Biological and environmental exposure monitoring of volatile organic compounds among nail technicians in the Greater Boston area

Nail technicians are exposed to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from nail products, but no studies have previously measured VOC biomarkers for these workers. This study of 10 nail technicians aimed to identify VOCs in nail salons and explore relationships between air concentrations and biomarkers. Personal and area air samples were collected using thermal desorption tubes during a work shift and analyzed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) for 71 VOCs. Whole blood samples were collected pre‐shift and post‐shift, and analyzed using GC/MS for 43 VOCs. Ventilation rates were determined using continuous CO₂ measurements. Predominant air VOC levels were ethyl methacrylate (median 240 µg/m³), methyl methacrylate (median 205 µg/m³), toluene (median 100 µg/m³), and ethyl acetate (median 639 µg/m³). Blood levels were significantly higher post‐shift than pre‐shift for toluene (median pre‐shift 0.158 µg/L and post‐shift 0.360 µg/L) and ethyl acetate (median pre‐shift <0.158 µg/L and post‐shift 0.510 µg/L); methacrylates were not measured in blood because of their instability. Based on VOCs measured in these seven nail salons, we estimated that emissions from Greater Boston area nail salons may contribute to ambient VOCs. Ventilation rates did not always meet the ASHRAE guideline for nail salons. There is a need for changes in nail product formulation and better ventilation to reduce VOC occupational exposures.     

Saccharomyces spores are born prepolarized to outgrow away from spore–spore connections and penetrate the ascus wall

How nonspore haploid Saccharomyces cells choose sites of budding and polarize towards pheromone signals in order to mate has been a subject of intense study. Unlike nonspore haploids, sibling spores produced via meiosis and sporulation by a diploid cell are physically interconnected and encased in a sac derived from the old cell wall of the diploid, called the ascus. Nonspore haploids bud adjacent to previous sites of budding, relying on stable cortical landmarks laid down during prior divisions, but because spore membranes are made de novo, it was assumed that, as is known for fission yeast, Saccharomyces spores break symmetry and polarize at random locations. Here, we show that this assumption is incorrect: Saccharomyces cerevisiae spores are born prepolarized to outgrow, prior to budding or mating, away from interspore bridges. Consequently, when spores bud within an intact ascus, their buds locally penetrate the ascus wall, and when they mate, the resulting zygotes adopt a unique morphology reflective of repolarization towards pheromone. Long‐lived cortical foci containing the septin Cdc10 mark polarity sites, but the canonical bud site selection programme is dispensable for spore polarity, thus the origin and molecular composition of these landmarks remain unknown. These findings demand further investigation of previously overlooked mechanisms of polarity establishment and local cell wall digestion and highlight how a key step in the Saccharomyces life cycle has been historically neglected.     

Detection of human T-lymphotropic virus type-I/II env antibodies by immunoassays using recombinant fusion proteins

The neuropeptide galanin occurs in pancreatic adrenergic nerves and has been suggested to be the adrenergic mediator of the stress-induced inhibition of insulin release. To study its physiological function, we recently synthesized a galanin-like galanin receptor antagonist, galantide. However, this antagonist contains a methionine moiety, and is therefore easily oxidized. We have now synthesized another galanin antagonist which does not contain methionine. This peptide, M35, is a chimeric 21 amino acid peptide in which galanin-(1-13) is coupled to bradykinin-(2-9). M35 (10 microM to 1 pM) had no effect by itself on glucose (11.1 mM)-stimulated insulin secretion in isolated mouse islets, but potently counteracted the inhibitory action of galanin (100 nM). The lowest effective dose of M35 was 10 nM. M35 did not counteract the inhibitory action of clonidine (1 microM) or somatostatin (1 microM) on insulin secretion. Furthermore, M35 displaced 125I-monoiodo-[Tyr26]galanin from membranes of insulin producing RINm5F cells. The displacement curve fitted to a two-site model in which 60% of label bound with a K1 of 0.1 +/- 0.01 nM and 40% with a K2 of 3 +/- 0.5 nM. In conclusion, M35 is a specific, non-methionine-containing galanin receptor antagonist on insulin-producing cells.     

