Article
Neurosciences
Zachary Jacokes, Allison Jack, Catherine A. W. Sullivan, Elizabeth Aylward, Susan Y. Bookheimer, Mirella Dapretto, Raphael A. Bernier, Daniel H. Geschwind, Denis G. Sukhodolsky, James C. McPartland, Sara J. Webb, Carinna M. Torgerson, Jeffrey Eilbott, Lauren Kenworthy, Kevin A. Pelphrey, John D. Van Horn
Summary: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental condition characterized by social and communication differences that affects 1-in-44 children in the United States. The diagnostic disparity between males and females with ASD may be due to biological predisposition or limitations in diagnostic tools. The 'female protective effect' hypothesis suggests that females are biologically more resistant to the autism phenotype than males.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Bei Zhang, Xiaoyuan Hu, Yuefei Li, Yongkang Ni, Lin Xue
Summary: The study identified key genes and methylation markers for possible diagnostic markers for ASD, which may contribute to new clinical and drug treatments for ASD.
METABOLIC BRAIN DISEASE
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Ji Su Hong, Vini Singh, Luke Kalb, Ahlam Ashkar, Rebecca Landa
Summary: The study aimed to examine the clinical validity of the ADOS-2 Toddler Module, with findings showing alignment with clinicians' determination of ASD and confirming the clinical validity of the module. Optimal cut-off scores identified in the study align with prior research results, suggesting reliability of the ADOS-2 Toddler Module for diagnosing ASD in toddlers.
Review
Behavioral Sciences
Dominique B. Cleary, Murray T. Maybery, Cherie Green, Andrew J. O. Whitehouse
Summary: There is strong evidence that behavioral signs of autism spectrum conditions emerge during the first two years of life. Early identification of developmental differences may lead to earlier intervention and better long-term outcomes. A systematic review of studies examining behavioral markers at 0-6 months found some evidence of attention and motor behaviors associated with later autism diagnosis, but inconsistent findings regarding social and communication behaviors.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Riccardo Fusaroli, Ruth Grossman, Niels Bilenberg, Cathriona Cantio, Jens Richardt Mollegaard Jepsen, Ethan Weed
Summary: This study investigates the acoustic atypicalities in speech production in children and adolescents with ASD compared to neurotypical individuals. It identifies a minimal acoustic profile for ASD, including higher pitch, longer pauses, increased hoarseness, and creakiness of voice, with individual variability based on age, gender, language, and clinical characteristics. Future research directions include larger and more diverse datasets, focus on heterogeneity, self-critical cumulative approaches, and open science.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Masud Rabbani, Munirul M. Haque, Dipranjan Das Dipal, Md Ishrak Islam Zarif, Anik Iqbal, Amy Schwichtenberg, Naveen Bansal, Tanjir Rashid Soron, Syed Ishtiaque Ahmed, Sheikh Iqbal Ahamed
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the behavioral patterns of children with ASD during and after the COVID-19 lockdown, and found that support in the areas of problematic behavior could mitigate future risks.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Review
Health Care Sciences & Services
Daniel A. Rossignol, Richard E. Frye
Summary: Research suggests that B12 treatment, particularly subcutaneous injected methylcobalamin, may improve metabolic abnormalities and clinical symptoms in individuals with ASD, such as communication skills, daily living abilities, and social skills. Further large-scale placebo-controlled studies are needed to confirm these findings.
JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Matthias Koenning, Xianlong Wang, Menuka Karki, Rahul Kumar Jangid, Sarah Kearns, Durga Nand Tripathi, Michael Cianfrocco, Kristen J. Verhey, Sung Yun Jung, Cristian Coarfa, Christopher Scott Ward, Brian Thomas Kalish, Sandra L. Grimm, W. Kimryn Rathmell, Ricardo Mostany, Ruhee Dere, Matthew Neil Rasband, Cheryl Lyn Walker, In Young Park
Summary: Research has found that defects in chromatin remodeller genes play a major role in autism spectrum disorder, causing methylation of microtubules and resulting in functional and structural deficits in neurons.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Andrea Stoccoro, Eugenia Conti, Elena Scaffei, Sara Calderoni, Fabio Coppede, Lucia Migliore, Roberta Battini
Summary: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition with unknown causes. Epigenetic mechanisms, specifically DNA methylation, may play a role in ASD pathogenesis. This systematic review aimed to investigate the clinical application of DNA methylation in children with ASD, with potential as a biomarker. The results suggest that peripheral DNA methylation could be a promising methodology in ASD research, but further studies are needed to develop clinical applications.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Nicholas E. Fears, Stephanie A. Palmer, Haylie L. Miller
Summary: It is well-documented that autistic individuals have lower adaptive behavior scores compared to their intelligence scores, and motor skills may explain the variability in their adaptive behavior. This study found that motor skills, particularly hand coordination, were associated with adaptive behavior in autistic children and adolescents. Further understanding of the impact of motor skills on adaptive behavior is needed to provide effective support.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Chuanchuan Wang, Weixuan Chen, Yishan Jiang, Xiao Xiao, Qianhui Zou, Jiarui Liang, Yu Zhao, Qianxu Wang, Tian Yuan, Rui Guo, Xuebo Liu, Zhigang Liu
Summary: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) symptoms may be improved through modulation of gut microbiota. This study investigated the effects of a synbiotic treatment on an ASD-like mouse model, and found that it rectified social impairments, attenuated inflammatory cytokine expressions, protected gut barrier integrity, and altered gut microbiota composition. The synbiotic treatment elevated beneficial metabolites and upregulated genes associated with their synthesis. Overall, the synbiotic combination mitigated ASD-related social impairments through regulation of the gut-brain axis.
