bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Reinforcing Properties of Salsolinol in the Ventral Tegmental Area: Evidence for Regional Heterogeneity and the Involvement of Serotonin and Dopamine
Authors: Rodd Zachary A. , Oster Scott M. , Ding Zheng‐Ming , Toalston Jamie E. , Deehan Gerald , Bell Richard L. , Li Ting‐Kai , McBride William J.
Published: September 2008

Background:  Salsolinol (SAL), the condensation product of acetaldehyde and dopamine, may be a factor contributing to alcohol abuse. Previous research indicated that both ethanol and acetaldehyde are self‐administered into the posterior ventral tegmental area (VTA). The current study examined SAL self‐infusions into the VTA, and determined the involvement of dopamine neurons and 5‐HT3 receptors in this process.

Methods:  The intracranial self‐administration technique was used to determine the self‐infusion of SAL into the VTA of adult, male Wistar rats. The rats were placed in 2‐lever (active and inactive) experimental chambers, and allowed to respond for the self‐infusion of 0, 0.03, 0.1, 0.3, 1.0 or 3.0 μM SAL into the posterior or anterior VTA. In a second experiment, rats self‐administered 0.3 μM SAL for the initial 4 sessions, co‐administered SAL with ICS‐205,930 (a 5‐HT3 receptor antagonist) or quinpirole (a D2,3 receptor agonist) for sessions 5 and 6, and then only 0.3 μM SAL for session 7.

Results:  Wistar rats, given 0.03 to 0.3 μM SAL, received more infusions per session than did the group given artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) alone (e.g., 41 infusions for 0.1 μM SAL versus 9 infusions for the aCSF group), and responded more on the active than inactive lever. These effects were observed in the posterior but not in anterior VTA. Co‐infusion of 100 μM ICS‐205,930, or quinpirole significantly reduced self‐infusions and active lever responding.

Conclusions:  SAL produces reinforcing effects in the posterior VTA of Wistar rats, and these effects are mediated by activation of DA neurons and local 5‐HT3 receptors.
The CRF‐1 Receptor Antagonist, CP‐154,526, Attenuates Stress‐Induced Increases in Ethanol Consumption by BALB/cJ Mice
Authors: Lowery Emily G. , Sparrow Angela M. , Breese George R. , Knapp Darin J. , Thiele Todd E.
Published: September 2008

Background:  Corticotropin‐releasing factor (CRF) signaling modulates neurobiological responses to stress and ethanol, and may modulate observed increases in ethanol consumption following exposure to stressful events. The current experiment was conducted to further characterize the role of CRF1 receptor (CRF1R) signaling in stress‐induced increases in ethanol consumption in BALB/cJ and C57BL/6N mice.

Methods:  Male BALB/cJ and C57BL/6N mice were given continuous access to 8% (v/v) ethanol and water for the duration of the experiment. When a baseline of ethanol consumption was established, animals were exposed to 5 minutes of forced swim stress on each of 5 consecutive days. Thirty minutes before each forced swim session, animals were given an intraperitoneal injection of a 10 mg/kg dose of CP‐154,526, a selective CRF1R antagonist, or an equal volume of vehicle. The effect of forced swim stress exposure on consumption of a 1% (w/v) sucrose solution was also investigated in an ethanol‐naïve group of BALB/cJ mice.

Results:  Exposure to forced swim stress significantly increased ethanol consumption by the BALB/cJ, but not of the C57BL/6N, mice. Stress‐induced increases in ethanol consumption were delayed and became evident approximately 3 weeks after the first stressor. Additionally, forced swim stress did not cause increases of food or water intake and did not promote delayed increases of sucrose consumption. Importantly, BALB/cJ mice pretreated with the CRF1R antagonist showed blunted stress‐induced increases in ethanol intake, and the CRF1R antagonist did not influence the ethanol drinking of non‐stressed mice.

Conclusions:  The present results provide evidence that CRF1R signaling modulates the delayed increase of ethanol consumption stemming from repeated exposure to a stressful event in BALB/cJ mice.
Key Role of Ethanol‐Derived Acetaldehyde in the Motivational Properties Induced by Intragastric Ethanol: A Conditioned Place Preference Study in the Rat
Authors: Peana Alessandra T. , Enrico Paolo , Assaretti Anna Rita , Pulighe Elena , Muggironi Giulia , Nieddu Maria , Piga Antonio , Lintas Alessandra , Diana Marco
Published: September 2008

Background:  Acetaldehyde (ACD), the first metabolite of ethanol (EtOH), is produced peripherally by gastric and hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and centrally by brain catalase. In spite of the aversive properties classically ascribed to ACD, it has recently been suggested that ACD might mediate some of the motivational effects of EtOH. Accordingly, the relative role of ACD in the positive motivational properties of EtOH ingested is increasingly becoming the matter of debate. Thus, we studied the ability of intragastrically administered EtOH, ACD and EtOH‐derived ACD to induce conditioned place preference (cpp) in rats.

Methods:  Wistar rats were pretreated intraperitoneally with saline, the peripheral competitive inhibitor of ADH, 4‐methylpyrazole (4‐MP, 22.5, 45 or 67.5 mg/kg) or with the selective ACD‐sequestrating agent, d‐penicillamine (DP, 25 or 50 mg/kg), before the intragastric administration of saline, EtOH (0.5, 1 or 2 g/kg) or ACD (10, 20, or 40 mg/kg). The specificity of 4‐MP and DP effects was addressed using morphine‐induced cpp (2.5 mg/kg).

