Effects of Parental Incarceration: A Grandparent\u27s Perspective

This qualitative study explored grandparents’ perceptions of parental incarceration effects on the grandchildren they are raising. Children of incarcerated individuals are directly affected by the high incarceration rate in the United States and often find themselves displaced from the people and environment they know. As one of the most common caregivers for children with incarcerated parents, grandparents offer a unique perspective on the effects that parental incarceration has on children. The study found that grandparents perceive that the effects of parental incarceration on children are diverse. Children represented in the study were negatively affected emotionally and behaviorally by parental incarceration, displacement, and associated traumas, yet placement with a grandparent during periods of parental incarceration had positive effects on child outcomes. Grandparents indicated a need for external support, more of a voice, and a more efficient process for kinship care. To be most effective, social workers who encounter children and grandparents affected by parental incarceration should take time to carefully understand the unique effects of parental incarceration on the child, being careful not to assume that a child has been impacted by parental incarceration in any way

Evidence for membrane affinity of the C-terminal domain of bovine milk PP3 component

AbstractComponent PP3 is a phosphoglycoprotein isolated from bovine milk with unknown biological function, which displays in its C-terminal region a basic amphipathic α-helix, a feature often involved in membrane association. According to that, the behaviour of PP3 and of a synthetic peptide from the C-terminal domain (residues 113–135) was investigated in lipid environment. Conductance measurements indicated that the peptide was able to associate and form channels in planar lipid bilayers composed of neutral or charged phospholipids. Electrostatic interactions seemed to promote voltage-dependant channel formation but this was not absolutely required since the pore-forming ability of the 113–135 C-terminal peptide was also detected with the zwitterionic lipid bilayer. Additionally, a spectroscopic study using circular dichroism argues that the peptide adopts an α-helical conformation in interaction with neutral or charged micelles. Thus, the conducting aggregates in bilayers might be composed of a bundle of peptides in helical conformation. Besides, similar conductance measurements performed with the whole PP3 protein did not induce any channel fluctuations. However, with the latter, an early breakdown of the bilayers occurred, a finding that can be tentatively explained by a massive incorporation of PP3. In the light of the present results, it could be inferred that PP3 membrane attachment may be achieved by oligomerization of the C-terminal amphipathic helical region

Making Human Rights Campaigns Effective While Limiting Unintended Consequences (2017)

In 2016, USAID's Center of Excellence on Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance launched its Learning Agenda—a set of research questions designed to address the issues that confront staff in USAID field offices working on the intersection of development and democracy, human rights, and governance. This literature review—produced by a team of political scientists, sociologists, and lawyers—synthesizes scholarship from diverse research traditions on the following Learning Agenda question:What are the consequences of human rights awareness campaigns? What makes a human rights awareness campaign successful? Why do many campaigns fail? What are the unintended negative consequences of both successful and failed campaigns? How do local norms and other cultural factors constrain or enable the translation of campaigns from one context to another? This report synthesizes scholarship bearing on these questions from diverse research traditions and assesses the interdisciplinary state of knowledge regarding the effects, both intended and unintended, of human rights awareness campaigns and the characteristics that make such awareness campaigns effective. This review is divided into five sections:A broad overview of the steps involved in designing an effective awareness campaign.A review of research on campaigns generally, drawn from a broad range of fields, such as marketing, communications, public health, and political science.An overview of human rights awareness campaigns specifically, building on the well-known precept that to be successful, human rights campaigns must be adapted to the local context. The authors identify the mechanisms that facilitate and the barriers that impede local adaption, particularly the use of frames. Drawing on framing theory, the report highlights four points in communication where framing is critical: contexts, communicators, targeted populations, and message design.A discussion of effective media strategies, including ways to approach both traditional and new media, with the most effective campaigns combining traditional print media strategies with new social media forms.A discussion of the unintended negative consequences of campaigns, including backlash, confusion, desensitization, and/or frustration among targeted audience. This section also identifies the typical causes of these outcomes and ways to avoid them

The influence of abiotic factors on the presence of European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis Hübner)

