EXAMINING MULTICULTURAL COMPETENCIES OF STUDENT AFFAIRS PROFESSIONALS WHO ADVISE STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS OF COLOR

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if, and to what extent, racial and ethnic identity, years of experience, education level, age, gender, advisor status, and sexual orientation are related to multicultural competence among student affairs professionals who are responsible for advising racial and ethnic student organizations at predominantly white institutions (PWIs). Student organizations used for this study are distinguished by type: fraternities and sororities (Greek letter organizations); racial or ethnocultural advocacy and community organizations; and academic or social organizations. In order to elicit participants for this study, the researcher received a spreadsheet of 11,801 members from the historically known National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA). However, the association has updated its name to Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. Of these members, only 2,585 participants met the requirements necessary to participate in this study. The 2,585 NASPA members were invited by email to participate. Four hundred ninety participants attempted the survey, a response rate of 19.0%. Of that sample, there were 338 usable responses for analytic purposes. Multicultural competence was measured by the Multicultural Competence in Student Affairs-Preliminary 2 (MCSA-P2) Scale. The MCSA-P2 had excellent reliability ([alpha] = .93) for the sample of student affairs advisors. Data analysis of the mean, standard deviation, and internal consistency was conducted to evaluate responses. Basic descriptive statistics were used to analyze research question one. Research question two was analyzed using an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to measure mean differences between advisors of multicultural and other types of student organizations. Research question three was analyzed using multiple linear regression to display differences in advisors' multicultural competency by race/ethnicity, years of experience, level of education, gender, age, advisor status, and sexual orientation. The data analysis included the examination of the univariate statistics and revealed that race, sexual orientation, and advisor status were significant predictors of multicultural competency among student affairs advisors

Genetic risk and a primary role for cell-mediated immune mechanisms in multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis is a common disease of the central nervous system in which the interplay between inflammatory and neurodegenerative processes typically results in intermittent neurological disturbance followed by progressive accumulation of disability. Epidemiological studies have shown that genetic factors are primarily responsible for the substantially increased frequency of the disease seen in the relatives of affected individuals, and systematic attempts to identify linkage in multiplex families have confirmed that variation within the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) exerts the greatest individual effect on risk. Modestly powered genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have enabled more than 20 additional risk loci to be identified and have shown that multiple variants exerting modest individual effects have a key role in disease susceptibility. Most of the genetic architecture underlying susceptibility to the disease remains to be defined and is anticipated to require the analysis of sample sizes that are beyond the numbers currently available to individual research groups. In a collaborative GWAS involving 9,772 cases of European descent collected by 23 research groups working in 15 different countries, we have replicated almost all of the previously suggested associations and identified at least a further 29 novel susceptibility loci. Within the MHC we have refined the identity of the HLA-DRB1 risk alleles and confirmed that variation in the HLA-A gene underlies the independent protective effect attributable to the class I region. Immunologically relevant genes are significantly overrepresented among those mapping close to the identified loci and particularly implicate T-helper-cell differentiation in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis

Initial activation of EpCAM cleavage via cell-to-cell contact

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Epithelial cell adhesion molecule EpCAM is a transmembrane glycoprotein, which is frequently over-expressed in simple epithelia, progenitors, embryonic and tissue stem cells, carcinoma and cancer-initiating cells. Besides functioning as a homophilic adhesion protein, EpCAM is an oncogenic receptor that requires regulated intramembrane proteolysis for activation of its signal transduction capacity. Upon cleavage, the extracellular domain EpEX is released as a soluble ligand while the intracellular domain EpICD translocates into the cytoplasm and eventually into the nucleus in combination with four-and-a-half LIM domains protein 2 (FHL2) and β-catenin, and drives cell proliferation.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>EpCAM cleavage, induction of the target genes, and transmission of proliferation signals were investigated under varying density conditions using confocal laser scanning microscopy, immunoblotting, cell counting, and conditional cell systems.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>EpCAM cleavage, induction of the target genes, and transmission of proliferation signals were dependent on adequate cell-to-cell contact. If cell-to-cell contact was prohibited EpCAM did not provide growth advantages. If cells were allowed to undergo contact to each other, EpCAM transmitted proliferation signals based on signal transduction-related cleavage processes. Accordingly, the pre-cleaved version EpICD was not dependent on cell-to-cell contact in order to induce <it>c-myc </it>and cell proliferation, but necessitated nuclear translocation. For the case of contact-inhibited cells, although cleavage of EpCAM occurred, nuclear translocation of EpICD was reduced, as were EpCAM effects.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Activation of EpCAM's cleavage and oncogenic capacity is dependent on cellular interaction (juxtacrine) to provide for initial signals of regulated intramembrane proteolysis, which then support signalling via soluble EpEX (paracrine).</p

Decline in subarachnoid haemorrhage volumes associated with the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, decreased volumes of stroke admissions and mechanical thrombectomy were reported. The study\u27s objective was to examine whether subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) hospitalisations and ruptured aneurysm coiling interventions demonstrated similar declines. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional, retrospective, observational study across 6 continents, 37 countries and 140 comprehensive stroke centres. Patients with the diagnosis of SAH, aneurysmal SAH, ruptured aneurysm coiling interventions and COVID-19 were identified by prospective aneurysm databases or by International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, codes. The 3-month cumulative volume, monthly volumes for SAH hospitalisations and ruptured aneurysm coiling procedures were compared for the period before (1 year and immediately before) and during the pandemic, defined as 1 March-31 May 2020. The prior 1-year control period (1 March-31 May 2019) was obtained to account for seasonal variation. FINDINGS: There was a significant decline in SAH hospitalisations, with 2044 admissions in the 3 months immediately before and 1585 admissions during the pandemic, representing a relative decline of 22.5% (95% CI -24.3% to -20.7%, p\u3c0.0001). Embolisation of ruptured aneurysms declined with 1170-1035 procedures, respectively, representing an 11.5% (95%CI -13.5% to -9.8%, p=0.002) relative drop. Subgroup analysis was noted for aneurysmal SAH hospitalisation decline from 834 to 626 hospitalisations, a 24.9% relative decline (95% CI -28.0% to -22.1%, p\u3c0.0001). A relative increase in ruptured aneurysm coiling was noted in low coiling volume hospitals of 41.1% (95% CI 32.3% to 50.6%, p=0.008) despite a decrease in SAH admissions in this tertile. INTERPRETATION: There was a relative decrease in the volume of SAH hospitalisations, aneurysmal SAH hospitalisations and ruptured aneurysm embolisations during the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings in SAH are consistent with a decrease in other emergencies, such as stroke and myocardial infarction

TRY plant trait database – enhanced coverage and open access

Plant traits - the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants - determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait‐based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits - almost complete coverage for ‘plant growth form’. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait–environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives

EXAMINING MULTICULTURAL COMPETENCIES OF STUDENT AFFAIRS PROFESSIONALS WHO ADVISE STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS OF COLOR

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if , and to what extent , racial and ethnic identity , years of experience , education level , age , gender , advisor status , and sexual orientation are related to multicultural competence among student affairs professionals who are responsible for advising racial and ethnic student organizations at predominantly white institutions (PWIs). Student organizations used for this study are distinguished by type: fraternities and sororities (Greek letter organizations); racial or ethnocultural advocacy and community organizations; and academic or social organizations. In order to elicit participants for this study , the researcher received a spreadsheet of 11 , 801 members from the historically known National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA). However , the association has updated its name to Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. Of these members , only 2 , 585 participants met the requirements necessary to participate in this study. The 2 , 585 NASPA members were invited by email to participate. Four hundred ninety participants attempted the survey , a response rate of 19.0%. Of that sample , there were 338 usable responses for analytic purposes. Multicultural competence was measured by the Multicultural Competence in Student Affairs-Preliminary 2 (MCSA-P2) Scale. The MCSA-P2 had excellent reliability ([alpha] = .93) for the sample of student affairs advisors. Data analysis of the mean , standard deviation , and internal consistency was conducted to evaluate responses. Basic descriptive statistics were used to analyze research question one. Research question two was analyzed using an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to measure mean differences between advisors of multicultural and other types of student organizations. Research question three was analyzed using multiple linear regression to display differences in advisors' multicultural competency by race/ethnicity , years of experience , level of education , gender , age , advisor status , and sexual orientation. The data analysis included the examination of the univariate statistics and revealed that race , sexual orientation , and advisor status were significant predictors of multicultural competency among student affairs advisors

Nucleolar Architecture Is Modulated by a Small Molecule, the Inositol Pyrophosphate 5-InsP7.

Inositol pyrophosphates (PP-InsPs); are a functionally diverse family of eukaryotic molecules that deploy a highly-specialized array of phosphate groups as a combinatorial cell-signaling code. One reductive strategy to derive a molecular-level understanding of the many actions of PP-InsPs is to individually characterize the proteins that bind them. Here, we describe an alternate approach that seeks a single, collective rationalization for PP-InsP binding to an entire group of proteins, i.e., the multiple nucleolar proteins previously reported to bind 5-InsP7 (5-diphospho-inositol-1,2,3,4,6-pentakisphosphate). Quantitative confocal imaging of the outer nucleolar granular region revealed its expansion when cellular 5-InsP7 levels were elevated by either (a) reducing the 5-InsP7 metabolism by a CRISPR-based knockout (KO) of either NUDT3 or PPIP5Ks; or (b), the heterologous expression of wild-type inositol hexakisphosphate kinase, i.e., IP6K2; separate expression of a kinase-dead IP6K2 mutant did not affect granular volume. Conversely, the nucleolar granular region in PPIP5K KO cells shrank back to the wild-type volume upon attenuating 5-InsP7 synthesis using either a pan-IP6K inhibitor or the siRNA-induced knockdown of IP6K1+IP6K2. Significantly, the inner fibrillar volume of the nucleolus was unaffected by 5-InsP7. We posit that 5-InsP7 acts as an 'electrostatic glue' that binds together positively charged surfaces on separate proteins, overcoming mutual protein-protein electrostatic repulsion the latter phenomenon is a known requirement for the assembly of a non-membranous biomolecular condensate

Nucleolar Architecture Is Modulated by a Small Molecule, the Inositol Pyrophosphate 5-InsP₇

Inositol pyrophosphates (PP-InsPs); are a functionally diverse family of eukaryotic molecules that deploy a highly-specialized array of phosphate groups as a combinatorial cell-signaling code. One reductive strategy to derive a molecular-level understanding of the many actions of PP-InsPs is to individually characterize the proteins that bind them. Here, we describe an alternate approach that seeks a single, collective rationalization for PP-InsP binding to an entire group of proteins, i.e., the multiple nucleolar proteins previously reported to bind 5-InsP7 (5-diphospho-inositol-1,2,3,4,6-pentakisphosphate). Quantitative confocal imaging of the outer nucleolar granular region revealed its expansion when cellular 5-InsP7 levels were elevated by either (a) reducing the 5-InsP7 metabolism by a CRISPR-based knockout (KO) of either NUDT3 or PPIP5Ks; or (b), the heterologous expression of wild-type inositol hexakisphosphate kinase, i.e., IP6K2; separate expression of a kinase-dead IP6K2 mutant did not affect granular volume. Conversely, the nucleolar granular region in PPIP5K KO cells shrank back to the wild-type volume upon attenuating 5-InsP7 synthesis using either a pan-IP6K inhibitor or the siRNA-induced knockdown of IP6K1+IP6K2. Significantly, the inner fibrillar volume of the nucleolus was unaffected by 5-InsP7. We posit that 5-InsP7 acts as an ‘electrostatic glue’ that binds together positively charged surfaces on separate proteins, overcoming mutual protein–protein electrostatic repulsion the latter phenomenon is a known requirement for the assembly of a non-membranous biomolecular condensate

Nucleolar Architecture Is Modulated by a Small Molecule, the Inositol Pyrophosphate 5-InsP7.

Peer reviewed: TrueInositol pyrophosphates (PP-InsPs); are a functionally diverse family of eukaryotic molecules that deploy a highly-specialized array of phosphate groups as a combinatorial cell-signaling code. One reductive strategy to derive a molecular-level understanding of the many actions of PP-InsPs is to individually characterize the proteins that bind them. Here, we describe an alternate approach that seeks a single, collective rationalization for PP-InsP binding to an entire group of proteins, i.e., the multiple nucleolar proteins previously reported to bind 5-InsP7 (5-diphospho-inositol-1,2,3,4,6-pentakisphosphate). Quantitative confocal imaging of the outer nucleolar granular region revealed its expansion when cellular 5-InsP7 levels were elevated by either (a) reducing the 5-InsP7 metabolism by a CRISPR-based knockout (KO) of either NUDT3 or PPIP5Ks; or (b), the heterologous expression of wild-type inositol hexakisphosphate kinase, i.e., IP6K2; separate expression of a kinase-dead IP6K2 mutant did not affect granular volume. Conversely, the nucleolar granular region in PPIP5K KO cells shrank back to the wild-type volume upon attenuating 5-InsP7 synthesis using either a pan-IP6K inhibitor or the siRNA-induced knockdown of IP6K1+IP6K2. Significantly, the inner fibrillar volume of the nucleolus was unaffected by 5-InsP7. We posit that 5-InsP7 acts as an 'electrostatic glue' that binds together positively charged surfaces on separate proteins, overcoming mutual protein-protein electrostatic repulsion the latter phenomenon is a known requirement for the assembly of a non-membranous biomolecular condensate