The Influence of Georgia’s Quality Rated System on School Readiness in Pre-School Children

Background: Georgia rates the quality of early childcare learning centers using a tiered quality improvement system. Georgia’s Quality Rated system (QR) designates a star level, (one star, two stars or three stars) to each center based on a portfolio of QR standards and an onsite assessment by Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL). Childcare centers applying for QR status first submit a portfolio documenting how their practices align with QR standards centered on staff qualifications; child health, nutrition and physical activity; family engagement; holistic curricula and teacher-to-student ratios. Subsequently, an on-site assessment of the center is performed by DECAL using the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale– Revised (ECERS-R). Methods: The Bracken School Readiness Assessment-3rd Edition (BSRA-3) was administered to children in various one-star (N=2), two-star (N=4) and three-star (N=6) childcare learning centers in Georgia. Children’s height and weight were recorded and BMI assessments were conducted. Results: Significant differences were found in school readiness scores based on quality rating with two and three star centers scoring higher than one star centers. Children in childcare centers at the one-star level (Mean = 95.00, SD = 16.80) performed lower than children in childcare centers at the two-star level (Mean = 103.67, SD = 16.55) and three-star level (Mean = 100.42, SD = 14.35). Multiple comparison tests did not reveal differences between two-star and three-star level centers. Conclusions: Higher levels of quality in QR childcare centers displayed more school readiness than centers with lower levels of quality. Future studies should examine differences in higher quality centers to further explore the influence of QR programs on school readiness

How can we promote mentored student research in Georgia?

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Quality Rated Childcare Programs and Social Determinants of Health in Rural and Non-Rural Georgia

Background: Early childhood is linked to school readiness and early school achievement. Through its Quality Rated (QR) program, which was designed to improve the quality of care in early childhood programs, the state of Georgia has been a trailblazer in funding universal preschool and in improving the quality of childcare programs. We have assessed differences in the availability of QR childcare programs in Georgia to learn if, in rural versus non-rural counties, there is a relationship between QR childcare programs and health-related outcomes. Methods: This cross-sectional study evaluated county-level data to evaluate the relationship between QR childcare programs and social determinants of health. County-level data for Georgia were extracted from the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, County Health Rankings and Roadmaps, and the Georgia Juvenile Justice Data Clearinghouse. Results: Counties without QR childcare programs had child mortality rates 3.5 times higher than those for the state overall. Other differences in health-related outcomes included, but were not limited to, teen birth rates, low birth-weight babies, children in poverty, housing problems, and food insecurity. Conclusions: It is now appropriate to address the prevalence of health disparities in rural areas of Georgia and focus on some of the disparities through the QR early childhood programs and other state agencies. Empowering rural communities to address health disparities may be the most favorable path toward diminishing these inequalities

Brain development: A look at four programs in Georgia that support optimal brain development

Background: Georgia is making strides to improve its early care and education system through program development within state agencies and alliances. These timely, statewide programs are focused on improving understanding of the importance of brain development. Methods: We reviewed the mission and information provided by four Georgia agencies with the aim of developing and improving programs and educational opportunities to instruct educators, policy makers, the general public, and others about child development in the context of brain development. Results: For young children in Georgia, the four organizations are committed to ensuring opportunities for well-being. Georgia is moving forward in its quest to improve resources and environments for young children, families, and citizens. The agencies and activities include Better Brains for Babies; the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning; Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students; and the Talk With Me Baby program. Conclusions: Georgia is making substantial efforts to provide and support early education environments based on emerging research on how brain development affects various aspects of a child’s development, including those that are social, cognitive, emotional, physical, and linguistic

The Influence of Georgia’s Quality Rated System on School Readiness in Preschool Children

Background: Initially launched in 2012, the Quality Rated (QR) program in Georgia is a policy tool for assessing, improving, and communicating the quality of early childhood education and care. Star level designations – zero-star, one-star, two-star, and three-star – are assigned based on a portfolio of QR standards and an onsite Environment Rating Scales observation. In the present study, we used QR data to determine if childcare quality measures (QR ratings) are linked with the readiness of children to enter kindergarten. Methods: QR data were collected from one-star, two-star, and three-star childcare learning centers (n = 16) located within Child Care Resource and Referral Regions 3 and 5 in Georgia. The Bracken School Readiness Assessment – 3rd Edition (BSRA-3) was administered to each child (n =318) eligible for inclusion. Height and weight information (n =335) was collected before assessment. Multilevel analyses were used to establish whether children in programs that score higher on QR (0 to 3 stars) show better school readiness (i.e., by BSRA-3 assessment or body mass index) than peers in programs with lower scores. Results: For the children, there were no significant differences in scores of school readiness based on the QR of childcare and learning centers. Conclusions: The results reinforce the need for continued research of the childcare QR system in Georgia to inform stakeholders in early childcare and education about ways to enhance the quality of early child care and to improve the long-term educational and health outcomes of children across the state. Future studies should examine a larger sample size, which would allow for more precise, multilevel analyses

Compositions and Methods for Detecting and Treating Atherosclerosis

Methods for detecting atherosclerotic plaque and quantifying the amount of Group V sPLA2 in plasma are disclosed. These methods can be used to assess the risk of cardiovascular pathology in a patient

Sexual Health Education in Georgia: A Role for Reducing Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Adolescents

