bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cell cycle dependent phosphatase activity in Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Sandler Naomi , Keynan Alex
Published: May 2007

In Bacillus subtilis there is evidence that the replication origin of the DNA molecule is attached to the cytoplasmic membrane, and that this attachment is essential for the initiation of replication. We have previously shown that attachment of DNA to the membrane is cyclic and that DNA becomes attached to the cytoplasmic membrane at the beginning of replication and is subsequently released. We have also shown that membrane protein phosphorylation is associated with the initiation of DNA replication in B. subtilis. We now report that cantharidin, an inhibitor of eukaryotic serine/threonine protein phosphatases type 1 and 2A, stimulated membrane binding of DNA and caused premature initiation of DNA replication in B. subtilis cells. The membrane of B. subtilis cells had cell cycle dependent phosphatase activity against a standard substrate in vitro. Cloning of the B. subtilis protein PrpE and production of antibodies allowed us to identify the protein in the cytoplasmic membrane. Its presence was cell cycle dependent, and appeared to contribute to the observed phosphatase activity. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Molecular characterization of the non‐coding promoter and leader regions and full‐length 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene of Taylorella asinigenitalis
Authors: Tazumi A. , Saito S. , Sekizuka T. , Murayama O. , Moore J.E. , Millar B.C. , Matsuda M.
Published: May 2007

The 3,339 base pair (bp) sequences encoding a putative open reading frame (ORF), non‐coding promoter and leader regions (approximately 320 bp), full‐length 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene (approximate 1,540 bp) and part of the 16S–23S rDNA internal spacer region (ISR) were determined from genome DNA libraries of the Taylorella asinigenitalis (UK‐1) isolate. The non‐coding promoter and leader regions included antiterminators (boxB, boxA and boxC) immediately upstream of the 16S rRNA gene sequence. An approximately 680 bp region upstream of the non‐coding promoter region appears to contain a putative ORF with high sequence similarity to GTP cyclohydrolase I. In addition, a typical order of intercistronic tRNA genes with the 48 nucleotide spacer of 5′‐16S rDNA‐tRNAIle‐tRNAAla‐23S rDNA‐3′ was demonstrated in a part of the 16S–23S rDNA ISR. The antiterminators of boxB and boxA were also identified in the ISR.

A phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence information clearly demonstrated that the five T. asinigenitalis isolates formed a cluster together with the three T. equigenitalis strains, more similar to Pelistega europaea than the other β‐Proteobacteria from the 13 species of 11 genera. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Antimicrobial mechanisms of ortho ‐phthalaldehyde action
Authors: Simões Manuel , Simões Lúcia C. , Cleto Sara , Machado Idalina , Pereira Maria O. , Vieira Maria J.
Published: May 2007

Biocides generally have multiple biochemical targets. Such a feature easily entangles the analysis of the mechanisms of antimicrobial action. In this study, the action of the dialdehyde biocide ortho ‐phtalaldehyde (OPA), on bacteria, was investigated using the Gram‐negative Pseudomonas fluorescens. The targets of the biocide action were studied using different bacterial physiological indices. The respiratory activity, membrane permeabilization, physico‐chemical characterization of the bacterial surfaces, outer membrane proteins (OMP) expression, concomitant influence of pH, contact time and presence of bovine serum albumin (BSA) on respiratory activity, morphological changes and OPA‐DNA interactions were assessed for different OPA concentrations.

With the process conditions used, the minimum inhibitory concentration was 1500 mg/l, the concentration to promote total loss of bacterial culturability was 65 mg/l and the concentration needed to inactivate respiratory activity was 80 mg/l. These data are evidence that culturability and respiratory activity were markedly affected by the biocide. OPA lead, moreover, to a significant change in cell surface hydrophobicity and induced propidium iodide uptake. Such results suggest cytoplasmic membrane damage, although no release of ATP was detected. At pH 5, the bactericidal action of OPA was stronger, though not influenced by BSA presence. Nevertheless, at pH 9, BSA noticeably (p < 0.05) impaired biocide action. A time‐dependent effect in OPA action was evident when contemplating respiratory activity variation, mainly for the lower exposure times. Scanning electron microscopy allowed to detect bacterial morphological changes, translated on cellular elongation, for OPA concentrations higher than 100 mg/l. Interferences at DNA level were, however, restricted to extreme biocide concentrations. The overall bactericidal events occurred without detectable OMP expression changes.