Results:  Both, EtOH and ACD dose‐dependently induced cpp; further, while EtOH‐induced cpp was prevented by the administration of 4‐MP and by DP, ACD‐induced cpp was unaltered by 4‐MP administration and prevented by DP. Both pretreatments did not interfere with morphine‐induced cpp indicating that 4‐MP and DP specifically modulate the motivational properties of EtOH and ACD.

Conclusion:  The ability of 4‐MP and DP to decrease EtOH‐induced cpp suggests that a reduction of ACD levels is crucial in depriving EtOH from its motivational properties as indexed by the cpp procedure. In addition, this conclusion is supported by the inefficacy of 4‐MP in preventing ACD‐induced cpp, and by its blockade observed after administration of the selective ACD sequestrating agent DP. The present results underscore the role of EtOH‐derived ACD in EtOH‐induced motivational properties as well as its abuse liability.
Blockade of the Corticotropin Releasing Factor Type 1 Receptor Attenuates Elevated Ethanol Drinking Associated With Drinking in the Dark Procedures
Authors: Sparta Dennis R. , Sparrow Angela M. , Lowery Emily G. , Fee Jon R. , Knapp Darin J. , Thiele Todd E.
Published: September 2008

Background: Drinking in the dark (DID) procedures have recently been developed to induce high levels of ethanol drinking in C57BL/6J mice, which result in blood ethanol concentrations (BECs) reaching levels that have measurable affects on physiology and/or behavior. The present experiments determined whether the increased ethanol drinking caused by DID procedures can be attenuated by pretreatment with CP‐154,526; a corticotropin releasing factor type‐1 (CRF1) receptor antagonist.

Methods: In Experiment 1, male C57BL/6J mice received ethanol (20% v/v) in place of water for 4 hours, beginning with 3 hours into the dark cycle. On the fourth day, mice were given an intraperitoneal injection of one of the 4 doses of CP‐154,526 (0, 1, 3, 10 mg/kg) 30 minutes before receiving their ethanol bottle. In Experiment 2, C57BL/6J mice had 2 hours of access to the 20% ethanol solution, beginning with 3 hours into the dark cycle on days 1 to 3, and 4 hours of access to the ethanol bottle on day 4 of DID procedures. Mice were given an intraperitoneal injection of one of the 4 doses of CP‐154,526 (0, 1, 3, 10 mg/kg) 30 minutes before receiving their ethanol bottle on day 4. Tail blood samples were collected immediately after the 4‐hour ethanol access period on the fourth day of each experiment. Additional control experiments assessed the effects of CP‐154,526 on 4‐hour consumption of a 10% (w/v) sucrose solution and open‐field locomotor activity.

Results: In Experiment 1, the vehicle‐treated group consumed approximately 4.0 g/kg/4 h of ethanol and achieved BECs of approximately 30 mg%. Furthermore, pretreatment with the CRF1receptor antagonist did not alter ethanol consumption. On the other hand, procedures used in Experiment 2 resulted in vehicle‐treated mice consuming approximately 6.0 g/kg/4 h of ethanol with BECs of about 80 mg%. Additionally, the 10 mg/kg dose of CP‐154,526 significantly reduced ethanol consumption and BECs to approximately 3.0 g/kg/4 h and 27 mg%, respectively, relative to vehicle‐treated mice. Importantly, the 10 mg/kg dose of the CRF1R antagonist did not significantly alter 4‐hour sucrose consumption or locomotor activity.

Conclusions: These data indicate that CRF1R signaling modulates high, but not moderate, levels of ethanol drinking associated with DID procedures.
Acculturation, Drinking, and Alcohol Abuse and Dependence Among Hispanics in the Texas–Mexico Border
Authors: Caetano Raul , Ramisetty‐Mikler Suhasini , Wallisch Lynn S. , McGrath Christine , Spence Richard T.
Published: September 2008

Background:  Acculturation has been linked to an increased prevalence of alcohol‐related problems. However, most of the research has been conducted with Hispanic populations in metropolitan areas of the United States, none of which is on the U.S.–Mexico border. This study examines the association between acculturation, heavy episodic drinking, and DSM‐IV alcohol abuse and dependence among Hispanics in the Texas–Mexico border.

Methods:  The study used data from a survey conducted (2002 to 2003) along the Texas–Mexico border and included 472 male and 484 female Hispanic adults from El Paso, the Rio Grande Valley, and colonias. Based on the Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans‐II scale, respondents were coded into 4 acculturation categories: “very Mexican oriented,”“Mexican bicultural,”“Anglo bicultural,” or “very Anglo/Anglicized.”.

Results:  Acculturation was related to lower rates of alcohol use disorders among men and a higher frequency of heavy episodic drinking among women. Multivariate analyses indicate that men who report heavy episodic drinking and those who are “very Mexican,”“bicultural Mexican,” or “bicultural Anglo” are more at higher risk for alcohol abuse and/or dependence compared with “very Anglo/Anglicized” men. For women, acculturation level did not predict alcohol disorders. Statistical analyses included testing for bivariate associations and multivariate logistic regression predicting heavy episodic drinking alcohol abuse or dependence.

