bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inosine 5′‐monophosphate dehydrogenase 1 haplotypes and association with mycophenolate mofetil gastrointestinal intolerance in pediatric heart transplant patients
Authors: Ohmann Erin L. , Burckart Gilbert J. , Chen Yan , Pravica Vera , Brooks Maria M. , Zeevi Adriana , Webber Steven A.
Published: July 2010

Ohmann EL, Burckart GJ, Chen Y, Pravica V, Brooks MM, Zeevi A, Webber SA. Inosine 5′‐monophosphate dehydrogenase 1 haplotypes and association with mycophenolate mofetil gastrointestinal intolerance in pediatric heart transplant patients. Pediatr Transplantation 2010: 14: 891–895. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Abstract:  MMF, the most commonly used adjuvant immunosuppressant in pediatric heart transplantation, has frequent GI adverse events. SNPs in inosine 5′‐monophosphate dehydrogenase I (IMPDH1) may contribute to MMF GI intolerance. Phased haplotypes may have more utility than individual SNPs in candidate gene association studies for complex traits. This study defined common IMPDH1 haplotypes and investigated whether these haplotypes influence MMF GI intolerance in 59 pediatric heart recipients. Genotypes were assessed by Taqman analysis of IMPDH1 rs2288553, rs2288549, rs2278293, rs2278294, and rs2228075, and haplotypes were inferred using Arlequin 3.01 software. GI intolerance was defined as diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, or abdominal pain requiring MMF dose holding for > 48 h or MMF discontinuation. GI intolerance occurred in 21 patients (35.6%). Ten IMPDH1 haplotypes were identified in this population. In univariable analyses, one haplotype was strongly associated with MMF GI intolerance with 59.1% of carriers of this haplotype experiencing MMF GI intolerance compared to 21.6% of non‐carriers (p = 0.005). In this study, we identify a common IMPDH1 haplotype associated with MMF GI intolerance in a population of pediatric heart transplant patients. This haplotype of interest did not demonstrate stronger association with MMF GI intolerance than an individual IMPDH1 SNP.
Inhaled iloprost to control pulmonary artery hypertension in patients undergoing mitral valve surgery: a prospective, randomized‐controlled trial
Authors: REX S. , SCHAELTE G. , METZELDER S. , FLIER S. , DE WAAL E. E. C. , AUTSCHBACH R. , ROSSAINT R. , BUHRE W.
Published: July 2010

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PHT) is common in patients undergoing mitral valve surgery and is an independent risk factor for the development of acute right ventricular (RV) failure. Inhaled iloprost was shown to improve RV function and decrease RV afterload in patients with primary PHT. However, no randomized‐controlled trials on the intraoperative use of iloprost in cardiac surgical patients are available. We therefore compared the effects of inhaled iloprost vs. intravenous standard therapy in cardiac surgical patients with chronic PHT.

Methods: Twenty patients with chronic PHT undergoing mitral valve repair were randomized to receive inhaled iloprost (25 μg) or intravenous nitroglycerine. Iloprost was administered during weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Systemic and pulmonary haemodynamics were assessed with pulmonary artery catheterization and transoesophageal echocardiography. Milrinone and/or inhaled nitric oxide were available as rescue medication in case of failure to wean from CPB.

Results: Inhaled iloprost selectively decreased the pulmonary vascular resistance index after weaning from CPB (208 ± 108 vs. 422 ± 62 dyn·s/cm5/m2, P<0.05), increased the RV‐ejection fraction (29 ± 3% vs. 22 ± 5%, P<0.05), improved the stroke volume index (27 ± 7 vs. 18 ± 6 ml/m2, P<0.05) and reduced the transpulmonary gradient (10 ± 4 vs. 16 ± 3 mmHg, P<0.05). In all patients receiving inhaled iloprost, weaning from CPB was successful during the first attempt. In contrast, three patients in the control group required re‐institution of CPB and had to be weaned from CPB using rescue medication.

Conclusions: In patients with pre‐existing PHT undergoing mitral valve surgery, inhaled iloprost is superior to intravenous nitrogylycerine by acting as a selective pulmonary vasodilator, reducing RV afterload and moderately improving RV‐pump performance.
Characterization of Monofunctional Chorismate Mutase/Prephenate Dehydrogenase Enzymes Obtained via Mutagenesis of Recombinant Plasmids in vitro
Authors: ROOD Julian I. , PERROT Brigitte , HEYDE Elizabeth , MORRISON John F.
Published: July 2010

Mutagenesis in vitro has been used to obtain mutant forms of the bifunctional enzyme, chorismate mutase/ prephenate dehydrogenase. Plasmid DNA containing the genes that code for the enzyme was treated with hydroxylamine and the resulting products were used to transform strains of Eschericliia coli. Two types of mutant were isolated. One contained enzyme which was niutase‐positive, dehydrogenase‐negative while the other not exhibit either activity. Kinetic and physical analysis of one of the purified monofunctional enzymes showed that the loss of dehydrogenase activity was due to modification of the binding site for NAD. The results open the way for molecular studies of structure‐function relationships with this bifunctional enzyme.
Resolution of the nirD Locus for Heme d1, Synthesis of Cytochrome cd1, (Respiratory Nitrite Reductase) from Pseudomonas Stutzeri
Authors: Palmedo Gabriele , Seither Peter , Körner Heinz , Matthews Jeffrey C. , Burkhalter Robert S. , Timkovich Russell , Zumft Walter G.
Published: July 2010

