Relationship Between Sensory Integration and Occupational Participation for School-Aged Children

Given the wide-spread use of sensory integration intervention for the pediatric population in occupational therapy practice, it is necessary to explore the connection between sensory integration and children’s participation in daily occupations. Although there is a wide breadth of knowledge examining the impact of sensory integration intervention, there is currently a gap in the literature establishing the underlying relationship between sensory integration and children’s occupational participation. This study recruited 22 children, ages 5-12 to examine the relationship between sensory integration and occupational participation by utilizing two parent report measures: Sensory Processing Measure (SPM) and Participation & Environment Measure- Children and Youth (PEM-CY). Our findings suggest there is a moderate negative correlation between sensory processing and occupational participation in the home setting; therefore, the less sensory dysfunction a child has, the more they were found to participate in occupations

Arlington: An Age and Dementia Friendly Action Plan

This report describes research undertaken by the Center for Social & Demographic Research on Aging (CSDRA) within the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston, on behalf of the Town of Arlington and the Arlington Council on Aging. This plan was created uniquely for Arlington, with input from residents, community partners, local businesses, government leaders and aging experts. Surveys were conducted, focus groups were held and feedback was collected both pre and post-pandemic to create a plan that reflects the dynamic environment that we are all living in. Using collected data, survey results, feedback and input, this plan was written by the expert team at the University of Massachusetts Boston Gerontology Institute. The Council on Aging intends to distribute this plan to a broad scope of community partners, local businesses and decision makers in Arlington. We believe that prioritizing this plan will advance relevant projects that will have demonstrable impacts on how older adults live in Arlington. We are grateful to all those who took the time and effort to participate in the surveys and focus groups while input was being collected. Residents aged 60 and older make up the fastest growing segment of our population. Arlington seniors are especially vibrant, leading active lives and advocating in our community like never before. The priorities exemplified by the Age-Friendly and Dementia-Friendly designations reflect some of Arlington’s core values. The goals in this plan serve to inspire all our residents, regardless of age or ability. It not only represents our shared values but also our shared optimism for a brighter future

Swampscott for All Ages: A Community Needs Assessment

By the year 2030, 35% of Swampscott residents will be age 60 and older. In response to this demographic shift as well as in response to the desire of most residents to remain living in their community, the resident leaders of Swampscott, with support of the Town, have embarked on the journey to become a more age friendly community. They call themselves the Swampscott for All Ages Committee. The Swampscott for All Ages initiative is meant to ensure that Swampscott is and remains a place where older adults can comfortably and safely age in place. It is a resident-led committee with strong municipal support. This report describes research undertaken by the Center for Social & Demographic Research on Aging within the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston, on behalf of the Swampscott for All Ages Committee and the Town of Swampscott, to investigate the needs, interests, preferences, and opinions of Swampscott’s residents age 60 and older. Structured around livability principles embedded in the World Health Organization’s Age Friendly Community framework, the Swampscott for All Ages initiative considers physical infrastructure as well as social and service environments as it seeks to strengthen livability for Swampscott’s older residents. The contents of this report are designed to inform the Swampscott for All Ages Committee as it develops a plan for action to address the needs identified; and also intersect with and advise other ongoing efforts, including the development of the Swampscott Master Plan. This work also aligns with Governor Baker’s plan for an Age Friendly State

Hanson Council on Aging Needs Assessment

Growth in the number of older Hanson residents is expected over the coming decade. Preparing for this demographic shift invites reflection about the extent to which features of the community and characteristics of municipal services meet older residents’ needs and interests, and making plans to improve alignment where appropriate. In support of this planning process, the Town of Hanson and the Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging at the University of Massachusetts Boston partnered to conduct a study to investigate the needs, interests, preferences, and opinions of the Town’s residents age 50 and older. During this assessment, multiple approaches were utilized to compile information that could be used to plan and implement current and future services. We developed and administered a survey for Hanson residents age 50 and older. A total of 1,128 questionnaires were returned, reflecting a return rate of 27%. In addition, we collected insights from Hanson leadership and other stakeholders in the community, reviewed relevant materials available on the Town website or shared by the COA, and interviewed directors of nearby COAs. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau and other existing sources were also examined in support of the project aims. A broad range of findings are reported in this document, highlighting positive features of Hanson as well as concerns expressed by older residents. While many of our findings, and the recommendations that follow, intersect with the scope of responsibility held by the Hanson Council on Aging, it is understood that adequately responding to needs and concerns expressed in the community will require the involvement of other municipal offices or community stakeholders, and some will require substantial collaborative effort. Thus this report is intended to inform planning by the Hanson Council on Aging as well as other Town offices, private and public organizations that provide services and advocate for older people within Hanson, and the community at large

