Communication Disturbance Research Articles

Neonates' responses to repeated exposure to a still face.

AimThe main aims of the study were to examine whether human neonates’ responses to communication disturbance modelled by the still-face paradigm were stable and whether their responses were affected by their previous experience with the still-face paradigm.MethodsThe still face procedure, as a laboratory model of interpersonal stress, was administered repeatedly, twice, to 84 neonates (0 to 4 day olds), with a delay of an average of 1.25 day.ResultsFrame-by-frame analysis of the frequency and duration of gaze, distressed face, crying, sleeping and sucking behaviours showed that the procedure was stressful to them both times, that is, the still face effect was stable after repeated administration and newborns consistently responded to such nonverbal violation of communication. They averted their gaze, showed distress and cried more during the still-face phase in both the first and the second administration. They also showed a carry-over effect in that they continued to avert their gaze and displayed increased distress and crying in the first reunion period, but their gaze behaviour changed with experience, in the second administration. While in the first administration the babies continued averting their gaze even after the stressful still-face phase was over, this carry-over effect disappeared in the second administration, and the babies significantly increased their gaze following the still-face phase.ConclusionAfter excluding explanations of fatigue, habituation and random effects, a self-other regulatory model is discussed as a possible explanation for this pattern.

How Your Brain Cells Talk to Each Other—Whispered Secrets and Public Announcements

Imagine that you want to tell your friends something new; you could whisper it into their ears or shout it out loud. This is rather like two forms of communication that occur within your brain. Your brain contains billions of nerve cells, called neurons, which make a very large number of connections with specialized parts of other neurons, called dendrites, to form networks. Neurons have been thought to communicate with each other by passing (“whispering”) chemical signals directly through these connections, but now we know that they also can spread messages more widely (“public announcements”) by releasing chemical signals from other parts of the neuron, including the dendrites themselves. If we understand how and what neurons communicate with each other, we will have a chance to correct disturbances in communication that may result in altered behaviors and brain disorders.

Connection between Quantisation and Bandwidth Requirements of Distributed Model Predictive Control

Many distributed systems rely on communication as a necessary condition to steer the overall system to a reference or target state, which may lead to a large bandwidth requirements. Here, we consider a Distributed Model Predictive Control Scheme (DMPC) where each agent predicts its own trajectory in every time step, which is then broadcasted among the agents. We aim to reduce the necessary communication and introduce the concept of prediction coherence as a degree of difference of two predictions in two successive time steps. We evaluate the influence of quantisation of communicated predicted states on the prediction coherence in a street traffic model for a quantised intersection in order to incorporate possible disturbances in communication. We numerically observe that prediction coherence reveals a bound for the minimal bandwidth requirements for such a distributed control setting.

Communication in Multiple Sclerosis: Pragmatic Deficit and its Relation with Cognition and Social Cognition

Cognitive functions have been largely investigated in multiple sclerosis. Less attention has been paid to social communication abilities, despite their presumptive affect on quality of life. We run the first comprehensive assessment of pragmatic skills in multiple sclerosis, evaluating also the relationship between pragmatics and other cognitive domains. Forty-two multiple sclerosis patients and 42 controls were tested for pragmatic abilities, neuro-cognition, social cognition, depression, and fatigue. Patients performed poorly in most pragmatic tasks compared to controls. Globally, 55% of patients performed below the 5th percentile in the total pragmatic score. Notably, pragmatic skills did not differ between cognitively impaired and unimpaired patients. However, an association was found between pragmatics and verbal fluency, as measured in the Word List Generation. Finally, we observed an association of pragmatic abilities with social cognition, and a trend with psychosocial functioning. Overall, the study shows a diffuse pragmatic impairment in multiple sclerosis, not associated with the patient's global neuropsychological profile. By contrast, our findings suggest a close relation between pragmatics and specific cognitive aspects such as executive functions, and between pragmatics and social cognition. This study underlines the need of looking beyond classical cognitive performance, to consider underestimated communicative disturbances of high clinical relevance.

Multi-sensor distributed fusion estimation with applications in networked systems: A review paper

In this paper, the advances of distributed fusion estimation (DFE) algorithms for multi-sensor networked systems (NSs) are reviewed. First, several general DFE algorithms are reviewed. Then, some random phenomena in NSs are discussed, including data quantization, random transmission delays, packet dropouts, fading measurements and communication disturbances. Finally, the advances of DFE algorithms for NSs are summarized.

