Family-based HIV prevention and intervention services for youth living in poverty-affected contexts: the CHAMP model of collaborative, evidence-informed programme development

Family-based interventions with children who are affected by HIV and AIDS are not well established. The Collaborative HIV Prevention and Adolescent Mental Health Program (CHAMP) represents one of the few evidence-based interventions tested in low-income contexts in the US, Caribbean and South Africa. This paper provides a description of the theoretical and empirical bases of the development and implementation of CHAMP in two of these countries, the US and South Africa. In addition, with the advent of increasing numbers of children infected with HIV surviving into adolescence and young adulthood, a CHAMP+ family-based intervention, using the founding principles of CHAMP, has been developed to mitigate the risk influences associated with being HIV positive

Bar Evolution Over the Last Eight Billion Years: A Constant Fraction of Strong Bars in GEMS

One third of present-day spirals host optically visible strong bars that drive their dynamical evolution. However, the fundamental question of how bars evolve over cosmological times has yet to be addressed, and even the frequency of bars at intermediate redshifts remains controversial. We investigate the frequency of bars out to z~1.0 drawing on a sample of 1590 galaxies from the GEMS survey, which provides morphologies from HST ACS two-color images, and highly accurate redshifts from the COMBO-17 survey. We identify spiral galaxies using the Sersic index, concentration parameter, and rest-frame color. We characterize bars and disks by fitting ellipses to F606W and F850LP images, taking advantage of the two bands to minimize bandpass shifting. We exclude highly inclined (i>60 deg) galaxies to ensure reliable morphological classifications, and apply completeness cuts of M_v <= -19.3 and -20.6. More than 40% of the bars that we detect have semi major axes a<0.5" and would be easily missed in earlier surveys without the small PSF of ACS. The bars that we can reliably detect are fairly strong (with ellipticities e>=0.4) and have a in the range ~1.2-13 kpc. We find that the optical fraction of such strong bars remains at ~(30% +- 6%) from the present-day out to look-back times of 2-6 Gyr (z~0.2-0.7) and 6-8 Gyr (z~0.7-1.0); it certainly shows no sign of a drastic decline at z>0.7. Our findings of a large and similar bar fraction at these three epochs favor scenarios in which cold gravitationally unstable disks are already in place by z~1, and where on average bars have a long lifetime (well above 2 Gyr). The distributions of structural bar properties in the two slices are, however, not statistically identical and therefore allow for the possibility that the bar strengths and sizes may evolve over time.Comment: Accepted by ApJ Letters, to appear in Nov 2004 issue. Minor revisions,updated reference

Does patient-provider race/ethnicity concordance impact outcomes for adults with lupus?

Background: Health disparities exist among the 1.5 million Americans with lupus, with women of color bearing higher disease rates and burden. Complex reasons include genetics, comorbidities, and socioeconomics. These factors may lead to differences in health-related outcomes in lupus. Aim: To determine if patient-provider racial/ethnic concordance plays a role in outcomes for adults with lupus. Method: For this scoping review, the authors searched PubMed Medline and CINAHL using keywords and subject headings for lupus, race or ethnicity, and patient-health professional concordance. Results: Despite an intentionally broadened search of literature, the authors identified a lack of studies examining the topic. Conclusions: Certain factors may explain the results: a lack of scientists studying the phenomenon, a focus of funding on bench science, and a non-diverse U.S. healthcare provider workforce. Other factors may exist. Implications for practice, policy, and research are presented

The intercultural skills graduates and businesses in Europe need today

This project aims to develop the intercultural competencies of graduates and employees in Europe by enhancing the quality and relevance of their skills to enable them to be active professionals in the European working environment. The project investigates the perceived and actual intercultural competencies of graduates required by employers and then provides outputs that help address these needs. The project responds to the European Commission’s (EC) Strategic Framework – Education & Training 2020 view, that there has been a lack of focus on the involvement of social institutions on the cross-cultural skill-needs that companies have and on the effectiveness of investment in education and training in this area on business productivity. This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. Project Number 2019-1-UK01-KA203-061672. The project website in available below https://medialab.educationhost.co.uk/robbell/(link is external) The fist output is The Intercultural Skills Graduates and Businesses in Europe Need Today report and is availble at the website and the link below https://eprints.worc.ac.uk/9999/1/The%20Intercultural%20Skills%20Graduat...ERASMUS K203 Grant Project Number 2019-1-UK01-KA203-06167

Quantum Mechanics from Focusing and Symmetry

A foundation of quantum mechanics based on the concepts of focusing and symmetry is proposed. Focusing is connected to c-variables - inaccessible conceptually derived variables; several examples of such variables are given. The focus is then on a maximal accessible parameter, a function of the common c-variable. Symmetry is introduced via a group acting on the c-variable. From this, the Hilbert space is constructed and state vectors and operators are given a clear interpretation. The Born formula is proved from weak assumptions, and from this the usual rules of quantum mechanics are derived. Several paradoxes and other issues of quantum theory are discussed.Comment: 26 page

MCM3AP in recessive Charcot-Marie-Tooth neuropathy and mild intellectual disability

Defects in mRNA export from the nucleus have been linked to various neurodegenerative disorders. We report mutations in the gene MCM3AP, encoding the germinal center associated nuclear protein (GANP), in nine affected individuals from five unrelated families. The variants were associated with severe childhood onset primarily axonal (four families) or demyelinating (one family) Charcot-Marie-Tooth neuropathy. Mild to moderate intellectual disability was present in seven of nine affected individuals. The affected individuals were either compound heterozygous or homozygous for different MCM3AP variants, which were predicted to cause depletion of GANP or affect conserved amino acids with likely importance for its function. Accordingly, fibroblasts of affected individuals from one family demonstrated severe depletion of GANP. GANP has been described to function as an mRNA export factor, and to suppress TDP-43-mediated motor neuron degeneration in flies. Thus our results suggest defective mRNA export from nucleus as a potential pathogenic mechanism of axonal degeneration in these patients. The identification of MCM3AP variants in affected individuals from multiple centres establishes it as a disease gene for childhood-onset recessively inherited Charcot-Marie-Tooth neuropathy with intellectual disability.Peer reviewe

Report of the Regional Co-ordination Meeting for the North Sea and Eastern Arctic (RCM NS&EA) 2015

The RCM NS&EA met 31st August - 4th September 2015 at den Haag, Netherlands with 27 participants form 11 member states and autonomous regions attending, including representatives of ICES and the Commission. National correspondents from Spain, UK, Denmark, Lithuania, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands were present. The meeting was co-chaired by Katja Ringdahl (Sweden) and Alastair Pout (Scotland). The RCM N&SEA considered the recommendations from the 11th Liasion meeting and summaries were presented of the work of expert groups and end users for the 2014-15 period to the plenary session of the meeting. The expert groups included WGCATCH, PGDATA, WKISCON2, WKRDB 2014-01, RDB–SC, STECF and the Zagreb meeting on transversal variables. ICES, as a main end user, provided feedback. A summary was presented of the progress in the regional coordination project (fishPi). This project involves over 40 participants from 12 members states from NS&EA, NA and Baltic regions, two external statistical experts, and ICES. The project has a wide scope of regional cooperation issues including sampling designs, data formats, code lists, PETS, stomach sampling, small scale and recreational sampling, and data quality software production. It has a budget of €400,000, and a one year time line and with a planned completion date of April 2016. A project with identical aims is running in paralleled in the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions The majority of the ToRs of the RCM NS&EA were addressed by three subgroups: one concerned with data analysis, one with the landing obligation, and one with issues particularly related to role and work of national correspondents

