Music enrichment for gifted children in the first grade

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

Association Between Cytokines and Liver Histology in Children with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

BackgroundReliable non-invasive markers to characterize inflammation, hepatocellular ballooning, and fibrosis in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are lacking. We investigated the relationship between plasma cytokine levels and features of NAFLD histology to gain insight into cellular pathways driving NASH and to identify potential non-invasive discriminators of NAFLD severity and pattern.MethodsCytokines were measured from plasma obtained at enrollment in pediatric participants in NASH Clinical Research Network studies with liver biopsy-proven NAFLD. Cytokines were chosen a priori as possible discriminators of NASH and its components. Minimization of Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) was used to determine cytokines retained in multivariable models.ResultsOf 235 subjects, 31% had "Definite NASH" on liver histology, 43% had "Borderline NASH", and 25% had NAFLD but not NASH. Total plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI1) and activated PAI1 levels were higher in pediatric participants with Definite NASH and with lobular inflammation. Interleukin-8 (IL-8) was higher in those with stage 3-4 fibrosis and lobular inflammation. sIL-2rα was higher in children with stage 3-4 fibrosis and portal inflammation. In multivariable analysis, PAI1 variables were discriminators of Borderline/Definite NASH, definite NASH, lobular inflammation and ballooning. IL-8 increased with steatosis and fibrosis severity; sIL-2rα increased with fibrosis severity and portal inflammation. IL-7 decreased with portal inflammation and fibrosis severity.ConclusionsPlasma cytokines associated with histology varied considerably among NASH features, suggesting promising avenues for investigation. Future, more targeted analysis is needed to identify the role of these markers in NAFLD and to evaluate their potential as non-invasive discriminators of disease severity

Residential Settings and Healthcare Use of the Rural Oldest-Old Medicare Population

The aging of the baby boom generation is projected to dramatically increase the population aged 65 and older in the coming decades. In particular, those aged 85 and older (the ‘oldest old’) are expanding at a faster rate than any other age group and by 2050 are expected to make up 4.5 percent of the population, compared to 1.9 percent in 2012. Faster growth in the percentage of older people (65+) in rural than in urban areas is likely to challenge the healthcare and long term services and supports (LTSS) capacity in many rural communities. This study used Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey data to profile rural and urban Medicare beneficiaries aged 85+ with respect to their demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, the residential settings in which they live, their health and functional status, and their healthcare use. In addition to some demographic and socio-economic differences, rural beneficiaries aged 85+ had greater functional limitations, were more likely to live alone in the community or in nursing homes, and less likely to reside in assisted living facilities. The greater proportion of rural individuals relying on nursing homes to meet their LTSS needs has financial implications for consumers and for state Medicaid programs that are the primary source of public financing for LTSS. The reliance on nursing homes in rural areas may partly be due to a scarcity of home and community based services (HCBS) options. The growing evidence of increased cost-effectiveness of HCBS suggests the importance of federal and state policies that support expanded access to and use of these services in rural communities. For more information on this study, please contact Jean Talbot, PhD at [email protected]

Urgently seeking efficiency and sustainability of clinical trials in global health

This paper shows the scale of global health research and the context in which we frame the subsequent papers in the Series. In this Series paper, we provide a historical perspective on clinical trial research by revisiting the 1948 streptomycin trial for pulmonary tuberculosis, which was the first documented randomised clinical trial in the English language, and we discuss its close connection with global health. We describe the current state of clinical trial research globally by providing an overview of clinical trials that have been registered in the WHO International Clinical Trial Registry since 2010. We discuss challenges with current trial planning and designs that are often used in clinical trial research undertaken in low-income and middle-income countries, as an overview of the global health trials landscape. Finally, we discuss the importance of collaborative work in global health research towards generating sustainable and culturally appropriate research environments

Validation of ammonia diffusive and pumped samplers in a controlled atmosphere test facility using traceable Primary Standard Gas Mixtures

