Concurrent Movement Research Articles

Rank Pooling Approach for Wearable Sensor-Based ADLs Recognition

This paper addresses wearable-based recognition of Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) which are composed of several repetitive and concurrent short movements having temporal dependencies. It is improbable to directly use sensor data to recognize these long-term composite activities because two examples (data sequences) of the same ADL result in largely diverse sensory data. However, they may be similar in terms of more semantic and meaningful short-term atomic actions. Therefore, we propose a two-level hierarchical model for recognition of ADLs. Firstly, atomic activities are detected and their probabilistic scores are generated at the lower level. Secondly, we deal with the temporal transitions of atomic activities using a temporal pooling method, rank pooling. This enables us to encode the ordering of probabilistic scores for atomic activities at the higher level of our model. Rank pooling leads to a 5–13% improvement in results as compared to the other popularly used techniques. We also produce a large dataset of 61 atomic and 7 composite activities for our experiments.

On Impossibility: Finding Vietnam in a Jordanian-Soviet Film Archive

In 2014, an abandoned collection of over 900 16mm and 35mm film canisters was uncovered in a storage locker in Amman, Jordan. Initial findings show that the films were likely exported from Russia to Jordan between the late 1960s and early 1990s as part of a Soviet cultural exchange program, and among them are are a number of propaganda films made to highlight relations between Vietnam, Russia, and concurrent political struggles in the Arab Middle East. Work on the archive continues despite recent restrictions on researcher access levied by state custodians. This essay positions the entire archive as an aggregate object of transnational film history, rather than as a collection of individual works, in order to illuminate its function in the late 1960s as a cohesive geopolitical idea; a method that is both structurally mandated by present conditions of limited accessibility, and theoretically supported by historical context and affiliated projects initiated by artists and scholars working in Amman since 2014. I argue that the archive was conceptually formed in the political shadow of the Vietnam-American War and its local relationship to Palestinian liberation. As an ‘idea,’ the archive was shaped principally by Vietnam, its imaginative hold on concurrent Third World solidarity movements, and its centrality in the conceptual geography of the transnational 1960s-70s.

Cultural Factors Facilitating or Inhibiting the Support for Traditional Household Gender Roles

Movement toward gender equality has occurred worldwide for the past century; nevertheless, some people still strongly endorse traditional gender norms. We investigated the associations of societal characteristics (gross domestic product [GDP] per capita and the gender empowerment measure) and cultural characteristics, including Hofstede’s, Schwartz’s, and Welzel’s scores (hierarchy vs. egalitarianism, person vs. social focus, mastery vs. harmony, long-term orientation, uncertainty avoidance, and masculinity–femininity), with support for traditional household gender roles. To reveal advantageous or disadvantageous conditions for support for traditional household gender roles, we conducted a secondary data analysis with representative samples ( n = 59,713) of 41 societies collected by the International Social Survey Program. According to the multilevel modeling analysis, individuals have lower endorsement of traditional household gender roles in societies that value mastery and enjoy economic development (i.e., GDP per capita), gender equality (measured by the gender empowerment measure), and personal focus. Contrarily, individuals have higher endorsement of traditional household gender roles in societies where hierarchy, uncertainty avoidance, long-term orientation, and masculine characteristics are valued. Individual characteristics (women, work experience, education, big-city experience, and younger generations) also predict lower support for traditional household gender roles. In addition, gender differences in traditional household gender roles are larger in societies with greater economic development and personal focus and lower emphasis on hierarchy and long-term orientation. Finally, the national means of traditional household gender roles predict concurrent social movement activities and gender equality at a later time. Potential mechanisms are further discussed.

