Latest news with #communicate
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Health
- The Irish Sun
How the way you WALK could reveal a hidden autism diagnosis – the 3 signs to look for in your child
AUTISM is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects how people socialise, communicate and interact with the world. Autistic people may find socialising confusing or tiring, become overwhelmed in loud or crowded places and crave order and routine. 2 Toe-walking, walking on tip toes or the balls of the feet, can be a characteristic of autism if it continues past early childhood Credit: Getty 2 Walking with feet turned in can be another one - though autism isn't the only cause of this Credit: Getty But the condition - which is not an illness or disease that needs to be 'cured' - can also affect how some people move or walk, researchers say. In fact, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) - a guide book widely used for diagnosing mental health conditions - lists an "odd gait" as supporting feature of autism. Nicole Rinehart, a Professor of clinical psychology and director of the neurodevelopment program at Monash University outlined three "noticeable gait differences" autistic people might have in These may include: Read more on autism Toe-walking, walking on the balls of the feet In-toeing, walking with one or both feet turned inwards Out-toeing, walking with one or both feet turned out Walking on the toes or the balls of the feet is fairly common in children who are just beginning to walk, until the age of three. Most will outgrow it the habit. If toe-walking doesn't correct itself over time, or begins suddenly, the NHS recommends children be assessed by a health professional for growth-growth related pain, neurodevelopmental disorders or autism. Most read in Health "Children with autism spectrum disorder or sensory integration issues will frequently toe walk as it feels more comfortable for them," the In and out-toeing are also fairly common and can simply be caused by the rotation of the thigh and shin bones, aside from autism. Simple 10-question test that can help determine if you have autism They don't usually need treatment and will go away on their own by the time a child is eight. The NHS advises parents to speak a GP about their children's gait if they're worried about it. Autism can cause other, more subtle changes to the way people walk, according to Prof Rinehart. She pointed to Walk more slowly Take wider steps Spend longer in the 'stance' phase, when the foot leaves the ground Take more time to complete each step "Autistic people show much more personal variability in the length and speed of their strides, as well as their walking speed," Prof Rinehart wrote. "Gait differences also tend to occur alongside other motor differences, such as issues with balance, coordination, postural stability and handwriting." She explained that gait differences in autistic people might be caused by "differences in brain development". What is autism? Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an incurable, lifelong developmental condition that affects how people perceive the world and interact with others. It affects around one in 100 people in the UK and is three to four times more common in boys than in girls. Many people with ASD find it hard to understand other people's feelings and emotions, and they may have difficulty holding conversations. When they are young, their language development may take longer and they can struggle to use facial expressions, using gestures to communicate instead. They may also find it hard to connect with other people and to hold eye contact with unfamiliar individuals. Many children with ASD like to follow a routine, and changes to this can cause distress. High functioning autism is an informal term some people use to describe those on the autism spectrum disorder. Areas such as the basal ganglia - which is responsible for making walking effortless, smooth and automatic - and the cerebellum, which controls and coordinates movement, may develop differently in people with autism, the expert said. "While some researchers have suggested that autistic gait occurs due to delayed development, we now know gait differences persist across the lifespan. "Some differences actually become clearer with age." Some people with gait differences may also have more difficulties with language and cognition. In some cases, these signs can indicate that an autistic person is experiencing "sensory or cognitive overload" and might need some "extra support or a break" in that moment, the expert said. Do gait differences need to be treated? Differences in the way autistic people walk don't necessarily need to be treated, Prof Rinehart said. "Some autistic people might have subtle gait differences that are observable during testing," she wrote. "But if these differences don't impact a person's ability to participate in everyday life, they don't require support." But some may be at increased risk of falls, have difficulty participating in sports or other physical activities, or may get pain in their legs or back from the way they walk. In these cases, children may benefit