bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genetic variant of AKT1 and AKTIP associated with late‐onset depression in a Brazilian population
Authors: Pereira Patricia Araújo , Bicalho Maria Aparecida Camargos , de Moraes Edgar Nunes , Malloy‐Diniz Leandro , Bozzi Isadora Cristine Reis Sguizzato , Nicolato Rodrigo , Valadão Daniela Rosa , Miranda Debora Marques , Romano‐Silva Marco Aurélio
Published: September 2013

Objectives

Examine the association between polymorphisms in the AKT1 and AKTIP genes and late‐onset depression (LOD). Major depressive disorder is one of the most prevalent neuropsychiatric diseases. LOD is a disorder that starts after 65 years old. AKT1 is a downstream enzyme that has been implicated in the pathogenesis of neurotransmitter‐related disorders, such as depression. The identification of a novel AKT1‐binding protein (AKTIP) was pointed as an important new target. AKTIP binds directly to AKT1, enhancing the phosphorylation of regulatory sites, and this modulation are affected by AKT1 activation. The association of AKT1 and AKTIP polymorphisms with depressive symptoms was not investigated in LOD.

Design

Genotype tagSNPs in the AKT1 and AKTIP in LOD patients and controls.

Settings

An academic medical center.

Participants

Sample composed by 190 outpatients with LOD and 77 healthy individuals.

Measures

The participants were evaluated using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV criteria, MINI‐PLUS and the Geriatric Depression Scale.

Results

Our findings suggested an association between the tagSNP rs3730358 homozygous A/A (p = 0.006) and LOD. A strong association of allele A and increased association for LOD was demonstrated with tagSNP rs3730358 (p‐value = 0.003).

Limitations

Limitation include composition of our control group, where the exclusion criteria generated a kind of super‐healthy older group what might have produced a hidden stratification when compared with the LOD.

Conclusion

This study is the first one to establish the association of the AKT1/AKTIP genes and LOD, and further studies are necessary to clarify the functional role of these proteins. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Trajectories of cognitive decline by driving mobility: evidence from the Health and Retirement Study
Authors: Choi Moon , Lohman Matthew C. , Mezuk Briana
Published: September 2013

Objective

The recent emphasis of the importance of “aging in place” has highlighted the role of transportation in health promotion over the life course. Driving cessation in later life is associated with numerous poor health outcomes including limitations in social and physical functioning and increased risk of mortality. However, little is known about the relationship between driving cessation and change in cognitive functioning in late life. This study examined the association between driving mobility and trajectories of cognitive functioning among older adults.

Methods

Using data from six waves [1998–2008] of the Health and Retirement Study, trajectories of cognitive functioning were estimated over a 10‐year period using longitudinal mixed effects models [N = 9,135]. Cognitive function was assessed with a modified version of the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status. Driving status and health characteristics were assessed by self‐report.

Results

Older adults who did not drive (former and never drivers) at baseline had lower average cognitive scores compared with active drivers. Former drivers had accelerated cognitive decline over the subsequent 10 years compared with active drivers (β = −0.35, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = −0.43 to −0.26) even after controlling for baseline cognitive functioning and health status. The transition to non‐driving was associated with a faster cognitive decline among those who were driving at baseline (β = −0.31, 95% CI = −0.40 to −0.22).

Conclusions

Older adults without driving mobility had poorer cognitive functioning at baseline and experienced accelerated cognitive decline relative to active drivers over follow‐up. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Neural bases of individual variation in decision time
Authors: Hu Sien , Tseng Yuan‐Chi , Winkler Alissa D. , Li Chiang‐Shan R.
Published: September 2013

People make decisions by evaluating existing evidence against a threshold or level of confidence. Individuals vary widely in response times even when they perform a simple task in the laboratory. We examine the neural bases of this individual variation by combining computational modeling and brain imaging of 64 healthy adults performing a stop signal task. Behavioral performance was modeled by an accumulator model that describes the process of information growth to reach a threshold to respond. In this model, go trial reaction time (goRT) is jointly determined by the information growth rate, threshold, and movement time (MT). In a linear regression of activations in successful go and all stop (Go+Stop) trials against goRT across participants, the insula, supplementary motor area (SMA), pre‐SMA, thalamus including the subthalamic nucleus (STN), and caudate head respond to increasing goRT. Among these areas, the insula, SMA, and thalamus including the STN respond to a slower growth rate, the caudate head responds to an elevated threshold, and the pre‐SMA responds to a longer MT. In the regression of Go+Stop trials against the stop signal reaction time (SSRT), the pre‐SMA shows a negative correlation with SSRT. These results characterize the component processes of decision making and elucidate the neural bases of a critical aspect of inter‐subject variation in human behavior. These findings also suggest that the pre‐SMA may play a broader role in response selection and cognitive control rather than simply response inhibition in the stop signal task. Hum Brain Mapp 35:2531–2542, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A multi‐storage groundwater concept for the SWAT model to emphasize nonlinear groundwater dynamics in lowland catchments
Authors: Pfannerstill Matthias , Guse Björn , Fohrer Nicola
Published: September 2013

Hydrological models are useful tools to analyze present and future conditions of water quantity and quality. The integrated modelling of water and nutrients needs an adequate representation of the different discharge components. In common with many lowlands, groundwater contribution to the discharge in the North German lowlands is a key factor for a reasonable representation of the water balance, especially in low flow periods. Several studies revealed that the widely used Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model performs poorly for low flow periods.

