bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparing local electoral turnout in Great Britain and France: More similarities than differences?
Authors: HOFFMANN‐MARTINOT VINCENT , RALLINGS COLIN , THRASHER MICHAEL 
Published: May 2006

AbstractElectoral and census data from Great Britain and France are used in a comparative analysis of the levels and determinants of local election turnout in the two countries. First, nine simple propositions about variations in turnout are tested using as similar as possible variables for each country. These variables are then used as the bases for multi‐variate regression analyses. The residual cases in each country are compared in order to explore the more qualitative factors which may explain why some localities have a level of participation so much above or below that expected statistically. The paper ends with an attempt to specify an explanatory model of local electoral turnout applicable to both countries.
Clinical Characteristics of Alcoholism in Alcohol‐Dependent Subjects With and Without a History of Alcohol Treatment
Authors: Raimo Eric B. , Daeppen Jean‐Bernard , Smith Tom L. , Danko George P. , Schuckit Marc A. 
Published: May 2006

Background: Most clinical alcohol research is carried out on alcoholics who are in treatment, usually inpatients. However, most alcohol‐dependent men and women never enter treatment, and even fewer ever receive inpatient care. Thus, some generally accepted data on the clinical course of alcoholism, derived from treatment samples, might not generalize to the entire population of alcohol‐dependent individuals. This article characterizes the clinical characteristics of alcohol dependence in three groups of alcoholics, based on their histories of treatment for alcohol problems: those without prior rehabilitation; those with only outpatient approaches or Alcoholics Anonymous (AA); and subjects with an inpatient experience. Methods: Semistructured interviews were administered to 3572 DSM‐III‐R‐defined alcohol‐dependent subjects from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism. The clinical patterns were compared across the three groups of alcoholics: Group 1, never‐treated (n= 1582; 44%); Group 2, histories of outpatient or AA only (n= 399; 11%); and Group 3, at least one inpatient experience (n= 1591; 45%). Results: A progression was shown from Groups 1 to 3 for more general life problems (e.g., unemployment, marital instability); higher rates of additional drug dependencies and psychiatric disorders; and more alcohol‐related adverse events. Logistic regression analyses revealed that those with no prior treatment were more likely to be women, Caucasian, and employed, and to report a lower rate of divorce/separation, lower levels of alcohol intake, and fewer alcohol problems. Among those who received help, inpatient care was predicted by an opposite profile. Conclusions: These results indicate that studies using data from inpatient populations may give a skewed picture of the clinical characteristics of alcohol dependence.
Alcohol and Aldehyde Dehydrogenase Gene Polymorphisms Influence Susceptibility to Esophageal Cancer in Japanese Alcoholics
Authors: Yokoyama Akira , Muramatsu Taro , Omori Tai , Matsushita Sachio , Yoshimizu Haruko , Higuchi Susumu , Yokoyama Tetsuji , Maruyama Katsuya , Ishii Hiromasa 
Published: May 2006

BackgroundStudies have consistently demonstrated that inactive aldehyde dehydrogenase‐2 (ALDH2), encoded byALDH2*1/2*2, is closely associated with alcohol‐related carcinogenesis. Recently, the contributions of alcohol dehydrogenase‐2 (ADH2) polymorphism to alcoholism, esophageal cancer, and the flushing response have also been described.MethodsTo determine the effects of ALDH2 and ADH2 genotypes in genetically based cancer susceptibility, lymphocyte DNA samples from 668 Japanese alcoholic men more than 40 years of age (91 with and 577 without esophageal cancer) were genotyped and the results were expressed as odds ratios (ORs). This study also tested 82 of the alcoholics with esophageal cancer to determine whether cancer susceptibility is associated with patients’ responses to simple questions about current or former flushing after drinking a glass of beer.Results: The frequencies ofADH2*1/2*1andALDH2*1/2*2were significantly higher in alcoholics with, than in those without, esophageal cancer (0.473 vs. 0.289 and 0.560 vs. 0.099, respectively). After adjustment for drinking and smoking, the analysis showed significantly increased cancer risk for alcoholics with eitherADH2*1/2*1(OR = 2.03) orALDH2*1/2*2(OR = 12.76). For those havingADH2*1/2*1combined withALDH2*1/2*2, the esophageal cancer risk was enhanced in a multiplicative fashion (OR = 27.66). Responses to flushing questions showed that only 47.8% of theALDH2*1/2*2heterozygotes withADH2*1/2*1, compared with 92.3% of those withALDH2*1/2*2and theADH2*2allele, reported current or former flushing. Genotyping showed that for alcoholics who reported ever flushing, the questionnaire was 71.4% correct in identifyingALDH2*1/2*2and 87.9% correct in identifyingALDH2*1/2*1.Conclusion: Japanese alcoholics can be divided into cancer susceptibility groups on the basis of their combined ADH2 and ALDH2 genotypes. The flushing questionnaire can predict high riskALDH2*1/2*2fairly accurately in persons withADH2*2allele, but a reliable screening procedure for the highest risk gene combination (ADH2*1/2*1andALDH2*1/2*2) will require further investigation.
Ethanol Consumption by Fawn‐Hooded Rats Following Abstinence Effect of Naltrexone and Changes in μ‐Opioid Receptor Density
Authors: Cowen Michael S. , Rezvani Amir H. , Jarrott Bevyn , Lawrence Andrew J. 
Published: May 2006

