Mammalian class E vps proteins recognize ubiquitin and act in the removal of endosomal protein–ubiquitin conjugates

There is increasing evidence that ubiquitination of receptors provides an important endosomal sorting signal. Here we report that mammalian class E vacuolar protein-sorting (vps) proteins recognize ubiquitin. Both tumor susceptibility gene 101 (TSG101)/human VPS (hVPS)28 and hepatocyte growth factor receptor substrate (Hrs) cytosolic complexes bind ubiquitin-agarose. TSG101 and hVPS28 are localized to endosomes that contain internalized EGF receptor and label strongly for ubiquitinated proteins. Microinjection of anti-hVPS28 specifically retards EGF degradation and leads to endosomal accumulation of ubiquitin–protein conjugates. Likewise, depletion of TSG101 impairs EGF trafficking and causes dramatic relocalization of ubiquitin to endocytic compartments. Similar defects are found in cells overexpressing Hrs, further emphasizing the links between class E protein function, receptor trafficking, and endosomal ubiquitination

‘On paper, you’re normal’: narratives of unseen health needs among women who have had children removed from their care

Background: Mothers who have children removed from their care often have complex needs. These women have poor health outcomes and are dying earlier than their peers from preventable and amenable causes. Yet there is little known about how health care services might mitigate these risks. This study aimed to listen to the voices of women who had children removed from their care to understand their experiences of health and healthcare.// Methods: We used a narrative approach to collect and analyse interview data with six mothers who had experienced child removal in England. Each participant was asked to reflect on their life and main health challenges.// Results: Three narrative subplots were developed to consolidate experiences of unmet health need: (i) ‘on paper you’re normal’: narratives of complex need, (ii) ‘in my family, everyone had issues’: narratives of whole family need and (iii) ‘I’m still mummy, no matter where they are’: narratives of maternal identity and health.// Conclusions: Findings highlight limitations within current systems of support, including a culture of distrust and women falling between the gaps of services. Women’s narratives illustrate opportunities for health intervention, especially immediately following child removal

Parental health in the context of public family care proceedings: A scoping review of evidence and interventions

Background Child protective services (CPS), or their equivalent, have statutory power to remove children from birth parents in instances of child abuse, neglect, or concerns around parenting capacity via public family care proceedings. Parents who have children subject to proceedings, ‘birth parents’, often have complex health and social care needs. Objective We aimed to review what is known about the health needs of birth parents and the interventions implemented to support these health needs. Methods We searched PubMed, Scopus, and grey literature using a systematic strategy of key concepts “health”, “care proceedings”, and “parents”. We included all publications in English that reported parental health in the context of care proceedings from the 1st of January 2000 to the 1st of March 2021. Results Included studies (n = 61) reported on maternal health (57 %) or the health of both parents (40 %), with only one study reporting on fathers alone. We conceptually categorised parental health need (n = 41) into i) mental health, ii) physical health, iii) substance misuse, iv) developmental disorders, and v) reproductive health. Health inequities and poor access to services were described across all categories, with longstanding issues often pre-dating proceedings or the child's birth. All interventions supporting parental health (n = 20) were targeted at mothers, with some supporting fathers (n = 8), formally or informally. We grouped similar interventions into three types: alternative family courts, wrap-around services, and specialist advocacy/peer support. Conclusions Parents who have children subject to care proceedings have complex health needs that pre-date CPS concerns. The studies included in our review strongly suggest that health issues are exacerbated by child removal, triggering deteriorations in mental health, poor antenatal health for subsequent pregnancies, and avoidable mortality. Findings highlight the need for targeted and timely intervention for parents to improve whole-family outcomes. There are models that have been designed, implemented, and tested using relationship-based, trauma-informed, multidisciplinary, family-focused, and long-term approaches

The First Passage Probability of Intracellular Particle Trafficking

The first passage probability (FPP), of trafficked intracellular particles reaching a displacement L, in a given time t or inverse velocity S = t/L, can be calculated robustly from measured particle tracks, and gives a measure of particle movement in which different types of motion, e.g. diffusion, ballistic motion, and transient run-rest motion, can readily be distinguished in a single graph, and compared with mathematical models. The FPP is attractive in that it offers a means of reducing the data in the measured tracks, without making assumptions about the mechanism of motion: for example, it does not employ smoothing, segementation or arbitrary thresholds to discriminate between different types of motion in a particle track. Taking experimental data from tracked endocytic vesicles, and calculating the FPP, we see how three molecular treatments affect the trafficking. We show the FPP can quantify complicated movement which is neither completely random nor completely deterministic, making it highly applicable to trafficked particles in cell biology.Comment: Article: 13 pages, 8 figure

'On paper, you're normal': narratives of unseen health needs among women who have had children removed from their care.

BACKGROUND: Mothers who have children removed from their care often have complex needs. These women have poor health outcomes and are dying earlier than their peers from preventable and amenable causes. Yet there is little known about how health care services might mitigate these risks. This study aimed to listen to the voices of women who had children removed from their care to understand their experiences of health and healthcare. METHODS: We used a narrative approach to collect and analyse interview data with six mothers who had experienced child removal in England. Each participant was asked to reflect on their life and main health challenges. RESULTS: Three narrative subplots were developed to consolidate experiences of unmet health need: (i) 'on paper you're normal': narratives of complex need, (ii) 'in my family, everyone had issues': narratives of whole family need and (iii) 'I'm still mummy, no matter where they are': narratives of maternal identity and health. CONCLUSIONS: Findings highlight limitations within current systems of support, including a culture of distrust and women falling between the gaps of services. Women's narratives illustrate opportunities for health intervention, especially immediately following child removal

Parental health in the context of public family care proceedings: A scoping review of evidence and interventions

Background: Child protective services (CPS), or their equivalent, have statutory power to remove children from birth parents in instances of child abuse, neglect, or concerns around parenting capacity via public family care proceedings. Parents who have children subject to proceedings, ‘birth parents’, often have complex health and social care needs. Objective: We aimed to review what is known about the health needs of birth parents and the interventions implemented to support these health needs. Methods: We searched PubMed, Scopus, and grey literature using a systematic strategy of key concepts “health”, “care proceedings”, and “parents”. We included all publications in English that reported parental health in the context of care proceedings from the 1st of January 2000 to the 1st of March 2021. Results: Included studies (n = 61) reported on maternal health (57 %) or the health of both parents (40 %), with only one study reporting on fathers alone. We conceptually categorised parental health need (n = 41) into i) mental health, ii) physical health, iii) substance misuse, iv) developmental disorders, and v) reproductive health. Health inequities and poor access to services were described across all categories, with longstanding issues often pre-dating proceedings or the child’s birth. All interventions supporting parental health (n = 20) were targeted at mothers, with some supporting fathers (n = 8), formally or informally. We grouped similar interventions into three types: alternative family courts, wrap-around services, and specialist advocacy/peer support. Conclusions: Parents who have children subject to care proceedings have complex health needs that pre-date CPS concerns. The studies included in our review strongly suggest that health issues are exacerbated by child removal, triggering deteriorations in mental health, poor antenatal health for subsequent pregnancies, and avoidable mortality. Findings highlight the need for targeted and timely intervention for parents to improve whole-family outcomes. There are models that have been designed, implemented, and tested using relationship-based, trauma-informed, multidisciplinary, family-focused, and long-term approaches

UK microgeneration. Part I: policy and behavioural aspects

A critical review of the literature relating to government policy and behavioural aspects relevant to the uptake and application of microgeneration in the UK is presented. Given the current policy context aspiring to zero-carbon new homes by 2016 and a variety of minimum standards and financial policy instruments supporting microgeneration in existing dwellings, it appears that this class of technologies could make a significant contribution to UK energy supply and low-carbon buildings in the future. Indeed, achievement of a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 80% (the UK government's 2050 target) for the residential sector may entail substantial deployment of microgeneration. Realisation of the large potential market for microgeneration relies on a variety of interrelated factors such as microeconomics, behavioural aspects, the structure of supporting policy instruments and well-informed technology development. This paper explores these issues in terms of current and proposed policy instruments in the UK. Behavioural aspects associated with both initial uptake of the technology and after purchase are also considered

The Changing Face of Neolithic and Bronze Age Ireland: A Big Data Approach to the Settlement and Burial Records

This paper synthesizes and analyses the spatial and temporal patterns of archaeological sites in Ireland spanning the Neolithic period and the Bronze Age transition (4300-1900 cal BC). Included are a large number of unpublished, newly discovered sites excavated through development-led projects. Data were also sourced from national archives, published excavation reports and on-line databases. Software tools were developed to deal with the varying nature and resolution of these datasets, allowing chronology to be considered in the analysis to a degree that is usually not possible in prehistoric studies. Summed radiocarbon probabilities are used to examine the dataset using context- and sample-sensitive approaches. Visualisations of spatial and chronological data illustrate the expansion of Early Neolithic settlement, followed by an apparent attenuation of all settlement activity. The Late Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods are characterised by a resurgence and diversification of activity. To assess the significance of these observations, Irish radiocarbon data are compared to an idealized model derived from North American data. Even after taking various considerations into account, human population increases can be suggested to have occurred during the Early and Late Neolithic periods. Gaps and biases in the data are discussed and priorities for future work are identified

Policy and Regulation for smart grids in the United Kingdom

The UK has adopted legal obligations concerning climate change which will place increased stresses on the current 'traditional' model of centralised generation. This will include the stimulation of large volumes of intermittent generation, more distributed generation and larger and more variable loads at grid extremities, potentially including large volumes of electric vehicles and heat pumps. Smarter grids have been mooted as a major potential contributor to the decarbonisation of electricity, through facilitation of reduced losses, greater system efficiency, enhanced flexibility to allow the system to deal with intermittent sources and a number of other benefits. This article considers the different policy elements of what will be required for energy delivery in the UK to become smarter, the challenges this presents, the extent to which these are currently under consideration and some of the changes that might be needed in the future. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd