Identification of major loci controlling clinical manifestations of ankylosing spondylitis

Objective. To identify genomic regions linked with determinants of age at symptom onset, disease activity, and functional impairment in ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Methods. A whole genome linkage scan was performed in 188 affected sibling pair families with 454 affected individuals. Traits assessed were age at symptom onset, disease activity assessed by the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), and functional impairment assessed by the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI). Parametric and nonparametric quantitative linkage analysis was performed using parameters defined in a previous segregation study. Results. Heritabilities of the traits studied in this data set were as follows: BASDAI 0.49 (P = 0.0001, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.23-0.75), BASFI 0.76 (P = 10-7, 95% CI 0.49-1.0), and age at symptom onset 0.33 (P = 0.005, 95% CI 0.04-0.62). No linkage was observed between the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and any of the traits studied (logarithm of odds [LOD] score <1.0). "Significant" linkage (LOD score 4.0) was observed between a region on chromosome 18p and the BASDAI. Age at symptom onset showed "suggestive" linkage to chromosome 11p (LOD score 3.3). Maximum linkage with the BASFI was seen at chromosome 2q (LOD score 2.9). Conclusion. In contrast to the genetic determinants of susceptibility to AS, clinical manifestations of the disease measured by the BASDAI, BASFI, and age at symptom onset are largely determined by a small number of genes not encoded within the MHC.

Is disease severity in ankylosing spondylitis genetically determined?

Objective. To assess the role of genes and the environment in determining the severity of ankylosing spondylitis. Methods: One hundred seventy-three families with >1 case of ankylosing spondylitis were recruited (120 affected sibling pairs, 26 affected parent-child pairs, 20 families with both first- and second-degree relatives affected, and 7 families with only second-degree relatives affected), comprising a total of 384 affected individuals. Disease severity was assessed by the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) and functional impairment was determined using the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI). Disease duration and age at onset were also studied. Variance-components modeling was used to determine the genetic and environmental components Contributing to familiality of the traits examined, and complex segregation analysis was performed to assess different disease models. Results. Both the disease activity and functional capacity as assessed by the BASDAI and the BASFI, respectively, were found to be highly familial (BASDAI familiality 0.51 [P = 10-4], BASFI familiality 0,68 [P = 3 × 10-7]). No significant shared environmental component was demonstrated to be associated with either the BASDAI or the BASFI. Including age at disease onset and duration of disease as covariates made no difference in the heritability assessments. A strong correlation was noted between the BASDAI and the BASFI (genetic correlation 0.9), suggesting the presence of shared determinants of these 2 measures. However, there was significant residual heritability for each measure independent of the other (BASFI residual heritability 0.48, BASDAI 0,36), perhaps indicating that not all genes influencing disease activity influence chronicity. No significant heritability of age at disease onset was found (heritability 0.18; P = 0.2). Segregation studies suggested the presence of a single major gene influencing the BASDAI and the BASFI. Conclusion. This study demonstrates a major genetic contribution to disease severity in ankylosing spondylitis. As with susceptibility to ankylosing spondylitis, shared environmental factors play little role in determining the disease severity.

Evaluation of a school-based creative arts therapy programme for adolescents from refugee backgrounds

Creative arts therapy programs have been identified as effective interventions with adolescents affected by adversity. The current study provided a controlled trial of creative arts therapy to address the psychosocial needs of students from refugee backgrounds. Forty-two students participated in a therapy trial, comprising an intervention and control group. Mental health and behavioural difficulties were assessed pre and post intervention. Hopkins Symptoms Checklist-25 (HSCL-25) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) were used to assess wellbeing. Findings suggested an effect for a reduction in behavioural difficulties for the treatment group. A significant reduction in emotional symptoms was found for the treatment group. Findings provide empirical support for school-based creative arts therapy interventions specific to refugee young people.

