A sort of homecoming : incarceration and the housing security of urban men

While individuals returning from prison face many barriers to successful re-entry, among the most serious are the challenges they face in securing housing. Housing has long been recognized as a prerequisite for stable employment, access to social services, and other aspects of individual and family functioning. The formerly incarcerated face several administrative and de facto restrictions on their housing options; however, little is known about the unique instabilities that they face. We use a longitudinal survey of urban families to examine housing insecurity among nearly 3,000 urban men, including over 1,000 with incarceration histories. We find that men recently incarcerated face greater housing insecurity, including both serious hardships such as homelessness, and precursors to homelessness such as residential turnover and relying on others for housing expenses. Their increased risk is tied both to diminished annual earnings and other factors, including, potentially, evictions from public housing supported by Federal "one-strike" policies

Housing insecurity among urban fathers

This article examines housing insecurity among an understudied population: urban fathers of young children. Housing security is of particular importance for vulnerable populations, and urban fathers, many of whom face unemployment and monitoring from the child support and criminal justice systems, often rely on this security to mitigate the socioeconomic challenges they face. By assessing the extent and type of housing insecurity affecting urban fathers, we identify a potentially serious source of disadvantage facing families more broadly. A year after the birth of a new child, fully a quarter of fathers reported significant housing insecurities with 3% experiencing homelessness. Results suggest that from 9-12% of fathers are doubling up, relying on others for living expenses, and moving more than once every year. Finally, only half of fathers had been able to maintain housing security over the three to four years since the focal child's birth

ADHD at the workplace:ADHD symptoms, diagnostic status, and work-related functioning

Adults diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) commonly experience impairments in multiple domains of daily living. Work has a central role in daily life and is susceptible to ADHD due to its cognitive demands. The present study seeks to examine the nature of work-related problems and impairments of adults with ADHD, and explores the association to ADHD symptoms and neuropsychological test performance. A community sample of 1231 individuals took part in this study and completed a set of questionnaires assessing ADHD symptoms and work-related problems. Furthermore, a clinical sample of 134 adults diagnosed with ADHD were recruited from an ADHD outpatient clinic, who completed the same set of questionnaires. A subsample of 51 patients with ADHD additionally performed a neuropsychological assessment using tests of attention and executive functions. Work-related problems were found both in individuals of the community sample with symptoms of ADHD and individuals diagnosed with ADHD. Individuals with ADHD reported work related problems particularly in not meeting their own standards and perceived potential, yet it less commonly manifests in negative performance evaluations at work or job loss. ADHD symptoms, in particular symptoms of inattention, were found to be strongly associated with work-related problems, whereas neuropsychological test performance was no meaningful predictor of functioning at work. This study emphasizes the susceptibility of individuals’ functioning at work to ADHD symptoms and impairments associated with ADHD. ADHD related difficulties at work should be considered in the clinical evaluation and targeted screening at the work place to provide support when indicated

Metacognition, psychopathology and daily functioning in adult ADHD

Objective: Previous research indicated that adults with ADHD may have deficits in metacognition, yet the evidence base is scarce. This study aims to explore the existence and nature of metacognitive deficits in adults with ADHD, how psychopathology (such as inattention and depression) may affect metacognition and whether metacognition may impact daily functioning in adults with ADHD.Method: Forty-six adult patients with ADHD and 46 controls completed questionnaires for metacognition, psychopathology and daily functioning (subjective assessment; self- and informant report). Participants performed two attention tests in a neuropsychological assessment. After test completion, participants were asked to evaluate their performance with the help of a visual aid and this self-evaluation of test performance was compared with their actual test performance (objective assessment).Results: Patients with ADHD reported large deficits in knowledge of cognition and medium deficits in regulation of cognition compared to controls. Self-evaluation of cognitive test performance revealed no significant deficits. Regression analyses revealed that psychopathology may explain a part of the variation in metacognition. Further regressions indicated that metacognition may account for a significant and meaningful proportion of variance in daily functioning, both self-rated and informant-rated.Conclusions: Current findings of compromised metacognitive functioning of adults with ADHD suggest that clinicians may not want to rely on patients' self-reports in the clinical assessment. Inattention predicted impairments in metacognition, pointing toward the importance of attention for awareness and metacognition. Finally, we recommend that metacognition is addressed in the treatment trajectory of patients with ADHD, given that aspects of metacognition were directly linked to impairments in daily functioning as rated by participants and their relatives

Metacognition in adult ADHD:Subjective and objective perspectives on self-awareness of cognitive functioning

