Children with autism spectrum disorder who demonstrate normal language scores use a bottom-up semantic processing strategy: Evidence from N400 recordings.

INTRODUCTION: The N400 is an electrophysiological component that reflects lexical access and integration of words with mental representations. METHODS: Thirty-five young children with a range of language capabilities (n = 21 neurotypical controls, 10 males, mean age = 6.3 ± 0.9 years; n = 14 children with autism, 12 males, mean age = 6.4 ± 1.1 years) completed an auditory semantic categorization paradigm to evoke the N400. Electroencephalograph (EEG) data were acquired with a 64-channel electrode cap as children listened via ear inserts to binaurally presented single syllable words and decided whether the words were congruent (in) or incongruent (out) with a pre-specified category. EEG data were filtered, epoched, and averaged referenced, and global field power (GFP) was computed. The amplitude of the N400 peak in the GFP was submitted to a multiple linear regression analysis. RESULTS: N400 amplitude was found to predict language scores only for the children with ASD who have language scores in the normal range (r2  = 0.72). CONCLUSIONS: This finding that N400 amplitude only predicted language scores in children with ASD and normal language scores suggests that these children may rely more on basic semantic processing (as reflected by the N400) and less on anticipating and predicting upcoming words. This suggests preferential utilization of a bottom-up strategy to access higher order language.

A comparative study of DNA binding and cell cycle phase perturbation by the dinuclear complex of Cd(II) with the condensation product of 2-acetylpyridine and malonic acid dihydrazide N',N'(2) -bis[(1E)-1-(2-pyridyl)ethylidene]propanedihydrazide.

Organometallic Cd(II) compounds have recently attracted attention for their anticancer activity. The interaction of the dinuclear complex of Cd(II) with the condensation product of 2-acetylpyridine and malonic acid dihydrazide, N',N'(2) -bis[(1E)-1-(2-pyridyl)ethylidene]propanedihydrazide (Cd(II)H(2) L), with calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) was monitored by blue shift in UV-vis spectra of the complex. The binding constant of Cd(II)H(2) L complex with CT-DNA was determined (K(B) = 1.8 × 10(4) M(-1) ) and was indicative of minor groove binding. Agarose gel electrophoretic changes in mobility of supercoiled and circular forms of pBR322 and pUC18 plasmids in the presence of the complex suggest that conformational changes in the plasmids occur upon binding of the Cd(II)H(2) L complex. The Cd(II)H(2) L complex induced perturbation of the cell cycle phase distribution and an increase in the percentage of cells in the sub-G1 phase of human cervical cancer HeLa cell line and murine melanoma B16 cell line. Immunoblotting analysis showed the overexpression of Bcl-2 protein with the Cd(II)H(2) L complex.

Cytotoxic guaianolide from Anthemis segetalis (Asteraceae).

Two epimeric guaianolides were isolated from the aerial parts of Anthemis segetalis. These compounds have not been detected in any Anthemis species so far. One of them was tested for cytotoxicity against human cervical cancer (HeLa) and murine melanoma (B16) cell lines showing appreciable activity.

Lipophilicity of some guaianolides isolated from two endemic subspecies of Amphoricarpos neumayeri (Asteraceae) from Montenegro.

In this study 10 guaianolide-type sesquiterpene gamma-lactones named amphoricarpolides, isolated from the aerial parts of two endemic subspecies of Amphoricarpos neumayeri (ssp. neumayeri and ssp. murbeckii Bosnjak), were investigated by means of reversed-phase thin-layer chromatography. Methanol-water and tetrahydrofuran-water binary mixtures were used as mobile phase in order to determine lipophilicity parameters R (0) (M) and C(0). Some of the investigated compounds were screened for their cytotoxic activity against HeLa and B16 cells. Chromatographically obtained lipophilicity parameters were correlated with calculated logP values and IC(50) values. Principal component analysis identified the dominant pattern in the chromatographically obtained data.