Building Connections Through Community Art With Middle School Students: A Community Engagement Project

Middle school students are faced with many challenges related to their mental health and school. During the time of the Covid-19 pandemic, additional mental health concerns and challenges related to school were escalated. In a population that is pre-occupied with peer interactions and perceptions, being in quarantine left students without a sense of connection to their peers. The goal of the community engagement project presented was to utilize the creative arts to aid in building a sense of community and connection amongst 15 middle school students. During a creative arts enrichment course, the students were asked to select two art forms and a topic related to their school community. The students were divided into three groups to creatively answer the questions provided related to passions within their school through sketching and creating memes. Through this process, students were able to collaborate with one another, while being challenged to think abstractly about their community. The community engagement project highlighted the challenges of this population while attempting to bridge these gaps through collaboration. It is my recommendation that future research continue to expand upon the structure of art forms utilized and how future research may provide clarity into long-term effects of the Covid-19 pandemic in community building of the middle school population

Bordetella evades the host immune system by inducing IL-10 through a type III effector, BopN

The inflammatory response is one of several host alert mechanisms that recruit neutrophils from the circulation to the area of infection. We demonstrate that Bordetella, a bacterial pathogen, exploits an antiinflammatory cytokine, interleukin-10 (IL-10), to evade the host immune system. We identified a Bordetella effector, BopN, that is translocated into the host cell via the type III secretion system, where it induces enhanced production of IL-10. Interestingly, the BopN effector translocates itself into the nucleus and is involved in the down-regulation of mitogen-activated protein kinases. Using pharmacological blockade, we demonstrated that BopN-induced IL-10 production is mediated, at least in part, by its ability to block the extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathway. We also showed that BopN blocks nuclear translocation of nuclear factor κB p65 (NF-κBp65) but, in contrast, promotes nuclear translocation of NF-κBp50. A BopN-deficient strain was unable to induce IL-10 production in mice, resulting in the elimination of bacteria via neutrophil infiltration into the pulmonary alveoli. Furthermore, IL-10–deficient mice effectively eliminated wild-type as well as BopN mutant bacteria. Thus, Bordetella exploits BopN as a stealth strategy to shut off the host inflammatory reaction. These results explain the ability of Bordetella species to avoid induction of the inflammatory response

Pertussis resurgence in Toronto, Canada: a population-based study including test-incidence feedback modeling

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Pertussis continues to challenge medical professionals; recently described increases in incidence may be due to age-cohort effects, vaccine effectiveness, or changes in testing patterns. Toronto, Canada has recently experienced increases in pertussis incidence, and provides an ideal jurisdiction for evaluating pertussis epidemiology due to centralized testing. We evaluated pertussis trends in Toronto using all available specimen data, which allowed us to control for changing testing patterns and practices.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data included all pertussis culture and PCR test records for Greater Toronto from 1993 to 2007. We estimated incidence trends using Poisson regression models; complex relationships between disease incidence and test submission were explored with vector autoregressive models.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>From 1993 to 2007, 26988 specimens were submitted for testing; 2545 (9.4%) were positive. Pertussis incidence was 2 per 100,000 from 1993 to 2004 and increased to 10 per 100,000 from 2005-2007, with a concomitant 6-fold surge in test specimen submissions after the introduction of a new, more sensitive PCR assay. The relative change in incidence was less marked after adjustment for testing volumes. Bidirectional feedbacks between test positivity and test submissions were identified.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Toronto's recent surge in pertussis reflects a true increase in local disease activity; the apparent size of the outbreak has likely been magnified by increasing use of pertussis testing by clinicians, and by improved test sensitivity since 2005. These findings may be applicable to changes in pertussis epidemiology that have been noted elsewhere in North America.</p

