bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
RESTORATION OF ANTIBIOTIC SUSCEPTIBILITY IN METHICILLIN‐RESISTANTSTAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUSBY TARGETINGMECR1WITH A PHOSPHOROTHIOATE DEOXYRIBOZYME
Authors: Hou Zheng , Meng Jing‐Ru , Niu Chao , Wang Hai‐Fang , Liu Jie , Hu Ben‐Quan , Jia Min , Luo Xiao‐Xing
Published: July 2007

Methicillin resistance inStaphylococcus aureusis mediated by themecAgene. ThemecAgene encodes a penicillin‐binding protein (PBP2a) possessing low β‐lactam affinity. Transcription ofmecAis regulated by a signal transduction system consisting of the sensor/transducer MecR1. Disruption of the MecR1 regulatory pathway may inhibitmecAexpression and restore methicillin‐resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA) susceptibility to β‐lactams.

In the present study, a phosphorothioate deoxyribozyme (named PS‐DRz147) specifically targeting MecR1 mRNA was designed, synthesised and introduced into the MRSA strain WHO‐2.

The expression ofmecR1andmecAwas inhibited by PS‐DRz147 in a concentration‐dependent manner. Consequently, the susceptibility of WHO‐2 colonies to the antibiotic oxacillin was restored.

The results of the present study indicate that blockade of the MecR1–MecI–MecA signalling pathway with anmecR1‐targeted DNAzyme can restore the susceptibility of MRSA to existing β‐lactam antibiotics.
Nodular gastritis in adults: Clinical features, endoscopic appearance, histopathological features, and response to therapy
Authors: Dwivedi Manisha , Misra Sri Prakash , Misra Vatsala
Published: July 2007

Background and Aims:  The present study aims to determine the prevalence of nodular gastritis (NG) and ascertain its clinical presentation and histopathological features in adults. It also assesses its association with Helicobacter pylori and the normalization of endoscopic features, symptoms, and histology after anti H. pylori therapy.

Methods:  A total of 7140 patients undergoing upper gastrointestinal endoscopy were studied. Patients showing nodularity of the gastric mucosa at endoscopy and an age‐ and sex‐matched control group with normal gastric mucosa underwent biopsies from the gastric antrum and fundus. The biopsies were assessed for the presence of mucosal inflammation, activity, eosinophils, atrophy, lymphoid follicles, H. pylori, and the presence of intestinal metaplasia. Patients with NG were given triple therapy. Endoscopy and biopsy was repeated after 4 weeks of stopping therapy. The symptoms of the patients and histology were assessed pre‐ and post‐therapy.

Results:  Thirty‐two patients with an age range of 20–65 years presenting with NG and 40 age‐ and sex‐matched controls were included in the study. Presenting symptoms were epigastric pain (56%), nausea (75%), vomiting (50%) and abdominal bloating (62.5%). All these symptoms regressed significantly after 2 week of triple therapy against H. pylori. A marked improvement in histopathological features was seen post‐therapy where the presence of lymphoid aggregates, eosinophils in the mucosa, atrophy, and intestinal metaplasia improved significantly (P < 0.05) after therapy, as compared to the control group of patients.

Conclusion:  The symptoms of NG and endoscopic features regress significantly after H. pylori therapy with a proton pump inhibitor and two antibiotics and should routinely be given to treat this form of gastritis. This may prevent progression to further complications.
Dominance of Mycoplasma in the guts of the Long‐Jawed Mudsucker, Gillichthys mirabilis, from five California salt marshes
Authors: Bano Nasreen , DeRae Smith Angelique , Bennett William , Vasquez Lydia , Hollibaugh James T.
Published: July 2007

We analysed the gut microflora of the Long‐Jawed Mudsucker, Gillichthys mirabilis by polymerase chain reaction/denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and cloning and sequencing 16S rRNA gene amplicons. Fish were collected at five sites in northern and southern California, USA. The gut microflora assemblages of all G. mirabilis were similar, very simple and dominated by one or more Mycoplasma ribotypes. Hindguts were dominated by Mycoplasmas that were most similar to a ribotype retrieved from Atlantic salmon guts. A Mycoplasma ribotype that was 95% similar to Mycoplasma mobile was the dominant in the foregut.
Maternal administration of valaciclovir in symptomatic intrauterine cytomegalovirus infection
Authors: Jacquemard F , Yamamoto M , Costa J‐M , Romand S , Jaqz‐Aigrain E , Dejean A , Daffos F , Ville Y
Published: July 2007

Objectives  To report early experience with treatment of intrauterine cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection using maternal oral administration of valaciclovir (VACV).

Design  Observational study of fetuses infected with CMV with or without treatment with valaciclovir.

Population  Pregnancies with confirmed fetal CMV infection were treated with oral VACV (8 g/day).

Main outcome measures  Fetal viral load and drug concentration were monitored in amniotic fluid and in fetal blood. Data on the course and outcome of a group of untreated symptomatic fetuses infected with CMV are also reported.

