Is first-gen an identity? How first-generation college students make meaning of institutional and familial constructs of self

Institutions increasingly use first-generation categorizations to provide support to students. In this study, we sought to understand how students make meaning of their first-generation status by conducting a series of focus groups with 54 participants. Our findings reveal that students saw first-generation status as an organizational and familial identity rather than a social identities. This status was connected to alterity and social distance that was most salient in comparison to continuing-generation peers. Our recommendations include re-examining the role of first- generation specific programming on campus, creating opportunities for meaning-making, supporting students within changing family dynamics, and exploring the interaction between first-generation status and other marginalized identities

Rapid Syphilis Tests as Catalysts for Health Systems Strengthening: A Case Study from Peru.

OBJECTIVES: Untreated maternal syphilis leads to adverse pregnancy outcomes. The use of point of care tests (POCT) offers an opportunity to improve screening coverage for syphilis and other aspects of health systems. Our objective is to present the experience of the introduction of POCT for syphilis in Peru and describe how new technology can catalyze health system strengthening. METHODS: The study was implemented from September 2009-November 2010 to assess the feasibility of the use of a POCT for syphilis for screening pregnant women in Lima, Peru. Outcomes measured included access to syphilis screening, treatment coverage, partner treatment, effect on patient flow and service efficiency, acceptability among providers and patients, and sustainability. RESULTS: Before the introduction of POCT, a pregnant woman needed 6 visits to the health center in 27 days before she received her syphilis result. We trained 604 health providers and implemented the POCT for syphilis as the "two for one strategy", offering with one finger stick both syphilis and HIV testing. Implementation of the POCT resulted in testing and treatment on the first visit. Screening and treatment coverages for syphilis improved significantly compared with the previous year. Implementation of POCT has been scaled up nationally since the study ended, and coverages for screening, treatment and partner treatment have remained over 92%. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of POCT for syphilis proved feasible and acceptable, and led to improvement in several aspects of health services. For the process to be effective we highlight the importance of: (1) engaging the authorities; (2) dissipating tensions between providers and identifying champions; (3) training according to the needs; (4) providing monitoring, supervision, support and recognition; (5) sharing results and discussing actions together; (6) consulting and obtaining feedback from users; and (7) integrating with other services such as with rapid HIV testing

Elder Financial Exploitation: Implications for Future Policy and Research in Elder Mistreatment

Recent advances in the understanding of elder mistreatment have demonstrated that financial exploitation tends to be one of the most common forms of mistreatment affecting older populations. Agencies such as the World Bank and World Health Organization show significant concern regarding financial exploitation and its connection to physical and emotional injury to victims. The World Bank uses the term “financial violence” as a means of generally describing the harm caused to an individual as a result of financial exploitation or abuse. The proportion of financial exploitation in relation to other forms of elder mistreatment is defined in our research. We discuss the potential impact of elder financial exploitation on victims as well as explore the implications for future research and policy development focused on financial aspects of elder mistreatment and call for further study in the concept of financial exploitation as a violent act

Child Maltreatment Histories Among Female Inmate Reporting Inmate on Inmate Sexual Victimization in Prison: The Mediating Role of Emotion Dysregulation

Despite data indicating that child maltreatment (CM) in various forms is associated with adult sexual victimization among community women, few studies have explicitly explored how types of CM might relate to prison sexual victimization. Because little is known about how CM might give rise to prison sexual victimization, the present study also examined emotion dysregulation emanating from early abuse experiences as a potential mediator in the link between early CM and inmate-on-inmate prison sexual victimization. Approximately 168 incarcerated women completed self-report inventories assessing various types of childhood maltreatment, emotion dysregulation, and coerced or forced sexual experiences in prison. Nearly 77% of the sample endorsed experiencing at least one form of CM, with 64% of inmates reporting that they experienced two or more forms of CM. Approximately 9% of inmates reported sexual coercion and 22% reported a forced sexual experience in prison. Each form of CM was associated with prison sexual coercion; however, fewer associations emerged between CM and forced prison sexual experiences. Emotion dysregulation was found to mediate links between CM, particularly co-occurring CM, and sexual coercion in prison, but it was unrelated to forced prison sexual experiences. Implications are discussed

Child Maltreatment Histories Among Female Inmate Reporting Inmate on Inmate Sexual Victimization in Prison: The Mediating Role of Emotion Dysregulation

Despite data indicating that child maltreatment (CM) in various forms is associated with adult sexual victimization among community women, few studies have explicitly explored how types of CM might relate to prison sexual victimization. Because little is known about how CM might give rise to prison sexual victimization, the present study also examined emotion dysregulation emanating from early abuse experiences as a potential mediator in the link between early CM and inmate-on-inmate prison sexual victimization. Approximately 168 incarcerated women completed self-report inventories assessing various types of childhood maltreatment, emotion dysregulation, and coerced or forced sexual experiences in prison. Nearly 77% of the sample endorsed experiencing at least one form of CM, with 64% of inmates reporting that they experienced two or more forms of CM. Approximately 9% of inmates reported sexual coercion and 22% reported a forced sexual experience in prison. Each form of CM was associated with prison sexual coercion; however, fewer associations emerged between CM and forced prison sexual experiences. Emotion dysregulation was found to mediate links between CM, particularly co-occurring CM, and sexual coercion in prison, but it was unrelated to forced prison sexual experiences. Implications are discussed

Intrathecal enzyme replacement for Hurler syndrome: biomarker association with neurocognitive outcomes.