from some additional support, whether that be from a clinic, at school, or in their local communities. "Our "Community-based support models empower autistic children to have agency in how they move, rather than seeing different ways of moving as a problem to be fixed." The key characteristics of autism - and why they go unnoticed By Alice Fuller , Health Features Editor MODEL Christine McGuinness was a 'recluse' for eight years and only left the house at 3am. Springwatch presenter And recently, But what exactly is autism and why does it seem so different in everyone? Leanne Cooper-Brown, neurodevelopmental lead at 'Whereas we used to think of autism as a linear line, we have come to realise that terms such as 'high' and 'low' functioning or definitions of 'mild', 'moderate' or 'severe' aren't helpful and can be misleading. 'Nowadays, we think of autism in terms of the strengths and needs of the individual, which can change over time depending on their environment and support network.' About 700,000 people in the UK are thought to have autism - that's one in 100. But research by University College London suggests that number could be twice as high, as many people remain undiagnosed. Cases are on the rise though. Figures released last year showed a 175 per cent increase from 2011 to 2022. Dr Selina Warlow, clinical psychologist and owner of 'Receiving a diagnosis can open access to expert resources that support autistic people to thrive in society.' Autism has long been associated with social difficulties, like problems maintaining conversations and forming relationships. But research published in the journal Cell Press suggested that repetitive behaviours - like rocking or finger-flicking - and special interests - whether it's TV shows or specific animals - are more indicative of an autism diagnosis. Generally though, experts say the Sensitivity - autistic people can be much more or less sensitive to sights, sounds, textures, tastes and smells. For example, they find bright lights or crowded spaces overwhelming, Leanne says. They may also stand too close to others or need to move their whole body to look at something. Stimming - to manage this sensory overload, some people use repetitive movements or sounds. 'This is called stimming, and includes rocking, tapping and hand-flapping,' Dr Warlow says. 'Though it's something everyone does to some extent, those with autism are likely to engage with it as a form of self-regulation.' Masking - this is a strategy used by some autistic people, consciously or not, to match neurotypical people, Dr Warlow says. 'It's a way of hiding your true characteristics, and could involve copying facial expressions, planning conversations in advance, or holding in 'stimming' - swapping hand clapping with playing with a pen, for example,' she adds. Burnout - this is a state of physical, mental and emotional exhaustion and is a common feature in autism. 'Being extremely tired, both mentally and physically, can be associated with the act of masking for a long period of time, or sensory or social overload,' Dr Warlow says. 'Symptoms of autistic burnout include social withdrawal, reduced performance and increased sensitivity.' Social struggles - socialising can be confusing or tiring for autistic people. They often find it hard to understand what others are thinking or feeling, making it challenging to make friends. Leanne says: 'In adults, autism may present as difficulties with interpreting social cues such as understanding body language or sarcasm, struggling to express emotions or preferring to be alone. This can impact relationships and work.' Routine - many of us have a fairly regular daily schedule. But for autistic people, this becomes a 'very strong preference for routine', Leanne says. This could be needing a daily timetable to know what is going to happen and when, or having rigid preferences about foods or clothing. Literal thinking - some autistic people have a literal view of language - like believing it's actually 'raining cats and dogs' or that someone really wants you to 'break a leg'. Dr Warlow says: 'This can result in confusion with figures of speech, irony or indirect requests. 'For instance, being told to 'pull your socks up' might be understood literally, not as a motivational phrase.' Hyperfocus - often associated with ADHD, hyperfocusing is also common in autistic people. 'It's where you're able to focus intensely on an activity and become absorbed to the point of forgetting about time,' Dr Warlow says. 'This is useful in work or hobbies but can result in neglect of other aspects of life, such as food or rest.' Special interests - we all have hobbies and interests, but for autistic people, these are so compelling they often want to spend all their time learning about, thinking about or doing them. 'Special interests could include anything from dinosaurs to superheroes, and gardening to music,' Dr Warlow says. 'These usually begin in childhood, but can also form as an adult. 'Chris Packham is an example of an autistic person who turned his childhood special interest in animals into a successful career, becoming one of the UK's best-loved natural world TV presenters.
Techday NZ
5 days ago
- Techday NZ
Critical mcp-remote flaw lets attackers hijack AI client systems
A critical vulnerability labelled CVE-2025-6514 has been discovered in mcp-remote, a tool frequently used by Model Context Protocol clients, posing a significant security risk to users running versions 0.0.5 to 0.1.15. The JFrog Security Research team revealed that the flaw enables attackers to execute arbitrary operating system commands on machines where mcp-remote initiates connections to untrusted Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers. This vulnerability, which is addressed in version 0.1.16, represents the first documented instance of full remote code execution against a client device via a real-world scenario involving untrusted MCP servers. Widespread impact According to the researchers, MCP's popularity has surged due to its use in enabling AI assistants and large language models (LLMs) to interact securely and in real-time with external data and services. The mcp-remote proxy specifically allows LLM hosts, such as Claude Desktop, to communicate with remote MCP servers even when they only natively support connections to local MCP servers. This capacity has seen mcp-remote's adoption in various software and documentation, including official guides from Cloudflare and integrations with platforms such as auth0 and Hugging Face. The vulnerability exposes users to the risk of arbitrary OS command execution if mcp-remote is used to connect to either a malicious or hijacked MCP server, or to an MCP server over insecure connections. Under such conditions, attackers could gain remote code execution on client systems. The risk is especially pronounced on Windows, where the researchers demonstrated an exploit capable of executing shell commands with full parameter control. On macOS and Linux, the vulnerability enables execution of arbitrary binaries with more limited control, but further research may broaden its applicability. Attack vectors JFrog identified two key scenarios through which the attack can be executed. The first involves an MCP client connecting to an untrusted or compromised remote server using mcp-remote, which could be orchestrated by a threat actor setting up a hostile server or hijacking MCP infrastructure. The second scenario leverages insecure connections - specifically, HTTP rather than HTTPS - where an attacker on the same local network intercepts and manipulates MCP traffic between the client and server, a situation more likely when MCP servers within local area networks are trusted implicitly and insecure connections allowed. Technical breakdown The vulnerability is triggered during the initial setup between mcp-remote and a remote MCP server. When configuring an LLM host like Claude Desktop to connect to a remote MCP server, users typically enter server details in a configuration file. Upon starting the connection, mcp-remote exchanges authentication data with the server. A malicious server can modify the OAuth endpoint responses - for example, sending a crafted 'authorization_endpoint' URL - which mcp-remote subsequently processes. Due to the flaw, mcp-remote may inadvertently execute arbitrary operating system commands during this process, allowing the attacker significant control over the affected system. On Windows, the attack chain exploits the way mcp-remote interacts with PowerShell through the open-source 'open' npm package, achieving command execution by inserting specially crafted URLs. Although the same 'open' routines exist on macOS and Linux, their exploitation potential is currently more limited. Mitigation available JFrog advises all users of mcp-remote to update to version 0.1.16, which includes a fix for CVE-2025-6514. Additional recommendations include strictly connecting only to trusted MCP servers using encrypted HTTPS connections, and reviewing access policies for MCP infrastructure, especially in environments where remote MCP servers are used. Or Peles, JFrog Vulnerability Research Team Leader, stated: "While remote MCP servers are highly effective tools for expanding AI capabilities in managed environments, facilitating rapid iteration of code, and helping ensure more reliable delivery of software, MCP users need to be mindful of only connecting to trusted MCP servers using secure connection methods such as HTTPS. Otherwise, vulnerabilities like CVE-2025-6514 are likely to hijack MCP clients in the ever-growing MCP ecosystem." The research team also acknowledged Glen Maddern, mcp-remote's primary maintainer, for the prompt resolution and patch deployment addressing the issue. MCP, an open protocol standard introduced in late 2024, has facilitated the integration of LLMs with external data and enterprise systems, both locally and remotely. While this approach expands the capabilities of AI-powered applications, the discovery of CVE-2025-6514 underlines the security responsibilities associated with deploying and connecting to MCP infrastructure. Users are encouraged to install the latest version of mcp-remote and to audit existing deployments for potentially vulnerable configurations. Connections to MCP servers should always be established over HTTPS with appropriate trust boundaries to mitigate the risks highlighted by this vulnerability.
The Spinoff
08-07-2025
- Business
- The Spinoff
Ghost bus: why is Motu Move taking so long to arrive in Canterbury?