Impairment of memory for spatial context in schizophrenia.

A group of 33 patients with schizophrenia were compared with control participants using a spatial memory task in which words were presented on locations of a grid. In the first part of the experiment, recognition of target information (words) was tested. In the second, 2 tasks of spatial location (contextual information) were given involving different sets of words placed in different locations: A location memory task (determining which word was in a particular spatial location) explored an associative form of spatial memory, and a relocation task (determining where a particular word was located) explored an associative and a nonassociative form of spatial memory. Patients were more impaired with regard to the location memory task than to the target recognition and relocation tasks. The impairment was negatively correlated with Stroop task performance. The results suggest that schizophrenia is associated with a spatial context memory deficit, which could be due to defective associations between target and spatial information. This deficit seemed to be related to frontal dysfunction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The a priori approach to psychological assessment.

The a priori approach to psychological assessment advocates the selection of specific tests or the construction of clinical experiments that can serve to validate on a priori case formulation. The advantages of the a priori approach are discussed, and the 4 steps involved in its application are outlined: the initial interview, case formulation, validation, and development of a treatment plan. Illustrative cases of a 22-yr-old obese, diabetic woman and a 52-yr-old man with hypersensitivity to criticism are presented. (28 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological investigation of genital herpes recurrence: Prospective assessment of cognitive-behavioral intervention for a chronic physical disorder.

Assessed factors associated with genital herpes and investigated the impact of psychological therapy on 16 patients who received 5 wks of structured discussion or cognitive restructuring (CR) group therapy. Measures of attitude about herpes, global coping, distress, loneliness, health locus of control, and recurrence were administered at pre- and posttreatment and at 3 mo follow-up. Information was extracted from daily self-reports regarding herpes symptoms, dysphoria, anxiety, and ongoing coping. Therapy did not produce expected reductions in distress or loneliness. CR, however, was associated with reduced frequency of lesion recurrence at follow-up. Avoidant coping was associated with lower recurrence rates, and loneliness scores with higher rates. Results show that recurrences were preceded by elevated anxiety independent of prodromal symptoms. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Children of battered women: The relation of child behavior to family violence and maternal stress.

Evaluated behavior problems and social competence in 198 4–16 yr old children from violent and nonviolent families (47 females and 55 males from transition homes for abused women and 53 females and 43 males from the community). 142 mothers rated their child's or children's behavior on the Child Behavior Checklist and completed measures of family violence (the Conflict Tactics scale) and maternal stress (the Life Experiences Survey and the General Health Questionnaire). Results indicate that children of battered women were rated significantly higher in behavior problems and were rated lower in social competence than were those in the comparison group. Among the Ss from violent families, 34% of the boys and 20% of the girls fell within the clinical range of behavior problems. Multiple regression analyses revealed that the maternal stress and family violence variables combined accounted for 19% of the variance in child behavior problems and accounted for 16% of the variance in social competence. In accordance with theoretical predictions, the impact on the child of witnessing family violence may be partially mediated by factors associated with maternal stress. (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Aging and implementation of encoding strategies in the generation of rhymes: The role of executive functions.

This experiment examines whether the age-related decrease in the generation effect of rhymes is mediated by executive functioning. Young and elderly adults read and generated pairs of rhyming words for subsequent recall. Participants were also administered neuropsychological tests (executive and mnemonic functions). Results showed that elderly adults performed less well on the neuropsychological tests and benefited less than the younger participants from the generation effect. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that the executive functions composite score was correlated with the generation effect and that it accounted for a large proportion of the age-related variance of the size of this measure. This finding supports the view that the age-related decrement in strategic encoding implementation is due to a decrease of executive functioning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)