Dennis Chambers (kettlepear3)

Utilizing the CBENR-based PNK sensor, ultrasensitive detection of PNK activity was achieved with a detection limit as low as 3.0 × 10-6 U mL-1. Quantification of endogenous PNK activity at the single-cell level and the screening/evaluation of PNK inhibitors were also achieved.BACKGROUND Borderline personality disorder (BPD) and substance use disorder (SUD) frequently co-occur. Although some research has investigated the factors related to this comorbidity, few have isolated the effects of SUD on a BPD diagnosis. METHODS Patients presenting for treatment were assessed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, the BPD module of the Structured Interview for DSM-IV Personality, the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), and the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). Analyses were conducted to determine how individuals diagnosed with BPD differ from individuals diagnosed with BPD and SUD. RESULTS Among the BPD diagnostic criteria, patients with comorbid BPD and SUD endorsed impulsivity at higher rates, and patients with only BPD more frequently endorsed frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment. The 2 groups were not distinguished by scores on the DERS, although the comorbid group reported higher FFMQ scores, specifically on the acting with awareness subscale. CONCLUSIONS Borderline personality disorder is fundamentally based on emotion dysregulation. Substance use and efforts to avoid abandonment are both forms of maladaptive coping that stem from this dysregulation, and individuals with BPD may tend to rely on one or the other. Future studies should continue to evaluate these clinical features across diverse groups.BACKGROUND Patients who drop out of clinical trials examining posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may have different characteristics than patients who continue. These characteristics have never been examined in prior PTSD and attrition trials. Our goal was to examine how demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with PTSD impact attrition in a randomized controlled trial. METHODS A total of 18 participants were recruited. Data were collected through questionnaires to assess PTSD, depression, and mood disorders. Fisher's exact test was used to examine the association of various categorical demographic and clinical variables with dropout. A Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to examine differences in medians. RESULTS The median total PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 score was 38 for patients who dropped out and 53 for those who did not. The depression scale total was also lower for the dropout group (7 vs 15). The insomnia index was lower for those who did not remain in the study (15 vs 21). CONCLUSIONS Posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, depression, and insomnia were less severe in patients who dropped out compared with those who did not. Larger studies are needed to further examine these findings. This study could help guide future recruitment efforts for clinical trials examining PTSD.BACKGROUND DSM-5 introduced the anxious distress specifier in recognition of the significance of anxiety in patients who are depressed. Studies have supported the validity of the specifier in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). In this report from the Rhode Island Methods to Improve Diagnostic Assessment and Services (MIDAS) project, we examined the validity of the specifier in patients with bipolar depression. METHODS Forty-nine patients with a principal diagnosis of bipolar depression and 369 with MDD were evaluated with semi-structured diagnostic interviews, including the DSM-5 Anxious Distress Specifier Interview (DADSI). The patients were rated on measures of depression, anxiety, and irritability, and completed self-report measures. RESULTS The majority of patients with bipolar depression met the DSM-5 anxious distress specifier, no different than the frequency in patients with MDD. The DADSI was significantly correlated with other measures of anxiety, and more highly correlated