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This manual offers information on developing, implementing, and maintaining college alcohol and other drug programs at New York institutions of higher education. The document notes that alcohol is the drug of choice for college students and that therefore alcohol-related issues and programs are the primary focus of the manual. Part 1 of the manual offers new information on national statistics, women and alcohol, culturally diverse students and alcohol, and alcohol marketing. It also deals with the causes and prevention of alcohol problems, the public health model approach to prevention, and the limitations of the "responsible drinking" philosophy. Part 2 discusses the various components of model campus alcohol and other drug prevention programs including details on campus task forces, needs assessment, campus policy issues, prevention strategies, early intervention and discipline, publicity, and evaluation. The manual also includes appendixes on prevention program funding, Employee Assistance programs, a needs assessment instrument, a student alcohol and drug knowledge test, confrontation guidelines, a documentation form, federal editorial guidelines, selected alcohol facts, and New York State alcohol-related laws. (Contains 78 references.) (JB)

Islet transplantation is currently the only minimally invasive therapy available for patients with type 1 diabetes that can lead to insulin independence, however it is limited to only a small number of patients. Although clinical procedures have improved in the isolation and culture of islets, a large number of islets are still lost in the pre transplant period, limiting the success of this treatment. Moreover, current practice includes islets being prepared at specialised centers, which are sometimes remote to the transplant location. Thus, a critical point of intervention to maintain the quality and quantity of isolated islets is during transportation between isolation centers and the transplanting hospitals, during which 20 40% of functional islets can be lost. The current study investigated the use of an oxygen permeable PDMS microwell device for long distance transportation of isolated islets. We demonstrate that the microwell device protected islets from aggregation during transport, maintaining viability and average islet size during shipping.

This manual is designed to respond to the growing interest among colleges in technical assistance for dealing with alcohol-related problems. Part One provides an overview of the dimensions of alcohol related problems and delves into the causes and prevention of alcohol problems. It outlines the Public Health Model approach to dealing with alcohol problems and stresses the importance of effective primary prevention strategies to reach not only persons suffering from alcoholism but also those not currently dependent. Chapter topics include the following: research with implications for college alcohol programming, children of alcoholic parents, women and minorities, limitations of the responsible drinking approach as an effective prevention message, and a description of the Regional College Alcohol Consortia Project. Part Two suggests practical procedures for organizing an effective alcohol program for the college population. Chapters are organized sequentially and provide explanation and directions in initiating and improving or expanding a campus alcohol program that includes prevention and intervention components. Also included is information on program evaluation. Several appendices provide evaluation tools and information including a needs assessment survey, a knowledge test, programing alternatives, confrontation guidelines, a documentation form, and several items reproduced from the University of Maryland alcohol education program. (JB)

Cell aggregates reproduce many features of the natural architecture of functional tissues, and have therefore become an important in vitro model of tissue function. In this study, we present an efficient and rapid method for the fabrication of site specific functionalised poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) microwell arrays that promote the formation of insulin-producing beta cell (MIN6) aggregates. Microwells were prepared using an ice templating technique whereby aqueous droplets were frozen on a surface and PDMS was cast on top to form a replica. By employing an aqueous alkali hydroxide solution, we demonstrate exclusive etching and functionalisation of the microwell inner surface, thereby allowing the selective absorption of biological factors within the microwells. Additionally, by manipulating surface wettability of the substrate through plasma polymer coating, the shape and profile of the microwells could be tailored. Microwells coated with antifouling Pluronic 123, bovine serum albumin, collagen type IV or insulin growth factor 2 were employed to investigate the formation and stability of MIN6 aggregates in microwells of different shapes. MIN6 aggregates formed with this technique retained insulin expression. These results demonstrate the potential of this platform for the rapid screening of biological factors influencing the formation and response of insulin-producing cell aggregates without the need for expensive micromachining techniques.

Islet transplantation, the only curative therapy for type I diabetes, requires isolation of the graft in highly specialized facilities for its later dispatch to remote transplantation centres. During transport and culture, many valuable cells are lost due to several factors such as mechanical stress, islet aggregation and dissociation. Here, we evaluate a porous microwell array sheet made of natural collagen type I extracellular matrix (ECM) protein as a novel islet culture substrate. This culture platform can be coated with IGF-2, a growth factor favorable for islet survival, and allows segregation of the islets within the porous microwell sheet, preventing aggregation. This design shows promising results for improving human pancreatic islets viability and function during culture and could form a novel paradigm for the transport of islets between isolation and transplantation centres.