Results  Therapeutic concentrations were achieved in maternal and fetal bloods. The viral load in the fetal blood (VLFB) decreased significantly after 1–12 weeks of treatment (Wilcoxon paired test P= 0.02). Twenty pregnancies including 21 fetuses were treated at 28 weeks (median, range: 22–34) for 7 weeks (median, range: 1–12). Ten infants were developing normally at between 1 and 5 years of age. Two infants (both aged 2 years) had severe isolated unilateral deafness. One neonate presented with microcephaly and severe deafness but was also diagnosed with incontinentia pigmenti. Six out of seven cases that eventually required termination of pregnancy (TOP) had evidence of in utero progression of the disease with worsening cerebral lesions. One fetus died in utero. The outcome of 14/24 (58.3%) untreated symptomatic infected fetuses was poor with either TOP, intrauterine fetal demise or severe congenital infection disease of the neonate; the remaining ten infants were healthy at follow up.

Conclusion  Maternal oral administration of VACV leads to therapeutic concentrations in the maternal and fetal compartments, with a decrease in VLFB. Our results suggest that in cases where TOP is declined, a randomised controlled trial to study this treatment option further is indicated.
Short communication: The circumferential obstetric fistula: characteristics, management and outcomes
Authors: Browning A
Published: July 2007

Obstetric vesicovaginal fistula is a tragic injury that is widespread in any country where access to emergency obstetric care is limited. More and more people are now interested in treating and caring for these women, but little is known about surgical management, and most operators have developed their own methods through years of experience. One of the more challenging cases to get a functional repair is in those women who have a circumferential defect in the bladder/urethra. This article analyses a series of 77 consecutive circumferential obstetric fistula cases operated in the Barhirdar Hamlin Fistula Centre by the author.
Short communication: STOX1 gene in pre‐eclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction
Authors: Berends AL , Bertoli‐Avella AM , De Groot CJM , Van Duijn CM , Oostra BA , Steegers EAP
Published: July 2007

The STOX1 gene, identified as a candidate gene for pre‐eclampsia in Dutch women, is placentally expressed and subject to imprinting with preferential transmission of the maternal allele. In our study, STOX1‐Y153H frequencies were similar in 157 women with pre‐eclampsia (65%) and in 157 controls (64%) from the general Dutch population. In an isolated Dutch population, a distortion could not be demonstrated in the transmission of STOX1‐Y153H variation from heterozygous mothers to offspring in 50 and 56 families with pregnancies complicated by pre‐eclampsia or intrauterine growth restriction, respectively. Our findings do not confirm previous suggestions that STOX1 plays a major role in Dutch women with pre‐eclampsia.
Overproduction of the follistatin‐related gene protein in the placenta and maternal serum of women with pre‐eclampsia
Authors: Pryor‐Koishi K , Nishizawa H , Kato T , Kogo H , Murakami T , Tsuchida K , Kurahashi H , Udagawa Y
Published: July 2007

Objective  To characterise the follistatin‐related gene (FLRG) in pre‐eclampsia, one of the differentially expressed genes in pre‐eclamptic placenta.

Design and methods  We examined and compared the messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein levels of FLRG in placentas and maternal sera from women with uncomplicated pregnancy, and those with pre‐eclampsia using real‐time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, Western blot, immunohistochemistry, and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay.

Setting  Antenatal clinics in a teaching hospital.

Population  Women with uncomplicated pregnancy (n = 21) and those with pre‐eclampsia (n = 21).

Results  FLRG mRNA is overexpressed in pre‐eclamptic placental tissues (P < 0.01). Upregulated FLRG protein consists of both an immature 28‐kDa cellular product and a mature 33‐kDa secretory form, which are differentially glycosylated. FLRG is normally produced at its highest levels in endothelial cells and at moderate amounts in syncytiotrophoblast cells, but in pre‐eclampsia, the syncytiotrophoblast FLRG levels are dramatically increased. We also determined the maternal serum concentrations of FLRG in our uncomplicated pregnancy subjects and in our pre‐eclamptic groups, and found that they are significantly elevated in pre‐eclampsia in a similar manner to activin A and inhibin A. However, the increase in FLRG in these cases is independent of activin A or inhibin A, and is associated with low‐birthweight outcomes.

Conclusion  Our current data show the placental and secretory changes of FLRG protein in pre‐eclampsia, and also indicate the potential usefulness of FLRG as an additional diagnostic marker for pre‐eclampsia.
Identifying intimate partner violence: comparing the Chinese abuse assessment screen with the Chinese revised conflict tactics scales
Authors: Tiwari A , Fong DYT , Chan KL , Leung WC , Parker B , Ho PC
Published: July 2007

Objective  To assess the measurement accuracy and the utility of the Chinese Abuse Assessment Screen (AAS).

Design  A cross‐sectional study.

Setting  An antenatal clinic of a public hospital and a community centre in Hong Kong.

Sample  A total of 257 Chinese women consisting of 100 pregnant women and 157 nonpregnant women.

Method  The Chinese AAS was administered first, followed by the Chinese Revised Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS2). This was performed in the same sitting, and each participant was interviewed once either at an antenatal clinic (for the pregnant women sample) or at a community centre (for the nonpregnant women sample).

Main outcome measures  Estimates of the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values and positive and negative likelihood ratios.

