Do Parents Recognize Autistic Deviant Behavior Long before Diagnosis? Taking into Account Interaction Using Computational Methods

BACKGROUND: To assess whether taking into account interaction synchrony would help to better differentiate autism (AD) from intellectual disability (ID) and typical development (TD) in family home movies of infants aged less than 18 months, we used computational methods. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: First, we analyzed interactive sequences extracted from home movies of children with AD (N = 15), ID (N = 12), or TD (N = 15) through the Infant and Caregiver Behavior Scale (ICBS). Second, discrete behaviors between baby (BB) and Care Giver (CG) co-occurring in less than 3 seconds were selected as single interactive patterns (or dyadic events) for analysis of the two directions of interaction (CG→BB and BB→CG) by group and semester. To do so, we used a Markov assumption, a Generalized Linear Mixed Model, and non negative matrix factorization. Compared to TD children, BBs with AD exhibit a growing deviant development of interactive patterns whereas those with ID rather show an initial delay of development. Parents of AD and ID do not differ very much from parents of TD when responding to their child. However, when initiating interaction, parents use more touching and regulation up behaviors as early as the first semester. CONCLUSION: When studying interactive patterns, deviant autistic behaviors appear before 18 months. Parents seem to feel the lack of interactive initiative and responsiveness of their babies and try to increasingly supply soliciting behaviors. Thus we stress that credence should be given to parents' intuition as they recognize, long before diagnosis, the pathological process through the interactive pattern with their child

Left atrial giant thrombus infected by Escherichia Coli. Case report

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Biatrial thrombi resembling myxoma regressed after prolonged anticoagulation in a patient with mitral stenosis: a case report

BACKGROUND: Many cases of cardiac masses have been reported in the literature, but in this case report we described a rare case of biatrial cardiac mass that represented a challenge for diagnosis and therapy. The differentiation between cardiac masses such as thrombi, vegetations, myxomas and other tumors is not always straightforward and an exact diagnosis is important because of its distinct treatment strategy. Transthoracic/esophageal echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance play an important role in establishing the diagnosis of cardiac masses. However, no current noninvasive diagnostic tool has the ability to absolutely diagnose cardiac masses; obtaining a pathological specimen by surgical resection of cardiac masses is the only reliable method to diagnose cardiac masses accurately. Our case report is an exception in that the final diagnosis was affirmed by empirical anticoagulation therapy based on clinical judgment and noninvasive characterization of biatrial mass. CASE PRESENTATION: We described a 54-year-old Malay man with severe mitral stenosis and atrial fibrillation who presented with a biatrial mass. Transthoracic/esophageal echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance detected a large, homogeneous right atrial mass typical of a thrombus, and a left atrial mass adhering to interatrial septum that mimicked atrial myxoma. The risk factors, morphology, location, and characteristics of the biatrial cardiac mass indicated a diagnosis of thrombi. However, our patient declined surgery. As a result, the nature of his cardiac masses was not specified by histology. Of note, his left atrial mass was completely regressed by long-term warfarin, leaving a residual right atrial mass. Thus, we affirmed the most probable diagnosis of cardiac thrombi. During the course of treatment, he had an episode of non-fatal ischemic stroke most probably because of a thromboembolism. CONCLUSIONS: Noninvasive characterization of cardiac mass is essential in clarifying the diagnosis and directing treatment strategy. Anticoagulation is a feasible treatment when the clinical assessment, risk factors, and imaging findings indicate a diagnosis of thrombi. After prolonged anticoagulation therapy, complete resolution of biatrial thrombi was achievable in our case

Microwave drying kinetics of olive fruit (Olea europeae L.)

Abstract The main objective of this study was to investigate the effects of microwave power density on drying kinetics of olive fruit (variety Zarrazi).The thin layer drying characteristics of olive fruit (variety Zarrazi) was investigated under three microwave power densities; 1, 1.5 and 2 W/g. The experimental data were fitted appropriately to Page model. The effective moisture diffusivity was calculated in the range from 5.96×10 -9 to 13.00×10 -9 m 2 /s. The values of k and D eff increased with the increase of power density. An Arrhenius relation with an activation energy value of 1.6316 W/g expressed the effect of microwave power density on the diffusivity

Time-Frequency Features Extraction for Infant Directed Speech Discrimination

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Systemic Embolism and Septic Shock Complicated Left Atrial Myxoma: Case Report

Myxoma is the most common primary tumor of the heart. The rarity of infected cardiac myxomas leads to numerous diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties. We present a case of infected left atrial myxoma caused by methicillin-sensible Staphylococcus aureus in a 48-year-old woman complicated by systemic embolism and septic shock