bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Recombinant extracellular domain of the three major subunits of GABAA receptor show comparable secondary structure and benzodiazepine binding properties
Authors: Shi Haifeng , Tsang Shui Ying , Tse Man Kit , Xu Zhiwen , Xue Hong
Published: October 2003

The three most widely expressed subunits of the GABAA receptor are α1, β2, and γ2 subunits, and the major isoform in the human brain is a pentameric receptor composed of 2α12β21γ2. Previously, we overexpressed the extracellular domain Q28‐R248 of GABAA receptor α1 subunit. In the present study, the homologous extracellular domains Q25‐G243 of GABAA receptor β2 subunit and Q40‐G273 of γ2 subunit were also obtained through overexpression in Escherichia coli. Successful production of recombinant β2 and γ2 subunit receptor protein domains facilitates the comparison of structural and functional properties of the three subunits. To this end, the secondary structures of the three fragments were measured using CD spectroscopy and the β‐strand contents calculated to be >30%, indicating a β‐rich structure for all three fragments. In addition, the benzodiazepine (BZ)‐binding affinity of the recombinant fragments were measured using fluorescence polarization to be 2.16 μM, 3.63 μM, and 1.34 μM for the α1, β2, and γ2 subunit fragments, respectively, indicating that all three homomeric assemblies, including that of the β2 subunit, generally not associated with BZ binding, can bind BZ in the micromolar range. The finding that the BZ binding affinity of these recombinant domains was highest for the γ2 subunit and lowest for the β2 subunit is consistent with results from previous binding studies using hetero‐oligomeric receptors. The present results exemplify the effective approach to characterize and compare the three major subunits of the GABAA receptor, for two of which the overexpression in E. coli is reported for the first time.
Soluble mimics of a chemokine receptor: Chemokine binding by receptor elements juxtaposed on a soluble scaffold
Authors: Datta Amita , Stone Martin J.
Published: October 2003

Despite the broad biological importance of G protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs), ligand recognition by GPCRs remains poorly understood. To explore the roles of GPCR extracellular elements in ligand binding and to provide a tractable system for structural analyses of GPCR/ligand interactions, we have developed a soluble protein that mimics ligand recognition by a GPCR. This receptor analog, dubbed CROSS5, consists of the N‐terminal and third extracellular loop regions of CC chemokine receptor 3 (CCR3) displayed on the surface of a small soluble protein, the B1 domain of Streptococcal protein G. CROSS5 binds to the CCR3 ligand eotaxin with a dissociation equilibrium constant of 2.9 ± 0.8 μM and competes with CCR3 for eotaxin binding. Control proteins indicate that juxtaposition of both CCR3 elements is required for optimal binding to eotaxin. Moreover, the affinities of CROSS5 for a series of eotaxin mutants are highly correlated with the apparent affinities of CCR3 for the same mutants, demonstrating that CROSS5 uses many of the same interactions as does the native receptor. The strategy used to develop CROSS5 could be applied to many other GPCRs, with a variety of potential applications.
Solution structure and function of an essential CMP kinase of Streptococcus pneumoniae
Authors: Yu Liping , Mack Jamey , Hajduk Philip J. , Kakavas Steve J. , Saiki Anne Y.C. , Lerner Claude G. , Olejniczak Edward T.
Published: October 2003

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a major human pathogen that causes high mortality and morbidity and has developed resistance to many antibiotics. We show that the gene product from SP1603, identified from S. pneumoniae TIGR4, is a CMP kinase that is essential for bacterial growth. It represents an attractive drug target for the development of a novel antibiotic to overcome the problems of drug resistance development for this organism. Here we describe the three‐dimensional solution structure of the S. pneumoniae CMP kinase as determined by NMR spectroscopy. The structure consists of eight α‐helices and two β‐sheets that fold into the classical core domain, the substrate‐binding domain, and the LID domain. The three domains of the protein pack together to form a central cavity for substrate‐binding and enzymatic catalysis. The S. pneumoniae CMP kinase resembles the fold of the Escherichia coli homolog. An insertion of one residue is observed at the β‐turn in the substrate‐binding domain of the S. pneumoniae CMP kinase when compared with the E. coli homolog. Chemical shift perturbations caused by the binding of CMP, CDP, and ATP revealed that CMP or CDP binds to the junction between the core and substrate‐binding domains, whereas ATP binds to the junction between the core and LID domains. From NMR relaxation studies, we determined that the loops in the LID domain are highly mobile. These mobile loops could aid in the closing/opening of the LID domain during enzyme catalysis.
Crystal structure of truncated human βB1‐crystallin
Authors: van Montfort Rob L.M. , Bateman Orval A. , Lubsen Nicolette H. , Slingsby Christine
Published: October 2003

