Table of Contents

Abstract: Loss of imprinting (LOI) of insulin-like growth factor II gene (IGF2) is anepigenetic abnormality associated with human diseases. However, little is known about thecharacteristics of IGF2 imprinting in newborn cord blood cells. METHODS: A total of 923cord blood samples from term singletons and related clinical data were collected; IGF2imprinting status in 273 specimens were successfully analyzed using RT-PCR andrestriction fragment length polymorphism. RESULTS: LOI of IGF2 was detected in 20.9%of informative samples. The mean birth weights (BW) in the LOI and the normal imprintinggroups were 3462.7 ± 460.2 g and 3363.7 ± 427.7 g, respectively. The abdominal perimetersin the LOI group tended to be larger than that in the normal imprinting group. Pregnancycomplications, delivery modes, newborn diseases, occurrences of malignant tumors ingrandparents, and other maternal factors were not associated with LOI of IGF2. 22.2% ofthe infants with IGF2 LOI also showed LOI in their father’s lymphocytes while 21.4% intheir mother’s lymphocytes. CONCLUSIONS: About 20% of Han Chinese newbornsindicated LOI of IGF2 in their cord blood lymphocytes that may represent the epigeneticcharacteristics in this ethnic group. While IGF2 LOI tends to be weakly inherited between parents and offspring, abnormal imprinting seems to be statistically unrelated with phenotypes of newborns, although it might have an association with later phenotypes of infants.

Abstract: A homeodomain-containing transcription factor Csx/Nkx2.5 is an importantregulator of cardiogensis in mammals. There has been considerable interest in understandingdeterminants of the diverse cardiac phenotypes associated with Csx/Nkx2.5 mutationssituated within or around the homeodomain in patients. To make clear of the functionalproperties of the regions out of homeodomain, we found that mutants locate outside of thehomeodomain retained intact nuclear localization and have nearly normal or increasedtranscriptional activity but impaired DNA binding capability, the C-terminus region exhibitsan inhibitory function on transcriptional activity of wild type Csx/Nkx2.5, and the NK2-Specific Domain is likely to facilitate both DNA binding and protein-protein interaction. Inthe current study, deletion mutant in homeodomain displayed extremely different biologicalappearance from the mutants with deletion outside of the homeodomain, these may explainthe clinical observation that patients with missense situated outside the homeodomain werenot associated with atrioventricular conduction disturbance.

Abstract: The radical-scavenging activity of estrogens (estrone, 2-hydroxyestradiol),estrogen-like compounds (diethylstilbestrol, DES; bisphenol A, BPA) and the mono-phenolic compound 2,6-di-t-butyl-4-methoxyphenol (BMP) was investigated using themethod of measuring the induction period for polymerization of methyl methacrylate(MMA) initiated by thermal decomposition of 2,2'-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) andbenzoyl peroxide (BPO) at 70°C using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Thestoichiometric factor (n, number of free radicals trapped by one mole of antioxidantmoiety) for the AIBN system declined in the order BMP (2.0), 2-hydroxyestradiol (2.0)>DES (1.3) > BPA (1.2) > estrone (0.9), whereas that for the BPO system declined in theorder BMP (2.0) >DES (1.9), BPA (1.9) > estrone (1.3) > 2-hydroxyestradiol (0.7). Theinhibition rate constant (kinh x 10^-3 M^-1s^-1) for the AIBN system declined in the orderestrone (2.2) > BPA (2.0) > DES (1.9) > 2-hydroxyestradiol (1.2) > BMP (1.1), whereasthat for the BPO system declined in the order 2-hydroxyestradiol (3.2) > estrone (1.4) >DES (1.2) > BPA (1.0) > BMP (0.9). The radical-scavenging activity for bioactivecompounds such as estrogens should be evaluated using these two methods (the n and kinh)to elucidate the mechanism of a particular reaction. The great difference of the n and kinhfor estrogens between the AIBN and BPO system suggested that their oxidation process iscomplex.

Abstract: A series of sulfonium halides bearing allyl groups have been prepared andcharacterized. Anion metathesis with Li[Tf₂N] and Ag[N(CN)₂] resulted in sulfonium-basedionic liquids which exhibit low viscosities at room temperature. The solid state structure ofone of the halide salts was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction.

Abstract: This paper deals with review of exploration of resonance in symmetric topmolecules in different vibrational excited states, v_t = n (n =1, 2, 3, 4). Calculations for CF₃CCH shows that resonance take place at [Eq. 20] and [Eq. 21] for v₁₀ = 2 and v₁₀ = 3 respectively. In order to account for splitting about 3 MHz for the - 2 series in v₁₀ = 4 is necessary to introduce the element {J, k, l |f24| J, k + 2,l − 4} in fitting program.

Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristic polynomials resulting from the molecular graphs used as molecular descriptors in the characterization of the properties of chemical compounds. A formal calculus method is proposed in order to identify the value of the characteristic polynomial parameters for which the extremum values of the squared correlation coefficient are obtained in univariate regression models. The developed calculation algorithm was applied to a sample of nonane isomers. The obtained results revealed that the proposed method produced an accurate and unique solution for the best relationship between the characteristic polynomial as molecular descriptor and the property of interest.

Abstract: Additional specific rates of solvolysis are determined for phenyl chloroformate.These values are combined with literature values to give a total of 49 data points, which areused within simple and extended Grunwald-Winstein treatments. Literature values are alsobrought together to allow treatments in more solvents than previously for three N-aryl-N-methylcarbamoyl chlorides, phenyl chlorothionoformate, phenyl chlorodithioformate, andN,N-diphenylcarbamoyl chloride. For the last two listed, moderately strong evidence for ameaningful inclusion of a term governed by the aromatic ring parameter (I) was indicated.No evidence was found requiring inclusion of this parameter for ionization reactions withonly one aromatic ring on the nitrogen of carbamoyl chlorides or for the solvolyses of thechloroformate or chlorothionoformate proceeding by an addition-elimination (association-dissociation) mechanism.