The Impact of a School-wide Postive Behavioral Support Approach on Schools

All students should have the ability to be in a safe environment in which they are given every opportunity to learn. Creating an environment where all students can have success is an important topic for most administrators and educators. There is a great amount of money spent on programs to identify and work with challenging behaviors. One of these programs is Positive Behavior Intervention Supports (PBIS). PBIS is a fairly nevv disciptine model that is starting to be used in schools. The purpose of this thesis is to look at the effectiveness of a program like PBIS. The study found that if the PBIS is done effectively in schools, it can have apositive impact on student outcomes. That impact can be shown in better attendance, higher test scores, and less behaviors throughout the school year. PBIS can also have a positive impact on the staff that works under this model. The study found that teachers who work in an effectively run PBIS setting spend less time with discipline referrals, have continued access to professional development, and are able to use data to help drive instruction where it is needed

Estrogen inhibits GH signaling by suppressing GH-induced JAK2 phosphorylation, an effect mediated by SOCS-2

Oral estrogen administration attenuates the metabolic action of growth hormone (GH) in humans. To investigate the mechanism involved, we studied the effects of estrogen on GH signaling through Janus kinase (JAK)2 and the signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs) in HEK293 cells stably expressing the GH receptor (293GHR), HuH7 (hepatoma) and T-47D (breast cancer) cells. 293GHR cells were transiently transfected with an estrogen receptor-α expression plasmid and luciferase reporters with binding elements for STAT3 and STAT5 or the β-casein promoter. GH stimulated the reporter activities by four- to sixfold. Cotreatment with 17β-estradiol (E2) resulted in a dose-dependent reduction in the response of all three reporters to GH to a maximum of 49-66% of control at 100 nM (P < 0.05). No reduction was seen when E2 was added 1-2 h after GH treatment. Similar inhibitory effects were observed in HuH7 and T-47D cells. E2 suppressed GH-induced JAK2 phosphorylation, an effect attenuated by actinomycin D, suggesting a requirement for gene expression. Next, we investigated the role of the suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS) in E2 inhibition. E2 increased the mRNA abundance of SOCS-2 but not SOCS-1 and SOCS-3 in HEK293 cells. The inhibitory effect of E2 was absent in cells lacking SOCS-2 but not in those lacking SOCS-1 and SOCS-3. In conclusion, estrogen inhibits GH signaling, an action mediated by SOCS-2. This paper provides evidence for regulatory interaction between a sex steroid and the GH/JAK/STAT pathway, in which SOCS-2 plays a central mechanistic role

Environmental Chemistry Letters

International audienceEnvironmental Chemistry Letters covers the interfaces of geology, chemistry, physics and biology. Articles published here are of high importance to the study of natural and engineered environments. The journal publishes original and review articles of outstanding significance on such topics as the characterization of natural and affected environments; behavior, prevention, treatment and control of mineral, organic and radioactive pollutants; interfacial studies involving media such as soil, sediment, water, air, organism, and food; green chemistry, environmentally friendly synthetic pathways, and alternative fuels; ecotoxicology and risk assessment; environmental processes and modelling; environmental technologies, remediation and control; environmental analytical chemistry, biomolecular tools and tracers

Interaction of the erythroid transcription factor cGATA-1 with a critical auto-regulatory element.

We have performed a mutational analysis of the promoter for the chicken erythroid-specific GATA-1 transcription factor, and have investigated in detail the interaction of the factor with an upstream auto-regulatory element (ARE). We find that a single proximal GATA binding site of the ARE is required for promoter activity in primary erythroid cells; however, this minimal promoter is inappropriately active in fibroblasts. At least two molecules of GATA-1 can interact with the ARE, and sequences outside of the consensus site appear critical for the transcriptional activity of the bound protein. Finally, we provide evidence for complex protein/DNA interactions at the ARE, including the ability of GATA-1 to bend DNA

Brain Monitoring in Critically Neurologically Impaired Patients

Assessment of neurologic injury and the evolution of severe neurologic injury is limited in comatose or critically ill patients that lack a reliable neurologic examination. For common yet severe pathologies such as the comatose state after cardiac arrest, aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH), and severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), critical medical decisions are made on the basis of the neurologic injury. Decisions regarding active intensive care management, need for neurosurgical intervention, and withdrawal of care, depend on a reliable, high-quality assessment of the true state of neurologic injury, and have traditionally relied on limited assessments such as intracranial pressure monitoring and electroencephalogram. However, even within TBI there exists a spectrum of disease that is likely not captured by such limited monitoring and thus a more directed effort towards obtaining a more robust biophysical signature of the individual patient must be undertaken. In this review, multimodal monitoring including the most promising serum markers of neuronal injury, cerebral microdialysis, brain tissue oxygenation, and pressure reactivity index to access brain microenvironment will be discussed with their utility among specific pathologies that may help determine a more complete picture of the neurologic injury state for active intensive care management and long-term outcomes. Goal-directed therapy guided by a multi-modality approach appears to be superior to standard intracranial pressure (ICP) guided therapy and should be explored further across multiple pathologies. Future directions including the application of optogenetics to evaluate brain injury and recovery and even as an adjunct monitoring modality will also be discussed