The Punk Turn in Comedy: Masks of Anarchy

The Punk Turn in Comedy: Masks of Anarchy

Concurrent carbon and nitrogen transfer between hemiparasite Santalum album and two N2-fixing hosts in a sandalwood plantation

Root hemiparasites feed on host root xylem and prefer N2-fixing hosts. Carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) translocation from hosts to hemiparasites affect growth and development, but detailed C and N economies between hemiparasites and N2-fixing hosts are unknown. In a 6-year-old Santalum album (sandalwood) plantation, concurrent movement of C and N between plants over 14 days were traced among N2-fixing Acacia confusa, N2-fixing Dalbergia odorifera (rosewood) and non-N2-fixing hemi-parasitic sandalwood by adding 13C-labeled and 15N-labeled urea to leaves of one species (donor) and tracing the label into other two species (receivers) within three triple-tree combinations. Haustorial connections and host selectivity were also examined on roots and nodules within adjacent plants. N2 fixation by acacia and rosewood was quantified in the stand by 15N natural abundance. Parasitic haustoria of sandalwood on roots and nodules of N2-fixing acacia and rosewood were more frequent than on other non-N2-fixing herbaceous plants, indicating strong host selectivity and preference. N2 fixation supplied 19.7% and 52.3% of the total N in acacia and rosewood, respectively. During 14 days of labeling, more 13C and 15N was transferred from acacia or rosewood to sandalwood than from sandalwood to these two N2 fixers. Net C and N transfer between tree pairs indicated that hemiparasite sandalwood was the C sink or N sink when associated with N2-fixing acacia or rosewood, while N2-fixing acacia was the C sink or N sink when associated with N2-fixing rosewood. This study indicated that mixed plantations had high rates of interplant nutrient transfer. Our results also showed that the herbaceous plants might acquire some C and N from sandalwood and two N2-fixing plants via both direct and indirect transfers, suggesting a nutrient translocationbetween plants within this community. This mixed plantation of acacia/rosewood/sandalwood could replace low-valued single species or mixed plantations for growing both high-value sandalwood and rosewood heartwoods. Our study quantified nutrient transfer among plants in a sandalwood plantation. These results have improved our understanding of the physiological interactions in resource acquisition between host species and parasitic plants and provided insights into promising mixed-plantation patterns for valuable tropical trees in south China and globally.

Maternal contributions to gastrulation in zebrafish.

Gastrulation is a critical early morphogenetic process of animal development, during which the three germ layers; mesoderm, endoderm and ectoderm, are rearranged by internalization movements. Concurrent epiboly movements spread and thin the germ layers while convergence and extension movements shape them into an anteroposteriorly elongated body with head, trunk, tail and organ rudiments. In zebrafish, gastrulation follows the proliferative and inductive events that establish the embryonic and extraembryonic tissues and the embryonic axis. Specification of these tissues and embryonic axes are controlled by the maternal gene products deposited in the egg. These early maternally controlled processes need to generate sufficient cell numbers and establish the embryonic polarity to ensure normal gastrulation. Subsequently, after activation of the zygotic genome, the zygotic gene products govern mesoderm and endoderm induction and germ layer patterning. Gastrulation is initiated during the maternal-to-zygotic transition, a process that entails both activation of the zygotic genome and downregulation of the maternal transcripts. Genomic studies indicate that gastrulation is largely controlled by the zygotic genome. Nonetheless, genetic studies that investigate the relative contributions of maternal and zygotic gene function by comparing zygotic, maternal and maternal zygotic mutant phenotypes, reveal significant contribution of maternal gene products, transcripts and/or proteins, that persist through gastrulation, to the control of gastrulation movements. Therefore, in zebrafish, the maternally expressed gene products not only set the stage for, but they also actively participate in gastrulation morphogenesis.

Effects of current density on fracture behaviors for micron-sized crystalline silicon electrodes

The large volume change during lithiation/delithiation leads the silicon electrodes in lithium-ion batteries to severely degrade the mechanical performance and the silicon electrodes in lithium-ion batteries to further deteriorate electrochemical properties, which limits the commercial applications of silicon electrodes. After several year’s studies, the whole process of fracture for crystalline silicon anodes has been almost understood. However, the relationship between fracture behaviors and the lithiation depth has not been sufficiently studied. In this work, the <i>in-situ</i> observations of morphological changes (e.g., volume expansion, crack initiation, propagation, and debonding of lithiated silicon) during lithiation at the different current densities are reported for silicon micropillars fabricated by standard photolithography and a deep reactive ion etching process. Also, this work focuses on the relative depth of lithiation of silicon electrodes at the moment of crack initiation, which is one of the crucial parameters representing the utilization of active materials with no crack. The results show that the silicon micropillars are broken faster (i.e., crack initiation and pulverization in a shorter lithiation time) and more seriously at a large current density, exhibiting more prominent symmetry of morphology. However, the relative depths of lithiation at the different current densities have just a slight difference (i.e., 18%–22%), when cracks are initiated. Here in this work, a silicon micropillar fracture is confirmed by the optical observation, while the relative depth of lithiation is calculated according to the capacity data recorded by the charge/discharge battery test system. The small fluctuation of the relative depth of lithiation with the large wave of current density can be ascribed to the dominant role of local stress concentration caused by anisotropic volume change in fracture behavior, which is validated by the results obtained by the finite element model (i.e., the depth of lithiation predicted by numerical simulations is ～ 22.6%). Therefore, the relationship between fracture behavior and the lithiation kinetics is established, providing an effective strategy for estimating the utilization of active materials under crack-free operation. With the help of the theoretical mechanics model considering both volume change and concurrent movement of reaction front, the stress state in the lithiated silicon at the moment of crack initiation is given, showing the tensile hoop stress near the reaction front. Consequently, these results suggest that the fracture behaviors depend on the current density, but the position of crack initiation (i.e., the depth of lithiation with no crack) is unrelated to current density (at least in a relatively broad range) for large micron-sized crystalline silicon electrodes, thereby shedding light on the fracture mechanisms and the design of alloy anodes (e.g., size and structure) in lithium-ion batteries.

Human string-pulling with and without a string: movement, sensory control, and memory.

String-pulling is a behavior that is allied to many daily acts and is an easily performed action featuring hand-over-hand movements to reel in a string (or rope). String-pulling has been used as a test of perceptual and cognitive functions in many animal species, including human children, but its movements and sensory control have not been characterized. Male and female university students (n = 68) performed target-based or memory-based string-pulling in which they pulled down a string suspended on an overhead pulley and immediately afterwards attempted to make the same movement in a memory-based test. Frame-by-frame video scoring was used to describe movements, eye-tracking and visual occluding glasses were used to assess sensory control, and a Matlab video-analysis procedure was used to describe kinematics. The string was advanced using five arm/hand movements: with lift and advance comprising fast up movements, and grasp, pull and push comprising slow down movements. Fingers closed 5 (pinky) through 1 (thumb) to make a whole-hand grasp and release in target-based string pulling but moved in a reverse sequence for the memory-based task. Target-based string pulling was not visually guided unless participants were instructed to grasp at a cue, and then vision featured eye-tracking of the target and pupil dilation with the grasp, but there was no relation between eye events for memory-based string-pulling. For target-based string-pulling the left and right hands advanced the string with both independent and concurrent movement but only independent movements were featured in a more symmetrical memory-based movement. The results are discussed in relation to the sensory control of hand movements, contemporary theories of the neural control of hand movements, and species differences in string-pulling.

Assessing the role of nocturnal core body temperature dysregulation as a biomarker of neurodegeneration.

