Supporting Students with Intellectual Disabilities in Higher Education through Mentoring

Federal legislation is now making it possible for students with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) to enroll in university programs through inclusive transition models. The need for more knowledge in the workplace, in addition to newly acquired opportunities, draws students with ID to college campuses. With this increase of student in postsecondary education settings, it is necessary to examine the types of supports needed to ensure their success. Peer mentorship has been identified as a crucial aspect of support for academic and social development. This paper identifies the skills mentors use during their sessions and outlines challenges with mentoring partnerships in postsecondary transition programs. Data analysis revealed major themes related to inclusion, self-determination, and adaptive behavior skills

Be Still My Racing Heart: An Analysis of Worry Content and Stress Responses in Hookups

The original conceptualization of a stress response revolves around the concept of “fight or flight,” but work led by Shelley Taylor illuminated a unique response to danger called “tend and befriend.” Taylor’s theory posits that some people, especially women, exhibit behaviors related to the protection of offspring (“tending”) the seeking out of social support and affiliation for the purpose of mutual protection and comfort (“befriending”). While this theory has been applied primarily to life-threatening dangers, it can also be applied to sexual situations, including hook-ups, which have the potential to turn violent or forceful, triggering a stress response. Through this lens, differences in the nature of responses to stressful hook-up situations were analyzed to evaluate their relationship with the content of one’s worries related to hook-ups. A large sample of young adults completed a survey on hookup behavior that included questions about how worried they were during hookups and questions about the nature of stress responses. Results indicated that there is a range of responses that includes fight or flight responses, tend and befriend responses and freezing responses. Results are discussed in relation to Taylor’s theory and gender roles.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2021/1001/thumbnail.jp

It doesn\u27t hurt to smile ...Or Does It? Tend and Befriend Reactions to Stress During Hookups

Acquiring clear consent during hookups can be challenging. Previous research suggested that humans engage in a fight or flight response under stress. More recently, a tend and befriend model was hypothesized by Taylor (2000, 2002) to explain how many people, especially women, respond with friendly or nurturant behavior in stressful situations. Young adults completed a survey assessing their various behaviors during stressful hookup encounters. Behaviors were categorized as either tend and befriend or fight or flight response. Tend and befriend behaviors included smiling nervously and more. This study looked at gender differences in regards to stressful hookup situations.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_spring2020/1028/thumbnail.jp

Development of Independent Living Skills in Project Panther LIFE Students during the Summer Residential Program

Project Panther LIFE: Panther Learning Is For Everyone is an ongoing collaborative partnership between Florida International University (FIU), Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS), and Parent to Parent of Miami, Inc. to develop, implement, support, and expand a non-degree postsecondary transition program for students with intellectual disabilities (ID). In Summer 2014, the program launched its first on-campus three-week Summer Residential Program (SRP) which focused on the development of independent living skills and self-determination skills An overview of the SRP components, program support systems, and benefits of the experience will be given through the perspective of key personnel, partnerships, and students

Association between Variants of the Leptin Receptor Gene (LEPR) and Overweight: A Systematic Review and an Analysis of the CoLaus Study

BACKGROUND: Three non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (Q223R, K109R and K656N) of the leptin receptor gene (LEPR) have been tested for association with obesity-related outcomes in multiple studies, showing inconclusive results. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis on the association of the three LEPR variants with BMI. In addition, we analysed 15 SNPs within the LEPR gene in the CoLaus study, assessing the interaction of the variants with sex. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We searched electronic databases, including population-based studies that investigated the association between LEPR variants Q223R, K109R and K656N and obesity- related phenotypes in healthy, unrelated subjects. We furthermore performed meta-analyses of the genotype and allele frequencies in case-control studies. Results were stratified by SNP and by potential effect modifiers. CoLaus data were analysed by logistic and linear regressions and tested for interaction with sex. The meta-analysis of published data did not show an overall association between any of the tested LEPR variants and overweight. However, the choice of a BMI cut-off value to distinguish cases from controls was crucial to explain heterogeneity in Q223R. Differences in allele frequencies across ethnic groups are compatible with natural selection of derived alleles in Q223R and K109R and of the ancient allele in K656N in Asians. In CoLaus, the rs10128072, rs3790438 and rs3790437 variants showed interaction with sex for their association with overweight, waist circumference and fat mass in linear regressions. CONCLUSIONS: Our systematic review and analysis of primary data from the CoLaus study did not show an overall association between LEPR SNPs and overweight. Most studies were underpowered to detect small effect sizes. A potential effect modification by sex, population stratification, as well as the role of natural selection should be addressed in future genetic association studies

Families' perceptions of the identification process: Related stressors, coping strategies, and supports

