CONTENTS

A. NIAAA Budget

FY 2006 President's Request  The FY 2006 budget request for the NIAAA is $440.3 million, an increase of $2.1 million or 0.5 percent over the FY 2005 comparable level. The following highlight some of the major components of the FY 2006 budget request:

• Research Project Grants  Under the President's request, the Institute plans to support an estimated 216 competing research project grants (RPG's) and fund approximately thirty percent of approved applications. The FY 2006 request holds the average cost of competing RPG's at the FY 2005 level. There will be no inflationary increases for direct, recurring costs in noncompeting continuation RPG's.
• Alcohol Research Centers  The Centers program budget will support 19 research centers at $32.1 million.
• Other Research  $11.4 million is provided to support 94 research career awards in FY 2006. Cooperative agreements will be funded at $6.0 million.
• Research Training  $11.4 million is provided for research training for 257 pre- and post-doctoral trainees in full-time training positions, a decrease of seven over FY 2005. Stipend levels for post-doctoral NRSA trainees will increase by 4.0 percent, with all other stipends remaining at the FY 2005 level.
• Research and Development Contracts  Research and development contracts are provided $37.2 million. Examples include the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC), and a program to develop alcohol biosensors.
• Intramural Research Program  $45.9 million has been allocated to maintain the intramural research program's overall level of effort with 111 FTE's for FY 2006.
• Research, Management, and Support (RMS)  RMS activities are provided $24.0 million with 122 FTE's for FY 2006.

Budget Hearings

The NIAAA FY2006 President's budget request was recently presented before both the House and Senate appropriations subcommittees. The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing was held on April 6th; Dr. Zerhouni was the primary presenter for all of the NIH institute/centers (IC's). The House hearing schedule followed the format established 3 years ago whereby there were overview hearings followed by "theme" hearings combining the directors of several IC's at one hearing. The House overview hearings were on April 21st and 22nd, with Dr. Zerhouni presenting for all of NIH as well. Dr. Li's opening statement before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the FY2006 President's Budget Request for NIAAA is on the NIAAA Web site at https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20080916090922/http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/about/Statement3.05.htm. NIAAA also participated in the April 27th "theme" hearing-the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Research and Services Panel-along with the directors of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Dr. Calhoun testified at the House Theme hearing in Dr. Li's absence, and her opening statement before the House Appropriations subcommittee is also on the NIAAA web site at a separate URL -- https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20080916090922/http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/about/Statement204.05.htm.

Below is a summary of the FY 2006 President's budget request (dollars in thousands):

B. Director's Activities

American Psychopathological Association  The 95th Annual Meeting of the American Psychopathological Association took place March 3-5 in New York, NY, and was entitled "Toward Prevention and Early Intervention of Major Mental Disorders." Dr. Li gave a talk on March 4 on "Alcoholism: A Developmental Perspective."

University of Southern California  The University of Southern California's Institute of Health Promotion & Disease Prevention Research, along with its Pacific Rim Transdisciplinary Tobacco & Alcohol Use Research Center and Transdisciplinary Drug Prevention Research Center hosted the Second East-West Conference on Tobacco and Alcohol Use: Culture, Environment, and Genes on April 5th and 6th in Pasadena. Scientists and public health leaders from ten countries met to discuss how scientific progress in tobacco and alcohol control can be effectively translated into public health policy appropriate to different economic, social, and political conditions around the Pacific rim. Dr. Li gave a keynote address on April 5 entitled "Alcoholism-Understanding the Developmental Trajectory and Recovery."

George Washington University  Dr. Li was a guest speaker for grand rounds at the George Washington University Medical Center in Washington, DC on April 7. The title of his talk was "Genetic and Environmental Influences on Alcohol Drinking Behavior."

National Health Research Institutes of Taiwan  Taiwan's National Health Research Institutes (NHRI) is a newly established non-profit research organization similar in format to NIH. Dr. Li, on behalf of NIH Director Elias Zerhouni, took part in the opening events in Zhunam, Taiwan, and gave a talk entitled "The Global Health Problems Attributable to Common Complex Disorders: Opportunities for International Collaboration" on April 25. Dr. Li also spoke at the annual meeting of the Taiwanese Society of Biological Psychiatry and Neuropsychopharmacology on April 24, with a talk entitled "Role of International Collaborations in Mental Health and Substance Abuse Research."

National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers  The National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP) represents over 270 hospital-based and free-standing providers of addiction treatment in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Dr. Li gave a presentation on "Alcoholism-Understanding the Developmental Trajectory and Recovery" at the NAATP's annual leadership conference in Scottsdale, AZ on May 22.

