Random breath testing in Queensland and Western Australia: Examination of how the random breath testing rate influences alcohol related traffic crash rates

In this paper we explore the relationship between monthly random breath testing (RBT) rates (per 1000 licensed drivers) and alcohol-related traffic crash (ARTC) rates over time, across two Australian states: Queensland and Western Australia. We analyse the RBT, ARTC and licensed driver rates across 12 years; however, due to administrative restrictions, we model ARTC rates against RBT rates for the period July 2004 to June 2009.     

Modeling Human Liver Biology Using Stem Cell-Derived Hepatocytes

Stem cell-derived hepatocytes represent promising models to study human liver biology and disease. This concise review discusses the recent progresses in the field, with a focus on human liver disease, drug metabolism and virus infection.     

The effect of landfill leachate on hydrogen production in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii as monitored by PAM Fluorometry

This study investigated the effect of landfill leachate on biomass and biohydrogen production from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Maximum biomass and cell viability was recorded in 16% leachate medium with a corresponding growth rate of 927 μg/L chl a d⁻¹ as compared to the control of 688 μg/L chl a d⁻¹. Chlamydomonas cultured in leachate-supplemented medium was subsequently induced to produce 37% more biohydrogen compared to the control culture. The spurge in growth can be a consequence of abundant essential elements in the diluted leachate. Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis of cells in a 16% leachate medium had the highest accumulation of Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Mo and Cd. The benefits of the leachate medium were further shown during the hydrogen production phase using Pulse Amplitude Modulated Fluorometry. This period was extended to 8 days in comparison to the control. Leachate therefore increases both the biomass and biohydrogen yield of Chlamydomonas.     

Unique and common mechanisms of change across cognitive and dynamic psychotherapies.

The goal of this article was to examine theoretically important mechanisms of change in psychotherapy outcome across different types of treatment. Specifically, the role of gains in self-understanding, acquisition of compensatory skills, and improvements in views of the self were examined. A pooled study database collected at the University of Pennsylvania Center for Psychotherapy Research, which includes studies conducted from 1995 to 2002 evaluating the efficacy of cognitive and psychodynamic therapies for a variety of disorders, was used. Patient samples included major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, borderline personality disorder, and adolescent anxiety disorders. A common assessment battery of mechanism and outcome measures was given at treatment intake, termination, and 6-month follow-up for all 184 patients. Improvements in self-understanding, compensatory skills, and views of the self were all associated with symptom change across the diverse psychotherapies. Changes in self-understanding and compensatory skills across treatment were predictive of follow-up symptom course. Changes in self-understanding demonstrated specificity of change to dynamic psychotherapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A practical clinical trial of coordinated care management to treat substance use disorders among public assistance beneficiaries.

This study tested whether coordinated care management (CCM), a continuity of care intervention for substance use disorders (SUD), improved rates of abstinence when compared with usual welfare management for substance-using single adults and adults with dependent children applying for public assistance. The study was designed as a practical clinical trial and was implemented in partnership with a large city welfare agency. Participants were 421 welfare applicants identified via SUD screening and assigned via an unbiased computerized allocation program to a site that provided either CCM (n = 232) or usual care (UC; n = 189). Outcomes were assessed for 1 year postbaseline with self-reports and biological measures of substance use. As hypothesized, for participants not enrolled in methadone maintenance programs (n = 313), CCM clients received significantly more services than did UC clients. Nonmethadone CCM also showed significantly higher abstinence rates (odds ratio = 1.75; 95% confidence interval = 1.12, 2.76; d = 0.31) that emerged early in treatment and were sustained throughout follow-up. In contrast, no treatment services or outcome effects were found for methadone maintenance clients (n = 108). Findings suggest that CCM is promising as a wraparound to SUD treatment for welfare recipients. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Solubility Limits of Cholesterol, Lanosterol, Ergosterol, Stigmasterol, and β-Sitosterol in Electroformed Lipid Vesicles

Here we use nuclear magnetic resonance to measure the solubility limit of several biologically relevant sterols in electroformed giant unilamellar vesicle membranes containing phosphatidylcholine (PC) lipids in ratios of 1:1:X DOPC:DPPC:sterol. We find solubility limits of cholesterol, lanosterol, ergosterol, stigmasterol, and β-sitosterol to be 65-70%, ~35%, 30-35%, 20-25%, and ~40%, respectively. The low solubilities of stigmasterol and β-sitosterol, which differ from cholesterol only in their alkyl tails, show that subtle differences in tail structure can strongly affect sterol solubility. Below the solubility limits, the fraction of sterol to PC-lipid in electroformed vesicles linearly reflects the fraction in the original stock solutions used in the electroformation process.     

A bacteriophage reagent for Salmonella: molecular studies on Felix 01

Felix 01 (F01) is a bacteriophage originally isolated by Felix and Callow which lyses almost all Salmonella strains and has been widely used as a diagnostic test for this genus. Molecular information about this phage is entirely lacking. In the present study, the DNA of the phage was found to be a double-stranded linear molecule of about 80 kb. 11.5 kb has been sequenced and in this region A + T content is 60%. There are relatively few restriction endonuclease cleavage sites in the native genome and clones show this is due to their absence rather than modification. A restriction map of the genome has been constructed. The ends of the molecule cannot be ligated although they contain 5' phosphates. At least 60% of the genome must encode proteins. In the sequenced portion, many open reading frames exist and these are tightly packed together. These have been examined for homology to published proteins but only 1 to 17 shows similarity to known proteins. F01 is therefore the prototype of a new phage family. On the basis of restriction sites, codon usage and the distribution of nonsense codons in the unused reading frames, a strong case can be made for natural selection that reacts to mRNA structure and function.     

Biomimetic synthesis and patterning of silver nanoparticles

The creation of nanoscale materials for advanced structures has led to a growing interest in the area of biomineralization. Numerous microorganisms are capable of synthesizing inorganic-based structures. For example, diatoms use amorphous silica as a structural material, bacteria synthesize magnetite (Fe3O4) particles and form silver nanoparticles, and yeast cells synthesize cadmium sulphide nanoparticles. The process of biomineralization and assembly of nanostructured inorganic components into hierarchical structures has led to the development of a variety of approaches that mimic the recognition and nucleation capabilities found in biomolecules for inorganic material synthesis. In this report, we describe the in vitro biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using silver-binding peptides identified from a combinatorial phage display peptide library.     

Full geometry dependence of index contrast in photorefractive polymer composites

Detailed analysis of the relationship between the experimental geometry and the holographic contrast in photorefractive polymers is important for applications, such as angle multiplexing in holographic data storage. In this paper the field dependent photogeneration efficiency is introduced into the complete reorientational model to provide a full account of the electric field and geometrical dependence of the index contrast. The interaction of a local grating and the photorefractive grating is also considered. A simplification for acute angles between writing beams is described. Experimental verification by use of four-wave mixing and transmission ellipsometry reveals an excellent agreement between theory and measurement.