Cocaine-Induced Behavioral Sensitization: Effects of Haloperidol and SCH 23390 Treatments

An article by Bruce Mattingly published in the Fall of 1996 issue of the Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior Journal, pages 481-486

EAL in the mainstream classroom:Developing and testing EAL training for classroom teachers at GCSE

EAL in the Mainstream Classroom was a programme delivered by a partnership of Challenge Partners, Lampton School, and Hounslow Language Service which aims to support English as an Additional Language (EAL) pupils in the mainstream classroom across different subjects. It was designed to build expertise and capacity among classroom teachers so they can provide the best teaching and learning for EAL pupils, so reducing the need for specialist support. Classroom teachers were provided with three days of training in how to plan lessons with EAL pupils in mind, develop specific resources, and differentiate between pupils with different language skills. At the core of the approach was a focus on academic language, supporting classroom teachers’ use and understanding of grammar, core vocabulary, and spoken language, which are key to helping EAL pupils within a whole class context, and which are also likely to have benefits for children more broadly.This project was funded with Unbound Philanthropy and The Bell Foundation, as part of a £2m funding round looking to boost attainment for EAL pupils, in the context of continuously rising rates of EAL pupils and a lack of interventions to support their learning. A pilot evaluation in 58 schools indicated that this approach was ready to be tested more widely using a Randomised Controlled Trial.This efficacy trial found that EAL pupils in EAL in the Mainstream Classroom schools made the equivalent of one month’s additional progress, with attainment measured using GSCE science scores (either GCSE combined or the three separate science GCSEs). This result has a moderate to high security rating.For secondary and subgroup analyses, among pupils eligible for Free School Meals, the estimated effect size for GCSE science scores was equivalent to one month’s additional progress. Pupils also made the equivalent of one month’s additional progress as measured through GCSE English Language scores, although they made the equivalent of no month’s additional progress in GCSE history scores. While these results show evidence of promise, as with any study, there is uncertainty around these results and they should be interpreted with caution. Some factors which could have limited its impact included training attendance and task completion issues, which were largely due to difficulties related to teachers’ capacity. Also, there was a lower amount of schools recruited than planned and evaluators encountered difficulty in collecting key data for EAL pupils.The headline finding, combined with further analyses and the implementation and process evaluation, provides tentative evidence about the promise of this programme and the approach of improving the attainment of EAL pupils in mainstream classroom settings through professional development for teachers across different subjects. However, as Challenge Partners are no longer delivering the programme, the EEF has no plans for a further trial of this programme

EAL in the mainstream classroom:Developing and testing EAL training for classroom teachers at GCSE

EAL in the Mainstream Classroom was a programme delivered by a partnership of Challenge Partners, Lampton School, and Hounslow Language Service which aims to support English as an Additional Language (EAL) pupils in the mainstream classroom across different subjects. It was designed to build expertise and capacity among classroom teachers so they can provide the best teaching and learning for EAL pupils, so reducing the need for specialist support. Classroom teachers were provided with three days of training in how to plan lessons with EAL pupils in mind, develop specific resources, and differentiate between pupils with different language skills. At the core of the approach was a focus on academic language, supporting classroom teachers’ use and understanding of grammar, core vocabulary, and spoken language, which are key to helping EAL pupils within a whole class context, and which are also likely to have benefits for children more broadly.This project was funded with Unbound Philanthropy and The Bell Foundation, as part of a £2m funding round looking to boost attainment for EAL pupils, in the context of continuously rising rates of EAL pupils and a lack of interventions to support their learning. A pilot evaluation in 58 schools indicated that this approach was ready to be tested more widely using a Randomised Controlled Trial.This efficacy trial found that EAL pupils in EAL in the Mainstream Classroom schools made the equivalent of one month’s additional progress, with attainment measured using GSCE science scores (either GCSE combined or the three separate science GCSEs). This result has a moderate to high security rating.For secondary and subgroup analyses, among pupils eligible for Free School Meals, the estimated effect size for GCSE science scores was equivalent to one month’s additional progress. Pupils also made the equivalent of one month’s additional progress as measured through GCSE English Language scores, although they made the equivalent of no month’s additional progress in GCSE history scores. While these results show evidence of promise, as with any study, there is uncertainty around these results and they should be interpreted with caution. Some factors which could have limited its impact included training attendance and task completion issues, which were largely due to difficulties related to teachers’ capacity. Also, there was a lower amount of schools recruited than planned and evaluators encountered difficulty in collecting key data for EAL pupils.The headline finding, combined with further analyses and the implementation and process evaluation, provides tentative evidence about the promise of this programme and the approach of improving the attainment of EAL pupils in mainstream classroom settings through professional development for teachers across different subjects. However, as Challenge Partners are no longer delivering the programme, the EEF has no plans for a further trial of this programme

