A comparison of children and adolescent's self-report and parental report of the PedsQL among those with and without autism spectrum disorder.

PURPOSE: Children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are understood to experience a reduced quality of life compared to typically developing (TD) peers. The evidence to support this has largely been derived from proxy reports, in turn which have been evaluated by Cronbach's alpha and interrater reliability, neither of which demonstrate unidimensionality of scales, or that raters use the instruments consistently. To redress this, we undertook an evaluation of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ (PedsQL), a widely used measure of children's quality of life. Three questions were explored: (1). do TD children or adolescents and their parents use the PedsQL differently; (2). do children or adolescents with ASD and their parents use the PedsQL differently, and (3). do children or adolescents with ASD and TD children or adolescents use the PedsQL differently? By using the scales differently, we mean whether respondents endorse items differently contingent by group. METHODS: We recruited 229 children and adolescents with ASD who had an IQ greater than 70, and one of their parents, as well as 74 TD children or adolescents and one of their parents. Children and adolescents with ASD (aged 6-20 years) were recruited from special primary and secondary schools in the Amsterdam region. Children and adolescents were included based on an independent clinical diagnosis established prior to recruitment according to DSM-IV-TR criteria by psychiatrists and/or psychologists, qualified to make the diagnosis. Children or adolescents and parents completed their respective version of the PedsQL. RESULTS: Data were analysed for unidimensionality and for differential item functioning (DIF) across respondent for TD children and adolescents and their parents, for children and adolescents with ASD and their parents, and then last, children and adolescents with ASD were compared to TD children and adolescents for DIF. Following recoding the data, the unidimensional model was found to fit all groups. We found that parents of and TD children and adolescents do not use the PedsQL differently ([Formula: see text] = 64.86, p = ns), consistent with the literature that children and adolescents with ASD and TD children and adolescents use the PedsQL similarly ([Formula: see text] = 92.22, p = ns), though their score levels may differ. However, children and adolescents with ASD and their parents respond to the PedsQL differently ([Formula: see text] = 190.22, p < 0.001) and contingently upon features of the child or adolescent. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest this is due to children or adolescents with ASD being less forthcoming with their parents about their lives. This, however, will require additional research to confirm. Consequently, we conclude that parents of high-functioning children with ASD are unable to act as reliable proxies for their children with ASD.

[Defense industry technologies in contemporary medicine].

The article considers one of the Russian defense industry enterprises and its considerable contribution to the development and manufacture of medical equipment, including portable non-contact type intraocular pressure meters. Information on the pressure meters is given.

[The intensive therapy of acute heart failure directly after heart operations performed under artificial circulation conditions]. / Intensivnaia terapiia ostroi serdechnoi nedostatochnosti neposredstvenno posle operatsii na serdtse, osushchestvliaemykh v usloviiakh iskusstvennogo krovoobrashcheniia.

The efficacy of dopamine infusions in doses of 2 to 10 micrograms/kg/min and combinations thereof with prolonged epidural lidocaine anesthesia (3.7 +/- 0.7 micrograms/kg/day) was assessed in 47 cardiosurgical patients with acute cardiac failure in the immediate postperfusion period. Dopamine increased cardiac output by boosting heart rate and directly increasing the pumping function of the myocardium. High epidural blocking (ThIV-ThV) decreased the chronotropic effect of dopamine, increased the cardiac output by 48.7%, the left ventricular pumping coefficient by 37.9% and the right ventricular by 38.1% and decreased the total peripheral vascular resistance by 36.4% and pulmonary vascular resistance by 52.1%. Epidural anesthesia used in intensive care of cardiac failure in cardiosurgical patients is believed to potentiate the inotropic effect of dopamine.

[Influence of xenon on reproductive function]. / Vliianie ksenona na reproduktivnuiu funktsiiu.

Wistar rats were used in the study. 15 male rats were exposed to Xe:O2(80:20) mixture for 2 hours twice a week during 10 weeks, and 60 female rats were affected similarly for 2 weeks. The three groups have been formed: 1st group consists of 15 exposed males joined by 30 control female rats, 2nd group includes 30 exposed female rats and 15 control male rats, 15 control male rats and 30 control female rats were in the 3rd group. Xe:O2(80:20) inhalation affect neither fertility and pregnancy indices, which reached 90%, nor body mass gain during pregnancy, nor pre- and postimplantation embryonal death, neonatal body mass and development. Xenon does not impair fine mechanisms of reproductive function, being most safe gas anesthetic with nice prospects for applying in obstetrical clinics.

