Pathways to peer interaction in ASD and TD through individual and dyadic joint-action motor abilities

PurposeAny social engagement, especially with peers, requires children’s effective activation of social and motor mechanisms. Children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often display dysfunctions both in individual motor functioning (e.g., fine/gross) and in dyadic joint action (JA), where two partners coordinate movement toward a shared goal. Yet, these mechanisms’ contribution to peer interaction has been underexplored.MethodThis study examined the contribution of individual motor functioning and JA performance to peer interaction (cooperation, attentiveness, social engagement, and dyadic quality), while comparing children and adolescents’ (youngsters) with ASD versus those with typical development (TD).ResultsResults indicated more competent peer interaction in TD than in ASD. Interestingly, only the ASD group showed significant maturation with age for social engagement and dyadic interaction quality, calls for further examination of developmental trajectories. However, even the oldest participants with ASD continued to lag behind the youngest TD group. Also, findings indicated that better individual motor functioning and JA performance explained better peer interactive competence; yet, the contribution of individual motor functioning to social cooperation and dyadic quality was moderated by JA performance. Thus, youngsters’ individual motor system was found to be an important contributor to peer interaction in those with low to moderate JA coordination capabilities, but not for those with high JA.ConclusionResults emphasize possible distinct contributions of each motor mechanism and their interaction for facilitating social interaction, hence, encouraging incorporation of individual and dyadic motor skills explicitly into social interaction interventions for youngsters ASD

Coupling between leg muscle activation and EEG during normal walking, intentional stops, and freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease

In this paper, we apply novel techniques for characterizing leg muscle activation patterns via electromyograms (EMGs) and for relating them to changes in electroencephalogram (EEG) activity during gait experiments. Specifically, we investigate changes of leg-muscle EMG amplitudes and EMG frequencies during walking, intentional stops, and unintended freezing-of-gait (FOG) episodes. FOG is a frequent paroxysmal gait disturbance occurring in many patients suffering from Parkinson's disease (PD). We find that EMG amplitudes and frequencies do not change significantly during FOG episodes with respect to walking, while drastic changes occur during intentional stops. Phase synchronization between EMG signals is most pronounced during walking in controls and reduced in PD patients. By analyzing cross-correlations between changes in EMG patterns and brain-wave amplitudes (from EEGs), we find an increase in EEG-EMG coupling at the beginning of stop and FOG episodes. Our results may help to better understand the enigmatic pathophysiology of FOG, to differentiate between FOG events and other gait disturbances, and ultimately to improve diagnostic procedures for patients suffering from PD. Copyright © 2019 Günther, Bartsch, Miron-Shahar, Hassin-Baer, Inzelberg, Kurths, Plotnik and Kantelhardt

Hypothalamus–Muscle Parallel Induction of Metabolic Pathways Following Physical Exercise

The modern lifestyle requires less physical activity and skills during our daily routine, leading to multiple pathologies related to physical disabilities and energy accessibility. Thus, exploring the mechanisms underlying the metabolic regulation of exercise is crucial. Here, we characterized the effect of forced and voluntary endurance exercises on three key metabolic signaling pathways, sirtuins, AMPK, and mTOR, across several metabolic tissues in mice: brain, muscles, and liver. Both voluntary and forced exercises induced AMPK with higher intensity in the first. The comparison between those metabolic tissues revealed that the hypothalamus and the hippocampus, two brain parts, showed different metabolic signaling activities. Strikingly, despite the major differences in the physiology of muscles and hypothalamic tissues, the hypothalamus replicates the metabolic response of the muscle in response to physical exercise. Specifically, muscles and hypothalamic tissues showed an increase and a decrease in AMPK and mTOR signaling, respectively. Overall, this study reveals new insight into the relation between the hypothalamus and muscles, which enhances the coordination within the muscle–brain axis and potentially improves the systemic response to physical activity performance and delaying health inactivity disorders

