THE STUDY OF EARLY DEVELOPMENT AND EVOLUTION OF Torrentophryne aspinia

Torrentophryne aspinia is a new kind of toads discovered in China recently, it lives in the forest floor in West Yunnan, the most important things for this kind of species is that they have a kind of torrent-adapted tadpoles which have abdominal suckers and can adhere to the surfaces of rocks in moving waters. In this article, we described the forming procedures of abdominal sucker and some breeding behaviors, habitats and habits. After comparing with those of other toads, it is confirmed that Torrentophryne should be a new valid genus, it is derived from ancestor toads because of adaptation to the torrent habitats, by the forming of torrent -adapted organ-abdominal sucker in the early development.

Effects of temperature and irradiance on early development of Chondrus ocellatus Holm (Gigartinaceae,Rhodophyta)

Chondrus is a type of commercially produced red seaweed that widely used for food and carrageen extraction. Although the natural life history of the alga had been well understood, the factors influencing development of the tetraspore and carpospore remain poorly understood. In the perspective of seedling resources, the regulation of early development is crucial for the seedlillg nursing; therefore, it is necessary to understand the physiological influences during its early development. In this study, we studied the effects of temperature and irradiance on the early development of Chondrus ocellatus Holm under laboratory conditions. The released tetraspores and carpospores were cultivated at different temperatures （10-28℃） and irradiances （10, 60 μmol photons m^-2s^-1） with a photoperiod of 12L： 12D. The results indicate that both tetraspores and carpospores are tolerant to temperatures of 10-25℃, and have the highest relative growth rate at 20℃. Irradiance variances influenced the growth of the discoid crusts, and the influence was more significant with increasing temperature; 60 μmol photons m^-2s^-1 was more suitable than 10 μmol photons m^-2s^-1. The optimum temperature and irradiance for the development of seedlings was 20℃ and 60 μmol photons m^-2s^-1, respectively.

Early development of Grateloupia turuturu (Halymeniaceae, Rhodophyta)

Grateloupia turuturu is a commercial red alga with potential value in nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals. To supplement information on its life history and verify whether carpospores can be used for seedling culture, early development of G. turuturu was investigated under culture conditions （27~C, 10-13 ~mol/（mZ.s） in irradiance, photoperiod 10：14 h L：D）. Three physiological stages were recognized by continuous microscopic observation： division stage, discoid crust stage, and juvenile seedling stage. At the beginning of the division stage, the carpospores developed germ tubes into which the carpospore protoplasm was evacuated, and then the carpospore protoplasm in the germ tubes began to divide continuously until discoid crusts formed. Finally, upright thalli appeared on the discoid crusts and developed into juvenile seedlings. It took about 60 days for carpospores to develop into juvenile seedlings. The growth parameters, including germination rate for carpospores and discoid crust diameter, were recorded. These results contribute more information on the life cycle, and at the same time are of great significance in the scaling-up of artificial seedling cultures of G. turuturu.

Effects of seawater acidification on the early development of sea urchin Glyptocidaris crenularis

In this study, we evaluated the effects of CO_2-induced seawater acidification on fertilization, embryogenesis and early larval development in the sea urchin Glyptocidaris crenularis, that inhabits subtidal coastal areas in northern China. The range in seawater p H used in experiments was based on the projections of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC), to the year 2100. A natural seawater treatment(p H_(nbs) =7.98±0.03) and three laboratory-controlled acidified treatments(OA_1, ΔpH_(nbs) =-0.3 units; OA_2, ΔpH_(nbs) =-0.4 units; OA_3, ΔpH_(nbs) =-0.5 units) were used in experiments. Results show that:(1) there was a negative effect of seawater acidification on fertilization and on the percentage of abnormal fertilized eggs;(2) the size of early cleavage stage embryos decreased in a dose-dependent manner with decreasing p H;(3) both the hatching rate of blastulae and the survival rate of four-armed pluteus larvae decreased as pH declined;(4) larval abnormalities including asymmetrical development, changes in the length of skeletal elements, and corroded spicules were observed in all seawater acidified-treatments compared with the control. These data indicate that seawater acidification has a negative impact on the early development of G. crenularis, and supports the hypothesis that the response of echinoderms to ocean acidification(OA) varies among species. Further research is required to clarify the specific cellular mechanisms involved.

