bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Formation and Success of New Parties
Authors: Harmel Robert , Robertson John D.
Published: March 2007

After describing the universe of 233 new parties formed in 19 West European and Anglo-American democracies from 1960 through 1980, the authors use data on those parties to address several hypotheses concerning system-level causes and conditions for new party formation and electoral success. It is found that although the propensi ty for forming new parties is not associated with structural variables, new party suc cess is related to the type of electoral system.
The Effects On Public Policy of Center-Local Relocations
Authors: Krane Dale
Published: March 2007

This article attempts a comparative exploration of center-local relationships as part of an effort to test the effect on public policy of concentration and devolution. To pursue these objectives, the research proceeds in two steps: (1) the identification of longitudinal pat terns of public sector concentration/devolution among 17 nations and (2) time series analy sis of industrial growth and social welfare progress associated with the temporal variation in public infrastructure. The results suggest that a nation's pattern of public sector evolu tion may be more of a determinant of policy performance than a nation's constitutional framework.
L'État Liberal Et L'Expansion De L'Espace Public Etatique
Authors: Dion Léon
Published: March 2007

Le texte vise à montrer comment les conditions de la mise en oeuvre de l'Etat libéral modifièrent substantiellement les attentes des théoriciens libéraux concernant les rap ports de la société civile, de la sphère publique non étatique et de l'Etat. Ce dernier, en effet, s'étant vu attribuer le monopole de l'exercice du pouvoir sur l'ensemble de la communauté politique, loin de s'amenuiser conformément aux prévisions étendit graduellement son champ d'intervention à la faveur d'un concours de circonstances et surtout en raison du fait de l'infusion dans l'Etat libéral d'une rationalité politique ax ée sur une volonté de puissance lui procurant une "courbure étatique" qui lui permit de concurrencer la rationalité économique sur son propre terrain et parvenir même parfois à se la subordonner.
Divided Airwaves
Authors: Merritt Richard L.
Published: March 2007

The electronic media's role in divided Berlin and Germany has been at issue since 1945. Early Soviet control of the city's single radio station led American and British authorities to establish their own (RIAS and NWDR, the latter, renamed SFB, now operated by West Berlin and expanded to include television). SFB and, still more, RIAS program for West Berliners but, through a policy of free flow of information, seek to sustain a sense of identity and political community between East and West. The GDR has sought unsuccessfully to use carrots and sticks to stop what it sees as the western media's violation of its national sovereignty. Available data indicate that information flows in Berlin and Germany constitute a one-way street rather than a basis for reintegration based on mutual adjustment.
The Development and Institutionalization of Political Science in Italy
Authors: Graziano Luigi
Published: March 2007

Italian political science has grown remarkably in the last two decades both in quantity and quality. Such a growth, however, came much later than in other European countries due to a number of cultural and institutional obstacles. The development of the discipline and the timing of such development are seen as the result of interaction of four broad sets of factors. They are: (1) the effort by scholars in the 1960s to establish political science as a distinct field of study; (2) the social and economic development of Italian society, which called for reform and political modernization; (3) the push from the outside, especially the impact of American political science and behaviouralism; and (4) changes in the Italian university system. The structure and degree of institutionalization of the profession in today's Italy are briefly reviewed in the final section.
Regional and Religious Support of Political Parties and Effects on their Issue Positions
Authors: Janda Kenneth
Published: March 2007

Political sociology assumes that social cleavages are manifested in political alignments. This research focuses on the cleavage factors of region and religion in group support of national political parties. It discusses problems in analyzing these factors across cultures and illustrates the problems by analyzing social support for approximately 150 parties in 53 nations in all cultural-geographical areas of the world. Regional and religious patterns of support clearly affect parties' positions on issues. Regionally homogeneous parties tend to oppose national integration, and religiously homogeneous parties tend to oppose the secularization of society. Moreover, parties' positions on secularization also depend heavily on their specific religious composition.
Ideology and Humor Preferences
Authors: Wilson Glenn D.
Published: March 2007

This paper reviews psychological research concerned with the relationship between broad factors of social and political attitudes and preferences for different types of humor. Conservatives, compared with liberals, were found to dislike jokes that are overtly sexual and aggressive, although there are signs of a recent reaction against "sexist" jokes among liberal youth. Within the sphere of nonsense humor, conservatives were intolerant of jokes that failed to provide resolution of incongruous elements. Such results confirm the hypothesis that conservatives seek emotional control and cognitive closure compared with liberals, who are comfortable with more abandoned self expression and thought processes.
Art and Ambiguity: The Politics of Friedrich Engels
Authors: Carver Terrell
Published: March 2007

