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Biomedical subjects

S Bondy

Publications and source records attributed to S Bondy.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Gender differences in alcohol consumption and adverse drinking consequences: cross-cultural patterns.

AIMS: To examine the consistency and/or variability of gender differences in drinking behavior cross-culturally. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS: Women's and men's responses in 16 general population surveys from 10 countries, analyzed by members of the International Research Group on Gender and Alcohol. MEASUREMENTS: Comparable measures of drinking, versus abstention, typical drinking frequencies and quantities, heavy episodic drinking, intoxication, morning drinking, and alcohol-related family and occupational problems. FINDINGS: Women and men differed little in the probability of currently drinking versus abstaining, but men consistently exceeded women in typical drinking frequencies and quantities and in rates of heavy drinking episodes and adverse drinking consequences, while women were consistently more likely than men to be life-time abstainers. In older age groups, both men and women drank smaller quantities of alcohol and were more likely to stop drinking altogether, but drinking frequencies did not change consistently with age. CONCLUSIONS: A theoretical synthesis proposes that gender roles may amplify biological differences in reactions to alcohol, and that gender differences in drinking behavior may be modified by macrosocial factors that modify gender role contrasts.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

A reliability and validity analysis of an alcohol-related harm scale for surveys.

OBJECTIVE: To test reliability and construct validity of an alcohol-related harm scale widely used in North American surveys. METHOD: Data base: three representative general population household telephone surveys in Ontario, Canada (1994: N = 2,022, response rate 63%; 1995: N = 994, response rate 63%; 1996: N = 2,721, response rate 64%). STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: psychometric analysis of internal consistency (Cronbach); Mokken scaling to test homogeneity of underlying construct; tests for construct validity by measuring associations with similar scales. RESULTS: The scale showed high internal consistency and homogeneity of the underlying construct. The correlations with the CAGE and ICD-10 criteria for dependence ranged between 0.5 and 0.7. CONCLUSIONS: The harm scale is measuring a unidimensional construct, but one which is not distinct from that measured by the CAGE or dependence criteria.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Alcohol and all-cause mortality: an overview.

The relationship between alcohol consumption and all-cause mortality is J-shaped in most industrialized countries. The J-shape is the result of the combination of adverse and beneficial effects of alcohol consumption. Adverse effects include several types of cancer (oropharyngeal, oesophageal, liver, laryngeal and breast cancer), other diseases of the aerodigestive tract, diseases of the heart (alcoholic cardiomyopathy, haemorrhagic stroke, arrhythmia, hypertension), addiction-related mental disorders, and accidents and injuries. Beneficial effects are for ischaemic heart disease and ischaemic stroke. The exact shape of the all-cause mortality curve in a given region depends upon the proportion of the population consuming alcohol at different levels, especially heavy consumption, and on the prevalence of the disorders named above. Thus regions with a relatively low prevalence of ischaemic cardiovascular disease show almost no benefits of consumption, and an all-cause mortality curve which is almost exponential. Females experience a minimum mortality risk at a level of alcohol intake which is lower than that associated with the minimum risk for men. Similarly, an upturn in mortality risk occurs at lower intake levels for women than for men. At present, there is no satisfactory explanation for the observation that the shape of the mortality curve varies with the consumption level of the cohort under study. Heavier-drinking cohorts tend to display their minimum risk at relatively higher levels of alcohol intake than cohorts with lower alcohol consumption.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed1998

Smoking in the home: changing attitudes and current practices.

OBJECTIVES: Trends in attitudes and current practices concerning smoking in the home were examined. METHODS: Data from population-based surveys of adults in Ontario, Canada, were analyzed. RESULTS: Between 1992 and 1996, the percentage of respondents who agreed that parents spending time at home with small children should not smoke increased from 51% to 70%. In 1996, 34% of the homes surveyed were smoke-free. Smoke-free homes were associated with nonsmoking respondents and with the presence of children and no daily smokers in the home. Only 20% of homes with children and any daily smokers were smoke-free. CONCLUSIONS: Efforts are needed to assist parents in reducing children's exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in the home.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Moderate drinking and health. Implications of recent evidence.

OBJECTIVE: To address three questions (Is moderate drinking good for health? Should people drink to prevent heart disease? What is moderate drinking?) and to examine and compare two recent Canadian guidelines on low-risk drinking in the context of counseling patients. DATA SOURCES: English-language data sources were searched, particularly peer-reviewed health and social science literature and recent expert reports. STUDY SELECTION: Studies and reports were selected for their scientific merit and direct relevance to the three questions addressed and to the formulation of guidelines on low-risk drinking. SYNTHESIS: While moderate drinking might protect some older people against coronary heart disease, it is associated with increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke, certain cancers, accidents and injuries, and a range of social problems. For most health outcomes, risk increases as consumption of alcohol increases. CONCLUSIONS: While the data have limitations, they provide a basis for formulating guidelines on low-risk drinking. The two Canadian guidelines, one developed from the perspective of health recovery, the other from the perspective of health promotion, complement each other in the context of counseling patients.

