Fitness costs of Tn1546-type transposons harboring the vanA operon by plasmid type and structural diversity in Enterococcus faecium.

BACKGROUND: This study analyzed the genetic traits and fitness costs of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) blood isolates carrying Tn1546-type transposons harboring the vanA operon. METHODS: All E. faecium blood isolates were collected from eight general hospitals in South Korea during one-year study period. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing and vanA and vanB PCR were performed. Growth rates of E. faecium isolates were determined. The vanA-positive isolates were subjected to whole genome sequencing and conjugation experiments. RESULTS: Among 308 E. faecium isolates, 132 (42.9%) were positive for vanA. All Tn1546-type transposons harboring the vanA operon located on the plasmids, but on the chromosome in seven isolates. The plasmids harboring the vanA operon were grouped into four types; two types of circular, nonconjugative plasmids (Type A, n = 50; Type B, n = 46), and two types of putative linear, conjugative plasmids (Type C, n = 16; Type D, n = 5). Growth rates of vanA-positive E. faecium isolates were significantly lower than those of vanA-negative isolates (P < 0.001), and reduction in growth rate under vancomycin pressure was significantly larger in isolates harboring putative linear plasmids than in those harboring circular plasmids (P = 0.020). CONCLUSIONS: The possession of vanA operon was costly to bacterial hosts in antimicrobial-free environment, which provide evidence for the importance of reducing vancomycin pressure for prevention of VREfm dissemination. Fitness burden to bacterial hosts was varied by type and size of the vanA operon-harboring plasmid.

Exploring self-care practices of African American informal kinship caregivers.

African American caregivers providing informal kinship care are vulnerable to chronic stress. Research has indicated stress increases individuals' risk for many adverse physical and mental health outcomes, including cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease and depression. Given the adverse outcomes related to stress, identifying mechanisms to help these caregivers lower and manage their stress is critical to their overall health and well-being. This pilot qualitative study aimed to explore the self-care practices of 12 African Americans providing informal kinship care using a phenomenological approach. Three themes emerged: (a) behaviours to manage stress levels, (b) support network reminding caregivers to take care of themselves and (c) prioritizing my own needs. Specifically, our findings indicate that some caregivers have high-stress levels and engage in maladaptive coping behaviours. The children they cared for reminded them to take care of themselves by attending doctors' appointments or getting their nails done. Nevertheless, some caregivers prioritized their needs by participating in positive self-care behaviours, such as listening to jazz and gospel music and exercising. Prevention and intervention programs that focus on improving caregivers' health should consider the role of self-care practices.

Basic moral sensitivity, moral disengagement, and defender self-efficacy as predictors of students' self-reported bystander behaviors over a school year: a growth curve analysis.

Though school children tend to view peer victimization as morally wrong most do not to intervene on the victim's behalf and some instead choose to aid the victimizer. The aim of this longitudinal study was to investigate how students' defending and pro-aggressive bystander behaviors evolved over the course of one school year and their association to basic moral sensitivity, moral disengagement, and defender self-efficacy. Three-hundred-fifty-three upper elementary school students (55% girls; 9.9-12.9 years of age) each completed self-report surveys at three points during one school year. Results from latent growth curve models showed that pro-aggressive bystander behavior remained stable over the year, whereas defending behavior decreased. Moreover, students who exhibited greater basic moral sensitivity were both less likely to be pro-aggressive and simultaneously more likely to defend. Students with defender self-efficacy were not only associated with more defending behavior at baseline but also were also less likely to decrease in defender behavior over time. Conversely, students reporting a higher degree of moral disengagement were linked to more pro-aggressive behavior, particularly when also reporting lower basic moral sensitivity. These short-term longitudinal results add important insight into the change in bystander behavior over time and how it relates to students' sense of morality. The results also highlight the practical necessity for schools to nurture students' sense of morality and prosocial behavior in their efforts to curb peer victimization.

Do caring teachers protect African American youth with adverse adolescent experiences from risky behaviors?

The current study aims to fill the existing research gaps by investigating the role of teacher care in protecting African American adolescents in under-resourced neighborhoods from negative outcomes of adverse life events. The study included 638 adolescents from four under-resourced neighborhoods in Chicago's Southside who were assessed to determine the moderating role of caring teachers on the relationship between adverse adolescent experiences and risky sexual behaviors, substance use, bullying perpetration, and violent behaviors. Caring teachers had a significant moderating effect on the association between adverse experiences and both bullying perpetration and violent behaviors. Adolescents who perceived their teachers as caring showed lower tendencies towards bullying and violence, even if they had adverse experiences. These results highlight the crucial role of teacher care in supporting African American adolescents from under-resourced neighborhoods who have experienced adverse life events. It emphasizes educators' role in shaping our youth's future, especially those facing adversity and at a crossroads in their lives.

