Spotted around the web: Week of 18 November 2019

Research roundup

• Adults with neurodevelopmental conditions, including autism, have an elevated risk of bone fractures. Bone
• A review of studies shows no good evidence for cannabis use in autism, but more research is needed. BMC Psychiatry
• Researchers propose guidelines for analyzing how rare gene variants contribute to complex traits. Nature Reviews Genetics
• Autism traits correlate with emotional eating in girls but not boys. Appetite
• Three in four women who were diagnosed with autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder as children have chronic pain, according to a small study. Journal of Pain Research
• Researchers have updated a project called the Monarch Initiative, which aims to integrate genes and their biological effects across species. Nucleic Acids Research
• A review of studies has found a higher prevalence of autism in people with gender dysphoria than in the general population. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
• Genes implicated in both autism and schizophrenia appear to play a role in how the brain consumes energy. Molecular Psychiatry

Science and society

• The U.S. National Institutes of Health has drafted a new policy requiring grantees to submit a detailed plan for sharing their data with others. Science
• The majority of Facebook ads promoting anti-vaccination messages come from two organizations. The Guardian
• The infamous 1998 paper by Andrew Wakefield that falsely linked vaccines and autism remains one of the most highly cited retracted papers ever; the majority of references are negative. Retraction Watch
• Women who submit papers to the Royal Society of Chemistry journals are more likely to receive rejections than men are. Nature
• Mesa, Arizona, is the first U.S. city to be designated an Autism Certified City. Daily Independent
• Dance and movement may improve autistic children’s communication skills. The New York Times
• A New York parent is lobbying to add a marker on driver licenses indicating that a holder has autism. ABC7
• Entrepreneur Elon Musk claims that an artificial-intelligence chip implanted into people’s brains could “solve” autism and other brain “diseases.” Business Insider
• A ballot initiative to fund a stem-cell institute in California will require the institute to dedicate half its funds to brain conditions such as autism, among other restrictions. Science

Autism and the arts

• Kim Diehnelt, a professional conductor with autism, has assumed leadership of Vermont’s Me2/Burlington orchestra. Seven Days
• A 10-year-old autistic painter, Kanye Tagbo-Okeke, had a week-long solo art show in Lagos, Nigeria, that ended Sunday. The Guardian Nigeria

Funding news

• The International Society for Autism Research is providing 10 travel awards to autistic presenters for its 2020 meeting in Seattle, Washington. Twitter