Heats of adsorption of linear CO species adsorbed on the Au degrees and Ti+delta sites of a 1% Au/TiO2 catalyst using in situ FTIR spectroscopy under adsorption equilibrium.

The heats of adsorption of two linear CO species adsorbed on the Au degrees particles (denoted L(Au degrees)) and on the Ti(+delta) sites (denoted L(Ti+delta)) of a 1% Au/TiO(2) catalyst are determined as the function of their respective coverage by using the AEIR procedure (adsorption equilibrium infrared spectroscopy) previously developed. Mainly, the evolutions of the IR band area of each adsorbed species (2184 cm(-1) for L(Ti+delta) and at 2110 cm(-1) for L(Au degrees)) as a function of the adsorption temperature T(a), at a constant CO adsorption pressure P(CO), provide the evolutions of the coverages theta(LTi+delta) and theta(LAu degrees ) of each adsorbed CO species with T(a) in isobar conditions that give the individual heats of adsorption. It is shown that they linearly vary from 74 to 47 kJ/mol for L(Au degrees ) and from 50 to 40 kJ/mol for L(Ti+delta) at coverages 0 and 1, respectively.

Inverse correlation between maternal weight and second trimester circulating cell-free fetal DNA levels.

Objective: Clinical applications of the analysis of cell-free fetal DNA in maternal plasma and serum are expanding. However, use of fetal DNA during prenatal screening requires knowledge of variables that might affect its levels in the maternal circulation. We conducted this study to estimate the effect of selected demographic factors on fetal DNA levels in the first and second trimesters of pregnancy.

Fetal cells in maternal tissue following pregnancy: what are the consequences?

The presence and persistence of fetal cells in murine maternal tissue was first reported over 20 years ago, although it is only more recently that the occurrence and potential consequences of fetomaternal cell trafficking in humans have been fully appreciated. Fetal cell microchimerism is a growing field of investigation, although the data are contradictory relative to the health consequences of persistent fetal cells in maternal tissues. Understanding of the types of cells being transferred from fetus to mother, the location of these fetal cells within the various maternal tissue types, and the functionality of these cells may ultimately lead to measures to minimize or eliminate the deleterious effects of the cells, or to efforts to take advantage of the presence of these cells for therapeutic purposes.

Fetal cell-free DNA circulates in the plasma of pregnant mice: relevance for animal models of fetomaternal trafficking.

Background: Cell-free fetal DNA (fDNA) can be detected in maternal plasma throughout human pregnancy and is rapidly cleared after delivery. fDNA measurement has clinical application in many complications of pregnancy. Our aim was to determine if fDNA could be detected in maternal plasma during pregnancy in a mouse model system.

Microarray analysis of cell-free fetal DNA in amniotic fluid: a prenatal molecular karyotype.

Metaphase karyotype analysis of fetal cells obtained by amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling is the current standard for prenatal cytogenetic diagnosis, particularly for the detection of trisomy 21. We previously demonstrated that large quantities of cell-free fetal DNA (cffDNA) are easily extracted from amniotic fluid (AF). In this study, we explored potential clinical applications of AF cffDNA by testing its ability to hybridize to DNA microarrays for comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) analysis.

Circulating cell-free fetal nucleic acid analysis may be a novel marker of fetomaternal hemorrhage after elective first-trimester termination of pregnancy.

Analysis of cell-free fetal DNA (fDNA) and RNA in maternal plasma could be useful in the diagnosis and management of complications of pregnancy. In this review, we discuss our studies to investigate the potential of fetal nucleic acid measurement in maternal plasma as a marker of fetomaternal hemorrhage (FMH) after elective first-trimester termination of pregnancy (TOP). Using quantitative real-time PCR amplification of the DYS1 sequence, elevation of plasma fDNA levels after TOP was observed, especially in the late first trimester.

Fetal cell-free nucleic acids in the maternal circulation: new clinical applications.

Six years after the demonstration of the presence of cell-free fetal nucleic acids in maternal plasma, perinatal clinical applications continue to expand. The focus of this article is on advances that have occurred since the CNAPS II conference held in Hong Kong in 2001. Circulating fetal DNA levels (fDNA) are elevated in pregnancies complicated by fetal trisomies 13 and 21 but not 18.

Transfer of fetal cells with multilineage potential to maternal tissue.

Context: During pregnancy, fetal CD34+ cells enter the maternal circulation, persist for decades, and create a state of physiologic microchimerism. Many studies have confirmed the residual presence of fetal cells in maternal blood and tissues following pregnancy. Fetal cells may respond to maternal injury by developing multilineage capacity in maternal organs.

Cell-free fetal DNA in the cerebrospinal fluid of women during the peripartum period.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether cell-free fetal DNA is detectable in the cerebrospinal fluid of women during pregnancy and after delivery.

Study Design: Cerebrospinal fluid was collected from 39 women who underwent an indicated spinal anesthesia procedure. Twenty-six samples were from women who carried at least 1 male fetus, and 13 samples were from women with only a female fetus.

Synthesis of 4-hydroxy-7,8-dimethoxyisochroman-3-one and its plant growth-regulating properties on tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum cv. Petit Havana).

The synthesis of 6,7-dimethoxy-4-hydroxyisochroman-3-one 10 from 2,3-dimethoxytoluene (11) via glyoxylate 12 is reported. Compound 10 strongly inhibited vegetative growth of tobacco plants, whereas developmental patterns (protein levels, protein profile, pigments, and chlorophylls) were not affected. Morphological changes were observed in the leaves of the treated plants.