Despite adverse life events, adolescents who perceived their teachers as caring were less at risk of engaging in bullying and violence. Caring teachers are especially important for African American adolescents in under-resourced neighborhoods.

The Distribution of Carbapenem-Resistant Acinetobacter Species and High Prevalence of CC92 OXA-23-Producing Acinetobacter Baumannii in Community Hospitals in South Korea.

Background: Clinical isolates of Acinetobacter species in South Korea are continuously exhibiting high rates of antimicrobial resistance to carbapenems, indicating that there are public health concerns among both healthcare-associated infections and community-associated infections. The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence and characteristics of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter isolates originating from community hospitals. Materials and Methods: A total of 817 non-duplicated Acinetobacter species were isolated from December 2022 to July 2023 at long-term care facilities and general hospitals in 16 regions geographically distributed throughout South Korea. Bacterial identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing were performed using the VITEK-2 system. The bacteria were identified as Acinetobacter baumannii by blaOXA-51 PCR and as non-baumannii Acinetobacter species by rpoB sequence analysis. The carbapenem resistance genes (OXA-23, OXA-48, OXA-58, IMP, VIM, NDM, GES, and KPC) were identified via PCR and sequencing. The genetic relatedness of carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii (CRAB) isolates was assessed by multilocus sequence typing. Results: A total of 659 A. baumannii and 158 non-baumannii Acinetobacter isolates, comprising 19 different species, were identified in all 16 regions. The carbapenem resistance rate was 87.4% (n=576) for the A. baumannii isolates, and all the strains produced blaOXA-23. For non-baumannii Acinetobacter, the rate of carbapenem resistance was 8.9% (n=14); this resistance was primarily caused by blaOXA-23 (n=9), followed by blaNDM-1 (n=3) and blaVIM-2 (n=2). Of the 576 CRAB isolates, clonal complex 92 (CC92) was the predominant genotypes, followed by sequence type 229 (ST229), ST373, ST397, ST447, and ST620. Conclusion: Our results showed the distribution of Acinetobacter species and showed that CC92 CRAB clinical isolates with widespread production of blaOXA-23 were predominant in community hospitals. Our findings suggest that there is a need for urgent and effective methods to reduce carbapenem resistance in A. baumannii in South Korea.

How receiving welfare assistance could be linked to children's bullying victimization: Exploring the potential pathways.

The study proposes and tests the pathways from receiving welfare assistance to children's bullying victimization. Specifically, the study examines whether children's difficulty making friends and school disconnection mediate the association between welfare assistance receipt to children's bullying victimization. The 2019 National Survey of Children's Health dataset was used, and the sample consisted of 12,230 caregivers of adolescents, aged 12-17 years. A path model was utilized to explore the proposed pathways. Findings suggest that welfare assistance receipt was not significantly associated with children's bullying victimization. It was positively related to children's bullying victimization through the mediating roles of having difficulty making friends and school disconnection. Schools and communities need to create spaces where youth can connect with peers, which is an important part of their development.

Sex and Racial/Ethnic Differences in School Security Measures, Bullying Victimization, and Perceived School Safety: Implications for Pediatric Health Care.

INTRODUCTION: Using the 2017 National Crime Victimization Survey dataset, this study examined the association between the types of school security measures and students' bullying victimization and perceived school safety. METHOD: Using logistic regression and ordinary least square regression analyses, the study addressed whether these associations vary by sex and race/ethnicity, as most research has treated sex and race/ethnicity as covariates. RESULTS: The study found that none of the security measures were associated with bullying victimization among the total sample. However, there were sex and racial differences in the association between security measures and bullying victimization. There were also sex and racial/ethnic variations in the association between security measures and perceived school safety. DISCUSSION: Scholars, health care practitioners, and policymakers must reflect and reconsider whether increasing school security and control would contribute to the safety and well-being of racial/ethnic minority students in school.

