The Use of iPads to Enhance Joint Attention Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Background: iPads are increasingly used in primary schools with reported benefits in communication, independent learning and creativity. Children with autism spectrum disorder have an affinity with mobile technology, which is recognised by the autism research community with many studies emerging in this field. Joint attention (JA) is an essential life skill which can indicate the later development of social communication and language acquisition. It is usually absent or impaired in children with autism, which means that they often find it difficult to share attention with an adult or peer about a toy or activity by keeping eye contact and pointing, but also showing interest to the other person. Research on the use of iPads to develop JA skills in autism is still in infancy.Objectives: This qualitative study aims to explore primary school teachers’ and parents’ perspectives and experiences of developing JA skills in children with autism using iPads.Methods: Semi structured interviews with 16 school staff members and nonobtrusive observations of 12 pupils interacting with their teacher using iPads were held in three UK schools. Also, parents of children with autism aged 4-11 years old are currently being interviewed to investigate parents’ practice of developing JA beyond school hours and exploring the iPad’s benefits in promoting JA in different contexts.Results: All teachers used teaching strategies to promote JA on a daily basis but a few used iPads in their classroom. Participants expressed different opinions about the effectiveness of teaching strategies and iPad use in developing JA. The observations showed that teachers used a variety of evidence based strategies to engage their pupils with autism in JA opportunities but that there was little use of iPads. The iPad was mainly used as a reward, a motivator to direct and sustain pupils’ attention, to practice turntaking and waiting skills and to teach the curriculum. Preliminary findings derived from the semi structured interviews with parents have shown that parents use a variety of social activities to boost their child’s joint attention skills. Their views though were contradictory regarding the iPadTM’s contribution in developing JA skills, with a few parents mentioning that the iPad can be a solitary device that can further isolate their child from daily human interactions while other parents have mentioned that the iPad is a motivating tool used to grasp their child’s attention and teach them JA. Parents have also mentioned that they wish to have stronger links with their child’s school.Conclusions: The research concludes that schools would benefit from teacher training and dissemination of good practice on how to use iPads for JA purposes. Parents are also interested in discovering how they can best address their children’s needs in cooperation with the schools. To that end, the future steps of this research include creating guidelines about the way to develop JA opportunities at home and school with the use of the iPad as an engaging educational device

Investigating the role of microRNA-31 as a modulator of chemosensitivity in malignant leural mesothelioma

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is associated with an extremely poor prognosis and the majority of patients are initially or rapidly become unresponsive to platinum-based chemotherapy. MicroRNA-31 (miR-31) is encoded on a genomic fragile site, 9p21.3, which is reportedly lost in approximately half of MPM tumours, and its prognostic value is currently ambiguous. Based on previous findings in a variety of other cancers, it was hypothesised that miR-31 loss confers chemoresistance and that miR-31 reconstitution may enhance sensitivity to chemotherapeutics in MPM. Surprisingly, reintroduction of miR-31 into epithelioid miR-31-null NCI-H2452 cells significantly enhanced clonogenic resistance to cisplatin and carboplatin. Conversely, suppression of endogenous miR-31 in P31 epithelioid cells significantly increased chemosensitivity. Interestingly, while miR-31 overexpression increased resistance to platinum-containing therapeutics, paradoxically, a higher relative intracellular concentration of platinum was observed versus controls. While the expression of the drug influx transporter CTR1 was increased upon miR-31 re-expression, a significantly decreased intranuclear concentration of platinum was observed, with associated reduction in DNA damage, potentially explaining the increase in cisplatin accumulation but decreased chemosensitivity. The converse relationship was demonstrated in P31 cells upon endogenous miR-31 suppression, further suggesting a mechanism underpinning resistance that involves altered nuclear transport. Linked with a downregulation of OCT1, a bipotential transcriptional regulator with multiple miR-31 target binding sites, we subsequently identified an indirect miR-31-mediated upregulation of ABCB9, a transporter associated with drug accumulation in lysosomes, and increased uptake of platinum to lysosomes. However, when overexpressed directly, ABCB9 promoted cellular chemosensitivity, suggesting the miR-31 promotes chemoresistance largely via an ABCB9-independent mechanism. Overall, these data suggest that miR-31 loss from MPM tumours does not promote chemoresistance in MPM, and may be prognostically beneficial in the context of therapeutic sensitivity. As such, endogenous miR-31 suppression may actually enhance sensitivity to platinum-based treatment in patients with MPM

The changing nature and definitions of industrial design and implications for prospective undergraduate students

There are currently a wide range of Higher Education Industrial Design courses available in the UK. In the present era, a wider breadth of narrative has developed within the subject, and as a result the content of industrial design educational offerings varies considerably. The paper assesses the industry view of Industrial Design as a discipline from the perspective of those employing university graduates. These views illustrate a change in the discipline, and this is considered in respect to current education practice. The choice of entry courses for the student wishing to embark on a career in the subject has also widened. It is argued that at present, the access to courses offers a haphazard informational stream to the potential applicant. An approach to developing an online facility to enable potential students to apply for the right course is discussed. It is suggested that a consistent and comparable platform of guidance is needed by which potential students can identify and match the course offering against their aptitudes and aspirations. A framework for such a system is proposed. Given that course choice will ultimately define the nature of their career opportunities it is argued that this would be a useful and productive asset

Inclusive Smartphone Interface Design in Context:co (re) designing the PIS

Context optimises smartphone interfaces for users. Omission of user-context during development causes time-lag for consumer benefit. Working with People with Learning Disability (PWLD) to develop interfaces refined by communication-need will improve User-Experience (UX). In research, a Participant Information sheet (PIS) discloses planned study-activity. This paper explains co-creation of a PIS based on communication-need of PWLD