Which nutritional therapies are safe and effective for depression?

St. John's wort is effective for short-term relief of mild to moderate depression (strength of recommendation [SOR]: A; 1 systematic review). Its safety profile is superior to older antidepressants; data comparing it with newer antidepressants (such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) are limited (SOR: A, 1 systematic review). A small but statistically significant clinical benefit has been demonstrated for saffron, lavender, borage, dan zhi xiao yao (SOR: B, 1 systematic review and 3 randomized controlled trials), folate (SOR: A, 1 systematic review), and S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) (SOR: A, 1 meta-analysis and 1 systematic review). Most trials of these preparations were short and small, limiting the ability to detect adverse effects. Tryptophan (SOR: A, 1 systematic review) and 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) (SOR: A, 1 systematic review) have demonstrated superiority over placebo in alleviating symptoms of depression, but concerns exist about their safety. N-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) and omega-3 fatty acids don't appear effective in treating major depressive disorder (SOR: A, 1 systematic review.

Learning from Learning Disruption: A Resource for Schools

When the COVID-19 pandemic started in March 2020 schools across the globe were forced to close. Since then, on a stop-start basis, schools have reopened. Many schools, however, are still experiencing the ongoing effects of COVID-19 on pupil and teacher absence as well as the social, emotional, physical and academic impact on the entire school community. While the world has experienced global pandemics like Spanish flu before, the COVID-19 pandemic has been unprecedented. In May 2020 United Kingdom Research Innovation(UKRI) and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) awarded a team of researchers at IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society with funding to explore the challenges the COVID-19 crisis set primary school teachers. One part of this research was to conduct a review of research on previous learning disruptions to see if we could learn anything from these events that might match with the COVID-19 pandemic. This booklet summarises: What we did and why we did it What we found and educators’ reflections on how it aligned with the COVID-19 learning disruption What we recommended based on our findings and educators’ recommendations for schools and policy makers We have shared these findings with educators to combine their reflections on our findings with their experiences

Prospectus, September 28, 2016

PARKLAND SURGICAL TECHNOLOGY ON CUTTING EDGE; Humans of Parkland: Michelle Wright; Police: 5 shot, 1 dead, after fight at Illinois campus party; Food pantry helps Parkland students; People around the world react to first Trump-Clinton debate; The Pledge, the national anthem, patriotism; Pygmalion highlights from 2016; Call for Entries for the 2016 CUDO PRO SHOWhttps://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_2016/1023/thumbnail.jp

Research evidence to support primary school inspection post-COVID

This policy briefing is intended to inform discussion on how Ofsted inspections might best resume at an appropriate time, given the extensive disruption COVID has brought and continues to bring to English primary schools. The briefing draws on findings from a series of research projects based at the IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society and conducted between May 2020 and September 2021, using surveys, systematic literature reviews and case study methods. The research projects have highlighted just how much schools’ experiences have varied. They also show just how resourceful and resilient schools and their communities have been in navigating a way through the many difficult dilemmas the pandemic has raised, even when there have been no obvious roadmaps to follow. The research evidence we present and the recommendations that follow are intended to inform conversations in the field about the best ways forward in education. They build on the knowledge and experience that primary schools have acquired from dealing with the pandemic first hand

Prospectus, October 12, 2016

PARKLAND OFFERS DEPRESSION SCREENINGS; Meet the Staff: Kelly Youngblood; Seamus Reilly; Vice President for Institutional Advancements, Irish singer; Survey, Mapping Career Fair set for Oct. 20; Clown hysteria spreading, Illinois not immune; Pennies for Pumpkins 2016; Parkland police stress safety for campus; Prospectus editor visits Bloomington Zoo; Notice to faculty, students regarding final exams; Prospectus staff attends Illinois Community College Journalism Association Conferencehttps://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_2016/1024/thumbnail.jp

Examining individual social status using the MacArthur Scale of Subjective Social Status: : Findings from the Born in Bradford study

Subjective social status is how a person perceives their social class relative to other people and has frequently been associated with people's health and well-being. A frequently used measure of subjective social status is the MacArthur Scale of Subjective Social Status that depicts social status as a 10 rung ladder, asking individuals to rank themselves on this ladder relative to other people, either in their local neighbourhood or wider society. The Born in Bradford's Better Start birth cohort study aims to understand the lives, relationships, wellbeing, and social and economic circumstances of pregnant women and their children in three inner city areas of Bradford, UK. Pregnant mothers were asked to report their subjective social status, using the MacArthur subjective social status scales, comparing themselves to other people in their local neighbourhood and in England as a whole. This paper explores the characteristics of the women who gave responses, examines associations between the MacArthur subjective social status measures and other subjective and objective measures and looks specifically at the characteristics of women who reported either very low or very high subjective social status. On average, women reported that they had a higher social status compared to others within their local neighbourhood (mean ladder rung = 6) and, although participants were from areas of Bradford with very high levels of deprivation, 23% placed themselves on the top three rungs, 8–10. Respondents reported that they had an average social status when comparing themselves to people in all of England (mean ladder rung = 5) and 13% placed themselves on the top rungs 8–10. These findings raise important questions about the interpretation of the MacArthur scale of subjective social status