The genetic organization of the nirD locus of Pseudomonas stutzeri ZoBell, necessary for a catalytically active cytochrome cd1, (EC 1.9.3.2), was determined. The locus comprises the unidirectionally transcribed open reading frames nirFDLGH, downstream of nirMC of the nir gene cluster, and immediately upstream of the norCB operon encoding nitric oxide (NO) reductase (EC 1.7.99.7). Notable sequence relatedness was found between NirF and cytochrome cd1, (NirS), within NirDLGH, and between NirM and NirC, suggesting several gene duplication events in this region. The derived NirF protein (391 amino acids, Mr 43137) has 23.8% identity (51.1 % overall similarity) with NirS, but lacks the N‐terminal heme‐c ‐binding domain of NirS.

Insertional mutagenesis of the five open reading frames resulted in the loss of respiratory nitrite reductase activity in vivo and in vitro. Mutant strains, when induced with nitrate for denitrification, synthesized a periplasmic cytochrome cd1 lacking heme d1 The defect was caused by the inability of the cell to synthesize heme d1 The nirD locus is proposed to encode a multimeric and multifunctional enzyme complex involved in the synthesis of heme d1.

Mutations in nirFDLGH lowered substantially the expression level of norCB. Nir‐ mutants, unable to generate NO in vivo, provide indirect evidence for an NO sensor and an inducer role of NO for its cognate reductase.
Heterosis and combining ability for resistance to powdery mildew in adult melon plants
Authors: Shashikumar Kadanapuradadoddi T. , Pitchaimuthu Mottaiyan , Kumar Doddegowda P. , Rawal Ram D.
Published: July 2010

With 4 tables

To estimate the heterosis, general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) for resistance to powdery mildew, 30 F1 hybrids developed in a 6 × 5 line × tester mating design were evaluated both under the greenhouse and field conditions. Predominance of non‐additive variance over additive variance in the inheritance of resistance to powdery mildew was detected. Inbred lines IIHR 681, IIHR 352, IIHR 190, RM 43, IIHR 121 and IIHR 122 demonstrated consistently high and negative GCA effects. There was a strong correlation between GCA effect and mean per cent disease index (PDI) of parent that would permit the use of the mean performance of the parental lines to predict the value of a resulting hybrid. Six hybrids, that is, Arka Jeet × IIHR 122, Punjab Sunehri × IIHR 190, RM 43 × IIHR 121, IIHR 681 × IIHR 616, IIHR 352 × IIHR 616 and IIHR 352 × IIHR 718 which involved one or both the parents with good GCA effects exhibited low mean PDI with negative mid‐parent heterosis and negative SCA effects.
Construct validity and reliability of the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index for Queensland nurses
Authors: Parker Deborah , Tuckett Anthony , Eley Robert , Hegney Desley
Published: July 2010

Parker D, Tuckett A, Eley R, Hegney D.International Journal of Nursing Practice2010;16: 352–358 Construct validity and reliability of the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index for Queensland nurses

This article reports on construct validity and reliability of 30 items of the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index (PES‐NWI). Australia, like other countries, is experiencing a shortage of nurses; a multifactor approach to retention of nurses is required. One significant factor that has received increasing attention in the last decade, particularly in the USA, is the nursing practice environment. The reliability of the 30 items of the PES‐NWI was assessed by Cronbach's alpha and factor analysis was performed using principal component analysis. The PES‐NWI was completed by nurses working in the aged‐care, private and public sectors in Queensland, Australia. A total of 3000 surveys were distributed to a random sample of members of the Queensland Nurses Union. Of these, 1192 surveys were returned, a response rate of 40%. The PES‐NWI was shown to be reliable demonstrating internal consistency with a Cronbach's alpha of the total scale of 0.948. The 30 items loaded onto five factors explaining 57.7% of the variance. The items across the factors differed slightly from those reported by the original author of the PES‐NWI. This study indicates that the PES‐NWI has construct validity and reliability in the Australian setting for nurses.
Self‐compassion and emotional intelligence in nurses
Authors: Heffernan Mary , Quinn Griffin Mary T , McNulty Sister Rita , Fitzpatrick Joyce J
Published: July 2010

Heffernan M, Quinn Griffin MT, McNulty SR, Fitzpatrick JJ. International Journal of Nursing Practice 2010; 16: 366–373 Self‐compassion and emotional intelligence in nurses

