bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Religion and Social Control: An Application of a Modified Social Bond on Violence
Authors: Cretacci Michael A.
Published: May 2005

The central question explored in this article is whether the elements of a revised social bond, which includes religion, will have an impact on violence across developmental stages. Tests of social control theory are numerous, but criticism centers on the fact that the theory has limited explanatory power. Further, although social control theory is a popular theory, it was created without addressing a control whose importance was suggested by several of the authors from whom Hirschi borrowed—religion. The current study includes such measures in an attempt to determine whether the theory should be expanded when examining violence. The results indicate that social control theory is a poor explanation of violence. Specifically, only peer commitment was found to be significant for early adolescents. In addition, only school attachment, belief, and school and peer commitment were found to be significant for the middle developmental stage. Further, only school attachment and school commitment attained significance for late adolescents. Finally, the assertion that religion should be added to the social bond for the modeling of violence was not supported in this study, and further research is needed to ascertain the importance of such an addition.
The Gendered Effects of Adult Social Bonds on the Criminal Activities of Probationers
Authors: De Li Spencer , MacKenzie Doris Layton
Published: May 2005

The central question addressed in this article is whether the effects of adult social bonds vary by gender. Contrary to the social control theory, it is argued here that male offenders and female offenders do not respond to the controlling effect of adult social bonds in the same way, because they possess different levels of antisocial tendencies. The authors constructed a two-level hierarchical model using monthly data collected from 125 probationers to evaluate the effects of social bonds and drug use on criminal activities. The findings showed complex patterns. For male probationers, social bonds operated as a strong inhibitor of crime while drug use acted as a moderate facilitator of criminal activities. For female probationers, both social bonds and drug use operated as strong facilitators of criminal behavior. The results support the argument that adult social bonds affect male crime and female crime differently. Implications are presented for future research on adult social bonds as means of crime prevention and control, especially as they are related to gendered patterns of deviant association and lifestyle.
The Effect of Pretrial Detention on Imprisonment Decisions
Authors: Williams Marian R.
Published: May 2005

A number of studies have addressed the respective influences of such legal factors as offense seriousness, and such extralegal factors as race, on imprisonment decisions. One factor that is not easily classified as either legal or extralegal—pretrial detention—has not received as much attention as the "typical" legal and extralegal variables, although some researchers feel that pretrial detention plays a pivotal role in imprisonment decisions. This exploratory article assesses the relationship between pretrial detention and the decision to incarcerate in adult felony cases in a Florida county, controlling for various legal and extralegal factors. Results indicate that those defendants who had been subject to pretrial detention were more likely to be incarcerated, and to receive longer sentences if they were incarcerated, than defendants who had been released pending case disposition.
Motive, Intention, and Morality in the Criminal Law
Authors: Kaufman Whitley R. P.
Published: May 2005

A remarkably persistent dispute in the criminal law concerns the relevance of a defendant's motive to his or her criminal liability. Specifically, the issue is whether a good or permissible motive should exculpate someone who has committed a criminal act. According to the orthodox rule, the defendant's motive is strictly irrelevant to liability. Recently, though, there has been a barrage of criticism aimed at this doctrine. Critics charge that the doctrine is not only false—judges do regularly consider motive—but also morally inexcusable, because a permissible motive ought to lessen the blameworthiness of the defendant. The present article defends the orthodox doctrine. It is argued both that it is factually accurate as a description of how judges behave but also, more importantly, that there is a sound moral basis for the doctrine that motives are irrelevant with respect to criminal liability. Critics have mischaracterized the role that motive plays in moral theory and practice, and careful attention to the significance of motive demonstrates that the orthodox criminal law doctrine is quite in line with our moral practices.
Police Sexual Misconduct: Officers' Perceptions of its Extent and Causality
Authors: Maher Timothy M.
Published: May 2005

This article reports on a survey of police officers in 14 different police agencies in four counties in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Results from a self-administered questionnaire followed by an oral interview indicate that officers reported sexual misconduct to be common and reveal a broad consensus among officers that the more serious forms of this behavior should not be tolerated. Nevertheless, none of the departments studied was found to have a formal policy specifically proscribing sexual misconduct, and criminal justice officials have done little to help control the problem, suggesting that this problem may in part be fostered by the police subculture. The conclusion explores policy implications within law enforcement and suggests the need for increased attention from researchers and from criminal justice officials and personnel.
Patterns of Rural and Urban Crime: A County-Level Comparison
Authors: Wells L. Edward , Weisheit Ralph A.
Published: May 2005

