Atypical Behaviors Research Articles

Blackbody thermodynamics in the presence of Casimir’s effect

This paper is a study of the electromagnetic radiation at temperature T in a rectangular slab whose walls are made of a perfect conductor. The two large parallel walls of area A are apart by a distance . We take T, A, and d as thermodynamic parameters, obtaining the free energy from a procedure that involves the integration over the slab of the ensemble average of the stress–energy–momentum tensor calculated long ago by Brown and Maclay. Both thermodynamic regimes and are fully addressed. We show that certain thermodynamic quantities that are notoriously ill defined (or trivial) in ordinary blackbody thermodynamics are now well defined (or nontrivial) due to the presence of boundary conditions at the walls of the slab (‘Casimir’s effect’). The relationships among such quantities are fully explored and it is speculated that they may be experimentally checked. Stability is addressed, showing that electromagnetic radiation in the slab is thermally stable; but mechanically unstable. We investigate thermodynamic processes where temperature, internal energy, entropy and enthalpy are each taken to be constant, revealing rather atypical behaviors. For example, in sharp contrast with what one would expect from a gas, when , ‘free expansion’ gives place to ‘free contraction’ in accordance with the second law of thermodynamics. As a check of consistency of the formulae we remark that various Carnot cycles have been examined and verified that they correctly lead to Carnot’s efficiency.

Normative values and diagnostic optimisation of three social cognition measures for autism and schizophrenia diagnosis in a healthy adolescent and adult sample.

Awareness of the importance of assessing social cognition skills under conditions showing atypical social behaviours has increased over the years. However, the evaluation of the psychometric properties of the measures and the availability of normative values for the clinical context are still limited. This study aims to revise, provide normative values, and evaluate the clinical validity of the Italian version of three social cognition measures: Advanced Theory of Mind (A-ToM) task, the Emotion Attribution Task (EAT), and the Social Situation Task (SST). Measures were administered to 580 adolescents and adult healthy controls (age range 14-50). We performed differential item functioning and Rasch analysis to revise each task, so normative data of the revised measures were calculated. Moreover, the revised measures were administered to 38 individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and 35 individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD): ASD and SSD were matched by age, gender, and IQ with a control sample to evaluate clinical validity. ROC analysis showed that the SST is the best measure differentiating between healthy and clinical groups, compared to the A-ToM (AUCASD = 0.70; AUCSSD = 0.65) and EAT (AUCASD = 0.67; AUCSSD = 0.50), which showed poorer performance. For SSD diagnosis, two SST subscales (Violation and Gravity score) indicated the best accuracy (AUCs of 0.88 and 0.84, respectively); for the ASD diagnosis, we propose a combined score between the SST subscale and A-ToM (AUC = 0.86). The results suggest that the proposed measures can be used to support the diagnostic process and clinical practice.

Factors predicting general health concerns and atypical behaviours in children with prenatal alcohol exposure and other adverse exposures.

Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can have significant negative consequences on the health outcomes of children. Children with PAE often experience other prenatal and postnatal adverse exposures. Increased rates of general health concerns and atypical behaviours are seen in both children with PAE as well as with other patterns of adverse exposures, although these have not been systematically described. The association between multiple adverse exposures and adverse health concerns and atypical behaviours in children with PAE is unknown. Demographic information, medical history, adverse exposures, health concerns, and atypical behaviours were collected from children with confirmed PAE (n = 22; 14 males, age range = 7.9-15.9 years) and their caregivers. Support vector machine learning classification models were used to predict the presence of health concerns and atypical behaviours based on adverse exposures. Associations between the sums of adverse exposures, health concerns, and atypical behaviours were examined using correlation analysis. All children experienced health concerns, the most common being sensitivity to sensory inputs (64%; 14/22). Similarly, all children engaged in atypical behaviours, with atypical sensory behaviour (50%; 11/22) being the most common. Prenatal alcohol exposure was most important factor for predicting some health concerns and atypical behaviours, and alone and in combination with other factors. Simple associations between adverse exposures could not be identified for many health concerns and atypical behaviours. Children with PAE and other adverse exposures experience high rates of health concerns and atypical behaviours. This study demonstrates the complex effects of multiple adverse exposures on health and behaviour in children.