Relationships among intimate partner violence, unfair treatment, depressive symptoms, and family support: A community-based study of Gujarati women in the Midwestern USA.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) and unfair treatment can negatively affect the health and well-being of many women, especially women of color. Few studies have investigated the mental health impact of both forms of victimization together. Unlike most research on Asian Indian women, which has used aggregated samples of women of various Asian Indian or South Asian descent, this study focused on a specific group of Asian Indians. Data were collected from a probability sample of Gujarati residents, aged 18-65 years, in a midwestern state of USA via computer-assisted telephone interviews. One third of married women reported having experienced IPV and two thirds received unfair treatment during the previous 6 months. Respondents overall reported a low level of depressive symptoms. Analyses using negative binomial regression models found that while both IPV and unfair treatment were positively associated with depressive symptoms, their interaction effect was not statistically significant. When IPV victimization and support from family were included in the model, the incidence rate ratio for unfair treatment became nonsignificant, but the significant effect of IPV remained. Findings suggest that practitioners not only in mental health and IPV programs but also in alternative settings frequented by Gujarati women should inquire about these types of interpersonal victimization and assist women in connecting with and cultivating supportive networks. More research on the mental health impact of IPV and other types of interpersonal victimization is needed for underresearched yet growing population groups to inform socioculturally responsive assistance programs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Consequences of high school bullying on stress and health of Arab American college students.

PROBLEM: Existing bullying research among Arab Americans is limited, focusing mainly on school-age adolescents and victimization. There is a lack of studies that examine retrospective bullying perpetration, bullying victimization, and physical fights during high school and their effect on current Arab American college students' stress and health outcomes. This study examines if bullying perpetration, bullying victimization, and physical fights during high school predict current stress and the physical and mental health of Arab American college students. In addition, we examined if perceived psychological stress mediates the relationships between bullying and fighting involvement and health. METHODS: One hundred and sixty-two undergraduate Arab American college students were recruited from a Midwestern university and completed self-report measures of bullying, stress, and health (both physical and mental). FINDINGS: Controlling for demographic variables, only high school victimization was significantly associated with current stress and physical and mental health. Stress fully mediated the relationship between victimization and health (both physical and mental). CONCLUSIONS: Victimization during high school years may result in serious physical and mental health consequences during college years. However, perpetration and fighting may not have similar effects. Addressing stress among bullying victims may reduce the negative impact of this experience on immigrant Arab American college students. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

Racial/ethnic differences in the bullying victimization-suicidality link among LGBQ high school students in the United States.

Although the relationship between bullying victimization and suicidal behaviors of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (i.e., unsure of their sexual orientation) students has been well documented in research, few studies have focused on how bullying victimization might be related to suicidal behaviors among youth with intersectional identities. This study examines associations between bullying victimization and suicidal behaviors across racial/ethnic groups in a sample of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning (LGBQ) students. Data for this cross-sectional study were derived from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Youth Risk Behavior Survey combined data set (2003-2019), with a sample of 95,603 students who identified as LGBQ. Analyses included descriptive statistics and logistic regression. We found that homophobic bullying victimization was associated with higher odds of suicidal ideation and plans among the total sample and Black and Hispanic students. School-based bullying victimization was associated with higher odds of suicidal ideation, plans, and attempts among white and Hispanic students and higher suicidal ideation among multiracial-non-Hispanic students. Cyberbullying victimization was not associated with suicidal behavior among Asian students, but it was associated with all forms of suicidal behavior among youth of other racial/ethnic identities. Addressing bullying victimization and suicidality with culturally relevant, evidence-based violence prevention strategies is critical.

Shaping Citizenship in the Classroom: Peer Influences on Moral Disengagement, Social Goals, and a Sense of Peer Community.

Despite the important role of peers in the social process of classroom citizenship, the peer influence related to moral disengagement, social goals, and a sense of peer community remain unclear. To this end, it was examined to what extent youth become similar to their friends in moral disengagement, social goals, and a sense of peer community. Participants were 283 South Korean third to sixth graders (Mage = 9.60 years, SD = 0.97; 51.6% girls) who completed an online survey for moral disengagement, social goals, the sense of peer community and friendship network across the beginning (Time 1) and end (Time 2) of the school semester (September to December). Longitudinal social network analyses indicated that youth became more similar to their friends concerning moral disengagement and a sense of peer community, but did not select friends based on these aspects. The strength of these influence effects varied in terms of different levels of these aspects. Specifically, youth were more likely to become similar to their friends at lower levels of moral disengagement. Youth tended to be similar to the friends' level of sense of peer community. This tendency was relatively strong at the lowest and the highest levels of a sense of peer community. Future research should address the role of friendship in shaping classroom citizenship and the importance of classroom daily teaching practice in youth citizenship development.

Association of adversities and mental health among first- and second-generation Arab American young adults.

