bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Determination of phosphorylation sites in lipooligosaccharides from Pseudoalteromonas haloplanktis TAC 125 grown at 15°C and 25°C by nano‐electrospray ionization quadrupole time‐of‐flight tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Ummarino S. , Corsaro M. M. , Lanzetta R. , Parrilli M. , Peter‐Katalinić J.
Published: January 2005

Lipooligosaccharides (LOSs) are macromolecules present on the external cellular membrane of Gram‐negative bacteria, structurally made of two distinct regions, lipid A and Core. By varying their growth temperature, bacteria such as psychrophiles change the phosphorylation distribution of the LOSs produced. The level of phosphorylation and the phosphate group positions in LOSs produced by the extremophile psychrophilic bacterium Pseudoalteromonas haloplanktis TAC 125, grown at 15°C and 25°C, were investigated by nano‐electrospray ionization quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (nanoESI‐QTOF‐MS) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). The samples, obtained by phenol/chloroform/petroleum ether (PCP) extraction of dried cells, were treated with hydrazine at 37°C in order to reduce the heterogeneity by removal of the ester‐linked fatty acid moieties. The molecular ion distributions in these LOS fractions were investigated in negative ion mode. Based on these data it was postulated that the sample grown at 25°C contained four phosphate groups while that at 15°C contained three. In order to determine phosphorylation sites in sugar chains, the samples were submitted to low collision energy MS/MS for sequencing. In the sample with three phosphates, one was found to be linked to the tetrasaccharide Core region, more precisely to position C‐4 of the Kdo unit. The two remaining phosphate groups were both linked to the 2‐acylamide‐2‐deoxy‐D‐glucopyranose of the lipid A moiety, and two possible distributions could be postulated on the basis of the fragmentation pattern obtained; in the first case both phosphate groups are linked as a pyrophosphate moiety to position C‐1 of the proximal glucosamine (reducing residue), while in the second case one phosphate is linked to position C‐1 of the proximal glucosamine and the other to position C‐4′ of the distal glucosamine (non‐reducing residue). This distribution was also found in the lipid A moiety of the tetraphosphorylated sample grown at 25°C, which bears two phosphate groups on the Core region, one on position C‐4 of the Kdo and the other on position C‐7 or C‐8 of the same residue. The phosphate locations were derived from the intra‐ring cleavage ions of sugar moieties in the LOSs obtained by an optimized CID procedure using negative ion QTOF‐MS/MS. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Proteome analysis of conditioned medium from cultured adult hippocampal progenitors
Authors: Dahl Annika , Eriksson Peter S , Persson Anders I , Karlsson Gosta , Davidsson Pia , Ekman Rolf , Westman‐Brinkmalm Ann
Published: January 2005

It is known that proliferation and survival of neural stem/progenitor cells in vitro not only depend on exogenous factors, but also on autocrine factors secreted into the conditioned medium. It is also well known that the identification of bioactive proteins secreted into the conditioned medium poses a substantial challenge. Recently, neural stem/progenitor cells were shown to secrete a survival factor, cystatin C, into the conditioned medium. Here, we demonstrate an approach to identify other low molecular weight proteins in conditioned medium from cultured adult rat hippocampal progenitor cells. A combination of preparative two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis (2‐DE) and mass spectrometry was utilized in the analysis. We were able to identify a number of proteins, which include Rho‐guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor 1, phosphatidylethanolamine binding protein (PEBP), also termed Raf‐1 kinase interacting protein, polyubiquitin, immunophilin FK506 binding protein 12 (FKBP12) and cystatin C. The presence of PEBP and FKBP12 in conditioned medium was confirmed immunologically. All nestin‐positive progenitor cells showed immunoreactivity for antibodies against PEBP and FKBP12. To our knowledge we are the first to use this preparative proteomic approach to search for stem cell factors in conditioned medium. The method could be used to identify novel bioactive proteins secreted by stem/progenitor cells in vitro. Identification of bioactive proteins in vitro is of potential importance for the understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of the cells in vivo. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Experimental study of the instability of unequal-strength counter-rotating vortex pairs
Authors: ORTEGA J. M. , BRISTOL R. L. , SAVAŞ Ö.
Published: January 2005