Conclusions:  This study suggests that acculturation has different effects on drinking for men and women. This finding needs some attention as literature also indicates that women drink more and may develop more alcohol‐related problems as they acculturate. This increase in women’s drinking is probably because of U.S. society’s more liberal norms governing female drinking. The “bimodal” distribution of risk, in which only men in “very Anglo” group are at a lower risk than the others, may be unique to the Border. The association between acculturation and alcohol use disorders does not appear to be linear and the effect of acculturation is not uniform on individuals’ drinking behavior.
Decreased Immunoreactivity of the Melanocortin Neuropeptide α‐Melanocyte‐Stimulating Hormone (α‐MSH) After Chronic Ethanol Exposure in Sprague–Dawley Rats
Authors: Navarro Montserrat , Cubero Inmaculada , Knapp Darin J. , Breese George R. , Thiele Todd E.
Published: September 2008

Background: The melanocortin (MC) system is composed of peptides that are cleaved from the polypeptide precursor proopiomelanocortin (POMC). Recent pharmacologic and genetic evidence suggests that MC receptor (MCR) signaling modulates neurobiologic responses to ethanol and ethanol intake. Because ethanol decreases POMC mRNA levels, we determined if exposure to an ethanol‐containing diet (ED) would significantly reduce central immunoreactivity of the MC peptide α‐MSH in rats. We also determined if ethanol exposure would alter the immunoreactivity of agouti‐related protein (AgRP), an endogenous MCR antagonist.

Methods: Male Sprague–Dawley rats were given 18 days of access to normal rodent chow or a control diet (CD), or short‐term (4 days) or long‐term (18 days) access to an ED. At the end of the study, rats were perfused with 4% paraformaldehyde and their brains were sectioned into two sets for processing with α‐MSH or AgRP immunohistochemistry.

Results: Rats exposed to an ED showed significant reductions of central α‐MSH immunoreactivity relative to rats exposed to a control diet (CD) or normal rodent chow. Ethanol‐induced reductions of α‐MSH immunoreactivity were site‐specific and were noted in regions of the hypothalamus and extended amygdala, as well as the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus. Because there were no differences in body weights or caloric intake between the CD and ED groups, reductions of α‐MSH immunoreactivity in ED‐treated rats are best explained by ethanol exposure rather than altered energy balance. No significant ethanol‐induced alterations in hypothalamic AgRP immunoreactivity were detected.

Conclusions: The present study shows that ethanol site specifically reduces α‐MSH immunoreactivity in rat brain. These observations, in tandem with recent pharmacologic and genetic studies, suggest that the endogenous MC system modulates neurobiologic responses to ethanol. Thus, compounds which target MCRs may prove to have therapeutic value in the treatment of excessive ethanol consumption and/or the symptoms associated with ethanol withdrawal.
Dose‐Dependent Deficits in Dual Interstimulus Interval Classical Eyeblink Conditioning Tasks Following Neonatal Binge Alcohol Exposure in Rats
Authors: Brown Kevin L. , Calizo Lyngine H. , Stanton Mark E.
Published: September 2008

Background:  Neonatal alcohol consumption in rats is widely used to model cerebellar injury arising from 3rd‐trimester human fetal alcohol exposure. Binge alcohol exposure of 5 g/kg/day or more over postnatal days (PD) 4 to 9 in rats damages the cerebellum and consequently impairs classical eyeblink conditioning (EBC). The present study sought to identify deficits in EBC using doses lower than those that have been reported previously following alcohol exposure limited to PD4‐9. Complex conditioned response (CR) timing tasks utilizing 2 interstimulus intervals (ISIs) were used to test the hypothesis that 3 g/kg/day of alcohol would produce early onset and early peaked CRs, whereas 4 and 5 g/kg/day would impair CR acquisition.

Methods:  Five neonatal treatment groups were used: (1) undisturbed controls, (2) sham intubation controls, (3) 3 g/kg/day of alcohol, (4) 4 g/kg/day of alcohol, or (5) 5 g/kg/day of alcohol. Intubations occurred over PD4‐9. In adulthood, rats were trained using ISI discrimination (Experiment 1) or temporal uncertainty (Experiment 2) EBC tasks. In ISI discrimination, 2 distinct conditioned stimuli (CSs; tone and light) are reinforced with a periocular shock unconditioned stimulus (US) at 2 different CS–US intervals. Temporal uncertainty is identical in design with the exception that the same CS is presented at both CS–US intervals.

Results:  Alcohol‐exposed subjects were impaired in CR acquisition in a task‐ and dose‐dependent fashion. CR deficits were most salient in the peak amplitude measure and occurred in both tasks following alcohol exposure at 4 and 5 g/kg/day. Alcohol at a dosage of 3 g/kg/day impaired CR acquisition only in ISI discrimination. All alcohol doses failed to produce short latency CRs in either task. Alcohol‐exposed subjects displayed later‐onset and later‐peaked CRs to the long‐ISI CS in ISI discrimination relative to controls.

Conclusions:  ISI discrimination training may be ideal to identify CR deficits resulting from neonatal exposure to moderate alcohol doses. Applications of this EBC task to humans may enable reliable early identification and diagnosis of individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
DSM‐IV Criteria Endorsement Patterns in Alcohol Dependence: Relationship to Severity
Authors: Moss Howard B. , Chen Chiung M. , Yi Hsiao‐ye
Published: September 2008

Background:  In DSM‐IV, the diagnostic threshold for alcohol dependence (AD) is met when a patient presents with at least 3 of 7 criteria. We have computed the predictive value for each individual DSM‐IV AD criterion, and examined subtypes of AD criteria endorsement patterns and their associated severity indicators for community‐dwelling AD individuals.

