A Pilot Study of Abnormal Growth in Autism Spectrum Disorders and Other Childhood Psychiatric Disorders

The aims of the current study were to examine whether early growth abnormalities are (a) comparable in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and other childhood psychiatric disorders, and (b) specific to the brain or generalized to the whole body. Head circumference, height, and weight were measured during the first 19 months of life in 129 children with ASD and 59 children with non-ASD psychiatric disorders. Both groups showed comparable abnormal patterns of growth compared to population norms, especially regarding height and head circumference in relation to height. Thus abnormal growth appears to be related to psychiatric disorders in general and is mainly expressed as an accelerated growth of height not matched by an increase in weight or head circumference

Methods of accounting and modeling of the resistance forces of different physical nature in mechanical, dynamic, vibration and rotary systems

Рассматриваются теоретические основы учета демпфирования и сил сопротивления в динамических системах, способы учета демпфирующих свойств конструкционных элементов при расчете динамических характеристик систем, математическое описание сил сопротивления. Анализируется эффективность использования демпферов в зависимости от их конструктивных особенностей. Приводятся примеры использования демпфирующих элементов различного типа в механических системах, в том числе роторах.The theoretical basis of accounting the damping and the forces of resistance in dynamic systems, methods of accounting for the damping properties of structural elements in the calculation of dynamic characteristics of the systems, the mathematical description of the resistance forces. Consideration of the resistance forces of different nature. Efficiency dampers analyzed according to their structural features. Examples of using different types of damping elements in mechanical systems, including rotors. The article presents the resistance forces that characterize linear and Coulomb friction, the degree of resistance (linear, quadratic and cubic), dry friction. Some forces are a product of functions, depending on the generalized coordinates and velocities (model Van der Pol model positional viscous friction model positional viscous Coulomb friction). Considered dampers, which are divided into oscillation absorbers, dynamic dampers and dynamic dampers with friction. Consideration of the two models of friction applied theory of mechanical oscillations, which are used for modeling the dynamics of the system, for which the generalized friction force depends on the amplitude of the oscillations does not depend on speed (hysteresis model) and when the friction force depends on the speed of motion (the model of viscous friction or speed model). The article consists of five parts, which contain the statement of the problem, the theoretical basis of accounting and the damping forces of resistance in dynamic systems, modeling of the resistance forces, damping elements in a variety of mechanical systems , and as a special case in rotary systems

Patient information portal for congenital aortic and pulmonary valve disease: A stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial

Background In response to an increased need for patient information in congenital heart disease, we previously developed an online, evidence-based information portal for patients with congenital aortic and pulmonary valve disease. To assess its effectiveness, a stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial was conducted. Methods Adult patients and caregivers of paediatric patients with congenital aortic and/or pulmonary valve disease and/or tetralogy of Fallot who visited the outpatient clinic at any of the four participating centres in the Netherlands between 1 March 2016-1 July 2017 were prospectively included. The intervention (information portal) was introduced in the outpatient clinic according to a stepped-wedge randomised design. One month after outpatient clinic visit, each participant completed a questionnaire on disease-specific knowledge, anxiety, depression, mental quality of life, involvement and opinion/attitude concerning patient information and involvement. Results 343 participants were included (221 control, 122 intervention). Cardiac diagnosis (p=0.873), educational level (p=0.153) and sex (p=0.603) were comparable between the two groups. All outcomes were comparable between groups in the intention-to-treat analyses. However, only 51.6% of subjects in the intervention group (n=63) reported actually visiting the portal. Among these subjects (as-treated), disease-specific knowledge (p=0.041) and mental health (p=0.039) were significantly better than in control subjects, while other baseline and outcome variables were comparable. Conclusion Even after being invited by their cardiologists, only half of the participants actually visited the information portal. Only in those participants that actually visited the portal, knowledge of disease and mental health were significantly better. This underlines the importance of effective implementation of online evidence-based patient information portals in clinical practice

Head circumference and height abnormalities in autism revisited: the role of pre- and perinatal risk factors

Contains fulltext : 115395.pdf (publisher's version ) (Closed access)Pre/perinatal risk factors and body growth abnormalities have been studied frequently as early risk markers in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), yet their interrelatedness in ASD has received very little research attention. This is surprising, given that pre/perinatal risk factors can have a substantial impact on growth trajectories in the first years of life. We aimed to determine which pre/perinatal factors were more prevalent in ASD children and if these factors differentially influenced body growth in ASD and control children. A total of 96 ASD and 163 control children matched for gender participated. Data of growth of head size and body length during the first 13 months of life were collected. Data on pre/perinatal risk factors were retrospectively collected through standardized questionnaires. Results indicated that after matching for SES, prematurity/low birth weight and being first born were more prevalent in the ASD versus the control group. In addition, with increasing age children with ASD tended to have a proportionally smaller head circumference compared to their height. However, the effect of prematurity/low birth weight on head growth corrected for height was significantly different in ASD and control children: premature/low birth weight control children showed a disproportionate larger head circumference in relation to height during their first year of life, whereas this effect was absent in premature/low birth weight ASD children. This may suggest that the etiology of abnormal growth is potentially different in ASD and control children: where abnormal growth in control children is related to suboptimal conditions in the uterus, abnormal growth in ASD may be more strongly related to the causal factors that also increase the risk for ASD. However, prospective studies measuring growth and ASD characteristics in both premature/low birth weight and a terme children are necessary to support this conclusion

Callous-unemotional traits as a cross-disorders construct

Item does not contain fulltextPURPOSE: Callous-unemotional (CU) traits are currently viewed as the defining signs and symptoms of juvenile psychopathy. It is unclear, however, whether CU traits have validity only in the context of conduct disorder (CD) as proposed by Frick and Moffitt (A proposal to the DSM-V childhood disorders and the ADHD and disruptive behavior disorders work groups to include a specifier to the diagnosis of conduct disorder based on the presence of callous-unemotional traits, American Psychiatric Association, Washington, DC, 2010), or also outside CD, either in combination with other forms of psychopathology or as a stand-alone construct. METHODS: The current review systematically studied the existent literature on CU traits in juveniles to examine their validity inside and outside CD according to the framework regarding the validity of a psychiatric diagnosis provided by Robins and Guze (Am J Psychiatry 126:983-987, 1970). RESULTS: Inside youth with conduct problems, and CD specifically, it seems that CU traits meet the Robins and Guze criteria. As many of the reviewed studies included youth with ODD and ADHD as well, there are indications the same might be true for ODD and ADHD, although probably to a lesser extent. In other disorders, CU traits may be present as well, but their role is not firmly established. As stand-alone construct, data are lacking or are scarce on all of the above-mentioned criteria. CONCLUSIONS: CU traits are a useful specifier in CD, and possibly also in disruptive behaviour disorders (DBDs) more generally. High CU traits outside DBDs exist but it is as yet unknown if there is a clinical need for defining CU traits as a stand-alone construct