bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Activation of AP‐1 and CRE‐dependent gene expression via µ‐opioid receptor
Authors: Bilecki Wiktor , Wawrzczak‐Bargiela Agnieszka , Przewlocki Ryszard
Published: July 2004

Addiction to opiates depend on drug‐induced neuroplastic changes and are underlain by alterations of gene expression. Transcription factors Ca2+/cAMP responsive element binding protein (CREB) and activator protein 1 (AP‐1) may constitute a direct link between the opioid‐regulated signal transduction pathways and modulation of gene expression. Acute treatment of Neuro2a MOR neuroblastoma cells with opioids stimulated CREB activity; prolonged treatment normalized it, while withdrawal from the drug again elicited an increase in phosphorylated CREB levels. Protein kinase C was responsible for the activation of transcription following acute opioid administration whereas the cAMP pathway activated similar mechanisms during withdrawal, making CREB a kind of ‘a trigger’ reacting to the presence or withdrawal of the opioid signal. Apart from the elevated CREB phosphorylation, CRE binding activity and expression of luciferase reporter gene regulated by CRE elements were increased after single administration and during withdrawal from the prolonged opioid treatment. Along with CREB, AP‐1 binding activity and AP‐1‐directed transcription were stimulated after single administration and during withdrawal from the opioid. These results provide evidence that both single opioid administration and opioid withdrawal activate CREB and CRE‐dependent transcriptional mechanisms via distinct intracellular signaling pathways.
Focal adhesion kinase mediates endothelin‐induced cyclin D3 expression in rat cultured astrocytes
Authors: Koyama Yutaka , Yoshioka Yasuhiro , Shinde Michiyo , Matsuda Toshio , Baba Akemichi
Published: July 2004

Focal adhesion kinase (FAK), a non‐receptor type tyrosine kinase, is involved in the G1/S phase cell cycle transition of astrocytes induced by endothelin‐1 (ET‐1). In this study, the roles of FAK in the expression of cyclin D1 or D3, which are pivotal in G1/S phase transition, were examined in cultured astrocytes. Accompanied with increases in bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation, ET‐1 (100 nm) increased the numbers of cyclin D1‐ and D3‐positive astrocytes. PD98059 (a MEK inhibitor) and PP‐2 (a Src kinase inhibitor) inhibited ET‐induced cyclin D1 expression and BrdU incorporation without affecting cyclin D3 expression. In contrast, cytochalasin D, lovastatin (a 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methylglutaryl‐CoA reductase inhibitor) and Y‐27632 (a rho‐kinase inhibitor) prevented both cyclin D3 expression and BrdU incorporation. FAK phosphorylation by ET‐1 was inhibited by cytochalasin D, lovastatin and Y‐27632, but not by PD98059 or PP‐2. Transfection with wild‐type FAK increased expression of cyclin D3 in astrocytes, while that of cyclin D1 was not affected. Dominant‐negative FAK mutants prevented an ET‐induced increase in cyclin D3 expression, but not D1. These results suggest that activation of FAK causes cyclin D3 expression in cultured astrocytes, which would underlie the FAK‐mediated astrocytic G1/S phase transition by ET‐1.
Differential expression of N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate receptor NR2 isoforms in Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Hynd Matthew R. , Scott Heather L. , Dodd Peter R.
Published: July 2004

We have previously shown that the expression of NMDA receptor NR1 subunit mRNA splice variants in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain varies according to regional susceptibility to pathological damage. Here we investigated the expression of the modulatory NR2 subunits of the NMDA receptor using quantitative RT–PCR to assay all NR2 isoforms. Significantly lower expression of NR2A and NR2B transcripts was found in susceptible regions of AD brain, whereas expression of NR2C and NR2D transcripts did not differ from that in controls. Western blot analysis confirmed a lower expression of the NR2A and NR2B isoforms at the protein level. The results suggest that NR2 subunit composition may modulate NMDA receptor‐mediated excitotoxicity. NMDA receptor dysfunction might give rise to the regionally selective pattern of neuronal loss that is characteristic of AD.
Circadian rhythms in the retina of rats with photoreceptor degeneration
Authors: Sakamoto Katsuhiko , Liu Cuimei , Tosini Gianluca
Published: July 2004

Previous studies have demonstrated that the mammalian retina contains a circadian clock system that controls several retinal functions. In mammals the location of the retinal circadian clock is unknown whereas, in non‐mammalian vertebrates, earlier work has demonstrated that photoreceptor cells contain the circadian clock. New experimental evidence has suggested that in mammals the retinal circadian clock may be located outside the photoreceptor cells. In this study we report that circadian rhythms in Aa‐nat mRNA (in vivo) and melatonin synthesis (in vitro) are still present in the retina of rats lacking photoreceptors. The circadian pacemaker(s) controlling such rhythms is probably located in kainic acid sensitive neurons in the inner retina since kainic acid injections abolished the rhythmicity. These data are the first direct demonstration that circadian rhythmicity in the mammalian retina can be generated independently from the photoreceptors and the suprachiasmatic nuclei of the hypothalamus.
Biosynthesis of NAAG by an enzyme‐mediated process in rat central nervous system neurons and glia
Authors: Gehl Laura M. , Saab Omar H. , Bzdega Tomasz , Wroblewska Barbara , Neale Joseph H.
Published: July 2004

