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Objective. To identify the enzyme-mediated insecticide resistance in Aedes aegypti in Tapachula, Mexico. Materials and methods. Biochemical assays were undertaken to determine the enzyme levels in mosquitoes from 22 sites collected in 2018 and 2020 in Tapachula. Results of 2018 were correlated with the resistance to insecticides pub­lished. Results. Mosquitoes had higher levels than those of the susceptible strain in 2018 and 2020 respectively of α-esterases in 15 and 12 sites; β-esterases in 7 and 6 sites; glutathione-S-transferases in 11 and 19 sites; ρNPA-esterases in 21 and 17 sites; and cytochromes P450 in 20 and 22 sites. In mosquitoes of 2018, there was a moderate correlation between previously documented Malathion resistance ratios and the insensitive acetylcholinesterase (r=0.459, p= 0.03). Conclusions. The elevated enzyme levels found indicate its contribution to the resistance to pyrethroids and organo­phosphates already published in mosquitoes from Tapachula. Bioassays using enzyme inhibitors resulted in greater mor­tality, confirming that metabolism contributes to resistance.

This essay looks back at what accountancy and the world were like in 1973, when the Academy of Accounting Historians was formed. It can be considered a minor reminiscence—perhaps a miniature time capsule to refresh recollections as the 50th anniversary year of the Academy approaches.

Background: Joint hypermobility (JH) is a common clinical finding amongst hereditary connective tissue disorders that is observed in pediatric rheumatological settings, and often associated with chronic pain. JH may also contribute to deficits in physical functioning and physical activity, but previous findings have been inconsistent. It is possible that physical activity impairment in JH may be due to chronic aberrant movement patterns subsequent to increased joint laxity. Method: As part of a larger randomized pilot trial of juvenile onset fibromyalgia (JFM), asecondary analysis was conducted to explore whether adolescents with JFM and JH differed from non-JH peers in terms of pain, daily functioning, and movement biomechanics during a moderately vigorous functional task. Results: Thirteen adolescents (36.1%) from the larger sample of adolescents with JFM (N=36) met criteria for JH. Those with JH exhibited poorer overall functioning but there were no differences in pain. Those with JH exhibited decreased hip flexion and frontal plane hip moment (e.g., resistance to dynamic valgus) during the landing phase (early stance) and greater hip and knee transverse plane moments during the propulsion phase (late stance) of the drop vertical jump task (DVJ). No other differences in lower extremity biomechanics were observed between study groups. Conclusions: There were small but notable differences in biomechanics between patients with JFM who also had JH versus those without JH during a landing and jumping task (e.g., DVJ). These differences may indicate decreased joint stiffness during landing, associated with increased joint laxity and decreased joint stability, which may put them at greater risk for injury. Further study is warranted to examine whether these biomechanical differences in patients with JFM and JH affect their response to typical physical therapy or exercise recommendations.

This article explores the apparent discrepancy that exists between religious claims concerning personal salvation and actual behavior among the many different kinds of Protestant Christians in Kenya and asks the question, how can a religion which seems to make such exalted claims of personal religious experience and status appear to make so little actual difference in how many of these Christians live their lives? And this in spite of the clear moral mandate contained in the Scriptures these churches and their members claim to believe. Hypocrisy, of course, is a reality in every religious system. But what seems to be occurring in Kenya (and throughout sub-Saharan Africa) goes far beyond anything that could be attributed to ordinary hypocrisy. And the question that comes to mind is Why? What is going on here? The country where this study has been undertaken is Kenya, and the observations that are made are not scientifically gathered, but rather are self-reported by Kenyan church leaders themselves. Their evidence is thus not determinative, but supportive of the central claim of the article. It is the argument of this article that the core issue facing Kenyan Christians and Kenyan churches behind this discrepancy is a theological and systemic one, namely how salvation is understood and preached by different Kenyan Christian leaders and the role that sanctification plays (if at all) in the contemporary Kenyan Christian understandings of what it means to be “saved” and thus what it means to be “Christian”. The sampled views of Kenyan Christian leaders are explored. Conclusions are drawn and recommendations offered to help Christian leaders begin to address the gap between “salvation” as it is understood and proclaimed and sanctification as it is experienced and lived in the ordinary Christian life.