C. NIAAA Staff

Extramural Staff

Ed Kostolansky  Edward Kostolansky will be serving as Acting Chief of the Contracts Managements Branch until a permanent chief is selected.

Karen Peterson, Ph.D.  Dr. Karen Peterson has been named chief of the Research Policy and Special Programs Branch, Office of Scientific Affairs. Dr. Peterson's responsibilities include the management of NIAAA's Advanced Research Program on Alcohol (ARPA), coordination of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, serving as executive secretary of NIAAA's National Advisory Council, evaluation including 1 percent evaluation activities, and planning activities related to the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA).

Suzanne Medgyesi-Mitschang  Suzanne Medgyesi-Mitschang retired from NIAAA in March. As special advisor to the director since 1998, Dr. Medgyesi-Mitschang was instrumental in the creation and growth of The Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free. Launched in 2000, the Leadership now counts 37 governor's spouses as members and 15 who have completed their terms in State houses but continue their efforts in the Leadership's emeritus group. (Updates on recent activities of this initiative are in the section of this report on national outreach.) Dr. Medgyesi-Mitschang came to NIH in 1988, and served as director of NIH's Division of Science Policy Analysis and Development and chief of the Office of Science Policy and Information, National Institute of Nursing Research.

Jeffrey Toward, Ph.D.  Jeffrey Toward has left NIAAA to join the program staff of the National Institute of Nursing Research. Dr. Toward was a scientific review administrator in NIAAA's Extramural Project Review Branch.

D. Research Priority Emphasis and Core Support Teams

Underage Drinking  On March 3 and 4, NIAAA convened its Underage Drinking Initiative's Second Meeting With Outside Experts. The task of the committee at this meeting was to develop a conceptual framework for addressing the scientific issues related to underage drinking as well as a scheme for organizing working groups to assess the science in this area and provide guidance for NIAAA's research program. The NIAAA team is assembling working groups of experts consistent with the committee's recommendations. Comments are also being incorporated into the briefing book that provides an overview of the existing science on underage drinking. The complete steering committee roster, including the committee members' affiliations, as well as other information about the initiative and underage drinking, is available at https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20080916090922/http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/AboutNIAAA/NIAAASponsoredPrograms/underage.htm#roster.

Drs. Mark Goldman and Vivian Faden, co-leaders of the Underage Drinking Team, gave a plenary talk entitled "Understanding Underage Drinking as a Developmental Disorder" at the 6th National Technical Assistance Grantee Meeting sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools on April 21 in Washington, DC.

New RFA's Issued by Teams  NIAAA teams collaborated in issuing new RFA's in March on "Identification of Biomarker Signatures" and "Genomic, Proteomic, and Metabolomic Fingerprints as Alcohol Biomarkers." Details on these RFA's are available in the section later in this report listing new RFA's and PA's.

E. NIAAA Research Programs

Extramural Programs

NIAAA Staff Edit Book Sections Drs. Ellen Witt, Vivian Faden, Gayle Boyd, and Cherry Lowman were section editors for the recently published book, Recent Developments in Alcoholism: Alcohol Problems in Adolescents and Young Adults, Volume 17, New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, 2005.

Grantee Wins Award from Hazelden NIAAA grantee and Council member Stephanie O'Malley, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and director of the Division of Substance Abuse Research at Yale University School of Medicine, has been awarded the 2004 Dan Anderson Research Award. The award is sponsored by the Butler Center for Research at the Hazelden Foundation based in Center City, MN, and honors the distinguished contribution of a researcher who has advanced the scientific knowledge of addiction recovery. Dr. O'Malley earned the award for a study published in Archives of Internal Medicine demonstrating that effective care for alcohol dependence can be delivered via both cognitive behavioral and primary care management models.

Sociedad Española de Toxicomanias Division of Treatment and Recovery Research (DTRR) director Dr. Mark Willenbring gave the opening lecture at the March 5-6 meeting of the Sociedad Española de Toxicomanias (a scientific society based in Valencia, Spain, and focused on drug abuse) in Logrono, Spain. The lecture was entitled "Recovery from Alcohol Use Disorders: Emerging Research."

