State of Philanthropy Among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders: Findings and Recommendations to Strengthen Visibility and Impact

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) have been an important part of the United States for over 170 years, and are the fastest-growing racial groups in the country today. AAPIs have made significant gains in political representation, from the halls of Congress to state and local offices. We have also seen important gains in understanding the demographic makeup and public opinion of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.Yet, when it comes to philanthropy, AAPIs continue to be rendered invisible and marginal. This report—based on a summary of prior findings and insights from several data collections, including prior population surveys, content analysis of philanthropy news coverage, and surveys and interviews of leaders and staff in philanthropy—indicates that grantmaking to AAPIs remains a relatively low priority, and that AAPIs continue to face barriers when it comes to serving in leadership roles

Fgf-dependent glial cell bridges facilitate spinal cord regeneration in Zebrafish

Adult Zebrafish show a remarkable capacity to regenerate their spinal column after injury, an ability that stands in stark contrast to the limited repair that occurs within the mammalian CNS post-injury. The reasons for this interspecies difference in regenerative capacity remain unclear. Here we demonstrate a novel role for Fgf signaling during glial cell morphogenesis in promoting axonal regeneration after spinal cordinjury. Zebrafish glia are induced by Fgf signaling, to form anelongated bipolarmorphology that formsabridge between the two sides of the resected spinal cord, over which regenerating axons actively migrate. Loss of Fgf function inhibits formation of this "glial bridge" and prevents axon regeneration. Despite the poor potential for mammalian axonal regeneration, primate astrocytes activated by Fgf signaling adopt a similar morphology to that induced in Zebrafish glia. This suggests that differential Fgf regulation, rather than intrinsic cell differences, underlie the distinct responses of mammalian and Zebrafish glia to injury

Virtually tasty: An investigation of the effect of ambient lightning and 3D-shaped taste stimuli on taste perception in virtual reality

Taste perception is influenced by sensory information not only about the food itself but also about the external environment where the food is tasted. Prior studies have shown that both visual attributes of the environment (e.g., light colour, location) and the shape associated to food (e.g., plates, cutlery) can influence people's taste perception and expectations. However, previous studies are typically based on non-edible shapes usually shown as 2D images or presented as 3D tangible objects aimed to be perceived by subjects' hand. Therefore, the effect of mouthfeel of differently shaped foods on taste perception remains unclear. Capitalising on the advantages of virtual reality (VR) to manipulate multisensory features, we explore the effects of coloured (red, blue, neutral) virtual environments on the taste (sweet, neutral) perception of differently shaped taste samples (rounded/spiky shapes according to the Kiki-Bouba paradigm). Overall, our results showed increased ratings of sweetness when participants tasted Bouba-shaped samples (rounded) relative to Kiki-shaped samples (spiky) suggesting that tactile attributes perceived inside the mouth can influence sweetness perception. Furthermore, we concluded that lighting colour in a virtual setting might dampen experiences of sweetness. However, this effect may only be present when there is a cross-modal correspondence with taste. Based on our findings, we conclude by describing considerations for designing eating experiences in VR

Acianthera hygrophila (Orchidaceae), nuevo registro para Uruguay

The epiphytic orchid Acianthera hygrophila (Barb. Rodr.) Pridgeon & M.W. Chase is reported for the first time for the flora of Uruguay. This species was found in a riverside forest of the Río Yaguarón in the East of Cerro Largo Department, near the border with Brazil. This record marks the Southern limit of distribution of the species. A description, an illustration and a distribution map of A. hygrophila are provided, as well as an identification key for Aciantheraspecies found in UruguaySe reporta por primera vez para la flora de Uruguay la orquídea epífita Acianthera hygrophila (Barb. Rodr.) Pridgeon & M.W. Chase. La misma fue hallada en el bosque ribereño del Río Yaguarón en el este del departamento de Cerro Largo próximo al límite con Brasil. Este registro representa el límite sur de distribución de la especie. Se presenta una descripción ampliada, ilustración y mapa de distribución de A. hygrophila, así como una clave para la identificación de las especies de Acianthera presentes en Urugua

