Calvin University

Finke E.H., Therrien M.C., Azios J., McElfresh J.

Purpose: The purpose of this scoping review was to understand what is known about the friendships of individuals who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices. Because communication is important to friendship, severe communication impairment may impact the establishment or maintenance of friendships in unique and important ways. Method: Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines for scoping reviews and Covidence software using an established set of operationally defined inclusion criteria supported the identification of the 46 papers included in this review. Included papers presented original data on the friendships of individuals with disabilities (acquired and developmental) who could benefit from AAC across the lifespan. Data were extracted to identify features of the body of literature and to identify themes that could inform future research and clinical practice. Results: Themes identified from the included studies related to how friendship is defined, supports for friendship formation and maintenance, help and care in friendships, positive outcomes, barriers, the impact of AAC, and recommendations for moving clinical practice and research forward. Conclusions: Friendships are chosen relationships that stem from congruences in perspectives between two individuals. People who use AAC, like the broader population, are likely to seek out and maintain friendships with people who are similar to them: people who share personality traits, past experiences (including experiencing disability), interests, and activities. Creative solutions are needed to increase the independence of disabled children and adults to meet and engage with new people with a variety of lived experiences. Supplemental Material: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.28119857

Donders J., Redman A., Trainor A.

Mattson C.

Matsuo H., Greenway T.S., Dougherty K.D., Schnitker S.A.

Adkins T.

Grasman K.A., Annis M., Eakin C., Moore J., Williams L.L.

Abstract Immunological, reproductive, and population endpoints were assessed in fish-eating birds during 2010–2019 in the Saginaw River and Bay and River Raisin Areas of Concern (AOCs) and Grand Traverse Bay, which are ecosystems historically contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls, dibenzo-p-dioxins, and dibenzofurans. Reference sites were in the lower St. Marys River (herring gulls and Caspian terns), eastern Lake Superior (terns), and eastern Lake Huron (black-crowned night herons). Relative risk ratios for embryonic nonviability (from both infertility and mortality) in gull embryos were 2–3-fold higher than the reference site in both AOCs and Grand Traverse Bay. Twelve of 13 deformed embryos and chicks (e.g., crossed bills and gastroschisis) were observed at the contaminated sites. Productivity of 4-week-old tern chicks in Saginaw Bay was 35% lower than that at reference sites. In the River Raisin AOC, productivity of 4-week gull chicks was poor in 7 of 10 years. Numbers of breeding herring gulls decreased significantly in the River Raisin AOC, and breeding Caspian terns, a state-threatened species, declined in the Saginaw River and Bay AOC. The mean T cell-dependent phytohemagglutinin skin response was suppressed 50%–56% in gull chicks in both AOCs and Grand Traverse Bay, and 49% in terns and 33% in herons in Saginaw Bay. Antibody responses in gull chicks in the River Raisin AOC and Grand Traverse Bay were 1.6–2-fold lower than reference. Time trend analyses showed no significant improvements in reproductive and immune endpoints in either AOC or Grand Traverse Bay over the study period. Embryonic death increased with time in gulls in the lower Saginaw Bay, and antibody responses decreased in terns in the outer Saginaw Bay.

Baker A.E., Hoogstra M.N., Pehrson N.J., Jipping A.E., Daspit O.R., Grabill M.A., Stonehouse A.A., Vander Griend D.A., Santoro F., Brancaccio D., Carosella L., Raniolo S., Limongelli V.

Walcott J.R.

Smidt C.E.

Over the past decade, a burgeoning strand of scholarly and journalistic literature has emerged that emphasizes the role of Christian nationalism within contemporary American politics. Unfortunately, this scholarly literature has mushroomed so quickly that relatively little attention has been given to its conceptual underpinnings and how Christian nationalism may be related to, or different from, other conceptualizations of the role of religion in public life. This article outlines different conceptualizations of Christian nationalism that have been advanced, analyzes how different coding schemes of its present measurement yields different assessments of its presence within American politics, and differentiates between and among different types of approaches to the role of religion in American public life. Using data drawn from Baylor national surveys on religion conducted in 2007, 2017, and 2021, this article examines three distinct groups within American politics—namely, Christian nationalists, civic republicans, and radical secularists—and how the relative size and characteristics of such groups have changed within American society over time.