Background: Relapse after abstinence can be modelled in rats using an alcohol deprivation effect (ADE) of enhanced ethanol consumption after a period of enforced abstinence from ethanol; however, not all rat strains display such an effect. We wanted to examine the effect of naltrexone on ethanol consumption by ethanol‐preferring Fawn‐Hooded (FH) rats using such a model. Method: FH rats were given continual free‐choice access to a 5% ethanol solution or water (4 weeks) followed by 2 weeks of water alone. At the end of this abstinence period, osmotic minipumps were implanted subcutaneously to deliver saline (n= 4) or naltrexone (n= 4; 8.4 mgkgiday for 4 weeks). After recovery from surgery, the rats were again given access to 5% ethanol under the same free‐choice conditions (4 weeks). A third group of age‐matched controls drank only water during the behavioral trial. At the end of the behavioral trial, the rats were decapitated and an autoradiographic examination was made of μ‐opioid receptor density through the forebrain using the ligand [125I]FK‐33824. Result: First, a period of enforced abstinence from ethanol consumption caused a significant (p < 0.05) and prolonged increase in ethanol preference (+18%) and decrease in water consumption (‐53%), although the volume of ethanol consumed (ml/day) did not vary, indicating an atypical ADE in this rat strain. Second, naltrexone significantly (p < 0.05) decreased ethanol consumption by the FH rats in terms of absolute amount of ethanol consumed and preference for ethanol solution, but this effect of naltrexone diminished over time, concurrent with a robust and significant elevation in μ‐opioid receptor density in all brain regions examined (p < 0.05). Finally, ethanol consumption alone also upregulated μ‐opioid receptor density relative to nondrinking controls in a number of brain regions, which included the nucleus accumbens (+29%) and caudate‐putamen (+ 15%,p < 0.05), but decreased μ‐opioid receptor density in other regions including the substantia nigra pars reticulata, which was suggestive of an indirect effect on μ‐opioid receptors. Conclusions: The data suggest that continual long‐term naltrexone treatment may not be effective in the treatment of alcoholism, possibly because of the induced increase in μ‐opioid receptor density.
Sialic Acid: New Potential Marker of Alcohol Abuse
Authors: Sillanaukee Pekka , Pönniö Maritta , Seppä Kaija 
Published: May 2006