While the conventional methods are based on sinusoidal excitations to parameterize the loss of magnetic components, recent studies have justified the characterization directly through large-signal, rectangular excitations, as are experienced in typical power electronics converters. The Triple Pulse Test (TPT) has been proposed previously for this purpose as a discontinuous procedure to characterize the high-frequency loss of magnetics. The excitation circuit used to deliver the TPT is advanced in this paper by removing the need for two external power supplies. Instead, a single power supply is connected to a voltage-offsetting input stage which uses a novel implementation of a half-bridge circuit to deliver a controllable offset between two capacitor banks. This dc-link offsetting circuit can compensate the asymmetric voltage drops on the power devices and delivers rectangular voltages with symmetric amplitude to form closed BH loops on the device under test. The aim is for the integrated testbed is to deliver the TPT autonomously, iterating over several operating points, to generate a loss map of one magnetic component. This testbed could subsequently aid the manufacturer of magnetics to shift from material-based datasheet to component-based, which will enable the end users to model high-frequency magnetics more easily and accurately.

For a given skin cancer, a number of treatment options are often available. The decision of which method to use is usually made by the treating physician. Despite significant changes to the healthcare system of the United States over the past ten years, healthcare costs continue to rise. These costs often affect patients in the form of higher deductibles, copays, and insurance premiums. The goal of this study was to determine patient attitudes regarding discussion of cost of skin cancer removal procedures and repairs. A 12-question survey was administered to 100 patients presenting for treatment of a skin cancer at an academic center. The first six questions addressed the importance the patient placed on treatment cost and related discussions, and the final six questions addressed repair cost. Greater than two-thirds of respondents felt that cost of both treatment (76%) and repair (67%) is somewhat or very important. Most patients reported that the cost of skin cancer treatment (56%) and repair (54%) should be considered by their surgeon. Furthermore, a majority of participants felt that cost differences should be discussed prior to treatment (67%) or repair (67%). Most respondents believed that cost discussion prior to treatment (64%) and repair (67%) would not affect their level of procedural anxiety. In conclusion, patients value cost discussions for treatment and repair of skin cancer. Surgeons should consider discussing these issues with patients in the appropriate clinical setting.

Background: Joint hypermobility (JH) is a common clinical finding amongst hereditary connective tissue disorders that is observed in pediatric rheumatological settings, and often associated with chronic pain. JH may also contribute to deficits in physical functioning and physical activity, but previous findings have been inconsistent. It is possible that physical activity impairment in JH may be due to chronic aberrant movement patterns subsequent to increased joint laxity. Within a larger study of juvenile onset fibromyalgia (JFM), a secondary analysis was conducted to explore whether adolescents with JFM and JH differed from non-JH peers in terms of pain, daily functioning, and movement biomechanics during a moderately vigorous functional task. Findings: Thirteen adolescents (36.1%) from the larger sample of adolescents with JFM (N=36) met criteria for JH. Those with JH exhibited poorer overall functioning but there were no differences in pain. Those with JH exhibited decreased hip flexion and frontal plane hip moment (e.g., resistance to dynamic valgus) during the landing phase (early stance) and greater hip and knee transverse plane moments during the propulsion phase (late stance) of the drop vertical jump task (DVJ). No other differences in lower extremity biomechanics were observed between study groups. Conclusions: There were small but notable differences in biomechanics between patients with JFM who also had JH versus those without JH during a landing and jumping task (e.g., DVJ). These differences may indicate decreased joint stiffness during landing, associated with increased joint laxity and decreased joint stability, which may put them at greater risk for injury. Further study is warranted to examine whether these biomechanical differences in patients with JFM and JH affect their response to typical physical therapy or exercise recommendations.

John Eliot was the 17th-century settler and Puritan clergyman who sought to engage with his Wampanoag neighbors with the Christian gospel, eventually learning their language, winning converts, establishing schools, translating the Bible and other Christian literature, even establishing villages of converted native Americans, before everything was wiped out in the violence of the King Philip War. John Eliot is all but forgotten outside the narrow debates of early American colonial history, though he was one of the first Protestants to attempt to engage his indigenous neighbors with the gospel. John Veniaminov was a Russian Orthodox priest from Siberia who felt called to bring Christianity to the indigenous Aleut and Tinglit peoples of island and mainland Alaska. He learned their languages, established schools, gathered worshiping communities, and translated the liturgies and Christian literature into their languages. Even in the face of later American persecution and marginalization, Orthodoxy in the indigenous communities of Alaska remains a vital and under-acknowledged Christian presence. Later made a bishop (Innocent) and then elected the Metropolitan of Moscow, Fr. John (now St. Innocent) is lionized in the Russian Church but almost unknown outside its scope, even in Orthodox circles. This 2-part article examines the ministries of these men, separated by time and traditions, and yet working in similar conditions among the indigenous peoples of North America, to learn something of both their missionary motivation and their methodology.