The new public transport payments were supposed to be operating in Canterbury already. What's happened? Last year, people in Canterbury were expecting a subtle, but useful, change to how they use public transport: the advent of the Motu Move system, which would allow Cantabrians to tag on to the bus with their debit card. Going region by region, the plan was for Motu Move to replace existing ticketing and public transport cards, concluding in Otago at the end of 2026. With one system in the whole country, the same card could be used for taking the train in Auckland, the ferry in Wellington and the bus in Christchurch. Though only one card would be required (and contactless debit cards could be used to tag on too) the pricing of public transport would still go to each individual council. But although Motu Move was supposed to be operating in Canterbury by mid-2025, with an earlier rollout in Timaru and Temuka, Cantabrians are still scanning their Metro cards. The only sign of it, so far, is Christchurch's route 29 bus – supposed to be an initial pilot before the broader system was implemented. Running since December, a NZTA spokesperson said that 27,000 trips on the 29 route have been paid for with debit and credit cards – 35% of adult fares on that route. 'The pilot has proven that the base contactless payments components of the system work and that more customers than expected have been keen to adopt the new payment options,' NZTA said. However, the broader system is well behind schedule. A re-confirmed plan for delivery in Canterbury, then the rest of the regions, is expected in August, NZTA said. The National Ticketing System governance board is also conducting a review to identify problems with implementation; a report will be delivered at the end of July. Deon Swiggs, the Environment Canterbury deputy chair and holder of the transport portfolio, says that the delay has been 'frustrating'. 'NZTA have to communicate with us,' he said, noting the communication has improved in recent weeks. 'We need to know what's happening so we can communicate it to our residents.' The initial plan was to roll out Motu Move in Timaru and Temuka early this year. Timaru has on-demand shuttle buses, and there's a bus route from the South Canterbury centre to Temuka. Both towns have on-demand transport services. 'It's a smaller and more confined system [than Greater Christchurch] – a good test to iron out the kinks,' Swiggs said. One reason that Canterbury had been selected as the first area to deploy the Motu Move upgrade was that its current ticketing system with a Metro transport card is up for renewal. 'We were operating on the assumption that Motu Move would take over Metro in Christchurch,' Swiggs said. Until the council receives an updated timeline, it's not clear how much it should invest to keep Metro running in the meantime. The benefits of the Motu Move system are clear. Elliot Weir, an Otago Regional councillor, uses their Bee Card frequently. Outside of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, the Bee cards are operated by all other regional councils with public transport services, meaning Weir was able to tag onto the bus as normal when they visited Hamilton recently. This could make it even easier for visitors to a region to use public transport, rather than needing to borrow a car or use rideshare services. 'Queenstown has a bus that goes to the airport – it's always packed,' Weir pointed out. The Motu Move system will also mean users can tag on with digital credit cards, and top their card up on their phone. 'I've been known to forget my wallet – it's super handy if you can still tag on with your phone or watch,' Weir said. Swiggs has appreciated using his Google Wallet to take the 29 bus. As Motu Move rolls out, most councils will stop accepting cash fares. 'It's more efficient to tag on than for drivers to manually count cash,' Swiggs said. 'If it costs an extra five or 10 seconds at every stop, and there are 50 stops on a route, that adds up to nearly 10 minutes – we know that reliability is the first thing users want from a public transport system.' Environment Canterbury plans to work with the City Mission and Housing First Christchurch to get their clients up to speed on the digital system; low income people are often those who depend on cash. When implemented, the ticketing system will also gather better data about which routes are being used – ideally helping transport planners to ensure their services respond to where people want to go. Motu Move does represent a major technical challenge. But other countries have conquered the 'pay with your debit card' challenge years ago: Singapore, Sydney and the Netherlands all have this option available. 'It's really simple to just have one card,' Swiggs says. 'It's been en route for a long time.' Debit card tag-on is already available in Auckland (which will eventually also be integrated into Motu Move), and on Wellington's airport bus. But Cantabrians will have to wait months even just to find out when Motu Move might arrive for them.