A rapidly growing instability is observed to develop between unequal-strength counter-
rotating vortex pairs. The vortex pairs are generated in a towing tank in the wakes of
wings with outboard triangular flaps. The vortices from the wing tip and the inboard
tip of the flap form the counter-rotating vortex pair on each side of the wing. The flow
fields are studied using flow visualization and particle image velocimetry. Both chord-
based and circulation-based Reynolds numbers are of O(105). The circulation strength
ratios of the flap- to tip-vortex pairs range from
−0.4 to
−0.7. The initial sinuous stage
of the instability of the weaker flap vortex has a wavelength of order one wing span
and becomes observable in about 15 wing spans downstream of the wing. The nearly
straight vortex filaments first form loops around the stronger wing-tip vortices. The
loops soon detach and form rings and move in the wake under self-induction. These
vortex rings can move to the other side of the wake. The subsequent development
of the instability makes the nearly quasi-steady and two-dimensional wakes unsteady
and three-dimensional over a distance of 50 to 100 wing spans. A rectangular wing
is also used to generate the classical wake vortex pair with the circulation ratio
of −1.0, which serves as a reference flow. This counter-rotating vortex pair, under
similar experimental conditions, takes over 200 spans to develop visible deformations.
Velocity, vorticity and enstrophy measurements in a fixed plane, in conjuction with the
flow observations, are used to quantify the behaviour of the vortex pairs. The vortices
in a pair initially orbit around their vorticity centroid, which takes the pair out of the
path of the wing. Once the three-dimensional interactions develop, two-dimensional
kinetic energy and enstrophy drop, and enstrophy dispersion radius increases sharply.
This rapid transformation of the wake into a highly three-dimensional one offers a
possible way of alleviating the hazard posed by the vortex wake of transport aircraft.
Effects of solute mass transfer on the stability of capillary jets
Authors: COLLANTES G. O. , YARIV E. , FRANKEL I.
Published: January 2005

The effects of mass transfer (e.g. via evaporation) of surface-active solutes on the
hydrodynamic stability of capillary liquid jets are studied. A linear temporal stability
analysis is carried out yielding evolution equations for systems satisfying general non-
linear kinetic adsorption relations and accompanying surface constitutive equations.
The discussion of the instability mechanism associated with the Marangoni effect clarifies that solute transfer into the jet is destabilizing whereas transfer in the opposite
direction reduces instability. The general analysis is illustrated by a system satisfying
Langmuir-type kinetic relations. Contrary to a clean system (i.e. in the absence of
surfactants), reduced jet viscosity may lead to a substantial reduction in perturbation
growth. Furthermore, the Marangoni effect gives rise to an overstability mechanism
whereby perturbations whose dimensionless wavenumbers exceed unity grow with
time through oscillations of increasing amplitude. The common diffusion-control approximation constitutes an upper bound which substantially overestimates the actual
growth of perturbations. Considering solutes belonging to the homologous series of
normal alcohols in water–air systems, the intermediate cases (e.g. hexanol–water–air
which is ‘mixed-control’) are the most susceptible to Marangoni instability.
Micro-structure and Lagrangian statistics
of the scalar field with a mean gradient in
isotropic turbulence
Authors: BRETHOUWER G. , HUNT J. C. R. , NIEUWSTADT F. T. M.
Published: January 2005

This paper presents an analysis and numerical study of the relations between the
small-scale velocity and scalar fields in fully developed isotropic turbulence with
random forcing of the large scales and with an imposed constant mean scalar
gradient. Simulations have been performed for a range of Reynolds numbers from
Reλ = 22 to 130 and Schmidt numbers from Sc = 1/25 to 144.

The simulations show that for all values of Sc [ges ] 0.1 steep scalar gradients are
concentrated in intermittently distributed sheet-like structures with a thickness approximately equal to the Batchelor length scale η/Sc½ with η the Kolmogorov length
scale. We observe that these sheets or cliffs are preferentially aligned perpendicular
to the direction of the mean scalar gradient. Due to this preferential orientation of
the cliffs the small-scale scalar field is anisotropic and this is an example of direct
coupling between the large- and small-scale fluctuations in a turbulent field. The
numerical simulations also show that the steep cliffs are formed by straining motions
that compress the scalar field along the imposed mean scalar gradient in a very short
time period, proportional to the Kolmogorov time scale. This is valid for the whole
range of Sc. The generation of these concentration gradients is amplified by rotation
of the scalar gradient in the direction of compressive strain. The combination of high
strain rate and the alignment results in a large increase of the scalar gradient and
therefore in a large scalar dissipation rate.

These results of our numerical study are discussed in the context of experimental
results (Warhaft 2000) and kinematic simulations (Holzer & Siggia 1994). The theoretical arguments developed here follow from earlier work of Batchelor & Townsend
(1956), Betchov (1956) and Dresselhaus & Tabor (1991).
The nonlinear evolution of zonally symmetric equatorial inertial instability
Authors: GRIFFITHS STEPHEN D.
Published: January 2005

The inertial instability of equatorial shear flows is studied, with a view to understanding observed phenomena in the Earth's stratosphere and mesosphere. The basic state
is a zonal flow of stratified fluid on an equatorial β-plane, with latitudinal shear. The
simplest self-consistent model of the instability is used, so that the basic state and
the disturbances are zonally symmetric, and a vertical diffusivity provides the scale
selection. We study the interaction between the inertial instability, which takes the
form of periodically varying disturbances in the vertical, and the mean flow, where
‘mean’ is a vertical mean.

The weakly nonlinear regime is investigated analytically, for flows with an arbitrary
dependence on latitude. An amplitude equation of the form dA/dt = A−k2A∫[mid ]A[mid ]2dt
is derived for the disturbances, and the evolving stability properties of the mean
flow are discussed. In the final steady state, the disturbances vanish, but there is a
persistent mean flow change that stabilizes the flow. However, the magnitude of the
mean flow change depends strongly on the initial conditions, so that the system has a
long memory. The analysis is extended to include the effects of Rayleigh friction and
Newtonian cooling, destroying the long-memory property.

