DSM-5 criteria for substance use disorders: recommendations and rationale.

Since DSM-IV was published in 1994, its approach to substance use disorders has come under scrutiny. Strengths were identified (notably, reliability and validity of dependence), but concerns have also arisen. The DSM-5 Substance-Related Disorders Work Group considered these issues and recommended revisions for DSM-5. General concerns included whether to retain the division into two main disorders (dependence and abuse), whether substance use disorder criteria should be added or removed, and whether an appropriate substance use disorder severity indicator could be identified. Specific issues included possible addition of withdrawal syndromes for several substances, alignment of nicotine criteria with those for other substances, addition of biomarkers, and inclusion of nonsubstance, behavioral addictions.This article presents the major issues and evidence considered by the work group, which included literature reviews and extensive new data analyses. The work group recommendations for DSM-5 revisions included combining abuse and dependence criteria into a single substance use disorder based on consistent findings from over 200,000 study participants, dropping legal problems and adding craving as criteria, adding cannabis and caffeine withdrawal syndromes, aligning tobacco use disorder criteria with other substance use disorders, and moving gambling disorders to the chapter formerly reserved for substance-related disorders. The proposed changes overcome many problems, while further studies will be needed to address issues for which less data were available

Penyuluhan Bahaya Penyalahgunaan Napza Bagi Pelajar dan Remaja

Penyalahgunaan NAPZA (Narkotika, Psikotropika, dan Zat-zat Adiktif) merupakan suatu pola perilaku yang bersifat patologik, dan biasanya dilakukan oleh individu yang mempunyai kepribadian rentan atau mempunyai resiko tinggi, dan jika dilakukan dalam jangka waktu tertentu akan menimbulkan gangguan bio-psiko-sosial-spiritual. NAPZA bersifat psikotropika dan psikoaktif yang mempunyai pengaruh terhadap sistem syaraf dan biasanya digunakan sebagai analgetika (pengurang rasa sakit) dan memberikan pengaruh pada aktifitas mental dan perilaku serta digunakan sebagai terapi gangguan psikiatrik pada dunia kedokteran. Secara farmakologik, yang termasuk NAPZA antara lain ganja, morfin, sabu, ekstasi, marijuana, putau, kokain, pil koplo, dan sebagainya. Obat-obatan ini termasuk dalam daftar obat G yang artinya dalam penggunaannya harus disertai dengan kontrol dosis yang sangat ketat oleh dokter. Pelajar (siswi) adalah istilah bagi peserta didik pada jenjang pendidikan menengah pertama dan menengah atas. Siswa adalah komponen dalam sistem pendidikan, yang selanjutnya menjalani proses pendidikan, sehingga menjadi manusia yang berkualitas sesuai dengan tujuan pendidikan nasional. Penyuluhan ini menempatkan pelajar sebagai suatu komponen ditinjau dari pendekatan sosial, dan psikologis

Komunikasi Data Bluetooth untuk Perangkat Informasi Persebaran Ikan (Portable Virtual Assistant) pada Kapal Nelayan Tradisional

Informasi mengenai data persebaran ikan merupakan informasi yang sangat berguna untuk nelayan dalam menemukan lokasi persebaran ikan. Informasi tersebut dikeluarkan oleh Balai Riset dan Observasi Laut dari kementrian Kelautan yang berupa data lokasi latitude dan longitude. Layanan ini berupa peta digital, peta tersebut kita kenal dengan Peta Perkiraan Daerah Penangkapan Ikan (PPDPI). Pada Kenyataannya masih banyak nelayan yang kurang memanfaatkan informasi tersebut yang menyebabkan hasil tangkap ikan oleh nelayan kurang maksimal. Penelitian ini membuat prototipe perangkat portabel navigasi untuk menemukan lokasi sebaran ikan. Prototipe bekerja berdasarkan data informasi yang berupa data latitude dan longitude dari Balai Riset dan Observasi Laut. Dengan memasukan data persebaran ikan maka jarak lokasi dan arah lokasi target dapat diketahui. Data informasi dapat dimasukkan kedalam prototipe navigasi dengan menggunakan komunikasi bluetooth  yang kemudian data tersebut diolah oleh mikrokontroller. Sensor yang digunakan dalam perangkat adalah sensor GPS dan sensor kompas. Hasil penelitian didapatkan prototipe navigasi dapat menghitung jarak lokasi tujuan terhadap lokasi awal dengan tingkat keberhasilan sebesar 99.404106% dan pengukuran sudut target lokasi tujuan dengan tingkat keberhasilan sebesar 99.0271%

