New Approaches for Working with Children and Families Involved in Family Treatment Drug Courts: Findings from the Children Affected by Methamphetamine Program.

This is a descriptive study of the Children Affected by Methamphetamine (CAM) grant program, a federally funded effort to improve outcomes through the addition of targeted interventions for 1,940 families, including 2,596 adults and 4,245 children involved in 12 diverse Family Treatment Drug Courts (FTDCs) located across six U.S. states.

Promising Results for Cross-Systems Collaborative Efforts to Meet the Needs of Families Impacted by Substance Use.

This study is based on data regarding more than 15,000 families served by 53 federal grantees showing that child safety and permanency, parental recovery, and family well-being improve when agencies work together to address the complex needs of families at the intersection of substance abuse treatment and child welfare. Strategies summarized here offer promising collaborative approaches to mitigate the negative outcomes too often experienced by families impacted by substance use disorders.

Myelin-reactive antibodies mediate the pathology of MBP-PLP fusion protein MP4-induced EAE.

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is frequently used for studies of multiple sclerosis (MS). Because in most EAE models T cells mediate the pathology in the absence of B cells/autoantibodies, the notion has evolved that also MS may be a primarily T cell-mediated disease. We have previously introduced MBP-PLP fusion protein (MP4)-induced EAE in C57BL/6 mice.

The clinical course of EAE is reflected by the dynamics of the neuroantigen-specific T cell compartment in the blood.

Due to the limited numbers of PBMCs that can be obtained from the blood of individual mice, the key question whether central disease parameters such as onset, progression and severity correlate with the magnitude and cytokine quality of the T cell response in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) has remained unanswered. Here we introduce an ELISPOT-based PBMC test system in which as little as 150 μl of murine blood are sufficient, allowing to bleed mice repeatedly while continuing to observe the clinical course of EAE. Using this technique, we demonstrate that longitudinal measurements of antigen-specific IFN-γ and IL-17 production in the blood are a highly suitable approach to predict the disease outcome in remitting-relapsing PLP:139-151- and chronic MOG:35-55-induced EAE of SJL/J and C57BL/6 mice, respectively.

Involvement of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in MP4-induced autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

The role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in multiple sclerosis and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is still unclear. Here we investigate the clinical course, CNS histopathology and peripheral antigen-specific immunity in MP4-induced EAE of BDNF (-/+) mice. We demonstrate that these mice displayed less severe disease compared to BDNF (+/+) mice, reflected by decreased inflammation and demyelination.

Delineating the impact of neuroantigen vs genetic diversity on MP4-induced EAE of C57BL/6 and B6.129 mice.

MBP-PLP fusion protein (MP4)-induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is a model for multiple sclerosis (MS) that encompasses both a time-dependent attack on central nervous system (CNS) regions and a B cell component, mirroring important features of human multiple sclerosis. Comparing C57BL/6 with B6.129 mice immunized with MP4, we point out similarities regarding these hallmarks and thus propose that they are largely dependent on the nature of the MP4 antigen itself, while differences between the two strains suggest that additional fine-tuning is brought about by the genetic repertoire of the animal.

Where local and national evaluators meet: unintended threats to ethical evaluation practice.

The ethical work of program evaluators is based on a covenant of honesty and transparency among stakeholders. Yet even under the most favorable evaluation conditions, threats to ethical standards exist and muddle that covenant. Unfortunately, ethical issues associated with different evaluation structures and contracting arrangements have received little attention in the evaluation research literature.