1
|
|
2
|
Abstract
ABSTRACTWe report on the results of our investigation of using porous Si to enhance the performance of crystalline silicon photovoltaic solar cells. Possible approaches include using the porous Si for (1) surface texturing to enhance light trapping, (2) front or back surface fields because of its wider bandgap, and (3) photon color conversion of blue light to longer wavelengths that have higher quantum efficiency in a Si solar cell. In our surface texturing study, a porous-Si-covered single-crystal Si wafer showed an integrated reflectance of only 1.4% at 500-nm wavelength compared to about 40% for a polished Si surface. For our solar cell study, we used a point-contact cell structure with diffused p+ and n+ point contacts on the back of the cell. This cell structure allows us to form the porous Si on the front surface after both the junction formation and the evaporation and alloying of metal contacts.
Collapse
|
3
|
Abstract
ABSTRACTAn excimer laser is used to photochemically deposit thin films of silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, aluminum oxide, and zinc oxide at low temperatures (100–350deg;C). Deposition rates in excess of 3000 Å/min and conformal coverage over vertical walled steps were demonstrated. The films exhibit low defect density and high breakdown voltage and have been characterized using IR spectrophotometry, AES, and C-V analysis. Device compatibility has been studied by using photodeposited films as interlayer dielectrics, diffusion masks, and passivation layers in production CMOS devices.Additionally, we have deposited metallic films of Al, Mo, W, and Cr over large (>5 cm2) areas using UV photodissociation of trimethylaluminum and the refractory metal hexacarbonyls. Both shiny metallic films as well as black particulate films were obtained depending on the deposition geometry. The black films are shown to grow in columnar grains. The depositions were made at room temperature over pyrex and quartz plates as well as silicon wafers. We have examined the resistivity, adhesion, stress and step coverage of these films. The films exhibited resistivities at most ∼20 times that of the bulk materials and tensile stress no higher than 7 × 109 dynes/cm2
Collapse
|
4
|
Beck TW, Housh TJ, Fry AC, Cramer JT, Weir JP, Schilling BK, Falvo MJ, Moore CA. Wavelet-based analysis of surface mechanomyographic signals from subjects with differences in myosin heavy chain isoform content. Electromyogr Clin Neurophysiol 2009; 49:167-175. [PMID: 19534295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to use a wavelet analysis designed specifically for surface mechanomyographic (MMG) signals to determine if the % myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoform content affected the shape of the MMG frequency spectrum during isometric muscle actions. Five resistance-trained (mean +/- SD age = 23.2 +/-3.7 yrs), five aerobically-trained (mean +/- SD age = 32.6 +/- 5.2 yrs), and five sedentary (mean +/- SD age = 23.4 +/- 4.1 yrs) men performed isometric muscle actions of the dominant leg extensors at 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and 100% of the maximum voluntary contraction (MVC). Surface MMG signals were detected from the vastus lateralis during each muscle action and processed with the MMG wavelet analysis. In addition, muscle biopsies were taken from the vastus lateralis and analyzed for % MHC isoform content. The results showed that there were distinct differences among the three groups of subjects for % MHC isoform content. These differences were not manifested, however, in the isometric force-related changes in the total intensity of the MMG signal in each wavelet band. It is possible that factors such as the thicknesses of the subcutaneous adipose tissue and/or iliotibial band reduced the potential influence of differences in % MHC isoform content on the MMG signal.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- T W Beck
- Department of Health and Exercise Science, Biophysics Laboratory, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019-6081, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Mallet PE, Moore CA, Collie MT, Satvat E. Regional distribution of Ginkgo biloba-induced c-Fos immunoreactivity. Phytomedicine 2009; 16:361-368. [PMID: 18757190 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2008.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2008] [Revised: 06/25/2008] [Accepted: 07/07/2008] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
A growing literature supports the notion that Ginkgo biloba has cognitive enhancing and anxiolytic properties; however, its effects on neuronal populations have yet to be characterized. The present study used c-Fos immunoreactivity (Fos-IR) to characterize functional activity in selected brain regions following administration of a standardized Ginkgo biloba extract. Because Ginkgo is typically consumed orally, Exp 1 sought to identify patterns of neural activity induced by oral administration. To ensure that the alterations in functional neural activity observed in Exp 1 were not simply due to novel gustatory experience, Exp 2 characterized patterns of Fos-IR following intraperitoneal administration of Ginkgo. Rats were habituated to handling and experimental conditions. In Exp 1, rats self-administered 150 mg/kg Ginkgo or vehicle alone (strawberry jam) orally. In Exp 2, rats were injected with Ginkgo (2.5 or 25 mg/kg, i.p.) or vehicle (0.3% gum Arabic). Animals were anaesthetized and perfused transcardially. Brains were sectioned, immunostained using a c-Fos antibody, then the number of labelled cells was quantified microscopically in selected brain regions. In both experiments Ginkgo increased Fos-IR in numerous brain regions including the insular cortex and amygdala. Intraperitoneal administration induced Fos-IR in some additional regions including the nucleus accumbens and dentate gyrus. Results provide important preliminary data serving to identify several candidate neural sites involved in the cognitive enhancing and anxiolytic effects of Ginkgo biloba.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- P E Mallet
- Department of Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3C5.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Goddard KAB, Robitaille J, Dowling NF, Parrado AR, Fishman J, Bradley LA, Moore CA, Khoury MJ. Health-related direct-to-consumer genetic tests: a public health assessment and analysis of practices related to Internet-based tests for risk of thrombosis. Public Health Genomics 2008; 12:92-104. [PMID: 19039253 PMCID: PMC2790792 DOI: 10.1159/000176794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2008] [Accepted: 08/22/2008] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent years have seen increased concern about direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing (i.e., the sale and use of genetic tests without involving a health care provider). Numerous professional organizations have developed policies in this area. However, little systematic evidence exists to inform public policy about these tests. METHODS We conducted a systematic search to identify genetic tests that are sold DTC without involving a health care provider. We evaluated the practices of companies offering DTC genetic tests for risk of thrombosis using criteria from multiple sources and a minimal set of key practices. RESULTS We identified 84 instances of currently available health-related DTC genetic tests sold on 27 Web sites; the most common were for pharmacogenomics (12), risk of thrombosis (10), and nutrigenomics (10). For the DTC genetic tests for risk of thrombosis, we found low adherence to recommendations. Online information was frequently incomplete and had low agreement with professional recommendations. CONCLUSION Our findings document the rapid growth in the availability of health-related DTC genetic tests and highlight the need to improve the delivery of DTC genetic tests. A major implication of this study is the need for the scientific and medical community to develop consistent recommendations to increase their impact.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- K A B Goddard