John Eliot was the 17th-century settler Puritan clergyman who sought to engage his Wampanoag neighbors with the Christian gospel, eventually learning their language, winning converts, establishing schools, translating the Bible and other Christian literature, even establishing villages of converted native Americans, before everything was wiped out in the violence of the King Philip War. John Eliot is all but forgotten outside the narrow debates of early American colonial history, though he was one of the first Protestants to attempt to engage his indigenous neighbors with the gospel. John Veniaminov was a Russian Orthodox priest from Siberia who felt called to bring Christianity to the indigenous Aleut and Tinglit peoples of island and mainland Alaska. He learned their languages, established schools, gathered worshiping communities, and translated the liturgies and Christian literature into their languages. Even in the face of later American persecution and marginalization, Orthodoxy in the indigenous communities of Alaska remains a vital and under-acknowledged Christian presence. Later made a bishop (Innocent) and then elected the Metropolitan of Moscow, Fr. John (now St. Innocent) is lionized in the Russian Church but almost unknown outside its scope, even in Orthodox circles. This article examines the ministries of these men, separated by time and traditions, and yet working in similar conditions among the indigenous peoples of North America, to learn something of both their missionary motivation and their methodology.

Secondary aorto-atrial fistula is a rare but potentially life-threatening complication of ascending aortic dissection surgical repair. Secondary aorto-atrial fistulas commonly lead to symptomatic heart failure requiring emergent repair. We present a rare case of secondary aorto-atrial fistula after surgical repair of aortic dissection that remained asymptomatic for a decade. (

The treatment of salivary gland tumors has not changed significantly in the past two decades. However, the increase in the geriatric population with these tumors poses a new challenge for their management. This study explores the incidence-based mortality trends in the geriatric and non-geriatric population for the time period of 2000 - 2014 and compares the trends between races.Mortality data were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Database for the years 2000 - 2014. Incidence-based mortality for all stages of salivary gland tumors was queried and the results were grouped by age (geriatric vs. non-geriatric determined as 65 vs. below 65 years of age) and race (Caucasian/White, African American/Black, American Indian/Alaskan native and Asian/Pacific Islander). All stages and both genders were included in the analysis.Incidence-based mortality for salivary gland tumors has worsened since 2000 to 2014 for both geriatric and non-geriatric patients (P0.05). There was a statistically significant difference between these two groups in both Caucasian/White patients and African American/Black patients. Notably, the worst incidence-based mortality rates were noted in African American/Black non-geriatric patients followed by Caucasian/White non-geriatric patients. However, there was no statistical difference in incidence-based mortality between Caucasian/White patients and African American/Black geriatric patients.The similarity in incidence-based mortality for geriatric patients with salivary gland tumors in both Caucasian/White patients and African American/Black groups suggests that the effects of race may not be pronounced in the elderly population. The high rate of incidence-based mortality in African American/Black non-geriatric patients may suggest environmental influence and warrants further study.

Skin cancer is the most common malignancy affecting solid organ transplant recipients (SOTR), and SOTR experience increased skin cancer-associated morbidity and mortality. There are no formal multidisciplinary guidelines for skin cancer screening after transplant, and current practices are widely variable. We conducted three rounds of Delphi method surveys with a panel of 84 U.S. dermatologists and transplant physicians to establish skin cancer screening recommendations for SOTR. The transplant team should risk stratify SOTR for screening, and dermatologists should perform skin cancer screening by full-body skin examination. SOTR with a history of skin cancer should continue regular follow-up with dermatology for skin cancer surveillance. High-risk transplant patients include thoracic organ recipients, SOTR age 50 and above, and male SOTR. High-risk Caucasian patients should be screened within 2 years after transplant, all Caucasian, Asian, Hispanic, and high-risk African American patients should be screened within 5 years after transplant. No consensus was reached regarding screening for low-risk African American SOTR. We propose a standardized approach to skin cancer screening in SOTR based on multidisciplinary expert consensus. These guidelines prioritize and emphasize the need for screening for SOTR at greatest risk for skin cancer.