In conclusion, the results indicated a sequence of events responsible for the antimicrobial action of OPA: it binds to membrane receptors due to cross‐linkage; impairs the membrane functions allowing the biocide to enter through the permeabilized membrane; it interacts with intracellular reactive molecules, such as RNA, compromising the growth cycle of the cells and, at last, with DNA. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Production, purification, and characterization of a novel galactose oxidase from Fusarium acuminatum
Authors: Alberton Dayane , Silva de Oliveira Luciana , Peralta Rosane Marina , Barbosa‐Tessmann Ione Parra
Published: May 2007

Extra‐cellular production of a novel galactose oxidase from Fusarium acuminatum using submerged fermentation was studied. Glucose (1.0% w/v) was used as the sole carbon source. Maximum galactose oxidase production (approximately 4.0 U/ml) was obtained when fermentation was carried out at 25 °C, with orbital shaking (100 rpm) and an initial medium of pH 7.0, for 96 h, using a 2% (v/v) inoculum made from a homogenized four‐day‐old liquid culture, in the presence of copper, manganese, and magnesium. The enzyme was purified by one‐step affinity chromatography, with a recovery of 42% of the initial activity. The purified enzyme ran as a single band of 66 kDa in SDS‐PAGE. Optimal pH and temperature for the enzyme activity were 8.0 and 30 °C, respectively. The enzyme was thermoinactivated at temperatures above 60 °C. The purified enzyme was active toward various substrates, including galactose, dihydroxyacetone, guar gum, lactose, melibiose, methyl‐galactopyranoside, and raffinose. SDS was an inhibitor but EDTA, Tween 80, NH4+, Na+, Mg2+, K+, and glycerol were not. The Michaelis‐Menten constant (Km) for galactose was estimated to be 16.2 mM, while maximal velocity (Vmax) was 0.27 μmol of H2O2 · ml–1 · min–1. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Conformational equilibria in dihaloheptasilanes X2Si[SiMe(SiMe3)2]2 with X = F, Cl, Br, I: A Raman spectroscopic and quantum chemical DFT study
Authors: Dzambaski A. , Flock M. , Hassler K.
Published: May 2007

Equilibrium geometries, stabilities and vibrational wavenumbers for conformers of the dihaloheptasilanes X2Si[SiMe(SiMe3)2]2 with X = F, Cl, Br and I were calculated at the density functional B3LYP level employing 6‐311G(d) basis sets and SDD pseudopotentials for Br and I. Two spectroscopically distinct low‐energy conformers were located for all four heptasilanes with energy differences of 5.5, 4.7, 1.9 and 1.2 kJ mol−1 for X = F, Cl, Br and I, respectively. Five more conformers were found for difluoroheptasilane and four for X = Cl, Br and I. They all have relative energies larger than 7.5 and up to 17 kJ mol−1 and are negligibly populated at room temperature. Variable temperature solution Raman spectra (−70 to + 100 °C) in a wavenumber range typical for SiSi stretching vibrations (280‐350 cm−1) confirm these results. For X = Br and I, no temperature effects at all could be observed as a very rapid inter‐conversion between the two low‐energy conformers, which is fast even on the time scale of Raman spectroscopy, occurs. For X = Cl, rapid inter‐conversion also occurs, and a third conformer could be detected at higher temperatures (50–100 °C). For X = F, intensity changes with temperature are consistent with the presence of two low‐energy conformers. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Vietnam veteran levels of combat: Related to later violence?
Authors: Calvert William E. , Hutchinson Roger L.
Published: May 2007

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether or not a relationship exists between levels of combat experienced by Vietnam veterans and later perceptions of violence, violent attitudes, or violent behavior. Comparison groups included (1) heavy combat Vietnam veterans, (2) light combat Vietnam veterans, (3) Vietnam era veterans, and (4) nonveterans (civilians). Based upon the results of this study, levels of combat appear to be unrelated to postwar violent attitudes. Also, neither heavy nor light combat Vietnam veterans appear to engage in violent behavior any more than their Vietnam era veteran or civilian peers.
Vicarious traumatization: A framework for understanding the psychological effects of working with victims
Authors: Lisa McCann I. , Pearlman Laurie Anne
Published: May 2007

Within the context of their new constructivist self‐development theory, the authors discuss therapists' reactions to clients' traumatic material. The phenomenon they term “vicarious traumatization” can be understood as related both to the graphic and painful material trauma clients often present and to the therapist's unique cognitive schemas or beliefs, expectations, and assumptions about self and others. The authors suggest ways that therapists can transform and integrate clients' traumatic material in order to provide the best services to clients, as well as to protect themselves against serious harmful effects.
Traumatic stress disorder and violent behavior
Authors: Collins James J. , Bailey Susan L.
Published: May 2007

Some previous research with Vietnam combat veterans has found a relationship to subsequent development of post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and involvement in violent behavior. The relationship of PTSD and its symptoms to violence have not been studied in nonveteran samples. This article reports the relationship of PTSD and its symptoms to violence in a sample of 1140 incarcerated male felons, most of whom did not develop PTSD or its symptoms from a combat‐related traumatic stressor event. A relationship of PTSD and its symptoms to arrest and incarceration for expressive violence is found when demographic, antisocial personality, and problem drinking factors are controlled. For the large majority of those who experienced at least one PTSD symptom and had an arrest history for expressive violence, the PTSD symptom preceded or occurred in the same year as the violence arrest. This temporal ordering is consistent with viewing PTSD symptoms as etiologically relevant to the occurrence of violence.
The impact of providing help: Emergency workers and cardiopulmonary resuscitation attempts
Authors: Genest Myles , Levine Janice , Ramsden Vivian , Swanson Richard
Published: May 2007

