Pica Behaviour and Positive Behavioural Support: Best Practice in assessment and intervention

Background: Pica (the ingestion of non-edible items) is a dangerous and relatively common behaviour presented by people with intellectual disabilities. Method and materials: Non-systematic review of studies that are compatible with Positive Behavioural Support related to the definition, prevalence, assessment and intervention for PICA. Results: PICA has a high prevalence in people with intellectual developmental disabilities and is potentially dangerous and multi-factorial in its causation. A range of suggested intervention strategies compatible with PBS were found with reported reductions in PICA ranging from 70-90% with a clear indication that multi-element interventions are likely to be the most effective. Conclusions: Whilst the results reported in the studies reviewed are encouraging, there remain concerns regarding the feasibility of the implementation of these interventions and the extent to which the risk associated with PICA need to be managed even in the context of relatively effective interventions

Evaluation of the paraphyletic assemblages within Lonchophyllinae, with description of a new tribe and genus

In the past decade, six new species and one new genus have been described in the Lonchophyllinae (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae), increasing the number of recognized taxa in the subfamily to four genera and 17 species. During this time, three studies, both morphologic and genetic, indicated the genus Lonchophylla was paraphyletic with respect to other genera in the subfamily. Using tissues from museum voucher specimens, including the holotypes of specimens of Xeronycteris vieirai and Lonchophylla pattoni, issues related to the previous paraphyletic assemblages were addressed. A combination of mitochondrial (Cytb), nuclear data (Fgb-I7, TSHB-I2), chromosome diploid and fundamental numbers, and morphologic characters was used to determine whether all species of Lonchophylla share a common ancestor after diverging from other genera in the subfamily. Based on gene sequence data, a basal, monophyletic, statistically supported radiation within the subfamily Lonchophyllinae was observed in all phylogenetic analyses. We conclude that this assemblage merits recognition as a new tribe and genus, and, therefore, present formal descriptions of the genus as Hsunycteris and the tribe as Hsunycterini. Several other issues related to paraphyly within both the genus Hsunycteris and tribe Lonchophyllini were not resolvable at this time, including that the genus Lonchophylla is paraphyletic and Hsunycteris thomasi contains four genetic species. A species in the genus Hsunycteris remains undescribed because it was not possible to determine which of two lineages the type specimen of H. thomasi is actually a member. Until additional genetic and/or morphologic data are available, resolution of all paraphyletic relationships is not possible. Future studies that focus on utilizing morphologic and genetic (both mitochondrial and nuclear) data from the type specimens of species of Lonchophylla and species of Hsunycteris thomasi are needed to resolve these remaining questions

Organic biogeochemistry in West Mata, NE Kau hydrothermal vent fields

Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2021. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems 22(4), (2021): e2020GC009481, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GC009481.The impact of submarine hydrothermal systems on organic carbon in the ocean—one of the largest fixed carbon reservoirs on Earth—could be profound. Yet, different vent sites show diverse fluid chemical compositions and the subsequent biological responses. Observations from various vent sites are to evaluate hydrothermal systems' impact on the ocean carbon cycle. A response cruise in May 2009 to an on-going submarine eruption at West Mata Volcano, northeast Lau Basin, provided an opportunity to quantify the organic matter production in a back-arc spreading hydrothermal system. Hydrothermal vent fluids contained elevated dissolved organic carbon, particulate organic carbon (POC), and particulate nitrogen (PN) relative to background seawater. The δ13C-POC values for suspended particles in the diffuse vent fluids (−15.5‰ and −12.3‰) are distinct from those in background seawater (−23 ± 1‰), indicative of unique carbon synthesis pathways of the vent microbes from the seawater counterparts. The first dissolved organic nitrogen concentrations reported for diffuse vents were similar to or higher than those for background seawater. Enhanced nitrogen fixation and denitrification removed 37%–89% of the total dissolved nitrogen in the recharging background seawater in the hydrothermal vent flow paths. The hydrothermal plume samples were enriched in POC and PN, indicating enhanced biological production. The total “dark” organic carbon production within the plume matches the thermodynamic prediction based on available reducing chemical substances supplied to the plume. This research combines the measured organic carbon contents with thermodynamic modeled results and demonstrates the importance of hydrothermal activities on the water column carbon production in the deep ocean.This project was supported by N.S.F. (OCE0929881, J. P. Cowen and K. H. Rubin), the NOAA PMEL VENTS (now Earth-Ocean Interactions) Program and the Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean (JISAO) under NOAA Cooperative Agreement No. NA10OAR4320148, and the UH NASA Astrobiology Institute. The Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan award (MOST 107-2611-M-002-002, and MOST 108-2611-M-002-006 to H.-T. Lin). Ministry of Education (M.O.E.) Republic of China (Taiwan) 109L892601 to H.-T. Lin. SOEST contributions no. 11285, C-DEBI contribution no. 563. PMEL contribution no. 3996, JISAO contribution 2183

