Enhanced excitatory input to MCH neurons during developmental period of high food intake is mediated by GABA

PubMed Central

Li, Ying; van den Pol, Anthony N.

2010-01-01

In contrast to the local axons of GABA neurons of the cortex and hippocampus, lateral hypothalamic neurons containing melanin concentrating hormone (MCH) and GABA send long axons throughout the brain and play key roles in energy homeostasis and mental status. In adults, MCH neurons maintain a hyperpolarized membrane potential and most of the synaptic input is inhibitory. In contrast, we found that developing MCH neurons received substantially more excitatory synaptic input. Based on gramicidicin-perforated patch recordings in hypothalamic slices from MCH-GFP transgenic mice, we found that GABA was the primary excitatory synaptic transmitter in embryonic and neonatal ages up to postnatal day 10. Surprisingly, glutamate assumed only a minor excitatory role, if any. GABA plays a complex role in developing MCH neurons, with its actions conditionally dependent on a number of factors. GABA depolarization could lead to an increase in spikes either independently or in summation with other depolarizing stimuli, or alternately, depending on the relative timing of other depolarizing events, could lead to shunting inhibition. The developmental shift from depolarizing to hyperpolarizing occurred later in the dendrites than in the cell body. Early GABA depolarization was based on a Cl− dependent inward current. An interesting secondary depolarization in mature neurons that followed an initial hyperpolarization was based on a bicarbonate mechanism. Thus during the early developmental period when food consumption is high, MCH neurons are more depolarized than in the adult, and an increased level of excitatory synaptic input to these orexigenic cells is mediated by GABA. PMID:19955372

Targeting Oxidative Stress and Aberrant Critical Period Plasticity in the Developmental Trajectory to Schizophrenia

PubMed Central

Do, Kim Q.; Cuenod, Michel; Hensch, Takao K.

2015-01-01

Schizophrenia is a neurodevelopmental disorder reflecting a convergence of genetic risk and early life stress. The slow progression to first psychotic episode represents both a window of vulnerability as well as opportunity for therapeutic intervention. Here, we consider recent neurobiological insight into the cellular and molecular components of developmental critical periods and their vulnerability to redox dysregulation. In particular, the consistent loss of parvalbumin-positive interneuron (PVI) function and their surrounding perineuronal nets (PNNs) as well as myelination in patient brains is consistent with a delayed or extended period of circuit instability. This linkage to critical period triggers (PVI) and brakes (PNN, myelin) implicates mistimed trajectories of brain development in mental illness. Strategically introduced antioxidant treatment or later reinforcement of molecular brakes may then offer a novel prophylactic psychiatry. PMID:26032508

Thyroid Hormones Reduce Incubation Period without Developmental or Metabolic Costs in Murray River Short-Necked Turtles (Emydura macquarii).

PubMed

McGlashan, Jessica K; Thompson, Michael B; Van Dyke, James U; Spencer, Ricky-John

Metabolic processes are affected by both temperature and thyroid hormones in ectothermic vertebrates. Temperature is the major determinant of incubation length in oviparous vertebrates, but turtles can also alter developmental rate independent of temperature. Temperature gradients within natural nests cause different developmental rates of turtle embryos within nests. Despite temperature-induced reductions in developmental rate, cooler-incubated neonates often hatch synchronously with warmer siblings via metabolic compensation. The physiological mechanisms underlying metabolic compensation are unknown, but thyroid hormones may play a critical role. We applied excess triiodothyronine (T 3 ) to developing eggs of Murray River short-necked turtle (Emydura macquarii)-a species that exhibits metabolic compensation and synchronous hatching-to determine whether T 3 influences developmental rate and whether changes to incubation period incur metabolic costs. We measured heart rate, oxygen consumption and incubation period of eggs, and morphology and performance of hatchlings. Embryos that were exposed to T 3 pipped up to 3.5 d earlier than untreated controls, despite no change in total metabolic expenditure, and there were no treatment differences in hatchling morphology. Hatchlings treated with T 3 demonstrated similar righting ability to hatchlings from the control groups. Exposure to T 3 shortens incubation length by accelerating embryonic development but without statistically increasing embryonic metabolism. Thus, T 3 is a mechanism that cooler-incubated reptiles could use to accelerate their development to allow synchronous hatching with their warmer clutch mates but at little or no metabolic cost. Thus, metabolic compensation for synchronous hatching may not be metabolically expensive if T 3 is the underlying mechanism.

Sex-specific mouse liver gene expression: genome-wide analysis of developmental changes from pre-pubertal period to young adulthood

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Early liver development and the transcriptional transitions during hepatogenesis are well characterized. However, gene expression changes during the late postnatal/pre-pubertal to young adulthood period are less well understood, especially with regards to sex-specific gene expression. Methods Microarray analysis of male and female mouse liver was carried out at 3, 4, and 8 wk of age to elucidate developmental changes in gene expression from the late postnatal/pre-pubertal period to young adulthood. Results A large number of sex-biased and sex-independent genes showed significant changes during this developmental period. Notably, sex-independent genes involved in cell cycle, chromosome condensation, and DNA replication were down regulated from 3 wk to 8 wk, while genes associated with metal ion binding, ion transport and kinase activity were up regulated. A majority of genes showing sex differential expression in adult liver did not display sex differences prior to puberty, at which time extensive changes in sex-specific gene expression were seen, primarily in males. Thus, in male liver, 76% of male-specific genes were up regulated and 47% of female-specific genes were down regulated from 3 to 8 wk of age, whereas in female liver 67% of sex-specific genes showed no significant change in expression. In both sexes, genes up regulated from 3 to 8 wk were significantly enriched (p < E-76) in the set of genes positively regulated by the liver transcription factor HNF4α, as determined in a liver-specific HNF4α knockout mouse model, while genes down regulated during this developmental period showed significant enrichment (p < E-65) for negative regulation by HNF4α. Significant enrichment of the developmentally regulated genes in the set of genes subject to positive and negative regulation by pituitary hormone was also observed. Five sex-specific transcriptional regulators showed sex-specific expression at 4 wk (male-specific Ihh; female-specific Cdx4, Cux2

Changes in Youth’s Experiences of Child Maltreatment Across Developmental Periods in the LONGSCAN consortium

PubMed Central

Villodas, Miguel T.; Litrownik, Alan J.; Thompson, Richard; Roesch, Scott C.; English, Diana J.; Dubowitz, Howard; Kotch, Jonathan B.; Runyan, Desmond K.

2013-01-01

Objective The present study applied person-centered data analytic techniques to identify groups of youth with allegations for combinations of maltreatment types during preschool, early and late childhood. Method Latent Class Analyses were conducted using officially reported child maltreatment data for five types of maltreatment (i.e., failure-to-provide and lack-of-supervision neglect, and physical, sexual and emotional abuse) from 788 youth in a large prospective study during preschool, early, and late childhood. Results Three similar classes were identified during preschool and early childhood, characterized by no maltreatment allegations, allegations for neglect and emotional maltreatment, and allegations for all maltreatment types. During late childhood, four classes were identified characterized by no maltreatment allegations, mixed patterns of maltreatment allegations, physical and emotional abuse allegations, and allegations for all maltreatment types. Youth in maltreated classes were more likely to be re-victimized during subsequent developmental periods, often by similar maltreatment combinations. Youth in maltreated classes characterized by physically violent maltreatment types had higher Externalizing and Total behavior problems at each age. Conclusions These findings confirm the vulnerability of maltreated youth to re-victimization, particularly by similar combinations of maltreatment. They also indicate that youth’s susceptibilities to specific forms of maltreatment may vary across developmental periods. PMID:24999441

Rethinking developmental toxicity testing: Evolution or revolution?

PubMed

Scialli, Anthony R; Daston, George; Chen, Connie; Coder, Prägati S; Euling, Susan Y; Foreman, Jennifer; Hoberman, Alan M; Hui, Julia; Knudsen, Thomas; Makris, Susan L; Morford, LaRonda; Piersma, Aldert H; Stanislaus, Dinesh; Thompson, Kary E

2018-06-01

Current developmental toxicity testing adheres largely to protocols suggested in 1966 involving the administration of test compound to pregnant laboratory animals. After more than 50 years of embryo-fetal development testing, are we ready to consider a different approach to human developmental toxicity testing? A workshop was held under the auspices of the Developmental and Reproductive Toxicology Technical Committee of the ILSI Health and Environmental Sciences Institute to consider how we might design developmental toxicity testing if we started over with 21st century knowledge and techniques (revolution). We first consider what changes to the current protocols might be recommended to make them more predictive for human risk (evolution). The evolutionary approach includes modifications of existing protocols and can include humanized models, disease models, more accurate assessment and testing of metabolites, and informed approaches to dose selection. The revolution could start with hypothesis-driven testing where we take what we know about a compound or close analog and answer specific questions using targeted experimental techniques rather than a one-protocol-fits-all approach. Central to the idea of hypothesis-driven testing is the concept that testing can be done at the level of mode of action. It might be feasible to identify a small number of key events at a molecular or cellular level that predict an adverse outcome and for which testing could be performed in vitro or in silico or, rarely, using limited in vivo models. Techniques for evaluating these key events exist today or are in development. Opportunities exist for refining and then replacing current developmental toxicity testing protocols using techniques that have already been developed or are within reach. © 2018 The Authors. Birth Defects Research Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Patterns of developmental plasticity in response to incubation temperature in reptiles.

PubMed

While, Geoffrey M; Noble, Daniel W A; Uller, Tobias; Warner, Daniel A; Riley, Julia L; Du, Wei-Guo; Schwanz, Lisa E

2018-05-28

Early life environments shape phenotypic development in important ways that can lead to long-lasting effects on phenotype and fitness. In reptiles, one aspect of the early environment that impacts development is temperature (termed 'thermal developmental plasticity'). Indeed, the thermal environment during incubation is known to influence morphological, physiological, and behavioral traits, some of which have important consequences for many ecological and evolutionary processes. Despite this, few studies have attempted to synthesize and collate data from this expansive and important body of research. Here, we systematically review research into thermal developmental plasticity across reptiles, structured around the key papers and findings that have shaped the field over the past 50 years. From these papers, we introduce a large database (the 'Reptile Development Database') consisting of 9,773 trait means across 300 studies examining thermal developmental plasticity. This dataset encompasses data on a range of phenotypes, including morphological, physiological, behavioral, and performance traits along with growth rate, incubation duration, sex ratio, and survival (e.g., hatching success) across all major reptile clades. Finally, from our literature synthesis and data exploration, we identify key research themes associated with thermal developmental plasticity, important gaps in empirical research, and demonstrate how future progress can be made through targeted empirical, meta-analytic, and comparative work. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Enhanced excitatory input to melanin concentrating hormone neurons during developmental period of high food intake is mediated by GABA.

