Double sodium and potassium sulphates revealed by microprobe analysis in dried cervical mucus: a mid-cycle crystallographic index

The use of physical techniques such as scanning electron microscopy and microprobe analysis permits the analysis of valuable details of the structure of dried samples of mid-cycle cervical mucus during the period of maximum ferning. From a crystallographic point of view, particular attention was paid to the location, morphology and chemical composition of anisotropic organic sulphate microstructures. As distinct from the isotropic sodium chloride pattern described by Papanicolaou, these appear in a narrow period of time corresponding to the middle of the period of maximum ferning. Anisotropic microstructures were revealed to be tiny isolated crystals or polycrystalline aggregates composed of double salts of potassium and sodium. The potassium/sodium cation ratio, equal to 3/1, was constant in the best specimens. Using a simple polarizing microscope, the detection of anisotropic microstructures may be useful to determine the period of maximum fertility more accurately. In addition, experiments have been carried out in order to determine the relative importance of sulphate anisotropic structures as compared with the whole crystallized surface and to investigate precisely their transience after they appear.     

Arsenic in drinking water and incidence of urinary cancers

To investigate the effects of a new nonNMDA antagonist on the trisynaptic pathways in the hippocampus, the author examined kainate(KA)-induced generalized seizures in rats. A novel nonNMDA antagonist, YM90K, showed the blockade of the Schaffer collaterals in 2-deoxyglucose study (2-DG) and that the CA1-2 pyramidal cells of the hippocampus were preserved seven days after the KA injections. On the other hand, the control and MK-801 (NMDA-antagonist) treated rats did not depress the Schaffer collaterals and showed persistent hypermetabolism of glucose in the CA1 pyramidal cell layer, where neurons were not preserved seven days later. 2-DG was useful to reveal the effects of nonNMDA antagonist on the KA-induced generalized seizures. This suggests that YM90K is a potent nonNMDA antagonist and that it has a neuroprotective effect in rats.     

Adulthood functioning: the joint effects of parental alcoholism, gender and childhood socio-economic stress

The popular literature has publicized the adjustment difficulties of adult children of an alcohol-dependent parent (ACOAs); however, empirical studies do not provide consistent support. We examined the impact of parental alcoholism, degree of childhood socio-economic stress and gender on three broad categories of adulthood functioning (psychopathology, socio-economic attainment and marital stability). These effects were investigated with a heterogeneous sample of 400 men and 226 women participating in studies at the University of Michigan Alcohol Research Center. Parental alcoholism and childhood socio-economic stress exerted significant independent effects on most adulthood functioning measures. Men and women differed substantially only on socio-economic attainment measures, and effects of parental alcoholism and childhood economic stress on men and women were generally similar. For marital stability, parental alcoholism and childhood socio-economic stress interacted. These results suggest that researchers who study the impact of family history for alcoholism on psychological functioning should consider other aspects of the family of origin that promote wellbeing. In addition, results of this study point to the need for more research on gender differences, protective factors that promote good adjustment and outcome measures reflecting general life adaptation.     

The role of microstructural evolution during spark plasma sintering on the soft magnetic and electronic properties of a CoFe–Al2O3 soft magnetic composite

Journal of Materials Science - For transformers and inductors to meet the world’s growing demand for electrical power, more efficient soft magnetic materials with high saturation magnetic...     

Local compositions and the square-well fluid

Many applied thermodynamic models are based on the local composition concept, that is, that the composition of neighboring molecules around a central molecule is different from the bulk fluid composition. In this paper we consider the rigorous calculation of local compositions for a model mixture of squarewell molecules via statistical mechanics using Monte Carlo simulations and integral equation theory. The results show that the currently available models do not correctly describe the density and composition dependence of the local structure.Paper presented at the Ninth Symposium on Thermophysical Properties, June 24–27, 1985, Boulder, Colorado, U.S.A.     

Combinatorial chemistry in insects: a library of defensive macrocyclic polyamines

The pupal defensive secretion of the coccinellid beetle Epilachna borealis is composed principally of a combinatorial library of macrocyclic polyamines. These compounds constitute a previously unrecognized family of natural products, characterized by extremely large-ring lactonic structures derived from a small set of (2-hydroxyethylamino)alkanoic acids. The combinatorial assembly of these simple building blocks generates a high degree of structural diversity, which is further increased by slow, spontaneous intramolecular rearrangement of the macrocycles.