[Investigation of the teratogenic and embryotoxic action of xenon]. / Issledovaniia teratogennogo i émbriotoksicheskogo deistviia ksenona.

30 Wistar rats inhaled a Xe (80%):O2(20%) mixture for 2 hours twice a week on the 1st to 19th days of pregnancy. On the 20th day of pregnancy 70% rats were exposed to euthanasia, the rest of animals were left for labors to study the postnatal course in the progeny. Inhaling the Xe (80%):O2(20%) mixture did not affect either the changes in body mass of pregnant rats, indices of postimplantating loss of embryos and pregnancy duration or the number of live newborns, their body mass and sizes. Xenon caused neither inhibition of osteal system development nor any malformations. The results of study permit one to look optimistically at the prospects for using Xenon in obstetrical anesthesiology.

[Study of immunodepressive and allergic effects of xenon]. / Issledovaniia immunodepressornykh i allergiziruiuscchikh svoistv ksenona.

Experimental studies on mice showed that after four 30-min and 60-min inhalations of Xe:O2 (80:20) during 2 weeks, weight indexes of the lymphoid organs (spleen and thymus) increased, phagocytic activity did not change, and primary immune response was moderately stimulated. This indicates that xenon exerted no immunotoxic effects and can be used in patients with diseases associated with primary immunodeficiency. Study of allergic effects on albino guinea pigs showed that on days 14 and 21 of sensitization xenon in the resolving dose possessed no anaphylactogenic activity, caused no specific lysis of leukocytes, and did not modulate the counts of basophils and eosinophils. Xenon did not induce allergic reactions and is not a potential allergen, which is important in patients with panallergy.

[Clinical and experimental study of xenon anesthesia]. / Kliniko-éksperimental'nye issledovaniia anestezii ksenonom.

Narcotic effect of inert gas xenon (Xe) was discovered more than 50 years ago. The main causes limiting its clinical application are high price, low availability (in nature the gas is present in scarce amounts), and absence of preclinical trials sufficient for norm-setting documents and further solutions allowing clinical trials of Xe. Results of original and basic clinical and experimental studies of xenon anesthesia are presented. The studies were carried out by a group of authors in accordance with the requirements and norm-setting documents of Pharmacological Committee of Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, needed for permitting Xe for medical application as a new narcotic agent.

[Clinical stages and subjective sensations in xenon anesthesia]. / Klinicheskia stadii i subektivnye oshchushcheniia pri ksenonovoi anestezii.

Clinical pattern of monoanesthesia with Xe:O2 (70:30) has been studied in 12 anesthesiologists volunteers in comparison with their subjective sensations. Four clinical stages of anesthesia have been identified: paresthesia and hypoalgesia, euphoria and psychomotor activity, analgesia and partial amnesia, anesthesia (analgesia and amnesia). Induction anesthesia took 5 to 6 min, anesthesia discontinuation was easy and prompt without any adverse events. In healthy men it was impossible to achieve complete amnesia with Xe:O2 (60:40). Subjective sensations from the anesthesia were pleasant. Xenone is the best alternative to N2O2.

[Hemodynamics and function of the myocardium during xenon anesthesia]. / Gemodinamika i funktsiia miokarda pri ksenonovoi anestezii.

Hemodynamics and phase structure of the cardiac cycle have been studied, using a technical complex "KO phi OOC", on 12 anesthesiologists volunteers during various stages of Xe anesthesia (70:30). During 30 min anesthesia Xe formed conditions for normalization of hemodynamic changes caused by emotional stress, had no depressive effect on the myocardium, failed to affect considerably vascular tone and myocardial phase structure. Due to its narcotic effect Xe changed variability of the cardiac rhythm.

Correlation of defect centers with photoinduced second-harmonic generation in Er- and Sm-doped aluminosilicate fibers.

The spectral dependence of photoinduced optical losses after chi((2)) writing have been obtained in Sm- and Er-doped fibers. The results show that Sm(2+) and Er(2+) can be a source of photoelectrons during fiber preparation.

Photoinduced second-harmonic generation in fibers doped with rare-earth ions.

Photoinduced second-harmonic generation in silica fibers doped with Er(3+), Sm(3+), and Tb(3+) has been investigated. Er(3+)-doped fibers have been found to tune a chi((2)) grating easily to the mode structure of the laser radiation, whereas Sm(3+)-doped fibers have been found to possess the greatest resistance to chi((2)) grating erasure by radiation at 532 nm. From the beginning of the preparation processes, the third harmonic at 355 nm is registered in all the fibers.