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Sample records for carnosine retards tumor

  1. Carnosine retards tumor growth in vivo in an NIH3T3-HER2/neu mouse model.

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    Renner, Christof; Zemitzsch, Nadine; Fuchs, Beate; Geiger, Kathrin D; Hermes, Matthias; Hengstler, Jan; Gebhardt, Rolf; Meixensberger, Jürgen; Gaunitz, Frank

    2010-01-06

    It was previously demonstrated that the dipeptide carnosine inhibits growth of cultured cells isolated from patients with malignant glioma. In the present work we investigated whether carnosine also affects tumor growth in vivo and may therefore be considered for human cancer therapy. A mouse model was used to investigate whether tumor growth in vivo can be inhibited by carnosine. Therefore, NIH3T3 fibroblasts, conditionally expressing the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2/neu), were implanted into the dorsal skin of nude mice, and tumor growth in treated animals was compared to control mice. In two independent experiments nude mice that received tumor cells received a daily intra peritoneal injection of 500 microl of 1 M carnosine solution. Measurable tumors were detected 12 days after injection. Aggressive tumor growth in control animals, that received a daily intra peritoneal injection of NaCl solution started at day 16 whereas aggressive growth in mice treated with carnosine was delayed, starting around day 19. A significant effect of carnosine on tumor growth was observed up to day 24. Although carnosine was not able to completely prevent tumor growth, a microscopic examination of tumors revealed that those from carnosine treated animals had a significant lower number of mitosis (p < 0.0003) than untreated animals, confirming that carnosine affects proliferation in vivo. As a naturally occurring substance with a high potential to inhibit growth of malignant cells in vivo, carnosine should be considered as a potential anti-cancer drug. Further experiments should be performed in order to understand how carnosine acts at the molecular level.

  2. Carnosine retards tumor growth in vivo in an NIH3T3-HER2/neu mouse model

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    Meixensberger Jürgen

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background It was previously demonstrated that the dipeptide carnosine inhibits growth of cultured cells isolated from patients with malignant glioma. In the present work we investigated whether carnosine also affects tumor growth in vivo and may therefore be considered for human cancer therapy. Results A mouse model was used to investigate whether tumor growth in vivo can be inhibited by carnosine. Therefore, NIH3T3 fibroblasts, conditionally expressing the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2/neu, were implanted into the dorsal skin of nude mice, and tumor growth in treated animals was compared to control mice. In two independent experiments nude mice that received tumor cells received a daily intra peritoneal injection of 500 μl of 1 M carnosine solution. Measurable tumors were detected 12 days after injection. Aggressive tumor growth in control animals, that received a daily intra peritoneal injection of NaCl solution started at day 16 whereas aggressive growth in mice treated with carnosine was delayed, starting around day 19. A significant effect of carnosine on tumor growth was observed up to day 24. Although carnosine was not able to completely prevent tumor growth, a microscopic examination of tumors revealed that those from carnosine treated animals had a significant lower number of mitosis (p Conclusion As a naturally occurring substance with a high potential to inhibit growth of malignant cells in vivo, carnosine should be considered as a potential anti-cancer drug. Further experiments should be performed in order to understand how carnosine acts at the molecular level.

  3. Carnosine inhibits carbonic anhydrase IX-mediated extracellular acidosis and suppresses growth of HeLa tumor xenografts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ditte, Zuzana; Ditte, Peter; Labudova, Martina; Simko, Veronika; Iuliano, Filippo; Zatovicova, Miriam; Csaderova, Lucia; Pastorekova, Silvia; Pastorek, Jaromir

    2014-01-01

    Carbonic anhydrase IX (CA IX) is a transmembrane enzyme that is present in many types of solid tumors. Expression of CA IX is driven predominantly by the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) pathway and helps to maintain intracellular pH homeostasis under hypoxic conditions, resulting in acidification of the tumor microenvironment. Carnosine (β-alanyl-L-histidine) is an anti-tumorigenic agent that inhibits the proliferation of cancer cells. In this study, we investigated the role of CA IX in carnosine-mediated antitumor activity and whether the underlying mechanism involves transcriptional and translational modulation of HIF-1α and CA IX and/or altered CA IX function. The effect of carnosine was studied using two-dimensional cell monolayers of several cell lines with endogenous CA IX expression as well as Madin Darby canine kidney transfectants, three-dimensional HeLa spheroids, and an in vivo model of HeLa xenografts in nude mice. mRNA and protein expression and protein localization were analyzed by real-time PCR, western blot analysis, and immunofluorescence staining, respectively. Cell viability was measured by a flow cytometric assay. Expression of HIF-1α and CA IX in tumors was assessed by immunohistochemical staining. Real-time measurement of pH was performed using a sensor dish reader. Binding of CA IX to specific antibodies and metabolon partners was investigated by competitive ELISA and proximity ligation assays, respectively. Carnosine increased the expression levels of HIF-1α and HIF targets and increased the extracellular pH, suggesting an inhibitory effect on CA IX-mediated acidosis. Moreover, carnosine significantly inhibited the growth of three-dimensional spheroids and tumor xenografts compared with untreated controls. Competitive ELISA showed that carnosine disrupted binding between CA IX and antibodies specific for its catalytic domain. This finding was supported by reduced formation of the functional metabolon of CA IX and anion exchanger 2 in the

  4. L-carnosine affects the growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in a metabolism-dependent manner.

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    Cartwright, Stephanie P; Bill, Roslyn M; Hipkiss, Alan R

    2012-01-01

    The dipeptide L-carnosine (β-alanyl-L-histidine) has been described as enigmatic: it inhibits growth of cancer cells but delays senescence in cultured human fibroblasts and extends the lifespan of male fruit flies. In an attempt to understand these observations, the effects of L-carnosine on the model eukaryote, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, were examined on account of its unique metabolic properties; S. cerevisiae can respire aerobically, but like some tumor cells, it can also exhibit a metabolism in which aerobic respiration is down regulated. L-Carnosine exhibited both inhibitory and stimulatory effects on yeast cells, dependent upon the carbon source in the growth medium. When yeast cells were not reliant on oxidative phosphorylation for energy generation (e.g. when grown on a fermentable carbon source such as 2% glucose), 10-30 mM L-carnosine slowed growth rates in a dose-dependent manner and increased cell death by up to 17%. In contrast, in media containing a non-fermentable carbon source in which yeast are dependent on aerobic respiration (e.g. 2% glycerol), L-carnosine did not provoke cell death. This latter observation was confirmed in the respiratory yeast, Pichia pastoris. Moreover, when deletion strains in the yeast nutrient-sensing pathway were treated with L-carnosine, the cells showed resistance to its inhibitory effects. These findings suggest that L-carnosine affects cells in a metabolism-dependent manner and provide a rationale for its effects on different cell types.

  5. L-carnosine affects the growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in a metabolism-dependent manner.

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    Stephanie P Cartwright

    Full Text Available The dipeptide L-carnosine (β-alanyl-L-histidine has been described as enigmatic: it inhibits growth of cancer cells but delays senescence in cultured human fibroblasts and extends the lifespan of male fruit flies. In an attempt to understand these observations, the effects of L-carnosine on the model eukaryote, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, were examined on account of its unique metabolic properties; S. cerevisiae can respire aerobically, but like some tumor cells, it can also exhibit a metabolism in which aerobic respiration is down regulated. L-Carnosine exhibited both inhibitory and stimulatory effects on yeast cells, dependent upon the carbon source in the growth medium. When yeast cells were not reliant on oxidative phosphorylation for energy generation (e.g. when grown on a fermentable carbon source such as 2% glucose, 10-30 mM L-carnosine slowed growth rates in a dose-dependent manner and increased cell death by up to 17%. In contrast, in media containing a non-fermentable carbon source in which yeast are dependent on aerobic respiration (e.g. 2% glycerol, L-carnosine did not provoke cell death. This latter observation was confirmed in the respiratory yeast, Pichia pastoris. Moreover, when deletion strains in the yeast nutrient-sensing pathway were treated with L-carnosine, the cells showed resistance to its inhibitory effects. These findings suggest that L-carnosine affects cells in a metabolism-dependent manner and provide a rationale for its effects on different cell types.

  6. Transport characteristics of L-carnosine and the anticancer derivative 4-toluenesulfonylureido-carnosine in a human epithelial cell line

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    Nielsen, Carsten Uhd; Supuran, Claudiu T; Scozzafava, Andrea

    2002-01-01

    The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether the transepithelial transport of the anticancer compound 4-toluenesulfonylureido-carnosine (Ts-carnosine) and the dipeptide moiety L-carnosine was due to a hPepT1 carrier-mediated flux....

  7. Carnosine inhibits the proliferation of human gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells through both of the mitochondrial respiration and glycolysis pathways.

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    Yao Shen

    Full Text Available Carnosine, a naturally occurring dipeptide, has been recently demonstrated to possess anti-tumor activity. However, its underlying mechanism is unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect and mechanism of carnosine on the cell viability and proliferation of the cultured human gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells. Carnosine treatment did not induce cell apoptosis or necrosis, but reduced the proliferative capacity of SGC-7901 cells. Seahorse analysis showed SGC-7901 cells cultured with pyruvate have active mitochondria, and depend on mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation more than glycolysis pathway for generation of ATP. Carnosine markedly decreased the absolute value of mitochondrial ATP-linked respiration, and reduced the maximal oxygen consumption and spare respiratory capacity, which may reduce mitochondrial function correlated with proliferative potential. Simultaneously, carnosine also reduced the extracellular acidification rate and glycolysis of SGC-7901 cells. Our results suggested that carnosine is a potential regulator of energy metabolism of SGC-7901 cells both in the anaerobic and aerobic pathways, and provided a clue for preclinical and clinical evaluation of carnosine for gastric cancer therapy.

  8. Reaction of carnosine with aged proteins: another protective process?

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    Hipkiss, Alan R; Brownson, Carol; Bertani, Mariana F; Ruiz, Emilio; Ferro, Albert

    2002-04-01

    Cellular aging is often associated with an increase in protein carbonyl groups arising from oxidation- and glycation-related phenomena and suppressed proteasome activity. These "aged" polypeptides may either be degraded by 20S proteasomes or cross-link to form structures intractable to proteolysis and inhibitory to proteasome activity. Carnosine (beta-alanyl-l-histidine) is present at surprisingly high levels (up to 20 mM) in muscle and nervous tissues in many animals, especially long-lived species. Carnosine can delay senescence in cultured human fibroblasts and reverse the senescent phenotype, restoring a more juvenile appearance. As better antioxidants/free-radical scavengers than carnosine do not demonstrate these antisenescent effects, additional properties of carnosine must contribute to its antisenescent activity. Having shown that carnosine can react with protein carbonyls, thereby generating "carnosinylated" polypeptides using model systems, we propose that similar adducts are generated in senescent cells exposed to carnosine. Polypeptide-carnosine adducts have been recently detected in beef products that are relatively rich in carnosine, and carnosine's reaction with carbonyl functions generated during amino acid deamidation has also been described. Growth of cultured human fibroblasts with carnosine stimulated proteolysis of long-labeled proteins as the cells approached their "Hayflick limit," consistent with the idea that carnosine ameliorates the senescence-associated proteolytic decline. We also find that carnosine suppresses induction of heme-oxygenase-1 activity following exposure of human endothelial cells to a glycated protein. The antisenescent activity of the spin-trap agent alpha-phenyl-N-t-butylnitrone (PBN) towards cultured human fibroblasts resides in N-t-butyl-hydroxylamine, its hydrolysis product. As hydroxylamines are reactive towards aldehydes and ketones, the antisenescent activity of N-t-butyl-hydroxylamine and other hydroxylamines may

  9. [Stimulation of proliferation by carnosine: cellular and transcriptome approaches].

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    Vishniakova, Kh S; Babizhaev, M A; Aliper, A M; Buzdin, A A; Kudriavtseva, A V; Egorov, E E

    2014-01-01

    Concentration of endogenous dipeptide carnosine in human muscle tissue reaches tens of millimoles. For more than 100 years of research, a lot of data concerning carnosine functions were accumulated, among which anti-aging effects are regarded most important. Heire, effect of carnosine in cell cultures was studied. It has been found that apart from the known action--an increase of the Hayflick limit and morphological rejuvenation--carnosine stimulates cell division in colony-forming assays and in the course of transition of cells to the quiescent state. The analysis of the transcriptome showed that carnosine-induced changes are mainly related to positive regulation of the cell cycle at all levels, from the onset of the DNA synthesis to chromosome condensation. One can suppose that the revealed stimulation of the cell cycle account for the carnosine-induced rejuvenation processes and a high concentration ofcarnosine in muscle tissue is required for the muscle recovery (regeneration) after excess loads.

  10. Role of Carnosine and Melatonin in Ameliorating Cardiotoxicity of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles in the Rats

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    Nouf Al-Rasheed

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this work was to study the possible cardiotoxicity of two different doses of 50 nm nano titanium dioxide (n-TiO2 and the possible modulating effects of the use of two natural antioxidants carnosine and melatonin. The results showed that TiO2- NPs produced deleterious effects on rat cardiac tissue as confirmed by the increased levels of serum myoglobin, troponin-T and CK-MB. Increased levels of serum Inflammatory markers represented by the tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α and Interleukin-6 (IL-6 was also noticed. Caspase3 and IGg were elevated compared to the control group in a dose dependant manner. treatment of the rats with Carnosine or melatonin. along with TiO2- NPs administration significantly improved most of the elevated biochemical markers. It was concluded that the use of Carnosine or melatonin could play a beneficial role against deleterious effects of TiO2- NPs

  11. A carnosine intervention study in overweight human volunteers: bioavailability and reactive carbonyl species sequestering effect

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    Regazzoni, Luca; de Courten, Barbora; Garzon, Davide; Altomare, Alessandra; Marinello, Cristina; Jakubova, Michaela; Vallova, Silvia; Krumpolec, Patrik; Carini, Marina; Ukropec, Jozef; Ukropcova, Barbara; Aldini, Giancarlo

    2016-06-01

    Carnosine is a natural dipeptide able to react with reactive carbonyl species, which have been recently associated with the onset and progression of several human diseases. Herein, we report an intervention study in overweight individuals. Carnosine (2 g/day) was orally administered for twelve weeks in order to evaluate its bioavailability and metabolic fate. Two carnosine adducts were detected in the urine samples of all subjects. Such adducts are generated from a reaction with acrolein, which is one of the most toxic and reactive compounds among reactive carbonyl species. However, neither carnosine nor adducts have been detected in plasma. Urinary excretion of adducts and carnosine showed a positive correlation although a high variability of individual response to carnosine supplementation was observed. Interestingly, treated subjects showed a significant decrease in the percentage of excreted adducts in reduced form, accompanied by a significant increase of the urinary excretion of both carnosine and carnosine-acrolein adducts. Altogether, data suggest that acrolein is entrapped in vivo by carnosine although the response to its supplementation is possibly influenced by individual diversities in terms of carnosine dietary intake, metabolism and basal production of reactive carbonyl species.

  12. Muscle Carnosine Is Associated with Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Humans.

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    Barbora de Courten

    Full Text Available Carnosine is a naturally present dipeptide abundant in skeletal muscle and an over-the counter food additive. Animal data suggest a role of carnosine supplementation in the prevention and treatment of obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease but only limited human data exists.Samples of vastus lateralis muscle were obtained by needle biopsy. We measured muscle carnosine levels (high-performance liquid chromatography, % body fat (bioimpedance, abdominal subcutaneous and visceral adiposity (magnetic resonance imaging, insulin sensitivity (euglycaemic hyperinsulinemic clamp, resting energy expenditure (REE, indirect calorimetry, free-living ambulatory physical activity (accelerometers and lipid profile in 36 sedentary non-vegetarian middle aged men (45±7 years with varying degrees of adiposity and glucose tolerance. Muscle carnosine content was positively related to % body fat (r = 0.35, p = 0.04 and subcutaneous (r = 0.38, p = 0.02 but not visceral fat (r = 0.17, p = 0.33. Muscle carnosine content was inversely associated with insulin sensitivity (r = -0.44, p = 0.008, REE (r = -0.58, p<0.001 and HDL-cholesterol levels (r = -0.34, p = 0.048. Insulin sensitivity and physical activity were the best predictors of muscle carnosine content after adjustment for adiposity.Our data shows that higher carnosine content in human skeletal muscle is positively associated with insulin resistance and fasting metabolic preference for glucose. Moreover, it is negatively associated with HDL-cholesterol and basal energy expenditure. Intervention studies targeting insulin resistance, metabolic and cardiovascular disease risk factors are necessary to evaluate its putative role in the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

  13. Carnosine may reduce lung injury caused by radiation therapy.

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    Guney, Yildiz; Turkcu, Ummuhani Ozel; Hicsonmez, Ayse; Andrieu, Meltem Nalca; Guney, H Zafer; Bilgihan, Ayse; Kurtman, Cengiz

    2006-01-01

    Ionising radiation is known one of the most effective tools in the therapy of cancer but in many thoracic cancers, the total prescribed dose of radiation that can be safely administered to the target volume is limited by the risk of complications arising in the normal lung tissue. One of the major reasons for cellular injury after radiation is the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Radiation pneumonitis is an acute phase side-effect which generally subsides after a few weeks and is followed by a chronic phase characterized by inflammation and fibrosis, that can develop months or years after irradiation. Carnosine is a dipeptide composed by the amino acids beta-histidine and l-alanine. The exact biological role of carnosine is not totally understood, but several studies have demonstrated that it possesses strong and specific antioxidant properties, protects against radiation damage,and promotes wound healing. The antioxidant mechanism of carnosine is attributed to its chelating effect against metal ions, superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity, ROS and free radicals scavenging ability . Either its antioxidant or anti-inflammatuar properties, we propose that carnosine ameliorates irradiation-induced lung injury. Thus, supplementing cancer patients to whom applied radiation therapy with carnosine, may provide an alleviation of the symptoms due to radiation-induced lung injury. This issue warrants further studies.

  14. L-Carnosine reduces telomere damage and shortening rate in cultured normal fibroblasts

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    Shao Lan; Li Qinghuan; Tan Zheng

    2004-01-01

    Telomere is the repetitive DNA sequence at the end of chromosomes, which shortens progressively with cell division and limits the replicative potential of normal human somatic cells. L-Carnosine, a naturally occurring dipeptide, has been reported to delay the replicative senescence, and extend the lifespan of cultured human diploid fibroblasts. In this work, we studied the effect of carnosine on the telomeric DNA of cultured human fetal lung fibroblast cells. Cells continuously grown in 20 mM carnosine exhibited a slower telomere shortening rate and extended lifespan in population doublings. When kept in a long-term nonproliferating state, they accumulated much less damages in the telomeric DNA when cultured in the presence of carnosine. We suggest that the reduction in telomere shortening rate and damages in telomeric DNA made an important contribution to the life-extension effect of carnosine

  15. Carnosine supplementation protects rat brain tissue against ethanol-induced oxidative stress.

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    Ozel Turkcu, Ummuhani; Bilgihan, Ayşe; Biberoglu, Gursel; Mertoglu Caglar, Oznur

    2010-06-01

    Ethanol causes oxidative stress and tissue damage. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of antioxidant carnosine on the oxidative stress induced by ethanol in the rat brain tissue. Forty male rats were divided equally into four groups as control, carnosine (CAR), ethanol (EtOH), and ethanol plus carnosine (EtOH + CAR). Rats in the control group (n = 10) were injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) with 0.9% saline; EtOH group (n = 10) with 2 g/kg/day ethanol, CAR group (n = 10) received carnosine at a dose of 1 mg/kg/day and EtOH + CAR group (n = 10) received carnosine (orally) and ethanol (i.p.). All animals were sacrificed using ketamine and brain tissues were removed. Malondialdehyde (MDA), protein carbonyl (PCO) and tissue carnosine levels, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were measured. Endogenous CAR levels in the rat brain tissue specimens were significantly increased in the CAR and EtOH groups when compared to the control animals. MDA and PCO levels in the EtOH group were significantly increased as compared to the other groups (P < 0.05). CAR treatment also decreased MDA levels in the CAR group as compared to the control group. Increased SOD activities were obtained in the EtOH + CAR group as compared to the control (P < 0.05). CAR levels in the rat brain were significantly increased in the CAR, EtOH and CAR + EtOH groups when compared to the control animals. These findings indicated that carnosine may appear as a protective agent against ethanol-induced brain damage.

  16. Neuroprotective Effect of Carnosine on Primary Culture of Rat Cerebellar Cells under Oxidative Stress.

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    Lopachev, A V; Lopacheva, O M; Abaimov, D A; Koroleva, O V; Vladychenskaya, E A; Erukhimovich, A A; Fedorova, T N

    2016-05-01

    Dipeptide carnosine (β-alanyl-L-histidine) is a natural antioxidant, but its protective effect under oxidative stress induced by neurotoxins is studied insufficiently. In this work, we show the neuroprotective effect of carnosine in primary cultures of rat cerebellar cells under oxidative stress induced by 1 mM 2,2'-azobis(2-amidinopropane)dihydrochloride (AAPH), which directly generates free radicals both in the medium and in the cells, and 20 nM rotenone, which increases the amount of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). In both models, adding 2 mM carnosine to the incubation medium decreased cell death calculated using fluorescence microscopy and enhanced cell viability estimated by the MTT assay. The antioxidant effect of carnosine inside cultured cells was demonstrated using the fluorescence probe dichlorofluorescein. Carnosine reduced by half the increase in the number of ROS in neurons induced by 20 nM rotenone. Using iron-induced chemiluminescence, we showed that preincubation of primary neuronal cultures with 2 mM carnosine prevents the decrease in endogenous antioxidant potential of cells induced by 1 mM AAPH and 20 nM rotenone. Using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, we showed that a 10-min incubation of neuronal cultures with 2 mM carnosine leads to a 14.5-fold increase in carnosine content in cell lysates. Thus, carnosine is able to penetrate neurons and exerts an antioxidant effect. Western blot analysis revealed the presence of the peptide transporter PEPT2 in rat cerebellar cells, which suggests the possibility of carnosine transport into the cells. At the same time, Western blot analysis showed no carnosine-induced changes in the level of apoptosis regulating proteins of the Bcl-2 family and in the phosphorylation of MAP kinases, which suggests that carnosine could have minimal or no side effects on proliferation and apoptosis control systems in normal cells.

  17. Unfolding the mechanism of cisplatin induced pathophysiology in spleen and its amelioration by carnosine.

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    Banerjee, Sharmistha; Sinha, Krishnendu; Chowdhury, Sayantani; Sil, Parames C

    2018-01-05

    cis-Diamminedichloroplatinum (cisplatin) is an effective chemotherapeutic and is widely used for the treatment of various types of solid tumors. Bio-distribution of cisplatin to other organs due to poor targeting towards only cancer cells constitutes the backbone of cisplatin-induced toxicity. The adverse effect of this drug on spleen is not well characterized so far. Therefore, we have set our goal to explore the mechanism of the cisplatin-induced pathophysiology of the spleen and would also like to evaluate whether carnosine, an endogenous neurotransmitter and antioxidant, can ameliorate this pathophysiological response. We found a dose and time-dependent increase of the pro-inflammatory cytokine, TNF-α, in the spleen tissue of the experimental mice exposed to 10 and 20 mg/kg body weight of cisplatin. The increase in inflammatory cytokine can be attributed to the activation of the transcription factor, NF-ĸB. This also aids in the transcription of other pro-inflammatory cytokines and cellular adhesion molecules. Exposure of animals to cisplatin at both the doses resulted in ROS and NO production leading to oxidative stress. The MAP Kinase pathway, especially JNK activation, was also triggered by cisplatin. Eventually, the persistence of inflammatory response and oxidative stress lead to apoptosis through extrinsic pathway. Carnosine has been found to restore the expression of inflammatory molecules and catalase to normal levels through inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress, NF-ĸB and JNK. Carnosine also protected the splenic cells from apoptosis. Our study elucidated the detailed mechanism of cisplatin-induced spleen toxicity and use of carnosine as a protective agent against this cytotoxic response. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Antioxidative activity of carnosine in gamma irradiated ground beef and beef patties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Badr, H.M.

    2005-01-01

    The activity of carnosine as a natural antioxidant in gamma irradiated ground beef and beef patties was studied. Samples of ground beef, in absence and presence of 0.5% or 1.0% carnosine, as well as raw and cooked beef patties prepared with 1.5% salt (NaCl), in absence and presence of 0.5% or 1.0% carnosine, were gamma irradiated at doses of 2 and 4 KGy. Then, the extent of oxidation in irradiated and non-irradiated samples of ground beef and raw beef patties was determined during refrigerated (4± 1 degree C) and frozen (-18 degree C) storage, while was determined for cooked beef patties during refrigerated storage only. Moreover, the determination of metmyoglobin (MetMb) accumulation and sensory evaluation for the visual colour were carried out for samples of ground beef and raw patties. The results indicated that salt or salt and cooking can accelerate the oxidative processes and significantly increased the peroxide value (PV) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in the prepared non-irradiated samples. However, salt slowed down the accumulation of MetMb in raw patties. Irradiation treatments and storage in absence of carnosine significantly increased with higher rates the PV and TBARS in salted or salted and cooked beef samples. Moreover, irradiation and storage significantly increased the formation of MetMb in ground beef and raw patties in absence of carnosine. Addition of carnosine significantly reduced the oxidative processes and MetMb formation (proportionally to the used concentration) in samples post irradiation and during storage. Furthermore, carnosine exerted significant efficacy in maintaining an acceptable visual red colour post irradiation and during storage of ground beef and raw patties. These results demonstrate that carnosine can be successfully used as a natural antioxidant to increase the oxidative stability in gamma irradiated raw and cooked meat products

  19. Carnosine attenuates cyclophosphamide-induced bone marrow suppression by reducing oxidative DNA damage

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    Jie Deng

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Oxidative DNA damage in bone marrow cells is the main side effect of chemotherapy drugs including cyclophosphamide (CTX. However, not all antioxidants are effective in inhibiting oxidative DNA damage. In this study, we report the beneficial effect of carnosine (β-alanyl-l-histidine, a special antioxidant with acrolein-sequestering ability, on CTX-induced bone marrow cell suppression. Our results show that carnosine treatment (100 and 200 mg/kg, i.p. significantly inhibited the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS and 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dG, and decreased chromosomal abnormalities in the bone marrow cells of mice treated with CTX (20 mg/kg, i.v., 24 h. Furthermore, carnosine evidently mitigated CTX-induced G2/M arrest in murine bone marrow cells, accompanied by reduced ratios of p-Chk1/Chk1 and p-p53/p53 as well as decreased p21 expression. In addition, cell apoptosis caused by CTX was also suppressed by carnosine treatment, as assessed by decreased TUNEL-positive cell counts, down-regulated expressions of Bax and Cyt c, and reduced ratios of cleaved Caspase-3/Caspase-3. These results together suggest that carnosine can protect murine bone marrow cells from CTX-induced DNA damage via its antioxidant activity. Keywords: Carnosine, Cyclophosphamide, Oxidative DNA damage, Sister chromatid exchange, Apoptosis, Cell cycle arrest

  20. Carbon nanotube as a carrier in drug delivery system for carnosine dipeptide: A computer simulation study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ketabi, Sepideh, E-mail: sepidehketabi@yahoo.com [Department of Chemistry, East Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Rahmani, Leila [Department of Biochemistry, Falavarjan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Falavarjan (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2017-04-01

    Biological application of carbon nanotube in drug delivery is our main concern in this investigation. For this purpose interaction of carnosine and carbon nanotube was studied in both gas phase and separately in aqueous media. Three possible interactions of carnosine dipeptide with (5,5) carbon nanotube in physiological media were considered. At first step each species were modeled using quantum mechanical calculations, in the next step, their properties in aqueous solution were studied by applying Monte Carlo simulations. The results of density functional calculations in gas phase showed that interaction of zwitterion of carnosine with carbon nanotube via NH{sub 3}{sup +} had relatively higher interaction energy than the other complexes. Computation of solvation free energies in water showed functionalization with carnosine enhanced the solubility of carbon nanotube significantly that improve the medicinal applications of these materials. Calculation of complexation free energies indicated that zwitterion of carnosine with carbon nanotube via NH{sub 3}{sup +} produced the most stable complex in aqueous solution. This tendency could be observed in gas and liquid phase similarly. - Highlights: • Carnosine dipeptide (an anti-ageing compound and neuron protection in relation to Alzheimer's dementia) can be stabilized against degradation by binding to Carbon nanotube as a transporter. • Functionalization with carnosine increases the solubility of carbon nanotube considerably and so such systems hold great potential in the field of nanomedicine. • Complexation free energies confirm the interaction of carnosine dipeptide with carbon nanotube in aqueous solution. • Carnosine zwitter ion via NH{sub 3}{sup +} have the most interaction energy with carbon nanotube.

  1. Influence of Skeletal Muscle Carnosine Content on Fatigue during Repeated Resistance Exercise in Recreationally Active Women

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    Varanoske, Alyssa N.; Hoffman, Jay R.; Church, David D.; Baker, Kayla M.; Dodd, Sarah J.; Coker, Nicholas A.; Oliveira, Leonardo P.; Dawson, Virgil L.; Stout, Jeffrey R.

    2017-01-01

    Carnosine is a naturally occurring intramuscular dipeptide that is thought to attenuate fatigue during high-intensity exercise. Carnosine content is influenced by various factors, including gender and diet. Despite research reporting that carnosine content is lower in women compared to men and lower in vegetarians compared to omnivores, no investigations have examined carnosine content in women based on dietary protein intake and its effect on muscle fatigue. Twenty recreationally active women were assigned to either a high (HI; n = 5), moderate (MOD; n = 10), or low (LO; n = 5) group based upon intramuscular carnosine content of the vastus lateralis. Each participant underwent two unilateral maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVIC) of the knee extensors separated by an isokinetic exercise protocol consisting of five sets of 50 repeated maximal unilateral contractions. Magnitude-based inferences were used to analyze group differences. Percent decline in rate of force development and peak torque (PT) during the MVICs and changes in PT and mean torque during the muscle-fatiguing protocol were lower in HI compared to both MOD and LO. Additionally, absolute and relative dietary protein intake were greater in HI compared to MOD or LO. Results indicated that greater intramuscular carnosine content was reflective of greater dietary protein intake and that individuals with higher carnosine content displayed a greater attenuation of fatigue compared to those with lower carnosine. PMID:28880219

  2. Concentrations in beef and lamb of taurine, carnosine, coenzyme Q(10), and creatine.

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    Purchas, R W; Rutherfurd, S M; Pearce, P D; Vather, R; Wilkinson, B H P

    2004-03-01

    Levels of taurine, carnosine, coenzyme Q(10), and creatine were measured in beef liver and several muscles of beef and lamb and in cooked and uncooked meat. The amino acid taurine has numerous biological functions, the dipeptide carnosine is a buffer as well as an antioxidant, coenzyme Q(10) is also an antioxidant present within mitochondria, and creatine along with creatine phosphate is involved with energy metabolism in muscle. Large differences were shown for all compounds between beef cheek muscle (predominantly red fibres) and beef semitendinosus muscle (mainly white fibres), with cheek muscle containing 9.9 times as much taurine, and 3.2 times as much coenzyme Q(10), but only 65% as much creatine and 9% as much carnosine. Levels in lamb relative to beef semitendinosus muscles were higher for taurine but slightly lower for carnosine, coenzyme Q(10) and creatine. Values for all the compounds varied significantly between eight lamb muscles, possibly due in part to differences in the proportion of muscle fibre types. Slow cooking (90 min at 70 °C) of lamb longissimus and semimembranosus muscles led to significant reductions in the content of taurine, carnosine, and creatine (Plamb, but that these levels vary between muscles, between animals, and with cooking.

  3. Absolute quantification of carnosine in human calf muscle by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oezdemir, Mahir S; Reyngoudt, Harmen; Deene, Yves de; Sazak, Hakan S; Fieremans, Els; Delputte, Steven; D'Asseler, Yves; Derave, Wim; Lemahieu, Ignace; Achten, Eric

    2007-01-01

    Carnosine has been shown to be present in the skeletal muscle and in the brain of a variety of animals and humans. Despite the various physiological functions assigned to this metabolite, its exact role remains unclear. It has been suggested that carnosine plays a role in buffering in the intracellular physiological pH i range in skeletal muscle as a result of accepting hydrogen ions released in the development of fatigue during intensive exercise. It is thus postulated that the concentration of carnosine is an indicator for the extent of the buffering capacity. However, the determination of the concentration of this metabolite has only been performed by means of muscle biopsy, which is an invasive procedure. In this paper, we utilized proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( 1 H MRS) in order to perform absolute quantification of carnosine in vivo non-invasively. The method was verified by phantom experiments and in vivo measurements in the calf muscles of athletes and untrained volunteers. The measured mean concentrations in the soleus and the gastrocnemius muscles were found to be 2.81 ± 0.57/4.8 ± 1.59 mM (mean ± SD) for athletes and 2.58 ± 0.65/3.3 ± 0.32 mM for untrained volunteers, respectively. These values are in agreement with previously reported biopsy-based results. Our results suggest that 1 H MRS can provide an alternative method for non-invasively determining carnosine concentration in human calf muscle in vivo

  4. Theoretical and experimental investigation of carnosine and its oxygenated adducts. The reaction with the nickel ion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pavlos, Dimitrios; Petropouleas, Panayiotis; Hatzipanayioti, Despina, E-mail: stambaki@chem.uoa.gr

    2015-11-05

    Highlights: • Study on models of neutral cations and anions of carnosine at the B3LYP/TZVP level. • The {sup 1}O{sub 2}-adducts of these models resulted in oxygenated carnosine. • Theoretical parameters correlated to experimental results for carn and carn-H{sub 2}O{sub 2}. • Theoretical models of Nickel-carn complexes have been investigated. • Isolation and characterization of the solid [Ni(carn){sub 2}(H{sub 2}O){sub 5}] have been performed. - Abstract: DFT theoretical calculations at B3LYP/TZVP or LANL2DZ level of theory, for neutral, zwitterions, protonated and anionic carnosine, were performed. Energies, the structural and spectroscopic parameters were calculated in the gas phase and aqueous medium. Additional H-bonds stabilize the ionized forms of carnosine, creating “nests” into which metal ions or bio-molecules may be sheltered. Based on Fukui functions, the reactivity of the abovementioned forms of carnosine, with {sup 1}O{sub 2}, may lead to oxygenated species. The theoretical spectroscopic parameters have been correlated to our experimental results. The effect of H{sub 2}O{sub 2} and the electrochemistry of aqueous carnosine solutions were examined. Theoretical models containing Ni(II), carnosine and water were constructed. In the isolated mauve solid, formulated [Ni(carn){sub 2}(H{sub 2}O){sub 5}], the COO−, N{sub π} and/or NH{sub 2} were bonded. When H{sub 2}O{sub 2} was added, the imidazole NMR signals disappeared. A redox couple clearly indicates one electron process, the electron coming from either the oxidation of imidazole ring or the nickel(II)/Ni(III) couple.

  5. Effectiveness of carnosine on disturbed electrolytes homeostasis ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    We aimed to assess the effect of well known antioxidant carnosine on disturbed plasma and intraerythrocytes electrolytes and Na+-K+-ATPase activity by cisplatin. 24 male albino Wistar rats were selected and divided into 4 groups: Group I = untreated control; Group II = cisplatin control (received cisplatin at a dose of 3 mg/ ...

  6. Carnosine reverses the aging-induced down regulation of brain regional serotonergic system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banerjee, Soumyabrata; Ghosh, Tushar K; Poddar, Mrinal K

    2015-12-01

    The purpose of the present investigation was to study the role of carnosine, an endogenous dipeptide biomolecule, on brain regional (cerebral cortex, hippocampus, hypothalamus and pons-medulla) serotonergic system during aging. Results showed an aging-induced brain region specific significant (a) increase in Trp (except cerebral cortex) and their 5-HIAA steady state level with an increase in their 5-HIAA accumulation and declination, (b) decrease in their both 5-HT steady state level and 5-HT accumulation (except cerebral cortex). A significant decrease in brain regional 5-HT/Trp ratio (except cerebral cortex) and increase in 5-HIAA/5-HT ratio were also observed during aging. Carnosine at lower dosages (0.5-1.0μg/Kg/day, i.t. for 21 consecutive days) didn't produce any significant response in any of the brain regions, but higher dosages (2.0-2.5μg/Kg/day, i.t. for 21 consecutive days) showed a significant response on those aging-induced brain regional serotonergic parameters. The treatment with carnosine (2.0μg/Kg/day, i.t. for 21 consecutive days), attenuated these brain regional aging-induced serotonergic parameters and restored towards their basal levels that observed in 4 months young control rats. These results suggest that carnosine attenuates and restores the aging-induced brain regional down regulation of serotonergic system towards that observed in young rats' brain regions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Aging-induced changes in brain regional serotonin receptor binding: Effect of Carnosine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banerjee, S; Poddar, M K

    2016-04-05

    Monoamine neurotransmitter, serotonin (5-HT) has its own specific receptors in both pre- and post-synapse. In the present study the role of carnosine on aging-induced changes of [(3)H]-5-HT receptor binding in different brain regions in a rat model was studied. The results showed that during aging (18 and 24 months) the [(3)H]-5-HT receptor binding was reduced in hippocampus, hypothalamus and pons-medulla with a decrease in their both Bmax and KD but in cerebral cortex the [(3)H]-5-HT binding was increased with the increase of its only Bmax. The aging-induced changes in [(3)H]-5-HT receptor binding with carnosine (2.0 μg/kg/day, intrathecally, for 21 consecutive days) attenuated in (a) 24-month-aged rats irrespective of the brain regions with the attenuation of its Bmax except hypothalamus where both Bmax and KD were significantly attenuated, (b) hippocampus and hypothalamus of 18-month-aged rats with the attenuation of its Bmax, and restored toward the [(3)H]-5-HT receptor binding that observed in 4-month-young rats. The decrease in pons-medullary [(3)H]-5-HT binding including its Bmax of 18-month-aged rats was promoted with carnosine without any significant change in its cerebral cortex. The [(3)H]-5-HT receptor binding with the same dosages of carnosine in 4-month-young rats (a) increased in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus with the increase in their only Bmax whereas (b) decreased in hypothalamus and pons-medulla with a decrease in their both Bmax and KD. These results suggest that carnosine treatment may (a) play a preventive role in aging-induced brain region-specific changes in serotonergic activity (b) not be worthy in 4-month-young rats in relation to the brain regional serotonergic activity. Copyright © 2016 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Carnosine: effect on aging-induced increase in brain regional monoamine oxidase-A activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banerjee, Soumyabrata; Poddar, Mrinal K

    2015-03-01

    Aging is a natural biological process associated with several neurological disorders along with the biochemical changes in brain. Aim of the present investigation is to study the effect of carnosine (0.5-2.5μg/kg/day, i.t. for 21 consecutive days) on aging-induced changes in brain regional (cerebral cortex, hippocampus, hypothalamus and pons-medulla) mitochondrial monoamine oxidase-A (MAO-A) activity with its kinetic parameters. The results of the present study are: (1) The brain regional mitochondrial MAO-A activity and their kinetic parameters (except in Km of pons-medulla) were significantly increased with the increase of age (4-24 months), (2) Aging-induced increase of brain regional MAO-A activity including its Vmax were attenuated with higher dosages of carnosine (1.0-2.5μg/kg/day) and restored toward the activity that observed in young, though its lower dosage (0.5μg/kg/day) were ineffective in these brain regional MAO-A activity, (3) Carnosine at higher dosage in young rats, unlike aged rats significantly inhibited all the brain regional MAO-A activity by reducing their only Vmax excepting cerebral cortex, where Km was also significantly enhanced. These results suggest that carnosine attenuated the aging-induced increase of brain regional MAO-A activity by attenuating its kinetic parameters and restored toward the results of MAO-A activity that observed in corresponding brain regions of young rats. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd and the Japan Neuroscience Society. All rights reserved.

  9. Carnosine and anserine homeostasis in skeletal muscle and heart is controlled by β‐alanine transamination

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blancquaert, Laura; Baba, Shahid P.; Kwiatkowski, Sebastian; Stautemas, Jan; Stegen, Sanne; Barbaresi, Silvia; Chung, Weiliang; Boakye, Adjoa A.; Hoetker, J. David; Bhatnagar, Aruni; Delanghe, Joris; Vanheel, Bert; Veiga‐da‐Cunha, Maria; Derave, Wim

    2016-01-01

    Key points Using recombinant DNA technology, the present study provides the first strong and direct evidence indicating that β‐alanine is an efficient substrate for the mammalian transaminating enzymes 4‐aminobutyrate‐2‐oxoglutarate transaminase and alanine‐glyoxylate transaminase.The concentration of carnosine and anserine in murine skeletal and heart muscle depends on circulating availability of β‐alanine, which is in turn controlled by degradation of β‐alanine in liver and kidney.Chronic oral β‐alanine supplementation is a popular ergogenic strategy in sports because it can increase the intracellular carnosine concentration and subsequently improve the performance of high‐intensity exercises. The present study can partly explain why the β‐alanine supplementation protocol is so inefficient, by demonstrating that exogenous β‐alanine can be effectively routed toward oxidation. Abstract The metabolic fate of orally ingested β‐alanine is largely unknown. Chronic β‐alanine supplementation is becoming increasingly popular for improving high‐intensity exercise performance because it is the rate‐limiting precursor of the dipeptide carnosine (β‐alanyl‐l‐histidine) in muscle. However, only a small fraction (3–6%) of the ingested β‐alanine is used for carnosine synthesis. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the putative contribution of two β‐alanine transamination enzymes, namely 4‐aminobutyrate‐2‐oxoglutarate transaminase (GABA‐T) and alanine‐glyoxylate transaminase (AGXT2), to the homeostasis of carnosine and its methylated analogue anserine. We found that, when transfected into HEK293T cells, recombinant mouse and human GABA‐T and AGXT2 are able to transaminate β‐alanine efficiently. The reaction catalysed by GABA‐T is inhibited by vigabatrin, whereas both GABA‐T and AGXT2 activity is inhibited by aminooxyacetic acid (AOA). Both GABA‐T and AGXT2 are highly expressed in the mouse liver and

  10. Biological activities of the natural imidazole-containing peptidomimetics n-acetylcarnosine, carcinine and L-carnosine in ophthalmic and skin care products.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Babizhayev, Mark A

    2006-04-11

    Apart from genetically programmed cell aging, different external aggressors related to oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation (LPO) can accelerate the skin aging phenomenon. Oxidative stress associated with the formation of lipid peroxides is suggested to contribute to pathological processes in aging and systemic diseases known as the risk factors for cataract. Despite the fact that L-carnosine-related peptidomimetics N-acetylcarnosine (N-acetyl-beta-alanyl-L-histidine) (NAC) and carcinine (beta-alanylhistamine) are metabolically related to L-carnosine and have been demonstrated to occur in tissues of many vertebrates, including humans, these compounds were shown resistant toward enzymatic hydrolysis. A series of related biocompatible imidazole-containing peptidomimetics were synthesized in order to confer resistance to enzymatic hydrolysis and ex vivo improvement of protective antioxidative properties related to L-carnosine. The included findings revealed a greater role of N-acetylcarnosine (NAC) and carcinine ex vivo in the prolongation and potentiation of physiological responses to the therapeutical and cosmetics treatments with L-carnosine as antioxidant. 3-D molecular conformation studies proposed the antioxidant activity of peptidomimetics (carcinine, L-prolylhistamine, N-acetylcarnosine, L-carnosine) for metal ion binding, quenching of a number free radicals, and binding of hydroperoxide or aldehyde (including dialdehyde LPO products) in an imidazole-peroxide adducts. NAC can act as a time release (carrier) stable version of L-carnosine during application in ophthalmic pharmaceutical and cosmetics formulations which include lubricants. Carcinine, L-prolylhistamine show efficient deactivation of lipid hydroperoxides monitored by HPLC and protection of membrane phospholipids and water soluble proteins from the lipid peroxides-induced damages. This activity is superior over the lipophilic antioxidant vitamin E. The biologically significant applications of

  11. Bioaccessibility of the Bioactive Peptide Carnosine during in Vitro Digestion of Cured Beef Meat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marcolini, Elena; Babini, Elena; Bordoni, Alessandra; Di Nunzio, Mattia; Laghi, Luca; Maczó, Anita; Picone, Gianfranco; Szerdahelyi, Emoke; Valli, Veronica; Capozzi, Francesco

    2015-05-27

    A bioactive compound is a food component that may have an impact on health. Its bioaccessibility, defined as the fraction released from the food matrix into the gastrointestinal tract during digestion, depends on compound stability, interactions with other food components, and supramolecular organization of food. In this study, the effect of pH on the bioaccessibility of the bioactive dipeptide carnosine was evaluated in two commercial samples of the Italian cured beef meat bresaola at two key points of digestion: before the gastric and after the duodenal phases. The digestion process was simulated using an in vitro static system, whereas capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) and (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) were used for quantitative analysis. The gap between the total carnosine content, measured by CZE, and its free diffusible fraction observable by NMR spectroscopy, was 11 and 19% for two independent bresaola products, where such percentages represent the fraction of carnosine not accessible for intestinal absorption because it was adsorbed to the food matrix dispersed in the digestion fluid.

  12. The anti-proliferative effect of L-carnosine correlates with a decreased expression of hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha in human colon cancer cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Barbara Iovine

    Full Text Available In recent years considerable attention has been given to the use of natural substances as anticancer drugs. The natural antioxidant dipeptide L-carnosine belongs to this class of molecules because it has been proved to have a significant anticancer activity both in vitro and in vivo. Previous studies have shown that L-carnosine inhibits the proliferation of human colorectal carcinoma cells by affecting the ATP and Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS production. In the present study we identified the Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1α (HIF-1α as a possible target of L-carnosine in HCT-116 cell line. HIF-1α protein is over-expressed in multiple types of human cancer and is the major cause of resistance to drugs and radiation in solid tumours. Of particular interest are experimental data supporting the concept that generation of ROS provides a redox signal for HIF-1α induction, and it is known that some antioxidants are able to suppress tumorigenesis by inhibiting HIF-1α. In the current study we found that L-carnosine reduces the HIF-1α protein level affecting its stability and decreases the HIF-1 transcriptional activity. In addition, we demonstrated that L-carnosine is involved in ubiquitin-proteasome system promoting HIF-1α degradation. Finally, we compared the antioxidant activity of L-carnosine with that of two synthetic anti-oxidant bis-diaminotriazoles (namely 1 and 2, respectively. Despite these three compounds have the same ability in reducing intracellular ROS, 1 and 2 are more potent scavengers and have no effect on HIF-1α expression and cancer cell proliferation. These findings suggest that an analysis of L-carnosine antioxidant pathway will clarify the mechanism underlying the anti-proliferative effects of this dipeptide on colon cancer cells. However, although the molecular mechanism by which L-carnosine down regulates or inhibits the HIF-1α activity has not been yet elucidated, this ability may be promising in treating hypoxia

  13. L-carnosine modulates respiratory burst and reactive oxygen species production in neutrophil biochemistry and function: may oral dosage form of non-hydrolized dipeptide L-carnosine complement anti-infective anti-influenza flu treatment, prevention and self-care as an alternative to the conventional vaccination?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Babizhayev, Mark A; Deyev, Anatoliy I; Yegorov, Yegor E

    2014-05-01

    Influenza A is a viral disease of global dimension, presenting with high morbidity and mortality in annual epidemics, and in pandemics which are of infrequent occurrence but which have very high attack rates. Influenza vaccines of the future must be directed toward use of conserved group-specific viral antigens, such as are present in transitional proteins which are exposed during the fusion of virus to the host cell. Influenza probes revealed a continuing battle for survival between host and parasite in which the host population updates the specificity of its pool of humoral immunity by contact with and response to infection with the most recent viruses which possess altered antigenic specificity in their hemagglutinin (HA) ligand. It is well known that the HA protein is found on the surface of the influenza virus particle and is responsible for binding to receptors on host cells and initiating infection. Polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) have been reported to be involved in the initial host response to influenza A virus (IAV). Early after IAV infection, neutrophils infiltrate the airway probably due to release of chemokines that attract PMN. Clearly, severe IAV infection is characterized by increased neutrophil influx into the lung or upper respiratory tract. Carnosine (β-alanyl-L-histidine) and anserine (N-β-alanyl-1-methyl-L-histidine) are found in skeletal muscle of most vertebrates, including those used for food; for example, 100 g of chicken breast contains 400 mg (17.6 mmol/L) of carnosine and 1020 mg (33.6 mmol/l) of anserine. Carnosine-stimulated respiratory burst in neutrophils is a universal biological mechanism of influenza virus destruction. Our own studies revealed previously unappreciated functional effects of carnosine and related histidine containing compounds as a natural biological prevention and barrier against Influenza virus infection, expand public understanding of the antiviral properties of imidazole-containing dipeptide based

  14. Multitarget trehalose-carnosine conjugates inhibit Aβ aggregation, tune copper(II) activity and decrease acrolein toxicity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grasso, Giuseppa Ida; Bellia, Francesco; Arena, Giuseppe; Satriano, Cristina; Vecchio, Graziella; Rizzarelli, Enrico

    2017-07-28

    Increasing evidence is accumulating, showing that neurodegenerative disorders are somehow associated with the toxicity of amyloid aggregates, metal ion dyshomeostasis as well as with products generated by oxidative stress. Within the biological oxidation products, acrolein does have a prominent role. A promising strategy to deal with the above neurogenerative disorders is to use multi-functions bio-molecules. Herein, we show how a class of bio-conjugates takes advantage of the antiaggregating, antioxidant and antiglycating properties of trehalose and carnosine. Their ability to sequester acrolein and to inhibit both self- and metal-induced aggregation is here reported. The copper(II) coordination properties of a new trehalose-carnosine conjugate and the relative antioxidant effects have also been investigated. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  15. Mechanism of growth retardation of the adenocarcinoma EO 771

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bassukas, I.D.; Maurer-Schultze, B.

    1987-01-01

    Growth retardation of tumors has been predominantly described by an increase of the ''cell loss factor'' Φ. However, this cell loss factor alone merely reflects the growth deceleration without giving information on the mechanism that causes growth retardation. In the present study a quantitative analysis of the mechanism causing growth retardation of the adenocarcinoma EO 771 has been carried out by determining separately the components of the cell loss factor Φ, namely the cell production rate and the cell loss rate of the tumor cell population. For this purpose the alteration of the histology of the tumor (proportion of necrotic tumor tissue, tumor cell density) and the proliferative capacity of the tumor cell population as a function of the tumor size was studied by applying morphometric and cell kinetic methods. The results show that growth deceleration is due to a decrease of the cell production rate k p and a simultaneous increase of the cell rate k l . Both processes contribute to about the same extent to the growth deceleration of the tumor cell population. In early tumor growth deceleration is mainly due to a prolongation of the cycle time of the tumor cells, in later phases of tumor growth to an increasing probability of the tumor cells to decycle leading to a decrease of the growth fraction GF and an increase of the cell loss rate k l . (orig.)

  16. The detox strategy in smoking comprising nutraceutical formulas of non-hydrolyzed carnosine or carcinine used to protect human health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Babizhayev, Mark A

    2014-03-01

    The increased oxidative stress in patients with smoking-associated disease, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is the result of an increased burden of inhaled oxidants as well as increased amounts of reactive oxygen species generated by various inflammatory, immune and epithelial cells of the airways. Nicotine sustains tobacco addiction, a major cause of disability and premature death. In addition to the neurochemical effects of nicotine, behavioural factors also affect the severity of nicotine withdrawal symptoms. For some people, the feel, smell and sight of a cigarette and the ritual of obtaining, handling, lighting and smoking a cigarette are all associated with the pleasurable effects of smoking. For individuals who are motivated to quit smoking, a combination of pharmacotherapy and behavioural therapy has been shown to be most effective in controlling the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. In the previous studies, we proposed the viability and versatility of the imidazole-containing dipeptide-based compounds in the nutritional compositions as the telomere protection targeted therapeutic system for smokers in combination with in vitro cellular culture techniques being an investigative tool to study telomere attrition in cells induced by cigarette smoke (CS) and smoke constituents. Our working therapeutic concept is that imidazole-containing dipeptide-based compounds (non-hydrolyzed carnosine and carcinine) can modulate the telomerase activity in the normal cells and can provide the redox regulation of the cellular function under the terms of environmental and oxidative stress and in this way protect the length and the structure of telomeres from attrition. The detoxifying system of non-hydrolyzed carnosine or carcinine can be applied in the therapeutic nutrition formulations or installed in the cigarette filter. Patented specific oral formulations of non-hydrolyzed carnosine and carcinine provide a powerful manipulation tool for targeted therapeutic

  17. Changing to a vegetarian diet reduces the body creatine pool in omnivorous women, but appears not to affect carnitine and carnosine homeostasis: a randomised trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blancquaert, Laura; Baguet, Audrey; Bex, Tine; Volkaert, Anneke; Everaert, Inge; Delanghe, Joris; Petrovic, Mirko; Vervaet, Chris; De Henauw, Stefaan; Constantin-Teodosiu, Dumitru; Greenhaff, Paul; Derave, Wim

    2018-04-01

    Balanced vegetarian diets are popular, although they are nearly absent in creatine and carnosine and contain considerably less carnitine than non-vegetarian diets. Few longitudinal intervention studies investigating the effect of a vegetarian diet on the availability of these compounds currently exist. We aimed to investigate the effect of transiently switching omnivores onto a vegetarian diet for 6 months on muscle and plasma creatine, carnitine and carnosine homeostasis. In a 6-month intervention, forty omnivorous women were ascribed to three groups: continued omnivorous diet (control, n 10), vegetarian diet without supplementation (Veg+Pla, n 15) and vegetarian diet combined with daily β-alanine (0·8-0·4 g/d) and creatine supplementation (1 g creatine monohydrate/d) (Veg+Suppl, n 15). Before (0 months; 0M), after 3 months (3M) and 6 months (6M), a fasted venous blood sample and 24-h urine was collected, and muscle carnosine content was determined by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS). Muscle biopsies were obtained at 0M and 3M. Plasma creatine and muscle total creatine content declined from 0M to 3M in Veg+Pla (P=0·013 and P=0·009, respectively), whereas plasma creatine increased from 0M in Veg+Suppl (P=0·004). None of the carnitine-related compounds in plasma or muscle showed a significant time×group interaction effect. 1H-MRS-determined muscle carnosine content was unchanged over 6M in control and Veg+Pla, but increased in Veg+Suppl in soleus (Pvegetarian diet in omnivorous women, which was ameliorated when accompanied by low-dose dietary creatine supplementation. Carnitine and carnosine homeostasis was unaffected by a 3- or 6-month vegetarian diet, respectively.

  18. Carnosine Attenuates the Development of both Type 2 Diabetes and Diabetic Nephropathy in BTBR ob/ob Mice

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Albrecht, Thomas; Schilperoort, Maaike; Zhang, Shiqi; Braun, Jana D.; Qiu, Jiedong; Rodriguez, Angelica; Pastene, Diego O.; Kraemer, Bernhard K.; Koeppel, Hannes; Baelde, Hans; de Heer, Emile; Altomare, Alessandra Anna; Regazzoni, Luca; Denisi, Alessandra; Aldini, Giancarlo; van den Born, Jacob; Yard, Benito A.; Hauske, Sibylle J.

    2017-01-01

    We previously demonstrated that polymorphisms in the carnosinase-1 gene (CNDP1) determine the risk of nephropathy in type 2 diabetic patients. Carnosine, the substrate of the enzyme encoded by this gene, is considered renoprotective and could possibly be used to treat diabetic nephropathy (DN). In

  19. l-Carnosine As an Adjunctive Therapy to Risperidone in Children with Autistic Disorder: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hajizadeh-Zaker, Reihaneh; Ghajar, Alireza; Mesgarpour, Bita; Afarideh, Mohsen; Mohammadi, Mohammad-Reza; Akhondzadeh, Shahin

    2018-02-01

    This study aimed at investigating the efficacy and tolerability of l-carnosine as an add-on to risperidone in the management of children with autism. This was a 10-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Seventy drug-free children aged 4-12 years old with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition. (DSM-5) who had an Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Community (ABC-C) scale irritability subscale score of ≥12, entered the study. The patients were randomly assigned to l-carnosine (800 mg/day in 2 divided doses) or placebo in addition to risperidone titrated up to 2 mg/day (based on body weight) for 10 weeks. The children were assessed by using ABC-C at baseline and weeks 5 and 10 post-baseline. The primary outcome measure was the mean change in the ABC-C irritability subscale score, and other subscale scores were defined as secondary outcomes. Using the general linear model repeated measures, no significant effect was observed for time × treatment interaction on the irritability subscale scores. However, significant effect was detected on the hyperactivity/noncompliance subscale [F (1.62, 64.96) = 3.53, p-value = 0.044]. No significant improvements were obtained on the lethargy/social withdrawal, stereotypic behavior, and inappropriate speech subscale scores. Significantly greater score reduction in the hyperactivity/noncompliance subscale occurred in the l-carnosine group compared with the placebo group at the end of the trial. Extrapyramidal Symptom Rating Scale Scores and its changes did not differ between the two groups. The frequency of other side effects was not significantly different between the two groups. Although no significant difference was detected on the irritability subscale scores, l-carnosine add-on can improve hyperactivity/noncompliance subscales of the ABC-C rating scale in patients with ASD.

  20. Hyperglycemia Does Not Affect Iron Mediated Toxicity of Cultured Endothelial and Renal Tubular Epithelial Cells : Influence of L-Carnosine

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zhang, Shiqi; Ntasis, Emmanouil; Kabtni, Sarah; van den Born, Jaap; Navis, Gerjan; Bakker, Stephan J. L.; Kraemer, Bernhard K.; Yard, Benito A.; Hauske, Sibylle J.

    2016-01-01

    Iron has been suggested to affect the clinical course of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) as accompanying increased intracellular iron accumulation may provide an alternative source for reactive oxygen species (ROS). Although carnosine has proven its therapeutic efficacy in rodent models of T2DM, little is

  1. Evaluation of radioprotective effect of carnosine (beta- alanyl-1- histidine on the wound healing in rats Avaliação do efeito radioprotetor da carnosina (beta-alanil-1- histidina no processo de cicatrização em ratos

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rosana Aramaki Tanaka

    2005-09-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to evaluate the radioprotective effect of carnosine (beta- alanyl-1-histidine on the wound healing in rats. Therefore, 48 male rats were submitted to a surgical procedure to perform a rectangular wound in the anterior-dorsal region. The animals were divided into 4 experimental groups randomly chosen: control; irradiated; carnosine irradiated and carnosine group. The irradiated and carnosine irradiated group were exposed to a dose (6Gy of gamma irradiation, in the whole body, 72 hours after surgery. The carnosine and carnosine irradiated groups, in addition to the surgical procedure and the irradiation, received two doses of carnosine aqueous solution, the first one being injected 48 hours after surgery, and the second one 1 hour and 30 minutes before irradiation. The tissue repair of the 4 groups was evaluated at 4, 7, 14, and 21 days after inflicting the wound, by morphological, histochemical and histophysical methods. At all examined periods, it could be observed that the animals from the carnosine irradiated group presented a better developed granulation tissue than the irradiated group and closely similar to that of the control group. Thus, under the experimental conditions used, it was possible to conclude that carnosine is an effective radioprotective substance.O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o efeito radioprotetor da carnosina (beta-alanil-1-histidina no processo de cicatrização em ratos. Para isto, 48 ratos machos foram submetidos a um procedimento cirúrgico para realização de uma ferida retangular na região dorsal anterior. Os animais foram divididos aleatoriamente em 4 grupos experimentais: controle, irradiado, carnosina irradiado e carnosina. Os grupos carnosina e carnosina irradiado foram exposto a uma dose de corpo todo de 6 Gy de radiação gama, 72 horas após a cirurgia para confecção da ferida. O grupo carnosina e carnosina irradiado, adicionalmente, ao procedimento cirúrgico e a

  2. The fragile X mental retardation protein regulates tumor invasiveness-related pathways in melanoma cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zalfa, Francesca; Panasiti, Vincenzo; Carotti, Simone; Zingariello, Maria; Perrone, Giuseppe; Sancillo, Laura; Pacini, Laura; Luciani, Flavie; Roberti, Vincenzo; D'Amico, Silvia; Coppola, Rosa; Abate, Simona Osella; Rana, Rosa Alba; De Luca, Anastasia; Fiers, Mark; Melocchi, Valentina; Bianchi, Fabrizio; Farace, Maria Giulia; Achsel, Tilmann; Marine, Jean-Christophe; Morini, Sergio; Bagni, Claudia

    2017-11-16

    The fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) is lacking or mutated in patients with the fragile X syndrome (FXS), the most frequent form of inherited intellectual disability. FMRP affects metastasis formation in a mouse model for breast cancer. Here we show that FMRP is overexpressed in human melanoma with high Breslow thickness and high Clark level. Furthermore, meta-analysis of the TCGA melanoma data revealed that high levels of FMRP expression correlate significantly with metastatic tumor tissues, risk of relapsing and disease-free survival. Reduction of FMRP in metastatic melanoma cell lines impinges on cell migration, invasion and adhesion. Next-generation sequencing in human melanoma cells revealed that FMRP regulates a large number of mRNAs involved in relevant processes of melanoma progression. Our findings suggest an association between FMRP levels and the invasive phenotype in melanoma and might open new avenues towards the discovery of novel therapeutic targets.

