636 research outputs found
Microarray in clinical practice â utility vs complexity. Mixed phenotype of duplication 15q11.2q13.1 and deletion 16p11.2
Introduction: Thereâs a consensus to perform chromosomal microarray
technique as first-tier clinical diagnostic test for individuals with developmental
disabilities. However, given the complexity of clinical presentations, often several
diagnostic methods are held before conducting microarray.
Method: We report the case of a 5 year-old boy referred to Medical Genetics due
to short stature, developmental disabilities and facial dysmorphic features.
He was born from eutocic delivery after an uneventful pregnancy. He had
psychomotor milestones delayed like sitting at 9 months and walking at 24
months, holding an immature broad-based gait. There was history of learning
difficulties from both parents, and the mother has also short stature.
On examination it was noted some facial dysmorphic features like high forehead,
conical canines and rarefaction of the distal portion of the eyebrows.
Due to the history of an episode of transient ataxia, and suspicion of an inherited
metabolic disorder, he had already performed various analytical and imaging
screenings, all normal.
Results: Chromosomal microarray analysis revealed two pathogenic Copy
Number Variants (CNVâs): 16p11.2 deletion and 15q11.2q13.1 duplication.
The 15q11q13 microduplication syndrome (OMIM # 608636) is a very rare clinical
entity with about 30 reported cases with maternal origin, and it is characterized by
neurobehavioral disorder, hypotonia, cognitive impairment, epilepsy and short
stature.
The 16p11.2 microdeletion syndrome (OMIM # 613444) is also a rare clinical
entity, with high penetrance, associated with obesity and developmental
disabilities.
Discussion: Despite the unquestionable utility of microarray, the correlation of
the CNV's with the phenotype is often difficult by the rarity of these new
microdeletion/duplication clinical entities. In this case the interpretation has
increased difficulty because of the simultaneous existence of two distinct clinical
entities. Segregation studies, which in the first step include parental analysis, are
essential for genetic counseling and determining the risk of recurrence but also
for a more accurate correlation genotype-phenotype
Economic and Market Analysis of CO2 Utilization Technologies â Focus on CO2 derived from North Dakota lignite
AbstractBased on information obtained about the technical aspects of the technologies, several challenges are expected to be faced by any potential CO2 utilization technologies intended for North Dakota lignite plants. The weather, alkaline content of lignite fly ash, and space limitations in the immediate vicinity of existing power plants are challenging hurdles to overcome. Currently, no CO2 utilization option is ready for implementation or integration with North Dakota power plants. Mineralization technologies suffer from the lack of a well-defined product and insufficient alkalinity in lignite fly ash. Algae and microalgae technologies are not economically feasible and will have weather- related challenges
Religious diversity, empathy, and God images : perspectives from the psychology of religion shaping a study among adolescents in the UK
Major religious traditions agree in advocating and promoting love of neighbour as well as love of God. Love of neighbour is reflected in altruistic behaviour and empathy stands as a key motivational factor underpinning altruism. This study employs the empathy scale from the Junior Eysenck Impulsiveness Questionnaire to assess the association between empathy and God images among a sample of 5993 religiously diverse adolescents (13â15 years old) attending state maintained schools in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and London. The key psychological theory being tested by these data concerns the linkage between God images and individual differences in empathy. The data demonstrate that religious identity (e.g. Christian, Muslim) and religious attendance are less important than the God images which young people hold. The image of God as a God of mercy is associated with higher empathy scores, while the image of God as a God of justice is associated with lower empathy scores
Test of Sum Rules in Nucleon Transfer Reactions
The quantitative consistency of nucleon transfer reactions as a probe of the occupancy of valence orbits in nuclei is tested. Neutron-adding, neutron-removal, and proton-adding transfer reactions were measured on the four stable even Ni isotopes, with particular attention to the cross section determinations. The data were analyzed consistently in terms of the distorted wave Born approximation to yield spectroscopic factors. Valence-orbit occupancies were extracted, utilizing the Macfarlane-French sum rules. The deduced occupancies are consistent with the changing number of valence neutrons, as are the vacancies for protons, both at the level of <5%. While there has been some debate regarding the true âobservabilityâ of spectroscopic factors, the present results indicate that empirically they yield self-consistent results
Universal interface width distributions at the depinning threshold
We compute the probability distribution of the interface width at the
depinning threshold, using recent powerful algorithms. It confirms the
universality classes found previously. In all cases, the distribution is
surprisingly well approximated by a generalized Gaussian theory of independant
modes which decay with a characteristic propagator G(q)=1/q^(d+2 zeta); zeta,
the roughness exponent, is computed independently. A functional renormalization
analysis explains this result and allows to compute the small deviations, i.e.
