bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Psychological Well-Being and Ill-Being: Do They Have Distinct or Mirrored Biological Correlates?
Authors: Ryff Carol D. , Dienberg Love Gayle , Urry Heather L. , Muller Daniel , Rosenkranz Melissa A. , Friedman Elliot M. , Davidson Richard J. , Singer Burton
Published: March 2006

Background: Increasingly, researchers attend to both positive and negative aspects of mental health. Such distinctions call for clarification of whether psychological well-being and ill-being comprise opposite ends of a bipolar continuum, or are best construed as separate, independent dimensions of mental health. Biology can help resolve this query – bipolarity predicts ‘mirrored’ biological correlates (i.e. well-being and ill-being correlate similarly with biomarkers, but show opposite directional signs), whereas independence predicts ‘distinct’ biological correlates (i.e. well-being and ill-being have different biological signatures). Methods: Multiple aspects of psychological well-being (eudaimonic, hedonic) and ill-being (depression, anxiety, anger) were assessed in a sample of aging women (n = 135, mean age = 74) on whom diverse neuroendocrine (salivary cortisol, epinephrine, norepinephrine, DHEA-S) and cardiovascular factors (weight, waist-hip ratio, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, HDL cholesterol, total/HDL cholesterol, glycosylated hemoglobin) were also measured. Results: Measures of psychological well-being and ill-being were significantly linked with numerous biomarkers, with some associations being more strongly evident for respondents aged 75+. Outcomes for seven biomarkers supported the distinct hypothesis, while findings for only two biomarkers supported the mirrored hypothesis. Conclusion: This research adds to the growing literature on how psychological well-being and mental maladjustment are instantiated in biology. Population-based inquiries and challenge studies constitute important future directions.
Validation of a Simplified Definition of Anger Attacks
Authors: Winkler Dietmar , Pjrek Edda , Kindler Jochen , Heiden Angela , Kasper Siegfried
Published: March 2006

Background: Anger attacks, sudden spells of anger with vegetative hyperarousal, are highly prevalent symptoms in depression. Assessment normally requires the use of specific instruments. The aim of this study was the validation of a simplified definition for anger attacks. Methods: Anger attacks were assessed in 203 patients suffering from major depression with the Anger Attacks Questionnaire. The first three items of the questionnaire (irritability, overreaction to minor annoyances, episodes with inappropriate anger or rage) were compared separately with the diagnosis, and their value as single screening questions to establish the diagnosis was assessed. Results: Irritability was only weakly associated with the diagnosis of anger attacks (Cohen’s kappa ĸ = 0.214 ± 0.058) and yielded a rather low specificity (0.302), while overreaction to minor annoyances (ĸ = 0.869 ± 0.037) and the question about episodes with inappropriate anger or rage (ĸ = 0.901 ± 0.032) had a high degree of agreement with the diagnosis of the questionnaire (specificity 0.918 and 0.935, respectively). The combination of the two later items resulted in an almost perfect reclassification of cases (ĸ = 0.955 ± 0.022; specificity = 0.971). Conclusions: As anger attacks are probably underdiagnosed in clinical practice, simplification of the diagnostic process is imperative. Our results demonstrate that asking one or two simple screening questions suffices to recognize the majority of patients with anger attacks.
Morphometric and Psychometric Comparisons between Non-Substance-Abusing Patients with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Normal Controls
Authors: Emdad Reza , Bonekamp David , Söndergaard Hans Peter , Björklund Tomas , Agartz Ingrid , Ingvar Martin , Theorell Töres
Published: March 2006

Background: Hippocampal decrease in size in response to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is still a subject of controversy. The aims of this study were to: (1) confirm previous hippocampus findings in PTSD patients compared to controls, using ethnically similar study groups where alcohol and drug abuse were non-existent; (2) test influence of disease duration as well as depression scores on possible morphological changes; (3) test whether the voxel-based morphometry (VBM) data confirm the group differences seen in the region of interest (ROI) analysis, and (4) test the associations between the cognitive test scores and the morphological changes. Methods: VBM and ROI-based analysis were applied in 23 patients and 17 healthy controls. Culture-neutral cognitive tests were used. Results: The ROI-based method showed significantly decreased gray matter volumes for global hippocampal volume, as in a separate analysis of left and right sides in the PTSD group. Total volume of the hippocampus was significantly decreased on the left side, as in the global assessment. A multiple regression VBM model showed significant voxel clusters for group affiliation in the right hippocampus, modelling lowering of gray matter associated with the PTSD group. Disease duration was shown to be negatively correlated to bilateral hippocampal volume and high depression score to bilateral gray matter parahippocampal volume. No significant correlations were found between hippocampal or parahippocampal volumes and cognitive functions. Conclusion: The present and previous studies showed that morphologic differences do not appear to be due to drug or alcohol abuse. The VBM data partially confirm the group differences seen in the ROI-based method in the medial temporal lobe. The fact that the significantly lower score on the short-term memory test in the PTSD group is not correlated to hippocampal volume may suggest a more general basis for such memory impairment.
Effect of Helicobacter pylori Eradication on the Outcome of Reflux Esophagitis and Chronic Gastritis in the Elderly
Authors: Pilotto Alberto , Perri Francesco , Leandro Gioacchino , Franceschi Marilisa
Published: March 2006