SIRT6 Promotes Hepatic Beta-Oxidation via Activation of PPARα

The pro-longevity enzyme SIRT6 regulates various metabolic pathways. Gene expression analyses in SIRT6 heterozygotic mice identify significant decreases in PPARα signaling, known to regulate multiple metabolic pathways. SIRT6 binds PPARα and its response element within promoter regions and activates gene transcription. Sirt6+/− results in significantly reduced PPARα-induced β-oxidation and its metabolites and reduced alanine and lactate levels, while inducing pyruvate oxidation. Reciprocally, starved SIRT6 transgenic mice show increased pyruvate, acetylcarnitine, and glycerol levels and significantly induce β-oxidation genes in a PPARα-dependent manner. Furthermore, SIRT6 mediates PPARα inhibition of SREBP-dependent cholesterol and triglyceride synthesis. Mechanistically, SIRT6 binds PPARα coactivator NCOA2 and decreases liver NCOA2 K780 acetylation, which stimulates its activation of PPARα in a SIRT6-dependent manner. These coordinated SIRT6 activities lead to regulation of whole-body respiratory exchange ratio and liver fat content, revealing the interactions whereby SIRT6 synchronizes various metabolic pathways, and suggest a mechanism by which SIRT6 maintains healthy liver

Dietary intake and stress fractures among elite male combat recruits

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Appropriate and sufficient dietary intake is one of the main requirements for maintaining fitness and health. Inadequate energy intake may have a negative impact on physical performance which may result in injuries among physically active populations. The purpose of this research was to evaluate a possible relationship between dietary intake and stress fracture occurrence among combat recruits during basic training (BT).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data was collected from 74 combat recruits (18.2 ± 0.6 yrs) in the Israeli Defense Forces. Data analyses included changes in anthropometric measures, dietary intake, blood iron and calcium levels. Measurements were taken on entry to 4-month BT and at the end of BT. The occurrence of stress reaction injury was followed prospectively during the entire 6-month training period.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Twelve recruits were diagnosed with stress fracture in the tibia or femur (SF group). Sixty two recruits completed BT without stress fractures (NSF). Calcium and vitamin D intakes reported on induction day were lower in the SF group compared to the NSF group-38.9% for calcium (589 ± 92 and 964 ± 373 mg·d^-1, respectively, <it>p </it>< 0.001), and-25.1% for vitamin D (117.9 ± 34.3 and 157.4 ± 93.3 IU·d^-1, respectively, <it>p </it>< 0.001). During BT calcium and vitamin D intake continued to be at the same low values for the SF group but decreased for the NSF group and no significant differences were found between these two groups.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The development of stress fractures in young recruits during combat BT was associated with dietary deficiency before induction and during BT of mainly vitamin D and calcium. For the purpose of intervention, the fact that the main deficiency is before induction will need special consideration.</p

A comparison of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder with autism spectrum disorder on cognitive, neural, and emotional estimates: a systematic review

Background: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are two neurodevelopmental disorders that share common symptoms and frequently co-occur. We performed a systematic review of studies examining three main domains in ADHD vs ASD; executive functions, brain structures and functions, and emotional skills, in an effort to better understand their co-occurrence. Methods: As ADHD and ASD frequently co-occur, we chose to focus on the relevant articles comparing ADHD (with no ASD) and ASD (with no ADHD) populations using appropriate measures. A systematic literature search was conducted using six electronic databases, up to May 18, 2022. Results: A total of 19 articles were included. No significant differences were found in executive functioning between ADHD and ASD. For emotional skills, results were inconclusive, with greater theory of mind (ToM) and empathy skills in ADHD relative to ASD, but no significant differences in emotion recognition. Regarding brain structure and functions, there were inconsistent findings, with some studies reporting weaker brain connectivity in ASD, and reduced gray and white matter volumes in ADHD, while others reported no significant differences. Conclusions: Our review suggests a lack of studies directly examining ASD compared with ADHD. The existing literature does not suggest a unique association of either ASD/ADHD with executive dysfunction, emotional skills deficits, or brain structure/function abnormalities. Consequently, further research is necessary to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the overlaps and differences between these disorders and to address the existing gaps in knowledge