In writing an intellectual biography of Friedrich Engels, I hypothesized that a careful examination of his youthful oeuvre would help to explain certain puzzles and inconsistencies in his later life. My investigation of this period exposed two areas of ambiguity: First, in considering his early ventures into art, and his youthful opinions about it, the biographer confronts inherent ambiguities of interpretation. Second, modern readers necessarily experience ambiguities in their own reactions when they examine some of the romantic imagery used by the young Engels, as it is now evocative of fascism, rather than democracy, as he intended. In conclusion I list the political questions raised by my study.
Strategic Models of Talk in Political Decision Making
Authors: Austen-Smith David
Published: March 2007

Talk in politics is effective only insofar as the speaker is able to persuade his or her audience of the relevance of some point, or the validity of some claim, contained in the speech. From a rational choice perspective, therefore, such speech making is a strategic activity in which speakers seek to influence the beliefs of decision makers. This paper is an informal introduction to rational choice models of political decision making involving the strategic use of speech.
Political Economy of the Global Environment
Authors: Choucri Nazli
Published: March 2007

The politicization of global environmental change has already injected scientific evidence (and uncertainties) in the policy domain- national and international. The nature of political discourse has and will continue to be affected by assessments of these changes. The purpose of this concluding discussion is threefold: (a) to identify conceptual elements for analysis of global environmental change which could provide a realistic framework for future research; (b) to identify salient features of the polit ical economy of global environmental change; and (c) to identify key research and policy challenges in the study of international relations. Clearly the institutional and policy-related aspects are recognized by almost everyone as being crucial for developing an overall understanding of global change. Since human activities have contributed to fundamental interventions in natural processes, understanding the social underpinnings of these interventions (institutional, political, economic) is an essential part of an inquiry into the political economy of global change.
Why Minorities Rebel: A Global Analysis of Communal Mobilization and Conflict since 1945
Authors: Gurr Ted Robert
Published: March 2007

Political protest and rebellion by communal groups has become a major impetus to domestic and international political change. This study uses new coded data on 227 communal groups throughout the world to assess a general model of how and why they mobilize to defend and promote their collective interests. Statistical analysis shows that cultural identity, inequalities, and historical loss of autonomy all contribute substantially to their grievances. Political mobilization, grievances, and the international diffusion and contagion of communal conflict jointly explain the extent of political action in the 1980s. Democracy, state power, and institutional change help determine whether conflict takes the form of protest or rebellion.
Communication et changement global: un defi politique et culturel
Authors: Bakis Henry
Published: March 2007

Le développement des communications accélère les tendances au changement global et affecte l'évolution de la géographie politique. Les nouveaux moyens modifient les cloisonnements antérieurs: si certaines barrières tendent à disparaître (distances kilométriques, frontières politiques) de nouvelles distances semblent devoir s'affirmer (distances sociales, économiques, voire psychologiques). Ce papier s'intéresse au nouveau contexte que crée la modification des distances à l'ère de la communication planétaire. Un effort d'éducation en matière de culture de réseaux semble indispensable.
Barrier Effects: The Case of Air and Rail Flows
Authors: Cattan Nadine
Published: March 2007

Big cities play a key role in pattern setting and thus in spatial integration. We assume that the urban network of European centres thus constitutes the best field for the observation of the phenomena of integra tion and unification of European space. An analysis of interurban networks (air and rail) helps to identify both the strongest links of this integration and the barriers that inhibit its expansion. This paper employs the usual methodologies, such as gravity models and graph theory.
The School as an Ethical And Democratic Community
Authors: Calabrese Raymond L.
Published: March 2007

The school must choose to be an ethical community, says this writer, who believe that the very existence of America as a democratic nation rests on its success.
School Climate and Staff Development: Keys to School Reform
Authors: Stevens Michael P.
Published: March 2007

Some school administrators meet the challenge of school improvement with uncertainty and reluctance. However, a strong leader who strives for an effective school climate and encourages staff involvement is on the road to success.
If Winning Isn't Everything—How Can It Be the Only Thing?
Authors: Scherer Joseph
Published: March 2007

What makes a successful school athletic program ? The answer is much more than a winning record, according to this writer, a former profes sional football player.
Participatory Management in Activities Programs
Authors: McLenighan Harry
Published: March 2007

High school activities should be managed by participatory principles, says this writer, who argues that the respon sibility for bringing this about belongs to principals and activities directors through appropriate modeling and inservice education.
Strategies for Educating Gifted, Disadvantaged Youth
Authors: Cavazos Lauro F.
Published: March 2007

Disadvantaged youth should not be penalized for their economic status, nor should they be stereotyped as unin telligent. Highly able, disad vantaged students deserve the same educational advan tages as other youth.
The Impact of Cognitive Style on Communication
Authors: Nasca Donald
Published: March 2007

The effectiveness of communication with staff is influenced by information process ing preferences of both the originators and recipients of the communication. Understanding and accommodating these preferences can lead to communi cation that reduces misunderstanding and conflict.
Determining Critical Success Factors: Things That Make a Superior School
Authors: Herman Jerry J.
Published: March 2007

Is a blizzard of paperwork and details limiting your ability to function effec tively ? Here's how to reduce that burden and focus your efforts in those areas that are most important.
Seven Reasons Why Textbooks Cannot Make a Curriculum
Authors: Shutes Robert , Petersen Sandra
Published: March 2007

