Glass Of Beer Research Articles

Nicotine Craving and Cue Exposure Therapy by Using Virtual Environments

Smokers who are exposed to cues associated with smoking show cardiovascular reactivity and an increase in smoking urges as compared to when they are presented with neutral cues. Cue exposure therapy (CET), which refers to the repeated exposure to drug-related cues in order to extinguish this learned association, has increasingly been proposed as a potential treatment of addictive behaviors, including tobacco smoking. The result of our pilot study suggests that a cue elicited using a virtual environment (VE) is more effective than other cue exposure devices. The VE was composed of craving environments (virtual bar) and objects (an alcoholic drink, a packet of cigarettes, a lighter, an ashtray, a glass of beer, and advertising posters) that are likely to trigger craving, a smoking avatar, and an audio environment that included the noisy sound and music of a restaurant. Sixteen late-adolescent males who smoked at least 10 cigarettes a day were recruited to participate in the VE-CET study. The CET virtual bar program consisted of six sessions, and the participants were exposed repeatedly to each session using different questions and procedures. Although the effects of CET did not yield significant reductions in all of the dependent variables, the craving for cigarettes was gradually decreased during the course of the sessions. This tendency was closely related to the reduction in the smoking count between the morning before the experiment and the start of the experiment. Based on these preliminary results, it appears that VE-CET maybe a useful tool to use in treatment programs to help reduce craving in those who are nicotine dependent.

Welcome to Havana, Senor Hemingway (review)

Reviewed by: Welcome to Havana, Señor Hemingway Steve Paul Welcome to Havana, Señor Hemingway. By Alfredo José Estrada. Miami, FL: Vista Publishing, 2003. 295 pp. Paperback $17.95. The Ernest Hemingway of Alfredo José Estrada's first novel is the rum-swilling, skirt-chasing, fist-throwing, fish-battling americano of legend. Oh, he's a writer, too. Sometimes he is incapable of writing. But sometimes the fire burns: "When the going was good, the words flowed out of him effortlessly. Only later would he go back and revise what he had written in his rounded, almost girlish handwriting." Hemingway lived a boisterous life, a life so large that he proves capable of taking over Estrada's novel, even when presented as a fictional character presumably within the author's control. Perhaps this was unintentional. It certainly [End Page 110] was unexpected in a novel that seemed to promise a view of Havana at a time and place rarely seen in American literature—and certainly not much seen in the work of Hemingway himself. Estrada serves to paint in some of the backdrop which Hemingway left out of his Cuba and Key West novel of the period, To Have and Have Not. Estrada frames his fiction with a familiar device. A contemporary Cuban American, assigned to write a magazine article about Hemingway's Cuba, uses the opportunity to explore a family story that puts his grandfather in the path of the "famously belligerent writer." It was not merely a brush with fame, but a momentous encounter, as the narrator suggests in the opening line: "My grandfather once knocked down Ernest Hemingway, or so I was told." The narrator sets the stage by talking with his grandmother, who had no fond feelings for this Hemingway character. Of her late husband—he had the "soul of a poet" and wanted to be a writer—she says, "Cada uno de su chivo hace un tambor." The phrase, we are told, suggests that he lived the cards he was dealt, and that is meant to hang in the air to guide the narrator's search. After the setup, Estrada deposits the reader into the Cuba of the early 1930 s. It was a time of political unrest, of an internal struggle between dictatorship and freedom, of a desire for self-determination that was complicated by the hovering presence and economic influence of the United States. Bombs punctuated the political landscape. Young radicals were gunned down in the Havana streets. And the famous American writer, the author of The Sun Also Rises and A Farewell to Arms, plied Cuba's waters for marlin and Havana's watering holes for pain relief. Enter Javier López Angulo, a Harvard-educated Cuban who yearned to be a writer like Hemingway but settled for the world of advertising. Javier is not much interested in the underground movement that hopes to topple President Gerardo Machado. He also resists the committed intellectuals' arrogant dismissal of Wall Street and yanqui warships in the vicinity. "He had been away for so long," Estrada writes of Javier, "that it made little difference to him who was president of Cuba. But were these would-be revolutionaries any better, with their endless arguments?" Javier instead prefers the hedonistic life, and while sitting with a friend one day at the Floridita, "he noticed a burly, square-jawed American with a mustache and a walnut-shaped scar over one eye." This man "wore a blue and white striped jersey, like a Basque fisherman, and cotton pants stained [End Page 111] with fish blood." Javier watches as the man performs a bullfighter's veronica with a towel and knocks over a glass of Hatuey beer in a gale of laughter. Soon enough Javier has been swept into Hemingway's swirl and he marvels at the American's appetite for life: "How could he bring such enthusiasm to everything he did? Was that the secret of his writing?" Hemingway and his ever-changing entourage—including Pauline and sons, Jane and Grant Mason, the boat captain Joe Russell, and the fishing guide Carlos Gutierrez—carry much of the weight of Estrada's novel. A few of the story lines...