American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) On behalf of NIAAA Director Dr. Li, Dr. Willenbring gave a presentation during the opening scientific plenary at the 36th Annual Medical-Scientific Conference of the American Society of Addiction Medicine on April 15. Dr. Willenbring was also moderator of the NIAAA one-day symposium on "Translating Science to Practice for Treatment of Adolescents with Alcohol Problems," and organizer and speaker at a symposium on "Implementing Pharmacotherapy for Alcohol Use Disorders." At the NIAAA symposium, Dr. Howard Moss gave an overview of NIAAA's Underage Drinking Initiative and a presentation on "Pharmacotherapies for Adolescent Alcohol Use Disorders."

International Society of Addiction Medicine (ISAM) Dr. Willenbring made presentations at the 7th Annual Meeting-Scientific Conference of the International Society of Addiction Medicine April 21-24 in Mar del Plata, Argentina, and at a pre-conference satellite session in Buenos Aires. The presentation at the satellite session was on "Recent Developments in Understanding and Treating AUD's" and at the conference, "Naltrexone for Alcohol "Dependence: New Developments, New Challenges."

Collaborative Research Efforts

Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws (EUDL) in Rural Communities NIAAA is providing evaluation support for the Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's (OJJDP) initiative, "Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws (EUDL) in Rural Communities." The total number of rural communities participating in the project is 15: three sites in Illinois, and four sites each in the states of Pennsylvania, Nevada, and New Mexico. On March 28 - 31, Roger Hartman conducted site visits at the three participating rural communities in Illinois.

Campus/Community Coalitions In connection with NIAAA's "Rapid Response to College Drinking Problems" program, Dr. Ralph Hingson and Roger Hartman participated in a 2-day meeting in Newport, Rhode Island on April 11 - 12. This meeting brought together those U01 and U18 grantees whose projects have the common theme of building strong campus/community coalitions. Issues discussed included coalition development and infrastructure, selecting comparison sites, and common measures. Representatives from the University of Rhode Island, Wake Forest University, Ohio State University, Western Washington University, and the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE) attended. Currently, 15 grant applications have been approved for funding.

New RFA's/PA's

Identification of Alcohol Biomarker Signatures (RFA-AA-06-002) NIAAA's Technology and Analysis Team, Medications Development Team, and Mechanisms of Alcohol Action and Injury Team issued an RFA, "Identification of Alcohol Biomarker Signatures" (RFA-AA-06-002). The receipt date is June 15, 2005. This RFA solicits R01 and R21 applications that use state-of-the-art genomic, proteomic, and metabolomic technologies to develop diagnostic biomarker signatures for alcohol consumption and alcohol-induced tissue injury. The RFA can be accessed on the web at https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20080916090922/http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-AA-06-002.html. For further information, contact Dr. Lisa A. Neuhold at 301-594-6228, lneuhold@mail.nih.gov; Dr. Jose Velazquez at 30-402-9408, jvelazqu@mail.hin.gov; and Dr. Raye Z. Litten at 301-443-0636, rlitten@niaaa.nih.gov.

Genomic, Proteomic, and Metabolomic Fingerprints as Alcohol Biomarkers (SBIR/STTR) (RFA-AA-06-001) NIAAA's Technology and Analysis Team, Medications Development Team, and Mechanisms of Alcohol Action and Injury Team issued an RFA, "Genomic, Proteomic, and Metabolomic Fingerprints as Alcohol Biomarkers (SBIR/STTR)" (RFA-AA-06-001). The receipt date is July 15, 2005. This RFA solicits applications for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) projects that use genomic, proteomic, and/or metabolomic technologies to identify molecular fingerprints as novel biomarkers for alcohol exposure and alcohol induced organ damage. The RFA can be accessed on the web at https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20080916090922/http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-AA-06-001.html. For further information, contact Dr. Lisa A. Neuhold at 301-594-6228, lneuhold@mail.nih.gov; Dr. Jose Velazquez at 301-402-9408, jvelazqu@mail.hin.gov; and Dr. Q. Max Guo at 301-443-0639, qmguo@mail.nih.gov.

Research on Sleep and Sleep Disorders (TPA-05-004) NIAAA is participating in a program announcement, TPA-05-004, "Research on Sleep and Sleep Disorders," sponsored by the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research, and co-sponsored by member Institutes and Centers of the Trans-NIH Sleep Research Coordinating Committee. The purpose of this initiative is to advance biomedical knowledge related to sleep or sleep disorders; improve understanding of the neurobiology of functions of sleep, including alterations over the life-span and co-morbid effects; enhance timely diagnosis and effective treatment for individuals affected by sleep-related disorders; and implement and evaluate innovative community based public health education and intervention programs. At NIAAA, contact Dr. Ellen Witt at 301-443-6545, ewitt@mail.nih.gov.

Mechanisms of Alcohol Induced Tissue Injury (PA-05-074) This program announcement invites grant applications to study the cellular and molecular mechanisms of tissue injury caused by ethanol consumption. NIAAA is especially interested in comparative and interactive (or integrative) research that elucidates mechanisms of injury common to many body and organ systems, with the eventual goal of identifying early markers of ethanol induced pathology and developing therapeutic strategies to serve multiple alcohol-related disorders. More information is available at https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20080916090922/http://grants2.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-05-074.html. For further information, contact Dr. Denise Russo, 301-402-9403, drusso@mail.nih.gov.

Research Reports

The following are examples of recently published reports from research conducted or supported by NIAAA:

NIAAA Press Release: Alcohol and Body Mass Index An analysis of data collected from more than 37,000 people who had never smoked found that body mass index or BMI was associated with the number of drinks individuals consumed on the days they drank. The NIAAA researchers examined data collected from 1997 through 2001 in the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), a nationally representative survey of the U.S. population conducted each year by the National Center for Health Statistics. Among all respondents combined, persons who consumed the smallest quantity of alcohol the most frequently were the leanest, and those who consumed the greatest quantity the least frequently were heaviest. The authors note that alcohol is a significant source of calories, and drinking may stimulate eating, particularly in social settings. (Breslow, R.A. and Smothers, B.A. American Journal of Epidemiology 161:368-376, 2005.)

NIAAA Press Release: New Estimates for College Alcohol Problems The harm caused by alcohol consumption among college students may exceed previous estimates of the problem. Researchers report that unintentional fatal injuries related to alcohol increased from about 1,500 in 1998 to more than 1,700 in 2001 among U.S. college students aged 18-24. Over the same period national surveys indicate the number of students who drove under the influence of alcohol increased by 500,000, from 2.3 million to 2.8 million. This analysis used data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, and the Harvard College Alcohol Survey, as well as national coroner studies and census and college enrollment data for 13-24 year olds. The authors propose data collection practices-such as alcohol testing in every injury death in the United States-that would improve future analyses. (Hingson, R., Heeren, T., Winter, M., Wechsler, H. Annual Review of Public Health 26:259-279, 2005.)

NIAAA Press Release: Community Efforts Can Reduce Traffic Fatalities By providing better access to substance abuse treatment and reducing the availability of alcohol, communities can decrease alcohol-related fatal crashes, according to a study published in April. Researchers tracked fatal traffic crashes in communities receiving grants for programs to reduce substance abuse and related problems. Beginning in January 1992, twelve grants were awarded to communities throughout the United States to support the implementation of 10-year programs aimed at reducing substance abuse and related problems. The communities developed 15 kinds of programs or actions that targeted alcohol abuse, including increasing publicly-funded treatment, establishing awareness campaigns about treatment services, initiating hospital emergency department alcohol screening and referral, conducting responsible beverage trainings, and enacting ordinances to prohibit public drinking. The study found that communities that undertook concentrated alcohol interventions-using eight or more actions to restrict alcohol availability or expand treatment-experienced significant declines in alcohol related fatal crashes during the 10 years of the program compared with the 10 years before. In contrast, communities with less concentrated efforts saw no decrease in alcohol-related fatal crashes. (Hingson, R.W., Zakocs, R.C., Heeren, T., Winter, M.R., Rosenbloom, D., and DeJong, W. Injury Prevention 11:84-90, 2005.)

A Nerve Growth Factor and Anxiety Nerve growth factors or neurotrophins support the survival and function of neurons. Variations in neurotrophin function and the genes that encode them are being investigated for their contributions to differences in behavior and to psychiatric disorders. This intramural study looked at brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a neurotrophin that plays a role in learning and memory. Sequencing of a DNA region involved in regulating the gene for BDNF revealed a novel polymorphism (variation in the DNA sequence) present in a small percentage of human subjects tested. Presence of this variant was associated with decreased BDNF gene activity and with a lower rate of harm avoidance, a measure of anxious temperament. The results suggest that in the population tested, the low activity gene variant may be protective against anxiety and psychiatric morbidity. Clarifying the role in brain function and emotional health of neurotrophins like BDNF and their genetically determined variants may provide the basis for future targeted treatment for psychiatric conditions. (Jiang, X., Xu, K., Hoberman, J., Tian, F., Marko, A.J., Waheed, J.F., Harris, C.R., Marini, A.M., Enoch, M-A., and Lipsky, R.H. Neuropsychopharmacology advance online publication March 16, 2004; doi:10.1038/sj.npp.1300703.)

Endocannabinoids and Energy Metabolism Endocannabinoids-naturally occurring substances in the brain that act on the same receptors as the active ingredients in marijuana-have been shown to regulate appetite for both food and alcohol. Animals without the endocannabinoid receptor (CB1), or in whom the receptor is blocked, consume less food and alcohol compared with their littermates. At the same time, observations in clinical studies of a CB1 blocking drug in humans, and in animal studies of obesity, suggest that reduced appetite alone does not account for weight loss induced by blocking CB1 receptors. This intramural study found that both CB1 receptors and endocannabinoids are present in the liver, and activation of hepatic CB1 receptors increases fatty acid synthesis. When mice are placed on a high fat diet, the concentration of CB1 receptors and the endocannabinoid anandamide is increased in the liver, resulting in increased fatty acid synthesis and the development of obesity and fatty liver. The work demonstrates that in addition to regulating appetite via the brain, endocannabinoids act on energy metabolism in the liver. (Osei-Hyiaman, D., DePetrillo, M., Pacher, P., Liu, J., Radaeva, S., Bátkai, S., Harvey-White, J., Mackie, K., Offertáler, L., Wang, L., and Kunos, G. The Journal of Clinical Investigation 115:1298-1305, 2005.)

Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Bone Growth retardation is a demonstrated long-term effect of prenatal exposure to alcohol. This study compared bone development in the fetuses of rats fed varying levels of alcohol with that of rats on diets without alcohol. The results suggest that drinking during pregnancy modifies fetal skeletal development independent of general growth. Effects on skeletal development showed up even in the offspring of rats fed alcohol at a level comparable to moderate drinking in humans; severity of the effects tended to increase with the dose of ethanol. The authors suggest that even moderate drinking by a pregnant mother could affect the bone health of her child, including raising the risk of osteoporosis later in life. (Simpson, M.E., Duggal, S., and Keiver, K. Bone 36:521-532, 2005.)

Long-Acting Naltrexone for Alcohol Dependence Monthly injections of a long-acting form of naltrexone reduced heavy drinking in alcohol dependent patients in a clinical trial that compared two dosage levels of the drug with placebo. Naltrexone is thought to reduce the rewarding effects of alcohol, and has shown potential in treating alcohol dependence. Results of studies with the oral form of the drug have been mixed, however, possibly because patients are inconsistent about taking a daily drug. This is the first randomized clinical trial to demonstrate reductions in heavy drinking for alcohol dependent patients with a long-acting form of naltrexone (Vivitrex). In this 6-month trial, 624 patients began treatment with naltrexone or placebo injections along with psychosocial therapy. Results of the study demonstrate the promise of long-acting naltrexone for treating alcohol dependence. (Journal of the American Medical Association 293:1617-1625.)

Cortisol's Role in Response to Amphetamine In studies in both animals and humans, stress has been shown to play a role in responses to alcohol and other drugs of abuse and in the development and maintenance of addiction. There is evidence suggesting that one mechanism for this relationship may be an interaction between stress hormones such as cortisol, and dopamine, a neurotransmitter known to be involved in the rewarding effects of drugs. In this study, PET scans of 16 healthy adults who received intravenous amphetamine showed that cortisol levels correlated with the release of dopamine in brain regions involved in reward. Subjects with higher cortisol levels also reported more positive drug effects. These results add to the evidence that cortisol has an impact on dopamine release after drug administration, and as a result, the subjective response to drugs. Understanding the physiology underlying stress and drug responses may provide clues to treatment avenues. (Oswald, L.M., Wong, D.F., McCaul, M., Zhou, Y., Kuwabara, H., Choi, L., Brasic, J., and Wand, G.S. Neuropsychopharmacology, advance online publication, February 9, 2005; doi:10.1038/sj.npp.1300667.)

Alcohol and Fatty Liver Fatty liver is the most common form of damage to the liver resulting from heavy drinking. If drinking continues, fatty liver can progress to hepatitis and cirrhosis. These investigators looked at the mechanisms underlying the development of alcohol-induced fatty liver. In studies in mice cell lines and in liver tissue from mice fed alcohol, alcohol suppressed AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a molecule known to be a metabolic "switch" in the activation of enzymes involved in fat metabolism. Ethanol's suppression of AMPK, in turn, activates other key steps in the pathway to fatty acid synthesis. Understanding this sequence of events linking alcohol consumption with fatty liver is key to developing approaches to prevention and treatment; AMPK itself offers a target for possible medications. (You, M., Matsumoto, M., Pacold, C.M., Cho, W.K., and Crabb, D.W. Gastroenterology 127:1798-1808, 2004.)

