bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chitotriosidase activity in plasma and mononuclear and polymorphonuclear leukocyte populations
Authors: Bouzas Lorena , Carlos Guinarte J. , Carlos Tutor J.
Published: November 2003

In the general population, about 5% of individuals are homozygotic and 35% are heterozygotic carriers for chitotriosidase (ChT) deficiency. Activated macrophages are considered to be the main source of plasma ChT activity, which permits the biochemical characterization of homozygote deficients. However, in the case of detecting heterozygotic carriers, the results are often inconclusive. The activities of ChT in plasma and mononuclear (MN) and polymorphonuclear (PMN) leukocytes were determined in 169 control subjects (72 males and 97 females) with a mean age (± SD) of 47.5±9.7 years (range 18–96 years). The specific enzyme activity was in PMN leukocytes >MN leukocytes >plasma, with a highly significant partial correlation being found between the activities of ChT in plasma and PMN leukocytes (r=0.578, P<0.001). A significant correlation was found between the age of the patients studied and plasma ChT activity (r=0.568, P<0.001). No significant correlation was found for enzyme activities in MN (r=0.105) or in PMN leukocytes (r=0.043). The results obtained suggest that, in normal physiological conditions, PMN leukocytes may secrete ChT to the plasma. Although the activities of ChT in MN and PMN leukocytes are not affected by demographic factors, it is not possible to use them for the biochemical detection of ChT‐deficient heterozygotic carriers. J. Clin. Lab. Anal. 17:271–275, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Neue Wirkstoffe und Therapiekonzepte: Behandlung von Bluthochdruck und Herzinsuffizienz
Authors: Schäfer Stefan , Busch Andreas E.
Published: November 2003

Trotz erheblicher Fortschritte in der medikamentösen Therapie des Bluthochdrucks und der Herzinsuffizienz ist die mit diesen Erkrankungen verbundene Morbidität und Mortalität weiter hoch. Es gibt eine Vielzahl von innovativen Therapieansätzen, die sich in verschiedenen Stadien der klinischen Entwicklung befinden. Auffällig ist der enttäuschende Ausgang der jüngsten Studien mit Therapieprinzipien, die eine additive Hemmung der neuroendokrinen Aktivierung zusätzlich zu den etablierten Therapieoptionen zum Ziel haben. Die fehlende zusätzliche Wirksamkeit dieser neuen Substanzen hat zu der Hypothese geführt, dass die neuroendokrine Hemmung bei der Herzinsuffizienz bereits heute zu einem praktisch maximalen Therapieeffekt führt, der nicht weiter steigerbar ist, zumal mit jeder zusätzlichen Substanz eine weitere Senkung des Blutdrucks verbunden ist. Auch wenn diese Hypothese derzeit nicht als gesichert gelten kann, so scheinen doch diejenigen innovativen Therapieprinzipien einen besonderen Reiz zu haben, die außerhalb der neuroendokrinen Aktivierung angreifen und möglichst blutdruckneutral wirken.
Gefährdet Johanniskraut den Erfolg von Chemotherapie?
Authors: Schmitt Johanna
Published: November 2003

Johanniskraut (Hypericum perforatumL.) verschlechtert möglicherweise die Wirksamkeit des Chemotherapeutikums Irinotecan. Hinweise darauf ergab eine kürzlich veröffentlichte [1] kleine Studie mit fünf Krebspatienten.
Dem Wirkungsmechanismus Organischer Nitrate auf der Spur
Authors: Götz Regina
Published: November 2003

Organische Nitrate werden zur Therapie von Angina Pectoris, Myokardinfarkt und Herzinsuffizienz eingesetzt. Die kardiovaskulär protektiven Effekte der Nitrate werden dem Metaboliten Stickstoffmonoxid zugeschrieben. Wie Stickstoffmonoxid aus den Nitraten freigesetzt wird, war bislang aber nicht bekannt. Wissenschaftler in den USA sind nun dem Mechanismus der Nitratmetabolisierung auf die Spur gekommen.
Editorial
Authors: Nerdinger Friedemann W.
Published: November 2003

Zusammenfassung. Die Erforschung des Zusammenhangs zwischen Mitarbeiter- und Kundenzufriedenheit hat im Dienstleistungsbereich besondere Bedeutung, da über die Verbesserung der Mitarbeiterzufriedenheit positive Auswirkungen auf die Bindung der Kunden und den geschäftlichen Erfolg erwartet werden. Eine Vielzahl von Studien hat auf aggregiertem Niveau ganzer Geschäftseinheiten und ihrer Kunden eine positive Korrelation zwischen diesen beiden Einstellungsgrößen ermittelt, wobei die Frage der Kausalität noch nicht eindeutig geklärt ist. Auch die theoretische Erklärung der vermittelnden Prozesse ist noch unbefriedigend. Die in diesem Heft zusammengestellten Artikel untersuchen die Bedingungen des Zusammenhangs.
Organisationale und persönliche Dienstleistungsorientierung und das Konzept des kundenorientierten Handlungsspielraums
Authors: Dormann Christian , Spethmann Kerstin , Weser Dieter , Zapf Dieter
Published: November 2003