A more strongly nonlinear regime is investigated with the help of numerical
simulations, extending the results up to the point where the instability leads to
density contour overturning. The instability is shown to lead to a homogenization of
fQ¯ around the initially unstable region, where f is the Coriolis parameter, and Q¯ is
the vertical mean of the potential vorticity. As the instability evolves, the line of zero
Q¯ moves polewards, rather than equatorwards as might be expected from a simple
self-neutralization argument.
Computation of the pressure inside bubbles and pores in Stokes flow
Authors: POZRIKIDIS C.
Published: January 2005

Numerical methods are discussed for computing the pressure inside a two- or three-dimensional inviscid bubble with negligible density suspended in Stokes flow, subject
to a specified rate of expansion. In the case of flow past a solitary two- or three-dimensional bubble, the bubble pressure is found by solving an integral equation of
the first kind for the normal derivative of the pressure on the side of the liquid over the
free surface, while requiring that the pressure field decays at a rate that is faster than
the potential due to a point source. In another approach, an explicit expression for
the bubble pressure is derived by applying the reciprocal theorem for the flow around
the bubble and the flow due to a point source situated inside the bubble. In the case
of flow past, or due to the expansion or shrinkage of, a periodic lattice of bubbles, the
bubble pressure is found by solving an integral equation of the second kind for the
density of an interfacial distribution of point-source dipoles, while ensuring existence
and uniqueness of solution by spectrum deflation. The new methods considerably
simplify the computation of the bubble pressure by circumventing the evaluation of
the finite part of hypersingular integrals. Results of numerical simulations illustrate
the pressure developing inside a solitary two- and three-dimensional incompressible
bubble suspended in simple shear flow, and the pressure developing inside a doubly
periodic array of gaseous inclusions representing shrinking pores trapped in a sintered
medium.
Mathematical modelling of the overflowing cylinder experiment
Authors: HOWELL P. D. , BREWARD C. J. W.
Published: January 2005

The overflowing cylinder (OFC) is an experimental apparatus designed to generate
a controlled straining flow at a free surface, whose dynamic properties may then be
investigated. Surfactant solution is pumped up slowly through a vertical cylinder.
On reaching the top, the liquid forms a flat free surface which expands radially
before over flowing down the side of the cylinder. The velocity, surface tension and
surfactant concentration on the expanding free surface are measured using a variety
of non-invasive techniques.

A mathematical model for the OFC has been previously derived by Breward et al.
(2001) and shown to give satisfactory agreement with experimental results. However, a
puzzling indeterminacy in the model renders it unable to predict one scalar parameter
(e.g. the surfactant concentration at the centre of the cylinder), which must be therefore
be taken from the experiments.

In this paper we analyse the OFC model asymptotically and numerically. We show
that solutions typically develop one of two possible singularities. In the first, the
surface concentration of surfactant reaches zero a finite distance from the cylinder
axis, while the surface velocity tends to infinity there. In the second, the surfactant
concentration is exponentially large and a stagnation point forms just inside the rim
of the cylinder. We propose a criterion for selecting the free parameter, based on
the elimination of both singularities, and show that it leads to good agreement with
experimental results.
On gravity-driven flow through a reacting
porous rock
Authors: RAW ALAN W. V. , WOODS ANDREW W.
Published: January 2005

We develop a model to describe the spreading of a reacting liquid which is injected
at a steady rate into a permeable rock. We focus on the case in which there is a
density difference between the host reservoir fluid and the injected liquid. We examine
reactions which lead to precipitation and a decrease in permeability or dissolution and
an increase in permeability. In both cases, we assume the reaction is rapid compared
to the speed of the flow. As the current spreads under gravity, we show that the
interface between the injected fluid and the original fluid and also the reaction front,
may be described by similarity solutions. The morphology of the two interfaces is
controlled by two parameters: the permeability ratio across the reaction front, k,
and the speed of the reaction front as a fraction of the interstitial speed, λ. For
a precipitation reaction, the reaction front lags some distance behind the leading
edge of the region occupied by the injected fluid, and tends to terminate in a sharp
vertical front. In contrast, for a dissolution reaction, the reaction front migrates as a
gravity-driven finger along the base of the formation. In the case of large changes in
permeability, kλ > 1, this finger advances to the front of the flow, whereas for smaller
increases in permeability, kλ < 1, the finger is overrun with injected fluid which has
already reacted and passed through the reaction front. We illustrate how these results
are affected if the density of the reacting fluid decreases across the reaction zone. In
the case of precipitation, small changes in density smooth out the leading edge of
the reaction front, whereas large changes in density lead to slumping of the reaction
front along the base of the current, and ultimately it extends to the nose of the flow.
For dissolution reactions, the decrease in density across the reaction front causes the
lateral extent of the finger to increase. As a result the critical value of the permeability
ratio, k, for which the reaction front reaches the nose of the current decreases.
The unsteady Kármán problem for a dilute particle suspension
Authors: FOSTER M. R. , DUCK P. W. , HEWITT R. E.
Published: January 2005

We consider the unsteady three-dimensional Kármán flow induced by the impulsive
rotation of an infinite rotating plane immersed in an incompressible viscous fluid
with a dilute suspension of small solid monodisperse spherical particles. The flow is
described in terms of a ‘dusty gas’ model, which treats the discrete phase (particles)
and the continuous phase (fluid) as two continua occupying the same space and
interacting through a Stokes drag mechanism. The model is extended to allow for a
local gravitational acceleration in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation, and is
valid for cases in which gravity acts either in the same direction as or in the opposite
direction to the Ekman axial flow induced by the rotation of the plane.

