bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Initiation of actinorhodin export in Streptomyces coelicolor
Authors: Tahlan Kapil , Ahn Sang Kyun , Sing Anson , Bodnaruk Tetyana D. , Willems Andrew R. , Davidson Alan R. , Nodwell Justin R.
Published: January 2007

Many microorganisms produce molecules having antibiotic activity and expel them into the environment, presumably enhancing their ability to compete with their neighbours. Given that these molecules are often toxic to the producer, mechanisms must exist to ensure that the assembly of the export apparatus accompanies or precedes biosynthesis. Streptomyces coelicolor produces the polyketide antibiotic actinorhodin in a multistep pathway involving enzymes encoded by genes that are clustered together. Embedded within the cluster are genes for actinorhodin export, two of which, actR and actA resemble the classic tetR and tetA repressor/efflux pump‐encoding gene pairs that confer resistance to tetracycline. Like TetR, which represses tetA, ActR is a repressor of actA. We have identified several molecules that can relieve repression by ActR. Importantly (S)‐DNPA (an intermediate in the actinorhodin biosynthetic pathway) and kalafungin (a molecule related to the intermediate dihydrokalafungin), are especially potent ActR ligands. This suggests that along with the mature antibiotic(s), intermediates in the biosynthetic pathway might activate expression of the export genes thereby coupling export to biosynthesis. We suggest that this could be a common feature in the production of many bioactive natural products.
Interleukin‐8 and glucose in amniotic fluid, fetal fibronectin in vaginal secretions and preterm labor index based on clinical variables are optimal predictive markers for preterm delivery in patients with intact membranes
Authors: Yoneda Satoshi , Sakai Masatoshi , Sasaki Yasushi , Shiozaki Arihiro , Hidaka Takao , Saito Shigeru
Published: January 2007

Aim:  Various predictive markers for preterm delivery have been proposed in previous studies. We investigated which marker is most reliable.

Methods:  In 126 patients with preterm labor before 32 weeks of gestation and intact membranes, who had regular uterine contractions with cervical changes effaced ≥50%, we evaluated seven markers: interleukin (IL)‐8, glucose, and granulocyte count in amniotic fluid (AF); fetal fibronectin (fFN) in vaginal secretions; IL‐8 in cervical mucus; cervical length; and preterm labor index (PLI) based on clinical variables. The relationships of these variables to the occurrence of preterm delivery before 34 weeks were examined by logistic regression analysis.

Results:  Values for AF IL‐8, AF granulocyte count, fFN in vaginal secretions, and PLI were significantly higher, while the value for AF glucose was significantly lower, in patients delivering before 34 weeks than those in patients delivering at or following 34 weeks (P < 0.0001 for all). The most sensitive marker for predicting delivery before 34 weeks was AF IL‐8 (sensitivity, 67.8%). The most specific markers were AF IL‐8 (specificity, 95.5%) and PLI (specificity, 95.5%). By the logistic regression analysis, AF IL‐8, AF glucose, fFN in vaginal secretions and PLI showed independent relationships with delivery before 34 weeks (P = 0.0009, P = 0.0032, P = 0.0131 and P = 0.0038, respectively).

Conclusions:  In preterm labor with intact membranes, AF IL‐8, AF glucose, fFN in vaginal secretions and PLI were highly predictive markers for detecting preterm delivery before 34 weeks.
Morbidity and mortality associated with pre‐eclampsia at two tertiary care hospitals in Sri Lanka
Authors: Dissanayake Vajira H. W. , Samarasinghe Harshana D. , Morgan Linda , Jayasekara Rohan W. , Seneviratne Harshalal R. , Pipkin Fiona Broughton
Published: January 2007

Aim:  To report the occurrence of morbidity and mortality associated with carefully phenotyped pre‐eclampsia in a sample of nulliparous Sinhalese women with strictly defined disease.

Methods:  A phenotyping database of 180 nulliparous women with pre‐eclampsia and 180 nulliparous normotensive pregnant women who were recruited for a study into genetics of pre‐eclampsia was analyzed.

Results:  Women who developed pre‐eclampsia had significantly higher systolic blood pressure (SBP; P = 0.002) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP; P = 0.002) at booking (at approximately 13 weeks of gestation). 38.3%, 28.3% and 33.3% of women delivered at <34 weeks, at 34–36 weeks, and at term, respectively. 78% required a cesarean section. Complications included SBP ≥ 160 mmHg (75.5%); DBP ≥ 110 mmHg (83.8%); proteinuria ≥3 + (150 mg/dL) in the urine protein heat coagulation test (87%); renal failure requiring dialysis (2%); platelet counts <100 × 109/L (13%); ≥70 U/L in aspartate and/or alanine aminotransaminase (15%); placental abruption (4%); eclampsia (9%); and one maternal death. Maternal complications indicative of severe disease, apart from the incidence of SBP ≥ 160 mmHg and DBP ≥ 110 mmHg, were not significantly different in early and late‐onset pre‐eclampsia; fetal outcome was better with late‐onset disease. 48% of babies were small for gestational age. Only 80 of 135 babies of women with pre‐eclampsia whose condition could be confirmed at 6 weeks post‐partum were alive.

