bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Alcohol Use Disorders Among Emergency Department–Treated Older Adolescents: A New Brief Screen (RUFT‐Cut) Using the AUDIT, CAGE, CRAFFT, and RAPS‐QF
Authors: Kelly Thomas M. , Donovan John E. , Chung Tammy , Cook Robert L. , Delbridge Theodore R. 
Published: May 2004

Abstract: Background: Early identification of alcohol use disorders (AUD) among emergency department (ED)‐treated patients is important for facilitating intervention and further evaluation outside EDs. A number of brief screening instruments have been developed for identifying patients with AUD, but it is not clear whether they are practical and perform well with older adolescents in an ED setting. This study contrasted four brief screening instruments for detecting DSM‐IV–defined AUD and tested a newly developed brief screen for use among ED‐treated older adolescents.Methods: The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), the CAGE, the CRAFFT, and a modified RAPS‐QF were given to 93 alcohol‐using older adolescents (55% men; aged 18–20 years) in an ED. Receiver operator characteristic analyses were used to evaluate the performance of brief screens against the criterion of a lifetime DSM‐IV alcohol abuse or dependence diagnosis.Results: Of existing instruments, the AUDIT had the best overall performance in identifying AUD (sensitivity, 82%; specificity, 78%). A new, shorter screening instrument composed of two AUDIT items, two CRAFFT items, and one CAGE item (RUFT‐Cut) performed as well as the AUDIT (sensitivity, 82%; specificity, 78%).Conclusions: Among existing alcohol screening instruments, the AUDIT performed best for identifying ED‐treated older adolescents with alcohol use disorders. The RUFT‐Cut is a brief screening instrument for AUD that shows promise for identifying ED‐treated older adolescents who are in need of intervention or further evaluation. Future research should focus on use of the RUFT‐Cut in other settings with larger, more diverse samples of adolescents.
Alanine Aminopeptidase Activity in Urine: A New Marker of Chronic Alcohol Abuse?
Authors: Taracha Ewa , Habrat Boguslaw , Lehner Malgorzata , Wislowska Aleksandr , Woronowicz Bohdan T. , Bogulas Marta , Charewicz Jolanta , Markuszewski Cezary , Plaźnik Adam 
Published: May 2004

Abstract: Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the activity of urinary alanine aminopeptidase (AAP), the enzyme released from the brush border membranes of renal proximal tubules, as a new biological marker of chronic alcohol abuse.Methods: The AAP activity was assayed and compared between a group of 76 alcoholics undergoing detoxification and a group of 37 alcoholics abstaining from alcohol for at least 6 weeks. In all patients, the enzyme activity was measured both in untreated urine (uAAP) and after removal of endogenous AAP inhibitors by molecular filtration on Sephadex (eAAP).Results: There was a correlation between the uAAP and eAAP activities in both groups of patients (r= 0.61 and r= 0.81 in abstinent alcoholics and in alcoholics undergoing detoxification, respectively), and both the uAAP activity and the eAAP activity were significantly and markedly higher in alcoholics being detoxified than in their abstinent counterparts. As revealed by receiver operating characteristic analysis, the discriminative power of the eAAP activity assay was higher than that of the uAAP activity assay. The area under the corresponding receiver operating characteristic curves was 0.84 ± 0.04 and 0.78 ± 0.05 (mean ± SE), respectively.Conclusions: The results of this study demonstrate that the assays of urinary AAP activity, which relate to the nephrotoxic effects of alcohol abuse, could be a valuable complement to the other presently used markers of chronic alcohol abuse that are generally based on ethanol hepatotoxicity. Compared with the uAAP activity test, the eAAP activity test is of clear diagnostic advantage.
Single‐Channel Analyses of Ethanol Modulation of Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors
Authors: Zuo Yi , Nagata Keiichi , Yeh Jay Z. , Narahashi Toshio 
Published: May 2004

Abstract: Background: We have previously reported that ethanol potentiates the acetylcholine‐induced currents of the α4β2 neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in rat cortical neurons and of those that are stably expressed in human embryonic kidney cells. The potentiation of the maximal currents evoked by high concentrations of acetylcholine suggests that ethanol affects the channel gating.Methods: We performed single‐channel patch‐clamp experiments to elucidate the detailed mechanism of ethanol modulation of the α4β2 receptor that is stably expressed in human embryonic kidney cells.Results: At least two conductance states, 40.5 pS and 21.9 pS, were activated by acetylcholine. Acetylcholine at 30 nM predominantly induced the high conductance state currents (85% of total). Ethanol did not affect the single‐channel conductance but selectively modulated the high‐conductance state currents. The high‐conductance state currents exhibited two open time constants. Both time constants were increased by 100 mM ethanol, from 1.9 msec to 2.8 msec and from 9.0 msec to 15.5 msec, respectively. Ethanol also prolonged the burst duration and the open time within burst and increased the probability of channel opening.Conclusions: These changes in single‐channel parameters indicate that ethanol stabilizes the α4β2 receptor‐channel in the opening state, explaining how the maximum acetylcholine‐induced whole‐cell currents are further potentiated by ethanol.
Illegal Alcohol Sales to Obviously Intoxicated Patrons at Licensed Establishments
Authors: Toomey Traci L. , Wagenaar Alexander C. , Erickson Darin J. , Fletcher Linda A. , Patrek William , Lenk Kathleen M. 
Published: May 2004

Abstract: Background: Early studies assessing propensity of alcohol sales to underage youth found that, before intervention, likelihood of licensed alcohol establishments selling alcohol to underage youth was 50% or higher across many communities. Community‐wide interventions successfully lowered underage alcohol sales rates in several communities. Across studies assessing propensity for alcohol sales to obviously intoxicated patrons, sales rate estimates ranged from 58% to 85% for on‐premise establishments (e.g., bars). No previous studies have assessed likelihood of alcohol sales to obviously intoxicated patrons in off‐premise establishments (e.g., liquor stores). One goal of this study was to assess propensity for illegal alcohol sales to obviously intoxicated patrons at on‐ and off‐premise establishments. Another goal was to assess whether server and/or establishment characteristics were related to the likelihood of illegal sales. Results may inform future interventions to reduce illegal alcohol sales at licensed alcohol establishments.Methods: Trained actors attempted to purchase alcohol while acting out signs of obvious intoxication at a census of on‐ and off‐premise alcohol establishments (n= 372) in 11 communities. The outcome variable was whether an establishment sold alcohol to a buyer. Independent variables included age and gender of server/clerk, type of establishment, area, exterior maintenance, type of license, and time of purchase attempt. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted.Results: Seventy‐nine percent of the establishments sold alcohol to a buyer (83% and 76% at off‐ and on‐premise establishments, respectively). Servers/clerks who appeared younger than age 31 and off‐premise establishments were significantly more likely than older appearing servers and on‐premise establishments to sell alcohol to buyers.Conclusions: The likelihood of alcohol sales to obviously intoxicated patrons in licensed alcohol establishments is very high. Interventions to reduce illegal alcohol sales to intoxicated patrons are needed.
Differential Neurosensitivity to the Discriminative Stimulus Properties of Ethanol in C57BL/6J and C3H/He Mice
Authors: Becker Howard C. , Crissman Alicia M. , Studders Shannon , Kelley Brian M. , Middaugh Lawrence D. 
Published: May 2004

Abstract: Background: A large body of evidence suggests that the interoceptive cue associated with ethanol intoxication is complex and dependent on a number of environmental and biological factors. Despite the fact that mice have been widely used to study genetic influences on sensitivity to various actions of ethanol, few studies have used mice to examine sensitivity to the discriminative stimulus effects of ethanol. The purpose of this study was to compare sensitivity to the discriminative stimulus effects of ethanol in two inbred mouse strains, namely C57BL/6J and C3H/He mice.Methods: Adult male C57BL/6J and C3H/He mice were trained to discriminate between ethanol and saline using a two‐lever food reinforcement operant procedure. Once criterion discrimination performance was achieved, dose‐response functions were determined from generalization tests. Additional experiments were conducted to determine whether differences in discrimination performance were related to differential blood/brain ethanol levels in the two mouse strains.Results: A greater proportion of C57BL/6J mice acquired the discrimination and required fewer trials to achieve criterion performance compared with C3H/He mice with a 1.0 g/kg ethanol training dose. This deficit in acquisition was overcome when the training dose was increased to 2.0 g/kg for C3H/He mice. In a second experiment, a 1.5 g/kg training dose of ethanol was used for both strains. Again, a greater proportion of C57BL/6J mice acquired the discrimination and required fewer training trials to achieve criterion performance compared with C3H/He mice. Blood ethanol levels did not differ between the strains after administration of the 1.5 g/kg training dose. However, blood and brain ethanol levels did differ between the strains after doses of ethanol were administered that produced equivalent discrimination performance.Conclusions: Results indicate that ethanol discrimination was more readily acquired and maintained in C57BL/6J mice than C3H/He mice. Ethanol dose‐response functions generated from generalization tests also clearly demonstrated greater sensitivity to the discriminative stimulus properties of ethanol in C57BL/6J mice compared with the C3H/He strain. This differential sensitivity to the interoceptive cue produced by ethanol does not seem to be related to learning or pharmacokinetic differences between the two inbred strains.
A Double‐Blind, Placebo‐Controlled Study of Olanzapine in the Treatment of Alcohol‐Dependence Disorder
Authors: Guardia José , Segura Lidia , Gonzalvo Begoña , Iglesias Lisbeth , Roncero Carlos , Cardús María , Casas Miguel 
Published: May 2004

