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We must prepare young adolescents for a bright future by examining all of our educational practices in terms of their current and future relevance. The education we provide our students must prepare them to address enormously complex issues involving demographics and international relations, environmental and human health, and the development and application of technology. This "We Believe"'s (NMSA, 2010) essential attributes of successful schooling can light the way to a bright future. We have clustered the 16 attributes around Four C's: constructivism, collaboration, caring, and comprehensive education. A fifth "C" that weaves through all of the others is critical thinking. The authors and their young adolescent students offer examples of these principles in action, some which may seem "old school" and some "futuristic." However, all can empower our young adolescents to thrive today as well as in a bright future of their making.

Interleukin-2 infusions may effectively raise CD4 counts in patients with HIV infection. Restoring immune function in HIV by infusing interleukin-2 every two months combined with antiretroviral drugs was successful in 30 patients. Specifically, CD4 counts increased from an average of 428 cells per cubic milliliter to 916 cells after one year. CD4 levels fell slightly in the 29 patients who took only antiretroviral drugs. Interleukin-2 produced fever, malaise, fatigue, and raised bilirubin levels in a number of patients. Overall toxicity decreased after dose adjustment.

Long term therapy of HIV patients with CD4 cell counts over 200 per cubic millimeter may benefit from intermittent courses of interleukin-2. Interleukin-2 may improve some of the immunologic abnormalities. A study of 25 HIV-infected patients who received continuous infusions of interleukin-2 for five days every eight weeks over seven to 25 months found that interleukin-2 therapy induced a 50% increase in the number of CD4 cells in six of 10 patients with baseline CD4 cell counts over 200. The most benefit was seen in patients without a severely deficient immune system and with a low viral burden. The increase in CD4 cells lasted for up to eight months in some patients and could be reinduced by additional interleukin-2 infusions. Interleukin-2 therapy was associated with a decline in the numbers CD8 cells that expressed HLA-DR. An increase in CD8 cells expressing HLA-DR may indicate a poor outcome. Therapy increased the number of cells with the interleukin-2 receptor, which may have contributed to the sustenance of the increase in CD4 cells. An antiretroviral regimen may be needed during interleukin-2 therapy.

A study of the T-cell receptor beta-chain variable-region (V(sub beta)) repertoire in monozygotic twins discordant for human immunodeficiency virus demonstrated disruptions of specific V(sub beta) segments in CD4+ T cells of the virus-positive twins. Members of the V(sub beta)21 family were disrupted in four out of seven instances, and those of the V(sub beta)13 family were disrupted in six out of the seven instances examined.

Background Recent reports have described the contribution of adult respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections to the use of advanced healthcare resources and death. Methods Data regarding patients aged ≥18 years admitted to any of Maryland's 50 acute-care hospitals were evaluated over 12 consecutive years (2001–2013). We examined RSV and influenza (flu) surveillance data from the US National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and used this information to define RSV and flu outbreak periods in the Maryland area. Outbreak periods consisted of consecutive individual weeks during which at least 10% of RSV and/or flu diagnostic tests were positive. We examined relationships of RSV and flu outbreaks to occurrence of 4 advanced medical outcomes (hospitalization, intensive care unit admission, intubated mechanical ventilation, and death) due to medically attended acute respiratory illness (MAARI). Results Occurrences of all 4 MAARI-related hospital advanced medical outcomes were consistently greater for all adult ages during RSV, flu, and combined RSV–flu outbreak periods compared to nonoutbreak periods and tended to be greatest in adults aged ≥65 years during combined RSV–flu outbreak periods. Rate ratios for all 4 MAARI-related advanced medical outcomes ranged from 1.04 to 1.38 during the RSV, flu, or combined RSV–flu outbreaks compared to the nonoutbreak periods, with all 95% lower confidence limits >1. Conclusions Both RSV and flu outbreaks were associated with surges in MAARI-related advanced medical outcomes (hospitalization, intensive care unit admission, intubated mechanical ventilation, and death) for adults of all ages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seismometers installed within the upper metre of the subsurface can experience significant variability in signal propagation and attenuation properties of observed arrivals due to meteorological events. For example, during rain events, both the time and frequency representations of observed seismic waveforms can be significantly altered, complicating potential automatic signal processing efforts. Historically, a lack of laboratory equipment to explicitly investigate the effects of active inundation on seismic wave properties in the near surface prevented recreation of the observed phenomena in a controlled environment. Presented herein is a new flow chamber designed specifically for near‐surface seismic wave/fluid flow interaction phenomenology research, the ultrasonic near‐surface inundation testing device and new vp‐saturation and vs‐saturation relationships due to the effects of matric suction on the soil fabric. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interferons are a family of proteins normally made in the body by specialized white blood cells. When artificially produced in laboratories and then reintroduced into the body, they have shown some promise in fighting off viruses. Interferon alfa has recently been approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) for use in the treatment of Kaposi's sarcoma, a type of tumor producing bluish spots beginning on the legs, toes and feet and moving throughout the body. Kaposi's sarcoma is a cancer most commonly found in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Interferons have been shown to have antiviral effects on the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus responsible for AIDS. Unfortunately, there are numerous side effects from interferon therapy, although no toxicity directed at any particular organ has been reported. Symptoms include fever, chills, flu-like feelings, loss of appetite, suppression of bone marrow blood cell production and discomfort in the stomach and intestines. A small number of patients may experience problems in heart function. Although these heart problems are not often life-threatening, there has been one report of a patient dying from heart complications the direct result of interferon therapy. In this case report, three patients having AIDS and Kaposi's sarcoma were given high doses of interferon, which resulted in poor heart functioning. Shortness of breath, chest tightness and difficulty breathing during sleep developed after beginning interferon therapy. Chest X-rays revealed heart enlargement and other heart abnormalities, and interferon therapy was discontinued. Two patients died within a year after interferon therapy was initiated and one patient continues to do well two years later. It is unclear whether interferon therapy in itself produces toxicity affecting the heart or whether the heart function is compromised by the effects of the HIV infection in combination with long-term interferon therapy.