Imitation and pantomime in high-functioning adolescents with autism spectrum disorders

A study was designed to test 2 alternative hypotheses--a symbolic hypothesis and an executive function hypotheses--for the imitation and pantomime deficits found in previous studies of autism. The subjects were 17 adolescent high-functioning subjects with autism spectrum disorders and 15 clinical comparison subjects who were matched on chronological age and verbal IQ. Meaning and sequence were manipulated in facial and manual imitation tasks. Sequence was manipulated in the pantomime and control tasks. Recognition memory and motor control tasks were matched to the experimental tasks. The results provided no support for the symbolic deficit hypothesis; meaning aided rather than hindered the performance of the group with autism. Partial support for the executive deficit hypothesis was found. There were no group differences on motor control tasks, and few on the memory control tasks, arguing against deficits in motor initiation, basic motor coordination, or visual recognition memory.     

Neuroleptic malignant syndrome and mivacurium: a safe alternative to succinylcholine?

Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) and malignant hyperthermia (MH) may have a common pathogenic mechanism; therefore, it has been suggested that known triggering agents for MH (such as succinylcholine) should be avoided in patients with NMS. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) continues to play a major therapeutic role in contemporary psychiatry, and succinylcholine has been the muscle relaxant of choice in attenuating violent muscle contractions induced by ECT. Mivacurium is a non-depolarizing muscle relaxant with a relatively rapid onset and a short duration of action, and to date it has been proved safe in MH-susceptible patients. In this case report, following succinylcholine use during ECT, a patient with NMS developed an increase in temperature and serum creatine kinase (CK) level, possibly due to an MH reaction. Since the patient's mental status necessitated further ECT, mivacurium was administered during subsequent treatment and resulted in effective attenuation of muscle contractions without elevation of patient temperature or CK levels. In addition, there was no marked prolongation of the anaesthetic. Mivacurium is a suitable agent for patients with NMS undergoing ECT, as it has not been associated with precipitation of an MH response.     

Arsenic intoxication presenting with macrocytosis and peripheral neuropathy, without anemia

A case of arsenic intoxication associated with macrocytosis and neuropathy, without anemia, is presented. Evaluation of a 68-year-old man with a long history of peripheral neuropathy and persistent macrocytosis revealed exposure to an insecticide. Analysis of urine and hair revealed elevated levels of arsenic. A short course of d-penicillamine failed to promote urinary excretion of arsenic. Removal of the insecticide resulted in resolution of macrocytosis and slight improvement of neuropathy. This case emphasizes that arsenic intoxication should be considered in patients with macrocytosis with peripheral neuropathy, even in the absence of anemia.     

HIV arthritis

Whether reexposure of varicella-immune persons to varicella-zoster virus would protect against or predispose to development of zoster was analyzed. The rate of zoster in 511 leukemic recipients of varicella vaccine who had 1 or > 1 dose of varicella vaccine and in those who did or did not have a household exposure to varicella was determined. A Kaplan-Meier life-table analysis revealed that the incidence of zoster was lower in those given > 1 dose of vaccine (P < .05). A Cox proportional hazards analysis showed that both household exposure to varicella and receipt of > 1 dose of vaccine were highly protective (P < .01) against zoster. Thus, the risk of zoster is decreased by reexposure to varicella-zoster virus, either by vaccination or by close exposure to varicella.     

An experimental study on the pumping performance of molecular drag pumps

The pumping performance of molecular drag pumps (MDP) has been investigated experimentally. The experimented MDPs are a disk-type drag pump (DTDP), helical-type drag pump (HTDP) and compound drag pump (CDP), respectively. In the case of the DTDP, spiral channels of a rotor are cut on both upper surface and lower surface of a rotating disk, and the corresponding stator is a planar disk. In the case of the HTDP, the rotor has six rectangular grooves. The CDP consists with the DTDP, at lower part, and with the HTDP, at upper part. The experiments are performed in the outlet pressure range of 0.2–533 Pa. The inlet pressure and compression ratio are measured under the various conditions of outlet pressure and throughputs, and nitrogen is used for the test gas. At the outlet pressure of 0.2 Pa, the ultimate pressure has been reached to 1.0 × 10⁻² Pa for the HTDP, 1.3 × 10⁻⁴ Pa for the DTDP, and 3.6 × 10⁻⁵ Pa for the CDP. The maximum compression ratio of the CDP is much higher than those of the DTDP or HTDP. Consequently, the ultimate pressure of the CDP is the lowest one.     