Robustness improvement of DC motor speed control using communication disturbance observer under uncertain time delay

The speed control problem of a time-delay DC motor system is proposed because the control performance can severely deteriorate under uncertain delay time information. Since most of existing delay compensators require exact system parameters and delay time information, the performance improvement has been limited under delay time uncertainty. The proposed method incorporates a disturbance observer on the slave side of the system with a communication disturbance observer that does not require the delay time information for generating a predicted output signal. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is tested through comparative simulations and experiments using a testbed system under large delay time uncertainty.

ХАРАКТЕРИСТИКА КОМУНІКАТИВНИХ ПРОЦЕСІВ В РОДИНАХ ЖІНОК ІЗ ПОРУШЕННЯМ ЗДОРОВ’Я СІМ’Ї ТА РІЗНИМ АДИКТИВНИМ СТАТУСОМ

Метою роботи було дослідження стану комунікативних процесів у родинах жінок із порушенням здоров’я сім’ї та різним адиктивним статусом, для виявлення мішеней подальшої психокорекційної роботи. З використанням клініко-психологічного та психодіагностичного методів обстежено 371 подружню пару (ПП), яка звернулася за допомогою з приводу порушення сімейних стосунків, серед яких у 321 родині мали місце прояви адиктивної поведінки (АП) у жінок (ДГ1), а в інших 50 сімей – нормативні показники АП у жінки (ДГ2). В якості групи порівняння (ГП) обстежено 50 умовно гармонійних ПП. Серед загальної кількості обстежених ПП встановлено два можливих варіанти стану комунікаційних родинних процесів: адекватно-адаптивний, що характеризувався адекватною зрілою згуртованою родинною комунікацією за усіма її параметрами, характерний для ПП ГП, і дезадаптивний, притаманний ПП дослідницьких груп. У свою чергу, серед родин із викривленням внутрішньосімейної взаємодії, виявлена спільність комунікативних порушень за змістом та структурою, але, відмінність за виразністю, що мала прямий кореляційний зв’язок із рівнем подружньої конфліктності (чим вище рівень конфліктності, тим виразніші порушення комунікації). Крім того, з’ясовано, що наявність соціально-прийнятних видів АП у жінки зменшує виразність подружніх та комунікаційних порушень, корелюючи з помірним рівнем подружньої конфліктності та менш вираженими порушеннями комунікативних процесів у родині. Враховуючи наявність у ПП ДГ2 високого рівня подружньої конфліктності та низького рівню родинної комунікації, можна говорити про наявність у них тяжкого ступеня порушення сімейної взаємодії. Для подружжів ДГ1 були характерними помірний рівень подружньої конфліктності та низько-середній рівень родинних комунікаційних процесів, що, в цілому, формувало середній ступінь порушення сімейної взаємодії. Показовим виявився факт “буферизації” тяжкості проявів порушень сімейної взаємодії за умови наявності АП у дружини, як патологічного способу псевдокомпенсації та каналізації негативних ефектів викривлення родинних стосунків. Отримані дані були покладені нами в основу при розробці системи психологічної корекції та психопрофілактичної підтримки здоров’я сім’ї за наявності АП у жінок.

Funcionamiento emocional y conductual de los adolescentes con discapacidad intelectual leve: perspectivas desde el hogar y la escuela

This study examined the frequency and severity of behavioural and emotional disturbances in adolescents with mild intellectual disability. The 50 adolescents, aged between 12 and 16 years, attended a special school in Singapore. Information on the adolescents’ functioning was obtained from their parent/primary carer and their class teacher, who both completed the relevant version of the Developmental Behaviour Checklist. The results showed that, in addition to difficulties related to their intellectual disability, 22% to 27% of students displayed significant behavioural and emotional disturbances. Disruptive/Antisocial behaviours were the most frequently reported problems. But communication disturbances were reported as being the most severe problems. Carers and teachers reported the same pattern in the relative frequencies of the different types of problems. However, primary carers consistently reported a higher frequency than teachers for all types of problems. Implications of these findings for the consistent management of the adolescents’ challenging behaviour are discussed

