TD Group Research Articles

Characterizingand circumventing sequence restrictions for synthesis of circular RNA in vitro.

Just as eukaryotic circular RNA (circRNA) is a product of intracellular backsplicing, custom circRNA can be synthesized in vitro using a transcription template in which transposed halves of a split group I intron flank the sequence of the RNA to be circularized. Such permuted intron-exon (PIE) constructs have been used to produce circRNA versions of ribozymes, mimics of viral RNA motifs, a streptavidin aptamer, and protein expression vectors for genetic engineering and vaccine development. One limitation of this approach is the obligatory incorporation of small RNA segments (E1 and E2) into nascent circRNA at the site of end-joining. This restriction may preclude synthesis of small circRNA therapeutics and RNA nanoparticles that are sensitive to extraneous sequence, as well as larger circRNA mimics whose sequences must precisely match those of the native species on which they are modelled. In this work, we used serial mutagenesis and in vitro selection to determine how varying E1 and E2 sequences in a thymidylate synthase (td) group I intron PIE transcription template construct affects circRNA synthesis yield. Based on our collective findings, we present guidelines for the design of custom-tailored PIE transcription templates from which synthetic circRNAs of almost any sequence may be efficiently synthesized.

T-tube in Moderation: T-tube Drainage versus Primary Closure after Open Common Bile Duct Exploration for Common Bile Duct Stone: A Single Institution Experience

Introduction: To discuss and compare outcomes and complications of routine T-Tube placement versus primary closure in patients who underwent open common bile duct exploration for choledocholithiasis. Methods: This is a randomized prospective analysis of 35 patients categorized as moderate to high risk for CBD stone who underwent open choledochotomy. Thirty (30) patients were included and were randomly divided into 2 groups: T-tube drainage (TD, n=20) and primary closure (PC, n=10). Morbidity was graded using the Clavien-Dindo (CD) classification. Results: Patients in the TD group had less overall complications than patients in the PC group (20% vs 30%, respectively; p=0.083); however, the TD group had more severe (CD Grade III or higher) complications than the PC group (75% vs 0% respectively; p=0.052). Complications included two patients with bile leak for pulled t-tube, post-op biliary stricture and acute kidney injury which required dialysis. Most of the complications in the PC group (3/10, or 30%) were minor complications (CD 1 or 2). There was no mortality in both groups. All 30 patients were followed-up for 3-12 months, with a median follow-up time of 6 months. Conclusion: There was no statistically significant difference between T-tube placement and primary closure in terms of morbidity and long-term outcomes. Primary closure of the choledochotomy after biliary exploration for common bile duct stones is a safe and feasible alternative to routine T-tube drainage in carefully selected cases.

A comparison of the marginal adaptation of composite overlays fabricated with silicone and an intraoral scanner.

BackgroundIntraoral scanners have been developing during last years. The aim of this study was to know if digital impressions achieve a marginal adaptation in overlays as well as conventional impressions with silicone. Material and MethodsSixty-two extracted molars were selected. The samples were prepared for MOD overlays. The teeth were divided into two groups (n=31). Group 1: impressions were made with silicone (Express™ Impression, 3M ESPE) and overlays were manufactured with Sinfony composite (3M ESPE) by the laboratory technician. Group 2: impressions were taken with the scanner True Definition (TD, 3M ESPE) and under Lava Ultimate CAD/CAM Restorative composite (3M ESPE) were produced the restorations. Under 32x magnification images of vestibular, lingual, mesial and distal were capture in all the samples. Then the fit of the restorations was evaluated before and after cementation. Data were analysed statistically applying ANOVA and Bonferroni test. ResultsThe marginal gap was better in TD group before (169,76 ± 54,15 µm) and after (145,16 ± 57,89 µm) cementation than in the silicone group (190,89 ± 58,18 µm) (187,47 ± 81,29 µm). The lowest marginal gap was in oclusal surface and the higher value was in the proximal margin for all the groups. ConclusionsDigital impressions regarding marginal adaptation achieve better results than conventional impressions. Key words:Composite onlays, overlays, restorative, CAD/CAM, intraoral scanner, silicone impressions, marginal adaptation.

