Evaluation Capacity Building in Pretrial Diversion Services: A Case Study

Despite increasing use of adult pretrial diversion programs in recent years, the limited capacity to produce, analyze, and translate evaluation data in pretrial diversion programs has frequently resulted in policy and programmatic decisions being made on the basis of little or no empirical information. This paper presents a case study of the development of an evaluation system for the Alaska Pretrial Intervention (PTI) program of the Alaska Department of Law which can generate timely results for policymaking as well as monitor staff productivity.Alaska Department of LawIntroduction / Alaska Pretrial Program / Development of an Evaluation Effort / Conclusions / Note / Bibliography / Map of PTI program location

An ACACB variant implicated in diabetic nephropathy associates with body mass index and gene expression in obese subjects

Acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase B gene (ACACB) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2268388 is reproducibly associated with type 2 diabetes (T2DM)-associated nephropathy (DN). ACACB knock-out mice are also protected from obesity. This study assessed relationships between rs2268388, body mass index (BMI) and gene expression in multiple populations, with and without T2DM. Among subjects without T2DM, rs2268388 DN risk allele (T) associated with higher BMI in Pima Indian children (n = 2021; p-additive = 0.029) and African Americans (AAs) (n = 177; p-additive = 0.05), with a trend in European Americans (EAs) (n = 512; p-additive = 0.09), but not Germans (n = 858; p-additive = 0.765). Association with BMI was seen in a meta-analysis including all non-T2DM subjects (n = 3568; p-additive = 0.02). Among subjects with T2DM, rs2268388 was not associated with BMI in Japanese (n = 2912) or EAs (n = 1149); however, the T allele associated with higher BMI in the subset with BMI≥30 kg/m(2) (n = 568 EAs; p-additive = 0.049, n = 196 Japanese; p-additive = 0.049). Association with BMI was strengthened in a T2DM meta-analysis that included an additional 756 AAs (p-additive = 0.080) and 48 Hong Kong Chinese (p-additive = 0.81) with BMI≥30 kg/m(2) (n = 1575; p-additive = 0.0033). The effect of rs2268388 on gene expression revealed that the T risk allele associated with higher ACACB messenger levels in adipose tissue (41 EAs and 20 AAs with BMI\u3e30 kg/m(2); p-additive = 0.018) and ACACB protein levels in the liver tissue (mixed model p-additive = 0.03, in 25 EA bariatric surgery patients with BMI\u3e30 kg/m(2) for 75 exams). The T allele also associated with higher hepatic triglyceride levels. These data support a role for ACACB in obesity and potential roles for altered lipid metabolism in susceptibility to DN

Plunge Show Card

Haggerty Gallery Inaugural Opening. Show Card for Plunge.https://digitalcommons.udallas.edu/plunge/1000/thumbnail.jp

Emergency department assessment of mild traumatic brain injury and the prediction of postconcussive symptoms: A 3-month prospective study

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the utility of a brief emergency department (ED) bedside screen for the prediction of postconcussive symptoms at 3 months following mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI). PARTICIPANTS: One hundred patients with MTBI (78% men; mean age = 33.6 years); 2 control groups (each n = 100), a "minor nonhead injury" group (77% men; mean age = 32.2 years) and an "uninjured ED visitor" group (78% men; mean age = 33.6 years). MAIN MEASURES: Brief measures of neuropsychological functioning, acute pain, and postural stability were collected in the ED; telephone follow-up at 3 months using the Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire was undertaken. RESULTS: Neuropsychological deficits, acute pain, and postural instability in the ED were significantly associated with postconcussive symptoms at 3-month follow-up. A regression formula using 3 easily obtainable measures obtained during acute stage of injury-immediate and delayed memory for 5 words and a visual analog scale score of acute headache-provided 80% sensitivity and 76% specificity for the prediction of clinically significant symptoms at 3 months postinjury. CONCLUSION: A small combination of variables assessable in the ED may predict MTBI patients likely to experience persistent postconcussive symptoms

Idiopathic Polyneuropathy in Alaskan Malamutes

Clinical and morphologic features of a progressive polyneuropathy in young mature Alaskan Malamutes are described. Clinical signs included progressive paraparesis, synchronous pelvic limb gait, exercise intolerance, hyperesthesia, hypore‐flexia, muscle atrophy, and tetraplegia. Electromyographic testing revealed diffuse fibrillation potentials and positive sharp waves in limb muscles, especially in muscles below the elbow and stifle. Pathologic findings in skeletal muscles and peripheral nerves included neurogenic muscle atrophy, focal or diffuse loss of myelinated nerve fibers, myelinoaxonal necrosis, and variable demyelination or remyelination. Ultrastructural changes included axonal degeneration, presence of numerous Büngner bands, and denervated Schwann cell subunits. The nature and distribution of abnormal electrophysiologic and pathologic findings were suggestive of a distal sensorimotor polyneuropathy, which we have termed idiopathic polyneuropathy of Alaskan Malamutes to distinguish this condition from hereditary polyneuropathy of Norwegian Alaskan Malamutes, last described in 1982

