bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
rhlA is required for the production of a novel biosurfactant promoting swarming motility in Pseudomonas aeruginosa: 3-(3-hydroxyalkanoyloxy)alkanoic acids (HAAs), the precursors of rhamnolipids
Authors: Déziel Eric , Lépine François , Milot Sylvain , Villemur Richard
Published: August 2003

Pseudomonas aeruginosaproduces extracellular glycolipids composed ofl-rhamnose and 3-hydroxyalkanoic acid called rhamnolipids. Although these compounds are usually regarded as biosurfactants or haemolysins, their exact physiological function is not well understood. Rhamnolipids are synthesized by a rhamnosyltransferase, encoded by therhlABoperon, which catalyses the transfer of TDP-l-rhamnose to 3-(3-hydroxyalkanoyloxy)alkanoic acid (HAA) moieties of various lengths. RhlB is the catalytic protein of the rhamnosyltransferase.rhlAis indispensable for rhamnolipid synthesis, but its function is unknown. Using a liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry method, the production of extracellular HAAs byP. aeruginosawas detected previously and it was demonstrated that they are the actual precursors of rhamnolipid biosynthesis. In this report, evidence is presented indicating thatrhlAis required for production of HAAs and that these HAAs display potent surface-active properties.P.aeruginosacan colonize surfaces by swarming motility, a form of organized translocation requiring the production of wetting agents. UsingrhlAandrhlBmutants it was observed that swarming requires the expression of therhlAgene but does not necessitate rhamnolipid production, as HAAs act as surfactants. Finally, it was shown that the use of ammonium instead of nitrate as source of nitrogen and an excess of available iron both decreaserhlAexpression and swarming motility.
Control of growth, secondary metabolism and sporulation in Streptomyces venezuelae ISP5230 by jadW 1, a member of the afsA family of γ-butyrolactone regulatory genes
Authors: Wang Liru , Vining Leo C.
Published: August 2003

Three new genes (jadW1,jadW2andjadW3) were isolated from a region of theStreptomyces venezuelaeISP5230 chromosome at the left-hand end of thejadcluster for jadomycin B (JdB) biosynthesis. The deduced amino acid sequence ofjadW1showed strong similarity to gene products associated in several streptomycetes withγ-butyrolactone autoregulators controlling morphological differentiation and secondary metabolism. Examination of JadW1for conserved domains detected a repeat sequence characteristic of proteins in the AfsA regulatory family. Insertional inactivation ofjadW1reduced the growth rate ofS. venezuelaecultures in aerated liquid media containing complex nitrogen sources and altered growth morphology in minimal medium. It also affected sporulation on agar media. Cultures ofjadW1-disrupted mutants grown under conditions supporting biosynthesis of JdB or chloramphenicol by the wild-type strain failed to produce either of the antibiotics. Complementing the disrupted strain by transformation with pJV435, containing a cloned copy of the gene, improved sporulation and restored antibiotic biosynthesis in transformants to titres close to those of the wild-type similarly transformed with pJV435 as a control. The results are consistent with a role forjadW1in regulating morphological and metabolic differentiation. Further sequence analysis ofjadR2, which functions withjadR1in stress-induced activation of JdB biosynthesis, indicated that this gene encodes aγ-butyrolactone receptor homologue. The growth-rate-sensitive phenotype of thejadW1-disrupted mutant, and the proximity ofjadW1tojadR2indicate that this region of thejadgene cluster contains a regulatory mechanism incorporatingγ-butyrolactone signalling and sensitivity to environmental stress.
Role of GlnB and GlnK in ammonium control of both nitrogenase systems in the phototrophic bacterium Rhodobacter capsulatus
Authors: Drepper Thomas , Groß Silke , Yakunin Alexander F. , Hallenbeck Patrick C. , Masepohl Bernd , Klipp Werner
Published: August 2003

In most bacteria, nitrogen metabolism is tightly regulated and PII proteins play a pivotal role in the regulatory processes. Rhodobacter capsulatus possesses two genes (glnB and glnK) encoding PII-like proteins. The glnB gene forms part of a glnB–glnA operon and the glnK gene is located immediately upstream of amtB, encoding a (methyl-) ammonium transporter. Expression of glnK is activated by NtrC under nitrogen-limiting conditions. The synthesis and activity of the molybdenum and iron nitrogenases of R. capsulatus are regulated by ammonium on at least three levels, including the transcriptional activation of nifA1, nifA2 and anfA by NtrC, the regulation of NifA and AnfA activity by two different NtrC-independent mechanisms, and the post-translational control of the activity of both nitrogenases by reversible ADP-ribosylation of NifH and AnfH as well as by ADP-ribosylation independent switch-off. Mutational analysis revealed that both PII-like proteins are involved in the ammonium regulation of the two nitrogenase systems. A mutation in glnB results in the constitutive expression of nifA and anfA. In addition, the post-translational ammonium inhibition of NifA activity is completely abolished in a glnB–glnK double mutant. However, AnfA activity was still suppressed by ammonium in the glnB–glnK double mutant. Furthermore, the PII-like proteins are involved in ammonium control of nitrogenase activity via ADP-ribosylation and the switch-off response. Remarkably, in the glnB–glnK double mutant, all three levels of the ammonium regulation of the molybdenum (but not of the alternative) nitrogenase are completely circumvented, resulting in the synthesis of active molybdenum nitrogenase even in the presence of high concentrations of ammonium.
“Sustainable Development” as Collective Surge
Authors: Aguirre Benigno E.
Published: August 2003