a universal kurtosis ratio, in agreement with numerics. We stress the
importance of the Gaussian theory to interpret numerical data and experiments.Comment: 4 pages revtex4. See also the following article cond-mat/030146
Valence nucleon populations in the Ni isotopes
Measurements of neutron-adding, neutron-removing, and proton-adding reactions were carried out for the four stable even Ni isotopes. Particular attention was paid to obtaining precise values of the cross sections at the peaks of the angular distributions. Tests with sum rules for the neutron data indicate that the results are self-consistent at the level of a few tenths of a nucleon. Data on proton-adding reactions were also obtained and analyzed with a slightly different methodâwhile these data are also consistent, the ambiguities are larger. The occupancies of the neutron orbits derived from the data, the proton vacancies, and the energy centroids of the neutron, neutron-hole, and proton single-particle excitations are obtained. The data also provide some estimate about the closure of the 0f7/2 shell. The results are compared to shell-model calculations and may serve as a reference point for future exploration
Fermionic massive modes along cosmic strings
The influence on cosmic string dynamics of fermionic massive bound states
propagating in the vortex, and getting their mass only from coupling to the
string forming Higgs field, is studied. Such massive fermionic currents are
numerically found to exist for a wide range of model parameters and seen to
modify drastically the usual string dynamics coming from the zero mode currents
alone. In particular, by means of a quantization procedure, a new equation of
state describing cosmic strings with any kind of fermionic current, massive or
massless, is derived and found to involve, at least, one state parameter per
trapped fermion species. This equation of state exhibits transitions from
subsonic to supersonic regimes while the massive modes are filled.Comment: 27 pages, 15 figures, uses ReVTeX. Shortened version, accepted for
publication in Phys. Rev.
Equation of state of cosmic strings with fermionic current-carriers
The relevant characteristic features, including energy per unit length and
tension, of a cosmic string carrying massless fermionic currents in the
framework of the Witten model in the neutral limit are derived through
quantization of the spinor fields along the string. The construction of a Fock
space is performed by means of a separation between longitudinal modes and the
so-called transverse zero energy solutions of the Dirac equation in the vortex.
As a result, quantization leads to a set of naturally defined state parameters
which are the number densities of particles and anti-particles trapped in the
cosmic string. It is seen that the usual one-parameter formalism for describing
the macroscopic dynamics of current-carrying vortices is not sufficient in the
case of fermionic carriers.Comment: 30 pages, 15 figures, uses ReVTeX, equation of state corrected,
comments and references added. Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.
Closed Timelike Curves and Holography in Compact Plane Waves
We discuss plane wave backgrounds of string theory and their relation to
Goedel-like universes. This involves a twisted compactification along the
direction of propagation of the wave, which induces closed timelike curves. We
show, however, that no such curves are geodesic. The particle geodesics and the
preferred holographic screens we find are qualitatively different from those in
the Goedel-like universes. Of the two types of preferred screen, only one is
suited to dimensional reduction and/or T-duality, and this provides a
``holographic protection'' of chronology. The other type of screen, relevant to
an observer localized in all directions, is constructed both for the compact
and non-compact plane waves, a result of possible independent interest. We
comment on the consistency of field theory in such spaces, in which there are
closed timelike (and null) curves but no closed timelike (or null) geodesics.Comment: 21 pages, 3 figures, LaTe
Preserved endothelium-dependent vasodilation in coronary segments previously treated with balloon angioplasty and intracoronary irradiation
BACKGROUND: Abnormal endothelium-dependent coronary vasomotion has been
reported after balloon angioplasty (BA), as well as after intracoronary
radiation. However, the long-term effect on coronary vasomotion is not
known. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term vasomotion of
coronary segments treated with BA and brachytherapy. METHODS AND RESULTS:
Patients with single de novo lesions treated either with BA followed by
intracoronary beta-irradiation (according to the Beta Energy Restenosis
Trial-1.5) or with BA alone were eligible. Of these groups, those patients
in stable condition who returned for 6-month angiographic follow-up formed
the study population (n=19, irradiated group and n=11, control group).
Endothelium-dependent coronary vasomotion was assessed by selective
infusion of serial doses of acetylcholine (ACh) proximally to the treated
area. Mean luminal diameter was calculated by quantitative coronary
angiography both in the treated area and in distal segments. Endothelial
dysfunction was defined as a vasoconstriction after the maximal dose of
ACh (10(-6) mol/L). Seventeen irradiated segments (89.5%) demonstrated
normal endothelial function. In contrast, 10 distal nonirradiated segments
(53%) and 5 control segments (45%) demonstrated endothelium-dependent
vasoconstriction (-19+/-17% and -9.0+/-5%, respectively). Mean percentage
of change in mean luminal diameter after ACh was significantly higher in
irradiated segments (P=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Endothelium-dependent
vasomotion of coronary segments treated with BA followed by beta-radiation
is restored in the majority of stabl
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