Methods:  We utilized data from the 2001 to 2002 National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC). Positive predictive values (PPV) for DSM‐IV AD were computed for each of the individual criteria. Patterns of criteria endorsements were identified by latent class analysis (LCA). Sociodemographic status, age of onset and duration of AD, patterns of drinking, and drinking treatment history, were conditional on DSM criteria endorsement clusters, as indicators of the respondents’ clinical severity.

Results:  At the individual criterion level, the single criterion with the greatest PPV was D7—“Activities given up” with ∼95% of drinking individuals who endorsed this DSM criterion correctly diagnosed as having DSM‐IV AD. In addition to D7, only D5—“Physical/Psychological problems”, and D6—“Time spent” had a PPV for AD substantially >50%. The LCA of AD endorsement patterns yielded a 6‐cluster solution. The most common response pattern (34.5% of those with AD) was endorsement of 5 criteria: D1—“Quit/Control,” D2—“Larger/Longer,” D3—“Tolerance,” D4—“Withdrawal,” and D5—“Physical/Psychological problems.” The most severe cluster (14%) was comprised of those who were likely to endorse 7/7 criteria. Cluster 1 (8.3%) did not include an endorsement of withdrawal, despite a heavy pattern of alcohol consumption. Unmarried status was associated with more severe criteria endorsement patterns.

Conclusions:  The present findings indicate a Guttman‐like scaling of endorsement which yielded associations with severity for some of the concurrent indicators included in the analysis. However, severity measures did not always increase with DSM‐IV AD criterion endorsement counts. Although endorsement of 6/7 or 7/7 criteria was associated with greater severity across a variety of indicators, fewer criteria were randomly associated with these measures. These data do not support the use of AD symptom counts as a phenotypic dependent variable. At least 2 extant diagnostic criteria showed relatively low PPV for AD, indicating a need for further assessment of these criteria with new symptoms or re‐wording of the current symptom items.
Parenting Mechanisms in Links Between Parents’ and Adolescents’ Alcohol Use Behaviors
Authors: Latendresse Shawn J. , Rose Richard J. , Viken Richard J. , Pulkkinen Lea , Kaprio Jaakko , Dick Danielle M.
Published: September 2008

Background:  Adolescence has been identified as a critical period with regard to the initiation and early escalation of alcohol use. Moreover, research on familial risk and protective processes provides independent support for multiple domains of parental influence on adolescent drinking; including parents’ own drinking behaviors, as well as the practices they employ to socialize their children. Despite this prevalence of findings, whether and how these distinct associations are related to one another is still not entirely clear.

Methods:  The present study used data from 4,731 adolescents and their parents to test the nature of associations between (a) parents’ frequencies of alcohol use and intoxication, and lifetime alcohol‐related problems, (b) adolescents’ perceptions of the parenting that they receive, and (c) adolescents’ prevalence of alcohol use and intoxication at 14 and 17½ years of age. As such, multiple mediation modeling was used to assess whether parental alcohol use behaviors influence adolescent alcohol use directly, or if they operate through indirect associations with various aspects of parenting that subsequently influence adolescent use.

Results:  Examination of simple associations demonstrated that maternal and paternal alcohol use behaviors were positively linked with adolescent use behaviors at 14 and 17½ years of age. Likewise, several parenting behaviors were independently associated with both parental and adolescent drinking. Examined collectively, multivariate path analyses indicated that associations between parents’ and adolescents’ alcohol‐related behaviors were mediated, in part, by adolescents’ perceptions of the parenting that they received, especially at 14 years of age. Furthermore, perceived parental monitoring and discipline had unique mediating capabilities, net the effects of all other parenting behaviors.

Conclusions:  This study demonstrates that parenting is an important mediator of the association between parental and adolescent drinking practices. An important area for future research will be to study how adolescents can avoid alcohol‐related problems despite being reared within a risk laden parenting environment and/or having parents who drink frequently.
Effect of Alcohol on miR‐212 Expression in Intestinal Epithelial Cells and Its Potential Role in Alcoholic Liver Disease
Authors: Tang Yueming , Banan Ali , Forsyth Christopher B. , Fields Jeremy Z. , Lau Cynthia K. , Zhang Li Juan , Keshavarzian Ali
Published: September 2008

Background and Aims: Alcohol‐induced gut leakiness is a key factor in alcoholic liver disease (ALD); it allows endotoxin to enter the circulation and initiate liver damage. Zonula occludens 1 (ZO‐1) protein is a major component of tight junctions that regulates intestinal permeability. microRNAs (miRNAs) are recently discovered regulatory molecules that inhibit expression of their target genes. The aims of our study were: (i) to investigate the effect of alcohol on miRNA‐212 (miR‐212) and on expression of its predicted target gene, ZO‐1, (ii) to study the potential role of miR‐212 in the pathophysiology of ALD in man.

Methods: Using a TaqMan miRNA assay system, we measured miR‐212 expression levels in colon biopsy samples from patients with ALD and in Caco‐2 cells (a human intestinal epithelial cell line) treated with or without EtOH. We measured ZO‐1 protein levels using western blots. ZO‐1 mRNA was assayed using real‐time PCR. Intestinal barrier integrity was measured using fluorescein sulfonic acid clearance and immunofluorescent staining for ZO‐1.