PubMed

Li, Ying; van den Pol, Anthony N

2009-12-02

In contrast to the local axons of GABA neurons of the cortex and hippocampus, lateral hypothalamic neurons containing melanin concentrating hormone (MCH) and GABA send long axons throughout the brain and play key roles in energy homeostasis and mental status. In adults, MCH neurons maintain a hyperpolarized membrane potential and most of the synaptic input is inhibitory. In contrast, we found that developing MCH neurons received substantially more excitatory synaptic input. Based on gramicidin-perforated patch recordings in hypothalamic slices from MCH-green fluorescent protein transgenic mice, we found that GABA was the primary excitatory synaptic transmitter in embryonic and neonatal ages up to postnatal day 10. Surprisingly, glutamate assumed only a minor excitatory role, if any. GABA plays a complex role in developing MCH neurons, with its actions conditionally dependent on a number of factors. GABA depolarization could lead to an increase in spikes either independently or in summation with other depolarizing stimuli, or alternately, depending on the relative timing of other depolarizing events, could lead to shunting inhibition. The developmental shift from depolarizing to hyperpolarizing occurred later in the dendrites than in the cell body. Early GABA depolarization was based on a Cl(-)-dependent inward current. An interesting secondary depolarization in mature neurons that followed an initial hyperpolarization was based on a bicarbonate mechanism. Thus during the early developmental period when food consumption is high, MCH neurons are more depolarized than in the adult, and an increased level of excitatory synaptic input to these orexigenic cells is mediated by GABA.

Primed acclimation of cultivated peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) through the use of deficit irrigation timed to crop developmental periods

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Water-deficits and high temperatures are the predominant factors limiting peanut production across the U.S., either because of regional aridity or untimely rainfall events during crucial crop developmental periods. In the southern High Plains of west Texas and eastern New Mexico, low average annual ...

Description of Rhagoletis cerasi (Diptera: Tephritidae) Pupal Developmental Stages: Indications of Prolonged Diapause

PubMed Central

Papanastasiou, Stella A.; Papadopoulos, Nikos T.

2014-01-01

Abstract The European cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cerasi (L.) (Diptera: Tephritidae), is the key pest of sweet and sour cherries in many European countries and west Asia. It is a univoltine species of the west Palaearctic zone that undergoes obligatory pupal diapause. In this study, the development of R. cerasi pupae that were brought to an optimum temperature for postdiapause development following a long chilling period is described. The six most representative developmental stages within the puparium are illustrated, and the developmental progression among the stages after the end of the chilling period is quantified. Within 20 d postchilling, there was a gradual progress from stage I to pharate adult. However, ∼30% of the pupae remained at the transitional stage II, after 20 d at 25°C (optimum temperature for development). This suggests that a proportion of pupae remain at an intermediate developmental stage for an extended period of time that goes beyond 20 d postchilling. The pupal stage II might be related to diapause termination and responsiveness to environmental cues. It may also define the time before developmental progress to pharate adult. This finding agrees with previous studies proposing that a number of R. cerasi pupae undergo prolonged diapause, though the morphological characteristics of these pupae have never been described before. PMID:25399427

Description of Rhagoletis cerasi (Diptera: Tephritidae) pupal developmental stages: indications of prolonged diapause.

PubMed

Papanastasiou, Stella A; Papadopoulos, Nikos T

2014-01-01

The European cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cerasi (L.) (Diptera: Tephritidae), is the key pest of sweet and sour cherries in many European countries and west Asia. It is a univoltine species of the west Palaearctic zone that undergoes obligatory pupal diapause. In this study, the development of R. cerasi pupae that were brought to an optimum temperature for postdiapause development following a long chilling period is described. The six most representative developmental stages within the puparium are illustrated, and the developmental progression among the stages after the end of the chilling period is quantified. Within 20 d postchilling, there was a gradual progress from stage I to pharate adult. However, ∼30% of the pupae remained at the transitional stage II, after 20 d at 25°C (optimum temperature for development). This suggests that a proportion of pupae remain at an intermediate developmental stage for an extended period of time that goes beyond 20 d postchilling. The pupal stage II might be related to diapause termination and responsiveness to environmental cues. It may also define the time before developmental progress to pharate adult. This finding agrees with previous studies proposing that a number of R. cerasi pupae undergo prolonged diapause, though the morphological characteristics of these pupae have never been described before. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Entomological Society of America.

A developmental psychopathology perspective on adolescence.

PubMed

Cicchetti, Dante; Rogosch, Fred A

2002-02-01

Developmental psychopathology offers an integrative framework for conceptualizing the course of development during adolescence, with particular relevance for understanding continuity and the emergence of psychopathology during this and subsequent developmental periods. In this article, the utility of a developmental psychopathology perspective for informing the design of research, prevention, and intervention is highlighted. Interdisciplinary, organizational models of development, emphasizing the dynamic relations between the developing individual and internal and external contexts, are discussed. Examination of boundaries between abnormal and normal development during adolescence offers important vantage points for articulating diversity in the developmental course during this period. Conceptualizing divergence and convergence in developmental pathways, continuity and discontinuity in development, and the transactions of risk and protective processes leading to maladaptation, psychopathology, and resilience are highlighted.

Ciona intestinalis as a Marine Model System to Study Some Key Developmental Genes Targeted by the Diatom-Derived Aldehyde Decadienal

PubMed Central

Lettieri, Anna; Esposito, Rosaria; Ianora, Adrianna; Spagnuolo, Antonietta

2015-01-01

The anti-proliferative effects of diatoms, described for the first time in copepods, have also been demonstrated in benthic invertebrates such as polychaetes, sea urchins and tunicates. In these organisms PUAs (polyunsaturated aldehydes) induce the disruption of gametogenesis, gamete functionality, fertilization, embryonic mitosis, and larval fitness and competence. These inhibitory effects are due to the PUAs, produced by diatoms in response to physical damage as occurs during copepod grazing. The cell targets of these compounds remain largely unknown. Here we identify some of the genes targeted by the diatom PUA 2-trans-4-trans-decadienal (DD) using the tunicate Ciona intestinalis. The tools, techniques and genomic resources available for Ciona, as well as the suitability of Ciona embryos for medium-to high-throughput strategies, are key to their employment as model organisms in different fields, including the investigation of toxic agents that could interfere with developmental processes. We demonstrate that DD can induce developmental aberrations in Ciona larvae in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, through a preliminary analysis, DD is shown to affect the expression level of genes involved in stress response and developmental processes. PMID:25789602

Preliminary Findings of Learning Gains for Adult Learners with Developmental Disabilities. Research Brief No. 6

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Posey, Virginia; Jacobsen, Jared

2007-01-01

Public perception of adults with developmental disabilities realizing learning gains often remains illusive. This paper highlights key findings in achievement in basic skills for adults with mental retardation on a functional assessment in a life skills context for three program years (2003-2006). In this study the time period between the pre- and…

Electrophysiological Assessment of Serotonin and GABA Neuron Function in the Dorsal Raphe during the Third Trimester Equivalent Developmental Period in Mice.

PubMed

Morton, Russell A; Yanagawa, Yuchio; Valenzuela, C Fernando

2015-01-01

Alterations in the development of the serotonin system can have prolonged effects, including depression and anxiety disorders later in life. Serotonin axonal projections from the dorsal raphe undergo extensive refinement during the first 2 weeks of postnatal life in rodents (equivalent to the third trimester of human pregnancy). However, little is known about the functional properties of serotonin and GABA neurons in the dorsal raphe during this critical developmental period. We assessed the functional properties and synaptic connectivity of putative serotoninergic neurons and GABAergic neurons in the dorsal raphe during early [postnatal day (P) P5-P7] and late (P15-P17) stages of the third trimester equivalent period using electrophysiology. Our studies demonstrate that GABAergic neurons are hyperexcitable at P5-P7 relative to P15-P17. Furthermore, putative serotonin neurons exhibit an increase in both excitatory and GABAA receptor-mediated spontaneous postsynaptic currents during this developmental period. Our data suggest that GABAergic neurons and putative serotonin neurons undergo significant electrophysiological changes during neonatal development.

Technology: The Key to the Reformation of Developmental Mathematics Pedagogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ben-Jacob, Marion G.

2016-01-01

There is a movement nationwide to enhance the learning experience of college students who need to take courses in developmental mathematics. Technology is instrumental in eliminating the non-credit bearing courses from their programs of study. The restructuring of the mathematics programs allows for greater confidence on the parts of the students…

Epigenetic dysregulation of key developmental genes in radiation-induced rat mammary carcinomas.

PubMed

Daino, Kazuhiro; Nishimura, Mayumi; Imaoka, Tatsuhiko; Takabatake, Masaru; Morioka, Takamitsu; Nishimura, Yukiko; Shimada, Yoshiya; Kakinuma, Shizuko

2018-02-13

With the increase in the number of long-term cancer survivors worldwide, there is a growing concern about the risk of secondary cancers induced by radiotherapy. Epigenetic modifications of genes associated with carcinogenesis are attractive targets for the prevention of cancer owing to their reversible nature. To identify genes with possible changes in functionally relevant DNA methylation patterns in mammary carcinomas induced by radiation exposure, we performed microarray-based global DNA methylation and expression profiling in γ-ray-induced rat mammary carcinomas and normal mammary glands. The gene expression profiling identified dysregulation of developmentally related genes, including the downstream targets of polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) and overexpression of enhancer of zeste homolog 2, a component of PRC2, in the carcinomas. By integrating expression and DNA methylation profiles, we identified ten hypermethylated and three hypomethylated genes that possibly act as tumor-suppressor genes and oncogenes dysregulated by aberrant DNA methylation; half of these genes encode developmental transcription factors. Bisulfite sequencing and quantitative PCR confirmed the dysregulation of the polycomb-regulated developmentally related transcription-factor genes Dmrt2, Hoxa7, Foxb1, Sox17, Lhx8, Gata3 and Runx1. Silencing of Hoxa7 was further verified by immunohistochemistry. These results suggest that, in radiation-induced mammary gland carcinomas, PRC2-mediated aberrant DNA methylation leads to dysregulation of developmentally related transcription-factor genes. Our findings provide clues to molecular mechanisms linking epigenetic regulation and radiation-induced breast carcinogenesis and underscore the potential of such epigenetic mechanisms as targets for cancer prevention. © 2018 UICC.

Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience: Origins, Issues, and Prospects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pennington, Bruce F.; Snyder, Kelly A.; Roberts, Ralph J., Jr.

2007-01-01

This commentary explains how the field of developmental cognitive neuroscience (DCN) holds the promise of a much wider interdisciplinary integration across sciences concerned with development: psychology, molecular genetics, neurobiology, and evolutionary developmental biology. First we present a brief history of DCN, including the key theoretical…

Bulimia: A Self-Psychological and Ego-Developmental View.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brenner-Liss, Deborah

1986-01-01

Discusses key clinical issues in the treatment of bulimia with clinical examples from a self-psychological and ego-developmental point of view. Identifies three developmental issues for bulimia: self-regulatory, differentiation, and self-esteem. (Author/ABB)

DEVELOPMENTAL DIVERSITY OF AMPHIBIANS

PubMed Central

Elinson, Richard P.; del Pino, Eugenia M.

2011-01-01

The current model amphibian, Xenopus laevis, develops rapidly in water to a tadpole which metamorphoses into a frog. Many amphibians deviate from the X. laevis developmental pattern. Among other adaptations, their embryos develop in foam nests on land or in pouches on their mother’s back or on a leaf guarded by a parent. The diversity of developmental patterns includes multinucleated oogenesis, lack of RNA localization, huge non-pigmented eggs, and asynchronous, irregular early cleavages. Variations in patterns of gastrulation highlight the modularity of this critical developmental period. Many species have eliminated the larva or tadpole and directly develop to the adult. The wealth of developmental diversity among amphibians coupled with the wealth of mechanistic information from X. laevis permit comparisons that provide deeper insights into developmental processes. PMID:22662314

Distinguishing between Development and Change: Reviving Organismic-Developmental Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raeff, Catherine

2011-01-01

The goal of this paper is to contribute to the revival of Heinz Werner's organismic-developmental theory by considering some of its key claims in relation to contemporary developmental theory and research. The organismic-developmental definition of development in terms of differentiation and integration is first discussed in relation to…

Replication and robustness in developmental research.

