Hostility, cigarette smoking, and responses to a lab-based social stressor.

High-trait hostility is associated with persistent cigarette smoking. To better understand mechanisms that may account for this association, we examined the effects of acute smoking abstinence and delayed versus immediate smoking reinstatement on responses to a social stressor among 48 low hostile (LH) and 48 high hostile (HH) smokers. Participants completed two laboratory sessions, one before which they had smoked ad lib and one before which they had abstained for the prior 12 hr. During each session, participants completed a stressful speaking task and then smoked immediately after the stressor or after a 15-min delay. The effect of immediate versus delayed smoking reinstatement on recovery in negative mood was significantly moderated by hostility. When reinstatement was delayed, HH participants showed significant increases in negative mood over time, whereas LH participants showed little change. When reinstatement was immediate, HH and LH smokers showed similar significant decreases in negative mood. Smoking abstinence did not moderate hostility effects. Cigarette smoking may prevent continuing increases in negative mood after social stress in HH smokers, which may partially explain their low rates of quitting. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effects of maternal alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking during pregnancy on acoustic cry analysis

During the last trimester of pregnancy, 127 primiparous Irish mothers were interviewed to ascertain their history of alcohol and tobacco use. Confounding effects due to other drugs were not a factor in this sample. Mothers consumed an average of .21 ounces absolute alcohol (AA) per day, with 62% classified as moderate drinkers, 10.6% as heavy drinkers, and 26% as nondrinkers. Neurobehavioral status was measured using acoustic characteristics of the infant's cry, collected on the third day of life. Multiple regression analysis showed that more ounces AA per day was related to more dysphonation and higher first formant, while more cigarette smoking was related to higher pitch, higher second formant, and more variability in the second formant. Analysis of variance comparisons of these 3 alcohol groups demonstrated significant cry effects on infants of heavy drinking mothers.     

Emotions, stress, smoking, alcohol consumption and cancer--the correlational and causal connections

Correlative and causal relationships are discussed between emotions, stress, smoking, drinking, and cancer. The following conclusions have been drawn. Emotions control the physiological stress reactions: the negative emotions initiate and maintain stress, and positive emotions stop it. A dissatisfied need provokes the development of the state of emotional stress. There are two types of emotional stress states: the active stress which is directed to "overcoming" and the passive state of "waiting till the stress is over". Individuals differ in emotionality, stress reactivity, and inclination to the active and passive emotional stress. The passive emotional stress increases the probability of cancer. This effect is caused by the development of the hormonal and neurotransmitter state, which provokes immunosuppression, DNA damage, and stimulation of hemopoiesis. Smoking and drinking are the ways of modifying the psychoemotional state. These habits as well as development of cancer are the effects of the same cause--stress. Thus, cases of correlation between smoking and drinking do not reflect the causal relationships. Only intensive smoking and drinking which lead to tissue damage can increase the incidence of cancer.     

Correlation between the combination of alcohol consumption and smoking in oral cancer (screening of the population at risk)

The mortality from tumours of all kinds doubled in Hungary between 1960 and 1993, whereas the mortality from tumorous diseases of the oral cavity in the same period increased 5-fold. The results of stomato-oncological screening studies on volunteers from the general population do not reflect this alarming rise. However, the risk of tumorous diseases of the oral cavity may be expected to be much higher among those who smoke and drink heavily. Accordingly, a screening study was carried out among such and endangered population: 300 (230 men and 70 women) subjects who were either homeless or participating in alcohol withdrawal treatment. The results of this screening confirmed the expectation: precancerous lesions were found in or around the oral cavity in 14% of this population, benign tumours in 2.33%, and malignancies in 2.66%.     

Close friend and group influence on adolescent cigarette smoking and alcohol use.