Evaluation of reference genes for quantitative real-time PCR analysis of gene expression during early development processes of the tongue sole(Cynoglossus semilaevis)

Differential expression of genes is crucial to growth and development of fish. To select the appropriate genes for gene normalization during Cynoglossus semilaevis early developmental process, eight candidate reference genes （ACTB, B2M, EF1A, GADPH, RPL7, TUBA, UBCE and 18S） were tested for their adequacy by using quantitative real-time PCR. The results showed that the expression of all the examined genes exhibited tissue dependent variations in the mature C. semilaevis. EFIA was listed as the most stable reference among the 14 tissues by RefFinder. Furthermore, the recommended comprehensive ranking of the stability determined by RefFinder showed that 18S was the most stable gene during the early developmental stages （from oosphere to 90 days old） in this study. However, when divided the Ct value data of the above mentioned early developmental stages into two separate periods （embryo and post-hatching periods）, TUBA and 18S represented the most stable references of these two developmental periods, respectively. Consequently, the reference gene should be carefully and accurately chosen even for studies of the same species at various developmental processes. The relevant data may help in selecting appropriate reference genes for mRNA expression analysis, and is of great value in the studies of fish growth and development.

Early development of Chondrus ocellatus Holm(Gigartinaceae,Rhodophyta)

Chondrus is an economically important red algae widely used for food and biochemical purpose.It early development is crucial for the culture and seedling propagation.We chose tetraspores and carpospores of Chondrus ocellatus as examples for experiment of the culture,induction and release in laboratory condition,aiming to understand early development of C.ocellatus and to apply in seedling production.Mature C.ocellatus were collected in Qingdao,China,from Nov.to Dec.2004.After the gametophyte and tetrasporophyte were brushed and washed with sterilized seawater,the algal materials were treated in 1.5%KI for 20 min,then were dried for lh to stimulate the releasing of spores.After the spores released overnight,it were cultured in PES medium,incubated at 18℃,10±2μmol/(m^(2).s^(1))in 12:12h(light:dark).The observation and recording under microscope were carried out.Continuous observation of the early development showed that both tetraspore and carpospore are similar to each other.In general,three stages of the early development were shown being division,discoid crust and seedling stages.To the division stage,the most obvious feature was the increasing of cell number;during the discoid crust stage,the discoid crust had a three-dimensional axis,and it began to differentiate into two types of cells:the basal cells and the apical cells;and to the seedling stage,several protuberances-like appeared on the discoid crusts and formed juvenile seedlings.Carpospores and tetraspores exhibited a similar development process that included division stage,discoid crust stage and seedling stage.

New phenomenon in early development of sporelings in Gracilaria asiatica Chang et Xia(Gracilariaceae,Rhodophyta)

Study on the early development of sporelings from carpospores of Gracilaria asiatica Chang et Xia was conducted indoors under controlled culture conditions. Besides normal development of sporelings, a new developmental phenomenon of filamentous frond was observed. It was composed of one or two rows of cells, and took place from the outmost brim of the basal disc. During the early disc stage of germinated carpospores, one or two filamentous fronds formed on about 10% basal discs. Simul-taneously, young fronds began to arch slightly from the centers of single and coalescent discs; lately more filamentous fronds up to 80% appeared on the brims of basal discs. Meanwhile one or more upright fronds protuberated on the basal discs. Generally, filamentous fronds exhibited in self-existence or co-existence forms with normal young sporelings on the same basal disc, and single cell detached from filamentous fronds developed into a new filamentous frond. This new phenomenon exhibited a unique differentiation pathway during the early development of G. asiatica, which would be potential for the ap-plication in artificial sporelings nursery.

Formation and early development of tetraspores of Polysiphonia urceolata (Rhodomelaceae,Rhodophyta)

Polysiphonia urceolata is one type of potential commercial red seaweeds used for breeding and cultivation, because of its significant biochemical and biomedical application. However, the information of breeding and seedling incubation for cultivation is limited, especially the early development. In this study, tetrasporohyte and gametophyte of P. urceolata were taken as the study materials in Huiquan Bay, Qingdao, China. The cleaned and sterilized tetrasporophytes and gametophytes were pre-cultured in sterilized seawater, then nurtured at 18℃, 25 μmol photons m^-2 s^-1 in 12：12 h （light：dark） photoperiod. Continuous observation under microscope showed that the early development consists of bipolar division stage and seedling stage. In the division stage, tetraspores germinate into bipolar sporelings that further differentiate into a colorless rhizoidal portion and a lightly pigmented upright shoot. The lightly pigmented rhizoidal cell develops to a rhizoid and the larger pigmented cell transforms to an erect axis. In the seedling stage, several quasi-protuberances appear on the erect axis and form juvenile seedlings. The results demonstrate the culture of P. urceolata from tetraspores under laboratory conditions.

