Adult Environmental Education and the Cultural Commons: A Study of Community Practices for a Just and Sustainable World

Ecojustice adult education, an extension of adult environmental education, has been spurred on by international efforts to educate adults about environmental issues. It is a new and evolving arm of the adult education field that studies the ways that dominant views are impacting human/earth relationships. Ecojustice education teaches about the natural and cultural commons that sustain all life. In this symposiusm, doctoral students investigated their own communities to find examples of the cultural commons

Modulation of Heat Shock Transcription Factor 1 as a Therapeutic Target for Small Molecule Intervention in Neurodegenerative Disease

A yeast-based small molecule screen identifies a novel activator of human HSF1 and protein chaperone expression and which appears to alleviate the toxicity of protein misfolding diseases

How do parents manage irritability, challenging behavior, non-compliance and anxiety in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders? A meta-synthesis

Although there is increasing research interest in the parenting of children with ASD, at present, little is known about everyday strategies used to manage problem behaviour. We conducted a meta-synthesis to explore what strategies parents use to manage irritability, non-compliance, challenging behaviour and anxiety in their children with ASD. Approaches included: (1) accommodating the child; (2) modifying the environment; (3) providing structure, routine and occupation; (4) supervision and monitoring; (5) managing non-compliance with everyday tasks; (6) responding to problem behaviour; (7) managing distress; (8) maintaining safety and (9) analysing and planning. Results suggest complex parenting demands in children with ASD and problem behaviour. Findings will inform the development of a new measure to quantify parenting strategies relevant to ASD

Metarhizium brunneum Blastospore Pathogenesis in Aedes aegypti Larvae: Attack on Several Fronts Accelerates Mortality

Aedes aegypti is the vector of a wide range of diseases (e.g. yellow fever, dengue, Chikungunya and Zika) which impact on over half the world's population. Entomopathogenic fungi such as Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana have been found to be highly efficacious in killing mosquito larvae but only now are the underlying mechanisms for pathogenesis being elucidated. Recently it was shown that conidia of M. anisopliae caused stress induced mortality in Ae. aegypti larvae, a different mode of pathogenicity to that normally seen in terrestrial hosts. Blastospores constitute a different form of inoculum produced by this fungus when cultured in liquid media and although blastospores are generally considered to be more virulent than conidia no evidence has been presented to explain why. In our study, using a range of biochemical, molecular and microscopy methods, the infection process of Metarhizium brunneum (formerly M. anisopliae) ARSEF 4556 blastospores was investigated. It appears that the blastospores, unlike conidia, readily adhere to and penetrate mosquito larval cuticle. The blastospores are readily ingested by the larvae but unlike the conidia are able infect the insect through the gut and rapidly invade the haemocoel. The fact that pathogenicity related genes were upregulated in blastospores exposed to larvae prior to invasion, suggests the fungus was detecting host derived cues. Similarly, immune and defence genes were upregulated in the host prior to infection suggesting mosquitoes were also able to detect pathogen-derived cues. The hydrophilic blastospores produce copious mucilage, which probably facilitates adhesion to the host but do not appear to depend on production of Pr1, a cuticle degrading subtilisin protease, for penetration since protease inhibitors did not significantly alter blastospore virulence. The fact the blastospores have multiple routes of entry (cuticle and gut) may explain why this form of the inoculum killed Ae. aegypti larvae in a relatively short time (12-24hrs), significantly quicker than when larvae were exposed to conidia. This study shows that selecting the appropriate form of inoculum is important for efficacious control of disease vectors such as Ae. aegypti

Cabbage and fermented vegetables : From death rate heterogeneity in countries to candidates for mitigation strategies of severe COVID-19

Large differences in COVID-19 death rates exist between countries and between regions of the same country. Some very low death rate countries such as Eastern Asia, Central Europe, or the Balkans have a common feature of eating large quantities of fermented foods. Although biases exist when examining ecological studies, fermented vegetables or cabbage have been associated with low death rates in European countries. SARS-CoV-2 binds to its receptor, the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). As a result of SARS-CoV-2 binding, ACE2 downregulation enhances the angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AT(1)R) axis associated with oxidative stress. This leads to insulin resistance as well as lung and endothelial damage, two severe outcomes of COVID-19. The nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) is the most potent antioxidant in humans and can block in particular the AT(1)R axis. Cabbage contains precursors of sulforaphane, the most active natural activator of Nrf2. Fermented vegetables contain many lactobacilli, which are also potent Nrf2 activators. Three examples are: kimchi in Korea, westernized foods, and the slum paradox. It is proposed that fermented cabbage is a proof-of-concept of dietary manipulations that may enhance Nrf2-associated antioxidant effects, helpful in mitigating COVID-19 severity.Peer reviewe

Nrf2-interacting nutrients and COVID-19 : time for research to develop adaptation strategies

There are large between- and within-country variations in COVID-19 death rates. Some very low death rate settings such as Eastern Asia, Central Europe, the Balkans and Africa have a common feature of eating large quantities of fermented foods whose intake is associated with the activation of the Nrf2 (Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2) anti-oxidant transcription factor. There are many Nrf2-interacting nutrients (berberine, curcumin, epigallocatechin gallate, genistein, quercetin, resveratrol, sulforaphane) that all act similarly to reduce insulin resistance, endothelial damage, lung injury and cytokine storm. They also act on the same mechanisms (mTOR: Mammalian target of rapamycin, PPAR gamma:Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor, NF kappa B: Nuclear factor kappa B, ERK: Extracellular signal-regulated kinases and eIF2 alpha:Elongation initiation factor 2 alpha). They may as a result be important in mitigating the severity of COVID-19, acting through the endoplasmic reticulum stress or ACE-Angiotensin-II-AT(1)R axis (AT(1)R) pathway. Many Nrf2-interacting nutrients are also interacting with TRPA1 and/or TRPV1. Interestingly, geographical areas with very low COVID-19 mortality are those with the lowest prevalence of obesity (Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia). It is tempting to propose that Nrf2-interacting foods and nutrients can re-balance insulin resistance and have a significant effect on COVID-19 severity. It is therefore possible that the intake of these foods may restore an optimal natural balance for the Nrf2 pathway and may be of interest in the mitigation of COVID-19 severity

Improved Survival Rates with Fixed Bearing Total Ankle Arthroplasty

Category: Ankle Arthritis Introduction/Purpose: With increasing numbers of total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) procedures being performed and a plethora of new survivorship data available, an updated literature review is needed to better understand the impact of different types of implants on outcomes of TAA. The purpose of this study is to compare the outcomes of fixed vs mobile bearing TAAs in the literature. Methods: A comprehensive search of MEDLINE for all articles published between 2004 and 2021 was conducted with a minimum two-year mean follow-up. Two reviewers evaluated each study to determine whether it was eligible for inclusion and abstracted the data of interest. Meta-analytic pooling of group results across studies was performed, examining implant survival and component failure. Seventy-three implant groups met inclusion criteria (only 3rd and 4th generation implants), composed of STAR (20), Salto (mobile bearing) (10), Salto Talaris (11 ), Hintegra (8), Zimmer (6), INBONE II (6), INBONE I (4), Infinity (4), Cadence (4). 41 groups (56.2%) were implanted with mobile bearing devices and 32 (43.8%) with fixed bearing implants. In total, 6498 subjects were included with a mean age of 61.77 years and mean BMI of 28.5 kg/m 2 . At mean follow-up of 62.2 months, the overall reoperation rate was 21.13% and metal component revision rate was 10.16%. Results: The mean follow-up of mobile bearing TAA studies (N=41) was 77.8 (range 24-188.4) months and fixed bearing studies (N=32) was 45.3 (range 24-85.2) months. Multivariate analysis of bearing type, controlling for follow-up duration, found fixed bearing implants had statistically significantly higher metal component survival rates (fixed=96.1%, mobile=87.9%, p=.001) ; however, there were no statistically significant differences in rates of reoperation (fixed=17.0%, mobile=24.8%, p=.768). When examining specifically tibial and talar component failure rates, there was no statistically significant difference between bearing type (fixed tibial=1.46%, mobile tibial=2.95%, p=.472) (fixed talar=2.19%, mobile talar=2.79%, p=.966). Overall implant survival rate at one, two, five, and ten years was 96.4%, 96.0%, 92.7%, and 79.4%, respectively, and did not differ by bearing type (Table 1). Conclusion: Implant survival was statistically significantly better for 3rd and 4th generation fixed bearing TAAs as compared to mobile bearing TAAs, controlling for length of follow-up. There was no statistically significant difference in total reoperation rate. This suggests that fixed bearing implants may offer improved implant survival compared to mobile bearing implants, though further research is needed to confirm these findings