Lexington for All Ages: A Community Needs Assessment

The Lexington for All Ages initiative is meant to ensure that Lexington is and remains a place where older adults can comfortably and safely age in place. This report describes research undertaken by the Center for Social & Demographic Research on Aging within the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston, on behalf of the Lexington Department of Human Services, to investigate the needs, interests, preferences, and opinions of Lexington’s residents age 50 and older. Structured around livability principles embedded in the World Health Organization’s Age-Friendly Community framework, the Lexington for All Ages initiative considers physical infrastructure as well as social and service environments as it seeks to strengthen livability for Lexington’s older residents. The contents of this report are designed to inform the Lexington Department of Human Services and intersect with and advise other ongoing efforts, including the development of the Lexington Comprehensive Plan and the 13-town collaborative effort of the Minuteman Advisory Group on Interlocal Coordination (MAGIC) to advance regional age-friendly planning. Research in support of this report began with a stakeholder focus group in January 2019, where representatives from organizations that work with or support Lexington older adults shared their insights regarding the strengths and challenges of growing older in the Town. Subsequent data collection included two community forums conducted in March of 2019, during which residents offered input about the current livability in Lexington for older adults and their hopes for future improvements. A resident survey was mailed to a sample of 3,500 residents age 50 and older in April 2019. A total of 1,053 responses were received, representing a strong return rate of 30%. An additional focus group and two interviews were held in the Fall of 2019 to expand upon results from survey data. In addition, a demographic profile was developed based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey and several key Town documents were reviewed

Diagnostic Characteristics of Lactate Dehydrogenase on a Multiplex Assay for Malaria Detection Including the Zoonotic Parasite Plasmodium knowlesi.

Plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH) is a common target in malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). These commercial antibody capture assays target either Plasmodium falciparum-specific pLDH (PfLDH), P. vivax-specific pLDH (PvLDH), or a conserved epitope in all human malaria pLDH (PanLDH). However, there are no assays specifically targeting P. ovale, P. malariae or zoonotic parasites such as P. knowlesi and P. cynomolgi. A malaria multiplex array, carrying the specific antibody spots for PfLDH, PvLDH, and PanLDH has been previously developed. This study aimed to assess potential cross-reactivity between pLDH from various Plasmodium species and this array. We tested recombinant pLDH proteins, clinical samples for P. vivax, P. falciparum, P. ovale curtisi, and P. malariae; and in vitro cultured P. knowlesi and P. cynomolgi. P. ovale-specific pLDH (PoLDH) and P. malariae-specific pLDH (PmLDH) cross-reacted with the PfLDH and PanLDH spots. Plasmodium Knowlesi-specific pLDH (PkLDH) and P. cynomolgi-specific pLDH (PcLDH) cross-reacted with the PvLDH spot, but only PkLDH was recognized by the PanLDH spot. Plasmodium ovale and P. malariae can be differentiated from P. falciparum by the concentration ratios of PanLDH/PfLDH, which had mean (range) values of 4.56 (4.07-5.16) and 4.56 (3.43-6.54), respectively, whereas P. falciparum had a lower ratio of 1.12 (0.56-2.61). Plasmodium knowlesi had a similar PanLDH/PvLDH ratio value, with P. vivax having a mean value of 2.24 (1.37-2.79). The cross-reactivity pattern of pLDH can be a useful predictor to differentiate certain Plasmodium species. Cross-reactivity of the pLDH bands in RDTs requires further investigation

Disruption of Mouse Cenpj, a Regulator of Centriole Biogenesis, Phenocopies Seckel Syndrome

