Can the Arts Get Under the Skin? Arts and Cortisol for Economically Disadvantaged Children

This within-subjects experimental study investigated the influence of the arts on cortisol for economically disadvantaged children. Participants were 310 children, ages 3–5 years, who attended a Head Start preschool and were randomly assigned to participate in different schedules of arts and homeroom classes on different days of the week. Cortisol was sampled at morning baseline and after arts and homeroom classes on two different days at start, middle, and end of the year. For music, dance, and visual arts, grouped and separately, results of piecewise hierarchical linear modeling with time-varying predictors suggested cortisol was lower after an arts versus homeroom class at middle and end of the year but not start of the year. Implications concern the impact of arts on cortisol for children facing poverty risks

The homeodomain protein PAL-1 specifies a lineage-specific regulatory network in the C. elegans embryo

Maternal and zygotic activities of the homeodomain protein PAL-1 specify the identity and maintain the development of the multipotent C blastomere lineage in the C. elegans embryo. To identify PAL-1 regulatory target genes, we used microarrays to compare transcript abundance in wild-type embryos with mutant embryos lacking a C blastomere and to mutant embryos with extra C blastomeres. pal-1-dependent C-lineage expression was verified for select candidate target genes by reporter gene analysis, though many of the target genes are expressed in additional lineages as well. The set of validated target genes includes 12 transcription factors, an uncharacterized wingless ligand and five uncharacterized genes. Phenotypic analysis demonstrates that the identified PAL-1 target genes affect specification, differentiation and morphogenesis of C-lineage cells. In particular, we show that cell fate-specific genes (or tissue identity genes) and a posterior HOX gene are activated in lineage-specific fashion. Transcription of targets is initiated in four temporal phases, which together with their spatial expression patterns leads to a model of the regulatory network specified by PAL-1

Campylobacter jejuni biofilms contain extracellular DNA and are sensitive to DNase I treatment

Biofilms make an important contribution to survival and transmission of bacterial pathogens in the food chain. The human pathogen Campylobacter jejuni is known to form biofilms in vitro in food chain-relevant conditions, but the exact roles and composition of the extracellular matrix are still not clear. Extracellular DNA has been found in many bacterial biofilms and can be a major component of the extracellular matrix. Here we show that extracellular DNA is also an important component of the C. jejuni biofilm when attached to stainless steel surfaces, in aerobic conditions and on conditioned surfaces. Degradation of extracellular DNA by exogenous addition of DNase I led to rapid biofilm removal, without loss of C. jejuni viability. Following treatment of a surface with DNase I, C. jejuni was unable to re-establish a biofilm population within 48 h. Similar results were obtained by digesting extracellular DNA with restriction enzymes, suggesting the need for high molecular weight DNA. Addition of C. jejuni genomic DNA containing an antibiotic resistance marker resulted in transfer of the antibiotic resistance marker to susceptible cells in the biofilm, presumably by natural transformation. Taken together, this suggest that eDNA is not only an important component of C. jejuni biofilms and subsequent food chain survival of C. jejuni, but may also contribute to the spread of antimicrobial resistance in C. jejuni. The degradation of extracellular DNA with enzymes such as DNase I is a rapid method to remove C. jejuni biofilms, and is likely to potentiate the activity of antimicrobial treatments and thus synergistically aid disinfection treatments

Transfer of congenital heart patients from paediatric to adult services in England

OBJECTIVE: This study assessed the transfer of patients from paediatric cardiac to adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) services in England and the factors impacting on this process. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study used a population-based linked data set (LAUNCHES QI data set: 'Linking Audit and National datasets in Congenital Heart Services for Quality Improvement') including all patients born between 1987 and 2000, recorded as having a congenital heart disease (CHD) procedure in childhood. Hospital Episode Statistics data identified transfer from paediatric to ACHD services between the ages of 16 and 22 years. RESULTS: Overall, 63.8% of a cohort of 10 298 patients transferred by their 22nd birthday. The estimated probability of transfer by age 22 was 96.5% (95% CI 95.3 to 97.7), 86.7% (95% CI 85.6 to 87.9) and 41.0% (95% CI 39.4 to 42.6) for severe, moderate and mild CHD, respectively. 166 patients (1.6%) died between 16 and 22 years; 42 of these (0.4%) died after age 16 but prior to transfer. Multivariable ORs in the moderate and severe CHD groups up to age 20 showed significantly lower likelihood of transfer among female patients (0.87, 95% CI 0.78 to 0.97), those with missing ethnicity data (0.31, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.52), those from deprived areas (0.84, 95% CI 0.72 to 0.98) and those with moderate (compared with severe) CHD (0.30, 95% CI 0.26 to 0.35). The odds of transfer were lower for the horizontal compared with the vertical care model (0.44, 95% CI 0.27 to 0.72). Patients who did not transfer had a lower probability of a further National Congenital Heart Disease Audit procedure between ages 20 and 30 compared with those who did transfer: 12.3% (95% CI 5.1 to 19.6) vs 32.5% (95% CI 28.7 to 36.3). CONCLUSIONS: Majority of patients with moderate or severe CHD in England transfer to adult services. Patients who do not transfer undergo fewer elective CHD procedures over the following decade