The Chemistry of Beer Instability

Compared to most other alcoholic beverages, beer is unique because it is unstable when in the final package. This instability can be divided into biological and nonbiological instability. Nonbiological stability of beer involves a wide range of chemical processes and can be considered in a number of categories: physical, flavor, light, foam, and gushing. It is the balance between flavanoid polyphenols (tannoids) and sensitive proteins that specifically combine with polyphenols to form haze that largely dictates physical stability. The flavor stability of beer primarily depends on the oxygen concentration of packaged beer but is influenced by all stages of the brewing process. Foam stability in a glass of beer reflects the quality of the beverage. The backbone of foam is hydrophobic polypeptides. Novel brewing processes such as high-gravity brewing result in a disproportionate loss of these polypeptides and have a negative effect on the foam stability of the resulting beer. Beer is light sensitive, especia...

The rat in the residence

⇓ “It's all right, it's dead,” said Douglas. Janet stood on a chair in the middle of Douglas's room and screamed. “Eeeeeeeh.” “I said you can get down. It's dead.” Janet stayed on the chair. “I will not spend another night in this residence.” “We'll make a complaint. The hospital will sort it out.” “This hospital never sorts anything out. Besides, I can't sleep in a bed with a dead rat underneath it.” “I'll put the rat in the bin before we go to bed tonight.” “And what about Ratty's friends and relations?” “You're getting carried away now.” “Douglas, I cannot live here any longer. If you want us to be together then you will have to find us somewhere else to live.” “You'll feel better tonight.” “Twelve hours in casualty will not make me feel better. Go and find us somewhere else to live now.” “But it's Sunday. What can I do on a Sunday?” \* * *| “I've not got many friends,” said David Millstone. He put down his beer glass. “Nor me,” said James Fatterley. “Let's have another pint.” “I need some advice,” said David. “You're the psychiatrist,” said James. “It's Martha,” said David. “Now that we know she's not going …

The Relative Significance of Physics and Chemistry for Beer Foam Excellence: Theory and Practice

J. Inst. Brew. 110(4), 259–266, 2004 Bubble nucleation sites in beer glasses should be uniformly small to ensure that the foam produced comprises homogenously small bubbles with attendant reduced degrees of disproportionation. The latter phenomenon is also hindered by increased film thickness in foam, which in turn will be enhanced by increased localised viscosity, encouraged perhaps by polysaccharide-polypeptide complexes. Erring on the “high end” of specification for carbon dioxide will promote replenishment of foam through beading. Nitrogen at a relatively low level (15–20 ppm) will hinder disproportionation with limited suppression of hop aroma and introduction of undesirable textural features. Hydrolysed hordein appears selectively to enter beer foams at the expense of the more foam-stabilising albuminous polypeptides, suggesting that any future procedures that might selectively eliminate hydrolysed hordein components from beer would be expected not only to enhance haze stability but also foam, by eliminating species that preferentially enter into the bubble but have less foamstabilizing capability once they are there.

