bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rediscovering reasonable rationality in institutional analysis
Authors: NØRGAARD ASBJØRN SONNE
Published: May 2006

In recent years institutions have regained their lost prominence throughout the social sciences. A host of rules, routines, and norms shape social and political interaction, the new institutionalists agree. However a sociological and a rational choice approach have disagreed on a number of issues, most notably on how institutions shape political action. Notwithstanding this, the conception of man and human rationality is the root of most controversies. In contrast to other presentations this essay argues that the most promising aspects of the two traditions are already converging. If the rational choice approach abandons its narrow conception of rationality, and if the sociological approach concedes that human beings have a capacity of conscious reflection over goals and values irrespective of context, one of the critical obstacles for mutual theoretical enrichment has been swept away. A more reasonable conception of rationality sees preferences as culturally bounded and shaped by experiences constrained by institutions. Within this framework, dialogue between the two approaches is possible; different theories of institutional change can be seen as being complementary or as rivals; a host of politically germane issues can reenter our research agenda.
Anti‐party sentiment and party system change in Italy
Authors: BARDI LUCIANO
Published: May 2006

This article attempts to assess (a) the extent to which anti‐party sentiment has been a factor in Italy's current political changes, with particular reference to the party system; (b) whether such changes can in turn be considered to be a preliminary step towards the rejection of the party‐based model of democracy. Elite and mass indicators, whose values rose sharply at the end of the 1980s and culminated in the early 1990s, reveal that anti‐party sentiment was indeed a factor in Italy's recent party system changes. The ability of anti‐party and anti‐system lists to attract many dissatisfied electors resulted in the major 1992–1994 party system realignment. Mass anti‐party sentiment, however, appears to have ebbed after the 1993 referendums on party financing and on the electoral law, which were arguably the highest manifestations of popular rejection of the old party‐system. It would seem that with realignment popular anti‐party sentiment has reached its goals. Perhaps as a consequence, at least some of the successful anti‐party parties are already becoming more party‐like. In the transition between Italy's first and second Republics, the party‐based model of democracy has not yet been replaced.
Measuring parliamentary deviation
Authors: COLOMER JOSEP M.
Published: May 2006

Deviation between party seat shares and party expected power in parliamentary winning coalitions is measured with a new formula. In analogy with electoral deviation, in which proportions of votes and proportions of seats for each party are compared, proportions of seats and the proportions of influence in parliamentary majorities for each party are compared. A new parliamentary power index, which can be applied to different criteria in coalition formation, is used for this purpose. Formal trends of parliamentary disporportionality are presented. An empirical application for real elections in the period 1972–1993 in five European countries with parliamentary regimes shows a positive correlation between electoral deviation and parliamentary deviation.
Paradigms, power, and identity: Rediscovering Orthodoxy and regionalizing Europe
Authors: PRODROMOU ELIZABETH H.
Published: May 2006

In an effort to explain, to predict and to manage the ways in which organized religion affects patterns of public contestation at the state and regional levels in post‐Cold War Europe, social scientists and policymakers have formulated a cultural map that divides Europe into two spaces incompatible by virtue of their historical experiences: one space is ‘modem’, ‘civilized’, Western Christian; the other space is ‘anti‐modem’, ‘uncivilized’, Eastern Christian. This paper proposes that a specific ‘orthodox’ version of Eastern Orthodox Christianity has gained ascendance in Euro‐American academic and policy discussions, in order to provide a cultural argumentation that supports political‐economic and military power objectives in post‐Cold War Europe. The paper claims that the ‘orthodox’ version of Orthodoxy is theoretically inaccurate and methodologically unsound, but is rooted in intellectual efforts to salvage a neo‐modernization paradigm as well as in Orientalist tendencies in Modem Greek and Central European identity debates. An alternative to the ‘orthodox’ conception of Orthodoxy is presented, along with suggestions for how to analyze and to manage the potential synergy between efforts at consolidating liberal democracies in European societies with an Eastern Christian tradition emphasizing personal freedom and human relationality.
When parties matter: A review of the possibilities and limits of partisan influence on public policy
Authors: SCHMIDT MANFRED G.
Published: May 2006

This essay explores the possibilities and limits of partisan influence on public policy in democratic nations. It will be pointed out, that differences in party composition of government, in general, matter in public policy in constitutional democracy. However, the extent to which parties influence public policy is to a significant extent contingent upon the type of democracy and countermajoritarian institutional constraints of central state government. Large partisan effects typify majoritarian democracies and states, in which the legislature and the executive are ‘sovereign’. More complex and more difficult to identify is the partisan influence on public policy in consensus democracies and in states, in which the political‐institutional circumstances allow for co‐governance of the opposition party. Narrowly circumscribed is the room to manoeuvre available to incumbent parties above all in political systems which have been marked by countermajoritarian institutional pluralism or institutional ‘semi‐sovereignty’. The article suggests, that it would be valuable if direct effects and interaction effects of the party composition of government and state structures featured more prominently in future research on comparative public policy.
Isokinetic Muscle Strength and Its Association with Neuropsychological Capacity in Cirrhotic Alcoholics
Authors: Tarter Ralph E. , Panzak George , Switala JoAnn , Lu Sandy , Simkevitz Howard , Van Thiel David
Published: May 2006

