bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rural-Urban Differences in Environmental Concern, Attitudes, and Actions
Authors: Berenguer Jaime , Corraliza José A. , Martín Rocío
Published: March 2005

Abstract. Pro-environmental orientation constitutes one of the basic referents of modern culture. However, this pro-environmental orientation of a general nature does not permit us to predict pro-environmental behaviors. In order to explain this incongruence, it is necessary to take into account the sociostructural factors and socialization experiences through which people form their environmental values, attitudes, and behaviors. In this study we compare the values, attitudes, and behaviors of a rural sample and an urban sample, measured by means of three scales: the New Ecological Paradigm Scale, a moral obligation scale specifically designed for this study, and a scale of pro-environmental behavioral intentions. The results indicate high levels of environmental concern and low levels of pro-environmental behavior in both samples. On comparing the two samples it was found that those living in cities assume a larger number of environmental responsibility values but show less pro-environmental orientation when the attitude and behavioral intention scales are used. People living in the rural context present more attitudes of environmental responsibility and greater consistency on expressing behavioral intentions compatible with the protection of the environment.
Psychometric Properties of the Self-Concept Questionnaire
Authors: Ghaderi Ata
Published: March 2005

Abstract. The aim of the present study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Swedish version of the Self-Concept Questionnaire (SCQ). Data from three samples were used: (1) a representative sample of women (18-30 years) from the general population of Sweden (n = 826), (2) a student sample (n = 124), and (3) a clinical sample (n = 43) comprising patients with eating disorders. Principal component analysis (PCA) resulted in a five-factor solution that accounted for 46% of the variance. The students responded to the SCQ twice within 3 weeks and the SCQ showed high test-retest reliability with no significant differences in the mean total scores between the first and second set of responses. In all the samples, the SCQ showed very high internal consistency, ranging from .94 to .97. The SCQ showed high validity as it correlated highly with Rosenberg scale of self-esteem in the patient group, and the Ineffectiveness subscale of the Eating Disorders Inventory in the student sample. Furthermore, the SCQ showed high discriminant validity by differentiating clinical from non-clinical subjects. In summary, the Swedish version of SCQ has been shown to possess good concurrent and discriminant validity as well as high reliability. Given its multidimensionality and encouraging preliminary psychometric properties, the SCQ can be a valuable instrument in assessing self-esteem in clinical settings as well as in the studies of the general population.
The Schema Questionnaire - Short Form
Authors: Calvete Esther , Estévez Ana , López de Arroyabe Elena , Ruiz Pilar
Published: March 2005

Abstract. This research studied the factor structure of the Spanish version of the Schema Questionnaire - Short Form (SQ-SF; Young & Brown, 1994 ). The participants (407 undergraduate students) completed the SQ-SF together with the following scales to measure symptoms of affective disorders and automatic thoughts: the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T), the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI-2), the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire-Revised (ATQ-R), the Anxious Self-Statements Questionnaire (ASSQ), and the Self-Talk Inventory (STI). The confirmatory factor analyses supported the hypothesized structure of 15 first-order factors for the SQ-SF. However, the results were mixed with regard to the hierarchical arrangement of schemas. On the other hand, the results revealed several clinically relevant associations among cognitive schemas, symptoms of affective disorders (depression, anxiety, and anger) and automatic thoughts (positive thoughts, depressive thoughts, anxious thoughts, and angry thoughts).
Racecadotril demonstrates intestinal antisecretory activity in vivo
Authors: Primi M.P. , Bueno L. , Baumer P. , Berard H. , Lecomte J.M.
Published: March 2005

Background Racecadotril (acetorphan), a potent enkephalinase inhibitor, protects endogenous enkephalins from degradation. Racecadotril exhibits experimental and clinical antidiarrhoeal activity without any effect on intestinal motility, suggesting selective antisecretory activity. The antisecretory effect of racecadotril was directly assessed in the present study.

Methods A 1 m, jejunal, Thiry–Vella loop was created in six mongrel dogs, and water and ionic fluxes were evaluated during infusion (2 mL/min) of Tyrode solution labelled with 14C‐polyethylene glycol. Fluxes were determined both in the basal state and 5–6 h after commencement of a 2‐h infusion of cholera toxin (0.4 μg/mL). Racecadotril (10 mg/kg) or vehicle was given orally with and without prior intravenous administration of naloxone (0.1 mg/kg) or phentolamine (0.2 mg/kg).

Results Basal absorption remained unchanged following racecadotril administration; however, racecadotril significantly decreased (P = 0.01) cholera toxin‐induced water, sodium, and potassium hypersecretion, from 0.73 ± 0.15 to 0.37 ± 0.13 mL/min; from 125.0 ± 16.1 to 14.7 ± 9.5 μMol/min; and from 3.41 ± 0.66 to 1.66 ± 0.61 μMol/min, respectively. This antisecretory activity of racecadotril was suppressed by naloxone but not by phentolamine.