Community policing, crime mapping, and the recent attention to theories of social disorganization are all examples of the renewed appreciation for understanding the social and environmental context within which crime occurs. However, most studies of the ecological context of crime have focused on urban settings, with little research attention in less metropolitan areas. Despite a growing interest in rural crime, it remains an under-studied issue. The study reported here used a national county-level data set to consider whether variables commonly used to predict urban crime patterns can be applied similarly to more rural settings. The results showed that, although ecological and structural factors did a good job of predicting urban patterns of crime, they were less predictive of crime rates in more rural counties. Further, the constellation of variables that best predicted urban crime rates was not identical to the set that best predicted rural crime rates.
The Effect of Social Bonds on Successful Adjustment to Probation: An Event History Analysis
Authors: Hepburn John R. , Griffin Marie L.
Published: May 2005

Recent studies of the effect of social bonds on offenders' adjustment to probation have produced mixed results, with some suggestion that successful adjustment is the result of the deterrent effects of probation supervision rather than the stabilizing effects of social bonds. This article reports the results of a study of child molesters entering probation and is thus focused on an offender population that maximizes the physical and social estrangement from society. The article uses measures of employment and of the quality of social relationships with family and friends to test the hypothesis that social bonds will significantly affect successful adjustment to probation supervision. An event history analysis of the data provides rather uniform support for the hypothesis that positive social bonds enhance offenders' positive adjustment to supervision. Employment was found to have a significant effect on the length of time to an unsuccessful probation termination, and support of family and support of friends were found to affect both the time to a revocation petition and the time to an unsuccessful termination. These findings have important implications for offenders' ability to successfully adjust to the problems of community reentry.
Race for Your Life: An Analysis of the Role of Race in Erroneous Capital Convictions
Authors: Harmon Talia Roitberg
Published: May 2005

Prior research on the role of race in wrongful capital convictions has focused primarily on the race of the defendant. In contrast, this article begins with two case studies that illustrate the impact of the race of the defendant and also the race of the victim in contributing to erroneous convictions. The second section of this article identifies the race of the defendant and the victim in 82 cases where prisoners were released from death row because of doubts about their guilt and in a matched group of inmates who were executed. Through the use of three logistic regression models, the combination of the race of the defendant and the race of the victim is identified as a significant predictor of case outcome (exoneration vs. execution). The results also indicate that an indirect relationship may exist between the combination of the race of the defendant and the victim, the strength of the evidence, and case outcome.
Researcher-Practitioner Collaboration in Community Corrections: Overcoming Hurdles for Successful Partnerships
Authors: Lane Jodi , Turner Susan , Flores Carmen
Published: May 2005

Funding agencies now generally require that projects include an evaluation component as part of their grant proposals, but there are no clear guidelines to help researchers and practitioners work together once funding is awarded. The authors of this article have experience working together as the evaluators and program manager on a recently completed four-year demonstration project designed to provide multiagency services to youth on probation in South Oxnard, California. We believe that our experiences can help other researchers and practitioners to understand practical and philosophical components of collaboration. We first discuss our differing perspectives on key issues and resulting tensions that arose. Next, we discuss strategies that we used to create a good working relationship, as well as the benefits that we gained from this partnership.
Community Member Reactions to Prison Siting: Perceptions of Prison Impact on Economic Factors
Authors: Myers David L. , Martin Randy
Published: May 2005

Recent increases in prison populations and growth in prison construction have brought issues related to prison siting to the forefront. Although the NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) syndrome is often discussed in literature pertaining to prisons and community development, relatively little empirical research has been devoted to this topic. Based on a survey of residents of a county in which construction of a new prison was just beginning, this article focuses on the perceived impact of the new prison on future property values, the economy, and the cost of living. Consistent with the literature, proximity to the prison and several demographic variables were found to be significant predictors of perceptions of prison impact. However, concerns about prison visitors coming into the community and expectations about future crime and safety had the strongest impact on these perceptions.
Present and Presenting: An Exploratory Analysis of Panel Attendance and Participation at the 1997 Annual Meeting of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS)
Authors: Hale Donna C. , Austin, Thomas L. , Firey Carla , Ortiz Smykla John
Published: May 2005

Very few studies are available that examine annual meetings of professional organizations. Over the years, the Executive Board of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS) has discussed the problem of "no-shows," individuals who have papers accepted for presentation at the ACJS annual meeting but do not show up to present their papers. In order to test several assumptions regarding attendance and participation, a short survey was administered to panel chairs at the 1997 ACJS annual meeting. Results of the survey were mixed. The most notable finding involved the effect of the day of the panel on preconference cancellations, no-shows, and attendance. Several recommendations are offered to improve attendance and participation at future meetings.
Seeking the Truth: An Alternative to Conservative and Liberal Thinking in Criminology
Authors: Braswell Michael C. , Whitehead John T.
Published: May 2005

Greater balance in criminological analysis is proposed by the authors as an alternative to partisan pursuits. Rather than rigidly defend a liberal or conservative position, it is more important to use whole sight and to ask more relevant and meaningful questions. An examination of prison research suggests that much of the writing on this issue has suffered from either liberal or conservative partisanship instead of flowing from a more open-minded seeking of the truth. Some examples of writing and research that suggest a more balanced approach are offered.
Developing Local Police and Federal Law Enforcement Partnerships: G.R.E.A.T. as a Case Study of Policy Implementation
Authors: Winfree L. Thomas , Lynskey Dana Peterson , Maupin James R.
Published: May 2005

