Associations between a technical assistance model to build school organizational capacity and improvements in student perceptions of school climate.

Organizational capacity building-the process of developing leadership, collecting and analyzing data, building buy-in, and implementing programming-is foundational to effectively changing schools, and frequently relies on technical assistance. This study employed a quasi-experimental, repeated measured design to evaluate the role of technical assistance provided through Safe School Certification model in improving school climate. Schools worked through an eight-element framework, using data from a sample of six middle and high schools in Washington, D.C. that completed data collection in all years of the evaluation. Students in schools receiving technical assistance for implementing the SSC Framework had more positive changes in perceptions of school climate than students in schools that did not receive support, but those differences were small. The results from this study offer limited evidence that providing schools with technical assistance to improve organizational capacity is associated with more positive student perceptions of school climate.

Percutaneous mitral valve repair: A new treatment for mitral regurgitation.

Mitral valve disease affects more than 4 million people in the United States. The gold standard of treatment in these patients is surgical repair or replacement of the valve with a prosthesis. The MitraClip (Abbott Vascular, Menlo Park, CA) is a new technology, which offers an alternative to open surgical repair or replacement via a minimally invasive route. We present an evidence-based clinical update that provides an overview of this technology as it relates to managing patients with significant mitral regurgitation. This review article is particularly useful to noninterventional cardiologists and interventional cardiologists who will be managing patients with this novel technology in increased volumes over the next decade but who do not perform this procedure.

Behavioral Modification for the Management of Obesity.

This article provides behavioral strategies for working with obese patients and families within a primary care context. A multifactorial model for the etiology of obesity from which to adopt treatment strategies is provided. Optimal views to set up effective patient encounters and specific recommendations to motivate and support patients are discussed. Multicomponent programs include a combination of nutritional, physical activity, and cognitive behavioral approaches to target overweight/obesity. The focus is on behavioral approaches and practical applications, such as motivational interviewing techniques.