Assessing Psychological Symptoms in Recent Immigrant Adolescents

Immigrant youth are often exposed to numerous psychosocial stressors, placing them at risk for psychological distress. Little research assesses psychopathology in this population during early stages of acculturation. This study compared student and teacher reports of psychological symptoms in a diverse sample of recently immigrated youth. Students (N = 174) attended public high schools in a northeastern city. Students and teachers independently completed the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment, and four DSM-derived subscales were explored. Psychological symptoms among immigrant students were higher than normative rates. Across all subscales, teacher ratings of student symptoms were significantly lower than student self-reported symptoms, and this difference was larger than that found in a normative sample. Results suggest that many immigrant youth experience psychological problems but may not be perceived as being in distress. Therefore, the most effective assessment approach may be active screening, rather than relying on self initiated help-seeking or teacher observation alone

Sulforaphane causes cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in human glioblastoma u87mg and u373mg cell lines under hypoxic conditions

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most prevalent and aggressive primary brain tumor. The median survival rate from diagnosis ranges from 15 to 17 months because the tumor is resistant to most therapeutic strategies. GBM exhibits microvascular hyperplasia and pronounced necrosis triggered by hypoxia. Sulforaphane (SFN), an isothiocyanate derived from cruciferous vegetables, has already demonstrated the ability to inhibit cell proliferation, by provoking cell cycle arrest, and leading to apoptosis in many cell lines. In this study, we investigated the antineoplastic effects of SFN [20–80 µM for 48 h] in GBM cells under normoxic and hypoxic conditions. Cell viability assays, flow cytometry, and Western blot results revealed that SFN could induce apoptosis of GBM cells in a dose-dependent manner, under both conditions. In particular, SFN significantly induced caspase 3/7 activation and DNA fragmentation. Moreover, our results demonstrated that SFN suppressed GBM cells proliferation by arresting the cell cycle at the S-phase, also under hypoxic condition, and that these effects may be due in part to its ability to induce oxidative stress by reducing glutathione levels and to increase the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs). Overall, we hypothesized that SFN treatment might serve as a potential therapeutic strategy, alone or in combination, against GBM

P-glycoprotein (ABCB1) and oxidative stress: Focus on Alzheimer's disease

ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, in particular P-glycoprotein (encoded by ABCB1), are important and selective elements of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), and they actively contribute to brain homeostasis. Changes in ABCB1 expression and/or function at the BBB may not only alter the expression and function of other molecules at the BBB but also affect brain environment. Over the last decade, a number of reports have shown that ABCB1 actively mediates the transport of beta amyloid (A\u3b2) peptide. This finding has opened up an entirely new line of research in the field of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Indeed, despite intense research efforts, AD remains an unsolved pathology and effective therapies are still unavailable. Here, we review the crucial role of ABCB1 in the A\u3b2 transport and how oxidative stress may interfere with this process. A detailed understanding of ABCB1 regulation can provide the basis for improved neuroprotection in AD and also enhanced therapeutic drug delivery to the brain

Multimodal Machine Learning-based Knee Osteoarthritis Progression Prediction from Plain Radiographs and Clinical Data

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common musculoskeletal disease without a cure, and current treatment options are limited to symptomatic relief. Prediction of OA progression is a very challenging and timely issue, and it could, if resolved, accelerate the disease modifying drug development and ultimately help to prevent millions of total joint replacement surgeries performed annually. Here, we present a multi-modal machine learning-based OA progression prediction model that utilizes raw radiographic data, clinical examination results and previous medical history of the patient. We validated this approach on an independent test set of 3,918 knee images from 2,129 subjects. Our method yielded area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.79 (0.78-0.81) and Average Precision (AP) of 0.68 (0.66-0.70). In contrast, a reference approach, based on logistic regression, yielded AUC of 0.75 (0.74-0.77) and AP of 0.62 (0.60-0.64). The proposed method could significantly improve the subject selection process for OA drug-development trials and help the development of personalized therapeutic plans

Strengths and Resilience Among Central American Parents Seeking Asylum in the United States

This study examined the experiences of immigrant parents seeking asylum in the United States after recently fleeing the Northern Triangle region of Central America, attending both to the traumatic events and the strengths that mitigate this experience. The study employs a convergent parallel mixed-methods design to describe the experiences of 51 parents after being processed by U.S. immigration officials for seeking asylum. Quantitative analyses measured trauma exposure and psychological distress and posttraumatic stress symptoms, as well as religiosity, dispositional optimism, and perceived quality of life. Qualitative analyses examined migratory experiences more deeply. Quantitative findings suggest that participants displayed high levels of resilience as evidenced by the low endorsement of mental health symptoms associated with trauma despite high violence and trauma exposure. Qualitative analyses revealed two themes underscoring strengths that mitigated the compounded trauma experienced by participants, including: (a) protective factors, and (b) plans for the future. In addition, several subthemes emerged within each of these broader themes. Qualitative findings highlight that asylum seekers come to the United States for the sake of their families, especially their children. Participants shared their desire to ensure the safety of their family and children and their hope of being better able to take care of them. These desires and hopes common among participants in our study not only motivated them to leave their home countries but also helped them to press forward in their journeys. Study results show that religiosity, hope, and optimism also played important roles in sustaining these immigrant parents during their journeys

Fungal Endophytes from the Aerial Tissues of Important Tropical Forage Grasses \u3cem\u3e Brachiaria \u3c/em\u3e spp. in Kenya

Most, if not all plants in natural ecosystems are symbiotic with mycorrhizal fungi and/or fungal endophytes. This association between plant and fungi is believed to be over 400 million years old when plants first colonized the land (Redecker et al., 2000). These fungal symbionts play important roles on plant ecology, fitness, and evolution; shaping plant communities; and the community structure and diversity of associated organisms. The importance of fungal endophytes in cool season grasses production and effects of endophyte on the livestock health (Examples fescue toxicosis and ryegrass staggers) have been extensively investigated (Smith et al., 2009; di Menna et al., 2012). However, current understanding of fungal endophyte community of warm season grasses (including Brachiaria spp.) and the impact of these endophytes on livestock production is very limited. Therefore, this study aims to analyse fungal endophytes community inhabiting in the aerial tissues of important tropical grasses Brachiaria species from Kenya, an East African country representing place of origin for most of the Brachiaria species

Establishment and Early Growth of Improved Brachiaria Cultivars in Different Agro-Ecological Zones of Kenya

Livestock feed scarcity is a salient feature in East Africa (Njarui et al., 2011) and it is a major constraint to livestock productivity particularly during the dry seasons. The recent interest in livestock development in Kenya fueled by rising demands of animal products has led to research in identifying drought tolerant, productive and persistence forages to support livestock productivity. Brachiaria grasses have shown a great potential in South America and Australia as livestock feed. It is the most widely cultivated forage in tropical America, with estimated acreage of 99 million hectares in Brazil alone (Jank et al., 2014), supporting a highly vibrant beef industry. Although the Brachiaria genus is native to East and Central Africa, its potential as livestock feed has not been exploited in the region because of limited research on its benefits. Several Brachiaria cultivars selected and improved in South America were introduced in East Africa and are being assessed for their contribution to livestock feed base in Kenya and Rwanda. This paper reports on preliminary results on establishment and early growth of eight Brachiaria cultivars under different climatic and soils in Kenya