This article deals with the evolution of the Gang Resistance Education and Training program (G.R.E.A.T.), from conceptual idea to policy implementation. In late May 1991, U.S. Senator Dennis DeConcini attended a "town hall meeting" of Phoenix-area police agencies. At that meeting, informal discussions about a law enforcement-based anti-gang program similar to Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) was discussed. By the spring of 1992, a prototype program was presented to a school in the Phoenix area. Within months of this offering, the resulting program was being offered in schools across the nation. From that point to the present, there seems to be little disagreement as to what has transpired. It is toward the origins of the program that this article is directed, and to the sometimes tortuous path that the program and its progenitors followed to go from idea to implementation of G.R.E.A.T. Ultimately, our goal is to compare and contrast this instance of intergovernmental cooperation with the extant literature and determine the extent to which the creation of G.R.E.A.T. as a case study adds to our understanding of how criminal justice policy moves from an idea to implementation.
Charitable Choice and Prison Ministries: Constitutional and Institutional Challenges to Rehabilitating the American Penal System
Authors: McDaniel Charles , Davis Derek H. , Neff Sabrina A.
Published: May 2005

The influence of faith-based prison ministries in the American criminal justice system is examined in the context of the Bush Administration’s efforts to subsidize the social service activities of religious organizations. Studies on the efficacy of prison ministries in rehabilitation are inconclusive; however, some evidence suggests that these programs may be effective in reducing rates of recidivism and improving prison behavior and inmates’ adjustment to life after incarceration. Preliminary reports have prompted politicians, social scientists, and religious leaders to recommend subsidization of prison ministries. Yet government funding in advance of more detailed analysis of effectiveness jeopardizes the voluntary spirit that invigorates such efforts and that may be a key to their success. Public funding also risks the entanglement of state and religious institutions, incentivizes faith groups to jettison doctrines or practices that impede the procurement of funds, and breaks down barriers established by the First Amendment to keep government out of American religious life.
Organizational Obstacles to Participation in Community Crime Prevention Programs
Authors: Schneider Stephen
Published: May 2005

The term "organizational obstacles" refers to impediments to participation in community crime prevention groups and activities that stem from program implementation weaknesses. Given the importance that community-based organizations (CBOs) play in mobilizing neighborhoods, these weaknesses can be fatal to collective crime prevention efforts. Based upon research in a poor, high-crime neighborhood in Vancouver, Canada, this article identifies and examines how CBOs may actually inhibit participation in collective crime prevention groups and activities. Program implementation deficiencies that contributed to low participation rates in this neighborhood include weak and ineffectual community outreach and communication, a lack of strong leadership, inadequate resources, a technical and instrumental approach to crime prevention, and the nurturing of a narrow sociodemographic identity of crime prevention program participants that may be exclusionary. The inadequacies of the dominant crime prevention theories and the failure of applied models in promoting a broad-based mobilization of disadvantaged neighborhoods expose the need to develop and apply alternative theories to these unique environments. These alternative theories must pay greater attention to essential collective action processes underlying community crime prevention, emphasizing emotionally based organizing approaches (such as political advocacy, social development, and community development), which may appeal more to the poor and other marginalized groups.
Gender and the Victim-Offender Relationship in Homicide: A Comparison of Finland and the United States
Authors: Messner Steven F. , Savolainen Jukka
Published: May 2005

Prior work in homicide research has demonstrated hat gender patterns in victimization vary considerably both over time and across sociocultural contexts. Our research focuses on cross-national comparisons of the gender gap in the risk of homicide victimization (i.e., the ratio of male to female victimization rates). We argue that aggregated differences in the gender gap may concal theoretically meaningfsl patterns in distinct types of lethal violence. Specifically, we predict that differences in the gender gap in homicide victimization between Finland and the United States are not unifonn across all forms of homicides but depend on the nature of the relationship between the victim and the offender. Our findings provide strong support for this basic hypothesis and illustrate the utility of disaggregated analysis in cross-national homicide research.
Thinking about Crime and Control: A Comparative Study of Chinese and American Ideology
Authors: Cao Liqun , Cullen Francis T.
Published: May 2005

Although criminological interest in the People's Republic of China(PRC) has grown considerably, depictions of Chinese crime-related ideology are based largely on interviews with PRC officials, personal observations, and secondary source material. Using samples from the PRC and the United States, we explore cross-cultural differences and similarities in crime ideology. Three conclusions are suggested. First, in contrast with "official" crime ideology, PRC citizens are more likely to attribute criminal behavior to structural defects in the social order. Second, Chinese and American ideology overlaps to a considerable degree, with respondents in both nations manifesting multidimensional views on crime causation and social control. Third, despite similarities, cultural differences are also found, especially with regard to the exercise of state power within the criminal justice system.
Punishing Juvenile Offenders in Russia
Authors: Williams James L. , Rodeheaver Daniel G.
Published: May 2005

