Bullying, Safe Schools and Public Health: An Overview in Connecticut Private Schools

Introduction: As evident in the literature, bullying is frequently reported as a public health issue which affects the health and well-being of its victims. Bullying can also negatively impact student academic performance, leading to failure in school as evidenced by high and unacceptable drop-out rates and withdrawals.Objective: This research aimed to examine the issue of bullying from a public health point of view and to assess the issue in a specific region of Connecticut’s private school network. Furthermore, the study will assess the role of a Safe School Climate Coordinator in developing and implementing programs in schoolsthat can serve as effective policy measures to improve school safety with the goal of reducing or eliminating bullying activities in the school environment.Methods: The research employed the qualitative methodology from which six key themes emerged: mental health support; resource constraints; impact and influence of technology and social media; clear definition and distinction of bullying, harassment, and teasing; parental involvement and support; and importance and significance of the network’s culture. Nine participants from seven private schools in Connecticut took part in semi-structured interviews that were specially designed and conducted by the researchers. The nature of the interviews allowed participants to provide useful insights into the role they played in enhancing school climate by carefully developing and implementing policies and programs that reject violence and promote a school environment that is safe and conducive to learning.Findings: All participants expressed concerns over to the limited mental health services and support that is available within the private school system. All cited the possibility that students are under extreme pressure, and that students are often negatively affected by their home and living environments. These exposures can increase the urge to “act out” while they are in school. Due to the network’s strict policy on bullying and any related behavior, there is ongoing monitoring to ensure there is adherence to the requirements. One administrator noted that the individual who was responsible for the Newtown incident had mental health issues.Another administrator opined that recently more referrals have been made to the Department of Children and Families than ever before. There are genuine concerns about what is going on and home environment. When students come into the school environment, they should have a positive outlook and willingness to learn. The message that is conveyed through the interviews is that there is great worry about the future of some students. Mental health support would be helpful in elevating some of the problems that they see in the school environment and work hard to prevent.Conclusion: Where bullying is concerned, the public health toll is great and can have physical and emotional effects throughout the life of those who participate or are targeted. All efforts made to mitigate these deleterious effects in the early years of child and adolescence development is paramount in supporting the psychological well-being of the students

Irresponsiveness of two retinoblastoma cases to conservative therapy correlates with up- regulation of hERG1 channels and of the VEGF-A pathway

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Treatment strategies for Retinoblastoma (RB), the most common primary intraocular tumor in children, have evolved over the past few decades and chemoreduction is currently the most popular treatment strategy. Despite success, systemic chemotherapeutic treatment has relevant toxicity, especially in the pediatric population. Antiangiogenic therapy has thus been proposed as a valuable alternative for pediatric malignancies, in particolar RB. Indeed, it has been shown that vessel density correlates with both local invasive growth and presence of metastases in RB, suggesting that angiogenesis could play a pivotal role for both local and systemic invasive growth in RB. We present here two cases of sporadic, bilateral RB that did not benefit from the conservative treatment and we provide evidence that the VEGF-A pathway is significantly up-regulated in both RB cases along with an over expression of hERG1 K⁺channels.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>Two patients showed a sporadic, bilateral RB, classified at Stage II of the Reese-Elsworth Classification. Neither of them got benefits from conservative treatment, and the two eyes were enucleated. In samples from both RB cases we studied the VEGF-A pathway: VEGF-A showed high levels in the vitreous, the <it>vegf-a, flt-1, kdr</it>, and <it>hif1-α </it>transcripts were over-expressed. Moreover, both the transcripts and proteins of the hERG1 K⁺channels turned out to be up-regulated in the two RB cases compared to the non cancerous retinal tissue.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We provide evidence that the VEGF-A pathway is up-regulated in two particular aggressive cases of bilateral RB, which did not experience any benefit from conservative treatment, showing the overexpression of the <it>vegf-a</it>, <it>flt-1</it>, <it>kdr </it>and <it>hif1-α </it>transcripts and the high secretion of VEGF-A. Moreover we also show for the first time that the <it>herg1 </it>gene transcripts and protein are over expressed in RB, as occurs in several aggressive tumors. These results further stress the relevance of the VEGF-A pathway in RB and the correlation with hERG1, making aggressive and recurrent RB cases good candidates for antiangiogenesis therapies based on the targeting of VEGF-A.</p

History Taking as a Diagnostic Tool in Children With Chronic Cough

Chronic cough is a common symptom of many underlying respiratory and non-respiratory disorders and may be associated with less serious causes, such as gastroesophageal reflux and nasal diseases. Chronic cough in children differs from that in adults with respect to its etiologies and management since it can indicate a symptom of an underlying disease in children. Guidelines for managing chronic cough in children are based on recording the history, followed by physical examination, chest radiography, and spirometry. Thus, taking accurate respiratory history for coughing helps delineate the pathophysiological basis of the cause of chronic cough. Detailed history taking enhances the evaluation and treatment, and facilitates a tailored diagnostic identification of likely diagnoses. While studies have described evidence-based red flags in children with chronic cough, the value of skilled physicians regarding history taking has received less attention for the best patient care. In the present article, we outline the major questions comprising a detailed history taking for chronic cough in children

Subcellular localization of the antidepressant-sensitive norepinephrine transporter