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
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Matthew Scott Schrier, Yiting Zhang, Malav Suchin Trivedi, Richard Carlton Deth
Summary: A study found that the Nrf2 gene (NFE2L2) was downregulated in the frontal cortex of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), along with differences in other genes involved in redox homeostasis. Additionally, methylcobalamin(III) (MeCbl) and total cobalamin abundance were positively correlated with NFE2L2 expression, while hydroxocobalamin(III) (OHCbl) showed a negative correlation. These findings highlight a dysfunctional relationship between the antioxidant-promoting role of Nrf2 and cobalamin status in ASD.
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Allison R. Hickman, Bradley Selee, Rini Pauly, Benafsh Husain, Yuqing Hang, Frank Alex Feltus
Summary: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by challenges in social communication as well as repetitive or restrictive behaviors. Genetic associations with ASD have been identified, but mostly in a small fraction of the ASD population. This study found several DNA variants associated with ASD that showed significant allele distribution differences and regulation of gene expression in the brain. These eQTLs could serve as biomarkers to control the diverse phenotypic traits observed in ASD-affected individuals.
JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Jifeng Wang, Yuan Cao, Weiliang Hou, Dexi Bi, Fang Yin, Yaohui Gao, Dengfeng Huang, Yingying Li, Zhan Cao, Yinmei Yan, Jianhua Zhao, Dewu Kong, Xiaoqiong Lv, Linsheng Huang, Hui Zhong, Chunyan Wu, Qiyi Chen, Rong Yang, Qing Wei, Huanlong Qin
Summary: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex behavioral disorder characterized by difficulties in social interaction, restricted verbal communication, and repetitive behaviors. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a safe and efficient strategy to adjust gut microbiota dysbiosis and improve ASD-related behavioral symptoms, but its mechanism is still unknown. Understanding the impact of microbiota on ASD development is crucial for developing new therapeutic strategies.
TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Yiqun Liu, Yiwei He, Shumao Li, Zhenghui Dong, Junping Zhang, Uwe Kruger
Summary: This study examines how to automate the determination of coagulant dosage for water treatment plants. By surveying existing coagulant prediction methods and utilizing an auto-adjustable and time-consistent model, the algorithm introduced in this article shows better accuracy for predicting coagulant dosage. Additionally, taking seasonal effects into account can approximate operator behavior more accurately.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON SYSTEMS MAN CYBERNETICS-SYSTEMS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Gloria A. Buitimea-Ceron, Juergen Hahn, Nancy Medina-Herrera, Arturo Jimenez-Gutierrez, Jose A. Loredo-Medrano, Salvador Tututi-Avila
Summary: Dividing-wall columns (DWCs) are intensified processes that have attracted attention for their cost reduction compared to traditional distillation systems. This paper studied three widely used design methodologies for DWCs, comparing and rating them against minimum total annual costs, with the modified Sotudeh and Shahraki's method found to be the most efficient.
Article
Sport Sciences
Hamish A. Kerr, Eric H. Ledet, Juergen Hahn, Kathryn Hollowood-Jones
Summary: A multimodal algorithm using cognitive testing, postural stability, and clinical assessment was developed to predict return to sports after sports-related concussion (SRC). The algorithm showed promising results in discriminating between athletes ready to return to sports and those who were not, with an acceptable sensitivity and specificity.
SPORTS HEALTH-A MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH
(2022)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Genevieve Grivas, Richard Frye, Juergen Hahn
Summary: A retrospective analysis of administrative claims in the US identified significant relationships between certain maternal medical events during pregnancy and the child's diagnosis of ASD. Factors such as having a biological sibling with ASD and maternal use of antidepressant medication were associated with an increased risk of ASD.
JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Uwe Kruger, Xun Wang, Mark J. Embrechts, Ali Almansoori, Juergen Hahn
Summary: This article introduces a regularized modeling technique for estimating uncertainty in operational data. By utilizing hypothesis testing and an efficient objective function, the technique outperforms existing methods and can be embedded within an advanced process analytics framework.
CONTROL ENGINEERING PRACTICE
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Derek W. Nelson, Devan L. Puhl, Jessica L. Funnell, Uwe Kruger, Ryan J. Gilbert
Summary: This study investigates the effects of aligned topographies on the relationships between neurite morphological features. The findings provide insights into the macroscopic scale analysis of individual neurite morphology and may contribute to the optimization of nerve guidance scaffolds.