Objective. We aimed to study the differences in perception of pain during cardiac catheterization with midazolam monotherapy compared to the current standard of midazolam plus fentanyl. Background. Procedural sedation is important to ensure comfort and safety in patients undergoing left heart catheterization. Despite the widespread use of midazolam and fentanyl for procedural sedation, the effectiveness of this dual agent approach to sedation has never been studied in comparison to midazolam monotherapy. Methods. A total of 129 patients undergoing sedation for outpatient elective cardiac catheterization were randomly assigned to either midazolam monotherapy (n = 69) or combination of midazolam and fentanyl (n = 60). The primary outcome was assessment of pain perception prior to discharge by patient completion of a pain questionnaire. Participants were asked if they experienced any pain during their procedure (yes/no) and, if yes, asked to rate their overall pain level using a 10-point Likert scale that ranged from 1 (minimal pain) to 10 (worst pain imaginable). Results. Most patients (n = 94, 73%) reported no pain during their procedure. Patients sedated with midazolam monotherapy reported similar average pain scores compared to patients sedated with the combination of midazolam and fentanyl (1.1 vs. 1.1, p = 0.95 ). Conclusions. Among patients undergoing elective cardiac catheterization, no significant differences in pain scores were noted between sedation with midazolam alone compared to midazolam and fentanyl. Due to fentanyl’s unfavorable interaction with P2Y12 agents, increased costs, and addiction potential, it is imperative that cardiologists revisit the role of effective procedural sedation with a single agent and avoid the use of fentanyl.

We present a new 4-move special honest-verifier zero-knowledge proof of knowledge system for proving that a vector of Pedersen commitments opens to a so-called "one-hot'' vector (i.e., to a vector from the standard orthonormal basis) from Zpn. The need for such proofs arises in the contexts of symmetric private information retrieval (SPIR), end-to-end verifiable voting (E2E), and privacy-preserving data aggregation and analytics, among others. The key insight underlying the new protocol is a simple observation regarding the paucity of roots of polynomials of bounded degree over a finite field. The new protocol is fast and yields succinct proofs: For vectors of length n, the prover evaluates Θ(Θlgn) group operations plus Θ(n) field operations and sends just Θ(Θlgn) group and field elements, while the verifier evaluates one n-base multiexponentiation plus Θ(llgn) additional group operations and sends just 2(λ+lgn) bits to obtain a soundness error less than 2-λ. (A 5-move variant of the protocol reduces prover upload to just λlgn bits for the same soundness error.) We have implemented both our new protocol and its closest competitors from the literature; in accordance with our analytic results, experiments confirm that the new protocols handily outperform existing protocols for all but the shortest of vectors (roughly, for vectors with more than 16-32 elements).

Oxytetracycline spiked chicken liver and kidney were tested for residues using Delvotest P and the results compared to standard plate assay using Bacillus cereus as test organism. Delvotest P detected all replicates at concentrations of ≥0.62 μg/g in liver and kidney. Between 0.41-0.2 μg/g, the responses were mixed (positive, doubtful, and negative); at 0.1 ≥ concentration, the responses were negative. The limit of detection of the plate assay was 0.2 and 0.31 μg/g for liver and kidney, respectively. Residue analysis on tissues from chickens dosed twice daily (for 4 d) with 25 mg/kg oxytetracycline was carried out using the Delvotest P and the plate assay. Delvotest P responses were all positive for 1-4 h after treatment in kidney and 1 and 2 h in liver and serum. Muscle never achieved concentrations that were consistently positive. The plate assay detected drug from 0.5-6 h in serum, from 0.5-8 h in liver and kidney, and at 4-6 h in muscle. Kidney tissue appeared to be the best for detecting oxytetracycline residues in chicken. The Delvotest P method was simpler to use and required less time; 3-4 h compared to about 18 h for the plate assay.