Zusammenfassung. Dienstleistungsorientierung (DLO) lässt sich sowohl auf organisationaler Ebene als auch auf der persönlichen Ebene der Mitarbeiter einer Organisation konzeptualisieren. Die organisationale DLO und deren Ursachen lassen sich mithilfe eines von Schneider et al. (1998) entwickelten multidimensionalen Messinstruments erfassen. Dieses Instrument haben wir übersetzt und anhand einer Stichprobe von 351 Arzthelferinnen aus 106 Arztpraxen eingesetzt. Darüber hinaus haben wir zur Messung der persönlichen DLO ein eigenes Instrument entwickelt. Die von Schneider et al. vorgeschlagenen Dienstleistungsgrundlagen wurden durch Einführung des Konzepts des kundenorientierten Handlungsspielraums um eine wichtige Komponente erweitert. Die psychometrischen Eigenschaften der eingesetzten Instrumente erwiesen sich i.d.R. als sehr gut. Die persönliche DLO teilt sich in einen Faktor der DL-Orientierung und des DL-Einsatzes auf. Die organisationale DLO wird erwartungsgemäß durch die DL-Grundlagen vorhergesagt. Der kundenorientierte Handlungsspielraum klärt darüber hinaus sowohl bei der organisationalen als auch bei der persönlichen DLO weitere Varianz auf. Ebenso erweist sich der kundenorientierte Handlungsspielraum als eine wichtige Ursache der Mitarbeiterzufriedenheit. Daraus ergibt sich eine zentrale Funktion des kundenorientierten Handlungsspielraums für die simultane Berücksichtigung von Mitarbeiter- und Kundeninteressen.
Mitarbeiter- und Klientenorientierung im Gesundheitswesen
Authors: Büssing André , Glaser Jürgen
Published: November 2003

Zusammenfassung. Vor dem Hintergrund bekannter Qualitätsmanagementmodelle wird der Ansatz der Mitarbeiter- und Klientenorientierung vorgestellt und begründet. Mit dem Ansatz wird versucht, einige konzeptuelle und methodische Defizite von Qualitätsmodellen (wie dem Exzellenz-Modell der EFQM) in der Anwendung auf das Gesundheitswesen zu überwinden. Es wird den Spezifika von Gesundheitsdienstleistung Rechnung getragen, indem Facetten einer vollständigen Gesundheitsdienstleistung wie ganzheitliche Behandlung/Pflege aus Sicht von Mitarbeitern und Klienten mithilfe aufeinander abgestimmter, bewährter Methoden erfasst werden. Die Notwendigkeit einer Ergänzung um die Perspektive der Angehörigen wird begründet.
Deep soil temperature as proxy for surface air‐temperature in a coupled model simulation of the last thousand years
Authors: González‐Rouco F. , von Storch H. , Zorita E.
Published: November 2003

The relationship between terrestrial deep soil temperature (TDST) and surface temperature (SAT) at interannual and centennial timescales has been investigated in a simulation of the last millennium with a three‐dimensional climate model driven by estimations of historical external forcing. TDST is loosely related to borehole temperature profiles, which have been recently used to reconstruct long term temperature trends in the last centuries. Recently, questions about the validity of boreholes‐based reconstructions have been raised. In the simulation, at interannual time scales the connection between TDST and SAT is stable, being stronger in the summer half year than in the winter half year. At long timescales, annual TDSL is a good proxy for annual SAT, and their variations are almost indistinguishable from each other. Both TDSL and terrestrial SAT overestimate the variations of global mean SAT. This may be a source for the disagreement between statistical reconstructions of global SAT and terrestrial borehole measurements.
Sound velocities of iron‐nickel and iron‐silicon alloys at high pressures
Authors: Lin Jung‐Fu , Struzhkin Viktor V. , Sturhahn Wolfgang , Huang Eugene , Zhao Jiyong , Hu Michael Y. , Alp Ercan E. , Mao Ho‐kwang , Boctor Nabil , Hemley Russell J.
Published: November 2003

Understanding the alloying effects of nickel and light element(s) on the physical properties of iron under core conditions is crucial for interpreting and constraining geophysical and geochemical models. We have studied two alloys, Fe0.92Ni0.08 and Fe0.85Si0.15, with nuclear resonant inelastic x‐ray scattering up to 106 GPa and 70 GPa, respectively. The sound velocities of the alloys are obtained from the measured partial phonon density of states for 57Fe incorporated in the alloys. Addition of Ni slightly decreases the compression wave velocity and shear wave velocity of Fe under high pressures. Silicon alloyed with Fe increases the compressional wave velocity and shear wave velocity under high pressures, which provides a better match to seismological data of the Earth's core.
Polarized expression of members of the solute carrier SLC19A gene family of water-soluble multivitamin transporters: implications for physiological function
Authors: BOULWARE Michael J. , SUBRAMANIAN Veedamali S. , SAID Hamid M. , MARCHANT Jonathan S.
Published: November 2003

