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Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex heterogeneous clinical entity with many overlaps and comorbidities with other psychiatric and developmental disorders. Adults with ASD lack adequate access to facilities and supports. This article describes the clinical profile of the first 34 patients admitted to Roozbeh adult ASD clinic during a 12-month period. Twenty-eight patients were male, all were single, 22 patients were unemployed and 26 were living with their families of origin. Obsession, inattention and sexual problems were the most common chief complaints. Multifaceted and gender-specific presentations results in misdiagnoses. Knowledge and training of the mental health professionals on adult ASD seem to be seriously inadequate. There is virtually no other specialized clinical and rehabilitation facilitates to help this vulnerable group of patients in Iran.

The Lesser Sunda Archipelago offers exceptional potential as a model system for studying the dynamics of dispersal-driven diversification. The geographic proximity of the islands suggests the possibility for successful dispersal, but this is countered by the permanence of the marine barriers and extreme intervening currents that are expected to hinder gene flow. Phylogenetic and species delimitation analyses of flying lizards (genus Draco) using single mitochondrial genes, complete mitochondrial genomes, and exome-capture data sets identified 9–11 deeply divergent lineages including single-island endemics, lineages that span multiple islands, and parapatrically distributed nonsister lineages on the larger islands. Population clustering and PCA confirmed these genetic boundaries with isolation-by-distance playing a role in some islands or island sets. While gdi estimates place most candidate species comparisons in the ambiguous zone, migration estimates suggest 9 or 10 species exist with nuclear introgression detected across some intra-island contact zones. Initial entry of Draco into the archipelago occurred at 5.5–7.5 Ma, with most inter-island colonization events having occurred between 1–3 Ma. Biogeographical model testing favors scenarios integrating geographic distance and historical island connectivity, including an initial stepping-stone dispersal process from the Greater Sunda Shelf through the Sunda Arc as far eastward as Lembata Island. However, rather than reaching the adjacent island of Pantar by dispersing over the 15-km wide Alor Strait, Draco ultimately reached Pantar (and much of the rest of the archipelago) by way of a circuitous route involving at least five overwater dispersal events. These findings suggest that historical geological and oceanographic conditions heavily influenced dispersal pathways and gene flow, which in turn drove species formation and shaped species boundaries. [Biogeography; genomics, Indonesia; lizards; phylogeography; reptiles]

'No abstract'

Target enrichment is becoming increasingly popular for phylogenomic studies. Although baits for enrichment are typically designed to target single-copy genes, paralogs are often recovered with increased sequencing depth, sometimes from a significant proportion of loci, especially in groups experiencing whole-genome duplication (WGD) events. Common approaches for processing paralogs in target enrichment data sets include random selection, manual pruning, and mainly, the removal of entire genes that show any evidence of paralogy. These approaches are prone to errors in orthology inference or removing large numbers of genes. By removing entire genes, valuable information that could be used to detect and place WGD events is discarded. Here, we used an automated approach for orthology inference in a target enrichment data set of 68 species of Alchemilla s.l. (Rosaceae), a widely distributed clade of plants primarily from temperate climate regions. Previous molecular phylogenetic studies and chromosome numbers both suggested ancient WGDs in the group. However, both the phylogenetic location and putative parental lineages of these WGD events remain unknown. By taking paralogs into consideration and inferring orthologs from target enrichment data, we identified four nodes in the backbone of Alchemilla s.l. with an elevated proportion of gene duplication. Furthermore, using a gene-tree reconciliation approach, we established the autopolyploid origin of the entire Alchemilla s.l. and the nested allopolyploid origin of four major clades within the group. Here, we showed the utility of automated tree-based orthology inference methods, previously designed for genomic or transcriptomic data sets, to study complex scenarios of polyploidy and reticulate evolution from target enrichment data sets.[Alchemilla; allopolyploidy; autopolyploidy; gene tree discordance; orthology inference; paralogs; Rosaceae; target enrichment; whole genome duplication.]

In this paper we explore Ronald N. Giere's contributions to the scientific realism debate. After outlining some of his general views on the philosophy of science, we locate his contributions within the traditional scientific realism debate. We argue that Giere's scientific perspectivism is best seen as a form of carte blanche realism, that is: a view according to which science is a practice aiming at truth, and can warrantably claim to have attained it, to a certain degree; however, it does not place our confidence invariably in some specific feature of scientific representations. En este artículo exploramos las contribuciones de Ronald N. Giere al debate sobre el realismo científico. Tras esbozar algunas de sus ideas generales en filosofía de la ciencia, ubicamos sus contribuciones al interior del debate sobre el realismo científico. Argumentamos que es mejor concebir al perspectivismo científico de Giere como una forma de realismo carte blache, es decir: una concepción de acuerdo con la cual la ciencia tiene como objetivo la verdad, y puede justificadamente afirmar haberla obtenido; sin embargo, no deposita nuestra confianza invariablemente en algún rasgo específico de las representaciones científicas.

The necessity of promoting physical activity in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has been emphasized for decades. One of the barriers to participate in physical activity for individuals with ASD is limited interest and motivation. Therefore, understanding the motivation to exercise in this population is important. The objective was to determine the effect of using contingent reinforcement in the form of watching a preferred DVD to increase duration of time pedalling on a stationary bicycle within their predetermined target heart rate zone (THRZ) in children with ASD. Using a crossover design, seven participants (11 2.7 years) who were diagnosed with ASD were randomly assigned to either Group A or B. Time spent pedalling on a bicycle within the THRZ was analysed using a linear mixed-effect model with Bonferroni adjustments. The results showed that the DVD intervention motivated children with ASD to exercise for more than 10 minutes in moderate to vigorous physical activity compared to when they were exercising without watching a DVD. This result is significant as number of studies have revealed that 10 minutes of exercise could bring improvements in activities of daily living such as behaviors and academic performance in school.

A comprehensive, hands-on hemodialysis curriculum during nephrology training is necessary for effective learning and optimal patient care. Traditional instructive approaches are unable to fully meet the needs of the digitally inclined learner and are limited by time constraints and increasing clinical workload. Internet based learning (E-learning) is becoming increasingly popular in medical education and nephrology and gaining even greater relevance in the COVID era. However, it presents technical challenges and may create an environment of social isolation. A ‘blended learning approach’ combines E-learning with traditional methods of teaching and offers advantages over either approach alone. We have designed and implemented a formalized hemodialysis curriculum at our institution that is based on blended learning, utilizing faculty-created E-learning tools combined with traditional pedagogical methods (bed-side and classroom). The web-based tools discuss hemodialysis adequacy, principles of urea transport, hemodialysis access examination and access complications. These tools are open access and structured around the science of cognitive learning using animation, interactivity, self-assessment and immediate feedback features. They have been viewed by a wide audience of nephrologists, dialysis nurses as well as medicine house-staff and have received strong validation in a post-test survey. The online tools have supported a ‘flipped classroom’ instructive model and our blended curriculum has been successfully used for nephrology fellow training at our institution. Incorporating faculty designed/approved E-learning tools to create a ‘blended’ nephrology curriculum for trainees at various levels of medical education, can help streamline active and time-efficient learning, with the goal of improving learner engagement, knowledge acquisition and academic curiosity in the field.

The branching patterns of molecular phylogenies are generally assumed to contain information on rates of the underlying speciation and extinction processes. Simple birth–death models with constant, time-varying, or diversity-dependent rates have been invoked to explain these patterns. They have one assumption in common: all lineages have the same set of diversification rates at a given point in time. It seems likely, however, that there is variability in diversification rates across subclades in a phylogenetic tree. This has inspired the construction of models that allow multiple rate regimes across the phylogeny, with instantaneous shifts between these regimes. Several methods exist for calculating the likelihood of a phylogeny under a specified mapping of diversification regimes and for performing inference on the most likely diversification history that gave rise to a particular phylogenetic tree. Here, we show that the likelihood computation of these methods is not correct. We provide a new framework to compute the likelihood correctly and show, with simulations of a single shift, that the correct likelihood indeed leads to parameter estimates that are on average in much better agreement with the generating parameters than the incorrect likelihood. Moreover, we show that our corrected likelihood can be extended to multiple rate shifts in time-dependent and diversity-dependent models. We argue that identifying shifts in diversification rates is a nontrivial model selection exercise where one has to choose whether shifts in now-extinct lineages are taken into account or not. Hence, our framework also resolves the recent debate on such unobserved shifts. [Diversification; macroevolution; phylogeny; speciation]

Before the COVID-19 (Who.int 2020) outbreak and subsequent pandemic, this particular Learning Disability Service was a busy place with regular day to day and urgent clinical work. The COVID-19 pand...

