High through-put sequencing of the Parhyale hawaiensis mRNAs and microRNAs to aid comparative developmental studies

Understanding the genetic and evolutionary basis of animal morphological diversity will require comparative developmental studies that use new model organisms. This necessitates development of tools for the study of genetics and also the generation of sequence information of the organism to be studied. The development of next generation sequencing technology has enabled quick and cost effective generation of sequence information. Parhyale hawaiensis has emerged as a model organism of choice due to the development of advanced molecular tools, thus P. hawaiensis genetic information will help drive functional studies in this organism. Here we present a transcriptome and miRNA collection generated using next generation sequencing platforms. We generated approximately 1.7 million reads from a P. hawaiensis cDNA library constructed from embryos up to the germ band stage. These reads were assembled into a dataset comprising 163,501 transcripts. Using the combined annotation of Annot8r and pfam2go, Gene Ontology classifications was assigned to 20,597 transcripts. Annot8r was used to provide KEGG orthology to our transcript dataset. A total of 25,292 KEGG pathway assignments were defined and further confirmed with reciprocal blast against the NCBI nr protein database. This has identified many P. hawaiensis gene orthologs of key conserved signalling pathways involved in development. We also generated small RNA sequences from P. hawaiensis, identifying 55 conserved miRNAs. Sequenced small RNAs that were not annotated by stringent comparison to mirBase were used to search the Daphnia pulex for possible novel miRNAs. Using a conservative approach, we have identified 51 possible miRNA candidates conserved in the Daphnia pulex genome, which could be potential crustacean/arthropod specific miRNAs. Our study presents gene and miRNA discovery in a new model organism that does not have a sequenced genome. The data provided by our work will be valuable for the P. hawaiensis community as well as the wider evolutionary developmental biology community

Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Anxious Adolescents: Developmental Influences on Treatment Design and Delivery

Anxiety disorders in adolescence are common and disruptive, pointing to a need for effective treatments for this age group. Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is one of the most popular interventions for adolescent anxiety, and there is empirical support for its application. However, a significant proportion of adolescent clients continue to report anxiety symptoms post-treatment. This paper underscores the need to attend to the unique developmental characteristics of the adolescent period when designing and delivering treatment, in an effort to enhance treatment effectiveness. Informed by the literature from developmental psychology, developmental psychopathology, and clinical child and adolescent psychology, we review the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ of developmentally appropriate CBT for anxious adolescents. ‘Why’ it is important to consider developmental factors in designing and delivering CBT for anxious adolescents is addressed by examining the age-related findings of treatment outcome studies and exploring the influence of developmental factors, including cognitive capacities, on engagement in CBT. ‘How’ clinicians can developmentally tailor CBT for anxious adolescents in six key domains of treatment design and delivery is illustrated with suggestions drawn from both clinically and research-oriented literature. Finally, recommendations are made for research into developmentally appropriate CBT for anxious adolescents

What else do managers need to know about warming rivers? A United Kingdom perspective: Managing warming rivers

River flow and water temperature are fundamental controls of freshwater ecosystems. Hence, future warming could impact valued habitats and species, particularly those with cold water preferences (such as salmonids). Warming could also exacerbate existing environmental pressures or diminish the effectiveness of management interventions. Climate model projections provide compelling evidence of the need for adaptation despite uncertainty about the timing, nature, and distribution of impacts on water quality, vulnerable species, and habitats. Low‐regret adaptation options to manage temperature impacts include increasing riparian shade, enhancing thermal refugia, and removing thermal barriers or hotspots. Indirect controls include managing river flows through abstraction and discharge regulation, moderating flow control structures, and manipulating channel hydromorphology. However, fundamental gaps in understanding may limit the effectiveness of some of these measures, leading to undesired side effects, wasted resources, ineffectual outcomes, or limited uptake. These knowledge gaps include where to target measures, how to implement in different situations, how to maximize co‐benefits and integrate with other policy objectives, and how to support implementation across rural and agricultural landscapes. Despite many uncertainties, restoration of riparian shade and river flows has the potential to deliver multiple benefits even if this does not include retarding rates of warming. WIREs Water 2015, 2:55–64. doi: 10.1002/wat2.106

The psychological impact of losing a friend to suicide

Suicide bereavement research can help facilitate greater understanding of the impact of suicide and potential risks for others. As there is limited research on the experience of young people who lose a friend to suicide, the aim of this exploratory study was to consider specific psychological factors for such bereaved young people. Ten young people who had experienced the suicide death of a friend completed self-report measures to assess levels of depression, anxiety, coping and prolonged grief. Participants reported increased levels of stress, depression, reduced coping capacity and prolonged grief symptoms that have continued considerably beyond the death of their friend. Psychological distress for young people bereaved by a friend's suicide is of concern given the developmental changes and life transitions associated with this age group. Implications include the significant health and wellbeing challenges associated with suicide bereavement for young people. The outcomes support a more proactive response from mental health and support services

Suicidal behaviours in adolescents in Nova Scotia, Canada: protective associations with measures of social capital

Few studies of adolescent suicidality have examined its associations with social capital. We explored associations of measures of individual level social capital with self-reported suicide ideation and suicide attempt in adolescents in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada, controlling for other factors known to be associated with adolescent suicidality