show state-borne redistributive policies have little influence on income concentration. Where state policies do affect income concentration, more generous welfare programs have the unexpected effect of coinciding with increases in income concentration. Higher cash transfers are associated with increased income inequality. Only the establishment of payment standards comparable to the retail wage, a welfare policy enacted by a few states, is associated with reduced income inequality.
Functional endothelial cells derived from rhesus monkey embryonic stem cells
Authors: Kaufman Dan S. , Lewis Rachel L. , Hanson Eric T. , Auerbach Robert , Plendl Johanna , Thomson James A.
Published: October 2003

We have used rhesus monkey embryonic stem (ES) cells to study endothelial cell development. Rhesus ES cells (R366.4 cell line) exposed to medium containing vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), insulin-like growth factor (IGF), and epidermal growth factor (EGF) assumed a relatively uniform endothelial cell morphology and could be propagated and expanded with a consistent phenotype and normal karyotype. When placed in Matrigel, these rhesus ES cell–derived endothelial cells (RESDECs) formed capillary-like structures characteristic of endothelial cells. Immunohistochemical and flow cytometric analysis of RESDECs showed that they take up acetylated low-density lipoprotein (LDL), express CD146, von Willebrand factor, and the integrin αvβ3, and bind the lectin ulex europaeus agglutinin-1. These cells also express the VEGF receptor Flk-1 and secrete VEGF. When introduced in a Matrigel plug implanted subcutaneously in mice, RESDECs formed intact vessels and recruited new endothelial cell growth. In vivo function was demonstrated by coinjection of RESDECs with murine tumor cells subcutaneously into immunocompromised adult mice. RESDECs injected alone did not form measurable tumors. Tumor cells grew more rapidly and had increased vascularization when coinjected with the RESDECs. Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated that the RESDECs participated in forming the tumor neovasculature. RESDECs provide a novel means to examine the mechanisms of endothelial cell development, and may open up new therapeutic strategies.
Mechanism of protein sorting during erythroblast enucleation: role of cytoskeletal connectivity
Authors: Lee James C.-M. , Gimm J. Aura , Lo Annie J. , Koury Mark J. , Krauss Sharon W. , Mohandas Narla , Chasis Joel A.
Published: October 2003

During erythroblast enucleation, nuclei surrounded by plasma membrane separate from erythroblast cytoplasm. A key aspect of this process is sorting of erythroblast plasma membrane components to reticulocytes and expelled nuclei. Although it is known that cytoskeletal elements actin and spectrin partition to reticulocytes, little is understood about molecular mechanisms governing plasma membrane protein sorting. We chose glycophorin A (GPA) as a model integral protein to begin investigating protein-sorting mechanisms. Using immunofluorescence microscopy and Western blotting we found that GPA sorted predominantly to reticulocytes. We hypothesized that the degree of skeletal linkage might control the sorting pattern of transmembrane proteins. To explore this hypothesis, we quantified the extent of GPA association to the cytoskeleton in erythroblasts, young reticulocytes, and mature erythrocytes using fluorescence imaged microdeformation (FIMD) and observed that GPA underwent dramatic reorganization during terminal differentiation. We discovered that GPA was more connected to the membrane cytoskeleton, either directly or indirectly, in erythroblasts and young reticulocytes than in mature cells. We conclude that skeletal protein association can regulate protein sorting during enucleation. Further, we suggest that the enhanced rigidity of reticulocyte membranes observed in earlier investigations results, at least in part, from increased connectivity of GPA with the spectrin-based skeleton.
Direct killing of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)–infected B cells by CD4 T cells directed against the EBV lytic protein BHRF1
Authors: Landais Elise , Saulquin Xavier , Scotet Emmanuel , Trautmann Lydie , Peyrat Marie-Alix , Yates John L. , Kwok William W. , Bonneville Marc , Houssaint Elisabeth
Published: October 2003