Detrimental effects of the 'bath salt' methylenedioxypyrovalerone on social play behavior in male rats

Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) is the most popular synthetic cathinone found in products marketed as 'bath salts', widely abused among teenagers and young adults. Synthetic cathinones have pharmacological effects resembling those of psychostimulants, which are known to disrupt a variety of social behaviors. However, despite the popular use of MDPV by young people in social contexts, information about its effects on social behavior is scarce. To investigate the impact of MDPV on social behavior at young age, and the underlying neurobehavioral mechanisms, we focused on social play behavior. Social play behavior is the most characteristic social behavior displayed by young mammals and it is crucial for neurobehavioral development. Treatment with MDPV reduced social play behavior in both juvenile and young adult male rats, and its play-suppressant effect was subject to tolerance but not sensitization. As the behavioral effects of MDPV have been ascribed to dopaminergic and noradrenergic neurotransmission, and given the role of these neurotransmitters in social play, we investigated the involvement of dopamine and noradrenaline in the play-suppressant effects of MDPV. The effects of MDPV on social play were blocked by either the α2 adrenoceptor antagonist RX821002 or the dopamine receptor antagonist flupenthixol, given alone or together at sub-effective doses. In sum, MDPV selectively suppresses the most vigorous social behavior of developing rats through both noradrenergic and dopaminergic mechanisms. This study provides important preclinical evidence of the deleterious effects of MDPV on social behavior, and as such increases our understanding of the neurobehavioral effects of this popular cathinone

Floristic composition of Isla de las Gaviotas, Río de la Plata estuary, Uruguay

Isla de las Gaviotas is an island located in Río de la Plata estuary, Uruguay. The aim of this study is to determine and analyze plant species composition on this island and to identify vegetation zonation patterns. An angiosperm species list was generated using a qualitative sampling technique. We registered a total of 27 species, distributed among 18 families. According to species distribution patterns on the island, we propose four vegetation zones: North, Central, Southeast and West. Exotic species comprised 52% of the total number of species, reflecting a history of disturbance in the area. Nonetheless, this site also has a remarkable number of native species, in particular Heliotropium curassavicum, which is listed among Uruguayan species of conservation concern. Given that the loss of coastal plant species is a current problem, the proportion of native halophyte species recorded (37%) indicated the island’s importance as a relict of Uruguayan coastal vegetation

The Palestinian primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) cohort: clinical, diagnostic and genetic spectrum

Background: Diagnostic testing for PCD started in 2013 in Palestine. We aimed to describe the clinical, diagnostic and genetic spectrum of the Palestinian PCD cohort. Methods: 390 individuals with symptoms suggestive of PCD and 74 family members underwent nasal nitric oxide (nNO); and/or transmission electron microscopy (TEM); and/or PCD genetic panel or whole exome testing. Clinical characteristics were collected close to diagnosis including FEV1 GLI z-scores and BMI z-scores. Results: 82 had a definite positive PCD diagnosis (TEM and/or genetics) and 103 were highly likely (Kartagener’s and/or low nNO). Positive cases (n=82) had median age of 13.5 years (range 0-43), were highly consanguineous (95%) and 100% Arabic descent. Clinical features included persistent wet cough (95%), neonatal respiratory distress (79%), clubbing (21%) and situs inversus (41%). Lung function at diagnosis was already impaired FEV1 z-score mean -1.49 (sd=1.79) and BMI z-score mean -0.30 SD=1.4. 69 families were genotyped. 59 individuals from 42 families (60%) had mutations in 14 PCD-genes; CCDC39 (26% of families), DNAH11 (17%) and LRRC6 (12%) were the most common. 16% had mutations in candidate genes, 24% had no variants identified. 100% of variants were homozygous. TEM defects and genotype associations were as expected. Conclusions: Despite limited local resources, collaborations during the last 7-years have facilitated detailed geno- and phenotyping of one of the largest PCD cohorts globally. nNO identifies likely cases and targeted genetic testing, conducted locally, can now identify specific mutations in known families