Search

An established technology to create cloned animals is through the use of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), in which reprogramming the somatic cell nucleus to a totipotent state by enucleated oocyte cytoplasm is a necessary process, including telomere length reprogramming. The limitation of this technology; however, is that the live birth rate of offspring produced through SCNT is significantly lower than that of IVF. Whether and how telomere length play a role in the development of cloned animals is not well understood. Only a few studies have evaluated this association in cloned mice, and fewer still in cloned cows. In this study, we investigated the difference in telomere length as well as the abundance of some selected molecules between newborn deceased cloned calves and normal cows of different ages either produced by SCNT or via natural conception, in order to evaluate the association between telomere length and abnormal development of cloned cows. The absolute telomere length and relative mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number were determined by real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR), telomere related gene abundance by reverse-transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), and senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) expression by SA-β-gal staining. The results demonstrate that the newborn deceased SCNT calves had significantly shortened telomere lengths compared to newborn naturally conceived calves and newborn normal SCNT calves. Significantly lower mtDNA copy number, and significantly lower relative abundance of LMNB1 and TERT , higher relative abundance of CDKN1A , and aberrant SA-β-gal expression were observed in the newborn deceased SCNT calves, consistent with the change in telomere length. These results demonstrate that abnormal telomere shortening, lower mtDNA copy number and abnormal abundance of related genes were specific to newborn deceased SCNT calves, suggesting that abnormally short telomere length may be associated with abnormal development in the cloned calves. • The association of telomere length and related genes with developmental abnormalities in cloned calves was investigated. • Shortened telomere length and reduced mtDNA copy number were specific to newborn deceased SCNT calves. • Abnormal telomere shortening may be associated with abnormal development in cloned cows. • To help further understand the role of telomeres in developmental barriers to cloned calves. • Telomeres and related genes may be able to serve as molecular targets to enhance live birth rates in cloned calves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a field-collected Hyalomma anatolicum gynandromorph in Xinjiang, China. Compared to the normal H. anatolicum, the gynandromorphic tick was a typical bipartite protogynander: half of the tick body displayed normal female traits, whereas the other side showed normal male traits. The engorged gynandromorphic tick laid hundreds of eggs, and the eggs looked normal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parables are considered to be an effective tool in a psychologist’s work with parents of children with abnormal development. As a kind of metaphor, parables actuate neurodynamic mechanisms of the personality’s reflection of actual life issues. The use of parables is specific, depending on the psychodynamic stage of the family with a child who has some developmental problems. The requests of parents of children with abnormal development were classified and the parables were matched to each underlying request type. The use of various options of work with stories by psychologist in the therapeutic process is possible. The authors give some examples of parables at the end.

Valdemar Landgren,1,2 Zohar Raanan Soltis,1 Emma Svensson,3 Michail Theodosiou,2,4 Magnus Landgren,2 Rajna Knez2,5 1Department of Psychiatry, Skaraborg Hospital, Skövde, Sweden; 2Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; 3Department of Child Psychiatry, Skaraborg Hospital, Skövde, Sweden; 4School Health Services, City of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; 5Department of Pediatrics, Skaraborg Hospital, Skövde, SwedenCorrespondence: Valdemar Landgren, Department of Psychiatry, Skaraborg Hospital Skövde, Lövängsvägen, Skövde, 541 45, Sweden, Tel +46702960450, Email valdemar.landgren@gu.sePurpose: Determine the prevalence of symptoms of neurodevelopmental problems (NDPs) with a semi-structured review of fourth grade students’ medical records, its interrater agreement and validity as compared with clinical assessment.Methods: A school-based sample of 11-year-old children provided child health care (CHC) records and school health care (SHC) records. A pediatric neurologist, child psychiatrist and an adult psychiatrist scored the records, with the “Early Symptomatic Syndromes Eliciting Neurodevelopmental Clinical Examinations-Questionnaire” (ESSENCE-Q, 12 items scored 0– 2, summary score range 0– 24). Agreement was