Disruption of the centromere protein J gene, CENPJ (CPAP, MCPH6, SCKL4), which is a highly conserved and ubiquitiously expressed centrosomal protein, has been associated with primary microcephaly and the microcephalic primordial dwarfism disorder Seckel syndrome. The mechanism by which disruption of CENPJ causes the proportionate, primordial growth failure that is characteristic of Seckel syndrome is unknown. By generating a hypomorphic allele of Cenpj, we have developed a mouse (Cenpjtm/tm) that recapitulates many of the clinical features of Seckel syndrome, including intrauterine dwarfism, microcephaly with memory impairment, ossification defects, and ocular and skeletal abnormalities, thus providing clear confirmation that specific mutations of CENPJ can cause Seckel syndrome. Immunohistochemistry revealed increased levels of DNA damage and apoptosis throughout Cenpjtm/tm embryos and adult mice showed an elevated frequency of micronucleus induction, suggesting that Cenpj-deficiency results in genomic instability. Notably, however, genomic instability was not the result of defective ATR-dependent DNA damage signaling, as is the case for the majority of genes associated with Seckel syndrome. Instead, Cenpjtm/tm embryonic fibroblasts exhibited irregular centriole and centrosome numbers and mono- and multipolar spindles, and many were near-tetraploid with numerical and structural chromosomal abnormalities when compared to passage-matched wild-type cells. Increased cell death due to mitotic failure during embryonic development is likely to contribute to the proportionate dwarfism that is associated with CENPJ-Seckel syndrome

Constraints on Spin-Dependent Dark Matter Scattering with Long-Lived Mediators from TeV Observations of the Sun with HAWC

We analyze the Sun as a source for the indirect detection of dark matter through a search for gamma rays from the solar disk. Capture of dark matter by elastic interactions with the solar nuclei followed by annihilation to long-lived mediators can produce a detectable gamma-ray flux. We search three years of data from the High Altitude Water Cherenkov Observatory and find no statistically significant detection of TeV gamma-ray emission from the Sun. Using this, we constrain the spin-dependent elastic scattering cross section of dark matter with protons for dark matter masses above 1 TeV, assuming an unstable mediator with a favorable lifetime. The results complement constraints obtained from Fermi-LAT observations of the Sun and together cover WIMP masses between 4 GeV and $10^6$ GeV. The cross section constraints for mediator decays to gamma rays can be as strong as $\sim10^{-45}$ cm$^{-2}$, which is more than four orders of magnitude stronger than current direct-detection experiments for 1 TeV dark matter mass. The cross-section constraints at higher masses are even better, nearly 7 orders of magnitude better than the current direct-detection constraints for 100 TeV dark matter mass. This demonstration of sensitivity encourages detailed development of theoretical models in light of these powerful new constraints.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures. See also companion paper 1808.05620. Accepted for publication in Physical Review

First HAWC Observations of the Sun Constrain Steady TeV Gamma-Ray Emission

Steady gamma-ray emission up to at least 200 GeV has been detected from the solar disk in the Fermi-LAT data, with the brightest, hardest emission occurring during solar minimum. The likely cause is hadronic cosmic rays undergoing collisions in the Sun's atmosphere after being redirected from ingoing to outgoing in magnetic fields, though the exact mechanism is not understood. An important new test of the gamma-ray production mechanism will follow from observations at higher energies. Only the High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) Observatory has the required sensitivity to effectively probe the Sun in the TeV range. Using three years of HAWC data from November 2014 to December 2017, just prior to the solar minimum, we search for 1--100 TeV gamma rays from the solar disk. No evidence of a signal is observed, and we set strong upper limits on the flux at a few $10^{-12}$ TeV$^{-1}$ cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ at 1 TeV. Our limit, which is the most constraining result on TeV gamma rays from the Sun, is $\sim10\%$ of the theoretical maximum flux (based on a model where all incoming cosmic rays produce outgoing photons), which in turn is comparable to the Fermi-LAT data near 100 GeV. The prospects for a first TeV detection of the Sun by HAWC are especially high during solar minimum, which began in early 2018.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figures. See also companion paper 1808.05624. Accepted for publication in Physical Review