Factors affecting outcome in hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy in term infants

Forty-nine term infants were prospectively shown to have hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). All infants survived the neonatal period, and all but two infants (seen at 12 months) were followed up to at least 27 months of age. Factors that significantly correlated with outcome included the Sarnat encephalopathy stage and the occurrence of intractable seizures not controlled by phenobarbital sodium alone. There was no association between the one- or five-minute Apgar score, the need for early ventilation, the EEG, the occurrence of seizures, and the subsequent outcome. There was no significant difference in outcome for those infants who received dexamethasone sodium phosphate (n = 29) v those who did not receive the drug (n = 20). A review of 97 term infants with HIE from a regional perinatal program during a one-year period (1979), including 35 of the 49 infants in the present study, did show a significant increase in morbidity and mortality for transported infants.     

Non-Mendelian inheritance of mosquito susceptibility to infection with Brugia malayi and Brugia pahangi

The mode of inheritance of susceptibility or refractoriness of insect vectors to medically important pathogens such as those causing malaria or filariasis is usually believed to follow normal Mendelian laws and to involve a single pair of alleles. In this report, experiments are described that demonstrate another mode of inheritance of mosquito susceptibility to filarial parasites. Crosses were made between susceptibile and refractory species of the Aedes Scutellaris complex, and the hybrid and backcross progeny were tested for susceptibility to infection by Brugia malayi and Brugia pahangi. The data indicate that inheritance follows a non-Mendelian pattern indicative of extrachromosomal factors inherited through the maternal parent.     

Urban growth trend analysis using GIS techniques—a case study of the Bombay metropolitan region

Abstract

Towns and cities in India are facing complex problems regarding the provision and maintenance of services and infrastructure in the face of the rapid growth of pupulation, caused both by natural increase and migration. In order to meet such challenges a planner needs to have fairly accurate and up-to-date information, especially about physical structures and related land parameters. A study of their trends generally helps in the understanding of the emerging growth pattern and in formulating policies to guide or redirect it. Recent advances in the field of remote sensing technology and computer based Geographical Information Systems (GIS) provide very useful tools in undertaking such analysis. The results from a study about growth trends of the urban areas in the Bombay Metropolitan Region using multi-date remote sensing data and ARC/INFO GIS package are described here. The period under consideration is from 1968 to 1989. It should be noted that the major growth in the region is confined to Greater Bombay between 1968 to 1975. After the year 1975, a distinct outward growth along the rail corridors is visible. Growth after 1975 is mainly in the Kalyan, Bhiwandi, New Bombay and Panvel areas and in the area around Manori creek (Charkop area). The growth rate is found to be higher after the year 1975 compared to the prior growth rate. The spatial growth trends are examined in relation to the population and the population density has been computed for different periods. Based upon these densities, the extent of land required for urban development for the year 2001 has been calculated. Suitability of land for urbanisation has been carried out based upon physical characteristics of the land and environmental parameters. The priority areas of urban development to meet the additional requirement in 2001 have been identified on the basis of this suitability analysis. A map on a 1:250000 scale has been prepared to show the areas for urbanisation which will meet the demands for the year 2001. This study demonstrates the potential offered by the integration of the tools of remote sensing and GIS for urban and regional planning.     

The trithorax group gene moira encodes a brahma-associated putative chromatin-remodeling factor in Drosophila melanogaster

The genes of the trithorax group (trxG) in Drosophila melanogaster are required to maintain the pattern of homeotic gene expression that is established early in embryogenesis by the transient expression of the segmentation genes. The precise role of each of the diverse trxG members and the functional relationships among them are not well understood. Here, we report on the isolation of the trxG gene moira (mor) and its molecular characterization. mor encodes a fruit fly homolog of the human and yeast chromatin-remodeling factors BAF170, BAF155, and SWI3. mor is widely expressed throughout development, and its 170-kDa protein product is present in many embryonic tissues. In vitro, MOR can bind to itself and it interacts with Brahma (BRM), an SWI2-SNF2 homolog, with which it is associated in embryonic nuclear extracts. The leucine zipper motif of MOR is likely to participate in self-oligomerization; the equally conserved SANT domain, for which no function is known, may be required for optimal binding to BRM. MOR thus joins BRM and Snf5-related 1 (SNR1), two known Drosophila SWI-SNF subunits that act as positive regulators of the homeotic genes. These observations provide a molecular explanation for the phenotypic and genetic relationships among several of the trxG genes by suggesting that they encode evolutionarily conserved components of a chromatin-remodeling complex.     

Validation of highly polymorphic fluorescent multiplex short tandem repeat systems using two generations of DNA sequencers

Validation studies are a crucial requirement before implementation of new genetic typing systems for clinical diagnostics or forensic identity. Two different fluorescence-based multiplex DNA profiling systems composed of amelogenin, HumD21S11 and HumFGA (referred to as multiplex 1A), and HumD3S1358, HumD21S11 and HumFGA (multiplex 1B) have been evaluated for use in forensic identification using the Applied Biosystems Model 373A and Prism 377 DNA Sequencers, respectively. Experiments were aimed at defining the limit of target DNA required for reliable profiling, the level of degradation that would still permit amplification of the short tandem repeat (STR) loci examined, and the robustness of each locus in the multiplexes after samples were exposed to environmental insults. In addition, the specificity of the multiplexes was demonstrated using nonhuman DNAs. Forensically relevant samples such as cigarette butts, chewing gum, fingernails and envelope flaps were processed using both an organic extraction procedure and a QIAamp protocol. DNAs and resultant multiplex STR profiles were compared. The validation of the triplex STR systems was extended to include over 140 nonprobative casework specimens and was followed with a close monitoring of initial casework (over 300 exhibits). Our results document the robustness of these multiplex STR profiling systems which, when combined with other multiplex systems, could provide a power of discrimination of approximately 0.9999.     

Sizzled: a secreted Xwnt8 antagonist expressed in the ventral marginal zone of Xenopus embryos

An expression cloning screen was used to isolate a novel gene homologous to the extracellular cysteine-rich domain of frizzled receptors. The gene (which we called sizzled for secreted frizzled) was shown to encode a soluble secreted protein, containing a functional signal sequence but no transmembrane domains. Sizzled (szl) is capable of inhibiting Xwnt8 as assayed by (1) dose-dependent inhibition of siamois induction by Xwnt8 in animal caps, (2) rescue of embryos ventralized by Xwnt8 DNA and (3) inhibition of XmyoD expression in the marginal zone. Szl can dorsalize Xenopus embryos if expressed after the midblastula transition, strengthening the idea that zygotic expression of wnts and in particular of Xwnt8 plays a role in antagonizing dorsal signals. It also suggests that inhibiting ventralizing wnts parallels the opposition of BMPs by noggin and chordin. szl expression is restricted to a narrow domain in the ventral marginal zone of gastrulating embryos. szl thus encodes a secreted antagonist of wnt signaling likely involved in inhibiting Xwnt8 and XmyoD ventrally and whose restricted expression represents a new element in the molecular pattern of the ventral marginal zone.