Physical anthropology and the biobehavioral approach to child growth and development

Recent progress in primatology, neurology and psychology has made it possible to begin to synthesize and combine the data and concepts from these fields into the physical anthropological approach to child growth and development. This paper attempts to conceptualize this new biobehavioral approach, reviewing two studies which exemplify it, already under research at the Krogman Growth Center. The first, which deals with mother-newborn social interaction, explores neonate attachment behaviors and predictable maternal response. The methodology of this study relies heavily on ethological techniques. The second study, involving pre-pubescent and post-pubescent same sex twins, aims to delineate the genetic and environmental components of certain human behavioral qualities, such as intelligence, using the genetic approach to human variation. The problem of how this possibly interacts with the secular trend is also discussed.     

Identification of cis-5-methylproline in hydrolysates of actinomycin Z 5

Actinomycins of the Z series, synthesized by $\text{Streptomyces}$$\text{fradiae}$, contain the unusual amino acid, N-methylalanine, but no proline. Hydrolysates of actinomycin Z₅ were investigated using paper, gas and ion-exchange chromatographic procedures. Identification of an unknown amino acid in actinomycin Z₅ as 5-methylproline was confirmed by mass spectrometry. Configuration of the imino acid was defined as $\text{cis}$.     

Nonsolvent water in liposomes

Summary In liposomes of dimyristoyl lecithin at 40°C, a quantity of water equal to about 11.5 moles water per mole lecithin, or about one-third of the enclosed liposome water or one-fifth of the total pellet water, behaves as if it is unavailable for dissolving sucrose. This phenomenon represents permanent exclusion of sucrose, not simply a space that equilibrates slowly due to the low permeability of sucrose. The amount of nonsolvent water increases with temperature, and is similar to the amount of water bound to the phosphorylcholine groups as estimated by other methods. Nonsolvent water arises from a combination of the forces responsible for salting-out of nonelectrolytes from aqueous solutions by ions, and of steric effects adjacent to a surface. Measured liposome: water partition coeffecients must be corrected for the effect of nonsolvent water.     

Quantitative micro determination and isolation of plasmalogen aldehydes as 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazones

A micro spectrophotometric procedure for the quantitative determination of plasmalogen aldehydes is described which utilizes simultaneous methanolysis and formation of 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazones. After isolation of the hydrazones by thin-layer chromatography, the aldehydes can be regenerated, reduced, acetylated, and then analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography. Identification of the plasmalogen aldehydes obtained from rumen holotrich protozoa is described.