Increased Metal Component Failure with STAR Total Ankle

Category: Ankle Arthritis Introduction/Purpose: With the increasing total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) literature, there is a need to further examine the outcomes across a wide variety of implants. The purpose of this study is to review the existing literature and identify trends among current individual TAA implants. Methods: A comprehensive search of MEDLINE for all articles published between 1996 and 2021 was conducted with a minimum two-year mean follow-up. Two reviewers evaluated each study to determine whether it was eligible for inclusion and abstracted the data of interest. Meta-analytic pooling of group results across studies was performed, examining for individual implant survival and component failure. Seventy-three implant groups met inclusion criteria (3rd and 4th generation implants only), composed of STAR (20), Salto (mobile bearing) (10), Salto Talaris (11), Hintegra (8), Zimmer (6), INBONE II (6), INBONE I (4), Infinity (4), Cadence (4). 41 groups (56.2%) were implanted with mobile bearing devices and 32 (43.8%) with fixed bearing implants. In total, 6498 subjects were included with a mean age of 61.77 years and mean BMI of 28.5 kg/m 2 . At mean follow-up of 62.2 months, the overall reoperation rate was 21.13% and metal component revision rate was 10.16%. Results: Multivariate analysis of all implants, controlling for follow-up duration, found a statistically significant difference in the metal component survival rate (p=.036) and reoperation rate (p=.007) with the STARs TAAs surviving significantly worse and undergoing reoperation at a significantly higher rate than all other implants. There was no statistically significant difference in the rate of metal component revision (p=.768), tibial component failure rate (p=.095), or talar component failure rate (p=.089). Analysis of the Salto Talaris vs Salto found a significant difference in metal component survival rate (Salto=90.68%, Salto Talaris=97.81%; p=.002). Lastly, analysis of the INBONE I vs II implants found INBONE I had a significantly greater rate of revision due to metal component failure (INBONE I=9.8%, INBONE II=3.4%; p=.002). Conclusion: Based on current literature, it appears that the STAR total ankle implant has a statistically significantly lower rate of metal component survival and higher rate of reoperation than the other 3rd and 4th generation implants examined, even when controlling for study follow-up duration. The fixed bearing Salto Talaris had statistically significantly better survival rate than the mobile bearing Salto. These findings are important to physicians when considering implants for total ankle arthroplasty

Associations between prenatal and early-life air pollution exposure and lung function in young children: Exploring influential windows of exposure on lung development

BackgroundEvidence in the literature suggests that air pollution exposures experienced prenatally and early in life can be detrimental to normal lung development, however the specific timing of critical windows during development is not fully understood.ObjectivesWe evaluated air pollution exposures during the prenatal and early-life period in association with lung function at ages 6-9, in an effort to identify potentially influential windows of exposure for lung development.MethodsOur study population consisted of 222 children aged 6-9 from the Fresno-Clovis metro area in California with spirometry data collected between May 2015 and May 2017. We used distributed-lag non-linear models to flexibly model the exposure-lag-response for monthly average exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone (O3) during the prenatal months and first three years of life in association with forced vital capacity (FVC), and forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), adjusted for covariates.ResultsPM2.5 exposure during the prenatal period and the first 3-years of life was associated with lower FVC and FEV1 assessed at ages 6-9. Specifically, an increase from the 5th percentile of the observed monthly average exposure (7.55 μg/m3) to the median observed exposure (12.69 μg/m3) for the duration of the window was associated with 0.42 L lower FVC (95% confidence interval (CI): -0.82, -0.03) and 0.38 L lower FEV1 (95% CI: -0.75, -0.02). The shape of the lag-response indicated that the second half of pregnancy may be a particularly influential window of exposure. Associations for ozone were not as strong and typically CIs included the null.ConclusionsOur findings indicate that prenatal and early-life exposures to PM2.5 are associated with decreased lung function later in childhood. Exposures during the latter months of pregnancy may be especially influential

Traffic-related air pollution is associated with glucose dysregulation, blood pressure, and oxidative stress in children.

BackgroundMetabolic syndrome increases the risk of cardiovascular disease in adults. Antecedents likely begin in childhood and whether childhood exposure to air pollution plays a contributory role is not well understood.ObjectivesTo assess whether children's exposure to air pollution is associated with markers of risk for metabolic syndrome and oxidative stress, a hypothesized mediator of air pollution-related health effects.MethodsWe studied 299 children (ages 6-8) living in the Fresno, CA area. At a study center visit, questionnaire and biomarker data were collected. Outcomes included hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), urinary 8-isoprostane, systolic blood pressure (SBP), and BMI. Individual-level exposure estimates for a set of four pollutants that are constituents of traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) - the sum of 4-, 5-, and 6-ring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compounds (PAH456), NO2, elemental carbon, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) - were modeled at the primary residential location for 1-day lag, and 1-week, 1-month, 3-month, 6-month, and 1-year averages prior to each participant's visit date. Generalized additive models were used to estimate associations between each air pollutant exposure and outcome.ResultsThe study population was 53% male, 80% Latinx, 11% Black and largely low-income (6% were White and 3% were Asian/Pacific Islander). HbA1c percentage was associated with longer-term increases in TRAP; for example a 4.42 ng/m3 increase in 6-month average PAH456 was associated with a 0.07% increase (95% CI: 0.01, 0.14) and a 3.62 μg/m3 increase in 6-month average PM2.5 was associated with a 0.06% increase (95% CI: 0.01, 0.10). The influence of air pollutants on blood pressure was strongest at 3 months; for example, a 6.2 ppb increase in 3-month average NO2 was associated with a 9.4 mmHg increase in SBP (95% CI: 2.8, 15.9). TRAP concentrations were not significantly associated with anthropometric or adipokine measures. Short-term TRAP exposure averages were significantly associated with creatinine-adjusted urinary 8-isoprostane.DiscussionOur results suggest that both short- and longer-term estimated individual-level outdoor residential exposures to several traffic-related air pollutants, including ambient PAHs, are associated with biomarkers of risk for metabolic syndrome and oxidative stress in children