Reimagining Disability: A Call To Action

This article focuses on how the medical profession, organizations, and universities should incorporate the social model of disability into their regulations and policies to advance justice for individuals with disabilities. Traditionally, disability has been viewed through the medical model, which postulates that one’s individual body or mind is medically impaired and diminishes the person’s quality of life. The model overemphasizes individual difference or disability diagnosis as something that should be treated at an individual level through medical intervention, and ignores social factors that impact the development of physical and mental conditions. Moreover, this pervasive attitude towards disability permeates institutions and causes individuals with disabilities to have to adapt to existing environments. Furthermore, it leads to increased stigmatization by placing direct blame on the person for their own disability, and results in greater isolation of individuals from mainstream society. Conversely, the social model of disability illuminates the societal barriers that explain one’s disability. By utilizing this framework, the systems that negatively influence people with disabilities will be compelled to change, thus effectively accommodating and empowering them to achieve their potential. This paper discusses the benefits of the social model of disability, such as its role in fostering socially equitable outcomes and systemic changes that result in more understanding attitudes. In doing so, this work will illuminate how the social model can help redefine disability. More significantly, the social model of disability will propel people to move from a mindset of ostracization and derision to empathy and compassion. Along with discussing what existing entities have successfully included ideas from the social model, this work explores possible implications and offers a roadmap to advocate for individuals with disabilities

Near-IR plasmonic contrast agents for molecular imaging, cell tracking and clinical translation

textGold nanoparticles attain an intense focus in biomedical imaging applications due to their unique optical properties, facile conjugation with biomolecules, and biocompatibility. Although a considerable amount of work towards the development of gold nanoparticles has been completed, these promising contrast agents have not yet reached the clinic due to several challenges including efficient accumulation at the diseased site, sensitivity of detection in vivo, potential adverse effects, and clearance from the body. High signal-to-background ratio is required to enhance sensitivity of detection. Because near infrared (near-IR) light has the best tissue penetration, contrast agents designed to work in this range can significantly increase imaging sensitivity. Moreover, efficient targeting of the molecular biomarkers on diseased cells can decrease the required dosage, increase the site-specific accumulation, and enhance the imaging sensitivity. Molecular-specific contrast agents developed in this project use directional attachment of antibody molecules to the nanoparticle surface, enhancing the targeting efficacy. Additionally, cell-based delivery of diagnostic and therapeutic agents is gaining much interest due to the immune cells’ special access to the avascular, diseased regions. The contrast agents developed in this project enable detection of just a few cells per unit of imaging volume, enable multiplex imaging, and open up a possibility for tracking different cell populations with noninvasive photoacoustic and ultrasound imaging. Finally, the clearance of nanoparticles from the body dictates their clinical translation. The in vivo pharmacokinetics study along with the proposed in vitro model explored in this project will enable fast, reliable, and cost-efficient screening of promising agents and facilitate quick optimization of nanoparticles for their potential use in the clinic.Biomedical Engineerin

Cell- and heparin-binding domains of the hexabrachion arm defined by tenascin expression proteins

We have produced a set of bacterial expression proteins corresponding to 10 segments of tenascin and two of fibronectin and tested them for heparin binding and cell adhesion. We used polymerase chain reaction cloning to terminate the segments precisely at domain boundaries. Heparin binding activity was mapped to two different tenascin segments: one comprising the fourth and fifth fibronectin type III domains, and to TNfbg, the fibrinogen-like terminal knob. TNfbg, but none of the other tanascin segments, also supported adhesion of primary rat embryo skin fibroblasts. The fibroblasts did not spread on TNfbg but remained rounded. Cell binding to TNfbg occurred in the presence or absence of divalent cations and was not inhibited by RGD peptides, suggesting that integrins are not involved. Fibroblast binding to TNfbg was strongly inhibited by soluble heparin, by treating the cells with heparitinase, or by culture conditions that cause undersulfation of proteoglycans. These observations suggest that cell attachment to TNfbg is mediated by cell surface proteoglycans. We have also made full-length cDNA constructs for the largest and smallest splice variants of human tenascin, as well as one truncated after the 14th epidermal growth factor-like domain, in the pNUT mammalian cell expression vector. Stably transfected baby hamster kidney cell lines secreted large quantities of tenascin, and this was assembled into normal hexabrachions, the arm length corresponding to the construct

Visceral Leishmaniasis in Muzaffarpur District, Bihar, India from 1990 to 2008

BACKGROUND: Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) is a vector-borne disease transmitted by Phlebotomus argentipes. To understand the VL seasonality, annual and monthly variations of VL incidence and its relationship to meteorological variables, the numbers of VL cases reported in Muzaffarpur district, Bihar, India from 1990 to 2008 were studied. METHODS: Annual VL incidence per 10,000 and the total number of annual VL cases reported at block Community Health Centres (CHC), Public Hospitals or Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) and the number of VL cases per month from 2000 to 2008 as well as the monthly average of cases for 2000-08, 2000-04 and 2005-08 periods along with the monthly averages of temperature, rainfall and relative humidity were plotted. VL Standardised Incidence Ratios per block were computed for the periods of 1990-1993, 1994-1998, 1999-2004 and 2005-2008 and month wise from 2002 to 2008. A negative binomial regression model was used to evaluate the association between meteorological variables and the number of VL cases per month from 2000 to 2008. RESULTS: A total of 68,358 VL cases were reported in Muzaffarpur district from 1990 to 2008, ranging from 1,2481 in 1992 to 1,161 in 2001. The blocks with the highest number of cases shifted from East (1990-98) to West (1999-2008). Monthly averages of cases ranged from 149 to 309, highest peak in March-April and another one in July. Monthly VL incidence was associated positively to rainfall and negatively to relative humidity and the numbers of VL cases in the previous month. INTERPRETATION: The number of cases reported to the public health sector allowed the describing of the spatial distribution and temporal variations in the Muzaffarpur from 1990 to 2008. However, to assess the actual VL burden, as well as the efficacy of the control measures applied in the district, reporting from private practices and NGOs should be encouraged