Nurses often provide care for patients and families who are suffering and where emotions are heightened. Compassion is an essential component of the care that nurses provide. Emotions play an important role in the relationship and communication between nurses, patients and families. Self‐compassion is the ability to be compassionate to oneself, without this ability nurses might not be prepared to be compassionate to patients. Emotionally intelligent persons perceive themselves as confident, better able to understand, control and manage their emotions. The purpose of this descriptive, correlational study was to examine the relationship between self‐compassion and emotional intelligence. Participants were 135 nurses. The setting for this study was a health system with hospitals located in Queens, Nassau and Suffolk counties of New York, USA. Three of the hospitals in the study are located in Queens and/or the Queens/Nassau border. Queens is the most culturally diverse community in the USA. The patients served, as well as the nursing staff, are reflective of this cultural and religious diversity. Results indicated a positive correlation between self‐compassion and emotional intelligence (r = 0.55). Recommendations for future research include: exploration of self‐compassion and emotional intelligence in nurses, and identification of the benefits of enhancing self‐compassion and emotional intelligence in nurses.
Going home better not worse: Older adults' views on physical function during hospitalization
Authors: Boltz Marie , Capezuti Elizabeth , Shabbat Nina , Hall Kimberly
Published: July 2010

Boltz M, Capezuti E, Shabbat N, Hall K. International Journal of Nursing Practice 2010; 16: 381–388 Going home better not worse: Older adults' views on physical function during hospitalization

Functional decline is a common complication for hospitalized older adults. Illuminating the factors that influence the physical function of hospitalized older adults is critical in order to develop effective interventions to prevent avoidable loss of function. Twenty‐four older adults in three senior centres located in metropolitan New York City, who had recent experience with hospitalization, participated in focus groups to discover these factors. An exploratory qualitative design was used. Participants defined physical function as the ability to be mobile and resume the enactment of their roles, routines and relationships. Participants also believed that hospitalization should improve physical function. They described staff and system supports of, as well as the challenges to physical function in the hospital setting. The findings provide evidence for developing education programmes as well as new models of nursing care aimed at preventing functional decline.
Predictors of obesity in school‐aged Jordanian adolescents
Authors: Manal Ibrahim Al‐Kloub , Mousa Ali Al‐Hassan , Erika Sivarajan Froelicher
Published: July 2010

Manal Ibrahim A‐K, Mousa Ali A‐H, Erika Sivarajan F. International Journal of Nursing Practice 2010; 16: 397–405 Predictors of obesity in school‐aged Jordanian adolescents

This cross‐sectional study aimed to estimate the frequency of overweight and obesity in adolescents as defined by the International Obesity Task Force, and to estimate the effect of sociodemographic and health behaviours (eating habits and physical activity) that predict obesity. A stratified (by gender) random sample of 518 adolescents, aged 15 or 16 years was obtained from eight public schools in Amman. In this sample 17.5% were overweight and 9.6% were obese. The predictors of obesity and overweight (excess weight) were: (i) fathers attained primary and secondary education; (ii) total monthly family income ≥ 300 (JD); (iii) working mothers; (iv) family size ≤ 6; and (v) having obese parents. Eating a low quality diet (chips, candy) was a significant dietary predictor of excess weight. The family variables found to be important predictors along with a low quality diet suggest that family interventions would be necessary in the control of adolescent excess weight.
Some reflections on Curtis Prairie and the genesis of ecological restoration
Authors: Jordan William R.
Published: July 2010

Summary  This article draws from the transcript of a talk given to Australian audience in Perth directly following the SERI conference in Western Australia 2009. It discusses Bill Jordan’s role in the genesis of the term ‘restoration ecology’ and the discipline of ‘ecological restoration’ whilst working at the University of Wisconsin‐Madison Arboretum.

In 1977, Bill, a plant physiologist by training, was engaged by the Arboretum to develop a public outreach program. He felt that the Arboretum had a special story to tell as it was the site of the Depression‐era creation of a collection of restored ecological communities, which has since gained recognition as one of the earliest systematic attempts at what Dr Jordan and his colleague George Lubick have called ‘allocentric’– that is, other‐centered – ecological restoration. The centrepiece of that project, a 24‐ha prairie restoration on former cropping land and pasture now called the John T. Curtis Prairie dates back to an effort undertaken by a small group of scientists, including botanist Norman Fassett, ecologist Theodore Sperry and pioneering conservationist Aldo Leopold, and is now recognised internationally as a kind of locus classicus of this distinctive form of land management.