Early development of peer dominance relationships in a captive group of Japanese macaques Macaca fuscata

We studied early development of peer dominance relationships in a captive group of Japanese macaques Macaca fuscata fuscata at the Primate Research Institute of Kyoto University. This study aims to give detailed descriptions on characteristic patterns of maternal rank acquisition from infant to juvenile. Focal subjects were 22 young monkeys belonging to three cohorts born in 2002, 2003 and 2005. Data were collected with a total 2130 sessions of 30-minute continuous recording of focal subjects combined with all occurrence-sampling methods. The onset of aggressive behavior varied per cohort and was delayed in cohorts with fewer close-aged associates. More than 60% of dyadic combinations in agonistic interactions between peers were unidirectional throughout the study period. Although some bidirectional interactions could have involved unstable relationships between particular individuals, most of the bidirectional interactions included a few continuous series of alternating one-sided interactions. A linear order could be found among peers from the first appearance of aggressive behavior, and nearly 90% of those dyads were concordant with that of their mother＇s rank order. Young males were responsible for most of the dominance relations that would not be predicted based on their mother＇s rank. These results suggest that infant monkeys may recognize their own social status relative to their opponent＇s before onset of aggressive behavior and adjust themselves into the matrilineal rank system accordingly.

Early Development of Silvetia babingtonii(Fucales, Phaeophyceae)

Silvetia babingtonii is a potentially economic brown alga for sources of food and high-value added utilization. So far, sporeling nursery and field cultivation has not been successful. The lack of knowledge on development and life cycle of this alga hinder the development of techniques for the sporeings and cultivation. In this study, internal structure of oogonium and antherium of S. babingtonii was observed with hematoxylin and eosin staining and through microscope. Meanwhile, early development from zygotes to juvenile sporelings was studied at 20℃ under 60–100 μmol photons m-2 s-1. Zygotes germinated and divided into thallus and rhizoid cells. The larger thallus cells further divided and developed into juvenile sporelings; while the smaller rhizoid cells divided and elongated into rhizoid hairs. These findings documented the life cycle of S. babingtonii and provided fundamental knowledge for sporeling nursery in the near future.

The role of Dby mRNA in early development of male mouse zygotes

Ejaculated mammalian spermatozoa contain a complex yet specific population of mRNA. However, the possible roles that mRNA has in early zygotic and embryonic development remain unclear. We found that Dby mRNA is selectively retained in capacitated mouse spermatozoa, and is transferred into the oocyte during fertilization by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction even though no DBY protein expression is detected. The cellular location ofDby mRNA is seen in the post-acrosome region, and it comprises nearly half of the mouse spermatozoa in in situ hybridization. In contrast, transcripts of the control gene, Smcy, are not detected in capacitated mouse spermatozoa, although the H-Y antigen encoded by Smcy is expressed on the surface of the spermatozoa. In our microinjection experiment, the zygotic development rate of the as-Dby male pronucleus injection group was significantly lower than that of the as-Smcy male pronucleus injection group （35.9% vs. 95%, P = 0.001） and the as-Dby female pronucleus injection group （35.9% vs. 93.8%, P = 0.001）. The rate of male-developed zygotes was also lower than that of the as-Smcy male pronucleus injection group （17.4% vs. 57.9%, P = 0.002） and the as-Dby female pronucleus injection group （17.4% vs. 54.1%, P = 0.002）. Thus, we conclude that Dby mRNA is selectively retained in capaci- tated mouse spermatozoa, and it has an important role in the early zygotic development of male mouse zygotes. This might imply that spermatozoa mRNA is involved in early zygotic and embryonic stages of reproduction.

Cytoskeleton and Early Development in Fucoid Algae

Cell polarization and asymmetric cell divisions play important roles during development in many multicellular eukaryotes. Fucoid algae have a long history as models for studying early developmental processes, probably because of the ease with which zygotes can be observed and manipulated in the laboratory. This review discusses cell polarization and asymmetric cell divisions in fucoid algal zygotes with an emphasis on the roles played by the cytoskeleton.

Early Growth and Development of Boer Goats from Embryo Transplant

[ Objective] To study the growth-development of Boer goats from embryo transplant. [ Method] With Boer goats from embryo transplant as the tested animals and natural breeding Boer goats born in the same period as CK, the weight of Boer goats at birth and at the age of 1,3 and 6 months as well as the body size at the age of 3 and 6 months were investigated in this study, while their health conditions were also observed and recorded. [ Result] Under the normal feeding conditions, Boer goats from embryo transplant developed well at early stage, and their meat-using body type were also obvious. The average birth weight of bucks was （4.25±0.95） kg, and that of does was （3.74±0.10） kg. The average weight of bucks at the age of 6 months was （31.90 ±0.74） kg and that of was （25.90 ±0.67） kg. The daily gains of bucks and ewes from birth to 6 months of age were 153.64 and 123.11 g respectively, while their body length, body height and chest circumference increased obviously, and there was no significant difference in body weight or body size between them and natural breeding goats. [ Condusioa] The study lays a foundation for further studies on the breedinq and utilization of Boer noats from embryo transplant at early staae.

Localization of RanBP1 in Early Embryonic Development of Mice

RanBP1 is a binding protein of Ran that plays a pivotal role in nucleocytoplasmic transport.In this study,the localization and possible functions of RanBP1 were examined,during the early embryonic development of mice.Immunofluorescence results showed that RanBP1 was mainly localized in cytoplasm at mitosis interphase,and its concentration was lower in nucleus and the lowest in nucleolus.With the formation of the spindle in the early embryonic cells,RanBP1 condensed area took the shape of spindle microtubule,the concentration of RanBP1 was low in the site of chromosome.During the formation of nucleus,RanBP1 concentrated in nucleus and there were few dots of RanBP1 around the nucleolus.These dots were lost after the nucleus full growth.The results showed that RanBP1 had important roles in nucleocytoplasmic transport,spindle formation and nuclear assembly in the early embryonic development of mice.

Issues of Access, Equity, and Quality in Early Childhood Development Programmes in Zimbabwe

The paper sought to explore issues of access, equity, and quality in the early childhood development （ECD） sub-sector in Zimbabwe. The massive expansion of ECD services prompted the author to undertake the study. Data were collected using focus group discussions, individual interviews, document analysis, and observations. Information from literature, research reports, policies, and practices was also analyzed in order to establish the state of affairs in the provision of ECD. The data were analyzed using theme identification methods to solicit emerging issues. Generally, it was found that on issues of access, equity, and quality in ECD in Zimbabwe, there is a quality-quantity dilemma with qualitative progress less conspicuous than quantitative progress. The resultant specific challenges include： large teacher-child ratio; lack of parental involvement, lack of trained ECD specialists with expertise in using a play-based curriculum; and shortage of equipment, material resources, and age appropriate infrastructure. In most ECD settings, there were inadequate health and nutrition provisions. Water, sanitation and health （WASH） facilities were found to be insufficient in most centres. The study recommended that there is need for： equal access to quality early childhood education; provision of infrastructure, provision of ability and age appropriate resources; and health, sanitation, and nutrition services especially in rural settings. Overall, ECD programmes in Zimbabwe should strive to attain quality more than quantity services. The need to train more early childhood specialists who would drive the ECD sub-sector is emphasized.

A New Case of Turner Syndrome with Early Pubertal Development

Turner syndrome (TS) is a relatively common chromosomal disorder caused by complete or partial X monosomy. The most frequently observed karyotype, 45, X, arises more often by loss of the paternal X or Y chromosome in meiosis or in early embryogenesis than by loss of the maternal X chromosome. The main clinical features of TS are short stature, gonadal dysgenesis, and not to undergo pubertal development (e.g. primary amenorrhea). However, a few rare cases of TS have shown precocious puberty. Our case of a 9-year-old girl did not have any TS-specific clinical hallmarks, with the exception of short stature. She visited our clinic because of her pubertal development and short stature. In this report, we highlight the variability that can occur in patients with TS and emphasizes the need to carefully assess unusual growth patterns in any child, regardless of other underlying conditions.

Current Earthquake Early Warning Technology and Its Development in China

Earthquake Early Warning ( EEW) has come to attention,as earthquake prediction is still unreliable. The paper comprehensively illustrates the research status and important issues of EEW from the aspects of concept,composition and method. By analyzing the status of EEW in China,we find that the essential requirements have been met for building earthquake early warning systems in the country in terms of government and social needs, network construction and basic research. The technical difficulties and non-technical challenges in implementing EEW in China are evaluated, and some suggestions are proposed regarding the relevant legal measures,public education and protection against earthquake disasters. so as to bring into full play the role of the EEW system in earthquake disaster prevention and reduction.

Suggestions for Development in Northwest China Early in the 21st Century

I. Thinking Outside the MainstreamIt is a generally accepted wisdom that benefitsfrom the investment in human, social and invisiblecapital are far higher than those realised in theexploitation of natural resources, material and visi-ble capital. This means that different developmentstrategies and policies will result naturally in differ-ing results. At the early stage of China’s reformdrive, the per capita GDP of the country’s

The impacts of timing and insecticides at early stage of late rice on the population development of brown plant hopper(BPH)

Field experiments were carried out in northern Zhejiang Province. Three insecticides (methamidophos,Shachongshuang and triazophos) were used to control the rice leaffolder Cnaphalocrocis medinalis and rice striped stemborer Chilo suppressalis in rice fields during 18—27 days after transplantating. The impacts of timing and insecticides on the population development of brown planthopper Nilaparavata lugens was surveyed by direct counting on the plants or by tapping method.