Clients and Patients’ Spiritual Nursing Diagnosis of the Sound Heart Model

Aim: Holistic nursing provide postural care by assessing clients and patients’ bio-psycho-socio-spiritual reactions, which could harm spiritual health due to interruption in communications with God, self, people and nature. The purpose of this study is designing and validating clients and patients’ spiritual nursing diagnosis of the Sound Heart Model. Methods: This is a “developmental research” with Sound Heart Model approach, which was done on students at the faculty of nursing and hospitalized patients of Baqiyatallah in 2016. The inductive propositions were extracted by using conventional content analysis, through interviews with clients and patients, their families and clinical nurses. Two focus group were used, besides the individual interviews to approve the validity of data. The religious evidence, were investigated systematically and deductively. The spiritual diagnosis based on religious evidence were compared with propositions stated by the participants, the list of nursing diagnosis of NANDA, and spiritual health assessment questionnaire (25 cases). 76 spiritual diagnosis were classified into four communicational domains. Applicability was assessed through two focused group discussions with the comments of 20 experienced nurses. Results: safety from divine wisdom, neglecting and forgetfulness of God in healthy clients, and the frustration of God's mercy with fear, suspicion, future anxiety, sadness of losing health in patients, were the most important spiritual nursing diagnoses. Disruption of communication with God causes disturbance in other person's communication. Conclusion: The Sound Heart Nursing Care Model provide postural care at all levels of prevention. Failure to pay attention to the spiritual problems affects physical, mental, and social health.

Design and implementation of a modified communication disturbance observer for teleoperation systems

In this paper, a novel structure for a communication disturbance observer in teleoperation systems is proposed to achieve robust stability. A time delay compensation method based on the concept of network disturbance and a communication disturbance observer (CDOB) has been proposed in past research. Unlike model-based approaches, it works without a time delay model. Therefore, it can be implemented in teleoperation systems with unknown and time-varying delay. However, it has been observed that the system model errors and external disturbances seriously affect the steady-state characteristics. Hence, in this paper, to achieve robustness against disturbance and model uncertainty, the structure of the conventional CDOB is modified and a new structure for the CDOB in teleoperation systems is proposed, which uses the slave's delayed torque instead of its delayed position for time delay compensation. The desired transient response characteristic is achieved by designing the controller parameters. The time delay in the communication channel has been simulated by PCs in past studies, but in this paper, by implementing the communication channel through the TCP/IP protocol in the experimental setup, the effectiveness of the proposed structure is studied in the presence of real time delay and compared with the Smith predictor, the conventional CDOB, and other structures of CDOBs.

Full FPGA Tracking Control System Based on Error-Based Communication Disturbance Observer Considering Time Delay for Optical Disc System

Full FPGA Tracking Control System Based on Error-Based Communication Disturbance Observer Considering Time Delay for Optical Disc System

The effect of limited cognitive resources on communication disturbances in serious mental illness

Semantically incoherent speech is a pernicious clinical feature of serious mental illness (SMI). The precise mechanisms underlying this deficit remain unclear. Prior studies have found that arousal of negative emotion exaggerates the severity of these communication disturbances; this has been coined “affective reactivity”. Recent research suggests that “cognitive reactivity” may also occur, namely reflecting reduced “on-line” cognitive resources in SMI. We tested the hypothesis that communication disturbances manifest as a function of limited cognitive resources in SMI above and beyond that associated with state affectivity. We also investigated individual differences in symptoms, cognitive ability, and trait affect that may be related to cognitive reactivity. We compared individuals with SMI (n=52) to nonpsychiatric controls (n=27) on a behavioral-based coding of communication disturbances during separate baseline and experimentally-manipulated high cognitive-load dual tasks. Controlling for state affective reactivity, a significant interaction was observed such that communication disturbances decreased in the SMI group under high cognitive-load. Furthermore, a reduction in communication disturbances was related to lower trait and state positive affectivity in the SMI group. Contrary to our expectations, limited cognitive resources temporarily relieved language dysfunction. Implications, particularly with respect to interventions, are discussed.