Abstract: Background: A 12‐week, double‐blind, randomized, parallel‐group clinical trial, comparing olanzapine and placebo treatment together with cognitive‐behavioral psychotherapy, was carried out to determine the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of olanzapine in the treatment of alcoholism.Methods: A total of 60 alcohol‐dependent patients were assigned to 12 weeks’ treatment with either olanzapine or placebo. The primary variable relapse to heavy drinking rate was evaluated by means of intention‐to‐treat analyses. Alcohol consumption, craving, adverse events, and changes in the biochemical markers of heavy drinking and possible toxicity were also evaluated.Results: We did not find significant differences in the survival analysis between placebo and olanzapine‐treated patients (Kaplan‐Meier log rank = 0.46, df= 1, p= 0.50). Eleven (37.9%) patients treated with olanzapine relapsed compared with 9 (29%) of those receiving placebo (χ2= 0.53, df= 1, p= 0.5). Although some adverse events (weight gain, increased appetite, drowsiness, constipation, and dry mouth) were found more frequently in the olanzapine group, differences did not reach statistical significance in comparison with the placebo group.Conclusions: Olanzapine was well tolerated, as the rate of adverse events was low, and it was safe, because it did not interfere with the normalization of biochemical markers of heavy drinking or alter liver function markers. Alcohol‐dependent patients showed good adherence and compliance with the treatment protocol, but we found no differences in relapse rate or other drinking variables when comparing olanzapine with placebo‐treated patients.
Fetal Learning With Ethanol: Correlations Between Maternal Hypothermia During Pregnancy and Neonatal Responsiveness to Chemosensory Cues of the Drug
Authors: Abate Paula , Pepino M. Yanina , Spear Norman E. , Molina Juan C. 
Published: May 2004

Abstract: Background: Fetuses learn about ethanol odor when the drug is present in the amniotic fluid. Prenatal learning comprising ethanol's chemosensory cues also suggests an acquired association between ethanol's chemosensory and postabsorptive properties. Ethanol‐related thermal disruptions have been implicated as a significant component of the drug's unconditioned properties. In the present study, ethanol‐induced thermal changes were analyzed in pregnant rats subjected to a moderate ethanol dose. This thermal response was later tested for its correlation with the responsiveness of the progeny to ethanol and nonethanol chemosensory stimuli.Methods: During gestational day (GD) 14, pregnant rats were subjected to a minor surgical procedure to place a subcutaneous telemetric thermal sensor in the nape of the neck. During GDs 17 to 20, females received a daily intragastric administration of ethanol (2 g/kg) or water, using solutions kept at room temperature. Maternal body temperatures were recorded before and after (4 consecutive hours) the administration of water or ethanol. Newborns representative of both prenatal treatments were tested in terms of behavioral activity elicited by the smell of ethanol or of a novel odorant (cineole). A third group of pups were tested in response to unscented air stimulation.Results: Ethanol administration during late gestation induced reliable maternal hypothermia, a thermal disruption greater than that observed in water‐treated females. It was systematically observed that maternal ethanol‐induced hypothermia negatively correlated with neonatal motor reactivity elicited by ethanol olfactory stimulation. No other significant correlations were observed in terms of responsiveness to cineole or to unscented air in animals prenatally exposed to ethanol or water.Conclusions: In conjunction with prior research, the present results indicate that fetal ethanol exposure may yield learning of an association between ethanol's sensory and unconditioned properties. Ethanol‐induced hypothermia during late gestation seems to represent a significant component of ethanol's unconditioned consequences. Specifically, ethanol‐related thermal disruptions in the womb are highly predictive of neonatal responsiveness to ethanol's chemosensory cues that are known to be processed by the near‐term fetus.
Influence of Ethanol Dependence and Methionine Enkephalin Antisense on Serum Endomorphin‐1 and Methionine Enkephalin Levels
Authors: Banks William A. , Kumar Vijaya B. , Morley John E. 
Published: May 2004