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Abidi FE, Holloway L, Moore CA, Weaver DD, Simensen RJ, Stevenson RE, Rogers RC, Schwartz CE. Mutations in JARID1C are associated with X-linked mental retardation, short stature and hyperreflexia. J Med Genet 2008; 45:787-93. [PMID: 18697827 DOI: 10.1136/jmg.2008.058990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mutations in the JARID1C (Jumonji AT-rich interactive domain 1C) gene were recently associated with X-linked mental retardation (XLMR). Mutations in this gene are reported to be one of the relatively more common causes of XLMR with a frequency of approximately 3% in males with proven or probable XLMR. The JARID1C protein functions as a histone 3 lysine 4 (H3K4) demethylase and is involved in the demethylation of H3K4me3 and H3K4me2. METHODS Mutation analysis of the JARID1C gene was conducted in the following cohorts: probands from 23 XLMR families linked to Xp11.2, 92 males with mental retardation and short stature, and 172 probands from small XLMR families with no linkage information. RESULTS Four novel mutations consisting of two missense mutations, p.A77T and p.V504M, and two frame shift mutations, p.E468fsX2 and p.R1481fsX9, were identified in males with mental retardation. Two of the mutations, p.V504M and p.E468fsX2, are located in the JmjC domain of the JARID1C gene where no previous mutations have been reported. Additional studies showed that the missense mutation, p.V504M, was a de novo event on the grandpaternal X chromosome of the family. Clinical findings of the nine affected males from the four different families included mental retardation (100%), short stature (55%), hyperreflexia (78%), seizures (33%) and aggressive behaviour (44%). The degree of mental retardation consisted of mild (25%), moderate (12%) and severe (63%). CONCLUSION Based on the clinical observations, male patients with mental retardation, short stature and hyperreflexia should be considered candidates for mutations in the JARID1C gene.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- F E Abidi
- Self Research Institute of Human Genetics, Greenwood Genetic Center, 113 Gregor Mendel Circle, Greenwood, SC 29646, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Beck TW, Housh TJ, Fry AC, Cramer JT, Weir JP, Schilling BK, Falvo MJ, Moore CA. The influence of muscle fiber type composition on the patterns of responses for electromyographic and mechanomyographic amplitude and mean power frequency during a fatiguing submaximal isometric muscle action. Electromyogr Clin Neurophysiol 2007; 47:221-32. [PMID: 17711040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this investigation was to examine the influence of muscle fiber type composition on the patterns of responses for electromyographic (EMG) and mechanomyographic (MMG) amplitude and mean power frequency (MPF) during a fatiguing submaximal isometric muscle action. Five resistance-trained (mean +/- SD age = 23.2 +/- 3.7 yrs) and five aerobically-trained (mean +/- SD age = 32.6 +/- 5.2 yrs) men volunteered to perform a fatiguing, 30-sec submaximal isometric muscle action of the leg extensors at 50% of the maximum voluntary contraction (MVC). Muscle biopsies from the vastus lateralis revealed that the myosin heavy chain (MHC) composition for the resistance-trained subjects was 59.0 +/- 4.2% Type IIa, 0.1 +/- 0.1% Type IIx, and 40.9 +/- 4.3% Type I. The aerobically-trained subjects had 27.4 +/- 7.8% Type IIa, 0.0 +/- 0.0% Type IIx, and 72.6 +/- 7.8% Type I MHC. The patterns of responses and mean values for absolute and normalized EMG amplitude and MPF during the fatiguing muscle action were similar for the resistance-trained and aerobically-trained subjects. The resistance-trained subjects demonstrated relatively stable levels for absolute and normalized MMG amplitude and MPF across time, but the aerobically-trained subjects showed increases in MMG amplitude and decreases in MMG MPE The absolute MMG amplitude and MPF values for the resistance-trained subjects were also greater than those for the aerobi-cally-trained subjects. These findings suggested that unlike surface EMG, MMG may be a useful noninvasive technique for examining fatigue-related differences in muscle fiber type composition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- T W Beck
- Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences, Human Performance Laboratory University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, Nebraska 68583-0806, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
|
10
|
|
11
|
Yuskiv N, Honein MA, Moore CA. 460: Reported Multivitamin Consumption and Multiple Congenital Anomalies. Am J Epidemiol 2005. [DOI: 10.1093/aje/161.supplement_1.s115c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- N Yuskiv
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333
| | - M A Honein
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333
| | - C A Moore
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Lu C, Komaki R, Herbst RS, Evans WK, Lee JJ, Truong M, Moore CA, Choy H, Bleyer A, Fisch MJ. A phase III study of Æ-941 with induction chemotherapy (IC) and concomitant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for stage III non-small cell Lung cancer (NSCLC) (NCI T99–0046, RTOG 02–70, MDA 99–303): An interim report of toxicity and response. J Clin Oncol 2005. [DOI: 10.1200/jco.2005.23.16_suppl.7144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- C. Lu
- M.D. Anderson Cancer Ctr, Houston, TX; Juravinski Cancer Ctr, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Univ of Texas Southwestern Medcl Ctr, Dallas, TX
| | - R. Komaki
- M.D. Anderson Cancer Ctr, Houston, TX; Juravinski Cancer Ctr, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Univ of Texas Southwestern Medcl Ctr, Dallas, TX
| | - R. S. Herbst
- M.D. Anderson Cancer Ctr, Houston, TX; Juravinski Cancer Ctr, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Univ of Texas Southwestern Medcl Ctr, Dallas, TX
| | - W. K. Evans
- M.D. Anderson Cancer Ctr, Houston, TX; Juravinski Cancer Ctr, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Univ of Texas Southwestern Medcl Ctr, Dallas, TX
| | - J. J. Lee
- M.D. Anderson Cancer Ctr, Houston, TX; Juravinski Cancer Ctr, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Univ of Texas Southwestern Medcl Ctr, Dallas, TX
| | - M. Truong
- M.D. Anderson Cancer Ctr, Houston, TX; Juravinski Cancer Ctr, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Univ of Texas Southwestern Medcl Ctr, Dallas, TX
| | - C. A. Moore
- M.D. Anderson Cancer Ctr, Houston, TX; Juravinski Cancer Ctr, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Univ of Texas Southwestern Medcl Ctr, Dallas, TX
| | - H. Choy
- M.D. Anderson Cancer Ctr, Houston, TX; Juravinski Cancer Ctr, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Univ of Texas Southwestern Medcl Ctr, Dallas, TX
| | - A. Bleyer
- M.D. Anderson Cancer Ctr, Houston, TX; Juravinski Cancer Ctr, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Univ of Texas Southwestern Medcl Ctr, Dallas, TX
| | - M. J. Fisch
- M.D. Anderson Cancer Ctr, Houston, TX; Juravinski Cancer Ctr, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Univ of Texas Southwestern Medcl Ctr, Dallas, TX
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Abstract
The role played by reflex pathways in the production of movement has been a significant issue for motor control theorists interested in a wide variety of motor behaviors. From studies of locomotion and chewing, it appears that gains in reflex pathways can be altered so that activity in these pathways does not produce destabilizing responses during movement. In speech production, recent experimental evidence has been interpreted to suggest that autogenetic lip reflexes (perioral reflexes) are suppressed during sustained phonation or speech production. The present study was conducted to assess the effects of phonation, direction of movement, and ongoing speech production on reflex responses of lip muscles. The present results suggest, in contrast to earlier work, that this reflex pathway is not suppressed or absent because the amplitude of the observed response depends upon the activation levels of the various muscles of the lower lip and, therefore, indirectly on the nature of the gesture the subject is instructed to produce.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A Smith
- Department of Audiology and Speech Sciences, Heavilon Hall, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Abstract
Masticatory muscle contraction causes both jaw movement and tissue deformation during function. Natural chewing data from 25 adult miniature pigs were studied by means of time series analysis. The data set included simultaneous recordings of electromyography (EMG) from bilateral masseter (MA), zygomaticomandibularis (ZM) and lateral pterygoid muscles, bone surface strains from the left squamosal bone (SQ), condylar neck (CD) and mandibular corpus (MD), and linear deformation of the capsule of the jaw joint measured bilaterally using differential variable reluctance transducers. Pairwise comparisons were examined by calculating the cross-correlation functions. Jaw-adductor muscle activity of MA and ZM was found to be highly cross-correlated with CD and SQ strains and weakly with MD strain. No muscle's activity was strongly linked to capsular deformation of the jaw joint, nor were bone strains and capsular deformation tightly linked. Homologous muscle pairs showed the greatest synchronization of signals, but the signals themselves were not significantly more correlated than those of non-homologous muscle pairs. These results suggested that bone strains and capsular deformation are driven by different mechanical regimes. Muscle contraction and ensuing reaction forces are probably responsible for bone strains, whereas capsular deformation is more likely a product of movement.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Z J Liu
