Separate Families Research Articles

Clinicopathologic and trichoscopic features of keratosis follicularis spinulosa decalvans: A case series study.

Keratosis follicularis spinulosa decalvans (KFSD) is a rare X-linked hereditary disorder characterized by the triad of follicular hyperkeratosis-photophobia-alopecia. The clinical heterogeneity makes the diagnosis difficult. To investigate the clinicopathologic and trichoscopic features of KFSD and to further clarify the essential requisites for the diagnosis, we conducted a retrospective study of patients with KFSD. The clinical information, histologic features, and trichoscopic findings were evaluated. Eight patients were from seven separate families. Two females were mother and daughter from the same family and the other six patients were male and represented sporadic cases. The average age of onset of alopecia was 21.25 years. Involvement of the scalp hairs leading to progressive scarring alopecia on the midline of the scalp with variable degrees of inflammation was the pathognomonic feature. It typically began after puberty. Vellus hair-associated follicular hyperkeratosis affected all of the patients. However, photophobia was not a constant feature. Histopathologic examination revealed disorders of the hair follicle with an acute-chronic inflammatory response. Follicular changes including fused infundibulum, the protrusion of the outer root sheath into the follicular canal, and a dilatation of the follicles at the isthmus level caused by the occlusion of keratin were observed. The trichoscopic features included perifollicular scaling, tufted hairs, and loss of follicular openings. In conclusion, terminal hair involvement, either scalp hairs, eyebrows, or eyelashes, and the hyperkeratosis of the follicle of vellus hairs is the diagnostic basis of KFSD. We hypothesize that follicular changes in histopathology are the primary event that trigger variable inflammation and further follicular destruction.

Исследование двухмодульных взвешенных кодов с суммированием с произвольными разбиениями множества информационных символов

A method has been proposed for constructing two-modulus sum codes that are suitable for solving the synthesis problems of self-checking digital computing devices and systems, as well as the technical means of their diagnostics. In the process of constructing a code, a set of data symbols is divided into two subsets, forming separate vectors for which the total weight is calculated according to a predetermined modulus. Beforehand, in each of the selected vectors, one of the data symbols is weighted with a coefficient from a natural series. Codes obtained with different values of weight coefficients and modulus for determining the total weight form a separate family of uniform binary codes with a fixed number of check symbols. The article provides an example of constructing a sum codes in the ring of residues modulus M = 4. Using this modulus enables the construction of a two-modulus code with k = 4 check symbols for any value of the m number of data symbols. As the value of m increases, the relationship between the number of data symbols and check symbols will change significantly, and the resulting code will have low redundancy. This is important when using the considered class of codes in the construction of digital devices. Previously unknown properties of the discussed class of sum codes have been identified, and taking these into account is beneficial when addressing problems related to the synthesis and technical diagnostics of digital devices.

Genome-Wide Characterization of Berberine Bridge Enzyme Gene Family in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and the Positive Regulatory Role of TaBBE64 in Response to Wheat Stripe Rust.

Berberine bridge enzymes (BBEs), functioning as carbonate oxidases, enhance disease resistance in Arabidopsis and tobacco. However, the understanding of BBEs' role in monocots against pathogens remains limited. This study identified 81 TaBBEs with FAD_binding_4 and BBE domains. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a separation of the BBE gene family between monocots and dicots. Notably, RNA-seq showed TaBBE64's significant induction by both pathogen-associated molecular pattern treatment and Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst) infection at early stages. Subcellular localization revealed TaBBE64 at the cytoplasmic membrane. Knocking down TaBBE64 compromised wheat's Pst resistance, reducing reactive oxygen species and promoting fungal growth, confirming its positive role. Molecular docking and enzyme activity assays confirmed TaBBE64's glucose oxidation to produce H2O2. Since Pst relies on living wheat cells for carbohydrate absorption, TaBBE64's promotion of glucose oxidation limits fungal growth and resists pathogen infection. This study sheds light on BBEs' role in wheat resistance against biotrophic fungi.