On assiste, au cours de la révolution algérienne du 22 février, à l’émergence d’un discours conflictuel, divisant l’opinion publique en deux fronts autour de la nécessité de structurer le mouvement et de dégager des porte-parole. Des voix en conflit tentent de légitimer certaines personnalités politiques pour représenter le peuple algérien, et, dans le même temps, de se légitimer elles-mêmes à travers l’image que les locuteurs en conflit construisent d’elles. Nous tenterons de démontrer que la construction de l’image de soi dans un débat en différé est d’abord une déconstruction de l’image de soi proposée par le partenaire d’interaction, actualisée dans des points de vue en conflit. Elle est ensuite l’attribution, implicite ou explicite, d’une image de soi par le locuteur à son adversaire. La nature indirecte et asymétrique de l’échange accentue le conflit entre les interlocuteurs et radicalisent leurs positions. During the Algerian revolution of February 22, we are witnessing the emergence of a conflicting discourse (Windisch, 1987), dividing public opinion into two fronts around the need to structure the movement and to identify word. Voices in conflict (Rabatel, 2017) try to legitimize certain political figures to represent the Algerian people, and, at the same time, to legitimize themselves through the image that the speakers in conflict construct of them. We will try to demonstrate that the construction of the self-image in a delayed debate is first of all a deconstruction of the self-image proposed by the interaction partner, actualized in conflicting points of view. It is then the attribution, implicit or explicit, of a self-image by the speaker to his opponent. The indirect and asymmetrical nature of the exchange accentuates the conflict between the interlocutors and radicalizes their positions.

L’objectif général de cette étude sera de prendre la mesure de ce qui détermine sémantiquement, dans toute forme de discours argumentatif, l’intégration énonciative de points de vue imputés aux destinataires de certains énoncés. Dans la portée de différents modalisateurs et autres marqueurs discursifs, les points de vue en question procèdent de répétitions ou reformulations que nous appellerons diaphoniques, dont les effets échoïques seront associés à la force réactive d’énonciations consistant à répondre à un interlocuteur, effectif ou virtuel. Les propriétés de ces reprises seront analysées sous l’angle de trois sortes de corrélations entre la scénographie dialogique dont elles relèvent et la scène dialogale qui s’y rapporte au plan interactionnel. The general objective of this study is to examine the various parameters that determine semantically the enunciative integration of points of view ascribed to the addressees of some utterances, in any form of argumentative discourse. Depending on various modal and discourse markers, the points of view under study result from repetitions or rewordings, we may call diaphonic, whose echoic effects consist of answering an actual or virtual speaker. The features of these anaphora will be analyzed from the angle of three kinds of correlations between the dialogic scenography they stem from and the corresponding dialog scene, on a related interactional level.

Various health problems of people with intellectual disabilities (ID) are associated with their physical inactivity. The present study aimed at the understanding of physiological and psychological responses toward exergaming in seven young adults with mild to moderate ID after a single-session and a multiple-session condition, respectively. Their heart rate (HR), the rating of perceived exertion (RPE), and physical activity enjoyment scale (PACES) were measured on control and exergaming sessions. The significant increased HR, which may represent the increased physical activity levels that led to energy expenditure, was observed after a single-session and a multiple-session condition. In addition, the significant increase in RPE and PACES were evident after a single-session condition but a multiple-session condition. The feeling of physical fatigue seems to be distracted by external motivators (e.g. music). However, the positive affectivity to exercise was not noted when exercise was scheduled as their daily routines. This phenomenon might explain the high prevalence of physical inactivity among this population.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is the most pressing issue we now face and has had major implications on the way we all live our lives. There are clearly specific issues faced by p...

Evolutionary models account for either population- or species-level processes but usually not both. We introduce a new model, the FBD-MSC, which makes it possible for the first time to integrate both the genealogical and fossilization phenomena, by means of the multispecies coalescent (MSC) and the fossilized birth-death (FBD) processes. Using this model, we reconstruct the phylogeny representing all extant and many fossil Caninae, recovering both the relative and absolute time of speciation events. We quantify known inaccuracy issues with divergence time estimates using the popular strategy of concatenating molecular alignments and show that the FBD-MSC solves them. Our new integrative method and empirical results advance the paradigm and practice of probabilistic total evidence analyses in evolutionary biology., Systematic Biology, 71 (1), ISSN:1063-5157, ISSN:1076-836X

