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Combined islet and kidney xenotransplantation for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy represents a compelling and increasingly relevant therapeutic possibility for an ever-growing number of patients who would benefit from both durable renal replacement and cure of the underlying cause of their renal insufficiency: diabetes. Here we briefly review immune barriers to islet transplantation, highlight preclinical progress in the field, and summarize our experience with combined islet and kidney xenotransplantation, including both challenges with islet-kidney composite grafts as well as our recent success with sequential kidney followed by islet xenotransplantation in a pig-to-baboon model.

Abstract Extracellular vesicles (EVs) can be loaded with therapeutic cargo and engineered for retention by specific body sites; therefore, they have great potential for targeted delivery of biomolecules to treat diseases. However, the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of EVs in large animals remain relatively unknown, especially in primates. We recently reported that when cell culture‐derived EVs are administered intravenously to Macaca nemestrina (pig‐tailed macaques), they differentially associate with specific subsets of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). More than 60% of CD20+ B cells were observed to associate with EVs for up to 1 h post‐intravenous administration. To investigate these associations further, we developed an ex vivo model of whole blood collected from healthy pig‐tailed macaques. Using this ex vivo system, we found that labelled EVs preferentially associate with B cells in whole blood at levels similar to those detected in vivo. This study demonstrates that ex vivo blood can be used to study EV‐blood cell interactions.

IntroductionThe onset of the COVID-19 pandemic saw a global surge in functional tic-like behaviors (FTLBs). FTLBs are unique from primary tic disorders. They are thought to manifest through a complex interplay between environmental and personal factors, including the stress-arousal system, and are characterized by their sudden and explosive onset. Accordingly, common interventions for tic disorders show limited efficacy in this population. We present an Integrated Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Functional Tics (I-CBiT) that uses an urge acceptance model to manage tics and related stress and anxiety.MethodsWe describe the treatment outcomes of eight young people presenting with new and sudden onset FTLBs who underwent I-CBiT, which integrates traditional behavioral tic interventions with third-wave cognitive behavioral therapies. All cases completed the three-phase intervention involving core components of psychoeducation, exposure and response prevention with urge acceptance, sensory grounding strategies, and cognitive behavioral intervention targeting the stress-arousal system. Tic severity and impairment were assessed prior to treatment and at completion.ResultsAll cases showed a significant reduction in tic severity post I-CBiT and an improvement in overall daily living function. These cases highlight the role of urge acceptance in managing both tic urges and the underlying stress-arousal system to bring about long-term change.ConclusionWe demonstrated the efficacy of I-CBiT for managing FTLBs. Our findings illustrate the importance of treating underlying stress and anxiety in this population and, therefore, a need for greater interaction between multidisciplinary services in managing FTLBs to comprehensively cover the varied symptom presentations linked to thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations, and stress responses.

Green technologies designed to mitigate climate change through renewable energy and zero-emissions transportation currently depend on lithium-ion batteries, which require ‘critical materials’. Like nickel, graphite, manganese and cobalt, lithium is a key component of batteries that store energy for electric vehicles, smart devices and renewable power plants. Although lithium is present all over the globe, one of the main commercial lithium reserves is in the Puna de Atacama, a desert region at the borders of Chile, Argentina and Bolivia. Resulting from a collaborative study for the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Plurinational Observatory of Andean Salt Flats, this chapter examines how the reliance on brine evaporation as an extraction method for lithium mining exacerbates conditions of ecological ‘exhaustion’ in the Puna de Atacama. The study is based on ethnographic and historical research primarily conducted in Chile with environmental activists, Indigenous leaders, scientists and policy practitioners. Furthering the concept of ‘alterlives’ to examine not only exposure to downstream chemicals but also the in situ alteration of life at mining sites upstream in the chemical supply chain, the chapter analyses environmental injustices inherent to green extractivism across multiple scales. It considers under what conditions Indigenous and local participation may contribute new models and standards for monitoring and offers policy recommendations to prevent further social harm and environmental damage.