Strong Diffie-Hellman-DSA Key Exchange

To provide authentication to the Diffie-Hellman key exchange, a few integrated key exchange schemes which provide authentication using the DSA signature have been proposed in the literature. In this letter we point out that all of the previous Diffie-Hellman-DSA schemes do not provide security against session state reveal attacks. We also suggest a strong Diffie-Hellman-DSA scheme providing security against session state reveal attacks as well as forward secrecy and key independence     

Screen‐printed biosensor for allergens

Allergen levels in indoor environments, leading to many diseases, eg asthma, rhinitis and conjunctivitis, affect a large and increasing fraction of the population. A quite effective and inexpensive method of a rough but very rapid overall assessment of total allergen level in the environment has been developed. The method involved estimation of protein in allergen extracts by screen‐printed electrodes using two different techniques. The biosensor comprised a rhodinised carbon working electrode, a silver/silver chloride reference electrode and a carbon counter electrode. In the first method the enzyme protease reacted with allergen protein to release amino acid, which produced hydrogen peroxide in the presence of amino acid oxidase. This was detected amperometrically. The second method used potassium bromide as electrolyte and the electrode was subjected to dual potential. Bromine, released due to electrolysis at higher potential, was consumed by the allergen protein at lower potential. In the first method, a unique technique was used to microencapsulate the enzyme protease and immobilise it on the surface of the electrode by in‐situ polymerisation to avoid contact with the amino acid oxidase. A total of seven allergens were tested and the results gave a good correlation with the standard protein measurement method. Environmental specimens from indoors, schools and workplaces can be evaluated for the aeroallergens produced by dust mites, animal hairs, cockroach debris, pollens, etc as a means of determining the exposure risk. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Acidogenic fermentation of blended food‐waste in combination with primary sludge for the production of volatile fatty acids

The performance of a laboratory‐scale anaerobic acidogenic fermenter fed with a mixture of blended kitchen food‐waste and primary sludge from a sewage treatment plant was investigated for the production of volatile fatty acids (VFA). The operating variables for acidogenic fermentation were kitchen food‐waste content (10 and 25 wt %), hydraulic retention time (HRT: 1, 3 and 5 days), temperature (ambient: 18 ± 2 °C, and mesophilic: 35 ± 2 °C) and pH (varied from 5.2 to 6.7). The experimental results indicated that effluent VFA concentrations and VFA production rates were higher at ambient temperature than at mesophilic conditions. The net amount of VFA with 10 wt % food‐waste increased up to 920 mg dm^?3 with an increase of HRT, but contrasting results (a decrease of 2610 mg dm^?3) were found due to the conversion of VFA into biogas in the case of 25 wt % food‐waste, which increased significantly at HRT of 3–5 days. In terms of biogas composition (CO₂ and CH₄), the organic matter was converted into CO₂ through the oxidative pathway by facultative species at low temperature while mesophilic temperature and optimum pH (6.3–7.8) played a pivotal role in increasing rate of conversion of VFA into biogas by methanogenesis. Rates of VFA production and their conversion are dependent on the food‐waste content in the mixture. Yet, the higher concentration of food‐waste (25% compared with 10%) did not produce VFA proportionally due to the increased rate of conversion of VFA into gaseous products. The maximum VFA production rate (0.318 g VFA_produced g^?1 VS_fed day^?1) was achieved in the 10 wt % food‐waste at ambient temperature and at a 5‐day HRT. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry