Promoting Interdisciplinary Collaboration Across School Contexts: A Toolkit for Occupational Therapists

The purpose of this project was to create a toolkit for occupational therapists who work within the elementary school settings to promote collaboration with teachers and other school personnel. In recent years there has been an increase in children who qualify for occupational therapy services within the school, which creates a need for collaboration with occupational therapists and teachers. Kennedy and Stewart (2011) found that while occupational therapists and teachers desire a collaborative relationship, there is little evidence supporting a way to achieve effective collaboration between the professions. An extensive literature review was conducted in order to acquire information to create evidence-based strategies for occupational therapists to use in collaboration with teachers. The authors utilized research articles, textbooks, and resources available from the American Occupational Therapy Association and other reliable databases. The Ecology of Human Performance model (EHP) was the guiding model in the development of this toolkit, creating opportunities of intervention into various contexts within the elementary school setting. Our toolkit, Promoting Interdisciplinary Collaboration Across Contexts: A Toolkit for Occupational Therapists, was organized by context with suggestions to occupational therapists for intervention strategies to use in collaboration with teachers. The toolkit begins with operational definitions followed by strategies for collaboration, educational materials for occupational therapists and teachers, EHP model application, possible assessments to use in the school and finally case studies to provide an example of how to use the toolkit

Fabrication of a Self-Assembled and Flexible SERS Nanosensor for Explosive Detection at Parts-Per-Quadrillion Levels from Fingerprints

Apart from high sensitivity and selectivity of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based trace explosive detection, efficient sampling of explosive residue from real world surfaces is very important for homeland security applications. Herein, we demonstrate an entirely new SERS nanosensor fabrication approach. The SERS nanosensor was prepared by self-assembling chemically synthesized gold triangular nanoprisms (Au TNPs), which we show display strong electromagnetic field enhancements at the sharp tips and edges, onto a pressure-sensitive flexible adhesive film. Our SERS nanosensor provides excellent SERS activity (enhancement factor = ∼6.0 × 106) and limit of detection (as low as 56 parts-per-quadrillions) with high selectivity by chemometric analyses among three commonly military high explosives (TNT, RDX, and PETN). Furthermore, the SERS nanosensors present excellent reproducibility (<4.0% relative standard deviation at 1.0 μM concentration) and unprecedentedly high stability with a “shelf life” of at least 5 months. Finally, TNT and PETN were analyzed and quantified by transferring solid explosive residues from fingerprints left on solid surfaces to the SERS nanosensor. Taken together, the demonstrated sensitivity, selectivity, and reliability of the measurements as well as with the excellent shelf life of our SERS nanosensors obviate the need for complicated sample processing steps required for other analytical techniques, and thus these nanosensors have tremendous potential not only in the field of measurement science but also for homeland security applications to combat acts of terror and military threats

Global importance of Indigenous Peoples, their lands, and knowledge systems for saving the world’s primates from extinction

Primates, represented by 521 species, are distributed across 91 countries primarily in the Neotropic, Afrotropic, and Indo-Malayan realms. Primates inhabit a wide range of habitats and play critical roles in sustaining healthy ecosystems that benefit human and nonhuman communities. Approximately 68% of primate species are threatened with extinction because of global pressures to convert their habitats for agricultural production and the extraction of natural resources. Here, we review the scientific literature and conduct a spatial analysis to assess the significance of Indigenous Peoples’ lands in safeguarding primate biodiversity. We found that Indigenous Peoples’ lands account for 30% of the primate range, and 71% of primate species inhabit these lands. As their range on these lands increases, primate species are less likely to be classified as threatened or have declining populations. Safeguarding Indigenous Peoples’ lands, languages, and cultures represents our greatest chance to prevent the extinction of the world’s primates.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Global importance of Indigenous Peoples, their lands, and knowledge systems for saving the world's primates from extinction

Publisher Copyright: Copyright © 2022 The Authors, some rights reserved.Primates, represented by 521 species, are distributed across 91 countries primarily in the Neotropic, Afrotropic, and Indo-Malayan realms. Primates inhabit a wide range of habitats and play critical roles in sustaining healthy ecosystems that benefit human and nonhuman communities. Approximately 68% of primate species are threatened with extinction because of global pressures to convert their habitats for agricultural production and the extraction of natural resources. Here, we review the scientific literature and conduct a spatial analysis to assess the significance of Indigenous Peoples' lands in safeguarding primate biodiversity. We found that Indigenous Peoples' lands account for 30% of the primate range, and 71% of primate species inhabit these lands. As their range on these lands increases, primate species are less likely to be classified as threatened or have declining populations. Safeguarding Indigenous Peoples' lands, languages, and cultures represents our greatest chance to prevent the extinction of the world's primates.Peer reviewe

Genetic associations at 53 loci highlight cell types and biological pathways relevant for kidney function.

Reduced glomerular filtration rate defines chronic kidney disease and is associated with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. We conducted a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies for estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), combining data across 133,413 individuals with replication in up to 42,166 individuals. We identify 24 new and confirm 29 previously identified loci. Of these 53 loci, 19 associate with eGFR among individuals with diabetes. Using bioinformatics, we show that identified genes at eGFR loci are enriched for expression in kidney tissues and in pathways relevant for kidney development and transmembrane transporter activity, kidney structure, and regulation of glucose metabolism. Chromatin state mapping and DNase I hypersensitivity analyses across adult tissues demonstrate preferential mapping of associated variants to regulatory regions in kidney but not extra-renal tissues. These findings suggest that genetic determinants of eGFR are mediated largely through direct effects within the kidney and highlight important cell types and biological pathways

Naturally processed HLA-DR3-restricted HHV-6B peptides are recognized broadly with polyfunctional and cytotoxic CD4 T-cell responses

Human herpes virus 6B (HHV-6B) is a widespread virus that infects most people early in infancy and establishes a chronic life-long infection with periodic reactivation. CD4 T cells have been implicated in control of HHV-6B, but antigenic targets and functional characteristics of the CD4 T-cell response are poorly understood. We identified 25 naturally processed MHC-II peptides, derived from six different HHV-6B proteins, and showed that they were recognized by CD4 T-cell responses in HLA-matched donors. The peptides were identified by mass spectrometry after elution from HLA-DR molecules isolated from HHV-6B-infected T cells. The peptides showed strong binding to matched HLA alleles and elicited recall T-cell responses in vitro. T-cell lines expanded in vitro were used for functional characterization of the response. Responding cells were mainly CD3(+) CD4(+) , produced IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, and low levels of IL-2, alone or in combination, highlighting the presence of polyfunctional T cells in the overall response. Many of the responding cells mobilized CD107a, stored granzyme B, and mediated specific killing of peptide-pulsed target cells. These results highlight a potential role for polyfunctional cytotoxic CD4 T cells in the long-term control of HHV-6B infection

Cross-Linking Mass Spectrometry and Mutagenesis Confirm the Functional Importance of Surface Interactions between CYP3A4 and Holo/Apo Cytochrome <i>b</i>₅

Cytochrome <i>b</i>₅ (cyt <i>b</i>₅) is one of the key components in the microsomal cytochrome P450 monooxygenase system. Consensus has not been reached about the underlying mechanism of cyt <i>b</i>₅ modulation of CYP catalysis. Both cyt <i>b</i>₅ and apo <i>b</i>₅ are reported to stimulate the activity of several P450 isoforms. In this study, the surface interactions of both holo and apo <i>b</i>₅ with CYP3A4 were investigated and compared for the first time. Chemical cross-linking coupled with mass spectrometric analysis was used to identify the potential electrostatic interactions between the protein surfaces. Subsequently, the models of interaction of holo/apo <i>b</i>₅ with CYP3A4 were built using the identified interacting sites as constraints. Both cyt <i>b</i>₅ and apo <i>b</i>₅ were predicted to bind to the same groove on CYP3A4 with close contacts to the B–B′ loop of CYP3A4, a substrate recognition site. Mutagenesis studies further confirmed that the interacting sites on CYP3A4 (Lys96, Lys127, and Lys421) are functionally important. Mutation of these residues reduced or abolished cyt <i>b</i>₅ binding affinity. The critical role of Arg446 on CYP3A4 in binding to cyt <i>b</i>₅ and/or cytochrome P450 reductase was also discovered. The results indicated that electrostatic interactions on the interface of the two proteins are functionally important. The results indicate that apo <i>b</i>_<i>5</i> can dock with CYP3A4 in a manner analogous to that of holo <i>b</i>₅, so electron transfer from cyt <i>b</i>₅ is not required for its effects