Alcoholic cirrhotics (n = 49), nonalcoholic cirrhotics (n = 42), and normal controls (n= 50) were compared on measures of isokinetic muscle strength and neuropsychological capacity. Alcoholic cirrhotics were deficient on measures of eccentric and concentric muscle movements, compared with normal controls but were not different from nonalcoholic cirrhotics. Nor were differences observed between the two cirrhotic groups on neuropsychological tests of cognitive and psychomotor capacity, suggesting that cirrhosis rather than alcoholism per se is responsible for the manifest deficits. Psychomotor capacity correlated negatively with isokinetic strength in cirrhotic subjects. These findings suggest that muscle weakness, due either directly to advanced liver disease or mediated by subclinical hepatic encephalopathy, accounts for a portion of the variance on the neuropsychological test performance of cirrhotic alcoholics.
Does Moderate Alcohol Intake Reduce Fecundability? A European Multicenter Study on Infertility and Subfecundity
Authors: Olsen J. , Bolumar F. , Boldsen J. , Bisanti L. ,   European Study Group on Infertility and Subfecundity
Published: May 2006

Background and Aim: There are plausible reasons to suggest that heavy alcohol consumption reduces male as well as female fecundability, but only a few epidemiological studies have addressed this issue, and results concerning the effect of a moderate intake are equivocal. The present studies were designed to examine the association between male and female alcohol intake at the start of the waiting time to a planned pregnancy. Methods: Two types of studies were used—a population‐based study of randomly selected women between 25 and 44 years in the different European countries from census registers and electoral rolls, and a pregnancy‐based study of consecutive pregnant women (at least 20 weeks pregnant) recruited during prenatal care encounters. More than 4000 couples were included in each study, and 10 different regions in Europe took part in the data collection. Data were collected through personal interviews in all population‐based samples and in all but four regions of the pregnancy study. Results: The results showed no strong nor coherent association between alcohol intake and subfecundity. Conclusions: Should any causal effect be present it is restricted to females with a high intake of alcohol within the range of normal consumption reported in European countries.
Differential Changes in Sucrose/Ethanol and Sucrose Maintained Responding by Independently Altering Ethanol or Sucrose Concentration
Authors: Slawecki Craig J. , Samson Herman H. , Hodge Clyde W.
Published: May 2006

Increased reinforcing efficacy of sucrose/ethanol solutions in comparison to sucrose solutions has been previously demonstrated. However, the contribution of the components of the sucrose/ethanol solution is not well defined. The present study used a multiple schedule of reinforcement to evaluate the differential changes in reinforcer presentations as sucrose or ethanol concentrations were altered. Male Long‐Evans rats were trained to press a lever on a multiple fixed ratio 4‐fixed ratio 4 schedule which was composed of alternating 2‐min components. During one component, 5% sucrose/10% ethanol was presented as the reinforcer and, in the second component, 5% sucrose was presented. Independent manipulations of the ethanol concentration (0,5, and 20%) in the sucrose/ethanol solution or sucrose concentration (0, 10, and 20%) in the sucrose solution were then performed. Increasing the ethanol concentration in the sucrose/ethanol solution resulted in decreases in reinforcer delivery but increases in ethanol intake (grams per kilogram) and total session caloric intake. Increasing the sucrose concentration in the sucrose solution resulted in significant increases in sucrose reinforcer delivery and total session caloric intake. During the concentration manipulations, the number of reinforcers presented of the unchanged reinforcer was not affected. Differential changes in the pattern of reinforcer presentation after ethanol and sucrose concentration manipulations during successive access periods suggest that sucrose and sucrose/ethanol maintained responding are differentially regulated. Changes in sucrose maintained responding after increases in the sucrose concentration were observed early in the session suggesting a strong influence of taste in regulating intake. Changes in sucrose/ethanol maintained responding after increases in the ethanol concentration occurred later in the session and suggest that postingestive effects (i.e., pharmacology) play a major role in the regulation of sucrose/ethanol intake. In addition, the differential patterns of sucrose/ethanol and sucrose maintained behavior suggest that the ethanol component of the sucrose/ethanol solution plays an important role in maintaining sucrose/ethanol reinforced behavior.
Repeated Exposure to Moderate Doses of Alcohol in the Rat Fetus: Evidence of Sensitization to Toxic and Chemosensory Aspects of Alcohol
Authors: Chotro M. Gabriela , Spear Norman E.
Published: May 2006

Two experiments tested responsiveness of the rat fetus to alcohol on gestational day (GD) 20 after previous maternal administration of low‐to‐moderate doses of alcohol (1 or 2 g/kg during GDs 17 to 19). Maternal alcohol intoxication on GD 20 resulted in substantial suppression of spontaneous fetal motor activity. The analysis of mouthing movements showed that this suppression of movement was further enhanced by exposure to alcohol during the previous 3 days of gestation (GDs 17 to 19). A second experiment indicated that this same exposure to alcohol during GDs 17 to 19 induced fetuses on GD 20 to emit more mouthing movements in response to intraoral infusions of alcohol. A moderate amount of prenatal alcohol exposure apparently sensitizes the fetus to the pharmacological and orosensory effects of alcohol.
Polyenylphosphatidylcholine Decreases Alcohol‐Induced Oxidative Stress in the Baboon
Authors: Lieber Charles S. , Leo Maria A. , Aleynik Semyon I. , Aleynik Maria K. , DeCarli Leonore M.
Published: May 2006