Conclusions:  Pre‐eclampsia in Sinhalese women is associated with severe maternal morbidity and fetal morbidity and mortality, suggesting that modification of the Western diagnostic criteria and/or guidelines for medical care may be necessary. There is an urgent need to improve neonatal intensive care services in Sri Lanka.
Role of endocrine and growth factors on the ovarian surface epithelium
Authors: Wong Alice S. T. , Leung Peter C. K.
Published: January 2007

Epithelial ovarian cancer is a highly fatal disease for which prevention strategies have been limited; in part because of our poor understanding of the underlying biology of its precursor, the ovarian surface epithelium (OSE). The OSE is a single layer of flat‐to‐cuboidal mesothelial cells that covers the surface of the ovary. Despite its inconspicuous appearance in vivo, it is believed that OSE cells actively participate in the cyclical ovulatory rupture and repair process. The continuous rupture of the OSE at ovulation and the subsequent proliferation to repair the wound renders the cells susceptible to genetic damage and malignant transformation. As the ovary is a rich source of multiple hormones, and normal OSE and ovarian carcinomas secrete and have receptors for hormones, growth factors and cytokines, these factors are strong candidates to regulate normal OSE physiology and the transformation and progression of ovarian cancers. In particular, alterations of hormone/growth factor production and receptor expression are common in ovarian tumors. This review summarizes the current knowledge in the field of endocrinology and its relationship to the biology and pathology of the OSE.
Torsion of the normal ovary and oviduct in a pre‐pubertal girl
Authors: Kamio Masaki , Oki Toshimichi , Inomoto Yukiko , Tsuji Takahiro , Yoshinaga Mitsuhiro , Douchi Tsutomu
Published: January 2007

We encountered a 10‐year‐old prepubertal girl with a normal ovary and oviduct torsion. Hemorrhagic infarction of the ovary and oviduct occurred, and these structures were laparoscopically removed. Torsion of the normal ovary and oviduct in a prepubertal girl is discussed.
Allogeneic and autologous ovarian orthotopic transplantation without a vascular pedicle: Morphological, endocrinologic and natural pregnancy assessment
Authors: Petroianu Andy , Alberti Luiz R. , Vasconcellos Leonardo S.
Published: January 2007

Background:  To assess the natural pregnancy of rabbits submitted to bilateral oophorectomy and orthotopic allogeneic or autologous intact and sliced ovarian transplantation without a vascular pedicle, and to determine the morpho‐functional aspects of the transplanted ovaries.

Methods:  Fifty‐six female rabbits were studied. The ovaries were removed and orthotopically transplanted or replaced without vascular anastomoses: Group 1 (n = 8), only laparotomy and laparorrhaphy; Group 2A (n = 8), intact ovaries were transplanted on both sides; Group 2B (n = 8), both ovaries were sliced and orthotopically transplanted; Group 2C (n = 8), an intact ovary was transplanted on one side and a sliced ovary on the other side; Groups 3A–C, the ovaries were reimplanted according to the procedure and subgroups described for Group 2. Three months later, the animals were paired with males for copulation. Estradiol, progesterone, FSH and LH hormone levels were assessed. A histological study was carried out, and the number of pregnancies and litters were also determined. Chi‐squared test compared the number of pregnancies and litters. One‐way anova and the Tukey‐Kramer tests compared the hormonal dosages.

Results:  Pregnancies occurred in seven rabbits of Group 1, in 37.5% of rabbits in Groups 2A and 3A, in 50% of groups 2B, 3B and 3C, and in 62.5% of group 2C. Hormone levels and histology confirmed the vitality of all ovaries.

Conclusions:  Intact or sliced orthotopic allogeneic and autologous ovarian transplantation without a vascular pedicle is viable in rabbits, and preserves their hormonal and fertile functions.
Folic acid prevents neural tube defects: International comparison of awareness among obstetricians/gynecologists and urologists
Authors: Kondo Atsuo , Kamihira Osamu , Gotoh Momokazu , Ozawa Hideo , Lee Tchun Yong , Lin Alex T‐L. , Kim Seung‐Ryong , Lin Ho‐Hsiung
Published: January 2007

Aim:  It has been suggested that periconceptional intake of folic acid prevents risks of having fetuses afflicted with neural tube defects. We aim to internationally investigate knowledge of the role of folic acid and attitudes toward the life‐style of young women of child‐bearing age among obstetricians/gynecologists and urologists.

Methods:  A questionnaire was sent to obstetricians/gynecologists and urologists residing in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand by post or e‐mail. The investigation was conducted between December 2002 and November 2004.

Results:  A mean of 91% of obstetricians/gynecologists and 56% of urologists are aware of the role of folic acid, where Asian urologists knew less compared to those of North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. A majority of doctors always, or occasionally, recommend folic acid supplements or multivitamins, well‐balanced meals, and the cessation of smoking and drinking. An average of 85% of doctors believes information on folic acid should be disseminated to young women.

