Incubation temperature induced developmental plasticity of cold responsive physiological phenotypes in Japanese Quails

Embryonic development is a critical period for phenotype formation.Environmental variation during embryonic development can induce changes in postnatal phenotypes of animals.The thyroxine secretion and aerobic metabolic activity of small birds are important phenotypes closely related to their winter survival.In the context of climate change,it is necessary to determine whether temperature variation during incubation in birds leads to developmental plasticity of these cold responsive phenotypes.We incubated Japanese Quail(Coturnix japonica)eggs at 36.8℃,37.8℃,and 38.8℃,and raised the chicks to 35-day old at 22℃with same raising conditions,then all the quails were exposed to gradually temperature dropping environment(from 15℃to 0℃).After cold treatment,serum T3 level,resting metabolic rate,skeletal muscle and liver metabolomes of the birds were measured.The serum T3 levels were significantly lower in the 38.8℃group and significantly higher in the 36.8℃group compared to the 37.8℃group.The metabolic rate in the 38.8℃group was significantly lower compared to the 37.8℃group.Compared with the 37.8℃group,metabolites involved in the tricarboxylic acid cycle in the liver were significantly lower in the 38.8℃group,and metabolites related to lipid oxidation metabolism and fatty acid biosynthesis were significantly lower in the skeletal muscles in the 38.8℃group but significantly higher in the 36.8℃group.These results indicate that incubation temperature variation can lead to developmental plasticity in cold responsive physiological phenotypes.Higher incubation temperature may impair the capacity of birds coping with cold challenge.

Single-cell profiling of the pig cecum at various developmental stages

The gastrointestinal tract is essential for food digestion,nutrient absorption,waste elimination,and microbial defense.Single-cell transcriptome profiling of the intestinal tract has greatly enriched our understanding of cellular diversity,functional heterogeneity,and their importance in intestinal tract development and disease.Although such profiling has been extensively conducted in humans and mice,the single-cell gene expression landscape of the pig cecum remains unexplored.Here,single-cell RNA sequencing was performed on 45572 cells obtained from seven cecal samples in pigs at four different developmental stages(days(D)30,42,150,and 730).Analysis revealed 12 major cell types and 38 subtypes,as well as their distinctive genes,transcription factors,and regulons,many of which were conserved in humans.An increase in the relative proportions of CD8^(+)T and Granzyme A(low expression)natural killer T cells(GZMA^(low)NKT)cells and a decrease in the relative proportions of epithelial stem cells,Tregs,RHEX^(+)T cells,and plasmacytoid dendritic cells(pDCs)were noted across the developmental stages.Moreover,the post-weaning period exhibited an up-regulation in mitochondrial genes,COX2 and ND2,as well as genes involved in immune activation in multiple cell types.Cell-cell crosstalk analysis indicated that IBP6^(+)fibroblasts were the main signal senders at D30,whereas IBP6^(−)fibroblasts assumed this role at the other stages.NKT cells established interactions with epithelial cells and IBP6^(+)fibroblasts in the D730 cecum through mediation of GZMA-F2RL1/F2RL2 pairs.This study provides valuable insights into cellular heterogeneity and function in the pig cecum at different development stages.

Treatment of bilateral developmental dysplasia of the hip joint with an improved technique:A case report

BACKGROUND Developmental dysplasia of the hip(DDH)is a common osteoarticular deformity in pediatric orthopedics.A patient with bilateral DDH was diagnosed and treated using our improved technique"(powerful overturning acetabuloplasty)"combined with femoral rotational shortening osteotomy.CASE SUMMARY A 4-year-old girl who was diagnosed with bilateral DDH could not stand normally,and sought surgical treatment to solve the problem of double hip extension and standing.As this child had high dislocation of the hip joint and the acetabular index was high,we changed the traditional acetabuloplasty to"powerful turnover acetabuloplasty"combined with femoral rotation shortening osteotomy.During the short-term postoperative follow-up(1,3,6,9,12,and 15 months),the child had no discomfort in her lower limbs.After the braces and internal fixation plates were removed,formal rehabilitation training was actively carried out.CONCLUSION Our"powerful overturning acetabuloplasty"combined with femoral rotational shortening osteotomy is feasible in the treatment of DDH in children.This technology may be widely used in the clinic.

