bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Socioeconomic Status and Early Adolescent Self‐Esteem*
Authors: Maly Michael T.
Published: January 2007

This study is a replication of a recent assessment of the relationship between social class and self‐esteem, and the variables that intervene on this relationship. The purpose is to replicate the methods used to explore further this relationship by attempting to replicate the findings reported by Demo and Savin‐Williams (1983) in another population. Only one of the four hypotheses tested received support thereby indirectly supporting the null relationship theory of no relationship between socioeconomic status and self‐esteem. Implications of the findings also are addressed.
Race and Wealth: A Demographic Analysis of Black Homeownership*
Authors: Horton Hayward Derrick
Published: January 2007

Historically, the rate of black homeownership has been low compared to nonblacks. The purpose of this study is to assess the extent to which levels of black homeownership are determined by selected social factors and racial discrimination. The findings reveal that blacks are less likely to be homeowners in nearly every sociodemographic category. The one exception is the finding that elderly blacks are more likely than blacks and nonblacks in all other age categories to be homeowners.
In Whose Backyard?: Concern About Siting a Nuclear Waste Facility*
Authors: Benford Robert D. , Moore Helen A. , Williams J. Allen
Published: January 2007

Proponents of hazardous and nuclear waste depositories label opponents to local siting of such facilities “NIMBYs” (Not In My Backyard). This study assesses the extent to which the NIMBY label and the strategies of industry proponents to reduce opposition function on a reasonable set of assumptions. Using survey data and multiple regression techniques, the levels of concern of residents living in the county selected as the site of a low level radioactive waste disposal facility (imminent threat condition) are compared with a statewide sample (hypothetical threat condition). Consistent with proponents' theoretical assumptions, the levels of concern are greater for respondents under conditions of imminent threat than of hypothetical threat. However, within the host county, levels of concern are lowest, albeit most polarized, in the community closest to the proposed site. A conflict theory approach enhances an understanding of these findings by suggesting that within the most proximate community levels of concern are lowest for citizens who stand to gain the most economic benefits from the facility but highest for those citizens who are least likely to derive tangible gains.
Spatial Segregation and Social Differentiation of the Minority Nationalities from the Han Majority in the People's Republic of China
Authors: Poston Dudley L. , Micklin Michael
Published: January 2007

One of sociological human ecology's classic hypotheses posits the existence of a positive relationship between social status and residence. The more similar the social characteristics of two populations, the greater their degree of residential propinquity. This study examines that hypothesis with data for the Han majority and each of the fifty‐five minority nationalities enumerated in the 1982 Census of the People's Republic of China. We find support for the hypothesis when we use a segregation measure that reflects the degree of unevenness of the residential distribution of a minority population from the Han. The paper also addresses the implications of these findings for the social and economic development of the Chinese minorities.
The Control of Sociological Theory: In Praise of the Interregnum*
Authors: Nash Bradley , Wardell Mark
Published: January 2007

The argument advanced here contends that integrative efforts within sociology exacerbate, rather than mitigate, theoretical and organizational fragmentation. Viewing epistemologically driven movements towards theoretical control as counter‐ productive, this study contains a proposal for a greater analytical focus on ontology as a better way to promote and preserve the sociological enterprise. Such a move would reflect a return to the ethos of sociology's classical project and encourage embracing theoretical diversity as a desirable condition.
In the Beginning: Notes on the Social Construction of Historical Discontinuity
Authors: Zerubavel Eviatar
Published: January 2007

Beginnings are both theoretically and experientially anchored in a distinctively discontinuous conception of time. This paper examines the conventional nature of beginnings, calls attention to the politics of establishing official beginnings of historical narratives, and claims that the way groups (from families to nations) construct their historical beginnings ought to be at the heart of any study of the development of collective identity.
Perceptions of Sexual Harassment
Authors: Barr Paula A.
Published: January 2007

This paper focuses on people's perceptions of sexual harassment. Definitions of sexual harassment are presented, previous studies of sexual harassment are reviewed, and the results of a two‐part study are presented. Examined are the possible influence of sex, gender role socialization, organizational and socio‐cultural power differentials, and type and severity of behavior on perceptions of sexual harassment. The data suggest that gender role socialization is the primary influence on perceptions of sexual harassment.
Competing Strategies for Analyzing the Contexts of Social Interaction
Authors: Silverman David , Gubrium Jaber F.
Published: January 2007

A perennial issue of sociological analysis is how to address the details of interaction without acknowledging the structurally broad or the subjectively meaningful contexts within which the details occur. The issue centers on the relation between “how” and “why” questions of social order. This article deals with the issue as it emerges in the methodological debate between conversation analysts and ethnomethodologically oriented ethnographers over how to analyze the contexts of social interaction. Accepting the importance of why questions, it is argued that one's initial move should be to pay close attention to the how's of social interaction–either the local production or the local enactment of contexts. Against those ethnomethodologists who insist on keeping why questions suspended, we accept the utility of raising why questions once how questions have been dealt with.
Back and to the Future: The Intergroup Contact Hypothesis Revisited*
Authors: Smith Christopher B.
Published: January 2007