Diets supplemented with polyunsaturated fatty acids or triglycerides exacerbate alcohol‐induced liver injury in rats, whereas, in baboons, polyenylphosphatidylcholine (PPC) protects against alcohol‐induced fibrosis and cirrhosis. Because the aggravation in rats was attributed to enhanced lipid peroxidation, the present study was undertaken to assess parameters of oxidative stress in percutaneous liver biopsies of baboons fed alcohol, with or without PPC (2.8 g per 1000 calories). F2‐isoprostanes and 4‐hydroxynonenal, breakdown products of lipid peroxidation, were determined by gas chromatog‐raphy/mass spectrometry, and α‐tocopherol was measured by HPLC with electrochemical detection. Hepatic 4‐hydroxynonenal was significantly increased in animals fed alcohol, but this was fully prevented by PPC. F2‐isoprostanes were also significantly lower after PPC and ethanol than after ethanol alone, and the alcohol‐induced glutathione decrease was attenuated. All of these parameters were normal in the animals withdrawn from alcohol, even with persistence of significant liver disease. Because peroxidation products are fibrogenic, their decrease could contribute to the antifibro‐genic property of the phospholipids. In conclusion, PPC significantly attenuates ethanol‐induced oxidative stress, which may explain, at least in part, its protective effect against alcoholic liver injury.
Effect of Ethanol on Gastric Mucus Glycoprotein Synthesis, Translocation, Transport, Glycosylation, and Secretion
Authors: Slomiany Amalia , Morita Masonari , Sano Suichi , Piotrowski Jerzy , Skrodzka Dorota , Slomiany Bronislaw L.
Published: May 2006

The effect of ethanol on mucus glycoprotein synthesis, intracellular modification, transport, glycosylation, and secretion was studied in rat gastric mucous cells. Preincubation of the in vitro translation mixture containing gastric mucous cells mRNA for 60 min with 0 to 120 mM ethanol caused a decrease in the synthesis of mucus glycoprotein apopeptide by up to 40%. The reduction in translation was time‐ and ethanol concentration‐dependent. After 60 min, translation in the presence of 30, 60, and 120 mM ethanol decreased to 83.3 ± 2.3%, 75.5 ± 0.4%, and 63.6 ± 2.6%, respectively. The experiments conducted with endoplasmic reticulum microsomes, preincubated with ethanol, and used in the studies of cotranslational translocation of the apomucin showed a 20% decrease in the transfer of mucus glycoprotein apopeptide to the lumen of endoplasmic reticulum microsomes. In the presence of ethanol, processing of mucus glycoprotein apopeptide in Golgi was also inhibited. During the initial 30 min of incubation with 0 to 120 m M ethanol, glycosylation seemed to proceed at the same rate in the samples with and without ethanol. However, during consecutive 30 min of incubation, glycosylation in the presence of 60 mM ethanol decreased by 30 to 35%, and with 120 m M ethanol was completely inhibited. Measurements of the effect of ethanol on the discharge of mucus glycoprotein from the intracellular stores revealed that, on average, the secretory output of the rat gastric mucosa exposed to ethanol liquid diet for 8 weeks decreased by 77% or more, and adherence of the glycoprotein to the gastric epithelium was weakened. Results indicate that ethanol inhibits synthesis, transport, and processing of gastric mucus glycoprotein, and that the processes taking place in different intracellular compartments contribute in the additive fashion and, are reflected in a dramatic decrease in the delivery of mucus glycoprotein to the gastric epithelial surfaces.
Human GABA, Receptor αl and α3 Subunits Genes and Alcoholism
Authors: Parsian A. , Cloninger C. R.
Published: May 2006

γ‐Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. GABA effects are largely mediated by binding to the postsynaptic GABAA receptor, causing the opening of an integral chloride‐ion channel. The GABAA antagonists picrotoxin and bicuculline reduce some ethanol‐induced behaviors, such as motor impairment, sedation, and hypnosis. The role of this receptor in alcoholism is further supported by effective alleviation of alcohol withdrawal symptoms by GABAA agonists. To determine the role of the GABA, receptor (GABR) genes in the development of alcoholism, we have used α1 and α3 simple sequence repeat polymorphisms in a sample of unrelated alcoholics, alcoholic probands with both parents, and psychiatrically normal controls. For the GABRα1 gene, the differences between allele frequencies, when all alleles were compared together, were not significant between total alcoholics, subtypes of alcoholics, and normal controls. However, for GABRα3, the differences between total alcoholics and normal controls were significant when all alleles were compared together. The differences between subtypes of alcoholics and normal controls were not significant. The results of haplotype relative risk analysis for both genes, GABRα1 and GABRα3, were also negative. It is possible that the sample size in the haplotype relative risk is too small to have power to detect the differences in transmitted versus nontransmitted alleles. There is a need for a replication study in a large family sample, that will allow haplotype relative risk or affected sib‐pair analysis.
Forskolin Delays the Ethanol‐Induced Desensitization of Hypothalamic β‐Endorphin Neurons in Primary Cultures
Authors: Boyadjieva N. , Reddy B. V. , Sarkar D. K.
Published: May 2006

