Comparison of Diagnostic Profiles of Deaf and Hearing Children with a Diagnosis of Autism.

There is limited research comparing the presentation of autism in deaf and hearing children and young people. These comparisons are important to facilitate accurate diagnosis, as rates of misdiagnosis and delay in diagnosis amongst deaf children and young people are high. The aim of this study was to compare diagnostic assessment profiles of a UK cohort of autistic deaf and hearing children and young people. The Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised-Deaf adaptation was completed with the parents of 106 children and young people (deaf children = 65; hearing children = 41). The majority of items explored showed no significant differences between deaf and hearing children and young people. Differences were found in peer relationships, where autistic deaf participants were less likely to respond to the approaches of other children or play imaginatively with peers. These findings need to be taken into consideration by clinicians in the assessment process

High vulnerability of juvenile Nathusius' pipistrelle bats (Pipistrellus nathusii) at wind turbines

Large numbers of bats are killed by wind turbines globally, yet the specific demographic consequences of wind turbine mortality are still unclear. In this study, we compared characteristics of Nathusius' pipistrelles (Pipistrellus nathusii) killed at wind turbines (N = 119) to those observed within the live population (N = 524) during the summer migration period in Germany. We used generalized linear mixed-effects modeling to identify demographic groups most vulnerable to wind turbine mortality, including sex (female or male), age (adult or juvenile), and geographic origin (regional or long-distance migrant; depicted by fur stable hydrogen isotope ratios). Juveniles contributed with a higher proportion of carcasses at wind turbines than expected given their frequency in the live population suggesting that juvenile bats may be particularly vulnerable to wind turbine mortality. This effect varied with wind turbine density. Specifically, at low wind turbine densities, representing mostly inland areas with water bodies and forests where Nathusius' pipistrelles breed, juveniles were found more often dead beneath turbines than expected based on their abundance in the live population. At high wind turbine densities, representing mostly coastal areas where Nathusius' pipistrelles migrate, adults and juveniles were equally vulnerable. We found no evidence of increased vulnerability to wind turbines in either sex, yet we observed a higher proportion of females than males among both carcasses and the live population, which may reflect a female bias in the live population most likely caused by females migrating from their northeastern breeding areas migrating into Germany. A high mortality of females is conservation concern for this migratory bat species because it affects the annual reproduction rate of populations. A distant origin did not influence the likelihood of getting killed at wind turbines. A disproportionately high vulnerability of juveniles to wind turbine mortality may reduce juvenile recruitment, which may limit the resilience of Nathusius' pipistrelles to environmental stressors such as climate change or habitat loss. Schemes to mitigate wind turbine mortality, such as elevated cut-in speeds, should be implemented throughout Europe to prevent population declines of Nathusius' pipistrelles and other migratory bats

Flatte-like distributions and the a_0(980)/f_0(980) mesons

We explore the features of Flatte-like parametrizations. In particular, we demonstrate that the large variation in the absolute values of the coupling constants to the pi-eta (or pi-pi) and KKbar channels for the a_0(980) and f_0(980) mesons that one can find in the literature can be explained by a specific scaling behaviour of the Flatte amplitude for energies near the KKbar threshold. We argue that the ratio of the coupling constants can be much better determined from a fit to experimental data.Comment: 12 pages, 12 figure

A Study of the \eta \pi^{0} Spectrum and Search for a J^{PC} = 1^{-+} Exotic Meson

A partial wave analysis (PWA) of the of the $\eta \pi ^0$ system (where $\eta \to \gamma \gamma$) produced in the charge exchange reaction $\pi ^-p\to \eta \pi ^0n$ at an incident momentum of 18 GeV$/c$ is presented as a function of ${\eta \pi ^0}$ invariant mass, $m_{\eta\pi^0}$, and momentum transfer squared, $t_{\pi^{-}\to\eta\pi}$, from the incident $\pi^-$ to the outgoing ${\eta\pi ^0}$ system. $S$, $P$ and $D$ waves were included in the PWA. The $a_0(980)$ and $a_2(1320)$ states are clearly observed in the overall ${\eta\pi ^0}$ effective mass distribution as well as in the amplitudes associated with $S$ wave and $D$ waves respectively after partial wave decomposition. The observed distributions in moments (averages of spherical harmonics) were compared to the results from the PWA and the two are consistent. The distribution in $t_{\pi^{-}\to\eta\pi}$ for individual $D$ waves associated with natural and unnatural parity exchange in the $t$-channel are consistent with Regge phenomenology. Of particular interest in this study is the $P$ wave since this leads to an exotic $J^{PC}=1^{-+}$ for the $\eta \pi$ system. A $P$ wave is present in the data, however attempts to describe the mass dependence of the amplitude and phase motion with respect to the $D$ wave as a Breit-Wigner resonance are problematic. This has implications regarding the existence of a reported exotic $J^{PC} = 1^{-+}$ meson decaying into $\eta \pi^0$ with a mass near 1.4 GeV$/c^2$.Comment: 19 pages, 29 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.

