Predicting and Promoting Health-Related Quality of Life for Parents of Children with Autism: A Mixed-Methods Approach

The present study used a mixed methodology approach to understand factors that predict and promote health related quality of life (HRQOL) for parents of youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The first component of the study used quantitative analyses to determine the extent to which study variables predict HRQOL for parents of youth with ASD (N = 365). Findings show that HRQOL is positively impacted by increased total annual household income, increased age of the child with ASD, male gender, and tangible support. HRQOL was negatively impacted by increased age of the parent, increased parental perceptions of burden, and use of maladaptive coping strategies. The second phase of the study incorporated qualitative methodology to describe the lived experience of parents (N = 8). Qualitative interviews solicited perceptions of parents regarding HRQOL. Further, qualitative analyses identified sources of parental support, how parents feel about support from varying professionals, and potential supportive interventions toward which they are amenable but cannot currently access. Directions for future research and implications for improving HRQOL for parents of youth with ASD are discussed. The results of the current study can be used to guide and inform supportive services targeted at parents of youth with ASD to improve their HRQOL

Immunology of Injectable Collagen in Human Subjects

Associated with the use of Zyderm Collagen Implant (ZCI) for soft tissue augmentation, the rate of localized hypersensitivity reactions to the initial test injection of ZCI range from 3.0–3.5% in the literature, and subsequent reactions to treatment have reportedly ranged from 1.1–5.0%. The inflammatory symptoms to the Collagen Test Implant occur within 72 hours in 2% of those injected, indicating a preexisting sensitivity to bovine collagen in this healthy population. Most adverse treatment reactions follow the first treatment and after injection of <5 ml of collagen. Furthermore, antibodies against collagen in sera of subjects reporting localized symptoms of hypersensitivity at test or treatment sites are specific for bovine interstitial collagens and show no cross-reactivity with human collagens. Thus, immunologic reaction to ZCI results in antibovine collagen antibodies and localized inflammatory symptoms in those few subjects who experience hypersensitivity to test or treatment. Glutaraldehyde cross-linked Zyplast Implant (ZI), has demonstrated a lower incidence of hypersensitivity reactions than ZCI. In examining patients tested with ZI or treated for intradermal and subdermal indications, we have experienced only 7 hypersensitivity reactions at test sites of ZI, out of 803 tested subjects, and only 3 reactions among 498 treated patients. Therefore, ZI appears to induce a lower incidence of hypersensitivity reactions than ZCI in man.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/74914/1/j.1524-4725.1988.tb04040.x.pd

Autism: The Effects of a Label on Social Acceptability and Desirability of a Child

The current study measured the effects of disorder labels and informational vignettes on ratings of social attractiveness (traits, perceived social interaction, academic achievement, and occupational attainment). Participants were randomly assigned to view a photograph of a normally developing boy with a label describing him as having been diagnosed with autism, ADHD, or as normally developing. Some participants were also assigned to read a vignette, which provided information about that disorder. Analyses revealed that the target labeled as having ADHD was rated significantly less favorably for social interaction than either the target described as having autism or normally developing. The targets labeled as having autism or ADHD were rated significantly lower on academic achievement than the target labeled as normally developing. The autism label elicited the least favorable ratings of occupational attainment relative to the other two conditions with the target labeled as having ADHD receiving less favorable ratings than the normally developing target. Regarding the effectiveness of the information intervention, for autism, the provision of information led to more positive perceptions of academic and occupational achievement. Within the ADHD label condition, information also led to more positive perceptions of academic achievement relative to not receiving information

Testing natural biomaterials in animal models

Animal models have been extensively developed in the last decades in biomedical field. Their use has shown particular relevance in fields such as cell biology, genetics, anatomy and development, biochemistry, infection and immunity, cancer research, drugs and vaccine development, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. The induced host tissue trauma and the inflammatory process resulting from the implantation of a medical device are of utmost importance for a successful outcome. Features of a chronic inflammation are usually attributed to the host response towards the implant, while an early acute inflammatory response is mainly endorsed by the implantation procedure. Animal testing comprises a midway step between in vitro studies and human clinical trials, which precede real clinical application. As every animal model has its advantages and disadvantages, a comprehensive analysis of each available species needs to be conducted when planning an animal study.(undefined)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Influence of telopeptides on the structural and physical properties of polymeric and monomeric acid-soluble type I collagen

Currently two factors hinder the use of collagen as building block of regenerative devices: the limited mechanical strength in aqueous environment, and potential antigenicity. Polymeric collagen is naturally found in the cross-linked state and is mechanically tougher than the monomeric, acid-soluble collagen ex vivo. The antigenicity of collagen, on the other hand, is mainly ascribed to inter-species variations in amino acid sequences of the non-helical terminal telopeptides. These telopeptides can be removed through enzymatic treatment to produce atelocollagen, although the effect of this cleavage on triple helix organization, amino acidic composition and thermal properties is often disregarded. Here, we compare the structural, chemical and physical properties of polymeric and monomeric type I collagen with and without telopeptides, in an effort to elucidate the influence of either mature covalent crosslinks or telopeptides. Circular dichroism (CD) was used to examine the triple helical conformation and quantify the denaturation temperature (Td) of both monomeric collagen (36.5 °C) and monomeric atelocollagen (35.5 °C). CD measurements were combined with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) in order to gain insight into the triple helix-to-coil thermal transition and shrinkage temperature (Ts) of polymeric atelo collagen (44.8 °C), polymeric collagen (62.7 °C), monomeric atelo collagen (51.4 °C) and monomeric collagen (66.5 °C). Structural and thermal analysis was combined with high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) to determine the content of specific collagen amino acidic residues used as markers for the presence of telopeptides and mature crosslinks. Hydroxylamine was used as the marker for polymeric collagen, and had a total content of 9.66% for both polymeric and polymeric atelo collagen; tyrosine was used as the marker for telopeptide cleavage, was expressed as 0.526% of the content of polymeric collagen and the partially-reduced content of 0.39% for atelocollagen