Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Montana, 2007. / Title from title screen. Description based on contents viewed Apr. 2, 2007. Includes bibliographical references (p. 87-92).

The first goal of this dissertation is to investigate the status of the fetus in Swedish law. The second goal is to contribute to the debate concerning attitudes toward mankind, attitudes toward the fetus, and the value of human life as these are expressed in our everyday concepts of law. The tbird goal is to contribute to greater uniformity in the future in the laws which touch upon human beings in the early phases of life (the fertilized egg, the blastula and the fetus). The study is based on an analysis of printed official government documents and records, instructions, motions, bills, minutes of the Riksdag, replies to official queries from experts and affected parties, and laws and government studies made prior to the drafting of legislation, such as SOU and Ds. The areas of the law which are analyzed include (i) the Abortion Act, (ii) the Transplant Act, (iii) the Act concerning Measures for Purposes of Research or Treatment Involving Fertilized Human Ova (LBÄ), (iv) the Act on the Treatment of Alcoholics and Drug Abusers (LVM) in certain cases, (v) the Inheritance Code, (vi) the National Registration Act, and (vii) the Burial Legislation. There are divergent views of the fetus in the various laws and statutes. This is partly due to the dissimilar purposes of the different laws, and partly due to the fact that the fetus is seldom or never the actual subject of these laws. The laws have also come into being at different points in time. The result is that the fetus is not regarded in the same way legally and morally in the divergent laws and statutes. In the conclusion the acceptability of these discrepancies is discussed. Special attention is paid to the debate concerning the underlying values. the divergence among them, and the extent to which such differences are acceptable. Finally, a discussion follows about what might be done, which leads into an appeal for an unbiased study of the need for uniform legal protection for the fetus in Swedish law.

Over the past ten years there has been a dramatic increase in the number of drug addicted teens in this country. Accompanying this increase in drug usage of adolescents has been an rise in the number of treatment and evaluation centers to serve the adolescent drug abusing population. Comprehensive and individualized assessment of drug addicted teens is needed as the basis for adolescent treatment programs. Many adolescent drug treatment programs have relied primarily on in-house, informal questionnaires to assess personality traits. There is a need for more objective measures to assess personality traits in adolescent drug addicted populations. This study used information from intake interviews of 842 inpatient adolescents and examined the amount of drug use in relationship to; personality, negative life events (number of times arrested for drugs, number of times runaway from home, number of suicide attempts, and substance abuse) and gender. Personality was assessed using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). This study family history of decreased the complexity of interpreting MMPI results by reducing the scores to categories reflective of two common personality traits found in drug addicted populations - introversion and extroversion. Codetypes, which reflect the subjects two most heightened clinical MMPI scales, were also utilized in this study. In this investigation personality traits of introversion and extroversion were not found to be related to amount of drug use, or gender. A heightened scale 4 (Psychopathic Deviate) was consistently found in this sample of adolescent drug abusers. Gender differences were found in membership in codetype group and in terms of total amount of drug use. Females who reported a maternal family history of substance abuse were more likely to use greater amounts of drugs than males with either a maternal or paternal family history of substance abuse. Negative life events were found to differ by gender with females having higher rates of suicide attempts than males, and males having greater number of drug arrests than females. A thorough assessment of maternal drug history for drug addicted females, and treatment modalities focused on personality types who score high on MMPI scale 4, may be important issues to be considered in residential treatment of drug addicted adolescents. / Graduation date: 1993

This study is a sub-analysis ofthe previously collected cross-sectional DRUGNET survey data. The sample included 1,178 current users of illicit drugs and 389 former users. This study was delimited to U.S. citizens, aged 18 years and older, who completed the DRUGNET survey (n =1,567). DRUGNET was a descriptive online survey of self - reported attitudes and behaviors among a group of adult, self - identified drug users (i.e., not drug abusers). The purpose of the sub-analysis was to explore the importance of religion, spirituality, and religious service attendance in the context of an otherwise normal healthy adult life. Moreover, it also looked into potential patterns of association between aspects of religiosity/spirituality and illicit drug use. The study explored if there was a relationship between the strength of a respondent's spiritual or religious beliefs and the patterns of their recreational drug use. A canonical correlation analysis was conducted using self-rated spirituality, self-rated religiosity, and attendance at services as variables on the left (entered in MANOVA as dependent variables) and self-reported use of six groups of drugs as variables on the right (entered in MANOV A as covariates). One significant function was found, which showed that attending religious services and importance of religion were negatively associated with the use of alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, and hallucinogens. That is, people who reported a higher level of religiosity and who attended religious services were less likely to use these psychoactive drugs.