Humans lack biochemical pathways for the synthesis of the micro-nutrients thiamine and folate. Cellular requirements are met through membrane transport activity, which is mediated by proteins of the SLC19A gene family. By using live-cell confocal imaging methods to resolve the localization of all SLC19A family members, we show that the two human thiamine transporters are differentially targeted in polarized cells, establishing a vectorial transport system. Such polarization decreases functional redundancy between transporter isoforms and allows for independent regulation of thiamine import and export pathways in cells.
A perspective of polyamine metabolism
Authors: WALLACE Heather M. , FRASER Alison V. , HUGHES Alun
Published: November 2003

Polyamines are essential for the growth and function of normal cells. They interact with various macromolecules, both electrostatically and covalently and, as a consequence, have a variety of cellular effects. The complexity of polyamine metabolism and the multitude of compensatory mechanisms that are invoked to maintain polyamine homoeostasis argue that these amines are critical to cell survival. The regulation of polyamine content within cells occurs at several levels, including transcription and translation. In addition, novel features such as the +1 frameshift required for antizyme production and the rapid turnover of several of the enzymes involved in the pathway make the regulation of polyamine metabolism a fascinating subject. The link between polyamine content and human disease is unequivocal, and significant success has been obtained in the treatment of a number of parasitic infections. Targeting the polyamine pathway as a means of treating cancer has met with limited success, although the development of drugs such as DFMO (α-difluoromethylornithine), a rationally designed anticancer agent, has revolutionized our understanding of polyamine function in cell growth and provided ‘proof of concept’ that influencing polyamine metabolism and content within tumour cells will prevent tumour growth. The more recent development of the polyamine analogues has been pivotal in advancing our understanding of the necessity to deplete all three polyamines to induce apoptosis in tumour cells. The current thinking is that the polyamine inhibitors/analogues may also be useful agents in the chemoprevention of cancer and, in this area, we may yet see a revival of DFMO. The future will be in adopting a functional genomics approach to identifying polyamine-regulated genes linked to either carcinogenesis or apoptosis.
Correlating IgE reactivity with three-dimensional structure
Authors: CRAMERI Reto
Published: November 2003

This Commentary discusses the work of Neudecker et al. in this issue of the Biochemical Journal in which site-directed mutagenesis and NMR spectroscopy have been used to analyse in detail the IgE-binding capacity of two cross-reactive allergens: Apg1.0101 from celery (Apium graveolens) and Pru av 1 from cherry (Prunus avium), which are both members of the pathogenesis-related allergen family. The study, showing that the IgE-binding epitopes are highly patient specific, will have a profound impact on our understanding of conformational IgE-binding epitopes, raising serious questions about the therapeutic usefulness of conventional site-directed-mutagenic approaches for the production of hypo-allergenic protein variants.
Arnold tongues in human cardiorespiratory systems
Authors: McGuinness Mark , Hong Young , Galletly Duncan , Larsen Peter
Published: November 2003

Arnold tongues are phase-locking regions in parameter space, originally studied in circle-map models of cardiac arrhythmias. They show where a periodic system responds by synchronizing to an external stimulus. Clinical studies of resting or anesthetized patients exhibit synchronization between heart-beats and respiration. Here we show that these results are successfully modeled by a circle-map, neatly combining the phenomena of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA, where inspiration modulates heart-rate) and cardioventilatory coupling (CVC, where the heart is a pacemaker for respiration). Examination of the Arnold tongues reveals that while RSA can cause synchronization, the strongest mechanism for synchronization is CVC, so that the heart is acting as a pacemaker for respiration.
Simulation of topological chaos in laminar flows
Authors: Vikhansky A.
Published: November 2003

In the present study the immersed boundary method is used for numerical simulation of Stokes-flow mixing driven by stirrers moving in a such way that trajectories of the stirrers form a “braid” in the augmented phase space. It is demonstrated that topologically more complex flow can be a more effective blender than its topologically simpler counterpart with the same energy dissipation rate. Positions of elliptic periodic points are detected and it is demonstrated that the total area of unmixed islands is negligible in comparison with the area of the cavity. Matrix representation of a mixing protocol provides a good estimation for the stretching rate.
Convex dynamics: Unavoidable difficulties in bounding some greedy algorithms
Authors: Nowicki Tomasz , Tresser Charles
Published: November 2003

