Diversity, Difference or Disorder? Exploring neurodiversity in police-community partnerships

The aim of this research is to investigate whether the police use neurotypical practices by exploring the interactions they have with neurodivergent citizens, examining whether the language used in police policy, procedure and practice is predominately neurotypical and assessing partnership relations between the police and organisations that support neurodivergent people. Incident report data from North and South Yorkshire Police was analysed in order to explore the nature of contact between the police and neurodivergent people. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with police practitioners (N = 19) about their understanding of neurodiversity and their interactions with neurodivergent citizens, and with practitioners from organisations that support neurodivergent people (N = 8) about their partnership working with the police. This research found that neurodiversity was not a concept frequently understood by the police, nor was it considered a policing priority. The language used by police practitioners and partner agencies was predominately neurotypical, medicalised and conflated autism with mental health, vulnerability and risk. Police responses rarely involved partner agencies, with partners only being contacted when it was necessary to obtain information or expertise. Police practitioners were keen to highlight their individual agency and discretion in developing initiatives to support neurodivergent citizens. However, there was little by way of strategic or organisational support for such initiatives. This thesis concludes that neurodiversity needs to be embedded into police organisations, not just through tokenistic initiatives or through informal partnership working, but through profound structural, cultural and linguistic change

Switching on engagement! Occupational therapy and assistive technology in the classroom

Assistive technology (AT) is any item, piece of equipment or product system whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized that is used to increase, maintain or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities" (21st Century Assistive Technology Act of 2019, p.9–10). Students with multiple disabilities in the US have insufficient access to the AT and related services that they need to develop their maximum skills and participate meaningfully in school (Schaefer & Andzik, 2016). Lack of training and resources is repeatedly found to compromise classroom AT access for students with complex needs (Egilson, 2009; Machalicek et al., 2010; Okolo and Dietrich, 2014; Rogers and Johnson, 2018). Recent literature reflects a variety of positive outcomes for students with multiple disabilities when they do have access to assistive technology (Talber, 2019; Stasolla, et al., 2015; Stasolla, et al., 2019; Desai, 2014; Mumford & Chau, 2016; Lancioni et al., 2014). It could be argued, if more school staff, in particular occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs), had the confidence and competence to routinely support student AT needs across least restrictive education settings, more students with multiple disabilities could be served in these environments. For OTPs to expand their familiarity and knowledge of AT and its application, vehicles to grow assistive technology competencies for current practicing therapists need to be available. Creating a program, such as Switching on Engagement (SOE!), that emphasizes using and applying assistive technologies, would be effective in promoting greater capacity. By focusing on the service delivery process of AT, OTPs will develop clinical reasoning in which integration of assistive technology use is inherent to the overarching student goal of increased participation (Griffiths & Price, 2011). School-based occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) are an untapped resource to support classroom access through assistive technology service delivery. Participating in SOE! can help develop this resource. In his 2017 Eleanor Clark Slagle lecture, Dr. Roger Smith proclaimed “technology has a role in occupational therapy so fundamental, it must be considered an essential building block of occupation” and thus mandates technology’s daily presence in the future of our profession (Smith, 2017, p. 1). AOTA’s Vision 2025 charges OTPs to practice with intentional inclusivity (AOTA, 2019). SOE!, in aligning with the growth in scope and vision of the occupational therapy profession, seeks to expand the OTP’s capacity to provide AT service delivery to facilitate greater authentic participation by students with multiple disabilities in accessible school settings they justly deserve

A mathematical model to describe the alpha dose rate from a UO2 surface

A model to determine the dose rate of a planar alpha-emitting surface, has been developed. The approach presented is a computationally efficient mathematical model using stopping range data from the Stopping Ranges of Ions in Matter (SRIM) software. The alpha dose rates as a function of distance from irradiated UO2 spent fuel surfaces were produced for bench-marking with previous modelling attempts. This method is able to replicate a Monte Carlo (MCNPX) study of an irradiated UO2 fuel surface within 0.6 % of the resulting total dose rate and displays a similar dose profile

