Standard Deviation vs. Gini Coefficient: Effects of Different Indicators of Classroom Status Hierarchy on Bullying Behavior.

Classroom status hierarchy (the degree to which popularity is unequally distributed in a classroom) has often been examined as a predictor of bullying. Although most research has relied on an operationalization of status hierarchy as the classroom standard deviation (SD) of popularity, other fields (e.g., sociology, economics) have typically measured resource inequality using the Gini coefficient. This multilevel study examines the concurrent and prospective associations of both status hierarchy indicators (referred to as SD-hierarchy and Gini-hierarchy) with peer-reported bullying, controlling for key variables (i.e., the structure of the classroom status hierarchy, average classroom level of popularity). The final sample included 3017 students (45.3% self-identified as a boy; T1 Mage = 13.04, SD = 1.73, approximately 93% born in Finland) from 209 classrooms. Concurrently, classroom SD-hierarchy was positively, linearly associated with bullying, whereas there was a curvilinear (inverted U) association between Gini-hierarchy and bullying. No significant longitudinal associations were found. The findings suggest that Gini-hierarchy provides unique information beyond the SD-hierarchy.

Do Adolescents Adopt the Prosocial Behaviors of the Classmates They Like? A Social Network Analysis on Prosocial Contagion.

While the influence of high-status peers on maladaptive behaviors is well-documented, socialization processes of prosocial behavior through high-status peers remain understudied. This study examined whether adolescents' prosocial behavior was influenced by the prosocial behavior of the peers they liked and whether this effect was stronger when the peers they liked were also well-liked by their classmates. Three waves of data, six months apart, were collected among Chilean early adolescents who completed peer nominations and ratings at Time 1 (n = 294, Mage = 13.29, SD = 0.62; 55.1% male), Time 2 (n = 282), and Time 3 (n = 275). Longitudinal social network analyses showed that adolescents adopted the prosocial behavior of the classmates they liked - especially if these classmates were well-liked by peers in general. In addition, adolescents low in likeability were more susceptible to this influence than adolescents high in likeability. The influence resulted both in increases and - especially - decreases in prosocial behavior, depending on the level of prosociality of the liked peer. Findings suggest that likeability represents an important aspect of peer status that may be crucial for understanding the significance of peer influence with respect to prosocial behaviors during adolescence. Pre-Registration: https://osf.io/u4pxm .

Very Low Dose Anti-Thymocyte Globulins Versus Basiliximab in Non-Immunized Kidney Transplant Recipients.

The choice between Basiliximab (BSX) or Anti-Thymocyte Globulin (ATG) as induction therapy in non-immunized kidney transplant recipients remains uncertain. Whilst ATG may allow steroid withdrawal and a decrease in tacrolimus, it also increases infectious complications. We investigated outcomes in non-immunized patients receiving a very low dosage of ATG versus BSX as induction. Study outcomes were patient/graft survival, cumulative probabilities of biopsy proven acute rejection (BPAR), infectious episode including CMV and post-transplant diabetes (PTD). Cox, logistic or linear statistical models were used depending on the studied outcome and models were weighted on propensity scores. 100 patients received ATG (mean total dose of 2.0 mg/kg) and 83 received BSX. Maintenance therapy was comparable. Patient and graft survival did not differ between groups, nor did infectious complications. There was a trend for a higher occurrence of a first BPAR in the BSX group (HR at 1.92; 95%CI: [0.77; 4.78]; p = 0.15) with a significantly higher BPAR episodes (17% vs 7.3%, p = 0.01). PTD occurrence was significantly higher in the BSX group (HR at 2.44; 95%CI: [1.09; 5.46]; p = 0.03). Induction with a very low dose of ATG in non-immunized recipients was safe and associated with a lower rate of BPAR and PTD without increasing infectious complications.

Primary Graft Function and 5 Year Insulin Independence After Pancreas and Islet Transplantation for Type 1 Diabetes: A Retrospective Parallel Cohort Study.

