Radioiodine Biogeochemistry and Prevalence in Groundwater.

129I is commonly either the top or among the top risk drivers, along with 99Tc, at radiological waste disposal sites and contaminated groundwater sites where nuclear material fabrication or reprocessing has occurred. The risk stems largely from 129I having a high toxicity, a high bioaccumulation factor (90% of all the body's iodine concentrates in the thyroid), a high inventory at source terms (due to its high fission yield), an extremely long half-life (16M years), and rapid mobility in the subsurface environment. Another important reason that 129I is a key risk driver is that there is uncertainty regarding its biogeochemical fate and transport in the environment. We typically can define 129I mass balance and flux at sites, but cannot predict accurately its response to changes in the environment. As a consequence of some of these characteristics, 129I has a very low drinking water standard, which is set at 1 pCi/L, the lowest of all radionuclides in the Federal Register. Recently, significant advancements have been made in detecting iodine species at ambient groundwater concentrations, defining the nature of the organic matter and iodine bond, and quantifying the role of naturally occurring sediment microbes to promote iodine oxidation and reduction. These recent studies have led to a more mechanistic understanding of radioiodine biogeochemistry. The objective of this review is to describe these advances and to provide a state of the science of radioiodine biogeochemistry relevant to its fate and transport in the terrestrial environment and provide information useful for making decisions regarding the stewardship and remediation of 129I contaminated sites. As part of this review, knowledge gaps were identified that would significantly advance the goals of basic and applied research programs for accelerating 129I environmental remediation and reducing uncertainty associated with disposal of 129I waste. Together the information gained from addressing these knowledge gaps will not alter the observation that 129I is primarily mobile, but it will likely permit demonstration that the entire 129I pool in the source term is not moving at the same rate and some may be tightly bound to the sediment, thereby smearing the modeled 129I peak and reducing maximum calculated risk.

Filters comprised of sand and Zero Valent Iron hold promise as tools to mitigate risk posed by Cyclospora cayetanensis oocysts.

Irrigation water contaminated by human fecal material may elevate the risk of produce contamination with the enteric parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis. Oocysts of C. cayetanensis are resistant to commonly used disinfectants and a method of removing C. cayetanensis from irrigation water would mitigate this risk. We evaluated zero valent iron (ZVI) sand filtration as one such method. We sought to determine if sand filters containing ZVI outperformed those without ZVI. We first evaluated the abundant poultry parasites Eimeria maxima, E. tenella and E. acervulina as surrogates for C. cayetanensis. We determined if a miniaturized gravity fed ZVI-sand filter, scaled to evaluate scarce supplies of C. cayetanensis oocysts, provided useful information about the performance of larger filtration systems. Filters were inoculated with oocysts, rinsed, and the resulting filtrate examined microscopically for oocysts. We performed experiments to measure the effect of varying ZVI concentrations, repeated filter use, simulated agricultural water, and oocyst size and condition. We then compared the performance of mini filters to that of larger, gravity-fed pool filters and found that ZVI-sand filtration was far more effective at removing Eimeria spp. from water when compared to sand filtration, at both scales. Sand mini filters retained 13-54 % of E. acervulina oocysts, and pool filters retained 82 %, but when combined with 50 % (mini filter) or 35 % (pool filter) v/v ZVI, mini filters retained 89-99 % of oocysts and pool filters retained >99 %. The effectiveness of the mini filters increased with increasing ZVI concentration, and the addition of ZVI far outweighed the influence of any other measured variable. We then performed experiments including C. cayetanensis, which provided similar results to those utilizing Eimeria; 59 % of inoculated C. cayetanensis oocysts were retained in sand mini filters, and 97 % in mini filters composed of 35 % v/v ZVI. In sum, ZVI is highly effective in removing oocysts from water and Eimeria is a useful surrogate for C. cayetanensis to assess filtration. ZVI-sand filtration shows promise as a tool to mitigate the risk of C. cayetanensis contamination of irrigation water. Further studies should evaluate the performance of ZVI-sand in pressurized fast filtration systems under a range of field conditions.

Concentration-dependent mobility, retardation, and speciation of iodine in surface sediment from the Savannah River Site.

