Preventing HIV infection among injecting drug users: Intuitive and counter-intuitive findings

The disease now called AIDS was first reported among injecting drug users in 1981. This article reviews the last 15 years of research on preventing HIV infection and AIDS among injecting drug users. Many of the findings were surprising in the context of previous understandings of the illicit injection of psychoactive drugs—both with respect to the much-larger-than-expected size of the epidemic and the much-greater-than-expected potential for behavior change among drug injectors (IDU). The research is reviewed within a framework of eight issues: the importance of the problem in the United States, the global diffusion of injecting drug use, the global diffusion of HIV among IDUs, potential rapid spread of HIV among IDUs, risk reduction among IDUs, community-level prevention, syringe exchange programs, and developing a public-health perspective on psychoactive drug use.     

Predictors of perceived road collision/incident risk among horse users: A survey study from Norway

Although horse users in traffic are a vulnerable road user group, traffic safety problems among them are scantly examined by previous research. The main aim of the present study was to examine the role of some demographic variables, traffic safety attitudes, and level of knowledge about rules and regulations applying to horse use in traffic for predicting perceived road collision/incident risk in a sample of horse users in Norway. An online survey was conducted to collect data from a total of 1733 horse users including horse riders and drivers of horse-drawn sulky, wagon or sled. The respondents accessed the survey via a link put to the website of the Norwegian Horse Centre, which is in contact with many different horse user environments in Norway. The majority of the respondents were female and between the ages of 18–30. A multiple regression analysis was conducted to examine the predictors of the perceived collision/incident risk involving other motor vehicles. Results showed that traffic safety attitudes among horse users were the strongest predictor of the perceived collision/incident risk. In particular, horse users reported a negative attitude towards the other road users (e.g. drivers) indicating that they perceive the other road users’ actions and approaches as the biggest source of risk in road traffic. The level of knowledge about the rules and regulations applying to horse use, especially in walking and cycling lane, was relatively low among the respondents. However, knowledge about rules and regulations did not appear as a strong predictor of the perceived collision/incident risk. Results indicate the need to increase road users, especially drivers’, awareness about the problems and needs of horse users in traffic.     

Time perspective as a predictor of problematic Internet use: A study of Facebook users

Time perspective (TP) has been related to different problematic human behaviors. The work presented in this paper assesses the role of time perspective in predicting problematic Internet use (PIU) by studying a sample (n = 149) of Facebook users. Participants (79 male, 70 female, mean age = 32.40, SD = 11.80) completed electronic versions of the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI) to assess their TP, and the Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale 2 (GPIUS2) to assess their PIU. Results show that Past Negative and Present Fatalistic temporal frames are predictors of problematic Internet use, suggesting that time perspective is an individual difference construct that should be taken into consideration in the context of PIU.     

The long-term outcome of a personal network-oriented HIV prevention intervention for injection drug users: The SAFE study

Social influence processes have been found to affect numerous drug and health-related behaviors. We postulated that by using a network-oriented intervention it may be possible to capitalize on social influence processes to reduce human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) risk behaviors. The present study used an experimental study design for delivering a psychoeducational acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) preventive intervention to injection drug sharing networks. Participants were recruited from the ALIVE study, an epidemiological study in Baltimore. In the present paper we examine the self-reported behavioral outcomes of 117 injection drug users 18 months after the baseline interview. HIV seronegative experimental participants reported significantly less frequent needle sharing and less injecting of heroin and cocaine than controls. In multiple logistic regression models of HIV seronegative participants, there was a significant negative association between assignment to the experimental group and the HIV-related behaviors of needle sharing and sharing of cookers in the prior 6 months; controls were 2.8 times more likely than experimentals to report needle sharing and were 2.7 times more likely to report sharing cookers. The results of this 18-month follow-up suggest that among injection drug users network-oriented interventions may be a promising approach to HIV prevention.     

Effects of methamphetamine and scopolamine on variability of response location.

Methamphetamine and scopolamine were studied in monkeys responding under a multiple fixed-ratio fixed-interval schedule of reinforcement. A response on any one of six levers could satisfy the schedule requirements. Variability of response location was evaluated in terms of switches, where a switch was defined as a response on one lever followed by a response on a different lever. Under baseline conditions the fixed-ratio schedule generated a high rate of responding and a low level of variability, while the fixed-interval schedule generated a low rate of responding and a high level of variability. Both methamphetamine (0.1 to 0.5 mg/kg) and scopolamine (2.4 to 240 microgram/kg) decreased overall response rate and increased variability of response location in each component of the multiple schedule with increasing doses of drug. At lower doses both drugs were found to decrease rate without affecting response variability.     