Results: Ethanol increased miR‐212 expression, decreased ZO‐1 protein levels, disrupted tight junctions, and increased the permeability of monolayers of Caco‐2 cells. An miR‐212 over‐expression is correlated with hyperpermeability of the monolayer barrier. miR‐212 levels were higher in colon biopsy samples in patients with ALD than in healthy controls; ZO‐1 protein levels were lower.

Conclusion: These data suggest a novel mechanism for alcohol‐induced gut leakiness, one in which EtOH induces miR‐212 over‐expression which causes gut leakiness by down‐regulating ZO‐1 translation. This mechanism is a potential therapeutic target for leaky gut in patients with or at risk for ALD.
The Facilitative Role of L1 Influence in Tense–Aspect Marking: A Comparison of Hispanophone and Anglophone Learners of French
Authors: IZQUIERDO JESÚS , COLLINS LAURA
Published: September 2008

English learners of French whose first language (L1) does not mark the perfective/imperfective distinction have shown verb semantic influence and an overall preference for perfective over imperfective in their use of second language (L2) tense–aspect markers. This study investigated whether learners whose L1 marks the perfective/imperfective distinction would exhibit similar acquisition profiles. Hispanophones (n= 17) and Anglophones (n= 15) at similar levels of French L2 proficiency completed a 68‐item cloze task with equal numbers of perfective and imperfective contexts distributed across 4 semantic categories: stative, activity, accomplishment, and achievements. In a 20‐minute retrospective interview, a subsample of the participants (8 Hispanophones, 11 Anglophones) commented on factors influencing their tense–aspect choices. An ANOVA of 1,012 predicates revealed that unlike the Anglophones, the Hispanophones did not prefer perfective over imperfective, and they were also less influenced by verb semantics. The learners' comments suggest that the Hispanophones made effective use of L1–L2 similarities, whereas the Anglophones appealed to verb semantics and partially understood pedagogical rules, which were frequently associated with inappropriate uses of the forms.
The Effects of Deductive and Inductive Instruction on the Development of Language Learners' Pragmatic Competence
Authors: TAKIMOTO MASAHIRO
Published: September 2008

The present study investigated the effects of deductive and inductive teaching approaches to the acquisition of pragmatic competence on learners of English as a foreign language. In this study, 60 adult native speakers of Japanese with intermediate‐level proficiency in English were each randomly assigned to 1 of 4 groups, which consisted of 3 treatment groups and 1 control group. Each treatment group received one of the following kinds of instruction in English pragmatics: (a) deductive instruction, (b) inductive instruction with problem‐solving tasks, or (c) inductive instruction with structured input tasks. Both the deductive and inductive approaches constituted different types of explicit input‐based instruction. The purpose was to teach the learners how to use lexical/phrasal downgraders and syntactic downgraders in English to perform complex requests. All participants completed a pretest, a posttest, and a follow‐up test. Each test included 2 receptive judgment tasks and 2 production tasks. The 3 treatment groups performed significantly better than the control group (p < .006). However, for the listening test, only the participants in the deductive instruction group showed a reduction in the positive effects of the treatment between the posttest and the follow‐up test.
Teacher Motivation Strategies, Student Perceptions, Student Motivation, and English Achievement
Authors: BERNAUS MERCÈ , GARDNER ROBERT C.
Published: September 2008

This study investigated language teaching strategies, as reported by teachers and students, and the effects of these strategies on students' motivation and English achievement. The participants consisted of 31 English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers and their students (N= 694) in Catalonia, Spain. The teachers and students rated the frequency of use of 26 strategies in their classes. In addition, the students were tested on their attitudes, motivation, and language anxiety with the mini‐Attitude Motivation Test Battery (AMTB; Gardner & MacIntyre, 1993) and completed objective tests of English achievement.

The results indicated that the teachers and students agreed on the relative frequency of some strategies but not on the frequency of other strategies and that, although the teachers' reported use of motivational and traditional strategies was not related to the students' English achievement, attitudes, motivation, or language anxiety, the students' perceptions of these strategies tended to be related to their attitudes and motivation at both the individual and class levels. In addition, when the students were the unit of analysis, there was a negative correlation between the students' ratings of the frequency of traditional strategy use and English achievement. Path analysis indicated that integrativeness, attitudes toward the learning situation, and instrumental orientation predicted the motivation to learn English and that motivation was a positive predictor of English achievement, whereas attitudes toward the learning situation and language anxiety were negative predictors of English achievement. Hierarchical linear modelling analysis confirmed these findings but indicated that the effects of strategies are much more complex than previously thought. Strategy use as reported by the teachers did not influence the regression coefficients for any of the predictors, but strategy use reported by students had a positive effect on the predictability of motivation on English achievement.
Alternative Second Language Curricula for Learners With Disabilities: Two Case Studies
Authors: ABRAMS ZSUZSANNA
Published: September 2008

According to the National Center for Learning Disabilities (2005), students with disabilities often must demonstrate failure in order to qualify for academic accommodations. For students with disabilities, this failure may be life‐altering. The present article argues that alternative curricula (modified teaching and assessment plans) should be considered for learners with disabilities to help make their foreign language (L2) learning experience not only possible but also successful. This argument is framed in Allwright's (2005) exploratory practice model and draws on data from the case studies of 2 learners with disabilities studying German: one student with dysgraphia (a language‐specific cognitive disability) and the other with progressive familial quadriplegia (a severe physical disability). Their case studies aim to further language teachers' and program administrators' understanding of how learners with disabilities experience L2 learning. This article also aims to continue the professional discourse on considering alternative curricula as successful—and feasible—alternatives to requiring serial failure from students with disabilities.
The Effects of Integrated Language‐Based Instruction in Elementary ESL Learning
Authors: KIM YOUB
Published: September 2008