The peptide transmitter N‐acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG) is present in millimolar concentrations in mammalian spinal cord. Data from the rat peripheral nervous system suggest that this peptide is synthesized enzymatically, a process that would be unique for mammalian neuropeptides. To test this hypothesis in the mammalian CNS, rat spinal cords were acutely isolated and used to study the incorporation of radiolabeled amino acids into NAAG. Consistent with the action of a NAAG synthetase, inhibition of protein synthesis did not affect radiolabel incorporation into NAAG. Depolarization of spinal cords stimulated incorporation of radiolabel. Biosynthesis of NAAG by cortical astrocytes in cell culture was demonstrated by tracing incorporation of [3H]‐glutamate by astrocytes. In the first test of the hypothesis that NAA is an immediate precursor in NAAG biosynthesis, [3H]‐NAA was incorporated into NAAG by isolated spinal cords and by cell cultures of cortical astrocytes. Data from cerebellar neurons and glia in primary culture confirmed the predominance of neuronal synthesis and glial uptake of NAA, leading to the hypothesis that while neurons synthesize NAA for NAAG biosynthesis, glia may take it up from the extracellular space. However, cortical astrocytes in serum‐free low‐density cell culture incorporated [3H]‐aspartate into NAAG, a result indicating that under some conditions these cells may also synthesize NAA. Pre‐incubation of isolated spinal cords and cultures of rat cortical astrocytes with unlabeled NAA increased [3H]‐glutamate incorporation into NAAG. In contrast, [3H]‐glutamine incorporation in spinal cord was not stimulated by unlabeled NAA. These results are consistent with the glutamate–glutamine cycle greatly favoring uptake of glutamine into neurons and glutamate by glia and suggest that NAA availability may be rate‐limiting in the synthesis of NAAG by glia under some conditions.
N‐Acetylaspartate: a literature review of animal research on brain ischaemia
Authors: Demougeot Céline , Marie Christine , Giroud Maurice , Beley Alain
Published: July 2004

The present review examines and discusses the changes in N‐acetylaspartate (NAA) concentration in the ischaemic brain from the existing literature of animal research. By summarizing the current knowledge on NAA metabolic pathways and reviewing the data obtained in animal models of global and focal ischaemia, the following conclusions emerge from this compilation: (i) both magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and the absolute HPLC method of NAA quantification give converging information; (ii) decreases in brain NAA concentration in acute stroke can be considered as an index of neuronal loss or dysfunction, although NAA redistribution by glial cells and NAA trapping in cell debris restrict its use as a quantitative neuronal marker; (iii) further studies on NAA metabolism in pathologic brain are required before using NAA measurement in the chronic stage of ischaemia for evaluating neuroprotective strategies.
Inquiry‐based learning as a ‘whole‐curriculum approach’: the experiences of first‐year nursing students
Authors: Bebb Hilary , Pittam Gail
Published: July 2004

Anglia Polytechnic University implemented inquiry‐based learning (IBL) as a ‘whole‐curriculum’ strategy for preregistration nursing education, primarily to avoid the possibility of educational dissonance within a mixed methodology approach. An evaluation strategy was put in place to provide stakeholders with information about process and outcomes. Set against the context of this wider evaluation, this report presents some of the findings of interviews with 15 student representatives as they completed their first year of the IBL programme. The key issues identified concerned adaptation to the IBL process and learning within small groups. This evaluation offers a unique insight into the student experience within an IBL curriculum. The evaluation has enabled the course team to make pertinent modifications to both the programme and student support mechanisms and may provide other educators with pointers for their own curriculum development and implementation.
Bacterial infections in cirrhosis
Authors: Navasa Miguel , Rodés Juan
Published: July 2004

Abstract: Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, urinary tract infections, respiratory infections and bacteremia are the most frequent infective complications in cirrhosis. These infections are due to the concomitant presence of different facilitating mechanisms including changes in the intestinal flora and in the intestinal barrier, depression of activity of the reticuloendothelial system, decreased opsonic activity of the ascitic fluid, neutrophil leukocyte dysfunction and iatrogenic factors among others. The fact, that the probability of having a microorganism responsible for the infection quinolone resistant is higher than 30% should be taken into account when treating any infection in a cirrhotic patient receiving selective intestinal decontamination with quinolones, and therefore, quinolones as empiric treatment are not indicated.
Patterns of Learning in Family Therapy Training
Authors: PERLESZ AMARYLL J. , STOLK YVONNE , FIRESTONE ANDREW F.
Published: July 2004

This study presents the results of an evaluation of two cohorts of trainees who had completed a 2‐year training program in family therapy. The 15 trainees were assessed in the areas of perceptual/conceptual, intervention/executive skills and personal development both pre‐ and post‐training. Although the group results showed skill acquisition in all areas assessed, the individual results revealed a complexity in performance glossed over by the group analysis. Trainees' learning commenced from different baselines, advanced at different rates, and there was a marked discrepancy between self‐reports of improvements (or otherwise) and the results of the observer‐rated measures. We recommend that increasing attention be paid to individual differences in learning styles in training and in evaluation.
Do Better Trainees Make Worse Family Therapists? A Followup Study of Client Families
Authors: STOLK YVONNE , PERLESZ AMARYLL J.
Published: July 2004