Conclusions:  A majority of obstetricians/gynecologists and urologists know the importance of periconceptional folic acid in reducing the risk of neural tube defects and have been advising young women to improve their lifestyle.
Effect of HER‐2/neu overexpression on chemoresistance and prognosis in ovarian carcinoma
Authors: Sasaki Naoki , Kudoh Kazuya , Kita Tsunekazu , Tsuda Hitoshi , Furuya Kenichi , Kikuchi Yoshihiro
Published: January 2007

Aim:  To investigate the effect of HER‐2/neu protein overexpression on chemoresistance and prognosis in patients with epithelial ovarian carcinoma.

Methods:  A total of 141 ovarian carcinoma tissues surgically resected between 1987 and 2003 were assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The characteristic of the patients and immunohistochemical results were compared by χ2‐test. Survival analysis was performed by the Kaplan–Meier method and the log‐rank test.

Results:  HER‐2/neu overexpression was detected in 18 cases (12.8%). There were no significant differences in histopathological subtypes (P = 0.3550), FIGO stages (P = 0.8858), or residual tumor size at first surgery (P = 0.6607) between the cases with HER‐2/neu overexpression and the cases without HER‐2/neu overexpression. Among the 58 cases which responded to chemotherapy, only five cases (8.6%) showed HER‐2/neu overexpression. However, among the 38 cases which did not respond to chemotherapy, eight cases (21.1%) showed HER‐2/neu overexpression. Overexpression of HER‐2/neu had a tendency to relate with chemoresistance of epithelial ovarian carcinoma, but there were no statistically significant differences (P = 0.0817). No association was observed between HER‐2/neu overexpression and cumulative survival rate (P = 0.4970).

Conclusions:  The results of the current study show that although HER‐2/neu overexpression has a tendency to be associated with chemoresistance, it can not be a prognostic factor for the patients with epithelial ovarian carcinoma.
EMBRYONIC POTENTIAL AND STEM CELLS
Authors: AGAR NICHOLAS
Published: January 2007

This paper examines three arguments that use the concept of potential to identify embryos that are morally suitable for embryonic stem cell research (ESCR). According to the first argument, due to Ronald Green, the fact that they are scheduled for disposal makes embryos left over from IVF treatments morally appropriate for research. Paul McHugh argues that embryos created by somatic cell nuclear transfer differ from those that result directly from the meeting of sperm and egg in having potential especially conducive to the therapeutic use of their stem cells. I reject both of these arguments. According to the way of making distinctions in embryonic potential that I defend, it is the absence of a functional relationship with a womb that marks embryos morally suitable for ESCR.
Parsons' Concept of “Generalized Media of Social Interaction” and its Relevance for Social Anthropology
Authors: Turner Terence S.
Published: January 2007

The concept of “generalized symbolic media of social interaction” was introduced by Parsons five years ago in his two articles on the concepts of power and influence.1 I believe that it represents a theoretical development of the first importance, which has received much less attention—particularly in my own field of social anthropology—than it deserves. The purpose of the present paper is to review and criticize the concept itself and to point out its relevance to certain problems in social anthropology.
Instrumentality and Community in the Process of Urbanization
Authors: PAHL R. E.
Published: January 2007

Comparative empirical evidence is presented to show the basic instrumentality of low‐income urban dwellers to the existential circumstances they face. In Latin America, urban dwellers have seemingly internalised the urban/industrial values of capitalist society and, depending on the availability of jobs and other urban resources and facilities, choose the most rewarding strategy for obtaining benefits. Given the general lack of a well‐established structure of secondary industry and the particularistic procedures presently most appropriate for getting jobs and other resources, the motives and basis for communal and collective action are lacking. This is seen most clearly in the example of squatting, where short‐term collective action does not develop further, once the objectives of the squatters are achieved. Various forms of instrumental action are expressed in a typology based on subjective orientations and objective opportunities. In the light of the evidence cited, discussions of “marginality,”“urban social movements” and “restructuring of community” are misplaced.
Cybernetic Hasidism: An Essay on Social and Religious Change*
Authors: BOSK CHARLES
Published: January 2007

This paper employs a cybernetic model of a religious symbol system to explain the competition among Rabbinists, Hasidim, and Messianists in the Jewish communities of eighteenth‐century Poland. Hasidism's ability to attract adherents is explained by the great flexibility of its constitutive belief, “communion with God”when compared with Rabbinic Torah or the Messianic belief in the “lifting of sparks.” This flexibility is traced through all levels of the cybernetic hierarchy.
Beyond Convergence: Toward Theoretical Relevance in Quantitative Modernization Research*
Authors: Baum R. C.
Published: January 2007

The 200 year old debate about convergence is indicted for one‐sidedness in theory and lack of clarity in its propositions. A functional typology of solidarities is developed with predictions of convergence, divergence, and evolutionary invariance. Specific hypotheses for comparative survey research are presented.
Max Weber's “Author's Introduction” (1920): A Master Clue to his Main Aims
Authors: Nelson Benjamin
Published: January 2007