Results  Using the Chinese CTS2 as the standard, the specificity estimates of the Chinese AAS for emotional, physical and sexual abuse were ≥89%, while the sensitivity estimates varied from 36.3 to 65.8%. The sensitivity improved in the screening for more severe cases (66.7%). The positive predictive values were ≥80%, and the negative predictive values varied from 66 to 93%. Factors such as the age difference between the couple and the woman’s need for financial assistance were found to be associated with intimate partner violence (IPV).

Conclusion  The Chinese AAS has demonstrated satisfactory measurement accuracy and utility for identifying IPV when the Chinese CTS2 was used as the standard.
Why Political Systems Change
Authors: Apter David
Published: July 2007

I INTEND TO FOLLOW AN ABSTRACT LINE IN ANSWERING THE question why political systems change. That is, I am not concerned with the infinity of descriptive reasons why change occurs in any concrete case. It may be argued that now is not the time to bother with such a trivial approach, particularly when the language of crisis is what must be used, and also understood, and not the language of abstraction.

I think the answer to this is that for too long the evaluation of politics, and of government in particular, has become a ‘pseudoactivity’ in which descriptive categories like ‘parliamentary control over the executive’, or ‘reform of the committee system’ are comforting shibboleths which, although meant to contain some inner profundity have lost much of their original meaning. The truth is that the balance between normative givens and structural conditions is becoming so altered that the common-sense foundations of the discipline seem almost irrelevant.
Revolutionary Nationalism in Asia and Africa
Authors: Kedourie Elie
Published: July 2007

IN CHAPTER XVIII OF THE CONSIDERATIONS ON REPRESENTATIVEGovernment(1861) which discussed ‘The Government of Dependencies by Free States’ John Stuart Mill wrote that ‘It is always under great difficulties and very imperfectly, that a country can be governed by foreigners; even where there is no extreme disparity, in habits and ideas, between the rulers and the ruled. Foreigners do not feel with the people. They cantlot judge, by the light in which a thing appears to their own minds, or the manner in which it affects their feelings, how it will affect the feelings or appear in the minds of the subject population.’ This to Mill was a disadvantage; but reflection may lead us to conclude that there may be solid advantages in such a state of affairs; for we will remember that government, whether by foreigner or by native is exercise of power; and power, it is commonly and rightly said, sets up barriers, isolates, puts him who exercises it in a Merent world from him who is subject to it. Those who have power and those who do not have power are different species of men. It is therefore safer and more prudent for distances to be kept , and for the governed to approach their governors with cautious and mistrustful circumspection. An ancient Chinese sage declared it a mistake to compare the ruler to a father; for, he said, the ruler does not (or at any rate should not) feel affection towards his people. Again, the story is told of another wise Chinese, a ruler who, recovering from an illness, heard that his subjects had sacrificed an ox for his recovery.
Merchant Guilds (Consulados de Comercio) in the Spanish World
Authors: Woodward Ralph Lee
Published: July 2007

Recent emphasis on the social and cultural history of colonial Latin America has lessened the former growth of economic and institutional history in the region. Yet there is still need for further research on economic elites and their institutions. Merchant guilds were an important element in the economic and judicial development of the Spanish world from the thirteenth to the nineteenth century. Beginning in Catalonia, they later appeared in Castile, and later yet in Spain's overseas dominions, providing import‐export merchants with a tribunal for commercial litigation and an institution for the protection and promotion of their commerce. Revitalization of the institution in the eighteenth century extended commercial monopolies to more merchant communities, but also established stronger state control over them. The institution declined and largely disappeared during the nineteenth century. Principal studies of the various consulados in Spain and the Indies are referenced in the endnotes.
MICROARRAY ANALYSIS OF DIURNAL‐ AND CIRCADIAN‐REGULATED GENES IN THE FLORIDA RED‐TIDE DINOFLAGELLATE KARENIA BREVIS (DINOPHYCEAE)1
Authors: Van Dolah Frances M. , Lidie Kristy B. , Morey Jeanine S. , Brunelle Stephanie A. , Ryan James C. , Monroe Emily A. , Haynes Bennie L.
Published: July 2007

The photoperiod plays a central role in regulating the physiology and behavior of photosynthetic phytoplankton, and many of these processes are controlled by an underlying circadian rhythm. In dinoflagellates, circadian rhythms have been shown to depend largely on posttranscriptional regulation. However, the extent to which dinoflagellates modulate transcript levels to regulate gene expression in response to light and dark has not been addressed. Here we utilized an oligonucleotide microarray containing probes to 4629 unique genes from the Florida red‐tide dinoflagellate Karenia brevis (C. C. Davis) G. Hansen et Moestrup to characterize global gene expression patterns over a 24 h day in cells exposed to a 16:8 light:dark cycle (LD treatment) and cells under constant light (LL treatment). We determined that 9.8% of the queried genes were differentially expressed during LD, while 3% of genes were differentially expressed over the 24 h day when exposed to LL. Most genes exhibited either peak or minimum expression in early dark phase. Of the 453 differentially expressed genes in LD, 104 were assigned predicted annotations based on BLASTX searches. Few of the identifiable genes that were differentially expressed in LD appear to be under circadian control, as their cyclical expression did not persist in LL. Analysis of coordinately expressed genes revealed several novel insights into dinoflagellate gene expression, including an unusually high representation of genes involved in post‐transcriptional processing of RNA and protein turnover, the regulation of PSII genes in response to light and dark, and the absence of transcriptional regulation of cell‐cycle genes.
SEQUENCE ANALYSIS AND TRANSCRIPTIONAL REGULATION OF IRON ACQUISITION GENES IN TWO MARINE DIATOMS1
Authors: Kustka Adam B. , Allen Andrew E. , Morel François M. M.
Published: July 2007