ИНТОНАЦИОННЫЕ ХАРАКТЕРИСТИКИ РЕЧИ ДЕТЕЙ С УМСТВЕННОЙ ОТСТАЛОСТЬЮ

In the literature, data on the formation of intonation in Russian-speaking children with mild intellectual disabilities (mental retardation) without genetic syndromes and serious neurological disorders (for example, cerebral palsy) based on the instrumental analysis of children’s speech are absent. The aim of this study was to compare the intonation characteristics of speech in children, aged 5 to 7, with typical development and with mild intellectual disabilities. The participants of the study were 20 children aged 5 to 7: 10 children (5 girls and 5 boys) with typical development (TD group) and 10 children (6 boys and 4 girls) with mild intellectual disabilities (ID group, ICD-10-CM Code F70). Intellectual disabilities were not associated with genetic or severe neurological disorders (non-specific ID). Child speech was taken from the AD-CHILD.RU speech database. Audio and video recordings of speech and behavior of TD group children (in a kindergarten) and ID group children (in an orphanage) were made in the model situation of a “dialogue with an adult”. Two studies were conducted: a perceptual experiment (n=10 listeners – native speakers, researchers in the field of child speech development) and an instrumental spectrographic analysis of child speech. The instrumental analysis of speech was made in the Praat program. The duration of utterances and stressed vowels, pitch values (average, maximum and minimum), pitch range values of utterances, and pitch range values of vowels were analyzed. The perceptual experiment showed that the utterances of ID group children classified as less clear and more emotional than the utterances of TD group children. The task of phrase stress (words highlighted by voice) revealing was more difficult for adults when they were listening to the speech of ID group children vs. TD group children. In ID group children, the values of utterance duration are lower and the values of vowel duration are higher than in TD group children. The average, maximum, and minimum pitch values, the pitch range values of ID group children’s utterances are higher vs. the corresponding parameters of TD group children’s speech. The duration and pitch range values of stressed vowels from ID group children’s words highlighted by intonation are higher than these features of TD group children’s stressed vowels. The pitch contours of stressed vowels from TD group children’s words highlighted by intonation were presented in most cases by the rise of the pitch contour; the pitch contours of stressed vowels from ID group children’s words highlighted by intonation were presented by the fall of the pitch. The dome-shaped vowel pitch contour and U-shaped contour are more frequent in the speech of ID group children vs. TD group children. In the future, the intonation characteristics of speech of children with different diagnoses could be considered as additional diagnostic criteria of developmental disorders.

Consonant cluster acquisition in Chilean children with typical and protracted phonological development

ABSTRACT The current study addresses the acquisition of tautosyllabic consonant clusters (CCs) in Chilean preschoolers with typical (TD) versus protracted phonological development (PPD). The objectives were to analyze accuracy of CCs and mismatch (error) patterns as a function of age (4/ 5 years) and TD/PPD group, examining effects of sonority, stress, place of articulation and development of /l/ and /ɾ/ as singletons. Participants included 20 Chilean Spanish-speaking children with TD and 20 with PPD (ages 4 and 5 years). The TD group showed higher accuracy and an age effect. For both developmental groups, timing unit match was higher than full segmental match. CCs with labial and voiceless C1s in stressed syllables were most accurate. In the PPD group, deletions predominated over substitutions, deletions of C1 were significantly higher and the typology of substitutions was more differentiated. Results are evaluated in light of previous research on Chilean preschoolers, and clinical implications are discussed.

Visual-Tactile Spatial Multisensory Interaction in Adults With Autism and Schizophrenia.

