The Expression of the PDZ Protein MALS-1/Velis Is Regulated by Calcium and Calcineurin in Cerebellar Granule Cells

Activity-dependent gene expression is thought to be important in shaping neuronal development and in modifying the protein content of neurons. Ca(2+) entry into neurons appears to be one of the key effectors of activity-dependent gene expression. Among the possible downstream targets of calcium, the protein phosphatase calcineurin represents a prime candidate. We hereby report that in cultured cerebellar granule cells the activation of the Ca(2+)/calcineurin pathway via either voltage- or ligand- operated Ca(2+) channels regulates MALS-1 and MALS-2 expression at the transcriptional level. These proteins are integral parts of the post-synaptic density and are also involved in receptor trafficking. MALS regulation is not at the level of mRNA stability and does not require de novo protein synthesis, thereby suggesting a direct pathway. These data suggest that Ca(2+) entry by means of calcineurin is capable of controlling the structure of the post-synaptic density by controlling the expression of key components at the transcriptional level

Culturally Competent California Mental Health Services: Model and Example

Mental health services in the United States were designed for European American consumers, but with burgeoning multicultural populations these services have proven inadequate and underutilized. This paper examines research on cultural competencies of agencies and clinicians relevant to a mental health practice model, the Multicultural Assessment-Intervention Process model (MAIP). This model was modified for systematic application in a California agency, the Tri-City Mental Health Center, to provide a flexible blueprint for major alterations in agency practice and programs that affect the entire system of care. MAIP begins with intake process including client-clinician/ethnicity-Ianguage|match, client acculturation/racial identity status, and clinician cultural competence, and proceeds to clinician in-service-training, cultural components embedded in services, and outcome measures

Maternity Waiting Homes as an Intervention to Increase Facility Delivery in Rural Zambia

Graduate or above research in rural Zambiahttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/148301/1/BeckPeroskyMunroKramerLockhartMusondaNaggayiLori.pd

A Time Series Analysis of Air Pollution and Preterm Birth in Pennsylvania, 1997–2001

Preterm delivery can lead to serious infant health outcomes, including death and lifelong disability. Small increases in preterm delivery risk in relation to spatial gradients of air pollution have been reported, but previous studies may have controlled inadequately for individual factors. Using a time-series analysis, which eliminates potential confounding by individual risk factors that do not change over short periods of time, we investigated the effect of ambient outdoor particulate matter with diameter ≤10 μm (PM(10)) and sulfur dioxide on risk for preterm delivery. Daily counts of preterm births were obtained from birth records in four Pennsylvania counties from 1997 through 2001. We observed increased risk for preterm delivery with exposure to average PM(10) and SO(2) in the 6 weeks before birth [respectively, relative risk (RR) = 1.07; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.98–1.18 per 50 μg/m(3) increase; RR = 1.15; 95% CI, 1.00–1. 32 per 15 ppb increase], adjusting for long-term preterm delivery trends, co-pollutants, and offsetting by the number of gestations at risk. We also examined lags up to 7 days before the birth and found an acute effect of exposure to PM(10) 2 days and 5 days before birth (respectively, RR = 1.10; 95% CI, 1.00–1.21; RR = 1.07; 95% CI, 0.98–1.18) and SO(2) 3 days before birth (RR = 1.07; 95% CI, 0.99–1.15), adjusting for covariates, including temperature, dew point temperature, and day of the week. The results from this time-series analysis, which provides evidence of an increase in preterm birth risk with exposure to PM(10) and SO(2), are consistent with prior investigations of spatial contrasts

On Coding for Reliable Communication over Packet Networks

We present a capacity-achieving coding scheme for unicast or multicast over lossy packet networks. In the scheme, intermediate nodes perform additional coding yet do not decode nor even wait for a block of packets before sending out coded packets. Rather, whenever they have a transmission opportunity, they send out coded packets formed from random linear combinations of previously received packets. All coding and decoding operations have polynomial complexity. We show that the scheme is capacity-achieving as long as packets received on a link arrive according to a process that has an average rate. Thus, packet losses on a link may exhibit correlation in time or with losses on other links. In the special case of Poisson traffic with i.i.d. losses, we give error exponents that quantify the rate of decay of the probability of error with coding delay. Our analysis of the scheme shows that it is not only capacity-achieving, but that the propagation of packets carrying "innovative" information follows the propagation of jobs through a queueing network, and therefore fluid flow models yield good approximations. We consider networks with both lossy point-to-point and broadcast links, allowing us to model both wireline and wireless packet networks.Comment: 33 pages, 6 figures; revised appendi

