Time and Space Use of Adults with Intellectual Disabilities

Purpose: This study analyzed the time and space use of adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) in order to better understand the occupational patterns of this population. Methods: Time and space use data were collected through observation of 15 adults with ID during 4-hour periods on typical weekdays and weekend days. Data were coded into 12 time and 10 space use descriptive categories. Results: The participants used a greater variety of locations during weekdays that contributed to greater amounts of weekday time spent in a wider variety of activity categories. In contrast, the participants spent a majority of the observed weekend day time in the group home with less activity variety. Although the participants in this study lived in group homes and participated in day habilitation programs or supported employment, a majority of their midday time use occurred in passive activity categories in a minimum variety of locations. These results may be due to the types of activities offered by structured day habilitation programs and group homes. Conclusion: Occupational therapists may be key players to enhance the environments of people with ID by providing direct service and staff training to facilitate more diversity of active use of time and space for adults with ID

Wilson's disease: changes in methionine metabolism and inflammation affect global DNA methylation in early liver disease.

UnlabelledHepatic methionine metabolism may play an essential role in regulating methylation status and liver injury in Wilson's disease (WD) through the inhibition of S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase (SAHH) by copper (Cu) and the consequent accumulation of S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH). We studied the transcript levels of selected genes related to liver injury, levels of SAHH, SAH, DNA methyltransferases genes (Dnmt1, Dnmt3a, Dnmt3b), and global DNA methylation in the tx-j mouse (tx-j), an animal model of WD. Findings were compared to those in control C3H mice, and in response to Cu chelation by penicillamine (PCA) and dietary supplementation of the methyl donor betaine to modulate inflammatory and methylation status. Transcript levels of selected genes related to endoplasmic reticulum stress, lipid synthesis, and fatty acid oxidation were down-regulated at baseline in tx-j mice, further down-regulated in response to PCA, and showed little to no response to betaine. Hepatic Sahh transcript and protein levels were reduced in tx-j mice with consequent increase of SAH levels. Hepatic Cu accumulation was associated with inflammation, as indicated by histopathology and elevated serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and liver tumor necrosis factor alpha (Tnf-α) levels. Dnmt3b was down-regulated in tx-j mice together with global DNA hypomethylation. PCA treatment of tx-j mice reduced Tnf-α and ALT levels, betaine treatment increased S-adenosylmethionine and up-regulated Dnmt3b levels, and both treatments restored global DNA methylation levels.ConclusionReduced hepatic Sahh expression was associated with increased liver SAH levels in the tx-j model of WD, with consequent global DNA hypomethylation. Increased global DNA methylation was achieved by reducing inflammation by Cu chelation or by providing methyl groups. We propose that increased SAH levels and inflammation affect widespread epigenetic regulation of gene expression in WD