Is "not just right experience" (NJRE) in obsessive-compulsive disorder part of an autistic phenotype?

OBJECTIVE: Harm avoidance (HA) and "not just right experience" (NJRE) have been proposed to be 2 core motivational processes underlying obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The objective of this study was to explore whether NJRE demarcates a neurodevelopmental OCD subgroup distinct from HA related to autistic traits and/or to a broader phenotype of cognitive rigidity and sensory processing difficulties associated with an earlier age of OCD onset. METHODS: A correlational design investigated whether NJRE and HA are distinct entities in OCD and explored their relationship to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) traits measured by the Autism Quotient (AQ), sensory processing, set-shifting, and age of OCD onset in an OCD sample (N=25). RESULTS: NJRE was only moderately (r=.34) correlated to HA and not significant in this study. Consistent with predictions, NJRE was associated with sensory processing difficulties and an earlier age of OCD onset. No significant relationships were found between NJRE and ASD traits as measured by the AQ or set-shifting difficulties. CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary findings suggest a lack of evidence demonstrating NJRE as a manifestation of core autistic traits as measured by the AQ. However, NJRE was associated with sensory abnormalities and an earlier age of OCD onset. The role of NJRE as a developmental, and possibly neurodevelopmental, risk factor for OCD possibly warrants further investigation

An adaptive observer-based parameter estimation algorithm with application to road gradient and vehicle's mass estimation

A novel observer-based parameter estimation algorithm with sliding mode term has been developed to estimate the road gradient and vehicle weight using only the vehicle's velocity and the driving torque from the engine. The estimation algorithm exploits all known terms in the system dynamics and a low pass filtered representation to derive an explicit expression of the parameter estimation error without measuring the acceleration. The proposed algorithm which features a sliding-mode term to ensure the fast and robust convergence of the estimation in the presence of persistent excitation is augmented to an adaptive observer and analyzed using Lyapunov Theory. The analytical results show that the algorithm is stable and ensures finite-time error convergence to a bounded error even in the presence of disturbances. A simple practical method for validating persistent excitation is provided using the new theoretical approach to estimation. This is validated by the practical implementation of the algorithm on a small-scaled vehicle, emulating a car system. The slope gradient as well as the vehicle's mass/weight are estimated online. The algorithm shows a significant improvement over a previous result

Investigating The Life Cycle Of Haplosporidium nelsoni (MSX)

Attempts to decipher the life cycle of Haplosporidium nelsoni began almost immediately after it was identified as the pathogen causing MSX disease in eastern oysters, Crassostrea virginica. But transmission experiments failed and the spore stage, characteristic of haplosporidans, was extremely rare. Researchers concluded that another host was involved: an intermediate host in which part of the life cycle was produced, or-if the oyster was an accidental host-an alternate host that produces infective elements. A later finding that spores were found more often in spat (\u3c 1 y old) than in adults revived the idea of direct transmission between oysters. The new findings and the availability of molecular diagnostics led us to revive life cycle investigations. Over several years, oyster spat were examined for spores and searched for H. nelsoni in potential non-oyster hosts using both histological and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methodologies. Although spores occurred in a high proportion of spat with advanced infections, it was concluded that they were unlikely to be a principal source of infective elements because naive oysters used as sentinels to assess infection pressure became highly infected even after native oysters developed resistance, and infected spat could no longer be found. A histological survey of zooplankton and small bivalves in Delaware Bay found few recognizable parasites and nothing resembling a haplosporidan. A subsequent PCR study of water, sediment, and macro-invertebrates from Chesapeake, Delaware, and Oyster bays resulted in many positive samples, but in situ hybridization failed to identify any recognizable structures. PCR analysis of potential intermediate hosts for other molluscan pathogens has also resulted in many species yielding positive results but required in situ hybridization to verify infections. It is suggested that any future search for a nonoyster host of H. nelsoni be conducted in a relatively confined system and/or target specific phyla, strategies that have been successful in other life cycle studies. It is noted that candidate phyla could include those known to host haplosporidans and species whose abundance or distribution may have changed in concert with outbreaks of MSX disease in the northeastern United States in recent years

Simulated impacts of relative climate change and river discharge regulation on sea ice and oceanographic conditions in the Hudson Bay Complex