Background: Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia (SZ) exhibit multisensory processing difficulties and social impairments, with growing evidence that the former contributes to the latter. However, this work has largely reported on separate cohorts, introducing method variance as a barrier to drawing broad conclusions across studies. Further, very few studies have addressed touch, resulting in sparse knowledge about how these two clinical groups may integrate somatic information with other senses.Methods: In this study, we compared adults with ASD (n = 29), SZ (n = 24), and typical developmental histories (TD, n = 37) on two tasks requiring visual-tactile spatial multisensory processing. In the first task (crossmodal congruency), participants judged the location of a tactile stimulus in the presence or absence of simultaneous visual input that was either spatially congruent or incongruent, with poorer performance for incongruence an index of spatial multisensory interaction. In the second task, participants reacted to touch in the presence or absence of dynamic visual stimuli that appeared to approach or recede from the body. Within a certain radius around the body, defined as peripersonal space (PPS), an approaching visual or auditory stimulus reliably speeds reaction times (RT) to touch; outside of this radius, in extrapersonal space (EPS), there is no multisensory effect. PPS can be defined both by its size (radius) and slope (sharpness of the PPS-EPS boundary). Clinical measures were administered to explore relations with visual-tactile processing.Results: Neither clinical group differed from controls on the crossmodal congruency task. The ASD group had significantly smaller and more sharply-defined PPSs compared to the other two groups. Small PPS size was related to social symptom severity across groups, but was largely driven by the TD group, without significant effects in either clinical group.Conclusions: These results suggest that: (1) spatially static visual-tactile facilitation is intact in adults with ASD and SZ, (2) spatially dynamic visual-tactile facilitation impacting perception of the body boundary is affected in ASD but not SZ, and (3) body boundary perception is related to social-emotional function, but not in a way that maps on to clinical status.

A Close Look at the Imitation Performance of Children with Autism and Typically Developing Children Using a Robotic System

Deficit in imitation skills is one of the core symptoms of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In this study, we have tried to look closer at the body gesture imitation performance of 20 participants with autism, i.e. ASD group, and 20 typically developing subjects, i.e. TD group, in a set of robot-child and human-child gross imitation tasks. The results of manual scoring by two specialists indicated that while the TD group showed a significantly better imitation performance than the ASD group during the tasks, both ASD and TD groups performed better in the human-child mode than the robot-child mode in our experimental setup. Next, to introduce an automated imitation assessment system, we present different mathematical models of the children’s imitation performance using some State-Image based algorithms including Acceptable Bound, Mahalanobis Distance, and Signals’ Cross-Correlations as well as Hidden Markov Models based on the time-dependent kinematics data of the participants’ joints. Among the different studied models, we observed that the “State-Image Acceptable Bound method with position, velocity, and acceleration features” is the best one. This method has a mean Pearson correlation of ~ 45%, which is fairly comparable to the related works (out of autism field) in assessing the quality of dynamic actions. Finally, for a treatment application of using artificial intelligence algorithms in automated evaluation of children’s behaviors as an unbiased and quantifiable measurement in HRI, we propose a reciprocal gross imitation human–robot interaction platform with the potential to aid in the cognitive rehabilitation of children with autism.

Pubertal Timing During Early Adolescence: Advanced Pubertal Onset in Females with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by impaired social communication and poor adaptation to change; thus, the onset of puberty may be a pivotal transition. This cross-sectional study measured pubertal timing to examine hypothesized differences for sex (female vs. male) and group (ASD vs. typical development [TD]). Participants included 239 children (137 ASD, 102 TD) between 10 and 13 years. The ASD group included 35 females and 102 males; the TDs included 44 females and 58 males. Pubertal onset measured by genital or pubic stage was investigated with linear regression using main effects of sex and age-by-sex interactions in TD and ASD groups and main effects of diagnosis and diagnosis-by-age interactions in males and females, controlling for body mass index, socioeconomic status, and race. In TD, examination of main effects for genital (penis/breast) stage showed no difference for male and female children (t = 1.33, P = 0.187, rdf = 92); however, there were significant differences in ASD (t = 2.70, P = 0.008, rdf = 121). For diagnosis modeled separately by sex, there was significantly earlier pubertal development in females with ASD (t = 1.97, P = 0.053, rdf = 70, but not males (t = 1.329, P = 0.186, rdf = 143). In addition, analysis of menses revealed females with ASD had significantly earlier onset than TD (t = -2.56, P = 0.018, rdf = 21). Examination of pubic stage revealed expected sex differences for TD (t = 2,674, P = 0.009, rdf = 91) and ASD (t = 3.482, P = 0.001, rdf = 121). Females with ASD evidence advanced pubertal onset relative to ASD males and TD females. Findings underscore the need for enhanced understanding of pubertal development in ASD, as differences may have significant psychological, social, physiological, and developmental consequences. LAY SUMMARY: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have difficulty with social communication and respond poorly to change, which may include the onset and course of puberty. The study measured the timing of puberty in 239 children (137 ASD and 102 typical development [TD]) between 10 and 13 years based on pubertal stage of genital (breast/penis) and pubic hair development. Females with ASD evidence advanced pubertal onset relative to ASD males and TD females. Findings underscore the need for an enhanced understanding of pubertal development in ASD.