PubMed

Duncan, Greg J; Engel, Mimi; Claessens, Amy; Dowsett, Chantelle J

2014-11-01

Replications and robustness checks are key elements of the scientific method and a staple in many disciplines. However, leading journals in developmental psychology rarely include explicit replications of prior research conducted by different investigators, and few require authors to establish in their articles or online appendices that their key results are robust across estimation methods, data sets, and demographic subgroups. This article makes the case for prioritizing both explicit replications and, especially, within-study robustness checks in developmental psychology. It provides evidence on variation in effect sizes in developmental studies and documents strikingly different replication and robustness-checking practices in a sample of journals in developmental psychology and a sister behavioral science-applied economics. Our goal is not to show that any one behavioral science has a monopoly on best practices, but rather to show how journals from a related discipline address vital concerns of replication and generalizability shared by all social and behavioral sciences. We provide recommendations for promoting graduate training in replication and robustness-checking methods and for editorial policies that encourage these practices. Although some of our recommendations may shift the form and substance of developmental research articles, we argue that they would generate considerable scientific benefits for the field. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).

Puberty is an important developmental period for the establishment of adipose tissue mass and metabolic homeostasis.

PubMed

Holtrup, Brandon; Church, Christopher D; Berry, Ryan; Colman, Laura; Jeffery, Elise; Bober, Jeremy; Rodeheffer, Matthew S

2017-07-03

Over the past 2 decades, the incidence of childhood obesity has risen dramatically. This recent rise in childhood obesity is particularly concerning as adults who were obese during childhood develop type II diabetes that is intractable to current forms of treatment compared with individuals who develop obesity in adulthood. While the mechanisms responsible for the exacerbated diabetic phenotype associated with childhood obesity is not clear, it is well known that childhood is an important time period for the establishment of normal white adipose tissue in humans. This association suggests that exposure to obesogenic stimuli during adipose development may have detrimental effects on adipose function and metabolic homeostasis. In this study, we identify the period of development associated with puberty, postnatal days 18-34, as critical for the establishment of normal adipose mass in mice. Exposure of mice to high fat diet only during this time period results in metabolic dysfunction, increased leptin expression, and increased adipocyte size in adulthood in the absence of sustained increased fat mass or body weight. These findings indicate that exposure to obesogenic stimuli during critical developmental periods have prolonged effects on adipose tissue function that may contribute to the exacerbated metabolic dysfunctions associated with childhood obesity.

Zebrafish model systems for developmental neurobehavioral toxicology.

PubMed

Bailey, Jordan; Oliveri, Anthony; Levin, Edward D

2013-03-01

Zebrafish offer many advantages that complement classic mammalian models for the study of normal development as well as for the teratogenic effects of exposure to hazardous compounds. The clear chorion and embryo of the zebrafish allow for continuous visualization of the anatomical changes associated with development, which, along with short maturation times and the capability of complex behavior, makes this model particularly useful for measuring changes to the developing nervous system. Moreover, the rich array of developmental, behavioral, and molecular benefits offered by the zebrafish have contributed to an increasing demand for the use of zebrafish in behavioral teratology. Essential for this endeavor has been the development of a battery of tests to evaluate a spectrum of behavior in zebrafish. Measures of sensorimotor plasticity, emotional function, cognition and social interaction have been used to characterize the persisting adverse effects of developmental exposure to a variety of chemicals including therapeutic drugs, drugs of abuse and environmental toxicants. In this review, we present and discuss such tests and data from a range of developmental neurobehavioral toxicology studies using zebrafish as a model. Zebrafish provide a key intermediate model between high throughput in vitro screens and the classic mammalian models as they have the accessibility of in vitro models and the complex functional capabilities of mammalian models. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Computer-based multisensory learning in children with developmental dyslexia.

PubMed

Kast, Monika; Meyer, Martin; Vögeli, Christian; Gross, Markus; Jäncke, Lutz

2007-01-01

Several attempts have been made to remediate developmental dyslexia using various training environments. Based on the well-known retrieval structure model, the memory strength of phonemes and graphemes should be strengthened by visual and auditory associations between graphemes and phonemes. Using specifically designed training software, we examined whether establishing a multitude of visuo-auditory associations might help to mitigate writing errors in children with developmental dyslexia. Forty-three children with developmental dyslexia and 37 carefully matched normal reading children performed a computer-based writing training (15-20 minutes 4 days a week) for three months with the aim to recode a sequential textual input string into a multi-sensory representation comprising visual and auditory codes (including musical tones). The study included four matched groups: a group of children with developmental dyslexia (n=20) and a control group (n=18) practiced with the training software in the first period (3 months, 15-20 minutes 4 days a week), while a second group of children with developmental dyslexia (n=23) (waiting group) and a second control group (n=19) received no training during the first period. In the second period the children with developmental dyslexia and controls who did not receive training during the first period now took part in the training. Children with developmental dyslexia who did not perform computer-based training during the first period hardly improved their writing skills (post-pre improvement of 0-9%), the dyslexic children receiving training strongly improved their writing skills (post-pre improvement of 19-35%). The group who did the training during the second period also revealed improvement of writing skills (post-pre improvement of 27-35%). Interestingly, we noticed a strong transfer from trained to non-trained words in that the children who underwent the training were also better able to write words correctly that were not part

Sucrose affects the developmental transition of rhizomes in Oryza longistaminata.

PubMed

Bessho-Uehara, Kanako; Nugroho, Jovano Erris; Kondo, Hirono; Angeles-Shim, Rosalyn B; Ashikari, Motoyuki

2018-05-08

Oryza longistaminata, the African wild rice, can propagate vegetatively through rhizomes. Rhizomes elongate horizontally underground as sink organs, however, they undergo a developmental transition that shifts their growth to the surface of the ground to become aerial stems. This particular stage is essential for the establishment of new ramets. While several determinants such as abiotic stimuli and plant hormones have been reported as key factors effecting developmental transition in aerial stem, the cause of this phenomenon in rhizome remains elusive. This study shows that depletion of nutrients, particularly sucrose, is the key stimulus that induces the developmental transition in rhizomes, as indicated by the gradient of sugars from the base to the tip of the rhizome. Sugar treatments revealed that sucrose specifically represses the developmental transition from rhizome to aerial stem by inhibiting the expression of sugar metabolism and hormone synthesis genes at the bending point. Sucrose depletion affected several factors contributing to the developmental transition of rhizome including signal transduction, transcriptional regulation and plant hormone balance.

Vascular alterations underlie developmental problems manifested in cloned cattle before or after birth.

PubMed

Maiorka, Paulo Cesar; Favaron, Phelipe Oliveira; Mess, Andrea Maria; dos Santos, Caio Rodrigues; Alberto, Miryan Lanca; Meirelles, Flavio Vieira; Miglino, Maria Angelica

2015-01-01

Although assisted reproductive techniques are commonly applied in humans and animals, they are frequently associated with major developmental deficits and reduced viability. To explore abnormalities associated with cloning or nuclear transfer (NT) as the most invasive of these methods, we used a bovine model to characterize abnormalities. Detailed necropsy examinations were done on 13 calves that died soon after birth; in addition, we included data from embryos and fetuses (produced by NT) that terminated prematurely. Bovine clones that survived until the neonatal period differed quantitatively and qualitatively from in-vivo-derived cattle. Although alterations affected a variety of organs (e.g. heart, lung and liver), there was a clear association with abberant vascular developmental during the early intrauterine phase. Therefore, we concluded that vascular problems were key alterations induced by cloning (presumably via epigenetic modifications).

Building a developmental toxicity ontology.

PubMed

Baker, Nancy; Boobis, Alan; Burgoon, Lyle; Carney, Edward; Currie, Richard; Fritsche, Ellen; Knudsen, Thomas; Laffont, Madeleine; Piersma, Aldert H; Poole, Alan; Schneider, Steffen; Daston, George

2018-04-03

As more information is generated about modes of action for developmental toxicity and more data are generated using high-throughput and high-content technologies, it is becoming necessary to organize that information. This report discussed the need for a systematic representation of knowledge about developmental toxicity (i.e., an ontology) and proposes a method to build one based on knowledge of developmental biology and mode of action/ adverse outcome pathways in developmental toxicity. This report is the result of a consensus working group developing a plan to create an ontology for developmental toxicity that spans multiple levels of biological organization. This report provide a description of some of the challenges in building a developmental toxicity ontology and outlines a proposed methodology to meet those challenges. As the ontology is built on currently available web-based resources, a review of these resources is provided. Case studies on one of the most well-understood morphogens and developmental toxicants, retinoic acid, are presented as examples of how such an ontology might be developed. This report outlines an approach to construct a developmental toxicity ontology. Such an ontology will facilitate computer-based prediction of substances likely to induce human developmental toxicity. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The significance and scope of evolutionary developmental biology: a vision for the 21st century.

PubMed

Moczek, Armin P; Sears, Karen E; Stollewerk, Angelika; Wittkopp, Patricia J; Diggle, Pamela; Dworkin, Ian; Ledon-Rettig, Cristina; Matus, David Q; Roth, Siegfried; Abouheif, Ehab; Brown, Federico D; Chiu, Chi-Hua; Cohen, C Sarah; Tomaso, Anthony W De; Gilbert, Scott F; Hall, Brian; Love, Alan C; Lyons, Deirdre C; Sanger, Thomas J; Smith, Joel; Specht, Chelsea; Vallejo-Marin, Mario; Extavour, Cassandra G

2015-01-01

Evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo) has undergone dramatic transformations since its emergence as a distinct discipline. This paper aims to highlight the scope, power, and future promise of evo-devo to transform and unify diverse aspects of biology. We articulate key questions at the core of eleven biological disciplines-from Evolution, Development, Paleontology, and Neurobiology to Cellular and Molecular Biology, Quantitative Genetics, Human Diseases, Ecology, Agriculture and Science Education, and lastly, Evolutionary Developmental Biology itself-and discuss why evo-devo is uniquely situated to substantially improve our ability to find meaningful answers to these fundamental questions. We posit that the tools, concepts, and ways of thinking developed by evo-devo have profound potential to advance, integrate, and unify biological sciences as well as inform policy decisions and illuminate science education. We look to the next generation of evolutionary developmental biologists to help shape this process as we confront the scientific challenges of the 21st century. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Developmental Screening of Refugees: A Qualitative Study

PubMed Central

Moore, Jessica A.; Welch, Therese R.; Halterman, Jill S.; Hyman, Susan L.