Iodine occurs in multiple oxidation states in aquatic systems in the form of organic and inorganic species. This feature leads to complex biogeochemical cycling of stable iodine and its long-lived isotope, (129)I. In this study, we investigated the sorption, transport, and interconversion of iodine species by comparing their mobility in groundwaters at ambient concentrations of iodine species (10(-8) to 10(-7) M) to those at artificially elevated concentrations (78.7 µM), which often are used in laboratory analyses. Results demonstrate that the mobility of iodine species greatly depends on, in addition to the type of species, the iodine concentration used, presumably limited by the number of surface organic carbon binding sites to form covalent bonds. At ambient concentrations, iodide and iodate were significantly retarded (K(d) values as high as 49 mL g(-1)), whereas at concentrations of 78.7 µM, iodide traveled along with the water without retardation. Appreciable amounts of iodide during transport were retained in soils due to iodination of organic carbon, specifically retained by aromatic carbon. At high input concentration of iodate (78.7 µM), iodate was found to be reduced to iodide and subsequently followed the transport behavior of iodide. These experiments underscore the importance of studying iodine geochemistry at ambient concentrations and demonstrate the dynamic nature of their speciation during transport conditions.

A novel approach for the simultaneous determination of iodide, iodate and organo-iodide for 127I and 129I in environmental samples using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

In aquatic environments, iodine mainly exists as iodide, iodate, and organic iodine. The high mobility of iodine in aquatic systems has led to (129)I contamination problems at sites where nuclear fuel has been reprocessed, such as the F-area of Savannah River Site. In order to assess the distribution of (129)I and stable (127)I in environmental systems, a sensitive and rapid method was developed which enables determination of isotopic ratios of speciated iodine. Iodide concentrations were quantified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) after derivatization to 4-iodo-N,N-dimethylaniline. Iodate concentrations were quantified by measuring the difference of iodide concentrations in the solution before and after reduction by Na(2)S(2)O(5). Total iodine, including inorganic and organic iodine, was determined after conversion to iodate by combustion at 900 °C. Organo-iodine was calculated as the difference between the total iodine and total inorganic iodine (iodide and iodate). The detection limits of iodide-127 and iodate-127 were 0.34 nM and 1.11 nM, respectively, whereas the detection limits for both iodide-129 and iodate-129 was 0.08 nM (i.e., 2pCi (129)I/L). This method was successfully applied to water samples from the contaminated Savannah River Site, South Carolina, and more pristine Galveston Bay, Texas.

Electroencephalogram correlates of higher cortical functions.

By means of two-stage, nonlinear multivariate pattern recognition, electroencephalograms (EEG's) were analyzed during performance of verbal and spatial tasks. Complex scalp distributions of theta-, beta-, and, to a lesser extent, alpha-band spectral intensities discriminated between the two members of a pair of tasks, such as writing sentences and Koh's block design. Small EEG asymmetries were probably attributable to limb movements and other uncontrolled noncognitive aspects of tasks. Significant EEG differences beteeen cognitive tasks were eliminated when controls for inter-task differences in efferent activity, stimulus characteristics, and performance-related factors were introduced. Each controlled task was associated with an approximately 10 percent reduction, as compared with visual fixation, in the magnitude of alpha- and beta-band spectral intensity. This effect occurred bilaterally and was approximately the same over occipital, parietal, and central regions, with some minor difference over the frontal region in the beta band. With these controls, no evidence for lateralization of different cognitive functions was found in the EEG.

Electrical potentials in human brain during cognition: new method reveals dynamic patterns of correlation.

A new technique has been developed for identifying, in humans, dynamic spatiotemporal electrical patterns of the brain during purposive behaviors. In this method, single-trial time-series correlations between brain macropotentials recorded from different scalp sites are analyzed by distribution-independent mathematical pattern recognition. Dynamic patterns of correlation clearly distinguished two brief visuomotor tasks differing only in type of mental judgement required (spatial or numeric). These complex patterns shifted in the anterior-posterior and left-right axes between successive 175-millisecond intervals, indicating that many areas in both cerebral hemispheres were involved even in these simple judgements. These patterns were not obtainable by conventional analysis of averaged evoked potentials or by linear analysis of correlations, suggesting that the new technique will advance the study of human brain activity related to cognition and goal-directed behaviors.