The purpose of this article is to examine a surge in the sciences surrounding the use of the concept of sustainable development. Data come from the annual frequencies of publications in various disciplines that use the concept of sustainable development as well as from a content analysis of documents. The article concludes that the surge was characterized by the use by scientists of established concepts in a new way, a form of cultural emergence; a prevailing locus of interaction revolving around a professional ideology; the prevalence of the emotions of fear and hope of deliverance from the threat; and an international arena of discourse occurring over a period of years and bounded by class‐professional identities. The article demonstrates that a newer understanding of fads as collective surges in the sociology specialty area of collective behavior helps describe the use in the sciences of the concept of sustainable development during the late 1980s and 1990s. The surge is relatively short‐lived, coterminous with the use of different meanings and practices of sustainable development. It cannot be understood as a superficial, odd, inconsequential, or frivolous event. Rather, it had important, lasting consequences in a number of areas, from economic and social development to professions.
Patterns of genome duplication within theBrassica napusgenome
Authors: Parkin I A.P , Sharpe A G , Lydiate D J
Published: August 2003

The progenitor diploid genomes (A and C) of the amphidiploid Brassica napus are extensively duplicated with 73% of genomic clones detecting two or more duplicate sequences within each of the diploid genomes. This comprehensive duplication of loci is to be expected in a species that has evolved through a polyploid ancestor. The majority of the duplicate loci within each of the diploid genomes were found in distinct linkage groups as collinear blocks of linked loci, some of which had undergone a variety of rearrangements subsequent to duplication, including inversions and translocations. A number of identical rearrangements were observed in the two diploid genomes, suggesting they had occurred before the divergence of the two species. A number of linkage groups displayed an organization consistent with centric fusion and (or) fission, suggesting this mechanism may have played a role in the evolution of Brassica genomes. For almost every genetically mapped locus detected in the A genome a homologous locus was found in the C genome; the collinear arrangement of these homologous markers allowed the primary regions of homoeology between the two genomes to be identified. At least 16 gross chromosomal rearrangements differentiated the two diploid genomes during their divergence from a common ancestor.Key words: genome evolution, Brassicaeae, polyploidy, homoeologous linkage groups.
Cross-species amplification from crop soybeanGlycine maxprovides informative microsatellite markers for the study of inbreeding wild relatives
Authors: Hempel K , Peakall R
Published: August 2003

The development of microsatellite markers through transfer of primers from related species (cross-species amplification) remains a little-explored alternative to the de novo method in plants. In this study of 100 microsatellite loci from Glycine max, we examined two aspects of primer transfer. First, we tested if source locus properties can predict primer transfer and polymorphism in Glycine cyrtoloba and Glycine clandestina. We transferred 23 primers to G. cyrtoloba and 42 to G. clandestina, with 19 loci polymorphic within G. clandestina. However, we could not predict transfer or polymorphism from the source locus properties. Second, we evaluated the subset of 11 polymorphic loci for study in G. clandestina populations representing two local morphotypes. All loci were informative within populations (population mean He± SE = 0.58 ± 0.04). We directly sequenced 28 alleles at 4 representative loci. The allelic patterns and sequencing results established that 8 of 11 loci were typical microsatellites, confirming the utility of primer transfer as an alternative to de novo development. Additionally, we found that morphotypic differentiation between populations was paralleled by changes in polymorphism level at six loci and size homoplasy at one locus. We interpret these patterns as being a product of selfing in G. clandestina. Our results demonstrate the value of allele sequence knowledge for the most effective use of microsatellites.Key words: microsatellite transfer predictability, cross-species amplification, Glycine, selfing, size homoplasy.
Mapping quantitative trait loci for a common bean (Phaseolus vulgarisL.) ideotype
Authors: Beattie Aaron D , Larsen Jamie , Michaels Tom E , Pauls K Peter
Published: August 2003