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Refugee children are at high developmental risk due to dislocation and deprivation. Standardized developmental screening in this diverse population is challenging. We used the Health Belief Model to guide key-informant interviews and focus groups with medical interpreters, health care providers, community collaborators, and refugee parents to explore key elements needed for developmental screening. Cultural and community-specific values and practices related to child development and barriers and facilitators to screening were examined. METHODS: We conducted 19 interviews and 2 focus groups involving 16 Bhutanese-Nepali, Burmese, Iraqi, and Somali participants, 7 community collaborators, and 6 providers from the Center for Refugee Health in Rochester, New York. Subjects were identified through purposive sampling until data saturation. Interviews were recorded, coded, and analyzed using a qualitative framework technique. RESULTS: Twenty-one themes in 4 domains were identified: values/beliefs about development/disability, practices around development/disability, the refugee experience, and feedback specific to the Parents’ Evaluation of Developmental Status screen. Most participants denied a word for “development” in their primary language and reported limited awareness of developmental milestones. Concern was unlikely unless speech or behavior problems were present. Physical disabilities were recognized but not seen as problematic. Perceived barriers to identification of delays included limited education, poor healthcare knowledge, language, and traditional healing practices. Facilitators included community navigators, trust in health care providers, in-person interpretation, visual supports, and education about child development. CONCLUSIONS: Refugee perspectives on child development may influence a parent’s recognition of and response to developmental concerns. Despite challenges, standardized screening was supported. PMID

Developmental Screening of Refugees: A Qualitative Study.

PubMed

Kroening, Abigail L H; Moore, Jessica A; Welch, Therese R; Halterman, Jill S; Hyman, Susan L

2016-09-01

Refugee children are at high developmental risk due to dislocation and deprivation. Standardized developmental screening in this diverse population is challenging. We used the Health Belief Model to guide key-informant interviews and focus groups with medical interpreters, health care providers, community collaborators, and refugee parents to explore key elements needed for developmental screening. Cultural and community-specific values and practices related to child development and barriers and facilitators to screening were examined. We conducted 19 interviews and 2 focus groups involving 16 Bhutanese-Nepali, Burmese, Iraqi, and Somali participants, 7 community collaborators, and 6 providers from the Center for Refugee Health in Rochester, New York. Subjects were identified through purposive sampling until data saturation. Interviews were recorded, coded, and analyzed using a qualitative framework technique. Twenty-one themes in 4 domains were identified: values/beliefs about development/disability, practices around development/disability, the refugee experience, and feedback specific to the Parents' Evaluation of Developmental Status screen. Most participants denied a word for "development" in their primary language and reported limited awareness of developmental milestones. Concern was unlikely unless speech or behavior problems were present. Physical disabilities were recognized but not seen as problematic. Perceived barriers to identification of delays included limited education, poor healthcare knowledge, language, and traditional healing practices. Facilitators included community navigators, trust in health care providers, in-person interpretation, visual supports, and education about child development. Refugee perspectives on child development may influence a parent's recognition of and response to developmental concerns. Despite challenges, standardized screening was supported. Copyright © 2016 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Developmental toxicity study in rats exposed dermally to clarified slurry oil for a limited period of gestation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Feuston, M.H.; Mackerer, C.R.

1996-10-11

Clarified slurry oil (CSO, CAS number 64741-62-4), a refinery stream produced by processing crude oil, is a developmental toxicant when administered dermally throughout gestation to pregnant rats. The manifestations of developmental toxicity observed included embryolethlity and growth retardation; evidence of teratogenicity was limited, and not conclusive. The present study was undertaken to further explore the teratogenic potential of CSO. In an attempt to limit emnbryolethality and thereby promote detection of terata, CSO was administered once daily for a limited period of gestation i[gestation days (GD) 9-12], via dermal application, to pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats at doses of 0, 10, 100, andmore » 1000 mg/kg. All animals were sacrificed on GD 20. Detailed examination of the dams was performed. Due to the screening nature of this investigation, fetal evaluations were limited to body weight measurements, external examinations, and evaluation of select visceral endpoints. In the dams exposed to CSO, significant decreases in body weight [absolute and gain (GD 9-13, GD 0-20)] and in the amount of food consumed were observed at 100 and 1000 mg/kg. Additional evidence of maternal toxicity observed at 1000 mg/kg included decreased absolute and relative thymus weights, increased absolute and relative liver weights, and aberrant serum chemistry. Ingestion of the test material was evident at the high dose. Developmental toxicity was observed at 1000 mg/kg and included increased embryolethality, decreased body weight, and anomalous development (cleft palate, brachydactyly, edema). Although a low incidence of abnormal fetal development was observed at 100 mg/kg, it was not conclusive that the alterations were due to CSO exposure. It is likely that three- to seven-ring polycyclic aromatic compounds present in CSO were responsible for the toxic effects observed. 33 refs., 5 tabs.« less

Vascular Alterations Underlie Developmental Problems Manifested in Cloned Cattle before or after Birth

PubMed Central

Favaron, Phelipe Oliveira; dos Santos, Caio Rodrigues; Alberto, Miryan Lanca; Meirelles, Flavio Vieira; Miglino, Maria Angelica

2015-01-01

Although assisted reproductive techniques are commonly applied in humans and animals, they are frequently associated with major developmental deficits and reduced viability. To explore abnormalities associated with cloning or nuclear transfer (NT) as the most invasive of these methods, we used a bovine model to characterize abnormalities. Detailed necropsy examinations were done on 13 calves that died soon after birth; in addition, we included data from embryos and fetuses (produced by NT) that terminated prematurely. Bovine clones that survived until the neonatal period differed quantitatively and qualitatively from in-vivo-derived cattle. Although alterations affected a variety of organs (e.g. heart, lung and liver), there was a clear association with abberant vascular developmental during the early intrauterine phase. Therefore, we concluded that vascular problems were key alterations induced by cloning (presumably via epigenetic modifications). PMID:25584533

Behaviors of cavefish offer insight into developmental evolution

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

SUMMARY Many developmental processes have evolved through natural selection, yet in only a few cases do we understand if and how a change of developmental process produces a benefit. For example, many studies in evolutionary biology have investigated the developmental mechanisms that lead to novel structures in an animal, but only a few have addressed if these structures actually benefit the animal at the behavioral level of prey hunting and mating. As such, this review discusses an animal's behavior as the integrated functional output of its evolved morphological and physiological traits. Specifically, we focus on recent findings about the blind Mexican cavefish, Astyanax mexicanus, for which clear relationships exist between its physical traits and ecosystem. This species includes two morphotypes: an eyed surface dweller versus many conspecific types of blind cave dwellers, some of which evolved independently; all of the blind subtypes derived from eyed surface dwellers. The blind cavefish evolved under clear selection pressures: food is sparse and darkness is perpetual. Simulating the major aspects of a cave ecosystem in the laboratory is relatively easy, so we can use this species to begin resolving the relationships between evolved traits and selection pressures—relationships which are more complex for other animals models. This review discusses the recent advances in cavefish research that have helped us establish some key relationships between morphological evolution and environmental shifts. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 82: 268–280, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. PMID:25728684

Macroevolutionary developmental biology: Embryos, fossils, and phylogenies.

PubMed

Organ, Chris L; Cooper, Lisa Noelle; Hieronymus, Tobin L

2015-10-01

The field of evolutionary developmental biology is broadly focused on identifying the genetic and developmental mechanisms underlying morphological diversity. Connecting the genotype with the phenotype means that evo-devo research often considers a wide range of evidence, from genetics and morphology to fossils. In this commentary, we provide an overview and framework for integrating fossil ontogenetic data with developmental data using phylogenetic comparative methods to test macroevolutionary hypotheses. We survey the vertebrate fossil record of preserved embryos and discuss how phylogenetic comparative methods can integrate data from developmental genetics and paleontology. Fossil embryos provide limited, yet critical, developmental data from deep time. They help constrain when developmental innovations first appeared during the history of life and also reveal the order in which related morphologies evolved. Phylogenetic comparative methods provide a powerful statistical approach that allows evo-devo researchers to infer the presence of nonpreserved developmental traits in fossil species and to detect discordant evolutionary patterns and processes across levels of biological organization. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The diversification of developmental biology.

PubMed

Crowe, Nathan; Dietrich, Michael R; Alomepe, Beverly S; Antrim, Amelia F; ByrneSim, Bay Lauris; He, Yi

2015-10-01

In the 1960s, "developmental biology" became the dominant term to describe some of the research that had previously been included under the rubrics of embryology, growth, morphology, and physiology. As scientific societies formed under this new label, a new discipline took shape. Historians, however, have a number of different perspectives on what changes led to this new field of developmental biology and how the field itself was constituted during this period. Using the General Embryological Information Service, a global index of post-World War II development-related research, we have documented and visualized significant changes in the kinds of research that occurred as this new field formed. In particular, our analysis supports the claim that the transition toward developmental biology was marked by a growth in new topics and forms of research. Although many historians privilege the role of molecular biology and/or the molecularization of biology in general during this formative period, we have found that the influence of molecular biology is not sufficient to account for the wide range of new research that constituted developmental biology at the time. Overall, our work creates a robust characterization of the changes that occurred with regard to research on growth and development in the decades following World War II and provides a context for future work on the specific drivers of those changes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Developmentally Appropriate Middle Level Schools. 2nd Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manning, M. Lee

Noting factors that have contributed to an increased emphasis on developmentally responsive middle level schools, this revised monograph examines early adolescence as a developmental period and explores the physical, psychosocial, and cognitive characteristics of 10- to 15-year-olds. In addition, the monograph provides recommendations concerning…

Plasma thyroid hormone pattern in king penguin chicks: a semi-altricial bird with an extended posthatching developmental period.

PubMed

Cherel, Yves; Durant, Joël M; Lacroix, André

2004-05-01

Plasma concentrations of thyroid hormones (TH) were investigated during the extended posthatching developmental period (approximately 11 months) of a semi-altricial bird species, the king penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus). The first period of growth in summer was marked by a progressive rise in plasma T4 concentration that paralleled rapid increases in body mass and in structural and down growth. By contrast, plasma T3 concentration had already reached adult levels in newly hatched chicks and did not change thereafter. Circulating TH of king penguin chicks thus follow an original pattern when comparing to altricial and precocial species. During the austral winter, the long period of undernutrition of king penguin chicks was characterized by a decrease in circulating TH that can be related to a seasonal stop in growth and energy saving mechanisms. Plasma TH concentrations increased again during the second growth phase in spring, and they reached their highest levels at the end of the fledging period, slightly before juveniles initiated their first foraging trip at sea. As expected, plasma T4 levels were elevated when chicks moulted, developing a true-adult type waterproof plumage. The data also suggest that T4 plays a major role in skeletal development and pectoral muscle maturation in anticipation of marine life. Plasma T3 was at its highest during the period when juveniles improved resistance to cold waters by going back and forth to the sea, suggesting a role for circulating T3 in cold acclimatization occurring at that time.

Finding the Key Periods for Assimilating HJ-1A/B CCD Data and the WOFOST Model to Evaluate Heavy Metal Stress in Rice.

