Faecal microbiota of individuals with autism spectrum disorder

Many children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs) suffer from gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhoea, constipation and abdominal pain. Such symptoms may be due to a disruption of the indigenous gut microbiota promoting the overgrowth of potentially pathogenic micro-organisms. These observations have stimulated investigations into possible abnormalities of intestinal microbiota in autistic patients. The purpose of the present study was to determine if a relationship exists between ASD severity (mild – severe) and GI microbial populations. The faecal microbiota of 22 male and 6 female participants with ASDs (aged 7 ± 6 years) were analyzed by standard microbial culture methods and compared within-group (based on ASD severity) and with a standard laboratory reference range. Comparisons between children with mild ASD and those with moderate to severe ASD, as well as comparisons to a neurotypical control group previously reported, revealed that no significant differences appear to exist in the composition of the gut microbiota. Nevertheless, examination of each individual’s gut microbial composition showed 10 cases of unusual findings witch means 1out of 3 cases have unusual microbiota. Our data do not support consistent GI microbial abnormalities in ASD children, but the findings do suggest that aberrations may be found in a minority subset of ASD children. Further studies are required to determine the possible association between the microbiota and gastrointestinal dysfunctions in a subset of children with both ASD and gastro-intestinal problems

Evaluation of biogenic amines in the faeces of children with and without autism by LC-MS/MS

Previous researchers have postulated that gastrointestinal bacteria may contribute to the development and maintenance of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). There is evidence based on quantitative evaluation of the gastrointestinal bacterial population in ASD that this is unlikely and an alternate mechanism will be examined where the bacteria may contribute to the development of ASD via their metabolic products and the role of biogenic amines (BAs) will be investigated. In humans, BAs influence a number of physiological processes via their actions as neurotransmitters, local hormones and gastric acid secretion. Various amines have been implicated in several medical conditions such as schizophrenia and colon cancer. To date, the relationship between BAs and autism has not been explored. This study has been designed to identify differences (and/or similarities) in the level of Bas in faecal samples of autistic children (without gastrointestinal dysfunction: n = 14; with gastrointestinal dysfunction; n = 21) and their neurotypical siblings (n = 35) by LC-MS/MS. Regardless of the diagnosis, severity of ASD and gastrointestinal dysfunction there were no significant differences found between the groups. The findings suggest that BAs in the gastrointestinal tract do not play a role in the pathophysiology of gastrointestinal dysfunction associated with ASD

Features of Severe Liver Disease With Portal Hypertension in Patients With Cystic Fibrosis

Liver disease is the third leading cause of death in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), but features of patients with CF, severe liver disease, and portal hypertension have not been fully characterized

On the Mean-Field Limit of Bosons with Coulomb Two-Body Interaction

In the mean-field limit the dynamics of a quantum Bose gas is described by a Hartree equation. We present a simple method for proving the convergence of the microscopic quantum dynamics to the Hartree dynamics when the number of particles becomes large and the strength of the two-body potential tends to 0 like the inverse of the particle number. Our method is applicable for a class of singular interaction potentials including the Coulomb potential. We prove and state our main result for the Heisenberg-picture dynamics of "observables", thus avoiding the use of coherent states. Our formulation shows that the mean-field limit is a "semi-classical" limit.Comment: Corrected typos and included an elementary proof of the Kato smoothing estimate (Lemma 6.1

What is psychosis? A meta-synthesis of inductive qualitative studies exploring the experience of psychosis

Qualitative studies have played an important role in elucidating the lived experience of psychosis and there has recently been an increase in the number of such studies. There is now an urgent need to draw together the findings of these studies. This paper performed a meta-synthesis of inductive qualitative peer-reviewed research into psychosis. Ninety-eight articles were identified for systematic appraisal. Four themes, ‘Losing’, ‘Identifying a need for, and seeking, help’, ‘Rebuilding and reforging’, and ‘Better than new: gifts from psychosis’, were identified. The important implications these themes for clinicians and future research are examined upon. These findings also highlight that the experience of psychosis is much more than simply just hallucinations and/or delusions

