Biometrical analysis and thallus morphology characteristics of Placopsis antarctica from King George Island, Antarctica ( Short Communication )

Placopsis antarctica is an ornithocoprophilous lichen that has been for a long time confused with P. contortuplicata I. M. Lamb. In our study, we focused on morphological characteristics of P. antarctica thalli. We report biometrical data on dominant morphological structures of P. antarctica thallus: cephalodia, marginal lobes, sorediate pits and soralia. Thalli of P. antarctica were collected at the King George Island, Antarctica and analyzed in a laboratory using a digital microscopy approach. Central cephalodium was found rather elliptic then round-shaped. Mean length/width was found 2.424/1.720 mm. Marginal lobes were found wider at the apex (1.415 mm) than basal part (0.495 mm). Side cephalodia were smaller, their mean length/width was found 1.034/0.610 mm

A study of the Junior Program Association at Hecht Neighborhood House, Dorchester Massachusetts, 1952-1953.

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston Universit

Child, parent, and service predictors of psychotropic polypharmacy among adolescents and young adults with an autism spectrum disorder

Objectives: This study examined the child, parent, and service factors associated with polypharmacy in adolescents and young adults with ASD. Methods: As part of an online survey examining health service utilization patterns among individuals with ASD, parents provided demographic and clinical information pertaining to their child. This included information on current medication use, as well as information on clinical services received, clinical history, and parent wellbeing. Analyses examined the bivariate association between individual child, parent, and service variables and polypharmacy. Variables significantly associated with polypharmacy were included in a multiple variable logistic regression. Results: Of the 363 participants sampled, approximately one quarter were receiving two or more psychotropic drugs concurrently. The child’s psychiatric co-morbidity, history of hurting others, therapy use, and parent burden were predictors of polypharmacy. Conclusion: Adolescents and young adults with ASD are a highly medicated population with multiple factors associated with psychotropic polypharmacy. While there may be circumstances where polypharmacy is necessary, a richer understanding of what predicts polypharmacy may lead to targeted interventions to better support these individuals and their families. Findings also highlight the need to support families of children with ASD prescribed multiple psychotropic medications.The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (funding reference number 102677) and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Postdoctoral Fellowship Award

Astro2020 Science White Paper: Toward Finding Earth 2.0: Masses and Orbits of Small Planets with Extreme Radial Velocity Precision

Having discovered that Earth-sized planets are common, we are now embarking on a journey to determine if Earth-like planets are also common. Finding Earth-like planets is one of the most compelling endeavors of the 21st century - leading us toward finally answering the question: Are we alone? To achieve this forward-looking goal, we must determine the masses of the planets; the sizes of the planets, by themselves, are not sufficient for the determination of the bulk and atmospheric compositions. Masses, coupled with the radii, are crucial constraints on the bulk composition and interior structure of the planets and the composition of their atmospheres, including the search for biosignatures. Precision radial velocity is the most viable technique for providing essential mass and orbit information for spectroscopy of other Earths. The development of high quality precision radial velocity instruments coupled to the building of the large telescope facilities like TMT and GMT or space-based platforms like EarthFinder can enable very high spectral resolution observations with extremely precise radial velocities on minute timescales to allow for the modeling and removal of radial velocity jitter. Over the next decade, the legacy of exoplanet astrophysics can be cemented firmly as part of humankind's quest in finding the next Earth - but only if we can measure the masses and orbits of Earth-sized planets in habitable zone orbits around Sun-like stars.Comment: Science White Paper Submitted to the Astro2020 Decadal Survey (35 co-signers in addition to co-authors

evaluating a novel online depression intervention for persons with epilepsy

Background Depression is common among persons with epilepsy (PwE), affecting roughly one in three individuals, and its presence is associated with personal suffering, impaired quality of life, and worse prognosis. Despite the availability of effective treatments, depression is often overlooked and treated inadequately in PwE, in part because of assumed concerns over drug interactions or proconvulsant effects of antidepressants. Internet- administered psychological interventions might complement antidepressant medication or psychotherapy, and preliminary evidence suggests that they can be effective. However, no trial has yet examined whether an Internet intervention designed to meet the needs of PwE can achieve sustained reductions in depression and related symptoms, such as anxiety, when offered as adjunct to treatment as usual. Methods/Design This randomized controlled trial will include 200 participants with epilepsy and a current depressive disorder, along with currently at least moderately elevated depression (Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) sum score of at least 10). Patients will be recruited via epilepsy treatment centers and other sources, including Internet forums, newspaper articles, flyers, posters, and media articles or advertisements, in German-speaking countries. Main inclusion criteria are: self-reported diagnosis of epilepsy and a depressive disorder, as assessed with a phone-administered structured diagnostic interview, none or stable antidepressant medication, no current psychotherapy, no other major psychiatric disorder, no acute suicidality. Participants will be randomly assigned to either (1) a care-as-usual/waitlist (CAU/WL) control group, in which they receive CAU and are given access to the Internet intervention after 3 months (that is, a CAU/WL control group), or (2) a treatment group that may also use CAU and in addition immediately receives six-month access to the novel, Internet-administered intervention. The primary outcome measure is the PHQ-9, collected at three months post-baseline; secondary measures include self-reported anxiety, work and social adjustment, epilepsy symptoms (including seizure frequency and severity), medication adherence, potential negative treatment effects and health-related quality of life. Measurements are collected online at pre-treatment (T0), three months (T1), six months (T2), and nine months (T3). Discussion Results of this trial are expected to extend the body of knowledge with regard to effective and efficient treatment options for PwE who experience elevated depression and anxiety. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02791724. Registered 01 June 2016

Does the circulating ketoconazole metabolite N-deacetyl ketoconazole contribute to the drug-drug interaction potential of the parent compound?