Ethanol and its metabolite acetaldehyde have been shown to stimulate immunoreactive β‐endorphin (IR‐β‐EP) secretion from hypothalamic neurons in primary cultures. Also, chronic ethanol and acetaldehyde have been shown to cause the development of tolerance and desensitization of these neurons. In this study, we determined some of the cellular events leading to desensitization of the function of β‐endorphin (p‐EP) Secretory neurons. The fetal hypothalamic cells were treated with various doses of ethanol (W and 50 mM) or acetaldehyde (6.25,12.5, and 25 mM) for 6 hr or treated with these drugs at 12 hr intervals for 72 hr. Determination of IR‐β‐EP concentrations in the media revealed that ethanol increased IR‐β‐EP secretion from these cultures for 12 hr; after this period, the cultured cells did not respond to ethanol. Acetaldehyde stimulated IR‐β‐EP secretion from this culture for a period of 48 hr, but the IR‐β‐EP secretory response to acetaldehyde reduced gradually with time during the first 48‐hr period and reached the basal level at 72 hr. The desensitization of β‐EP neurons 12 hr after treatment with alcohol did not seem to be related to the loss of viable cells, because chronic ethanol exposures did not produce any effect on cell viability. However, reduced IR‐ β‐EP secretory response to acetaldehyde with time was associated with the time‐dependent increase in cell death. Pretreatment of cultures with a cAMP analog, forskolin, increased the activity of functional β‐EP neurons and delayed the ethanol desensitization effects on these neurons. Pretreatment of forskolin did not delay the acetaldehyde desensitization of β‐EP neurons, but protected these cells from acetaldehyde toxicity. These results suggest that (i) chronic treatment with ethanol desensitizes β‐EP‐secreting neurons due to reduced cellular functions and (ii) chronic acetaldehyde reduces β‐EP neurotransmission due to cell death. Furthermore, data suggest for the first time that cAMP pretreatments delay the ethanolinduced desensitization of opioid neurons and partly protect against the neurotoxic action of acetaldehyde on opioid neurons.
Characteristics of Alcohol Dehydrogenases of Certain Aerobic Bacteria Representing Human Colonic Flora
Authors: Nosova T. , Jousimies‐Somer H. , Kaihovaara P. , Jokelainen K. , Heine R. , Salaspuro M.
Published: May 2006

We have recently proposed the existence of a bacteriocolonic pathway for ethanol oxidation [i.e., ethanol is oxidzed by alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) of intestinal bacteria resulting in high intracoIonic levels of reactive and toxic acetaldehyde]. The aim of this in vitro study was to characterize further ADH activity of some aerobic bacteria, representing the normal human colonic flora. These bacteria were earlier shown to possess high cytosolic ADH activities (Escherichia coli IH 133369, Klebsiella pneumoniae IH 35385, Kleb‐siella oxytoca IH 35339, Pseudomonas aeruginosa IH 35342, andHafnia ahrei IH 53227). ADHs of the tested bacteria strongly preferred NAD as a cofactor. Marked ADH activities were found in all bacteria, even at low ethanol concentrations (1.5 mM) that may occur in the colon due to bacterial fermentation. TheKmfor ethanol varied from 29.9 mM for K.pneumoniaeto 0.06 mM forHafnia ahrei. The inhibition of ADH by 4‐methylpyrazole was found to be of the competitive type in 4 of 5 bacteria, andK1varied from 18.26 ± 3.3 mM forEschmbhia colito 0.47 ± 0.13 mM forK. pneumoniae. At pH 7.4, ADH activity was significantly lower than at pH 9.6 in four bacterial strains. ADH ofK. oxytoca, however, showed almost equal activities at neutral pH and at 9.6. In conclusion, NAD‐linked alcohol dehydrogenases of aerobic colonic bacteria possess low apparentKm'sfor ethanol. Accordingly, they may oxidize moderate amounts of ethanol ingested during social drinking with nearly maximal velocity. This may result in the marked production of intracolonic acetaldehyde. Kinetic characteristics of the bacterial enzymes may enable some of them to produce acetaldehyde even from endogenous ethanol formed by other bacteria via alcoholic fermentation. The microbial ADHs were inhibited by 4‐methylpyrazole by the same competitive inhibition as hepatic ADH, however, with nearly 1000 times lower susceptibility. Individual variations in human colonic flora may thus contribute to the risk of alcohol‐related gastrointestinal morbidity, such as diahea, colon polyps and cancer, and liver injury.
Personality and Substance Use Disorders: I. Effects of Gender and Alcoholism Subtype
Authors: McGue Matt , Slutske Wendy , Taylor Jeanette , Lacono William G.
Published: May 2006

The relationship between alcoholism and self‐rated personality was explored in a community‐ascertained sample of 303 male and 103 female alcoholics, and 304 male and 770 female nonalcoholics. Alcoholics met DSM‐Ill‐R lifetime criteria for alcohol dependence; personality was assessed using the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire. Compared with controls, alcoholics scored significantly higher on all indicators of negative emotionality, and consistently lower on all indicators of constraint. Individual effect sizes were moderate in both the male and female samples. A subsample of severe male alcoholics, identified by cluster analysis, was characterized by relatively early onset of problem drinking and relatively high antisociality and familial loading of problem drinking; they were also more extreme than moderate male alcoholics on negative emotionality and constraint. When taken in aggregate, personality risk appears to be associated with a continuum of alcoholic risk such that individuals extreme in both negative emotionality and behavioral disinhibition have especially high rates of alcoholism.
Subject‐Collateral Reports of Drinking in Inpatient Alcoholics with Comorbid Mental Disorders
Authors: Stasiewicz Paul R. , Bradiua Clara M. , Connors Gerard J.
Published: May 2006