A greedy algorithm for scheduling and digital printing with inputs in a convex polytope, and vertices of this polytope as successive outputs, has recently been proven to be bounded for any convex polytope in any dimension. This boundedness property follows readily from the existence of some invariant region for a dynamical system equivalent to the algorithm, which is what one proves. While the proof, and some constructions of invariant regions that can be made to depend on a single parameter, are reasonably simple for convex polygons in the plane, the proof of boundedness gets quite complicated in dimension three and above. We show here that such complexity is somehow justified by proving that the most natural generalization of the construction that works for polygons does not work in any dimension above two, even if we allow for as many parameters as there are faces. We first prove that some polytopes in dimension greater than two admit no invariant region to which they are combinatorially equivalent. We then modify these examples to get polytopes such that no invariant region can be obtained by pushing out the borders of the half spaces that intersect to form the polytope. We also show that another mechanism prevents some simplices (the simplest polytopes in any dimension) from admitting invariant regions to which they would be similar. By contrast in dimension two, one can always get an invariant region by pushing these borders far enough in some correlated way; for instance, pushing all borders by the same distance builds an invariant region for any polygon if the push is at a distance big enough for that polygon. To motivate the examples that we provide, we discuss briefly the bifurcations of polyhedra associated with pushing half spaces in parallel to themselves. In dimension three, the elementary codimension one bifurcation resembles the unfolding of the elementary degenerate singularity for codimension one foliations on surfaces. As the subject of this paper is new for the communities most interested in Chaos, we take some care in describing various links of our problem to classical issues (in particular linked to Diophantine approximation) as well as to various technological or commercial issues, exemplified, respectively, by digital printing and a problem in scheduling.
Relationships among taxa of Elymus (Poaceae: Triticeae) in Australia: reproductive biology
Authors: Murphy Michelle A.
Published: November 2003

Nomenclatural and taxonomic problems are common among members of the tribe Triticeae and in particular the genus Elymus L. For the Australian representatives of this genus, confusion surrounds the number of taxa present, and which literature belongs to which 'taxon'. The literature indicates at least four major taxa: (1) long-awned forms of E. scaber var. scaber equated to E. rectisetus, (2) shorter-awned forms of E. scaber var. scaber, (3) the very short-awned E. multiflorus and (4) E. scaber var. plurinervis. In addition, a form intermediate between the long- and short-awned forms of E. scaber, as well as populations containing polymorphic forms have been reported. A recent taxonomic treatment of the species complex identified a fifth taxon, E. sp. A. This taxon has previously been identified as E. scaber or E. multiflorus. The current study examined 500 pistils from megaspore mother cell to mature embryo sac, somatic and haploid chromosome numbers, and seed set of nine populations of E. scaber var. scaber sensu lato (common wheatgrass). They included forms equating to E. rectisetus, E. scaber and E. sp. A, a population with intermediate characteristics, and three polymorphic populations. Taxon (1) above is apomictic; taxon (2) contains two entities, one a facultative apomict encompassing the intermediate and polymorphic populations, and the other, the sexual E. sp. A. Exclusive sexuality was also confirmed for material of (3) and (4).
Cylindrosympodium cryptocaryae sp. nov. (anamorphic fungi), with keys to the described species and to similar genera
Authors: Paulus Barbara C. , Gadek Paul A. , Hyde Kevin D.
Published: November 2003

Cylindrosympodium cryptocaryae, sp. nov. is described from decaying leaves of Cryptocarya mackinnoniana F. Muell. collected in north Queensland and from axenic culture. Keys to several similar genera and to the seven species of Cylindrosympodium are provided.
Differences in renal and alimentary water conservation account for differences in the distribution of tammar and parma wallabies on Kawau Island, New Zealand
Authors: Lentle R. G. , Hume I. D. , Stafford K. J. , Kennedy M. , Springett B. P. , Haslett S.
Published: November 2003

Surveys of two wallaby species on Kawau Island, New Zealand, indicated that their distribution was stable so as to permit niche partitioning. Multivariate analysis of environmental factors associated with the relative distribution of tammar and parma wallabies suggested that their distribution may be influenced by the availability of fresh water. Tammar wallabies have greater renal size, mass and relative medullary area than parma wallabies and thus may have greater renal water-conserving capabilities. The tammar colon is significantly longer than that of the parma wallaby and the water content of distal digesta is lower in tammar than in parma wallabies, indicating that the former species may also have greater colonic water-resorption capabilities. A laboratory comparison of the water consumption of tammar and parma wallabies showed that the former drink significantly less than the latter.The superior ability of tammar wallabies to colonise drier areas may have contributed to their survival in the presence of the closely related parma wallaby.
Land-use Planning and the Housing Market: A Comparative Review of the UK and the USA
Authors: White Michael , Allmendinger Philip
Published: November 2003

This paper provides a review of some of the key articles and research examining the relationship between planning regulation and its impact on the housing market in the UK and the US. In both countries, demographic change coupled with economic growth has increased demand for housing units and in the UK, over 4 million new units are estimated to be needed by 2016. Given these pressures, the interaction of the planning system and the housing market is critical. The articles reviewed below mainly adopt a mainstream economics approach to modelling the impact of planning on housing markets. They are concerned with outcomes. An additional or alternative approach is provided by behavioural analyses of the relationship between planning and housing development. These enable the more complex interactions to come to light. This paper indicates the differences that exist between the UK and US planning approaches; however, in both countries, planning constraints are seen to raise price, reduce supply, increase density and, in the UK at least, reduce choice. However, planning is also seen to provide certainty and reduce risk. Of key interest is the price elasticity of supply of housing. Post-war estimates suggest a value for the long-run elasticity to be between 0 and 1 for the UK, and 6 to 13 for the US.
Educational differences in self-perceptions of adolescents in Northern Ireland
Authors: Mcclenahan Carol , Irwing Paul , Stringer Maurice , Giles Melanie , Wilson Ronnie
Published: November 2003