Background: The effect of Helicobacter pylori eradication on the clinical outcome of esophagitis in elderly patients is controversial. Aim: To evaluate the effect of H. pylori eradication on clinical outcome of esophagitis and on chronic gastritis and its activity. Materials and Methods: Sixty-one symptomatic elderly patients with esophagitis and H. pylori infection were randomized into two groups. Group 1 (PPI-only, 30 patients) was treated with pantoprazole 40 mg daily for 2 months followed by pantoprazole 20 mg daily for a further 6 months; group 2 (PPI + eradication, 31 patients) was treated as group 1 plus a 1-week course of amoxicillin 1 g twice daily and clarithromycin 250 mg twice daily. Endoscopy with gastric biopsies, 13C-UBT and clinical visits were repeated after 2 and 8 months. Results: After 8 months, the intention-to-treat H. pylori eradication rates were 19.2% in group 1 vs. 80.7% in group 2 (p < 0.0001). No differences between group 1 and group 2 were observed in symptoms improvement (77 vs. 77%, p = n.s.) and healing rates of esophagitis (92.3 vs. 88.5%, p = n.s.). A significant decrease in the prevalence of moderate/severe chronic gastritis (from 52.2 to 4.7%, p = 0.002) and its activity (from 38 to 4.7%, p = 0.02) was observed in the antrum of patients of group 2, and not in patients of group 1. While a nonsignificant reduction in the chronic gastritis activity (from 28.6 to 4.7%, p = 0.09) was observed in the corpus of the eradicated patients of group 2, conversely a significant worsening of the chronic gastritis activity was found in the corpus of group 1 patients (from 25 to 60%, p = 0.05). Conclusion: The eradication of H. pylori infection does not affect the clinical outcome of esophagitis, while it improves chronic gastritis and its activity in elderly patients on short- and long-term treatment with PPIs. These findings suggest that H. pylori infection should be eradicated in elderly patients with esophagitis who need maintenance treatment with PPI.
Acute, Short-Lasting Rhinitis due to Camomile-Scented Toilet Paper in Patients Allergic to Compositae
Authors: Scala Guglielmo
Published: February 2006

A 20-year-old woman with a proven allergy to camomile suffered from short-lasting rhinitis when using a camomile-scented toilet paper. The prick-by-prick test performed with the toilet paper was positive. Diagnosis was confirmed by a challenge test that also resulted positive. This is the first reported case of toilet-paper-induced acute rhinitis. The removal of the toilet paper from the bathroom was sufficient to obtain the disappearance of symptoms. Patients allergic to camomile should avoid a camomile-scented toilet paper.
Noncompaction in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: Frustrated Attempt to Create a Compensatory Left Ventricle?
Authors: Finsterer Josef , Stöllberger Claudia , Feichtinger Hans
Published: March 2006

The histological workup of the myocardium of a patient with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and left ventricular hypertrabeculation/noncompaction (LVHT) revealed an extremely thin left ventricular wall and a noncompacted layer double in size compared to the compacted layer. Within the compacted layer islets of fibrous tissue predominated, surrounded by areas of myxoid appearance hardly producing collagen, and occasionally normal or dystrophic cardiomyocytes. The noncompacted layer consisted largely of intact cardiomyocytes rarely intermingled with collagen-producing, fibrous tissue. This variant appearance of the compacted and noncompacted layer was found in all areas of noncompaction. These histopathological findings suggest that LVHT represents a compensatory attempt to overcome the failing compacted but dystrophic myocardium.
Predictors of Poststroke Dementia: Results of a Hospital-Based Study in Poland
Authors: Klimkowicz-Mrowiec Aleksandra , Dziedzic Tomasz , Słowik Agnieszka , Szczudlik Andrzej
Published: March 2006

Dementia affects up to 30% of stroke survivors 3 months after stroke. The goal of this study was to determine the risk factors of poststroke dementia (PSD) in a cohort of consecutive stroke patients in Poland. A standard stroke evaluation was conducted on admission in 220 consecutive patients with ischemic/hemorrhagic stroke after excluding 30 (12%) patients with prestroke dementia. After 3 months, the survivors completed a comprehensive neuropsychological examination. The DSM-IV definition was used for diagnosis of dementia. Dementia was diagnosed in 44 (22.6%) patients 3 months after stroke. In logistic regression analysis, age (OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.04–1.14, p < 0.001), diabetes mellitus (OR 2.67, 95% CI 1.06–6.57, p = 0.03) and neurological deficit on admission (OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.89–0.96, p < 0.001) were independently associated with PSD in the Polish hospital-based population.
Cognitive Outcome in Adult Women Affected by Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia due to 21-Hydroxylase Deficiency
Authors: Malouf Matthew A. , Migeon Claude J. , Carson Kathryn A. , Petrucci Loredana , Wisniewski Amy B.
Published: March 2006

