Evolving Diversity II: Participation of students with an immigrant background in European Higher Education

EQUNET is a 3-year project researching the state of equity in Higher Education in Europe. The project aims to create an evidence-based policy advocacy network, so as to promote its conclusions as a way to promote better-informed policy making on equity issues in Europe. This is the second of three reports, and is dedicated to improving the picture of equity in access to Higher Education in Europe for persons of immigrant origin. The report provides a theoretical framework for discussion of the topic, a statistical cross-country analysis of access-figures, as well as detailed country-studies for Germany, Norway and the United Kingdom. It is the result of a year of research conducted by a multi-disciplinary team of researchers originating from across Europe. (DIPF/Orig.

Postoperative otorhinolaryngologic complications in transnasal endoscopic surgery to access the skull base

AbstractIntroductionThe large increase in the number of transnasal endoscopic skull base surgeries is a consequence of greater knowledge of the anatomic region, the development of specific materials and instruments, and especially the use of the nasoseptal flap as a barrier between the sinus tract (contaminated cavity) and the subarachnoid space (sterile area), reducing the high risk of contamination.ObjectiveTo assess the otorhinolaryngologic complications in patients undergoing endoscopic surgery of the skull base, in which a nasoseptal flap was used.MethodsThis was a retrospective study that included patients who underwent endoscopic skull base surgery with creation of a nasoseptal flap, assessing for the presence of the following post-surgical complications: cerebrospinal fluid leak, meningitis, mucocele formation, nasal synechia, septal perforation (prior to posterior septectomy), internal nasal valve failure, epistaxis, and olfactory alterations.ResultsThe study assessed 41 patients undergoing surgery. Of these, 35 had pituitary adenomas (macro- or micro-adenomas; sellar and suprasellar extension), three had meningiomas (two tuberculum sellae and one olfactory groove), two had craniopharyngiomas, and one had an intracranial abscess. The complications were cerebrospinal fluid leak (three patients; 7.3%), meningitis (three patients; 7.3%), nasal fossa synechia (eight patients; 19.5%), internal nasal valve failure (six patients; 14.6%), and complaints of worsening of the sense of smell (16 patients; 39%). The olfactory test showed anosmia or hyposmia in ten patients (24.3%). No patient had mucocele, epistaxis, or septal perforation.ConclusionThe use of the nasoseptal flap has revolutionized endoscopic skull base surgery, making the procedures more effective and with lower morbidity compared to the traditional route. However, although mainly transient nasal morbidities were observed, in some cases, permanent hyposmia and anosmia resulted. An improvement in this technique is therefore necessary to provide a better quality of life for the patient, reducing potential complications

Functional involvement of septal miR-132 in extinction and oxytocin-mediated reversal of social fear

Social interactions are critical for mammalian survival and evolution. Dysregulation of social behavior often leads to psychopathologies such as social anxiety disorder, denoted by intense fear and avoidance of social situations. Using the social fear conditioning (SFC) paradigm, we analyzed expression levels of miR-132-3p and miR-124-3p within the septum, a brain region essential for social preference and avoidance behavior, after acquisition and extinction of social fear. Here, we found that SFC dynamically altered both microRNAs. Functional in vivo approaches using pharmacological strategies, inhibition of miR-132-3p, viral overexpression of miR-132-3p, and shRNA-mediated knockdown of miR-132-3p specifically within oxytocin receptor-positive neurons confirmed septal miR-132-3p to be critically involved not only in social fear extinction, but also in oxytocin-induced reversal of social fear. Moreover, Argonaute-RNA-co-immunoprecipitation-microarray analysis and further in vitro and in vivo quantification of target mRNA and protein, revealed growth differentiation factor-5 (Gdf-5) as a target of miR-132-3p. Septal application of GDF-5 impaired social fear extinction suggesting its functional involvement in the reversal of social fear. In summary, we show that septal miR-132-3p and its downstream target Gdf-5 regulate social fear expression and potentially mediate oxytocin-induced reversal of social fear

Spin dynamics of a solid-state qubit in proximity to a superconductor

A broad effort is underway to understand and harness the interaction between superconductors and spin-active color centers with an eye on the realization of hybrid quantum devices and novel imaging modalities of superconducting materials. Most work, however, overlooks the complex interplay between either system and the environment created by the color center host. Here we use an all-diamond scanning probe to investigate the spin dynamics of a single nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center proximal to a high-critical-temperature superconducting film in the presence of a weak magnetic field. We find that the presence of the superconductor increases the NV spin coherence lifetime, a phenomenon we tentatively rationalize as a change in the electric noise due to a superconductor-induced redistribution of charge carriers near the NV site. We build on these findings to demonstrate transverse-relaxation-time-weighted imaging of the superconductor film. These results shed light on the complex surface dynamics governing the spin coherence of shallow NVs while simultaneously paving the route to new forms of noise spectroscopy and imaging of superconductors

Spectral signatures of reorganised brain networks in disorders of consciousness.

