Towards a contextual response to peer-on-peer abuse : research and resources from MsUnderstood local site work 2013-2016

In 2013 the University of Bedfordshire, Imkaan and the Girls against Gangs Project formed the MsUnderstood Partnership (MSU) to support the development of responses to peer-on-peer abuse specifically, and young people’s experiences of inequality, more broadly. The partnership sought to bring academic rigour, partnerships with practitioners and young people’s voices to the fore of the debate, and generate practice-based evidence to support the development of responses that engaged with young people’s lived realities of violence and abuse. We achieved this through: • A programme of work with local multi-agency partnerships to audit and develop their responses to peer-on-peer abuse (Local Site Work) • A paid internship and young people’s engagement programme • Engagement in policy consultation and influencing • The dissemination of research, practice learning and young people’s voice This report chronicles the findings and resources generated by MSU over the past three years, with specific reference to the tools and knowledge created alongside professionals through local site work

Septoglomus nigrum, a new arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus from France, Germany and Switzerland

A new arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus, Septoglomus nigrum, was found in several agricultural field sites in France, Germany and Switzerland, especially in extensively to intensively managed natural meadows and pastures and in extensively managed cropping systems. The fungus was propagated in trap pots and single species cultures on Lolium perenne, Trifolium pratense, Plantago lanceolata and Hieracium pilosella. It differentiates black spores with triple-layered walls, 95–175× 90–170 μm in diameter, formed singly in soils or rarely in roots. Phylogenetically, it forms a distinct clade close to S. altomontanum and S. africanum, which can morphologically be distinguished from spores of S. nigrum by the characteristics of the spore wall and by the color, size and shape of the subtending hyphae. An identification key is provided that differentiates all species so far described in Septoglomus

Effects of comorbidity on Tourette's tic severity and quality of life

Objective The aim of this study is to gain more insight in the differential contributions of anxiety, depression and obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptom severity to quality of life (QoL) and tic severity in adults with Tourette Disorder (TD). Methods Self-reported OC symptom, anxiety and depression severity measures were used to investigate their predictive value on QoL and Tic severity in adult TD patients (N = 187), using correlation, regression, and mediation analyses. Results Tic severity has no effect on QoL. Depression severity directly reduces QoL, whereas anxiety and OC symptom severity have an indirect effect on QoL, mediated by depression severity. OC symptom severity directly affects tic severity, whereas depression and anxiety severity do not have a direct effect on tic or OC severity. Finally, anxiety severity indirectly impacts tic severity, with OC symptom severity functioning as a mediator. Conclusion In line with and extending previous studies, these findings indicate that OC symptom severity directly influences tic symptom severity whereas depression severity directly influences QoL in TD. Results imply that to improve QoL in TD patients, treatment should primarily focus on diminishing OC and depressive symptom severity rather than focusing on tic reduction

Caractérisation phénotypique des vaches laitières portant l'haplotype " fertil+/+ " ou " fertil-/- " pour un QTL de fertilité femelle situé sur le chromosome 3

Au cours de ces dernières années, la fertilité des vaches laitières hautes productrices a fortement diminué, notamment en race Prim'Holstein. Cette baisse de fertilité est en partie liée à une intense sélection de la productivité laitière. Des études réalisées par des généticiens ont mis en évidence plusieurs QTLs (Quantitative Trait Locus) de fertilité femelle chez la vache laitière. Nous avons choisi d'étudier des vaches laitières homozygotes à l'haplotype favorable "fertil+/+" ou défavorable "fertil-/-" pour un QTL de fertilité femelle situé sur le chromosome 3 (QTL-Fert-F-BTA3), ce QTL étant impliqué dans les échecs précoces de la gestation. Plusieurs paramètres ont été étudiés sur quarante cinq génisses puis sur quarante et une vaches en première lactation. Nous avons observé que les primipares "fertil-/-" ont perdu plus de poids que les primipares "fertil+/+" dans les sept premières semaines après vêlage. Dans cette même période, la production laitière ainsi que l'ingéré alimentaire des primipares "fertil-/-" ont été inférieurs à ceux des primipares "fertil+/+". Grâce aux profils de progestérone plasmatique, nous avons constaté que les animaux "fertil+/+" ont repris leur activité ovarienne plus vite que les animaux "fertil-/-" après le vêlage. Nous avons enfin constaté un meilleur taux de réussite à la première insémination artificielle pour les animaux "fertil+/+" que pour les animaux "fertil-/-". La perte de poids après vêlage plus importante chez les animaux "fertil-/-" pourrait expliquer un allongement de l'inactivité ovarienne post-partum et une fertilité plus faible chez ces animaux par rapport aux animaux "fertil+/+"