Verbal self‐report continues to be the primary method by which clinicians and researchers obtain measurements of a person's past drinking. In addition, collateral reports are an important second measure of an individual's drinking behavior. Although there is considerable confidence in the use of collateral reports as a measure of drinking in individuals with only a diagnosis of alcohol abuse or dependence, information about subject‐collateral reports for alcoholics with a comorbid mental disorder is lacking. Given both that symptoms of mental illness can negatively impact cognitive processes relevant to the recall of information, and that such symptoms can be influenced by alcohol consumption, it is important to be confident in the reports of alcohol use in dually diagnosed individuals. This study examined subject‐collateral reports of alcohol use in two groups of inpatient alcoholics: those meeting DSM‐Ill‐R criteria for an alcohol use disorder and a current mental disorder (n= 91) and those meeting criteria for an alcohol use disorder only (n= 93). Overall, the results show that the self‐reports of alcoholics with comorbid mental disorders are generally valid. In addition, subject‐collateral agreement was found to be similar for both groups, with no consistent tendency to overreport or underreport alcohol or drug use in either group. Importantly, psychological symptom severity and cognitive functioning were not related to subject‐collateral agreement. However, less frequent contact between subject and collateral had a more negative impact on subject‐collateral agreement for the dual diagnosis group, compared with the alcohol‐only group. Recommendations for enhancing the accuracy of self‐reports of drinking in a dual diagnosis population are discussed.
Alcohol Expectancies and Drinking Characteristics in Parents of Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Authors: Molina Brooke S. G. , Pelham William E. , Lang Alan R.
Published: May 2006

Alcohol expectancies, drinking characteristics, and their association were examined in 587 adults: 431 parents of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and 156 parents of children without ADHD. In addition to examining both traditional and parenting‐specific alcohol expectancies for these adults, risk variables cutting across the two groups were considered: single parenthood and male gender. Few differences in mean expectancy levels were found between parents of children with and without ADHD, between single and married mothers, and between men and women. Furthermore, expectancies did not predict drinking differently across groups. However, there was some support for the utility of assessing parental expectations of alcohol's effects on interactions with children, and there were robust and interesting effects of socioeconomic status on expectancies and drinking. Single mothers also reported consuming higher quantities of alcohol than married mothers. Findings are discussed in terms of the link between ADHD and alcoholism, the ability of alcohol expectancies to explain drinking differences between high risk groups, the effect of socioeconomic status on these variables, and single motherhood as a vulnerability factor for increased drinking.
A Transketolase Assembly Defect in a Wernicke‐Korsakoff Syndrome Patient
Authors: Wang James J.‐L. , Martin Peter R. , Singleton Charles K.
Published: May 2006

Thiamine deficiency, a frequent complication of alcoholism, contributes significantly to the development of damage in various organ systems, including the brain. The molecular mechanisms that underlie the differential vulnerabilities to thiamine deficiency of tissue and cell types and among individuals are not understood. Investigations into these mechanisms have examined potential variations in thiamine utilizing enzymes. Transketolase is a homodimeric enzyme containing two molecules of noncovalently bound thiamine pyro‐phosphate. In the present study, we examined a his‐tagged human transketolase that was produced in and purified from fscherichia coli cells. Previous findings demonstrated that purified his‐transke‐tolase had a Km app for cofactor and a thiamine pyrophosphate‐dependent lag period for attaining steady‐state kinetics that was similar to transketolase purified from human tissues. Interestingly, the time of the lag period, which is normally independent of enzyme concentration, was found herein to be dependent on the concentration of the recombinant protein. This atypical behavior was due to production in E. coli. Generation of the normal, enzyme concentration‐independent state required a cytosolic factor(s) derived from human cells. Importantly, the required factor(s) was found to be defective in a Wernicke‐Korsakoff patient whose cells in culture show an enhanced sensitivity to thiamine deficiency.
A Review of Research on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT)
Authors: Allen John P. , Litten Raye Z. , Fertig Joanne B. , Babor Thomas
Published: May 2006

Research on the core version of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is reviewed. Sensitivities and specificities of the AUDIT for criteria of current hazardous use and, to a slightly lesser extent, lifetime alcohol dependence are high. In general, AUDIT scores are at least moderately related to other self‐report alcohol screening tests. Several studies also show them as correlated with biochemical measures of drinking. Results of the AUDIT have also been associated with more distal indicators of problematic drinking. Indices of internal consistency, including Cronbach's α and item‐total correlations, are generally in the 0.80's. Future directions for research on the AUDIT are suggested.
Psychiatric Referrals Associated with Substance Use Disorders: Prevalence and Gender Differences
Authors: Alaja Riitta , Seppa Kaija , Sillanaukee Pekka , Tienari Pekka , Huyse Frits J. , Herzog Thomas , Malt Ulrik F. , Lobo Antonio ,   European Consultation‐Liaison Workgroup
Published: May 2006

