Stigma, Social Comparison and Self-Esteem in Adults with an Intellectual Disability

Background: The paper examines the perception of stigma in 43 adults with an intellectual disability, the relationship this has with their psychological well-being and whether the process of social comparison has a moderating effect on this relationship. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire-based, within-participant design was used. Participants completed three self-report measures of perception of stigma, self-esteem and social comparison. Results: Perception of stigma was found to be significantly related to negative social comparisons, which in turn was significantly related to low self-esteem. No difference was found between social comparisons made with other service users and those made with people in the community. Social comparison was not found to have a moderating effect on the relationship between stigma and self-esteem. Conclusion: This study provides support for the influence of the perception of stigma and social comparison on the self-concept of individuals with an intellectual disability

A pilot of the use of the WAIS III in learning disability services

The present study is a pilot examining how a group of people (n=133) with a learning disability perform on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale – Third Edition (1997). The study found that Full Scale IQ was not always predictive of performance on individual subtests or of performance on the Indices. Implications for clinical practice are discussed

Serotonin Transporter Knockout Mice and Maternal Stress: A Potential Animal Model of Autism

This study examined whether an interaction between the serotonin transporter genotype and maternal stress results in a mouse with characteristics of autism. Serotonin transporter knockout heterozygous dams and wild-type dams were stressed during different gestational periods. Their offspring then underwent a series of behavioral tasks to test sociability, anxiety levels, and level of cerebellar functioning. We predicted that mice that experienced prenatal stress and had a deficit in the serotonin transporter would produce the anxiety, cerebellar and social interaction deficiencies seen in autism. In contrast, we hypothesized that without the presence of prenatal stress, there is no difference in the baselines of the control groups and the serotonin transporter knockout mice. Our results did not support our hypothesis, suggesting that the serotonin transporter knockout mice and prenatal stress paradigm is not a valid animal model of autism. However, we did find effects on sociability, anxiety, and locomotor functioning, indicating an interaction of serotonin transporter knockout mice and maternal stress.No embarg

Advisor and Student Experiences of Summer Support for College-intending, Low-income high school graduates

Summer melt occurs when students who have been accepted to college and intend to enroll fail to matriculate in college in the fall semester after high school. A high rate of summer melt contributes to the lower postsecondary attainment rates of low-income students, in particular. This article presents qualitative findings from two interventions intended to reduce summer melt among low-income, urban high school graduates who had been accepted to college and indicated their intention to enroll. Results from student and counselor surveys, interviews, and focus groups point to a web of personal and contextual factors that collectively influence students' college preparation behaviors and provide insight into the areas of summer supports from which students like these can benefit. The data fit an ecological perspective, in which personal, institutional, societal, and temporal factors interact to affect students' behaviors and outcomes. A model of summer intervention shows that obstacles in completing college financing and informational tasks can lead college-intending students to re-open the question of where or whether to attend college in the fall after high school graduation. Given the pressure of concerns about how to actualize their offer of admission, students rarely engage in the anticipatory socialization activities that might help them make optimal transitions into college

Decision Support Software for Palmer Amaranth Weed Control

Herbicide-resistant Palmer amaranth [Amaranthus palmeri (S.) Wats.] has been identified as one of the most troublesome weeds, specifically for corn (Zea mays L.), cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] producers in the southern United States. The use of herbicide technology remains the most widely used method of weed control, despite the evolution of herbicide-resistant Palmer amaranth. Therefore, a need currently exists for research and extension education to encourage the adoption of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to address the problem of herbicide-resistant Palmer amaranth in the southern United States. By equipping crop producers, educators, and weed management consultants with tools to evaluate the long-run biological and economic implications of different Palmer amaranth weed control practices, producers are expected to realize the benefits of adopting IPM strategies. As such, the Palmer Amaranth Management (PAM) software was developed to help producers, educators and researchers, and weed management consultants analyze long-run implications of chemical and non-chemical weed control options in crop production in the mid-southern United States. In addition to promoting the regional adoption of IPM techniques, PAM is expected to improve coordination among researchers, educators, and extension agents, and help producers to realize the economic and environmental benefits of IPM adoption, such as improved crop yields and increased profitability, preservation of the long-term efficacy of available herbicides, and minimized environmental risks. Therefore, the research objective of this project was to develop a decision support software program to highlight the long-term effects of management practices on soil seedbank and economics to encourage the adoption of IPM methods for Palmer amaranth

The Effect of a Maternal Mediterranean Diet in Pregnancy on Insulin Resistance is Moderated by Maternal Negative Affect.

