Association of the FCRL3 gene with rheumatoid arthritis: a further example of population specificity?

Association of a functional promoter polymorphism mapping to the Fc receptor-like 3 (FCRL3) gene has recently been reported and replicated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Japanese populations. The aim of this study was to investigate association of the FCRL3 gene with RA in UK subjects. DNA was available from 1065 patients with RA and 2073 population controls from the UK. Four single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers (FCRL3-169*C/T (fclr3_3, rs7528684), fclr3_4 (rs11264799), fclr3_5 (rs945635), fclr3_6 (rs3761959)) all previously associated with RA in a Japanese population were genotyped in 761 RA samples and 484 controls. In the remaining samples, only the putative disease causal polymorphism, FCRL3-169*C/T, was tested. Genotyping was performed using either the Sequenom MassArray iPlex platform or a 5' Allelic discrimination assay (Taqman, ABI). Extensive linkage disequilibrium was present across the promoter SNPs genotyped (r(2) values = 0.60-0.98). Allele frequencies did not differ between RA cases and controls either for the putative disease causal polymorphism (odds ratio FCRL3-169*C allele = 0.97 (0.87-1.07), p = 0.51) or for the other SNPs tested. Similarly, no association was detected with RA using haplotype analysis or when stratification by shared epitope carriage or by presence of rheumatoid factor was undertaken. This study was powered to detect an effect size of 1.24 or greater for the FCRL3-169*C/T functional promoter polymorphism but no evidence for association was detected, suggesting that this gene will not have a substantial effect in determining susceptibility to RA in populations of Northern European descent

Multimodal communication and audience directedness in the greeting behaviour of semi-captive African savannah elephants

This research was funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) [AW0126211] and the European Union’s 8th Framework Programme, Horizon 2020 [802719].Many species communicate by combining signals into multimodal combinations. Elephants live in multi-level societies where individuals regularly separate and reunite. Upon reunion, elephants often engage in elaborate greeting rituals, where they use vocalisations and body acts produced with different body parts and of various sensory modalities (e.g., audible, tactile). However, whether these body acts represent communicative gestures and whether elephants combine vocalisations and gestures during greeting is still unknown. Here we use separation-reunion events to explore the greeting behaviour of semi-captive elephants (Loxodonta africana). We investigate whether elephants use silent-visual, audible, and tactile gestures directing them at their audience based on their state of visual attention and how they combine these gestures with vocalisations during greeting. We show that elephants select gesture modality appropriately according to their audience’s visual attention, suggesting evidence of first-order intentional communicative use. We further show that elephants integrate vocalisations and gestures into different combinations and orders. The most frequent combination consists of rumble vocalisations with ear-flapping gestures, used most often between females. By showing that a species evolutionarily distant to our own primate lineage shows sensitivity to their audience’s visual attention in their gesturing and combines gestures with vocalisations, our study advances our understanding of the emergence of first-order intentionality and multimodal communication across taxa.Peer reviewe

HIV testing experiences of Aboriginal youth in Canada: service implications

The objective of this study was to explore HIV testing experiences and service views of Canadian Aboriginal youth in order to provide information for HIV testing services. An exploratory, mixed-method, community-based research design was used for this study. Findings reported here are from 210 survey participants who had experienced an HIV test. Youth were recruited through 11 Aboriginal organizations across Canada, including AIDS service organizations, health centers, community organizations, and friendship centers. Youth who had tested for HIV ranged in age from 15 to 30 years of age (20% were B20), and came from First Nations (75%), Me ́ tis (14%), and Inuit (9%) backgrounds. Participants lived in all provinces and one territory. Over half (62%) were female. While the majority of survey respondents indicated at their last HIV test they had been treated with care (80%), respect (77%), or kindness (76%), some reported being treated with hostility (19%), fear (12%), discrimination (11%), avoidance (10%), or being treated in a bored way (15%). When asked about information they had received, 28% of survey respondents could not remember; 23% said they were not given any information, and 24% said their questions were not answered. Emotional reactions to testing ranged from anxiety/apprehension (64% of survey respondents) to being ‘‘calm’’ (19%). When asked for suggestions to improve testing services, participants indicated emotional support, compassion, professional yet personable services, and personalized HIV information were important. Study results suggest that to facilitate HIV testing for Aboriginal youth, testing services and counseling must be respectful, compassionate, non-judgmental, and culturally responsive in order to provide emotional support and HIV information that is meaningful and memorable