Mutations in exon 3 of the lipoprotein lipase gene segregating in a family with hypertriglyceridemia, pancreatitis, and non-insulin-dependent diabetes.

A proband with chylomicronemia, pancreatitis, and non-insulin-dependent diabetes (NIDDM) bears two different mutations in exon 3 of the lipoprotein lipase (LPL) gene: a missense mutation, 75Arg-->Ser, inherited through the paternal line and a truncation, 73Tyr-->Ter, through the maternal line. NIDDM appeared to be independently segregating. The R75S mutant was studied in extracts and media from transfected COS-1 cells. Detectable amounts of catalytically competent R75S LPL suggested destabilization of the active homodimer as with exon 5 mutants (Hata et al. 1992. J. Biol. Chem. 267:20132-20139). Hydrolysis of a short-chain fatty acid ester indicated that R75S does not directly affect activation of LPL by apoC-II. Subjects with NIDDM and wild-type LPL, and nondiabetic middle-aged carriers of the 73Tyr-->Ter truncation had moderate hypertriglyceridemia (260-521 mg/dl) and reduced high density lipoprotein cholesterol. A maternal aunt with NIDDM carried the truncation. Her phenotype (triglycerides of 5,300 mg/dl, eruptive xanthomatosis, and recurrent pancreatitis) was as severe as that in homozygotes or compound heterozygotes. We conclude: (a) diabetic carriers of dysfunctional LPL alleles are at risk for severe lipemia; and (b) the physiologic defects in NIDDM may be additive or synergistic with heterozygous LPL deficiency.

Internet and mobile technologies: addressing the mental health of trauma survivors in less resourced communities.

Internet and mobile technologies offer potentially critical ways of delivering mental health support in low-resource settings. Much evidence indicates an enormous negative impact of mental health problems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and many of these problems are caused, or worsened, by exposure to wars, conflicts, natural and human-caused disasters, and other traumatic events. Though specific mental health treatments have been found to be efficacious and cost-effective for low-resource settings, most individuals living in these areas do not have access to them. Low-intensity task-sharing interventions will help, but there is a limit to the scalability and sustainability of human resources in these settings. To address the needs of trauma survivors, it will be important to develop and implement Internet and mobile technology resources to help reduce the scarcity, inequity, and inefficiency of current mental health services in LMICs. Mobile and Internet resources are experiencing a rapid growth in LMICs and can help address time, stigma, and cost barriers and connect those who have been socially isolated by traumatic events. This review discusses current research in technological interventions in low-resource settings and outlines key issues and future challenges and opportunities. Though formidable challenges exist for large-scale deployment of mobile and Internet mental health technologies, work to date indicates that these technologies are indeed feasible to develop, evaluate, and deliver to those in need of mental health services, and that they can be effective.

Recent advances in the detection of specific natural organic compounds as carriers for radionuclides in soil and water environments, with examples of radioiodine and plutonium.

Among the key environmental factors influencing the fate and transport of radionuclides in the environment is natural organic matter (NOM). While this has been known for decades, there still remains great uncertainty in predicting NOM-radionuclide interactions because of lack of understanding of radionuclide interactions with the specific organic moieties within NOM. Furthermore, radionuclide-NOM studies conducted using modelled organic compounds or elevated radionuclide concentrations provide compromised information related to true environmental conditions. Thus, sensitive techniques are required not only for the detection of radionuclides, and their different species, at ambient and/or far-field concentrations, but also for potential trace organic compounds that are chemically binding these radionuclides. GC-MS and AMS techniques developed in our lab are reviewed here that aim to assess how two radionuclides, iodine and plutonium, form strong bonds with NOM by entirely different mechanisms; iodine tends to bind to aromatic functionalities, whereas plutonium binds to N-containing hydroxamate siderophores at ambient concentrations. While low-level measurements are a prerequisite for assessing iodine and plutonium migration at nuclear waste sites and as environmental tracers, it is necessary to determine their in-situ speciation, which ultimately controls their mobility and transport in natural environments. More importantly, advanced molecular-level instrumentation (e.g., nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance coupled with electrospray ionization (ESI-FTICRMS) were applied to resolve either directly or indirectly the molecular environments in which the radionuclides are associated with the NOM.

Molecular screening of the lipoprotein lipase gene in hypertriglyceridemic members of familial noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus families.