Comparison of different culture media and storage temperatures for the long-term preservation of Streptococcus pneumoniae in the tropics

Objective: The preservation of Streptococcus pneumoniae by standard freezing methods for subsequent tests- such as serotyping and antibiotic susceptibility-is not possible or is difficult in many developing countries because of the high cost of equipment, inadequate equipment maintenance, and irregular power supply. We evaluated alternative low-cost methods, by comparing different culture media and storage temperatures. Methods: Clinical isolates of five capsular types (1, 5, 7, 19, and 23) of S. pneumoniae were preserved in rabbit blood, sheep blood, skimmed milk, or glycerol-chocolate broth, and stored at -20 °C or -70 °C. The cultures were also preserved by lyophilization or sand desiccation, followed by storage at room temperature and 4 °C. The viability of the preserved cultures was determined by making serial colony counts on day 0 and after 1 week, 4 weeks, 4 months and 16 months. The viability of cultures preserved by sand desiccation and storage at 4 °C was also determined every 6 months for up to 68 months. Findings: Irrespective of the media used, cultures maintained at -20 °C became nonviable by the fourth month, while those maintained at -70 °C were still viable at 16 months. Cultures preserved by lyophilization or sand desiccation lost their viability by the fourth month when maintained at local room temperature (30-42 °C), but remained viable when stored at 4 °C for up to 68 months. Conclusions: Our results confirm that freezing at -70 °C, or lyophilization and storage at 4 °C are the ideal methods for the preservation of S. pneumoniae. In laboratories where lyophilization is not feasible, sand desiccation and storage at 4 °C offers an alternative low-cost method for the long-term preservation of S. pneumoniae

Meconium Atazanavir Concentrations and Early Language Outcomes in HIV-Exposed, Uninfected Infants with Prenatal Atazanavir Exposure

This is not the published version.OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether prenatal atazanavir (ATV) exposure, assessed by meconium antiretroviral quantification, predicts early child language outcomes. Prenatal ATV exposure previously was associated with poorer language development in one-year-olds. METHODS: Pregnant women with HIV and their uninfected infants enrolled in the SMARTT study. Meconium antiretroviral concentrations were quantified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Language development at 1 year was assessed with MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory (CDI) and Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development—Third Edition (Bayley-III). Late language emergence (LLE) was defined as ≥ one of four CDI scores ≤10th percentile for age. Associations between fetal ATV exposure timing and duration, meconium ATV concentration, and language outcomes were evaluated, adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: Through 2013, meconium samples were available from 175 of 432 infants with prenatal ATV exposure. Valid Bayley-III (n=93) and CDI (n=106) assessments also were available. After adjustment for potential confounders, higher ATV meconium concentrations were associated with lower LLE risk (P=0.04), and cumulative ATV exposure duration also was associated with higher Bayley-III Language scores (P=0.03). Maternal ATV duration and initiation week correlated with ATV meconium concentrations (positively and negatively, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Higher meconium ATV concentrations were protective against developmental language delays at 1 year, suggesting the importance of fetal ATV detoxification into meconium. This information supports ATV exposure safety for infant language development. ATV is a preferred ARV for pregnant women with HIV, suggesting the importance of ATV safety investigations. Additionally, further pursuit of the influences on language development in HEU infants is required

Cost-Effectiveness of Pre-exposure HIV Prophylaxis During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding in Sub-Saharan Africa

Antiretroviral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for the prevention of HIV acquisition is cost-effective when delivered to those at substantial risk. Despite a high incidence of HIV infection among pregnant and breastfeeding women in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), a theoretical increased risk of preterm birth on PrEP could outweigh the HIV prevention benefit

Benefits and Risks of Antiretroviral Therapy for Perinatal HIV Prevention

Randomized-trial data on the risks and benefits of antiretroviral therapy (ART) as compared with zidovudine and single-dose nevirapine to prevent transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in HIV-infected pregnant women with high CD4 counts are lacking