‘Doing Harm Was the Point’

Abstract This article analyses the Trump administration’s policy of forcibly separating thousands of immigrant families at the border. Using a rights-based and childist approach, I explore the policy’s severe consequences for children’s rights to family unity and protection from cruel and degrading treatment. I argue that family separations abandoned the best-interests principle and entailed severe rights violations and due process irregularities. The policy deliberately inflicted suffering and trauma on immigrant families to deter immigrants and coerce asylum-seekers into relinquishing their claims to protection, contrary to treaty obligations and domestic laws. The article also examines the policy’s formulation and implementation, which were characterised by cruelty, chaos and confusion. This case provides incontrovertible evidence of the myriad strategies governments use to exclude immigrant children from the benefits of the global children’s rights regime.

The first complete chloroplast genome sequence of Pentaphragma spicatum Merr. (Pentaphragmataceae) and phylogenetic analysis

Pentaphragma spicatum Merr. is an endemic wild edible plant of China belonging to the Pentaphragmataceae family. It is widely consumed by Shangsi County resident in Guangxi Fangchenggang. Initially, Pentaphragma was classified as a genus within the Campanulaceae family, but, later it was treated as part of the Pentaphragmataceae family. However, the chloroplast genome of Pentaphragmataceae has not yet been reported. In this study, we sequenced the first complete chloroplast (cp) genome of P. spicatum from Guangxi, China. The whole genome was 154,229 bp in length, consisting of a pair of inverted repeats (IR each 25,572 bp), a large single-copy region (LSC 84,884 bp), and a small single-copy region (SSC 18,201 bp). The complete genome contained 129 genes, including 87 protein-coding genes, 34 tRNA, and 8 rRNA genes. The overall GC content of the whole genome was 37.71%. Based on a maximum-likelihood phylogenetic analysis, it has been determined that P. spicatum is not phylogenetically related to Campanulaceae and supports the decision to classify it as a separate family, Pentaphragmataceae. The complete chloroplast genome of P. spicatum will help enhance and integrate the existing genome data of Asterales. This will provide insights into the phylogenetic relationship within Campanulaceae.

Children of Separation: An International Profile

AbstractThis study offers a comprehensive international overview of children from separated families across 13 countries, with an emphasis on the European context. We investigate changes in the number of children experiencing parental separation over birth cohorts (1960–1989) and changes in their social composition using data from the Generations and Gender Survey and official statistics. Results on absolute numbers highlight the impact of demographic shifts and complement previous research that focused on the relative risk of experiencing parental separation. We show that declining fertility rates have, in most countries, mitigated the rise in the number of children affected by increasing separation rates. Moreover, a large majority of contemporary children of separation are born to higher‐educated mothers, demonstrating that the spread of education across parent cohorts outweighed educational risk gradients in shaping the socioeconomic background of children of separation. These findings improve our demographic understanding of children of separation and inform policy targeting family disruption as a social problem and allocating resources to address it.

“The Caravan of Death”: Women, Refugee Camps, and Family Separations in the US–Mexico Borderlands, 1910–1920

Abstract: This article examines how Mexican border women negotiated war and family separations and gives new insights into the lives of women, families, and children who escaped the violence of the Mexican Revolution (1910–1920). As hundreds of thousands of Mexicans began crossing the border to the United States during the evolution, thousands of them, especially women and children, were detained and interned in refugee camps along the US–Mexico borderlands. This article examines the role of the US military in detention centers and argues that Anglo-American ideologies of race and gender shaped assumptions about Mexican women during the revolution that increasingly prevented Mexican women and children from seeking asylum in the United States.

The Evolution of Temperature and Desiccation-Related Protein Families in Tardigrada Reveals a Complex Acquisition of Extremotolerance.

