A vaping risks education program for school students: Evaluation of the solve mystery toolkit.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Hollis A
PROVIDER: S-EPMC9243163 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Two big cat skulls procured from hunters of Yanachaga National Park, Peru, were reported as those of cats informally dubbed the 'striped tiger' and 'anomalous jaguar'. Observations suggested that both skulls were distinct from those of jaguars, associated descriptions of integument did not conform to this species, and it has been implied that both represent members of one or two novel species. We sought to resolve the identity of the skulls using morphometrics. DNA could not be retrieved since both had been boiled as part of the defleshing process. We took 36 cranial and 13 mandibular measurements and added them to a database incorporating nearly 300 specimens of over 30 felid species. Linear discriminant analysis resolved both specimens as part of Panthera onca with high probabilities for cranial and mandibular datasets. Furthermore, the specimens exhibit characters typical of jaguars. If the descriptions of their patterning and pigmentation are accurate, we assume that both individuals were aberrant.
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Project description:A riddle arises at the Epipaleolithic and Neolithic sites that dot the lower Jordan Valley. The area has no water resources yet it has long been a focus of inquiry into the transition from mobile hunter-gatherer to sedentary agriculture-based cultures. How then is there such clear evidence of life here, and particularly at such a critical moment in human evolution? Keen to unravel this conundrum, a numerical hydrological model was devised to simulate the groundwater flow field within the Eastern Aquifer of the Judea and Samaria Mountains during the transition from the last glacial to the current interglacial. The model exhibits a range of groundwater flow regimes that prevailed in the past, demonstrating that there was once much larger groundwater discharge at these sites.
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Project description:The logic behind the traditional medicinal chemistry technique of designing a synthetic enzyme substrate to mimic a natural one is used to uncover the identity of the unknown cause of two legacy industrial diseases by comparing the reported symptoms to two side effects of a modern synthetic.
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Project description:This study evaluated the effectiveness of a seven-session, bystander-focused, classroom-delivered curriculum (i.e., Bringing in the Bystander-High School Curriculum [BITB-HSC]) in reducing rates of interpersonal violence among high school students. High schools (N?=?26) were randomly assigned to the treatment or control condition. In classrooms in treatment schools, students (n?=?1081) completed a baseline survey, participated in the BITB-HSC, and completed an immediate post-test, a short-term post-test (approx. 2 months after intervention), and a long-term post-test (approx. 1 year after intervention). Youth in control schools (n?=?1322) completed surveys at similar time points but did not participate in the BITB-HSC. Participants were 15.8 years old on average and largely White (85.1%) and heterosexual (84.5%). Students exposed to the BITB-HSC demonstrated significant short-term changes in victim empathy and bystander barriers/facilitators, and long-term changes in rape myths, media literacy, bystander readiness, and knowledge relative to youth in the control condition. Although the BITB-HSC had little long-term impact on actual bystander behavior, there were reductions in some forms of violence among students in the BITB-HSC condition relative to the control condition. Future research is needed to determine if, for whom, why, and in what contexts (e.g., classroom-based versus school-wide initiatives) bystander-focused violence prevention initiatives reduce violence.
| S-EPMC6520113 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has infected several millions and killed more than quarter of a million worldwide to date. Important questions have remained unanswered: why some patients develop severe disease, while others do not; and what roles do genetic variabilities play in the individual immune response to this viral infection. Here, we discuss the critical role T cells play in the orchestration of the antiviral response underlying the pathogenesis of the disease, COVID-19. We highlight the scientific rationale for comprehensive and longitudinal TCR analyses in COVID-19 and reason that analyzing TCR repertoire in COVID-19 patients would reveal important findings that may explain the outcome disparity observed in these patients. Finally, we provide a framework describing the different strategies, the advantages, and the challenges involved in obtaining useful TCR repertoire data to advance our fight against COVID-19.