The relative influence of adolescents' closest friends and their friendship group on their cigarette smoking and alcohol use was investigated in a short-term, longitudinal study of 1,028 students in the 6th, 8th and 10th grades in 2 school systems. The amount of influence over the school year was modest in magnitude and came from the closest friend for initiation of cigarette and alcohol use. Only the friendship group use predicted transition into current cigarette use, whereas only the close friend use predicted transition into current alcohol use. Both group and close friends independently contributed to the prediction of adolescents' drinking to intoxication. No difference in the amount of influence, was found between stable and unstable close friendships or friendship groups; neither grade nor gender of the adolescents related to the amount of influence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Carbohydrate deficient transferrin and other markers of alcohol consumption in the general hospital

BACKGROUND: The ascertainment of patients who consume important amounts of alcohol admitted to a hospital is essential to prevent medical and psychological complications. Carbohydrate deficient transferrin (CDT) is a new marker of alcohol consumption which requires validation in the hospital setting. METHODS: The values of carbohydrate deficient transferrin (CDT), glutamic oxalacetic transaminase (GOT), gamma glutamil transpeptidase (GGT) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) were measured in 101 consecutive patients admitted to the Internal Medicine and Surgery Departments. Considering amounts higher than 60 g/day of ethanol for male patients and higher than 40 g/day for female patients as risk consumption, the values for sensitivity, specificity and area under the curve were calculated for the different biological tests. RESULTS: Twenty-six percent of patients reported a consumption of risk. The sensitivity of the tests were lower than 50% and specificities higher than 77%. CDT had the lowest sensitivity (15%) but it was very specific (98%). CDT had a better sensitivity among women than among men. None of the tests had an area under the curve with adequate efficiency levels. CONCLUSIONS: CDT among the hospitalized patients and other biological markers of alcohol consumption have a low efficiency.     

A longitudinal study of work load and variations in psychological well-being, cortisol, smoking, and alcohol consumption

PURPOSE: Although public health interventions have not specifically targeted high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, observed changes in the prevalence of other cardiovascular risk factors would be expected to have differential effects on HDL. This study examined secular trends in HDL in relation to changes in other cardiovascular risk factors for the years 1981 through 1993 in the Pawtucket Heart Health Program (PHHP) study communities. METHODS: Nonfasting HDL levels were assessed in 12,223 respondents to six biennial population random sample surveys. RESULTS: Between 1981 and 1993, mean HDL cholesterol declined by 0.08 mmol/L in both men and women after adjustment for age, city, education, hormone use, medications, recent alcohol use, smoking, regular exercise, body mass index (BMI), and total cholesterol, (p for trend < 0.001). There was no apparent laboratory explanation for the trend which occurred concurrent with decreased smoking prevalence, increasing BMI and decreased prevalence of recent alcohol use. Decreasing HDL cholesterol was observed consistently across subgroups defined by smoking, alcohol use and BMI. CONCLUSIONS: Although several favorable cardiovascular risk factor trends have been observed in recent decades, declining HDL cholesterol is also of interest, particularly in conjunction with population increases in BMI.     

Serotonergic dysfunction in addiction: effects of alcohol, cigarette smoking and heroin on platelet 5-HT content

A total of eight different hydroxy carotenoids were produced in transformants of the non-carotenogenic bacterium Escherichia coli. They include the acyclic 1-hydroxyneurosporene, 1-hydroxylycopene, 1,1'-dihydroxylycopene and demethylspheroidene as well as the cyclic 3-hydroxy-beta-zeacarotene, 7,8-dihydrozeaxanthin, 3 or 3'-7,8-dihydro-beta-carotene and 1'-hydroxy-gamma-carotene. Most of these uncommon carotenoids are found only in trace amounts in natural sources. For the synthesis of all the carotenoids mentioned above, E. coli was transformed with a combination of up to three compatible plasmids, which contained several carotenogenic genes from Erwinia uredovora and two Rhodobacter species. Their function in the pathway leading to the individual carotenoids was outlined. Finally, growth conditions were optimized for production of the hydroxy carotenoids in amounts which are suitable for their isolation and purification.     

Gallstone prevalence in relation to smoking, alcohol, coffee consumption, and nutrition. The Ulm Gallstone Study

BACKGROUND: Besides considering well-known risk factors for the development of gallbladder stones, such as age, sex, fecundity, and hereditary predisposition, efforts at prevention have focused increasingly on other factors, such as nicotine, alcohol, and caffeine consumption, as well as general nutrition, which may be modified. METHODS: A total of 1116 blood donors were examined between April 1994 and February 1995 in the central blood bank of the German Red Cross in Ulm, Germany. Each subject received a questionnaire and underwent to an upper abdominal ultrasound examination. RESULTS: Gallbladder stone disease (current cholecystolithiasis and history of cholecystectomy) was detailed in 5.8% of the men and 6.3% of the women. Neither regularity nor number of daily meals correlated with the frequency of gallstone disease. Vegetarians (n = 48), as a group, were not found to have gallstones. In relation to the consumption of alcohol, tobacco, or caffeine higher prevalence of cholecystolithiasis was found only in heavy drinkers of coffee (P = 0.051; odds ratio (OR), 1.083; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.999, 1.174). CONCLUSION: Results of the present study do not show a definite relationship between nutritional factors and the consumption of alcohol, tobacco, or caffeine and an increased prevalence of gallbladder stone disease.     

Depressive symptoms and readiness to quit smoking among cigarette smokers in outpatient alcohol treatment.

The authors examined whether length of alcohol abstinence and depressive symptoms were related to motivational readiness to consider smoking cessation among patients in alcohol treatment. Participants were adults (N = 253) enrolled in a smoking cessation trial. Controlling for gender, depressive symptoms, and nicotine dependence, hierarchical regression analysis of readiness scores revealed a significant interaction of days since last drink and depressive symptoms. It was found that a greater number of days since last drink was associated with greater readiness, but only among patients with low scores on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (L. S. Radloff, 1977). The findings suggest that alcoholic smokers with low depressive symptoms are more receptive to quitting smoking after sustained alcohol abstinence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Chronic liver diseases for the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma: a case-control study in Japan. Etiologic association of alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking and the development of chronic liver diseases

BACKGROUND/AIMS: A great number of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) develop from chronic liver disease. Among a total of 23,000 deaths of HCC in 1988 in Japan, 82% had positive antibodies against HBV and/or HCV. In the present study we investigated the etiological factors involved in this process, employing patients with chronic hepatitis as controls. METHODOLOGY: In this study, alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking were investigated in 104 male patients with HCC which developed from chronic liver disease and 104 male controls with chronic liver disease without HCC (one for each case) matched for age. RESULTS: When compared with non-drinkers and non-smokers, the relative risk (RR) for developing HCC rose to 17.9 among those with both drinking and smoking habits. The risk was greater than for those in whom either habit existed alone. The RR decreased among ex-smokers who were non-drinkers or ex-drinkers, but it was still as high as 9.4. For current smokers, even if they were non- or ex-drinkers, the RR was 15.4. CONCLUSIONS: Drinking and the cigarette smoking were both risk factors, but the existence of synergism between them was also suggested. Therefore, patients with chronic liver disease should be thoroughly counseled to refrain from both drinking and smoking.     

Dupuytren''s contracture and cigarette smoking

Neisseria lactamica was isolated from the blood of a pediatric patient who had signs of septicemia and otitis media. Organisms morphologically resembling Neisseria, as well as gram-positive cocci, were seen on a Gram stain of fluid from the middle ear. It is hypothesized that the N. lactamica septicemia was secondary to infection of the middle ear by this organism.     

Cigarette smoking and other risk factors for silent cerebral infarction in the general population

Control dried organisms as lenticules are a dependable and convenient alternative to wet cultures for quality assurance and process controls in routine food microbiology. Lenticules are designed to give a fixed, reproducible inoculum over an extended period of time without loss of cultural characteristics or viability. During a period of 23 months, 596 paired counts were performed by both Miles and Misra and spiral plating techniques on lenticule controls. Correlation between the two methods and within batches was excellent. Only 14 counts (2.5%) fell outside the standard operating limit of 0.5 log10. All were within 1.0 log10. On two separate occasions, replicate runs were performed on five reconstituted lenticules from a batch. The counts obtained showed variation within and between lenticules only slightly in excess of what is expected by chance. Lenticule replicates performed by three other laboratories also produced satisfactory results. It is thought that lenticules could improve the accuracy of total plate counts and lead to a better standardization of quantitative methods in food microbiology within and between laboratories.     

Hostility and smoking cessation treatment outcome in heavy social drinkers.