This paper deals with the extension of the groundwater module of the SWAT model to enhance low flow representation. The current two‐storage concept of SWAT was further developed to a three‐storage concept. This was realized due to modification of the groundwater module by splitting the active groundwater storage into a fast and a slow contributing aquifer.

The results of this study show that the groundwater module with three storages leads to a good prediction of the overall discharge especially for the recession limbs and the low flow periods. The improved performance is reflected in the signature measures for the mid‐segment (percent bias −2.4% vs −15.9%) and the low segment (percent bias 14.8% vs 46.8%) of the flow duration curve. The three‐storage groundwater module is more process oriented than the original version due to the introduction of a fast and a slow groundwater flow component. The three‐storage version includes a modular approach, because groundwater storages can be activated or deactivated independently for subbasin and hydrological response unit level. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Live Consultation Without A One‐Way Screen†
Authors: Kingston Philip , Smith Donna
Published: September 2013

This article is about a method of teamwork in which both the therapist and the consultant are present in the same room as the family. It distinguishes between the therapeutic team of consultant and therapist and the therapeutic system of consultant, therapist and family. It outlines some particular advantages and disadvantages which are present when working in the same room as the family and emphasises the importance of the careful preparation and maintenance of the therapeutic team if its creative potential for the family is to be fulfilled.
Therapy of the Expectant Family: The Foetus as a Force to be Reckoned With
Authors: Condon John J.
Published: September 2013

Over the past 30 years, there has been increasing recognition that pregnancy constitutes a crisis, not only for the pregnant woman, but also for the expectant father and siblings. The tasks facing the “expectant family” and the associated stresses are outlined. Expectant families present when one or more members find the stresses overwhelming, and a range of presenting problems is described. Guidelines for the therapist working with the expectant family are developed, highlighting the importance of acknowledging the existence of the foetus as a “family member” who can already exert a powerful influence on family system dynamics.
The Wizard of Oz Approach to Brief Family Therapy An Interview with Steve de Shazer
Authors: Cade Brian
Published: September 2013

Earlier this year Brian Cade spent a short time at the Brief Therapy Centre, Milwaukee. Whilst there, he asked Steve de Shazer, its director, to talk about the work of the Centre and about some of the ideas presented in his new book Keys to Solution in Brief Therapy (1985).
An Interview with Margaret Topham
Authors: Crawley Jim
Published: September 2013

When asked to interview Margaret Topham for the Journal, my initial resolve was to avoid the “tell me the story of your life” approach. Further reflection, however, led me to start the interview with the more traditional discussion of Margaret's early career and the story of her initial involvement in family therapy. Margaret is part of the history of family therapy in Australia and New Zealand, and the story needs to be told and recorded. To fail to do so would be unfair to Margaret and to the Antipodean family therapy movement.

There are a number of ways an interview can be written up for publication. I have chosen to transcribe the tape of our discussion, and then to stick as closely as possible to a verbatim account of what Margaret had to say.
Coming of Age: An Individual Perspective*
Authors: Furlong Mark
Published: September 2013

This paper attempts to examine some of the broader system constraints to family therapy's ‘Coming of Age’ and to relate these constraints to more personal issues that arise for the presenter as a recently qualified family therapist. These issues and constraints are clustered around the question of hierarchy, and it is the presenter's belief that, although family therapy has much to offer as a direct service method, it has less to offer as a tool for analysing phenomena of a structural nature.
Family Therapy with Adolescents: Giving Up The Struggle
Authors: Nicholson Susan
Published: September 2013

This paper examines problems in adolescence from the perspective of a power struggle between parent(s) and teenager. The structural approach of Minuchin and the strategic approaches of Haley, Madanes, and the Mental Research Institute (M.R.I.) are considered in relation to the significance they attribute to power and power struggles in families with adolescents. It is argued that the M.R.I. approach has certain therapeutic advantages for working with problematic adolescents, primarily because of its focus on understanding and intervening in the power struggle itself. A focus on the power struggle as the ‘problem’ reminds the therapist of the circular nature of parent‐adolescent interactions. This awareness assists the therapist to design indirect interventions that are less likely to become absorbed into this vicious cycle. It also encourages a therapeutic stance that prevents the therapist from becoming involved in a power struggle with family members.
Bringing It All Back Home: Individual and Group Supervision in Family Therapy Training*
Authors: List David
Published: September 2013

