Preserving US microbe collections sparks future discoveries.

Collections of micro-organisms are a crucial element of life science research infrastructure but are vulnerable to loss and damage caused by natural or man-made disasters, the untimely death or retirement of personnel, or the loss of research funding. Preservation of biological collections has risen in priority due to a new appreciation for discoveries linked to preserved specimens, emerging hurdles to international collecting and decreased funding for new collecting. While many historic collections have been lost, several have been preserved, some with dramatic rescue stories. Rescued microbes have been used for discoveries in areas of health, biotechnology and basic life science. Suggestions for long-term planning for microbial stocks are listed, as well as inducements for long-term preservation.

Genetics and Crime: Integrating New Genomic Discoveries Into Psychological Research About Antisocial Behavior.

Drawing on psychological and sociological theories of crime causation, we tested the hypothesis that genetic risk for low educational attainment (assessed via a genome-wide polygenic score) is associated with criminal offending. We further tested hypotheses of how polygenic risk relates to the development of antisocial behavior from childhood through adulthood. Across the Dunedin and Environmental Risk (E-Risk) birth cohorts of individuals growing up 20 years and 20,000 kilometers apart, education polygenic scores predicted risk of a criminal record with modest effects. Polygenic risk manifested during primary schooling in lower cognitive abilities, lower self-control, academic difficulties, and truancy, and it was associated with a life-course-persistent pattern of antisocial behavior that onsets in childhood and persists into adulthood. Crime is central in the nature-nurture debate, and findings reported here demonstrate how molecular-genetic discoveries can be incorporated into established theories of antisocial behavior. They also suggest that improving school experiences might prevent genetic influences on crime from unfolding.

[The experience of being admitted to a psychiatric clinic: part 1: development of a questionnaire (QAE-P)]. / Das Erleben der Aufnahme in eine psychiatrische Klinik : Teil I: Entwicklung eines Fragebogens (FEA-P).

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to develop a questionnaire to assess the perception and evaluation of admission to a psychiatric hospital from a patient's perspective (QAE-P). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Based on existing literature and a preparatory pilot study, a questionnaire consisting of 126 items was developed, and 708 inpatients based in 6 psychiatry and psychotherapy clinics were asked to answer the items. The resulting data were split into two data sets. In the first subset, exploratory factor analysis was used to help determine the number of scales and provide the basis for item reduction. The resulting questionnaire was validated by means of confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) in the second data subset. RESULTS: The resulting questionnaire comprises 33 items in 7 scales, which assess: (1) helpful, positive relations with staff members; (2) offering of medical explanations to patients and their involvement in treatment planning; (3) evaluation of rooms and clinical environment; (4) dissatisfaction with doctors and staff members; (5) evaluation of handling of ward rules by staff; (6) perception of ward atmosphere; and (7) negative perception of other inpatients. The plausibility of this factorial structure was supported by the results of the CFA. CONCLUSIONS: The QAE-P is a short and feasible questionnaire that meets the criteria of classic test theory and assesses different dimensions of the patient's experience of admission to a psychiatric hospital.

[The experience of being admitted to a psychiatric clinic: part 2: comparative analyses of patient and hospital characteristics]. / Das Erleben der Aufnahme in eine psychiatrische Klinik : Teil II: Vergleichende Analysen von Patienten- und Klinikmerkmalen.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate associations of patient's scores in the newly constructed questionnaire on patients' psychiatric admission experiences (QAE-P) and individual, institutional, and situational factors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data of 708 patients and 6 participating hospitals were analyzed. Patient characteristics between clinics were compared and univariate as well as multivariate analyses were applied to examine associations of QAE-P total score and individual as well as institutional variables (t tests, univariate and multivariate analyses of variance, correlation analyses, and effect sizes of significant associations). RESULTS: There was little variance of patient characteristics between hospitals. Multiple univariate associations with small to medium effect sizes were found between total QAE-P scores and demographic and clinical variables of the patients, institutional variables, and (non-independent) situational views of the patients. After multivariate analyses were applied, these associations remained significant for gender, age, diagnosis, the personal decision to be admitted, and for previous planning of admission with the outpatient doctor. The hospital variables shown to be associated with total QAE-P scores were open versus closed ward, disorder-specific organization of the ward, and the number of other patients being treated under the German Mental Health Act. CONCLUSION: Principally the QAE-P seems to be a suitable instrument of quality management. A number of factors were identified that show associations with the subjective evaluation of admission as reported by the patients. Some of these variables are within the control of the clinical management.

