Using heart variability to measure the effects of manual medicine on autonomic activity

A pilot study was performed to test the theory that manual medicine techniques known as the CV4 (compression of fourth cerebral ventricle) maneuver and a sacral hold/iliac bridge hold combination increase parasympathetic activity. Manual medicine techniques are widely practiced by Doctors of Osteopathy and Chiropractors to treat physical and mental health problems. Those who have received manual therapy have reported to experience less pain, better mobility, and a greater feeling of relaxation. To help us learn about the effects of manual therapy, autonomic activity was measured scientifically rather than subjectively in this study by monitoring respiration rate and heart rate, and computing heart rate variability. In order to establish a baseline for comparison we measured activity during intervals without any contact. These were then compared to intervals where interventions took place. In addition to the CV4 and sacral/iliac bridge holds a sham technique called the shoulder squeeze was used to test for placebo effects that the patient-physician contact may have had upon the results. Results indicated an increase in parasympathetic influence as a result of the CV4 maneuver and sacral holds

Intolerance of uncertainty and mental wellbeing: serial mediation by rumination and fear of COVID-19

The novel coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has become globally widespread with millions of confirmed cases and many countries implementing various levels of quarantine. Therefore, it is important to investigate the psychological consequences of this process, given the unique situation that has been experienced globally. Therefore, the present study examined whether intolerance of uncertainty was related to mental wellbeing and whether this relationship was mediated by rumination and fear of COVID-19. The sample comprised 1772 Turkish individuals (aged between 18 and 73 years) from 79 of 81 cities in Turkey, who completed measures of mental wellbeing, intolerance of uncertainty, rumination, and fear of COVID-19. Results of serial mediation analyses showed that intolerance of uncertainty had a significant direct effect on mental wellbeing. Rumination and fear of COVID-19, in combination, serially mediated the association between intolerance of uncertainty and mental wellbeing. The findings are discussed within the framework of the psychological consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and related literature

Dysregulation of mSWI/SNF (BAF) Complexes in Human Malignancy

Mammalian SWI/SNF (mSWI/SNF or BAF) complexes are multi-subunit, ATP-dependent, chromatin-remodeling protein complexes that increase the accessibility of DNA to transcriptional machinery. BAF complex perturbations are found frequently in both cancer and neurodevelopmental disorders. The genes encoding BAF complex subunits are mutated in over 20% of human malignancies and BAF complex activities are further altered by additional mechanisms in cancer, such as through their interactions with oncogenic transcription factors and fusion proteins. However, the specific mechanisms of BAF complex dysregulation and their contribution to oncogenesis remain unknown in most malignancies. Here, we studied BAF complex dysregulation in two distinct cancer contexts: myxoid liposarcoma (MLPS) and lymphoma. MLPS is most frequently driven by the FUS-DDIT3 fusion oncoprotein. We find that FUS-DDIT3 dysregulates BAF complexes by interfering with the genomic binding of CEBPB, a critical transcription factor in early adipogenesis. By preventing genomic binding of CEBPB, FUS-DDIT3 inhibits BAF complex targeting to and activation of adipogenic enhancers. We find that collaboration between CEBPB and BAF complexes is essential for the activation of adipogenic enhancers upon FUS-DDIT3 suppression in MLPS and during physiological adipogenesis of mesenchymal stem cells. We also studied BCL7A, a pan-BAF complex subunit that is frequently mutated or silenced in lymphoid malignancies. We find that deletion of BCL7A leads to decreased BAF complex occupancy over sites associated with NF-kB/REL pathway factor and EBF1 motifs, as well as decreased NF-kB/REL pathway factor and EBF1 occupancy on the genome. These preliminary data suggest that BCL7A may accommodate the binding of BAF complexes and specific transcription factors to genomic sites that are critical for normal lymphocyte biology and that BCL7A loss due to mutation or silencing may contribute to specific aspects of lymphomagenesis. Together, the work in this dissertation demonstrates that BAF complexes may be perturbed by multiple, distinct mechanisms in cancer. Studying BAF complex perturbations in diverse malignant contexts is not only essential for increasing our understanding of cancer biology, but also for advancing the clinical care of patients. Investigating the specific mechanisms by which BAF complex dysregulation contributes to human malignancy will facilitate the identification of novel strategies for more targeted and effective cancer therapeutics

Saving the Brazilian Amazon: Understanding the Deforestation Slowdown and its Implications for Current Forest Policy

Deforestation is a critical threat to biodiversity and to global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). Deforestation contributes upwards of 15% of annual GHG emissions, and is concentrated in a few countries. Brazil is one, as it has the world’s largest extent of tropical forests and until recently had the world’s highest rate of forest loss. In 2005, Brazil’s annual deforestation rate declined rapidly, and by 2009, it had declined from a peak rate of 27,772 km2 in 2004 to approximately 7,500 km2. Contrary to the prevailing narrative, non-policy factors played a crucial role in Brazil’s deforestation slowdown in 2005, easing pressure on forests and smoothing policy implementation for Brazil’s 2006 forest conservation agenda. Agricultural factors, including transportation infrastructure and access to credit, were driving forces of deforestation from 1995 to 2004, and this research finds that those factors continue to play a role, to an extent that has magnified policy effects from Brazil’s new forest laws and from the 2006 Soy Moratorium. Agricultural indicators for soy and cattle contracted from 2005 to 2007. This contraction can help explain the slight deforestation decrease from 2004 to 2005, and suggests that economic factors are likely to have enhanced the impact of forest policies that Brazil implemented in 2006. Since 2005, small-scale and secondary deforestation has been concentrated in Mato Grosso and Pará, the two states responsible for the largest share of historical deforestation and agricultural output in the Brazilian Legal Amazon (BLA). This is likely due to pervasive efforts to exploit shortcomings in Brazil’s monitoring system and evade detection. As a result, the BLA has become more susceptible to fire-driven deforestation. Deforestation declined at a slower pace, and likely leveled off at 10,000 square kilometers (km2) in 2009, instead of continuing to decrease. This research also examines and rejects the possibility that the new policies shifted deforestation to forests outside the BLA. Instead of finding evidence of leakages from the BLA to other Brazilian forest biomes, there are similar patterns of land usage and deforestation in the Cerrado and neighboring South American countries that continue to drive deforestation