Urinary bladder hemangiosarcoma in a cat treated with partial cystectomy and adjuvant metronomic cyclophosphamide and thalidomide.

Visceral hemangiosarcomas (HSA) are rare in cats and typically associated with aggressive biologic behavior and poor prognosis. A 4-year-old male neutered domestic shorthair cat was presented with a 3-month history of hematuria and stranguria; ultrasonography identified a large bladder mass. Complete excision was achieved by partial cystectomy. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry for von Willebrand factor confirmed HSA. The cat was treated using adjuvant cyclophosphamide, thalidomide, and meloxicam for 8 months. Abdominal ultrasonography repeated at 2 months and computed tomography repeated at 5 and 19 months after diagnosis showed no evidence of local recurrence or metastasis. The cat was alive at last follow-up (896 days). Although the cat described in this report experienced a more favorable prognosis compared to other visceral HSA locations, additional cases are needed to further understand the biological behavior of bladder HSAs and guide treatment decisions.

Motivational interventions for heavy drinking college students: examining the role of discrepancy-related psychological processes.

The authors examined the effects of a brief motivational intervention for heavy, episodic alcohol use on discrepancy-related psychological processes. Heavy-drinking college students (N=73) were randomly assigned to a motivationally based intervention (MBI) or an assessment-only control (AC) condition. Cognitive (actual-ideal discrepancy) and affective (2 forms of cognitive dissonance) discrepancy processes were assessed at baseline and immediately following the experimental manipulation. At 6-week follow-up, MBI participants demonstrated significantly greater reductions in problematic drinking than AC participants. Moreover, actual-ideal discrepancy and negative, self-focused dissonance were significantly increased following the intervention (discomfort-related dissonance was not) and were correlated with outcome alcohol involvement. These discrepancy processes did not, however, mediate the relationship between condition and outcome. The findings lend some support to the role of discrepancy enhancement in drinking-related behavior change among college students.

Brief group alcohol interventions with college students: examining motivational components.

The utility of brief interventions with at-risk college drinkers would be enhanced if they could also be delivered in group settings without the need for risk prescreening. The current study therefore explored whether components of brief interventions could be effectively administered to mixed groups of drinking and non-drinking students. Specifically, the outcomes of two methods aimed toward increasing motivation for change were compared to controls. One intervention focused on enhancing actual-ideal drinking behavior discrepancy through a structured group discussion, while the other focused on enhancing self-norm drinking behavior discrepancy through the provision and discussion of didactic information. Among at-risk drinkers, significant reductions in heavy drinking episode frequency at four-week follow-up were found for the self-norm (S-N) group only, while reductions in alcohol problems were obtained in both the S-N and control groups. Results suggest that self-norm discrepancy enhancement strategies may be more effective than actual-ideal discrepancy strategies when used with a mixed drinking group.

Attachment dimensions and drinking-related problems among young adults: the mediational role of coping motives.

Recent research has found a positive association between insecure adult attachment styles and harmful drinking patterns. In the present study, we examined the relation between alcohol-related consequences and two dimensions underlying attachment, 'model of self' and 'model of others,' among a population of college student drinkers (N=366). It was predicted that a negative model of self would contribute significantly to the variance in drinking problems over and above that accounted for by level of alcohol consumption. In an attempt to clarify the nature of the relationship among these variables, it was further hypothesized that coping drinking motives would mediate the relationship between the self attachment dimension and alcohol consequences. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed results consistent with the predictions. There was a significant relationship between negative model of self and problems which was fully mediated by coping drinking motives. The findings support the basic theoretical supposition that one primary function of interpersonal attachment is the regulation of emotions.

Volition and alcohol-risk reduction: the role of action orientation in the reduction of alcohol-related harm among college student drinkers.

The present study examined the role of action orientation in health behavior change. Eighty-six binge drinking college students completed measures of alcohol use, alcohol-related consequences (e.g., driving drunk), motivation to change drinking, and action orientation. Alcohol use and consequences were reassessed 1 month later. Results showed that, although there was no significant change in alcohol quantity per occasion, students reported a significant decline in alcohol-related problems over time. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to examine whether action orientation was associated with changes in alcohol involvement. Controlling for alcohol problems and motivation to change at Time 1, those with higher dispositional action orientation showed fewer alcohol-related consequences at Time 2. These results suggest that those who are low in action orientation may have more difficulty enacting intentions to modify harmful health behaviors. The findings underscore the importance of volitional skills in interventions to promote change in health behavior.