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Reuptake of synaptic norepinephrine (NE) via the antidepressant-sensitive NE transporter (NET) supports efficient noradrenergic signaling and presynaptic NE homeostasis. Limited, and somewhat contradictory, information currently describes the axonal transport and localization of NET in neurons.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We elucidate NET localization in brain and superior cervical ganglion (SCG) neurons, aided by a new NET monoclonal antibody, subcellular immunoisolation techniques and quantitative immunofluorescence approaches. We present evidence that axonal NET extensively colocalizes with syntaxin 1A, and to a limited degree with SCAMP2 and synaptophysin. Intracellular NET in SCG axons and boutons also quantitatively segregates from the vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2), findings corroborated by organelle isolation studies. At the surface of SCG boutons, NET resides in both lipid raft and non-lipid raft subdomains and colocalizes with syntaxin 1A.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our findings support the hypothesis that SCG NET is segregated prior to transport from the cell body from proteins comprising large dense core vesicles. Once localized to presynaptic boutons, NET does not recycle via VMAT2-positive, small dense core vesicles. Finally, once NET reaches presynaptic plasma membranes, the transporter localizes to syntaxin 1A-rich plasma membrane domains, with a portion found in cholera toxin-demarcated lipid rafts. Our findings indicate that activity-dependent insertion of NET into the SCG plasma membrane derives from vesicles distinct from those that deliver NE. Moreover, NET is localized in presynaptic membranes in a manner that can take advantage of regulatory processes targeting lipid raft subdomains.</p

Interspecies competition in oral biofilms mediated by Streptococcus gordonii extracellular deoxyribonuclease SsnA

Abstract Extracellular DNA (eDNA) is a key component of many microbial biofilms including dental plaque. However, the roles of extracellular deoxyribonuclease (DNase) enzymes within biofilms are poorly understood. Streptococcus gordonii is a pioneer colonizer of dental plaque. Here, we identified and characterised SsnA, a cell wall-associated protein responsible for extracellular DNase activity of S. gordonii. The SsnA-mediated extracellular DNase activity of S. gordonii was suppressed following growth in sugars. SsnA was purified as a recombinant protein and shown to be inactive below pH 6.5. SsnA inhibited biofilm formation by Streptococcus mutans in a pH-dependent manner. Further, SsnA inhibited the growth of oral microcosm biofilms in human saliva. However, inhibition was ameliorated by the addition of sucrose. Together, these data indicate that S. gordonii SsnA plays a key role in interspecies competition within oral biofilms. Acidification of the medium through sugar catabolism could be a strategy for cariogenic species such as S. mutans to prevent SsnA-mediated exclusion from biofilms

Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Reveals a Dynamic Stromal Niche That Supports Tumor Growth

Here, using single-cell RNA sequencing, we examine the stromal compartment in murine melanoma and draining lymph nodes (LNs) at points across tumor development, providing data at http://www.teichlab.org/data/. Naive lymphocytes from LNs undergo activation and clonal expansion within the tumor, before PD1 and Lag3 expression, while tumor-associated myeloid cells promote the formation of a suppressive niche. We identify three temporally distinct stromal populations displaying unique functional signatures, conserved across mouse and human tumors. Whereas "immune" stromal cells are observed in early tumors, "contractile" cells become more prevalent at later time points. Complement component C3 is specifically expressed in the immune population. Its cleavage product C3a supports the recruitment of C3aR(+) macrophages, and perturbation of C3a and C3aR disrupts immune infiltration, slowing tumor growth. Our results highlight the power of scRNA-seq to identify complex interplays and increase stromal diversity as a tumor develops, revealing that stromal cells acquire the capacity to modulate immune landscapes from early disease.Peer reviewe

Achieving Quality and Effectiveness in Dementia Using Crisis Teams (AQUEDUCT): a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial of a Resource Kit.

BACKGROUND: Improving care at home for people with dementia is a core policy goal in the dementia strategies of many European countries. A challenge to effective home support is the occurrence of crises in the care of people with dementia which arise from changes in their health and social circumstances. Improving the management of these crises may prevent hospital admissions and facilitate better and longer care at home. This trial is part of a National Institute for Health Research funded programme, AQUEDUCT, which aims to improve the quality and effectiveness of teams working to manage crises in dementia. METHODS/DESIGN: It is a pragmatic randomised controlled trial of an online Resource Kit to enhance practice in teams managing crises in dementia care. Thirty teams managing mental health crises in dementia in community settings will be randomised between the Resource Kit intervention and treatment as usual. The primary outcome measure is psychiatric admissions to hospital for people with dementia in the teams' catchment area recorded 6 months after randomisation. Other outcomes include quality of life measures for people with dementia and their carers, practitioner impact measures, acute hospital admissions and costs. To enhance understanding of the Resource Kit intervention, qualitative work will explore staff, patient and carers' experience. DISCUSSION: The Resource Kit intervention reflects current policy to enable home-based care for people with dementia by addressing the management of crises which threaten the viability of care at home. It is based upon a model of best practice for managing crises in dementia designed to enhance the quality of care, developed in partnership with people with dementia, carers and practitioners. If the Resource Kit is shown to be clinically and cost-effective in this study, this will enhance the probability of its incorporation into mainstream practice. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN 42855694 ; Registered on 04/03/2021; Protocol number: 127686/2020v9; Research Ethics Committee, 09/03/2021, Ref 21/WM/0004; IRAS ID: 289982

Piezoelectric Carbon Nanotube Tape for Use in Sensor Technology

No abstract availabl