Thinking hard about the meaning of this unique restoration project and its relationship to the University and to environmentalism, Bill and his colleague Keith Wendt coined the term ‘restoration ecology’ to describe the process of using restoration to field test ecological hypotheses. They also started the journal ‘Restoration & Management Notes’ (now ‘Ecological Restoration’) which, under Bill’s editorship, provided an influential early forum for the emerging discipline of ecological restoration.
Vegetation succession and recovery of ecological values in the southern Queensland Brigalow Belt
Authors: Bradley Melanie , House Alan , Robertson Michael , Wild Clyde
Published: July 2010

Summary  Broadscale land‐clearing in the Queensland Brigalow Belt has resulted in widespread decline in ecological values including biodiversity loss and impairment of ecosystem processes and functions. More than 90% of brigalow ecological communities, i.e. those that have Acacia harpophylla, F. Muell. ex Benth (Brigalow) as a dominant and co‐dominant, have been entirely cleared or severely degraded in recent decades. In spite of this wide‐ranging disturbance, partial ecological recovery may be possible in the Queensland Brigalow Belt through the retention of regrowth brigalow stands. Few studies, however, have quantitatively examined brigalow vegetation succession, particularly in the context of cost‐effective ecological restoration. This study used a chronosequence approach to examine how species richness, abundance and structure change in brigalow woodlands with years since clearing. Floristic and structural characteristics were surveyed in 18 brigalow stands, of varying years since clearing, in the southern Queensland Brigalow Belt. Linear models were fitted for years since clearing versus total number of woody species, tree cover, shrub cover, herbaceous cover and litter cover. Regrowth brigalow communities were found to follow the inhibition model of succession, with Acacia harpophylla assuming dominance. The linear models suggested that at least 90 years of recovery would be required post‐clearing, before regrowth woodlands regained 90% of the species richness and structural characteristics of mature woodlands. Management practices such as thinning the dominant species and allowing for the accumulation of logs and litter may be necessary for promoting recovery of vegetation diversity and structural heterogeneity.
Importance of research on peptidylarginine deiminase and citrullinated proteins in age‐related disease
Authors: Ishigami Akihito , Maruyama Naoki
Published: July 2010

Peptidylarginine deiminases (PAD) are a group of post‐translational modification enzymes that citrullinate (deiminate) protein arginine residues in a calcium ion‐dependent manner. Enzymatic citrullination abolishes positive charges of native protein molecules, inevitably causing significant alterations in their structure and functions. Citrullinated protein has an important physiological purpose; the formation of a cornified layer of skin that covers the human body. Despite this beneficial function, citrullinated protein also has a negative side, because this protein's accumulation in the brain is a possible cause of Alzheimer's disease. In the present review, we introduce PAD and their protein citrullination function, now considered critical for advancing research on aging and disease. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2010; 10 (Suppl. 1): S53–S58.
Klotho protein deficiency and aging
Authors: Manya Hiroshi , Akasaka‐Manya Keiko , Endo Tamao
Published: July 2010

Aging is inevitable; however, the molecular mechanism of aging has not been fully elucidated. Investigations into aging are facing difficulties because aging is influenced by complex factors such as circumstances, living habits and genetic background. Recently, a variety of animals, such as Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila and mice, that have aberrations in their lifespan, have been investigated and a large number of genes related to aging have been found, one of which is α‐klotho. The α‐Klotho mouse (α‐kl−/− mouse), which has a defect of the α‐klotho gene expression, was established a decade ago. It is of great interest because the α‐kl−/− mouse shows various phenotypes resembling human aging. The relationship between aging and α‐klotho protein function is gradually becoming clear. This review covers the recent advance in α‐klotho protein research. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2010; 10 (Suppl. 1): S80–S87.
Molecular mechanisms of regeneration in Alzheimer's disease brain
Authors: Uchida Yoko
Published: July 2010

Regenerative responses, including re‐expression of developmentally regulated proteins, occur in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain and in β‐amyloid (Aβ)‐treated neuronal cultures. Brain microenvironment might also be altered by Aβ or by unknown materials in AD brain to make neurons or progenitor cells regenerative. However, these responses and alterations might not be sufficient to replace neuronal loss, but rather might act as an effecter of cell death. For instance, downregulation of growth inhibitory factor/metallothionein‐III and upregulation of MAP1B result in both neurite sprouting and neuronal death. The deteriorative regulation of Mash1 and Olig2 by Aβ also leads to differentiation and death of progenitor cells. Clarifying the cell death mechanism accompanied with regenerative responses might be necessary for repairing the nervous system or slowing disease progression in AD.Geriatr Gerontol Int 2010; 10 (Suppl. 1): S158–S168.
Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy as a metabolite fingerprinting tool for monitoring the phenotypic changes in complex bacterial communities capable of degrading phenol
Authors: Wharfe Emma S. , Jarvis Roger M. , Winder Catherine L. , Whiteley Andrew S. , Goodacre Royston
Published: July 2010