Genes and Alcohol Craving Like other psychiatric diseases, alcoholism is considered genetically complex-many genes may influence risk, and the contribution of any one gene to overall alcoholism risk may be small and difficult to detect. One way to approach the search for alcoholism-related genes is to identify phenotypes, such as craving, that represent behavioral components of alcoholism, and search specifically for genes underlying these phenotypes. In this study, a whole genome scan in Native American Mission Indian families suggested that a stretch of chromosome 5 is linked to craving for alcohol. This region on chromosome 5 has not been previously identified in genomic scans for other alcohol-related traits. Rates of alcoholism are high among Native Americans, and the proximity of extended families offers advantages for genetic research. Although the link to this chromosomal region may be unique to this population, knowledge of the genes underlying risk should provide insights into the physiology of craving and possible clues to new medications. (Ehlers, C.L. and Wilhelmsen, K.C. Psychiatric Genetics 15:71-75, 2005.)

Acetaldehyde's Toxic Effects Acetaldehyde is a toxic product of the breakdown of alcohol by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase. In individuals who drink heavily, acetaldehyde can reach high levels in the colon. These investigators found that acetaldehyde can disrupt junctions between cells that form the epithelial tissue in the interior of the colon. They also found evidence suggesting that the peptide epidermal growth factor (EGF) and another gastrointestinal mucosal protective factor, L-glutamine, may prevent the disruption by acetaldehyde of these cell junctions. These findings are helping to clarify how acetaldehyde may contribute to the harm caused by heavy drinking to organs in the digestive tract; the work may also provide clues to intervention. (Basuroy, S., Sheth, P., Mansback, C. and Rao, R.K. American Journal of Physiology-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology. Published online ahead of print, doi:10.1152/ajpgi.00464.2004.)

F. Outreach

National Outreach

Entertainment Industry Council, Inc. In March, The Entertainment Industries Council, Inc. (EIC) arranged for NIAAA Associate Director Dr. Mark Goldman and Dr. Vivian Faden, deputy director of the Division of Epidemiology and Prevention Research (DEPR), to meet with representatives from the standards and practices departments at the broadcast and cable networks. EIC is a non-profit organization working to provide information and awareness of major health and social issues among the entertainment industries. The role of a network's standards and practices department is to review program content for acceptability to be aired on the public airwaves. Among the areas they review in scripts and programs are character behavior with the potential for negative emulation. As part of the meeting, Drs. Goldman and Faden gave a briefing about underage drinking and ongoing research to address this problem.

The Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free The Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free welcomed six new governors' spouses to its membership including Nancy Schweitzer (Montana), Sally Ganem (Nebraska), Susan Lynch (New Hampshire), Mary Kaye Huntsman (Utah), Mike Gregoire (Washington) and Gayle Manchin (West Virginia). At present, 37 current governors' spouses are members of the Leadership initiative. The Leadership initiative was launched in March of 2000 as a public/private partnership spearheaded by current governors' spouses focused on the prevention of childhood drinking. An emeritus group was created in 2001 for past governors' spouses who wanted to continue their efforts towards this goal. The emeritus group also recently welcomed Lori Hauser Holden (Missouri) and Stephanie Johanns (Nebraska).

Leadership members Mary Easley (North Carolina) and Hope Taft (Ohio) joined J. Edward Hill, M.D., president-elect of the American Medical Association, and Jim O'Hara, executive director of the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth, in participating in the Leadership's radio media tour for Alcohol Awareness Month in April. Also in April, Leadership members contributed to the success of this year's Reach Out Now Teach In by leading Teach Ins, and/or writing op-ed pieces in support of the program. SAMHSA and Scholastic, Inc., sponsor the Reach Out Now nationwide initiative to educate fifth- and sixth-grade students on the dangers of underage alcohol use. Sixteen governors' spouses in the Leadership participated, along with Lieutenant Governor James Aiona (HI) and Margie Goldschmidt (OR), a Leadership emeritus group member. First ladies or representatives led Teach-Ins in the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Guam, Maine, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. In May, Mr. Aiona conducted Teach-Ins in five Hawaii elementary schools. In addition, the following Governors issued proclamations in support of Teach-In Week or Alcohol Awareness Month: Frank Murkowski (AK), Bill Richardson (NM), and Dave Freudenthal (WY).