Tardigrada is an ecdysozoan lineage famed for its resilience. Tardigrades can tolerate high doses of radiation, low-oxygen environments, desiccation, and both high and low temperatures under a dormant state called "anhydrobiosis", which is a reversible halt of metabolism upon almost complete desiccation. A large amount of research has focused on the genetic pathways related to these capabilities, and a number of genes have been identified and linked to the extremotolerant response of tardigrades. However, the history of these genes is unclear, and the origins and history of extremotolerant genes within Tardigrada remain a mystery. Here, we generate the first phylogenies of six separate protein families linked with desiccation and radiation tolerance in Tardigrada: cytosolic abundant heat-soluble protein, mitochondrial abundant heat-soluble protein, secretory abundant heat-soluble protein, meiotic recombination 11 homolog, and the newly discovered Echiniscus testudo abundant heat-soluble proteins (alpha and beta). The high number of independent gene duplications found amongst the six gene families studied suggests that tardigrades have a complex history with numerous independent adaptations to cope with aridity within the limnoterrestrial environment. Our results suggest that tardigrades likely transitioned from a marine environment to a limnoterrestrial environment only twice, once in stem Eutardigrada and once in Heterotardigrada, which explains the unique adaptations to anhydrobiosis present in both classes.

Sex-Related Gene Network Revealed by Transcriptome Differentiation of Bisexual and Unisexual Flowers of Orchid Cymbidium tortisepalum

Despite extensive research on orchid reproductive strategies, the genetic studies of sex differentiation in the orchid family are still lacking. In this study, we compared three sexual phenotypes of Cymbidium tortisepalum bisexual flowers as well as female and male unisexual mutants. Through comparative transcriptomes, we analyzed the sex-biased differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and gene co-expression networks of sex organs (gynostemium and ovary) among them, identified the candidate genes of sex differentiation, and validated their expression by qRT-PCR. The C. tortisepalum unisexual mutants with degenerated phenotypes were compared to the bisexual plants with respect to both the flower organs and plant morphologies. Totally, 12,145, 10,789, and 14,447 genes were uniquely expressed in the female, male, and hermaphrodite sex organs, respectively. A total of 4291 sex-biased DEGs were detected among them, with 871, 2867, and 1937 DEGs in the comparisons of bisexual vs. female, bisexual vs. male, and male vs. female flowers, respectively. Two co-expressed network modules, with 81 and 419 genes were tightly correlated with female sexual traits, while two others with 265 and 135 genes were highly correlated with male sexual traits. Two female-biased hub genes (CtSDR3b and CtSDR3b-like) nested in the female modules, the homologs of maize sex determinant tasselseed2, may control the feminization of C. tortisepalum. At the same time, two male-biased hub genes (CtYAB2 and CtYAB5) nested in the male modules, the homologs of grape sex determinant VviYABBY3, may control the androphany of C. tortisepalum. This study discovered the molecular regulation networks and proposed a model for orchid sex differentiation, therefore providing for the first time the genetic basis for the sex separation in the orchid family.

Qualitative Study of Barriers and Facilitators to Care Among Children in Immigrant Families.

Children in immigrant families comprise ∼25% of US children and live in families with high levels of poverty and food insecurity. Studies suggest a decline in public benefit enrollment among children in immigrant families. We aimed to explore perspectives on barriers and facilitators in accessing care among immigrant caregivers of hospitalized children. With a general qualitative descriptive design, we developed a semistructured interview guide using an iterative process informed by literature and content expertise. Using purposive sampling, we recruited immigrant caregivers of hospitalized children in March 2020 and conducted interviews in English or Spanish. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and translated to English. Three authors coded transcripts using Dedoose and identified themes via thematic analysis. Analysis of 12 caregiver interviews revealed barriers and facilitators in accessing healthcare and public benefit use. Barriers included healthcare system barriers, immigration-related fear, and racism and discrimination. Within healthcare system barriers, subthemes included language barriers, cost, complexity of resource application, and lack of guidance on available benefits. Within immigration-related fear, subthemes included fear of familial separation, fear of deportation, fear that benefit use affects immigration status, and provider distrust. Healthcare system facilitators of resource use included recruiting diverse workforces, utilizing language interpretation, guidance on benefit enrollment, legal services, and mental health services. Participants also recommended hospital partnership with trusted information sources, including media stations and low-cost clinics. Immigrant caregivers of hospitalized children identified barriers and facilitators in access to care. Further research is needed to assess the efficacy of caregiver-suggested interventions.