Breeding a model plant that encompasses individual traits thought to enhance yield potential, known as ideotype breeding, has traditionally focused on phenotypic selection of plants with desirable morphological traits. Broadening this breeding method to the molecular level through the use of molecular markers would avoid the environmental interactions associated with phenotypic selection. A population of 110 F5recombinant inbred lines (RILs), derived from the cross between WO3391 and 'OAC Speedvale', was used to develop a genetic linkage map consisting of 105 random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), simple sequence repeat (SSR), and sequence-tagged site (STS) markers. The map has a total length of 641 cM distributed across 8 linkage groups (LGs). Five of them were aligned on the core linkage map of bean. Twenty-one quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were identified over three environments for eight agronomic and architectural traits previously defined for a bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) ideotype. The QTLs were mapped to seven LGs with several regions containing QTLs for multiple traits. At least one QTL was located for each trait and a maximum of four were associated with lodging. Total explained phenotypic variance ranged from 10.6% for hypocotyl diameter to 45.4% for maturity. Some of the QTLs identified will be useful for early generation selection of tall, upright, high-yielding lines in a breeding program.Key words: molecular markers, genetic map, plant architecture, yield.
The CDF Experiment at the Tevatron: The First Two Years of Run II
Authors: Meyer Arnd
Published: August 2003

The 1992–1995 running of the Fermilab Tevatron (the so-called Run I) ended with many important physics goals accomplished, including the discovery of the top quark, and the anticipation of many further questions to be answered in the future. After many upgrades to the detector and to the accelerator complex, Run II began in April 2001. First results obtained by the Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF) collaboration from the analysis of early Tevatron Run II data are reported here. They fall into two categories: a number of measurements have been performed with the primary goal of establishing detector performance and physics potential. Another set of measurements make use of completely new capabilities of the upgraded detector, thus allowing for competitive results with a modest amount of integrated luminosity.
PseudoCyc, A Pathway-Genome Database for Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Romero Pedro , Karp Peter
Published: August 2003

A pathway-genome database (PGDB) describes the entire genome of an organism, as well as its biochemical pathways, reactions, and enzymes. Our PathoLogic software can generate a PGDB from an annotated genome of an organism, predicting the metabolic reactions and pathways corresponding to the enzymes present in the annotation. We have used PathoLogic to generate a PGDB for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, strain PAO1, called ‘PseudoCyc’, which includes 139 predicted pathways and 800 predicted reactions involving 623 chemical species and 718 enzymes. Analysis of the PathoLogic predictions of arginine metabolism and the β-ketoadipate pathway, which are landmark pathways in P. aeruginosa, showed that they were for the most part correctly predicted. These studies also provided possible locations for two genes involved in the β-ketoadipate pathway, pcaI and pcaJ, which are missing from the PAO1 annotation. PseudoCyc adds an extended dimension to the genome of P. aeruginosa, providing researchers with a helpful tool for the analysis of the genomic, proteomic, and metabolic information of the organism. The finding of the probable location of the pcaI and pcaJ genes is but one example of the discoveries facilitated by such a PGDB. PseudoCyc, along with PGDBs for 12 other organisms, is available at http://BioCyc.org/.
Generalized Anxiety Disorders Three to Four Months after Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Leppävuori Antero , Pohjasvaara Tarja , Vataja Risto , Kaste Markku , Erkinjuntti Timo
Published: August 2003

Background and Objective: The main objective of our study was to detail the frequency and clinical determinants of poststroke generalized anxiety disorders in a large, well-defined stroke cohort. Methods: A total of 277 stroke patients aged 55–85 were subjected to a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation between 3 and 4 months after ischemic stroke. Primary generalized anxiety disorder or generalized anxiety disorder due to stroke were diagnosed according to DSM-IV symptom criteria. Results: The frequency of any generalized anxiety disorder was 20.6% (n = 57). According to a logistic model, any generalized anxiety disorder was associated with a history of epilepsy, comorbid depressive disorder, severity of depression, severity of anxiety, and the use of anxiolytic drugs. A discriminant analysis identified four factors that distinguished the two diagnostic subgroups from one another: the level of psychosocial functioning (worse score in patients with generalized anxiety due to stroke), a history of migraine, anterior circulation stroke localization (more frequent in patients with generalized anxiety disorder due to stroke), and a history of insomnia (more frequent in patients with primary generalized anxiety disorder). Conclusions: Clinically significant anxiety is common in ischemic stroke patients and may hamper their rehabilitation.
Reliability and Validity of the Canadian Neurological Scale in Retrospective Assessment of Initial Stroke Severity
Authors: Stavem Knut , Lossius Morten , Rønning Ole Morten
Published: August 2003

Background: Stroke severity is an important determinant of outcome, however, quantitative data on the initial neurological status might be lacking in retrospective studies. We wanted to assess the reliability and validity of the retrospective use of the Canadian Neurological Scale (CNS). Methods: In 181 patients with validated stroke, two raters scored the CNS based on medical record review. We assessed interrater reliability and construct validity of the CNS. Predictive validity was assessed by the ability of the CNS to predict 30-day and 1-year mortality. Results: Interrater reliability was high (kappa or weighted kappa 0.76–0.96). Correlations between similar items of prospective Scandinavian Stroke Scale scores and retrospective CNS scores ranged from 0.54 to 0.85. CNS total score was a strong predictor of death within 30 days and 1 year in multivariate models. Conclusions: The retrospective algorithm for the CNS had a high to substantial interrater reliability and predictive validity. Accordingly, in retrospective stroke studies using medical record information, the CNS can be a feasible instrument to adjust for differences in stroke severity.
Risk for Relatives of Patients with Multiple Sclerosis in Central Sardinia, Italy
Authors: Prokopenko Inga , Montomoli Cristina , Ferrai Raffaela , Musu Luigina , Piras Maria Luisa , Ticca Anna , Murgia Bruno S. , Bernardinelli Luisa
Published: August 2003