This study was designed to evaluate the effects of training on family therapy outcome and to validate measures of cognitive/perceptual and executive skills. Followup data on family satisfaction were obtained from 176 individuals (73 families) treated by 12 trainee family therapists in their first or second year of training. The prediction that clients' scores on a scale of family satisfaction with therapy (FSS) would increase with training was not confirmed. Instead, there was a tendency for FSS scores to decrease with training. However, trainees' ratings of outcome did increase significantly as training progressed. Cognitive/perceptual and executive skill measures were not validated by the FSS, but negative associations indicated a tendency for trainees with high course‐skills to receive poor FSS scores. The results suggest that trainees became more confident as they acquired technical skills, but that they put aside their nonspecific therapist skills as training progressed, to the dissatisfaction of families.
Culturally Sensitive Family Assessment: An Evaluation of the Family Assessment Device Used with Hawaiian‐American and Japanese‐American Families
Authors: MORRIS TERESA M.
Published: July 2004

This article reports the results of a study of the McMaster Family Assessment Device (FAD) used with samples drawn from two non‐Anglo ethnic groups: Hawaiian‐Americans and Japanese‐Americans living in Hawaii. The results showed that the FAD appeared to make appropriate assessments of Hawaiian‐American study participants' families and inappropriate assessments of Japanese‐American study participants' families. Results also suggested that cultural norms regarding family functioning may vary according to socioeconomic status. FAD modifications are suggested.
Couples Therapy: Analysis of a “Praxis” with a Freirian Perspective
Authors: DE SANTAMARIA MARIA CONSUELO
Published: July 2004

A description of the therapeutic experience is presented to illustrate how couple's therapy can be conceptualized as a “praxis”— action and reflection — and as liberating education for both therapist and client when neither exclusively has the upper‐hand, that is, the power of knowledge or experience. As a praxis, therapy cannot become a model, nor can theoretical principles be consistently derived and applied. Consequently, presented here is only an outline of the therapeutic process and the conceptual framework in order to encourage both discussion and the never‐ending inquiry that knowledge has to be.
Looking at Systems as Process
Authors: CHUBB HENDON
Published: July 2004

This article proposes that the social systems family therapists are concerned with may usefully be conceived of as interactive processes. It discusses limitations to the organismic view, in which social systems are seen as autonomous entities with boundaries, internal structures, and self‐perpetuating behaviors, and argues, from Maturana and Varela, that social systems are qualitatively different from organisms. It develops from chaos theory an alternative view in which social systems are seen as complex nonlinear processes. It proposes that this view can free the therapist from the notions of family dysfunction and the systemic function of symptoms, and from reifications in which the family is seen as having covert rules, keeping secrets, neutralizing the therapist, and the like. This view leads to a redefinition of the therapist's place in the system and to the conclusion that family therapists can only influence systemic process by working with individuals.
Conceptual and Empirical Approaches to Developing Family‐Based Assessment Procedures: Resolving the Case of the Family Environment Scale
Authors: MOOS RUDOLF H.
Published: July 2004

This article focuses on the reliability and validity of the Family Environment Scale (FES). The FES subscales generally show adequate internal consistency reliability and stability over time when applied in samples that are diverse; the items also have good content and face validity. An extensive body of research supports the construct, concurrent, and predictive validity of the FES. More generally, reliability and validity are a joint function of scale items and response formats and of the characteristics and diversity of specific samples. To contribute to further advances in family assessment, researchers need to use both conceptual and psychometric criteria rather than rely too heavily on the pursuit of internal consistency reliability and factor analytic approaches to scale construction and validation.
Anticipatory Loss: A Family Systems Developmental Framework
Authors: ROLLAND JOHN S.
Published: July 2004

This article provides a family‐systems developmental framework for anticipatory loss in situations of physical illness, disability, and long‐term psychiatric disorders, and offers a conceptual base for theory building, clinical practice, and research. A family systems‐illness model that integrates psychosocial types and phases of illness with family variables, in particular, developmental patterns and beliefs systems, provides a foundation to rethink and expand our approaches to threatened loss.
Predictors of Depression in Caregivers of Dementia Patients: Boundary Ambiguity and Mastery
Authors: BOSS PAULINE , CARON WAYNE , HORBAL JOAN , MORTIMER JAMES
Published: July 2004

This study examined the role of two perceptual variables in predicting the development of depressive symptoms in caregivers. The first, boundary ambiguity, refers to whether the dementia patient is perceived as psychologically in or out of the family system. The second, an orientation toward mastery, is related to how persons manage various stressful situations, including caring for a dementia patient. This study included 70 patients and their caregivers. Stepwise regression and path analytic techniques were used to compare the impact of variables related to the illness per se and of variables related to caregivers' perceptions of their situations. Results indicate that both perceptual variables, boundary ambiguity, and mastery, are significantly related to a caregiver's depression level whereas severity of the patient's dementia is not. In sum, the more a caregiver perceives a mate as psychologically absent, the less masterful and the more depressed she or he is.
From Handicap to Handy Capable: Training Systemic Therapists in Use of Self
Authors: HABER RUSSELL
Published: July 2004