The current literature onjuvenilejustice in Russia is limited and tends to focus on the former Soviet Union. Using newly transled data we exunine the police and cowt dispositions ofjuveniles tested forseriousoffenses in Russiaduringthe period 1990-1999. Thetotal crime rate forjuveniles increased dramatically during this period, as did rests and convictions. Mostjuveniles were arested for theft. There was, however, a unexplained ptn of significantly lower rests and convictions for rape. About half of serious juvenile offenders arrested dwing this period were convicted of some offense. More than half ofthose who were convicted were sentenced to some form of incacton. The use of certain punishments, such as confnement to labor colonies, as well as the use of amnesties, declined during this period. We discuss implications of the findings and suggest additional research.
Transnational Criminality: An Analysis of the Illegal Wildlife Market in Southern Africa
Authors: Warchol Greg L. , Zupan Linda L. , Clack Willie
Published: May 2005

Transnational crime, the illicit procurement, transportation, and distribution of commodities across international borders, is an area of increasing interest for criminologists. Most of the current research focuses on drug trafficking, human smuggling, and money laundering. However, one serious type of transnational crime, the large-scale exploitation and theft of natural resources, has yet to be studied in detail by criminologists. This article reports the results of a descriptive criminological analysis of a specific kind of transnational criminality involving the theft of natural resources-the transnational illegal wildlife trade. The findings include a description of the organization and operation of the illicit wildlife market and profiles of the participants and their motivations and methods.
Explaining Variation in Crime Victimization Across Nations and within Nations
Authors: Neapolitan Jerome L.
Published: May 2005

Cross-national research on crime has been hampered by the lack of comparability of official crime data across nations. The International Crime Victimization Surveys (ICVS) provide crime data that avoid the problems of national variations in defining, reporting, and recording crimes. The research reported in this article uses ICVS data to examine the two major theoretical perspectives on cross-national crime variation-modernization and economic stress. Little support is found for the modernization perspective, and moderate support is found for the economic stress perspective. By examining differences in victimization rates between people below and above the median income within nations, this article also examines whether culture moderates the effect of economic stress on crime victimization. Results indicate that cultural context does influence whether people below or above median income are more frequently crime victims, particularly in Asian nations.
After the Fall: Czech Police in a Post-Communist Era
Authors: Jenks David A. , Costelloe Michael T. , Krebs Christopher P.
Published: May 2005

This article identifies, describes, and analyzes the changes within the Prague Police during the post-Communist period. The Prague Police are the primary law enforcement entity in the capital, which is the largest city in the Czech Republic, one of two countries that constituted the fonner state of Czechoslovakia. The article focuses on the movement of the Prague Police toward a democratic policing organizational structure, stressing the successes and failures that they have encountered. Interviews with 12 key informants, supplemented by media accounts and a variety of other sources, are utilized to explore the unique experiences encountered by that agency. Results indicate that a great deal has been accomplished by the Prague Police in their efforts to move toward what is commonly defined as a democratic style of policing.
Does Severe Punishment Mean Less Criminality?
Authors: Kury Helmut , Ferdinand, Theodore N. , Obergfell-Fuchs Joachim
Published: May 2005

Historical and international data from criminal justice archives and recent victim surveys show that neither the death penalty nor long-term imprisonment significantly deters criminality. Punitivity is defined and demonstrated in law, public opinion, and social history, and political and economic institutions particularly are viewed as shaping it-for example, America's populism and Europe's elitism. America's harsh punitivity relative to other Western nations is examined and understood in terms of the historical roots of pro-death penalty and abolitionist regions. Within this discussion the findings of Savelsberg and Garland are carefully examined.
The Control Model in a Mega-Prison: Governing Prisons in Taiwan
Authors: Hsu Hua-Fu
Published: May 2005

Through an examination of regime and authority structures, this article explores the successful management of a large inmate population in one Taiwanese prison and demonstrates that the control model borrowed from the West appears to work better in Taiwan than in the U.S. Through observation, sampling, examination of documentation, and extensive interviews of staff and inmates, a picture emerges of a management system that, perhaps ironically, appears to better exemplify George Beto's Texas control-oriented philosophy of prison management than that in Western facilities.
Victims' Needs and the Availability of Services: A Comparison of Burglary Victims in Poland, Hungary, and England
Authors: Mawby R. I. , Gorgenyi I. , Ostrihanska Z. , Walklate S. , Wojcik D.
Published: May 2005

