PCB and PBDE levels in southern and northern resident killer whales: update on contaminant levels and related health effects

Salish Sea’s killer whale populations are among the most contaminated marine mammals in the world and face risks related to the effects of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and related contaminants such as polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs). While PCBs have long been banned, they continue to present toxic risks to marine mammals, along with a number of other, emerging persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) contaminants. Since PBTs have been identified as a threat to the recovery of resident killer whale populations under the auspices of the US Endangered Species Act and the Canadian Species at Risk Act (SARA), documenting the presence, trends and health effects of emerging PBT contaminants represents an important line of research. In the summer of 2016 and 2017, we collected blubber biopsies from 10 southern resident and nine northern resident killer whales. PCB and PBDE analyses were conducted using high resolution gas chromatography/high resolution mass spectrometry. Given the likelihood of significant temporal changes in the concentrations of these contaminants, this study will provide updated contaminant concentration data and strengthen our ability to prioritize contaminants of concern in resident killer whales. In addition, stable isotope and fatty acid analyses will provide important information on diet and nutritional status. Together with analyses of the expression of essential genes involved in immune response, hormone regulation and lipid metabolism, this study provides new essential information on the health status of resident killer whales as it relates to contaminant exposure and will help inform the development and application of recovery action plans

Giving Voice to Our Lakota People

Researchers at two universities worked with project partners to develop indigenous interpretive curriculum that provided the tools for indigenous students to tell their own stories and market their own heritage to visitors seeking an authentic experience. Project partners sought to identify elements that exemplify a culturally grounded approach to indigenous interpretation. It is assumed that indigenous interpretation will provide opportunities for non-native visitors to have meaningful experiences of native culture. It is also assumed that indigenous interpretation will foster a deeper understanding of the sacredness of native homelands, the resiliency and vulnerability of natural and cultural systems, and the beauty of harmonious relations between the earth and its inhabitants. Finally, it is assumed that as native youth gain skills in indigenous interpretation, they will make better decisions about which cultural stories and practices to share with the public (and which to retain unto themselves) and how to best share those stories with diverse audiences. This led to the development of indigenous interpretation and tourism curriculum in a tribal college in South Dakota. The proposed new degree plan includes core courses in natural and cultural history, psychology, business, Lakota language, and English. Within the set of core courses there is an emphasis in oral and written communication, digital communication, and experiential and place-based education. The project team proposed a set of three new interpretation courses and one new hospitality and tourism course to comprised the new concentration. The proposed course content and teaching pedagogy reflects an understanding of indigenous learning preferences and native ways of knowing. Proposed course content and teaching pedagogy also reflects professional standards of practice. Through a robust partnership, and active engagement by all partners in the curriculum development process, it is believed that indigenous students will gain new knowledge, an expanded skill set, and an enhanced career pathway. It is also believed that this partnership will provide opportunities to strengthen indigenous interpretation nationwide. Along with the new proposed concentration, the project team worked in tandem with fellow academics at tribal college to design program learning outcomes, assessment matrices and individual course syllabi. The four new courses proposed for the concentration will rely on adjunct faculty for course delivery that may include both an online and face to face component. Potential subject matter experts (SMEs) could include NPS personnel, hospitality and tourism professionals and others who bridge the gap between academia and practice. The model for this approach is based on a Cloud of Support that includes not only the Tribal Colleges and Universities {TCU), accrediting agency, faculty, staff and students, but also the Tribal Council, Elders, National Park Service (NPS), local partners and academic partners at other institutions

The United States Version of the Stroke Drivers’ Screening Assessment Battery: A Report of Preliminary Findings