We report the determination of ammonia (NH3) diffusive sampling rates for six different designs of commercial diffusive samplers (CEH ALPHA sampler, Gradko diffusion tube, Gradko DIFRAM-400, Passam ammonia sampler,and ICS Maugeri Radiello radial sampler (blue and white turbulence barriers)), together with the validation test results for a pumped sampler (CEH DELTA denuder). The devices were all exposed in the UK's National Physical Laboratory's (NPL) controlled atmosphere test facility (CATFAC). For each of the seven diffusive sampler exposure tests there were traceable concentrations of ammonia (in the range 3–25 μgm−3) generated under well-defined conditions of temperature, relative humidity and wind speed, which are applicable to a variety of ambient monitoring environments. The sampler exposure time at each concentration was 28 days, except for the radial devices, which were exposed for 14 days. The work relied on the dilution of newly developed stable Primary Standard Gas Mixtures (PSMs) prepared by gravimetry in passivated gas cylinders as a method of improving the metrological traceability of ammonia measurements. The exposed diffusive samplers were sent blind to the participants for analysis and the reported NH3 concentrations were then compared against the known reference concentration. From the results for each sampler type a diffusive sampling rate was calculated and compared against the rate used routinely by the participants. Some measurement results were in good agreement with the known traceable reference concentration (particularly for one diffusive sampler design (ALPHA)), while other devices exhibited over-reading and under-reading (each with a clear bias). The new diffusive sampling rates determined in the laboratory study were then applied to measurements in a field comparison campaign, and this was found to deliver an improvement in agreement between the different devices deployed

Epidemiology of Human Parvovirus 4 Infection in Sub-Saharan Africa

Human parvovirus 4 infections are primarily associated with parenteral exposure in western countries. By ELISA, we demonstrate frequent seropositivity for antibody to parvovirus 4 viral protein 2 among adult populations throughout sub-Saharan Africa (Burkina Faso, 37%; Cameroon, 25%; Democratic Republic of the Congo, 35%; South Africa, 20%), which implies existence of alternative transmission routes

Crop Updates 2006 - Oilseeds

This session covers thirteen papers from different authors: 1. INTRODUCTION, Graham Walton, CONVENOR, Department of Agriculture 2. The performance of new TT canola varieties in National Variety Testing (NVT) WA, Fiona Martin, Research Agronomist, Agritech Crop Research 3. Comparison of TT Canola Varieties in Oilseeds WA Trials – 2005, Collated by G.H. Walton, Department of Agriculture, WA, from a collaboration between Oilseeds WA, Seed Companies, Agronomists and Growers 4. An overview of the potential for a Biofuels Industry in Western Australia, Anne Wilkins and Nathan Hancock, Department of Agriculture 5. Retrieval of fertile progeny from interspecific crosses between Brassica napus and B. carinata using microspore culture, Matthew Nelson, Marie-Claire Castello, Linda Thomson, Anouska Cousin, Guijun Yan and Wallace Cowling; School of Plant Biology (M084), The University of Western Australia 6. Advances in canola blackleg epidemiology and its implication in understanding and managing the disease, Moin Salam, Bill MacLeod, Ravjit Khangura, Jean Galloway and Art Diggle, Department of Agriculture 7. Effect of fertiliser phosphorus and nitrogen on grain yields and concentration of oil and protein of canola grain, R.F. Brennan, M.D.A. Bolland, Department of Agriculture 8. Effect of applying fertiliser potassium and nitrogen on canola grain yields and concentration of oil and protein in grain, R.F. Brennan, M.D.A. Bolland, Department of Agriculture 9. Effect of fertiliser nitrogen and sulfer on canola yields and concentration of oil in grain, R.F. Brennan, M.D.A. Bolland, Department of Agriculture 10. Uptake of K from topsoil and subsoil by canola, P.M. Damon and Z. Rengel, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, The University of WA 11. Accumulation of P and K by canola plants, Terry Rose, Zed Rengel and Qifu Ma, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, The University of WA 12. Varied response from applying nitrogen at late flowering in canola! Dave Eksteen, Agronomist, United Farmers Cooperative 13. To investigate the timing, rate and placement of nitrogen on canola – Jerdacuttup 2005, Dave Eksteen, Agronomist, United Farmers Cooperativ