What was life like for autistic children during the pandemic?

Sarah Pais and Martin Knapp (LSE) look at the impact school closures had on autistic children

The Impact of COVID-19 on Autistic People in the United Kingdom

PURPOSE: The aim of this rapid research was to examine the impact of COVID-19 on autistic people (of all ages) and their families within the United Kingdom, and identify how to mitigate any adverse consequences. KEY FINDINGS: Every autistic person is different. This diversity is reflected in the range of experiences described in this report. Communication from government: Government communication regarding COVID-19 was difficult to understand and follow for many autistic people. Clear communication and transparency of decision-making from government are important and can help autistic people follow advice and guidance. Schools and education: Access to education for autistic children during lockdown was not consistent. Continued input from schools and maintaining contact with parents and families are vital if schools need to be closed in the future. Grocery shopping: Accessing groceries during lockdown was a struggle for many autistic people. Ensuring everyone has access to necessary grocery shopping, especially vulnerable groups like autistic people, must be a priority. Mental health and access to medical care: COVID-19 and its consequences affected the mental health of autistic people in a range of ways. Mental and physical health care should be accessible to all members of the population. This is particularly the case for autistic people who are more likely to have mental health problems and may find it harder to access services. Caring responsibilities and respite: Renewed support for family members and carers is needed. Many were exhausted during lockdown, especially when external support and respite care were stopped or reduced. The COVID-19 pandemic has both immediate and enduring effects. Ongoing attention to the longer-term implications for autistic people and their families is imperative; particularly in relation to educational opportunity, health, employment and social inclusion, all of which can have profound effects on quality of life

The link between cognitive health and neighbourhood: perceptions of the public, and of policy-makers, about problems and solutions

BACKGROUND: Growing evidence indicates associations between neighbourhood-related factors such as pollution, social isolation and physical inactivity, and cognition, that is, our ability to think clearly, learn and remember. The evidence raises the possibility of neighbourhood intervention playing a role in protecting population cognitive health. However, there is little understanding of these associations among the public and policy-makers, what they mean and how they might be acted on. In this study we explored perceptions of the public and policy-makers about influences of neighbourhood factors on brain functioning, and how they should inform policy. METHODS: Qualitative methods were used in three phases; the study ran in parallel with a quantitative study looking at neighbourhood influences on cognition. In phase one, focus groups were conducted with middle-aged (40-69) members of the public to inform statistical modelling. In phase two, similar focus groups were held in four case study areas chosen based on the modelling results. In phase three, interviews with people in public health and policy roles were conducted, including people in the case study sites. RESULTS: Participants described effects on their cognition from community, culture and social interactions, access to green spaces and nature, upkeep and safety of the area, and pollution, traffic and noise. Solutions included better local consultation and involvement in policy and planning, support for community interactions and active and public transport, and education on cognition. There was little awareness, but much interest, from local policy-makers and implementers, about links between cognition and place. Barriers to implementation included lack of: effective engagement with local communities, local funding and joined-up health and neighbourhood policy. CONCLUSIONS: People can perceive impacts of neighbourhoods on brain functioning and suggest ways local areas can be improved to support cognitive health. There is support for the idea of population-level interventions to support cognitive health

Beyond the entrepreneur : a study of entrepreneurial learning from a social practice perspective working with scientists in West Africa

This article contributes to extending the current conceptualisation of entrepreneurial learning by challenging the assumption that entrepreneurial learning is solely embodied in the entrepreneur. Entrepreneurial learning is an emergent trend that involves a developmental approach to learning in acting on opportunities and experiences. We apply a social practice theory to entrepreneurial learning to advance understanding of the value of entrepreneurial thinking towards informal, experiential and aspirational learning. We position entrepreneurial learning within the social learning and social practice literature in the (1) alternative formats to formal learning, and (2) implications of entrepreneurial learning, as a social practice, for management learning and entrepreneurship education research. Based on a qualitative empirical analysis of a co-created entrepreneurial learning programme for ‘Stimulating Entrepreneurial Thinking in Scientists’, this study shows that entrepreneurial thinking can be expanded beyond the entrepreneur, and developed by others such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics scientists. With the drive for individuals to become entrepreneurial in their everyday practices, our study contributes towards extending the conceptualisation of entrepreneurial learning through insights from social practice theory. In addition, by understanding the value of entrepreneurial thinking, particularly via non-formal and informal approaches to learning, our research expands underexposed issues of entrepreneurial learning across diverse audiences, contexts and disciplines

Genome-wide signatures of complex introgression and adaptive evolution in the big cats.

The great cats of the genus Panthera comprise a recent radiation whose evolutionary history is poorly understood. Their rapid diversification poses challenges to resolving their phylogeny while offering opportunities to investigate the historical dynamics of adaptive divergence. We report the sequence, de novo assembly, and annotation of the jaguar (Panthera onca) genome, a novel genome sequence for the leopard (Panthera pardus), and comparative analyses encompassing all living Panthera species. Demographic reconstructions indicated that all of these species have experienced variable episodes of population decline during the Pleistocene, ultimately leading to small effective sizes in present-day genomes. We observed pervasive genealogical discordance across Panthera genomes, caused by both incomplete lineage sorting and complex patterns of historical interspecific hybridization. We identified multiple signatures of species-specific positive selection, affecting genes involved in craniofacial and limb development, protein metabolism, hypoxia, reproduction, pigmentation, and sensory perception. There was remarkable concordance in pathways enriched in genomic segments implicated in interspecies introgression and in positive selection, suggesting that these processes were connected. We tested this hypothesis by developing exome capture probes targeting ~19,000 Panthera genes and applying them to 30 wild-caught jaguars. We found at least two genes (DOCK3 and COL4A5, both related to optic nerve development) bearing significant signatures of interspecies introgression and within-species positive selection. These findings indicate that post-speciation admixture has contributed genetic material that facilitated the adaptive evolution of big cat lineages

Associations between constructs related to social relationships and mental health conditions and symptoms: an umbrella review

BACKGROUND: Loneliness and social isolation are increasingly recognised as prevalent among people with mental health problems, and as potential targets for interventions to improve quality of life and outcomes, as well as for preventive strategies. Understanding the relationship between quality and quantity of social relationships and a range of mental health conditions is a helpful step towards development of such interventions. PURPOSE: Our aim was to give an overview of associations between constructs related to social relationships (including loneliness and social isolation) and diagnosed mental conditions and mental health symptoms, as reported in systematic reviews of observational studies. METHODS: For this umbrella review (systematic review of systematic reviews) we searched five databases (PsycINFO, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science) and relevant online resources (PROSPERO, Campbell Collaboration, Joanna Briggs Institute Evidence Synthesis Journal). We included systematic reviews of studies of associations between constructs related to social relationships and mental health diagnoses or psychiatric symptom severity, in clinical or general population samples. We also included reviews of general population studies investigating the relationship between loneliness and risk of onset of mental health problems. RESULTS: We identified 53 relevant systematic reviews, including them in a narrative synthesis. We found evidence regarding associations between (i) loneliness, social isolation, social support, social network size and composition, and individual-level social capital and (ii) diagnoses of mental health conditions and severity of various mental health symptoms. Depression (including post-natal) and psychosis were most often reported on, with few systematic reviews on eating disorders or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and only four related to anxiety. Social support was the most commonly included social construct. Our findings were limited by low quality of reviews and their inclusion of mainly cross-sectional evidence. CONCLUSION: Good quality evidence is needed on a wider range of social constructs, on conditions other than depression, and on longitudinal relationships between social constructs and mental health symptoms and conditions

Complicações da Endocardite Infecciosa em Pacientes com Cardiopatia Congênita / Complications of Infective Endocarditis in Patients with Congenital Heart Disease

Objetivo: Discutir, através de uma revisão narrativa, as complicações cardíacas da endocardite infecciosa (EI) entre os portadores de doença cardíaca congênita (DCC). Revisão Bibliográfica: A EI é uma doença associada à grande mortalidade, que pode acometer severamente estruturas cardíacas e se manifestar em diversos sistemas. Dentre os vários fatores de risco da EI, o mais prevalente é a presença de DCC, que é associada, também, ao aumento de mortalidade. O risco de desenvolver EI depende do tipo e complexidade da DCC, além de ser influenciado por intervenções terapêuticas prévias. As complicações da EI em pacientes com DCC possuem grande amplitude e variedade, com destaque para acometimento renal, neurológico e, principalmente, cardíaco. As complicações cardíacas são as mais frequentes e as responsáveis por maior morbimortalidade, quando comparadas às extracardíacas. Considerações Finais: Na EI, é clara a importância da DCC como fator de risco, sendo a valva aórtica bicúspide a forma mais comum. Ademais, o acometimento cardíaco tem maior destaque entre as complicações, sendo a insuficiência cardíaca a mais relevante. Outras complicações comuns incluem derrames pericárdicos, formação de abcessos e síndrome coronariana aguda