Initiating a Bystander Awareness Program at a State University

Crime in schools, colleges and universities is a troublesome social problem. It affects not only those involved in the criminal incident, but it also inhibits societal growth and stability. To address this issue, the Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act (SaVE Act) of 2013 requires that colleges participating in federal student aid programs must provide “primary prevention and awareness programs” for new students and employees, as well as ongoing crime prevention and awareness campaigns. Implementation was mandated to be started by October 1, 2014. Most prevention programs teach students how to avoid situations, abusive behaviors and potential attacks. This project initiates a bystander awareness program at a local state university, teaching students how to be effective bystanders. The objectives of this project was to increase knowledge about bystander awareness on a university campus and help students realize that a negative outcome can be avoided; help students realize it is their responsibility to intervene when they notice a problem situation; raise students’ awareness of helping behaviors and provide skills to effectively intervene; and increase students’ motivation and confidence when responding to problems or concerns

Initiating a Bystander Awareness Program at a State University

Crime in schools, colleges and universities is a troublesome social problem. It affects not only those involved in the criminal incident, but it also inhibits societal growth and stability. To address this issue, the Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act (SaVE Act) of 2013 requires that colleges participating in federal student aid programs must provide “primary prevention and awareness programs” for new students and employees, as well as ongoing crime prevention and awareness campaigns. Implementation was mandated to be started by October 1, 2014. Most prevention programs teach students how to avoid situations, abusive behaviors and potential attacks. This project initiates a bystander awareness program at a local state university, teaching students how to be effective bystanders. The objectives of this project was to increase knowledge about bystander awareness on a university campus and help students realize that a negative outcome can be avoided; help students realize it is their responsibility to intervene when they notice a problem situation; raise students’ awareness of helping behaviors and provide skills to effectively intervene; and increase students’ motivation and confidence when responding to problems or concerns

Mitochondrial physiology

As the knowledge base and importance of mitochondrial physiology to evolution, health and disease expands, the necessity for harmonizing the terminology concerning mitochondrial respiratory states and rates has become increasingly apparent. The chemiosmotic theory establishes the mechanism of energy transformation and coupling in oxidative phosphorylation. The unifying concept of the protonmotive force provides the framework for developing a consistent theoretical foundation of mitochondrial physiology and bioenergetics. We follow the latest SI guidelines and those of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) on terminology in physical chemistry, extended by considerations of open systems and thermodynamics of irreversible processes. The concept-driven constructive terminology incorporates the meaning of each quantity and aligns concepts and symbols with the nomenclature of classical bioenergetics. We endeavour to provide a balanced view of mitochondrial respiratory control and a critical discussion on reporting data of mitochondrial respiration in terms of metabolic flows and fluxes. Uniform standards for evaluation of respiratory states and rates will ultimately contribute to reproducibility between laboratories and thus support the development of data repositories of mitochondrial respiratory function in species, tissues, and cells. Clarity of concept and consistency of nomenclature facilitate effective transdisciplinary communication, education, and ultimately further discovery

Statins and brain integrity in older adults: Secondary analysis of the Health ABC study

We examined whether statins are associated with better cerebral white (WM) and gray matter (GM) indices in community-dwelling elders. In 295 older adults, we compared white matter hyperintensities (WMH) on brain MRI and, total WM fractional anisotropy (FA) and GM mean diffusivity (MD) on diffusion tensor imaging, of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) relevant regions in statin-exposed and statin-unexposed participants stratified by Modified Mini-Mental Status Examination (3MS) score. There was no overall effect of statin exposure on cerebral structural indices. Interaction between statin exposure and 3MS was significant for total-WMH and WM-FA (both p<0.05) but not GM-MD. In the lowest 3MS tertile (mean: 86), statin-exposed individuals had lower total-WMH and higher WM-FA (p=0.005 and p=0.044) and FA of tracts linked to clinical AD (p-value range= 0.005 – 0.04) despite statistical adjustments. These differences were not significant in the two higher 3MS tertiles. Statins may benefit WM indices in elders vulnerable to dementia

Development of a Definition of Postacute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

IMPORTANCE: SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with persistent, relapsing, or new symptoms or other health effects occurring after acute infection, termed postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), also known as long COVID. Characterizing PASC requires analysis of prospectively and uniformly collected data from diverse uninfected and infected individuals. OBJECTIVE: To develop a definition of PASC using self-reported symptoms and describe PASC frequencies across cohorts, vaccination status, and number of infections. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Prospective observational cohort study of adults with and without SARS-CoV-2 infection at 85 enrolling sites (hospitals, health centers, community organizations) located in 33 states plus Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico. Participants who were enrolled in the RECOVER adult cohort before April 10, 2023, completed a symptom survey 6 months or more after acute symptom onset or test date. Selection included population-based, volunteer, and convenience sampling. EXPOSURE: SARS-CoV-2 infection. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: PASC and 44 participant-reported symptoms (with severity thresholds). RESULTS: A total of 9764 participants (89% SARS-CoV-2 infected; 71% female; 16% Hispanic/Latino; 15% non-Hispanic Black; median age, 47 years [IQR, 35-60]) met selection criteria. Adjusted odds ratios were 1.5 or greater (infected vs uninfected participants) for 37 symptoms. Symptoms contributing to PASC score included postexertional malaise, fatigue, brain fog, dizziness, gastrointestinal symptoms, palpitations, changes in sexual desire or capacity, loss of or change in smell or taste, thirst, chronic cough, chest pain, and abnormal movements. Among 2231 participants first infected on or after December 1, 2021, and enrolled within 30 days of infection, 224 (10% [95% CI, 8.8%-11%]) were PASC positive at 6 months. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: A definition of PASC was developed based on symptoms in a prospective cohort study. As a first step to providing a framework for other investigations, iterative refinement that further incorporates other clinical features is needed to support actionable definitions of PASC