Conclusions This study directly demonstrates the antisecretory activity of racecadotril in relation to the protection of endogenous enkephalins.
Haemoglobin function in aquatic animals: molecular adaptations to environmental challenge
Authors: Wells Rufus M. G.
Published: March 2005

The adaptive nature of haemoglobin function in a diverse range of aquatic
ectothermic vertebrates is demonstrated by its intrinsic oxygen-binding
properties and by erythrocyte cofactor modulation of Hb function. The
selective advantage of heterogeneous isohaemoglobins and polymorphic
expression of functionally distinct components is considered in relation to
environmental oxygen tensions and temperature. The difficulty of comparing
physiological adaptations in divergent species is emphasized. Recent
population studies suggest that relatively minor differences in environmental
conditions, particularly temperature, direct the expression of functionally
heterogeneous haemoglobins, although the thresholds for expression have not
been established. Regulatory mechanisms underpinning the molecular mechanisms
for hypoxic induction of Hb in aquatic vertebrates are not well understood.
Unravelling the sources and bioavailability of dissolved organic matter in lotic aquatic ecosystems
Authors: Findlay Stuart , Sinsabaugh Robert L.
Published: March 2005

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) constitutes a large proportion of the organic
carbon in all aquatic ecosystems and is often a significant carbon resource
for heterotrophic microorganisms. Diverse sources, compositional complexity
and multiple transformation pathways have made it difficult to generalize
about the bioavailability of this material. Recently, there has been dramatic
progress in identifying sources of DOM, describing its composition and tracing
its movement through microbial food webs. A number of conceptual, mechanistic
and empirical approaches have been proposed to synthesize this rapidly
expanding body of knowledge. This paper reviews these approaches, and some
general hypotheses for focusing future research are proposed. As a first step
in synthesizing the available information, predictions are made about how
variability in sources, hydrology and biotic removal interact to generate
temporal and spatial patterns in DOM from a stream’s headwaters to a
large river.
Biogeochemistry of trace metals in the ocean
Authors: Hunter Keith A. , Boyd Philip
Published: March 2005

A variety of metallic elements, particularly Fe and Zn, are considered
essential for biological processes in a variety of natural ecosystems, but are
generally present only in trace amounts. Although their essential nature in
terrestrial ecosystems has been known for many decades, it is only in recent
years that scientific methodology has improved to the point that the
biogeochemical behaviour of trace metals can be adequately studied in aquatic
ecosystems such as the ocean. This paper reviews some of the recent scientific
progress and demonstrates how conventional thinking about the biogeochemical
role of trace metals in the ocean has been advanced by the findings of this
research. In particular, it is now clear that the availability of several
trace elements is a factor that controls phytoplankton growth in the ocean.
Climate change, coral bleaching and the future of the world's coral reefs
Authors: Hoegh-Guldberg Ove
Published: March 2005

Sea temperatures in many tropical regions have increased by almost 1°C
over the past 100 years, and are currently increasing at ~1–2°C
per century. Coral bleaching occurs when the thermal tolerance of corals and
their photosynthetic symbionts (zooxanthellae) is exceeded. Mass coral
bleaching has occurred in association with episodes of elevated sea
temperatures over the past 20 years and involves the loss of the zooxanthellae
following chronic photoinhibition. Mass bleaching has resulted in significant
losses of live coral in many parts of the world. This paper considers the
biochemical, physiological and ecological perspectives of coral bleaching. It
also uses the outputs of four runs from three models of global climate change
which simulate changes in sea temperature and hence how the frequency and
intensity of bleaching events will change over the next 100 years. The results
suggest that the thermal tolerances of reef-building corals are likely to be
exceeded every year within the next few decades. Events as severe as the 1998
event, the worst on record, are likely to become commonplace within 20 years.
Most information suggests that the capacity for acclimation by corals has
already been exceeded, and that adaptation will be too slow to avert a decline
in the quality of the world’s reefs. The rapidity of the changes that
are predicted indicates a major problem for tropical marine ecosystems and
suggests that unrestrained warming cannot occur without the loss and
degradation of coral reefs on a global scale.
Is buoyancy regulation in cyanobacteria an adaptation to exploit separation of light and nutrients?
Authors: Bormans M. , Sherman B. S. , Webster I. T.
Published: March 2005

Fogg and Walsby’s (1971) hypothesis that buoyancy regulation in
cyanobacteria might be an adaptation to exploit the separation of light and
nutrients has since become a paradigm. The evidence of its veracity is
examined within observations of algal abundance and chlorophyll distributions
in several Australian freshwater systems and is also reviewed from the
literature. It is clear from both laboratory experiments and field
measurements that filamentous genera such as Anabaena
and colony-forming genera such as Microcystis are
capable of changing their buoyancy within a diurnal cycle. However, evidence
for population migration to exploit separation of light and nutrient
availability is tenuous, with most field observations of the vertical
distribution of phytoplankton populations showing no evidence of vertical
migration to sufficient depth to reach nutrients in stratified systems.
Instead, changes in the vertical distribution of phytoplankton suggest a
response either to the dynamics of the surface mixed layer or to lateral
advection. In natural systems, algal buoyancy appears to be dependent much
more on light than on nutrients, this being consistent with the carbohydrate
ballast mechanism. Physical mechanisms can provide sufficient replenishment of
epilimnetic nutrients to explain the observed net growth rates of
phytoplankton populations in situ.
Direct disposal of liquified fossil fuel carbon dioxide in the ocean
Authors: Hunter Keith A.
Published: March 2005