- Department of Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
Honein MA, Moore CA, Lyon Daniel K, Erickson JD. Problems with informing women adequately about teratogen risk: some barriers to preventing exposures to known teratogens. Teratology 2002; 65:202-4. [PMID: 11967916 DOI: 10.1002/tera.10057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M A Honein
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30341-3724, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
Shepard TH, Brent RL, Friedman JM, Jones KL, Miller RK, Moore CA, Polifka JE. Update on new developments in the study of human teratogens. Teratology 2002; 65:153-61. [PMID: 11948561 DOI: 10.1002/tera.10032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND METHODS The purpose of this annual article is to highlight and briefly review new and significant information on agents that may be teratogenic in pregnant women. Various sources of on-line and printed information are given. RESULTS The following topics have been discussed: 1) lithium medication: decreased estimate of risk; 2) cigarette smoking and genotype as contributors to oral-facial clefts and clubfoot; 3) trimethoprim; 4) methimazole syndrome?; 5) glucocorticoids and oral-facial clefts; 6) binge drinking; 7) fetal valproate syndrome; and 8) carbamazepine. CONCLUSIONS We have highlighted several maternal exposures during pregnancy that are associated with small but increased rates of birth defects, generally only a few cases per 1,000 infants. These exposures include cigarette smoking, and treatment with lithium, trimethoprim, methimazole, or corticosteroids. This weak teratogenic effect was usually identified by the linkage of an uncommon treatment with an unusual birth defect outcome. The use of modern epidemiologic techniques, especially prospective multicenter studies that provide increased numbers, has helped to strengthen the evidence for these associations. We discuss how teratogenic risks that are small in comparison to the background risk can be presented to at-risk women and their doctors. We have briefly listed some elements that might be used in prioritizing further studies of suspected teratogenic exposures. Various existing methods for expressing the strength of evidence for human teratogenicity are also given.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- T H Shepard
- University of Washington, Department of Pediatrics, Seattle, Washington 98195-6320, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
Abstract
Effective coding is critical to data collected by birth defects surveillance programs because subsequent use of the data depends on storage and retrieval of cases using codes. Hence, careful consideration needs to be given to the coding process. The primary goal of coding is to accurately, completely, and concisely represent infants with birth defects. Coding procedures need to accommodate the objectives of the surveillance program; for example, programs that focus on research may require different coding procedures from those that focus on linking infants to services. Several challenges exist in coding birth defects, including the need to distinguish infants with multiple defects and syndromes from those with isolated defects, and the need for strategies to code suspected defects for which confirmation is not available. Selection of a coding system by a birth defects surveillance program is central to the utility of the data collected. Most programs use a modification of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems-based (ICD) systems. This paper addresses ICD-based systems and the modifications used by many birth defects surveillance programs and presents examples of the problems in interpreting birth defects data because of inappropriate coding.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S A Rasmussen
- National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Abstract
Maternal consumption of folic acid before pregnancy and during early pregnancy is associated with a reduced risk for some birth defects. Whether folic acid can reduce the risk for imperforate anus is unknown. As part of a public health campaign conducted in China from 1993 through 1995, the outcomes of pregnancies of > or =20 weeks' gestation were evaluated among women using folic acid supplements. The women were asked to take one pill containing 400 microg of folic acid (without other vitamins) every day from the time of their premarital examination until the end of their first trimester of pregnancy. Rates of imperforate anus and risk ratios for imperforate anus among the offspring of these women were calculated according to folic acid use. Among the offspring of women who took folic acid and women who did not take folic acid, 20 and 30 infants with imperforate anus were identified, respectively. The rate of imperforate anus was 3.1 per 10,000 among the offspring of women who did not take folic acid and 1.6 per 10,000 among the offspring of women who took folic acid; adjusted for maternal age, the risk ratio was 0.59 (95% confidence interval: 0.33, 1.07). Daily maternal consumption of 400 microg of folic acid before and during early pregnancy may reduce the risk for imperforate anus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M F Myers
- Epidemic Intelligence Service, Division of Applied Public Health Training, Epidemiology Program Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
19
|
Moore CA, Nejad B, Novak RA, Dias LS. Energy cost of walking in low lumbar myelomeningocele. J Pediatr Orthop 2001; 21:388-91. [PMID: 11371826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine whether it is more efficient for adolescents with low lumbar myelomeningocele (MM) to walk with a reciprocal or a swing-through gait pattern. Energy measurements for subjects with MM were compared for reciprocal and swing-through gait and also with an able-bodied control group. The rate of oxygen consumption (in milliliters per kilogram per minute) was higher for both the reciprocal and swing-through conditions compared with the control group, but there was no difference in the rate of consumption between the two modes of walking. Walking velocities (in meters per minute) were slower for both the reciprocal and swing-through conditions compared with the control group, with reciprocal walking significantly slower than swing-through gait. Oxygen cost (in milliliters per kilogram per meter) was higher for both the reciprocal and the swing-through conditions compared with the control group. Oxygen cost was higher for reciprocal walking than for swing-through gait. Swing-through gait proved to be the more efficient walking pattern in this group of subjects with MM.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- C A Moore
- Motion Analysis Center, The Children's Memorial Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
20
|
Abstract
Background
—Surgical series and some population-based studies have documented a decrease in mortality from heart defects. Recent population-based data for the United States are lacking, however. We examined population-based data for patterns, time trends, and racial differences of mortality from heart defects for the United States from 1979 through 1997.
Methods and Results
—We examined the multiple-cause mortality files compiled by the National Center for Health Statistics of the CDC from all death certificates filed in the United States. From these data, we derived death rates (deaths per 100 000 population) by the decedent’s age, race, year of death, and heart defect type. We also analyzed age at death as an indirect indicator of survival. From 1979 through 1997, mortality from heart defects (all ages) declined 39%, from 2.5 to 1.5 per 100 000 population; among infants, the decline was 39%, or 2.7% per year. In 1995 to 1997, heart defects contributed to 5822 deaths per year. Of these deaths, 51% were among infants and 7% among children 1 to 4 years old. Mortality was on average 19% higher among blacks than among whites; this gap does not appear to be closing. Age at death increased for most heart defects, although less among blacks than among whites.
