Interesting+&+Fasinating

 ﻿An Odd Bug Sighting - What is it ?

with a dilapidated playground, dried leaves scattered around and lots of large black ants. prey on the ants around it.
 * Country of sighting :** Santa Cruz, Mumbai, India.
 * Description of surrounding environment:** Textile stores, construction work in progress, a single tree slightly wilted tree, housing estate
 * Actions carried out by this insec**t : It just kept on crawling round slowly on the ground. Suspect that it's wing was injured. Did not seem to

**Excerpts**
“A simple test that would **revolutionise the diagnosis of autism** is being developed by British scientists,” the //Daily Mail//reported. The __**tes****t would need just a few drops of urine**__, and is based on the idea that **__people with autism have different bacteria in their guts from those without autism.__**

This research compared the **chemical profiles of urine samples** from a small group of autistic children to those from their **non-autistic brothers and sisters**, and another g**roup of unrelated non-autistic children**. It did find that **__autistic children had differences in the levels of some chemicals__**, but those that were most different are **not chemicals produced by gut bacteria.**

This is encouraging research, but it is too early to say whether it will develop into another diagnostic tool for autism. Importantly, it did not directly investigate the role of gut bacteria in autism, but looked at levels of chemicals in urine. **__Also, it is not possible to determine whether these differences indicate a cause or consequence of autism__**. These children were already diagnosed with autism, and the study used urine samples from only one point in time. Further research in a larger group of children over time is needed.

__Characteristics of Study Group : Definition of Autistic Individuals__
The children were between three and nine years old. Children with autism met psychiatric criteria for autism disorder or Asperger's syndrome.

__Sample Size__
There were 35 samples from autistic boys and four from autistic girls. The ‘sibling group’ was made up of 17 brothers of these children and 17 of their sisters. The control group consisted of 17 samples from non-autistic boys and 17 from non-autistic girls.

__Methodology__
To identify the different types of chemicals in the children’s urine the researchers used a technique called nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

__Indications__
Statistical analysis indicated that the **chemical pattern** was **different in the autistic children** compared with non-autistic children and was**partially different between the siblings and the non-autistic children.** The researchers then assessed whether the types of chemical found in the urine samples differed between each group. This analysis involved a statistical test that compared all of the chemicals in the children’s samples at the same time rather than assessing each chemical separately. This showed there were higher levels of some chemicals in autistic than non-autistic children, and vice versa.

For example, **autistic children had higher levels of the breakdown products of nicotinic acid, N-methyl nicotinic acid (NMNA), and N-methyl nicotinamide (NMND)**, but **lower levels of chemicals** that are suggested to be **associated with gut bacteria** such as hippurate and phenylacetylglutamine (PAG).
 * The urine samples of the siblings of the autistic children were not significantly different to those of either of the other groups.**

Statistical analysis of i**ndividual chemicals showed that autistic children had higher levels of NMNA and NMND compared with non-autistic children.** **NMNA and NMND, and succinate** were also **higher** in the **autistic children’s samples** compared with those of their non-autistic siblings. ** Chemicals typically associated with gut bacteria, such as hippurate and phenylacetylglutamine (PAG), were no longer significantly different between autistic and non-autistic children. **

__Conclusions__
 * __The researchers suggest that there are significant differences in the metabolic composition of urine between children with autism and unrelated non-autistic children__**. They say that the breakdown products of nicotinic acid (NMNA and NMND) were the group of chemicals that had the greatest power to indicate differences between autistic and non-autistic children.
 * __However, they say that larger scale, longitudinal studies are needed to determine “whether the metabolic differences are related to the cause or the progression of the disease”.__**

__Limitations__
Finally, these children had already been diagnosed with autism, and the study design was cross-sectional, looking at their urine samples from only one point in time. It is not possible to say whether there would be any differences in the chemicals found in the urine in younger children prior to standard diagnosis, and whether it could be used as a diagnostic tool. This is encouraging research, but it is too early to say whether this research would be of benefit in terms of providing an additional diagnostic tool for autism in children.
 * The researchers point out that, as it is not possible to tell whether these differences indicate a cause or consequence of the disease, further research is needed in a larger group of children over time.
 * Different statistical analyses had different results, some showing differences in certain chemical levels in autistic children, while others did not.
 * The researchers did not assess the medications the children with autism were taking for their condition or the diet they were following. Both would affect the chemicals they found in the children’s urine samples.

**__My Personal Views__**
As much as I find such a research exciting, I think it is better for a larger-scale research to be conducted. A small scale research I feel isn't encompassing of the sheer quantity of Autistic individuals. However, if this research can be brought further, there seems to be hope for an early diagnosis. Autism, in my perspective can be handicapping. Also, if the diagnosis is not given at an early age parents, caregivers and the children themselves might lose their morale. This is never an ideal situation. We need to understand what Autism entails as the spectrum ranges from mild to severe. It is difficult to handle and nurture a child with Autism and requires a true understanding of the child. However, if it can been done, there is a bright future ahead for the child. I think that an early diagnosis is important as: 1. It gives parents time to let the news sink in. 2. It enables parents to plan ahead and seek help/aid early, so as to secure the child's future.