Self-perceptions of children from the integrated school sector in Northern Ireland were compared with those of children attending religiously segregated schools. In a cross-sectional study, the self-perceptions of 546 boys and girls aged 11–13 years and 14–15 years, at two integrated comprehensive and five segregated post-primary schools in Northern Ireland, were measured using the Self-Perception Profile for Children (Harter, 1985). The results of a School Type (2) Year Group (3) Gender (2) Religion (2) MANCOVA, controlling for social class and ethos of schools, demonstrated a significant main effect for school type, with significant univariate effects favouring those at the integrated schools in the domains of physical appearance ( p 5 .01), social acceptance ( p 5 .01) global self-worth ( p 5 .05), and athletic competence ( p 5 .05). No evidence of a School Type Year Group interaction suggests that these differences existed on entrance to the two types of school. A main effect for gender, favouring boys in physical appearance ( p 5 .001), athletic competence ( p 5 .05), and global self-worth ( p 5 .05), and girls on behavioural conduct ( p 5.001), supported previous studies. Meanwhile, a post hoc analysis on the only significant interaction effect, for School Type Religion, showed that Catholic adolescents from the integrated sector perceived themselves to be significantly more scholastically competent than those from the segregated sector ( p 5 .05). To further assess the development and stability of self-esteem among these adolescents, a long-term longitudinal study is indicated.
Testing theories of romantic development from adolescence to young adulthood: Evidence of a developmental sequence
Authors: Seiffge-Krenke Inge
Published: November 2003

In an 8-year prospective study conducted on 103 subjects, the developmental sequence of and the factors contributing to a bonded romantic outcome in young adulthood were investigated. The subjects’ self-concepts and their relationships with mothers, fathers, and same-sex friends were assessed at the ages of 13, 15, and 17 years. Having a romantic partner and the quality of relationships with romantic partners were assessed at ages 13, 15, 17, and 21 years. Evidence was found for a developmental sequence in romance with respect to differences in the quality and duration of romantic relationships over time. Factor analysis revealed that at age 21, bonded romantic love emerged as a romantic outcome. Two models of romantic relationship development, varying in complexity, were tested. The results revealed that support from parents, friends, and romantic partners as well as self-concept contributed differently to the prediction of bonded love at age 21. Regression analyses revealed that at age of 13, during the initiation phase, the self-concept contributed significantly to the prediction of bonded love in young adulthood. Similarly, during the affection phase, at age 17, the quality of the relationship with the romantic partner was predictive of bonded love in early adulthood. The results were less clear at age 15, during the status phase. In addition, it was found that the importance of the romantic partner as support provider increased as the relationship developed. Contrary to expectations, peer support was found to be important only during later stages of romantic development.
Predictors of academic performance during early adolescence: A contextual view
Authors: Mullis Ronald L. , Rathge Richard , Mullis Ann K.
Published: November 2003

Utilising the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS: 88), this study examined some of the frequently used indicators of social capital and resource capital as predictors of academic performance of 24,599 middle school adolescents (12,111 males and 12,244 females) ranging in age from 13–16 years. Sixty-eight per cent were White, 12.2% were Black, and 12.9% were Hispanic. The participants were drawn from a stratified national sample of over 1000 public and private schools in the United States. Data from NELS: 88 were analysed using indicators of social capital and resource capital. Preliminarily modelling indicated the need to separate social capital into two components: parental networks and student networks. Resource capital, including parent education, parent income, and educational items in the home, was most predictive of academic performance. In addition, student reported misbehaviour (behaviour) in school was included as a mediating variable. The findings indicated that both indicators of social capital were not strong contributors to academic performance among adolescents. Resource capital indicators were found to be stronger contributors to academic performance. The context variable (hypothesised as a mediator variable) of student misbehaviour in school was found to be the best predictor of academic performance. The results are discussed in relation to social capital theory and future research of viable predictors of academic performance among adolescents.
Monty Python and the Mathnavī: The Parrot in Indian, Persian and English Humor
Authors: Perry John R.
Published: November 2003

Cultural diffusion of a partially non-literate kind is intrinsically hard to demonstrate and document. The poles between which cultural currents flow across geographical space are not the simple loci of “high” and “low” cultures or of superordinate and subordinate civilizations. Aspects of elite culture trickle down, features of vernacular culture bubble up, to confound and subvert the orderly progression of literary and religious history beloved of conventional scholarship. And, of course, the key occasions of transfer are usually absent from the record.