The yellow fever mosquito , Aedes aegypti , serves as the primary vector for epidemic transmission of yellow fever, dengue, Zika (ZIKV), and chikungunya viruses to humans. Control of Ae. aegypti is currently limited to insecticide applications and larval habitat management; however, to combat growing challenges with insecticide resistance , novel genetic approaches for vector population reduction or transmission interruption are being aggressively pursued. The objectives of this study were to assess the ability of the Ae. aegypti antiviral exogenous-small interfering RNA (exo-siRNA) response to inhibit ZIKV infection and transmission, and to identify the optimal RNA interference (RNAi) target region in the ZIKV genome. We accomplished these objectives by in vitro transcription of five long double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) from the genome region spanning the NS2B-NS3-NS4A genes, which were the most highly conserved among ZIKV RNA sequences representing both East and West African and Asian-American clades, and evaluation of the ability of these dsRNAs to trigger an effective antiviral exo-siRNA response after intrathoracic injection into Ae. aegypti . In a pilot study, five ZIKV dsRNAs were tested by intrathoracic inoculation of 250 ng dsRNA into groups of approximately 5-day-old mosquitoes. Three days post-inoculation, mosquitoes were provided an infectious blood-meal containing ZIKV strain PRVABC59 (Puerto Rico), MR766 (Uganda), or 41525 (Senegal). On days 7 and 14 post-infection individual whole mosquito bodies were assessed for ZIKV infectious titer by plaque assays. Based on the results of this initial assessment, three dsRNAs were selected for further evaluation of viral loads of matched body and saliva expectorants using a standardized infectious dose of 1 × 10 7 PFU/mL of each ZIKV strain. Fourteen days post-exposure to ZIKV, paired saliva and carcass samples were harvested from individual mosquitoes and assessed for ZIKV RNA load by qRT-PCR. Injection of each of the three dsRNAs resulted in significant inhibition of replication of all three strains of ZIKV in mosquito bodies and saliva. This study lays critical groundwork for pursuing ZIKV transmission-blocking strategies that exploit the Ae. aegypti exo-siRNA response for arbovirus suppression in natural populations.

A high-resolution seismic-reflection investigation mapped reflectors and identified characteristics influencing the hydrogeology underlying a portion of the Oxnard Plain in Ventura County, California. Design and implementation of this study was heavily influenced by high levels of cultural noise from vehicles, power lines, roads, manufacturing facilities, and underground utilities/vaults. An abundance of very high quality reflections within the optimum window on shot gathers allowed accurate velocity analysis and statics corrections, which resulted in consistent and coherent common-midpoint (CMP)-stacked reflections with minimal wavelet degradation. Acquisition and processing flows were tailored to this noisy environment and relatively shallow target interval. Layering within both upper and lower aquifer systems was delineated at a vertical resolution potential of about 2.5 m at 350 m depth. Discontinuities in bedding with significant impact on the groundwater flow, particularly related to saltwater intrusion from agricultural pumping near the coast, were delineated on CMP-stacked sections and correlated to widely separated boring data, thereby providing continuity and realism to hydrologic models.

Advanced bearing materials for future military and commercial gas turbines are required to operate at high speeds, high temperature, and higher thrust loads. At elevated operating conditions, the bearing and gear materials must be able to operate with ultrathin oil films without suffering detrimental effects of adhesive wear. The development of materials with rolling-element fatigue and corrosion resistance properties without deterioration in adhesive wear attributes is a significant challenge. To meet those performance requirements, the forerunner, martensitic stainless steel Pyrowear 675 (AMS 5930), has been in development for aerospace bearing and gear applications. This article addresses the adhesive wear performance of three variants of Pyrowear 675 with silicon nitride ball material simulating a hybrid bearing evaluated using a WAM8 machine. Baseline testing was conducted using conventional bearing steel AISI M-50. Adhesive wear testing was conducted at a temperature of 200°C and at differen...

This article is based on the results of a survey of Orthodox Youth in Kenya and their attitudes about sex, abortion and domestic violence. This survey was taken of the participants of an all-Kenya Orthodox youth conference held in western Kenya in August of 2016. The results give insight into the participants’ sources for first learning about sexual matters, as well as the sources that are preferred today. The youths’ perception of the Orthodox Church’s handling of sexual matters and sexual education is also revealed. Difficult moral issues facing Orthodox Kenyan youth are raised, such as premarital sex, domestic violence, the impact of HIV-AIDS on behavior, and responses to unintended pregnancy, with results providing insight as to how Orthodox youth are navigating the challenges facing them as they grow up into modern life both as Kenyans and as Orthodox Christians. After relating the story told by each set of survey results, conclusions are drawn from each of the issues addressed, with suggestions made as to a way forward, or further questions to pursue.