Climatic Controls on a Holocene Mercury Stable Isotope Sediment Record of Lake Titicaca

Mercury (Hg) records in sediment archives inform past patterns of Hg deposition and the anthropogenic contribution to global Hg cycling. Natural climate variations complicate the interpretation of past Hg accumulation rates (HgARs), warranting additional research. Here, we investigated Hg stable isotopes in a ca. 8k year-long sediment core of Lake Titicaca and combined isotopic data with organic biomarkers and biogeochemical measurements. A wet period in the early Holocene (8000-7300 BP) induced strong watershed erosion, leading to a high HgAR (20.2 ± 6.9 μg m -2 year -1 ), which exceeded the 20th century HgAR (8.4 ± 1.0 μg m -2 year -1 ). Geogenic Hg input dominated during the early Holocene ( f geog = 79%) and played a minor role during the mid- to late Holocene (4500 BP to present; f geog = 20%) when atmospheric Hg deposition dominated. Sediment Δ 200 Hg values and the absence of terrestrial lignin biomarkers suggest that direct lake uptake of atmospheric Hg(0), and subsequent algal scavenging of lake Hg, represented an important atmospheric deposition pathway (42%) during the mid- to late Holocene. During wet episodes of the late Holocene (2400 BP to present), atmospheric Hg(II) deposition was the dominant source of lake sediment Hg (up to 82%). Sediment Δ 199 Hg values suggest that photochemical reduction and re-emission of Hg(0) occurred from the lake surface. Hg stable isotopes show promise as proxies for understanding the history of Hg sources and transformations and help to disentangle anthropogenic and climate factors influencing HgAR observed in sediment archives

GRP94 (gp96) and GRP94 N-Terminal Geldanamycin Binding Domain Elicit Tissue Nonrestricted Tumor Suppression

In chemical carcinogenesis models, GRP94 (gp96) elicits tumor-specific protective immunity. The tumor specificity of this response is thought to reflect immune responses to GRP94-bound peptide antigens, the cohort of which uniquely identifies the GRP94 tissue of origin. In this study, we examined the apparent tissue restriction of GRP94-elicited protective immunity in a 4T1 mammary carcinoma model. We report that the vaccination of BALB/c mice with irradiated fibroblasts expressing a secretory form of GRP94 markedly suppressed 4T1 tumor growth and metastasis. In addition, vaccination with irradiated cells secreting the GRP94 NH2-terminal geldanamycin-binding domain (NTD), a region lacking canonical peptide-binding motifs, yielded a similar suppression of tumor growth and metastatic progression. Conditioned media from cultures of GRP94 or GRP94 NTD-secreting fibroblasts elicited the up-regulation of major histocompatibility complex class II and CD86 in dendritic cell cultures, consistent with a natural adjuvant function for GRP94 and the GRP94 NTD. Based on these findings, we propose that GRP94-elicited tumor suppression can occur independent of the GRP94 tissue of origin and suggest a primary role for GRP4 natural adjuvant function in antitumor immune responses

Histamine stimulates the proliferation of small and large cholangiocytes by activation of both IP3/Ca2+ and cAMP-dependent signaling mechanisms

Although large cholangiocytes exert their functions by activation of cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP), Ca(2+)-dependent signaling regulates the function of small cholangiocytes. Histamine interacts with four receptors, H1-H4HRs. H1HR acts by Gαq activating IP(3)/Ca(2+), whereas H2HR activates Gα(s) stimulating cAMP. We hypothesize that histamine increases biliary growth by activating H1HR on small and H2HR on large cholangiocytes. The expression of H1-H4HRs was evaluated in liver sections, isolated and cultured (normal rat intrahepatic cholangiocyte culture (NRIC)) cholangiocytes. In vivo, normal rats were treated with histamine or H1-H4HR agonists for 1 week. We evaluated: (1) intrahepatic bile duct mass (IBDM); (2) the effects of histamine, H1HR or H2HR agonists on NRIC proliferation, IP(3) and cAMP levels and PKCα and protein kinase A (PKA) phosphorylation; and (3) PKCα silencing on H1HR-stimulated NRIC proliferation. Small and large cholangiocytes express H1-H4HRs. Histamine and the H1HR agonist increased small IBDM, whereas histamine and the H2HR agonist increased large IBDM. H1HR agonists stimulated IP(3) levels, as well as PKCα phosphorylation and NRIC proliferation, whereas H2HR agonists increased cAMP levels, as well as PKA phosphorylation and NRIC proliferation. The H1HR agonist did not increase proliferation in PKCα siRNA-transfected NRICs. The activation of differential signaling mechanisms targeting small and large cholangiocytes is important for repopulation of the biliary epithelium during pathologies affecting different-sized bile ducts

