Family Functioning and Disability: A Study on mothers of Mentally Disabled Children

Aim: The present study aims to explore the perception that mothers of mentally disabled children have of their family functioning, measuring: the dynamics of the familiar functioning; the perception that the parental couple has about parenting and family functioning; the similarities between fathers and mothers in the perception of these dimensions. Materials and Methods: The sample included 50 mothers of  mentally disabled children. The sample was taken from selected special school. They completed: Family Assessment tool was used to assess specific aspects of family functioning, such as problem solving, communication, roles, affective response  and involvement, behavioral control and general functioning; Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales to measure family adaptability and cohesion. Results: Shows that highest percentage (40%) of the sample was in the age group of 20-25years. shows that maximum percentage (68%) of mothers had average family function 20% had poor family function , and 5% very poor family function. The parents of disabled daughters showed significantly higher on following scales: cohesion, communication and satisfaction. In contrast, the parents who have male sons showed high scores in the scale of flexibility. Parents of children with autism reported higher scores than the parents of children with pervasive developmental disorders in the following scales: cohesion, communication and satisfaction. Conclusions: Children depend on their parents and caregivers for stability, safety, support, and assistance in helping them make sense of adverse events and life challenges. By strengthening community support and attending to parent and caregiver needs and well-being, family-serving professionals will be doing their utmost to ensure that the special children and their families thrive

Studying Soil Ecology and Growth Conditions of Phellorinia herculeana, a Wild Edible Mushroom

Phellorinia herculeana is an edible mushroom growing in nutritionally poor and desert soil. There has been little information available about its edaphic and culturing conditions for achieving the vigorous mycelial growth essential for its artificial cultivation, bioaugmentation and biodegradation in unfertile soil. Thus, the present study was conducted to assess its edaphic conditions and find a suitable culturing medium for obtaining maximum growth. It grows commonly in coastal soil with saline conditions, barren land soil unfit for cultivation, and desert soil. It forms a basidiocarp singly around xerophytic trees and annual plants and also in soil without vegetation. In addition to a well-developed pileus and stipe, it has a typical rhizoid that grows horizontally in soil. The rhizoid was thick at the base of the stipe and became thin into the mycelial strand. In our earlier study, we reported that its mycelial growth was very poor on nutrient-rich media containing simple sugar, for example, glucose. In the present study, we observed that cereal-grain-based agar media supported its mycelial growth and among the cereal-grain-based agar media, maize agar medium at the 5% level supported the maximum mycelial growth. Incorporation of glucose into the maize agar medium reduced its mycelial growth compared to its growth on maize agar medium without glucose. Its mycelial growth was at a maximum between 34 °C and 37 °C and at a pH between 7 and 8. Mass multiplication using sand-maize medium prepared at the ratio of 19:1 (sand: maize) supported the maximum mycelial growth. The results of this study would certainly pave a way for the scientific community to develop a protocol for its artificial cultivation and also for its mass multiplication, bioaugmentation and biodegradation in unfertile soil