JOURNAL OF NEURAL ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Fatir Qureshi, James B. Adams, Tapan Audhya, Juergen Hahn
Summary: Statistical and machine-learning techniques show promise in providing insights into unique metabolomic patterns in individuals with ASD. This study re-examines the differences in metabolomic and nutrient measurements between children with ASD and typically developing peers using multivariate statistical analysis. The findings support prior work and highlight prominent areas of divergence between the two groups. Improved analysis reveals significant differences in 46 nutritional/metabolic measurements between ASD and TD groups, with strong correlations between many of these measurements. Multivariate techniques identify potential biomarker panels that can accurately discriminate between ASD and TD, with high predictive accuracy following cross-validation. The study also confirms previously identified physiological pathways and important metabolites associated with ASD.
JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Fatir Qureshi, Juergen Hahn
Summary: Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder that impairs social and communication skills. Due to the heterogeneity of the disorder, little is known about its pathophysiology. Currently, diagnosis is based solely on behavioral assessments, as there are no available biochemical tests. However, multivariate statistical methods show potential for classification and characterization based on biochemical markers.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Joshua Chuah, Uwe Kruger, Ge Wang, Pingkun Yan, Juergen Hahn
Summary: There has been a rapid increase in the number of artificial intelligence/machine learning-based biomarker diagnostic classifiers in recent years. This paper proposes a framework to evaluate the robustness of these classifiers by assessing the variability of their performance and parameter values. The study also found that it is possible to estimate the tolerance for replacement noise in classifiers.
JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Genevieve Grivas, Richard E. Frye, Juergen Hahn
Summary: This study examines prenatal risk factors for different subgroups of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) based on co-occurring conditions (COCs). The findings suggest that each subgroup has distinct associated prenatal risk factors, supporting the importance of subgrouping children with ASD based on COCs.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Khemlal Nirmalkar, Fatir Qureshi, Dae-Wook Kang, Juergen Hahn, James B. Adams, Rosa Krajmalnik-Brown
Summary: The study showed that microbiome transfer therapy (MTT) resulted in an increase in beneficial microbes and important functional genes in children with ASD, leading to improvements in metabolic profile. However, two years post-treatment, there were significant shifts in microbiota and microbial genes, indicating long-term changes in the gut microbiome of ASD individuals. Further studies are recommended to better understand the role of specific microbes and functional gene expression in ASD.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Jennifer Ferina, Melanie Kruger, Uwe Kruger, Daniel Ryan, Conor Anderson, Jenny Foster, Theresa Hamlin, Juergen Hahn
Summary: This study explored the use of artificial intelligence models to predict behavior episodes in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). By analyzing data on co-occurring conditions and environmental factors, the models were able to accurately predict the likelihood of behavior episodes. Environmental and gastrointestinal factors were found to be significant predictors in the population studied.
JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED MEDICINE
(2023)
Proceedings Paper
Computer Science, Information Systems
Diego Machado Reyes, Mansu Kim, Hanqing Chaoh, Juergen Hahn, Li Shen, Pingkun Yan
Summary: This study introduces a novel transformer encoder-based model for classifying PD patients from healthy controls based on genotype data. The method effectively models complex global feature interactions and increases interpretability through attention scores. Results suggest novel SNP interactions for further investigation in wet lab and clinical settings.
2022 IEEE-EMBS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BIOMEDICAL AND HEALTH INFORMATICS (BHI) JOINTLY ORGANISED WITH THE IEEE-EMBS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON WEARABLE AND IMPLANTABLE BODY SENSOR NETWORKS (BSN'22)
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sean M. Quinn, Troy Vargason, Nilisha Pokhrel, Edwin Antony, Juergen Hahn, Susan P. Gilbert
Summary: The study found that in the heterodimeric KIF3AC, both KIF3A and KIF3C retain their intrinsic ATP-binding and hydrolysis kinetics, but KIF3A can activate the phosphate release rate of KIF3C, making them more similar in catalytic steps. These coupled steps are the rate-limiting transition for the ATPase cycle, suggesting that within KIF3AC, the stepping kinetics for each head are similar. Further research will focus on how these properties enable KIF3AC to achieve its physiological functions.
JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Education & Educational Research
Mengzhou Li, Lei Luo, Sujoy Sikdar, Navid Ibtehaj Nizam, Shan Gao, Hongming Shan, Melanie Kruger, Uwe Kruger, Hisham Mohamed, Lirong Xia, Ge Wang
Summary: Online education is crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic, but online exams at individual homes may lead to cheating, especially collusion. Physical proctoring is not feasible during social distancing, while online proctoring is expensive and compromises privacy. Therefore, developing an optimization-based anti-collusion approach for distanced online testing is necessary to address the issue effectively.
NPJ SCIENCE OF LEARNING
(2021)