Crystallins are long‐lived proteins packed inside eye lens fiber cells that are essential in maintaining the transparency and refractive power of the eye lens. Members of the two‐domain βγ‐crystallin family assemble into an array of oligomer sizes, forming intricate higher‐order networks in the lens cell. Here we describe the 1.4 Å resolution crystal structure of a truncated version of human βB1 that resembles an in vivo age‐related truncation. The structure shows that unlike its close homolog, βB2‐crystallin, the homodimer is not domain swapped, but its domains are paired intramolecularly, as in more distantly related monomeric γ‐crystallins. However, the four‐domain dimer resembles one half of the crystallographic bovine βB2 tetramer and is similar to the engineered circular permuted rat βB2. The crystal structure shows that the truncated βB1 dimer is extremely well suited to form higher‐order lattice interactions using its hydrophobic surface patches, linker regions, and sequence extensions.
Self‐assembly of single integral membrane proteins into soluble nanoscale phospholipid bilayers
Authors: Bayburt Timothy H. , Sligar Stephen G.
Published: October 2003

One of the biggest challenges in pharmaceutical research is obtaining integral membrane proteins in a functional, solubilized, and monodisperse state that provides a native‐like environment that maintains the spectrum of in vivo activities. Many of these integral membrane proteins are receptors, enzymes, or other macromolecular assemblies that are important drug targets. An example is the general class of proteins composed of seven‐transmembrane segments (7‐TM) as exemplified by the G‐protein–coupled receptors. In this article, we describe a simple system for self‐assembling bacteriorhodopsin, as a model protein containing 7‐TM helices, with phospholipids to form a nanometer‐scale soluble bilayer structure encircled by a 200 amino acid scaffold protein. The result is the single molecule incorporation of an integral membrane protein target into a soluble and monodisperse structure that allows the structural and functional tools of solution biochemistry to be applied.
The solution structure of the bacterial HSP70 chaperone protein domain DnaK(393–507) in complex with the peptide NRLLLTG
Authors: Stevens Shawn Y. , Cai Sheng , Pellecchia Maurizio , Zuiderweg Erik R.P.
Published: October 2003

The Hsp70 family of molecular chaperones participates in a number of cellular processes, including binding to nascent polypeptide chains and assistance in protein (re)folding and degradation. We present the solution structure of the substrate binding domain (residues 393–507) of the Escherichia coli Hsp70, DnaK, that is bound to the peptide NRLLLTG and compare it to the crystal structure of DnaK(389–607) bound to the same peptide. The construct discussed here does not contain the α‐helical domain that characterizes earlier published peptide‐bound structures of the Hsp70s. It is established that removing the α‐helical domain in its entirety does not affect the primary interactions or structure of the DnaK(393–507) in complex with the peptide NRLLLTG. In particular, the arch that protects the substrate‐binding cleft is also formed in the absence of the helical lid. 15N‐relaxation measurements show that the peptide‐bound form of DnaK(393–507) is relatively rigid. As compared to the peptide‐free state, the peptide‐bound state of the domain shows distinct, widespread, and contiguous differences in structure extending toward areas previously defined as important to the allosteric regulation of the Hsp70 chaperones.
Structure and stability of the ankyrin domain of the Drosophila Notch receptor
Authors: Zweifel Mark E. , Leahy Daniel J. , Hughson Frederick M. , Barrick Doug
Published: October 2003

The Notch receptor contains a conserved ankyrin repeat domain that is required for Notch‐mediated signal transduction. The ankyrin domain of Drosophila Notch contains six ankyrin sequence repeats previously identified as closely matching the ankyrin repeat consensus sequence, and a putative seventh C‐terminal sequence repeat that exhibits lower similarity to the consensus sequence. To better understand the role of the Notch ankyrin domain in Notch‐mediated signaling and to examine how structure is distributed among the seven ankyrin sequence repeats, we have determined the crystal structure of this domain to 2.0 Å resolution. The seventh, C‐terminal, ankyrin sequence repeat adopts a regular ankyrin fold, but the first, N‐terminal ankyrin repeat, which contains a 15‐residue insertion, appears to be largely disordered. The structure reveals a substantial interface between ankyrin polypeptides, showing a high degree of shape and charge complementarity, which may be related to homotypic interactions suggested from indirect studies. However, the Notch ankyrin domain remains largely monomeric in solution, demonstrating that this interface alone is not sufficient to promote tight association. Using the structure, we have classified reported mutations within the Notch ankyrin domain that are known to disrupt signaling into those that affect buried residues and those restricted to surface residues. We show that the buried substitutions greatly decrease protein stability, whereas the surface substitutions have only a marginal affect on stability. The surface substitutions are thus likely to interfere with Notch signaling by disrupting specific Notch‐effector interactions and map the sites of these interactions.
The geometry and efficacy of cation–π interactions in a diagonal position of a designed β‐hairpin
Authors: Tatko Chad D. , Waters Marcey L.
Published: October 2003

Cation–π interactions are common in proteins, but their contribution to the stability and specificity of protein structure has not been well established. In this study, we examined the impact of cation–π interactions in a diagonal position of a β‐hairpin peptide through comparison of the interaction of Phe or Trp with Lys or Arg. The diagonal interactions ranged from −0.20 to −0.48 kcal/mole. Our experimental values for the diagonal cation–π interactions are similar to those found in α‐helical studies. Upfield shifting of the Lys and Arg side chains indicates that the geometries of cation–π interactions adopted in the 12‐residue β‐hairpin are comparable to those found in protein structures. The Lys was found to interact through the polarized Cε, and the Arg is stacked against the aromatic ring of Phe or Trp. Folding of these peptides was found to be enthalpically favorable (ΔH° ∼ −3 kcal/mole) and entropically unfavorable (ΔS°∼ −8 cal mole−1 K−1).
Organization and dynamics of tryptophan residues in erythroid spectrin: Novel structural features of denatured spectrin revealed by the wavelength‐selective fluorescence approach
Authors: Chattopadhyay Amitabha , Rawat Satinder S. , Kelkar Devaki A. , Ray Sibnath , Chakrabarti Abhijit
Published: October 2003

We have investigated the organization and dynamics of the functionally important tryptophan residues of erythroid spectrin in native and denatured conditions utilizing the wavelength‐selective fluorescence approach. We observed a red edge excitation shift (REES) of 4 nm for the tryptophans in the case of spectrin in its native state. This indicates that tryptophans in spectrin are localized in a microenvironment of restricted mobility, and that the regions surrounding the spectrin tryptophans offer considerable restriction to the reorientational motion of the water dipoles around the excited state tryptophans. Interestingly, spectrin exhibits a REES of 3 nm even when denatured in 8 M urea. This represents the first report of a denatured protein displaying REES. Observation of REES in the denatured state implies that some of the structural and dynamic features of this microenvironment around the spectrin tryptophans are retained even when the protein is denatured. Fluorescence quenching data of denatured spectrin support this conclusion. In addition, we have deduced the organization and dynamics of the hydrophobic binding site of the polarity‐sensitive fluorescent probe PRODAN that binds erythroid spectrin with high affinity. When bound to spectrin, PRODAN exhibits a REES of 9 nm. Because PRODAN binds to a hydrophobic site in spectrin, such a result would directly imply that this region of spectrin offers considerable restriction to the reorientational motion of the solvent dipoles around the excited state fluorophore. The results of our study could provide vital insight into the role of tryptophans in the stability and folding of spectrin.
Modulating the binding properties of an anti‐17β‐estradiol antibody by systematic mutation combinations
Authors: Lamminmäki Urpo , Westerlund‐Karlsson Annette , Toivola Maria , Saviranta Petri
Published: October 2003

The anti‐17β‐estradiol antibody 57‐2 has been a subject for several protein engineering studies that have produced a number of mutants with improved binding properties. Here, we generated a set of 16 antibody 57‐2 variants by systematically combining mutations previously identified from phage display–derived improved antibody mutants. These mutations included three point mutations in the variable domain of the light‐chain and a heavy‐chain variant containing a four‐residue random insertion in complementarity determining region CDR‐H2. The antibody variants were expressed as Fab fragments, and they were characterized for affinity toward estradiol, for cross‐reactivity toward three related steroids, and for dissociation rate of the Fab/estradiol complex by using time‐resolved fluorescence based immunoassays. The double‐mutant cycle method was used to address the cooperativity effects between the mutations. The experimental data were correlated with structural information by using molecular modeling and visual analysis of the previously solved antibody 57‐2 crystal structures. These analyses provided information about the steroid‐binding mode of the antibody, the potential mechanisms of individual mutations, and their mutual interactions. Furthermore, several combinatorial mutants with improved affinity and specificity were obtained. The capacity of one of these mutants to detect estradiol concentrations at a clinically relevant range was proved by establishing a time‐resolved fluorescence based immunoassay.
Chemical modification of insulin in amyloid fibrils
Authors: Nilsson Melanie R. , Dobson Christopher M.
Published: October 2003

We have investigated the chemical modification of insulin under conditions that promote the conversion of the soluble protein into amyloid fibrils. The modifications that are incorporated into the fibrils include deamidation of Asn A21, Asn B3, and Gln B4. In order to prepare fibrils with minimal deamidation of these residues, the kinetics of aggregation were accelerated by seeding with aliquots of a solution containing preformed fibrils. The resulting fibrils were then reincubated to determine the extent to which chemical modification occurs in the fibril itself. The deamidation of Asn A21 in particular could be followed in detail. Deamidation of this residue in the fibrillar form of insulin was found to occur in only 52 ± 5% of molecules. This result indicates that there are at least two different packing environments of insulin molecules in the fibrils and suggests that the characterization of chemical modifications may be a useful probe of the environment of polypeptide chains within amyloid fibrils.
Peptide models of four possible insulin folding intermediates with two disulfides
Authors: Jia Xiao‐Yuan , Guo Zhan‐Yun , Wang Yao , Xu Ye , Duan Shun‐Shan , Feng You‐Min
Published: October 2003