One such current that is, however, sufficiently documented in general and specific terms to be accepted nem. con. as truly remarkable in volume, longevity and global efficacy is the overwhelmingly one-way traffic of seminal commodities, artifacts and ideas that flowed westward from the South Asian subcontinent between at least 300 B.C.E. and 1400 C.E. Along this stream, from the Punjab via the Iranian plateau and adjacent waterways to Mesopotamia, Syria, the Mediterranean and western Europe, were borne the Gypsies, the game of chess, the mathematical concept of zero and the notation with which to use it, the literary device of the Frame Story, and a flood of stories to stock it.
The impact of methadone treatment on registered convictions and arrests in HIV‐positive and HIV‐negative men and women with one or more treatment periods
Authors: STENBACKA MARLENE , LEIFMAN ANDERS , ROMELSJÖ ANDERS
Published: November 2003

This study investigates criminality among 331 opiate abusers admitted to Stockholm's methadone maintenance programme (SMMP) between 1988 and 1992, and a comparison group of 1483 untreated opiate abusers. Information on arrests, criminal convictions, and intravenous drug abuse was obtained from official records. For both genders the annual rate of convictions decreased from 2.2 convictions per year during the 4 years prior to the first treatment, to 0.5 convictions during treatment, compared to 2.0 convictions for the comparison group. There was an even greater decrease in the rate of arrests for patients on methadone treatment. The decline was observed for both genders and in both HIV‐positive and HIV‐negative patients. Rates of convictions among patients who had more than one treatment period were clearly reduced during each treatment period, and while the rate increased after they were expelled from treatment it remained at a lower level than during the 4 years prior to treatment. Thus, the methadone treatment is shown to have a profound positive effect on arrests and convictions, not only for patients remaining in treatment but also for those patients who were expelled from treatment involuntarily.
Family functioning, alcohol expectancies and alcohol‐related problems in a remote Aboriginal Australian community: a preliminary psychometric validation study
Authors: KOWALYSZYN MARUSIA , KELLY DRIAN B.
Published: November 2003

While a large proportion of Aboriginal Australians do not consume alcohol, those who do frequently show severe alcohol problems, and alcohol problems are associated with family conflict and violence. The aims were to examine the internal coherence and reliability of measures of family and alcohol measures for indigenous Australians in remote communities. This study involved 99 indigenous people from a remote North Queensland community. Questions were drawn from established questionnaires and administered verbally. Principle components factor analysis revealed three coherent and reliable measures of family conflict, independence, and cohesion. Expectancies of affective change had sound internal reliability for drinkers, and covaried with alcohol problems in the expected direction. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test had two distinct factors relating to consumption and problems, but quantity/frequency measures may have limited reliability due to the common practice among drinkers of sharing alcohol. These measures should facilitate the detection and initial assessment of alcohol and family problems, and may be useful for evaluating change in future interventions that target family and alcohol problems.
Smoking intervention within alcohol and other drug treatment services: a selective review with suggestions for practical management
Authors: BOWMAN JENNIFER A. , WALSH RAOUL A.
Published: November 2003

This selective review was undertaken in order to highlight the need for alcohol and other drug treatment services to provide intervention for tobacco smoking to their clients. The reasons for the failure of treatment services to date to deal with nicotine addiction within their programmes are discussed and positive suggestions for change are proferred. In addition to the transformation of institutional culture which will be required, managers and staff of alcohol and other drug agencies need to know how best to implement smoking intervention within the treatment setting. The paper concludes with some practical suggestions for the management of intervention for tobacco smoking within treatment settings. These suggestions include: making decisions and formulating policies and procedures with regard to how tobacco smoking will be addressed; considering the particular physical, psychological and social/environmental factors that apply to substance abuse clients; building intervention around a simple structure such as the ‘5 A's’; encouraging and facilitating the use of nicotine replacement therapies; and allowing flexibility to tailor intervention to the individual. A great deal of further research is required to inform us as to how to intervene most effectively for tobacco smoking among this population group.
Problematic alcohol and cannabis use in adolescence—risk of serious adult substance abuse?
Authors: STENBACKA MARLENE
Published: November 2003

The aim of this longitudinal study was to investigate the problematic use of alcohol, cannabis or both in adolescence, identifying various risk factors for adult alcohol and drug abuse. The study included 7577 18‐year‐old men conscripted in 1969‐70. At enrolment, they completed two questionnaires about alcohol and drug use, social background, behavioural factors and health conditions. Data on adult alcohol and substance abuse were obtained from official registers up to 1996. A combination of problematic alcohol use and cannabis use in adolescence (> 10 times) was associated more strongly with both adult alcohol abuse (RR =6.56, 95% CI 4.24–9.83) and drug abuse (RR =19.37, 95% CI 11.16–32.30) than adolescent use of cannabis or alcohol alone. When stratifying for different risk factors, the combination of both problematic alcohol use and cannabis use had higher relative risks of both outcomes than alcohol or cannabis use alone. In multivariate analyses, tobacco smoking was associated most strongly (RR = 2.26, 1.58–3.24) with adult alcohol abuse, and a combination of problematic alcohol use and cannabis use (< 10 times) in adolescence was associated most strongly with adult drug abuse (RR = 5.60, 95% CI 2.92–10.75). Adolescent use of both cannabis and alcohol seems to be a more serious problem than adolescent use of either alcohol or cannabis alone with regard to escalation to adult alcohol and drug abuse. This is important knowledge for prevention of adult abuse. Special effort should be made to reach those who mix risky alcohol use and cannabis use in late adolescence.
Improving family functioning and child outcome in methadone maintained families: the Parents Under Pressure programme
Authors: DAWE SHARON , HARNETT PAUL H. , RENDALLS VANESSA , STAIGER PETRA
Published: November 2003

