Cyberbullying - when does a school authority\u27s liability in tort end?

Cyberbullying in schools is increasing on an alarming rate. The development of the Internet and smartphone technology have increased the potential scope of a school authority’s duty of care for its students. A question frequently asked by educators is “Where does a school authority’s duty of care end in the interconnected, 24/7 world of the Internet?” This paper argues that a duty of care will be owed where the school is in a school/student relationship with its students. That relationship can exist outside the school gates and outside of school hours. There are no decisions of senior appellate courts that deal with a school authority’s liability for cyberbullying. The authors, therefore, analyse the nature of the relationship to identify the key features that must be present to establish the existence of a duty of care. Three features are identified as critical to the existence of the duty of care outside of the normal school hours. They are the extent to which the school authority controls or ought to control a given situation, the extent to which it has encouraged students to participate in a particular activity and the extent to which a school authority is aware or ought to be aware of risks associated with the relevant activity of its students

PSYCHOLOGY: The Effect of Guided Meditation and Meditation History on False Memory Susceptibility

Meditation is a practice that has been around for thousands of years with numerous benefits ranging from stress reduction to decreases in stress and anxiety. Research also suggests there may potentially be negative consequences of meditation. However, research has not assessed how long-term practitioners of meditation differ from those with less experience. Our study looks at long-term and short-term practitioners’ susceptibility to false memories. To do this, participants were randomly assigned to either a guided meditation or a mind-wandering condition and then tested on the DRM paradigm. Meditation history was also recorded through a questionnaire

Spatial variation in coral reef fish and benthic communities in the central Saudi Arabian Red Sea

Local-scale ecological information is critical as a sound basis for spatial management and conservation and as support for ongoing research in relatively unstudied areas. We conducted visual surveys of fish and benthic communities on nine reefs (3-24 km from shore) in the Thuwal area of the central Saudi Arabian Red Sea. Fish biomass increased with increasing distance from shore, but was generally low compared to reefs experiencing minimal human influence around the world. All reefs had a herbivore- dominated trophic structure and few top predators, such as sharks, jacks, or large groupers. Coral cover was considerably lower on inshore reefs, likely due to a 2010 bleaching event. Community analyses showed inshore reefs to be characterized by turf algae, slower-growing corals, lower herbivore diversity, and highly abundant turf- farming damselfishes. Offshore reefs had more planktivorous fishes, a more diverse herbivore assemblage, and faster-growing corals. All reefs appear to be impacted by overfishing, and inshore reefs seem more vulnerable to thermal bleaching. The study provides a description of the spatial variation in biomass and community structure in the central Saudi Arabian Red Sea and provides a basis for spatial prioritization and subsequent marine protected area design in Thuwal.This study was funded by the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology through a Competitive Research Grant (URF/1/1389-01-01), the Red Sea Research Center (URF/1/1973-01-01), and baseline research funds to Michael L. Berumen

Language acculturation : barriers to social distance & psychological distance for Malay learners in higher learning institutions

This study aims to see the challenges of social and psychological distance among Malay students to learn foreign languages. The self-interest and awareness of students is not the only factor to ponder an engagement in learning a foreign language. At the same time, social distance challenges will occur considering the culture of Malay students thought that foreign languages are not easy to learn and complicated. This study also aiming at the alternative taken by the students in order to improve their learning process in mastering a foreign language. The challenges facing by them is in the aspect of self-confidence, peers who can interact in Arabic and Japanese and facilities provided in the campus. Based on the study and observation, students in public universities receive more of these facilities than students in private universities. The main reason is that a reliable financial injection given by the Ministry of Higher Education will certainly be able to help the public universities in strengthening learning facilities for students. 20 respondents were interviewed and information been analyzed narratively through qualitative techniques. The results came up that the variations in background, which is not from the community group that uses the language is also a challenge for them. As an alternative, students can double practice of communicating with foreign students who using both languages most of the times, as well as the role of social media that displays the story of society and by using it in the plot of the story

PHBV/PCL Microparticles for Controlled Release of Resveratrol: Physicochemical Characterization, Antioxidant Potential, and Effect on Hemolysis of Human Erythrocytes