情感性动机网络使用者对负性情绪线索的前注意偏向

采用修改后的分离式Stroop任务,通过两个实验考察了基于人际情感性动机的网络使用者在双线索竞争条件下的前注意加工特性。研究结果表明,相对于信息获取型被试,在中性线索与负性情绪线索匹配条件下,人际情感型被试对负性情绪线索表现出显著的前注意加工偏向,但在中性线索和情感满足线索匹配条件下,该类被试对情感满足线索未表现出前注意加工偏向。该研究为解释人际情感型动机者的病理性网络使用行为的情绪机制提供了实验证据。     

Preventing HIV infection among injecting drug users: Intuitive and counter-intuitive findings

The disease now called AIDS was first reported among injecting drug users in 1981. This article reviews the last 15 years of research on preventing HIV infection and AIDS among injecting drug users. Many of the findings were surprising in the context of previous understandings of the illicit injection of psychoactive drugs—both with respect to the much-larger-than-expected size of the epidemic and the much-greater-than-expected potential for behavior change among drug injectors (IDU). The research is reviewed within a framework of eight issues: the importance of the problem in the United States, the global diffusion of injecting drug use, the global diffusion of HIV among IDUs, potential rapid spread of HIV among IDUs, risk reduction among IDUs, community-level prevention, syringe exchange programs, and developing a public-health perspective on psychoactive drug use.     

Risk profiles in novice road users: Relation between moped riding simulator performance,on-road aberrant behaviors and dangerous driving

The aim of this study was to compare the scores obtained by an Italian sample of novice drivers/riders on an adapted version of the Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ) and the Dula Dangerous Driving Index (DDDI) with their performance in a moped-riding simulator. Cluster analysis on the indexes extracted by the simulator were used to identify two groups with opposite riding styles: Prudent riders and Imprudent riders.Using the DBQ, our data not only confirmed data in the literature indicating that females reported more driving Errors than males, and that males reported higher Intended Violation scores than females, but also showed that gender effects are modulated by riding style (as measured by the simulator) and driving exposure. Differences between males’ and females’ DBQ scores were only apparent for Imprudent riders, while the reported Errors, Slips and Lapses, and Violations were lower the higher the driving exposure.As for the DDDI, males scored higher than females for Risky Driving, and the Aggressive Driving scores were higher the greater the driving exposure, but only for Imprudent riders.These results provide crucial information for the use of DBQ and DDDI questionnaires in the Italian population. They also confirm that a multidimensional approach, supported by the use of driving simulators, may facilitate a more detailed assessment of riding abilities.     

冰毒使用者抑制控制的损伤、可逆性及干预策略

冰毒使用的危害日益凸显,受到社会的普遍关注。行为、认知和脑功能的研究结果一致表明:长期的冰毒使用会导致使用者的抑制控制受损,包含一般抑制控制损伤以及药物相关线索条件下的损伤。这些损伤与前额脑区的异常密切相关,对冰毒使用者的行为和认知能力产生不良影响。目前,这些损伤只能部分恢复,因此,改善冰毒使用者抑制控制的干预策略成为热点。未来研究可以从不同药物成瘾者的差异性、多药物使用模式以及有区别的运动干预等方面对冰毒使用者的抑制控制损伤进行深入研究。     

Behavioral pharmacology of the odor span task: Effects of flunitrazepam,ketamine, methamphetamine and methylphenidate

The Odor Span Task is an incrementing non‐matching‐to‐sample procedure that permits the study of behavior under the control of multiple stimuli. Rats are exposed to a series of odor stimuli and selection of new stimuli is reinforced. Successful performance thus requires remembering which stimuli have previously been presented during a given session. This procedure has been frequently used in neurobiological studies as a rodent model of working memory; however, only a few studies have examined the effects of drugs on performance in this task. The present experiments explored the behavioral pharmacology of a modified version of the Odor Span Task by determining the effects of stimulant drugs methylphenidate and methamphetamine, NMDA antagonist ketamine, and positive GABA_A modulator flunitrazepam. All four drugs produced dose‐dependent impairment of performances on the Odor Span Task, but for methylphenidate and methamphetamine, these occurred only at doses that had similar effects on performance of a simple odor discrimination. Generally, these disruptions were based on omission of responding at the effective doses. The effects of ketamine and flunitrazepam were more selective in some rats. That is, some rats tested under flunitrazepam and ketamine showed decreases in accuracy on the Odor Span Task at doses that did not affect simple discrimination performance. These selective effects indicate disruption of within‐session stimulus control. Overall, these findings support the potential of the Odor Span Task as a baseline for the behavioral pharmacological analysis of remembering.