Analysis based on the theory of characteristics shows that the role of gravity is
crucial to the treatment of the discrete-phase equations, particularly in regard to the
appropriate boundary conditions to be applied at the solid surface. Other notable
features include the presence of an essential singularity in the solution when gravity
is absent; indeed this phenomenon may help to explain some of the difficulties
encountered in previous studies of this type. If the gravitational force is directed away
from the rotating surface, a number of other interesting features arise, including the
development of discontinuities in the particle distribution profiles, with corresponding
particle-free regions contained between the interface and the rotating boundary. These
‘shock’ features can be associated with a critical axial location in the boundary layer
at which a balance is achieved between Ekman suction induced by the rotating
boundary and the influence of gravitational effects acting to move particles away
from the boundary.
Nonlinear dynamics over rough
topography: homogeneous and stratified
quasi-geostrophic theory
Authors: VANNESTE JACQUES
Published: January 2005

The weakly nonlinear dynamics of quasi-geostrophic flows over a one-dimensional,
periodic or random, small-scale topography is investigated using an asymptotic approach. Averaged (or homogenized) evolution equations which account for the flow–topography interaction are derived for both homogeneous and continuously stratified
quasi-geostrophic fluids. The scaling assumptions are detailed in each case; for stratified fluids, they imply that the direct influence of the topography is confined within
a thin bottom boundary layer, so that it is through a new bottom boundary condition that the topography affects the large-scale flow. For both homogeneous and
stratified fluids, a single scalar function entirely encapsulates the properties of the
topography that are relevant to the large-scale flow: it is the correlation function of
the topographic height in the homogeneous case, and a linear transform thereof in
the continuously stratified case.

Some properties of the averaged equations are discussed. Explicit nonlinear solutions in the form of one-dimensional travelling waves can be found. In the homogeneous case, previously studied by Volosov, they obey a second-order differential equation; in the stratified case on which we focus they obey a nonlinear pseudodifferential equation, which reduces to the Peierls–Nabarro equation for sinusoidal
topography. The known solutions to this equation provide examples of nonlinear
periodic and solitary waves in continuously stratified fluid over topography.

The influence of bottom topography on large-scale baroclinic instability is also
examined using the averaged equations: they allow a straightforward extension of
Eady's model which demonstrates the stabilizing effect of topography on baroclinic
instability.
The shape of vortices in quasi-geostrophic turbulence
Authors: REINAUD J. N. , DRITSCHEL D. G. , KOUDELLA C. R.
Published: January 2005

The present work discusses the most commonly occurring shape of the coherent
vortical structures in rapidly rotating stably stratified turbulence, under the quasi-geostrophic approximation. In decaying turbulence, these vortices – coherent regions of
the materially-invariant potential vorticity – dominate the flow evolution, and indeed
the flow evolution is governed by their interactions. An analysis of several exceptionally high-resolution simulations of quasi-geostrophic turbulence is performed. The
results indicate that the population of vortices exhibits a mean height-to-width aspect
ratio less than unity, in fact close to 0.8.

This finding is justified here by a simple model, in which vortices are taken to
be ellipsoids of uniform potential vorticity. The model focuses on steady ellipsoids
within a uniform background strain flow. This background flow approximates the
effects of surrounding vortices in a turbulent flow on a given vortex. It is argued that
the vortices which are able to withstand the highest levels of strain are those most
likely to be found in the actual turbulent flow. Our calculations confirm that the
optimal height-to-width aspect ratio is close to 0.8 for a wide range of background
straining flows.
Strong solitary internal waves in a 2.5-layer model
Authors: VORONOVICH ALEXANDER G.
Published: January 2005

A theoretical model for internal solitary waves for stratification consisting of two
layers of incompressible fluid with a constant Brunt–Väisälä frequency and a density
jump at the boundary between layers (‘2.5-layer model’) is presented. The equation
of motion for solitary waves in the case of a constant Brunt–Väisälä frequency N
is linear, and nonlinearity appears due only to boundary conditions between layers.
This allows one to obtain in the case of long waves a single ordinary differential
equation for an internal solitary wave profile. In the case of nearly homogeneous
layers the solitons obtained here coincide with the solitons calculated by Choi &
Camassa (1999), and in the weakly nonlinear case they reduce to KdV solitons. In the
general situation strong 2.5-layer solitons can correspond to higher modes. Sufficiently
strong solitons could also possess a recirculating core (at least, as a formal solution).