  3. An "enigmatic" L-carnosine (β-alanyl-L-histidine)? Cell proliferative activity as a fundamental property of a natural dipeptide inherent to traditional antioxidant, anti-aging biological activities: balancing and a hormonally correct agent, novel patented oral therapy dosage formulation for mobility, skeletal muscle power and functional performance, hypothalamic-pituitary- brain relationship in health, aging and stress studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Babizhayev, Mark A; Yegorov, Yegor E

    2015-01-01

    Hypothalamic releasing and inhibiting hormones are major neuroendocrine regulators of human body metabolism being driven directly to the anterior pituitary gland via hypothalamic-hypophyseal portal veins. The alternative physiological or therapeutic interventions utilizing the pharmaco-nutritional boost of imidazole-containing dipeptides (non-hydrolized oral form of carnosine, carcinine, N-acetylcarnosine lubricant eye drops) can maintain health, enhance physical exercise performance and prevent ageing. Carnosine (β-alanyl-L-histidine) is synthesized in mammalian skeletal muscle. There is an evidence that the release of carnosine from the skeletal muscle sarcomeres moieties during physical exercise affects autonomic neurotransmission and physiological functions. Carnosine released from skeletal muscle during exercise acts as a powerful afferent physiological signaling stimulus for hypothalamus, may be transported into the hypothalamic tuberomammillary nucleus (TMN), specifically to TMN-histamine neurons and hydrolyzed herewith via activities of carnosine-degrading enzyme (carnosinase 2) localized in situ. Through the colocalized enzymatic activity of Histidine decarboxylase in the histaminergic neurons, the resulting L-histidine may subsequently be converted into histamine, which could be responsible for the effects of carnosine on neurotransmission and physiological function. Carnosine and its imidazole-containing dipeptide derivatives are renowned for their anti-aging, antioxidant, membrane protective, metal ion chelating, buffering, anti-glycation/ transglycating activities used to prevent and treat a spectrum of age-related and metabolic diseases, such as neurodegenerative disease, sight threatening eye diseases, Diabetes mellitus and its complications, cancers and other disorders due to their wide spectrum biological activities. The precursor of carnosine (and related imidazole containing compounds) synthesis in skeletal muscles beta-alanine is used as the

  4. Enhancement of anticancer effect of interferon-γ gene transfer against interferon-γ-resistant tumor by depletion of tumor-associated macrophages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiyota, Tsuyoshi; Takahashi, Yuki; Watcharanurak, Kanitta; Nishikawa, Makiya; Ohara, Saori; Ando, Mitsuru; Watanabe, Yoshihiko; Takakura, Yoshinobu

    2014-05-05

    Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) negatively affect the therapeutic effects of anticancer agents. To examine the role of TAMs in interferon (IFN)-γ gene therapy, we selected two types of solid tumors, which varied in the number of TAMs, and investigated the effects of IFN-γ gene transfer on tumor growth. Many TAMs were detected in the solid tumors of murine adenocarcinoma colon-26 cells, whereas few TAMs were detected in murine melanoma B16-BL6 cells. IFN-γ gene transfer hardly suppressed the growth of colon-26 tumors, whereas it was effective in suppressing the growth of B16-BL6 tumors. The antiproliferative effects of IFN-γ on cultured colon-26 cells were similar to those on cultured B16-BL6 cells. To evaluate the role of TAMs, we injected clodronate liposomes (CLs) modified with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) to functionally deplete TAMs in tumor-bearing mice. Repeated injections of PEG-CLs significantly retarded the growth of colon-26 tumors and combination with IFN-γ gene transfer further inhibited the growth. In contrast, PEG-CLs hardly retarded the growth of B16-BL6 tumors. These results clearly indicate that TAM depletion is effective in enhancing the therapeutic effect of IFN-γ in TAM-repleted and IFN-γ-resistant tumors.

  5. Skin beautification with oral non-hydrolized versions of carnosine and carcinine: Effective therapeutic management and cosmetic skincare solutions against oxidative glycation and free-radical production as a causal mechanism of diabetic complications and skin aging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Babizhayev, Mark A; Deyev, Anatoliy I; Savel'yeva, Ekaterina L; Lankin, Vadim Z; Yegorov, Yegor E

    2012-10-01

    Advanced glycation Maillard reaction end products (AGEs) are causing the complications of diabetes and skin aging, primarily via adventitious and cross-linking of proteins. Long-lived proteins such as structural collagen are particularly implicated as pathogenic targets of AGE processes. The formation of α-dicarbonyl compounds represents an important step for cross-linking proteins in the glycation or Maillard reaction. The purpose of this study was to investigate the contribution of glycation coupled to the glycation free-radical oxidation reactions as markers of protein damage in the aging of skin tissue proteins and diabetes. To elucidate the mechanism for the cross-linking reaction, we studied the reaction between a three-carbon α-dicarbonyl compound, methylglyoxal, and amino acids using EPR spectroscopy, a spectrophotometric kinetic assay of superoxide anion production at the site of glycation and a chemiluminescence technique. The transglycating activity, inhibition of transition metal ions peroxidative catalysts, resistance to hydrolysis of carnosine mimetic peptide-based compounds with carnosinase and the protective effects of carnosine, carcinine and related compounds against the oxidative damage of proteins and lipid membranes were assessed in a number of biochemical and model systems. A 4-month randomized, double-blind, controlled study was undertaken including 42 subjects where the oral supplement of non-hydrolized carnosine (Can-C Plus® formulation) was tested against placebo for 3 months followed by a 1-month supplement-free period for both groups to assess lasting effects. Assessment of the age-related skin parameters and oral treatment efficacy measurements included objective skin surface evaluation with Visioscan® VC 98 and visual assessment of skin appearance parameters. The results together confirm that a direct one-electron transfer between a Schiff base methylglyoxal dialkylimine (or its protonated form) and methylglyoxal is responsible for

  6. Effects of Dietary L-carnosine and Alpha-lipoic Acid on Growth Performance, Blood Thyroid Hormones and Lipid Profiles in Finishing Pigs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yinghui Bao

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available The present study was conducted to determine the effects of L-carnosine (LC and/or alpha-lipoic acid (ALA supplementation on growth performance, blood thyroid hormones and lipid profiles in finishing pigs. A total of 40 (Landrace×Yorkshire pigs with an initial body weight of 57.93±3.14 kg were randomly allocated to 4 experimental diets using a 2×2 factorial arrangement with 2 LC supplemental levels (0 or 0.1% and 2 ALA supplemental levels (0 or 0.03% in basal diets. The results showed that pigs fed LC-supplemented diets increased final live weight, average daily gain, and average daily feed intake compared to those of pigs fed without LC-supplemented diets (p0.05. Additionally, LC supplementation increased serum triiodothyronine, thyroxine levels, and ALA supplementation increased serum triiodothyronine levels (p<0.05. Serum total cholesterol and triglycerides levels were significantly decreased in LC and ALA supplemented groups, respectively (p<0.05. Moreover, serum low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were lower in the ALA-supplemented groups than those of pigs fed without ALA-supplemented diets (p<0.05. However, no significant LC×ALA interaction effect on growth performance, blood thyroid hormones and lipid profiles was found. This study suggested that dietary supplementation of LC resulted in better growth performance compared to that of ALA supplementation. L-carnosine and/or ALA supplementation positively modified blood lipid profiles, which may have the potential to prevent cardiovascular diseases.

  7. Do fatty acids help in overcoming reading difficulties? A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the effects of eicosapentaenoic acid and carnosine supplementation on children with dyslexia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kairaluoma, L; Närhi, V; Ahonen, T; Westerholm, J; Aro, M

    2009-01-01

    There are claims that dietary supplementation of unsaturated fatty acids could help children with dyslexia to overcome their reading problems. However, these claims have not yet been empirically tested. This study was designed to test whether dietary supplementation was superior to placebo in treating reading, spelling or other reading-related skills of children with dyslexia. The experimental group (eicosapentaenoic acid, EPA, n = 30) ate dietary supplements and the control group (placebo, n = 31) placebos during the 90-day treatment period. The supplements contained omega-3 fatty acid (ethyl-EPA, 500 mg/day) and carnosine (400 mg/day). The groups were matched for reading skills, grade, gender, attention problems, intelligence and amount of special education. The literacy-related skills of the two groups were assessed before and after the treatment period. No group differences were observed between EPA and placebo in measures of reading accuracy or speed, spelling, decoding fluency, arithmetical skills, reading-related language skills, attention or behavioural problems. The present findings do not support the hypothesis that omega-3 fatty acid (ethyl-EPA) or carnosine has a role in the treatment of reading and spelling problems in children with dyslexia.

  8. Fire retardant formulations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2017-01-01

    The present invention relates to compositions where a substrate is liable to catch fire such as bituminous products, paints, carpets or the like. The invention relates to a composition comprising 40-95 weight % of a substrate to be rendered fire resistant such as bituminous material or paint......, carpets which substrate is mixed with 5-60 weight % of a fire retardant component. The invention relates to a fire retardant component comprising or being constituted of attapulgite, and a salt being a source of a blowing or expanding agent, where the attapulgite and the salt are electrostatically...... connected by mixing and subjecting the mixture of the two components to agitation. Also, the invention relates to compositions comprising 40-95 weight % of a substrate to be rendered fire resistant mixed with 5-60 weight % of a fire retardant according to claim 1 or 2, which fire retardant component...

  9. COLOUR LEARNING IN RETARDED CHILDREN*

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    COLOUR LEARNING IN RETARDED CHILDREN* !\\'fRS E. K~SEBOOM, Principal, ADS. LEVIN, M.B., M.R.C.P., D.C.H., Hon. Medical Officer, Hamlet B School for. Retarded Children, Johannesburg. '... silly children, with no understanding .. -'. Jeremiah 4:22. Tt has been observed' that mentally retarded children have.

  10. Research on flame retardation of wool fibers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Enomoto, Ichiro; Ametani, Kazuo; Sawai, Takeshi

    1990-01-01

    Flame retardant, vinyl phosphonate oligomer, was uniformly impregnated in wool fibers, and by irradiating low energy electron beam or cobalt-60 gamma ray, the flame retardation of fabrics was attempted, as the results, the following knowledges were obtained. At the rate of sticking of flame retardant lower than that in cotton fabrics, sufficient flame retarding property can be given. The flame retarding property withstands 30 times of washing. The lowering of strength due to the processing hardly arose. For the flame retardation, gamma-ray was more effective than electron beam. Since the accidents of burning clothes have occurred frequently, their flame retardation has been demanded. So far the flame retardation of cotton fabrics has been advanced, but this time the research on the flame retardation of wool fabrics was carried out by the same method. The experimental method is explained. As for the performance of the processed fabrics, the rate of sticking of the flame retardant, the efficiency of utilization, the flame retarding property, the endurance in washing and the tensile and tearing strength were examined. As the oxygen index was higher, the flame retarding property was higher, and in the case of the index being more than 27, the flame retarding property is sufficient, that is, the rate of sticking of 6% in serge and 5% in muslin. (K.I.)

  11. Flame retardancy and thermal degradation of cotton textiles based on UV-curable flame retardant coatings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xing, Weiyi [State Key Laboratory of Fire Science, University of Science and Technology of China, 96 Jinzai Road, Hefei, Anhui 230026 (China); Suzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Science and Technology of China, 166 Ren' ai Road, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123 (China); Jie, Ganxin [State Key Laboratory of Environmental Adaptability for Industrial Products, China National Electric Apparatus Research Institute, Guangzhou 510300 (China); Song, Lei; Hu, Shuang; Lv, Xiaoqi; Wang, Xin [State Key Laboratory of Fire Science, University of Science and Technology of China, 96 Jinzai Road, Hefei, Anhui 230026 (China); Hu, Yuan, E-mail: yuanhu@ustc.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Fire Science, University of Science and Technology of China, 96 Jinzai Road, Hefei, Anhui 230026 (China); Suzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Science and Technology of China, 166 Ren' ai Road, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123 (China)

    2011-01-20

    The flame retardant coatings were prepared through UV-curable technique using tri(acryloyloxyethyl) phosphate (TAEP) and triglycidyl isocyanurate acrylate (TGICA). Results from FTIR-ATR spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that flame retardant coatings were successfully coated onto the surface of cotton fabrics. The flame retardancy of the treated fabrics was studied by Micro-scale Combustion Calorimeter (MCC) and limited oxygen index (LOI). The cottons coated flame retardant coatings had the lower peak heat release rate (PHRR), heat release capacity (HRC), total heat of combustion (THC) and higher LOI value compared with untreated cotton. The results from TGA test showed that the flame retardant coatings lowered the decomposition temperature of treated fabric. The thermal decomposition of cottons was monitored by real time FTIR analysis and thermogravimetric analysis/infrared spectrometry (TGA-IR). The enhanced flame retardant action might be caused by thermal decomposition of TAEP structure, producing acidic intermediates, which could react with fabrics to alter its thermal decomposition process.

  12. Local Equilibrium and Retardation Revisited.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hansen, Scott K; Vesselinov, Velimir V

    2018-01-01

    In modeling solute transport with mobile-immobile mass transfer (MIMT), it is common to use an advection-dispersion equation (ADE) with a retardation factor, or retarded ADE. This is commonly referred to as making the local equilibrium assumption (LEA). Assuming local equilibrium, Eulerian textbook treatments derive the retarded ADE, ostensibly exactly. However, other authors have presented rigorous mathematical derivations of the dispersive effect of MIMT, applicable even in the case of arbitrarily fast mass transfer. We resolve the apparent contradiction between these seemingly exact derivations by adopting a Lagrangian point of view. We show that local equilibrium constrains the expected time immobile, whereas the retarded ADE actually embeds a stronger, nonphysical, constraint: that all particles spend the same amount of every time increment immobile. Eulerian derivations of the retarded ADE thus silently commit the gambler's fallacy, leading them to ignore dispersion due to mass transfer that is correctly modeled by other approaches. We then present a particle tracking simulation illustrating how poor an approximation the retarded ADE may be, even when mobile and immobile plumes are continually near local equilibrium. We note that classic "LEA" (actually, retarded ADE validity) criteria test for insignificance of MIMT-driven dispersion relative to hydrodynamic dispersion, rather than for local equilibrium. Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

  13. Investigation in clinical potential of polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography in laryngeal tumor model study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Xin; Oak, Chulho; Ahn, Yeh-Chan; Kim, Sung Won; Tang, Shuo

    2018-02-01

    Polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) is capable of measuring tissue birefringence. It has been widely applied to access the birefringence in tissues such as skin and cartilage. The vocal cord tissue consists of three anatomical layers from the surface to deep inside, the epithelium that contains almost no collagen, the lamina propria that is composed with abundant collagen, and the vocalis muscle layer. Due to the variation in the organization of collagen fibers, the different tissue layers show different tissue birefringence, which can be evaluated by PS-OCT phase retardation measurement. Furthermore, collagen fibers in healthy connective tissues are usually well organized, which provides relatively high birefringence. When the collagen organization is destroyed by diseases such as tumor, the birefringence of the tissue will decrease. In this study, a rabbit laryngeal tumor model with different stages of tumor progression is investigated ex-vivo by PS-OCT. The PS-OCT images show a gradual decrease in birefringence from normal tissue to severe tumor tissue. A phase retardation slope-based analysis is conducted to distinguish the epithelium, lamina propria, and muscle layers, respectively. The phase retardation slope quantifies the birefringence in different layers. The quantitative study provides a more detailed comparison among different stages of the rabbit laryngeal tumor model. The PS-OCT result is validated by the corresponding histology images of the same samples.

  14. Retardation of experimental tumorigenesis and reduction in DNA adducts by turmeric and curcumin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krishnaswamy, K; Goud, V K; Sesikeran, B; Mukundan, M A; Krishna, T P

    1998-01-01

    Turmeric and its active principle curcumin have been extensively investigated for their antimutagenic and antioxidant effects in bacterial and animal systems. Because oral cancers are common in India, an experimental model of 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene-induced buccal pouch tumors in Syrian Golden hamsters was used to evaluate the tumor retardation effects of turmeric and curcumin. Turmeric and/or curcumin was administered in the diet and/or applied locally for 14 weeks along with 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene. After the experimental period, the animals were sacrificed and oral pouches were examined for tumor number and size. DNA adducts were estimated by 32P postlabel assay in the cheek pouches. Neoplastic changes were graded by histopathology. The results of the study suggest that turmeric or curcumin in the diet and/or applied locally significantly reduced DNA adducts at the target site. Tumor number and tumor burden were significantly lower (p curcumin (p curcumin administered in the diet or applied as paint may have a plausible chemopreventive effect on oral precancerous lesions.

  15. Local Control of Lung Derived Tumors by Diffusing Alpha-Emitting Atoms Released From Intratumoral Wires Loaded With Radium-224

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cooks, Tomer; Schmidt, Michael; Bittan, Hadas; Lazarov, Elinor; Arazi, Lior; Kelson, Itzhak; Keisari, Yona

    2009-01-01

    Purpose: Diffusing alpha-emitters radiation therapy (DART) is a new form of brachytherapy enabling the treatment of solid tumors with alpha radiation. The present study examines the antitumoral effects resulting from the release of alpha emitting radioisotopes into solid lung carcinoma (LL2, A427, and NCI-H520). Methods and Materials: An in vitro setup tested the dose-dependent killing of tumor cells exposed to alpha particles. In in vivo studies, radioactive wires (0.3 mm diameter, 5 mm long) with 224 Ra activities in the range of 21-38 kBq were inserted into LL/2 tumors in C57BL/6 mice and into human-derived A427 or NCI-H520 tumors in athymic mice. The efficacy of the short-lived daughters of 224 Ra to produce tumor growth retardation and prolong life was assessed, and the spread of radioisotopes inside tumors was measured using autoradiography. Results: The insertion of a single DART wire into the center of 6- to 7-mm tumors had a pronounced retardation effect on tumor growth, leading to a significant inhibition of 49% (LL2) and 93% (A427) in tumor development and prolongations of 48% (LL2) in life expectancy. In the human model, more than 80% of the treated tumors disappeared or shrunk. Autoradiographic analysis of the treated sectioned tissue revealed the intratumoral distribution of the radioisotopes, and histological analysis showed corresponding areas of necrosis. In vitro experiments demonstrated a dose-dependent killing of tumors cells exposed to alpha particles. Conclusions: Short-lived diffusing alpha-emitters produced tumor growth retardation and increased survival in mice bearing lung tumor implants. These results justify further investigations with improved dose distributions.

  16. POLYAMIDE 6 WITH A FLAME RETARDANT ENCAPSULATED BY POLYAMIDE 66: FLAME RETARDATION, THERMO-DECOMPOSITION AND THE POTENTIAL MECHANISM

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Wei-cheng Xiong; Li Chen; Bin Zhao; De-yi Wang; Yu-zhong Wang

    2012-01-01

    A novel encapsulated flame retardant containing phosphorus-nitrogen (MSMM-Al-P) was prepared by encapsulating with polyamide 66 (PA66-MSMM-Al-P) for the flame retardation of polyamide 6 (PA6).The structure and thermal properties of PA66-MSMM-Al-P were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy,X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis.The flammability of PA6 containing' flame retardants (MSMMAl-P and PA66-MSMM-Al-P) was investigated by the limiting oxygen index test,vertical burning test and cone calorimeter.The flame retardancy and cone calorimetric analyses suggested a synergistic effect between PA66 and MSMM-Al-P in the flame-retardant PA6.Thermal stability of the flame-retardant PA6 was also investigated.

  17. Mental Retardation; Its Social Context and Social Consequences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farber, Bernard

    Concerned with mental retardation as a social product, the following topics are discussed: mental retardation as a social phenomenon, the concept of the retarded as surplus population, labeling and incompetence in relation to life chances, mental retardation as deviance and as incompetence, and findings on the prevalence of retardation in the…

  18. AUTISTIC FEATURES IN CHILDREN WITH MENTAL RETARDATION

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kar, Nilamadhab; Khanna, Rakesh; Kar, Gopal Chandra

    1997-01-01

    Most of the autistic disorder patients are also mentally retarded and many mentally retarded persons exhibit autistic symptoms. By using a standard instrument (Ritvo-Freeman Real Life Rating Scale) the autistic features of the mentally retarded children were studied. The study also examined the influence of age, sex and level of mental retardation on the occurrence of autistic symptoms. Children who came for consultation to child psychiatric unit were compared with those at a school for children with mental retardation receiving stimulation. Male children from child psychiatric unit had significantly higher scores than those from the school. Social and language impairment could be reliably identified and grouped. It was possible to diagnose the syndrome of autism in children with mental retardation in a significant number (9.6%)as compared to that was possible only clinically (1.9%). More number of children with severe/ profound mental retardation could be diagnosed as autistic. The autistic syndrome in children with mental retardation can be picked up more effectively by the use of structured instrument. PMID:21584097

  19. The measurement of retardation in depression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dantchev, N; Widlöcher, D J

    1998-01-01

    The description of clinical features helps to distinguish between depressive illness and nondepressive psychic pain and enables the clinician to decide whether prescription of an antidepressant is beneficial. Psychomotor retardation is probably a central feature of depression, and this review discusses the methods available for measuring it. The Salpêtrière Retardation Rating Scale (SRRS) specifically measures psychomotor retardation; the scale and applications are described. Means of measuring motor and speech activity and an experimental approach for understanding the process underlying psychomotor retardation are reviewed. Comparison of the SRRS and other rating scale scores demonstrates that retardation is related to depression severity and therapeutic change and is a good criterion for prediction of therapeutic effect. The SRRS has been used to show that selective antidepressants target specific clinical dimensions of depression depending on the patient subgroup treated. Measures of motor and speech activity are sensitive to therapeutic response. Choice Reaction Time and Simple Reaction Time tasks are particularly suited for examining psychomotor retardation because they test the decision process while avoiding motivation and attention interference. Psychomotor retardation is a constant and probably central feature of depression. Means available for measuring it can be used to assess the effects of antidepressants on specific clinical dimensions.

  20. Synergistic Effect of Nanosilica Aerogel with Phosphorus Flame Retardants on Improving Flame Retardancy and Leaching Resistance of Wood

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaodan Zhu

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Nanosilica (Nano-SiO2 sol fabricated by a sol-gel process was introduced into wood modification with phosphorus flame retardants to improve the flame retardancy and leaching resistance of wood. The obtained materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectrometer (SEM-EDS, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA, cone calorimetric (CONE, and infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR. The residual rate of flame retardants before and after leaching was determinated by a leaching resistance. The results showed that the phosphorus flame retardants and SiO2 sol could reside in the poplar wood and are widely distributed in the vessels, pits, wood timber, and the spaces between wood cells of poplar substrate. TGA and CONE results indicated that the introduction of nano-SiO2 aerogel with phosphorus flame retardants had a significantly synergistic effect on improving the flame retardancy and inhibiting the release of smoke and toxic gases. In addition, the leaching resistance test, combined with infrared analysis and EDS analysis, confirmed that the phosphorus flame retardants were able to be fixed by SiO2 aerogel in the wood.

  1. Can earthworms survive fire retardants?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beyer, W.N.; Olson, A.

    1996-01-01

    Most common fire retardants are foams or are similar to common agricultural fertilizers, such as ammonium sulfate and ammonium phosphate. Although fire retardants are widely applied to soils, we lack basic information about their toxicities to soil organisms. We measured the toxicity of five fire retardants (Firetrol LCG-R, Firetrol GTS-R, Silv-Ex Foam Concentrate, Phos-chek D-75, and Phos-chek WD-881) to earthworms using the pesticide toxicity test developed for earthworms by the European Economic Community. None was lethal at 1,000 ppm in the soil, which was suggested as a relatively high exposure under normal applications. We concluded that the fire retardants tested are relatively nontoxic to soil organisms compared with other environmental chemicals and that they probably do not reduce earthworm populations when applied under usual firefighting conditions.

  2. Fire-retardant decorative inks for aircraft interiors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kourtides, D. A.; Nir, Z.; Mikroyannidis, J. A.

    1985-01-01

    Commercial and experimental fire retardants were screened as potential fire retardants for acrylic printing inks used on aircraft interior sandwich panels. The fire retardants are selected according to their physical properties and their thermostabilities. A criterion for selecting a more stable fire retardant is established. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) are used to determine thermostabilities. Results show that the fire retardant formulations are more thermally stable than the acrylic ink control. It is determined that an ink formulation containing a brominated phenol and carboxy-terminated butadiene acrylonitrile which has been modified with a brominated polymeric additive (BPA), yields the highest limiting oxygen index (LOI) of all the compounds tested. All of the fire-retardant formulations have a higher oxygen index than the baseline acrylic ink.

  3. Differentiation of retarded integrals and the divergence theorem for retarded functions with discontinuities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cooperstock, F.I.; Lim, P.H.

    1986-01-01

    Theorems expressing the time derivatives of retarded volume and surface integrals are presented as well as the Gauss divergence theorem for retarded functions with discontinuities. These theorems greatly facilitate the analysis of gravitational radiation from the motion of disjoint matter distributions in general relativity and could find useful application in other branches of physics

  4. The Right Brain: Surviving Retardation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Science News, 1977

    1977-01-01

    Describes two studies of brain hemisphere development which indicate children retarded in the functions of one hemisphere may not be retarded in the functions of the second hemisphere. Suggests that the left hemisphere functions may inhibit some right hemisphere functions. (SL)

  5. CT findings of mentally retarded patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mikami, Akihiro; Watanabe, Hiroshi

    1984-01-01

    Cranial CT findings were compared according to the age group in 192 mentally retarded patients aged from 15 to 59 years and in 132 control subjects. Enlargement of the ventricles, cisterns or fissures was judged. The incidence of ''enlargement'' was higher, irrespective of age, in mentally retarded group than in the control group. When the mentally retarded patients were divided into the group with pathologic symptoms and the group without them, the incidence of ''enlargement'' was higher in the former group than in the control group, but there was no significant difference between the latter group and the control group. There was no consistent relationship between the degree of mental retardation and the incidence of ''enlargement''. Many of the mentally retarded patients with pathologic symptoms tended to have a wide range of enlargement, while many of the patients without them had narrowed lateral ventricle. (Namekawa, K.)

  6. Engineered Resistant-Starch (ERS) Diet Shapes Colon Microbiota Profile in Parallel with the Retardation of Tumor Growth in In Vitro and In Vivo Pancreatic Cancer Models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panebianco, Concetta; Adamberg, Kaarel; Adamberg, Signe; Saracino, Chiara; Jaagura, Madis; Kolk, Kaia; Di Chio, Anna Grazia; Graziano, Paolo; Vilu, Raivo; Pazienza, Valerio

    2017-01-01

    Background/aims: Pancreatic cancer (PC) is ranked as the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Despite recent advances in treatment options, a modest impact on the outcome of the disease is observed so far. We have previously demonstrated that short-term fasting cycles have the potential to improve the efficacy of chemotherapy against PC. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of an engineered resistant-starch (ERS) mimicking diet on the growth of cancer cell lines in vitro, on the composition of fecal microbiota, and on tumor growth in an in vivo pancreatic cancer mouse xenograft model. Materials and Methods: BxPC-3, MIA PaCa-2 and PANC-1 cells were cultured in the control, and in the ERS-mimicking diet culturing condition, to evaluate tumor growth and proliferation pathways. Pancreatic cancer xenograft mice were subjected to an ERS diet to assess tumor volume and weight as compared to mice fed with a control diet. The composition and activity of fecal microbiota were further analyzed in growth experiments by isothermal microcalorimetry. Results: Pancreatic cancer cells cultured in an ERS diet-mimicking medium showed decreased levels of phospho-ERK1/2 (extracellular signal-regulated kinase proteins) and phospho-mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) levels, as compared to those cultured in standard medium. Consistently, xenograft pancreatic cancer mice subjected to an ERS diet displayed significant retardation in tumor growth. In in vitro growth experiments, the fecal microbial cultures from mice fed with an ERS diet showed enhanced growth on residual substrates, higher production of formate and lactate, and decreased amounts of propionate, compared to fecal microbiota from mice fed with the control diet. Conclusion: A positive effect of the ERS diet on composition and metabolism of mouse fecal microbiota shown in vitro is associated with the decrease of tumor progression in the in vivo PC xenograft mouse model. These results suggest that

  7. Effectiveness of Flame Retardants in TufFoam.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Abelow, Alexis Elizabeth [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Nissen, April [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Massey, Lee Taylor [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Whinnery, LeRoy L. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)

    2017-12-01

    An investigation of polyurethane foam filled with known flame retardant fillers including hydroxides, melamine, phosphate-containing compounds, and melamine phosphates was carried out to produce a low-cost material with high flame retardant efficiency. The impact of flame retardant fillers on the physical properties such a s composite foam density, glass transition temperature, storage modulus, and thermal expansion of composite foams was investigated with the goal of synthesizing a robust rigid foam with excellent flame retardant properties.

  8. People with Mental Retardation Are Dying, Legally.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keyes, Denis; And Others

    1997-01-01

    Criticizes the institution of the death penalty for convicted criminals with mental retardation. Examples are given of cases in which juries were not told of the defendant's mental retardation before sentencing, and a list of defendants with mental retardation that have been executed since 1976 is provided. (CR)

  9. Radiation and mental retardation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pochin, E.E.

    1988-01-01

    A brief article discusses mental retardation in children who had been exposed to ionizing radiation in utero. The time of greatest sensitivity is between the 8th and 15th week after conception and the time of lesser sensitivity between the 16th and 25th weeks. An examination of the thresholds for exposure indicate that severe mental retardation would not result from any present environmental exposures of the public. (U.K.)

  10. Bioactivation antioxidant and transglycating properties of N-acetylcarnosine autoinduction prodrug of a dipeptide L-carnosine in mucoadhesive drug delivery eye-drop formulation: powerful eye health application technique and therapeutic platform.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Babizhayev, Mark A

    2012-06-01

    A considerable interest in N-acetylcarnosine ocular drug design for eye health is based on clinical strategies to improve ocular drug delivery through metabolic enzymatic activation. Human biology aspects of ocular N-acetylcarnosine deacetylation during its pass through the cornea to the aqueous humor and dipeptide hydrolyzing enzymes are characterized. Novel approaches to ocular drug delivery increasing intraocular bioavailability of N-acetylcarnosine biologically activated metabolite carnosine become an integral development ensuring prolonged retention of the medication in the mucoadhesive precorneal area and facilitating transcorneal penetration of the natural dipeptide with the corneal promoters. A comprehensive list of techniques for peptide drug design, synthesis, purification, and biological analyses was considered: liquid chromatography (LC), high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), (1) H and (13) C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectroscopy, and spectrophotometry. The antioxidant activity of therapeutics-targeted molecules was studied in aqueous solution and in a lipid membrane environment. A deglycation therapeutic system was developed involving removal, by transglycation of sugar or aldehyde moieties from Schiff bases by histidyl-hydrazide compounds or aldehyde scavenger L-carnosine. Clinical studies included ophthalmoscopy, visual acuity (VA), halometer disability glare tests, slit-image, and retro-illumination photography. N-acetylcarnosine 1% lubricant eye drops are considered as an auto-induction prodrug and natural ocular redox state balance therapies with implications in prevention and treatment of serious eye diseases that involve pathways of continuous oxidative damage to ocular tissues(cataracts, primary open-angle glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration) and sight-threatening glycosylation processes (diabetic retinopathy and consequent visual impairment) important for public health. The results of

  11. CASE REPORT OF A MENTALLY RETARDED CHILD

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vasilka GALEVSKA

    2006-06-01

    Full Text Available Mental retardation is a complex individual and social problem. According to WHO, around 1-3 % of world population are mentally retarded people and the percentage between school children is around 2 %.The development of a mentally retarded child depends on factors related to the disability itself, all the limitations and characteristics which results from that. But, physical, psychical, educational and social development of a mentally retarded child, also, depend on other conditions, such as the family and the wider environment, their reactions, attitudes, awareness and sensitivity for special needs of the child, as well as their preparedness and possibilities to respond.At the same time, it is necessary that the mentally retarded child is detected and diagnosed in time, as well as the early start of an adequate treatment.

  12. Intrauterine radiation exposures and mental retardation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miller, R.W.

    1988-01-01

    Small head size and mental retardation have been known as effects of intrauterine exposure to ionizing radiation since the 1920s. In the 1950s, studies of Japanese atomic-bomb survivors revealed that at 4-17 wk of gestation, the greater the dose, the smaller the brain (and head size), and that beginning at 0.5 Gy (50 rad) in Hiroshima, mental retardation increased in frequency with increasing dose. No other excess of birth defects was observed. Otake and Schull (1984) pointed out that the period of susceptibility to mental retardation coincided with that for proliferation and migration of neuronal elements from near the cerebral ventricles to the cortex. Mental retardation could be the result of interference with this process. Their analysis indicated that exposures at 8-15 wk to 0.01-0.02 Gy (1-2 rad) doubled the frequency of severe mental retardation. This estimate was based on small numbers of mentally retarded atomic-bomb survivors. Although nuclear accidents have occurred recently, new cases will hopefully be too rare to provide further information about the risk of mental retardation. It may be possible, however, to learn about lesser impairment. New psychometric tests may be helpful in detecting subtle deficits in intelligence or neurodevelopmental function. One such test is PEERAMID, which is being used in schools to identify learning disabilities due, for example, to deficits in attention, short- or long-term memory, or in sequencing information. This and other tests could be applied in evaluating survivors of intrauterine exposure to various doses of ionizing radiation. The results could change our understanding of the safety of low-dose exposures

  13. Retardo mental Mental retardation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcio M. Vasconcelos

    2004-04-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Esta revisão aborda as recentes descobertas da neurobiologia do retardo mental, enfatizando os novos recursos da citogenética, das técnicas moleculares e da neurorradiologia para esclarecer o diagnóstico. FONTES DE DADOS: O autor pesquisou o banco de dados MEDLINE da National Library of Medicine utilizando as palavras-chave "mental retardation", "developmental disability", "child" e "adolescent" em diferentes combinações, abrangendo o período de janeiro de 2000 a outubro de 2003. Também foram utilizados os bancos de dados das revistas científicas Pediatrics e New England Journal of Medicine através da palavra-chave "mental retardation". No total, o autor consultou cerca de 1.500 títulos de artigos e 500 resumos, e teve acesso direto a 150 artigos completos pertinentes. Quando oportuno, algumas referências dos artigos consultados também foram consideradas. O site Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man foi utilizado como fonte de informações em genética clínica. SÍNTESE DOS DADOS: Em outubro de 2003, o total de síndromes genéticas associadas a retardo mental chegou a 1.149. Considerando-se o conjunto das causas genéticas ou ambientais e congênitas ou adquiridas de retardo mental, a avaliação diagnóstica atual é capaz de esclarecer a etiologia em 50 a 70% dos casos. CONCLUSÕES: O autor sugere uma avaliação diagnóstica do retardo mental em etapas lógicas, visando ao uso racional dos dispendiosos recursos da citogenética, biologia molecular e neuroimagem.OBJECTIVE: This paper describes recent advances in the neurobiology of mental retardation, emphasizing new diagnostic resources provided by cytogenetics, molecular testing, and neuroimaging. SOURCES OF DATA: MEDLINE (January 2000 through October 2003, using the following key words: mental retardation, developmental disability, child, and adolescent. Search of the Pediatrics and New England Journal of Medicine websites using the key word mental retardation. The

  14. Flame Retardant Polyamide Fibres: The Challenge of Minimising Flame Retardant Additive Contents with Added Nanoclays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Richard Horrocks

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available This work shows that halogen-free, flame retarded polyamide 6 (PA6, fabrics may be produced in which component fibres still have acceptable tensile properties and low levels (preferably ≤10 wt % of additives by incorporating a nanoclay along with two types of flame retardant formulations. The latter include (i aluminium diethyl phosphinate (AlPi at 10 wt %, known to work principally in the vapour phase and (ii ammonium sulphamate (AS/dipentaerythritol (DP system present at 2.5 and 1 wt % respectively, believed to be condense phase active. The nanoclay chosen is an organically modified montmorillonite clay, Cloisite 25A. The effect of each additive system is analysed in terms of its ability to maximise both filament tensile properties relative to 100% PA6 and flame retardant behaviour of knitted fabrics in a vertical orientation. None of the AlPi-containing formulations achieved self-extinguishability, although the presence of nanoclay promoted lower burning and melt dripping rates. The AS/DP-containing formulations with total flame retardant levels of 5.5 wt % or less showed far superior properties and with nanoclay, showed fabric extinction times ≤ 39 s and reduced melt dripping. The tensile and flammability results, supported by thermogravimetric analysis, have been interpreted in terms of the mechanism of action of each flame retardant/nanoclay type.

  15. Flame-retardant carbon nanotube films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Janas, Dawid; Rdest, Monika; Koziol, Krzysztof K. K.

    2017-07-01

    We have demonstrated fire-retardancy properties of a polymer matrix-free CNT film for the first time. As compared with classical fire-retardant materials such as Kevlar, Twaron or Nomex, the CNT film showed a spectrum of advantages. The material is lightweight, flexible and well-adherent to even the most complicated shapes. The results have showed that by using CNTs for fire-retardancy we can extend the operational time almost two-fold, what makes CNTs a much better protection than the solutions employed nowadays. We believe that among other great properties of CNT, their macroscopic assemblies such as CNT films show significant potential for becoming a fire protective coating, which exhibits high performance in not sustaining fire.

  16. Antitumor action of 3-bromopyruvate implicates reorganized tumor growth regulatory components of tumor milieu, cell cycle arrest and induction of mitochondria-dependent tumor cell death.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yadav, Saveg; Kujur, Praveen Kumar; Pandey, Shrish Kumar; Goel, Yugal; Maurya, Babu Nandan; Verma, Ashish; Kumar, Ajay; Singh, Rana Pratap; Singh, Sukh Mahendra

    2018-01-15

    Evidences demonstrate that metabolic inhibitor 3-bromopyruvate (3-BP) exerts a potent antitumor action against a wide range of malignancies. However, the effect of 3-BP on progression of the tumors of thymic origin remains unexplored. Although, constituents of tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a pivotal role in regulation of tumor progression, it remains unclear if 3-BP can alter the composition of the crucial tumor growth regulatory components of the external surrounding of tumor cells. Thus, the present investigation attempts to understand the effect of 3-BP administration to a host bearing a progressively growing tumor of thymic origin on tumor growth regulatory soluble, cellular and biophysical components of tumor milieu vis-à-vis understanding its association with tumor progression, accompanying cell cycle events and mode of cell death. Further, the expression of cell survival regulatory molecules and hemodynamic characteristics of the tumor milieu were analysed to decipher mechanisms underlying the antitumor action of 3-BP. Administration of 3-BP to tumor-bearing hosts retarded tumor progression accompanied by induction of tumor cell death, cell cycle arrest, declined metabolism, inhibited mitochondrial membrane potential, elevated release of cytochrome c and altered hemodynamics. Moreover, 3-BP reconstituted the external milieu, in concurrence with deregulated glucose and pH homeostasis and increased tumor infiltration by NK cells, macrophages, and T lymphocytes. Further, 3-BP administration altered the expression of key regulatory molecules involved in glucose uptake, intracellular pH and tumor cell survival. The outcomes of this study will help in optimizing the therapeutic application of 3-BP by targeting crucial tumor growth regulatory components of tumor milieu. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Mental Retardation and Parenting Stress

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eleni Siamaga

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Backround: The presence, upbringing and looking after of a mentally retarded child in the family, can become a threat to the mental health of its parents and is the main predisposing factor of stress for the parents.Aim: The purpose of this systematic review is (a to document the contemporary research bibliography related to the stress of parents with mentally retarded children, (b to aggregate the factors and secondary parameters based on the contemporary research related to the influence of the (child’s mental retardation on the parents and (c to show an intercultural aspect regarding the presence of stress to parents with mentally retarded children.Methods: Systematic review of research articles published in scientific journals included in the international academic databases HEAL-LING, SAGE, ELSEVIER, WILSON, SCIENCEDIRECT, MEDLINE, PUBMED, PsycINFO, Cochrane, EMBASE, SCIRUS and CINAHL having as search criteria and key words the terms («parental stress and mental retardation» [MeSH], «parenting stress and persons with special needs» [MeSH], «mental retardation and family problems» [MeSH], «stress and parents» [MeSH], «parenting and stress» [MeSH], «mental delay and parents» [MeSH], «developmental disabilities and family stress» [MeSH], «intellectual handicap and parenting» [MeSH], «maternal stress and child with disabilities» [MeSH].Discussion: The review has proven that all forms of mental retardation have an important -from a statistic point of viewimpacton the parents’ mental health. Anxiety, stress and depression are common symptoms mentioned by the parents.Additionally, there are individual variables such as the husband-wife relationship, the parents’ approach to their child’s disability, the parental strategies used in order to cope with the daily life of the child’s disability and the behavioural problems of their child, all of which contribute to the increase of the level of parental stress

  18. Mental Retardation, Poverty and Community Based Rehabilitation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Einar Helander

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available A person with moderate mental retardation would, in a western country, be "diagnosed" early on in life. Consequently, such a child is likely to be sent for special education. Given the high level of job requirements, such a person is unlikely to be employed in the open market later in life. Mental retardation is one of the most frequent disabilities in most studies, mental retardation is found in about three percent of the population. Persons even with mild mental retardation have very large difficulties finding employment and are for this reason often deprived of opportunities for suitable and productive income generation this is why most stay poor. But disability does not only cause poverty poverty itself causes disability. This study follows an analysis, based on a review of the Swedish programme for mental retardation during the period 1930-2000. It is concluded that in Sweden a very large proportion of mild and moderate mental retardation has been eliminated though the combination of poverty alleviation with a community-based rehabilitation programme. For these situations a pro-active programme analysing and meeting the needs of the target groups should be useful as a means to achieve poverty alleviation.

  19. Composing a Tumor Specific Bacterial Promoter.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Igor V Deyneko

    Full Text Available Systemically applied Salmonella enterica spp. have been shown to invade and colonize neoplastic tissues where it retards the growth of many tumors. This offers the possibility to use the bacteria as a vehicle for the tumor specific delivery of therapeutic molecules. Specificity of such delivery is solely depending on promoter sequences that control the production of a target molecule. We have established the functional structure of bacterial promoters that are transcriptionally active exclusively in tumor tissues after systemic application. We observed that the specific transcriptional activation is accomplished by a combination of a weak basal promoter and a strong FNR binding site. This represents a minimal set of control elements required for such activation. In natural promoters, additional DNA remodeling elements are found that alter the level of transcription quantitatively. Inefficiency of the basal promoter ensures the absence of transcription outside tumors. As a proof of concept, we compiled an artificial promoter sequence from individual motifs representing FNR and basal promoter and showed specific activation in a tumor microenvironment. Our results open possibilities for the generation of promoters with an adjusted level of expression of target proteins in particular for applications in bacterial tumor therapy.

  20. Evaluation of Inheritance Pattern in Mentally Retarded Children

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    F Behnaz

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Mental retardation is one of the most important problems of general health. The purpose of this study was to evaluate inheritance pattern of mentally retarded patients in Yazd city. Methods: In a descriptive cross- sectional study, all medical records and pedigrees of 320 mentally retarded children whose parents had referred for genetic consultation to the Welfare center of Yazd city were reviewed. Results: Of the total, 62.8% of the parents had consanguineous marriage. Mean inbreeding coefficient of offsprings was 0.0713 in third degree related parents versus 0.0156 in non-related parents. Mental retardation was seen in 43.4% of first– degree relatives of children (6.6% of parents and 36.8% of siblings, respectively. Frequency of mental retardation did not differ significantly in both sexes. Pedigree showed inheritance pattern in 43.4% of patients (autosomal recessive, autosomal dominant and x-linked inheritance pattern were seen in 33.75%, 6.9% and 2.8%, respectively, while 37% of patients had no definite inheritance pattern. Abnormal karyotype were seen in 19.4% of patients, 28 of whom(8.75% of all patients had Down syndrome. The prevalence of autosomal recessive inheritance in patients with consanguineous marriages and non family marriages was 62.8 % and 10%, respectively (P=0. 002. Conclusion: Since multiple cases of mental retardation were seen in families and rate of consanguineous marriage was more in parents of mentally retarded children, genetic counseling in consanguinity marriages and families of mentally retarded children can prevent incidence of mental retardation in these families.

  1. Nanocellular foam with solid flame retardant

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Liang; Kelly-Rowley, Anne M.; Bunker, Shana P.; Costeux, Stephane

    2017-11-21

    Prepare nanofoam by (a) providing an aqueous solution of a flame retardant dissolved in an aqueous solvent, wherein the flame retardant is a solid at 23.degree. C. and 101 kiloPascals pressure when in neat form; (b) providing a fluid polymer composition selected from a solution of polymer dissolved in a water-miscible solvent or a latex of polymer particles in a continuous aqueous phase; (c) mixing the aqueous solution of flame retardant with the fluid polymer composition to form a mixture; (d) removing water and, if present, solvent from the mixture to produce a polymeric composition having less than 74 weight-percent flame retardant based on total polymeric composition weight; (e) compound the polymeric composition with a matrix polymer to form a matrix polymer composition; and (f) foam the matrix polymer composition into nanofoam having a porosity of at least 60 percent.

  2. Orthognathic surgery for mentally retarded patients

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Becking, A. G.; Tuinzing, D. B.

    1991-01-01

    The surgical treatment of mentally retarded children for esthetic reasons is discussed. In mentally retarded adults a facial deformity can give rise to functional problems; in some cases a facial deformity can stigmatize the mental state. In selected cases orthognathic surgery may offer a solution

  3. Political Philosophy and the Mentally Retarded.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stanovich, Keith E.

    The effects of Social Darwinism, eugenics, and contemporary political conservatism on the status of advocacy efforts for the mentally retarded are reviewed. Provided are historical sketches of Social Darwinism, which viewed the retarded as members of an inferior race, and eugenics, which argued for sterilization of the "genetically…

  4. The Mentally Retarded Offender and Corrections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santamour, Miles; West, Bernadette

    The booklet provides an overview of the issues involved in correctional rehabilitation for the mentally retarded offender. Reviewed are clinical and legal definitions of criminal behavior and retardation, and discussed are such issues as law enforcement and court proceedings problems, pros and cons of special facilities, labeling, normalization,…

  5. Circulating carnosine dipeptidase 1 associates with weight loss and poor prognosis in gastrointestinal cancer.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peter Arner

    Full Text Available Cancer cachexia (CC is linked to poor prognosis. Although the mechanisms promoting this condition are not known, several circulating proteins have been proposed to contribute. We analyzed the plasma proteome in cancer subjects in order to identify factors associated with cachexia.Plasma was obtained from a screening cohort of 59 patients, newly diagnosed with suspected gastrointestinal cancer, with (n = 32 or without (n = 27 cachexia. Samples were subjected to proteomic profiling using 760 antibodies (targeting 698 individual proteins from the Human Protein Atlas project. The main findings were validated in a cohort of 93 patients with verified and advanced pancreas cancer.Only six proteins displayed differential plasma levels in the screening cohort. Among these, Carnosine Dipeptidase 1 (CNDP1 was confirmed by sandwich immunoassay to be lower in CC (p = 0.008. In both cohorts, low CNDP1 levels were associated with markers of poor prognosis including weight loss, malnutrition, lipid breakdown, low circulating albumin/IGF1 levels and poor quality of life. Eleven of the subjects in the discovery cohort were finally diagnosed with non-malignant disease but omitting these subjects from the analyses did not have any major influence on the results.In gastrointestinal cancer, reduced plasma levels of CNDP1 associate with signs of catabolism and poor outcome. These results, together with recently published data demonstrating lower circulating CNDP1 in subjects with glioblastoma and metastatic prostate cancer, suggest that CNDP1 may constitute a marker of aggressive cancer and CC.

  6. Preparation of Flame Retardant Modified with Titanate for Asphalt Binder

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bo Li

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Improving the compatibility between flame retardant and asphalt is a difficult task due to the complex nature of the materials. This study explores a low dosage compound flame retardant and seeks to improve the compatibility between flame retardants and asphalt. An orthogonal experiment was designed taking magnesium hydroxide, ammonium polyphosphate, and melamine as factors. The oil absorption and activation index were tested to determine the effect of titanate on the flame retardant additive. The pavement performance test was conducted to evaluate the effect of the flame retardant additive. Oxygen index test was conducted to confirm the effect of flame retardant on flame ability of asphalt binder. The results of this study showed that the new composite flame retardant is more effective in improving the compatibility between flame retardant and asphalt and reducing the limiting oxygen index of asphalt binder tested in this study.

  7. Flame Retardants Used in Flexible Polyurethane Foam

    Science.gov (United States)

    The partnership project on flame retardants in furniture seeks to update the health and environmental profiles of flame-retardant chemicals that meet fire safety standards for upholstered consumer products with polyurethane foam

  8. SLEEP DISORDERS IN MENTALLY RETARDED CHILDREN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I. A. Kelmanson

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents the study of the association between sleep disturbances and mental retardation in children. Attention is paid to the instant connection between sleep neurophysiology and intellectual progress, as well as between sleep disorders and the pathogenesis of mental retardation in children. The data on characteristic forms of sleep disturbances, including bed-time resistance, frequent night awakenings, parasomnias, abnormal sleep structure, and notably reduced REM-sleep proportion are provided. The potential role of abnormal melatonin production in the origins of sleep disturbances in children with mental retardation is discussed. Certain approaches to pharmacological and non-pharmacological corrections of sleep disorders are outlined.

  9. Noncitizen: Plight of the Mentally Retarded

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skarnulis, Ed

    1974-01-01

    Mentally retarded citizens have been denied their human and civil rights, not only by the public, but by professionals--including social workers. The author claims that most programs for the mentally retarded are, at best, dehumanizing. Professionals have an ethical obligation to refuse to refer children to such programs. (Author)

  10. Development of highly fire-retardant irradiated polyolefin cables

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ueno, Keiji; Inui, Toshifumi; Uda, Ikujiro (Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd., Osaka (Japan))

    1982-12-01

    In recent years, motors, automobiles, heaters, etc., have been made into light weight and compact form in view of labour-saving and energy-saving. For this purpose, the wires for the electrical appliances used for these equipment are required to reduce insulation thickness and to improve heat resistance. On the other hand, the requirement for fire-retardant property has become severer than before from the viewpoint of safety. As an insulation for the wires which meets such requirement, the polyolefin cross-linked by irradiation was investigated, and the heat-resistant, highly fire-retardant, polyolefin-insulated wires have been developed, which have passed vertical combustion test (VW-1) and have the insulation thickness of 0.4 mm (voltage rating 300V) and UL standard 125 deg C and 150 deg C grades. Fire-retardant polyolefin resin is normally obtained by adding halogen series flame retarders. The selection of flame retarders requires the investigation on high thermal stability, high flame retardation, no impedance to cross-linking, and good dispersion into polymers. The evaluation of heat resistance performed on two points, thermal aging and thermal deformation. The use of oxidation inhibitors is indispensable to improve the anti-thermal aging capability, but it is important to balance the requirements well by combining oxidation inhibitors, considering thermal deformation, colouring and discolouration. By comparative test with silicone rubber, cross-linked polyethylene and cross-linked PVC-insulated wires, the characteristics of highly fire-retardant wires, insulated with polyethylene cross-linked by irradiation, are described about the fire retardation, thermal deformation, thermal aging resistance, electrical characteristics and oil resistance.

  11. Anxious-retarded depression: relation to family history of depression

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Winter, Remco F. P.; Zwinderman, Koos H.; Goekoop, Jaap G.

    2004-01-01

    Anxious-retarded depression is a two-dimensionally defined subcategory of depression based on high scores for both anxiety and retardation. The anxious-retarded subcategory is related to melancholia as defined by DSM-IV. Patients with this diagnosis exhibit elevated plasma arginine vasopressin (AVP)

  12. Development of flame retardant, radiation resistant insulating materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hagiwara, M.

    1984-01-01

    On the cables used for nuclear power stations, in particular those ranked as IE class, flame retardation test, simulated LOCA environment test, radiation resistance test and so on are imposed. The results of the evaluation of performance by these tests largely depend on the insulating materials mainly made of polymers. Ethylene propylene copolymer rubber has been widely used as cable insulator because of its electrical characteristics, workability, economy and relatively good radiation resistance, but it is combustible, therefore, in the practical use, it is necessary to make it fire resistant. The author et al. have advanced the research on the molecular design of new fire retarding materials, and successfully developed acenaphthylene bromide condensate, which is not only fire resistant but also effective for improving radiation resistance. The condition of flame retardant, radiation resistant auxiliary agents is explained, and there are additive type and reaction type in fire retarding materials. The synthesis of acenaphthylene bromide condensate and its effect of giving flame retardant and radiation resistant properties are reported. The characteristics of the cables insulated with the flame retardant ethylene propylene rubber containing acenaphthylene bromide condensate were tested, and the results are shown. (Kako, I.).

  13. Molecular analysis of aniridia patients for deletions involving the Wilms' tumor gene

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Drechsler, M.; Meijers-Heijboer, E. J.; Schneider, S.; Schurich, B.; Grond-Ginsbach, C.; Tariverdian, G.; Kantner, G.; Blankenagel, A.; Kaps, D.; Schroeder-Kurth, T.

    1994-01-01

    A human aniridia candidate (AN) gene on chromosome 11p13 has been cloned and characterized. The AN gene is the second cloned gene of the contiguous genes syndrome WAGR (Wilms' tumor, aniridia, genitourinary malformations, mental retardation) on chromosome 11p13, WT1 being the first gene cloned.

  14. Caring for children with mental retardation: The experiences of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Caring for children with mental retardation at home requires great patience and understanding. Mothers often experience difficulties adjusting to the fact that their children are mentally retarded and that it cannot be cured. This study investigated the experiences of mothers caring for children with mental retardation.

  15. Halogenated flame retardants in the Great Lakes environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Venier, Marta; Salamova, Amina; Hites, Ronald A

    2015-07-21

    Flame retardants are widely used industrial chemicals that are added to polymers, such as polyurethane foam, to prevent them from rapidly burning if exposed to a small flame or a smoldering cigarette. Flame retardants, especially brominated flame retardants, are added to many polymeric products at percent levels and are present in most upholstered furniture and mattresses. Most of these chemicals are so-called "additive" flame retardants and are not chemically bound to the polymer; thus, they migrate from the polymeric materials into the environment and into people. As a result, some of these chemicals have become widespread pollutants, which is a concern given their possible adverse health effects. Perhaps because of their environmental ubiquity, the most heavily used group of brominated flame retardants, the polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), was withdrawn from production and use during the 2004-2013 period. This led to an increasing demand for other flame retardants, including other brominated aromatics and organophosphate esters. Although little is known about the use or production volumes of these newer flame retardants, it is evident that some of these chemicals are also becoming pervasive in the environment and in humans. In this Account, we describe our research on the occurrence of halogenated and organophosphate flame retardants in the environment, with a specific focus on the Great Lakes region. This Account starts with a short introduction to the first generation of brominated flame retardants, the polybrominated biphenyls, and then presents our measurements of their replacement, the PBDEs. We summarize our data on PBDE levels in babies, bald eagles, and in air. Once these compounds came off the market, we began to measure several of the newer flame retardants in air collected on the shores of the Great Lakes once every 12 days. These new measurements focus on a tetrabrominated benzoate, a tetrabrominated phthalate, a hexabrominated diphenoxyethane

  16. Sustained Attention of Adults with Mental Retardation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tomporowski, Phillip D.; Allison, Pamela

    1988-01-01

    The sustained attention of 23 young adults with mild mental retardation and nonretarded subjects was assessed. Findings suggested that the sustained attention of the retarded differs from that of the nonretarded on those vigilance tasks that place demands on memory abilities. (Author/DB)

  17. Fire-Retardant, Self-Extinguishing Inorganic/Polymer Composite Memory Foams.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chatterjee, Soumyajyoti; Shanmuganathan, Kadhiravan; Kumaraswamy, Guruswamy

    2017-12-27

    Polymeric foams used in furniture and automotive and aircraft seating applications rely on the incorporation of environmentally hazardous fire-retardant additives to meet fire safety norms. This has occasioned significant interest in novel approaches to the elimination of fire-retardant additives. Foams based on polymer nanocomposites or based on fire-retardant coatings show compromised mechanical performance and require additional processing steps. Here, we demonstrate a one-step preparation of a fire-retardant ice-templated inorganic/polymer hybrid that does not incorporate fire-retardant additives. The hybrid foams exhibit excellent mechanical properties. They are elastic to large compressional strain, despite the high inorganic content. They also exhibit tunable mechanical recovery, including viscoelastic "memory". These hybrid foams are prepared using ice-templating that relies on a green solvent, water, as a porogen. Because these foams are predominantly comprised of inorganic components, they exhibit exceptional fire retardance in torch burn tests and are self-extinguishing. After being subjected to a flame, the foam retains its porous structure and does not drip or collapse. In micro-combustion calorimetry, the hybrid foams show a peak heat release rate that is only 25% that of a commercial fire-retardant polyurethanes. Finally, we demonstrate that we can use ice-templating to prepare hybrid foams with different inorganic colloids, including cheap commercial materials. We also demonstrate that ice-templating is amenable to scale up, without loss of mechanical performance or fire-retardant properties.

  18. The p75NTR tumor suppressor induces cell cycle arrest facilitating caspase mediated apoptosis in prostate tumor cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khwaja, Fatima; Tabassum, Arshia; Allen, Jeff; Djakiew, Daniel

    2006-01-01

    The p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75 NTR ) is a death receptor which belongs to the tumor necrosis factor receptor super-family of membrane proteins. This study shows that p75 NTR retarded cell cycle progression by induced accumulation of cells in G0/G1 and a reduction in the S phase of the cell cycle. The rescue of tumor cells from cell cycle progression by a death domain deleted (ΔDD) dominant-negative antagonist of p75 NTR showed that the death domain transduced anti-proliferative activity in a ligand-independent manner. Conversely, addition of NGF ligand rescued retardation of cell cycle progression with commensurate changes in components of the cyclin/cdk holoenzyme complex. In the absence of ligand, p75 NTR -dependent cell cycle arrest facilitated an increase in apoptotic nuclear fragmentation of the prostate cancer cells. Apoptosis of p75 NTR expressing cells occurred via the intrinsic mitochondrial pathway leading to a sequential caspase-9 and -7 cascade. Since the death domain deleted dominant-negative antagonist of p75 NTR rescued intrinsic caspase associated apoptosis in PC-3 cells, this shows p75 NTR was integral to ligand independent induction of apoptosis. Moreover, the ability of ligand to ameliorate the p75 NTR -dependent intrinsic apoptotic cascade indicates that NGF functioned as a survival factor for p75 NTR expressing prostate cancer cells

  19. Perceptual-Motor Attributes of Mentally Retarded Youth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cratty, Bryant J.

    To evaluate six perceptual-motor attributes of trainable and educable mentally retarded children, a battery of tests was constructed which included body perception, gross agility, balance, locomotor ability, throwing, and tracking; 83 retarded subjects provided reliability data, and their scores, with those of 120 additional subjects, provided…

  20. Crack retardation by load reduction during fatigue crack propagation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Hyun Soo; Nam, Ki Woo; Ahn, Seok Hwan; Do, Jae Yoon

    2003-01-01

    Fracture life and crack retardation behavior were examined experimentally using CT specimens of aluminum alloy 5083. Crack retardation life and fracture life were a wide difference between 0.8 and 0.6 in proportion to ratio of load reduction. The wheeler model retardation parameter was used successfully to predict crack growth behavior. By using a crack propagation rule, prediction of fracture life can be evaluated quantitatively. A statistical approach based on Weibull distribution was applied to the test data to evaluate the dispersion in the retardation life and fracture life by the change of load reduction

  1. Fire retardant polyisocyanurate foam

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riccitiello, S. R.; Parker, J. A.

    1972-01-01

    Fire retardant properties of low density polymer foam are increased. Foam has pendant nitrile groups which form thermally-stable heterocyclic structures at temperature below degradation temperature of urethane linkages.