This article discusses definitional and methodological problems which have marked the forty‐year history of the Allport‐Pettigrew contact hypothesis and reports on a study of biracial private neighborhoods at two points in time, including tests of all four enhancing conditions of the hypothesis. Findings indicate that though interracial visiting and prejudice are inversely related, more strongly for whites than for blacks, support for the hypothesized qualifying conditions is stronger for blacks. Duration in the contact situation and age of the respondent are examined as tests of differential selection and as possible explanations for anomalous findings. New directions, guided by recent models and by reformulations of traditional frameworks, are suggested.
Separate but Equal: Durkheim's Response to the Woman Question*
Authors: Shope Janet Hinson
Published: January 2007

This article reexamines Durkheim's views on gender relations within the context of nineteenth century French feminism. Durkheim's response to the woman question reflects the sociopolitical discourse on individual rights and responsibilities, the family, and women's roles in the private and public spheres. Durkheim's perspective on gender relations is predicated on a biologically differentiated conception of gender role complementarity that emphasizes the couple, not the individual. This perspective, shared by feminists, is best characterized by the phrase, separate, but equal.
Bridging the Gender Gap in Criminology: Liberation and Gender‐Specific Strain Effects on Delinquency*
Authors: Leiber Michael J. , Farnworth Margaret , Jamieson Katherine M. , Nalla Mahesh K.
Published: January 2007

This study explores the empirical grounds for bridging the gender gap between liberation theories of female crime by integrating selected concepts from strain and liberation theses to explain female delinquency and gender differences in delinquency. Additive and interactive analyses were conducted with a sample of 1,613 adolescents. The findings provide little support for combining liberation and strain, primarily because of the inadequacy of liberated attitudes for strongly and consistently differentiating female delinquency. Strain, however, differed for males and females but was consistently and positively related to delinquency for both groups.
The Kyana Corroboree: Cultural Production of Indigenous Ethnogenesis
Authors: Neuenfeldt Karl W.
Published: January 2007

This article analyzes the 1993 Kyana Corroboree of the Noongah Aborigines of Western Australia as a case study of the cultural production and cultural politics of ethnogenesis and indigeneity through public celebration. Kyana is a local example of how indigenous peoples globally experience “ethnic reorganization,” an often inchoate, mutable process of social reproduction that encourages the survival of an ethnic group, albeit in an altered form. This article demonstrates how Noongah and Aboriginal ethnogenesis is composed of a mercurial mixture of conflict and concordance, especially in regard to aspirations toward some level of influence over the self‐definition of Aboriginality and its symbolic representations.

The organization of contemporary ethnicity and the nature of current ethnic relations reflect contemporary adaptations and continually evolving identities and institutions.—Nagel and Snipp 1993, p. 225

Celebration is a “text,” a vivid aesthetic creation that reflexively depicts, interprets and informs its social context. [Celebration] articulates and modifies power relations.—Manning 1983, p. 6
Life Course Malleability: Biographical Work and Deprivatization
Authors: Gubrium Jaber F. , Holstein James A.
Published: January 2007

The traditional view of the life course as the patterned progression of individual experience through time has been challenged on several fronts. The emerging view is that patterned progression is subject to diverse social, historical, and cultural influences. This article extends the challenge by considering the way ordinary biographical work situationally and discursively shapes life course patterning in relation to local cultural and organizational usage. Ethnographic and narrative data from a variety of settings illustrate a social constructionist approach. Concluding comments address the link between the malleability of the life course and the increasing deprivatization of contemporary experience.
Restructuring of American Religion: Further Evidence*
Authors: Wuthnow Robert
Published: January 2007

Data are analyzed from three national surveys conducted in 1984, 1989, and 1992, supplemented by other data from a 1991 and a 1992 survey, to examine the distribution of religious conservatives, moderates, and liberals, and to consider the social and ideological correlates of these religious orientations. The results suggest overall stability in the distribution of these orientations and offer modest support for status group, religious socialization, and religious organization interpretations of their sources. The results also indicate that religious views correspond with positions on a number of contested social policy issues, but cast doubt on arguments about deeper differences in worldview and moral perspectives. The ways in which the data support and help to refine arguments presented inThe Restrucruring of American Religionare discussed.
The Gender of Audience Building: Televised Coverage of Women's and Men's NCAA Basketball*
Authors: Messner Michael A. , Duncan Margaret Carlisle , Wachs Faye Linda
Published: January 2007

This article, based upon a comparative analysis of televised coverage of the “Final Four” of the women's and men's 1993 NCAA basketball tournaments, sheds light on some of the mechanisms through which an “audience preference” is socially constructed for men's sports over women's sports. First, we examine the temporal framing of the women's and men's tournaments by the sports/media complex. Next, we present a comparative description of the visual and verbal televised presentation of the women's and men's games. On the basis of these comparisons, we argue that the sports/media complex actively constructs audiences that are likely to see the men's Final Four as a dramatic, historic event that they simply “must” watch, while fans are likely to see the women's Final Four as a nonevent or, at best, as just another game. This, we argue, serves to situate viewers of men's sports at a nexus of power and pleasure, while simultaneously containing the potential challenge that female athleticism poses to hegemonic masculinity. Finally, we discuss, in light of socialist‐feminist theory, the potentially contradictory outcomes of recent hints of increased televised coverage of women's basketball.
Faith, Reason, and Charisma: Rudolf Sohm, Max Weber, and the Theology of Grace
Authors: Smith David Norman
Published: January 2007

Charismatic authority has been central to twentieth‐century politics and theory, yet confusion about charisma is rife. Max Weber's classic texts on this subject have been a major source of insight, yet key features of his analysis remain obscure–so much so that many scholars who call themselves Weber's disciples defend views opposed to his. For Weber, charisma is a social status; for many “Weberians,” charisma is a personal quality. For Weber, charisma is a quicksilver, unstable form of authority; for his errant followers, it is an existential limit to democracy. One reason for this contradiction is that, influenced by the theologian Rudolf Sohm, Weber used the vocabulary of the theology of grace. Many readers, unfamiliar with the nature of Weber's debt to theology, have thought that Weber, like Rudolf Sohm, viewed charisma as a divinely given personal quality. In fact, however, Max Weber's sociology of charisma is radically opposed to Sohm's theology.
Assimilation and Localism: Some Very Small Towns in Mass Society
Authors: Donner William W.
Published: January 2007

A major theme in social theory concerns the transformation of social relationships in small communities as a result of modernization. This paper examines changing social relations in some small towns in southeastern Pennsylvania. For several hundred years, the residents of these towns have continuously developed institutions to preserve their local identity and maintain personal relations at the same time that they are incorporated into larger, regional social systems. The same local institutions and relations, however, are replicated in each small town, suggesting that local and particular interests are expressed through regional institutions. Although focused on a few small towns in one region of the United States, this paper examines the local expression of processes which are global.
Passionate and Companionate Love in Courting and Young Married Couples
Authors: Sprecher Susan , Regan Pamela C.
Published: January 2007

Sociological and social psychological discourse on love posits the existence of two distinct love types: passionate and companionate love. Little research, however, has been conducted to document the presumed theoretical differences between these two varieties of love. The primary purpose of this study was to examine empirically the extent to which passionate and companionate love differ on three major dimensions. Passionate love, to a greater degree than companionate love, was hypothesized (1) to be sexualized, (2) to be associated with intense positive and negative emotional experiences, and (3) to decline with the passage of time. These hypotheses were tested with data collected from a sample of 197 couples representing different stages of the courtship process and transition to marriage. Support was found for the first and third hypotheses; however, little support was found for the second. The degree to which passionate and companionate love were related to satisfaction and commitment were also examined. Passionate and companionate love were associated with satisfaction and commitment, although companionate love was more highly associated than passionate love with satisfaction.
Ethnic and Religious Components of the Jewish Income Advantage, 1969 and 1989
Authors: Wilder Esther I. , Walters William H.
Published: January 2007

Because Jewish ethnicity and religion do not necessarily coincide, the income advantage associated with Jewish identity can be separated into its ethnic and religious components. We estimate the impact of Jewish ethnicity and religion on household income in 1969 and 1989. In both years, ethnically Jewish households had a considerable income advantage over other non‐Hispanic White households. This advantage appears to have persisted even among households without full‐time workers. Mixed‐ethnicity households (those with both Jewish‐born and non‐Jewish workers) had a conspicuous advantage in 1969 but not in 1989. While religion brought an additional income advantage to Reform, Conservative, and nondenominational Jews, Orthodoxy was associated with a relative disadvantage. Orthodox Judaism appears to impede economic attainment, perhaps by isolating its adherents from the social and economic networks established by the broader Jewish community.
Colorstruck: Skin Color Stratification in the Lives of African American Women
Authors: Hunter Margaret L.
Published: January 2007

This paper examines the stratification among African American women by skin color on indices such as education, income, and spousal status. How racial and colonial ideologies situate whiteness and blackness as symbolic representations in relation to one another and the subsequent systems of discrimination that develop from those ideologies is the crux of the theoretical argument in this paper. Infusing the concept of constructed notions of beauty into this racial paradigm further elaborates this process for African American women. I hypothesized that light‐skinned women would have higher educational attainment, higher personal incomes, and would be more likely to marry high‐status husbands than would darker‐skinned women. Even when controlling for background variables, all three of the hypotheses are confirmed and the significance of skin color, particularly the privileging of lightness, is demonstrated.
Qualitative Cowboy or Qualitative Dude: An Impasse of Validity, Politics, and Ethics?
Authors: Taylor Peter Leigh
Published: January 2007

Sociological theorists' recent critique of foundationalism, the notion that observers can accurately represent a single, objective reality, has led to calls for sociology to abandon its claim to epistemic privilege. A related debate has ensued among qualitative sociologists over ethnography's claim to produce objective, authoritative accounts of field realities. This debate over “the crisis of representation” has apparently reached an epistemological impasse, as both “modernist” and “postmodernist” participants draw on a conceptual dichotomy inherited from correspondence models of science. The impasse is ethical as well, as participants “talk past one another” as they debate the appropriate responsibilities of sociologists. A pragmatist solution to this dilemma has been offered, but gives insufficient attention to the politics that shape the criteria to be used in judging the validity of accounts in local contexts. Drawing upon “modernist” discussions of field methods and an empirical case of “studying up” in Mondragón, Spain, this paper argues that a more politically attentive pragmatism could contribute to research practice that is both epistemologically and empirically defensible.
Portraits of Emigration: Sour Milk and Honey in the Promised Land
Authors: Erdmans Mary Patrice
Published: January 2007

This article analyzes the moral tones of public emigration stories through an exploratory analysis of newspaper stories published between 1990 and 1993 in a region in Poland with a century‐old tradition of out‐migration. Media stories are fertile ground for examining values and myths because they negotiate between the micro‐level process of individuals constructing meanings and the macro‐level process of political economies producing meanings. I identified two sets of contradictory stories: (1) stories about the sending country cast emigrants as either home builders or home wreckers, and (2) stories about the receiving country depicted America as either Horatio Alger's land of possibility or a morally degenerate place where greed corrupts the soul. To explain these contradictions, I compare the institution of migration to (post)modern culture and note that both contribute to social diversity and structural differentiation which lead to value inconsistencies.
Examining the Absence of a Gender Effect on Abortion Attitudes: Is There Really No Difference?
Authors: Hertel Bradley R. , Russell Mark C.
Published: January 2007

Earlier research on attitudes toward abortion has found little or no difference between men and women. To the limited extent that there is any gender effect, men are slightly more inclined than women to be prochoice (e.g., Cook, Jelen, and Wilcox 1992). Women, however, have been found to regard the issue as more important (Scott and Schuman 1988). The present study uses General Social Survey data from 1972 through 1994 to further explore gender and attitudes toward abortion. We find that within three marital statuses–single, married, widowed–men are somewhat more supportive of abortion rights but that women consider the issue to be more important and have clearer but not necessarily stronger attitudes than men. When differences in workforce participation are controlled, the sex effect is reversed, with women being more prochoice than men. Although significantly related to abortion attitudes, race, marital status, and religious identity are not relevant to this reversal in the sex effect.
Intergroup Marriage: An Examination of Opportunity Structures
Authors: Heaton Tim B. , Jacobson Cardell K.
Published: January 2007

Though a number of authors have noted the increase in interracial marriages in the United States over the past few decades, few researchers have systematically examined variables that affect the opportunity for intergroup marriage among several different groups: Whites, African Americans, Asians, and Hispanics. In this paper we examine several “opportunity” variables and their relationship to intergroup marriage for couples age 40 or younger: immigration, military service, metropolitan residency, age, region, college attendance, and socioeconomic status. We examine these relationships for African, White, Asian, and Hispanic Americans. Results for both males and females are presented. The analysis is based on data from the 1990 census. The propensity to marry within one's own group dropped slightly for all groups but Asian Americans from 1980 to 1990. White and Black Americans continue to have the highest endogamy rates. Hispanic and Asian Americans have lower rates, and regional variations are highest for them as well. The results suggest that the opportunity variables are important factors affecting rates of intergroup marriage.
A Focus on Familial Strain: Antisocial Behavior and Delinquency in Filipino Society
Authors: Maxwell Sheila Royo
Published: January 2007

Criminologists have long recognized the salient role of the family in explaining delinquency. However, explanations using family measures have been derived mostly from the paradigms of differential association and social control. This paper uses Agnew's General Strain Theory to examine two types of familial strain: witnessing interparental violence and direct parent‐to‐child violence, specifically its impact on children's antisocial behaviors. These two family measures are then juxtaposed against traditional explanations of delinquency and antisocial behavior. A total of 961 grade school students were surveyed in the Philippines and comprise this study's sample. Results show that witnessing interparental violence is significantly associated with self‐reported antisocial and delinquent activities and the Teachers’Predictions of Peer Nominations. This significant association remained when measures of social control and differential association were controlled. The results highlight the importance of delineating family dynamics and their relative impact on youth behavior. The results also point to the utility of examining delinquency theories using non‐Western samples.
Environmentalism, Feminism, and Gender
Authors: Smith D. Clayton
Published: January 2007

