bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Deaths from violence in North Carolina, 2004: how deaths differ in females and males
Authors: Sanford C , Marshall S W , Martin S L , Coyne-Beasley T , Waller A E , Cook P J , Norwood T , Demissie Z
Published: December 2006

Objective:To identify gender differences in violent deaths in terms of incidence, circumstances, and methods of death.

Design:Analysis of surveillance data.

Setting:North Carolina, a state of 8.6 million residents on the eastern seaboard of the US.

Subjects:1674 North Carolina residents who died from violence in the state during 2004.

Methods:Information on violent deaths was collected by the North Carolina Violent Death Reporting System using data from death certificates, medical examiner reports, and law enforcement agency incidence reports.

Results:Suicide and homicide rates were lower for females than males. For suicides, females were more likely than males to have a diagnosis of depression (55%v36%), a current mental health problem (66%v42%), or a history of suicide attempts (25%v13%). Firearms were the sole method of suicide in 65% of males and 42% of females. Poisonings were more common in female than male suicides (37%v12%). Male and female homicide victims were most likely to die from a handgun or a sharp instrument. Fifty seven percent of female homicides involved intimate partner violence, compared with 13% of male homicides. Among female homicides involving intimate partner violence, 78% occurred in the woman’s home. White females had a higher rate of suicide than African-American females, but African-American females had a higher rate of homicide than white females.

Conclusions:The incidence, circumstances, and methods of fatal violence differ greatly between females and males. These differences should be taken into account in the development of violence prevention efforts.
Homicide of children aged 0–4 years, 2003–04: results from the National Violent Death Reporting System
Authors: Bennett M D , Hall J , Frazier L , Patel N , Barker L , Shaw K
Published: December 2006

Introduction:To better understand, and ultimately prevent, infant/child homicide, it is imperative to more thoroughly elucidate the circumstances and conditions related to such instances. Data were obtained from the US National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) to illuminate circumstances related to homicide among children aged 4 years or less, and to identify demographic groups which may be at increased risk.

Methods:The NVDRS is an active surveillance system that provides comprehensive information on all violent deaths that occur within participating states within the US. Standard statistical tests were conducted to determine homicide rates among children ages 0–4 across states that provided data for both 2003 and 2004 (Alaska, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, South Carolina, and Virginia). These data were further used to investigate infant/child homicides by race, gender, and other relevant circumstances (for example, victim-suspect relationship, weapon type, and location of homicide). A Poisson regression model was fitted to the sample data to investigate the multivariate relationship between the infant/child homicide rate and available demographic information.

Results:The 2003 homicide rate for children ages 0–4 was 3.0 per 100 000 population. The 2004 homicide rate was 2.5 per 100 000 population. African Americans were 4.2 times as likely as whites to be victims of homicide. Suspects were commonly parents/caregivers. The vast majority of infant/child homicides occurred in houses or apartments, using weapons that include household objects.

Conclusion:Homicides of infants and young children are most often committed in the home, by parents/caregivers, using “weapons of opportunity”. This suggests that the risk of infant/child homicide is greatest within the primary care giving environment. Moreover, the use of “weapons of opportunity” may be indicative of maladaptive stress responses. Prevention and intervention strategies to reduce infant/child homicide should target the home environment and attend to maladaptive stress responses.
Characteristics of homicide followed by suicide incidents in multiple states, 2003–04
Authors: Bossarte R M , Simon T R , Barker L
Published: December 2006

Objective:To calculate the prevalence of homicide followed by suicide (homicide/suicide) and provide contextual information on the incidents and demographic information about the individuals involved using data from a surveillance system that is uniquely equipped to study homicide/suicide.

Methods:Data are from the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS). This active state-based surveillance system includes data from seven states for 2003 and 13 states for 2004. The incident-level structure facilitates identification of homicide/suicide incidents.

Results:Within participating states, 65 homicide/suicide incidents (homicide rate  =  0.230/100 000) occurred in 2003 and 144 incidents (homicide rate  =  0.238/100 000) occurred in 2004. Most victims (58%) were a current or former intimate partner of the perpetrator. Among all male perpetrators of intimate partner homicide 30.6% were also suicides. A substantial proportion of the victims (13.7%) were the children of the perpetrator. Overall, most victims (74.6%) were female and most perpetrators were male (91.9%). A recent history of legal problems (25.3%), or financial problems (9.3%) was common among the perpetrators.

Conclusions:The results support earlier research documenting the importance of intimate partner violence (IPV) and situational stressors on homicide/suicide. These results suggest that efforts to provide assistance to families in crisis and enhance the safety of IPV victims are needed to reduce risk for homicide/suicide. The consistency of the results from the NVDRS with those from past studies and the comprehensive information available in the NVDRS highlight the promise of this system for studying homicide/suicide incidents and for evaluating the impact of prevention policies and programs.
Drinking, drugs and driving in Ireland: more evidence for action
Authors: Fitzpatrick P , Daly L , Leavy C P , Cusack D A
Published: December 2006

Objective:To examine the prevalence of drug positivity among drivers suspected of driving under the influence of an intoxicant, and consequently apprehended by the police in Ireland.

