Article
Psychology, Developmental
Jane D. McLeod, Amelia Hawbaker, Emily Meanwell
Summary: Research using data from an online survey of undergraduate students at 14 colleges and universities found that students with autism reported poorer self-rated physical and mental health, more depressive symptoms, and more symptoms of anxiety compared to other students, even when controlling for other disabilities. However, students with autism were also less likely to report sleep deprivation and binge drinking. These results emphasize the need for specialized services to address the unique physical and mental health challenges faced by college students on the autism spectrum.
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Sohyun An Kim, Lauren Baczewski, Maria Pizzano, Connie Kasari, Alexandra Sturm
Summary: This study examines the experiences of autistic and non-autistic college students in terms of discrimination and harassment, and identifies protective and risk factors. The findings suggest that faculty support is important in combating discrimination and harassment, regardless of autism status. Habits of mind are particularly helpful for autistic students in dealing with harassment.
JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Pamela Vernocchi, Maria Vittoria Ristori, Silvia Guerrera, Valerio Guarrasi, Federica Conte, Alessandra Russo, Elisabetta Lupi, Sami Albitar-Nehme, Simone Gardini, Paola Paci, Gianluca Ianiro, Stefano Vicari, Antonio Gasbarrini, Lorenza Putignani
Summary: This study investigated the relationship between gut microbiota and the central nervous system in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). The findings showed significant differences in microbiota characteristics between ASD patients and typical children, influenced by gastrointestinal symptoms and dietary habits.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Xin-Jie Xu, Ji-Dong Lang, Jun Yang, Bo Long, Xu-Dong Liu, Xiao-Feng Zeng, Geng Tian, Xin You
Summary: This study found altered immune function and gut microbiota in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), and the severity of autistic symptoms was higher in the high IFN-gamma group. Analysis of gut microbiota revealed overrepresentation of certain bacterial species and underrepresentation of others in the high IFN-gamma group. The results suggest that IFN-gamma level could serve as a potential biomarker to subtype ASD individuals and understanding the associations among immune function, gut microbiota, and metabolism abnormalities could lead to personalized biomedical treatment for ASD.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Microbiology
Maude M. David
Summary: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex disorder influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Studies have suggested a role of the gut microbiome in modulating ASD phenotype, but results remain inconsistent. Future research will require new experimental methodologies to better understand this relationship.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Fang Ye, Xinying Gao, Zhiyi Wang, Shuman Cao, Guangcai Liang, Danni He, Zhitang Lv, Liming Wang, Pengfei Xu, Qi Zhang
Summary: Significant differences in the composition of the gut microbiome were observed between boys with ASD and neurotypical controls in this study, contributing to the understanding of gut microbiome alterations in ASD patients and opening up the possibility for early identification of the disease.
SYNTHETIC AND SYSTEMS BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Georgia Saxami, Evdokia K. Mitsou, Evangelia N. Kerezoudi, Ioanna Mavrouli, Marigoula Vlassopoulou, Georgios Koutrotsios, Konstantinos C. Mountzouris, Georgios I. Zervakis, Adamantini Kyriacou
Summary: This study evaluates the effects of edible mushrooms and prebiotics on the gut microbiota and metabolite production of children with ASD and neurotypical children. The results show that neurotypical children have higher levels of Prevotella spp. and Bifidobacterium spp. compared to children with ASD. Fermentation of Pleurotus eryngii and P. ostreatus mushroom powder increases the levels of Bifidobacterium, while known prebiotics increase the levels of total bacteria and Bacteroides in both groups. Only P. eryngii mushrooms significantly elevate the levels of total bacteria, Bacteroides, and Feacalibacterium prausnitzii in the ASD group. Both mushrooms induce elevated levels of butyrate, while short-chain fructooligosaccharides increase the levels of acetate in the ASD group. Overall, this study highlights the positive effect of edible mushrooms on the gut microbiota and metabolic activity of children with ASD.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Orsolya Kiss, Katalin Olah, Lili Julia Feher, Jozsef Topal
Summary: The study found that children tend to categorize fellow humans based on transient features rather than permanent features, while they are more likely to categorize dogs based on permanent features.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
James P. Trujillo, Asli Ozyurek, Cornelis C. Kan, Irina Sheftel-Simanova, Harold Bekkering
Summary: Persons with autism and neurotypical individuals process sensory information differently, which directly affects social functioning and communication abilities. This study used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the organization of the action observation network in autistic and neurotypical individuals during a silent gesture recognition task. The results revealed that autistic individuals have a more clustered and locally-oriented network configuration, while neurotypicals exhibit a more integrated network organization. These findings shed light on the complex interplay between social and sensory processing in autism.
