Educator Perceptions Of Social-Emotional Learning Embedded In Academic Instruction To Improve Student Outcomes

Society, parenting, and public education have changed drastically over the past several decades. As a result, public schools recognize the need to address student social and emotional learning (SEL) in addition to their academic growth. Although there is abundant research into the benefits of SEL and various methods for delivering SEL instruction, there is a dearth of research studying teacher perceptions and understandings of SEL embedded in academic instruction. The purpose of this study was to explore teacher perceptions of social-emotional learning (SEL) during academic instruction. This phenomenological study’s research questions were (a) How do teachers’ past experiences and training with embedding social-emotional learning in academic instruction inform their approach to teaching? and (b) How and to what extent do teachers perceive they are addressing their students’ social-emotional needs during academic instruction? Six teachers from a kindergarten to fourth grade public school participated in this study. Data was collected via an SEL survey, semi-structured interviews, and classroom observations. Participants had a general understanding of SEL and focused their related work with students around the SEL competency of relationship skills. Each of the six participants relied on the stand-alone SEL program, Second Step, as the sole way of addressing the five SEL competencies with their students. There was little to no evidence of participants purposefully having students apply these competencies within academic settings. The researcher noted that participants addressed student emotions and relationships across their school day, but did not embed social and emotional skill instruction, practice, or application within academic content instruction. All school districts must critically examine how they have implemented SEL and provide ongoing, targeted professional development to staff related to the five SEL competencies and embedding SEL within academic instruction. There is a need for future research into how teachers’ own social emotional development and SEL training impacts their ability to deliver meaningful, embedded SEL instruction to their student during academic instruction. Further investigation is also needed to determine to what extent a teacher’s inclusion of SEL during academic instruction improves academic performance for students compared to classrooms where SEL is provided only via a stand-alone program

Common Genetic Polymorphisms Influence Blood Biomarker Measurements in COPD

Implementing precision medicine for complex diseases such as chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) will require extensive use of biomarkers and an in-depth understanding of how genetic, epigenetic, and environmental variations contribute to phenotypic diversity and disease progression. A meta-analysis from two large cohorts of current and former smokers with and without COPD [SPIROMICS (N = 750); COPDGene (N = 590)] was used to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with measurement of 88 blood proteins (protein quantitative trait loci; pQTLs). PQTLs consistently replicated between the two cohorts. Features of pQTLs were compared to previously reported expression QTLs (eQTLs). Inference of causal relations of pQTL genotypes, biomarker measurements, and four clinical COPD phenotypes (airflow obstruction, emphysema, exacerbation history, and chronic bronchitis) were explored using conditional independence tests. We identified 527 highly significant (p 10% of measured variation in 13 protein biomarkers, with a single SNP (rs7041; p = 10−392) explaining 71%-75% of the measured variation in vitamin D binding protein (gene = GC). Some of these pQTLs [e.g., pQTLs for VDBP, sRAGE (gene = AGER), surfactant protein D (gene = SFTPD), and TNFRSF10C] have been previously associated with COPD phenotypes. Most pQTLs were local (cis), but distant (trans) pQTL SNPs in the ABO blood group locus were the top pQTL SNPs for five proteins. The inclusion of pQTL SNPs improved the clinical predictive value for the established association of sRAGE and emphysema, and the explanation of variance (R2) for emphysema improved from 0.3 to 0.4 when the pQTL SNP was included in the model along with clinical covariates. Causal modeling provided insight into specific pQTL-disease relationships for airflow obstruction and emphysema. In conclusion, given the frequency of highly significant local pQTLs, the large amount of variance potentially explained by pQTL, and the differences observed between pQTLs and eQTLs SNPs, we recommend that protein biomarker-disease association studies take into account the potential effect of common local SNPs and that pQTLs be integrated along with eQTLs to uncover disease mechanisms. Large-scale blood biomarker studies would also benefit from close attention to the ABO blood group

Differential Expression of Protein Kinase C Isoenzymes in Normal and Psoriatic Adult Human Skin: Reduced Expression of Protein Kinase C-βII in Psoriasis