The Effectiveness of the Use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Rural Secondary Schools in Malaysia

The Ministry of Education has established viable educational ecosystems in order to ensure the equality of rural education. There are three aspects that have been outlined, namely value-based education, quality improvement, and autonomy and accountability of schools and universities. Hence, a study in the form of a survey was conducted to identify the issues surrounding information technology faced by students and teachers in rural secondary schools, and to provide an overview of the usage of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as well as students’ knowledge and teachers’ skills in the teaching and learning process. A total of 49 respondents were involved, comprising 21 students and 28 teachers from nine secondary schools located in one rural area of Kelantan. The findings revealed that a majority of the respondents perceived the use of ICT positively, despite the lack of facilities and expertise. Thus, a need for relevant ICT training was raised by the teachers. Recommendations are also discussed to guide the authorities in planning and preparing appropriate equipment and facilities for the schools, as well as adequate training for teachers and facilitators, before a new policy is introduced to the students. Further research is also recommended to examine the rural students' acceptance of the use of technology

Neurochemical Changes in the Mouse Hippocampus Underlying the Antidepressant Effect of Genetic Deletion of P2X7 Receptors.

Recent investigations have revealed that the genetic deletion of P2X7 receptors (P2rx7) results in an antidepressant phenotype in mice. However, the link between the deficiency of P2rx7 and changes in behavior has not yet been explored. In the present study, we studied the effect of genetic deletion of P2rx7 on neurochemical changes in the hippocampus that might underlie the antidepressant phenotype. P2X7 receptor deficient mice (P2rx7-/-) displayed decreased immobility in the tail suspension test (TST) and an attenuated anhedonia response in the sucrose preference test (SPT) following bacterial endotoxin (LPS) challenge. The attenuated anhedonia was reproduced through systemic treatments with P2rx7 antagonists. The activation of P2rx7 resulted in the concentration-dependent release of [3H]glutamate in P2rx7+/+ but not P2rx7-/- mice, and the NR2B subunit mRNA and protein was upregulated in the hippocampus of P2rx7-/- mice. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression was higher in saline but not LPS-treated P2rx7-/- mice; the P2rx7 antagonist Brilliant blue G elevated and the P2rx7 agonist benzoylbenzoyl ATP (BzATP) reduced BDNF level. This effect was dependent on the activation of NMDA and non-NMDA receptors but not on Group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR1,5). An increased 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation was also observed in the dentate gyrus derived from P2rx7-/- mice. Basal level of 5-HT was increased, whereas the 5HIAA/5-HT ratio was lower in the hippocampus of P2rx7-/- mice, which accompanied the increased uptake of [3H]5-HT and an elevated number of [3H]citalopram binding sites. The LPS-induced elevation of 5-HT level was absent in P2rx7-/- mice. In conclusion there are several potential mechanisms for the antidepressant phenotype of P2rx7-/- mice, such as the absence of P2rx7-mediated glutamate release, elevated basal BDNF production, enhanced neurogenesis and increased 5-HT bioavailability in the hippocampus

Genome-wide association study identifies loci associated with liability to alcohol and drug dependence that is associated with variability in reward-related ventral striatum activity in African- and European-Americans.