Microparticles of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) and poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) containing resveratrol were successfully prepared by simple emulsion/solvent evaporation. All formulations showed suitable encapsulation efficiency values higher than 80%. PHBV microparticles revealed spherical shape with rough surface and presence of pores. PCL microparticles were spherically shaped with smooth surface. Fourier-transformed infrared spectra demonstrated no chemical bond between resveratrol and polymers. X-ray powder diffraction patterns and differential scanning calorimetry analyses indicated that microencapsulation led to drug amorphization. These PHBV/PCL microparticles delayed the dissolution profile of resveratrol. Release profiles were better fitted to biexponential equation. The hypochlorous-acid-scavenging activity and 2,2-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical cation discoloration assay confirmed that the antioxidant activity of PHBV/PCL microparticles was kept, but was dependent on the microparticle morphology and dissolution profile. Resveratrol-loaded PHBV/PCL microparticles showed no cytotoxic effect on red blood cells

The impact on non-traditional security threats in Sri Lanka

The security threats exert a great challenge to national security of all states irrespective of the state’s position in the international system. In the field of security studies, with the transition of state-centric security to individual security approach, non-traditional security issues have become a novel concept of security studies. As a maritime nation Sri Lanka’s strategic location in the centre of the Indian Ocean makes it visible, perhaps vulnerable, to many external and internal threats. Hence, the government has to take immediate steps to mitigate these non-traditional security threats in order to ensure the national security and economic prosperity. This article is to examine the security environment and perspective of national security in Sri Lanka, identify the non-traditional security threats and analyse the impact on national security and identify mitigation methods to ensure national security. Methodology used were the primary and secondary data of a qualitative research method by using ethnographic study. Findings for this study is Sri Lanka must shape the security environment through an effective and realistic assessment of national interest. A great priority is to be given for the political stability while maintaining the continuous vigilance, to seek active cooperation and coordination effort within the region and beyond and engage in continuous process of confidence building within the nation and beyond. The findings of this study are the model-based approach is a better solution for Sri Lanka to overcome these security challenges, however, application of any model should be tailored to Sri Lanka’s own specifications

Outcome and Prognostic Factors of COVID-19 Infection in Swiss Cancer Patients: Final Results of SAKK 80/20 (CaSA).

PURPOSE These are the final results of a national registry on cancer patients with COVID-19 in Switzerland. METHODS We collected data on symptomatic COVID-19-infected cancer patients from 23 Swiss sites over a one-year period starting on 1 March 2020. The main objective was to assess the outcome (i.e., mortality, rate of hospitalization, ICU admission) of COVID-19 infection in cancer patients; the main secondary objective was to define prognostic factors. RESULTS From 455 patients included, 205 patients (45%) had non-curative disease, 241 patients (53%) were hospitalized for COVID-19, 213 (47%) required oxygen, 43 (9%) invasive ventilation and 62 (14%) were admitted to the ICU. Death from COVID-19 infection occurred in 98 patients, resulting in a mortality rate of 21.5%. Age ≥65 years versus <65 years (OR 3.14, p = 0.003), non-curative versus curative disease (OR 2.42, p = 0.012), ICU admission (OR 4.45, p < 0.001) and oxygen requirement (OR 20.28, p < 0.001) were independently associated with increased mortality. CONCLUSIONS We confirmed high COVID-19 severity and mortality in real-world cancer patients during the first and second wave of the pandemic in a country with a decentralized, high-quality, universal-access health care system. COVID-19-associated mortality was particularly high for those of older age in a non-curative disease setting, requiring oxygen or ICU care

18F-FDG PET/CT Prediction of Treatment Outcomes in Human Papillomavirus–Positive, Locally Advanced Oropharyngeal Cancer Patients Receiving Deintensified Therapy: Results from NRG-HN002