Prevalence of mental health disorders in inflammatory bowel disease: an Australian outpatient cohort

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to characterize prevalence of anxiety and depressive conditions and uptake of mental health services in an Australian inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) outpatient setting. METHODS: Eighty-one IBD patients (39 males, mean age 35 years) attending a tertiary hospital IBD outpatient clinic participated in this study. Disease severity was evaluated according to the Manitoba Index. Diagnosis of an anxiety or depressive condition was based upon the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. RESULTS: Based on Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale subscale scores >8 and meeting Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview criteria, 16 (19.8%) participants had at least one anxiety condition, while nine (11.1%) had a depressive disorder present. Active IBD status was associated with higher prevalence rates across all anxiety and depressive conditions. Generalized anxiety was the most common (12 participants, 14.8%) anxiety condition, and major depressive disorder (recurrent) was the most common depressive condition reported (five participants, 6.2%). Seventeen participants (21%) reported currently seeking help for mental health issues while 12.4% were identified has having at least one psychological condition but not seeking treatment. CONCLUSION: We conclude that rates of anxiety and depression are high in this cohort, and that IBD-focused psychological services should be a key component of any holistic IBD service, especially for those identified as having active IBD

Interprofessional education in a student-led emergency department : a realist evaluation

This paper reports a realist evaluation undertaken to identify factors that facilitated or hindered the successful implementation of interprofessional clinical training for undergraduate students in an emergency department. A realist evaluation provides a framework for understanding how the context and underlying mechanisms affect the outcome patterns of an intervention. The researchers gathered both qualitative and quantitative data from internal documents, semi-structured interviews, observations and questionnaires to study what worked, for whom and under what circumstances in this specific interprofessional setting. The study participants were medical, nursing and physiotherapy students, their supervisors and two members of the emergency department’s management staff. The data analysis indicated that the emergency ward provided an excellent environment for interprofessional education (IPE), as attested by the students, supervisors and the clinical managers. An essential prerequisite is that the students have obtained adequate skills to work independently. Exemplary conditions for IPE to work well in an emergency department demand the continuity of effective and encouraging supervision throughout the training period and supervisors who are knowledgeable about developing a team

Influence of electron correlations on ground-state properties of III-V semiconductors

Lattice constants and bulk moduli of eleven cubic III-V semiconductors are calculated using an ab initio scheme. Correlation contributions of the valence electrons, in particular, are determined using increments for localized bonds and for pairs and triples of such bonds; individual increments, in turn, are evaluated using the coupled cluster approach with single and double excitations. Core-valence correlation is taken into account by means of a core polarization potential. Combining the results at the correlated level with corresponding Hartree-Fock data, we obtain lattice constants which agree with experiment within an average error of -0.2%; bulk moduli are accurate to +4%. We discuss in detail the influence of the various correlation contributions on lattice constants and bulk moduli.Comment: 4 pages, Latex, no figures, Phys. Rev. B, accepte

High temperature, low neutron cross-section highentropy alloys in the Nb-Ti-V-Zr system

High-entropy alloys (HEAs) with high melting points and low thermal neutron cross-section are promising new cladding materials for generation III+ and IV power reactors. In this study a recently developed high throughput computational screening tool Alloy Search and Predict (ASAP) has been used to identify the most likely candidate single-phase HEAs with low thermal neutron cross-section, from over a million four-element equimolar combinations. The selected NbTiVZr HEA was further studied by density functional theory (DFT) for moduli and lattice parameter, and by CALPHAD to predict phase formation with temperature. HEAs of NbTiVZrx (x = 0.5, 1, 2) were produced experimentally, with Zr varied as the dominant cross-section modifier. Contrary to previous experimental work, these HEAs were demonstrated to constitute a single-phase HEA system; a result obtained using a faster cooling rate following annealing at 1200 °C. However, the beta (BCC) matrix decomposed following aging at 700 °C, into a combination of nano-scale beta, alpha (HCP) and C15 Laves phases