Shoot meristem: an ideal explant for Zea mays L. transformation.

We report on a rapid high-frequency somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration protocol for Zea mays. Maize plants were regenerated from complete shoot meristem (3-4 mm) explants via organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis. In organogenesis, the shoot meristems were directly cultured on a high-cytokinin medium comprising 5-10 mg x L(-1) 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP). The number of multiple shoots produced per meristem varied from six to eight Plantlet regeneration through organogenesis resulted in just four weeks. Callus was induced in five days of incubation on an auxin-modified Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium. Prolific callus, with numerous somatic embryos, developed within 3-4 weeks when cultured on an auxin medium containing 5 mg 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid x L(-1). The number of multiple shoots varied from three to six per callus. Using R23 (Pioneer, Hi-Bred, Johnston, Iowa), the frequency of callus induction was consistently in excess of 80% and plant regeneration ranged between 47 and 64%. All regenerated plantlets survived in the greenhouse and produced normal plants. Each transgenic plant produced leaves, glumes, and anthers that uniformly expressed green fluorescent protein (GFP). The GFP gene segregated in the pollen. Based on this data it is concluded that the transgenics arose from single-cell somatic embryos. The rate of transfer DNA (T-DNA) transfer to complete shoot meristems of Zea mays was high on the auxin medium and was independent of using super-virulent strains of Agrobacterium.

An epidemiological analysis of overuse injuries among recreational cyclists.

Two-hundred and ninety-four male and 224 female randomly selected recreational cyclists responded to a mail questionnaire. Significant differences were observed between male and female cyclists' training characteristics. Overall, 85% of the cyclists reported one or more overuse injury, with 36% requiring medical treatment. The most common anatomical sites for overuse injury/complaints reported by the male and female cyclists combined were the neck (48.8%), followed by the knees (41.7%), groin/buttocks (36.1%), hands (31.1%), and back (30.3%). For the male cyclists, effect upon back and groin/buttocks overuse injuries/complaints were miles/week, lower number of gears, and less years of cycling. For female cyclists, training characteristics which had the most significant effect upon groin/buttocks overuse injury/complaints were more non-competitive events/year and less stretching before cycling. The odds of female cyclists developing neck and shoulder overuse injury/complaints were 1.5 and 2.0 times more, respectively than their male counterparts.

Gunshot residue, ten years later.

Gunshot residues may be central to a competent reconstruction of a shooting incident. When a young boy was shot in the neck by a playmate using a .22-caliber single-action revolver, permanent paralysis from mid-thorax downward ensued. Ten years later the victim sued the importer, the vendor, the German manufacturer, and the shooter's family. Investigative reports indicated "horseplay" and questionable emergency medical team care. Depositions were contradictory. The entry wound, removed at surgery, was fixed and processed for slides. The histopathologist referred to "black pigment granules" in the wound track. The 10-year-old slides and block were retrieved. The coverslip was removed from a representative slide that was examined under the scanning, x-ray dispersive microscope. The black granules contained amounts of lead, barium, and antimony far beyond any normal range. The firing range had to have been no greater than 6-12 in (15.24-30.48 cm). The case was promptly settled out of court.

Some thoughts on suicide. Is it logical?

The phenomenon of suicide is unique to Homo sapiens. Explanations are many but not satisfying. The clearly documented rise in suicide rate among younger age groups, at least in the United States, is cause for worry. Those who succeed in self-destruction all too frequently are highly intelligent individuals; the waste of human talent is obvious. A review of suicides investigated and of literature suggests that total loss of hope on the part of the victim results in an astigmatic perception of reality; in the face of these circumstances, suicide is a logical conclusion for the victim.

The assassination of the late President John F. Kennedy. An academician's thoughts.

Another look is taken at the murder case of the late President John F. Kennedy. The overall pattern established by various investigations should force any reasonable person to conclude that a conspiracy of greater or lesser proportions did exist. The actors in that conspiracy have not been identified. The role of Lee Harvey Oswald in the event is still obscure. The art and science of pathology, in this case, failed the nation. Federal agencies were incompetent and possibly criminally negligent in their handling of the case. The fact that more than a single gunman was involved in the murder seems indubitable. Scientists, as scientists, have contributed all that they can to resolving the case. Suppression, modification, and destruction of evidence crucial to the case by those having it in custody have been completed so effectively that one esteemed historian has asserted, "at least some of those responsible for the murder of a President of the United States got away with it."

The psychodynamics of opiate addiction.

Opiate addicts and polydrug, but nonopiate, substance abusers were assessed for depression on the Raskin rating scale for a clinical interview and several self-report measures of depression including the Hamilton, SCL-90, and the recently developed Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ), which differentially assesses depression focused around neediness from a depression focused around self-criticism (guilt and shame). Opiate addicts were consistently more depressed than polydrug drug abusers on all the measures. On the DEQ, opiate addicts were significantly (p less than .001) more depressed than normals and even somewhat more depressed than psychiatric patients. This depression, however, was focused primarily around issues of self-criticism, guilt, and shame rather than issues of dependency, abandonment, rejection, and neglect. Even further, depression focused around self-criticism, as measured on the DEQ, was significantly correlated (p less than .001) with the extent to which the polydrug, non-opiate-addicted substance abusers had begun to experiment with opiates. These data suggest that intense depression, particularly depression focused around issues of self-criticism, has an important role in opiate addiction.

