Ethnic diversity Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

To investigate racial and ethnic diversity in suburbanization, we draw on two complementary theoretical traditions, which we label "assimilation" and "stratification."... more

To investigate racial and ethnic diversity in suburbanization, we draw on two complementary theoretical traditions, which we label "assimilation" and "stratification." Our analytic model is multilevel, and includes variables characterizing individuals, households, and metropolitan contexts. We use it to analyze the determinants of suburban versus central-city residence for 11 racial/ethnic groups. The analysis reveals that family status, socioeconomic, and assimilation variables influence the suburbanization process rather consistently. We take this finding as evidence in favor of the assimilation model. These effects display group variations, however, in a manner predicted by the stratification model. There are also suburbanization differences among metropolitan areas, particularly related to the relative economic status of cities and their suburbs, and between the northeast/north central regions and the south/west. Finally, we conclude that suburbanization is variable across the groups in a way that is not captured by broad categories such as "Asian" or "Hispanic."

We recently used positional cloning to identify the transcription factor Nrf2 (NF-E2 related factor 2) as a susceptibility gene in a murine model of oxidant-induced acute lung injury (ALI). NRF2 binds to antioxidant response elements... more

We recently used positional cloning to identify the transcription factor Nrf2 (NF-E2 related factor 2) as a susceptibility gene in a murine model of oxidant-induced acute lung injury (ALI). NRF2 binds to antioxidant response elements (ARE) and up-regulates protective detoxifying enzymes in response to oxidative stress. This led us to investigate NRF2 as a candidate susceptibility gene for risk of development of ALI in humans. We identified multiple single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) by resequencing NRF2 in ethnically diverse subjects, and one (-617 C/A) significantly (P<0.001) diminished luciferase activity of promoter constructs containing the SNP and significantly decreased the binding affinity (P<0.001) relative to the wild type at this locus (-617 CC). In a nested case-control study, patients with the -617 A SNP had a significantly higher risk for developing ALI after major trauma (OR 6.44; 95% CI 1.34, 30.8; P=0.021) relative to patients with the wild type (-617 CC). This translational investigation provides novel insight into the molecular mechanisms of susceptibility to ALI and may help to identify patients who are predisposed to develop ALI under at risk conditions, such as trauma and sepsis. Furthermore, these findings may have important implications in other oxidative stress related illnesses.