Although attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adulthood is associated with marked cognitive impairment, research on metacognition in adult ADHD is scarce. Deficits in metacognition may have a negative impact on treatment adherence, functional outcomes, and everyday life. This study explores metacognition, specifically self-awareness of cognitive performance, in adults with ADHD by combining objective and subjective assessments. Forty-seven patients with ADHD and 47 control individuals completed a neuropsychological assessment battery including tests for attention, executive functions and memory (objective assessment), as well as questionnaires for cognitive functioning and symptom severity (subjective assessment; self- and informant-report). Participants evaluated their test performance of the objective assessment after test completion by selecting a percentile rank which was subtracted from their normed test result, yielding a discrepancy score. Compared to controls, adults with ADHD showed impairments in attention (medium effects) and memory (small and medium effects), but not in executive functions. The discrepancy scores between self-evaluation and cognitive performance revealed deficits in self-awareness of attentional functions (small effects), but not in executive functions and memory in patients with ADHD compared to controls. Discrepancy scores between self- and informant-reports of cognitive functioning revealed no significant differences. Adults with ADHD show impairments in metacognition in attentional functions, but may have intact metacognitive abilities in other domains. Patients with ADHD tend to overestimate their abilities, especially in attentional functions. Subjective and objective measures of metacognition may not correspond, highlighting the need for clinicians to not solely rely on patients’ self-report in their assessment. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at (10.1007/s00702-020-02293-w)

Public perceptions of adult ADHD:Indications of stigma?

Stigmatization represents a major barrier to treatment seeking across mental disorders. Despite this, stigma research on individual mental disorders remains in its infancy. Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults also represents an under-researched area—being far less studied than its child counterpart. This study examined the current state of public perceptions towards adult ADHD. A simulation group consisting of 105 participants performed the Weiss Functional Impairment Rating Scale (WFIRS) and Conners’ Adult ADHD Rating Scales (CAARS) as though they had ADHD. These scores were compared to a group consisting of 98 individuals with adult ADHD and a group of 117 healthy individuals both groups being instructed to complete the WFIRS and CAARS to the best of their abilities. Simulators were found to overestimate impairments in adult ADHD (to a large effect) in the domains of hyperactivity, DSM-IV hyperactivity-impulsivity, DSM-IV total, work, school, (to a medium effect) in family and social, and (to a negligible-small effect) in inattention, impulsivity, DSM-IV inattention, and life skills when compared to the ADHD group, and in all domains (to a large effect) when compared to the control group. Current and retrospective ADHD symptoms were found to be associated with more accurate perceptions in a number of domains. Evidence for the presence of perceptions considered to be stigmatizing was found, with largest effects present in the domains of hyperactivity, impulsivity, impairments at work, school, and engagement in risky behaviour

A Practical Application of Low Voltage DC Distribution Network Within Buildings

Science & Technolog

Epistasis between MicroRNAs 155 and 146a during T Cell-Mediated Antitumor Immunity

An increased understanding of antitumor immunity is necessary for improving cell-based immunotherapies against human cancers. Here, we investigated the roles of two immune system-expressed microRNAs (miRNAs), miR-155 and miR-146a, in the regulation of antitumor immune responses. Our results indicate that miR-155 promotes and miR-146a inhibits interferon γ (IFNγ) responses by T cells and reduces solid tumor growth in vivo. Using a double-knockout (DKO) mouse strain deficient in both miR-155 and miR-146a, we have also identified an epistatic relationship between these two miRNAs. DKO mice had defective T cell responses and tumor growth phenotypes similar to miR-155^(−/−) mice. Further analysis of the T cell compartment revealed that miR-155 modulates IFNγ expression through a mechanism involving repression of Ship1. Our work reveals critical roles for miRNAs in the reciprocal regulation of CD4^+ and CD8^+ T cell-mediated antitumor immunity and demonstrates the dominant nature of miR-155 during its promotion of immune responses

Harnessing the potential of African youth for transforming health research in Africa

Africa faces a significant burden of infectious diseases, including Malaria and HIV/AIDS, along with an increasing prevalence of non-infectious diseases such as diabetes and cancer. This dual health challenge is amplified by socioeconomic difficulties, restricted access to healthcare, and lifestyle changes, thus present unique scientific needs. Effectively addressing these issues requires a skilled scientific workforce adept in comprehensive healthcare strategies. This analysis explores the critical landscape of health research in Africa, emphasizing the unique opportunity presented by the continent’s youthful population, projected to reach almost 1 billion by 2050. The youth’s innovative potential and fresh perspectives offer a chance to overcome development barriers in health research. Nevertheless, challenges such as under-resourced education, limited research training, inadequate mentorship, and funding difficulties persist. This paper urgently calls upon African leaders, international partners, and stakeholders to prioritize health research, mobilize funding, forge strategic partnerships, and empower the youth as essential steps to capitalize on the continent’s dynamic youth for breakthrough health outcomes. Such investments are vital not just for health but for the overall economic, social, and strategic growth of the continent. Through shared responsibility and a united effort, the potential of African youth can be harnessed, leading to transformative research, improved health outcomes, and a prosperous future. This perspective represents the collective voice of passionate young researchers and advocates across Africa, calling for a new era of health research on the continent