This article describes and discusses the rationale for an experiential methodology to help trainees expand their repertoire of behaviors in clinical situations. The goal in addressing the trainee's personal, “handicapping” responses is to pay attention to “how” a therapist is perceived, “why” a therapist has certain blindspots, and “what” the therapist does to co‐create a therapeutic impasse. In addition, experientially considering the impact of self encourages therapists to “learn to learn” that they are an active, resourceful participant in the evolutionary process of the therapeutic system.
Why Families of Children with Biological Deficits Require a Systems Approach
Authors: SLOMAN LEON , KONSTANTAREAS M. MARY
Published: July 2004

A number of assumptions related to the systemic therapists' view of family functioning in the case of biological deficit in the child are presented and challenged. The families' behavior, it is argued, may not be primarily responsible for the difficulties of their biologically impaired offspring. Severity of handicap need not be directly linked to stress in these families, nor is avoiding an individual diagnosis helpful to them. To further clarify the relevant issues, the family's “reactions” to a dysfunctional member, along with the professionals' previously unhelpful approaches to dealing with the impairment of these children, are presented. Finally, the therapeutic implications of the position presented in this article are drawn, and specific recommendations for working with these families are offered.
Family Therapy Outcome Research: A Trial for Families, Therapists, and Researchers
Authors: ASEN KARL , BERKOWITZ RUTH , COOKLIN ALAN , LEFF JULIAN , LOADER PETER , PIPER ROBIN , REIN LORIAN
Published: July 2004

This article describes the process of an evolving research project. Initially conceived as a study investigating outcome measures and their sensitivity to change after a course of family therapy, the project soon changed its focus. As unexpected results were recorded, the clinical research team became destabilized and the individual team members responded by making their own “sense” of the data, reflecting their respective clinical and scientific positions. As clinicians and researchers began to challenge each other's belief systems, the project entered a new stage. The interactions within the team became of increasing interest and themselves objects of research. The recursive nature of re‐search was demonstrated, and the act of writing this report completed the circle, as the various authors tried to achieve a balance between reporting the content and the process of this project.
A Randomized Clinical Trial of Inpatient Family Intervention: VI. Mediating Variables and Outcome
Authors: GLICK IRA D. , CLARKIN JOHN F. , HAAS GRETCHEN L. , SPENCER JAMES H. , CHEN CLARENCE L.
Published: July 2004

In a randomized clinical trial of Inpatient Family Intervention (IFI) for 169 inpatients with schizophrenia, affective disorder, and a residual group of other diagnoses, results suggested significant effects favoring IFI for patients and their families. The treatment effects were limited to females and to two diagnostic groups: chronic schizophrenia patients and the bipolar subgroup of affective disorders. Using analysis of variance and correlational analyses, we examined three variables that mediate between family treatment and outcome: 1) posthospital medication compliance, 2) posthospital psychosocial treatment compliance, and 3) patient rejection by the family. Results showed robust correlations between these variables and outcomes for all diagnostic subgroups. The pattern of associations between the mediating variables and outcome was more prominent for patients treated with IFI. These results were seen most clearly in the total sample, and for the subgroups of “all females” and “poor prehospital functioning females with schizophrenia.” Finally, family achievement of the goals of the family intervention were positively associated with better patient outcome, while increased family burden at discharge was associated with shorter length of time posthospital to rehospitalization.
A Followup Study of Manic‐Depressive and Schizoaffective Psychoses after Systemic Family Therapy
Authors: RETZER ARNOLD , SIMON FRITZ B. , WEBER GUNTHARD , STIERLIN HELM , SCHMIDT GUNTHER
Published: July 2004

The authors report the results of a followup study of manic‐depressive and schizoaffective psychoses after systemic family therapy. They describe the development of inpatient relapse rates, familial interactional patterns, and prescriptions of medication in a sample of 30 cases treated with family therapy and followed up after a mean interval of 3 years. Finally, they assess the effectiveness of systemic family therapy with manic‐depressive and schizo‐affective psychoses.
A Developmental View of Therapeutic Bonding in the Family: Treatment of the Disconnected Family
Authors: DOANE JERI A. , HILL W., LEONARD , DIAMOND DIANA
Published: July 2004

Data from an ongoing research study have been used to identify a subgroup of families of severely ill, young adults who present formidable treatment challenges to the family therapist. The disconnected family is characterized by disturbances in attachment between one or both parents and the patient. In many cases, disturbances in attachment and caretaking in the family of origin are reported for the parents in these families. Disconnected families that also have intense emotional styles of relating are particularly difficult to treat. A treatment model that focuses on intergenerational attachment issues is described.
The BRIEFER Project: Using Expert Systems as Theory Construction Tools
Authors: GINGERICH WALLACE J. , de SHAZER STEVE
Published: July 2004