Bibliographical Review on Rehabilitation of Executive Functions in Patients With Developmental Coordination Disorder(DCD)

The present study aims to establish a literature review on intervention programs for executive functions(EFs)through the use of fundamental motor skills,from a neuropsychopedagogical perspective in subjects with Developmental Coordination Disorder(DCD).An exploratory study was carried out through an integrative literature review.The research was carried out in the Scientific databases Electronic Library Online(SciELO),Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences(LILACS),Virtual Health Library-Psychology Brazil(BVSPSI),Electronic Journals of Psychology(PePSIC),in the periodicals available in the Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations(BDTD)and on the website of the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel(CAPES).The covering publications took place from 2018 to 2023,14 articles were selected for analysis.This literature review made it possible to create strategies for stimulating EF and Visuomotor Functions so that educators and other professionals can better deal with students with DCD.It was perceived the need to carry out and develop more empirical research regarding the intervention of EFs and Visuomotor Functions by educators and professionals,with a greater sampling amplitude,to increase the number of studies that enable interventions both in children and in teenagers with DCD.

An Analysis of Specific Categories of Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities for Children of Participants of the Air Force Health Study

Background: The Air Force Health Study collected reproductive outcomes for live-born children of male Air Force veterans of the Vietnam War. Methods: Dioxin values for participants were obtained from blood samples. Analyses were conducted of occurrence of 16 specific categories of birth defects and developmental disabilities. Children were categorized as conceived before and after the start of participants’ Vietnam War service. Children conceived before the start of Vietnam War service were treated as being conceived when their fathers had unquantifiable dioxin values. Children conceived after the start of Vietnam War service for participants with missing dioxin values were excluded from primary analyses, but were used to assess the impact of their exclusion on conclusions. Correlation between values for specific categories for multiple children fathered by the same participant was accounted for. The dose-response relationship was treated as a step function increasing for dioxin values larger than adaptively identified individual thresholds changing with the specific category. Results: For 15 of 16 specific categories, the probability of occurrence increased substantially for a sufficiently high dioxin level above identified thresholds. Exclusion of children due to missing dioxin likely did not affect these results. Conclusions: Results supported the conclusion of substantial adverse effects on a wide variety of specific categories of birth defects and developmental disabilities due to sufficiently high exposures to dioxin, a toxic contaminant of Agent Orange used for herbicide spraying in the Vietnam War. Results may hold more generally, but might also have been affected by a variety of limitations.

Novel mutation c.2090_2091del in neurodevelopmental-craniofacial syndrome with variable renal and cardiac abnormalities in an 18.5-mo-old boy:A case report

BACKGROUND Neurodevelopmental-craniofacial syndrome with variable renal and cardiac abnormalities(NECRC)is a rare,autosomal,dominant neurological disorder caused by mutations in the ZMYM2 gene.To date,the clinical and functional characteristics of the novel ZMYM2 mutation c.2090_2091del have not yet been reported.CASE SUMMARY The patient was an 18.5-mo-old Chinese boy with motor and language delay,microcephaly,facial dysmorphism,moderate malnutrition,single palmar crease on the left hand,synpolydactyly of the right foot,hypotonia and feeding problems.The boy who was diagnosed with NECRC was enrolled in the First Affiliated Hospital,Henan University of Chinese Medicine,and his clinical data were collected.From the whole-exon sequencing(WES)data,the pathogenic SNVs/InDels were identified,and the molecular findings were characterized.WES revealed that the heterozygous variant in the ZMYM2 gene was c.2090_20-91del,p.Ser697TrpfsTer3,a frameshift mutation,which is a NECRC-related gene mutation.CONCLUSION We performed a systematic literature review to identify and characterize NECRC.Substantial evidence from the literature indicated that patients with ZMYM2 gene mutation showed different degrees of intellectual disability,motor and language retardation,facial dysmorphism,and a few had congenital heart defects,kidney and urinary tract abnormalities.Early diagnosis and prompt management with comprehensive rehabilitation training are beneficial,but may not improve long-term outcomes.