Zróżnicowanie diagnozy ASD ze względu na wykorzystanie ADOS-2 i DSM-5 – badania wstępne

This study compares the classification of ASD using ADOS-2 with diagnoses using DSM-5 among children between 8 and 10 years old. Case series data were used on four children who were referred with suspected autism, and as a result a discrepancy was found between the ADOS-2 assessment and the overall diagnosis. Initial findings indicated that age, additional diagnoses, and over-reliance on observa- tion may bias the ADOS-2 classification. In particular, children who were diagnosed with other disorders that share symptoms with ASD exhibit behaviors that may bias the ADOS-2 classification as it relies on observed behavior without considering the underlying cause. This discrepancy points to the importance of utilizing and integrating multiple sources of information in the process of establishing an ASD diagnosis, and suggests a need for specialized clinical training in diagnosing autism and other related co-morbid conditions in children aged 8–10. This preliminary data calls for further research into the area, especially due to the cur- rent over-reliance on the ADOS-2 in clinical practice and research.Niniejsze badanie dotyczy zróżnicowania diagnozy ASD ze względu na zastosowane narzędzia diagnostyczne. Dane uzyskane przy pomocy dwu narzędzi diagnostycznych – ADOS-2 i DSM-5 od czworga dzieci z podejrzeniem autyzmu w wieku od 8 do 10 lat zostały porównane pod kątem zgodności uzyskanych przy ich pomocy wyników. W wyniku analizy stwierdzono zróżnicowanie wyników ze względu na zastosowane narzędzia. Wstępne ustalenia wskazywały, że wiek oraz dodatkowo zdiagnozowane zaburzenia współwystępujące i nadmierna koncentracja na obserwacji mogą zniekształcić wyniki ADOS -2. W szczególności u dzieci ze zdiagnozowanymi innymi zaburzeniami objawiającymi się poprzez zachowania podobne do autystycznych, diagnoza uzyskana przy pomocy ADOS-2, może być zniekształcona, gdyż nie uwzględnia podstawowej przyczyny zaburzeń. Rozbieżność ta wskazuje na konieczność wykorzystania i połączenia wielu źródeł informacji w procesie diagnozowania ASD, a także sugeruje potrzebę specjalistycznego szkolenia klinicystów w zakresie diagnostyki autyzmu i innych współistniejących schorzeń u dzieci w wieku 8–10 lat. Te wstępne wyniki są obiecujące, lecz wymagają dalszego empirycznego potwierdzenia, szczególnie ze względu na częste obecnie wykorzystywanie ADOS-2 w praktyce klinicznej i badaniach

Controlled Lighting and Illumination-Independent Target Detection for Real-Time Cost-Efficient Applications. The Case Study of Sweet Pepper Robotic Harvesting

Current harvesting robots are limited by low detection rates due to the unstructured and dynamic nature of both the objects and the environment. State-of-the-art algorithms include color- and texture-based detection, which are highly sensitive to the illumination conditions. Deep learning algorithms promise robustness at the cost of significant computational resources and the requirement for intensive databases. In this paper we present a Flash-No-Flash (FNF) controlled illumination acquisition protocol that frees the system from most ambient illumination effects and facilitates robust target detection while using only modest computational resources and no supervised training. The approach relies on the simultaneous acquisition of two images&#8212;with/without strong artificial lighting (&#8220;Flash&#8222;/&#8220;no-Flash&#8222;). The difference between these images represents the appearance of the target scene as if only the artificial light was present, allowing a tight control over ambient light for color-based detection. A performance evaluation database was acquired in greenhouse conditions using an eye-in-hand RGB camera mounted on a robotic manipulator. The database includes 156 scenes with 468 images containing a total of 344 yellow sweet peppers. Performance of both color blob and deep-learning detection algorithms are compared on Flash-only and FNF images. The collected database is made public