Design:2000 specimens were selected for drug analysis, 1000 with results under the limit for alcohol and 1000 over the limit. The limit for alcohol is 80 mg/100 ml in blood and 107 mg/100 ml in urine. Seven drugs/drug classes were examined; amphetamines, methamphetamines, benzodiazapines, cannabinoids, cocaine, opiates and methadone.

Results:331 (33.1%) of the drivers under the legal limit for alcohol tested positive for one or more of the relevant drugs, and the corresponding figures of drivers over the limit was 142 (14.2%; p<0.001). Using weighted analysis, this corresponds to 15.7% (95% confidence interval (CI) 13.5% to 18.1%) of all tested drivers (15.8% in men and 14.5% in women). Among drivers who had minimal blood alcohol levels, 67.9% (95% CI 61.2% to 74.1%) were taking at least one type of drug. The prevalence of taking drugs reduced steadily as alcohol concentrations increased, but still remained as high as 11.1% (95% CI 8.3% to 14.6%) for drivers with blood alcohol concentrations >200 mg/100 ml. Being under the limit for alcohol, stopped in a city area, stopped between 6 am and 4 pm, or 4 pm and 9 pm, and being of a younger age were each independently associated with drug positivity.

Conclusions:There are immediate implications for the evidential breath alcohol program and for checkpoints; in the event of a nil or low alcohol reading being obtained, a separate blood or urine specimen should be sought for analysis, which is currently non-routine.
From targeted “black spots” to area-wide pedestrian safety
Authors: Morency P , Cloutier M-S
Published: December 2006

Objective:To describe and illustrate the geographic distribution of pedestrian crash sites in an urban setting (Montreal, Canada) with an alternative data source.

Methods:Data on pedestrian victims were extracted for a 5-year period (1999–2003) from ambulance services information systems. The locations of crash sites and pedestrian victim density were mapped using a geographic information system. Pedestrian “black spots” were defined as sites where there had been at least eight pedestrian victims.

Results:The 22 identified black spots represent only 1% of all city intersections with at least one victim and 4% of all injured pedestrians, whereas 5082 victims were injured at >3500 different crash sites. The number and population rates of injured pedestrians are greater in central boroughs. Accordingly, the density of pedestrian victims is much higher in central boroughs. Over the 5-year period, in some central boroughs, pedestrian crashes occurred in up to 26% of intersections.

Conclusions:Ambulance information systems were relevant to map pedestrian crash sites. Most pedestrians were injured at locations that would have been missed by the black spot approach. This high-risk preventive strategy cannot substantially reduce the total number of injured or the insecurity that many pedestrians experience when walking. Considering the large number and widespread occurrence of pedestrian crashes in Montreal, prevention strategies should include comprehensive environmental measures such as global reduction of traffic volume and speed.
Race/ethnicity, substance abuse, and mental illness among suicide victims in 13 US states: 2004 data from the National Violent Death Reporting System
Authors: Karch D L , Barker L , Strine T W
Published: December 2006

Objective:To calculate the prevalence of substance abuse and mental illness among suicide victims of different racial/ethnic groups and to identify race/ethnicity trends in mental health and substance abuse that may be used to improve suicide prevention.

Methods:Data are from the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS), a state-based data integration system that, for 2004, includes data from 13 US states. The NVDRS integrates medical examiner, toxicology, death certificate, and law enforcement data.

Results:Within participating states, for data year 2004, 6865 suicide incidents in which race/ethnicity are known were identified. This included 5797 (84.4%) non-Hispanic whites, 501 (7.3%) non-Hispanic blacks, 257 (3.7%) Hispanics, and 310 (4.5%) persons from other racial/ethnic groups. At the time of the suicide event, non-Hispanic blacks had lower blood alcohol contents than other groups. Non-Hispanic whites had less cocaine but more antidepressants and opiates. There were no differences in the levels of amphetamines or marijuana by race/ethnicity. Hispanics were less likely to have been diagnosed with a mental illness or to have received treatment, although family reports of depression were comparable to non-Hispanic whites and other racial/ethnic groups. Non-Hispanic whites were more likely to be diagnosed with depression or bipolar disorder and non-Hispanic blacks with schizophrenia. Comorbid substance abuse and mental health problems were more likely among non-Hispanic whites and non-Hispanic blacks, while Hispanics were more likely to have a substance abuse problem without comorbid mental health problems.

Conclusion:The results support earlier research documenting differences in race/ethnicity, substance abuse, and mental health problems as they relate to completed suicide. The data suggest that suicide prevention efforts must address not only substance abuse and mental health problems in general, but the unique personal, family, and social characteristics of different racial/ethnic groups.
Australia’s 1996 gun law reforms: faster falls in firearm deaths, firearm suicides, and a decade without mass shootings
Authors: Chapman S , Alpers P , Agho K , Jones M
Published: December 2006

Background:After a 1996 firearm massacre in Tasmania in which 35 people died, Australian governments united to remove semi-automatic and pump-action shotguns and rifles from civilian possession, as a key component of gun law reforms.