The prominent recent repetition of a widespread miscue on the date and description of Weber's magisterial Author's Introduction to the Collected Essays in the Sociology of Religion may serve as an apt point of departure for this essay which I happily dedicate to Talcott Parsons. Apart from his other writings to which only passing reference is made in the present essay, Prof. Parsons' Structure of Social Action and his annotated translation of Weber's Protestant Ethic offered me‐and offered very many others‐indispensable aid in uncovering the structure and meanings of Weber's pioneering investigations into the comparative historical sociology of the world religions.*
“Sense” and “Intention” in Max Weber's Theory of Social Action
Authors: Munch Peter A.
Published: January 2007

Ambiguities in Weber's theory of social action have been compounded in translation into English. American commentators have generally given a psychological twist to Weber's concepts of “intended sense” and “understanding,” in terms of an “imputation of motive.” Weber, on the other hand, distinguishes between the intended sense of an action and the actor's motivation. As a sociologist, he is interested, not in the imputation of motive to the individual actor, but in understanding social action in its “context of sense” in relation to “typical” or “cross‐sectional” usages based on “consensus,” that is, in its “cultural significance”.
Approaching Reason's Edge: “Nonsense” as the Final Solution to the Problem of Meaning
Authors: HILBERT Richard A.
Published: January 2007

It has been noted that in order to make sense of the world, members must rely upon their assumption that Reality is noncontradictory in nature. This paper examines cases where members are confronted with what to them are irreconcilable contradictions. It is shown that through the use of concepts such as “nonsense,” members allow irreconcilable contradictions to count as evidence of a noncontradictory Reality.
Leadership in Social Movements*
Authors: EICHLER Margrit
Published: January 2007

Two types of leadership styles in social movements are constructed on the basis of closed or open access to the source of legitimacy. Several predictions about structural consequences of the open or closed access are then made. The types are applied to four cases: the Nazis, the Manson Family, the Millerites and Women's Liberation. The hypotheses are confirmed.
Max Weber's Interpretive Sociology, the Understanding of Actions and Motives, and a Weberian View of Man
Authors: BURGER Thomas
Published: January 2007

Weber's interpretive sociology requires the understanding of motives, affectual states, and actions. These are understandable because they themselves represent or embody interpretations. The Weberian statements are shown to be compatible with a conception of the human individual as a being who interprets subjective experiences in terms of cultural categories and guides his conduct by such interpretations.
The Benedictine Ethic and the Modern Spirit of Scheduling: on Schedules and Social Organization*
Authors: Zerubavel Eviatar
Published: January 2007

This paper examines the role of schedules in social life. It first explains why both the schedule and the clock were introduced to the West through the Benedictine monasteries. Then it brings into focus the main principle underlying the schedule, namely temporal regularity, which involves the standardization of the temporal locations of events and activities and of their rates of recurrence, as well as the rigidification of their durations and sequential structures. Following a discussion of the constraints as well as the conveniences involved in using the schedule, it also examines two other implications of its introduction to the West–an abstract conception and a utilitarian philosophy of time. It ends with a discussion of the role of the schedule in enhancing both mechanical and organic solidarity.
Time, Rank, and Social Control*
Authors: Telles Joel Leon
Published: January 2007

Members of organizations treat time as something and scarce that may be possessed and traded and that is repeatedly the object of contracts. Observations in hospital Intensive Care Units show both formal patterns of greater time advantage for those of high rank and informal patterns of renegotiation and manipulation of time. Organizations can examine informal time use by members and select and promote those who willingly put in time for the organization. Putting in extra time for others can be used as an indicator of attitudinal conformity, which helps the organization assure behavioral compliance by the higher ranked, who are typically in less observable positions.
PARSONS VERSUS MARX: “An earnest warning…”*
Authors: Gould Mark
Published: January 2007

Parsons's analysis of Marx and its conclusion that Marx was a utilitarian are criticized. I endeavor to demonstrate that Marx succeeded in avoiding the pitfalls of both idealism and positivism and that he must be viewed as the founder of the voluntaristic theory of social action. In addition, I contend that this categorization makes a difference; if we incorporate Marx into action theory, build action theory on a Marxian foundation, certain problems within Parsons's work can be resolved. I illustrate this contention in a discussion of the relationship between structural and functional theory.

