Arctic Standards: Recommendations on Oil Spill Prevention, Response, and Safety in the U.S. Arctic Ocean

Oil spilled in Arctic waters would be particularly difficult to remove. Current technology has not been proved to effectively clean up oil when mixed with ice or when trapped under ice. An oil spill would have a profoundly adverse impact on the rich and complex ecosystem found nowhere else in the United States. The Arctic Ocean is home to bowhead, beluga, and gray whales; walruses; polar bears; and other magnificent marine mammals, as well as millions of migratory birds. A healthy ocean is important for these species and integral to the continuation of hunting and fishing traditions practiced by Alaska Native communities for thousands of years.To aid the United States in its efforts to modernize Arctic technology and equipment standards, this report examines the fierce Arctic conditions in which offshore oil and gas operations could take place and then offers a summary of key recommendations for the Interior Department to consider as it develops world-class, Arctic-specific regulatory standards for these activities. Pew's recommendations call for improved technology,equipment, and procedural requirements that match the challenging conditions in the Arctic and for full public participation and transparency throughout the decision-making process. Pew is not opposed to offshore drilling, but a balance must be achieved between responsible energy development and protection of the environment.It is essential that appropriate standards be in place for safety and for oil spill prevention and response in this extreme, remote, and vulnerable ecosystem. This report recommends updating regulations to include Arctic specific requirements and codifying temporary guidance into regulation. The appendixes to this report provide substantially more detail on the report's recommendations, including technical background documentation and additional referenced materials. Please refer to the full set of appendixes for a complete set of recommendations. This report and its appendixes offer guidelines for responsible hydrocarbon development in the U.S. Arctic Ocean

Pasteurization Preserves IL-8 in Human Milk

Background: Pasteurized donor human milk is an alternative feeding when mothers' own milk is not available for premature infants. The effects of pasteurization on the host defense properties of human milk are unclear. We investigated the effects of Holder pasteurization on concentrations of anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory cytokines in human milk.Objective: To compare concentrations of anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory cytokines before and after pasteurization of donor human milk.Study Design: A single milk sample was obtained from each of 24 mothers of premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit by electric breast pump and was stored at −80°C. At the time of pasteurization, milk samples were thawed and divided into two aliquots. The first aliquot was re-stored at −80°C and the second aliquot was heat-treated at 62.5°C for 30 min and then re-stored at −80°C. At the time of batch cytokine analyses samples were thawed rapidly.Results: Most cytokine concentrations declined following pasteurization. The most prevalent cytokine, IL-8, was preserved (89%) following pasteurization. There were no relationships between gestational age, postnatal age of milk collection, duration of milk storage, and the concentrations cytokines.Conclusion: In contrast to most cytokines after pasteurization, IL-8 is preserved or liberated from another compartment. The maintenance of IL-8 in human milk after pasteurization and the loss of anti-inflammatory cytokines following pasteurization, suggests that the effects of inflammatory activity in pasteurized human milk should be evaluated. These data may account, in part, for the lesser protective effect on the host of pasteurized donor human milk compared with mother's own milk

Genome-wide structural variant analysis identifies risk loci for non-Alzheimer’s dementias

We characterized the role of structural variants, a largely unexplored type of genetic variation, in two non-Alzheimer’s dementias, namely Lewy body dementia (LBD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD)/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). To do this, we applied an advanced structural variant calling pipeline (GATK-SV) to short-read whole-genome sequence data from 5,213 European-ancestry cases and 4,132 controls. We discovered, replicated, and validated a deletion in TPCN1 as a novel risk locus for LBD and detected the known structural variants at the C9orf72 and MAPT loci as associated with FTD/ALS. We also identified rare pathogenic structural variants in both LBD and FTD/ALS. Finally, we assembled a catalog of structural variants that can be mined for new insights into the pathogenesis of these understudied forms of dementia

Factor analysis of the self-report version of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire in a sample of children with intellectual disability.

The rate of emotional and behavioural disturbance in children with intellectual disability (ID) is up to four times higher than that of their typically developing peers. It is important to identify these difficulties in children with ID as early as possible to prevent the chronic co-morbidity of ID and psychopathology. Children with ID have traditionally been assessed via proxy reporting, but appropriate and psychometrically rigorous instruments are needed so that children can report on their own emotions and behaviours. In this study, the factor structure of the self-report version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was examined in a population of 128 children with ID (mean age = 12 years). Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis showed a three factor model (comprising Positive Relationships, Negative Behaviour and Emotional Competence) to be a better measure than the original five factor SDQ model in this population