HIV infection and cardiovascular disease in women

Background HIV infection is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in men. Whether HIV is an independent risk factor for CVD in women has not yet been established. Methods and Results We analyzed data from the Veterans Aging Cohort Study on 2187 women (32% HIV infected [HIV+]) who were free of CVD at baseline. Participants were followed from their first clinical encounter on or after April 01, 2003 until a CVD event, death, or the last follow‐up date (December 31, 2009). The primary outcome was CVD (acute myocardial infarction [AMI], unstable angina, ischemic stroke, and heart failure). CVD events were defined using clinical data, International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes, and/or death certificate data. We used Cox proportional hazards models to assess the association between HIV and incident CVD, adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, lipids, smoking, blood pressure, diabetes, renal disease, obesity, hepatitis C, and substance use/abuse. Median follow‐up time was 6.0 years. Mean age at baseline of HIV+ and HIV uninfected (HIV−) women was 44.0 versus 43.2 years (PP=0.11). There were 86 incident CVD events (53%, HIV+): AMI, 13%; unstable angina, 8%; ischemic stroke, 22%; and heart failure, 57%. Incident CVD/1000 person‐years was significantly higher among HIV+ (13.5; 95% confidence interval [CI]=10.1, 18.1) than HIV−women (5.3; 95% CI=3.9, 7.3; P+ women had an increased risk of CVD, compared to HIV− (hazard ratio=2.8; 95% CI=1.7, 4.6; P\u3c0.001). Conclusions HIV is associated with an increased risk of CVD in women

Perspectives on Finances and Mental Health Status among Low-Income Los Angeles Latinas

Abstract Research has established a link between financial challenges and mental health outcomes. Understanding this linkage among low-income Latinas who face unique experiences and challenges in relation to managing their household finances is important. This study utilized a community-based participatory qualitative research method to explore perspectives on financial and mental health among Latinas residing in Los Angeles County. The implications of this study are applicable when conducting a culturally responsive financial therapy program. Three focus groups were conducted with mainly immigrant, Spanish-speaking, low-income Latinas (n = 37). The study found that though participants face financial stressors tied to managing finances, they were eager to learn new skills and tools for improved financial practices and mental health therapies. For financial education interventions targeted to Latinas, it is best to use interventions that incorporate peer-support groups, improve knowledge about financial management tools and financial products available in the community, and therapeutic interventions to address financial stress. Key words: immigrants, household financial decision-making, savings, formal financial services, financial stres

Regulation of System x

The cystine/glutamate exchanger (system xc-) mediates the transport of cystine into the cell in exchange for glutamate. By releasing glutamate, system xc- can potentially cause excitotoxicity. However, through providing cystine to the cell, it regulates the levels of cellular glutathione (GSH), the main endogenous intracellular antioxidant, and may protect cells against oxidative stress. We tested two different compounds that deplete primary cortical cultures containing both neurons and astrocytes of intracellular GSH, L-buthionine-sulfoximine (L-BSO), and diethyl maleate (DEM). Both compounds caused significant concentration and time dependent decreases in intracellular GSH levels. However; DEM caused an increase in radiolabeled cystine uptake through system xc-, while unexpectedly BSO caused a decrease in uptake. The compounds caused similar low levels of neurotoxicity, while only BSO caused an increase in oxidative stress. The mechanism of GSH depletion by these two compounds is different, DEM directly conjugates to GSH, while BSO inhibits γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase, a key enzyme in GSH synthesis. As would be expected from these mechanisms of action, DEM caused a decrease in intracellular cysteine, while BSO increased cysteine levels. The results suggest that negative feedback by intracellular cysteine is an important regulator of system xc- in this culture system