A multi-method assessment of 3D printed micromorphological osteological features

The evaluation of 3D printed osteological materials has highlighted the difficulties associated with accurately representing fine surface details on printed bones. Moreover, there is an increasing need for reconstructions to be demonstrably accurate and reliable for use in the criminal justice system. The aim of this study was to assess the surface quality of 3D prints (n = 9) that presented with micromorphological alterations from trauma, taphonomy and pathology processes. The archaeological bones were imaged using micro-CT scanning and 3D printed with selective laser sintering (SLS) printing. A multi-method experimental approach subsequently identified: (1) the 3D printed bones to be metrically accurate to within 1.0 mm; (2) good representation of micromorphological surface features overall, albeit with some loss of intricate details, depths, and fine textures that can be important for visual processing; (3) five of the nine 3D printed bones were quantitatively scored as accurate using the visual comparison method; and, (4) low mesh comparison distances (± 0.2 mm) between the original models and the digitised 3D print models. The findings offer empirical data that can be used to underpin 3D printed reconstructions of exhibits for use in courts of law. In addition, an adaptable pathway was presented that can be used to assess 3D print accuracy in future reconstructions

The consumption of protein-rich foods in older adults: An exploratory focus group study

Objective: Many older adults consume inadequate protein for their needs. This study explored the factors associated with the consumption of high-protein foods in older adults. Methods: Participants over the age of 65 years (n = 28) took part in 1 of 4 focus group discussions on meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, nuts, and pulses. Discussions were audio taped, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Numerous and various reasons for the consumption and non-consumption of high-protein foods were reported. Many of these reasons result from reductions in chemosensory, dental and physical abilities, and changes in living situation in the older population, and have impact specifically on high-protein foods because of their often hard, perishable and need-to-be-cooked nature, and high cost. Conclusions and Implications: Further work is required to establish the importance of each of thesereasons in relation to protein intakes, to prioritize those of likely greatest impact for increasing intakes. © 2013 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior

Intellectual enrichment and genetic modifiers of cognition and brain volume in Huntington’s disease

An important step towards the development of treatments for cognitive impairment in ageing and neurodegenerative diseases is to identify genetic and environmental modifiers of cognitive function and understand the mechanism by which they exert an effect. In Huntington’s disease, the most common autosomal dominant dementia, a small number of studies have identified intellectual enrichment, i.e. a cognitively stimulating lifestyle, and genetic polymorphisms as potential modifiers of cognitive function. The aim of our study was to further investigate the relationship and interaction between genetic factors and intellectual enrichment on cognitive function and brain atrophy in Huntington’s disease. For this purpose, we analysed data from Track-HD, a multi-centre longitudinal study in Huntington’s disease gene-carriers, and focused on the role of intellectual enrichment (estimated at baseline) and the genes FAN1, MSH3, BDNF, COMT and MAPT in predicting cognitive decline and brain atrophy. We found that carrying the 3a allele in the MSH3 gene had a positive effect on global cognitive function and brain atrophy in multiple cortical regions, such that 3a allele carriers had a slower rate of cognitive decline and atrophy compared to non-carriers, in agreement with its role in somatic instability. No other genetic predictor had a significant effect on cognitive function and the effect of MSH3 was independent of intellectual enrichment. Intellectual enrichment also had a positive effect on cognitive function; participants with higher intellectual enrichment, ie. those who were better educated, had higher verbal intelligence and performed an occupation that was intellectually engaging, had better cognitive function overall, in agreement with previous studies in Huntington’s disease and other dementias. We also found that intellectual enrichment interacted with the BDNF gene, such that the positive effect of intellectual enrichment was greater in Met66 allele carriers than non-carriers. A similar relationship was also identified for changes in whole brain and caudate volume; the positive effect of intellectual enrichment was greater for Met66 allele carriers, rather than non-carriers. In summary, our study provides additional evidence for the beneficial role of intellectual enrichment and carrying the 3a allele in MSH3 in cognitive function in Huntington’s disease and their effect on brain structure