Istraživanja su provedena tijekom trogodišnjeg razdoblja (2012. – 2014.) u poljskim uvjetima s prirodnom zarazom kukuruznoga moljca, na Poljoprivrednom institutu u Osijeku. Cilj istraživanja bio je utvrditi utjecaj različitih varijanti navodnjavanja i gnojidbe i utjecaj genotipa na pojavu i oštećenost biljki od kukuruznoga moljca te povezanost ishrane gusjenica s koncentracijom dušika, silicija i C/N odnosa u listu kukuruza. Na kraju svake vegetacijske sezone zabilježena je masa klipa (g), dužina oštećenja stabljike (cm), oštećenje drške klipa (cm), broj gusjenica u stabljici kukuruza, broj gusjenica u dršci klipa, te ukupan broj gusjenica po biljci. U 2014. godini kada su bile niže temperature, a veća količina oborina utvrđen je značajno niži napad u odnosu na druge dvije ispitivane godine. Uz pomoć feromonskih mamaca utvrđena je dominantnost Z-tipa kukuruznoga moljca na području istočne Slavonije. Povišenom razinom sadržaja vode u tlu utvrdilo se manje oštećenje biljke, a povećanjem razine gnojidbe utvrđeno je veće oštećenje na biljkama kao posljedica ishrane gusjenica. Utvrđena je različita otpornost hibrida u odnosu na oštećenje od gusjenica te se hibrid C4 izdvojio kao najotporniji, dok je C1 bio najosjetljiviji. Koncentracija dušika i silicija u listu kukuruza u negativnoj su korelaciji kao i koncentracija dušika i C/N odnos. Otpornost kod hibrida nije isključivo ovisila o koncentracijama dušika i silicija iako se pokazalo kod većine hibrida pri povećanoj koncentraciji dušika veće oštećenje, a kod povećane koncentracije silicija utvrđeno je manje oštećenje.Field experiments with natural population of ECB were conducted in three vegetation seasons (2012-2014) at the Agricultural Institute in Osijek. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of different levels of irrigation and nitrogen fertilization and various genotypes on the occurrence and damage of maize plants from European corn borer larvae and relationship with nitrogen and silicon content as well as C/N ratio. At the end of each growing season were determined ear weight (g), tunnel length (stalk) (cm), ear shank damage (cm), the number of larvae in corn stalk, number of larvae in the ear shank, and total number of larvae in plant. In 2014, with lower temperatures and higher amount of precipitate compared to the previous years, a significantly lower ECB attack was determined. Dominance of Z-type European corn borer on pheromone traps in the area of eastern Slavonia was determined. Increasing the level of soil water content damage from larvae was reduced and increasing the level of nitrogen fertilization feeding activity was increased. We have confirmed different hybrid resistance in regards to damage from larvae, so C4 genotype was the most resistant while C1 was the most susceptible. Concentration of nitrogen and silicon in a maize leaf were in negative correlation as well as nitrogen concentration and C/N ratio. Hybrid resistance didn't entirely depend on nitrogen and silicon concentrations, even though there was greater damage at most hybrids with higher concentration of nitrogen, while damage was reduced with higher concentration of silicon

A Cognitive Model of an Epistemic Community: Mapping the Dynamics of Shallow Lake Ecosystems

We used fuzzy cognitive mapping (FCM) to develop a generic shallow lake ecosystem model by augmenting the individual cognitive maps drawn by 8 scientists working in the area of shallow lake ecology. We calculated graph theoretical indices of the individual cognitive maps and the collective cognitive map produced by augmentation. The graph theoretical indices revealed internal cycles showing non-linear dynamics in the shallow lake ecosystem. The ecological processes were organized democratically without a top-down hierarchical structure. The steady state condition of the generic model was a characteristic turbid shallow lake ecosystem since there were no dynamic environmental changes that could cause shifts between a turbid and a clearwater state, and the generic model indicated that only a dynamic disturbance regime could maintain the clearwater state. The model developed herein captured the empirical behavior of shallow lakes, and contained the basic model of the Alternative Stable States Theory. In addition, our model expanded the basic model by quantifying the relative effects of connections and by extending it. In our expanded model we ran 4 simulations: harvesting submerged plants, nutrient reduction, fish removal without nutrient reduction, and biomanipulation. Only biomanipulation, which included fish removal and nutrient reduction, had the potential to shift the turbid state into clearwater state. The structure and relationships in the generic model as well as the outcomes of the management simulations were supported by actual field studies in shallow lake ecosystems. Thus, fuzzy cognitive mapping methodology enabled us to understand the complex structure of shallow lake ecosystems as a whole and obtain a valid generic model based on tacit knowledge of experts in the field.Comment: 24 pages, 5 Figure

Post Hoc Analysis Of The Patricia Randomized Trial Of The Efficacy Of Human Papillomavirus Type 16 (hpv-16)/hpv-18 As04-adjuvanted Vaccine Against Incident And Persistent Infection With Nonvaccine Oncogenic Hpv Types Using An Alternative Multiplex Type-specific Pcr Assay For Hpv Dna

The efficacy of the human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16)/HPV-18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine against cervical infections with HPV in the Papilloma Trial against Cancer in Young Adults (PATRICIA) was evaluated using a combination of the broad-spectrum L1-based SPF10 PCR-DNA enzyme immunoassay (DEIA)/line probe assay (LiPA(25)) system with type-specific PCRs for HPV-16 and -18. Broad-spectrum PCR assays may underestimate the presence of HPV genotypes present at relatively low concentrations in multiple infections, due to competition between genotypes. Therefore, samples were retrospectively reanalyzed using a testing algorithm incorporating the SPF10 PCR-DEIA/LiPA(25) plus a novel E6-based multiplex type-specific PCR and reverse hybridization assay (MPTS12 RHA), which permits detection of a panel of nine oncogenic HPV genotypes (types 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 45, 52, 58, and 59). For the vaccine against HPV types 16 and 18, there was no major impact on estimates of vaccine efficacy (VE) for incident or 6-month or 12-month persistent infections when the MPTS12 RHA was included in the testing algorithm versus estimates with the protocol-specified algorithm. However, the alternative testing algorithm showed greater sensitivity than the protocol-specified algorithm for detection of some nonvaccine oncogenic HPV types. More cases were gained in the control group than in the vaccine group, leading to higher point estimates of VE for 6-month and 12-month persistent infections for the nonvaccine oncogenic types included in the MPTS12 RHA assay (types 31, 33, 35, 45, 52, 58, and 59). This post hoc analysis indicates that the per-protocol testing algorithm used in PATRICIA underestimated the VE against some nonvaccine oncogenic HPV types and that the choice of the HPV DNA testing methodology is important for the evaluation of VE in clinical trials.222235244GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals SAGSKSanofi Pasteur MSDMerck Co.QiagenCSLSpeakers Burea

Efficacy Of Human Papillomavirus 16 And 18 (hpv-16/18) As04-adjuvanted Vaccine Against Cervical Infection And Precancer In Young Women: Final Event-driven Analysis Of The Randomized, Double-blind Patricia Trial