The single‐chain insulin (PIP) can spontaneously fold into native structure through preferred kinetic intermediates. During refolding, pairing of the first disulfide A20–B19 is highly specific, whereas pairing of the second disulfide is likely random because two two‐disulfide intermediates have been trapped. To get more details of pairing property of the second disulfide, four model peptides of possible folding intermediates with two disulfides were prepared by protein engineering, and their properties were analyzed. The four model peptides were named [A20–B19, A7–B7]PIP, [A20–B19, A6–B7]PIP, [A20–B19, A6–A11]PIP, and [A20–B19, A7–A11]PIP according to their remaining disulfides. The four model peptides all adopt partially folded structure with moderate conformational differences. In redox buffer, the disulfides of the model peptides are more easily reduced than those of the wild‐type PIP. During in vitro refolding, the reduced model peptides share similar relative folding rates but different folding yields: The refolding efficiency of the reduced [A20–B19, A7–A11]PIP is about threefold lower than that of the other three peptides. The present results indicate that the folding intermediates corresponding to the present model peptides all adopt partially folded conformation, and can be formed during PIP refolding, but the chance of forming the intermediate with disulfide [A20–B19, A7–A11] is much lower than that of forming the other three intermediates.
The Sustainable Growth Rate of Non–profit Organisations: The Effect of Efficiency, Profitability and Capital Structure
Authors: Jegers Marc
Published: October 2003

The activity growth of non–profit organisations is financially contrained by their efficiency, profitability and capital structure. In this paper, a very general expression relating these four organisational parameters is derived and its practical use is discussed.
Testing Rival Theories of Budgetary Decision–making in the US States
Authors: Reddick Christopher G.
Published: October 2003

This article tests three common budgetary decision–making theories in the US states. Pooled time series cross–section analysis is used from 1960 to 1996 to test the garbage can theory and incrementalism, and from 1989 to 1996 to test various theories of rational budgeting. The results demonstrate that there was some support for all three theories in terms of their impact on reducing state budget outputs. Rational budgeting reduces expenditures in aggregate, incrementalism has relatively low explanatory power below the aggregates, and garbage can budgeting is more prevalent in functional areas than for government as a whole. These findings imply that the future research agenda on budgetary decision–making theories should focus more on a system–wide approach, which takes into account many of the characteristics of all three rival models of decision–making, rather than exclusively focusing on each one singly.
Financial Management Strategy in a Community Welfare Organisation: A Boardroom Perspective
Authors: Parker Lee D.
Published: October 2003

This paper presents the results of a four year participant observation study of boardroom deliberations and resulting financial management strategies in a large not–for–profit religious based community welfare organisation. Employing a complete membership research approach and informed by grounded theory analysis, the study develops a micro–theoretical framework portraying boardroom financial management and accountability strategising. The study finds that the strategic focus on mission financing was conditioned by the contested formulation of strategic objectives, core organisational service philosophies, and executive–board member interaction. A significant observed outcome of the strategic mission financing focus was the management of accountability and disclosure, to which two key strategies were contributory. These were the exercising of financial control and the exercising of relationships management. The findings offer hitherto unavailable insights into strategic financial management and accountability processes and their context at the boardroom level in the religious not–for–profit community welfare sector.
Does Learning Matter for Knee Replacement Surgeries? Data Evidence from a German Hospital
Authors: Ernst C. , Ernst G. , Szczesny A.
Published: October 2003

In 2003, Germany will be the first country in the world to adopt a fully prospective payment system for the reimbursement of all inpatient hospital services. To face the increasing competition, hospitals can pursue either a specialization or a cost and quality leadership strategy. It stands to reason that organizational and individual learning will play an important role for both strategies. This paper raises the question, whether results from traditional learning curve theory can be applied to surgical procedures despite the latter's heterogeneity. We develop a theoretical model of surgical learning and test it using detailed operating room data from the first 601 total knee replacement surgeries of a small German hospital between 1994–2000. Our results suggest that classical learning curve theory can indeed be applied to this high cost high volume procedure.
‘A Lot of Friction at the Interfaces’: The Regulation of Britain's Privatised Railway System
Authors: Crompton Gerald , Jupe Robert
Published: October 2003

This paper examines the regulation of privatised industries, especially the railways. It focuses on the regulation of the infrastructure company, Railtrack, which collapsed into insolvency less than six years after its flotation. It analyses in detail the establishment of a key interface in the railway system, the track access charges, and discusses the extent to which Railtrack's collapse was a failure of regulation. The paper concludes that the key problem was not the regulatory system, but the fundamentally flawed concept of the rail privatisation, and discusses the implications for the success of privatisation and of Railtrack's successor, Network Rail.
Veneration and renovation at a small Norfolk priory: St. Leonard's, Norwich in the later middle ages*
Authors: Heale M. R. V.
Published: October 2003