Textbooks should not be asked to serve as the curriculum. Local cur riculum choice can have more of an impact on learning than textbooks can possibly provide.
The Engineering of Restructuring: What Do We Do And How Do We Do It?
Authors: Chesley Gary
Published: March 2007

The practitioner who seeks to be a change agent must formulate a plan that makes sense to a wide range of constituents. Here is a model for principals.
Student Failure Rate: A Different Perspective on the Problem
Authors: Rieck William A.
Published: March 2007

It is inappropriate to judge teachers' student failure rates without making
We Can Help Today's Students Become Tomorrow's Global Citizens
Authors: Chopra Raj K.
Published: March 2007

Too often, U.S. students are at a dis advantage when language fluency and cultural understanding are need ed to compete in the world arena. Intensive instruction in foreign lan guages and culture can help to meet this challenge.
Are "Improper Benefits" Really Improper? A Study of College Athletes' Views Concerning Amateurism
Authors: Sack Allen L.
Published: March 2007

This study was an attempt to assess the degree to which college athletes support various facets of the NCAA's amateur code. Data gathered from 644 male and female basketball players indicate that many athletes, especially males from lower class backgrounds, see nothing wrong with violating NCAA rules regarding the financial compensation of athletes. Black athletes were far more likely than others to think they deserve the same benefits as other workers, such as workmen's compensation, the right to form unions, and the right to a share of TV revenue. Division I athletes in general, and blacks in particular, were far less likely than others to report that they compete for the sheer fun of it. The higher the Division, the more instrumental and extrinsic were the motives for sport participation. Female athletes were far less likely than males to approve of accepting improper financial benefits for such things as travel and living expenses.
Performance Characteristics of White, Black, and Hispanic Major League Baseball Players: 1955-1984
Authors: Leonard Wilbert M. , Pine Jon , Rice Connie
Published: March 2007

This study provides a general description of the social characteristics of the 1955, 1965, 1975, and 1984 rosters along with an analysis of the performance differentials of the three major racial/ethnic categories--white, black, and Hispanic-participating in major league baseball. Comparisons, contrasts, and syntheses with previously collected and analyzed data are made. Special attention is focused upon Hispanics since they have been relatively neglected in the sociology of sport literature. The findings reveal that black (particularly) and Hispanic performances are superior to whites and support the marginality hypothesis.
An Analysis of Major League Baseball Attendance, 1969 - 1987
Authors: Baade Robert A. , Tiehen Laura J.
Published: March 2007

A myriad of issues relating to professional sports require knowledge about the determinants of attendance. As sports expand as a cultural phenomenon, legal battles over franchises, player compensation and rights, and public subsidies for sports stadiums will intensify. While attendance at sporting events plays a crucial role in deciding sports controversies such as these, there is a paucity of theory explaining attendance at professional sporting events. Even though baseball is considered the national pastime, relatively little is known about the determinants of baseball attendance. This paper is an attempt to fill that gap through building on the baseball attendance research of Roger Noll.
Cultural Performance and Sport Mrscots
Authors: Slowikowski Synthia Syndnor
Published: March 2007

Various arguments against Native American mascots have used assumptions based on similar critiques such as those connected to discourse about colonialism, racism and white hegemony (e.g., Hewitt, 1991; Schultz, 1991; Monaghan, 1992). While these criticisms are very justified, in this essay, the cultural roots, symbolism and performance of sport mascots will be considered as they have been articulated to the symbolic production of cultural narratives such as "good luck"; "authenticity"; and "nostalgia." First, classicist David Sansone's (1988) ideas concerning the origin of sport will be discussed as they may be connected to present-day sport mascot rituals. The essay then uses the symbolic anthropological construct of "cultural performance" to explore the ideologies of sport mascots in today's culture.
Evaluation and Politics
Authors: Hendrickson Leslie , Barber Larry
Published: March 2007

Nationwide community school programs have been started in 1400 school districts to in crease use of school facilities and to improve classroom instruction. Rigorous evaluations of these programs have not typically taken place. This evaluation of a ten-site school program briefly describes the history of community schools, the local program's goals, and the method used to study each goal. Approximately 1100 interviews were conducted with school staff and city residents. Included also, are a structural equation model of the data and a discussion of the politics of the evaluation.
Financing Alternatives in Low-Income Energy Assistance
Authors: Kerns Karol
Published: March 2007

State financing approaches to low-income energy assistance illustrate important program trade-offs in terms of goals and efficiency. This evaluation studied the trade-offs associated with Michigan's new experimental program, the Voluntary Heating Fuel Budget Plan (VHF). It was concluded that VHF was an effective design for a particular segment of the population. Prior to enrollment. VHF participants tended to have higher fuel consumption and more bill payment problems than nonparticipants. After enroll ment, the participants did not change their heating fuel consumption. A cost-avoidance analysis indicated that by including VHF as a second program option, Michigan reduced the cost of providing energy assistance over what would have been expected under its previous monolithic approach.
Linking Data With Action
Authors: Roberts-Gray Cynthia , Buller Ann , Sparkman Alexa
Published: March 2007

When procedures for development recommendations are integrated into evaluation methodology, it is easier to produce usable recommendations for program improvement. By thinking at the beginning of the evaluation about what may be recommended given different sets of results, the evaluator can develop simple models linking data with action alternatives. Such models help clarify expectations for the evaluation and then serve as blueprints for producing usable data and recommendations.
International Agreements and Cooperation in Environmental Conservation and Resource Management
Authors: Thacher Peter S.
Published: March 2007

Climate change issues differ from the ozone layer precedents in important ways, including a greater degree of human reliance on fossil fuel energy, longer lead times, and demographic projections. Even if industrial countries significantly improve energy practices and reduce the rate of CO2 accumulation, energy dcmands in the developing world by the middle of the next century will resume atmospheric heating at threatening rates. New approaches are needed, and new ideas are on the table. There are proposals to provide the resources needed to encourage future energy strategies more in keeping with greenhouse-gas constraints. The recent Hague Declaration suggests that at least one major power might be willing to divest itself of the veto power for the sake of effective decisions to halt global warming. A major group of actors that have not yet been involaed in this issue are the multilateral and bilateral development institutions whose combined $40B annual budgets assume strategic importance in a world of indebtedness.
Teaching gamelan in Australia: Some perspectives on cross-cultural music education
Authors: Goldsworthy David
Published: March 2007

Indonesian percussion orchestras (gamelan) have found a place in several Australian education institutions. Their presence and usage confronts music educators and students alike with a whole range of cross-cultural issues – social, ethical, pedagogical, and musical. Javanese gamelan is an ideal medium for introducing students to broader aspects of Indonesian society as well as to the musical principles and procedures of another culture. The educative value of gamelan studies also extends to musical insights and skills of a more general application in a student's music education. This paper examines some approaches to teaching gamelan in Australia, and discusses problems faced by students of this tradition in a cross-cultural situation.
‘Against all (well, many!) odds’. The implementation of dynamic-interactive guided study modules for music education courses at colleges of education
Authors: Dachs Nell
Published: March 2007

The Music Department at a College of Education in Kwa-Zulu Natal has experimented over approximately the past five years with possible solutions to the demand for modularisation. A modular system based on an independent personal interpretation of our new National Qualifications Framework (NQF) requirements has been designed which is allowing the recommendations of the NQF to ‘happen’. It seeks to empower students to be valued for their own talents and interests and to reach their own potential at their own pace and in their own way. Simultaneously, the modules seek to promote holistic music education, although many modules are essentially reductionist. The modules are also designed according to the broad cross-curricular outcomes which underpin the Constitution and which have been adopted by SAQA (the South African Qualifications Authority). Specific outcomes established for the Arts and Culture Learning Area have also been taken into consideration in the overall design of the modules. Greater inclusivity is stressed as opposed to any form of elitism.

In presenting considerations and advantages of modularisation and providing the steps followed in implementing such a system at a South African College of Education the paper seeks to encourage tertiary lecturers facing similar odds to reconsider the relevance and appropriateness of modularisation.
Ubuntu: A metaphor for the origins, role and development of the International Society for Music Education
Authors: Mccarthy Marie
Published: March 2007

The story of international cooperation in music education prior to the foundation of ISME has been documented by the author in two articles published in the IJME (McCarthy, 1993, 1995). Motivation to establish international networks of cooperation was stimulated and heightened by the occurrence and aftermath events of two world wars in the first half of this century. The raison d'etre for ISME, founded in 1953, was grounded in the goals and ideals of Ubuntu – harmony among peoples, cooperation, empowerment, sharing of ideas and resources, and fraternity.

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the appropriateness of the metaphor Ubuntu for an organization that originated in and developed around the ideals of this African term. While the ideals of Ubuntu have been alive in ISME from its beginning, the manifestation of those ideals may need to be revisited to reflect an even more humane and democratic approach to music education in a global context.
Towards a Social-Psychological Model of Bilingual Development
Authors: Hamers Josiane F. , Blanc Michel
Published: March 2007

In the present paper a social psychological model for the development of bilinguality in the young child is proposed, covering all typical cases of bilingual development. Central to the proposed model of bilingual development are the valorisation mechanisms which the child develops through her/his own system of social networks during early childhood as well as the social psychological mechanisms which develop consequently in the child.