Oommen E., Dozeman M., Cuellar M., Koetje A., Witte J., Timmer L., Bradford E.

The aim of this study was to develop caregiver-friendly recipes for thickened liquids consistent with the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) guidelines using noncommercial thickening agents to reduce variability in preparation. Recipes were tested combining base and thickening agents, where base agents were measured in fluid ounces and thickening agents in weight (ounces). The IDDSI flow test was completed after preparation, 10 min, and 20 min. Step-by-step protocols for slightly thick, mildly thick, and moderately thick recipes of thickened liquids were created. Each recipe resulted in a consistency within the prescribed IDDSI ml range of thickness immediately after preparation and remained stable over 20 min. Given the ease and reliability of preparation, lower costs, and readily available thickening agents, the protocols outlined in this study offer an appealing option for preparing thickened liquids. Additional research is warranted to determine palatability, long-term effects, and caloric value of the recipes.

Heuvel A.V., Ntadom S., Meyer Z., Reynolds R.

Lawler F., Storteboom R., Rosales‐Lopez P., Hoogstra M., Selvaggio K., Chen T., Zogg K., Heule D., Pehrson N., Baker A., Vander Griend D.

ABSTRACTCharacterizing complicated solution phase systems in situ requires advanced modeling techniques to capture the intricate balances between the many chemical species. Due to the error inherent in any scientific measurement, a spectrophotometric titration experiment with nickel(II) and ethylenediamine (en) was repeated six times using an autotitrator to test the replicability of the data and the consistency of the resulting thermodynamic model. All six datasets could be modeled very tightly (R2 > 99.9999%) with the following eight complexes: [Ni]2+, [Ni2en]4+, [Nien]2+, [Ni2en3]4+, [Nien2]2+, [Ni2en5]4+, [Nien3]2+, and [Nien6]2+. The logK values for the stepwise associative reactions agree with existing literature values for the majority species ([Nienn = 1–3]2+) and matched expectations for the minority species; 95% confidence intervals for each logK value were determined via bootstrapping, which quantifies the variability in the binding constant value that is supported by a given dataset. The repeated experiments, which could not be successfully concatenated together, demonstrate that replication is crucial to capturing all the variability in the logK values. Conversely, bootstrapped confidence intervals across multiple experiments can be readily combined to generate an appropriate range for an experimentally determined binding constant.

Scott Z.C., Steen S.B., Huber G., Westrate L.M., Koslover E.F.

The peripheral endoplasmic reticulum (ER) forms a dense, interconnected, and constantly evolving network of membrane-bound tubules in eukaryotic cells. While individual structural elements and the morphogens that stabilize them have been described, a quantitative understanding of the dynamic large-scale network topology remains elusive. We develop a physical model of the ER as an active liquid network, governed by a balance of tension-driven shrinking and new tubule growth. This minimalist model gives rise to steady-state network structures with density and rearrangement timescales predicted from the junction mobility and tubule spawning rate. Several parameter-independent geometric features of the liquid network model are shown to be representative of ER architecture in live mammalian cells. The liquid network model connects the timescales of distinct dynamic features such as ring closure and new tubule growth in the ER. Furthermore, it demonstrates how the steady-state network morphology on a cellular scale arises from the balance of microscopic dynamic rearrangements.

Lawler F.C., Storteboom R.S., Rosales-Lopez P.D., Selvaggio K.J., Zogg K.A., Chen T., Heule D.L., Hoogstra M.N., Daspit O.R., Grabill M.A., Stonehouse A.A., Jipping A.E., Baker A.E., Vander Griend D.A.

Larzelere R.E., Gunnoe M.L., Pritsker J., Ferguson C.J.