Systematic Investigation of the Molecular and Electronic Structure of Thorium and Uranium Phosphorus and Arsenic Complexes

In continuing to examine the interaction of actinide-ligand bonds with soft donor ligands, a comparative investigation with phosphorus and arsenic was conducted. A reaction of (C5Me5)2AnMe2, An = Th, U, with 2 equiv of H2AsMes, Mes = 2,4,6-Me3C6H2, forms the primary bis(arsenido) complexes (C5Me5)2An[As(H)Mes]2. Both exhibit thermal instability at room temperature, leading to the elimination of H2, and the formation of the diarsenido species, (C5Me5)2An(η2-As2Mes2). The analogous diphosphido complexes, (C5Me5)2An(η2-P2Mes2), could not be synthesized via the same route, even upon heating the bis(phosphido) species to 100 °C in toluene. However, they were accessible via the reaction of dimesityldiphosphane, MesP(H)P(H)Mes, with (C5Me5)2AnMe2 at 70 °C in toluene. When (C5Me5)2AnMe2 is reacted with 1 equiv of H2AsMes, the bridging μ2-arsinidiide complexes [(C5Me5)2An]2(μ2-AsMes)2 are formed. Upon reaction of (C5Me5)2UMe2 with 1 equiv of H2PMes, the phosphinidiide [(C5Me5)2U(μ2-PMes)]2 is isolated. However, the analogous thorium reaction leads to a phosphido and C−H bond activation of the methyl on the mesityl group, forming {(C5Me5)2Th[P(H)(2,4-Me2C6H2-6-CH2)]}2. The reactivity of [(C5Me5)2An(μ2-EMes)]2 was investigated with OPPh3 in an effort to produce terminal phosphinidene or arsinidene complexes. For E = As, An = U, a U(III) cation−anion pair [(C5Me5)2U(η2-As2Mes2)][(C5Me5)2U(OPPh3)2] is isolated. The reaction of [(C5Me5)2Th(μ2-AsMes)]2 with OPPh3 does not result in a terminal arsinidene but, instead, eliminates PPh3 to yield a bridging arsinidiide/oxo complex, [(C5Me5)2Th]2(μ2-AsMes)(μ2-O). Finally, the combination of [(C5Me5)2U(μ2-PMes)]2 and OPPh3 yields a terminal phosphinidene, (C5Me5)2U(PMes)(OPPh3), featuring a short U−P bond distance of 2.502(2) Å. Electrochemical measurements on the uranium pnictinidiide complexes demonstrate only a 0.04 V difference with phosphorus as a slightly better donor. Magnetic measurements on the uranium complexes show more excited-state mixing and therefore higher magnetic moments with the arsenic-containing compounds but no deviation from uncoupled U(IV) behavior. Finally, a quantum theory of atoms in molecules analysis shows highly polarized actinide-pnictogen bonds with similar bonding characteristics, supporting the electrochemical and magnetic measurements of similar bonding between actinide-phosphorus and actinide-arsenic bonds

A Synthetically Tunable System To Control MLCT Excited-State Lifetimes and Spin States in Iron(II) Polypyridines

2,2′:6′,2″-Terpyridyl (tpy) ligands modified by fluorine (dftpy), chlorine (dctpy), or bromine (dbtpy) substitution at the 6- and 6″-positions are used to synthesize a series of bis-homoleptic Fe­(II) complexes. Two of these species, [Fe­(dctpy)₂]²⁺ and [Fe­(dbtpy)₂]²⁺, which incorporate the larger dctpy and dbtpy ligands, assume a high-spin quintet ground state due to substituent-induced intramolecular strain. The smaller fluorine atoms in [Fe­(dftpy)₂]²⁺ enable spin crossover with a <i>T</i>_1/2 of 220 K and a mixture of low-spin (singlet) and high-spin (quintet) populations at room temperature. Taking advantage of this equilibrium, dynamics originating from either the singlet or quintet manifold can be explored using variable wavelength laser excitation. Pumping at 530 nm leads to ultrafast nonradiative relaxation from the singlet metal-to-ligand charge transfer (¹MLCT) excited state into a quintet metal centered state (⁵MC) as has been observed for prototypical low-spin Fe­(II) polypyridine complexes such as [Fe­(tpy)₂]²⁺. On the other hand, pumping at 400 nm excites the molecule into the quintet manifold (⁵MLCT ← ⁵MC) and leads to the observation of a greatly increased MLCT lifetime of 14.0 ps. Importantly, this measurement enables an exploration of how the lifetime of the ⁵MLCT (or ⁷MLCT, in the event of intersystem crossing) responds to the structural modifications of the series as a whole. We find that increasing the amount of steric strain serves to extend the lifetime of the ^5,7MLCT from 14.0 ps for [Fe­(dftpy)₂]²⁺ to the largest known value at 17.4 ps for [Fe­(dbtpy)₂]²⁺. These data support the design hypothesis wherein interligand steric interactions are employed to limit conformational dynamics and/or alter relative state energies, thereby slowing nonradiative loss of charge-transfer energy

