The 'Risk Gradient' in policy on children of drug and alcohol users: Framing young people as risky

Parental drug and alcohol problems can have a profound impact on children. There is a growing policy and practice focus on this topic in the UK. Most is concerned with children of primary school age and younger. Older children tend to be neglected in the debate, and young people of age 16 and over are mostly absent from it. It is argued here that this reflects, and is reflected in, the construction of a ‘risk gradient’ in policy and practice. An analysis of Hidden Harm, the report of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs’ inquiry into the impact of parental drug misuse, and related documents is used to illustrate this. In the risk gradient, children are constructed as being at risk when younger, and becoming risky to themselves and others when older. The risk gradient stigmatises young people as manifesters of risk, diminishes ongoing difficulties they face, and denies their coping strategies. The definition of risk as manifesting in institutional settings and services underscores this. It encourages a focus on parent-child risk transfer, to the detriment of other difficulties the child or young person may be facing, and renders the young person invisible when they leave service contexts. Finally, the culturally and legally established distinction between illicit drugs and alcohol tends to isolate families with alcohol problems. Most of the response to parental substance use has focused on illicit drugs, rendering the difficulties of young people affected by alcohol problems less visible except as when they are manifesters of risk

Health professionals' attitudes to patients' use of wearable technology

Objective: Wearable technologies for health monitoring are becoming increasingly mainstream. However, there is currently limited evidence exploring use from the perspective of healthcare professionals. This study aimed to explore health professionals’ attitudes toward their patients’ use of wearable technologies. Methods: A convenience sample of health professionals were recruited to participate in this study. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were carried out either face-to-face, via Skype or telephone. Interviews were recorded using a Dictaphone, transcribed verbatim, and analysed using Thematic Analysis. Results: Four themes emerged from the qualitative findings: ‘opportunities for wearable technology’, ‘usability and understanding’, ‘privacy and surveillance’, and ‘cost’. Conclusions: The findings portray health professionals’ ambivalence to the use of wearable technology, and it was apparent that whilst the participants considered the technology as being beneficial to patients, they still had concerns for its use

Phosphorylation of Spinophilin Modulates Its Interaction with Actin Filaments

Spinophilin is a protein phosphatase 1 (PP1)- and actin-binding protein that modulates excitatory synaptic transmission and dendritic spine morphology. We report that spinophilin is phosphorylated in vitro by protein kinase A (PKA). Phosphorylation of spinophilin was stimulated by treatment of neostriatal neurons with a dopamine D1 receptor agonist or with forskolin, consistent with spinophilin being a substrate for PKA in intact cells. Using tryptic phosphopeptide mapping, site-directed mutagenesis, and microsequencing analysis, we identified two major sites of phosphorylation, Ser-94 and Ser-177, that are located within the actin-binding domain of spinophilin. Phosphorylation of spinophilin by PKA modulated the association between spinophilin and the actin cytoskeleton. Following subcellular fractionation, unphosphorylated spinophilin was enriched in the postsynaptic density, whereas a pool of phosphorylated spinophilin was found in the cytosol. F-actin co-sedimentation and overlay analysis revealed that phosphorylation of spinophilin reduced the stoichiometry of the spinophilin-actin interaction. In contrast, the ability of spinophilin to bind to PP1 remained unchanged. Taken together, our studies suggest that phosphorylation of spinophilin by PKA modulates the anchoring of the spinophilin-PP1 complex within dendritic spines, thereby likely contributing to the efficacy and plasticity of synaptic transmission

Understanding inclusive design education

There is a need for responsible engineering design to accommodate the diverse user requirements that come with the global phenomenon of population ageing. Inclusive design is a design philosophy that considers the needs of a wide diversity of users within the design process, therefore is an approach that can address these diverse user requirements. However, uptake of inclusive design in industry has been limited, with designer awareness of the approach and its associated methods and tools noted as barriers to the uptake of the approach. This research aims to understand the current approach to ID education within UK Higher Education Institutions, utilising interviews with design educators and a student survey. The study concluded that the teaching of inclusive design varied between institutions with some conflicting responses from academics and students relating to methods, tools and processes taught. This study recommends that greater transparency should be encouraged between universities to encourage the development of a cohesive ID education strategy, in addition to the development of a framework to aid the implementation of appropriate ID methods and tools within the design process