The Value of Parental Involvement in Play Therapy with Children Exposed to Trauma: A Literature Review

This literature review explores current research focusing on parent, caregiver or guardian involvement in therapy for children exposed to trauma. This research differentiates parent as a safe space, or systemic work with family dynamics, from parent as an important role within the healing process. Current methods inspired from the attachment approach to therapy including trauma focused-cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), filial therapy, child parent psychotherapy (CPP), parent child dyadic art therapy, child parent relationship therapy (CPRT), and child centered play therapy (CCPT) are explored, helping to gain a better understand of both clinical and parental perspectives of parental involvement in therapy. These methods focus on the use of play therapy, represented as the most beneficial way for children to communicate their experiences and needs. This research is able to help clinicians by identifying benefits and challenges of using different methods in play therapy as well as considering developmental and cultural factors that may influence parental views of play, psychotherapy, and personal involvement. This research also provides a space for parents to reflect on and gain an understanding of their own perspectives of treatment for their child exposed to trauma, and how this interferes with their relationship with their child as well as their own personal trauma history

Anthony S. Noonan IRA, LLC v. U.S. Bank Nat’l Ass’n EE, 137 Nev. Adv. Op. 15 (Apr. 15, 2021)

Nevada’s “superpriority lien” statute gives a homeowner’s association (HOA) lien priority over a first deed of trust with respect to the HOA’s common expenses that would be due in the absence of acceleration within the nine months before an action was commenced to enforce the lien. U.S. Bank National Association and Nationstar Mortgage’s (collectively, U.S. Bank) predecessor paid the HOA in this case nine months’ worth of its annual fee in an attempt to satisfy the superpriority lien. However, the HOA’s yearly assessment made the entire yearly fee due during the 9 months before the HOA sued to enforce its lien. The district court granted U.S. Bank’s motion for summary judgment because the HOA’s yearly fee accelerated the payments’ due date and U.S. Bank was therefore not required to pay more than nine months of the yearly fee to satisfy the superpriority portion of the lien. The Nevada Supreme Court affirmed the district court’s judgment, reasoning that even in the case of an annual assessment, the supermajority portion of an HOA lien is satisfied through payment of nine months’ worth of fees

Belcher v. State, 136 Nev. Adv. Op. 31 (June 4, 2020)

Norman Belcher appealed his conviction and capital sentence, alleging several errors by the district court. The Court agreed with Belcher on two challenged errors: that the district court should have suppressed statements Belcher made to police because he was in custody at the time and had not been advised of his Miranda rights, and that one of Belcher’s robbery convictions was not supported by sufficient evidence. The Court reversed the robbery conviction and ultimately concluded that the district court’s failure to suppress his statements to the police was harmless error. The Court established factors to consider in determining whether to review an error’s harmlessness when the State has not argued harmlessness. The Court affirmed Belcher’s conviction because no other error warranted relief

The Role of Accessory Domain in CPSA Function and Capsule Production in Group B Streptococcus

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) can be found in the vaginal and genitourinary tract of females, as well as the genitourinary tract of males, where it behaves as a commensal organism. However, as an opportunistic pathogen, GBS has the capability to infect the immunocompromised, making it a major threat to neonates and fetuses. The pathogen can be passed from mother to baby either in utero or during birth. The capsule, which is a polysaccharide coating on the outside of the cell, is considered the most important virulence factor in GBS.Expression of capsule plays a role in evasion of the host immune response to GBS infection. The presence of capsule on GBS depends on the CpsA protein, which is involved in the attachment of capsule to the cell wall. CpsA is a multi-functional protein containing an intracellular domain and two extracellular domains including the accessory and the LytR domains. Previous data demonstrates a small region within the accessory domain of CpsA that, when expressed separately, can have a negative effect on the amount of capsule on the cell. In this study, cell morphology analysis and capsule assays were used to determine the role of the accessory domain on CpsA function and capsule production. The data collected in this study suggest that the accessory domain is important in capsule expression, and without the accessory domain capsule expression cannot be complemented back to WT CpsA levels. In addition, this data shows that the intradomain region plays an important, but unknown role in CpsA function. Finally, for the first time, short chain morphologies were associated with decreased capsule expression

Goldcorp and Hudbay Minerals in Guatemala (2010 update)

Canadian mining in Guatemala has been associated with violence and death. Opposition to an INCO mine in the El Estor region in the 1960’s resulted in the assassination of two law professors, and another activist has been killed in 2009. In the San Marcos region of Guatemala, two deaths are associated with the opening of a mine now owned by Goldcorp. Indigenous opposition to the mines continues in both regions. This article updates an article originally published in 2007which ties the events in Guatemala to efforts in Canada to hold Canadian mining companies accountable.Parts of this article dealing with HudBay and El Estor have been superceded by a 2012 article, Accountability Across Borders which is also found on SSRN in the CLPE series

The detrimental role of angiotensin receptor agonistic autoantibodies in intrauterine growth restriction seen in preeclampsia

Growth-restricted fetuses are at risk for a variety of lifelong medical conditions. Preeclampsia, a life-threatening hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, is associated with fetuses who suffer from intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Recently, emerging evidence indicates that preeclamptic women harbor AT1 receptor agonistic autoantibodies (AT1-AAs) that contribute to the disease features. However, the exact role of AT1-AAs in IUGR and the underlying mechanisms have not been identified. We report that these autoantibodies are present in the cord blood of women with preeclampsia and retain the ability to activate AT1 receptors. Using an autoantibody-induced animal model of preeclampsia, we show that AT1-AAs cross the mouse placenta, enter fetal circulation, and lead to small fetuses with organ growth retardation. AT1-AAs also induce apoptosis in the placentas of pregnant mice, human villous explants, and human trophoblast cells. Finally, autoantibody-induced IUGR and placental apoptosis are diminished by either losartan or an autoantibody-neutralizing peptide. Thus, these studies identify AT1-AA as a novel causative factor of preeclampsia-associated IUGR and offer two possible underlying mechanisms: a direct detrimental effect on fetal development by crossing the placenta and entering fetal circulation, and indirectly through AT1-AA–induced placental damage. Our findings highlight AT1-AAs as important therapeutic targets