The Orthodox Churches of Kenya, like many other mission churches globally, have long struggled with the issues of dependency, enabled by years of over-generous foreign financial and material support and exacerbated by a strong cultural inclination to appropriate the levers of various patronage systems a means to get ahead relationally, financially and politically. Dependency and patronage have increasingly become the default posture when it comes to Orthodox individuals and their Churches with respect to how they perceive and handle their financial needs. Churches have also increasingly made use of indigenous ways to raise financial support, known locally as harambee. Harambees are widely seen as culturally appropriate ways to raise money when the need is beyond the means of the organization or even individual. They are often the most successful means that Churches can adopt to push major projects forward such as buying property or constructing the church building. However, while harambees may be culturally appropriate, in the case of Kenyan churches in general, and Orthodox Churches in particular, harambees enable the Churches and their leaders to sidestep the fundamental issue plaguing their parishes, which is a complete absence of New Testament and early Christian principles of stewardship and discipleship. When the previous patron can no longer pro-vide the financial support the Church needs, harambees become the new patron that enable the Church to move ahead. The Church and its members thus never have to address their own lack of stewardship, responsibility and Christian discipleship. The fundraising targets may all be met, but the Churches remain crippled by ongoing attitudes of dependency. This article explores the dynamic of dependency and patronage afflicting Orthodox Churches in Kenya, critiques the preferred financial solution of harambee, and challenges Orthodox Christians to take their calling as stewards and disciples seriously as the only way to escape the slough of dependency that, unless addressed, will ultimately consume them.

Abstract Thomas Nganda Wangai’s personal account of the beginnings of the Orthodox Church in Kenya gives a first-hand narrative of the Kikuyu resistance to mission Christianity and mission-imposed education that led to the break with the mission churches and colonial-approved mission schools. The subsequent creation of the Kikuyu Independent Schools Association and the Kikuyu Karing’a Education Association as well as independent churches attempted to create a new identity outside the mission church establishment in colonial Kenya. This desire to remain Christian while throwing off the yoke of Western versions of Christianity led Nganda and other early leaders to seek out a nonmission form of Christianity that reflected the ancient purity of the early church. Nganda tells the story of how a schismatic archbishop of the African Orthodox Church provided the initial leadership for the nascent Orthodox movement. Nganda charts the interrelatedness of the search for an ecclesiastical identity and the decision to align with the Alexandrian Patriarchate and the growing political conflict with the Kenyan colonial authorities. The paper concludes with Nganda’s description of the Orthodox Church’s response to the declaration of Emergency in 1953, along with the hardship and suffering that the subsequent ten years of proscription imposed.

La quiebra de Lehman Brothers el 15 de septiembre de 2008 marcó un parteaguas en la actual crisis financiera/económica mundial. La decisión de las autoridades estadounidenses de no rescatar el banco ha sido objeto a un gran debate público y académico, pero casi siempre carente de una discusión a profundidad sobre el comportamiento del banco. William Black, un exregulador bancario reconocido por detectar los mayores fraudes durante la crisis bancaria de los Savings & Loan en los años ochenta en los Estados Unidos y uno de los criminólogo financiero más activos en la esfera pública estadounidense, ofrece al lector una visión de los negocios turbios de Lehman Brothers que le llevaron a su colapso. Con el respaldo de documentación pública, Black describe y analiza como Lehman Brothers actuaba como un “vector de fraude”, creando y recreando un ambiente criminal en el sector financiero que castiga al comportamiento honesto y premia el crimen financiero. Ese tema, central al entendimiento de la crisis, a la vez poco reconocido, se expone con la maestría de quien es uno de sus mejores conocedores.

This article will describe how academic libraries can (and should) be involved in experiential learning. The authors detail the impact experiential learning can have on the relevance of academic libraries to their universities. They discuss the benefits to libraries as well as students. In particular, the authors describe experiential learning at the James E. Walker Library and the partnerships formed, projects completed, lessons learned, and the benefits realized.

The website http://www.aldh.org is a publicly available database for nomenclature and functional and molecular sequence information for members of the aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) gene superfamily for animals, plants, fungi and bacteria. The site has organised gene-specific records. It provides synopses of ALDH gene records, marries trivial terms to correct nomenclature and links global accession identifiers with source data. Server-side alignment software characterises the integrity of each sequence relative to the latest genomic assembly and provides identifier-specific detail reports, including a graphical presentation of the transcript's exon - intron structure, its size, coding sequence, genomic strand and locus. Also included are a summary of substrates, inhibitors and enzyme kinetics. The site provides reference lists and is designed to facilitate data mining by interested investigators.