Thermally Conductive-Silicone Composites with Thermally Reversible Cross-links.

Thermally conductive-silicone composites that contain thermally reversible cross-links were prepared by blending diene- and dienophile-functionalized polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) with an aluminum oxide conductive filler. This class of thermally conductive-silicones are useful as thermal interface materials (TIMs) within Information Technology (IT) hardware applications to allow rework of valuable components. The composites were rendered reworkable via retro Diels-Alder cross-links when temperatures were elevated above 130 °C and required little mechanical force to remove, making them advantageous over other TIM materials. Results show high thermal conductivity (0.4 W/m·K) at low filler loadings (45 wt %) compared to other TIM solutions (>45 wt %). Additionally, the adhesion of the material was found to be ∼7 times greater at lower temperatures (25 °C) and ∼2 times greater at higher temperatures (120 °C) than commercially available TIMs.

Serotonergic influences on male sexual behavior of rhesus monkeys: effects of serotonin agonists.

Although numerous studies in rats have demonstrated an influence of serotonin (5-HT) on male copulation, no studies have yet to demonstrate whether such a relationship exists in primate species. The present study sought to characterize 5-HT influences on male copulatory behavior of rhesus monkeys by using three different 5-HT agonists: a full 5-HT1A agonist, 8-hydroxy-2-(din-propylamino) tetralin (8-OH-DPAT); a partial 5-HT1A agonist, ipsapirone; and a 5-HT 1C/ID agonist, m-chlorophenylpiperazine (m-CPP). 8-OH-DPAT had a biphasic effect upon ejaculation latency, with low doses (5-10 micrograms/kg) producing a shortening of ejaculation latency (time from initiation of copulation to ejaculation), and the highest dose (100 micrograms/kg) producing a lengthening of ejaculation latency. Intromission frequency (number of intromissions preceding ejaculation) was affected only at 10 micrograms/kg 8-OH-DPAT with monkeys requiring fewer intromissions to ejaculation at this dose. Ipsapirone administration led to a shortening of ejaculation latency at all doses tested (50-800 micrograms/kg), and a reduction in intromission frequency at 200-800 micrograms/kg ipsapirone. Administration of the 5-HT 1C/1D agonist, m-CPP, resulted in an increase in ejaculation latency at 200-400 micrograms/kg m-CPP and mount latency at 400 micrograms/kg m-CPP, but did not affect intromission frequency. In summary, stimulation of 5-HT1A receptors lowered the ejaculatory threshold of the monkeys, while stimulation of 5-HT 1C/1D receptors interfered with copulatory behavior and raised the ejaculatory threshold.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

5-HT1A and 5-HT1C/1D receptor agonists produce reciprocal effects on male sexual behavior of rhesus monkeys.

Research has indicated that serotonin (5-HT) is involved in regulating male sexual behavior in rodent, as well as primate species. The present study was designed to further characterize 5-HT influences on male sexual behavior of rhesus monkeys. Experiment 1 examined the effects of 5-HT1A and 5-HT1C/1D receptor stimulation on penile erections and yawning behavior. Administration of the 5-HT1C/1D receptor agonist, m-chlorophenylpiperazine (m-CPP, 0.8 and 3.0 mg/kg), facilitated the occurrence of penile erection, and at doses greater than 0.2 mg/kg stimulated yawning. By contrast, the 5-HT1A receptor agonist, 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT, 0.01-0.2 mg/kg) did not significantly influence penile erections or yawning behavior. Experiment 2 evaluated the effects of m-CPP and 8-OH-DPAT on the behavior of male monkeys in the presence of a sexually receptive female monkey which the males could see, hear and smell, but not physically contact. Administration of m-CPP along with presentation of a receptive female stimulated penile erections to a greater extent than they were stimulated by either one of these manipulations alone. Administration of 8-OH-DPAT (0.1 and 0.2 mg/kg) produced a decrease in the percent of monkeys exhibiting penile erections in the presence of the female. In this experiment, yawning was affected in opposite directions, with m-CPP stimulating and 8-OH-DPAT decreasing the frequency of yawning. Experiment 3 assessed the effects of m-CPP on male copulatory behavior of rhesus monkeys. Administration of m-CPP (0.8-3.0 mg/kg) produced a dose-dependent decline in the percent of males initiating copulation and achieving ejaculation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

A multi-dimensional analysis of cue-elicited craving in heavy smokers and tobacco chippers.