Growing awareness of the impending effects on climate of increasing levels of
CO2 in the atmosphere has generated wide debate at an
international level that is directed towards a variety of
CO2 control strategies. Of these, direct disposal of
liquid CO2 into the deep ocean offers a number of
potential advantages: the oceanic reservoir is very large, and has the ability
to buffer chemical changes caused by CO2 addition. In
addition, time scales of mixing in the ocean are very long. This paper reviews
some of the scientific evidence associated with this emerging form of global
engineering, and discusses some of the important concepts in terms of the
global carbon cycle.
Integrons inXanthomonas: A source of species genome diversity
Authors: Gillings Michael R. , Holley Marita P. , Stokes H. W. , Holmes Andrew J.
Published: March 2005

Integrons are best known for assembling antibiotic resistance genes in clinical bacteria. They capture genes by using integrase-mediated site-specific recombination of mobile gene cassettes. Integrons also occur in the chromosomes of many bacteria, notably β- and γ-Proteobacteria. In a survey ofXanthomonas, integrons were found in all 32 strains representing 12 pathovars of two species. Their chromosomal location was downstream from the acid dehydratase gene,ilvD,suggesting that an integron was present at this site in the ancestral xanthomonad. There was considerable sequence and structural diversity among the extant integrons. The majority of integrase genes were predicted to be inactivated by frameshifts, stop codons, or large deletions, suggesting that the associated gene cassettes can no longer be mobilized. In support, groups of strains with the same deletions or stop codons/frameshifts in their integrase gene usually contained identical arrays of gene cassettes. In general, strains within individual pathovars had identical cassettes, and these exhibited no similarity to cassettes detected in other pathovars. The variety and characteristics of contemporary gene cassettes suggests that the ancestral integron had access to a diverse pool of these mobile elements, and that their genes originated outside theXanthomonasgenome. Subsequent inactivation of the integrase gene in particular lineages has largely fixed the gene cassette arrays in particular pathovars during their differentiation and specialization into ecological niches. The acquisition of diverse gene cassettes by different lineages withinXanthomonashas contributed to the species-genome diversity of the genus. The role of gene cassettes in survival on plant surfaces is currently unknown.
Role of Toll-like receptors 2 and 4 in the induction of cyclooxygenase-2 in vascular smooth muscle
Authors: Jimenez Rosario , Belcher Elizabeth , Sriskandan Shiranee , Lucas Ruth , McMaster Shaun , Vojnovic Ivana , Warner Timothy D. , Mitchell Jane A.
Published: March 2005

Bacteria stimulate macrophages as part of normal host defense. However, when this response is not limited, vascular smooth muscle may also be activated to express “vasoactive” genes (e.g., cyclooxygenase), leading to vascular collapse and septic shock. In macrophages, Toll-like receptors (TLRs) 4 and 2 transduce responses to Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, respectively. However, the role of these TLRs in sensing bacteria in vascular smooth muscle is unclear. To address this question, we have cultured vascular smooth muscle cells from mice deficient in TLR4 (TLR4
–/–
mice), mice deficient in TLR2 (TLR2
–/–
mice), or control mice. Cells cultured from control or TLR2
–/–
mice, but not from TLR4
–/–
mice, expressed cyclooxygenase-2 and released increasing levels of prostaglandin E
2
after stimulation with whole
Escherichia coli
bacteria; the combination of IL-1β plus TNF-α induced cyclooxygenase-2 in cells cultured from all three groups of animals. By contrast,
Staphylococcus aureus
affected cyclooxygenase-2 expression in two distinct ways. First,
S. aureus
induced a transient inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 expression, which was overcome with time, and increased protein expression was noted. The effects of
S. aureus
on cyclooxygenase-2 expression were TLR2- and not TLR4-dependent. Thus, we show that Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria induce cyclooxygenase-2 in vascular smooth muscle with differing temporal profiles but with appropriate TLR2-versus-TLR4 signaling. These data have important implications for our understanding of the innate immune response in vascular cells and how it may impact vascular disease.
Core 3 synthase is down-regulated in colon carcinoma and profoundly suppresses the metastatic potential of carcinoma cells
Authors: Iwai Toshie , Kudo Takashi , Kawamoto Risa , Kubota Tomomi , Togayachi Akira , Hiruma Toru , Okada Tomoko , Kawamoto Toru , Morozumi Kyoei , Narimatsu Hisashi
Published: March 2005

The core 3 structure of the
O
-glycan, GlcNAcβ1-3GalNAcα1-Ser/Thr, an important precursor in the biosynthesis of mucin-type glycoproteins, is synthesized by β1,3-
N
-acetylglucosaminyltransferase 6 (β3Gn-T6; core 3 synthase). We generated an anti-β3Gn-T6 mAb (G8-144 mAb) and performed immunohistochemical analyses. In normal stomach and colon, β3Gn-T6 was strongly expressed in the Golgi region of epithelia. In contrast, its expression was markedly down-regulated in gastric and colorectal carcinomas. Tissue specimens from a familial adenomatous polyposis patient showed a clear correlation between the down-regulation of β3Gn-T6 expression and the degree of dysplasia/neoplasia.
In vitro
, the level of β
3Gn-T6
transcript was increased according to the differentiation of Caco-2 cells. These results suggested that the expression of β3Gn-T6 is closely regulated during differentiation and dedifferentiation. β3Gn-T6 would be a useful marker for distinguishing between benign adenomas and premalignant lesions. HT1080 FP-10 cells stably transfected with the β
3Gn-T6
gene showed a decrease in the core 1 structure, Galβ1,3GalNAcα1-Ser/Thr, probably due to competition between the core 1 synthase and core 3 synthase. The migration activity of the transfectants was markedly lower than that of mock transfectants
in vitro
, and lung metastasis after i.v. injection of the transfectants into nude mice was significantly suppressed. These findings indicated that the core structures of
O
-glycans are profoundly involved in the metastatic capacity of cancer cells.
Functional- and abundance-based mechanisms explain diversity loss due to N fertilization
Authors: Suding Katharine N. , Collins Scott L. , Gough Laura , Clark Christopher , Cleland Elsa E. , Gross Katherine L. , Milchunas Daniel G. , Pennings Steven
Published: March 2005