The effect of the elapsed time between blood draw and processing on the recovery of fetal cells from maternal blood.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that a delay in initial fetal cell enrichment processing of maternal blood samples (defined as the time between blood draw and the initial density gradient centrifugation step) compromises the ability to recover fetal cells, we performed a randomized comparison of immediate (within 4 hours of draw) versus delayed (between 18-24 hours of draw) processing.

Methods: Four centers participated: two centers utilized flow cytometry (FLOW), and two centers utilized magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS) techniques. Each center collected 34 samples.

Plasma gamma-globin gene expression suggests that fetal hematopoietic cells contribute to the pool of circulating cell-free fetal nucleic acids during pregnancy.

Background: Reports of placental mRNA sequences in the plasma of pregnant women suggest that the placenta is the predominant source of cell-free fetal nucleic acids in maternal plasma during pregnancy. We developed an assay for gamma-globin mRNA concentrations to determine whether hematopoietic cells also contribute to the pool of fetal mRNA in maternal plasma.

Methods: Frozen paired plasma samples obtained from 40 women before and within 20 min after elective first-trimester termination of pregnancy (TOP) were analyzed.

Two-stage elevation of cell-free fetal DNA in maternal sera before onset of preeclampsia.

Objective: The purpose was to determine whether preeclampsia (PE) is caused by microfragments of syncytial trophoblast shed into the maternal circulation that stimulate an exaggerated inflammatory response.

Study Design: A nested case control study was performed within the Calcium for Preeclampsia Prevention trial cohort of healthy nulliparous women. Each preeclampsia case was matched to 1 normotensive control.

Cell-free fetal DNA levels in maternal plasma after elective first-trimester termination of pregnancy.

Objective: To determine if first-trimester elective termination of pregnancy affects cell-free fetal DNA (fDNA) levels in maternal plasma.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Clinical and academic research centers.

Circulating fetal DNA: its origin and diagnostic potential-a review.

Objective: In contrast to the traditional teaching that the placenta forms an impermeable barrier, multiple studies show that both intact fetal cells and cell-free nucleic acids circulate freely in maternal blood. Complications of pregnancy, such as pre-eclampsia, or fetal cytogenetic abnormalities, such as trisomy 21, increase transfusion of both intact fetal cells and cell-free fetal nucleic acids into the maternal circulation. The objective of our research is to show that abnormal feto-maternal trafficking of nucleic acids is associated with fetal and placental pathology, and that these observations may lead to novel non-invasive diagnostic and screening tests.

Prognostic variables for cancer-related survival in node-negative colorectal carcinomas.

Background/aim: The efficacy of adjuvant treatment in node-negative colorectal carcinoma is unproven. The purpose of this study was to analyze the prognostic value of routinely detectable clinicopathological variables in order to identify subgroups of node-negative colorectal cancer patients at a high risk of a recurrence.

Methods: Seventy-three patients who did not receive radio- or chemotherapy were selected among 112 node-negative colorectal cancer patients who underwent curative resection.

ROC analysis of an erythroblast morphologic scoring system to improve identification of fetal cells in maternal blood.

Objectives: Nucleated red blood cells are used in research settings as a target cell type for investigations of noninvasive prenatal diagnosis, and these cells have a characteristic nuclear morphology and hemoglobin staining pattern that makes them distinguishable from maternal cells. Recently, we developed an erythroblast scoring system based on these characteristics. Here, we employ statistical analyses to further characterize the utility of this scoring system.

Synthesis and antibiotic activity of the tricyclic furo[3,2-c] isochromen-2-trione unit of the pyranonaphthoquinones.

The elaboration and biological activity of 15, containing the proposed pharmacophore for the antibiotic activity of the pyranonaphthoquinones, are reported. The synthetic strategy involved acid-catalyzed lactonization of mandelate 17 for isochroman ring formation, in combination with a Wittig-oxa-Michael functionalization of isochroman-3-ol derivative 20, a lactonization involving configurational inversion of a benzylic alcohol and a final AgO oxidation. Compound 15 showed activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis with MIC of 64 and 32 microg/mL, respectively.

Interlaboratory comparison of fetal male DNA detection from common maternal plasma samples by real-time PCR.

Background: Analysis of fetal DNA from maternal plasma by PCR offers great potential for noninvasive prenatal genetic diagnosis. To further evaluate this potential, we developed and validated a standard protocol to determine whether fetal DNA sequences could be reproducibly amplified and measured across multiple laboratories in a common set of specimens.

Methods: Each of five participating centers in a National Institute of Child Health and Human Development consortium collected 20 mL of peripheral blood from 20 pregnant women between 10 and 20 weeks of gestation.

Biological implications of bi-directional fetomaternal cell traffic: a summary of a National Institute of Child Health and Human Development-sponsored conference.

Objective: The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) held a workshop on 27-28 July 2000 to bring together investigators working in the field of fetomaternal cellular and nucleic acid trafficking with the hope that this would stimulate further research into the biological implications of such phenomena.

Methods: Invited speakers from all over the world presented their latest (unpublished) data. The conference proceedings were delayed until the present time to allow independent publication of the primary data.

The influence of fetal loss on the presence of fetal cell microchimerism: a systematic review.

Objective: Fetal cells enter the maternal circulation during most pregnancies. Their persistence for years occurs in only some women and has been associated with several autoimmune diseases such as systemic sclerosis. The objective of this study was to determine whether pregnancy history influences the persistence of fetal microchimeric cells.