Autistic people communicate just as effectively as others, study finds

ANOTHER FACT VS KENNEDY'S FICTIONS ABOUT AUTISM

University of Edinburgh

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There is no significant difference in the effectiveness of how autistic and non-autistic people communicate, according to a new study, challenging the stereotype that autistic people struggle to connect with others.   

The findings suggest that social difficulties often faced by autistic people are more about differences in how autistic and non-autistic people communicate, rather than a lack of social ability in autistic individuals, experts say. 

Researchers hope the results of the study will help reduce the stigma surrounding autism, and lead to more effective communication support for autistic people.  

Autism is a lifelong neurodivergence and disability, and influences how people experience and interact with the world. 

Autistic people often communicate more directly and may struggle with reading social cues and body language, leading to differences in how they engage in conversation compared to non-autistic people. 

The study, led by experts from the University of Edinburgh, tested how effectively information was passed between 311 autistic and non-autistic people. 

Participants were tested in groups where everyone was autistic, everyone was non-autistic, or a combination of both. 

The first person in the group heard a story from the researcher, then passed it along to the next person. Each person had to remember and repeat the story, and the last person in the chain recalled the story aloud. 

The amount of information passed on at each point in the chain was scored to discern how effective participants were at sharing the story. Researchers found there were no differences between autistic, non-autistic, and mixed groups.  

After the task, participants rated how much they enjoyed the interaction with the other participants, based on how friendly, easy, or awkward the exchange was.  

Researchers found that non-autistic people preferred interacting with others like themselves, and autistic people preferred learning from fellow autistic individuals. This is likely down to the different ways that autistic and non-autistic people communicate, experts say.  

The findings confirm similar findings from a previous smaller study undertaken by the same researchers. They say the new evidence should lead to increased understanding of autistic communication styles as a difference, not a deficiency.   

Dr Catherine Crompton, Chancellor’s Fellow at the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, said: "Autism has often been associated with social impairments, both colloquially and in clinical criteria. Researchers have spent a lot of time trying to ‘fix’ autistic communication, but this study shows that despite autistic and non-autistic people communicating differently it is just as successful. With opportunities for autistic people often limited by misconceptions and misunderstandings, this new research could lead the way to bridging the communication gap and create more inclusive spaces for all.”  

The study is published in Nature Human Behaviour: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-025-02163-z [URL will become active after embargo lifts]. It was funded by the Templeton World Charity Foundation. It also involved researchers from the University of Texas at Dallas, the University of Nottingham, and the University of Glasgow.  

For further information, please contact: Guy Atkinson, Press and PR Office, 07816 392904, guy.atkinson@ed.ac.uk 

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Journal

Nature Human Behaviour

DOI

10.1038/s41562-025-02163-z 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

People

Article Publication Date

14-May-2025

 

10 things research tells us about the global economic elite

Lund University

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Who are the people that make up the world’s economic elite – and do they differ between countries? In a new, unique database, an international team of researchers has compiled individual data from 16 countries that together account for a third of the world’s population and more than half of the world’s GDP. 

The economic elite examined in this particular scenario includes CEOs and board members of major corporations, the world’s wealthiest individuals, and those with the power to regulate the economy. The World Elite Database (WED) contains over 3,500 names from 16 countries that together represent 54 percent of global GDP, and includes gender, age, education and place of birth.

“Economic elites are interesting because they hold enormous power. They influence people’s working conditions, national prosperity, and financial destinies. This is the first database of its kind, and many researchers will continue to develop it and use it in various capacities,” comments Håkan Johansson, professor in social work at Lund University in Sweden, and chair of the network of researchers who have worked on the database.

Here are ten takeaways from the database:

1. The individuals largely resemble one another – but differences exist. 
    
2. They are predominantly male
    
3. The oldest elite is found in the U.S., with a median age of 62; the youngest are in China and Poland, where the median is 55 and a larger share are ultra-wealthy individuals under 40. 
    
4. China stands out in terms of birthplace: nearly half were born in small villages. 
    
5. Only one percent of China’s elite were born abroad, compared to 20–36 percent in the US, Denmark, Switzerland, and Chile. The UK tops the list with 45 percent born abroad.
    
6. Up to 20 percent of the UK’s economic elite come from the country’s former colonies
    
7. Sweden stands out in one area of education: only 5 percent of Sweden’s economic elite have a doctoral degree, compared to Germany that tops the list with 35 percent, followed by Poland, China, Switzerland, the US, and Finland.
    
8. A master’s degree is the most common level of education, except in Argentina, Italy, and the UK, where a bachelor’s degree is more prevalent. The lowest level of education is found among those who have inherited their wealth.
    
9. So what should you study if you want to become part of the economic elite? The safest bet is to study economics. This field tops the list in every country except China and Finland, where an engineering degree is slightly more common. 
    
10. The UK, Poland, and Switzerland are the countries where degrees in the humanities or law are most valued – in these countries, at least 20 percent of the top tier have studied these subjects. The corresponding figure for Sweden, Denmark, and Norway is below 10 percent.

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Journal

British Journal of Sociology

DOI

10.1111/1468-4446.13203 

Article Title

Varieties of Economic Elites? Preliminary Results From the World Elite Database (WED)

U$ FOR PROFIT HEALTHCARE

ESMT Berlin research shows private ownership boosts hospital performance

ESMT Berlin

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image: 

Merih Sevilir

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Credit: IWH

New research by ESMT Berlin and the Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH) shows that private equity (PE) acquisitions lead to substantial operational efficiency gains in hospitals, challenging common public concerns. The study reveals that hospitals acquired by PE firms significantly reduce costs and administrative staff without increasing closure rates or harming patient care. 
 
The paper “Private Equity in the Hospital Industry” is co-authored by Merih Sevilir (ESMT and Halle Institute for Economic Research), Janet Gao (McDonough School of Business, Georgetown), and Yongseok Kim (Freeman School of Business, Tulane). Drawing on data from more than 1,200 hospital acquisitions in the United States between 2001 and 2018, the researchers provide the most comprehensive analysis to date of how PE ownership affects hospital survival, employment, pricing, and patient outcomes. 
 
The study finds that hospitals acquired by PE firms do not experience higher closure rates. Instead, they demonstrate improved operational profitability while sustaining essential medical staff levels over the long term. Cost-cutting efforts are largely concentrated in administrative roles, especially at hospitals that were formerly non-profit institutions. In these hospitals, the number of administrative staff declined by 33 percent over the long term. This highlights how private equity drives restructuring in sectors historically insulated from investor oversight and market pressures. 
 
“Our study shows that private equity firms do not dismantle hospitals, as is often feared. Instead, they streamline administrative structures while protecting core medical staff and services. This nuanced approach boosts efficiency without compromising patient care,” said Merih Sevilir, professor of finance at ESMT and head of the Department of Laws, Regulations, and Factor Markets at the Halle Institute. Drawing on proprietary insurance claims data, the research finds no evidence of increased inpatient prices or a shift toward treating younger, wealthier, or healthier patients. It also detects no changes in patient demographics or health outcomes, such as mortality or readmission rates. The only notable negative impact is a decline in patient satisfaction, potentially linked to reductions in administrative staff who support non-clinical services. 
 
Overall, the findings suggest that private equity involvement can act as a catalyst for improving efficiency in healthcare without sacrificing medical quality, particularly through the reduction of excess administrative costs in nonprofit hospitals and the introduction of more effective operational oversight. 
 
The study has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Financial Economics, a peer-reviewed academic journal publishing theoretical and empirical research in financial economics. 

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Journal

Journal of Financial Economics

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

 

New hope against superbugs: Promising antibiotic candidate discovered

The novel glycopeptide saarvienin A is highly effective against resistant pathogens

University of Vienna

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An international team of researchers, led by the University of Vienna and the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland, has discovered saarvienin A, a new type of glycopeptide antibiotic. Their findings, now published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition, introduce a compound with strong activity against highly resistant bacterial strains.

