Integracja podejść oraz technik terapeutycznych w pracy z dziećmi z autyzmem

Integration of therapeutic paradigms and methods of treatments of autistic childrenDuring the past years therapists working with adults have tended to combine basic theoretical streams and create new therapeutic methods (Styła, Jędrasik-Styła, 2009). There are many treatments recommended for children with autism, but they are less integrated on a theoretical level than treatments for adults. In this article common aspects of methods such as applied behavior analysis and sensory integration were presented and possibilities for their theoretical integration were analyzed

Experiencing Asia : The 3rd International Asian Congress The Changing Role of Asia in the Contemporary World : Toruń, (18-20 May, 2016), Towarzystwo Azji i Pacyfiku

The paper reports the Third International Asian Congress “The Changing Role of Asia in the Contemporary World” that took place in Toruń on May 18 – 20, 2016. It presents the range and scope of the conference and its main scientific results. The conference report describes influence of the Congress on the development of Asian studies in Central Europe, as well as the reception of this event, including participating diplomats, policy-makers and respected scholars. Moreover, it briefly presents accompanying events of the Congress and its unique character of the place where politics, business, science and culture can merge together

Virulence factors of Moraxella catarrhalis outer membrane vesicles are major targets for cross-reactive antibodies and have adapted during evolution

Moraxella catarrhalis is a common human respiratory tract pathogen. Its virulence factors associated with whole bacteria or outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) aid infection, colonization and may induce specific antibodies. To investigate pathogen-host interactions, we applied integrated bioinformatic and immunoproteomic (2D-electrophoresis, immunoblotting, LC-MS/MS) approaches. We showed that OMV proteins engaged exclusively in complement evasion and colonization strategies, but not those involved in iron transport and metabolism, are major targets for cross-reacting antibodies produced against phylogenetically divergent M. catarrhalis strains. The analysis of 31 complete genomes of M. catarrhalis and other Moraxella revealed that OMV protein-coding genes belong to 64 orthologous groups, five of which are restricted to M. catarrhalis. This species showed a two-fold increase in the number of OMV protein-coding genes relative to its ancestors and animal-pathogenic Moraxella. The appearance of specific OMV factors and the increase in OMV-associated virulence proteins during M. catarrhalis evolution is an interesting example of pathogen adaptation to optimize colonization. This precisely targeted cross-reactive immunity against M. catarrhalis may be an important strategy of host defences to counteract this phenomenon. We demonstrate that cross-reactivity is closely associated with the anti-virulent antibody repertoire which we have linked with adaptation of this pathogen to the host

Winter Bird Assemblages in Rural and Urban Environments: A National Survey

Urban development has a marked effect on the ecological and behavioural traits of many living organisms, including birds. In this paper, we analysed differences in the numbers of wintering birds between rural and urban areas in Poland. We also analysed species richness and abundance in relation to longitude, latitude, human population size, and landscape structure. All these parameters were analysed using modern statistical techniques incorporating species detectability. We counted birds in 156 squares (0.25 km2 each) in December 2012 and again in January 2013 in locations in and around 26 urban areas across Poland (in each urban area we surveyed 3 squares and 3 squares in nearby rural areas). The influence of twelve potential environmental variables on species abundance and richness was assessed with Generalized Linear Mixed Models, Principal Components and Detrended Correspondence Analyses. Totals of 72 bird species and 89,710 individual birds were recorded in this study. On average (±SE) 13.3 ± 0.3 species and 288 ± 14 individuals were recorded in each square in each survey. A formal comparison of rural and urban areas revealed that 27 species had a significant preference; 17 to rural areas and 10 to urban areas. Moreover, overall abundance in urban areas was more than double that of rural areas. There was almost a complete separation of rural and urban bird communities. Significantly more birds and more bird species were recorded in January compared to December. We conclude that differences between rural and urban areas in terms of winter conditions and the availability of resources are reflected in different bird communities in the two environments

Urban and rural habitats differ in number and type of bird feeders and in bird species consuming supplementary food

Bird feeding is one of the most widespread direct interactions between man and nature, and this has important social and environmental consequences. However, this activity can differ between rural and urban habitats, due to inter alia habitat structure, human behaviour and the composition of wintering bird communities. We counted birds in 156 squares (0.25 km(2) each) in December 2012 and again in January 2013 in locations in and around 26 towns and cities across Poland (in each urban area, we surveyed 3 squares and also 3 squares in nearby rural areas). At each count, we noted the number of bird feeders, the number of bird feeders with food, the type of feeders, additional food supplies potentially available for birds (bread offered by people, bins) and finally the birds themselves. In winter, urban and rural areas differ in the availability of food offered intentionally and unintentionally to birds by humans. Both types of food availability are higher in urban areas. Our findings suggest that different types of bird feeder support only those species specialized for that particular food type and this relationship is similar in urban and rural areas. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11356-015-4723-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Object Play and Autism Spectrum Disorders Symptoms in Toddlers Aged 12–37 Month at Risk of Developmental Disorders

Various studies have shown a relationship between the development of language and object play in children. Children with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show difficulties in both of these areas of functioning. But the knowledge about the relationships between the severity of ASD symptoms and object play in children at risk of developmental disorders remains limited. To explore these relationships, 44 children aged 13–37 months took part in this study. Object play and ASD symptoms were assessed in two age groups (13–18 months and 24–37 months). The results show that ASD symptom intensity is related to object play complexity in children at risk of developmental disorders. However, these relationships are different depending on the age of the children

Integracja podejść oraz technik terapeutycznych w pracy z dziećmi z autyzmem

During the past years therapists working with adults have tended to combine basic theoretical streams and create new therapeutic methods (Styla, Jedrasik-Styla, 2009). There are many treatments recommended for children with autism, but they are less integrated on a theoretical level than treatments for adults. In this article common aspects of methods such as applied behavior analysis and sensory integration were presented and possibilities for their theoretical integration were analyzed

Exploratory behaviour and adaptation to novelty in preschool children with autism – a preliminary report

The purpose of this study was to compare exploratory behaviours in children with autism and typically developing preschool children and the course of their adaptation to novelty. A series of fi ve repeated trials was conducted, during which children were allowed to freely explore the experimental room. The results revealed differences between study groups in the overall rate of exploratory activity, which was lower in children with autism. Patterns of time characteristics of exploratory activity showed both similarities and differences between the groups. In both groups, the rate of simple exploratory behaviours (i.e. looking at an object, touching the object, manipulating one object) decreased with time, while the levels of diversive exploration (i.e. touching the wall or fl oor) increased. Children with autism engaged in less complex object manipulation than their peers. Similarly, their adaptation and habituation to a novel environment proceeded in a different way in the low stimulation zone than in the high stimulation zone. In the low and medium stimulation zones, the rate of exploration decreased with time, while in the high stimulation zone it remained relatively constant. In typically developing children, habituation occurred in all stimulation zones. These results suggest the presence of some differences between the patterns of adaptation to novelty in the two groups, which emerge in a stimulation-rich environment. Due to the limitations of the study, in particular the small number of subjects, the present paper should be treated as a preliminary report