Taking as a starting point a general theoretical approach to language development, the model attempts to take into account the empirical evidence of the social, social psychological, linguistic and cognitive aspects of bilingual development. In the second part of the paper different outcomes of early bilingual development are discussed in the light of the model and an attempt is made to define the conditions that are necessary in order for the child to develop a harmonious type of bilinguality as well as those that might lead to an impairment of the cognitive development of the bilingual child.
The Language of Lovers, Flovers, and Friends: Communicating in Social and Personal Relationships
Authors: Bradac James J.
Published: March 2007

In this paper language and social relationships are viewed as theoretical entities with mutual entailments. Several types of relationships are conceptualised and the various levels of language are related to these. Language is discussed as an independent variable which affects interpersonal bonding and as a dependent variable which is affected by relational processes. Several issues are raised, includ ing : Can persons talk about relationships with precision? Is language a funda mental constituent of most relationships? And, does communication play a primary role in relationship formation, maintenance, and decay? A general model is offered and theoretical implications are discussed.
Motor Projects
Authors: Barrows Randel , Wahl Richard
Published: March 2007

The establishment of motor projects for 'autocrime' offenders may offer opportunities for effective work. In the past, the young person's obsession with cars and bikes, often central to the commission of TDA and other offences, has not been relevantly and constructively used. The authors discuss the background to motor projects, and describe in detail the one in which they have been involved.
Acquisition of Scientific Literature in Developing Countries
Authors: Abu Bakr Siddique
Published: March 2007

The first of a series of articles on the acquisition of scientific literature by libraries in developing countries. Summarizes the development of science and technology and scientific and technological libraries and documentation centres in Bangladesh and describes the problems of acquiring scientific literature through purchase, gift and exchange, including lack of foreign exchange and postal delays. Cooperative acquisitions programmes and the use of international sources of document supply are considered. Proposals for future action are made.
Acquisition of Scientific Literature in Developing Countries
Authors: Taib Rosna
Published: March 2007

The second of a series of articles on the acquisition of scientific literature by libraries in developing countries. Deals mainly with higher education libraries. Summarizes the Malaysian background and the relationship between scientific research and libraries in Malaysia. Describes government policies with regard to contract purchasing, copyright and the national language and their effects on library acquisitions. Discusses acquisitions policy, the selection process, the acquisition of journals, audio-visual materials, maps and related materials, conference papers and theses, the role of gifts and exchanges in acquisitions work and problems of customs clearance and censorship. Progress in cooperative acquisitions and the automation of acquisitions work are also described. Presents proposals for further action.
The role of the information professional in development
Authors: Oswitch Pauline A.
Published: March 2007

The third in a series of articles on the activities of the Information Sciences Division (ISD) of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). Presents a brief literature review of the evolving role of the information specialist; discusses IDRC's support of projects which contain implicit and explicit functions for the information professionals involved in identifying information needs and in processing, retrieving, repackaging and disseminating the acquired information to targeted audiences for development purposes. This provides many opportunities and, with always limited resources, many challenges. Describes specific roles involved in establishing networks, operating non-bibliographic information systems, designing subject- specific projects, implementing national and regional infrastructures for information systems, and introducing automation of information services. Examples are provided from countries and projects. IDRC's Library is also described briefly. Concludes that the information specialist's role can best be understood as 'facilitator and communicator'—but the choice is wide open.
Microfiche production in Papua New Guinea
Authors: Horder Alan
Published: March 2007

Provides a brief description of microfiche production methods and describes the setting-up of two small microfiche production units in Papua New Guinea, with particular reference to the applications concerned and the production methods employed.
Access to development literature in Botswana
Authors: Aina L.O.
Published: March 2007

DEVINDEX Botswana, an index to literature on economic and social development in Botswana, which is the product of the information system for development literature in Botswana (DEVSIS Botswana), was analyzed from 1987-89 with a view to identifying the producers of development literature in Botswana, as well as establishing the various types of formats of the publications listed in the index. The study revealed that government agencies are the major producers of development literature. Other producers identified are the University of Botswana, non-governmental organizations, international organizations and the private sector. Development literature in Botswana appears in different formats, but primarily in the form of technical reports. Recommendations for improving the collection of socio-economic literature are made.
The effect of metergoline on endocrine responses to L-tryptophan
Authors: McCance S.L. , Cowen P.J. , Waller H. , Grahame-Smith D.G.
Published: March 2007

The effects of the 5-HT receptor antagonist, metergoline, on the prolactin and growth hormone responses to intravenous L-tryptophan were assessed in seven normal subjects. Pretreatment with metergoline lowered baseline prolactin concentration and abol ished the increase in prolactin following L-tryptophan. In contrast, neither baseline nor the response to L-tryptophan was altered by metergoline. These results are consistent with the proposal that the prolactin response to L-tryptophan is mediated by 5-HT1 receptors; however, metergoline might also reduce prolactin responses by a dopaminergic action. The nature of the 5-HT receptor involved in the growth hormone response to L-tryptophan remains to be identified.
Effect of chlorimipramine and maprotiline on experimental anxiety in humans
Authors: Guimarães F.S. , Zuardi A.W. , Graeff F.G.
Published: March 2007