In islet transplantation (ITx), primary graft function (PGF) or beta cell function measured early after last infusion is closely associated with long term clinical outcomes. We investigated the association between PGF and 5 year insulin independence rate in ITx and pancreas transplantation (PTx) recipients. This retrospective multicenter study included type 1 diabetes patients who underwent ITx in Lille and PTx in Nantes from 2000 to 2022. PGF was assessed using the validated Beta2-score and compared to normoglycemic control subjects. Subsequently, the 5 year insulin independence rates, as predicted by a validated PGF-based model, were compared to the actual rates observed in ITx and PTx patients. The study enrolled 39 ITx (23 ITA, 16 IAK), 209 PTx recipients (23 PTA, 14 PAK, 172 SPK), and 56 normoglycemic controls. Mean[SD] PGF was lower after ITx (ITA 22.3[5.2], IAK 24.8[6.4], than after PTx (PTA 38.9[15.3], PAK 36.8[9.0], SPK 38.7[10.5]), and lower than mean beta-cell function measured in normoglycemic control: 36.6[4.3]. The insulin independence rates observed at 5 years after PTA and PAK aligned with PGF predictions, and was higher after SPK. Our results indicate a similar relation between PGF and 5 year insulin independence in ITx and solitary PTx, shedding new light on long-term transplantation outcomes.

Peer victimization and empathy for victims of bullying: A test of bidirectional associations in childhood and adolescence.

Anti-bullying interventions often assume that knowing how it feels to be bullied increases empathy for victims. However, longitudinal research on actual experiences of bullying and empathy is lacking. This study investigated whether within-person changes in victimization predicted changes in empathy over 1 year using random-intercept cross-lagged panel models. Self- and peer-reported victimization, and cognitive and affective empathy for victims were measured in a sample of 15,713 Finnish youth (Mage  = 13.23, SDage  = 2.01, 51.6% female; 92.5% had Finnish-speaking parents; data was collected in 2007-2009 when information about participants' race/ethnicity was not available due to ethical guidelines for the protection of personal information). Results indicated small, positive longitudinal associations from victimization to cognitive empathy. Implications for empathy-raising interventions are discussed.

Does defending victimized peers put youth at risk of being victimized?

Defending peers who have been bullied is often thought to put defenders at risk of becoming victimized themselves. The study investigated the concurrent and prospective associations between defending and (peer- and self-reported) victimization, and examined popularity and classroom norms as potential moderators. Participants included 4085 Finnish youth (43.9% boys; Mage  = 14.56, SD = .75; 97% born in Finland). Concurrently, defending was positively associated with self-reported victimization in classrooms with high bullying-popularity norms (b = .28, SE = .16). Defending was negatively associated with peer-reported victimization in classrooms with high defending-popularity norms (b = -.07, SE = .03). Defending was not significantly associated with future victimization, suggesting that it is generally not a risk factor for victimization.

Is there really a healthy context paradox for victims of bullying? A longitudinal test of bidirectional within-and between-person associations between victimization and psychological problems.

The finding that victims' psychological problems tend to be exacerbated in lower-victimization classrooms has been referred to as the "healthy context paradox." The current study has put the healthy context paradox to a strict test by examining whether classroom-level victimization moderates bidirectional within- and between-person associations between victimization and psychological adjustment. Across one school year, 3,470 Finnish 4th to 9th graders (Mage = 13.16, 46.1% boys) reported their victimization, depressive symptoms, anxiety, and self-esteem. Three types of multilevel models (cross-lagged panel, latent change score, and random-intercept cross-lagged panel) were estimated for each indicator of psychological adjustment. Findings indicated that the healthy context paradox emerges because classroom-level victimization moderates the prospective effect of victimization on psychological problems, rather than the effect of psychological problems on victimization. In classrooms with lower victimization, victims not only experience worse psychological maladjustment over time compared to others (between-person changes), but also higher maladjustment than before (absolute within-person changes).

Does defending affect adolescents' peer status, or vice versa? Testing the moderating effects of empathy, gender, and anti-bullying norms.

This study examined bidirectional associations between students' bully-directed defending behavior and their peer status (being liked or popular) and tested for the moderating role of empathy, gender, and classroom anti-bullying norms. Three waves of data were collected at 4-5-month time intervals among 3680 Finnish adolescents (Mage = 13.94, 53.0% girls). Cross-lagged panel analyses showed that defending positively predicted popularity and, to a larger degree, being liked over time. No moderating effect of empathy was found. Popularity was more strongly predictive of defending, and defending was more strongly predictive of status among girls than among boys. Moreover, the positive effects of both types of status on defending were-albeit to a limited extent-stronger in classrooms with higher anti-bullying norms.