Ketoconazole is a strong inhibitor of cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) and of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and is often used as an index inhibitor especially for CYP3A4-mediated drug metabolism. A preliminary physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model for drug-drug interactions indicated possible involvement of a metabolite to the perpetrator potential of ketoconazole. Still unknown for humans, in rodents, N-deacetyl ketoconazole (DAK) has been identified as the major ketoconazole metabolite. We therefore investigated in vitro, whether DAK also inhibits the human CYPs and drug transporters targeted by ketoconazole and quantified DAK in human plasma from healthy volunteers after receiving a single oral dose of 400 mg ketoconazole. Our data demonstrated that DAK also inhibits CYP3A4 (2.4-fold less potent than ketoconazole), CYP2D6 (13-fold more potent than ketoconazole), CYP2C19 (equally potent), P-gp (3.4-fold less potent than ketoconazole), breast cancer resistance protein (more potent than ketoconazole) and organic anion transporting polypeptide 1B1 and 1B3 (7.8-fold and 2.6-fold less potent than ketoconazole). After a single oral dose of 400 mg ketoconazole, maximum concentrations of DAK in human plasma were only 3.1 ‰ of the parent compound. However, assuming that DAK also highly accumulates in the human liver as demonstrated for rodents, inhibition of the proteins investigated could also be conceivable in vivo. In conclusion, DAK inhibits several CYPs and drug transporters, which might contribute to the perpetrator potential of ketoconazole

One adult who is crazy about you: Can natural mentoring relationships increase assets among young adults with and without foster care experience?

During emerging adulthood, most youth receive family support to help them weather the difficulties associated with transitioning to independence. When foster youth emancipate, they confront the challenges associated with emerging adulthood, and are at risk of having to transition without family support. Many are in danger of failing to meet minimal levels of self-sufficiency. A caring adult who offers social support is normative for adolescent development and protective for youth across many risk conditions. Natural mentoring can cultivate such relationships. This study examines the association between natural mentor relationship characteristics, and material hardship and asset-related outcomes during the emerging adulthood period in both a normative sample of young adults and young adults identified as former foster youth. This study also considers the potential mediating effect of future expectations. Data from Wave 3 of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health that pertain to 15,197 respondents are used. Path models with categorical dependent variables were estimated using a Maximum Likelihood method with standard errors that are robust to non-normality and non-independence of observations. “Like a parent,” “role model,” and “guidance/advice” were significantly associated with assets among both groups. This study contributes to the growing body of literature on natural mentoring and former foster youth, and highlights the value of increasing our understanding of natural mentor roles for intervention development. The focus on assets-related outcomes is a novel approach to investigating the benefits of natural mentoring to the healthy development of youth. This paper is the first to consider the association between natural mentoring and assets building among both former and nonformer foster youth

A Combination of the Immunotherapeutic Drug Anti-Programmed Death 1 with Lenalidomide Enhances Specific T Cell Immune Responses against Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells

Immune checkpoint inhibitors can block inhibitory molecules on the surface of T cells, switching them from an exhausted to an active state. One of these inhibitory immune checkpoints, programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) is expressed on T cell subpopulations in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). PD-1 expression has been shown to increase with AML progression following allo-haematopoeitic stem cell transplantation, and therapy with hypomethylating agents. We have previously shown that anti-PD-1 can enhance the response of leukemia-associated antigen (LAA)-specific T cells against AML cells as well as leukemic stem and leukemic progenitor cells (LSC/LPCs) ex vivo. In concurrence, blocking of PD-1 with antibodies such as nivolumab has been shown to enhance response rates post-chemotherapy and stem cell transplant. The immune modulating drug lenalidomide has been shown to promote anti-tumour immunity including anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic and anti-angiogenicity. The effects of lenalidomide are distinct from chemotherapy, hypomethylating agents or kinase inhibitors, making lenalidomide an attractive agent for use in AML and in combination with existing active agents. To determine whether anti-PD-1 (nivolumab) and lenalidomide alone or in combination could enhance LAA-specific T cell immune responses, we used colony-forming immune and ELISpot assays. Combinations of immunother-apeutic approaches are believed to increase antigen-specific immune responses against leukemic cells including LPC/LSCs. In this study we used a combination of LAA-peptides with the immune checkpoint inhibitor anti-PD-1 and lenalidomide to enhance the killing of LSC/LPCs ex vivo. Our data offer a novel insight into how we could improve AML patient responses to treatment in future clinical studies