Elucidating the Mechanism of Uranium Mediated Diazene NN Bond Cleavage

Investigation into the reactivity of reduced uranium species toward diazenes has revealed key intermediates in the four-electron cleavage of azobenzene. Trivalent Tp*₂U­(CH₂Ph) (<b>1a</b>) (Tp* = hydrotris­(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)­borate) and Tp*₂U­(2,2′-bpy) (<b>1b</b>) both perform the two-electron reduction of diazenes affording η²-hydrazido complexes Tp*₂U­(AzBz) (<b>2-AzBz</b>) (AzBz = azobenzene) and Tp*₂U­(BCC) (<b>2-BCC</b>) (BCC = benzo­[<i>c</i>]­cinnoline) in contrast to precursors of the bis­(Cp*) (Cp* = 1,2,3,4,5-pentamethylcyclopentadienide) ligand framework. The four-electron cleavage of diazenes to give <i>trans</i>-bis­(imido) species was possible by using Cp*U­(^MesPDI^Me)­(THF) (<b>3</b>) (^MesPDI^Me = 2,6-((Mes)­NCMe)₂-C₅H₃N, Mes = 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl), which is supported by a highly reduced trianionic chelate that undergoes electron transfer. This proceeds via concerted addition at a single uranium center supported by both a crossover experiment and through addition of an asymmetrically substituted diazene, Ph-NN-Tol. Further investigation of <b>3</b> and its substituted analogue, Cp*U­(^<i>t</i>Bu-^MesPDI^Me)­(THF) (<b>3-</b>^{<i><b>t</b></i>}<b>Bu</b>) (^<i>t</i>Bu-^MesPDI^Me = 2,6-((Mes)­NCMe)₂-<i>p</i>-C­(CH₃)₃-C₅H₂N), with benzo­[<i>c</i>]­cinnoline, revealed that the four-electron cleavage occurs first by a single electron reduction of the diazene with the redox chemistry performed solely at the redox-active pyridine­(diimine) to form dimeric [Cp*U­(BCC)­(^MesHPDI^Me)]₂ (<b>5</b>) and Cp*U­(BCC)­(^<i>t</i>Bu-^MesPDI^Me) (<b>6</b>). While a transient pyridine­(diimine) triplet diradical in the formation of <b>5</b> results in H atom abstraction and <i>p</i>-pyridine coupling, the <i>tert</i>-butyl moiety in <b>6</b> allows for electronic rearrangement to occur, precluding deleterious pyridine-radical coupling. The monomeric analogue of <b>5</b>, Cp*U­(BCC)­(^MesPDI^Me) (<b>7</b>), was synthesized via salt metathesis from Cp*UI­(^MesPDI^Me) (<b>3-I</b>). All complexes have been characterized by ¹H NMR and electronic absorption spectroscopies, X-ray diffraction, and, where pertinent, EPR spectroscopy. Further, the electronic structures of <b>3-I</b>, <b>5</b>, and <b>7</b> have been investigated by SQUID magnetometry

A modified heterotopic swine hind limb transplant model for translational vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA) research.

Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation (VCA) such as hand and face transplants represent a viable treatment option for complex musculoskeletal trauma and devastating tissue loss. Despite favorable and highly encouraging early and intermediate functional outcomes, rejection of the highly immunogenic skin component of a VCA and potential adverse effects of chronic multi-drug immunosuppression continue to hamper widespread clinical application of VCA. Therefore, research in this novel field needs to focus on translational studies related to unique immunologic features of VCA and to develop novel immunomodulatory strategies for immunomodulation and tolerance induction following VCA without the need for long term immunosuppression. This article describes a reliable and reproducible translational large animal model of VCA that is comprised of an osteomyocutaneous flap in a MHC-defined swine heterotopic hind limb allotransplantation. Briefly, a well-vascularized skin paddle is identified in the anteromedial thigh region using near infrared laser angiography. The underlying muscles, knee joint, distal femur, and proximal tibia are harvested on a femoral vascular pedicle. This allograft can be considered both a VCA and a vascularized bone marrow transplant with its unique immune privileged features. The graft is transplanted to a subcutaneous abdominal pocket in the recipient animal with a skin component exteriorized to the dorsolateral region for immune monitoring. Three surgical teams work simultaneously in a well-coordinated manner to reduce anesthesia and ischemia times, thereby improving efficiency of this model and reducing potential confounders in experimental protocols. This model serves as the groundwork for future therapeutic strategies aimed at reducing and potentially eliminating the need for chronic multi-drug immunosuppression in VCA