The High Light Response in Arabidopsis Requires the Calcium Sensor Protein CAS, a Target of STN7-and STN8-Mediated Phosphorylation

Reversible phosphorylation of thylakoid proteins contributes to photoacclimation responses in photosynthetic organisms, enabling the fine-tuning of light harvesting under changing light conditions and promoting the onset of photoprotective processes. However, the precise functional role of many of the described phosphorylation events on thylakoid proteins remains elusive. The calcium sensor receptor protein (CAS) has previously been indicated as one of the targets of the state transition kinase 8 (STN8). Here we show that in Arabidopsis thaliana, CAS is also phosphorylated by the state transition kinase 7 (STN7), as well as by another, so-far unknown, Ca2+-dependent kinase. Phosphoproteomics analysis and in vitro phosphorylation assays on CAS variants identified the phylogenetically conserved residues Thr-376, Ser-378, and Thr-380 as the major phosphorylation sites of the STN kinases. Spectroscopic analyses of chlorophyll fluorescence emission at 77K further showed that, while the cas mutant is not affected in state transition, it displays a persistent strong excitation of PSI under high light exposure, similar to the phenotype previously observed in other mutants defective in photoacclimation mechanisms. Together with the observation of a strong concomitant phosphorylation of light harvesting complex II (LHCII) and photosynthetic core proteins under high irradiance in the cas mutant this suggests a role for CAS in the STN7/STN8/TAP38 network of phosphorylation-mediated photoacclimation processes in Arabidopsis

Evidence that the a0(980) and f0(980) are not elementary particles

We study the interesting problem of whether it is possible to distinguish composite from elementary particles. In particular we generalize a model-independent approach of S. Weinberg to the case of unstable particles. This allows us to apply our formalism to the case of the a0(980) and f0(980) resonances and to address the question whether these particles are predominantly genuine, confined quark states (of $\bar q q$ or $qq\bar q\bar q$ structure) or governed by mesonic components.Comment: 15 pages, 4 Figure

A Revised Framework for the Investigation of Expectation Update Versus Maintenance in the Context of Expectation Violations: The ViolEx 2.0 Model

Expectations are probabilistic beliefs about the future that shape and influence our perception, affect, cognition, and behavior in many contexts. This makes expectations a highly relevant concept across basic and applied psychological disciplines. When expectations are confirmed or violated, individuals can respond by either updating or maintaining their prior expectations in light of the new evidence. Moreover, proactive and reactive behavior can change the probability with which individuals encounter expectation confirmations or violations. The investigation of predictors and mechanisms underlying expectation update and maintenance has been approached from many research perspectives. However, in many instances there has been little exchange between different research fields. To further advance research on expectations and expectation violations, collaborative efforts across different disciplines in psychology, cognitive (neuro)science, and other life sciences are warranted. For fostering and facilitating such efforts, we introduce the ViolEx 2.0 model, a revised framework for interdisciplinary research on cognitive and behavioral mechanisms of expectation update and maintenance in the context of expectation violations. To support different goals and stages in interdisciplinary exchange, the ViolEx 2.0 model features three model levels with varying degrees of specificity in order to address questions about the research synopsis, central concepts, or functional processes and relationships, respectively. The framework can be applied to different research fields and has high potential for guiding collaborative research efforts in expectation research

Autism Spectrum Social Stories In Schools Trial 2 (ASSSIST2) : study protocol for a randomised controlled trial analysing clinical and cost-effectiveness of Social Stories™ in primary schools

BACKGROUND: Interventions designed to support children with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC) can be time consuming, needing involvement of outside experts. Social Stories™ are a highly personalised intervention aiming to give children with ASC social information or describing an otherwise difficult situation or skill. This can be delivered daily by staff in education settings. Studies examining Social Story™ use have yielded mostly positive results but have largely been single case studies with a lack of randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Despite this numerous schools are utilising Social Stories™, and a fully powered RCT is timely. METHODS: A multi-site pragmatic cluster RCT comparing care as usual with Social Stories™ and care as usual. This study will recruit 278 participants (aged 4-11) with a clinical diagnosis of ASC, currently attending primary school in the North of England. Approximately 278 school based staff will be recruited to provide school based information about participating children with approximately 140 recruited to deliver the intervention. The study will be cluster randomised by school. Potential participants will be screened for eligibility prior to giving informed consent. Follow up data will be collected at 6 weeks and 6 months post randomisation and will assess changes in participants' social responsiveness, goal based outcomes, social and emotional health. The primary outcome measure is the Social Responsiveness Scale Second Edition (SRS-2) completed by school based staff at 6 months. Approvals have been obtained from the University of York's Research Governance Committee, Research Ethics Committee and the Health Research Authority. Study results will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals and disseminated to participating families, educational staff, local authority representatives, community groups and Patient and Participant Involvement representatives. Suggestions will be made to NICE about treatment evidence dependent on findings. DISCUSSION: This study addresses a much used but currently under researched intervention and results will inform school based support for primary school children with a diagnosis of ASC. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial is registered on the ISRCTN registry (registration number: ISRCTN11634810). The trial was retrospectively registered on 23rd April 2019