measured with model-based kappa and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Ratings were validated against a multidisciplinary assessment involving a physician, psychologist, teacher- and parental behavioral rating scales rendering a clinical global impression severity rating (CGI-S, range 1– 7) of NDPs.Results: Out of 223 participants, medical charts were available from 201, of whom 169 were rated by all three raters. Kappa agreement was moderate/strong (~0.8) for 7 of the 12 questionnaire items. Measured with the ICC, concordance in the summary score was good for agreement (~0.8) and excellent (~0.9) for consistency. Test–retest reliability was excellent (ICC = ~0.9). Area under the curve for the ESSENCE-Q in predicting clinical-level problems (CGI ≥ 4) was ~80% for all three raters, albeit with differing optimal cutoffs.Conclusion: Using the ESSENCE-Q as a template, NDPs appear to be common in medical records, are identified reliably, and predict clinical-level concern. Medical records screening may facilitate a structured review of medical records in work-ups or be applied in conjunction with other screening measures for neurodevelopmental disorders. However, differences in calibration currently preclude defining a universal cutoff for using the ESSENCE-Q for medical records screening.Keywords: neurodevelopmental disorders, medical records, abnormal development, child health, ESSENCE

Mecoprop-p, a chlorophenoxy herbicide, has been widely used since the 1980s. Due to its high water solubility, it could be detected in the aquatic environment, as it has already been detected in the surface water or groundwater in several countries. The toxicity of other chlorophenoxy herbicides has been reported; however, there are few studies on the toxicity of mecoprop-p, one of the chlorophenoxy herbicides, on aquatic organisms. Here, we investigated the toxic effects of mecoprop-p using zebrafish. After mecoprop-p exposure, we observed that the zebrafish larvae eyes did not form normally, heart edema was generated, and the body length was shortened. The number of cells undergoing apoptosis also increased in the anterior part including head, heart, and yolk sac of the mecoprop-p-treated zebrafish compared to the untreated controls. Moreover, cardiovascular structures, including the heart and aortic arches, were also malformed after exposure to mecoprop-p. Therefore, our results suggest that mecoprop-p could cause abnormal development in zebrafish larvae and there is also a high possibility that mecoprop-p would be toxic to other aquatic organisms.

Global warming is affecting the composition, structure, and function of marine ecosystems. The increase in hypoxic regions due to stratification is a major environmental problem worldwide. Off the southern coast of Korea, hypoxia occurs frequently in summer, and the area of water affected is gradually expanding. In this study, we investigated the effects of hypoxia on the eggs of copepods in the order Calanoida. Data on the distribution and abundance of eggs in benthic sediments were collected from 17 stations, using a piston core sampler (64 mm internal diameter, 50 cm length), from August 1 to 7, 2012. Significant variations in the distribution of calanoid eggs and the occurrence of abnormalities in egg development were found between stations. The abundance of eggs found in the sediments ranged from 0.004 to 2.389 × 106 eggs·m−2, with higher abundances identified in hypoxic than in normoxic areas. The proportion of abnormal eggs ranged from 0 to 92.7%. In particular, there were significantly more abnormal than normal eggs in areas where hypoxia occurred (p < 0.01). These results show that hypoxia can have a lethal effect on calanoid eggs and further affect population and community dynamics.

Abstract Background Spinal dysraphism with a hamartomatous growth (appendix) of the spinal cord is better known as herniated spinal cord. There are many arguments in favour of considering it a developmental defect. From this point of view, it is a type of neural tube disorder. Neural tube disorders can be caused by multiple factors, including a genetic factor. A common genetic defect in patients with a spinal dysraphism with a hamartomatous growth of the spinal cord is sought for. Case presentation In two patients with a symptomatic lesion and referred to an academic hospital a genetic analysis was performed after informed consent. Whole-exome analysis was performed. : Whole-exome analysis did not result in identification of a clinically relevant genetic variant. Conclusions This the first study to investigate the genetic contribution to spinal dysraphism with a hamartomatous growth (appendix) of the spinal cord. We could not establish a genetic cause for this entity. This conclusion cannot be definitive due to the small sample size. However, the incidental occurrence, the lack of reports of inheritance of this disorder and the absence of contribution to syndromal disorders favours a defect of normal development of the spinal cord.