“An earnest warning is given against… premature claims to finality. The author has been more or less intensively concerned with the major works of the men treated in this study over periods ranging from six to ten years. After considerable periods of occupation in other fields, he has come back to intensive reconsideration of their works. Every time this reconsideration brought to light fundamentally important things about them which had been missed before. The most important points, for the purposes of this study, were not understood at the first reading, but generally only after repeated consideration.” (Parsons, 1948:40)
NATIONAL SOCIALISM: TOWARDS AN ACTION‐THEORETICAL INTERPRETATION
Authors: Baum R. C. , Lechner F. J.
Published: January 2007

Organized in three parts, this paper I. summarizes Parsons's analysis of fascism and National Socialism written during the 1940s; II. places his work into the context of earlier and later theories of fascism; and III. suggests how Parsons's later theoretical work may aid our under standing of National Socialism.
SOCIALIZATION AND PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF ACTION THEORY, THE LEGACY OF EMILE DURKHEIM
Authors: Muench Richard
Published: January 2007

In this essay, socialization and personality development are put in the context of the central issue of voluntaristic action theory–namely, the conditions under which the integration of social order and individual autonomy is possible. The theory of the interpenetration of man's basic organic structure and his natural, social, and cultural environments constitutes the essence of the answer to this problem in voluntaristic action theory. This theoretical core of voluntaristic action theory has its roots in Kant's critical philosophy. Emile Durkheim provided this theory with its first specific formulation concerning the question of the relationship between socialization and personality development. This formulation shows a clear convergence with the writings of other classic authors on socialization theory. The first part of this study aims to elucidate Durkheim's contribution, with side‐glances at other classic theorists to show points of agreement with him. In the second part, socialization and personality development will be dealt with systematically. Finally, in the third part, various forms of deviation from the ideal case of the integration of social order and individual autonomy will be treated: the types of malintegration between individual and society and the constellation of their causes.
Street Traffic, Social Integration, and Fear of Crime*
Authors: Hunter Albert , Baumer Terry L.
Published: January 2007

Drawing on the work of Jacobs, Newman, and Gardiner, among others, this paper investigates fear of crime by urban residents as a consequence of two interrelated characteristics of neighborhoods: 1) the perceived volume of street usage and 2) the degree of residents' social integration into the neighborhood. Secondary analysis of a 1975 survey shows that, counter to previous hypotheses, perception of increased street traffic leads to greater fear. However, when controlling for social integration, we find that for those who are socially integrated perceived volume of street traffic has no relationship to fear, while for those not socially integrated the greater the perceived street usage the greater the fear. Three mechanisms by which social integration may reduce fear of people on the streets are considered: 1) reducing the proportion of strangers versus acquaintances on the street; 2) providing networks of potential assistance; and 3) reducing the strangeness of the streets' daily rhythms and routines. We conclude that both physical design and social factors must be interrelated in attempts to understand fear of crime and in designing ameliorative programs.
The Environmental Movement and the Left: Antagonists or Allies?
Authors: Gale Richard P.
Published: January 2007

This paper examines the potential impact of the Left on the goals, issues, strategies, and constituencies of the contemporary environmental movement, Contrasting the earlier disparagement of the movement by the Left with increased Leftist attraction to the mature movement, it is argued that the Left could contribute a theoretical context for environmental issues and influence segments of the environmental movement through an emphasis on protest strategies and the differential economic impacts of environmental problems.
Community by Design*
Authors: Franck Karen A.
Published: January 2007

Findings and speculations about the effects of physical design on social behavior in planned residential settings have accumulated without the benefit of any explicit theoretical models (Newman, 1972, 1973; Cooper, Day, and Levine, 1972; Cooper, 1975). Recent research about urban neighborhoods has included the formulation and estimation of models of community attachment, but these models do not incorporate any physical design features (Kasarda and Janowitz, 1974; Hunter, 1975). I attempt here to connect these two areas of research by developing and estimating a model of community attachment that includes the effects of physical design. The sites for the research are federally assisted, moderate income housing developments. Both physical and social features of the sites prove to have significant effects on the level of community attachment in these settings.
Urban Images: A Social Psychological Approach*
Authors: Reitzes Donald C.
Published: January 2007

An urban social psychological approach suggests that shared social meanings aid in organizing the complex reality of an urban environment and that place preference may motivate and influence behaviors. The application of procedures for the measurement of roles to urban images suggests the use of discriminant analysis to identify dimensions that distinguish the meanings of downtown Atlanta, city residential areas, suburbs, and small towns. Findings include: (1) the identification of urbanism of place, middle‐class social status, and impersonal or quasi‐primary interaction as three social dimensions that distinguish places; (2) males, females, whites, and blacks appear to share a common set of meanings about urban areas but they differ somewhat more in their assessments of the areas and in their place preferences; and (3) some of the preferred place images significantly influence the use of downtown Atlanta for instrumental and entertainment activities.
Beyond Presentism and Historicism: Understanding the History of Social Science
Authors: Seidman Steven
Published: January 2007

The revival of interest in the social scientific past has stimulated a growing literature on the methodology of the history of social science. Existing “presentist” type histories have been criticized for their “Whiggish” assumptions about scientific progress. The critique of presentism is the product of a new school of historians of social science who advocate a “historicist” historiography. My paper is addressed to this discussion and falls into three parts. First, I review the principles of presentist and historicist historiographies, relating their methodological positions to their theories of science. Second, I take up the argument of the “new historicism” in more detail, criticizing its theory of textual interpretation and its theory of social scientific development. I conclude by offering an alternative historiographic model of social scientific development based upon a theory of science that I outline.
Human Rights and Human Subjects: Ethics and Strategies in Social Science Research*
Authors: Broadhead Robert S.
Published: January 2007