A psychoactive substance use disorder (ICD‐10) was diagnosed in 28% of 1222 psychiatric referrals in six general hospitals in Finland. In the age group 35 to 50 years, 53% of men and 29% of women had a substance use disorder. In the age group 35 to 50 years, sociode‐mographic characteristics differentiated men diagnosed with substance use disorders from other male consultation patients, but women with substance use disorders were similar to other female consultation patients. Urgency (i.e., consultation required within the same day) was accentuated in referrals associated with substance use disorders. Of attempted suicides, 65% were related to substance use disorders. Use of sedatives or hypnotics had more frequently induced disorders in women with substance use diagnosis compared to men with diagnosis (30% vs. 13%; p < 0.01). Female consultation patients with substance use disorders more often than respective male patients were current mental health outpatients. In conclusion, the proportion of substance use disorders among psychiatric consultation patients was remarkably higher in the present study (28%) compared with the average provided by the earlier literature (12%), and therefore, at least in Finland, psychiatric assessment of general hospital patients should always include assessment for the presence of Substance use disorders. If substance use is only looked for in patients who have social problems typical of advanced misuse, detecting female substance use might be impeded. Relation of attempted suicides to substance use disorders was confirmed. To prevent misuse of prescribed drugs detected particularly in female consultation patients, and to prevent attempted suicides, doctors' attention is called to prescriptions of sedatives and hypnotics.
Naltrexone Treatment Increases the Aversiveness of Alcohol for Outbred Rats
Authors: Hill Katherine G. , Kiefer Stephen W.
Published: May 2006

Acute naltrexone treatments (0.0, 0.5, 1.0, or 3.0 mg/kg body weight) were administered to separate groups of rats and alcohol taste reactivity and consumption were measured. Rats were given daily naltrexone injections and then tested for taste reactivity to 10% alcohol 30 and 60 min after injection. Each reactivity trial (total of 4) was 60 sec during which 1 ml of fluid was infused. The rats' orofacial and body movements were videotaped and scored later. In the final measure, rats were placed on a restricted fluid access schedule and given naltrexone treatments 10 min before being presented with the 10% alcohol solution in the home cage (60–min drinking period). After 4 days of consumption tests under the drug condition, the rats were given 4 more daily tests without the drug. Results indicated that the two highest naltrexone doses significantly decreased ingestive responding and increased aversive responding, particularly at the 30–min test. Both the 1.0 and 3.0 mg/kg body weight doses also significantly decreased alcohol consumption as measured during the free access tests. Alcohol consumption returned to control levels immediately after the drug treatments were stopped. The data show that dosages of naltrexone 1.0 mg or higher significantly alter both alcohol taste reactivity (increased aversiveness and decreased palatabil‐ity) and alcohol consumption (decreased intake) in outbred rats. These results are discussed in relation to naltrexone treatment as a means for decreasing alcohol use and abuse.
Alcohol Consumption by Young Actively Growing Rats: A Study of Cortical Bone Histomorphometry and Mechanical Properties
Authors: Hogan Harry A. , Sampson H. Wayne , Cashier Erin , Ledoux Nicole
Published: May 2006

Alcohol consumption by young actively growing rats has been previously demonstrated to decrease cortical and cancellous bone density, to reduce trabecular bone volume, and to inhibit bone growth at the epiphyseal growth plate. This study addresses the action of alcohol on cortical bone growth using histomorphometric techniques and on mechanical properties by three‐point bending. Four‐week‐old, female Sprague‐Dawley rats were divided into three groups. Alcohol‐treated animals were fed a modified Lieber‐DeCarli diet ad libitum containing 35% ethanol‐derived calories, whereas the pairfed animals (weight‐matched to ethanol rats) received an isocaloric liquid diet in which maltose‐dextrin‐substituted calories were supplied by ethanol. Chow animals were fed a standard rat chow ad libitum. Femora were removed for analysis after 2, 4, 6, or 8 weeks on the diets. Cortical bone area, bone formation rates, and mineral apposition rates were reduced in the alcohol‐fed animals. Bone stiffness, strength, and energy absorbed to fracture were significantly lower in the alcohol‐fed animals. This distinctive alcohol effect was revealed to be caused by lower quality bone tissue as reflected by lower elastic moduli and yield strengths.
Time Course of Acamprosate Action on Operant Ethanol Self‐Administration after Ethanol Deprivation
Authors: Hölter Sabine M. , Landgraf Rainer , Zieglgänsberger Walter , Spanagel Rainer
Published: May 2006

The effects of the new alcohol anticraving compound acamprosate on the alcohol deprivation effect were tested in an operant two‐lever free choice paradigm with concurrent water. Two groups of rats were tested after long‐term voluntary ethanol self‐administration: the “continuous access” group consisting of animals that had continuous access to ethanol before operant testing; and the “limited access” group that was tested only after ethanol deprivation. The limited access group exhibited a strong alcohol deprivation effect with immediate high ethanol consumption and preference. Acamprosate (100, 200, or 400 mg/kg) dose‐dependently reduced lever pressing for ethanol and, accordingly, ethanol consumption in both groups in a 23‐hr session. The consumption‐reducing effect was still evident at the end of the session. Ethanol preference was dose‐dependently reduced during the first hour of the session, but returned to basal levels before the end of the 23‐hr session in both groups. Thus, the time course of preference reduction was not identical with that of the reduction of ethanol consumption. Surprisingly, preference reduction was observed only after a considerable amount of ethanol had been consumed. These results suggest that the specific effect of preference reduction depended on the simultaneous presence of sufficient levels of acamprosate and ethanol, and that the longer‐lasting reduction of ethanol consumption was the consequence of this experience.
Development of a Screening Questionnaire for the General Hospital and General Practices
Authors: Rumpf Hans‐Jürgen , Hapke Ulfert , Hill Andreas , John Ulrich
Published: May 2006

