Fetal Neurobehavioral Development: A Tale of Two Cities.

Longitudinal neurobehavioral development was examined in 237 fetuses of low-risk pregnancies from 2 distinct populations-Baltimore, Maryland, and Lima. Peru-at 20. 24. 28. 32, 36. and 38 weeks gestation. Data were based on digitized Doppler-based fetal heart rate (FHR) and fetal movement (FM). In both groups. FHR declined while variability, episodic accelerations, and FM-FHR coupling increased, with discontinuities evident between 28 and 32 weeks gestation. Fetuses in Lima had higher FHR and lower variability, accelerations, and FM-FHR coupling. Declines in trajectories were typically observed 1 month sooner in Lima, which magnified these disparities. Motor activity differences were less consistent. No sex differences in fetal neurobehaviors were detected. It is concluded that population factors can influence the developmental niche of the fetus. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Deviance regulation: A theory of action and identity.

The authors propose a behavioral decision theory relevant to the maintenance of desirable identities. The theory, termed deviance regulation theory (DRT), predicts that actions translate into meaningful identities to the extent that they cause the individual to deviate from reference group norms. This straightforward proposition is used to predict the patterning of behavior across a wide array of social contexts. The authors present evidence that predictions generalize across Eastern and Western cultures and to both personal and collective identities. Finally, they show how DRT alters current theoretical assumptions about social motives and social and cultural influence, and they illustrate how it can help explain the structure of both informal and formal social forces. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Familial ring (19) chromosome mosaicism: case report and review

Ring (19) chromosomal mosaicism has been identified in a 14-month-old girl referred for cytogenetic evaluation due to microcephaly and developmental delay with autistic-like mannerisms. An analysis of her peripheral blood lymphocytes showed a 46,XX,r(19) cell line in 119/121 of cells examined. Of the two remaining cells, one had a normal female chromosome complement and the other showed loss of one of the chromosome 19 homologs. Further analysis by fluorescence in situ hybridization using an all human telomere probe showed the presence of a single hybridization signal on the r(19) chromosome. Subsequent cytogenetic characterization of cells derived from the patient's phenotypically normal mother also demonstrated the presence of a ring 19 chromosome in 4/100 cells. The remaining cells had a normal female chromosome complement. These findings represent the first reported case of familial ring 19 mosaicism. The cytogenetic and clinical findings in these two individuals are discussed in relation to six previously reported cases of de novo ring chromosome 19 mosaicism.     

Coating of carbon-fiber surface by silicon carbide via sol-gel mixtures of tetraethyl orthosilicate and phenolic resin

The preparation of a SiC coating on a carbon fiber surface using a sol-gel mixture of tetraethyl orthosilicat (TEOS) and phenolic resin was studied. FTIR and SEM investigations indicated that the SiC coating can be formed by carbothermal reduction of the sol-gel mixture at 1420°C for 15–20 min in an argon atmosphere. TGA of the coated fiber was also performed, showing that the SiC coating improves the thermooxidative stability of the carbon fiber. With the thickness of the obtained coating of 0.47 μm using a C/Si ratio of 4, this treatment does not affect the carbon fiber strength.     

Vanadium species in new catalysts for the selective oxidation of methane to formaldehyde: Activation of the catalytic sites

New vanadium oxide supported on mesoporous silica catalysts for the oxidation of methane to formaldehyde were investigated by infrared and Raman spectroscopies to identify and characterize the molecular structure of the most active and selective catalytic sites. In situ and operando experiments have been conducted in order to understand the redox and hydroxylation/dehydroxylation processes of the vanadium species. (SiO)₂VO(OH) species were identified in these catalysts in reaction conditions and shown to undergo a deprotonation at 580 °C under vacuum, leading to a site giving a photoluminescence band at 550 nm attributed to reverse radiative decay from the excited triplet state:

(V⁴⁺–O⁻)^*  (V⁵⁺O²⁻). An activation mechanism of vanadium monomeric species with electrophilic oxygen species is proposed.     

Penicillin vs. erythromycin in the treatment of diphtheria

PURPOSE: To review the University of Florida experience in treating ependymomas, analyze prognostic factors, and provide treatment recommendations. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Forty-one patients with ependymoma and no metastases outside the central nervous system received postoperative radiotherapy with curative intent between 1966 and 1989. Ten patients had supratentorial lesions, 22 had infratentorial lesions, and 9 had spinal cord lesions. All patients had surgery (stereotactic biopsy, subtotal resection, or gross total resection). Most patients with high-grade lesions received radiotherapy to the craniospinal axis. Low-grade intracranial lesions received more limited treatment. Spinal cord lesions were treated using either partial spine or whole spine fields. RESULTS: Of 32 intracranial tumors, 21 recurred, all at the primary site; no spinal cord tumors recurred. Overall 10-year survival rates were 51% (absolute) and 46% (relapse-free); by tumor site: spinal cord, 100%; infratentorial, 45%; supratentorial, 20% (p = 0.002). On multivariate analysis, tumor site was the only factor that influenced absolute survival (p = 0.0004); other factors evaluated included grade, gender, age, duration of symptoms, resection extent, primary tumor dose, treatment field extent, surgery-to-radiotherapy interval, and days under radiotherapy treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with supratentorial or infratentorial tumors receive irradiation, regardless of grade. Craniospinal-axis fields are used when spinal seeding is radiographically or pathologically evident. Spinal cord tumors are treated using localized fields to the primary site if not completely resected. Failure to control disease at the primary site remains the main impediment to cure.     

The stability of duplexes involving AT and/or G4EtC base pairs is not dependent on their AT/G4EtC ratio content. Implication for DNA sequencing by hybridization

Sequencing by the recently reported hybridization technique requires the formation of DNA duplexes with similar stabilities. In this paper we describe a new strategy to obtain DNA duplexes with a thermal stability independent of their AT/GC ratio content. Melting data were acquired on 35 natural and 27 modified duplexes of a given length and of varying base compositions. Duplexes built with AT and/or G4EtC base pairs exhibit a thermal stability restrained to a lower range of temperature than that of the corresponding natural compounds (16 instead of 51 degrees C). The 16 degrees C difference in thermal stability observed between the least stable and the most stable duplex built with AT and/or G4EtC base pairs is mainly due to the sequence effect and not to their AT/G4EtC ratio content. Thus N -4-ethyl-2'-deoxycytidine (d4EtC) hybridizes specifically with natural deoxyguanosine leading to a G4EtC base pair whose stability is very close to that of the natural AT base pair. Oligonucleotide probes involving d4EtC can be easily prepared by chemical synthesis with phosphoramidite chemistry. Modified DNA targets were successfully amplified by random priming or PCR techniques using d4EtCTP, dATP, dGTP and dTTP in the presence of DNA polymerase. This new system might be very useful for DNA sequencing by hybridization.