This article describes the development of BRIEFER I and BRIEFER II, expert systems that advise the therapist on selecting, designing, and developing an intervention at the end of the first therapy session. The process of developing expert systems has aided us in describing what brief therapists do, in modeling the intervention design process, and in training brief therapists.
Family Conversation: Description and Interpretation
Authors: STAMP GLEN H.
Published: July 2004

This research focused on the analysis of a small segment (1 minute and 8 seconds) of conversation that occurred during a family therapy session. The participants were a mother, daughter, son, and the therapist. Through repeated listening and transcribing, a detailed transcript of the segment was first constructed. The conversational features within the transcript included the interruptions, pauses, overlaps, inflections, and turn shapes as structured by the participants. A sequential analysis of the conversation was rendered by describing the occurrence of the conversational features as well as interpreting the meanings of those features. The potential utility of conversation analysis to developing family theory and improving family therapy is also examined, as well as the limitations of the approach.
Why Are Siblings So Different? The Significance of Differences in Sibling Experiences Within the Family
Authors: DUNN JUDY , PLOMIN ROBERT
Published: July 2004

Siblings, who are 50% similar genetically and grow up within the same family, nevertheless differ markedly in personality and psychopathology, and most of these sibling differences cannot be explained by genetic factors. These findings from the field of behavioral genetics imply that within‐family processes that lead to sibling differences, called nonshared environment, are crucial for understanding environmental influences on individual development. Such nonshared environmental influences cannot be identified by the conventional strategy of comparing one child per family on a family‐by‐family basis; what is needed are studies of siblings that focus on why they are so different. The implications of these findings for investigating family process are outlined, and research is reviewed that explores the extent to which siblings in a family have different experiences, and that begins to assess links between such differential experiences and developmental outcomes.
Coping Within Couples: Adjustment Two Years after Forced Geographic Relocation
Authors: WAMBOLDT FREDERICK S. , STEINGLASS PETER , KAPLAN DE‐NOUR ATARA
Published: July 2004

Is our understanding of how individuals adjust to stressful life events increased when we analyze their adjustment in ways that recognize that these individuals are also married couples? The data used to answer this question came from a unique “natural experiment” occasioned by the forced evacuation of the Israeli settlement of Ophira under the terms of the Camp David Accords. We found that the adjustment of individuals within couples became more similar across the relocation, that is, couples adapted as a “family system.” This occurred because the coping skills of one member of the couple “drove” the adjustment of both partners.
Potential Perils of the Demonstration‐Consultation Interview in Family Therapy: A Case Study of Contextual Confusion
Authors: HARARI EDWIN , BLOCH SIDNEY
Published: July 2004

This article focuses on a specific aspect of consultation in contemporary family therapy, namely, problems that arise in the context of a consultation that simultaneously serves as a demonstration of a particular model of therapy. The demonstration‐consultation interview is used widely in family therapy, but has received little attention in the literature. We use a case example of the apparent persistent deterioration in the clinical state of a patient following such a family interview with a visiting expert, and examine the possible contribution to the patient's deterioration that the demonstration‐consultation context creates for the various participants. We offer provisional guidelines to minimize the risk of negative effects of the demonstration‐consultation interview, pending empirical research into this phenomenon.
The Origins of Fatherhood: An Ancient Family Process
Authors: KRAEMER SEBASTIAN
Published: July 2004

Despite appearances to the contrary (fostered by anthropocentric nursery stories), a distinct role for male parents does not exist in nature. Fatherhood was invented by humans during the agricultural revolution about six thousand years ago. Symbolized by the new god‐king, it incorporated the mother's originally superior role in primate families—the control or ownership of children. The male deity could even make his own offspring without female help. This inflated political figure was designed to compensate for the male's modest role in procreation, once the facts of life were known. Patriarchy was born out of an envious attack on mothers.
Boundaries as Distance Regulators in Personal Relationships
Authors: RYDER ROBERT G. , BARTLE SUZANNE
Published: July 2004

Received wisdom suggests that boundaries are, or should be, important in intimate relationships. In this essay, we focus primarily upon the beliefs and phenomenology relating to a variety of boundaries, and provide a discussion of some conceptual issues, in order to understand better the development, facilitation, and maintenance of, as well as restraints upon, intimacy. Although we attend mainly to dyadic relationships, we believe that our observations and suggestions have application to larger groups.
In‐Home Treatment of Families with Seriously Disturbed Adolescents in Crisis
Authors: SEELIG WILLIAM R. , GOLDMAN‐HALL BARRY J. , JERRELL JEANETTE M.
Published: July 2004

This article describes an innovative Adolescent In‐Home Treatment Program that was designed as a hospital alternative for families with adolescents in serious crises. Using multiple‐impact, in‐home, and in‐office techniques, a mental health team systemically intervenes with families to assist them in resolving this major developmental event. Since the program's inception, over 160 high‐risk adolescents have completed the 90‐day course of treatment. Preliminary data gathered from an early group of families and clinicians suggest the potential of significant improvements in family and adolescent functioning, and the attainment of clinical goals among the majority of families served.
The California Family Health Project: I. Introduction and a Description of Adult Health
Authors: FISHER LAWRENCE , RANSOM DONALD C. , TERRY HOWARD E. , LIPKIN MACK , WEISS RICHARD
Published: July 2004