Much remains obscure about the many small monasteries of late medieval England, and it is generally thought that they made little contribution to the religious life of the country. The large collection of accounts surviving from St. Leonard's priory, Norwich (a daughter house of the cathedral priory), however, presents an interesting picture of a priory sustained almost entirely by offerings to its image of St. Leonard. This cult continued to attract broad support throughout the later middle ages, with its income reaching a peak at over forty pounds per year in the mid fifteenth century. Almost the entirety of this windfall was set aside for a systematic renovation of the monastery, which can be chronicled in some detail. Although the cult was on the wane by 1500, the importance of the priory for the popular religion of the region emerges clearly.
Elizabeth I and the verdicts of history*
Authors: Collinson Patrick
Published: October 2003

Archbishop Matthew Parker feared that Elizabeth would be ‘strangely chronicled’. From her death to the screening of the film ‘Elizabeth’, the life of ‘Gloriana’ has been a subject for all kinds of imaginative fiction. History, too, has traded as much in myth as fact. Elizabeth's first historian, William Camden, was not responsible for the myth, although his translators were. The nineteenth century invented a ‘whiggish’ Elizabeth who identified herself with the destiny of her people, although the leading Tudor historian, A. J. Froude, was not a fan. Post-J. E. Neale and A. L. Rowse, Froude's critical interrogation of the reign has been revived in the latest Elizabethan historiography.
Patriarchs and republicans: eighteenth-century Virginian planters and classical politics
Authors: Lago Enrico Dal
Published: October 2003

This article argues that the metaphor of George Washington as Father of his Country– or Pater Patriae– must be seen in the context of the culture of the eighteenth-century Virginian planter élite. Classical education and English commonwealthmen's writings had given most planters familiarity with Roman republican figures such as Cicero, who first bore the title of Pater Patriae, and had prompted them to consider independence and disinterestedness for the sake of public good as the most important signs of virtue in the optimal republican citizen. At the same time, patriarchalism – the prominent ethos among Virginian planters – dictated that the representatives of the upper classes ought to display their virtue through an attitude of benevolence towards the lower strata of society, and especially towards the slaves.
Authority, honour and the Strachey family, 1817–1974*
Authors: Lubenow William C.
Published: October 2003

The Strachey family, like other professional families in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, transformed concepts of honour and authority. Rather than rooting such concepts in the values of birth and wealth, the Stracheys realized and utilized the ironic possibilities in the conventions of their time to reshape their understanding of the ways that they fit into the world. The Stracheys were a literary family. In things Indian and imperial, in things French, and in psychoanalysis they negotiated the discontinuities and uncertainties of the modern world in their drive for power, place, meaning, intimacy and a different kind of authority.
Reframing disease: changing perceptions of tuberculosis in England and Wales, 1938–70
Authors: Hardy Anne
Published: October 2003

Perceptions of the character of tuberculosis changed between 1940 and 1970 following the application of new medical technologies and investigative methods in the diagnosis and tracing of the disease. This article examines how that change occurred through a survey of the epidemiological literature, principally relevant journals. It concludes that the new techniques replaced the old romanticized image of tuberculosis as a disease of youth with one centred on children and the old. There has been little research on tuberculosis in Britain since 1940, and none that explores the significant change in image which the disease has undergone since then. This article is a beginning.
Patterns of Immigrant Occupational Attainment in a Longitudinal Survey
Authors: Chiswick Barry R. , Lee Yew Liang , Miller Paul W.
Published: October 2003

This paper uses data from the Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Australia to examine the empirical relevance of a model of immigrant occupational mobility. Consistent with the model, there is a U‐shaped pattern of occupational change from the pre‐immigration occupation through to the occupation held after three‐and‐a‐half years in Australia. The U is shallower for immigrants from countries similar to Australia than it is for immigrants from countries that differ more in language, occupational requirements, and labour market structure. The U‐shaped pattern is deeper for immigrants who are refugees than for family migrants and is the least deep for economic migrants.
Attitudes of Botswana Citizens toward Immigrants: Signs of Xenophobia?
Authors: Campbell Eugene K.
Published: October 2003

This study is borne out of observations over the past decade that citizens of Botswana were increasingly feeling resentful of labour immigrants in the country. A survey questionnaire was administered to a sample of 781 male and female Batswana (citizens of Botswana) in three urban centres in Botswana. The purpose was to obtain opinions of Batswana about immigrants. The paper begins by examining the meaning of xenophobia. The results indicate that Batswana are xenophobic; it appears that this attitude is influenced by a combination of nationalism and economic factors. There is a strong desire to preserve the “fruits” of economic prosperity for citizens alone. Europeans and North Americans are most preferred in terms of being accepted as part of the Botswana society and among those who may apply to become citizens of Botswana. The second most preferred are Africans. Asians, especially Indians, are the least preferred. Indeed, Botswana citizens of Indian descent are viewed with considerable suspicion and dislike by other citizens of the country. Primarily for this reason, Asians seem to be the worst victims of xenophobia in Botswana. Short‐ and specific‐term residences by immigrants are preferred over permanent residence. Some citizens are prepared to take every possible action to discourage immigrants from staying in the country; few would employ violent methods to achieve this goal.
Family Change and Economic Well‐being in Canada: The Case of Recent Immigrant Families with Children
Authors: Liu Jianye , Kerr Don
Published: October 2003

This paper examines the relationship between family change and economic well‐being among recent immigrant families with children to Canada during the 1977 to 1997 period. Whereas the average income to needs ratio of all Canadian families with children is up modestly over this period, this study documents a substantial decline in the average level of economic well‐being of recent immigrants. In this context, this study draws attention to the relevance of not only structural explanations that emphasize the role of labour markets and/or government policy in shaping the economic conditions of immigrants, but also the potential impact of shifts in the living arrangements and family structure of immigrants. More specifically, an increased incidence of lone parenthood has had a net negative impact on the economic well‐being of immigrants, albeit not to the same extent as among non‐immigrants in Canada. Yet, other changes have had a slight positive impact, including an ongoing decline in the average number of children per family, an upward shift in the age distribution of parents, and a slight increase in the tendency of immigrants to co‐reside with family members beyond the immediate nuclear family.
Economic Integration among Children of Israeli Immigrants in the United States
Authors: Cohen Yinon , Haberfeld Yitchak
Published: October 2003

The paper analyses the economic assimilation of first, 1.5, and second generation Israeli Jewish immigrants in the United States. The empirical analyses are based on the 1990 public use sample (PUMS) that enables the identification of adult children of Jewish Israeli immigrants. The analyses show that all groups of Jewish Israeli immigrants in the United States are doing very well relative to a benchmark of native‐born Americans. The comparisons also indicate that children of immigrants — both men and women — are even more successful economically than the immigrants themselves. The economic success of Israeli immigrants and their offspring in the United States is due not only to their high level of education, but also to unmeasured traits that help them earn more than demographically comparable natives.
Anomie and Strain: Context and Consequences of Merton's Two Theories
Authors: Featherstone Richard , Deflem Mathieu
Published: October 2003

Robert Merton presented two, not always clearly differentiated theories in his seminal explorations on the social‐structure‐and‐anomie paradigm: a strain theory and an anomie theory. A one‐sided focus on Merton's strain theory in the secondary literature has unnecessarily restricted the power and effectiveness of Merton's anomie theory. For although structural strain is one way to explain why deviance occurs in the context of anomie, it is not the only way. We contend that scholars who are critical of strain theory should not automatically discard Merton's anomie theory, because the perspective of anomie is compatible with several other theories of crime and delinquency. Offering examples of previous integration efforts, we maintain that Merton's theoretical model can benefit from the input of other theories of crime and deviance as much as these other theoretical perspectives can fine‐tune their models and explanations.
Assessing the Social Bonds of Elderly Neighbors: The Roles of Length of Residence, Crime Victimization, and Perceived Disorder
Authors: Oh Joong‐Hwan
Published: October 2003

Starting from the rationale that elderly urban residents tend to be “neighborhood‐bound,” this study examines the relationship between age or aging and local social bonds (friendship, social cohesion and trust, informal social control, and participation in local organizations). Specifically, is the level of local bonding among elderly urban residents (age 65 and over) greater than that of the younger cohorts (17–35, 34–49, and 50–64)? Additionally, two specific hypotheses are constructed to examine the determinants of local social bonds among elderly urban residents: the systemic approach, regarding length of residence; and the social‐disorganization approach, regarding crime victimization and perceived disorder. Using Chicago data collected in 1995, the analysis found a substantial difference between the elderly cohort and each of the younger cohorts in only the friendship category of local social bonds. The other results show that in a sample of elderly urban residents, length of residence is the only significant, positive factor in local friendship, and that the two disorder predictors, physical and social, play a substantial role in weakening two types of local social bonds, social cohesion and trust and informal social control.
Natural and Epistemological Pragmatism: Democracy and Environmental Problems
Authors: Williams Jerry
Published: October 2003

In this analysis, a pragmatic model of the human relationship to nature is presented. Parallels are drawn between the epistemological pragmatism used by humans to experience large‐scale environmental problems and the natural pragmatism by which all species evolve to meet the challenges of their environment. It is argued that powerful stakeholders have the ability to shift the short‐term consequences of environmental problems to less powerful political entities, thus delaying the pragmatic recognition and remediation of these issues. A synthesis of the phenomenology of Alfred Schutz provides the foundation for a reappraisal of solutions to environmental problems and suggests that rational humanism does not provide realistic solutions to environmental threats.
State Legislators and State Auditors: Is There an Inherent Role Conflict?
Authors: Walton Karen Schuele , Brown Richard E.
Published: October 2003