Effects of different pelvic osteotomies on acetabular morphology in developmental dysplasia of hip in children

Developmental dysplasia of hip seriously affects the health of children,and pelvic osteotomy is an important part of surgical treatment.Improving the shape of the acetabulum,preventing or delaying the progression of osteoarthritis is the ultimate goal of pelvic osteotomies.Re-directional osteotomies,reshaping osteotomies and salvage osteotomies are the three most common types of pelvic osteotomy.The influence of different pelvic osteotomy on acetabular morphology is different,and the acetabular morphology after osteotomy is closely related to the prognosis of the patients.But there lacks comparison of acetabular morphology between different pelvic osteotomies,on the basis of retrospective analysis and measurable imaging indicators,this study predicted the acetabular shape after developmental dysplasia of the hip pelvic osteotomy in order to help clinicians make reasonable and correct decisions and improve the planning and performance of pelvic osteotomy.

Evaluation of Perinatal and Developmental Outcomes in Neonates with Abstinence Syndrome Admitted to NICU

Drug abuse by pregnant women is one of the significant problems for mothers and their neonates.This study aimed to investigate the effects of maternal substance use disorder during pregnancy on neonatal developmental criteria.In a case-control study,clinical records of 90 neonates diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome who were admitted to NICU in one of four hospitals affiliated with Shahid-Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Tehran,Iran between 2017 and 2020 were compared to 90 neonates without neonatal abstinence syndrome(control group).Demographic information and data for neonatal developmental characteristics and complications were extracted from the clinical records of this convenience sample.Data for the type and method of maternal substance use during pregnancy were collected through a telephone call with mothers.Our data showed that the prevalence of drug addiction was 1.8%among pregnant women,and the most common drugs used by mothers were opium(n=45%,50%),amphetamine(n=30%,33%),and methadone(n=14%,16%).Neonates with abstinence syndrome had a higher prevalence of transient tachypnea of the newborn(TTN)(P=0.004),and a prevalence of being admitted to NICU(P=0.05)and for a longer duration(P<0.001).Their mothers had a higher prevalence of having pre-eclampsia(P=0.010).Using morphine vs.amphetamine showed no difference based on their effects on mothers and neonates.Substance use during pregnancy increased the prevalence of pregnancy complications(pre-eclampsia)and neonatal complications(TTN and prevalence and duration of hospitalization).Therefore,planning for the development of health policies to raise awareness among women and more broadly,all members of the community,is important to prevent the tendency to engage in this potentially high-risk behavior.

Role of brahma-related gene 1/brahma-associated factor subunits in neural stem/progenitor cells and related neural developmental disorders

Different fates of neural stem/progenitor cells(NSPCs)and their progeny are determined by the gene regulatory network,where a chromatin-remodeling complex affects synergy with other regulators.Here,we review recent research progress indicating that the BRG1/BRM-associated factor(BAF)complex plays an important role in NSPCs during neural development and neural developmental disorders.Several studies based on animal models have shown that mutations in the BAF complex may cause abnormal neural differentiation,which can also lead to various diseases in humans.We discussed BAF complex subunits and their main characteristics in NSPCs.With advances in studies of human pluripotent stem cells and the feasibility of driving their differentiation into NSPCs,we can now investigate the role of the BAF complex in regulating the balance between self-renewal and differentiation of NSPCs.Considering recent progress in these research areas,we suggest that three approaches should be used in investigations in the near future.Sequencing of whole human exome and genome-wide association studies suggest that mutations in the subunits of the BAF complex are related to neurodevelopmental disorders.More insight into the mechanism of BAF complex regulation in NSPCs during neural cell fate decisions and neurodevelopment may help in exploiting new methods for clinical applications.