Hypertriglyceridemia is common among individuals with noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), and heterozygous lipoprotein lipase (LPL) mutations may result in the syndrome of familial hypertriglyceridemia and low levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. To test the hypothesis that heterozygous LPL mutations predispose to the hypertriglyceridemia and low HDL cholesterol levels observed among members of familial NIDDM families, we examined 36 members and 3 unrelated spouses selected from members of 20 pedigrees for triglyceride levels exceeding the age- and sex-specific 95th percentile. Eighteen pedigree members and 2 spouses were diabetic. LPL exons 1-9 were screened by single strand conformation polymorphism analysis. Six different variants were detected in exons 2, 3, 4, 8, and 9, including 4 (exons 3, 4, and 8) silent nucleotide substitutions. A common nonsense mutation (exon 9; Ser-->Ter) was present in 2 pedigrees, and a missense mutation (exon 2; Asp-->Asn) was also present in members of 2 pedigrees. Analysis of members of these families suggested an association of the exon 2 variant with hypertriglyceridemia, although this trend was no longer significant when individuals with diabetes were excluded from the analysis. The variant enzyme was not present among 83 random control individuals, and when expressed in COS-1 cells, it was similar to the wild type with respect to specific activity, heparin binding, and heat stability. Our data suggest that coding region mutations of the LPL gene cannot account for the elevated triglyceride and low HDL levels noted in diabetic individuals and their relatives in most NIDDM pedigrees, but the exon 2 Asn variant may contribute to the hypertriglyceridemia in some families.

Mortality in a group of formerly incarcerated juvenile delinquents.

A 7-year follow-up study of formerly incarcerated delinquents revealed an extremely high mortality rate. Of 118 male and female subjects, seven had died before their 25th birthdays, making the mortality rate of the sample approximately 58 times the national average for individuals in their age group. All died violent deaths, making the violent death rate of the sample approximately 76 times the national average for that age group. Differences in mortality rates according to the race and sex of the subjects are reported, and possible clinical predictors of early death are explored.

Sexually assaultive male juveniles: a follow-up.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the adult outcome of a group of male juveniles who committed sexual assault. METHOD: Nineteen sexually assaultive male juveniles and a comparison group of 58 violent juveniles were studied over an 8-year period through use of criminal records and clinical interviews. RESULTS: Although in adolescence the two groups were similarly violent, on follow-up those who had committed sexual assault were significantly more likely to commit adult sexual offenses. They also committed significantly more violent nonsexual offenses. Childhood sexual abuse, especially by females, was associated with adult sexual offenses. CONCLUSIONS: Sexually assaultive delinquents are at particularly high risk for subsequent violence. Hence, special efforts must be made to treat these delinquents in adolescence. Prevention of violent sexual behavior must include improved methods of detecting sexual abuse, especially that perpetrated by older females.

Objective documentation of child abuse and dissociation in 12 murderers with dissociative identity disorder.

OBJECTIVE: The skepticism regarding the existence of dissociative identity disorder as well as the abuse that engenders it persists for lack of objective documentation. This is doubly so for the disorder in murderers because of issues of suspected malingering. This article presents objective verification of both dissociative symptoms and severe abuse during childhood in a series of adult murderers with dissociative identity disorder. METHOD: This study consisted of a review of the clinical records of 11 men and one woman with DSM-IV-defined dissociative identity disorder who had committed murder. Data were gathered from medical, psychiatric, social service, school, military, and prison records and from records of interviews with subjects' family members and others. Handwriting samples were also examined. Data were analyzed qualitatively. RESULTS: Signs and symptoms of dissociative identity disorder in childhood and adulthood were corroborated independently and from several sources in all 12 cases; objective evidence of severe abuse was obtained in 11 cases. The subjects had amnesia for most of the abuse and underreported it. Marked changes in writing style and/or signatures were documented in 10 cases. CONCLUSIONS: This study establishes, once and for all, the linkage between early severe abuse and dissociative identity disorder. Further, the data demonstrate that the disorder can be distinguished from malingering and from other disorders. The study shows that it is possible, with great effort, to obtain objective evidence of both the symptoms of dissociative identity disorder and the abuse that engenders it.

