Reliability of the Revised Psychopathy Checklist in substance abuse patients.

Examined the 1-mo test–retest reliability of the revised Psychopathy Checklist (PCL—R) in 88 methadone-maintained male patients (average age nearly 40 yrs) as well as the effects of increased information (interview, clinical chart review, partial and complete criminal records) on PCL—R scores and on 2 diagnostic derivations of the PCL—R. PCL—R scores and diagnostic proportions were not found to differ significantly between baseline and 1 mo. However, increased amounts of rater information resulted in significantly higher PCL—R scores and more positive diagnoses. Test–retest reliabilities of PCL—R scores were found to be excellent, and the reliabilities of each of its 2 factors were also quite good. Diagnostic reliabilities were also good, based on the interview alone, but appeared to improve with increasing information available to the rater. The findings suggest that the PCL—R continues to show promise as a research tool. However, because clinical and criminal records may be difficult to obtain for nonprison populations and settings, there may be limitations in the use of the PCL—R to diagnose psychopathy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Real-time craving and mood assessments before and after smoking.

This study explored some quandaries concerning craving and mood as motivators to smoke. Craving and negative mood have long been associated with day-to-day smoking as two of the primary motivational forces behind the maintenance of the behavior, as well as significant barriers in smokers' attempts to quit. Craving remains a clinically relevant phenomenon, with most smokers describing craving as a troublesome problem when quitting. Smokers' self-reports of negative mood, as an antecedent for smoking, are so robustly reported that many models of nicotine dependence have incorporated a critical role for negative mood in maintaining smoking behavior. However, several naturalistic studies that collected mood ratings with hand held computers from smokers in real time, just before smoking a cigarette, have provided scant evidence that negative mood plays a major role in motivation to smoke. No study to date has examined craving and mood data as a consequence of smoking, that is, collecting the same data immediately after smoking. This study used personal digital assistants (PDAs) to collect craving and mood data immediately before smoking, immediately after smoking, and at random times of day. Nontreatment seeking smokers (N = 72) carried a PDA for an average of 10 days while they recorded their smoking behavior. Results showed that craving and negative mood ratings were lowest immediately after smoking compared with immediately before smoking and at random times of day. These findings suggest that smokers may be at least partially motivated to smoke to lower their craving and improve their mood states.     

Plant-derived polyphenols attenuate lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide and tumour necrosis factor production in murine microglia and macrophages

Lipopolysaccharides released during bacterial infections induce the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and lead to complications such as neuronal damage in the CNS and septic shock in the periphery. While the initial infection is treated by antibiotics, anti-inflammatory agents would be advantageous add-on medications. In order to identify such compounds, we have compared 29 commercially available polyphenol-containing plant extracts and pure compounds for their ability to prevent LPS-induced up-regulation of NO production. Among the botanical extracts, bearberry and grape seed were the most active preparations, exhibiting IC(50) values of around 20 mug/mL. Among the pure compounds, IC(50) values for apigenin, diosmetin and silybin were 15, 19 and 12 muM, in N-11 murine microglia, and 7, 16 and 25 muM, in RAW 264.7 murine macrophages, respectively. In addition, these flavonoids were also able to down-regulate LPS-induced tumour necrosis factor production. Structure-activity relationships of the flavonoids demonstrated three distinct principles: (i) flavonoid-aglycons are more potent than the corresponding glycosides, (ii) flavonoids with a 4'-OH substitution in the B-ring are more potent than those with a 3'-OH-4'-methoxy substitution, (iii) flavonoids of the flavone type (with a C2=C3 double bond) are more potent than those of the flavanone type (with a at C2-C3 single bond).     

Two Specific Sulfatide Species Are Dysregulated during Renal Development in a Mouse Model of Alport Syndrome

Alport syndrome is caused by mutations in collagen IV that alter the morphology of renal glomerular basement membrane. Mutations result in proteinuria, tubulointerstitial fibrosis, and renal failure but the pathogenic mechanisms are not fully understood. Using imaging mass spectrometry, we aimed to determine whether the spatial and/or temporal patterns of renal lipids are perturbed during the development of Alport syndrome in the mouse model. Our results show that most sulfatides are present at similar levels in both the wild-type (WT) and the Alport kidneys, with the exception of two specific sulfatide species, SulfoHex-Cer(d18:2/24:0) and SulfoHex-Cer(d18:2/16:0). In the Alport but not in WT kidneys, the levels of these species mirror the previously described abnormal laminin expression in Alport syndrome. The presence of these sulfatides in renal tubules but not in glomeruli suggests that this specific aberrant lipid pattern may be related to the development of tubulointerstitial fibrosis in Alport disease.     

The Effect of Branched-Chain Fatty Acid Alkyl Esters on the Cold-Flow Properties of Biodiesel

Biodiesel (fatty acid methyl esters [FAME]) is produced from various fats, oils, and greases (FOG) using catalytic transesterification with methanol. These fuels have poor cold-flow properties depending on the fatty acid (FA) composition of the parent FOG. Improving the cold-flow properties of biodiesel will enhance its prospects for use during cooler months in moderate temperature climates. This work is a study on the use of skeletally branched-chain alkyl esters (BCAE) composed of the isopropyl, n-butyl, and 2-ethylhexyl esters of iso-oleic acid isomers (iPr-iOL, nBu-iOL, and 2EH-iOL). These BCAE additives were tested in blends with linear-FAME (L-FAME) derived from soybean oil (SME), lard (LME), tallow (TME), and sewage scum grease (SGME). Binary L-FAME/SME admixtures were also studied. Admixtures were tested for the effects of the additives on cloud point (CP), pour point (PP), and kinematic viscosities at standard (ν⁴⁰ = 40 °C) and low temperatures (T_L) = CP + 5 °C (ν^L). Although the BCAE additives were more effective than SME, relatively large additive concentrations (y_Add) were needed to depress CP and PP by more than 2 °C. Admixtures with high concentrations of BCAE additive had ν⁴⁰ > 6.0 mm² s⁻¹, the maximum limit in ASTM fuel specification D 6751. While the iPr-iOL and nBu-iOL additives may be blended at concentrations up to y_Add = 0.50, 2EH-iOL should not exceed y_Add = 0.28 in LME, 0.31 in SGME, 0.35 in TME, or 0.41 in SME to avoid driving the admixture out of specification. Some anomalies observed in the results at low y_Add for SGME/BCAE admixtures were speculated to have been affected by the low-temperature rheology of SGME.     

Congenital Diseases of DNA Replication: Clinical Phenotypes and Molecular Mechanisms

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) replication can be divided into three major steps: initiation, elongation and termination. Each time a human cell divides, these steps must be reiteratively carried out. Disruption of DNA replication can lead to genomic instability, with the accumulation of point mutations or larger chromosomal anomalies such as rearrangements. While cancer is the most common class of disease associated with genomic instability, several congenital diseases with dysfunctional DNA replication give rise to similar DNA alterations. In this review, we discuss all congenital diseases that arise from pathogenic variants in essential replication genes across the spectrum of aberrant replisome assembly, origin activation and DNA synthesis. For each of these conditions, we describe their clinical phenotypes as well as molecular studies aimed at determining the functional mechanisms of disease, including the assessment of genomic stability. By comparing and contrasting these diseases, we hope to illuminate how the disruption of DNA replication at distinct steps affects human health in a surprisingly cell-type-specific manner.