Do school-based mental health programs have a positive outcome on elementary, middle and high school aged student\u27s functioning from the perspective of teachers in urban public school systems in New York City, Boston and Berkeley, Ca?

This mixed methods, primarily quantitative study examined the perceptions of urban public school teachers about school-based mental health (SBMH) programs and services. The participants included public elementary, middle, and high school teachers from the urban areas of New York City, Boston, and Berkeley, California. Forty participants responded to an online survey, which included questions addressing the demographic characteristics of participants and ideas for improving the SBMH program at their schools. Twenty-five of the participants were from Boston, eight were from New York City, and seven were from Berkeley. Seventeen participants were teachers in elementary schools, ten were teachers from middle schools, and thirteen were teachers in high schools. This study addressed the following research question: Do school-based mental health programs have a positive outcome on elementary, middle, and high school aged student\u27s functioning from the perspective of teachers in urban public school systems

First season maize performance in a long-term farming systems comparison trial at KARI-Thika, Kenya

Kenya’s smallholder farmers contribute 65% to total agricultural output in a predominantly mixed farming system where application of inorganic fertilizers and pesticides is minimal. By contrast, agriculture in developed temperate countries is dominated by large-scale farming and heavy reliance on fertilizers and pesticides to sustain high yields. Research conducted in temperate developed countries has shown that organic farming is superior to conventional farming in resource use efficiency, ecosystem functioning, soil fertility conservation and economic performance but results cannot be transferred directly to the tropics because of disparities in climate, soils and socio-economic environments. A long-term farming systems comparisons experiment was initiated at KARI-Thika in 2006 to assess the contribution of organic agriculture to food security, poverty alleviation and environmental conservation. Four treatments (Conventional High, Conventional Low, Organic High and Organic Low) were imposed in 8m x 8m plots using a randomized complete block design and replicated five times. The ‘High’ treatments received 118 kgN/ha and 66+5kgP/ha while the ‘Low’ treatments received 65 kgN/ha and 27 kgP/ha. Conventional treatments received the nutrients from farmyard manure, diammonium phosphate and calcium ammonium phosphate while compost, Tithonia diversifolia, and phosphate rock were applied in the organic treatments. Maize variety Pannar was planted at the onset of rains in April 2007 and harvested in August from a net plot area of 6m x 6m. The plots were hand weeded while stock borer was controlled using a Neem extract and ash/soil mixture in organic treatments and Bulldock® in conventional treatments. Stover dry weights were significantly higher in Conventional High than Organic Low (P=0.034) and indistinguishable from those observed in Conventional Low and Organic High. It was reasoned that availability of applied nutrients and the low poorly distributed rainfall received during the flowering and grain filling stages impacted negatively on grain yield

Dairy Cow Ownership and Child Nutritional Status in Kenya

This study examines the hypothesis that dairy cow ownership improves child nutritional status. Using household data from coastal and highland Kenya, three econometric model formulations are estimated. Positive impacts on chronic malnutrition are observed for coastal Kenya. No negative effects on acute or chronic malnutrition are found for either region.Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Livestock Production/Industries,

'Tweaking' the model for understanding and preventing maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality in low income countries : "inserting new ideas into a timeless wine skin"

Background: Maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality in Low Income Countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa involves numerous interrelated causes. The three-delay model/framework was advanced to better understand the causes and associated Contextual factors. It continues to inform many aspects of programming and research on combating maternal and child morbidity and mortality in the said countries. Although this model addresses some of the core areas that can be targeted to drastically reduce maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality, it potentially omits other critical facets especially around primary prevention, and pre- and post-hospitalization continuum of care. Discussion: The final causes of Maternal and Neonatal mortality and morbidity maybe limited to a few themes largely centering on infections, preterm births, and pregnancy and childbirth related complications. However, to effectively tackle these causes of morbidity and mortality, a broad based approach is required. Some of the core issues that need to be addressed include:-i) prevention of vertically transmitted infections, intra-partum related adverse events and broad primary prevention strategies, ii) overall health care seeking behavior and delays therein, iii) quality of care at point of service delivery, and iv) post-insult treatment follow up and rehabilitation. In this article we propose a five-pronged framework that takes all the above into consideration. This frameworks further builds on the three-delay model and offers a more comprehensive approach to understanding and preventing maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality in Low Income Countries Conclusion: In shaping the post 2015 agenda, the scope of engagement in maternal and newborn health need to be widened if further gains are to be realized and sustained. Our proposed five pronged approach incorporates the need for continued investment in tackling the recognized three delays, but broadens this to also address earlier aspects of primary prevention, and the need for tertiary prevention through ongoing follow up and rehabilitation. It takes into perspective the spectrum of new evidence and how it can be used to deepen overall understanding of prevention strategies for maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality in LICS

Connecting school and home: Examining parental and school involvement in readiness for college through multilevel SEM

Parental involvement is widely acknowledged as a critical factor influencing the college choice process among families. What is not clear, though, is whether this parental driven factor also takes place at the school level along with school related factors. Using a national sample of 9th grade students drawn from about 900 schools, we found that parental involvement also operates at the school context along with a high school’s academic press. Moreover, at both individual- and school-level contexts, parental involvement creates a “college-going” cultural capital in the form of attainment of milestones towards college

Shone’s complex

Shone’s complex is a rare cardiac anomaly consisting of four obstructive lesions of the left heart: supramitral membrane/ring; parachute mitral valve; subaortic stenosis; and coarctation of the aorta. We report on an 18 year-old woman with a variant of Shone’s complex, associated with a large patent ductus arteriosus (PDA ) and pulmonary hypertension. She underwent a successful percutaneous therapeutic catheterisation for the treatment of the coarctation of the aorta and the large PDA using a 45mm covered stent. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case where a covered stent was deployed to treat a native coarctation of the aorta and a PDA in a patient who also had a parachute mitral valve and a bicuspid aortic valve

Dairy Cow Ownership and Child Nutritional Status in Kenya

This study examines the hypothesis that dairy cow ownership improves child nutritional status. Using household data from coastal and highland Kenya, three econometric model formulations are estimated. Positive impacts on chronic malnutrition are observed for coastal Kenya. No negative effects on acute or chronic malnutrition are found for either region

Nutritional status of children admitted for diarrhoeal diseases in a referral hospital in western Kenya

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of malnutrition among children admitted with acute diarrhoea disease at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital and to establish the effect of malnutrition on duration of hospital stay. Design: Prospective observational study. Setting: Paediatric wards of Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Eldoret, Kenya Subjects: A total of 191 children aged 6 and 59 months admitted with acute diarrhoea disease, without chronic co-morbidities or visible severe malnutrition, were systematically enrolled into the study between November 2011 and March 2012. Outcome Measures: Nutritional status based on WHO WHZ scores taken at admission and duration of hospital stay. Results:The mean age was 13.2 months with a male to female sex ratio of 1.16:1. Of all the children seen with acute diarrhoeal diseases, 43.9% had acute malnutrition ( Conclusion: Routine anthrometry including weight for height identifies more children with malnutrition in acute diarrhoeal diseases. Presence of malnutrition did not affect duration of hospital stay