Twelve families responded to posters displayed in a methadone clinic for inclusion in a pilot study assessing the viability and potential utility of an intensive, multi‐component family‐focused intervention, the Parents Under Pressure programme. The programme was designed to improve child behaviour, decrease parental stress and improve family functioning in methadone‐maintained families by targeting affect regulation, mood, views of self as a parent, drug use and parenting skills. Nine of the families completed the programme delivered in their homes; eight were recontacted at 3 months. Each family reported significant improvements in three domains: parental functioning, parent — child relationship and parental substance use and risk behaviour. In addition to the changes in family functioning, the majority of families reported a decrease in concurrent alcohol use, HIV risk‐taking behaviour and maintenance dose of methadone. The families reported high levels of satisfaction with the programme. It is recommended that future studies include independent measures (e.g. behavioural observations) of child outcome and parental functioning. The results were optimistic and provided the impetus to evaluate the treatment programme using a randomized controlled trial.
Update: comparison of drug use in Australia and the United States as seen in the 2001 National Household Surveys
Authors: MAXWELL JANE CARLISLE
Published: November 2003

This paper updates an earlier article by comparing the results of the 1998 and 2001 household surveys. The Australian survey showed a significant decrease in past‐year use of “any illicit drug”. The methodological changes in the US surveys prevented comparison for these years, but there were increases in use of any illicit drug between 2000 and 2001. Patterns of use of marijuana, stimulants, cocaine, ecstasy, heroin and needles are shown by age group and gender. Use by teenage girls in both countries has risen to the point that they are now using alcohol and some drugs at rates similar to boys. Over 20% of teens in both countries reported binge drinking in the past month. While Australians in their 20s had the highest rates of lifetime and past‐year use, in the United States, depending on the drug, lifetime use was highest among people in their 30s or 40s, with past‐year use highest among teenagers. Drug treatment services are needed not only for young people, but also for aging users. The changes in perceptions of risk from use of various drugs and availability of these drugs are related to changes in prevalence rates.
The Aging of an Economist
Authors: Colander David
Published: November 2003

It has been almost fifteen years since Arjo Klamer and I published “The Making of an Economist” (1987), which described the graduate school experience of economics students at six top graduate schools. The students who responded to that survey are now in their late thirties and early forties, and hence are in the prime of their careers. This paper follows up on our earlier study; it reports the results of a survey that was sent to those respondents who voluntarily listed their names on the previous survey and said that they would be open to further contact. It is meant to capture the respondents' reflective views of the profession and their graduate school experience, along with how they have changed over the past fifteen years. To encourage participation, the survey was relatively short. To facilitate comparisons, it repeated a number of the questions asked in the previous survey. (Appendix A reproduces the survey.)
Activated α4 Integrins are Preferentially Expressed on Immature Thymocytes and Activated T Cells
Authors: Shu Fengyu , Holzmann Bernhard , Seibold Frank , Erle David , Kearney John F.
Published: November 2003

We have identified a novel mAb, SG31, which recognizes the mouse integrin α4 subunit. Unlike the epitopes recognized by other anti‐α4 antibodies, the SG31 epitope is expressed on subpopulations of thymocytes and peripheral T cells. After manganese ion, but not phorbol myristic acetate activation, the epitope is induced and expressed on the majority of peripheral T cells. These data suggest that the SG31 epitope is an activation epitope and that manganese ions activate α4 integrins by inducing a conformational change. Comparative flow cytometric analyses showed that the SG31 epitope as well as the epitope detected by other anti‐α4 antibodies is expressed on all B lineage cells. In the T lineage, expression of the α4 integrins is down‐regulated during thymocyte development. Although mature thymocytes still express the α4 integrins, they lose almost entirely the activation epitope recognized by SG31. In contrast, the most immature thymocytes express high levels of this epitope. In the periphery, SG31 epitope is expressed mostly by activated T cells, in contrast to the overall population of T cells that express the α4 integrins at homogenous levels. These results suggest that the activation of the α4 integrins is parallel to that of T cells.
Differential Regulation of Mouse B Cell Development by Transforming Growth Factor β1
Authors: Kaminski Denise A. , Letterio John J. , Burrows Peter D.
Published: November 2003

Transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) can inhibit the in vitro proliferation, survival and differentiation of B cell progenitors, mature B lymphocytes and plasma cells. Here we demonstrate unexpected, age‐dependent reductions in the bone marrow (BM) B cell progenitors and immature B cells in TGFβ1-/- mice. To evaluate TGFβ responsiveness during normal B lineage development, cells were cultured in interleukin 7 (IL7)±TGFβ. Picomolar doses of TGFβ1 reduced pro‐B cell recoveries at every timepoint. By contrast, the pre‐B cells were initially reduced in number, but subsequently increased compared to IL7 alone, resulting in a 4‐fold increase in the growth rate for the pre‐B cell population. Analysis of purified BM sub‐populations indicated that pro‐B cells and the earliest BP1- pre‐B cells were sensitive to the inhibitory effects of TGFβ1. However, the large BP1+ pre‐B cells, although initially reduced, were increased in number at days 5 and 7 of culture. These results indicate that TGFβ1 is important for normal B cell development in vivo, and that B cell progenitors are differentially affected by the cytokine according to their stage of differentiation.
Geographical knowledge and scientific survey in the construction of Italian Libya
Authors: Atkinson David
Published: November 2003

