In vivo assessment of inflammatory cells in contact lens wearers

Dissatisfaction with, and discontinuation from, contact lens wear is a source of major frustration and inconvenience to users, and a problem that is thought to cost the contact lens industry hundreds of millions of dollars each year. By directly and non-invasively monitoring inflammatory cells in the tissues at the front of the eye in symptomatic and asymptomatic lens wearers, the candidate has been able to demonstrate an inflammatory basis for contact lens discomfort. This finding may pave the way towards the development of strategies to make contact lenses more safe and afford greater levels of comfort.

Chromosomal rearrangements, phenotypic variation and modularity: A case study from a contact zone between house mouse Robertsonian races in Central Italy

The Western European house mouse, Mus musculus domesticus, is well-known for the high frequency of Robertsonian fusions that have rapidly produced more than 50 karyotipic races, making it an ideal model for studying the mechanisms of chromosomal speciation. The mouse mandible is one of the traits studied most intensively to investigate the effect of Robertsonian fusions on phenotypic variation within and between populations. This complex bone structure has also been widely used to study the level of integration between different morphogenetic units. Here, with the aim of testing the effect of different karyotypic assets on the morphology of the mouse mandible and on its level of modularity, we performed morphometric analyses of mice from a contact area between two highly metacentric races in Central Italy. We found no difference in size, while the mandible shape was found to be different between the two Robertsonian races, even after accounting for the genetic relationships among individuals and geographic proximity. Our results support the existence of two modules that indicate a certain degree of evolutionary independence, but no difference in the strength of modularity between chromosomal races. Moreover, the ascending ramus showed more pronounced interpopulation/race phenotypic differences than the alveolar region, an effect that could be associated to their different polygenic architecture. This study suggests that chromosomal rearrangements play a role in the house mouse phenotypic divergence, and that the two modules of the mouse mandible are differentially affected by environmental factors and genetic makeup.

Craving mediates stress in predicting lapse during alcohol dependence treatment

Background Stress, craving, and depressed mood have all been implicated in alcohol use treatment lapses. Few studies have examined all 3 factors. Progress has been limited because of difficulties with craving assessment. The Alcohol Craving Experience Questionnaire (ACE) is a new measure of alcohol craving. It is both psychometrically sound and conceptually rigorous. This prospective study examines a stress–treatment response model that incorporates mediation by craving and moderation by depressed mood and pharmacotherapy. Methods Five hundred and thirty-nine consecutively treated alcohol-dependent patients voluntarily participated in an abstinence-based 12-week cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) program at a hospital alcohol and drug outpatient clinic. Measures of stress, craving, depressed mood, and alcohol dependence severity were administered prior to treatment. Treatment lapse and treatment dropout were assessed over the 12-week program duration. Results Patients reporting greater stress experienced stronger and more frequent cravings. Stronger alcohol craving predicted lapse, after controlling for dependence severity, stress, depression, and pharmacotherapy. Alcohol craving mediated stress to predict lapse. Depressed mood and anticraving medication were not significant moderators. Conclusions Among treatment seeking, alcohol-dependent patients, craving mediated the relationship between stress and lapse. The effect was not moderated by depressed mood or anticraving medication.