Human activities have increased N availability dramatically in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Extensive research demonstrates that local plant species diversity generally declines in response to nutrient enrichment, yet the mechanisms for this decline remain unclear. Based on an analysis of >900 species responses from 34 N-fertilization experiments across nine terrestrial ecosystems in North America, we show that both trait-neutral and trait-based mechanisms operate simultaneously to influence diversity loss as production increases. Rare species were often lost because of soil fertilization, randomly with respect to traits. The risk of species loss due to fertilization ranged from >60% for the rarest species to 10% for the most abundant species. Perennials, species with N-fixing symbionts, and those of native origin also experienced increased risk of local extinction after fertilization, regardless of their initial abundance. Whereas abundance was consistently important across all systems, functional mechanisms were often system-dependent. As N availability continues to increase globally, management that focuses on locally susceptible functional groups and generally susceptible rare species will be essential to maintain biodiversity.
The state, conflict & evolving politics in the Niger Delta, Nigeria
Authors: Omeje Kenneth
Published: March 2005

The prime concern by the Nigerian state in the management of the oil conflicts in the Niger Delta has been to maximise oil revenues. What is probably most confounding about this strategy is the evolving tendency to twist and treat every conflict in the Niger Delta, including some episodic ‘epi-oil’ conflicts abetted or orchestrated by the state itself, as oil conflicts. In other words, there is a tendency on the part of the state to wittingly ‘oilify’ some apparently extra-oil conflicts. Compared to other regimes before it, the present civilian administration has probably contributed most to the fast-tracking of this evolving phenomenon. This article unravels and analyses the evolving politics of oilification of extra-oil conflicts in the Niger Delta, its underlying rationale and consequences. Oilification, as the study demonstrates, is yet another in the series of dangerous contradictions engendered by the Nigerian state. How this and other dangerous contradictions could possibly be solved is a research conundrum for the relevant cognoscenti of state-society relations and conflicts in Nigeria. But would the Nigerian state take on board any useful and promising solutions materialising from such studies? This is most unlikely in the present conjuncture given the prevailing configuration of interests in the state.
Timber Booms, State Busts: The political economy of Liberian timber
Authors: Johnston Patrick
Published: March 2005

This article places the political economy of Liberian timber in the context of the theory of state failure. It explores the relationship between private investment, state failure and war, highlighting how Charles Taylor exploited timber concessions to foreign firms as a proxy for effective state institutions in Liberia. It examines the reasons why foreign investment – particularly in Liberia's timber industry – prolonged the civil war and destroyed the country's formal economy. And it challenges the neo-liberal assumption that increased economic activity provides incentives for rulers to build stable institutions and to provide security to investors. Neo-liberal prescriptions coupled with a changing global economy produced no incentive for Charles Taylor, a faction leader from 1989 and Liberia's president from 1997 until exile in 2003, to attempt to develop state institutions or to prevent the collapse of the formal economy.
Terror in the Sahara: the implications of US imperialism for North & West Africa
Authors: Keenan Jeremy
Published: March 2005

Whichever way one looks at it, the Sahara has now become an extremely dangerous place. If one believes all that has been said and written on events in the Sahara by US and other (notably Algerian) military intelligence and associated government agencies and the media since early 2003, then the Sahara-Sahel region of Africa has become a front line in the ‘War on Terror’. If that is the case, the inability of the security forces to apprehend the key terrorists, notably the GSPC (Groupe Salafiste pour la Pre´dication et le Combat) under the leadership of their supposed emir Abderrezak Lamari (aka Amari Saifi but generally known as El Para after his stint as a parachutist in the Algerian army), would suggest that the current US administration and its military, which now has special forces and ‘contractors’ fanned out across the region and whose intelligence and operational services have the region under more or less total satellite, air and ground surveillance, is remarkably inept – something which should no longer surprise us in the light of their debacles in Afghanistan and Iraq. If, on the other hand, and as now seems increasingly likely, the Sahara has been made the arena of an elaborate intelligence deception, then the danger to the local populations and the security threat presented by the seemingly inevitable ‘blowback’ from this operation to other regions, notably West Africa, North Africa and Europe itself, is probably even greater.
Developmental Considerations for Substance Use Interventions From Middle School Through College
Authors: D'Amico Elizabeth J. , Ellickson Phyllis L. , Wagner Eric F. , Turrisi Rob , Fromme Kim , Ghosh‐Dastidar Bonnie , Longshore Douglas L. , McCaffrey Daniel F. , Montgomery Marilyn J. , Schonlau Matthias , Wright Dale
Published: March 2005