Concern for victims of crime is reflected in a wide range of policy initiatives worldwide, but research on the needs of victims and the availability and appropriateness of victim services is largely restricted to a small number of Western industrial societies, and little of it is cross-national. This paper describes a comparative survey of burglary victims in five cities in Poland, Hungary, and England. Although the nature of household burglaries was found to vary in the three countries, victims' reactions to burglary in Poland and Hungary largely conformed to the pattern found in Anglo-American research. However, there were some indications that Polish victims in particular were most severely affected. Service availability is also considered in some detail, with the English experience of Victim Support as a well established agency responding to the needs of victims in general and burglary victims in particular contrasted with less well established developments in Poland and Hungary, where needs far outstrip service provision.
Weltanschauung of Crime: Revisited
Authors: Zvekic Ugljesa
Published: May 2005

This paper compares and attempts to integrate the results of the two largest international empirical sources of crime and criminal justice data (the United Nations Survey of Crime Trends and Operations of Criminal Justice Systems and the International Crime Victim Survey) with respect to world crime levels. These two sources provide different pictures of conventional crime from an international perspective. One of the main factors contributing to differences in crime levels based on these two international data sources relates to police reporting patterns. These are much higher in the industrialized world compared with other developmental regions. Differences are due to a number of factors related to the propensity to report to the police, including the degree of insurance coverage and the public confidence in police. Comparative analysis stimulates discussion on the relationships between development and crime, particularly in relation to the modernization theory. The results seriously challenge modernization theory, whose empirical base is composed exclusively of official criminal justice statistics. The International Crime Victim Survey empirical base, composed of citizens' direct experience with crime and reporting to the police, serously undermines the very foundations of the prevalent explanatory paradigm regarding development and crime relationships.
Patrol Officer Responses to Citizen Feedback: An Experimental Analysis
Authors: Wells William , Horney Julie , Maguire Edward R.
Published: May 2005

Police organizations that implement community policing often seek new ways to measure officer performance. One important way to measure officer and organizational performance is through surveys of citizens. Although many police departments survey citizens, research has generally overlooked the manner in which this information is used and the effects of citizen feedback. This research describes one program that provides citizen feedback to patrol officers in hopes of increasing the quality of service that they provide. Using a randomized design, the authors test the effects of providing citizen feedback to officers on their job performance and attitudes. Results show that citizen feedback does not alter officers’ performance, attitudes toward the communities they serve, and activities that put them in close contact with those communities. The authors discuss potential explanations for finding no effects of the feedback intervention and pose directions for future research.
Perceptions of Police and Safety in a Small Town
Authors: Nofziger Stacey , Williams L. Susan
Published: May 2005

This study examines how perceptions of police affect feelings of safety in the community. Using a community survey from a nonmetropolitan area, this study investigates predictors of confidence in police and whether confidence decreases concern with safety. Findings indicate confidence in police is influenced predominantly by impressions that crime has decreased in the community or by having a positive encounter with police. In turn, confidence in police significantly increases feeling safe. These findings suggest that fear of crime can be reduced through positive interactions between police and community residents. Thus, in addition to effectively enforcing the law, efforts to develop good community relations are important for police in smaller town settings, just as for urban police.
Diaspora, a large family of Ty3-gypsy retrotransposons in Glycine max, is an envelope-less member of an endogenous plant retrovirus lineage
Authors: Yano Sho T , Panbehi Bahman , Das Arpita , Laten Howard M
Published: May 2005

Background

The chromosomes of higher plants are littered with retrotransposons that, in many cases, constitute as much as 80% of plant genomes. Long terminal repeat retrotransposons have been especially successful colonizers of the chromosomes of higher plants and examinations of their function, evolution, and dispersal are essential to understanding the evolution of eukaryotic genomes. In soybean, several families of retrotransposons have been identified, including at least two that, by virtue of the presence of an envelope-like gene, may constitute endogenous retroviruses. However, most elements are highly degenerate and are often sequestered in regions of the genome that sequencing projects initially shun. In addition, finding potentially functional copies from genomic DNA is rare. This study provides a mechanism to surmount these issues to generate a consensus sequence that can then be functionally and phylogenetically evaluated.

Results

Diaspora is a multicopy member of the Ty3-gypsy-like family of LTR retrotransposons and comprises at least 0.5% of the soybean genome. Although the Diaspora family is highly degenerate, and with the exception of this report, is not represented in the Genbank nr database, a full-length consensus sequence was generated from short overlapping sequences using a combination of experimental and in silico methods. Diaspora is 11,737 bp in length and contains a single 1892-codon ORF that encodes a gag-pol polyprotein. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that it is closely related to Athila and Calypso retroelements from Arabidopsis and soybean, respectively. These in turn form the framework of an endogenous retrovirus lineage whose members possess an envelope-like gene. Diaspora appears to lack any trace of this coding region.

Conclusion

A combination of empirical sequencing and retrieval of unannotated Genome Survey Sequence database entries was successfully used to construct a full-length representative of the Diaspora family in Glycine max. Diaspora is presently the only fully characterized member of a lineage of putative plant endogenous retroviruses that contains virtually no trace of an extra coding region. The loss of an envelope-like coding domain suggests that non-infectious retrotransposons could swiftly evolve from infectious retroviruses, possibly by anomalous splicing of genomic RNA.
Early life factors, childhood cognition and postal questionnaire response rate in middle age: the Aberdeen Children of the 1950sstudy
Authors: Nishiwaki Yuji , Clark Heather , Morton Susan M , Leon David A
Published: May 2005

Background

Little is known about the relationship between early life factors and survey response in epidemiological studies of adults.

Methods

The Children of the 1950s cohort is composed of 12,150 children (boys 51.7%) born in Aberdeen 1950–56 and in primary schools in the city in 1962. Information on birth weight, gestational age, growth, behaviour and socio-economic position at birth and in childhood were obtained from contemporaneous records. Cognitive test scores at ages 7,9 and 11 years were also available from school records. The outcome was response to a postal questionnaire sent (2001–2003) to surviving cohort members in middle age.

Results

Of 11,282 potentially mailed subjects, 7,183 (63.7%) returned questionnaires. Response rates were highest among females, and those whose parents were married at birth, were in a non-manual social class at birth or in childhood, had fewer siblings, were taller and heavier in childhood for their age and had lower Rutter B behavioural scores. Childhood cognitive test scores at every age were strongly and positively related to the response rate to a postal questionnaire independently of other early life factors monotonically across the entire range of test scores. Those in the bottom fifth at age 11 had a response rate of 49% while those in the top fifth 75%.

Conclusion

The strength and consistency of the association of childhood cognition with questionnaire response rate in middle age is surprisingly large. It suggests that childhood cognition across the entire normal range is a powerful influence on the complex set of later behaviours that comprise questionnaire response. The extent of possible response bias in epidemiological studies of the associations between childhood characteristics (particularly those related to cognition) and later health is probably larger than is generally realised, at least in situations where the survey instrument is a postal questionnaire.
Incidence of stillbirth and perinatal mortality and their associated factors among women delivering at Harare Maternity Hospital, Zimbabwe: a cross-sectional retrospective analysis
Authors: Feresu Shingairai A , Harlow Siobán D , Welch Kathy , Gillespie Brenda W
Published: May 2005

Background

Death of an infant in utero or at birth has always been a devastating experience for the mother and of concern in clinical practice. Infant mortality remains a challenge in the care of pregnant women worldwide, but particularly for developing countries and the need to understand contributory factors is crucial for addressing appropriate perinatal health.

Methods

Using information available in obstetric records for all deliveries (17,072 births) at Harare Maternity Hospital, Zimbabwe, we conducted a cross-sectional retrospective analysis of a one-year data, (1997–1998) to assess demographic and obstetric risk factors for stillbirth and early neonatal death. We estimated risk of stillbirth and early neonatal death for each potential risk factor.

Results

The annual frequency of stillbirth was 56 per 1,000 total births. Women delivering stillbirths and early neonatal deaths were less likely to receive prenatal care (adjusted relative risk [RR] = 2.54; 95% confidence intervals [CI] 2.19–2.94 and RR = 2.52; 95% CI 1.63–3.91), which for combined stillbirths and early neonatal deaths increased with increasing gestational age (Hazard Ratio [HR] = 3.98, HR = 7.49 at 28 and 40 weeks of gestation, respectively). Rural residence was associated with risk of infant dying in utero, (RR = 1.33; 95% CI 1.12–1.59), and the risk of death increased with increasing gestational age (HR = 1.04, HR = 1.69, at 28 and 40 weeks of gestation, respectively). Older maternal age was associated with risk of death (HR = 1.50; 95% CI 1.21–1.84). Stillbirths were less likely to be delivered by Cesarean section (RR = 0.64; 95% CI 0.51–0.79), but more likely to be delivered as breech (RR = 4.65; 95% CI 3.88–5.57, as were early neonatal deaths (RR = 3.38; 95% CI 1.64–6.96).

Conclusion

The frequency of stillbirth, especially macerated, is high, 27 per 1000 total births. Early prenatal care could help reduce perinatal death linking the woman to the health care system, increasing the probability that she would seek timely emergency care that would reduce the likelihood of death of her infant in utero. Improved quality of obstetric care during labor and delivery may help reduce the number of fresh stillbirths and early neonatal deaths.
Oogenesis in cultures derived from adult human ovaries
Authors: Bukovsky Antonin , Svetlikova Marta , Caudle Michael R
Published: May 2005

