HETEROTACTIC POLY(N-ISOPROPYLACRYLAMIDE)

Radical polymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) in toluene at low temperatures, in the presence of fluorinated alcohols, produced heterotactic polymer comprising an alternating sequence of meso and racemo dyads. The heterotacticity reached 70% in triads when polymerization was carried out at –40°C using nonafluoro-tert-butanol as the added alcohol. NMR analysis revealed that formation of a 1:1 complex of NIPAAm and fluorinated alcohol through C=O•••H-O hydrogen bonding induces the heterotactic specificity. A mechanism for the heterotactic-specific polymerization is proposed. Examination of the phase transition behavior of aqueous solutions of heterotactic poly(NIPAAm) revealed that the hysteresis of the phase transition between the heating and cooling cycles depended on the average length of meso dyads in poly(NIPAAm)

Broader autism phenotype as a risk factor for postpartum depression: Hamamatsu Birth Cohort (HBC) Study

AbstractThe broader autism phenotype (BAP), which refers to the expression of behavioral and cognitive propensities that are milder but qualitatively similar to those defining autism spectrum disorder, can play a crucial role in postpartum depression (PPD). We investigated whether pregnant women's BAP would increase the risk for PPD, using a representative birth cohort in Japan. Pregnant women were enrolled in the Hamamatsu Birth Cohort (HBC) Study during their mid-gestation (N=841) and were followed up until 3 months after delivery. BAP was measured mainly during the 2nd trimester of the pregnancy by using the Broader Phenotype Autism Symptoms Scale. Participants scoring 9 points or higher on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale at least once during the first 3 months after childbirth were diagnosed with PPD. Among participants, 128 (15.2%) women were found to have PPD. Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that BAP were associated with PPD (OR=1.19, 95% CI [1.07–1.31]), even after controlling for other potential confounders. In addition, the association was not moderated by history of depression and/or anxiety disorders, including concurrent depressive and anxiety symptoms during pregnancy. The findings suggest that pregnant women with BAP have an elevated risk for PPD

Thermal dependency of shell growth, microstructure, and stable isotopes in laboratory‐reared Scapharca broughtonii (Mollusca: Bivalvia)

We experimentally examined the growth, microstructure, and chemistry of shells of the bloody clam, Scapharca broughtonii (Mollusca: Bivalvia), reared at five temperatures (13, 17, 21, 25, and 29°C) with a constant pCO2 condition (∼450 μatm). In this species, the exterior side of the shell is characterized by a composite prismatic structure; on the interior side, it has a crossed lamellar structure on the interior surface. We previously found a negative correlation between temperature and the relative thickness of the composite prismatic structure in field‐collected specimens. In the reared specimens, the relationship curve between temperature and the growth increment of the composite prismatic structure was humped shaped, with a maximum at 17°C, which was compatible with the results obtained in the field‐collected specimens. In contrast, the thickness of the crossed lamellar structure was constant over the temperature range tested. These results suggest that the composite prismatic structure principally accounts for the thermal dependency of shell growth, and this inference was supported by the finding that shell growth rates were significantly correlated with the thickness of the composite prismatic structure. We also found a negative relationship between the rearing temperature and δ18O of the shell margin, in close quantitative agreement with previous reports. The findings presented here will contribute to the improved age determination of fossil and recent clams based on seasonal microstructural records

What is the Physical Origin of Strong Lyα Emission? II. Gas Kinematics and Distribution of Lyα Emitters

We present a statistical study of velocities of Lyα, interstellar (IS) absorption, and nebular lines and gas covering fraction for Lyα emitters (LAEs) at z ≃ 2. We make a sample of 22 LAEs with a large Lyα equivalent width (EW) of ≳50 Å based on our deep Keck/Low Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (LRIS) observations, in conjunction with spectroscopic data from the Subaru/Fiber Multi Object Spectrograph program and the literature. We estimate the average velocity offset of Lyα from a systemic redshift determined with nebular lines to be Δv_(Lyα) = 234 ± 9 km s^(–1). Using a Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, we confirm the previous claim of Hashimoto et al. that the average Δv Lyα of LAEs is smaller than that of Lyman break galaxies (LBGs). Our LRIS data successfully identify blueshifted multiple IS absorption lines in the UV continua of four LAEs on an individual basis. The average velocity offset of IS absorption lines from a systemic redshift is Δv_(IS) = 204 ± 27 km s^(–1), indicating LAEs' gas outflow with a velocity comparable to typical LBGs. Thus, the ratio R^(Lyα)_(IS) ≡ Δν_(Lyα)/Δν_(IS) of LAEs is around unity, suggestive of low impacts on Lyα transmission by resonant scattering of neutral hydrogen in the IS medium. We find an anti-correlation between Lyα EW and the covering fraction, f_c, estimated from the depth of absorption lines, where f_c is an indicator of average neutral hydrogen column density, N_(H I) . The results of our study support the idea that N_(H I) is a key quantity determining Lyα emissivity

Clinical Influence of Cervical Spinal Canal Stenosis on Neurological Outcome after Traumatic Cervical Spinal Cord Injury without Major Fracture or Dislocation

Study DesignRetrospective case series.PurposeTo clarify the influence of cervical spinal canal stenosis (CSCS) on neurological functional recovery after traumatic cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI) without major fracture or dislocation.Overview of LiteratureThe biomechanical etiology of traumatic CSCI remains under discussion and its relationship with CSCS is one of the most controversial issues in the clinical management of traumatic CSCI.MethodsTo obtain a relatively uniform background, patients non-surgically treated for an acute C3–4 level CSCI without major fracture or dislocation were selected. We analyzed 58 subjects with traumatic CSCI using T2-weighted mid-sagittal magnetic resonance imaging. The sagittal diameter of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) column, degree of canal stenosis, and neurologic outcomes in motor function, including improvement rate, were assessed.ResultsThere were no significant relationships between sagittal diameter of the CSF column at the C3–4 segment and their American Spinal Injury Association motor scores at both admission and discharge. Moreover, no significant relationships were observed between the sagittal diameter of the CSF column at the C3–4 segment and their neurological recovery during the following period.ConclusionsNo relationships between pre-existing CSCS and neurological outcomes were evident after traumatic CSCI. These results suggest that decompression surgery might not be recommended for traumatic CSCI without major fracture or dislocation despite pre-existing CSCS