Lipid accumulation is a major factor in the development of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Currently, there is a lack of intervention or therapeutic drugs against NAFLD. In this study, we investigated the ability of Sargassum fusiforme polysaccharide (SFPS) to reduce lipid accumulation induced by high sugar in HepG2 cells and Drosophila melanogaster larvae. The results indicated that SFPS significantly (p <.01) decreased the accumulation of lipid droplets in high sugar–induced HepG2 cells. Furthermore, SFPS also suppressed the expression of Srebp and Fas (genes involved in lipogenesis) and increased the expression of PPARɑ and Cpt1 (genes that participated in fatty acid β‐oxidation) in these cells. SFPS markedly reduced the content of triglyceride of the third instar larvae developed from D. melanogaster eggs reared on the high‐sucrose diet. The expression of the Srebp and Fas genes in the larvae was also inhibited whereas the expression of two genes involved in the β‐oxidation of fatty acids, Acox57D‐d and Fabp, was increased in the larval fat body (a functional homolog of the human liver). We also found that SFPS ameliorated developmental abnormalities induced by the high‐sucrose diet. These results of this study suggest that SFPS could potentially be used as a therapeutic agent for the prevention and treatment of NAFLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potato tuber moth, Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller), is a destructive pest of Solanaceous crops. This study investigated the effects of X-ray irradiation on development, DNA damage and recovery in P. operculella. Eggs, larvae (*3rd and 5th), pupae, and adults were irradiated with various doses of X-ray irradiation. Egg hatching was inhibited at 70 Gy, and the pupation and adult emergence of 3rd-instar larvae were inhibited at 150 Gy and 70 Gy, respectively. Some 5th-instar larvae pupated at 150 Gy but failed to emerge as adults at 150 Gy. The adult emergence of pupae that spawned at 150 Gy, but egg hatching of F1 generation was completely inhibited. In addition, the adult emergence of irradiated-pupae was completely inhibited at 200 Gy. Adults spawned at 150 Gy, but the hatching of the F1 generation was completely suppressed. The levels of DNA damage and repair in P. operculella adults were investigated using the alkaline comet assay. The results indicated that X-ray irradiation increased DNA damage in a dose-dependent manner and showed that DNA damage was repaired in a time-dependent manner. However, damage from a high radiation doses was not completely repaired. This result suggests that at least 150 Gy radiation should be used for the control P. operculella. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface electromyography (sEMG) can be used to assess the integrity of the neuromuscular system and its impairment in neurological disorders. Here we will consider several issues related to the current clinical applications, difficulties and limited usage of sEMG for the assessment and rehabilitation of children with cerebral palsy. The uniqueness of this methodology is that it can determine hyperactivity or inactivity of selected muscles, which cannot be assessed by other methods. In addition, it can assist for intervention or muscle/tendon surgery acts, and it can evaluate integrated functioning of the nervous system based on multi-muscle sEMG recordings and assess motor pool activation. The latter aspect is especially important for understanding impairments of the mechanisms of neural controllers rather than malfunction of individual muscles. Although sEMG study is an important tool in both clinical research and neurorehabilitation, the results of a survey on the clinical relevance of sEMG in a typical department of pediatric rehabilitation highlighted its limited clinical usage. We believe that this is due to limited knowledge of the sEMG and its neuromuscular underpinnings by many physiotherapists, as a result of lack of emphasis on this important methodology in the courses taught in physical therapy schools. The lack of reference databases or benchmarking software for sEMG analysis may also contribute to the limited clinical usage. Despite the existence of educational and technical barriers to a widespread use of, sEMG does provide important tools for planning and assessment of rehabilitation treatments for children with cerebral palsy.

This study investigated patterns of cortical organization in adolescents who had sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI) during early childhood to determine ways in which early head injury may alter typical brain development. Increased gyrification in other patient populations is associated with polymicrogyria and aberrant development, but this has not been investigated in TBI. Seventeen adolescents (mean age = 14.1 ± 2.4) who sustained a TBI between 1–8 years of age, and 17 demographically-matched typically developing children (TDC) underwent a high-resolution, T1-weighted 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 6–15 years post-injury. Cortical white matter volume and organization was measured using FreeSurfer's Local Gyrification Index (LGI). Despite a lack of significant difference in white matter volume, participants with TBI demonstrated significantly increased LGI in several cortical regions that are among those latest to mature in normal development, including left parietal association areas, bilateral dorsolateral and medial frontal areas, and the right posterior temporal gyrus, relative to the TDC group. Additionally, there was no evidence of increased surface area in the regions that demonstrated increased LGI. Higher Vineland-II Socialization scores were associated with decreased LGI in right frontal and temporal regions. The present results suggest an altered pattern of expected development in cortical gyrification in the TBI group, with changes in late-developing frontal and parietal association areas. Such changes in brain structure may underlie cognitive and behavioral deficits associated with pediatric TBI. Alternatively, increased gyrification following TBI may represent a compensatory mechanism that allows for typical development of cortical surface area, despite reduced brain volume. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface electromyography (sEMG) can be used to assess the integrity of the neuromuscular system and its impairment in neurological disorders. Here we will consider several issues related to the current clinical applications, difficulties and limited usage of sEMG for the assessment and rehabilitation of children with cerebral palsy. The uniqueness of this methodology is that it can determine hyperactivity or inactivity of selected muscles, which cannot be assessed by other methods. In addition, it can assist for intervention or muscle/tendon surgery acts, and it can evaluate integrated functioning of the nervous system based on multi-muscle sEMG recordings and assess motor pool activation. The latter aspect is especially important for understanding impairments of the mechanisms of neural controllers rather than malfunction of individual muscles. Although sEMG study is an important tool in both clinical research and neurorehabilitation, the results of a survey on the clinical relevance of sEMG in a typical department of pediatric rehabilitation highlighted its limited clinical usage. We believe that this is due to limited knowledge of the sEMG and its neuromuscular underpinnings by many physiotherapists, as a result of lack of emphasis on this important methodology in the courses taught in physical therapy schools. The lack of reference databases or benchmarking software for sEMG analysis may also contribute to the limited clinical usage. Despite the existence of educational and technical barriers to a widespread use of, sEMG does provide important tools for planning and assessment of rehabilitation treatments for children with cerebral palsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first years of life represent an important phase of maturation of the central nervous system, processing of sensory information, posture control and acquisition of the locomotor function. Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common group of motor disorders in childhood attributed to disturbances in the fetal or infant brain, frequently resulting in impaired gait. Here we will consider various findings about functional maturation of the locomotor output in early infancy, and how much the dysfunction of gait in children with CP can be related to spinal neuronal networks vs. supraspinal dysfunction. A better knowledge about pattern generation circuitries in infancy may improve our understanding of developmental motor disorders, highlighting the necessity for regulating the functional properties of abnormally developed neuronal locomotor networks as a target for early sensorimotor rehabilitation. Various clinical approaches and advances in biotechnology are also considered that might promote acquisition of the locomotor function in infants at risk for locomotor delays.

We investigated how early injuries to developing brain affect the interaction of locomotor patterns with the voluntary action required by obstacle clearance. This task requires higher cognitive load and specific anticipatory sensorimotor integration than more automated steady-state gait. To this end, we compared the adaptive gait patterns during obstacle clearance in 40 children with cerebral palsy (CP) (24 diplegic, 16 hemiplegic, 2–12 yr) and 22 typically developing (TD) children (2–12 yr) by analyzing gait kinematics, joint moments during foot elevation, electromyographic (EMG) activity of 11 pairs of bilateral muscles, and muscle modules evaluated by factorization of the EMG signals. The results confirmed generally slower task performance, plus difficulty in motor planning and control in CP. Thus ~30% of diplegic children failed to perform the task. Children with CP demonstrated higher foot lift, smaller range of motion of distal segments, difficulties in properly activating the hamstring muscles at liftoff, and a modified hip strategy when elevating the trailing limb. Basic muscle modules were generally roughly similar to TD patterns, though they showed a limited adaptation. Thus a distinct activation burst in the adaptable muscle module timed to the voluntary task (liftoff) was less evident in CP. Children with CP also showed prolonged EMG burst durations. Impaired obstacle task performance may reflect impaired or less adaptable supraspinal and spinal control of gait when a locomotor task is superimposed with the voluntary movement. Neurorehabilitation of gait in CP may thus be beneficial by adding voluntary tasks such as obstacle clearance during gait performance. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Previous studies mainly evaluated the neuromuscular pattern generation in cerebral palsy (CP) during unobstructed gait. Here we characterized impairments in the obstacle task performance associated with a limited adaptation of the task-relevant muscle module timed to the foot lift during obstacle crossing. Impaired task performance in children with CP may reflect basic developmental deficits in the adaptable control of gait when the locomotor task is superimposed with the voluntary movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Spinal dysraphism with a hamartomatous growth (appendix) of the spinal cord is better known as herniated spinal cord. There are many arguments in favour of considering it a developmental defect. From this point of view, it is a type of neural tube disorder. Neural tube disorders can be caused by multiple factors, including a genetic factor. A common genetic defect in patients with a spinal dysraphism with a hamartomatous growth of the spinal cord is sought for.Case Presentation: In two patients with a symptomatic lesion and referred to an academic hospital a genetic analysis was performed after informed consent. Whole-exome analysis was performed. : Whole-exome analysis did not result in identification of a clinically relevant genetic variant.Conclusions: This the first study to investigate the genetic contribution to spinal dysraphism with a hamartomatous growth (appendix) of the spinal cord. We could not establish a genetic cause for this entity. This conclusion cannot be definitive due to the small sample size. However, the incidental occurrence, the lack of reports of inheritance of this disorder and the absence of contribution to syndromal disorders favours a defect of normal development of the spinal cord. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potato tuber moth, Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller), is a destructive pest of Solanaceous crops. This study investigated the effects of X-ray irradiation on development, DNA damage and recovery in P. operculella. Eggs, larvae (*3rd and 5th), pupae, and adults were irradiated with various doses of X-ray irradiation. Egg hatching was inhibited at 70 Gy, and the pupation and adult emergence of 3rd-instar larvae were inhibited at 150 Gy and 70 Gy, respectively. Some 5th-instar larvae pupated at 150 Gy but failed to emerge as adults at 150 Gy. The adult emergence of pupae that spawned at 150 Gy, but egg hatching of F1 generation was completely inhibited. In addition, the adult emergence of irradiated-pupae was completely inhibited at 200 Gy. Adults spawned at 150 Gy, but the hatching of the F1 generation was completely suppressed. The levels of DNA damage and repair in P. operculella adults were investigated using the alkaline comet assay. The results indicated that X-ray irradiation increased DNA damage in a dose-dependent manner and showed that DNA damage was repaired in a time-dependent manner. However, damage from a high radiation doses was not completely repaired. This result suggests that at least 150 Gy radiation should be used for the control P. operculella.

In this paper, we report some morphological abnormalities for the deep-sea shrimp Glyphocrangon aculeata A. Milne-Edwards, 1881, collected from the western South Atlantic. All specimens analysed herein were collected in Potiguar Basin, located in northeastern Brazil, through bottom trawls along the continental slope between 150 and 2068 m depth in 2009 and 2011. Out of 59 specimens, one ovigerous female, collected at 1074 m depth, was registered with abnormalities in some regions of the carapace, abdomen and telson. Factors such as genetic mutations, nutritional alterations, or deformities during ecdysis are suggested as being the most probable cause of the deformities reported here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stem/progenitor cells are promising candidates for the regeneration of parenchyma in acute and chronic renal failure. However, recent data exhibit that survival of stem/progenitor cells after implantation in diseased renal parenchyma is restricted. To elaborate basic parameters improving survival, cell seeding was simulated under advanced in vitro conditions. After isolation, renal stem/progenitor cells were mounted in a polyester interstitium for perfusion culture. During generation of tubules, chemically defined CO2 Independent Medium or Leibovitz’s L-15 Medium was applied. Specimens were then fixed for transmission electron microscopy to analyze morphological features in generated tubules. Fixation in conventional glutaraldehyde (GA) solution shows development of tubules each exhibiting a polarized epithelium, an intact basal lamina and an inconspicuous interstitium. In contrast, special fixation of specimens in GA solution containing cupromeronic blue, ruthenium red or tannic acid unveils previously not visible extracellular matrix. Control experiments elucidate that a comparable extracellular matrix is not present in the interstitium of the matured kidney. Thus, generation of renal tubules in combination with advanced fixation of specimens for electron microscopy demonstrates that development of abnormal features in the newly developed interstitium has to be considered, when repair of renal parenchyma is performed by implantation of stem/progenitor cells.

Tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum Mill.) is one of the most important horticultural crops, belonging to the family Solanaceae. Owing to the significance of tomato as a model plant in genetic studies, little is known about the floral development in this plant. The organogenesis of tomato flowers was studied using epi-illumination light microscopy. The flowers were pentamerous with the acropetal and asynchronous inception of floral whorls. The initiation of sepals, petals and stamens followed helically, unidirectionally and bidirectionally, respectively. The high occurrence of floral abnormalities was remarkable. The initiation of a higher number of organ primordia was observed for sepals, petals, stamens and carpels. The increase in the number of organs resulted from the duplication of organ primordia, especially for the stamen whorl. Based on previous studies, low temperature was probably responsible for the abnormal development of tomato flowers.

Trifloxystrobin (TFS) is one of the extensively used strobilurin fungicides, which is composed of four enantiomers and its active form is E,E-TFS. In this study, we assess the acute toxicity of four enantiomers, E,E−, E,Z-, Z,E−, and Z,Z-TFS in zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos. Among the four enantiomers, only E,E-TFS was found to be acutely toxic, with an estimated LC 50 value of 0.68 mg/L. Treatment with E,E-TFS resulted in various phenotypic changes in the embryos, including pericardial and yolk-sac edema, spine curvature, and blood pooling. And it shortened the whole body length in the treated embryos by increasing the total intersegmental vessel numbers using a Tg(fli1a:EGFP) zebrafish line. Further study using Tg(cmlc2:EGFP) zebrafish line revealed that E,E-TFS treatment was associated with cardiac malformations, a failure of heart function, and a lowered heartbeat rate at the concentration of 0.25 mg/L. Also, the differential gene expression analysis identified significant down-regulation of vmhc and cacna1c genes encoding ventricular myosin heavy chain and calcium voltage-gated channel subunit alpha 1C, which are crucial for heart development. These results suggest the need for regular monitoring of E,E-TFS enantiomers after field application and further research into their potential chronic effects on environmental organisms. [Display omitted] • E,E-Trifloxystrobin (E,E-TFS) showed stronger acute toxicity to zebrafish embryos. • Among four enantiomers, only E,E-TFS exhibited LC 50 value of 0.68 mg/L. • E,E-TFS caused morphological changes including pericardial and yolk-sac edemas. • E,E-TFS induced abnormal cardiac formation with the failure of heart function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing application of toxic plant substances to deter and fight ticks proves the need for investigations focused on the elucidation of their impact on the developmental stages and populations of these arthropods. We examined the course of embryogenesis and egg hatch in Hyalomma marginatum ticks under the effect of cytotoxic plant substances. The investigations demonstrated that the length of embryonic development of egg batches treated with 20 μL of a 0.1875% colchicine solution did not differ significantly from that in the control group. Colchicine caused the high mortality of eggs (16.3%) and embryos (9.7%), disturbances in larval hatch (8.1%), and lower numbers of normal larval hatches (65.6%). In 0.2% of the larvae, colchicine induced anomalies in the idiosoma (67.6%) and gnathosoma (22.5%) as well as composite anomalies (8.5%). The study demonstrates that cytotoxic compounds with an effect similar to that of colchicine can reduce tick populations and cause teratological changes, which were observed in the specimens found during field studies. Since there are no data on the toxic effects of active plant substances on other organisms and the risk of development of tick resistance, a strategy for the use of such compounds in tick control and the management of plant products should be developed.