PubMed

Zhao, Shuang; Qian, Xu; Liu, Xiangnan; Xu, Zhao

2018-04-17

Accurately monitoring heavy metal stress in crops is vital for food security and agricultural production. The assimilation of remote sensing images into the World Food Studies (WOFOST) model provides an efficient way to solve this problem. In this study, we aimed at investigating the key periods of the assimilation framework for continuous monitoring of heavy metal stress in rice. The Harris algorithm was used for the leaf area index (LAI) curves to select the key period for an optimized assimilation. To obtain accurate LAI values, the measured dry weight of rice roots (WRT), which have been proven to be the most stress-sensitive indicator of heavy metal stress, were incorporated into the improved WOFOST model. Finally, the key periods, which contain four dominant time points, were used to select remote sensing images for the RS-WOFOST model for continuous monitoring of heavy metal stress. Compared with the key period which contains all the available remote sensing images, the results showed that the optimal key period can significantly improve the time efficiency of the assimilation framework by shortening the model operation time by more than 50%, while maintaining its accuracy. This result is highly significant when monitoring heavy metals in rice on a large-scale. Furthermore, it can also offer a reference for the timing of field measurements in monitoring heavy metal stress in rice.

Multi-scale computational modeling of developmental biology.

PubMed

Setty, Yaki

2012-08-01

Normal development of multicellular organisms is regulated by a highly complex process in which a set of precursor cells proliferate, differentiate and move, forming over time a functioning tissue. To handle their complexity, developmental systems can be studied over distinct scales. The dynamics of each scale is determined by the collective activity of entities at the scale below it. I describe a multi-scale computational approach for modeling developmental systems and detail the methodology through a synthetic example of a developmental system that retains key features of real developmental systems. I discuss the simulation of the system as it emerges from cross-scale and intra-scale interactions and describe how an in silico study can be carried out by modifying these interactions in a way that mimics in vivo experiments. I highlight biological features of the results through a comparison with findings in Caenorhabditis elegans germline development and finally discuss about the applications of the approach in real developmental systems and propose future extensions. The source code of the model of the synthetic developmental system can be found in www.wisdom.weizmann.ac.il/~yaki/MultiScaleModel. yaki.setty@gmail.com Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Causal Inference and Developmental Psychology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foster, E. Michael

2010-01-01

Causal inference is of central importance to developmental psychology. Many key questions in the field revolve around improving the lives of children and their families. These include identifying risk factors that if manipulated in some way would foster child development. Such a task inherently involves causal inference: One wants to know whether…

45 CFR 1386.23 - Periodic reports: Protection and Advocacy System.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... HUMAN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES THE ADMINISTRATION ON DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES, DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES PROGRAM FORMULA GRANT PROGRAMS State System for Protection and Advocacy of the Rights of Individuals with Developmental Disabilities § 1386.23 Periodic reports...

Developmental neurotoxic effects of Malathion on 3D neurosphere system

PubMed Central

Salama, Mohamed; Lotfy, Ahmed; Fathy, Khaled; Makar, Maria; El-emam, Mona; El-gamal, Aya; El-gamal, Mohamed; Badawy, Ahmad; Mohamed, Wael M.Y.; Sobh, Mohamed

2015-01-01

Developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) refers to the toxic effects induced by various chemicals on brain during the early childhood period. As human brains are vulnerable during this period, various chemicals would have significant effects on brains during early childhood. Some toxicants have been confirmed to induce developmental toxic effects on CNS; however, most of agents cannot be identified with certainty. This is because available animal models do not cover the whole spectrum of CNS developmental periods. A novel alternative method that can overcome most of the limitations of the conventional techniques is the use of 3D neurosphere system. This in-vitro system can recapitulate many of the changes during the period of brain development making it an ideal model for predicting developmental neurotoxic effects. In the present study we verified the possible DNT of Malathion, which is one of organophosphate pesticides with suggested possible neurotoxic effects on nursing children. Three doses of Malathion (0.25 μM, 1 μM and 10 μM) were used in cultured neurospheres for a period of 14 days. Malathion was found to affect proliferation, differentiation and viability of neurospheres, these effects were positively correlated to doses and time progress. This study confirms the DNT effects of Malathion on 3D neurosphere model. Further epidemiological studies will be needed to link these results to human exposure and effects data. PMID:27054080

Postnatal Developmental Trajectories of Neural Circuits in the Primate Prefrontal Cortex: Identifying Sensitive Periods for Vulnerability to Schizophrenia

PubMed Central

Hoftman, Gil D.; Lewis, David A.

2011-01-01

Schizophrenia is a disorder of cognitive neurodevelopment with characteristic abnormalities in working memory attributed, at least in part, to alterations in the circuitry of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Various environmental exposures from conception through adolescence increase risk for the illness, possibly by altering the developmental trajectories of prefrontal cortical circuits. Macaque monkeys provide an excellent model system for studying the maturation of prefrontal cortical circuits. Here, we review the development of glutamatergic and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic circuits in macaque monkey prefrontal cortex and discuss how these trajectories may help to identify sensitive periods during which environmental exposures, such as those associated with increased risk for schizophrenia, might lead to the types of abnormalities in prefrontal cortical function present in schizophrenia. PMID:21505116

Recent Trends in Developmental Research: A Quantitative Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howe, Nina; Cheyne, Allan

An assessment of recent trends in developmental research examined all articles published in the periodical "Child Development" from 1967-1983. Of the articles that were included in the "Child Development Abstracts and Bibliography" in the same period, 200 articles from each year of the period were randomly selected for…

Evolution of embryonic developmental period in the marine bird families Alcidae and Spheniscidae: roles for nutrition and predation?

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Nutrition and predation have been considered two primary agents of selection important in the evolution of avian life history traits. The relative importance of these natural selective forces in the evolution of avian embryonic developmental period (EDP) remain poorly resolved, perhaps in part because research has tended to focus on a single, high taxonomic-level group of birds: Order Passeriformes. The marine bird families Alcidae (auks) and Spheniscidae (penguins) exhibit marked variation in EDP, as well as behavioural and ecological traits ultimately linked to EDP. Therefore, auks and penguins provide a unique opportunity to assess the natural selective basis of variation in a key life-history trait at a low taxonomic-level. We used phylogenetic comparative methods to investigate the relative importance of behavioural and ecological factors related to nutrition and predation in the evolution of avian EDP. Results Three behavioural and ecological variables related to nutrition and predation risk (i.e., clutch size, activity pattern, and nesting habits) were significant predictors of residual variation in auk and penguin EDP based on models predicting EDP from egg mass. Species with larger clutch sizes, diurnal activity patterns, and open nests had significantly shorter EDPs. Further, EDP was found to be longer among birds which forage in distant offshore waters, relative to those that foraged in near shore waters, in line with our predictions, but not significantly so. Conclusion Current debate has emphasized predation as the primary agent of selection driving avian life history diversification. Our results suggest that both nutrition and predation have been important selective forces in the evolution of auk and penguin EDP, and highlight the importance of considering these questions at lower taxonomic scales. We suggest that further comparative studies on lower taxonomic-level groups will continue to constructively inform the debate on evolutionary

Evolution of embryonic developmental period in the marine bird families Alcidae and Spheniscidae: roles for nutrition and predation?

PubMed

Hipfner, J Mark; Gorman, Kristen B; Vos, Rutger A; Joy, Jeffrey B

2010-06-14

Nutrition and predation have been considered two primary agents of selection important in the evolution of avian life history traits. The relative importance of these natural selective forces in the evolution of avian embryonic developmental period (EDP) remain poorly resolved, perhaps in part because research has tended to focus on a single, high taxonomic-level group of birds: Order Passeriformes. The marine bird families Alcidae (auks) and Spheniscidae (penguins) exhibit marked variation in EDP, as well as behavioural and ecological traits ultimately linked to EDP. Therefore, auks and penguins provide a unique opportunity to assess the natural selective basis of variation in a key life-history trait at a low taxonomic-level. We used phylogenetic comparative methods to investigate the relative importance of behavioural and ecological factors related to nutrition and predation in the evolution of avian EDP. Three behavioural and ecological variables related to nutrition and predation risk (i.e., clutch size, activity pattern, and nesting habits) were significant predictors of residual variation in auk and penguin EDP based on models predicting EDP from egg mass. Species with larger clutch sizes, diurnal activity patterns, and open nests had significantly shorter EDPs. Further, EDP was found to be longer among birds which forage in distant offshore waters, relative to those that foraged in near shore waters, in line with our predictions, but not significantly so. Current debate has emphasized predation as the primary agent of selection driving avian life history diversification. Our results suggest that both nutrition and predation have been important selective forces in the evolution of auk and penguin EDP, and highlight the importance of considering these questions at lower taxonomic scales. We suggest that further comparative studies on lower taxonomic-level groups will continue to constructively inform the debate on evolutionary determinants of avian EDP, as

Developmental timing of housing mobility: longitudinal effects on externalizing behaviors among at-risk youth.

PubMed

Fowler, Patrick J; Henry, David B; Schoeny, Michael; Taylor, Jeremy; Chavira, Dina

2014-02-01

This longitudinal study tested whether developmental timing of exposure to housing mobility exacerbates behavior problems in an at-risk sample of youth. Participants were 2,442 youth 4 to 16 years old at risk for child maltreatment followed at 3 time points over a 36-month follow-up. Caregivers reported on youth externalizing behaviors at each assessment. Latent growth models examined the effect of housing mobility on behavior problems after accounting for change in cognitive development, family instability, child gender, ethnicity, family income, and caregiver mental health at baseline. Findings suggested increased housing mobility predicted greater behavior problems when children were exposed at key developmental periods. Preschoolers exhibited significantly higher rates of behavior problems that remained stable across the 3-year follow-up. Likewise, adolescents exposed to more mobility became relatively more disruptive over time. No effects were found for school-age children. Children who moved frequently during infancy and more recently demonstrated significantly worse behavior over time. The developmental timing of housing mobility affects child behavioral outcomes. Youth in developmental transition at the time of mobility are at greatest risk for disturbances to residential contexts. Assessing housing history represents an important component of interventions with at-risk families. Copyright © 2014 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Replication and Robustness in Developmental Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duncan, Greg J.; Engel, Mimi; Claessens, Amy; Dowsett, Chantelle J.

2014-01-01

Replications and robustness checks are key elements of the scientific method and a staple in many disciplines. However, leading journals in developmental psychology rarely include explicit replications of prior research conducted by different investigators, and few require authors to establish in their articles or online appendices that their key…

Is There a Critical Period for the Developmental Neurotoxicity of Low-Level Tobacco Smoke Exposure?

PubMed

Slotkin, Theodore A; Stadler, Ashley; Skavicus, Samantha; Card, Jennifer; Ruff, Jonathan; Levin, Edward D; Seidler, Frederic J

2017-01-01

Secondhand tobacco smoke exposure in pregnancy increases the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders. We evaluated in rats whether there is a critical period during which tobacco smoke extract (TSE) affects the development of acetylcholine and serotonin systems, prominent targets for adverse effects of nicotine and tobacco smoke. We simulated secondhand smoke exposure by administering TSE so as to produce nicotine concentrations one-tenth those in active smoking, with 3 distinct, 10-day windows: premating, early gestation or late gestation. We conducted longitudinal evaluations in multiple brain regions, starting in early adolescence (postnatal day 30) and continued to full adulthood (day 150). TSE exposure in any of the 3 windows impaired presynaptic cholinergic activity, exacerbated by a decrement in nicotinic cholinergic receptor concentrations. Although the adverse effects were seen for all 3 treatment windows, there was a distinct progression, with lowest sensitivity for premating exposure and higher sensitivity for gestational exposures. Serotonin receptors were also reduced by TSE exposure with the same profile: little effect with premating exposure, intermediate effect with early gestational exposure and large effect with late gestational exposure. As serotonergic circuits can offset the neurobehavioral impact of cholinergic deficits, these receptor changes were maladaptive. Thus, there is no single 'critical period' for effects of low-level tobacco smoke but there is differential sensitivity dependent upon the developmental stage at the time of exposure. Our findings reinforce the need to avoid secondhand smoke exposure not only during pregnancy, but also in the period prior to conception, or generally for women of childbearing age. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Toxicology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Developmental transcriptional profiling reveals key insights into Triticeae reproductive development.