Objective:To determine whether Australia’s 1996 major gun law reforms were associated with changes in rates of mass firearm homicides, total firearm deaths, firearm homicides and firearm suicides, and whether there were any apparent method substitution effects for total homicides and suicides.

Design:Observational study using official statistics. Negative binomial regression analysis of changes in firearm death rates and comparison of trends in pre–post gun law reform firearm-related mass killings.

Setting:Australia, 1979–2003.

Main outcome measures:Changes in trends of total firearm death rates, mass fatal shooting incidents, rates of firearm homicide, suicide and unintentional firearm deaths, and of total homicides and suicides per 100 000 population.

Results:In the 18 years before the gun law reforms, there were 13 mass shootings in Australia, and none in the 10.5 years afterwards. Declines in firearm-related deaths before the law reforms accelerated after the reforms for total firearm deaths (p = 0.04), firearm suicides (p = 0.007) and firearm homicides (p = 0.15), but not for the smallest category of unintentional firearm deaths, which increased. No evidence of substitution effect for suicides or homicides was observed. The rates per 100 000 of total firearm deaths, firearm homicides and firearm suicides all at least doubled their existing rates of decline after the revised gun laws.

Conclusions:Australia’s 1996 gun law reforms were followed by more than a decade free of fatal mass shootings, and accelerated declines in firearm deaths, particularly suicides. Total homicide rates followed the same pattern. Removing large numbers of rapid-firing firearms from civilians may be an effective way of reducing mass shootings, firearm homicides and firearm suicides.
The US National Violent Death Reporting System: domestic and international lessons for violence injury surveillance
Authors: Weiss H B , Gutierrez M I , Harrison J , Matzopoulos R
Published: December 2006

Objectives:This article reviews and comments on the development, strengths and limitations of the US National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) from a variety of domestic and international perspectives.

Methods:The authors were provided preliminary copies of the manuscripts in this special edition and examined them to understand and put in context the elements and uses of the NVDRS so far. Their comments are based on their reading and interpretation of these papers plus their own combined experience in injury and public health surveillance from four different countries: the US, Colombia, Australia, and South Africa.

Results:The NVDRS is bigger than the sum of its parts because it links existing data from multiple sources. Its adoption of modern relational database technologies offers advantages over traditional injury surveillance databases and creates new opportunities for understanding, collaboration, and partnerships. Challenges include overcoming resource limitations so that it can become a truly national system, measuring and improving its sensitivity and comparability, and the need to examine mortality in context with serious non-fatal violent events.

Conclusions:The NVDRS is an important work in progress for the US. Each country should examine its own needs, traditions, resources, and existing infrastructure when deciding what kind of violence surveillance system to develop. However, collaboration in developing common definitions and classifications provides an important foundation for international comparisons.
PERMANENCE IN A PERIODIC PREDATOR–PREY SYSTEM WITH PREY DISPERSAL AND PREDATOR DENSITY-INDEPENDENT
Authors: ZHANG LONG , TENG ZHIDONG
Published: December 2006

In this paper, we study two-species predator–prey Lotka–Volterra-type dispersal system with periodic coefficients, in which the prey species can disperse among n-patches, but the predator species which is density-independent is confined to some patches and cannot disperse. By utilizing the analytic method, sufficient and realistic conditions on the boundedness, permanence, extinction, and the existence of positive periodic solution are established. The theoretical results are confirmed by a special example and numerical simulations.
PATHO-PHYSIOLOGICALLY BASED LOGISTICS FOR TREATMENT OF CANCER
Authors: MAJUMDER DURJOY , MUKHERJEE ABHIK
Published: December 2006

Analytical modeling and computer simulation may provide an assessment for the success of different cancer therapeutic strategies (both maximum tolerable dosing and metronomic dosing), particularly for the presence of microscopically dormant cells. Different authors substantially showed that metronomic strategy is better than maximum tolerable dosing. In the present work, the different physiological constraints have been considered. Accumulation of drug, dead tumor cells as well as metabolites produced by living tumor cells produce toxicity that affect the physiological system. This affects the subsequent drug application and thereby the therapeutic procedure and its outcome. Translating these into logistics and incorporating them into analytical state-space models, the transformation of the overall system has been examined through computer simulations. The observation is that situations of frequent drug stoppages may occur due to patho-physiological constraints, which may in turn inactivate the cell-mediated immune response. Simulation results suggest that even the combination of different strategies does not improve the situation. Other ways of boosting the immunity and tuning of biological constraints would be required to get positive outcome.
A NEW MIDDLE PATH APPROACH FOR ALIGNMENTS IN BLAST
Authors: GARG DEEPAK , SAXENA SURESH C. , BHARDWAJ LALIT M.
Published: December 2006