The purpose of this research study is to compare the effectiveness of 2 different instructional approaches to language instruction—integrated (oral plus written) versus oral‐only instruction—in developing oral language skills of young students learning English as a second language (ESL). Drawing upon 2 competing research perspectives on young ESL children's English language learning, this study examined the question “Does integrated, language‐based intervention lead to greater gains in the oral language development of focus ESL students than oral language‐based intervention?” The study participants were 2 beginning ESL students—one from Korea (Yun) and one from China (Yang)—enrolled in kindergarten in a multicultural school in a Midwestern state (student names are pseudonyms). Results from the 2 focus students' performances on multiple oral language assessment measures showed that integrated, language‐based intervention led to greater gains in the focus students' oral language development than did an exclusively oral language‐based intervention. Thus, the key instructional issue is not whether literacy should be used for beginning ESL students, but rather in what ways is literacy most effective in supporting ESL students' language and cognitive development.
Narrative and Identity in the “Language Learning Project”
Authors: COFFEY SIMON , STREET BRIAN
Published: September 2008

This article reports on a study that analysed life history accounts of language learning. The key aim of the study was to understand how the experience of language learning was discursively constructed through recourse to particular cultural worlds and narrative strategies. The study contributes to the growing field of research using language learning histories to extend our understanding of the learner as a social actor who derives and acts upon different identity positions that are institutionally and culturally situated but that are also dynamic and individually interpreted. Using the ethnographic concept of “figured worlds” (Holland, Lachiotte, Jr., Skinner, & Cain, 1998), we report here how participants—British adults who have learned a foreign language to a high level of proficiency—structure the “language learning project” through discursive representations of social structures meshed with personalised narratives of individual experience. By combining theoretical and methodological frames for narrative inquiry with an ethnographic perspective, we were able to identify a number of discursive worlds, both material and symbolic, that are figured into the autobiographical accounts. In the concluding discussion, we offer some possible directions for extending this type of investigation and also suggest some practical ways in which our analysis might enrich the teaching and learning of foreign languages.
Host location and parasitism of Brevicoryne brassicae in diversified broccoli cropping systems
Authors: Broad S. T. , Schellhorn N. A. , Lisson S. N. , Mendham N. J. , Corkrey R.
Published: September 2008

Host location is a crucial step in the life cycle of the cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae (L.) (Homoptera: Aphididae). Diversified cropping systems have the potential to inhibit or interfere with host location processes to reduce the severity of aphid outbreaks. We altered the vegetation mix of a broccoli [Brassica oleracea var. italica (Plenck) (Brassicaceae)] cropping system by substituting broccoli with strips of potatoes [Solanum tuberosum (L.) (Solanaceae)], planting broccoli into a cereal rye [Secale cereale (L.) (Poaceae)] cover crop, or both. The probability of aphid infestation was significantly reduced by the presence of the cover crop, whereas strips of potatoes slightly increased initial numbers. The effectiveness of the cover crop treatments was primarily due to fewer alate aphids initially colonizing broccoli plants. Aphid parasitism by Diaeretiella rapae (McIntosh) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) did not explain the observed differences in the number of aphid colonies present in each treatment.
Studies on feeding and trophallaxis in the subterranean termite Odontotermes formosanus using rubidium chloride
Authors: Huang Qiu‐Ying , Wang Wei‐Ping , Mo Rang‐Yu , Lei Chao‐Liang
Published: September 2008

Differences in feeding and trophallaxis among castes of the fungus‐cultivating higher subterranean termite Odontotermes formosanus Shiraki (Isoptera: Termitidae) were determined using rubidium (Rb) as a tracer. In the feeding study, workers and third instars fed directly on Rb‐treated filter paper and acquired the highest levels of Rb content. Although fifth and sixth instars obtained the Rb content over the marked level, the feeding ability of the caste was very poor. However, soldiers did not feed on Rb‐treated filter paper. In the trophallaxis study, worker, soldier, and fifth‐ and sixth‐instar recipients paired with Rb‐fed worker donors had a significantly higher Rb content than those paired with control donors. Results indicate that soldiers are completely dependent on workers for nutrition. Workers and fifth and sixth instars may obtain nutritional material from foraging workers. When third‐instar recipients were paired with Rb‐fed worker donors, they did not have a significantly higher Rb content than when they were paired with control donors, suggesting that the frequency of worker/third instar trophallaxis was very low. Transfer efficiency from the four trophallactic combinations ranged from 1.2 (worker donors to third‐instar recipients) to 12.9% (worker donors to soldier recipients). Accordingly, nutritional material from foraging workers could be transferred to non‐foraging workers, soldiers, and fifth and sixth instars by trophallaxis; however, third instars rarely obtain nutritional material from foraging workers, because they are capable of feeding within the nest.
Experimental gingivitis: reproducibility of plaque accumulation and gingival inflammation parameters in selected populations during a repeat trial
Authors: Trombelli Leonardo , Farina Roberto , Minenna Luigi , Carrieri Alberto , Scapoli Chiara , Tatakis Dimitris N.
Published: September 2008

Objectives: This study aimed to assess whether and to what extent the experimental gingivitis clinical parameters are reproducible within selected populations with different gingival inflammatory response (high or low) to plaque accumulation. In addition, the consistency in developing a high or low gingival inflammatory response within the selected populations was evaluated.