The purpose of this study was to develop a sensitive as well as brief screening questionnaire by combining the well‐known instruments CAGE and the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (MAST) in detecting patients with alcohol dependence or abuse in general hospitals and general practices. The number of items was reduced by means of logistic regression and item analysis based on data of 1, 167 consecutive admissions of a general hospital who completed both questionnaires. Further data were derived from a sample of 774 patients from 10 randomly selected general practices. A solution with nine items was validated in a second sample of 436 hospital inpatients. In all three samples, cases screening positive were interviewed using the Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry to provide ICD‐10 and DSM‐Ill‐R or DSM‐IV diagnosis. In addition, 103 subjects with negative screening results were interviewed in the second general hospital sample. On grounds of the data of all three samples, a solution of seven items was chosen. This instrument comprises two CAGE and five MAST questions (Luebeck Alcohol Dependence and Abuse Screening Test; LAST) and was significantly higher in sensitivity than CAGE and SMAST. Data were robust in all three samples. It is concluded that the LAST is an optimized instrument for use in general hospital and general practice.
Ethanol and Natural Killer Cells. II. Stimulation of Human Natural Killer Activity by Ethanol In Vitro
Authors: Li Feng , Cook Robert T. , Alber Carole , Rasmussen Wendy , Stapleton Jack T. , Ballas Zuhair K.
Published: May 2006

A single ethanol ingestion of 1 g/kg by healthy individuals under controlled conditions does not inhibit and may stimulate fresh natural killer (NK) activity measured 16 hr later. However, ethanol inhibits fresh human NK activity when added to the lytic assay medium, as reported previously by other investigators. In contrast, using the same target (K562 erythroleukemia cells), peripheral blood mononu‐clear cells cultured 3 days with 50 units/ml of interleukin‐2 are no longer inhibited significantly by the same concentration of ethanol that inhibited the fresh cells by 80%. When freshly isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells, monocyte‐depleted lymphocytes, or partially purified NK cells are pre‐exposed to ethanol in vitro for 1 to 7 days, washed, and assayed for lytic activity against K562, the lytic activity is increased compared with nonethanol‐exposed cells incubated concurrently. This increase is not dependent on accessory cells, added cytokines, or cell growth, and seems to be an intrinsic response of the NK subset to ethanol exposure. The finding of NK stimulation by ethanol, considered together with the observation of NK cell loss in some chronic alcoholics, suggests that loss of NK activity in the chronic alcoholic may result from cell loss rather than direct ethanol inhibition of NK activity.
Effects of Ethanol on Basal and Prostaglandin E1‐Induced Increases in β‐Endorphin Release and Intracellular cAMP Levels in Hypothalamic Cells
Authors: Boyadjieva Nadka Iv. , Sarkar Dipak K.
Published: May 2006

Our recent studies determining the effect of cAMP‐elevating agents forskolin and dibutyryl cAMP on ethanol‐induced immunoreactive p‐endorphin (IR‐β‐EP) release from hypothalamic cells in primary cultures suggested the possibility that both stimulatory and adaptive secretory responses of β‐EP neurons after ethanol exposure may involve the cAMP system. To determine further the role of cAMP, the effects of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) on basal and ethanol‐regulated IR‐β‐EP secretion and cAMP productions were determined in primary cultures of hypothalamic cells. The results presented in this study show that a 50 mM dose of ethanol, which is within the EC50 dose of ethanol required to elevate IR‐β‐EP release from hypothalamic cells, increased cellular levels of cAMP and elevated IR‐β‐EP release simultaneously from the cultured neurons for a period of 6 hr. The cAMP and IR‐β‐EP secretory responses developed desensitization to ethanol challenge after 24 hr of constant ethanol incubation. The cAMP‐elevating agent PGE1 increased the cellular content of cAMP and IR‐β‐EP release in a dose‐dependent manner. The EC50 dose of PGE1 for elevation of IR‐β‐EP and cAMP was ∼0.5 μM. As with ethanol, chronic treatment with PGE1 desensitized the cAMP and IR‐β‐EP responses of hypothalamic neurons to PGE1. Acute exposure to ethanol increased the PGE1 ‐stimulated levels of cAMP and IR‐β‐EP, whereas chronic exposure to ethanol resulted in diminished cAMP responses to PGE1. These data provide evidence that the cAMP system may be involve in controlling hypothalamic β‐EP secretion, as well in regulating the stimulatory and adaptive responses of β‐EP neurons to ethanol.
Catalase Mediates Acetaldehyde Formation from Ethanol in Fetal and Neonatal Rat Brain
Authors: Hamby‐Mason Rhoda , Chen Juan Juan , Schenker Steven , Perez Antonio , Henderson George I.
Published: May 2006