A Mixed Method Study of Teachers\u27 Appraisals of Student Wellness Services and Supports During COVID-19

BACKGROUNDUnderstanding teachers\u27 appraisals of student wellness services and supports during COVID-19 is essential to strengthening services and improving student health outcomes. This mixed-method study aimed to examine US PK-12 teachers\u27 appraisals of student wellness services and supports during COVID-19.METHODSThis study focuses on qualitative data from 291 teachers\u27 open-ended responses to the question: “What do you wish your school leaders knew about this (wellness support) aspect of your work?” and whose responses described wellness services and supports. A qualitative content analysis was conducted by an interdisciplinary research team using open- and axial coding.RESULTSThree main themes emerged. (1) insufficient access to mental health professionals and programming at schools, (2) concern about the quality of available services, and (3) a need for teacher professional development and support on student wellness. Statistically significant differences in teacher appraisals of insufficient access to mental health professionals and programming were found based on grade level taught and percentage of immigrant students in the school.CONCLUSIONWith amplified student wellness needs, school personnel, including school leaders, must consider ways to allocate additional resources/staffing, assess the quality of services and supports, and design professional development opportunities to support teachers\u27 involvement in supporting student wellness needs

Ecosystem Services: Challenges and Opportunities for Hydrologic Modeling to Support Decision Making

Ecosystem characteristics and processes provide significant value to human health and well- being, and there is growing interest in quantifying those values. Of particular interest are water-related eco- system services and the incorporation of their value into local and regional decision making. This presents multiple challenges and opportunities to the hydrologic-modeling community. To motivate advances in water-resources research, we first present three common decision contexts that draw upon an ecosystem- service framework: scenario analysis, payments for watershed services, and spatial planning. Within these contexts, we highlight the particular challenges to hydrologic modeling, and then present a set of opportu- nities that arise from ecosystem-service decisions. The paper concludes with a set of recommendations regarding how we can prioritize our work to support decisions based on ecosystem-service valuation

Evaluation of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of Families for Health V2 for the treatment of childhood obesity : study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background: Effective programs to help children manage their weight are required. Families for Health focuses on a parenting approach, designed to help parents develop their parenting skills to support lifestyle change within the family. Families for Health V1 showed sustained reductions in overweight after 2 years in a pilot evaluation, but lacks a randomized controlled trial (RCT) evidence base. Methods/design: This is a multi-center, investigator-blind RCT, with parallel economic evaluation, with a 12-month follow-up. The trial will recruit 120 families with at least one child aged 6 to 11 years who is overweight (≥91st centile BMI) or obese (≥98th centile BMI) from three localities and assigned randomly to Families for Health V2 (60 families) or the usual care control (60 families) groups. Randomization will be stratified by locality (Coventry, Warwickshire, Wolverhampton). Families for Health V2 is a family-based intervention run in a community venue. Parents/carers and children attend parallel groups for 2.5 hours weekly for 10 weeks. The usual care arm will be the usual support provided within each NHS locality. A mixed-methods evaluation will be carried out. Child and parent participants will be assessed at home visits at baseline, 3-month (post-treatment) and 12-month follow-up. The primary outcome measure is the change in the children’s BMI z-scores at 12 months from the baseline. Secondary outcome measures include changes in the children’s waist circumference, percentage body fat, physical activity, fruit/vegetable consumption and quality of life. The parents’ BMI and mental well-being, family eating/activity, parent–child relationships and parenting style will also be assessed. Economic components will encompass the measurement and valuation of service utilization, including the costs of running Families for Health and usual care, and the EuroQol EQ-5D health outcomes. Cost-effectiveness will be expressed in terms of incremental cost per quality-adjusted life year gained. A de novo decision-analytic model will estimate the lifetime cost-effectiveness of the Families for Health program. Process evaluation will document recruitment, attendance and drop-out rates, and the fidelity of Families for Health delivery. Interviews with up to 24 parents and children from each arm will investigate perceptions and changes made. Discussion: This paper describes our protocol to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a parenting approach for managing childhood obesity and presents challenges to implementation. Trial registration: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN4503220

