Transitioning to adulthood with a mild intellectual disability: Young people's experiences, expectations, and aspirations

Aim: Very little attention has been paid to the views and experiences of young people with mild intellectual disabilities on the broad topics of adulthood and adult identity. The following study was undertaken to explore how young adults with mild intellectual disabilities conceptualize, relate to, and experience the process of transition. Method: Eight young adults with mild to borderline intellectual disabilities participated in semi‐structured interviews. Results were analysed using interpretive thematic analysis. Results: Two umbrella themes were identified: “On a developmental pathway” and “Negotiations in the environment”. Conclusions: The participants concerns were surprisingly similar to those commonly expressed by young adults without disabilities. Self‐perceived adult identity appeared to be affected by the participants' personal definitions of adulthood, as well as by social comparisons with both peers and adults. Finally, while concerns were expressed about their capacity to cope with responsibility, most felt optimistic about adopting full adult status in the future

Informing investment to reduce inequalities: a modelling approach

Background: Reducing health inequalities is an important policy objective but there is limited quantitative information about the impact of specific interventions. Objectives: To provide estimates of the impact of a range of interventions on health and health inequalities. Materials and methods: Literature reviews were conducted to identify the best evidence linking interventions to mortality and hospital admissions. We examined interventions across the determinants of health: a ‘living wage’; changes to benefits, taxation and employment; active travel; tobacco taxation; smoking cessation, alcohol brief interventions, and weight management services. A model was developed to estimate mortality and years of life lost (YLL) in intervention and comparison populations over a 20-year time period following interventions delivered only in the first year. We estimated changes in inequalities using the relative index of inequality (RII). Results: Introduction of a ‘living wage’ generated the largest beneficial health impact, with modest reductions in health inequalities. Benefits increases had modest positive impacts on health and health inequalities. Income tax increases had negative impacts on population health but reduced inequalities, while council tax increases worsened both health and health inequalities. Active travel increases had minimally positive effects on population health but widened health inequalities. Increases in employment reduced inequalities only when targeted to the most deprived groups. Tobacco taxation had modestly positive impacts on health but little impact on health inequalities. Alcohol brief interventions had modestly positive impacts on health and health inequalities only when strongly socially targeted, while smoking cessation and weight-reduction programmes had minimal impacts on health and health inequalities even when socially targeted. Conclusions: Interventions have markedly different effects on mortality, hospitalisations and inequalities. The most effective (and likely cost-effective) interventions for reducing inequalities were regulatory and tax options. Interventions focused on individual agency were much less likely to impact on inequalities, even when targeted at the most deprived communities

Performance and milk quality parameters of Jersey crossbreds in low-input dairy systems

Previous work has demonstrated some benefit from alternative breeds in low-input dairying, although there has been no systematic analysis of the simultaneous effect of Jersey crossbreeding on productivity, health, fertility parameters or milk nutritional quality. This work aimed to understand the effects of, and interactions/interrelations between, dairy cow genotypes (Holstein-Friesian (HF), Holstein-Friesian × Jersey crossbreds (HF × J)) and season (spring, summer, autumn) on milk yield; basic composition; feed efficiency, health, and fertility parameters; and milk fatty acid (FA) profiles. Milk samples (n=219) and breed/diet data were collected from 74 cows in four UK low-input dairy farms between March and October 2012. HF × J cows produced milk with more fat (+3.2 g/kg milk), protein (+2.9 g/kg milk) and casein (+2.7 g/kg milk); and showed higher feed, fat, and protein efficiency (expressed as milk, fat and protein outputs per kg DMI) than HF cows. Milk from HF × J cows contained more C4:0 (+2.6 g/kg FA), C6:0 (+1.9 g/kg FA), C8:0 (+1.3 g/kg FA), C10:0 (+3.0 g/kg FA), C12:0 (+3.7 g/kg FA), C14:0 (+4.6 g/kg FA) and saturated FA (SFA; +27.3 g/kg milk) and less monounsaturated FA (MUFA; -23.7 g/kg milk) and polyunsaturated FA (-22.3 g/kg milk). There was no significant difference for most health and fertility parameters, but HF × J cows had shorter calving interval (by 39 days). The superior feed, fat and protein efficiency of HF × J cows, as well as shorter calving interval can be considered beneficial for the financial sustainability of low-input dairy farms; and using such alternative breeds in crossbreeding schemes may be recommended. Although statistically significant, it is difficult to determine if differences observed between HF and HF × J cows in fat composition are likely to impact human health, considering average population dairy fat intakes and the relatively small difference. Thus, the HF × J cow could be used in low-input dairying to improve efficiency and productivity without impacting milk nutritional properties

Is concern about young people's anti-social behaviour associated with poor health? cross-sectional evidence from residents of deprived urban neighbourhoods