There is inconsistent evidence that healthy dietary interventions can effectively mitigate the risk of adverse outcomes associated with elevated insulin resistance in pregnancy, suggesting that other moderating factors may be at play. Maternal psychological state is an important factor to consider in this regard, because stress/mood state can directly influence glycemia and a bidirectional relationship may exist between nutrition and psychological state. The objective of this study was to examine the interaction between maternal negative affect and diet quality on third trimester insulin resistance. We conducted a prospective longitudinal study of N = 203 women with assessments in early and mid-pregnancy, which included an ecological momentary assessment of maternal psychological state, from which a negative affect score (NAS) was derived, and 24-h dietary recalls, from which the Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS) was computed. The homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was computed from third trimester fasting plasma glucose and insulin values. Early pregnancy MDS was inversely associated with the HOMA-IR, but this did not maintain significance after adjusting for covariates. There was a significant effect of the mid-pregnancy MDS*NAS interaction term with the HOMA-IR in the adjusted model, such that a higher negative affect was found to override the beneficial effects of a Mediterranean diet on insulin resistance. These results highlight the need to consider nutrition and affective state concurrently in the context of gestational insulin resistance

Normative and critical criteria for iliotibial band and iliopsoas muscle flexibility

Context: The Ober and Thomas tests are subjective and involve a "negative" or "positive" assessment, making them difficult to apply within the paradigm of evidence-based medicine. No authors have combined the subjective clinical assessment with an objective measurement for these special tests. Objective: To compare the subjective assessment of iliotibial band and iliopsoas flexibility with the objective measurement of a digital inclinometer, to establish normative values, and to provide an evidence-based critical criterion for determining tissue tightness. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Clinical research laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: Three hundred recreational athletes (125 men, 175 women; 250 in injured group, 50 in control group). Main Outcome Measure(s): Iliotibial band and iliopsoas muscle flexibility were determined subjectively using the modified Ober and Thomas tests, respectively. Using a digital inclinometer, we objectively measured limb position. lnterrater reliability for the subjective assessment was compared between 2 clinicians for a random sample of 100 injured participants, who were classified subjectively as either negative or positive for iliotibial band and iliopsoas tightness. Percentage of agreement indicated interrater reliability for the subjective assessment. Results: For iliotibial band flexibility, the average inclinometer angle was -24.59 degrees +/- 7.27 degrees. A total of 432 limbs were subjectively assessed as negative (-27.13 degrees +/- 5.53 degrees) and 168 as positive (-16.29 degrees +/- 6.87 degrees). For iliopsoas flexibility, the average inclinometer angle was -10.60 degrees +/- 9.61 degrees. A total of 392 limbs were subjectively assessed as negative (-15.51 degrees +/- 5.82 degrees) and 208 as positive (0.34 degrees +/- 7.00 degrees). The critical criteria for iliotibial band and iliopsoas flexibility were determined to be -23.16 degrees and -9.69 degrees, respectively. Between-clinicians agreement was very good, ranging from 95.0% to 97.6% for the Thomas and Ober tests, respectively. Conclusions: Subjective assessments and instrumented measurements were combined to establish normative values and critical criterions for tissue flexibility for the modified Ober and Thomas tests

An enhanced fresh cadaveric model for reconstructive microsurgery training

Open access via Springer Compact Acknowledgements The generosity of the people of the North East of Scotland who donated their bodies to the University of Aberdeen for anatomical study is recognised. Their contribution is appreciated and valued. Funding The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Identification with School and Head Trauma: Parental Perceptions on Student’s Experiences

In the United States 40% of all traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are in children under the age 14 (Broque  et. al 2012). This means a portion of the school age population is exposed to head injury every year. The effect this injury and experience can have on a child varies, but it is important for educators, counselors, and family to understand the psychosocial experiences that follow after TBI. Research has shown that head injury in childhood can have severe psychosocial effects if the injury is not treated, recognized, and planned for (Broque et. al 2012).This research is intended to shed light on what educators, counselors, and families can do to help children who have experienced a TBI. Previous research shows that a loss of sense of self after TBI in three categories; loss of self-knowledge, loss of self by comparison, and loss of self in the eyes of others (Nochi, 1998). This investigation suggests that identification as “disabled” can impact how students identify with their school