Although the hazards of prenatal exposure to addictive substances have been documented for decades, it continues to be a prevalent social and health concern today. Alcohol and cocaine are two commonly abused substances during pregnancy, often leading to behavioral and cognitive disorders in exposed children. At present, the relationship between teratogenic effects of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) and prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) on the brain and observed behavioral outcomes is still unclear. A primary reason for this incomplete understanding is the lack of information regarding neuronal functioning in these populations. Functional MRI, which measures real-time brain activation in response to certain stimuli, can be utilized to bridge the gap between known structural damage and observed behavioral outcomes. This thesis aims to examine structural and functional alterations in PAE and PCE populations as compared to unexposed, socio-economic status-matched populations. As the PAE population is highly affected by structural dysmorphology, the applicability of a newly developed diffeomorphic image registration method to this population is examined. Additionally, task-positive and task-negative functional connectivity and activity are investigated in the PAE population, and related to underlying structural alterations. Neural correlates of global arousal and emotional regulation are investigated in the PCE population, as these behavioral outcomes are most notable. Similarly, functional connectivity and activation in task-positive and task-negative networks, as well as correlated structural measures, are examined in the PCE population. The diffeomorphic image registration algorithm was found to improve both structural and functional image registration for the PAE population. In the examination of specific deficits in arithmetic processing, poorer performance in the PAE group was attributed to a multi-level effect produced by altered structural and functional connectivity and functional activity in calculation and default mode networks. Baseline arousal levels were found to be higher in adolescents with PCE as compared to healthy controls (by altered default mode network functioning); emotional regulation also appeared to be affected in the PCE group by a prefrontal-amygdala structural and functional disconnect. The findings of this thesis give insights into the relationship between task-positive and task-negative duality and cognitive impairment, and contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the spectrum of clinical disorders caused by prenatal exposure to alcohol and cocaine.

The attribution of incentive salience to cues that become associated with drugs of abuse is a critical characteristic of individuals who may be vulnerable to drug addiction. Rodents with the propensity to sign track are thought to be vulnerable to drug abuse. The goal of the current work was to investigate whether sign trackers (STs) would acquire cocaine conditioned place preference (CPP) to a discrete cue using an avian species. In Experiment 1, sign and goal trackers (GTs) were first identified using a one third rank order split. Following identification, cocaine-CPP was conducted with a discrete cue in each end chamber. Contrary to previous research, results showed that GTs showed a CPP to the discrete cue but STs did not. Experiment 2 was conducted to determine whether sign and GTs had been misclassified with the rank order split. Experiment 2 compared the rank order method with a t-test method (absolute criterion). Misclassification of both sign and GTs occurred using the rank order split. The findings indicated that use of a more accurate method to identify sign and GTs may have led to different results for Experiment 1. The t-test method may be useful for models that require identification of STs.

The aim of this study was to examine how "Professional Exes", individuals that have exited a drug abuse and a criminal career and further are educated to work in the addiction field, transformed their identity and which factors that were significant in the process. The result of this study are based on semi-structured interviews with five Professional Exes and shows which specific factors in the process that contributed to the transformation and what kind of difficulties and barriers that existed during the process. The study suggests that, among other things, identification with others exes and the 12 Step Program are significant factors in the process. Furthermore, the study suggests that a difficulty in the transformation is that residues from the previous identity such as a poor self-esteem occurred in some situations.

Šio darbo tikslas – nustatyti narkotikų vartojimo paplitimą ir jį sąlygojančius veiksnius tarp Klaipėdos miesto profesinių mokyklų moksleivių. Tyrime dalyvavo visų šešių Klaipėdos m. profesinių mokyklų pirmo kurso moksleiviai, atvykę mokytis į Klaipėdą iš viso Vakarų Lietuvos regiono. Atlikti du momentiniai tyrimai 2004 m. (n= 912) ir 2006 m. (n=342), kurių metu respondentai anonimiškai atsakė į mūsų sudarytos anketos klausimus. Tyrimo metu nustatyti nelegalių narkotikų vartojimo paplitimo rodikliai ir jų skirtumai priklausomai nuo tiriamųjų lyties, amžiaus ir kitų demografinių charakteristikų. Buvo įvertintas atskirų narkotikų rūšių vartojimo paplitimas ir ištirti reguliariai narkotikus vartojančių moksleivių grupių ypatumai, išnagrinėtos moksleivių rūkymo bei alkoholio vartojimo sąsajos su nelegalių narkotikų vartojimu, įvertintas moksleivių požiūris ir žinios apie narkotikus, ištirtos sąsajos su narkotikų vartojimu ir dalyvavimu paskaitose apie narkotikų ����alą, įvertintas šeimos vaidmuo ir kitos galimybės, užkirsti kelią narkotikų vartojimui, palyginti nelegalių narkotikų vartojimo pokyčiai 2004 ir 2006 m. Tyrimas parodė, kad beveik pusė tirtųjų moksleivių 2004 ir 2006 metais nors kartą gyvenime buvo išbandę kokias nors nelegalias narkotines medžiagas. Per du stebėjimo metus (2004-2006 m.) statistiškai reikšmingai padidėjo reguliariai narkotikus vartojančių moksleivių procentas ir reikšmingai padaugėjo narkotikų vartotojų, išbandžiusių ne vieną, o kelias narkotikų... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The aim of the study was to establish the prevalence of drug abuse among students of vocational schools in Klaipeda city and to identify the determinants and risk factors for drug use in this group of young people. Questionnaire surveys were focussed on the samples of the first year students in all six vocational schools in Klaipeda city. Respondents have filled in special annonymous questionnaire forms in the classrom in year 2004 (n= 912) and 2006 (n=342). Results of the study. Current prevalence of illegal drug abuse and its demographical characteristics among first year students of vocational schools in Klaipeda were presented. The survey showed, that half of the respondents have reported the use of illegal drugs “at least once during their lifespan”. Relations of drug use with social, behavioural determinants were analysed and relationship with some of these risk factors were established. It was proved significant relation of drug use with alcohol abuse and smoking behaviours. Attitudes of drug users toward preventive measures (lectures, family involvement) were analysed. Trends of drug use during short period of observation 2004-2006 were described. The number of respondents who used more than one type of drugs has increased during two years. Significant increase (by 2 times) of regular “club” drug users was observed.