  2. Protective effects of beef decoction rich in carnosine on cerebral ischemia injury by permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Ai-Hong; Ma, Qian; Wang, Xin; Xu, Gui-Hua

    2018-02-01

    Inflammation has a role in the cerebral injury induced by ischemia and the present study aimed to determine the mechanism of the protective effect of beef decoction (BD) with carnosine against it. A rat model of permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion was established using a suture method in the vehicle and each of the BD groups. In experiment 1, 72 Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into three groups: Sham, vehicle and BD-treated group. Rats in the BD group were given 600 mg/kg BD by oral gavage for 1, 3 and 7 days. The sham and vehicle group rats received an equivalent amount of normal saline. In experiment 2, 60 SD rats were randomly divided into six groups: Sham-operated I, sham-operated II, vehicle, low-dose BD, medium-dose BD and high-dose BD group. Rats in the low-, medium- and high-dose BD groups were given BD at the dose of 200, 400 and 600 mg/kg, respectively, by oral gavage for 7 days. Rats in the sham-operated II group were given 600 mg/kg BD. Rats in the sham-operated I group and vehicle group were given the same volume of normal saline by oral gavage. The body weight, neurological deficits and infarct volume were recorded at 1, 3 and 7 days after the operation. Furthermore, the effect of different doses of BD on interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) levels in peripheral blood was measured at 7 days. BD-treated rats showed less neurological deficits and a smaller infarct volume at 7 days. BD at 400 and 600 mg/kg significantly decreased the infarct volume in rats. At 600 mg/kg BD, a decline in IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-γ and an increase in IL-4 expression was observed in the BD groups, while no difference in body weight and neurological dysfunction was detected. In conclusion, BD is a neuroprotective agent that may be used as a supplement treatment of ischemic stroke.

  3. Referential first mention in narratives by mildly mentally retarded adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kernan, K T; Sabsay, S

    1987-01-01

    Referential first mentions in narrative reports of a short film by 40 mildly mentally retarded adults and 20 nonretarded adults were compared. The mentally retarded sample included equal numbers of male and female, and black and white speakers. The mentally retarded speakers made significantly fewer first mentions and significantly more errors in the form of the first mentions than did nonretarded speakers. A pattern of better performance by black males than by other mentally retarded speakers was found. It is suggested that task difficulty and incomplete mastery of the use of definite and indefinite forms for encoding old and new information, rather than some global type of egocentrism, accounted for the poorer performance by mentally retarded speakers.

  4. Fire and smoke retardants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drews, M. J.

    Despite a reduction in Federal regulatory activity, research concerned with flame retardancy and smoke suppression in the private sector appears to be increasing. This trend seem related to the increased utilization of plastics for end uses which traditionally have employed metal or wood products. As a result, new markets have appeared for thermally stable and fire resistance thermoplastic materials, and this in turn has spurred research and development activity. In addition, public awareness of the dangers associated with fire has increased as a result of several highly publicized hotel and restaurant fires within the past two years. The consumers recognition of flammability characteristics as important materials property considerations has increased. The current status of fire and smoke retardant chemistry and research are summarized.

  5. 11p Microdeletion including WT1 but not PAX6, presenting with cataract, mental retardation, genital abnormalities and seizures: a case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Baekgaard Peter

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract WAGR syndrome (Wilms' tumor, aniridia, genitourinary abnormalities and mental retardation and Potocki-Shaffer syndrome are rare contiguous gene deletion syndromes caused by deletions of the 11p14-p12 chromosome region. We present a patient with mental retardation, unilateral cataract, bilateral ptosis, genital abnormalities, seizures and a dysmorphic face. Cytogenetic analysis showed a deletion on 11p that was further characterized using FISH and MLPA analyses. The deletion (11p13-p12 located in the area between the deletions associated with the WAGR and Potocki-Shaffer syndromes had a maximum size of 8.5 Mb and encompasses 44 genes. Deletion of WT1 explains the genital abnormalities observed. As PAX6 was intact the cataract observed cannot be explained by a deletion of this gene. Seizures have been described in Potocki-Shaffer syndrome while mental retardation has been described in both WAGR and Potocki-Shaffer syndrome. Characterization of this patient contributes further to elucidate the function of the genes in the 11p14-p12 chromosome region.

  6. Moral reasoning of Piagetian-matched retarded and nonretarded children and adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kahn, J V

    1983-09-01

    The moral reasoning of four IQ/etiology groups was investigated: 19 organically abnormal moderately retarded, 19 organically abnormal mildly retarded, 19 mildly retarded due to psychosocial disadvantage, and 19 nonretarded individuals. In each group 12 Ss were preoperational and seven concrete operational. Moral reasoning was assessed by an instrument using moral dilemmas based on Kohlberg's procedures. The Slosson Intelligence Test was used to determine the IQs and mental ages of each S. Piagetian stage was determined with the standard conservation of number tasks. The findings indicated no overall significant differences between the mildly retarded and the nonretarded Ss or between the mildly retarded and the moderately retarded Ss, but differences were found between the moderately retarded and the nonretarded Ss. A significant interaction was found between the two independent variables, IQ/etiology and cognitive level. The results were discussed as supporting Zigler's development position and as damaging to Kohlberg's position.

  7. Body Awareness in Children with Mental Retardation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simons, Johan; Dedroog, Inge

    2009-01-01

    The body awareness of 124 toddlers with mental retardation and of 124 children developing normally matched to them on age and gender was examined. Twenty-nine of the children with mental retardation were diagnosed as Down syndrome (DS). The "Pointing and Naming" Test of Berges and Lezine [Berges, J., & Lezine, I. (1978). "Test d'imitation de…

  8. Flame retardancy and thermal properties of epoxy acrylate resin/alpha-zirconium phosphate nanocomposites used for UV-curing flame retardant films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xing Weiyi; Jie Ganxin; Song Lei; Wang Xin; Lv Xiaoqi; Hu Yuan

    2011-01-01

    This paper reported the UV-curing flame retardant film, which consisted of epoxy acrylate resin (EA) used as an oligomer, tri(acryloyloxyethyl) phosphate (TAEP) and triglycidyl isocyanurate acrylate (TGICA) used as flame retardant (FR). The flame retardancy and thermal properties of films were reinforced by using alpha-zirconium phosphate (α-Zr (HPO 4 ) 2 H 2 O, α-ZrP). The morphology of nanocomposite film was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results showed that the organophilic α-ZrP (OZrP) layers were dispersed well in epoxy acrylate resin. Microscale Combustion Calorimeter (MCC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and thermogravimetric analysis/infrared spectrometry (TGA-IR) were used to characterize the flame retardant property and thermal stability. It was found that the incorporation of TAEP and TGICA can reduce the flammability of EA. Moreover, further reductions were observed due to the addition of OZrP. The char residue for systems with or without OZrP was also explored by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

  9. [Clinical features of strabismus in psychomotor retardation].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arias-Cabello, Belina; Arroyo-Yllanes, María Estela; Pérez-Pérez, José Fernando; Fonte-Vázquez, Anselmo

    2016-01-01

    In psychomotor retardation there is an abnormal development of mental, sensory and motor skills associated with ocular manifestations. There are biological and psychosocial risk factors that predispose an individual to neurological damage. From 50% to 80% of patients with strabismus retardation have special features that differentiate it from the rest of strabismus in healthy patients. To determine the most common type of strabismus in patients with psychomotor retardation and their clinical features. Patients with psychomotor retardation and strabismus were included. An ophthalmological examination was performed, as well as an evaluation of the characteristics of strabismus, including perinatal and post-natal history. Esotropia was the most frequent squint with 65.3%, followed by exotropia with 32.7%. The variability in the squint magnitude was 60% in both types, and 6 patients had dissociated vertical deviation. Most of the patients started to present strabismus since they were born. The most frequent perinatal risk factors were threatened miscarriage, pre-eclampsia, foetal distress, and hypoxia. Esotropia is the most common type of strabismus in psychomotor retardation. The variability of squint magnitude is a characteristic in these patients. The moderate variability is the most frequent in both esotropia and exotropia. The most common refractive error is hyperopic astigmatism in esotropia and the myopic kind in exotropia. Copyright © 2015 Academia Mexicana de Cirugía A.C. Published by Masson Doyma México S.A. All rights reserved.

  10. Psychiatric Illness in Mentally Retarded Adolescents: Clinical Features.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Masi, Gabriele

    1998-01-01

    Describes the clinical features of the most important psychiatric disorders in mentally retarded adolescents: mood disorders, psychotic disorders, severe behavioral disorders, personality disorders, anxiety disorders, and attention-deficit The impact of mental retardation on personality development is confirmed by the high psychopathological…

  11. The Van Hiele geometry thinking levels of mild mental retardation students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shomad, Z. A.; Kusmayadi, T. A.; Riyadi

    2017-12-01

    This research is to investigate the level of mild mental retardation geometry students thinking. This research focuses on the geometry thinking level based on Van Hiele theory. This study uses qualitative methods with case study strategy. Data obtained from observation and tests result. The subjects are 12 mental retardation students. The result show that ability of mild mental retardation students with each other is different but have same level of level thinking geometry. The geometry thinking level of mental retardation students was identified in level 1 of the Van Hiele theory. Based on the level thinking geometry of mental retardation students simplify geometry thinking teachers in selecting appropriate learning methods, choose the materials in accordance with ability, and can modify the material following the geometry thinking level of mental retardation students.

  12. Experimental intrauterine growth retardation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Marthens, E; Harel, S; Zamenshof, S

    1975-01-01

    The effects of experimental intrauterine growth retardation on subsequent fetal development, especially with respect to brain development, were studied in a new animal model. The rabbit was chosen since it has a perinatal pattern of brain development similar to that of the human. Experimental ischemia was induced during the last trimester by ligation of spiral arterioles and the differential effects on fetal development at term (30th gestational day) are reported. Specific brain regions were examined for wet weight, total cell number (DNA) and total protein content. Highly significant decreases in all these parameters were found in both the cortex and cerebellum following experimental intrauterine growth retardation; these two organs were differentially affected. The prospects and advantages of using this animal model for the study of the postnatal "catch-up growth" are discussed.

  13. Retarded Boson–Fermion interaction in atomic systems

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    WINTEC

    The retardation effect arises from the finite speed of light, and the fact that a virtual photon is always in transit. By separating the center of mass motion, a wave equa- tion that looks like the effective equation for only one spin-1/2 fermion is derived in §3. The retardation ef- fect can now be calculated to all orders. Separation ...

  14. HIIT Augments Muscle Carnosine in the Absence of Dietary Beta-Alanine Intake.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salles Painelli, Vitor de; Nemezio, Kleiner Márcio; Jéssica, Ana; Franchi, Mariana; Andrade, Isabel; Riani, Luiz Augusto; Saunders, Bryan; Sale, Craig; Harris, Roger Charles; Gualano, Bruno; Artioli, Guilherme Giannini

    2018-06-21

    Cross-sectional studies suggest that training can increase muscle carnosine (MCarn), although longitudinal studies have failed to confirm this. A lack of control for dietary β-alanine intake or muscle fibre type shifting may have hampered their conclusions. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on MCarn. Twenty vegetarian men were randomly assigned to a control (CON; n=10) or HIIT (n=10) group. HIIT was carried out on a cycle ergometer for 12 weeks, with progressive volume (6-12 series) and intensity (140-170% lactate threshold [LT]). MCarn was quantified in whole-muscle and individual fibres; expression of selected genes (CARNS, CNDP2, ABAT, TauT and PAT1) and muscle buffering capacity in vitro (βmin vitro) were also determined. Exercise tests were performed to evaluate total work done (TWD), VO2max, ventilatory thresholds (VT) and LT. TWD, VT, LT, VO2max and βmin vitro were improved in the HIIT group (all P0.05). MCarn (in mmol·kg dry muscle) increased in the HIIT (15.8±5.7 to 20.6±5.3; p=0.012) but not the CON group (14.3±5.3 to 15.0±4.9; p=0.99). In type I fibres, MCarn increased in the HIIT (from 14.4±5.9 to 16.8±7.6; p=0.047) but not the CON group (from 14.0±5.5 to 14.9±5.4; p=0.99). In type IIa fibres, MCarn increased in the HIIT group (from 18.8±6.1 to 20.5±6.4; p=0.067) but not the CON group (from 19.7±4.5 to 18.8±4.4; p=0.37). No changes in gene expression were shown. In the absence of any dietary intake of β-alanine, HIIT increased MCarn content. The contribution of increased MCarn to the total increase in βmin vitro appears to be small.

  15. Nonstatic one-boson-exchange potential with retardation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Obinata, Toshio; Wada, Masanobu

    1975-01-01

    A one-boson-exchange potential (OBEP) with retardation represented in coordinate space is proposed, that produces a good fit to the experimental data such as the nuclear phase shifts, the deuteron properties and two-nucleon low-energy parameters. In addition to the scalar sigma 0 and Δ mesons, the well-established π, eta, ω and rho mesons have been exchanged in our OBEP. In the core region the hard core, Gaussian soft core and velocity-dependent core potentials are adopted. The characteristics of the retardation are discussed in detail as compared with those given in momentum space calculations. The OBEP's with and without retardation reproduce essentially the same phase shifts in spite of very different potential shapes, in particular in the central-to-tensor ratio. (auth.)

  16. Piagetian Object Permanence in Severely Mentally Retarded Adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brekke, Beverly; And Others

    The measurability of sensorimotor development in 60 severely retarded, institutionalized adults was studied, using the Piagetian concept of object permanence in a delayed recall paradigm that involved special apparatus. Results suggested, among other things, that severely retarded, institutionalized adults learn most efficiently when trained with…

  17. An urea, arginine and carnosine based cream (Ureadin Rx Db ISDIN shows greater efficacy in the treatment of severe xerosis of the feet in Type 2 diabetic patients in comparison with glycerol-based emollient cream. A randomized, assessor-blinded, controlled trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Federici Adalberto

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Xerosis is a common skin disorder frequently observed in diabetic patients. An effective hydration of foot skin in diabetics is a relevant preventive strategy in order to maintain a healthy foot. Urea is considered an effective hydrating and emollient topical product. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of topical urea 5% with arginine and carnosine (Ureadin Rx Db, ISDIN Spain (UC in comparison with glycerol-based emollient topical product (Dexeryl, Pierre Fabre (EC, in Type 2 diabetic patients. Methods We assessed the effect of UC on skin hydration in a randomized, evaluator-blinded comparative study in 40 type II diabetic patients, aged 40–75 years, treated with UC or the comparator for 28 days with a twice-daily application. The principal outcomes were the Dryness Area Severity Index (DASI Score and the Visual Analogue Score (VAS for skin dryness evaluated at baseline and at the end of study period by an investigator unaware of treatment allocation. Results UC induced significantly greater hydration than EC with an 89% reduction in DASI score (from 1.6 to 0.2; p  Conclusion Application of urea 5%, arginine and carnosine cream increases skin hydration and alleviates the condition of skin dryness in Type 2 diabetic patients in comparison with a control glycerol-based emollient product. (Dutch Trials Register trial number 3328.

  18. Fears of institutionalized mentally retarded adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sternlicht, M

    1979-01-01

    The patterns of fears of institutionalized mentally retarded adults were studied in a sample of i2 moderately retarded men and women between the ages of 21-49. The direct questioning method was employed. Two interviews were held, two weeks apart; the first interview elicited the Ss' fears, while the second concerned the fears of their friends. A total of 146 responses were obtained, and these were categorized according to the types of fears: supernatural-natural events, animals, physical injury, psychological stress, egocentric responses, and no fears. The Ss displayed a higher percentage of fears in the preoperational stage than in the concrete operational stage. In a comparison of male to female fears, only one category, that of fears of animals, reached significance. The study suggested that the same developmental trend of fears that appears in normal children appears in the retarded as well, and these fears follow Piaget's level of cognitive development, proceeding from egocentric perceptions of causality to realistic cause and effect thinking.

  19. The difficulties of teacher in teaching geometry for mental retardation students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shomad, Z. A.; Kusmayadi, T. A.; Riyadi

    2018-03-01

    The purpose of this research is to find out the problems faced by teachers in teaching materials on mental retardation students. It focused on the difficulties faced by the teacher in teaching geometry. A qualitative method with field study approach used in this study. The subjects in this research are the teacher and mild mental retardation students. There are six teachers and six students involve as the subject which is chosen by purposive sampling. The data of this research is the observation and interview against teachers and mental retardation students. The data was analyzed qualitatively with Miles and Huberman steps. The results of this research show that mental retardation students have less attention to the materials, less special books or learning media props, difficult in the set the students, and the difficulty in choosing the material that suits the student needs and the condition of mental retardation students. There's not much pay attention to the children with special need, particularly mental retardation student. Thus, this study can help analyze the difficulties teachers so that learning math for mental retardation students more optimal.

  20. Dysmorphology and mental retardation: molecular cytogenetic studies in dysmorphic mentally retarded patients.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Buggenhout, G.J.C.M. van; Ravenswaaij-Arts, C.M.A. van; Mieloo, H.; Syrrou, M.; Hamel, B.C.J.; Brunner, H.G.; Fryns, J.P.

    2001-01-01

    In an institutionalised population of 471 mentally retarded adult residents (436 males and 35 females), 18 patients (16 males and 2 females) with dysmorphic features were selected to perform FISH studies by using subtelomeric probes to discover cryptic terminal deletions or duplications,

  1. Crusted piloleiomyoma with mental retardation: A rare association

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kamboj Sangeeta

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Piloleiomyoma is an uncommon benign smooth muscle neoplasm arising from arrector pili muscle. It is clinically defined by the presence of solitary or multiple reddish brown, dome-shaped, smooth papules or nodules, ranging in size from a few millimeters to a centimeter. The patients are otherwise healthy; but mental retardation developing in some patients with multiple Piloleiomyomas has been emerging as an intriguing matter for analysis by the scientists. In this case report, a mentally retarded patient with Piloleiomyoma is described, who, besides the characteristic smooth and dome-shaped lesions on the anterolateral aspect of the dorsum of the right foot, had developed crusting on one of the largest lesions. The histopathological features were consistent with Piloleiomyoma. The occurrence of Piloleiomyoma in a mentally retarded child and its unusual crusted nature has been rarely reported. The association between Piloleiomyoma and mental retardation is further stressed in this case report.

  2. Flame Retardant Effect of Nano Fillers on Polydimethylsiloxane Composites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jagdale, Pravin; Salimpour, Samera; Islam, Md Hujjatul; Cuttica, Fabio; Hernandez, Francisco C Robles; Tagliaferro, Alberto; Frache, Alberto

    2018-02-01

    Polydimethylsiloxane has exceptional fire retardancy characteristics, which make it a popular polymer in flame retardancy applications. Flame retardancy of polydimethylsiloxane with different nano fillers was studied. Polydimethylsiloxane composite fire property varies because of the shape, size, density, and chemical nature of nano fillers. In house made carbon and bismuth oxide nano fillers were used in polydimethylsiloxane composite. Carbon from biochar (carbonised bamboo) and a carbon by-product (carbon soot) were selected. For comparative study of nano fillers, standard commercial multiwall carbon nano tubes (functionalised, graphitised and pristine) as nano fillers were selected. Nano fillers in polydimethylsiloxane positively affects their fire retardant properties such as total smoke release, peak heat release rate, and time to ignition. Charring and surface ceramization are the main reasons for such improvement. Nano fillers in polydimethylsiloxane may affect the thermal mobility of polymer chains, which can directly affect the time to ignition. The study concludes that the addition of pristine multiwall carbon nano tubes and bismuth oxide nano particles as filler in polydimethylsiloxane composite improves the fire retardant property.

  3. Autism and Mental Retardation of Young Children in China

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    XIN ZHANG; CHENG-YE JI

    2005-01-01

    Objective To understand the prevalence and rehabilitation status of autism and mental retardation in China. Methods Screening test and clinical assessment were conducted for the diagnosis of autism and mental retardation. The assessment included investigation of the histories of medical conditions and development of these two disorders, utilization and needs for the rehabilitation service, and related intellectual and behavioral appraisal. Results Among the 7345 children investigated, the prevalence of autism disorder was 1.10 cases per 1000 children aged 2-6 years (95% CI=0.34 to 2.54), and the prevalence of mental retardation was 10.76 cases per 1000 children (95% CI=8.40 to 13.12). All the children suffering from autistic disorder were intellectually disabled, whereas 31.0% of the non-autism mental retardates had other disabilities. The medical conditions prior to birth and perinatal period were important potential factors for autism. Half of the autistic children and 84% of the children with non-autism mental retardation had never received any rehabilitative service. Conclusions The prevalence of autistic disorder in children aged 2-6 years in Tianjin is rather high. It is urgent to improve the status of the autistic and intelligently disabled young children in China. In order to upgrade the level of early diagnostic and improve the intervention to autism and mental retardation, public awareness and training courses should be heightened.

  4. Iconic Memory Deficit of Mildly Mentally Retarded Individuals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hornstein, Henry A.; Mosley, James L.

    1987-01-01

    Ten mildly retarded young adult males and nonretarded subjects matched for chronological age or mental age were required to recognize both verbal and nonverbal stimuli presented tachistoscopically. Results of a backward visual masking paradigm varying stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) indicated the retarded subjects performed poorer at the longest…

  5. Radiation-Induced Growth Retardation and Microstructural and Metabolite Abnormalities in the Hippocampus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodgers, Shaefali P; Zawaski, Janice A; Sahnoune, Iman; Leasure, J Leigh; Gaber, M Waleed

    2016-01-01

    Cranial radiotherapy (CRT) increases survival in pediatric brain-tumor patients but can cause deleterious effects. This study evaluates the acute and long-term impact of CRT delivered during childhood/adolescence on the brain and body using a rodent model. Rats received CRT, either 4 Gy fractions × 5 d (fractionated) or a cumulative dose of 20 Gy (single dose) at 28 d of age. Animals were euthanized 1 d, 5 d, or 3.5 mo after CRT. The 3.5 mo group was imaged prior to euthanasia. At 3.5 mo, we observed significant growth retardation in irradiated animals, versus controls, and the effects of single dose on brain and body weights were more severe than fractionated. Acutely single dose significantly reduced body weight but increased brain weight, whereas fractionation significantly reduced brain but not body weights, versus controls. CRT suppressed cell proliferation in the hippocampal subgranular zone acutely. Fractional anisotropy (FA) in the fimbria was significantly lower in the single dose versus controls. Hippocampal metabolite levels were significantly altered in the single dose animals, reflecting a heightened state of inflammation that was absent in the fractionated. Our findings indicate that despite the differences in severity between the doses they both demonstrated an effect on cell proliferation and growth retardation, important factors in pediatric CRT.

  6. Risk Factors to Growth Retardation in Major Thalassemia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Riva Uda

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available The increasing in the life span of patients with major thalassemia should be followed by increased quality of life. There are factors which can affect growth retardation in these patients. The aim of this study was to find out the risk factors for growth retardation in patients with major thalassemia. An analytical study with cross-sectional design was conducted at Pediatric Thalassemia Clinics of Dr.Hasan Sadikin Hospital, Bandung, in June to July 2006. The subjects of this study were patients with major thalassemia. Inclusion criteria’s were age under 14 years old, had no chronic diseases like tuberculosis, cerebral palsy with complete medical records. Risk factors were the timing of diagnosis, initial and dose of deferoxamine, volume of transfused blood, mean pretransfusion hemoglobin level, family income, and age. Antropometric measurement indices were used to assess the growth which expressed in Z score. Growth evaluated based on height/age (H/A and growth retardation if H/A <-2 SD. Risk factors for growth retardation were analyzed separately using chi-square test and odds ratio (OR with 95% confidence interval (CI. Then they were analyzed simultaneously with logistic regression method. Subjects consisted of 152 patients with major thalassemia. Seventy three thalassemia patients were stunted. Analysis showed that age (OR: 5.42, 95% CI:2.32–12.65, p <0.001, dosage of deferoxamine (OR: 4.0, 95% CI: 1.29–12.41, p: 0.016, and family income (OR: 2.32, 95% CI: 1.06–5.06, p: 0.036 were risks factors for growth retardation. Conclusion, risk factors for growth retardation in major thalassemia are age, dosage of deferoxamine, and family income.

  7. The p75{sup NTR} tumor suppressor induces cell cycle arrest facilitating caspase mediated apoptosis in prostate tumor cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Khwaja, Fatima [Department of Biochemistry and Molecular and Cellular Biology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057-1436 (United States); Tabassum, Arshia [Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, ON, M5T258 (Canada); Allen, Jeff [National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, N.I.H., Bethesda, MD 20892 (United States); Djakiew, Daniel [Department of Biochemistry and Molecular and Cellular Biology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057-1436 (United States) and Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057-1436 (United States)

    2006-03-24

    The p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75{sup NTR}) is a death receptor which belongs to the tumor necrosis factor receptor super-family of membrane proteins. This study shows that p75{sup NTR} retarded cell cycle progression by induced accumulation of cells in G0/G1 and a reduction in the S phase of the cell cycle. The rescue of tumor cells from cell cycle progression by a death domain deleted ({delta}DD) dominant-negative antagonist of p75{sup NTR} showed that the death domain transduced anti-proliferative activity in a ligand-independent manner. Conversely, addition of NGF ligand rescued retardation of cell cycle progression with commensurate changes in components of the cyclin/cdk holoenzyme complex. In the absence of ligand, p75{sup NTR}-dependent cell cycle arrest facilitated an increase in apoptotic nuclear fragmentation of the prostate cancer cells. Apoptosis of p75{sup NTR} expressing cells occurred via the intrinsic mitochondrial pathway leading to a sequential caspase-9 and -7 cascade. Since the death domain deleted dominant-negative antagonist of p75{sup NTR} rescued intrinsic caspase associated apoptosis in PC-3 cells, this shows p75{sup NTR} was integral to ligand independent induction of apoptosis. Moreover, the ability of ligand to ameliorate the p75{sup NTR}-dependent intrinsic apoptotic cascade indicates that NGF functioned as a survival factor for p75{sup NTR} expressing prostate cancer cells.

  8. Aryl Polyphosphonates: Useful Halogen-Free Flame Retardants for Polymers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Li Chen

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Aryl polyphosphonates (ArPPN have been demonstrated to function in wide applications as flame retardants for different polymer materials, including thermosets, polycarbonate, polyesters and polyamides, particularly due to their satisfactory thermal stability compared to aliphatic flame retardants, and to their desirable flow behavior observed during the processing of polymeric materials. This paper provides a brief overview of the main developments in ArPPN and their derivatives for flame-retarding polymeric materials, primarily based on the authors’ research work and the literature published over the last two decades. The synthetic chemistry of these compounds is discussed along with their thermal stabilities and flame-retardant properties. The possible mechanisms of ArPPN and their derivatives containing hetero elements, which exhibit a synergistic effect with phosphorus, are also discussed.

  9. Nonretarded and Mentally Retarded Children's Control over Syntax Structures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McLeavey, Breda C.; And Others

    1982-01-01

    Ten nonretarded preschoolers and 10 mildly mentally retarded children (mean age 8 years) were compared for control over various syntactic structures. The retarded children evidenced difficulties similar to those of younger nonretarded children. (Author/SB)

  10. Non-hydrolyzed in digestive tract and blood natural L-carnosine peptide ("bioactivated Jewish penicillin") as a panacea of tomorrow for various flu ailments: signaling activity attenuating nitric oxide (NO) production, cytostasis, and NO-dependent inhibition of influenza virus replication in macrophages in the human body infected with the virulent swine influenza A (H1N1) virus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Babizhayev, Mark A; Deyev, Anatoliy I; Yegorov, Yegor E

    2013-01-01

    in excessive amounts mediate the overreaction of the host's immune response against the organs or tissues in which viruses are replicating, and this may explain the mechanism of tissue injuries observed in influenza virus infection of various types. In this article, the types of protection of carnosine in its bioavailable non-hydrolyzed forms in formulations are considered against reactive oxygen radical species-dependent injury, peroxynitrite damage, and other types of viral injuries in which impaired immune responses to viral pathogens are usually involved. Carnosine (β-alanyl-L-histidine) shows the pharmacological intracellular correction of NO release, which might be one of the important factors of natural immunity in controlling the initial stages of influenza A virus infection (inhibition of virus replication) and virus-induced regulation of cytokine gene expression. The protective effects of orally applied non-hydrolyzed formulated species of carnosine include at least the direct interaction with NO, inhibition of cytotoxic NO-induced proinflammatory condition, and attenuation of the effects of cytokines and chemokines that can exert profound effects on inflammatory cells. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that natural products, such as chicken soup and chicken breast extracts rich in carnosine and its derivative anserine (β-alanyl-1-methyl-L-histidine), could contribute to the pathogenesis and prevention of influenza virus infections and cold but have a limitation due to the susceptibility to enzymatic hydrolysis of dipeptides with serum carnosinase and urine excretion after oral ingestion of a commercial chicken extract. The formulations of non-hydrolyzed in digestive tract and blood natural carnosine peptide and isopeptide (γ-glutamyl-carnosine) products, manufactured at the cGMP-certified facility and patented by the authors, have promise in the control and prevention of influenza A (H1N1) virus infection, cough, and cold.

  11. Parental Attitude Towards Mental Retardation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    LEOKADIA WIATROWSKA

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available https://doaj.org/puChild's developmental retardation is an undoubted condition for the absence of educational attainment and its unpleasant mental state. Due to the nature of multidimensional state of that, parental attitudes become relevant, as they affect the acceleration or retardation of development. Positive parental attitudes are the strong weapon for the child and his struggles on the way to an equal start and equal development opportunities. For this reason you should emphasize those factors that build the structures supporting developmental progression.An ecosystem approach to human development emphasizes each factor as relevant component for growth and expansion, without denying its own human activity and his self-determination rightblisher/metadata

  12. Development of low-smoke, flame-retarding cables

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kato, H.; Kanemitsuya, K.; Furukawa, K.; Mio, K.

    1983-01-01

    A great deal of attention has been given to the potential fire hazard of combustion gases from organic materials. Although cable industries have developed flame-retarding organic materials for the insulation and jacketing of wires and cables, there was insufficient prevention of toxic gas formation during combustion. To cope with these problems associated with conventional PVC cables, the authors have directed to develop low-smoke, flame-retarding plasticized PVC formulations retaining the original mechanical, electrical and aging properties. A series of basic investigations on smoke suppression followed by an evaluation on practical cables could indicate some effective means to end these problems. This paper describes the results and discussion on smoke suppressing study of plasticized PVC as well as behavior and characteristics of the low-smoke, flame-retarding PVC wires and cables using these materials. (author)

  13. Distal joint contractures, mental retardation, characteristic face and growth retardation: Chitayat syndrome revisited.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wortmann, S.B.; Rodenburg, R.J.T.; Schwahn, B.; Smeitink, J.A.M.; Morava, E.

    2007-01-01

    We report on a patient with congenital distal limb contractures, characteristic face, prominent metopic sutures, narrow forehead, severe psychomotor and growth retardation, white matter lesions and failure to thrive. The child has many overlapping features with those reported previously by Chitayat.

  14. Epidemiology of Mental Retardation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heber, Rick

    Prevalence data on mental retardation is presented including international estimates on general prevalence, age directions, geographical variations within the United States, racial and ethnic variations, economic class distributions, family variations, and population distribution in institutions. Statistics are also provided in areas of specific…

  15. [Review on application of plant growth retardants in medicinal plants cultivation].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhai, Yu-Yao; Guo, Bao-Lin; Cheng, Ming

    2013-09-01

    Plant growth retardants are widely used in cultivation of medicinal plant, but there is still lack of scientific guidance. In order to guide the use of plant growth retardants in medicinal plant cultivation efficiently and reasonably, this paper reviewed the mechanism, function characteristic, plant and soil residue of plant growth retardants, such as chlorocholine chloride, mepiquat chloride, paclobutrazol, unicnazle and succinic acid, and summarized the application of plant growth retardants in medicinal plants cultivation in recent years, with focus on the effect of growth and yield of the officinal organs and secondary metabolites.

  16. Macrophage PPARγ inhibits Gpr132 to mediate the anti-tumor effects of rosiglitazone

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Wing Yin; Huynh, HoangDinh; Chen, Peiwen; Peña-Llopis, Samuel; Wan, Yihong

    2016-01-01

    Tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) significantly contributes to cancer progression. Human cancer is enhanced by PPARγ loss-of-function mutations, but inhibited by PPARγ agonists such as TZD diabetes drugs including rosiglitazone. However, it remains enigmatic whether and how macrophage contributes to PPARγ tumor-suppressive functions. Here we report that macrophage PPARγ deletion in mice not only exacerbates mammary tumor development but also impairs the anti-tumor effects of rosiglitazone. Mechanistically, we identify Gpr132 as a novel direct PPARγ target in macrophage whose expression is enhanced by PPARγ loss but repressed by PPARγ activation. Functionally, macrophage Gpr132 is pro-inflammatory and pro-tumor. Genetic Gpr132 deletion not only retards inflammation and cancer growth but also abrogates the anti-tumor effects of PPARγ and rosiglitazone. Pharmacological Gpr132 inhibition significantly impedes mammary tumor malignancy. These findings uncover macrophage PPARγ and Gpr132 as critical TAM modulators, new cancer therapeutic targets, and essential mediators of TZD anti-cancer effects. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.18501.001 PMID:27692066

  17. Fire-retardant-treated strandboard : properties and fire performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jerrold Winandy; Qingwen Wang; Robert H. White

    2008-01-01

    This study evaluated a series of single-layer, randomly oriented strandboard panels made with one resin type, a single resin loading level, and four fire-retardant-treatment levels. The fire retardant (FR) evaluated was a pH-buffered combination of boric acid and organic phosphate. Siberian larch strands were separated into five batches. One batch of strands served as...

  18. Growth retardation in children injected with 224Ra

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spiess, H.; Mays, C.W.; Spiess-Paulus, E.

    1986-01-01

    We have obtained the adult heights of 133 patients formerly injected with 224 Ra as juveniles. 224 Ra induced growth retardation was greatest in children injected at young ages and increased with dose. The growth retardation was well represented as a 2% decrease in potential growth post irradiation per 100 rads of calculated average skeletal dose. (orig.)

  19. Optimization of a therapeutic electromagnetic field (EMF) to retard breast cancer tumor growth and vascularity

    OpenAIRE

    Cameron, Ivan L; Markov, Marko S; Hardman, W Elaine

    2014-01-01

    Background This study provided additional data on the effects of a therapeutic electromagnetic field (EMF) device on growth and vascularization of murine 16/C mammary adenocarcinoma cells implanted in C3H/HeJ mice. Methods The therapeutic EMF device generated a defined 120 Hz semi sine wave pulse signal of variable intensity. Murine 16/C mammary adenocarcinoma tumor fragments were implanted subcutaneously between the scapulae of syngeneic C3H mice. Once the tumor grew to 100 mm3, daily EMF tr...

  20. Psychomotor Retardation in untreated depressed elderly

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lieve Lia Beheydt

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Psychomotor retardation (PR is one of the core features in depression according to 17 DSM V1, but also aging in itself causes cognitive and psychomotor slowing. This is the first study 18 investigating psychomotor retardation in relation to cognitive functioning and to the concomitant 19 effect of depression and aging in a geriatric population ruling out contending effects of psychotropic 20 medication. Methods: A group of 28 non-demented depressed elderly is compared to a matched 21 control group of 20 healthy elderly. All participants underwent a test battery containing clinical 22 depression measures, cognitive measures of processing speed, executive function and memory, 23 clinical ratings of psychomotor retardation and objective computerized fine motor skill-tests. 24 Statistical analysis consisted of a General Linear Method (GLM multivariate analysis of variance to 25 compare the clinical, cognitive and psychomotor outcomes of the two groups. Results: Patients 26 performed worse on all clinical, cognitive and psychomotor retardation measures. Both groups 27 showed an effect of cognitive load on fine motor function but the influence was significantly larger 28 for patients than for healthy elderly except for the initiation time. Limitations: due to the restrictive 29 inclusion criteria, only a relatively limited sample size could be obtained. Conclusion: With a 30 medication free sample, an additive effect of depression and aging on cognition and PR in geriatric 31 patients was found,. As this effect was independent of demand of effort (by varying the cognitive 32 load, it was apparently not a motivational slowing effect of depression.

  1. Explicit hypoxia targeting with tumor suppression by creating an "obligate" anaerobic Salmonella Typhimurium strain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Bin; Yang, Mei; Shi, Lei; Yao, Yandan; Jiang, Qinqin; Li, Xuefei; Tang, Lei-Han; Zheng, Bo-Jian; Yuen, Kwok-Yung; Smith, David K; Song, Erwei; Huang, Jian-Dong

    2012-01-01

    Using bacteria as therapeutic agents against solid tumors is emerging as an area of great potential in the treatment of cancer. Obligate and facultative anaerobic bacteria have been shown to infiltrate the hypoxic regions of solid tumors, thereby reducing their growth rate or causing regression. However, a major challenge for bacterial therapy of cancer with facultative anaerobes is avoiding damage to normal tissues. Consequently the virulence of bacteria must be adequately attenuated for therapeutic use. By placing an essential gene under a hypoxia conditioned promoter, SalmonellaTyphimurium strain SL7207 was engineered to survive only in anaerobic conditions (strain YB1) without otherwise affecting its functions. In breast tumor bearing nude mice, YB1 grew within the tumor, retarding its growth, while being rapidly eliminated from normal tissues. YB1 provides a safe bacterial vector for anti-tumor therapies without compromising the other functions or tumor fitness of the bacterium as attenuation methods normally do.

  2. Characteristics of Those Persons with Mental Retardation Registered with the Mental Retardation Division.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cocks, Errol; Ng, Pin Chee

    1983-01-01

    The paper discusses an analysis of a computerized data bank on the mentally retarded population in Victoria, Australia. Prevalence rates, severity of handicap, age, sex, and residence type are reviewed and implications for community vocational and residential services for adults are noted. (CL)

  3. 38 CFR 4.127 - Mental retardation and personality disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... AFFAIRS SCHEDULE FOR RATING DISABILITIES Disability Ratings Mental Disorders § 4.127 Mental retardation and personality disorders. Mental retardation and personality disorders are not diseases or injuries... from them may not be service-connected. However, disability resulting from a mental disorder that is...

  4. STRUCTURE OF BODY DEFORMATIES AMONG PERSONS WITH MENTAL RETARDATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Blagoja GESHOSKI

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this research was to assess body structure deformities among people with mental retardation.Knowing the structure of people with mental retardation’s physical deformities is the starting basis of a quality program for preventive and corrective work. Also, it is a starting point in the process of special education and rehabilitation in regards to their removal and mitigation.The structure of the physical deformities among persons with mental retardation were analyzed in terms of age and degree of mental retardation in relation to everyday life activities.The inquiry covered 170 respondents with mental retardation in both sexes. All respondents were placed in an institution for treatment of persons with severe and profound mental retardation (Special Institute Deep River. On the basis of two criteria, participants are divided into groups. The first criterion forestablishing a group of level of mental retardation: Group I - severe mental retardation (TMR and Group II - profound mental retardation (DMR. A second criterion for establishing the age group of respondents: Group I - age 18 years; Group II- Age 19 - 30 years and Group III - over 31 years. The structure of the physical deformities was analyzed in terms of age and degree of mental retardation in relation to activities in everyday life.For the purposes of the planned research , an integral protocol is established for the evaluation of physical deformities among persons with disabilities, including: an application form for general information about the respondents, a questionnaire to assess somatic status, and a clinical sheet and test activities in everyday life (Test ASZH, Rusk, 1971. All data obtained by the research are expressed quantitatively and treated with the following statistical methods and procedures: number of repetitions, frequency and percentages, measure of central tendency, the arithmetic mean and standard deviation, χ2 and Fisher Exact - test

  5. Sex between persons with 'mental retardation': an ethical evaluation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Spiecker, B.; Steutel, J.W.

    2002-01-01

    Is sex between people with "mental retardation" morally permissible and, if at all, under what conditions? This paper tries to answer this question, but only with regard to sex between biologically mature individuals with mild or moderate mental retardation. First, the concepts of "sexual activity"

  6. Trace element analysis of hair of mentally retarded children

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bhandari, H.P.S.; Lal, G.; Sidhu, N.P.S.; Mittal, V.K.; Sahota, H.S.

    1987-01-01

    Unlike previously reported, Zn and Se levels were found to be the same in the hair of mentally retarded children and controls. Non-essential toxic Ag concentration was low whereas that of Hg, Au and Sc rather high in mentally retarded children. (author) 4 refs

  7. Psychometric properties of ADHD rating scales among children with mental retardation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Michael L; Fee, Virginia E; Jones, Christie J

    2004-01-01

    The validity of hyperactivity rating scales in children with mental retardation was evaluated. Forty-eight children with mental retardation were rated by parents, teachers and teaching assistants on rating scales measuring Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as part of a related investigation. In addition, direct observations were conducted using the Abikoff Classroom Observation Code. The concurrent validity of each scale was examined. Scales completed by both teachers and teaching assistants were found to provide valid information for the assessment of ADHD in mentally retarded children. Results provided the best support for the ABC-C in the assessment of ADHD in mentally retarded children.

  8. Improving free play skills of severely retarded children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wehman, P; Marchant, J A

    1978-02-01

    Severely and profoundly retarded children are usually deficient in play skills. Since play facilitates socialization, language, and motor development, it is a vitally improtant skill to acquire. This pilot study examined the effects of a behavioral training program on the autistic, independent, and social types of play of four severely and profoundly retarded children. The training program involved the use of instructions, modeling, physical guidance, and verbal reinforcement. Results indicated that a marked increase in independent and social play occurred with the introduction of the training program with all four children. Occupational therapists can play an increasingly important role in helping educators formulate relevant educational programs for severely retarded children, particularly in the areas of play and motor skill development.

  9. Modeling and prediction of retardance in citric acid coated ferrofluid using artificial neural network

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lin, Jing-Fung; Sheu, Jer-Jia

    2016-01-01

    Citric acid coated (citrate-stabilized) magnetite (Fe 3 O 4 ) magnetic nanoparticles have been conducted and applied in the biomedical fields. Using Taguchi-based measured retardances as the training data, an artificial neural network (ANN) model was developed for the prediction of retardance in citric acid (CA) coated ferrofluid (FF). According to the ANN simulation results in the training stage, the correlation coefficient between predicted retardances and measured retardances was found to be as high as 0.9999998. Based on the well-trained ANN model, the predicted retardance at excellent program from Taguchi method showed less error of 2.17% compared with a multiple regression (MR) analysis of statistical significance. Meanwhile, the parameter analysis at excellent program by the ANN model had the guiding significance to find out a possible program for the maximum retardance. It was concluded that the proposed ANN model had high ability for the prediction of retardance in CA coated FF. - Highlights: • The feedforward ANN is applied for modeling of retardance in CA coated FFs. • ANN can predict the retardance at excellent program with acceptable error to MR. • The proposed ANN has high ability for the prediction of retardance.

  10. The RRP Project: investigating radionuclide retardation in the host rock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alexander, W.R.; Frieg, B.; Ota, K.; Bossart, P.

    1996-01-01

    The Radionuclide Retardation Project (RRP), which is a joint Nagra/PNC (Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corp.) project, has two components: the first (the Excavation Project, EP) looks at the behaviour of radionuclides which are so strongly retarded in the experimental shear zone that they cannot pass through the zones in experimentally reasonable times. In order to determine where radionuclide retardation has occurred in the pore space, as well as the flowpath geometry in the shear zone, the entire injection zone has to be excavated and taken back to the laboratory for analysis of the sites of retardation of the radionuclides. This approach has the advantage of allowing a detailed 3D description of the experimental shear zone. The aim of the second component of the project (Connected Porosities, CP) is to examine the fate of those radionuclides which diffuse out of the main water-conducting features in the shear zone and into the pore spaces of the rock matrix, where they become trapped. This represents a potentially significant retardation mechanism in a repository host rock. (author) 8 figs., refs

  11. Brominated flame retardants: occurrence, dietary intake and risk assessment

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Winter-Sorkina R de; Bakker MI; Wolterink G; Zeijlmaker MJ; SIR

    2006-01-01

    Brominated flame retardants have entered the human food chain. For the time being the occurrence of these chemicals in Dutch food does not pose a human health risk. However, this might easily change at increasing contents of flame retardants in Dutch food. The monitoring of brominated flame

  12. Depth-resolved phase retardation measurements for laser-assisted non-ablative cartilage reshaping

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Youn, Jong-In [Beckman Laser Institute and Medical Clinic, University of California, Irvine, CA 92612 (United States); Vargas, Gracie [Center for Bioengineering, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555 (United States); Wong, Brian J F [Beckman Laser Institute and Medical Clinic, University of California, Irvine, CA 92612 (United States); Milner, Thomas E [Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 (United States)

    2005-05-07

    Since polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) is emerging as a new technique for determining phase retardation in biological materials, we measured phase retardation changes in cartilage during local laser heating for application to laser-assisted cartilage reshaping. Thermally-induced changes in phase retardation of nasal septal cartilage following Nd:YAG laser irradiation were investigated using a PS-OCT system. A PS-OCT system and infrared imaging radiometer were used to record, respectively, depth-resolved images of the Stokes parameters of light backscattered from ex vivo porcine nasal septal cartilage and radiometric temperature changes following laser irradiation. PS-OCT images of cartilage were recorded before (control), during and after laser irradiation. From the measured Stokes parameters (I, Q, U and V), an estimate of the relative phase retardation between two orthogonal polarizations was computed to determine birefringence in cartilage. Phase retardation images of light backscattered from cartilage show significant changes in retardation following laser irradiation. To investigate the origin of retardation changes in response to local heat generation, we differentiated two possible mechanisms: dehydration and thermal denaturation. PS-OCT images of cartilage were recorded after dehydration in glycerol and thermal denaturation in heated physiological saline. In our experiments, observed retardation changes in cartilage are primarily due to dehydration. Since dehydration is a principal source for retardation changes in cartilage over the range of heating profiles investigated, our studies suggest that the use of PS-OCT as a feedback control methodology for non-ablative cartilage reshaping requires further investigation.

  13. Depth-resolved phase retardation measurements for laser-assisted non-ablative cartilage reshaping

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Youn, Jong-In; Vargas, Gracie; Wong, Brian J F; Milner, Thomas E

    2005-01-01

    Since polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) is emerging as a new technique for determining phase retardation in biological materials, we measured phase retardation changes in cartilage during local laser heating for application to laser-assisted cartilage reshaping. Thermally-induced changes in phase retardation of nasal septal cartilage following Nd:YAG laser irradiation were investigated using a PS-OCT system. A PS-OCT system and infrared imaging radiometer were used to record, respectively, depth-resolved images of the Stokes parameters of light backscattered from ex vivo porcine nasal septal cartilage and radiometric temperature changes following laser irradiation. PS-OCT images of cartilage were recorded before (control), during and after laser irradiation. From the measured Stokes parameters (I, Q, U and V), an estimate of the relative phase retardation between two orthogonal polarizations was computed to determine birefringence in cartilage. Phase retardation images of light backscattered from cartilage show significant changes in retardation following laser irradiation. To investigate the origin of retardation changes in response to local heat generation, we differentiated two possible mechanisms: dehydration and thermal denaturation. PS-OCT images of cartilage were recorded after dehydration in glycerol and thermal denaturation in heated physiological saline. In our experiments, observed retardation changes in cartilage are primarily due to dehydration. Since dehydration is a principal source for retardation changes in cartilage over the range of heating profiles investigated, our studies suggest that the use of PS-OCT as a feedback control methodology for non-ablative cartilage reshaping requires further investigation

  14. Labeling, Rehearsal, and Short-Term Memory in Retarded Children

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hagen, John W.; And Others

    1974-01-01

    A short-term memory task was used to explore the effects of verbal labeling and rehearsal on serial-position recall in mildly retarded 9-to 11-year-old children. Results support the view that verbal skills affect recall in mildly retarded children similarly to normal children. (Author/SDH)

  15. Organophosphorus flame retardants – Toxicity and influence on human health

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elżbieta Bruchajzer

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Organophosphorus flame retardants (flame retardants, FRs have been used for several decades in many industries, including the production of dyes, varnishes, adhesives, synthetic resins, polyvinyl chloride, hydraulic fluids, plastics and textiles. Their importance in recent times has increased due to i.a., significantly reduced use of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs – persistent organic pollutants, dangerous for the environment. The aim of this study was to review the available literature data concerning phosphorous FRs primarily for neurotoxic, fertility, reproductive and carcinogenic effects. The analysis concerned the following most commonly used substances: tris(2-ethylhexylphosphate (TEHP, tris(2-butoxyethylphosphate (TBEP, triphenyl phosphate (TPP, tris(2-chloroethylphosphate (TCEP, tetrakis(hydroxymethyl-phosphonium chloride (THPC, tributyl phosphate (TBP, tricresyl phosphate (TCP, tris(2-chloroisopropylphosphate (TCPP, tris(1,3-dichloroisopropylphosphate (TDCP and tetrakis(hydroxymethyl phosphonium sulphate (THPS. In animal studies neurotoxic effects were found after exposure to TBEP, THPC, TBP and TCP, while in humans they were observed only after exposure to TCP. TCEP, THPS, TBP, TCP and TDCP caused disorders in fertility and/or fetal development of animals. Adverse effects on reproduction in humans may be caused by TPP, TCP, and TDCP. In laboratory animals the development of tumors was observed after high doses of TEHP, TCEP, TBP and TDCP. None of these compounds is classified as a human carcinogen. The environmental toxicity of phosphate FRs is low (except for TPP, TCEP and TBEP. They are not stable compounds, in living organisms they are metabolised and quickly excreted. Therefore, they can be used as an alternative to PBDEs. Med. Pr. 2015;66(2:235–264

  16. Explicit hypoxia targeting with tumor suppression by creating an “obligate” anaerobic Salmonella Typhimurium strain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Bin; Yang, Mei; Shi, Lei; Yao, Yandan; Jiang, Qinqin; Li, Xuefei; Tang, Lei-Han; Zheng, Bo-Jian; Yuen, Kwok-Yung; Smith, David K.; Song, Erwei; Huang, Jian-Dong

    2012-01-01

    Using bacteria as therapeutic agents against solid tumors is emerging as an area of great potential in the treatment of cancer. Obligate and facultative anaerobic bacteria have been shown to infiltrate the hypoxic regions of solid tumors, thereby reducing their growth rate or causing regression. However, a major challenge for bacterial therapy of cancer with facultative anaerobes is avoiding damage to normal tissues. Consequently the virulence of bacteria must be adequately attenuated for therapeutic use. By placing an essential gene under a hypoxia conditioned promoter, Salmonella Typhimurium strain SL7207 was engineered to survive only in anaerobic conditions (strain YB1) without otherwise affecting its functions. In breast tumor bearing nude mice, YB1 grew within the tumor, retarding its growth, while being rapidly eliminated from normal tissues. YB1 provides a safe bacterial vector for anti-tumor therapies without compromising the other functions or tumor fitness of the bacterium as attenuation methods normally do. PMID:22666539

  17. Flexible PVC flame retarded with expandable graphite

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Focke, WW

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available this outstanding fire resistance. Thus flame-retardant (FR) and smoke-suppressant (SS) additives must be incorporated in order to meet product test specifications such as oxygen index, heat release rate, smoke evolution, or the extent of burning [1]. Levchik... plot for the composites fabricated in this work. For a material to be effectively flame retarded both the fire load and the fire growth index should assume low values. Figure 11 shows a dramatic decrease for all the EG composites relative to the neat...

  18. Weakening of the radioprotective action of gas hypoxia with growth of ascitic tumors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aytmagambetova, B Z; Shmakova, N L; Fadeyeva, T A

    1975-06-27

    It was shown previously that moderate hypoxia induced by breathing oxygen-poor air (5 percent O/sub 2/) reduces the lethal effect of the total irradiation of mice, while with local irradiation of tumors reduction of tumor growth rate is even more marked in hypoxia-protected animals than with irradiation of mice in normal air. This suggests the possible therapeutic application of hypoxia. It was found that acute gas hypoxia strongly retards radiation damage to bone marrow, both qualitatively (type of cells affected) and quantitatively. In addition, a definite weakening of the protective effect of hypoxia was observed, this being proportional to increase in tumor size. Planned future tests involving direct dynamic measurement of oxygen stress as a function of amount of ascites are expected to supply further information on reduction of radiosensitivity of normal tissues and on the selective intensification of tumor regression. Graphic data accompany the paper. (JPRS)

  19. Cognitive Representation of Motion in Individuals with Mental Retardation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Conners, Frances A.; Wyatt, Beverly S.; Dulaney, Cynthia L.

    1998-01-01

    Fifteen adolescents with and 15 without mental retardation were compared on their tendency to show the representational momentum effect when viewing a stimulus array that implied motion. Participants with mental retardation showed the representational momentum effects as did the others, although the magnitude of the memory shift was smaller.…

  20. Short-Term Memory for Movement Duration in Mentally Retarded and Nonretarded Adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elliott, Digby; Grundy, Stephen B.

    1984-01-01

    Both retarded and nonretarded adults (N=26) failed to benefit from opportunities to mentally rehearse their criterion movement over the retention interval, suggesting that strategic differences between the groups cannot explain the poorer performances of the retarded Ss. The retarded Ss appeared to have problems remembering the sensory…

  1. The role of C-reactive protein and polyarginine in tumor immunotherapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rizk, S L; Mold, C; Haklin, M; Roseman, D L

    1986-07-01

    C-reactive protein (CRP) is an acute-phase reactant whose serum level rises rapidly in response to tissue injury. C-reactive protein binding to cells can activate the classical complement pathway, and enhance opsonophagocytosis. The polycation poly-L-arginine (PLA) can artificially fix CRP to target cells. The effects of CRP and PLA on tumor growth were evaluated, both independently and synergistically, using the V X 2 tumor line in the rabbit host. Ten normal animals and seven acute-phase animals were bilaterally inoculated with V X 2 cells (control side) and PLA-treated V X 2 cells (experimental side). Tumor growth was significantly retarded on the treatment side (P less than 0.005), in both animal groups. It is concluded that topical PLA is a potent inhibitor of V X 2 tumor growth. Comparison of normal and acute-phase animals revealed no persistent difference in tumor growth for either cell inoculum. Similarly, cell treatment with topical CRP did not inhibit tumor growth, whether PLA was present or not. Thus, circulating and topical CRP did not alter the rate of V X 2 tumor growth. PLA cytotoxicity remains to be evaluated when the agent is administered orthotopically, selectively, or systemically.

  2. Determination of Retardation Effects in the High Tc Cuprates from Sharvin Contact Measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Deutscher, G.

    1995-01-01

    It is well known that retardation effects are essential to allow the attractive part of the electron-electron interaction (for instance, phonon mediated) to overcome the Coulomb repulsion. In new superconductors such as the cuprates for which the interaction is a priori unknown, it is therefore essential to determine the retarded and non retarded parts of the interaction. We show how this can be achieved by an analysis of Sharvin contact measurements between a noble metal tip and a cuprate. It turns out that both the retarded and non retarded parts are large, the former being however larger than the later

  3. Experimental study of anti-tumor activity of direct current

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ito, Hisao; Hashimoto, Shozo

    1989-01-01

    The anti-tumor activity of direct current combined with radiation was studied. The experiments were performed with fibrosarcomas (FSA, NFSA) syngenetic to C3H mice. Direct current (0.6mA, 120min) alone was effective to reduce the tumor sizes, but could not cure the tumors. When the direct current therapy (DC therapy) was combined with radiation the DC therapy following radiation was more effective than that before radiation. Using TCD 50 assay, the DC therapy enhanced the effect of a single dose of radiation with the dose-modifying factor of 1.2. However, tumor control rates by the combination therapy were more improved at the smaller doses of radiation than at the larger ones. When the single DC therapy (0.6mA, 120min) was applied immediately after the first radiation of fractionated one the combination therapy still showed the enhanced effect. However, both DC therapy and the radiation therapy were divided in three fractions, and the DC therapy (0.6mA, 40min) was applied after each radiation. Tumor growth retardation by the combination therapy was no different from that by radiation alone. This result suggests that there might be a minimum required dose of coulombs to show the effect of the combination therapy. (author)

  4. Evaluation of auditory sensory memory of mentally retarded and nonretarded persons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campbell, E M; Meyer, P A

    1981-07-01

    Performance of mentally retarded and nonretarded persons was compared in two experiments designed to identify processes of auditory sensory memory. In one study backward masking of pure tones occurred for a group of retarded adolescents; however, no differences in masking functions were obtained for the retarded group and control groups of equal CA and MA. In the second study a gap-detection task was used as an apparent index of echoic trace durability. Since retarded persons were hypothesized to have a less durable echoic trace, the unique prediction was made that they would outperform control subjects on the task. The retarded group was significantly more accurate and exhibited a lower threshold than did the nonretarded, CA-matched control group. The applicability of these tasks for investigations of mental development was noted, and suggestions were made concerning improvements and extensions of the present research. A theoretical model was proposed to incorporate te current pattern of results.

  5. Neurotoxicity of brominated flame retardants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been commonly used as commercial flame retardants in a variety of products including plastics and textiles. Despite their decreasing usage worldwide, congeners continue to accumulate in the environment, including soil, dust, food, anima...

  6. [Behavioral disorders and substance abuse in adolescents with mental retardation].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Papachristou, Ec; Anagnostopoulos, Dk

    2014-01-01

    The percentage of people with mental retardation in the general population is estimated at about 2.3%, with adolescence (15-20 years) constituting the development period during which a peak in rates of mental retardation is observed. The increased prevalence of adolescence may be explained from the fact that the specified requirements of the school initially, and society later, inevitably lead to comparative evaluation of the teen with mental retardation in relation to peers, thus making mental retardation more apparent. Adolescents with mental retardation face a number of physical and psychological needs which are not often distinguishable and as a consequence undergo the deterioration of their already burdened quality of life. In particular, mental health problems occur 3 to 4 times more often in adolescents with mental retardation compared with adolescents of the general population. This review presents the most recent epidemiological findings regarding the correlation between behavioral disorders, substance use and the possible comorbidity in adolescents with intellectual disability, both at community level and residential care level. Epidemiological data indicate that behavioral disorders are among the most common types of psychopathology in mentally retarded adolescents with the severity and symptoms varying depending on the personal characteristics of each adolescent. Regarding substance use, the available data show that the rates of substance use (alcohol, smoking, illicit drugs) are lower in this specific population group but the differences over the last years tend to be eliminated. Finally, according to the few surveys that were examined referring to the comorbidity of behavioral disorders and substance use in adolescents with intellectual disability, the results were contradictory. Specifically, while behavioral disorders continued to be one of the most common types of psychopathology, the related substances disorders indicated lower rates compared to

  7. Acid-base synergistic flame retardant wood pulp paper with high thermal stability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Ning; Liu, Yuansen; Xu, Changan; Liu, Yuan; Wang, Qi

    2017-12-15

    Acid-catalytic degradation caused by acid source flame retardants is the main reason for a decline in thermal stability of flame-retarded lignocellulosic materials. In the present research, a guanidine phosphate (GP)/borax (BX) flame retardant system based on acid-base synergistic interaction was designed and used in wood pulp paper (WPP) to solve this problem. Results showed that the treated WPP obtained good flame retardancy with a limiting oxygen index (LOI) value of 35.7%. As a basic flame retardant, borax could chemically combine with the acids released by guanidine phosphate, thus decreasing the acidity of the system in the initial heating stage. In this way, acid-catalytic degradation is greatly retarded on the lignocelluloses to improve thermal stability (the temperature of maximum degradation peak from 286°C to 314°C). Meanwhile, borax was also advantageous to form a denser and firmer condensed phase through reinforcement of the acid-base reaction product, borophosphates, allowing it to provide a protective barrier with higher quality. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Mechanical Stress Promotes Cisplatin-Induced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Death

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riad, Sandra; Bougherara, Habiba

    2015-01-01

    Cisplatin (CisPt) is a commonly used platinum-based chemotherapeutic agent. Its efficacy is limited due to drug resistance and multiple side effects, thereby warranting a new approach to improving the pharmacological effect of CisPt. A newly developed mathematical hypothesis suggested that mechanical loading, when coupled with a chemotherapeutic drug such as CisPt and immune cells, would boost tumor cell death. The current study investigated the aforementioned mathematical hypothesis by exposing human hepatocellular liver carcinoma (HepG2) cells to CisPt, peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and mechanical stress individually and in combination. HepG2 cells were also treated with a mixture of CisPt and carnosine with and without mechanical stress to examine one possible mechanism employed by mechanical stress to enhance CisPt effects. Carnosine is a dipeptide that reportedly sequesters platinum-based drugs away from their pharmacological target-site. Mechanical stress was achieved using an orbital shaker that produced 300 rpm with a horizontal circular motion. Our results demonstrated that mechanical stress promoted CisPt-induced death of HepG2 cells (~35% more cell death). Moreover, results showed that CisPt-induced death was compromised when CisPt was left to mix with carnosine 24 hours preceding treatment. Mechanical stress, however, ameliorated cell death (20% more cell death). PMID:25685789

  9. Mechanical Stress Promotes Cisplatin-Induced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Death

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laila Ziko

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Cisplatin (CisPt is a commonly used platinum-based chemotherapeutic agent. Its efficacy is limited due to drug resistance and multiple side effects, thereby warranting a new approach to improving the pharmacological effect of CisPt. A newly developed mathematical hypothesis suggested that mechanical loading, when coupled with a chemotherapeutic drug such as CisPt and immune cells, would boost tumor cell death. The current study investigated the aforementioned mathematical hypothesis by exposing human hepatocellular liver carcinoma (HepG2 cells to CisPt, peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and mechanical stress individually and in combination. HepG2 cells were also treated with a mixture of CisPt and carnosine with and without mechanical stress to examine one possible mechanism employed by mechanical stress to enhance CisPt effects. Carnosine is a dipeptide that reportedly sequesters platinum-based drugs away from their pharmacological target-site. Mechanical stress was achieved using an orbital shaker that produced 300 rpm with a horizontal circular motion. Our results demonstrated that mechanical stress promoted CisPt-induced death of HepG2 cells (~35% more cell death. Moreover, results showed that CisPt-induced death was compromised when CisPt was left to mix with carnosine 24 hours preceding treatment. Mechanical stress, however, ameliorated cell death (20% more cell death.

