Initiatives to Address Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Within a Higher Education ABA Department.

Recent events have highlighted the need for behavior analysis to address issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in service provision and in higher education. There has been a call to action issued, noting the need for cultural humility and cultural responsiveness. An opportunity exists within training programs to ensure that students of behavior analysis are instructed in ways that promote cultural responsiveness and that equip them to serve diverse populations. Additionally, more needs to be done to engineer environments where students of behavior analysis are treated with respect and compassion, and to ensure that educational environments promote the comfort and success of all students. This article outlines the initiatives of an applied behavior analysis department to gather information about DEI on the local level, identify goals, implement change, and evaluate progress toward these goals.

Behavioral Treatment of Self-Injury: 2001 to 2016.

Individuals diagnosed with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) frequently exhibit self-injurious behavior (SIB). Previous research has examined the published literature on behavioral treatments of SIB from 1964-2000. Results suggested that these treatments were highly efficacious at decreasing SIB, particularly when based on the results of a functional assessment. The purpose of this review is to update, replicate, and extend the previous research. The current findings indicate an increase in studies reporting automatically maintained SIB as well as less efficacious treatments overall. Discussion of our conclusions and methods of SIB assessment and treatment are discussed, both as they relate to the previous review and for future directions.

Effect of endometrial injury on in vitro fertilization pregnancy rates: a randomized, multicentre study.

PURPOSE: To determine if endometrial injury prior to the first or second in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle affects clinical pregnancy rates. METHODS: This study was a randomized, multicentre, controlled study performed at three Canadian outpatient fertility clinics. Patients undergoing their first or second IVF cycle were randomized to a single endometrial injury 5-10 days prior to the start of gonadotropins in an IVF cycle compared to no injury. The primary outcome was clinical pregnancy rate. Secondary outcomes were live birth rates, implantation rate, endometrial thickness, number of oocytes retrieved and the rate of embryo cryopreservation. RESULTS: Fifty-one women were randomized (25 in the en dometrial injury group and 26 in the control group); however, the study was terminated prematurely due to slow recruitment (target 332 patients). Groups were similar at baseline for: age, duration of infertility, BMI, day 3 FSH, and the number having first IVF cycle. The groups were similar for gonadotropin dose, endometrial thickness, number of oocytes retrieved, and embryo cryopreservation rate. The clinical pregnancy rate in the endometrial injury group was 52% (13/25) and 46% (12/26) in the control group (p = 0.45). Live birth rate in the endometrial injury group was 52% (13/25) and 35% (9/26) in the control group (p = 0.17). The implantation rate was also similar (58% vs. 45%, p = 0.17). CONCLUSIONS: This study did not detect a difference in implantation, clinical pregnancy or live birth rates; however, the lack of difference in this study may be because it was underpowered. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATIONS: gov: NCT01983423.

Exploring regulatory networks of miR-96 in the developing inner ear.

Mutations in the microRNA Mir96 cause deafness in mice and humans. In the diminuendo mouse, which carries a single base pair change in the seed region of miR-96, the sensory hair cells crucial for hearing fail to develop fully and retain immature characteristics, suggesting that miR-96 is important for coordinating hair cell maturation. Our previous transcriptional analyses show that many genes are misregulated in the diminuendo inner ear and we report here further misregulated genes. We have chosen three complementary approaches to explore potential networks controlled by miR-96 using these transcriptional data. Firstly, we used regulatory interactions manually curated from the literature to construct a regulatory network incorporating our transcriptional data. Secondly, we built a protein-protein interaction network using the InnateDB database. Thirdly, gene set enrichment analysis was used to identify gene sets in which the misregulated genes are enriched. We have identified several candidates for mediating some of the expression changes caused by the diminuendo mutation, including Fos, Myc, Trp53 and Nr3c1, and confirmed our prediction that Fos is downregulated in diminuendo homozygotes. Understanding the pathways regulated by miR-96 could lead to potential therapeutic targets for treating hearing loss due to perturbation of any component of the network.