Psychological assessment of psychopathology in opiate addicts.

A sample of 99 opiate addicts seeking treatment were assessed on three well established clinical assessment procedures; the Loevinger Sentence Completion, the Bellak Ego Functions Interview, and the Rorschach. Their scores were compared using normal and clinical reference groups. On all three procedures, opiate addicts had a significantly greater impairment than normals but significantly less thought disorder and impairments in ego functions than hospitalized borderline and psychotic patients. The results indicate that a primary disturbance in opiate addicts appears to be their relative inability to conceptualize people as well differentiated, articulated, and involved in meaningful, purposeful, and constructive activity. In addition, opiate addicts appear to have greater affective lability. These difficulties in interpersonal relations and affect modulation are consistent with disturbances in the neurotic range and suggest that opiate addicts have selected a particularly untoward, self-destructive, isolated mode of adaptation for achieving the satisfactions and pleasures most people seek in intimate personal relationships.

Identifying alcoholism in treated opiate addicts.

The authors evaluated the usefulness of the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test in detecting alcoholism (as defined by the Research Diagnostic Criteria) in opiate addicts. The test was found to be adequately sensitive and specific in detecting current cases of alcoholism but inadequate for detecting alcoholic opiate addicts whose drinking was currently under control.

Short-term interpersonal psychotherapy in methadone-maintained opiate addicts.

A clinical trial was used to evaluate short-term interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) as treatment for psychiatric disorders in opiate addicts who were also participating in a full-service methadone hydrochloride maintenance program. Seventy-two opiate addicts were randomly assigned to one of two treatment conditions for six months: (1) IPT, consisting of weekly individual psychotherapy, and (2) low-contact treatment, consisting of one brief meeting per month. Recruitment was a problem, as only 5% of eligible clients agreed to participate and only around half of the subjects completed the study treatment. The outcome was similar for the two study groups. However, in many of the outcome areas, subjects in both treatment conditions attained significant clinical improvement. Several factors limited the generalizability of findings and may have biased against showing a psychotherapy effect.

Imipramine as treatment for depression in addicts.

This report describes the results of a placebo-controlled double-blind clinical trial evaluating imipramine hydrochloride, a tricyclic antidepressant, as treatment for depression in methadone-maintained opiate addicts. Forty-six subjects were assigned randomly to either the imipramine or placebo group for up to eight weeks. All patients also received mandatory once weekly group therapy as part of the methadone program. Outcome measures included attrition, depressive symptoms, global improvement, side effects, social functioning, and urine specimen results positive for illicit drugs. The therapeutic response in the two conditions was similar. Addicts receiving either imipramine or placebo experienced a substantial reduction of depressive symptoms during the eight weeks of the study. These findings are compared with other studies that treat depression in addicts and nonaddicts.

Pathways to opiate addiction: an evaluation of differing antecedents.

This paper defines and tests a typology of addicts defined through assessment of the sequence of three types of key events: (a) traumatic childhood events such as death of a parent or child abuse; (b) onset of regular delinquent activity; and (c) initiation of illicit drug use. By evaluating the sequence of these events three groups are defined: (a) an initial childhood trauma group; (b) an early delinquency group; and (c) an initial drug use group. Data derived from a sample of treated opiate addicts are used to define and differentiate these three groups.

Deadly force: some human and ethical considerations.

The legal aspects surrounding the use of deadly force in the United States are changing in a significant way. Police may use deadly force only to protect themselves or other innocent persons from serious bodily injury or death. Appropriate force may be used to arrest a malefactor or a fugitive from jail or prison. The documented, excessive percentage of deaths to blacks and hispanics from "police intervention" is a festering sore in American society. Numerous groups are aroused by the situation and will force some sort of controls nationwide on the use of deadly force by police. The changing climate surrounding civilian use of deadly force is dramatic and worrisome. At present, retreat carried to the extreme is the prudent legal course for the civilian victim of attack to take. Deadly force may be prudently used only when faced with immediate, fatal attack. Ethical considerations do not, in this instance, mesh with the law as it seems to be diverging from the traditional common law concepts of self-defense and sanctuary in the home. The defence of dependents is an ethical imperative that may run counter to man-made laws. Ethical considerations must be given precedence especially since the history of the United States Supreme Court decisions clearly demonstrate that law and morality are not necessarily related.

Ego development in opiate addicts. An application of Loevinger's stage model.

