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BackgroundMany adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) remain undiagnosed. Specialist assessment clinics enable the detection of these cases, but such services are often overstretched. It has been proposed that unnecessary referrals to these services could be reduced by prioritizing individuals who score highly on the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ), a self-report questionnaire measure of autistic traits. However, the ability of the AQ to predict who will go on to receive a diagnosis of ASD in adults is unclear.MethodWe studied 476 adults, seen consecutively at a national ASD diagnostic referral service for suspected ASD. We tested AQ scores as predictors of ASD diagnosis made by expert clinicians according to International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 criteria, informed by the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Generic (ADOS-G) and Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) assessments.ResultsOf the participants, 73% received a clinical diagnosis of ASD. Self-report AQ scores did not significantly predict receipt of a diagnosis. While AQ scores provided high sensitivity of 0.77 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.72–0.82] and positive predictive value of 0.76 (95% CI 0.70–0.80), the specificity of 0.29 (95% CI 0.20–0.38) and negative predictive value of 0.36 (95% CI 0.22–0.40) were low. Thus, 64% of those who scored below the AQ cut-off were ‘false negatives’ who did in fact have ASD. Co-morbidity data revealed that generalized anxiety disorder may ‘mimic’ ASD and inflate AQ scores, leading to false positives.ConclusionsThe AQ's utility for screening referrals was limited in this sample. Recommendations supporting the AQ's role in the assessment of adult ASD, e.g. UK NICE guidelines, may need to be reconsidered.

Little is known about the symptom profile of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in individuals who have autism spectrum disorders (ASD). It is also unknown whether self-report questionnaires are useful in measuring OCD in ASD. We sought to describe the symptom profiles of adults with ASD, OCD, and ASD+OCD using the Obsessive Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R), and to assess the utility of the OCI-R as a screening measure in a high-functioning adult ASD sample. Individuals with ASD (n=171), OCD (n=108), ASD+OCD (n=54) and control participants (n=92) completed the OCI-R. Individuals with ASD+OCD reported significantly higher levels of obsessive-compulsive symptoms than those with ASD alone. OCD symptoms were not significantly correlated with core ASD repetitive behaviors as measured on the ADI-R or ADOS-G. The OCI-R showed good psychometric properties and corresponded well with clinician diagnosis of OCD. Receiver operating characteristic analysis suggested cut-offs for OCI-R Total and Checking scores that discriminated well between ASD+versus -OCD, and fairly well between ASD-alone and OCD-alone. OCD manifests separately from ASD and is characterized by a different profile of repetitive thoughts and behaviors. The OCI-R appears to be useful as a screening tool in the ASD adult population. © 2015 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. 8 5 477 485 Cited By :9; Export Date: 17 July 2017

Resumen Paciente de 4 anos con leucemia linfoblasticaaguda, que estando en neutropenia severa secunda-ria a quimioterapia, presento celulitis periorbitariaderecha evolutiva, que se acompano de proptosis.Se interpreto inicialmente como bacteriana, sin res-puesta a antibioticos. Cuando se comprobo cerebritispor RM, se realizo tres aseos quirurgicos y biopsiade tejido oseo nasal que revelo la presencia demucorales. Se trato con anfotericina B, completandoen dos meses 2.500 mg (113,6 mg/kg), asociado aItraconazol, con buena respuesta clinica e imageno-logica. Termino su tratamiento de quimioterapia yradioterapia y tras un seguimiento de 8 anos, esta dealta de su enfermedad de base. Bibliografia 1.- Ryan M, Yeo S, Maguire A et al. Rhinocerebralzygomycosis in childhood acute lymphoblasticleukemia. Eur J Pediatr 2001; 160 (4): 235-8.2.- Yeung C K, Cheng V C, Lie A K, Yuen K Y. Invasivedisease due to Mucorales: a case report and review ofthe literature.Hong Kong Med J 2001; 7 (2): 180-8.3.- Thompson L. Anfotericina B: nuevas formas farma-ceuticas. Rev Chil Infect 1997; 14 (4): 258-62.4.- Chavanet P, Charlier N, Brenet A et al. Emulsion ofamphotericin B in Intralipid 20%

A new application of transesophageal sonography was tested in eight patients suffering from central bronchial carcinoma. Due to ultrasound technology, a real time investigation is feasible which enhances the diagnostic method of computed tomography (CT) by discriminating between tumour and mediastinal organs which cannot be delineated by CT only. Different sonographic densities and the movement between organ and tumour contribute to the diagnostic accuracy of sonography if operability is questionable due to possible organ infiltration by tumour. The method is limited by the air filled organs (trachea, bronchi), as ultrasound does not penetrate adequately.