Background: In Georgia, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a substantial health issue, particularly among young adults in vulnerable and minority populations. The United States Preventive Services Task Force recommends that sexually active adolescents and at-risk adults receive behavioral counseling and education in primary care settings, community organizations, departments of health, and schools. Methods: The present approach used in Georgia for educating adolescents at high risk for STIs about these diseases was assessed. The data collected included standards for sexual health education, survey results from educators and students, and observations from a pilot study with adolescents detained by the juvenile justice system. Results: In Georgia, most health educators for middle (87.3%) and high (93.8%) schools have health and/or physical education backgrounds. They indicated a need for further education about STIs. For grades 6-12, 24% of students reported that they had not received HIV/AIDS education during the academic year. Preliminary observations from a study with juvenile detainees indicate that this population has limited knowledge about STIs, their effects and modes of transmission. Conclusion: Sexual health education, including that for HIV/AIDS, is essential to curtail the STI crisis, and educational endeavors should be culturally sensitive and evidence-based. In Georgia, many citizens, including teachers, are not adequately equipped to make informed decisions regarding STI risk. Georgia, home to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is in a unique position to adapt evidence-based sexual health interventions for its population

High-Density Lipoprotein Inhibits Serum Amyloid A-Mediated Reactive Oxygen Species Generation and NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation

Serum amyloid A (SAA) is a high-density apolipoprotein whose plasma levels can increase more than 1000-fold during a severe acute-phase inflammatory response and are more modestly elevated in chronic inflammation. SAA is thought to play important roles in innate immunity, but its biological activities have not been completely delineated. We previously reported that SAA deficiency protects mice from developing abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) induced by chronic angiotensin II (AngII) infusion. Here, we report that SAA is required for AngII-induced increases in interleukin-1β (IL-1β), a potent proinflammatory cytokine that is tightly controlled by the Nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome and caspase-1 and has been implicated in both human and mouse AAAs. We determined that purified SAA stimulates IL-1β secretion in murine J774 and bone marrow–derived macrophages through a mechanism that depends on NLRP3 expression and caspase-1 activity, but is independent of P2X7 nucleotide receptor (P2X7R) activation. Inhibiting reactive oxygen species (ROS) by N-acetyl-l-cysteine or mito-TEMPO and inhibiting activation of cathepsin B by CA-074 blocked SAA–mediated inflammasome activation and IL-1β secretion. Moreover, inhibiting cellular potassium efflux with glyburide or increasing extracellular potassium also significantly reduced SAA–mediated IL-1β secretion. Of note, incorporating SAA into high-density lipoprotein (HDL) prior to its use in cell treatments completely abolished its ability to stimulate ROS generation and inflammasome activation. These results provide detailed insights into SAA–mediated IL-1β production and highlight HDL\u27s role in regulating SAA\u27s proinflammatory effects

The Dual Role of Group V Secretory Phospholipase A\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3e in Pancreatic β-Cells

Purpose Group X (GX) and group V (GV) secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) potently release arachidonic acid (AA) from the plasma membrane of intact cells. We previously demonstrated that GX sPLA2 negatively regulates glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) by a prostaglandin E2 (PGE2)-dependent mechanism. In this study we investigated whether GV sPLA2 similarly regulates GSIS. Methods GSIS and pancreatic islet-size were assessed in wild-type (WT) and GV sPLA2-knock out (GV KO) mice. GSIS was also assessed ex vivo in isolated islets and in vitro using MIN6 pancreatic beta cell lines with or without GV sPLA2 overexpression or silencing. Results GSIS was significantly decreased in islets isolated from GV KO mice compared to WT mice and in MIN6 cells with siRNA-mediated GV sPLA2 suppression. MIN6 cells overexpressing GV sPLA2 (MIN6-GV) showed a significant increase in GSIS compared to control cells. Though the amount of AA released into the media by MIN6-GV cells was significantly higher, PGE2 production was not enhanced or cAMP content decreased compared to control MIN6 cells. Surprisingly, GV KO mice exhibited a significant increase in plasma insulin levels following i.p. injection of glucose compared to WT mice. This increase in GSIS in GV KO mice was associated with a significant increase in pancreatic islet size and number of proliferating cells in β-islets compared to WT mice. Conclusions Deficiency of GV sPLA2 results in diminished GSIS in isolated pancreatic beta-cells. However, the reduced GSIS in islets lacking GV sPLA2 appears to be compensated by increased islet mass in GV KO mice

Gender Disparities in Weight Gain Among Offenders Who Are Obese Upon Entering Correctional Facilities

Background: Obesity is a significant health issue for offenders, who have a higher prevalence of obesity-related conditions, such as diabetes, compared to non-incarcerated populations. Within incarcerated populations, there are obesity disparities in terms of race, gender, and age, as well as excess weight gain during incarceration. Methods: This longitudinal study was conducted for 2005 – 2010 in collaboration with a Department of Corrections in the east south central region of the United States. From electronic health records of 10,841 offenders, weight, height, and demographic data were extracted. As determined from these data, 2,622 offenders met the inclusion criteria (two or more valid weight and height measurements and length of incarceration \u3e zero). Results: Women offenders who entered corrections as obese had a mean (and standard deviation) body mass index (BMI) of 36.2 (5.3) at baseline; the mean for men was 34.2 (4.4). For women who were obese at baseline, their BMI increased by 1.0 (3.3); for men their BMI decreased by 0.7 (3.1). Gender differences for changes in BMI among the obese population were significant (χ2 = 15.8, p \u3c 0.001). Women and men also differed in regard to weight gain (χ2 = 34.0, p \u3c 0.001). Further, those women and men who were not obese at baseline had an increase in BMI that was greater than the increase for the group that entered corrections as obese (p \u3e 0.001). Conclusions: Women offenders, obese or not at baseline, had greater gains in weight in comparison to men. However, there were no significant differences in BMI changes for race or correlations with age or length of incarceration. The findings related to gender warrant further investigations to explain these disparities and to evaluate the capacity of the corrections system to meet the health needs of women