Active trachoma and community use of sanitation, Ethiopia.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate, in Amhara, Ethiopia, the association between prevalence of active trachoma among children aged 1-9 years and community sanitation usage. METHODS: Between 2011 and 2014, prevalence of trachoma and household pit latrine usage were measured in five population-based cross-sectional surveys. Data on observed indicators of latrine use were aggregated into a measure of community sanitation usage calculated as the proportion of households with a latrine in use. All household members were examined for clinical signs, i.e. trachomatous inflammation, follicular and/or intense, indicative of active trachoma. Multilevel logistic regression was used to estimate prevalence odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), adjusting for community, household and individual factors, and to evaluate modification by household latrine use and water access. FINDINGS: In surveyed areas, prevalence of active trachoma among children was estimated to be 29% (95% CI: 28-30) and mean community sanitation usage was 47% (95% CI: 45-48). Despite significant modification (p < 0.0001), no pattern in stratified ORs was detected. Summarizing across strata, community sanitation usage values of 60 to < 80% and ≥ 80% were associated with lower prevalence odds of active trachoma, compared with community sanitation usage of < 20% (OR: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.57-1.03 and OR: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.48-0.95, respectively). CONCLUSION: In Amhara, Ethiopia, a negative correlation was observed between community sanitation usage and prevalence of active trachoma among children, highlighting the need for continued efforts to encourage higher levels of sanitation usage and to support sustained use throughout the community, not simply at the household level

Tunicamycin Depresses P-Glycoprotein Glycosylation Without an Effect on Its Membrane Localization and Drug Efflux Activity in L1210 Cells

P-glycoprotein (P-gp), also known as ABCB1, is a member of the ABC transporter family of proteins. P-gp is an ATP-dependent drug efflux pump that is localized to the plasma membrane of mammalian cells and confers multidrug resistance in neoplastic cells. P-gp is a 140-kDa polypeptide that is glycosylated to a final molecular weight of 170 kDa. Our experimental model used two variants of L1210 cells in which overexpression of P-gp was achieved: either by adaptation of parental cells (S) to vincristine (R) or by transfection with the human gene encoding P-gp (T). R and T cells were found to differ from S cells in transglycosylation reactions in our recent studies. The effects of tunicamycin on glycosylation, drug efflux activity and cellular localization of P-gp in R and T cells were examined in the present study. Treatment with tunicamycin caused less concentration-dependent cellular damage to R and T cells compared with S cells. Tunicamycin inhibited P-gp N-glycosylation in both of the P-gp-positive cells. However, tunicamycin treatment did not alter either the P-gp cellular localization to the plasma membrane or the P-gp transport activity. The present paper brings evidence that independently on the mode of P-gp expression (selection with drugs or transfection with a gene encoding P-gp) in L1210 cells, tunicamycin induces inhibition of N-glycosylation of this protein, without altering its function as plasma membrane drug efflux pump

Prediction of Low Community Sanitation Coverage Using Environmental and Sociodemographic Factors in Amhara Region, Ethiopia.

This study developed and validated a model for predicting the probability that communities in Amhara Region, Ethiopia, have low sanitation coverage, based on environmental and sociodemographic conditions. Community sanitation coverage was measured between 2011 and 2014 through trachoma control program evaluation surveys. Information on environmental and sociodemographic conditions was obtained from available data sources and linked with community data using a geographic information system. Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of low community sanitation coverage (< 20% versus ≥ 20%). The selected model was geographically and temporally validated. Model-predicted probabilities of low community sanitation coverage were mapped. Among 1,502 communities, 344 (22.90%) had coverage below 20%. The selected model included measures for high topsoil gravel content, an indicator for low-lying land, population density, altitude, and rainfall and had reasonable predictive discrimination (area under the curve = 0.75, 95% confidence interval = 0.72, 0.78). Measures of soil stability were strongly associated with low community sanitation coverage, controlling for community wealth, and other factors. A model using available environmental and sociodemographic data predicted low community sanitation coverage for areas across Amhara Region with fair discrimination. This approach could assist sanitation programs and trachoma control programs, scaling up or in hyperendemic areas, to target vulnerable areas with additional activities or alternate technologies