Exome Sequencing and Genetic Testing for MODY

Context: Genetic testing for monogenic diabetes is important for patient care. Given the extensive genetic and clinical heterogeneity of diabetes, exome sequencing might provide additional diagnostic potential when standard Sanger sequencing-based diagnostics is inconclusive. Objective: The aim of the study was to examine the performance of exome sequencing for a molecular diagnosis of MODY in patients who have undergone conventional diagnostic sequencing of candidate genes with negative results. Research Design and Methods: We performed exome enrichment followed by high-throughput sequencing in nine patients with suspected MODY. They were Sanger sequencing-negative for mutations in the HNF1A, HNF4A, GCK, HNF1B and INS genes. We excluded common, non-coding and synonymous gene variants, and performed in-depth analysis on filtered sequence variants in a pre-defined set of 111 genes implicated in glucose metabolism. Results: On average, we obtained 45 X median coverage of the entire targeted exome and found 199 rare coding variants per individual. We identified 0–4 rare non-synonymous and nonsense variants per individual in our a priori list of 111 candidate genes. Three of the variants were considered pathogenic (in ABCC8, HNF4A and PPARG, respectively), thus exome sequencing led to a genetic diagnosis in at least three of the nine patients. Approximately 91% of known heterozygous SNPs in the target exomes were detected, but we also found low coverage in some key diabetes genes using our current exome sequencing approach. Novel variants in the genes ARAP1, GLIS3, MADD, NOTCH2 and WFS1 need further investigation to reveal their possible role in diabetes. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that exome sequencing can improve molecular diagnostics of MODY when used as a complement to Sanger sequencing. However, improvements will be needed, especially concerning coverage, before the full potential of exome sequencing can be realized

Quantifying primaquine effectiveness and improving adherence: a round table discussion of the APMEN Vivax Working Group.

The goal to eliminate malaria from the Asia-Pacific by 2030 will require the safe and widespread delivery of effective radical cure of malaria. In October 2017, the Asia Pacific Malaria Elimination Network Vivax Working Group met to discuss the impediments to primaquine (PQ) radical cure, how these can be overcome and the methodological difficulties in assessing clinical effectiveness of radical cure. The salient discussions of this meeting which involved 110 representatives from 18 partner countries and 21 institutional partner organizations are reported. Context specific strategies to improve adherence are needed to increase understanding and awareness of PQ within affected communities; these must include education and health promotion programs. Lessons learned from other disease programs highlight that a package of approaches has the greatest potential to change patient and prescriber habits, however optimizing the components of this approach and quantifying their effectiveness is challenging. In a trial setting, the reactivity of participants results in patients altering their behaviour and creates inherent bias. Although bias can be reduced by integrating data collection into the routine health care and surveillance systems, this comes at a cost of decreasing the detection of clinical outcomes. Measuring adherence and the factors that relate to it, also requires an in-depth understanding of the context and the underlying sociocultural logic that supports it. Reaching the elimination goal will require innovative approaches to improve radical cure for vivax malaria, as well as the methods to evaluate its effectiveness

Mapping the visible and invisible topgraphies of place and landscape through sacred mobilities

Different forms of mobility produce specific situated experiences, and consequently orient the subject differently in relation to those places at particular times. Places and landscapes are agential, evoking and provoking emotional-affective and, in some cases spiritual, engagement. In common with spirituality, emotional ties reach across time and place, ultimately they are both carried within and catalysed by meaningful places and embodied experience of landscape. Sacred mobilities are meaningful and meaning-making journeys and practices which have religious or spiritual intent. Sacred mobilities reflect and give meaning to place and landscape attributes, including place attachment. Embodied mobilities intersect with place, wider landscapes and perceived or virtual spiritual realms in varied ways, producing ‘deep maps’ of individual and collective sensory, emotional-affective and spiritual experience in material, embodied psychological and virtual spaces. Participant accounts of guided pilgrimage and prayer walks are used to explore experience of place and landscape