Literature in family therapy training neglects to address the usefulness of individual supervision. Just as family members struggle to integrate needs for autonomy with needs for family membership, so the individual family therapy trainee has individual concerns. Psychoanalytic literature fully recognises the power of the emotional responses of the psychotherapist, but is uncertain how to handle these reactions, especially in terms of the parallel process between psychotherapy and supervision. The integration of individual process‐centred supervision with live group supervision and training provides a structure within which to maximize the supervisory experience.
A Matter of Influence: An Interview with John H. Weakland
Authors: Martin Graham
Published: September 2013

John Weakland, Associate Director, Brief Therapy Institute, Palo Alto, graciously agreed to be interviewed on Columbus Day (a public holiday in the United States) at short notice, and despite the time constraints of his busy practice and the interviewer's being in San Francisco for only four days. It is hoped that the resulting interview does justice to John Weakland's profound influence on the field of family therapy since its beginnings.
In Defence of a Modern Medical Model: Purism and Eclecticism in Family Therapy*
Authors: Siegel Leonard I.
Published: September 2013

Family therapists criticise the ‘medical model’ for relying on linear causality, focusing on pathology rather than health processes and tending to coerce the family into preconceived models. These criticisms might be legitimately levelled at 19th Century models but not at modern medical models which include the circularity of general systems theory, attention to ecological field, and understanding of reciprocal influences of many factors such as emotions, antibodies, genetic endowment, nutrition, interpersonal relations, environmental stress, and symbiotic micro‐organisms. This modernised medical model is consistent with modern family therapy theory which integrates general systems theory, ecological theory, communication theory, small group process, role theory and metaphoric communications. Family therapy purists define themselves by contrasting their differences with ‘the medical model’. Eclecticists tend to be practitioners who use broad theoretical frames of reference and commonsense, straight‐forward, direct intervention where it is likely to work but will resort to indirect, metaphoric or paradoxical intervention for the more complex and resistant family.
Individuation as a life process*
Authors: Quadrio Carolyn
Published: September 2013

Addressing the theme of the 1986 National Family Therapy Conference, Developmental and Systemic Perspectives: Living with the Interface, this paper examines those two perspectives, their strengths and their weaknesses, and argues for a synthesis of what is best in each.
Monitoring Family Therapy in Clinical Practice A Note on the Use of the Beavers‐Timberlawn Family Evaluation Scale
Authors: Coombe Paul D.
Published: September 2013

This paper is based on a thesis completed for the degree of Master of Psychological Medicine at Monash University, Melbourne. The aim was to determine if an instrument could be used to determine changes in family dynamics quantitatively and objectively during the course of family therapy. A sample of six families was evaluated on several occasions during therapy using the Beavers‐Timberlawn Family Evaluation Scale. The results are discussed in the light of the literature as it relates to outcome studies of family therapy. Certain conclusions are made regarding the process of therapy.
Co‐evolving with Anorectic Families Difference is a Singular Moment
Authors: Gibney Paul
Published: September 2013

An individual practitioner's development as a family therapist occurs in the context of the family therapy movement, most manifestly present in its literature and in seminars and workshops offered by its leading exponents. The process by which the therapist interacts with the broader field and consequently incurs shifts in perspective is rarely decribed, or theoretically elucidated. In this current paper, the author's changing orientation to the treatment of anorexia nervosa is viewed via theoretical discussions and case illustrations. The concept of co‐evolution, as defined by both Bateson and Jantsch, is invoked to explain how interaction with other practitioners and literature can produce changes in therapeutic emphasis, and Prigogine's concepts of dissipative structures and bifurcation points are utilised in locating both therapeutic and theoretical shifts in time. The discussion briefly considers how therapists can co‐evolve with conservative work situations to produce broader contextual changes.
Ten Years at the Helm: An Interview with Helm Stierlin
Authors: Cade Brian
Published: September 2013

In May 1985, Brian Cade attended the 10th Anniversary Congress of the Family Therapy Department of the University of Heidelberg. The Congress attracted a huge audience and was a fitting tribute to a decade of creative research and development. At the end of the Congress, Brian was able to persuade a very tired Helm Stierlin, the Department's director, to give the following interview.
Patterns of Change in Families Following Severe Head Injuries in Children
Authors: Hartman Steve
Published: September 2013

After severe head injuries, children can display behavioural problems for many years. Factors related to the individual have been discussed in other articles, and authors have also suggested that resulting behaviour problems may affect the family. This paper assesses the direct effect of the injury and events around it on the family. The reaction of the family may contribute to the persistence of the behavioural change, rather than just be a result of it. This paper describes the effect of the accident on family relationships and discusses the behaviour of the identified victim in terms of the stage of the family life cycle. The family as a whole, and not just the child, is a victim of the event, and therefore the use of family therapy is an important and appropriate part of treatment. A comparison of family and individual therapy is made, and the problem of assessing whether behavioural changes are related to organic brain injury is addressed.
Cotherapy: A Means of Training with the Family
Authors: Barnard Charles P. , Miller Brier
Published: September 2013