A perspective on molecular and cellular biology-based developmental toxicology biomarkers

The process of development is intricate and couple-dependent phenomenon.Accordingly,the study of molecular and cellular biology-based developmental toxicology biomarkers increasingly is becoming an important part of risk assessment and management of chemicals for detection of health outcomes and/or biological endpoint like cytotoxicity,cell death,etc.Since,the evolution of developmental toxicology field a number of tools/markers have been developed or addressed to deal with developmental outcomes,which can ultimately be used for the development of adverse outcome pathways(AOPs)of developmental toxicants.As a result,this paper provides an overview of the current state of developmental toxicology biomarkers and describes the strategies used in the selection and evaluation of such biomarkers in the context of developmental toxicity studies.Here,we discuss about the biological markers that are directly linked to developmental toxicity with respect to future revolutionary perspectives.Additionally,this chapter will address different associated outcomes of developmental exposure by intriguing advance techniques.The discussion focuses on the challenges associated with the development of biomarkers for developmental toxicity and highlights some of the recent advances in this area.Finally,the chapter concludes with a brief discussion of the future prospects for the use of molecular and cellular biology-based developmental toxicity biomarkers.Hope the present state of the art will provide a succinct summary of recent developments of biomarkers of developmental toxicology.

Design of Multifunctional Milk Powder Spoon Based on Environment-friendly and Developmental Concept

Recycling of junks is positive for the environmental protection.Along with the proposal of three-child policy,purchase volume of milk powder surely will experience a drastic growth,and the milk powder spoon as an affiliated product will win the attention of parents.Against the background of consumption upgrading,consumers have had higher requirements on the humanization and safety design of products.Most of milk powder spoons on the market are plastic,and the disposal of waste milk powder spoon has gradually become a burden for the environment.Based on the environment-friendly and developmental concept,and also the characteristics of infant development,this paper proposed the“in-one”design,applied color and tactile designs into the milk powder design,chose food grade silicone to make the milk powder spoon not only a spoon but also a baby teether toy,so as to expand the service life and functions of the product,meet the requirements of saving energy,protecting environment and developing circular economy,which also to some extent reduces the burden on environment brought by plastics,improves the efficiency of junk recycling,and meet the individualized needs of consumers.

The effect of living environment on developmental disorders in cold regions

Developmental disorders(DDs)are a kind of chronic maladies,which can cause serious irreversible detriment to children’s physical and mental health.It is predominantly regulated by the interaction of environment and heredity.Cold regions are mainly located in the high latitudes of China.Their living environment is characterized by frequent cold wave,huge temperature difference,severe air pollution,high calorie diet,less exercise,smoking,drinking,etc.In recent years,substantial advances have been made in studies of the correlation between the living environment features in cold regions and the DDs.Accordingly,this article reviews the impact of the peculiar living environment of cold regions on DDs,with a view to provide fresh prevention strategies for reducing the morbidity of DDs in China cold regions by ameliorating living environment.

Efficacy of Children Neuropsychological and Behavioral Scale in Screening for Autism Spectrum Disorders through a Combination of Developmental Surveillance