New guidelines implemented by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services exempt broad categories of social science research from regulation by university review boards. The analysis examines how exemption from regulation will change the way researchers manage ethical matters in the future. Social scientists will wish to protect the rights of research subjects and, at the same time, study sensitive social issues by scientific designs. As in the past, these goals will be incompatible in various ways. The analysis examines the parameters within which researchers will deal with several ethical and methodological dilemmas.
Mentors and Protégés: Power‐Dependent Dyads*
Authors: Auster Donald
Published: January 2007

Largely as a consequence of the recent interest in the educational and occupational experiences of women, a well‐known but long overlooked form of social interaction–the mentor‐protégé relationship–is now receiving some attention. This concern usually views the relationship as a highly beneficial one. However, virtually no sociological analysis has been made of this phenomenon.

This article provides a sociological conceptualization of the mentor‐protégé relationship as a power‐dependent, dyadic role set with a strong potential for role strain. Additional consideration is given to gender problems in mentor‐protégé relationships.
Continuous Violent Conflict as a System of Authority*
Authors: Shernock Stanley Kent
Published: January 2007

This paper analyzes how authority can be maintained by structuring reality through continuous violent conflict. Using Lewis Coser's reformulation of Simmel's propositions on fostering continuous conflict as a raison d'être in sect‐like struggle groups as a general frame of analysis, the Stalinist case is then examined in order to evaluate systematically these propositions in a societal context and to specify the morphology of violence as a method of conflict. By examining a societal context, it is noted that instability in the social structure not only can be a condition for the legitimacy of a problematic political leadership and system, but also simultaneously be a consequence of a form of preventive punitive sanctioning, whereby potential threats, both persons and alternative courses of action, are eliminated before they become present dangers. In turn, an official definition of reality, justifying leadership and system, is constructed through the public documentation of a conspiracy, which employs invented categories to demonstrate ideological continuity and fabricates pseudo events to demonstrate indispensability in fulfilling necessary functions. This public documentation of a conspiracy is then used as a facade for a larger plan of social prophylaxis that implicates the public as well as the police in ferreting out tangible and visible enemies to till the invented categories in the pseudo events. As public complicity conjoins with the official definition of reality, commitment to the leadership and system is acquired.
The Social Participation of Blacks: A Proposed Synthesis of Two Competing Theories
Authors: Lucas Jeff S.
Published: January 2007

Discrepant findings have typified the research concerning the social participation of blacks in America. The bulk of the findings would seem to posit three competing theories, one emphasizing low participation levels on the part of blacks, and the later two emphasizing high levels of social participation. These theories are examined and a synthesis of the “isolation” and “compensation” models is proposed. By examining both formal and informal types of social participation on the part of blacks, it is argued that both theories are viable toward explaining variation within black participation levels in particular and toward mediating the discrepant findings as they have been previously offered in general. Some support is found for such a proposed synthesis.
Who Cares about Water Pollution? Opinions in a Small‐Town Crisis*
Authors: Hamilton Lawrence C.
Published: January 2007

A survey was conducted in a small New England town following the discovery that the town's water supply had become contaminated by industrial chemicals. Principal findings include: (1) respondents from more affluent households were more concerned about the pollution problem; (2) long‐term or older residents tended to be less concerned; and (3) women with young children viewed the problem as particularly serious. The first two findings are consistent with previous research on similar “technological catastrophes” and on environmental protection in general. The third finding has not appeared in environmental protection research, but it is consistent with reports from Three Mile Island. Such technological catastrophes transform environmental issues into safety issues, thereby raising parents’anxieties about the safety of their children–perhaps more so for women than for men. These safety concerns may eventually be generalized to broader environmental issues, as toxic waste and other disasters continue to occur.
Knowledge and Women's Interests: Issues of Epistemology and Methodology in Feminist Sociological Research*
Authors: Cook Judith A. , Fonow Mary Margaret
Published: January 2007

This analysis focuses on feminist methodology in the field of sociology by surveying the techniques used in recent research concerning gender‐related topics as well as feminist analyses of epistemological assumptions underlying the conduct of inquiry. In addition to the critique and reformulation of standard research practice, feminist methodology involves the development of innovative methodological approaches, including visual techniques, conversational and textual analysis, and analysis of spontaneous events. Linked to the development of innovation is the feminist analysis of the epistemological assumptions which underlie different ways of knowing. These principles of feminist knowledge include (1) the necessity of continuously and reflexively attending to the significance of gender relations as a basic feature of all social life, including the conduct of research; (2) the centrality of consciousness‐raising as a specific methodological tool and as a “way of seeing;” (3) the need to challenge the norm of “objectivity” that assumes a dichotomy between the subject and object of research; (4) the concern for the ethical implications of research; and (5) an emphasis on the transformation of patriarchy and the empowerment of women.
Interorganizational Conflict in the Southern Civil Rights Movement
Authors: Barkan Steven E.
Published: January 2007

