Providing culturally competent supervision to trainees with disabilities in rehabilitation settings.

OBJECTIVE: Very little is known about the supervision experiences of psychology trainees with disabilities in rehabilitation training settings. It is clear from the lack of literature, however, that a gap exists in training and education for supervisors about working with disabled trainees and providing culturally competent supervision. The purpose of this article is to explore legal and ethical concerns, cultural considerations of disability as an aspect of human diversity, attitudinal barriers, and mentorship during the professional journey of training future psychologists with disabilities. METHOD: This article was developed by reviewing the pertinent literature. The authors utilized a sample vignette and pertinent points from their own experiences as trainees, psychologists, and supervisors with disabilities in rehabilitation settings. RESULTS: A thorough discussion of the diversity and cultural aspects of supervising disabled trainees is included, along with a discussion of the importance of mentorship. IMPLICATIONS: A summary of recommendations is provided for supervisors of trainees with disabilities.

A benefit/risk approach towards selecting appropriate pharmaceutical dosage forms - an application for paediatric dosage form selection.

The design and selection of new pharmaceutical dosage forms involves the careful consideration and balancing of a quality target product profile against technical challenges and development feasibility. Paediatric dosage forms present particular complexity due to the diverse patient population, patient compliance challenges and safety considerations of this vulnerable population. This paper presents a structured framework for assessing the comparative benefits and risks of different pharmaceutical design options against pre-determined criteria relating to (1) efficacy, (2) safety and (3) patient access. This benefit/risk framework has then been applied to three hypothetical, but realistic, scenarios for paediatric dosage forms in order to explore its utility in guiding dosage form design and formulation selection. The approach allows a rigorous, systematic and qualitative assessment of the merits and disadvantages of each dosage form option and helps identify mitigating strategies to modify risk. The application of a weighting and scoring system to the criteria depending on the specific case could further refine the analysis and aid decision-making. In this paper, one case study is scored for illustrative purposes. However, it is acknowledged that in real development scenarios, the generation of actual data considering the very specific situation for the patient/product/developer would come into play to drive decisions on the most appropriate dosage form strategy.

Experiences of parents of children with congenital limb differences with health care providers: a qualitative study.

UNLABELLED: This article describes a qualitative, participatory action research study based in grounded theory, in which an online survey was developed and utilized to explore and generate suggestions for further research about the needs and health care experiences of parents of children with congenital limb differences (CLD) during the first year of the child's life. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty parents completed an online survey that was developed through review of themes in the literature and input from people with CLD and their families. Primarily with open-ended questions, the survey targeted the respondents' perceptions of the attitudes and approaches of health care providers. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Results indicate that parents consistently commented on three main areas of interaction with health care providers: attitudes, information, and emotional or psychological support. Research hypotheses generated from the data are presented. Implications and suggestions for future directions are discussed.

Nuclear localisation and pDNA condensation in non-viral gene delivery.

BACKGROUND: Non-viral gene delivery vectors are multi-component systems reflecting various functionalities required for effective cell transfection, including DNA condensation, promotion of cell membrane interactions and provision for subcellular targeting through endosomal escape and/or nuclear delivery. Elements mediating these functions will clearly display inter-dependency. In this study we sought to explore the relationship within non-viral vectors of condensation and nuclear localisation. METHODS: Binary, tertiary and quaternary vectors were prepared with combinations of pDNA, DOTAP lipid, the polycation peptide protamine and either SV40 nuclear localisation sequence peptide ('SV40 NLS') or a one amino acid substituted mutant of SV40 NLS ('mutant sequence'). The efficiency of pDNA condensation was determined by gel electrophoresis and quantitative fluorescence spectroscopy. Transfection efficiency was examined in mammalian cells in vitro using standard methods, by electroporation to bypass the plasma membrane barrier and in cells arrested in G0/G1 cell cycle phase to examine the effect of cell division and nuclear membrane disruption. RESULTS: Small NLS peptide sequences, despite possessing a significant proportion of basic amino acids, display minimal pDNA-condensing ability when compared to larger polycations such as protamine. In standard in vitro cell adherent transfection studies the predominant elements affording enhanced gene expression were effective pDNA condensation and lipid enhancement of cell membrane interactions. These features conversely hinder efficient gene expression in cells that have undergone electroporation. The benefit of SV40 NLS was only apparent when used in non-dividing cell populations. CONCLUSIONS: Whilst effective levels of non-viral-mediated gene expression generally rely on efficient condensation of pDNA and enhanced interactions with cellular membranes, non-covalently associated NLS within a multi-component non-viral gene vector appears to contribute benefit in sustaining gene expression in non-dividing cells.