Although social scientists have written much recently about environmentalism, feminism, and gender, insufficient systematic examination of their interrelations has been done. The lack of adequate research on links among these three concepts limits their usefulness for both grassroots mobilization efforts and general theory development. The present exploratory study surveys a college student sample (N = 393) clarifying the relationships between liberal environmentalism, gender, and feminism. Relationship between feminism and attitudes toward human use of the environment and between gender and environmental regulation are found suppressed by a relationship between feminism and environmentalism. Although tentative, these findings suggest new directions for the study of ecofeminism.
Still the American Empire
Authors: Cox Michael
Published: January 2007

Over the past few years there has been an intellectually controversial, strategically significant and politically charged debate as to whether America should – or should not – be characterised as an empire. More recently, it has become equally fashionable to argue that this empire is either now failing or in steep decline. This essay examines the background to the original ‘empire debate', suggests that the notion of empire is one that can (with care) be applied to the United States, and that in spite of recent setbacks – like Iraq – we should take care not to underestimate the US capacity to shape world politics. The American Empire may be in trouble, but it is not about to fall.
Lack of Support for a Role for RLIP76 (RALBP1) in Response to Treatment or Predisposition to Epilepsy
Authors: Soranzo Nicole , Kelly Libusha , Martinian Lillian , Burley Mari‐Wyn , Thom Maria , Sali Andrej , Kroetz Deanna L. , Goldstein David B. , Sisodiya Sanjay M.
Published: January 2007

Summary:  Background: Multidrug transporters are postulated to contribute to antiepileptic drug (AED) resistance. The transporter best studied is P‐glycoprotein, an ATP‐Binding Cassette (ABC) transporter superfamily member. RLIP76 is suggested to be an energy‐dependent non‐ABC transporter, reducing AED blood–brain barrier penetration, with a more important role than P‐glycoprotein. Knowledge of which transporters may be critical in drug resistance is important for design of potential therapies. We tested the hypothesis that RLIP76 mediates AED resistance using methods complementary to those in the original report.

Methods: Double‐labeling fluorescent immunohistochemistry localized RLIP76 expression. Population genetics was used to explore association of variation in the RLIP76‐encoding gene with drug‐response and epilepsy phenotypes. Comparative protein structure modeling and bioinformatic annotation were used to predict RLIP76 structure and features.

Results: In normal and epileptogenic brain tissue, immunoreactivity for RLIP76 was cytoplasmic, with colocalization with a neuronal, but not an endothelial, marker. Genotyping of six tagging SNPs, representing common genetic variation in RLIP76, in patients with epilepsy responsive (n = 262) or resistant (n = 107) to AEDs showed no association with phenotype at any level. RLIP76 genotypic and haplotypic frequencies in 783 patients with epilepsy and 359 healthy controls showed no association with epilepsy susceptibility. RLIP76 is not predicted to have transmembrane localization or ATPase activity.

Conclusions: No support for RLIP76 itself in directly mediating resistance to AEDs nor in increasing susceptibility to epilepsy was found. More evidence is required before either a role for RLIP76 in drug resistance can be accepted or focus directed away from other transporters, such as P‐glycoprotein.
Functional Variants in TAS2R38 and TAS2R16 Influence Alcohol Consumption in High‐Risk Families of African‐American Origin
Authors: Wang Jen C. , Hinrichs Anthony L. , Bertelsen Sarah , Stock Heather , Budde John P. , Dick Danielle M. , Bucholz Kathleen K. , Rice John , Saccone Nancy , Edenberg Howard J. , Hesselbrock Victor , Kuperman Samuel , Schuckit Marc A. , Bierut Laura J. , Goate Alison M.
Published: January 2007

Background: A novel family of G protein‐coupled receptors, TAS2Rs, has recently been characterized and linked to sensitivity to bitter taste compounds. We have previously reported that a missense mutation in the TAS2R16 gene reduces the sensitivity of the receptor to bitter‐taste stimuli and that it is associated with risk for alcohol dependence. Other family‐based studies on the genetic transmittance of taste perception have previously demonstrated a correlation between genetic variation in TAS2R38 and sensitivity to bitter‐taste compounds such as phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) and 6‐n‐propylthiouracil (PROP). Haplotypes resulting from 3 common nonsynonymous coding single‐nucleotide polymorphisms in the TAS2R38 gene have been shown to alter receptor functions and taste sensitivity to PTC and PROP. The perceived bitterness of PROP has also been associated with oral sensation and drinking behaviors.

Methods: We used family‐based association methods to test for association between TAS2R38 haplotypes and alcohol dependence as well as a measure of alcohol consumption (Maxdrinks) and age of onset of drinking behaviors in a sample of families densely affected with alcoholism. We have also extended our analysis of TAS2R16 to include the Maxdrinks phenotype.

Results: A positive correlation was observed between TAS2R38 haplotypes and Maxdrinks in Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA) high‐risk women of African‐American origin. The common taster haplotype is significantly associated with a lower mean Maxdrinks compared with the other haplotypes. Similarly, the allele of TAS2R16 that is associated with a lower risk for alcohol dependence is also associated with lower mean Maxdrinks scores in African‐American families. In contrast to the previously reported significant association between TAS2R16 and alcohol dependence, we found no evidence that TAS2R38 haplotypes influence alcohol dependence in the COGA dataset.