Integrin αvβ8-mediated TGF-β activation by effector regulatory T sells is essential for suppression of T-Cell-mediated inflammation

Regulatory T (Treg) cells play a pivotal role in suppressing self-harmful T cell responses, but how Treg cells mediate suppression to maintain immune homeostasis and limit responses during inflammation is unclear. Here we show that effector Treg cells express high amounts of the integrin αvβ8, which enables them to activate latent transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β). Treg-cell-specific deletion of integrin αvβ8 did not result in a spontaneous inflammatory phenotype, suggesting that this pathway is not important in Treg-cell-mediated maintenance of immune homeostasis. However, Treg cells lacking expression of integrin αvβ8 were unable to suppress pathogenic T cell responses during active inflammation. Thus, our results identify a mechanism by which Treg cells suppress exuberant immune responses, highlighting a key role for effector Treg-cell-mediated activation of latent TGF-β in suppression of self-harmful T cell responses during active inflammation

HIV and Rehabilitation Training Needs of Health Professionals in Canada: Results of a National Survey

Background: People with HIV experience a range of health-related challenges that rehabilitation services are well-positioned to address. The purpose of this study was to explore professional knowledge and views about HIV rehabilitation among HIV specialists and rehabilitation professionals in Canada.Methods and Findings: We conducted a nationwide cross-sectional postal survey with a random sample of rehabilitation professionals (physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and physiatrists) (N = 1058) and the known population of HIV specialists (physicians, nurses, social workers, pharmacists, psychologists, and dietitians) in Canada (N = 214). Two-thirds (67%) of rehabilitation professionals disagreed that rehabilitation professionals possess adequate knowledge and skills to assess and treat people living with HIV. The majority of all respondent groups felt that rehabilitation professionals who work with people living with HIV require specialized HIV training. Approximately one-third (32%) of rehabilitation professionals who had served people living with HIV stated they received some HIV training as part of their professional degree.Conclusions: This was the first national survey to explore HIV specialist and rehabilitation professionals’ knowledge and views about HIV rehabilitation. Findings indicate the need for interprofessional education, training, and mentorship of health professionals to address the gap between the needs of people living with HIV and rehabilitation services provision

Observed impacts of COVID-19 on urban CO₂ emissions

Governments restricted mobility and effectively shuttered much of the global economy in response to the COVID‐19 pandemic. Six San Francisco Bay Area counties were the first region in the United States to issue a “shelter‐in‐place” order asking non‐essential workers to stay home. Here we use CO₂ observations from 35 Berkeley Environment, Air‐quality and CO₂ Network (BEACO₂N) nodes and an atmospheric transport model to quantify changes in urban CO₂ emissions due to the order. We infer hourly emissions at 900‐m spatial resolution for 6 weeks before and 6 weeks during the order. We observe a 30% decrease in anthropogenic CO₂ emissions during the order and show that this decrease is primarily due to changes in traffic (–48%) with pronounced changes to daily and weekly cycles; non‐traffic emissions show small changes (–8%). These findings provide a glimpse into a future with reduced CO₂ emissions through electrification of vehicles

Observed impacts of COVID-19 on urban CO₂ emissions

Governments restricted mobility and effectively shuttered much of the global economy in response to the COVID‐19 pandemic. Six San Francisco Bay Area counties were the first region in the United States to issue a “shelter‐in‐place” order asking non‐essential workers to stay home. Here we use CO₂ observations from 35 Berkeley Environment, Air‐quality and CO₂ Network (BEACO₂N) nodes and an atmospheric transport model to quantify changes in urban CO₂ emissions due to the order. We infer hourly emissions at 900‐m spatial resolution for 6 weeks before and 6 weeks during the order. We observe a 30% decrease in anthropogenic CO₂ emissions during the order and show that this decrease is primarily due to changes in traffic (–48%) with pronounced changes to daily and weekly cycles; non‐traffic emissions show small changes (–8%). These findings provide a glimpse into a future with reduced CO₂ emissions through electrification of vehicles

The Grizzly, October 13, 2016

Annual Safety Report Released • Ma Tones Brings Music to Collegeville • Come to Me Campaign Raises Awareness • International Perspective: French TA Excited to Learn What it\u27s Really Like to Live in the U.S. • Students Unite for Worker Justice • Partnership in Politics • Opinions: New Face of Change: A Defense of Millennials; Students Need to Understand Consent • UC Athletes Give Back to Their Community • Rafter Tackles Milestonehttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1652/thumbnail.jp