Strategies for Research, Practice, and Policy for Autism in Later Life: A Report from a Think Tank on Aging and Autism.

Over the past decade, there has been a growing interest in adults on the autistic spectrum, and more recently, the challenges related to aging in this population. A two-day Think Tank meeting, focused on aging in autism, was convened amongst international leaders in the field of autism research and practice. This meeting included a series of presentations addressing the current status of aging research, followed by discussions regarding priorities going forward. Attendees shared their thoughts and concerns regarding community services, government policies, societal perspectives and physical and mental health. The goal of these discussions was to consider systematic approaches aimed at providing meaningful supports that can ensure a quality of life for seniors on the autism spectrum.

Autism aging.

Many people perceive autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as a childhood disorder, yet ASD is a lifelong condition. Although little is known about the mental and physical health issues of aging individuals with ASD, there are increasing numbers of older adults being diagnosed with ASD. Although there has been a recent "call to action" (to address lack of knowledge and the dearth of services and programs for aging individuals with autism, the authors think it is also important for those who are involved in educational programs related to gerontology and geriatrics settings to be aware of "autism aging." This term conceptualizes the demographics, person and contextual factors, and intellectual awareness of the trends and patterns of ASD as a life course challenge and opportunity for well-being and quality of life. The purposes of this article are to (1) provide a general overview of autism issues and to examine several dimensions of ASD in the context of the emergent and relevant scholarship in the adult and aging domain, (2) propose how to address the "gap" in the literature on autism and aging in terms of a conceptual model and by improving the methodology, and (3) to discuss the implications of these dimensions for educators in gerontology and geriatrics, and for those professionals who work in clinical and health care services. It is the goal of the authors to have this article represent a general introduction to ASD and to be a part of the foundation for educational awareness for educators in gerontology and geriatrics.

Temporal patterns of chronic wasting disease prion excretion in three cervid species.

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is the only naturally occurring transmissible spongiform encephalopathy affecting free-ranging wildlife populations. Transmission of CWD occurs by direct contact or through contaminated environments; however, little is known about the temporal patterns of CWD prion excretion and shedding in wild cervids. We tested the urine and faeces of three species of captive cervids (elk, mule and white-tailed deer) at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months after oral inoculation to evaluate the temporal, species- and genotype-specific factors affecting the excretion of CWD prions. Although none of the animals exhibited clinical signs of CWD during the study, we determined that all three cervid species were excreting CWD prions by 6 months post-inoculation. Faecal samples were consistently positive for CWD prions for all three cervid species (88 %), and were more likely to be positive than urine samples (28 %). Cervids with genotypes encoding for the prion protein (PRNP) that were considered to be more susceptible to CWD were more likely to excrete CWD prions (94 %) than cervids with genotypes considered to be less susceptible (64 %). All cervids with CWD prions in their urine also had positive faeces (n=5), but the converse was not true. Our study is the first to demonstrate CWD prion excretion in urine by asymptomatic elk and mule deer. Our results indicate that the excretion of CWD prions in faeces and, to a lesser extent, urine may provide an important avenue for depositing prions in the environment.

Time for living and caring: an intervention to make respite more effective for caregivers.

This article presents the rationale for and description of a promising intervention, Time for Living and Caring (TLC), designed to enhance the effectiveness of respite services for family caregivers. It is guided by the theoretical principles of the Selective Optimization with Compensation (SOC) model, which individually coaches caregivers on how to assess their personal circumstances, identify their greatest needs and preferences, and engage in goal setting and attainment strategies to make better use of their respite time. Focusing on respite activities that match caregivers' unique needs is likely to result in improved well-being. We report on a pilot study examining TLC's feasibility and potential benefits and how caregivers viewed their participation. While additional research is needed to test and refine the intervention, we need to find more creative ways to enhance respite services.

Gray and green revisited: a multidisciplinary perspective of gardens, gardening, and the aging process.

Over fourteen years ago, the concept of "gray and green" was first introduced by Wright and Lund (2000) to represent a new awareness and a call for increased scholarship at the intersection of environmental issues and the aging process. This review paper revisits that concept with a fresh perspective on the specific role of gardens and gardening in the aging experience. As example, gardening is one of the most popular home-based leisure activities in the US and represents an important activity in the lives of older adults in a variety of residential settings. Yet, there has been a lack of any comprehensive and multidisciplinary (science and humanities) examination of the nexus between gardening and the aging experience, and in particular with research connections to stewardship and caring. In this paper, we review contemporary articles demonstrating the multidisciplinarity of gardening and the aging process. First, we will focus on the beneficial psychological effects resulting from the cultivation of caring, including personal contentment and artistic expression. Second, we will focus on stewardship and how gardening increases health, community awareness, and a connection to future generations. On the surface, this may demonstrate a separation between the humanities and science, but we will clarify a symbiotic relationship between the two disciplines in our conclusion.

Diagnostic stages of the parasites of the Florida manatee, Trichechus manatus latirostris.

Limited information is available on diagnostic stages of parasites in Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris). We examined 67 fecal samples from captive and wild manatees to define the diagnostic stages of the parasite fauna known to occur in Florida manatees. Parasite eggs were freshly extracted ex utero from identified mature helminths and subsequently characterized, illustrated, and matched to those isolated from fecal samples. In addition, coccidian oocysts in the fecal samples were identified. These diagnostic stages included eggs from 5 species of trematodes (Chiorchis fabaceus, Chiorchis groschafti, Pulmonicola cochleotrema, Moniligerum blairi, and Nudacotyle undicola), 1 nematode (Heterocheilus tunicatus), and oocysts of 2 coccidians (Eimeria manatus and Eimeria nodulosa).

Grandparents of grandchildren with autism spectrum disorders (ASD): strengthening relationships through technology activities.