Abstract: Background: Opiate peptides are involved in the physical dependence on ethanol. Levels of methionine enkephalin (MEnk), for example, are affected by ethanol. No study on the effect of ethanol on endomorphin, the endogenous ligand for the μ‐opiate receptor, has yet been conducted.Methods: We examined the effect of ethanol ingestion on serum endomorphin (EM)‐1 and MEnk levels. We also determined the effect of antisense directed at MEnk on serum levels of EM‐1 and MEnk.Results: Serum EM‐1 levels steadily decreased about 20% during 56 days of ethanol ingestion in liquid feed, whereas a similar decrease in serum MEnk levels was not statistically significant. Serum MEnk levels decreased about 20% by 48 hr after antisense injection and then returned to baseline, whereas serum EM‐1 levels increased by about 80% and remained elevated for about 2 weeks. In mice not treated with antisense or alcohol, there was no correlation between the serum levels of EM‐1 and MEnk.Conclusions: These results show that serum levels of EM‐1 are decreased by physical dependence on ethanol and that this effect is not directly mediated through MEnk.
Epidermal Growth Factor Prevents Acetaldehyde‐Induced Paracellular Permeability in Caco‐2 Cell Monolayer
Authors: Sheth P. , Seth A. , Thangavel M. , Basuroy S. , Rao R. K. 
Published: May 2004

Abstract: Background: Intestinal permeability and endotoxemia play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease. Previous studies showed that acetaldehyde disrupts intestinal epithelial barrier function and increases paracellular permeability by a tyrosine kinase‐dependent mechanism. In the present study, the role of epidermal growth factor (EGF) in protection of epithelial barrier function from acetaldehyde was evaluated in Caco‐2 intestinal epithelial cell monolayer.Methods: Caco‐2 cells on Transwell inserts were exposed to acetaldehyde in the absence or presence of EGF, and the paracellular permeability was evaluated by measuring transepithelial electrical resistance and unidirectional flux of inulin. Integrity of epithelial tight junctions and adherens junctions was analyzed by confocal immunofluorescence microscopy and immunoblot analysis of occludin, zonula occludens (ZO)‐1, E‐cadherin, and β‐catenin in the actin cytoskeleton. Reorganization of actin cytoskeletal architecture was examined by confocal microscopy.Results: Acetaldehyde increased paracellular permeability to inulin and lipopolysaccharide, and EGF significantly reduced these effects of acetaldehyde in a time‐ and dose‐dependent manner. EGF prevented acetaldehyde‐induced reorganization of occludin, ZO‐1, E‐cadherin, and β‐catenin from the cellular junctions to the intracellular compartments. Acetaldehyde treatment induced a reorganization of actin cytoskeletal network and reduced the levels of occludin, ZO‐1, E‐cadherin, and β‐catenin associated with the actin cytoskeleton. EGF effectively prevented acetaldehyde‐induced reorganization of actin cytoskeleton and the interaction of occludin, ZO‐1, E‐cadherin, and β‐catenin with the actin cytoskeleton.Conclusion: These results indicate that EGF attenuates acetaldehyde‐induced disruption of tight junctions and adherens junctions and prevents acetaldehyde‐induced reorganization of actin cytoskeleton and its interaction with occludin, ZO‐1, E‐cadherin, and β‐catenin.
Stress Tolerance and Glucose Insensitive Phenotypes in Arabidopsis Overexpressing theCpMYB10Transcription Factor Gene
Authors: Villalobos Miguel Angel , Bartels Dorothea , Iturriaga Gabriel 
Published: May 2004

AbstractThe resurrection plant Craterostigma plantagineum has the ability to survive complete dehydration. In an attempt to further understand desiccation tolerance in this plant, the CpMYB10 transcription factor gene was functionally characterized. CpMYB10 is rapidly induced by dehydration and abscisic acid (ABA) treatments in leaves and roots, but no expression was detected in fully hydrated tissues. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay experiments showed binding of rCpMYB10 to specific mybRE elements within the LEA Cp11-24 and CpMYB10 promoters. Localization of CpMYB10 transcript by in situ reverse transcription-PCR reactions showed expression in vascular tissues, parenchyma, and epidermis both in leaves and roots in response to ABA. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants transformed with CpMYB10 promoter fused to GUS gene showed reporter expression under ABA and stress conditions in several organs. Overexpression of CpMYB10 cDNA in Arabidopsis led to desiccation and salt tolerance of transgenics lines. Interestingly, it was found that plants overexpressing CpMYB10 exhibited Glc-insensitive and ABA hypersensitive phenotypes. Therefore, our results indicate that CpMYB10 in Arabidopsis is mediating stress tolerance and altering ABA and Glc signaling responses.
Interactions between Auxin Transport and the Actin Cytoskeleton in Developmental Polarity ofFucus distichusEmbryos in Response to Light and Gravity
Authors: Sun Haiguo , Basu Swati , Brady Shari R. , Luciano Randy L. , Muday Gloria K. 
Published: May 2004

AbstractLand plants orient their growth relative to light and gravity through complex mechanisms that require auxin redistribution. Embryos of brown algae use similar environmental stimuli to orient their developmental polarity. These studies of the brown algae Fucus distichus examined whether auxin and auxin transport are also required during polarization in early embryos and to orient growth in already developed tissues. These embryos polarize with the gravity vector in the absence of a light cue. The auxin, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), and auxin efflux inhibitors, such as naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA), reduced environmental polarization in response to gravity and light vectors. Young rhizoids are negatively phototropic, and NPA also inhibits rhizoid phototropism. The effect of IAA and NPA on gravity and photopolarization is maximal within 2.5 to 4.5 h after fertilization (AF). Over the first 6 h AF, auxin transport is relatively constant, suggesting that developmentally controlled sensitivity to auxin determines the narrow window during which NPA and IAA reduce environmental polarization. Actin patches were formed during the first hour AF and began to photolocalize within 3 h, coinciding with the time of NPA and IAA action. Treatment with NPA reduced the polar localization of actin patches but not patch formation. Latrunculin B prevented environmental polarization in a time frame that overlaps the formation of actin patches and IAA and NPA action. Latrunculin B also altered auxin transport. Together, these results indicate a role for auxin in the orientation of developmental polarity and suggest interactions between the actin cytoskeleton and auxin transport in F. distichus embryos.
High-Frequency Transformation of Undeveloped Plastids in Tobacco Suspension Cells
Authors: Langbecker Camri L. , Ye Guang-Ning , Broyles Debra L. , Duggan Lisa L. , Xu Charles W. , Hajdukiewicz Peter T.J. , Armstrong Charles L. , Staub Jeffrey M. 
Published: May 2004

Abstract
Although leaf chloroplast transformation technology was developed more than a decade ago, no reports exist of stable transformation of undeveloped plastids or other specialized plastid types, such as proplastids, etioplasts, or amyloplasts. In this work we report development of a dark-grown tobacco suspension cell model system to investigate the transformation potential of undeveloped plastids. Electron microscope analysis confirmed that the suspension cells carry plastids that are significantly smaller (approximately 50-fold less in volume) and have a very different subcellular localization and developmental state than leaf cell chloroplasts. Using antibiotic selection in the light, we demonstrated that both plastid and nuclear transformation of these cell suspensions is efficient and reproducible, with plastid transformation frequency at least equal to that of leaf chloroplast transformation. Homoplasmic plastid transformants are readily obtained in cell colonies, or in regenerated plants, providing a more consistent and versatile model than the leaf transformation system. Because of the uniformity of the cell suspension model, we could further show that growth rate, selection scheme, particle size, and DNA amount influence the frequency of transformation. Our results indicate that the rate-limiting steps for nuclear and plastid transformation are different, and each must be optimized separately. The suspension cell system will be useful as a model for understanding transformation in those plant species that utilize dark-grown embryogenic cultures and for characterizing the steps that lead to homoplasmic plastid transformation.