Co-creation and archaeological prospection: LoCATE – The Local Community Archaeological Training and Equipment Project.

This paper is based on the co-creation of research through an innovative partnership focused around archaeological prospection techniques. LoCATE (Local Community Archaeological Training and Equipment) is a project that brings together archaeologists at Bournemouth University and the New Forest National Park Authority (NFNPA) with archaeological societies and community groups from across Dorset and Hampshire. LoCATE provides access, training, and support for the use of advanced survey equipment that can otherwise be hard to get hold of. It supports the work that all partners already do by extending the range of techniques and skills they can use, and expanding their capacity to undertake research. The idea for LoCATE was first instigated in 2015 when member of the Avon Valley Archaeological Society approached the University and asked them to consider providing access to older, but serviceable geophysical equipment that was not being used regularly for teaching and other activities. Working with the New Forest National Park Authority LoCATE was developed, and the first instrument made available was a Geoscan Research FM36 followed a year later by a Geoscan Research RM15. Most recently a total station has been added to the equipment pool, funded through the Heritage Lottery Funding (Our Past and Our Future, Landscape Partnership Scheme) and the Hampshire Field Club and Archaeological Society. Access to the equipment is managed through the New Forest’s volunteer equipment loan system. LoCATE members are given access to free training on these techniques using a variety of expertise situated across the partnership, and LoCATE members sign up to a code of responsible survey and data sharing. Open data is a core value, and LoCATE also encourages members to use open access materials and software, for example Snuffler freeware geophysics software (Staveley 2018). Inter-partner support is fostered through a variety of means including shared prospection activities, and project social media channels. Now in its fourth year, LoCATE has become well established, enabling relationships that support the research agendas of all partners. It has developed both capacity and expertise in the use of archaeological prospection activities in the local region. Example of the success of the project can be seen through the diversity of the outcomes from the work of LoCATE members from prehistoric monuments, including previously understudied Neolithic long and oval barrows and Bronze Age double ring ditches, to extensive Romano-British sites along the Avon Valley and on Cranborne Chase (Hampshire) (Gill 2019a, b). Through these surveys LoCATE members have achieved their own research aims, but also contributed to the collective goal of the project in enabling an improved understanding of the rich archaeological heritage of our region. In conclusion, LoCATE provides a new model for community engagement in archaeological prospection projects. In an era where the integration of techniques and data are central themes, it is perhaps timely to also consider the integration of people, and how we best work with a variety of different communities to create a shared understanding of our collective past. Bibliography Gill, M. 2019a. New long barrow discoveries in the vicinity of the middle Avon Valley and Cranborne Chase. PAST 91, 5-7. Gill, M. 2019b. Putting old kit to good use, the LoCATE geophysical project. British Archaeology, March/April 2019, 30-5. Staveley, D 2018. Snuffler - Freeware Geophysics Software. Available from: http://www.sussexarch.org.uk/geophys/snuffler.htm

Nocardia kroppenstedtii sp. nov., a novel actinomycete isolated from a lung transplant patient with a pulmonary infection

An actinomycete, strain N1286T, isolated from a lung transplant patient with a pulmonary infection, was provisionally assigned to the genus Nocardia. The strain had chemotaxonomic and morphological properties typical of members of the genus Nocardia and formed a distinct phyletic line in the Nocardia 16S rRNA gene tree. It was most closely related to Nocardia farcinica DSM 43665T (99.8% gene similarity) but was distinguished from the latter by a low level of DNA:DNA relatedness. These strains were also distinguished by a broad range of phenotypic properties. On the basis of these data, it is proposed that isolate N1286T (=DSM 45810T = NCTC 13617T) should be classified as the type strain of a new Nocardia species for which the name Nocardia kroppenstedtii is proposed