Choice models and recommender systems effects on users’ choices

AbstractNowadays, the users of a web platform, such as a video-on-demand service or an eCommerce site, are routinely using the platform’s recommender system (RS) when choosing which item to consume or buy (e.g. movies or books). It is therefore important to understand how the exposure to recommendations can influence the users’ choices, particularly the quality and distribution of the chosen items. However, users, even in the presence of the same RS, may show diverse and even atypical choice behaviours, which are independent of the RS; they may have a preference for choosing more popular or recent items. The effect of these behaviours on the collective evolution of the choices and the performance of the RS is not well-understood yet. In fact, in previous analyses, the users were supposed to only choose among the top recommendations, without any further discrimination. Hence, we first perform a correlation analysis, in some choice data sets, revealing that three kinds of choice behaviours, namely the tendency to choose popular, recent, and highly rated items, are actually observable in large percentages of the users. Then, we investigate how these choice behaviours, implemented as algorithmic choice models (Popularity-CM, Age-CM and Rating-CM), can influence the overall choice distribution and performance of the RS. With the aim of understanding such relationships and consequences, we have designed a simulation framework where the considered choice models (CMs) are adopted to simulate users’ choices when they are exposed to recommendations from alternative RSs. We found that (1) the choices’ distribution of a user population is significantly influenced not only by the RS, but also by the prevalent choice model of the population, (2) RS have some effects on the choices that are independent of the adoption of the CM, and (3) some important effects of the RS on users’ choice distribution depend also on the choice model that the users adopt. The study contributes to the start of a new line of research where the impact of recommendation technologies can be studied with respect to alternative decision-making approaches, which are actually followed by real users. Additionally, the simulation approach can help other researchers and practitioners to investigate the effect of deploying an RS when a certain CM is identified in a population of users.

Neural responses to reward valence and magnitude from pre- to early adolescence

BackgroundNeural activation during reward processing is thought to underlie critical behavioral changes that take place during the transition to adolescence (e.g., learning, risk-taking). Though literature on the neural basis of reward processing in adolescence is booming, important gaps remain. First, more information is needed regarding changes in functional neuroanatomy in early adolescence. Another gap is understanding whether sensitivity to different aspects of the incentive (e.g., magnitude and valence) changes during the transition into adolescence. We used fMRI from a large sample of preadolescent children to characterize neural responses to incentive valence vs. magnitude during anticipation and feedback, and their change over a period of two years. MethodsData were taken from the Adolescent Cognitive and Brain DevelopmentSM (ABCD®) study release 3.0. Children completed the Monetary Incentive Delay task at baseline (ages 9–10) and year 2 follow-up (ages 11–12). Based on data from two sites (N = 491), we identified activation-based Regions of Interest (ROIs; e.g., striatum, prefrontal regions, etc.) that were sensitive to trial type (win $5, win $0.20, neutral, lose $0.20, lose $5) during anticipation and feedback phases. Then, in an independent subsample (N = 1470), we examined whether these ROIs were sensitive to valence and magnitude and whether that sensitivity changed over two years. ResultsOur results show that most ROIs involved in reward processing (including the striatum, prefrontal cortex, and insula) are specialized, i.e., mainly sensitive to either incentive valence or magnitude, and this sensitivity was consistent over a 2-year period. The effect sizes of time and its interactions were significantly smaller (0.002≤η2≤0.02) than the effect size of trial type (0.06≤η2≤0.30). Interestingly, specialization was moderated by reward processing phase but was stable across development. Biological sex and pubertal status differences were few and inconsistent. Developmental changes were mostly evident during success feedback, where neural reactivity increased over time. ConclusionsOur results suggest sub-specialization to valence vs. magnitude within many ROIs of the reward circuitry. Additionally, in line with theoretical models of adolescent development, our results suggest that the ability to benefit from success increases from pre- to early adolescence. These findings can inform educators and clinicians and facilitate empirical research of typical and atypical motivational behaviors during a critical time of development.

Prenatal Stress Exposure Amplifies Effect of Maternal Suicidal Ideation on Early Childhood Behavioral Trajectories.

