Athlete Alcohol Use and Alcohol-Related Consequences: The Role of Drinking Motives

Intercollegiate athlete alcohol use, particularly in softball athletes, is higher compared to nonathletes and they experience greater alcohol-related consequences. Motivation to drink alcohol is a strong predictor of alcohol use and alcohol-related problems in college students, including collegiate athletes. Drinking motives are reasons why people consume alcohol, including reasons that are specific to the context of athletics. Two dimensions underlie drinking motives: positively or negatively reinforcing motives and internal or external motives (Cox & Klinger, 1988). In this study the influence of sport-related and general drinking motives on alcohol use and negative alcohol-related consequences was examined in 721 collegiate softball athletes from 62 teams in the United States. Athlete drinking motives clusters were formed to better understand what cluster membership places athletes at highest risk for heavy drinking or negative consequences. Athletes completed surveys online including demographics information, the Athlete Drinking Scale (ADS; Martens, Watson, Royland, & Beck, 2005), the Drinking Motives Questionnaire-Revised (DMQ-R; Cooper, 1994; Cooper, Russell, Skinner, & Windle, 1992), alcohol consumption and binge drinking items, and the Rutgers Alcohol Problems Index (RAPI; White & Labouvie, 1989). ADS subscales included Positive Reinforcement, Team, and Sport-Related Coping. DMQ-R subscales included Social, Enhancement, and Coping. Multilevel modeling, accounting for age of alcohol use onset and competitive division, revealed that Positive Reinforcement motives were associated with more alcohol use, binge drinking, and alcohol use consequences. Social motives predicted alcohol use, but not binge drinking or consequences, whereas Enhancement motives predicted binge drinking and consequences, but not alcohol use. Coping motives were associated with more consequences, but not alcohol use or binge drinking. The more athletes endorsed Conformity motives, the less alcohol they consumed and the less negative consequences they experienced. Team and Sport-Related Coping motives were unrelated to alcohol use, binge drinking, and consequences. Notably, the between-team variance for alcohol use (26%), binge drinking (19%), and consequences (5%) were all significant, indicating team-level influences on drinking motives. A model-based cluster analysis of the seven drinking motives resulted in five clusters with three clusters comprised of moderate-level motives, one cluster with low motives, and one cluster with high motives. Overall, the clusters significantly predicted alcohol use, binge drinking, and negative consequences. The high motives cluster resulted in significantly higher binge drinking and consequences, compared to the other motive clusters. Implications for alcohol prevention programming are discussed in light of these results

THE ROLE OF PRO-INFLAMMATORY MEDIATORS IFNβ AND PROSTAGLANDIN E2 IN SUPPRESSION OF INNATE IMMUNITY TO LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES

As a foodborne pathogen, Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) encounters many barriers to invasion and dissemination in the host that may change the nature of host response. Lm has been most commonly studied using intravenous (i.v.) inoculation, however, a method that delivers a bolus of bacteria directly to the bloodstream. Thus, little is known about what systemic and local mediators are triggered during the natural course of infection and how these may impact susceptibility. Our laboratory used foodborne transmission of Lm in mice to assess whether the method of transmission and the specific organ microenvironment could affect infection-induced secretion of type I interferon or prostaglandin E2. Type I interferon is a pro-inflammatory effector secreted in response to viruses that has been proposed to paradoxically down-regulate innate immunity to intracellular bacteria. In contrast to i.v. infection, type I interferon was not detrimental to the immune response when Lm were acquired orally. In fact, most of the anti-inflammatory effects of type I interferon in the spleen were attributable to i.v. but not foodborne infection. Importantly however, downregulation of the receptor for interferon gamma (IFNGR1), previously ascribed to the type I interferon response, was found to be a consequence of infection and unrelated to type I interferon. In the liver, robust recruitment and activation of neutrophils (PMN) is thought to be required for initiation of Lm immunity. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) is a lipid mediator most commonly associated with pain and fever that has also been demonstrated to have anti-inflammatory or tolerogenic effects. It is unknown, however, whether foodborne infection induces PGE2 in the liver and if PGE2 then down-regulates PMN activities. Recruitment of PMN to the liver following foodborne infection was robust in both susceptible and resistant animals. Bone marrow PMN from each killed Lm ex vivo with similar efficiency, thus suggesting that if PMN were dysfunctional during the course of natural infection, they were responding to cues in the microenvironment. Accordingly, significantly more PGE2 was made ex vivo by cells from the livers of susceptible animals than from resistant animals. When PGE2 was applied to naïve PMN prior to exposure to Lm, it consistently dampened the killing efficiency of these cells, suggesting that this lipid better known for its pro-inflammatory roles might have anti-inflammatory effects during Lm infection. Overall, these studies indicate that mediators produced as a result of infection may have very different roles dependent on route of inoculation, timing, and the specific organ examined

Purpose in Life and Conscientiousness Protect Against the Development of Suicidal Ideation in U.S. Military Veterans With PTSD and MDD: Results From the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study.

