Young children's responses to constructive marital disputes.

Toddlers (at ages 12, 18, 24, and 36 mo) and their parents participated in a longitudinal observational study of children's responses to constructive marital disputes. In a laboratory setting, couples engaged in a revealed difference marital problem-solving discussion while their child was in the room. Marital interactions were characterized as constructive on the basis of observed rates of positive and negative marital behaviors. The observational coding of child behavior included occurrence of distress, interference, distraction, play, smiling, and other positive behaviors. There was temporal stability in couples' interactions but not in individual child behavior. Children with more difficult temperaments were more reactive. Results highlighted the balance between the positive and interfering behaviors of toddlers during constructive marital disputes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Drosophila maternal effect locus deadhead encodes a thioredoxin homolog required for female meiosis and early embryonic development

This study describes the identification, function and molecular characterization of deadhead, a Drosophila thioredoxin homolog. Although in vitro studies have shown that thioredoxin can post-translationally regulate the activity of many different proteins, we find that this homolog is not essential for viability. The phenotypic analysis of two different mutations which eliminate function suggests that dhd is essential for female meiosis. The majority of eggs laid by females homozygous for null mutations are fertilized but fail to complete meiosis. A small number of escaper embryos initiate development and display a range of phenotypes suggesting functions in both preblastoderm mitosis and head development. Our analysis of deadhead's RNA expression pattern is consistent with its maternal effect function: the RNA is predominately expressed in the nurse cells of the ovary, is maternally deposited into the egg, but does not appear to be zygotically expressed during embryogenesis. Thus both our genetic and molecular data are consistent with a function during meiosis and preblastoderm mitosis. Whether the head defect indicates an additional function or is an indirect consequence of earlier defects remains to be determined.     

Synthetic D(-)penicillamine in rheumatoid arthritis. Double-blind controlled study of a high and low dosage regimen

Doses of 600 mg and 1200 mg of D(-)penicillamine daily were superior to a standard regimen of therapy in rheumatoid arthritis. The higher dose did not produce significantly greater therapeutic benefit in the group of patients so treated, although individual patients sometimes improved more. The frequency of rashes, blood dyscrasias, and withdrawals from the trial increased withe dosage. It is concluded that D(-)penicillamine is a useful treatment that the daily dose should be as low as possible, and that it should be increased at infrequent intervals only, with due regard to the likelihood of further improvement in relation to an increased risk of adverse reactions.     

Dermatofibrosarcoma protruberans: analysis of eight cases in an African population

Eight cases of dermatofibrosarcoma protruberans seen in the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria between 1960 and 1972 are reviewed. The condition is rare in this population and affects young adults of both sexes. All were treated by wide excision and skin grafting with no recurrence at follow-up. The apparently low incidence being reported may be due in part to the inconsistent histological pattern of the lesion. Clinicians are urged to be more aware of this condition when a cutaneous, nodular or multiobulated tumor is encountered.