This paper is no longer available. Please contact "jbs@wspc.com"
DETERMINISTIC CHAOS IN SOUNDS OF ASIAN CICADAS
Authors: BENKO TINA P. , PERC MATJAŽ
Published: December 2006

We analyze the sound recording of the Southeast Asian cicada Tosena depicta with methods of nonlinear time series analysis. First, we reconstruct the phase space from the sound recording and test it against determinism and stationarity. After positively establishing determinism and stationarity in the series, we calculate the maximal Lyapunov exponent. We find that the latter is positive, from which we conclude that the sound recording possesses clear markers of deterministic chaos. We discuss that methods of nonlinear time series analysis can yield instructive insights and foster the understanding of acoustic and vibrational communication among insects, as well as provide vital clues regarding the origin and functionality of their sound production mechanisms. Furthermore, such studies can serve as means to distinguish different insect genera or even species either from each other or under various environmental influences.
Calcineurin-independent inhibition of KV1.3 by FK-506 (tacrolimus): a novel pharmacological property
Authors: Ahn Hye Sook , Kim Sung Eun , Choi Bok Hee , Choi Jin-Sung , Kim Myung-Jun , Rhie Duck-Joo , Yoon Shin Hee , Jo Yang-Hyeok , Kim Myung-Suk , Sung Ki-Wug , Kwon Oh-Joo , Hahn Sang June
Published: December 2006

The interaction of FK-506 with KV1.3, stably expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells, was investigated with the whole cell patch-clamp technique. FK-506 inhibited KV1.3 in a reversible, concentration-dependent manner with an IC50of 5.6 μM. Rapamycin, another immunosuppressant, produced effects that were similar to those of FK-506 (IC50= 6.7 μM). Other calcineurin inhibitors (cypermethrin or calcineurin autoinhibitory peptide) alone had no effect on the amplitude or kinetics of KV1.3. In addition, the inhibitory action of FK-506 continued, even after the inhibition of calcineurin activity. The inhibition produced by FK-506 was voltage dependent, increasing in the voltage range for channel activation. At potentials positive to 0 mV (where maximal conductance is reached), however, no voltage-dependent inhibition was found. FK-506 exhibited a strong use-dependent inhibition of KV1.3. FK-506 shifted the steady-state inactivation curves of KV1.3 in the hyperpolarizing direction in a concentration-dependent manner. The apparent dissociation constant for FK-506 to inhibit KV1.3 in the inactivated state was estimated from the concentration-dependent shift in the steady-state inactivation curve and was calculated to be 0.37 μM. Moreover, the rate of recovery from inactivation of KV1.3 was decreased. In inside-out patches, FK-506 not only reduced the current amplitude but also accelerated the rate of inactivation during depolarization. FK-506 also inhibited KV1.5 and KV4.3 in a concentration-dependent manner with IC50of 4.6 and 53.9 μM, respectively. The present results indicate that FK-506 inhibits KV1.3 directly and that this effect is not mediated via the inhibition of the phosphatase activity of calcineurin.
RACK1 is a BKCa channel binding protein
Authors: Isacson Christina Kaldany , Lu Qing , Karas Richard H. , Cox Daniel H.
Published: December 2006

The large conductance calcium-activated potassium channel, or BKCa channel, plays an important feedback role in a variety of physiological processes, including neurotransmitter release and smooth muscle contraction. Some reports have suggested that this channel forms a stable complex with regulators of its function, including several kinases and phosphatases. To further define such signaling complexes, we used the yeast two-hybrid system to screen a human aorta cDNA library for proteins that bind to the BKCa channel's intracellular, COOH-terminal “tail”. One of the interactors we identified is the protein receptor for activated C kinase 1 (RACK1). RACK1 is a member of the WD40 protein family, which also includes the G protein β-subunits. Consistent with an important role in BKCa-channel regulation, RACK1 has been shown to be a scaffolding protein that interacts with a wide variety of signaling molecules, including cSRC and PKC. We have confirmed the interaction between RACK1 and the BKCa channel biochemically with GST pull-down and coimmunoprecipitation experiments. We have observed some co-localization of RACK1 with the BKCa channel in vascular smooth muscle cells with immunocytochemical experiments, and we have found that RACK1 has effects on the BKCa channel's biophysical properties. Thus RACK1 binds to the BKCa channel and it may form part of a BKCa-channel regulatory complex in vascular smooth muscle.
Identification of a putative nuclear localization sequence within ANG II AT1Areceptor associated with nuclear activation
Authors: Morinelli Thomas A. , Raymond John R. , Baldys Aleksander , Yang Qing , Lee Mi-hye , Luttrell Louis , Ullian Michael E.
Published: December 2006