The vast majority of patients with idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder will develop a neurodegenerative α-synuclein-related condition, such as Parkinson's disease or dementia with Lewy bodies. The pathology underlying dream enactment overlaps anatomically with the brainstem regions that regulate circadian core body temperature. Previously, nocturnal core body temperature regulation has been shown to be impaired in Parkinson's disease. However, no study to date has investigated nocturnal core body temperature changes in patients with idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder, which may prove to be an early objective biomarker for α-synucleinopathies. Ten healthy controls, 15 patients with idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder, 31 patients with Parkinson's disease and six patients with dementia with Lewy bodies underwent clinical assessment and nocturnal polysomnography with core body temperature monitoring. A validated cosinor method was utilised for core body temperature analysis. No differences in mesor, nadir or time of nadir were observed between groups. However, when compared with healthy controls, the amplitude of the nocturnal core body temperature (mesor minus nadir) was significantly reduced in patients with idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder, Parkinson's disease with concurrent rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder and dementia with Lewy bodies (p<0.001, p=0.043 and p=0.017, respectively). Importantly, this relationship was not seen in those patients with Parkinson's disease without rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder. In addition, there was a significant negative correlation between amplitude of the core body temperature and self-reported rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder symptoms. Changes in thermoregulatory circadian rhythm may be specifically associated with the pathology underlying rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder rather than simply that of α-synucleinopathy. These findings implicate thermoregulatory dysfunction as a potential early biomarker for development of rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder-associated neurodegeneration, and suggest that subpopulations with differing pathological underpinnings might exist in Parkinson's disease.

Hippies Living History

In the late 1960s and 1970s, living history flowered, with new developments in research and interpretation at sites like Plimoth Plantation and Old Sturbridge Village, and the establishment of many new living history farms and museums, alongside a new professional organization: the Association for Living History Farms and Museums. This article examines this shift and puts it into conversation with the concurrent countercultural and commune movement, which often resembled—both aesthetically and ideologically—new living history. Using this case study as a model, I argue that in order to fully understand and account for developments in public practice, we must not only look at public history in a wider lens, but also account for form alongside context.

A High-performance Homogeneous Droplet Routing Technique for MEDA-based Biochips

Recent advancement of microelectrode-dot-array (MEDA)-based architecture for digital microfluidic biochips has enabled a major enhancement in microfluidic operations for traditional lab-on-chip devices. One critical issue for MEDA-based biochips is the transportation of droplets. MEDA allows dynamic routing for droplets of different size. In this article, we propose a high-performance droplet routing technique for MEDA-based digital microfluidic biochips. First, we propose the basic concept of droplet movement strategy in MEDA-based design together with a definition of strictly shielded zones within the layout in MEDA architecture. Next, we propose transportation schemes of droplets for MEDA architecture under different blockage or crossover conditions and estimate route distances for each net in offline. Finally, a priority-based routing strategy combining various transportation schemes stated earlier has been proposed. Concurrent movement of each droplet is scheduled in a time-multiplexed manner. This poses critical challenges for parallel routing of individual droplets with optimal sharing of cells formulating a routing problem with higher complexity. The final compaction solution satisfies the timing constraint and improves fault tolerance. Simulations are carried out on standard benchmark circuits, namely, Benchmark suite I and Benchmark suite III. Experimental results show satisfactory improvements and prove a high degree of robustness for our proposed algorithm.

Orofacial Movements Involve Parallel Corticobulbar Projections from Motor Cortex to Trigeminal Premotor Nuclei

How do neurons in orofacial motor cortex (MCtx) orchestrate behaviors? We show that focal activation of MCtx corticobulbar neurons evokes behaviorally relevant concurrent movements of the forelimb, jaw, nose, and vibrissae. The projections from different locations in MCtx form gradients of boutons across premotor nuclei spinal trigeminal pars oralis (SpVO) and interpolaris rostralis (SpVIr). Furthermore, retrograde viral tracing from muscles that control orofacial actions shows that these premotor nuclei segregate their outputs. In the most dramatic case, both SpVO and SpVIr are premotor to forelimb and vibrissa muscles, while only SpVO is premotor to jaw muscles. Functional confirmation of the superimposed control by MCtx was obtained through selective optogenetic activation of corticobulbar neurons on the basis of their preferential projections to SpVO versus SpVIr. We conclude that neighboring projection neurons in orofacial MCtx form parallel pathways to distinct pools of trigeminal premotor neurons that coordinate motor actions into a behavior.

