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Shifting towards trauma-informed practice and response (TIPAR) in law enforcement is crucial for reforming policing practices to reduce re-victimization among survivors of child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSA&E). Studies show that one in four Australians experience childhood sexual abuse (Haslam et al., 2023) highlighting the urgent need for effective law enforcement interventions. Police, as primary responders for children in the criminal justice system, experience significantly higher rates of stress and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared to the general population. Current policing cultures often use ad hoc procedures that struggle to meet the unique needs of CSA&E victims. TIPAR advocates for comprehensive police training and trauma-informed policies to address these gaps. By integrating TIPAR consistently across law enforcement agencies (LEAs), this approach aims to enhance case progression, build police legitimacy, foster trust, and increase victims’ engagement with justice processes. Implementing TIPAR is expected to enhance compassion satisfaction among officers, improve staff retention, reduce organizational costs, and create a justice system that better supports CSA&E survivors and their families. This holistic approach is crucial for addressing the significant under-reporting of sexual offences, where over 85% fail to progress to prosecution (Attorney Generals Department, 2023). Piloting TIPAR is essential to gather empirical data supporting government adoption of minimum standards for trauma-informed practices in legislation, ensuring that TIPAR principles are embedded in all LEA activities. This Social Innovative Narrative aims to explain the benefits of implementing TIPAR within LEAs, advocating for a more compassionate and effective response to trauma within law enforcement.

Abstract Background Single-cell droplet microfluidics is an important platform for high-throughput analyses and screening because it provides an independent and compartmentalized microenvironment for reaction or cultivation by coencapsulating individual cells with various molecules in monodisperse microdroplets. In combination with microbial biosensors, this technology becomes a potent tool for the screening of mutant strains. In this study, we demonstrated that a genetically engineered yeast strain that can fluorescently sense agonist ligands via the heterologous expression of a human G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) and concurrently secrete candidate peptides is highly compatible with single-cell droplet microfluidic technology for the high-throughput screening of new agonistically active peptides. Results The water-in-oil microdroplets were generated using a flow-focusing microfluidic chip to encapsulate engineered yeast cells coexpressing a human GPCR [i.e., angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AGTR1)] and a secretory agonistic peptide [i.e., angiotensin II (Ang II)]. The single yeast cells cultured in the droplets were then observed under a microscope and analyzed using image processing incorporating machine learning techniques. The AGTR1-mediated signal transduction elicited by the self-secreted Ang II peptide was successfully detected via the expression of a fluorescent reporter in single-cell yeast droplet cultures. The system could also distinguish Ang II analog peptides with different agonistic activities. Notably, we further demonstrated that the microenvironment of the single-cell droplet culture enabled the detection of rarely existing positive (Ang II-secreting) yeast cells in the model mixed cell library, whereas the conventional batch-culture environment using a shake flask failed to do so. Thus, our approach provided compartmentalized microculture environments, which can prevent the diffusion, dilution, and cross-contamination of peptides secreted from individual single yeast cells for the easy identification of GPCR agonists. Conclusions We established a droplet-based microfluidic platform that integrated an engineered yeast biosensor strain that concurrently expressed GPCR and self-secreted the agonistic peptides. This offers individually isolated microenvironments that allow the culture of single yeast cells secreting these peptides and gaging their signaling activities, for the high-throughput screening of agonistic peptides. Our platform base on yeast GPCR biosensors and droplet microfluidics will be widely applicable to metabolic engineering, environmental engineering, and drug discovery.

Shifting towards trauma-informed practice and response (TIPAR) in law enforcement is crucial for reforming policing practices to reduce re-victimization among survivors of child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSA&E). Studies show that one in four Australians experience childhood sexual abuse (Haslam et al., 2023) highlighting the urgent need for effective law enforcement interventions. Police, as primary responders for children in the criminal justice system, experience significantly higher rates of stress and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared to the general population. Current policing cultures often use ad hoc procedures that struggle to meet the unique needs of CSA&E victims. TIPAR advocates for comprehensive police training and trauma-informed policies to address these gaps. By integrating TIPAR consistently across law enforcement agencies (LEAs), this approach aims to enhance case progression, build police legitimacy, foster trust, and increase victims’ engagement with justice processes. Implementing TIPAR is expected to enhance compassion satisfaction among officers, improve staff retention, reduce organizational costs, and create a justice system that better supports CSA&E survivors and their families. This holistic approach is crucial for addressing the significant under-reporting of sexual offences, where over 85% fail to progress to prosecution (Attorney Generals Department, 2023). Piloting TIPAR is essential to gather empirical data supporting government adoption of minimum standards for trauma-informed practices in legislation, ensuring that TIPAR principles are embedded in all LEA activities. This Social Innovative Narrative aims to explain the benefits of implementing TIPAR within LEAs, advocating for a more compassionate and effective response to trauma within law enforcement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1996, Paul Deering, now a National Middle School Association West Region Trustee and University of Hawaii professor, established the Masters Degree in Education with a Middle Level Emphasis Program (MLMED) at the University of Hawaii. The MLMED is a two-year program that focuses on five standards that encompass the research-based middle level practices promoted by NMSA's "This We Believe," and Tony Jackson and Gayle Davis' "Turning Points 2000." Not only does the program teach about middle school concepts, it applies them in and outside the classroom. Student cohorts are divided into "home bases" to develop a shared vision of student learning that encompasses student choice, differentiation, interdisciplinary units, self-reflection, and the development of social, cognitive, and emotional skills. Cohort members attend weekly seminars addressing various issues in middle level education, and collaborate on qualitative and quantitative research studies in and out of the classroom. Here, teachers and 2006 graduates of MLMED Cohort 5 reflect on how they have grown by participating in the program, and how it has influenced their professional lives.

To evaluate the association between serum carotenoids and quantitative measures of retinal vasculature in elderly Singapore Chinese subjects. The following details were collected in 128 healthy subjects: sociodemographics, lifestyle information, medical and drug history, and anthropometric measurements. Serum concentrations of carotenoids were estimated in fasting venous blood using high performance liquid chromatography. Retinal vascular parameters were quantitatively measured from retinal photographs using a computer-assisted program (Singapore I Vessel Assessment). The mean age of the population was 54.1 years (range 40 to 81 years). In multiple linear regression analysis, per SD decrease in retinal arteriolar caliber [β = 0.045 (0.003 to 0.086), p = 0.036], per SD increase in retinal venular caliber [β = -0.045 (-0.086 to -0.003), p = 0.036] and per SD increase in arteriolar branching angle [β = -0.039 (-0.072 to -0.006), p = 0.021] were associated with decreased serum lutein. Per SD increase in retinal venular tortuosity [β = -0.0075 (-0.0145 to -0.0004), p = 0.039] and per SD increase in arteriolar branching angle (β = -0.0073 [-0.0142 to -0.0059], p = 0.041) were associated with decreased serum zeaxanthin. None of the other carotenoids demonstrated meaningful relationship with quantitative measures of retinal vasculature. Lower levels of lutein and zeaxanthin demonstrated significant relationship with adverse quantitative measures of retinal vasculature in elderly healthy subjects., Competing Interests: Alexandra Health Private Limited does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.