Angiotensin II (ANG II) type 1 (AT1) receptors, similar to other G protein-coupled receptors, undergo desensitization and internalization, and potentially nuclear localization, subsequent to agonist interaction. Evidence suggests that the carboxy-terminal tail may be involved in receptor nuclear localization. In the present study, we examined the carboxy-terminal tail of the receptor for specific regions responsible for the nuclear translocation phenomenon and resultant nuclear activation. Human embryonic kidney cells stably expressing either a wild-type AT1Areceptor-green fluorescent protein (AT1AR/GFP) construct or a site-directed mutation of a putative nuclear localization sequence (NLS) [K307Q]AT1AR/GFP (KQ/AT1AR/GFP), were examined for differences in receptor nuclear trafficking and nuclear activation. Receptor expression, intracellular signaling, and ANG II-induced internalization of the wild-type/GFP construct and of the KQ/AT1AR/GFP mutant was similar. Laser scanning confocal microscopy showed that in cells expressing the AT1AR/GFP, trafficking of the receptor to the nuclear area and colocalization with lamin B occurred within 30 min of ANG II (100 nM) stimulation, whereas the KQ/AT1AR/GFP mutant failed to demonstrate nuclear localization. Immunoblotting of nuclear lysates with an anti-GFP antibody confirmed these observations. Nuclear localization of the wild-type receptor correlated with increase transcription for both EGR-1 and PTGS-2 genes while the nuclear-deficient KQ/AT1AR/GFP mutant demonstrated increases for only the EGR-1 gene. These results suggest that a NLS (KKFKKY; aa307–312) is located within the cytoplasmic tail of the AT1Areceptor and that nuclear localization of the receptor corresponds with specific activation of transcription for the COX-2 gene PTGS-2.
Myogenic differentiation during regrowth of atrophied skeletal muscle is associated with inactivation of GSK-3β
Authors: van der Velden Jos L. J. , Langen Ramon C. J. , Kelders Marco C. J. M. , Willems Jodil , Wouters Emiel F. M. , Janssen-Heininger Yvonne M. W. , Schols Annemie M. W. J.
Published: December 2006

Muscle atrophy contributes to morbidity and mortality in aging and chronic disease, emphasizing the need to gain understanding of the mechanisms involved in muscle atrophy and (re)growth. We hypothesized that the magnitude of muscle regrowth during recovery from atrophy determines whether myonuclear accretion and myogenic differentiation are required and that insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I/Akt/glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3β signaling differs between regrowth responses. To address this hypothesis we subjected mice to hindlimb suspension (HS) to induce atrophy of soleus (−40%) and plantaris (−27%) muscle. Reloading-induced muscle regrowth was complete after 14 days and involved an increase in IGF-IEa mRNA expression that coincided with Akt phosphorylation in both muscles. In contrast, phosphorylation and inactivation of GSK-3β were observed during soleus regrowth only. Furthermore, soleus but not plantaris regrowth involved muscle regeneration based on a transient increase in expression of histone 3.2 and myosin heavy chain-perinatal, which are markers of myoblast proliferation and differentiation, and a strong induction of muscle regulatory factor (MRF) expression. Experiments in cultured muscle cells showed that IGF-I-induced MRF expression is facilitated by inactivation of GSK-3β and selectively occurs in the myoblast population. This study suggests that induction of IGF-I expression and Akt phosphorylation during recovery from muscle atrophy is independent of the magnitude of muscle regrowth. Moreover, our data demonstrate for the first time that the regenerative response characterized by myoblast proliferation, differentiation, and increased MRF expression in recovering muscle is associated with the magnitude of regrowth and may be regulated by inactivation of GSK-3β.
Pregnane X receptor activation ameliorates DSS-induced inflammatory bowel disease via inhibition of NF-κB target gene expression
Authors: Shah Yatrik M. , Ma Xiaochao , Morimura Keiichirou , Kim Insook , Gonzalez Frank J.
Published: December 2006

Pregnane X receptor (PXR) expression was shown to be protective in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, the mechanism by which PXR provides protection remains unclear. Wild-type and Pxr-null mice were treated with the PXR agonist pregnenolone-16α-carbonitrile or vehicle and administered 2.5% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in drinking water to induce IBD. Typical clinical symptoms were evaluated on a daily basis. In vivo intestinal permeability assays and proinflammatory cytokine analysis were performed. PXR agonist-treated mice were protected from DSS-induced colitis compared with vehicle-treated mice, as defined by body weight loss, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, colon length, and histology. Pregnenolone-16α-carbonitrile did not decrease the severity of IBD in Pxr-null mice. PXR agonist treatment did not increase epithelial barrier function but did decrease mRNA expression of several NF-κB target genes in a PXR-dependent manner. The present study clearly demonstrates a protective role for PXR agonist in DSS-induced IBD. The data suggest that PXR-mediated repression of NF-κB target genes in the colon is a critical mechanism by which PXR activation decreases the susceptibility of mice to DSS-induced IBD.
In Situ Characterization of a Rectifying Electrical Junction
Authors: Rela L. , Szczupak L.
Published: December 2006

