Sibling Relationship Development and Sharing Behaviors in Early Childhood

The focus of this dissertation is on early sibling relationships, an oft neglected topic in child development research. The first study focuses on early sibling sharing behavior and its relationship with children’s moral development. Next, the focus widens to incorporate a broader family ecology, specifically parenting and marital quality. Finally, Study 3 addresses the very beginnings of sibling relationships by focusing on mothers having their second child and their concerns. Study 1 examined sharing behaviors between toddlers and their older siblings, and relations between sharing and conscience development from 18 to 36 months of age. There was no stability of individual differences in older and younger siblings’ sharing behaviors across all three timepoints, suggesting that young children’s individual sibling sharing behaviors may not follow a linear developmental trajectory in early childhood. Instead of bidirectional relations between older and young siblings’ sharing behaviors over time, older siblings’ sharing at 18 months predicted younger siblings’ sharing at 24 months, suggesting that older siblings tend to play a more dominant role in dyadic interactions. Both older and younger siblings’ moral regulation directly predicted older and younger siblings’ sharing at 24 months, respectively, indicating that sibling sharing behaviors may be consequences of their internalization of moral regulation. Study 2 investigated the associations among interparental relationship quality, parenting discipline strategies, and sharing behaviors in both older and younger siblings during early childhood. Inductive discipline as reported by both fathers and mothers at 24 months did not predict older and younger sibling sharing one year later. Relations between study variables, however, did indicate relationship spillover instead of compensation, between positive interparental relationship quality and parental inductive discipline strategies. Fathers’ discipline strategies were neither more vulnerable to negative interparental relationship quality, nor were they uniquely supported by positive interparental relationship quality. Instead, mothers appeared to be most supported in their parenting strategies by positive interparental relationship quality. Study 3 isolated predominant topics expressed on the BabyCenter internet website during the transition to the second child (both pre- and post-birth), using Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) and qualitative analysis. The findings suggest that topics discussed by second-time mothers in the BabyCenter groups coincide with topics expressed by mothers isolated in the previous qualitative literature decades earlier. Further, topics expressed online during the transition to the second child (both pre- and post-birth) indicate that, similar to previous research from decades earlier, second-time mothers in the current sample were still concerned about many of the same topics, such as if they could love their second child as much as their first or whether they would receive the support they desired from friends and family. This research suggests that second-time motherhood is a transition that requires unique suggestions and interventions. Findings from these three studies indicate that overall children are distinctly influenced by their sibling relationships and that their prosocial and moral development occurs in a broader context beyond that of the mother-child dyad.PHDPsychologyUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/145875/1/ebcarlso_1.pd

Primer selection impacts specific population abundances but not community dynamics in a monthly time-series 16S rRNA gene amplicon analysis of coastal marine bacterioplankton.

Primers targeting the 16S small subunit ribosomal RNA marker gene, used to characterize bacterial and archaeal communities, have recently been re-evaluated for marine planktonic habitats. To investigate whether primer selection affects the ecological interpretation of bacterioplankton populations and community dynamics, amplicon sequencing with four primer sets targeting several hypervariable regions of the 16S rRNA gene was conducted on both mock communities constructed from cloned 16S rRNA genes and a time-series of DNA samples from the temperate coastal Santa Barbara Channel. Ecological interpretations of community structure (delineation of depth and seasonality, correlations with environmental factors) were similar across primer sets, while population dynamics varied. We observed substantial differences in relative abundances of taxa known to be poorly resolved by some primer sets, such as Thaumarchaeota and SAR11, and unexpected taxa including Roseobacter clades. Though the magnitude of relative abundances of common OTUs differed between primer sets, the relative abundances of the OTUs were nonetheless strongly correlated. We do not endorse one primer set but rather enumerate strengths and weaknesses to facilitate selection appropriate to a system or experimental goal. While 16S rRNA gene primer bias suggests caution in assessing quantitative population dynamics, community dynamics appear robust across studies using different primers