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, inflammatory, disabling disease of the central nervous system, known for its complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors. We used life table techniques to calculate age-adjusted recurrence risks for different categories of relatives of MS patients from Central Sardinia (Italy), a genetically homogeneous, stable population with a high degree of consanguinity. We included 313 probands and a total of 12,717 relatives in the analysis. The overall age-adjusted recurrence risk for relatives of MS probands is 1.90% [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.57–2.30]. The age-adjusted recurrence risk in parents was 1.26% (95% CI 0.60–2.63), in children 2.33% (95% CI 0.09–5.56), in sibs 4.76% (95% CI 3.57–6.32), in second-degree relatives 0.72% (95% CI 0.42–1.22), and in third-degree relatives 1.79% (95% CI 1.27–2.51). The sex of the probands (male) and of the relatives (female), and the number of affected relatives in the family significantly increase the risk of MS in relatives.
Pancreatic Transection from Blunt Abdominal Trauma: Early versus Delayed Diagnosis and Surgical Management
Authors: Oláh Attila , Issekutz Ákos , Haulik László , Makay Roland
Published: August 2003

Background and Aims: Pancreatic trauma is relatively uncommon, but carries high morbidity and mortality rates, especially when diagnosis is delayed or inappropriate surgery is attempted. Patient Material: The clinical course and surgical management of 14 patients with distal pancreatic transection or severe laceration with or without main pancreatic duct (MPD) injury caused by blunt abdominal trauma were analyzed in a university teaching hospital. The average age of the 14 patients (12 male, 2 female) was 28.9 years (range 5–56). Six patients had isolated pancreatic trauma, and intra-abdominal and extra-abdominal (mean 0.8) injuries associated with pancreatic transection were seen in the other 8 patients. Results: Nine patients were diagnosed and operated on within the first 24 h. Eight of them underwent transection of the gland with MPD injury; distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy was performed in 3 and without splenectomy in 2, distal pancreatogastrostomy in 1, and – due to associated duodenal laceration and/or contusion of the pancreatic head – pylorus-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy in 2. In 1 case (grade II laceration) only external drainage was necessary. All the patients with early, correctly diagnosed parenchymal and ductal injury survived. Only 1 patient required reoperation due to haemorrhage after pancreatoduodenectomy. The other 5 cases were referred elsewhere after initial treatment, and all of them underwent some kind of external drainage. Three had undetected MPD injury, and in the other 2 cases the parenchymal lesions were either underestimated or missed. All of these cases required subsequent resection (1), internal drainage due to fistula (2), or drainage of developed abscess (2). Three of them had severe septic and pulmonary complications; 1 patient with MPD injury was lost to follow-up. Conclusion: Patients requiring delayed surgical intervention after an unsuccessful period of observation or a subsequent operation due to undected MPD injury demonstrated a higher rate of pancreas-specific mortality and morbidity.
Tumor Seeding after Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy and Percutaneous Radiofrequency Thermal Ablation of Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Liu Chao , Frilling Andrea , Dereskewitz Caroline , Broelsch Christoph E.
Published: August 2003

Background: Radiofrequency thermal ablation (RFTA) has become a popular method of unresectable liver tumor ablation. However, its side effects should be paid attention to. Case Report: A 76-year-old woman was found with an 8.4 × 6.9 cm subcapsular mass in the left lateral liver lobe. She had cirrhosis with active hepatitis C. Well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was diagnosed based on fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) of the liver mass. Later she was treated with ultrasound-guided percutaneous RFTA using an expandable-type electrode. Contrast-enhanced computer tomography (CT) suggested that the necrosis of the tumor was complete. Every 3 months, she had a follow-up, consisting of clinical and abdominal CT examinations. One year after treatment, a 3-cm soft tissue mass was found in the upper abdominal wall. The mass was resected and it was diagnosed as metastatic HCC. Conclusion: This case indicated that percutaneous RFTA was effective in local control of large HCC. However, the diagnostic FNAB, or percutaneous RFTA itself, may result in needle-track tumor seeding.
The Role of Fear in Agenda Setting by Television News
Authors: Young Jason R.
Published: August 2003