Material and Methods: Thirty‐seven subjects previously identified as high (HR, n=20) or low responders (LR, n=17) during an experimental gingivitis trial (first trial) were enrolled in a “repeat” experimental gingivitis trial.

Results: No significant differences in plaque accumulation parameters and bleeding index values were detected between first and repeat trial for the 37 participants. Gingival index was higher during the repeat trial but behaved consistently in terms of the temporal changes in the course of both trials in both populations. Of the 17 LR participants, 10 manifested low susceptibility to inflammation after repeat trial. Among the 20 HR, 10 manifested high susceptibility to inflammation after repeat trial.

Conclusions: These results indicate that our experimental gingivitis model is reproducible to some extent in selected populations. The high reproducibility of plaque and, to a lesser extent, of inflammation parameters under the employed controlled conditions could be a valuable tool in gingivitis research.
Detection of the nucleophosmin gene mutations in acute myelogenous leukemia through RT‐PCR and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis
Authors: Calvo Karina Lucrecia , Ojeda Mara Jorgelina , Ammatuna Emanuele , Lavorgna Serena , Ottone Tiziana , Targovnik Hector Manuel , Lo‐Coco Francesco , Noguera Nélida Inés
Published: September 2008

Objectives:  Mutations in the C‐terminal region of the nucleophosmin (NPM1) gene occur in approximately 60% of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cases with normal karyotype and represent the most common genetic lesion presently known in this disease. Because of their frequency and favorable impact on prognostic outcome, screening for this aberration is currently recommended in routine diagnostic characterization of AML. Several techniques enabling to detect NPM1 mutation have been reported, but all require sophisticated equipment, which represent an obstacle particularly in countries with limited resources.

Methods:  We designed an RT‐PCR strategy to amplify NPM1 exon 12 followed by electrophoresis and fragment visualization on polyacrylamide gels to discriminate a 4–5 bp size difference resulting from mutations in this gene. A hemi‐nested method was designed to increase sensitivity for the study of minimal residual disease (MRD).

Results:  The assay enabled specific detection of NPM1 mutations in 12/36 patients. A 10−2 sensitivity level was obtained using one amplification round, while the hemi‐nested PCR approach yielded a 10−5 sensitivity level, therefore proving useful to assess MRD in patients carrying the mutation. The results were independently validated in 24 AML cases by sequencing analysis.

Conclusions:  This simple and low‐cost assay may integrate diagnostic work‐up of AML and could be used for assessment of response to therapy in patients with NPM1 mutations.
Aberrant increase in the immature platelet fraction in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome: a marker of karyotypic abnormalities associated with poor prognosis
Authors: Sugimori Naomi , Kondo Yukio , Shibayama Masami , Omote Mika , Takami Akiyoshi , Sugimori Chiharu , Ishiyama Ken , Yamazaki Hirohito , Nakao Shinji
Published: September 2008

Objectives:  Some patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) show a marked increase in the percentage of immature platelet fraction (IPF%) despite the absence of severe thrombocytopenia. To determine the significance of such an unbalanced increase in the IPF%, we investigated the IPF% and other laboratory findings of 51 patients recently diagnosed with MDS.

Method:  Subjects consisted of 80 healthy males, 90 healthy females, and 51 patients with MDS and 20 patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). The IPF and IPF% were determined using a Sysmex XE‐2100 system loaded with IPF Master software (XE IPF Master, Sysmex). Platelet counts were measured simultaneously.

Results:  IPF% and platelet counts of these patients ranged from 1.1% to 25.1% (median, 5.3%) and from 6 to 260 × 109/L (median, 71 × 109/L), respectively. Twelve patients showed platelet counts more than 50 × 109/L with 10% or more IPF%. All of the 12 patients had chromosome abnormalities including monosomy 7 and complex abnormalities involving 7 or 5q. In the other 39 patients who did not show the aberrant IPF% increase, chromosomal abnormalities were seen only in seven patients and none of them had chromosome 7 abnormalities. The IPF% of two patients increased to more than 10% in association with the appearance of monosomy 7.

Conclusions:  These findings suggest that a high IPF% in MDS patient may be a marker for karyotypic abnormalities with a poor prognosis, including chromosome 7 abnormalities.
Four new cases of PHACES syndrome: variable phenotypic expression and endocrine features
Authors: Mussa Alessandro , Baldassarre Giuseppina , Rosaia De Santis Lucia , Gastaldi Roberto , Corrias Andrea , Silengo Margherita Cirillo
Published: September 2008

Aim: PHACES syndrome is a neurocutaneous condition characterized by the coexistence of large facial haemangiomas and at least one feature among posterior fossa malformations, cardiac and arterial anomalies, eye defects and sternal clefting. We review and discuss the phenotypes and the endocrine aspects of PHACES syndrome, hypothesizing that endocrine anomalies, although rare, could be considered as feature of the disease.

Methods: We described four new cases representative of the wide variable phenotype of this syndrome, commenting on the possible phenotypic expression.