PubMed

Tran, Frances; Penniket, Carolyn; Patel, Rohan V; Provart, Nicholas J; Laroche, André; Rowland, Owen; Robert, Laurian S

2013-06-01

Despite their importance, there remains a paucity of large-scale gene expression-based studies of reproductive development in species belonging to the Triticeae. As a first step to address this deficiency, a gene expression atlas of triticale reproductive development was generated using the 55K Affymetrix GeneChip(®) wheat genome array. The global transcriptional profiles of the anther/pollen, ovary and stigma were analyzed at concurrent developmental stages, and co-expressed as well as preferentially expressed genes were identified. Data analysis revealed both novel and conserved regulatory factors underlying Triticeae floral development and function. This comprehensive resource rests upon detailed gene annotations, and the expression profiles are readily accessible via a web browser. © 2013 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada as represented by the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

Developmental disorders: what can be learned from cognitive neuropsychology?

PubMed

Castles, Anne; Kohnen, Saskia; Nickels, Lyndsey; Brock, Jon

2014-01-01

The discipline of cognitive neuropsychology has been important for informing theories of cognition and describing the nature of acquired cognitive disorders, but its applicability in a developmental context has been questioned. Here, we revisit this issue, asking whether the cognitive neuropsychological approach can be helpful for exploring the nature and causes of developmental disorders and, if so, how. We outline the key features of the cognitive neuropsychological approach, and then consider how some of the major challenges to this approach from a developmental perspective might be met. In doing so, we distinguish between challenges to the methods of cognitive neuropsychology and those facing its deeper conceptual underpinnings. We conclude that the detailed investigation of patterns of both associations and dissociations, and across both developmental and acquired cases, can assist in describing the cognitive deficits within developmental disorders and in delineating possible causal pathways to their acquisition.

Developmental disorders: what can be learned from cognitive neuropsychology?

PubMed Central

Castles, Anne; Kohnen, Saskia; Nickels, Lyndsey; Brock, Jon

2014-01-01

The discipline of cognitive neuropsychology has been important for informing theories of cognition and describing the nature of acquired cognitive disorders, but its applicability in a developmental context has been questioned. Here, we revisit this issue, asking whether the cognitive neuropsychological approach can be helpful for exploring the nature and causes of developmental disorders and, if so, how. We outline the key features of the cognitive neuropsychological approach, and then consider how some of the major challenges to this approach from a developmental perspective might be met. In doing so, we distinguish between challenges to the methods of cognitive neuropsychology and those facing its deeper conceptual underpinnings. We conclude that the detailed investigation of patterns of both associations and dissociations, and across both developmental and acquired cases, can assist in describing the cognitive deficits within developmental disorders and in delineating possible causal pathways to their acquisition. PMID:24324246

Michael Akam and the rise of evolutionary developmental biology

PubMed Central

Stern, David L.; Dawes-Hoang, Rachel E.

2010-01-01

Michael Akam has been awarded the 2007 Kowalevsky medal for his many research accomplishments in the area of evolutionary developmental biology. We highlight three tributaries of Michael’s contribution to evolutionary developmental biology. First, he has made major contributions to our understanding of development of the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. Second, he has maintained a consistent focus on several key problems in evolutionary developmental biology, including the evolving role of Hox genes in arthropods and, more recently, the evolution of segmentation mechanisms. Third, Michael has written a series of influential reviews that have integrated progress in developmental biology into an evolutionary perspective. Michael has also made a large impact on the field through his effective mentorship style, his selfless promotion of younger colleagues, and his leadership of the University Museum of Zoology at Cambridge and the European community of evolutionary developmental biologists. PMID:20209429

Gravid Spot Predicts Developmental Progress and Reproductive Output in a Livebearing Fish, Gambusia holbrooki

PubMed Central

Norazmi-Lokman, Nor Hakim; Purser, G. J.; Patil, Jawahar G.

2016-01-01

In most livebearing fish, the gravid spot is an excellent marker to identify brooding females, however its use to predict progress of embryonic development, brood size, timing of parturition and overall reproductive potential of populations remain unexplored. Therefore, to understand these relationships, this study quantified visual attributes (intensity and size) of the gravid spot in relation to key internal development in Gambusia holbrooki. Observations show that the colour of the gravid spot arises from progressive melanisation on the surface of the ovarian sac at its hind margin, rather than melanisation of the developing embryos or the skin of the brooding mother. More importantly, the gravid spot intensity and size were closely linked with both developmental stages and clutch size, suggesting their reliable use as external surrogates of key internal developmental in the species. Using predictive consistency of the gravid spot, we also determined the effect of rearing temperature (23°C and 25°C) on gestation period and parturition behaviour. The results show that gestation period was significantly reduced (F = 364.58; df = 1,48; P˃0.05) at 25°C. However there was no significant difference in average number of fry parturated in the two temperature groups (P<0.05), reaffirming that gravid spot intensity is a reliable predictor of reproductive output. The parturition in the species occurred predominantly in the morning and in contrast to earlier reports, tails of the fry emerged first with a few exceptions of head-first, twin and premature births. This study demonstrates utility of the gravid spot for downstream reproductive investigations in a live-bearing fish both in the field and laboratory. The reproducibility of the relationships (intensity with both developmental stage and clutch size), imply that they are also relevant to wild populations that experience varying temperature climes and stressors, significant deviations of which may serve as

Developmental Principles: Fact or Fiction

PubMed Central

Durston, A. J.

2012-01-01

While still at school, most of us are deeply impressed by the underlying principles that so beautifully explain why the chemical elements are ordered as they are in the periodic table, and may wonder, with the theoretician Brian Goodwin, “whether there might be equally powerful principles that account for the awe-inspiring diversity of body forms in the living realm”. We have considered the arguments for developmental principles, conclude that they do exist and have specifically identified features that may generate principles associated with Hox patterning of the main body axis in bilaterian metazoa in general and in the vertebrates in particular. We wonder whether this exercise serves any purpose. The features we discuss were already known to us as parts of developmental mechanisms and defining developmental principles (how, and at which level?) adds no insight. We also see little profit in the proposal by Goodwin that there are principles outside the emerging genetic mechanisms that need to be taken into account. The emerging developmental genetic hierarchies already reveal a wealth of interesting phenomena, whatever we choose to call them. PMID:22489210

Developmental principles: fact or fiction.

PubMed

Durston, A J

2012-01-01

While still at school, most of us are deeply impressed by the underlying principles that so beautifully explain why the chemical elements are ordered as they are in the periodic table, and may wonder, with the theoretician Brian Goodwin, "whether there might be equally powerful principles that account for the awe-inspiring diversity of body forms in the living realm". We have considered the arguments for developmental principles, conclude that they do exist and have specifically identified features that may generate principles associated with Hox patterning of the main body axis in bilaterian metazoa in general and in the vertebrates in particular. We wonder whether this exercise serves any purpose. The features we discuss were already known to us as parts of developmental mechanisms and defining developmental principles (how, and at which level?) adds no insight. We also see little profit in the proposal by Goodwin that there are principles outside the emerging genetic mechanisms that need to be taken into account. The emerging developmental genetic hierarchies already reveal a wealth of interesting phenomena, whatever we choose to call them.

Congenital hypoplasia of the cerebellum: developmental causes and behavioral consequences

PubMed Central

Basson, M. Albert; Wingate, Richard J.

2013-01-01

Over the last 60 years, the spotlight of research has periodically returned to the cerebellum as new techniques and insights have emerged. Because of its simple homogeneous structure, limited diversity of cell types and characteristic behavioral pathologies, the cerebellum is a natural home for studies of cell specification, patterning, and neuronal migration. However, recent evidence has extended the traditional range of perceived cerebellar function to include modulation of cognitive processes and implicated cerebellar hypoplasia and Purkinje neuron hypo-cellularity with autistic spectrum disorder. In the light of this emerging frontier, we review the key stages and genetic mechanisms behind cerebellum development. In particular, we discuss the role of the midbrain hindbrain isthmic organizer in the development of the cerebellar vermis and the specification and differentiation of Purkinje cells and granule neurons. These developmental processes are then considered in relation to recent insights into selected human developmental cerebellar defects: Joubert syndrome, Dandy–Walker malformation, and pontocerebellar hypoplasia. Finally, we review current research that opens up the possibility of using the mouse as a genetic model to study the role of the cerebellum in cognitive function. PMID:24027500

Developmental dyscalculia: a dysconnection syndrome?

PubMed

Kucian, Karin; Ashkenazi, Simone Schwizer; Hänggi, Jürgen; Rotzer, Stephanie; Jäncke, Lutz; Martin, Ernst; von Aster, Michael

2014-09-01

Numerical understanding is important for everyday life. For children with developmental dyscalculia (DD), numbers and magnitudes present profound problems which are thought to be based upon neuronal impairments of key regions for numerical understanding. The aim of the present study was to investigate possible differences in white matter fibre integrity between children with DD and controls using diffusion tensor imaging. White matter integrity and behavioural measures were evaluated in 15 children with developmental dyscalculia aged around 10 years and 15 matched controls. The main finding, obtained by a whole brain group comparison, revealed reduced fractional anisotropy in the superior longitudinal fasciculus in children with developmental dyscalculia. In addition, a region of interest analysis exhibited prominent deficits in fibres of the superior longitudinal fasciculus adjacent to the intraparietal sulcus, which is thought to be the core region for number processing. To conclude, our results outline deficient fibre projection between parietal, temporal and frontal regions in children with developmental dyscalculia, and therefore raise the question of whether dyscalculia can be seen as a dysconnection syndrome. Since the superior longitudinal fasciculus is involved in the integration and control of distributed brain processes, the present results highlight the importance of considering broader domain-general mechanisms in the diagnosis and therapy of dyscalculia.

Developmental Neurotoxicology: History and Outline of ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The present work provides a brief review of basic concepts in developmental neurotoxicology, as well as current representative testing guidelines for evaluating developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) of xenobiotics. Historically, DNT was initially recognized as a “functional” teratogenicity: the main concern was that prenatal and/or early postnatal exposures to chemicals during critical periods of central nervous system (CNS) development would cause later functional abnormalities of the brain. Current internationally harmonized DNT study guidelines are thus intended to predict adverse effects of test compounds on the developing CNS by observing such postnatal parameters as motor activity, startle response, and learning and memory, as well as neropathological alterations. The reliability of current DNT study guidelines and sensitivity of testing methodologies recommended in these guidelines have been confirmed by retrospective evaluations of the many international and domestic collaborative validation studies in developed nations including Japan. Invited review with brief review of basic concepts in developmental neurotoxicology, as well as current representative testing guidelines for evaluating developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) of xenobiotics.

Effect of eggshell temperature and oxygen concentration during incubation on the developmental and physiological status of broiler hatchlings in the perinatal period.