Experiences of Parental PTSD for Children Aged 9–17 in Military and Emergency First Responder Families

AbstractThis study is the first to examine the experiences of children aged 9–17 who have a military or emergency first responder (EFR) parent with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These experiences of children are important to understand through a lens of intergenerational trauma theory, given the high rates of PTSD in these service populations. Additionally, we need to know if they differ from the experiences of children of civilian parents with PTSD. To examine this, we conducted a total of 17 in-depth interviews in Australia with 5 service parents, 5 co-parents and 7 children aged 9–17 who have a parent who had formerly served in the military or an emergency service. Interviewees were not always from the same family. The families included single-parent, dual-parent, separated, and same-sex families. Gender and service type (military or EFR) were evenly distributed among interviewees. We used a critical humanist approach and undertook a reflexive thematic analysis of the interview data. The major themes were (1) parental emotional extremes, volatility, and unpredictability, (2) changes in home and family relations, (3) impacts on child wellbeing, and (4) PTSD awareness and help-seeking. We found evidence of specific impacts for children related to a combination of parental PTSD symptoms and service conditioning and culture. This study highlights the role of reduced parental capacity in the transmission of trauma from parent to child. It provides an evidence base to direct policy and research into targeted and culturally specific therapeutic interventions and support services for children and parents in service families living with PTSD.

‘Sometimes, men cannot do what women can’: Pacific labour mobility, gender norms and social reproduction

AbstractAustralia's 2018 introduction of the Pacific Labour Scheme (PLS) broadened the scope and duration of labour mobility pathways available to Pacific Island countries. Although longer term temporary migration schemes like the PLS expand livelihood opportunities for migrant households, they also create challenges related to the maintenance of personal relationships and care practices during transnational family separation. Though pressing concerns for Pacific Island governments, these issues have received little scholarly attention. Drawing on in‐depth interviews with migrants and their households in Kiribati, Tonga and Vanuatu, this article offers some preliminary insights into the way gender norms intersect with the reorganization of socially reproductive labour during migration. Findings indicate that women were disproportionately involved in the performance of additional unpaid care work within migrant households adjusting to transnational family life, but also suggest that women's participation in labour mobility may offer nascent opportunities to increase financial autonomy and social standing through the act of ‘remitting care’.

The Social Determinants of Health and Genocide: Towards a Public Health Integrated Framework of Genocide and Mass Violence

This paper makes a normative argument about transformations of public health as a necessary condition required in any transitional justice process. We seek to bridge the gap between the fields of genocide and public health to understand the recursive relationship between genocide and the social determinants of health. We show that structures and institutions established during genocide create enduring impacts on the public health outcomes of victim and survivor groups even after the ousting of the original perpetrators. Our comparative analysis of the Rwandan Genocide and the colonial genocide of Indigenous communities in Canada surveys the available public health literature and argues that perpetrators of genocide deliberately design public health systems for the explicit purposes of destroying target communities over the longue durée. When these systems are insufficiently transformed, post-genocide societies face significant barriers to transitional justice and reconciliation as a direct result of their impacts on survivor communities. In Rwanda, delayed addressal of the HIV/AIDS epidemic engineered by the Hutu Power regime continued to victimize Tutsi women decades after the mass killings have ended; in Canada, legacies of family separation and the Indian Residential School system have straddled Indigenous communities with high rates of comorbidities and early death consistent with colonial genocide policies.