Background:Although several studies have examined risk factors for suicidal ideation among veterans, little is known about risk and protective factors for suicidal ideation in high-risk veteran samples. Thus, this study examined a broad range of risk and protective factors associated with the development of suicidal ideation in a high-risk sample of U.S. veterans who screened positive for current posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and/or major depressive disorder (MDD). Methods:Data were analyzed from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study, a nationally representative, prospective cohort study of U.S. veterans. Veterans completed self-report measures to screen for PTSD and MDD and to assess for risk and protective factors. The sample included 222 veterans with PTSD and/or MDD who did not endorse suicidal ideation at baseline and completed at least one assessment over a seven-year follow-up period. A multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine baseline factors associated with incident suicidal ideation. Results:Nearly one in three (27.1%) of veterans with PTSD and/or MDD developed suicidal ideation over the seven-year follow-up period. Non-Caucasian race and lower scores on measures of purpose in life, conscientiousness, and frequency of religious service attendance were independently associated with incident suicidal ideation. Lower purpose in life (52.3%) and conscientiousness (33.2%) explained the vast majority of variance in incident suicidal ideation. Conclusion:Nearly 30% of veterans with PTSD and/or MDD who did not endorse suicidal ideation at baseline developed suicidal ideation over a seven-year period. Prevention and treatment efforts designed to bolster purpose in life and conscientiousness may help mitigate risk for suicidal ideation in this high-risk population

Development and Testing of the Home Safety and Beautification Checklist with Mothers Referred for Child Neglect and Substance Abuse

Unintentional injury is the leading cause of death among children in the United States accounting for nearly 40 percent of deaths in this age group. Approximately 50 percent of nonfatal injuries, and 40 percent of fatalities, occur in and around the home. Elevated rates of child injury in the home environment are associated with parental substance abuse and neglectful behaviors. Childhood injuries are preventable, yet practical and cost-effective measures to identify child home safety risks are limited. This study involved a retrospective preliminary examination of the Home Safety and Beautification Checklist (HSBC) in a sample of drug-abusing mothers referred by Child Protective Services for child neglect (N = 77). The HSBC assesses child safety hazards and cleanliness and aesthetic problems in the home, and was implemented by trained assessors as part of a baseline assessment in a larger treatment outcome study. In doing so, assessors rate rooms in the home on nine categories designed to evaluate safety (toxins, electrical, sharp objects, food and nutrition needs, home access/security, heavy/tipsy objects, small objects, problems with air quality, and other), and two categories designed to evaluate cleanliness (needs clean-up and aesthetic needs). The participants also provide ratings of the safety and appearance of each room in their homes. This study was conducted to expand the current literature on practical measures to identify child home safety and appearance problems. Specifically, it examined the psychometric properties of the HSBC utilized to detect the severity of child safety hazards and aesthetic concerns when implemented in the at-risk homes of mothers referred for substance abuse and child neglect. Overall, it was determined that the HSBC had good psychometric properties and its development is a particularly useful outcome of this research

A Comparison of Oral and Intravenous Mouse Models of Listeriosis

Listeria monocytogenes is one of several enteric microbes that is acquired orally, invades the gastric mucosa, and then disseminates to peripheral tissues to cause systemic disease in humans. Intravenous (i.v.) inoculation of mice with L. monocytogenes has been the most widely-used small animal model of listeriosis over the past few decades. The infection is highly reproducible and has been invaluable in deciphering mechanisms of adaptive immunity in vivo, particularly CD8+ T cell responses to intracellular pathogens. However, the i.v. model completely bypasses the gut phase of the infection. Recent advances in generating both humanized mice and murinized bacteria, as well as the development of a foodborne route of transmission has reignited interest in studying oral models of listeriosis. In this review, we analyze previously published reports to highlight both the similarities and differences in tissue colonization and host response to infection using either oral or i.v. inoculation