Background: Some research suggests that girls with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), who are exposed to higher than normal levels of prenatal androgens, perform better on spatial tasks, worse on verbal tasks and have a greater incidence of left-handedness than unaffected controls, all of which suggests the development of a more male-typical cognitive pattern. However, research in all three areas has produced inconsistent findings. Objectives: To determine if prenatal androgen exposure has an organizing effect on female cognitive development and to what extent. Methods: 24 women, 21–71 years, with either the salt-losing (SL) or simple virilizing (SV) forms of CAH due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency, and 18 controls, 21–73 years, who were unaffected female relatives or women with polycystic ovary syndrome, were assessed with IQ, handedness, executive function, verbal learning and memory, non-verbal learning and memory, perceptual speed, visuospatial processing and visuomotor ability measures. The battery included tests known to elicit sex differences and control measures. Results: The findings did not support the hypothesis that women with CAH develop a more male-typical cognitive pattern. Conclusion: This study differs from others in the older age of its participants, grouping by SL/SV diagnosis and assessment of medical treatment and compliance as determined through hormone assays. Our findings provide additional support for the conclusion that, in adult women with CAH, previous prenatal androgen exposure does not enhance spatial abilities, impair verbal abilities nor alter hand preferences in a long-lasting way.
Noninvasive Measurement of the Maximum Relaxation Rate of Inspiratory Muscles in Patients with Neuromuscular Disorders
Authors: García-Río F. , Mediano O. , Pino J.M. , Lores V. , Fernández I. , Alvarez-Sala J.L. , Villamor J.
Published: March 2006

Background: Slowing of inspiratory muscle relaxation has been used as an index for inspiratory muscle fatigue. However, maximum relaxation rate measured from oesophageal pressure traces after maximum sniff (Poes MRR) has limited clinical usefulness because it requires an oesophageal balloon catheter system. Objectives: It was the aim of this study to establish whether, in neuromuscular patients, maximum relaxation rate assessed from sniff nasal pressure (Pnasal MRR) reflects oesophageal MRR and the tension-time index of the diaphragm (TTdi). Methods: Twenty patients with neuromuscular disease and 10 healthy subjects were studied. Poes and transdiaphragmatic pressure were measured while Pnasal was recorded with a balloon advanced through the nose into the nasopharynx. Maximum Poes, transdiaphragmatic pressure and Pnasal were simultaneously measured while the patients performed maximal sniffs. The MRR (% pressure fall/10 ms) for each sniff, the TTdi and the tension-time index of respiratory muscles were determined. Results: Neuromuscular patients showed higher TTdi, lower Poes MRR and lower Pnasal MRR than the control group. In patients with neuromuscular disease, the correlation coefficient of Pnasal MRR and Poes MRR was 0.985 (p < 0.001). Regression analysis showed that Poes MRR = –1.101 + 1.113·Pnasal MRR (r2 = 0.929, standard error of the estimate = 0.208). Indeed, Pnasal MRR was negatively correlated with TTdi (r = –0.914, p < 0.001) and the tension-time index of respiratory muscles (r = –0.732, p < 0.001). In the neuromuscular group, the mean difference between Pnasal MRR and Poes MRR was 0.286 ± 0.217%/10 ms. Conclusions: Pnasal MRR obtained from a maximal sniff accurately reflects Poes MRR and TTdi in patients with neuromuscular disorders.
Rescripting Spiritual Autobiography
Authors: Martin David
Published: March 2006

The emphasis is on a holistic rendering of life-worlds among Pentecostals and their own structures of relevance. Making existential sense is primary before we put pressure on their accounts in terms of concepts like anomic, fundamentalist, pre-political of authenticity. Two accounts of such existential sense are provided.
The Religious Market Model And Conversion: Towards A New Approach
Authors: Gooren Henri
Published: March 2006

The article gives a critical overview of the religious market model to assess its usefulness for analyzing religious conversion in a context of increasing pluralism. The model's central idea is that religious organizations are competing for adherents, who make (rational?) choices from the available options. I first present the main tenets, contributions, and possible short-comings of the religious market model at three different levels of analysis: micro, meso, and macro. The next section describes and assesses the conventional social science approaches to conversion. Then I describe and analyze the approach to religious conversion that follows from the religious market model, as developed in Stark and Finke (Acts of Faith: Explaining the Human Side of Religion, Berkeley etc.: University of California Press 2000, 114–138). I end with my own evaluation of the usefulness of the market model for empirical research in a situation of religious pluralism. The conclusion will sketch the connections between individual religious demand and the supply-side of competing religious organizations.
Conversion To Islam In Contemporary Brazil
Authors: Mariz Cecília , de Oliveira Vitória Peres
Published: March 2006

With the aim of discussing the conversion to Islam in Brazil, this article analyses interviews with converts with no Islamic ancestry in five Brazilian cities. A few points are highlighted, first the comparison of conversion discourses with the publicity material handed out by the mosques, second the addressing of different ingredients which come up such as the influence of Black Islam from the USA and the presence of Islamic web sites, and thirdly the pointing out of the new religion as part of a prior journey of religious seeking. The strong presence of the new converts in the proselytising activities of Islam in Brazil is also brought out. Finally some hypotheses about the attraction exercised by Islam to these new Brazilian converts are suggested.
Pentecostal Conversion And The Limits Of The Market Metaphor
Authors: Martin Bernice
Published: March 2006

