Characteristics and Motivation of Spanish- Speaking Latinx Families of Children With Disabilities Engaged in a Family Support Group

Rasmussen, Sandra Helena. Characteristics and Motivation of Spanish-Speaking Latinx Families of Children with Disabilities Engaged in a Family Support Group. Published Doctor of Philosophy dissertation, University of Northern Colorado, 2020. English learners consistently demonstrate achievement gaps with family educational engagement being one method to improve student academic achievement, however, culturally and linguistically diverse families engage less due to cultural and language differences as well as due to motivational barriers. The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to add to the limited literature by gaining insights into the motivational reasons of Spanish-speaking families to engage in a family support group. The motivational findings from two focus groups and 4 individual interviews with Spanish-speaking families were then related to models and recommendations for family engagement to add to our understanding of how to effectively engage Spanish-speaking families who have children with disabilities. Common family motivational findings related to issues with special education staff and services which lead to feelings like they had to fight for their child’s services. Additionally, common family motivation results indicated that families sought support and information that they were not finding in the schools. Findings indicated that the family support group aligned with areas of Epstein’s (2010) as well as to the Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler’s (Hoover-Dempsey et al., 2005) models of family engagement which empowered families. Further analysis also indicated that the family support group aligned well with recommendations for culturally responsive practices and the six indicators of collaborative partnerships while the schools did not. Results indicated that special education teams can improve their relationships with families by offering support and information while aligning with culturally and responsive practices as well as indicators of collaborative partnerships. Keywords: collaborative partnership indicators, culturally and linguistically diverse, culturally responsive practices, English learner, empowerment, family educational engagement, special education, Latinx, motivation, Spanish-speaking familie

Inducing Cross-Clade Neutralizing Antibodies against HIV-1 by Immunofocusing

Background: Although vaccines are important in preventing viral infections by inducing neutralizing antibodies (nAbs), HIV-1 has proven to be a difficult target and escapes humoral immunity through various mechanisms. We sought to test whether HIV-1 Env mimics may serve as immunogens. Methodology/Principal Findings: Using random peptide phage display libraries, we identified the epitopes recognized by polyclonal antibodies of a rhesus monkey that had developed high-titer, broadly reactive nAbs after infection with a simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV) encoding env of a recently transmitted HIV-1 clade C (HIV-C). Phage peptide inserts were analyzed for conformational and linear homology using computational analysis; some peptides mimicked various domains of the original HIV-C Env, such as conformational V3 loop epitopes and the conserved linear region of the gp120 C-terminus. Next, we devised a novel prime/boost strategy to test the immunogenicity of such phage-displayed peptides and primed mice only once with HIV-C gp160 DNA followed by boosting with mixtures of recombinant phages. Conclusions/Significance: This strategy, which was designed to focus the immune system on a few Env epitopes (immunofocusing), not only induced HIV-C gp160 binding antibodies and cross-clade nAbs, but also linked a conserved HIV Env region for the first time to the induction of nAbs: the C-terminus of gp120. The identification of conserved antigen mimics may lead to novel immunogens capable of inducing broadly reactive nAbs

Bone marrow-derived and peritoneal macrophages have different inflammatory response to oxLDL and M1/M2 marker expression:implications for atherosclerosis research

Macrophages are heterogeneous and can polarize into specific subsets, e.g. pro-inflammatory M1-like and re-modelling M2-like macrophages. To determine if peritoneal macrophages (PEMs) or bone marrow derived macrophages (BMDMs) resembled aortic macrophages from ApoE−/− mice, their M1/M2 phenotype, inflammatory status, and lipid metabolism signatures were compared. oxLDL accumulation was similar in PEMs and BMDMs. On protein expression level, BMDMs showed an M2-like CD206(high)CD11c(low) profile, while cholesterol loading led to enhanced CD11c expression and reduced MCP-1 secretion. In contrast, PEMs expressed low levels of CD206 and CD11c, and responded to cholesterol loading by increasing CD11c expression and MCP-1 secretion. mRNA expression of M1/M2 markers was higher in PEMS than BMDMs, while lipid metabolism genes were similarly expressed. Whole aorta flow cytometry showed an accumulation of M2-like CD206(high)CD11c(low) macrophages in advanced versus early atherosclerotic disease in ApoE−/− mice. In isolated lesions, mRNA levels of the M2 markers Socs2, CD206, Retnla, and IL4 were downregulated with increasing disease severity. Likewise, mRNA expression of lipid metabolism genes (SREBP2, ACSL1, SRB1, DGAT1, and cpt1a) was decreased in advanced versus early lesions. In conclusion, PEMs and BMDMs are phenotypically distinct and differ from macrophages in lesions with respect to expression of M1/M2 markers and lipid metabolism genes

Measuring functional outcome in upper extremity soft-tissue sarcoma : Validation of the Toronto extremity salvage score and the QuickDASH patient-reported outcome instruments

Interest in functional outcome (FO) and health-related quality of life (HRQL) in extremity soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) patients has increased. The aim of this study was to validate two FO questionnaires for upper extremity STS patients: the Toronto Extremity Salvage Score (TESS) and short version of the Disability of Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH), based on Finnish population data. A multi-center study was conducted at two academic sarcoma centers. Surgically treated upper extremity STS patients were invited to participate. Patients completed the TESS and the QuickDASH with HRQL questionnaires the 15D and the QLQ-C30. The scores were analyzed and compared. Fifty-five patients with a mean follow-up period of 4.7 years were included. Mean age was 63 years (standard deviation [SD] 14.6). The mean score for TESS was 88.5 (SD 15.1) and for QuickDASH 17.8 (SD 19.6). The QuickDASH had a statistically significantly better score coverage. A ceiling effect was noted, 27% and 20% for TESS and QuickDASH, respectively. The TESS and QuickDASH scores were strongly correlated ( r =-0.89). The TESS score strongly correlated with the QLQ-C30 ( r = 0.79) and the 15D score ( r = 0.70). The QuickDASH score correlated strongly with the QLQ-C30 score ( r =-0.71) and moderately with the 15D score ( r =-0.56). The TESS score had a statistically significantly stronger correlation with the 15D score than QuickDASH ( p < 0.005). Both the TESS and the QuickDASH provide reliable scores for assessing FO in upper extremity STS patients. The QuickDASH has a better coverage, whereas TESS showed a stronger correlation to HRQL scores. (c) 2022 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )Peer reviewe