Little research has addressed patterns of family and health relationships that reflect both the scope and complexity of family life and the breadth and diversity of health. In the first of a series of articles, we describe the California Family Health Project, a study in which four large “domains” of family life (Structure/Organization, World View, Problem Solving, and Emotional Management) were mapped, described, and compared with a large battery of adult health measures. We first present a brief critical overview of the literature on family and health research, then explain our rationale, define our approach to the multivariate analysis of family and health data, and describe our sample of 225 community‐based families. To prepare for analyses with the family variables, we next present descriptive data based on separate principal components analysis (PCA) and multidimensional scaling analysis (MDS) of 14 self‐reported health scores for husbands and for wives. No grouping or clustering of health variables emerged for either husbands or wives in the PCAs. A two‐dimensional MDS analysis for husbands and for wives displayed the health variables in a circular pattern in which no predominant descriptive dimension or group of discrete dimensions emerged. Consequently, we decided that all 14 health scores will be used in the analyses, with the family variables to follow.
Connectedness Versus Separateness: Applicability of Family Therapy to Japanese Families
Authors: TAMURA TAKESHI , LAU ANNIE
Published: July 2004

This article, a product of the two authors' multicultural experiences, contrasts British and Japanese families in order to examine the applicability of the Western model of family therapy to Japanese families and therapists. Areas where the Western model is incompatible are identified, and modifications to fit the Japanese indigenous model are suggested. The most significant difference in value systems between the two cultures is the Japanese preference for connectedness. The Japanese person is seen as a part of the embedded interconnectedness of relationships, whereas British norms prioritize separateness and clear boundaries in relationships, individuality, and autonomy. This value orientation is manifested in the Japanese language, hierarchical nature of the family structure, the family life cycle, and the implicit communication style. Systemic thinking, which deals with the pattern of relationships, is valid for all families regardless of cultural differences. But therapists should note that the preferred direction of change for Japanese families in therapy, is toward a process of integration — how a person can be effectively integrated into the given system — rather than a process of differentiation. An authoritative therapist style, the use of individual sessions, silence, and other nonverbal techniques are relevant to bringing about the desired change toward better integration of the individual with his or her networks.
The Importance of Similarity in the Marital Relationship
Authors: DEAL JAMES E. , WAMPLER KAREN SMITH , HALVERSON CHARLES F.
Published: July 2004

Concepts such as “agreement,”“consensus,”“understanding,” and “shared meaning” are very familiar to clinicians. It is argued in this article that similarity in perceptions between spouses is a crucial dimension of the family system underlying these concepts. Findings are presented that support the idea that families vary along a dimension of similarity of perceptions, with more functional families characterized by high similarity between spouses' perceptions of their marriage and their family. In addition, the structure of this similarity was stable over 2 years and little change occurred in the mean level of similarity. Of three sets of predictor variables‐psychological stress, marital cohesion, and structural variables — marital cohesion was the most powerful predictor of marital similarity. The importance of similarity of perceptions between family members in clinical work is discussed.
Alemtuzumab‐induced remission of both severe paraneoplastic pemphigus and leukaemic bone marrow infiltration in a case of treatment‐resistant B‐cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia
Authors: Hohwy Thomas , Bang Karen , Steiniche Torben , Peterslund Niels Anker , D'Amore Francesco
Published: July 2004

Abstract:  Background: Alemtuzumab (MabCampath®; ILEX Pharmaceuticals, Geneva, Switzerland) is a humanised monoclonal antibody directed against CD52. It belongs to a new group of monoclonal antibodies with anti‐neoplastic effects used in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) either as first‐line treatment or in those cases resistant to alkylating drugs. Paraneoplastic pemphigus (PNP) is a severe mucocutaneus disease mostly associated with B‐cell lymphoproliferative disorders. Independent of the course of the underlying malignancy, this disease is often resistant to conventional immunosuppressive treatment and may lead to death as a result of infectious complications. Case presentation: We report a case where an ongoing long‐term remission of PNP has been induced by alemtuzumab in a patient with an underlying B‐CLL. A 68‐yr‐old male with a 4‐yr history of B‐CLL presented with a widespread blistering eruption on the extremities and trunk and a severe stomatitis. The diagnosis of PNP relied on the clinical, histological and direct immunofluorescence findings. Despite intensive treatment strategies with various immunosuppressive drugs and antibiotics, blisters continued to develop and the patient was deteriorating. When treated with alemtuzumab the mucocutaneous lesions healed almost completely within a few weeks and the patients’ general condition improved significantly. After 12 wk of treatment with alemtuzumab, the CLL infiltration of the bone marrow previously quantified at 75–80% remitted completely. Twelve months later, the patient was still in remission with only a small residual ulceration on the lip and one on the penis. Conclusions: Based on this case report we recommend treatment with alemtuzumab to severe cases of PNP in CLL. However, further follow‐up of this case is needed in order to assess the long‐term effect of alemtuzumab treatment in PNP.
Clonally related splenic marginal zone lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma with unmutated V gene rearrangements and a 15‐yr time gap between diagnoses
Authors: Rosenquist Richard , Roos Göran , Erlanson Martin , Küppers Ralf , Bräuninger Andreas , Hansmann Martin‐Leo
Published: July 2004

