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Quality rating and improvement systems (QRISs) are designed to assess, improve, and communicate the quality of early care and education programs. Using administrative data, we investigated whether providers that participated in a county-level QRIS saw increases to their global quality (tier) rating, domain-specific quality ratings, and scores on an observation measure of classroom quality. Research Findings: On average, participating providers increased their overall tier ratings; this pattern was particularly true for providers with lower initial tier ratings. We found more consistent evidence of increases on indicators of structural quality components (e.g., teacher and director qualifications), and limited evidence of improvement on process quality indicators (e.g., measure of teacher-child interaction). This finding suggests structural quality improvements may be driving global tier rating changes. In addition, providers saw average increases on a measure of classroom quality, with larger increases seen in domains that measure classroom organization and emotional support. Practice and Policy: We discuss implications for how QRISs can promote quality improvement for participating providers and suggest avenues for future research.

This brief is rooted in the purpose and findings of a qualitative study that explored the experiences and perspectives of African-American/Black community college students in asynchronous online learning environments. A growing number of African-American/Black students are enrolling in California community colleges and online courses. However, African-American/Black students have disproportionately poor academic outcomes in online community college courses, and little is known regarding their online learning experiences. Key recommendations in this brief center on the importance of promoting and investing in online student services, providing opportunities for online student communities, and investing in ongoing online faculty training.

Foundation species are essential to ecosystem function, but their role as habitat providers is predicated on their spatial dominance. Worldwide, kelps, seagrasses, corals, and other marine foundation species have declined. This is true also for rockweeds, the canopy-forming analog of subtidal kelp forests in temperate rocky intertidal ecosystems. On the west coast of North America, dense beds of the rockweed Silvetia compressa occur across large biogeographic regions, benefitting numerous species by ameliorating physical stress caused by sun exposure, desiccation, heat, and wave disturbance. Like many rockweed species, Silvetia is long-lived, slow-growing, and short-dispersing -- characteristics that reduce its resilience to disturbance. Using a generalized additive mixed-effects model with explicit spatial effects, we analyzed canopy cover data from 30 sites spanning 18 years, and we tested the hypothesis that Silvetia population trends are tightly linked to atmospheric climate conditions, particularly Santa Ana wind events (SAWs): strong, hot, and dry downslope winds that originate inland and move offshore. We found that the rockweed had declined markedly, particularly at sites south of the major biogeographic break, Point Conception (PC), including the California Channel Islands and southern California mainland, and a highly significant negative effect of dewpoint depression, a measure of moisture content in the atmosphere, on Silvetia cover across all three regions in this study. Our results suggest that any increases in the frequency or intensity of SAWs are likely to lead to large declines and possible extirpation of Silvetia, as well as the important ecological services the species provides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This article examines whether school contextual factors, such as referral practices and peer dynamics, contribute to Chinese American students' underrepresentation in school health programs. Methods: Data from the 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (N?=?1,744) as well as interviews and focus groups (N?=?51) with Chinese American users and nonusers of high school health programs were analyzed to identify aspects of the help-seeking process unique to Chinese American students. Results: Chinese American students primarily defined the need for school health services as having personal problems, engaging in early sexual activity, or using drugs. For the most part, they did not recognize their own health or psychosocial concerns as falling in these categories. Teacher referrals and peer dynamics were also salient factors in students' decisions to seek help from school health programs. Relationships with providers in strengths-based prevention programs improved their utilization of individual therapy and reproductive health services. Conclusions: To increase Chinese American students' access of needed services, the organizational systems and social contexts of school health programs (in addition to the practices of individual clinicians) must be responsive to the needs and preferences of these ethnic minority youth. (Contains 5 tables.)