We report final event-driven analysis data on the immunogenicity and efficacy of the human papillomavirus 16 and 18 ((HPV16/18) AS04-adjuvanted vaccine in young women aged 15 to 25 years from the PApilloma TRIal against Cancer In young Adults (PATRICIA). The total vaccinated cohort (TVC) included all randomized participants who received at least one vaccine dose (vaccine, n = 9,319; control, n = 9,325) at months 0, 1, and/or 6. The TVC-naive (vaccine, n = 5,822; control, n = 5,819) had no evidence of high-risk HPV infection at baseline, approximating adolescent girls targeted by most HPV vaccination programs. Mean follow-up was approximately 39 months after the first vaccine dose in each cohort. At baseline, 26% of women in the TVC had evidence of past and/or current HPV-16/18 infection. HPV-16 and HPV-18 antibody titers postvaccination tended to be higher among 15- to 17-year-olds than among 18- to 25-year-olds. In the TVC, vaccine efficacy (VE) against cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 1 or greater (CIN1+), CIN2+, and CIN3+ associated with HPV-16/18 was 55.5% (96.1% confidence interval [CI], 43.2, 65.3), 52.8% (37.5, 64.7), and 33.6% (-1.1, 56.9). VE against CIN1+, CIN2+, and CIN3+ irrespective of HPV DNA was 21.7% (10.7, 31.4), 30.4% (16.4, 42.1), and 33.4% (9.1, 51.5) and was consistently significant only in 15- to 17-year-old women (27.4% [10.8, 40.9], 41.8% [22.3, 56.7], and 55.8% [19.2, 76.9]). In the TVC-naive, VE against CIN1+, CIN2+, and CIN3+ associated with HPV-16/ 18 was 96.5% (89.0, 99.4), 98.4% (90.4, 100), and 100% (64.7, 100), and irrespective of HPV DNA it was 50.1% (35.9, 61.4), 70.2% (54.7, 80.9), and 87.0% (54.9, 97.7). VE against 12-month persistent infection with HPV-16/18 was 89.9% (84.0, 94.0), and that against HPV-31/33/45/51 was 49.0% (34.7, 60.3). In conclusion, vaccinating adolescents before sexual debut has a substantial impact on the overall incidence of high-grade cervical abnormalities, and catch-up vaccination up to 18 years of age is most likely effective.224361373GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals SAMerck Sharp DohmeQiagenSanofi Pasteur MSDCSL Ltd

Population-level impact and herd effects following the introduction of human papillomavirus vaccination programmes: updated systematic review and meta-analysis

Background More than 10 years have elapsed since human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination was implemented. We did a systematic review and meta-analysis of the population-level impact of vaccinating girls and women against human papillomavirus on HPV infections, anogenital wart diagnoses, and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2+ (CIN2+)to summarise the most recent evidence about the effectiveness of HPV vaccines in real-world settings and to quantify the impact of multiple age-cohort vaccination.Methods In this updated systematic review and meta-analysis, we used the same search strategy as in our previous paper. We searched MEDLINE and Embase for studies published between Feb 1, 2014, and Oct 11, 2018. Studies were eligible if they compared the frequency (prevalence or incidence) of at least one HPV-related endpoint (genital HPV infections, anogenital wart diagnoses, or histologically confirmed CIN2+) between pre-vaccination and post-vaccination periods among the general population and if they used the same population sources and recruitment methods before and after vaccination. Our primary assessment was the relative risk (RR) comparing the frequency (prevalence or incidence) of HPV-related endpoints between the pre-vaccination and post-vaccination periods. We stratified all analyses by sex, age, and years since introduction of HPV vaccination. We used random-effects models to estimate pooled relative risks.Findings We identified 1702 potentially eligible articles for this systematic review and meta-analysis, and included 65 articles in 14 high-income countries: 23 for HPV infection, 29 for anogenital warts, and 13 for CIN2+.After 5\u20138 years of vaccination, the prevalence of HPV 16 and 18 decreased significantly by 83% (RR 0\ub717, 95% CI 0\ub711\u20130\ub725) among girls aged 13\u201319 years, and decreased significantly by 66% (RR 0\ub734, 95% CI 0\ub723\u20130\ub749) among women aged 20\u201324 years. The prevalence of HPV 31, 33, and 45 decreased significantly by 54% (RR 0\ub746, 95% CI 0\ub733\u20130\ub766) among girls aged 13\u201319 years. Anogenital wart diagnoses decreased significantly by 67% (RR 0\ub733, 95% CI 0\ub724\u20130\ub746) among girls aged 15\u201319 years, decreased significantly by 54% (RR 0\ub746, 95% CI 0.36\u20130.60) among women aged 20\u201324 years, and decreased significantly by 31% (RR 0\ub769, 95% CI 0\ub753\u20130\ub789) among women aged 25\u201329 years. Among boys aged 15\u201319 years anogenital wart diagnoses decreased significantly by 48% (RR 0\ub752, 95% CI 0\ub737\u20130\ub775) and among men aged 20\u201324 years they decreased significantly by 32% (RR 0\ub768, 95% CI 0\ub747\u20130\ub798). After 5\u20139 years of vaccination, CIN2+ decreased significantly by 51% (RR 0\ub749, 95% CI 0\ub742\u20130\ub758) among screened girls aged 15\u201319 years and decreased significantly by 31% (RR 0\ub769, 95% CI 0\ub757\u20130\ub784) among women aged 20\u201324 years.Interpretation This updated systematic review and meta-analysis includes data from 60 million individuals and up to 8 years of post-vaccination follow-up. Our results show compelling evidence of the substantial impact of HPV vaccination programmes on HPV infections and CIN2+ among girls and women, and on anogenital warts diagnoses among girls, women, boys, and men. Additionally, programmes with multi-cohort vaccination and high vaccination coverage had a greater direct impact and herd effects