Although anecdotes suggest that emergency medical technicians often themselves have to cope with severe trauma as a result of their work, almost all empirical work has been concerned with the aftermath of disaster. Fourteen volunteer ambulance attendants were asked about resuscitation attempts in which they had been involved. It was found that many of these evidenced a persistent psychological aftermath. Some of these individuals experienced vivid, involuntary, and uncontrollable thoughts, feelings, and/or mental images concerning their attempt. Perceived control and coping responses were examined, and found to be related to the impact of the resuscitation attempt upon the ambulance personnel. Data from this preliminary investigation indicate the need for further work in the area, and with related populations, such as nonprofessionals who attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
MMPI profiles and post‐traumatic symptomatology in former prisoners of war
Authors: Sperr Edwin V. , Sperr Shelby J. , Bruce Craft R. , Boudewyns Patrick A.
Published: May 2007

Results of this study found that prisoners of war (POWs) tend to produce a basic 1, 2, 3 (Hs, D, Hy) configuration on the MMPI which has also been found in other studies. Significant differences were found for different subgroupings on specific scales, but the same basic, 1, 2, 3 configuration was maintained for all groups. Subjects were found to display considerable PTSD symptomatology as depicted by independent psychiatric interviews and performance on an Impact of Events Scale (IES). Post‐Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms were also found to dissipate over time. Results are discussed in reference to the possible use of somatization as a means of handling stress and how the manifestation of PTSD in this population differ from that seen in Vietnam combat veterans suffering from PTSD.
Race differences in response to combat stress
Authors: Green Bonnie L. , Grace Mary C. , Lindy Jacob D. , Leonard Anthony C.
Published: May 2007

A number of authors have written poignantly about the Black experience in the Vietnam war; however, very little research has addressed this topic. The present report studied race differences in preservice, stressor, and outcome variables in a community sample of 181 war veterans. Blacks reported higher levels of stressors and outcome, particularly for PTSD‐related symptoms. The results suggested that the relationship between stressors and outcome can be defined by a common regression line for Blacks and Whites, and that the high symptom levels observed for Blacks in the sample were accounted for by higher levels of stressors during their war experience. The cognitive coping mode of avoidance did not conform to this pattern and showed higher levels for Blacks even controlling for other factors. Potential cultural origins of this difference were noted.
Parental response to child sexual abuse trials involving day care settings
Authors: Burgess Ann W. , Hartman Carol R. , Kelley Susan J. , Grant Christine A. , Gray Ellen B.
Published: May 2007

This study examined the stress responses of parents to whether or not their child testified in a sexual abuse trial against defendants from a day care center. Parents completed a questionnaire and the SCL‐90‐R. Impact of Events scale, and Life Events Survey. Parents of 17 testifying children presented higher symptoms of psychological distress than parents of 50 nontestifying children sexually abused in day care centers. In addition, the reported stress was higher in fathers than mothers. Following disclosure of their child's sexual abuse, stressful life events of death in family, loss of income, and separation were associated with parents of testifying children.
The use of a limited personal morality to rationalize horrendous evil: Interviews with an auschwitz doctor and his son
Authors: Bar‐On Dan
Published: May 2007

Perpetrators and witnesses of the extermination process during the Third Reich use normalization strategies to relate to their atrocious experiences: complete silencing, emotionless descriptions of details, selective descriptions of emotional reactions, etc. The need for normalization is transmitted to off‐spring by means of a “double‐wall,” an emotional phenomenon brought on by both parents and children (Bar‐On and Charny, 1988). In the present study, an interview with a German physician from Auschwitz who deliberately did not take part in the massive selection process, and an interview with his son are analyzed. The father‐physician creates an effect of normalization by a careful selective description of his moral and emotional reactions to what he experienced in Auschwitz and since then. It is proposed that the selecting is motivated by the father's covert quest for mastery together with an overt perception of himself as, paradoxically, ‚moral.’︁ An analysis of the son's report suggests that the father's strategy has been transmitted unwittingly to the son. The son's interview is interpreted as a limited vehicle for going beyond what the parent transmitted and for partially confronting and working through the parent's role during the Nazi era.
Sleep disturbance in post‐traumatic stress disorder: A comparison with non‐PTSD insomnia
Authors: Inman David J. , Silver Steven M. , Doghramji Karl
Published: May 2007

Sleep disturbances, including repetitive nightmares and insomnia, are central and long‐lasting aspects of Post‐Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This study utilized a questionnaire to compare sleep disturbance in Vietnam War combat veterans having PTSD with non‐PTSD patients having insomnia without other PTSD symptoms. The PTSD group reported symptoms of anxiety, agitation and concurrent body movement which were associated with insomnia. Nightmares of this group were more repetitive and more disruptive of a return to sleep than the non‐PTSD insomnia group. The PTSD group also reported more fatigue during daytime functioning and more anxiety during waking hours than the non‐PTSD insomnia group.
Crisis intervention after an armed hold‐up: Guidelines for counsellors
Authors: Manton Monica , Talbot Alison
Published: May 2007

