A Cross-Country Network Analysis of Adolescent Resilience

PurposeIn situations of adversity, young people draw on individual, relational, and contextual (community and cultural) resources to foster their resilience. Recent literature defines resilience as a capacity that is underpinned by a network of interrelated resources. Although empirical studies show evidence of the value of a network approach, little is known regarding how different country contexts influence which resources are most critical within a resource network and how resources interact for adolescent resilience.MethodsNetwork analysis was conducted with data from studies that had used the Child and Youth Resilience Measure. Regularized partial correlation networks of 17 resources were estimated for 14 countries (Botswana, Canada, China, Colombia, Equatorial Guinea, India, Indonesia, Italy, Jordan, New Zealand, the Philippines, Romania, South Africa, and Syrian refugees living in Jordan). The sample size was 18,914 (mean age = 15.70 years, 48.8% female).ResultsWe observed mostly positive associations between the resources of interest. The salience and strength of associations between resources varied by country. The most central resource across countries was having supportive caregivers during stressful times because this resource had the most and strongest positive associations with other resources.ConclusionsThis study gives first empirical evidence from multiple countries that an interplay of social–ecological resources (such as individual skills, peer, caregiver and community support, and educational aspirations and opportunities) matter for adolescent resilience. Across countries, caregiver support appears to be most central for adolescent resilience. Future resilience interventions might apply this network approach to identify important, contextually relevant resources that likely foster additional resources.     

Trachyspermum ammi L. (Carom) Oil Induces Alterations in SOD-3, GST-4 Expression and Prolongs Lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India Section B: Biological Sciences - The use of herbs in the form of dietary supplements and medicine is fascinating the world, owing to their...     

Rh phenotype,allele and haplotype frequencies among 51,857 blood donors in North India

Background

This study was performed to provide information on the frequencies of Rh antigens, alleles, phenotypes, and haplotypes from our region in India and to compare them with those from other races.

Materials and methods

This observational study was conducted on blood donors from March 2009 to August 2011 using a fully automated system for Rh typing of blood cells. The data were collected and calculations done to determine the antigen, phenotypes, allele and haplotype frequencies. The chi square test was used for comparisons between the results of our study and those of other studies.

Results

A total of 51,857 donors were included in this study. The most common Rh antigen found was “e”. DCCee was the most prevalent phenotype in our study with the phenotype distribution being significantly different between our study and other studies from different regions of the world.

Discussion

We have determined the prevalence of Rh antigens and Rh phenotypes in the North Indian blood donor population and derived the allele and haplotype frequencies in the same population. The Rh blood group distribution in this population was different from that in other populations.     

Preoperative therapy in locally advanced esophageal cancer

Esophageal cancer is an aggressive malignancy associated with dismal treatment outcomes. Presence of two distinct histopathological types distinguishes it from other gastrointestinal tract malignancies. Surgery is the cornerstone of treatment in locally advanced esophageal cancer(T2 or greater or node positive); however, a high rate of disease recurrence(systemic and loco-regional) and poor survival justifies a continued search for optimal therapy. Various combinations of multimodality treatment(preoperative/perioperative, or postoperative; radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or chemoradiotherapy) are being explored to lower disease recurrence and improve survival. Preoperative therapy followed by surgery is presently considered the standard of care in resectable locally advanced esophageal cancer as postoperative treatment may not be feasible for all the patients due to the morbidity of esophagectomy and prolonged recovery time limiting the tolerance of patient. There are wide variations in the preoperative therapy practiced across the centres depending upon the institutional practices, availability of facilities and personal experiences. There is paucity of literature to standardize the preoperative therapy. Broadly, chemoradiotherapy is the preferred neo-adjuvant modality in western countries whereas chemotherapy alone is considered optimal in the far East. The present review highlights the significant studies to assist in opting for the best evidence based preoperative therapy(radiotherapy, chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy) for locally advanced esophageal cancer.