The centric diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana Hasle et Heimdal and the pennate diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum Bohlin possess genes with translated sequences homologous to high‐affinity ferric reductases present in model organisms. Thalassiosira pseudonana also possesses putative genes for membrane‐bound ferroxidase (TpFET3) and two highly similar iron (Fe) permeases (TpFTR1 and TpFTR2), as well as a divalent metal (M2+) transporter belonging to the NRAMP superfamily (TpNRAMP). In baker’s yeast, the ferroxidase–permease complex transports Fe(II) produced by reductases. We investigated transcript abundances of these genes as a function of Fe quota (QFe). Ferric reductase transcripts are abundant in both species (15%–60% of actin) under low QFe and are down‐regulated by 5‐ to 35‐fold at high QFe, suggesting Fe(III) reduction is a common, inducible strategy for Fe acquisition in marine diatoms. Permease transcript abundance was regulated by Fe status in T. pseudonana, but we did not detect significant differences in expression of the copper (Cu)‐containing ferroxidase. TpNRAMP showed the most dramatic regulation by QFe, suggesting a role in cellular Fe transport in either cell‐surface uptake or vacuolar mobilization. We could not identify ferroxidase or permease homologues in the P. tricornutum genome. The up‐regulation of genes in T. pseudonana that appear to be missing altogether from P. tricornutum as well as the finding that P. tricornutum seems to have an efficient system to acquire Fe′, suggest that diverse (and uncharacterized) Fe‐uptake systems may be at play within diatom assemblages. Different uptake systems among diatoms may provide a mechanistic basis for niche differentiation with respect to Fe availability in the ocean.
SYNCHRONIZED GROWTH OF THALASSIOSIRA PSEUDONANA (BACILLARIOPHYCEAE) PROVIDES NOVEL INSIGHTS INTO CELL‐WALL SYNTHESIS PROCESSES IN RELATION TO THE CELL CYCLE1
Authors: Hildebrand Mark , Frigeri Luciano G. , Davis Aubrey K.
Published: July 2007

Cell‐cycle effects in phytoplankton have both general and specific influences over a variety of cellular processes. Understanding these effects requires that the majority of cells in a culture are progressing through the same cell‐cycle stage, which requires synchronous growth. We report the development of a silicon starvation–recovery synchrony for the first diatom with a sequenced genome, Thalassiosira pseudonana Hasle et Heimdale, which provides several novel insights into the process of cell‐wall formation. After 24 h of silicate starvation, flow cytometry measurements indicated that 80% of the cells were arrested in the early G1 phase of the cell cycle and then upon silicate replenishment progressed synchronously through the cycle. An early G1‐arrest point was not previously documented in diatoms. After silicate replenishment, girdle‐band synthesis was confined to a particular period in G1, and cells did not lengthen in accordance with each girdle band added, which has implications related to cell growth and separation processes in diatoms. Measurements of silicic acid uptake, intracellular pools, and silica incorporation into the cell wall, coupled with fluorescence visualization of newly synthesized cell‐wall structures, provide the first direct measurements of silica amounts in individual girdle bands and valves in a diatom. Fluorescence imaging indicated why valves in T. pseudonana do not have to reduce in size with each generation and enabled visualization of intermediates in structure formation. The development of a synchrony procedure for T. pseudonana enables correlation of cellular events with the cell cycle, which should facilitate the use of genomic information.
Weighing the Costs and Benefits of Mexican Immigration: The Mexican‐American Perspective*
Authors: Jiménez Tomás R.
Published: July 2007

Objective.Survey research posits that Mexican Americans' perceptions of the costs and benefits of immigration drive their opinions about immigration, but this research does not provide a clear picture of how Mexican Americans calculate these costs and benefits. This article aims to understand the processes that explain how Mexican Americans calculate the costs and benefits of Mexican immigration.

Methods.The article employs 123 in‐depth interviews and observation with later‐generation Mexican Americans in Garden City, Kansas, and Santa Maria, California.

Result.Respondents are ambivalent about how Mexican immigrants affect their lives, and their ambivalence is driven by prevailing ideologies in American society regarding immigration, race, and ethnicity. On the one hand, ardent anti‐Mexican nativism leads Mexican Americans to see substantial costs accruing to Mexican immigration. Mexican Americans fear that anti‐Mexican nativism leads to status degradation for all people of Mexican descent. On the other hand, an ideology of multiculturalism and its accompanying value of diversity lead Mexican Americans to see substantial benefits accruing to the large Mexican‐immigrant population, particularly in politics, the labor market, and popular culture.