Motor skill learning in children with and without Developmental Coordination Disorder

The question whether children with DCD have motor learning deficits is difficult to answer based on the current body of knowledge. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of practice on motor skill acquisition, retention and transfer in children with and without DCD using a variety of games in a virtual environment. Performance on a criterion task (Wii ski game) and MABC-2 balance subscore was compared between children with DCD (n=33) and TD children (n=28) following 10weeks of playing active video games. Repeated measures ANOVA was used to compare changes in the two groups. The children with DCD demonstrated lower performance on the criterion task than the TD group (p=0.031). A time by group interaction indicated that the difference in performance on the criterion task became larger over time (p=0.039). No differences were found in retention between groups. Large improvement (Cohen d 1.11) was observed for the children with DCD on the MABC-2 balance subscore. Based on the criterion task results, typically developing children seem more proficient in learning new skills compared to children with DCD. More research is needed to confirm that children with DCD have a problem to transfer skills to other contexts.

Can Quantitative Gait Analysis Be Used to Guide Treatment of Patients with Different Subtypes of Parkinson's Disease?

PurposeGait impairment is a common clinical symptom of patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Detecting specific gait parameters’ changes in order to guide clinical intervention is at present lacking. The present study aimed to (1) quantify gait impairments in different PD subtypes and (2) explore whether the results of quantitative gait analysis are beneficial to clinical treatment.Patients and MethodsWe enrolled 86 patients with PD (48 men, and 38 women) from the Department of Geriatrics of the Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and Hoehn-Yahr Scale were used to evaluate the motor symptoms of PD. All patients stopped anti-Parkinsonian medication for 24 hours (72 hours for controlled release medicine). The patients were divided into two subtypes, namely, postural instability gait difficulty (PIGD; n=56) and tremor dominant (TD; n=30) subtypes according to UPDRS. All patients completed the instrumented stand and walk test, and a set of JiBuEn gait analysis system was used in gait data collection.ResultsWe observed a shorter stride length (p=0.021), a longer stride time (p=0.036), a faster cadence (p=0.036), and a more variable stride length (p=0.012) in the PIGD group compared with the TD group. In addition, compared with the TD group, we found that the toe-off angle (p=0.005) and the range of motion of ankle joint (p=0.009) decreased in the PIGD group.ConclusionOur study demonstrated that the gait performance of patients with PIGD is worse than those with TD from the perspective of quantitative gait analysis. We extended previous research and found the PIGD group exhibited severe gait impairments in some specific spatiotemporal and kinematic gait parameters. The different manifestations of these gait impairments may guide in choosing appropriate treatment of patients with different PD subtypes.

Validation of the Arabic Version of the Two Sensory Processing Measure Questionnaires

BackgroundThere are few standardized and validated tools to evaluate sensory processing difficulties in Arabic countries. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of Arabic versions of the Home and Preschool- Home versions of the Sensory Processing Measure(SPM), an instrument widely used for clinical and research purposes. MethodThe overall study sample included 276 children (mean age = 6.7 years; range: 2 to 12), with 192 children (151 males) with a clinical diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and 84 typically developing (TD; 48 males) children. The SPM-Home sub-sample consisted of 117 children and the SPM-Preschool-Home sample consisted of 159 children. ResultsMean scores of the total SPM-Home and of the subscale scores were significantly (p < .001) higher in the ASD group compared to the TD group, with large effect sizes. Similar results were obtained in the SPM-P-Home for the total score and five of the eight subscales. With one exception, the total scale and the subscales of each measure had good to excellent reliability estimates (median Cronbach's alpha: .86). The factor structure in this sample was consistent with that established in previous studies. The measures also demonstrated good evidence of discriminant validity in ROC analyses. ConclusionsThe findings of this study establish the reliability and validity of the Arabic versions of both the SPM-Home and the SPM-P-Home. The Arabic versions of these measures will enable healthcare professionals to better understand the sensory processing difficulties of their Arabic-speaking clients, including those with ASD.

Planning in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Role of Verbal Mediation.