This paper reports findings from a study of ego functioning in a sample of 97 opiate addicts applying for treatment and a demographically matched control group of 29 applicants at a job training program. Level of ego development was evaluated using the Loevinger Sentence Completion Test. In addition, in the addict sample, we assessed the correlation between level of ego development and other clinical features including present and past drug use, criminal history, psychological symptoms, and social functioning. The mean ego development scores for the opiate addicts and controls were not significantly different although both groups achieved scores that were, on the average, one full stage lower than those obtained in other studies of nonclinical adult populations. Ego development ratings indicated that around one third of both addict and control groups seemed to be relying on internalized standards for self-regulation. Within the addict group, those at lower levels of ego development reported more psychological symptomatology, poorer social functioning, and heavier drug use. Implications for treatment planning and rehabilitative efforts are discussed.

Diagnosis and symptoms of depression in opiate addicts. Course and relationship to treatment outcome.

Evaluations of diagnosis and symptoms of depression were undertaken in 157 opiate addicts at entrance to a multimodality drug treatment program and six months later. While 17% were having an episode of major depression (defined by Research Diagnostic Criteria) and 60% had at least mildly elevated depressive symptoms at entrance to treatment, substantial improvement was noted at the six-month reevaluation, with the rates of major depression and elevated symptoms dropping to 12% and 31%, respectively. Symptomatic improvement, although related to retention in treatment, was not the result of specific antidepressant pharmacotherapy and did not differ across treatment modalities. Starting treatment during a major or minor depressive episode was predictive of poorer outcome in the areas of illicit drug use and psychological symptoms, but unrelated to the areas of occupational functioning, legal problems, and program retention.

Heterogeneity of psychiatric diagnosis in treated opiate addicts.

A survey evaluated current and lifetime rates of psychiatric disorders in 533 opiate addicts in treatment at a multimodality program. Information was gathered using a structured interview format, the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Lifetime version, and the criteria were the Research Diagnostic Criteria. Most were give the diagnosis of at least one psychiatric disorder in addition to opiate addiction. The most common diagnoses were major depressive disorder, alcoholism, and antisocial personality, and rates of chronic minor mood disorders and anxiety disorders also were found to be elevated in comparison with those found in a community population. In contrast, rates of schizophrenia and mania were very low and did not exceed those reported for the general population. The findings are interpreted as suggesting the importance of detecting and attending to psychopathology associated with opiate addiction.

Comparison of opiate addicts' reports of psychiatric history with reports of significant-other informants.

This study compares self-reports by a sample of 50 opiate addicts with reports of 50 "significant other" informants, on past and current functioning. Moderate to high levels of agreement are found using the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) in reporting current opiate use, current employment, and current legal pressures. This finding is consistent with previous studies which found good agreement between addicts and informants in these areas. However, much poorer agreement between addicts and informants is found in assessing the severity of addict's social, employment, and psychological problems, and in assessing the more detailed aspects of drug use. A comparison of the percent agreement data with ICC data used in this study provides empirical support for the argument that percent agreement data represents an inflated estimate of concordance between raters. These findings suggest that addicts and their families have rather divergent perceptions of the addict's problems and, in addition, indicate the value of including family members or significant others in the process of evaluating and treating opiate addicts. The results of the statistical analysis underscore the need in reliability studies of rigorous statistics that take into account chance agreement.

Toxicology of selenium: a review.

The concentration of selenium in soil, water, or minerals is site specific. World or regional averages are of little practical value. In one report from the front range area of Colorado, average selenium concentrations in bodies of standing water were from 0.3 to 15.8 micrograms Se per liter of water. In some aquatic organisms there is a strong correlation between the Se content of the water ant that of the body tissues; in others no such correlation obtains. Some organisms bioaccumulate Se by factors as high as 1300 to 3800. In most fish the amount of Se in the flesh seems to depend on the amount in the food taken in; there are exceptions, however. Aquatic organisms from seleniferous regions bioconcentrate selenium so as to reach total body levels of 60 micrograms Se per gram or up to 100 micrograms Se per gram of liver. There seems to be no evidence for "biomagnification" of selenium by aquatic organisms. Selenium exerts a strong protective action against the poisoning effects of many heavy metals (lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury, for example) and of some organic toxicants (paraquat, for example) in birds, mammals, and man. Data on man are sketchy. Selenium is released into the environment from the burning of coal. No identifiable hazard to man or to plants and animals useful to man can, at this time, be attributed to this source. Selenium is poisonous to man and animal in large amounts. It is a necessary micronutrient for many animals in small amounts; it may also be a needed micronutrient for man, but the data are sparse. The usual American diet contains adequate selenium for human health. Occupational selenium poisoning is mostly accidental and rare.

The Big Thompson Flood.

The Big Thompson Flood of 1976 yielded a known death toll of 139. The temporary morgue set up was successful in personally identifying all of the bodies. This effort was made possible by the fortuitous presence of the three scientists necessary for such an operation, to wit, the forensic pathologist, a forensic odontologist, and a forensic anthropologist. An outcome of the morgue effort was the establishment of the Center for Human Identification. Many law enforcement agencies and county emergency disaster offices in the country contacted the morgue directors for advice on how to cope with similar disasters. It would appear that there are no state or federal statutes or planning in the area of body identification. One function of the Center at CSU is to advise on just how a total effort in body identification can be effected.