Neuropsychiatric, psychoeducational, and family characteristics of 14 juveniles condemned to death in the United States.

Of the 37 juveniles currently condemned to death in the United States, all of the 14 incarcerated in four states received comprehensive psychiatric, neurological, neuropsychological, and educational evaluations. Nine had major neurological impairment, seven suffered psychotic disorders antedating incarceration, seven evidenced significant organic dysfunction on neuropsychological testing, and only two had full-scale IQ scores above 90. Twelve had been brutally physically abused, and five had been sodomized by relatives. For a variety of reasons the subjects' vulnerabilities were not recognized at the time of trial or sentencing, when they could have been used for purposes of mitigation.

Bipolar mood disorder and endometriosis: preliminary findings.

A consecutive sample of 16 women with laparoscopy-diagnosed endometriosis were evaluated for mood disorders. Twelve women met DSM-III criteria for a mood disorder: seven for bipolar disorder, mixed, three for bipolar disorder, manic, and two for major depression. Two women had equivocal diagnoses and two showed no evidence of mood disorder. Nine subjects had first-degree relatives with histories of severe mood disorders.

Prenatal diagnosis and management of nonimmunologic hydrops fetalis.

As problem pregnancies are increasingly subjected to ultrasound evaluation, the prenatal diagnosis of hydrops fetalis is being made more and more frequently. The authors encountered 5 cases of this disorder in 12,830 deliveries (1:2566) and made the diagnosis prior to delivery in 4 of the 5 cases. Amniocentesis and amniotic fluid bilirubin determination have been performed in association with ultrasound scan and a battery of other diagnostic tests, and the results have been correlated with fetal outcome. In general the combination of fetal ascites and increased amniotic fluid bilirubin denotes a poor fetal prognosis. Unless there are other mitigating circumstances, a conservative course of management is recommended.

Toward a theory of the genesis of violence: a follow-up study of delinquents.

The results of a follow-up study of 95 formerly incarcerated delinquents are reported. Adult F.B.I. and state police records were used. All but six of the subjects had adult criminal records. The average number of adult offenses was 11.58. Juvenile violence alone did not distinguish well between those who would and would not go on to adult violent crime. Seventy-seven percent of the more violent juveniles and 61% of the less violent juveniles committed adult aggressive offenses. The interaction of intrinsic vulnerabilities (cognitive, psychiatric, and neurological) and a history of abuse and/or family violence was a better predictor of adult violent crime.

A follow-up of female delinquents: maternal contributions to the perpetuation of deviance.

Twenty-one female delinquents, neuropsychiatrically evaluated while in a juvenile correctional facility, were followed up to 7 to 12 years later. Compared with a matched sample of male delinquents, they committed fewer and less violent offenses. Unlike the males, early biopsychosocial variables were not predictive of adult criminality; however, most females were seriously impaired neuropsychiatrically. Mortality rates were high. Having come from abusive households, the female delinquents became suicidal, alcoholic, drug addicted, enmeshed in violent relationships, and unable to care for their children.

A clinical follow-up of delinquent males: ignored vulnerabilities, unmet needs, and the perpetuation of violence.

OBJECTIVE: This paper describes the adult adaptation of a group of 97 formerly incarcerated male delinquents. METHOD: Follow-up clinical interviews were administered to subjects, approximately 9 years after discharge from juvenile corrections. The records of the correctional school, state police, FBI, state psychiatric hospitals, and state health department also were reviewed. RESULTS: All but six had adult criminal records, most for violent crimes. Only 10% were graduated from high school; 30% received minimal job training; most worked sporadically at unskilled jobs. Few married. Although 35 had fathered children, only 5 were living with them. Psychiatric treatment for identified vulnerabilities was negligible. Upon discharge, the most neuropsychiatrically impaired and violent subjects tended to be placed in adult corrections; the most intact were placed in special schools and psychiatric hospitals. Numbers of vulnerabilities continued to contribute most significantly to violent outcome regardless of placement. Placement in families was associated with fewer adult aggressive offenses than was institutional placement, even while controlling for vulnerabilities and early juvenile violence. CONCLUSION: Based on their well-documented early vulnerabilities and needs, this sample of delinquents did not obtain the kinds of supports subsequent to juvenile incarceration that might have enabled them to function independently in society.