PurposeAbnormalities in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) have been reported in Hurler syndrome, a fatal neurodegenerative lysosomal disorder. While no biomarker has predicted neurocognitive response to treatment, one of these abnormalities, glycosaminoglycan nonreducing ends (NREs), holds promise to monitor therapeutic efficacy. A trial of intrathecal enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) added to standard treatment enabled tracking of CSF abnormalities, including NREs. We evaluated safety, biomarker response, and neurocognitive correlates of change.MethodsIn addition to intravenous ERT and hematopoietic cell transplantation, patients (N = 24) received intrathecal ERT at four peritransplant time points; CSF was evaluated at each point. Neurocognitive functioning was quantified at baseline, 1 year, and 2 years posttransplant. Changes in CSF biomarkers and neurocognitive function were evaluated for an association.ResultsOver treatment, there were significant decreases in CSF opening pressure, biomarkers of disease activity, and markers of inflammation. Percent decrease in NRE from pretreatment to final intrathecal dose posttransplant was positively associated with percent change in neurocognitive score from pretreatment to 2 years posttransplant.ConclusionIntrathecal ERT was safe and, in combination with standard treatment, was associated with reductions in CSF abnormalities. Critically, we report evidence of a link between a biomarker treatment response and neurocognitive outcome in Hurler syndrome

Whole-genome and long-read sequencing identify a novel mechanism in RFC1 resulting in CANVAS syndrome

OBJECTIVES: Cerebellar ataxia with neuropathy and bilateral vestibular areflexia syndrome (CANVAS) results from biallelic intronic pentanucleotide repeats in METHODS: We performed whole-genome sequencing (WGS) on peripheral blood DNA samples from the proband and his unaffected mother. We performed DNA long-read sequencing and synthesized complementary DNA from RNA using peripheral blood from the proband. RESULTS: WGS confirmed the maternally inherited DISCUSSION: We report an adult with CANVAS due to compound heterozygous pathogeni

Neurocognitive Enhancement: what can we do and what should we do?

Our growing ability to alter brain function can be used to enhance the mental processes of normal individuals as well as to treat mental dysfunction in people who are ill. The prospect of neurocognitive enhancement raises many issues about what is safe, fair and otherwise morally acceptable. This article resulted from a meeting on neurocognitive enhancement that was held by the authors. Our goal is to review the state of the art in neurocognitive enhancement, its attendant social and ethical problems, and the ways in which society can address these problems

a4-Containing GABA _A Receptors on DRD2 Neurons of the Nucleus Accumbens Mediate Instrumental Responding for Conditioned Reinforcers and Its Potentiation by Cocaine

Extrasynaptic GABA A receptors (GABA ARs) composed of a4, b, and d subunits mediate GABAergic tonic inhibition and are potential molecular targets in the modulation of behavioral responses to natural and drug rewards. These GABA ARs are highly expressed within the nucleus accumbens (NAc), where they influence the excitability of the medium spiny neurons. Here, we explore their role in modulating behavioral responses to food-conditioned cues and the behavior-potentiating effects of cocaine. a4-Subunit constitutive knock-out mice (a4 /) showed higher rates of instrumental responding for reward-paired stimuli in a test of conditioned reinforcement (CRf). A similar effect was seen fol-lowing viral knockdown of GABA AR a4 subunits within the NAc. Local infusion of the a4b d-GABA AR-preferring agonist THIP (4,5,6,7-tetrahydroisoxazolo[5,4-c]pyridin-3-ol; Gaboxadol) into the NAc had no effect on responding when given alone but reduced cocaine potentiation of responding for conditioned reinforcers in wild-type, but not a4 / mice. Finally, specific deletion of a4-subunits from dopamine D2, but not D1, receptor-expressing neurons (DRD2 and DRD1 neurons), mimicked the phenotype of the constitutive knockout, potentiating CRf responding, and blocking intra-accumbal THIP attenuation of cocaine-potentiated CRf responding. These data demonstrate that a4-GABA AR-mediated inhibition of DRD2 neurons reduces instrumental responding for a conditioned reinforcer and its po-tentiation by cocaine and emphasize the importance of GABAergic signaling within the NAc in mediating the effects of cocaine.</p