This article summarizes a symposium organized by Dr. Elizabeth D'Amico and presented at the 2004 Annual Meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism in Vancouver, Canada. The four presentations illustrate the importance of creating substance use interventions that are developmentally appropriate for youth. They represent innovative approaches to working with preteens, teenagers, and young adults. Dr. D'Amico's paper describes her research on the development of a voluntary brief intervention targeting alcohol use among middle school students. Findings indicated that by using school and community input, she was able to obtain a diverse a sample of youth across grades, sex, ethnicity, and substance use status. Dr. Ellickson's paper describes her research on Project ALERT, a school‐based prevention program for middle school youth. Her findings indicate that Project ALERT worked for students at all levels of risk (low, moderate, and high) and for all students combined. Dr. Wagner's Teen Intervention Project was a randomized clinical trial to test the efficacy of a standardized Student Assistance Program for treating middle and high school students with alcohol and other drug problems. The study provided a unique opportunity to begin to examine how development may impact response to an alcohol or other drug intervention. Dr. Turrisi's paper examined processes underlying the nature of the effects of a parent intervention on college student drinking tendencies. Findings suggested that the parent intervention seems to have its impact on student drinking by reducing the influence of negative communications and decreasing the susceptibility of influences from closest friends. Dr. Kim Fromme provided concluding remarks.
Emerging Biomarkers: New Directions and Clinical Applications
Authors: Wurst Friedrich M. , Alling Christer , Aradottir Steina , Pragst Fritz , Allen John P. , Weinmann Wolfgang , Marmillot Phillipe , Ghosh Pradeep , Lakshman Raj , Skipper Gregory E. , Neumann Tim , Spies Claudia , Javors Martin , Johnson Bankole A. , Ait‐Daoud Nassima , Akhtar Fatema , Roache John D. , Litten Raye
Published: March 2005

This article summarizes content proceedings of a symposium held at the 2004 Research Society on Alcoholism Scientific Annual Meeting in Vancouver, Canada. The chairs were Friedrich M. Wurst and Raye Litten. The presentations were (1) Introduction, by Raye Litten; (2) Direct Ethanol Metabolites—On the Threshold From Science to Routine Use, by Friedrich M. Wurst; (3) Sialic Acid Index of Plasma Apolipoprotein J (SIJ) as a Viable Marker for Chronic Alcohol Consumption, by Philippe Marmillot; (4) The Emergence of Ethyl Glucuronide (EtG) Testing as a Tool in Monitoring Healthcare Professionals, by Gregory E. Skipper; (5) Application of Biomarkers for Alcohol Use Disorders in Clinical Practice, by Tim Neumann; (6) Utility of Biomarkers in Assessing the Efficacy of Medications for Treating Alcoholism, by Marty Javors; and (7) Discussion, by Raye Litten.
The Irish Affected Sib Pair Study of Alcohol Dependence: Study Methodology and Validation of Diagnosis by Interview and Family History
Authors: Prescott Carol A. , Sullivan Patrick F. , Myers John M. , Patterson Diana G. , Devitt Margaret , Halberstadt Lisa J. , Walsh Dermot , Kendler Kenneth S.
Published: March 2005

Background:

This article is the first report of the Irish Affected Sib Pair Study of Alcohol Dependence, whose goal is to detect the genomic location of susceptibility loci for alcohol dependence (AD). This article describes phenotypic characteristics of the probands, siblings, and parents included in the sample and examines agreement among different sources of diagnostic information, including the validity of family history (FH) assessment.

Methods:

Structured diagnostic interviews were conducted with 1414 individuals from 591 families ascertained in Ireland. AD was assessed among 1201 probands and affected siblings with use of the Semi‐Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism and among 213 parents with use of a modified version of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM. Probands and siblings were also assessed for drinking history, comorbid disorders, and other clinical characteristics. FH reports based on FH‐Research Diagnostic Criteria were obtained for 1113 of these individuals as well as for 3652 first‐degree relatives who were not interviewed.

Results:

Sample characteristics confirm the severity of AD among the affected individuals. Agreement between FH ratings and diagnoses based on direct interviews was high for both parent‐offspring and sibling‐sibling comparisons (e.g., positive and negative predictive values > 80% for a range of cutoffs). Agreement among individuals about their family members was also high for a single item (1 month or more of drinking problems, tetrachoric r= 0.86–0.98), the total number of DSM‐IV AD symptoms (polychoric r= 0.86–0.96), and classifications based on a range of cutoffs (κ= 0.75–0.80). Use of multiple informants improved classification accuracy only slightly (6–10%).

Conclusions:

The authors successfully collected data for a large sample of affected sibling pairs for molecular genetic analysis of AD. Individuals with AD were able to provide accurate evaluations of alcoholism symptoms in their parents and adult siblings. A single screening item performed nearly as well as the full scale. Collecting information from multiple informants may not be cost effective for the gain in predictive accuracy. FH information collected from affected informants can be a valuable source of diagnostic information for family studies of alcoholism.
Sex Difference in Nitric Oxide Synthase–Dependent Dilatation of Cerebral Arterioles During Long‐Term Alcohol Consumption
Authors: Sun Hong , Mayhan William G.
Published: March 2005

Background:

Although long‐term alcohol consumption impairs both endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS) (eNOS)–dependent and neuronal NOS (nNOS)–dependent reactivity of cerebral arterioles in male rats, the influence of sex on alcohol consumption–induced impairment of NOS–dependent cerebral vasodilation has not been examined. Therefore, the authors’ first goal was to determine whether long‐term alcohol consumption alters eNOS‐dependent and nNOS‐dependent reactivity of pial arterioles in female rats. Their second goal was to examine potential mechanisms for impaired responses of pial arterioles during long‐term alcohol consumption.