Conclusions.Mexican Americans' perceptions of the costs and benefits of Mexican immigration are based not only on economic considerations, but on social and cultural considerations structured by prevailing and often paradoxical ideologies. Respondents' structural position increases concerns about status degradation resulting from immigration, but also shapes how they are positioned to benefit from the boost in prominence that immigration provides to the entire Mexican‐origin population.
The Precautionary Principle in Context: U.S. and E.U. Scientists' Prescriptions for Policy in the Face of Uncertainty*
Authors: Silva Carol L. , Jenkins‐Smith Hank C.
Published: July 2007

Objective. Our objective is to explain how scientists interpret less‐than‐certain scientific findings to inform policymakers' choices on controversial science policy issues. We focus on two particularly difficult policy cases concerning global climate change and low‐dose radiation protection.

Methods. Our method is to analyze data from a unique multination survey of scientists to analyze the ways their views about what is scientifically correct are translated into judgments about appropriate policy. The surveys asked scientists, randomly drawn from U.S. and E.U. subscribers to the journal Science, to indicate the “most likely” relationships between greenhouse gas emissions and average global temperatures and between radiation dose and incidence of cancer in humans. Follow‐up questions asked for their judgments about appropriate policy targets for reductions in greenhouse gas emission and safety standards for radiation exposure. The data permit analysis of the relationships between scientific certainty and policy judgments in these two cases.

Results. Our results shed light on when and how scientists reach precautionary policy conclusions, demonstrating that scientists' application of precaution is dependent on context. In the case of radiation protection, greater certainty is associated with less precaution. But with respect climate change, we found the opposite relationship.

Conclusions. We conclude with a discussion of the implications for the role of scientists, and scientific advice, in the policy process.
Interscholastic Athletics and Investment in Human Capital*
Authors: Leeds Michael A. , Miller Cristen , Stull Judith
Published: July 2007

Objectives. Several studies, such as Hoberman (1997) and Leeds (2003), have claimed that success in the athletic arena has distorted the human capital decisions of young black men. We test this hypothesis by determining how participation in interscholastic athletics affects the study habits of black and white youths.

Methods. We build a theoretical model that allows youths to invest in athletic or academic human capital. We test this model using data from the National Educational Longitudinal Survey and accounting for possible self‐selection bias.

Results. We find that athletic participation does not have a statistically significant impact on the amount of time young black men and women spend studying. The impact for young white men and women is positive and significant, though the impact of playing football and basketball does have a negative impact for young white men.

Conclusions. Participating in interscholastic athletics does not have the pervasive negative impact on young black men that Hoberman (1997) and Leeds (2003) claim. The expected negative impact of basketball and football—the so‐called money sports—exists for young white men, though this is offset by the positive impact of participation in athletics per se.
Marital Assimilation Among Hispanics: Evidence of Declining Cultural and Economic Incorporation?*
Authors: Lichter Daniel T. , Brown J. Brian , Qian Zhenchao , Carmalt Julie H.
Published: July 2007

Objective. We document intermarriage patterns between Hispanics and non‐Hispanic whites over the 1990 to 2000 period in 155 U.S. metropolitan areas and evaluate the effects of spatial, cultural, and economic assimilation on interdecade changes in intermarriage. We hypothesize that changes in Hispanic‐white intermarriage during the 1990s reflect changing spatial, cultural, and economic assimilation among U.S. Hispanics.

Methods. We use data from the 1990 and 2000 Census Public Use Microdata Samples.

Results. Analyses show that intermarriage between Hispanics and non‐Hispanic whites declined during the 1990s, a result fueled in part by burgeoning immigration of Hispanics, especially Mexicans. The 1990s also ushered in a period of increasing Hispanic segregation from non‐Hispanic whites, growing language barriers, and accelerated educational inequality, which also dampened Hispanic‐white intermarriage rates.

Conclusions. Our results imply that the Hispanic population is at a transition point, if intermarriage rates are an indication, and possibly a new period of retrenchment in the assimilation process.
Population Size, Local Autonomy, and Support for the Political System*
Authors: Matsubayashi Tetsuya
Published: July 2007

Objectives. Does size of democracy shape citizens' support for the democratic regime? Previous literature demonstrates that a variety of political contexts are associated with the level of system support among citizens, yet none has tested the effect of a fundamental contextual feature of contemporary societies—size of democracy—on system support from a cross‐national perspective.

Methods. Survey data for nations of different sizes in Europe, North America, and Oceania are analyzed using a hierarchical generalized linear model.

Results. Empirical analysis shows that less populous states and highly decentralized states demonstrate higher system support among citizens, and it offers some evidence that the negative effect of population size is moderated by the level of decentralization.

Conclusions. My findings are consistent with the common expectation that smaller size of nation and governments “closer to the people” are preferred. Further, they have substantive implications for contemporary democratic governance.
Partisan Cross‐Pressure and Voter Turnout: The Influence of Micro and Macro Environments*
Authors: Bélanger Paul , Eagles Munroe
Published: July 2007

Objectives. This article explores the impact of the partisan homogeneity/heterogeneity of a variety of group environments on patterns of voter turnout for recent presidential elections in Erie County, New York.

Methods. Using multilevel methods (HLM) with data drawn from voter registration files and Census sources, we simultaneously estimate the independent and joint effects on turnout of a variety of the nested contexts inhabited by individuals.

Results. Our analysis uncovers strong evidence that politically homogeneous households reinforce participatory behaviors, but that this effect is also conditioned by the partisan complexion of their district environment.

