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L A Kroutil

Publications and source records attributed to L A Kroutil.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

Issues in the linkage of alcohol and domestic violence services.

It is well established that alcohol is a risk factor for male against female domestic violence. Some evidence also suggests that some women victims of domestic violence develop substance abuse problems in response to their victimization. Although interpretations vary regarding the exact nature of the relationship of substance abuse and domestic violence offending and victimization, there is evidence that linking substance abuse and domestic violence services could have a positive impact on batterer cessation and victim support services. Currently, however, service linkage for the two problems is rare. There are major barriers to linkage of substance abuse and domestic violence services, including philosophical differences of treatment perspective between program types and structural impediments that make linkage difficult. The chapter discusses the barriers to linkage, examines potentially useful linkage models, and suggests the next steps to examine the feasibility of linking services for the two problems.

Alcoholism↗

Cigarette smoking in the U.S. military: findings from the 1992 Worldwide Survey.

BACKGROUND: Using data from the military's Worldwide Survey series, this article presents findings on the prevalence of smoking among active-duty military personnel in 1992 and trends since 1980. METHODS: A stratified probability sampling design was used in the 1992 Worldwide Survey. Military installations worldwide were sampled, and then active-duty personnel within these installations were selected. A total of 16,395 usable questionnaires were obtained, for an overall response rate of 77.3%. RESULTS: The prevalence of cigarette smoking among military personnel has declined from 51% in 1980 to 35% in 1992. This decline was not explained by changes in the sociodemographic composition of the military population. Overall, smoking was more prevalent among personnel who were white, had less education, and were enlisted. In addition, enlisted men reporting higher levels of work-related stress were more likely to be smokers. Over half of all military personnel who were smokers in the past year attempted to quit. CONCLUSIONS: The military has made considerable progress since 1980 in reducing the prevalence of smoking among military personnel. Nonetheless, the prevalence in 1992 was still relatively high, affecting about one of every three personnel. A promising group to target in future antismoking efforts may be smokers who tried to quit during the past year.

Adult↗

Detection of Alternaria allergens by Western blotting.

The technique of Western blotting (immunoblotting) is being increasingly recognized as a means of identifying and characterizing allergens in complex mixtures. Because the allergens are immobilized on nitrocellulose paper, they can be probed for binding of IgE from patients' sera. In addition, the blotting technique provides useful biochemical information, such as the molecular weight of the allergen being studied. In this study we used sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to separate antigens in a crude Alternaria preparation, electrophoretically transferred these antigens to nitrocellulose, and incubated the nitrocellulose strips with individual serum and pooled sera from 13 Alternaria-sensitive subjects, sera from three nonallergic individuals, and sera from three individuals allergic to ragweed but not Alternaria. The strips were then washed, incubated with 125I-labeled antihuman IgE, washed again, and exposed to autoradiography film. We observed IgE binding to 20 allergens. Five or more sera from Alternaria-sensitive patients recognized allergens in four molecular weight regions: 55,000 to 60,000, 40,000 to 45,000, 35,000 to 40,000, and 15,000 to 20,000. With pooled sera, the most intense IgE binding was directed at allergens with molecular weights above 40,000. No IgE binding was observed with sera from individuals who were not sensitive to Alternaria. We conclude that Western blotting is an effective method for detecting allergens in complex fungal mixtures.

Allergens↗

Monkey dander asthma.

We recently cared for two patients who experienced acute asthma with exposure to dander of the cotton top tamarin, a species of New World monkey. Both patients had serologic evidence for an IgE antibody to monkey dander as determined by RAST and a positive immediate skin test response to an extract prepared from monkey dander. Furthermore, by RAST we were able to determine that cotton top tamarin urine and newborn cotton top tamarin dander had antigens that reacted with IgE in the serum of the affected patients. Thus we report two patients with asthma to monkey dander that appears to be mediated by an IgE mechanism. We also found that serum from a subject exposed to another species of New World monkey, the capuchin, yielded a positive RAST to the cotton top tamarin, suggesting that allergenic cross-reactivity may exist between the two species.

Acute Disease↗