Research on technological interventions for young children with autism spectrum disorders : a scoping review

Researchers have widely reported using technological interventions to support young children with autism spectrum disorder. Given the abundance and diversity of research on the topic, the authors conducted a scoping review of 158 studies published from 1994 to 2019 to provide a current state of the literature and guide future research. Overall, the results indicate that video modeling, communication aids, and discrete trial instruction have been the topic of the most studies in the research literature. Moreover, most researchers have used single-case designs and combined technology with some type of adult provided support. Findings suggest that future studies should compare the use of different devices and interventions directly together while better isolating the unique contribution of technology when evaluating its effects

Specific tracking of xylan using fluorescent-tagged carbohydrate-binding module 15 as molecular probe

Additional file 5: Figure S3. Low-resolution XPS spectrum of UBKP surface. UBKP: unbleached kraft pulp. Unextracted pulp samples were analysed

Controlling proteolytic degradation of the methionine enriched MB-1Trp protein

Protein design is currently used for the creation of new proteins with desirable traits, which include a superior nutritional value. One of the challenges of protein design in this area is to achieve the production of stable native-like proteins that resist the proteolytic pressure of the organism used for its production (the bioreactor). We report here the identification of a specific peptide bond sensitive to E. coli proteolysis in the designer protein MB-1Trp. In an attempt to reduce proteolysis, we have created a MB-1TrpHis gene library in which the two amino acids surrounding the peptide bond, N44 and L45, were randomized using degenerated oligonucleotides. The initial characterization of MB-1TrpHis N44E/L45V and MB-1TrpHis N44E/L45M, 2 variants of the library that were more resistant than the parent protein, was performed in order to investigate the nature of the mutants' resistance. Our results suggest that the mutants behaved like MB-1Trp regarding folding and thermal stability, and that proteolytic resistance is due to the elimination of the protease recognition site

Fungicide-Driven Evolution and Molecular Basis of Multidrug Resistance in Field Populations of the Grey Mould Fungus Botrytis cinerea

The grey mould fungus Botrytis cinerea causes losses of commercially important fruits, vegetables and ornamentals worldwide. Fungicide treatments are effective for disease control, but bear the risk of resistance development. The major resistance mechanism in fungi is target protein modification resulting in reduced drug binding. Multiple drug resistance (MDR) caused by increased efflux activity is common in human pathogenic microbes, but rarely described for plant pathogens. Annual monitoring for fungicide resistance in field isolates from fungicide-treated vineyards in France and Germany revealed a rapidly increasing appearance of B. cinerea field populations with three distinct MDR phenotypes. All MDR strains showed increased fungicide efflux activity and overexpression of efflux transporter genes. Similar to clinical MDR isolates of Candida yeasts that are due to transcription factor mutations, all MDR1 strains were shown to harbor activating mutations in a transcription factor (Mrr1) that controls the gene encoding ABC transporter AtrB. MDR2 strains had undergone a unique rearrangement in the promoter region of the major facilitator superfamily transporter gene mfsM2, induced by insertion of a retrotransposon-derived sequence. MDR2 strains carrying the same rearranged mfsM2 allele have probably migrated from French to German wine-growing regions. The roles of atrB, mrr1 and mfsM2 were proven by the phenotypes of knock-out and overexpression mutants. As confirmed by sexual crosses, combinations of mrr1 and mfsM2 mutations lead to MDR3 strains with higher broad-spectrum resistance. An MDR3 strain was shown in field experiments to be selected against sensitive strains by fungicide treatments. Our data document for the first time the rising prevalence, spread and molecular basis of MDR populations in a major plant pathogen in agricultural environments. These populations will increase the risk of grey mould rot and hamper the effectiveness of current strategies for fungicide resistance management

An exploration of design systems for mass customization of factory-built timber frame homes

Demographic trends are forcing the homebuilding industry to speed up the industrialization process through mass customization (MC). Our survey of companies in the sector of factory-built timber frame homes shows that data processing for the prefabrication of houses and their structural components comprises many iterations which generate a bot- tleneck at the technical design function. Companies must develop considerable agility in their design function to deal with repeated change in orders and to coordinate multidiscipli- nary information and often from multiple sources, while controlling costs, delays and quality. In order to develop MC of factory-built timber houses, a design system framework is pro- posed, taking advantage of a product platform based solution. The framework aims at inte- grating functional requirements and constraints in house prefabrication. Such conceptual work is an initial step towards emulating an advanced planning and scheduling system capa- ble to provide efficient coordination through proper data exchange required for the processes of the homebuilding value creating network