Background: A number of laboratory markers are suggested for the detection and monitoring of alcohol abuse. However, there is still a need to find better indicators of alcohol abuse. Sialic acid (SA) is the name for a series of acyl‐derivatives of neuraminic acids that occur as nonreducing terminal residues of glycoproteins or glycolipids in biological fluids and cell membranes. In this study, we investigated the diagnostic value of SA as a marker of alcohol abuse. Method: Sera from social drinkers (n= 38) and alcoholics (n= 77) were analyzed for sialic acid by a colorimetric assay and for carbohydrate‐deficient transferrin (CDT) by a radioimmunoassay method. Mean corpuscular volume (MCV), ‐γ‐glutamyltransferase (GGT), aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT), and alanine aminotransferase (ALAT) were determined by using routine methods. Result: The sialic acid levels of both female and male subjects were significantly (p < 0.001) increased among alcoholic subjects when compared with social drinkers. SA levels were decreased after 3 weeks of treatment. The sensitivity and specificity for SA, respectively, were 57.7 and 95.5 for women and 47.8 and 81.3 for men. The respective values for CDT were 57.7 and 95.5 for women and 78.3 and 100.0 for men; for GGT, 60.0 and 95.5 for women and 60.9 and 87.5 for men; for MCV, 52.4 and 95.5 for women and 47.8 and 100.0 for men; for ASAT, 53.8 and 95.5 for women and 43.5 and 100.0 for men; and for ALAT, 38.5 and 90.9 for women and 39.1 and 87.5 for men. Among women, SA and GGT, and among men CDT, showed the largest area under receiver operation curve.Conclusion:This study indicated that sialic acid levels were elevated by high alcohol consumption and reduced during abstinence, especially among women. Thus, sialic acid seems to be an interesting marker that needs further evaluation as a diagnostic tool for alcohol abuse.
Multiple Previous Alcohol Detoxifications Are Associated With Decreased Medial Temporal and Paralimbic Function in the Postwithdrawal Period
Authors: George Mark S. , Tenebäck Charlotte C. , Malcolm Robert J. , Moore Juliann , Stallings Laurie E. , Spicer K.M. , Anton Raymond F. , Ballenger James C. 
Published: May 2006

Background: Functional neuroimaging studies after alcohol cessation have demonstrated that chronic alcohol use globally reduces neuronal activity for several weeks. Less is known about the effects of previous alcohol use patterns on regional brain activity. Multiple previous alcohol detoxifications are associated with a worse clinical course and increased risk of seizures, perhaps due to sensitization of key brain structures. We performed the following imaging study in alcoholics in the postwithdrawal period to determine if blood flow in medial temporal structures would differ as a function of previous alcohol use (i.e., whether regions were kindled or sensitized due to multiple detoxifications). Method: Fourteen adults meeting DSM‐IV criteria for alcohol dependence (mean age 35, 8 SD; 10 men) and participating in a double‐blind detoxification medication study underwent a brain perfusion Tc99 m‐ECD (Neurolite) single photon emission computed tomography scan on days 7 through 9 (mean 7.6, .5 SD) after their last drink and 2 to 3 days since their last detoxification medication. Seven nonpsychiatrically ill, nonalcohol‐dependent healthy adults were scanned as control subjects. Result: Alcoholics compared with controls had widely reduced relative activity in cortical secondary association areas and relatively increased activity in the medial temporal lobes (p < 0.01). Five alcoholic patients with ≥2 previous detoxifications were compared with five patients in their first detoxification (age and detoxification medication matched). Multiple detoxification patients had significantly lower relative activity in bilateral anterior temporal poles and medial temporal lobes and in visual cortex (p < 0.01) compared with first episode patients. Conclusions: These studies are consistent with other studies comparing alcoholics and controls. They also suggest that on day 7 of detoxification, alcoholic subjects with multiple previous detoxifications have decreased visual cortex, medial temporal lobes, and anterior paralimbic blood flow, compared with those in their first detoxification. Further studies seem warranted to confirm these initial exploratory results.
Sex Differences in the Sources of Genetic Liability to Alcohol Abuse and Dependence in a Population‐Based Sample of U.S. Twins
Authors: Prescott Carol A. , Aggen Steven H. , Kendler Kenneth S. 
Published: May 2006

Background: There are substantial sex differences in all levels of alcohol involvement among U.S. adults. The goal of this study was to test whether the magnitude and sources of genetic and environmental influences on liability for alcohol abuse and dependence differ for men and women. Methods: Structured personal interviews were used to assess DSM‐III‐R‐ and DSM‐IV‐defined alcohol abuse and dependence among 5091 male and 4168 female twins (including 1546 identical, 1128 same‐sex fraternal, and 1423 opposite‐sex pairs) born in Virginia between 1934 and 1974. Twin correlations were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results: The magnitude of twin‐pair resemblance was similar across several definitions of alcoholism and was substantially higher among identical than fraternal pairs. The proportion of population variation in liability attributed to genetic factors was substantial among both women (55‐66%) and men (51‐56%), and we found little evidence of a role of environmental factors shared by family members. In all definitions studied, we could reject a model that the genetic sources of liability in the two sexes overlap completely. Conclusion: In this first population‐based study of alcoholism among male and female twins from the U.S., we found that genetic factors play a major role in the development of alcoholism in both sexes, that the magnitudes of genetic influence were equally high for men and women, and that the genetic sources of vulnerability are partially, but not completely, overlapping in men and women.
Effect of Dietary Fat on Chronic Ethanol‐Induced Oxidative Stress in Hepatocytes
Authors: Bailey Shannon M. , Cunningham Carol C. 
Published: May 2006