Substance abuse is a major social problem with far-reaching implications. Substance abuse is a critical problem in South Africa and across all segments of the population and in some way, impacts on all members of our society. The challenge is to explain why people engage in behaviours that they know will harm them. The aim of the study was to understand how people came to abuse substances, by exploring the factors that contribute to substance abuse by recovering service users at Newlands Park Rehabilitation Centre. The ecosystems perspective was used to guide the study. The study used an exploratory design as it attempted to explore new insights into factors contributing to substance abuse by service uses at Newlands Park Rehabilitation Centre. A qualitative research was used to understand the reasons that govern this behavior. Convenience sampling was used as a sampling technique. Ten participants were selected from a group of twenty service users that were in their last week of the rehabilitation program at Newlands Park Rehabilitation Centre. Semi-structured interviews were used as a primary technique for data collection. The data was analyzed thematically. The findings of the study reveal that there are several factors that led respondents’ to abuse substances. These are intrapersonal factors that both initiated and maintained the abuse of substances by respondents. The results from the study also show interpersonal and environmental factors that contributed to respondents’ abuse of substances. It is recommended that prevention and treatment programs for substance abuse take account of intrapersonal, interpersonal and environmental factors that contribute to substance abuse. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

Erikos Čipkienės magistro darbo Narkotikų prevencijos, organizuojant ugdymo procesą, teorinis ir empirinis pagrindimas objektas yra prevencinės veiklos vaidmuo organizuojant ugdymo procesą bendrojo lavinimo mokykloje. Darbe analizuojama mokslinė literatūra apie narkomanijos problemą bei galimus jos prevencijos būdus, organizuojant ugdymo procesą, aptariama narkotikų vartojimo problema Lietuvoje ir Europos šalyse bei narkotikų plitimas mokyklose. Darbe taip pat nagrinėjami būdai, kaip įtraukti į prevencinę veiklą mokinius, mokytojus, mokinių tėvus. Empirinėje darbo dalyje siekta atskleisti pedagogų ir pačių mokinių požiūrį į prevencinės veiklos organizavimą mokykloje, išryškinant šios veiklos būdus bei efektyvumą lemiančius veiksnius. Tyrimas buvo vykdomas Q tipo duomenų rinkimo metodu – anketine apklausa bendrojo lavinimo mokyklų bei gimnazijų mokiniams ir mokytojams. Anketinėje apklausoje dalyvavo 124 pedagogai ir 246 mokiniai iš Vilniaus miesto mokyklų. Tyrimas parodė, kad pedagogų ir mokinių požiūris į prevencinės veiklos poreikį ir jos prioritetus mokyklose skiriasi: prevencinės veiklą svarbesne laiko pedagogai. Tyrimas parodė, kad prevencinės veiklos mokyklose galimybių bei šios veiklos formų yra daug, bet ne visos jos efektyvios: ir mokiniai, ir mokytojai efektyvesniais laiko aktyvius prevencijos metodus, akcijas bei renginius. Daugiausia dėmesio prevencijai skiriama lietuvių kalbos, biologijos ir dorinio ugdymo pamokose. Apklausti mokytojai ir mokiniai sutinka, kad... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The object of the master Degree paper, ”Drug Abuse Prevention in Education process, Theoretical and Empirical Foundation”, written by Erika Cipkiene, is the role of preventive activity when organizing the teaching process in secondary co-educational schools. The work analyses the resources that deal with the information on drug addiction issue and the possible prevention means when organizing educational process; the issues of drug abuse and the spread of drugs at schools in Lithuanian and other European countries are also analyzed the work also aims to find the ways how students, teachers and students’ parents could be involved in the prevention program. The empirical part of the work is dedicated to reveal teachers’ and students’ attitude towards prevention activity organization at school, highlighting the possible preventative actions and factors that determine success. The research was carried out collecting the a type data-a questionnaire was given to secondary school and gymnasium students and teachers. The respondents included 124 teachers and 246 students from various schools in Vilnius .the research revealed the difference between students’ and teachers’ attitude towards the need and priorities of prevention activity in secondary schools. Prevention activity is considered to be more significant by teachers. The research showed a wide variety of preventive means and opportunities, however, not all of them prove to be highly effective-both, students and teachers... [to full text]