Surf zones are highly dynamic marine ecosystems that are subject to increasing anthropogenic and climatic pressures, posing multiple challenges for biomonitoring. Traditional methods such as seines and hook and line surveys are often labor intensive, taxonomically biased, and can be physically hazardous. Emerging techniques, such as baited remote underwater video (BRUV) and environmental DNA (eDNA) are promising nondestructive tools for assessing marine biodiversity in surf zones of sandy beaches. Here we compare the relative performance of beach seines, BRUV, and eDNA in characterizing community composition of bony (teleost) and cartilaginous (elasmobranch) fishes of surf zones at 18 open coast sandy beaches in southern California. Seine and BRUV surveys captured overlapping, but distinct fish communities with 50% (18/36) of detected species shared. BRUV surveys more frequently detected larger species (e.g. sharks and rays) while seines more frequently detected one of the most abundant species, barred surfperch (Amphistichus argenteus). In contrast, eDNA metabarcoding captured 88.9% (32/36) of all fishes observed in seine and BRUV surveys plus 57 additional species, including 15 that frequent surf zone habitats. On average, eDNA detected over 5 times more species than BRUVs and 8 times more species than seine surveys at a given site. eDNA approaches also showed significantly higher sensitivity than seine and BRUV methods and more consistently detected 31 of the 32 (96.9%) jointly observed species across beaches. The four species detected by BRUV/seines, but not eDNA were only resolved at higher taxonomic ranks (e.g. Embiotocidae surfperches and Sygnathidae pipefishes). In frequent co-detection of species between methods limited comparisons of richness and abundance estimates, highlighting the challenge of comparing biomonitoring approaches. Despite potential for improvement, results overall demonstrate that eDNA can provide a cost-effective tool for long-term surf zone monitoring that complements data from seine and BRUV surveys, allowing more comprehensive surveys of vertebrate diversity in surf zone habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of our research was to determine if attending a U.K. livestock show changed attendees' attitudes about agriculture and to compare those changes in attitudes to attendees of a U.S. state fair similar in size and dynamic. The sample was livestock show attendees at the Great Yorkshire Show (GYS). The mixed-method design included a then and now semantic differential scale with bipolar adjective pairs to measure attendees' attitudes about agriculture before and after the experience and qualitative interviews with photo elicitation to learn about how attendees developed attitudes about agriculture. Participants had positive attitudes about agriculture before they attended the Show and had more positive attitudes after attending. Participants had more positive attitudes before and after attending the Show than did California State Fair attendees. In addition, participants lacked prior experiences with agriculture, but attending the GYS provided them the opportunity to develop positive attitudes through cognitive, behavioral, and environmental factors. Fair attendance should be promoted because they provide unique opportunities for experiential learning and U.S. fairs should adopt experiential tactics used at the GYS. Further research is needed to better understand how GYS attendees developed positive attitudes about agriculture prior to attending the Show and what elements of the GYS experience were most influential to attendees' attitude development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the Veterinary Department of the University of California at San Francisco was closing due to low enrollment and financial difficulties after less than five years of operation, a second private school has chartered in 1899 in San Francisco. Topics inlcude the separately immigrated from Ireland to the U.S. before meeting and marrying in Stockton, and moving his family to San Francisco in 1870, James Creely continued working as a horseshoer or farrier.

Bedrock mortars were an integral part of intensive acorn economies in Native California and are a prominent feature of the Late Holocene archaeological record of the Sierra Nevada. Construction of these milling features also indicates a long-term investment in the landscape. Ethnographic evidence suggests the importance of local acorn crops and other resources led to ownership and defense of property and resource rights in many areas. Through a combination of time-sensitive projectile points and obsidian hydration dating, we show that bedrock mortars became widely used in the Sierra Nevada after 1300 cal BP, and that this was coincident with the arrival of the bow and arrow to the region. When and where bedrock milling features occur provides evidence for evolving territorial behavior during the Late Holocene and further insights into how prehistoric Californians leveraged technology and behavioral changes to solve the difficult problem of making a back-loaded resource both palatable and profitable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Territoriality often arises as a way to ensure access to scarce or unevenly distributed resources. An unintended consequence, however, is a shift in the availability of other resources. We use Geographical Information Systems-based models to examine how political circumscription from territorial boundary defense affected human hunting decisions for three artiodactyl species: elk (Cervus elaphus nannodes), deer (Odocoileus hemionus), and pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) in Central California, USA. Habitat suitability for each species is compared to a database of 189 archaeofaunal assemblages from the same area and deer are found to have been hunted to a greater extent than expected. Three potential (non-mutually exclusive) causes for the disagreement between predicted and observed artiodactyl frequencies are examined: resource depression, relative encounter rates, and political circumscription. We find no decline in the relative abundances of elk and pronghorn through time relative to deer or in all artiodactyls relative to lower-ranked mammalian species. Instead, the herding behavior and mobility of pronghorn and elk, in combination with vigorously-defended political boundaries, may have made hunting opportunities for these species unpredictable and opportunistic, while deer, who occupy small home ranges, are not affected by territorial boundaries leading to an over-abundance of deer bone in the archaeological record. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For over 10,000 years, black abalone (Haliotis cracherodii) were an important resource in southern California, first for coastal Native Americans, then beginning in the nineteenth century, as one of the state's first commercial shellfisheries. By 1993, after years of heavy fishing, rising sea surface temperatures (SST), and the spread of withering syndrome (WS), black abalone populations declined dramatically, resulting in the closure of the Alta California fishery. After nearly 25 years of management and recovery efforts, black abalone are showing signs of ecological rebound along some Channel Island shorelines. These include the presence of juvenile abalone and increasing densities, largely from data collected by Channel Islands National Park (CINP) monitoring efforts that began in 1985.In an effort to apply deeper historical perspectives to modern fisheries management and restoration, we analyzed black abalone size data from San Miguel Island at prehistoric and historical archeological sites spanning the last 10,000 years and compared these populations to those described by CINP biologists between 1985 and 2013.We found a statistically significant relationship between SST and black abalone size distributions during the ancient record, along with dramatic shifts in population size structure toward larger individuals between the nineteenth century and modern periods. A pattern of larger mean black abalone sizes was identified during warm SSTs, when compared against intervals of cooler SSTs.Synthesis and applications. Our study provides a deep historical perspective of abalone population size distributions, patterns within these distributions through time, and parallels to modern abalone populations. Our results may help managers determine whether the current (and future) size and age structure of intertidal black abalone populations around the northern Channel Islands are "natural" and healthy, measured against the 10,000 year history of black abalone fishing in southern California. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) are key players in the synovial pathology of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Currently, there is no treatment that specifically targets these aggressive cells. By combining 3 different 'omics' data sets, i.e., 1) risk genes in RA, 2) differentially expressed genes, and 3) differential DNA methylation in RA versus osteoarthritis (OA) FLS, we identified LBH (limb bud and heart development) as a candidate gene in RA. The present study was undertaken to define the role of this gene in FLS. Methods Synovial tissue specimens from RA and OA patients were collected at the time of joint replacement surgery. LBH expression was silenced using small interfering RNA or overexpressed using an LBH expression vector in primary FLS. Gene expression profiles were determined by microarray and assessed using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis. Effects of modified LBH expression were investigated in functional assays. Results LBH was expressed in the synovial lining layer in patients with RA. Transforming growth factor β1 significantly increased LBH expression in primary FLS, and platelet-derived growth factor BB decreased it. Pathway analysis of the transcriptome of LBH-deficient FLS compared to control FLS identified 'cellular growth and proliferation' as the most significantly enriched pathway. In growth assays, LBH deficiency increased FLS proliferation. Conversely, LBH overexpression significantly inhibited cell growth. Cell cycle analysis demonstrated a marked increase in cells entering the cell cycle in LBH-deficient FLS compared to controls. LBH did not alter apoptosis. Conclusion LBH is a candidate gene for synovial pathology in RA. It is regulated by growth factors and modulates cell growth in primary FLS. Our data suggest a novel mechanism for synovial intimal hyperplasia and joint damage in RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pinus sabiniana Douglas ex D. Don (gray pine) is one of the dominant species in the ubiquitous Gray Pine-Blue Oak Woodland that rings the Great Central Valley of California. The species is absent, however, in a nearly 100 km section of the Sierra Nevada foothills between the Kings and Kaweah rivers. We test several previous explanations for this biogeographic gap, including prehistoric and historic anthropogenic burning, Early Holocene pluvial lakes as a migration barrier, and unique topography as a limiting factor. Through the examination of archaeobotanical and radiocarbon evidence, we find that gray pine distribution has been stable for the past 4,000 years and likely longer. Importantly, gray pine is absent in 44 of 45 individual samples from the Wahtoke Creek Site, the only archaeological site with archaeobotanical data within the modern distribution gap. This suggests that gray pine has been largely absent from the gap for over 6,000 years and refutes several previous explanations for the biogeographical gap. Instead, data support a topographical or ecological peculiarity of the gap rather than historic or prehistoric anthropogenic burning, or an Early Holocene migration of the species that was blocked by bodies of water in the Central Valley. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:To compare neonatal intensive care unit and special care unit (NICU) admission rates between term neonates exposed to antenatal magnesium sulfate (MS) and those unexposed.Study Design:We performed a retrospective cohort study of all singleton neonates 37 weeks born to women with pre-eclampsia from August 2006 to July 2008. Cases were defined by antenatal exposure to MS and controls by absence of MS exposure. The primary outcome was NICU admission. Data were analyzed via univariable and multivariable regression analyses.Result:In all, 28 (14.7%) out of 190 MS-exposed neonates 37 weeks were admitted to the NICU, compared with 4 (5.4%) of 74 non-exposed neonates (P=0.04). This association persisted after controlling for potential confounding variables including severe pre-eclampsia and cesarean delivery (AOR 3.69, 1.13 to 11.99). NICU admission was associated in a dose-dependent relationship with total hours and mean dose of MS exposure. Number needed to harm with MS was 11 per NICU admission. Among neonates admitted to the NICU, MS-exposed were more likely to require fluid and nutritional support than unexposed neonates (60.7 vs 0%, P=0.04), and trended toward more frequent requirement for respiratory support and greater length of stay.Conclusion:In term neonates, MS exposure may be associated independently with NICU admission in a dose-dependent relationship. Requirements for fluid and nutritional support are common in this group, likely due to feeding difficulties in exposed neonates. Assessment of acute care needs among all neonates exposed to MS for maternal eclampsia prophylaxis should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE--Certain dietary and physical activity behaviors have been associated with the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, yet little is known about the prevalence of these behaviors among Latinas (Latino women). The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to compare the prevalence of diabetes-related behaviors in Latinas and non-Latinas. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS--Using data from the 2009 California Health Interview Survey, we compared self-reported diabetes-related behaviors of Latinas (n = 4,321) to non-Latinas (n = 21,112) after excluding women who were pregnant or had diabetes. For six behaviors, we determined the cut point for the least healthy tertile: walking, doing moderate to vigorous physical activity, and consuming fried potatoes, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), desserts, and fast food. We used logistic regression to examine the association between Latina ethnicity and being in the least healthy tertile compared with the other two tertiles for each of these behaviors. RESULTS--In multivariate models adjusted for age, income, education, marital status, health status, smoking, and acculturation, Latinas had a higher risk (odds ratio [95%CI]) of being in the least healthy tertile for the consumption of fast food (1.94 [1.63-2.31]), SSBs (1.53 [1.29-1.82]), and fried potatoes (1.32 [1.18-1.67]), and lower risk for desserts (0.82 [0.70-0.95]). Latinas and non-Latinas had similar physical activity levels. CONCLUSIONS--Dietary differences between Latinas and non-Latinas (particularly in the consumption of fast food and SSBs) may be the focus of interventions to prevent diabetes in Latinas. Further research among Latinas is needed to understand and modify these dietary behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hunsaker, Carolyn T., Thomas W. Whitaker, and Roger C. Bales, 2012. Snowmelt Runoff and Water Yield Along Elevation and Temperature Gradients in California's Southern Sierra Nevada. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 48(4): 667-678. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2012.00641.x Abstract: Differences in hydrologic response across the rain-snow transition in the southern Sierra Nevada were studied in eight headwater catchments - the Kings River Experimental Watersheds - using continuous precipitation, snowpack, and streamflow measurements. The annual runoff ratio (discharge divided by precipitation) increased about 0.1 per 300 m of mean catchment elevation over the range 1,800-2,400 m. Higher-elevation catchments have lower vegetation density, shallow soils with rapid permeability, and a shorter growing season when compared with those at lower elevations. Average annual temperatures ranged from 6.8°C at 2,400 m to 8.6 at 1,950 m elevation, with annual precipitation being 75-95% snow at the highest elevations vs. 20-50% at the lowest. Peak discharge lagged peak snow accumulation on the order of 60 days at the higher elevations and 20 to 30 days at the lower elevations. Snowmelt dominated the daily streamflow cycle over a period of about 30 days in higher elevation catchments, followed by a 15-day transition to evapotranspiration dominating the daily streamflow cycle. Discharge from lower elevation catchments was rainfall dominated in spring, with the transition to evapotranspiration dominance being less distinct. Climate warming that results in a longer growing season and a shift from snow to rain would result in earlier runoff and a lower runoff ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Temporally and spatially discontinuous pulses of heavy prehistoric exploitation of red abalone (Haliotis rufescens) have been documented along the southern and central California coast. This article examines the very late (post-950cal BP) appearance