Antagonism of substance P and perception of breathlessness in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The objective of this study was to investigate whether substance P, an excitatory neuropeptide, modulates the perception of breathlessness by administering aprepitant, a selective antagonist that blocks neurokinin (NK)-1 receptor signaling. Individual targeted resistive load breathing (RLB) was used to provoke breathlessness. In Study 1, sixteen patients (age, 70±6 years) with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) reported similar ratings of breathlessness during RLB between oral aprepitant (125mg) and placebo. After aprepitant, but not with placebo, there were significant increases in blood levels of substance P (+54±39%) and beta-endorphin (+27±17%). A similar design was used in Study 2 except that naloxone (10mg) was administered intravenously prior to RLB to block any effect of endogenous opioids. Nine patients with COPD reported comparable breathlessness ratings during RLB between aprepitant and placebo. Our results do not support a role for the substance P-NK-1 pathway in the perception of breathlessness in patients with COPD. With selective antagonism of NK-1 signaling, there was co-transmission of substance P and beta-endorphin neuropeptides.

A reduction in Ptprq associated with specific features of the deafness phenotype of the miR-96 mutant mouse diminuendo.

miR-96 is a microRNA, a non-coding RNA gene which regulates a wide array of downstream genes. The miR-96 mouse mutant diminuendo exhibits deafness and arrested hair cell functional and morphological differentiation. We have previously shown that several genes are markedly downregulated in the diminuendo organ of Corti; one of these is Ptprq, a gene known to be important for maturation and maintenance of hair cells. In order to study the contribution that downregulation of Ptprq makes to the diminuendo phenotype, we carried out microarrays, scanning electron microscopy and single hair cell electrophysiology to compare diminuendo mutants (heterozygous and homozygous) with mice homozygous for a functional null allele of Ptprq. In terms of both morphology and electrophysiology, the auditory phenotype of mice lacking Ptprq resembles that of diminuendo heterozygotes, while diminuendo homozygotes are more severely affected. A comparison of transcriptomes indicates there is a broad similarity between diminuendo homozygotes and Ptprq-null mice. The reduction in Ptprq observed in diminuendo mice appears to be a major contributor to the morphological, transcriptional and electrophysiological phenotype, but does not account for the complete diminuendo phenotype.

Exome sequencing identifies a missense mutation in Isl1 associated with low penetrance otitis media in dearisch mice.

BACKGROUND: Inflammation of the middle ear (otitis media) is very common and can lead to serious complications if not resolved. Genetic studies suggest an inherited component, but few of the genes that contribute to this condition are known. Mouse mutants have contributed significantly to the identification of genes predisposing to otitis media RESULTS: The dearisch mouse mutant is an ENU-induced mutant detected by its impaired Preyer reflex (ear flick in response to sound). Auditory brainstem responses revealed raised thresholds from as early as three weeks old. Pedigree analysis suggested a dominant but partially penetrant mode of inheritance. The middle ear of dearisch mutants shows a thickened mucosa and cellular effusion suggesting chronic otitis media with effusion with superimposed acute infection. The inner ear, including the sensory hair cells, appears normal. Due to the low penetrance of the phenotype, normal backcross mapping of the mutation was not possible. Exome sequencing was therefore employed to identify a non-conservative tyrosine to cysteine (Y71C) missense mutation in the Islet1 gene, Isl1(Drsh). Isl1 is expressed in the normal middle ear mucosa. The findings suggest the Isl1(Drsh) mutation is likely to predispose carriers to otitis media. CONCLUSIONS: Dearisch, Isl1(Drsh), represents the first point mutation in the mouse Isl1 gene and suggests a previously unrecognized role for this gene. It is also the first recorded exome sequencing of the C3HeB/FeJ background relevant to many ENU-induced mutants. Most importantly, the power of exome resequencing to identify ENU-induced mutations without a mapped gene locus is illustrated.

miR-96 regulates the progression of differentiation in mammalian cochlear inner and outer hair cells.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs able to regulate a broad range of protein-coding genes involved in many biological processes. miR-96 is a sensory organ-specific miRNA expressed in the mammalian cochlea during development. Mutations in miR-96 cause nonsyndromic progressive hearing loss in humans and mice. The mouse mutant diminuendo has a single base change in the seed region of the Mir96 gene leading to widespread changes in the expression of many genes. We have used this mutant to explore the role of miR-96 in the maturation of the auditory organ. We found that the physiological development of mutant sensory hair cells is arrested at around the day of birth, before their biophysical differentiation into inner and outer hair cells. Moreover, maturation of the hair cell stereocilia bundle and remodelling of auditory nerve connections within the cochlea fail to occur in miR-96 mutants. We conclude that miR-96 regulates the progression of the physiological and morphological differentiation of cochlear hair cells and, as such, coordinates one of the most distinctive functional refinements of the mammalian auditory system.