Effects of the KiVa Anti-Bullying Program on Affective and Cognitive Empathy in Children and Adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: As empathy is an important predictor of both bullying and defending behavior, many anti-bullying interventions aim to increase empathy among students. However, little is known on whether these interventions enhance both affective and cognitive empathy, and whether some students are more responsive than others to empathy-raising efforts. This study examined the effects of the Finnish anti-bullying program KiVa on changes in self-reported affective and cognitive empathy and tested whether these effects varied depending on students' gender, initial levels of empathy, peer-reported bullying, and peer-perceived popularity, as well as school type (primary versus secondary school) and classroom bullying norms. METHOD: Multilevel structural equation modeling analyses were conducted on pretest and posttest (1 year later) data from a sample of 15,403 children and adolescents (Mage = 13.4; 51.5% girls) in 399 control and 462 intervention classrooms from 140 schools participating in the evaluation of KiVa in 2007-2009. RESULTS: KiVa had a positive effect on affective empathy, but not cognitive empathy. The effects of the program on both types of empathy did not depend on students' gender, initial levels of empathy, bullying, or popularity, nor on school type or classroom bullying norms. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that KiVa can raise students' affective empathy regardless of students' gender, status, initial empathy, or levels of bullying, and regardless of school type or classroom bullying norms.

Intention to Stop Bullying following a Condemning, Empathy-Raising, or Combined Message from a Teacher - Do Students' Empathy and Callous-Unemotional Traits Matter?

Knowing which intervention strategies work best and for which student is essential for teachers when they intervene in cases of bullying. The effects of teachers' (1) condemning, (2) empathy-raising, and (3) combined (including elements of both) messages on students' intention to stop bullying were tested in a between-subject experimental design. A total of 277 seventh grade students (Mage = 12.93, SD = 0.49; 47% female) were asked to imagine they had bullied a peer and were invited to a discussion with a teacher. They saw a video vignette with one of the above messages. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that students' intention to stop bullying was highest among those who saw the combined message. Callous-unemotional traits were negatively, and affective and cognitive empathy positively associated with intention to stop bullying. Students' level of cognitive empathy moderated the relative effect of the condemning message on intention to stop bullying. At low levels of cognitive empathy, the condemning message was the least effective, whereas among those with high cognitive empathy, all messages were equally likely to lead to intention to stop bullying. Together, the findings suggest that for educators intervening in bullying among adolescents, an approach involving both condemning and empathy-raising messages is the 'best bet', most likely to lead to intention to stop bullying.

Bidirectional Associations of Prosocial Behavior with Peer Acceptance and Rejection in Adolescence.

As most studies on the link between peer status and prosocial behavior are cross-sectional, conducted with children, and operationalize status as the difference between acceptance and rejection, it remains unclear whether peer acceptance and rejection are consequences or prerequisites of prosocial behavior in adolescence. To fill this gap, this study examines the bidirectional associations of prosocial behavior with peer acceptance and peer rejection with data collected at 3 time points, 6 months apart, in a sample of 660 early Chilean adolescents (M = 12.94, SD = 0.62; 55.1% boys). Cross-lagged panel analyses showed that prosocial behavior positively predicted future peer acceptance, whereas peer acceptance had no significant effect on future prosocial behavior. The association between rejection and prosocial behavior was negative and bidirectional between Time 1 and Time 2. When a new academic year began, between Time 2 and Time 3, prosocial behavior negatively predicted rejection, whereas rejection in the previous grade level was positively associated with prosocial behavior at the beginning of the next grade. Multi-group panel analyses did not detect significant differences between boys and girls in the cross-lagged associations of prosociality with peer acceptance and peer rejection. The results suggest that acting prosocially can make adolescents better liked by their peers and highlight the possible importance of the transition to a new academic year for the prosocial behavior of previously rejected students. Implications for future research on peer relations are discussed.