OBJECTIVE: The human aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) gene superfamily consists of 19 genes encoding enzymes critical for NAD(P)-dependent oxidation of endogenous and exogenous aldehydes, including drugs and environmental toxicants. Mutations in ALDH genes are the molecular basis of several disease states (e.g. Sjogren-Larsson syndrome, pyridoxine-dependent seizures, and type II hyperprolinemia) and may contribute to the etiology of complex diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's disease. The aim of this nomenclature update was to identify splice transcriptional variants principally for the human ALDH genes. METHODS: Data-mining methods were used to retrieve all human ALDH sequences. Alternatively spliced transcriptional variants were determined based on (i) criteria for sequence integrity and genomic alignment; (ii) evidence of multiple independent cDNA sequences corresponding to a variant sequence; and (iii) if available, empirical evidence of variants from the literature. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Alternatively spliced transcriptional variants and their encoded proteins exist for most of the human ALDH genes; however, their function and significance remain to be established. When compared with the human genome, rat and mouse include an additional gene, Aldh1a7, in the ALDH1A subfamily. To avoid confusion when identifying splice variants in various genomes, nomenclature guidelines for the naming of such alternative transcriptional variants and proteins are recommended herein. In addition, a web database (www.aldh.org) has been developed to provide up-to-date information and nomenclature guidelines for the ALDH superfamily.

The refracton hypothesis describes the lens and cornea together as a functional unit that provides the proper ocular transparent and refractive properties for the basis of normal vision. Similarities between the lens and corneal crystallins also suggest that both elements of the refracton may also contribute to the antioxidant defenses of the entire eye. The cornea is the primary physical barrier against environmental assault to the eye and functions as a dominant filter of UV radiation. It is routinely exposed to reactive oxygen species (ROS)-generating UV light and molecular O2 making it a target vulnerable to UV-induced damage. The cornea is equipped with several defensive mechanisms to counteract the deleterious effects of UV-induced oxidative damage. These comprise both non-enzymatic elements that include proteins and low molecular weight compounds (ferritin, glutathione, NAD(P)H, ascorbate and α-tocopherol) as well as various enzymes (catalase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and superoxide dismutase). Several proteins accumulate in the cornea at unusually high concentrations and have been classified as corneal crystallins based on the analogy of these proteins with the abundant taxon-specific lens crystallins. In addition to performing a structural role related to ocular transparency, corneal crystallins may also contribute to the corneal antioxidant systems through a variety of mechanisms including the direct scavenging of free radicals, the production of NAD(P)H, the metabolism and/or detoxification of toxic compounds (i.e. reactive aldehydes), and the direct absorption of UV radiation. In this review, we extend the discussion of the antioxidant defenses of the cornea to include these highly expressed corneal crystallins and address their specific capacities to minimize oxidative damage.

The identification of insufficient effort is critical to neuropsychological evaluation, and several existing instruments assess effort on neuropsychological tasks. Yet instruments designed to detect insufficient effort are underutilized in standard neuropsychological assessments, perhaps in part because they typically require significant administration time and are, therefore, not ideally suited to screening contexts. The Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM) is a commonly administered, well-validated symptom validity test. This study evaluates the utility of TOMM Trial 1 as a relatively brief screening measure of insufficient effort. Results suggest that TOMM Trial 1 demonstrates high diagnostic accuracy and is a viable option for screening insufficient effort. Diagnostic accuracy estimates are presented for a range of base rates. The need for more comprehensive SVT assessment in most clinical and forensic situation is discussed.

Objective Directly estimate the prevalence of cognitive malingering in persons claiming exposure to occupational and environmental substances. Methods Retrospective review of 128 neuropsychological cases with financial incentive. Estimates were based on two methods: (1) clinical identification using the Slick, Sherman and Iverson criteria for malingered neurocognitive dysfunction (MND), and (2) statistical modeling based on patient performance on several individual psychometric indicators of malingering. Results The prevalence based on the clinical method was 40%. The statistically based estimates ranged from 30% to more than 45% depending on model parameters. Different incentive parameters may influence prevalence. Conclusions Cognitive malingering in toxic exposure is common and must be adequately addressed in the clinical neuropsychological assessment of toxic exposure and in research on its neurocognitive effects or findings will likely over-estimate the degree of cognitive impairment and related disability.

