There is growing evidence of a camouflaging effect among females with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), particularly among those without intellectual disability, which may affect performance on gold-standard diagnostic measures. This study utilized an age- and IQ-matched sample of school-aged youth (n = 228) diagnosed with ASD to assess sex differences on the ADOS and ADI-R, parent-reported autistic traits, and adaptive skills. Although females and males were rated similarly on gold-standard diagnostic measures overall, females with higher IQs were less likely to meet criteria on the ADI-R. Females were also found to be significantly more impaired on parent reported autistic traits and adaptive skills. Overall, the findings suggest that some autistic females may be missed by current diagnostic procedures.

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There is considerable evidence for the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to treat co-occurring problems with anxiety, but there has been relatively little research on treatment of co-occurring depression. Multiple mechanisms of treatment effect have been proposed, but there has been little demonstration of target engagement via experimental therapeutics. Comorbidity between ASD and anxiety and/or mood problems is common. Although there is evidence for the use of CBT for anxiety, little work has addressed how to effectively treat depression. There is emerging support for alternative treatment approaches, such as mindfulness-based interventions. We encourage rigorous, collaborative approaches to identify and manipulate putative mechanisms of change.

The partitioning of 4- and 18-nm gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) to aquatic macrophytes was investigated in vivo with exposure suspension in well water. Three morphologically distinct aquatic macrophytes were studied. Myriophyllum simulans Orch. and Egeria densa Planch. are submerged aquatic vascular plants, whereas Azolla caroliniana Willd. is a free-floating aquatic fern. Because aquatic plants absorb the majority of their nutrients from the water column, it is logical to hypothesize that they may absorb nanomaterials in suspension, potentially facilitating trophic transfer. Each plant was exposed to two different-sized gold nanospheres at a nominal concentration of 250 µg/L AuNPs for 24 h. Macrophytes were harvested at six time points (1, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 h), dried, and then analyzed for gold concentration via inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Concentrations were normalized to whole-plant dry tissue mass. The present study shows that absorption of AuNPs through root uptake was size and species dependent. Electron microscopy revealed that 4- and 18-nm AuNPs adsorbed to the roots of each species. Root tissue was sectioned, and transmission electron microscopy indicated that 4-nm and 18-nm AuNPs were absorbed by A. caroliniana, whereas only 4-nm AuNPs were absorbed by M. simulans. Egeria densa did not absorb AuNPs of either size. Gold nanoparticles were confirmed in tissue by using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Absorption of AuNPs by plants may be a function of the salinity tolerance of each species.

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Emotion regulation impairments in autism spectrum disorderPersistence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) throughout the lifespan, along with better identification approaches, is contributing to a steadily growing population of adolescents and adults with ASD (Seltzer et al., 2004). The successful transition to adulthood is largely dependent on the foundation set in adolescence through the achievement of critical milestones including increased independence, autonomy, and responsibility (Arnett, 2000). Yet, adolescence is also characterized by heightened reactivity to social and emotional stimuli, which appears to increase the risk of psychopathology (Dahl and Gunnar, 2009;Kessler et al., 2005). Unfortunately, research indicates that ageappropriate adaptive skills and independence lag, and cooccurring psychiatric problems often worsen during adolescence and early adulthood for people with ASD

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