Time of India
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
ENHYPEN's Sunghoon issues apology after backlash over ‘racist typo'
ENHYPEN member Sunghoon recently came under fire after sharing a post with a glaring typo which can be interpreted as a racist term against Japanese people. The mistake didn't go unnoticed by netizens, who slammed the idol which prompted him to quickly issue an apology. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Sunghoon, while using a popular fan forum to communicate with his fans from all around the world, tried to tell someone 'Good Job', but ended up writing the word 'good j*p'. The phrase is usually used as a racial slur against the Japanese. It is also used by people to degrade and demean Japanese people as well, further enraging netizens. The phrase is often written as 'good jab' in Hangul, which many thought was the reason why the mistake occurred in the first place. As soon as the post went viral and the idol started facing a lot of backlash, he quickly issued an apology online and addressed the matter. Sunghoon's apology Sunghoon quickly posted the correct phrase under the post and even issued an apology to the fans on the same fan forum. The apology read, 'During the listening party, I accidentally spelt an English word wrong and it became an issue. I fixed it later after I found out it was wrongly spelt. I had no intentions behind it, and it was simply a misspelt word. Thank you to the ENGENEs who were worried for me. I'll be more careful in the future'. The member quickly corrected himself online after taking help from fellow member Junghoon as well.
Local France
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Local France
Inside France: Air conditioning wars, football focus and balloons
Inside France is our weekly look at some of the news, talking points and gossip in France that you might not have heard about. It's published each Saturday and members can receive it directly to their inbox, by going to their newsletter preferences or adding their email to the sign-up box in this article. Breezy assurances France's most recent heatwave has sparked a furious political debate about air conditioning - a facility that is not widespread in France, and is in fact actively resisted by a significant portion of the population. Until recently there wasn't much discussion about this, simply because it wasn't needed in much of the country. But France's hotter summers and longer and more intense heatwaves mean that air conditioning has come to the forefront of the political discussion. Advertisement Marine Le Pen's Rassemblement National - a party that is extremely reluctant to even talk about the climate crisis that is driving those warming temperatures, and in fact actively opposes renewable energy sources like wind turbines - has come with a 'grand plan for air conditioning'. The debate that followed seems to me to be a neat illustration of the difficulty of combating the simplified rhetoric of the far-right. Put simply, the RN position is: "It's hot. Let's have more air conditioning." Meanwhile the position of the left and the centre is: "Yes, it's hot and people in high-risk groups may need air conditioning during a heatwave. However, air conditioning is bad for the environment and it won't solve the underlying problem which is climate change. We need to look for alternative solutions as well, while working to tackle climate change." The problem is that one of those positions is a lot easier to communicate than the other. Also, when it's stiflingly hot, your apartment feels like an inner circle of hell and you couldn't sleep last night because the temperature never fell below 30C, one of those positions is instinctively more attractive than the other. That doesn't make it right, though. Air conditioning is a sticking plaster at best that solves none of the underlying issues and makes the problem worse. Even if we discount the overall environmental impact of AC units (and we definitely shouldn't) there's the simple fact that the heat chucked out by these units raises the temperature for everyone. Sustained use of air conditioning for just 10 days raises the overall temperature of a city by up to 2.4C, according to environment agency Ademe . ANALYSIS: Why are the French resistant to air conditioning?✎ Summer 2025 Predicting the future is always hard but it does seem like France is in for another hot summer . We have a go at predicting what else summer 2025 may bring - from strikes to political drama - in the latest Talking France podcast. Listen here or on the link below. The podcast is now taking a break for summer, but we hope to be back in September. You can catch up on our back catalogue here , and if you like what you hear you might consider supporting us by becoming a member of The Local, or recommending us to family and friends, which will allow us to keep making it. Advertisement Football focus A post on Bskysocial. France take on England on Saturday in the Women's Euro 2025 and we have a handy guide for some French phrases to use while watching les bleues . Incidentally, this is an example of the beautiful efficiency of the French language - les bleus = the France men's team, les bleues = the France women's team, les bleuets = the France junior team. Allez les bleues ! READ ALSO : How to watch the women's Euro 2025 tournament on French TV✎ Balloon In my opinion, the perfect way to end a summer's day is to go and see La vasque - the Paris hot air balloon that was here during the Olympics and Paralympics - rise. It's sunset ascent is quite calm; there's no announcement or soundtrack, at the appointed time it simply gently floats upwards above the Tuileries, accompanied by a murmur of joy from the assembled crowd. This will happen every evening (weather permitting) until September. The balloon rising above the Tuileries at sunset, as the assembled crowd take photographs. Photo: The Local Inside France is our weekly look at some of the news, talking points and gossip in France that you might not have heard about. It's published each Saturday and members can receive it directly to their inbox, by going to their newsletter preferences or adding their email to the sign-up box in this article.