In order to assess the role played by serotonin (5-HT) and noradrenaline in anxiety, four groups of healthy volunteers were given 25 mg of the selective inhibitor of 5-HT uptake chlorimipramine, 50 mg of the selective inhibitor of noradrenaline uptake maprotiline, 1 mg of the benzodiazepine anxiolytic lorazepam or placebo, and submitted to a simulated public speaking (SPS) test, consisting of speaking in front of a videocamera. Subjective anxiety was evaluated by the visual analog mood scale (VAMS) of Norris as well as by the state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI) of Spielberger. Chlorimipramine enhanced SPS-induced anxiety, whereas maprotiline and lorazepam reduced anxiety during as well as outside the test period. Mental and physical sedation (VAMS) were increased by either maprotiline or lorazepam. In a scale of bodily symptoms, chlorimipramine tended to increase muscle tension, agitation and palpitation, whereas maprotiline caused lethargy. The rise in blood pressure induced by the SPS procedure outlasted the period of stress in the group treated with chlorimipramine. In contrast, the SPS-induced increase in heart rate was enhanced by lorazepam. Chlor imipramine and maprotiline reduced salivation to the same extent. Pupillary diameter, however, was significantly increased by chlorimipramine alone. It may be tentatively sug gested that the proanxiogenic effect of chlorimipramine is related to changes in central 5-HT neurotransmission while the anxiolytic effect of maprotiline is associated with alteration of noradrenergic mechanisms. Increased peripheral sympathetic tone may also contribute to the proanxiety action of chlorimipramine.
Acetylcholinesterase activity in regions of rat brain following repeated administration of electroconvulsive shock
Authors: Appleyard Margaret E. , Green A.R.
Published: March 2007

It has previously been shown that 30 min after administration of a single elec troconvulsive shock (ECS) to rats there is a marked decrease in both soluble and total acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in the midbrain and hippocampus. In the current study it has been shown that AChE activity is unchanged in these regions (apart from a small rise in soluble AChE in the hippocampus) 30 min after the final ECS of a series of 10 (once daily for 10 days). Twenty-four hours after the last ECS there was a significant increase in total and membrane bound AChE activity in the striatum but not hippocampus, midbrain, cortex and amygdala. This change in the striatum may be associated with the change in GABA synthesis which has been shown to also occur in this region at the same time.
The emerging pharmacology of ethanol
Authors: Bloom Floyd E.
Published: March 2007

Historically, alcohol (ethanol) has been viewed as a non-specific CNS depressant, presumed to act equally on all bioelectric membranes. In contrast to this view, cellular electrophysiological studies, supported by anatomic and neurochemical evidence, support the emergence of a more specific pharmacological profile. Four regions of the rodent brain (cerebellum, hippocampus, locus coeruleus and inferior olive) have so far been examined. The effects of acute parenteral ethanol on specific identifiable neurons within these four regions are highly consistent, dose-related, and spontaneously reversible. Nevertheless, different patterns of effects are seen in each responsive region, ranging from general increased firing in inferior olive to generally depressed synaptic transmission in hippocampus, and with more subtle effects within the cerebellum and within the locus ceruleus. This survey of consistent but differing patterns of responsiveness to ethanol at specific time points after acute exposure, suggests that the global effects of ethanol on movement, on arousal and on emotions and memory must be composed of several distinct effects both within and across many cellular systems.
Antagonizing the behavioural effects of drugs: a discussion with specific reference to benzodiazepines and alcohol
Authors: Lister Richard G.
Published: March 2007

It can be extremely difficult to interpret the results of experiments in which a treatment is found to antagonize the behavioural effects of a drug. This article discusses strategies that can be used to help identify the nature of the antagonism and examines what such experiments tell us about the mechanisms underlying the drug's behavioural effects. Examples are taken from research with both benzodiazepines and ethanol. It is suggested that behavioural studies using different strategies to reduce the effects of a drug will further enhance our understanding of the mechanisms mediating the drug's effects. Such studies will include comparisons between the effects of chronic drug exposure (tolerance studies), genetic manipulations, and pharmacological treatments.
Anticonflict effects of the 5-HT1A compound flesinoxan
Authors: Barrett J.E. , Gleeson S. , Nader M.A. , Hoffmann S.M.
Published: March 2007

The new phenylpiperazine derivative flesinoxan, a potent and selective serotonin1A (5-HT1A) agonist, was examined under a procedure that has proved to be a reliable and sensitive method for detecting novel anxiolytic drugs believed to produce their effects at the 5-HT 1A receptor subtype. Key pecking by pigeons was maintained by the presentation of food following every 30th response in the presence of a white keylight; during an alternate component, correlated with a red keylight, every 30th response produced food and electric shock which suppressed responding (punishment). Flesinoxan doses from 0.001 to 0.3 mg/ kg, intramuscularly, produced significant increases in punished responding at doses that did not affect unpunished responding. Doses of flesinoxan between 1.0 and 3.0 mg/kg also increased punished responding but produced decreases in responding that was not punished. In a second study flesinoxan substituted for the 5-HT1A anxiolytic buspirone under a drug discrimination procedure, providing further evidence that the behavioural effects offlesinoxan are mediated by 5-HT1A mechanisms. Based on these findings, it would appear that flesinoxan should be a useful compound in the clinical management of anxiety.
Failure of clonidine treatment in benzodiazepine withdrawal
Authors: Joyce E.M. , Moodley P. , Keshavan M.S. , Lader M.H.
Published: March 2007