Exposure to Urban Pollutants and Serum Levels of IgG anti Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1

The aim of the study is to investigate whether traffic policemen exposed to urban pollutants and psycho-social stressors may be at risk of modifications in serum levels of immunoglobulins G antibodies (IgG Ab) against Herpes Simplex Virus (type1) (HSV-1) compared with controls. Traffic policemen were matched by sex, age, working life and drinking habits (less than two glasses of wine or beer per day) with controls, after excluding the subjects with the principal confounding factors (smoking habit, use of paints, solvents, pesticides and drinking habits). Were included in the study 125 traffic policemen (54 men and 71 women) with outdoor activity and 125 controls (54 men and 71 women) with indoor activity. Mean levels of IgG Ab against HSV-1 were significantly higher in traffic policemen of both sexes compared with controls. The frequency of workers with IgG Ab against HSV-1 levels higher than our normal laboratory values, was significant in traffic policemen compared with controls of both sexes. The distributions of IgG Ab against HSV-1 levels in traffic policemen compared with controls of both sexes were significant. The authors hypothesise an effect of the working activity in traffic policemen on serum levels of IgG Ab against HSV-1 compared to controls.

APA Members Urged to Volunteer As Screeners

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Association NewsFull AccessAPA Members Urged to Volunteer As ScreenersEve BenderEve BenderSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:7 Feb 2003https://doi.org/10.1176/pn.38.3.0014aPsychiatrists and health professionals are being asked to screen people for alcohol abuse or dependence in April and educate the public about the many health problems that can result from frequent alcohol use.The fifth annual National Alcohol Screening Day (NASD), which is funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, takes place on April 10 and coincides with Alcohol Awareness Month.Last year, professionals at about 2,800 sites screened more than 45,000 people.APA is one of about 30 organizations that sponsors the event.NASD is organized each year by Screening for Mental Health Inc., a nonprofit organization based in Wellesley Hills, Mass.According to NIAAA, almost 14 million Americans either abuse alcohol or are alcohol dependent. Heavy drinking increases the risk for an assortment of health problems such as high blood pressure, certain types of cancers, heart disease, and birth defects.To educate the public about the many health problems associated with alcohol intake, the theme of this year’s NASD is “Alcohol and Health: Where Do You Draw the Line?” It will, for example, provide materials for screening sites on how alcohol intake can be detrimental to the developing fetus, people who take certain medications, and the elderly.Clifton Schermerhorn, M.D., an associate professor of family practice and psychiatry at Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, Calif., is an expert on the ways in which alcohol affects the human body. He told Psychiatric News that he is concerned about recent publicity touting the benefits of alcohol that landed on the front page of newspapers throughout the country in mid-January under headlines such as “Daily Alcohol Use Cuts Risk of Heart Attack.”Results from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, an ongoing project based at the Harvard School of Public Health, found that drinking one or two glasses of wine, beer, or other type of alcohol a day significantly reduces the risk of heart attack.“These messages can be very harmful to the public,” said Schermerhorn. “We live in a world of sound bytes and headlines. The problem is that we see the headline and don’t read on.”Schermerhorn pointed out that the study on alcohol intake controlled for the heart only. “What we don’t see are the greater numbers of people placed at risk for alcoholism, liver damage, or cancer of the esophagus.”He said that he plans to screen “as many people as possible” for alcohol abuse and dependence on April 10.Those who register to provide alcohol screening receive a publicity guide with recommendations for publicizing the screening that includes sample press releases and public service announcements, a procedure manual with instructions about how to implement the screening, and a kit of materials with screening forms, a video, educational flyers, and brochures.Schermerhorn emphasized the unique niche that psychiatrists can fill in the alcohol screening project. “Alcoholism is an emotional and physiological disease, and only psychiatrists are trained to deal with both of these components—this is a disease that must be treated holistically.”Registration for NASD is free and can be completed online at www.mentalhealthscreening.org/alcohol.htm or by contacting the National Alcohol Screening Day office at (800) 253-7658. ▪ ISSUES NewArchived

Fingerprints from fingerprints

Besides ‘‘classical’’ biological materials such as blood and sperm, epithelial cells from latent fingerprints are targeted in forensic sciences. In addition to studies using latent fingerprints applied to beer glasses [1], T-shirts left on crime scenes [2] and various other objects [3], we report the detection of STR profiles from latent fingerprints deposited on ordinary sheets of paper. In contrast to the relatively high number of epithelial cells from saliva or from excessively pressured fingerprints during strangulation [4,5], the experiments with latent fingerprints are expected to generate only a very small number of epithelial cells. Moreover, cells remaining on objects touched only briefly may be nucleifree corneocytes only. Thus, the main goal of our investigation was to find out whether briefly touched objects contain nucleated cells and to increase the sensitivity of the methods to target the expected few nuclear DNA molecules from latent fingerprints on paper.

