Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
More than maths and mindreading: Sex differences in empathizing/systemizing covariance

Empathizing–Systemizing theory posits a continuum of cognitive traits extending from autism into normal cognitive variation. Covariance data on empathizing and systemizing traits have alternately suggested inversely dependent, independent, and sex‐dependent (one sex dependent, the other independent) structures. A total of 144 normal undergraduates (65 men, 79 women) completed the Reading the Mind in the Eyes, Embedded Figures, and Benton face recognition tests, the Autism Spectrum Quotient, and measures of digit length ratio and field of study; some also completed tests of motion coherence threshold (64) and go/no‐go motor inhibition (128). Empathizing and systemizing traits were independent in women, but largely dependent in men. In men, level of systemizing skill required by field of study was directly related to social interactive and mindreading deficits; men's social impairments correlated with prolonged go/no‐go response times, and men tended to apply systemizing strategies to solve problems of empathizing or global processing: rapid perceptual disembedding predicted heightened sensitivity to facial emotion. In women, level of systemizing in field was related to male‐typical digit ratios and autistic superiorities in detail orientation, but not to autistic social and communicative impairments; and perceptual disembedding was related to social interactive skills but independent of facial emotion and visual motion perception.
Learning Language in Autism: Maternal Linguistic Input Contributes to Later Vocabulary

It is well established that children with typical development (TYP) exposed to more maternal linguistic input develop larger vocabularies. We know relatively little about the linguistic environment available to children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and whether input contributes to their later vocabulary. Children with ASD or TYP and their mothers from English and French‐speaking families engaged in a 10 min free‐play interaction. To compare input, children were matched on language ability, sex, and maternal education (ASD n = 20, TYP n = 20). Input was transcribed, and the number of word tokens and types, lexical diversity (D), mean length of utterances (MLU), and number of utterances were calculated. We then examined the relationship between input and children's spoken vocabulary 6 months later in a larger sample (ASD: n = 19, 50–85 months; TYP: n = 44, 25–58 months). No significant group differences were found on the five input features. A hierarchical multiple regression model demonstrated input MLU significantly and positively contributed to spoken vocabulary 6 months later in both groups, over and above initial language levels. No significant difference was found between groups in the slope between input MLU and later vocabulary. Our findings reveal children with ASD and TYP of similar language levels are exposed to similar maternal linguistic environments regarding number of word tokens and types, D, MLU, and number of utterances. Importantly, linguistic input accounted for later vocabulary growth in children with ASD. Autism Res 2015, 8: 214–223. © 2015 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Predictors of support service use by rural and regional men with cancer.

OBJECTIVE The current study examined how sociodemographic, psychological, physical and social support variables predict participation in formal support services. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SETTING Participants were recruited from oncology clinics, cancer specialist clinics and cancer support groups. PARTICIPANTS Seventy-six men living outside major Australian cities, the majority with prostate cancer (n=55). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Participants completed the Brief Symptom Inventory, the List of Physical Complaints, the Social Support Subscale of the Coping Resources Inventory and questionnaires related to levels of awareness of, and participation in support services. RESULTS Most (82%) of the men were aware of at least one formal service offering emotional support, and 49% of the men had used such a service. Telephone- and Internet-based services were the most used type of support. The only predictor of participation in a formal service was lower age. CONCLUSIONS Use of a support service was not predicted by psychological or physical symptoms, levels of social support or distance from service centres. Attitudes to different types of services, and support services in general, might be more predictive of actual use. The current findings point to the potential of telephone- and Internet-based support as an acceptable means of formal support for rural and regional men who experience cancer-related distress.
An Evaluation of Imitation Recognition Abilities in Typically Developing Children and Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Previous work has indicated that both typically developing children and children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) display a range of imitation recognition behaviors in response to a contingent adult imitator. However, it is unknown how the two groups perform comparatively on this construct. In this study, imitation recognition behaviors for children with ASD and typically developing children were observed during periods of contingent imitation imbedded in a naturalistic imitation task. Results from this study indicate that children with ASD are impaired in their ability to recognize being imitated relative to typically developing peers as demonstrated both by behaviors representing basic social attention and more mature imitation recognition. Display of imitation recognition behaviors was independent of length of contingent imitation period in typically developing children, but rate of engagement in imitation recognition behaviors was positively correlated with length of contingent imitation period in children with ASD. Exploratory findings also suggest a link between the ability to demonstrate recognition of being imitated and ASD symptom severity, language, and object imitation for young children with ASD. Autism Res 2015, 8: 442–453. © 2015 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Clinical use of proton-pump inhibitors but not H2-blockers or antacid/alginates raises the serum levels of amidated gastrin-17, pepsinogen I and pepsinogen II in a random adult population