Six subjects, dependent on benzodiazepines for at least 2 years, were gradually withdrawn, using placebo substitution, while taking clonidine. After withdrawal was complete, subjects were switched to clonidine-placebo. Despite administration of clonidine at doses sufficient to produce a fall in blood pressure, an abstinence syndrome was seen in five of the subjects. In none of these cases was the withdrawal syndrome exacerbated by changing from clonidine to clonidine-placebo. Scores of depression, subjective anxiety, observed anxiety and somatic symptoms did not change throughout the study.
Caffeine withdrawal: a contrast of withdrawal symptoms in normal subjects who have abstained from caffeine for 24 hours and for 7 days
Authors: Bruce M. , Scott N. , Shine P. , Lader M.
Published: March 2007

Two groups of normal subjects were withdrawn from caffeine for either 24 h (n = 9) or 7 days (n = 12). Following a pre-drug test sequence, subjects were given either 250 mg or 500 mg of anhydrous caffeine or a placebo. Tests were repeated 1, 3 and 5 h later. Tiredness, as measured by a visual analogue scale, was the most sensitive indicator of caffeine withdrawal. Headache was only apparent for subjects off caffeine for 24 h and given placebo, confirming this as a specific withdrawal effect, coming on 24-30 h after stopping caffeine. Alertness was increased by caffeine only in the group abstinent for 24 h. After longer term abstention, caffeine had no effects, confirming that drowsiness and lethargy are transient caffeine withdrawal symptoms.
Acute and chronic idazoxan in normal volunteers: biochemical, physiological and psychological effects
Authors: Glue Paul , Wilson Sue , Lawson Chris , Campling Gillian M. , Franklin Mike , Cowen Philip J. , Nutt David J.
Published: March 2007

The acute and chronic effects of the selective a2-antagonist idazoxan were studied in 12 normal volunteers. Plasma 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylethylene glycol (MHPG), blood pressure and psychological responses to oral challenge doses of idazoxan 40 mg were measured twice, on the first and 22nd day of treatment with idazoxan 40 mg t.d.s. Changes in nocturnal melatonin output were studied on six occasions, before, during and after idazoxan treatment. Although baseline MHPG levels were significantly reduced after chronic treatment with idazoxan, idazoxan challenge did not alter MHPG concentrations on either test day. A small rise in systolic blood pressure occurred after acute but not chronic idazoxan challenge tests. Systolic blood pressure values were significantly lower during the chronic compared with the acute test. Diastolic blood pressure and heart rate were not affected by acute or chronic treatment. Subjects reported increases in self- ratings of arousal and reductions in sedation and anxiety of similar magnitude after acute and chronic idazoxan. Nocturnal plasma melatonin secretion was not altered by drug administration or withdrawal, although urinary 6-sulphatoxymelatonin excretion was significantly reduced on acute withdrawal. The increase in systolic blood pressure and arousal self-ratings after acute idazoxan are in accordance with the reported effects of other a2-antagonists, although we did not find increased anxiety or elevated plasma MHPG levels. Chronic idazoxan appears to reduce or normalize activity of noradrenergic systems, indicated by reduced baseline systolic blood pressure and MHPG, and loss of the pressor response to idazoxan. Withdrawal of idazoxan leads to an abrupt fall in noradrenergic activity, as demonstrated by the fall in urinary 6-sulphatoxymelatonin.
Clomipramine, a better reference drug for panic/agoraphobia. II. Psychomotor and cognitive effects
Authors: Marcourakis T. , Gorenstein C. , Gentil V.
Published: March 2007

The present reference drugs for the treatment of panic disorder and agoraphobia are imipramine and alprazolam. The latter decreases performance and cognitive functioning. No study of such functions in panic/agoraphobia is available. Fifty four out-patients meeting DSM-III-R criteria for panic disorder with or without agoraphobia (PAG), taking part in a parallel groups controlled trial of imipramine (mean dose ±SEM 114±9 mg), clomipramine (50±4 mg) and propanteline (active placebo) over 8 weeks, were studied. A test battery of psychomotor and memory tests was administered at baseline, and after 1, 4 and 8 weeks of treatment. Their results were compared (at baseline and at the end of the trial) with those of a control group of 57 normal untreated subjects. There was no difference between treatments, and no drug effect on any test at any time. No consistent difference between patients and controls was detected. Given its apparently higher potency, and the absence of deleterious effects on cognitive measures known to be affected by benzodiazepines, we conclude that clomipramine is better than imipramine or alprazolam as a reference drug for panic/agoraphobia.
A double-blind controlled comparison of fluoxetine and lofepramine in major depressive illness
Authors: Robertson M.M. , Abou-Saleh M.T. , Harrison D.A. , Nairac B.L. , Edwards D.R.L. , Lock T. , Burns R.A. , Katona C.L.E.
Published: March 2007

