Alcohol and other drug problems among the homeless: Research, practice, and future directions
Abstract At least 50 percent of America's homeless people have significant current problems with alcohol and other drugs. These problems are important risk factors in the selection of the undomiciled from the larger population of extremely poor people. This paper reviews what is known about homeless people with alcohol and other drug problems; assesses the relationship between such individual problems and the larger phenomenon of homelessness; and describes selected aspects of projects funded through the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism/National Institute on Drug Abuse Demonstration Program for Homeless Persons with Alcohol and Other Drug Problems. It concludes with observations about future directions for research and practice.
Substance use patterns among homeless migrants and nonmigrants in Chicago.
This paper uses data abstracted from 465 client records randomly selected from the current files of a downtown medical clinic in Chicago, Illinois to examine substance use among 85 immigrant and 380 nonimmigrant homeless and "at-risk" homeless adults. Immigrants to the United States reported lower levels of current cigarette, alcohol, and drug use compared to nonimmigrants in the sample. Immigrants were also less likely to report potential substance user treatment needs. Immigrants, however, did not differ from nonimmigrants in the reported quantity or frequency of cigarette and alcohol use. Drug use among homeless immigrants was also higher than estimates of misuse in the general population. The literally homeless in the sample reported higher levels of substance use compared to "at-risk" homeless. The literally homeless were also more likely to report higher levels of consumption and were more likely to have potential substance user treatment needs. The role of stress in the etiology of substance misuse among homeless immigrants and nonimmigrants is discussed. Implications for the treatment of these diverse populations are also addressed.
Low dose radiation and intercellular induction of apoptosis: potential implications for the control of oncogenesis
Purpose: This review is focused on the potential impact of low dose radiation effects on intercellular induction of apoptosis and the underlying reactive-oxygen species (ROS)-mediated signaling pathways. Results: Transformed cells are subject to ROS-mediated apoptosis induction by non-transformed cells (‘intercellular induction of apoptosis’) and by ROS-mediated autocrine self-destruction. Sensitivity to intercellular induction of apoptosis and autocrine self-destruction are strictly correlated to the expression of the transformed state. Extracellular superoxide anions generated by transformed target cells drive the selectivity and sensitivity of this signaling system which is based on four different signaling pathways. Low dose irradiation of non-transformed cells enhances intercellular induction of apoptosis in transformed cells. This process is controlled by TGF-beta and seems to depend on the induction of peroxidase release. In addition, low dose radiation enhances superoxide anion generation of transformed target cells. Conclusions: Low dose radiation-triggered enhancement of intercellular induction of apoptosis and autocrine selfdestruction might represent a potential control system during carcinogenesis. It might be the underlying mechanism for the well-known inhibitory effect of low dose radiation on detectable transformation events. However, modifications of the complex intercellular ROS-based signaling system may also lead to configurations in which low dose radiation attenuates ROS-mediated apoptosis induction.