SOCIAL COGNITIVE AND AFFECTIVE NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Shasha An, Zhiping Zhen, Shijiao Wang, Mingze Sang, Shuai Zhang
Summary: This study found that early load swimming can significantly reduce stereotyped and anxious behaviors in rats with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), improve their muscle strength and intestinal structure. The abundance of intestinal microbiota also changed, with certain species showing significant changes.
MOLECULAR NEUROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Nutrition & Dietetics
Joao Victor S. Rodrigues, Maria Clara F. Poli, Pedro H. Petrilli, Rita Cassia M. Dornelles, Karina H. Turcio, Leticia H. Theodoro
Summary: The aim of this systematic review was to find clearer evidence on the relationship between food selectivity or food neophobia (FN) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children. The results showed that children with ASD are more selective than those with neurotypical development (NTD), but only half of the studies found higher levels of FN in the ASD group. This highlights the need for studies comparing FN between siblings with ASD and those with NTD in the same family nucleus, and atypical oral sensitivity seems to be the sensory characteristic most related to eating disorders.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Mingxing Lou, Aihua Cao, Cuiyuan Jin, Kai Mi, Xiyue Xiong, Zhaoyang Zeng, Xu Pan, Jinlong Qie, Shangfeng Qiu, Yaofang Niu, Hao Liang, Yanping Liu, Lin Chen, Zhi Liu, Qing Zhao, Xiyan Qiu, Yuanxiang Jin, Xiaoqi Sheng, Zhibin Hu, Gulei Jin, Jingshi Liu, Xingyin Liu, Yichao Wang
Summary: Recent studies have revealed the developmental characteristics of gut microbiota in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), showing a distinct and progressive deviation in microbiota development, as well as extensive microbial changes before the age of 3.
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Marta Mondellini, Pooja Prajod, Matteo Lavit Nicora, Mattia Chiappini, Ettore Micheletti, Fabio Alexander Storm, Rocco Vertechy, Elisabeth Andre, Matteo Malosio
Summary: In Industry 4.0, collaborative tasks involving operators and collaborative robots in shared workspaces are common. This study examined behavioral patterns in neurotypical and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) operators during an assembly task, and found significant differences in behavior, task adaptation, and overall performance. These findings highlight the need for tailored working experiences based on the characteristics of the end-users.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Nutrition & Dietetics
Jose Enrique de la Rubia Orti, Costanza Moneti, Pilar Serrano-Ballesteros, Gloria Castellano, Raquel Bayona-Babiloni, Ana Belen Carriqui-Suarez, Maria Motos-Munoz, Belen Proano, Maria Benlloch
Summary: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by social interaction and communication difficulties. These deficits are associated with changes in intestinal microbiota composition and metabolism. EGCG has been shown to inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria and increase the abundance of beneficial bacteria in individuals with ASD. EGCG can improve epithelial integrity and brain function, making it a promising complementary treatment for ASD.
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Marisa Nagano, Emily Zane, Ruth B. Grossman
Summary: This study found that both children and adolescents with autism and their neurotypical peers are influenced by contextual information when interpreting third-person pronouns, despite differences in their looking patterns. Both groups were able to use discourse information to influence the pronoun interpretation process.
JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Tomasz Kotwicki, Marek Tomaszewski, Miroslaw Andrusiewicz, Aleksandra Sliwa, Blazej Rusin, Malgorzata Kotwicka
Summary: This study aimed to detect the presence and assess the expression levels of estrogen receptors type 1 and type 2 in paravertebral skeletal muscles of female patients with idiopathic scoliosis and evaluate their relationship with phenotype parameters. The results showed that both receptors were present in the muscles, with higher expression levels and asymmetry in deep muscles. The asymmetry was related to the severity and risk of deformity deterioration. These findings provide insights into the etiopathogenesis of idiopathic scoliosis in children.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Piotr Janusz, Malgorzata Toklowicz, Miroslaw Andrusiewicz, Malgorzata Kotwicka, Tomasz Kotwicki
Summary: This study evaluates the methylation level of LBX1 in deep paravertebral muscles and its association with idiopathic scoliosis (IS) occurrence and severity. The results show that LBX1 promoter methylation is associated with IS severity, with higher methylation levels found at the convex side of severe scoliosis. This suggests the involvement of locally acting factors in the progression of IS.
