Attention to both eyes and mouths is important for language development and communicative competence. Differences in fixation time to eyes may not be sufficient to disrupt social competence in daily interactions. A multiple cognitive deficit model of ASD, incorporating different language phenotypes, is advocated.

The cultivated potato (Solanum tuberosum) shares similar biology with other members of the Solanaceae, yet has features unique within the family, such as modified stems (stolons) that develop into edible tubers. To better understand potato biology, we have undertaken a survey of the potato transcriptome using expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from diverse tissues. A total of 61,940 ESTs were generated from aerial tissues, below-ground tissues, and tissues challenged with the late-blight pathogen (Phytophthora infestans). Clustering and assembly of these ESTs resulted in a total of 19,892 unique sequences with 8,741 tentative consensus sequences and 11,151 singleton ESTs. We were able to identify a putative function for 43.7% of these sequences. A number of sequences (48) were expressed throughout the libraries sampled, representing constitutively expressed sequences. Other sequences (13,068, 21%) were uniquely expressed and were detected only in a single library. Using hierarchal and k means clustering of the EST sequences, we were able to correlate changes in gene expression with major physiological events in potato biology. Using pair-wise comparisons of tuber-related tissues, we were able to associate genes with tuber initiation, dormancy, and sprouting. We also were able to identify a number of characterized as well as novel sequences that were unique to the incompatible interaction of late-blight pathogen, thereby providing a foundation for further understanding the mechanism of resistance.The Solanaceae family contains several species of agronomic importance such as tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum), potato (Solanum tuberosum), pepper (Capsicum annuum), eggplant (Solanum melongena), petunia (Petunia ϫ hybrida), and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). Species within the Solanaceae are highly related as evidenced by conserved sequence identity at the gene level and synteny among the homologous chromosomes (Bonierbale et al., 1988;Tanksley et al., 1992;Livingstone et al., 1999). Although members of the Solanaceae family share a number of features at the genome level, potato has a number of features that makes it unique among the Solanaceae. The most important physiological feature is the development of an edible tuber from stolons and consequently, on a global scale, potato is the fourth largest crop species grown as a food source with 300 million metric tons grown annually (http://www.cipotato.org/potato/ potato.htm). However, despite its significance as a major food source, the process of tuber development is not well understood at the molecular level. In addition, potato is susceptible to the late-blight pathogen (Phytophthora infestans), which is not only a historically significant disease that resulted in the deaths of millions of people (for review, see Schumann, 1991), but it also has recently reemerged as a significant pathogen on potato (Fry and Goodwin, 1997).The development of high-throughput sequencing technology has provided a mechanism to gain insight into genomes at the DNA and the RNA level. For assessme...

A dominant allele at the D locus (also known as I in diploid potato) is required for the synthesis of red and purple anthocyanin pigments in tuber skin. It has previously been reported that D maps to a region of chromosome 10 that harbors one or more homologs of Petuniaan2, an R2R3 MYB transcription factor that coordinately regulates the expression of multiple anthocyanin biosynthetic genes in the floral limb. To test whether D acts similarly in tuber skin, RT-PCR was used to evaluate the expression of flavanone 3-hydroxylase (f3h), dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (dfr) and flavonoid 3′,5′-hydroxylase (f3′5′h). All three genes were expressed in the periderm of red- and purple-skinned clones, while dfr and f3′5′h were not expressed, and f3h was only weakly expressed, in white-skinned clones. A potato cDNA clone with similarity to an2 was isolated from an expression library prepared from red tuber skin, and an assay developed to distinguish the two alleles of this gene in a diploid potato clone known to be heterozygous Dd. One allele was observed to cosegregate with pigmented skin in an F1 population of 136 individuals. This allele was expressed in tuber skin of red- and purple-colored progeny, but not in white tubers, while other parental alleles were not expressed in white or colored tubers. The allele was placed under the control of a doubled 35S promoter and transformed into the light red-colored cultivar Désirée, the white-skinned cultivar Bintje, and two white diploid clones known to lack the functional allele of D. Transformants accumulated pigment in tuber skin, as well as in other tissues, including young foliage, flower petals, and tuber flesh.

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SummaryBackgroundAlthough clozapine is the treatment of choice for treatment-refractory schizophrenia, 30–40% of patients have an insufficient response, and others are unable to tolerate it. Evidence for any augmentation strategies is scarce. We aimed to determine whether cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for clozapine-resistant schizophrenia.MethodsWe did a pragmatic, parallel group, assessor-blinded, randomised controlled trial in community-based and inpatient mental health services in five sites in the UK. Patients with schizophrenia who were unable to tolerate clozapine, or whose symptoms did not respond to the drug, were randomly assigned 1:1 by use of randomised-permuted blocks of size four or six, stratified by centre, to either CBT plus treatment as usual or treatment as usual alone. Research assistants were masked to allocation to protect against rater bias and allegiance bias. The primary outcome was the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total score at 21 months, which provides a continuous measure of symptoms of schizophrenia; PANSS total was also assessed at the end of treatment (9 months). The primary analysis was by randomised treatment based on intention to treat, for all patients for whom data were available. This study was prospectively registered, number ISRCTN99672552. The trial is closed to accrual.FindingsFrom Jan 1, 2013, to May 31, 2015, we randomly assigned 487 participants to either CBT and treatment as usual (n=242) or treatment as usual alone (n=245). Analysis included 209 in the CBT group and 216 in the treatment as usual group. No difference occurred in the primary outcome (PANSS total at 21 months, mean difference −0·89, 95% CI −3·32 to 1·55; p=0·48), although the CBT group improved at the end of treatment (PANSS total at 9 months, mean difference −2·40, −4·79 to −0·02; p=0·049). During the trial, 107 (44%) of 242 participants in the CBT arm and 104 (42%) of 245 in the treatment as usual arm had at least one adverse event (odds ratio 1·09, 95% CI 0·81 to 1·46; p=0·58). Only two (1%) of 242 participants in the CBT arm and one (<1%) of 245 in the treatment as usual arm had a trial-related serious adverse event.InterpretationAt 21-month follow-up, CBT did not have a lasting effect on total symptoms of schizophrenia compared with treatment as usual; however, CBT produced statistically, though not clinically, significant improvements on total symptoms by the end of treatment. There was no indication that the addition of CBT to treatment as usual caused adverse effects. The results of this trial do not support a recommendation to routinely offer CBT to all people who meet criteria for clozapine-resistant schizophrenia; however, a pragmatic individual trial might be indicated for some.FundingNational Institute for Health Research Technology Assessment programme.