Objective. Proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs), H2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs) and antacids/alginates reduce intragastric acidity and may thus influence normal gastric physiology. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of these compounds on serum levels of amidated gastrin-17 (G-17) and pepsinogens (PGI & PGII) in a large, random, adult Swedish population sample with uninfected stomach mucosa. Material and methods. The initial sample subjects (n=1000, mean age 50 years, range 20–80 years) completed a questionnaire on the use of acid inhibitory drugs 1 week and/or 3 months before study entry. All subjects (n=590) with normal gastric mucosa as delineated by serum biomarkers were included. Among them, serum levels of PGI, PGII and G-17 were compared between those who used acid inhibitory drugs and those who did not. Results. The serum levels of G-17 or pepsinogens in the subjects who reported use of H2RAs (n=18) or antacid/alginates (n=66) during the previous 3 months did not differ from those in non-users (n=471). However, the median levels of G-17 and pepsinogens were significantly (p<0.001) higher among the PPI users (n=35) than among non-users: the levels were approximately doubled. The ratio of PGI/PGII was, however, similar between PPI users and non-users, or those using antacids/alginates or H2RAs. Among subjects using PPIs, the serum levels of pepsinogens correlated positively (p<0.01) with the serum levels of G-17. Conclusions. PPIs but not antacids/alginates or H2RAs markedly increase the fasting levels of serum amidated G-17 and pepsinogens among ordinary patients in everyday clinical practice.
Visual and Vestibular Induced Eye Movements in Verbal Children and Adults with Autism

This study assessed the functionality of vestibular, pursuit, and saccade circuitry in autism across a wide age range. Subjects were 79 individuals with autism (AUT) and 62 controls (CON) aged 5 to 52 years with IQ scores > 70. For vestibular testing, earth‐vertical axis rotation was performed in darkness and in a lighted visual surround with a fixation target. Ocular motor testing included assessment of horizontal saccades and horizontal smooth pursuit. No between‐group differences were found in vestibular reflexes or in mean saccade velocity or accuracy. Saccade latency was increased in the AUT group with significant age‐related effects in the 8–18 year old subgroups. There was a trend toward decreased pursuit gain without age effects. Normal vestibular‐induced eye movements and normal saccade accuracy and velocity provide the most substantial evidence to date of the functional integrity of brainstem and cerebellar pathways in autism, suggesting that the histopathological abnormalities described in these structures may not be associated with intrinsic dysfunction but rather reflect developmental alterations related to forebrain cortical systems formation. Increased saccade latency with age effects adds to the extensive existing evidence of altered function and maturation of cortical systems in autism. Autism Res 2015, 8: 658–667. © 2015 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Capsule retention: A feared complication of wireless capsule endoscopy

Wireless capsule endoscopy is a simple, non-invasive technique for the visualization of the entire small bowel. It was introduced in clinical praxis in 2001 and has already become the method of choice for the investigation of small-bowel pathology. Capsule retention is a major complication, with an overall incidence of 1–2%, although reported rates vary widely from 0% to 21%, depending on the indication for the examination. This complication can occur at any level of the gastrointestinal tract and in most cases runs asymptomatically. However, symptomatic bowel obstruction requiring surgical or endoscopic removal of the impacted capsule can occur. Rarely, capsule retention can lead to intestinal perforation. Despite several years of experience with wireless capsule endoscopy, there is up to the present no safe means of predicting capsule retention. Radiological studies have a low diagnostic yield and tend to underestimate or overestimate small-bowel strictures. The role of the new generation patency capsule (Agile patency capsule) needs to be further documented. The experts agree that obtaining a careful history is perhaps the best single method to detect the possibility of retention.
White matter volume in the brainstem and inferior parietal lobule is related to motor performance in children with autism spectrum disorder: A voxel‐based morphometry study

Many studies have reported poor motor performance in autism spectrum disorder (ASD); however, the underlying brain mechanisms remain unclear. Recent neuroimaging studies have suggested that abnormalities of the white matter (WM) are related to the features of ASD. In this study, we used voxel‐based morphometry (VBM) to investigate which WM regions correlate with motor performance in children with ASD, and whether the WM volume in those brain regions differed between children with ASD and typically developing (TD) children. The subjects included 19 children with ASD and 20 TD controls. Motor performance was assessed using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children 2 (M‐ABC 2). Children with ASD showed poorer motor performance than did the controls. There was a significant positive correlation between the total test score on the M‐ABC 2 and the volume of WM in the brainstem and WM adjacent to the left supramarginal gyrus (SMG). In addition, compared with the TD controls, children with ASD had a decreased volume of WM in the brainstem and adjacent to the left intraparietal sulcus, which is close to the SMG. These findings suggest that structural changes in the WM in the brainstem and left inferior parietal lobule may contribute to poor motor performance in children with ASD. Autism Res 2016, 9: 981–992. © 2016 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Determinants of Function and Disability in Neck Patients Referred to a Specialized Outpatient Clinic