PubMed

Molenaar, R; van den Anker, I; Meijerhof, R; Kemp, B; van den Brand, H

2011-06-01

This study evaluated the influence of incubation conditions on the developmental and physiological status of birds in the perinatal period, which spans the end of incubation until the early posthatch period. Embryos were incubated at a normal (37.8°C) or high (38.9°C) eggshell temperature (EST) and a low (17%), normal (21%), or high (25%) O(2) concentration from d 7 until 19 of incubation. After d 19 of incubation, EST was maintained, but O(2) concentrations were 21% for all embryos. Body and organ weights, and hepatic glycogen levels were measured at d 18 of incubation and at 12 and 48 h after emergence from the eggshell. In addition, blood metabolites were measured at 12 and 48 h after emergence from the eggshell. Embryos incubated at a high EST and low O(2) concentration had the highest mortality in the last week of incubation, which may be related to their low yolk-free body mass (YFBM) or a reduced nutrient availability for hatching (i.e., hepatic glycogen). High EST, compared with normal EST, decreased YFBM. This may be due to the shorter incubation duration of 8 h, the lower weight of supply organs (i.e., heart and lung), or a lack of glucose precursors. Because of this lack of glucose precursors, embryos incubated at high EST may have used proteins for energy production instead of for body development at the end of incubation. The YFBM at d 18 of incubation increased with an increase in O(2) concentration. However, differences between the normal and high O(2) concentration disappeared at 12 and 48 h after emergence, possibly because the high O(2) concentration had difficulties adapting to lower O(2) concentrations in the perinatal period. Blood metabolites and hepatic glycogen were comparable among O(2) concentrations, indicating that the physiological status at hatch may be related to the environment that the embryo experienced during the hatching process. In conclusion, EST and O(2) concentration differentially influence the developmental and

VIII. THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF DEVELOPMENTAL METHODOLOGY.

PubMed

Little, Todd D; Wang, Eugene W; Gorrall, Britt K

2017-06-01

This chapter selectively reviews the evolution of quantitative practices in the field of developmental methodology. The chapter begins with an overview of the past in developmental methodology, discussing the implementation and dissemination of latent variable modeling and, in particular, longitudinal structural equation modeling. It then turns to the present state of developmental methodology, highlighting current methodological advances in the field. Additionally, this section summarizes ample quantitative resources, ranging from key quantitative methods journal articles to the various quantitative methods training programs and institutes. The chapter concludes with the future of developmental methodology and puts forth seven future innovations in the field. The innovations discussed span the topics of measurement, modeling, temporal design, and planned missing data designs. Lastly, the chapter closes with a brief overview of advanced modeling techniques such as continuous time models, state space models, and the application of Bayesian estimation in the field of developmental methodology. © 2017 The Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

Holistic face training enhances face processing in developmental prosopagnosia

PubMed Central

Cohan, Sarah; Nakayama, Ken

2014-01-01

Prosopagnosia has largely been regarded as an untreatable disorder. However, recent case studies using cognitive training have shown that it is possible to enhance face recognition abilities in individuals with developmental prosopagnosia. Our goal was to determine if this approach could be effective in a larger population of developmental prosopagnosics. We trained 24 developmental prosopagnosics using a 3-week online face-training program targeting holistic face processing. Twelve subjects with developmental prosopagnosia were assessed before and after training, and the other 12 were assessed before and after a waiting period, they then performed the training, and were then assessed again. The assessments included measures of front-view face discrimination, face discrimination with view-point changes, measures of holistic face processing, and a 5-day diary to quantify potential real-world improvements. Compared with the waiting period, developmental prosopagnosics showed moderate but significant overall training-related improvements on measures of front-view face discrimination. Those who reached the more difficult levels of training (‘better’ trainees) showed the strongest improvements in front-view face discrimination and showed significantly increased holistic face processing to the point of being similar to that of unimpaired control subjects. Despite challenges in characterizing developmental prosopagnosics’ everyday face recognition and potential biases in self-report, results also showed modest but consistent self-reported diary improvements. In summary, we demonstrate that by using cognitive training that targets holistic processing, it is possible to enhance face perception across a group of developmental prosopagnosics and further suggest that those who improved the most on the training task received the greatest benefits. PMID:24691394

Juvenile hormone mediates developmental integration between exaggerated traits and supportive traits in the horned flour beetle Gnatocerus cornutus.

PubMed

Okada, Yasukazu; Gotoh, Hiroki; Miura, Toru; Miyatake, Takahisa; Okada, Kensuke

2012-07-01

Sexually selected exaggerated traits are often coupled with modifications in other nontarget traits. In insects with weapons, enlargements of nontarget characters that functionally support the weapon often occur (i.e. supportive traits). The support of sexual traits requires developmental coordination among functionally related multiple traits-an explicit example of morphological integration. The genetic theory predicts that developmental integration among different body modules, for which development is regulated via different sets of genes, is likely to be coordinated by pleiotropic factors. However, the developmental backgrounds of morphological integrations are largely unknown. We tested the hypothesis that the juvenile hormone (JH), as a pleiotropic factor, mediates the integration between exaggerated and supportive traits in an armed beetle Gnatocerus cornutus. During combat, males of this beetle use exaggerated mandibles to lift up their opponents with the supportive traits, that is, the head and prothoracic body parts. Application of methoprene, a JH analog (JHA), during the larval to prepupal period, induced the formation of large mandibles relative to the body sizes in males. Morphometric examination of nontarget traits elucidated an increase in the relative sizes of supportive traits, including the head and prothoracic body parts. In addition, reductions in the hind wing area and elytra length, which correspond to flight and reproductive abilities, were detected. Our findings are consistent with the genetic theory and support the idea that JH is a key pleiotropic factor that coordinates the developmental integration of exaggerated traits and supportive characters, as well as resource allocation trade-offs. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Developmental programming: the role of growth hormone.

PubMed

Oberbauer, Anita M

2015-01-01

Developmental programming of the fetus has consequences for physiologic responses in the offspring as an adult and, more recently, is implicated in the expression of altered phenotypes of future generations. Some phenotypes, such as fertility, bone strength, and adiposity are highly relevant to food animal production and in utero factors that impinge on those traits are vital to understand. A key systemic regulatory hormone is growth hormone (GH), which has a developmental role in virtually all tissues and organs. This review catalogs the impact of GH on tissue programming and how perturbations early in development influence GH function.

Oxidative Stress, Unfolded Protein Response, and Apoptosis in Developmental Toxicity

PubMed Central

Kupsco, Allison; Schlenk, Daniel

2016-01-01

Physiological development requires precise spatiotemporal regulation of cellular and molecular processes. Disruption of these key events can generate developmental toxicity in the form of teratogenesis or mortality. The mechanism behind many developmental toxicants remains unknown. While recent work has focused on the unfolded protein response (UPR), oxidative stress, and apoptosis in the pathogenesis of disease, few studies have addressed their relationship in developmental toxicity. Redox regulation, UPR, and apoptosis are essential for physiological development and can be disturbed by a variety of endogenous and exogenous toxicants to generate lethality and diverse malformations. This review examines the current knowledge of the role of oxidative stress, UPR, and apoptosis in physiological development as well as in developmental toxicity, focusing on studies and advances in vertebrates model systems. PMID:26008783

Relationships between Leisure Participation and Quality of Life of People with Developmental Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Badia, Marta; Orgaz, María Begoña; Verdugo, Miguel Á.; Ullán, Ana M.; Martínez, Magdalena

2013-01-01

Background: Studies of people with developmental disabilities suggest that participation in leisure activities might be a key factor for good quality of life. This study explores the relationships between objective and subjective quality of life and leisure participation of adults with developmental disabilities. Materials and Methods: A…

Family Decision Making: Benefits to Persons with Developmental Disabilities and Their Family Members

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neely-Barnes, Susan; Graff, J. Carolyn; Marcenko, Maureen; Weber, Lisa

2008-01-01

Family involvement in planning and choosing services has become a key intervention concept in developmental disability services. This study (N = 547) modeled patterns of family decision making and assessed benefits to persons with developmental disabilities (DDs) and their family members. A latent profile analysis identified 4 classes that were…

Computational Modeling and Simulation of Developmental ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

SYNOPSIS: The question of how tissues and organs are shaped during development is crucial for understanding human birth defects. Data from high-throughput screening assays on human stem cells may be utilized predict developmental toxicity with reasonable accuracy. Other types of models are necessary, however, for mechanism-specific analysis because embryogenesis requires precise timing and control. Agent-based modeling and simulation (ABMS) is an approach to virtually reconstruct these dynamics, cell-by-cell and interaction-by-interaction. Using ABMS, HTS lesions from ToxCast can be integrated with patterning systems heuristically to propagate key events This presentation to FDA-CFSAN will update progress on the applications of in silico modeling tools and approaches for assessing developmental toxicity.

Romance in a Minor Key: Periodicals Selection for Music.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colby, Michael

Employing a metaphor of romantic relationship (e.g., monographic selections are like one-night stands; periodical selections are more like marriages), this paper assists the librarian in the selection of monographic periodicals for library music collections. It recommends finding existing titles through advertisements in other similar periodicals.…

Systems theory and cascades in developmental psychopathology.

PubMed

Cox, Martha J; Mills-Koonce, Roger; Propper, Cathi; Gariépy, Jean-Louis

2010-08-01

In the wake of prominent theoreticians in developmental science, whose contributions we review in this article, many developmental psychologists came to endorse a systems approach to understanding how the individual, as it develops, establishes functional relationships to social ecological contexts that from birth to school entry rapidly increase in complexity. The concept of developmental cascade has been introduced in this context to describe lawful processes by which antecedent conditions may be related with varying probabilities to specified outcomes. These are understood as processes by which function at one level or in one domain of behavior affect the organization of competency in later developing domains of general adaptation. Here we propose a developmental sequence by which the developing child acquires regulative capacities that are key to adjustment to a society that demands considerable control of emotional and cognitive functions early in life. We report empirical evidence showing that the acquisition of regulative capacities may be understood as a cascade of shifts in control parameters induced by the progressive integration of biological, transactional, and socioaffective systems over development. We conclude by suggesting how the developmental process may be accessed for effective intervention in populations deemed "at risk" for later problems of psychosocial adjustment.

Attachment in Middle Childhood: An Evolutionary-Developmental Perspective.

PubMed

Del Giudice, Marco

2015-01-01

Middle childhood is a key transitional stage in the development of attachment processes and representations. Here I discuss the middle childhood transition from an evolutionary-developmental perspective and show how this approach offers fresh insight into the function and organization of attachment in this life stage. I begin by presenting an integrated biological model of middle childhood and discussing the neurobiological mechanisms that support the middle childhood transition. I examine the potential role of adrenal androgens, focusing on their activational effects in interaction with early exposure to sex hormones. I then discuss three insights arising from the integrated model and apply them to the development of attachment in middle childhood. I consider the changing functions of attachment in light of social competition, the emergence of sex differences in attachment, and the model's implications for the genetics of attachment in middle childhood. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Predictors of Care-Giver Stress in Families of Preschool-Aged Children with Developmental Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plant, K. M.; Sanders, M. R.

2007-01-01

Background: This study examined the predictors, mediators and moderators of parent stress in families of preschool-aged children with developmental disability. Method: One hundred and five mothers of preschool-aged children with developmental disability completed assessment measures addressing the key variables. Results: Analyses demonstrated that…

Developmental transitions in C. elegans larval stages.

