Digital worlds can help autistic children to develop social skills

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ScienceDaily (Oct. 21, 2011) — The benefits of virtual worlds can be used to help autistic children develop social skills beyond their anticipated levels, suggest early findings from new research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). Researchers on the Echoes Project have developed an interactive environment which uses multi-touch screen technology where virtual characters on the screen demonstrate gestures and  show children's actions in real time.

During sessions in the virtual environment, primary school children experiment with different social scenarios, allowing the researchers to compare their reactions with those they display in real-world situations.

"Discussions of the data with teachers suggest a fascinating possibility," said project leader Dr Kaska Porayska-Pomsta."Learning environments such as Echoes may allow some children to exceed their potential, behaving and achieving in ways that even teachers who knew them well could not have anticipated."

"A teacher observing a child interacting in such a virtual environment may gain access to a range of behaviours from individual children that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to observe in a classroom," she added.

Early indications of this research are that over a number of sessions some children demonstrate a better quality of interaction within the virtual environment and an increased ability to manage their own behaviour, enabling them to concentrate on following a virtual character's gaze or to focus on a pointing gesture, thus developing the skills vital for good communication and effective learning.

The findings could prove particularly useful in helping children with autism to develop skills they normally find difficult. Dr Porayska-Pomsta said: "Since autistic children have a particular affinity with computers, our research shows it may be possible to use digital technology to help develop their social skills."

"The beauty of it is that there are no real-world consequences, so children can afford to experiment with different social scenarios without real-world risks," she added.

The findings from the Echoes Project will showcase technologies for autism during an event in Birmingham which is part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science in November.

"In the longer term, virtual platforms such as the ones developed in the Echoes project could help young children to realise their potential in new and unexpected ways," concluded Dr Porayska-Pomsta.

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Fluoride shuttle increases storage capacity: Researchers develop new concept for rechargeable batteries

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ScienceDaily (Oct. 21, 2011) — Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) researchers have developed a new concept for rechargeable batteries. Based on a fluoride shuttle -- the transfer of fluoride anions between the electrodes -- it promises to enhance the storage capacity reached by lithium-ion batteries by several factors. Operational safety is also increased, as it can be done without lithium.

The fluoride-ion battery is presented for the first time in the Journal of Materials Chemistry by Dr. Maximilian Fichtner and Dr. Munnangi Anji Reddy.

Lithium-ion batteries are applied widely, but their storage capacity is limited. In the future, battery systems of enhanced energy density will be needed for mobile applications in particular. Such batteries can store more energy at reduced weight. For this reason, KIT researchers are also conducting research into alternative systems. A completely new concept for secondary batteries based on metal fluorides was developed by Dr. Maximilian Fichtner, Head of the Energy Storage Systems Group, and Dr. Munnangi Anji Reddy at the KIT Institute of Nanotechnology (INT).

Metal fluorides may be applied as conversion materials in lithium-ion batteries. They also allow for lithium-free batteries with a fluoride-containing electrolyte, a metal anode, and metal fluoride cathode, which reach a much better storage capacity and possess improved safety properties. Instead of the lithium cation, the fluoride anion takes over charge transfer. At the cathode and anode, a metal fluoride is formed or reduced. "As several electrons per metal atom can be transferred, this concept allows to reach extraordinarily high energy densities -- up to ten times as high as those of conventional lithium-ion batteries," explains Dr. Maximilian Fichtner.

The KIT researchers are now working on the further development of material design and battery architecture in order to improve the initial capacity and cyclic stability of the fluoride-ion battery. Another challenge lies in the further development of the electrolyte: The solid electrolyte applied so far is suited for applications at elevated temperatures only. It is therefore aimed at finding a liquid electrolyte that is suited for use at room temperature.

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M. Anji Reddy, M. Fichtner. Batteries based on fluoride shuttle. Journal of Materials Chemistry, 2011; DOI: 10.1039/C1JM13535J

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New instrument helps researchers see how diseases start and develop in minute detail

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ScienceDaily (Oct. 21, 2011) — Researchers at Lund University can now study molecules which are normally only found in very small concentrations, directly in organs and tissue. After several years of work, researchers in Lund have managed to construct an instrument that 'hyperpolarises' the molecules and thus makes it possible to track them using MRI. The technology opens up new possibilities to study what really happens on molecular level in organs such as the brain.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an established technique which over the years has made it possible for researchers and healthcare professionals to study biological phenomena in the body without using ionising radiation, for example X-rays.

The images produced by normal MRI are, to put it simply, pictures of water in the body, since the body is largely made up of water. MRI produces images of the hydrogen nuclei in water molecules. It can also be used to study other types of nuclei in many other interesting molecules. The only problem is that the concentration of molecules that are interesting to track is so low that they are not visible on a normal MRI scan. It is this problem that the researchers have now solved by constructing a 'polariser'.

In the polariser, the researchers make these molecules visible to the MRI scanner by hyperpolarising them. The molecules are then injected into their natural body tissue.

"Then we can follow the specific molecule and see the reactions in which it is involved. This gives us a unique opportunity to see and measure enzymatic reactions directly in the living tissue," explains Professor Deniz Kirik.

The technology could be used to study molecules in many different types of tissue in the body. Deniz Kirik, who is a Professor of Neuroscience, will focus on developing this technology to study the brain -- something which has not been done before.

"The brain is not an easy target!" he observes. "When we look inside the brain today using MRI, we see the molecules that are most numerous. However, it is rarely these common molecules we want to study. We want to study how molecules that have a low concentration in the tissue behave, for example how signal substances are produced, used and broken down. It is when these processes don't work that we become ill.

"This technology has the potential to help us do just that. If we can make it work, it will be a breakthrough not only for neuroscience but also for other research fields such as diabetes, cancer and inflammation, where similar obstacles limit our understanding of the basic molecular processes which lead to disease."

Professor Hindrik Mulder is one of the co-applicants for the project and he will develop and use the technology in diabetes research. Dr Vladimir Denisov from the Lund University Bioimaging Centre is leading the technical development within the project.

At present there are only a few polarisers in the world and Lund's newly built device is the only one in Scandinavia to be fully available for academic research. "All the other equivalent instruments are purchased commercially and come with restrictions placed by the manufacturer. We therefore chose to take the longer and more complicated route of building the instrument ourselves," explains a pleased and proud Deniz Kirik.

Now that the instrument has become operational, the researchers have started on the first experiments.

"This is the first of two steps," says Deniz Kirik. "The next step in this frontline research is to develop the unique technology by constructing an even more sophisticated polariser which will enable advanced experiments on animal models for various diseases."

The project has been made possible through a grant from the Swedish Research Council and earlier grants from the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research.

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