  10. Adoptive and Birth Family Adjustment to Rearing Retarded Children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glidden, Laraine Masters; Bush, Beverly A.

    The study identified 81 families who adopted children with mental retardation or at risk for mental retardation, and compared them with 61 matched families with similar birth children. For birth families, the initial diagnosis was a time of crisis, with high depression scores, while scores at follow-up (an average of 5.3 years later) indicated no…

  11. Tumor-specific loss of 11p15.5 alleles in del11p13 Wilms tumor and in familial adrenocortical carcinoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Henry, I.; Grandjouan, S.; Couillin, P.

    1989-01-01

    The authors have compared constitutional and tumor genotypes in nine cases of hereditary Wilms tumor (WT) and in three unrelated cases of familial adrenocortical carcinoma (ADCC). Since susceptibility to these tumors can be observed in malformation syndromes associated with a constitutional deletion of band 11p13 (WT) and with a constitutional duplication of band 11p15.5 (WT, ADCC), they investigated these two candidate regions by using 11p polymorphic markers. As expected, somatic chromosomal events, resulting in a loss of heterozygosity limited to region 11p15.5, were observed in the tumor of two familial cases of adrenocortical carcinoma. Surprisingly, however, analysis of the WT of two patients with a constitutional deletion of band 11p13, associated with aniridia, genitourinary abnormalities, and mental retardation (WAGR syndrome), revealed a loss of heterozygosity limited to region 11p15.5. These data therefore suggest that observation of a specific loss of heterozygosity may not necessarily point to the site of the initial germinal mutation. Together with previous similar observations of a loss of heterozygosity limited to 11p15.5 in breast cancer and in rhabdomyosarcoma, the data suggest that region 11p15.5 may carry a non-tissue-specific gene that could be involved in genetic predisposition, in tumor progression, or in both

  12. Life cycle assessment of flame retardants in an electronics application

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jonkers, Niels; Krop, Hildo; van Ewijk, Harry; Leonards, Pim E.G.

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: Flame retardants are added to plastics and textiles to save lives. However, certain brominated flame retardants (BFRs) form an environmental hazard and should be replaced by less harmful alternatives. In the recently completed European research project ENFIRO, we examined which alternatives

  13. The Perlman syndrome: familial renal dysplasia with Wilms tumor, fetal gigantism and multiple congenital anomalies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neri, G; Martini-Neri, M E; Katz, B E; Opitz, J M

    1984-09-01

    We describe a familial syndrome of renal dysplasia, Wilms tumor, hyperplasia of the endocrine pancreas, fetal gigantism, multiple congenital anomalies and mental retardation. This condition was previously described by Perlman et al [1973, 1975] and we propose to call it the "Perlman syndrome." It appears to be transmitted as an autosomal recessive trait. The possible relationships between dysplasia, neoplasia and malformation are discussed.

  14. Sorption-capacity limited retardation of radionuclides transport in water-saturated packing materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pescatore, C.; Sullivan, T.

    1984-01-01

    Radionuclides breakthrough times as calculated through constant retardation factors obtained in dilute solutions are non-conservative. The constant retardation approach regards the solid as having infinite sorption capacity throughout the solid. However, as the solid become locally saturated, such as in the proximity of the waste form-packing materials interface, it will exhibit no retardation properties, and transport will take place as if the radionuclides were locally non-reactive. The magnitude of the effect of finite sorption capacity of the packing materials on radionuclide transport is discussed with reference to high-level waste package performance. An example based on literature sorption data indicated that the breakthrough time may be overpredicted by orders of magnitude using a constant retardation factor as compared to using the entire sorption isotherm to obtain a concentration-dependent retardation factor. 8 refs., 3 figs., 3 tabs

  15. Sorption-capacity limited retardation of radionuclides transport in water-saturated packing materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pescatore, C.; Sullivan, T.

    1984-01-01

    Radionuclides breakthrough times as calculated through constant retardation factors obtained in dilute solutions are non-conservative. The constant retardation approach regards the solid as having infinite sorption capacity throughout the solid. However, as the solid becomes locally saturated, such as in the proximity of the waste form-packing materials interface, it will exhibit no retardation properties, and transport will take place as if the radionuclides were locally non-reactive. The magnitude of the effect of finite sorption capacity of the packing materials on radionuclide transport is discussed with reference to high-level waste package performance. An example based on literature sorption data indicates that the breakthrough time may be overpredicted by orders of magnitude using a constant retardation factor as compared to using the entire sorption isotherm to obtain a concentration-dependent retardation factor. 8 references, 3 figures, 3 tables

  16. The self-esteem and anxiety of children with and without mentally retarded siblings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saban, Fatma; Arıkan, Duygu

    2013-11-01

    The study was carried out with the aim of determining the factors affecting and to evaluate anxiety situations and self-esteem of children with and without mentally retarded siblings. The sampling included 227 healthy children: 108 of them have mental retarded sibling and 119 of them do not have mental retarded sibling. The context of this study consisted of 15-18 year of age healthy children with mentally retarded siblings and 15-18 year of aged healthy children having at least one sibling between the dates February 15(st) and June 26(st) 2010. Personal Information Form, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and Trait Anxiety Scale were used. It was found out that trait anxiety of 17-18 aged of children with mental retarded sibling (47.04 ± 7.3) was higher than that of the children without mental retarded siblings (44.05 ± 11.23) (P self-esteem of children with mentally retarded sibling was not affected from the handicap of their siblings (P > 0.05). Trait anxiety score averages of children with mentally retarded sibling and experience some difficulties due to his or her siblings's handicap (47.00 ± 7.76) were found higher than those of those of the children without any problem with the environment (42.61 ± 7.48) (P self-esteem in both groups were not significant different, score of trait anxiety for children with mentally disabled siblings was higher in comparison. It was concluded that anxiety of children with and without mentally retarded siblings increased as self-esteem of these children decreased.

  17. Flame retardants: Dust - and not food - might be the risk

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Boer, J.; Ballesteros-Gomez, A.M.; Leslie, H.A.; Brandsma, S.H.; Leonards, P.E.G.

    2016-01-01

    Flame retardants (FRs) are used to delay ignition of materials such as furniture and electric and electronic instruments. Many FRs are persistent and end up in the environment. Environmental studies on flame retardants (FRs) took off in the late 1990s. Polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs) appeared

  18. Fire-retardant foams

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gagliani, J.

    1978-01-01

    Family of polyimide resins are being developed as foams with exceptional fire-retardant properties. Foams are potentially useful for seat cushions in aircraft and ground vehicles and for applications such as home furnishings and building-construction materials. Basic formulations can be modified with reinforcing fibers or fillers to produce celular materials for variety of applications. By selecting reactants, polymer structure can be modified to give foams with properties ranging from high resiliency and flexibility to brittleness and rigidity.

  19. Improved model of the retardance in citric acid coated ferrofluids using stepwise regression

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, J. F.; Qiu, X. R.

    2017-06-01

    Citric acid (CA) coated Fe3O4 ferrofluids (FFs) have been conducted for biomedical application. The magneto-optical retardance of CA coated FFs was measured by a Stokes polarimeter. Optimization and multiple regression of retardance in FFs were executed by Taguchi method and Microsoft Excel previously, and the F value of regression model was large enough. However, the model executed by Excel was not systematic. Instead we adopted the stepwise regression to model the retardance of CA coated FFs. From the results of stepwise regression by MATLAB, the developed model had highly predictable ability owing to F of 2.55897e+7 and correlation coefficient of one. The average absolute error of predicted retardances to measured retardances was just 0.0044%. Using the genetic algorithm (GA) in MATLAB, the optimized parametric combination was determined as [4.709 0.12 39.998 70.006] corresponding to the pH of suspension, molar ratio of CA to Fe3O4, CA volume, and coating temperature. The maximum retardance was found as 31.712°, close to that obtained by evolutionary solver in Excel and a relative error of -0.013%. Above all, the stepwise regression method was successfully used to model the retardance of CA coated FFs, and the maximum global retardance was determined by the use of GA.

  20. Flame retardancy and thermal behavior of intumescent flame-retardant EVA composites with an efficient triazine-based charring agent

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Bo; Ma, Wen; Wu, Xiao; Qian, Lijun; Jiang, Shan

    2018-04-01

    Intumescent flame retardant (IFR) EVA composites were prepared based on a hyperbranched triazine charring-foaming agent (HTCFA) and ammonium polyphosphate (APP). The synergistic effect of HTCFA and APP on the flame retardancy and thermal behavior of the composites were investigated through flammability tests, cone calorimeter measurements, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) including evolved gas analysis (TG-IR) and residue analysis (Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), laser Raman spectroscopy (LRS), x-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM)). The flammability test results showed HTCFA/APP (1/3) system presented the best synergistic effect in flame-retardant EVA composites with the highest LOI value and UL-94 V-0 rating. As for cone calorimeter results, IFR changed the combustion behavior of EVA and resulted in remarkable decrease of flammability and smoke product. TGA results showed the synergistic effect between APP and HTCFA could strengthen the char-forming ability of composites. TG-IR results indicated the melt viscosities and gas release with increasing temperature were well-correlated for EVA/IFR composite. The residue analysis results from SEM, LRS, FT-IR and XPS revealed IFR promoted forming more compact graphitic char layer, connected by rich P–O–C and P–N structures.

  1. Environment-friendly, flame retardant thermoplastic elastomer-magnesium hydroxide composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Hao; Chen, Kunfeng; Li, Xiaonan; Ao, Man; Guo, Xinwen; Xue, Dongfeng

    Halogen-free and environment-friendly magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)2) was synthesized to enhance the flame retardant properties of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). When the Mg(OH)2 content was optimized to 35wt.%, the TPE-Mg(OH)2 composites exhibited the best flame retardant properties. The results showed that there was a delay of ignition time of the samples containing Mg(OH)2; compared with the samples without Mg(OH)2, the heat release rate and total heat release decrease by 31.4% and 35.6%, while total smoke production and mass loss rate reduce by 56% and 34.2%, respectively. This work opens a door to manufacture fire-resistant polymer-based composites with environmental-friendly flame retardant additives by controllable crystallization and chemical strategies.

  2. Moral and cognitive development in retarded and nonretarded children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, J J; Achenbach, T M

    1975-07-01

    Subjects were 30 cultural-familially retarded and 30 nonretarded children matched for MA within 3 MA levels. The subjects were administered measures of moral judgement and cognitive operations hypothesized by Kohlberg to constitute necessary but not sufficient conditions for attainment of specific moral stages. Moral and cognitive performance improved with MA, but there were no differences between the MA-matched retarded and nonretarded children. Moral judgement related more strongly to MA then to any of the specific cognitive operations tested. The findings failed to support Kohlberg and Gilligan's (1971) hypothesis that the moral judgment of older individuals should be more advanced than that of younger individuals matched for cognitive level, but they were in accord with Zigler's (1969) "developmental" concept of cultural-familial retardation.

  3. Growth hormone deficiency in children with brain tumors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shalet, S.M.; Beardwell, C.G.; Morris-Jones, P.; Bamford, F.N.; Ribeiro, G.G.; Pearson, D.

    1976-01-01

    Nine children with brain tumors are described who have received various combinations of treatment, including surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Many of the children were noted to be of short stature. Endocrine assessment was carried out from 2 to 10 years after treatment. The combined results of insulin tolerance and Bovril stimulation tests show an impaired growth hormone response in six of the nine children. Bone age is retarded in all cases, and the present height is below the 10th percentile in five of the six. The cause of this growth hormone deficiency is obscure, but further studies are in progress

  4. The Effect of Retardation on the Spontaneous Breaking of Chiral Symmetry in GCM

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    YANG Sheng-Dong; ZHAI Chen-Yang; ZHOU Zhi-Ning; YANG Ze-Sen

    2001-01-01

    An effective Hamiltonian including current-current coupling from the global color symmetry model is -R2 2derived.Retardation effects are introduced by the factor ( R/ ) e ,instead of δ (r) in the correlation kernel,from which the retardation gap equation with α-α coupling in the 3po vacuum is obtained,qq condensations of different retardation parameters R with or without the α-α term are calculated.The results show the effects of retardation,and indicate that the typical value of R is about 2 fm-1 at reasonable value of qq condensation.And while taking typical value 1 fm-1 of R,the condensation 1/3 is about 13% larger than that with no retardation effect.With the α-αterms,the condensation (qq) 1/3 is about 17%o larger than that without it for all values of the parameter R.This shows that the retardation effects and the α-α terms are important for further studying in the Iow-energy region.``

  5. Flame retardancy and ultraviolet resistance of silk fabric coated by graphene oxide

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ji Yi-Min

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Silk fabrics were coated by graphene oxide hydrosol in order to improve its flame retardancy and ultraviolet resistance. In addition, montmorillonoid was doped into the graphene oxide hydrosol to further improve the flame retardancy of silk fabrics. The flame retardancy and ultraviolet resistance were mainly characterized by limiting oxygen index, vertical flame test, smoke density test, and ultraviolet protection factor. The synergistic effect of graphene oxide and montmorillonoid on the thermal stabilization property of the treated silk fabrics was also investigated. The results show that the treated silk fabrics have excellent flame retardancy, thermal stability, smoke suppression, and ultraviolet resistance simultaneously.

  6. Epilepsy and Comorbid Mental Retardation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J Gordon Millichap

    2007-08-01

    Full Text Available Preventable and unpreventable causes of childhood-onset epilepsy associated with mental retardation were determined in 692 patients with epilepsy onset between 1977 and 1985 in a Nova Scotia population-based cohort studied in the Department of Pediatrics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada.

  7. Mental Retardation: Diagnosis and Treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poser, Charles M., Ed.

    A collection of writings by 17 authors, the text includes the following discussions: general principles of diagnosis and management of mental retardation, neurologic evaluation of the infant and child, psychological evaluation, educational information, and treatment of pseudoretardation, communicative disorders, and metabolic and endocrine causes.…

  8. Development of Halogen-free flame-retardant cable for nuclear power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ishii, Nobuhisa; Morii, Akira; Fujimura, Shunichi

    1992-01-01

    Conventional flame-retardant cables release a large volume of corrosive and toxic gases as well as smoke while combusted. Cables covered with halogen-free flame-retardant material, containing no halogen in it, have been developed to reduce generation of such gases and smoke, and have already been used in telecommunication service, subway and shipboard applications. However, for cables for nuclear power plant, covering materials should also have radiation resistance and other properties, including long-term physical stability. We have developed halogen-free flame-retardant cables for BWR nuclear power plant with sufficient flame retardancy radiation resistance and environmental resistance including steam-exposure resistance all of which are in accordance with Japanese specifications for BWR nuclear cables and have such characteristics as low corrosiveness, low toxicity and low smoke emission. (author)

  9. Development of halogen-free flame-retardant cable for nuclear power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ishii, Nobuhisa; Morii, Akira; Fujimura, Shunichi

    1991-01-01

    Conventional flame-retardant cables release a large amount of corrosive and toxic gases and also smoke during combustion on fire. Cables covered with halogen-free flame-retardant material, containing no halogen in it, have been developed to reduce generation of such gases and smoke, and already used in telecommunication plant, subway and shipboard applications. In the case of nuclear power plant application, cable covering materials should also have radiation resistance and other properties including long-term physical stability. We have developed halogen-free flame-retardant cables for nuclear power plant with sufficient flame retardancy, radiation resistance, and environmental resistance including steam-exposure resistance, all of which are in accordance with Japanese specifications for nuclear cables, and with characteristics as low corrosiveness, low toxicity, and low smoke evolution. (author)

  10. Theories on Criminality and Mental Retardation Project CAMIO, Volume 2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haskins, Jimmy R.; Friel, Charles M.

    This historical review of theories on criminality and mental retardation is part of Project CAMIO (Correctional Administration and the Mentally Incompetent Offender), a Texas study to determine the incidence of criminal incarceration of the mentally retarded (MR) and to identify laws, procedures, and practices which affect the prosecution and…

  11. Decision Making in Leisure. Empowerment for People with Mental Retardation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bullock, Charles C.; Mahon, Michael J.

    1992-01-01

    People with mental retardation have been overlooked in recreation/leisure and decision making, which are integral to full community participation. They must be provided with leisure education and decision-making skills. The article describes the Decision Making in Leisure model, explaining its use with individuals with mental retardation. (SM)

  12. Brominated flame retardants, tetrabromobisphenol A and hexabromocyclododecane, activate mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in human natural killer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cato, Anita; Celada, Lindsay; Kibakaya, Esther Caroline; Simmons, Nadia; Whalen, Margaret M

    2014-12-01

    Natural killer (NK) cells provide a vital surveillance against virally infected cells, tumor cells, and antibody-coated cells through the release of cytolytic mediators and gamma interferon (IFN-γ). Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) is a brominated flame retardant used primarily in expanded (EPS) and extruded (XPS) polystyrene foams for thermal insulation in the building and construction industry. Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) is used both as a reactive and an additive flame retardant in a variety of materials. HBCD and TBBPA contaminate the environment and are found in human blood samples. In previous studies, we have shown that other environmental contaminants, such as the dibutyltin (DBT) and tributyltin (TBT), decrease NK lytic function by activating mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in the NK cells. HBCD and TBBPA also interfere with NK cell(s) lytic function. The current study evaluates whether HBCD and/or TBBPA have the capacity to activate MAPKs and MAPK kinases (MAP2Ks). The effects of concentrations of HBCD and TBBPA that inhibited lytic function on the phosphorylation state and total levels of the MAPKs (p44/42, p38, and JNK) and the phosphorylation and total levels of the MAP2Ks (MEK1/2 and MKK3/6) were examined. Results indicate that exposure of human NK cells to 10-0.5 μM HBCD or TBBPA activate MAPKs and MAP2Ks. This HBCD and TBBPA-induced activation of MAPKs may leave them unavailable for activation by virally infected or tumor target cells and thus contributes to the observed decreases in lytic function seen in NK cells exposed to HBCD and TBBPA.

  13. Values and Moral Foundations as a Basis for Attitude toward Mentally Retarded People in Students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Олег Анатольевич Сычев

    2018-12-01

    Full Text Available An important factor of the successful integration of mentally retarded people is the readiness of the society to accept such people as equal members. In this study we tested the hypothesis that the attitude toward mentally retarded people depends on values and moral factors. The sample comprised 169 students of technical college and pedagogical university. The attitude toward mentally retarded people was measured using a modified version of Mental Retardation Attitude Inventory (MRAI-R by Antonak & Harth, values were tested using Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ-R2 by Schwartz, and moral foundations were measured using Moral Foundations Questionnaire (MFQ by Graham et al.. We elaborated modified Russian version of MRAI-R, showed its factor structure and good psychometric properties. The main moral factor of the attitude toward mentally retarded people was the importance of fairness: the higher it is the higher is the readiness to diminish the social distance with the mentally retarded. The importance of authority was associated with the low approval of inclusive education for the mentally retarded. The most important predictor of the attitude toward mentally retarded people was gender: girls demonstrated a more positive attitude towards the mentally retarded.

  14. Investigation of the effects of long-term infusion of 125I-iododeoxyuridine on tumor growth in mice (solid mouse tumor sarcoma-180)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wirtz, F.

    1987-05-01

    The present experiments were designed to test the therapeutic qualification of 125 I incorporated in DNA of tumor cells. The tumor-host system used was the solid mouse tumor sarcoma-180 growing on female albino mice (NMRI). A device was built which makes it possible to intravenously infuse tumor bearing mice with solutions of 125 IUdR for several weeks. Three or, respectively, 5 days before the onset of the infusions the mice were inocculated into the right hind leg with 3x10 5 tumor cells in 0.1 ml physiological salt solution. The total activity administered per mouse was 100 μCi infused during a period of 10 days. After termination of the infusions tumor sizes and retained radioactivities were measured every 5 days until death of the animals occured. In comparison with tumors of control animals tumors of mice infused with 125 IUdR showed a mean retardation in growth of about 27% of the volumes of control tumors during the total period of post-infusion observation (25 days). Extension of life expectancy and an increase of the rate of final tumor regression did not occur. Likewise, no significant differences were observed between tumors which were 3 or 5 days old on the first day of infusion. After termination of the infusions the residual whole-body radioactivity per mouse was about 1% of the total activity infused per animal. This was in good agreement with calculations considering rates of incorporation and excretion and confirmed earlier assumptions that only about 5% of the administered IUdR is incorporated initially. The number further confirmed that, during the first 10 days after incorporation, the daily loss of activity - due to cell death - is about 30%. Control animals without tumors showed a faster decrease of incorporated activity or, respectively, loss of cells than tumor bearing mice. This difference could in part be explained by an exhaution of the short-lived cell populations of the reticulo-endothelial system of tumor bearing animals. (orig

  15. Mental retardation after prenatal exposure. Re-analysis indicated

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paile, W.

    2000-01-01

    The current risk assessment for severe mental retardation after prenatal exposure to the A-bomb radiation is based on 21 cases exposed to more than 0.005 Gy, of which 17 were exposed in the most sensitive period 8-15 weeks p.c. The latest analysis, applying the best fitting model, indicates a threshold with a lower 95% bound of 0.06-0.31 Gy, depending on whether 2 cases with Down's syndrome are included or not. The authors have interpreted this as suggesting a threshold in the low-dose region. In the dose group 0.10-0.49 Gy, except one case with Down's syndrome there is only one other case, exposed 8 weeks p.c. to 0.14 Gy. However, in a RERF report (TR 13-91) concerning brain abnormalities detected by MRI in retarded persons, the same case is described. According to this report he was actually exposed to 0.86 Gy. The distance was 1060 m, and his mother exhibited severe epilation. These details indicate that the higher dose is correct and the lower dose is erroneous. In a small material the misclassification of one case has a deep influence on the result of the data analysis. Reclassification of this case will lead to a considerable change in the estimated threshold, notably in the 95% lower bound of the threshold. There will be no indication of severe retardation after less than 0.5 Gy even in the most sensitive period. This does not preclude a milder effect on intelligence from lower doses. The fraction of severe retardation after exposure to 1 Sv in the period 8-15 weeks p.c. has been estimated at 40%. The effect on intelligence score has been estimated at 30 IQ units per Sv in the same period. These estimates have been combined in ICRP 60 to create a model, based on a presumed normal distribution of IQ scores, according to which the final outcome for an individual is determined by his expected IQ without exposure. Thus the dose required to make an otherwise normal individual retarded would be high, while a much lower dose would be enough to bring an individual

  16. Renal artery pulsatility index and renal volume: Normal fetuses versus growth-retarded fetuses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Kyung Soon; Woo, Bock Hi

    2001-01-01

    To evaluate the blood flow velocity waveform of the renal artery and renal volume of growth-retarded fetuses and to compare them with those of normal fetuses. Pulsatility index of the renal artery and renal volume measured by three-dimensional ultrasonography were obtained from seventy eight normal fetuses at the gestational age from twenty five to thirty nine weeks and eighteen intrauterine growth retarded fetuses whose weight was below ten percentile at birth. We studied changes of the pulsatility index of the renal artery and renal volume according to the gestational age and compared with those of growth-retarded fetuses. Pulsatility index (PI) of the fetal renal artery decreased throughout the gestational period (r=0.703, p<0.0001). In growth-retarded fetuses, despite of abnormal doppler velocity waveform of the middle cerebral artery, which was showing fetal hypoxia, the renal PI was not increased significantly. The fetal renal volume increased throughout the gestational period (r=0.834, p<0.0001) whereas in growth-retarded fetuses, all renal volume was below fifth percentile of normal fetuses. In growth-retarded fetuses, fetal renal volume was decreased significantly without change of the renal vascular flow. Therefore, the fetal renal volume measured by three-dimensional ultrasonography may be a helpful parameter in the diagnosis of growth-retarded fetuses.

  17. Renal artery pulsatility index and renal volume: Normal fetuses versus growth-retarded fetuses

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Kyung Soon; Woo, Bock Hi [Ewha Womans University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2001-06-15

    To evaluate the blood flow velocity waveform of the renal artery and renal volume of growth-retarded fetuses and to compare them with those of normal fetuses. Pulsatility index of the renal artery and renal volume measured by three-dimensional ultrasonography were obtained from seventy eight normal fetuses at the gestational age from twenty five to thirty nine weeks and eighteen intrauterine growth retarded fetuses whose weight was below ten percentile at birth. We studied changes of the pulsatility index of the renal artery and renal volume according to the gestational age and compared with those of growth-retarded fetuses. Pulsatility index (PI) of the fetal renal artery decreased throughout the gestational period (r=0.703, p<0.0001). In growth-retarded fetuses, despite of abnormal doppler velocity waveform of the middle cerebral artery, which was showing fetal hypoxia, the renal PI was not increased significantly. The fetal renal volume increased throughout the gestational period (r=0.834, p<0.0001) whereas in growth-retarded fetuses, all renal volume was below fifth percentile of normal fetuses. In growth-retarded fetuses, fetal renal volume was decreased significantly without change of the renal vascular flow. Therefore, the fetal renal volume measured by three-dimensional ultrasonography may be a helpful parameter in the diagnosis of growth-retarded fetuses.

  18. Inherited retarded eruption in the permanent dentition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rasmussen, P; Kotsaki, A

    1997-01-01

    The term retarded eruption, may be used in cases where eruption is inhibited, causing an interruption in the coordination of tooth formation and tooth eruption. The phenomenon may be local or general, and several etiological factors for retarded eruption have been listed, comprising a lack of space, ankylosis, cysts, supernumerary teeth, hormone and vitamin deficiencies and several developmental disturbances and syndromes. The present paper describes several cases of retarded eruption where no factors other than inheritance have been evident. So far 14 cases have been evaluated, 9 boys and 5 girls. In addition several cases have been registered among parents and grandparents of the probands. Typical features are: retarded eruption, defined as more than 3 SD beyond mean eruption figures, comprises all teeth in the permanent dentition, and in 5 cases also second primary molars. The chronology of tooth formation are within normal limits. Consequently the teeth finish development still laying deeply buried in the jaws, often in aberrant positions and with curves or hooks on the roots. When the teeth finally get the "signal" for eruption, 5-15 years beyond normal eruption time, they move rather quickly into right positions, despite the long eruption paths and the hooked roots. Permanent teeth without, as well as with predecessors, are affected. Extraction of predecessors does not seem to provoke eruption. The main features in management are to take care of the primary teeth, to improve-esthetics, and offer surgery and orthodontics when needed. Analyses of pedigrees indicates that the genetic transmittance may be autosomal dominant as both sexes are affected, about half of the siblings show the trait, and the trait shows continuity through generations.

  19. Flame retardancy and ultraviolet resistance of silk fabric coated by graphene oxide

    OpenAIRE

    Ji Yi-Min; Cao Ying-Ying; Chen Guo-Qiang; Xing Tie-Ling

    2017-01-01

    Silk fabrics were coated by graphene oxide hydrosol in order to improve its flame retardancy and ultraviolet resistance. In addition, montmorillonoid was doped into the graphene oxide hydrosol to further improve the flame retardancy of silk fabrics. The flame retardancy and ultraviolet resistance were mainly characterized by limiting oxygen index, vertical flame test, smoke density test, and ultraviolet protection factor. The synergistic effect of graphene oxide and montmorillonoid on the the...

  20. Improvement of flame resistance of non-flame retardant cables by applying fire protection measures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takemura, Yujiro; Segoshi, Yoshinori; Jinno, Susumu; Mii, Kazuki

    2017-01-01

    The new regulatory requirements, which were put in force after the Fukushima Daiichi accident, impose the use of flame retardant cables on the plant components having safety functions for the purpose of fire protection. However, some Japanese nuclear power plants built in the early days use non-flame retardant cables that do not pass the demonstration test to check for the flame resistance. To cope with the new regulatory requirements, a fire protection measure for non-flame retardant cables was introduced to assure flame resistance of non-flame retardant cables equivalent to or higher than that of flame retardant cables. To illustrate the fire protection measure, both non-flame retardant cables and its cable tray are covered with fire protection sheet fabricated from incombustible material to form an assembly. Considering the demonstration test results, it can be concluded that flame resistance performance of non-flame retardant cables equivalent to or higher than that of flame retardant cables can be assured by forming the assembly even if an external fire outside the assembly and internal cable fire inside the assembly are assumed. This paper introduces the design of the assembly consisting of a bundle of cables and a cable tray and summarizes the results of demonstration tests. (author)

  1. Synergistic Flame Retardancy of Aluminium Dipropylphosphinate and Melamine in Polyamide 6

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Linsheng Tang

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The synergistic flame retardancy of aluminium dipropylphosphinate (ADPP and melamine (ME in polyamide 6 (PA6 was studied by the limiting oxygen index (LOI measurement, the vertical burning test, and the cone calorimeter test, and the mechanism was also discussed by thermogravimetric and residual analyses. The experimental results indicated that there was obvious synergistic flame retardancy between ADPP and ME under their appropriate weight ratios. The thermogravimetric results and the analysis of the residues obtained in cone calorimeter test showed that ADPP and ADPP/ME played the role of flame retardance by gaseous- and condensed-phase mechanisms, where, on one hand, they were decomposed into nonvolatile aluminum phosphate and promoted the carbonization of PA6, and the formed intumescent layer resulted in flame retardancy by the barrier effect on heat, air, and decomposition products, and on the other hand, they were decomposed into volatile phosphorus compounds which bring about flame retardancy by flame inhibition. Using a combination of ADPP and ME improved charring of PA6 and raised the residual rate of P and Al, thus, improving the barrier effect in the condensed phase.

  2. Some Thoughts on Counseling Parents of the Mentally Retarded. Final Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phelps, William R.

    Discussed are techniques in counseling parents of retarded children. Suggested are ways to structure the interview as well as methods to help the parents deal with such problems as overprotection and initial reactions to the diagnosis of retardation. (CL)

  3. Parenting Stress in Mothers of Mentally Retarded, Blind, Deaf and Physically Disabled Children

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Kazem Atefvahid

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Background and Objective: Parents of children with disabilities are poorer physical and mental health and greater stress experience. This study was conducted to evaluate Parenting stress in mothers of mentally retarded, blind, deaf and physically disabled children.Materials and Methods: This study was causal-comparative. The study population included 310 mothers of exceptional children (mothers of children with mental retardation, blind, deaf and physical-motor disabilities 7 to 12 years of age enrolled in primary schools in the academic year 90-1389 exceptional Tehran. Multi-stage cluster sampling method was used. The data obtained from questionnaires parenting stress using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA were analyzed.Results: The results showed that parenting stress in mothers of blind with mentally retarded, deaf with mentally retarded, physically with blind and deaf children are significantly different. As well as, there was significant difference between the mean score of blind, physical disorders, mentally retarded and deaf groups in terms of distraction- hyperactivity subscale.Conclusion: Mothers of children with mental retardation, physical disorders, blind and deaf have most parenting stress respectively.

  4. Psychomotor Retardation in Depression: A Systematic Review of Diagnostic, Pathophysiologic, and Therapeutic Implications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Djamila Bennabi

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Psychomotor retardation is a central feature of depression which includes motor and cognitive impairments. Effective management may be useful to improve the classification of depressive subtypes and treatment selection, as well as prediction of outcome in patients with depression. The aim of this paper was to review the current status of knowledge regarding psychomotor retardation in depression, in order to clarify its role in the diagnostic management of mood disorders. Retardation modifies all the actions of the individual, including motility, mental activity, and speech. Objective assessments can highlight the diagnostic importance of psychomotor retardation, especially in melancholic and bipolar depression. Psychomotor retardation is also related to depression severity and therapeutic change and could be considered a good criterion for the prediction of therapeutic effect. The neurobiological process underlying the inhibition of activity includes functional deficits in the prefrontal cortex and abnormalities in dopamine neurotransmission. Future investigations of psychomotor retardation should help improve the understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying mood disorders and contribute to improving their therapeutic management.

  5. Genetic Counseling in Mental Retardation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bowen, Peter

    The task of the genetic counselor who identifies genetic causes of mental retardation and assists families to understand risk of recurrence is described. Considered are chromosomal genetic disorders such as Down's syndrome, inherited disorders such as Tay-Sachs disease, identification by testing the amniotic fluid cells (amniocentresis) in time…

  6. Visual evoked potentials of mildly mentally retarded and control children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gasser, T; Pietz, J; Schellberg, D; Köhler, W

    1988-10-01

    Visual evoked potentials (VEPs) were recorded from 25 10- to 13-year-old mildly mentally retarded children and compared with those from 31 control children of the same age-range. Correlations of VEPs with age were weak, but a relationship between VEPs and IQ was demonstrated for the control group. The retarded group had significantly longer latencies and higher amplitude peaks than the control group, with the differences occurring primarily over non-specific cortex and for secondary components. Analysis also showed that the retarded group were neurophysiologically heterogeneous. Since the same children had been analyzed earlier by quantitative EEG methods, comparisons are made with respect to these two methods of investigating brain function.

  7. Sexual self-esteem in mothers of normal and mentally-retarded children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tavakolizadeh, Jahanshir; Amiri, Mostafa; Nejad, Fahimeh Rastgoo

    2017-06-01

    Sexual self-esteem is negatively influenced by the stressful experiences in lifetime. This study compared the sexual self-esteem and its components in mothers with normal and mentally-retarded children in Qaen city, in 2014. A total of 120 mothers were selected and assigned into two groups of 60 samples based on convenient sampling method and randomized multiple stage sampling. Both groups completed sexual self-esteem questionnaire. The data were analyzed employing t-test through SPSS software version15. The results showed that the rate of sexual self-esteem in mothers of mentally-retarded children decreased significantly compared with that of mothers with normal children (pself-esteem including skill and experience, attractiveness, control, moral judgment, and adaptiveness in mothers of mentally-retarded children were significantly less than those of mothers with normal children (p self-esteem, especially the sexual one, be taught to mothers of mentally-retarded children by specialists.

  8. Fatigue crack growth retardation in spot heated mild steel sheet

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    A fatigue crack can be effectively retarded by heating a spot near the crack tip under nil remote stress condition. The subcritical spot heating at a proper position modifies the crack growth behaviour in a way, more or less, similar to specimen subjected to overload spike. It is observed that the extent of crack growth retardation ...

  9. Muscle Fatigue during Intermittent Exercise in Individuals with Mental Retardation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zafeiridis, Andreas; Giagazoglou, Paraskevi; Dipla, Konstantina; Salonikidis, Konstantinos; Karra, Chrisanthi; Kellis, Eleftherios

    2010-01-01

    This study examined fatigue profile during intermittent exercise in 10 men with mild to moderate mental retardation (MR) and 10 men without mental retardation (C). They performed 4 x 30 s maximal knee extensions and flexions with 1-min rest on an isokinetic dynamometer. Peak torque of flexors (PTFL) and extensors (PTEX), total work (TW), and…

  10. Flame retardancy of polyaniline-deposited paper composites prepared via in situ polymerization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Xianna; Qian, Xueren; An, Xianhui

    2013-01-30

    Polyaniline-deposited paper composites doped with three inorganic acids were prepared via in situ polymerization, and their flame-retardant properties were investigated. Both the conductivity and flame retardancy of the composite increased with the increase of the amount of the polyaniline deposited. The doping acid played a very key role in both the conductivity and flame retardancy of the composite. The comprehensive properties of the composite could be improved when codoped with an equimolar mixture of H(3)PO(4) and H(2)SO(4) or H(3)PO(4) and HCl. The decay of the flame retardancy of the composite in atmosphere was due to the dedoping of the polyaniline deposited on cellulose fibers. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Identification of Important Community Living Skills for Adults with Mental Retardation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lovett, David L.; Harris, Mary B.

    1987-01-01

    Attempted to identify skills important for successful community living of adults with mental retardation. Individuals (N=73) who had significant contact with adults with mental retardation completed questionnaire on academic, leisure, personal, social, and vocational skills frequently taught to persons with mental handicaps. Subjects considered…

  12. Recent Developments in Organophosphorus Flame Retardants Containing P-C Bond and Their Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sophie Wendels

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Organophosphorus compounds containing P-C bonds are increasingly developed as flame retardant additives due to their excellent thermal and hydrolytic stability and ease of synthesis. The latest development (since 2010 in organophosphorus flame retardants containing P-C bonds summarized in this review. In this review, we have broadly classified such phosphorus compounds based on the carbon unit linked to the phosphorus atom i.e., could be a part of either an aliphatic or an aromatic unit. We have only considered those published literature where a P-C bond was created as a part of synthetic strategy to make either an intermediate or a final organophosphorus compound with an aim to use it as a flame retardant. General synthetic strategies to create P-C bonds are briefly discussed. Most popular synthetic strategies used for developing P-C containing phosphorus based flame retardants include Michael addition, Michaelis–Arbuzov, Friedels–Crafts and Grignard reactions. In general, most flame retardant derivatives discussed in this review have been prepared via a one- to two-step synthetic strategy with relatively high yields greater than 80%. Specific examples of P-C containing flame retardants synthesized via suitable synthetic strategy and their applications on various polymer systems are described in detail. Aliphatic phosphorus compounds being liquids or low melting solids are generally applied in polymers via coatings (cellulose or are incorporated in the bulk of the polymers (epoxy, polyurethanes during their polymerization as reactive or non-reactive additives. Substituents on the P atoms and the chemistry of the polymer matrix greatly influence the flame retardant behavior of these compounds (condensed phase vs. the gas phase. Recently, aromatic DOPO based phosphinate flame retardants have been developed with relatively higher thermal stabilities (>250 °C. Such compounds have potential as flame retardants for high temperature processable

  13. The improvement for fire retardant and radiation resistance characteristics of chloroprene rubber

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, K. Y.; Lee, C.; Kim, P. J.; Kim, J. H

    2004-04-01

    In the report, in order to improve the fire retardancy better Chloroprene Rubber (CR) after adding each fixed amount of inorganic metallic hydroxide, and then compared and assessed fire retardancy with electrical properties and mechanical properties we intended to choose the most excellent additives. Also according to Co{sup 60} {gamma}-ray irradiation, we compared electrical, echanical and fire retardant characteristics to analyse to have the additives of inorganic filler effect on CR's antirad characteristic. In result, CR containing inorganic additive, advanced considerably fire retardant characteristics, but seems to be tended to declined electrical and mechanical characteristics on the whole. In syntherically comparison, the specimen viewed the most excellent characteristics is CR containing Magnesium hydroxide. As to Co{sup 60} {gamma}-ray irradiated Chloroprene rubber containing inorganic additives, fire retardant characteristic are improved, but electrical and mechanical properties are deteriorated as a function of radiation dose. Comparing before irradiation and after irradiation, the best inorganic filler into CR consider Magnesium hydroxide. In this report, in case of adding 30 phr of inorganic filler to CR we observed fire retardancy and radiation resistance characteristics change in according to the kinds of additives, but the research for choosing the optimum amount of additives is considered to progress from now on as adjusting the amount of additives presented excellent characteristics.

  14. Plasma-enhanced synthesis of green flame retardant cellulosic materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Totolin, Vladimir

    The natural fiber-containing fabrics and composites are more environmentally friendly, and are used in transportation (automobiles, aerospace), military applications, construction industries (ceiling paneling, partition boards), consumer products, etc. Therefore, the flammability characteristics of the composites based on polymers and natural fibers play an important role. This dissertation presents the development of plasma assisted - green flame retardant coatings for cellulosic substrates. The overall objective of this work was to generate durable flame retardant treatment on cellulosic materials. In the first approach sodium silicate layers were pre-deposited onto clean cotton substrates and cross linked using low pressure, non-equilibrium oxygen plasma. A statistical design of experiments was used to optimize the plasma parameters. The modified cotton samples were tested for flammability using an automatic 45° angle flammability test chamber. Aging tests were conducted to evaluate the coating resistance during the accelerated laundry technique. The samples revealed a high flame retardant behavior and good thermal stability proved by thermo-gravimetric analysis. In the second approach flame retardant cellulosic materials have been produced using a silicon dioxide (SiO2) network coating. SiO 2 network armor was prepared through hydrolysis and condensation of the precursor tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), prior coating the substrates, and was cross linked on the surface of the substrates using atmospheric pressure plasma (APP) technique. Due to protection effects of the SiO2 network armor, the cellulosic based fibers exhibit enhanced thermal properties and improved flame retardancy. In the third approach, the TEOS/APP treatments were extended to linen fabrics. The thermal analysis showed a higher char content and a strong endothermic process of the treated samples compared with control ones, indicating a good thermal stability. Also, the surface analysis proved

  15. Assessing the Employment-Related Interpersonal Competence of Mildly Mentally Retarded Workers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bullis, Michael; Foss, Gilbert

    1986-01-01

    The Test of Interpersonal Competence for Employment (TICE) designed to assess a mildly retarded worker's knowledge of interpersonal skills in the employment setting, was developed based on analysis of problems that mildly retarded workers experience and identification of correct responses to those problems by competitive employers. Initial…

  16. Accelerated weathering of fire-retardant-treated wood for fire testing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robert H. White

    2009-01-01

    Fire-retardant-treated products for exterior applications must be subjected to actual or accelerated weathering prior to fire testing. For fire-retardant-treated wood, the two accelerated weathering methods have been Method A and B of ASTM D 2898. The rain test is Method A of ASTM D 2898. Method B includes exposures to ultraviolet (UV) sunlamps in addition to water...

  17. THERMAL DEGRADATION AND FLAME RETARDANCY OF CALCIUM ALGINATE FIBERS

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    于建; 夏延致

    2009-01-01

    Calcium alginate fibers were prepared by wet spinning of sodium alginate into a coagulating bath containing calcium chloride.The thermal degradation and flame retardancy of calcium alginate fibers were investigated with thermal gravimetry(TG),X-ray diffraction(XRD),limiting oxygen index(LOI) and cone calorimeter(CONE).The results show that calcium alginate fibers are inherently flame retardant with a LOI value of 34,and the heat release rate(HRR),total heat release(THR),CO and CO_2 concentrations during ...

  18. Studies on flame retardancy of radiation crosslinked PE foam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang Huili; Yao Zhanhai; Xu Jun

    1996-01-01

    CPE, DBDPO and Sb 2 O 3 were used as flame-retardant of PE foam. Effect of CPE on PE foam under radiation and it's flame-retardancy were studied. The result showed that CPE can enhance radiation cross-linking of PE, and trinary of addition being made of CPE, DBDPO and Sb 2 O 3 made oxygen index of PE foam achieve over 30, and self-extinguish, it did not influence manufacture and mechanical properties of PE foam

  19. A Case with Mental Retardation, Gynecomastia and Dysmorphic Features

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ozge Ozalp Yuregir

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available The 17 years old boy was diagnosed as Borjeson Forsmann Lehmann Syndrome who was referred to our Genetic Diagnosis Center for his dysmorphic features, obesity, gynecomasty and mental retardation . There are so many diseases in differantial diagnosis of obesity and mental retardation that BFLS is a rare one of them. We aimed to discuss the findings of the patient clinically diagnosed as BFLS within the scope of literature. [Cukurova Med J 2012; 37(1: 60-63

  20. Photodynamic therapy-generated vaccines prevent tumor recurrence after radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Korbelik, M.; Sun, J.

    2003-01-01

    Photodynamic therapy (PDT), an established clinical modality for a variety of malignant and non-malignant diseases, inflicts photoreactive drug-mediated oxidative stress that prompts the engagement of host inflammatory and immune responses which contribute to the therapy outcome. Recently, it has become evident that in vitro PDT-treated tumor cells or their lysates can be utilized as an effective vaccine against established tumors of the same origin. The mechanism underlying the vaccine action appears to be based on eliciting immune recognition of the tumor and developing an efficient immune response even against poorly immunogenic tumors. This study examined whether PDT-generated vaccines can be effectively combined with radiotherapy. Subcutaneous SCCVII tumors (squamous cell carcinomas) growing in syngeneic C3H/HeN mice were treated by radiotherapy (60 Gy x-ray dose). PDT-vaccine treatment, done by peritumoral injection of in vitro PDT-treated SCCVII cells (20 million/mouse), was performed either immediately after radiotherapy or ten days later. The mice were then observed for tumor regression/recurrence. The tumors treated with radiotherapy alone shrunk and became impalpable for a brief period after which they all recurred. In contrast, vaccination performed at 10 days post radiotherapy delayed tumor recurrence and prevented it in one of six mice. Even better results were obtained with mice vaccinated immediately after radiotherapy, with mice showing not only a delayed tumor recurrence but also no sign of tumor in 50% of mice. The PDT-vaccine treatment without radiotherapy produced in this trial a significant tumor growth retardation but no complete regressions. These results indicate that PDT-generated vaccines can ensure immune rejection of cancer once the lesion size is reduced by radiotherapy. Even without obtaining a systemic immunity for the elimination of disseminated malignant deposits, these findings suggest that PDT-vaccines can improve local control

  1. Radiation and mental retardation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pochin, E.E.

    1988-01-01

    The editorial comments on a report published by the Radiation Effects Research Foundation in Hiroshima updating information on the induction of mental changes in the light of the revised and more detailed estimate of doses of radiation during pregnancies received by those exposed at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The estimated risks are little changed. The likelihood of a threshold for exposure during the 16th to 25th week is confirmed-at 700 mGy (with a lower 95% confidence interval of 200 mGy). For the more sensitive time between the eighth to 15th weeks a linear model with no threshold still gives a statistically adequate fit to the data. Now, however, if linear models are tested without the constraint of postulating a threshold of zero, fits are obtained indicating substantial thresholds below which mental retardation would not result. When data on all children are included the maximum likelihood threshold value averages about 250 mGy on the different criteria tested (with mean 95% confidence intervals of 0 and 550 mGy). Or if the analyses exclude five children with conditions that themselves sometimes cause mental retardation a threshold of about 400 mGy is indicated (with mean 95% confidence intervals of 150 and 600 mGy). (author)

  2. The E7-associated cell-surface antigen: a marker for the 11p13 chromosomal deletion associated with aniridia-Wilms tumor.

    OpenAIRE

    Scoggin, C H; Fisher, J H; Shoemaker, S A; Morse, H; Leigh, T; Riccardi, V M

    1985-01-01

    Unbalanced interstitial deletions of the p13 region of human chromosome 11 have been associated with congenital hypoplasia or aplasia of the iris, mental retardation, ambiguous genitalia, and predisposition to Wilms tumor of the kidney. Utilizing somatic cell hybrids containing either the normal or abnormal chromosome 11 from a child with Wilms tumor and aniridia, we previously mapped the E7 cell-surface antigen to the 11p1300-to-11p15.1 region. To localize even further the site of this antig...

  3. Smoke suppression properties of ferrite yellow on flame retardant thermoplastic polyurethane based on ammonium polyphosphate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Xilei; Jiang, Yufeng; Jiao, Chuanmei

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Smoke suppression of FeOOH on flame retardant TPU composites has been investigated. • FeOOH has excellent smoke suppression abilities for flame retardant TPU composites. • FeOOH has good ability of char formation, hence improved smoke suppression property. -- Abstract: This article mainly studies smoke suppression properties and synergistic flame retardant effect of ferrite yellow (FeOOH) on flame retardant thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) composites using ammonium polyphosphate (APP) as a flame retardant agent. Smoke suppression properties and synergistic flame retardant effect of FeOOH on flame retardant TPU composites were intensively investigated by smoke density test (SDT), cone calorimeter test (CCT), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermal-gravimetric analysis (TGA). Remarkably, the SDT results show that FeOOH can effectively decrease the amount of smoke production with or without flame. On the other hand, the CCT data reveal that the addition of FeOOH can apparently reduce heat release rate (HRR), total heat release (THR), and total smoke release (TSR), etc. Here, FeOOH is considered to be an effective smoke suppression agent and a good synergism with APP in flame retardant TPU composites, which can greatly improve the structure of char residue realized by TGA and SEM results

  4. Long-Term Retardation of Uranium in the KURT Environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baik, Min Hoon; Shin, Joo Do; Park, Tae Jin

    2016-01-01

    One of possibilities resolving this issue is to study the migration and retardation processes of radionuclides in the subsurface environments by using naturally occurring radionuclides as analogues of radioactive waste. To date, however, the long-term behavior of radionuclides in a granitic groundwater system is not yet fully understood. The ubiquitous presence of uranium (U) in rocks makes it an ideal natural analogue for studying the behaviors of radionuclides in a deep geological repository for the final disposal of HLW. In this study, long-term retardation behavior of natural uranium was investigated using granite rock samples taken from the KURT (KAERI Underground Research Tunnel), located in Daejeon city. The distribution of uranium and its binding mechanism in granite samples were investigated using the sequential chemical extraction (SCE) technique combined with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and ICP-MS methods. In this study, the long-term retardation of uranium in the KURT environment was investigated using SCE and EPMA techniques combined with ICP-MS and XRD. Results showed that long-term interaction of rock with groundwater can change U species and mineralize dissolved U, which can consequently contribute to the retardation of U in the fractured granitic rock environment. This study will help us to understand the long-term behavior of radionuclides migrating through the fractured granite rock and then enhance the reliability of the safety assessment for a HLW repository

  5. Late effects of treatment on the intelligence of children with posterior fossa tumors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duffner, P.K.; Cohen, M.E.; Thomas, P.

    1983-01-01

    This retrospective pilot study was undertaken to evaluate the late effects of treatment on intelligence in a population of children with posterior fossa tumors. Ten children with posterior fossa tumors treated with radiation and chemotherapy received intellectual evaluations at least one year following diagnosis. Six children had medulloblastomas, one child had a fourth ventricular ependymoma, two children had brainstem gliomas, and one child had a recurrent cerebellar astrocytoma. Children with supratentorial tumors were specifically excluded from the study in order to eliminate the possible influence of the tumor on intellectual functioning. Four children had had intelligence testing in school prior to treatment of their tumor. In each case results following treatment revealed a deterioration of full scale IQ of at least 25 points. Six children did not have prior testing; of these, two had IQ's less than 20. Overall, 50% of the patients had IQ's of less than 80 and 20% had IQ's of greater than 100. Furthermore, four children with normal intelligence (IQ greater than 80) have learning problems requiring special classes. Thus, of the ten children evaluated, all have either dementia, learning disabilities, or evidence of intellectual retardation. This study suggests that aggressive treatment of children with brain tumors may improve survivals but may be associated with significant long-term disabilities

  6. Workability enhancement of geopolymer concrete through the use of retarder

    Science.gov (United States)

    Umniati, B. Sri; Risdanareni, Puput; Zein, Fahmi Tarmizi Zulfikar

    2017-09-01

    Geopolymer concrete is a type of concrete manufactured without the addition of cement. In geopolymer concrete, along with an activator, cement as the concrete binder can be replaced by the fly ash. This will reduce global demand on cement, and therefore will reduce CO2 emission due to cement production. Thus, geopolymer concrete is commonly known as an eco-friendly concrete. Geopolymer concrete also offers a solution concerning with the utilization of the fly ash waste. However, despite of its environmental advantages, geopolymer concrete has a drawback, namelygeopolymer concrete set quickly, thus reducing its workability. This research aimed to increase the workability of geopolymer concrete by using retarder admixture (Plastocrete RT6 Plus). Retarder used varies within 0.2%, 0.4% and 0.6% of fly ash mass. As a control, geopolymer concrete without retarder (0%) were also made. Activator used in this research was Na2SiO3 mixed with NaOH 10 M solution, with ratio of 1:5. The results showed an optimum composition of geopolymer concrete with 0.6% retarder, where initial setting time occured after 6.75 hours, and the final setting time reached after 9.5 hours. Moreover, the slump of the geopolymer concrete was 8.8 cm, and the slump flow was 24 cm. The compressive strength of the geopolymer concrete at 28 days was 47.21 MPa. The experiment showed that the more retarder added, the setting time of the geopolymer concrete will be increased, thus increasing its workability.

  7. A Case with Mental Retardation, Gynecomastia and Dysmorphic Features

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ozge Ozalp Yuregir

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available The 17 years old boy was diagnosed as Borjeson Forsmann Lehmann Syndrome who was referred to our Genetic Diagnosis Center for his dysmorphic features, obesity, gynecomasty and mental retardation . There are so many diseases in differantial diagnosis of obesity and mental retardation that BFLS is a rare one of them. We aimed to discuss the findings of the patient clinically diagnosed as BFLS within the scope of literature. [Cukurova Med J 2012; 37(1.000: 60-63

  8. Assessment of the long-term effects of primary radiation therapy for brain tumors in children

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Danoff, B.F.; Cowchock, F.S.; Marquette, C.; Mulgrew, L.; Kramer, S.

    1982-01-01

    One-hundred-twelve children with primary brain tumors received definitive radiotherapy between the years 1958-1979. Sixty-nine patients were alive at intervals of 1-21 years. Thirty-eight patients underwent neurologic and endocrine evaluation, psychologic and intelligence testing, and assessment for second malignancy post-treatment. A second intracranial malgnancy developed in one child, for an incidence of 1.6%. Performance status was good to excellent in 89% of the patients studied. Seventeen percent of the group were mentally retarded. Behavioral disorders were identified in 39% of the patients, 59% of the mothers, and 43% of the fathers. Of the 23 patients with nonparasellar tumors, six were found to have growth hormone deficiency, including two patients with panhypopituitarism. Disability was related to age under 3 years at the time of treatment and tumor extension to the hypothalamus

  9. Brominated flame retardants and endocrine disruption

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vos, J.G.; Becher, G.; Berg, van den M.; Boer, de J.; Leonards, P.E.G.

    2003-01-01

    From an environmental point of view, an increasing important group of organohalogen compounds are the brominated flame retardants (BFRs), which are widely used in polymers and textiles and applied in construction materials, furniture, and electronic equipment. BFRs with the highest production volume

  10. Brominated flame retardants and endocrine disruption

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vos, Joseph G.; Becher, Georg; Van Den Berg, Martin; Leonards, Pim E G

    2003-01-01

    From an environmental point of view, an increasing important group of organo-halogen compounds are the brominated flame retardants (BFRs), which are widely used in polymers and textiles and applied in construction materials, furniture, and electronic equipment. BFRs with the highest production

  11. Equally unequal: gender discrimination in the workplace among adults with mental retardation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Julius, Elona; Wolfson, Hagit; Yalon-Chamovitz, Shira

    2003-01-01

    Gender discrimination in the work place has been widely reported. Women are usually discriminated against both with respect to level of occupation and salary. The current study explored the correlation between gender and employment among adults with mental retardation, specifically, whether gender discrimination in the work place is as prominent among people with mental retardation as in the general population. Level of occupation and salary earned were studied in 227 adults with mild and moderate mental retardation residing in institutions, hostels, and sheltered homes in Israel. The findings suggest a correlation between gender and employment similar to that in the general population. Women were found to be employed mainly in sheltered workshops and lower levels of occupation, and to earn significantly less than the men. However, closer examination of each work place revealed that within each level of occupation there were no significant gender differences in salary. The finding suggests that while women with mental retardation earn lower salaries than men, this is mainly the result of their lower level of occupation. Rehabilitation efforts should therefore be directed toward ensuring higher levels of occupation as well as community employment among women with mental retardation.

  12. Retardation effects on the dispersion and propagation of plasmons in metallic nanoparticle chains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Downing, Charles A.; Mariani, Eros; Weick, Guillaume

    2018-01-01

    We consider a chain of regularly-spaced spherical metallic nanoparticles, where each particle supports three degenerate localized surface plasmons. Due to the dipolar interaction between the nanoparticles, the localized plasmons couple to form extended collective modes. Using an open quantum system approach in which the collective plasmons are interacting with vacuum electromagnetic modes and which, importantly, readily incorporates retardation via the light-matter coupling, we analytically evaluate the resulting radiative frequency shifts of the plasmonic bandstructure. For subwavelength-sized nanoparticles, our analytical treatment provides an excellent quantitative agreement with the results stemming from laborious numerical calculations based on fully-retarded solutions to Maxwell’s equations. Indeed, the explicit expressions for the plasmonic spectrum which we provide showcase how including retardation gives rise to a logarithmic singularity in the bandstructure of transverse-polarized plasmons. We further study the impact of retardation effects on the propagation of plasmonic excitations along the chain. While for the longitudinal modes, retardation has a negligible effect, we find that the retarded dipolar interaction can significantly modify the plasmon propagation in the case of transverse-polarized modes. Moreover, our results elucidate the analogy between radiative effects in nanoplasmonic systems and the cooperative Lamb shift in atomic physics.

  13. Cadmium zinc telluride as a mid-infrared variable retarder

    Science.gov (United States)

    FitzGerald, William; Taherion, Saeid; Kumar, F. Joseph; Giles, David; Hore, Dennis

    2018-04-01

    The electro-optic behavior of cadmium zinc telluride is examined in the mid-infrared region between 3 and 11 μm, for applied DC field strengths of up to 106 V/m. The measurements performed here include full characterization of the polarization state of the transmitted light by means of the Stokes vector. We demonstrate the suitability of this material for DC variable retarder applications such as those achieved by quarter- or half-wave retardation. A comparison of two different metallic coatings for electrodes, gold and indium, reveals important differences in performance that are attributed to the homogeneity of the field through the bulk of the crystal. We illustrate that, in the case of both metals, the same electro-optic coefficients are measured, but regions of higher and lower retardation result in significant depolarization in the case of gold. Such depolarization may adversely affect the contrast ratio in a light valve, or increase the voltage necessary for the operation of an arbitrary polarization state generator.

  14. Autosomal recessive intestinal lymphangiectasia and lymphedema, with facial anomalies and mental retardation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hennekam, R. C.; Geerdink, R. A.; Hamel, B. C.; Hennekam, F. A.; Kraus, P.; Rammeloo, J. A.; Tillemans, A. A.

    1989-01-01

    We report on two male and two female relatives with intestinal lymphangiectasia; severe lymphedema of limbs, genitalia, and face; facial anomalies; seizures; mild growth retardation; and moderate mental retardation. Main facial anomalies are a flat face, flat nasal bridge, hypertelorism, small

  15. Tumor invasion of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium is accompanied by strong hemorrhage promoted by TNF-alpha.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sara Leschner

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Several facultative anaerobic bacteria with potential therapeutic abilities are known to preferentially colonize solid tumors after systemic administration. How they efficiently find and invade the tumors is still unclear. However, this is an important issue to be clarified when bacteria should be tailored for application in cancer therapy. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We describe the initial events of colonization of an ectopic transplantable tumor by Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. Initially, after intravenous administration, bacteria were found in blood, spleen, and liver. Low numbers were also detected in tumors associated with blood vessels as could be observed by immunohistochemistry. A rapid increase of TNF-alpha in blood was observed at that time, in addition to other pro-inflammatory cytokines. This induced a tremendous influx of blood into the tumors by vascular disruption that could be visualized in H&E stainings and quantified by hemoglobin measurements of tumor homogenate. Most likely, together with the blood, bacteria were flushed into the tumor. In addition, blood influx was followed by necrosis formation, bacterial growth, and infiltration of neutrophilic granulocytes. Depletion of TNF-alpha retarded blood influx and delayed bacterial tumor-colonization. CONCLUSION: Our findings emphasize similarities between Gram-negative tumor-colonizing bacteria and tumor vascular disrupting agents and show the involvement of TNF-alpha in the initial phase of tumor-colonization by bacteria.

  16. Combination of VP3 and CD147-knockdown enhance apoptosis and tumor growth delay index in colorectal tumor allograft

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ismail, Ruzila; Allaudin, Zeenathul Nazariah; Abdullah, Rasedee; Mohd Lila, Mohd-Azmi; Rahman, Nik-Mohd-Afizan Nik Abd.; Abdul Rahman, Sheikh-Omar

    2016-01-01

    Cancer therapies that kill cancer cells without affecting normal cells is the ultimate mode of treating cancers. The VP3, an avian virus-derived protein, can specifically initiate cell death through several signal transduction pathways leading to apoptosis. In cancer, chemoresistance and cell survivability implicate the cell surface protein, CD147. In this study, transfection of VP3 and silencing of CD147 genes was achieved through the treatment of tumors with pVIVO1-GFP/VP3 (VP3), psiRNA-CD147/2 (shCD147/2), and their combination of CT26 colon cancer cell-induced in mice. The effectiveness of tumor-treatment was ascertained by electrophoresis, TUNEL assay, and flow cytometry analysis. While histopathological and biochemical analysis were used as toxic side effect identification. The tumor growth delay index (TGDI) after treatment with VP3, shCD147/2, and their combination treatments increased by 1.3-, 1.2-, 2.0- and 2.3-fold respectively, over untreated control. The VP3-shCD147/2 combination treatment was more efficacious then either VP3 or shCD147/2 alone in the retardation of mouse CT26 colorectal cell tumor allograft. The antitumor effect of the combination treatment is the result of synergistic effects of VP3 and shCD147/2 on the tumor cells resulting in apoptosis. Thus, the study shows that combination of VP3 and shCD147/2 treatment can be developed into a potential approach for anticolorectal cancer treatment regimen. The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12885-016-2530-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

  17. Aluminum hypophosphite microencapsulated to improve its safety and application to flame retardant polyamide 6

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ge, Hua; Tang, Gang; Hu, Wei-Zhao; Wang, Bi-Bo; Pan, Ying; Song, Lei; Hu, Yuan

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • MCAHP was prepared and applied in polyamide 6. • MCA as the capsule material can improve the fire safety of AHP. • Flame retardant polyamide 6 composites with MCAHP show good flame retardancy. - Abstract: Aluminum hypophosphite (AHP) is an effective phosphorus-containing flame retardant. But AHP also has fire risk that it will decompose and release phosphine which is spontaneously flammable in air and even can form explosive mixtures with air in extreme cases. In this paper, AHP has been microencapsulated by melamine cyanurate (MCA) to prepare microencapsulated aluminum hypophosphite (MCAHP) with the aim of enhancing the fire safety in the procedure of production, storage and use. Meanwhile, MCA was a nitrogen-containing flame retardant that can work with AHP via the nitrogen-phosphorus synergistic effect to show improved flame-retardant property than other capsule materials. After microencapsulation, MCA presented as a protection layer inhibit the degradation of AHP and postpone the generation of phosphine. Furthermore, the phosphine concentration could be effectively diluted by inert decomposition products of MCA. These nonflammable decomposition products of MCA could separate phosphine from air delay the oxidizing reaction with oxygen and decrease the heat release rate, which imply that the fire safety of AHP has been improved. Furthermore, MCAHP was added into polyamide 6 to prepare flame retardant polyamide 6 composites (FR-PA6) which show good flame retardancy

  18. Aluminum hypophosphite microencapsulated to improve its safety and application to flame retardant polyamide 6

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ge, Hua [State Key Laboratory of Fire Science, University of Science and Technology of China, 96 Jinzhai Road, Hefei, Anhui 230026 (China); Tang, Gang [School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Anhui University of Technology, 59 Hudong Road, Ma’anshan, Anhui 243002 (China); Hu, Wei-Zhao; Wang, Bi-Bo; Pan, Ying [State Key Laboratory of Fire Science, University of Science and Technology of China, 96 Jinzhai Road, Hefei, Anhui 230026 (China); Song, Lei, E-mail: leisong@ustc.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Fire Science, University of Science and Technology of China, 96 Jinzhai Road, Hefei, Anhui 230026 (China); Hu, Yuan, E-mail: yuanhu@ustc.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Fire Science, University of Science and Technology of China, 96 Jinzhai Road, Hefei, Anhui 230026 (China); Suzhou Key Laboratory of Urban Public Safety, Suzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Science and Technology of China, 166 Ren’ai Road, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123 (China)

    2015-08-30

    Highlights: • MCAHP was prepared and applied in polyamide 6. • MCA as the capsule material can improve the fire safety of AHP. • Flame retardant polyamide 6 composites with MCAHP show good flame retardancy. - Abstract: Aluminum hypophosphite (AHP) is an effective phosphorus-containing flame retardant. But AHP also has fire risk that it will decompose and release phosphine which is spontaneously flammable in air and even can form explosive mixtures with air in extreme cases. In this paper, AHP has been microencapsulated by melamine cyanurate (MCA) to prepare microencapsulated aluminum hypophosphite (MCAHP) with the aim of enhancing the fire safety in the procedure of production, storage and use. Meanwhile, MCA was a nitrogen-containing flame retardant that can work with AHP via the nitrogen-phosphorus synergistic effect to show improved flame-retardant property than other capsule materials. After microencapsulation, MCA presented as a protection layer inhibit the degradation of AHP and postpone the generation of phosphine. Furthermore, the phosphine concentration could be effectively diluted by inert decomposition products of MCA. These nonflammable decomposition products of MCA could separate phosphine from air delay the oxidizing reaction with oxygen and decrease the heat release rate, which imply that the fire safety of AHP has been improved. Furthermore, MCAHP was added into polyamide 6 to prepare flame retardant polyamide 6 composites (FR-PA6) which show good flame retardancy.

  19. Development of new radiation resistant, fire-retardant cables

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hagiwara, Ko; Morita, Yosuke; Udagawa, Takashi; Fujimura, Shun-ichi; Oda, Eisuke.

    1982-01-01

    For the cables for nuclear facilities, radiation resistance and fire-retardation are severely required. The authors took note of the fact that even in the existing cables for nuclear power plants, their mechanical properties are greatly degraded by the exposure to large dose (for example, 200 Mrad in PWR testing conditions), and attempted the improvement. They employed a new additive, bromated acenaphthylene condensate (con-BACN), which effectively gives radiation resistance and also is a good flame retarder, to be compounded to an insulation material, and examined the characteristics. In this paper, the features of con-BACN and the investigation of fire-retardant EPDM composition are described. As an initial composition, a small amount of zinc white, sulphur, stearic acid, noclac 224 (Ouchi-Shinko Chemicals, Co.), and antimony trioxide, 100 parts of tale and 45 parts of con-BACN were added to 100 parts of EPDM (propylene content 34 %, Japan Synthetic Rubber Co.). As the antiaging agent, it was decided to use phenol series No. 3 as a result of test. The fire-retardant EP rubber-composed cable was produced for trial, its insulation being fabricated, using a Furukawa's pressurized salt bath continuous vulcanizer. The tests of γ-irradiation, simulated LOCA and combustion were carried out, and the test results are reported. It was indicated that the cable resisted against high dose several times as much as 200 Mrad, and was suitable for the applications, in which the mechanical properties such as bending are required to be maintained after radiation exposure. It was also found that con-BACN was safe, and its properties of decomposition, concentration and acute toxicity were all very low. (Wakatsuki, Y.)

  20. Methods for determining radionuclide retardation factors: status report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Relyea, J.F.; Serne, R.J.; Rai, D.

    1980-04-01

    This report identifies a number of mechanisms that retard radionuclide migration, and describes the static and dynamic methods that are used to study such retardation phenomena. Both static and dynamic methods are needed for reliable safety assessments of underground nuclear-waste repositories. This report also evaluates the extent to which the two methods may be used to diagnose radionuclide migration through various types of geologic media, among them unconsolidated, crushed, intact, and fractured rocks. Adsorption is one mechanism that can control radionuclide concentrations in solution and therefore impede radionuclide migration. Other mechanisms that control a solution's radionuclide concentration and radionuclide migration are precipitation of hydroxides and oxides, oxidation-reduction reactions, and the formation of minerals that might include the radionuclide as a structural element. The retardation mechanisms mentioned above are controlled by such factors as surface area, cation exchange capacity, solution pH, chemical composition of the rock and of the solution, oxidation-reduction potential, and radionuclide concentration. Rocks and ground waters used in determining retardation factors should represent the expected equilibrium conditions in the geologic system under investigation. Static test methods can be used to rapidly screen the effects of the factors mentioned above. Dynamic (or column) testing, is needed to assess the effects of hydrodynamics and the interaction of hydrodynamics with the other important parameters. This paper proposes both a standard method for conducting batch Kd determinations, and a standard format for organizing and reporting data. Dynamic testing methods are not presently developed to the point that a standard methodology can be proposed. Normal procedures are outlined for column experimentation and the data that are needed to analyze a column experiment are identified

  1. EVALUASI RENCANA KINERJA KOLAM RETENSI (RETARDING BASIN DALAM UPAYA PENGENDALIAN BANJIR TUKAD MATI DI KOTA DENPASAR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I G. Suryadinata P

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Tukad Mati is one of the rivers in the province of Bali that unfolds and flows in Badung regency and Denpasar. Inundation due to flooding is a problem that often occurs in this region during the rainy season. In an effort to overcome problems of flooding have been many studies carried out so as to produce flood control alternatives such as normalization, diversion channels and retarding basins. Retarding basin is one of flood control alternative that has not been much studied. In this study conducted a simulation of flood prevention alternative with retarding basin at Tukad Mati, by the hydrology approach method and hydraulics using HEC-RAS 4.0 program applications. Simulations performed on the current river flow conditions (existing condition and to the existing conditions with the retarding basin, according to the detail design of retarding basin in the city of Denpasar and evaluate the effectiveness of the retarding basin in the river basin flood control of Tukad Mati. Flood control by retarding basin based on simulations with the 2 (two years flood return period, resulting in a reduction of water level by an average of 0.42 meters or an average of 12% of the maximum water level in the conditions without retarding basin, which occurred in along the grooves on the lower reaches of the retarding basin and inundation waters still occur in some places, particularly in the downstream of Umadui Dam. Economic analysis of both the analysis of Benefits/Cost produces a parameter of BCR, NPV and IRR are not meet the feasibility requirements. The effective retention of retarding basin based on simulation results are 282,630.00 m3 with the ability to flood accommodate for 3-4 hours. In terms of economic development retarding basin is not feasible in terms of comparative costs and benefits

  2. EVALUASI RENCANA KINERJA KOLAM RETENSI (RETARDING BASIN DALAM UPAYA PENGENDALIAN BANJIR TUKAD MATI DI KOTA DENPASAR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I G. Suryadinata P

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Tukad Mati is one of the rivers in the province of Bali that unfolds and flows in Badung regency and Denpasar. Inundation due to flooding is a problem that often occurs in this region during the rainy season. In an effort to overcome problems of flooding have been many studies carried out so as to produce flood control alternatives such as normalization, diversion channels and retarding basins. Retarding basin is one of flood control alternative that has not been much studied. In this study conducted a simulation of flood prevention alternative with retarding basin at Tukad Mati, by the hydrology approach method and hydraulics using HEC-RAS 4.0 program applications. Simulations performed on the current river flow conditions (existing condition and to the existing conditions with the retarding basin, according to the detail design of retarding basin in the city of Denpasar and evaluate the effectiveness of the retarding basin in the river basin flood control of Tukad Mati. Flood control by retarding basin based on simulations with the 2 (two years flood return period, resulting in a reduction of water level by an average of 0.42 meters or an average of 12% of the maximum water level in the conditions without retarding basin, which occurred in along the grooves on the lower reaches of the retarding basin and inundation waters still occur in some places, particularly in the downstream of Umadui Dam. Economic analysis of both the analysis of Benefits/Cost produces a parameter of BCR, NPV and IRR are not meet the feasibility requirements. The effective retention of retarding basin based on simulation results are 282,630.00 m3 with the ability to flood accommodate for 3-4 hours. In terms of economic development retarding basin is not feasible in terms of comparative costs and benefits

  3. Role of microRNA Pathway in Mental Retardation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qurashi, Abrar; Chang, Shuang; Jin, Peng

    2007-01-01

    Deficits in cognitive functions lead to mental retardation (MR). Understanding the genetic basis of inherited MR has provided insights into the pathogenesis of MR. Fragile X syndrome is one of the most common forms of inherited MR, caused by the loss of functional Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein (FMRP). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous, single-stranded RNAs between 18 and 25 nucleotides in length, which have been implicated in diversified biological pathways. Recent studies have linked the miRNA pathway to fragile X syndrome. Here we review the role of the miRNA pathway in fragile X syndrome and discuss its implication in MR in general. PMID:17982588

  4. Existence of carcinine, a histamine-related compound, in mammalian tissues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Flancbaum, L.; Brotman, D.N.; Fitzpatrick, J.C.; Van Es, Theodorus; Kasziba, E.; Fisher, H.

    1990-01-01

    Carcinine (β-alanylhistamine) was synthesized in vitro from histamine and β-alanine. It was detected quantitatively using an HPLC method previously described for the quantification of the related compounds histamine, histidine, carnosine and 3-methylhistamine. Carcinine was identified in several tissues of the rat, guinea pig, mouse and human, and was then shown to be metabolically related in vivo to histamine, histidine, carnosine and 3-methylhistamine through radioisotopic labeling. The results demonstrate that carcinine may be concurrently quantitated using the same HPLC method as that used to measure histamine, histidine, carnosine and 3-methylhistamine. These findings suggest a role for carcinine in the carnosine-histidine-histamine metabolic pathway and the mammalian physiologic response to stress

  5. Flame retardation of cellulose-rich fabrics via a simplified layer-by-layer assembly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Jun-Chi; Liao, Wang; Deng, Shi-Bi; Cao, Zhi-Jie; Wang, Yu-Zhong

    2016-10-20

    Due to the high cellulose content of cotton (88.0-96.5%), the flame retardation of cotton fabrics can be achieved via an approach for the flame retardation of cellulose. In this work, a facile water-based flame retardant coating was deposited on cotton fabrics by a 'simplified' layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly. The novel coating solution was based on a mild reaction between ammonium polyphosphate (APP) and branched polyethyleneimine (BPEI), and the reaction mechanism was studied. TGA results showed that the char residues of coated fabrics were remarkably increased. The fabric with only 5wt% coating showed self-extinguishing in the horizontal flame test, and the peak heat release rate (pHRR) in cone calorimeter test decreased by 51%. Furthermore, this coating overcame a general drawback of flame-retardant LbL assembly which was easily washed away. Therefore, the simplified LbL method provides a fast, low-cost, eco-friendly and wash-durable flame-retardant finishing for the cellulose-rich cotton fabrics. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Osteochondromas and growth retardation secondary to externally or internally administered radiation in childhood

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marcovici, Peter A. [UCSD Medical Center, Department of Radiology, San Diego, CA (United States); Berdon, Walter E. [Morgan Stanley Children' s Hospital of New York, Department of Radiology, New York, NY (United States); Liebling, Melissa S. [Hackensack University Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Hackensack, NJ (United States)

    2007-03-15

    For over five decades, osteochondromas (exostoses) and associated growth retardation have been known to be caused by radiation damage to the growing skeleton.Patients can be divided into three exposure groups. Group I received external beam radiation therapy primarily for the treatment of childhood cancers (typical dose 3,500 cGy), and 6-20% developed osteochondromas and growth retardation within the radiation portal. Group II consists of recently described patients who received total body irradiation in preparation for bone marrow transplant (typical dose: 800-1,200 cGy), and about 20% developed osteochondromas and growth retardation. Group III consists of 206 German children who in the 1940s and early 1950s received intravenous radioactive Peteosthor (Ra-224) to treat bone tuberculosis (estimated typical dose: 1,000-2,000 cGy), and 14% developed osteochondromas and growth retardation, among other benign and malignant sequelae. Combining these three exposure groups, osteochondromas and growth retardation develop in at least 6-20% of children who receive therapeutic radiation to their growing skeletons. (orig.)

  7. Immune physiology in tissue regeneration and aging, tumor growth, and regenerative medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bukovsky, Antonin; Caudle, Michael R; Carson, Ray J; Gaytán, Francisco; Huleihel, Mahmoud; Kruse, Andrea; Schatten, Heide; Telleria, Carlos M

    2009-02-13

    The immune system plays an important role in immunity (immune surveillance), but also in the regulation of tissue homeostasis (immune physiology). Lessons from the female reproductive tract indicate that immune system related cells, such as intraepithelial T cells and monocyte-derived cells (MDC) in stratified epithelium, interact amongst themselves and degenerate whereas epithelial cells proliferate and differentiate. In adult ovaries, MDC and T cells are present during oocyte renewal from ovarian stem cells. Activated MDC are also associated with follicular development and atresia, and corpus luteum differentiation. Corpus luteum demise resembles rejection of a graft since it is attended by a massive influx of MDC and T cells resulting in parenchymal and vascular regression. Vascular pericytes play important roles in immune physiology, and their activities (including secretion of the Thy-1 differentiation protein) can be regulated by vascular autonomic innervation. In tumors, MDC regulate proliferation of neoplastic cells and angiogenesis. Tumor infiltrating T cells die among malignant cells. Alterations of immune physiology can result in pathology, such as autoimmune, metabolic, and degenerative diseases, but also in infertility and intrauterine growth retardation, fetal morbidity and mortality. Animal experiments indicate that modification of tissue differentiation (retardation or acceleration) during immune adaptation can cause malfunction (persistent immaturity or premature aging) of such tissue during adulthood. Thus successful stem cell therapy will depend on immune physiology in targeted tissues. From this point of view, regenerative medicine is more likely to be successful in acute rather than chronic tissue disorders.

  8. Obstetric interventions and perinatal asphyxia in growth retarded term infants

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Langhoff-Roos, J; Lindmark, G

    1997-01-01

    BACKGROUND: The monitoring of fetal growth during pregnancy is usually justified because of the increased perinatal risk of these babies. METHODS: In 1552 infants from the Scandinavian Small for Gestational Age Study the need for obstetric interventions, risk of fetal asphyxia and immediate...... neonatal outcome at term have been studied in relation to different types of fetal growth retardation, including sub-groups with low ponderal index or low amount of subcutaneous fat. RESULTS: The need for obstetric intervention indicated by suspected fetal asphyxia before or during labor was increased 3......-fold (6-8%) for growth retarded infants both in SGA infants in general and infants with asymmetric body proportions. The immediate perinatal outcome, however, was favorable with Apgar below 8 at 5 min in only 2% irrespective of the type of growth retardation, in spite of the fact that less than 25...

  9. Exploring the Modes of Action of Phosphorus-Based Flame Retardants in Polymeric Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sebastian Rabe

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Phosphorus-based flame retardants were incorporated into different, easily preparable matrices, such as polymeric thermoset resins and paraffin as a proposed model for polyolefins and investigated for their flame retardancy performance. The favored mode of action of each flame retardant was identified in each respective system and at each respective concentration. Thermogravimetric analysis was used in combination with infrared spectroscopy of the evolved gas to determine the pyrolysis behavior, residue formation and the release of phosphorus species. Forced flaming tests in the cone calorimeter provided insight into burning behavior and macroscopic residue effects. The results were put into relation to the phosphorus content to reveal correlations between phosphorus concentration in the gas phase and flame inhibition performance, as well as phosphorus concentration in the residue and condensed phase activity. Total heat evolved (fire load and peak heat release rate were calculated based on changes in the effective heat of combustion and residue, and then compared with the measured values to address the modes of action of the flame retardants quantitatively. The quantification of flame inhibition, charring, and the protective layer effect measure the non-linear flame retardancy effects as functions of the phosphorus concentration. Overall, this screening approach using easily preparable polymer systems provides great insight into the effect of phosphorus in different flame retarded polymers, with regard to polymer structure, phosphorus concentration, and phosphorus species.

  10. Influence of Flame Retardants on the Melt Dripping Behaviour of Thermoplastic Polymers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Melissa Matzen

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Melt flow and dripping of the pyrolysing polymer melt can be both a benefit and a detriment during a fire. In several small-scale fire tests addressing the ignition of a defined specimen with a small ignition source, well-adjusted melt flow and dripping are usually beneficial to pass the test. The presence of flame retardants often changes the melt viscosity crucially. The influence of certain flame retardants on the dripping behaviour of four commercial polymers, poly(butylene terephthalate (PBT, polypropylene (PP, polypropylene modified with ethylene-propylene rubber (PP-EP and polyamide 6 (PA 6, is analysed based on an experimental monitoring of the mass loss due to melt dripping, drop size and drop temperature as a function of the furnace temperature applied to a rod-shaped specimen. Investigating the thermal transition (DSC, thermal and thermo-oxidative decomposition, as well as the viscosity of the polymer and collected drops completes the investigation. Different mechanisms of the flame retardants are associated with their influence on the dripping behaviour in the UL 94 test. Reduction in decomposition temperature and changed viscosity play a major role. A flow limit in flame-retarded PBT, enhanced decomposition of flame-retarded PP and PP-EP and the promotion of dripping in PA 6 are the salient features discussed.

  11. Determining trace element in hair of children with mental retardation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Zhilan; Gu Bomei; Jia Meixiang

    1992-01-01

    Seven trace elements in the hair come from 29 mental retardation children and 29 normal children have been analysed by INAA and XRF. There are significant differences for Fe and Sc between the two groups. The average value of Pb in the hair of the mental retardation children is higher than that of the normal children. Although Zn is very important for children growing, there is no significant difference between two children groups

  12. Classical many-body theory with retarded interactions: Dynamical irreversibility and determinism without probabilities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zakharov, A.Yu., E-mail: Anatoly.Zakharov@novsu.ru; Zakharov, M.A., E-mail: ma_zakharov@list.ru

    2016-01-28

    The exact equations of motion for microscopic density of classical many-body system with account of inter-particle retarded interactions is derived. It is shown that interactions retardation leads to irreversible behavior of many-body systems. - Highlights: • A new form of equation of motion of classical many-body system is proposed. • Interactions retardation as one of the mechanisms of many-body system irreversibility. • Irreversibility and determinism without probabilities. • The possible way to microscopic foundation of thermodynamics.

  13. SYNERGISTIC EFFECTS OF NOVOLAC-BASED CHAR FORMER WITH A PHOSPHORUS/NITROGEN-CONTAINING FLAME RETARDANT IN POLYAMIDE 6

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Wei-cheng Xiong; Li Chen; De-yi Wang; Fei Song; Yu-zhong Wang

    2012-01-01

    The synergistic effect of phosphorus oxynitride (PON) with a novolac-based char former modified by salification (NA-metal salt) on the flame retardance of polyamide 6 (PA6) was investigated.For this purpose,various flame-retardant PA6 systems were melt-compounded with PON,PON/NA,PON/NA-V2O5 and PON/NA-Fe2O3,and their flame retardance was evaluated by measuring the limiting oxygen index (LOI) values and UL-94 vertical burning ratings.The results showed that,compared with the PA6/PON/NA system,the combination of two char formers (NA-V2O5,NA-Fe2O3) with PON could obviously improve the char formation and flame retardance of PA6.The flame retardance and cone calorimetric analyses showed the stronger synergism as well as the better flame retardant performance of PON/NA-Fe2O3 flame retardant system.The effects of different char formers on the flame retardance and thermal stability of this system were also discussed.

  14. Understanding the interactions of phosphonate-based flame-retarding additives with graphitic anode for lithium ion batteries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feng, Jinkui; Ma, Peng; Yang, Hanxi; Lu, Li

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: •Diethyl ethylphosphonate (DEEP) and dimethyl methylphosphonate are tested as flame retardants for lithium ion batteries. •The DMMP shows a destructive reaction with graphitic anode while DEEP shows a self-reduction mechanism. •DEEP is reported for the first time as flame-retardant additive for lithium ion batteries and demonstrates a much better compatibility with graphitic anode. -- Abstract: The compatibility with graphitic anode has been one key problem in developing flame-retarding additives for lithium ion batteries. To understand the interactions between flame-retarding additives and graphitic anode, two phosphonate esters (dimethyl methylphosphonate DMMP and diethyl ethylphosphonate DEEP) are selected and characterized as flame retardant addtives. DEEP is reported as a flame-retarding additive for the first time. Their interactions with graphite anode are characterized via current-static charge–discharge, ex-situ XRD, FE-SEM and AC impedance. The results reveal that the two phosphonate esters demonstrate different reaction mechanisms with graphitic anode, which result in different anode compatibility. These findings may be useful for designing better flame-retarding additives for lithium ion batteries

  15. Detachment-induced E-cadherin expression promotes 3D tumor spheroid formation but inhibits tumor formation and metastasis of lung cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Powan, Phattrakorn; Luanpitpong, Sudjit; He, Xiaoqing; Rojanasakul, Yon; Chanvorachote, Pithi

    2017-11-01

    The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition is proposed to be a key mechanism responsible for metastasis-related deaths. Similarly, cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been proposed to be a key driver of tumor metastasis. However, the link between the two events and their control mechanisms is unclear. We used a three-dimensional (3D) tumor spheroid assay and other CSC-indicating assays to investigate the role of E-cadherin in CSC regulation and its association to epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in lung cancer cells. Ectopic overexpression and knockdown of E-cadherin were found to promote and retard, respectively, the formation of tumor spheroids in vitro but had opposite effects on tumor formation and metastasis in vivo in a xenograft mouse model. We explored the discrepancy between the in vitro and in vivo results and demonstrated, for the first time, that E-cadherin is required as a component of a major survival pathway under detachment conditions. Downregulation of E-cadherin increased the stemness of lung cancer cells but had an adverse effect on their survival, particularly on non-CSCs. Such downregulation also promoted anoikis resistance and invasiveness of lung cancer cells. These results suggest that anoikis assay could be used as an alternative method for in vitro assessment of CSCs that involves dysregulated adhesion proteins. Our data also suggest that agents that restore E-cadherin expression may be used as therapeutic agents for metastatic cancers. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

  16. Analysis of trace elements in scalp hair of mentally retarded children

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Man, C.K.; Zheng, Y.H.

    2002-01-01

    Hair samples of mildly mentally retarded (LR), moderately mentally retarded (MR), severely mentally retarded (SR) and normal children were collected and measured, using neutron activation analysis and X-ray fluorescence to determine the concentrations of Al, Sb, As, Ca, Cu, I, Fe Pb, Mg, Mn, Hg, K, Sr, S, V and Zn. The groups of children were of ages between 5 and 13. Difference in the mean concentration of each element between groups was tested by Student's t-test. No trend, either decreasing or increasing, has been established as the degree of severity increased from normal to SR children, except for the case of Cu. The present work may shed some light in the interpretation of findings on the effects of trace elements on neurobehavioral functions. (author)

  17. Electrodisintegration of the deuteron near threshold with allowance for meson exchange currents. Retardation effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burov, V.V.; Sus'kov, S.Eh.

    1992-01-01

    The electrodisintegration of the deuteron near threshold with allowance for retardation effects in meson exchange currents (MEC) has been investigated depending on vertex form factors and cut-off parameters. It is shown that the retardation effects should be taken into account in MEC at large transfer momenta (t>12 fm -2 ). It is found for the differential cross section that the contribution of MEC is strongly dependent on the vertex form factors and cut-off parameters. The role of p-meson contribution in MEC with allowance for retardation effects has been investigated. It is shown that the inclusion of retardation effects leads to the decrease of the p-meson influence at large transfer momenta. The radial dependence of the matrix elements with allowance for retardation effects has been studied. It was shown that the inclusion of meson exchange currents is essentially important in the range of r=1-1.5 fm when t -2 . 34 refs.; 12 figs

  18. Malnutrition as a cause of mental retardation: A population-based study from Sub-Himalayan India

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sunil Kumar Raina

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Mental retardation is one of the most common disabilities of childhood. The research on childhood malnutrition and its relationship with cognitive functioning suggests that malnutrition alone does not cause mental retardation. Objective: To identify the relation between malnutrition and cognition among children from a Sub-Himalayan state in North India. Materials and Methods: A two-phase cross-sectional study was conducted in the rural, urban, and slum area of district Kangra. A 30-cluster sampling technique was used to screen a population of children 1–10 years of age from five randomly selected panchayats (village government units of district Kangra. The screening was based on a modified version of the ten questions screen, adapted to the local population. In the first phase, a door-to-door survey was done to identify suspects of mental retardation. In the second phase, the children found positive in the first phase were called for clinical examination to confirm mental retardation. Anthropometric assessment of all study children was done by measuring weight and height. The nutritional assessment was done by categorizing them according to Waterlow classification for malnutrition. Results: Out of the total 5300 children, 1.7% were diagnosed as mentally retarded. No positive association was reported with different types of malnutrition and mental retardation. A weakly positive association existed between nutritional status and mental retardation (correlation coefficient-0.04. Children who were both wasted and stunted had the highest risk (odds ratio, 95% confidence interval - 5.57, 2.29–10.36 of mental retardation as compared to normal. Conclusion: Malnutrition may be one of the causes but certainly not the only cause of mental retardation. Other causes may be contributing more significantly toward it.

  19. Phosphorylated lignin as a halogen-free flame retardant additive for epoxy composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gamini P. Mendis; Sydney G. Weiss; Matthew Korey; Charles R. Boardman; Mark Dietenberger; Jeffrey P. Youngblood; John A. Howarter

    2016-01-01

    Sustainable, non-halogenated flame retardants are desired for a variety of industry applications. Lignin, as an industrially processed wood derivative, has been examined as a potential sustainable flame retardant additive to polymer systems. Here, the lignin is phosphorylated using a pyridine-catalysed esterification reaction with diphenyl phosphoryl chloride to...

  20. Trial manufacture of flame retardant and radiation resistant cables

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oshima, Yunosuke; Hagiwara, Miyuki (Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Takasaki, Gunma. Takasaki Radiation Chemistry Research Establishment); Oda, Eisuke

    1983-04-01

    High radiation resistance as well as incombustibility is required for the wires and cables used for nuclear facilities such as nuclear power stations. In order to give such performance to general purpose insulation materials such as ethylene-propylene copolymerized rubber, acenaphthylene bromide condensation product was developed anew. Moreover, by the use of this agent, the new flame retardant and radiation resistant cables were manufactured for trial, which are not different from ordinary plastic rubber cables in the handling such as flexibility, and withstand the radiation nearly up to 1000 Mrad. The requirement for the agent giving flame retardant and radiation resistant properties is explained. The synthesis of acenaphthylene bromide and its condensation product and the effect of giving flame retardant and radiation resistant properties are described. The test resultd of the prevention of spread of flame, the endurance in LOCA-simulating environment, and radiation resistance for the cables manufactured for trial are reported. It was confirmed that the cables of this type are suitable to the use in which the maintenance of mechanical properties after radiation exposure is required.

  1. The Political Values of Mentally Retarded Citizens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Green, Barbara B.; Klein, Nancy K.

    1980-01-01

    The findings indicated that the retarded are affected by the process of political socialization much like their nonretarded peers. In forming a ranking of goal-values, age and socioeconomic status outweighed differences in cognitive ability. (Author/DLS)

  2. Adipocytes and Macrophages Interplay in the Orchestration of Tumor Microenvironment: New Implications in Cancer Progression

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luís Henrique Corrêa

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Inflammation has been known as one of the main keys to the establishment and progression of cancers. Chronic low-grade inflammation is also a strategic condition that underlies the causes and development of metabolic syndrome and obesity. Moreover, obesity has been largely related to poor prognosis of tumors by modulating tumor microenvironment with secretion of several inflammatory mediators by tumor-associated adipocytes (TAAs, which can modulate and recruit tumor-associated macrophages. Thus, the understanding of cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlay and link inflammation, obesity, and cancer is crucial to identify potential targets that interfere with this important route. Knowledge about the exact role of each component of the tumor microenvironment is not yet fully understood, but the new insights in literature highlight the essential role of adipocytes and macrophages interplay as key factor to determine the fate of cancer progression. In this review article, we focus on the functions of adipocytes and macrophages orchestrating cellular and molecular mechanisms that lead to inflammatory modulation in tumor microenvironment, which will be crucial to cancer establishment. We also emphasized the mechanisms by which the tumor promotes itself by recruiting and polarizing macrophages, discussing the role of adipocytes in this process. In addition, we discuss here the newest possible anticancer therapeutic treatments aiming to retard the development of the tumor based on what is known about cancer, adipocyte, and macrophage polarization.

  3. Flame Retardant and Antimicrobial Jute Textile Using Sodium Metasilicate Nonahydrate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Basak S.

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Flame retardant and antimicrobial functionalities were imparted in jute textile using sodium metasilicate nonahydrate (SMSN, commonly known as “water glass”. Sodium metasilicate nonahydrate (SMSN was applied in jute fabric in different concentration by padding method followed by drying. Flame retardancy of the fabric was evaluated by Limiting Oxygen Index (LOI and burning behaviour under vertical flammability tester including the char length. Burning rate was found to decrease by almost 10 times after an application of 2% SMSN compared to the control sample. Thermogravimetry (TG and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC analysis of both the control and treated jute fabrics were utilized to understand the mechanism of developed flame retardance in jute fabric. It was observed that the SMSN treated samples showed excellent antimicrobial property against both gram positive and gram negative bacteria. Antimicrobial properties of both the control and treated jute fabrics were also measured quantitatively.

  4. Mental retardation in children exposed in utero to the atomic bomb - Hiroshima and Nagasaki

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wood, J W; Johnson, K G; Omori, Yoshiaki; Kawamoto, Sadahisa; Keehn, R J

    1966-05-19

    Subjects who were exposed in utero to the atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, along with suitable controls, are examined annually at ABCC. Of the 1613 subjects in the study sample, 30 have gross mental retardation. Within 1500 m from the hypocenter the prevalence of mental retardation is 5 times as high as for the more distal subjects, and 6 to 15 weeks gestation was the most sensitive period. Even when subjects with possible explanations for their retardation are excluded the pattern of differences remains the same. All but two of the retarded subjects had a smaller than average head and for those who were within 1500 m this effect is accentuated. 17 references, 2 figures, 8 tables.

  5. International Directory of Mental Retardation Resources.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dybwad, Rosemary F., Ed.

    The directory lists and describes governmental and voluntary agencies, research, and other resources in the field of mental retardation in foreign countries. The first section, on international organizations, gives names, addresses, names of directors, and one or more paragraphs of description for the United Nations and its specialized agencies,…

  6. Efficient composite broadband polarization retarders and polarization filters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dimova, E.; Ivanov, S. S.; Popkirov, G.; Vitanov, N. V.

    2014-12-01

    A new type of broadband polarization half-wave retarder and narrowband polarization filters are described and experimentally tested. Both, the retarders and the filters are designed as composite stacks of standard optical half-wave plates, each of them twisted at specific angles. The theoretical background of the proposed optical devices was obtained by analogy with the method of composite pulses, known from the nuclear and quantum physics. We show that combining two composite filters built from different numbers and types of waveplates, the transmission spectrum is reduced from about 700 nm to about 10 nm width.We experimentally demonstrate that this method can be applied to different types of waveplates (broadband, zero-order, multiple order, etc.).

  7. Environmental Impact of Flame Retardants (Persistence and Biodegradability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Asher Brenner

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available Flame-retardants (FR are a group of anthropogenic environmental contaminants used at relatively high concentrations in many applications. Currently, the largest market group of FRs is the brominated flame retardants (BFRs. Many of the BFRs are considered toxic, persistent and bioaccumulative. Bioremediation of contaminated water, soil and sediments is a possible solution for the problem. However, the main problem with this approach is the lack of knowledge concerning appropriate microorganisms, biochemical pathways and operational conditions facilitating degradation of these chemicals at an acceptable rate. This paper reviews and discusses current knowledge and recent developments related to the environmental fate and impact of FRs in natural systems and in engineered treatment processes.

  8. [Clinical genealogical and molecular genetic study of patients with mental retardation].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hryshchenko, N V; B'ichkova, A M; Lyvshyts, A B; Kravchenko, S A; Pampukha, V N; Solov'ev, A A; Kucherenko, A M; Tatarskiĭ, P F; Afanas'eva, N A; Dubrovskaia, E V; Patskun, Ie Y; Zymak-Zakutnaia, N O; Nykytchina, T V; Lohysh, S Iu; Lyvshyts, L A

    2012-01-01

    The results of clinical, genealogical, cytogenetic and molecular genetic studies of 113 patients from 96 families with different forms of mental retardation from Ukraine are presented. This study was held as part of the CHERISH project of the 7-th Framework Program. The aim of the project is to improve diagnostics of mental retardation in children in Eastern Europe and Central Asia through detailed analysis of known chromosomal and gene's aberrations and to find the new gene-candidates that cause mental retardation. All patients have normal chromosome number (46XY or 46XX). The cases with fragile-X syndrome were eliminated using molecular genetic methods. Genome rearrangements were found among 28 patients using cytogenetic analysis, multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA analysis) ofsubtelomeric regions and array-based comparative genomic hybridisation (array CGH screening). In 10 cases known pathogenic CNV's were identified, 11 cases are unknown aberrations; their pathogenicity is being determined. The rest cases are known nonpathogenic gene rearrangements. Obtained results show the strong genetic heterogeneity of hereditary forms of mental retardation. The further studies will allow to identificate genes candidates and certain mutations in these genes that may be associated with this pathology.

  9. Design, synthesis, and application of novel flame retardants derived from biomass

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yan Liu

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Biomass represents an abundant and relatively low cost carbon resource that can be utilized to produce platform chemicals such as levulinic acid. Novel oligomeric flame retardants, the poly(MDP-PDCP-MAs (PMPMs, were designed and synthesized using diphenolic acid as one of the raw materials, which is derived from levulinic acid. To change the molar ratio of reactants, a series of PMPM samples with different nitrogen contents were obtained and characterized by FTIR and solid-state 13C NMR spectroscopy. The solubility test and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA indicated a good solvent-resistant property and thermal stability. The flame retardancy and thermal behavior of ABS with 30% loading of different PMPM samples were investigated by limiting oxygen index test (LOI, TGA, and microscale combustion colorimeter (MCC. The results showed that PMPMs are effective charring agents that can increase the thermal stability and flame retardancy of ABS. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM observations of the residue of ABS/PMPM blends indicated the compact charred layer formed was responsible for improving the thermal stability and char yield of ABS with low nitrogen content in PMPM-1 flame retardant.

  10. Diagnostic test for prenatal identification of Down's syndrome and mental retardation and gene therapy therefor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Desmond J.; Rubin, Edward M.

    2000-01-01

    A a diagnostic test useful for prenatal identification of Down syndrome and mental retardation. A method for gene therapy for correction and treatment of Down syndrome. DYRK gene involved in the ability to learn. A method for diagnosing Down's syndrome and mental retardation and an assay therefor. A pharmaceutical composition for treatment of Down's syndrome mental retardation.

  11. Retroreflective Phase Retardation Prisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1981-06-01

    resonant cavity of a 1.064 Mm laser. This report shows that it is possible to coat the reflecting surfaces of a porro prism so that incident plane...with controlled phase retardation can be made by coating each reflecting surface of a porro prism with a single dielectric film. The amount of phase...of angle of incidence (n, < n2) S. Phase change on reflection as a function of angle of incidence (n" n ) [RL-0202-’R 6. Porro prism 7. Phase change

  12. Preparation, characterization of microencapsulated ammonium polyphosphate and its flame retardancy in polyurethane composites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shen, Ming-Yuan; Chen, Wei-Jen [Department of Aviation Mechanical Engineering, China University of Science and Technology, Hsinchu County, 303, Taiwan (China); Kuan, Chen-Feng; Kuan, Hsu-Chiang [Department of Computer Application Engineering, Far East University, Tainan, 744, Taiwan (China); Yang, Jia-Ming [Green Flame Retardant Material Research Laboratory, Department of Safety, Health and Environmental Engineering, Hung-Kuang University, Taichung, 433, Taiwan (China); Chiang, Chin-Lung, E-mail: dragon@sunrise.hk.edu.tw [Green Flame Retardant Material Research Laboratory, Department of Safety, Health and Environmental Engineering, Hung-Kuang University, Taichung, 433, Taiwan (China)

    2016-04-15

    In this study, a novel microencapsulated flame retardant containing ammonium polyphosphate (APP) and an 4,4′-oxydianiline-formaldehyde (OF) resin as the core and shell material was synthesized using in situ polymerization technology. The structure and performance of OF microencapsulated APP (OFAPP) were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The thermal properties of OFAPP were systematically analyzed through thermogravimetric analysis. Flame retardancy tests, such as limiting oxygen index (LOI) and UL-94, were conducted to evaluate the effect of varying the composition of APP and OFAPP in silanol-terminated polyurethane (Si-PU) composites. The results indicated that the microencapsulation of APP with the OF resin resulted in improved hydrophobicity. The results also revealed that the flame retardancy of the Si-PU/OFAPP composite (LOI = 37%) was higher than that of the Si-PU/APP composite (LOI = 23%) at the same additive loading. - Highlights: • A novel microencapsulated flame retardant was synthesized using in situ polymerization technology. • The microencapsulation of ammonium polyphosphate with the polymer resin resulted in improved hydrophobicity. • Polyurethane composites have excellent thermal stability and flame retardance.

  13. Preparation, characterization of microencapsulated ammonium polyphosphate and its flame retardancy in polyurethane composites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shen, Ming-Yuan; Chen, Wei-Jen; Kuan, Chen-Feng; Kuan, Hsu-Chiang; Yang, Jia-Ming; Chiang, Chin-Lung

    2016-01-01

    In this study, a novel microencapsulated flame retardant containing ammonium polyphosphate (APP) and an 4,4′-oxydianiline-formaldehyde (OF) resin as the core and shell material was synthesized using in situ polymerization technology. The structure and performance of OF microencapsulated APP (OFAPP) were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The thermal properties of OFAPP were systematically analyzed through thermogravimetric analysis. Flame retardancy tests, such as limiting oxygen index (LOI) and UL-94, were conducted to evaluate the effect of varying the composition of APP and OFAPP in silanol-terminated polyurethane (Si-PU) composites. The results indicated that the microencapsulation of APP with the OF resin resulted in improved hydrophobicity. The results also revealed that the flame retardancy of the Si-PU/OFAPP composite (LOI = 37%) was higher than that of the Si-PU/APP composite (LOI = 23%) at the same additive loading. - Highlights: • A novel microencapsulated flame retardant was synthesized using in situ polymerization technology. • The microencapsulation of ammonium polyphosphate with the polymer resin resulted in improved hydrophobicity. • Polyurethane composites have excellent thermal stability and flame retardance.

  14. Haloperidol Treatment of Trichotillomania in a Boy with Autism and Mental Retardation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghaziuddin, M.; And Others

    1991-01-01

    The report describes the successful treatment of trichotillomania (compulsive hair pulling) in a mentally retarded 11-year-old boy with autism and severe mental retardation. Administration of haloperidol resulted in complete cessation of hair pulling which reappeared when the dosage was decreased and ceased again when dosage was reestablished. (DB)

  15. In-line phase retarder and polarimeter for conversion of linear to circular polarization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kortright, J.B.; Smith, N.V.; Denlinger, J.D. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab., CA (United States)] [and others

    1997-04-01

    An in-line polarimeter including phase retarder and linear polarizer was designed and commissioned on undulator beamline 7.0 for the purpose of converting linear to circular polarization for experiments downstream. In commissioning studies, Mo/Si multilayers at 95 eV were used both as the upstream, freestanding phase retarder and the downstream linear polarized. The polarization properties of the phase retarder were characterized by direct polarimetry and by collecting MCD spectra in photoemission from Gd and other magnetic surfaces. The resonant birefringence of transmission multilayers results from differing distributions of s- and p-component wave fields in the multilayer when operating near a structural (Bragg) interference condition. The resulting phase retardation is especially strong when the interference is at or near the Brewster angle, which is roughly 45{degrees} in the EUV and soft x-ray ranges.

  16. PROBLEM OF RESEARCH OF EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF MENTALLY RETARDED CHILDREN IN FOREIGN PSYCHOLOGY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Larisa Valentinovna Shipova

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available The review of psychology and pedagogical researches of the mentally retarded children devoted to studying of a problem of emotional development in foreign science and practice is presented in article. Various approaches to an assessment of the importance of violations of the emotional sphere of the personality at mentally retarded children for all mental development of the child are considered, need of the accounting of emotional frustration of mentally retarded children for their education and education, and also social adaptation and integration into sociocultural and educational space is discussed. Research of emotional development of mentally retarded children in the course of training is important for development of programs of psychology and pedagogical diagnostics and correction of emotional violations at this category of school students, formation of their self-control, development of the emotional relations.

  17. Neurological impairments and sleep-wake behaviour among the mentally retarded.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lindblom, N; Heiskala, H; Kaski, M; Leinonen, L; Nevanlinna, A; Iivanainen, M; Laakso, M L

    2001-12-01

    The objective of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between the sleep-wake behaviour and neurological impairments among mentally retarded people. The sleep-wake behaviour of 293 mentally retarded subjects living in a rehabilitation center was studied by a standardized observation protocol carried out by trained staff members. The protocol consisted of brief check-ups of the subjects' sleep-wake status at 20-min intervals for five randomly chosen 24-h periods during 4 months. From the raw data five sleep-wake behaviour variables were formed. The data concerning the subject characteristics (age, body mass index (BMI), gender, degree of mental retardation, presence of locomotor disability, that of epilepsy, blindness or deafness and the usage of psychotropic medications) were collected from the medical records. Two main findings emerged: (1) severe locomotor disability, blindness and active epilepsy were found to be independent predictors of increased daytime sleep and increased number of wake-sleep transitions and (2) the subjects with a combination of two or all three of these impairments had a significantly more fragmented and abnormally distributed sleep than those with none or milder forms of these impairments. Age, BMI, degree of mental retardation and the studied medications played a minor role in the sleep disturbances of the study population. Finally, deafness was not found to be associated with any of the measured sleep-wake variables.

  18. the use of castor oil as a flame retardant in polyurethane foam

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Dr Abdusalam

    Flame retardant help to suppress the combustion process depending on the polymer and the fire safety test. (Desch, 1973) . Flame retarding agent either cooled, the burning material below its ignition point or exclude air by forming a blanket of inert gas. It also interferes with one or several stages of the combustion process.

  19. Lithium-Ion Electrolytes Containing Flame Retardant Additives for Increased Safety Characteristics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smart, Marshall C. (Inventor); Smith, Kiah A. (Inventor); Bugga, Ratnakumar V. (Inventor); Prakash, Surya G. (Inventor); Krause, Frederick Charles (Inventor)

    2014-01-01

    The invention discloses various embodiments of Li-ion electrolytes containing flame retardant additives that have delivered good performance over a wide temperature range, good cycle life characteristics, and improved safety characteristics, namely, reduced flammability. In one embodiment of the invention there is provided an electrolyte for use in a lithium-ion electrochemical cell, the electrolyte comprising a mixture of an ethylene carbonate (EC), an ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC), a fluorinated co-solvent, a flame retardant additive, and a lithium salt. In another embodiment of the invention there is provided an electrolyte for use in a lithium-ion electrochemical cell, the electrolyte comprising a mixture of an ethylene carbonate (EC), an ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC), a flame retardant additive, a solid electrolyte interface (SEI) film forming agent, and a lithium salt.

  20. Synergistic effect of iron and intumescent flame retardant on shape-stabilized phase change material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Ping; Hu Yuan; Song Lei; Lu Hongdian; Wang Jian; Liu Qingqing

    2009-01-01

    This paper deals with the preparation of paraffin/high density polyethylene (HDPE)/intumescent flame retardant (IFR)/iron as flame retardant shape-stabilized phase change material (FSPCM). The influences of iron for FSPCM on morphology, flammability property, latent heat and thermal conductive property were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), cone calorimeter, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and hot disk thermal constants analyser. It was found that iron could be well dispersed into the composite formed by HDPE and paraffin; the flame retardant efficiency of IFR could be improved by adding iron; the thermal conductivity of FSPCM could be increased due to the high thermal conductivity of iron. At the same time, the possible flame retardant mechanism for paraffin/HDPE/IFR with iron as a FSPCM was proposed

  1. Mentally-Retarded Children of a Pre-School Age and the Development of Movement Skills

    OpenAIRE

    Morávková, Šárka

    2006-01-01

    The diploma work covers the issues of children with mental retardation in pre-school age aimed to the development of the movement abilities. It focuses on the relationships between the pre-school child with mental retardation and possibilities of developing its motor skills in context of an organized pre-school education. Theoretical part of the Diploma work indicates the development specifics of the indi- vidual due to mental retardation, describes mainly the movement development of the chil...

  2. Veridical and False Pictorial Memory in Individuals with and without Mental Retardation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carlin, Michael T.; Toglia, Michael P.; Wakeford, Yvonne; Jakway, Allison; Sullivan, Kate; Hasel, Lisa

    2008-01-01

    Veridical and false pictorial recognition were assessed in individuals with mental retardation; groups were matched for MA and CA. Pictures were viewed in either a generative or static format at acquisition. The individuals with mental retardation and those in the MA-matched group had higher rates of false memories for critical items and lower hit…

  3. Effect of Retarding Force on Mass Flow Rates of Fluid at Different ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ... mathematical model and software visualization to view the effect of retarding forces on the mass flow rate in term of visualization. C-sharp (C#) is the chosen program and this enable compares and us to determine the mass flow rates patterns in relation to retarding force in form of graphical tables at different temperature.

  4. In utero exposure to A-bomb radiation and mental retardation; a reassessment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Otake, M.; Schull, W.J.

    1984-01-01

    The prevalence of mental retardation in children exposed in utero to the atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki has been re-evaluated in reference to gestational age and tissue dose in the fetus. There was no risk at 0-8 weeks post-conception. The highest risk of forebrain damage occurred at 8-15 weeks of gestational age, the time when the most rapid proliferation of neuronal elements and when most, if not all, neuroblast migration to the cerebral cortex from the proliferative zones is occurring. Overall, the risk is five or more times greater in these weeks than in subsequent ones. In the critical period, damage expressed as the frequency of subsequent mental retardation appears to be linearly related to the dose received by the fetus. A linear model is not equally applicable to radiation-related mental retardation after the 15th week, the observed values suggesting that there a threshold may exist. The data are consistent with a probability of occurrence of mental retardation of 0.40% per cGy or 40% per gray. (author)

  5. Social support of mentally retarded persons

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Danuta Zwolinska

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: The aim of this work is to assess the relationship between the environment and mentally retarded persons. Material and methods: Information referring to social support of mentally retarded persons is a source material collected on the base of the data included in the Polish and foreign literature. The issues under discussion related to the following problems: social integration of persons with intellectual disabilities in a family and local environment, social functioning of people with mild intellectual disability, social rehabilitation of people with moderate, severe and profound intellectual disability and specific contact with people with disabilities. Results: For a person with an intellectual disability, the family is the source of acquisition of basic social skills that give him the opportunity for further development and performing certain social roles in a sense of safety. Full acceptance of the intellectually disabled, may dismiss their sense of shame and fear, and instill the satisfaction of belonging to a social community. Conclusions: Full social acceptance of people with intellectual disabilities is the basis for their assimilation and social functioning.

  6. Power-spectral-density relationship for retarded differential equations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barker, L. K.

    1974-01-01

    The power spectral density (PSD) relationship between input and output of a set of linear differential-difference equations of the retarded type with real constant coefficients and delays is discussed. The form of the PSD relationship is identical with that applicable to unretarded equations. Since the PSD relationship is useful if and only if the system described by the equations is stable, the stability must be determined before applying the PSD relationship. Since it is sometimes difficult to determine the stability of retarded equations, such equations are often approximated by simpler forms. It is pointed out that some common approximations can lead to erroneous conclusions regarding the stability of a system and, therefore, to the possibility of obtaining PSD results which are not valid.

  7. The Instructional Use of CAI in the Education of the Mentally Retarded.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Winters, John J., Jr.; And Others

    Computer assisted instruction (CAI) studies with the mentally retarded in the United States and Canada reveal that the retarded benefit from CAI in academic and social skills. Their learning is enhanced to the same extent as that of the nonretarded. CAI can be cost-effective, especially with the reduced costs of mini and micro-computers; however,…

  8. Flame Retardancy of Chemically Modified Lignin as Functional Additive to Epoxy Nanocomposites

    Science.gov (United States)

    John A. Howarter; Gamini P. Mendis; Alex N. Bruce; Jeffrey P. Youngblood; Mark A. Dietenberger; Laura Hasburgh

    2015-01-01

    Epoxy printed circuit boards are used in a variety of electronics applications as rigid, thermally stable substrates. Due to the propensity of components on the boards, such as batteries and interconnects, to fail and ignite the epoxy, flame retardant additives are required to minimize fire risk. Currently, industry uses brominated flame retardants, such as TBBPA, to...

  9. Tracing organophosphorus and brominated flame retardants and plasticizers in an estuarine food web

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Brandsma, S.H.; Leonards, P.E.G.; Leslie, H.A.; de Boer, J.

    2015-01-01

    Nine organophosphorus flame retardants (PFRs) were detected in a pelagic and benthic food web of the Western Scheldt estuary, The Netherlands. Concentrations of several PFRs were an order of magnitude higher than those of the brominated flame retardants (BFRs). However, the detection frequency of

  10. Interpersonal Communication of Children with Mental Retardation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aliyah Nur'aini Hanun

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available Tunagrahita were a terminology to called the children with mentally retarded conditions. This conditions caused these children having difficulties at least on four areas, related with attention, memory, language, and academics. The research problem is how interpersonal communication tunagrahita in Dormitory Extraordinary Education Foundation (YPLB Cipaganti Bandung. This research’s aim is to seek the interpersonal communication phenomenon of children with mentally retarded in YPLB Cipaganti Dormitory. The research method which were used is the qualitative method with communication Ethnography approach and Symbolic Interactionism theory to have comprehensive descriptions about life reality of mentally retarded’s children in YPLB Cipaganti Dormitory. Data obtained by participation observer, unstructured interviews, and documentary study. The result showed that interpersonal interactions are done with each child boarding and with the management of the hostel, is a series of unique events and interpersonal communication with a distinctive circular process that takes place continuously.

  11. A PAUF-neutralizing antibody targets both carcinoma and endothelial cells to impede pancreatic tumor progression and metastasis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Su Jin [Immunotherapy Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); New Drug Development Center, Osong Medical Innovation Foundation, Cheongwon, Chungbuk (Korea, Republic of); Chang, Suhwan [Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Yangsoon; Kim, Na Young; Hwang, Yeonsil; Min, Hye Jin; Yoo, Kyung-Sook; Park, Eun Hye; Kim, Seokho [Immunotherapy Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Chung, Young-Hwa [BK21-plus, Department of Cogno-Mechatronics Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan (Korea, Republic of); Park, Young Woo [Aging Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Koh, Sang Seok, E-mail: sskoh@dau.ac.kr [Immunotherapy Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Department of Biological Sciences, Dong-A University, Busan (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-11-07

    Highlights: • PMAb83, a human monoclonal antibody against PAUF, impaired tumor progression in vivo. • PMAb83 attenuated aggressiveness of tumor cells and suppressed angiogenesis. • PMAb83 in combination with gemcitabine conferred improved survival of mouse model. - Abstract: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma up-regulated factor (PAUF) is expressed in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and plays an important role in tumor progression and metastasis. Here we evaluate the anti-tumor efficacy of a human monoclonal antibody against PAUF, PMAb83, to provide a therapeutic intervention to treat the disease. PMAb83 reduced tumor growth and distant metastasis in orthotopically xenografted mice of human PDAC cells. PMAb83 treatment retarded proliferation along with weakened aggressiveness traits of the carcinoma cells. AKT/β-catenin signaling played a role in the carcinoma cell proliferation and the treated xenograft tumors exhibited reduced levels of β-catenin and cyclin D1. Moreover PMAb83 abrogated the PAUF-induced angiogenic responses of endothelial cells, reducing the density of CD31{sup +} vessels in the treated tumors. In combination with gemcitabine, PMAb83 conferred enhanced survival of xenografted mice by about twofold compared to gemcitabine alone. Taken together, our findings show that PMAb83 treatment decreases the aggressiveness of carcinoma cells and suppresses tumor vascularization, which culminates in mitigated tumor growth and metastasis with improved survival in PDAC mouse models.

  12. A PAUF-neutralizing antibody targets both carcinoma and endothelial cells to impede pancreatic tumor progression and metastasis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Su Jin; Chang, Suhwan; Lee, Yangsoon; Kim, Na Young; Hwang, Yeonsil; Min, Hye Jin; Yoo, Kyung-Sook; Park, Eun Hye; Kim, Seokho; Chung, Young-Hwa; Park, Young Woo; Koh, Sang Seok

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • PMAb83, a human monoclonal antibody against PAUF, impaired tumor progression in vivo. • PMAb83 attenuated aggressiveness of tumor cells and suppressed angiogenesis. • PMAb83 in combination with gemcitabine conferred improved survival of mouse model. - Abstract: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma up-regulated factor (PAUF) is expressed in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and plays an important role in tumor progression and metastasis. Here we evaluate the anti-tumor efficacy of a human monoclonal antibody against PAUF, PMAb83, to provide a therapeutic intervention to treat the disease. PMAb83 reduced tumor growth and distant metastasis in orthotopically xenografted mice of human PDAC cells. PMAb83 treatment retarded proliferation along with weakened aggressiveness traits of the carcinoma cells. AKT/β-catenin signaling played a role in the carcinoma cell proliferation and the treated xenograft tumors exhibited reduced levels of β-catenin and cyclin D1. Moreover PMAb83 abrogated the PAUF-induced angiogenic responses of endothelial cells, reducing the density of CD31 + vessels in the treated tumors. In combination with gemcitabine, PMAb83 conferred enhanced survival of xenografted mice by about twofold compared to gemcitabine alone. Taken together, our findings show that PMAb83 treatment decreases the aggressiveness of carcinoma cells and suppresses tumor vascularization, which culminates in mitigated tumor growth and metastasis with improved survival in PDAC mouse models

  13. SELF-HELP GROUPS FOR PARENTS WITH MENTALLY RETARDED CHILDREN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vaska STANCHEVA-POPKOSTADINOVA

    1997-09-01

    Full Text Available This presentation concerns a group for parents of mentally retarded children.A group of these parents receives professional help and environmental support. The parents are encouraged to assume responsibility in the everyday life educational process of their children.As Baker / 1980 / states: “ If parents cope better on daily basis with the child who has mental retardation, not only the child but also the parents would benefit”.Taking part in the group gave the parents:· the opportunity to meet other parents with the same children;· to talk to other parents and feel less isolated;· to share information and experiences, skills and ideas;· the opportunity to listen to the needs and problems of other parents;· to change the ways of working to meet the child’s needs;· share information about the possibilities of education and services;· parents are encouraged to meet together to support one another;· parents need a special approach to many problems existing in their families.· the education in the group puts the beginning of the work with the parents.The idea is to gather the efforts of specialists from different fields and to establish multi-disciplinary group aiming to work with the parents and create a good collaboration and partnership between them in order to improve the living conditions and services to the retarded persons.This paper reports on the development, evaluation and dissemination of the program for education of parents with mentally retarded children. At the Symposium we will be able to present the results of the effectiveness of the education.

  14. Fatigue crack retardation of high strength steel in saltwater

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tokaji, K.; Ando, Z.; Imai, T.; Kojima, T.

    1983-01-01

    A high strength steel was studied in 3 percent saltwater to investigate the effects of a corrosive environment and sheer thickness on fatigue crack propagation behavior following the application of a single tensile overload. Experiments were carried out under sinusoidally varying loads at a load ratio of 0 and frequency of 10 H /SUB z/ . A single tensile overload was found to cause delayed retardation, and the crack propagation rate at first increased, followed by fairly rapid decrease to a minimum value and then increased gradually to its steady-state value, just as it did in air. The overload affected zone size and the retardation cycles increased with decreasing sheet thickness, just as they did in air. However, the zone size and the cycles were larger in 3 percent saltwater than in air. Since the crack propagation rates through the overload affected zone were not affected by the test environment, the longer retardation cycles in 3 percent saltwater were attributed to an enlargement of the overload affected zone size. The crack propagation behavior following the application of a single tensile overload in 3 percent saltwater was well explained by the crack closure concept

  15. Retardo del crecimiento intrauterino Intrauterine growth retardation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adriana Cuartas Calle

    1995-01-01

    Full Text Available

    El crecimiento fetal anormal es un aspecto de gran interés en la obstetricia actual y un dilema clínico relativamente frecuente. La falla del crecimiento sigue siendo un enigma a pesar de los adelantos que ha habido en su conocimiento: el diagnóstico temprano y preciso del retardo del crecimiento puede aminorar la incidencia de complicaciones y muerte en fetos con este problema. Por ello es necesario mejorar las técnicas para identificar esta entidad y asegurar una atención apropiada durante el embarazo y el parto. En este artículo se resumen datos acerca de la definición del retardo del crecimiento fetal, su fisiopatología, clasificación, etiología, diagnóstico y manejo.

    Abnormal fetal growth is a very important aspect In present-day obstetrics and a frequent clinical dilemma. Fetal failure to grow continues to be puzzling, despite advances in its knowledge; early and precise diagnosis of growth retardation can diminish the incidence of complications and death of fetuses with this problem. It becomes therefore necessary, in the presence of growth retardation, to improve diagnostic techniques and assure proper attention during pregnancy and delivery. Information is summarized in this review on the definition, pathophysiology, classification, etiology, diagnosis and handling of fetal growth retardation.

  16. Detection of halogenated flame retardants in polyurethane foam by particle induced X-ray emission

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maley, Adam M.; Falk, Kyle A.; Hoover, Luke; Earlywine, Elly B.; Seymour, Michael D.; DeYoung, Paul A.; Blum, Arlene; Stapleton, Heather M.; Peaslee, Graham F.