Background Quaternary ammonium compounds are a large class of chemicals used for their antimicrobial and antistatic properties. Two common quaternary ammonium compounds, alkyldimethylbenzyl ammonium chloride (ADBAC) and didecyldimethyl ammonium chloride (DDAC), are combined in common cleaners and disinfectants. Introduction of a cleaner containing ADBAC+DDAC in the vivarium caused neural tube defects (NTDs) in mice and rats. Methods To further evaluate this finding, male and female mice were dosed in the feed at 60 or 120 mg/kg/day, or by oral gavage at 7.5, 15, or 30 mg/kg ADBAC+DDAC. Mice also received ambient exposure to ADBAC+DDAC from the disinfectant used in the mouse room. Embryos were evaluated on gestational day 10 for NTDs, and fetuses were evaluated on gestational day 18 for gross and skeletal malformations. Results We found increased NTDs with exposure to ADBAC+DDAC in both rats and mice. The NTDs persisted for two generations after cessation of exposure. Notably, male exposure alone was sufficient to cause NTDs. Equally significant, ambient exposure from disinfectant use in the vivarium, influenced the levels of NTDs to a greater extent than oral dosing. No gross or significant axial skeletal malformations were observed in late gestation fetuses. Placental abnormalities and late gestation fetal deaths were increased at 120 mg/kg/day, which might explain the lack of malformations observed in late gestation fetuses. Conclusion These results demonstrate that ADBAC+DDAC in combination are teratogenic to rodents. Given the increased use of these disinfectants, further evaluation of their safety in humans and their contribution to health and disease is essential. Birth Defects Research 109:1166-1178, 2017. © 2017 The Authors. Birth Defects Research Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In studies of marine larvae, it is common to use days post-hatch as a developmental reference point. We show that age is a poor measure of morphological and physiological development in Atlantic cod. Therefore, we propose a set of five developmental stages of Atlantic cod from start-feeding until the juvenile stage, based on cranial ossification as previously done in Atlantic halibut. Cod follows a sequence of cranial ossification that is to a large extent preserved in most fish species examined. These stages are therefore tools to standardize sampling and to reduce growth dependent variation in the analysis of larvae during development. We show that several developmental stages are present in the same rearing unit at a given time. We also demonstrate that nutrition during early development is a vital foundation for robust skeletal development. Cod larvae supplied with copepods instead of rotifers followed by Artemia , develop less skeletal deformities at 10 cm standard length, despite given the same formulated feed from 1.8 cm standard length and onwards. Statement of relevance This paper provides developmental stages that are vital for best practice protocols in aquaculture. By relating farming practices to developmental stages and not age, the right treatment ect may be provided. This manuscript does also highlight the importance of nutrition during live feed stages on events that may occur late in the production cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

G9A-like protein (GLP) plays an important role in mouse early embryonic development. Glp-deficient embryos exhibit severe growth retardation and defects that lead to lethality at approximately Embryonic Day 9.5. In the present study we investigated the effect of microinjection of Glp-specific short interference (si) RNA into mouse zygotes on in vitro embryonic development.Knockdown ofGlp induced abnormal embryonic development and reduced blastocyst formation. Expression of the pluripotency markers octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (Oct4), SRY (sex determining region Y)-box 2 (Sox2) and Nanog was also significantly decreased in Glp-deficient embryos. The apoptotic index and expression of two pro-apoptotic genes, namely Caspase 3 and Caspase 9, were increased in Glp-deficient embryos. Moreover, methylation levels of dimethylated H3K9 (H3K9me2) were decreased in Glp-knockdown embryos. In conclusion, the results of the present study suggest that Glp deficiency suppresses H3K9me2 modification and hinders mouse embryo development in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detailed descriptions of gait impairments have been reported in cerebral palsy (CP), but it is still unclear how maturation of the spinal motoneuron output is affected. Spatiotemporal alpha-motoneuron activation during walking can be assessed by mapping the electromyographic activity profiles from several, simultaneously recorded muscles onto the anatomical rostrocaudal location of the motoneuron pools in the spinal cord, and by means of factor analysis of the muscle activity profiles. Here, we analysed gait kinematics and EMG activity of 11 pairs of bilateral muscles with lumbosacral innervation in 35 children with CP (19 diplegic, 16 hemiplegic, 2-12 years) and 33 typically developing (TD) children (1-12 years). TD children showed a progressive reduction