This article explores cotherapy as a therapeutic and training tool. An exposition of both the advantages and challenges of cotherapy is provided. Ideas regarding cotherapy utilisation in marriage and family therapy training programs are discussed with particular reference to possible difficulties and how they might be addressed. The final section addresses factors relevant to the development of a cotherapy relationship, including an overview of various models that have been previously advanced in the literature. The primary reference point for this article is an experiential orientation, but those from a variety of orientations should discover applicability to their practices. The authors hope this article will serve to provoke readers to consider their own thoughts on this topic and pursue it in more depth.
Taking up the Challenge of Grief: Film as Therapeutic Metaphor and Action Ritual
Authors: Christie Mimi , McGrath Mary
Published: September 2013

The case is presented of an eleven year old boy who has twice suffered the loss of his mother —first through his adoption and second through her subsequent suicide. Four years after these events he presented with a number of behavioural problems attributed to a block in his grieving process. Initially therapy was difficult because of the client's inability to express his feelings verbally and because of a number of restraints noted to be operating within the family system. A breakthrough was made through the use of the film ‘The Never Ending Story’‡ as a therapeutic metaphor and as the basis of an action ritual. Relevant literature (bereavement, cybernetic theory, metaphor and ritual) is discussed. Therapy is detailed.
The Riddle of Schizophrenia
Authors: Morawetz Anita
Published: September 2013

This paper discusses the author's emotions and reactions, in her working experience with people diagnosed as schizophrenic.
The Reflecting Team Process In Training
Authors: Young J. , Perlesz A. , Paterson R. , O'Hanlon B. , Newbold A. , Chaplin R. , Bridge S.
Published: September 2013

The process of evolution of a reflecting team in live supervision sessions is discussed. Theoretical ramifications for systemic training of systemic family therapy are explored and feedback from trainer, trainees and client families about the use of the reflecting team is presented.
Marital Therapy — My Style
Authors: Wilks Graham J.
Published: September 2013

This paper is one of a series in which experienced therapists were invited to outline their approach to marital therapy — Editor.
Can a Family Therapist do Statutory Work?
Authors: Furlong Mark
Published: September 2013

Despite a clear interest in problems such as child abuse it appears that family therapists could work more extensively and constructively with statutory presentations. This paper proposes three reasons as partial explanation for the difficulty many therapists have in working with statutory cases. These reasons are: (i) a belief that social control is not the business of therapy, (ii) a belief in a particular and restrictive notion of neutrality, and (iii) a practice habit of talking less than directly to clients.

The existence and persistence of these constraints to the effective provision of statutory services is related to the historical tradition which largely structures professional/client relationships. It is argued that this pattern is highly implicit in our work and can therefore act to restrict our practice and our ability to envisage alternatives.
Conceptualising Male Violence against Female Partners: Political Implications of Therapeutic Responses
Authors: McGregor Heather
Published: September 2013

This paper examines some political implications of particular therapeutic/non‐legal responses to male violence against female partners. In particular, a critique of the conceptualisation of violence as a problem of conflict is made. It is emphasised that male violence is a crime and that divergent responses are at risk of losing political impact and may well result in further oppression of women.
A Formulation Model for Use in Family Therapy
Authors: Carr Alan
Published: September 2013

A model for simplifying complex information about a given presenting problem and integrating it into a formulation is described in this paper. The model contains three columns. In the right hand column, the cycle of interaction containing the symptom or presenting problem in which the identified patient and members of the network are caught up, is set out. In the left hand column, factors which predispose participants in this cycle to persist in this repetitive sequence of interactions are noted. In the central column (where pertinent) cognitive factors which mediate the influence of predisposing factors upon the present cycle of activity are listed. A sample formulation is first given to demonstrate the way in which the model may be used to simplify and integrate information. The implications of the model, from a clinical perspective, for assessment, treatment planning and the management of resistance, are then illustrated with a detailed case example.
Reclaiming the Emotional Aspects of the Therapist‐Family System
Authors: Smith Jenny , Osman Coll , Goding Margaret
Published: September 2013

The shift from first to second order cybernetics has made the concept of the therapist‐family system part of the everyday discourse of family therapy. In spite of this shift, there is little focus in family therapy literature on the emotional aspects of the therapist‐family system. Relevant process concepts available to us at present, such as induction or accommodation, are poorly defined and inadequate.

Three reasons for the neglect of the emotional aspects of family therapy are explored. They are, firstly, more recent theoretical and technical directions, secondly, the politics of gender and thirdly, the enduring difficulty of working with and writing about our own and families' powerful emotions.

Finally, following a case example, some psychoanalytic concepts are described and discussed. It is possible that concepts such as counter‐transference and projective identification may enrich family therapists' understanding of what is happening within the therapist‐family system.
‘Diagnosis and Family Therapy: Traditional’ Psychiatry and the Concepts of Disease and Diagnosis
Authors: Harari Edwin
Published: September 2013

The process of diagnosis in medicine and psychiatry is described. An historical review of the concept of disease provides three models of disease: (1) as a lesion (2) as a host environment relation (3) as a statistical concept, each of which has implications for diagnosis.

