Parental perspectives on successful parent education and behavioral intervention.

Introduction: Literature suggests that although behavioral therapy is an effective means of intervention for children with disabilities, family participation in these programs is often lacking. Several barriers exist to meaningful parent education and parent-professional partnerships, which can lead to lower quality outcomes for both the individual with a disability and their families. These barriers should be identified and addressed. This study used a survey measure to gather quantitative and qualitative information on parental perceptions of barriers to behavioral parent education and training as well as suggestions for creating a stronger family-professional partnership. Common themes that emerged from the analysis include: a need for open and honest communication, the importance of a professional's training and experience in the field, and the availability of services. Knowledge of the barriers which exist in behavior parent training will allow providers to better serve families and ensure a stronger outcome of service. Implications for both research and practice are discussed.

A unique gel matrix moisturizer delivers deep hydration resulting in significant clinical improvement in radiance and texture.

Introduction: As skin ages, it loses its ability to retain moisture and becomes rough and dry. This results in a clinically dull appearance with a loss of radiance, firmness, and suppleness. Symptoms can be improved with use of a moisturizer that builds and maintains skin hydration over time; however, most moisturizers that occlude the skin surface are perceived as heavy and greasy and are not consumer preferred. Methods: A unique, consumer-preferred gel matrix formula was developed by combining liquid crystal structures, which mimic skin barrier lipid assembly, with specific emulsifiers that deliver water deep into skin. Ex vivo studies were conducted to investigate the superior hydrating effects of the gel matrix formula. Confocal Raman microscopy studies assessed the spatial distribution of water in ex vivo skin after application of the gel matrix formula. To determine the effects of the gel matrix formula on dry facial skin, a 12-week clinical study was conducted with subjects with self-perceived skin dryness and dullness. Results: The formulation significantly increased the relative water content throughout epidermal regions, which was not observed with the application of a competitive gel formula. Instrumental measurements assessed improvements in skin surface moisturization and barrier function. Clinical grading showed significant improvements in hydration-related endpoints including radiance, clarity, and texture. Subject self-agree assessment demonstrated that subjects observed improvements in the appearance of their facial skin. Conclusion: These studies demonstrated that the gel matrix formula increased skin water content in deeper layers, and resulted in significant clinical improvements in hydration, barrier function, and clinical appearance of radiance.

Actin-Based Adhesion Modules Mediate Cell Interactions with the Extracellular Matrix and Neighboring Cells.

Cell adhesions link cells to the extracellular matrix (ECM) and to each other and depend on interactions with the actin cytoskeleton. Both cell-ECM and cell-cell adhesion sites contain discrete, yet overlapping, functional modules. These modules establish physical associations with the actin cytoskeleton, locally modulate actin organization and dynamics, and trigger intracellular signaling pathways. Interplay between these modules generates distinct actin architectures that underlie different stages, types, and functions of cell-ECM and cell-cell adhesions. Actomyosin contractility is required to generate mature, stable adhesions, as well as to sense and translate the mechanical properties of the cellular environment into changes in cell organization and behavior. Here, we review the organization and function of different adhesion modules and how they interact with the actin cytoskeleton. We highlight the molecular mechanisms of mechanotransduction in adhesions and how adhesion molecules mediate cross talk between cell-ECM and cell-cell adhesion sites.

Cell division orientation is coupled to cell-cell adhesion by the E-cadherin/LGN complex.

Both cell-cell adhesion and oriented cell division play prominent roles in establishing tissue architecture, but it is unclear how they might be coordinated. Here, we demonstrate that the cell-cell adhesion protein E-cadherin functions as an instructive cue for cell division orientation. This is mediated by the evolutionarily conserved LGN/NuMA complex, which regulates cortical attachments of astral spindle microtubules. We show that LGN, which adopts a three-dimensional structure similar to cadherin-bound catenins, binds directly to the E-cadherin cytosolic tail and thereby localizes at cell-cell adhesions. On mitotic entry, NuMA is released from the nucleus and competes LGN from E-cadherin to locally form the LGN/NuMA complex. This mediates the stabilization of cortical associations of astral microtubules at cell-cell adhesions to orient the mitotic spindle. Our results show how E-cadherin instructs the assembly of the LGN/NuMA complex at cell-cell contacts, and define a mechanism that couples cell division orientation to intercellular adhesion.

Adhesion to the host cell surface is sufficient to mediate Listeria monocytogenes entry into epithelial cells.

The intestinal epithelium is the first physiological barrier breached by the Gram-positive facultative pathogen Listeria monocytogenes during an in vivo infection. Listeria monocytogenes binds to the epithelial host cell receptor E-cadherin, which mediates a physical link between the bacterium and filamentous actin (F-actin). However, the importance of anchoring the bacterium to F-actin through E-cadherin for bacterial invasion has not been tested directly in epithelial cells. Here we demonstrate that depleting αE-catenin, which indirectly links E-cadherin to F-actin, did not decrease L. monocytogenes invasion of epithelial cells in tissue culture. Instead, invasion increased due to increased bacterial adhesion to epithelial monolayers with compromised cell-cell junctions. Furthermore, expression of a mutant E-cadherin lacking the intracellular domain was sufficient for efficient L. monocytogenes invasion of epithelial cells. Importantly, direct biotin-mediated binding of bacteria to surface lipids in the plasma membrane of host epithelial cells was sufficient for uptake. Our results indicate that the only requirement for L. monocytogenes invasion of epithelial cells is adhesion to the host cell surface, and that E-cadherin-mediated coupling of the bacterium to F-actin is not required.

Reevaluating αE-catenin monomer and homodimer functions by characterizing E-cadherin/αE-catenin chimeras.

As part of the E-cadherin-ß-catenin-αE-catenin complex (CCC), mammalian αE-catenin binds F-actin weakly in the absence of force, whereas cytosolic αE-catenin forms a homodimer that interacts more strongly with F-actin. It has been concluded that cytosolic αE-catenin homodimer is not important for intercellular adhesion because E-cadherin/αE-catenin chimeras thought to mimic the CCC are sufficient to induce cell-cell adhesion. We show that, unlike αE-catenin in the CCC, these chimeras homodimerize, bind F-actin strongly, and inhibit the Arp2/3 complex, all of which are properties of the αE-catenin homodimer. To more accurately mimic the junctional CCC, we designed a constitutively monomeric chimera, and show that E-cadherin-dependent cell adhesion is weaker in cells expressing this chimera compared with cells in which αE-catenin homodimers are present. Our results demonstrate that E-cadherin/αE-catenin chimeras used previously do not mimic αE-catenin in the native CCC, and imply that both CCC-bound monomer and cytosolic homodimer αE-catenin are required for strong cell-cell adhesion.