Traditionally, one of the functions of state legislatures has been that of oversight. However, because it is the least rewarding, legislatures have paid it the least attention. This has led to increased responsibilities for state auditors. In many cases, their role has expanded from an examination of financial transactions and internal control to include the oversight functions previously performed by the legislatures. The result has been considerable auditor‐legislative tensions. This study surveyed state auditors to determine potential areas of conflict between auditors and legislatures. It found the major areas of conflict include inaction by legislators on the findings and recommendations of auditors and attempts at inappropriate control over the audit function by legislatures.
Innovations in Human Services Financing
Authors: Stowers Genie N.L.
Published: October 2003

Many funding innovations have developed in the human services field in the last decade. This paper describes some of those innovations, the trends in these innovations, and suggests other potential developments in the area. Funding innovations in four categories have developed ‐ charges for specific services rendered, dedicated fees or charges, earmarked added‐on charges, and earmarked portions of traditional, broad‐based funding sources. Several trends may be seen in these developments. First, human service managers have developed considerable entrepreneurial skill, placing an emphasis upon a substantive connection between the funding source and the service funded. At the same time, they are exhibiting conservative implementation strategies by deliberately seeking out new funding sources that have been successfully tested elsewhere. Finally, the need for innovations in this area will increase as traditional funding sources continue to fail to keep pace with increased demand for services.
Organizational and Spatial Determinants of Fiscal Stress: An analysis of Norwegian Municipalities
Authors: Aarsaether Nils
Published: October 2003

Two types of factors are thought to lead to fiscal stress of municipalities in Norway: municipal organization and spatial characteristics. Organizational and political factors include the rationality of the agency of government, the ability of the resource coordinator to achieve a balance, and the coordination of governmental policies. Spatial factors include industrial presence and north‐south regional differences. Only the two spatial variables are significantly correlated with the budget difficulties. Case studies, though, show organizational factors and the interplay between organizational and spatial factors can be important determinants for fiscal stress.
Deficits in Local Government Budgets in Israel: A Reflection of Political Cycles and an Expression of Local Autonomy
Authors: Kalchheim Chaim , Rozevitch Shimon
Published: October 2003

This article addresses local government budgeting in the context of two Israeli political cycles: the parliamentary election period and the municipal election period. Deficits are not unusual in any of the three types of Israeli localities: municipalities, local councils, and regional councils. And these deficits exhibit a definite pattern; they are largest in election periods. Specific examples are cited to show this hypothesis holds true for all types of localities (including Israel's three largest cities), and for both Jewish and Arab localities as well.
Ethics and State Budgeting
Authors: Menson Thomas P.
Published: October 2003

Concern is increasing for ethics in government. Budget managers have a limited set of ethical concerns which are being met through a combination of formal codes at the state level and informal understandings at the budget office level. But a framework for ethics in budgeting would require a consensus on important ethical values and a reflection of these values in budget actions and decisions. This evolution might take place through a national code to be adapted by individual states.
Reflections on the President's 1991 Federal Budget
Authors: Mikesell John L. , Maloy Theo Edwin
Published: October 2003

The president's new budget arrived to Congress two and one‐half weeks late. Its contents had been reduced to a single volume and a brief pamphlet. And it included proposals for improving the federal budgetary process. That budget is profiled herein, including discussions of the conditions under which it was submitted, the economic assumptions made within it, and the proposed expenditures and anticipated revenues.
Federal Financial Reporting: Some views of R.K. Mautz
Authors: Phaup Marvin
Published: October 2003

A number of proposals would apply Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), as developed for reporting the financial performance of for‐profits, to federal financial reporting and budget accounting. Critics of these proposals include R.K. Mautz, a distinguished professor of accountancy. This article summarizes some of Mautz's conceptual objections to the use of private GAAP by not‐for‐profits and indicates his preferred approach to improved financial reporting by government.
States to the Rescue? Aid to Central Cities Under the New Federalism
Authors: Yinger John
Published: October 2003

Central cities have been caught in a financial crisis caused by tax revolts and decreases in federal funding for cities during the Reagan administration. The impact of these events are examined, with particular attention to the response by states to the problems these circumstances have created for central cities and cities in general.
Public Enterprises and the Budget in Developing Countries
Authors: Lacey Robert
Published: October 2003

Public enterprises have a substantial fiscal impact in developing countries. This has led to the enterprises impinging on the budgetary process of the government while public enterprises are burdened by budget policies and macroeconomic policies. Such difficulties may necessitate the restructuring of public enterprises, either through privatization or reform to make them more competitive with the private sector.
State Taxation of Interstate Sales: Enforcement Problems and Prospects
Authors: Snavely Keith
Published: October 2003

In their search for additional revenues, state governments in recent years have turned greater attention to collection of use taxes. Growth in interstate mail order sales has vastly increased the potential yield from use taxes, but Supreme Court decisions have limited the ability of states to effectively collect the tax. States have attempted to overcome enforcement barriers by joining in interstate use tax compliance compacts, and promoting congressional legislation to overcome constitutional prohibitions.
City and County Budget Presentations in Texas: The Current State of the Art
Authors: Rickards Robert C.
Published: October 2003