of EMG burst durations and a gradual reorganization of the spatiotemporal motoneuron output with increasing age. By contrast, children with CP showed very limited age-related changes of EMG durations and motoneuron output, as well as of limb intersegmental coordination and foot trajectory control (on both sides for diplegic children and the affected side for hemiplegic children). Factorization of the EMG signals revealed a comparable structure of the motor output in children with CP and TD children, but significantly wider temporal activation patterns in children with CP, resembling the patterns of much younger TD infants. A similar picture emerged when considering the spatiotemporal maps of alpha-motoneuron activation. Overall, the results are consistent with the idea that early injuries to developing motor regions of the brain substantially affect the maturation of the spinal locomotor output and consequently the future locomotor behaviour.

Detailed descriptions of gait impairments have been reported in cerebral palsy (CP), but it is still unclear how maturation of the spinal motoneuron output is affected. Spatiotemporal alpha-motoneuron activation during walking can be assessed by mapping the electromyographic activity profiles from several, simultaneously recorded muscles onto the anatomical rostrocaudal location of the motoneuron pools in the spinal cord, and by means of factor analysis of the muscle activity profiles. Here, we analyzed gait kinematics and EMG activity of 11 pairs of bilateral muscles with lumbosacral innervation in 35 children with CP (19 diplegic, 16 hemiplegic, 2-12 years) and 33 typically developing (TD) children (1-12 years). TD children showed a progressive reduction of EMG burst durations and a gradual reorganization of the spatiotemporal motoneuron output with increasing age. By contrast, children with CP showed very limited age-related changes of EMG durations and motoneuron output, as well as of limb intersegmental coordination and foot trajectory control (on both sides for diplegic children and the affected side for hemiplegic children). Factorization of the EMG signals revealed a comparable structure of the motor output in children with CP and TD children, but significantly wider temporal activation patterns in children with CP, resembling the patterns of much younger TD infants. A similar picture emerged when considering the spatiotemporal maps of alpha-motoneuron activation. Overall, the results are consistent with the idea that early injuries to developing motor regions of the brain substantially affect the maturation of the spinal locomotor output and consequently the future locomotor behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Automated bone age (BA) rating using Bone- Xpert is being adopted worldwide. This study investigated whether manual matching of hand radiographs could be replaced by BoneXpert for BA ratings of Chinese children with delayed or advanced BA. Methods: 482 left-hand radiographs from 482 children (aged 2-16 years) with discordant BA were evaluated by BoneXpert and manually by 4 radiology residents using the Greulich and Pyle atlas. Radiographs whose BoneXpert BA deviated by >1 year from manual assessment were rerated by 2 attending radiologists in a blinded manner. Results: Among all 482 radiographs, 46 (9.5%) radiographs were rerated and no radiographs were rejected. Differences between BoneXpert and manual rating of 28 (5.8%) cases were >1 year. The manual BAs of the 28 radiographs were all >10 years and greater than the BoneXpert BAs. The root mean square deviation between the residents and BoneXpert was 0.56 for these children (95% CI 0.53-0.61). Conclusion: BoneXpert agreed with manual BA rating in 94.2% of the images. Therefore, BoneXpert could be used as an alternative for the radiology residents to make an initial BA estimation. Modification of BoneXpert should provide greater accuracy for the estimation of BA in children aged >10 years with discordant BA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N-terminal acetylation, catalysed by N-terminal acetyltransferases (NATs), is among the most common protein modifications in eukaryotes and involves the transfer of an acetyl group from acetyl-CoA to the α-amino group of the first amino acid. Functions of N-terminal acetylation include protein degradation and sub-cellular targeting. Recent findings in humans indicate that a dysfunctional Na-acetyltransferase (Naa) 10, the catalytic subunit of NatA, the major NAT, is associated with lethality during infancy. In the present study, we identified the Danio rerio orthologue zebrafish Naa 10 (zNaa10). In vitro N-terminal acetylation assays revealed that zNaa10 has NAT activity with substrate specificity highly similar to that of human Naa10. Spatiotemporal expression pattern was determined by in situ hybridization, showing ubiquitous expression with especially strong staining in brain and eye. By morpholino-mediated knockdown, we demonstrated that naa10 morphants displayed increased lethality, growth retardation and developmental abnormalities like bent axis, abnormal eyes and bent tails. In conclusion, we identified the zebrafish Naa10 orthologue