Theoretical advances in the science of consciousness have proposed that it is concomitant with balanced cortical integration and differentiation, enabled by efficient networks of information transfer across multiple scales. Here, we apply graph theory to compare key signatures of such networks in high-density electroencephalographic data from 32 patients with chronic disorders of consciousness, against normative data from healthy controls. Based on connectivity within canonical frequency bands, we found that patient networks had reduced local and global efficiency, and fewer hubs in the alpha band. We devised a novel topographical metric, termed modular span, which showed that the alpha network modules in patients were also spatially circumscribed, lacking the structured long-distance interactions commonly observed in the healthy controls. Importantly however, these differences between graph-theoretic metrics were partially reversed in delta and theta band networks, which were also significantly more similar to each other in patients than controls. Going further, we found that metrics of alpha network efficiency also correlated with the degree of behavioural awareness. Intriguingly, some patients in behaviourally unresponsive vegetative states who demonstrated evidence of covert awareness with functional neuroimaging stood out from this trend: they had alpha networks that were remarkably well preserved and similar to those observed in the controls. Taken together, our findings inform current understanding of disorders of consciousness by highlighting the distinctive brain networks that characterise them. In the significant minority of vegetative patients who follow commands in neuroimaging tests, they point to putative network mechanisms that could support cognitive function and consciousness despite profound behavioural impairment.This work was supported by grants from the Wellcome Trust [WT093811MA to T.B.]; the James S. McDonnell Foundation [to A.M.O. and J.D.P.]; the UK Medical Research Council [U.1055.01.002.00001.01 to A.M.O. and J.D.P.]; the Canada Excellence Research Chairs program [to A.M.O.]; the National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre [to J.D.P.]; and the National Institute for Health Research Senior Investigator and Healthcare Technology Cooperative awards [to J.D.P.].This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from PLOS via http://dx.doi.org

Dysregulation of MS risk genes and pathways at distinct stages of disease

OBJECTIVE: To perform systematic transcriptomic analysis of multiple sclerosis (MS) risk genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of subjects with distinct MS stages and describe the pathways characterized by dysregulated gene expressions. METHODS: We monitored gene expression levels in PBMCs from 3 independent cohorts for a total of 297 cases (including clinically isolated syndromes (CIS), relapsing-remitting MS, primary and secondary progressive MS) and 96 healthy controls by distinct microarray platforms and quantitative PCR. Differential expression and pathway analyses for distinct MS stages were defined and validated by literature mining. RESULTS: Genes located in the vicinity of MS risk variants displayed altered expression in peripheral blood at distinct stages of MS compared with the healthy population. The frequency of dysregulation was significantly higher than expected in CIS and progressive forms of MS. Pathway analysis for each MS stage–specific gene list showed that dysregulated genes contributed to pathogenic processes with scientific evidence in MS. CONCLUSIONS: Systematic gene expression analysis in PBMCs highlighted selective dysregulation of MS susceptibility genes playing a role in novel and well-known pathogenic pathways

Symptom dimensions of the psychotic symptom rating scales in psychosis: a multisite study

The Psychotic Symptom Rating Scales (PSYRATS) is an instrument designed to quantify the severity of delusions and hallucinations and is typically used in research studies and clinical settings focusing on people with psychosis and schizophrenia. It is comprised of the auditory hallucinations (AHS) and delusions subscales (DS), but these subscales do not necessarily reflect the psychological constructs causing intercorrelation between clusters of scale items. Identification of these constructs is important in some clinical and research contexts because item clustering may be caused by underlying etiological processes of interest. Previous attempts to identify these constructs have produced conflicting results. In this study, we compiled PSYRATS data from 12 sites in 7 countries, comprising 711 participants for AHS and 520 for DS. We compared previously proposed and novel models of underlying constructs using structural equation modeling. For the AHS, a novel 4-dimensional model provided the best fit, with latent variables labeled Distress (negative content, distress, and control), Frequency (frequency, duration, and disruption), Attribution (location and origin of voices), and Loudness (loudness item only). For the DS, a 2-dimensional solution was confirmed, with latent variables labeled Distress (amount/intensity) and Frequency (preoccupation, conviction, and disruption). The within-AHS and within-DS dimension intercorrelations were higher than those between subscales, with the exception of the AHS and DS Distress dimensions, which produced a correlation that approached the range of the within-scale correlations. Recommendations are provided for integrating these underlying constructs into research and clinical applications of the PSYRATS