The present research explored the implications of fear for the perceived importance of news stories. It was predicted that television news stories subjectively perceived as more fearful would be considered as more important. Participants were put in the role of a television news editor and asked to evaluate a set of promotional news clips for an evening news broadcast. Participants evaluated all of the clips to determine the degree of unpleasantness and impact they associated with the issue in each clip. Results indicated that the issues presented in the news clips selected as more important were perceived as more noxious, and more likely to have a personal impact, than were the clips not selected. In addition, there was no difference in prior familiarity between the issues mentioned in the selected clips versus those mentioned in the clips not selected. Implications of these results for a model of news perception based on evolutionary influences are discussed.
Political Parties and the Size of Government in Multiparty Legislatures
Authors: Mukherjee Bumba
Published: August 2003

This article tests the effect of an increase in the number of represented political parties and the size of the majority party on the size of government—proxied by central government expenditure as a percentage of GDP—in multiparty legislatures. The author argues that an increase in the number of represented parties leads to higher central government expenditure. Conversely, as the size of the majority party grows from a bare-minimum majority to above the supermajority level, it has a nonlinear, specifically “cube” effect on central government expenditure. Panel data on central government expenditure from 110 countries are used to test these arguments. The results corroborate the theoretical claims and are robust in regression models where fixed-effects were introduced and endogeneity was corrected. Finally, an increase in the number of represented parties leads to higher government spending on subsidies and transfers but to lower spending on public goods.
Public School Uniforms
Authors: Wade Kathleen Kiley , Stafford Mary E.
Published: August 2003

This study attempts to clarify the relationships between public school uniforms and some of their intended results: student self-worth and student and staff perceptions of gang presence and school climate. The instruments used in the study included a questionnaire on gang presence and identity, the National Association of School Principals Comprehensive Assessment of School Environments, and the Harter Self-Perception Profile for Children. Participants consisted of 415 urban public middle school students and 83 teachers. Findings indicate that, although perceptions did not vary for students across uniform policy, teachers from schools with uniform policies perceived lower levels of gang presence. Although the effect size was small, students from schools without uniforms reported higher self-perception scores than students from schools with uniform policies. Student and teacher perceptions of school climate did not vary across uniform policy.
Coping with the Sudden Loss of an Indispensable Employee
Authors: Starke Frederick A. , Dyck Bruno , Mauws Michael K.
Published: August 2003

Using real-time longitudinal survey and interview data, the authors assessed explicit and tacit knowledge flows within a small manufacturing firm for an indispensable employee (IE). They then compared those flows to the flows for a replacement employee (RE) who took over after the IE became ill. As expected, they found that (a) explicit and tacit knowledge outflows to coworkers were greater for the IE than for the RE, and (b) tacit knowledge inflows from coworkers were slightly greater for the RE than for the IE. Explicit knowledge inflows from coworkers were not consistently greater for the RE than for the IE. Surprisingly, the loss of the IE did not have a negative impact on the firm's productivity.
Incident Management Simulation
Authors: Ozbay Kaan , Bartin Bekir
Published: August 2003

A simulation model is developed to evaluate the performance of incident management operations. The Washington, D.C. beltway network is used as the study highway due to the availability of real-world incident data. Five incident types are considered. Their severity degrees are assumed to be related to the incident characteristics, and a relationship between the severity degree and the allocation of necessary emergency units is derived from previous data in related studies. Three different periods can be minimized during an incident removal process: detection and verification time, response time, and clearance time. This study focuses on the variation of detection and response times for various deployment strategies of emergency response teams. The Arena simulation package is used to model and examine the effects of various incident management strategies. An example scenario is given, and possible strategies are compared based on the statistical values obtained from the simulation output analysis.
Assessing Causality in the Cognitive Mediation Model
Authors: Eveland William P. , Shah Dhavan V. , Kwak Nojin
Published: August 2003

This two-wave national panel study was designed to test the causal claims of the “cognitive mediation model.” The data indicate strong support for the following causal relationships predicted by the model: (a) surveillance motivations influence information processing, (b) information processing influences knowledge, and (c) motivations influence knowledge only indirectly through information processing. However, additional analyses demonstrated that these variables are not related in a simple unidirectional causal pattern. Instead, panel analyses found that most of these relationships are mutually causal. Future research should consider the reciprocal nature of relationships between information processing and knowledge, particularly as it relates to the study of the knowledge gap hypothesis.
Public Opinion and Mandatory Sentencing
Authors: Roberts Julian V.
Published: August 2003

All Western nations have passed mandatory sentencing legislation that removes or greatly curtails judicial discretion. These mandatory sentencing laws have proliferated in recent years with predictable consequences for prison populations. A response to public demand for more severe sentencing is one of the justifications for mandatory sentences of imprisonment. In addition, politicians use mandatory sentencing legislation to enhance their standing in the eyes of the public. Politicians appear to assume that the public is strongly supportive of these laws, though scientifically valid surveys are never cited to support these assumptions. This article reviews the international findings from surveys that reveal that the public is deeply divided about mandatory sentencing. Part of the reason for this is that there is more support for proportional sentencing than for utilitarian goals, such as deterrence or incapacitation. In addition, survey data suggest that the electoral advantage of promoting these laws has been considerably overstated.
Changes in Criminal Thinking and Identity in Novice and Experienced Inmates
Authors: Walters Glenn D.
Published: August 2003