<p><b>Background:</b> Young people in disadvantaged neighbourhoods are often the focus of concerns about anti-social behaviour (ASB). There is inconsistent evidence to support the hypothesis that perceptions of ASB (PASB) are associated with poor health. We ask whether perceptions of young people's ASB are associated with poor health; and whether health, demographic and (psycho)social characteristics can help explain why PASB varies within disadvantaged neighbourhoods (Glasgow, UK).</p> <p><b>Methods:</b> Regression analysis of survey data exploring associations between perceiving teenagers hanging around to be a serious neighbourhood problem and SF-12v2 mental and physical health scores (higher = better), including adjustment for demographic characteristics. Further analysis explored associations with self-reported measures of health service use, psychosocial characteristics of homes and neighbourhoods and social contacts.</p> <p><b>Results:</b> 6008 adults participated (50% response) and 22% (n = 1,332) said teenagers were a serious neighbourhood problem (the most frequently reported local problem). Demographic characteristics associated with perceiving serious teenager problems included regular health service use, age (inverse relationship), financial problems and living with children. Lower SF-12v2 physical health scores were associated with perceiving teenager problems after adjustment for demographic variables (OR 0.98; 95%CI 0.97,0.99; p = < 0.001), whilst adjusted findings for mental health scores were less conclusive (OR 0.99; 95%CI 0.98,1.00; p = 0.103). Further analysis suggested that perceiving teenager problems was more strongly associated with a number of self-reported psychosocial factors: e.g. lacking social support, < weekly family contacts, poor neighbourhood safety, low trust in neighbours, neighbourhood perceived to be a barrier to self-esteem, and neighbourhood decline.</p> <p><b>Conclusions:</b> Given the evidence we found of weak and small associations between PASB and health, we caution against assuming that tackling concern about teenagers' ASB will lead to substantial public health gains in disadvantaged areas. Although the findings do not present a compelling case for making PASB a public health priority, it is still important to address concerns about young people's ASB. Reasons for doing so may include improving social cohesion, reducing fear and isolation, and improving the general quality of people's lives - particularly in neighbourhoods burdened by multiple disadvantages. Future research should evaluate interventions that attempt to reduce PASB in disadvantaged areas. Findings from this study could help inform the targeting of such interventions.</p&gt

Travellers: Design collaboration and digital media

This paper examines the use of 3D electronic medium as a tool for procuring detailed design information for the Sandridge Bridge Travellers project. The Sandridge Bridge Travellers project required the production of 10 7.5 m of tall × 5 - 12 m of wide figures under very tight programme and budget constraints. This was achieved through a synthesis of art and engineering, whereby structure and sculpture become one and the same. Traditional procurement routes would have entailed the production and interpretation of drawings and design details at all discipline interfaces before fabrication; an approach that was unfeasible given the constraints. Instead, The Travellers project saw a single electronic file pass backwards and forwards from client to architect, engineer, and fabricator, with information from the initial artistic concept work phases through to analysis, design, member scheduling and fabrication all integrated and facilitated by a single electronic medium. Key to the delivery was the use of 3D modeling and scripting programs that enabled the efficient use and development of design information through all stages of the design process. This enabled total integration of all trades requiring a collaborative approach where each party maintained joint ownership of the 3D design information from inception to conception

No Place for Drones

Building design is a process often divorced from considerations about construction. Digital design methods are increasingly challenging the historic relationship between architecture and its means of production, but this extended reach is not necessarily accompanied by extended understanding or leverage of the production process. We present an urban sculptural project, The Travellers, in which digital techniques resolved critical issues of design, documentation and fabrication, but more importantly facilitated highly beneficial processes of negotiation. We suggest that this case based research has implications for future interactions between designers, makers and managers, shedding additional light onto issues of negotiation, responsibility, risk and trust that are often critical to the pragmatic undertaking of making

Implications of organic dairy management on herd performance and milk fatty acid profiles and interactions with season

Interest in organic cows’ milk has increased, due to the perceived superior nutritional quality, and improved sustainability and animal welfare. However, there is a lack of simultaneous assess-ments of the influence of organic dairy practices and dietary and breed drivers on productivity, feed efficiency, health parameters and milk nutritional quality at herd level. This work aimed to assess the impact of organic vs conventional management and month on milk yield and basic composition, herd feed efficiency, health parameters and milk fatty acid (FA) composition. Milk samples (n=800) were collected monthly from the bulk tanks of 67 dairy farms (26 organic, 41 conventional) between January and December 2019. Data on breed and feeding practices were gathered via farm questionnaires. Samples were analysed for basic composition and FA profile using FTIRS and GC, respectively. Data were analysed by linear mixed model, repeated measures design and multivariate redundancy analysis (RDA).Conventional farms had higher yields (kg/cow per day) of milk (+7.3 kg), fat (+0.27 kg) and protein (+0.25 kg), and higher content (g/kg milk) of protein, casein, lactose and urea. Conventional farms produced more milk (+0.22 kg), fat (+8.6 g) and protein (+8.1 g) per kg offered dry matter (DM). Organic farms produced more milk per kg of offered non-grazing and concentrate DM offered respectively (+0.5 kg and +1.23 kg), fat (+20.1 g and +51 g) and protein (+17 g and +42 g). Organic milk had higher concentration of sat-urated fatty acid (SFA;+14 g/kg total FA), polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA;+2.4 g/kg total FA) and nutritionally beneficial FA alpha linolenic acid (ALNA; +14 g/kg total FA), rumenic acid (RA; +14 g/kg total FA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; +14 g/kg total FA); while conventional milk had higher concentrations of monounsaturated FA (MUFA; +16 g/kg total FA). Although conventional farms were more efficient in converting the overall diet into milk, fat and protein; organic farms showed better efficiency in converting conserved forages and concentrates into milk, fat and protein, as a result of reduced concentrate feeding. Considering the relatively small differences in FA profiles between systems, increased pasture intakes can benefit farm sustainability without negatively impacting consumer nutrition and health