Autism spectrum disorder, extremism and risk assessment.

Background: To date, there is no evidence supporting the existence of an association between Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and extremism in the general population. However, there is increasing recognition that several features of ASD may provide the context of vulnerability to engage in extremist behaviour.

Aims: This paper sets out the case for a dedicated clinical approach to better integrate clinical risk appraisal processes with an assessment of ASD individuals' vulnerabilities within the Criminal Justice System.

ECHO autism adult healthcare: Training community clinicians to provide quality care for autistic adults.

Autistic adults experience significant unmet healthcare needs, with opportunities for improvement in both the systems and the practitioners who serve this population. Primary care physicians/practitioners (PCPs) are a natural choice to provide comprehensive care to autistic adults but often lack experience in serving this population. This pilot study developed and tested an Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) Autism model adapted from our previous work, focused specifically on training PCPs in best-practice care for autistic adults.

Neurodevelopmental Conditions and the NGRI Defense.

Guina summarize the literature on neurodevelopmental conditions and crime, focusing on the use of the insanity plea for this population. There have been a small number of cases in several jurisdictions, using both cognitive and volitional prongs, generating questions about the use of the defense for people with neurodevelopmental conditions. There are theoretical scenarios in which the defense seems appropriate, such as the argument that higher order moral reasoning is contingent on a series of developmental steps, including the development of theory of mind.

Understanding the Use of the Term "Weaponized Autism" in An Alt-Right Social Media Platform.

Background: The term "weaponized autism" is frequently used on extremist platforms. To better understand this, we conducted a discourse analysis of posts on Gab, an alt-right social media platform.

Methods: We analyzed 711 posts spanning 2018-2019 and filtered for variations on the term "weaponized autism".

Vulnerability to Ideologically-Motivated Violence Among Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are represented among those who espouse extremist thought and have committed violent acts associated with their beliefs. Media often highlight a perpetrator's psychiatric diagnosis following acts of mass violence, which in some instances has included ASD. ASD may itself not provide useful information for understanding motivations.

The Need for a Structured Approach to Violence Risk Assessment in Autism.

The relationship between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and violence is poorly understood. Several violence risk factors are either modified by or are unique to ASD; clinicians conducting violence risk assessment of people with ASD must consider these factors. An ASD-specific risk assessment tool is clearly needed.

Conformational state and charge determine the interfacial stabilization process of beta-lactoglobulin at preoccupied interfaces.

Amphiphilic properties enable proteins like β-lactoglobulin to stabilize oil/water-interfaces and provide stability in food-related emulsions. During emulsification, the protein undergoes three stages: (I) migration through bulk phase, (II) adsorption, and (III) interfacial rearrangement at the oil/water-interface - the kinetics of which require further research. Therefore, the aim of our study was the analytical and computational investigation of stage (I) and (II) as a function of the interfacial preoccupation, conformational state and charge of β-lactoglobulin.

Nonequilibrium random matrix theory: Transition probabilities.

In this paper we present an analytic method for calculating the transition probability between two random Gaussian matrices with given eigenvalue spectra in the context of Dyson Brownian motion. We show that in the Coulomb gas language, in large N limit, memory of the initial state is preserved in the form of a universal linear potential acting on the eigenvalues. We compute the likelihood of any given transition as a function of time, showing that as memory of the initial state is lost, transition probabilities converge to those of the static ensemble.

Neurogenetic analysis of childhood disintegrative disorder.

Background: Childhood disintegrative disorder (CDD) is a rare form of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) of unknown etiology. It is characterized by late-onset regression leading to significant intellectual disability (ID) and severe autism. Although there are phenotypic differences between CDD and other forms of ASD, it is unclear if there are neurobiological differences.

Trauma and Violence in Autism.

Comorbidities of autism spectrum disorder are discussed as an introduction to the argument that, although ASD may modify presentation, it does not confer any protection against other disorder, including the negative effects of trauma (e.g., posttraumatic stress disorder).

Shifting Diagnostic Systems for Defining Intellectual Disability in Death Penalty Cases: Hall vs. Florida.

The case of Hall vs. Florida tested Florida's so called "bright line rule" in determining intellectual disability in capital cases. The Supreme Court Decision reflects a more general trend from categorical to dimensional approaches in psychiatric diagnostic systems.

Hierarchical axion inflation.

We propose a new field theory mechanism for generating an effective trans-Planckian decay constant from sub-Planckian ones. Using the minimal two axions and a hierarchy between two axion decay constants is sufficient for realizing inflation through nonperturbative effects only and with minimal tuning. The inflationary motion is kept entirely within a sub-Planckian domain.

Crime and psychiatric disorders among youth in the US population: an analysis of the National Comorbidity Survey-Adolescent Supplement.

Objective: Current knowledge regarding psychiatric disorders and crime in youth is limited to juvenile justice and community samples. This study examined relationships between psychiatric disorders and self-reported crime involvement in a sample of youth representative of the US population.

Method: The National Comorbidity Survey-Adolescent Supplement (N = 10,123; ages 13-17 years; 2001-2004) was used to examine the relationship between lifetime DSM-IV-based diagnoses, reported crime (property, violent, other), and arrest history.

Revisiting regression in autism: Heller's dementia infantilis. Includes a translation of Über Dementia Infantilis.

Theodor Heller first described a severe regression of adaptive function in normally developing children, something he termed dementia infantilis, over one 100 years ago. Dementia infantilis is most closely related to the modern diagnosis, childhood disintegrative disorder. We translate Heller's paper, Über Dementia Infantilis, and discuss similarities in presentation between Heller's cases, and a group of children with childhood disintegrative disorder.

Healthcare issues for children on the autism spectrum.

Purpose Of Review: We provide a summary of issues relevant to healthcare and health delivery in autism and related disorders, with a focus on work published in the past 5 years.

Recent Findings: Autism has a strong genetic basis as evidenced by the high recurrence rate in families and its associations with Fragile X syndrome and tuberous sclerosis. Early diagnosis of autism is important, given the potential for improvement with intervention.

Quantum states of neutrons in the Earth's gravitational field.

The discrete quantum properties of matter are manifest in a variety of phenomena. Any particle that is trapped in a sufficiently deep and wide potential well is settled in quantum bound states. For example, the existence of quantum states of electrons in an electromagnetic field is responsible for the structure of atoms, and quantum states of nucleons in a strong nuclear field give rise to the structure of atomic nuclei.