Neurobiology of social behavior abnormalities in autism and Williams syndrome

Social behavior is a basic behavior mediated by multiple brain regions and neural circuits, and is crucial for the survival and development of animals and humans. Two neuropsychiatric disorders that have prominent social behavior abnormalities are autism spectrum disorders (ASD), which is characterized mainly by hyposociability, and Williams syndrome (WS), whose subjects exhibit hypersociability. Here we review the unique properties of social behavior in ASD and WS, and discuss the major theories in social behavior in the context of these disorders. We conclude with a discussion of the research questions needing further exploration to enhance our understanding of social behavior abnormalities

Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Anxious Adolescents: Developmental Influences on Treatment Design and Delivery

Anxiety disorders in adolescence are common and disruptive, pointing to a need for effective treatments for this age group. Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is one of the most popular interventions for adolescent anxiety, and there is empirical support for its application. However, a significant proportion of adolescent clients continue to report anxiety symptoms post-treatment. This paper underscores the need to attend to the unique developmental characteristics of the adolescent period when designing and delivering treatment, in an effort to enhance treatment effectiveness. Informed by the literature from developmental psychology, developmental psychopathology, and clinical child and adolescent psychology, we review the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ of developmentally appropriate CBT for anxious adolescents. ‘Why’ it is important to consider developmental factors in designing and delivering CBT for anxious adolescents is addressed by examining the age-related findings of treatment outcome studies and exploring the influence of developmental factors, including cognitive capacities, on engagement in CBT. ‘How’ clinicians can developmentally tailor CBT for anxious adolescents in six key domains of treatment design and delivery is illustrated with suggestions drawn from both clinically and research-oriented literature. Finally, recommendations are made for research into developmentally appropriate CBT for anxious adolescents

Selecting reliable and robust freshwater macroalgae for biomass applications

Intensive cultivation of freshwater macroalgae is likely to increase with the development of an algal biofuels industry and algal bioremediation. However, target freshwater macroalgae species suitable for large-scale intensive cultivation have not yet been identified. Therefore, as a first step to identifying target species, we compared the productivity, growth and biochemical composition of three species representative of key freshwater macroalgae genera across a range of cultivation conditions. We then selected a primary target species and assessed its competitive ability against other species over a range of stocking densities. Oedogonium had the highest productivity (8.0 g ash free dry weight m⁻² day⁻¹), lowest ash content (3–8%), lowest water content (fresh weigh: dry weight ratio of 3.4), highest carbon content (45%) and highest bioenergy potential (higher heating value 20 MJ/kg) compared to Cladophora and Spirogyra. The higher productivity of Oedogonium relative to Cladophora and Spirogyra was consistent when algae were cultured with and without the addition of CO2 across three aeration treatments. Therefore, Oedogonium was selected as our primary target species. The competitive ability of Oedogonium was assessed by growing it in bi-cultures and polycultures with Cladophora and Spirogyra over a range of stocking densities. Cultures were initially stocked with equal proportions of each species, but after three weeks of growth the proportion of Oedogonium had increased to at least 96% (±7 S.E.) in Oedogonium-Spirogyra bi-cultures, 86% (±16 S.E.) in Oedogonium-Cladophora bi-cultures and 82% (±18 S.E.) in polycultures. The high productivity, bioenergy potential and competitive dominance of Oedogonium make this species an ideal freshwater macroalgal target for large-scale production and a valuable biomass source for bioenergy applications. These results demonstrate that freshwater macroalgae are thus far an under-utilised feedstock with much potential for biomass applications

Comparative production and nutritional value\ud of "sea grapes" — the tropical green seaweeds Caulerpa\ud lentillifera and C. racemosa

"Sea grapes" is a collective term for the edible varieties of the green seaweed genus Caulerpa. Here we conduct comparative analyses of the biomass productivities and biochemical properties of C. lentillifera and C. racemosa from tropical Australia. Commercial-scale production was evaluated using 1 m2 culture units with high stocking densities (>5 kg m−2). Productivity of C. lentillifera in a 6-week period yielded, on average, 2 kg week−1, whereas C. racemosa yielded <0.5 kg week−1. Morphometric comparisons of the harvestable biomass revealed that C. lentillifera had a higher proportion of fronds (edible portions) to horizontal runners (stolons) and a higher density of fronds per unit area. C. racemosa fronds, however, were significantly longer. The nutritional value of C. racemosa was higher than C. lentillifera for both polyunsaturated fatty acids (10.6 vs. 5.3 mg g−1 DW) and pigments (9.4 vs. 4.2 mg g−1 DW). The content of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and β-carotene decreased with increasing frond size in both species. Trace element contents also varied substantially between the species, including higher levels of zinc, magnesium and strontium in C. lentillifera, and higher levels of selenium in C. racemosa. Some less desirable elements were higher in C. lentillifera, including arsenic (1 vs. 0.1 ppm) and cadmium, whereas others were higher in C. racemosa, including lead, copper and vanadium. Overall C. lentillifera has a high biomass production potential in monoculture and distinct nutritional properties that warrant a focus on its commercialisation as a new aquaculture product in tropical Australia and in Southeast Asia more broadly