Un Gran Viaje A Data Visualization of Latin American Immigration

The story of the Latin American immigrant making their "gran viaje" or great journey to the United States transcends conversations presented in news articles and political rhetoric. Immigration trends, both past and present, reveal a rich history of social injustices, governmental instability, and civil conflict. This historical context gives life to an analytical understanding of immigration populations that are much more than numbers and statistics. In this project, we explore the connections between a series of data visualizations of Latin American immigration and the historical push-pull factors moving individuals across continents. This presentation aims to enlighten viewers to the story-telling ability of large data frames, and to the possibilities of intersecting areas of study

Perceptions of green space usage, abundance, and quality of green space were associated with better mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic among residents of Denver

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted both physical and mental health. This study aimed to understand whether exposure to green space buffered against stress and distress during the COVID-19 pandemic while taking into account significant stressors of the pandemic. Methods We leveraged a cross-sectional survey on green space exposure and mental health among residents of Denver, CO that ran from November 2019 through January 2021. We measured objective green space as the average NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index) from aerial imagery within 300m and 500m of the participant&rsquo;s residence. Perceived green space was measured through Likert scores on five questions about vegetation near the home that captured perceived abundance, visibility, access, usage, and quality of green space. We used generalized linear models to assess the relationship between each green space exposure variable and perceived stress (PSS-4), depression (CES-D-10), or anxiety (MMPI-2) adjusted for sociodemographic and COVID-19 impact variables. Results We found significantly higher depression scores for all covid periods compared to the &ldquo;before covid&rdquo; period, and significantly higher anxiety scores during the &ldquo;fall wave&rdquo; compared to earlier periods. Adjusted for sociodemographic and pandemic stressors, we found that spending a lot of time in green space (usage) was significantly associated with lower anxiety and depression. We also observed significantly lower depression scores associated with NDVI in both buffers (objective abundance) and significantly lower anxiety scores with perceived abundance of green space. There was some evidence of lower anxiety scores for people reporting having high quality green spaces near the home (quality). We did not observe significant associations for any green space metric and perceived stress after adjustment for confounding variables. Conclusion Our work provides further evidence of mental health benefits associated with green space exposure during the COVID-19 pandemic even after adjustment for sociodemographic variables and significant pandemic-related stressors. &nbsp;</p

Evaluate the safety and efficacy of dura sealant patch in reducing cerebrospinal fluid leakage following elective cranial surgery (ENCASE II): study protocol for a randomized, two-arm, multicenter trial

BACKGROUND Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage is a frequent and challenging complication in neurosurgery, especially in the posterior fossa, with a prevalence of 8%. It is associated with substantial morbidity and increased healthcare costs. A novel dural sealant patch (LIQOSEAL) was developed for watertight dural closure. The objective of this study is to clinically assess the safety and effectiveness of LIQOSEAL as a means of reducing intra- as well as postoperative CSF leakage in patients undergoing elective posterior fossa intradural surgery with a dural closure procedure compared to the best currently available dural sealants. METHODS We will conduct a two-arm, randomized controlled, multicenter study with a 90-day follow-up. A total of 228 patients will be enrolled in 19 sites, of which 114 will receive LIQOSEAL and 114 an FDA-approved PEG sealant. The composite primary endpoint is defined as intraoperative CSF leakage at PEEP 20 cm H$_{2}$O, percutaneous CSF leakage within 90 days of, wound infection within 90 days of or pseudomeningocele of more than 20cc on MRI or requiring intervention. We hypothesize that the primary endpoint will not be reached by more than 10 patients (9%) in the investigational arm, which will demonstrate non-inferiority of LIQOSEAL compared to control. DISCUSSION This trial will evaluate whether LIQOSEAL is non-inferior to control as a means of reducing CSF leakage and safety TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04086550 . Registered on 11 September 2019

CSP alpha reduces aggregates and rescues striatal dopamine release in alpha-synuclein transgenic mice