The coking process produces great volumes of wastewater contaminated with pollutants such as cyanides, sulfides and phenolics. Chemical and physical remediation of this wastewater removes the majority of these pollutants; however, these processes do not remove phenol and thiocyanate. The removal of these compounds has been effected during bioremediation with activated sludge containing a complex microbial community. In this investigation we acquired activated sludge from an industrial bioreactor capable of degrading phenol. The sludge was incubated in our laboratory and monitored for its ability to degrade phenol over a 48 h period. Multiple samples were taken across the time‐course and analysed by Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) spectroscopy. FT‐IR was used as a whole‐organism fingerprinting approach to monitor biochemical changes in the bacterial cells during the degradation of phenol. We also investigated the ability of the activated sludge to degrade phenol following extended periods (2–131 days) of storage in the absence of phenol. A reduction was observed in the ability of the microbial community to degrade phenol and this was accompanied by a detectable biochemical change in the FT‐IR fingerprint related to cellular phenotype of the microbial community. In the absence of phenol a decrease in thiocyanate vibrations was observed, reflecting the ability of these communities to degrade this substrate. Actively degrading communities showed an additional new band in their FT‐IR spectra that could be attributed to phenol degradation products from the ortho‐ and meta‐cleavage of the aromatic ring. This study demonstrates that FT‐IR spectroscopy when combined with chemometric analysis is a very powerful high throughput screening approach for assessing the metabolic capability of complex microbial communities.
Denitrification at pH 4 by a soil‐derived Rhodanobacter‐dominated community
Authors: Van Den Heuvel R. N. , Van Der Biezen E. , Jetten M. S. M. , Hefting M. M. , Kartal B.
Published: July 2010

Soil denitrification is a major source of nitrous oxide emission that causes ozone depletion and global warming. Low soil pH influences the relative amount of N2O produced and consumed by denitrification. Furthermore, denitrification is strongly inhibited in pure cultures of denitrifying microorganisms below pH 5. Soils, however, have been shown to denitrify at pH values as low as pH 3. Here we used a continuous bioreactor to investigate the possibility of significant denitrification at low pH under controlled conditions with soil microorganisms and naturally available electron donors. Significant NO3‐ and N2O reduction were observed for 3 months without the addition of any external electron donor. Batch incubations with the enriched biomass showed that low pH as well as low electron donor availability promoted the relative abundance of N2O as denitrification end‐product. Molecular analysis of the enriched biomass revealed that a Rhodanobacter‐like bacterium dominated the community in 16S rRNA gene libraries as well as in FISH microscopy during the highest denitrification activity in the reactor. We conclude that denitrification at pH 4 with natural electron donors is possible and that a Rhodanobacter species may be one of the microorganisms involved in acidic denitrification in soils.
Transgenic poplar expressing Arabidopsis NDPK2 enhances growth as well as oxidative stress tolerance
Authors: Kim Yun‐Hee , Kim Myoung Duck , Choi Young Im , Park Sung‐Chul , Yun Dae‐Jin , Noh Eun Woon , Lee Haeng‐Soon , Kwak Sang‐Soo
Published: July 2010

Nucleoside diphosphate kinase 2 (NDPK2) is known to regulate the expression of antioxidant genes in plants. Previously, we reported that overexpression of Arabidopsis NDPK2 (AtNDPK2) under the control of an oxidative stress‐inducible SWPA2 promoter in transgenic potato and sweetpotato plants enhanced tolerance to various abiotic stresses. In this study, transgenic poplar (Populus alba × Poplus glandulosa) expressing the AtNDPK2 gene under the control of a SWPA2 promoter (referred to as SN) was generated to develop plants with enhanced tolerance to oxidative stress. The level of AtNDPK2 expression and NDPK activity in SN plants following methyl viologen (MV) treatment was positively correlated with the plant’s tolerance to MV‐mediated oxidative stress. We also observed that antioxidant enzyme activities such as ascorbate peroxidase, catalase and peroxidase were increased in MV‐treated leaf discs of SN plants. The growth of SN plants was substantially increased under field conditions including increased branch number and stem diameter. SN plants exhibited higher transcript levels of the auxin‐response genes IAA2 and IAA5. These results suggest that enhanced AtNDPK2 expression affects oxidative stress tolerance leading to improved plant growth in transgenic poplar.
Parenting the Profligate Son: Masculinity, Gentility and Juvenile Delinquency in England, 1791–1814
Authors: Phillips Nicola
Published: July 2010

This case study of fatherhood in early nineteenth‐century England examines the conflict between a wealthy East India Company merchant and his increasingly wayward adolescent son, who was transported to Australia in 1814. It argues that fatherhood was often necessarily a reactionary process, that did not conform to a static, historically specific model of ideal or dysfunctional fatherhood. It also traces the origins of much of the disagreement to conflicting ideals of masculinity between father and son, which were exacerbated by their rise in wealth and social status. Since both aspired to the elite status of gentleman, the article demonstrates that competing and compatible ideals can co‐exist within different generations of the same family. Thus a study of male family experience suggests that hegemonic masculinity is subject to short‐term shifts of emphasis on those values adopted by men of different ages and social status.
Searching for realism, structure and agency in Actor Network Theory1
Authors: Elder‐Vass Dave
Published: July 2010

Superficially, Actor Network Theory (ANT) and critical realism (CR) are radically opposed research traditions. Written from a realist perspective, this paper asks whether there might be a basis for finding common ground between these two traditions. It looks in turn at the questions of realism, structure, and agency, analysing the differences between the two perspectives and seeking to identify what each might learn from the other.