Delay Compensation for Teleoperation Systems Based on Communication Disturbance Observers

This paper investigates the control problem for a class of teleoperation systems with communication delays. The network-induced delays are usually inevitable in teleoperation systems, and may be time varying and unpredictable. Since the conventional Smith predictor is only useful for fixed delays, a novel delay compensation and controller design method is proposed in this paper. The proposed method combines a disturbance rejection controller and a communication disturbance observer (CDOB). Simulations are provided to show the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed delay compensation and controller design method.

Adaptive Droop Control for Microgrids Based on the Synergetic Control of Multi-Agent Systems

In this paper, a distributed synergetic control based on multi-agent systems is proposed to solve the problems of frequency and voltage errors, system stability and power sharing accuracy in the traditional droop control of microgrids. Starting with power flow equations, we build the secondary-order dynamic model of DG, which consists of three parts: (1) active power allocation; (2) active power-frequency; and (3) reactive power-voltage droop control. Considering time-delays in communication networks, a leaderless synergetic control algorithm is proposed to allocate the active power in inverse proportion to the droop coefficient, and the synergetic control with a virtual leader is proposed to control the system frequency and voltage to keep at the expected value. Besides, the direct Lyapunov method is introduced to verify the globally asymptotical stability. Moreover, the impacts of communication disturbance are also discussed from the aspects of control precision and system stability. Finally, based on a test microgrid, numerous cases are designed as illustration, and the simulation results validate the proposed method.

BP artificial neural network based wave front correction for sensor-less free space optics communication

The sensor-less adaptive optics (AO) is one of the most promising methods to compensate strong wave front disturbance in free space optics communication (FSO). The back propagation (BP) artificial neural network is applied for the sensor-less AO system to design a distortion correction scheme in this study. This method only needs one or a few online measurements to correct the wave front distortion compared with other model-based approaches, by which the real-time capacity of the system is enhanced and the Strehl Ratio (SR) is largely improved. Necessary comparisons in numerical simulation with other model-based and model-free correction methods proposed in Refs. [6,8,9,10] are given to show the validity and advantage of the proposed method.

Live-cell imaging of ER-PM contact architecture by a novel TIRFM approach reveals extension of junctions in response to store-operated Ca2+-entry.

Nanometer-spaced appositions between endoplasmic reticulum and plasma membrane (ER-PM junctions) stabilized by membrane-joining protein complexes are critically involved in cellular Ca2+-handling and lipid trafficking. ER-PM junctional architecture and plasticity associated with inter-membrane communication are as yet barely understood. Here, we introduce a method to precisely characterize ER-PM junction morphology and dynamics with high temporal resolution and minimal disturbance of junctional intermembrane communication. We show that expression of soluble cytosolic fluorophores in combination with TIRFM enables to delineate ER and PM distance in the range of 10–150 nm. Live-cell imaging of sub-plasmalemmal structures in RBL-2H3 mast cells by this method, designated as fluorescence density mapping (FDM), revealed profound dynamics of ER-PM contact sites in response to store-depletion. We report the existence of a Ca2+-dependent process that expands the junctional ER to enlarge its contact surface with the PM, thereby promoting and stabilizing STIM1-Orai1 competent ER-PM junctions.

Research Techniques Made Simple: Laser Capture Microdissection in Cutaneous Research

In cutaneous research, we aim to study the molecular signature of a diseased tissue. However, such a study is met with obstacles due to the inherent heterogeneous nature of tissues because multiple cell types reside within a tissue. Furthermore, there is cellular communication between the tissue and the neighboring extracellular matrix. Laser capture microdissection is a powerful technique that allows researchers to isolate cells of interest from any tissue using a laser source under microscopic visualization, thereby circumventing the issue of tissue heterogeneity. Target cells from fixed preparations can be extracted and examined without disturbing the tissue structure. In live cultures, a subpopulation of cells can be extracted in real time with minimal disturbance of cellular communication and molecular signatures. Here we describe the basic principles of the technique, the different types of laser capture microdissection, and the subsequent downstream analyses. This article will also discuss how the technique has been employed in cutaneous research, as well as future directions.

Development of a four-channel haptic system for remote assessment of patients with impaired hands

SUMMARYHaptic devices have proven effective in stimulating proprioceptive sensing in post-stroke patients. In this work, pre-existing devices were used together in a remote environment for the teleassessment of impaired hands. A four-channel bilateral control system in the presence of large and variable time delay is proposed as a proof of concept. Time delay is managed with a novel communication disturbance observer (CDOB). The system also employed a scaling down compensation value (SDCV) for the CDOB. The proposed control system was tested successfully in bilateral haptic interaction, simulating a remote motor and functional evaluation of patients' hands, guaranteeing safe and stable interaction, even in the presence of large network delays.