Criminal thinking and identity were assessed in 55 federal prison inmates with no prior prison experience (novice inmates) and 93 inmates with at least one prior adult incarceration and 5 or more years in prison (experienced inmates). Changes on the Self-Assertion/Deception scale of the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Syles (PICTS) and Centrality subscale of the Social Identity as a Criminal(SIC) questionnaire were congruent with the prisonization hypothesis and a priori predictions that measures of criminal thinking and identity would rise in novice inmates between initial assessment and follow-up but would remain stable in experienced inmates. On the other hand, experienced inmates recorded significant gains on the In-Group Affect subscale of the SIC. Incarceration, it would seem, may promote prisonization in both novice and experienced inmates.
The Impact of Desegregation on Cognition among Older African Americans
Authors: Whitfield Keith E. , Wiggins Sebrina A.
Published: August 2003

One of the single most influential factors on current and future cognitive functioning is educational attainment. We examined the influence of educational desegregation on cognitive performance using Horn’s Gf-Gc theory among older African Americans. The data on 197 African Americans included school attendance (desegregated [DS] or segregated [SS]) and the number of years they attended desegregated schools. Using measures of fluid (inductive reasoning and spatial ability) and crystallized (number concept and vocabulary) ability to assess cognition, the results showed that the DS group had significantly higher mean cognitive scores compared to the SS group. After controlling for age, gender, years of education, and years in desegregated schools, however, we found no difference between the DS and SS groups on measures of number concept, inductive reasoning, and general fluid and crystallized abilities but found differences for measures of vocabulary and spatial ability. The results were discussed in relation to differences in schooling and other potential influences over the life course.
A Southern Critique of the Globalist Assumptions about Technology Transfer in Climate Change Treaty Negotiations
Authors: Kulkarni Jyoti S.
Published: August 2003

This article critically evaluates the process of technology transfer from developed to developing countries. It considers market-based policies contained in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which are proposed as tools to promote the transfer of technologies that can abate greenhouse gas emissions contributing to climate change. It uses the case of India to exemplify the conditions that exist and issues that arise in a rapidly developing country that is a recipient of such investments. It contests the claim that such market-based strategies embodied in the present climate policy framework can facilitate the transfer of technologies that offer ecologically sustainable and socially equitable solutions for developing countries.
Sexualization and Lifestyle Impulsivity: Clinically Valid Discriminators in Sexual Offenders
Authors: Eher Reinhard , Neuwirth Wolfgang , Fruehwald Stefan , Frottier Patrick
Published: August 2003

Following clinical observations in this study a comparison was undertaken between nonsexualized rapists, sexualized rapists, and pedophilic child molesters in terms of psychometric measures, criminological data, and DSM-IV diagnoses following the authors' hypotheses that nonsexualized and sexualized rapists differ in respect of psychiatric comorbidity and criminal history and sexualized rapists and pedophilic child molesters are more similar as regards to psychiatric comorbidity (anxiety, depression, and aggression) and criminal history variables than nonsexualized and sexualized rapists are. Preliminary findings confirmed the hypotheses: the authors found significant differences between paraphilic and sexualized sex offenders on one hand—regardless whether they had offended against minors or adults—and a group of sex offenders exhibiting a history of high lifestyle impulsivity on the other hand. From a psychiatric clinical point of view, paraphilic or sexualized rapists could be shown to resemble more the pedophilic child molesters. Therapeutic approaches should take these findings into account.
A Study of the Psychosexual Characteristics of Sex Killers: Can we Identify them Before it is Too Late?
Authors: Langevin Ron
Published: August 2003

Thirty-three sex killers were compared to 80 sexual aggressives, 23 sadists, and 611 general sex offenders on sexual history and preferences, substance abuse crime, violence, mental illness, personality, neurological and endocrine abnormalities. Compared to other groups, sex killers started their criminal careers earlier, more often had been to reform school, were members of criminal gangs, set fires, and were cruel to animals. They tended so show more sadism, fetishism, and voyeurism. They more often collected pornography, but they did not use it in their offenses. They more often abused drugs and some suffered from drug induced psychoses. Their most common diagnosis was antisocial personality disorder, but only 15.2% met criteria for psychopathy. Sex killers showed most signs of neuropsychological impairment, grades failure, and learning disabilities. Results suggest that greater emphasis be placed on studying adolescent sex offenders and conduct disordered children which may help identify potential sex killers.
A 14- to 24-Year Longitudinal Study of a Comprehensive Sexual Health Model Treatment Program for Adolescent Sex Offenders: Predictors of Successful Completion and Subsequent Criminal Recidivism
Authors: Seabloom William , Seabloom Mary E. , Seabloom Eric , Barron Robert , Hendrickson Sharon
Published: August 2003

