Acute alcohol does not impair attentional inhibition as measured with Stroop interference scores but impairs Stroop performance.

RATIONALE: Inhibition is a core executive function and refers to the ability to deliberately suppress attention, behavior, thoughts, and/or emotions and instead act in a specific manner. While acute alcohol exposure has been shown to impair response inhibition in the stop-signal and Go/NoGo tasks, reported alcohol effects on attentional inhibition in the Stroop task are inconsistent. Notably, studies have operationalized attentional inhibition variably and there has been intra- and inter-individual variability in alcohol exposure. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the acute effects of alcohol on attentional inhibition, considering previous limitations. METHODS: In a single-blind, cross-over design, 40 non-dependent participants with a medium-to-high risk drinking behavior performed a Counting Stroop task (CST) under a baseline and an arterial blood alcohol concentration (aBAC) clamp at 80 mg%. Attentional inhibition was assessed as the alteration of reaction times (RT), error rates (ER), and inverse efficiency scores (IES) between incongruent and congruent trials (interference score). Stroop performance was also assessed regardless of trial-type. RESULTS: Compared to saline, acute alcohol exposure via an aBAC clamp did not affect CST interference scores but increased RTs and IES in both incongruent and congruent trials. CONCLUSIONS: Attentional inhibition (Stroop interference score) was not impaired by clamped moderate alcohol exposure. Acute alcohol impaired Stroop performance evidenced by a general increase in response times. Our findings suggest that response and attentional inhibition do not share the same neurocognitive mechanisms and are affected differently by alcohol. Results could also be explained by automated behaviors known to be relatively unaffected by acute alcohol.

The association of polygenic risk for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression with neural connectivity in adolescents and young adults: examining developmental and sex differences.

Neurodevelopmental abnormalities in neural connectivity have been long implicated in the etiology of schizophrenia (SCZ); however, it remains unclear whether these neural connectivity patterns are associated with genetic risk for SCZ in unaffected individuals (i.e., an absence of clinical features of SCZ or a family history of SCZ). We examine whether polygenic risk scores (PRS) for SCZ are associated with functional neural connectivity in adolescents and young adults without SCZ, whether this association is moderated by sex and age, and if similar associations are observed for genetically related neuropsychiatric PRS. One-thousand four-hundred twenty-six offspring from 913 families, unaffected with SCZ, were drawn from the Collaborative Study of the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA) prospective cohort (median age at first interview = 15.6 (12-26), 51.6% female, 98.1% European American, 41% with a family history of alcohol dependence). Participants were followed longitudinally with resting-state EEG connectivity (i.e., coherence) assessed every two years. Higher SCZ PRS were associated with elevated theta (3-7 Hz) and alpha (7-12 Hz) EEG coherence. Associations differed by sex and age; the most robust associations were observed between PRS and parietal-occipital, central-parietal, and frontal-parietal alpha coherence among males between ages 15-19 (B: 0.15-0.21, p < 10-4). Significant associations among EEG coherence and Bipolar and Depression PRS were observed, but differed from SCZ PRS in terms of sex, age, and topography. Findings reveal that polygenic risk for SCZ is robustly associated with increased functional neural connectivity among young adults without a SCZ diagnosis. Striking differences were observed between men and women throughout development, mapping onto key periods of risk for the onset of psychotic illness and underlining the critical importance of examining sex differences in associations with neuropsychiatric PRS across development.

Estimation of ethanol infusion profile to produce specified BrAC time course using physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models.

A procedure for estimating the alcohol infusion profile required to produce a specific breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) time course using a PBPK model is described. Model parameter values are predicted from linear relationships to readily measurable physical characteristics or morphometrics. An algorithm to optimize this transformation, based upon recorded clinical experimental data, is provided. A substantial improvement in all error statistics, in relation to the original transform was obtained.

Leukocyte recovery with short-chain RNA fragments in cyclophosphamide-treated rabbits.

Single-stranded short-chain RNA fragments, obtained by mild degradation of purified Escherichia coli ribosomal RNA(s) with pancreatic RNase A, exhibit particular biologic activities in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, these RNA fragments are used by DNA-dependent DNA polymerase I as primers to initiate the replication of DNA(s) isolated from rabbit bone marrow and spleen; they are inactive with DNA isolated from several normal tissues and cancerous cells. Administered iv, RNA fragments restore a normal level of circulating leukocytes in rabbits with high doses of cyclophosphamide (CP). Granulocyte/lymphocyte balance, upset by daily CP administration, is also restored during the increase of both types of cells. No toxicity is observed, and numerous repeated doses of RNA fragments show no cumulative effect and do not lead to loss of leukopoietic stimulating activity. Tumor-bearing mice can be protected by RNA fragments against the toxic effect of CP without impeding the anticancer activity of this drug.

Particular RNA fragments as promoters of leukocyte and platelet formation in rabbits.

Under well-defined conditions, ribosomal RNA from Escherichia coli is fragmented by pancreatic ribonuclease, leading to the appearance of particular RNA fragments. Some of these fragments act as primers for in vitro replication of DNA extracted from blood-cell and platelet-forming tissues. In experimental rabbits they restore in a rapid and harmless way normal circulating leukocyte and platelet levels when these have been drastically decreased by various chemotherapeutic agents mainly used in anticancer therapy. Imbalance between polynuclear and lymphocyte count provoked in rabbits by cyclophosphamide can be rapidly corrected by treating the animal with active RNA fragments.

[Animal study on radioactive antigenic fractions isolated from V.cholerae. I. The Ch 1 + 2 fraction]. / Etude sure l'animal de fractions antigémiques radioactives isolées de V. cholerae. I. La fraction Ch 1 + 2.

The Ch 1 + 2 fraction has been marked by means of culture of Vibrio cholerae Ogawa HK1 on a synthetic medium containing leucine H3. The antigen distribution has been then studied before and after vaccination with the same non-marked antigen in normal and axenic mice, at the same time by the demonstration of radioactivity and radioimmunofluorescence in intestine, spleen, liver, kidney and thymus. Whichever the administration route, intestine and spleen are first stimulated, then more intensively with the second injection or ingestion. When administrated per os the fraction crosses the intestinal barrier and is fixed on the main lymphoid organs: intestine, spleen, thymus. After ingestion or injection into axenic mice, spleen is the first organ stimulated.

[RNA-fragments, necessary primers for the in vitro replication of DNA]. / ARN-fragments, amorceurs nécessaires à la réplication in vitro des ADN

Partial degradation of ribosomal RNAs (E. coli rich in purine nucleotides) by different ribonucleases gives rise to the appearance of several families of RNA-fragments which after separation on "Sephadex G 25" were analyzed for base ratio, size and biological activity. In the presence of DNA dependent DNA polymerase, RNA-fragments act as primers for in vitro replication of DNAs from numerous sources.