Three models of psychiatric diagnosis are outlined — (1) the categorical (2) the dimensional, and (3) the multi‐axial. The limitations and deficiencies of each of these models are described, both in general terms and specifically in the light of family‐systems thinking.
Power and Knowledge: The Case of the New Epistemology
Authors: Flaskas Carmel
Published: September 2013

This paper is in part a critique of the new epistemology. However, its focus is not the content of the new epistemology, but rather the process of the generation and legitimisation of knowledge which is represented by the new epistemology. It is argued that the new epistemology has been embedded in foundationalism, or a framework that poses epistemology as the (legitimate) base of thinking, knowledge and practice. This is a very conservative process of knowledge, as it allows the censorship of other ideas and knowledges in family therapy. My critique is part of a wider project of exploring the relationship of knowledge and power. To this extent, the new epistemology can be used as a case to illustrate the powerful effects of knowledge, and to remind us of the importance of allowing the space for differences in knowledge to enrich the field of family therapy.
Family Involvement in the Residential Treatment of Children: A Systemic Perspective
Authors: Brown Jacob E.
Published: September 2013

When children are placed in residential treatment, a number of underlying messages are often conveyed: the child is the problem, the child's parents are the problem, and the treatment centre has the answers. Consequently children may feel rejected and parents may feel blamed. These views reflect lineal perspectives which have not been adequately addressed in the literature on residential treatment. The aim of residential treatment is to change the child's behaviour in ways which parents are unable to achieve at home. This paper proposes that the child who is placed in residential care may be caught between the parents and the treatment setting: if the child positively responds to treatment, parents could easily feel inadequate or incompetent, a dynamic which is obviously counter productive to successful treatment. The paper argues from Milan and other systemic views, that family and treatment systems be taken into consideration in planning treatment strategies.
Stories of Wreck Bay
Authors: Brown Colleen
Published: September 2013

This is the first plenary address by an Aboriginal woman at an Australian Family Therapy Conference. The author reminisces about her early life and highlights changes in her community, giving many vignettes of her own work with Aboriginal people. A recurrent theme is the Aboriginal experience of Government control, and the impact of the dreaded Aboriginal Protection Board, which for decades by deliberate policy removed Aboriginal children to institutions and non‐Aboriginal foster families. (Editor)
Emotional Abuse in Therapy
Authors: Webster Michelle
Published: September 2013

This paper presents the experiences of clients who have been emotionally abused in therapy. By this I mean the intentional and unintentional conduct they experienced from therapists towards them that was not in their best interests.

By sharing these experiences, I will explore emotional abuse in therapy, how it can be defined, the effects of such on clients and the methods of healing these traumatic experiences. Recommendations will be discussed in the light of this information for practising therapists, professional training and development, standards and ethical committees.
The Teasing Syndrome in Facially Deformed Children
Authors: Gerrard Jeffrey M.
Published: September 2013

Teasing is a common occurrence in children and teenagers attending the Australian Cranio‐Facial Clinic (maybe as high as 40%). A pilot project was developed to obtain more information about teasing and its effect on children attending the Cranio‐Facial Clinic. From this work an hypothesis was developed about the dynamics of teasing at school and the consequences for the children in the form of sequential symptom development, which can evolve into a teasing syndrome. The syndrome begins with the child being upset, angry and miserable and evolves through social withdrawal, emergence of various psychosomatic symptoms and then proceeds to school failure and eventually to school refusal. At this point the child presents a clinical picture of being depressed and maybe suicidal. An innovative treatment method was used to teach the children to make an imaginary forcefield which they could use to beat teasing and this was evaluated using a single case design method.

Further studies need to be done to ascertain the epidemiology of teasing in normal and handicapped children in schools and to further elucidate aspects of “The Teasing Syndrome”.
Metaphoric Therapy: Exploring the Pervasiveness of Metaphor and Its Use in Therapy
Authors: Smith Gregory
Published: September 2013

Although often taken as just a literary device or an aid in communicating ideas, metaphor can be seen to play a central and inescapable role in how we constitute reality. While metaphor pervades our meanings and interactions, we often lose sight of the metaphoric nature of our constructs. This paper focuses particularly on some of the practical therapeutic options which are opened by a greater awareness of metaphor. These options include not only using metaphors in therapy with our clients, but also providing therapy for our clients' metaphors.
The Family Interaction Test A Preliminary Study of a Method for Interpreting Narratives about the Family
Authors: Kaye John , Wood Andrew , Stinson Sharon
Published: September 2013

The Family Interaction Test is a narrative projective method designed to elicit children's perceptions of family life and patterns of interaction by way of stories around particular themes and events. Drawing on a post‐modern interpretive approach, the paper proposes that traditional psychometric research methodologies underpinned by the logico‐empirical paradigm are inappropriate in the study of narrative meaning. It is argued that practitioners, rather than seeing themselves as separate from the story teller and thus objectifying the ‘true’ meaning of the narratives, can instead enter into a discourse with the story teller as a way of testing hypotheses and thus establish the verisimilitude of story meanings. The results of a preliminary clinical study using this methodology with the Family Interaction Test are presented and discussed.
Learning at the edge
Authors: Stewart Kenneth
Published: September 2013

This article describes the metaphors persons used to describe their experiences within a three year training project in family therapy. Questions were posed of trainees that had asked them to describe their experiences of training as if they represented the title of a book, movie or journal article. Responses reveal how they construct or ‘story’ their experiences from both a first and second‐order cybernetic perspective.
Family Work and Acquired Brain Damage
Authors: Perlesz Amaryll , Furlong Mark , McLachlan Diana
Published: September 2013

Acquired Brain Damage (ABD) causes immense difficulties for individuals and families and is increasingly recognised as a serious community issue. This paper focuses on the burden placed on family members with a head injured relative. The authors propose that when working with families with a member with a neuropsychological condition, the family therapist may be required to embrace a more flexible role. Depending on the developmental needs of the family, the family therapist may at times:

provide educational information about brain damage and its effects

arrange family support groups or wider network meetings

be the family's advocate in the context of complex legal and financial bureaucracies

or undertake marital, sexual or family therapy when required. Whatever the role played, a ‘family sensitive practice’ approach by family therapists is advocated. It is also deemed useful to develop a theoretical assessment model which helps the therapist locate where individual family members are in their negotiation of the tasks of grieving, restructuring, identity reformation and achieving a sense of growth after head injury. Further implications for clinical practice are outlined.
Family Therapy … What's in a Name?
Authors: Cornwell Max
Published: September 2013

In the search for therapeutic efficacy, we vacillate from ‘certitude’ to ‘certitude’, repetitively embracing and then discarding the objects of our intellectual passion(!). The following juxtaposition of images and sounds is intended to suggest that ‘wisdom’ and ‘truth’ may derive from a more judicious and multi‐layered integration of enquiry and fidelity. The idea of narrative implies not only a story but also a range of possible relationships between narrator and listener, and raises for examination the qualities of both parties. A ‘good story’ may lie as much in the probity of the relationship as in what is told or heard. It is even possible a ‘good story’ may not always be a story for ‘good’.
Depression, the Family, and Family Therapy
Authors: Coyne James C. , Fechner‐Bates Suzanne
Published: September 2013

The potential contribution of family therapists to the treatment of depression remains underdeveloped. Family therapists need to articulate how changes in family functioning might benefit depressed persons, as well as how other problems in the families of depressed persons tend to go unrecognised. Furthermore, family therapists need to be alert to how undetected depression in adults and children may interfere with their ability to meet their goals with families who seek therapy for other persons. This article provides family therapists with (1) an overview of the nature and experience of depression; (2) an introduction to antidepressant medication; (3) a summary of research findings relating depression to its family context and (4) a brief overview of developments in the marital and family treatment of depression.
Effects of gold and silver nanoparticles in cultured human osteoarthritic chondrocytes
Authors: Pascarelli Nicola Antonio , Moretti Elena , Terzuoli Gaia , Lamboglia Antonello , Renieri Tommaso , Fioravanti Antonella , Collodel Giulia
Published: September 2013

The aim of our study was to evaluate the effects of gold (Au) and silver (Ag) nanoparticles (NPs) at different concentrations on cultured human osteoarthritic chondrocytes. Cell viability and inducible nitric oxide synthase expression were evaluated by light microscopy. Using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and field emission gun‐based scanning transmission electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectroscopy (FEG‐STEM/EDS) allowed us to localize NPs. Gene expression of matrix metalloproteinases 1, 3 and 13 and A disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs ‐4 and ‐5 were carried out by real‐time polymerase chain reaction. A cell viability test indicated a significant dose‐dependent cytotoxic effect of both NPs. At concentrations of 160 and 250 μM NP light microscopy showed chondrocytes with signs of apoptosis and an increased presence of inducible nitric oxide synthase. Au‐NPs were characterized by FEG‐STEM/EDS and TEM analysis localized NPs in cytoplasm and in endocytotic vesicles. On the contrary, the Ag‐NPs were undetectable by FEG‐STEM/EDS and TEM. Increased gene expression, particularly in matrix metalloproteinase‐3, was observed for both NPs (160 μM), but at a concentration of 250 μM the expression of the evaluated genes became lower. Our in vitro studies, although preliminary, suggest that engineered Au and Ag‐NPs appear to be harmful for human osteoarthritic chondrocytes in high concentrations (160–250 μM). Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of dopants on the biomechanical properties of conducting polymer films on platinum electrodes
Authors: Baek Sungchul , Green Rylie A. , Poole‐Warren Laura A.
Published: September 2013

