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There is an urgent need for an efficient approach to obtain a large-scale and renewable source of functional human vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) to establish robust, patient-specific tissue model systems for studying the pathogenesis of vascular disease, and for developing novel therapeutic interventions. Here, we have derived a large quantity of highly enriched functional VSMCs from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC-VSMCs). Furthermore, we have engineered 3D tissue rings from hiPSC-VSMCs using a facile one-step cellular self-assembly approach. The tissue rings are mechanically robust and can be used for vascular tissue engineering and disease modeling of supravalvular aortic stenosis syndrome. Our method may serve as a model system, extendable to study other vascular proliferative diseases for drug screening. Thus, this report describes an exciting platform technology with broad utility for manufacturing cell-based tissues and materials for various biomedical applications.

Many children with Williams syndrome struggle with fears and phobias that significantly impact their daily lives. Yet, there is sparse literature about the impact of behavioral interventions to treat anxiety and phobias among children with Williams syndrome. Using observational coding of intervention videos, the current study examines patterns of the therapist's use of play and humor and relations to child behavioral responses for four children with Williams syndrome who were identified as treatment responders to humor- and play-infused exposure therapy for fears and anxieties. Sessions were coded for therapist behaviors (exposure with or without play/humor, stimulus type used during exposure, passive or invited attention to feared stimulus, and spontaneous parent participation in exposure) as well as positive, negative, and neutral child behaviors (verbalizations and behaviors). Temporal patterns between therapist and child behaviors were analyzed using lag sequential analyses. The results showed that tolerance of feared stimuli improved for two of the four children following this play- and humor-infused exposure therapy approach, and the remaining two participants demonstrated progress beyond tolerating the feared stimulus and showed increased positive behaviors with the feared stimulus across sessions. Findings also showed patterns of therapist attunement to the child's anxiety level demonstrated through efforts to flexibly adjust the degrees of exposure. Therapist-initiated invited attention behaviors, indicative of the therapist's use of narration and priming, were associated with child tolerance and positive behaviors during exposure to the feared stimulus. Limitations of this study include a very small sample size, short duration of intervention, and a single-subject research design, which limit the generalizability of findings. Implications and future directions of this research are discussed.

Children who reside in orphanages are at risk of developmental delay, particularly with regard to communicative competence. Linguistic responsiveness of caregivers, which is central to the development of communication, has been found to be lacking in orphanages. This study determined the effectiveness of an embedded programme to modify caregiver linguistic responsiveness in an impoverished orphanage in South Africa. Two caregivers participated in the study. A pre-test post-test design was used. Linguistic responsiveness was evaluated using the Teacher Interaction and Language Rating Scale (Girolametto, Weitzman Greenberg, 2000) and a checklist of child directed speech behaviours. A three-week embedded programme was implemented to teach a set of responsiveness strategies to the caregivers. Outcome measures were collected at two weeks and again ten months after the intervention was provided. The linguistic responsiveness of the caregivers changed but waned over time in the absence of ongoing support. The responsiveness strategies that were maintained over time required less linguistic flexibility than those strategies that waned. This study provides impetus for further research into methods that can be used to modify the linguistic responsiveness of caregivers, as well as to determine factors that influence linguistic responsiveness. Implications for language policies in orphanages might be informed by the findings.

The infant born with a cleft lip is faced with risk factors that threaten the development of speech-language skills. The earlier the age of identification and management of the developmental delay, the better the outcome. The attainment of the mature syllable is considered to be a critical measure of babbling competency. This single case study aimed to determine whether the formedness of the syllable in babbling would be affected by the cleft lip repaired prior to the onset of meaningful speech. Three samples of babbling in a naturalistic environment were video-recorded. Data was analysed following the principles of infraphonology, employing a perceptually-based method. A profile of infraphonological features was obtained. Results showed that the development of the mature syllable was attained. The results support the theories that babbling is a robust phenomenon. Clinical and research implications are discussed.

The experience of inappropriate sexual behaviours (ISB) by healthcare professionals has been identified internationally as a serious issue. This study investigated the extent of ISB directed towards speech-language pathologists and/or audiologists (SLP/As) in South Africa. As well as the sources and the effects of ISB, the responses of the SLP/As, and the perceptions of the SLP/As with regard to their ability to manage ISB experiences. Fifty-six qualified SLP/As and 62 student SLP/As completed a questionnaire based on similar studies conducted in Canada and New Zealand. Most of the respondents had experienced ISB, mostly of a mild to moderate nature, at some point in their careers, and some had experienced severe ISB in the workplace. ISB occurred in a variety of work contexts. The sources of ISB included clients and/or their family members, as well as colleagues and employers. A range of personal and work-related effects resulted and the respondents took the least assertive strategy' in the management of their ISB experiences. The results reflected that SLP/As in South Africa are poorly informed with regard to their legal rights and responsibilities, as well as strategies to deal with unwanted sexually related experiences. ISB ought to be recognised as a serious issue in clinical practice in South Africa by SLP/As, professional bodies as well as training institutions. The results are in line with previous research on ISB experiences by SLP/As and other healthcare professionals.