Abstract:  Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) can rarely occur during the course of B‐cell non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (B‐NHL), where both the HL and NHL tumours have been reported to be clonally related in most of the few combination lymphomas so far investigated. We here investigated a case that developed HL 15 yr after being diagnosed with an indolent B‐cell lymphoma, classified as a splenic marginal zone lymphoma (SMZL). Analysis of rearranged immunoglobulin genes in the SMZL clone and in single Hodgkin Reed–Sternberg cells revealed presence of identical V gene rearrangements, thus demonstrating a clonal relationship. In contrast to previously described B‐NHL/HL combinations, in this case both types of tumour cells carried unmutated V gene rearrangements. We conclude that the HL evolved from an unmutated tumour precursor, either the SMZL clone itself or a common earlier precursor.
Microenvironment factors do not afford myeloma cell lines protection from simvastatin
Authors: Osadchy Alla , Drucker Liat , Radnay Judith , Shapira Hava , Lishner Michael
Published: July 2004

Abstract:  Background: The intensive interactions of myeloma cells (multiple myeloma, MM) with microenvironmental components of the bone marrow contribute significantly to their proliferation and survival. It has been shown that these signals confer drug resistance, delineating their circumvention as a primary objective in disease treatment. This study was designed to assess the effect of some major extracellular factors on the previously established anti‐neoplastic response of myeloma cells to simvastatin (Sim). Study design: RPMI8226, U266, and ARH77 seeded in culture plates precoated with fibronectin (FN)/agarose/none were treated with Sim, insulin‐like growth factor‐I (IGF‐I), interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) or combinations for 5 d. Then we assessed cell morphology, viability (WST1), cell cycle (propidium iodide, PI, staining and flow cytometric analysis), total cell count, and cell death (trypan blue exclusion), and DNA fragmentation. Results and conclusions: Reduced viability was demonstrated with Sim in all treated cell lines with and without co‐administration of IGF‐I or IL‐6 (P < 0.05). The extent of inhibition did not vary between Sim only and combinations (NS). FN did not influence cell response to Sim alone or combined with IL‐6/IGF‐I (NS). We conclude that IL‐6, IGF‐I, and FN do not afford myeloma cell lines protection from Sim modulation.
The Family‐Friendly Community and Its Life Course Fit for Dual‐Earner Couples
Authors: Swisher Raymond , Sweet Stephen , Moen Phyllis
Published: July 2004

Much is known about family‐friendly workplaces. This article examines the less understood family‐friendliness of the communities in which dual‐earner couples reside. Using data from a representative sample of dual‐earner couples (N = 727) in upstate New York, we examine how individual, couple, and neighborhood characteristics are associated with perceptions of community family‐friendliness. Using a life course perspective, we find that couples with young children rate their communities more favorably than do other couples. Findings also indicate that for couples with children of their own, living in a neighborhood with many other families with children is associated with higher ratings of family‐friendliness. We term this match, between a couple's life stage and their neighborhood's demographic structure, life stage‐neighborhood fit.
Family Structure and Child Well‐Being: The Significance of Parental Cohabitation
Authors: Brown Susan L.
Published: July 2004

Data from the 1999 National Survey of America's Families (N = 35,938) were used to examine the relationship between family structure and child well‐being. I extended prior research by including children in two‐biological‐parent cohabiting families, as well as cohabiting stepfamilies, in an investigation of the roles of economic and parental resources on behavioral and emotional problems and school engagement. Children living in two‐biological‐parent cohabiting families experience worse outcomes, on average, than those residing with two biological married parents, although among children ages 6–11, economic and parental resources attenuate these differences. Among adolescents ages 12–17, parental cohabitation is negatively associated with well‐being, regardless of the levels of these resources. Child well‐being does not significantly differ among those in cohabiting versus married stepfamilies, two‐biological‐parent cohabiting families versus cohabiting stepfamilies, or either type of cohabiting family versus single‐mother families.
Pathways Among Marital Distress, Parental Symptomatology, and Child Adjustment
Authors: Papp Lauren M. , Mark Cummings E. , Schermerhorn Alice C.
Published: July 2004

A community sample of 295 mothers, fathers, and children (M age = 11.14 years, SD = 2.32 years) rated marital distress, maternal and paternal psychological symptoms, and child adjustment. The predicted direct relations between these family and child variables were demonstrated for both fathers and mothers. Tests of pathways among these variables were conducted for separate but complementary mediation models. Maternal and paternal symptoms mediated the association between marital distress and child adjustment. Marital distress mediated the link between fathers’ symptoms and child adjustment, but the direct pathway between mothers’ symptoms and child adjustment remained. Pubertal status was modestly related to higher levels of family stressors. Joint implications of marital distress and parental symptoms for child adjustment are discussed.
Explaining the Gender Gap in Help to Parents: The Importance of Employment
Authors: Sarkisian Natalia , Gerstel Naomi
Published: July 2004

