“We could end up in a lot of trouble” Teachers’ communications with young children about mental health

Purpose – Stigma towards people with mental health problems is a significant problem and appears trenchant despite recent anti-stigma campaigns. Attitudes develop in young children, and may be stronger and less malleable in adolescence. Early intervention may be important for mental health education and stigma prevention. Theory, evidence and practical considerations suggest that teachers’ involvement is key. By exploring communication about mental health between teachers and young children, it will be possible to elaborate how stigma develops and may be ameliorated. This study explored teachers’ accounts of this communication and the factors that influence it. Methodology – Semi-structured interviews with fifteen primary school teachers were transcribed and analysed using a grounded theory approach. Findings – Discussions about mental health were largely absent from the classroom, due to teachers’ anxiety. Teachers felt the need to protect children from exposure to people with mental health problems and even from information about the topic, believed they lacked the necessary expertise, worried that such discussions were outside their remit, and were anxious about parents’ reactions. Originality/Value – This was the first study to interview teachers on this topic and suggests that a significant opportunity to address stigma is being missed. Teachers’ silence may reinforce that mental health problems are taboo, and prevent children from developing knowledge and a language to talk about mental health. The inclusion of teachers in early mental health education is more sustainable and could promote more inclusive attitudes, especially if supported by educational policy and curriculum. Keywords - school, young children, teachers, mental health education, stigma prevention, policy, grounded theory Article Classification – Research Pape

Correlated modal mineralogy, aqueous alteration and oxygen isotope composition of CM Chondrites

In this study we move beyond defining alteration sequences in CM chondrites towards understanding the relationship between modal mineralogy, the extent of aqueous alteration and O-isotope compositions

Optical and dc transport properties of a strongly correlated charge density wave system: exact solution in the ordered phase of the spinless Falicov-Kimball model with dynamical mean-field theory

We derive the dynamical mean-field theory equations for transport in an ordered charge-density-wave phase on a bipartite lattice. The formalism is applied to the spinless Falicov-Kimball model on a hypercubic lattice at half filling. We determine the many-body density of states, the dc charge and heat conductivities, and the optical conductivity. Vertex corrections continue to vanish within the ordered phase, but the density of states and the transport coefficients show anomalous behavior due to the rapid development of thermally activated subgap states. We also examine the optical sum rule and sum rules for the first three moments of the Green's functions within the ordered phase and see that the total optical spectral weight in the ordered phase either decreases or increases depending on the strength of the interactions.Comment: 14 pages, 14 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.

The measurement of the winds near the ocean surface with a radiometer-scatterometer on Skylab

The author has identified the following significant results. There were a total of twenty-six passes in the ZLV mode that yielded useful data. Six were in the in-track noncontiguous mode; all others were in the cross-track noncontiguous mode. The wind speed and direction, as effectively determined in a neutral atmosphere at 19.5 m above the sea surface, were found for each cell scanned by S193. It is shown how the passive microwave measurements were used both to compute the attenuation of the radar beam and to determine those cells where the backscatter measurement was suspect. Given the direction of the wind from some independent source, with the typical accuracy of measurement by available meteorological methods, a backscatter measurement at a nadir angle of 50, 43, or 32 deg can be used to compute the speed of the wind averaged over the illuminated area

Oxygen isotopic and petrological constraints on the origin and relationship of IIE iron meteorites and H chondrites

New oxygen isotopic measurements of IIEs and H chondrites are indistinguishable — strengthening a possible common origin for these groups. Combining oxygen results with mineralogy, the nature of their parent body or bodies can be explored

Tafassasset: The Saga Continues

In this study, we compare data for two separate Tafassasset stones and supply new oxygen isotope data for our sample. We include a discussion of the debate surrounding the classification of Tafassasset and offer a hypothesis for its origin based upon new information

The Moss (CO3) meteorite: an integrated isotopic, organic and mineralogical study

The recent Moss meteorite fall presents a unique opportunity to investigate the processes that operated on the CO3 parent body. The results of an integrated study indicate that alteration on the CO3 asteroid was more complex than previously envisaged

Resident phenotypically modulated vascular smooth muscle cells in healthy human arteries.

Vascular interstitial cells (VICs) are non-contractile cells with filopodia previously described in healthy blood vessels of rodents and their function remains unknown. The objective of this study was to identify VICs in human arteries and to ascertain their role. VICs were identified in the wall of human gastro-omental arteries using transmission electron microscopy. Isolated VICs showed ability to form new and elongate existing filopodia and actively change body shape. Most importantly sprouting VICs were also observed in cell dispersal. RT-PCR performed on separately collected contractile vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and VICs showed that both cell types expressed the gene for smooth muscle myosin heavy chain (SM-MHC). Immunofluorescent labelling showed that both VSMCs and VICs had similar fluorescence for SM-MHC and αSM-actin, VICs, however, had significantly lower fluorescence for smoothelin, myosin light chain kinase, h-calponin and SM22α. It was also found that VICs do not have cytoskeleton as rigid as in contractile VSMCs. VICs express number of VSMC-specific proteins and display features of phenotypically modulated VSMCs with increased migratory abilities. VICs, therefore represent resident phenotypically modulated VSMCs that are present in human arteries under normal physiological conditions

Regulation of epithelial cell phenotype by annexin A8 and Wnt signalling

The retinoic acid derivative Fenretinide (FR) is capable of trans-differentiating retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells towards a neuron-like phenotype in culture. Microarray analysis of FR-treated ARPE-19 cells revealed down-regulation of Annexin (Anx)A8 and specific Wnt signalling proteins in transdifferentiated cells. AnxA8, a calcium-dependent phospholipid-binding protein, is expressed in the RPE cell cytosol, where it may be involved in membrane and cytoskeletal organisation and cell proliferation. The aim here was to analyse the role of AnxA8 and its interaction with Wnt signalling in RPE cell transdifferentiation. Human RPE cells were seeded at a concentration of 2,200/ml and treated with 3% charcoal dextran-treated foetal bovine serum (FBS) for 24h. 3µM FR or vehicle (0.1% dimethylsulfoxide) was added every day for 7 days. As a second approach, AnxA8 was suppressed in RPE cells using short interfering RNA (siRNA). FR and AnxA8 siRNA treatment both induced a decrease in AnxA8 expression and inhibited cell proliferation. It further led to transdifferentiation of ARPE-19 cells into neuron-like cells and a concomitant up-regulation of the neuronal markers Calbindin and Calretinin analysed by qPCR and immunofluorescence. Additionally, expression of Wnt signalling proteins such as β-Catenin, Frizzled-1, Frizzled-4, Wnt2b and Wnt3a was decreased. The reduction in AnxA8 and cell morphology changes induced by FR, were not reversible by inhibiting Wnt signalling using Dickkopf-1 and DAPT. Wnt signalling activators such as recombinant Wnt3a or SB216763 (glycogen synthase kinase-3β inhibitor) were able to partially reverse the FR effect. These data imply an important role for AnxA8 in maintaining RPE phenotype. Down-regulation of AnxA8 appears to be sufficient for neuronal transdifferentiation of RPE cells and the expression of neuronal markers. Further, the interdependence of AnxA8 and Wnt proteins suggests that AnxA8 might be an important regulator of Wnt signalling