alpha-Synuclein aggregation at the synapse is an early event in Parkinson's disease and is associated with impaired striatal synaptic function and dopaminergic neuronal death. The cysteine string protein (CSP alpha) and alpha-synuclein have partially overlapping roles in maintaining synaptic function and mutations in each cause neurodegenerative diseases. CSP alpha is a member of the DNAJ/HSP40 family of co-chaperones and like alpha-synuclein, chaperones the SNARE complex assembly and controls neurotransmitter release. alpha-Synuclein can rescue neurodegeneration in CSP alpha KO mice. However, whether alpha-synuclein aggregation alters CSP alpha expression and function is unknown. Here we show that alpha-synuclein aggregation at the synapse is associated with a decrease in synaptic CSP alpha and a reduction in the complexes that CSP alpha forms with HSC70 and STG alpha. We further show that viral delivery of CSP alpha rescues in uitro the impaired vesicle recycling in PC12 cells with alpha-synuclein aggregates and in uiuo reduces synaptic alpha-synuclein aggregates increasing monomeric alpha-synuclein and restoring normal dopamine release in 1-120h alpha Syn mice. These novel findings reveal a mechanism by which alpha-synuclein aggregation alters CSP alpha at the synapse, and show that CSP alpha rescues alpha-synuclein aggregation-related phenotype in 1-120h alpha Syn mice similar to the effect of alpha-synuclein in CSP alpha KO mice. These results implicate CSP alpha as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of earlystage Parkinson's disease

Zibotentan in combination with dapagliflozin compared with dapagliflozin in patients with chronic kidney disease (ZENITH-CKD): a multicentre, randomised, active-controlled, phase 2b, clinical trial

Background: In patients with chronic kidney disease, SGLT2 inhibitors and endothelin A receptor antagonists (ERAs) can reduce albuminuria and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) decline. We assessed the albuminuria-lowering efficacy and safety of the ERA zibotentan combined with the SGLT2 inhibitor dapagliflozin. // Methods: ZENITH-CKD was a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, active-controlled clinical trial, done in 170 clinical practice sites in 18 countries. Adults (≥18 to ≤90 years) with an estimated GFR (eGFR) of 20 mL/min per 1·73 m2 or greater and a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) of 150–5000 mg/g were randomly assigned (2:1:2) to 12 weeks of daily treatment with zibotentan 1·5 mg plus dapagliflozin 10 mg, zibotentan 0·25 mg plus dapagliflozin 10 mg, or dapagliflozin 10 mg plus placebo, as adjunct to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers if tolerated. The primary endpoint was a change from baseline in log-transformed UACR (zibotentan 1·5 mg plus dapagliflozin vs dapagliflozin plus placebo) at week 12. Fluid retention was an event of special interest, defined as an increase in bodyweight of at least 3% (at least 2·5% must have been from total body water) from baseline or an increase of at least 100% in B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and either a BNP concentration greater than 200 pg/mL if without atrial fibrillation or BNP greater than 400 pg/mL if with atrial fibrillation. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04724837, and is completed. // Findings: Between April 28, 2021, and Jan 17, 2023, we assessed 1492 participants for eligibility. For the main analysis, we randomly assigned 449 (30%) participants, 447 (99%) of whom (mean age 62·8 years [SD 12·1], 138 [31%] female, 309 [69%] male, 305 [68%] White, mean eGFR 46·7 mL/min per 1·73 m2 [SD 22·4], and median UACR 565·5 mg/g [IQR 243·0–1212·6]) received treatment with zibotentan 1·5 mg plus dapagliflozin (n=179 [40%]), zibotentan 0·25 mg plus dapagliflozin (n=91 [20%]), or dapagliflozin plus placebo (n=177 [40%]). Zibotentan 1·5 mg plus dapagliflozin and zibotentan 0·25 mg plus dapagliflozin reduced UACR versus dapagliflozin plus placebo throughout the treatment period of the study. At week 12, the difference in UACR versus dapagliflozin plus placebo was –33·7% (90% CI –42·5 to –23·5; p<0·0001) for zibotentan 1·5 mg plus dapagliflozin and –27·0% (90% CI –38·4 to –13·6; p=0·0022) for zibotentan 0·25 mg plus dapagliflozin. Fluid-retention events were observed in 33 (18%) of 179 participants in the zibotentan 1·5 mg plus dapagliflozin group, eight (9%) of 91 in the zibotentan 0·25 mg plus dapagliflozin group, and 14 (8%) of 177 in the dapagliflozin plus placebo group. // Interpretation: Zibotentan combined with dapagliflozin reduced albuminuria with an acceptable tolerability and safety profile and is an option to reduce chronic kidney disease progression in patients already receiving currently recommended therapy. // Funding: AstraZeneca

Brain activity during divided and selective attention to auditory and visual sentence comprehension tasks

Peer reviewe