Factors associated with health risk behavior among school children in urban Vietnam

Background Health risk behavior among young people is a public health problem in Vietnam. In addition, road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for those aged 15–29 years. The consequences can be devastating for adolescents and their families, and can create a significant economic burden on society. Objective: The aim of this study was to identify protective and risk factors that may influence three health risk behaviors among school children: suicidal thinking (ST), drinking alcohol (DA), and underage motorbike driving (MD). Methods A cross-sectional survey of 972 adolescents (aged 12–15 years) was conducted in two secondary schools in Hanoi, Vietnam. The schools were purposely selected, one each from the inner city and a suburban area, from which classes (grade 6 to 8) were randomly selected. All students attending classes on survey days took part in the survey. The anonymous, self-completed questionnaire included measures of risk behavior, school connectedness, parental bonding, and other factors. Multivariable regression models were used to examine associations between the independent variables and the three health risk behaviors controlling for confounding factors. Results Young people in the inner city school reported a higher prevalence of all three risk behaviors than those in the suburban area (ST: 16.1% [95% confidence interval, or CI, 12.9–19.3] versus 4.6% [95% CI 2.7–6.5], p<0.001; DA: 20.3% [95% CI 16.8–23.8] versus 8.3% [95% CI 5.8–10.8], p<0.001, and MD: 10.1% [95% CI 7.4–12.8] versus 5.7% [95% CI 3.6–7.8], p<0.01). School connectedness and mother and father care appeared to be significant protective factors. For males, bullying in school was associated with suicidal thoughts, whereas for both males and females, school connectedness may be protective against suicidal ideation. Conclusion This study supports findings from other nations regarding suicidal thoughts and alcohol use, and appears to be one of the first to examine risk and protective factors forMD. Health promotion within schools should be introduced to improve students’ feelings of connectedness in combination with communication and education campaigns focusing on parental care and engaging teachers for the promotion of safer, supportive school environments.

Covitality constructs as predictors of psychological well-being and depression for secondary school students'

This study was an examination of the strength of relations among covitality, and its underlying constructs of belief in self, emotional competence, belief in others, and engaged living, and two outcome variables; subjective well-being and depression. Participants included 361 Australian secondary school students (75 males and 286 females) who completed a series of online questionnaires related to positive psychological well-being in adolescents. The results from the first standard multiple regression analysis indicated that higher levels of belief in self, belief in others, and engaged living were significant predictors of increased subjective well-being. The results from the second standard multiple regression showed that higher levels of belief in self, belief in others, and engaged living were significant predictors of decreased feelings of depression. In both standard multiple regression models, the combined effect of the traits that comprise covitality was greater than the effect of each individual positive psychological trait.

Positive psychological strengths and school engagement in primary school children

A sizeable body of research has investigated the impact of specific character strengths or traits on significant outcomes. Some recent research is beginning to consider the effects of groups of strengths, combined as a higher order variable, and termed covitality. This study investigated the combined influence of four positive character traits: gratitude, optimism, zest and persistence, upon school engagement, within a sample of 112 Australian primary school students. The combined effect of these four traits, in defining covitality as a higher or second order factor within a path analysis, was found to predict relatively higher levels of school engagement and pro-social behaviour.

Childhood-as-rescue in the emergence and spread of the U.S. public school

In this volume, the editors have brought together prominent international contributors to examine the relevance of Foucauldian thought on educational theory, practice and institutional life. The result is a diverse collection that offers broad and engaging analyses of how power and knowledge are configured in the practices and norms of schooling. This text not only provides a critical examination of the significance of Foucauldian thought for education, but also discusses how Foucault's theories are arrayed in the everyday life of schools.

The hunt for disability: The new eugenics and the normalization of school children

Examines issues of sameness, difference, equality, and democracy in present public school systems, focusing on the question of (dis)ability and implications of rethinking (dis)ability as an ontological issue before its inscription as an educational one concerning the politics of inclusion. The paper analyzes old and new discourses of eugenics as quality control of national populations. (Contains references.) (SM)

The Australian Nutrition Foundation - Improving the health of school canteens

School canteens represent Australia's largest take-away food outlet. With changes in lifestyles and family roles, canteens are used increasingly as a source of food for students. The nutritional quality of foods offered can have a significant impact on the nutritional status of students both now, and in the future. The Australian Nutrition Foundation has been developing its work in the field of school canteens over the past six years. Perhaps its most significant contribution to improving the health of canteens has been the development of the "Food Selection Guidelines for Children and Adolescents". These Guidelines are used to assess foods most suitable for sale in school canteens and for purchasing food in boarding schools. Products meeting the Guidelines are added to the ANF Registered Product List which school canteens and kitchens use as a type of "buying guide". This project has been successfully piloted in Queensland and this year has been expanded to a national campaign.