Natural history of progression of HPV infection to cervical lesion or clearance: analysis of the control arm of the large, randomised PATRICIA study

Background: The control arm of PATRICIA (PApillomaTRIal against Cancer In young Adults, NCT00122681) was used to investigate the risk of progression from cervical HPV infection to cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) or clearance of infection, and associated determinants. Methods and Findings: Women aged 15-25 years were enrolled. A 6-month persistent HPV infection (6MPI) was defined as detection of the same HPV type at two consecutive evaluations over 6 months and clearance as ≥2 type-specific HPV negative samples taken at two consecutive intervals of approximately 6 months following a positive sample. The primary endpoint was CIN grade 2 or greater (CIN2+) associated with the same HPV type as a 6MPI. Secondary endpoints were CIN1+/CIN3+ associated with the same HPV type as a 6MPI; CIN1+/CIN2+/CIN3+ associated with an infection of any duration; and clearance of infection. The analyses included 4825 women with 16,785 infections (3363 womenwith 6902 6MPIs). Risk of developing a CIN1+/CIN2+/CIN3+ associated with same HPV type as a 6MPI varied with HPV type and was significantly higher for oncogenic versus non-oncogenic types. Hazard ratios for development of CIN2+ were 10.44 (95% CI: 6.96-15.65), 9.65 (5.97-15.60), 5.68 (3.50-9.21), 5.38 (2.87-10.06) and 3.87 (2.38-6.30) for HPV-16, HPV-33, HPV-31, HPV-45 and HPV-18, respectively. HPV-16 or HPV-33 6MPIs had ~25-fold higher risk for progression to CIN3+. Previous or concomitant HPV infection or CIN1+ associated with a different HPV type increased risk. Of the different oncogenic HPV types, HPV-16 and HPV-31 infections were least likely to clear. Conclusions: Cervical infections with oncogenic HPV types increased the risk of CIN2+ and CIN3+. Previous or concomitant infection or CIN1+ also increased the risk. HPV-16 and HPV-33 have by far the highest risk of progression to CIN3+, and HPV-16 and HPV-31 have the lowest chance of clearance

Identification of Biofilm-Associated Cluster (bac) in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Involved in Biofilm Formation and Virulence

Biofilms are prevalent in diseases caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an opportunistic and nosocomial pathogen. By a proteomic approach, we previously identified a hypothetical protein of P. aeruginosa (coded by the gene pA3731) that was accumulated by biofilm cells. We report here that a ΔpA3731 mutant is highly biofilm-defective as compared with the wild-type strain. Using a mouse model of lung infection, we show that the mutation also induces a defect in bacterial growth during the acute phase of infection and an attenuation of the virulence. The pA3731 gene is found to control positively the ability to swarm and to produce extracellular rhamnolipids, and belongs to a cluster of 4 genes (pA3729–pA3732) not previously described in P. aeruginosa. Though the protein PA3731 has a predicted secondary structure similar to that of the Phage Shock Protein, some obvious differences are observed compared to already described psp systems, e.g., this unknown cluster is monocistronic and no homology is found between the other proteins constituting this locus and psp proteins. As E. coli PspA, the amount of the protein PA3731 is enlarged by an osmotic shock, however, not affected by a heat shock. We consequently named this locus bac for biofilm-associated cluster