This study looks at the budget preparation process by examining different experiences of Texas cities and counties. It begins with a review of concerns shared by many in budgeting. Then it outlines the Government Finance Officers' Association criteria used to examine the budgets. Finally, budgets from the different Texas government entities are examined and compared.
Comparative Fiscal Analysis for Counties
Authors: Campbell Harrison S.
Published: October 2003

This article describes the implementation and use of a decision support system designed to conduct cross‐sectional analyses of local government finances. A hypothetical situation using actual data from Illinois counties is constructed to illustrate the uses of the system. It is argued that the incorporation of this type of information, in conjunction with other local data, may lend additional capacity in resource allocation and policy formation at both the state and local levels of government.
The Profession of Budgeting
Authors: Persil Herbert G.
Published: October 2003

Budget practitioners may have difficulty in defining a common academic ground for preparation for their careers sufficient to permit calling themselves professionals. Nevertheless, senior budget persons share common concerns, including significant changes in their relationships to the political officials of their agencies. These changes may be the result of the transition from incremental budgeting in a time of plenty to a time of scarcity and intense competition for resources.
Urban Enterprise Zones: Do They Work? Evidence From New Jersey
Authors: Rubin Marilyn
Published: October 2003

Budgetary pressures have made it necessary to consider the effectiveness of urban enterprise zones. These geographically targeted tax incentives programs are widespread. But whether and to what extent these programs spur economic development is not known. The article presents an evaluation of urban enterprise zones in New Jersey in terms of costs and economic impacts, including industrial output, tax revenue, and job creation.
State and Corporate Cash Management: A Comparison
Authors: Mattson Kyle , Hackbart Merl , Ramsey James R.
Published: October 2003

Public and private sector portfolio managers pursue similar goals even though they perform their portfolio management responsibilities in significantly different environments. This article compares and contrasts corporate cash management with state government practices. The comparison and analyses are based on data drawn from a survey of state government portfolio managers and an earlier study which reviewed corporate cash management practice.

The comparison and analyses consider investment objectives, permissible assets, assets held, and asset holding period, among other factors. The results suggest that portfolio management practices are quite similar even though the cash management environment is significantly different.
Turning Point Analysis: Using Survey Research to Call Changes in Consumer Behavior and Predict Sales Taxes
Authors: Macdonald Douglas A. , Haggard Lois
Published: October 2003

Forecasters often disagree on revenue predictions because of differing techniques. Some states, such as Utah, have turned to the use of survey research methods to avoid this dilemma. This article reviews many of the national forecasting models examining consumer sentiment currently in use. And it compares the Utah experience with surveys used in other states.
Surviving a Revenue Collapse: Shortfall and Recovery in California
Authors: Gould Russell
Published: October 2003

Substantial revenue shortfalls have to be reckoned with, no matter what their cause or what the cost. California found itself in such a situation late in the 1987–88 fiscal year. On April 22, 1988,' it ascertained that tax receipts were falling behind forecasted revenues. This led to the prediction of a $1 billion shortfall for California in 1987–88 and again in 1988–89. The article reviews the causes of the shortfall and describes the actions taken by the governor and the legislature to balance the budget.
Capital Budgeting for a State
Authors: Thomassen Henry
Published: October 2003

State governors have been outspoken proponents of capital budgeting. This article reviews their prescriptions. States today use only capital listings; they have no bona fide capital budgets with revenues and costs that can be evaluated in a comprehensive framework to aid decision‐making. Capital consumption is not charged against taxes in a program budget nor net investment against borrowing in a debt budget. While capital budgeting is viewed favorably by many, it has some discouraging conceptual and practical problems, including how to measure depreciation. The author concludes that, given today's budgetary understandings, a move from capital listing to capital budgeting is difficult to justify.
The 1990 Budget Package: Redefining the Debate
Authors: Kee James Edwin , Nystrom Scott V.
Published: October 2003

The debate of budgeting issues in the 1980s culminated in a dramatic change in 1990—the passage of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act. The negotiations leading to this agreement considered the status of the deficit and the philosophical shift from “no new taxes” to “fair taxes.” It led to changes in direct spending, enforcement of budget targets, timing of the budget, sequesters usage, tax increases, and entitlement reforms.
The Budget Enforcement Act of 1990: The Path to No Fault Budgeting
Authors: Doyle Richard , McCaffery Jerry
Published: October 2003

The Budget Enforcement Act of 1990, included in the controversial and comprehensive budget legislation passed by Congress in October, makes a number of significant changes in federal budgeting. It shifts the focus of the budget process from deficit reduction to spending control, provides five‐year spending totals and mini‐sequesters for defense, international and domestic appropriations, and puts entitlements and revenue expenditures on a pay‐as‐you‐go basis. The Gramm‐Rudman‐Hollings deficit targets have been raised substantially, Social Security surpluses taken out of the deficit calculation and allowance made for further adjustments for inflation, Operation Desert Shield, and other emergency spending, minimizing the prospect for general sequestration. OMB has been given important new estimating authority and the roles of the congressional committees involved in budgeting have been altered.