Genomic selection for spot blotch in bread wheat breeding panels, full-sibs and half-sibs and index-based selection for spot blotch, heading and plant height

A major biotic stress challenging bread wheat production in regions characterized by humid and warm weather is spot blotch caused by the fungus Bipolaris sorokiniana. Since genomic selection (GS) is a promising selection tool, we evaluated its potential for spot blotch in seven breeding panels comprising 6736 advanced lines from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center. Our results indicated moderately high mean genomic prediction accuracies of 0.53 and 0.40 within and across breeding panels, respectively which were on average 177.6% and 60.4% higher than the mean accuracies from fixed effects models using selected spot blotch loci. Genomic prediction was also evaluated in full-sibs and half-sibs panels and sibs were predicted with the highest mean accuracy (0.63) from a composite training population with random full-sibs and half-sibs. The mean accuracies when full-sibs were predicted from other full-sibs within families and when full-sibs panels were predicted from other half-sibs panels were 0.47 and 0.44, respectively. Comparison of GS with phenotypic selection (PS) of the top 10% of resistant lines suggested that GS could be an ideal tool to discard susceptible lines, as greater than 90% of the susceptible lines discarded by PS were also discarded by GS. We have also reported the evaluation of selection indices to simultaneously select non-late and non-tall genotypes with low spot blotch phenotypic values and genomic-estimated breeding values. Overall, this study demonstrates the potential of integrating GS and index-based selection for improving spot blotch resistance in bread wheat

Socioeconomic Status, Climate Change, and Mental Health: An Interdisciplinary Perspective

Given the documented evidence that the relationship to one’s physical environment is a determinant of mental health outcomes, it is important to examine how psychological researchers could apply clinical and research expertise to tackle social policy concerns. This paper provides an overview of how socioeconomic factors contribute to mental health disparities, particularly those related to climate change. Fundamental Cause Theory, which discusses the ability of socioeconomic status to influence health through a number of pathways, is used to explain climate-related disparities and examine risk factors that arise due to lower SES on mental well-being, such as increased exposure to environmental hazards. This work discusses the importance of one’s ecology and community infrastructure, the impact of unequal access to natural spaces, and additional structural impediments of climate inequalities. After reviewing the literature and highlighting the link between SES and climate-related impacts, this paper suggests policy-focused solutions to achieve climate justice and improve mental health. Moreover, it emphasizes that while green infrastructure, which refers to practices that incorporate nature into communities, will help combat climate-related disparities, it’s also important to acknowledge the need to avoid green gentrification, which entails the reproduction of systemic inequities and can alienate or displace certain community residents. Finally, this paper aims to inspire other scholars to create institutional change as a means of serving communities which have been disproportionately marginalized by the impact of socioeconomic inequality during the climate crisis

Characterization of goat plasma vitronectin

186-193Vitronectin (VN) was isolated and characterized from goat plasma in native and denatured state. Native VN consisted of 160 and >250 kDa polypeptides, whereas denatured VN showed bands of 81 and >250 kDa on SDS-gel. Storage of 81 kDa polypeptide for 3 days at 4ºC resulted in formation of 160 and >250 kDa proteins. Hence high molecular weight forms of VN may be dimer and multimeric forms of 81 kDa monomer. Both native as well as denatured VN showed cell adhesive activity. Cells bound to native VN were round, whereas cells adhered to denatured VN were fully spread, a characteristic also observed with 81 kDa polypeptide. The 81 kDa VN bound to Heparin, whereas the 160 kDa preparation did not bind to Heparin in presence of urea. Absence of EDTA resulted in the degradation of goat VN. Similarly, addition of excess Ca2+ caused total degradation of VN polypeptides in buffers with EDTA, suggesting metalloprotease activity in the protein

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Not AvailableSpot blotch (SB) disease caused by the hemibiotrophic pathogen Bipolaris sorokiniana inflicting major losses to the wheat grown in warm and highly humid areas of the Indian subcontinent, including Bangladesh, necessitates identification of QTLs stably expressing in Indian subcontinent conditions. Thus, two RIL mapping populations, i.e., WC (WUYA × CIANO T79) and KC (KATH × CIANO T79), were phenotyped at Dinajpur, Bangladesh for three consecutive years (2013-2015) and genotyped on a DArTseq genotyping by sequencing (GBS) platform at CIMMYT, Mexico. In both populations, quantitative inheritance along with transgressive segregation for SB resistance was identified. The identified QTLs were mostly minor and were detected on 10 chromosomes, i.e., 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 2D, 4B, 4D, 5A, 5D, and 7B. The phenotypic variation explained by the identified QTLs ranged from 2.3–15.0%, whereby QTLs on 4B (13.7%) and 5D (15.0%) were the largest in effect. The identified QTLs upon stacking showed an additive effect in lowering the SB score in both populations. The probable presence of newly identified Sb4 and durable resistance gene Lr46 in the identified QTL regions indicates the importance of these genes in breeding for SB resistance in Bangladesh and the whole of South Asia.Financial support received from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and USAID through the CSISA, BGRI, DGGW projects, and CGIAR Research Program on WHEAT for conducting this research is gratefully acknowledged.The financial support received by the first and second authors from the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR), India, is also acknowledged

Prabhjot Singh1, Prija Ponnan1,2, Shibu Krishnan3, Tapesh Kumar Tyagi1,

Protein acyltransferase function of purified calreticulin. Part 1: characterization of propionylation of protein utilizing propoxycoumarin as the propionyl group dono