National Alcohol Screening Day National Alcohol Screening Day (NASD) was held on April 7, at over 2000 sites around the country. These sites included college campuses (>500) and military installations (>100), one of which, Ft. Benning, GA, screened over 2000 personnel. This year's NASD media coverage was the strongest in the 7-year history of the program and included 1039 radio news release broadcasts as well as coverage in 21 national outlets, such as PARADE Magazine, WebMD, and Hints from Heloise; 62 broadcasts on local television stations; 46 articles in local newspapers and magazines; and 22 radio interviews with NIAAA staff.

Center for Substance Abuse Treatment NIAAA Deputy Director Dr. Faye Calhoun, and Drs. Deidra Roach and Denise Russo, were invited to speak March 17 on issues related to women and alcohol treatment research at a meeting sponsored by the Task Force on Women, Youth and Families of SAMHSA's Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT). As a result of this working group meeting, NIAAA will be working with CSAT to hold a research to practice and practice to research workshop with treatment providers.

Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America On March 11, Fred Donodeo and Jason Lazarow delivered a joint presentation on NIAAA products, activities, and programs at the annual council meeting of the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA). CADCA members were particularly interested in current products, the latest research, and future plans for activities and curriculum development.

Jesuit Association of Student Personnel Administrators On March 19, Fred Donodeo delivered a presentation to the Jesuit Association of Student Personnel Administrators on the NIAAA Task Force on College Drinking. Topics included the history, roster, and products of the task force, as well as the report's results and recommendations. The presentation served as a precursor to a second meeting and follow-up discussion to be led by Dr. Ralph Hingson in July. The goals of these discussions are to encourage the adoption of the task force recommendations and to receive ongoing feedback on the feasibility of implementing them.

Briefing for NY Magazine Editors On May 10, Dr. Vivian Faden and Fred Donodeo briefed editors in New York City from Glamour and Teen People magazines on the issue of alcohol-related sexual assault on college campuses. The purpose of the briefing was to provide statistics and research-based analysis in order to encourage future articles (and the use of accurate statistics) on this topic.

Media Interviews on Inhaling Alcohol In March, Division of Metabolism and Health Effects director Dr. Sam Zakhari gave interviews to National Public Radio, Time magazine, and several Florida newspapers on the effects of alcohol when given by inhalation.

National Science Teachers Association NIAAA maintained an exhibit booth and conducted two workshops at the March 31-April 3 meeting of the National Science Teachers Association in Dallas, TX. NIAAA's participation in the meeting was supported in large part by the DANA Foundation for Brain Awareness, who provided travel funding, workshop materials, and support for teachers who attended and assisted at the booth. Approximately 13,000 attendees (including teachers, administrators, and other educator professionals) were at this meeting. At the exhibit booth, pamphlets, posters, brochures, complete curricula, CD-ROMs, lab activity kits, and various promotional items (both from NIAAA and DANA) were provided to teachers and administrators. Materials were primarily from NIAAA, but also included those from small business contractors and grantees (CYKE, do2learn, South Dakota Health Technology Innovations, Edvotek, Inc.), and non-profit agencies (NOFAS-National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, March of Dimes, and the DANA Alliance).

American Overseas School of Rome The DANA Foundation also supported an NIAAA program at the American Overseas School of Rome on April 25-May 1. DANA provided funding for all travel costs and supplied materials in both Italian and English through their European offices in Switzerland. Middle school students were instructed during a Wellness Day on fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) and on some highlights of alcohol and brain research. An informal session was also provided to high school border students who were staying in the dormitories regarding their own drinking behaviors, followed by a Q&A session. A 3-hour teacher workshop was provided on NIAAA's science education curriculum using demonstration activities and videos and with guidance for teachers through hands-on laboratory activities. This program was provided to teachers from around the Rome schools community. Finally, a presentation to parents highlighted some recent research findings and FASD and provided suggestions for talking to their children about alcohol, as described in the pamphlet "Make a Difference: Talk to Your Kids About Alcohol," which was provided along with other resources and promotional items.

Local Outreach

Brain Awareness Week NIAAA, along with other NIH institutes with neuroscience-related programs, hosted demonstrations and hands-on activities for about 200 middle-school students and their teachers at a science and health education fair sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health and held in conjunction with Brain Awareness Week. Drs. Dennis Twombly and Roger Sorenson hosted their exhibits on "The Drunken Brain," and "Welcome to My Party." The fair took place March 14-18 at the National Museum of Health and Medicine (Walter Reed Army Medical Center) in Washington, DC.

Share the Health Expo NIAAA also participated in the 6th annual Share the Health Expo, a health and fitness event sponsored by NIH and held May 15 at Westfield Shoppingtown in Wheaton, MD. The expo offered interactive health exhibits, health screenings, hands-on lab experiments, and fitness activities. NIAAA's contributions included the "Drunken Brain" and "Welcome to My Party" exhibits, along with exhibits by Dr. Vishnu Purohit on "Save Your Liver," and by Linda Doty on "Alcohol Screening." NIAAA and other NIH staffers also participated in local media interviews promoting the event.

G. Multi-Media Products from NIAAA

Awards for The Cool Spot Website The Cool Spot (www.thecoolspot.gov), NIAAA's web site for middle school students, has won two awards. In a national competition, it earned a first place Gold Screen Award from the National Association of Government Communicators. In an international contest, it received a Webby Award Nomination in the Best Government Website category. Although the National Cancer Institute website took the Webby, The Cool Spot's nomination placed it among the top five government websites worldwide that competed for an "Online Oscar."

Plain Language Award On April 27, Fred Donodeo, Greg Roa, and Dr. Ralph Hingson received an "honorable mention" at the NIH Plain Language Award ceremony for a Powerpoint presentation for an interdisciplinary undergraduate course on international alcohol policy. The presentation used photos, graphs, charts, and pop-culture references to introduce students to the complexities of alcohol-related public policies, and the efforts to ground policies in science.

Publications and Periodicals

Alcohol: A Women's Health Issue The Spanish version of this booklet has been printed and disseminated. Full text of the booklet is available on the NIAAA website.

Entertainment Industries Council, Inc. NIAAA has collaborated with the Entertainment Industries Council to develop an issue on underage drinking in the series Spotlight on… The publication was disseminated to 4,500 developers, writers, producers, director, and researchers for television programming and will soon be available on the EIC website at https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20080916090922/http://eiconline.org.

Alcohol Research & Health NIAAA's journal is making the transition to online peer review and manuscript management, a change that should streamline tracking of manuscripts and editorial tasks. The next two issues of Alcohol Research & Health will focus on screening and brief interventions.

NIAAA Newsletter The spring issue of NIAAA's newsletter featured articles on the seventh annual National Alcohol Screening Day, NIAAA's medications development program, new research initiatives, an update from the Surgeon General about alcohol use during pregnancy, personnel news, and a calendar of events.

Helping Patients Who Drink Too Much: A Clinician's Guide Focus testing was conducted this spring for the 2005 edition of the NIAAA guide, now titled "Helping Patients Who Drink Too Much: A Clinician's Guide." In-depth interviews were held with nine primary care practitioners and nine mental health practitioners, including a mix of primary care physicians, psychiatrists, psychiatric and primary care nurses, and physician's assistants. Most participants said the draft Guide was well-organized, easy to use, and helpful. They liked the materials in the appendix, saying they would photocopy some for their patients. Several thought the new Guide would be ideal as a training tool for new physicians or nurses. In addition, the draft Guide has been reviewed in detail by five NIAAA grantees and their comments are being integrated into the latest version. Mockups of the completed sections were well-received at the recent meeting of American Society of Addiction Medicine. The target date for publication is July 15, 2005.

High School Graduation Fact Sheet for Parents Continuing a series of seasonal outreach fact sheets, a high school graduation fact sheet for parents entitled, "Parents: Help Your Teens Party Right at Graduation," was distributed in May. Fact sheets in this series contain relevant statistics presented in an easy-to-understand "infograph" style, practical science-based commentary, and web site addresses for further information. The fact sheets are disseminated widely through electronic media distribution channels, and through selected partner organizations. The Phoenix House American Council on Drug Education and Community of Concern organizations are partnering with NIAAA to distribute hard copies of this fact sheet among their constituencies.

Electronic Media

NIAAA Web Site The Communications and Public Liaison Branch and NIAAA information technology staff are updating and transferring the Institute website to a newly designed content management system. The site will have a new look and the change will enable a smoother workflow and approval process for publishing new and revised pages.

H. What's Ahead

Molecular Mechanisms of Alcohol-Induced Hepatic Fibrosis The NIAAA in collaboration with NIH's Office of Rare Diseases will be organizing a satellite symposium on the Molecular Mechanisms of Alcohol-Induced Hepatic Fibrosis at the annual meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism, to be held in Santa Barbara, California, June 25-29. The symposium will be held on June 25. At NIAAA, contact Vishnu Purohit, Ph.D., 301-443-2689, e-mail vpurohit@mail.nih.gov

Updated: June 2005