This study of grandparent-grandchild relationships was embedded in the context of technology workshops offered for young children on the autism spectrum. The purpose of this research was to examine the perspectives of six involved grandparents regarding their social interactions with their grandchildren in the context of this shared technology experience. Content analysis of transcribed focus group sessions with the grandparents indicated two key themes: expectations were reframed and communication bridges were built through shared interests. Grandparents perceived that their grandchildren learned technological skills, and increased their social interactions with peers, family members (parents, siblings), and grandparents themselves. The positive experience the grandparents perceived their grandchildren to have in the program gave them hope for future educational and employment opportunities for their grandchildren. The grandparents also indicated that the shared interests in the computer program facilitated communication opportunities with their grandchildren, with other grandparents of grandchildren with ASD, and with their adult sons and daughters.

Estimating cause-specific mortality rates using recovered carcasses.

Stranding networks, in which carcasses are recovered and sent to diagnostic laboratories for necropsy and determination of cause of death, have been developed to monitor the health of marine mammal and bird populations. These programs typically accumulate comprehensive, long-term datasets on causes of death that can be used to identify important sources of mortality or changes in mortality patterns that lead to management actions. However, the utility of these data in determining cause-specific mortality rates has not been explored. We present a maximum likelihood-based approach that partitions total mortality rate, estimated by independent sources, into cause-specific mortality rates. We also demonstrate how variance estimates are derived for these rates. We present examples of the method using mortality data for California sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis) and Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris).

Effects of brevetoxins on murine myeloma SP2/O cells: aberrant cellular division.

Massive deaths of manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) during the red tide seasons have been attributed to brevetoxins produced by the dinoflagellate Karenia brevis (formerly Ptychodiscus breve and Gymnodinium breve). Although these toxins have been found in macrophages and lymphocytes in the lung, liver, and secondary lymphoid tissues of these animals, the molecular mechanisms of brevetoxicosis have not yet been identified. To investigate the effects of brevetoxins on immune cells, a murine myeloma cell line (SP2/O) was used as a model for in vitro studies. By adding brevetoxins to cultures of the SP2/O cells at concentrations ranging from 20 to 600 ng/ml, an apparent increase in proliferation was observed at around 2 hours post challenge as compared to the unchallenged cell cultures. This was followed by a drop in cell number at around 3 hours, suggesting an aberrant effect of brevetoxins on cellular division, the cells generated at 2 hours being apparently short-lived. In situ immunochemical staining of the SP2/O cells at 1 and 2 hour post challenge showed an accumulation of the toxins in the nucleus. A 21-kDa protein was subsequently isolated from the SP2/O cells as having brevetoxin-binding properties, and immunologically identified as p21, a nuclear factor known to down-regulate cellular proliferation through inhibition of cyclin-dependent kinases. These data are the first on a possible effect of brevetoxins on the cell cycle via binding to p21, a phenomenon that needs to be further investigated and validated in normal immune cells.

Older adults' attitudes, concerns, and support for environmental issues in the "New West".

The natural environment has been a missing topic from education and public policy forums concerning an aging society. This study examines demographic trends and several socio-demographic influences on attitudes, concerns, and active support for environmental issues among older adults in a retirement "hot spot" in the New West. A sample of 394 older adults in southwestern Utah was obtained from questionnaires mailed to those randomly selected from a larger dataset, and through hand-distributed questionnaires at selected RV parks. We found a high degree of variability among respondents in regard to environmental attitudes and concerns. Despite a personal attitudinal desire to protect the environment, most older adults did not want to become involved in protective actions for the environment. We found that residency status and religious affiliation emerged as the strongest relationships with measures of attitudes and concerns, and willingness to support the environment. The most influential factors associated with willingness to take action in support of the environment were having higher levels of active/social concerns, and higher levels of awareness of environmental consequences. The New West is one of the fastest-growing areas for demographic aging, and the opinions and actions of older adults will play a significant role in the stewardship and sustainability of natural resources, particularly in retirement hot spots.

Clinicopathologic features of suspected brevetoxicosis in double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) along the Florida Gulf Coast.

Outbreaks of morbidity and mortality in double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) along Florida's Gulf Coast have occurred sporadically for at least 30 yr. During these outbreaks, the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife, located on Sanibel Island in Florida, has admitted a substantial number of cormorants with consistent presentation of primarily neurologic clinical signs. In order to investigate the association of these outbreaks in cormorants with exposure to brevetoxin, we compared the timing of admittance of cormorants with outbreak-specific clinical signs to blooms of the brevetoxin-producing marine algae, Karenia brevis (formerly Gymnodinium breve), around Sanibel Island from 1995 through 1999. The clinic admitted 360 out of 613 cormorants with the common clinical sign of severe cerebellar ataxia in six outbreaks occurring during this period. The ataxia was characterized by a broad-based stance, truncal incoordination, hypermetric gait, and intention tremors of the head. The histopathologic findings in 10 cormorants euthanized in 1997 were mild and nonspecific. An immunohistochemical staining technique for the detection of brevetoxin in cormorants documented the uptake of brevetoxin in tissues from four cormorants admitted during an outbreak in 1997, but a modified technique used on samples from 11 cormorants admitted during a K. brevis bloom in 2000 produced indeterminate results. Admittance of cormorants with outbreak-specific clinical signs was positively correlated (P < 0.05) with concurrent concentrations of K. brevis in local water. The cross-correlation coefficient was also significant when increased K. brevis levels preceded cormorant admittances by 2, 4, 6, and 8 wk. This delay in time between K. brevis blooms and cormorant admittance and our clinical finding of neurologic abnormalities in cormorants without overt histopathologic features suggest an association between K. brevis blooms and local cormorant morbidity.