69 research outputs found

    Adults with Autism: What Happens after 18?

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    Autism diagnoses have recently been on the rise, which eventually leads to young adults and their families having to figure out what to do for the future. Unfortunately, the services that these children grow up with will no longer are applicable once they turn 18. Families need to think about possible paths that would work best for their child. Some options would be a transitional school that could provide services and learning opportunities, group living communities that offer support while giving the individual a chance to live on his or her own while being supported, or vocational support that offers training and job search assistance. I am planning on looking into what services are available for families and young adults once the individual is no longer supported by government services and funding. I am interested in interviewing and surveying people who work with adults with autism (special ed. Teachers, occupational therapists, etc.) that are in the transitional period of finishing school but are not yet ready to live on their own. I want to ask whether they feel that the services that are currently offered are enough and if not what can be done better or what are some new things that should be considered. I am planning on creating a poster board to show the results that I received from my surveys and interviews

    Environmental Applications of Biosurfactants: Recent Advances

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    Increasing public awareness of environmental pollution influences the search and development of technologies that help in clean up of organic and inorganic contaminants such as hydrocarbons and metals. An alternative and eco-friendly method of remediation technology of environments contaminated with these pollutants is the use of biosurfactants and biosurfactant-producing microorganisms. The diversity of biosurfactants makes them an attractive group of compounds for potential use in a wide variety of industrial and biotechnological applications. The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of advances in the applications of biosurfactants and biosurfactant-producing microorganisms in hydrocarbon and metal remediation technologies

    Deficiency of the RNA-binding protein ELAVL1/HuR leads to the failure of endogenous and exogenous neuroprotection of retinal ganglion cells

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    Introduction: ELAVL1/HuR is a keystone regulator of gene expression at the posttranscriptional level, including stress response and homeostasis maintenance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of hur silencing on the age-related degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGC), which potentially describes the efficiency of endogenous neuroprotection mechanisms, as well as to assess the exogenous neuroprotection capacity of hur-silenced RGC in the rat glaucoma model. Methods: The study consisted of in vitro and in vivo approaches. In vitro, we used rat B-35 cells to investigate, whether AAV-shRNA-HuR delivery affects survival and oxidative stress markers under temperature and excitotoxic insults. In vivo approach consisted of two different settings. In first one, 35 eight-week-old rats received intravitreal injection of AAV-shRNA-HuR or AAV-shRNA scramble control. Animals underwent electroretinography tests and were sacrificed 2, 4 or 6 months after injection. Retinas and optic nerves were collected and processed for immunostainings, electron microscopy and stereology. For the second approach, animals received similar gene constructs. To induce chronic glaucoma, 8 weeks after AAV injection, unilateral episcleral vein cauterization was performed. Animals from each group received intravitreal injection of metallothionein II. Animals underwent electroretinography tests and were sacrificed 8 weeks later. Retinas and optic nerves were collected and processed for immunostainings, electron microscopy and stereology. Results: Silencing of hur induced apoptosis and increased oxidative stress markers in B-35 cells. Additionally, shRNA treatment impaired the cellular stress response to temperature and excitotoxic insults. In vivo, RGC count was decreased by 39% in shRNA-HuR group 6 months after injection, when compared to shRNA scramble control group. In neuroprotection study, the average loss of RGCs was 35% in animals with glaucoma treated with metallothionein and shRNA-HuR and 11.4% in animals with glaucoma treated with metallothionein and the scramble control shRNA. An alteration in HuR cellular content resulted in diminished photopic negative responses in the electroretinogram. Conclusions: Based on our findings, we conclude that HuR is essential for the survival and efficient neuroprotection of RGC and that the induced alteration in HuR content accelerates both the age-related and glaucoma-induced decline in RGC number and function, further confirming HuR’s key role in maintaining cell homeostasis and its possible involvement in the pathogenesis of glaucoma
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