Autism to Higher Education: Tools for Parents

Over the years, a marked increase in the number of students with High Functioning Autism (HFA) attending colleges and universities has occurred. This can be attributed to: (a) the passage of legislation such as the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA); (b) revisions to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM); and (c) early intervention and treatment (Pillay, 2012). Although the increase in enrollment may be an indicator that a more welcoming climate for individuals with HFA has been created, many institutions are not adequately prepared to accommodate these students and parents have not been given the tools to help their children succeed. Students with disabilities and those specifically with HFA have entered in higher education but have a low percentage of graduating. Parents find themselves ill-equipped and unprepared to advocate and ensure that higher education institutions are adequately addressing the cognitive, social, executive functioning, and behavioral deficits that impact their HFA student and their ability to succeed in a higher education academic environment, especially in circumstances where their child has chosen to leave home for college. This dissertation discusses symptoms and key features associated with autism that affect performance in an academic environment provides suggestions for possible accommodations and educational adjustments and offers strategies that support student success and retention for students with HFA transitioning into higher education

The effects of maribavir on the autophosphorylation of ganciclovir resistant mutants of the cytomegalovirus UL97 protein

BACKGROUND: The UL97 protein kinase of human cytomegalovirus phosphorylates the antiviral drug ganciclovir and is the target of maribavir action. A detailed enzyme kinetic analysis of maribavir on the various enzymatic functions of wild type and ganciclovir resistant forms of UL97 is required. METHODS: Wild type and site directed mutant forms of the human cytomegalovirus UL97 gene product were expressed using recombinant baculoviruses and the purified products used to assess the effects of maribavir on the ganciclovir (GCV) kinase and protein kinase (PK) activities. RESULTS: Maribavir was a potent inhibitor of the autophosporylation of the wild type and all the major GCV resistant UL97 mutants analysed (M460I, H520Q, A594V and L595F) with a mean IC50 of 35 nM. The M460I mutation resulted in hypersensitivity to maribavir with an IC50 of 4.8 nM. A maribavir resistant mutant of UL97 (L397R) was functionally compromised as both a GCV kinase and a protein kinase (~ 10% of wild type levels). Enzyme kinetic experiments demonstrated that maribavir was a competitive inhibitor of ATP with a Ki of 10 nM. DISCUSSION: Maribavir is a potent competitive inhibitor of the UL97 protein kinase function and shows increased activity against the M460I GCV-resistant mutant which may impact on the management of GCV drug resistance in patients

The Lantern Vol. 49, No. 1, Fall 1982

• The Dormant Tree • Les Maitres des mots... • The Bartender • Time • Small Silent Creatures • Appreciation de la vie • Mon Seigneur, Mon Ami • In Gratitude • Cathedral • Child • Grow Old With Me • To Keep The Land • Lesetta • No Answer • The Hunt • You Came to Me • A Day in the Life of a Thought • Revenge • The Dance • Unclaimed • Where e\u27er There Be a Reason • Pour le coin • Thinking of You • You Were The Onehttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/lantern/1121/thumbnail.jp

Effi cacy of a Russian-backbone live attenuated infl uenza vaccine among children in Senegal: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Background Live attenuated infl uenza vaccines have been shown to signifi cantly reduce infl uenza in diverse populations of children, but no effi cacy studies have been done in resource-poor tropical settings. In Senegal, we assessed the effi cacy and safety of a live attenuated infl uenza vaccine based on Russian-derived master donor viruses and licensed as a single dose. Methods In this double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group, single-centre trial done near Niakhar, Senegal, generally healthy children aged 2–5 years were randomly allocated (2:1) to receive a single intranasal dose of masked trivalent live attenuated infl uenza vaccine or placebo. The allocation sequence was computer-generated by PATH with block sizes of three. The manufacturer provided vaccine and placebo in coded vials to preserve blinding. Participants were monitored through the predictable infl uenza season in Senegal for adverse events and signs and symptoms of infl uenza using weekly home visits and surveillance in clinics. The primary outcome was symptomatic laboratoryconfi rmed infl uenza caused by any strain and occurring from 15 days post-vaccination to the end of the study. The primary analysis was per protocol. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01854632. Findings Between May 23, and July 1, 2013, 1761 children were randomly assigned, 1174 to receive live attenuated infl uenza vaccine and 587 to receive placebo. The per-protocol set included 1173 vaccinees and 584 placebo recipients followed up to Dec 20, 2013. Symptomatic infl uenza was laboratory-confi rmed in 210 (18%) of 1173 recipients of live attenuated infl uenza vaccine and 105 (18%) of placebo recipients, giving a vaccine effi cacy of 0·0% (95% CI –26·4 to 20·9). Adverse events were balanced between the study groups. Two girls who had received live attenuated infl uenza vaccine died, one due to anasarca 12 days postvaccination and one due to malnutrition 70 days postvaccination. Interpretation Live attenuated infl uenza vaccine was well tolerated in young children in Senegal, but did not provide protection against infl uenza. Further study in such populations, which might experience extended periods of infl uenza circulation, is warranted