Results: Two children displayed endocrine anomalies, sporadically described among PHACES subjects. One of them developed a transient hyperthyreotropinemia induced by interferon alpha‐2α treatment for a giant facial haemangioma, while the second presented with congenital hypothyroidism with an in situ thyroid gland, a trait previously unreported in the syndrome.

Conclusion: PHACES syndrome has a wide variable phenotypic expression and endocrine anomalies, especially hypothyroidism, may represent a trait of the syndrome and should be always investigated.
Chinese Management Research at a Crossroads: Some Philosophical Considerations
Authors: Tsang Eric W. K.
Published: September 2008

In this commentary, I discuss some philosophical issues related to contextualizing Chinese management research. First, it should be noted that contextualization can be interpreted in different ways by different philosophical perspectives. Second, the Duhem-Quine thesis implies that replications, in the form of empirical generalization, are an appropriate means of testing Western theories in a Chinese context. Third, owing to the difficulty of conclusively falsifying management theories, attempts to create theories that explain unique Chinese management phenomena may lead to theory proliferation and the perpetuation of weak, or even false, theories. Finally, I propose the study of empirical regularities as an alternative to the theory application and theory creation approaches.
Population Genetic Structure of the Medicinal Plant Vitex rotundifolia in China: Implications for its Use and Conservation
Authors: Hu Yuan , Zhu Yu , Zhang Qiao‐Yan , Xin Hai‐Liang , Qin Lu‐Ping , Lu Bao‐Rong , Rahman Khalid , Zheng Han‐Chen
Published: September 2008

Vitex rotundifolia L. is an important plant species used in traditional Chinese medicine. For its efficient use and conservation, genetic diversity and clonal variation of V. rotundifolia populations in China were investigated using inter‐simple sequence repeat markers. Fourteen natural populations were included to estimate genetic diversity, and a large population with 135 individuals was used to analyze clonal variation and fine‐scale spatial genetic structure. The overall genetic diversity (GD) of V. rotundifolia populations in China was moderate (GD = 0.190), with about 40% within‐population variation. Across all populations surveyed, the average within‐population diversity was moderate (P = 22.6%; GD = 0.086). A relatively high genetic differentiation (Gst = 0.587) among populations was detected based on the analysis of molecular variance data. Such characteristics of V. rotundifolia are likely attributed to its sexual/asexual reproduction and limited gene flow. The genotypic diversity (D = 0.992) was greater than the average values of a clonal plant, indicating its significant reproduction through seedlings. Spatial autocorrelation analysis showed a clear within‐population structure with gene clusters of approximately 20 m. Genetic diversity patterns of V. rotundifolia in China provide a useful guide for its efficient use and conservation by selecting particular populations displaying greater variation that may contain required medicinal compounds, and by sampling individuals in a population at >20 m spatial intervals to avoid collecting individuals with identical or similar genotypes.
Current Opinions on the Functions of Tocopherol Based on the Genetic Manipulation of Tocopherol Biosynthesis in Plants
Authors: Li Yin , Wang Zinan , Sun Xiaofen , Tang Kexuan
Published: September 2008

As a member of an important group of lipid soluble antioxidants, tocopherols play a paramount role in the daily diet of humans and animals. Recently, genes required for tocochromanol biosynthesis pathway have been identified and cloned with the help of genomics‐based approaches and molecular manipulation in the model organisms: Arabidopsis thaliana and Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. At the basis of these foundations, genetic manipulation of tocochromanol biosynthesis pathway can give rise to strategies that enhance the level of tocochromanol content or convert the constitution of tocochromanol. In addition, genetic manipulations of the tocochromanol biosynthesis pathway provide help for the study of the function of tocopherol in plant systems. The present article summarizes recent advances and pays special attention to the functions of tocopherol in plants. The roles of tocopherol in the network of reactive oxygen species, antioxidants and phytohormones to maintain redox homeostasis and the functions of tocopherol as a signal molecule in chloroplast‐to‐nucleus signaling to regulate carbohydrate metabolism are also discussed.
Spatial Patterns and Interspecific Associations of Three Canopy Species at Different Life Stages in a Subtropical Forest, China
Authors: Li Lin , Wei Shi‐Guang , Huang Zhong‐Liang , Ye Wan‐Hui , Cao Hong‐Lin
Published: September 2008

Spatial patterns of species at different life stages are an important aspect for understanding causal mechanisms that facilitate species co‐existence. Using Ripley's univariateL(t) and bivariateL12(t) functions, we analyzed the spatial patterns and interspecific associations of three canopy species at different life history stages in a 20‐ha subtropical forest plot in Dinghushan Nature Reserve. Based on diameter at breast height (DBH), four life stages were distinguished.Castanopsis chinensisandSchima superbashowed a unimodal DBH distribution.Engelhardtia roxburghianashowed a bimodal curve.L(t) function analysis showed significantly aggregated distributions of all three species at later life stages and random distribution at early life stages at some scales. From the analysis ofL12(t) function, the results showed the positive association was a dominant pattern for most species pairs at most scales but the intensity of association decreases with the increase of life stages. Juveniles of the three species had no negative intra‐ and interspecific associations with the older life stages. Only premature trees were suppressed by overmature trees at some scales. Considering these results, we found three canopy‐dominant species that lacked regeneration. There was no direct competition occurring between understorey individuals. Young trees can grow well under conspecific species with two other species. Longevity and lack of regeneration led to a large number of trees stored in mature and overmature stages, therefore, intra‐ and inter‐competition can be strong at later life stages.