Conclusions. We also demonstrate that contextual influences from both households and neighborhoods are stronger for members of the partisan minority.
The Changing Institution of Marriage: Adolescents’ Expectations to Cohabit and to Marry
Authors: Manning Wendy D. , Longmore Monica A. , Giordano Peggy C.
Published: July 2007

Cohabitation has become part of the pathway toward marriage. Prior work focuses on expectations to marry and has ignored cohabitation. Although most young adults are not replacing marriage with cohabitation, but instead cohabit and then marry, it is important to study adolescents’ joint expectations to cohabit as well as marry. Our analyses draw on recently collected data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (N = 1,293). We find that adolescents are less certain about their cohabitation than marriage expectations. Dating and sexual experience, traditional values, prosocial activities, and parents influence adolescents’ union formation expectations. The findings from this work suggest that adolescents are including cohabitation as part of their future life trajectories but rarely envision cohabitation as substituting for marriage.
Marital Quality and Personal Well‐Being: A Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Proulx Christine M. , Helms Heather M. , Buehler Cheryl
Published: July 2007

This study examines the association between marital quality and personal well‐being using meta‐analytic techniques. Effects from 93 studies were analyzed. The average weighted effect size r was .37 for cross‐sectional and .25 for longitudinal effects. Results indicate that several variables moderate the association between marital quality and personal well‐being, including gender, participants’ marital duration, source of measurement, data collection year, and dependent variable. These results suggest that longitudinal effects are more likely to be uncovered when using standard measurement and that future research should use samples homogenous in marital length. The longitudinal finding that the strength of the association is stronger when personal well‐being is treated as the dependent variable supports previous theorizing.
A Comparison of High‐ and Low‐Distress Marriages That End in Divorce
Authors: Amato Paul R , Hohmann‐Marriott Bryndl
Published: July 2007

We used data from Waves 1 and 2 of the National Survey of Families and Households to study high‐ and low‐distress marriages that end in divorce. A cluster analysis of 509 couples who divorced between waves revealed that about half were in high‐distress relationships and the rest in low‐distress relationships. These 2 groups were not artifacts of the timing of the interview or of measurement error. Irrespective of marital quality, couples who divorced shared many risk characteristics, such as having divorced parents. Individuals in high‐distress marriages reported increases in happiness following divorce, whereas those in low‐distress marriages reported declines in happiness. These results suggest two basic motivations to divorce: poor relationship quality and a weak commitment to marriage.
The Longitudinal Influence of Coparenting Conflict on Parental Negativity and Adolescent Maladjustment
Authors: Feinberg Mark E. , Kan Marni L. , Hetherington E. Mavis
Published: July 2007

This study addresses two limitations of coparenting research: first, little research on coparenting has been conducted with families of adolescents, and second, there is little understanding regarding the child and family contexts in which coparenting is most salient. The longitudinal relation of coparenting conflict to parenting and adolescent maladjustment across 3 years was investigated among 516 2‐parent, 2‐adolescent families. Coparenting conflict predicted as much or more unique variance in parenting and adolescent adjustment as did marital quality and disagreement together. After controlling for stability, coparenting conflict predicted mothers’ and fathers’ negativity and adolescent antisocial behavior (but not depression). Importantly, the influence of coparenting conflict in all cases varied as a function of family type, adolescent gender, or initial level of antisocial behavior, or all. The implications of these results for family processes in different relational and developmental contexts are discussed.
Adolescent Work Intensity and Substance Use: The Mediational and Moderational Roles of Parenting
Authors: Longest Kyle C , Shanahan Michael J
Published: July 2007

The dialectic between the adolescent quest for autonomy and parents’ desire to regulate this quest are explored by examining the extent to which the association between adolescent work intensity and substance use is mediated and moderated by parenting practices. Results using data from the National Survey of Youth and Religion (N = 3,290) show that the association between work intensity and alcohol use is mediated by parenting practices. There is also limited support for the moderational role of parental monitoring with respect to heavy drinking. Finally, connections among work intensity, parenting practices, and substance use are pronounced for adolescents younger than 16 years of age. These findings suggest the importance of a multifaceted view of parenting practices that both shape and are shaped by their adolescent’s search for independence.
Parents’ Union Dissolution and Adolescents’ School Performance: Comparing Methodological Approaches
Authors: Frisco Michelle L. , Muller Chandra , Frank Kenneth
Published: July 2007

We use data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health and the Adolescent Health and Academic Achievement Study to estimate how parents’ union dissolution influences changes in adolescents’ mathematics course work gains, overall grade point average, and course failure rates during a window of approximately 1 year (N =2,629). A primary purpose of this study is demonstrating the utility of propensity score matching techniques for studying topics such as ours that pose methodological challenges such as dealing with endogeneity and selection bias. We compare propensity score matching techniques to ordinary least squares (OLS) regression methods to show and discuss comparability of results obtained using these different procedures. Findings suggest that associations between parents’ union dissolution and achievement may be causal, regardless of method used.
Managing the Multifather Family: Stepfathers as Father Allies
Authors: Marsiglio William , Hinojosa Ramon
Published: July 2007

