Predictors of Paternal Versus Maternal Stress in Families of Children With Neural Tube Defects

This study examined the types of stress experienced by maternal and paternal caretakers of children with Neural Tube Defects (NTD) and examined child and family characteristics that correlated with stress. Participants were 71 two-parent families of a child with spina bifida. Parents completed the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form to measure types of stress. Additional measures were completed to investigate variables potentially related to reported stress. Fathers reported significantly higher levels of stress from “dysfunctional parent-child interaction.” Mothers' personal stress correlated with disability and medical characteristics of the child. Fathers reported more stress when the child had maladaptive behaviors and when experiencing fewer social supports and resources. Mothers and fathers coparenting a child with NTD have both common and unique stresses. It is important that both be included in parent support and education initiatives.     

Hurricane Hugo blows down the broccoli: Preschoolers' post-disaster play and adjustment

This article reports highlights from over 200 parents' observations of their preschoolers' play and verbalizations in the year following Hurricane Hugo. Commonly reported activities included reenactment and discussion of the event in multiple mediums, personification of Hugo, and expression of fears related to storms. Precocious concern for others, insight, and vocabulary were also noted. In these intact, relatively high functioning families, parents seemed able to facilitate their youngsters' adjustment without outside intervention.Portions of this report were presented in earlier form at the 1991 Society for Research in Child Development meeting in Seattle, Washington.     

Studentschool bonding and adolescent problem behavior

Adolescent problem behavior, including substance use, schoolmisconduct and delinquency, is a national concern. Implicitin the concept of middle school is the recognition that studentswho develop positive social bonds with their school are morelikely to perform well academically, and refrain from misconductand other antisocial behavior. However, little scientific attentionhas been given to the complex interactions between middle schoolstudents and the school environment. Prior to implementing amiddle school problem behavior prevention program we conducteda survey in the seven middle schools in one US school district.Out of 4668 grade 6–8 students enrolled, 4263 (91.3%)completed the survey. Student–school bonding was positivelycorrelated with school adjustment (r = 0.49) and perceived schoolclimate (r = 0.77), but inversely correlated with problem behavior(r = –0.39 to –0.43). Problem behavior was significantlyhigher (P < 0.001) among males than females and among studentsin higher grades. Conversely, school bonding, climate and adjustmentwere significantly higher (P < 0.001) among females thanmales, but declined significantly from one grade to the next.The data support the conclusion that school bonding is associatedwith problem behavior. We describe the development of a multiple-componentintervention in middle schools designed to increase student–schoolbonding and prevent problem behavior.     

The Effects of the Going Places Program on Early Adolescent Substance Use and Antisocial Behavior

This study evaluated the effects of a school-based intervention on growth trajectories of smoking, drinking, and antisocial behavior among early adolescents. Seven middle schools were randomized to intervention or comparison conditions and students in two successive cohorts (n = 1484) provided five waves of data from sixth to ninth grade. The Going Places Program, included classroom curricula, parent education, and school environment components. Latent growth curve analyses demonstrated significant treatment group effects, including reducing increases in friends who smoke, outcome expectations for smoking, and smoking progression, but had non-significant effects on drinking or antisocial behavior. The Going Places Program was effective in preventing increases in smoking progression, but its efficacy as a more cross-cutting problem behavior preventive intervention was not confirmed.     

Immunometabolic Reprogramming in Response to HIV Infection Is Not Fully Normalized by Suppressive Antiretroviral Therapy

Background: HIV infection results in immunometabolic reprogramming. While we are beginning to understand how this metabolic reprogramming regulates the immune response to HIV infection, we do not currently understand the impact of ART on immunometabolism in people with HIV (PWH). Methods: Serum obtained from HIV-infected (n = 278) and geographically matched HIV seronegative control subjects (n = 300) from Rakai Uganda were used in this study. Serum was obtained before and ~2 years following the initiation of ART from HIV-infected individuals. We conducted metabolomics profiling of the serum and focused our analysis on metabolic substrates and pathways assocaited with immunometabolism. Results: HIV infection was associated with metabolic adaptations that implicated hyperactive glycolysis, enhanced formation of lactate, increased activity of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), decreased β-oxidation of long-chain fatty acids, increased utilization of medium-chain fatty acids, and enhanced amino acid catabolism. Following ART, serum levels of ketone bodies, carnitine, and amino acid metabolism were normalized, however glycolysis, PPP, lactate production, and β-oxidation of long-chain fatty acids remained abnormal. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that HIV infection is associated with an increased immunometabolic demand that is satisfied through the utilization of alternative energetic substrates, including fatty acids and amino acids. ART alone was insufficient to completely restore this metabolic reprogramming to HIV infection, suggesting that a sustained impairment of immunometabolism may contribute to chronic immune activation and comorbid conditions in virally suppressed PWH.     

Occupational Therapy Level II Fieldwork Impact on Clinicians: A Preliminary Time Study

The aim of this preliminary study was to quantify the amount of time clinicians spend at work with and without a student and identify predictors of time spent at work with a student. A quasi-experimental design evaluated 22 occupational therapists that supervised a student. The occupational therapists completed a time log for 3 months without a student and 3 months while supervising a student. A statistically significant difference in overall time spent at work while supervising a student compared to when not supervising a student was found. Clinicians spent an average additional 25 minutes at work per day when supervising a student. Clinician years of experience and time spent without a student were found to be predictive of the time spent at work with a student. The additional time spent at work when supervising a level II fieldwork student should be considered along with all of the documented benefits of supervising a student by potential fieldwork educators.