The model was applied to the data collected during the COPE experiment. The
results are in reasonable agreement with experimental data.
Statistical structure of high-Reynolds-number
turbulence close to the free surface of an
open-channel flow
Authors: CALMET ISABELLE , MAGNAUDET JACQUES
Published: January 2005

Statistical characteristics of turbulence in the near-surface region of a steady open-
channel flow are examined using new data obtained in a high-Reynolds-number
large-eddy simulation using a dynamic subgrid-scale model. These data, which correspond to a Reynolds number Re* = 1280 based on the total depth and shear velocity
at the bottom wall, are systematically compared with those found in available direct numerical simulations in which Re* is typically one order of magnitude smaller.
Emphasis is put on terms involved in the turbulent kinetic energy budget (dominated by dissipation and turbulent transport), and on the intercomponent transfer
process by which energy is exchanged between the normal velocity component and
the tangential ones. It is shown that the relative magnitude of the pressure–strain
correlations depends directly on the anisotropy of the turbulence near the bottom of
the surface-influenced layer, and that this anisotropy is a strongly decreasing function
of Re*. This comparison also reveals the Re*-scaling laws of some of the statistical
moments in the near-surface region, especially those involving vorticity fluctuations.
Velocity variances, length scales and one-dimensional spectra are then compared with
predictions of the rapid distortion theory elaborated by Hunt & Graham (1978) to
predict the effect of the sudden insertion of a flat surface on a shearless turbulence.
A very good agreement is found, both qualitatively and quantitatively, outside the
thin viscous sublayer attached to the surface. As the present high-Reynolds-number
statistics have been obtained after a significant number of turnover periods, this
agreement strongly suggests that the validity of the Hunt & Graham theory is not
restricted to short times after surface insertion.
The motion of a fluid ellipsoid in a general linear background flow
Authors: McKIVER WILLIAM J. , DRITSCHEL DAVID G.
Published: January 2005

The study of the motion of a fluid ellipsoid has a long and fascinating history
stretching back originally to Laplace in the late 18th century. Recently, this subject
has been revived in the context of geophysical fluid dynamics, where it has been shown
that an ellipsoid of uniform potential vorticity remains an ellipsoid in a background
flow consisting of horizontal strain, vertical shear, and uniform rotation. The object of
the present work is to present a simple, appealing, and practical way of investigating
the motion of an ellipsoid not just in geophysical fluid dynamics but in general. The
main result is that the motion of an ellipsoid may be reduced to the evolution of a
symmetric, 3×3 matrix, under the action of an arbitrary 3×3 ‘flow’ matrix. The latter
involves both the background flow, which must be linear in the Cartesian coordinates
at the surface of the ellipsoid, and the self-induced flow, which was given by Laplace.

The resulting simple dynamical system lends itself ideally to both numerical and
analytical study. We illustrate a few examples and then present a theory for the
evolution of a vortex within a slowly varying background flow. We show that a
vortex may evolve quasi-adiabatically, that is, it stays close to an equilibrium form
associated with the instantaneous background flow. The departure from equilibrium,
on the other hand, is proportional to the rate of change of the background flow.
Rates of treated schizophrenia and its clinical and cultural features in the population isolate of the Iban of Sarawak: a tri-diagnostic approach
Authors: BARRETT ROBERT , LOA PETER , JERAH EDWARD , NANCARROW DEREK , CHANT DAVID , MOWRY BRYAN
Published: January 2005

Background. We present results of a study of treated rates of schizophrenia among the Iban of Sarawak, Malaysia. Most Iban live in longhouses, each comprising a kindred group of up to 300 individuals. Cultural practices such as minimal intermarriage with members of adjacent ethnic groups and in-depth genealogical knowledge make them a population suitable for genetic investigation. Iban culture is conducive to a focus on symptoms and illness, and to patterns of treatment-seeking behaviour that are enthusiastic and persistent.

Method. We identified all known cases of psychotic disorder within a defined catchment area based on an exhaustive survey of available medical records. From corresponding Malaysian census data (91056 persons), we report rates of treated schizophrenia in the Iban population, using three diagnostic systems, as well as the demographic and clinical characteristics of these individuals.

Results. The most frequent presenting complaints were insomnia and aggression. We found higher treated rates for narrowly defined schizophrenia among males, but no significant gender difference for age of onset. Estimates of treated rates to age 55 years (per 10000) for narrow schizophrenia were 41·9 (ICD-10), 56·5 (DSM-IV), and 83 (RDC), while the rates for broad schizophrenia were 105·5, 103·2, and 107·5 respectively.

Conclusions. Treated rates of schizophrenia were higher than the reported prevalence for many populations at risk, including many small-scale societies, although different methodological approaches may partly explain these findings. Given the cultural patterns of Iban treatment-seeking behaviour, treated rates of schizophrenia reported here may closely approximate the population prevalence of this disorder.
Psychiatric and social aspects of suicidal behaviour in prisons
Authors: JENKINS RACHEL , BHUGRA DINESH , MELTZER HOWARD , SINGLETON NICOLA , BEBBINGTON PAUL , BRUGHA TRALOACH , COID JEREMY , FARRELL MIKE , LEWIS GLYN , PATON JO
Published: January 2005

Background. Suicidal behaviour and completed suicide are serious problems within British prisons, leading to significant morbidity and mortality, and are the focus of major efforts towards their prevention.