Studies of colonialism and imperial cultures have increasingly recognized the roles of geographical knowledges in European efforts to construct the colonial world materially and imaginatively. Simultaneously, the discipline of geography has undergone a thorough self-critique of its part in the constitution of colonial space. This article discusses the imbrication of geographical knowledges and colonialism in Italy, and especially how the production and circulation of geographical knowledges about Libya worked hand in hand with its territorial occupation and control. In particular, the article discusses the expeditions directed and co-ordinated by the Italian Geographical Society that were despatched into the Saharan interior in the early 1930s to produce ‘scientific’ representations of the region. The article examines the roles of geographical sciences in the construction of Italian Libya, but particularly how this performance of ‘colonial science’ surveyed Libya's populations and contributed to their classification as ‘primitive’ and ‘Other'. These conclusions supported Italian authority in the region, but also reinforced the development of a ‘colonial consciousness’ among Italians as African space and peoples were rendered legible by European epistemologies.
Adwa: from monument to document
Authors: Triulzi Alessandro
Published: November 2003

To the Italian historian the Battle of Adwa in March 1896 has offered a field of interpretation which has been heavily marked by the events that occurred between (and within) the two countries—Ethiopia and Italy—before and after the battle. Adwa has been variously depicted by Italian historiography of the liberal period as a major military defeat, a political mistake by Crispi's expansionist government and the result of deep contrasts within the newly born state over the ‘colonial burden'. Fascist historiography painted Adwa as proof of liberal decay and political inefficiency. Adwa's name could be avenged only in the battlefield, which was done during Mussolini's invasion of Ethiopia in 1935-36. From the Ethiopian point of view, Adwa's image changes no less. Until recently, the Battle of Adwa was painted as the landmark for Ethiopian unification and independence during the colonial era. Menelik's momentous victory at Adwa crowned his bid for power in the national arena, while his successful ability to stave off external colonial pressure appeared to cancel, or rather conceal, the internal policy of expansion and consolidation of his country's rule in the region. Today's insistence on Adwa as an African victory appears to be the dominant historiographical representation. The different interpretations all contain elements of truth, yet all, if frozen into historiographical truths, become embarrassing to the historian who needs documents, rather than monuments, as tools of analysis. To many historians both in Italy and Ethiopia, Adwa's respective symbolism of victory/defeat has been transformed into an icon, an historiographical monument, unassailable and immovable. The centenary of Adwa allows us to reconsider historical events of a shared past as critical documents and biased representations reflecting their own culture and time. This article attempts to deconstruct the historiographical monument of Adwa in Italian society so as to transmit such a heavily coded event to the critical examination of future historians in both Italy and Ethiopia.
The effects of tobacco smoke on the homocysteine level–a risk factor of atherosclerosis
Authors: SOBCZAK ANDRZEJ
Published: November 2003

Homocysteine may promote atherogenesis and thrombogenesis. There is evidence from case—control and cross‐sectional cohort studies that there is a positive association between plasma homocysteine levels and coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease and peripheral vascular disease. There is also some evidence that certain life‐style factors such as cigarette smoking may affect homocysteine levels. In this work is presented a review of recent opinion about the influence of tobacco smoking on homocysteine levels.
Naltrexone implants can completely prevent early (1‐month) relapse after opiate detoxification: a pilot study of two cohorts totalling 101 patients with a note on naltrexone blood levels
Authors: FOSTER JOHN , BREWER COLIN , STEELE TERRY
Published: November 2003

Early relapse is common after opiate withdrawal and deprives addicts of important opportunities to develop new, opiate‐free cognitive‐behavioural habits. The oral opiate antagonist naltrexone (NTX) significantly reduces relapse only when rigorously supervised and/or probation‐linked. Simple but effective NTX implants, containing 1G NTX and giving an average blockade of 6–7 weeks, have been available since 1997. We present outcome data for two cohorts. Group 1 were the first 55 consecutive implanted British patients (76% male, 51% unemployed, 64% in social classes III–V). Group 2 were a second consecutive group of 46. Implants were inserted subcutaneously mainly during rapid opiate detoxification under general anaesthesia or sedation. The follow‐up rate for group 1 was 100%. At 12 weeks after first implantation, 21% of group 1 patients and 26% of group 2 patients had apparently resumed opiate use. Thirty per cent of patients tested‐out the blockade in the first week. None reported any opiate effects at less than 5 weeks after insertion. In other patients, typical blood NTX levels 4–5 weeks post‐insertion were in the range 3–5 ng/ml, which is evidently enough to block 500 mg of pure diamorphine. NTX implants provide considerable protection against early relapse and may increase the likelihood of therapeutically useful periods of abstinence after opiate withdrawal. Troublesome tissue reactions were infrequent. Improvements in implant technology and duration are already occurring. We stress that implants strengthen rather than replace the therapeutic alliance.