Predicting Reasons for Drinking in a Dually-Diagnosed Sample with PTSD and Substance Use Disorders.

Objective: Using the negative reinforcement and common factors frameworks, this work assessed whether and how anxiety sensitivity, distress tolerance, and impulsivity relate to reasons for drinking (RFD) in a residential treatment sample with co-occurring alcohol use disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder (AUD-PTSD). Demographic differences were also examined. Method: Participants were 75 (52.0% male, 78.7% white) adults at a residential substance use treatment facility who met criteria for AUD-PTSD with 98.67% meeting criteria for one or more substance use disorders in addition to AUD. Participants completed measures of anxiety sensitivity, distress tolerance, impulsivity, RFD, and AUD-PTSD symptoms. Univariate and multivariate linear regression was used with and without controlling for demographic variables (i.e., age, race, and sex). Results: The positive and negative urgency facets of impulsivity were positively related to both negative affect and cue/craving response RFD with relations maintained after controlling for demographic variables and including PTSD symptom severity (ßs .30-.51). There were no significant relations between impulsivity and social RFD. No facets of anxiety sensitivity or distress tolerance were significantly related to RFD domains. Conclusions: Findings suggest that the urgency facets of impulsivity are crucial in understanding negative affect and cue/craving RFD. However, anxiety sensitivity and distress tolerance are not related to RFD in this dually diagnosed AUD-PTSD sample. Treatment considerations and future directions are discussed.

Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) for cannabis: A scoping review.

INTRODUCTION: Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) has been used to change substance use behavior. Despite cannabis being the most prevalent federally illicit substance, we have limited understanding of use of SBIRT for managing cannabis use. This review aimed to summarize the literature on SBIRT for cannabis use across age groups and contexts over the last two decades. METHODS: This scoping review followed the a priori guide outlined by the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Scoping Reviews and Meta-Analyses) statement. We gathered articles from PsycINFO, PubMed, Sage Journals Online, ScienceDirect, and SpringerLink. RESULTS: The final analysis includes forty-four articles. Results indicate inconsistent implementation of universal screens and suggest screens assessing cannabis-specific consequences and utilizing normative data may increase patient engagement. Broadly, SBIRT for cannabis demonstrates high acceptability. However, the impact of SBIRT on behavior change across various modifications to intervention content and modality has been inconsistent. In adults, patients with primary cannabis use are not engaging in recommended treatment at similar rates to other substances. Results also suggest a lack of research addressing referral to treatment in adolescents and emerging adults. DISCUSSION: Based on this review, we offer several to improve each component of SBRIT that may increase implementation of screens, effectiveness of brief interventions, and engagement in follow-up treatment.

Herbicide sorption coefficients in relation to soil properties and terrain attributes on a cultivated prairie.

The sorption of 2,4-D and glyphosate herbicides in soil was quantified for 287 surface soils (0-15 cm) collected in a 10 x 10 m grid across a heavily eroded, undulating, calcareous prairie landscape. Other variables that were determined included soil carbonate content, soil pH, soil organic carbon content (SOC), soil texture, soil loss or gain by tillage and water erosion, and selected terrain attributes and landform segments. The 2,4-D sorption coefficient (Kd) was significantly associated with soil carbonate content (-0.66; P < 0.001), soil pH (-0.63; P < 0.001), and SOC (0.47; P < 0.001). Upper slopes were strongly eroded and thus had a significantly greater soil carbonate content and less SOC compared with lower slopes that were in soil accumulation zones. The 2,4-D Kd was almost twice as small in upper slopes than in lower slopes. The 2,4-D Kd was also significantly associated with nine terrain attributes, particularly with compounded topographic index (0.59; P < 0.001), gradient (-0.48; P < 0.001), mean curvature (-0.43; P < 0.001), and plan curvature (-0.42 P < 0.001). Regression equations were generated to estimate herbicide sorption in soils. The predicted power of these equations increased for 2,4-D when selected terrain attributes were combined with soil properties. In contrast, the variation of glyphosate sorption across the field was much less dependent on our measured soil properties and calculated terrain attributes. We conclude that the integration of terrain attributes or landform segments in pesticide fate modeling is more advantageous for herbicides such as 2,4-D, whose sorption to soil is weak and influenced by subtle changes in soil properties, than for herbicides such as glyphosate that are strongly bound to soil regardless of soil properties.

