Does sex influence the diagnostic evaluation of autism spectrum disorder in adults?

It is unknown whether sex influences the diagnostic evaluation of autism spectrum disorder, or whether male and female adults within the spectrum have different symptom profiles. This study reports sex differences in clinical outcomes for 1244 adults (935 males and 309 females) referred for autism spectrum disorder assessment. Significantly, more males (72%) than females (66%) were diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder of any subtype (x2 = 4.09; p = 0.04). In high-functioning autism spectrum disorder adults (IQ > 70; N = 827), there were no significant sex differences in severity of socio-communicative domain symptoms. Males had significantly more repetitive behaviours/restricted interests than females (p = 0.001, d = 0.3). A multivariate analysis of variance indicated a significant interaction between autism spectrum disorder subtype (full-autism spectrum disorder/partial-autism spectrum disorder) and sex: in full-autism spectrum disorder, males had more severe socio-communicative symptoms than females; for partial-autism spectrum disorder, the reverse was true. There were no sex differences in prevalence of co-morbid psychopathologies. Sex influenced diagnostic evaluation in a clinical sample of adults with suspected autism spectrum disorder. The sexes may present with different manifestations of the autism spectrum disorder phenotype and differences vary by diagnostic subtype. Understanding and awareness of adult female repetitive behaviours/restricted interests warrant attention and sex-specific diagnostic assessment tools may need to be considered

Rehabilitation goals of people with spinal cord injuries can be classified against the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Core Set for spinal cord injuries

Objectives: To establish whether inter-professional rehabilitation goals from people with non-traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) can be classified against the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) SCI Comprehensive and Brief Core Sets early postacute situation. Setting: Neurological rehabilitation unit. Methods: Rehabilitation goals of 119 patients with mainly incomplete and non-traumatic SCIs were classified against the ICF SCI Core Sets following established linking rules. Results: A total of 119 patients generated 1509 goals with a mean (and s.d.) of 10.5 (9.1) goals per patient during the course of their inpatient rehabilitation stay. Classifying the 1509 rehabilitation goals against the Comprehensive ICF Core Set generated 2909 ICF codes. Only 69 goals (4.6%) were classified as ‘not definable (ND)’. Classifying the 1509 goals against the Brief ICF Core Set generated 2076 ICF codes. However, 751(49.8%) of these goals were classified as ‘ND’. In the majority of goals (95.7%), the ICF code description was not comprehensive enough to fully express the goals set in rehabilitation. In particular, the notion of quality of movement or specificity and measurability aspects of a goal (usually described with the criteria and acronyms SMART) could not be expressed through the ICF codes. Conclusion: Inter-professional rehabilitation goals can be broadly described by the ICF Comprehensive Core Set for SCI but not the Brief Core Set

Impaired respiratory burst contributes to infections in PKCδ-deficient patients

Patients with autosomal recessive protein kinase C δ (PKCδ) deficiency suffer from childhood-onset autoimmunity, including systemic lupus erythematosus. They also suffer from recurrent infections that overlap with those seen in patients with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD), a disease caused by defects of the phagocyte NADPH oxidase and a lack of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. We studied an international cohort of 17 PKCδ-deficient patients and found that their EBV-B cells and monocyte-derived phagocytes produced only small amounts of ROS and did not phosphorylate p40phox normally after PMA or opsonized Staphylococcus aureus stimulation. Moreover, the patients' circulating phagocytes displayed abnormally low levels of ROS production and markedly reduced neutrophil extracellular trap formation, altogether suggesting a role for PKCδ in activation of the NADPH oxidase complex. Our findings thus show that patients with PKCδ deficiency have impaired NADPH oxidase activity in various myeloid subsets, which may contribute to their CGD-like infectious phenotype

A novel technique for silver extraction from silver sulphide ore

WOS: 000169062200008A novel technique for silver extraction from Ag2S is described. The mettled utilizes thiosulphate as complexing reagent and the redox reaction between SO2 added as Na2SO3 powder and H2S gas evolved. The parameters of the reaction such as pH, the reaction temperature, the complex equilibrium of Ag+ ion with thiosulphate and the solubility of Ag2S were investigated. Silver ions. obtained by this means are collected in high purity (99%) by applying appropriate electrolysis conditions. The interference from other metallic impurities, namely copper, gold. iron and zinc, is eliminated by choosing an appropriate electrolysis potential

The effects of bariatric surgery on gut microbiota in patients with obesity: A review of the literature

Obesity is a disease with a rapidly increasing prevalence all over the world in recent years. Genetic and environmental factors are involved in the etiology of obesity, and the effect of microbiota on obesity is becoming increasingly clear. Obesity treatment has various treatment modalities such as behavior modification, medical nutrition therapy, physical activity enhancement, and surgical intervention. When other treatment methods are not successful, bariatric surgery is usually resorted to as the treatment method. Some changes such as food choices, the level of hormones and enzymes due to anatomical changes, pH of the stomach, and microbiota are observed after bariatric surgery. Alteration in the microbiota composition after bariatric surgery has also been reported to be important in achieving body weight loss and preserving body weight loss

A nutritional approach to microbiota in Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by motor impairment and the accumulation of alpha-synucleinopathy (α-syn), which can affect different levels of the brain-gut axis. There is a two-way communication between the gastrointestinal tract, and brain that includes the gut microbiota. This bidirectional communication between the gut microbiota and the brain includes many pathways, such as immune mechanisms, the vagus nerve, and microbial neurometabolite production. The common cause of constipation in PD is thought to be the accumulation of α-syn proteins in the enteric nervous system. Recent studies have focused on changes in microbial metabolites and gut microbiota dysbiosis. Microbiota dysbiosis is associated with increased intestinal permeability, intestinal inflammation, and neuroinflammation. Many factors, such as unbalanced nutrition, antibiotic use, age, and infection, result in alteration of microbial metabolites, triggering α-syn accumulation in the intestinal mucosa cells. Increased evidence indicates that the amount, type, and balance of dietary macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats); high consumption of vegetables, fruits, and omega-3 fatty acids; and healthy diet patterns such as the Mediterranean diet may have a great protective impact on PD. This review focuses on the potential benefits of prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics to regulate microbiota dysbiosis along with the effect of diet on the gut microbiota in PD

Copper extraction from gold bearing copper(II) sulphide without thermal process to obtain gold concentrate

This study describes a novel method for copper extraction from copper(II) sulphide concentrates to obtain gold concentrate. Experiments were designed by taking into account related equilibria constants. The method is selective for copper in the presence of 1.0 M of thiosulphate solution with acetic acid-ammonium acetate buffer at pH 4.15. (C) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Copper extraction from gold bearing copper(II) sulphide without thermal process to obtain gold concentrate

This study describes a novel method for copper extraction from copper(II) sulphide concentrates to obtain gold concentrate. Experiments were designed by taking into account related equilibria constants. The method is selective for copper in the presence of 1.0 M of thiosulphate solution with acetic acid-ammonium acetate buffer at pH 4.15. © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved