The relevance of ethnographic understanding to Aboriginal anti-grog initiatives

Aboriginal initiatives to “beat the grog” may or may not draw on ethnographies of Aboriginal drinking behaviour. The deeper reason for this uncertainty has to do with fundamental ideas of citizenship and (self) governance. What is the relevance of “culture” to individual responsibility? This paper reviews this question at three levels; the political debate about “rights” and “responsibility”, ethnographic depictions of Aborigines as both group-dominated and individualistic, and through one Aboriginal organization's embracing of the perspectives of Alcoholic's Anonymous.     

Response to the Distilled spirits Industry Council of Australia Inc. position paper 'Alcohol Availability'

A critique is offered of the Distilled Spirits Industry Council position paper 'Alcohol Availability'. It is argued that this position paper presents a simple-minded analysis of the complex relationship between the availability of alcohol and its consumption which pays no attention to the importance of price in determining consumption. As a consequence, it misconstrues the lessons to be drawn from the Victorian experiment in liberalization and fails to consider its implications for the incidence of alcohol related problems.     

鹿茸醇提物对白细胞减少小鼠模型腹腔吞噬细胞吞噬功能的影响

目的 :探讨鹿茸醇提物对由于环磷酰胺所致白细胞减少小鼠模型免疫功能的影响。方法 :用鹿茸醇提物对该动物模型进行灌胃 ,然后测定该小鼠腹腔吞噬细胞的吞噬功能。结果 :鹿茸醇提物组 (即实验组 )小鼠腹腔吞噬细胞吞噬鸡红细胞的吞噬百分率为 8.41± 0 .0 8,吞噬指数为 0 .10 0± 0 .0 0 4;而对照组的吞噬百分率为 3.40± 0 .0 8,吞噬指数为 0 .0 44± 0 .0 0 2 ,两组相比较 ,两项指标差异极显著 (P<0 .0 1)。结论 :鹿茸醇提物可提高因环磷酰胺所致白细胞减少、免疫功能低下动物模型的非特异性免疫功能 ,即鹿茸醇提物对环磷酰胺的副作用具有一定的对抗作用。     

聚乙烯醇在α-Al_2O_3颗粒上的吸附平衡

考察了温度、悬浮液浓度、相对分子质量对聚乙烯醇 ( PVA)在 α- Al2 O3颗粒上吸附的影响 ,实验测定了相对分子质量为 80 0 0 0和 56 0 0的 PVA在 2 88.1 5K、2 98.1 5K和 30 8.1 5K、α- Al2 O3悬浮液质量浓度为 0 .0 5、0 .1 0和 0 .1 5时的吸附等温线 ,用 Langmuir吸附模型对实验数据进行了关联。结果表明 ,吸附量随悬浮液浓度的增加或温度的升高而降低 ,随 PVA相对分子质量的增加而增加。PVA相对分子质量越大 ,其吸附等温线受温度、悬浮液浓度的影响也越大。     

同浓度不同用量的乙醇对家兔左心室内压的影响

采用静脉内注射 5 0 %乙醇的方法 ,观察同浓度不同用量乙醇对家兔左心室内压的影响。结果显示给予乙醇后 ,大多数左心室内压降低 ,个别左心室内压不变。随着乙醇量的增加 ,左心室内压下降愈明显 (P <0 .0 5 )。提示高浓度乙醇可降低左心室内压 ,由于个体差异 ,乙醇对左心室内压的效应也略有不同     

Risky drug practices and treatment needs of youth detained in New South Wales Juvenile Justice Centres

Demographic, drug use and criminal correlates of risky drug practices were examined among 279 detained youth in NSW Juvenile Justice Centres. Binge drinking was common, with 63% reporting the consumption of at least five drinks in a row in the 2 weeks prior to incarceration. It was associated with being older, being from an English-speaking background, regular tobacco consumption and having a current drug problem. A quarter (24%) of the sample had injected an illicit drug, over one-third (37%) of whom also reported sharing needles. Injectors were more likely to be polydrug users, regular amphetamine users and have a past history of drug treatment. While 16% of the sample indicated a need for drug treatment, only 10% were currently receiving some form of treatment, most commonly counselling. Appropriate strategies are needed among this population to address gaps in treatment provision.     

Work-place screening of mine employees using the alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT) and alcohol breathalyzation

Although public health campaigns focusing on alcohol in the work-place are receiving increasing attention, there is little empirical evidence regarding the use of screening. In this work-place study, 152 mining personnel (67% of the work-force) completed a self report screen using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). One hundred and thirty-three of these (58.5% of the work-force) also consented to be breathalysed and one (0.75%) recorded a BAC just over threshold for detection. Forty-eight males (37.7% of the male work-force) recorded AUDIT scores of eight or more consistent with hazardous alcohol use and one female registered a cumulative score above the female cut-off level for hazardous alcohol use. Eighty males (67% of the work-force), recorded binge drinking at least monthly and 81 males recorded a cumulative AUDIT score of less than eight; however, on item analysis, 64 (83%) of these recorded binge drinking at least sometimes. There is substantial hazardous alcohol use in this sample work group and younger males had higher alcohol consumption, more adverse consequences and higher total AUDIT scores identifying them as particularly at risk. The Cronbach & AUDIT was 0.72, confirming adequate internal consistency.     

I269S Mutation in horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase S isoenzyme and its reactivity for steroids and retinoids

Ile-269 in horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase isoenzyme S(HLADH-S) was mutated to serine by phosphorothioate-based site-directed mutagenesis in order to study the role of the residue in coenzyme binding. The specific activity of the mutant(I269S) enzyme to ethanol was increased 49-fold. All turnover numbers of I269S enzyme toward 9 primary alcohols were increased. The mutant enzyme showed 3.6, 4.6, 11.6-fold higher catalytic efficiency for 5β-androstane-3,17-dione, 5β-cholanic acid-3-one and retinal than wild-type, respectively. The reaction mechanism of I269S enzyme was ordered bi bi as wild-type's. These results indicate that the hydrophobic interaction of Ile-269 residue with coenzyme plays an important role in dissociation of coenzyme from enzyme-coenzyme complex, which has been known as the rate limiting step of ADH reaction.     

The effects of alcohol abuse on children and the partner's capacity to initiate change

This paper identifies the social, psychological and cognitive effects of parental alcohol abuse on children across the lifecycle. While the evidence regarding cognitive effects is mixed, there is ample evidence of negative effects on a range of developmental outcomes. Recent advances in unilateral partner interventions open up one avenue for ameliorating this damage even when the drinker is resistant to change.     

Empowering family and friends: a new approach to the secondary prevention of addiction

This paper presents a typology and transactional model of how close relatives cope with excessive drinking, drug-taking or gambling in the family. These are illustrated with four examples taken from a series of research projects in which relatives have been interviewed to understand better how they react and respond. Such information is the groundwork for a World Health Organization initiative to help primary health care workers respond to the needs of relatives. The philosophy behind this initiative, and the steps that primary health care workers might take, are outlined. It is proposed that such workers can help close relatives to find the best coping methods in their circumstances, and that this approach might constitute an important, and hitherto neglected, form of secondary prevention.