Conclusions
—Mortality from heart defects is declining in the United States, although it remains a major cause of death in infancy and childhood. Age at death is increasing, suggesting that more affected persons are living to adolescence and adulthood. The racial discrepancies should be investigated to identify opportunities for prevention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R S Boneva
- National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the relationship between prematurity and birth defects. STUDY DESIGN In a population-based cohort study, infants with birth defects were ascertained through the Metropolitan Atlanta Congenital Defects Program, a surveillance system with active methods of ascertainment. Gestational age data were obtained from birth certificates of liveborn, singleton infants with and without birth defects born in the 5-county metropolitan Atlanta area. RESULTS Among 264,392 infants with known gestational ages born between 1989 and 1995, 7738 were identified as having birth defects (2.93%). Premature infants (<37 weeks' gestation) were more than two times as likely to have birth defects than term infants (37-41 weeks) (risk ratio = 2.43; 95% CI 2.30-2.56). This relationship was evident for several categories of birth defects. The rate of birth defects varied by gestational age categories, with the highest risk in the 29- to 32-week gestational age category (risk ratio = 3.37). CONCLUSIONS The risk for birth defects is increased in premature infants. Awareness of this relationship is important for clinicians caring for premature infants. The morbidity and mortality associated with a particular defect may be significantly altered by the presence of prematurity. Further study of this association may provide insight into the etiology of these relatively common problems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S A Rasmussen
- National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Affiliation(s)
- P D Battle
- Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, Oxford University, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QR, UK
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
23
|
Moore CA, Caulfield TJ, Green JR. Relative kinematics of the rib cage and abdomen during speech and nonspeech behaviors of 15-month-old children. J Speech Lang Hear Res 2001; 44:80-94. [PMID: 11218112 PMCID: PMC2892163 DOI: 10.1044/1092-4388(2001/008)] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Speech motor control emerges in the neurophysiologic context of widely distributed, powerful coordinative mechanisms, including those mediating respiratory function. It is unknown, however, whether developing children are able to exploit the capabilities of neural circuits controlling homeostasis for the production of speech and voice. Speech and rest breathing were investigated in eleven 15-month-old children using inductance plethysmography (Respitrace). Rib cage and abdominal kinematics were studied using a time-varying correlational index of thoracoabdominal coupling (i.e., reflecting the synchrony of movement of the rib cage and abdomen) as well as simple classification of the moment-to-moment kinematic relationship of these two functional components (i.e., concurrent expansion or compression, or oppositional movement). Results revealed markedly different patterns of movement for rest breathing and speech breathing, although within types of vocalization (nonspeech vocalization, babbling, true word production) no differences were apparent. Whereas rest breathing was characterized by tight coupling of rib cage and abdominal movement (average correlation coefficients usually exceeded .90), speech breathing exhibited weak coupling (the correlation coefficient ranged widely, but averaged about .60). Furthermore, speech production by these toddlers included the occurrence of both rib cage and abdominal paradoxing, which are observed infrequently in adult speakers. These results fail to support the suggestion that speech emerges from the extant coordinative organization of rest breathing. Rather, even in its earliest stages breathing for speech and voice exhibits kinematic properties distinct from those of other observed behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- C A Moore
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle 98105-6246, USA.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
24
|
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CLP) and cleft palate alone (CP) affect approximately 1 in 1000 infants and 1 in 2,500 infants, respectively. Studies of the relation between orofacial clefts and multivitamins or folic acid have been inconsistent. METHODS We used data from a population-based case-control study involving 309 nonsyndromic cleft-affected births (222 with CLP, 87 with CP) and 3,029 control births from 1968 to 1980 to evaluate the relation between regular multivitamin use and the birth prevalence of orofacial clefts. RESULTS We found a 48% risk reduction for CLP (odds ratio = 0.52, 95% confidence interval = 0.34-0.80) among mothers who used multivitamins during the periconceptional period or who started multivitamin use during the first postconceptional month, after controlling for several covariates. The risk reduction for CP was less than those for CLP (odds ratio = 0.81, 95% confidence interval = 0.44-1.52); however, a small number of CP cases limited interpretation. No risk reductions for CLP or CP were found for women who began multivitamin use in the second or third month after conception. CONCLUSIONS The magnitude of the risk reduction in our study is comparable to those of other recent studies; our study does not support the contention that only large dosages of folic acid are needed to prevent orofacial clefts. More studies are needed to test the effects of multivitamins and varying dosages of folic acid on the recurrence and/or occurrence of orofacial clefts to provide information needed to determine possible prevention strategies. Published 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- P R Itikala
- DBDCDDH, NCEH, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30341-3724, USA
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
25
|
Abstract
We have examined our prospectively collected experience with femoral artery closure devices. Vasoseal (n = 937), Angioseal (N-742), and Techstar (n = 1001) were utilized consecutively in our laboratory for diagnostic and interventional femoral artery closures. Complications were compared to a similar number of closures with manual compression (MC; n = 1019) before closure devices were utilized. The incidence of surgical repair, acute femoral closure, transfusion due to groin complications, readmission for groin complications, infection, and total complications were examined. We found that the Vasoseal and Angioseal devices were associated with higher rates of total complications than manual compression. The Techstar and manual compression had similar total complication rates. Acute femoral artery occlusion was a potentially serious complication with the Angioseal device. Groin infection occurred with each of the closure devices but not with manual compression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D Carey
- Stroobants Heart Center, Lynchburg General Hospital, Lynchburg, Virginia 24501, USA
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
26
|
Yoon PW, Rasmussen SA, Lynberg MC, Moore CA, Anderka M, Carmichael SL, Costa P, Druschel C, Hobbs CA, Romitti PA, Langlois PH, Edmonds LD. The National Birth Defects Prevention Study. Public Health Rep 2001; 116 Suppl 1:32-40. [PMID: 11889273 PMCID: PMC1913684 DOI: 10.1093/phr/116.s1.32] [Citation(s) in RCA: 458] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The National Birth Defects Prevention Study was designed to identify infants with major birth defects and evaluate genetic and environmental factors associated with the occurrence of birth defects. The ongoing case-control study covers an annual birth population of 482,000 and includes cases identified from birth defect surveillance registries in eight states. Infants used as controls are randomly selected from birth certificates or birth hospital records. Mothers of case and control infants are interviewed and parents are asked to collect buccal cells from themselves and their infants for DNA testing. Information gathered from the interviews and the DNA specimens will be used to study independent genetic and environmental factors and gene-environment interactions for a broad range of birth defects. As of December 2000, 7,470 cases and 3,821 controls had been ascertained in the eight states. Interviews had been completed with 70% of the eligible case and control mothers, buccal cell collection had begun in all of the study sites, and researchers were developing analysis plans for the compiled data. This study is the largest and broadest collaborative effort ever conducted among the nation's leading birth defect researchers. The unprecedented statistical power that will result from this study will enable scientists to study the epidemiology of some rare birth defects for the first time. The compiled interview data and banked DNA of approximately 35 categories of birth defects will facilitate future research as new hypotheses and improved technologies emerge.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- P W Yoon