AIMS: This research examined the performance of a broad range of measures posited to relate to smoking craving. DESIGN: Heavy smokers and tobacco chippers, who were either deprived of smoking or not for 7 hours, were exposed to both smoking (a lit cigarette) and control cues. PARTICIPANTS: Smokers not currently interested in trying to quit smoking (n = 127) were recruited. Heavy smokers (n = 67) averaged smoking at least 21 cigarettes/day and tobacco chippers (n = 60) averaged 1-5 cigarettes on at least 2 days/week. MEASUREMENTS: Measures included urge rating scales and magnitude estimations, a rating of affective valence, a behavioral choice task that assessed perceived reinforcement value of smoking, several smoking-related judgement tasks and a measure of cognitive resource allocation. FINDINGS: Results indicated that both deprivation state and smoker type tended to affect responses across these measurement domains. CONCLUSIONS: Findings support the use of several novel measures of craving-related processes in smokers.

Self-efficacy and marijuana cessation: a construct validity analysis.

Hypotheses regarding the relationships between self-efficacy for avoiding marijuana use and theoretically related measures were examined in a sample of 161 men and 51 women who sought treatment aimed at marijuana cessation. Theoretically proposed sources of efficacy judgments showed stronger univariate and multivariate relationships with efficacy for avoiding marijuana use after treatment than before treatment. The cognitive-behavioral relapse prevention treatment resulted in marginally greater self-efficacy, compared with a nonbehavioral treatment, but the link between coping skill training and efficacy was ambiguous. Efficacy contributed incrementally to the prediction of posttreatment marijuana use beyond efficacy source variables, but it did not completely mediate the effects of those sources of efficacy judgments. Predictive validity was stronger for frequency of posttreatment marijuana use than for abstinence status. The need for better assessment of the efficacy construct and potential revisions in efficacy theory as applied to substance use are discussed.

Predictive validity of cocaine, sedative, and alcohol dependence diagnoses.

This study examined the predictive validity of Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R (Spitzer, Williams, Gibbon, & First, 1990) based substance dependence diagnoses (i.e., cocaine, sedative, and alcohol) for 518 opioid-dependent outpatients entering methadone maintenance. Patients were followed over 1 year of treatment, which involved daily methadone substitution supplemented by individual and group counseling. Urine specimens were tested randomly 1-4 times per month. Patients diagnosed with current cocaine, sedative, or alcohol dependence were more likely to use these drugs than were patients with past only or no dependence syndrome. Current cocaine dependence predicted early treatment dropout. The results demonstrate the predictive and discriminant validity of several substance dependence diagnoses common among patients in substance abuse or other psychiatric treatment settings.

Impairment of male copulatory behavior in rhesus monkeys following acute administration of cocaine.

Although numerous studies in nonhuman primates have demonstrated an influence of cocaine on behavior, no studies have yet examined whether cocaine affects sexual behavior in nonhuman primates. The objective of the present study was to examine the acute effects of cocaine on male copulatory behavior of rhesus monkeys. Administration of cocaine produced dose-dependent effects on male copulatory behavior, with monkeys taking significantly longer to initiate copulation (mount latency) and achieve an ejaculation (ejaculation latency) after receiving 200-800 micrograms/kg cocaine. Male copulatory behavior was not affected by cocaine at doses below 200 micrograms/kg. These results indicate that cocaine can acutely impair sexual behavior performance of male rhesus monkeys. Further study is needed to determine the possible long-term consequences of chronic cocaine administration on male sexual behavior.

Effects of smoking opportunity on attentional bias in smokers.

The emotional Stroop task was used to examine the influence of opportunity to smoke on attentional bias to smoking-related stimuli. At the outset of the study, 92 nicotine-deprived smokers were told that they (a) would, (b) would not, or (c) might be able to smoke during the experiment. Next, participants completed an emotional Stroop task, in which they were presented with smoking-related or -unrelated words in an unblocked format. Smokers demonstrated interference to the smoking words, relative to matched neutral words, F(1, 87) = 18.0, p < .0001. Moreover, smoking opportunity affected the degree of interference, F(2, 87) = 4.35, p < .02, with participants who had been told they would be able to smoke during the study showing the most interference. The results suggest that smoking opportunity affects the salience of smoking-related stimuli among nicotine-deprived smokers.