Clinical utility of C-peptide measurement after pancreas transplantation with especial focus on early graft thrombosis.

Since the beginning of our pancreas transplant programme, plasma C-peptide was routinely measured daily during the postoperative period. We aimed to evaluate the clinical interest of the C-peptide in the follow-up of pancreas transplantation with a particular look on early graft failure. From 2000 to 2016, 384 pancreas transplantations were evaluated. We collected and compared C-peptide, glycaemia and adjusted C-peptide (aCP; calculated based on C-peptide, glycaemia and creatininaemia) in patients with and without pancreas failure within 30 days after surgery. Variations of glycaemia, C-peptide and aCP between the day before and the day of failure were also recorded. The difference of aCP was significant during the first week after transplantation between patients with thrombosis and those with functional allograft: 63.2 vs. 26.7 on day 1, P = 0.0003; 61.4 vs. 26.7 on day 3, P < 0.0001; 64.8 vs. 5.7 on day 7, P < 0.0001, respectively. Glycaemia had a median increase of 8% on the day of failure, whereas C-peptide and aCP had, respectively, a median decrease of 88% and 83%. C-peptide monitoring after pancreas transplantation may help to identify graft function and early failure. This sensitive biomarker could allow pre-emptive diagnosis of an early thrombotic event allowing the possibility of rescue interventions.

Resurgence of BK virus following Covid-19 in kidney transplant recipients.

Kidney transplant recipients have been supposed vulnerable to severe Covid-19 infection, due to their comorbidities and immunosuppressive therapies. Mild-term complications of Covid-19 are currently unknown, especially in this population. Herein, we report two cases of BKV replication after non-severe SARS-CoV-2 infection. The first case was a 59-year-old man, transplanted 3 months ago, with recent history of slight BKV viremia (3.3 log10 DNA copies/ml). Despite strong reduction of maintenance immunosuppression (interruption of mycophenolic acid and important decrease of calcineurin inhibitors), BKV replication largely increased after Covid-19 and viremia persisted at 4.5 log copy/ml few months later. The second case was a 53-year-old woman, transplanted 15 years ago. She had a recent history of BKV cystitis, which resolved with a decrease of MPA dosage. Few weeks after SARS-CoV-2 infection, she presented recurrence of lower urinary tract symptoms. Our reports highlight that SARS-CoV-2 infection, even without severity, could disrupt immune system and particularly lymphocytes, thus leading to viral replication. Monitoring of viral replications after Covid-19 in kidney transplant recipients could permit to confirm these preliminary observations.

Bullying Prevention in Adolescence: Solutions and New Challenges from the Past Decade.

Bullying among youth at school continues to be a global challenge. Being exposed to bullying may be especially hurtful in adolescence, a vulnerable period during which both peer group belonging and status become key concerns. In the current review, we first summarize the effectiveness of the solutions that were offered a decade ago in the form of anti-bullying programs. We proceed by highlighting some intriguing challenges concomitant to, or emerging from these solutions, focusing especially on their relevance during adolescence. These challenges are related to (1) the relatively weak, and highly variable effects of anti-bullying programs, (2) the complex associations among bullying, victimization, and social status, (3) the questions raised regarding the beneficial (or possibly iatrogenic) effects of peer defending, and (4) the healthy context paradox, that is, the phenomenon of remaining or emerging victims being worse off in contexts where the average levels of victimization decrease. We end by providing some suggestions for the next decade of research in the area of bullying prevention among adolescents.

Different Approaches to Address Bullying in KiVa Schools: Adherence to Guidelines, Strategies Implemented, and Outcomes Obtained.