Psoriatic lesions contain elevated levels of 1,2-diacyiglycerol, the physiologic activator of protein kinase C (PKC), suggesting that PKC activation may be aberrant in psoriasis. We therefore have investigated the expression and properties of PKC isozymes in normal and psoriatic skin and in human skin cells. Chromatographic and immunoblot analyses revealed the presence of the calcium-dependent PKC isozymes PKC-α and -β but not -γ, in normal human epidermis. PKC-β was more prominent, constituting two thirds of the total calcium-dependent PKC activity. In psoriatic lesions, expression of both PKC-α and -β was decreased, with preferential reduction (80%) of PKC-β. Northern analysis and semi-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) indicated no change in the mRNA levels of PKC-α and -β between normal and psoriatic epidermis. In normal epidermis, PKC-α was expressed mainly in the lower epidermis, whereas PKC-β was localized to the upper cell layers, with very intense staining of CD1a+ Langerhans cells. In psoriasis, PKC-α staining was present in the lower epidermis, whereas PKC-β staining was essentially absent, with the exception of some positive inflammatory cells. In addition to PKC-α and β, immunoblot and Northern/PCR analysis revealed expression of four calcium-independent PKC isozymes, δ, e, ζ and η in both normal and psoriatic skin. There were no significant differences in mRNA levels among any of these PKC isozymes, between normal and psoriatic skin. Soluble PKC-ζ protein was modestly increased (twofold) in psoriatic, compared to normal, skin, whereas the levels of PKC-ζ, e, and η were unchanged. Analysis of PKC isozyme expression in the three major cell types of human epidermis revealed that Langerhans cells and keratinocytes were the major sources of PKC-β and PKC-ζ respectively

Bronchodilator Responsiveness in Tobacco-Exposed People With or Without COPD

BackgroundBronchodilator responsiveness (BDR) in obstructive lung disease varies over time and may be associated with distinct clinical features.Research questionIs consistent BDR over time (always present) differentially associated with obstructive lung disease features relative to inconsistent (sometimes present) or never (never present) BDR in tobacco-exposed people with or without COPD?Study design and methodsWe retrospectively analyzed data from 2,269 tobacco-exposed participants in the Subpopulations and Intermediate Outcome Measures in COPD Study with or without COPD. We used various BDR definitions: change of ≥ 200 mL and ≥ 12% in FEV1 (FEV1-BDR), change in FVC (FVC-BDR), and change in in FEV1, FVC or both (ATS-BDR). Using generalized linear models adjusted for demographics, smoking history, FEV1 % predicted after bronchodilator administration, and number of visits that the participant completed, we assessed the association of BDR group: (1) consistent BDR, (2) inconsistent BDR, and (3) never BDR with asthma, CT scan features, blood eosinophil levels, and FEV1 decline in participants without COPD (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease [GOLD] stage 0) and the entire cohort (participants with or without COPD).ResultsBoth consistent and inconsistent ATS-BDR were associated with asthma history and greater small airways disease (%parametric response mapping functional small airways disease) relative to never ATS-BDR in participants with GOLD stage 0 disease and the entire cohort. We observed similar findings using FEV1-BDR and FVC-BDR definitions. Eosinophils did not vary consistently among BDR groups. Consistent BDR was associated with FEV1 decline over time relative to never BDR in the entire cohort. In participants with GOLD stage 0 disease, both the inconsistent ATS-BDR group (OR, 3.20; 95% CI, 2.21-4.66; P < .001) and consistent ATS-BDR group (OR, 9.48; 95% CI, 3.77-29.12; P < .001) were associated with progression to COPD relative to the never ATS-BDR group.InterpretationDemonstration of BDR, even once, describes an obstructive lung disease phenotype with a history of asthma and greater small airways disease. Consistent demonstration of BDR indicated a high risk of lung function decline over time in the entire cohort and was associated with higher risk of progression to COPD in patients with GOLD stage 0 disease

Genome-wide association study identifies multiple risk loci for renal cell carcinoma

International audiencePrevious genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified six risk loci for renal cell carcinoma (RCC). We conducted a meta-analysis of two new scans of 5,198 cases and 7,331 controls together with four existing scans, totalling 10,784 cases and 20,406 controls of European ancestry. Twenty-four loci were tested in an additional 3,182 cases and 6,301 controls. We confirm the six known RCC risk loci and identify seven new loci at 1p32.3 (rs4381241, P =3.1 × 10$^{−10}$ ), 3p22.1 (rs67311347, P =2.5 × 10$^{−8}$ ), 3q26.2 (rs10936602, P =8.8 × 10$^{−9}$ ), 8p21.3 (rs2241261, P =5.8 × 10$^{−9}$ ), 10q24.33-q25.1 (rs11813268, P =3.9 × 10$^{−8}$ ), 11q22.3 (rs74911261, P =2.1 × 10$^{−10}$ ) and 14q24.2 (rs4903064, P =2.2 × 10$^{−24}$ ). Expression quantitative trait analyses suggest plausible candidate genes at these regions that may contribute to RCC susceptibility