Immigrant women’s and families’ views and experiences of routine postnatal care: findings from a qualitative evidence synthesis

Background: Uptake of postnatal care (PNC) is low and inequitable in many countries, and immigrant women may experience additional challenges to access and effective use. As part of a larger study examining the views of women, partners, and families on routine PNC, we analysed a subset of data on the specific experiences of immigrant women and families. Methods: This is a subanalysis of a larger qualitative evidence synthesis. We searched MEDLINE, PUBMED, CINAHL, EMBASE, EBM-Reviews and grey literature for studies published until December 2019 with extractable qualitative data with no language restrictions. For this analysis, we focused on papers related to immigrant women and families. Two reviewers screened each study independently; inclusion was agreed by consensus. Data abstraction and quality assessment were carried out using a study-specific extraction form and established quality assessment tools. Study findings were identified using thematic analysis. Findings are presented by confidence in the finding, applying the GRADE-CERQual approach. Findings: We included 44 papers, out of 602 full-texts, representing 11 countries where women and families sought PNC after immigrating. All but one included immigrants to high-income countries. Four themes were identified: resources and access, differences from home country, support needs, and experiences of care. High confidence study findings included: language and communication challenges; uncertainty about navigating system supports including transportation; high mental health, emotional, and informational needs; the impact of personal resources and social support; and the quality of interaction with healthcare providers. These findings highlight the importance of care experiences beyond clinical care. More research is also needed on the experiences of families migrating between low-income countries. Conclusions: Immigrant families experience many challenges in getting routine PNC, especially related to language, culture, and communication. Some challenges may be mitigated by improving comprehensive and accessible information on available services, as well as holistic social support. Trial registration number: CRD42019139183

Preclinical characterization of ISB 1342, a CD38 × CD3 T-cell engager for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma

Although treatment of multiple myeloma (MM) with daratumumab significantly extends the patient's lifespan, resistance to therapy is inevitable. ISB 1342 was designed to target MM cells from patients with relapsed/refractory MM (r/r MM) displaying lower sensitivity to daratumumab. ISB 1342 is a bispecific antibody with a high-affinity Fab binding to CD38 on tumor cells on a different epitope than daratumumab and a detuned scFv domain affinity binding to CD3ε on T cells, to mitigate the risk of life-threatening cytokine release syndrome, using the Bispecific Engagement by Antibodies based on the TCR (BEAT) platform. In vitro, ISB 1342 efficiently killed cell lines with different levels of CD38, including those with a lower sensitivity to daratumumab. In a killing assay where multiple modes of action were enabled, ISB 1342 showed higher cytotoxicity toward MM cells compared with daratumumab. This activity was retained when used in sequential or concomitant combinations with daratumumab. The efficacy of ISB 1342 was maintained in daratumumab-treated bone marrow patient samples showing lower sensitivity to daratumumab. ISB 1342 induced complete tumor control in 2 therapeutic mouse models, unlike daratumumab. Finally, in cynomolgus monkeys, ISB 1342 displayed an acceptable toxicology profile. These data suggest that ISB 1342 may be an option in patients with r/r MM refractory to prior anti-CD38 bivalent monoclonal antibody therapies. It is currently being developed in a phase 1 clinical study

Effects of antiplatelet therapy on stroke risk by brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases: subgroup analyses of the RESTART randomised, open-label trial

Background Findings from the RESTART trial suggest that starting antiplatelet therapy might reduce the risk of recurrent symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage compared with avoiding antiplatelet therapy. Brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases (such as cerebral microbleeds) are associated with greater risks of recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage. We did subgroup analyses of the RESTART trial to explore whether these brain imaging features modify the effects of antiplatelet therapy