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Perfluoroalkyl Substance Toxicity from Early-Life Exposure
Published in David M. Kempisty, Yun Xing, LeeAnn Racz, Perfluoroalkyl Substances in the Environment, 2018
Finally, the potential effects of PFAS could be dependent on the timing of exposure given the possibility of unique periods of vulnerability to environmental stressors. For instance, the effect of PFAS exposures on neurodevelopment could depend on different biological mechanisms specific to prenatal (e.g., neurulation) and postnatal (e.g., synaptic pruning) neurodevelopmental processes (de Graaf-Peters and Hadders-Algra 2006), which could be a reason for some of the heterogeneity in the results of the studies discussed earlier. This limitation highlights the need to conduct prospective studies with serial measures of PFAS exposure across the life span, as well as for appropriate statistical methods to identify periods of heightened vulnerability (Sanchez et al. 2011).
Machine Learning Applications to Recognize Autism and Alzheimer's Disease
Published in Rashmi Priyadarshini, R M Mehra, Amit Sehgal, Prabhu Jyot Singh, Artificial Intelligence, 2023
Touko Tcheutou Stephane Borel, Rashmi Priyadarshini
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is one of a cluster of cerebral diseases involving impairments in communication/social interactive skills, mood, attention, cognitive and adaptive skills, and cognitive functions. That is, a set of neurodevelopmental impairments causing difficulty in connecting with other people. ASD is characterized by repetitive, cyclic, and obstructive behaviors, with symptoms stemmingfrom a convolutedgenotype–phenotyperelationship wherein pre-existing neurodevelopmental liabilities interact with the child’s environment. In responsive modification, the child typically develops compensatory tactics and defense mechanisms. Studies of children at high genetic ASD risk, defined by an older diagnosed sibling, are discovering developmental corridors to phenotype manifestation [1]. The severity of ASD is greater in terms of social impact, rather than morbidity. Autistic behavior is influenced by the environment and genesbut the origins of the brain disorder remain a mystery. It is thought that there could be an interaction between environmentalfactors and the genes of the patient, which could cause certain deformations in the operative connectivity and cerebral development [1]. Children on the autism spectrum display concurrentsense-processing complications and are clinically treated using self-modifying mediation. Contemporary therapy utilizes sensory interventions usingvarious hypothetical paradigms, which have differing goals, and deploy a multiplicity of sensory modalities consisting of remarkably disparate procedures. Earlier evaluations studied the effects of sensory interventions without recognizing such empirical contradictions [2]. ASD diagnoses are typically delayed, resulting in unrealized treatment opportunities during the formative period of development. Our investigation extrapolates previous assessments of age-related factors in ASD diagnosis, offering clinical research recommendations, programs, and early detection methods [3]. Mutations affect typical neurodevelopment in utero through to adolescence via gene composites involved in exuberant synaptogenesis and axon motility.
Nanoengineering Neural Cells for Regenerative Medicine
Published in Klaus D. Sattler, st Century Nanoscience – A Handbook, 2020
Christopher F. Adams, Stuart I. Jenkins
Electrical signaling is known to be vital in neurodevelopment and in wound healing with electrical stimulation of nervous system tissue for therapeutic purposes being a centuries-old practice (Thompson et al., 2014). However, only recently, more sophisticated materials are being developed which mean electrical stimuli can be delivered (and recorded) using nanoscale devices (Sanghavi et al., 2015; Young, Cornwell and Daniele, 2018; Zhang et al., 2018). Conducting polymers have been used to fabricate electroactive nanowires and 3D hydrogel-based systems (Balint, Cassidy and Cartmell, 2014; Thompson et al., 2014). Other electrically conductive nanomaterials (e.g. CNTs, graphene) can be added to non-electroactive materials as layers, or embedded within 3D constructs, to render them electroactive (Fairfield, 2018; Kolarcik et al., 2015). Engineering electroactive materials using both approaches has been shown to be compatible with neural cell growth in vitro. Further, electrical stimulation of neural cells grown on these materials can improve regenerative processes such as increasing stem cell differentiation into neurons and enhancing nerve fiber outgrowth (Lee et al., 2009, 2012; Bechara, Wadman and Popat, 2011; Chang et al., 2011; Kobelt et al., 2014; Xu et al., 2018). Electrical stimulation affects not only neurons but also glia. For example, astrocytes will align perpendicular to an electrical current (Alexander et al., 2006). Aligned astrocytes are thought to mimic developmental processes within the brain which direct neural progenitor migration and also provide a guide for developing neuronal tracts (Weightman, Jenkins et al., 2014; Winter et al., 2016). By replicating this process, it may be possible to create a cellular bridge to repair gaps in the damaged CNS. In addition, Schwann cells (myelinating cells of the peripheral nervous system) will increase production of neurotrophic factors, such as nerve growth factor (Hardy et al., 2015), in response to electrical stimulation. Oligodendrocytes also respond to electrical stimulation, with enhanced survival demonstrated in mixed neural cell cultures (Gary et al., 2012). Perhaps more excitingly, oligodendrocytes have been shown to increase their myelination capacity for neurons which are actively ‘firing’ (Mitew et al., 2018) suggesting a potential to simulate this scenario using electrical stimulation. These studies raise the possibility of combining topographical/nanoengineered control over neural cell populations with the additional benefit of electrical stimulation for enhancing therapeutic outcomes. While promising, it must be noted that most studies have used ‘neural like’ cell lines, which may not be physiologically representative of native cells. In addition, experiments are often performed on one cell type in isolation rather than mimicking the complex cellular and cytoarchitecture of the nervous system. To address this, a few recent studies have demonstrated that organotypic slice cultures of neural tissue can be cultured on electroactive substrates (Fabbro et al., 2012; Usmani et al., 2016). Culturing the slices on these substrates appeared to enhance nerve fiber growth and neural network formation, providing promise that these techniques may be more broadly applied within the in vivo CNS.
Safety analysis of battery-powered ride-on toy car with seat and restraint system modifications
Published in Assistive Technology, 2020
Abbey M. Fraser, Grant R. Bevill, Mary S. Lundy, Juan Aceros
Modified battery-powered ride-on toy cars, or adaptive ride-on toys, represent novel rehabilitation tools and developmental aids for children with disabilities – primarily those with mobility impairments. These children are at an increased risk of secondary impairments such as cognitive delay and atypical social function due to limited play repertoires, less time spent playing, reduced language during play, and limited selection of toys. A child’s neurodevelopment is heavily influenced by environmental factors. Therefore, it is critical for children to be exposed to neural stimuli very early on or their development will be stunted. A key aspect of an enriching, stimulating environment is self-directed play – the predominant outlet of learning for children. (Perry, 2002), (Sutton-Smith, 2001), (Hughes, 2001). Due to the importance of self-directed play, it is critical to provide methods of independent movement as early as possible to children with disabilities to prevent these secondary impairments. However, children often do not receive mobility devices until the age of five or older due to the high cost and limited availability. Therefore, adaptive ride-on toys have gained popularity as a tool for encouraging self-directed mobility and social participation (Huang & Galloway, 2012), (Logan et al., 2017). Children receive these cars at as young an age as one-year old and most commonly at the ages of four to six years old and often use them until they outgrow the vehicles. These toy cars are a favorable alternative to powered mobility devices due to their low cost, accessibility, esthetics, and adjustability (Huang et al., 2018; Livingstone & Field, 2014). Therefore, more children can receive these vehicles earlier on and use them in more circumstances as they are easily transported. For these reasons, adaptive ride-on toy programs have been shown to successfully facilitate mobility and improve social functions for children with disabilities (Huang et al., 2018).