Aldehyde dehydrogenase 3A1 (ALDH3A1) is highly expressed in epithelial cells and stromal keratocytes of mammalian cornea and is believed to play an important role in cellular defense. To explore a potential protective role against oxidative damage, a rabbit corneal fibroblastic cell line (TRK43) was stably transfected with the human ALDH3A1 and subjected to oxidative stress induced by H(2)O(2), mitomycin C (MMC), or etoposide (VP-16). ALDH3A1-transfected cells were more resistant to H(2)O(2,) MMC, and VP-16 compared to the vector-transfected cells. All treatments induced apoptosis only in vector-transfected cells, which was associated with increased levels of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE)-adducted proteins. Treatment with H(2)O(2) resulted in a rise in reduced glutathione (GSH) levels in all groups but was more pronounced in the ALDH3A1-expressing cells. Treatment with the DNA-damaging agents led to GSH depletion in control groups, although the depletion was significantly less in ALDH3A1-expressing cells. Increased carbonylation of ALDH3A1 but not significant decline in enzymatic activity was observed after all treatments. In conclusion, our results suggest that ALDH3A1 may act to protect corneal cells against cellular oxidative damage by metabolizing toxic lipid peroxidation products (e.g., 4-HNE), maintaining cellular GSH levels and redox balance, and operating as an antioxidant.

This study used a known-groups design to examine the classification accuracy of the Test of Memory Malingering in detecting cognitive malingering in patients claiming cognitive deficits due to exposure to environmental and industrial toxins. Thirty-three patients who met Slick et al. criteria for Malingered Neurocognitive Dysfunction were compared to 17 toxic exposure patients negative for evidence of malingering, 14 TBI patients and 22 memory disorder patients, both groups without incentive. The original cutoffs (45) for Trial 2 and Retention demonstrated perfect specificity (0% false positive error rate) and impressive sensitivity (50%). These findings indicate the TOMM can be used with confidence as an indicator of negative response bias in cases of cognitive deficits attributed to exposure to alleged neurotoxic substances.

Lifelong exposure to solar radiation in the ultraviolet spectrum can result in uncontrolled levels of reactive oxygen species and consequent lipid peroxidation of cellular membranes in ocular tissues. The peroxidative degradation of lipids yields the α, β − unsaturated aldehyde, 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE) as a major product. The electrophilic nature of this molecule toward cellular nucleophiles, including protein side chains (i.e., cysteine, histidine, and lysine), deoxyribonucleic acids (i.e., guanosine), and several phospholipid head groups (i.e., ethanolamines), requires its availability to be tightly regulated. Cellular levels of HNE in the eye appear to be regulated by several biotransformation pathways, with the level of HNE metabolizing capacity varying depending on the ocular tissue of interest. It has become increasingly clear that, in the eye, these pathways are essential to normal function and the prevention of several pathologies, all of which have HNE-related etiologies. It is likely t...

Despite strong interest in improving care for high-risk elders, demonstration projects typically show negative results. This paper examines one large foundation-sponsored initiative to ga...

Toxic torts are increasing across the country and often the results of the neuropsychological evaluation are crucial for defining damages. Therefore, the accurate differentiation of those damaged by toxic exposure from those exaggerating or fabricating deficits is important. However, there is little research on malingering in this context. Presented are four patients claiming cognitive deficits after apparent occupational neurotoxic exposure who were diagnosed as malingering using the Slick, Sherman, and Iverson criteria. The goals of this article were to (1) illustrate the application of the Slick Criteria; (2) discuss current knowledge about the neurological and neurocognitive effects of toxic substances and its impact on clinical decision-making; (3) discuss the application of the Slick Criteria, specifically, and malingering research, generally, to toxic exposure cases; and (4) propose a paradigm in which medical, toxicological and neuropsychology professionals coordinately evaluate cases of alleged neurotoxic chemical exposure.

Already famous for his best-selling books on Christian devotion and increasingly infamous for his attempts at a theological synthesis of Calvinist and Arminian perspectives on salvation—which (no surprise) pleased hardly anyone—Richard Baxter (1615–91) nearly succeeded in redefining English pastoral practice before the Restoration brought his experiment in pastor-led, parish-based reformation to a frustrating end. At the core of his efforts to bring reformation to Kidderminster lay his efforts to establish a parish-based system of church discipline that would preserve the integrity of the sacraments and thus rob separatists of one of their primary excuses for abandoning the parochial system. This article seeks to place Baxter's effort to develop a strategy for an effective church discipline in its historical context. In particular, I will first consider the precedents to the system which Richard Baxter developed for St. Mary's parish. Special attention will be given to Martin Bucer's Reformation-era prescription for reforming the discipline of the church and the intriguing possibility that Baxter's strategy was actually a recovery of Bucerian pastoral emphases. Second, I will trace the evolution of Baxter's own program for discipline. Finally, I will discuss the impact Baxter's discipline had on his wider goal of reformation, both in his parish and beyond.