Overall, the paper argues that there is a great deal that realists can learn from actor network theory; yet ANT remains stunted by its lack of a depth ontology. It fails to recognize the significance of mechanisms, and of their dependence on emergence, and thus lacks both dimensions of the depth that is characteristic of critical realism's ontology. This prevents ANT from recognizing the role and powers of social structure; but on the other hand, realists would do well to heed ANT's call for us to trace the connections through which structures are constantly made and remade. A lack of ontological depth also underpins ANT's practice of treating human and non‐human actors symmetrically, yet this remains a valuable provocation to sociologists who neglect non‐human entities entirely.
(Net)Working out: social capital in a private health club
Authors: Crossley Nick
Published: July 2010

InBowling AloneRobert Putnam considers the possibility that the growth of private health clubs and the rising rates of membership to such clubs might represent a counter‐trend to his thesis on the decline in social capital. In this paper I explore this idea using ethnographic data and social network analysis. I show both that and how networks form in health clubs and I discuss the ways in which these networks constitute social capital for their members. In addition, however, I explore the ‘dark side’ of this form of social capital. I argue that high integration amongst some members of a fitness class can generate a power differential between those members and other, less integrated members who experience this negatively. Furthermore, with an eye onBurt's (2005) important thesis on brokerage and closure, I argue that brokerage between relatively closed clusters of agents can lead to inter‐group rivalry and conflict, which, in turn, is experienced negatively by those involved.
What governs governance, and how does it evolve? The sociology of governance‐in‐action
Authors: Fox Nick J , Ward Katie J
Published: July 2010

Governance addresses a wide range of issues including social, economic and political continuity, security and integrity, individual and collective safety and the liberty and rights to self‐actualization of citizens. Questions to be answered include how governance can be achieved and sustained within a social context imbued with cultural values and in which power is distributed unevenly and dynamically, and how governance impacts on individuals and institutions. Drawing on Gramscian notions of hegemony and consent, and recent political science literatures on regulation and meta‐regulation, this paper develops a sociological model of governance that emphasizes a dynamic and responsive governance in action. Empirical data from a study of pharmaceutical governance is used to show how multiple institutions and actors are involved in sustaining effective governance. The model addresses issues of how governance is sustained in the face of change, why governance of practices varies from setting to setting, and how governance is achieved without legislation.
Racism and the sociological imagination
Authors: Carter Bob , Virdee Satnam
Published: July 2010

Our chief purpose in this article is to argue for a restoration of a strong notion of agency to sociological accounts of social relations, and particularly those concerned with group formation and conflict. We contend that much contemporary sociological writing on this topic continues to rely on the concepts of race and ethnicity as primary explanatory or descriptive devices. This has two important consequences: on the one hand it reproduces the powerful theoretical obfuscation associated with these concepts, whilst on the other it prompts the notion that human agency has only an illusory role as an intentional agent. Drawing on the intellectual resources of a Hegelian‐inflected historical materialism and realism, we challenge both claims by arguing for a post‐race, post‐ethnicity sociology of group formation, one which allows a greater scope for agency in the determination of social life.
A clash of civilizations? Examining liberal‐democratic values in Turkey and the European Union1
Authors: Dixon Jeffrey C.
Published: July 2010

Turkey's proposed entry into the European Union (EU) has been undermined by Europeans’ perceptions of Turkish–European cultural differences, particularly regarding the liberal‐democratic values that the EU promotes (democracy, rule of law, and respect for and appreciation of minority/human rights). Yet, cross‐national research on values has not focused on Turkey, the EU, and these liberal‐democratic values, leaving assumptions of cultural differences and their explanations untested. Through analyses of World and European Values Survey data (1999–2002), this article asks whether people in Turkey have the same values regarding democracy, rule of law (versus religious and authoritarian rule), and minority/human rights as people in EU member and candidate states (as of 2000)? What factors explain these values? I find that people in Turkey support democracy to the same extent as people in EU member and candidate states, but people in Turkey are more supportive of religious and authoritarian rule and are less tolerant of minorities. Although the ‘clash of civilizations’ thesis expects liberal values to be ordered according to countries’ religious traditions, with western Christian the most supportive and Islamic the least, only for tolerance of minorities values is this pattern found. Instead, economic development most consistently explains differences between Turkey and EU member and candidate states in support for these values. I conclude with calls for theoretical refinement, particularly of the clash of civilizations thesis, along with suggestions for future research to examine more Muslim and Orthodox countries; I discuss the debate over Turkey's EU entry.
Parent presence and gender‐typicalness of educational choice1
Authors: Låftman Sara Brolin
Published: July 2010

Given parental influence on children's educational choices, new family constellations may impact on sex segregation in school and thus in the labour market. This paper addresses the question of what consequence father absence and stepfather presence may have for choice of the male‐dominated natural science/technology (NT) programme in Swedish upper secondary school. The data include register information on all pupils who attended the ninth grade of the Swedish compulsory school in 1998 and 1999 and their parents (n = 73,824). While children in mother‐only households are less likely to choose the NT programme compared with children residing with two original parents, this is accounted for by differences in socioeconomic conditions and in grade sum. Fathers, like mothers, also have a more direct influence on children's educational choices of field of study via their own education and occupation. However, what has not been noted in previous research is that this also applies to ‘absent’ fathers and, for boys, to stepfathers as well.
Economic Penalties and Rewards of Family Formation, Gender and Education in the Low‐income Sector in Germany1
Authors: Aisenbrey Silke
Published: July 2010

