Effects of nicotine on alcohol drinking in female mice selectively-bred for high or low alcohol preference

Background Studies show that repeated nicotine use associates with high alcohol consumption in humans, and that nicotine exposure sometimes increases alcohol consumption in animal models. However, the relative roles of genetic predisposition to high alcohol consumption, the alcohol drinking patterns, and the timing of nicotine exposure both with respect to alcohol drinking and developmental stage remain unclear. The studies here manipulated all these variables, using mice selectively bred for differences in free-choice alcohol consumption to elucidate the role of genetics and nicotine exposure in alcohol consumption behaviors. Methods In Experiments 1 and 2, we assessed the effects of repeated nicotine (0, 0.5 or 1.5 mg/kg) injections immediately before binge-like (drinking-in-the-dark; Experiment 1) or during free-choice alcohol access (Experiment 2) on these alcohol drinking behaviors (immediately after injections and during re-exposure to alcohol access 14 days later) in adult high- (HAP2) and low-alcohol preferring (LAP2) female mice (co-exposure model). In Experiments 3 and 4, we assessed the effects of repeated nicotine (0, 0.5 or 1.5 mg/kg) injections 14 days prior to binge-like and free-choice alcohol access on these alcohol drinking behaviors in adolescent HAP2 and LAP2 female mice (Experiment 3) or adult HAP2 female mice (Experiment 4). Results In Experiment 1, we found that repeated nicotine (0.5 and 1.5 mg/kg) and alcohol co-exposure significantly increased binge-like drinking behavior in HAP2 but not LAP2 mice during the re-exposure phase after a 14-day abstinence period. In Experiment 2, 1.5 mg/kg nicotine injections significantly reduced free-choice alcohol intake and preference in the 3rd hour post-injection in HAP2 but not LAP2 mice. No significant effects of nicotine treatment on binge-like or free-choice alcohol drinking were observed in Experiments 3 and 4. Conclusions These results show that the temporal parameters of nicotine and alcohol exposure, pattern of alcohol access, and genetic predisposition for alcohol preference influence nicotine's effects on alcohol consumption. These findings in selectively bred mice suggest that humans with a genetic history of alcohol-use disorders may be more vulnerable to develop nicotine and alcohol co-use disorders

Benefits and barriers among volunteer teaching faculty: comparison between those who precept and those who do not in the core pediatrics clerkship

Background: Community-based outpatient experiences are a core component of the clinical years in medical school. Central to the success of this experience is the recruitment and retention of volunteer faculty from the community. Prior studies have identified reasons why some preceptors volunteer their time however, there is a paucity of data comparing those who volunteer from those who do not. Methods: A survey was developed following a review of previous studies addressing perceptions of community-based preceptors. A non-parametric, Mann–Whitney U test was used to compare active preceptors (APs) and inactive preceptors (IPs) and all data were analyzed in SPSS 20.0. Results: There was a 28% response rate. Preceptors showed similar demographic characteristics, valued intrinsic over extrinsic benefits, and appreciated Continuing Medical Education (CME)/Maintenance of Certification (MOC) opportunities as the highest extrinsic reward. APs were more likely to also precept at the M1/M2 level and value recognition and faculty development opportunities (p<0.05). IPs denoted time as the most significant barrier and, in comparison to APs, rated financial compensation as more important (p<0.05). Conclusions: Community preceptors are motivated by intrinsic benefits of teaching. Efforts to recruit should initially focus on promoting awareness of teaching opportunities and offering CME/MOC opportunities. Increasing the pool of preceptors may require financial compensation

Reducing hypertensive cardiovascular disease risk of African Americans with diet: focus on the facts.

Hypertension is more common and more severe in African Americans than in other population groups in the United States, placing them at increased risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and end-stage renal disease. Whereas past efforts to reduce blood pressure (BP) via the diet centered on manipulating isolated nutrients, there are now conclusive data demonstrating that it is not single dietary components but the overall dietary pattern that has the greatest influence on BP. A nutritionally complete diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy foods has been clearly proven to significantly lower BP in all population groups. This diet, commonly referred to as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, has been tested in randomized, controlled trials emphasizing African American populations and documented the greatest beneficial effects in hypertensive African Americans. Improving diet quality has been shown to be simply implemented without adverse effects such as symptoms of lactose maldigestion. It is also known to beneficially affect other cardiovascular risk factors and is in keeping with dietary recommendations for prevention of some cancers and osteoporosis. This paper reviews the current data relating dietary patterns to BP control, and advocates dietary recommendations that can accomplish their intended objective of enhancing the health of Americans by promoting safe, feasible, and proven-effective means of doing so. In the case of hypertension prevention and treatment, and thus the reduction of cardiovascular disease risk, overall diet quality should be the primary focus of nutritional recommendations

Skin-interfaced biosensors for advanced wireless physiological monitoring in neonatal and pediatric intensive-care units.

Standard clinical care in neonatal and pediatric intensive-care units (NICUs and PICUs, respectively) involves continuous monitoring of vital signs with hard-wired devices that adhere to the skin and, in certain instances, can involve catheter-based pressure sensors inserted into the arteries. These systems entail risks of causing iatrogenic skin injuries, complicating clinical care and impeding skin-to-skin contact between parent and child. Here we present a wireless, non-invasive technology that not only offers measurement equivalency to existing clinical standards for heart rate, respiration rate, temperature and blood oxygenation, but also provides a range of important additional features, as supported by data from pilot clinical studies in both the NICU and PICU. These new modalities include tracking movements and body orientation, quantifying the physiological benefits of skin-to-skin care, capturing acoustic signatures of cardiac activity, recording vocal biomarkers associated with tonality and temporal characteristics of crying and monitoring a reliable surrogate for systolic blood pressure. These platforms have the potential to substantially enhance the quality of neonatal and pediatric critical care