We investigated the potential for predicting driving performance of a United States (US)-based population of participants using an adapted version of the Stroke Drivers’ Screening Assessment (SDSA) battery. Participants included seven first-ever stroke survivors (age 51±8 years) and 11 individuals with Hoehn & Yahr Stage 2 or 3 Parkinson’s disease (PD) (age 65±8 years). We adapted the original United Kingdom (UK) version of the SDSA to make it suitable for use in the US by replacing all UK-specific traffic situations and road signs with their US equivalents. Following administration of the adapted (US) version of the SDSA, stroke participants’ driving performance was evaluated in a driving simulator. PD participants’ driving performance was evaluated in the driving simulator as well as on-road. The pass/fail SDSA equations of the original UK version of the SDSA were applied to predict the pass/fail outcome of participants’ driving evaluation. The SDSA predicted stroke participants’ simulator-based driving performance with 100% accuracy. The SDSA predicted PD participants’ simulator-based performance with 73% accuracy and the on-road performance with 82% accuracy. The accuracy with which driving performance of stroke and PD participants in this preliminary study was predicted by the US version of the SDSA is promising and informs the need for a larger study to better investigate and validate its predictive accurac

Calmodulin regulates transglutaminase 2 cross-linking of Huntingtin

This is the publisher's version, also available electronically from "www.jneurosci.org".Striatal and cortical intranuclear inclusions and cytoplasmic aggregates of mutant huntingtin are prominent neuropathological hallmarks of Huntington's disease (HD). We demonstrated previously that transglutaminase 2 cross-links mutant huntingtin in cells in culture and demonstrated the presence of transglutaminase-catalyzed cross-links in the HD cortex that colocalize with transglutaminase 2 and huntingtin. Because calmodulin regulates transglutaminase activity in erythrocytes, platelets, and the gizzard, we hypothesized that calmodulin increases cross-linking of huntingtin in the HD brain. We found that calmodulin colocalizes at the confocal level with transglutaminase 2 and with huntingtin in HD intranuclear inclusions. Calmodulin coimmunoprecipitates with transglutaminase 2 and huntingtin in cells transfected with myc-tagged N-terminal huntingtin fragments containing 148 polyglutamine repeats (htt-N63-148Q-myc) and transglutaminase 2 but not in cells transfected with myc-tagged N-terminal huntingtin fragments containing 18 polyglutamine repeats. Our previous studies demonstrated that transfection with both htt-N63-148Q-myc and transglutaminase 2 resulted in cross-linking of mutant huntingtin protein fragments and the formation of insoluble high-molecular-weight aggregates of huntingtin protein fragments. Transfection with transglutaminase 2 and htt-N63-148Q-myc followed by treatment of cells with N-(6-aminohexyl)-1-naphthalenesulfonamide, a calmodulin inhibitor, resulted in a decrease in cross-linked huntingtin. Inhibiting the interaction of calmodulin with transglutaminase and huntingtin protein could decrease cross-linking and diminish huntingtin aggregate formation in the HD brain

Biological control of Microcystis dominated harmful algal blooms

Freshwater resources are now threatened by the presence and increase of harmful algal blooms (HAB) all over the world. The HABs are sometimes a direct result of anthropogenic pollution entering water bodies, such as partially treated nutrient-rich effluents and the leaching of fertilisers and animal wastes. The impact of HABs on aquatic ecosystems and water resources, as well as their human health implications are well documented. Countermeasures have been proposed and implemented to manage HABs with varying levels of success. The use of copper algicides, though effective in managing HABs, often results in negative impacts such as copper toxicity and release of microcystins into surrounding water after cyanobacterial lysis. Biological control of HABs presents a possible solution. Predatory bacteria that have been isolated as potential biological control agents include members of the Bacteroides-Cytophaga-Flavobacterium, ranging from Bacillus spp. to Flexibacter spp., Cytophaga and Myxobacteria. Various mechanisms of predation have been proposed, including; physical contact between prey and predator, release of extracellular substances, entrapment of prey by the predator followed by antibiosis and endoparasitism or ectoparasitism of the host by the predator. Despite an increasing amount of work being done in this field, research is usually limited to laboratory cultures; assessment of microbial control agents is seldom extrapolated to field conditions

La corrupción y su incidencia en la recaudación tributaria en la región Junín: 2005-2018