    2015-01-01

    A novel application of particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) has been developed to detect the presence of chlorinated and brominated flame retardant chemicals in polyurethane foams. Traditional Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS) methods for the detection and identification of halogenated flame retardants in foams require extensive sample preparation and data acquisition time. The elemental analysis of the halogens in polyurethane foam performed by PIXE offers the opportunity to identify the presence of halogenated flame retardants in a fraction of the time and sample preparation cost. Through comparative GC–MS and PIXE analysis of 215 foam samples, excellent agreement between the two methods was obtained. These results suggest that PIXE could be an ideal rapid screening method for the presence of chlorinated and brominated flame retardants in polyurethane foams

  17. Detection of halogenated flame retardants in polyurethane foam by particle induced X-ray emission

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maley, Adam M.; Falk, Kyle A.; Hoover, Luke; Earlywine, Elly B.; Seymour, Michael D. [Department of Chemistry, Hope College, 35 E. 12th Street, Holland, MI 49423 (United States); DeYoung, Paul A. [Department of Physics, Hope College, 27 Graves Place, Holland, MI 49423 (United States); Blum, Arlene [Green Science Policy Institute, Box 5455, Berkeley, CA 94705 (United States); Stapleton, Heather M. [Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, LSRC Box 90328, Durham, NC 27708 (United States); Peaslee, Graham F., E-mail: peaslee@hope.edu [Department of Chemistry, Hope College, 35 E. 12th Street, Holland, MI 49423 (United States)

    2015-09-01

    A novel application of particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) has been developed to detect the presence of chlorinated and brominated flame retardant chemicals in polyurethane foams. Traditional Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS) methods for the detection and identification of halogenated flame retardants in foams require extensive sample preparation and data acquisition time. The elemental analysis of the halogens in polyurethane foam performed by PIXE offers the opportunity to identify the presence of halogenated flame retardants in a fraction of the time and sample preparation cost. Through comparative GC–MS and PIXE analysis of 215 foam samples, excellent agreement between the two methods was obtained. These results suggest that PIXE could be an ideal rapid screening method for the presence of chlorinated and brominated flame retardants in polyurethane foams.

  18. Mutations in the polyglutamine binding protein 1 gene cause X-linked mental retardation.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kalscheuer, V.M.M.; Freude, K.; Musante, L.; Jensen, L.R.; Yntema, H.G.; Gecz, J.; Sefiani, A.; Hoffmann, K.; Moser, B.; Haas, S.; Gurok, U.; Haesler, S.; Aranda, B.; Nshedjan, A.; Tzschach, A.; Hartmann, N.; Roloff, T.C.; Shoichet, S.; Hagens, O.; Tao, J.; Bokhoven, J.H.L.M. van; Turner, G.; Chelly, J.; Moraine, C.; Fryns, J.P.; Nuber, U.; Hoeltzenbein, M.; Scharff, C.; Scherthan, H.; Lenzner, S.; Hamel, B.C.J.; Schweiger, S.; Ropers, H.H.

    2003-01-01

    We found mutations in the gene PQBP1 in 5 of 29 families with nonsyndromic (MRX) and syndromic (MRXS) forms of X-linked mental retardation (XLMR). Clinical features in affected males include mental retardation, microcephaly, short stature, spastic paraplegia and midline defects. PQBP1 has previously

  19. Mutations in the polyglutamine binding protein 1 gene cause X-linked mental retardation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kalscheuer, Vera M; Freude, Kristine; Musante, Luciana

    2003-01-01

    We found mutations in the gene PQBP1 in 5 of 29 families with nonsyndromic (MRX) and syndromic (MRXS) forms of X-linked mental retardation (XLMR). Clinical features in affected males include mental retardation, microcephaly, short stature, spastic paraplegia and midline defects. PQBP1 has previou...

  20. Mutations in the polyglutamine binding protein 1 gene cause X-linked mental retardation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kalscheuer, VM; Freude, K; Musante, L; Jensen, LR; Yntema, HG; Gecz, J; Sefiani, A; Hoffmann, K; Moser, B; Haas, S; Gurok, U; Haesler, S; Aranda, B; Nshedjan, A; Tzschach, A; Hartmann, N; Roloff, TC; Shoichet, S; Hagens, O; Tao, J; van Bokhoven, H; Turner, G; Chelly, J; Moraine, C; Fryns, JP; Nuber, U; Hoeltzenbein, M; Scharff, C; Scherthan, H; Lenzner, S; Hamel, BCJ; Schweiger, S; Ropers, Hans-Hilger

    2003-01-01

    We found mutations in the gene PQBP1 in 5 of 29 families with nonsyndromic (MRX) and syndromic (MRXS) forms of X-linked mental retardation (XLMR). Clinical features in affected males include mental retardation, microcephaly, short stature, spastic paraplegia and midline defects. PQBP1 has previously

  1. Psychometric Properties of ADHD Rating Scales among Children with Mental Retardation I: Reliability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Michael L.; Fee, Virginia E.; Netterville, Amanda K.

    2004-01-01

    The reliability of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) rating scales in children with mental retardation was assessed. Parents, teachers, and teaching assistants completed ADHD rating scales on 48 children aged 5-12 diagnosed with mental retardation. Measures included the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), Conners Rating Scales, the…

  2. Assessment of the long-term effects of primary radiation therapy for brain tumors in children. [/sup 60/Co

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Danoff, B.F.; Cowchock, F.S.; Marquette, C.; Mulgrew, L.; Kramer, S.

    1982-04-15

    One-hundred-twelve children with primary brain tumors received definitive radiotherapy between the years 1958-1979. Sixty-nine patients were alive at intervals of 1-21 years. Thirty-eight patients underwent neurologic and endocrine evaluation, psychologic and intelligence testing, and assessment for second malignancy post-treatment. A second intracranial malgnancy developed in one child, for an incidence of 1.6%. Performance status was good to excellent in 89% of the patients studied. Seventeen percent of the group were mentally retarded. Behavioral disorders were identified in 39% of the patients, 59% of the mothers, and 43% of the fathers. Of the 23 patients with nonparasellar tumors, six were found to have growth hormone deficiency, including two patients with panhypopituitarism. Disability was related to age under 3 years at the time of treatment and tumor extension to the hypothalamus.

  3. Opitz C syndrome: Trigonocephaly, mental retardation and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    We describe a 4-year-old female child with a dysmorphic and neurological syndrome of trigonocephaly, mental and psychomotor retardation and dysmorphic facial ... The patient had important cerebral anomalies with diffuse alterations in white matter that caused developmental delay with verbal and nonverbal disabilities ...

  4. Puberty in the Girl Who is Retarded.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pattullo, Ann

    Designed to help mothers of mentally retarded girls deal with the problems and concerns of puberty, the booklet provides information on physical and emotional changes, menstruation, masturbation, heterosexual behavior, contraception, protection against sexual aggression, the possibilities of marriage, and additional sources of information.…

  5. Effect of retardation coefficient for radionuclide migration on assessment results of environmental impact

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Zhiming

    2004-01-01

    Environmental impact report is an important content in enforcing environmental impact assessment system. Effect of retardation coefficient used in models of radionuclide migration in geological media on the calculated results of maximum concentration of calculated points at the lower reaches is discussed in this paper. It is shown from experimental results that the retardation coefficient is not a constant. And it is shown from calculated results that retardation coefficient obviously affect the calculated results of maximum concentration of calculated point at the lower reaches. Conservation level of the assessment results would considerably be affected, and hence confidence level of results would be affected if the aspects are not paid enough attention and solved. The paper suggests that retardation coefficient used in migration models should directly be obtained by measurement in the field or in column, rather than using the result derived from distribution coefficients according to some formula in order to prevent the nonconservative results

  6. Modeling and Control of Retarder using On/Off Solenoid Valves

    OpenAIRE

    Steinsland, Vidar

    2008-01-01

    The Retarder is one of the main components in Scania's trucks' braking system and is used to brake down the truck and for maintaining a steady speed on descents. This Master's Thesis aims to investigate if the current system which uses a proportional valve to control the air pressure in the Retarder, can be replaced with two on/o® solenoid valves and a pressure chamber to control the air pressure, which would result in a cheaper and more robust system. By varying the air pressure, the braking...

  7. Dynamic retardation corrections to the mass spectrum of heavy quarkonia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kopalejshvili, T.; Rusetskij, A.

    1996-01-01

    In the framework of the Logunov-Tavkhelidze quasipotential approach the first-order retardation corrections to the heavy quarkonia mass spectrum are calculated with the use of the stationary wave boundary condition in the covariant kernel of the Bethe-Salpeter equation. As has been expected, these corrections turn out to be small for all low-lying heavy meson states and vanish in the heavy quark limit (m Q →∞). The comparison of the suggested approach to the calculation of retardation corrections with others, known in literature, is carried out. 22 refs., 1 tab

  8. Anti-Tumor Effects of Ketogenic Diets in Mice: A Meta-Analysis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rainer J Klement

    Full Text Available Currently ketogenic diets (KDs are hyped as an anti-tumor intervention aimed at exploiting the metabolic abnormalities of cancer cells. However, while data in humans is sparse, translation of murine tumor models to the clinic is further hampered by small sample sizes, heterogeneous settings and mixed results concerning tumor growth retardation. The aim was therefore to synthesize the evidence for a growth inhibiting effect of KDs when used as a monotherapy in mice.We conducted a Bayesian random effects meta-analysis on all studies assessing the survival (defined as the time to reach a pre-defined endpoint such as tumor volume of mice on an unrestricted KD compared to a high carbohydrate standard diet (SD. For 12 studies meeting the inclusion criteria either a mean survival time ratio (MR or hazard ratio (HR between the KD and SD groups could be obtained. The posterior estimates for the MR and HR averaged over four priors on the between-study heterogeneity τ2 were MR = 0.85 (95% highest posterior density interval (HPDI = [0.73, 0.97] and HR = 0.55 (95% HPDI = [0.26, 0.87], indicating a significant overall benefit of the KD in terms of prolonged mean survival times and reduced hazard rate. All studies that used a brain tumor model also chose a late starting point for the KD (at least one day after tumor initiation which accounted for 26% of the heterogeneity. In this subgroup the KD was less effective (MR = 0.89, 95% HPDI = [0.76, 1.04].There was an overall tumor growth delaying effect of unrestricted KDs in mice. Future experiments should aim at differentiating the effects of KD timing versus tumor location, since external evidence is currently consistent with an influence of both of these factors.

  9. Autism and mental retardation among offspring born after in vitro fertilization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sandin, Sven; Nygren, Karl-Gösta; Iliadou, Anastasia; Hultman, Christina M; Reichenberg, Abraham

    2013-07-03

    Between 1978 and 2010, approximately 5 million infants were born after in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments. Yet limited information on neurodevelopment after IVF exists, especially after the first year of life. To examine the association between use of any IVF and different IVF procedures and the risk of autistic disorder and mental retardation in the offspring. A population-based, prospective cohort study using Swedish national health registers. Offspring born between 1982 and 2007 were followed up for a clinical diagnosis of autistic disorder or mental retardation until December 31, 2009. The exposure of interest was IVF, categorized according to whether intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) for male infertility was used and whether embryos were fresh or frozen. For ICSI, whether sperm were ejaculated or surgically extracted was also considered. Relative risks (RRs) for autistic disorder and mental retardation and rates per 100,000 person-years, comparing spontaneously conceived offspring with those born after an IVF procedure and comparing 5 IVF procedures used in Sweden vs IVF without ICSI with fresh embryo transfer, the most common treatment. We also analyzed the subgroup restricted to singletons. Of the more than 2.5 million infants born, 30,959 (1.2%) were conceived by IVF and were followed up for a mean 10 (SD, 6) years. Overall, 103 of 6959 children (1.5%) with autistic disorder and 180 of 15,830 (1.1%) with mental retardation were conceived by IVF. The RR for autistic disorder after any procedure compared with spontaneous conception was 1.14 (95% CI, 0.94-1.39; 19.0 vs 15.6 per 100,000 person-years). The RR for mental retardation was 1.18 (95% CI, 1.01-1.36; 46.3 vs 39.8 per 100,000 person-years). For both outcomes, there was no statistically significant association when restricting analysis to singletons. Compared with IVF without ICSI with fresh embryo transfer, there were statistically significantly increased risks of autistic disorder following

  10. Establishing Mental Retardation in Capital Cases: A Potential Matter of Life and Death.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baroff, George S.

    1991-01-01

    This paper discusses psychological test obstacles to gaining the acceptance of a diagnosis of mental retardation in criminal defendants, use of the Revised Beta intelligence test with defendants who may be retarded, possible modification of the adaptive behavior criterion for criminal defendants, and appropriateness of the death penalty for…

  11. Weathering methods for preservative treated wood and their applicability for fire retarded wood

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Voss, A.

    1999-01-01

    preservative treated wood. The aim of the presentation is to inform you about current testing methods and to discuss their applicability to test fire retarded wood in outdoor use. Assuming that fire retardants will only be used in out of ground contact, only those methods are mentioned, which fit

  12. Preparation of Flame Retardant Polyacrylonitrile Fabric Based on Sol-Gel and Layer-by-Layer Assembly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ren, Yuanlin; Huo, Tongguo; Qin, Yiwen; Liu, Xiaohui

    2018-03-23

    This paper aims to develop a novel method, i.e., sol-gel combined with layer-by-layer assembly technology, to impart flame retardancy on polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fabrics. Silica-sol was synthesized via the sol-gel process and acted as cationic solution, and phytic acid (PA) was used as the anionic medium. Flame-retardant-treated PAN fabric (FR-PAN) could achieve excellent flame retardancy with 10 bilayer (10BL) coating through layer-by-layer assembly. The structure of the fabrics was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The thermal stability and flame retardancy were evaluated by thermogravimetric (TG) analysis, cone calorimetry (CC) and limiting oxygen index (LOI). The LOI value of the coated fabric was up to 33.2 vol % and the char residue at 800 °C also increased to 57 wt %. Cone calorimetry tests revealed that, compared to the control fabric, the peak of heat release rate (PHRR) and total heat release (THR) of FR-PAN decreased by 66% and 73%, respectively. These results indicated that sol-gel combined with layer-by-layer assembly technique could impart PAN fabric with satisfactory flame-retardant properties, showing an efficient flame retardant strategy for PAN fabric.

  13. Intumescent Coatings as Fire Retardants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parker, J. A.; Fohlen, G. M.; Sawko, P. M.; Fish, R. H.

    1970-01-01

    The development of fire-retardant coatings to protect surfaces which may be exposed to fire or extreme heat is a subject of intense interest to many industries. A fire-retardant paint has been developed which represents a new chemical approach for preparing intumescent coatings, and potentially, is very important to fire-prevention authorities. The requirements for a superior coating include ease of application, suitability to a wide variety of surfaces and finishes, and stability over an extended period of time within a broad range of ambient temperature and humidity conditions. These innovative coatings, when activated by the heat of a fire, react to form a thick, low-density, polymeric coating or char layer. Water vapor and sulphur dioxide are released during the intumescent reaction. Two fire-protection mechanisms thus become available: (1) the char layer retards the flow of heat, due to the extremely low thermal conductivity; and (2) water vapor and sulfur dioxide are released, providing fire quenching properties. Still another mechanism functions in cases where the char, by virtue of its high oxidation resistance and low thermal conductivity, reaches a sufficiently high temperature to re-radiate much of the incident heat load. The coatings consist of dispersions of selective salts of a nitro-amino-arornatic compound. Specifically, para-nitroaniline bisulfate and the ammonium salt of para-nitroaniline-ortho sulphuric acid (2-amino-5-nitrobenzenesulphuric acid) are used. Suitable vehicles are cellulose nitrate of lacquer grade, a nitrite-phenolic modified rubber, or epoxy-polysulfide copolymer. Three separate formulations have been developed. A solvent is usually employed, such as methylethyl ketone, butyl acetate, or toluene, which renders the coatings suitably thin and which evaporates after the coatings are applied. Generally, the intumescent material is treated as insoluble in the vehicle, and is ground and dispersed in the vehicle and solvent like an

  14. Enhanced experimental tumor metastasis with age in senescence-accelerated mouse

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shimizu, Kosuke; Kinouchi Shimizu, Naomi; Asai, Tomohiro; Oku, Naoto; Tsukada, Hideo

    2008-01-01

    Tumor metastasis is affected by the host immune surveillance system. Since aging may attenuate the host immune potential, the experimental tumor metastasis may be enhanced with age. In the present study, we investigated this alteration of experimental tumor metastasis with age. We used senescence-accelerated mice prone 10 (SAMP10) as a model of aged animals. Natural killer cell (NK) activity, as an indicator of immune surveillance potential, in 8-month-old (aged) SAMP10 mice was observed to be much lower than that in 2-month-old (young) mice. When we examined the in vivo trafficking of lung-metastatic K1735M2 melanoma cells in SAMP10 with positron emission tomography (PET), K1735M2 cells labeled with [2- 18 F]2-deoxy-2-fluoro-D-glucose ([ 18 F]FDG) were observed in both young and aged SAMP10 just after injection of the cells, whereas the clearance of 18 F from the lungs was retarded in aged animals. The accumulation of 5-[ 125 I]iodo-2'-deoxyuridine ([ 125 I]IUdR)-labeled K1735M2 cells in the lungs of SAMP10 at 24 h after injection was significantly higher in aged mice. Corresponding to these results, the number of metastatic colonies in the lung was larger in the aged SAMP10 of the experimental tumor metastasis model. The present study demonstrated that the aging process produced a susceptible environment allowing the tumor cells to metastasize due to decrease in the host immune surveillance potential with age. (author)

  15. Skin mastocytosis, hearing loss and mental retardation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hennekam, R. C.; Beemer, F. A.

    1992-01-01

    A girl with skin mastocytosis, hearing loss, microcephaly, mild dysmorphic features and severe mental retardation is described. The symptoms of the child resemble those reported in 1990 by Wolach et al. in another patient sufficiently to suspect the same entity in both. Inheritance may be autosomal

  16. Computer Needs of Severely Mentally Retarded Persons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flanagan, Kelly

    1982-01-01

    The article reviews technology applicable for use by severely mentally retarded learners. Descriptions are given of assistive devices (including communication aids), controls and interfaces (such as single switch access to standard software), and software (including games to teach cause and effect and simple matching and counting). (CL)

  17. Flame retardant finishing of cotton fabric based on synergistic compounds containing boron and nitrogen.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Kongliang; Gao, Aiqin; Zhang, Yongsheng

    2013-10-15

    Boric acid and compound containing nitrogen, 2,4,6-tri[(2-hydroxy-3-trimethyl-ammonium)propyl]-1,3,5-triazine chloride (Tri-HTAC) were used to finish cotton fabric. The flame retardant properties of the finished cotton fabrics and the synergetic effects of boron and nitrogen elements were investigated and evaluated by limited oxygen index (LOI) method. The mechanism of cross-linking reaction among cotton fiber, Tri-HTAC, and boric acid was discussed by FTIR and element analysis. The thermal stability and surface morphology of the finished cotton fabrics were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and scanning electron microscope (SEM), respectively. The finishing system of the mixture containing boron and nitrogen showed excellent synergistic flame retardancy for cotton fabric. The cotton fabric finished with mixture system had excellent flame retardancy. The LOI value of the treated cotton fabric increased over 27.5. Tri-HTAC could form covalent bonds with cellulose fiber and boric acid. The flame retardant cotton fabric showed a slight decrease in tensile strength and whiteness. The surface morphology of flame retardant cotton fiber was smooth. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. [Associated factors in newborns with intrauterine growth retardation].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson-Chagoyán, Oscar C; Vega-Franco, Leopoldo

    2008-01-01

    To identify the risk factors implicated in the intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) of neonates born in a social security institution. Case controls design study in 376 neonates: 188 with IUGR (weight RCIU in the population.

  19. Development of halogen-free flame-retardant cable for nuclear power plant. 2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsumoto, Tetsuo; Kimura, Hitoshi; Ishii, Nobuhisa

    1997-01-01

    Halogen-free flame-retardant cables were developed for PWR nuclear power stations. It was confirmed that the developed cables possess flame retardant property, corrosion resistance, low toxicity and low smoke generation, and withstand the normal operation in the environment in PWR containment vessels for 60 years and loss of coolant accident. In the advancement of LWR technology, it is important to improve the reliability of machinery and equipment, to extend the period of continuous operation, to optimize the operation cycle and to improve the maintenance of plants. By improving halogen-free flame-retardant material and applying it to the cables for nuclear power stations, it can contribute to the above purposes. The required characteristics of these cables are explained, and the targets of development are power cables, control cables, instrumentation cables and insulated wires which do not contain halogen. The basic material is polyolefin, in which flame retardant magnesium hydroxide and the agent for improving radiation resistance are mixed. The corrosive property and toxicity of gases, smoke generation and the prevention of spread of flame when the cables burn and the durability in environment were evaluated. (K.I.)

  20. Molecular investigation of mental retardation locus gene PRSS12 by linkage analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ali, Zafar; Babar, Masroor Ellahi; Ahmad, Jamil; Yousaf, Muhammad Zubair; Asif, Muhammad; Shah, Sajjad Ali

    2011-05-01

    The present study was carried out to determine the prevalence of families having mental retardation in Pakistani population. We enrolled seven mentally retarded (MR) families with two or more affected individuals. Family history was taken to minimize the chances of other abnormalities. Pedigrees were drawn using the Cyrillic software (version 2.1). The structure of pedigrees shows that all the marriages are consanguineous and the families have recessive mode of inheritance. All the families were studied by linkage analysis to mental retardation locus (MRT1)/gene PRSS12. Three STR markers (D4S191, D4S2392, and D4S3024) in vicinity of mental retardation (MR) locus (MRT1)/gene PRSS12 were amplified on all the sample of each family by PCR. The PCR products were then genotyped on non denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). The Haplotype were constructed to determine the pattern of inheritance and also to determine that a family was linked or unlinked to gene PRSS12. One out of the seven families was potentially linked to gene PRSS12, while the other six families remain unlinked.

  1. The influence of growth retardants and cytokinins on flowering of ornamental plants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Pobudkiewicz

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Growth retardants are applied in order to obtain short and well compact plants. They usually inhibit stem elongation, but also can influence the flowering of plants. The aim of cytokinin application is to obtain well branched plants without removing the apical meristem. Cytokinins usually increase the number of axillary shoots but also can influence flowering. Growth retardants and cytokinins can affect flower size, pedicel length, number of flowers, flower longevity, abortion of flower buds and number of days from potting plants to the first open flower. Flowering of growth retardant and cytokinin treated plants might depend on the method of growth regulator used (foliar spray or soil drench, plant species or even a plant cultivar, but in the highest degree it depends on the growth regulator rate used. These growth regulators, when are applied at rates appropriate for height and habit control, very seldom influence flowering of ornamental plants, but applied at high rates can delay flowering, diminish flower diameter or flower pedicel length and also can decrease the number of flowers per plant. In cultivation of bulb plants, growth retardants, used at very high rates, also cause abortion of flower buds.

  2. Chromosomal investigations in patients with mental retardation and/or congenital malformations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Santos C.B.

    2000-01-01

    Full Text Available We investigated the chromosomal constitution of patients with mental retardation and/or congenital malformations in order to determine genetic causes for such disturbances. The GTG and CBG banding patterns were studied using phytohemagglutinin M-stimulated lymphocytes cultured from peripheral blood. Among 98 individuals with mental retardation and/or congenital malformations who were analyzed there were 12 cases of Down's syndrome, two of Edward's syndrome, one of Patau's syndrome, five of Turner's syndrome, two of Klinefelter's syndrome, one of "cri-du-chat" syndrome, one case of a balanced translocation between chromosomes 13 and 14, one case of a derivative chromosome and one of a marker chromosome. We found abnormal chromosomes in 26% of the patients, 82% of which were numerical abnormalities, with the remaining 18% being structural variants. We conclude that patients with mental retardation and/or congenital malformations should be routinely karyotyped.

  3. Synergistic effects of iron powder on intumescent flame retardant polypropylene system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available The effects of iron powder as a synergistic agent on the flame retardancy of intumescent flame retardant polypropylene composites (IFR-PP were studied. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA and cone calorimeter (CONE were used to evaluate the synergistic effects of iron powder (Fe. The TGA data showed that Fe could enhance the thermal stability of the IFR-PP systems at high temperature and effectively increase the char residue formation. The CONE results revealed that Fe and IFR could clearly change the decomposition behavior of PP and form a char layer on the surface of the composites, consequently resulting in efficient reduction of the flammability parameters, such as heat release rate (HRR, mass loss (ML, Mass loss rate (MLR, total heat release (THR, carbon monoxide and so on. Thus, a suitable amount of Fe plays a synergistic effect in the flame retardancy of IFR composites.

  4. How to use retarded Green's functions in de Sitter spacetime

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Higuchi, Atsushi; Cheong, Lee Yen

    2008-01-01

    We demonstrate in examples that the covariant retarded Green's functions in electromagnetism and linearized gravity work as expected in de Sitter spacetime. We first clarify how retarded Green's functions should be used in spacetimes with spacelike past infinity such as de Sitter spacetime. In particular, we remind the reader of a general formula which gives the field for given initial data on a Cauchy surface and a given source (a charge or stress-energy tensor distribution) in its future. We then apply this formula to three examples: (i) electromagnetism in the future of a Cauchy surface in Minkowski spacetime, (ii) electromagnetism in de Sitter spacetime, and (iii) linearized gravity in de Sitter spacetime. In each example the field is reproduced correctly as predicted by the general argument. In the third example we construct a linearized gravitational field from two equal point masses located at the 'North and South Poles' which is nonsingular on the cosmological horizon and satisfies a covariant gauge condition and show that this field is reproduced by the retarded Green's function with corresponding gauge parameters.

  5. (99)Tc(VII) Retardation, Reduction, and Redox Rate Scaling in Naturally Reduced Sediments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yuanyuan; Liu, Chongxuan; Kukkadapu, Ravi K; McKinley, James P; Zachara, John; Plymale, Andrew E; Miller, Micah D; Varga, Tamas; Resch, Charles T

    2015-11-17

    An experimental and modeling study was conducted to investigate pertechnetate (Tc(VII)O4(-)) retardation, reduction, and rate scaling in three sediments from Ringold formation at U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford site, where (99)Tc is a major contaminant in groundwater. Tc(VII) was reduced in all the sediments in both batch reactors and diffusion columns, with a faster rate in a sediment containing a higher concentration of HCl-extractable Fe(II). Tc(VII) migration in the diffusion columns was reductively retarded with retardation degrees correlated with Tc(VII) reduction rates. The reduction rates were faster in the diffusion columns than those in the batch reactors, apparently influenced by the spatial distribution of redox-reactive minerals along transport paths that supplied Tc(VII). X-ray computed tomography and autoradiography were performed to identify the spatial locations of Tc(VII) reduction and transport paths in the sediments, and results generally confirmed the newly found behavior of reaction rate changes from batch to column. The results from this study implied that Tc(VII) migration can be reductively retarded at Hanford site with a retardation degree dependent on reactive Fe(II) content and its distribution in sediments. This study also demonstrated that an effective reaction rate may be faster in transport systems than that in well-mixed reactors.

  6. A novel intumescent flame retardant-functionalized graphene: Nanocomposite synthesis, characterization, and flammability properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, Guobo; Chen, Suqing; Tang, Shouwan; Gao, Jianrong

    2012-01-01

    An intumescent flame retardant, poly(piperazine spirocyclic pentaerythritol bisphosphonate) (PPSPB), has been covalently grafted onto the surfaces of graphene oxide (GO) to obtain GO–PPSPB and according nanocomposites were prepared via solvent blending. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results show that the chemically reduced GO–PPSPB (CRG–PPSPB) can achieve better dispersion in the ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) matrix and exfoliated EVA/CRG–PPSPB nanocomposites are formed. The results from thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and cone calorimeter tests indicate that CRG–PPSPB improve thermal stability and reduce obviously the flammability (including peak heat release rate (PHRR), total heat release (THR), average mass loss rate (AMLR), etc.) of EVA. Compared with pure EVA resin, the PHRR of the EVA/CRG–PPSPB nanocomposites filled with 1 wt% CRG–PPSPB is reduced by about 56%. The SEM images show that a compact, dense and uniform intumescent char is formed for EVA/CRG–PPSPB nanocomposites after combustion. The functionalization of graphene by intumescent flame retardant PPSPB can improve both the dispersion of graphene sheets in the polymer matrix and flame retardancy of the nanocomposites. -- Highlights: ► Graphene oxide were modified with intumescent flame retardant PPSPB. ► EVA/CRG–PPSPB nanocomposites were prepared via solvent blending. ► CRG–PPSPB improved the flame retardancy of EVA nanocomposites.

  7. Computer optimization of retarding lens systems for ESCA spectrometers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wannberg, B.; Skoellermo, A.

    1977-01-01

    The performance of four-element electrostatic lenses as retarding systems between source and analyzer in ESCA spectrometers is calculated. The potential distribution in the lens is defined by an axial potential of the type phi(z)=V 0 +Σ(Vsub(i)-Vsub(i-1))/2 - tanh (ω/asub(i)(z-zsub(i))). For a given general shape of the lens and a given retardation ratio, the potentials of the two middle electrodes are fitted to give a paraxial image with a prescribed magnification at the exit slit of the lens system. The equipotential surfaces forming the electrodes are found by calculating the potential in an off-axis point, using the series expansion. All third-order geometrical and first-order chromatic aberrations of the lenses are calculated and used together with the second-order aberrations of the analyzer to calculate optimum dimensions of the lens elements and of the emittance-defining slits. A computer program, of which one part calculates the lens properties and one the properties of the entire system lens-analyzer, is described. Two lens systems are presented in some detail. The first one is intended for use with a hemispherical electrostatic analyzer. The angular acceptance is here defined by an aperture stop inside the lens. In this system, the image position and magnification can be kept constant for retardation ratios at least between 1:2 and 60:1, with moderate potentials on the middle electrodes. The second lens system is designed for a magnetic spectrometer of the π√2-type. Here, the central trajectory in the lens is slightly curved by the magnetic field, and the angular acceptance is defined by a baffle after the lens. This system is optimized for a constant retardation ratio of 5:1. (Auth.)

  8. 75 FR 52713 - Nationwide Aerial Application of Fire Retardant on National Forest System Lands

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-08-27

    ... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Nationwide Aerial Application of Fire Retardant on... statement for the continued nationwide aerial application of fire retardant on National Forest System lands... Forest Service is working to restore fire-adapted ecosystems through prescribed fire, other fuel...

  9. Platinum-doped titanate nanotubes/reduced graphene oxide: photocatalytic activity and flame retardancy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Guangya; Sang, Bin; Zhou, Zhiqi; Li, Zhiwei

    2018-01-01

    The ‘white pollution’ produced by wasted flexible polyvinyl chloride (PVC) with poor degradation ability and the potential fire hazard of PVC with high flammability not only restrict their application but also cause serious environmental problem. Thus platinum-doped titanate nanotubes/reduced graphene oxide (denoted as Pt-TNTs/rGO) nanocomposites were prepared by a facile method in order to improve the visible photodegradation and get rid of the ‘white pollution’ as well as flame retardancy of PVC. The photodegradation activity and flame retardancy effect of the as-prepared Pt-TNTs/rGO nanocomposites were investigated by ultraviolet and visible light irradiation as well as cone calorimetry. Results show that the Pt-TNTs/rGO-PVC nanocomposites exhibit enhanced visible light photodegradation performance (with mass loss being 6.5%) during 15 day exposure to solar irradiation, and good flame retardancy (providing a 44% reduction of total smoke release as compared with that of PVC matrix). Besides, Pt-TNTs/rGO-PVC nanocomposites show suppressed smoke and reduced CO production as compared with the PVC matrix. These results demonstrate that Pt-TNTs/rGO not only get rid of the ‘white pollution’ as the photocatalyst but also improve the fire safety of PVC as the flame retardant. This could be ascribed to the combination effect between Pt-TNTs and rGO. The present research, hopefully, is to pave a potential pathway to constructing polymer-matrix composites with desired photodegradation activity and flame retardancy, thereby shedding light on simultaneously dealing with the ‘white pollution’ and high flammability of polymer matrix like PVC.

  10. Tourette syndrome, growth retardation, and platyspondyly: an entity?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Scheper, Frederike Y.; Hennekam, Raoul C. M.

    2002-01-01

    A 14-year-old male is described with Tourette syndrome, platyspondyly, a marked delay in bone age, growth retardation that is more expressed in the limbs and talipes equinovarus. This appears to be a new entity

  11. Syk Tyrosine Kinase Acts as a Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Tumor Suppressor by Regulating Cellular Growth and Invasion

    OpenAIRE

    Layton, Tracy; Stalens, Cristel; Gunderson, Felizza; Goodison, Steve; Silletti, Steve

    2009-01-01

    We have identified the nonreceptor tyrosine kinase syk as a marker of differentiation/tumor suppressor in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Syk expression is lost in poorly differentiated PDAC cells in vitro and in situ, and stable reexpression of syk in endogenously syk-negative Panc1 (Panc1/syk) cells retarded their growth in vitro and in vivo and reduced anchorage-independent growth in vitro. Panc1/syk cells exhibited a more differentiated morphology and down-regulated cyclin D1, ak...

  12. Airway Management in a Mental Retardation Patient with Temporo-mandibular Joint Ankylosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rauf GÜL

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Temporo-mandibular joint (TMJ ankylosis makes it impossible orotracheal intubation for general anesthesia because of limited mouth opening. We applied a nasotracheal intubation via fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FOB guidance on a 36 years old mental retarded (MR patient with bilateral TMJ, having extremely limited mouth opening. As a result, nasotracheal intubation via FOB is reliable technique on even mental retarded patients with extremely limited opening.

  13. Short-Term Memory for Pictures and Words by Mentally Retarded and Nonretarded Persons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellis, Norman R.; Wooldridge, Peter W.

    1985-01-01

    Twelve mentally retarded and 12 nonretarded adults were compared in a Brown-Peterson short-term memory task for the retention of words and pictures over intervals up to 30 seconds. The retarded subjects forgot more rapidly over the initial 10 seconds. They also retained pictures better than they did words. (Author/DB)

  14. Growth retardation and functional disability in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saeed, S.; Zammurrad, S.; Rasheed, U.

    2017-01-01

    To determine the frequency of growth retardation and functional disability in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Methods: This descriptive cross sectional study was carried out at the Department of Rheumatology, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad from March 2016 to December 2016. 92 patients with JIA were included in the study. Height and weight of each patient was recorded and BMI calculated. Functional Disability was determined by calculating the CHAQ Score, while disease activity was estimated through JADAS 27 score. Growth Retardation was defined as height, weight and/or BMI below the 3rd centile according to the CDC growth charts. A cut off of ?1 for CHAQ Score was used to define severe functional disability. Results: Out of 92 patients, there were 47 male (51.1%) and 45 (48.9%) females. Height, weight and BMI below 3rd centile was observed in 30(32.6%), 49(53.3%) and 41(44.6%) patients, respectively. The overall frequency of growth retardation was 64.1% (n=59) and severe functional disability (CHAQ Score ?1) was seen in 32.6% (n=30) of patients. Conclusions: Growth retardation was seen in more than half of patients with JIA and a significant proportion had severe functional disability. Severe functional disability was seen only in patients with active disease. (author)

  15. An Overview of Mode of Action and Analytical Methods for Evaluation of Gas Phase Activities of Flame Retardants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Khalifah A. Salmeia

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available The latest techniques used to prove, describe and analyze the gas phase activity of a fire retardant used in polymeric materials are briefly reviewed. Classical techniques, such as thermogravimetric analysis or microscale combustion calorimetry, as well as complex and advanced analytical techniques, such as modified microscale combustion calorimeter (MCC, molecular beam mass spectroscopy and vacuum ultra violet (VUV photoionization spectroscopy coupled with time of flight MS (TOF-MS, are described in this review. The recent advances in analytical techniques help not only in determining the gas phase activity of the flame-retardants but also identify possible reactive species responsible for gas phase flame inhibition. The complete understanding of the decomposition pathways and the flame retardant activity of a flame retardant system is essential for the development of new eco-friendly-tailored flame retardant molecules with high flame retardant efficiency.

  16. Organophosphorous flame retardants in biota from Svalbard, Norway

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hallanger, I.G.; Sagerup, K.; Evenset, A.; Kovacs, K.M.; Leonards, P.E.G.; Fuglei, E.; Routti, H.; Aars, J.; Strom, H.; Lydersen, C.; Gabrielsen, G. W.

    2015-01-01

    Eight arctic species, including fish, birds and mammals, from diverse habitats (marine and terrestrial) within the Svalbard Archipelago, Norway, were screened for 14 organophosphorus flame retardant (PFR) compounds. Ten PFRs were detected: tris(2-chloroethyl)phosphate (TCEP),

  17. Of Atkins and men: deviations from clinical definitions of mental retardation in death penalty cases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blume, John H; Johnson, Sheri Lynn; Seeds, Christopher

    2009-01-01

    Under Atkins v. Virginia, the Eighth Amendment exempts from execution individuals who meet the clinical definitions of mental retardation set forth by the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and the American Psychiatric Association. Both define mental retardation as significantly subaverage intellectual functioning accompanied by significant limitations in adaptive functioning, originating before the age of 18. Since Atkins, most jurisdictions have adopted definitions of mental retardation that conform to those definitions. But some states, looking often to stereotypes of persons with mental retardation, apply exclusion criteria that deviate from and are more restrictive than the accepted scientific and clinical definitions. These state deviations have the effect of excluding from Atkins's reach some individuals who plainly fall within the class it protects. This article focuses on the cases of Roger Cherry, Jeffrey Williams, Michael Stallings, and others, who represent an ever-growing number of individuals inappropriately excluded from Atkins. Left unaddressed, the state deviations discussed herein permit what Atkins does not: the death-sentencing and execution of some capital defendants who have mental retardation.

  18. A novel reutilization method for waste printed circuit boards as flame retardant and smoke suppressant for poly (vinyl chloride)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xiu, Fu-Rong, E-mail: xiu_chem@hotmail.com [College of Ecological Environment and Urban Construction, Fujian University of Technology, Fuzhou 350108 (China); Weng, Huiwei; Qi, Yingying; Yu, Gending; Zhang, Zhigang [College of Ecological Environment and Urban Construction, Fujian University of Technology, Fuzhou 350108 (China); Zhang, Fu-Shen [Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085 (China)

    2016-09-05

    Highlights: • We report a novel electronic waste-based flame retardant for PVC. • The SCWO-treated PCBs significantly improves the flame retardancy of PVC. • The flame retardant mechanism of SCWO-treated PCBs was studied. • Appropriate amount flame retardant does not degrade the mechanical property of PVC. - Abstract: In this study, a novel reutilization method for waste printed circuit boards (PCBs) as flame retardant and smoke suppressant for poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC) was successfully testified. A supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) process was applied to treat waste PCBs before they could be used as flame retardants of PVC. The results indicated that SCWO conditions had a significant effect on the flame retarding and smoke suppressing properties of waste PCBs for PVC. Cu{sub 2}O, CuO, and SnO{sub 2} were the main active ingredients in waste PCBs-derived flame retardants. A conversion of Cu elements (Cu{sup 0} → Cu{sup +} → Cu{sup 2+}) during SCWO process with the increase of reaction temperature was found to be the key influence factor for the flame retarding properties of SCWO-treated PCBs. The experiment results also showed that there was a synergistic effect of flame retardancy between Cu{sup +} and Cu{sup 2+}. After the optimized SCWO treatment, SCWO-treated PCBs significantly improved the flame retardancy and smoke suppression of PVC. Limiting oxygen index (LOI) and char yield (CY) increased with increasing SCWO-treated PCBs content in PVC, while smoke density rating (SDR) and maximum smoke density (MSD) decreased markedly. The mechanical properties of PVC samples were influenced in different degree by adding different content SCWO-treated PCBs.

  19. A novel reutilization method for waste printed circuit boards as flame retardant and smoke suppressant for poly (vinyl chloride)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xiu, Fu-Rong; Weng, Huiwei; Qi, Yingying; Yu, Gending; Zhang, Zhigang; Zhang, Fu-Shen

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • We report a novel electronic waste-based flame retardant for PVC. • The SCWO-treated PCBs significantly improves the flame retardancy of PVC. • The flame retardant mechanism of SCWO-treated PCBs was studied. • Appropriate amount flame retardant does not degrade the mechanical property of PVC. - Abstract: In this study, a novel reutilization method for waste printed circuit boards (PCBs) as flame retardant and smoke suppressant for poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC) was successfully testified. A supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) process was applied to treat waste PCBs before they could be used as flame retardants of PVC. The results indicated that SCWO conditions had a significant effect on the flame retarding and smoke suppressing properties of waste PCBs for PVC. Cu_2O, CuO, and SnO_2 were the main active ingredients in waste PCBs-derived flame retardants. A conversion of Cu elements (Cu"0 → Cu"+ → Cu"2"+) during SCWO process with the increase of reaction temperature was found to be the key influence factor for the flame retarding properties of SCWO-treated PCBs. The experiment results also showed that there was a synergistic effect of flame retardancy between Cu"+ and Cu"2"+. After the optimized SCWO treatment, SCWO-treated PCBs significantly improved the flame retardancy and smoke suppression of PVC. Limiting oxygen index (LOI) and char yield (CY) increased with increasing SCWO-treated PCBs content in PVC, while smoke density rating (SDR) and maximum smoke density (MSD) decreased markedly. The mechanical properties of PVC samples were influenced in different degree by adding different content SCWO-treated PCBs.

  20. Point defect engineering strategies to retard phosphorous diffusion in germanium

    KAUST Repository

    Tahini, H. A.; Chroneos, Alexander I.; Grimes, Robin W.; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo; Bracht, Hartmut A.

    2013-01-01

    The diffusion of phosphorous in germanium is very fast, requiring point defect engineering strategies to retard it in support of technological application. Density functional theory corroborated with hybrid density functional calculations are used to investigate the influence of the isovalent codopants tin and hafnium in the migration of phosphorous via the vacancy-mediated diffusion process. The migration energy barriers for phosphorous are increased significantly in the presence of oversized isovalent codopants. Therefore, it is proposed that tin and in particular hafnium codoping are efficient point defect engineering strategies to retard phosphorous migration. © the Owner Societies 2013.

  1. Improving Outcomes for Workers with Mental Retardation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fornes, Sandra; Rocco, Tonette S.; Rosenberg, Howard

    2008-01-01

    This research presents an analysis of factors predicting job retention, job satisfaction, and job performance of workers with mental retardation. The findings highlight self-determination as a critical skill in predicting the three important employee outcomes. The study examined a hypothesized job retention model and the outcome of the three…

  2. Genetic Issues in Mental Retardation, 1996-1997.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Genetic Issues in Mental Retardation, 1996

    1996-01-01

    This document consists of the first six issues of a newsletter, which discusses current knowledge about and concerns related to genetics and mental retardation. The second issue addresses the problem of genetic discrimination. The third issue considers genetic testing, screening, and counseling. The fourth issue addresses genetic privacy issues.…

  3. Euthanasia and Mental Retardation: Suggesting the Unthinkable.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hollander, Russell

    1989-01-01

    The article examines current opinions toward euthanasia of persons with mental retardation in light of the history of public and professional attitudes. It also discusses the rejection of euthanasia on moral and religious grounds, and notes the use of lifelong incarceration, based on eugenics principles, to accomplish similar ends. (DB)

  4. Optimization of a dual-rotating-retarder polarimeter as applied to a tunable infrared Mueller-matrix scatterometer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vap, J C; Nauyoks, S E; Marciniak, M A

    2013-01-01

    The value of Mueller-matrix (Mm) scatterometers lies in their ability to simultaneously characterize the polarimetric and directional scatter properties of a sample. To extend their utility to characterizing modern optical materials in the infrared (IR), which often have very narrow resonances yet interesting polarization and directional properties, the addition of tunable IR lasers and an achromatic dual-rotating-retarder (DRR) polarimeter is necessary. An optimization method has been developed for use with the tunable IR Mm scatterometer. This method is rooted in the application of random error analysis to three different DRR retardances, λ/5, λ/4 and λ/3, for three different analyzer (A)-to-generator (G) retarder rotation ratios, θ A :θ G = 34:26, 25:5 and 37.5:7.5, and a variable number of intensity measurements. The product of the error analysis is in terms of the level of error that could be expected from a free-space Mm extraction for the various retardances, retarder rotation ratios and number of intensity measurements of the DRR. The optimal DRR specifications identified are a λ/3 retardance and a Fourier rotation ratio, with the number of required collected measurements dependent on the level of error acceptable to the user. Experimental results corroborate this error analysis using an achromatic 110-degree retardance-configured DRR polarimeter at 5 µm wavelength, which resulted in consistent 1% error in its free-space Mm extractions. (paper)

  5. A novel branched phosphorus-containing flame retardant: synthesis and its application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yi; Liu, Jiping; Li, Shulei

    2018-03-01

    A novel branched polyphosphonate flame retardant (BPDD) has been synthesized through melt polycondensation and end-capping reaction. The chemical structure of BPDD was characterized by fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra. The test results of the vertical burning test (UL-94), limiting oxygen index (LOI) and cone calorimeter (CONE) measurements reveal that BPDD can effectively enhanced flame-retardant properties of EP. The LOI values of EP/BPDD composites increased from 23.9 % of pure EP to 33.6% and UL-94 V-0 was obtained with the 20 wt% BPDD loading. Besides, the peak heat release rate (PHRR) and total heat release (THR) of EP/BPDD composites were reduced significantly compared with the pure EP. When 20 wt% BPPD was incorporated, the PHRR and THR were decreased 66.2 % and 37.3%, respectively. The comprehensive test results shows that the improvement of flame retardancy of the EP/BPDD composites was attributed to the synergistic action of the condensed phase and gas phases.

  6. Aging Parents with Adult Mentally Retarded Children: Family Risk Factors and Sources of Support.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seltzer, Marsha Mailick; Krauss, Marty Wyngaarden

    1989-01-01

    Predictors of 4 indices of well-being (physical health, life satisfaction, burden, and parenting stress) were examined among 203 aging mothers of mentally retarded adults living at home. Predictive variables examined include maternal characteristics, retarded adult's characteristics, family social climate, mother's social support network, and…

  7. 75 FR 28778 - Magma Flood Retarding Structure (FRS) Supplemental Watershed Plan, Pinal County, AZ

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-05-24

    ... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Natural Resources Conservation Service Magma Flood Retarding Structure... statement is not being prepared for the Magma Flood Retarding Structure (FRS) Supplemental Watershed Plan... rehabilitate the Magma FRS to provide for continued flood protection for a portion of the Town of Florence and...

  8. Etiological Study of Mental Retardation in Budapest, Hungary.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Czeizel, A.; And Others

    1980-01-01

    The first complex etiological study of mental retardation in Budapest was carried out with 1,364 children ages 7 to 14 years. Results are compared with findings from previous surveys in the United States and the United Kingdom. (Author)

  9. A NOVEL FIRE RETARDANT AFFECTS FIRE PERFORMANCE AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF WOOD FLOUR-HIGH DENSITY POLYETHYLENE COMPOSITES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mingzhu Pan,

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Wood flour-high density polyethylene (HDPE composites were prepared to investigate the effects of ammonium polyphosphate based fire retardant content (2, 4, 6, 8, and 10-wt%, on the flammability, mechanical, and morphological properties of the wood flour-HDPE composites in this study. Cone calorimetry analysis showed that the addition of fire retardant could decrease the heat release rate (HRR and total smoke release of wood flour-HDPE composites, while it had no obviously effects on effective heat of combustion. Most of the decrease of the HRR occurred with the concentration of the fire retardant up to 4-wt%. With addition of fire retardant, the composites showed a decrease in tensile elongation at break and impact strength, and had no obvious effect on tensile and flexural strength. The scanning electron microscopy observation on the fracture surface of the composites indicated that fire retardant had a uniform dispersion in the wood flour-HDPE composites. However, interfacial bonding would be suggested to improve in wood flour-HDPE composites with ammonium polyphosphate based fire retardant.

  10. MLPA analysis for a panel of syndromes with mental retardation reveals imbalances in 5.8% of patients with mental retardation and dysmorphic features, including duplications of the Sotos syndrome and Williams-Beuren syndrome regions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kirchhoff, Maria; Bisgaard, Anne-Marie; Bryndorf, Thue

    2007-01-01

    MLPA analysis for a panel of syndromes with mental retardation (MRS-MLPA) was used for investigation of 258 mentally retarded and dysmorphic patients with normal conventional karyotypes (P064 probe set, MRC-Holland, for detection of (micro)deletions associated with 1p36-deletion, Sotos, Williams...... referred with a clinical suspicion of a specific syndrome, which was confirmed in 17 patients (21.3%). The remaining 90 patients were referred because of mental retardation and dysmorphism but without suspicion of a specific syndrome. Seven imbalances, including four duplications, were detected in these 90...

  11. Thermal and Flame Retardant Properties of Shaped Polypropylene Fibers Containing Modified-Thai Bentonite

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Prahsarn Chureerat

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Tetraphenyl phosphonium-modified organoclay (TPP-Mt was prepared by modifying montmorillonite-rich Thai bentonite via ion exchange. TGA results revealed that TPP-Mt possessed high thermal stability, where degradation occurred at a temperature range of 418-576°C. The obtained TPP-Mt/PP nanocomposites exhibited degradation at higher temperatures than PP (410-420°C vs. 403°C. Fibers of different cross-sectional shapes (circular, circular hollow, and cross containing 1, 2 and 3%wt TPP-Mt were prepared and characterized. Nonwovens of 3%wt TPPMt/PP fibers were fabricated for flame retardant test. From results, nonwovens of TPP-Mt/PP fibers exhibited self-extinguishing characteristic and the areas of burning were less than that of PP nonwoven (14.5-31.6% vs. 95.6%. Nonwovens of cross-shaped fibers showed the best flame retardant property, followed by those of circular hollow and circular fibers. The flame retardant properties observed in nonwovens were explained due to the inter-fiber spaces between cross-shaped fibers and center hole in circular hollow fibers, which could trap initiating radicals inside, thus reducing flame propagation. In addition, large surface area in cross-shaped fibers could help in increasing the flame retardant effectiveness due to more exposure of TPP-Mt particles to the flame. Knowledge obtained in this study offered an approach to produce flame retardant nonwovens via a combination of modified organolcay and fiber shape.

  12. Retarded hippocampal development following prenatal exposure to ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Results: Rats in Group A showed no implantation, rats in Group B had abortion on the 7th day after administration, and rats in Group C gave birth with their litters showing retarded hippocampus development and neural degeneration and rats in Group D (control) showed normal development. Conclusion: Ethanolic extract of ...

  13. Haspeslagh syndrome without severe mental retardation and pterygia?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Bever, Y.; Hennekam, R. C.

    1995-01-01

    An adult female is described with mild developmental delay, typical facies, dental anomalies, arachnodactyly and camptodactyly. In many respects she resembles four other patients described earlier, but differs in not having multiple pterygia, nor severe mental retardation. We suggest that this

  14. Failure-to-thrive syndrome associated with tumor formation by Madin-Darby canine kidney cells in newborn nude mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brinster, Lauren R; Omeir, Romelda L; Foseh, Gideon S; Macauley, Juliete N; Snoy, Philip J; Beren, Joel J; Teferedegne, Belete; Peden, Keith; Lewis, Andrew M

    2013-08-01

    Tumors that formed in newborn nude mice that were inoculated with 10(7) Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells were associated with a failure-to-thrive (FTT) syndrome consisting of growth retardation, lethargy, weakness, and dehydration. Scoliosis developed in 41% of affected pups. Pups were symptomatic by week 2; severely affected pups became moribund and required euthanasia within 3 to 4 wk. Mice with FTT were classified into categories of mild, moderate, and severe disease by comparing their weight with that of age-matched normal nude mice. The MDCK-induced tumors were adenocarcinomas that invaded adjacent muscle, connective tissue, and bone; 6 of the 26 pups examined had lung metastases. The induction of FTT did not correlate with cell-line aggressiveness as estimated by histopathology or the efficiency of tumor formation (tumor-forming dose 50% endpoint range = 10(2.8) to 10(7.5)); however, tumor invasion of the paravertebral muscles likely contributed to the scoliosis noted. In contrast to the effect of MDCK cells, tumor formation observed in newborn mice inoculated with highly tumorigenic, human-tumor-derived cell lines was not associated with FTT development. We suggest that tumor formation and FTT are characteristics of these MDCK cell inocula and that FTT represents a new syndrome that may be similar to the cachexia that develops in humans with cancer or other diseases.

  15. Assessment of extrusion-sonication process on flame retardant polypropylene by rheological characterization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guadalupe Sanchez-Olivares

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available In this work, the rheological behavior of flame retardant polypropylene composites produced by two methods: 1 twin-screw extrusion and 2 ultrasound application combined with a static mixer die single-screw extrusion is analyzed in detail; results are related to the morphology of the composites. The flame retardant polymer composites are composed of a polypropylene matrix, an intumescent flame retardant system and functionalized clay. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the combination of the static mixer die and on-line sonication reduced particle size and improved the dispersion and distribution of the intumescent additives in the polypropylene matrix at the micrometric level. From linear viscoelastic properties, the Han, Cole-Cole and van Gurp-Palmen diagrams characterized the improved particle dispersion of the flame retardant additives. Two well-defined rheological behaviors were observed in these diagrams. These behaviors are independent on clay presence and concentration. In fact, the ultrasound device generates a 3D highly interconnected structure similar to a co-continuous pattern observed in polymer blends as evidenced by rheological measurements. This improvement in the dispersion and distribution of the additives is attributed to the combined effect of the static mixer die and on-line sonication that allowed reducing the additive content while achieving the optimum classification UL94-V0.

  16. Crack growth retardation due to micro-roughness: a mechanism for overload effects in fatigue

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suresh, S.

    1982-01-01

    A new mechanism for fatigue crack growth retardation following an overload is presented in this paper, based on a micro-roughness model. It is reasoned, with the aid of extensive experimental evidence available in the literature, that retardation following an overload is governed by the micromechanisms of near-threshold crack growth. This model is found to rationalize a number of hitherto unexplained experimental observations. Moreover, the present arguments, which suggest that plasticity-induced crack closure is not likely to be the primary mechanism for retardation following single overloads, do not exclude the role of residual stresses or blunting, but provide further mechanistic basis to account for the inconsistencies in the previous models. Additional sources of prolonged retardation, in terms of crack closure due to corrosion debris formed in moist environments, are suggested. It is pointed out that such environmental effects could play an important role in post-overload crack growth in certain alloy systems

  17. Toxicity of water and sediment from stormwater retarding basins to Hydra hexactinella

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rosenkrantz, Rikke Tjørnhøj; Pollino, Carmel A.; Nugegoda, Dayanthi

    2008-01-01

    of 50 ml/L and 100 ml/L, while the 7 h pulse exposure caused a significant increase in the mean population growth rate compared to the control. Water samples from the two other retarding basins were found non-toxic to H. hexactinella. This is the first study to employ sediment tests with Hydra spp....... on stormwater sediments and a lower population growth rate was observed for organisms exposed to sediment from the Avoca St retarding basins. The behavioral study showed that H. hexactinella tended to avoid the sediment-water interface when exposed to sediment from all retarding basins, compared...... to the reference sediment. Further work is needed to determine the long-term effects of stormwater polluted sediments and acute effects due to organism exposure to short-term high concentrations during rain events. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved....

  18. Development of new radiation resistant, fire-retardant cables. [Gamma radiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hagiwara, Ko; Morita, Yosuke; Udagawa, Takashi (Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Takasaki, Gunma. Takasaki Radiation Chemistry Research Establishment); Fujimura, Shun-ichi; Oda, Eisuke

    1982-12-01

    For the cables for nuclear facilities, radiation resistance and fire-retardation are severely required. The authors took note of the fact that even in the existing cables for nuclear power plants, their mechanical properties are greatly degraded by the exposure to large dose (for example, 200 Mrad in PWR testing conditions), and attempted the improvement. They employed a new additive, bromated acenaphthylene condensate (con-BACN), which effectively gives radiation resistance and also is a good flame retarder, to be compounded to an insulation material, and examined the characteristics. In this paper, the features of con-BACN and the investigation of fire-retardant EPDM composition are described. As an initial composition, a small amount of zinc white, sulphur, stearic acid, noclac 224 (Ouchi-Shinko Chemicals, Co.), and antimony trioxide, 100 parts of tale and 45 parts of con-BACN were added to 100 parts of EPDM (propylene content 34 %, Japan Synthetic Rubber Co.). As the antiaging agent, it was decided to use phenol series No. 3 as a result of test. The fire-retardant EP rubber-composed cable was produced for trial, its insulation being fabricated, using a Furukawa's pressurized salt bath continuous vulcanizer. The tests of ..gamma..-irradiation, simulated LOCA and combustion were carried out, and the test results are reported. It was indicated that the cable resisted against high dose several times as much as 200 Mrad, and was suitable for the applications, in which the mechanical properties such as bending are required to be maintained after radiation exposure. It was also found that con-BACN was safe, and its properties of decomposition, concentration and acute toxicity were all very low.

  19. Properties and Performance of Rubberwood Particleboard Treated With Bp® Fire Retardant

    OpenAIRE

    Izran K.; Abood F.; Yap K. C.; Abdul Rashid A. M.; Zaidon A.

    2011-01-01

    Rubberwood composites are available in many sizes and are frequently used as furniture and partitioning inputs. However they are naturally combustible and may limit its usage for other value-added products. Treating wood composites with fire retardant was one of the most effective ways to prevent such occurrence. In this study, Rubberwood (Hevea brasiliensis) particleboards were incorporated with BP® fire retardant through hot and cold soaking processes. Four different concentrations of fire ...

  20. Language development in preschool children born after asymmetrical intrauterine growth retardation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simić Klarić, Andrea; Kolundžić, Zdravko; Galić, Slavka; Mejaški Bošnjak, Vlatka

    2012-03-01

    After intrauterine growth retardation, many minor neurodevelopmental disorders may occur, especially in the motor skills domain, language and speech development, and cognitive functions. The assessment of language development and impact of postnatal head growth in preschool children born with asymmetrical intrauterine growth retardation. Examinees were born at term with birth weight below the 10th percentile for gestational age, parity and gender. Mean age at the time of study was six years and four months. The control group was matched according to chronological and gestational age, gender and maternal education with mean age six years and five months. There were 50 children with intrauterine growth retardation and 50 controls, 28 girls and 22 boys in each group. For the assessment of language development Reynell Developmental Language Scale, the Naming test and Mottier test were performed. There were statistically significant differences (p language comprehension, total expressive language (vocabulary, structure, content), naming skills and non-words repetition. Statistically significant positive correlations were found between relative growth of the head [(Actual head circumference - head circumference at birth)/(Body weight - birth weight)] and language outcome. Children with neonatal complications had lower results (p language comprehension and total expressive language. Intrauterine growth retardation has a negative impact on language development which is evident in preschool years. Slow postnatal head growth is correlated with poorer language outcome. Neonatal complications were negatively correlated with language comprehension and total expressive language. Copyright © 2011 European Paediatric Neurology Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Assessing and Increasing Descriptive Communication Skills in Retarded Children

    Science.gov (United States)

    Longhurst, Thomas M.

    1972-01-01

    The purpose of the paper was to review the impact of recent developments in research methodology with specific reference to the assessment and habilitation of communication problems in retarded children. (Author)

  2. Flame retardants: Dust - And not food - Might be the risk.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Boer, J; Ballesteros-Gómez, A; Leslie, H A; Brandsma, S H; Leonards, P E G

    2016-05-01

    Flame retardants (FRs) are used to delay ignition of materials such as furniture and electric and electronic instruments. Many FRs are persistent and end up in the environment. Environmental studies on flame retardants (FRs) took off in the late 1990s. Polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs) appeared to be bioaccumulative and were found in many organisms all over the world. When PBDEs were banned or their production voluntarily terminated, alternatives appeared on the market that often had similar properties or were of more concern due to their toxicity such as halogenated phosphorus-based FRs. Here we show that in spite of the ban on PBDEs more brominated FRs are being produced, an increasing number of other FRs is being applied and FR levels in our homes are much higher than in the outdoor environment. While nowadays we live in better isolated houses and sit in front of the computer or television, on flame retarded upholstery, we are at risk due to the toxic effects of a suite of FRs. The high exposure to these substances indoors calls for better risk assessments that include mixture effects. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Thyroid status in a large cohort of patients with mental retardation: the TOP-R (Thyroid Origin of Psychomotor Retardation) study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Visser, Willem Edward; de Rijke, Yolanda B; van Toor, Hans; Visser, Theo J

    2011-09-01

    Abnormalities in thyroid state may affect development and function of the brain and result in mental retardation (MR). Thyroid parameters have not been systematically investigated in institutionalized MR subjects. The objective is to measure thyroid parameters in a novel cohort of 946 institutionalized subjects. The TOP-R (Thyroid Origin of Psychomotor Retardation) study is a cross-sectional nation-wide multicentre study. Subjects with unexplained MR. The majority of the MR subjects had thyroid parameters within the reference range used in our laboratory. Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) use affected thyroid hormones (T4: 102·1 ± 1·2 vs 83·9 ± 1·2 nmol/l, P hyperthyroidism was 5·2% and 2·8%, respectively. We report thyroid parameters in a cohort of institutionalized subjects with MR. Our findings substantiate the fact that AEDs affect thyroid hormone levels. Future studies will be employed to investigate genetic causes of MR related to abnormalities in thyroid hormone homeostasis. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  4. Engineering Biodegradable Flame Retardant Wood-Plastic Composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Linxi

    Wood-plastic composites (WPCs), which are produced by blending wood and polymer materials, have attracted increasing attentions in market and industry due to the low cost and excellent performance. In this research, we have successfully engineered WPC by melt blending Polylactic Acid (PLA) and Poly(butylene adipate-co-terphthalate) (PBAT) with recycled wood flour. The thermal property and flammability of the composite are significantly improved by introducing flame retardant agent resorcinol bis(biphenyl phosphate) (RDP). The mechanical and morphological properties are also investigated via multiple techniques. The results show that wood material has increased toughness and impact resistance of the PLA/PBAT polymer matrix. SEM images have confirmed that PLA and PBAT are immiscible, but the incompatibility is reduced by the addition of wood. RDP is initially dispersed in the blends evenly. It migrates to the surface of the sample after flame application, and serves as a barrier between the fire and underlying polymers and wood mixture. It is well proved in the research that RDP is an efficient flame retardant agent in the WPC system.

  5. Fire performance, mechanical strength and dimensional stability of wood flour–polyethylene composites under the influence of different fire retardants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mehdi Roohani

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Flammability is one of the most important parameters that often limit the application range of wood plastic composites. Therefore, the improvements of retardancy performance of these products have a considerable impact. The aim of this work was to evaluate the influence of expandable graphite (EG and its combination with aluminum tirhydroxide (ATH, inorganic phosphate (IP and melamine borate (MB on the flammability of wood flour–polyethylene composites. Composites were prepared by the melt compounding method and cone calorimetry as well as limited oxygen index (LOI tests was employed to study their flammability properties. Also, the effect of different fire retardants on the mechanical strength and water uptake of samples were investigated. Cone calorimetry characterization indicated that with incorporation of fire retardans heat release rate and burning rate decrease and char residual as well as the time to ignition increase. These findings ascribed to formation of char layer by fire retardants. The combination of EG and other fire retardants yielded better improvements in flame retardancy in comparison to the sample that has just EG as flame retardant. The LOI test was used to determine the lowest concentration of oxygen at which a material will maintain combustion in a flowing mixture of oxygen and nitrogen. The results showed that inclusion of fire retardants improve the LOI of sample. Furthermore, the presence of fire retardants decreased the tensile and flexural resistance (strength and modules and impact strength of samples, and increased the water absorption as well as thickness swelling. Generally, among the different treatments examined, the EG–ATH retardancy system showed highest potential in flame retardancy of composites.

  6. METHOD OF TREATMENT OF CONSTITUTIONAL PUBERTY RETARDATION IN BOYS (CASE HISTORY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. A. Sinitsina

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The results of examination of a 15-year-old boy with growth and puberty retardation are analyzed in this article. On the grounds of performed complex examination the patient was found physical development delay, changes at the endocrinal status, as well as pathological signs on X-ray, rheo- and electroencephalography, which are characteristic for functional growth and puberty retardation. In order to correct the found disturbances transcranial magnetotherapy was carried out. During the performed treatment improvement of the physical development characteristics, endocrinal status and data of rheo- and electroencephalography were noted.

  7. A near-infrared zero-order achromatic retarder

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    The present investigation deals with a technique to design and study the characteristics of an achromatic combination of birefringent plates in 800–2000 nm range. The retarder has been designed using calcite, crystalline quartz and ADP. The thicknesses of the plates are 19.38 μm,. 446.14 μm and 12.57 μm respectively.

  8. C syndrome with skeletal anomalies, mental retardation, eyelid ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    C syndrome with skeletal anomalies, mental retardation, eyelid chalazion, Bitot's spots and agenesis of the corpus callosum in an Egyptian child. ... broad nose, high arched palate, microretrognathia, low set ears, short neck, scoliosis, hypertrichosis over the back, talipes equinovarus as well as interatrial septal defect.

  9. Allocation of Attention and Effect of Practice on Persons with and without Mental Retardation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oka, Kohei; Miura, Toshiaki

    2008-01-01

    Persons with mild and moderate mental retardation and CA-matched persons without mental retardation performed a dual-task, "pencil-and-paper task" (Baddeley, Della Sala, Gray, Papagno, & Spinnler (1997). Testing central executive functioning with a pencil-and-paper test. In Rabbit (Ed.), Methodology of Frontal and Executive Function (pp. 61-80).…

  10. Process Optimization of Eco-Friendly Flame Retardant Finish for Cotton Fabric: a Response Surface Methodology Approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yasin, Sohail; Curti, Massimo; Behary, Nemeshwaree; Perwuelz, Anne; Giraud, Stephane; Rovero, Giorgio; Guan, Jinping; Chen, Guoqiang

    The n-methylol dimethyl phosphono propionamide (MDPA) flame retardant compounds are predominantly used for cotton fabric treatments with trimethylol melamine (TMM) to obtain better crosslinking and enhanced flame retardant properties. Nevertheless, such treatments are associated with a toxic issue of cancer-causing formaldehyde release. An eco-friendly finishing was used to get formaldehyde-free fixation of flame retardant to the cotton fabric. Citric acid as a crosslinking agent along with the sodium hypophosphite as a catalyst in the treatment was utilized. The process parameters of the treatment were enhanced for optimized flame retardant properties, in addition, low mechanical loss to the fabric by response surface methodology using Box-Behnken statistical design experiment methodology was achieved. The effects of concentrations on the fabric’s properties (flame retardancy and mechanical properties) were evaluated. The regression equations for the prediction of concentrations and mechanical properties of the fabric were also obtained for the eco-friendly treatment. The R-squared values of all the responses were above 0.95 for the reagents used, indicating the degree of relationship between the predicted values by the Box-Behnken design and the actual experimental results. It was also found that the concentration parameters (crosslinking reagents and catalysts) in the treatment formulation have a prime role in the overall performance of flame retardant cotton fabrics.

  11. Synthesis and Application of a Novel Polyamide Charring Agent for Halogen-Free Flame Retardant Polypropylene

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jie Liu

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available A novel charring agent, poly(p-ethylene terephthalamide (PETA, for halogen-free flame retardant polypropylene was synthesized by using p-phthaloyl chloride (TPC and ethylenediamine through solution polycondensation at low temperature, and the effects of PETA on flame retardance of polypropylene (PP/IFR systems were studied. The experimental results showed that PETA could considerably enhance the fire retardant performance as proved by evidence of the increase of limiting oxygen index (LOI values, the results of UL-94 tests, and cone calorimeter tests (CCT. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR and scanning electron microscope (SEM demonstrated that an appropriate amount of PETA could react with PP/IFR system to form cross-link network; a more compact char layer could be formed which was responsible for the improved thermal and flame retardant properties of PP/IFR systems. However, the superfluous amount of PETA would play the negative role.

  12. Brominated and organophosphate flame retardants in selected consumer products on the Japanese market in 2008

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kajiwara, Natsuko; Noma, Yukio; Takigami, Hidetaka

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → We examined the flame retardants in electronics, curtains, wallpaper and insulator. → Use of alternative brominated and organophosphate flame retardants was suggested. → All the products investigated also contained PBDEs, TBBPA and polybromophenols. → Incorporation of recycled materials containing hazardous substance was suggested. - Abstract: The concentrations of traditional brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) in new consumer products, including electronic equipment, curtains, wallpaper, and building materials, on the Japanese market in 2008 were investigated. Although some components of the electronic equipment contained bromine at concentrations on the order of percent by weight, as indicated by X-ray fluorescence analysis, the bromine content could not be fully accounted for by the BFRs analyzed in this study, which included polybrominated diphenylethers, decabromodiphenyl ethane, tetrabromobisphenol A, polybromophenols, and hexabromocyclododecanes. These results suggest the use of alternative BFRs such as newly developed formulations derived from tribromophenol, tetrabromobisphenol A, or both. Among the 11 OPFRs analyzed, triphenylphosphate was present at the highest concentrations in all the products investigated, which suggests the use of condensed-type OPFRs as alternative flame retardants, because they contain triphenylphosphate as an impurity. Tripropylphosphate was not detected in any samples; and trimethylphosphate, tributyl tris(2-butoxyethyl)phosphate, and tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl)phosphate were detected in only some components and at low concentrations. Note that all the consumer products evaluated in this study also contained traditional BFRs in amounts that were inadequate to impart flame retardancy, which implies the incorporation of recycled plastic materials containing BFRs that are of global concern.

  13. Flame Retardancy and Mechanical Properties of Kenaf Filled Polypropylene (PP) Containing Ammonium Polyphosphate (APP)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Atikah Ismail; Azman Hassan; Aznizam Abu Bakar; Jawaid, M.

    2013-01-01

    The effects of ammonium polyphosphate (APP) as flame retardant and kenaf as fillers on flammability, thermal and mechanical properties of polypropylene (PP) composites were determined. Test specimens were prepared by using a co-rotating twin screw extruder for the compounding process followed by injection molding. The flame retardancy of the composites was determined by using limiting oxygen index (LOI) test. Addition of flame retardant into kenaf-PP composites significantly increased the LOI values that indicated the improvement of flame retardancy. Thermogravimetric analysis was done to examine the thermal stability of the composites. The addition of kenaf fiber in PP composites decreased the thermal stability significantly but the influence of APP on thermal properties of the kenaf-filled PP composites was not significant. The flexural strength and modulus of composites increased with the addition of APP into kenaf filled PP composite. The addition of APP into kenaf filled PP causes increase in the impact strength while increasing the APP content in the kenaf filled PP composite show decrease in impact strength. (author)

  14. Prognosis and risk factors for intrauterine growth retardation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sehested, Line Thousig; Pedersen, Pernille

    2014-01-01

    INTRODUCTION: Intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) is the term describing a foetus that has not reached its genetic growth potential. There is no international consensus on the definition of IUGR. The aim of this study was to describe a cohort of weight-restricted neonates and their mothers...

  15. Individuals with Mental Retardation and the Criminal Justice System: The View from States' Attorneys General.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McAfee, James K.; Gural, Michele

    1988-01-01

    Results of a survey of state attorneys general (N=46) found that, with few exceptions, identification of persons with mental retardation in criminal justice is neither systematic nor probable. Protections lie in statutes pertaining to mental illness rather than to mental retardation. (Author/DB)

  16. Improved fire retardancy of thermoset composites modified with carbon nanofibers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Zhongfu; Gou Jan

    2009-01-01

    Multifunctional thermoset composites were made from polyester resin, glass fiber mats and carbon nanofiber sheets (CNS). Their flaming behavior was investigated with cone calorimeter under well-controlled combustion conditions. The heat release rate was lowered by pre-planting carbon nanofiber sheets on the sample surface with the total fiber content of only 0.38 wt.%. Electron microscopy showed that carbon nanofiber sheet was partly burned and charred materials were formed on the combusting surface. Both the nanofibers and charred materials acted as an excellent insulator and/or mass transport barrier, improving the fire retardancy of the composite. This behavior agrees well with the general mechanism of fire retardancy in various nanoparticle-thermoplastic composites.

  17. Fetishistic transvestism in a patient with mental retardation and psychosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Velayudhan, Rajmohan; Khaleel, Asfia; Sankar, Nideesh; Kumar, Manoj; Kazhungil, Firoz; Raghuram, Thazhe Mangool

    2014-04-01

    Fetishistic transvestism is a disorder of sexual preference associated with fantasies and sexual urges to dress in opposite gender clothing as a means of arousal and as an adjunct to masturbation and coitus. The disorder has been reported in people with learning disabilities. The disorder has been reported in a young male with dull normal intelligence. Transvestism though has been described in schizophrenia and psychosis and fetishism has been described in the course of simple schizophrenia, there are no reports of fetishistic transvestism in a patient with mental retardation and psychosis. A case of fetishistic transvestism in a patient with mental retardation and psychosis with treatment and relevant review of literature is reported.

  18. Psychosocial Impacts of Mentally Retarded Children on Parents in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Psychosocial Impacts of Mentally Retarded Children on Parents in Sudan. ... the age, number of handicapped children in the family as well as the degree of mental ... Results and discussion: The parents reported different psychological effects ...

  19. Effects of fire retardants on physical, mechanical, and fire properties of flat-pressed WPCs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nadir Ayrilmis; Jan T. Benthien; Heiko Thoemen; Robert H. White

    2012-01-01

    Physical, mechanical, and fire properties of the flat-pressed wood plastic composites (WPCs) incorporated with various fire retardants (10% by weight) at different levels of wood flour (WF) content, 40, 50, or 60 wt%, were investigated. The WPC panels were made from dry-blended WF, polypropylene (PP), and fire retardant (FR) powders with maleic anhydride-grafted PP (2...

  20. Long-term follow-up of brain tumors in childhood after radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Katahira, Masako; Kubo, Osami; Inoue, Norio; Muragaki, Yoshihiro; Uchinuno, Hideaki; Nitta, Masae; Tajika, Yasuhiko; Sakairi, Mitsuhiko

    1990-01-01

    An increase in the survival rate of children with brain tumors has produced a new problem: the late impairment effects of radiotherapy on intelligence. We conducted a follow-up study of intelligence levels in a total of 23 children who had tumors with a relatively good prognosis, i.e., craniopharyngioma, germinoma, and cerebellar astrocytoma. The cases were aged 1-14 years, and the period of follow-up was 3-15 years. Intellectual development was categorized depending on the situation of school attendance, and was evaluated on a 5-point scale. As radiation to the posterior fossa doesn't cause a big problem on intelligence, the cases of cerebellar astrocytoma were excluded. Of the remaining cases, 45% (7/16) were intellectually retarded. They were less than 11 years of age at the time of radiation. Three of those with especially severe impairment were less than 5 years old at the time of radiation. We need to think about the influence of radiation on intelligence in childhood, although we can't exclude other factors influencing intelligence. (author)

  1. Long-term follow-up of brain tumors in childhood after radiotherapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Katahira, Masako; Kubo, Osami; Inoue, Norio; Muragaki, Yoshihiro; Uchinuno, Hideaki; Nitta, Masae; Tajika, Yasuhiko; Sakairi, Mitsuhiko (Tokyo Women' s Medical Coll. (Japan))

    1990-06-01

    An increase in the survival rate of children with brain tumors has produced a new problem: the late impairment effects of radiotherapy on intelligence. We conducted a follow-up study of intelligence levels in a total of 23 children who had tumors with a relatively good prognosis, i.e., craniopharyngioma, germinoma, and cerebellar astrocytoma. The cases were aged 1-14 years, and the period of follow-up was 3-15 years. Intellectual development was categorized depending on the situation of school attendance, and was evaluated on a 5-point scale. As radiation to the posterior fossa doesn't cause a big problem on intelligence, the cases of cerebellar astrocytoma were excluded. Of the remaining cases, 45% (7/16) were intellectually retarded. They were less than 11 years of age at the time of radiation. Three of those with especially severe impairment were less than 5 years old at the time of radiation. We need to think about the influence of radiation on intelligence in childhood, although we can't exclude other factors influencing intelligence. (author).

  2. Kv10.1 potassium channel: from the brain to the tumors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cázares-Ordoñez, V; Pardo, L A

    2017-10-01

    The KCNH1 gene encodes the Kv10.1 (Eag1) ion channel, a member of the EAG (ether-à-go-go) family of voltage-gated potassium channels. Recent studies have demonstrated that KCHN1 mutations are implicated in Temple-Baraitser and Zimmermann-Laband syndromes and other forms of developmental deficits that all present with mental retardation and epilepsy, suggesting that Kv10.1 might be important for cognitive development in humans. Although the Kv10.1 channel is mainly expressed in the mammalian brain, its ectopic expression occurs in 70% of human cancers. Cancer cells and tumors expressing Kv10.1 acquire selective advantages that favor cancer progression through molecular mechanisms that involve several cellular pathways, indicating that protein-protein interactions may be important for Kv10.1 influence in cell proliferation and tumorigenesis. Several studies on transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of Kv10.1 expression have shown interesting mechanistic insights about Kv10.1 role in oncogenesis, increasing the importance of identifying the cellular factors that regulate Kv10.1 expression in tumors.

  3. Chemical regulation on fire: rapid policy advances on flame retardants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cordner, Alissa; Mulcahy, Margaret; Brown, Phil

    2013-07-02

    Chemicals that are widely used in consumer products offer challenges to product manufacturers, risk managers, environmental regulators, environmental scientists, and the interested public. However, the factors that cause specific chemicals to rise to the level of regulatory, scientific, and social movement concern and scrutiny are not well documented, and scientists are frequently unclear about exactly how their research impacts policy. Through a case study of advocacy around flame retardant chemicals, this paper traces the pathways through which scientific evidence and concern is marshaled by both advocacy groups and media sources to affect policy change. We focus our analysis around a broad coalition of environmental and public health advocacy organizations and an investigative journalism series published in 2012 in the Chicago Tribune. We demonstrate that the Tribune series both brought the issue to a wider public audience and precipitated government action, including state policy revisions and federal Senate hearings. We also show how a broad and successful flame retardant coalition developed, leveraged a media event, and influenced policy at multiple institutional levels. The analysis draws on over 110 in-depth interviews, literature and Web site reviews, and observations at a flame retardant manufacturing company, government offices, and scientific and advocacy conferences.

  4. Pressure retarded osmosis from hypersaline sources - A review

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bajraktari, Niada; Hélix-Nielsen, Claus; Madsen, Henrik T.

    2017-01-01

    for commercialization. The scope of this paper is to review the existing knowledge on the use of hypersaline waters in the salinity gradient process, pressure retarded osmosis. Although only few papers have had the specific aim of investigating hypersaline waters, concentrated solutions have been used in many papers...

  5. Interstitial deletion of 5q33.3q35.1 in a boy with severe mental retardation

    OpenAIRE

    Lee, Jin Hwan; Kim, Hyo Jeong; Yoon, Jung Min; Cheon, Eun Jung; Lim, Jae Woo; Ko, Kyong Og; Lee, Gyung Min

    2016-01-01

    Constitutional interstitial deletions of the long arm of chromosome 5 (5q) are quite rare, and the corresponding phenotype is not yet clearly delineated. Severe mental retardation has been described in most patients who present 5q deletions. Specifically, the interstitial deletion of chromosome 5q33.3q35.1, an extremely rare chromosomal aberration, is characterized by mental retardation, developmental delay, and facial dysmorphism. Although the severity of mental retardation varies across cas...

  6. The Overjustification Effect in Retarded Children: Durability and Generalizability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ogilvie, Lee; Prior, Margot

    1982-01-01

    Generalizability and durability of the overjustification effect (on decline in intrinsic motivation due to the lack of rewards in behavior modification programs) were examined in 35 normal preschool children and 17 mental age-matched retarded children. (Author/SW)

  7. Retardation of volatile organic compounds in ground water in low organic carbon sediments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoffman, F.

    1995-04-01

    It is postulated that adsorption onto aquifer matrix surfaces is only one of the processes that retard contaminants in ground water in unconsolidated sediments; others include hydrodynamic dispersion, abiotic/biotic degradation, matrix diffusion, partitioning to organic carbon, diffusion into and retention in dead-end pores, etc. This work aims at these processes in defining the K d of VOCs in sediments with low organic carbon content. Experiments performed include an initial column experiment for VOC (TCE and perchloroethylene(PCE)) retardation tests on geological materials, PCE and TCE data from LLNL sediments, and a preliminary multilayer sampler experiment. The VOC K d s in low organic carbon permeable aquifer materials are dependent on the VOC composition and independent of aquifer grain size, indicating that sorption was not operative and that the primary retarding factors are diffusion controlled. The program of future experiments is described

  8. USAGE OF PICTOGRAMS TO INTRODUCE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS TO EDUCABLE MENTALLY RETARDED CHILDREN AS AN ALTERNATIVE METHOD

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gunsu YILMA

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this research is to examine and investigate the perception ability of musical instruments of educable mentally retarded children with the support of visual elements. The research is conducted for every children individually in a special education and rehabilitation centre. The problematic of this research is the level of perception ability of musical instruments with visual support on mild mentally retarded children. In this research, perception ability of defining pictograms by music is introduced as an alternative method. It is researched that how educable mentally retarded children perceive pictograms by music tools. In this case, it is aimed to introduce musical instruments to educable mentally retarded children by pictograms with music. The research is applied with a qualitative approach. Data were obtained with the recorder, then they were turned into texts and analyzed with content analysis method.

  9. Identity-by-descent filtering of exome sequence data identifies PIGV mutations in hyperphosphatasia mental retardation syndrome.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Krawitz, P.M.; Schweiger, M.R.; Rodelsperger, C.; Marcelis, C.L.M.; Kolsch, U.; Meisel, C.; Stephani, F.; Kinoshita, T.; Murakami, Y.; Bauer, S.; Isau, M.; Fischer, A.; Dahl, A.; Kerick, M.; Hecht, J.; Kohler, S.; Jager, M. de; Grunhagen, J.; Condor, B.J. de; Doelken, S.; Brunner, H.G.; Meinecke, P.; Passarge, E.; Thompson, M.D.; Cole, D.E.; Horn, D.; Roscioli, T.; Mundlos, S.; Robinson, P.N.

    2010-01-01

    Hyperphosphatasia mental retardation (HPMR) syndrome is an autosomal recessive form of mental retardation with distinct facial features and elevated serum alkaline phosphatase. We performed whole-exome sequencing in three siblings of a nonconsanguineous union with HPMR and performed computational

  10. A Prelanguage Program for Five Severely Retarded Children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McAlonie, Mary Lynne; Wolf, Judith M.

    Five severely retarded emotionally disturbed children (2-7 years old) were exposed to a prelanguage sensorimotor program for 20 weeks. The program emphasized the use of exploratory behavior and gesture imitation. Results suggested that object permanence could be encouraged using these activities but that the approach used in training imitative…

  11. Colour learning in retarded children | Karseboom | South African ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    South African Medical Journal. Journal Home · ABOUT THIS JOURNAL · Advanced Search · Current Issue · Archives · Journal Home > Vol 45, No 2 (1971) >. Log in or Register to get access to full text downloads. Username, Password, Remember me, or Register. Colour learning in retarded children. E Karseboom. Abstract.

  12. Pre-Language Activities for the Profoundly Mentally Retarded.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poole, Marilyn R.; And Others

    Provided are sample lesson plans for a program to develop pre-language skills in profoundly retarded children and adults. Characteristic of the suggested activities is the stimulation of all sensory channels through structured infant-like play activities in five general areas: oral stimulation, sensory arousal, motor stimulation, vocal play, and…

  13. Selective retardation of perfume oil evaporation from oil-in-water emulsions stabilized by either surfactant or nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Binks, Bernard P; Fletcher, Paul D I; Holt, Benjamin L; Beaussoubre, Pascal; Wong, Kenneth

    2010-12-07

    We have used dynamic headspace analysis to investigate the evaporation rates of perfume oils from stirred oil-in-water emulsions into a flowing gas stream. We compare the behavior of an oil of low water solubility (limonene) and one of high water solubility (benzyl acetate). It is shown how the evaporation of an oil of low water solubility is selectively retarded and how the retardation effect depends on the oil volume fraction in the emulsion. We compare how the evaporation retardation depends on the nature of the adsorbed film stabilizing the emulsion. Surfactant films are less effective than adsorbed films of nanoparticles, and the retardation can be further enhanced by compression of the adsorbed nanoparticle films by preshrinking the emulsion drops.

  14. Persistence, bioaccumulation and toxicity of halogen-free flame retardants.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Waaijers, S.L.; Kong, D; Hendriks, H.S.; de Wit, C.A.; Cousins, I.T.; Westerink, R.H.S.; Leonards, P.E.G.; Kraak, M.H.S.; Admiraal, W.; de Voogt, P.; Parsons, J.R.

    2013-01-01

    Polymers are synthetic organic materials that have a high carbon and hydrogen content, which renders them readily combustible. When used in buildings, electrical appliances, furniture, textiles, transportation, mining, and in many other applications, polymers have to fulfill flame retardancy

  15. Horticultural Careers for Persons with Mental Retardation. Expanding Opportunities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dehart-Bennett, Mary E.; Relf, Diane

    1990-01-01

    Horticulture careers provide therapeutic, rewarding employment for persons with mental retardation. Rehabilitation experts should become aware of the potential employment opportunities in horticulture so that individuals with disabilities can receive the training and job placement support they need. (Author)

  16. Frequency of fragile-x in x-linked mental retardation

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The FMR‑1 protein is widely expressed, with the highest expression in brain, testes, ovaries ... conclusion: So, in a child with isolated mental retardation or autism of un‑ known etiology with ... regulate the development of neuronal axons and ...

  17. Dressing effects on the occurrence scattering time retardation and advance in a dusty plasma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Myoung-Jae; Jung, Young-Dae; Hanyang Plasma Team

    2017-10-01

    The dressing effects on the occurrence scattering time for the dust-dust interaction are investigated in a complex plasma. The first-order eikonal analysis is applied to obtain the scattering amplitude and the occurrence scattering time for the dust-dust interaction. The result shows that dressing effect enhances the retardation phenomena of the occurrence scattering time in the forward scattering domain. It is shown that the oscillatory behavior of the scaled occurrence scattering time is getting more significant with an increase of the Debye length. It is also found that the retardation domain of the occurrence scattering time increases with a decrease of the Debye length. The variation of the occurrence scattering time retardation and advance due to the dressing effect is also discussed.

  18. Influence of precursor ratios on the properties of cotton coated with a sol-gel flame retardant

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Chapple, Stephen A

    2006-11-01

    Full Text Available Cotton has many desirable properties, but is flammable. The flame retardant treatment of cotton is an important textile process. To study the effect of a sol-gel phosphate-based flame-retardant coating on fabric properties (flammability, stiffness...

  19. Organophosphorus flame retardants and plasticizers in the atmosphere of the North Sea

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moeller, Axel; Xie Zhiyong; Caba, Armando; Sturm, Renate; Ebinghaus, Ralf

    2011-01-01

    Air samples collected in the German part of the North Sea from March to July 2010 were investigated for organophosphorus compounds (OPs) being applied as flame retardants and plasticizers. The Σ 8 OPs concentration ranged from 110 to 1400 pg m -3 while tris(2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate (TCPP) dominated all samples with individual concentrations up to 1200 pg m -3 . The highest concentrations were observed in continental air masses showing the high influence of industrialized regions including production sites on atmospheric emissions and concentrations. The occurrence of OPs even in oceanic/Arctic air masses shows that OPs can undergo long-range atmospheric transport. Dry particle-bound deposition fluxes from 9 to 240 ng m -2 d -1 for Σ 8 OPs were estimated leading to a minimum annual flux of 710 ± 580 kg y -1 OPs into the German North Sea. This study presents the first occurrence of OPs in the marine atmosphere together with important information on their long-range transport potential. - Highlights: → Organophosphorus flame retardants are detected for the first time in the marine atmosphere. → Organophosphorus compounds can undergo medium to long-range atmospheric transport. → Western Europe emits organophosphorus compounds to the marine atmosphere. → Marine air levels of organophosphorus flame retardants range up to 1 ng/m 3 . - Organophosphorus flame retardants, in particular tris(2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate, are emitted into the North Sea atmosphere by Western European countries.

  20. Interference and Inhibition in Tasks of Selective Attention by Persons with and without Mental Retardation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merrill, Edward C.

    2006-01-01

    Persons with mental retardation often exhibit greater interference in visual selective attention tasks than do persons matched with them on CA. My goal here was to evaluate whether differences in distractor interference between persons with and without mental retardation may be related to differences in negative priming. Fifteen participants with…

  1. Fatigue crack growth retardation in spot heated mild steel sheet

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Unknown

    Department of Metallurgical Engineering, *Department of Applied Mechanics and Hydraulics, ... growth retardation increases with increasing level of overload as well as with ..... Suresh S 1996 Fatigue of materials (Cambridge: Cambridge.

  2. Formulation and In Vitro Evaluation of Release Retardant Diclofenac ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Development of release retardant matrix tablets of diclofenac sodium for 24 h by wet granulation technique using different combinations and ratios of hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), sodium carboxymethylcellulose (sodium CMC), sodium alginate and cetostearyl alcohol was carried out. The tablets were evaluated ...

  3. Intrinsic Flame-Retardant and Thermally Stable Epoxy Endowed by a Highly Efficient, Multifunctional Curing Agent

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chunlei Dong

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available It is difficult to realize flame retardancy of epoxy without suffering much detriment in thermal stability. To solve the problem, a super-efficient phosphorus-nitrogen-containing reactive-type flame retardant, 10-(hydroxy(4-hydroxyphenylmethyl-5,10-dihydrophenophosphazinine-10-oxide (HB-DPPA is synthesized and characterized. When it is used as a co-curing agent of 4,4′-methylenedianiline (DDM for curing diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA, the cured epoxy achieves UL-94 V-0 rating with the limiting oxygen index of 29.3%. In this case, the phosphorus content in the system is exceptionally low (0.18 wt %. To the best of our knowledge, it currently has the highest efficiency among similar epoxy systems. Such excellent flame retardancy originates from the exclusive chemical structure of the phenophosphazine moiety, in which the phosphorus element is stabilized by the two adjacent aromatic rings. The action in the condensed phase is enhanced and followed by pressurization of the pyrolytic gases that induces the blowing-out effect during combustion. The cone calorimeter result reveals the formation of a unique intumescent char structure with five discernible layers. Owing to the super-efficient flame retardancy and the rigid molecular structure of HB-DPPA, the flame-retardant epoxy acquires high thermal stability and its initial decomposition temperature only decreases by 4.6 °C as compared with the unmodified one.

  4. Deceased loved ones in the dreams of mentally retarded adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turner, J L; Graffam, J H

    1987-11-01

    Dream reports were collected over a 10-year period as part of an ethnographic study of mentally retarded employees in a sheltered workshop. Deceased loved ones, usually parents or other family members, figured prominently as characters in many of these dreams. Dreams about the dead were often recurring and elicited salient emotional reactions from the dreamers. The various forms that these dreams take and their characteristic thematic content were described for 154 dreams by 60 dreamers. Some of the percepts and feelings that reflect the dreamers' understanding of their dreams were also noted. Findings reveal that the dream life of retarded adults is much more rich and diverse than previous studies suggest. Clinical implications and the occurrence of similar dreams among nonretarded persons were discussed.

  5. Chemotherapy synergizes with radioimmunotherapy targeting La autoantigen in tumors.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fares Al-Ejeh

    Full Text Available To date, inefficient delivery of therapeutic doses of radionuclides to solid tumors limits the clinical utility of radioimmunotherapy. We aim to test the therapeutic utility of Yttrium-90 ((90Y-radio-conjugates of a monoclonal antibody, which we showed previously to bind specifically to the abundant intracellular La ribonucleoprotein revealed in dead tumor cells after DNA-damaging treatment.Immunoconjugates of the DAB4 clone of the La-specific monoclonal antibody, APOMAB, were prepared using the metal chelator, 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA, and then radiolabeled with (90Y. Mice bearing established subcutaneous tumors were treated with (90Y-DOTA-DAB4 alone or after chemotherapy. Non-radiosensitizing cyclophosphamide/etoposide chemotherapy was used for the syngeneic EL4 lymphoma model. Radiosensitizing cisplatin/gemcitabine chemotherapy was used for the syngeneic Lewis Lung carcinoma (LL2 model, and for the xenograft models of LNCaP prostatic carcinoma and Panc-1 pancreatic carcinoma. We demonstrate the safety, specificity, and efficacy of (90Y-DOTA-DAB4-radioimmunotherapy alone or combined with chemotherapy. EL4 lymphoma-bearing mice either were cured at higher doses of radioimmunotherapy alone or lower doses of radioimmunotherapy in synergy with chemotherapy. Radioimmunotherapy alone was less effective in chemo- and radio-resistant carcinoma models. However, radioimmunotherapy synergized with radiosensitizing chemotherapy to retard significantly tumor regrowth and so prolong the survival of mice bearing LL2, LNCaP, or Panc-1 subcutaneous tumor implants.We report proof-of-concept data supporting a unique form of radioimmunotherapy, which delivers bystander killing to viable cancer cells after targeting the universal cancer antigen, La, created by DNA-damaging treatment in neighboring dead cancer cells. Subsequently we propose that DAB4-targeted ionizing radiation induces additional cycles of tumor cell death

  6. Treatment of Experimental Brain Tumors with Trombospondin-1 Derived Peptides: an In Vivo Imaging Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Bogdanov, Jr.

    1999-11-01

    Full Text Available Antiangiogenic and antiproliferative effects of synthetic D-reverse peptides derived from the type 1 repeats of thrombospondin (TSP1 [1,2] were studied in rodent C6 glioma and 9L gliosarcomas. To directly measure tumor size and vascular parameters, we employed in vivo magnetic resonance (MR imaging and corroborated results by traditional morphometric tissue analysis. Rats bearing either C6 or 9L tumors were treated with TSP1-derived peptide (D-reverse amKRFKQDGGWSHWSPWSSac, n=13 or a control peptide (D-reverse am KRAKQAGGASHASPASSac, n=12 at 10 mg/kg, administered either intravenously or through subcutaneous miniosmotic pumps starting 10 days after tumor implantation. Eleven days later, the effect of peptide treatment was evaluated. TSP1 peptide-treated 9L tumors (50.7±44.2 mm3, n=7 and C6 tumors (41.3±34.2 mm3, n=6 were significantly smaller than tumors treated with control peptide (9L: 215.7±67.8 mm3, n=6; C6:184.2±105.2 mm3, n=6. In contrast, the in vivo vascular volume fraction, the mean vascular area (determined by microscopy, and the microvascular density of tumors were not significantly different in any of the experimental groups. In cell culture, TSP1, and the amKRFKQDGGWSHWSPWSSac peptide showed antiproliferative effects against C6 with an IC of 45 nM for TSP1. These results indicate that TSP1derived peptides retard brain tumor growth presumably as a result of slower de novo blood vessel formation and synergistic direct antiproliferative effects on tumor cells. We also show that in vivo MR imaging can be used to assess treatment efficacy of novel antiangiogenic drugs non-invasively, which has obvious implications for clinical trials.

  7. by recycled subirrigational supply of plant growth retardants

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    STORAGESEVER

    2008-05-16

    May 16, 2008 ... an ebb and flow system on the growth and flowering of kalanchoe cultivar 'Gold Strike' was examined. Plants potted in 10 cm .... photoperiod during the first six weeks after pinching. .... stage and adverse influences on overall growth of the plants. ..... retardants on the growth and flowering in poinsettia. RDA.

  8. Neglected and Abused Children of Mentally Retarded Parents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seagull, Elizabeth A. W.; Scheurer, Susan L.

    1986-01-01

    Follow-up of 64 neglected and abused children, seen one to seven years earlier, with mentally retarded parent revealed that six children had been relinquished voluntarily for adoption; that courts had terminated parental rights for 34 children; and that nine had been placed in foster care. Cognitive limitations prevented parents from utilizing…

  9. The PDD-MRS : An instrument for identification of autism spectrum disorders in persons with mental retardation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kraijer, D; de Bildt, A

    The Scale of Pervasive Developmental Disorder in Mentally Retarded Persons (PDD-MRS) is described. The PDD-MRS is a simple classification and screening instrument devised for identification of autistic disorders (of the entire spectrum) in persons with mental retardation from mild to profound

  10. Flame retardant cotton fabrics by electron beam-induced polymerization of vinyl phosphonate oligomer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sawai, Takeshi; Ametani, Kazuo; Enomoto, Ichiro

    1988-01-01

    Vinyl phosphonate oligomer is presently used commercially as a cellulosic flame retardant in conjugation with N-methylol acrylamide, using a persulfate catalyst and a thermal cure. This combination can also be cured at room temperature with electron beams, as can the vinyl phosphonate alone. For the textile application, fixation of flame retardants by electron beams with low energy is one of the most promising applications. For the purpose of preparing flame resistant cotton fabrics such as bed sheets and pajamas, flame retardant curing of vinyl phosphonate oligomer on cotton fabrics was examined using electron beams from a self-sealed electron beam processor and gamma rays from a 60 Co source. A joint investigation was undertaken by the Tokyo Metropolitan Textile Research Institute and Tokyo Metropolitan Isotope Research Center to determine the feasibility of curing vinyl phosphonate oligomer on the cotton fabrics for textile finishing. (author)

  11. Thermal oxidative degradation behaviours of flame-retardant thermotropic liquid crystal copolyester/PET blends

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Du Xiaohua; Zhao Chengshou; Wang Yuzhong; Zhou Qian; Deng Yi; Qu Minghai; Yang Bing

    2006-01-01

    The flame retardancy and the thermal oxidative degradation behaviors of the blend of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) with a kind of phosphorus-containing thermotropic liquid crystal copolyester (TLCP) with high flame retardancy (limited oxygen index, 70%) have been investigated by oxygen index test (LOI), UL-94 rating and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) in air. The results show that TLCP can dramatically improve the flame retardancy and the melt dripping behavior of PET. Moreover, the apparent activation energies of thermal oxidative degradation of the blends were evaluated using Kissinger and Flynn-Wall-Ozawa methods. It is found that addition of TLCP improve thermal stability and restrain thermal decomposition of PET in air, especially at the primary degradation stage. Py-GC/MS analysis shows that there are remarkable changes in the pyrolysis products when TLCP are blended into PET. The interaction between TLCP and PET has changed their thermal oxidative degradation mechanism

  12. Increased apoptotic potential and dose-enhancing effect of gold nanoparticles in combination with single-dose clinical electron beams on tumor-bearing mice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chang Mengya; Chen Yuhung; Chang Chihjui; Chen Helen H-W; Wu Chaoliang; Shiau Aili

    2008-01-01

    High atomic number material, such as gold, may be used in conjunction with radiation to provide dose enhancement in tumors. In the current study, we investigated the dose-enhancing effect and apoptotic potential of gold nanoparticles in combination with single-dose clinical electron beams on B16F10 melanoma tumor-bearing mice. We revealed that the accumulation of gold nanoparticles was detected inside B16F10 culture cells after 18 h of incubation, and moreover, the gold nanoparticles were shown to be colocalized with endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus in cells. Furthermore, gold nanoparticles radiosensitized melanoma cells in the colony formation assay (P=0.02). Using a B16F10 tumor-bearing mouse model, we further demonstrated that gold nanoparticles in conjunction with ionizing radiation significantly retarded tumor growth and prolonged survival compared to the radiation alone controls (P<0.05). Importantly, an increase of apoptotic signals was detected inside tumors in the combined treatment group (P<0.05). Knowing that radiation-induced apoptosis has been considered a determinant of tumor responses to radiation therapy, and the length of tumor regrowth delay correlated with the extent of apoptosis after single-dose radiotherapy, these results may suggest the clinical potential of gold nanoparticles in improving the outcome of melanoma radiotherapy. (author)

  13. Second Order Impulsive Retarded Differential Inclusions with Nonlocal Conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hernán R. Henríquez

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available In this work we establish some existence results for abstract second order Cauchy problems modeled by a retarded differential inclusion involving nonlocal and impulsive conditions. Our results are obtained by using fixed point theory for the measure of noncompactness.

  14. Flame retardants in UK furniture increase smoke toxicity more than they reduce fire growth rate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKenna, Sean T; Birtles, Robert; Dickens, Kathryn; Walker, Richard G; Spearpoint, Michael J; Stec, Anna A; Hull, T Richard

    2018-04-01

    This paper uses fire statistics to show the importance of fire toxicity on fire deaths and injuries, and the importance of upholstered furniture and bedding on fatalities from unwanted fires. The aim was to compare the fire hazards (fire growth and smoke toxicity) using different upholstery materials. Four compositions of sofa-bed were compared: three meeting UK Furniture Flammability Regulations (FFR), and one using materials without flame retardants intended for the mainland European market. Two of the UK sofa-beds relied on chemical flame retardants to meet the FFR, the third used natural materials and a technical weave in order to pass the test. Each composition was tested in the bench-scale cone calorimeter (ISO 5660) and burnt as a whole sofa-bed in a sofa configuration in a 3.4 × 2.25 × 2.4 m 3 test room. All of the sofas were ignited with a No. 7 wood crib; the temperatures and yields of toxic products are reported. The sofa-beds containing flame retardants burnt somewhat more slowly than the non-flame retarded EU sofa-bed, but in doing so produced significantly greater quantities of the main fire toxicants, carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide. Assessment of the effluents' potential to incapacitate and kill is provided showing the two UK flame retardant sofa-beds to be the most dangerous, followed by the sofa-bed made with European materials. The UK sofa-bed made only from natural materials (Cottonsafe ® ) burnt very slowly and produced very low concentrations of toxic gases. Including fire toxicity in the FFR would reduce the chemical flame retardants and improve fire safety. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Facilitative Effects of Forgetting from Short-Term Memory on Growth of Long-Term Memory in Retardates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sperber, Richard D.

    1976-01-01

    Competing explanations of the beneficial effect of spacing in retardate discrimination learning were tested. Results are inconsistent with consolidation and rehearsal theories but support the prediction of the Geber, Greenfield, and House spacing model that forgetting from short-term memory facilities retardate learning. (Author/SB)

  16. Irradiation crosslinking and halogen-free flame retardation of EVA using hydrotalcite and red phosphorus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jiao Chuanmei [State Key Lab of Fire Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Anhui 230026 (China); Wang Zhengzhou [State Key Lab of Fire Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Anhui 230026 (China)]. E-mail: zwang@ustc.edu.cn; Chen Xilei [State Key Lab of Fire Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Anhui 230026 (China); Yu Benyi [State Key Lab of Fire Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Anhui 230026 (China); Hu Yuan [State Key Lab of Fire Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Anhui 230026 (China)

    2006-05-15

    Halogen-free flame retarded ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) composites using Mg-Al-CO{sub 3} hydrotalcite (MALDH) and microcapsulated red phosphorus (MRP) have been prepared in a melt process. The flame retardation of the composites has been studied by the limited oxygen index (LOI) and UL-94 methods, and the thermal decomposition by the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The changes of their properties of the composites before and after the Gamma irradiation are compared. The synergistic effect in the flame retardation between MALDH and MRP in EVA has been found. The EVA/MALDH/MRP composites after the irradiation crosslinking result in a great increase in the Vicat softening point. The LOI value, the mechanical properties and thermal stability are also improved for the composites irradiated by a suitable irradiation dose.

  17. Irradiation crosslinking and halogen-free flame retardation of EVA using hydrotalcite and red phosphorus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jiao Chuanmei; Wang Zhengzhou; Chen Xilei; Yu Benyi; Hu Yuan

    2006-01-01

    Halogen-free flame retarded ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) composites using Mg-Al-CO 3 hydrotalcite (MALDH) and microcapsulated red phosphorus (MRP) have been prepared in a melt process. The flame retardation of the composites has been studied by the limited oxygen index (LOI) and UL-94 methods, and the thermal decomposition by the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The changes of their properties of the composites before and after the Gamma irradiation are compared. The synergistic effect in the flame retardation between MALDH and MRP in EVA has been found. The EVA/MALDH/MRP composites after the irradiation crosslinking result in a great increase in the Vicat softening point. The LOI value, the mechanical properties and thermal stability are also improved for the composites irradiated by a suitable irradiation dose

  18. Music Training for Severely and Profoundly Retarded Individuals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kesler, Buford; Richmond, Bert O.

    Investigated were the effects of sex, ability and training method on the musical instrument playing ability of 16 institutionalized severely and profoundly retarded persons ages 7 to 20 years. Ss were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups, and the time required to reach criterion playing a familiar tune was recorded. Data indicated…

  19. Diagnostic Criteria for Transient Myocardial Ischemia in Newborn Infants with Intrauterine Growth Retardation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Umida F. Nasirova, PhD

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Metabolic and hemodynamic disturbances in newborns with intrauterine growth retardation resulting from the transferred intrauterine hypoxia, lead to the development of transient myocardial ischemia. Study included 158 newborn infants with intrauterine growth retardation, 83% of which have the asymmetric and 17% - the symmetric form of IUGR, revealed differences in heart rate due to higher dispersion parameters of cardiac rhythm. It was determined that in infants with intrauterine growth retardation heart rate, respiratory rate accelerated and blood pressure increased in compare with the newborns in the control group. According to the ECG examination results, were revealed the signs of focal changes of ST-T, accompanied by inversion of the ST-T segment below the isoline, which accompanied with the positive and peaked T waves, considered as myocardial ischemia. In infants with intrauterine growth retardation, survived after perinatal damage of the central nervous system, the prolongation of the QRST interval was noted in compare with the control group newborns, which could be an indicator of conjunction of hypoxic and ischemic changes in the myocardium. Clinical manifestations of transient myocardial ischemia followed by pale skin, acrocyanosis, and perioral cyanosis against dullness of heart sounds. Obtained results deepened an understanding of posthypoxic myocardial dysfunction, which is characterized by cardiac rhythm and conductivity disturbances, as well as changes in ventricular complex, and causing the need for electrocardiographic screening in the neonatal period

  20. On the incorrect derivation and use of in-situ retardation factors from natural isotope profiles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McKinley, I.G.; Alexander, W.R.

    1996-01-01

    The characterization of the retardation of radionuclides during their transport by deep groundwaters is complex, time-consuming and, in many cases, inherently limited by technical problems. The stated goal of many natural analogue studies is thus the direct quantification of solute retardation in-situ in relevant geological environments. This paper reviews the claims for a methodology for determining in-situ retardation factors from a mathematical deconvolution of multiple radioisotope measurements of natural decay series elements. It is concluded that the assumptions involved in development of the mathematical approach are geochemically inconsistent and inapplicable to most geological systems of interest. Misapplications of this model are identified and the dangers of accepting its nonsensical output are discussed. (orig.)

  1. Game System for Rehabilitation Based on Kinect is Effective for Mental Retardation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fu Ying

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Kinect has already been widely used in the area of retardation, and this study is to evaluate whether the Game System for Rehabilitation based on Kinect is effective for children with mental retardation. The subjects in this paper are 112 children with mental retardation in Zhejiang province of China. The Game System for Rehabilitation based on Kinect was applied to assist the rehabilitation of children. Before the training, the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI was used to evaluate abilities of children, including self-care, mobility, and social function. And after having been trained for a month, the abilities of these children were evaluated again by PEDI. The results in this paper is that, after the application of Game System for Rehabilitation based on Kinect, the PEDI score of children is significantly higher than the score before training. And it can be concluded that the Game System for Rehabilitation based on Kinect can significantly improve self-care, mobility, and social function of children with MR.

  2. Electrophoretic Retardation of Colloidal Particles in Nonpolar Liquids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Filip Strubbe

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available We have measured the electrophoretic mobility of single, optically trapped colloidal particles, while gradually depleting the co-ions and counterions in the liquid around the particle by applying a dc voltage. This is achieved in a nonpolar liquid, where charged reverse micelles act as co-ions and counterions. By increasing the dc voltage, the mobility first increases when the concentrations of co-ions and counterions near the particle start to decrease. At sufficiently high dc voltage (around 2 V, the mobility reaches a saturation value when the co-ions and counterions are fully separated. The increase in mobility is larger when the equilibrium ionic strength is higher. The dependence of the experimental data on the equilibrium ionic strength and on the applied voltage is in good agreement with the standard theory of electrophoretic retardation, assuming that the bare particle charge remains constant. This method is useful for studying the electrophoretic retardation effect and charging mechanisms for nonpolar colloids, and it sheds light on previously unexplained particle acceleration in electronic ink devices.

  3. Comments on "Brain Size and Cerebral Glucose Metabolic Rate in Nonspecific Mental Retardation and Down Syndrome."

    Science.gov (United States)

    Willerman, Lee; Schultz, Robert T.

    1995-01-01

    The relationship between mental retardation and brain size is discussed. Research suggests that a common path for many otherwise idiopathic mild retardation cases (genetic or environmental) could be small brain size, indicating reduced information processing capacity. Suggestions are made for further research on neuron number. (SLD)

  4. Problems of radiotherapy on the brain tumors in children less than two years of age

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Miyagami, Mitsusuke; Tsubokawa, Takashi (Nihon Univ., Tokyo (Japan). School of Medicine); Nishimoto, Hiroshi; Ueno, Yuhichi

    1990-06-01

    Impaired growth and mental or developmental disturbance due to radiotherapy for 10 cases of brain tumors in the children ages less than 2 years old were evaluated. Six cases of brain tumor which did not involve the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, were followed more than 2 years after cranial or craniospinal irradiation. Four cases irradiated greater than 2900 rad to the whole brain all revealed markedly lower body heights than -2 SD of the medium. Growth impairment was found to be progressive over time, and markedly evident after 2 years following cranial or craniospinal radiotherapy. Somatomedin C in the blood was measured in 8 cases of brain tumors in childhood receiving radiotherapy. The measurement of Somatomedin C showed markedly low values measuring 0.19 to 0.54 U/ml (medium; 0.36 U/ml) in children having lower body height than -2 SD. Mental retardation or developmental disturbances were found in IQ or DQ tests in all of 5 infants or children younger than 2 years with brain tumors who got radiotherapy over 2900 rad to the whole brain. A case of craniopharyngioma, which had 5400 rad for tumor localization at the hypothalamus-pituitary axis and showed markedly low height, was given growth hormone and grew to normal height without distinct side effects. It was suggested that radiotherapy for brain tumors in infants or children should have special care in deciding the dose, field and time of radiation. If low height due to radiotherapy results, growth hormone therapy should be used for its treatment in childhood. (author).

  5. CONTROLLING THE SPEED OF ROLLING CUTS IN CONDITIONS OF REDUCTION OF BRAKE POWER OF CAR RETARDERS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. M. Kozachenko

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. The study aims to develop the requirements for organization of the marshalling process in the conditions when the power of retarder positions is less than the nominal one. Methodology. The research is carried out using the train traffic safety theory and mathematical modelling of hump processes. Findings. The current technical standard documents regulating the operational performance of humps do not contain direct instructions on how to proceed in the event of brake power loss by car retarders, thus creating threats to the traffic safety. This problem is quite acute for the Ukrainian railways in connection with a chronic shortage of funds for the repair and renewal of technical equipment, including the humps. At the same time, a significant drop in the volume of work leads to the fact that the hump required processing capacity can be provided in case of partial failure of retarders as well. Herewith the most important task is to ensure the breaking-up safety in conditions of parametric failures of retarders. The analysis of dangerous situations, the occurrence of which is possible at humps, as well as the modelling of cut rolling, allowed establishing the connection between the value of retarder tire pressing force on the car wheels and the breaking-up modes, providing the safety of marshalling process. The paper sets the application areas of such measures as the breaking-up speed reduction, breaking-up termination, the use of additional braking by block hangers. Originality. The originality of the work lies in the fact that it first obtained the complex of dependencies that determine the performance requirements for the power of hump retarders and allow the staff to enter the appropriate limits for breaking-up modes to ensure the marshalling process safety. Practical value. The results of the research can be used to supplement the «Instruction on the maintenance of facilities of mechanized and automated humps» in order to determine

  6. Effect of Coping-Therapy on Mental Health of Mothers with Genetic and Non Genetic Mentally Retarded Children

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M Alagheband

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Introdution: Presence of mentally retarded children as a source of pressure can jeopardize the general health of parents, especially mothers. The range of effect depends on the recognitive evaluation and the individual. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of coping-therapy on mental health of mothers with genetically and non genetically mentally retarded children referring to Yazd clinical center. Methods: This study was semi experimental and included 40 mothers with mentally retarded children studying in schools supported by the welfare organization of Yazd in 2009- 2010 and were selected by available sampling method. They were divided to two groups; case and control. Before any therapy, all of the mothers answered a general health questionnaire(GHQ28. In the next step, coping-therapy was performed on the case group. In the end, all of the mothers answered the same questionnaire(GHQ28 and data were analyzed by covariance method and t test. Results: The research indicated that coping-therapy has a positive effect on the mental health of mothers with genetically mentally retarded children. This effect is similar on mothers of children with non genetically mental retarded children. Coping-therapy decreases the somatic signs of depression in mothers and improves their sleeping and social efficacy. There was no association of age and educational level of mothers with coping-therapy. Conclusion: Coping-therapy can improve the mental health of mothers of both genetically and non genetically mentally retarded children

  7. Analysis of Construction Material Procurement Retardation on Sepaku-Petung Rigid Pavement Improvement Project in East Kalimantan Province

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rama Nugraha

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available his study aims to know the factors influencing the retardation in procurement of construction materials on Sepaku-Petung pavement improvement project in East Kalimantan Province;to know the most dominant factor affecting the retardation in procurement of construction materials on Sepaku-Petung pavement improvement project in East Kalimantan Province; to determine what strategies that minimize the waiting time of materials in the improvement of Sepaku-Petung pavement project in East Kalimantan Province. This study used quantitative research method. The data was collected through interview, questionnaire distribution, and discussion forum. Based on the results of research and data analysis conducted, it can be concluded thatsuppliers, contractors, field conditions, and unpredictable conditionswere affecting the retardation in procurement of materials in the pavement improvement project in East Kalimantan. Field condition was the most dominant factors in the realization of Sepaku-Petung pavement improvement project in East Kalimantan province. Type B (Retarding Admixtures could be added to retard the time-binding of the concrete (setting time, therefore minimizing material procurement waiting time. The contractor should also build his own supplier close to the project site to reduce the distance between the concrete supplier location and the project site.

  8. Longitudinal development of object permanence in mentally retarded children: an exploratory study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wohlhueter, M J; Sindberg, R M

    1975-03-01

    Monthly testing on a series of Piaget object tasks was carried out on 1- to 6-year-old profoundly, severly, and moderately retarded children. Forty nine subjects were followed for 1 to 1.5 years or to criterion; 18 subjects were followed for shorter periods. Three general patterns occurred among the noncriterion subjects with approximately equeal frequency: (a) little or no change, (b) marked variability, and (c) relatively steady upward change from month to month. Criterion and upward subjects skipped certain substages about one-half of the time. Degree of retardation, CA, and diagnostic concomitants of these observations were discussed.

  9. Environmentally Friendly Flame-Retardant and Its Application in Rigid Polyurethane Foam

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yongjun Chen

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available A novel Flame-Retardant N-(P,P′-diphenyl phosphorus-based-(3-triethoxysilicon propylamine (DPTP was synthesized in this study. The impact of DPTP on the mechanical properties, thermal stability, and flame retardancy of rigid polyurethane foam (RPUF was studied. The addition of DPTP to RPUF can significantly reduce the undesirable thermal effects and smoke density during combustion, as well as increasing the limiting oxygen index. Compared with pure RPUF, the peak heat release rate of RPUF containing 10 phr of DPTP decreased by 39.4%, while its peak smoke production rate decreased by 49.9%. However, it was also found that the addition of DPTP reduced the compressive strength of RPUF.

  10. Some new retarded nonlinear Volterra-Fredholm type integral inequalities with maxima in two variables and their applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Run; Ma, Xiangting

    2017-01-01

    In this paper, we establish some new retarded nonlinear Volterra-Fredholm type integral inequalities with maxima in two independent variables, and we present the applications to research the boundedness of solutions to retarded nonlinear Volterra-Fredholm type integral equations.

  11. Fire retardancy assessment of polypropylene composite filed with nano clay prepared from Iraqi bentonite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kareem Salih, Watheq

    2018-05-01

    Fire retardants have an extraordinary importance because of their role in saving the people, property and reducing the damages and minimizing the dangers resulting from fires and burning of polymeric composites which are used in different civil and industrial fields. The work in this paper can be divided into two main stages. In first one nano-clay was manufactured from Iraqi bentonite and it was characterized using AFM, XRD, XRF, SEM, and BET. The AFM test showed the particle size of prepared nano clay was about 99.25 nm. In the second stage, polypropylene/nano clay composites at three low loading percents (0%,2%,4%,6%) were formulated via twin screw extruder. The fire retardancy tests included burning rate according to ASTM:D-635 and maximum flame height of flame according to ASTM:D-3014. Besides, the mechanical tests and thermal behavior of prepared samples were investigated. The results showed that (4%) of nano-clay had the maximum fire retardancy and while at (2%) loading, the maximum value of tensile strength and Yong modulus were obtained. The maximum heat of fusion was recorded for 6% nano clay sample. The final results assessment confirmed on the possibility of using low loadings of prepared nano clay to improve the fire retardancy, mechanical and thermal properties successfully.

  12. PHENYLKETONURIA, AN INHERITED METABOLIC DISORDER ASSOCIATED WITH MENTAL RETARDATION.

    Science.gov (United States)

    CENTERWALL, WILLARD R.; CENTERWALL, SIEGRIED A.

    ADDRESSED TO PUBLIC HEALTH WORKERS AND PHYSICIANS IN GENERAL PRACTICE, THE PAMPHLET INTRODUCES METHODS OF DETECTING AND MANAGING PHENYLKETONURIA, AN INHERITED METABOLIC DISORDER ASSOCIATED WITH MENTAL RETARDATION. INFORMATION, UPDATED FROM THE 1961 EDITION, IS INCLUDED ON THE INCIDENCE AND GENETICS, BIOCHEMISTRY, AND CLINICAL COURSE OF THE…

  13. Occupational Interests and Mentally Retarded People: Review and Recommendations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stodden, Robert A.; And Others

    1979-01-01

    The article reviews several studies regarding the choice of occupational interests for the mentally retarded adolescent. Several concerns about current evaluation practices are discussed. Recommendations are offered for a client centered, developmental model, making the evaluation of occupational interests a viable part of the client's…

  14. General Retarded Contact Self-energies in and beyond the Non-equilibrium Green's Functions Method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kubis, Tillmann; He, Yu; Andrawis, Robert; Klimeck, Gerhard

    2016-03-01

    Retarded contact self-energies in the framework of nonequilibrium Green's functions allow to model the impact of lead structures on the device without explicitly including the leads in the actual device calculation. Most of the contact self-energy algorithms are limited to homogeneous or periodic, semi-infinite lead structures. In this work, the complex absorbing potential method is extended to solve retarded contact self-energies for arbitrary lead structures, including irregular and randomly disordered leads. This method is verified for regular leads against common approaches and on physically equivalent, but numerically different irregular leads. Transmission results on randomly alloyed In0.5Ga0.5As structures show the importance of disorder in the leads. The concept of retarded contact self-energies is expanded to model passivation of atomically resolved surfaces without explicitly increasing the device's Hamiltonian.

  15. Genetic mental services for retardation. patIents with seve.re

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    1982-01-04

    Jan 4, 1982 ... Care of Mentally Deficient Persons in the RSA (1967) dermed persons with mental .... hensive genetic service for patients with mental retardation and ..... servIces. There are numerous homes and institutions for the mentally.

  16. Acquired alopecia, mental retardation, short stature, microcephaly, and optic atrophy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hennekam, R. C.; Renckens-Wennen, E. G.

    1990-01-01

    We report on a female patient who had acquired total alopecia, short stature, microcephaly, optic atrophy, severe myopia, and mental retardation. A survey of published reports failed to show an identical patient, despite various similar cases

  17. Mental and growth retardation after medulloblastoma radiation therapy. MRI assessment of radiation injuries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miyagi, Koichi; Mukawa, Jiro; Mekaru, Susumu; Harakuni, Tsuyoshi; Yamaguchi, Keiichiro; Tominaga, Daisuke; Nakasone, Susumu.

    1996-01-01

    We report on 3 cases of a medulloblastoma and discuss the usefulness of calculating the T2 value from long-term follow-up MRIs of 1.5 T in order to analyze the cause of mental retardation. Of 13 medulloblastoma patients who were treated at our hospital from 1970 through 1984, 4 patients survived. Excluding 1 of these patients, a 2-year-old child, the remaining 3 cases are discussed. The 3 patients underwent surgery and received postoperative craniospinal irradiation and chemotherapy. The radiation dose (tumoral dose) was 40 to 85 Gy to the posterior fossa, 0 to 30.4 Gy to the spinal cord, and 25.6 to 35.2 Gy to the whole brain. The long-term effects were evaluated by calculating the T2 value and conducting a psychometric analysis from 2 to 11 years after radiation therapy. Their respective Tanaka-Vineland IQ test results were 32, 46, and 102 and their respective growth heights were -3.6 SD, -6.4 SD, and +0.18 SD. Growth hormone deficiencies were identified in all 3 patients. The decline in ability and failure to grow became more pronounced with time. The calculated T2 values showed alterations in the hippocampus, the occipital white matter, and the hypothalamus of all 3 patients. The hippocampal alteration contributed to a decline in intellectual ability and resulted in learning difficulties at school. It should be noted that in addition to whole-brain radiation that was pursued, the focal radiation provided delivers the same radiation dose to the hippocampus as to the tumor. Such a high radiation dose thus might be responsible for the decline in intellectual ability. Therefore, to avoid radiation injury to these areas, stereotactic radiosurgery must be planned for focal radiation therapy. (K.H.)