We examined the extent to which school personnel implementing the KiVa® antibullying program in Finland during 2009-2015 systematically employed the program-recommended approaches (confronting or non-confronting), used one or the other depending on the bullying case (case-specific approach), or used their own adaptation when talking to perpetrators of bullying, and whether they organized follow-up meetings after such discussions. In addition to investigating adherence to program guidelines, we tested how effective these different approaches were in stopping bullying. Finally, we tested the contribution of follow-up meetings and the number of years KiVa had been implemented in a school to the effectiveness of the interventions, using reports from both school personnel and victimized students. The data were collected annually across 6 years via online questionnaires and included responses from 1221 primary and secondary schools. The school personnel were more likely to use the confronting approach than the non-confronting approach. Over time, rather than sticking to the two program-recommended approaches, they made adaptations (e.g., combining the two; using their own approach). Two-level regression analyses indicated that the discussions were equally effective, according to both personnel and victimized students, when the confronting, non-confronting, or a case-specific approach had been used. The discussions were less effective when the personnel used their own adaptation or could not specify the method used. Perceived effectiveness was higher in primary school and when follow-up meetings were organized systematically after each intervention, but unrelated to the number of years KiVa had been implemented.

Tacrolimus- versus sirolimus-based immunosuppression after simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplantation: 5-year results of a randomized trial.

Tacrolimus, the cornerstone immunosuppression after simultaneous pancreas and -kidney (SPK) transplantation, may exert nephrotoxic and diabetogenic effects. We therefore prospectively compared in an open-label, randomized, monocentric, 5-year follow-up study, a tacrolimus- and a sirolimus-based immunosuppressive regimen. Randomization using the block method allowing a blind allocation was done at the time of surgery. All patients received anti-thymocyte globulin and maintenance therapy with tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, and steroids. At month 3, tacrolimus was continued or replaced by sirolimus. The primary endpoint was kidney and pancreas graft survival at 1 and 5 years. Fifty patients were included in the final analysis in each group. At 1 year, differences for kidney and pancreas graft survival between sirolimus and tacrolimus were 0% (90% confidence interval -4.61% to 4.61%) and 6% (90% confidence interval -6.32% to 18.32%), respectively. There was no difference in renal and pancreas graft survival at 5 years. Thirty-four patients (68%) in the sirolimus group vs three (6%) in the tacrolimus group needed definitive withdrawal of the study drug. Despite noninferiority of sirolimus compared to tacrolimus for kidney and pancreas graft survival, the high rate of sirolimus discontinuation does not favor its use as cornerstone therapy after SPK transplantation (NCT00693446).

Classroom Status Hierarchy Moderates the Association between Social Dominance Goals and Bullying Behavior in Middle Childhood and Early Adolescence.

Social dominance goals represent desires to be powerful and prominent among peers. Previous studies have documented that endorsing social dominance goals is positively associated with bullying behavior. However, little is known about how classroom context moderates the social dominance goals-bullying association. The present study examined the role of classroom status hierarchy in the longitudinal association between social dominance goals and bullying in a sample of 1,603 children attending 17 grade 3 classrooms (n = 558, 46.2% girls, Mage = 9.33 years, SD = 0.44), 15 grade 4 classrooms (n = 491, 45.0% girls, Mage = 10.31 years, SD = 0.38) and 16 grade 7 classrooms (n = 554, 49.3% girls, Mage = 13.2 years, SD = 0.46) in China, followed for 1 year. Classroom peer status hierarchy was assessed by the within-classroom standard deviation in perceived popularity. Social dominance goals were obtained through self-reports. Bullying was measured via peer nomination. The multilevel models revealed that social dominance goals at Wave 1 predicted increases in bullying at Wave 2 only in classrooms with higher status hierarchies, after controlling for gender, grade, classroom size, and classroom gender distribution. These findings indicate that children who strive for social dominance goals are more likely to bully others when power is less equally distributed in the classroom.

Classroom Popularity Hierarchy Predicts Prosocial and Aggressive Popularity Norms Across the School Year.

This study examined the coevolution of prosocial and aggressive popularity norms with popularity hierarchy (asymmetries in students' popularity). Cross-lagged-panel analyses were conducted on 2,843 secondary school students (Nclassrooms  = 120; Mage  = 13.18; 51.3% girls). Popularity hierarchy predicted relative change in popularity norms over time, but not vice versa. Specifically, classrooms with few highly popular and many unpopular students increased in aggressive popularity norms at the beginning of the school year and decreased in prosocial popularity norms at the end of the year. Also, strong within-classroom asymmetries in popularity predicted relatively higher aggressive popularity norms. These findings may indicate that hierarchical contexts elicit competition for popularity, with high aggression and low prosocial behavior being seen as valuable tools to achieve popularity.