'Just knowing it's there gives me comfort': Exploring the benefits and challenges of autism alert cards.

This study looks at how people use and feel about autism alert cards, which help Autistic people communicate their diagnosis/identity. We surveyed 272 Australian people, including 136 Autistic adults, 128 parents of Autistic children and eight Autistic children. About half of the participants used the card after ordering it, mostly in public places such as public transport, healthcare settings and in retail settings.

Facilitators and barriers of technology adoption and social connectedness among rural older adults: a qualitative study.

Background: Social disconnection is a public health concern among rural Australian older adults. While research suggests technology can enhance social wellbeing and protect against social disconnection, many older adults are not digitally literate, and little is known as to why and how technology adoption could be promoted in rural contexts. This study aimed to (1) explore the barriers and facilitators of technology adoption among rural older adults and (2) determine the potential utility of technology to promote social connectedness in the aged population.

"Maybe No One Knows We Need Help": Understanding the Experiences of Autistic Working Mothers in Australia.

Background: Although there are no known studies investigating autistic working mothers, research has demonstrated that managing employment and motherhood in non-autistic populations has specific challenges, as does employment in autistic populations. This autistic-led study aimed at investigating the experience of autistic working mothers to identify benefits, challenges, and support needs.

Methods: We utilized a subjectivist epistemological perspective to learn about the experiences of autistic working mothers.

'If I'm just me, I doubt I'd get the job': A qualitative exploration of autistic people's experiences in job interviews.

When applying for a job, autistic job candidates are likely to face a number of challenges. Job interviews are one of these challenges - they require communicating and relationship-building with unfamiliar people and involve expectations about behaviour (that may vary between companies and are not made clear to job candidates). Given autistic people communicate differently to non-autistic people, autistic job candidates may be disadvantaged in the interview process.

How can psychologists meet the needs of autistic adults?

In a recent editorial, Mandy described an autism mental health crisis because autistic people are more likely to experience mental health concerns, yet they are less likely to get help. When autistic people do seek support, services tend not to be well matched to their needs. Alongside the six ideas Mandy suggested for addressing the mental health crisis, we think it is essential for psychologists to start changing the way they work to improve the person-environment fit for autistic clients.

The Efficacy of Disability Employment Service (DES) Providers Working with Autistic Clients.

The efficacy of the Australian Disability Employment Services (DES) for autistic jobseekers has not been examined and is currently undergoing Government reform. To help inform the new DES strategy, we sought the views of: 24 autistic individuals; seven family members of autistic individuals, and; 46 DES employees. Data were collected using surveys and interviews.

Women seeking an autism diagnosis in Australia: A qualitative exploration of factors that help and hinder.

An autism diagnosis can have a big impact on women and make it possible to access support. This study explored women's experiences of being diagnosed with autism as an adult in Australia, to try to understand what was helpful (facilitators) and unhelpful (barriers) for them during this process. We interviewed 10 autistic women who had been diagnosed in the last 5 years.

Barriers to Employment: Raters' Perceptions of Male Autistic and Non-Autistic Candidates During a Simulated Job Interview and the Impact of Diagnostic Disclosure.

Background: Autistic individuals face low rates of engagement in the labor force. There is evidence that job interviews pose a significant barrier to autistic people entering the workforce. In this experimental study, we investigated the impact of diagnostic disclosure on decisions concerning candidate suitability during job interviews.

Brief Report: What Happens After School? Exploring Post-school Outcomes for a Group of Autistic and Non-autistic Australian Youth.

Young autistic Australians are less likely to attend higher education and have lower employment rates than non-autistic Australians (in: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Survey of disability, ageing and carers Australia: Summary of Findings 2018. Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra, 2019a). Few studies have examined post-school outcomes among this population.

Cross-sectional and longitudinal predictors of quality of life in autistic individuals from adolescence to adulthood: The role of mental health and sleep quality.

Research shows that autistic adults are at risk of a range of physical (e.g. sleep difficulties) and mental health (e.

Fetal growth and well-being in a study of maternal hypertension in rabbits.

Obtaining growth and physiologic data in the postnatal laboratory animal is common. However, monitoring growth in utero is far more difficult, with little data available except upon termination of pregnancy. High-resolution ultrasound was used to monitor growth, morphology, and fetal well-being in normotensive and hypertensive rabbits (21 fetuses) at day 16, 20, and 26 of the 32 day gestational period.

Accelerated age-related decline in renal and vascular function in female rats following early-life growth restriction.

Many studies report sexual dimorphism in the fetal programming of adult disease. We hypothesized that there would be differences in the age-related decline in renal function between male and female intrauterine growth-restricted rats. Early-life growth restriction was induced in rat offspring by administering a low-protein diet (LPD; 8.

Antecedents and consequences of workplace aggression in the allied health context.

Workplace aggression research has typically focused on groups in the health care industry considered to be high risk (e.g., nursing); however, aggression also occurs among other health care professional groups, such as those in allied health.

The oppressive nature of work in healthcare: predictors of aggression against nurses and administrative staff.

Aims: To assess the antecedents of workplace aggression (bullying and violence) among nurses and administration staff.

Background: As a result of power structures within the healthcare industry, nurses and administration staff may be more vulnerable to workplace aggression. Environmental and individual characteristics have been linked to the occurrence of such aggression among other groups.

Chronic maternal hypertension affects placental gene expression and differentiation in rabbits.

Background: Previously, we have shown that adult offspring from hypertensive rabbits develop hypertension.

Method: We aimed to determine the effects of mild (+15 mmHg) and moderate (+25 mmHg) increases in maternal blood pressure and plasma renin activity on placental differentiation and expression of components of the renin-angiotensin system and 11[beta]-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 mRNA in rabbits. Placentas were collected from normotensive (sham), mild (2-kidney-1-cellophane wrapped; 2K-1W) and moderate (2-kidney-2-cellophane wrapped; 2K-2W) hypertensive groups at gestational age of 14, 21 and 28 days.

Chronic maternal hypertension characterized by renal dysfunction is associated with reduced placental blood flow during late gestation in rabbits.

Maternal hypertension associated with renal disease is a common pregnancy complication. Previously, we have shown in a rabbit model of mild hypertension that offspring from hypertensive mothers have increased blood pressure as adults. In human pregnancy, hypertension has been associated with decreased utero-placental blood flow.

Enhanced angiotensin II type 2 receptor mechanisms mediate decreases in arterial pressure attributable to chronic low-dose angiotensin II in female rats.

The renin-angiotensin system is a far more complex enzymatic cascade than realized previously. Mounting evidence suggests sex-specific differences in the regulation of the renin-angiotensin system and arterial pressure. We examined the hemodynamic responses, angiotensin II receptor subtypes, and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 gene expression levels after graded doses of angiotensin II in males and females.

Effect of endothelin-1 on regional kidney blood flow and renal arteriole calibre in rabbits.

1. Medullary blood flow (MBF) is important in the long-term control of arterial pressure. However, it is unclear which vascular elements regulate MBF.

Prostaglandins and nitric oxide in regional kidney blood flow responses to renal nerve stimulation.

We examined the roles of cyclooxygenase products and of interactions between the cyclooxygenase and nitric oxide systems in the mechanisms underlying the relative insensitivity of medullary perfusion to renal nerve stimulation (RNS) in anaesthetized rabbits. To this end we examined the effects of ibuprofen and N(G)-nitro-L: -arginine (L-NNA), both alone and in combination, on the responses of regional kidney perfusion to RNS. Under control conditions, RNS produced frequency-dependent reductions in total renal blood flow (RBF; -82+/-3% at 6 Hz), cortical laser-Doppler flux (CLDF; -84+/-4% at 6 Hz) and, to a lesser extent, medullary laser-Doppler flux (MLDF; -46+/-7% at 6 Hz).

Predominant postglomerular vascular resistance response to reflex renal sympathetic nerve activation during ANG II clamp in rabbits.

We have shown previously that a moderate reflex increase in renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) elevated glomerular capillary pressure, whereas a more severe increase in RSNA decreased glomerular capillary pressure. This suggested that the nerves innervating the glomerular afferent and efferent arterioles could be selectively activated, allowing differential control of glomerular capillary pressure. A caveat to this conclusion was that intrarenal actions of neurally stimulated ANG II might have contributed to the increase in postglomerular resistance.

Adult rabbit offspring of mothers with secondary hypertension have increased blood pressure.

Preexisting chronic hypertension complicates up to 5% of pregnancies and is associated with an increased risk of low-birth-weight babies. Studies suggest that an adverse intrauterine environment leading to low birth weight is linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, including hypertension, in the adult. In this study, the blood pressure of offspring from mothers with hypertension were followed up into adulthood.