The temporal and spatial constraints of saccade planning to double-step target displacements

The double-step paradigm investigates the characteristics of planning and execution when the motor system must rapidly adjust for a new goal location. Studies have provided detailed temporal information based on the duration available for the motor system to prepare a new movement trajectory (here referred to as re-preparation time). However, previous work has largely examined single displacement sizes, limiting the spatiotemporal understanding of movement planning and execution. The lack of a description of this behavioral timecourse across increasing displacement sizes is true for saccades, rapid eye movements that redirect the fovea. Furthermore, during the double-step paradigm, the primary saccade often fails to accurately foveate the final target location and a secondary saccade brings the target onto the fovea. However, it is also unknown how this compensation is concurrently modified with the exposure duration and displacement of the movement goal. Here, we examined the amount of time required to change the initial saccade direction to a new target location for relatively small (20°, 30°, and 40°) and large (60° and 90°) target spatial separations. Interestingly, we found a clear relationship between the saccade direction and the amount of time allowed to redirect the movement; across separations, intermediate saccades occurred when approximately 60–140 ms was available to readjust the movement plan. Additionally, there was a consistent relationship between the timing of the secondary saccade and the re-preparation time across jump sizes, suggesting that concurrent movement correction planning was dependent on the amount of exposure to the final movement goal.

Experimentally approaching to reciprocal cloaks via annulus-dielectric-metamaterials

Transformation optics has brought a wave of fanaticism among researchers to realize the first-ever invisible cloak over the past decade. Several relevant devices, including internal cloaks, external cloaks, and mantle cloaks, have already been proposed, with a few being experimentally demonstrated. Still, the proposed cloaks possess their insufficiencies to realize a reciprocal cloak. To better illustrate the cloak, here we report a new approach to a transformation-optics-based reciprocal cloak with designed dielectric-annulus-based metamaterials. Our results indicate we can easily control the anisotropic constitutive parameters at will. In addition, the as-fabricated cloak enables concurrent vision and movements of a hidden object, evidenced by both simulated and measured field distributions. More importantly, the cloak demands no bespoke design and is applicable to arbitrary electric-large objects. We affirm that we provide a method to developing the first-ever reciprocal cloak in experiments, and believe that the cloak could be further operated at visible ranges through the methodology we introduced, paving a route toward future applications in the fields of optics, physics, materials science, etc.

Estimating interactions between individuals from concurrent animal movements

Abstract Animal movements arise from complex interactions of individuals with their environment, including both conspecific and heterospecific individuals. Animals may be attracted to each other for mating, social foraging, or information gain, or may keep at a distance from others to avoid aggressive encounters related to, e.g., interference competition, territoriality, or predation. With modern tracking technology, more datasets are emerging that allow to investigate fine‐scale interactions between free‐ranging individuals from movement data, however, few methods exist to disentangle fine‐scale behavioural responses of interacting individuals when these are highly individual‐specific. In a framework of step‐selection functions, we related movements decisions of individuals to dynamic occurrence distributions of other individuals obtained through kriging of their movement paths. Using simulated data, we tested the method's ability to identify various combinations of attraction, avoidance, and neutrality between individuals, including asymmetric (i.e. non‐mutual) behaviours. Additionally, we analysed radio‐telemetry data from concurrently tracked small rodents (bank vole, Myodes glareolus) to test whether our method could detect biologically plausible behaviours. We found that our method was able to successfully detect and distinguish between fine‐scale interactions (attraction, avoidance, neutrality), even when these were asymmetric between individuals. The method worked best when confounding factors were taken into account in the step‐selection function. However, even when failing to do so (e.g. due to missing information), interactions could be reasonably identified. In bank voles, responses depended strongly on the sexes of the involved individuals and matched expectations. Our approach can be combined with conventional uses of step‐selection functions to tease apart the various drivers of movement, e.g. the influence of the physical and the social environment. In addition, the method is particularly useful in studying interactions when responses are highly individual‐specific, i.e. vary between and towards different individuals, making our method suitable for both single‐species and multi‐species analyses (e.g. in the context of predation or competition).