Electrical synapses play significant roles in neural processing in invertebrate and vertebrate nervous systems. The view of electrical synapses as plain bidirectional intercellular channels represents a partial picture because rectifying electrical synapses expand the complexity in the communication capabilities of neurons. Rectification derives, mostly, from the sensitivity of electrical junctions to the transjunctional potential ( Vj) across the coupled cells. We analyzed the characteristics of this sensitivity and their effect on neuronal signaling, studying rectifying junctions present in the leech nervous system. The NS neurons, a pair of premotor nonspiking neurons present in each midbody ganglion, are electrically coupled to virtually every excitatory motor neuron. Studied at rest, only hyperpolarizing signals can be transmitted from NS to the motoneurons, and only depolarizing signals are conducted in the opposite direction. Our results show that small changes in the NS membrane potential ( Vm) exerted an effective control of the firing frequency of the CV motoneurons (excitor of circular muscles). This effect revealed the existence of a threshold Vjacross which the electrical synapse shifts from a nonconducting to a conducting state. The junction can operate as a relatively symmetrical bidirectional bridge provided that the transmitted signals do not cross this threshold transjunctional potential.
Patch-Clamp Investigations and Compartmental Modeling of Rod Bipolar Axon Terminals in an In Vitro Thin-Slice Preparation of the Mammalian Retina
Authors: Oltedal Leif , Mørkve Svein Harald , Veruki Margaret Lin , Hartveit Espen
Published: December 2006

To extend the usefulness of rod bipolar cells for studies of chemical synaptic transmission, we have performed electrophysiological recordings from rod bipolar axon terminals in an in vitro slice preparation of the rat retina. Whole cell recordings from axon terminals and cell bodies were used to investigate the passive membrane properties of rod bipolar cells and analyzed with a two-compartment equivalent electrical circuit model developed by Mennerick et al. For both terminal- and soma-end recordings, capacitive current decays were well fitted by biexponential functions. Computer simulations of simplified models of rod bipolar cells demonstrated that estimates of the capacitance of the axon terminal compartment can depend critically on the recording location, with terminal-end recordings giving the best estimates. Computer simulations and whole cell recordings demonstrated that terminal-end recordings can yield more accurate estimates of the peak amplitude and kinetic properties of postsynaptic currents generated at the axon terminals due to increased electrotonic filtering of these currents when recorded at the soma. Finally, we present whole cell and outside-out patch recordings from axon terminals with responses evoked by GABA and glycine, spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents, voltage-gated Ca2+ currents, and depolarization-evoked reciprocal synaptic responses, verifying that the recorded axon terminals are involved in normal pre- and postsynaptic relationships. These results demonstrate that axon terminals of rod bipolar cells are directly accessible to whole cell and outside-out patch recordings, extending the usefulness of this preparation for detailed studies of pre- and postsynaptic mechanisms of synaptic transmission in the CNS.
Different Motor Neuron Spike Patterns Produce Contractions With Very Similar Rises in Graded Slow Muscles
Authors: Hooper Scott L. , Guschlbauer Christoph , von Uckermann Géraldine , Büschges Ansgar
Published: December 2006

Graded muscles produce small twitches in response to individual motor neuron spikes. During the early part of their contractions, contraction amplitude in many such muscles depends primarily on the number of spikes the muscle has received, not the frequency or pattern with which they were delivered. Stick insect ( Carausius morosus) extensor muscles are graded and thus would likely show spike-number dependency early in their contractions. Tonic stimulations of the extensor motor nerve showed that the response of the muscles differed from the simplest form of spike-number dependency. However, these differences actually increased the spike-number range over which spike-number dependency was present. When the motor nerve was stimulated with patterns mimicking the motor neuron activity present during walking, amplitude during contraction rises also depended much more on spike number than on spike frequency. A consequence of spike-number dependency is that brief changes in spike frequency do not alter contraction slope and we show here that extensor motor neuron bursts with different spike patterns give rise to contractions with very similar contraction rises. We also examined in detail the early portions of a large number of extensor motor neuron bursts recorded during single-leg walking and show that these portions of the bursts do not appear to have any common spike pattern. Although alternative explanations are possible, the simplest interpretation of these data is that extensor motor neuron firing during leg swing is not tightly controlled.
English as an International Language in Non-Native Settings in an Era of Globalization
Authors: Sasaki Masamichi , Suzuki Tatsuzo , Yoneda Masato
Published: December 2006

Language is an unquestionable prerequisite for human communication. As such the study of language is intrinsic to sociology. This paper explores briefly the importance of language study to sociology. The apparent dominance of English as the international language is discussed in some detail. The paper's principal focus is to examine cross-national attitudes about English as the international language of non-English language speaking peoples and of peoples who speak English only as a foreign language. Extensive empirical findings about these attitudes are examined in an effort to predict the future direction of the spread of English as international language. Though many of the findings suggest extraordinary levels of ambivalence about English as international language, the results suggest many opportunities for further study.
The Sociology of Food in Spain: European Infuences in Social Analyses on Eating Habits
Authors: Méndez Cecilia Díaz
Published: December 2006