Background: Although oxidative stress and deficits in hepatic energy metabolism have been implicated as important factors in the initiation of alcoholic liver disease, their relative contribution to ethanol‐induced cell death is not known. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of chronic ethanol administration on hepatocyte reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, energy state, and viability, as well as the effect of dietary fat on these parameters. Methods: Male Sprague‐Dawley rats were fed liquid diets that provided 36% total calories as ethanol, with fat as either 12% (low fat) or 35% (high fat) of total calories. Pair‐fed controls received liquid diets in which maltose‐dextrin was substituted for ethanol calories. The fluorescent probe 2′,7′‐dichlorofluorescin diacetate was used to detect ROS, lactate dehydrogenase leakage was used to assess viability, and ATP levels were used as a measure of the energy state. The effect of chronic ethanol feeding on these parameters was determined by incubating hepatocytes under a 5% oxygen‐containing atmosphere or an atmosphere ≤ 1% oxygen for 60 min. Results: In general, chronic ethanol feeding stimulated ROS production and decreased ATP concentrations, which were associated with decreased viability in hepatocytes isolated from rats fed either high‐ or low‐fat, ethanol‐containing diets, compared to the corresponding controls. Incubation under an atmosphere ≤ 1% oxygen and/or ethanol (10 mM) augmented these effects in both high‐ and low‐fat control and ethanol‐fed hepatocytes. The addition of antimycin to the incubations increased ROS production, decreased ATP concentrations, and accelerated loss of hepatocyte viability. Viability loss under all conditions used in this study was correlated with decreases in cellular ATP. Conclusions: Comparisons of incubations performed under the two oxygenation conditions revealed that viability loss was inversely associated with ROS production, which indicates that ATP loss and not ROS production was a better predictor of loss in cell integrity. This study also demonstrates that the level of dietary fat has only minor effects on generation of ROS and the cellular energy state. In contrast, ethanol consumption had significant effects on generation of ROS, energy state, and hepatocyte viability.
Accumulation of Hemoglobin‐Associated Acetaldehyde With Habitual Alcohol Drinking in the Atypical ALDH Genotype
Authors: Takeshita Tatsuya , Morimoto Kanehisa 
Published: May 2006

Background:Those with the atypical genotypes of low Km aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2) have high blood concentrations of free acetaldehyde, an active metabolite of ethanol, after drinking alcohol. In the present study, we measured acetaldehyde reversibly bound to hemoglobin (HbAA) in Japanese male workers.Methods:One hundred and sixty Japanese male workers in one plant participated with informed consent. The subjects were genotyped for the ALDH2 polymorphism by polymerase chain reaction method. HbAA levels were measured using a high performance liquid chromatography system with a fluorescence detector. For the study in which we examined accumulation of HbAA, eight Asian male volunteers participated with informed consent.Results:Although HbAA levels were significantly correlated with recent alcohol consumption in both typical (ALDH2*1/*1) and atypical (ALDH2*1/*2)genotypes, the slope in ALDH2*1/*2 was significantly steeper than that in ALDH2*1/*1. Multiple regression analysis on relevant factors for HbAA revealed that not only recent but also daily alcohol consumption increased HbAA levels in those with the ALDH2*1/*2 genotype, which suggests that HbAA accumulates with habitual drinking. We measured HbAA levels before, during, and after alcohol consumption—one drink (0.4 ml/kg) per day—for 7 consecutive days in male volunteers. During the drinking period, HbAA lincarly increased in ALDH2*1/*2 (n= 4) but not in ALDH2*1/*1 (n= 4). After reaching peak levels (+76.1 nmol/g hemoglobin) following the seventh drink, HbAA levels gradually decreased but were significantly higher for 3 days after drinking was discontinued.Conclusions:We demonstrated that HbAA levels accumulate with habitual alcohol drinking in the atypical ALDH2 genotype. HbAA was shown to be a good biomarker for increased internal exposure levels to acetaldehyde.
Parental History of Alcoholism and Problem Behaviors in Native‐American Children and Adolescents
Authors: Wall Tamara L. , Garcia‐Andrade Consuelo , Wong Vincent , Lau Philip , Ehlers Cindy L. 
Published: May 2006