The article gives a detailed description of the debriefing process evolved by two counselling psychologists who work with victims of armed hold‐ups. The process is seen in the contxt of literature relating to post‐trauma reactions and the type of interventions that are effective. The authors give details of their procedures and interventions, their reasons for using them, as well as considering broader issues of working within an organizational context.
Grief and group recovery following a military air disaster
Authors: Bartone Paul T. , Wright Kathleen M.
Published: May 2007

Of the 248 soldiers killed in the 1985 crash of a chartered Army jetliner at Gander, Newfoundland, most (189) came from a single Army battalion. In order to gain a better understanding of psychological aspects of group adjustment to collective traumatic loss, a naturalistic case study was made of this battalion over the 6‐month period following the crash. Of special interest was the problem of integrating new replacements, and the role of these replacements in helping or impeding group recovery. Extensive interview and observational data were collected at approximately monthly intervals. Results suggest four relatively distinct psycho‐social phases of unit recovery, each lasting about 4–6 weeks: (1) Numb Dedication; (2) Anger‐Betrayal; (3) Stoic Resolve; and (4) Integration. A reconstitution plan that intermixed replacements with veterans facilitated integration and unit recovery; veterans quickly accepted newcomers as allies in adversity. Despite some individual differences, the general response pattern indicates a group‐level phenomenon of adaptation to collective trauma that includes both intrusion and denial. This model of group recovery from trauma calls attention to social aspects of the grief process, and suggests interactions between individual and social factors that may influence adjustment to traumatic loss.
Social support and psychological symptomatology following a natural disaster
Authors: Cook Jerome D. , Bickman Leonard
Published: May 2007

The effects of perceived availability of social support on psychological symptomatology following a natural disaster were studied in a sample of victims of a major flood in Roanoke, Virginia. Ninety‐six subjects were administered questionnaires that measured self‐reported levels of depression, anxiety, and somatization 1 week after the disaster and four additional times within 6 months after the disaster. A questionnaire mailed 3 months after the disaster assessed perceived availability of social support. Results indicated that subjects experienced severe distress immediately following the disaster, that this distress decreased sharply 6 weeks after the flood, and decreased more gradually in the following months. Perceived availability of social support was not related to distress immediately following the disaster nor 5 months afterwards. Social support and symptomatology were significantly correlated during the intermediate period.
The trauma constellation identification scale: A measure of the psychological impact of a stressful life event
Authors: Dansky Bonnie S. , Roth Susan , Kronenberger William G.
Published: May 2007

This investigation reports the development of a self‐report instrument designed to assess maladaptive cognitive schemata and negative affects associated with a stressful or traumatic life event. Participants included undergraduate university students ( N = 228) who completed a questionnaire packet including the Approach‐Avoidance Scale (AAS), the Trauma Constellation Identification Scale (TCIS), the Impact of Event Scale (IES), and the SCL‐90‐R. The data were analyzed to determine the psychometric properties of the TCIS. The TCIS has high internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.94), and its 15 subscales load on two higher‐order factors. TCIS scores were significantly related to intrusions, denial, avoidance coping, and all SCL‐90‐R psychological outcome variables. There was also evidence for the subscales to have differential relationships with coping and outcome variables as well as type of stressor. The TCIS may be utilized for research or in a clinical setting to document an individual's affective and cognitive response profile.
Social support and psychological trauma: A methodological review
Authors: Flannery Raymond B.
Published: May 2007

This paper presents a methodological review of the associative relationship between social support and psychological trauma. Because of the paucity of such studies, this review begins with the findings on the nature of social support, and then the general outcomes of this association. Next, the relationship between support and human physiology is presented. The paper concludes with an evaluation of the research specific to psychological trauma and social support in the areas of combat, sexual abuse, and battering. Methodological issues and limitations are discussed in each section.
Coping with the trauma of divorce
Authors: Dreman Solly
Published: May 2007

This paper presents research and clinical findings regarding how people cope with traumatic events. In the short run people may cope with trauma by trying to maintain the status quo via utilization of familiar behavioral repertoires and defensive behaviors like denial. While this strategy may control initial stress and anxiety, it could eventually lead to long‐term maladjustment since it does not take account of altered post‐traumatic realities requiring attitudinal and behavioral change. A review of clinical observations and research findings on divorce suggests that it is also a traumatic event, with divorcing parents resembling other post‐traumatic victims in their initial utilization of defensive behaviors. It was suggested that cognitive‐emotional integration of post‐traumatic realities becomes possible when the initially high levels of stress and anxiety associated with the traumatic events subsides. Clinical and research implication of these coping processes and their relationship to adjustment are discussed.
Post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in battered women: A shelter sample
Authors: Kemp Anita , Rawlings Edna I. , Green Bonnie L.
Published: May 2007