Le cervelet comme acteur majeur dans les troubles moteurs des syndromes autistiques

Scientific backgroundAutism spectrum disorders (ASD) are neurodevelopmental disorders associated with disturbances in communication, social interactions, cognition and affect. ASD are also accompanied by complex movement disorders, including ataxia. A special focus of recent research in this area is made on the striatum and the cerebellum, two structures known not only to control movement but also to be involved in cognitive functions such as memory and language. Dysfunction within the motor system may be associated with abnormal movements in ASD that are translated into ataxia, abnormal pattern of righting, gait sequencing, development of walking, and hand positioning. This line of study may generate new knowledge and understanding of motor symptoms associated with ASD and aims to deliver fresh perspectives for early diagnosis and therapeutic strategies against ASD. Aims of the reviewDespite the relative paucity of research in this area (compared to the social, linguistic, and behavioural disturbances in ASD), there is evidence that the frontostriatal motor system and/or the cerebellar motor systems may be the site of dysfunction in ASD. Indeed, the cerebellum seems to be essential in the development of basic social capabilities, communication, repetitive/restrictive behaviors, and motor and cognitive behaviors that are all impaired in ASD. Cerebellar neuropathology including cerebellar hypoplasia and reduced cerebellar Purkinje cell numbers are the most consistent neuropathologies linked to ASD. The functional state of the cerebellum and its impact on brain function in ASD is the focus of this review. This review starts by recapitulating historical findings pointing towards an implication of the cerebellum, and to a lesser extent the basal ganglia structures, in TSA. We then detail the structure/function of the cerebellum at the regional and cellular levels before describing human and animal findings indicating a role of the cerebellum and basal ganglia in ASD. Human and animal findingsSeveral studies have attempted to identify the nature of the motor system dysfunction in ASD, and it became apparent that the motor fronto-striatal and cerebellar systems are major sites of dysfunction in this psychiatric illness. Anomalies in these structures have been revealed both at the anatomical and functional levels in human patients as well as in animal models. These models are obtained by manipulation of genes that are often implicated in glutamate transmission, by lesions of brain structures among which the cerebellum, by pharmacological treatment with drugs such as the Valproate or by maternal infections with bacterial membrane extracts of double stranded RNA mimicking a viral infection. ConclusionThe “cognitive approach” has dominated ASD research for three decades and led to the design of interventional strategies, which have yielded satisfactory results. Nevertheless, new approaches and alternative hypotheses on the aetiology and diagnosis of ASD are needed. Research focused on motor rather than psychiatric symptoms may have a greater potential to elucidate the neurobiological basis of ASD.

Young People with Intellectual Disability Transitioning to Adulthood: Do Behaviour Trajectories Differ in Those with and without Down Syndrome?

BackgroundYoung people with intellectual disability exhibit substantial and persistent problem behaviours compared with their non-disabled peers. The aim of this study was to compare changes in emotional and behavioural problems for young people with intellectual disability with and without Down syndrome as they transition into adulthood in two different Australian cohorts.MethodsEmotional and behavioural problems were measured over three time points using the Developmental Behaviour Checklist (DBC) for those with Down syndrome (n = 323 at wave one) and compared to those with intellectual disability of another cause (n = 466 at wave one). Outcome scores were modelled using random effects regression as linear functions of age, Down syndrome status, ability to speak and gender.ResultsDBC scores of those with Down syndrome were lower than those of people without Down syndrome indicating fewer behavioural problems on all scales except communication disturbance. For both groups disruptive, communication disturbance, anxiety and self-absorbed DBC subscales all declined on average over time. There were two important differences between changes in behaviours for these two cohorts. Depressive symptoms did not significantly decline for those with Down syndrome compared to those without Down syndrome. The trajectory of the social relating behaviours subscale differed between these two cohorts, where those with Down syndrome remained relatively steady and, for those with intellectual disability from another cause, the behaviours increased over time.ConclusionsThese results have implications for needed supports and opportunities for engagement in society to buffer against these emotional and behavioural challenges.