Empowering innovative and active citizens: Design education in an Australian independent school

Consumerism is arguably one of the strongest forces affecting society today. Its affect on young people and their ability and desire to create, design, and innovate is cause for concern. It has been suggested that design, when viewed as “a fundamental category of meaning making” (Cope and Kalantzis, 2010, p.597), can be conceived as a “foundational paradigm for representation and action” (Cope and Kalantzis, 2011, p.49). As a component of a general education, it has the capacity to give future generations a framework for collaborative creative and critical thinking required for business innovation, while developing resourceful optimism, motivation, morality and the citizenship needed to develop awareness and resilience to this ideology (Design Commission, 2011; Design Council, 2011). However, to date clearly defined frameworks and empirical data surrounding design education integration in secondary school contexts and its impact on innovation and active citizenship in Australia, is extremely limited. This paper will explore the value of a hands-on and collaborative design-based education model in an independent secondary school environment in Australia and its effect on students’ self- perception, core beliefs, empowered participation and ability to innovate towards sustainability. Following is an overview of relevant literature, the research question, and potential significance and contribution of this research.

Internationalizing school curriculum in Australasia: As niche, by test, or at heart?

Global citizenship has emerged as a pressing curricular priority which all educational systems are currently grappling with. The challenge is to negotiate how this orientation might sit alongside the more traditional mission of mass school curriculum in building collective ballast for a national identity through a common morality and shared narratives, or may conflict with efforts to protect and promote indigenous and minority identities. As a case study of how these agendas interact, this chapter will consider curricular responses to global imperatives in the variegated conditions across the Australasian region (defined as Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea). The chapter will outline recent developments in the social, economic and political contexts surrounding curricular reforms in these settings, and demonstrate how these developments have changed the conditions of possibility and strength of purpose behind efforts to internationalise school curricula. Three types of systemic responses are then described: firstly, an appetite for globally branded curricula such as the International Baccalaureate, Montessori, and Cambridge University Certificates to distinguish some in a stratified market; secondly, convergence in curriculum to improve national performance on international standardised tests; and thirdly, the infusion of cosmopolitan sensibilities, regional identities and intercultural competencies as a core curricular goal for all. The chapter considers the various pragmatic interpretations of ‘internationalisation’ in these responses, and argues that the third response seems both the most difficult to enact, and the most vulnerable to political interference.

Sustainable me - a pharmacist’s role in reducing the carbon footprint of healthcare delivery

Introduction Climate change has been described as the most significant global health threat of the 21st century. Already, negative impacts on human health and wellbeing are being observed. These impacts present enormous challenges for the healthcare sector and the time has come for healthcare professionals to demonstrate leadership in addressing these challenges. Since any unsustainable organizational practices of healthcare organisations may ultimately have a negative impact on human health, there is an implicit moral obligation for these organisations and the people who work in them, to deliver healthcare more sustainably. If one considers that in 2010 pharmaceuticals comprised 22% of the carbon footprint of the NHS England (equating to 4.4 million tonnes of CO2 emissions) and 3% of England’s total carbon footprint (NHS Sustainable Development Unit, 2012), by reducing the carbon footprint of pharmaceuticals used in their healthcare organisations, pharmacists can have a significant impact on reducing the organisation’s total carbon footprint and ultimately on the public’s health. Aims The engagement of pharmacists with sustainability initiatives in the workplace has been largely unreported in international and national pharmacy journals. This paper aims to highlight the important role that pharmacists can play in helping to reduce the carbon footprint of healthcare delivery. Methods Literature was reviewed to identify areas where pharmacists could influence the more sustainable use of pharmaceuticals in their organisations. Discussion Much of the carbon footprint of pharmaceuticals is embedded carbon from their manufacture and delivery. Through efficient inventory management practices, pharmacists can reduce the number of orders and potentially reduce the number of deliveries required. Pharmacists can also help to reduce the amount of pharmaceutical waste generated. Of the waste that is generated, they can help improve the segregation of waste streams to increase the amount of non-contaminated packaging waste that is recycled and reduce the amount of pharmaceutical waste being incinerated or ending up in landfill. Reference NHS Sustainable Development Unit. (2012). Sustainability in the NHS Health Check 2012. NHS Sustainable Development Unit. Cambridge, UK: NHS Sustainable Devlopment Unit.