  18. Lignin-Modified Carbon Nanotube/Graphene Hybrid Coating as Efficient Flame Retardant

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kunlin Song

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available To reduce fire hazards and expand high-value applications of lignocellulosic materials, thin films comprising graphene nanoplatelets (GnPs and multi-wall carbon nanotubes (CNTs pre-adsorbed with alkali lignin were deposited by a Meyer rod process. Lightweight and highly flexible papers with increased gas impermeability were obtained by coating a protective layer of carbon nanomaterials in a randomly oriented and overlapped network structure. Assessment of the thermal and flammability properties of papers containing as low as 4 wt % carbon nanomaterials exhibited self-extinguishing behavior and yielded up to 83.5% and 87.7% reduction in weight loss and burning area, respectively, compared to the blank papers. The maximum burning temperature as measured by infrared pyrometry also decreased from 834 °C to 705 °C with the presence of flame retardants. Furthermore, papers coated with composites of GnPs and CNTs pre-adsorbed with lignin showed enhanced thermal stability and superior fire resistance than samples treated with either component alone. These outstanding flame-retardant properties can be attributed to the synergistic effects between GnPs, CNTs and lignin, enhancing physical barrier characteristics, formation of char and thermal management of the material. These results provide great opportunities for the development of efficient, cost-effective and environmentally sustainable flame retardants.

  19. A Study on the Nuclide Migration and Retardation Using Natural Barrier

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baik, Min Hoon; Park, Chung Kyun; Kim, Seung Soo

    2010-02-01

    In this study, we investigated the properties of geochemical reactions and sorption of high-level radionuclides (U, Th, Am, and Np), constructed databases for the geochemical reactions and sorption of the high-level radionuclides, and developed application methodologies of the databases. For the investigation on the nuclide migration and retardation through fractured rocks in KURT, in-situ solute migration system and on-line monitoring system were installed. The migration and retardation behaviors of nuclides were investigated annually for non-sorbing, simply sorbing and multi-valent sorbing nuclides, respectively, and interactions with fracture-filling materials were also analyzed. Besides, researches difficult to perform in KURT were carried out in foreign underground research facilities as joint studies for nuclide and colloid migration. The results from domestic and foreign underground facilities were compared each other and the reliability of the domestic results were assured from this. Diffusion depths of high-level radionuclides into rock matrix were measured in KURT conditions and their diffusion properties were analyzed and evaluated. In addition, the effects of bio-mineralization and redox reactions of a nuclide and microbe on nuclide behaviors were carried out to study the effects of combined interactions between minerals and microbes on the radionuclide migration and retardation

  20. Application of fire-retardant treatment to the wood in Type A unirradiated nuclear fuel outer containers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Whitlow, J.D.; Luna, R.E.

    1992-01-01

    Packagings for transporting unirradiated nuclear fuel assemblies in the United States are commonly constructed as rectangular boxes consisting of a metal inner container, a wooden outer container, and cushioning material separating the two. The wood in the outer container is a potential source of fuel for fire. Use of a fire-retardant treatment on the wood may reduce or eliminate the damage to nuclear fuel assemblies in some types of accidents involving fire. The applicability of using fire-retardant treatments on the wood of outer containers is addressed. An approximate cost-benefit analysis to determine if fire-retardant treatments are economically justified is presented. (Author)

  1. In vitro effects of selected brominated flame retardants on the adreno cortical enzyme (CYP17). A novel endocrine mechanism of action?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fernandez Canton, R.; Sanderson, T.; Nijmeijer, S.; Berg, M. van den [Utrecht Univ. (NL). Inst. for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS); Berkman, Aa. [Stockholm Univ. (Sweden). Dept. of Environmental Chemistry and Analytical Chemistry

    2004-09-15

    Fire incidents have decreased over the last 20 years partly due to regulations requiring addition of flame retardants (FRs) to materials. These compounds can be divided into different chemical classes: inorganic, nitrogen, phosphorus and halogen containing flame retardants (usually brominated or chlorinated). Not surprisingly, the use of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in a variety of commercial and household products has increased over the years due to their low cost and high effectiveness. Consequence of the high production of BFRs is that these compounds are now readily detectable in air, water, birds, fish, marine mammals, and in human adipose tissue and blood. The five major BFRs are hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBPA) and three commercial mixtures of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) (penta, octa, deca), which are extensively used as FRs at high production volume levels. In addition, concentrations of PBDEs concentration have been rapidly increasing during the last 10 years in human breast milk from European and American women and a number of endocrine (in vitro) effects have been reported. Consequently, the concern about BFRs and their metabolites with respect to their potential as endocrine disruptors (EDs) has been growing. Studies in our laboratory are focused on potential interactions of a wide range of BFRs with sex hormone synthesis and metabolism. Previous results from our research group, showed inhibitory and inductive effects on aromatase (CYP19) (the key enzyme that converts androgens to estrogens) by certain BFRs, in particular the hydroxylated PBDEs and several bromophenols. In the present study, the effects of ten of these BFRs on CYP17 activity were investigated. This enzyme also catalyzes an important step in the sex steroidogenesis and is responsible for the biosynthesis of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). DHEA, produced in the adrenal gland, is the most abundant sex steroid hormone in human blood and has been

  2. Fabrication of cotton fabric with superhydrophobicity and flame retardancy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Ming; Wang, Chengyu

    2013-07-25

    A simple and facile method for fabricating the cotton fabric with superhydrophobicity and flame retardancy is described in the present work. The cotton fabric with the maximal WCA of 160° has been prepared by the covalent deposition of amino-silica nanospheres and the further graft with (heptadecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetradecyl) trimethoxysilane. The geometric microstructure of silica spheres was measured by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The cotton textiles before and after treatment were characterized by using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The wetting behavior of cotton samples was investigated by water contact angle measurement. Moreover, diverse performances of superhydrophobic cotton textiles have been evaluated as well. The results exhibited the outstanding superhydrophobicity, excellent waterproofing durability and flame retardancy of the cotton fabric after treatment, offering a good opportunity to accelerate the large-scale production of superhydrophobic textiles materials for new industrial applications. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Preliminary Study of Mental Retardation in Rovira (Tolima, Colombia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luis Gustavo Celis

    2008-07-01

    Full Text Available limitationsin performance, significant deficiencyin intelligence and adaptative behavior, causingclinical and social disability. Most patients withmental retardation in Colombia do not receiveclinical genetics evaluation. The aims of thepresent study are to evaluate and characterizea group of patients with mental retardationfrom the population of Rovira. The presentstudy included twenty five patients with mentalretardation from Rovira (Tolima whichwere studied by clinical examination, metabolicscreening (ferric chloride, nitrosonaphtol,silver nitroprusiate, dinitrophenylhydrazineand benedict and cytogenetics (G-Bandingkariotype. Pesticide detection was perfomedby random sampling of water and tomatoes intwenty different places of water distribution,the center of the town and crop fields. A familywith three affected sibs (two females, onemale with mental retardation was identified,suggesting a genetic component. Metabolicscreening was negative and karyotypes werenormal. The analyses performed for organophosphateswere positive in 100% of the samples.Carbamates were positive in 60% of thewater source and 100% of tomato samples. Allthe samples tested were negative for organochlorides.Further studies as molecular fragile-X test, will be performed.

  4. Retraso Mental. Traduccion de ERIC EC Digest #528. (Mental Retardation. Translation of ERIC EC Digest #528).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hawkins-Shepard, Charlotte

    This fact sheet presents basic information on mental retardation for Spanish-speaking educators and others. First, definitions from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the American Association on Mental Retardation (AAMR) are presented. The fact sheet then analyzes how the new AAMR definitions differ from earlier ones,…

  5. Influence of the flame retardant tetrabromobisphenol-A on the expression of cytochrome P450 isoenzymes in rat liver

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Germer, S.; Schmitz, H.J.; Schrenk, D. [Food Chemistry and Environmental Toxicology, Univ. of Kaiserslautern (Germany); Piersma, A.H.; Ven, L. van der [Lab. for Toxicology, Pathology and Genetics, National Inst. for Public Health and the Environment RIVM, Bilthoven (Netherlands)

    2004-09-15

    As one of the major brominated flame retardants (BFRs) tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) is widely used in flammable plastic materials. There, it is incorporated either as covalently binding BFR or as an additive leading to likely leaching out of goods. Indeed, TBBPA was found in indoor air, environmental and human samples, i.e. mother's milk. Thus a certain degree of risk for human has to be considered. Some BFRs have been suspected to act as endocrine disrupters and/or affect the development of the unborn. Induction of drug metabolism may play a role in such effects by changing the body's homeostasis of hormones, such as steroids, thyroxine, and others. BFRs are prospected to lead to thyroid hormone deficiencies, neurodevelopmental deficiencies, cancer. Furthermore a variety of inducing agents have been described as tumor promoters in rodent liver. Herein the induction of enzymes of the cytochrome P450 family (CYP) plays a major role.

  6. Oral Rehabilitation and Management of Mentally Retarded

    OpenAIRE

    Solanki, Jitender; Khetan, Jitendra; Gupta, Sarika; Tomar, Deepak; Singh, Meenakshi

    2015-01-01

    High level of periodontal problems of dental caries are frequently observed in mentally handicapped children. This group of patients presents various problems when they face dental treatments. Identification of such population and providing them affordable oral health care is the new concept. A systematic method for identification and screening of persons with mental retardation has been developed and is being followed. Cost and fear are the most commonly cited barriers to dental care. Physic...

  7. Flame-Retardant and Thermal Degradation Mechanism of Caged Phosphate Charring Agent with Melamine Pyrophosphate for Polypropylene

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xuejun Lai

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available An efficient caged phosphate charring agent named PEPA was synthesized and combined with melamine pyrophosphate (MPP to flame-retard polypropylene (PP. The effects of MPP/PEPA on the flame retardancy and thermal degradation of PP were investigated by limiting oxygen index (LOI, vertical burning test (UL-94, cone calorimetric test (CCT, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA. It was found that PEPA showed an outstanding synergistic effect with MPP in flame retardant PP. When the content of PEPA was 13.3 wt% and MPP was 6.7 wt%, the LOI value of the flame retardant PP was 33.0% and the UL-94 test was classed as a V-0 rating. Meanwhile, the peak heat release rate (PHRR, average heat release rate (AV-HRR, and average mass loss rate (AV-MLR of the mixture were significantly reduced. The flame-retardant and thermal degradation mechanism of MPP/PEPA was investigated by TGA, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR, TG-FTIR, and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDXS. It revealed that MPP/PEPA could generate the triazine oligomer and phosphorus-containing compound radicals which changed the thermal degradation behavior of PP. Meanwhile, a compact and thermostable intumescent char was formed and covered on the matrix surface to prevent PP from degrading and burning.

  8. Potential human exposure to halogenated flame-retardants in elevated surface dust and floor dust in an academic environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Allgood, Jaime M.; Jimah, Tamara; McClaskey, Carolyn M.; La Guardia, Mark J.; Hammel, Stephanie C.; Zeineddine, Maryam M.; Tang, Ian W.; Runnerstrom, Miryha G.; Ogunseitan, Oladele A.

    2017-01-01

    Most households and workplaces all over the world possess furnishings and electronics, all of which contain potentially toxic flame retardant chemicals to prevent fire hazards. Indoor dust is a recognized repository of these types of chemicals including polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and non-polybrominated diphenyl ethers (non-PBDEs). However, no previous U.S. studies have differentiated concentrations from elevated surface dust (ESD) and floor dust (FD) within and across microenvironments. We address this information gap by measuring twenty-two flame-retardant chemicals in dust on elevated surfaces (ESD; n=10) and floors (FD; n=10) from rooms on a California campus that contain various concentrations of electronic products. We hypothesized a difference in chemical concentrations in ESD and FD. Secondarily, we examined whether or not this difference persisted: (a) across the studied microenvironments and (b) in rooms with various concentrations of electronics. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test demonstrated that the ESD was statistically significantly higher than FD for BDE-47 (p=0.01), BDE-99 (p=0.01), BDE-100 (p=0.01), BDE-153 (p=0.02), BDE-154 (p=0.02), and 3 non-PBDEs including EH-TBB (p=0.02), BEH-TEBP (p=0.05), and TDCIPP (p=0.03). These results suggest different levels and kinds of exposures to flame-retardant chemicals for individuals spending time in the sampled locations depending on the position of accumulated dust. Therefore, further research is needed to estimate human exposure to flame retardant chemicals based on how much time and where in the room individuals spend their time. Such sub-location estimates will likely differ from assessments that assume continuous unidimensional exposure, with implications for improved understanding of potential health impacts of flame retardant chemicals. - Highlights: • Brominated flame retardants used in electronic products accumulate in room dust • Various chemical moieties of flame retardants leach

  9. Potential human exposure to halogenated flame-retardants in elevated surface dust and floor dust in an academic environment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Allgood, Jaime M.; Jimah, Tamara [Department of Population Health & Disease Prevention, Program in Public Health, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-3957 (United States); McClaskey, Carolyn M. [Department of Cognitive Sciences, School of Social Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-5100 (United States); La Guardia, Mark J. [Department of Aquatic Health Sciences, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary, Gloucester Point, VA 23062 (United States); Hammel, Stephanie C.; Zeineddine, Maryam M.; Tang, Ian W.; Runnerstrom, Miryha G. [Department of Population Health & Disease Prevention, Program in Public Health, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-3957 (United States); Ogunseitan, Oladele A., E-mail: Oladele.Ogunseitan@uci.edu [Department of Population Health & Disease Prevention, Program in Public Health, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-3957 (United States)

    2017-02-15

    Most households and workplaces all over the world possess furnishings and electronics, all of which contain potentially toxic flame retardant chemicals to prevent fire hazards. Indoor dust is a recognized repository of these types of chemicals including polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and non-polybrominated diphenyl ethers (non-PBDEs). However, no previous U.S. studies have differentiated concentrations from elevated surface dust (ESD) and floor dust (FD) within and across microenvironments. We address this information gap by measuring twenty-two flame-retardant chemicals in dust on elevated surfaces (ESD; n=10) and floors (FD; n=10) from rooms on a California campus that contain various concentrations of electronic products. We hypothesized a difference in chemical concentrations in ESD and FD. Secondarily, we examined whether or not this difference persisted: (a) across the studied microenvironments and (b) in rooms with various concentrations of electronics. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test demonstrated that the ESD was statistically significantly higher than FD for BDE-47 (p=0.01), BDE-99 (p=0.01), BDE-100 (p=0.01), BDE-153 (p=0.02), BDE-154 (p=0.02), and 3 non-PBDEs including EH-TBB (p=0.02), BEH-TEBP (p=0.05), and TDCIPP (p=0.03). These results suggest different levels and kinds of exposures to flame-retardant chemicals for individuals spending time in the sampled locations depending on the position of accumulated dust. Therefore, further research is needed to estimate human exposure to flame retardant chemicals based on how much time and where in the room individuals spend their time. Such sub-location estimates will likely differ from assessments that assume continuous unidimensional exposure, with implications for improved understanding of potential health impacts of flame retardant chemicals. - Highlights: • Brominated flame retardants used in electronic products accumulate in room dust • Various chemical moieties of flame retardants leach

  10. A Job Retention Model for Individuals with Mental Retardation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fornes, Sandra

    2006-01-01

    This structured literature review examines the literature and addresses issues of job retention for adult workers with moderate to mild mental retardation (MR), investigating the relationships between work-related social behaviors, self-determination, person-job congruency of individuals with MR, and their job performance and job satisfaction with…

  11. Effect of retardation on the reflectance properties of the metallic Fibonacci quasi-superlattice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feng Weiguo; Yao Hesheng; Xu Xiang

    1989-12-01

    Based on the hydrodynamic model theory and the transfer matrix method, we have re-examined the reflection properties by taking account of the retardation effect to the system of the metallic Fibonacci quasi-superlattice. For the normal incident S-polarized Soft X-rays and extreme ultraviolet, we find that the self-similar reflecting spectrum will be restrained with the increasing of the retardation, but for the higher frequency region or at the smaller grazing angle, the self similarity will still exist for the lower generation quasi-superlattice. (author). 19 refs, 2 figs, 1 tab

  12. Metabolic studies in older mentally retarded patients: significance of metabolic testing and correlation with the clinical phenotype.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Buggenhout, G.J.C.M. van; Trijbels, J.M.F.; Wevers, R.A.; Trommelen, J.C.M.; Hamel, B.C.J.; Brunner, H.G.; Fryns, J.P.

    2001-01-01

    In 471 adult mentally retarded adult patients (mean age 46 years; 92.6% males) living in an institution for the mentally retarded, a clinical examination, cytogenetic and molecular studies were done. 306 patients were screened for metabolic disorders. In 7 additional patients a metabolic disorder

  13. Long-term follow-up of young children with brain tumors after irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Syndikus, I.; Tait, D.; Ashley, S.

    1994-01-01

    Young children with brain tumors are at high risk of developing late sequelae after curative radiotherapy. A retrospective study was undertaken to determine the frequency and severity of neurological deficits, endocrine dysfunction, and intellectual disabilities. One hundred and fifty-six children age ≥ 3 years were treated between 1952 and 1986 with radiotherapy. Of the 57 survivors, 47 had surgery, 12 chemotherapy and 24 children received cranio-spinal radiotherapy. Late radiation side effects were assessed with a clinical examination, blood tests and an interview. The median follow-up was 13 years and the actuarial survival at 5 and 10 years was 49% and 44%, respectively. No, or only a mild, handicap was noted in 24 patients, while 21 had moderately severe and 16 severe disabilities. Children with supratentorial tumors had more abnormal neurological findings compared to those with infratentorial malignancies (p<0.001). Eighty percent of children had endocrine abnormalities, which were more marked in children with parasellar tumors (p<0.001). Twenty-one children were mentally retarded. In a multivariate analysis epilepsy emerged as the only significant variable independently associated with poor cognitive function. Long-term morbidity was found to be disabling in 58% of the surviving children. These findings encourage the development of treatment strategies designed to reduce toxity. 34 refs., 3 figs., 5 tabs

  14. Study of the Thermal Properties and the Fire Performance of Flame Retardant-Organic PCM in Bulk Form

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anabel Palacios

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The implementation of organic phase change materials (PCMs in several applications such as heating and cooling or building comfort is an important target in thermal energy storage (TES. However, one of the major drawbacks of organic PCMs implementation is flammability. The addition of flame retardants to PCMs or shape-stabilized PCMs is one of the approaches to address this problem and improve their final deployment in the building material sector. In this study, the most common organic PCM, Paraffin RT-21, and fatty acids mixtures of capric acid (CA, myristic acid (MA, and palmitic acid (PA in bulk, were tested to improve their fire reaction. Several flame retardants, such as ammonium phosphate, melamine phosphate, hydromagnesite, magnesium hydroxide, and aluminum hydroxide, were tested. The properties of the improved PCM with flame retardants were characterized by thermogravimetric analyses (TGA, the dripping test, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC. The results for the dripping test show that fire retardancy was considerably enhanced by the addition of hydromagnesite (50 wt % and magnesium hydroxide (50 wt % in fatty acids mixtures. This will help the final implementation of these enhanced PCMs in building sector. The influence of the addition of flame retardants on the melting enthalpy and temperatures of PCMs has been evaluated.

  15. Study of the Thermal Properties and the Fire Performance of Flame Retardant-Organic PCM in Bulk Form

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palacios, Anabel; De Gracia, Alvaro

    2018-01-01

    The implementation of organic phase change materials (PCMs) in several applications such as heating and cooling or building comfort is an important target in thermal energy storage (TES). However, one of the major drawbacks of organic PCMs implementation is flammability. The addition of flame retardants to PCMs or shape-stabilized PCMs is one of the approaches to address this problem and improve their final deployment in the building material sector. In this study, the most common organic PCM, Paraffin RT-21, and fatty acids mixtures of capric acid (CA), myristic acid (MA), and palmitic acid (PA) in bulk, were tested to improve their fire reaction. Several flame retardants, such as ammonium phosphate, melamine phosphate, hydromagnesite, magnesium hydroxide, and aluminum hydroxide, were tested. The properties of the improved PCM with flame retardants were characterized by thermogravimetric analyses (TGA), the dripping test, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results for the dripping test show that fire retardancy was considerably enhanced by the addition of hydromagnesite (50 wt %) and magnesium hydroxide (50 wt %) in fatty acids mixtures. This will help the final implementation of these enhanced PCMs in building sector. The influence of the addition of flame retardants on the melting enthalpy and temperatures of PCMs has been evaluated. PMID:29329212

  16. Study of the Thermal Properties and the Fire Performance of Flame Retardant-Organic PCM in Bulk Form.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palacios, Anabel; De Gracia, Alvaro; Haurie, Laia; Cabeza, Luisa F; Fernández, A Inés; Barreneche, Camila

    2018-01-12

    The implementation of organic phase change materials (PCMs) in several applications such as heating and cooling or building comfort is an important target in thermal energy storage (TES). However, one of the major drawbacks of organic PCMs implementation is flammability. The addition of flame retardants to PCMs or shape-stabilized PCMs is one of the approaches to address this problem and improve their final deployment in the building material sector. In this study, the most common organic PCM, Paraffin RT-21, and fatty acids mixtures of capric acid (CA), myristic acid (MA), and palmitic acid (PA) in bulk, were tested to improve their fire reaction. Several flame retardants, such as ammonium phosphate, melamine phosphate, hydromagnesite, magnesium hydroxide, and aluminum hydroxide, were tested. The properties of the improved PCM with flame retardants were characterized by thermogravimetric analyses (TGA), the dripping test, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results for the dripping test show that fire retardancy was considerably enhanced by the addition of hydromagnesite (50 wt %) and magnesium hydroxide (50 wt %) in fatty acids mixtures. This will help the final implementation of these enhanced PCMs in building sector. The influence of the addition of flame retardants on the melting enthalpy and temperatures of PCMs has been evaluated.

  17. Optimal Design of an Achromatic Angle-Insensitive Phase Retarder Used in MWIR Imaging Polarimetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guo-Guo, Kang; Qiao-Feng, Tan; Guo-Fan, Jin

    2009-01-01

    Dielectric gratings with period in the range from λ/10 to λ/4 with λ being the illumination wavelength not only exclude higher order diffractions but also exhibit strong dispersion of effective indices which are proportional to the wavelength. Moreover, they are insensitive to the incident angle of the illumination wave. With these features, we can design a true zero-order achromatic and angle-insensitive phase retarder which can be used as the polarization state analyzer in middle wave infrared (MWIR) imaging polarimetry. A design method using effective medium theory is described, and the performance of the designed phase retarder is evaluated by rigorous coupled wave analysis theory. The calculation results demonstrate that the retardance deviates from 45° by < ±1.6° within a field of view ±10° over the MWIR bandwidth (3–5 μm). (fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications))

  18. Flame Retardancy Effects of Graphene Nanoplatelet/Carbon Nanotube Hybrid Membranes on Carbon Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dongxian Zhuo

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Carbon nanotube/graphene nanoplatelet (MWCNT/GNP hybrid membranes with lower liquid permeability and better barrier effect compared to MWCNT membranes were successfully synthesized by vacuum filtering. Their morphologies, water permeability, and pore structures were characterized by a scanning electron microscope (SEM and nitrogen adsorption isotherms. Furthermore, MWCNT/GNP membranes were used to improve the flame retardancy of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP composites, and the influence of weight percentage of GNPs on the permeability and flame retardancy of MWCNT/GNP membranes was systematically investigated. Results show that incorporation of MWCNT/GNP membranes on CFRP composite plates can remarkably improve the flame retardancy of CFRP composites. Specifically, the incorporation of hierarchical MWCNT/GNP membrane with 7.5 wt% of GNP displays a 35% reduction in the peak heat release rate (PHRR for a CFRP composite plate with the epoxy as matrix and a 11% reduction in PHRR compared with the incorporation of MWCNT membrane only. A synergistic flame retarding mechanism is suggested to be attributed to these results, which includes controlling the pore size and penetrative network structure.

  19. MENTAL AND PSYCHOMOTOR RETARDATION IN EARLY CHILDHOOD: Overview and development of a protocol for neuropsychological assessment.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María del Mar Sánchez-Joya

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: The last decades have brought great advances in the understanding of child neurodevelopment and knowledge of cognitive processes that occur in the brain from an early age. As a result and thanks to the large number of standardized and scientifically guaranteed neuropsychological tests that are available today, we can assess and diagnose with high specificity, deficits or delays in the acquisition of cognitive functions. Besides, it allows knowing the strengths or normality points of children with various pathologies. Objective: To present the concepts and a neuropsychological assessment protocol for mental retardation, pervasive developmental disorder and psychomotor retardation. Development: First, the authors present a general model of neuropsychological assessment in childhood. Second, he concept, classification and aetiology of mental retardation is revised and it is proposed a neuropsychological profile. Finally, the paradigms of pervasive developmental disorder and psychomotor retardation are shown. Conclusion: Based on standardized and validated test for child neuropsychological assessment, children cognitive disorders can be accurately identified to plan each child's cognitive stimulation, and thus optimize the results of the therapy.

  20. Influence of growth retardant on growth and development of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Pobudkiewicz

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available This study was undertaken to evaluate the influence of single foliar flurprimidol treatment on morphology and transpiration of ‘Roman’ and ‘Freedom Red’ poinsettias. The growth retardant flurprimidol (Topflor 015 SL was applied once as a foliar spray at concentrations of 5, 10 or 15 mg × dm-3 when lateral shoots were about 5 cm in length. Single foliar flurprimidol treatment was sufficient to inhibit stem elongation of both poinsettia cultivars. The degree of growth inhibition depended on cultivar and growth retardant concentration. As compared to the control, the shoots of flurprimidol treated ‘Roman’ and ‘Freedom Red’ plants were up to 44% and 37% shorter, respectively. The desirable plant heights for ‘Roman’ and ‘Freedom Red’ poinsettias were obtained with flurprimidol at concentrations of 5 and 10 mg × dm-3, respectively. The shoots of flurprimidol sprayed poinsettia were also more rigid and aligned relative to each other and thus the bracts on the plant were placed on the same level. The diameters of growth retardant treated poinsettias were up to 13% narrower. The leaf areas, petiole lengths, fresh and dry weights of ‘Roman’ and ‘Freedom Red’ poinsettias treated with flurprimidol were substantially smaller as compared to the control. The bract diameters of both poinsettia cultivars were only slightly affected by growth retardant application. Plants exposed to flurprimidol had also intensified green leaf pigmentation. There was almost no abscission of the oldest leaves in the low portions of growth retardant treated plants, compared to those of the control ones. Flurprimidol had no effect on transpiration rate per unit leaf area and stomatal conductance in both poinsettia cultivars. No phytotoxicity was observed in flurprimidol treated plants. Chemical name used: α-(1-methylethyl-α-[4-(trifluromethoxyphenyl]-5-pyrimidinemethanol (flurprimidol.

  1. The Mentally Retarded and the Educational System in Denmark.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Finkelstein, Harry

    The history of educational services for mentally retarded persons in Denmark is traced, along with the evolution of attitudes toward the population from a protectionist philosophy which promoted segregation to current thinking about normalization. The role of the national parents' association in influencing service review and reform is stressed.…

  2. HIV and AIDS Awareness among Children with Mental Retardation ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Openness to the subject of sexuality and HIV and AIDS is considered as taboo in many African cultures. To persons with disabilities, let alone individuals with mental retardation, sexuality and HIV are still areas of grave concern, which still require further study and investigation, hence the interest in the present study.

  3. Frequency of fragile-x in x‑linked mental retardation

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ... with isolated mental retardation or autism of unknown etiology with considerable fragile X dysmorphic features or established family history of fragile X syndrome, chromosomal study that identifies the fragile site at Xq27.3 in addition to other cytogenetic abnormalities could be useful or early diagnosis and intervention by ...

  4. Task Monotony and Performance Efficacy of Mentally Retarded Young Adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Locke, Bill J.; And Others

    1982-01-01

    Thirty-six mildly mentally retarded young adults were exposed to one of three training arrangements for vigilance performance, a monitoring task that some professionals consider uniquely appropriate for such persons because they are assumed to be less susceptible to boredom. (Author)

  5. An exceptional Albanian family with seven children presenting with dysmorphic features and mental retardation: maternal phenylketonuria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Weigel Corina

    2005-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Phenylketonuria is an inborn error of amino acid metabolism which can cause severe damage to the patient or, in the case of maternal phenylketonuria, to the foetus. The maternal phenylketonuria syndrome is caused by high blood phenylalanine concentrations during pregnancy and presents with serious foetal anomalies, especially congenital heart disease, microcephaly and mental retardation. Case presentation We report on an affected Albanian woman and her seven children. The mother is affected by phenylketonuria and is a compound heterozygote for two pathogenetic mutations, L48S and P281L. The diagnosis was only made in the context of her children, all of whom have at least one severe organic malformation. The first child, 17 years old, has a double-chambered right ventricle, vertebral malformations and epilepsy. She is also mentally retarded, microcephalic, exhibits facial dysmorphies and small stature. The second child, a girl 15 years of age, has severe mental retardation with microcephaly, small stature and various dysmorphic features. The next sibling, a boy, died of tetralogy of Fallot at the age of three months. He also had multiple vertebral and rib malformations. The subsequent girl, now eleven years old, has mental retardation, microcephaly and epilepsy along with facial dysmorphy, partial deafness and short stature. The eight-year-old child is slightly mentally retarded and microcephalic. A five-year-old boy was a premature, dystrophic baby and exhibits mental retardation, dysmorphic facial features, brachydactyly and clinodactyly of the fifth finger on both hands. Following a miscarriage, our index case, the youngest child at two years of age, is microcephalic and mentally retarded and shows minor facial anomalies. All children exhibit features of phenylalanine embryopathy caused by maternal phenylketonuria because the mother had not been diagnosed earlier and, therefore, never received any diet. Conclusion This is

  6. Parent’s Mentally Retarded Child Psycho-Social Problems Covered by Welfare Centers Khorramabad 2013

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Farideh Malekshahi

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Background :Mentally retarded child, the family put in a lot of trouble that most of the parents felt. Therefore, understanding and correct identification of problems and related factors are essential to help and support them. Therefore, this study cross sectional analytical descriptive carried out to determine parent’s mentally retarded  child psycho-social problems under covering welfare centers Khorramabad 2013. Materials and Methods: In this study samples were collected from parents of all mental retarded children. The data collection tools were including demographic questionnaires, mental and social problems. 144 questionnaires were completed by every parent. Validity and reliability were got by content validity and were gathered of data in the one stage and data were analyzed by SPSS software version 16. Results: The results showed that all parent had psycho-social problems, but the mothers of the large number of roles in the family had an average of more mother’s emotional and social problems1/46±0/55, 1/54±0/69 and father’s 1/43±0/74, 1/36±0/55. There was significant relationship between parental education and disable child gender. Discussion: The effect of disability on parents depends on their potency and capacity. It seems to reduce of parents of children with mental retarded, they need to services and full support.

  7. High contrast tumor imaging with radio-labeled antibody Fab fragments tailored for optimized pharmacokinetics via PASylation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mendler, Claudia T; Friedrich, Lars; Laitinen, Iina; Schlapschy, Martin; Schwaiger, Markus; Wester, Hans-Jürgen; Skerra, Arne

    2015-01-01

    Although antigen-binding fragments (Fabs) of antibodies constitute established tracers for in vivo radiodiagnostics, their functionality is hampered by a very short circulation half-life. PASylation, the genetic fusion with a long, conformationally disordered amino acid chain comprising Pro, Ala and Ser, provides a convenient way to expand protein size and, consequently, retard renal filtration. Humanized αHER2 and αCD20 Fabs were systematically fused with 100 to 600 PAS residues and produced in E. coli. Cytofluorimetric titration analysis on tumor cell lines confirmed that antigen-binding activities of the parental antibodies were retained. The radio-iodinated PASylated Fabs were studied by positron emission tomography (PET) imaging and biodistribution analysis in mouse tumor xenograft models. While the unmodified αHER2 and αCD20 Fabs showed weak tumor uptake (0.8% and 0.2% ID/g, respectively; 24 h p.i.) tumor-associated radioactivity was boosted with increasing PAS length (up to 9 and 26-fold, respectively), approaching an optimum for Fab-PAS400. Remarkably, 6- and 5-fold higher tumor-to-blood ratios compared with the unmodified Fabs were measured in the biodistribution analysis (48 h p.i.) for αHER2 Fab-PAS100 and Fab-PAS200, respectively. These findings were confirmed by PET studies, showing high imaging contrast in line with tumor-to-blood ratios of 12.2 and 5.7 (24 h p.i.) for αHER2 Fab-PAS100 and Fab-PAS200. Even stronger tumor signals were obtained with the corresponding αCD20 Fabs, both in PET imaging and biodistribution analysis, with an uptake of 2.8% ID/g for Fab-PAS100 vs. 0.24% ID/g for the unmodified Fab. Hence, by engineering Fabs via PASylation, plasma half-life can be tailored to significantly improve tracer uptake and tumor contrast, thus optimally matching reagent/target interactions.

  8. Sequence-influenced interactions of oligoacridines with DNA detected by retarded gel electrophorectic migrations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nielsen, P.E.; Zhen, W.; Henriksen, U.; Buchardt, O.

    1988-01-01

    The authors have found that di-, tri-, tetra-, and hexa-9-acridinylamines are so efficiently associated with DNA during electrophoresis in polyacrylamide or agarose gels that they retard its migration. The retardation is roughly proportional to the reagent to base pair ratio, and the magnitude of the retardation indicates that a combined charge neutralization/helix extension mechanism is mainly responsible for the effect. Furthermore, DNA sequence dependent differences are observed. Thus, the pUC 19 restriction fragments (HaeIII or AluI), which in the native state comigrate upon gel electrophoretic analysis, could be separated in the presence of a diacridine, and specific DNA fragments responded differently to different diacridines. These results suggest that the effect also is due to a contribution from the DNA conformation and that the DNA conformation dynamics are influenced differently upon binding of different diacridines. They foresee three applications of this observation: (1) in analytical gel electrophoretic separation of otherwise comigrating DNA molecules, (2) in studies of polyintercalator-DNA interaction, and (3) in measurements of polyintercalator-induced DNA unwinding

  9. Iconic-Memory Processing of Unfamiliar Stimuli by Retarded and Nonretarded Individuals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hornstein, Henry A.; Mosley, James L.

    1979-01-01

    The iconic-memory processing of unfamiliar stimuli by 11 mentally retarded males (mean age 22 years) was undertaken employing a visually cued partial-report procedure and a visual masking procedure. (Author/CL)

  10. Highly retarded M2 transition in 90Nb

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sergeev, V.O.

    2006-01-01

    One studied properties of 2.3 keV transition between 124.67 (4 - ) and 122.37 keV (6 + ) in 90 Nb. The mentioned M2-transition is shown to be retarded by approximately 10 4 times and provided explanations of the mentioned extraordinary high factor of deceleration. One evaluated impurity of E3 possible multipolarity constituent in the mentioned transition (δ 2 [ru

  11. Characterization of Mental Retardation and Autism in Children's Books.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dyches, Tina Taylor; Prater, Mary Anne; Cramer, Sharon F.

    2001-01-01

    A study involving 12 books, six picture books and six chapter books, examined how individuals with mental retardation and autism are depicted in children's literature. Results indicate characters were portrayed as making more choices in their lives and were educated in more inclusive environments than in an earlier study. (Contains references.)…

  12. Growth patterns in children with intrauterine growth retardation and their correlation to neurocognitive development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fattal-Valevski, Aviva; Toledano-Alhadef, Hagit; Leitner, Yael; Geva, Ronny; Eshel, Rina; Harel, Shaul

    2009-07-01

    The relationship between somatic growth and neurocognitive outcome was studied in a cohort of 136 children with intrauterine growth retardation. The children were followed up from birth to 9 to 10 years of age by annual measurements of growth parameters, neurodevelopmental evaluations, and IQ. The rate of catch-up for height between 1 and 2 years of age was significantly higher than the catch-up for weight (P importance for prediction of subsequent neurodevelopmental outcome in children with intrauterine growth retardation.

  13. Tumor-targeted inhibition by a novel strategy - mimoretrovirus expressing siRNA targeting the Pokemon gene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, Zhiqiang; Wang, Huaizhi; Jia, Zhengcai; Shi, Jinglei; Tang, Jun; Mao, Liwei; Liu, Hongli; Deng, Yijing; He, Yangdong; Ruan, Zhihua; Li, Jintao; Wu, Yuzhang; Ni, Bing

    2010-12-01

    Pokemon gene has crucial but versatile functions in cell differentiation, proliferation and tumorigenesis. It is a master regulator of the ARF-HDM2-p53 and Rb-E2F pathways. The facts that the expression of Pokemon is essential for tumor formation and many kinds of tumors over-express the Pokemon gene make it an attractive target for therapeutic intervention for cancer treatment. In this study, we used an RNAi strategy to silence the Pokemon gene in a cervical cancer model. To address the issues involving tumor specific delivery and durable expression of siRNA, we applied the Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) peptide ligand and polylysine (K(18)) fusion peptide to encapsulate a recombinant retrovirus plasmid expressing a siRNA targeting the Pokemon gene and produced the 'mimoretrovirus'. At charge ratio 2.0 of fusion peptide/plasmid, the mimoretrovirus formed stable and homogenous nanoparticles, and provided complete DNase I protection and complete gel retardation. This nanoparticle inhibited SiHa cell proliferation and invasion, while it promoted SiHa cell apoptosis. The binding of the nanoparticle to SiHa cells was mediated via the RGD-integrin α(v)β(3) interaction, as evidenced by the finding that unconjugated RGD peptide inhibited this binding significantly. This tumor-targeting mimoretrovirus exhibited excellent anti-tumor capacity in vivo in a nude mouse model. Moreover, the mimoretrovirus inhibited tumor growth with a much higher efficiency than recombinant retrovirus expressing siRNA or the K(18)/P4 nanoparticle lacking the RGD peptide. Results suggest that the RNAi/RGD-based mimoretrovirus developed in this study represents a novel anti-tumor strategy that may be applicable to most research involving cancer therapy and, thus, has promising potential as a cervical cancer treatment.

  14. Developments in the flame retardant teratment of cotton/polyester blends

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Black, WA

    1984-06-01

    Full Text Available saw an increasing in the commercial use of durable flame retardants. Factors affecting the flammability of a textile fabric are the chemical composition, degree of polymerization of its constituent fibres and to a lesser extent weight per unit area...

  15. Impact of intrauterine growth retardation and body proportionality on fetal and neonatal outcome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kramer, M S; Olivier, M; McLean, F H; Willis, D M; Usher, R H

    1990-11-01

    Previous prognostic studies of infants with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) have not adequately considered the heterogeneity of IUGR in terms of cause, severity, and body proportionality and have been prone to misclassification of IUGR because of errors in estimation of gestational age. Based on a cohort of 8719 infants with early-ultrasound-validated gestational ages and indexes of body proportionality standardized for birth weight, the consequences of severity and cause-specific IUGR and proportionality for fetal and neonatal morbidity and mortality were assessed. With progressive severity of IUGR, there were significant (all P less than .001) linear trends for increasing risks of stillbirth, fetal distress (abnormal electronic fetal heart tracings)O during parturition, neonatal hypoglycemia (minimum plasma glucose less than 40 mg/dL), hypocalcemia (minimum Ca less than 7 mg/dL), polycythemia (maximum capillary hemoglobin greater than or equal to 21 g/dL), severe depression at birth (manual ventilation greater than 3 minutes), 1-minute and 5-minute Apgar scores less than or equal to 6, 1-minute Apgar score less than or equal to 3, and in-hospital death. These trends persisted for the more common outcomes even after restriction to term (37 to 42 weeks) births. There was no convincing evidence that outcome among infants with a given degree of growth retardation varied as a function of cause of that growth retardation. Among infants with IUGR, increased length-for-weight had significant crude associations with hypoglycemia and polycythemia, but these associations disappeared after adjustment for severity of growth retardation and gestational age.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

  16. Processing and Testing the Quality of Life in Families with Mentally Retarded Children

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S Askari Shahed

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Background & aim: Mentally retarded children need more care on quality of life, therefore the family plays an important role, but the results indicate low levels of quality of life for these children and their families. The present study aimed to measure the quality of life in mothers of educable mentally retarded daughter motivated provide a model to measure quality of life and understanding of issues affecting the design. An attempt to investigate and describe the factors affecting the quality of family life with a disability and the relationship between these indicators and how to measure them families with children with mental retardation.   Methods: The research method was descriptive-analytic. The sample consisted of 75 mothers with a mentally retarded daughter who were participated in this study through census sampling. By studying literature, the related texts criteria of quality of life were extracted. All study information of participants was obtained by standard questionnaires. Using correlation analysis techniques, univariate regression, logistic regression analysis were analyzed through structural equations.   Results: The results indicated that the performance of family (family interactions, parenting, mental health and physical capabilities mother (resilience and aggression, personal beliefs and quality of life of families with disabled children influenced it. Personal beliefs are an important determinant of quality of life.   Conclusion: The results of structural equation modeling and corresponding indexes indicated that the proposed model based on experimental data fitting was good and desirable product was in compliance with the conceptual model.    

  17. Retraso mental y calidad de vida Mental retardation and quality of life

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Israel López

    2005-12-01

    Full Text Available Se realizó un estudio descriptivo transversal con todos los niños de 0 a 14 años diagnosticados con algún grado de retraso mental, en el municipio Playa, en el año 2001. Encontramos un total de 244 retrasados mentales pertenecientes a ese grupo de edad, para el 21,2 %. Los antecedentes perinatales se presentaron como causa de retraso mental en un 29,5 %. Dentro de las enfermedades más frecuentemente asociadas al embarazo encontramos las infecciones, la desnutrición y/o anemia. Los eventos del período neonatal relacionados con el retraso mental, como son, el parto pretérmino, el instrumentado y la cesárea, mostraron indicadores por encima de los aceptados por el programa materno infantil. De igual manera se comportaron el bajo peso, el apgar bajo y los signos de hipoxia. Existen antecedentes de enfermedades graves e ingresos hospitalarios en el 34,4 % de los casos por diferentes causas, entre las que se destacan las infecciones.A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among all the children aged 0-14 that were diagnosed some degree of mental retardation in Playa municipality, in 2001. We found a total of 244 mentally retarded in that age group, accounting for 21.2 %. The perinatal history was presented as a cause of mental retardation in 29.5 %. Infections, malnutrition and/or anemia were among the diseases most frequently associated with pregnancy. The events of the neonatal period related to mental retardation, such as preterm delivery, instrumented delivery and cesarean section, showed indicators above the accepted by the maternal and children's program. Low birth weight, low apgar score and hypoxia signs behaved in the same way. In 34.4 % of the cases there was history of severe diseases and admissions due to different causes, among which infections stood out.

  18. The presence and partitioning behavior of flame retardants in waste, leachate, and air particles from Norwegian waste-handling facilities

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Nicolas A.O.Morin; Patrik L.Andersson; Sarah E.Hale; Hans Peter H.Arp

    2017-01-01

    Flame retardants in commercial products eventually make their way into the waste stream.Herein the presence of flame retardants in Norwegian landfills,incineration facilities and recycling sorting/defragmenting facilities is investigated.These facilities handled waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE),vehicles,digestate,glass,combustibles,bottom ash and fly ash.The flame retardants considered included polybrominated diphenyl ethers (∑BDE-10) as well as dechlorane plus,polybrominated biphenyls,hexabromobenzene,pentabromotoluene and pentabromoethylbenzene (collectively referred to as ∑FR-7).Plastic,WEEE and vehicles contained the largest amount of flame retardants (∑BDE-10:45,000-210,000 μg/kg;∑FR-7:300-13,000 μg/kg).It was hypothesized leachate and air concentrations from facilities that sort/defragment WEEE and vehicles would be the highest.This was supported for total air phase concenttations (∑BDE-10:9000-195,000 pg/m3 WEEE/vehicle facilities,80-900 pg/m3 in incineration/sorting and landfill sites),but not for water leachate concentrations (e.g.,ΣBDE-10:15-3500 ng/L in WEEE/Vehicle facilities and 1-250 ng/L in landfill sites).Landfill leachate exhibited similar concentrations as WEEE/vehicle sorting and defragmenting facility leachate.To better account for concentrations in leachates at the different facilities,waste-water partitioning coefficients,Kwaste were measured (for the first time to our knowledge for flame retardants).WEEE and plastic waste had elevated Kwaste compared to other wastes,likely because flame retardants are directly added to these materials.The results of this study have implications for the development of strategies to reduce exposure and environmental emissions of flame retardants in waste and recycled products through improved waste management practices.

  19. Needle-based polarization-sensitive OCT of breast tumor (Conference Presentation)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villiger, Martin; Lorenser, Dirk; McLaughlin, Robert A.; Quirk, Bryden C.; Kirk, Rodney W.; Bouma, Brett E.; Sampson, David D.

    2016-03-01

    OCT imaging through miniature needle probes has extended the range of OCT and enabled structural imaging deep inside breast tissue, with the potential to assist in the intraoperative assessment of tumor margins. However, in many situations, scattering contrast alone is insufficient to clearly identify and delineate malignant areas. Here, we present a portable, depth-encoded polarization-sensitive OCT system, connected to a miniature needle probe. From the measured polarization states we constructed the tissue Mueller matrix at each sample location and improved the accuracy of the measured polarization states through incoherent averaging before retrieving the depth-resolved tissue birefringence. With the Mueller matrix at hand, additional polarization properties such as depolarization are readily available. We then imaged freshly excised breast tissue from a patient undergoing lumpectomy. The reconstructed local retardation highlighted regions of connective tissue, which exhibited birefringence due to the abundance of collagen fibers, and offered excellent contrast to areas of malignant tissue, which exhibited less birefringence due to their different tissue composition. Results were validated against co-located histology sections. The combination of needle-based imaging with the complementary contrast provided by polarization-sensitive analysis offers a powerful instrument for advanced tissue imaging and has potential to aid in the assessment of tumor margins during the resection of breast cancer.

  20. Case Management for Individuals with Mental Retardation. ARC Facts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Association for Retarded Citizens, Arlington, TX.

    A question-and-answer format is used in this fact sheet to provide information on case management for individuals with mental retardation. The fact sheet describes the major components of a case management system, the role of the case manager, the individual's or family's role in case management, providers of case management services and systems…

  1. Enhancing Free-Recall Rates of Individuals with Mental Retardation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carlin, Michael T.; Soraci, Sal A.; Dennis, Nancy A.; Chechile, Nicholas A.; Loiselle, Raquel C.

    2001-01-01

    This study with 16 adolescents with mental retardation compared free-recall rates under two encoding conditions: (1) fade-in, initially presenting pictures out of focus then slowly fading them into focus; and (2) fade-out, slowly blurring originally clear pictures. Results indicated that free-recall rates were greater for the fade-in items for…

  2. Colemanite: a fire retardant candidate for wood plastic composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evren Terzi; Saip Nami Kartal; Sabriye Piskin; Nicole Stark; Aysel Kanturk Figen; Robert H. White

    2018-01-01

    The use of raw boron minerals (i.e. tincalconite, colemanite, and ulexite) was evaluated to increase the fire performance of wood plastic composites (WPCs) in comparison with commercially available fire retardants (FRs). Cone calorimetry and limited oxygen index tests were performed to evaluate the fire properties of WPC specimens. Artificial weathering and 3-point...

  3. Retardation of muscle growth in castrated male mice: further ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Retardation of muscle growth in castrated male mice was studied as an evidence for the influence of hormones on the development of muscle mass. Male albino mice were castrated at 28days of age by open castration method. The weights and the muscle mass indices (mg muscle weight per gram body weight) of the ...

  4. Evaluation of Auditory Sensory Memory of Mentally Retarded and Nonretarded Persons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campbell, Edward M.; Meyer, Philip A.

    1981-01-01

    Performance of mildly mentally retarded and nonretarded persons was compared in two experiments designed to identify processes of auditory sensory memory. A theoretical model was proposed to incorporate the current pattern of results. (Author)

  5. The Human Genome Project and Mental Retardation: An Educational Program. Final Progress Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Davis, Sharon

    1999-05-03

    The Arc, a national organization on mental retardation, conducted an educational program for members, many of whom have a family member with a genetic condition causing mental retardation. The project informed members about the Human Genome scientific efforts, conducted training regarding ethical, legal and social implications and involved members in issue discussions. Short reports and fact sheets on genetic and ELSI topics were disseminated to 2,200 of the Arc's leaders across the country and to other interested individuals. Materials produced by the project can e found on the Arc's web site, TheArc.org.

  6. Flame retardancy of highly filled polyamide 6/clay nanocomposites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dasari, Aravind; Yu Zhongzhen; Mai Yiuwing; Liu Songlin

    2007-01-01

    To obtain an in-depth physical knowledge of the protective barrier stability and uniformity under fire conditions, we prepared highly filled polyamide 6/organoclay nanocomposites and characterized their thermal and flammability properties. The objectives were to identify a critical composition that is needed to form a stable char with no apertures or cracks and to gain a thorough understanding of the mechanisms of flame retardancy. It was shown that there is no need for higher percentages of clay and even smaller amounts of clay (<10 wt%) should be enough to achieve good fire performance. Factors such as incoherency, poor stability and non-uniformity of the char or the presence of large cracks and formation of island-like structures were insignificant in slowing down the heat release and mass loss rates. Nevertheless, there was no stage during the flammability test where the fire completely extinguished even when the protective layer was stable and free from major cracks/apertures. Based on these results, new insights and approaches to process better flame retardant polymer nanocomposites are discussed

  7. Aluminum phosphate microcapsule flame retardants for flexible polyurethane foams

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Bin; Liu, Hong; Han, Jian

    2018-04-01

    In this study, highly efficient flame-retardant aluminum phosphate (ALP) microcapsules were synthesized from ALP and ammonium phosphomolybdate trihydrate. The chemical structure of the ALP microcapsules was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and elemental analysis, and the thermal degradation behavior was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Subsequently, flexible polyurethane (PU) foams were prepared with the ALP microcapsules. Limiting oxygen index (LOI) tests, vertical burning tests, smoke density rating (SDR), and cone calorimetric tests were employed to investigate the combustion of the materials. The results showed that the flexible PU foams with 15 parts per hundred polyol by weight (pphp) ALP microcapsules passed the vertical burning test and they had an increased LOI value of 28.5%. The SDR value for PU/20 pphp ALP microcapsule composites was about 16.0% and the SDR value for the pure PU was about 29.0%. The corresponding flame-retardant mechanism was investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, TGA, Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) tests, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry.

  8. Hyperphosphatasia with mental retardation syndrome, expanded phenotype of PIGL related disorders

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ruqaiah Altassan

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Hypomorphic mutations in six different genes involved in the glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI biogenesis pathway are linked to Mabry syndrome (hyperphosphatasia with mental retardation syndrome, HPMRS. This report on the third affected family with a HPMRS phenotype caused by mutations in PIGL, confirming the seventh GPI biogenesis gene linked to HPMRS. Two siblings presented with the main features of HPMRS; developmental delay, cognitive impairment, seizure disorder, skeletal deformities, and high alkaline phosphatase. We identified two heterozygous mutations in the PIGL gene (P.Trp20Ter and p.Arg88Cys. PIGL mutations have been linked to another distinctive neuroectodermal disorder: CHIME syndrome. The clinical picture of our patients expands the spectrum of PIGL-related phenotypes. Keywords: GPI biogenesis, Hyperphosphatasia mental retardation syndrome (HPMRS, Mabry syndrome, PIGL gene, CHIME syndrome

  9. Transmitted cytogenetic abnormalities in patients with mental retardation: pathogenic or normal variants?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bisgaard, Anne-Marie; Kirchhoff, Maria; Nielsen, Jens Erik

    2007-01-01

    Knowing the origin of cytogenetic abnormalities detected in individuals with mental retardation and dysmorphic features is essential to genetic counselling of affected families. To illustrate this, we report on six families with transmitted cytogenetic abnormalities and discuss the genotype...... generations and included interstitial deletions of 1p31.3-p32.1, 2q13, 10q11.21-q11.23, and 13q31.1; a duplication of 1p34.1-p34.2; and in one family both a deletion of 18q21.1 and a duplication of 4q35.1-q35.2. The probands were mentally retarded and had nonspecific dysmorphic features except for one patient...

  10. Behavioral Therapy of Phobias: A Case with Gynecomastia and Mental Retardation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Revenq, Bernard

    1974-01-01

    A 13-year-old boy, institutionalized for severe mental retardation, who was found to have obsessive tendencies and an IQ of 71 to 78, was systematically desensitized for phobias associated with ambigous sexual identity. (MC)

  11. Dermal uptake and percutaneous penetration of ten flame retardants in a human skin ex vivo model

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Frederiksen, Marie; Vorkamp, Katrin; Jensen, Niels Martin

    2016-01-01

    The dermal uptake and percutaneous penetration of ten organic flame retardants was measured using an ex vivo human skin model. The studied compounds were DBDPE, BTBPE, TBP-DBPE, EH-TBB, BEH-TEBP, α, β and γ-HBCDD as well as syn- and anti-DDC-CO. Little or none of the applied flame retardants...

  12. Locoregional injection of F-18 radiopharmaceuticals suppresses tumor xenograft growth in rats

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wong, C -L [The Univ. of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Texas (United States)

    2004-07-01

    The energetic positrons (0.633 Mev) from F-18 dissipate kinetic energies before annihilation to produce two 0.511 Mev photons which also contribute to the radiation absorbed dose to the surroundings. In living organism, the contribution from the positron itself to the surrounding tissues (up to 2 mm) is larger than from the 2 photons. Apoptosis has been reported in rat tumors after systemic injection of F-18 FDG although no growth retardation was noted. This study is designed to exploit the pharmacokinetic advantages of locoregional injection of positron emitters in the suppression of tumor growth in rats. Methods: Groups of Fisher 344 adult female rats were inoculated with rat mammary tumors (100,000 cells) intramuscularly (IM) in the thigh. Locoregional injection with F-18 NaF or F-18 FDG was accomplished in days 3 or 7 with single doses of increasing strengths (0.2 to 3 mCi). Tumor growth rates were noted and compared to control (sham injection with saline). The locoregional distribution and clearance of F-18 were estimated from serial tomograms using a Concord MicroPET (R4) after intramuscular injection of 0.1-0.2 mCi of F-18 NaF or F-18 FDG in groups of triplicate rats. Results: A dose-related pattern of tumor suppression is noted with F-18 FDG, whether treatment occurs in day 3 or 7 after inoculation. Additional experiment of injection of 5 mci of F-18 FDG at day 14 also suppressed the growth of a well-formed tumor. Tumor suppression by F-18 NaF is less obvious and only occurs with high dose (2 mCi). MicroPET images demonstrate that F-18 FDG is retained in the injection site while F-18 NaF dissipates rapidly. Conclusion: Locoregional injection of positron-emitters may be sufficient to suppress tumor growth. The mechanism is likely related to the pharmacokinetic profile of the compound within the tissue. Discussion: Locoregional application of radionuclides may provide feasible alternatives to slow tumor growth or prevent tumor recurrence. The use of

  13. Structure–property relationships of synthetic organophosphorus flame retardant oligomers by thermal analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bai, Zhiman; Wang, Xin; Tang, Gang; Song, Lei; Hu, Yuan; Yuen, Richard K.K.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • Oligomers with different chemical components in molecular chains were synthesized. • FP-3 containing three IFR components possessed high thermal stability. • FP-3 possessed lowest flammability. • FP-3 exhibited a synergistic interaction between gas and condensed phase. - Abstract: A series of flame retardant oligomers with different chemical components in molecular chains, designated as FP-1, FP-2 and FP-3, respectively, were successfully synthesized using solution polycondensation and well characterized. The thermal properties and flammability of these oligomers were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and microscale combustion calorimeter (MCC). The results demonstrated that FP-3 had the lowest flammability in terms of the lowest maximum mass loss rate, and FP-1 possessed the highest thermal stability and char yield, due to its higher stable hexatomic ring structure of piperazine compared with the linear alkane chain structure of neopentyl glycol. The gases evolved during decomposition were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared coupled with the thermogravimetric analyzer (TG–IR) technique. The char residues of the flame retardant oligomers were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Raman spectroscopy. The results demonstrated that FP-3 exhibited a synergistic interaction between the gas phase and condensation phase, increasing its flame retardancy

  14. Isospin sum rule for nuclear photoabsorption: Effect of retardation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maize, M.A.; Fallieros, S.

    1987-01-01

    Motivated by the close similarity between a sum rule originally derived by Cabibbo and Radicati and a simplified version based on nonrelativistic nuclear physics in the long-wavelength limit, we have investigated the effect of retardation corrections. An account of the contributions due to higher multipolarities is presented, together with a physical interpretation of the results

  15. Argonaute-2-null embryonic stem cells are retarded in self-renewal ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Present address: Institute of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Bangalore, India ... [Chandra Shekar P, Naim A, Partha Sarathi D and Kumar S 2011 Argonaute-2-null embryonic stem cells are retarded in self-renewal ..... Research, India.

  16. Fire retardation of polystyrene/clay nanocomposites: initial study on synergy effect

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Dujková, Z.; Měřínská, D.; Šlouf, Miroslav

    2013-01-01

    Roč. 26, č. 9 (2013), s. 1278-1286 ISSN 0892-7057 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40500505 Keywords : fire retardation * synergy * clay Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 1.134, year: 2013

  17. Polarization modeling and predictions for DKIST part 3: focal ratio and thermal dependencies of spectral polarization fringes and optic retardance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harrington, David M.; Sueoka, Stacey R.

    2018-01-01

    Data products from high spectral resolution astronomical polarimeters are often limited by fringes. Fringes can skew derived magnetic field properties from spectropolarimetric data. Fringe removal algorithms can also corrupt the data if the fringes and object signals are too similar. For some narrow-band imaging polarimeters, fringes change the calibration retarder properties and dominate the calibration errors. Systems-level engineering tools for polarimetric instrumentation require accurate predictions of fringe amplitudes, periods for transmission, diattenuation, and retardance. The relevant instabilities caused by environmental, thermal, and optical properties can be modeled and mitigation tools developed. We create spectral polarization fringe amplitude and temporal instability predictions by applying the Berreman calculus and simple interferometric calculations to optics in beams of varying F/ number. We then apply the formalism to superachromatic six-crystal retarders in converging beams under beam thermal loading in outdoor environmental conditions for two of the world's largest observatories: the 10-m Keck telescope and the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST). DKIST will produce a 300-W optical beam, which has imposed stringent requirements on the large diameter six-crystal retarders, dichroic beamsplitters, and internal optics. DKIST retarders are used in a converging beam with F/ ratios between 8 and 62. The fringe spectral periods, amplitudes, and thermal models of retarder behavior assisted DKIST optical designs and calibration plans with future application to many astronomical spectropolarimeters. The Low Resolution Imaging Spectrograph with polarimetry instrument at Keck also uses six-crystal retarders in a converging F / 13 beam in a Cassegrain focus exposed to summit environmental conditions providing observational verification of our predictions.

  18. Vascular infarction by subcutaneous application of tissue factor targeted to tumor vessels with NGR-peptides: activity and toxicity profile.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dreischalück, Johannes; Schwöppe, Christian; Spieker, Tilmann; Kessler, Torsten; Tiemann, Klaus; Liersch, Ruediger; Schliemann, Christoph; Kreuter, Michael; Kolkmeyer, Astrid; Hintelmann, Heike; Mesters, Rolf M; Berdel, Wolfgang E

    2010-12-01

    tTF-NGR consists of the extracellular domain of the (truncated) tissue factor (tTF), a central molecule for coagulation in vivo, and the peptide GNGRAHA (NGR), a ligand of the surface protein aminopeptidase N (CD13). After deamidation of the NGR-peptide moiety, the fusion protein is also a ligand for integrin αvβ3 (CD51/CD61). Both surface proteins are upregulated on endothelial cells of tumor vessels. tTF-NGR showed binding to specific binding sites on endothelial cells in vitro as shown by flow cytometry. Subcutaneous injection of tTF-NGR into athymic mice bearing human HT1080 fibrosarcoma tumors induced tumor growth retardation and delay. Contrast enhanced ultrasound detected a decrease in tumor blood flow in vivo after application of tTF-NGR. Histological analysis of the tumors revealed vascular disruption due to blood pooling and thrombotic occlusion of tumor vessels. Furthermore, a lack of resistance was shown by re-exposure of tumor-bearing mice to tTF-NGR after regrowth following a first cycle of treatment. However, after subcutaneous (s.c.) push injection with therapeutic doses (1-5 mg/kg bw) side effects have been observed, such as skin bleeding and reduced performance. Since lethality started within the therapeutic dose range (LD10 approximately 2 mg/kg bw) no safe therapeutic window could be found. Limiting toxicity was represented by thrombo-embolic events in major organ systems as demonstrated by histology. Thus, subcutaneous injection of tTF-NGR represents an active, but toxic application procedure and compares unfavourably to intravenous infusion.

  19. Career Development and Adults with Moderate to Severe Mental Retardation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wadsworth, John; Cocco, Karen

    Lifelong career development activities may assist persons with more severe forms of mental retardation in achieving occupational tenure. Occupational tenure is important if individuals are to move away from a succession of entry-level employment. Adaptive career development strategies and techniques may prevent job dissatisfaction and poor…

  20. Reducing Barriers to Sex Education for Adults with Mental Retardation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huntley, Cristy F.; Benner, Susan M.

    1993-01-01

    Opinions of professionals from 16 agencies were obtained to identify techniques that agencies serving adults or adolescents with mental retardation could utilize to provide systematic sex education and counseling. Recommendations are offered in five areas: self-advocacy and self-determination, individual design, staff training and support,…