The Embodied Penman: Effector-Specific Motor-Language Integration During Handwriting.

Several studies have illuminated how processing manual action verbs (MaVs) affects the programming or execution of concurrent hand movements. Here, to circumvent key confounds in extant designs, we conducted the first assessment of motor-language integration during handwriting-a task in which linguistic and motoric processes are co-substantiated. Participants copied MaVs, non-manual action verbs, and non-action verbs as we collected measures of motor programming and motor execution. Programming latencies were similar across conditions, but execution was faster for MaVs than for the other categories, regardless of whether word meanings were accessed implicitly or explicitly. In line with the Hand-Action-Network Dynamic Language Embodiment (HANDLE) model, such findings suggest that effector-congruent verbs can prime manual movements even during highly automatized tasks in which motoric and verbal processes are naturally intertwined. Our paradigm opens new avenues for fine-grained explorations of embodied language processes.

Oxytocin reduces top-down control of attention by increasing bottom-up attention allocation to social but not non-social stimuli – A randomized controlled trial

The neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) may facilitate attention to social stimuli by influencing early stage bottom-up processing although findings in relation to different emotional expressions are inconsistent and its influence on top-down cognitive processing mechanisms unclear. In the current double-blind placebo (PLC) controlled between-subject design study we therefore recruited 71 male subjects (OXT = 34, PLC = 37) to investigate the effects of intranasal OXT (24IU) on both bottom-up attention allocation and top-down attention inhibition using a prosaccade and antisaccade paradigm incorporating social (neutral, happy, fearful, sad, angry faces) and non-social (oval shape) visual stimuli with concurrent eye movement acquisition. Results revealed a marginal significant interaction effect between treatment, condition and task (p = 0.054), with Bonferroni-corrected post-hoc tests indicating that OXT specifically increased antisaccade errors for social stimuli (ps < 0.04, effect sizes 0.46-0.88), but not non-social stimuli. Antisaccades are under volitional control and therefore this may indicate that OXT treatment reduced top-down inhibition. However, the overall findings are consistent with OXT acting to reduce top-down control of attention as a result of increasing bottom-up early attentional processing of social, but not non-social, stimuli in situations where the two systems are in potential conflict. Marked deficits in bottom-up attention allocation to social stimuli have been reported in autism spectrum disorder, within this context OXT may have the potential to increase early attention allocation towards social cues.

Effects of Heart Rate Variability Modulation on High Intensity Functional Training Strength Outcomes

PURPOSE: High Intensity Functional Training (HIFT) involves completing concurrent aerobic and resistance training functional movements at high intensity with the goal of increased fitness. We examined the effectiveness of using daily heart rate variability (HRV) status to modulate training intensity and increase performance outcomes. We hypothesized that HRV modulation for HIFT would facilitate strength improvements. METHODS: Participants (N = 55) were healthy, untrained or recreationally trained adults not participating in a structured exercise program. Participants were randomly assigned to either HIFT (n = 29, age = 24.1 ± 4.1 years, 41.4% male) or HIFT-HRV (n = 26, age = 23.7 ± 4.5 years, 53.8% male) groups. Both groups underwent an 11-week training protocol which included: 2-weeks baseline HRV collection, baseline, midpoint, and post-intervention anthropometric and fitness assessments, and 6 weeks of HIFT, 5 days/week. All participants recorded their HRV daily via validated mobile app throughout the study. HIFT-HRV participants’ exercise was modulated by reducing rate of perceived exertion based on their daily HRV statuses. Maximal strength was tested using the squat, overhead press, and deadlift in kg at baseline, midpoint, and post-intervention. RESULTS: There were no differences in intervention fidelity between groups, which included adherence to HIFT (p = .21) and providing daily HRV data (p = .75). The HIFT-HRV group had their training modified 17.12 ± 6.75 days. Additionally, one-way RM-ANOVAs indicated significant increases in the squat (HIFT = +14.10 ± 1.63 kg, F = 55.38, p < .001; HIFT-HRV = +13.25 ± 1.77, F = 50.87, p < .001), overhead press (HIFT = +3.75 ± .93, F = 11.82, p < .001; HIFT-HRV = +4.37 ± .87, F = 10.72, p < .001), and deadlift (HIFT = +15.40 ± 2.51, F = 28.7, p < .001; HIFT-HRV = +15.62 ± 2.75, F = 27.7, p < .001) within each group. Independent samples t-tests showed no differences in strength (p = .41-.99) between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that HIFT-HRV produced equal increases in strength while having reduced training intensity for over half of the training days. HRV appears to be an effective means of modulating HIFT to increase strength outcomes.

