Modifying smoking behavior of teenagers: a school-based intervention

Tenth grade health classes in three high schools received a special program focusing on the immediate physiological effects of cigarette smoking and the social cues influencing adoption of the smoking habit, and classes in two control schools received standard information on the long-term effects of smoking. Only subjects in the special program reported a decrease in smoking from pre to post-test; they also scored higher than controls on a knowledge test. Carbon monoxide levels were significantly lower for subjects in the special group at post-test.

Pilot study of smoking, alcohol and drug abuse prevention

A longitudinal pilot study gathered data on the onset and prevention of smoking, alcohol, and drug abuse among 526 students from two junior-high-schools in California. Over two school years, students who were trained to resist social pressures toward tobacco, alcohol, and drug use began smoking at less than one-half the rate of those who did not receive special training. Frequent alcohol and marijuana use was also less prevalent among the students who received such training.

Vibrio alginolyticus wound infection: case report and review

Vibrio alginolyticus was associated with a littoral wound infection in an Arizonan injured near the Sea of Cortez. While this is the first instance from this estuary, the relatively recent increase in the number of isolates suggests both that most coastal waters are a natural habitat of the organism and that probably many previous isolates were incorrectly identified in the past. Mischaracterization most likely results from a gram-negative work-up routine deficient for the isolation of halophilic organisms. The morbid course of this case was in part predictable owing to the organism's resistance to several first choice antibiotics. The laboratory characteristics of V. alginolyticus and others in the Vibrio genus associated with maritime disease are reviewed.

Dextromethorphan: radioimmunoassay and pharmacokinetics in the dog

A specific radioimmunoassay (RIA) for the determination of the widely used non-narcotic antitussive agent, dextromethorphan (DM) in plasma and urine has been developed using an antiserum to DM which was obtained from rabbits following immunization with an albumin conjugate of (+)-3-methoxymorphinan-17-succinyloxyethyl. Specificity of the RIA was achieved by selective extraction of DM from its known metabolites into hexane at pH 6.5 with 86% recovery. Employing tritium labelled-DM as the radioligand the RIA had a limit of sensitivity of about 4 ng/ml of plasma using a 0.5 ml sample. Following I.V. administration of 2 mg/kg of DM to two dogs, the plasma levels of intact DM declined biexponentially; the terminal exponential phase having a half-life of 2.5-3.9 hr. The volume of distribution of the central compartment ranged from 5-6.4 l/kg while the metabolic clearance rate ranged from 2.5-2.6 1/hr/kg. Oral administration of 10 mg/kg of DM in gelatin capsule resulted in peak plasma levels of 50 and 92 ng/ml at 2 hr post-drug. Following both routes of administration, less than 3.5% of the dose was excreted in the urine as intact DM indicating almost complete biotransformation and/or alternate routes of excretion. In one human subject who received 0.5 mg/kg of DM P.O. in a syrup, the plasma levels were less than 1 ng/ml.

Plasma lipoprotein distributions in male and female runners

Recent studies have shown a consistent association between relatively low plasma concentrations of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and increased risk of coronary heart disease. A cross-sectional comparison was made of the distribution of plasma lipids and lipoproteins in groups of 41 male and 43 female long distance runners versus larger control groups matched for age and sex, randomly selected from northern California towns. The runners showed modestly lower total cholesterol concentrations, while their triglyceride levels were only 50% of control. HDL-cholesterol was higher in runners than controls (75 +/- 14 vs 56 +/- 14 mg/100 ml for women; 64 +/- 13 vs 43 +/- 10 for men), while low-density lipoprotein cholesterol was lower (113 +/- 33 vs 124 +/- 34 for women; 125 +/- 21 vs 139 +/- 32 for men). All differences were statistically significant (p less than 0.05), and only partially attributable to known factors other than high physical activity level. Since the runners were predominantly normotensive, relatively lean, and exclusively nonsmokers, they appear to constitute a remarkably favored group with respect to risk of cardiovascular disease.

The effects of hypnotic susceptibility on reducing smoking behavior treated by an hypnotic technique

This study sought to obtain empirical data on the issue of whether susceptibility to hypnosis influences the outcome of an hypnotic therapy. At the first of two sessions, Ss had their susceptibility evaluated unobtrusively. At the second session, they learned Spiegel's self-hypnotic method to stop smoking. At the end of 3 months' follow-up 7 of 54 volunteers were completely abstinent (13%), while 31% had reduced smoking by 50% or more. Of the 7 totally abstaining Ss, 1 was high, 1 was low and 5 were medium susceptible, which is not unlike the distribution of hypnotic susceptibility in the general population. However, it was found that significantly more Ss of higher susceptibility reduced by 50% or more than did less susceptible Ss.