Kaunas Lagoon, water quality analysis

Magistrantūros studijų baigiamasis darbas 58 puslapiai, 27 paveikslai, 7 lentelių, 37 literatūros šaltinis, lietuvių kalba. Tiriamojo darbo objektas: Kauno marios. Tiriamojo darbo tikslas: įvertinti Kauno marių vandens kokybę, remiantis atskirų cheminių elementų ar medžiagų koncentracijomis bei ten gyvenančių žuvų bendrijų struktūra. Tiriamojo darbo uždaviniai: 1. Atlikti literatūros analizę, išsiaiškinti veiksnius, įtakojančius vandens kokybę ir vandens gyvūniją; 2. Surinkti duomenis apie Kauno marių vandens kokybę ir žuvų populiacijas; 3. Įvertinti vandens telkinio būklė; 4. Nustatyti žuvų populiacijų kitimą per pastaruosius 7-erius metus. Tiriamojo darbo rezultatai: ○ Literatūros analizėje numatyta, kad privalome gerinti vandens telkinių vandens kokybę. ○ Tiriamojo darbo dalyje 4.2 skyriuje pateikiami vandens kokybės tyrimų rezultatai. Pateikiamas 7-erių metų monitoringas, palyginami gauti rezultatai. ○ Remiantis rezultatais, darome išvadą, kad Kauno marių vandens kokybė nėra gera, todėl reikalinga laikytis priimtų Europos Komisijos naujų teisės aktų bei Vandens pagrindų direktyvos. ○ Atlikus tyrimą, nustatyta, kad 2008 m. nitratų koncentracija Kauno mariose neviršija DLK, tačiau yra nemaža: 0,1-0,71 mgN/l. Nitritų dažniausiai aptinkami tik pėdsakai. Vidutinės metinės bendro azoto koncentracijos Kauno mariose tiriamuoju laikotaroiu neviršijo DLK (2,5 mg/l) vandens telkiniams. Bendro fosforo koncentracija Kauno mariose tiriamuoju laikotarpiu, išskyrus 2004 metus, viršijo DLK (0,1 mg/l). ○ Kauno mariose sutinkamos 34 žuvų rūšys, iš jų 20 rūšių verslinės. Tokios rūšys, kaip unguriai, vėgėlės, kurios priklauso labia jautrių žuvų rūšiai, praktiškai išnyko, o liko tik atsparių rūšiai priklausančios žuvų veislės: karšiai, kuojos, plakiai.Master thesis: 58 pages, 27 pictures, 7 tables, 37 sources of bibliography, written in the Lithuanian language. The object of the research: Kaunas Lagoon. The aim of the research: to evaluate the quality of the water of Kaunas Lagoon, based on the concentration of separate chemical elements or substances as well as the structure of the fish stocks in Kaunas Lagoon. The tasks of the research: 1. To analyse theoretical background and identify the factors which influence the quality of water and water fauna; 2. To collect the data about the quality of water in Kaunas Lagoon and its fish population; 3. To evaluate the condition of the water body; 4. To determine the changes in the fish population within the last 7 years. The findings of the research: ○ Based on the analysis of the theoretical material, it should be pointed out that the quality of water in water bodies must be improved. ○ The research includes the results of the qualitative analysis of water, the monitoring of the last 7 years, the comparison of the findings. ○ Based on the research, it could be concluded that the quality of water in Kaunas Lagoon is not good; it is important to follow the new legal acts of the EU and Water Framework Directive. ○ The research has revealed that the concentration of nitrates in Kaunas Lagoon does not exceed LMR, however, it is quite high: 0,1-0,71 mgN/l. There are also traces of nitrites. The average annual concentration of nitrogen in Kaunas Lagoon during the researched period did not exceed LMR (2,5 mg/l) for water bodies. The general concentration of phosphorus in Kaunas Lagoon exceeded LMR (0,1 mg/l) during the period of the research except the year 2004. ○ In Kauns Lagoon there are 34 species of fish, 20 of them are commercial. Such species as eels or burbots which belong to a group of very sensitive fish have practically become extinct; thus, now the water body is inhabited by more resistant species such as breams, roaches and white plain breams.Žemės ūkio akademijaVytauto Didžiojo universiteta

Evaluation of patient motivation in colorectal cancer prevention program

The incidence of colorectal cancer in Lithuania is gradually increasing. More than 1,600 cases of colorectal cancer are diagnosed each year. In Lithuania, colon cancer is the third most common oncological disease and the second most common in terms of mortality. The highest incidence of colorectal cancer is recorded in individuals over 50 years of age (National Cancer Institute, 2019)

Integrating Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine into the Family Medicine Residency: An Introduction

This pre-conference workshop is designed to provide a foundation in osteopathic principles and practice and basic skills in osteopathic diagnosis and manipulative treatment for medical students, residents and family medicine faculty with little to no training in osteopathic medicine. It is also an excellent opportunity for doctors of osteopathic medicine (DOs) to refresh their skills. Upon completion of this session, participants should be able to: Understand the four tenets of osteopathic medicine and their applicability to allopathic as well as osteopathic medicine. Demonstrate the basic osteopathic assessment and treatment of 3–4 common diagnoses that present in outpatient and inpatient family medicine settings. Produce an outline of a training curriculum in osteopathic assessment and treatment for non-DOs within his/her own program using the tools provided by the workshop