Conclusion: Functional variants in both TAS2R16 and TAS2R38 correlate with alcohol consumption in African‐American families.
Association of the ADHIB*3 Allele With Alcohol‐Related Phenotypes in Trinidad
Authors: Ehlers Cindy L. , Montane‐Jaime Karelia , Moore Shelly , Shafe Samuel , Joseph Roma , Carr Lucinda G.
Published: January 2007

Background: Two of the class I alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) genes located on chromosome 4 (ADH1B and ADH1C) encode for multiple isozymes that differ in their kinetic properties. At the ADH1B locus, 3 polymorphisms are present (ADH1B*1, ADH1B*2, ADH1B*3). ADH1B*2 (found mostly in individuals of East Asian and Jewish descent) and ADH1B*3 (found mostly in individuals of African decent) alleles encode for a more active enzyme variants than ADH1B*1 and the presence of these alleles has been associated with protection from alcohol dependence. The relationship between these alleles and alcohol‐associated phenotypes has not been previously investigated in individuals living in the Caribbean.

Methods: One hundred thirty‐three alcohol‐dependent individuals of either East Indian or African ancestry and 98 controls matched by age, sex, education, and ethnicity participated in the study. A structured interview [the Semi‐Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism (SSAGA)] was used to gather information on demographics, psychiatric diagnoses, personal drinking, and drug use history. Leukocyte DNA extracted from a blood sample obtained from each participant was genotyped at the ADH1B locus. Serum levels of the liver enzymes alanine and aspartate aminotransferase (ALT, AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and γ‐glutamyl transferase (GGT) as well as the presence of HIV, hepatitis B surface antigen, and antihepatitis C virus antibody were also assayed. The specific aim of the study was to investigate the associations between ADH1B alleles and alcohol dependence, drinking history, and liver function in individuals from the 2 major ethnic groups of Trinidad (individuals of African and East Indian ancestry).

Results: Twenty‐eight of the Afro‐Trinidadian (Afro‐TT) participants (41%) and 1 Indo‐Trinidadian (Indo‐TT) (>1%) had at least 1 ADH1B*3 allele and 3 Afro‐TT were homozygous for the allele. African participants with at least 1 ADH1B*3 allele were found to be significantly less likely to be alcohol dependent (p<0.018), and to have lower alcohol consumption levels (p<0.05). Among those participants who were alcohol dependent, ADH1B*3 was associated with significantly higher levels of ALT (p<0.05).

Conclusions: This study suggests, in this sample of Trinidadians, that the ADH1B*3 allele is associated with protection from the development of alcoholism but is also associated with enhanced risk for elevated serum ALT levels in those individuals who do become alcohol dependent.
Effects of Pacing Rate on Mechanical Restitution Within the In vivo Canine Heart: Study of the Force–Frequency Relationship
Authors: AHLBERG SARAH E. , RIPPLINGER CRYSTAL M. , SKADSBERG NICHOLAS D. , IAIZZO PAUL A. , MULLIGAN LAWRENCE J
Published: January 2007

Introduction: It is known that as stimulation frequency is increased in a healthy heart, a corresponding increase in LV contractile function (dP/dtmax) is observed, i.e., force–frequency relationship. The impact of this relationship on systolic and diastolic mechanical restitution in an ejecting, in vivo preparation has yet to be explored. Understanding this relationship may lead to further insight on the cellular processes that govern the contraction and relaxation of the heart, in addition to providing a safer, more feasible clinical diagnostic tool.

Methods and Results: Anesthetized canines (n = 8) were paced from the RA at rates of 130, 150, and 180 bpm. At each rate, extrasystoles were delivered at varying intervals. The LV dP/dtmax and dP/dtmin associated with the extrasystolic beat were expressed as a percentage of steady‐state levels and plotted as a function of the extrasystolic interval to obtain mechanical restitution curves. The systolic restitution time constant length decreased significantly with all increases in heart rate, P < 0.05. In the diastolic case, significant decreases in restitution time constants were seen when heart rate was increased from 130 bpm to 180 bpm, and from 150 bpm to 180 bpm, P < 0.05.

Conclusion: This study was the first to quantify the finding that the time constant of restitution significantly and consistently decreased with a consistent increase in heart rate. The identification of such behavior may be employed to develop stimulation protocols and chronic diagnostic tools to more safely and sensitively identify and optimize the clinical status of patients receiving pacing therapy.
Interactions Between Two Simultaneous Tachycardias Within an Electrically Isolated Pulmonary Vein
Authors: ROSTOCK THOMAS , O'NEILL MARK D. , TAKAHASHI YOSHIHIDE , SANDERS PRASHANTHAN , HAÏSSAGUERRE MICHEL
Published: January 2007