The purpose of this study was to describe how parents/families with children with disabilities ages three to five perceived the identification process (i.e., screening, evaluation, staffing, and initial placement). Moreover, this study attempted to identify the types of stressors associated with the process, and analyze the types of coping strategies and support systems utilized by parents/families during this time. The study was divided into two phases. Participants in Phase I included 439 parents who completed a mailed survey and 43 who were invited by the school district to attend one of three focus group interviews. Approximately ten to fifteen parents were in attendance at each focus group. Participants in Phase II included 14 parents who had previously attended focus group interviews during Phase I and were interviewed via telephone, and nine parents/families who participated in a family interview. All measures were developed and used for the purpose of this study. Statistical procedures were implemented to analyze responses related to the Likert-type items on the parent survey. Qualitative methods were used to summarize data from the open-ended question on the survey, focus group, telephone, and family interviews.Results indicted that the majority of parents/families surveyed reported moderate to high levels of satisfaction with the identification process, the program, and the types of services their children were receiving. However, a discrepancy was noted between the survey and interview findings. During interviews, parents/families reported that they wanted to be more informed about the steps in the identification process, program options and services, and characteristics of disabilities. Predominate themes in the study included the availability and understanding of information, positive perspectives on disabilities, and parental advocacy. Four specific areas were identified by parents/families as needing improvement: initial orientation to services, advertisement of services, time frame, and the need for additional information. Limitations of the study are included.</p

Las redes de distribución inteligentes y el balance carbono neutro como reto para optimizar el ciclo de consumo energético de las ciudades

El presente artículo analiza la relación entre el potencial de implementación de redes inteligentes y el ciclo de energía en las ciudades, ciclo que comprende la extracción, producción, distribución y consumo final de la energía como garante de desarrollo. Este interés se desprende de la constatación de que uno de los principales retos de las ciudades es paliar la escasez energética mediante tecnologías eficientes, capaces de reducir las emisiones de CO2. En relación a este requerimiento, el estudio se propone demostrar, en base a experiencias internacionales, que la manera inteligente de aplicar la tecnología en nuestras ciudades como respuesta al consumo energético es la adopción de tecnologías apropiadas y compatibles con cada realidad específica

Las redes de distribución inteligentes y el balance carbono neutro como reto para optimizar el ciclo de consumo energético de las ciudades

El presente artículo analiza la relación entre el potencial de implementación de redes inteligentes y el ciclo de energía en las ciudades, ciclo que comprende la extracción, producción, distribución y consumo final de la energía como garante de desarrollo. Este interés se desprende de la constatación de que uno de los principales retos de las ciudades es paliar la escasez energética mediante tecnologías eficientes, capaces de reducir las emisiones de CO2. En relación a este requerimiento, el estudio se propone demostrar, en base a experiencias internacionales, que la manera inteligente de aplicar la tecnología en nuestras ciudades como respuesta al consumo energético es la adopción de tecnologías apropiadas y compatibles con cada realidad específica

Immuno-competence data

The exposure of yolk androgens can positively stimulate chick growth and competitive ability but may negatively affect immunity. It has been hypothesized that only chicks from immunologically superior fathers can bear the cost of prenatal exposure to high androgen levels. To test this hypothesis we paired roosters from two selection lines, one up- and one down-selected for natural antibodies, with hens from a control line. We measured yolk testosterone and androstenedione levels, and we injected the treatment group of eggs of each female with testosterone suspended in sesame oil and the control group with sesame oil only. We then measured hatching success, growth, and characterised the humoral and cellular immune responses using three different challenges: a PHA, an LPS, and an SRBC challenge. We found that the hatching success, body mass, initial levels of natural antibodies, and the chicks immunological responses to the three different challenges development were affected neither by paternal immune-competence nor by treatment. These results do not support the hypothesis that chicks from low quality fathers are more sensitive to testosterone exposure during embryonic development than chicks from high quality fathers.,The exposure of yolk androgen can positively stimulate chicks growth and competitive ability but may negatively affect immunity. It has been hypothesized that only chicks from an immunologically superior father can bear the cost of parental exposure to high androgen levels. To test this hypothesis we paired roosters from two selection lines, one up- and one down-selected for natural antibodies, with hens from a control line. We measured yolk testosterone and androstenedione levels, and we injected the treatment group of eggs of each female with testosterone suspended in sesame oil and the control group with sesame oil only. We then measured hatching success, growth, and characterised the humoral and cellular immune responses using three different challenges: a PHA, an LPS, and an SRBC challenge. We found that the hatching success, body mass, initial levels of natural antibodies, and the chicks immunological responses to the three different challenges development were affected neither by paternal immune-competence nor by treatment. These results do not support the hypothesis that chicks from low quality fathers are more sensitive to testosterone exposure during embryonic development than chicks from high quality fathers.