Age and severity-dependent gut microbiota alterations in Tunisian children with autism spectrum disorder.

Alterations in gut microbiota and short chain fatty acids (SCFA) have been reported in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We analysed the gut microbiota and fecal SCFA in Tunisian autistic children from 4 to 10 years, and results were compared to those obtained from a group of siblings (SIB) and children from the general population (GP). ASD patients presented different gut microbiota profiles compared to SIB and GP, with differences in the levels of Bifidobacterium and Collinsella occurring in younger children (4-7 years) and that tend to be attenuated at older ages (8-10 years).

An Overview on Fecal Profiles of Amino Acids and Related Amino-Derived Compounds in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Tunisia.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental pathology characterized by the impairment of social interaction, difficulties in communication, and repetitive behaviors. Alterations in the metabolism of amino acids have been reported. We performed a chromatographic analysis of fecal amino acids, ammonium, biogenic amines, and gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) in Tunisian autistic children from 4 to 10 years, and results were compared with their siblings (SIB) and children from the general population (GP).

Surface Density-of-States Engineering of Anatase TiO by Small Polyols for Enhanced Visible-Light Photocurrent Generation.

Enhancement of visible-light photocurrent generation by sol-gel anatase TiO films was achieved by binding small polyol molecules to the TiO surface. Binding ethylene glycol onto the surface, enhancement factors up to 2.8 were found in visible-light photocurrent generation experiments.

Highly controllable direct femtosecond laser writing of gold nanostructures on titanium dioxide surfaces.

A highly reproducible and controllable deposition procedure for gold nanostructures on a titanium dioxide (TiO) surface using femtosecond laser light has been demonstrated. This is realized by precisely focusing onto the TiO surface in the presence of a pure gold ion solution. The deposition is demonstrated both in dot arrays and line structures.