Due to their low frequency, CD4 T-cell responses to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) lytic antigens are, so far, poorly characterized. Human peptide major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II multimers provide a means to detect and characterize such rare T cells. Along a screening of T-cell responses to lytic or latent EBV antigens within peripheral blood leukocyte (PBL)– or synovial-derived CD4 T-cell lines, we identified an human leukocyte antigen–DR*0401 (HLA-DR*0401)–restricted epitope derived from BHRF1 (BamHI fragment H rightward open reading frame 1), a viral protein produced during the early stages of the lytic cycle. We show here that T-cell responses to this particular BHRF1 epitope are shared by most EBV-infected DR*0401+ individuals, as BHRF1-specific CD4 T cells could be sorted out from all the DRB*0401 T-cell lines analyzed, using magnetic beads coated with recombinant BHRF1/DR*0401 complexes. Sorting with these peptide MHC class II multimers was very efficient, as the yield of recovery of BHRF1-specific T cells was nearly 100%. Functional analysis of a large number of clones responding to BHRF1/DR*0401 demonstrated their cytolytic action against autologous and allogeneic DR*0401+ EBV-transformed B-lymphoblastoid cell lines (B-LCLs), with 40% to 80% killing efficiency and potent interferon γ production, thus suggesting that this CD4 T-cell population contributes to the control of EBV replication. B-LCL lysis by these T-cell clones was DR*0401 dependent, EBV dependent, and was not merely due to bystander killing. Taken together, these data provide the first demonstration that a lytic antigen can induce a direct cytolytic response against EBV-infected cells.
Localization of iron metabolism–related mRNAs in rat liver indicate that HFE is expressed predominantly in hepatocytes
Authors: Zhang An-Sheng , Xiong Shigang , Tsukamoto Hidekazu , Enns Caroline A.
Published: October 2003

The mRNAs of proteins involved in iron metabolism were measured in isolated hepatocytes, Kupffer cells, sinusoidal endothelial cells (SECs), and hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Levels of type I hereditary hemochromatosis gene (HFE), transferrin, hepcidin, transferrin receptors 1 and 2 (TfR1, TfR2), ferroportin 1 (FPN1), divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1), natural resistance–associated macrophage protein 1 (Nramp1), ceruloplasmin, hephaestin, and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), were measured by quantitative reverse-transriptase polyerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). We show that hepatocytes express almost all the iron-related genes tested, in keeping with their central role in iron metabolism. In addition, hepatocytes had 10-fold lower TfR1 mRNA levels than TfR2 and the lowest levels of TfR1 of the 4 cell types isolated. Kupffer cells, which process senescent red blood cells and recycle the iron, had high levels of ferroportin 1, ceruloplasmin, and hephaestin mRNA. Most important, of all the cell types tested, hepatocytes had the highest level of HFE mRNA, a factor of 10 higher than Kupffer cells. In situ hybridization analysis was conducted with rat liver sections. Consistent with the qRT-PCR analysis, HFE gene expression was localized mainly in hepatocytes. Western blot analysis confirmed this finding. Unexpectedly, HSCs also had high levels of DMT1 and ferroportin, implicating them in either iron sensing or iron cycling.
Herpes simplex virus type 1 activates murine natural interferon-producing cells through toll-like receptor 9
Authors: Krug Anne , Luker Gary D. , Barchet Winfried , Leib David A. , Akira Shizuo , Colonna Marco
Published: October 2003