Methods:

Male and female rats were fed liquid diets with or without alcohol for 2–3 months. The authors measured the in vivo diameter of pial arterioles in response to eNOS‐dependent agonists (acetylcholine and ADP), nNOS‐dependent agonists (kainate and NMDA), and NOS–independent agonists (nitroglycerin and diethylaminodiazen (NONOate)) in the absence and presence of tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4).

Results:

Topical application of acetylcholine (1.0 and 10 μM), ADP (10 and 100 μM), kainate (100 and 300 μM), and NMDA (100 and 300 μM) produced dose‐related dilatation of pial arterioles. However, the magnitude of vasodilation in response to acetylcholine and ADP was significantly less in alcohol‐fed male and female rats, and the magnitude of vasodilation in response to kainate and NMDA was significantly less in alcohol‐fed male rats. Nitroglycerin and NONOate produced similar vasodilation in non–alcohol‐fed and alcohol‐fed male and female rats. Application of BH4 did not alter vasodilation in non–alcohol‐fed rats but improved impaired eNOS‐dependent vasodilation in alcohol‐fed male and female rats.

Conclusions:

Our findings suggest that long‐term alcohol consumption impairs eNOS‐dependent but not nNOS‐dependent dilatation of cerebral arterioles in female rats and that impaired eNOS‐dependent vasodilation may be related to a deficiency or alteration in the utilization of BH4.
Characteristics of Malt Liquor Beer Drinkers in a Low‐Income, Racial Minority Community Sample
Authors: Bluthenthal Ricky N. , BrownTaylor Didra , Guzmán‐Becerra Norma , Robinson Paul L.
Published: March 2005

Background:

The authors describe and compare drinking patterns among malt liquor beer (MLB), regular beer (RB), and hard liquor (HL) drinkers in a low‐income, racial/ethnic minority community.

Methods:

Drinkers were recruited from randomly selected alcohol outlets in South Los Angeles. Respondents were assessed on sociodemographic characteristics, alcohol use history, drinking patterns, and drinking context among other items in a face‐to‐face interview with research staff.

Results:

Three hundred twenty‐nine drinkers were interviewed, of whom 297 reported drinking MLB, RB, or HL brands of alcohol most often in the past 90 days. This subsample was 88% African‐American, 72% male, and 35% unemployed. As compared with RB and HL drinkers, MLB drinkers were more likely to be homeless, to receive public assistance for housing, and to be unemployed. MLB drinkers also reported significantly higher rates of daily or near‐daily drinking (74%, as compared with 48% for RB and 29% for HL) of drinks per day on drinking days (5.2, as compared with 4.2 for RB and 3.1 for HL), and daily average ethanol consumption (6.97 oz, as compared with 2.13 oz for RB drinkers and 6.13 oz for HL drinkers). In multinomial regression analysis that controlled for potential confounders, the odds of preferring RB as compared with MLB were significantly increased among persons with blue‐collar occupations and those who reported drinking in public settings and were reduced among persons who drank outdoors, those who combined drinking with tobacco smoking, and those who drank alcohol with members of the same sex. Average daily ethanol consumption odds were reduced for RB drinkers as compared with MLB drinkers. The odds of preferring HL as compared with MLB were significantly increased for persons with white‐collar occupations and those who drank in public settings and were reduced for persons who drank outdoors and those who combined drinking and smoking.

Conclusion:

The authors observed substantial differences in sociodemographic characteristics, drinking patterns, and ethanol consumption by beverage type in this community sample. MLB drinkers seem to have distinctive drinking patterns that require additional study to determine whether this pattern is associated with increased individual or community risk.
Helplessness in the Tail Suspension Test Is Associated with an Increase in Ethanol Intake and Its Rewarding Effect in Female Mice
Authors: Pelloux Yann , Hagues Guillaume , Costentin Jean , Duterte‐Boucher Dominique
Published: March 2005

Background:

Depression is frequently observed in drug abusers. However, depression may be a primary factor of predisposition to drug abuse or a consequence of drug abuse. The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of a preexisting depressive‐like state/helplessness on subsequent alcohol responsiveness in mice.

Methods:

Male and female CD1 mice were selected according to their immobility time in the tail suspension test, and only mice with “high immobility” and “low immobility” time were retained. Using a two‐bottle free‐choice paradigm, these mice were given continuous access to tap water or solutions of ethanol (3–20% v/v), quinine (12.5–50 mg/liter), or sucrose (1–4% w/v). In female mice, rewarding and aversive effects of ethanol (1.5 and 3 g/kg, intraperitoneally) were also investigated using the conditioned place preference and the conditioned taste aversion paradigms.

