Review
Cell Biology
Sarah N. Bradshaw, W. Ted Allison
Summary: The evolution of the vertebrate eye remains unclear, although studies on the eyes of hagfish and lamprey, the most ancient extant vertebrates, suggest similarities in eye development and retinal neurogenesis genes with jawed vertebrates. Further research on retinal neurogenesis in jawless vertebrates could provide insights into the evolutionary origins of the vertebrate eye. The unexpected finding of retinal growth in hagfish despite their degenerate eye phenotype raises questions about the mechanisms involved.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Education & Educational Research
Louisa Rosenheck, Meng-Tzu Cheng, Chen-Yen Lin, Eric Klopfer
Summary: Games can provide rich learning environments and reveal students' understanding of concepts and inquiry processes. This study explores how students make content-specific gameplay decisions in a multiplayer online game focused on high school level Mendelian genetics. By using three different approaches, the research identifies different methods used by players and provides insights into the ways students complete tasks in genetics.
ETR&D-EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
(2021)
Article
Education & Educational Research
Patricia Chen, Dennis W. H. Teo, Daniel X. Y. Foo, Holly A. Derry, Benjamin T. Hayward, Kyle W. Schulz, Caitlin Hayward, Timothy A. McKay, Desmond C. Ong
Summary: Social-psychological interventions have been effective in improving students' learning and performance. However, there is a lack of research on their effectiveness when students self-administer the interventions. This study used advanced educational technology to tailor, scale up, and track a previously-validated intervention among college students. The findings showed that students who self-administered the intervention experienced improvements in their performance.
NPJ SCIENCE OF LEARNING
(2022)
Review
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Pauline Duffuler, Khushwant S. Bhullar, Stepheny C. de Campos Zani, Jianping Wu
Summary: Food-derived bioactive peptides and protein hydrolysates have gained attention as diet-based strategies for preventing and mitigating chronic diseases, but their clinical translation is limited by a lack of understanding of their mechanisms of action and pharmacokinetics. Commercialization is also hindered by limited information on efficacy, safety, bitter taste, and cost-effective production methods.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Robert J. Gillies, Arig Ibrahim-Hashim, Bryce Ordway, Robert A. Gatenby
Summary: The dysregulated metabolism in cancer cells leads to increased acid production and accumulation of protons. This altered metabolism has evolved to maximize cancer cell fitness and promote proliferation through acidification of the microenvironment. Targeting tumor acidosis with alkalizing agents can inhibit local invasion and proliferation.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Lauren S. Wakschlag, Amy L. Finlay-Jones, Leigha A. MacNeill, Aaron J. Kaat, C. Hendricks Brown, Matthew M. Davis, Patricia Franklin, Cady Berkel, Sheila Krogh-Jespersen, Justin D. Smith
Summary: Translation of developmental science discoveries is hindered by barriers in various stages. To accelerate real world impact on children's health and development, an integrated framework combining developmental and implementation sciences, along with a translational mindset, is necessary. This approach has transformative potential for population-level impact.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Seunga Han, Haruna Suzuki-Kerr, Srdjan M. Vlajkovic, Peter R. Thorne
Summary: Purinergic signaling, mediated by extracellular purines and pyrimidines, plays important roles in regulating fundamental cellular processes in mammalian tissues. There is a fast growth in research field with increasing compounds targeting purine receptors in clinical development.
PURINERGIC SIGNALLING
(2022)
Article
Psychiatry
Ryan Turner, Krisya Louie, Ameerah Parvez, Mustapha Modaffar, Rowan Rezaie, Talya Greene, James Bisby, Peter Fonagy, Michael A. P. Bloomfield
Summary: Developmental trauma is associated with psychotic experiences, and deficits in Theory of Mind (ToM) are a candidate mechanism underlying the association between developmental trauma and psychosis.
PSYCHIATRY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nancy Elizabeth Doyle, Almuth McDowall, Raymond Randall, Kate Knight
Summary: The study introduces a new method, the Meta-Impact score, to evaluate coaching interventions with a focus on individual responses, providing a more accurate demonstration of intervention effectiveness compared to traditional group-wise comparisons.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Samuel Martineau, Ioana-Alina Cristea, Astrid Chevance, Daniele Fanelli, Florian Naudet
Summary: This descriptive study aimed to identify large clinical trials on antidepressants for mental disorders. The study assessed the proportion of trials that could be considered as 'seeding trials' and described their methodological characteristics and outcomes. The researchers found that large trials are rare in antidepressant research, and some of them could be 'seeding trials'. The study also highlighted the limited exploration of suicidality in these trials. The delay between the research and publication of the results posed challenges in identifying seeding trials.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Marcus Bendtsen
Summary: Reducing research waste and protecting research participants from unnecessary harm should be top priorities. Adopting a Bayesian sequential design can mitigate risks caused by fixed sample sizes and enable continuous evaluation to decide when to stop recruitment based on available evidence.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INTERNET RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Nicola Metrebian, Tim Weaver, Kimberley Goldsmith, Stephen Pilling, Jennifer Hellier, Andrew Pickles, James Shearer, Sarah Byford, Luke Mitcheson, Prun Bijral, Nadine Bogdan, Owen Bowden-Jones, Edward Day, John Dunn, Anthony Glasper, Emily Finch, Sam Forshall, Shabana Akhtar, Jalpa Bajaria, Carmel Bennett, Elizabeth Bishop, Vikki Charles, Clare Davey, Roopal Desai, Claire Goodfellow, Farjana Haque, Nicholas Little, Hortencia McKechnie, Franziska Mosler, Jo Morris, Julian Mutz, Ruth Pauli, Dilkushi Poovendran, Elizabeth Phillips, John Strang
Summary: This study evaluated a contingency management (CM) intervention adapted for implementation in UK drug services to promote heroin abstinence among individuals receiving opioid agonist treatment (OAT). The results showed that CM targeted at attendance was more effective than treatment as usual (TAU) in encouraging heroin abstinence, but CM targeted at abstinence did not show significant superiority. Reductions in heroin use were not sustained after discontinuation of CM.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Tae Eun Kim, Ji-Eun Chang
Summary: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a less invasive treatment modality for cancer, showing promising results in lung, head and neck, skin, prostate, and breast cancer research. Development of targeted photosensitizers to improve treatment response is a key focus in ongoing PDT research.
Review
Psychiatry
Adriana Farcas, Mackenzie Campbell, Charmaine Wong, Felicia Iftene
Summary: Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder that affects cognitive processes, emotional responsiveness, and social interactions. Befriending, a one-on-one companionship intervention, has been proposed to address social and clinical deficits in individuals with schizophrenia. However, research on the effectiveness of befriending remains limited and inconsistent.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Education, Scientific Disciplines
Tracy B. Fulton, L. James Nixon, Amy L. Wilson-Delfosse, David M. Harris, Khiet D. Ngo, Leslie H. Fall, Bridget C. O'Brien
Summary: This study uses the theory of boundary crossing to explore the experiences and impact of collaboration between basic science educators (BE) and clinical educators (CE) in creating integrated learning materials. The results show that BE and CE effectively collaborate using boundary crossing mechanisms, such as respecting diverse perspectives and expertise, and finding efficient processes for shared work.
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Shruti Garg, Ming Wai Wan, Jannath Begum-Ali, Anna Kolesnik-Taylor, Jonathan Green, Mark H. Johnson, Emily Jones, EDEN-STAARS Team
Summary: This study examines the trajectories of cognitive, motor, and behavioral development in infants with NF1. The results showed no significant group differences in cognitive and behavioral measures, but the NF1 group had less sleep and took longer to settle to sleep compared to the control group. Maternal education was associated with developmental outcomes in both groups.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Education, Special
Dominique B. Cleary, Angela Bunney, Lindy Henry, Michelle Renton, Joanna Granich, Jonathan Green, Murray T. Maybery, Andrew J. O. Whitehouse
Summary: Developmental theory and previous studies support the value of prodromal interventions for infants at risk for autism. This study evaluated the feasibility of a parent-mediated, video-aided intervention starting during pregnancy. The intervention was found to be acceptable and beneficial, with all participants reporting positive effects on their understanding of and communication with their infants. The intervention was implemented as planned with suggestions to reduce the number of antenatal sessions.
