Maternal Exposure to Occupational Asthmagens During Pregnancy and Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Study to Explore Early Development

Abstract Maternal immune activity has been linked to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We examined maternal occupational exposure to asthma-causing agents during pregnancy in relation to ASD risk. Our sample included 463 ASD cases and 710 general population controls from the Study to Explore Early Development whose mothers reported at least one job during pregnancy. Asthmagen exposure was estimated from a published job-exposure matrix. The adjusted odds ratio for ASD comparing asthmagen-exposed to unexposed was 1.39 (95 % CI 0.96–2.02). Maternal workplace asthmagen exposure was not associated with ASD risk in this study, but this result does not exclude some involvement of maternal exposure to asthma-causing agents in ASD

Maternal infection during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorders

Abstract We conducted a nested case-control study including 407 cases and 2,075 frequency matched controls to investigate the association between maternal infections during pregnancy and risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Cases, controls, and maternal infections were ascertained from Kaiser Permanente Northern California clinical databases. No overall association between diagnoses of any maternal infection during pregnancy and ASD was observed [adjusted odds ratio (OR adj ) = 1.15, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.92-1.43]. However, women with infections diagnosed during a hospital admission (OR adj = 1.48, 95 % CI 1.07-2.04), particularly bacterial infections (OR adj = 1.58, 95 % CI 1.06-2.37), were at increased risk of delivering a child with ASD. Multiple infections during pregnancy were associated with ASD (OR adj = 1.36, 95 % CI 1.05-1.78)

Recovery of methacrylic acid from dilute aqueous solutions by ionic liquids though hydrogen bonding interaction

The recovery of carboxylic acids from dilute aqueous solution is necessary but difficult in chemical industry. Methacrylic acid (MAA) is an important chemical widely used in polymer industry. In this work, the recovery of carboxylic acid from diluted aqueous solution by liquid-liquid extraction using ionic liquids (ILs) as extractants was studied. MAA was employed as model carboxylic acid. The partition coefficients of MAA in biphasic system and the extraction efficiencies of MAA were determined for imidazolium-based ILs and quaternary ammonium salt ILs with different structure of cation and anion. The extraction conditions such as extraction time, extraction temperature, mass ratio of ILs to MAA aqueous solution, initial concentrations of MAA, and water content were evaluated. An internal mechanism of the MAA extract by ILs was revealed by combining solvatochromic study, FT-IR and quantum chemical calculations. The results show that the strong hydrogen bond basicity (beta) of ILs results in the high partition coefficient of MAA, which provides guidance to molecular design of ILs for the high efficient extractive separation of MAA from diluted aqueous solution. Based on this, IL with strong hydrogen bond basicity ([N-8881]Cl) was used to extract MAA from dilute aqueous solution. Compared with hexane which is conventional solvent used in MAA extractive separation, [N-8881]Cl can get 49 times higher of partition coefficient value and the extraction efficiency reach 94.57% for the single-stage extraction. (c) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.</p

Selective Separation of Methacrylic Acid and Acetic Acid from Aqueous Solution Using Carboxyl-Functionalized Ionic Liquids

Five kinds of carboxyl-functionalized quaternary ammonium ionic liquids (ILs), tricaprylmethylammonium succinate ([A336]Suc), tricaprylmethylammonium aspartate ([A336]Asp), tricaprylmethylammonium glutamate ([A336]Glu), tricaprylmethylammonium trifluoroacetate ([A336]TFA), and tricaprylmethylammonium phthalate ([A336]Pha), with strong hydrophobicity and hydrogen bond basicity were used to separate methacrylic acid (MAA) and acetic acid (HAc) from an aqueous solution. [A336]Suc shows better extraction performance than the other ILs because of the stronger hydrogen bonding basicity. Even though HAc shows the antagonistic effect on the extraction of MAA, the selectivity of MAA to HAc is achieved 54.70 for [A336]Suc at the optimized extraction conditions. The molecular mechanism of the extraction by IL is revealed by combining FT-IR and quantum chemical calculations. The results indicate that multiple hydrogen bonds are presented in the IL-acid complex which plays an important role in the acid extraction. Meanwhile, the computational studies demonstrate that the preferential extraction of MAA to HAc by [A336]Suc originated from the difference in the strength of the hydrogen bonding interaction between carboxylate group of ILs and acid.</p

The health status of adults on the autism spectrum.

Compared to the general pediatric population, children with autism have higher rates of co-occurring medical and psychiatric illnesses, yet very little is known about the general health status of adults with autism. The objective of this study was to describe the frequency of psychiatric and medical conditions among a large, diverse, insured population of adults with autism in the United States. Participants were adult members of Kaiser Permanente Northern California enrolled from 2008 to 2012. Autism spectrum disorder cases (N = 1507) were adults with autism spectrum disorder diagnoses (International Classification of Diseases-9-Clinical Modification codes 299.0, 299.8, 299.9) recorded in medical records on at least two separate occasions. Controls (N = 15,070) were adults without any autism spectrum disorder diagnoses sampled at a 10:1 ratio and frequency matched to cases on sex and age. Adults with autism had significantly increased rates of all major psychiatric disorders including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, and suicide attempts. Nearly all medical conditions were significantly more common in adults with autism, including immune conditions, gastrointestinal and sleep disorders, seizure, obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes. Rarer conditions, such as stroke and Parkinson's disease, were also significantly more common among adults with autism. Future research is needed to understand the social, healthcare access, and biological factors underlying these observations

Maternal Infection During Pregnancy and Autism Spectrum Disorders

We conducted a nested case-control study including 407 cases and 2,075 frequency matched controls to investigate the association between maternal infections during pregnancy and risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Cases, controls, and maternal infections were ascertained from Kaiser Permanente Northern California clinical databases. No overall association between diagnoses of any maternal infection during pregnancy and ASD was observed [adjusted odds ratio (ORadj) = 1.15, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.92-1.43]. However, women with infections diagnosed during a hospital admission (ORadj = 1.48, 95 % CI 1.07-2.04), particularly bacterial infections (ORadj = 1.58, 95 % CI 1.06-2.37), were at increased risk of delivering a child with ASD. Multiple infections during pregnancy were associated with ASD (ORadj = 1.36, 95 % CI 1.05-1.78)

The health status of adults on the autism spectrum.

Compared to the general pediatric population, children with autism have higher rates of co-occurring medical and psychiatric illnesses, yet very little is known about the general health status of adults with autism. The objective of this study was to describe the frequency of psychiatric and medical conditions among a large, diverse, insured population of adults with autism in the United States. Participants were adult members of Kaiser Permanente Northern California enrolled from 2008 to 2012. Autism spectrum disorder cases (N = 1507) were adults with autism spectrum disorder diagnoses (International Classification of Diseases-9-Clinical Modification codes 299.0, 299.8, 299.9) recorded in medical records on at least two separate occasions. Controls (N = 15,070) were adults without any autism spectrum disorder diagnoses sampled at a 10:1 ratio and frequency matched to cases on sex and age. Adults with autism had significantly increased rates of all major psychiatric disorders including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, and suicide attempts. Nearly all medical conditions were significantly more common in adults with autism, including immune conditions, gastrointestinal and sleep disorders, seizure, obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes. Rarer conditions, such as stroke and Parkinson's disease, were also significantly more common among adults with autism. Future research is needed to understand the social, healthcare access, and biological factors underlying these observations

Family history of immune conditions and autism spectrum and developmental disorders: Findings from the study to explore early development

Numerous studies have reported immune system disturbances in individuals with autism and their family members; however, there is considerable variability in findings with respect to the specific immune conditions involved, their timing, and the family members affected and little understanding of variation by autism subphenotype. Using data from the Study to Explore Early Development (SEED), a multi-site case-control study of children born 2003-2006 in the United States, we examined the role of family history of autoimmune diseases, asthma, and allergies in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as well as other developmental disorders (DD). We investigated maternal immune conditions during the pregnancy period, as well as lifetime history of these conditions in several family members (mother, father, siblings, and study child). Logistic regression analyses included 663 children with ASD, 984 children with DD, and 915 controls ascertained from the general population (POP). Maternal history of eczema/psoriasis and asthma was associated with a 20%-40% increased odds of both ASD and DD. Risk estimates varied by specific ASD subphenotypes in association with these exposures. In addition, children with ASD were more likely to have a history of psoriasis/eczema or allergies than POP controls. No association was observed for paternal history or family history of these immune conditions for either ASD or DD. These data support a link between maternal and child immune conditions and adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes, and further suggest that associations may differ by ASD phenotype of the child. Autism Research 2019, 12: 123-135. © 2018 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: Using data from a large multi-site study in the US-the Study to Explore Early Development-we found that women with a history of eczema/psoriasis and asthma are more likely to have children with ASD or DD. In addition, children with ASD are more likely to have a history of psoriasis/eczema or allergies than typically developing children. These data support a link between maternal and child immune conditions and adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes

Selective Separation of Methacrylic Acid and Acetic Acid from Aqueous Solution Using Carboxyl-Functionalized Ionic Liquids

Five kinds of carboxyl-functionalized quaternary ammonium ionic liquids (ILs), tricaprylmethylammonium succinate ([A336]­Suc), tricaprylmethylammonium aspartate ([A336]­Asp), tricaprylmethylammonium glutamate ([A336]­Glu), tricaprylmethylammonium trifluoroacetate ([A336]­TFA), and tricaprylmethylammonium phthalate ([A336]­Pha), with strong hydrophobicity and hydrogen bond basicity were used to separate methacrylic acid (MAA) and acetic acid (HAc) from an aqueous solution. [A336]­Suc shows better extraction performance than the other ILs because of the stronger hydrogen bonding basicity. Even though HAc shows the antagonistic effect on the extraction of MAA, the selectivity of MAA to HAc is achieved 54.70 for [A336]­Suc at the optimized extraction conditions. The molecular mechanism of the extraction by IL is revealed by combining FT-IR and quantum chemical calculations. The results indicate that multiple hydrogen bonds are presented in the IL–acid complex which plays an important role in the acid extraction. Meanwhile, the computational studies demonstrate that the preferential extraction of MAA to HAc by [A336]­Suc originated from the difference in the strength of the hydrogen bonding interaction between carboxylate group of ILs and acid