Atypical processing of voice sounds in infants at risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder

Adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show a reduced sensitivity (degree of selective response) to social stimuli such as human voices. In order to determine whether this reduced sensitivity is a consequence of years of poor social interaction and communication or is present prior to significant experience, we used functional MRI to examine cortical sensitivity to auditory stimuli in infants at high familial risk for later emerging ASD (HR group, N = 15), and compared this to infants with no family history of ASD (LR group, N = 18). The infants (aged between 4 and 7 months) were presented with voice and environmental sounds while asleep in the scanner and their behaviour was also examined in the context of observed parent-infant interaction. Whereas LR infants showed early specialisation for human voice processing in right temporal and medial frontal regions, the HR infants did not. Similarly, LR infants showed stronger sensitivity than HR infants to sad vocalisations in the right fusiform gyrus and left hippocampus. Also, in the HR group only, there was an association between each infant's degree of engagement during social interaction and the degree of voice sensitivity in key cortical regions. These results suggest that at least some infants at high-risk for ASD have atypical neural responses to human voice with and without emotional valence. Further exploration of the relationship between behaviour during social interaction and voice processing may help better understand the mechanisms that lead to different outcomes in at risk populations.

A relação entre Música e Poesia nas canções para Voz Aguda e Piano de Bruno Kiefer

Pós-graduação em Música - IA

Coordinated gene expression in adipose tissue and liver differs between cows with high or low NEFA concentrations in early lactation

Dairy cows with high and low plasma non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) concentrations in early lactation were compared for plasma parameters and mRNA expression of genes in liver and subcutaneous adipose tissue. The study involved 16 multiparous dairy cows with a plasma NEFA concentration of >500 mumol/l [n = 8, high NEFA (HNEFA)] and <140 mumol/l [n = 8, low NEFA (LNEFA)] in the first week post-partum (pp). Blood samples, adipose and liver tissues were collected on day 1 (+1d) and at week 3 pp (+3wk). Blood plasma was assayed for concentrations of metabolites and hormones. Subcutaneous adipose and liver tissues were analysed for mRNA abundance by real-time qRT-PCR encoding parameters related to lipid metabolism. Results showed that mean daily milk yield and milk fat quantity were higher in HNEFA than in LNEFA cows (p < 0.01), and the NEB was more negative in HNEFA than in LNEFA in +3wk too (p < 0.05). HNEFA cows had slightly lower (p < 0.1) insulin concentrations than LNEFA cows across the study period, and the body condition score decreased more from +1d to +3wk in HNEFA than in LNEFA (p = 0.09). The mRNA abundance of genes in the liver related to fatty acid oxidation (carnitine palmitoyltransferase 2 and very long chain acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase) and ketogenesis (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A synthase 2) were lower in HNEFA than in LNEFA cows. No differences between the two groups were observed for mRNA expression of genes in adipose tissue. The number of calculated significant correlation coefficients (moderately strong) between parameters in the liver and in adipose tissue was nearly similar on +1d, and higher for HNEFA compared with LNEFA cows in +3wk. In conclusion, dairy cows with high compared with low plasma NEFA concentrations in early lactation show differentially synchronized mRNA expression of genes in adipose tissue and liver in +3wk that suggests a different orchestrated homeorhetic regulation of lipid metabolism.

Selected songs of Eliakum Zunser

arr. for voice with piano accompaniment by William Fichandler ...

Scène de ballet for violin with accompaniment of orchestra or piano, op. 100. [music] /

Mode of access: Internet.

I palpiti : op. 13 : for violin with accompaniment of orchestra (or piano) /

Introduction, theme (from Rossini's Tancredi), and 3 variations.

Songs from the North : representative songs of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, /

The volume includes songs by Niels Gade, Edvard Grieg, Agathe Gröndahl, Halfdan Kjerulf, Christian Sinding and others.

A set of six songs ; A set of six ancient Spanish ballads ; A set of six songs [third set] /

Three sets of songs bound together : a set of six songs.

Andante and scherzo capriccioso : for the violin, with accompaniment of orchestra or piano, op. 16 /

Originally for violin and orchestra; acc. arr. for piano.

Vier Lieder, Op. 24. für Sopran /

"(Walther von der Vogelweide)"--Caption.

Fifty Shakspere songs. [music] /

Edition for high voice.

One hundred songs by ten masters. [music] /

Edition for high voice.

Modern Russian songs. [music] /

Edition for high voice.

Twelve selected songs of the Hebrides,

Each v. contains 2 groups of 12 songs each.