of numerous red abalone processing sites on the Monterey Peninsula in central California. We test three prominent explanations offered for the sudden onset of red abalone processing sites: trophic cascades resulting from human predation on sea otters, logistical foraging by inland residents, and changes in sea surface temperature. A trophic cascade appears to have occurred but does not fully explain the nature or timing of the phenomenon in the region. We present an alternative explanation that argues that intensive procurement of red abalone emerged at a time when both population pressure and social complexity increased greatly in central California. We argue that a new exploitation strategy—diving from boats—was employed to exploit a much larger portion of the red abalone habitat. This strategy entailed logistical forays by divers who worked new patches in tandem with boaters, gathered large quantities in a single foray, and then field processed them in bulk on the shore before transporting the meat to coastal residences. This strategy provided an additional source of food, and both tradable dried meat and numerous large shells that could be manufactured into ornaments and traded as decorative accoutrements. We conclude our discussion with a consideration of the factors that created such a discontinuous record of red abalone exploitation along the California coast. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Resource depression is often assumed to result from the over-exploitation of a prey species leading to declines in its population, and therefore availability, to human hunters. However, two other forms of resource depression are noted in the ecological literature: behavioral and micro-habitat depression. Data presented in this paper demonstrate resource depression of cormorants (Phalacrocorax spp.), a coastally breeding and semi-pelagic bird genus, at a coastal site in northern California. Citing modern cormorant behavior and a lack of evidence for intensive rookery exploitation, it is argued that the observed resource depression resulted from changes in cormorant behavior that decreased encounter rates for human hunters. Such behavioral depression is cited as a buffer to the extirpation of prey in mainland settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: ‘Bartlett’ pears grown in northern California (CA) consistently show development of the physiological storage disorder superficial scald, particularly after prolonged storage of 4–5 months in air. In contrast, fruit of this cultivar grown in central Washington (WA) are typically less susceptible to scald, exhibiting mild or no symptoms. Conjugated triene (CT) oxidation products of the sesquiterpene α-farnesene are thought to play a key role in scald induction in apples and pears. This study compared accumulation of α-farnesene and its CT products in peel tissue of CA- and WA-grown ‘Bartlett’ pears during air storage at −1°C in relation to scald development after transfer to 20°C. Pears were harvested from commercial orchards in 2006 and 2007 and stored under nearly identical conditions for up to 24 weeks. Peel tissue samples taken at harvest and at 2–4-week interval during storage were analyzed by HPLC to determine concentrations of α-farnesene and CTs. Measurements of flesh firmness, respiration, and ethylene production were also made at harvest and/or from 1 to 8d after removal from storage to 20°C. WA fruit from the second harvest in 2006 developed light superficial scald after 20 weeks of cold storage plus 5d at 20°C; all others were scald-free. By contrast, all CA fruit from both seasons showed light scald after 12–14 weeks, and moderate scald after 20–24 weeks, plus shelf life. Correspondingly, α-farnesene and CTs accumulated more rapidly and on average reached about twofold higher concentrations in CA compared with WA fruit over the first 8–12 weeks of storage. CA fruit also had an earlier rise in ethylene production, higher respiratory rates, and lower flesh firmness at harvest than WA fruit. These suggest advanced maturity, which may have contributed to the increased rates of α-farnesene synthesis and oxidation, and higher incidence of scald. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: California archaeologists have proposed two alternative methods for harvesting mussels—“stripping” and “plucking”. These two methods are modeled and compared with experimental data from central California (Jones, T.L., Richman, J.R., 1995. On Mussels: Mytilus californianus as a Prehistoric Resource, North American Archaeologist 16, 33–58) and archaeological data from the Punta Gorda Rockshelter, a well-stratified coastal shell midden in northern California. Foragers at the Punta Gorda Rockshelter appear to have practiced a “stripping” technique at approximately 24month intervals. It is argued that, while this strategy reduced immediate foraging returns, it increased the long-term net productivity of the mussel beds. These findings are discussed in light of the broader literature regarding resource depression and resource cultivation in California prehistory. The conventional interpretation of reductions in the body size in archaeological assemblages is questioned both in terms of rates of return on these individuals and the impact of human predation on local prey populations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) data are used to explore the structure of obsidian acquisition for groups in the King Range National Conservation Area of northern California. The data indicate that, contrary to a distance-decay model, obsidian from more distant sources in the Medicine Lake Highlands, dominates the obsidian found at sites in the area. Furthermore, metric data indicate a positive relationship between size and distance to source with more distant sources represented by larger flakes. It is suggested that this pattern is the result of culturally mediated exchange relations under which Athabaskan speakers concentrated trade relations with one another to the exclusion of trade with linguistic groups to the south, with longer histories in the area, such as the Pomo and Yuki. Additionally, the use of redwood dugouts on rivers in northern California and the importance of northeastern Californian obsidian in ritual practices of California Athabaskan groups may have further encouraged the use of more distant, northeastern Californian, sources. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In support of planning efforts for the National Children's Study, we conducted a study to test field methods for characterizing pesticide exposures to 20 farmworker children aged 5–27 months old living in the Salinas Valley of Monterey County, California. We tested methods for collecting house dust, indoor and outdoor air, dislodgeable residues from surfaces and toys, residues on clothing (sock and union suits), food, as well as spot and overnight diaper urine samples. We measured 29 common agricultural and home use pesticides in multiple exposure media samples. A subset of organophosphorus (OP), organochlorine (OC) and pyrethroid pesticides were measured in food. We also analyzed urine samples for OP pesticide metabolites. Finally, we administered four field-based exposure assessment instruments: a questionnaire; food diary; home inspection; and a self-administered child activity timeline. Pesticides were detected more frequently in house dust, surface wipes, and clothing than other media, with chlorpyrifos, diazinon, chlorthal-dimethyl, and cis- and trans-permethrin detected in 90% to 100% of samples. Levels of four of these five pesticides were positively correlated among the house dust, sock, and union suit samples (Spearman's ρ=0.18–0.76). Pesticide loading on socks and union suits was higher for the group of 10 toddlers compared to the 10 younger crawling children. Several OP pesticides, as well as 4,4′-DDE, atrazine, and dieldrin were detected in the food samples. The child activity timeline, a novel, low-literacy instrument based on pictures, was successfully used by our participants. Future uses of these data include the development of pesticide exposure models and risk assessment.Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology (2007) 17, 331–349; doi:10.1038/sj.jes.7500507; published online 31 May 2006 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses research that determined an imprinted DNA methylation pattern in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS). Topics discussed include detection of significant global hypomethylation in those with longstanding RA compared to patients with early RA, identification of 20,776 differentially methylated loci in longstanding RA, and identification in longstanding RA of five potentially enriched pathways with hypomethylated genes.

• Paternal deprivation is a unique model of early-life stress. • Dentate gyrus volume is reduced following paternal deprivation. • Paternal deprivation increases microglial density in females, but not males. • Maternal offspring retrieval behavior is unaltered by paternal care absence. • Daily handling following paternal deprivation may rescue short-term new cell survival. Adverse early-life experiences are risk factors for psychiatric disease development, resulting in stress-related neuronal modeling and neurobehavioral changes. Stressful experiences modulate the immune system, contributing to neuronal damage in higher cortical regions, like the hippocampus. Moreover, early-life stressors dysregulate the function of microglia, the resident immune cells of the brain, in the developing hippocampus. Paternal deprivation, an early-life stressor in many biparental species, facilitates sex-dependent inhibitions in hippocampal plasticity, but parental contributors to these sex-specific outcomes are unknown. Also, neurobiological mechanisms contributing to impairments in hippocampal neuroplasticity are less known. Thus, our goals were to 1) determine whether parental behavior is altered in maternal females following removal of the paternal male, 2) assess the effects of paternal deprivation on dentate gyrus (DG) volume and microglia proliferation, and 3) determine if early-life experimental handling mitigates sex-specific reductions in DG cell survival. California mice were born to multiparous breeders and reared by both parents (biparental care) or by their mother alone (i.e., father removed on postnatal day 1; paternal deprivation). One cohort of offspring underwent offspring retrieval tests for eight days beginning on postnatal day 2. On PND 68, these offspring (and a second cohort of mice without behavioral testing) were euthanized and brains visualized for bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) and neuron-specific class III beta-tubulin (TuJ-1) or ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba1). While mate absence did not impair maternal retrieval, paternal deprivation reduced DG volume, but Iba1+ cell density was only higher in paternally-deprived females. Neither sex or paternal deprivation significantly altered the number of BrdU+ or Tuj1+ cells in the DG – an absence of a reduction in cell survival may be related to daily handing during early offspring retrieval tests. Together, these data suggest that paternal deprivation impairs hippocampal plasticity; however, sex and early environment may influence the magnitude of these outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reviews the exhibition "Art From the Navajo Loom: The William Randolph Hearst Collection," presented at the Natural History of Museum of Los Angeles County in Los Angeles, California from March 25 to September 5, 1988.