Moderate social movement organizations (SMOs) often denounce radical SMOs for statements and actions that threaten to alienate potential sources of external support. This paper analyzes the development of such interorganizational hostility in the Southern civil rights movement over the issues of Communist participation, the Vietnam War, and black power. In demonstrating how the moderate SMOs' perceived need for external support aggravated divisions over these issues, this paper calls attention to a major source of interorganizational hostility in the movement that previous work has overlooked.
Who Complains to Journal Editors and What Happens*
Authors: Simon Rita J. , Bakanic Von , McPhail Clark
Published: January 2007

Authors' professional status, subfields within sociology, types of analysis, and sources of data were compared between two categories of manuscripts submitted to three editors of the American Sociological Review: those manuscripts about which authors complained and those randomly selected. Thirteen percent of the authors who complained succeeded in having the decision reversed and their manuscripts accepted for publication.
Institutional Sexism in the Underworld: A View From the Inside
Authors: Steffensmeier Darrell J. , Terry Robert M.
Published: January 2007

In this report we examine the views of male thieves toward women as potential accomplices or partners in crime. Our interviews revealed, in general, that females are perceived as lacking the qualities for being good thieves (e.g., heart, trust), exhibit specific deficiencies which limit their actual or perceived ability to perpetrate crimes, and tend to be relegated to subservient roles if and when they are involved in mixed‐sex crime activities unless special opportunities or circumstances exist in which a female partner is distinctly an advantage to the male for pulling off the crime. This institutionalized sexism in the underworld narrowly restricts the illegitimate opportunities available to females and helps explain why females are seldom involved in lucrative criminal enterprise. We conclude by suggesting: that the study of female criminality has been retarded by an inaccurate conception of crime as an isolated act committed by a person, without regard to that person's relationships with other people, groups, and organizations.
BOOK REVIEW
Authors: Adams Rebecca G.
Published: January 2007

Book reviewed in this article:

A Collection of Near‐Death Research Readings: Scientijic Inquiries Into the Experiences of Persons Near Physical Death. Craig R. Lundahl (ed.), Chicago: Nelson‐Hall Publishers, 1982. 240 pp.
The Social System of Mathematics and National Socialism: A Survey*
Authors: Mehrtens Herbert
Published: January 2007

This paper offers an historical survey of problems arising in German mathematics during the rise and rule of National Socialism. Underlying this effort is the goal of developing a theoretical understanding of the social history of scientific disciplines in modern societies. The first part of the paper gives a brief description of the social system of mathematics and the characteristics of National Socialism. Second, an analysis of the background and structure of the attempt to construct a “German” mathematics related to Nazi‐ideology is given. This appears as an anti‐modemist movement prompted by the rise of mathematical formalism. The basic relations between mathematical and political thought are analyzed and the reasons for the failure of the “German” movement discussed. The third section examines the integration of mathematics into Nazi‐German society, focusing on the twin processes of adaptation and resistance by professional societies. It is argued that social differentiation within the system of mathematics, as well as its modern cognitive and social universality, were preconditions of adaptation.
Unity in Diversity: Sociology in The Netherlands1
Authors: van de Vall Mark , Leeuw Frans L.
Published: January 2007

Does accumulation of knowledge occur in the social sciences, and if so, under what conditions? Three research programs in Dutch sociology are evaluated with regard to theory accumulation: figurational sociology at the University of Amsterdam: structural individualistic sociology at the University of Utrecht; and data‐based sociological practice at the University of Leyden. In the first two schools, a wide international orientation is accompanied by the use of a closure mechanism, i. e. a publication and citation network that is restricted to members of the same research program. The result is a high degree of theoretical unity within a context of program diversity. The article concludes with some observations on the future of Dutch sociology, followed by a list of publications in each of the three programs.
Note on Commitment and Community among Volunteer Firefighters
Authors: Perkins Kenneth B. , Metz Carole W.
Published: January 2007

Three hundred seventy‐two volunteer firefighters from fifteen all‐volunteer departments in a five county area in central Virginia were administered a questionnaire which examined commitment and other attitudinal and demographic variables. The correlation coefficient between number of years a volunteer firefighter and age was. 77. Seventy‐five percent (273) of firefighters had seldom or never considered quitting their role. Seventy‐five percent indicated that over half of their close friends were fellow volunteer firefighters. Sixty‐seven percent responded that being a member of the fire department was of equal or greater importance than church membership. Theoretically it is plausible that the primary group rewards experienced by firefighters as members of communal organizations accounted for the high level of commitment. An empirical example of Smith's (1981) concept of pure volunteers is provided.
Accommodating Negative Client Perceptions: A Process of Neutralization
Authors: Rosecrance John
Published: January 2007