The inutero environment influences fetal development and may predispose to disease later in life. This study examines whether maternal suicidal ideation during pregnancy is associated with children's behavioral trajectories across early childhood, and whether prenatal maternal traumatic stress accelerates the trajectories. The study included mother-child dyads (N = 331, 51.1% boys) from the longitudinal Stress In Pregnancy study; 31.1% (n = 103) mothers were Exposed to Superstorm Sandy. During their second trimester, 12.4% (n = 41) women reported suicidal ideation during pregnancy. Mothers completed the Behavior Assessment Scale for Children-2 annually from ages 2- to 6-years-old to assess multiple behavioral domains. Hierarchical linear modeling estimated within-person longitudinal trajectories of clinical behaviors, and between-person effects of maternal suicidal ideation and disaster-related stressin utero on changes in child behavior. For children exposed to both risks, Atypical behaviors (i.e., unusual behaviors, social disconnection) increased linearly across early childhood. Exposure to Superstorm Sandy and maternal suicidal ideation were independently associated with non-linear increases in Anxiety severity and maternal suicidal ideation during pregnancy was associated with a linear increase in Attention problems across early childhood. Maternal suicidal ideation during pregnancy is associated with increased risk for a range of behavioral and emotional difficulties in early childhood and the trajectory of atypical behaviors was amplified by disaster-related traumatic stress. Findings highlight the need for health professionals to screen for suicidal ideation among their pregnant patients. Pregnant women who experience severe stress may require additional monitoring and support to reduce risk for poorer early childhood outcomes.

Phonon ray tracing calculations of ballistic temperature and heat flux profiles in nanostructures

Phonon ray tracing calculations have been used to quantify phonon boundary scattering in nanomaterials and to interpret thermal conductivity measurements. However, Landauer-based phonon ray tracing methods have not been able to access the temperature or heat flux profiles within nanomaterials, meaning that computationally intensive Boltzmann Transport Equation solvers are needed to gain insight into ballistic transport physics or model nanoscale temperature mapping experiments. Here, we derive and apply phonon Monte Carlo ray tracing methods to calculate the local temperature and local heat flux in semiconducting nanomaterials, with a focus on the ballistic transport regime. The derivation provides a straightforward interpretation of the local temperature in terms of a thermal conductance ratio, and the local heat flux in terms of the difference between forward- and reverse-oriented phonon trajectories crossing a control surface. After validating the method for several common transport regimes and geometries, we apply the method to optimize geometric parameters that lead to locally inverted temperature gradients in porous nanomeshes, and to evaluate the heat focusing capabilities of geometric ballistic phonon lenses. These applications illustrate how phonon ray tracing methods can be used to quantify ballistic thermal profiles and to design nanostructures that exhibit atypical thermal behaviors in the ballistic regime.

The self and self-knowledge after frontal lobe neurosurgical lesions

BackgroundEvidence suggests that damage to the frontal lobes can be associated with changes in cognitive and behavioral functioning and reduced awareness that such changes have occurred. In the current study, the Cognitive Awareness Model was used as a theoretical framework to explore knowledge of the self in people with acquired frontal lesions. MethodsFifteen individuals with focal frontal lobe lesions (FFL) and their nominated informants were compared with fifteen healthy matched control-informant dyads on questionnaire measures designed to assess awareness of difficulties. Questionnaires were adapted to ensure all enabled pre- and post-injury perspectives to be gained from both patient and informant, and to allow novel exploration of awareness of deficits from a third person perspective. ResultsIndividuals with frontal lobe lesions showed adequate awareness of their post-surgery changes, which was substantiated by their informant report. Compared to the control group, the patient group was found to acknowledge more difficulties in current functioning. Perspective-taking ability was limited with both patients and controls being comparatively unreliable in assessing how they were perceived by others. ConclusionThese results demonstrate that FLL patients are engaging in more atypical behaviors compared to healthy controls, but suggest that they are aware of and acknowledge these difficulties. The importance of obtaining multiple viewpoints when examining an individual's level of awareness and the clinical implications of this are discussed.