Detection of the c-kit D816V mutation in systemic mastocytosis by allele-specific PCR.

AIMS: The c-kit D816V activating mutation is found in >80% of cases of systemic mastocytosis (SM) and represents a potential drug target. Furthermore, because D816V is one of the diagnostic criteria for SM, it is clinically relevant to determine whether the mutation is present. Traditional techniques such as DNA sequencing are often not sensitive enough to detect mutations in low-abundance tumour cells, including SM. Here, an allele-specific assay to detect the D816V mutation in DNA from archived formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues is described. METHODS: A two-tube PCR format was employed to amplify c-kit exon 17 as a control and an allele-specific reaction to selectively amplify the D816V mutant allele using standard oligonucleotides. A D816V-mutant plasmid control was generated by site-directed mutagenesis of wild-type cells. 14 cases of SM, one D816V-positive seminoma sample, and 35 cases without SM were analysed using the assay. RESULTS: The assay successfully amplified D816V in the mutant plasmid control, 13/14 cases of SM, and confirmed D816V in a seminoma sample. In addition, D816V was not amplified in 35/35 cases without SM. Serial dilution experiments demonstrated sensitivity down to <1%. CONCLUSION: A sensitive, specific and cost-effective assay to detect the D816V mutation in archived formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues from cases of SM has been developed.

Validation of cDNA microarray gene expression data obtained from linearly amplified RNA.

BACKGROUND: DNA microarray technology has permitted the analysis of global gene expression profiles for several diseases, including cancer. However, standard hybridisation and detection protocols require micrograms of mRNA for microarray analysis, limiting broader application of this technology to small excisional biopsies, needle biopsies, and/or microdissected tissue samples. Therefore, linear amplification protocols to increase the amount of RNA have been developed. The correlation between the results of microarray experiments derived from non-amplified RNA and amplified samples needs to be evaluated in detail. METHODS: Total RNA was amplified and replicate hybridisation experiments were performed with linearly amplified (aRNA) and non-amplified mRNA from tonsillar B cells and the SUDHL-6 cell line using cDNA microarrays containing approximately 4500 genes. The results of microarray differential expression using either source of RNA (mRNA or aRNA) were also compared with those found using real time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (QRT-PCR). RESULTS: Microarray experiments using aRNA generated reproducible data displaying only small differences to data obtained from non-amplified mRNA. The quality of the starting total RNA template and the concentration of the promoter primer used to synthesise cDNA were crucial components of the linear amplification reaction. Approximately 80% of selected upregulated and downregulated genes identified by microarray analysis using linearly amplified RNA were confirmed by QRT-PCR using non-amplified mRNA as the starting template. CONCLUSIONS: Linear RNA amplification methods can be used to generate high fidelity microarray expression data of comparable quality to data generated by microarray methods that use non-amplified mRNA samples.

Acute infarction, intracoronary thrombolysis, and primary PTCA in pregnancy.

Acute myocardial infarction has an incidence in pregnancy of 1 in 10,000, with a mortality ranging from 37-50%. Mortality is increased if the infarct occurs in the third trimester, if the patient is under age 35 yr, if she delivers within 2 wk of her infarct, and if she has a cesarean section. We present a case involving all four prognostically poor factors. The patient was treated emergently in the cardiac catheterization laboratory with intracoronary thrombolysis and primary PTCA of an occluded LAD. She had an uncomplicated recovery and subsequent delivery of a healthy child with no peripartum cardiac complications. A review of myocardial infarction in pregnancy follows.