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Aims: To test separatel the efficacy of a web‐based and a peer‐based brief intervention (BI), compared with an expanded usual care control (EUC) group, among military reserve component members using alcohoI in a hazardous and harmful manner. Design: In the randomized controlled trial, participants were assigned to: [1] web‐based BI with web‐based boosters (BI + web), [2] web‐based BI with peer‐based boosters (BI + peer) or [3] enhanced usual care (EUC). Setting: Michigan, USA. Participants: A total of 739 Michigan Army National Guard members who reported recent hazardous alcohol use; 84% were male, the mean age was 28 years. Intervention: The BI consisted of an interactive program guided by a personally selected avatar. Boosters were delivered either on the web or personally by a trained veteran peer. A pamphlet, given to all participants, included information on hazardous alcohol use and military‐specific community resources and served as the EUC condition. Measurements The primary outcome measure was binge drinking episodes in the past 30 days, measured at 12 months after the BI. Findings All randomized participants were included in the outcome analyses. In adjusted analyses, BI + peer [beta = −0.43, 95% confidence interval (CI) = −0.56 to −0.31, P < 0.001] and BI + web (beta = −0.34, 95% CI = −0.46 to −0.23, P < 0.001) reduced binge drinking compared with EUC. Conclusion: This satudy was a web‐based brief intervention for hazardous alcohol use, with either web‐ or peer‐based boosters, reduced binge alcohol use among Army National Guard members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Briefly explores the history of political parties as presented in the major works of twentieth century U. S. political historians. Highlights attempts of political parties to control government policies. (JDH)

Completed suicides over a one year period of time were reported from a nationwide survey of Department of Veteran Affairs medical centers. Of a total of 248 completed suicides, 11 occurred in outpatient substance abuse programs, and an additional 5 occurred among patients receiving combined outpatient substance abuse and psychiatric treatment. There were no inpatient suicides. During this time, there were 7 suicide attempts on inpatient units and 37 suicide attempts in outpatient chemical dependency treatment. The majority of suicides were committed by males who had a primary alcohol addiction (63%). Thirty-eight percent of the sample had a comorbid mood disorder and 38% had a comorbid personality disorder. Risk factors relating to the potential for suicide in chemical dependency programs are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports on developments on issues concerning moral theology in the United States, as of 1986. Dissent in moral theology and its implications; Sanctity of life, quality of life and social justice; Virtue, American culture and moral issues; U.S. bishops' pastoral letter on the economy.

Presents articles on moral theology-related developments in the United States, as of 1984. Cardinal Joseph Bernardin's proposal for a consistent ethic of respect for life; Policies that should direct the protection of human life in its earliest development; Preservation of peace and freedom against the threat of nuclear holocaust; Maintenance of life and dignity in the operations of the economy.

Investigates the Ordinance of 1784, a scheme identified with Thomas Jefferson for the government of the West. Confederation congress.

Focuses on how business interests corrupted politics in 19th and 20th centuries in the U.S. Changes in the methods of participation in politics; Impact of commercial development on the Republican government; States accused of politico-business corruption; Role of state parties in politico-business corruption.

Discusses Pope John Paul II's presentations during his pastoral visit to the United States in 1979. Pope's emphasis on the uniqueness and dignity of the person; Pastoral problem of divorce and remarriage; Nuclear energy and nuclear disarmament.

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article on increased number of veterinarian competing for fewer job openings available in the U.S.

The impact of public-sector research is evident in many technology sectors, and this is particularly true in agriculture. Dating back to the establishment of the Land Grant College system in 1862, universities and other public-sector institutions have been the leaders in developing improved crop varieties that were transferred to farms and to the agricultural industry through cooperative extension services in the United States or equivalent organizations internationally. However, this model is changing rapidly because of increased intellectual property (IP) protection of agricultural inventions, as well as the development of a research-intensive private sector that is making notable contributions to enhancing the productivity of U.S. agriculture. Formal mechanisms for transfer of public research results to the private sector for further development have accelerated, and there has been a marked increase in the number of public-sector patents and the licensing of technology to the private sector. Public-sector scientists have invented many of the types of technologies that are necessary to conduct basic biological research and develop new transgenic plant varieties. To develop these strategy and to realize what they believe will be significant benefits both for U.S. agriculture and for the world's food security, they are establishing the Public-Sector Intellectual Property Resource for Agriculture.

Objective: Adults with serious mental illness are at increased risk for diabetes mellitus and diabetes-related complications. This article classifies subgroups among people with serious mental illness and comorbid diabetes with respect to functional status and examines differences among those groups., Methods: This analysis used a baseline sample of 157 adults with serious mental illness and diabetes mellitus enrolled in a National Institute of Health-funded research study. Latent profile analysis was used to distinguish health status profiles and investigate how these subgroups differed across assessment domains., Results: Participants with depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder (n = 157) were included in the study. Mean age was 52.9 years (standard deviation = 9.8), and 62 (40%) were African American. From the latent profile analysis, a three-class model appeared to provide the best fit. Class 1 (34.9%) had a very low functional health status approximately two standard deviations below the general population mean. Class 2 (43.7%) had a low functional status approximately one standard deviation below the general mean. Class 3 (21.4%) had moderate functional status with scores near population mean. Groups differed on measures of personal characteristics, clinical status and symptom severity, self-care behaviors, and environmental characteristics., Conclusions: Although individuals with schizophrenia generally have poor prognosis once they develop diabetes, latent profile analysis identified distinct health status subgroups. Although all three groups demonstrated illness burden, the pattern of differences between these groups across measures may suggest the need for different interventions for highly diverse adults who received care within safety-net primary care.

... The moral status -- and specifically the controversial issue of personhood -- is related to attainment of developmental individuality... This contrasts with the view that holds that personhood occurs earlier, at the point of genetic uniqueness. I believe that an embryo that has developed to the point where it can be one individual and one individual only, differs in moral status from a preembryo that has not, even if in many cases we may choose to treat them similarly... In view of the conviction that the preembryo is not yet a person and that its statistical potential for becoming such is small, it is not clear that nontherapeutic experiments can be excluded in principle. However, because the preembryo does have intrinsic potential...the preembryo should be treated as a person... Any exceptions from the prima facie duty to treat the preembryo as a person should be based on criteria established at the national level....