Linoleic acid improves PIEZO2 dysfunction in a mouse model of Angelman Syndrome

Angelman syndrome (AS) is a neurogenetic disorder characterized by intellectual disability and atypical behaviors. AS results from loss of expression of the E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase UBE3A from the maternal allele in neurons. Individuals with AS display impaired coordination, poor balance, and gait ataxia. PIEZO2 is a mechanosensitive ion channel essential for coordination and balance. Here, we report that PIEZO2 activity is reduced in Ube3a deficient male and female mouse sensory neurons, a human Merkel cell carcinoma cell line and female human iPSC-derived sensory neurons with UBE3A knock-down, and de-identified stem cell-derived neurons from individuals with AS. We find that loss of UBE3A decreases actin filaments and reduces PIEZO2 expression and function. A linoleic acid (LA)-enriched diet increases PIEZO2 activity, mechano-excitability, and improves gait in male AS mice. Finally, LA supplementation increases PIEZO2 function in stem cell-derived neurons from individuals with AS. We propose a mechanism whereby loss of UBE3A expression reduces PIEZO2 function and identified a fatty acid that enhances channel activity and ameliorates AS-associated mechano-sensory deficits.

Examining the impact of randomized control intervention on depressive symptoms in schoolchildren with atypical behaviors.

The need to investigate depression among disadvantaged groups motivated this study. This study investigated the impacts of rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) on depressive symptoms in schoolchildren with atypical behaviors in Enugu State Nigeria. A group randomized controlled design was used to assign 37 schoolchildren to the intervention group and 37 schoolchildren to the waitlisted control group. These people were evaluated at three times (pretest, post-test, and later test) using a dependent measure. The outcome demonstrated that there was no discernible difference between the participants in the treatment group and those in the waitlisted control group at the time of the pretest. The post-treatment test results revealed a considerable improvement among participants as a result of REBT therapy. The later test result revealed that the treatment's significant improvement was maintained in favor of the REBT group. The outcome of REBT treatment was not moderated due to location. The data showed a significant interaction impact on participants' depression levels in relation to the interaction between groups and gender during therapy. Following the outcomes, we concluded that REBT is a long-term efficacious intervention for treating depressive symptoms in schoolchildren with atypical behaviors in Enugu State Nigeria regardless of location and gender.

Towards a novel method for detecting atypical lying down and standing up behaviors in dairy cows using accelerometers and machine learning

Free-stall cubicles are designed so that cows do not defecate in the bedding material, while still providing comfortable lying places. However, fixed cubicle elements, such as the partition and neck rail, restrict available movement space and may hinder cows from performing natural lying down and standing up movement patterns. Although there are various types of cubicle partitions that differ in shape, dimensions, or materials, there is no method other than visual observations to assess their effects on cow welfare. An automated detection system could improve the efficiency and promote objectivity of such assessments. Therefore, the aim of this research was to explore which atypical lying down and standing up behaviors could be detected using body-mounted accelerometers and machine learning. Three leg- and one head-mounted accelerometer set to record at 20 Hz were fitted to 48 lactating dairy cows (Brown Swiss and Holstein × Swiss Fleckvieh). Lying down and standing up events were simultaneously assessed through video observations, by assigning binary presence/absence labels for atypical behaviors, such as lunging the head sideways when standing up and pawing the bedding material before lying down. Different time series classification algorithms were employed for model development using a nested cross-validation strategy. The best performing classifiers were MiniRocket and the deep learning algorithm InceptionTime. Atypical behaviors performed during standing up events, namely Hesitant head lunge and Crawling backwards, were identified as most promising candidates for accelerometer-based detection. These behaviors were detected with balanced accuracies of 0.67 and 0.74, respectively, and their learning curves indicated that more training data might further improve model performance. Overall, achieved performances were not yet satisfactory for application in the evaluation of new dairy cow housing installations. Potentially, ethograms designed for human observers are not optimal for machine learning and adjustments with machine learnability in mind might be necessary. The behaviors identified as promising are good candidates for further development into an efficient and objective method that could complement human observations in the assessment of dairy cow housing installations.

Associations Among Autism Symptom Domains and Facets of Caregiver Strain.

Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience elevated levels of caregiver strain (CGS). Few studies have examined the relationship between core ASD symptoms and each facet of CGS: objective, subjective internalized, and subjective externalized strain. The predictive effect of core and associated features of ASD on CGS facets were investigated, while also exploring the moderating effect of age. Atypical behaviors and behavior problems were the strongest predictors of all types of caregiver strain. For younger children, more repetitive behaviors predicted higher externalized strain, yet the opposite was true for parents of adolescents. Given that caregiver strain impacts parents' service utilization patterns, future research should focus on strategies to support parents in reducing caregiver strain.