Fetal ethanol (E) exposure has well documented deleterious effects on brain development, yet it is uncertain if the neurotoxicity of maternal E consumption is generated by E itself, by its primary metabolite acetaldehyde (AcHO), or both. The current studies present evidence that homogenates of immature rat brains can generate AcHO via a catalase (CAT)‐mediated reaction and that AcHO may be produced in vivo by this system. Homogenates of day 19 fetal rat brain were incubated with E (50 mM). When incubated with CAT inhibitors (sodium azide or 3‐aminotriazole), AcHO formation was blocked, whereas neither the alcohol dehydrogenase inhibitor, 4‐methylpyratole, nor P‐450 inhibitors decreased AcHO production. Three hours after one oral dose of E (4 g/kg) to a pregnant dam (gestation day 19), AcHO levels in fetal brain increased to 14.28 ± 1.82 nM/g tissue. Baseline CAT activity in day 19 fetal brains was 4.5 times adult values (p < 0.05). Western blot analysis determined that CAT protein level in the day 19 fetal brain exceeded that in adult brain by 2.5 times. One hour after a single dose of E, CAT activity in day 19 fetal brain increased by 8.2 units/mg protein. In 5‐day‐old neonatal brains during the “third trimester” brain growth spurt, baseline CAT activity was twice the adult values (p < 0.05) and a 2‐day in vivo E regimen increased AcHO levels to four times the control values, with a concomitant 1.7‐fold increase in CAT activity. This was prevented by administration of a CAT inhibitor (3‐amino‐1,2,4‐triazole). Immunohistochemical staining of neonatal brains exposed to E illustrated the presence of acetaldehyde‐protein adducts. We conclude that AcHO is likely produced in rat fetal and neonatal brain via CAT‐mediated oxidation of E. This phenomenon may be an important factor in the neurotoxic effects of in utero E exposure.
DNA Damage, DNA Repair, and Alcohol Toxicity—A Review
Authors: Brooks P. J.
Published: May 2006

Alcohol (ethanol) is clearly a toxic substance when consumed in excess. Chronic alcohol abuse results in a variety of pathological effects, including damage to the liver and brain, as well as other organs, and is associated with an increased risk of certain types of cancers. Alcohol consumption by pregnant women can result in fetal alcohol effects and fetal alcohol syndrome. All of these toxic effects are well documented. What is needed at present is a complete understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which alcohol causes these toxic effects. Such an understanding may lead to better treatments of some of these toxic effects. This review, focuses on the possibility that toxic effects of ethanol are mediated, at least in part, by damage to DNA. In particular, I emphasize data on the production of endogenous DNA‐damaging molecules as a result of alcohol consumption and metabolism. Specific examples of DNA‐damaging molecules to be considered are reactive oxygen species, including oxygen radicals, lipid peroxidation products, and acetaldehyde. The relevant DNA repair pathways that protect cells against DNA damage produced by these molecules will also be reviewed. The goal of this review is to integrate recent results from the fields of mutagenesis and DNA repair with the alcohol toxicity literature, with the aim of stimulating research into the role of DNA damage in different types of alcohol toxicity and the role of DNA repair in protecting cells from alcohol‐related damage.
Alcohol Self‐Administration: Further Examination of the Role of Dopamine Receptors in the Nucleus Accumbens
Authors: Hodge Clyde W. , Samson Herman H. , Chappelle Ann M.
Published: May 2006

One of the functions of the mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system is to regulate the process of reinforcement, a process that is thought to influence drug self‐administration. This study tested the effects of centrally administered DA receptor ligands on ethanol self‐administration behavior. Long‐Evans rats were trained to lever press on a fixed‐ratio 4 schedule of ethanol (10% v/v) reinforcement. DA agonists and antagonists were then bilaterally microinjected (0.5 μ/side) into the nucleus accumbens (N Acc) 10‐min before sessions to test for effects on the onset, maintenance, and termination of ethanol self‐administration. Infusions of the D1‐like agonist SKF 38393 (0.03 to 3.0 μg) produced no effect on ethanol self‐administration. The D1‐like antagonist SCH 23390 (0.5 to 2.0 μg) reduced total responding by decreasing the time course of self‐administration without altering response rate. The D2‐like agonist quinpirole produced a biphasic effect on self‐administration. Quinpirole (1.0 μg) increased total responses and response rate, whereas higher doses (4.0 to 10.0 μg) decreased total responding as a result of early termination. The D2‐like antagonist raclopride (0.1 to 1.0 μg) reduced total responding by decreasing time course and response rate. Co‐administration of either SKF 38393 or SCH 23390 with quinpirole prevented the behavioral effects observed with the low doses of quinpirole. Thus, in the N ACC either increased activation of D1‐like receptors or their blockade can affect the expression of the behavioral effects of the D2‐like agonist. This suggests that some intermediate level of D1 activation is required to observe the D2 effect. The decreases in total responding produced by raclopride were enhanced by co‐administration of SKF 38393, but not altered by SCH 23390, thus suggesting that D1‐like and D2‐like receptors in the N Acc interact in the regulation of ethanol self‐administration in a manner similar to their interactive regulation of other behaviors.