Coconuts and curtain cakes: The production of wh-questions in ASD

Background and aims Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have been found to exhibit difficulties in wh-question production. It is unclear whether these difficulties are pragmatic or syntactic in nature. The current study used a question elicitation task to assess the production of subject and object wh-questions of children with ASD in two different languages (Hebrew and French) wherein the syntactic structure of wh-questions is different, a fact that may contribute to better understanding of the underlying deficits affecting wh-question production. Crucially, beyond the general correct/error rate we also performed an in-depth analysis of error types, comparing syntactic to pragmatic errors and comparing the distribution of errors in the ASD group to that of children with typical development (TD) and children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD). Results Correct production rates were found to be similar for the ASD and DLD groups, but error analysis revealed important differences between the ASD groups in the two languages and the DLD group. The Hebrew- and French ASD groups were found to produce pragmatic errors, which were not found in children with DLD. The pragmatic errors were similar in the two ASD groups. Syntactic errors were affected by the structure of each language. Conclusions Our results have shown that although the two ASD groups come from different countries and speak different languages, the correct production rates and more importantly, the error types were very similar in the two ASD groups, and very different compared to TD children and children with DLD. Implications: Our results highlight the importance of creating research tasks that test different linguistic functions independently and strengthen the need for conducting fine-grained error analysis to differentiate between groups and gain insights into the deficits underlying each of them.

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TEM/AEM characterization of fine-grained clay minerals in very-low-grade rocks: Evaluation of contamination by empa involving celadonite family minerals

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100165938 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 54 ◽

pp. 694-695

Author(s):

Gejing Li ◽

D. R. Peacor ◽

D. S. Coombs ◽

Y. Kawachi

Keyword(s):

Electron Microscopy ◽

Volcanic Rocks ◽

Analytical Electron Microscopy ◽

Metamorphic Rocks ◽

New Mineral ◽

Chemical Compositions ◽

Low Grade ◽

Fine Grained ◽

Depth Analysis ◽

Mineral Aggregates

Recent advances in transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and analytical electron microscopy (AEM) have led to many new insights into the structural and chemical characteristics of very finegrained, optically homogeneous mineral aggregates in sedimentary and very low-grade metamorphic rocks. Chemical compositions obtained by electron microprobe analysis (EMPA) on such materials have been shown by TEM/AEM to result from beam overlap on contaminant phases on a scale below resolution of EMPA, which in turn can lead to errors in interpretation and determination of formation conditions. Here we present an in-depth analysis of the relation between AEM and EMPA data, which leads also to the definition of new mineral phases, and demonstrate the resolution power of AEM relative to EMPA in investigations of very fine-grained mineral aggregates in sedimentary and very low-grade metamorphic rocks.Celadonite, having end-member composition KMgFe3+Si4O10(OH)2, and with minor substitution of Fe2+ for Mg and Al for Fe3+ on octahedral sites, is a fine-grained mica widespread in volcanic rocks and volcaniclastic sediments which have undergone low-temperature alteration in the oceanic crust and in burial metamorphic sequences.

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Influence of Next-Generation Sequencing on Advancements in the Diagnosis of Major Psychiatric Diseases - A Review

Pakistan Journal of Medicine and Dentistry ◽

10.36283/pjmd9-2/022 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Maheen Nisar

Keyword(s):

Next Generation Sequencing ◽

Mental Disorders ◽

Attention Deficit Disorder ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Next Generation ◽

Single Nucleotide Variants ◽

New Genes ◽

Depth Analysis ◽

Pubmed Search ◽

Generation Sequencing

Rapid progress is being made in the development of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies, allowing repeated findings of new genes and a more in-depth analysis of genetic polymorphisms behind the pathogenesis of a disease. In a field such as psychiatry, characteristic of vague and highly variable somatic manifestations, these technologies have brought great advances towards diagnosing various psychiatric and mental disorders, identifying high-risk individuals and towards more effective corresponding treatment. Psychiatry has the difficult task of diagnosing and treating mental disorders without being able to invariably and definitively establish the properties of its illness. This calls for diagnostic technologies that go beyond the traditional ways of gene manipulation to more advanced methods mainly focusing on new gene polymorphism discoveries, one of them being NGS. This enables the identification of hundreds of common and rare genetic variations contributing to behavioral and psychological conditions. Clinical NGS has been useful to detect copy number and single nucleotide variants and to identify structural rearrangements that have been challenging for standard bioinformatics algorithms. The main objective of this article is to review the recent applications of NGS in the diagnosis of major psychiatric disorders, and hence gauge the extent of its impact in the field. A comprehensive PubMed search was conducted and papers published from 2013-2018 were included, using the keywords, “schizophrenia” or “bipolar disorder” or “depressive disorder” or “attention deficit disorder” or “autism spectrum disorder” and “next-generation sequencing”

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Developmental Language Disorder and Autism: Commonalities and Differences on Language

Brain Sciences ◽

10.3390/brainsci11050589 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. 589

Author(s):

Natasa Georgiou ◽

George Spanoudis

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Language Impairment ◽

Language Disorder ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Typically Developing ◽

Developmental Language Disorder ◽

Typically Developing Children ◽

Autism Group ◽

Developmental Conditions

Language and communication deficits characterize both autism spectrum disorder and developmental language disorder, and the possibility of there being a common profile of these is a matter of tireless debate in the research community. This experimental study addresses the relation of these two developmental conditions in the critical topic of language. Α total of 103 children (79 males, 24 females) participated in the present study. Specifically, the study’s sample consisted of 40 children with autism, 28 children with developmental language disorder, and 35 typically developing children between 6 and 12 years old. All children completed language and cognitive measures. The results showed that there is a subgroup inside the autism group of children who demonstrate language difficulties similar to children with developmental language disorder. Specifically, two different subgroups were derived from the autism group; those with language impairment and those without. Both autism and language-impaired groups scored lower than typically developing children on all language measures indicating a common pathology in language ability. The results of this study shed light on the relation between the two disorders, supporting the assumption of a subgroup with language impairment inside the autism spectrum disorder population. The common picture presented by the two developmental conditions highlights the need for further research in the field.

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A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies on metaphor comprehension in individuals with autism spectrum disorder: Do task properties matter?

Applied Psycholinguistics ◽

10.1017/s0142716419000328 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 40 (6) ◽

pp. 1421-1454 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Tamar Kalandadze ◽

Valentina Bambini ◽

Kari-Anne B. Næss

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Syntactic Structure ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Response Format ◽

Metaphor Comprehension ◽

The Relationship

AbstractIndividuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience difficulty in comprehending metaphors compared to individuals with typical development (TD). However, there is a large variation in the results across studies, possibly related to the properties of the metaphor tasks. This preregistered systematic review and meta-analysis (a) explored the properties of the metaphor tasks used in ASD research, and (b) investigated the group difference between individuals with ASD and TD on metaphor comprehension, as well as the relationship between the task properties and any between-study variation. A systematic search was undertaken in seven relevant databases. Fourteen studies fulfilled our predetermined inclusion criteria. Across tasks, we detected four types of response format and a great variety of metaphors in terms of familiarity, syntactic structure, and linguistic context. Individuals with TD outperformed individuals with ASD on metaphor comprehension (Hedges’ g = −0.63). Verbal explanation response format was utilized in the study showing the largest effect size in the group comparison. However, due to the sparse experimental manipulations, the role of task properties could not be established. Future studies should consider and report task properties to determine their role in metaphor comprehension, and to inform experimental paradigms as well as educational assessment.

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Mathematical analysis of the effect of portal vein cells on biliary epithelial cell differentiation through the Delta-Notch signaling pathway

BMC Research Notes ◽

10.1186/s13104-021-05656-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Masaharu Yoshihara ◽

Teppei Nishino ◽

Manoj Kumar Yadav ◽

Akihiro Kuno ◽

Takeshi Nagata ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Portal Vein ◽

Notch Signaling ◽

Signaling Pathway ◽

Target Genes ◽

Notch Signaling Pathway ◽

Epithelial Differentiation ◽

Production Rates ◽

Fine Grained ◽

Downstream Target ◽

Notch Receptors

Abstract Objective The Delta-Notch signaling pathway induces fine-grained patterns of differentiation from initially homogeneous progenitor cells in many biological contexts, including Drosophila bristle formation, where mathematical modeling reportedly suggests the importance of production rate of the components of this signaling pathway. In contrast, the epithelial differentiation of bile ducts in the developing liver is unique in that it occurs around the portal vein cells, which express extremely high amounts of Delta ligands and act as a disturbance for the amount of Delta ligands in the field by affecting the expression levels of downstream target genes in the cells nearby. In the present study, we mathematically examined the dynamics of the Delta-Notch signaling pathway components in disturbance-driven biliary differentiation, using the model for fine-grained patterns of differentiation. Results A portal vein cell induced a high Notch signal in its neighboring cells, which corresponded to epithelial differentiation, depending on the production rates of Delta ligands and Notch receptors. In addition, this epithelial differentiation tended to occur in conditions where fine-grained patterning was reported to be lacking. These results highlighted the potential importance of the stability towards homogeneity determined by the production rates in Delta ligands and Notch receptors, in a disturbance-dependent epithelial differentiation.