Risk of stomach cancer in Aotearoa/New Zealand: A Māori population based case-control study.

Māori, the indigenous people of New Zealand, experience disproportionate rates of stomach cancer, compared to non-Māori. The overall aim of the study was to better understand the reasons for the considerable excess of stomach cancer in Māori and to identify priorities for prevention. Māori stomach cancer cases from the New Zealand Cancer Registry between 1 February 2009 and 31 October 2013 and Māori controls, randomly selected from the New Zealand electoral roll were matched by 5-year age bands to cases. Logistic regression was used to estimate odd ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) between exposures and stomach cancer risk. Post-stratification weighting of controls was used to account for differential non-response by deprivation category. The study comprised 165 cases and 480 controls. Nearly half (47.9%) of cases were of the diffuse subtype. There were differences in the distribution of risk factors between cases and controls. Of interest were the strong relationships seen with increased stomach risk and having >2 people sharing a bedroom in childhood (OR 3.30, 95%CI 1.95-5.59), testing for H pylori (OR 12.17, 95%CI 6.15-24.08), being an ex-smoker (OR 2.26, 95%CI 1.44-3.54) and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in adulthood (OR 3.29, 95%CI 1.94-5.59). Some results were attenuated following post-stratification weighting. This is the first national study of stomach cancer in any indigenous population and the first Māori-only population-based study of stomach cancer undertaken in New Zealand. We emphasize caution in interpreting the findings given the possibility of selection bias. Population-level strategies to reduce the incidence of stomach cancer in Māori include expanding measures to screen and treat those infected with H pylori and a continued policy focus on reducing tobacco consumption and uptake

Germline CDH1 mutations are a significant contributor to the high frequency of early-onset diffuse gastric cancer cases in New Zealand Māori.

New Zealand Māori have a considerably higher incidence of gastric cancer compared to non-Māori, and are one of the few populations worldwide with a higher prevalence of diffuse-type disease. Pathogenic germline CDH1 mutations are causative of hereditary diffuse gastric cancer, a cancer predisposition syndrome primarily characterised by an extreme lifetime risk of developing diffuse gastric cancer. Pathogenic CDH1 mutations are well described in Māori families in New Zealand. However, the contribution of these mutations to the high incidence of gastric cancer is unknown. We have used next-generation sequencing, Sanger sequencing, and Multiplex Ligation-dependent Probe Amplification to examine germline CDH1 in an unselected series of 94 Māori gastric cancer patients and 200 healthy matched controls. Overall, 18% of all cases, 34% of cases diagnosed with diffuse-type gastric cancer, and 67% of cases diagnosed aged less than 45 years carried pathogenic CDH1 mutations. After adjusting for the effect of screening known HDGC families, we estimate that 6% of all advanced gastric cancers and 13% of all advanced diffuse-type gastric cancers would carry germline CDH1 mutations. Our results demonstrate that germline CDH1 mutations are a significant contributor to the high frequency of diffuse gastric cancer in New Zealand Māori

Nicotinamide's Ups and Downs:Consequences for Fertility, Development, Longevity and Diseases of Poverty and Affluence