Corrections

August 2000, page 12 —In the letter entitled “The Universe in a Glass of Beer,” the date for reference 1 should be 1988. July 2002, page 72 —Ilene Busch-Vishniac’s current affiliation was misreported. She is dean of the G. W. C. Whiting School of Engineering at the Johns Hopkins University.© 2002 American Institute of Physics.

Waist-to-hip ratio and dietary factors in adults

To assess the association between diet factors and abdominal fat accumulation. A household survey carried out in the city of Rio de Janeiro during 1995-1996. The usual diet of a sample of 2,441 individuals (42.8% men and 57.2% women), aged 20 to 60 years, was investigated using a food frequency questionnaire and data about height, weight, waist and hip perimeter was collected. The cut-off points for inadequate waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) for men and women were 0.95 and 0.80, respectively. Inadequate WHR was positively associated with age, cigarette smoking, body mass index, and inversely associated with education level, income and leisure physical activity in both men and women (p<0.05). Inadequate WHR was not associated with lipids, carbohydrates and total fiber intake. Positive association was found with inadequate WHR and spirits consumption among menopause women (p<0.001), and the consumption of four or more glasses of beer per day in men (p<0.001). In agreement with other studies, alcohol intake was associated with abdominal fat accumulation.

Looking through a Glass of Beer: Alcohol in the Cultural Spaces of Colonial Douala, 1910-1945

Looking through a Glass of Beer: Alcohol in the Cultural Spaces of Colonial Douala, 1910-1945

Association of the ADH2 Genotypes With Skin Responses After Ethanol Exposure in Japanese Male University Students

A contribution of the alcohol dehydrogenase-2 (ADH2) polymorphism to alcohol sensitivity and alcohol drinking behavior is still controversial. In this study, we examined the effects of the ADH2 genotypes on skin reactions to ethanol and habitual alcohol intake among Japanese male university students, controlling for the effects of the low Km aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2) genotype, as an extension of our previous study. The study subjects were 357 Japanese male students [average age (mean +/- SD) was 23.7 +/- 3.0 years] in a medical university. The subjects completed a questionnaire regarding self-reported alcohol-associated symptoms and alcohol-drinking behavior. The ADH2 and ALDH2 genotypes were determined through digestion of polymerase chain reaction products by restriction enzymes. All subjects participated in the ethanol patch test. We observed skin responses at 0, 5, 15, and 20 min after removal of the tape. Among the ALDH2*1/*1 genotypes, only some subjects with ADH2*1/*2 or ADH2*2/*2 exhibited a positive response, which increased with increasing time after the removal. However, none of comparisons between the different ADH2 genotypes reached statistical significance. Among the ALDH2*1/*2 genotypes, those with ADH2*1/*2 or ADH2*2/*2 showed a significant increase in response with increasing time after the removal and revealed a significantly higher positivity rate at 15 min than those with ADH2*1/*1. In those with the ALDH2*1/*2 genotype, the positive rate of facial flushing with one glass of beer was higher in those with ADH2*1/*2 and ADH2*2/*2 than those with ADH2*1/*1, although this was not significant. However, the ADH2 genotype did not seem to influence drinking frequency or amounts of alcohol intake in each ALDH2 genotype. This study finds further evidence for a contribution of the ADH2 polymorphism to skin reactions after either local or systemic ethanol exposure in Asian people. However, the effects of the ADH2 polymorphism may be mild because this polymorphism does not seem to influence alcohol drinking behavior in these study subjects.

The influence of sensitivity to reward on reactivity to alcohol-related cues.