Accidents↗
PubMed1996

Determinants of suggestions for alcohol treatment.

Entry to treatment is often precipitated by suggestions or pressure from relatives or friends, but we know little of the circumstances in which suggestions to cut down on drinking include advice to seek professional help. In 1993, 1034 Ontario adults were asked in a random digit dialling telephone survey if they had said something to a friend or relative about their drinking, or suggested they cut down. About 35% had said something within the last year, and 15% had taken the further step of suggesting they seek professional help or helping them get assistance. Respondents were asked a series of questions about the circumstances of the most recent time they had said something to the person. Whether respondents who said something recommended seeking professional help is related to these circumstances, and to the respondent's demographics and relationship to the drinker.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

On the emerging paradigm of drinking patterns and their social and health consequences.

Recent epidemiological and social studies have increasingly pointed to the importance of drinking patterns in explaining consequences of alcohol consumption. This paper presents recommendations for research in the area based on the presentations and discussions of the first "International Conference on Social and Health Effects of Different Drinking Patterns" held in Toronto in November 1995. In particular, the social dimension in pattern research, and the relationship between patterns of drinking and casualties as well as social harm, are stressed. The paper also argues for better theories, incorporating knowledge from related basic disciplines. In addition, we emphasize the need for improved methodologies and standardized methods for assessing drinking patterns. Finally, implications of research on drinking patterns for policy and programme development are discussed.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed1994

Two-site binding of C5a by its receptor: an alternative binding paradigm for G protein-coupled receptors.

The guanine nucleotide-binding protein-coupled receptor superfamily binds a vast array of biological messengers including lipids, odorants, catecholamines, peptides, and proteins. While some small molecules bind to these receptors at a single interhelical site, we find that the binding domain on the receptor for the inflammatory protein C5a is more complex and consists of two distinct subsites. This more elaborate motif appears to be an evolutionary adaptation of the simpler paradigm to which a second interaction site has been added in the receptor N terminus. Surprisingly, occupation of only one of the subsites is required for receptor activation. The two-site motif is not unique to the C5a receptor but appears to be widely used by the superfamily to accommodate macromolecular ligands.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Immunogenicity of synthetic HIV-1 gp120 V3-loop peptide-conjugate immunogens.

A successful prophylactic human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) vaccine must elicit an immune response that will prevent establishment of the persistent viral infection. The only response shown to be effective in this regard is virus-neutralizing antibody directed against the viral gp120 hypervariable V3-loop region. Conjugate immunogens, containing cyclic peptides representing the V3 determinant covalently bound to a carrier protein, were capable of eliciting virus-neutralizing antibodies. The consistency of the response was related to peptide size. The smaller cyclic peptides, expressing relatively conserved sequences from the V3-loop apex, were poor inducers of neutralizing activity. In contrast, the largest cyclic peptides mediated neutralizing responses that were similar to those observed and previously reported for intact gp120 immunogens. A cyclic synthetic peptide expressing most of the prototypic HIV-1 MN variant V3 determinant warrants further study as a potentially effective vaccine immunogen.

AIDS Vaccines↗
PubMed1994

Detecting, preventing, and managing patients' alcohol problems.

OBJECTIVE: To examine Canadian family physicians' attitudes, beliefs, and practices regarding alcohol use and alcohol-related problems among their patients. DESIGN: A self-administered questionnaire mailed to a random sample of 2883 family physicians. The survey was conducted using a modified Dillman method. PARTICIPANTS: Canadian physicians in active office-based practice during 1989. Sample included certificated and noncertificated members of the College of Family Physicians of Canada, as well as non-members of the College. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Perceived importance of various health-promotion behaviours; attitudes and beliefs about working with problem drinkers; current knowledge and practices regarding identifying and managing problem drinkers; and demographic characteristics. RESULTS: Respondents had a strong sense of role legitimacy in working with problem drinkers, but predominantly negative and pessimistic attitudes. Half the respondents felt they had failed in their work with problem drinkers. More physicians agreed on a psychosocial etiology for alcoholism than on a biological origin. Three quarters of respondents said they "almost always" ask patients about quantity and frequency of alcohol use, and just over one third "almost always" ask about problems related to drinking. Data also suggest doctors have relatively few patients with alcohol problems, and they need help in responding to such patients. CONCLUSION: Physicians need more training for their role in identifying and managing patients with alcohol problems.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed1993

Identification of HIV vaccine candidate peptides by screening random phage epitope libraries.

