Parent perceptions of time spent meaningfully by young adults with pervasive support needs

This article describes a qualitative study that examined how 23 young adults with pervasive support needs and limited functional communication spent their time and how their parents (n=23) and direct support professionals (DSPs; n=2) defined meaningfulness in relation to the young adults’ experiences. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with the parents and DSPs. Findings indicated that most of the young adults spent time in their communities, though typically without friends and not engaged in integrated employment. The participants defined meaningfulness according to three dimensions: community participation, individual indicators, and the nature of activities in the young adults’ schedules. They also described both episodic and ongoing challenges that hindered their ability to focus on time spent meaningfully. Finally, their definitions, which reflected basic care needs and community participation goals, raised questions related to the awareness, availability, and utilization of services and supports in the adult developmental disabilities system

Parent and teacher perspectives on friendships and social interactions of secondary students with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Friendships between students with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) remain infrequent, especially at the secondary level. However, when friendships between students with and without IDD have developed, direct support from parents and teachers has been a critical facilitator. Thus, this qualitative study examined parent (n = 10) and teacher (n = 20) perspectives on friendships and social interactions of middle and high school students with IDD receiving special education services in inclusive settings at least part of the day. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews with each participant and analyzed inductively utilizing a multi stage process of open and then thematic coding. The thematic findings suggest that the challenge of friendship development between students with and without IDD is ongoing, though there may be potential in focusing more explicitly and intentionally on increasing social interaction opportunities both in and out of school. Implications for future research and practice are described in the context of supporting students with and without IDD to increase social interactions and develop friendships

Examining Pre-Service Teacher Candidates’ Sources and Levels of Knowledge about Autism Spectrum Disorders

This study was designed to identify what pre-service teacher candidates knew about autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and how they had acquired that knowledge in order to design more effective preparation courses. Teacher candidates (N=87) from three teacher preparation programs completed questionnaires during, or prior to, their first special education course. The findings indicate a relationship between sources of knowledge about ASD and actual levels of knowledge. Based on the findings, the authors argue that there is a need for coursework that focuses on effective intervention strategies and utilizes direct opportunities for teacher candidates to work with students with ASD

Assessing Barriers to Utilization of Adult Day Care Centers in a Rural County

Introduction: Adult Day Care programs provide cognitively or functionally impaired adults with medical, social, and therapeutic services as well as offer valuable respite and education to family caregivers. The Visiting Nurse Association’s Adult Day program manages three centers that offer these services and are located in Colchester, Williston, and South Burlington. We have explored the underutilization of these centers by comparing variables such as demographics, services provided, referrals, transportation constraints, and satisfaction surveys between centers and to national success guidelines for adult day services.https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/comphp_gallery/1043/thumbnail.jp

Complete Genome Sequences of Four Toxigenic ;Clostridium difficile Clinical Isolates from Patients of the Lower Hudson Valley, New York, USA

Complete genome sequences of four toxigenic Clostridium difficile isolates from patients in the lower Hudson Valley, New York, USA, were achieved. These isolates represent four common sequence types (ST1, ST2, ST8, and ST42) belonging to two distinct phylogenetic clades. All isolates have a 4.0- to 4.2-Mb circular chromosome, and one carries a phage

Variation in the organization and subunit composition of the mammalian pyruvate dehydrogenase complex E2/E3BP core assembly

The final version of this article is available at the link below.Crucial to glucose homoeostasis in humans, the hPDC (human pyruvate dehydrogenase complex) is a massive molecular machine comprising multiple copies of three distinct enzymes (E1–E3) and an accessory subunit, E3BP (E3-binding protein). Its icosahedral E2/E3BP 60-meric ‘core’ provides the central structural and mechanistic framework ensuring favourable E1 and E3 positioning and enzyme co-operativity. Current core models indicate either a 48E2+12E3BP or a 40E2+20E3BP subunit composition. In the present study, we demonstrate clear differences in subunit content and organization between the recombinant hPDC core (rhPDC; 40E2+20E3BP), generated under defined conditions where E3BP is produced in excess, and its native bovine (48E2+12E3BP) counterpart. The results of the present study provide a rational basis for resolving apparent differences between previous models, both obtained using rhE2/E3BP core assemblies where no account was taken of relative E2 and E3BP expression levels. Mathematical modelling predicts that an ‘average’ 48E2+12E3BP core arrangement allows maximum flexibility in assembly, while providing the appropriate balance of bound E1 and E3 enzymes for optimal catalytic efficiency and regulatory fine-tuning. We also show that the rhE2/E3BP and bovine E2/E3BP cores bind E3s with a 2:1 stoichiometry, and propose that mammalian PDC comprises a heterogeneous population of assemblies incorporating a network of E3 (and possibly E1) cross-bridges above the core surface.This work was partly supported by EPSRC (under grants GR/R99393/01 and EP/C015452/1)

Whole Genome Sequencing in Psychiatric Disorders: the WGSPD Consortium

As technology advances, whole genome sequencing (WGS) is likely to supersede other genotyping technologies. The rate of this change depends on its relative cost and utility. Variants identified uniquely through WGS may reveal novel biological pathways underlying complex disorders and provide high-resolution insight into when, where, and in which cell type these pathways are affected. Alternatively, cheaper and less computationally intensive approaches may yield equivalent insights. Understanding the role of rare variants in the noncoding gene-regulating genome, through pilot WGS projects, will be critical to determine which of these two extremes best represents reality. With large cohorts, well-defined risk loci, and a compelling need to understand the underlying biology, psychiatric disorders have a role to play in this preliminary WGS assessment. The WGSPD consortium will integrate data for 18,000 individuals with psychiatric disorders, beginning with autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder, along with over 150,000 controls

A case of persistent human pegivirus infection in two separate pregnancies of a woman

Human pegivirus (HPgV) is best known for persistent, presumably non-pathogenic, infection and a propensity to co-infect with human immunodeficiency virus or hepatitis C virus. However, unique attributes, such as the increased risk of malignancy or immune modulation, have been recently recognized for HPgV. We have identified a unique case of a woman with high levels HPgV infection in two pregnancies, which occurred 4 years apart and without evidence of human immunodeficiency virus or hepatitis C virus infection. The second pregnancy was complicated by congenital heart disease. A high level of HPgV infection was detected in the maternal blood from different trimesters by RT-PCR and identified as HPgV type 1 genotype 2 in both pregnancies. In the second pregnancy, the decidua and intervillous tissue of the placenta were positive for HPgV by PCR but not the chorion or cord blood (from both pregnancies), suggesting no vertical transmission despite high levels of viremia. The HPgV genome sequence was remarkably conserved over the 4 years. Using VirScan, sera antibodies for HPgV were detected in the first trimester of both pregnancies. We observed the same anti-HPgV antibodies against the non-structural NS5 protein in both pregnancies, suggesting a similar non-E2 protein humoral immune response over time. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of persistent HPgV infection involving placental tissues with no clear indication of vertical transmission. Our results reveal a more elaborate viral-host interaction than previously reported, expand our knowledge about tropism, and opens avenues for exploring the replication sites of this virus