The Lantern Vol. 46, No. 2, April 1980

• The Voyage to Man\u27s Destiny • If I Could Keep the Times • Barstool Blues • I Didn\u27t Know • Felonious, Friend • Cool Ride • Georgia • Let Us Eat and Drink • In a Field • New Born Foal • Union to Freedom • In the Woods • Anthropomorphism • Runner • C.C. • Lake Attempt • A Fuzzy Blue Line • Trust Me • Haven\u27t We Met Before? • Rationality • Expecting Me • Short Storyhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/lantern/1116/thumbnail.jp

Real-Time Reverse Transcription–Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay for SARS-associated Coronavirus

A real-time reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay was developed to rapidly detect the severe acute respiratory syndrome–associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV). The assay, based on multiple primer and probe sets located in different regions of the SARS-CoV genome, could discriminate SARS-CoV from other human and animal coronaviruses with a potential detection limit of <10 genomic copies per reaction. The real-time RT-PCR assay was more sensitive than a conventional RT-PCR assay or culture isolation and proved suitable to detect SARS-CoV in clinical specimens. Application of this assay will aid in diagnosing SARS-CoV infection

Gaze sensitivity: function and mechanisms from sensory and cognitive perspectives

Sensitivity to the gaze of other individuals has long been a primary focus in sociocognitive research on humans and other animals. Information about where others are looking may often be of adaptive value in social interactions and predator avoidance, but studies across a range of taxa indicate there are substantial differences in the extent to which animals obtain and use information about other individuals' gaze direction. As the literature expands, it is becoming increasingly difficult to make comparisons across taxa as experiments adopt and adjust different methodologies to account for differences between species in their socioecology, sensory systems and possibly also their underlying cognitive mechanisms. Furthermore, as more species are found to exhibit gaze sensitivity, more terminology arises to describe the behaviours. To clarify the field, we propose a restricted nomenclature that defines gaze sensitivity in terms of observable behaviour, independent of the underlying mechanisms. This is particularly useful in nonhuman animal studies where cognitive interpretations are ambiguous. We then describe how socioecological factors may influence whether species will attend to gaze cues, and suggest links between ultimate factors and proximate mechanisms such as cognition and perception. In particular, we argue that variation in sensory systems, such as retinal specializations and the position of the eyes, will determine whether gaze cues (e.g. head movement) are perceivable during visual fixation. We end by making methodological recommendations on how to apply these variations in socioecology and visual systems to advance the field of gaze research

Influence of folate status on genomic DNA methylation in colonic mucosa of subjects without colorectal adenoma or cancer

DNA hypomethylation may increase the risk of colorectal cancer. The main aim of this study was to assess the influence of folate status (serum and erythrocyte folate and plasma homocysteine concentrations) on DNA methylation. Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR 677C → T and 1298A → C), methionine synthase (MS 2756A → G) and cystathionine synthase (CBS 844ins68) polymorphisms were measured to account for potential confounding effects on folate status and DNA methylation. A total of 68 subjects (33 men and 35 women, 36–78 years) free from colorectal polyps or cancer were recruited in a cross-sectional study. Tissue biopsies were obtained at colonoscopy for the determination of DNA methylation in colonic mucosa using an in vitro radiolabelled methyl acceptance assay. Serum and erythrocyte folate were inversely correlated with plasma homocysteine (r=−0.573, P<0.001 and r=−0.307, P=0.01 respectively) and DNA hypomethylation in colonic mucosa (r=−0.311, P=0.01 and r=−0.356, P=0.03). After adjusting for gender, age, body mass index, smoking and genotype, there were weak negative associations between serum and erythrocyte folate and colonic DNA hypomethylation (P=0.07 and P=0.08, respectively)

Eukaryotic Evolutionary Transitions Are Associated with Extreme Codon Bias in Functionally-Related Proteins

Codon bias in the genome of an organism influences its phenome by changing the speed and efficiency of mRNA translation and hence protein abundance. We hypothesized that differences in codon bias, either between-species differences in orthologous genes, or within-species differences between genes, may play an evolutionary role. To explore this hypothesis, we compared the genome-wide codon bias in six species that occupy vital positions in the Eukaryotic Tree of Life. We acquired the entire protein coding sequences for these organisms, computed the codon bias for all genes in each organism and explored the output for relationships between codon bias and protein function, both within- and between-lineages. We discovered five notable coordinated patterns, with extreme codon bias most pronounced in traits considered highly characteristic of a given lineage. Firstly, the Homo sapiens genome had stronger codon bias for DNA-binding transcription factors than the Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome, whereas the opposite was true for ribosomal proteins – perhaps underscoring transcriptional regulation in the origin of complexity. Secondly, both mammalian species examined possessed extreme codon bias in genes relating to hair – a tissue unique to mammals. Thirdly, Arabidopsis thaliana showed extreme codon bias in genes implicated in cell wall formation and chloroplast function – which are unique to plants. Fourthly, Gallus gallus possessed strong codon bias in a subset of genes encoding mitochondrial proteins – perhaps reflecting the enhanced bioenergetic efficiency in birds that co-evolved with flight. And lastly, the G. gallus genome had extreme codon bias for the Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor – which may help to explain their spontaneous recovery from deafness. We propose that extreme codon bias in groups of genes that encode functionally related proteins has a pathway-level energetic explanation