| S-EPMC7305739 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BACKGROUND:The Good School Toolkit, a complex behavioural intervention designed by Raising Voices a Ugandan NGO, reduced past week physical violence from school staff to primary students by an average of 42% in a recent randomised controlled trial. This process evaluation quantitatively examines what was implemented across the twenty-one intervention schools, variations in school prevalence of violence after the intervention, factors that influence exposure to the intervention and factors associated with students' experience of physical violence from staff at study endline. METHODS:Implementation measures were captured prospectively in the twenty-one intervention schools over four school terms from 2012 to 2014 and Toolkit exposure captured in the student (n =?1921) and staff (n =?286) endline cross-sectional surveys in 2014. Implementation measures and the prevalence of violence are summarised across schools and are assessed for correlation using Spearman's Rank Correlation Coefficient. Regression models are used to explore individual factors associated with Toolkit exposure and with physical violence at endline. RESULTS:School prevalence of past week physical violence from staff against students ranged from 7% to 65% across schools at endline. Schools with higher mean levels of teacher Toolkit exposure had larger decreases in violence during the study. Students in schools categorised as implementing a 'low' number of program school-led activities reported less exposure to the Toolkit. Higher student Toolkit exposure was associated with decreased odds of experiencing physical violence from staff (OR: 0.76, 95%CI: 0.67-0.86, p-value<?0.001). Girls, students reporting poorer mental health and students in a lower grade were less exposed to the toolkit. After the intervention, and when adjusting for individual Toolkit exposure, some students remained at increased risk of experiencing violence from staff, including, girls, students reporting poorer mental health, students who experienced other violence and those reporting difficulty with self-care. CONCLUSIONS:Our results suggest that increasing students and teachers exposure to the Good School Toolkit within schools has the potential to bring about further reductions in violence. Effectiveness of the Toolkit may be increased by further targeting and supporting teachers' engagement with girls and students with mental health difficulties. TRIAL REGISTRATION:The trial is registered at clinicaltrials.gov , NCT01678846, August 24th 2012.
| S-EPMC5941678 | biostudies-literature
Project description:In 2007, the Government of Bangladesh incorporated a chapter on HIV/AIDS into the national curriculum for an HIV-prevention program for school students. For the efficient dissemination of knowledge, an intervention was designed to train the teachers and equip them to educate on the topic of HIV/AIDS. The present study intended to understand the impact of this intervention by assessing the knowledge, attitudes and behaviours related to HIV/AIDS, among the targeted students.A cross-sectional survey was conducted with the students at randomly selected schools from two adjacent districts. Considering exposure to intervention, one district was assigned for intervention and the other as a control. In total, 1,381 students, aged 13-18 years (or above) were interviewed, 675 from the control areas and 706 from the intervention areas. Univariate and bivariate analyses were performed on the collected data.A significantly higher proportion (p<0.001) of students in the intervention areas attended HIV/AIDS classes, demonstrated better knowledge and fewer misconceptions regarding the transmission and prevention of HIV. The same was derived regarding their attitude towards people living with HIV, as a higher proportion (p<0.001) responded positively, compared to the control groups of the study. Additionally, multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that students in intervention area were more likely to have good knowledge on HIV transmission (OR 2.71, 95% CI 1.74-4.22) and prevention (OR 2.15, 95% CI 1.41-3.26) compared to the students in the control areas.The training programme needs to be scaled up, since it is likely to have an impact among students; we have witnessed that the interventions particularly helped increase HIV/AIDS knowledge among students and positively change the students' attitudes towards HIV/AIDS.