This study examined verbal mediation during planning in school-age children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) relative to age- and nonverbal IQ- matched typically developing peers using a dual-task paradigm. Analyses showed no group differences in performance. However, in the condition intended to disrupt verbal mediation, language skills were associated with planning performance for the TD group, but not the ASD group. Upon examining ASD subgroups with versus without comorbid structural language impairment, children with ASD and normal language appeared to rely on verbal mediation to a greater degree than children with ASD and language impairment, but to a lesser degree than TD peers. Thus, the role of verbal mediation in planning for children with ASD differs depending on language status.

Deficits of sustained attention in pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder comorbid with Tic disorders

BackgroundPediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and Tourette syndrome/chronic tics (tic disorders, TD), are associated with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Deficits in sustained attention are a core deficit in ADHD which can be captured by continuous performance tests (CPT). CPT data are used to examine deficits in sustained attention in youth with OCD, TD or both, and OCD symptom factors, to characterize the deficits in sustained attention in OCD and TD, testing the hypothesis whether comorbid OCD + TD is distinct from OCD only or TD only. MethodsA clinical registry of youth with OCD and/or TD included data on sustained attention, obtained with the Conner's CPT Test II (CPT-II). The CPT-II spans six time-blocks, capturing values for the capacity for sustained attention. The main outcome measure is the variability in the standard error (SE) of reaction time (RT) for correct responses (RT-SE), which is considered a core ADHD trait. Higher RT-SE values reflect a lack of uniformity in responses and is considered to reflect a deficit in sustained attention. Using generalized linear models (GLM), RT-SE is measured over the six time-blocks in three groups: OCD only, TD only and OCD + TS, with sex and age groups as moderators. Clinical ADHD diagnoses were contrasted between diagnostic groups while OCD dimensions (contamination-washing, aggressive-somatic, sexual-religious, counting-checking-repeating and hoarding) were tested for their effect on sustained attention. ResultsDeficits in sustained attention are significantly greater in the comorbid OCD + TD compared to OCD only and TD only, with the greatest differences apparent in blocks 5 and 6 (p < .001). While sex does not moderate sustained attention deficits, the higher RT-SE in blocks 5 and 6 is only seen in the younger age group (7–11 years), but not in adolescents (12–17 years). As expected, clinical ADHD is more prevalent in youth with comorbid OCD + TS (67%) compared to OCD only (21%) or TD only (33%) (p = .0002). The hoarding group, characterized by more frequent clinical ADHD diagnoses, has higher RT-SE for time blocks 3,4,5,6 compared to non-hoarders. Participants with contamination-washing symptoms, characterized by more prevalent anxiety disorders, have higher RT-SE than those with no contamination-washing symptoms for time block 4. ConclusionDeficits in sustained attention are associated with comorbid OCD + TD compared OCD only or TD only, evident only in a younger age group. Sustained attention deficits are also more common in youth with ADHD, OCD hoarding and OCD contamination-washing symptoms. In summary, sustained attention deficits are intrinsic to the comorbid OCD + TD group, suggesting a compounded developmental insult specific to sustained attention which tends to resolve by adolescence. A mechanistic commonality to sustained attention, tic disorders and OCD-related extinction learning may be aberrant oscillatory brain phenomena.

Development of a Rat Model for Evaluating Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone Suppression after Total Thyroidectomy.

We developed an animal model for evaluating thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) suppression therapy after total thyroidectomy in rats. Sixty Wistar rats were randomly divided into 6 groups, including a sham-operated group (SO group), a total thyroidectomy group (TD group), and a L-thyroxine (L-T4) treatment I group (TS-I group), II group (TS-II group), III group (TS-III group), and IV group (TS-IV group) (in which rats were treated with 1.4, 1.6, 1.8, and 2.0 μg/100 g body weight, respectively) after total thyroidectomy. HE staining in the TD group and all L-T4-treated rats showed that the resected tissue was normal thyroid gland. No residual thyroid tissue was found in neck tissue of the cross-section of the thyroid gland. Serum T3 levels in the TS-II group were not significantly different from those in the SO group, whereas serum T4 levels were slightly higher than those in the SO group, and serum TSH levels were slightly lower. Rats subcutaneously injected with L-T4 1.6 μg/100 g body weight for 15 days after total thyroidectomy were suitable as an animal model for TSH suppression therapy.

Aberrant Cerebellar Resting-State Functional Connectivity Related to Reading Performance in Struggling Readers.