Pulmonary vein (PV) arrhythmogenicity underlying the maintenance of atrial fibrillation (AF) may be explained by three mechanisms: enhanced automaticity, triggered activity, and reentry. There are only a few reports describing sustained PV tachycardias (PVT) following electrical disconnection from the left atrium, in which the electrophysiological features are most consistent with a reentrant mechanism. We describe the case of a patient with paroxysmal AF demonstrating PVT within an isolated PV with high‐density mapping revealing two different PVTs interacting in a “ping‐pong” manner.
Strong Orange Luminescence from a Novel Hexagonal ZnO Nanosheet Film Grown on Aluminum Substrate by a Simple Wet‐Chemical Approach
Authors: Wang Ning , Lin Hong , Li Jianbao , Zhang Luozheng , Li Xin , Wu Jiang , Lin Chunfu
Published: January 2007

A novel hexagonal two‐dimensional ZnO nanosheet thin film was successfully synthesized on an aluminum substrate by a simple wet‐chemical approach, which exhibited very strong orange emission. It was concluded that ZnO nanosheets were induced to grow along 〈−1 1 0 0〉directions by the boehmite layer formed on the surface of the aluminum substrate. In addition, the orange photoluminescence of the ZnO nanosheet film has been discussed in detail.
Abnormal Grain Growth and Intergranular Amorphous Film Formation in BaTiO3
Authors: Choi Si‐Young , Kang Suk‐Joong L. , Chung Sung‐Yoon
Published: January 2007

The effect of abnormal grain growth on the formation of amorphous films at grains boundaries was studied in a model system BaTiO3. 0.4 mol% TiO2‐excess BaTiO3 powder compacts were sintered at 1380°C for various times up to 16 h. During the sintering, abnormal grains formed. With the growth of the abnormal grains, amorphous films formed and eventually thickened up to 19.2 nm at grain boundaries. The film formation is attributed to the accumulation of Ti solutes at grain boundaries with the grain growth, while the film thickening is mostly caused by the redistribution of liquid at triple junctions. Extended annealing of the 16‐h‐sintered sample at 1350°C for 15 days resulted in a thinning of the film to nearly 1.7 nm without a change in the grain size, showing an equilibrium thickness. This result demonstrates that the film thickness observed during the growth of the grain may not be the equilibrium thickness. The result further suggests that the shape of the abnormal grains, even when equiaxed, can differ from the equilibrium shape.
PACSIN 1 forms tetramers via its N‐terminal F‐BAR domain
Authors: Halbach Arndt , Mörgelin Matthias , Baumgarten Maria , Milbrandt Mark , Paulsson Mats , Plomann Markus
Published: January 2007

The ability of protein kinase C and casein kinase 2 substrate in neurons (PACSIN)/syndapin proteins to self‐polymerize is crucial for the simultaneous interactions with more than one Src homology 3 domain‐binding partner or with lipid membranes. The assembly of this network has profound effects on the neural Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome protein‐mediated attachment of the actin polymerization machinery to vesicle membranes as well as on the movement of the corresponding vesicles. Also, the sensing of vesicle membranes and/or the induction of membrane curvature are more easily facilitated in the presence of larger PACSIN complexes. The N‐terminal Fes‐CIP homology and Bin‐Amphiphysin‐Rvs (F‐BAR) domains of several PACSIN‐related proteins have been shown to mediate self‐interactions, whereas studies using deletion mutants derived from closely related proteins led to the view that oligomerization depends on the formation of a trimeric complex via a coiled‐coil region present in these molecules. To address whether the model of trimeric complex formation is applicable to PACSIN 1, the protein was recombinantly expressed and tested in four different assays for homologous interactions. The results showed that PACSIN 1 forms tetramers of about 240 kDa, with the self‐interaction having a KD of 6.4 × 10−8 m. Ultrastructural analysis of these oligomers after negative staining showed that laterally arranged PACSIN molecules bind to each other via a large globular domain and form a barrel‐like structure. Together, these results demonstrate that the N‐terminal F‐BAR domain of PACSIN 1 forms the contact site for a tetrameric structure, which is able to simultanously interact with multiple Src homology 3 binding partners.
Proteomics of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803
Authors: Pisareva Tatiana , Shumskaya Maria , Maddalo Gianluca , Ilag Leopold , Norling Birgitta
Published: January 2007

The cyanobacterial plasma membrane is an essential cell barrier with functions such as the control of taxis, nutrient uptake and secretion. These functions are carried out by integral membrane proteins, which are difficult to identify using standard proteomic methods. In this study, integral proteins were enriched from purified plasma membranes of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 using urea wash followed by protein resolution in 1D SDS/PAGE. In total, 51 proteins were identified by peptide mass fingerprinting using MALDI‐TOF MS. More than half of the proteins were predicted to be integral with 1–12 transmembrane helices. The majority of the proteins had not been identified previously, and include members of metalloproteases, chemotaxis proteins, secretion proteins, as well as type 2 NAD(P)H dehydrogenase and glycosyltransferase. The obtained results serve as a useful reference for further investigations of the address codes for targeting of integral membrane proteins in cyanobacteria.
Geranylgeranyl reductase involved in the biosynthesis of archaeal membrane lipids in the hyperthermophilic archaeon Archaeoglobus fulgidus
Authors: Murakami Motomichi , Shibuya Kyohei , Nakayama Toru , Nishino Tokuzo , Yoshimura Tohru , Hemmi Hisashi
Published: January 2007