Aim/Objectives/BackgroundConsiderable attention has been paid to assessing the risk factors for the development of disability following neck pain (NP) in the general population, but we still lack knowledge regarding disability in NP patients referred to a specialist level of care. This study investigated the associations among the socio-demographic characteristics, work ability, self-reported pain, emotional distress, fear of movement and disability of NP patients referred to a specialised neck and back outpatient clinic. In total, 221 patients participated in this cross-sectional study, which was conducted from December 2007 to December 2009. MethodsThe associations between demographics, pain reports, emotional distress, fear of movement and the self-reported disability of NP were investigated by correlation and regression analyses.The pain intensity was assessed using the numeric rating scale (NRS), the pain distribution was assessed by the number of pain areas drawn, emotional distress was assessed by the Hopkins Symptom Checklist version 25 (HSCL-25), and the fear of movement was assessed by the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK). The self-rated disability was assessed using the Neck Disability Index (NDI). ResultsThe mean NDI score was 41.9 (SD, 16). According to the multiple regression analysis, emotional distress explained 37% of the variance in the NDI, the pain intensity 12%, and the pain distribution and the fear of movement accounted for 4%. The pain intensity and emotional distress were the strongest individual explanatory variables (&bgr;-values: 0.36 [95% CI, 1.96-3.56] and 0.33 [95% CI, 0.24-0.51], respectively). Conclusions:These results suggest that emotion should be considered in any assessment of patients with chronic NP and targeting emotional factors should be an integral part of treatment strategies.
Exploring ‘The autisms’ at a cognitive level

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Adherence and quality of care in IBD

Abstract Objective: In inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), adherence to both medical treatment and other aspects of care has a substantial impact on the course of the disease. Most studies of medical adherence have reported that 30–45% of patients with IBD were non-adherent. Our study aimed to investigate the different aspects of adherence and to identify predictors of non-adherence, including the quality of care, for outpatients with IBD. Materials and methods: An anonymous electronic questionnaire was used to investigate different aspects of adherence, the quality of care, patient involvement and shared decision making among 377 IBD outpatients. Results: Three hundred (80%) filled in the questionnaire. The overall adherence rate was 93%. Young age (< 35 years old) and smoking were significantly associated with non-adherence (prevalence odds ratio (POR) 2.98, 95% CI 1.04–8.52, p < 0.05 and POR 3.88, 95% CI 1.36–11.05, p < 0.05, respectively). The lowest medical adherence rates were found for 5-ASA and topical treatments among patients with inactive disease. A large majority of patients stated that treatment strategies were agreed upon as a shared decision between the patient and the health care professionals. Conclusions: Predictors for non-adherence were young age and smoking. High adherence rates could be explained by a high patient satisfaction and a high degree of shared decision making.
Context processing in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: How complex could it be?

The ability of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to process context has long been debated: According to the Weak Central Coherence theory, ASD is characterized by poor global processing, and consequently—poor context processing. In contrast, the Social Cognition theory argues individuals with ASD will present difficulties only in social context processing. The complexity theory of autism suggests context processing in ASD will depend on task complexity. The current study examined this controversy through two priming tasks, one presenting human stimuli (facial expressions) and the other presenting non‐human stimuli (animal faces). Both tasks presented visual targets, preceded by congruent, incongruent, or neutral auditory primes. Local and global processing were examined by presenting the visual targets in three spatial frequency conditions: High frequency, low frequency, and broadband. Tasks were administered to 16 adolescents with high functioning ASD and 16 matched typically developing adolescents. Reaction time and accuracy were measured for each task in each condition. Results indicated that individuals with ASD processed context for both human and non‐human stimuli, except in one condition, in which human stimuli had to be processed globally (i.e., target presented in low frequency). The task demands presented in this condition, and the performance deficit shown in the ASD group as a result, could be understood in terms of cognitive overload. These findings provide support for the complexity theory of autism and extend it. Our results also demonstrate how associative priming could support intact context processing of human and non‐human stimuli in individuals with ASD. Autism Res 2017, 10: 520–530. © 2016 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Prenatal stress exposure, oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) methylation, and child autistic traits: The moderating role of OXTR rs53576 genotype