One hundred and eighty three patients with DSM-III-R major depressive illness were allocated randomly to treatment with one of two new generation antidepressants, fluoxetine and lofepramine. Both patient groups had significantly lower mean scores on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) 6 weeks after entry to the trial (p < 0.001), but there were no differences between the groups, either at baseline or after 6 weeks, in total HRDS score or in subscores for anxiety or suicidality. Anticholinergic side effects were commoner with lofepramine; adverse effects were on the whole mild and few patients dropped out because of them. This study does not support previous claims of specific adverse effects of fluoxetine on anxiety and suicidality.
A critical review of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor-related sexual dysfunction; incidence, possible aetiology and implications for management
Authors: Lane R.M.
Published: March 2007

There is a high incidence of sexual dysfunction in the general population and sexual dysfunction is often an integral symptom of a depressive disorder. In addition, all antidepressants have effects on sexual functioning, as the result of side-effects of these medications and as a reflection of therapeutic success. The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are clearly associated with delayed ejaculation, inability to ejaculate and absent or delayed orgasm. Furthermore, the incidence of sexual dysfunction obtained by patient self- report does not appear to reflect the true incidence of sexual dysfunction associated with antidepressant therapy and systematic inquiry is needed as sexual dysfunction may be an unrecognized cause of non- compliance. The SSRIs may have advantageous effects on sexual functioning and these may also be under- reported due to the same factors resulting in an under-reporting of sexual side-effects in general. In addition, studies have suggested a role for the SSRIs in the management of premature ejaculation. The effects of SSRIs on sexual functioning are clearly dose-related and may vary amongst the group due to their relative effects on the serotonin and dopamine systems and the extent to which plasma levels of these drugs accumulate in the body over time. A variety of strategies have been found useful in the management of SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction including waiting for tolerance to develop, dosage reduction, drug holidays, switching to a different antidepressant and various augmentation strategies with 5-HT 2, α2 adrenergic receptor antagonists and dopamine receptor agonists.
Influence of anxiolytic drugs on the effects of specific serotonin reuptake inhibitors in the forced swimming test in mice
Authors: Da-Rocha Mario A. , Puech Alain J. , Thiébot Marie-Helene
Published: March 2007

This study aimed at investigating the effect of several selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), given alone or in combination with anxiolytic drugs, on the time spent immobile in the forced swimming test in mice. The time spent immobile was dose-dependently reduced by acute administration of fluoxetine (4-64 mg/ kg, i.p.), paroxetine (1-32 mg/kg, s.c.) or sertraline (4-32 mg/kg, s.c.), indalpine was active at only one dose (16 mg/kg, i.p.), fluvoxamine (up to 16 mg/kg, i.p.) and citalopram (up to 4 mg/kg, i.p.) were inactive. The anti- immobility effect of fluoxetine (32 mg/kg) was antagonized by an acute co-administration of all anxiolytics tested, the GABAA/BZD receptor agonists, diazepam (2 mg/kg, i.p.), chlordiazepoxide (8 mg/kg, i.p.), lorazepam (0.125 mg/kg, i.p.), triazolam (0.06 mg/kg, i.p.) and alpidem (8 mg/kg, i.p.) and the 5-HT1A receptor partial agonist, buspirone (0.5 mg/kg, s.c.). The sedative neuroleptic, thioridazine (4 mg/kg, i.p.), was also found to counteract the effect of fluoxetine. Lorazepam, triazolam and buspirone also reversed the anti-immobility effect of paroxetine and sertraline, while diazepam and chlordiazepoxide did not. Alpidem reduced the effect of sertraline but not paroxetine, whereas the reverse was found with thioridazine. These data indicate that the influence of anxiolytics on the action of SSRI antidepressants is variable, depending on both the SSRI and the anxiolytic considered. The co-administration of the GABAA/BZD receptor antagonist, flumazenil (16 mg/kg, i.p.), with behaviourally inactive doses of fluoxetine, fluvoxamine and citalopram, resulted in a reduction of immobility The 5-HT1A receptor antagonist, (+)-WAY 100135 (8 mg/kg, s.c.), combined with a subactive dose of fluoxetine, but not with fluvoxamine, significantly reduced the time spent immobile. The 5-HT2A receptor antagonist, ketanserin (32 mg/kg, s.c.), which reduced immobility when given alone, did not interfere with fluoxetine given at a subactive dose. Although non-specific sedative and/or motor effects cannot be totally ruled out, these results suggest that pharmacodynamic interactions exist between various anxiolytics and SSRIs. These interactions probably involve both serotonergic and GABAergic processes.