The neocortex varies in size and complexity among mammals due to the tremendous variability in the number and diversity of neuronal subtypes across species. The increased cellular diversity is paralleled by the expansion of the pool of neocortical progenitors and the emergence of indirect neurogenesis during brain evolution. The molecular pathways that control these biological processes and are disrupted in neurological disorders remain largely unknown. Here we show that the transcription factors BRN1 and BRN2 have an evolutionary conserved function in neocortical progenitors to control their proliferative capacity and the switch from direct to indirect neurogenesis. Functional studies in mice and ferrets show that BRN1/2 act in concert with NOTCH and primary microcephaly genes to regulate progenitor behavior. Analysis of transcriptomics data from genetically modified macaques provides evidence that these molecular pathways are conserved in non-human primates. Our findings thus demonstrate that BRN1/2 are central regulators of gene expression programs in neocortical progenitors critical to determine brain size during evolution. How the diversity and number of neuronal subtypes across species drives neocortical size and complexity remains incompletely understood. Here authors demonstrate BRN1/2 act in concert with NOTCH and primary microcephaly genes to regulate evolutionarily conserved neocortical progenitor behavior across species and determine brain size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research suggests that a woman's past experiences of being parented will have a significant influence on how she parents her own children. This study, reported by Amanda Maxwell, Julie Proctor and Linda Hammond, aimed to explore young care-leaving mothers' experiences of motherhood, focusing on their experience of themselves as mothers, their relationship with their child and their understanding of their child's experiences. Six mothers were interviewed who had spent time in care and were teenagers at the time of the birth of their child. They also completed diaries of their experiences over a two-week period. Data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) and super-ordinate themes were identified. These themes were represented as dialectical positions and included: the ideal and reality; motherhood as building positive views of self and other, but also highlighting vulnerability; identification with her child but also feeling taken over by him or her; and external world as needed but also unwanted and destabilising. These results are discussed in relation to existing literature, and practice and research implications are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) can be loaded with therapeutic cargo and engineered for retention by specific body sites; therefore, they have great potential for targeted delivery of biomolecules to treat diseases. However, the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of EVs in large animals remain relatively unknown, especially in primates. We recently reported that when cell culture‐derived EVs are administered intravenously to Macaca nemestrina (pig‐tailed macaques), they differentially associate with specific subsets of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). More than 60% of CD20+ B cells were observed to associate with EVs for up to 1 h post‐intravenous administration. To investigate these associations further, we developed an ex vivo model of whole blood collected from healthy pig‐tailed macaques. Using this ex vivo system, we found that labelled EVs preferentially associate with B cells in whole blood at levels similar to those detected in vivo. This study demonstrates that ex vivo blood can be used to study EV‐blood cell interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The political economy of lithium, a "critical mineral" for the renewable energy transition, is marked by two striking developments. First, Global North governments that have historically offshored mining are onshoring lithium to enhance "supply chain security." Second, these governments have committed to "sustainably sourcing" lithium. In this article, I theorize both developments in terms of a novel security–sustainability nexus: an interlocking set of policies and justifications that promote lithium extraction and emphasize the environmental credentials of Global North mining. The security–sustainability nexus evidences an alignment between state and corporate interests. For public officials, onshoring policies counter China's "dominance" over battery supply chains. For mining and auto firms, onshoring translates into lucrative incentives, supply security, and reputational benefits. However, despite this state–corporate alignment, the tensions within the security–sustainability nexus illuminate the contradictions of green capitalism. I conclude that the geopolitical and socioenvironmental conflicts over the material foundations of the energy transition are reshaping the inequalities linked to extractive sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of India’s current electricity demand is met by combustion of fossil fuels, particularly coal. But the country has embarked on a major expansion of renewable energy and aims for half of its electricity needs to be met by renewable sources by 2030. As climate change-driven temperature increases continue to threaten India’s population and drive increased demand for air conditioning, there is a need to estimate the local benefits of policies that increase renewable energy capacity and reduce cooling demand in buildings. We investigate the impacts of climate change-driven temperature increases, along with population and economic growth, on demand for electricity to cool buildings in the Indian city of Ahmedabad between 2018 and 2030. We estimate the share of energy demand met by coal-fired power plants versus renewable energy in 2030, and the cooling energy demand effects of expanded cool roof adaptation in the city. We find renewable energy capacity could increase from meeting 9% of cooling energy demand in 2018 to 45% in 2030. Our modeling indicates a near doubling in total electricity supply and a nearly threefold growth in cooling demand by 2030. Expansion of cool roofs to 20% of total roof area (associated with a 0.21 TWh reduction in cooling demand between 2018 and 2030) could more than offset the city’s climate change-driven 2030 increase in cooling demand (0.17 TWh/year). This study establishes a framework for linking climate, land cover, and energy models to help policymakers better prepare for growing cooling energy demand under a changing climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sharing a long and relatively peaceful border, Canada and the United States have built several cooperative frameworks to address issues of environmental protection and agricultural development. Some of these cooperative frameworks show the potential for the two countries to become "more than friends" in addressing these issues of common concern. Will that potential be realized? This article explores that question, focusing especially on (i) environmental and agricultural provisions in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement ("USMCA") and (ii) cross-border environment-specific legal and institutional initiatives located outside the USMCA context . . . all with an eye to considering whether, and how, the two countries might build a deeper form of cooperation through novel forms of sovereign authority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a list of peer reviewers for the journal Teaching Ethics. The list includes individuals from various universities and institutions who have reviewed submissions for the journal. The document expresses gratitude to the peer reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions, which help maintain the high standards of the journal. The list includes a diverse range of names from different backgrounds and perspectives. [Extracted from the article]

Presents the short story "Spa Town," by Amanda Maxwell.

This document is a list of peer reviewers for the journal Teaching Ethics. The list includes individuals from various universities and institutions who have reviewed submissions for the journal. The document expresses gratitude to the peer reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions, which help maintain the high standards of the journal. The list includes a diverse range of names from different backgrounds and institutions, reflecting the inclusive nature of the journal's review process. [Extracted from the article]

Since its growth and popularization in the 1970's and 1980's, Neoliberalism has undermined efforts to regulate environmental contamination caused by corporations in United States and Chile. Under neoliberalist policies, when a corporation contaminates the environment, adequate environmental protection typically only occurs when the corporation involved can reap benefits from environmental compliance. When regulated corporations have little to gain, environmental policies fail to provide communities with long-term protection against contamination, or merely institute small scale, short-term solutions. This phenomenon will be illustrated by examining the parallel histories of the Bingham Canyon Copper Mine in Utah, and the El Salvador Copper Mine in Northern Chile. I will examine these mine's growth over the twentieth century and the contamination they disposed upon surrounding communities. Next, I will discuss landmark environmental policies that prompted these mines to begin remediating their pollution. Finally, I will explore how neoliberalism has impacted environmental remediation efforts both within these mining communities and the US and Chile as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a list of reviewers of the periodical's articles, including Audrey Anton, Zachary Auwerda, William Bilzek, and others.

The article discusses various reports published within the issue, including one by Kay Fielden and Donald Joyce on offering an analysis of 125 papers on academic integrity, one by Amanda Maxwell, Guy Curtis and Lucia Vardanega on investigating the perceived seriousness and understanding of plagiarism by local and Asian international students and one by Vidar Gynnild and Patricia Gotschalk on an institutional study of academic integrity.

Are more students cheating on assessment tasks in higher education? Despite ongoing media speculation concerning increased ‘copying and pasting’ and ghostwritten assignments produced by ‘paper mills’, few studies have charted historical trends in rates and types of plagiarism. Additionally, there has been little comment from researchers as to the best way to assess changes in plagiarism over time. In this paper, we discuss the relative strengths and weaknesses of research designs for assessing changes in plagiarism over time, namely cross-sectional, longitudinal, and time-lag. We also report the results of our own time-lag study of plagiarism. We assessed self-reported engagement in, awareness of, and attitudes towards plagiarism in three comparable groups of students at the same university on three occasions, each separated by five years (2004, 2009, and 2014). The data from our study paint an encouraging picture of increased understanding and reduced occurrence of several forms of plagiarism, with no upward trend in verbatim copying or ghostwriting. We suggest that technological and educational initiatives are counteracting the potential for increased plagiarism from online sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]