Hostility is a multifaceted construct encompassing affective, behavioral, and cognitive aspects. There is preliminary evidence linking hostility to poorer outcomes in smoking cessation treatment; however, it is unclear which components of hostility are most important in cessation. In this study, the authors examined multiple aspects of trait hostility in 92 heavy social drinkers who were seeking smoking cessation treatment. Consistent with their hypothesis, the authors found that the cognitive component of hostility was most relevant to smoking cessation outcome. Specifically, those who expressed bitterness about their lives and tended to believe that they had poor luck and had gotten a raw deal out of life had poor smoking cessation outcomes. Cognitive measures of hostility also predicted greater nicotine withdrawal symptoms 1 week after quitting smoking. Other components of hostility including anger and both physical and verbal aggression did not significantly predict smoking outcome or nicotine withdrawal. Further examination of how a hostile worldview contributes to smoking cessation failure is warranted, as this facet of hostility may prove a valuable target for smoking cessation interventions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Group alcohol climate, alcohol consumption, and student performance.

This study explored the relationship between group norms for drinking and two indicators of student performance. Based on data from 96 undergraduate students (mean age = 22 years) living in 21 student houses, the multilevel hypotheses that (a) house alcohol climate is associated with student alcohol consumption, (b) student alcohol consumption is associated with student withdrawal behavior (i.e., absence from class), and (c) that student alcohol consumption mediates the link between house alcohol climate and student withdrawal behavior are supported. No link between student alcohol consumption and student academic performance (i.e., average grades) was found. Similarly, there was no empirical support for the hypothesis that house cohesion would moderate the relationship between house alcohol climate and student alcohol consumption. Implications for future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Progressions of alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use in adolescence

This study examined the progressive relations among adolescent use of alcohol, cigarettes and marijuana using latent growth curve analyses. Specifically, the present study examined three models to determine (1) the effect of prior cigarette use on alcohol use and development and the relationship between change in cigarette use and the development of alcohol use (N = 115), (2) the effect of prior alcohol use on cigarette use and development and the relationship between change in alcohol use and the development of cigarette use (N = 199); and (3) the effect of prior alcohol and cigarette use on marijuana use and development, and the relationship between change in alcohol use and cigarette use and the development, of marijuana use (N = 287). Support was found for the relation between prior levels of substance use and involvement in other substances. Cigarette use, in particular, was particularly important in the subsequent involvement of alcohol and marijuana.     

Langerhans cell density in normal human oral mucosa and skin: relationship to age, smoking and alcohol consumption

Hyperthyroidism is a common endocrinologic disorder affecting many organ systems. Musculoskeletal and neurological involvement present themselves as fatigue, muscle weakness and paralysis. Electromyography (EMG) is essential for differential diagnosis of muscle weakness. Well defined neuropathy and myopathy have been described in these patients. In the present study 17 hyperthyroid patients were evaluated with electrophysiological tests in addition to physical and neurological examinations and biochemical laboratory studies. Needle EMG, motor and sensory conduction velocities, median and tibial somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) were studied. For assessment of the activity of disease clinical status, neurological symptom and disability scores and serum T3, T4 and TSH levels were examined. Statistical analysis of neuroelectrophysiological findings of the patient and the control groups yielded meaningful difference in the needle EMG, sensory conduction velocity and evoked potential findings. Abnormalities were observed in 80% of the proximal muscles besides polyphasic potentials that were seen in 20% of the extensor digitorum brevis muscle. Median, ulnar and sural nerve sensory action potential amplitudes were found to be lower than that of the control group. Sural sensory nerve conduction velocity of patients was decreased in 35.5%, prolongation of median SEP latencies and increase in the amplitudes were not however statistically significant. Prolongation of Tibial SEP N1, P2 latencies were seen in 47%, amplitudes of N1 were increased in 88.2%, P2 in 58.8%, N2 in 47%. The thyroid clinical status score was correlated with Tibial SEPs amplitude. These findings suggest the presence of an initial axonal type of mild polyneuropathy. As a conclusion electrophysiological studies can be useful in the diagnosis of asymptomatic polyneuropathy in hyperthyroid patients.