Article
Oncology
Monika Englert-Golon, Malgorzata Toklowicz, Aleksandra Zbikowska, Stefan Sajdak, Malgorzata Kotwicka, Miroslaw Andrusiewicz
Summary: Ovarian cancer has the highest mortality rate among gynecological malignancies. Our study found that changes in gene expression levels of hypoxia-inducible factors and vascular endothelial growth factor have prognostic importance for patients with ovarian cancer. These findings may help identify participants for clinical trials aimed at treating ovarian cancer.
Article
Cell Biology
Izabela Skibinska, Miroslaw Andrusiewicz, Magdalena Jendraszak, Aleksandra Zbikowska, Piotr Jedrzejczak, Malgorzata Kotwicka
Summary: Sperm cells are affected by estrogens and xenoestrogens, and their hormonal compounds may act on sperm in a non-genomic mechanism. This study found that the gene expression of estrogen receptors (ESR1 and ESR2) and their coregulators (PELP1 and SRC) play important roles in semen quality. The findings contribute to a better understanding of sperm biology and quality.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Magdalena Jendraszak, Miroslawa Galecka, Malgorzata Kotwicka, Andreas Schwiertz, Aleksandra Regdos, Michalina Pazgrat-Patan, Miroslaw Andrusiewicz
Summary: Alterations to the intestinal barrier may be involved in the pathogenesis of various chronic diseases. The diagnosis of mucosal barrier disruption has become a new therapeutic target for disease prevention. The study aimed to determine whether different patient demographic and biometric data may affect biomarker values. The results showed that participants declaring probiotics supplementation had lower sIgA level, and there were significant differences in sIgA level between different age groups and correlations between gut microbiota composition and biomarker levels.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Izabela Skibinska, Miroslaw Andrusiewicz, Magdalena Jendraszak, Aleksandra Zbikowska, Czeslaw Zaba, Malgorzata Kotwicka
Summary: This study suggests a possible relationship between PELP1, SRC, and ESR1 in the human testis and epididymis. It makes a valuable contribution to the field of estrogen-mediated pathways in the male reproductive tract and describes trends of analyzed genes' expression and presence. The results may open some new research directions in the study of estrogen signaling in the male reproductive system.
ACTA BIOCHIMICA POLONICA
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Malgorzata Toklowicz, Aleksandra Zbikowska, Piotr Janusz, Tomasz Kotwicki, Miroslaw Andrusiewicz, Malgorzata Kotwicka
Summary: miRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression by targeting messenger RNA. Assessing the stability of reference genes in muscle tissue is crucial for obtaining reliable miRNA evaluation results.
BIOMEDICINE & PHARMACOTHERAPY
(2023)
Review
Oncology
Aleksandra Derwich, Monika Sykutera, Barbara Brominska, Miroslaw Andrusiewicz, Marek Ruchala, Nadia Sawicka-Gutaj
Summary: This review investigates the expression of mTOR gene and protein in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) and their relationship with PTC risk and clinical outcome. It also reviews the use of mTOR inhibitors and potential targeted therapies in PTC. The results of previous studies are summarized, and future research directions are suggested.
Article
Cell Biology
Karolina Iwona Kulinska, Sandra Szalkowska, Miroslaw Andrusiewicz, Malgorzata Kotwicka, Hanna Billert
Summary: There are immunological consequences to the method by which neutrophils undergo cell death. Neutrophil apoptosis, called silent death, leads to the resolution of inflammation, while NETosis deepens and prolongs the inflammatory response and is associated with a worse prognosis of severe infections, e.g., sepsis. Lidocaine and ropivacaine have different effects on neutrophil death and NETosis, which may impact the development of inflammation and the prognosis of the disease.