El presente trabajo de investigación tiene por objetivo determinar la incidencia de la corrupción en la recaudación tributaria del IGV e impuesto a la renta en la Región Junín para el periodo 2015 - 2018, por ser considerado un factor determinante en el desarrollo social de nuestro país. El trabajo se ha realizado en base a datos estadísticos obtenidos por entidades que han permitido determinar el grado de corrupción que se da en nuestro país, y el grado de recaudación logrado en este periodo. Los métodos que se tomaron en cuenta para determinar dicha relación fueron el inductivo, deductivo, analítico y sintético, que han encaminado la elaboración del presente trabajo de investigación. Los resultados reflejan que hubo una incidencia significativa entre las variables; corrupción y recaudación tributaria en Junín, al año 2018, por lo que se concluye que hubo incidencia por parte de la corrupción en la recaudación que realiza el estado en la región Junín, durante el periodo 2018, donde la recaudación disminuyó por varios factores relacionados a la corrupción, por consiguiente, generó menores recursos para el cumplimiento de metas sociales y productivas

Public Housing Relocations and Relationships of Changes in Neighborhood Disadvantage and Transportation Access to Unmet Need for Medical Care

Cross-sectional research suggests that neighborhood characteristics and transportation access shape unmet need for medical care. This longitudinal analysis explores relationships of changes in neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage and transportation access to unmet need for medical care

Public Housing Relocations and Partnership Dynamics in Areas With High Prevalences of Sexually Transmitted Infections

We investigated the implications of one structural intervention—public housing relocations—for partnership dynamics among individuals living areas with high sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevalence. High-prevalence areas fuel STI endemicity and are perpetuated by spatially assortative partnerships

Decellularization reduces the immune response to aortic valve allografts in the rat

ObjectivesCryopreserved valve allografts used in congenital cardiac surgery are associated with a significant cellular and humoral immune response. This might be reduced by removal of antigenic cellular elements (decellularization). The aim of this study was to determine the immunologic effect of decellularization in a rat allograft valve model.MethodsBrown Norway and Lewis rat aortic valves were decellularized with a series of hypotonic and hypertonic buffers, protease inhibitors, gentle detergents (Triton X-100), and phosphate-buffered saline. Valves were implanted into Lewis rats in syngeneic and allogeneic combinations. Cellular (CD3 and CD8) infiltrates were assessed with morphometric analysis, and the humoral response was assessed with flow cytometry.ResultsMorphometric analysis identified a significant reduction in CD3+ cell infiltrates (cells per square millimeter of leaflet tissue) in decellularized allografts compared with that seen in nondecellularized allografts at 1 (79 ± 29 vs 3310 ± 223, P < .001), 2 (26 ± 11 vs 109 ± 20, P = .004), and 4 weeks (283 ± 122 vs 984 ± 145, P < .001). Anti-CD8 staining confirmed the majority of infiltrates were cytotoxic T cells. Flow cytometric mean channel fluorescence intensity identified a negative shift (abrogated antibody formation) for decellularized allografts compared with nondecellularized allografts at 2 (19 ± 1 vs 27 ± 3, P = .033), 4 (35 ± 2 vs 133 ± 29, P = .001), and 16 weeks (28 ± 2 vs 166 ± 54, P = .017).ConclusionsDecellularization significantly reduces the cellular and humoral immune response to allograft tissue. This could prolong the durability of valve allografts and might prevent immunologic sensitization of allograft recipients

Sensory-to-Motor Overflow: Cooling Foot Soles Impedes Squat Jump Performance

Partial funding for Open Access provided by the UMD Libraries' Open Access Publishing Fund.Evidence from recent studies on animals and humans suggest that neural overflow from the primary sensory cortex (S1) to the primary motor cortex (M1) may play a critical role in motor control. However, it is unclear if whole-body maximal motor tasks are also governed by this mechanism. Maximum vertical squat jumps were performed by 15 young adults before cooling, then immediately following a 15-min cooling period using an ice-water bath for the foot soles, and finally immediately following a 15-min period of natural recovery from cooling. Jump heights were, on average, 3.1 cm lower immediately following cooling compared to before cooling (p = 3.39 × 10−8) and 1.9 cm lower following natural recovery from cooling (p = 0.00124). The average vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) was also lower by 78.2 N in the condition immediately following cooling compared to before cooling (p = 8.1 × 10−5) and 56.7N lower following natural recovery from cooling (p = 0.0043). The current study supports the S1-to-M1 overflow mechanism in a whole-body dynamic jump