Development of a Standard Push-up Scale for College-Aged Females.

The ACSM/CESP push-up test exemplifies the limiting nature of the gender binary in fitness. Males perform the standard push-up (from toes) while females perform the modified push-up (from knees), even if capable of multiple standard push-ups. Differences in upper body strength are used to justify the test protocol.

Euchromatic 9q13-q21 duplication variants are tandem segmental amplifications of sequence reciprocal to 9q13-q21 deletions.

Background: There are four known pericentromeric euchromatic variants of chromosome 9 in the literature that are increasingly being observed in diagnostic cytogenetic laboratories. These variants pose diagnostic and counselling dilemmas, especially in prenatal settings, as distinction of a pathogenic alteration from a euchromatic variant is difficult. The molecular characterisation of three of these four variants has been reported.

Prospective validation of quantitative fluorescent polymerase chain reaction for rapid detection of common aneuploidies.

Purpose: To prospectively validate a quantitative fluorescent polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay as a method of rapid prenatal aneuploidy detection for chromosomes 13, 18, 21, X, and Y.

Methods: A commercial quantitative fluorescent PCR kit was validated on 200 known, blinded, prenatal DNA specimens. The kit was then validated prospectively on 1069 amniotic fluid specimens, and the results were compared with the karyotype results and the results of interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization testing, when performed in the course of standard care.

The role of molecular microsatellite identity testing to detect sampling errors in prenatal diagnosis.

Objective: The objective was to determine the risk of sampling error in amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling (CVS) in singleton and multiple pregnancies. Data from this and other published studies were used to discuss current practice guidelines for molecular identity testing.

Method: Clinical and laboratory records of all patients undergoing molecular-based identity testing in our clinical laboratory from July 2002 until March 2008 were reviewed.