Temperate woody plants in the Northern Hemisphere have long been known to exhibit high species richness in East Asia and North America and significantly lower diversity in Europe, but the causes of this pattern remain debated. Here, we quantify the roles of dispersal, niche evolution, and extinction in shaping the geographic diversity of the temperate woody plant family Juglandaceae (walnuts and their relatives). Integrating evidence from molecular, morphological, fossil, and (paleo)environmental data, we find strong support for a Boreotropical origin of the family with contrasting evolutionary trajectories between the temperate subfamily Juglandoideae and the tropical subfamily Engelhardioideae. Juglandoideae rapidly evolved frost tolerance when the global climate shifted to ice-house conditions from the Oligocene, with diversification at high latitudes especially in Europe and Asia during the Miocene. Subsequent range contraction at high latitudes and high levels of extinction in Europe driven by global cooling led to the current regional disparity in species diversity. Engelhardioideae showed temperature conservatism while adapting to increased humidity, tracking tropical climates to low latitudes since the middle Eocene with comparatively little diversification, perhaps due to high competition in the tropical zone. The biogeographic history of Juglandaceae shows that the North Atlantic land bridge and Europe played more critical roles than previously thought in linking the floras of East Asia and North America, and showcases the complex interplay among climate change, niche evolution, dispersal, and extinction that shaped the modern disjunct pattern of species richness in temperate woody plants. [Boreotropical origin; climatic niche evolution; disjunct distribution; dispersal; diversity anomaly; extinction; Juglandaceae.]

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The article calls for the application of ethnolinguistic methodology in Polish-language glottodidactics. In the introductory part, the concept of cultureme – a cultural unit belonging to a given cultural system and relevant to its understanding – is discussed with the use of world and Polish literature on the subject. The necessity to include culture in teaching Polish as a foreign language is an undisputed matter. Ways of selecting culturemes from the vast space of culture specific unites seem to be less obvious. Who is „authorized” to nominate them – only a representative of the native culture or, also, an external observer? Can culturemes be selected as a result of the negotiation process? The article presents the techniques for their selection and negotiation using internal and external perspectives, as well as proposals to use this methodology in the practice of teaching Polish as a foreign language. W artykule zachęca się do stosowania perspektywy i metodologii etnolingwistycznej w glottodydaktyce języka polskiego. W części wprowadzającej omawiane jest, z wykorzystaniem światowej i polskiej literatury, pojęcie kulturemu – jednostki kultury należącej do danego systemu kulturowego i istotne dla jej zrozumienia. Konieczność włączania kultury do nauczania języka polskiego jako języka obcego jest sprawą bezdyskusyjną. Sposoby wydobywania (typowania) kulturemów z ogromnej przestrzeni danej kultury wydają się natomiast mniej oczywiste. Kto jest „upoważniony” do ich typowania – tylko przedstawiciel rodzimej kultury czy także zewnętrzny obserwator? Czy można wydobyć kulturemy w wyniku procesu negocjacji? W artykule przedstawiono techniki ich wyboru i negocjowania z wykorzystaniem perspektywy wewnętrznej i zewnętrznej, a także opisano propozycje wykorzystania tej metodologii w praktyce nauczania języka polskiego jako obcego.

The last half century of paleornithological research has transformed the way that biologists perceive the evolutionary history of birds. This transformation has been driven, since 1969, by a series of exciting fossil discoveries combined with intense scientific debate over how best to interpret these discoveries. Ideally, as evidence accrues and results accumulate, interpretive scientific agreement forms. But this has not entirely happened in the debate over avian origins: the accumulation of scientific evidence and analyses has had some effect, but not a conclusive one, in terms of resolving the question of avian origins. Although the majority of biologists have come to accept that birds are dinosaurs, there is lingering and, in some quarters, strident opposition to this view. In order to both understand the ongoing disagreement about avian origins and generate a prediction about the future of the debate, here we use a revised model of scientific practice to assess the current and historical state of play surrounding the topic of bird evolutionary origins. Many scientists are familiar with the metascientific scholars Sir Karl Popper and Thomas Kuhn, and these are the primary figures that have been appealed to so far, in prior attempts to assess the dispute. But we demonstrate that a variation of Imre Lakatos’s model of progressive versus degenerative research programmes provides a novel and productive assessment of the debate. We establish that a refurbished Lakatosian account both explains the intractability of the dispute and predicts a likely outcome for the debate about avian origins. In short, here, we offer a metascientific tool for rationally assessing competing theories—one that allows researchers involved in seemingly intractable scientific disputes to advance their debates.

Objectives: The main goal of the present study was to promote an understanding of the role of environment in explaining frequency of participation of pre-school children in home and community activities. Method: Parents of 116 children from completed an adapted version of the Young Children's Participation and Environment Measure (YC-PEM). Pre-school teachers assessed child functioning. Results: Maternal education was significantly related to the child's frequency of participation in home and community activities. Child functioning had an indirect effect on frequency of participation in home activities through perceived environmental barriers by parents. In the community setting, child functioning was a predictor of the parents' perception of environmental barriers and there was no evidence of a mediating effect of perceived environmental barriers. Conclusion: These findings highlight the importance of modifying specific environmental factors to promote child participation and functioning.