| S-EPMC5524404 | biostudies-other
Project description:BACKGROUND:Limited research has been conducted on the effectiveness of sexuality education for very young adolescents (VYAs) ages 10-14?years in Sub-Saharan Africa. Furthermore, evaluations of sexuality education programs often report outcomes of risky sexual practices, yet positive aspects of sexuality are hardly studied and rarely reported. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) intervention for VYAs in Uganda, analyzing both positive and negative outcome indicators. METHODS:We conducted a mixed methods study, incorporating a cluster randomized trial (NCT03669913) among pupils in 33 randomly selected primary schools in Mbarara district. This was followed by a qualitative evaluation of the intervention in 4 schools that included 14 in-depth interviews and 3 focus group discussions distributed among pupils, teachers and parents. Quantitative data were analyzed using ordered logistic regression to compare differences in the change from baseline to endline between the intervention and control arms. We conducted bivariate analysis and multiple regression analysis controlling for key covariates, including age, gender, school location (rural vs urban), truancy, and orphanhood. Qualitative data were analyzed by thematic approach using ATLAS TI. RESULTS:Between July 2016 and August 2017, 1096 pupils were recruited. Outcomes were studied among 380 pupils in the intervention arm and 484 pupils in the control arm. The proportion of pupils who ever had sex increased from 9 to 12.1% in intervention compared to 5.2 to 7.4% in the control group between baseline and endline, however the differences between groups were not statistically significant. We found greater improvements in sexual and reproductive health (SRH) knowledge among intervention schools (AOR: 2.18, 95% CI: 1.66-2.86) and no significant differences in self-esteem, body image or gender equitable norms. Qualitative evidence echoes perceived SRH knowledge acquisition, increased their perception of SRH related risks, and intentions to delay sexual intercourse to prevent unwanted pregnancy, HIV and other STIs. CONCLUSION:This study demonstrates that CSE can improve SRH knowledge and behavioral intentions among VYAs in Uganda. These results further emphasize the importance of initiating sexuality education before most adolescents have started engaging in sexual activity, enabling them to make informed decisions in the future. TRIAL REGISTRATION:NCT03669913 , registered retrospectively on September 13th, 2018.
| S-EPMC6819440 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BACKGROUND:As organ donation registration rates remain low, especially among lower-educated people, it is important to support this group in making their registration decision. To prepare lower-educated students in the Netherlands for making a well-informed decision, an interactive educational program was developed. We aim to understand both the (quality of) implementation as well as to contextualize the effects of this program in a lower-educated school setting. METHODS:The process evaluation was part of a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial, in which 11 schools for Intermediate Vocational Education throughout the Netherlands participated. Teachers who taught a course on Citizenship delivered three intervention elements (i.e. video fragments and discussion, quizzes with tailored feedback and an exercise filling out a registration form) to their students. Implementation was assessed by interviews with teachers, questionnaires from students, logbooks from teachers and user data from Google Analytics. RESULTS:The program was well received and implemented, but on-the-spot adaptations were made by teachers to fit their students better. Within the lower-educated target group, differences between students are high in terms of active participation, reading abilities, knowledge and attention span. The program fit well within their regular teaching activities, but the topic of organ donation is not always prioritized by teachers. CONCLUSIONS:We see opportunities to disseminate the program on a larger scale and reach a group that has been neglected in organ donation education before. Within the program, there are possibilities to increase the effectiveness of the program, such as alternative delivery methods for the elements with a lot of text, the addition of booster sessions and guidelines for teachers to adapt the program to students of different levels within Intermediate Vocational Education. Moreover, in order to have an impact on a national level, strategies need to be employed to reach high numbers of students and, therefore, support on a higher level is needed (both within schools and at policy level). TRIAL REGISTRATION:Dutch Trial Register, NTR6771. Prospectively registered on 24 October 2017.
| S-EPMC7238559 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:The National Diabetes Education Program created the Small Steps. Big Rewards. GAME PLAN. toolkit to deliver basic type 2 diabetes prevention information to individuals at risk. The purpose of this study is to test the impact of GAME PLAN on diabetes prevention knowledge and behavioral readiness in the vitamin D and type 2 diabetes (D2d) study and participant satisfaction with toolkit materials. METHODS:Three hundred sixty adults at risk for diabetes participating in the D2d study were enrolled. Participants took a pretest, were sent home with the GAME PLAN, then took a posttest at their next visit, 3 months later. The Wilcoxon-signed rank test was used to examine changes in knowledge and behavioral readiness between scale scores pre- and posttest. CONCLUSIONS:There were modest increases in composite diabetes prevention knowledge scores (p < .05) and behavioral readiness scores (p < .001) from pre- to posttest. Participants also reported at posttest that the toolkit materials were appropriate, comprehensive, and relevant. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE:The GAME PLAN health education materials improve knowledge and behavioral readiness among adults at risk for diabetes. Providers can use GAME PLAN as one component of diabetes prevention education.
| S-EPMC5673101 | biostudies-literature