Complete saturation of the geranylgeranyl groups of biosynthetic intermediates of archaeal membrane lipids is an important reaction that confers chemical stability on the lipids of archaea, which generally inhabit extreme conditions. An enzyme encoded by the AF0464 gene of a hyperthermophilic archaeon, Archaeoglobus fulgidus, which is a distant homologue of plant geranylgeranyl reductases and an A. fulgidus menaquinone‐specific prenyl reductase[Hemmi H, Yoshihiro T, Shibuya K, Nakayama T, & Nishino T (2005) J Bacteriol187, 1937–1944], was recombinantly expressed and purified, and its geranylgeranyl reductase activity was examined. The radio HPLC analysis indicated that the flavoenzyme, which binds FAD noncovalently, showed activity towards lipid‐biosynthetic intermediates containing one or two geranylgeranyl groups under anaerobic conditions. It showed a preference for 2,3‐di‐O‐geranylgeranylglyceryl phosphate over 3‐O‐geranylgeranylglyceryl phosphate and geranylgeranyl diphosphate in vitro, and did not reduce the prenyl group of respiratory quinones in Escherichia coli cells. The substrate specificity strongly suggests that the enzyme is involved in the biosynthesis of archaeal membrane lipids. GC‐MS analysis of the reaction product from 2,3‐di‐O‐geranylgeranylglyceryl phosphate proved that the substrate was converted to archaetidic acid (2,3‐di‐O‐phytanylglyceryl phosphate). The archaeal enzyme required sodium dithionite as the electron donor for activity in vitro, similarly to the menaquinone‐specific prenyl reductase from the same anaerobic archaeon. On the other hand, in the presence of NADPH (the preferred electron donor for plant homologues), the enzyme reaction did not proceed.
The bile/arsenite/riboflavin transporter (BART) superfamily
Authors: Mansour Nahla M. , Sawhney Mrinalini , Tamang Dorjee G. , Vogl Christian , Saier Milton H.
Published: January 2007

Secondary transmembrane transport carriers fall into families and superfamilies allowing prediction of structure and function. Here we describe hundreds of sequenced homologues that belong to six families within a novel superfamily, the bile/arsenite/riboflavin transporter (BART) superfamily, of transport systems and putative signalling proteins. Functional data for members of three of these families are available, and they transport bile salts and other organic anions, the bile acid:Na+ symporter (BASS) family, inorganic anions such as arsenite and antimonite, the arsenical resistance‐3 (Acr3) family, and the riboflavin transporter (RFT) family. The first two of these families, as well as one more family with no functionally characterized members, exhibit a probable 10 transmembrane spanner (TMS) topology that arose from a tandemly duplicated 5 TMS unit. Members of the RFT family have a 5 TMS topology, and are homologous to each of the repeat units in the 10 TMS proteins. The other two families [sensor histidine kinase (SHK) and kinase/phosphatase/synthetase/hydrolase (KPSH)] have a single 5 TMS unit preceded by an N‐terminal TMS and followed by a hydrophilic sensor histidine kinase domain (the SHK family) or catalytic domains resembling sensor kinase, phosphatase, cyclic di‐GMP synthetase and cyclic di‐GMP hydrolase catalytic domains, as well as various noncatalytic domains (the KPSH family). Because functional data are not available for members of the SHK and KPSH families, it is not known if the transporter domains retain transport activity or have evolved exclusive functions in molecular reception and signal transmission. This report presents characteristics of a unique protein superfamily and provides guides for future studies concerning structural, functional and mechanistic properties of its constituent members.
Mental Health Screening in Schools
Authors: Weist Mark D. , Rubin Marcia , Moore Elizabeth , Adelsheim Steven , Wrobel Gordon
Published: January 2007

Background:  This article discusses the importance of screening students in schools for emotional/behavioral problems.

Methods:  Elements relevant to planning and implementing effective mental health screening in schools are considered. Screening in schools is linked to a broader national agenda to improve the mental health of children and adolescents. Strategies for systematic planning for mental health screening in schools are presented.

Results:  Mental health screening in schools is a very important, yet sensitive, agenda that is in its very early stages. Careful planning and implementation of mental health screening in schools offers a number of benefits including enhancing outreach and help to youth in need, and mobilizing school and community efforts to promote student mental health while reducing barriers to their learning.

Conclusions:  When implemented with appropriate family, school, and community involvement, mental health screening in schools has the potential to be a cornerstone of a transformed mental health system. Screening, as part of a coordinated and comprehensive school mental health program, complements the mission of schools, identifies youth in need, links them to effective services, and contributes to positive educational outcomes valued by families, schools, and communities.