The article argues that the notion of a 'religious market' is essentially a metaphor. It focuses analytic attention on certain aspects of the competition for allegiance among different forms of religion but at the expense of misrepresenting other core features. The attraction of the model for social scientists may well have as much to do with the normative character of the language of economic markets today as with the intrinsic analytic force of the model. The epistemological and ontological bases of the model are seldom examined though their implications are reductionist. The common use of the market model is also problematic in reinforcing the largely discredited, but still influential, assumption that the growth of Protestant 'fundamentalism' in developing societies is a function of American cultural and economic imperialism. The main body of the text examines the author's own selective use of the market metaphor in research on Latin American Pentecostals, highlighting both what is illuminated and what is distorted by the model. The discussion covers: the structuring of the religious 'market'; entrepreneurship, with particular reference to the pastorate; converts as 'clients' or 'customers'; the 'marketing strategies' of religious bodies; 'market niches'; and the 'pre-conditions of demand'. The article concludes that the market model tends to obscure the importance of the transformative processes in conversion. The market model should be employed with caution and without assuming its uniquely 'scientific' status as a methodological tool in the study of conversion and of the growth or decline of religion.
Cohort Variations in Suicide Rates among Families of Nations
Authors: Stockard Jean , O'Brien Robert M.
Published: March 2006

Using data on age-specific suicide death rates from 19 modern nations and cohorts born as early as 1875–9, we find that two indicators of cohort-related social capital, relative cohort size and percentage of nonmarital births, are positively and significantly related to suicide rates. These effects are significantly stronger in the English-speaking family of nations, which have historically provided fewer political and social supports to families and children. The analytic model, an extension of the Age-Period Cohort Characteristic model, which utilizes hierarchical linear modeling, provides strong controls for age and period effects as well as for autoregressive effects within cohorts. Our data allow us to include older age groups and data from a wider range of countries than previous studies.
Birth of the Ogoni Protest Movement
Authors: Osha Sanya
Published: March 2006

This article suggests that the conflict between Ogoni indigenes and the Nigerian government can be better appreciated within the ambit of a much longer history, beginning with the colonial encounter. It also identifies two main trajectories of colonialism: the first that was imposed by the colonial regime and the second that was pursued by the postcolonial state, often in conjunction with multinational capital. Part of the aim of this article will be to locate the figure(s) of Saro-Wiwa within certain important moments of Ogoni resistance to power. In spite of his sometimes contradictory public persona, this article concludes that Saro-Wiwa ranks alongside figures such as Sub-commandante Insurgente Marcos and Arundhati Roy in directing the energies of crucial social struggles. In addition, the article tracks the evolution of two different modes of production. The first is an economy based on palm oil and supported by a colonial regime. The second is based on a decolonizing economy and is powered by petroleum within the strictures of a postcolonial state in alliance with multinational capital.
The Taming of Land Resistance
Authors: Mngxitama Andile
Published: March 2006

The land question is fundamental to understanding the possibilities and limits of change in the South African context. It can legitimately be argued that the measurement of transforming South African society from its colonial and apartheid past to a more democratic dispensation directly correlates with the extent of land redistribution to blacks. Measures to deal with land and agrarian transformation in South Africa have been reluctant and ineffectual, to say the least. This article will trace the historical origins of the weaknesses of both government and civil society interventions. The author argues that the dominant theoretical and ideological forces which took centre stage at the height of the anti-apartheid struggle had no thorough-going understanding of what a liberation would entail for the majority, and were trapped by ‘liberal instrumentalist’ conceptions of power. This article will analyse the National Land Committee (NLC), one of South Africa's key land non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and will pose the question, can NGOs be consistent counter-hegemonic forces to capital and racism?
Subjectivity, Politics and Neoliberalism in Post-apartheid Cape Town
Authors: van Heusden Peter , Pointer Rebecca
Published: March 2006

This article examines the relationship between subjectivity and resistance to neoliberalism in three townships where the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign is active in Cape Town, South Africa, namely Driftsands, Tafelsig and Vrygrond. It is based on participatory research conducted with members of this social movement resident in these townships through administration of a house-to-house questionnaire, in-depth interviews and workshops held with participants. Based on this research, it argues that social movement members' subjectivies are complex and shaped by the townships' different histories, the different interpretations of ‘community’ in each township and the affective relationships and exchanges between residents evident in all three townships. The authors contend that the subjectivites of the township residents interviewed in turn influence the politics of their resistance to evictions and service cut-offs for non-payment. It concludes by arguing that the subjectivites of members of the social movement in each community are complex, and that, therefore, these subjectivities have a complicated relationship with resistance to neoliberalism.
Conflict and Cooperation in an Actors' Network of Chechnya Based on Event Data
Authors: Hämmerli August , Gattiker Regula , Weyermann Reto
Published: March 2006