Profiles of psychosocial stressors and buffers among Latinx immigrant youth: Associations with suicidal ideation

This study aimed to examine the associations of latent profile group membership based on post-migration psychosocial stressors (proximal immigrant minority stress) and buffers (family, peer, and school support, and ethnic identity importance), and distal stressors (pre- to post-migration victimization and forced immigration-related family separation) with suicidal ideation among immigrant youth from the Northern Triangle (NT). Surveys were administered in a public high school-based Latinx immigrant youth support program between Spring 2019 and Spring 2022 (N = 172). A three latent profile model was previously identified, characterized by moderate stress/low buffer (weak resources), moderate stress/moderate buffer (average resources), and low stress/high buffer (strong resources) levels of psychosocial stressors and buffers. Associations of profile membership and the previously mentioned distal stressors with suicidal ideation were examined using multivariable logistic regression. Findings revealed that youth in the strong resources group experienced significant protection from suicidal ideation compared to youth in both the average and weak resources groups. Distal stressors were not significantly associated with suicidal ideation in multivariable analysis. Immigrant youth from the NT may require substantial buffering resources (i.e., ethnic identity importance, and school, family, and peer support) and minimization of proximal immigrant minority stress during post-migration to experience protection from suicidal ideation.

Adverse Childhood Experiences andPositive Childhood Experiences Among United States Military Children.

Many facets of military life are contributors to child health including frequent mobility, family separation, and increased risk to parental physical and mental health, as well as strong social networks and military support systems; yet, there has not been an examination of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and positive childhood experiences (PCEs) among military children. This study used the 2020-2021 National Survey of Children's Health, limited to children aged 6 to 17 years of age, to examine the association between a child who has ever had a caregiver on active duty and their exposure to ACEs and PCEs (n = 54,256 children). Bivariate analyses used Pearson's chi-squared tests and were weighted to be nationally representative. Multivariable regression models were used to examine the association between military status and selected ACEs. There were no statistically significant differences in PCEs between military and civilian children. Compared to children with a civilian caregiver, children who had a caregiver who had ever served on active duty had a higher odds of experiencing domestic violence (adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR), 1.61; 95% CI 1.23-2.11), mental health issues or depression in the household (aOR 1.28; 95% CI 1.07-1.52), and substance use (aOR 1.28; 95% CI 1.06-1.55). This study complements and extends previous research that has taken a deficit approach and focused exclusively on the hardships faced by children in military families. The findings from this study may be instructive for child welfare advocates and policymakers as they intervene in communities with programming that promotes PCEs among children and adolescents.

Parent-child Discrepancies in Reporting Children’s Mental Health: Do Physical Custody Arrangements in Post-separation Families Matter?

Most analyses of children’s well-being in separated families are based on reports provided by parents. Thus, the question arises whether discrepancies between parents’ proxy reports and children’s self-reports exist and whether they impact explanatory models of children’s well-being. Since a family’s physical custody arrangement could systematically affect parents’ ratings of their children’s mental health, and this association has not been examined before, this study investigates parent-child discrepancies in reporting children’s mental health problems in separated families with different physical custody arrangements. Drawing on data from the German Family Panel (pairfam), multinomial logistic regression and multilevel mixed-effects models were estimated for 786 parent-child dyads nested in 622 families with children between the ages of 9 and 17. To measure children’s mental health, we used two subscales (emotional and conduct problems) of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). The findings suggested that the relationship between physical custody arrangements and children’s mental health differs depending on whether the children’s or the parents’ data are used. Physical custody arrangements and informant discrepancies were not associated. Parents’ mental health and the quality of parent-child relationships appear more relevant in understanding informant discrepancies than physical custody arrangements.

Commentary: Accounting for Migrant Family Separations: When Numerical Chaos Exacerbates Health Inequity.

Commentary: Accounting for Migrant Family Separations: When Numerical Chaos Exacerbates Health Inequity.