A test of the appraisal-disruption model of alcohol and stress.

OBJECTIVE: Faced with a large body of contradictory findings, investigators have begun to propose cognitive factors that moderate the effects of alcohol on stress. We tested the hypothesis, stemming from the appraisal-disruption model (ADM), that alcohol would be more likely to reduce stress when consumed prior to exposure to a stressor than when consumed following exposure. METHOD: Male and female social drinkers (N = 169, 85 men) with or without a parental history of alcoholism were recruited using separate structured clinical interviews with the participant and with a biological parent. Participants drank a moderate dose of alcohol or a placebo in one of two temporal sequences. Stress was induced by asking participants to present a self-disclosing speech about their physical appearance. Stress responses were assessed using four types of measures: self-reported anxiety, pulse rate, facial expression associated with negative affect and threat-related interference on a color-naming task. RESULTS: Alcohol was generally more likely to attenuate stress responses when initial exposure to a social stressor followed drinking than when it preceded drinking. CONCLUSIONS: Findings were consistent with predictions stemming from the ADM. Alcohol appears to be more likely to reduce stress when initial stress appraisal occurs during intoxication. In contrast, when initial appraisal occurs prior to drinking, alcohol is less effective in attenuating stress.

A review of the effects of perceived drug use opportunity of self-reported urge.

Although persons addicted to drugs reliably report experiencing cravings or urges during drug cue exposure, less is known about factors that may moderate this effect. This article reviews cue exposure studies with people who smoke, are dependent on alcohol, or are addicted to cocaine or opiates. Perceived drug use opportunity is found to affect urge ratings. Specifically, people who are addicted to substances and who perceive an opportunity to consume their drug of choice report higher urges than do those who do not anticipate being able to use the drug. This factor was proposed to explain why those in treatment for substance dependence report urges that are about half the strength of those in nontreatment settings. The impact of perceived drug use opportunity on urge is considered from a variety of perspectives, including conditioning theories, a cognitive appraisal framework, and motivated reasoning theory. Conceptual and methodological implications of perceived drug use opportunity are addressed.

Parental alcoholism and the effects of alcohol on mediated semantic priming.

In this study, researchers tested the effects of a moderate dose of alcohol on the spread of activation of associated information in memory using a mediated semantic priming task in which target words are preceded by primes that are either unrelated or indirectly related to the target. Male and female participants with or without a parental history (PH+ and PH-, respectively) of alcoholism were administered the priming task after consuming alcohol or a placebo beverage. Among PH- individuals, alcohol constrained the spread of activation of associated information, as manifested by a reduced priming effect. In contrast, alcohol enhanced priming effects among PH+ participants, though this latter effect appears to be due to a particularly slow response among these individuals to unprimed words. Results are discussed with regard to theories of alcohol's effects on cognitive processes.

Predictors of attrition from an outpatient marijuana-dependence counseling program.

We sought to characterize attrition-related characteristics of three subgroups of adults (i.e. early dropouts, late dropouts, treatment completers) who had participated in a marijuana-dependence treatment outcome study involving two alternative forms of outpatient group counseling. Early dropouts were younger, earned less income, were more likely to rent rather than own their domiciles, were less able to pay bills, and had a higher level of psychological distress than was the case with treatment completers. Late dropouts and completers were quite similar on a number of measures (e.g., age, income, home ownership, ability to pay bills, psychological stress level, confidence in being abstinent in the future), yet the lower rates of abstinence in the late dropouts largely resembled the treatment outcomes of early dropouts. The findings suggest that attrition prevention in the early phase of counseling ought to focus on motivational ambivalence as well as assisting the client in dealing with schedule conflicts or financial impediments to continued involvement. In the later stage of counseling, attrition reduction is more likely to be accomplished through efforts to better understand and address the client's dissatisfaction with treatment components delivered at that stage.

A multi-facetted approach to externship evaluation.

The University of Toledo College of Pharmacy has developed a multi-facetted and dynamic system for evaluation of its Externship Program. The initial data base consisted of evaluation responses for individual externs, externship sites, and the performance records for the externship class of 1982 (N = 60/81). A list of behavioral objectives (competency statements) was constructed especially for institutional (hospital) pharmacies. A unique pre- and post-evaluation concept was developed as a control at each site. Externs were grouped by academic factors, work experience, and career plans. Each site was grouped by previous experience in training externs, the type of setting, and the intensity of service. This study discusses, summarizes, and makes recommendations from the results obtained through four distinct approaches.

[Consequences and treatment of cervical stenoses after laser conization or loop electrosurgical excision]. / Conséquences et traitement des sténoses cervicales survenues aprés une conisation au laser ou une résection à l'anse diathermique.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the frequency and the consequences of cervical stenosis in patients treated by laser conization or loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) and to analyse the results of cervical enlargement plastic surgery or neostomia. METHODS: Two hundred and fifty-five women treated by laser conization and 277 by LEEP were regularly followed by postoperative colposcopy, for a mean period of 38 and 16 months, respectively. Stenosis was defined as cervical narrowing which could not admit a 2.5 mm-diameter Hegar's dilator. RESULTS: Stenosis complicated 10.2% of the laser conizations and 4.3% of the LEEP. Thus, 38 cases of cervical stenosis of which 7 were complete were diagnosed 2 to 40 months after treatment. Among the 34 non-menopaused women who developed a stenosis, 5 had a secondary amenorrhea, 6 a severe dysmenorrhea and one an infertility related to oligoamucorrhea. In the patients with stenosis, endocervical cell retrieval was possible in 21 (55%) cases and in none the squamocolumnar junction was visible at colposcopy. Seven patients underwent an enlargement plastic surgery of the cervical canal for incomplete stenosis and two a neostomia for complete stenosis. Cervical restenosis has been observed in 7 of 9 cases in a mean delay of 12 months (3 to 48 months). Nevertheless, the endocervical cell retrieval remained possible in 8 of 9 cases and after a mean follow-up of 26 months no menstrual troubles recurred. CONCLUSION: LEEP provides fewer cervical stenosis than laser conization. The enlargement plastic surgery allows to correct durably the menstrual troubles in spite of the very frequent restenosis.

[The threat of premature labor: new aspects for management]. / La menace d'accouchement prématuré: aspects récents de la prise en charge.

Genital inflammation may play a major role in the pathogenesis of preterm labor. Screening and early treatment of subclinical genital tract infections (bacterial vaginosis, heavy group B streptococci colonization, primary genital HSV infection and other silent intra-uterine infections) seem to offer promise for the prevention of preterm labor. New factors have been studied in order to appreciate their benefit in the evaluation of the risk of preterm labor. None of these biologic markers (fetal-fibronectin, maternal interleukin-6, vaginal pH measuring) have enough sensitivity to permit efficient screening. Home uterine activity monitoring seems to be interesting for early identification of women with increased risk of preterm delivery, but can't be used on a large scale because of its costs. New tocolytic agents are investigated in order to protect from an adverse outcome. Atosiban exhibits more oxytocin selective and antagonistic activity without side-effects, and nimesulide seems to have a lack of effects on fetal functions.

Polylactic acid with improved heat deflection temperatures and self-healing properties for durable goods applications.

A method to recover fracture toughness after failure and increase thermal properties of polylactic acid (PLA) for use within durable goods applications is presented. Microcapsules were incorporated into PLA to form a composite material in which the microcapsules served the dual purpose of (1) releasing self-healing additives to fracture regions and (2) serving as nucleating agents to improve the PLA composite's thermal tolerance. Self-healing was achieved though embedment of dicyclopentadiene-filled microcapsules and Grubbs' first generation ruthenium metathesis catalyst, the former being autonomically released into damage volumes and undergoing polymerization in the presence of the catalyst. This approach led to up to 84% recovery of the polymer composite's initial fracture toughness. Additionally, PLA's degree of crystallinity and heat deflection temperature were improved by ∼ 11% and ∼ 21 °C, respectively, relative to nonfilled virgin PLA, owing to microcapsule-induced nucleation. The self-healing system developed here overcomes many property limitations of PLA that can potentially lead to its incorporation into various durable goods.