Aim. To explore the demographic, social and psychiatric correlates of suicidal behaviour in prisons in England and Wales and their relationship with health service use; and to develop a combined psychosocial model of risk.

Method. This report analyses the prevalence of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in the ONS National Prison Survey, and their association with the presence of psychiatric disorders, personality disorder, substance abuse and social risk factors. These data were compared with data from the second national survey of psychiatric morbidity in adults living at home. In both surveys, a two-phase interviewing procedure was used, covering general health, health service use, assessment of psychiatric disorders, life events, social supports, suicidal behaviour, activities of daily living, sociodemographic data, substance abuse and intelligence.

Results. Suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts were commoner in prisons than in the general population and these were significantly associated with higher rates of psychosis, neurosis and personality disorder in prisons. In addition, demographic and factors such as being young, single, white, leaving school early and experiencing poor social support and significant social adversity were important risk factors for suicidal thoughts. Crucially, there was no separate category of people at suicidal risk who did not have psychiatric disorders.

Conclusions. The high rates of suicidal behaviour in prisons cannot be addressed without adequate attention to the high rates of psychiatric disorder and vulnerability factors in prisoners.
Neurophysiological correlates of increased verbal working memory in high-dissociative participants: a functional MRI study
Authors: VELTMAN DICK J. , De RUITER MICHIEL B. , ROMBOUTS SERGE A. R. B. , LAZERON RICHARD H. C. , BARKHOF FREDERIK , VAN DYCK RICHARD , DOLAN RAYMOND J. , HANS PHAF R.
Published: January 2005

Background. Dissociation, defined as a disruption in usually integrated mental functions, is found not only in DSM-IV dissociative disorders, but also in post-traumatic stress disorder and eating disorders. Dissociative phenomena are also common in the general population, and may reflect a constitutionally determined cognitive style rather than a pathological trait acquired through experiencing adverse life events. In pathological dissociation, evidence has been presented for episodic memory dysfunction. In contrast, in high-dissociative subjects increased performance has been found for episodic memory and dual task performance. These findings have been linked to changes in working memory capacity.

Method. In the present study, the authors sought to extend these findings by using functional magnetic resonance imaging during performance of two parametric working memory tasks. We tested 21 healthy low- and high-dissociative participants.

Results. High-dissociative participants performed slightly better during both tasks. Imaging data showed that both groups activated similar networks for both tasks, i.e. (bilateral) dorsolateral (DL) and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (PFC), parietal cortex, and supplementary motor area. Group×task interactions were found in the high-dissociative group in L DLPFC and L parietal cortex; in the low-dissociative group in R fusiform gyrus. The differences in the high-dissociative group were independent from performance differences, implying that high-dissociative subjects generally recruit this network to a greater extent.

Conclusions. These results confirm earlier findings using a verbal WM task in high-dissociative participants, and are compatible with the conceptualization of non-pathological dissociation as an information-processing style, characterized by distinct attentional and mnemonic abilities.
Clinical and functional outcomes of depression treatment in patients with and without chronic medical illness
Authors: SIMON GREGORY E. , VON KORFF MICHAEL , LIN ELIZABETH
Published: January 2005

Background. In patients with chronic medical conditions, depression can be viewed as an expected reaction to illness or an independent condition requiring active treatment. We examine how clinical and functional outcomes of depression treatment compare in primary-care patients with and without chronic medical illness.

Method. Health plan administrative data were used to identify primary-care patients initiating antidepressant treatment, including a general sample (n=204) and cohorts with ischemic heart disease (n=68), diabetes (n=93), or obstructive lung disease (n=74). Telephone interviews at baseline, 2 months, and 6 months assessed depression (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, Hopkins Symptom Checklist depression scale), functional status (SF-36) and days of disability because of to illness.

Results. At baseline, depression severity in patients with diabetes and obstructive lung disease was similar to those without medical co-morbidity, but significantly lower in those with ischemic heart disease. Social and emotional functioning were similar across all groups, but those with chronic medical illness reported greater physical impairment. All groups showed significant improvement in depression over six months, but the rate of improvement was significantly slower in those with heart disease. All groups showed significant and similar improvement in social and emotional functioning, but physical functioning showed little change. Days of disability and restricted activity improved significantly in all groups. Improvement in depression during treatment was strongly related to change in disability.