A sample of 77 battered women in shelters was examined for the presence or absence of a post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis. Self‐report data were obtained on battery characteristics, extent of intrusion and avoidance, depression, anxiety, and general psychopathology. Eight‐four percent of the sample met the DSM‐III‐R criteria for PTSD according to self‐report. The reported subjective distress regarding the battery experience was positively correlated with presence and degree of PTSD, intrusion, depression, anxiety, and general psychopathology. Extent of abuse was positively related to presence and degree of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and overall symptom distress. Length of the abusive relationship was least related to the outcome variables. The results of this study indicated that the shelter population of battered women is at high risk for post‐traumatic stress disorder and this is linked with characteristics of the battery experience. The usefulness of these findings with regards to diagnosis and treatment is discussed.
An adaptational view of trauma response as illustrated by the prisoner of war experience
Authors: Eberly Raina E. , Engdahl Brian E. , Harkness Allan R.
Published: May 2007

We propose a model of Post‐Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms in which they have positive evolutionary adaptational value in traumatic environments. The persistence of PTSD symptoms following return to more benign environments may result from biological changes within the organism, reflected by a primary response of increased levels of underlying traits such as Negative Affectivity. Secondary symptoms such as social withdrawal and substance abuse are conceptualized as subsequent coping with the primary trauma response. This model was tested using data on 413 former World War II Prisoners of War (POWs). The results were consistent with the model, indicating an enduring high level of Negative Affectivity as measured by scales on the MMPI. Captivity severity scores, developed using a factor analysis of POW experience variables, were related to lifetime and current diagnoses of PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, and major or minor depression. They were not related to schizophrenia, alcohol abuse/dependence, bipolar I and II disorders, or organic mental disorders. Elevated Negative Affectivity indicators were proportional to the captivity severity scores.
The psychosocial aftermath of two major disasters in the Soviet Union
Authors: Giel R.
Published: May 2007

During various visits to the Soviet Union information was collected through free interviews and discussions on the psychosocial consequences of the Chernobyl nuclear incident and the earthquake in Armenia. Following a brief history of the disasters and a description of the present situation, it is illustrated in what ways the transformation from victim to survivor is different.
The psychological processing of traumatic experience: Reply to Cohen and de Ruiter
Authors: Ducey Charles P. , van der Kolk Bessel A.
Published: May 2007

A critique of our Rorschach research on the experience, symbolization, and psychological processing of trauma makes some valid points, but overlooks both the study's exploratory, hypothesis‐generating nature and our integration of historical, clinical, psychotherapeutic, and empirical perspectives. Our examination of the relationship of trauma to inner symbolization and to emotional responsiveness to the environment reveals the critics' narrow understanding of the Rorschach and misconceptions regarding trauma. Further research cited replicates but also challenges our initial findings.
Keane PTSD scale: MMPI and MMPI‐2 update
Authors: Lyons Judith A. , Keane Terence M.
Published: May 2007

This paper addresses questions regarding the use and interpretation of the Keane MMPI PTSD scale. Particular focus is placed on issues to consider when using various versions of the MMPI including Form R, the group form, and the new MMPI‐2.
Psychological processing of criticism: Reaction to ducey and van der kolk
Authors: de Ruiter Corine , Cohen Leo
Published: May 2007

Our critique of van der Kolk and Ducey's (1989) article pointed out a number of errors and shortcomings (Cohen and de Ruiter, 1991). The authors have responded to our critique (Ducey and van der Kolk, 1991). Our reply consists of three sections. First we will review Ducey and van der Kolk's response and focus on the validity of our original criticisms. Second we will review some of the new points raised in their response. Third we will show where Ducey and van der Kolk have distorted our critique.
The use of individual goal‐setting and ongoing evaluation in the treatment of combat‐related chronic PTSD
Authors: Avraham Yair , Mikulincer Mario , Nardi Chen , Shoham Shlomo
Published: May 2007

The Koach project included not only assessments before and after the residential phase, but also an ongoing evaluation of the therapeutic process. A systematic self‐evaluation of achievement by the Koach trainees, and a concurrent evaluation by the commander/therapists was built into the Koach project as one of its key elements. Each trainee formulated with his commander/therapist a broad outcome area in which he wished to gain therapeutic improvement, and then broke it down into specific target behaviors which they contracted to work on during the project. Progress on each target behavior was monitored every two days. Results indicate a linear pattern of improvement and a high degree of agreement between the ratings of the trainees and those of the therapists/commanders. These findings are congruent with the subsequent impressions of both the participants and the therapists regarding the overall effects of the project.
Positive clinical impressions: I. Therapists' evaluations
Authors: Shalev Arik , Spiro Shimon E. , Solomon Zahava , Bleich Avi , Cooper Samuel
Published: May 2007

In this study, the therapists who participated in the Koach project were interviewed regarding their assessment of the project. The therapists expressed a high degree of overall satisfaction with Koach. The significance of one group of combat veterans (the therapists) treating another group of veterans (the PTSD casualties) is discussed.
Anthropological impressions of Koach: Participant observations
Authors: Cooper Samuel
Published: May 2007

