Vitamin D and autism: clinical review

<br>Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder with multiple genetic and environmental risk factors. The interplay between genetic and environmental factors has become the subject of intensified research in the last several years. Vitamin D deficiency has recently been proposed as a possible environmental risk factor for ASD.</br> <br>Objective: The aim of the current paper is to systematically review the research regarding the possible connection between ASD and vitamin D, and to provide a narrative review of the literature regarding the role of vitamin D in various biological processes in order to generate hypotheses for future research.</br> <br>Results: Systematic data obtained by different research groups provide some, albeit very limited, support for the possible role of vitamin D deficiency in the pathogenesis of ASD. There are two main areas of involvement of vitamin D in the human body that could potentially have direct impact on the development of ASD: (1) the brain (its homeostasis, immune system and neurodevelopment) and (2) gene regulation.</br> <br>Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency – either during pregnancy or early childhood – may be an environmental trigger for ASD in individuals genetically predisposed for the broad phenotype of autism. On the basis of the results of the present review, we argue for the recognition of this possibly important role of vitamin D in ASD, and for urgent research in the field.</br&gt

Vitamin D levels in children and adolescents with chronic tic disorders: a multicentre study.

This study investigated whether vitamin D is associated with the presence or severity of chronic tic disorders and their psychiatric comorbidities. This cross-sectional study compared serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] (ng/ml) levels among three groups: children and adolescents (3-16 years) with CTD (n = 327); first-degree relatives (3-10 years) of individuals with CTD who were assessed for a period of up to 7 years for possible onset of tics and developed tics within this period (n = 31); and first-degree relatives who did not develop tics and were ≥ 10 years old at their last assessment (n = 93). The relationship between 25(OH)D and the presence and severity of tics, as well as comorbid obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), were analysed controlling for age, sex, season, centre, latitude, family relatedness, and comorbidities. When comparing the CTD cohort to the unaffected cohort, the observed result was contrary to the one expected: a 10 ng/ml increase in 25(OH)D was associated with higher odds of having CTD (OR 2.08, 95% CI 1.27-3.42, p < 0.01). There was no association between 25(OH)D and tic severity. However, a 10 ng/ml increase in 25(OH)D was associated with lower odds of having comorbid ADHD within the CTD cohort (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.36-0.84, p = 0.01) and was inversely associated with ADHD symptom severity (β = - 2.52, 95% CI - 4.16-0.88, p < 0.01). In conclusion, lower vitamin D levels were not associated with a higher presence or severity of tics but were associated with the presence and severity of comorbid ADHD in children and adolescents with CTD

A prebiotic intervention study in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs)

Different dietary approaches, such as gluten and casein free diets, or the use of probiotics and prebiotics have been suggested in autistic spectrum disorders in order to reduce gastrointestinal (GI) disturbances. GI symptoms are of particular interest in this population due to prevalence and correlation with the severity of behavioural traits. Nowadays, there is lack of strong evidence about the effect of dietary interventions on these problems, particularly prebiotics. Therefore, we assessed the impact of exclusion diets and a 6-week Bimuno® galactooligosaccharide (B-GOS®) prebiotic intervention in 30 autistic children. RESULTS: The results showed that children on exclusion diets reported significantly lower scores of abdominal pain and bowel movement, as well as lower abundance of Bifidobacterium spp. and Veillonellaceae family, but higher presence of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Bacteroides spp. In addition, significant correlations were found between bacterial populations and faecal amino acids in this group, compared to children following an unrestricted diet. Following B-GOS® intervention, we observed improvements in anti-social behaviour, significant increase of Lachnospiraceae family, and significant changes in faecal and urine metabolites. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first study where the effect of exclusion diets and prebiotics has been evaluated in autism, showing potential beneficial effects. A combined dietary approach resulted in significant changes in gut microbiota composition and metabolism suggesting that multiple interventions might be more relevant for the improvement of these aspects as well as psychological traits

Frauen bestimmen die weitere Motorisierung Shell-Prognose des PKW-Bestandes bis zum Jahr 2000

Bibliothek Weltwirtschaft Kiel C 148708 / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEDEGerman

Use of red cell salvage for abdominal aneurysm

The need for blood transfusion during abdominal aneurysm repair can be considerable (number of donor RBCs units transfused per patient in range 1–30). Blood is a product with limited resources. Also safety and cost of allogenic blood are very important matters which results with constantely search for alternative methods of blood conservation during the operations, including intraoperative red cell salvage. Aim: Our goal was to provide information for use of allogenic blood in surgical procedures where there is excessive blood loss such as abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery, in relation to the usage of cell savers

The rising prevalence of autism: A prospective longitudinal study in the Faroe Islands

We have followed up a 2002 population study of autism prevalence in 15–24-year olds in the Faroe Islands. The rate of ASD grew significantly from 0.56% in 2002 to 0.94% in 2009. Although these results are within the range of typical findings from other studies, there were some interesting details. There were—in addition to 43 originally diagnosed cases in 2002—24 newly discovered cases in 2009 and nearly half of them were females. It is possible that unfamiliarity with the clinical presentation of autism in females have played a significant role in this context. There was diagnostic stability for the overall category of ASD over time in the group diagnosed in childhood (7—16) years, but considerable variability as regards diagnostic sub-groupings

E-learning as a tool to harmonize education and good quality assurance system in radiopharmacy

Porpose Basic education in radiopharmacy in an essential component of the scientific and technical background of a radiopharmacist and the inescapable route by which quality assurance in radiopharmacy can be implemented. The purpose of this study was to evaluate e-learning as a method to improve worldwide education in radiopharmacy and increase the awarness about concepts pertaining the quality of radiopharmaceuticals. Design and Methodology to establish e-learning platform designed as an innovative learning apparatus that, working along side conventional teaching methods, integrates education in all aspects of Radiopharmacy into the curricula being offered by universities at existing education and training institutions is the step forward to the global recognition of the unified standards. In this study, a few lines of analysis for developing a suitable e-learning platform in radiopharmacy were as follows: -Course flexibility to improve access and personalization by Students, rigorous definition of basic concepts and methods according to international standards, significantly decrease costs for education in radiopharmacy, enable fast practical implementation of theoretical concepts through virtual laboratory, building up a worldwide available, virtual repoitory of learning resourced in radiopharmacy. findings. Each module is designed as a "basic unit of knowledge", comprising a group of minimum competencies and knowledge about a specific subject and used independently or in combination with other modules or training resources, students can select the module and the time that best suits his/her professional needs for accessing the material. diversity and interactions between different educational contexts are exploited to increase harmonization and integration