Comparing sensory processing in children with Down syndrome to a mental age matched sample of children with autism, other developmental disabilities, and typically developing children

BackgroundAtypical sensory processing impacts children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Research has focused on SP in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD); comparatively, little has been written regarding individuals with Down syndrome (DS) and IDDs. AimsWe compared patterns of sensory processing in children with DS to children with ASD, other IDDs, and typically developing (TD) peers examining the relationship among different sensory processing measures. Methods and proceduresWe analyzed cross-sectional data using two caregiver questionnaires (SP, SEQ) and one observational measure (SPA). Groups were compared on three sensory processing patterns: hyporesponsiveness; hyperresponsiveness; and sensory interests, repetitions, and seeking (SIRS) via ANOVA. We assessed concordance through correlations. Outcomes and resultsChildren with DS, IDD, and ASD demonstrated more atypical sensory processing behaviors than TD peers. Children with ASD exhibited the most atypical responses across all measures, significantly more than DS children on all but one subscale. The IDD and DS groups differed on several measures. Measurement concordance was higher between caregiver-report versus observational assessment. Conclusions and implicationsDifferences between three clinical groups indicate that sensory processing features may differ across clinical populations regardless of cognitive functioning. Lower concordance between caregiver-report and observation measures highlights the need to understand sensory processing expression across different tasks and environments.

Addressing the baby and atypical maternal behaviour in psychoanalytic parent-infant psychotherapy

ABSTRACT This paper aims to further our understanding of the process of therapy in psychoanalytic parent-infant psychotherapy (PPIP). Using a single-case study methodology, it examines the emergence of atypical maternal behaviours in the sessions and considers direct therapeutic work with the baby. The research material for this study consists of video tapes and verbatim transcripts of two sessions from different time points in one good outcome PPIP treatment. The Atypical Maternal Behaviour Instrument for Assessment and Classification (AMBIANCE) coding system is used as a basis for identifying atypical maternal behaviours, as they manifest in the sessions. In addition, the therapist’s intervention in moments of interactive disruption are analysed discursively, with a focus on the utterances that directly address the infant. Findings suggest that the mother exhibited a high frequency of disruptive behaviours, as coded in the AMBIANCE, in the beginning of therapy. These decreased considerably by the end of treatment. In addition, the therapist was seen to respond consistently and flexibly to maternal disruptive behaviours, employing different interventions. Furthermore, the therapist talked directly to the baby for a significant amount of the session time, especially early on in treatment, addressing several different issues. Disrupted maternal behaviours can be discerned and systematically observed in PPIP sessions; these may be addressed in psychoanalytic parent-infant psychotherapy through the therapist’s verbal and nonverbal interactions with the mother and baby. Using different coding systems to examine patterns of interaction in detail, it is possible to gain insight into the therapeutic process, furthering our understanding of change mechanisms in psychoanalytic work with infants and their parents.

Brain-gut-brain axis, nutrition, and autism spectrum disorders: a review.

Autism is a neurological disorder that affects social skills and behavior. A significant number of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) may not display noticeable symptoms until they reach the age of three or older. Several factors, including genetic and environmental issues, could affect the progression of ASD in children. Dietary behavior or administration may have a crucial role in the development of autism. Epidemiological investigations have demonstrated that environmental influences play a significant role in how changes in diet can affect behavior and physiology. However, exclusion diets have not been thoroughly studied in relation to this effect. Atypical food behaviors, altered nutritional profiles, and being overweight, obese, or underweight are all associated with autism in children. Overweight or underweight was common in children with autism, but it was not necessarily uncommon in children with normal growth. Moreover, deficiencies in certain vitamins (B12, B9, and D), minerals (calcium and iron), fatty acids (omega-3 and -6), energy, and protein have been documented in children with ASD. The deficiency of these nutrients may lead to gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and change the microbiota in children with ASD. Some nutritional interventions could help individuals with ASD to improve their mental health. Recognizing dietary habits and nutrient requirements can help in planning the best overall treatment for autism. This review discusses GI symptoms and disorders related to nutrition and nutrient-dense diets for ASD.