Drawing on qualitative in‐depth interviews with 46 stepfathers, we explore how stepfathers characterize the biological father and their relations with him. We focus specifically on instances in which stepfathers directly and indirectly act like a father ally; that is, they presumably help the father sustain or improve his relationship with his child. Our analysis generates theoretical insights about father ally properties (development, purpose, awareness level, reciprocity routines, building trust/respect, and social capital) while discussing conditions that either facilitate (male bonding, avoiding the threshold of discomfort, stepfather’s romantic relationship security, father’s perceived worthiness, and having biological children) or could foster (mother as gatekeeper/mediator, quality of stepfather‐child relationship) its expression. We consider how stepfathers conceptualize and display a cooperative interactive style reflecting a less traditional masculine self. Our study illustrates some of the interpersonal complexities associated with stepfamily fatherhood in the United States.
Fatty acids increase the circulating levels of oxidative stress factors in mice with diet‐induced obesity via redox changes of albumin
Authors: Yamato Mayumi , Shiba Takeshi , Yoshida Masayoshi , Ide Tomomi , Seri Naoko , Kudou Wataru , Kinugawa Shintaro , Tsutsui Hiroyuki
Published: July 2007

Plasma concentrations of free fatty acids are increased in metabolic syndrome, and the increased fatty acids may cause cellular damage via the induction of oxidative stress. The present study was designed to determine whether the increase in fatty acids can modify the free sulfhydryl group in position 34 of albumin (Cys34) and enhance the redox‐cycling activity of the copper–albumin complex in high‐fat diet‐induced obese mice. The mice were fed with commercial normal diet or high‐fat diet and water ad libitum for 3 months. The high‐fat diet‐fed mice developed obesity, hyperlipemia, and hyperglycemia. The plasma fatty acid/albumin ratio also significantly increased in high‐fat diet‐fed mice. The increased fatty acid/albumin ratio was associated with conformational changes in albumin and the oxidation of sulfhydryl groups. Moreover, an ascorbic acid radical, an index of redox‐cycling activity of the copper–albumin complex, was detected only in the plasma from obese mice, whereas the plasma concentrations of ascorbic acid were not altered. Plasma thiobarbituric acid reactive substances were significantly increased in the high‐fat diet group. These results indicate that the increased plasma fatty acids in the high‐fat diet group resulted in the activated redox cycling of the copper–albumin complex and excessive lipid peroxidation.
Interactions between metals and α‐synuclein − function or artefact?
Authors: Brown David R.
Published: July 2007

α‐synuclein is one of a family of proteins whose function remains unknown. This protein has become linked to a number of neurodegenerative disease although its potential causative role in these diseases remains mysterious. In diseases such as Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementias, α‐synuclein becomes deposited in aggregates termed Lewy bodies. Also, some inherited forms of Parkinson's diseases are linked to mutations in the gene for α‐synuclein. Studies have mostly focussed on what causes the aggregation of the protein but, like many amyloidogenic proteins associated with a neurodegenerative disorder, this protein has now been suggested to bind copper. This finding is currently controversial. This review examines the evidence that α‐synuclein is a copper binding protein and discusses whether this has any significance in determining the function of the protein or whether copper binding is at all necessary for aggregation.
New application of firefly luciferase − it can catalyze the enantioselective thioester formation of 2‐arylpropanoic acid
Authors: Kato Dai‐Ichiro , Teruya Keisuke , Yoshida Hiromitsu , Takeo Masahiro , Negoro Seiji , Ohta Hiromichi
Published: July 2007

We introduce a new application of firefly luciferase (EC 1.13.12.7). The firefly luciferases belong to a large superfamily that includes rat liver long‐chain acyl‐CoA synthetase (LACS1). LACS1 is the enzyme that is involved in the deracemization process of 2‐arylpropanoic acid and catalyzes the enantioselective thioester formation ofR‐acids. Based on the similarity of the reaction mechanisms and the sequences between firefly luciferase and LACS1, we predicted that firefly luciferase also has thioesterification activity toward 2‐arylpropanoic acid. From an investigation using three kinds of luciferases from North American firefly and Japanese fireflies, we have confirmed that these luciferases exhibit an enantioselective thioester formation activity and theR‐form is transformed to a thioester in preference to theS‐form in the presence of ATP, Mg2+, and CoASH. The enantiomeric excesses of unreacted recovered acid and thioester were determined by chiral phase HPLC analysis and the resulting 2‐arylpropanoyl‐CoAs were identified by high resolution mass spectroscopy. TheKmandkcatvalues of thermostable luciferase fromLuciola lateralis(LUC‐H) toward ketoprofen were determined as 0.22 mmand 0.11 s−1, respectively. The affinity of ketoprofen was almost the same ofd‐luciferin. In addition, the calculatedE‐value toward ketoprofen was approximately 20. These results suggest that LUC‐H could catalyze the kinetic resolution of 2‐arylpropanoic acid efficiently and would be a new option for the preparation of optically active 2‐substituted carboxylic acids.
Detection of compact radio emission from Circinus X-1 with the first Southern hemisphere e-VLBI experiment
Authors: Phillips C. J. , Deller A. , Amy S. W. , Tingay S. J. , Tzioumis A. K. , Reynolds J. E. , Jauncey D. L. , Stevens J. , Ellingsen S. P. , Dickey J. , Fender R. P. , Tudose V. , Nicolson G. D.
Published: July 2007

