Mosaic monosomy 14: clinical features and recognizable facies

A 1-year-old child with clinical features of monosomy 14 is reported. She has dysmorphic facial features including ocular colobomata, dolichocephaly and microcephaly, retinal pigmentation, severe seizures, fair curly hair and tapering fingers. There was severe mental retardation. This is the first reported case of severe mosaic monosomy 14, with up to 30% mosaicism. A recognizable facial gestalt is present in children with 14q deletions or partial monosomy 14, as well as susceptibility to infection, feeding difficulties, seizures and retinal pigmentation. (C) 2004 Lippincott Williams Wilkins.

Identification of MRP-8 (calgranulin A) as a major responsive protein in chronic periodontitis

The purpose of the study was to analyse how the protein composition of the inflammatory exudate associated with chronic periodontitis differed from the exudate in periodontal health. Gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) was collected from sites with chronic periodontal inflammation and from non-diseased sites in healthy control subjects. Microbore HPLC analysis revealed one major difference in GCF protein profiles between healthy controls and periodontitis patients. The protein enhanced in periodontitis patients was identified as migration inhibitory factor-related protein-8 (MRP-8) by a combination of N-terminal amino acid sequencing, mass spectrometry, and SDS-PAGE. Together, these data demonstrate, for the first time, the presence of monomeric MRP-8 in an inflammatory exudate. Whether monomeric MRP-8 is a unique feature of chronic periodontal inflammation is not yet clear, but the chemotactic properties of this peptide support a functional role for MRP-8 in periodontal inflammation. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Characterization of 14 polymorphic microsatellite loci for the facultatively eusocial sweat bee Halictus rubicundus (Hymenoptera, Halictidae) and their variability in related species

Sweat bees display considerable variation in social organization and a few species, such as Halictus rubicundus, are even facultatively eusocial. Fourteen polymorphic, unlinked microsatellite loci were isolated from H. rubicundus and characterized in 45 females. The number of alleles per locus ranged from two to 18 (mean 10.1), observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.24 to 0.98 (mean 0.71) and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.24 to 0.98 (mean 0.70). Six or more loci cross-amplified in four other sweat bees. These loci will be useful for the study of social evolution and population genetic structure in H. rubicundus and many other sweat bees.

Apo J/clusterin expression and secretion: Evidence for 15-deoxy-Δ12,14-PGJ2-dependent mechanism

Cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) and Apo J/clusterin are involved in inflammatory resolution and have each been reported to inhibit NF-?B signalling. Using a well-validated rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cell culture model of Cox-2 over-expression the current study investigated inter-dependence between Cox-2 and clusterin with respect to induction of expression and impact on NF-?B signalling. Both gene expression and immunoblot analysis confirmed that intracellular and secreted levels of clusterin were elevated in Cox-2 over-expressing cells (PCXII). Clusterin expression was increased in control (PCMT) cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner by 15-deoxy-? 12,14-prostaglandin J 2 (15d-PGJ 2), but not PGE 2, and inhibited in PCXII cells by pharmacological Cox inhibition. In PCXII cells, inhibition of two transcription factors known to be activated by 15d-PGJ 2, heat shock factor 1 (HSF-1) and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR)?, by transcription factor oligonucleotide decoy and antagonist (GW9662) treatment, respectively, reduced clusterin expression. While PCXII cells exhibited reduced TNF-a-induced cell surface ICAM-1 expression, IkB phosphorylation and degradation were similar to control cells. With respect to the impact of Cox-2-dependent clusterin upregulation on NF-?B signalling, basal levels of I?B were similar in control and PCXII cells, and no evidence for a physical association between clusterin and phospho-I?B was obtained. Moreover, while PCXII cells exhibited reduced NF-?B transcriptional activity, this was not restored by clusterin knock-down. These results indicate that Cox-2 induces clusterin in a 15d-PGJ 2-dependent manner, and via activation of HSF-1 and PPAR?. However, the results do not support a model whereby Cox-2/15d-PGJ 2-dependent inhibition of NF-?B signalling involves clusterin.

Debates over Palaeolithic chronology - the reliability of C-14 is confirmed

The debate about the complex issues of human development during the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition period (45-35 ka BP) has been hampered by concerns about the reliability of the radiocarbon dating method. Large C-14 anomalies were postulated and radiocarbon dating was considered flawed. We show here that these issues are no longer relevant, because the large anomalies are artefacts beyond plausible physical limits for their magnitude. Previous inconsistencies between C-14 radiocarbon datasets have been resolved, and a new radiocarbon calibration curve, IntCal09 (Reimer et al., 2009), was created. Improved procedures for bone collagen extraction and charcoal pre-treatment generally result in older ages, consistent with independently dated time markers. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Demonstration of saturation in a Ni-like Ag x-ray laser at 14 nm

We report the first demonstration of saturation in a Ni-like x-ray laser, specifically Ni-like Ag x-ray laser at 14 nm. Using high-resolution spatial imaging and angularly resolved streaking techniques, the output source size as well as the time history, divergence, energy, and spatial profile of the output beam have been fully characterized. The output intensity of the Ag laser was measured to be about 70 GWcm(-2) The narrow divergence, short pulse duration, high efficiency, and high brightness of the Ag laser make it an ideal candidate for many x-ray laser applications.

THE MARINE RADIOCARBON BOMB PULSE ACROSS THE TEMPERATE NORTH ATLANTIC: A COMPILATION OF Delta C-14 TIME HISTORIES FROM ARCTICA ISLANDICA GROWTH INCREMENTS

Marine radiocarbon bomb-pulse time histories of annually resolved archives from temperate regions have been underexploited. We present here series of Delta C-14 excess from known-age annual increments of the long-lived bivalve mollusk Arctica islandica from 4 sites across the coastal North Atlantic (German Bight, North Sea; Tromso, north Norway; Siglufjordur, north Icelandic shelf; Grimsey, north Icelandic shelf) combined with published series from Georges Bank and Sable Bank (NW Atlantic) and the Oyster Ground (North Sea). The atmospheric bomb pulse is shown to be a step-function whose response in the marine environment is immediate but of smaller amplitude and which has a longer decay time as a result of the much larger marine carbon reservoir. Attenuation is determined by the regional hydrographic setting of the sites, vertical mixing, processes controlling the isotopic exchange of C-14 at the air-sea boundary, C-14 content of the freshwater flux, primary productivity, and the residence time of organic matter in the sediment mixed layer. The inventories form a sequence from high magnitude-early peak (German Bight) to low magnitude-late peak (Grimsey). All series show a rapid response to the increase in atmospheric Delta C-14 excess but a slow response to the subsequent decline resulting from the succession of rapid isotopic air-sea exchange followed by the more gradual isotopic equilibration in the mixed layer due to the variable marine carbon reservoir and incorporation of organic carbon from the sediment mixed layer. The data constitute calibration series for the use of the bomb pulse as a high-resolution dating tool in the marine environment and as a tracer of coastal ocean water masses.

The place(s) of student voice in 14-19 education policy reform: reflections on consultation and participation

Certain policy areas with considerable impact on young people's educational experiences and achievements, notably assessment and qualifications, do not involve consultation with young people to any meaningful extent. Findings from a national study, which included focus groups with 243 students in the 14-19 phase, are presented with respect to student consultation and participation in such policy areas. A lack of meaningful consultation regarding what students see as ‘higher level’ policy agendas was found (such as qualifications provision, choice or structure). Students are therefore ‘voiceless’ in relation to major qualifications reforms