Background:A positive family history of alcoholism is one of the most consistent and powerful predictors of a person's risk for developing this disorder. This finding has stimulated much research on etiological vulnerability factors and mechanisms by which children of alcoholic parents are at high risk for developing alcohol‐related problems. In primarily Euro‐American samples, parental alcoholism has been associated with a variety of negative outcomes for children and adolescents, including problematic behavior. Native‐American Indians, in addition to high rates of alcoholism and alcohol‐related mortality, have the highest prevalence of a positive family history for alcoholism of all ethnic groups in the United States.Methods:This study used the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) to evaluate behavioral problems in 96 Mission Indian children and adolescents based on the presence or absence of parental alcohol dependence and sex of the offspring.Results:Consistent with previous research, results indicated a high prevalence of a positive family history of alcoholism in these Native‐American youths. Seventy‐four percent of the offspring had either one or both parents with alcohol dependence (children of alcoholics). Only 7% had no first‐ or second‐degree alcoholic relatives. Results indicated that sons of alcoholics scored significantly higher on the Total Behavior Problem scale, as well as the Internalizing and Externalizing scales, of the CBCL than sons of nonalcoholies, whereas there were no significant differences in CBCL scores between daughters of alcoholics and daughters of nonalcoholics. It is noteworthy that scores on the CBCL for Mission Indian children of alcoholics were comparable to scores in the published literature of children of alcoholics of other ethnicities. In addition, a relatively low percentage of youths were identified with significant levels of behavioral problems.Conclusions:These findings suggest that sons of alcoholics of Mission Indian heritage experience more problems than sons of nonalcoholics, but also suggest that Mission Indian children of alcoholics are not more vulnerable to behavioral problems than children of alcoholic parents of other ethnic backgrounds.
Postnatal Handling Does Not Attenuate Hypothalamic‐Pituitary‐Adrenal Hyperresponsiveness After Prenatal Ethanol Exposure
Authors: Gabriel Kara I. , Yu Wayne , Ellis Linda , Weinberg Joanne 
Published: May 2006

Background:Prenatal ethanol exposure results in hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) hyperresponsiveness to stress in the adult animal. In contrast, an early environmental manipulation, termed “postnatal handling,'’has been shown to result in decreased and/or less prolonged HPA activity in response to moderate stressors throughout the lifespan of the animal. The effects of both prenatal ethanol exposure and postnatal handling on HPA activity may be mediated by altered feedback regulation of the HPA axis. The present study tested the hypothesis that postnatal handling could attenuate the impact of prenatal ethanol exposure on hormonal responses to stressors.Methods:Male and female Sprague Dawley® rats from prenatal ethanol (E), pair‐fed (PF), and ad libitum‐fed control (C) groups were either handled (H) or nonhandled (NH) during the preweaning period and were tested at 4 to 5 months of age. Animals were subjected to a 60 min restraint stress, 3 hr after intraperitoneal injection with either saline (SAL) or a synthetic glucocorticoid, dexamethasone‐21‐phosphate (DEX), in order to examine HPA responsiveness after DEX blockade of endogenous HPA activity. Blood samples were collected via jugular cannulae immediately before restraint (0 min), during restraint (10, 30, and 60 min), and 30 min after the termination of restraint (90 min).Results:For both males and females, DEX administration significantly reduced plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone (CORT) concentrations compared with SAL administration. H animals showed greater suppression of HPA activity (i.e., lower ACTH and/or CORT levels) than NH animals regardless of prenatal group. In addition, E females from both the H and NH treatments showed elevated ACTH and CORT after both SAL and DEX administration, whereas H and NH E males showed elevations in ACTH and CORT only after SAL, compared with their PF and C counterparts.Conclusions:These data extend results from previous studies that demonstrated HPA hyperresponsiveness in E animals. The finding that E females but not males exhibit elevated ACTH and CORT after DEX administration suggests that prenatal ethanol exposure results in sex‐specific alterations of HPA feedback. Consistent with previous data, handling in itself reduced the HPA response to restraint stress. However, handling did not attenuate either HPA hyperresponsiveness or feedback deficits in E animals.