Objective This study aimed to explore the clinical value of Children Neuropsychological and Behavioral Scale-Revision 2016(CNBS-R2016)for Autism Spectrum Disorder(ASD)screening in the presence of developmental surveillance.Methods All participants were evaluated by the CNBS-R2016 and Gesell Developmental Schedules(GDS).Spearman’s correlation coefficients and Kappa values were obtained.Taking GDS as a reference assessment,the performance of the CNBS-R2016 for detecting the developmental delays of children with ASD was analyzed with receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves.The efficacy of the CNBS-R2016 to screen for ASD was explored by comparing Communication Warning Behavior with Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule,Second Edition(ADOS-2).Results In total,150 children aged 12–42 months with ASD were enrolled.The developmental quotients of the CNBS-R2016 were correlated with those of the GDS(r=0.62–0.94).The CNBS-R2016 and GDS had good diagnostic agreement for developmental delays(Kappa=0.73–0.89),except for Fine Motor.There was a significant difference between the proportions of Fine Motor,delays detected by the CNBS-R2016 and GDS(86.0%vs.77.3%).With GDS as a standard,the areas under the ROC curves of the CNBS-R2016 were above 0.95 for all the domains except Fine Motor,which was 0.70.In addition,the positive rate of ASD was 100.0%and 93.5%when the cut-off points of 7 and 12 in the Communication Warning Behavior subscale were used,respectively.Conclusion The CNBS-R2016 performed well in developmental assessment and screening for children with ASD,especially by Communication Warning Behaviors subscale.Therefore,the CNBS-R2016 is worthy of clinical application in children with ASD in China.

A Study of Radiation-Induced Instability for the Gene Locus Associated with Intellectual Disorders or Developmental Delays

Multiplex Ligation-Dependent Probe Amplification (MLPA) was used to study the integrity of the chromosomes for two WIL2-derived lymphoblastoid cell lines (TK6 and WTK1) in the presence and absence of ionizing radiation. WTK1 cells contain a p53 mutation, whereas the TK6 cell line has the native p53 tumor-suppressor gene. Each cell line was isolated pre- and post-irradiation (2 and 3 Gy) and analyzed by MLPA. Using probes that target specific regions on chromosomes associated with a distinct subset of microdeletions and microduplications either established or thought to be responsible for intellectual disability or developmental delay, we have demonstrated that WTK1 and TK6 are not impacted in the same way by irradiation. Instead, each cell line presents its own unique MLPA profile. The most notable differences are the appearance of nine unique probe signals only seen in WTK1 cells. These results are important in the study of how different cell lines can be affected in significantly different ways depending on the presence or absence of wild type p53.

Anethole improves the developmental competence of porcine embryos by reducing oxidative stress via the sonic hedgehog signaling pathway

Background Anethole(AN)is an organic antioxidant compound with a benzene ring and is expected to have a positive impact on early embryogenesis in mammals.However,no study has examined the effect of AN on porcine embryonic development.Therefore,we investigated the effect of AN on the development of porcine embryos and the underlying mechanism.Results We cultured porcine in vitro-fertilized embryos in medium with AN(0,0.3,0.5,and 1 mg/mL)for 6 d.AN at 0.5 mg/mL significantly increased the blastocyst formation rate,trophectoderm cell number,and cellular survival rate compared to the control.AN-supplemented embryos exhibited significantly lower reactive oxygen species levels and higher glutathione levels than the control.Moreover,AN significantly improved the quantity of mitochondria and mitochondrial membrane potential,and increased the lipid droplet,fatty acid,and ATP levels.Interestingly,the levels of proteins and genes related to the sonic hedgehog(SHH)signaling pathway were significantly increased by AN.Conclusions These results revealed that AN improved the developmental competence of porcine preimplantation embryos by activating SHH signaling against oxidative stress and could be used for large-scale production of high-quality porcine embryos.

Stage-specific nutritional management and developmental programming to optimize meat production