Visual demands in modern Australian primary school classrooms

BACKGROUND The visual demands of modern classrooms are poorly understood yet are relevant in determining the levels of visual function required to perform optimally within this environment. METHODS Thirty-three Year 5 and 6 classrooms from eight south-east Queensland schools were included. Classroom activities undertaken during a full school day (9 am to 3 pm) were observed and a range of measurements recorded, including classroom environment (physical dimensions, illumination levels), text size and contrast of learning materials, habitual working distances (distance and estimated for near) and time spent performing various classroom tasks. These measures were used to calculate demand-related minimum criteria for distance and near visual acuity, contrast and sustained use of accommodation and vergence. RESULTS The visual acuity demands for distance and near were 0.33 ± 0.13 and 0.72 ± 0.09 logMAR, respectively (using habitual viewing distances and smallest target sizes) or 0.33 ± 0.09 logMAR assuming a 2.5 times acuity reserve for sustained near tasks. The mean contrast levels of learning materials at distance and near were greater than 70 per cent. Near tasks (47 per cent) dominated the academic tasks performed in the classroom followed by distance (29 per cent), distance to near (15 per cent) and computer-based (nine per cent). On average, children engaged in continuous near fixation for 23 ± 5 minutes at a time and during distance-near tasks performed fixation changes 10 ± 1 times per minute. The mean estimated habitual near working distance was 23 ± 1 cm (4.38 ± 0.24 D accommodative demand) and the vergence demand was 0.86 ± 0.07Δ at distance and 21.94 ± 1.09Δ at near assuming an average pupillary distance of 56 mm. CONCLUSIONS Relatively high levels of visual acuity, contrast demand and sustained accommodative-convergence responses are required to meet the requirements of modern classroom environments. These findings provide an evidence base to inform prescribing guidelines and develop paediatric vision screening protocols and referral criteria.

The development and inter-relationship of metacognitive components among primary school children

Much interest has been expressed in the construct metacognition, the individual's knowledge and control of his own cognitive processes. Recent educational proposals have suggested the training of general metacognitive principles in schools. The exact nature of the construct has, however, remained vague. The aim of the present study was to provide some clarity. In a study of the metacognitive responses of 144 primary school children (aged 7‐11 years) four measures commonly used to assess metacognitive function were examined. First, the content of each measure was examined. Secondly, in an attempt to identify a metacognitive factor, commonality among the measures, both of developmental patterns and statistical relationship, was sought. Whilst a common pattern of development in the children's responses to the four measures was identified, factor analysis failed to provide evidence for a common metacognitive factor and unified construct.

The School-Community Integrated Learning pathway: Exploring a new way to prepare and induct final-year preservice teachers

Universities and teacher employment bodies seek new, cost-effective ways for graduating classroom-ready teachers. This study involved 32 final-year preservice teachers in an innovative school-university partnership teacher education program titled, the School-Community Integrated Learning (SCIL) pathway. Data were collected using a five-part Likert scale survey with extended written responses. Survey results showed that preservice teachers involved in the SCIL pathway learnt more about the teaching profession, which extended their usual university coursework. Furthermore, written responses suggested ways for advancing their understandings to ensure preservice teachers receive a quality school experience towards readiness for teaching.