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We have cloned full-length DDC cDNAs from a human hepatoma cDNA library [DDC; dopa decarboxylase; aromatic-L-amino acid decarboxylase, EC 4.1.1.28]. The protein encoded by hepatoma cells is the same as that encoded by adrenal chromaffin derived pheochromocytoma cells, despite reported differences in biochemical properties. We have confirmed the location of the DDC gene to chromosome 7 using a new panel of somatic cell hybrids, and we have localized the gene to band p11 on chromosome 7 by fluorescent in situ hybridization. The human gene retains 65% amino acid identity with Drosophila DDC (Accession No. X04426) and considerable structural similarity with other enzymes (F.R. Jackson, 1990, J. Mol. Evol. 31:325-329, and references therein).

We investigated whether hypnotizability, dissociation, and belief in psi are related to performance in a precognition task that measures whether later practice enhances previous memory recall. Participants low (n = 19) and high (n = 19, 7 also high in dissociation) in hypnotizability completed the task and a measure of belief in psi, with the experimenters masked as to participants' level of hypnotizability and dissociation. A general precognition effect was not replicated and there was no overall effect for hypnotizability, but high hypnotizables who were low in dissociation differed significantly from dissociative high hypnotizables and from low hypnotizables, and scored below chance. Belief in psi was related to dissociation and history of trauma, and trauma and working memory were negatively correlated. With respect to features of the experiment itself, we were contacted after we bad run about one third of the participants by the developer of the program, who asked us to use a modified version. We did not change our protocol, but decided to analyze the data in segments before and after we were asked to use a different program. Although not significant, the first third of the data was clearly in the direction of psi-hitting whereas later segments were in the opposite direction. A regression analysis controlling for groups showed a significant decline effect. Our results support the value of using selected groups and suggest that dissociation may mediate the effects of hypnotizability in psi performance. Keywords: precognition, hypnosis, hypnotizability, dissociation, decline effect Investigamos si la hipnotizabilidad, la disociacion, y la creencia en psi estaban relacionadas con el desempeno en una prueba de precognicion que media si la practica posterior aumentaba recuerdos anteriores. Los participantes fueron bajos (n = 19) y altos (n = 19, 7 tambien altos en disociacion) en hipnotizabilidad, y completaron prueb as sobre creencias sobre psi mientras los experimentadores estaban ciegos en cuanto a los niveles de hipnotizabilidad y de disociacion. No replicamos el efecto general de precognicion y no hubo un efecto global para hipnotizabilidad, pero los hipnotizables altos que eran bajos en disociacion obtuvieron una diferencia significativa de los que eran altos en disociacion e hipnotizabilidad y de los que eran bajos en hipnotizabilidad, y obtuvieron puntuaciones significativas bajo lo esperado al azar. La creencia en psi estuvo relacionada a la disociacion y a la historia de trauma, y el trauma y la memoria de trabajo (working memory) obtuvieron una correlacion negativa. Despues de procesar alrededor de una tercera parte de los participantes el desarrollador del programa se puso en contacto con nosotros y nos solicito que usaramos una version modificada del programa. No cambiamos el protocolo pero decidimos analizar los datos en segmentos antes y despues de que nos solicitaran usar otro programa. Aunque no fue significativa, la primera tercera parte de los datos mostro una direccion hacia tener aciertos mientras que otros segmentos mostraron una direccion opuesta. Un analisis de regresion controlando por grupos mostro un efecto de declinacion significativo. Nuestros resultados apoyan el valor de usar grupos especiales y sugieren que la disociacion puede mediar los efectos de la hipnotizabilidad en la manifestacion de psi. Nous avons etudie si l'hypnotisabilite, la dissociation et la croyance au psi etaient liees a la performance dans une tache de precognition qui mesure si une pratique ulterieure ameliore le rappel de souvenirs anterieur. Les participants bas (n = 19) et hauts (n = 19, 7 egalement hauts en dissociation) en hypnotisabilite ont complete la tache et une mesure de la croyance au psi sans que les experimentateurs ne sachent leur niveau d'hypnotisabilite et de dissociation. Un effet de precognition generale ne fut pas replique et il n'y a pas d'effet global pour l'hypnotisabilite, mais les personnes ayant a la fois un score eleve en hypnotisabilite et bas en dissociation differaient significativement des personnes ayant un score eleve en dissociation et de celles ayant un score bas en hypnotisabilite, et obtenaient des resultats inferieurs au hasard. La croyance au psi fut liee a la dissociation et a une histoire de trauma, et le trauma et la memoire de travail furent correles negativement. En ce qui concerne les caracteristiques de l'experience elle-meme, nous avons ete contacte apres avoir commence les essais d'un tiers des participants par le developpeur du programme qui nous a demande d'utiliser une version modifiee. Nous n'avons pas change notre protocole, mais nous avons decide d'analyser les donnees par segments avant et apres que nous ayons du utiliser un programme different. Bien que non significatif, le premier tiers des donnees etait clairement en direction d'un succes psi tandis que les segments suivants allaient dans la direction opposee. Une analyse de regression controlant les groupes montra un effet de declin significatif. Nos resultats encouragent l'utilisation de groupes selectionnes et suggerent que la dissociation pourrait mediatiser les effets de l'hypnotisabilite dans la performance psi. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG: Wir untersuchten, ob sich Hypnotisierbarkeit, Dissoziation und der Glaube an Psi auf das Abschneiden bei einer Prakognitionsaufgabe auswirken, die messen sollte, ob eine spatere Ubung eine vorherige Gedachtnisleistung verstarkt. Teilnehmer mit geringer (n = 19) und hoher (n = 19, 7 davon auch mit hoher Dissoziation) Hypnotisierbarkeit absolvierten die Aufgabe und fullten einen Fragebogen zur Messung des Glaubens an Psi aus, wobei die Experimentatoren in Bezug auf den jeweiligen Grad der Hypnotisierbarkeit und Dissoziation der Teilnehmer verblindet waren. Ein allgemeiner Prakognitionseffekt liess sich nicht replizieren, und es zeigte sich kein Gesamteffekt in Bezug auf Hypnotisierbarkeit; leicht Hypnotisierbare mit geringen Dissoziationswerten unterschieden sich jedoch signifikant von dissoziierten leicht Hypnotisierbaren und von schlecht Hypnotisierbaren und schnitten zudem unterzufallig ab. Der Glaube an Psi hing mit Dissoziation und der Geschichte des Traumas zusammen, und Trauma und Arbeitsgedachtnis waren negativ korreliert. Was besondere Merkmale des Experiments selbst betraf, so wurden wir--nachdem wir uber ein Drittel der Teilnehmer getestet hatten--vom Programmentwickler kontaktiert mit der Bitte, eine modifizierte Version zu verwenden. Wir anderten nicht unser Protokoll, entschlossen uns aber, die Daten in Segmenten auszuwerten--entweder vor dem Zeitpunkt oder nachdem wir gebeten wurden, ein unterschiedliches Programm zu verwenden. Obwohl nicht signifikant, deutete das erste Drittel der Daten eindeutig in Richtung eines Psi-Hitting, wahrend die spateren Segmente in die gegenteilige Richtung gingen. Eine Regressionsanalyse, in der der Gruppeneinfluss kontrolliert wurde, zeigte einen signifikanten Absinkungseffekt. Unsere Ergebnisse unterstutzen die Annahme, dass es wichtig ist, mit ausgewahlten Gruppen zu arbeiten und legen die Vermutung nahe, dass Dissoziation die Wirkungen von Hypnotisierbarkeit in Bezug auf Psi-Trefferleistungen vermittelt., Honorton and Ferrari (1989) conducted a meta-analysis of precognitive experiments published between 1935 and 1987 and concluded that there is experimental support for precognition and that it could not likely [...]