Over the past few decades,genetic selection and refined nutritional management have extensively been used to increase the growth rate and lean meat production of livestock.However,the rapid growth rates of modern breeds are often accompanied by a reduction in intramuscular fat deposition and increased occurrences of muscle abnor‑malities,impairing meat quality and processing functionality.Early stages of animal development set the long‑term growth trajectory of offspring.However,due to the seasonal reproductive cycles of ruminant livestock,gestational nutrient deficiencies caused by seasonal variations,frequent droughts,and unfavorable geological locations nega‑tively affect fetal development and their subsequent production efficiency and meat quality.Therefore,enrolling live‑stock in nutritional intervention strategies during gestation is effective for improving the body composition and meat quality of the offspring at harvest.These crucial early developmental stages include embryonic,fetal,and postnatal stages,which have stage‑specific effects on subsequent offspring development,body composition,and meat quality.This review summarizes contemporary research in the embryonic,fetal,and neonatal development,and the impacts of maternal nutrition on the early development and programming effects on the long‑term growth performance of livestock.Understanding the developmental and metabolic characteristics of skeletal muscle,adipose,and fibrotic tissues will facilitate the development of stage‑specific nutritional management strategies to optimize production efficiency and meat quality.

Developmental Genetic Analysis of Brown Rice Weight Under Different Environmental Conditions in indica Rice

Analysis of genetic main effects and genotype x environment (GE) interaction effects for brown rice weight (BRW) at four different filling stages in indica lice (Oryza sativa L.) was conducted for two-year experimental data by using developmental genetic models and corresponding statistical approaches for quantitative traits of seeds in cereal crops. It was indicated that the genetic main effects and their GE interaction effects of triploid endosperm, cytoplasmic and diploid maternal plant genes were important for BRW at different filling stages of rice, especially for endosperm or maternal additive main effects and their additive interaction effects. Because of the higher additive effects and additive interaction effects for BRW at different filling stages, the better improving effects for this trait could be expected by selection in rice breeding. The results of conditional genetic variance components showed that the new expression of quantitative genes in endosperm and maternal plant for BRW was mostly found at all different filling stages of rice. The gene expression, however, was most active at the early filling stages especially for the first (1-7 d) and the second filling stages (8-14 d after flowering). The phenomena that some genes were spasmodically expressible among filling stages of rice were detected for some genetic effects especially for net cytoplasmic main effects or its interaction effects and net dominance main effects. Predicted genetic effects at different filling stages of rice showed that some parents such as V20 and Zuo 5 were better than others for improving the BRW.

The Developmental Difficulties and Prospects of Chinese-style Animation:Taking Yao-Chinese Folktales as an Example

As one of the important means to spread Chinese traditional culture,Chinese-style animation has been on the rise in recent years.Many excellent works have emerged,among which the Chinese animated short film series Yao-Chinese Folktales is one of the good representatives.It aroused a strong reaction from the audience as soon as it was released on the Internet,and gave the audience a shock to their mind and vision,which has brought some thoughts to the development of Chinese-style animation.Following a linear logic chain of past-present-future Chinese-style animation’s development,this paper takes Yao-Chinese Folktales as an example and analyzes the developmental difficulties and prospects of Chinese-style animation.At the end of the paper,some suggestions about the development path of Chinese-style animation’s future are given from the aspects of creation and dissemination,for the aim of promoting the Chinese-style animation’s development and spreading the Chinese traditional culture.

Plant Developmental Biology in China: Past, Present and Future

Plant development is a process from germination of seed to vegetative growth, flower initiation and development, fertilization and finally to the next generation seed formation. A lot of achievements have been obtained in plant developmental biology in China. Since the 1990's, those young generation scientists returned to China from abroad to use molecular and genetic techniques to study morphological, physiological and biochemical process of plant development. The present paper reviews the progress in some research area of plant developmental biology in the past decades and also prospects the chance and future of plant developmental studies, due to the recent advances of plant genome sequencing and functional genomics in China under the international research background.

Postnatal therapeutic approaches in genetic neurodevelopmental disorders

Genetic neurodevelopmental disorders are characterized by abnormal neurophysiological and behavioral phenotypes,affecting individuals worldwide.While the subject has been heavily researched,current treatment options relate mostly to alleviating symptoms,rather than targeting the altered genome itself.In this review,we address the neurogenetic basis of neurodevelopmental disorders,genetic tools that are enabling precision research of these disorders in animal models,and postnatal gene-therapy approaches for neurodevelopmental disorders derived from preclinical studies in the laboratory.