Key contributions towards understanding nutritional changes in modern societies from the viewpoint of social sciences have been made in the European framework. Existing Spanish studies echo the tendencies followed in other countries by anthropologists and sociologists. These works can be included within a wide-ranging debate on eating habits that has arisen from two novel facts: food options have increased making choice complicated, but the traditional agents that set norms no longer offer clear-cut guidance. In this study the main European perspectives are set out from a social viewpoint. An explanation is offered as to the stance sociologists and especially Spanish sociologists are adopting in these discussions. In addition, research proposals are put forward.
Segregation, Illegitimate Encounters and Contextual Moralities: Sexualities in the Changing Public Sphere in Aden
Authors: Dahlgren Susanne
Published: December 2006

This article asks what new things can be learned about the public sphere when looking at sexualities. In this ethnographic study on the Yemeni port town of Aden, at focus are institutions that organise sexualities, such as segregation, and agency indicative to a particular public sphere. The article is centred upon the following question: how do 'ordinary' (i.e. non-activist) women participate in making the public sphere? By comparing three different periods of history in Aden, as well as the capacities and resources that have been available for women to express their sexuality, this article aims to highlight aspects of the public that remain invisible in studies that neglect this important area of daily life. This comparison on the level of the public sphere is made possible by adopting a critical perspective on the notion of generations that treats such entities not as neat groups but as atmospheres that subjects agree were indicative to the era of their coming of age.
Back to Islam? Women's Sexualities and Body-Politics in Muslim Central Asia
Authors: Droeber Julia
Published: December 2006

In this paper I examine the commonly held assumption that the developments we witnessed in Central Asian societies since the disintegration of the Soviet Union could be interpreted as a "return to pre-Soviet Islamic traditions". I am specifically concerned with reports about the increasing violations of women's sexual rights and mounting control over their bodies, developments that are accompanied by a "conspiracy of silence" about sexual matters.This essay is based on anthropological fieldwork in Kyrgyzstan, various reports from other Central Asian republics, a review of Soviet sex and gender policies, and analysis of Islamic Scriptures on the issue of sexuality. Even though some Muslim practices regarding sexualities can be seen as having a basis in the Qurān, the interpretations and translations into daily practice are to a major extent influenced by political, economic, and socio-cultural forces. I trace these processes in the case of Soviet and post-Soviet Central Asia and argue that the rhetoric of a "return to Islamic traditions" does not take into account the significant impact on other forces on the current practices of policing women's bodies and silencing discourses on sexualities.
Imagi-nation of Women as Gendered National Subjects in Turkish Novels (1923–1938)
Authors: Kucukalioglu Elif Gozdasoglu
Published: December 2006

This article seeks to explain how women have been depicted in novels during the early Republican period (1923–1938). My main objective is to explore how women have been located in fiction in Turkey's nation-building project. I will show which themes were used and which characteristics were emphasized in portraying female heroes of these narratives. The representations of women articulated in the novels of this period are meaningful in terms of understanding the imagination of 'new Turkish Women' in Turkish nationalism. The main concern here is twofold: to examine how women have been made as national subjects and elaborate on those characteristics, which have been used in the construction of Turkish women in Turkish novels.My starting point for the analysis of the novels is Benedict Anderson's theory, which suggests that the nation is an imagined community both politically and culturally (Anderson, 1983: 6). The definition of the nation as 'an imagined community' leads us to the point that how we imagine our community influences how we experience it. In this imagination, different metaphors and symbols used in common language are important in defining how members of a community interact with each other, which roles they envision for themselves and which qualities they attribute for themselves. The perception of social reality is formed largely by the representational systems and the literary canon is considered as the most significant form of representation because it is possible to find out the expressions of highest ideals and aspirations in literary representation (Morris, 1993: 8).
In Who's Interest? Levirat and Sororat Marriages in Southeastern Turkey
Authors: Sev'er Aysan , Bağli Mazhar
Published: December 2006

Sororat refers to a man's marriage to his deceased wife's sister, and levirat refers to a woman's marriage to her brother-in-law after the death of her husband. This article explores the gendered reactions to tensions and role confusion in these marriages. Forty-five people who were either currently living, or have recently lived in levirat and sororat marriages were interviewed. We observed that family and kin seem to be equally persistent on formulating levirat or sororat types of marriages for widows and widowers. However, men had an ultimate veto power over these arrangements and women did not. Moreover, tensions on women, especially in terms of establishing sexual intimacy with their new partners were traumatic. We argue that material considerations play a primary role on the continuation of these marriages, despite the problems these marriages entail, especially for women.
The Association of Parental Alcohol Abuse and Depression with Severe Emotional and Behavioural Problems in Adolescents: A Clinical Study
Authors: Peiponen Sirkka , Laukkanen Eila , Korhonen Veijo , Hintikka Ulla , Lehtonen Johannes
Published: December 2006

Background: Earlier studies have indicated associations between parental psychiatric problems, such as depression, and substance abuse and adolescent problems.