The prevalence of mental health problems among young adults is widely recognized. However, limited research has examined the mental health of Arab American young adults specifically. To address this gap in the literature, this study aimed to investigate the effects of multiple stressors including adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), discrimination, and bullying victimization on the mental health of first- and second-generation Arab American young adults. The participants (N = 162) were recruited from a Midwest university using online and in-person methods. They were screened and completed a demographic questionnaire and self-report measures of ACEs, discrimination, bullying victimization, and mental health. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted to examine the effect of psychosocial stressors on mental health and the moderating effect of generation (first vs. second) on that relationship. Female gender, increased perceived discrimination, and more ACEs were associated with lower mental health scores (ß = -0.316, p < 0.001, ß = -0.308, p < 0.001, and ß = -0.230, p = 0.002, respectively). There was a significant negative relationship between victimization and mental health for first-generation Arab Americans (ß = -0.356, p = 0.010). However, that association all but disappeared for second-generation participants (ß = 0.006, p = 0.953). The results highlight the impact of multiple adversities on Arab American young adults' mental health and indicate important nuances related to their generation in the association between bullying victimization and mental health. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

Religiosity and Associations with Substance Use and Delinquency Among Urban African American Adolescents.

Adolescent delinquency and substance use are global problems. African American adolescents are especially susceptible to the life-changing consequences of these problem behaviors. Religiosity is a notable protective factor that has been shown to mitigate these behaviors. This study uses a person-centered approach to examine the extent to which religiosity is associated with lower rates of delinquency and substance use among urban African American adolescents in the United States. Latent Class Analysis was used to examine the heterogeneity in five religiosity items among a sample of adolescents ages 13-18. After identifying religiosity classes through a class enumeration process, we examined predictors of the classes using multinomial logistic regression. The classes were then used to predict several substance use and delinquency outcomes. Three religiosity classes were identified; "low religious beliefs and engagement," (15.19%, n = 94), "religious with low active engagement," (56.70%, n = 351), and "religious with high active engagement," (28.11%, n = 174). Protective effects of religiosity on substance use (e.g., alcohol) and delinquency were found (e.g., assault). Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Proposing and testing the pathways from bullying victimization to bringing a weapon to school.

OBJECTIVE: The current study examined whether bullying victimization was associated with bringing a weapon to school, fully or partly mediated by feeling unsafe in school, negative future education orientation, and skipping school. METHOD: Data from 6199 students (12-18 years old), who had filled out the 2017 School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey, were analyzed. RESULTS: The results showed a positive association between bullying victimization and bringing a weapon to school. The link was both direct and indirect through the mediating roles of feeling unsafe in school, having a negative future education orientation, and skipping school. CONCLUSION: Thus, victims of bullying tended to feel unsafe in school, have a negative future education orientation, and skip school-all of which were positively associated with bringing a weapon to school.

Pathways From Bullying Victimization to Suicidal Thoughts Among Urban African American Adolescents: Applying the General Strain Theory.

ABSTRACT: The present study explores the relationship between bullying victimization and suicidal thoughts among African American adolescents in urban neighborhoods. The study, which was guided by the general strain theory, proposed and tested potential pathways that link bullying victimization with suicidal thoughts through the mediators including emotional distress, low future orientation, hopelessness, and drug use. The study sample included 414 African American adolescents who were between ages 12 and 22 years and residing in low-income Chicago's South Side neighborhoods. Descriptive statistics, bivariate correlation, and path analyses were conducted. Bullying victimization was not significantly related to suicidal thoughts, although it was positively associated with emotional distress and drug use. The association between low future orientation and hopelessness was bidirectional. The study findings have implications for practice, which is important as resources to assist adolescents who are affected by violence tend to be limited.

Less Computer Access: Is It a Risk or a Protective Factor for Cyberbullying and Face-to-Face Bullying Victimization among Adolescents in the United States?

The present study investigates whether less computer access is associated with an increase or decrease in cyberbullying and face-to-face bullying victimization. Data were derived from the 2009-2010 Health Behavior in School-Aged Children U.S. Study, consisting of 12,642 adolescents aged 11, 13, and 15 years (Mage = 12.95). We found that less computer usage was negatively associated with cyberbullying victimization and face-to-face bullying victimization. The findings from the study have implications for research and practice.

Prevalence of carbapenemase producing Enterobacterales colonization and risk factor of clinical infection.