Antibiotic-resistant infections are on the rise, threatening to make even common diseases deadly again. Without new antibiotics, experts warn that up to 100 million lives could be lost annually by 2050. In search for new compounds, researchers from several institutions, including the University of Vienna and the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), have turned to the study of actinobacteria – microorganisms that are well-known for living in unusual environments and producing antibiotics such as vancomycin, rifamycin, and chelocardin. Jaime Felipe Guerrero Garzón from the Division of Pharmacognosy at the University of Vienna's Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, discovered strong antibiotic activity in extracts from a strain of Amycolatopsis isolated from a Chinese rare earth mine, which prompted further investigation. Martin Zehl, Head of the Mass Spectrometry Center at the University of Vienna, found out that this antibiotic activity was associated with a potentially novel compound of the class glycopeptides. Using mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, the collaborating team at HIPS identified a completely new molecule: saarvienin A. 

Breaking the rules: A glycopeptide with a twist 

Saarvienin A's special feature became clear early on: unlike established glycopeptides such as vancomycin, the new compound does not bind the typical bacterial target involved in cell wall synthesis. Instead, it probably acts through a different, as yet unresolved mechanism. Structural analysis revealed a distinctive architecture: a halogenated peptide core cyclized through an unusual ureido linkage, decorated with a chain of five sugar and aminosugar units — two of which are completely new to natural products. "We were excited to find that saarvienin A doesn't fit into any known category," said Jaime Felipe Guerrero. "Its unique structure could pave the way for antibiotics that bacteria have never encountered before."

A strong weapon against resistant bacteria 

In close collaboration, researchers at HIPS, led by corresponding author Rolf Müller, characterized the biological activity of saarvienin A, named after Saarbrücken and Vienna. Tests of the new molecule against bacteria focused in particular on "ESKAPE pathogens" – a notorious group of superbugs known to evade most current antibiotics. The compound showed remarkable acivity against vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), including 3 ESKAPE pathogens and 26 clinical isolates. It consistently outperformed vancomycin, even against strains already resistant to multiple other antibiotics. "Discovering a new antibiotic is only the beginning," said corresponding author Sergey B. Zotchev from the University of Vienna. "Now we face the fascinating challenge of refining it into a drug candidate suitable for clinical use."

Next steps: Engineering for the clinic 

With the biosynthetic genes for saarvienin A already identified and cloned, the international team plans to use medicinal chemistry and biosynthetic engineering to optimize the molecule. A key goal is to reduce cytotoxicity while maintaining antibacterial activity. Although challenges remain, the discovery of saarvienin A provides much-needed momentum in the fight against antibiotic resistance — and highlights the potential of unexplored natural sources.

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Journal

Angewandte Chemie International Edition

DOI

10.1002/anie.202425588 

Article Title

Saarvienin A – A Novel Glycopeptide with Potent Activity against Drug-Resistant Bacteria.

 

Unintended, percolated work: Overlooked collaborative opportunities during end-of-life care

Researchers explore overlooked collaborative opportunities between informal caregivers and healthcare professionals in end-of-life care experienced during bereavement

Institute of Science Tokyo

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Scientists explore how missed collaborative chances during end-of-life care between caregivers and medical professionals can lead to UPW.

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Credit: Shun Saito from Institute of Science Tokyo, Japan

Bereavement due to the loss of a close family member is a universal phenomenon, placing a significant psychological burden on the affected parties, triggering negative emotions like regret, self-blame, etc. This is particularly pronounced in informal/family caregivers involved in end-of-life care. Although healthcare professionals can provide emotional and medical support to the patients and help family members be prepared for their loved ones’ imminent death, little attention has been given to how medical professionals and family members can effectively collaborate to make end-of-life care smooth.