A novel fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) missense mutation has been identified in four unrelated patients with skeletal dysplasia with severity near that seen in thanatophoric dysplasia type I (TD1). The mutation is at the nucleotide beside the TD type II mutation. Three of the four have severe neurological problems and developed extensive areas of acanthosis nigricans in early childhood. They got past infancy with no prolonged life-support. The phenotype caused by the Lys650Met mutation is called 'severe achondroplasia with developmental delay and acanthosis nigricans' (SADDAN) because it is quite different from the phenotypes of other FGFR3 mutations that have been identified.

We isolated interspecific somatic cell hybrids between human peripheral leukocytes and a temperature-sensitive CHO cell line with a thermolabile asparaginyl-tRNA synthetase. The hybrids were selected at 39 degrees C so as to require the expression of the human gene complementing the deficient CHO enzyme. In vitro heat-inactivation profiles of cell-free extracts from temperature-resistant hybrid cells indicate the presence of two forms of asparaginyl-tRNA synthetase. One form is very resistant to thermal inactivation, like the normal human enzyme, while the other form is very thermolabile, like the altered enzyme from the CHO parent. Hybrids and temperature-sensitive segregants derived from them were analyzed for the expression of known human chromosomal marker enzymes. The strong correlation between the expression of the human form of asparaginyl-tRNA synthetase and the presence of human chromosome 18 in hybrids suggests that the human gene, asnS, which corrects the heat-sensitive phenotype of the CHO asparaginyl-tRNA synthetase mutant, is located on chromosome 18.

Mutations in the transmembrane domain of FGFR3 gene result in the most common genetic form of dwarfism, achondroplasia (ACH). Point mutations in the FGFR3 gene in ACH heterozygotes and homozygotes reveal that the mutations in 15 of the 16 ACH-affected chromosomes are similar, being a G to A transition at nucleotide 1138, while the only ACH-affected chromosome 4 shows G to C transversion at the same position. Both mutations result in the same Gly-380 to Arg-380 substitution in the FGFR3 gene product.

The genes coding for the human gamma-1 and gamma-2 subunits of the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor were mapped to chromosomes 4 and 5. Further deletion mapping showed that the gamma-1 and gamma-2 genes are located at the 4p14-q21.1 and 5q31.1-q33.2 regions, respectively. These regions correspond to the map locations of previously mapped GABA receptor genes. These results indicate that members of the GABA receptor gene family are organized in nonrandom gene clusters distributed widely in the human genome.