Fieldwork evidence and interview data are used to demonstrate that indigent criminal defendants believe legal representation provided by public defenders is inferior to privately retained counsel. While acknowledging this pejorative image, public defenders tend to trivialize client perceptions. Techniques of neutralization are used to describe the accommodation patterns utilized by public defenders to cope with this negative image. Findings are discussed in relation to these neutralization techniques.
The Tenant Labor Market and Lynching in the South: A Test of Split Labor Market Theory*
Authors: Corzine Jay , Huff‐Corzine Lin , Creech James C.
Published: January 2007

Split labor market theory was originally advanced as a general approach explaining ethnic antagonism as the result of class‐based interests. In this investigation, the threat to “high‐priced” (white) labor from “cheap” (black) labor within the farm tenancy system of the postbellum South is examined as an underlying cause of the lynching of blacks by whites. Supporting this interpretation, the ratio of black to white tenants in southern counties, a measure of the level of economic threat to high‐priced labor, is shown to be a strong predictor of lynching rates in the Cotton South. Findings for the Non‐Cotton South, however, are inconsistent with theoretical expectations. We conclude that racial violence linked to economic competition between working‐class whites and blacks was limited to that part of the South dominated by the plantation system.
Robert Merton's Contributions to the Sociology of Deviance
Authors: Rosenfeld Richard
Published: January 2007

This paper assesses the theoretical and policy significance of one of Robert Merton's most influential contributions to modern sociology, the anomie or “strain” theory of deviant behavior. The enduring theoretical significance of strain theory lies in its sociological completeness. Strain theory preserves the interconnection between culture and social structure which is neglected or defined away by cultural and control theories of deviance. In its emphasis on socially structured contradictions in the relations of consumption, strain theory is also broadly consistent with and complements more conflict‐oriented theories of crime and deviance. A major weakness of Merton's argument is its failure to clearly distinguish the etiological significance of the distribution of opportunities (mobility) and the distribution of outcomes (equality), which has led to misinterpretations of the policy implications of strain theory. Ironically, these problems are revealed through a kind of self‐criticism that applies the basic tools of Mertonian functional analysis to strain theory. The paper concludes that, ambiguities notwithstanding, for purposes of theoretical integration and substantive insight, strain theory remains an important sociological perspective on deviance, especially when set in the context of Merton's broader sociological legacy.
Ideology and Social Movements: The Contributions of Habermas*
Authors: Tucker Kenneth H.
Published: January 2007

Theorists of social movements have not developed a sufficiently complex perspective of the role that ideology has in the dynamics of social movements. This essay demonstrates that Habermas’theory of the autonomy of normative structures is useful to explain the independent role of ideology in determining the direction taken by social movements. Habermas’emphasis on the interrelationship between cultural traditions, consensus formation, epistemologies, and differentiated rationalization processes furnishes an alternative to the instrumentalist and ahistorical assumptions that often characterize theorists’treatment of ideology in social movements. Empirical examples from studies of social movements are utilized to demonstrate the usefulness of Habermas’approach.
Mother‐Father Differences in Parental Influence on School Grades and Educational Goals*
Authors: Smith Thomas Ewin
Published: January 2007

Using data from a sample of sixth, eighth, and tenth grade students and their mothers and fathers, this research tests the effects of parental formal education and parental recognition of achievement upon school grades, realistic eduational expectations, and ideal educational aspirations. Substantial differences between mothers and fathers are reported. Maternal education had effects, net of the other variables, on all three of the dependent variables, whereas paternal education had an effect only on student educational expectations; the effects of paternal recognition, net of the other variables, upon grades and educational expectations and aspirations were clear, while those of maternal recognition were not. The findings are interpreted in terms of the differential impacts of three mechanisms of parental influence which were suggested by theories of (a) economically‐based status ascription, (b) modeling the role behavior of significant others, and (c) conditioned learning.
Woman A buse in Dating Relationships: The Contribution of Male Peer Support*
Authors: DeKeseredy Walter S.
Published: January 2007

The relationship between male peer support and premarital woman abuse is evaluated by integrating three bodies of knowledge, namely, woman abuse, social support, and reference others. Using data from a convenience sample of male undergraduate students, this study tests four hypotheses derived from a male peer support model. The findings support the model relating male peer group dynamics and woman abuse in university dating relationships.
Leisure as a Primary Institution
Authors: Frey James H. , Dickens David R.
Published: January 2007

The authors argue that leisure should be considered a primary institution in advanced industrial societies. The increasingly organized nature of contemporary leisure and the prominence of leisure activities in the search for communal bonds are viewed as the primary factors contributing to the emergence of leisure as a major social institution.
Death Penalty Opinions: A Classroom Experience and Public Commitment
Authors: Bohm Robert M.
Published: January 2007

This study attempts to identify stimuli that produce changes in death penalty opinions and to determine whether public commitment to a death penalty opinion has an effect on that opinion. Consistent with previously reported findings, the results of this study suggest that public commitment has a substantial inhibitory effect on opinion change. Reasons for both changing and maintaining death penalty opinions are provided, and the implications of the research are discussed.