Conclusions. Patients with chronic medical illness and co-morbid depression show significant improvements in mood, social and emotional functioning, and disability following initiation of depression treatment. Depression may be a stronger determinant of disability than is stable chronic medical illness.
Correlation between different memory systems and striatal dopamine D2/D3 receptor density: a single photon emission computed tomography study
Authors: CHEN PO SEE , KUANG YANG YEN , LEE YUH-SHIOW , YEH TZUNG LIEH , LEE I. HUI , CHIU NAN TSING , CHU CHING LIN
Published: January 2005

Objective. Although studies have indicated that the human basal ganglia have a specific role in different memory systems, the functional significance of the striatal dopamine activities for the basal ganglia remains less clear. This study assessed the relationship between measures of striatal dopamine activities and indices of different memory systems in healthy individuals.

Method. Single photon emission computed tomography and [123I]IBZM (iodobenzamide) were used to assess the striatal dopamine D2/D3 receptor density in 62 healthy volunteers aged between 19 and 61 years. All subjects underwent a Wechsler Memory Scale – Revised test.

Results. Dopamine D2/D3 receptor densities in the striatum decline with age. Stepwise regression analysis showed that verbal delayed recall and working memory account for most of the variance in dopamine D2/D3 measurements. These relationships remain significantly after controlling for age effects.

Conclusions. Brain striatal dopamine activities are also significantly associated with various memory systems, in addition to motor functions. This may explain why patients with neuropsychiatric disorders may have both memory and motor impairments.
Dysfunction of a distributed neural circuitry in schizophrenia patients during a working-memory performance
Authors: MENDREK A. , KIEHL K. A. , SMITH A. M. , IRWIN D. , FORSTER B. B. , LIDDLE P. F.
Published: January 2005

Background. In a recent longitudinal study of first-episode schizophrenia patients, we found that while dysfunction of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), right thalamus, left cerebellum and cingulate gyrus normalized with antipsychotic treatment and significant reduction in symptomatology, the left DLPFC, left thalamus, and right cerebellum remained disturbed. In the present study we investigated whether these abnormalities are also present in clinically stable, relatively well-functioning schizophrenia patients in comparison to control subjects during performance of the N-back working-memory task.

Method. Twelve schizophrenia and 12 control subjects completed the study. The functional images collected during scanning were analyzed using a random-effects model in a restricted set of six regions of interest (ROIs). In addition, the exploratory search in the entire brain volume was performed.

Results. The ROI analyses revealed relative underactivation in the region of the left DLPFC and the right cerebellum, as well as overactivation in the left cerebellum. The exploratory whole-brain search exposed additional overactivation in the medial frontal, anterior cingulate, and left parietal cortices.

Conclusions. The present study provides evidence of significant underactivations in stable schizophrenia patients in regions that we have previously observed to be dysfunctional in acutely psychotic and partially remitted patients, together with extensive overactivations in several regions that potentially reflect some compensatory mechanism or increased effort on the working-memory task.
Admixture analysis of age at onset in obsessive–compulsive disorder
Authors: DELORME RICHARD , GOLMARD JEAN-LOUIS , CHABANE NADIA , MILLET BRUNO , KREBS MARIE-ODILE , MOUREN-SIMEONI MARIE CHRISTINE , LEBOYER MARION
Published: January 2005

Background. Age at onset (AAO) has been useful to explore the clinical, neurobiological and genetic heterogeneity of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). However, none of the various thresholds of AAO used in previous studies have been validated, and it remains an unproven notion that AAO is a marker for different subtypes of OCD. If AAO is a clinical indicator of different biological subtypes, then subgroups based on distinct AAOs should have separate normal distributions as well as different clinical characteristics.

Method. Admixture analysis was used to determine the best-fitting model for the observed AAO of 161 OCD patients.

Results. The observed distribution of AAO in OCD is a mixture of two Gaussian distributions with mean ages of 11·1±4·1 and 23·5±11·1 years. The first distribution, defined by early-onset OCD, had increased frequency of Tourette's syndrome and increased family history of OCD. The second distribution, defined by late-onset OCD, showed elevated prevalence of general anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder.

Conclusions. These results, based on a statistically validated AAO cut-off and those of previous studies on AAO in OCD, suggest that AAO is a crucial phenotypic characteristic in understanding the genetic basis of this disorder.
Panic attacks and the risk of personality disorder
Authors: GOODWIN RENEE D. , BROOK JUDITH S. , COHEN PATRICIA
Published: January 2005

Objective. The goal of this study is to determine the association between panic attacks in adolescence and the risk of personality disorders during young adulthood.

Method. Data were drawn from the Children in the Community Study, a longitudinal epidemiological study of psychopathology across the life-course in 717 individuals in the community. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to determine the association between panic attacks during adolescence in 1983 and the risk of personality disorders during young adulthood in 1993, adjusting for differences in sociodemographic characteristics, adolescent personality disorders, and co-morbid depressive and substance use disorders.

Results. Panic attacks during adolescence (in 1983) were associated with an increased risk of any DSM-IV personality disorder (in 1993) during young adulthood, which persisted after adjusting for differences in sociodemographic characteristics, adolescent personality disorders, and co-morbid depressive and substance use disorders. Panic attacks were associated with a statistically significantly increased risk of Cluster A, B, and C personality disorders.