Early motor and pre-linguistic verbal development in Prader-Willi syndrome – A case report

BackgroundPrader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a rare genetic disorder. Infants with PWS show a neurodevelopmental dysfunction which entails a delayed motor and language development, but studies on their spontaneous movements (i.e. general movements) or pre-linguistic speech-language development before 6 months of age are missing so far. AimTo describe early motor and pre-linguistic verbal development in an infant with PWS. Methods and proceduresProspective case report; in addition to the assessment of general movements and the concurrent movement repertoire, we report on early verbal forms, applying the Stark Assessment of Early Vocal Development-Revised. Outcomes and resultsGeneral movements were abnormal on days 8 and 15. No fidgety movements were observed at 11 weeks; they only emerged at 17 weeks and lasted until at least 27 weeks post-term. The movement character was monotonous, and early motor milestones were only achieved with a delay. At 27 weeks the infant produced age-adequate types of vocalisations. However, none of the canonical-syllable vocalisations that typically emerge at that age were observed. Early vocalisations appeared monotonous and with a peculiarly harmonic structure. Conclusions and implicationsEarly motor and pre-linguistic verbal behaviours were monotonous in an infant with PWS throughout his first 6 months of life. This suggests that early signs of neurodevelopmental dysfunction (i.e. abnormal general movements) might already be diagnosed in infants with PWS during their first weeks of life, potentially enabling us to diagnose and intervene at an early stage.

Maternal depression symptoms predict general liability for child psychopathology and internalizing specific risk

The neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) may facilitate attention to social stimuli by influencing early stage bottom-up processing although findings in relation to different emotional expressions are inconsistent and its influence on top-down cognitive processing mechanisms unclear. In the current double-blind placebo (PLC) controlled between-subject design study we therefore recruited 71 male subjects (OXT = 34, PLC = 37) to investigate the effects of intranasal OXT (24IU) on both bottom-up attention allocation and top-down attention inhibition using a prosaccade and antisaccade paradigm incorporating social (neutral, happy, fearful, sad, angry faces) and non-social (oval shape) visual stimuli with concurrent eye movement acquisition. Results revealed a marginal significant interaction effect between treatment, condition and task (p = 0.054), with Bonferroni-corrected post-hoc tests indicating that OXT specifically increased antisaccade errors for social stimuli (ps < 0.04, effect sizes 0.46-0.88), but not non-social stimuli. Antisaccades are under volitional control and therefore this may indicate that OXT treatment reduced top-down inhibition. However, the overall findings are consistent with OXT acting to reduce top-down control of attention as a result of increasing bottom-up early attentional processing of social, but not non-social, stimuli in situations where the two systems are in potential conflict. Marked deficits in bottom-up attention allocation to social stimuli have been reported in autism spectrum disorder, within this context OXT may have the potential to increase early attention allocation towards social cues.