Results:

Female mice were more immobile and drank more ethanol than male mice. No striking sex difference was observed in quinine consumption. Sucrose intake was higher in female than in male mice, whatever the solution concentration. At the 4% concentrated solution, a sucrose‐induced increase in daily fluid intake was observed only in female mice. Female mice with high immobility time (HI) consumed more ethanol at the highest concentration than female mice with low immobility time (LI), whereas no difference was observed between HI and LI male mice. Moreover, whereas LI female mice failed to express place conditioning induced by the 3‐g/kg dose of ethanol, HI female mice were strongly responsive to the rewarding effect of this high ethanol dose. Ethanol dose‐dependently induced a conditioned taste aversion with a similar magnitude in both LI and HI female mice.

Conclusions:

The findings indicate that female CD1 mice tend to drink greater amounts of ethanol or sucrose solutions than male CD1 mice, suggesting that female mice may be a better model of excessive alcohol intake. Furthermore, no relationship was found between immobility scores and ethanol consumption in male mice. On the contrary, within female mice, HI mice consumed higher amounts of ethanol than LI mice probably because they experienced greater rewarding effects of ethanol. The present results support the hypothesis that depressive‐like responses may predispose to ethanol abuse in female mice.
Effects of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure on Attention and Working Memory at 7.5 Years of Age
Authors: Burden Matthew J. , Jacobson Sandra W. , Sokol Robert J. , Jacobson Joseph L.
Published: March 2005

Background:

A broad range of attentional and neuropsychological impairments have been demonstrated in children with fetal alcohol exposure. This study was designed to investigate which specific aspects of attentional function are most directly affected by moderate to heavy doses of prenatal alcohol exposure.

Methods:

A total of 337 black children who were aged 7.5 years and recruited prospectively to overrepresent prenatal alcohol exposure at moderate to heavy levels were assessed on a diverse battery of neuropsychological tests. Principal components analyses were used to replicate and extend Mirsky et al.'s (1991) four‐component model of attention. The relation of prenatal alcohol exposure to empirically derived attentional constructs was examined.

Results:

Both the replicated and the extended attentional models produced solutions similar to the original Mirsky et al. model, reflecting elements of encode (working memory), shift, and focused and sustained attention, as well as a distinct component reflecting impulsivity. Adverse effects of maternal drinking across pregnancy were found primarily for working memory, and these effects were exacerbated when mothers were aged 30 or older at the time of the child's birth.

Conclusions:

These data confirm previous studies using diverse methods that suggest that working memory may be the most important aspect of attention that is adversely affected by prenatal alcohol exposure.
Chronic Ethanol Drinking by Alcohol‐Preferring Rats Increases the Sensitivity of the Posterior Ventral Tegmental Area to the Reinforcing Effects of Ethanol
Authors: Rodd Zachary A. , Bell Richard L. , McQueen Victoria K. , Davids Michelle R. , Hsu Cathleen C. , Murphy James M. , Li Ting‐Kai , Lumeng Lawrence , McBride William J.
Published: March 2005

Background:

The ventral tegmental area (VTA) is involved in regulating ethanol drinking, and the posterior VTA seems to be a neuroanatomical substrate that mediates the reinforcing effects of ethanol in ethanol‐naïve Wistar and ethanol‐naïve alcohol‐preferring (P) rats. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that chronic ethanol drinking increases the sensitivity of the posterior VTA to the reinforcing effects of ethanol.

Methods:

Two groups of female P rats (one given water as its sole source of fluid and the other given 24‐hr free‐choice access to 15% ethanol and water for at least 8 weeks) were stereotaxically implanted with guide cannulae aimed at the posterior VTA. One week after surgery, rats were placed in standard two‐lever (active and inactive) operant chambers and connected to the microinfusion system. Depression of the active lever produced the infusion of 100 nl of artificial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or ethanol. The ethanol‐naïve and chronic ethanol‐drinking groups were assigned to subgroups to receive artificial CSF or 25, 50, 75, or 125 mg/dl of ethanol (n= 6–9/dose/group) to self‐infuse (FR1 schedule) during the 4‐hr sessions given every other day.

Results:

Compared with the infusions of artificial CSF, the control group reliably (p < 0.05) self‐infused 75 and 125 mg/dl of ethanol but not the lower concentrations. The ethanol‐drinking group had significantly (p < 0.05) higher self‐infusions of 50, 75, and 125 mg/dl of ethanol than artificial CSF during the four acquisition sessions; the number of infusions of all three doses was higher in the ethanol‐drinking group than in the ethanol‐naive group. Both groups decreased responding on the active lever when artificial CSF was substituted for ethanol, and both groups demonstrated robust reinstatement of responding on the active lever when ethanol was restored.

Conclusions:

Chronic ethanol drinking by P rats increased the sensitivity of the posterior VTA to the reinforcing effects of ethanol.
Sertraline in the Treatment of Co‐occurring Alcohol Dependence and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Authors: Brady Kathleen T. , Sonne Susan , Anton Raymond F. , Randall Carrie L. , Back Sudie E. , Simpson Kit
Published: March 2005

Background:

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) frequently co‐occurs with alcohol use disorders. This study investigated the use of sertraline, a serotonin reuptake inhibitor, in treating co‐occurring symptoms of alcohol dependence and PTSD.

Methods:

A total of 94 individuals with current alcohol dependence and PTSD were randomly assigned to receive sertraline (150 mg/day) or placebo for 12 weeks. Post hoc cluster analysis of baseline characteristics was used to define subgroups of participants.