The Koach Project was conceived by the Department of Mental Health of the Israel Defense Forces to find a means to improve treatment for chronic battle related PTSD. Having described the rationale and method for the project (Solomon et al., 1991) the ethnography of the residential stage is introduced and analyzed from an anthropological perspective.
PTSD: Theoretical and practical considerations as reflected through Koach—an innovative treatment project
Authors: Bleich Avi , Shalev Arik , Shoham Shlomo , Solomon Zahava , Kotler Moshe
Published: May 2007

This article summarizes the achievements of the Koach project and attempts to draw conclusions regarding the treatment of chronic PTSD. It also attempts to reconcile the apparent contradictions between the participants' and therapists' positive impressions of the project and the less encouraging findings of the systematic assessment of its effectiveness.
The impact of combat trauma across the family life cycle: Clinical considerations
Authors: Scaturo Douglas J. , Hayman Peter M.
Published: May 2007

Clinical experience and research with veterans of the Second World War and subsequent military conflicts have demonstrated the longstanding nature of combat‐related post‐traumatic stress disorder and the reverberating effects upon the families of traumatized individuals. The consequences of combat trauma during various stages of family life are discussed. Specifically, the impact upon (a) courtship and mate selection, (b) marriage, (c) childbirth and childrearing, (d) marriage in mid‐life, (e) children leaving home, and (f) retirement in late life are reviewed. Finally, clinical considerations for the practice of family psychotherapy in this area are presented.
A study of attitudes of viewers of the film „shoah”︁ towards an incident of mass murder by israeli soldiers (kfar kassem, 1956)
Authors: Charny Israel W. , Fromer Daphna
Published: May 2007

In this study (which took place before the intifada), 107 viewers in Tel Aviv purchasing tickets to see the monumental movie „Shoah”︁ were asked about an event of mass murder by Israelis of innocent, civilian Arab men, women and children at the village of Kfar Kassem in 1956. Sixty two percent opposed the massacre while 38% either accepted or „explained”︁ it. Significant differences were found between Israelis in the mid‐range of their lives (30–59), more of whom opposed the massacre (76%) than the very young and older (54%); and between non‐Holocaust survivors, more of whom opposed the massacre (74%) than a combined group of Holocaust survivors, children of survivors and others who expressed a closeness to the Holocaust (54%). Nonsignificant trends for more frequent opposition to the massacre were seen among males than females, university educated than less than university educated, Israeli born than non‐Israeli in country of origin, and younger age (up to 30) at time of immigration than older. Taken together, there emerges a suggestive picture of identification with use of power on the part of segments of the population traditionally understood to be weaker or lesser in status: the youngest and oldest, females, the less educated, immigrants to Israel—especially the older and those who suffer the Holocaust more deeply.
The current status of post‐traumatic stress disorder as a diagnostic category: Problems and proposals
Authors: O'Donohue William , Elliott Ann
Published: May 2007

This paper examines the taxonomic adequacy of the DSMIII‐R category of post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). After reviewing the functions of classification and the current description of PTSD the following questions are raised: Is PTSD a mental disorder? Is PTSD an anxiety disorder? Do the current diagnostic criteria best characterize the sequelae typically induced by trauma? Is the current category sufficiently homogeneous or should subclassifications be made on the basis of precipitating trauma? Several suggestions for improving the taxonomic adequacy of this category are advanced.
A prospective examination of post‐traumatic stress disorder in rape victims
Authors: Rothbaum Barbara Olasov , Foa Edna B. , Riggs David S. , Murdock Tamera , Walsh William
Published: May 2007

Post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and related psychopathology were examined in 95 female rape victims beginning soon after the assault (mean = 12.64 days). Subjects were assessed weekly for 12 weeks. Ninety‐four percent of women met symptomatic criteria for PTSD at Assessment 1, decreasing to 65% at Assessment 4 (mean = 35 days postassault), and 47% at Assessment 12 (mean = 94 days postassault). PTSD and related psychopathology decreased sharply between Assessments 1 and 4 for all women. Women whose PTSD persisted throughout the 3‐month study did not show improvement after the fourth assessment; women who did not meet criteria for PTSD 3 months postassault showed steady improvement over time. This pattern was evidenced even after initial PTSD severity was statistically controlled. Moreover, PTSD status at 3 months postassault could be predicted with a high degree of accuracy by two brief self‐report measures administered at the first assessment. The implications of the present findings and directions for future research are discussed.
Using Frankl's concepts with PTSD clients
Authors: Lantz Jim
Published: May 2007

Viktor Frankl was one of the first mental health professionals who worked with and wrote about victims of trauma and terror. His existential treatment approach with Nazi death camp survivors has considerable value and usefulness with other kinds of PTSD clients. In Franklian psychotherapy, the PTSD client is helped to remember the details of their trauma experiences to identify meaning opportunities embedded in memories of trauma and terror and to make use of such meaning opportunities for self‐transcendent giving to the world.
Self‐report versus observer ratings of distress and pathology in Vietnam veterans with PTSD
Authors: Perconte Stephen , Wilson Anne
Published: May 2007

Few efforts have been made to examine the relationship between standard self‐report measures and observer ratings of distress in veterans suffering from post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In the present study correlations between self‐report (verbal ratings and scores on the Brief Symptom Inventory) and observer ratings (scores on the Brief Hopkins Psychiatric Rating Scale) of pathology and distress were analyzed for 40 Vietnam combat veterans participating in a weekly outpatient PTSD therapy program. The relationship of these measures to the Mississippi PTSD scale and measures of combat exposure and duration was also examined. Results suggested that the self report and observer measures of distress were significantly correlated for this group. While written self report and observer ratings were correlated with scores on the Mississippi Scale, verbal self reports of distress were not. However, the verbal self reports of distress were most strongly related to reported combat exposure.
Re‐integration stress for desert storm families: Wartime deployments and family trauma
Authors: Peebles‐Kleiger Mary Jo , Kleiger James H.
Published: May 2007

Because the war was relatively brief, casualties relatively light, and the Nation sanctioned the war socially, veterans of Desert Shield/Storm and their families were not anticipated to suffer symptoms of trauma or re‐entry stress beyond that expected in routine peacetime military deployments. However, the authors argue that the stress imposed on families by Desert Shield/Storm was not analogous to that of routine deployments. The call to duty was unexpected, disruptive, and “hazardous” (i.e., highly dangerous) which places it in the category of a “catastrophic” stressor as defined by McCubbin and Figley (1983). The deployment was a call to war, which creates unique stress beyond those experienced during peacetime deployments. The deployment also carried with it prolonged “anticipation of trauma.” For these reasons, the authors argue, the deployment to Desert Shield/Storm created a situation of “family trauma” for veterans and their families. Suggestions are offered for education, prevention and treatment for families undergoing unexpected wartime military deployments.
The concept of the second generation program in the treatment of post‐traumatic stress disorder among Vietnam veterans
Authors: Johnson David Read , Feldman Susan C. , Southwick Steven M. , Charney Dennis S.
Published: May 2007

The concepts of First and Second Generation treatment programs for Vietnam veterans with post‐traumatic stress disorder are presented, based on a developmental theoretical model of adaptation. First Generation programs focus on accessing and then working through the effects of the war trauma and aim to diminish the intensity of core PTSD symptoms. Second Generation programs focus on reintegrating veterans into the social context of family and work, and aim to improve their ability to function in society. Both types of treatment may be required in order to help veterans resume their psychological and social development. The need to develop sophisticated models of comprehensive inpatient treatment in order to support scholarly discourse and outcome research is emphasized.
Battered women's cognitive schemata
Authors: Dutton Mary Ann , Burghardt Kimberly J. , Perrin Sean G. , Chrestman Kelly R. , Halle Pauline M.
Published: May 2007

This study examined battered women's cognitive schema in relation to their cognitions about violence (i.e., the “meaning” attached to the violence), post‐traumatic reactions to violence, and sexual victimization histories. Seventy‐two battered women seeking help from an outpatient family violence clinic were subjects. The meaning of the violence (e.g., expectations of recurrent violence and of severe/lethal violence, causal attribution) was found to explain variance in cognitive schemata about SAFETY, SELF, AND OTHER (McCann and Pearlman, 1990a). All measures of cognitive schemata were significantly related to various global and specific measures of posttraumatic stress (GSI, MMPI‐PTSD, IES). No differences were found for cognitive schemata based on histories of sexual victimization. Results point to the importance of assessing the impact of traumatic experiences on core cognitive beliefs as a component in the constellation of post‐traumatic sequelae.
Understanding acute psychological distress following natural disaster
Authors: Freedy John R. , Saladin Michael E. , Kilpatrick Dean G. , Resnick Heidi S. , Saunders Benjamin E.
Published: May 2007

A household probability sample of 229 adults was interviewed four to seven months after the Sierra Madre earthquake (June 28, 1991; Los Angeles County). The study predicted psychological distress from these variables: demographics, traumatic event history, low magnitude event history, earthquake related threat perceptions, and earthquake related resource loss. Based on the Conservation of Resources (COR) stress model, it was predicted that resource loss would be central in predicting psychological distress. Three major hypotheses were supported: (1) resource loss was positively associated with psychological distress; (2) resource loss predicted psychological distress when other predictors were statistically controlled; and (3) resource loss was associated with mild to moderate elevations in of psychological distress. The findings support COR stress theory. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Disaster relief work: An assessment of training effectiveness
Authors: Paton Douglas
Published: May 2007

This study evaluates the applicability of the training and operational practices of a group of firefighters to disaster search and rescue duties. Using schema theory it is hypothesized that training effectiveness could be evaluated by assessing the incidence with which event characteristics are perceived as stressors. A comparison of the propensity of a group of firefighters and a group of predominantly nonemergency service volunteers (who were specifically trained for disaster relief work) to define event characteristics as stressors provided the means of testing the hypothesis. The results suggest that the training and experience of these firefighters did not prepare them for major disaster work. The difference in stressor susceptibility serves as a basis for identifying training and response factors that appeared to promote an adaptive response. The implications of schema theory for the design of training programs is discussed.
“I felt like a slut”: The cultural context and women's response to being raped
Authors: Lebowitz Leslie , Roth Susan
Published: May 2007

This paper examines how cultural beliefs (cultural constructions) about women influence how women survivors of rape make sense of their traumatic experience. A thematic content analysis of interviews with female survivors of rape was undertaken to provide a systematic description of the phenomenology of the experience. This paper reports on one major finding which highlighted the ways in which cultural beliefs about women, sexuality, and rape become salient to women, and are accessed by them as they struggle to bring meaning to the experience of being raped. The nature of these beliefs and their implications for response and recovery are discussed.
Emotional processing in vocal and written expression of feelings about traumatic experiences
Authors: Murray Edward J. , Segal Daniel L.
Published: May 2007

The purpose of this study was to compare vocal and written expression of feeling about interpersonal traumatic and trivial events in 20‐min sessions over a 4‐day period. Similar emotional processing was produced by vocal and written expression of feeling about traumatic events. The painfulness of the topic decreased steadily over the 4 days. At the end, both groups felt better about their topics and themselves and also reported positive cognitive changes. A content analysis of the sessions suggested greater overt expression of emotion and related changes in the vocal condition. Finally, there was an upsurge in negative emotion after each session of either vocal or written expression. These results suggest that previous findings that psychotherapy ameliorated this negative mood upsurge could not be attributed to the vocal character of psychotherapy.
Psychological distress of adolescents exposed to Hurricane Hugo
Authors: Hardin Sally Brosz , Weinrich Martin , Garrison Carol , Weinrich Sally , Hardin Thomas L.
Published: May 2007

To ascertain the effects of a natural disaster on adolescents, 1482 South Carolina high school students who were exposed to Hurricane Hugo were surveyed 1 year after the disaster. Subjects completed a self‐administered questionnaire measuring Hugo exposure, nonviolent and violent life events, social support, self‐efficacy, and psychological distress. Results showed that the students reported minimal exposure to the hurricane and psychological distress variables approximated national norms. As exposure increased, adolescents reported increased symptoms of psychological distress; i.e., anger, depression, anxiety, and global mental distress. Females and white students experienced higher levels of distress. In most cases, other stressful life events were at least as strong a predictor of psychological distress as was exposure to the hurricane. Self‐efficacy and social support were protective.
Interacting with trauma survivors in contexts of continuing trauma
Authors: Straker Gillian , Moosa Fathima
Published: May 2007

Within a burgeoning literature on the survivors of catastrophic trauma, there is an increasing focus on therapists' reactions to these survivors. Within this tradition, the present paper examines the responses of a group of therapists working with survivors of South Africa's political repression and civil conflict. It highlights how, in this context, both the potential for retraumatization of survivors, as well as the potential for direct traumatization of the therapists, intensifies these reactions and complicates their resolution. The similarities and differences between this particular context and other contexts of trauma within which therapists may work are discussed.
The historical evolution of PTSD diagnostic criteria: From Freud to DSM‐IV
Authors: Wilson John P.
Published: May 2007

The present study examined the evolution of the diagnostic criteria from the early writings of Sigmund Freud to the current DSM‐IV. Freud's original model of neurosis, known as Seduction Theory, was a post‐traumatic paradigm which placed emphasis on external stressor events. In 1897, due to a confluence of factors, he shifted his paradigm to stress intrapsychic fantasy as the focus of analytic treatment for traumatic neurosis. Freud's thinking influenced both the DSM‐I and II classification of stress response syndromes as transient reactive processes. However, it is evident from his lectures in 1917–1918 that he understood the interrelatedness of what today is the four diagnostic categories in the DSM‐IV.
Functional neuroanatomical correlates of the effects of stress on memory
Authors: Bremner J. Douglas , Krystal John H. , Southwick Steven M. , Charney Dennis S.
Published: May 2007

Recently there has been an increase in interest in the relationship between stress and memory. Brain regions which are involved in memory function also effect the stress response. Traumatic stress results in changes in these brain regions; alterations in these brain regions in turn may mediate symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Neural mechanisms which are relevant to the effects of stress on memory, such as fear conditioning, stress sensitization, and extinction, are reviewed in relation to their implications for PTSD. Special topics including neural mechanisms in dissociation, neurobiological approaches to the validity of childhood memories as they apply to controversies over the “False Memory Syndrome,” and implications of the effects of stress on memory for psychotherapy, are also reviewed. The findings discussed in this paper are consistent with the formulation that stress‐induced alterations in brain regions and systems involved in memory may underlie many of the symptoms of PTSD, as well as dissociative amnesia, seen in survivors of traumatic stress.