Reading is a critical neurodevelopmental skill for school-aged children, which requires a distributed network of brain regions including the cerebellum. However, we do not know how functional connectivity between the cerebellum and other brain regions contributes to reading. Here we used resting-state functional connectivity to understand the cerebellum's role in decoding, reading speed, and comprehension in a group of struggling readers (RD) and a group of adolescents and children with typical reading abilities (TD). We observed an increase in functional connectivity between the sensorimotor network and the left angular gyrus, left lateral occipital cortex, and right inferior frontal gyrus in the RD group relative to the TD group. Additionally, functional connectivity between the cerebellum network and the precentral gyrus was decreased and was related to reading fluency in the RD group. Seed-based analysis revealed increased functional connectivity between crus 1, lobule 6, and lobule 8 of the cerebellum and brain regions related to the default mode network and the motor system for the RD group. We also found associations between reading performance and the functional connectivity between lobule 8 of the cerebellum and the left angular gyrus for both groups, with stronger relationships in the TD group. Specifically, the RD group displayed a positive relationship between functional connectivity, whereas the TD group displayed the opposite relationship. These results suggest that the cerebellum is involved in multiple components of reading performance and that functional connectivity differences observed in the RD group may contribute to poor reading performance.

Increased EEG coherence in long-distance and short-distance connectivity in children with autism spectrum disorders.

IntroductionAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex and prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication and social interaction as well as repetitive behaviors. Alterations in function connectivity are widely recognized in recent electroencephalogram (EEG) studies. However, most studies have not reached consistent conclusions, which could be due to the developmental nature and the heterogeneity of ASD.MethodsHere, EEG coherence analysis was used in a cohort of children with ASD (n = 13) and matched typically developing controls (TD, n = 15) to examine the functional connectivity characteristics in long‐distance and short‐distance electrode pairs. Subsequently, we explore the association between the connectivity strength of coherence and symptom severity in children with ASD.ResultsCompared with TD group, individuals with ASD showed increased coherence in short‐distance electrode pairs in the right temporal–parietal region (delta, alpha, beta bands), left temporal–parietal region (all frequency bands), occipital region (theta, alpha, beta bands), right central–parietal region (delta, alpha, beta bands), and the prefrontal region (only beta band). In the long‐distance coherence analysis, the ASD group showed increased coherence in bilateral frontal region, temporal region, parietal region, and frontal–occipital region in alpha and beta bands. The strength of such connections was associated with symptom severity.DiscussionOur study indicates that abnormal connectivity patterns in neuroelectrophysiology may be of critical importance to acknowledge the underlying brain mechanism.

Parent–Adolescent Conflict in Adolescents with ADHD: Rater Agreement and Associated Factors

Few studies have assessed parent–adolescent conflict in adolescents with ADHD, potential related factors to this conflict and parent–adolescent agreement on their conflicts. This study compared parent–adolescent conflict in a large sample of adolescents with ADHD/ODD, ADHD only and a sample of typically developing [TD] adolescents. Further, informant discrepancies between parents and adolescents regarding conflict and factors (ODD, planning problems, depression and anxiety) relating to this parent–adolescent conflict were investigated. Adolescents (50 ADHD/ODD, 109 ADHD, 34 TD) aged 12 to 17 years old and their parents completed questionnaires on parent–adolescent conflict, ADHD symptoms, ODD symptoms, planning problems, depression and anxiety symptoms. Significant differences in conflict between all groups were found; the ADHD/ODD group showed most parent–adolescent conflict and the TD group the least. In the total ADHD sample (ADHD only combined with ADHD/ODD adolescents), no informant discrepancies between parents and adolescents were found on conflict measures. Within the total ADHD sample, parent–adolescent conflict was related to parent-reported ODD symptoms and planning problems. Parent–adolescent conflict is pronounced in adolescents with ADHD and even more in adolescents with ADHD/ODD. Parents and adolescents agree on the frequency of conflict. ODD symptoms and planning problems are related factors to conflict and could be important aims for treatment in adolescents with ADHD.

An exploratory study of gaze behaviour in young adults with developmental coordination disorder.

Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is characterized by substantial difficulties with motor coordination to the extent that it has a clear impact on the daily functioning of those who suffer from the disorder. Laboratory-based research indicated impaired oculomotor control in individuals with DCD. However, it is not clear how these oculomotor problems contribute to control and coordination in daily tasks. This study explored differences and similarities in gaze behaviour during reading and cup stacking between young adults with DCD and their matched typically developing counterparts (TD; aged 20-23years). Gaze behaviour was recorded using eye-tracking, and hand movements were registered using a digital camera. Results of the reading tasks demonstrated similar behaviour between the groups, apart from a lower number of characters recorded per fixation in the DCD group. In cup stacking, the individuals with DCD were slower than their counterparts when three cups had to be displaced to a central target using the dominant hand. The gaze strategy of individuals with DCD involved systematic fixations on the cup or target prior to the hand movement to that cup or target, whereas these alternating saccades between cup and target were less obvious in the TD group. In the bimanual stacking task, where a pyramid of six cups had to be built on a central target using both hands, both groups mainly fixated the central target for the whole duration of the task, without distinct differences in gaze behaviour and duration of performance between individuals with and those without DCD. In conclusion, gaze behaviour of young adults with DCD shows differences from that of their typically developing counterparts that may be related to underlying oculomotor deficits in some but not all daily tasks.

Effects of resistance training and turmeric supplementation on reactive species marker stress in diabetic rats

BackgroundType 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a metabolic disease characterized by hyperglycemia and excessive generation of reactive oxygen species caused by autoimmune destruction of beta-cells in the pancreas. Among the antioxidant compounds, Curcuma longa (CL) has potential antioxidant effects and may improve hyperglycemia in uncontrolled T1DM/TD1, as well as prevent its complications (higher costs for the maintenance of health per patient, functional disability, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic damage). In addition to the use of compounds to attenuate the effects triggered by diabetes, physical exercise is also essential for glycemic control and the maintenance of skeletal muscles. Our objective is to evaluate the effects of CL supplementation associated with moderate- to high-intensity resistance training on the parameters of body weight recovery, glycemic control, reactive species markers, and tissue damage in rats with T1DM/TD1.MethodsForty male 3-month-old Wistar rats (200–250 g) with alloxan-induced T1DM were divided into 4 groups (n = 7–10): sedentary diabetics (DC); diabetic rats that underwent a 4-week resistance training protocol (TD); CL-supplemented diabetic rats (200 mg/kg body weight, 3x a week) (SD); and supplemented diabetic rats under the same conditions as above and submitted to training (TSD). Body weight, blood glucose, and the following biochemical markers were analyzed: lipid profile, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), uric acid, creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS).ResultsCompared to the DC group, the TD group showed body weight gain (↑7.99%, p = 0.0153) and attenuated glycemia (↓23.14%, p = 0.0008) and total cholesterol (↓31.72%, p ≤ 0.0041) associated with diminished reactive species markers in pancreatic (↓45.53%, p < 0.0001) and cardiac tissues (↓51.85%, p < 0.0001). In addition, compared to DC, TSD promoted body weight recovery (↑15.44%, p ≤ 0.0001); attenuated glycemia (↓42.40%, p ≤ 0.0001), triglycerides (↓39.96%, p ≤ 0.001), and total cholesterol (↓28.61%, p ≤ 0.05); and attenuated the reactive species markers in the serum (↓26.92%, p ≤ 0.01), pancreas (↓46.22%, p ≤ 0.0001), cardiac (↓55.33%, p ≤ 0.001), and skeletal muscle (↓42.27%, p ≤ 0.001) tissues caused by T1DM.ConclusionResistance training associated (and/or not) with the use of Curcuma longa attenuated weight loss, the hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects, reactive species markers, and T1DM-induced tissue injury.

The Effect of Visual Perceptual Load on Auditory Awareness of Social vs. Non-social Stimuli in Individuals with Autism

This study examined the effect of increasing visual perceptual load on auditory awareness for social and non-social stimuli in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD, n = 63) and typically developing (TD, n = 62) adolescents. Using an inattentional deafness paradigm, a socially meaningful (‘Hi’) or a non-social (neutral tone) critical stimulus (CS) was unexpectedly presented under high and low load. For the social CS both groups continued to show high awareness rates as load increased. Awareness rates for the non-social stimulus were reduced when load increased for the TD, but not the ASD group. The findings indicate enhanced capacity for non-social stimuli in ASD compared to TD, and a special attentional status for social stimuli in the TD group.