Natural interferon-producing cells (IPCs) specialize in the production of high levels of type 1 interferons (IFNs) in response to encapsulated DNA and RNA viruses. Here we demonstrate that the secretion of type 1 IFN in response to herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) in vitro is mediated by the toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9)/MyD88 pathway. Moreover, IPCs produce interleukin-12 (IL-12) in response to HSV-1 in vitro, which is also dependent on TLR9/ MyD88 signaling. Remarkably, though TLR9/MyD88-deficiency abrogates IPC responses to HSV-1 in vitro, mice lacking either MyD88 or TLR9 are capable of controlling HSV-1 replication in vivo after local infection, demonstrating that TLR9- and MyD88-independent pathways in cells other than IPCs can effectively compensate for defective IPC responses to HSV-1.
Antiangiogenic antithrombin down-regulates the expression of the proangiogenic heparan sulfate proteoglycan, perlecan, in endothelial cells
Authors: Zhang Weiqing , Chuang Yung-Jen , Swanson Richard , Li Juan , Seo Kyunga , Leung Lawrence , Lau Lester F. , Olson Steven T.
Published: October 2003

Antithrombin, a key serpin family regulator of blood coagulation proteases, is transformed into a potent antiangiogenic factor by limited proteolysis or mild heating. Here, we show by cDNA microarray, semiquantitative reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Northern blotting, and immunoblotting analyses that the expression of the proangiogenic heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG), perlecan, but not other HSPGs, is dramatically down-regulated in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) treated with antiangiogenic cleaved and latent forms of antithrombin but not with the native form. Down-regulation of perlecan expression by cleaved and latent antithrombins was observed in both basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)–stimulated and unstimulated cells, whereas the antiangiogenic antithrombins inhibited the proliferation of only bFGF-stimulated HUVECs by arresting cells at the G1 cell cycle phase. The importance of perlecan expression levels in mediating the antiproliferative effect of the antiangiogenic antithrombins was suggested by the finding that transforming growth factor-β1, a potent stimulator of perlecan expression in endothelial cells, blocked the down-regulation of perlecan expression and antiproliferative activity of cleaved antithrombin on endothelial cells. The previously established key role of perlecan in mediating bFGF stimulation of endothelial cell proliferation and angiogenesis suggests that a primary mechanism by which antiangiogenic antithrombins exert their effects is through the down-regulation of perlecan expression.
The Oral Neurokinin-1 Antagonist Aprepitant for the Prevention of Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: A Multinational, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial in Patients Receiving High-Dose Cisplatin—The Aprepitant Protocol 052 Study Group
Authors: Hesketh Paul J. , Grunberg Steven M. , Gralla Richard J. , Warr David G. , Roila Fausto , de Wit Ronald , Chawla Sant P. , Carides Alexandra D. , Ianus Juliana , Elmer Mary E. , Evans Judith K. , Beck Klaus , Reines Scott , Horgan Kevin J.
Published: October 2003

Purpose: In early clinical trials with patients receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy, the neurokinin antagonist aprepitant significantly enhanced the efficacy of a standard antiemetic regimen consisting of a type-three 5-hydroxytryptamine antagonist and a corticosteroid. This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase III study was performed to establish definitively the superiority of the aprepitant regimen versus standard therapy in the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV).

Patients and Methods: Patients receiving cisplatin ≥ 70 mg/m2 for the first time were given either standard therapy (ondansetron and dexamethasone on day 1; dexamethasone on days 2 to 4) or an aprepitant regimen (aprepitant plus ondansetron and dexamethasone on day 1; aprepitant and dexamethasone on days 2 to 3; dexamethasone on day 4). Patients recorded nausea and vomiting episodes in a diary. The primary end point was complete response (no emesis and no rescue therapy) on days 1 to 5 postcisplatin, analyzed by a modified intent-to-treat approach. Treatment comparisons were made using logistic regression models. Tolerability was assessed by reported adverse events and physical and laboratory assessments.

Results: The percentage of patients with complete response on days 1 to 5 was significantly higher in the aprepitant group (72.7% [n = 260] v 52.3% in the standard therapy group [n = 260]), as were the percentages on day 1, and especially on days 2 to 5 (P < .001 for all three comparisons).

Conclusion: Compared with standard dual therapy, addition of aprepitant was generally well tolerated and provided consistently superior protection against CINV in patients receiving highly emetogenic cisplatin-based chemotherapy.