- National Center for Environmental Health, Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30341-3724, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
27
|
Smith CK, Moore CA, Elahi EN, Smart AT, Hotchkiss SA. Human skin absorption and metabolism of the contact allergens, cinnamic aldehyde, and cinnamic alcohol. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2000; 168:189-99. [PMID: 11042091 DOI: 10.1006/taap.2000.9025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
trans-Cinnamaldehyde and trans-cinnamic alcohol have been commonly reported to cause allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) in humans. Cinnamaldehyde is a more potent skin sensitizer than cinnamic alcohol. It has been hypothesized that cinnamic alcohol is a "prohapten" that requires metabolic activation, presumably by oxidoreductase enzymes such as alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) or cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1), to the protein-reactive cinnamaldehyde (a hapten). In this study, the in vitro percutaneous absorption and metabolism of cinnamaldehyde and cinnamic alcohol (78 micromol dose) has been examined using freshly excised, metabolically viable, full-thickness breast and abdomen skin from six female donors. Penetration rates and total cumulative recoveries of cinnamic compounds that were present in receptor fluid, extracted from within the skin, evaporated from the skin surface, or remained unabsorbed on the skin surface after 24 h were quantified by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Biotransformation of cinnamaldehyde to both cinnamic alcohol and cinnamic acid was observed. Topically applied cinnamic alcohol was converted to cinnamaldehyde (found on the skin surface only) and cinnamic acid. To establish whether these biotransformations were enzymatic, experiments were performed in the absence and presence of varying concentrations (80-320 micromol) of the ADH/CYP2E1 inhibitors pyrazole or 4-methylpyrazole. The observation that pyrazole significantly reduced (p < 0.05) the total penetration of cinnamic metabolites into receptor fluid, following either cinnamaldehyde or cinnamic alcohol treatment, but did not significantly affect parent chemical penetration, suggests that we are measuring cutaneous metabolic products of ADH activity. The skin absorption and metabolism of cinnamaldehyde and cinnamic alcohol will play an important role in the manifestation of ACD following topical exposure to these compounds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- C K Smith
- Section of Molecular Toxicology, Division of Biomedical Sciences, Imperial College School of Medicine, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, London, SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
28
|
Abstract
Although epidemiologic studies of some birth defects have suggested a gene-smoking interaction, the possibility of this interaction in clubfoot has not been examined. The authors analyzed risk factors among 346 infants with isolated clubfoot and 3,029 infants without defects from the Atlanta Birth Defects Case-Control Study. All infants were born during 1968-1980, and mothers were interviewed in 1982-1983. The authors examined the family history-smoking interaction as an indication of a gene-environment interaction. They defined "smoking" as smoking any time during the first 3 months of pregnancy and "family history" as having a first-degree relative with clubfoot. Conditional logistic regression (matching variables: race, birth hospital, and birth period) was used to obtain effect estimates. The adjusted odds ratios were 1.34 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.04, 1.72) for smoking only, 6.52 (95% CI: 2.95, 14.41) for family history only, and 20.30 (95% CI: 7.90, 52.17) for a joint exposure of smoking and family history. The effect estimate for the joint exposure was higher than would be expected under either an additive or a multiplicative model of interaction and showed a statistically significant departure from additivity. This study confirms the importance of familial factors and smoking in the etiology of clubfoot and identifies a potentially important interaction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M A Honein
- Division of Birth Defects, Child Development, and Disability and Health, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341-3724, USA.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
29
|
Abstract
Little is known about the signalling processes involved in the response of roots to abiotic stresses. The Arabidopsis root is a model system of root anatomy with a simple architecture and is amenable to genetic manipulation. Although it is known that the root responds to cold, drought and salt stress with increases in cytoplasmic free calcium, there is currently no information about the role(s) of the functionally diverse cell types that comprise the root. Transgenic Arabidopsis with enhancer-trapped GAL4 expression in specific cell types was used to target the calcium reporting protein, aequorin, fused to a modified yellow fluorescent protein (YFP). The luminescence output of targeted aequorin enabled in vivo measurement of changes in cytosolic free calcium concentrations ([Ca2+]cyt) in specific cell types during acute cold, osmotic and salt stresses. In response to an acute cold stress, all cell types tested as well as plants constitutively expressing aequorin displayed rapid [Ca2+]cyt peaks. However, there were significant quantitative differences between different cell types in terms of their response to cold stress, osmotic stress (440 mM mannitol) and salt stress (220 mM NaCl), implying specific roles for certain cell types in the detection and/or response to these stimuli. In response to osmotic and salt stress, the endodermis and pericycle displayed prolonged oscillations in cytosolic calcium that were distinct from the responses of the other cell types tested. Targeted expression of aequorin circumvented the technical difficulties involved in fluorescent dye injection as well as the lack of cell specificity of constitutively expressed aequorin, and revealed a new level of complexity in root calcium signalling.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- E Kiegle
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
30
|
Boucher DM, Schäffer M, Deissler K, Moore CA, Gold JD, Burdsal CA, Meneses JJ, Pedersen RA, Blum M. goosecoid expression represses Brachyury in embryonic stem cells and affects craniofacial development in chimeric mice. Int J Dev Biol 2000; 44:279-88. [PMID: 10853824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
The homeobox gene goosecoid, originally identified in Xenopus, is expressed in the organizer or its equivalent during gastrulation in the frog, chick, zebrafish and mouse. To investigate the role of goosecoid in mouse development, we have generated embryonic stem cells that stably overexpress the murine homolog of goosecoid. These cells show a repression of the gastrulation-associated gene Brachyury. Interestingly, repression of Brachyury is conserved between Xenopus and mouse despite the lack of conservation of the Brachyury promoter. Further characterization of the goosecoid-overexpressing ES cells revealed that they maintain the expression of stage-specific embryonic antigen-1, and teratomas derived from goosecoid-overexpressing cells show the presence of cell types derived from all three germ layers. Some highly chimeric mice derived from goosecoid-overexpressing cells displayed skull defects. These observations suggest that goosecoid may play a role in specification of anterior mesendodermal fates and specifically in mouse craniofacial development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D M Boucher
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
31
|
Abstract
This investigation was designed to describe the development of lip and jaw coordination during speech and to evaluate the potential influence of speech motor development on phonologic development. Productions of syllables containing bilabial consonants were observed from speakers in four age groups (i.e., 1-year-olds, 2-year-olds, 6-year-olds, and young adults). A video-based movement tracking system was used to transduce movement of the upper lip, lower lip, and jaw. The coordinative organization of these articulatory gestures was shown to change dramatically during the first several years of life and to continue to undergo refinement past age 6. The present results are consistent with three primary phases in the development of lip and jaw coordination for speech: integration, differentiation, and refinement. Each of these developmental processes entails the existence of distinct coordinative constraints on early articulatory movement. It is suggested that these constraints will have predictable consequences for the sequence of phonologic development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J R Green