Genetic influences on alcohol and drug dependence partially overlap, however, specific loci underlying this overlap remain unclear. We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of a phenotype representing alcohol or illicit drug dependence (ANYDEP) among 7291 European-Americans (EA; 2927 cases) and 3132 African-Americans (AA: 1315 cases) participating in the family-based Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism. ANYDEP was heritable (h 2 in EA = 0.60, AA = 0.37). The AA GWAS identified three regions with genome-wide significant (GWS; P < 5E-08) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on chromosomes 3 (rs34066662, rs58801820) and 13 (rs75168521, rs78886294), and an insertion-deletion on chromosome 5 (chr5:141988181). No polymorphisms reached GWS in the EA. One GWS region (chromosome 1: rs1890881) emerged from a trans-ancestral meta-analysis (EA + AA) of ANYDEP, and was attributable to alcohol dependence in both samples. Four genes (AA: CRKL, DZIP3, SBK3; EA: P2RX6) and four sets of genes were significantly enriched within biological pathways for hemostasis and signal transduction. GWS signals did not replicate in two independent samples but there was weak evidence for association between rs1890881 and alcohol intake in the UK Biobank. Among 118 AA and 481 EA individuals from the Duke Neurogenetics Study, rs75168521 and rs1890881 genotypes were associated with variability in reward-related ventral striatum activation. This study identified novel loci for substance dependence and provides preliminary evidence that these variants are also associated with individual differences in neural reward reactivity. Gene discovery efforts in non-European samples with distinct patterns of substance use may lead to the identification of novel ancestry-specific genetic markers of risk

Safe distances between groundwater-based water wells and pit latrines at different hydrogeological conditions in the Ganges Atrai floodplains of Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: Groundwater drawn from shallow tubewells in Bangladesh is often polluted by nearby pit latrines, which are commonly used toilets in rural and sub-urban areas of the country. METHODS: To determine the minimum safe distance of a tubewell from a pit latrine in different hydrogeological conditions of Bangladesh, 20 monitoring wells were installed at three study sites (Manda, Mohanpur and Bagmara) with the vertical and horizontal distances ranging from 18-47 to 2-15 m, respectively. Water samples were collected three times in three seasons and tested for faecal coliforms (FC) and faecal streptococci (FS) as indicators of contamination. Soil samples were analysed for texture, bulk density and hydraulic conductivity following standard procedures. Sediment samples were collected to prepare lithological logs. RESULTS: When the shallow aquifers at one of the three sites (Mohanpur) were overlained by 18-23-m-thick aquitards, the groundwater of the monitoring wells was found contaminated with a lateral and vertical distances of 2 and 31 m, respectively. However, where the aquitard was only 9 m thick, contamination was found up to lateral and vertical distances of 4.5 and 40.5 m, respectively. The soil textures of all the sites were mainly composed of loam and sandy loam. The hydraulic conductivities in the first aquifer at Manda, Mohanpur and Bagmara were 5.2-7.3, 8.2 and 1.4-15.7 m/h, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that the safe distance from the tubewell to the pit latrine varied from site to site depending on the horizontal and vertical distances of the tubewell as well as hydrogeological conditions of a particular area

The Impact of Various Facets of Customer-Based Brand Equity on Brand Resonance

Measuring the extent to which customer-based brand equity (CBBE) influences brand resonance (BR) in the context of carbonated soft drinks industry in Bangladesh was the principal objective of this research. In order to do so, a new BR model was developed. In addition, measuring CBBE was an ancillary objective. CBBE was measured by using the arguably two dominant CBBE instruments: CBBE Model-1 by Yoo and Donthu (2001) and CBBE Model-2 by Netemeyer et al. (2004). BR was measured by an instrument that was developed from the work of Lehmann et al. (2008). The measurement models of both CBBE instruments fit the data satisfactorily with some negligible issues. The BR was measured from two distinct datasets: Dataset-1 and Dataset-2. Though both CBBE instruments had some model fit issues in the causal relationship analyses of CBBE and BR, both CBBE Model-1 and CBBE Model-2 had outstanding explained variance estimates on BR measure. The impact of CBBE on BR is an untapped territory of brand management; therefore, measuring the influence of CBBE on BR along with separately measuring CBBE and BR in multiple product or service categories across industries using the instrument of the current research has great values for practitioners