The nature and fate of natural resins in the geosphere. XII. Investigation of C-ring aromatic diterpenoids in Raritan amber by pyrolysis-GC-matrix isolation FTIR-MS

Upper Cretaceous amber from the Raritan Formation (Sayerville, New Jersey) has been investigated by Pyrolysis-GC-MS and Pyrolysis-GC-matrix isolation FTIR-MS. Results establish the existence of two distinct forms of amber in this deposit. Both forms are Class Ib ambers, but they are unambiguously differentiated on the basis of their (intact) diterpenoid composition. The presence of callitrisate in both forms, and cupraene in samples designated form 1, strongly suggest that both derive from related-but-distinct species within the Cupressaceae. In addition to callitrisate, dehydroabietate and analogous 17-nor-, 16,17-dinor- and 15,16,17-trinor- analogues of these compounds are also observed. The distributions of these products in multiple samples suggest that they are the result of biological emplacement, rather than diagenetic modification of the parent compounds. This indicates that the distributions of diterpenes observed in these samples are representative of the original bioterpenoids and, hence, are useful for chemotaxonomic analyses

NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS OF THE VISUAL SYSTEM IN CHILDREN WITH PROGRESSIVE MYOPIA BASED ON THE DATA OF COMPUTER ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHY

This paper addresses the functional state of the cortical visual analyzer in children with progressive myopia based on the results of computer electroencephalography (EEG). We observed 40 patients aged from 7 to 16, including 15 patients with stabilized myopia, 15 patients with progressive myopia, and 10 patients without visual pathologies (the control group). The computer EEG method revealed moderate disruption of the cortico-subcortical interactions with signs of attenuation of the caudal cortical alpha rhythm generator, and enhancement of the functional role of the mast structures in children with a progressive course of myopia