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
32
|
Moore CA, Kittilson JD, Ehrman MM, Sheridan MA. Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) possess two somatostatin mRNAs that are differentially expressed. Am J Physiol 1999; 277:R1553-61. [PMID: 10600899 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.1999.277.6.r1553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Previously, we isolated a 624-bp cDNA encoding for a 115-amino acid preprosomatostatin containing [Tyr7,Gly10]-somatostatin (SS)-14 (now designated PPSS-II') obtained from the endocrine pancreas (Brockmann bodies) of rainbow trout. In this study we have characterized a second cDNA obtained from trout pancreas that is 600-bp in length and encodes for a 111-amino acid precursor containing [Tyr7,Gly10]-SS-14 (PPSS-II''). The nucleotide and amino acid identity between the two cDNAs is 82.3 and 80.5%, respectively. Both PPSS-II' and PPSS-II'' mRNA were present in esophagus, pyloric ceca, stomach, upper and lower intestine, and pancreas, whereas only SS-II" mRNA was present in brain. PPSS-II'' mRNA was more abundant than PPSS-II' mRNA in pancreas, whereas PPSS-II' mRNA was more abundant than PPSS-II" mRNA in stomach. Fasting increased pancreatic PPSS-II'' mRNA levels but had no effect on the levels of PPSS-II' mRNA. These results indicate the existence of two nonallelic pancreatic SS-II genes that are differentially expressed, both in terms of distribution among tissues and in terms of relative abundance within the tissues.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- C A Moore
- Department of Zoology and Regulatory Biosciences Center, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota 58105, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
33
|
Berry RJ, Li Z, Erickson JD, Li S, Moore CA, Wang H, Mulinare J, Zhao P, Wong LY, Gindler J, Hong SX, Correa A. Prevention of neural-tube defects with folic acid in China. China-U.S. Collaborative Project for Neural Tube Defect Prevention. N Engl J Med 1999; 341:1485-90. [PMID: 10559448 DOI: 10.1056/nejm199911113412001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 946] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND METHODS Periconceptional administration of folic acid can reduce a woman's risk of having a fetus or infant with a neural-tube defect. As part of a public health campaign conducted from 1993 to 1995 in an area of China with high rates of neural-tube defects (the northern region) and one with low rates (the southern region), we evaluated the outcomes of pregnancy in women who were asked to take a pill containing 400 microg of folic acid alone daily from the time of their premarital examination until the end of their first trimester of pregnancy. RESULTS Among the fetuses or infants of 130,142 women who took folic acid at any time before or during pregnancy and 117,689 women who had not taken folic acid, we identified 102 and 173, respectively, with neural-tube defects. Among the fetuses or infants of women who registered before their last menstrual period and who did not take any folic acid, the rates of neural-tube defects were 4.8 per 1000 pregnancies of at least 20 weeks' gestation in the northern region and 1.0 per 1000 in the southern region. Among the fetuses or infants of the women with periconceptional use of folic acid, the rates were 1.0 per 1000 in the northern region and 0.6 per 1000 in the southern region. The greatest reduction in risk occurred among the fetuses or infants of a subgroup of women in the northern region with periconceptional use who took folic acid pills more than 80 percent of the time (reduction in risk, 85 percent as compared with the fetuses or infants of women who registered before their last menstrual period and who took no folic acid; 95 percent confidence interval, 62 to 94 percent) [corrected]. In the southern region the reduction in risk among the fetuses or infants of women with periconceptional use of folic acid was also significant (reduction in risk, 41 percent; 95 percent confidence interval, 3 to 64 percent). CONCLUSIONS Periconceptional intake of 400 microg of folic acid daily can reduce the risk of neural-tube defects in areas with high rates of these defects and in areas with low rates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R J Berry
- Birth Defects and Genetic Diseases Branch, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341-3724, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
34
|
Affiliation(s)
- L D Botto
- Birth Defects and Genetic Diseases Branch, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
35
|
Moore CA, Curry CJ, Henthorn PS, Smith JA, Smith JC, O'Lague P, Coburn SP, Weaver DD, Whyte MP. Mild autosomal dominant hypophosphatasia: in utero presentation in two families. Am J Med Genet 1999; 86:410-5. [PMID: 10508980 DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1096-8628(19991029)86:5<410::aid-ajmg3>3.0.co;2-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
We describe four pregnancies in two families in which mild hypophosphatasia, apparently transmitted as an autosomal dominant trait, manifested in utero as severe long bone bowing. Postnatally, there was spontaneous improvement of the skeletal defects. Recognition of this presentation for hypophosphatasia by family investigation and assessment of the fetal skeleton for degree of ossification and chest size using ultrasonography is important. The prognosis for this condition is considerably better than for more severe forms of hypophosphatasia and for many other disorders that cause skeletal defects with long bone bowing in utero.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- C A Moore
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
36
|
Abstract
Thalidomide, the drug that caused a worldwide epidemic of serious birth defects in the late 1950s and early 1960s, was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in treating the skin disease erythema nodosum leprosum, a complication of leprosy. The drug has also shown promise in the treatment of other serious diseases. If thalidomide is eventually approved for use in the US and other countries for treatment of diseases more prevalent than erythema nodosum leprosum, or if use of the drug for non-approved indications becomes widespread, hundreds of thousands of women with childbearing ability could be treated. If this should happen, can we prevent another epidemic of birth defects? In an effort to prevent fetal exposures to thalidomide, the FDA mandated a comprehensive programme to regulate prescription, dispensing and use of the drug. The programme is designed to require registration of all participating prescribers, pharmacies and patients. It also requires use of effective methods of contraception and periodic pregnancy testing of all patients with childbearing ability during treatment. Prescribers are directed to counsel both female and male patients on the risks, benefits and proper use of the drug, as well as on the proper use of contraceptives during treatment. The patient is required to sign an informed consent form before beginning treatment. Prescription and dispensing of thalidomide will be tightly controlled. Athalidomide registry will monitor prescription. dispensing and use of the drug, and will investigate all reported fetal exposures. This mandatory, but untested, programme promises to be effective at preventing fetal exposures to thalidomide, provided that patients, prescribers and pharmacists comply with all of its provisions. However, even if the programme proves to be successful in the US, there is concern that thalidomide may eventually be widely used in countries that may not require such stringent controls. In Brazil, where thalidomide is commercially available for treatment of leprosy patients, 33 cases of thalidomide embryopathy have already been reported in the literature. Even in countries that may tightly regulate the distribution and use of thalidomide, some patients may obtain the drug through black market sources. Should these events occur, many cases of thalidomide-induced birth defects could appear. Therefore, there is a need to develop nonteratogenic analogues of thalidomide that can provide effective treatment for erythema nodosum leprosum and other serious conditions without increasing the potential for another epidemic of thalidomide-related birth defects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J M Lary
- Division of Birth Defects and Pediatric Genetics, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30341-3724, USA.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
37
|
Abstract
We report on a girl with Langer-Giedion syndrome or tricho-rhino-phalangeal syndrome, type II (TRPS II) with deletion on 8q, and the unusual findings of bilateral tibial hemimelia and unilateral absence of the ulna. An 8-year-old boy with TRPS II with bilateral tibial hemimelia was reported by Turleau et al. [1982: Hum. Genet. 62:183-187]. The critical region for TRPS II is 8q24.1. Although no genes involving limb development in the human have been identified in this region, two mouse syndromes are localized to the homologous chromosome region of 9A1-A4 which involve limb abnormalities. We propose that a gene involved in limb development is contiguous with the TRPS II gene which, when deleted, may cause tibial hemimelia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- C A Stevens
- Department of Pediatrics, T.C. Thompson Children's Hospital and Chattanooga Unit, University of Tennessee College of Medicine, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37403, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
38
|
Abstract
Ebstein's anomaly is a rare congenital cardiac defect, characterized by the displacement of the tricuspid valve into the right ventricle, that occurs approximately once in 20,000 live births. The association of Ebstein's anomaly and chromosomal abnormalities, such as Down's syndrome, is extremely unusual. Prenatal diagnosis of trisomy 21 in a fetus with isolated Ebstein's anomaly has not been previously reported.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S R Silva
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn., USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
39
|
Abstract
The authors investigated the possible association between a mother's nausea during pregnancy and her child's risk for a congenital heart defect using data from the population-based Atlanta Birth Defects Case-Control Study conducted in 1982-1983. Case infants (n = 998) had nonsyndromic congenital heart defects and control infants (n = 3,029) had no congenital defects. Nausea during pregnancy (NP) was graded in eight levels of "severity" based on its onset, frequency, and duration. Level 1, the most severe NP, was associated with a lower risk for a congenital heart defect in the child (odds ratio (OR) = 0.81, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.67-0.99) compared with no nausea. The lower risk tended to disappear with less severe levels of nausea, and the trend was statistically significant. Overall, early NP (levels 1 to 4 combined) with use of antinausea medication, particularly Bendectin (doxylamine, dicyclomine (dropped from the formulation in 1976), pyridoxine (vitamin B6)), was associated with a lower risk for congenital heart defects compared with: 1) absence of nausea (OR = 0.67, 95% CI 0.50-0.92), and 2) nausea without medication use (OR = 0.70, 95% CI 0.50-0.94). The results suggest that pregnancy hormones and factors or, alternatively, a component of Bendectin (most probably pyridoxine) may be important for normal heart development. These findings outline potential areas for future research on and prevention of congenital heart defects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R S Boneva
- Epidemic Intelligence Service, Epidemiology Program Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
40
|
Kittilson JD, Moore CA, Sheridan MA. Polygenic expression of somatostatin in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss: evidence of a preprosomatostatin encoding somatostatin-14. Gen Comp Endocrinol 1999; 114:88-96. [PMID: 10094862 DOI: 10.1006/gcen.1998.7238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Previously we reported the existence of two distinct cDNAs in rainbow trout that encode for separate preprosomatostatins (PPSS), each containing [Tyr7, Gly10]-somatostatin-14. In the present study, we used rainbow trout to further characterize the polygenic origin of somatostatins (SSs), a peptide hormone important in the regulation of growth, development, and metabolism of vertebrates. A two-phase rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE)-PCR was used for the isolation of selected cDNAs. We amplified and sequenced a ca. 350-bp 3' RACE-PCR fragment. Based upon this sequence we designed a second gene-specific primer for 5' RACE-PCR which yielded a 452-bp fragment. Sequence analysis revealed a 745-bp cDNA containing the complete 5'-untranslated region, a single initiation site 118 bases from the most 5' end, and a single putative polyadenylation site 17 bases from the most 3' end that was terminated with a polyadenylated tail. The deduced protein is a 114-amino acid PPSS molecule that contains a number of putative processing sites, potentially yielding a 26-amino acid peptide that could be processed further to a 14-amino acid peptide identical in structure to mammalian SS-14. Northern analysis revealed that PPSS-I was expressed in the pancreas, stomach, intestine, and brain of rainbow trout. These results suggest a polygenic origin of SS, possibly resulting from gene duplication events prior to the divergence of teleosts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J D Kittilson
- Department of Zoology and Regulatory Biosciences Center, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, 58105, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
41
|
Jackson RJ, Erickson JD, McGeehin M, Moore CA, Roberts HE, Lary JM. Possible teratogenic effects of intrauterine exposure to chlorpyrifos (Dursban). Arch Environ Health 1999; 54:141-3. [PMID: 10094293 DOI: 10.1080/00039899909602250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
|
42
|
Abstract
Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with back-to-back primers, 85 different mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) rearrangements, consisting of partial duplications or mini-circles, were detected in brain, liver, and heart tissue from Fischer 344 rats. The regions around the mitochondrial tRNALeu(UUR) gene, the cluster of three tRNA genes [His, Ser(AGY), Leu(UUC)], as well as the region of the displacement loop were analyzed separately with different primer sets. Rearrangements were detected in all regions analyzed in samples taken throughout the animal life span, ranging from 1 day old to 33 months of age (senescent). Two-thirds of the rearrangements terminated at short (3-9-bp) direct repeats. Three of the different rearrangements were detected in more than one animal; the most common rearrangement was found in nine different template preparations. Two loci (hot spots) were found to be particularly susceptible to rearrangement, and both were located at sequences that exhibited highly conserved potential for secondary structure formation. The displacement loop region of 10 samples exhibited the presence of multiple tandem duplications ranging between 324 and 449 bp in length. One of these consisted of heterologous, but overlapping, repeating units. Identical PCR protocols were carried out in control experiments using a cloned fragment of mtDNA that encompassed the most common hot spot sequence. The results showed that this fragment did not artifactually generate a rearrangement junction under our PCR conditions and suggested that this sequence does not promote rearrangement mutations in bacteria during the cloning process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- C A Moore
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond 23298, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
43
|
Abstract
There appears to be an increased frequency of cystic fibrosis (CF) among infants with jejunoileal atresia (JIA). However, the figures vary widely, and no population-based data exist. The purpose of this study was to quantitate the magnitude of the association between JIA and CF in Atlanta using population-based data from 1968 to 1995. Case subjects included all infants with isolated JIA born during 1968-1995 to mothers residing in the five-county metropolitan Atlanta area at the time of birth. To ascertain cases, we reviewed records of the Metropolitan Atlanta Congenital Defects Program (MACDP), a population-based birth defects registry. Caucasian JIA cases were cross-referenced with patients in the CF registry at the Egleston Cystic Fibrosis Center at Emory University to more completely ascertain the diagnosis of CF among JIA cases. During 1968-1995, MACDP ascertained a total of 94 isolated JIA cases, for a birth prevalence of 1.8/10,000 live births. Among the cases, 38 were Caucasian, 52 were African-American, and 4 were of Asian or Hispanic ethnicity. Four of the 38 Caucasian JIA cases (11%) also had CF. The expected number of JIA cases with CF is 0.019 based on the estimated population incidence of 1/ 2,000 for CF. The observed to expected (O/E) ratio of Caucasian JIA cases with CF is greater than 210 (P<0.0001). Caucasian infants with JIA have more than 210 times the risk for CF compared with Caucasian infants in the general population. The results of this study have implications for the management of infants born with JIA and genetic counseling for families with affected infants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- H E Roberts
- Division of Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30341, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
Abstract