Suitability of tools assessing adverse childhood experiences in young refugees – a systematic review

Abstract Background With the persistence of ongoing crises and subsequent displacement of individuals, including children, gaining knowledge about adversities experienced in this context is crucial - given the harmful effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACE) on mental and physical health. While questionnaires for ACE in children exist, it is uncertain if they comprehensively address adversities faced by refugee children. This review's objectives are to (1) identify and analyze current ACE questionnaires and determine if they are suitable for assessing refugee children's adversities, and (2) identify and analyze those previously used among refugee populations. Methods A systematic literature search was conducted in 2022 across five databases for articles published since 2010, including studies using an ACE questionnaire that recognized multiple adversities in healthy children and were published in English. Results A total of 103 ACE questionnaires were identified in 506 studies. Only 14 of the 103 questionnaires addressed a refugee-specific adversity with exposure to war/conflict and family separation being addressed most frequently (10 and 7 questionnaires). Their ability to capture refugee children's experiences was limited: available questionnaires used a maximum of three items to assess refugee-specific adversities, covering only a fraction of forms of adversities relevant to refugee children. Out of the 14 questionnaires that included a refugee-specific adversity, only three had reported psychometric properties. In addition, only two ACE questionnaires were used within a refugee population. Conclusions With the tools currently available, it is not possible to comprehensively assess the exposure to and severity of the adversities faced by refugee children. Adequate tools of exposure assessment are essential in order to understand refugee children's wellbeing and develop targeted mitigation strategies for those at risk. Key messages • Adverse childhood experiences (ACE) can harm mental/physical health. Adequate tools assessing ACE exposure in flight contexts are needed in order to develop mitigation strategies for those at risk. • With the tools currently available, it is not possible to comprehensively assess the exposure to and severity of the adversities faced by refugee children before, during and after flight.

Alternative Genetic Diagnoses in Axenfeld-Rieger Syndrome Spectrum.

Axenfeld-Rieger anomaly (ARA) is a specific ocular disorder that is frequently associated with other systemic abnormalities. PITX2 and FOXC1 variants explain the majority of individuals with Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome (ARS) but leave ~30% unsolved. Here, we present pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants in nine families with ARA/ARS or similar phenotypes affecting five different genes/regions. USP9X and JAG1 explained three families each. USP9X was recently linked with syndromic cognitive impairment that includes hearing loss, dental defects, ventriculomegaly, Dandy-Walker malformation, skeletal anomalies (hip dysplasia), and other features showing a significant overlap with FOXC1-ARS. Anterior segment anomalies are not currently associated with USP9X, yet our cases demonstrate ARA, congenital glaucoma, corneal neovascularization, and cataracts. The identification of JAG1 variants, linked with Alagille syndrome, in three separate families with a clinical diagnosis of ARA/ARS highlights the overlapping features and high variability of these two phenotypes. Finally, intragenic variants in CDK13, BCOR, and an X chromosome deletion encompassing HCCS and AMELX (linked with ocular and dental anomalies, correspondingly) were identified in three additional cases with ARS. Accurate diagnosis has important implications for clinical management. We suggest that broad testing such as exome sequencing be applied as a second-tier test for individuals with ARS with normal results for PITX2/FOXC1 sequencing and copy number analysis, with attention to the described genes/regions.

Mass deportation and the intensity of policing in the United States' 100‐mile border zone: Complicating the “border”/“interior” enforcement binary

AbstractThis paper draws on an expansive archive of internal government records obtained using the US Freedom of Information Act to examine federal, state and local police practice within the United States' 100‐mile border zone. Analysis of this archive reveals a large number of “border” enforcement events that involve the arrest of US citizens, lawful permanent residents and others with deep roots in US communities. It further shows how, regardless of where US Border Patrol agents operate, those whom they target overwhelmingly tend to be persons of Latin American origin. Reflecting on these enforcement patterns, the paper argues for the troubling of categorical distinctions between “border” and “interior” enforcement that permeates scholarly, popular and journalistic accounts of the contemporary geography of mass deportation in the United States. As an alternative, the paper calls for greater attention to the “intensity” of immigration policing, as a way to account for multiple overlapping pathways of enforcement and to diagnose how the networked interconnectivity of agencies, personnel, resources and infrastructures involved in these activities amplifies the risks of racial profiling, arrest, and a host of related downstream consequences (family separation, financial hardship, diminished educational performance, and adverse health outcomes) for US citizens and noncitizens alike.