In order to ascertain the role of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) in the release of arachidonic acid for eicosanoid biosynthesis, we have characterized a Ca2+-dependent PLA2 from P388D1 cells, evaluated inhibitors of its activity, and correlated the effects of these inhibitors on prostaglandin (PG) E2 production in the intact cell. The Ca2+-dependent PLA2 has little preference for the polar head group or sn-2 fatty acid of phospholipids, and we have now found that it will hydrolyze 1-alkyl,2-acyl phospholipids, but it does not show a preference for this substrate over other phospholipids. Inhibitor studies with the Ca2+-dependent PLA2 have shown that arachidonic acid is an effective inhibitor. The analogs of natural fatty acids, eicosatetraynoic acid and octadecyleicosaynoic acid, were ineffective as inhibitors of the P388D1 PLA2. However, 7,7-dimethyl-5,8-eicosadienoic acid was as effective an inhibitor (IC50 = 16 microM) as arachidonic acid. Manoalide and its analog, manoalogue, were found to be good inhibitors of the P388D1 PLA2 (IC50 = 16 and 26 microM, respectively). The irreversible inhibitor of the extracellular PLA2, p-bromophenacyl bromide, was a very poor inhibitor of the P388D1 PLA2, apparent IC50 = 500-600 microM. Quinacrine was also ineffective as an inhibitor as was the cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin. On the cellular level, the P388D1 cells respond to various stimuli to produce PGD2 and PGE2 as the major cyclooxygenase products with minor production of PGI2 and thromboxane A2. Similar arachidonic acid metabolite profiles were seen for calcium ionophore A23187, melittin, and platelet-activating factor. Manoalide, manoalogue, and 7,7-dimethyl-5,8-eicosadienoic acid, effective inhibitors of the isolated PLA2, inhibited PGE2 production in intact P388D1 cells 40-85% in the concentration range studied. In contrast, p-bromophenacyl bromide, which is ineffective as an inhibitor of the P388D1 PLA2, did not significantly effect PGE2 production in the concentration ranges used. These results demonstrate that there may be important differences between the intracellular P388D1 PLA2 and the more commonly studied extracellular forms of PLA2. These differences are also observed in the intact cell studies and emphasize the need for the evaluation of inhibitors both in vitro and in vivo using the isolated enzyme and intact cell. This is the first example of studies aimed at correlating the inhibition of a purified intracellular PLA2 with inhibition of prostaglandin production in the intact cell from which it is derived.

Bei 14 Patienten mit Pankreascarcinom wurde die IORT mit einer Einzeldosis von maximal 25 Gy durchgefuhrt (11 Falle mit lokal nicht resektablem Tumor und 3mal als Tumorbettbestrahlung wahrend Radikaloperation). Verwendet wurden schnelle Elektronen eines LINAC-Beschleunigers. Storungen der Wundheilung oder andere bestrahlungsbedingte Fruhkomplikationen wurden nicht beobachtet. Nach den bisherigen Erfahrungen bewirkt die IORT eine anhaltende Besserung der Pankreasschmerzen. Inwieweit auch die Uberlebenszeit gunstig beeinflust wird, kann am eigenen Krankengut noch nicht beurteilt werden.

Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Sicherheit (Security) von Automobilelektronik, speziell der Kommunikation zwischen Fahrzeugen für Safety-Anwendungen. Hierzu wird die Absicherung der Kommunikation über digitale Signaturen betrachtet und eine prototypische Implementierung auf rekonfigurierbarer Hardware vorgestellt. Darüber hinaus wird die Absicherung der Kommunikationsplattform selbst über die Anwendung von Trusted Computing für rekonfigurierbare Systeme sichergestellt.

In this dissertation, concepts of the electronic architecture of automotive Integrated Safety System are developed as a cooperative approach of engineering process, dependable hardware architecture and software platform. The development process covers distributed rapid prototyping with virtual front-loading and correct-by-construction. Concepts of fault tolerant hardware architecture and dependability software services are discussed with design guidelines.