Craniofacial deformities of 14 patients with amniotic band syndrome at one institution were reviewed for morphologic similarities. In addition to associated cleft lip and palate, vertical and oblique facial clefts, which were not associated with embryologic lines of fusion, were seen. It is hypothesized that the prominence of the nasal processes combined with the adjacent stomodeal orifice results in utero surfaces, which can lead to free band attachment and adherence, resulting in a spectrum of similarly oriented facial defects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- B L Eppley
- Division of Plastic Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis 46202, USA
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
45
|
Leader JK, Boston JR, Moore CA. A data dependent computer algorithm for the detection of muscle activity onset and offset from EMG recordings. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 1998; 109:119-23. [PMID: 9741802 DOI: 10.1016/s0924-980x(97)00066-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
This paper describes modifications to an algorithm presented by Marple-Horvat and Gilbey (1992) for identifying bursts of muscle activity in electromyographical (EMG) recordings. Our efforts to apply their algorithm to spontaneously moving infants and toddlers resulted in limited success. The modified algorithm makes several parameters dependent on the data being analyzed; these changes enabled it to analyze a variety of EMG recordings more effectively. The original algorithm had a success rate (correctly identified bursts) of 62.9% and combined error rate (number of insertions and deletions) of 73.0% when applied to an independent test data set. The modified algorithm displayed a success rate of 85.4% and combined error rate of 23.6%.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J K Leader
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, PA 15621, USA. jklst3+@pitt.edu
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
46
|
Botto LD, Olney RS, Moore CA, Khoury MJ, Mastroiacovo P. (Mis)classifying limb deficiencies: Reply to "Academicians are more likely to share each other's toothbrush than each other's nomenclature (Cohen, 1982)". Am J Med Genet 1998; 76:359-61. [PMID: 9545102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
|
47
|
Moore CA, Ellis B. Dislocation of the mandible during the course of cataract surgery. Ophthalmic Surg Lasers 1998; 29:251-2. [PMID: 9547783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Spontaneous dislocation of the mandible is a well-described clinical entity with which the ophthalmologist may not be familiar. However, the widespread use of intravenous sedation places susceptible individuals at risk for the development of dislocation of the mandible. The authors describe a patient who underwent routine cataract surgery and suffered a dislocation of the mandible that initially went unrecognized. Ophthalmic surgeons who use intravenous sedation need to be aware of this complication and need to recognize the symptoms so that patients may receive timely attention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- C A Moore
- Department of Ophthalmology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
48
|
Moore CA, Li S, Li Z, Hong SX, Gu HQ, Berry RJ, Mulinare J, Erickson JD. Elevated rates of severe neural tube defects in a high-prevalence area in northern China. Am J Med Genet 1997; 73:113-8. [PMID: 9409858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
In the northern provinces of China, the birth prevalence rate of neural tube defects (NTDs) is among the highest in the world-at about 6 per 1,000 births in rural areas. A unique population-based birth defects surveillance system in which photographs are taken of infants with selected external birth defects was implemented in two provinces in northern China and two provinces in southern China where NTD rates approximate those in the United States. In the period from March 1992 through December 1993, 660 infants with NTDs were identified by the surveillance project from a birth cohort of 251,567. We compared data from the two surveillance areas in China with data from a low-prevalence area in the United States to determine if the pattern of NTD types differs. Based on birth prevalence rates of NTDs from the Metropolitan Atlanta Congenital Defects Program, the observed to expected ratios for two types of NTDs are markedly increased at 80.8 for craniorachischisis and 25.0 for iniencephaly. Rates of these two NTDs in the southern provinces are increased to a lesser degree with observed to expected ratios of 7.1 for craniorachischisis and 2.7 for iniencephaly. The pattern of NTDs in northern China shows an increase in types that are rare in low-prevalence areas such as metropolitan Atlanta. Increased awareness of varying patterns of NTDs in different populations may have important implications for identifying etiologic and pathogenetic mechanisms of NTDs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- C A Moore
- Division of Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30341-3724, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
49
|
Abstract
This investigation was designed to quantify the coordinative organization of lip muscle activity of 2-year-old children during speech and nonspeech behaviors. Electromyographic (EMG) recordings of right upper and lower lip activity of seven 2-year-old children were obtained during productions of chewing, syllable repetition, lip protrusion, and speech (repeated two-word utterances) tasks. Task comparisons revealed that the coordinative organization of upper and lower lip activity is task specific; different coordinative strategies are employed for different tasks. Lip protrusion and syllable repetition tasks yielded strong coupling of upper and lower lip activity. Lip rounding (sentences containing the lip-rounding vowel /u/) and "nonlabial" speech tasks (sentences free of bilabials and lip-rounding vowels) resulted in low coupling of upper and lower lip activity. Moderate levels of coupling of upper and lower lip activity were evident for chewing and bilabial speech tasks (sentences loaded with bilabial plosion). This finding, that the coordinative elements of the perioral system of 2-year-olds are task specific, extends the results of previous studies of adults and children, where task-specific coordinative strategies were employed by the mandibular and perioral systems (Moore, 1993; Moore & Ruark, 1996; Moore, Smith, & Ringel, 1988; Wohlert & Goffman, 1994). The task-dependent coordination of the perioral system of 2-year-olds supports the notion that developing speech and earlier developing oromotor behaviors (i.e., sucking, chewing) are mediated by different control mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J L Ruark
- Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville 37996, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
50
|
Araneta MR, Moore CA, Olney RS, Edmonds LD, Karcher JA, McDonough C, Hiliopoulos KM, Schlangen KM, Gray GC. Goldenhar syndrome among infants born in military hospitals to Gulf War veterans. Teratology 1997; 56:244-51. [PMID: 9408975 DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1096-9926(199710)56:4<244::aid-tera3>3.0.co;2-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Reports in the popular press described the occurrence of Goldenhar syndrome among children of Persian Gulf War veterans (GWVs). The objective of this investigation was to compare the birth prevalence of Goldenhar syndrome among infants born in military hospitals to GWVs and to military personnel who were not deployed to the Gulf War (NDVs). Computerized hospital discharge data were reviewed for infants conceived after the war and born prior to the 1st of October, 1993, in medical treatment facilities (MTFs) operated by the U.S. Department of Defense. Medical records were evaluated for infants diagnosed at birth with at least one abnormality that might be related to Goldenhar syndrome. Two pediatricians, blinded to the parental Gulf War status of each infant, reviewed records. An estimated 75,414 infants were conceived after the Gulf War and born in MTFs during the study period (34,069 GWV infants and 41,345 NDV infants). Seven infants fulfilled the case criteria (five GWV infants and two NDV infants). All infants had fathers who served in the military at the time of their conception and birth. The birth prevalence was 14.7 per 100,000 live births among GWV infants (95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.4-36.4) and 4.8 per 100,000 live births (95% CI: 0.8-19.5) among NDV infants (relative risk: 3.03; 95% CI: 0.63-20.57; P values: [2-tailed] = 0.26, [1-tailed] = 0.16). The few affected cases and the broad confidence intervals surrounding the relative risk require that these results be interpreted with caution and do not exclude chance as an explanation for these findings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M R Araneta
- Naval Health Research Center, Division of Clinical Epidemiology, San Diego, California 92186-5122, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|