The conflict in Chechnya is characterized by a high degree of complexity. To capture this complexity, the authors produced an actors' network analysis drawing on one of the largest event databases today. The aim was to identify the main actors involved in the conflict, track down the most important conflictive and cooperative ties between actors, and compare the quality and intensity of interactions among actor groups. In total, 2,818 events reported between 2002 and 2005 were assigned forty-four actors categories. Measures of centrality and power and a combination of principal component and cluster analysis were used to produce graphs of the network. The authors found civilians to be the most important actors, closely followed by the Russian military, the Chechen fighters, and the Chechen government. The results are discussed in light of the current situation in Chechnya with reference to chances and limitations of the network approach with event data.
The Vision of War without Casualties
Authors: Schörnig Niklas , Lembcke Alexander C.
Published: March 2006

Casualty aversion is understood to be one major factor influencing the way Western democracies have been fighting theirwars since the end of the cold war. However, only a few studies have systematically tested its influence on state behavior. Consequently, important questions about the scope and depth of its relevance remain unanswered. This study opens up a new way of testing the casualty hypothesis by systematically comparing 587 advertisements for weapon systems placed in fifteen volumes of Jane's International Defence Reviewby Western-style democracies. The authors suggest that casualty aversion is an important argument in the advertisement of Western defense industrial companies for modern weapon systems and has grown in importance since the end of the cold war. Their findings are based on a multivariate analysis in which they control for the most prominent factors brought forward in the current casualty aversion debate.
The Independence of International Organizations
Authors: Haftel Yoram Z. , Thompson Alexander
Published: March 2006

Despite its widespread use in studies of domestic political institutions, the concept of “independence” has not been systematically applied to the study of international institutions. Most arguments regarding the ability of international organizations (IOs) to promote cooperation and mitigate conflict rely on the implicit assumption that such institutions possess some independence from states, and yet the field has failed to conceptualize—let alone measure—this institutional characteristic. Extracting insights from the theoretical literatures on both international and domestic institutions, the authors distill several design features that lend independence to political institutions and then generate coding rules for measuring the independence of IOs. Based on an original data set of regional integration arrangements, the authors then use regression analysis to test several propositions for explaining variation in IO independence, shedding light on some important theoretical and empirical puzzles in international relations.
Social creativity: A cross-sectional study of 6- to 11-year-old children
Authors: Mouchiroud Christophe , Lubart Todd
Published: March 2006

We assessed children’s social creativity through interviews during which participants imagined original solutions to interpersonal problems. In addition, we compared performances in the social domain with those obtained in object-oriented problem-solving tasks such as the Unusual Uses of a Box creativity test designed by Torrance (1974) and the Similarities subtest of the WISC (1996). A total of 88 French children participated in this study. First, we observed links between social creativity tasks as well as consistent developmental trends showing that social creativity can be considered as a unitary construct. Second, with regard to the integration or differentiation of creative abilities in children’s development, results showed a distinct creative ability in the social domain for younger children and the emergence of a more general creative ability in older children. Third, the relationship between fluency and originality indices was stable across age groups and task domains, supporting Simonton’s constant-probability-of-success model (1990) for children. Implications for the study of creative abilities in the social domain and for understanding how children interact with others in various social settings are discussed.
Adult Education, Deliberative Democracy and Social Re-engagement in Africa
Authors: Maruatona Tonic
Published: March 2006

While the western powers credit globalization with facilitating development, Africa continues to face challenges such as poverty, low quality education, HIV/AIDS, and ineffective governance. This article provides an overview of African development since independence arguing that the African states shifted from their service-based policy agenda of the 1960s during the boom and bust period in the 1970s and 1980s, experienced the drastic effects of structural adjustments in the 1990s, and are now attempting to pursue an African renaissance agenda. It demonstrates how adult educators can help create deliberative democracy by working with civil society to engage African communities in public discourse and empower the citizenry.
Cognitive function and mood in MDMA/THC users, THC users and non-drug using controls
Authors: Lamers C. T. J. , Bechara A. , Rizzo M. , Ramaekers J. G.
Published: March 2006

Repeated ecstasy (MDMA) use is reported to impair cognition and cause increased feelings of depression and anxiety. Yet, many relevant studies have failed to control for use of drugs other than MDMA, especially marijuana (THC). To address these confounding effects we compared behavioural performance of 11 MDMA/THC users, 15 THC users and 15 non-drug users matched for age and intellect. We tested the hypothesis that reported feelings of depression and anxiety and cognitive impairment (memory, executive function and decision making) are more severe in MDMA/THC users than in THC users.