The purpose of this study was to determine the negative predictive value (NPV) of a 12- to 14-wk posttreatment PET/CT for 2-y progression-free survival (PFS) and locoregional control (LRC) in patients with p16-positive locoregionally advanced oropharyngeal cancer (LA-OPC). Study was a secondary endpoint in NRG-HN002, a noncomparative phase II trial in p16-positive LA-OPC, stage T1-T2, N1-N2b or T3, N0-N2b, and ≤10 pack-year smoking. Patients were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to reduced-dose intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with or without cisplatin. Methods: PET/CT scans were reviewed centrally. Tumor response evaluations for the primary site, right neck, and left neck were performed using a 5-point ordinal scale (Hopkins criteria). Overall scores were then assigned as negative, positive, or indeterminate. Patients with a negative score for all 3 evaluation sites were given an overall score of negative. The hypotheses were NPV for PFS and LRC at 2-y posttreatment ≤ 90% versus \u3e90% (1-sided P value, 0.10). Results: A total of 316 patients were enrolled, of whom 306 were randomized and eligible. Of these, 131 (42.8%) patients consented to a posttherapy PET/CT, and 117 (89.3%) patients were eligible for PET/CT analysis. The median time from the end of treatment to PET/CT scan was 94 d (range, 52–139 d). Estimated 2-y PFS and LRC rates in the analysis subgroup were 91.3% (95% CI, 84.6, 95.8%) and 93.8% (95% CI, 87.6, 97.5%), respectively. Posttreatment scans were negative for residual tumor for 115 patients (98.3%) and positive for 2 patients (1.7%). NPV for 2-y PFS was 92.0% (90% lower confidence bound [LCB] 87.7%; P = 0.30) and for LRC was 94.5% (90% LCB 90.6%; P = 0.07). Conclusion: In the context of deintensification with reduced-dose radiation, the NPV of a 12- to 14-wk posttherapy PET/CT for 2-y LRC is estimated to be \u3e90%, similar to that reported for patients receiving standard chemoradiation. However, there is insufficient evidence to conclude that the NPV is \u3e90% for PFS

Polyglutamic acid-trimethyl chitosan-based intranasal peptide nano-vaccine induces potent immune responses against group A streptococcus

Peptide-based vaccines have the potential to overcome the limitations of classical vaccines; however, their use is hampered by a lack of carriers and adjuvants suitable for human use. In this study, an efficient self-adjuvanting peptide vaccine delivery system was developed based on the ionic interactions between cationic trimethyl chitosan (TMC) and a peptide antigen coupled with synthetically defined anionic α-poly-(L-glutamic acid) (PGA). The antigen, possessing a conserved B-cell epitope derived from the group A streptococcus (GAS) pathogen and a universal T-helper epitope, was conjugated to PGA using cycloaddition reaction. The produced anionic conjugate formed nanoparticles (NP-1) through interaction with cationic TMC. These NP-1 induced higher systemic and mucosal antibody titers compared to antigen adjuvanted with standard mucosal adjuvant cholera toxin B subunit or antigen mixed with TMC. The produced serum antibodies were also opsonic against clinically isolated GAS strains. Further, a reduction in bacterial burden was observed in nasal secretions, pharyngeal surface and nasopharyngeal-associated lymphoid tissue of mice immunized with NP-1 in GAS challenge studies. Thus, conjugation of defined-length anionic polymer to peptide antigen as a means of formulating ionic interaction-based nanoparticles with cationic polymer is a promising strategy for peptide antigen delivery. Statement of Significance: A self-adjuvanting delivery system is required for peptide vaccines to enhance antigen delivery to immune cells and generate systemic and mucosal immunity. Herein, we developed a novel self-adjuvanting nanoparticulate delivery system for peptide antigens by combining polymer-conjugation and complexation strategies. We conjugated peptide antigen with anionic α-poly-(L-glutamic acid) that in turn, formed nanoparticles with cationic trimethyl chitosan by ionic interactions, without using external crosslinker. On intranasal administration to mice, these nanoparticles induced systemic and mucosal immunity, at low dose. Additionally, nanoparticles provided protection to vaccinated mice against group A streptococcus infection. Thus, this concept should be particularly useful in developing nanoparticles for the delivery of peptide antigens