To investigate the role of sensitivity to reward in mediating social drinkers' reactivity to alcohol cues. A standard cue-reactivity paradigm was employed. Two groups of social drinkers (heavy and light) were assessed after exposure to the sight, smell and taste of a neutral cue (water) and then an alcohol cue (glass of beer). Sessions were conducted in a laboratory based environment. Twenty heavy (12 males, eight females) and 18 light social drinkers (seven males, 11 females) were recruited; mean age was 23.6 years. The Card Arranging Reward Responsivity Objective Test (CARROT), assessing behavioural responsiveness to a monetary incentive; urge to drink; positive affect; and the BAS scales, assessing sensitivity to reward. Heavy drinkers displayed a significant increase in responsivity to rewards (i.e. CARROT) and self-reported urge to drink, but not positive affect, after exposure to alcohol. For the heavy drinkers, heightened sensitivity to reward (i.e. BAS scales) was significantly related to cue-elicited urge to drink and positive affect. The results are consistent with a conditioned appetitive motivational model of alcohol use and suggest that Gray's theory of personality may be of some benefit in explaining variation in reactivity responses.

The Universe in a Glass of Beer

The Universe in a Glass of Beer

Kite mark for beer glasses

Toughened glass is not reducing injuries among people in bars - because there is no industry standard that manufacturers have to conform to. A study published in Injury Prevention (2000;6:36-40) has found that staff are more likely to injure themselves with new, toughened glasses. The authors emphasise that this does not mean that bars should return to the old annealed glasses, but that there must be a minimum …

Alcohol and Aldehyde Dehydrogenase Gene Polymorphisms Influence Susceptibility to Esophageal Cancer in Japanese Alcoholics

Studies have consistently demonstrated that inactive aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 (ALDH2), encoded by ALDH2*1/2*2, is closely associated with alcohol-related carcinogenesis. Recently, the contributions of alcohol dehydrogenase-2 (ADH2) polymorphism to alcoholism, esophageal cancer, and the flushing response have also been described. To determine the effects of ALDH2 and ADH2 genotypes in genetically based cancer susceptibility, lymphocyte DNA samples from 668 Japanese alcoholic men more than 40 years of age (91 with and 577 without esophageal cancer) were genotyped and the results were expressed as odds ratios (ORs). This study also tested 82 of the alcoholics with esophageal cancer to determine whether cancer susceptibility is associated with patients' responses to simple questions about current or former flushing after drinking a glass of beer. The frequencies of ADH2*1/2*1 and ALDH2*1/2*2 were significantly higher in alcoholics with, than in those without, esophageal cancer (0.473 vs. 0.289 and 0.560 vs. 0.099, respectively). After adjustment for drinking and smoking, the analysis showed significantly increased cancer risk for alcoholics with either ADH2*1/2*I (OR = 2.03) or ALDH2*1/2*2 (OR = 12.76). For those having ADH2*1/2*1 combined with ALDH2*1/2*2, the esophageal cancer risk was enhanced in a multiplicative fashion (OR = 27.66). Responses to flushing questions showed that only 47.8% of the ALDH2*1/2*2 heterozygotes with ADH2*1/ 2*1, compared with 92.3% of those with ALDH2*1/2*2 and the ADH2*2 allele, reported current or former flushing. Genotyping showed that for alcoholics who reported ever flushing, the questionnaire was 71.4% correct in identifying ALDH2*1/2*2 and 87.9% correct in identifying ALDH2*1/2*1. Japanese alcoholics can be divided into cancer susceptibility groups on the basis of their combined ADH2 and ALDH2 genotypes. The flushing questionnaire can predict high risk ALDH2*1/2*2 fairly accurately in persons with ADH2*2 allele, but a reliable screening procedure for the highest risk gene combination (ADH2*1/2*1 and ALDH2*1/2*2) will require further investigation.

Effects of Naltrexone on Alcohol Self-Administration in Heavy Drinkers

The mechanisms underlying the suppressant effects of naltrexone (NTX) on ad libitum alcohol drinking in a bar/restaurant setting were investigated in heavy beer drinkers. Fifty-one male and female heavy drinkers (mean age = 22) received 50 mg of NTX or placebo (PBO), p.o., on two separate occasions in a randomized, double-blind crossover protocol. After 7 days of taking medication, subjects were provided with the opportunity to consume beer ad libitum during two, 90-min test sessions that were held 1 to 2 weeks apart. Blood samples were collected on test days to ensure medication compliance and to measure blood levels of NTX and the active β-naltrexol. Less beer was consumed during NTX treatment. NTX decreased urges to consume alcohol. NTX-treated subjects also took significantly longer to finish each glass of beer and were more likely to terminate beer drinking early. Self-report stimulation and ratings of positive mood states were lower during NTX treatment. Negative side effects of NTX, such as nausea and headache, were reported more frequently with NTX. Not all of the subjects decreased their beer intake on NTX, and some subjects drank more beer. Nonresponders to NTX were not related to blood levels of the active metabolite β-naltrexol or to a family history of alcoholism. Overall, the results of this study suggest that NTX affects a number of the components of alcohol drinking sequence, including lowering cravings, decreasing the positive reinforcing effects of alcohol, and increasing headache and nausea, each of which may contribute to reducing alcohol intake.

Effects of Naltrexone on Alcohol Self‐Administration in Heavy Drinkers

The mechanisms underlying the suppressant effects of naltrexone (NTX) on ad libitum alcohol drinking in a bar/restaurant setting were investigated in heavy beer drinkers. Fifty-one male and female heavy drinkers (mean age = 22) received 50 mg of NTX or placebo (PBO), p.o., on two separate occasions in a randomized, double-blind crossover protocol. After 7 days of taking medication, subjects were provided with the opportunity to consume beer ad libitum during two, 90-min test sessions that were held 1 to 2 weeks apart. Blood samples were collected on test days to ensure medication compliance and to measure blood levels of NTX and the active beta-naltrexol. Less beer was consumed during NTX treatment. NTX decreased urges to consume alcohol. NTX-treated subjects also took significantly longer to finish each glass of beer and were more likely to terminate beer drinking early. Self-report stimulation and ratings of positive mood states were lower during NTX treatment. Negative side effects of NTX, such as nausea and headache, were reported more frequently with NTX. Not all of the subjects decreased their beer intake on NTX, and some subjects drank more beer. Nonresponders to NTX were not related to blood levels of the active metabolite beta-naltrexol or to a family history of alcoholism. Overall, the results of this study suggest that NTX affects a number of the components of alcohol drinking sequence, including lowering cravings, decreasing the positive reinforcing effects of alcohol, and increasing headache and nausea, each of which may contribute to reducing alcohol intake.

The polyphenolic content of fruit and vegetables and their antioxidant activities. What does a serving constitute?

Analysis of the major flavone, flavonol, anthocyanidin and hydroxycinnamic acid constituents (and their glycosides) of onion, tomato, egg plant and apple has been undertaken and the antioxidant activities of the phenolic extracts determined. The major phenolic antioxidant components of egg plant are chlorogenic acid in the flesh and a delphinidin conjugate in the skin. In the case of apple, the major phenolic antioxidants detected are chlorogenic acid, procyanidins/catechin compounds, rutin and phloridzin. Quercetin glycosides are well-known to be the major phenolic components of onion. Assessment of the antioxidant activities of a serving of 100 g fresh weight fruit, vegetable and comparison with previously reported findings for 150 ml beverage (500 ml portion in the case of beer), expressed in μmol Trolox equivalents show that the antioxidant activities of 1 glass (150 ml) red wine ≡ 12 glasses white wine ≡ 2 cups of tea ≡ 4 apples ≡ 5 portions of onion ≡ 5.5 portions egg plant ≡ 3.5 glasses of blackcurrant juice ≡ 3.5 (500 ml) glasses of beer ≡ 7 glasses of orange juice ≡ 20 glasses of apple juice (long life).

Representing Urban Interests: The Local Politics of State Legislatures

[New York] city is ruled entirely by the hayseed legislators at Albany. I've never known an up-State Republican who didn't want to run things here. . . . We've got to eat and drink what they tell us to eat and drink, and have got to choose our time for eatin' and drinkin' to suit them. If they don't feel like takin' a glass of beer on Sunday, we must abstain. If they have not got any amusements up in their backwoods, we mustn't have none. We've got to r egulate our whole lives to suit them. And then we have to pay their taxes to boot.George Washington Plunkitt.William L. Riordon, Plunkitt of Tammany Hall: A Series of Very Plain Talks on Very Practical Politics, ed. Terrence J. McDonald (Boston: Bedford Books, 1994), 59–60.