Ten years ago, we reported that in adult human females the ovarian surface epithelium (OSE) is a source of germ cells. Recently, we also demonstrated that new primary follicles are formed by assembly of oocytes with nests of primitive granulosa cells in the ovarian cortex. The components of the new primary follicles, primitive granulosa and germ cells, differentiated sequentially from the OSE, which arises from cytokeratin positive mesenchymal progenitor cells residing in the ovarian tunica albuginea. In the present study, we investigated the possibility that the oocytes and granulosa cells may differentiate in cultures derived from adult human ovaries. Cells were scrapped from the surface of ovaries and cultured for 5 to 6 days, in the presence or absence of estrogenic stimuli [phenol red (PhR)]. The OSE cells cultured in the medium without PhR differentiated into small (15 micron) cells of granulosa phenotype, and epithelial, neural, and mesenchymal type cells. In contrast, OSE cells cultured in the presence of PhR differentiated directly into large (180 micron) cells of the oocyte phenotype. Such cells exhibited germinal vesicle breakdown, expulsion of the polar body, and surface expression of zona pellucida proteins, i.e. characteristics of secondary oocytes. These in vitro studies confirm our in vivo observations that in adult human ovaries, the OSE is a bipotent source of oocytes and granulosa cells. Development of numerous mature oocytes from adult ovarian stem cells in vitro offers new strategies for the egg preservation, IVF utilization, and treatment of female infertility. In addition, other clinical applications aiming to utilize stem cells, and basic stem cell research as well, may employ totipotent embryonic stem cells developing from fertilized oocytes.
Oral Testosterone in Oil Plus Dutasteride in Men: A Pharmacokinetic Study
Authors: Amory John K. , Bremner William J.
Published: May 2005

Testosterone (T) is not administered orally, because it has been reported to be rapidly metabolized by the liver. We hypothesized that sufficient doses of T or T enanthate (TE), administered orally in oil, would result in clinically useful elevations in serum T. We also hypothesized that coadministration of dutasteride (D) with T or TE would minimize increases in serum DHT seen previously with oral administration. Therefore, we conducted a pharmacokinetic study of oral T and TE in oil, with and without concomitant D, in normal men whose T production had been temporarily suppressed by the GnRH antagonist acyline. Thirteen healthy men (mean age, 24 ± 6 yr) were enrolled and assigned to oral T (n = 7) and oral TE (n = 6) groups and were administered 200, 400, or 800 mg of either T or TE in sesame oil in the morning on 3 successive days 24 h after receiving acyline. Blood samples for measurement of serum T and dihydrotestosterone were obtained before T or TE administration and 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 24 h after administration. Subjects were then administered D for 4 d before repeating the sequence of T or TE doses with D. Serum T was significantly increased in a dose-dependent fashion with the administration of oral T or TE in oil. Coadministration of D with oral T or TE significantly increased the 24-hr average serum T levels compared with administration of T or TE alone [average serum T after 400 mg dose, 8.7 ± 3.0 nmol/l (T) and 8.3 ± 5.7 nmol/l (TE) vs. 16.1 ± 5.8 nmol/l (T +D) and 15.0 ± 8.8 nmol/l (TE + D); P < 0.05 for T vs. T and D]. The administration of oral T or TE in oil combined with D results in unexpected and potentially therapeutic increases in serum T. Additional studies of this combination as a novel form of oral androgen therapy are warranted.
Immunoglobulin G Subclasses and Prolactin (PRL) Isoforms in Macroprolactinemia Due to Anti-PRL Autoantibodies
Authors: Hattori Naoki , Ikekubo Katsuji , Nakaya Yasuhisa , Kitagawa Kaori , Inagaki Chiyoko
Published: May 2005

Although macroprolactinemia due to antiprolactin (anti-PRL) autoantibodies is not uncommon among hyperprolactinemic patients, the pathogenesis of such macroprolactinemia is still unknown. We examined IgG subclasses of anti-PRL autoantibodies by enzyme immunoassay, and PRL phosphorylation and isoforms by Western blotting, mass spectrometry, and two-dimensional electrophoresis in six patients with anti-PRL autoantibodies and in 29 controls. PRL-specific IgG subclasses in patients with anti-PRL autoantibodies were heterogeneous, but five of six patients showed IgG4 predominance, which is known to be produced by chronic antigen stimulation. Western blot and mass spectrometric analyses revealed that human pituitary PRL was phosphorylated at serine 194 and serine 163, whereas serine 163 in serum PRL was dephosphorylated. On two-dimensional electrophoresis, serum PRL mainly consisted of isoform with isoelectric point (pI) 6.58 in control hyperprolactinemic patients, whereas acidic isoforms (pIs 6.43 and 6.29) were also observed in patients with anti-PRL autoantibodies. Our data first demonstrate that human pituitary PRL is serine phosphorylated and partially dephosphorylated in serum, and suggest that the acidic isoforms may give rise to chronic antigen stimulation in patients with anti-PRL autoantibodies.
Arterial Stiffness Is Related to Insulin Resistance in Nondiabetic Hypertensive Older Adults
Authors: Sengstock David M. , Vaitkevicius Peter V. , Supiano Mark A.
Published: May 2005

Hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and aging are associated with increased arterial stiffness. Both insulin resistance and hyperglycemia may contribute to the development of arterial stiffness. Older nondiabetic hypertensive adults were recruited to test the following hypotheses: (1) insulin resistance is associated with arterial stiffness, and (2) this relationship is independent of glucose tolerance status. Aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV), pulse pressure (PP), insulin sensitivity index (SI, measured by insulin-assisted frequently sampled iv glucose test), glucose tolerance status, and abdominal fat mass were assessed in 37 older (23 male, 14 female, mean age 69.4 ± 5.9 yr), nondiabetic, hypertensive adults after a 4-wk antihypertensive medication withdrawal. Both PWV and PP were negatively correlated with SI (r = −0.49, P = 0.002, and r = −0.38, P = 0.02, respectively). The mean PWV and PP in those with normal glucose tolerance were not significantly different from those with impaired glucose tolerance (9.8 ± 2.4 vs. 10.0 ± 3.1 m/sec, P = 0.79 and 71 ± 17 vs. 72 ± 18 mm Hg, P = 0.80, respectively). In multiple regression analysis, PWV and PP remained independently correlated with SI (P < 0.05) after adjusting for age, gender, fasting glucose, glucose tolerance status, body mass index, or abdominal fat mass. These results suggest that in hypertensive, nondiabetic, older adults, insulin resistance is associated with arterial stiffness independent of glucose tolerance status.
Selective Theca Cell Dysfunction in Autoimmune Oophoritis Results in Multifollicular Development, Decreased Estradiol, and Elevated Inhibin B Levels
Authors: Welt Corrine K. , Falorni Alberto , Taylor Ann E. , Martin Kathryn A. , Hall Janet E.
Published: May 2005

We describe the clinical course of three women with presumptive autoimmune oophoritis who developed multiple follicles but very low to undetectable estradiol levels. Multiple follicles developed spontaneously in all subjects and during pulsatile GnRH treatment for ovulation induction in subject 1. The development of multiple dominant follicles was accompanied by LH levels in the postmenopausal range and FSH levels at the upper limit for premenopausal women. Serum inhibin B levels were elevated appropriately in the setting of multifollicular development, but estradiol levels remained low. Measurement of estradiol precursors demonstrated androstenedione and estrone levels below the 95th percentile in normal women. Adrenal cortical antibodies, and antibodies to 21-hydroxylase and P450 side chain cleavage enzymes were identified in all subjects. All subjects met the criteria for premature ovarian failure during follow-up. Subject 1 later developed adrenal failure, whereas subject 3 had adrenal failure at the time of the study.

These subjects elucidate the hormonal pattern in autoimmune oophoritis, before the full criteria for premature ovarian failure are met. The elevated inhibin A and B levels, which accompany the development of multiple small and dominant follicles in these women, suppress FSH relative to LH levels, virtually independent of estradiol. These data provide further evidence for an important role of inhibin B and inhibin A in the negative feedback control of FSH. In addition, the normal inhibin A and inhibin B production in the absence of estradiol precursors and estradiol provide insight into the selective dysfunction of the theca cells in autoimmune oophoritis.
Sympathetic Modulation by Carvedilol and Losartan Reduces Angiotensin II-Mediated Lipolysis in Subcutaneous and Visceral Fat
Authors: Cabassi Aderville , Coghi Pietro , Govoni Paolo , Barouhiel Elisa , Speroni Ester , Cavazzini Stefania , Cantoni Anna Maria , Scandroglio Renato , Fiaccadori Enrico
Published: May 2005

Advanced heart failure is characterized by increased activation of the renin-angiotensin system and the development of cachexia. Angiotensin II (Ang II) has been proposed as a lipid metabolism regulator. The effects of exogenous Ang II (osmotic minipump, 525 ng/kg/min for 12 d) on interstitial sc glycerol and norepinephrine levels, indexes of lipolysis, and sympathetic activation, respectively, were measured in Sprague Dawley rats by consecutive microdialysis performed in vivo in white adipose tissue. Higher sustained interstitial glycerol and norepinephrine levels were found after 7 and 12 d of Ang II infusion. Triglyceride to DNA content ratio and adipocyte diameter were reduced in sc and visceral (retroperitoneal and epididymal) fat tissues of Ang II-infused rats, whose body weight was lower and blood pressure higher. Losartan, an Ang II receptor 1 blocker, and carvedilol, an α1-nonselective-β1,2,3-adrenergic blocker, but not doxazosin, an α1-selective-adrenergic blocker, lowered glycerol and norepinephrine levels, preventing lipolysis and weight loss. Our results indicate that Ang II stimulates lipolysis in sc and visceral adipocytes by sympathetic activation and β-adrenergic-receptor stimulation. Nonselective-β-adrenergic and Ang II-receptor1 blockade markedly attenuated the rise of norepinephrine, preventing catabolic effects. The metabolic benefits of carvedilol and losartan, in addition to recognized protective cardiovascular effects, may be relevant in cachectic patients with advanced heart failure.