The study determines the effectiveness of a sexuality-positive adolescent sexual offender treatment program and examines subsequent criminal recidivism in the three outcome groups (completed, withdrawn, referred). The sample consists of 122 adolescent males and their families (491 individuals). Of the demographic variables, only living situation was significant, such that patients living with parents were more likely to graduate. None of the behavioral variables were found to be significant. Of the treatment variables, length of time in the program and participation in the Family Journey Seminar were included in the final model. When they were included in the model, no other treatment variable were significantly related to probability of graduation. There were no arrests or convictions for sex-related crimes in the population of participants that successfully completed the program. This group was also less likely than the other groups to be arrested (p = 0.014) or convicted (p = 0.004) across all crime categories.
Women and Consciousness in the “Learning Organization”: Emancipation or Exploitation?
Authors: Mojab Shahrzad , Gorman Rachel
Published: August 2003

This study's goal is to uncover the contradictions inherent in the philosophy and practice of the learning organization. Through a Marxist-feminist analysis of recent shifts in adult education and workplace structure, this study attempts to uncover the function of the learning organization in the capitalist political economy, the location of workers in relation to the learning organization, and the role of learning rhetoric in maintaining the status quo. This study argues that the learning organization model can be seen both as a mechanism for the extraction of surplus value from workers and as a method of social control. The learning organization model is often associated with progressive, even emancipatory, claims of inclusion and collaboration in the work-place. However, this study argues that the educational legacies of feminism, trade unionism, antiracism, and revolutionary struggle are better places to seek the learning interests of the workers that make up the learning organization.
Sociocultural Contexts and Learning: Anglophone Caribbean Immigrant Women in U.S. Postsecondary Education
Authors: Alfred Mary V.
Published: August 2003

This study drew from sociocultural theory to understand the learning experiences of Anglophone Caribbean immigrant women in U.S. postsecondary institutions. As a British Caribbean immigrant, the author acted as both researcher and participant in this qualitative research study. The findings suggest that culture and early schooling socialization in the country of origin influence learning experiences in the host country. Some of the major challenges participants faced in the United States were in transforming cultural assumptions about silence, negotiating language and identity, and reorienting to a new meaning of teaching and learning. The study also found that the length of time spent in a new culture, the level of social support inherent in the culture, and the characteristics of the sociocultural environment greatly affect learning among immigrants in postsecondary institutions. Within discourse communities in higher education, participants were often located at the margins, thus hindering their full participation in such communities.
Desirable Reading: The Relationship between Women Students' Lives and their Reading Practices
Authors: Jarvis Christine A.
Published: August 2003

This study reports research into women students' reading habits and practices. The research demonstrates the interconnections between participants' attitudes toward reading and their personal and family relationships. It also reveals how they use their reading to explore issues that concern them as members of families and cultural groups and suggests that reading is a matter of desire, aspiration, and identity formation. This study argues that detailed qualitative research about reading identities could assist in understanding how mature students approach reading literary and other texts as part of their programs of study.
The Self-Directed Learning of Women with Breast Cancer
Authors: Rager Kathleen B.
Published: August 2003

This study examines the self-directed learning experiences of women with breast cancer. The common elements in the experiences of 13 women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer within 3 years prior to the study were identified through analysis of semistructured interviews. The findings indicate that the participants' self-directed learning efforts were beneficial in a number of ways. Problems commonly encountered in self-directed learning included difficulty locating and evaluating resources and the affect of negative emotions. The study contributes to current understanding of self-directed learning in a crisis situation and provides valuable information on self-directed learning in an area at the intersection of adult education and health care.
Gates and Oscillators: A Network Model of the Brain Clock
Authors: Antle Michael C. , Foley Duncan K. , Foley Nicholas C. , Silver Rae
Published: August 2003

The suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) control circadian oscillations of physiology and behavior. Measurements of electrical activity and of gene expression indicate that these heterogeneous structures are composed of both rhythmic and nonrhythmic cells. A fundamental question with regard to the organization of the circadian system is how the SCN achieve a coherent output while their constituent independent cellular oscillators express a wide range of periods. Previously, the consensus output of individual oscillators had been attributed to coupling among cells. The authors propose a model that incorporates nonrhythmic “gate” cells and rhythmic oscillator cells with a wide range of periods, that neither requires nor excludes a role for interoscillator coupling. The gate provides daily input to oscillator cells and is in turn regulated (directly or indirectly) by the oscillator cells. In the authors' model, individual oscillators with initial random phases are able to self-assemble so as to maintain cohesive rhythmic output. In this view, SCN circuits are important for self-sustained oscillation, and their network properties distinguish these nuclei from other tissues that rhythmically express clock genes. The model explains how individual SCN cells oscillate independently and yet work together to produce a coherent rhythm.
Differential Responses of Circadian Activity Onset and Offset Following GABA-ergic and Opioid Receptor Activation
Authors: Vansteensel Mariska J. , Deboer Tom , Dahan Albert , Meijer Johanna H.
Published: August 2003

