Unwanted Inevitability

According to the USDA, The upper midwest as well as the rest of the regions of the United States have been in a climatic wet-cycle since 1993. Excess precipitation has lead to increased flood likliness. In many countries around the globe, the inevitability of “Water Scarcity” has become all too real. These countries stuggle to meet daily requirements of freshwater to uphold civilization. As the Earth’s population grows, the amount of freshwater available for each individual becomes less and less. It is common climatic knowledge that a wet cycle is typically followed by a much more prolonged dry cycle. In a time when every drop of fresh water is becoming more precious, it is essential to develop systems to maintain, purify, and properly utilize the resources remaining within site parameters. Through new techniques and extensive research, it is the goal of this thesis program to develop techniques to aid in two areas: 1). Collecting “produced water” from surrounding oil field derricks, transferring the water to a designed filtration system, purifying the “produced water,” and recycling the water for future industrial and residential use. 2). Within the same system, design to conserve and recycle water to replenish a depleting natural resource within the region

N6-Methyladenosine Inhibits Local Ribonucleolytic Cleavage to Stabilize mRNAs in Arabidopsis

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is a dynamic, reversible, covalently modified ribonucleotide that occurs predominantly toward 30 ends of eukaryotic mRNAs and is essential for their proper function and regulation. In Arabidopsis thaliana, many RNAs contain at least one m6A site, yet the transcriptome-wide function of m6A remains mostly unknown. Here, we show that manym6A-modified mRNAs in Arabidopsis have reduced abundance in the absence of this mark. The decrease in abundance is due to transcript destabilization caused by cleavage occurring 4 or 5 nt directly upstream of unmodified m6A sites. Importantly, we also find that, upon agriculturally relevant salt treatment, m6A is dynamically deposited on and stabilizes transcripts encoding proteins required for salt and osmotic stress response. Overall, our findings reveal that m6A generally acts as a stabilizing mark through inhibition of site-specific cleavage in plant transcriptomes, and this mechanism is required for proper regulation of the salt-stress-responsive transcriptome

Acceptability of psilocybin‐assisted group therapy in patients with cancer and major depressive disorder: Qualitative analysis

International audienceAbstractBackgroundThe present study explored the acceptability of psilocybin‐assisted group therapy from the perspective of patients with cancer and depression who participated in a clinical trial assessing the safety and efficacy of this novel intervention.MethodsGuided by the conceptual framework of acceptability, the authors conducted semi‐structured interviews with participants of the psilocybin trial. Data were analyzed using template and thematic analyses.ResultsParticipants’ (n = 28) perspectives on the acceptability of the group and simultaneous sessions was generally positive, both in terms of safety and efficacy: first, the groups contributed to increase participants’ sense of safety and preparedness as they were engaging in the therapy; and second, the groups fostered a sense of connection and of belonging, which served to enrich and deepen the meaning of participants’ experience, ultimately opening a dimension of self‐transcendence and compassion. Other subthemes related to factors influencing the acceptability of the group approach included: 1) the importance of the therapeutic framework, 2) the complementary value of individual sessions, 3) disruptive factors related to the group and/or simultaneous setting, and 4) opportunities and challenges related to group size and how to structure interactions.ConclusionsThis study enhances understanding of what promotes acceptability of the psilocybin‐assisted therapy group model for the treatment of MDD in cancer patients.Plain Language Summary We conducted exit interviews with participants of a phase 2 trial of psilocybin‐assisted therapy (PAT) conducted in a community cancer center, to assess the acceptability of a novel psilocybin delivery model combining simultaneous individual therapy and group sessions. Our findings support the acceptability of this intervention and suggest that in addition to being feasible, it might also enhance participants’ perceived safety and efficacy compared to uniquely individual or group delivery models of PAT. Our analysis highlights critical factors conditioning acceptability and suggests new ways PAT may be scaled and integrated into cancer care. </jats:sec

sj-docx-1-jop-10.1177_02698811231215420 – Supplemental material for Older adults in psychedelic-assisted therapy trials: A systematic review

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-jop-10.1177_02698811231215420 for Older adults in psychedelic-assisted therapy trials: A systematic review by Lisa Bouchet, Zachary Sager, Antoine Yrondi, Kabir B Nigam, Brian T Anderson, Stephen Ross, Petros D Petridis and Yvan Beaussant in Journal of Psychopharmacology</p

Neural correlates of nesting behavior in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata)

Open Access funded by Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.Nest building in birds involves a behavioral sequence (nest material collection and deposition in the nest) that offers a unique model for addressing how the brain sequences motor actions. In this study, we identified brain regions involved in nesting behavior in male and female zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). We used Fos immunohistochemistry to quantify production of the immediate early gene protein product Fos (a molecular indicator of neuronal activity) in the brain correlated this expression with the variation in nesting behavior. Using this technique, we found that neural circuitry involved in motor sequencing, social behavior, reward and motivation were active during nesting. Within pairs of nesting birds, the number of times a male picked up or deposited nesting material and the amount of time a female spent in the nest explained the variation in Fos expression in the anterior motor pathway, social behavior network, and reward neural circuits. Identification of the brain regions that are involved in nesting enables us to begin studying the roles of motor sequencing, context, and reward in construction behavior at the neural level.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Top Ten Tips Palliative Care Clinicians Should Know About Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy in the Context of Serious Illness

Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) is a burgeoning treatment with growing interest across a variety of settings and disciplines. Empirical evidence supports PAT as a novel therapeutic approach that provides safe and effective treatment for people suffering from a variety of diagnoses, including treatment-resistant depression, substance use disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Within the palliative care (PC) field, one-time PAT dosing may lead to sustained reductions in anxiety, depression, and demoralization-symptoms that diminish the quality of life in both seriously ill patients and those at end of life. Despite a well-noted psychedelic renaissance in scholarship and a renewed public interest in the utilization of these medicines, serious illness-specific content to guide PAT applications in hospice and PC clinical settings has been limited. This article offers 10 evidence-informed tips for PC clinicians synthesized through consultation with interdisciplinary and international leading experts in the field with aims to: (1) familiarize PC clinicians and teams with PAT; (2) identify the unique challenges pertaining to this intervention given the current legalities and logistical barriers; (3) discuss therapeutic competencies and considerations for current and future PAT use in PC; and (4) highlight critical approaches to optimize the safety and potential benefits of PAT among patients with serious illness and their caregivers