This article examines the differential effects of changes in family formations on men's and women's economic vulnerability. The motivating question is whether investments in education provide sufficient resources to escape the risk of poverty in the low‐income sector or if changes in household characteristics are more important determinants of one's living standard. Changes in household characteristics are defined in terms of partners' entry into and exit from households and partners' different labour market profiles. The analysis focuses on households in the low‐income sector in Germany, a population that is at high risk of poverty in a social welfare state that is expected to mitigate the effects of changes in family formation independent of gender. Findings from panel regression analysis demonstrate that women, in contrast to men, benefit economically as much as or more from investing in traditional family formations than in their own labour market position. This is especially the case for women with lower levels of education.
Political power beyond the State: problematics of government
Authors: Rose Nikolas , Miller Peter
Published: July 2010

This paper sets out an approach to the analysis of political power in terms of problematics of government. It argues against an overvaluation of the ‘problem of the State’ in political debate and social theory. A number of conceptual tools are suggested for the analysis of the many and varied alliances between political and other authorities that seek to govern economic activity, social life and individual conduct. Modern political rationalities and governmental technologies are shown to be intrinsically linked to developments in knowledge and to the powers of expertise. The characteristics of liberal problematics of government are investigated, and it is argued that they are dependent upon technologies for ‘governing at a distance’, seeking to create locales, entities and persons able to operate a regulated autonomy. The analysis is exemplified through an investigation of welfarism as a mode of ‘social’ government. The paper concludes with a brief consideration of neo‐liberalism which demonstrates that the analytical language structured by the philosophical opposition of state and civil society is unable to comprehend contemporary transformations in modes of exercise of political power.1
The crime drop in comparative perspective: the impact of the economy and imprisonment on American and European burglary rates
Authors: Rosenfeld Richard , Messner Steven F.
Published: July 2010

Influential statements on recent American crime reductions maintain that the crime drop was confined to the USA. Yet other research has revealed comparable crime decreases in Europe. We suggest that the USA and European crime declines occurred in tandem because they were both brought about by upturns in the economy. In light of US research showing crime reductions resulting from growth in imprisonment, we also examine the possibility that rising imprisonment rates reduced European crime rates. We test these hypotheses in a pooled cross‐sectional time‐series analysis of burglary rates in the USA and nine European nations between 1993 and 2006. The results indicate that burglary declines in the US and Europe were associated with rising consumer confidence. By contrast, imprisonment appears to be significantly related to burglary rates only after unusual policy interventions, such as Italy's 2006 clemency measure that dramatically reduced the size of its prison population. We interpret these findings as reflecting the structural similarity and economic integration of the world's developed nations and the uneven convergence in US and European punishment policies.
Gangster, victim or both? The interdiscursive construction of sameness and difference in self‐presentations
Authors: Sandberg Sveinung
Published: July 2010

The paper conceptualizes two contradictory discourses, both used by ethnic minority drug dealers in a street drug market in Oslo, Norway.Oppression discourseincludes personal narratives of unemployment, racism and psycho‐social problems, often combined with stories about the government and city council being unwilling to help. Drug dealers use the discourse to justify drug dealing and violence, both for themselves and in meetings with welfare organizations.Gangster discourse, on the other hand, includes a series of personal narratives emphasizing how hard, smart, and sexually alluring the young men are. Drug dealers use this discourse to gain self‐respect and respect from others, and it dominates interactions on the street. An important argument in this paper is that the discursive practice of criminals inspires theoretical perspectives on criminal practice. Oppression and gangster discourses have inspired, respectively, neutralization and subculture theory. When the same people use both discourses, however, the picture becomes more complicated. The ‘bilingual’ discursive practice of the street drug dealers reflects the ambivalent role of the researcher, and a Scandinavian institutional and social context where street drug dealers have extensive contact with a welfare state apparatus. The paper still suggests that similar interdiscursivity may have been sacrificed in previous research to produce more coherent theoretical frameworks.
Configurations of gender inequality: the consequences of ideology and public policy1
Authors: Mandel Hadas
Published: July 2010

This paper gathers a wide range of indicators into distinctive profiles to show how configurations of gender economic inequality are shaped by both welfare state strategies and gender role ideologies. When multiple aspects of gender inequality are assembled together, it becomes evident that all societies exhibit both gender‐egalitarian and inegalitarian features. These tradeoffs can best be understood through the ideological and institutional contexts in which they are embedded. Empirical illustrations are provided for fourteen advanced societies by analysing the major expressions of gender inequality; from women's economic wellbeing and financial autonomy, through labour force participation and continuity of employment, to occupational attainments and economic rewards. The analysis confirms the existence of distinctive profiles of gender inequality and their affinity to normative conceptions of the gender order and ideal types of welfare state institutions.
Figurational dynamics and parliamentary discourses of living standards in Ireland1
Authors: Dolan Paddy
Published: July 2010

