The international evidence on the prevention of drug and alcohol use Summary and examples of implementation in England

The United Nations Office of Drug Control (UNODC) published ‘International Standards on Drug Use Prevention’ in 2013. The Standards were developed through a systematic assessment of the international evidence on prevention and they provide a summary of the available scientific evidence. The briefing provides a summary of the UNODC prevention standards and gives corresponding examples of relevant UK guidelines,programmes and interventions currently available in England. Its aim is to help people who commission, develop and implement prevention strategies and interventions to translate the standards into the English operating landscape. It also aims to support local authority commissioners to develop their prevention strategies and implement them in line with evidence.  

Growing up in a bubble: using germ-free animals to assess the influence of the gut microbiota on brain and behavior

There is a growing recognition of the importance of the commensal intestinal microbiota in the development and later function of the central nervous system. Research using germ-free mice (mice raised without any exposure to microorganisms) has provided some of the most persuasive evidence for a role of these bacteria in gut-brain signalling. Key findings show that the microbiota is necessary for normal stress responsivity, anxiety-like behaviors, sociability, and cognition. Furthermore, the microbiota maintains central nervous system homeostasis by regulating immune function and blood brain barrier integrity. Studies have also found that the gut microbiota influences neurotransmitter, synaptic, and neurotrophic signalling systems and neurogenesis. The principle advantage of the germ-free mouse model is in proof-of-principle studies and that a complete microbiota or defined consortiums of bacteria can be introduced at various developmental time points. However, a germ-free upbringing can induce permanent neurodevelopmental deficits that may deem the model unsuitable for specific scientific queries that do not involve early-life microbial deficiency. As such, alternatives and complementary strategies to the germ-free model are warranted and include antibiotic treatment to create microbiota-deficient animals at distinct time points across the lifespan. Increasing our understanding of the impact of the gut microbiota on brain and behavior has the potential to inform novel management strategies for stress-related gastrointestinal and neuropsychiatric disorders.

Second Report of the Working Group on Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Services

Second Report of the Working Group on Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Services The Minister for Health and Children established a Working Group on Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in June 2000 with the following terms of reference:·  To examine the current state of child and adolescent psychiatric services in the country; ·  To carry out a needs analysis of the population aged 0-18 years for such services and to identify shortcomings in meeting such needs; ·  To make recommendations on how child and adolescent psychiatric services should be developed in the short, medium and long term to meet identified needs. Click here to download PDF 58kb

Meeting of the special committee on new arrangements

Meeting of the special committee on new arrangements (3 copies of 1 page, printed). This has John I. Mackenzie listed on the bottom of the page. Copies 2 and 3 are torn at the bottom. This affects the text slightly, Aug. 23, 1881.

Report from the annual meeting of the shareholders held on June 1, 1886 regarding shares

Report from the annual meeting of the shareholders held on June 1, 1886 regarding shares (copy of 1 handwritten page). The board of directors also met and new directors were named. This is signed by Louis N. Hayne, secretary, June 7, 1886.

Report from the annual meeting of the shareholders held on June 1, 1886 in which amendments and field rules and regulations were made

Report from the annual meeting of the shareholders held on June 1, 1886 in which amendments and field rules and regulations were made (copy of 1 handwritten page). This is signed by Louis N. Hayne, secretary, June 7, 1886.