Conclusions. These data provide initial evidence that panic attacks early in life are a marker or risk factor for the development of personality disorders in young adulthood. Replication of these findings is needed, as is more in-depth investigation into the mechanism of this link. If replicated in future research, these results may reveal a novel potential pathway for identifying youth at high risk for personality disorders.
The social re-orientation of adolescence: a neuroscience perspective on the process and its relation to psychopathology
Authors: NELSON ERIC E. , LEIBENLUFT ELLEN , McCLURE ERIN B. , PINE DANIEL S.
Published: January 2005

Background. Many changes in social behavior take place during adolescence. Sexuality and romantic interests emerge during this time, and adolescents spend more time with peers and less time with parents and family. While such changes in social behavior have been well documented in the literature, relatively few neurophysiological explanations for these behavioral changes have been presented.

Method. In this article we selectively review studies documenting (a) the neuronal circuits that are dedicated to the processing of social information; (b) the changes in social behavior that take place during adolescence; (c) developmental alterations in the adolescent brain; and (d) links between the emergence of mood and anxiety disorders in adolescence and changes in brain physiology occurring at that time.

Results. The convergence of evidence from this review indicates a relationship between development of brain physiology and developmental changes in social behavior. Specifically, the surge of gonadal steroids at puberty induces changes within the limbic system that alters the emotional attributions applied to social stimuli while the gradual maturation of the prefrontal cortex enables increasingly complex and controlled responses to social information.

Conclusions. Observed alterations in adolescent social behavior reflect developmental changes in the brain social information processing network. We further speculate that dysregulation of the social information processing network in this critical period may contribute to the onset of mood and anxiety disorders during adolescence.
Evil: theodicy or resistance?
Authors: Felderhof Marius C.
Published: January 2005

The thinker who approaches the problem of evil theoretically will conceive of the issue differently from one who approaches it practically. He will also differ on what would constitute a satisfactory ‘solution’. One looks for a logical coherence in theism, the other for consolation and the elimination of evil. The theoretical approach, it is argued, actually subverts the thinker morally and religiously. In the face of intractable evil, a theological suggestion that evil is a dark mystery is also rejected in favour of a more practical and constructive approach. It requires an active resistance to evil and then finds consolation in the consequent unity with the Holy Will that opposes all evil.

The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways; the point, however, is to change it. Marx's Theses on Feuerbach, no. 11
Jesus' death as paradigmatic in the New Testament
Authors: Hurtado L. W.
Published: January 2005

Although the death of Jesus has been much written about by biblical scholars and theologians, most discussions have focused on its redemptive efficacy. In this essay, however, the focus is on NT references to Jesus' death as inspiring, exemplary, and descriptive of, and criterion for, Christian life. The basic thesis advanced is that the NT refers to Jesus' death as ‘paradigmatic’ impressively widely and with far-reaching applications. Insofar as Christian theological reflection involves taking seriously the scriptural testimony, this widely shared emphasis on Jesus' death as paradigmatic should be reckoned with in the content and perhaps also the practice of theology.
Reading texts between generations: a proposal concerning theological engagement with genetic research
Authors: Muers Rachel
Published: January 2005

The issue of the ethical status of future generations is significant in debates about research in human genetics, but key (non-theological) statements on the subject, such as the UNESCO Declaration on Human Rights and the Human Genome, reflect a failure to think of future persons as located within communities of ethical reflection and interpretation. I draw on recent work in the philosophy of conservation biology to explore this failure, and argue that a major contribution of theology to ethical reflection on genetic research would be through discussion of ways of reading, transmitting and interpreting texts.
Supreme harmony or supreme disharmony? An analysis of Amy Plantinga Pauw's ‘The Supreme Harmony of All‘: The Trinitarian Theology of Jonathan Edwards
Authors: Studebaker Steven M.
Published: January 2005

Amy Plantinga Pauw's ‘Supreme Harmony of All’ is the first book-length treatment of Jonathan Edwards's trinitarian theology. She argues that his trinitarian thought embodies the emphases and polarities of the Western psychological model and the Eastern social model of the trinity. Throughout the book she details his doctrines of the immanent and the economic trinity in the contrasting categories of the psychological and the social models of the trinity. She recommends his ‘cobbled’ approach as the only effective way to construct a contemporary trinitarian theology. In contrast, I argue that Edwards consistently used the Augustinian mutual love model. Furthermore, he developed social themes within the mutual love model. His usefulness for contemporary trinitarianism is not to suggest an eclectic method of appropriating conflicting conceptualities, but to challenge the common assumption that Western Augustinian trinitarianism is inherently monistic and must be transcended by recourse to the Eastern trinitarian tradition.
A response from Amy Plantinga Pauw
Authors: Pauw Amy Plantinga
Published: January 2005

In his review of my book, Steven Studebaker asserts that Jonathan Edwards's trinitarianism is useful in challenging ‘the common assumption that Western Augustinian trinitarianism is inherently monistic and must be transcended by recourse to the Eastern trinitarian tradition’. While I find Edwards to be theologically useful for a wide variety of reasons, I am in basic agreement with Studebaker's assertion, and certainly do not share in the ‘common assumption’ about Augustinianism that he deplores.