College Students with Intellectual Disability Using a Self-Monitoring App and Peer Support to Improve On-Task Behaviors

This presentation will review a single-case research pilot study on the use of I-Connect, a free self-monitoring application for mobile devices, to improve on-task study behaviors for a college student with intellectual disability attending an inclusive postsecondary education program at a Georgia university. The study viewed the effects of a trained peer mentor providing ongoing training and encouragement for app use as well as weekly goal-setting and review support sessions. Findings of the pilot study will be discussed. A description of the training process for both peer mentor and study participant will also be included as well as an overview of the free self-monitoring application

Cytotoxicity and variant cellular internalization behavior of water-soluble sulfonated nanographene sheets in liver cancer cells

Highly exfoliated sulfonated graphene sheets (SGSs), an alternative to graphene oxide and graphene derivatives, were synthesized, characterized, and applied to liver cancer cells in vitro. Cytotoxicity profiles were obtained using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, WST-1[2-(4-iodophenyl)-3-(4-nitrophenyl)-5-(2,4-disulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium, and lactate dehydrogenase release colorimetric assays. These particles were found to be non-toxic across the concentration range of 0.1 to 10 μg/ml. Internalization of SGSs was also studied by means of optical and electron microscopy. Although not conclusive, high-resolution transmission and scanning electron microscopy revealed variant internalization behaviors where some of the SGS became folded and compartmentalized into tight bundles within cellular organelles. The ability for liver cancer cells to internalize, fold, and compartmentalize graphene structures is a phenomenon not previously documented for graphene cell biology and should be further investigated