Summary of the most important changes in sexual dysfunction and sexual health introduced in the latest revision of the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems ICD-11

Aim The aim of this publication is to review the changes introduced by the latest revision of the International Classification of Diseases and Health Problems, within sexual health and to compare them to the previously valid ICD-10. Method This paper reviews both classifications and compares them with each other, presents diagnostic criteria for the most important changes within sexual dysfunctions, paraphilic disorders, gender non-conformity, sexual orientation and compulsive sexual disorders. The changes introduced in ICD-11 were proposed based on advances in research and clinical practice, as well as significant changes in social attitudes and human rights. This article describes and compares the main changes that have occurred in this area. Results The World Health Organization has introduced far-reaching changes in the area of understanding and diagnosis of sexual dysfunctions by combining its psychological and physiological components, creating a bio-psycho-social model of sexual disorders. Another revolutionary change is the depathologisation and de-medicalisation of gender identity by introducing the term gender non-conformity and regrouping it from the previous category of personality and behavioural disorders to the newly created category of sexual health. ICD-11 also uses less oppressive and empowering terms. ICD-11 removed the category ‘Mental and behavioural disorders related to sexual development and orientation’, deeming it outdated and clinically irrelevant, and made significant changes to paraphilic disorders by excluding normative but atypical sexual behaviours such as fetishism, sadomasochism, fetishistic transvestism, and introducing diagnoses of dripping and compulsive sexual sadism. In the area of paraphilic disorders, a clear distinction is made between clinically significant and public health-relevant conditions and those that merely reflect private atypical sexual behaviour. The last significant change is the introduction of the category of compulsive sexual behaviour in the group of impulse control disorders.

Faded neural projection from the posterior bed nucleus of the stria terminalis to the lateral habenula contributes to social signaling deficit in male BTBR mice as a mouse model of autism

BTBR T+ Itpr3tf/J (BTBR) mice display several behavioral characteristics, including social deficits resembling the core symptoms of human autism. Atypical social behaviors include sequential processes of assembled cognitive-behavior components, such as recognition, investigatory assessment, and signaling response. This study aimed to elucidate the neural circuits responsible for the regulation of the social signaling response, as shown by scent marking behavior in male mice. We first assessed the recognition and investigatory patterns of male BTBR mice compared to those of C57BL/6 J (B6) mice. Next, we examined their scent-marking behavior as innate social signaling responses adjusted to a confronted feature of social stimuli and situations, along with the expression of c-Fos as a marker of neuronal activity in selected brain areas involved in the regulation of social behavior. The function of the targeted brain area was confirmed by chemogenetic manipulation. We also examined the social peptides, oxytocin and vasopressin neurons of the major brain regions that are associated with the regulation of social behavior. Our data indicate that male BTBR mice are less responsive to the presentation of social stimuli and the expression of social signaling responses, which is paralleled by blunted c-Fos responsivity and vasopressin neurons morphological changes in selected brain areas, including the posterior bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (pBnST) and lateral habenula (LHb) in BTBR mice. Further investigation of LHb function revealed that chemogenetic inhibition and activation of LHb activity can induce a change in scent marking responses in both B6 and BTBR mice. Our elucidation of the downstream LHb circuits controlling scent marking behavior indicates intact function in BTBR mice. The altered morphological characteristics of oxytocin neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus and vasopressin-positive neurons and axonal projections in the pBnST and LHb appear to underlie the dysfunction of scent marking responses in BTBR mice.(300/300 words)

Dependence of contact angle of liquid phase eutectic gallium–indium with interfacial oxide layer on van der Waals attraction

Gallium-based liquid metals (GBLMs) have both high fluidity and electrical conductivity and have recently raised great hopes with the promise of realizing soft electronics. By soft electronics, we mean electronic components that can retain their function while being bent and elongated. However, a nanometer-thick oxide skin forms on the GBLM surface, causing atypical interfacial behaviors, and the underlying physics remains unclear. Here, we present the results of a combined experimental and theoretical investigation of the dependence of contact angle of liquid phase eutectic gallium–indium (EGaIn) with oxide skin on van der Waals attraction. Our experiments showed that when EGaIn has an oxide skin, only the static advancing contact angle, not the equilibrium and static receding contact angles, can be specified. We suggest a mathematical model that explains how the static advancing contact angle of EGaIn depends on van der Waals force and the tension exerted on the oxide skin, elucidating the physics that determines the contact angle of EGaIn with the oxide skin in microscopic analysis. Our study helps us to better understand the interface of GBLMs, providing new insight into microfabrication techniques for GBLMs.