Aims and Scope: To further explore the role of dietary nicotinamide in both brain development and diseases, particularly those of ageing. Articles cover neurodegenerative disease and cancer. Also discussed are the effects of nicotinamide, contained in meat and supplements and derived from symbionts, on the major transitions of disease and fertility from ancient times up to the present day. A key role for the tryptophan – NAD ‘de novo’ and immune tolerance pathway are discussed at length in the context of fertility and longevity and the transitions from immune paresis to Treg-mediated immune tolerance and then finally to intolerance and their associated diseases. Abstract: Nicotinamide in human evolution increased cognitive power in a positive feedback loop originally involving hunting. As the precursor to metabolic master molecule NAD it is, as vitamin B3, vital for health. Paradoxically, a lower dose on a diverse plant then cereal-based diet fuelled population booms from the Mesolithic onwards, by upping immune tolerance of the foetus. Increased tolerance of risky symbionts, whether in the gut or TB, that excrete nicotinamide co-evolved as buffers for when diet was inadequate. High biological fertility, despite disease trade-offs, avoided the extinction of Homo sapiens and heralded the dawn of a conscious, creative, and pro-fertility culture. Nicotinamide equity now would stabilise populations and prevent NAD-based diseases of poverty and affluence

Independent and combined effects of improved water, sanitation, and hygiene, and improved complementary feeding, on child stunting and anaemia in rural Zimbabwe: a cluster-randomised trial.

BACKGROUND: Child stunting reduces survival and impairs neurodevelopment. We tested the independent and combined effects of improved water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), and improved infant and young child feeding (IYCF) on stunting and anaemia in in Zimbabwe. METHODS: We did a cluster-randomised, community-based, 2 × 2 factorial trial in two rural districts in Zimbabwe. Clusters were defined as the catchment area of between one and four village health workers employed by the Zimbabwe Ministry of Health and Child Care. Women were eligible for inclusion if they permanently lived in clusters and were confirmed pregnant. Clusters were randomly assigned (1:1:1:1) to standard of care (52 clusters), IYCF (20 g of a small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplement per day from age 6 to 18 months plus complementary feeding counselling; 53 clusters), WASH (construction of a ventilated improved pit latrine, provision of two handwashing stations, liquid soap, chlorine, and play space plus hygiene counselling; 53 clusters), or IYCF plus WASH (53 clusters). A constrained randomisation technique was used to achieve balance across the groups for 14 variables related to geography, demography, water access, and community-level sanitation coverage. Masking of participants and fieldworkers was not possible. The primary outcomes were infant length-for-age Z score and haemoglobin concentrations at 18 months of age among children born to mothers who were HIV negative during pregnancy. These outcomes were analysed in the intention-to-treat population. We estimated the effects of the interventions by comparing the two IYCF groups with the two non-IYCF groups and the two WASH groups with the two non-WASH groups, except for outcomes that had an important statistical interaction between the interventions. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01824940. FINDINGS: Between Nov 22, 2012, and March 27, 2015, 5280 pregnant women were enrolled from 211 clusters. 3686 children born to HIV-negative mothers were assessed at age 18 months (884 in the standard of care group from 52 clusters, 893 in the IYCF group from 53 clusters, 918 in the WASH group from 53 clusters, and 991 in the IYCF plus WASH group from 51 clusters). In the IYCF intervention groups, the mean length-for-age Z score was 0·16 (95% CI 0·08-0·23) higher and the mean haemoglobin concentration was 2·03 g/L (1·28-2·79) higher than those in the non-IYCF intervention groups. The IYCF intervention reduced the number of stunted children from 620 (35%) of 1792 to 514 (27%) of 1879, and the number of children with anaemia from 245 (13·9%) of 1759 to 193 (10·5%) of 1845. The WASH intervention had no effect on either primary outcome. Neither intervention reduced the prevalence of diarrhoea at 12 or 18 months. No trial-related serious adverse events, and only three trial-related adverse events, were reported. INTERPRETATION: Household-level elementary WASH interventions implemented in rural areas in low-income countries are unlikely to reduce stunting or anaemia and might not reduce diarrhoea. Implementation of these WASH interventions in combination with IYCF interventions is unlikely to reduce stunting or anaemia more than implementation of IYCF alone. FUNDING: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, UK Department for International Development, Wellcome Trust, Swiss Development Cooperation, UNICEF, and US National Institutes of Health.The SHINE trial is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (OPP1021542 and OPP113707); UK Department for International Development; Wellcome Trust, UK (093768/Z/10/Z, 108065/Z/15/Z and 203905/Z/16/Z); Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation; US National Institutes of Health (2R01HD060338-06); and UNICEF (PCA-2017-0002)