and revealed that it is essential for normal development and viability of zebrafish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollution by heavy metals remains today an important threat to the health of humans and ecosystems, but there is still a paucity of data on the response of early life stages of key organisms. In this context, the present work assessed the fertilization success rate of two Acropora species ( A. cytherea and A. pulchra ) from the French Polynesia reefs exposed to six increasing copper concentrations in seawater. The two species showed a relatively high tolerance to copper (4h30-EC 50 was 69.4 ± 4.8 μg L −1 and 75.4 ± 6.4 μg L −1 for A. cytherea and A. pulchra, respectively). As Cu concentration increases, an increasing proportion of deformed embryos was recorded (67.6% and 58.5% for A. cytherea and A. pulchra , respectively, at 220 μg Cu L −1 ). These results demonstrated thus, that high levels of copper could negatively impair the normal fertilization process of coral gametes and therefore alter the renewal of coral populations. Since the two Acropora species investigated in this study displayed a high resistance to copper, these results should be considered in the context of multiple stressors associated with climate change, where rising temperature or ocean acidification may significantly exacerbate copper toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum Mill.) is one of the most important horticultural crops, belonging to the family Solanaceae. Owing to the significance of tomato as a model plant in genetic studies, little is known about the floral development in this plant. The organogenesis of tomato flowers was studied using epi-illumination light microscopy. The flowers were pentamerous with the acropetal and asynchronous inception of floral whorls. The initiation of sepals, petals and stamens followed helically, unidirectionally and bidirectionally, respectively. The high occurrence of floral abnormalities was remarkable. The initiation of a higher number of organ primordia was observed for sepals, petals, stamens and carpels. The increase in the number of organs resulted from the duplication of organ primordia, especially for the stamen whorl. Based on previous studies, low temperature was probably responsible for the abnormal development of tomato flowers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stem/progenitor cells are promising candidates for the regeneration of parenchyma in acute and chronic renal failure. However, recent data exhibit that survival of stem/progenitor cells after implantation in diseased renal parenchyma is restricted. To elaborate basic parameters improving survival, cell seeding was simulated under advanced in vitro conditions. After isolation, renal stem/progenitor cells were mounted in a polyester interstitium for perfusion culture. During generation of tubules, chemically defined CO2 Independent Medium or Leibovitz's L-15 Medium was applied. Specimens were then fixed for transmission electron microscopy to analyze morphological features in generated tubules. Fixation in conventional glutaraldehyde (GA) solution shows development of tubules each exhibiting a polarized epithelium, an intact basal lamina and an inconspicuous interstitium. In contrast, special fixation of specimens in GA solution containing cupromeronic blue, ruthenium red or tannic acid unveils previously not visible extracellular matrix. Control experiments elucidate that a comparable extracellular matrix is not present in the interstitium of the matured kidney. Thus, generation of renal tubules in combination with advanced fixation of specimens for electron microscopy demonstrates that development of abnormal features in the newly developed interstitium has to be considered, when repair of renal parenchyma is performed by implantation of stem/progenitor cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe the morphological development of a single penetrated female sand flea (Tunga penetrans) in a medical expatriate working in Madagascar. The embedded parasite developed abnormally in two aspects. First, it lived twice as long as usually. Second, it did not expel a single egg during a period of two months. We explain these abnormalities by the fact that the female sand flea remained virgin after the penetration into the skin and, therefore, mature eggs did not develop. Our observations are seminal findings in a long dispute between entomologists and suggest that normally the fertilization of a female sand flea takes place on-host when it is already embedded in the epidermis. We conclude that a single sand flea lesion in a traveller may develop in a different way as compared to parasites penetrating into the skin of inhabitants living in endemic areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Proteomes of off-type and normal somatic plantlets of A. sellowiana were compared. [•] Two key proteins of the carbohydrate metabolism were only found in the off-types. [•] Heat-shock proteins were underexpressed in off-types plantlets. [•] Candidate proteins were identified as markers of abnormal plantlets formation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]