Everything Is Science: A Free City-Wide Science Festival

A week-long, city-wide science festival called Everything is Science (EiS) was developed to educate the community in an informal manner. The festival serves as a platform for presenters from diverse professions to give engaging talks (without PowerPoint slides) to the public, free of charge, in restaurants and bars around town. Over 350 people attended the events over 5 days with 33 presenters. Surveys completed by attendees and session coordinators indicate strong support for this festival. Altogether, the EiS festival serves as a no-cost method to engage with the community and improve science literacy with potential for adoption in other cities

Gaining and maintaining a competitive edge: Evidence from CSA members and farmers on local food marketing strategies

Community-supported agriculture (CSA) is a widely-used approach for farmers to sell directly to consumers. We used the product, place, price, and promotion (4P) marketing mix framework to examine characteristics that help farms offering CSA maintain member satisfaction and thus competitiveness. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 CSA members and 24 CSA farmers in four states. CSA members additionally completed a modified choice experiment. Qualitative data were coded iteratively, and choice experiment data were summarized and compared across scenarios. CSA members and farmers were motivated by a range of personal, social, environmental, and economic objectives. Members favored high-quality staple vegetables (e.g., lettuce, green beans), ideally produced organically. Trust and a sense of personal connection with the farmer comprised part of the value added of CSA participation. Time and location of share pick-up were very important; thus, farmers tried to offer convenient sites or an enriched pick-up experience. Small changes in price appeared unlikely to impact participation among current members. Social networks and word-of-mouth were powerful for marketing, but may limit the ability to reach diverse populations. Future research should examine the ability of CSAs to meet the needs of those who do not currently participate

The perceived influence of cost-offset community-supported agriculture on food access among low-income families

Objective To examine perspectives on food access among low-income families participating in a cost-offset community-supported agriculture (CO-CSA) programme.Design Farm Fresh Foods for Healthy Kids (F3HK) is a multicentre randomized intervention trial assessing the effect of CO-CSA on dietary intake and quality among children from low-income families. Focus groups were conducted at the end of the first CO-CSA season. Participants were interviewed about programme experiences, framed by five dimensions of food access: Availability, accessibility, affordability, acceptability and accommodation. Transcribed data were coded on these dimensions plus emergent themes.Setting Nine communities in the US states of New York, North Carolina, Washington and Vermont.Subjects Fifty-Three F3HK adults with children.Results CSA models were structured by partner farms. Produce quantity was abundant; however, availability was enhanced for participants who were able to select their own produce items. Flexible CSA pick-up times and locations made produce pick-up more accessible. Despite being affordable to most, payment timing was a barrier for some. Unfamiliar foods and quick spoilage hindered acceptability through challenging meal planning, despite accommodations that included preparation advice.Conclusions Although CO-CSA may facilitate increased access to fruits and vegetables for low-income families, perceptions of positive diet change may be limited by the ability to incorporate share pick-up into regular travel patterns and meal planning. Food waste concerns may be particularly acute for families with constrained resources. Future research should examine whether CO-CSA with flexible logistics and produce self-selection are sustainable for low-income families and CSA farms

Immunomodulatory Effects of Azithromycin Revisited: Potential Applications to COVID-19

The rapid advancement of the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted an accelerated pursuit to identify effective therapeutics. Stages of the disease course have been defined by viral burden, lung pathology, and progression through phases of the immune response. Immunological factors including inflammatory cell infiltration and cytokine storm have been associated with severe disease and death. Many immunomodulatory therapies for COVID-19 are currently being investigated, and preliminary results support the premise of targeting the immune response. However, because suppressing immune mechanisms could also impact the clearance of the virus in the early stages of infection, therapeutic success is likely to depend on timing with respect to the disease course. Azithromycin is an immunomodulatory drug that has been shown to have antiviral effects and potential benefit in patients with COVID-19. Multiple immunomodulatory effects have been defined for azithromycin which could provide efficacy during the late stages of the disease, including inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokine production, inhibition of neutrophil influx, induction of regulatory functions of macrophages, and alterations in autophagy. Here we review the published evidence of these mechanisms along with the current clinical use of azithromycin as an immunomodulatory therapeutic. We then discuss the potential impact of azithromycin on the immune response to COVID-19, as well as caution against immunosuppressive and off-target effects including cardiotoxicity in these patients. While azithromycin has the potential to contribute efficacy, its impact on the COVID-19 immune response requires additional characterization so as to better define its role in individualized therapy

Association of treatment satisfaction and psychopathological sub-syndromes among involuntary patients with psychotic disorders

Publisher's version: http://www.springerlink.com/content/rx24036274667t10