Findings of studies investigating OXTR SNP rs53576 (G‐A) variation in social behavior have been inconsistent, possibly because DNA methylation after stress exposure was eliminated from consideration. Our goal was to examine OXTR rs53576 allele‐specific sensitivity for neonatal OXTR DNA methylation in relation to (1) a prenatal maternal stress composite, and (2) child autistic traits. Prospective data from fetal life to age 6 years were collected in a total of 743 children participating in the Generation R Study. Prenatal maternal stress exposure was uniquely associated with child autistic traits but was unrelated to OXTR methylation across both OXTR rs53576 G‐allele homozygous children and A‐allele carriers. For child autistic traits in general and social communication problems in particular, we observed a significant OXTR rs53576 genotype by OXTR methylation interaction in the absence of main effects, suggesting that opposing effects cancelled each other out. Indeed, OXTR methylation levels were positively associated with social problems for OXTR rs53576 G‐allele homozygous children but not for A‐allele carriers. These results highlight the importance of incorporating epi‐allelic information and support the role of OXTR methylation in child autistic traits. Autism Res 2017, 10: 430–438. © 2016 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Cardioprotection during Diabetes: The Role of Mitochondrial DNA

Background:Diabetes alters mitochondrial bioenergetics and consequently disrupts cardioprotective signaling. The authors investigated whether mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) modulates anesthetic preconditioning (APC) and cardiac susceptibility to ischemia–reperfusion injury by using two strains of rats, both sharing nuclear genome of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DN) rats and having distinct mitochondrial genomes of Wistar and fawn-hooded hypertensive (FHH) rat strains (T2DNmtWistar and T2DNmtFHH, respectively). Methods:Myocardial infarct size was measured in Wistar, T2DNmtWistar, and T2DNmtFHH rats with or without APC (1.4% isoflurane) in the presence or absence of antioxidant N-acetylcysteine. Flavoprotein fluorescence intensity, a marker of mitochondrial redox state, 5-(and-6)-chloromethyl-2’,7’-dichlorofluorescein fluorescence intensity, a marker of reactive oxygen species generation, and mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening were assessed in isolated rat ventricular cardiomyocytes with or without isoflurane (0.5 mmol/l). Results:Myocardial infarct size was decreased by APC in Wistar and T2DNmtWistar rats (to 42 ± 6%, n = 8; and 44 ± 7%, n = 8; of risk area, respectively) compared with their respective controls (60 ± 3%, n = 6; and 59 ± 9%, n = 7), but not in T2DNmtFHH rats (60 ± 2%, n = 8). N-acetylcysteine applied during isoflurane treatment restored APC in T2DNmtFHH (39 ± 6%, n = 7; and 38 ± 5%, n = 7; 150 and 75 mg/kg N-acetylcysteine, respectively), but abolished protection in control rats (54 ± 8%, n = 6). Similar to the data on infarct size, APC delayed mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening in T2DNmtWistar but not in T2DNmtFHH cardiomyocytes. Isoflurane increased flavoprotein and 5-(and-6)-chloromethyl-2’,7’-dichlorofluorescein fluorescence intensity in all rat strains, with the greatest effect in T2DNmtFHH cardiomyocytes. Conclusion:Differences in the mitochondrial genome modulate isoflurane-induced generation of reactive oxygen species which translates into differential susceptibility to APC and ischemia–reperfusion injury in diabetic rats.
The salience of the self: Self‐referential processing and internalizing problems in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder

Children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) demonstrate atypical processing of, and memory for, self‐referenced information, which may contribute to the heightened rates of co‐occurring internalizing problems. We assessed affective and cognitive aspects of self‐referential processing in verbally‐fluent children with ASD (N = 79), and an age‐matched comparison sample (COM, N = 73) of children without an autism diagnosis. We examined group differences in these two aspects of the self‐system, and their joint contributions to individual differnces in internalizing problems. Using a self‐referenced memory (SRM) task, participants indicated whether a series of positive and negative trait adjectives described themselves and a well‐known fictional character. Participants were then surprised with a recognition memory test on the same adjectives. Overall, individuals with ASD showed a reduction in the extent to which they preferentially endorsed positive over negative trait adjectives about themselves, and a reduction in their preferential memory for self‐ over other‐referenced information. Across the full sample, these two aspects of self‐referential processing jointly predicted self‐reported internalizing problems. Specifically, self‐evaluations were strongly and inversely associated with internalizing problems but only for children with relatively high SRM. These findings suggest that the salience of the self influences the extent to which affective self‐evaluations impact emotional functioning for youth both with and without ASD. Implications for basic (e.g., developmental) and translational (e.g., intervention) research are discussed. Autism Res 2017, 10: 949–960. © 2016 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.