Perceptions of Behaviors Associated with ASD in Others: Knowledge of the Diagnosis Increases Empathy and Improves Perceptions of Warmth and Competence.

Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often exhibit atypical social behaviors that some may perceive as odd or discomforting. Given that ASD is largely invisible, it may be difficult to understand why a person is displaying these atypical behaviors, leading to less favorable attitudes. The current study aimed to examine if having an explanation for an individual exhibiting behaviors associated with ASD could improve perceptions of warmth and competence, as well as the amount of empathy felt towards the individual. Participants (n = 82) were presented with a scenario involving two people, one of whom exhibited behaviors consistent with ASD. ASD diagnosis information was manipulated, such that half of the participants were told that the target was diagnosed with ASD, and the other half were given no diagnostic information. Afterwards, participants rated the target. Results indicated that having an explanation for the ASD-related behaviors led to higher ratings of warmth and competence and greater feelings of empathy. Furthermore, empathy mediated the relationship between having the diagnostic information and target ratings. Thus, having an explanation for someone's behavior may lead to greater feelings of empathy and improve perceptions and understanding. This has important implications for improving education and awareness about behaviors associated with ASD as well as for making the decision of whether or not to disclose one's diagnosis.

3 Self-care and coping behaviours among trans and gender-diverse adolescents in clinical care: A mixed methods study

Abstract Background Referrals for transgender and gender-diverse (TGGD) youth to Canadian clinics providing gender-affirming medical care (GAMC) have grown rapidly over time. GAMC includes hormone suppression and/or hormone therapy as safe and effective strategies to modify secondary sexual characteristics and improve psychiatric outcomes in electing TGGD individuals. There are limited data on the types of coping and self-care behaviours TGGD youth in clinical care use to reduce distress and increase wellness. Objectives This research describes the coping and self-care behaviours of TGGD youth in clinical care across Canada and identifies potential self-care and coping behavioural profiles. Design/Methods This mixed methods study uses data from two companion studies. Trans Youth CAN! (TYC!) is a prospective cohort study of pubertal/post-pubertal youth <16 years naïve to gender-affirming hormone therapy (N=174) referred to one of ten clinics across Canada for hormone suppression and/or hormone therapy recruited from 2017-2019. Stories of Gender-Affirming Care administered semi-structured interviews to youth-parent dyads for youth 9 to 17 years (N=36) at three clinics participating in TYC! from November 2017 to August 2018. Quantitative measures included mental health, self-care, and coping behaviours. Qualitative interview guide asked about youths’ adversities and their self-care and coping behaviours. A latent class analysis (LCA) was used to identify latent classes of survey weight-adjusted TGGD youth engaging in self-care and coping behaviours (N=174). Chi-square tests assessed for differences across demographic variables (α=0.05). Qualitative data was previously coded using adapted Grounded Theory methodology and analyzed using integrated Thematic Analysis to expand upon quantitative findings. Results Our analysis suggests the emergence of five classes: Avoidant, self-harming, alcohol use, and legal document changes (Class 1: 21%); Non-avoidant diverse coping and self-harm behaviours (Class 2: 30%); Avoidant, self-harming, and nicotine/substance use behaviours (Class 3: 9%); Atypical and gender-focused coping behaviours (Class 4: 11%); and Gendered-space avoidant and self-harm behaviours (Class 5: 29%). Chi-square tests revealed no significant differences in age (p=0.2510), gender identity (p=0.5646), and income (p=0.9906) between latent classes. There were significant differences between class 2 and each of the other 4 classes for sex assigned at birth (p<0.0001). Pairwise comparisons also revealed a significant difference in immigration background between classes 2 and 5 (p=0.0030). Qualitative data expanded on quantitative findings. Conclusion This study identifies behavioural profiles of TGGD youth in clinical care and demographic variables across which coping and self-care behaviours might vary. This research can inform tailored interventions and supports at the personal/interpersonal, environmental, and structural levels to promote healthy coping strategies.