BACKGROUND: Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) are global concerns in infection control, and the number of CPE outbreaks in hospitals is increasing despite the strengthening of contact precautions. This study aimed to confirm the prevalence and transition rate of CPE infection from stool surveillance culture and to identify the acquisition pathway of CPE. METHODS: This is a longitudinal review of patients with stool surveillance cultures at a tertiary center in Seoul, South Korea, from July 2018 to June 2020. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, multi-locus sequence typing, and whole genome sequencing were performed for carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli strains. RESULTS: Among 1620 patients who had undergone stool CPE surveillance cultures, only 7.1% of active surveillance at the Emergency Room (ER) and 4.4% of universal surveillance in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) were stool CPE positive. The transition rates from stool carriers to clinical CPE infections were 29.4% in the ER and 31.3% in the ICU. However, it was significantly high (55.0%) in the initial stool CPE-negative ICU patients. Among the initial stool CPE-positive patients, hypertension (61% vs. 92.3%, P = 0.004), malignancy (28.8% vs. 53.8%, P = 0.027), and mechanical ventilation (25.4% vs. 53.8%, P = 0.011) were significant risk factors for clinical CPE infection. Molecular typing revealed that sequence type (ST) 307 and ST 395 were dominant in K. pneumoniae, and ST 410 was dominant in E. coli isolates. CONCLUSIONS: Active surveillance showed a higher detection rate than universal stool CPE screening, and one-third of positive stool CPE specimens ultimately developed subsquent clinical CPE infection. According to the molecular typing of the identified CPE strains, in-hospital spread prevailed over external inflow, and the transition rate to clinical CPE was particularly high in the ICU. Therefore, in order to control CPE propagation, not only active surveillance to block inflow from outside, but also continuous ICU monitoring within the hospital is necessary.

Parenting practices, bullying perpetration, and conduct problems among Ukrainian children.

BACKGROUND: Positive and consistent parenting practices are associated with the positive mental health of children. However, little is understood about the implications of the Russian military invasion on family dynamics in Ukraine. OBJECTIVE: This research aims to estimate the prevalence of childhood conduct disorder (CD) and bullying perpetration and their association with parenting practices among Ukrainian children living in proximity to the war. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: The sample included 2763 Ukrainian children ranging in age from 10 to 17 years (M = 12.6, SD = 1.23), 56.23 % girls. Children attended public secondary schools in Eastern Ukraine, mostly in Kharkiv and Kharkiv oblasts (regions). METHODS: Children reported on sociodemographic characteristics, parenting practices, CD, and bullying perpetration using smartphones, computers, or tablets, at home or in school IT classrooms. Data were collected on a secure online platform. RESULTS: Children reported teasing (23.68 %), spreading rumors (24.51 %), helping to harass (17.31 %), threatening to hurt or hit (21.65 %) other students, breaking rules (28.13 %), getting in fights (17.13 %), cheating (43.16 %), and being spanked by parents (30 %). Also, 1.83 % of girls and 3.43 % of boys met a borderline cutoff for CD. Lack of parent involvement was associated with increased CD and bullying risks. Poor parent monitoring, inconsistent discipline, and corporal punishment were associated with increasaed CD but not with bullying. CD mediated the association of poor monitoring, inconsistent discipline, and corporal punishment with bullying. CONCLUSION: Parental involvement, monitoring, consistent discipline, and avoidance of physical punishments are important practices that can reduce disruptive behavior and aggressive tendencies among Ukrainian children affected by the Russian war.

Temporal association of parental corporal punishment with violence in school and cyberbullying among adolescents.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Previous cross-sectional research suggested a link between parental corporal punishment, school violence, and cyberbullying among adolescents. However, their temporal relationships remain unclear. This study used longitudinal panel data to examine the temporal relationships between parental corporal punishment, adolescent school violence against peers and teachers, and cyberbullying perpetration. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Seven hundred and two junior high school students from Taiwan participated. METHODS: A probability sample and two waves of longitudinal panel data collected a nine-month apart were analyzed. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect students' self-reported information about their experiences of parental corporal punishment, perpetration of school violence against peers and teachers, and cyberbullying. RESULTS: Parental corporal punishment at Time 1 predicted violence against school peers, violence against teachers, and cyberbullying perpetration at Time 2; however, these three behaviors at Time 1 did not predict parental corporal punishment at Time 2. These findings applied to both sex groups, although the effects of parental corporal punishment on violence against teachers were slightly stronger for boys than girls. CONCLUSIONS: Parental corporal punishment is a predictor rather than an outcome of adolescent school violence against peers and teachers and cyberbullying. Policies and interventions need to target parental corporal punishment to prevent adolescents from engaging in violence against peers and teachers and cyberbullying.