At-Risk High School Students in the “Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness” Program (GEAR UP): Academic and Behavioral Outcomes

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of a GEAR UP intervention with at-risk high school students at a large urban high school in Florida. The goals of the GEAR UP program were to improve academic performance, decrease behavior-related problems, and reduce truancy and absenteeism. The study design consisted of a three-group comparison of the 447 students in GEAR UP: the No Participation Group, the Low Participation Group, and the High Participation Group. Participation levels were calculated for each category of activity (academic, behavior-related, and social), and propensity scoring was used to match the groups on sociodemographic characteristics and other differentiating variables. Results indicated that race (i.e., African American) and sex (i.e., female) are associated with high participation in program activities. Also, students who spent a substantial amount of time on academic activities improved their GPAs over a semester, and students who took advantage of behavior-related services and participated in social activities significantly reduced disciplinary referrals (p < .05). Suggestions for program refinement resulting from the study are discussed. Editors' Strategic Implications: These findings should be helpful to educators, practitioners, and researchers as they attempt to understand which program components contribute to observed outcomes, how these components affect at-risk students, and what groups of students require more intense intervention. The GEAR UP results are promising but await replication and long-term follow-up.     

Clustering of Internet Risk Behaviors in a Middle School Student Population

BACKGROUND: Internet safety is a growing public concern especially among adults and youth who live in an "instant messaging" world of technological communication. To better understand how early adolescents are using the Internet, a study was undertaken to more clearly identify the online general use, safety knowledge, and risk behaviors of middle school students.
METHODS: This exploratory study adapted from Finkelhor et al's (2000) Youth Internet Safety Survey to identify the usage and characteristics of online youth, solicitation of youth, and searching for pornography or delinquent behaviors. The 404 students who were recruited from public and parochial schools consisted of both boys and girls with a mean age 12 years.
RESULTS: These students reported the beginnings of high-risk Internet behavior, specifically, giving out personal information, using the Internet to harass or embarrass another person, and for a small number of students, chatting with strangers and starting relationships. The students who posted their picture online were more likely to have sent their picture to someone, made rude comments to others, played online jokes, harassed or embarrassed someone, and sought out pornographic sites.
CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that middle school students who are early adolescents are beginning risky behaviors on the Internet. Risk-taking behavior is not unique to adolescents, but the consequences can be detrimental to their development. Educators, clinicians, health care providers, and other professionals need to be informed of Internet behaviors in order to assess for children at risk, to make referrals, intervene, and to educate parents.     

胸腺内注射可溶性异基因主要组织相容性复合物抗原诱导皮肤移植特异性耐受

用３ｍｏｌ／ＬＫＣｌ从Ｃ５７ＢＬ／６小鼠脾细胞提取可溶性主要组织相容性复合物（ＭＨＣ）抗原，注射到ＢＡＬＢ／Ｃ受体鼠胸腺内，诱导了成年小鼠对该异基因小鼠皮肤移植物的耐受。除在胸腺注射当天及第３天给予抗Ｔ细胞单克隆抗体外，不使用免疫抑制剂。实验组移植皮肤平均存活时间（ＭＳＴ）为８３天，对照组ＭＳＴ为１１天。诱导耐受的小鼠对第３供体的移植皮肤仍正常排斥（ＭＳＴ为１２天）。单向混合淋巴细胞反应，耐受小鼠脾脏淋巴细胞对特异供体的脾细胞无反应，对第３供体的脾细胞反应正常，对丝裂原刺激的增殖反应正常。显示诱导的耐受是供体特异性的，无非特异性免疫抑制。     

IFN-γ基因转染膀胱癌瘤苗诱导的特异性抗肿瘤免疫反应

探讨转ＩＦＮγ基因膀胱癌瘤苗的可行性。采用脂质体介导法将携带鼠ＩＦＮγ基因的逆转录病毒载体转染入鼠膀胱癌细胞系ＢＴＴ７３９中，免疫荧光法检测转基因细胞ＭＨＣＩ类抗原表达；动物实验观察其致瘤性和抗肿瘤免疫功能。结果显示：建立能自分泌ＩＦＮγ的膀胱癌瘤苗ＢＴＴ７３９／ＩＦＮγ，瘤苗细胞ＭＨＣＩ类抗原表达量明显增加，致癌性显著降低，并可诱导机体产生特异性抗肿瘤免疫，ＣＤ＋８Ｔ淋巴细胞在抗肿瘤免疫过程中起重要作用。结果证明：转ＩＦＮγ基因膀胱癌瘤苗可诱导机体产生特异性抗肿瘤免疫反应