Results:

There was a significant decrease in alcohol use during the trial in both the sertraline and the placebo groups. Cluster analysis revealed significant medication group by cluster interactions for alcohol‐related outcomes. Sertraline‐treated participants with less severe alcohol dependence and early‐onset PTSD had significantly fewer drinks per drinking day (p < 0.001). For participants with more severe alcohol dependence and later onset PTSD, the placebo group had significantly greater decreases in drinks per drinking day (p < 0.01) and average number of drinks consumed per day (p < 0.05).

Conclusions:

There may be subtypes of alcohol‐dependent individuals who respond differently to serotonin reuptake inhibitor treatment. Further investigation of differential responders may lead to improvements in the pharmacological treatment of co‐occurring alcohol dependence and PTSD.
Effect of Ethanol on DARPP‐32 Phosphorylation in Transgenic Mice That Express Human Type VII Adenylyl Cyclase in Brain
Authors: Donohue Timothy , Hoffman Paula L. , Tabakoff Boris
Published: March 2005

Background:

Dopamine and cyclic adenosine monophosphate‐regulated phosphoprotein of molecular weight 32 kDa (DARPP‐32) is a bidirectional signaling protein found in dopaminergically innervated brain areas. The characteristics and direction of DARPP‐32 effects are regulated by phosphorylation of this protein. Phosphorylation of DARPP‐32 on threonine‐34 (T34) is regulated through the activation of dopamine (D1) receptors and stimulation of adenylyl cyclase (AC) and protein kinase A activity and by calcineurin. Phosphorylation of DARPP‐32 on threonine‐75 (T75) is regulated by cyclin‐dependent kinase 5 and protein phosphatase 2A. DARPP‐32 has been implicated in the motivational effects of ethanol.

Methods:

The authors characterized transgenic mice that overexpress an ethanol‐sensitive isoform of AC (AC7) in brain by measuring basal and ethanol‐modulated DARPP‐32 phosphorylation. Phosphorylated and total DARPP‐32 were measured by immunoblotting in brain areas associated with the motivational and anxiolytic effects of ethanol (nucleus accumbens, striatum, and amygdala).

Results:

AC7 transgenic mice had higher basal levels of T34 DARPP‐32 than wild‐type mice in striatum and amygdala, whereas basal levels of T75 DARPP‐32 did not differ between wild‐type and transgenic mice. Ethanol administration increased T34 DARPP‐32 in nucleus accumbens and amygdala (but not in the striatum) of wild‐type and transgenic mice (with a greater effect in amygdala of transgenic mice than wild‐type mice). Ethanol administration increased T75 DARPP‐32 in amygdala of only the wild‐type mice and in nucleus accumbens and striatum of both the transgenic and wild‐type mice.

Conclusions:

The effect of ethanol on the balance of DARPP‐32 phosphorylation, especially in amygdala of wild‐type versus transgenic mice, may contribute to differential motivational effects of ethanol in these animals.
Edge element analysis of brushless motors with inhomogeneously magnetized permanent magnets
Authors: Stachowiak Dorota
Published: March 2005

This paper demonstrates how the 3D edge element method can be applied to the analysis of permanent magnet motors. The edge element method using the vector magnetic potential has been used. Special attention has been paid to the analysis of systems with inhomogeneously magnetized permanent magnets. The magnets are not skewed and are mounted on a cylindrical laminated rotor. Calculations have been performed for different magnet widths and different distribution of the magnetization vector. Brushless motors with radially and inhomogeneously magnetized magnets have been compared.
Adaptive observer of rotor speed and position for PMSM sensorless control system
Authors: Urbański Konrad , Zawirski Krzysztof
Published: March 2005

This paper deals with the problem of rotor speed and position detection in sensorless permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) drives. A concept based on detecting the back EMF induced in stator windings was developed and modified. A general structure of an adaptive observer with the proportional‐integral function of a corrector is introduced. The non‐stationary character of the observer presented in this paper requires an adaptive change of observer corrector settings. Such observer structure was implemented on a DSP system and verified experimentally. Both simulation and experimental results show good properties of the proposed observer structure.
Fast and efficient 3D boundary element method for closed domains
Authors: Buchau André , Hafla Wolfgang , Rucker Wolfgang M.
Published: March 2005

An application of a boundary element method to the solution of static field problems in closed domains is presented in this paper. The fully populated system matrix of the boundary element method is compressed with the fast multipole method. Two approaches of modified transformation techniques are compared and discussed in the context of boundary element methods to further reduce the computational costs of the fast multipole method. The efficiency of the fast multipole method with modified transformations is shown in two numerical examples.
Efficient modelling techniques for complicated boundary conditions applied to structured grids
Authors: De Gersem Herbert , Wilke Markus , Clemens Markus , Weiland Thomas
Published: March 2005

Certain sophisticated boundary conditions offer powerful modelling features for many electrotechnical models. Their application, however, wipes out the particular structure of the system matrices which occurs when structured grids are applied. In this paper, this effect is prevented by considering the unconstrained system together with additional constraint equations or by projecting the algebraic system using an oblique or orthogonal projector. The numerical tests indicate that the efficiency of sparse iterative solvers can be preserved even in the presence of complicated boundary relations. The described projections are also advantageous for formulations derived for unstructured grids.