To resolve this, Mr. Shun Saito, a graduate student, and Associate Professor Taro Sugihara, from Institute of Science Tokyo, Japan, conducted semi-structured interviews with six bereaved family members and eight healthcare professionals. Their study aimed to understand what the stakeholders needed to realize about the experiences of their care journeys and what factors affected the collaborative activities between the stakeholders involved in end-of-life care. They published their findings on April 25, 2025, in the 2025 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI'25) proceedings held between April 26–May 01, 2025. The interviews were conducted by Mr. Saito between August and December of 2022 with men and women aged between 20–80 years who had experienced bereavement. Five doctors and three nurses with experience in end-of-life care related to death or senility also participated in the study.

Mr. Saito explains the overall findings from their study here, “Bereaved family members broadly recollected the mixed regretful actions and decisions that should have been taken during the end-of-life care process. Coordination and cooperation challenges that existed between healthcare professionals and family caregivers emerged as factors that impeded these actions at the time.”

This result led to the presence of unintended, percolated work (UPW), a key finding of this study. The authors classify UPW into three types. The first classification involves overloaded work experienced during the caregiving and end-of-life stages, which arose from the demands of their daily life, compounded by the added responsibilities of caregiving, placing extreme mental strain and capacity overload on the family caregiver. The second classification involves overlooked work due during the end-of-life and near-death stages, stemming from the situational changes in the caregivers’ activities towards the patients’ near-death. This left the caregivers helpless and abandoned due to a lack of support from medical professionals and other family members.

The third classification is about overstepped work experienced during the near-death stage by medical professionals, where doctors and nurses intervene in the patients’ care, unintentionally disregarding the agency of the family caregivers. This left the medical professionals feeling burn out and with difficulties in trying to replace the family members.

“Our findings redirect the shift in attention from achieving caregivers’ perceived needs to nurturing collaboration by addressing invisible work and unshared emotions. We recommend reframing care and end-of-life care as a continuous process, integrating previously separate research perspectives to inform better support designs,” concludes Mr. Saito about their work.

Overall, UPW—activities where stakeholders unintentionally exceeded their expected duties—shed light on collaborative opportunities between medical professionals and family caregivers, suggesting improved designs for medical professionals and technological support to make end-of-life care easier.

 

***

 

About Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo)
Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo) was established on October 1, 2024, following the merger between Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) and Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech), with the mission of “Advancing science and human wellbeing to create value for and with society.”

 

About Associate Professor Taro Sugihara from Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo), Japan
Dr. Taro Sugihara is an Associate Professor at the School of Environment and Society, Science Tokyo, Japan. His major research domains include humanities and social sciences, rehabilitation science, human interfaces and interactions, and informatics. He has published over 50 articles and has more than 250 citations. Also, he collaborated with other researchers and published a book based on the assistive technologies aiding in dementia care. Additionally, he has been awarded the prestigious 13th Academic Encouragement Award and is one of the esteemed recipients of the 9th Research Group Award, Human Interface Society of Japan.

 

Funding information
This research was supported by a Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (award numbers: 20H04470 and 22K04581).

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DOI

10.1145/3706598.3713552 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Unintended, Percolated Work: Overlooked Opportunities for Collaboration Between Informal Caregivers and Healthcare Professionals During the End-Of-Life Care Process

 

Exercise the key to maintaining Vitamin D levels in winter, study finds

University of Bath

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The sun may be shining now, and our vitamin D levels are getting a natural boost but it wasn’t long ago we were in the depths of winter, when sunlight was scarce and vitamin D was in short supply.

Now, new research from the University of Bath, University of Birmingham, University of Cambridge and others, published in Advanced Science has revealed that regular, moderate-intensity exercise helps maintain crucial vitamin D levels during the darker months—even without weight loss or supplements.

Researchers found that people with overweight and obesity who completed a 10-week indoor exercise programme over winter experienced significantly smaller drops in vitamin D levels compared to those who didn’t exercise—even though their body weight was deliberately maintained.

The programme involved four sessions per week: two treadmill walks, one longer steady-state bike ride, and one high-intensity interval bike session.

Notably, exercise completely preserved the body’s active form of vitamin D (1,25(OH)₂D₃), which plays a key role in supporting bone health, the immune system, and various organs. Previous studies suggest that vitamin D supplements alone do not help maintain this active form.

Lead author Dr Oly Perkin from the Centre for Nutrition, Exercise and Metabolism, Department for Health at the University of Bath said:

“This is the first study to show that exercise alone can protect against the winter dip in vitamin D. It’s a powerful reminder that we still have lots to learn about how exercise benefits our health.”

Key findings:

• People who exercised saw a smaller drop in their overall vitamin D levels over winter — about 15%, compared to a 25% drop in those who didn’t exercise.
   
• Importantly, those who exercised kept healthy levels of the active form of vitamin D, which helps support the immune system and bone health.
   
• In the non-exercising group, levels of this active form fell by 15%.
   
• Weight was kept stable throughout the study, proving the effect was due to exercise—not weight loss.

To ensure sunlight didn’t skew results, the study ran between October and April—when natural vitamin D production from sunlight is minimal in this part of the UK —and participants were asked to avoid supplements.

A previous study from the team showed that a single workout can briefly boost vitamin D levels, this is the first to show that regular cardio exercise can maintain basal circulating vitamin D levels and offer lasting protection during the winter months.

Prof Dylan Thompson Principal Investigator for the VitaDEx study said:

“Collectively, the findings from the VitaDEx project show that exercise increases the concentrations of vitamin D metabolites each time you are active – and, on top of this, doing regular activity helps to maintain your basal resting levels of vitamin D during winter. This means exercise gives you a double benefit to your vitamin D – firstly in and around each exercise bout, and secondly through changing your baseline levels.”

With over 50 adults taking part in this sophisticated and carefully designed randomised controlled trial, the study offers compelling evidence that exercise could be an effective winter vitamin D strategy—especially for those who are overweight or obese for whom vitamin D supplements are less effective.

Liam Kilawee who took part in the study said: “I was impressed on how thorough the process was and how the team engaged with me during research period. The results were pleasing as I could see that my actions had a positive reaction.”

Dr Oly Perkin added: “If you're worried about your vitamin D levels in the winter, keeping up regular exercise every week will help, and offer a load of health benefits that vitamin D supplements cannot.”

Prof Thompson added: “These findings have implications for policy makers and healthcare professionals. Exercise should be part of any strategy to improve vitamin D status and metabolism during winter.”

This research was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).

Exercise without Weight Loss Prevents Seasonal Decline in Vitamin D Metabolites: The VitaDEx Randomized Controlled Trial is available at: https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/advs.202416312

ENDS

Notes to editor

• The full list of collaborators on this study are:1Centre for Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, Department for Health, University of Bath, Bath; Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham; Nutritional Biomarker Laboratory, MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge; University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences, Du Cane Road, London; Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath

For more information, please contact:
Rebecca Tanswell
University of Bath Press Office
Tel: 01225 386319
Email: rlt54@bath.ac.uk   

About the University of Bath
The University of Bath is one of the UK’s leading universities, recognized for high-impact research, excellence in education, an outstanding student experience, and strong graduate prospects.

• Ranked in the top 10 of all the UK’s major university guides.
• Among the world’s top 10% of universities, placed 150th in the QS World University Rankings 2025.
• Rated in the world’s top 10 universities for sport (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024).

Research from Bath addresses critical global challenges, fostering low-carbon living, positive digital futures, and improved health and wellbeing. Learn more about our Research with Impact: https://www.bath.ac.uk/campaigns/research-with-impact/

 

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Journal

Advanced Science

DOI

10.1002/advs.202416312 

Article Title

Exercise without Weight Loss Prevents Seasonal Decline in Vitamin D Metabolites: The VitaDEx Randomized Controlled Trial

Article Publication Date

14-May-2025