While the concept of living standards remains central to political debate, it has become marginal in sociological research compared to the burgeoning attention given to the topic of consumer culture in recent decades. However, they both concern how one does and should consume, and, indeed, behave at particular times. I use the theories of Norbert Elias to explain the unplanned but structured (ordered) changes in expected standards of living over time. This figurational approach is compared to other alternative explanations, particularly those advanced by Bourdieu, Veblen and Baudrillard. Though these offer some parallels with Elias's theories, I argue that consumption standards are produced and transformed through the changing dependencies and power relations between social classes. They cannot be reduced to the intentions, interests or ambitions of particular elites, nor to the needs of social systems. Using qualitative data from parliamentary debates in Ireland to trace changing norms and ideals of consumption, as well as historical data to reconstruct shifts in social interdependencies, I further contend that discourses of living standards and luxury are vital aspects of the growing identification and empathy between classes, which in turn encourages greater global integration in the face of emigration and national decline.
Cosmopolitan China? Lessons from international collaboration in low‐carbon innovation
Authors: Tyfield David , Urry John
Published: July 2010

Cosmopolitanism is the focus of much current debate. This literature, however, is marked by a relative paucity of detailed research that examines the impact of cosmopolitanism as a social force within different societies. In particular, two topics that have received little attention despite their utter importance for current global challenges are the scale and impact of cosmopolitanism in China and the significance of ‘cosmopolitan innovation’. This paper explores both on the basis of evidence from over 70 interviews with parties involved in low‐carbon innovation, a field that may be considered to be particularly propitious for cosmopolitan motivation. We argue that there is distinct evidence of cosmopolitanism in China but that this is a relatively fragile and elite development, despite China's increasingly deep integration into global networks and flows. Furthermore, the cosmopolitanism in evidence is a distinctly Chinese version, thereby offering important lessons regarding the nature of cosmopolitanismper seand the reciprocal challenge of China to the existing cosmopolitanism of the global North.
Cosmopolitan sociology and the classical canon: Ferdinand Tönnies and the emergence of global Gesellschaft
Authors: Inglis David
Published: July 2010

How relevant are figures from the classical sociological canon for present day efforts to found cosmopolitan forms of sociological thought? According to the critique of Ulrich Beck, the classical sociologists remain far too wedded to nation‐state‐centred ways of thinking to play an important role in the development of cosmopolitan sociology. This paper argues that such a critique fails to account for the ways in which certain classical sociologists were attuned to the emerging cosmopolitical conditions of their own time, were not wholly wedded to nation‐state‐based conceptualizations, and thus can function as both groundings of, and inspirations for, cosmopolitan sociological endeavours. The apparently unpromising case of Tönnies is focused on, the paper showing how he outlined an account of how and why a planet‐spanning condition of Gesellschaft developed a position which diverges from and counterpoints Marx's analysis of similar phenomena in important ways. The stereotype of Tönnies as an arch‐conservative is also dissolved, allowing him to be considered as one of the most important antecedents of contemporary cosmopolitan sociological practice and a canonical figure still relevant for present‐day purposes.
Agency, reflexivity and risk: cosmopolitan, neurotic or prudential citizen?
Authors: Walklate Sandra , Mythen Gabriel
Published: July 2010

The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the turn to risk within sociology and to survey the relationship between structure and agency as conceived by popular strands of risk theorizing. To this end, we appraise the risk society, culture of fear and governmentality perspectives and we consider the different imaginings of the citizen constructed by each of these approaches. The paper goes on to explore what each of these visions of citizenship implies for understandings of the structure/agency dynamic as it pertains to the question of reflexivity. In order to transcend uni‐dimensional notions of citizenship and to reinvigorate sociological debates about risk, we call for conceptual analyses that are contextually rooted. Exampling the importance of knowledge contests around contemporary security threats and warnings of the deleterious effects of pre‐emptive modes of regulation that derive from the ‘risk turn’ within social science, we argue for a more nuanced embrace of reflexivity within risk theorising in order to facilitate a more dynamic critique of the images of citizenship that such theorizing promotes.
Trust and technology: the social foundations of aviation regulation
Authors: Downer John
Published: July 2010

This paper looks at the dilemmas posed by ‘expertise’ in high‐technology regulation by examining the US Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) ‘type‐certification’ process, through which they evaluate new designs of civil aircraft. It observes that the FAA delegate a large amount of this work to the manufacturers themselves, and discusses why they do this by invoking arguments from the sociology of science and technology. It suggests that – contrary to popular portrayal – regulators of high technologies face an inevitable epistemic barrier when making technological assessments, which forces them to delegate technical questions to people with more tacit knowledge, and hence to ‘regulate’ at a distance by evaluating ‘trust’ rather than ‘technology’. It then unravels some of the implications of this and its relation to our theories of regulation and ‘regulatory capture’.