Although it is well established that adult daughters spend more time giving assistance to their parents than do sons, the sources of this gender gap are not well understood. This paper asks: To what extent can this gap be explained by structural variation, especially the different rates of employment and kinds of jobs that women and men tend to hold? Using data from the National Survey of Families and Households (N = 7,350), the paper shows that both employment status and job characteristics, especially wages and self‐employment, are important factors in explaining the gender gap in the help given to parents, and that these operate similarly for women and men.
The Process of Entering into Cohabiting Unions
Authors: Sassler Sharon
Published: July 2004

Over one half of young adults have lived or will live with a partner before marriage. Many studies indicate that the majority of cohabitors plan to marry their partners, yet research examining relationship progression is rare. This article deciphers the processes underlying entrance into informal unions. Data are from 25 open‐ended interviews with cohabitors who had lived together for at least 3 months. For many, the relationship progressed rapidly; over one half moved in with partners within 6 months of initiating romantic relationships. Primary reasons for cohabiting included finances, convenience, and housing needs; cohabiting as a trial marriage was not mentioned as the principal reason for moving in together. Plans for marriage remain abstract even when respondents determine that they and their partners are compatible.
Phosphorylated guanidinoacetate partly compensates for the lack of phosphocreatine in skeletal muscle of mice lacking guanidinoacetate methyltransferase
Authors: Kan Hermien E. , Jan Renema W. Klaas , Isbrandt Dirk , Heerschap Arend
Published: July 2004

The effects of creatine (Cr) absence in skeletal muscle caused by a deletion of guanidinoacetate methyltransferase (GAMT) were studied in a knockout mouse model by in vivo31P magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy. 31P MR spectra of hindleg muscle of GAMT‐deficient (GAMT–/–) mice showed no phosphocreatine (PCr) signal and instead showed the signal for phosphorylated guanidinoacetate (PGua), the immediate precursor of Cr, which is not normally present. Tissue pH did not differ between wild‐type (WT) and GAMT–/–  mice, while relative inorganic phosphate (Pi) levels were increased in the latter. During ischaemia, PGua was metabolically active in GAMT–/–  mice and decreased at a rate comparable to the decrease of PCr in WT mice. However, the recovery rate of PGua in GAMT–/– mice after ischaemia was reduced compared to PCr in WT mice. Saturation transfer measurements revealed no detectable flux from PGua to γ‐ATP, indicating severely reduced enzyme kinetics. Supplementation of Cr resulted in a rapid increase in PCr signal intensity until only this resonance was visible, along with a reduction in relative Pi values. However, the PGua recovery rate after ischaemia did not change. Our results show that despite the absence of Cr, GAMT–/– mice can cope with mild ischaemic stress by using PGua for high energy phosphoryl transfer. The reduced affinity of creatine kinase (CK) for (P)Gua only becomes apparent during recovery from ischaemia. It is argued that absence of Cr causes the higher relative Pi concentration also observed in animals lacking muscle CK, indicating an important role of the CK system in Pi homeostasis.
Physiological, neurochemical and morphological properties of a subgroup of GABAergic spinal lamina II neurones identified by expression of green fluorescent protein in mice
Authors: Heinke Bernhard , Ruscheweyh Ruth , Forsthuber Liesbeth , Wunderbaldinger Gabriele , Sandkühler Jürgen
Published: July 2004

The processing of sensory, including nociceptive, information in spinal dorsal horn is critically modulated by spinal GABAergic neurones. For example, blockade of spinal GABAA receptors leads to pain evoked by normally innocuous tactile stimulation (tactile allodynia) in rats. GABAergic dorsal horn neurones have been classified neurochemically and morphologically, but little is known about their physiological properties. We used a transgenic mouse strain coexpressing enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) and the GABA‐synthesizing enzyme GAD67 to investigate the properties of a subgroup of GABAergic neurones. Immunohistochemistry showed that EGFP‐expressing neurones accounted for about one‐third of the GABAergic neurones in lamina II of the spinal dorsal horn. They constituted a neurochemically rather heterogeneous group where 27% of the neurones coexpressed glycine, 23% coexpressed parvalbumin and 14% coexpressed neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS). We found almost no expression of protein kinase Cγ (PKCγ) in EGFP‐labelled neurones but a high costaining with PKCβII (78%). The whole‐cell patch‐clamp technique was used to intracellularly label and physiologically characterize EGFP‐ and non‐EGFP‐expressing lamina II neurones in spinal cord slices. Sixty‐two per cent of the EGFP‐labelled neurones were islet cells while the morphology of non‐EGFP‐labelled neurones was more variable. When stimulated by rectangular current injections, EGFP‐expressing neurones typically exhibited an initial bursting firing pattern while non‐EGFP‐expressing neurones were either of the gap or the delayed firing type. EGFP‐expressing neurones received a greater proportion of monosynaptic input from the dorsal root, especially from primary afferent C‐fibres. In conclusion, EGFP expression defined a substantial but, with respect to the measured parameters, rather inhomogeneous subgroup of GABAergic neurones in spinal lamina II. These results provide a base to elucidate the functional roles of this subgroup of GABAergic lamina II neurones, e.g. for nociception.