Attitudes of Israeli Muslims at risk of genetic disorders towards pregnancy termination

OBJECTIVES: (1) To examine attitudes towards termination of pregnancy (TOP) among high-risk and non-high-risk (for cystic fibrosis) Arab-Muslims, and (2) to examine the effect of an intervention, which among other things related explicitly to TOP. METHODS: The study comprised three groups: (1) an intervention group at high risk for CF, which received community genetic counseling; (2) a control group at high risk for CF, and (3) a control group from the general population. The latter two groups were exposed to minimal intervention. Attitudes were measured two or three times during a 1-year period (for the control and intervention groups, respectively). RESULTS: Predictors of an affected fetus being considered a legitimate cause for TOP were religiosity, familiarity with an affected child, and benefits of the test. Predictors of individuals (hypothetically) choosing abortion in the case of an affected fetus were education and age. No change occurred in the attitudes of participants (either experimental or control groups) in the course of 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: Other possible intervention options are discussed, and specifically, the advantages of using opinion leaders such as clergy and medical staff.     

Growth of Au/Ag nanowires in thin surfactant solution films: an electron microscopy study

The surfactant templated gold-silver nanowire growth process in a thin solution film was probed by cryo-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM). The increasing surfactant concentration upon film drying appears to induce phase transformations in the film and form a liquid crystalline template for the nanowires growth. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and electron holography revealed that the nanowires were polycrystalline with some preferred crystallite orientations and had a roughly cylindrical cross-section. Further improvement of the technique may lead to highly ordered metal nanowire arrays within the surfactant matrix similar to the closely related mesoporous materials.     

Extent and mechanism of metal ion incorporation into precipitated ferrites

The ability of many noniron metals to be incorporated into the structure of ferrites is being utilized in numerous industrial and environmental applications. The incorporation of some of these metals during Fe(II) oxidation-induced precipitation at moderate temperatures (80-100°C) appears to be limited, for reasons not fully understood, and to extents not always agreed (e.g., Ni(2+), Cr(3+)). In this paper, the incorporation maxima of six metals into the structure of precipitated ferrites (in terms of x in Me(x)Fe(3-)(x)O(4), Me represents a noniron metal) were concluded to be 1.0, 1.0, 0.78, 0.49, 0.35, and 0.0 for Zn(2+), Co(2+), Ni(2+), Al(3+), Cd(2+) and Cr(3+), respectively. With the exception of the much larger Cd(2+), these values were associated with kinetic considerations controlled by the H(2)O exchange rate between the hydration shells surrounding the dissolved metal ion.     

Low-pressure hydrogenation of carbon dioxide catalyzed by an iron pincer complex exhibiting noble metal activity

A highly active iron catalyst for the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide and bicarbonates works under remarkably low pressures and achieves activities similar to some of the best noble metal catalysts. A mechanism is proposed involving the direct attack of an iron trans-dihydride on carbon dioxide, followed by ligand exchange and dihydrogen coordination.     

The "funny" current (I(f)) inhibition by ivabradine at membrane potentials encompassing spontaneous depolarization in pacemaker cells

Recent clinical trials have shown that ivabradine (IVA), a drug that inhibits the funny current (I(f)) in isolated sinoatrial nodal cells (SANC), decreases heart rate and reduces morbidity and mortality in patients with cardiovascular diseases. While IVA inhibits I(f), this effect has been reported at essentially unphysiological voltages, i.e., those more negative than the spontaneous diastolic depolarization (DD) between action potentials (APs). We tested the relative potency of IVA to block I(f) over a wide range of membrane potentials, including those that encompass DD governing to the SANC spontaneous firing rate. A clinically relevant IVA concentration of 3 μM to single, isolated rabbit SANC slowed the spontaneous AP firing rate by 15%. During voltage clamp the maximal I(f) was 18 ± 3 pA/pF (at -120 mV) and the maximal I(f) reduction by IVA was 60 ± 8% observed at -92 ± 4 mV. At the maximal diastolic depolarization (~-60 mV) I(f) amplitude was only -2.9 ± 0.4 pA/pF, and was reduced by only 41 ± 6% by IVA. Thus, I(f) amplitude and its inhibition by IVA at physiologically relevant membrane potentials are substantially less than that at unphysiological (hyperpolarized) membrane potentials. This novel finding more accurately describes how IVA affects SANC function and is of direct relevance to numerical modeling of SANC automaticity.     

Plant cystoliths: a complex functional biocomposite of four distinct silica and amorphous calcium carbonate phases

Plant cystoliths are mineralized objects that are formed by specialized cells in the leaves of certain plants. The main mineral component of cystoliths by volume is amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) and the minor component is silica. We show that the silica stalk is formed first and is essential for ACC formation. Furthermore, the cystolith is shown to be composed of four distinct mineral phases with different chemical properties: an almost pure silica phase grades into a Mg-rich silica phase. This Mg-rich silica is overlaid by a relatively stable ACC phase. A bulky and less stable ACC phase encapsulates the first ACC phase. This architecture poses interesting questions about the role of Mg in the silica phase and suggests a strategy for ACC stabilization that takes advantage of a precise regulation of the mineral-growth microenvironment.     

Room temperature crystallization of amorphous polysiloxane using photodimerization

Bulk crystallization in flexible polymeric systems is difficult to control due to the random orientation of the chains. Here we report a photo cross-linking strategy that results in simultaneous cross-linking and crystallization of polysiloxane chains into millimeter sized leaf-like polycrystalline structures. Polymers containing pendant anthracene groups are prepared and undergo [4+4] photocycloaddition under 365 nm irradiation at room temperature. The growth and morphology of the crystalline structures is studied using polarized optical microscopy (POM) and atomic force microscopy and is found to progress through three unique stages of nucleation, growth, and constriction. The mobility of the individual chains is probed using pulsed-field gradient (PFG) NMR to provide insights into the diffusion processes that may govern chain transport to the growing crystal fronts. The room temperature crystallization of this conventionally amorphous polymer system may allow for a new level of morphological control for silicone materials.

Millimeter sized polymer crystallites grow rapidly when anthracene-containing siloxanes are photocrosslinked using UV light.     

Assembly of crystalline halogen-bonded materials by physical vapor deposition

Polycrystalline halogen-bonded assemblies fabricated by physical vapor deposition (PVD) exhibit controllable morphologies and microstructures. Although the solid-state packing may vary going from a solution crystal growth process (used for chromophore single-crystal determination) to a vapor-phase deposition process (used for PVD film fabrication), the corresponding film microstructures are independent of the substrate surface chemistry.