Intravenous nitroglycerin for external cephalic version: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate whether treatment with intravenous nitroglycerin for uterine relaxation increases the chance of successful external cephalic version. METHODS: Two double-blind, randomized clinical trials were undertaken: one in nulliparous women and a second in multiparous women. Women presenting for external cephalic version at term were eligible to participate. The primary outcome was immediate success of external cephalic version. Other outcomes were presentation at delivery, cesarean delivery rate, and side effects and complications. Sample size calculations were based on a 100% increase in success of external cephalic version with a one-sided analysis and alpha=0.05 (80% power). RESULT: In total, 126 women were recruited-82 in the nulliparous trial and 44 in the multiparous trial. Seven patients did not have external cephalic version before delivery but were included in the analysis of success of external cephalic version. One patient was lost to follow-up. The external cephalic version success rate for nulliparous patients was 24% (10 of 42) in patients who received nitroglycerin compared with 8% (3 of 40) in those who receive placebo (P=.04, one-sided Fisher exact test, odds ratio 3.85, lower bound 1.22). In multiparous patients, the external cephalic version success rate did not differ significantly between groups: 44% (10 of 23) in the nitroglycerin group compared with 43% (9 of 21) in the placebo group (P=.60). CONCLUSION: Treatment with intravenous nitroglycerin increased the rate of successful external cephalic version in nulliparous, but not in multiparous, women. Treatment with intravenous nitroglycerin appeared to be safe, but our numbers were too small to rule out rare serious adverse effects. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: I.

Multifocal multi-site Warthin tumour.

The unique case of a 55-year-old man with multifocal adenolymphoma (Warthin's tumour) of both parotid glands, the neck and post-nasal space is presented. Warthin tumour is almost exclusively a parotid tumour but is known to be bilateral in 7-10% of cases and multifocal in 2% of cases. Most extraglandular Warthin tumours have been located in neck lymph nodes and only a few cases have been reported from other sites. The presented case is unique in having synchronous and metachronous Warthin tumours, as well as one of the tumours being neither truly parotid, nor within a lymph node.

Magnetic resonance image attributes of the bovine corpus luteum during development and regression.

To determine whether magnetic resonance (MR) image attributes of the corpus luteum (CL) reflect its physiologic status at different phases of the bovine ovarian cycle, we analyzed the numerical pixel values (NPVs), relaxation rates, proton densities (PDs), and apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) from T(1)-, T(2)-, and diffusion-weighted in vitro images and maps of the CL acquired at defined phases of luteal function. Ovaries were removed and serum samples taken on days 3, 6, and 10, or >/=17 (day 0 = ovulation), representing metestrus (n = 10), early diestrus (n = 7), mid-diestrus (n = 9), and proestrus (n = 7), respectively. Regions of interest (ROIs) in each quadrant of the CL (which occupied at least 20% of the quadrant) were selected for analysis. Three MR image slices were analyzed: the slice with the greatest cross-sectional area of the CL, and the slices acquired immediately before and after that slice. The mean NPVs of the CL in T(1)-weighted images increased at each phase from metestrus (1,104 +/- 40 msec) to early diestrus (1,119 +/- 77 msec), to late diestrus (1,206 +/- 43 msec) and proestrus (1446 +/- 80 msec; P < 0.001). The mean NPVs in T(1)-weighted images were higher in regressing CL (proestrous) than in any other phase (P < 0.002). Grayscale heterogeneity of CL in T(1)-weighted images tended to increase during regression (P < 0.07). Regressing CL (proestrus) exhibited higher T(1)-weighted mean NPVs (P < 0.01) and tended to have greater heterogeneity (P < 0.06) than growing (metestrus) and mature (diestrus) CL, even though similar progesterone concentrations were observed. The increased brightness and heterogeneity of regressing CL in T(1)-weighted images appeared to be correlated with increased connective tissue and triglyceride content and decreased vascularity. It is anticipated that diagnostic markers for luteal viability and atresia in the in vitro bovine model will be applied to in vivo studies in women.