MDMA/THC users reported more intense feelings of depression and anxiety than THC users and non-drug users. Memory function was impaired in both groups of drug users. MDMA/THC users showed slower psychomotor speed and less mental .exibility than non-drug users. THC users exhibited less mental .exibility and performed worse on the decision making task compared to non-drug users but these functions were similar to those in MDMA/THC users. It was concluded that MDMA use is associated with increased feelings of depression and anxiety compared to THC users and non-drug users. THC users were impaired in some cognitive abilities to the same degree as MDMA/THC users, suggesting that some cognitive impairment attributed to MDMA is more likely due to concurrent THC use.
Pre-treatment with 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) causes long-lasting changes in 5-HT2A receptor-mediated glucose utilization in the rat brain
Authors: Bull Eleanor J. , Porkess Veronica , Rigby Michael , Hutson Peter H. , Fone Kevin C. F.
Published: March 2006

The current study examined the long-term effect of brief exposure to 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) on local cerebral glucose utilization (LCGU) in speci.c brain regions immediately following administration of the 5-HT2A/2C receptor agonist, 1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenyl)-2-aminopropane (DOI). Wistar rats (post-natal day (PND) 28, n= 24) were administered MDMA (5 mg/kg, i.p.) or saline (1 ml/kg, i.p.) four times daily for 2 consecutive days and core body temperature was recorded. Fifty-.ve days later and 10min following injection of DOI (1 mg/kg, i.p.) or saline, LCGU was measured using the [14C]2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) technique. In the 4 hours following the initial injection (PND 28), MDMA-treated rats exhibited signi.cant hyperthermia compared with saline-treated controls ( p< 0.05ñ0.01). Eight weeks later, immediately following DOI challenge, LCGU was signi.cantly elevated (an increase of 47%, p< 0.05) in the nucleus accumbens of MDMA/DOI pretreated rats, compared with that in MDMA/saline pre-treated controls. A similar trend was observed in other areas such as the lateral habenula, somatosensory cortex and hippocampal regions (percentage changes of 27ñ41%), but these did not reach signi.cance. Blood glucose levels were signi.cantly elevated in both groups of DOI-treated rats ( p< 0.05ñ0.01). Thus, brief exposure of young rats to an MDMA regimen previously shown to cause anxiety-like behaviour and modest serotonergic neurotoxicity (Bull et al., 2004) increased DOI-induced energy metabolism in the nucleus accumbens and tended to increase metabolism in other brain regions, including the hippocampus, consistent with the induction of long-term brain region speci.c changes in synaptic plasticity.
An investigation into the sub-acute effects of ecstasy on aggressive interpretative bias and aggressive mood – are there gender differences?
Authors: Hoshi Rosa , Pratt Hannah , Mehta Sachin , Bond Alyson J. , Curran H. Valerie
Published: March 2006

The lowering of serotonin for a period following MDMA use could account for the increases in both self-rated and objective measures of aggression previously found in ecstasy users several days after taking the drug. There is some evidence of gender differences in the acute, sub-acute and long-term effects of MDMA use, and given that gender differences have been found in aggression, it is possible that men may experience more aggression mid-week than women.

The aim of this study was to attempt to replicate .ndings showing increased bias towards aggressive material in ecstasy users several days after using the drug. In addition, to investigate possible gender differences in mid-week aggression.

A total of 46 participants were tested: 19 ecstasy users and 27 controls were compared on the night of drug use and 4 days later. On day 4, a task designed to tap cognitive bias toward material with aggressive content was administered. Participants were required to process sentences that could be interpreted as either aggressive or neutral and subsequently remember them in a recognition test. This data set was then combined with the data from Curran et al.'s (2004) study that employed exactly the same procedure. Thus, the data from 107 participants was analysed to investigate gender differences.

Ecstasy users recognized more aggressive sentences than controls and tended to react slower to neutral sentences than controls. Ecstasy users also rated themselves as being more aggressive and depressed than controls on day 4. No gender differences were found on any measure of aggression in the combined data set.

Both male and female ecstasy users show a bias toward interpretation of ambiguous material in an aggressive manner when compared to controls 4 days after ecstasy use.
Ecstasy: Are animal data consistent between species and can they translate to humans?
Authors: Easton Neil , Marsden Charles A.
Published: March 2006

The number of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy or MDMA) animal research articles is rapidly increasing and yet studies which place emphasis on the clinical signi.cance are limited due to a lack of reliable human data. MDMA produces an acute, rapid release of brain serotonin and dopamine in experimental animals and in the rat this is associated with increased locomotor activity and the serotonin behavioural syndrome in rats. MDMA causes dose-dependent hyperthermia, which is potentially fatal, in humans, primates and rodents. Subsequent serotonergic neurotoxicity has been demonstrated by biochemical and histological studies and is reported to last for months in rats and years in non-human primates. Relating human data to .ndings in animals is complicated by reports that MDMA exposure in mice produces selective long-term dopaminergic impairment with no effect on serotonin. This review compares data obtained from animal and human studies and examines the acute physiological, behavioural and biochemical effects of MDMA as well as the long-term behavioural effects together with serotonergic and dopaminergic impairments. Consideration is also given to the role of neurotoxic metabolites and the in.uence of age, sex and user groups on the long-term actions of MDMA.
Neuroimaging findings with MDMA/ecstasy: technical aspects, conceptual issues and future prospects
Authors: Reneman Liesbeth , de Win Maartje M. L. , van den Brink Wim , Booij Jan , den Heeten Gerard J.
Published: March 2006

Users of ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine; MDMA) may be at risk of developing MDMA-induced injury to the serotonin (5-HT) system. Previously, there were no methods available for directly evaluating the neurotoxic effects of MDMA in the living human brain. However, development of in vivoneuroimaging tools have begun to provide insights into the effects of ecstasy on the human brain. Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), positron emission computed tomography (PET) and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) studies which have evaluated ecstasy's neurotoxic potential will be reviewed and discussed in terms of technical aspects, conceptual issues and future prospects. Although PET and SPECT may be limited by several factors such as the low cortical uptake and the use of a non-optimal reference region (cerebellum) the few studies conducted so far provide suggestive evidence that people who heavily use ecstasy are at risk of developing subcortical, and probably also cortical reductions in serotonin transporter (SERT) densities, a marker of 5-HT neurotoxicity. There seem to be dose-dependent and transient reductions in SERT for which females may be more vulnerable than males. 1H-MRS appears to be a less sensitive technique for studying ecstasy's neurotoxic potential. Whether individuals with a relatively low ecstasy exposure also demonstrate loss of SERT needs to be determined. Because most studies have had a retrospective design, in which evidence is indirect and differs in the degree to which any causal links can be implied, longitudinal studies in human ecstasy users are needed to draw de.nite conclusions.
Serotonin transporter expression is not sufficient to confer cytotoxicity to 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in vitro
Authors: Hayat Shaista , Williams Robert J. , Rattray Marcus
Published: March 2006

There is much evidence from animal studies that the recreational drug MDMA is a selective toxin which damages serotonin nerve terminals and axons. These in vivostudies show that an interaction between MDMA and the serotonin transporter protein (SERT) is the .rst step in toxicity. To further our understanding of the biochemical processes of MDMA toxicity we wished to use an in vitromodel for toxicity. We produced two COS-7 cell lines with different levels of expression of recombinant rat SERT, as determined by 5-HT uptake assays, and compared them to human SERTexpressing JAR cells and to untransfected COS-7 cells which do not express SERT. Cultured cells were exposed to MDMA (0.1 µ Mñ1mM) for 24 or 48 h at 37 °C before assessing cytotoxicity by LDH release and MTT turnover. Only at the highest concentration used, 1mM, was MDMA cytotoxic, and this toxicity was found in all cell lines. Cytotoxicity caused by 48 h exposure to 1mM MDMA at 37 °C was not related to the level of SERT expression, not blocked by the SERT-blocking drugs paroxetine or .uoxetine and not enhanced, in JAR cells, by forskolin preincubation that increased 5-HT uptake capacity by 50%. We conclude that SERT expression is not suf.cient to confer MDMA toxicity to cell lines. Therefore SERT-expressing cell lines do not offer a simple model system to elucidate the mechanisms underlying MDMA toxicity.
Ecstasy use and self-reported depression, impulsivity, and sensation seeking: a prospective cohort study
Authors: de Win Maartje M. L. , Schilt Thelma , Reneman Liesbeth , Vervaeke Hylke , Jager Gerry , Dijkink Sarah , Booij Jan , van den Brink Wim
Published: March 2006

Although there are indications that ecstasy users have higher levels of depression, impulsivity, and sensation seeking, it is unknown whether these are consequences of ecstasy use or predisposing factors for starting ecstasy use. We prospectively assessed the predictive value of depression, impulsivity, and sensation seeking on future .rst time ecstasy use. We also assessed whether depression, impulsivity, and sensation seeking had changed after .rst ecstasy use. Depression, impulsivity, and sensation seeking were assessed using self-report questionnaires in 188 ecstasynaive volunteers with high probability for future ecstasy use. After a mean follow-up of 17 months, measurements were repeated in 59 incident ecstasy users (mean 6.0 tablets) and 61 matched persistent ecstasy-naive volunteers. Only experience seeking (subscale of the sensation seeking scale) predicted future ecstasy use (OR -- 1.05, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.10), but after adjustment for potential confounders this was not signi.cant anymore. At follow-up, signi.cant effects of ecstasy use on the general and the disinhibition subscale of the sensation seeking scale were observed (after adjustment for potential confounders: regression coef.cient B 0.51, 95% CI 0.20 to 0.83 and B -- 3.25, 95% CI 1.74 to 4.76, respectively). These data indicate that depression, impulsivity, and sensation seeking do not predict .rst time ecstasy use in a population of young adults with the intention to start using ecstasy and that low level ecstasy use does not seem to cause depression or impulsivity. However, low level ecstasy use may increase (certain aspects of) sensation seeking.
Nordic Metal Trade Unions on the Move: Responses to Globalization and Europeanization
Authors: Andersen Søren Kaj
Published: March 2006

Despite economic globalization, the liberalization of European markets and rapid technological changes, membership density in the trade unions in the metal sector in the Nordic countries remains exceptionally high compared to any other European region. The coverage of collective agreements has also remained intact, and unemployment is low by European standards. Nevertheless, the Nordic metal unions face a number of dilemmas. They all recognize a need to engage more actively in international, and especially European-level, policy-making, including the coordination of bargaining processes. Yet they fear that European regulation may undermine their national bargaining autonomy. They also recognize the need for a common Nordic position with regard to European policies; but differences in industrial structures and traditions of labour market regulation, alongside different national relationships to the European Union and Economic and Monetary Union, represent obstacles to closer cooperation between the Nordic metal federations. Moreover, a lasting problem is the winning of the support of their members for European and global activities.
On a Dynamic Variable Structure Control Approach for the Active Control of Mechanical Vibrations
Authors: Llanes-Santiago Orestes , Ríos-Bolivar Miguel
Published: March 2006

In this paper we will consider asymptotic stabilization using both static and dynamic variable structure controllers for the active control of mechanical vibrations. The proposed approach is mainly based on geometric input-output linearization, and is applied to a mechanical system with one degree of freedom, which uses an electro-hydraulic actuator. Computer simulations are used to show that the dynamic variable structure control system proposed exhibits robust behavior in the face of external disturbances and parameter variations.
Identification of the Dynamic Models of Machine Tool Supporting Systems. Part II: An Example of Application of the Method
Authors: Gutowski Pawe , Berczyński Stefan
Published: March 2006

In this paper we present the results of the parameter identification of the spring–damping elements of the model of a real machine tool supporting system. The identification was carried out on the basis of the experimentally determined frequency response characteristics of the tested FWD-32J milling machine. We describe the experiments that were conducted in order to determine these characteristics and we give an example of how the identified model of this machine can be applied in simulation tests with a view to minimizing the relative vibrations between the tool and the workpiece. The model of the tested machine was created in the convention of the rigid finite element method complemented by the added option that allows us to model slideway joints. The frequency response characteristics that were used to identify, verify, and validate the model were determined by means of noise excitation. An originally elaborated computer program IDENT was used in the computations, and this has been described in detail in Part I of this paper. Very good consistency between the model and the object was achieved. The simulation tests that have been carried out made it possible to locate the weak points in the supporting system of the investigated machine tool.
Torsional Vibration Control of the Main Drive System of a Rolling Mill Based on an Extended State Observer and Linear Quadratic Control
Authors: Zhang Ruicheng , Tong Chaonan
Published: March 2006

In the main drive system of a rolling mill, shaft torsional vibration is often generated when a motor and a roll are connected with a flexible shaft. State feedback control can effectively suppress the torsional vibration of the main drive system of a rolling mill. Because of the difficulty of measuring the load speed and the shaft torque, and moreover the sensitivity of the Luenberger observer to the model uncertainties and the noise include in the detected signal, in this paper, we propose an extended state observer (ESO), a new observer, to estimate the unknown states and the load torque disturbance. We propose an ESO and linear quadratic (LQ) based speed controller with an integrator and load torque feedforward compensation for torsional vibration suppression in a two-mass main drive system of a rolling mill. The simulation results show the controller effectively improves the performances of command following, torsional vibration suppression, and robustness to parameter variation. This is the first time that the ESO has been utilized in torsional vibration control of the main drive system of a rolling mill, and its validity and superiority is verified in comparison with the conventional proportional integral (PI) controller and the state feedback controller based on a reduced-order state observer.
Experimental Studies for Particle Damping on a Bond Arm
Authors: Chan K. W. , Liao W. H. , Wang M. Y. , Choy P. K.
Published: March 2006

Particle damping has been found to be a promising passive vibration suppression technique in aerospace applications. This paper investigates the feasibility of using particle damping technology on packaging equipment in semiconductor industries, such as a lightly damped bond arm in a die bonding machine. It is implemented by way of attaching an enclosure filled with granular materials to appropriate locations on the bond arm for suppressing residual vibration during positioning. In addition, several system parameters are studied experimentally, including granule size, packing ratio, enclosure material, structural form of enclosure, and enclosure location. It has been shown that the vibration of the bond arm is dramatically suppressed by a small quantity of particles.
Primary cutaneous follicle center lymphoma and primary cutaneous large B-cell lymphoma, leg type, are both targeted by aberrant somatic hypermutation but demonstrate differential expression of AID
Authors: Dijkman Remco , Tensen Cornelis P. , Buettner Maike , Niedobitek Gerald , Willemze Rein , Vermeer Maarten H.
Published: March 2006

We assessed primary cutaneous large B-cell lymphoma, leg type (PCLBCL, leg type; n = 13), and primary cutaneous follicle center lymphoma (PCFCL; n = 19) for somatic hypermutation (SHM) of BCL6, and aberrant SHM of MYC, RhoH/TTF, and PAX5. We demonstrate SHM of BCL6 in 8 PCLBCLs (62%), leg type, and 7 PCFCL patients (37%), and aberrant SHM in PAX5, RhoH/TTF, and/or MYC in 7 PCLBCLs (54%), leg type, and 10 PCFCL patients (53%). The majority of mutations consisted of single base-pair substitutions (n = 54) with rare deletions/insertions (n = 4), and displayed molecular features typical of the SHM process. Quantitative real-time PCR and immunohistochemical stainings for activation-induced cytidine deaminase, which is indispensable for SHM, demonstrated significantly higher expression in PCLBCL, leg type. Our results suggest that (aberrant) SHM may contribute to the pathogenesis of PCLBCL, leg type, and PCFCL and is not restricted to diffuse large B-cell lymphomas with an aggressive clinical behavior.