In this analysis, we examine relative contributions from climate change and river discharge regulation to changes in marine conditions in the Hudson Bay Complex using a subset of five atmospheric forcing scenarios from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5), river discharge data from the Hydrological Predictions for the Environment (HYPE) model, both naturalized (without anthropogenic intervention) and regulated (anthropogenically controlled through diversions, dams, reservoirs), and output from the Nucleus for European Modeling of the Ocean Ice-Ocean model for the 1981–2070 time frame. Investigated in particular are spatiotemporal changes in sea surface temperature, sea ice concentration and thickness, and zonal and meridional sea ice drift in response to (i) climate change through comparison of historical (1981–2010) and future (2021–2050 and 2041–2070) simulations, (ii) regulation through comparison of historical (1981–2010) naturalized and regulated simulations, and (iii) climate change and regulation combined through comparison of future (2021–2050 and 2041–2070) naturalized and regulated simulations. Also investigated is use of the diagnostic known as e-folding time spatial distribution to monitor changes in persistence in these variables in response to changing climate and regulation impacts in the Hudson Bay Complex. Results from this analysis highlight bay-wide and regional reductions in sea ice concentration and thickness in southwest and northeast Hudson Bay in response to a changing climate, and east-west asymmetry in sea ice drift response in support of past studies. Regulation is also shown to amplify or suppress the climate change signal. Specifically, regulation amplifies sea surface temperatures from April to August, suppresses sea ice loss by approximately 30% in March, contributes to enhanced sea ice drift speed by approximately 30%, and reduces meridional circulation by approximately 20% in January due to enhanced zonal drift. Results further suggest that the offshore impacts of regulation are amplified in a changing climate

Aiming at the Global Elimination of Viral Hepatitis: Challenges along the Care Continuum

A recent international workshop, organised by the authors, analysed the obstacles facing the ambitious goal of eliminating viral hepatitis globally. We identified several policy areas critical to reaching elimination targets. These include: providing hepatitis B birth-dose vaccination to all infants within 24 hours of birth; preventing the transmission of blood-borne viruses through the expansion of national haemovigilance schemes; implementing the lessons learnt from the HIV epidemic regarding safe medical practices to eliminate iatrogenic infection; adopting point-of-care testing to improve coverage of diagnosis; and providing free or affordable hepatitis C treatment to all. We introduce Egypt as a case study for rapid testing and treatment scale-up: this country offers valuable insights to policy makers internationally, not only regarding how hepatitis C interventions can be expeditiously scaled-up, but also as a guide for how to tackle the problems encountered with such ambitious testing and treatment programmes

A Large Web-Based Observer Reliability Study of Early Ischaemic Signs on Computed Tomography. The Acute Cerebral CT Evaluation of Stroke Study (ACCESS)

BACKGROUND: Early signs of ischaemic stroke on computerised tomography (CT) scanning are subtle but CT is the most widely available diagnostic test for stroke. Scoring methods that code for the extent of brain ischaemia may improve stroke diagnosis and quantification of the impact of ischaemia. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We showed CT scans from patients with acute ischaemic stroke (n = 32, with different patient characteristics and ischaemia signs) to doctors in stroke-related specialties world-wide over the web. CT scans were shown twice, randomly and blindly. Observers entered their scan readings, including early ischaemic signs by three scoring methods, into the web database. We compared observers' scorings to a reference standard neuroradiologist using area under receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC) analysis, Cronbach's alpha and logistic regression to determine the effect of scales, patient, scan and observer variables on detection of early ischaemic changes. Amongst 258 readers representing 33 nationalities and six specialties, the AUCs comparing readers with the reference standard detection of ischaemic signs were similar for all scales and both occasions. Being a neuroradiologist, slower scan reading, more pronounced ischaemic signs and later time to CT all improved detection of early ischaemic signs and agreement on the rating scales. Scan quality, stroke severity and number of years of training did not affect agreement. CONCLUSIONS: Large-scale observer reliability studies are possible using web-based tools and inform routine practice. Slower scan reading and use of CT infarct rating scales improve detection of acute ischaemic signs and should be encouraged to improve stroke diagnosis

Cancer mortality and morbidity among plutonium workers at the Sellafield plant of British Nuclear Fuels

The mortality of all 14 319 workers employed at the Sellafield plant of British Nuclear Fuels between 1947 and 1975 was studied up to the end of 1992, and cancer incidence was examined from 1971 to 1986, in relation to their exposures to plutonium and to external radiation. The cancer mortality rate was 5% lower than that of England and Wales and 3% less than that of Cumbria. The significant excesses of deaths from cancer of the pleura and thyroid found in an earlier study persist with further follow-up (14 observed, 4.0 expected for pleura; 6 observed, 2.2 expected for thyroid). All of the deaths from pleural cancer were among radiation workers. For neither site was there a significant association between the risk of the cancer and accumulated radiation dose. There were significant deficits of deaths from cancers of mouth and pharynx, liver and gall bladder, and larynx and leukaemia when compared with the national rates. Among all radiation workers, there was a significant positive association between accumulated external radiation dose and mortality from cancers of ill-defined and secondary sites (10-year lag, P = 0.04), leukaemia (no lag, P = 0.03; 2-year lag, P = 0.05), multiple myeloma (20-year lag, P = 0.02), all lymphatic and haematopoietic cancers (20-year lag, P = 0.03) and all causes of death combined (20-year lag, P = 0.008). Among plutonium workers, there were significant excesses of deaths from cancer of the breast (6 observed, 2.6 expected) and ill-defined and secondary cancers (29 observed, 20.1 expected). No significant positive trends were observed between the risk of deaths from cancers of any specific site, or all cancers combined, and cumulative plutonium and external radiation doses. For no cancer site was there a significant excess of cancer registrations compared with rates for England and Wales. Analysis of trends in cancer incidence showed significant increases in risk with cumulative plutonium plus external radiation doses for all lymphatic and haematopoietic neoplasms for 0-, 10- and 20-year lag periods. Taken as a whole, our findings do not suggest that workers at Sellafield who have been exposed to plutonium are at an overall significantly increased risk of cancer compared with other radiation workers. © 1999 Cancer Research Campaig

Assessment of Tissue Viability Using Diffusion- and Perfusion-Weighted MRI in Hyperacute Stroke

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the diffusion and perfusion parameters in hyperacute infarction, and we wanted to determine the viability threshold for the ischemic penumbra using diffusion- and perfusion-weighted imaging (DWI and PWI, respectively). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Both DWI and PWI were performed within six hours from the onset of symptoms for 12 patients who had suffered from acute stroke. Three regions of interest (ROIs) were identified: ROI 1 was the initial lesion on DWI; ROI 2 was the DWI/PWI mismatch area (the penumbra) that progressed onward to the infarct; and ROI 3 was the mismatch area that recovered to normal on the follow-up scans. The ratios of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), the relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV), and the time to peak (TTP) were calculated as the lesions' ROIs divided by the contralateral mirror ROIs, and these values were then correlated with each other. The viability threshold was determined by using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. RESULTS: For all three ROIs, the ADC ratios had significant linear correlation with the TTP ratios (p < 0.001), but not with the rCBV ratios (p = 0.280). There was no significant difference for the ADC and rCBV ratios within the ROIs. The mean TTP ratio/TTP delay between the penumbras' two ROIs showed a significant statistical difference (p < 0.001). The cutoff value between ROI 2 and ROI 3, as the viability threshold, was a TTP ratio of 1.29 (with a sensitivity and specificity of 86% and 73%, respectively) and a TTP delay of 7.8 sec (with a sensitivity and specificity of 84% and 72%, respectively). CONCLUSION: Determining the viability thresholds for the TTP ratio/delay on the PWI may be helpful for selecting those patients who would benefit from the various therapeutic interventions that can be used during the acute phase of ischemic stroke

Imaging of gas-liquid annular flows for underbalanced drilling using electrical resistance tomography

The underbalanced drilling technique, which is also known as managed-pressure drilling, is playing an important role in oil and gas sector, as it reduces common conventional drilling problems such as minimal drilling rates and formation damage, differential sticking and lost circulation. Flow regime monitoring is one of the key topics in annular multiphase flow research, particularly for underbalanced drilling technique. Prediction of the prevailing flow regime in an annulus is of particular importance in the design and installation of underbalanced drilling facilities. Especially, for establishing a suitable pressure-drop model based on the characteristics of the active flow regime. The methods of flow regime prediction (or visualisation) in an annulus that are currently in use are very limited, this is evidently due to poor accuracy or they are simply not applicable to underbalanced drilling operation in practice. Therefore, this paper presents a monitoring method, in which Electrical Resistance Tomography (ERT) is used to rapidly image the prevailing flow regime in an annulus with a metallic inner pipe. Experiments were carried out using an air–water flow loop with a test section 50 mm diameter flow pipe. The two-phase air–water flow regimes are visualised in the upward vertical annulus with a radius ratio (r/R) 0.4. This paper highlights the visualisation results of only three flow regimes, namely bubble flow, transitional bubble-slug flow and slug flow. The flow regimes are visualised through axial images stacked from 50 mm diameter-pixels of 2D tomograms reconstructed with the Conjugate Gradient Method (SCG). Gas volume fraction profiles within the annular flow channel are also illustrated. The profiles are extracted using the Modified Sensitivity coefficient Back-Projection (MSBP) method with a sensitivity matrix generated from a realstic phantom in the finite element method software. The results are compared with visual observations (e.g. photographs) of the active flow regime at the time of ERT measurements