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To investigate the link between sleep disruption and cognitive impairment in childhood epilepsy by studying the effect of epilepsy on sleep homeostasis, as reflected in slow-wave activity (SWA).We examined SWA from overnight EEG-polysomnography in 19 children with focal epilepsy (mean [SD] age 11 years 6 months [3 years], range 6 years 6 months-15 years 6 months; 6 females, 13 males) and 18 age- and sex-matched typically developing controls, correlating this with contemporaneous memory consolidation task scores, full-scale IQ, seizures, and focal interictal discharges.Children with epilepsy did not differ significantly from controls in overnight SWA decline (p = 0.12) or gain in memory performance with sleep (p = 0.27). SWA was lower in patients compared to controls in the first hour of non-rapid eye movement sleep (p = 0.021), although not in those who remained seizure-free (p = 0.26). Full-scale IQ did not correlate with measures of SWA in patients or controls. There was no significant difference in SWA measures between focal and non-focal electrodes.Overnight SWA decline is conserved in children with focal epilepsy and may underpin the preservation of sleep-related memory consolidation in this patient group. Reduced early-night SWA may reflect impaired or immature sleep homeostasis in those with a higher seizure burden.

Background? Cortisol is a marker of physiological arousal, exhibiting a characteristic pattern of diurnal activity. The daily cortisol profile has been examined extensively and is atypical in a number of clinical disorders. However, there are very few studies focussing on the cortisol profile in adults with intellectual disabilities (ID). This paper reports a preliminary investigation into the nature of the cortisol profile in adults with mild or moderate ID and provides reflections on the challenges of psychophysiological research in this population. Methods? On two consecutive days, 39 adults with mild or moderate ID each donated saliva samples for cortisol analysis, at multiple times between waking and evening. A comparison between these data and the published literature permitted a descriptive assessment of the cortisol awakening response (CAR) and diurnal profile. A variety of psychometric measures and an assessment of behavioural history were also collected in order to describe aspects of the participants' emotional and behavioural states. Results? Individuals with ID exhibit a diurnal cortisol secretion profile, qualitatively similar to that of the typical, healthy, adult population. However, the findings also suggested a blunted CAR, warranting further investigation. There was also some evidence that cortisol secretion was affected by anxiety and a recent history of aggression. Conclusion? While further work is required to characterise the CAR fully, there was no indication that the diurnal cortisol profile among people with ID differs from that of the typical population. This study also demonstrates that, although challenging, it is feasible, and acceptable to participants, to collect repeated physiological measures from men and women with mild and moderate ID.

Background and Objectives Miltenberger blood group antigen subtype III (Mi.III) is characterized by expression of a glycophorin B-A-B hybrid (Gp.Mur) on the erythrocyte surface. The two alleles of glycophorin B are substituted with the B–A–B hybrid alleles in homozygous Mi.III (Mi.III+/+), and thus, Mi.III+/+ erythrocytes lack glycophorin B (GPB) and express Gp.Mur only. Because GPB is a major component of the Rh complex on RBCs, in this study, we explored how the absence of GPB might affect Rh expression in Mi.III RBCs. Materials and Methods (1) Mi.III+ RBCs were serologically identified and further differentiated their homozygosity or heterozygosity by immunoblot or direct sequencing. (2) RhD and RhCcEe mRNA was cloned, and their sequences analysed. (3) The expression levels of Rh antigen, Rh-associated glycoprotein (RhAG) and the U antigen in MI.III vs. non-Mi.III RBCs were assessed by flow cytometry and Western blot. Results Compared with the non-Mi.III samples, the surface expression of the Rh antigen was reduced to 76·4% in Mi.III+/+ RBCs and 93·6% in Mi.III+/−. RhAG expression was also significantly reduced in Mi.III+/+, but not in Mi.III+/−. The U antigen expression in Mi.III+/− was only 14·9% relative to the control RBCs, while GPB was half the level of the controls. The mRNA sequences of Rh polypeptides from Mi.III+ samples were identical to the NCBI reference sequences. Conclusion Substitution of GPB with Gp.Mur significantly reduced the expression of Rh antigen and RhAG on the Mi.III+/+ erythrocyte membrane. The Mi.III phenotype is predicted to induce considerable structural variations within the band 3/Rh-associated macrocomplexes.

Liquid phase deposition (LPD) is a wet process in which metal oxide thin films can be deposited on substrates via a chemical equilibrium reaction between a metal fluoro-complex and a metal oxide in aqueous solution. In this study, iron and cobalt doped TiO 2 anatase thin films were deposited on (001) oriented SrTiO 3 single crystal substrates using liquid phase deposition. The process involves the reaction of ammonium hexafluorotitanate and boric acid, in the presence of FeOOH-HF and Co(NO 3 ) 2 -ethylenediamine (en) for the iron and cobalt doped TiO 2 films respectively. Cobalt doping was also attempted by immersing a non-doped TiO 2 film in a solution of Co-en ions. XRD shows that the films are c-axis oriented and films epitaxy was confirmed using pole figure measurements. No metallic secondary phases were detected by XRD and XPS. The iron and cobalt doped films are observed to yield room temperature ferromagnetism. The insulating nature of the films suggests that bound magnetic polarons are responsible for the observed ferromagnetism.

Background. To evaluate the incidence of asymptomatic deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in Chinese after cesarean section (CS). Methods. This is a prospective observational study. Ethnic Chinese women who were asymptomatic for DVT and delivered by CS were included. Duplex ultrasound scan (US) of the lower limbs was carried out 3-7 days after CS. Results. From July 2000 to March 2001, a total of 93 women were examined. The mean age was 32.1 years (SD 5.0). Forty-nine of 93 CSs were elective (52.7%). The median time from CS to US was 4 days (interquartile range, 4-5 days). No case of DVT was found in these 93 women. Conclusion. The incidence of asymptomatic DVT is low in Chinese women after CS. Routine screening for DVT after CS is not warranted.

Rates of degradation of the triazine herbicide atrazine are reported, together with an analysis of the sequence of stages involved, using hydroxyl radicals generated by hydrogen peroxide in the presence of UV light and by the pure photochemical reaction. These conditions bring about the displacement of chlorine by hydroxyl, dealkylation of the alkylamino groups and finally deamination of the triazine ring. The significance of these results to water purification is discussed.

Rates of degradation of the triazine herbicide atrazine are reported, together with an analysis of the sequence of stages involved, using hydroxyl radicals generated by hydrogen peroxide in the presence of UV light and by the pure photochemical reaction. These conditions bring about the displacement of chlorine by hydroxyl, dealkylation of the alkylamino groups and finally deamination of the triazine ring. The significance of these results to water purification is discussed.