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POMDP-Based Coding of Child–Robot Interaction within a Robot-Assisted ASD Diagnostic Protocol

International Journal of Humanoid Robotics ◽

10.1142/s0219843618500111 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 15 (02) ◽

pp. 1850011 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Frano Petric ◽

Damjan Miklić ◽

Zdenko Kovačić

Keyword(s):

Humanoid Robots ◽

Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Diagnostic Process ◽

Sequential Decision ◽

Robot Assisted ◽

Robot Interaction ◽

Fine Grained ◽

Markov Decision ◽

Partially Observable

The existing procedures for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis are often time consuming and tiresome both for highly-trained human evaluators and children, which may be alleviated by using humanoid robots in the diagnostic process. Hence, this paper proposes a framework for robot-assisted ASD evaluation based on partially observable Markov decision process (POMDP) modeling, specifically POMDPs with mixed observability (MOMDPs). POMDP is broadly used for modeling optimal sequential decision making tasks under uncertainty. Spurred by the widely accepted autism diagnostic observation schedule (ADOS), we emulate ADOS through four tasks, whose models incorporate observations of multiple social cues such as eye contact, gestures and utterances. Relying only on those observations, the robot provides an assessment of the child’s ASD-relevant functioning level (which is partially observable) within a particular task and provides human evaluators with readable information by partitioning its belief space. Finally, we evaluate the proposed MOMDP task models and demonstrate that chaining the tasks provides fine-grained outcome quantification, which could also increase the appeal of robot-assisted diagnostic protocols in the future.

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A longitudinal study of autism spectrum disorders in individuals diagnosed with a developmental language disorder as children

Child Care Health and Development ◽

10.1111/j.1365-2214.2009.00954.x ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 35 (5) ◽

pp. 691-697 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

S. E. Mouridsen ◽

K-M. Hauschild

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽

Longitudinal Study ◽

Language Disorder ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Developmental Language Disorder ◽

Spectrum Disorders

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Images and Imagination: Automated Analysis of Priming Effects Related to Autism Spectrum Disorder and Developmental Language Disorder

10.18653/v1/2020.cmcl-1.2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Michaela Regneri ◽

Diane King ◽

Fahreen Walji ◽

Olympia Palikara

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Language Disorder ◽

Automated Analysis ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Developmental Language Disorder ◽

Priming Effects

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Directional expressions cross-linguistically: Nanosyntax and lexicalization

Nordlyd ◽

10.7557/12.214 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 36 (1) ◽

pp. pp

Author(s):

Marina Pantcheva

Keyword(s):

Syntactic Structure ◽

Spatial Domain ◽

Font Size ◽

Fine Grained

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OP312 Developing A Tool-kit For Assessment Of Autism Spectrum Disorder

International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care ◽

10.1017/s0266462321000945 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 37 (S1) ◽

pp. 12-12

Author(s):

Leah Watson ◽

Shirley Jonathan

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Language Disorder ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Early Years ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Global Developmental Delay ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Speech And Language ◽

Autism Symptoms ◽

Therapy Assessment

IntroductionBefore the coronavirus pandemic, children who were on the Early Years Neurodevelopment (EYND) assessment pathway and suspected to have possible Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), received clinic based appointments. This process included a parental interview by a doctor, a specialist speech and language therapy assessment, autism diagnostic observation schedule (ADOS), which were all carried out on hospital sites. These were postponed in March following national guidance. Our aim was to continue providing accurate evidence-based service for ASD diagnosis.MethodsWe utilised evidence-based telehealth methods to perform a specialist speech and language assessment in a child's home via video call. Parents were also invited to share videos of everyday activities via a secure portal. We could observe the child in a meaningful setting and witness functional impact of their needs. Each case is discussed by a multiagency panel based on DSM-V criteria.Online training was undertaken by professionals to deliver the Brief Observation of Autism Symptoms (BOSA) based on the ADOS for COVID times. Parents were coached by the therapist to enable them to become the administrator, rather than a professional.ResultsTelephonic feedback from the first ten parents whose children underwent a telehealth assessment has been positive; the home was deemed more natural and for some less distressing than clinic. Formal patient surveys have been devised for both the telehealth and BOSA clinic assessments. Analysis is expected by the end of March.To date we have been able to reach an outcome for thirty children, the diagnosis of ASD for twenty-four children and the other six received a diagnosis of global developmental delay or language disorder.ConclusionsWe expect that telehealth will reduce the number of assessments before an ASD diagnosis is made resulting in more prudent healthcare. The new methods have demonstrated clear increased parental participation.

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