Antibacterial Solution Using Cinnamomum verum (Cinammon) and Cympobogon citratus (Lemongrass) Essential Oils with Hydrogen Peroxide Against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli

Amidst the pandemic, millions of impoverished Filipinos lack sufficient access to sanitation services that protect them from bacterial infections. As such, this study endeavored to formulate a disinfectant spray of hydrogen peroxide and varying concentrations of lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) and cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) essential oils to produce a maximally effective solution. Due to their natural origin, these essential oils were chosen for their extensive antibacterial properties, affordable price, and low toxicity levels. Six disinfectant spray solutions containing different concentrations of either essential oil were tested against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacteria through the agar disk diffusion method. After analyzing the data using mean, standard deviation, and MANOVA, it was found that including cinnamon and lemongrass essential oil had no statistically significant effect on the antibacterial activity of the hydrogen peroxide solution, regardless of the concentration of essential oil used, p \u3e 0.05. However, the lemongrass samples were slightly more effective than the cinnamon solutions. Thus, future researchers are encouraged to investigate other components that can potentially increase the antibacterial activity of a disinfectant spray

Individual common variants exert weak effects on the risk for autism spectrum disorders.

While it is apparent that rare variation can play an important role in the genetic architecture of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), the contribution of common variation to the risk of developing ASD is less clear. To produce a more comprehensive picture, we report Stage 2 of the Autism Genome Project genome-wide association study, adding 1301 ASD families and bringing the total to 2705 families analysed (Stages 1 and 2). In addition to evaluating the association of individual single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), we also sought evidence that common variants, en masse, might affect the risk. Despite genotyping over a million SNPs covering the genome, no single SNP shows significant association with ASD or selected phenotypes at a genome-wide level. The SNP that achieves the smallest P-value from secondary analyses is rs1718101. It falls in CNTNAP2, a gene previously implicated in susceptibility for ASD. This SNP also shows modest association with age of word/phrase acquisition in ASD subjects, of interest because features of language development are also associated with other variation in CNTNAP2. In contrast, allele scores derived from the transmission of common alleles to Stage 1 cases significantly predict case status in the independent Stage 2 sample. Despite being significant, the variance explained by these allele scores was small (Vm< 1%). Based on results from individual SNPs and their en masse effect on risk, as inferred from the allele score results, it is reasonable to conclude that common variants affect the risk for ASD but their individual effects are modest

Clinical course, characteristics and prognostic indicators in patients presenting with back and leg pain in primary care. The ATLAS study protocol

Low-back related leg pain with or without nerve root involvement is associated with a poor prognosis compared to low back pain (LBP) alone. Compared to the literature investigating prognostic indicators of outcome for LBP, there is limited evidence on prognostic factors for low back-related leg pain including the group with nerve root pain. This 1 year prospective consultation-based observational cohort study will describe the clinical, imaging, demographic characteristics and health economic outcomes for the whole cohort, will investigate differences and identify prognostic indicators of outcome (i.e. change in disability at 12 months), for the whole cohort and, separately, for those classified with and without nerve root pain. In addition, nested qualitative studies will provide insights on the clinical consultation and the impact of diagnosis and treatment on patients' symptom management and illness trajectory