Conducting polymers have often been described in literature as a coating for metal electrodes which will dampen the mechanical mismatch with neural tissue, encouraging intimate cell interactions. However, there is very limited quantitative analysis of conducting polymer mechanics and the relation to tissue interactions. This article systematically analyses the impact of coating platinum (Pt) electrodes with the conducting polymer poly(ethylene dioxythiophene) (PEDOT) doped with a series of common anions which have been explored for neural interfacing applications. Nanoindentation was used to determine the coating modulus and it was found that the polymer stiffness increased as the size of the dopant ion was increased, with PEDOT doped with polystyrene sulfonate (PSS) having the highest modulus at 3.2 GPa. This was more than double that of the ClO4 doped PEDOT at 1.3 GPa. Similarly, the electrical properties of these materials were shown to have a size dependent behavior with the smaller anions producing PEDOT films with the highest charge transfer capacity and lowest impedance. Coating stiffness was found to have a negligible effect on in vitro neural cell survival and differentiation, but rather polymer surface morphology, dopant toxicity and mobility is found to have the greatest impact. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 102A: 2743–2754, 2014.
Oxygen diffusion and consumption in extracellular matrix gels: Implications for designing three‐dimensional cultures
Authors: Colom Adai , Galgoczy Roland , Almendros Isaac , Xaubet Antonio , Farré Ramon , Alcaraz Jordi
Published: September 2013

Three‐dimensional (3D) cultures are increasingly used as tissue surrogates to study many physiopathological processes. However, to what extent current 3D culture protocols provide physiologic oxygen tension conditions remains ill defined. To address this limitation, oxygen tension was measured in a panel of acellular or cellularized extracellular matrix (ECM) gels with A549 cells, and analyzed in terms of oxygen diffusion and consumption. Gels included reconstituted basement membrane, fibrin and collagen. Oxygen diffusivity in acellular gels was up to 40% smaller than that of water, and the lower values were observed in the denser gels. In 3D cultures, physiologic oxygen tension was achieved after 2 days in dense (≥3 mg/mL) but not sparse gels, revealing that the latter gels are not suitable tissue surrogates in terms of oxygen distribution. In dense gels, we observed a dominant effect of ECM composition over density in oxygen consumption. All diffusion and consumption data were used in a simple model to estimate ranges for gel thickness, seeding density and time‐window that may support physiologic oxygen tension. Thus, we identified critical variables for oxygen tension in ECM gels, and introduced a model to assess initial values of these variables, which may short‐cut the optimization step of 3D culture studies. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 102A: 2776–2784, 2014.
Biodegradable salicylate‐based poly(anhydride‐ester) microspheres for controlled insulin delivery
Authors: Delgado‐Rivera Roberto , Rosario‐Meléndez Roselin , Yu Weiling , Uhrich Kathryn E.
Published: September 2013

Salicylate‐based poly(anhydride‐esters) (PAEs) chemically incorporate salicylic acid (SA) into the polymer backbone, which is then delivered in a controlled manner upon polymer hydrolysis. In this work, a salicylate‐based PAE is a carrier to encapsulate and deliver insulin. Polymer microspheres were formulated using a water/oil/water double‐emulsion solvent evaporation technique. The microspheres obtained had a smooth surface, high protein encapsulation efficiency, and relatively low emulsifier content. Insulin was released in vitro for 15 days, with no signs of aggregation or unfolding of the secondary structure. The released insulin also retained bioactivity in vitro. Concurrently, SA was released from the microspheres with polymer degradation and anti‐inflammatory activity was observed. Based upon these results, the formulated microspheres enable simultaneous delivery of insulin and SA, both retaining bioactivity following processing. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 102A: 2736–2742, 2014
Mechanisms of Trazodone‐Induced Cytotoxicity and the Protective Effects of Melatonin and/or Taurine toward Freshly Isolated Rat Hepatocytes
Authors: Taziki Shohreh , Sattari Mohammad Reza , Eghbal Mohammad Ali
Published: September 2013

It has been reported that the bioactive intermediate metabolites of trazodone might cause hepatotoxicity. This study was designed to investigate the exact mechanism of hepatocellular injury induced by trazodone as well as the protective effects of taurine and/or melatonin against this toxicity. Freshly isolated rat hepatocytes were used. Trazodone was cytotoxic and caused cell death with LC50 of 300 µm within 2 h. Trazodone caused an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, malondialdehyde accumulation, depletion of intracellular reduced glutathione (GSH), rise of oxidized glutathione disulfide (GSSG), and a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential, which confirms the role of oxidative stress in trazodone‐induced cytotoxicity. Preincubation of hepatocytes with taurine prevented ROS formation, lipid peroxidation, depletion of intracellular reduced GSH, and increase of oxidized GSSG. Taurine could also protect mitochondria against trazodone‐induced toxicity. Administration of melatonin reduced the toxic effects of trazodone in isolated rat hepatocytes. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J BiochemMol Toxicol 27:457‐462, 2013; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/jbt.21509
The metabolic characteristicsof high‐production vitamin B12 by Pseudomonas denitrificans under dissolved oxygen step‐wise reduction
Authors: Peng Weifu , Cheng Xin , Zhang Hong‐yan , Li Kun‐Tai
Published: September 2013

BACKGROUND

Previous research proved that fermentation via dissolved oxygen (DO) step‐wise reduction was favorable for vitamin B12 productivity by Pseudomonas denitrificans, but the high‐production mechanism is still unclear. Based on this fact, P. denitrificans metabolic characteristics under different DO supply models were investigated in a 5 L fermenter by assaying the activities of the key enzymes involved in central carbon metabolism and the vitamin B12 biosynthetic pathway.

