Frequency-plane analysis of normal and pathological ECG signals for disease identification

In this paper a frequency plane analysis of both normal and diseased ECG signals is performed specifically for disease identification. Image processing techniques are used to develop an automated data acquisition package of 12 lead ECG signals from paper records. A regeneration domain is also developed to check the captured pattern with the original wave shape. A QRS complex detector with an accuracy level ～98.4% in up to 30% signal to noise level is developed. Discrete Fourier transform (DFT) is performed to obtain the frequency spectrum of every ECG signal. Some interesting amplitude and phase response properties of chest lead V2, V3, V4, V6 and limb lead I, II, III, AVL, AVF are seen. Both amplitude and phase properties are different for normal and diseased subjects and can serve an important role in disease identification. A statistical analysis of amplitude property is carried out to show that this property is significantly different for normal and diseased subjects.     

Teaching children with autism to attend to socially relevant stimuli

Research has shown that children with autism often fail to attend to relevant stimuli in social situations, likely resulting in unsuccessful or absent social interactions. The purpose of this study was to teach children with autism to attend to stimuli with socially relevant features. Specifically, this study evaluated a teaching package including rules, modeling, role play, and specific feedback across multiple exemplars to teach children with autism to attend and respond to others’ bids for social attention (e.g., “Whoa!” or “Ouch!”). Three participants successfully learned to shift attention toward others and emit a response to gain more information in response to a socially relevant stimulus. Furthermore, generalization was observed across novel exemplars and people.     

Hemolytic Disease of the Newborn Apparently Caused by Anti-Lua

Report of the first example of pure anti-Lu^a associated with hemolytic disease of the newborn. Of special interest is the fact that this serum demonstrated a marked prozone reaction in saline, papain and indirect Coombs titrations, and is the first anti-Lu^a serum to react well by the indirect Coombs technic.     

A review of research on procedures for teaching safety skills to persons with developmental disabilities

Safety skills are an important but often neglected area of training for persons with developmental disabilities (DD). The present study reviewed the literature on teaching safety skills to persons with DD. Safety skills involve a variety of behaviors such as knowing how to cross the street or what to do in case of a house fire. A number of studies have been conducted on teaching these skills to individuals with DD. The studies reviewed have varying degrees of success and demonstrate varying degrees of generalization, but the general finding has been that prompting, reinforcement, and role-playing are effective teaching procedures across a variety of participants, skills, and settings.     

Teaching two household safety skills to children with autism

Appropriate reactions to potentially hazardous situations may help prevent children from incurring injury or abduction. However, children with autism and other developmental disorders may not develop safety skills without explicit intervention. This study used a simple behavioral skills training package for teaching children with autism to respond in a safe manner to doorbells and to the presence of household cleaning chemicals.     

Behavioral intervention for domestic pet mistreatment in a young child with autism

Household pets can have a positive influence on quality of life for individuals who live with them (Bryant, 1990). Little previous research has investigated issues related to interaction between individuals with developmental disabilities and pets. In this study, we used simple behavioral intervention procedures to decrease pet mistreatment by a young child with autism. Specifically, differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA) and differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) were evaluated. DRA did not decrease the behavior but DRO produced immediate and significant decreases in pet mistreatment and the DRO interval was successfully lengthened to 10 min. All sessions were implemented by the child's regular behavioral therapy team, in the child's home.     

Thoracic empyema: a study of 56 patients

Fifty seven children with thoracic empyema (37 boys and 20 girls) aged less than 12 years were seen at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital between January 1989 and December 1991. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common organism isolated from the pus of these patients (36 (63%) patients). Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the next most common organism, was isolated in 10 (18%) patients. The most common symptoms at presentation were acute illness with fever and cough (51 (89%) patients). All the patients were treated with closed intercostal tube drainage and appropriate antibiotics. Decortication was resorted to in only one patient. There were two deaths and the overall survival rate was 97%.     

A cognitive typology of alcoholism: implications for treatment outcome

The present study related patterns of alcohol-related cognitive deficits to the adjustment of the alcoholic at 2-year posttreatment follow-up. Patterns of cognitive control, based on the extent to which the individual utilized information concerning contemplated action (i.e., internal scanning), were studied within a sample of 42 male alcoholics shortly after the beginning of treatment. Adjustment scores at 2-year follow-up were determined by the subject's level of functioning in a variety of life-functioning domains (based on phone interviews with subjects and collateral sources). More effective internal scanning proved to be predictive of better adjustment 2 years following the assessment. In addition, alcoholics less aware of internal cues, defined as narrow internal scanners, more often reported drinking to reduce tension than did broad scanning alcoholics. The narrow internal scanning alcoholics also were slower learners at an electromyographic biofeedback training task than were the broad internal scanning alcoholics. These findings are interpreted in the context of a cognitive typology of alcoholism based on relative skills/deficits in internal cue processing. Factors relating to differential responsivity to treatment are discussed, and concomitant implications for treatment are noted.     

Catch-up growth up to ten years of age in children born very preterm or with very low birth weight

Background  

Improved survival due to advances in neonatal care has brought issues such as postnatal growth and development more to the focus of our attention. Most studies report stunting in children born very preterm and/or small for gestational age. In this article we study the growth pattern of these children and aim to identify factors associated with postnatal catch-up growth.