Circinus X-1 has recently returned to a state of strong radio flaring. Here we report on the first VLBI observations, and detection, undertaken in the 25 years since the 1975–1985 period of strong recurrent flaring activity. We detected Circinus X-1 with the first observations conducted by a recently developed Southern hemisphere e-VLBI array, at both 1.6 and 8.4 GHz, over a three-day period. At 1.6 GHz, the compact source has a total flux density of 11 mJy and a size of 60 ± 15 mas (Gaussian model full width at half maximum). At 8.4 GHz, the compact source is less than 60 mas. The size variation with frequency is consistent with a broadened image due to scattering in the turbulent, ionized interstellar medium of our Galaxy. However, these size measurements appear inconsistent with the λ2.2 variation expected for strong interstellar scattering and previous VLBI observations made at 2.3 GHz in the early 1980s. To explain this apparent inconsistency, we suggest that Circinus X-1 supports a weak, non-varying component of 35 mas extent (175 au at 5 kpc distance), corresponding to compact structure in the extended radio nebula. No significant variation in the flux density at 1.6 GHz is evident between two observations 24 h apart. No jet-like structures are evident on scales of tens of mas, simply a scatter broadened source, presumably coincident with the suggested neutron star in the binary system.
Quasar H ii regions during cosmic reionization
Authors: Alvarez Marcelo A. , Abel Tom
Published: July 2007

Cosmic reionization progresses as H ii regions form around sources of ionizing radiation. Their average size grows continuously until they percolate and complete reionization. We demonstrate how this typical growth can be calculated around the largest, biased sources of UV emission, such as quasars, by further developing an analytical model based on the excursion set formalism. This approach allows us to calculate the sizes and growth of the H ii regions created by the progenitors of any dark matter halo of given mass and redshift with a minimum of free parameters. Statistical variations in the size of these pre-existing H ii regions are an additional source of uncertainty in the determination of very high redshift quasar properties from their observed H ii region sizes. We use this model to demonstrate that the transmission gaps seen in very high redshift quasars can be understood from the radiation of only their progenitors and associated clustered small galaxies. The fit sets a lower limit [Correction added after online publication 16 July 2007: the term ‘sets an upper limit’ has been corrected to ‘sets a lower limit’] on the redshift of overlap at z = 5.8 ± 0.1. This interpretation makes the transmission gaps independent of the age of the quasars observed. If this interpretation were correct it would raise the prospects of using radio interferometers currently under construction to detect the epoch of reionization.
Wellbeing, health and geography: A critical review and research agenda
Authors: Fleuret Sebastien , Atkinson Sarah
Published: July 2007

Abstract:  This paper explores different conceptual and policy spaces of wellbeing. The increasing use of wellbeing in contemporary health debates affords geographers of health new arena in which to explore the processes that promote, remedy or regenerate health and ill‐health. The paper first critically reviews the theoretical approaches and challenges for operationalizing the concept of wellbeing in both research and policy. We then present a framework of the spaces of wellbeing to provoke discussion and research amongst geographers of health. The paper concludes with proposals for future research orientations.
A vitally human medical geography? Introducing Georges Canguilhem to geographers
Authors: Philo Chris
Published: July 2007

Abstract:  This paper discusses Georges Canguilhem (1904–95), a French historian of science and medicine, tracing themes in his work of normality, pathology and the situated bases of medical decision‐making. His conception of the normal and the pathological prompts reconsideration of the move from medical to health geography, suggesting value in a ‘return’ to the former. His ideas embrace openness to vitalism, a focus on the processes of life that anticipates recent attempts to engage with ‘lively’ (post‐human) geographies. His dialogue between vitalism and humanism, with reference to the ‘felt’ unwellness of the sick person, signals a path towards a vitally human medical geography.
The place of schools in parents’ community belonging
Authors: Witten Karen , McCreanor Tim , Kearns Robin
Published: July 2007

Abstract:  Schools are central community facilities in the daily lives of families with young children. The paper draws on survey and in‐depth interview data to describe the role schools play in parents’ sense of belonging to community. Māori and Pākehā parents indicated that schools and preschools were the most significant sites to their community belonging. They are a common meeting place, a source for community knowledge, and a point of departure for the development of parental friendship networks, and reciprocity in child care and support. Parents’ perceptions of local schools in all socio‐economic neighbourhoods influenced school choice and commitment to a neighbourhood. For Pacific and Asian parents schools were less significant as sites of community belonging.
Incorporating geographies of health into public policy debates: The GeoHealth Laboratory
Authors: Pearce Jamie
Published: July 2007

Abstract:  The restricted influence of geographers in the policy arena has been the source of some angst. This paper reports on a new initiative at the University of Canterbury, which aims to strengthen geography's contribution to health policy debates in New Zealand. The GeoHealth Laboratory is a joint initiative between the Department of Geography and Public Health Intelligence group at the Ministry of Health that seeks to provide a pathway for the integration of health geography research into policy development. This new facility aligns the expertise in health geography, GIS and other spatial analytical methods with policy‐relevant research priorities. An overview of the strategic aims of the GeoHealth Laboratory is provided along with some examples of recent research activities that are contributing to understandings of the health landscape in New Zealand. It is argued that such partnerships provide important opportunities for geographers to engage with policy‐relevant issues.