RESULTS

Compared with fermentation processes under the DO‐stat strategy and DO step‐wise increase, it was found that DO step‐wise reduction for P. denitrificans fermentation could significantly strengthen the Embden–Meyerhof–Parnas flux and weaken the tricarboxylic acid cycle and hexose monophosphate pathway, but also facilitate the activities of δ‐aminolevulinic acid synthase and porphobilinogen synthase.

CONCLUSIONS

When P. denitrificans fermentation was implemented using DO step‐wise reduction, the metabolic characteristics indicated that more precursors for vitamin B12 biosynthesis could be generated. As a result, a significant improvement in vitamin B12 productivity was achieved (69.09 ± 4.48 mg L−1). © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry
The microphysical properties of ice fog measured in urban environments of Interior Alaska
Authors: Schmitt Carl G. , Stuefer Martin , Heymsfield Andrew J. , Kim Chang Ki
Published: September 2013

The microphysical properties of ice fog were measured at two sites during a small field campaign in January and February of 2012 in Interior Alaska. The National Center for Atmospheric Research Video Ice Particle Sampler probe and Formvar (polyvinyl formal)‐coated microscope slides were used to sample airborne ice particles at two polluted sites in the Fairbanks region. Both sites were significantly influenced by anthropogenic emission and additional water vapor from nearby open water power plant cooling ponds. Measurements show that ice fog particles were generally droxtal shaped (faceted, quasi‐spherical) for sub‐10 µm particles, while plate‐shaped crystals were the most frequently observed particles between 10 and 50 µm. A visibility cutoff of 3 km was used to separate ice fog events from other observations which were significantly influenced by larger (50–150 µm) diamond dust particles. The purpose of this study is to more realistically characterize ice fog microphysical properties in order to facilitate better model predictions of the onset of ice fog in polluted environments. Parameterizations for mass and projected area are developed and used to estimate particle terminal velocity. Dimensional characteristics are based on particle geometry and indicated that ice fog particles have significantly lower densities than water droplets as well as reduced cross‐sectional areas, the net result being that terminal velocities are estimated to be less than half the value of those calculated for water droplets. Particle size distributions are characterized using gamma functions and have a shape factor (μ) of between −0.5 and −1.0 for polluted ice fog conditions.
Environmental controls on coral skeletal δ13C in the northern South China Sea
Authors: Deng Wenfeng , Wei Gangjian , Xie Luhua , Yu Kefu
Published: September 2013

In this paper, we investigate the relationship between seasonal climatic and environmental variables, and the skeletal δ13C of modern and mid‐Holocene Porites lutea corals from the southern coast of Hainan Island in the northern South China Sea. No significant correlations were observed between δ13C in the modern coral and solar insolation or sea surface temperature. However, seasonal variability of δ13C in the modern coral covaries with rainfall on Hainan Island. Furthermore, the seasonal variations of δ13C in both the modern and mid‐Holocene coral are synchronous with those of the coral Δδ18O, which is a proxy for seawater δ18O and, in turn, largely controlled by local rainfall. These observations suggest that coral δ13C variations are closely associated with rainfall in this region. Given that river runoff contains dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) with a negative δ13C, we suggest that periods of high rainfall on Hainan Island deliver increased amounts of 13C‐depleted DIC to coastal seawater, resulting in an enhanced negative δ13C in the corals. Our findings, together with previous studies, appear to demonstrate that in coastal environments, coral skeletal δ13C levels are controlled mainly by terrestrial carbon input and are significantly influenced by terrestrial river runoff. Consequently, the geochemical interpretation of coral δ13C records may differ between coastal areas and offshore areas or the open ocean.
Apodemes associated with limbs support serial homology of claws and jaws in onychophora (velvet worms)
Authors: de Sena Oliveira Ivo , Mayer Georg
Published: September 2013

Cover illustration. Although the onychophoran jaw blades are believed to be derivatives of foot claws, serial homology of these structures has not been demonstrated. In this issue of the Journal of Morphology, Oliveira and Mayer (pp. 1180–119010.1002/jmor.20171) investigate the evolutionary origin of the onychophoran jaws by searching for morphological landmarks and comparing the internal and external anatomy of jaws and distal leg portions in representatives of Onychophora. The cover image shows a subset of confocal z‐series from the muscles associated with the onychophoran jaws and jaw apodemes.