Aims: This study aimed to determine whether parental psychiatric problems are associated with problems and problem behaviour in adolescents in a clinical sample.

Methods: The study subjects were 70 outpatient adolescents (age 13–18 years, boys 30%) and their parents. The adolescents were assessed using the structural clinical interview for DSM-III-R (SCID) and a semi-structured questionnaire, and the parents were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire.

Results: Maternal alcohol abuse and depression were associated with serious problems, especially among girls, and paternal alcohol abuse was associated with adolescent health-compromising behaviour. Maternal depression and alcohol abuse had no association with adolescent health-compromising behaviour. Maternal depression without alcohol abuse was associated with the diagnosis of major depressive disorder in adolescents, but not with other adolescent problems, while paternal depression without alcohol abuse was not associated with any adolescent problems.

Conclusions: Despite the small study sample, these findings indicate that parental psychiatric problems and alcohol abuse are correlated with adolescent psychological problems and should be considered and assessed when assessing adolescents.
Epidemiological Studies on Mental Health Needs of Asian Population in New Zealand
Authors: Kumar Shailesh , Tse Samson , Fernando Antonio , Wong Sai
Published: December 2006

Background: New Zealand has recently experienced a massive and rapid influx of Asian migrants. The Asian population has doubled in 10 years and is now the third-largest ethnic group.

Materials: Databases reviewed include Medline, NZ government reports and NZ media releases.

Discussion: Despite the significant growth in the Asian population, most of whom are in a vulnerable age group for mental morbidity and are exposed to adverse experiences, accurate and systematically obtained information on the mental health of Asians is lacking.

Conclusion: This paper argues for a need to conduct a well-designed epidemiological study on the mental health needs of Asians in New Zealand. Recommendations on how to pursue this epidemiological study are provided.
Personal Tragedy or System Failure: A Qualitative Analysis of Narratives of Caregivers of People with Severe Mental Illness in Hong Kong and Taiwan
Authors: Chiu Marcus Yu-Lung , Wei Grace Fang-Wan , Lee Sing
Published: December 2006

Background: Most studies agree that mental illness brings a heavy objective and subjective burden of care on the family and especially the caregivers. However, very little attention has been paid to the wider context in which this burden is shaped and sustained.

Material: In-depth interviews were conducted with 11 caregivers in Hong Kong and Taiwan and subsequent analysis identified four major themes: mystical knowledge beyond understanding, persistent self-blame and lay explanation, inertia of caregivers and non-responsive service system, and unsatisfying encounters with medical staff.

Discussion: The results of the study indicate that these families did not get the services they needed. In spite of recounting many system failures, most respondents attributed their situation to tragedy and misfortune at personal and family levels. Such a discourse is closely connected to a wider context of health and social care. The Hong Kong subjects complained more, felt more helpless, and had more persistent self-blame and lay explanation than the Taiwanese subjects.

Conclusions: To reduce such experiences, this paper calls for inclusive policies for the family, new education strategies and reflections on the roles of mental health professionals in empowerment and advocacy beyond conventional treatment, counseling and education.
Heavy Use of Psychiatric Inpatient Care from the Perspective of the Patients Affected
Authors: Roick Christiane , Gärtner Anke , Heider Dirk , Dietrich Sandra , Angermeyer Matthias C.
Published: December 2006

Background: Patients who spend an above-average amount of time in inpatient care are termed heavy users. Up to this point, very little has been known about what drives these patients to their heavy use of inpatient treatment.

Aim: For this reason, the present study investigates the causes for frequent inpatient admissions of heavy users from the perspective of the patients affected.

Methods: Twenty heavy users who were identified in a quantitative preliminary study were interviewed using a qualitative analysis of the contents.

Results: Heavy users housed in sheltered accommodation either experienced frequent inpatient stays because of their symptomatic burden, or because of poor integration in their residences. Among the heavy users living in private residences was a subgroup that compensated for the lack of support from the private sphere with frequent hospital visits. A second subgroup turned to hospital care only during acute relapse episodes. In a third subgroup, secondary substance abuse accounted for the high demand for inpatient treatment.

Conclusion: Findings suggest that, using community-based psychiatric support offers tailored to the needs of the heavy user subgroups, inpatient treatment could be avoided.
How Social Difficulties Produce Cognitive Problems During The Mediation Of Psychosis: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Chadwick Peter K.
Published: December 2006

Background: The study examines effects of social difficulties such as invalidating and stressful relationships and lack of social support on cognitive processes in psychosis.

Methods: Biographical and ethnographic methods deriving insights from personal experience of psychosis; interactions with patients in hospital and hostel care and from group work.

Conclusions: Social stresses can damage the self, resulting in disarray to executive control, serial ordering, organizational and retrieval processes. Negative social experiences also skew probability judgements of the likelihood of threat/ betrayal which may be confirmed by coincidences – resulting in the adoption of a risky decisional style. This maximizes perceptions confirming of a delusional belief.