The circadian pacemaker in the mammalian suprachiasmatic nuclei is responsive to photic and nonphotic stimuli. In the present study, the authors have investigated the response of activity onset and offset to application of nonphotic stimuli: the benzodiazepine midazolam and the opioid receptor agonist fentanyl. In correspondence with previous studies, both stimuli induced phase advances of the activity onset when given in the mid- to late subjective day. In contrast, activity offset did not phase advance following these injections. Injections during the early subjective day induced small phase delays of the activity onset, while large phase delays occurred in activity offset. Phase shifts, induced at both circadian time zones, were paralleled by an increase in the length of daily activity (α). The increase in α remained present during several days after the injection. The different kinetics in phase shifting of the activity onset and offset indicate complexity in phase-shifting behavior of the circadian pacemaker in response to nonphotic stimuli. Moreover, the data show responsiveness of the circadian system to GABA-ergic and opioid receptor activation, not only during the mid- to late subjective day but also during the early subjective day. The data implicate that the early subjective day is an interesting phase for analysis of molecular and biochemical processes involved in nonphotic phase shifting.
Hibernation: When Good Clocks Go Cold
Authors: Ruby Norman F.
Published: August 2003

Hibernatinganimals have been a successful model system for elucidating fundamental properties of many physiological systems. Over the past 50 years, a diverse literature has emerged on the role of the circadian system in control and expression of winter torpor in several orders of birds and mammals. This body of research has also provided insights to circadian function in nonhibernating species. The aim of this review is to examine how this work applies to questions of general interest to chronobiologists, such as temperature compensation, the 2-oscillator model of entrainment, and suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) function. Convergent lines of evidence suggest a role for the SCN in timing daily torpor and controlling several parameters of hibernation. In addition to its role as a circadian pacemaker, the SCN may serve a noncircadian function in hibernators related to maintenance of energy balance.
Planning for Development: An Assessment of the Economic Development District Planning Process
Authors: Reese Laura A. , Fasenfest David
Published: August 2003

This article contributes to the economic development evaluation literature by providing a comprehensive process evaluation of a significant federal economic development planning program, the Economic Development Administration's funding of planning processes for Economic Development Districts (EDDs). This program represents one of the largest and oldest continuing federal grants designed to foster planning efforts. The evaluation concludes that the overall quality of the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) process and resulting plans appears high, that EDDs focus on activities central to national goals, and that most stakeholders consider such activities effective in increasing cooperation and communication within the region. However, EDDs have not been completely successful in ensuring that CEDS committees fully represent their communities, policies outlined in the CEDS do not appear to match needs and goals as closely as would be desired, and the larger community tends to be unaware of valuable EDD activities.
A Research Approach for Tracking Local Economic Conditions in Small-Town America
Authors: McGrath John M. , Vickroy Ronald
Published: August 2003

This article describes a practical, low-cost research approach for tracking economic conditions in a small community. The federal government and even some state and large city governments have already addressed this issue with national and regional economic forecasts. But what about the fate of small, isolated metropolitan areas? National and regional forecasts that provide information of a macro nature do not contain data relevant to businesses in a small community. This article describes an approach used in a small Pennsylvania community that has employed a longitudinal study of local economic conditions extending over the past 8 years. The information obtained from this study has proven beneficial to local businesses, economic development agencies, elected officials, and others who are involved in improving the economic health of the community. The approach is technically and financially within reach of local organizations with modest research budgets and can be adapted readily to help other small communities.
Analysis of Rural Quality of Life and Health: A Spatial Approach
Authors: Bukenya James O. , Gebremedhin Tesfa G. , Schaeffer Peter V.
Published: August 2003

This article examines the relationship between quality of life, health, and several socioeconomic variables. It draws on survey data from a random sample of more than 2,000 residents in 21 counties in West Virginia and spatial data generated by geocoding survey respondents' addresses and hospital locations. The empirical results are consistent with the theoretical predictions and indicate, for instance, that quality-of-life satisfaction increases with income and education but decreases with unemployment. Also, the results support the notion that inferences drawn regarding substantive issues often change when spatial dependence is taken into account.
Defining the Available Labor Pool: The Kansas Labor Force Survey
Authors: Aistrup Joseph A. , Zollinger Brett , Walker Michael S.
Published: August 2003

One of the key questions for employers seeking to locate or expand their operations is whether a prospective community has an available and affordable labor force with the prerequisite skills. This study outlines an applied theoretical perspective and a set of survey methods to move beyond the inherent limitations of unemployment rates and other census data used to infer availability and prevailing wage rates of a community's workforce. Applying these methods to Kansas in 2001, the authors found more than 7% of Kansans of working age, or about 110,000 potential workers, were unemployed in some manner but were available for job opportunities. Another 12.6% of the Kansas labor force, or just more than 159,000 people, were employed (full- and part-time) and were actively seeking new employment opportunities. A total of 43.7% of the Kansas labor force, or about 651,000 people, would consider a new employment opportunity given the right circumstances.