What I find the most amazing is the fact that Autism is a learning disability thus, how does it correlate with microbes in the gut? Is it because of their overall metabolism? Is it because there is some progression of the condition that scientists have not discovered yet?It opens up a field of questions and I hope that though, the thought of this research seems promising, it can be carried forward.

Many people are suffering from learning disabilities. In Singapore, it is estimated that nearly 8% of the annual Primary One cohort or 2500 children per year, suffer from Learning Disabilities. If diagnosis can be confirmed, the Government can take action. This is true for other parts of the world too. Thus, I hope that these researchers will be committed to their research, the cause and these children and further it.

= Autistic individuals Behold the Creativity - Their minds powerful, yet shrouded. = [|Austism - A lesson for us to learn] Adapted from:http://discovermagazine.com/

Autism is a less understood medical condition amongst the population. Unlike a physical difficulty, Autism is a learning disorder in which, to a normal person, a patient might exhibit either slightly different behaviours or may seem normal, but have certain interaction problems. The term "Autism" covers a wide spectrum of disorders, ranging in severity as well. As mentioned in the Autism Association of Singapore's website. "A person with autism, generally has impairment in his or her communicative, social interaction and imaginative abilities". The artworks shown below are some of the many displayed in the gallery, in the link above.

I have a personal interest in Autism in general. Though I am not an expert and do not know in depth about the condition, there is a reason why I think it is one of the medical conditions that deserves attention and research. Autism is not a physical disability, it is a learning and behavioural problem. Physically, these patients are in a rather healthy form. If some intervention can be given, they can become highly powered individuals. They can be empowered. The reason that many of those with mild autistic traits may have difficulty in life, in my opinion is that, social stigma pulls them down. I personally think, that it is better to understand the person than judge them by their appearance. Sit down and understand them - though they have communication difficulties, the paintings below prove that they have the capability and the keenness. Jessica Park, the artist behind the colourful wonder shown above, claims that she has used seven shades of black, nine shades of green, fives shades of violet and many other varying shades of other colours. Her attention to details and the processes involved, shows that she has the capacity to focus, plan precisely amongst other qualities such as good memory and steadiness. Her painting caught my eye as I have seen colours and details, as portrayed in her painting in rugs and embroidered clothing. A painting so detailed and vibrant, with geometrical shapes involved, seemed incredibly advanced to me. An autistic person, is imaginative. This painting, as Jessica says is "a diagram that she holds in her mind from the beginning" shows rather explicity that nothing is impossible. Her thought processes must be really intrinsic for her to imagine such colours and details and transfer them into solidity. This painting by Donna Williams is a touching one. She says that a lot of her work contains "faceless people" which expresses her life as a "face-blind" person, who is unable to decipher what different facial expressions mean. Her paintings usually do not include "distinct backgrounds" which she attributes to being "context-blind", meaning that in due to her lack of understanding expressions, she may not understand the whole picture - a fazy understanding, that lacks details. Rachel Marks, suffers from Asperger's Syndrome. She was inspired to make this collage, by the difficulty she has navigating her daily life. Understanding everything in the literal form, figurative language left her puzzled. This lack of understanding left her frustrated and proved to be a barrier for her.
 * [[image:Image_1.png width="202" height="286" caption="Done by : Jessica Park"]] ||

Though this is a biology journal, I have decided to place this article on Autistic individuals and their artwork, as I think that a scientist or a person for that matter, needs to understand another person, whether they are disadvantaged, they are helpless, or whether what others have done might have left them helpless. Similar to how every level of the food chain is important, every person on this Earth needs to be understood, especially when people tend to stigmatize certain groups and avoid them. Bacteria may look and sound terrible, but some of them have the potential to cure - such as Lactobacillus. My idea behind adding this in, is to show that these individuals have potential. If early intervention or early detection is possible, they might have a better life ahead of them. I found it interesting to see how these individuals expressed their lives - an artisitic expression from people who find figurative language, facial expressions abstract, this shows that their mind grasps emotions and the world in a different way. A detailed, graphic and emotive art form, that is sometimes based on the imagination. What we may find impossible, if their minds could be unlocked, might turn out to be possible!  An Odd Bug Sighting - What is it ?

with a dilapidated playground, dried leaves scattered around and lots of large black ants. prey on the ants around it.
 * Country of sighting :** Santa Cruz, Mumbai, India.
 * Description of surrounding environment:** Textile stores, construction work in progress, a single tree slightly wilted tree, housing estate
 * Actions carried out by this insec**t : It just kept on crawling round slowly on the ground. Suspect that it's wing was injured. Did not seem to