Most synthetic HIV-1 gp120 V3 loop peptides that are used as immunogens in experimental HIV-1 vaccine studies are modeled from the naturally occurring viral gp120 V3 loops. In experimental animals these immunogens generally elicit type (or variant)-specific neutralizing antibodies that are not broadly reactive among HIV-1 variants. In an attempt to find a more general structure for the V3 loop, we have obtained candidates that mimic V3 loop sequences by screening random epitopes displayed in a fusion phage 15-residue epitope library. Human monoclonal antibody 447-52D, a highly potent and broadly reactive virus-neutralizing antibody that recognizes the conserved V3 loop tip motif GPXR, was the probe. By using a screening method that was designed specifically for this work, we identified hundreds of reactive phage clones, 70 of which were sequenced. Over 98% of the epitopes contain the motif GPXR, yet none of the 70 are an identical match to any V3 variant loop described to date. One of these sequences was synthesized as the beta-maleimidopropionyl 15-mer peptide, covalently conjugated to a carrier and used to immunize rabbits. High anti-peptide titers were obtained in all animals with three of four individual responses also binding to a peptide that is representative of the "North American consensus" V3 loop. The sera from these three positive rabbits neutralized HIV-1 variant SF-2 in vitro. In addition, one of them was capable of neutralizing variant AL-1. Both of these variants are considered to have V3 loops of the North American consensus type. Thus, neutralizing responses were obtained by use of an immunogen that was selected for its ability to bind a broadly reactive human monoclonal antibody rather than modeled from an HIV-1 gp120 V3 loop sequence.

AIDS Vaccines↗
PubMed1993

Safety and tolerance of trospium chloride in the high dose range.

The safety and tolerance of increasing single oral doses of 20, 40, 80, 120, 180, 240 and 360 mg trospium chloride (Spasmo-lyt, CAS 10405-0204) were investigated in 29 healthy male volunteers in a double-blind placebo-controlled study. Blood pressure, heart rate, ECG, pupillary diameter, salivary secretion, and subjective reports of tolerance revealed no essential differences between placebo and trospium chloride in doses up to 120 mg. Starting with single doses of 180 mg, anticholinergic effects were observed with increasing intensity, i.e., dilatation of the pupils, reduction of salivary flow, and increase of heart rate. While the highest administered dose of 360 mg trospium chloride did not cause any relevant changes of vital parameters (blood pressure, pulse, ECG), it was subjectively rated as quite unpleasant. The data show that trospium chloride is well tolerated in single oral doses well above the current therapeutic daily dose of up to 40 mg.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Pharmacokinetics and relative bioavailability of prajmalium bitartrate after single oral dosing.

Pharmacokinetics and relative bioavailability of the marketed prajmalium bitartrate tablet (Neo-Gilurytmal, CAS 2589-47-1) compared to an oral solution were investigated in an open, randomized, single-dose two-fold crossover study in 20 healthy male volunteers. One subject was identified to be a poor metabolizer. In the study population with normal metabolic status the two oral formulations proved to be bioequivalent with regard to the pharmacokinetic parameters Cmax, AUC(0-Tlast), AUC(0-infinity) and Ae(24h). tmax was prolonged after administration of the tablets. The relative bioavailability of prajmalium bitartrate from the tablet amounted to 112%. The poor metabolizer demonstrated in both oral formulations high plasma concentrations, increased AUCs and prolonged terminal half-lives as well as increased renal excretion of prajmalium bitartrate.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Triethyltin-induced neuronal damage in neonatally exposed rats.

Neuropathological and biochemical effects of neonatal exposure to the alkyl metal triethyltin were examined in juvenile male Long Evans rats. Rats were injected intraperitoneally on postnatal day 5 with 6 mg/kg of triethyltin bromide and sampled on day 20. The brains of tin-treated animals weighed significantly less than either saline or starved controls and exhibited a marked caviation of the ventrolateral surfaces. Histologically, neuronal necrosis was noted in the entorhinal and transitional cortex, an observation confirmed by immunocytochemical staining of astrocytes. Hippocampal involvement was further evidenced by a protrusion of the molecular layer of the dentate gyrus, and an abnormal histochemical staining pattern of acetylcholinesterase in this layer. Sections stained by the Timm's method for the deposition of heavy metals showed a marked reduction in the staining of the hippocampal CA4,3,2 sectors and an absence of stained laminae in the outer molecular layer of the dentate gyrus. Receptor binding assays indicated a selective depression of the benzodiazepine receptor in the hippocampus of tin-treated pups compared to starved controls. Taken in concert, these data indicate that neonatal exposure to triethyltin produces severe neuronal damage in the posterior cortex and a derangement of hippocampal afferent circuitry.

Acetylcholinesterase↗