ADVANCES IN NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS
(2022)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Divya Chaudhary, Bhargav Bhat, Gemma E. Shields, Linda M. Davies, Jonathan Green, Tara Verghis, Reetabrata Roy, Divya Kumar, Minal Kakra, Vivek Vajaratkar, Gitanjali Lall, Sonakshi Pandey, Sanchita Johri, Saani Shakeel, Vikram Patel, Monica Juneja, Sheffali Gulati, Gauri Divan
Summary: The study aimed to develop a comprehensive Cost of Illness Inventory (COII) for children with autism in India to quantify the burden of illness. Through a structured and iterative design process, the final COII covers various domains including education, childcare, relocation, healthcare contacts, religious retreats, specialist equipment, workshops and training, special diet, among others.
BMC HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Psychiatry
Dinah Murray, Damian Milton, Jonathan Green, Jo Bervoets
Summary: This study conducted a shared phenomenological self-investigation of autism, revealing both commonalities and differences between autism and non-autism. By describing and recording participants' lived experiences, the results provided hypotheses for a new understanding of autism and suggested implications for further research, developmental theory, and intervention practice.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shruti Garg, Steve Williams, JeYoung Jung, Gorana Pobric, Tulika Nandi, Ben Lim, Grace Vassallo, Jonathan Green, D. Gareth Evans, Charlotte J. Stagg, Laura M. Parkes, Stavros Stivaros
Summary: This study investigates the effect of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on GABA and working memory in Neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) patients. The results show that higher GABA levels in the left Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC) are associated with faster response times in working memory tasks. tDCS can significantly reduce GABA levels and increase brain activation in the left DLPFC. However, task performance is worse during tDCS.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Review
Psychiatry
Jonathan Green
Summary: This article introduces a transactional approach to understand autistic states as an emergent property within a complex developmental system. By changing the social environment, significant, predictable, and sustained alterations in the outcome of the autistic phenotype can be achieved, challenging essentialist views and aligning with the lived experience of autistic individuals.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Jodie Smith, Lacey Chetcuti, Lyndel Kennedy, Kandice J. Varcin, Vicky Slonims, Catherine A. Bent, Jonathan Green, Teresa Iacono, Sarah Pillar, Carol Taylor, Ming Wai Wan, Andrew J. O. Whitehouse, Kristelle Hudry
Summary: This study found bidirectional effects between caregiver sensitivity and language use, as well as infant language acquisition, with a focus on the unidirectional path explored in previous research. In infants showing early signs of autism, the researchers investigated the associations between caregiver sensitivity/language input and infant language. The findings support the idea that caregiver input can be supportive of and influenced by infant capacities, especially in cases of social-communication differences or communication/language delays suggestive of emerging autism.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Lacey Chetcuti, Mirko Uljarevic, Kandice J. J. Varcin, Maryam Boutrus, Stefanie Dimov, Sarah Pillar, Josephine Barbaro, Cheryl Dissanayake, Jonathan Green, Andrew J. O. Whitehouse, Kristelle Hudry
Summary: A longitudinal study investigates the continuity of temperament subgroup classifications and their associations with behavioral/clinical phenotypic features from infancy to toddlerhood, finding that temperament subgroup classifications might represent a reliable indicator of autism characteristics and social-emotional functioning in infants/toddlers with autism traits.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Virginia Carter Leno, Jannath Begum-Ali, Amy Goodwin, Luke Mason, Greg Pasco, Andrew Pickles, Shruti Garg, Jonathan Green, Tony Charman, Mark Johnson, Emily J. H. Jones
Summary: The study found that alterations in E/I balance are related to autism outcomes, and higher executive functioning abilities may buffer the impact of early cortical atypicalities on autistic traits.
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Priscilla Brandi Gomes Godoy, Lorna McWilliams, Leticia Rodrigues da Silveira, Mirian de Cesaro Revers Biasao, Fernanda Speggiorin Pereira Alarcao, Leonardo Seda, Renata Generoso Campoli, Holan Liang, Gauri Divan, Kathy Leadbitter, Jonathan Green, Elizabeth Shephard
Summary: Effective support for autistic individuals is lacking in Brazil. Few centres offer services and those that do are limited in therapeutic options and geographical location. Paediatric Autism Communication Therapy is a low-intensity, evidence-based parent-mediated social-communication intervention that may be useful for this scenario.
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Kristelle Hudry, Jodie Smith, Sarah Pillar, Kandice J. Varcin, Catherine A. Bent, Maryam Boutrus, Lacey Chetcuti, Alena Clark, Cheryl Dissanayake, Teresa Iacono, Lyndel Kennedy, Alicia Lant, Jemima Robinson Lake, Leonie Segal, Vicky Slonims, Carol Taylor, Ming Wai Wan, Jonathan Green, Andrew J. O. Whitehouse
Summary: Natural Language Sampling (NLS) has the potential for communication and language assessment when other data is difficult to interpret. We used NLS to examine the reliability and validity of measures coded from video of child language, parent linguistic input, and communicative interaction in 18-month-olds showing signs of autism. The results showed good agreement among coders and strong validity of NLS for quantifying emerging skills.
RESEARCH ON CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOPATHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Sophie Carruthers, Andrew Pickles, Tony Charman, Helen McConachie, Ann Le Couteur, Vicky Slonims, Patricia Howlin, Rachel Collum, Erica Salomone, Hannah Tobin, Isobel Gammer, Jessica Maxwell, Catherine Aldred, Jeremy Parr, Kathy Leadbitter, Jonathan Green
Summary: This study investigates the mechanism by which the parent-mediated Paediatric Autism Communication Therapy (PACT) intervention achieves sustained effects on autistic child outcomes. It finds that increased communication initiation between the autistic child and their caregiver is largely responsible for the long-term effects on behavior and adaptive outcomes.
JOURNAL OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Jonathan Green
Summary: We are currently experiencing significant changes in our understanding of autism and how to respond to it, particularly in terms of clinical services. Clinicians in child development and child mental health services often face overwhelming demand and confusion, as referrals for neurodevelopmental conditions, especially autism, have increased in recent years. This has led to longer wait times, sometimes spanning a child's entire life. The lack of effective interventions further complicates efforts to develop response strategies to meet user frustration, resulting in a multitude of local approaches and initiatives. This article addresses these clinical and related issues by discussing different uses of the term autism, its relationship to intellectual disability, and proposing a new conceptualization of autism as emergent and transactional. The author suggests that this perspective can bridge the gap between neurodiversity and clinical perspectives and provides a rational and evidence-based care pathway.
CHILD AND ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Jonathan Green, Kathy Leadbitter, Ceri Ellis, Lauren Taylor, Heather L. Moore, Sophie Carruthers, Kirsty James, Carol Taylor, Matea Balabanovska, Sophie Langhorne, Catherine Aldred, Vicky Slonims, Victoria Grahame, Jeremy Parr, Neil Humphrey, Patricia Howlin, Helen McConachie, Ann Le Couteur, Tony Charman, Richard Emsley, Andrew Pickles
Summary: The study tested the effectiveness of the Paediatric Autism Communication Therapy-Generalised (PACT-G) intervention in home and education settings, finding that PACT-G treatment improved communication interactions between parents and children but did not significantly impact the primary outcome.
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Heather L. Moore, Leanne Rogan, Lauren J. Taylor, Tony Charman, Ann Le Couteur, Jonathan Green, Victoria Grahame
Summary: Research has shown that adaptive functioning difficulties exist in autistic children and vary across different settings. This study investigated factors influencing education professional-reported adaptive skills in 248 autistic children. Results indicated that adaptive skills were influenced by age, autism severity, nonverbal ability, and expressive language, all of which are important for real-world outcomes such as educational attainment, independence, and support needs.
JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS
(2022)
