A highly magnified star at redshift 6.2.

Galaxy clusters magnify background objects through strong gravitational lensing. Typical magnifications for lensed galaxies are factors of a few but can also be as high as tens or hundreds, stretching galaxies into giant arcs1,2. Individual stars can attain even higher magnifications given fortuitous alignment with the lensing cluster. Recently, several individual stars at redshifts between approximately 1 and 1.5 have been discovered, magnified by factors of thousands, temporarily boosted by microlensing3-6. Here we report observations of a more distant and persistent magnified star at a redshift of 6.2 ± 0.1, 900 million years after the Big Bang. This star is magnified by a factor of thousands by the foreground galaxy cluster lens WHL0137-08 (redshift 0.566), as estimated by four independent lens models. Unlike previous lensed stars, the magnification and observed brightness (AB magnitude, 27.2) have remained roughly constant over 3.5 years of imaging and follow-up. The delensed absolute UV magnitude, -10 ± 2, is consistent with a star of mass greater than 50 times the mass of the Sun. Confirmation and spectral classification are forthcoming from approved observations with the James Webb Space Telescope.

Hybrid cognitive behavioral therapy versus relaxation training for co-occurring anxiety and alcohol disorder: a randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: Treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD) is far less effective for those with a co-occurring anxiety disorder. Surprisingly, adding an independent anxiety treatment to AUD treatment does not substantially improve the poor alcohol outcomes of these patients. This may reflect the lack of attention from independent treatments to the dynamic interaction of anxiety symptoms with alcohol use and drinking motivation. On the basis of this view, we assembled a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) program designed to both reduce anxiety symptoms and weaken the links between the experience of anxiety and the motivation to drink. METHOD: 344 patients undergoing residential AUD treatment with current social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, or panic disorder were randomly assigned to receive either the CBT or an active comparison treatment, progressive muscle relaxation training (PMRT). Assessments took place immediately following treatment and 4 months later (n = 247). RESULTS: As predicted, the CBT group demonstrated significantly better alcohol outcomes 4 months following treatment than did the PMRT group. Although both groups experienced a substantial degree of anxiety reduction following treatment, there were no significant group differences immediately after treatment and only a slight advantage for the CBT group 4 months after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that specific interventions aimed at weakening the association between the experience of anxiety and drinking motivation play an important role in improving the alcohol outcomes of these difficult-to-treat patients beyond that of anxiety reduction alone.

Hematopoietic progenitor cell transplantation toxicities in multiple myeloma patients with bisphosphonate-induced osteonecrosis of the jaw: a longitudinal cohort study.

PURPOSE: There is no information regarding the toxicity associated with autologous hematopoietic progenitor cell transplantation (AHPCT) in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) who have bisphosphonate-induced osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ). There is also limited information regarding long-term outcome of these patients. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, we compared the toxicity after AHPCT in MM patients with and without ONJ. We also analyzed the response rate and overall survival of this population of patients. RESULTS: During the study period, 176 patients underwent AHPCT at our institution for MM. Ten patients with ONJ prior to AHPCT were matched to 40 control patients without ONJ. The incidence and severity of transplantation-associated toxicities were similar in both groups, including mucositis, 50 % in patients with ONJ vs. 68 % in controls (p = 0.889) and febrile days, median 1 vs. 3 days, respectively (p = 0.524). Myeloid engraftment and hospital length of stay were also similar between patients with ONJ and controls. There were significantly more complete remissions in patients with ONJ than in control patients (45 % vs. 15 %, p = 0.0336), but survival between the groups was not significantly different (log-rank p = 0.0818). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the incidence and severity of transplantation-associated toxicities are similar in MM patients with and without ONJ. Long-term survival was also similar between both groups.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy for panic disorder in patients being treated for alcohol dependence: Moderating effects of alcohol outcome expectancies.

Anxiety disorders commonly co-occur with alcohol use disorders and reliably mark a poor response to substance abuse treatment. However, treating a co-occurring anxiety disorder does not reliably improve substance abuse treatment outcomes. Failure to account for individual differences in the functional dynamic between anxiety symptoms and drinking behavior might impede the progress and clarity of this research program. For example, while both theory and research point to the moderating role of tension-reduction alcohol outcome expectancies (TR-AOEs) in the association between anxiety symptoms and alcohol use, relevant treatment studies have not typically modeled TR-AOE effects. We examined the impact of a hybrid cognitive-behavioral therapy (H-CBT) treatment for panic disorder (independent variable) on response to a community-based alcohol dependence treatment program (dependent variable) in patients with higher vs. lower TR-AOEs (moderator). The H-CBT treatment was generally effective in relieving participants' panic symptoms relative to controls. However, TR-AOEs interacted with study cohort (H-CBT vs. control) in predicting response to substance abuse treatment. As expected, the H-CBT was most effective in improving alcohol use outcomes among those with the highest TR-AOEs. The study's primary methodological limitations are related to the quasi-experimental design employed.

Urge to gamble in a simulated gambling environment.

Cue reactivity, while increasingly recognized as a central feature of drug and alcohol addiction, is not well studied in gambling. We evaluated the urge to gamble in a simulated casino environment among frequent gamblers who alternated between cycles in which they observed others playing ten hands of Blackjack (first, third and fifth cycle) and cycles in which they played ten hands of Blackjack themselves (second and fourth cycle). The played cycles served as a manipulation for the observed cycles in terms of "priming" (having previously gambled in the environment vs. not) and "anticipation" (expecting more opportunities to gamble in the environment vs. not) and, thus, allowed these conditions: observed cycle 1 = anticipation (+) and prime (-); observed cycle 2 = anticipation (+) and prime (+); and observed cycle 3 = anticipation (-) and prime (+). Subjects' urge to gamble was greater in the gambling environment than in a neutral setting and both positive anticipation and positive priming increased cue reactivity within the gambling environment. The frequency of gambling outside of the study did not affect cue reactivity. However, a preference for Blackjack (vs. other types of gambling) and observing winning (vs. losing) hands were both associated with stronger cue reactivity in the study. These findings contribute to our understanding of pathological gambling.

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in the active duty military population: 1987-2001.

Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland Air Force Base is the only military medical center in the United States at which allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplants (HSCT) are performed. Through May 2001, 367 patients, including 163 active duty service members, have received allogeneic HSCT from related donors. We performed a retrospective review of the outcomes of allogeneic HSCT in active duty members to determine what proportion was returned to full-time military service after HSCT and to delineate the factors associated with successful return to military service. Twenty-one percent of service members who received allogeneic HSCT were returned to active duty at some point after treatment. Age, sex, branch of service, and rank had no significant influence on return to duty status. When adjusted for age and rank, the only significant predictor of successful return to active duty was a diagnosis of chronic myelogenous leukemia. Although individuals with good risk diseases such as aplastic anemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, paroxymal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, and acute myelogenous leukemia in first complete remission have also been returned active duty after HSCT, these diagnoses were not statistically predictive of a return to active duty. We conclude that it may be possible to predict which service members will return to active duty after allogeneic HSCT based on the disease for which HSCT is being performed. Most importantly, active duty service members need not be a priori medically retired after HSCT, and each return to duty decision must be individualized.