PubMed

Rougvie, Ann E; Moss, Eric G

2013-01-01

Molecular mechanisms control the timing, sequence, and synchrony of developmental events in multicellular organisms. In Caenorhabditis elegans, these mechanisms are revealed through the analysis of mutants with "heterochronic" defects: cell division or differentiation patterns that occur in the correct lineage, but simply at the wrong time. Subsets of cells in these mutants thus express temporal identities normally restricted to a different life stage. A seminal finding arising from studies of the heterochronic genes was the discovery of miRNAs; these tiny miRNAs are now a defining feature of the pathway. A series of sequentially expressed miRNAs guide larval transitions through stage-specific repression of key effector molecules. The wild-type lineage patterns are executed as discrete modules programmed between temporal borders imposed by the molting cycles. How these successive events are synchronized with the oscillatory molting cycle is just beginning to come to light. Progression through larval stages can be specifically, yet reversibly, halted in response to environmental cues, including nutrient availability. Here too, heterochronic genes and miRNAs play key roles. Remarkably, developmental arrest can, in some cases, either mask or reveal timing defects associated with mutations. In this chapter, we provide an overview of how the C. elegans heterochronic gene pathway guides developmental transitions during continuous and interrupted larval development. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Altered Modulation of Silent Period in Tongue Motor Cortex of Persistent Developmental Stuttering in Relation to Stuttering Severity.

PubMed

Busan, Pierpaolo; Del Ben, Giovanni; Bernardini, Simona; Natarelli, Giulia; Bencich, Marco; Monti, Fabrizio; Manganotti, Paolo; Battaglini, Piero Paolo

2016-01-01

Motor balance in developmental stuttering (DS) was investigated with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), with the aim to define novel neural markers of persistent DS in adulthood. Eleven DS adult males were evaluated with TMS on tongue primary motor cortex, compared to 15 matched fluent speakers, in a "state" condition (i.e. stutterers vs. fluent speakers, no overt stuttering). Motor and silent period thresholds (SPT), recruitment curves, and silent period durations were acquired by recording tongue motor evoked potentials. Tongue silent period duration was increased in DS, especially in the left hemisphere (P<0.05; Hedge's g or Cohen's dunbiased = 1.054, i.e. large effect size), suggesting a "state" condition of higher intracortical inhibition in left motor cortex networks. Differences in motor thresholds (different excitatory/inhibitory ratios in DS) were evident, as well as significant differences in SPT. In fluent speakers, the left hemisphere may be marginally more excitable than the right one in motor thresholds at lower muscular activation, while active motor thresholds and SPT were higher in the left hemisphere of DS with respect to the right one, resulting also in a positive correlation with stuttering severity. Pre-TMS electromyography data gave overlapping evidence. Findings suggest the existence of a complex intracortical balance in DS tongue primary motor cortex, with a particular interplay between excitatory and inhibitory mechanisms, also in neural substrates related to silent periods. Findings are discussed with respect to functional and structural impairments in stuttering, and are also proposed as novel neural markers of a stuttering "state" in persistent DS, helping to define more focused treatments (e.g. neuro-modulation).

Altered Modulation of Silent Period in Tongue Motor Cortex of Persistent Developmental Stuttering in Relation to Stuttering Severity

PubMed Central

Busan, Pierpaolo; Del Ben, Giovanni; Bernardini, Simona; Natarelli, Giulia; Bencich, Marco; Monti, Fabrizio; Manganotti, Paolo; Battaglini, Piero Paolo

2016-01-01

Motor balance in developmental stuttering (DS) was investigated with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), with the aim to define novel neural markers of persistent DS in adulthood. Eleven DS adult males were evaluated with TMS on tongue primary motor cortex, compared to 15 matched fluent speakers, in a “state” condition (i.e. stutterers vs. fluent speakers, no overt stuttering). Motor and silent period thresholds (SPT), recruitment curves, and silent period durations were acquired by recording tongue motor evoked potentials. Tongue silent period duration was increased in DS, especially in the left hemisphere (P<0.05; Hedge’s g or Cohen’s dunbiased = 1.054, i.e. large effect size), suggesting a “state” condition of higher intracortical inhibition in left motor cortex networks. Differences in motor thresholds (different excitatory/inhibitory ratios in DS) were evident, as well as significant differences in SPT. In fluent speakers, the left hemisphere may be marginally more excitable than the right one in motor thresholds at lower muscular activation, while active motor thresholds and SPT were higher in the left hemisphere of DS with respect to the right one, resulting also in a positive correlation with stuttering severity. Pre-TMS electromyography data gave overlapping evidence. Findings suggest the existence of a complex intracortical balance in DS tongue primary motor cortex, with a particular interplay between excitatory and inhibitory mechanisms, also in neural substrates related to silent periods. Findings are discussed with respect to functional and structural impairments in stuttering, and are also proposed as novel neural markers of a stuttering “state” in persistent DS, helping to define more focused treatments (e.g. neuro-modulation). PMID:27711148

Trisomy 21 and facial developmental instability.

PubMed

Starbuck, John M; Cole, Theodore M; Reeves, Roger H; Richtsmeier, Joan T

2013-05-01

The most common live-born human aneuploidy is trisomy 21, which causes Down syndrome (DS). Dosage imbalance of genes on chromosome 21 (Hsa21) affects complex gene-regulatory interactions and alters development to produce a wide range of phenotypes, including characteristic facial dysmorphology. Little is known about how trisomy 21 alters craniofacial morphogenesis to create this characteristic appearance. Proponents of the "amplified developmental instability" hypothesis argue that trisomy 21 causes a generalized genetic imbalance that disrupts evolutionarily conserved developmental pathways by decreasing developmental homeostasis and precision throughout development. Based on this model, we test the hypothesis that DS faces exhibit increased developmental instability relative to euploid individuals. Developmental instability was assessed by a statistical analysis of fluctuating asymmetry. We compared the magnitude and patterns of fluctuating asymmetry among siblings using three-dimensional coordinate locations of 20 anatomic landmarks collected from facial surface reconstructions in four age-matched samples ranging from 4 to 12 years: (1) DS individuals (n = 55); (2) biological siblings of DS individuals (n = 55); 3) and 4) two samples of typically developing individuals (n = 55 for each sample), who are euploid siblings and age-matched to the DS individuals and their euploid siblings (samples 1 and 2). Identification in the DS sample of facial prominences exhibiting increased fluctuating asymmetry during facial morphogenesis provides evidence for increased developmental instability in DS faces. We found the highest developmental instability in facial structures derived from the mandibular prominence and lowest in facial regions derived from the frontal prominence. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The effect of noise exposure during the developmental period on the function of the auditory system.

PubMed

Bureš, Zbyněk; Popelář, Jiří; Syka, Josef

2017-09-01

Recently, there has been growing evidence that development and maturation of the auditory system depends substantially on the afferent activity supplying inputs to the developing centers. In cases when this activity is altered during early ontogeny as a consequence of, e.g., an unnatural acoustic environment or acoustic trauma, the structure and function of the auditory system may be severely affected. Pathological alterations may be found in populations of ribbon synapses of the inner hair cells, in the structure and function of neuronal circuits, or in auditory driven behavioral and psychophysical performance. Three characteristics of the developmental impairment are of key importance: first, they often persist to adulthood, permanently influencing the quality of life of the subject; second, their manifestations are different and sometimes even contradictory to the impairments induced by noise trauma in adulthood; third, they may be 'hidden' and difficult to diagnose by standard audiometric procedures used in clinical practice. This paper reviews the effects of early interventions to the auditory system, in particular, of sound exposure during ontogeny. We summarize the results of recent morphological, electrophysiological, and behavioral experiments, discuss the putative mechanisms and hypotheses, and draw possible consequences for human neonatal medicine and noise health. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The High/Scope Preschool Key Experiences: Essential Elements of Young Children's Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hohmann, Mary

2002-01-01

Discusses High/Scope's preschool key experiences (a set of 58 statements that describe young children's social, cognitive, and physical development). The key experiences are grouped into 10 major developmental areas (creative representation, language and literacy, social relations, movement, music, classification, seriation, number, space, and…

A developmental perspective on early-life exposure to neurotoxicants.

PubMed

Bellinger, David C; Matthews-Bellinger, Julia A; Kordas, Katarzyna

2016-09-01

Studies of early-life neurotoxicant exposure have not been designed, analyzed, or interpreted in the context of a fully developmental perspective. The goal of this paper is to describe the key principles of a developmental perspective and to use examples from the literature to illustrate the relevance of these principles to early-life neurotoxicant exposures. Four principles are discussed: 1) the effects of early-life neurotoxicant exposure depend on a child's developmental context; 2) deficits caused by early-life exposure initiate developmental cascades that can lead to pathologies that differ from those observed initially; 3) early-life neurotoxicant exposure has intra-familial and intergenerational impacts; 4) the impacts of early-life neurotoxicant exposure influence a child's ability to respond to future insults. The first principle is supported by considerable evidence, but the other three have received much less attention. Incorporating a developmental perspective in studies of early-life neurotoxicant exposures requires prospective collection of data on a larger array of covariates than usually considered, using analytical approaches that acknowledge the transactional processes between a child and the environment and the phenomenon of developmental cascades. Consideration of early-life neurotoxicant exposure within a developmental perspective reveals that many issues remain to be explicated if we are to achieve a deep understanding of the societal health burden associated with early-life neurotoxicant exposures. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Microarray analysis identifies candidate genes for key roles in coral development

PubMed Central

Grasso, Lauretta C; Maindonald, John; Rudd, Stephen; Hayward, David C; Saint, Robert; Miller, David J; Ball, Eldon E

2008-01-01

Background Anthozoan cnidarians are amongst the simplest animals at the tissue level of organization, but are surprisingly complex and vertebrate-like in terms of gene repertoire. As major components of tropical reef ecosystems, the stony corals are anthozoans of particular ecological significance. To better understand the molecular bases of both cnidarian development in general and coral-specific processes such as skeletogenesis and symbiont acquisition, microarray analysis was carried out through the period of early development – when skeletogenesis is initiated, and symbionts are first acquired. Results Of 5081 unique peptide coding genes, 1084 were differentially expressed (P ≤ 0.05) in comparisons between four different stages of coral development, spanning key developmental transitions. Genes of likely relevance to the processes of settlement, metamorphosis, calcification and interaction with symbionts were characterised further and their spatial expression patterns investigated using whole-mount in situ hybridization. Conclusion This study is the first large-scale investigation of developmental gene expression for any cnidarian, and has provided candidate genes for key roles in many aspects of coral biology, including calcification, metamorphosis and symbiont uptake. One surprising finding is that some of these genes have clear counterparts in higher animals but are not present in the closely-related sea anemone Nematostella. Secondly, coral-specific processes (i.e. traits which distinguish corals from their close relatives) may be analogous to similar processes in distantly related organisms. This first large-scale application of microarray analysis demonstrates the potential of this approach for investigating many aspects of coral biology, including the effects of stress and disease. PMID:19014561

Developmental and benign movement disorders in childhood.

PubMed

Bonnet, Cecilia; Roubertie, Agathe; Doummar, Diane; Bahi-Buisson, Nadia; Cochen de Cock, Valérie; Roze, Emmanuel

2010-07-30

Developmental and benign movement disorders are a group of movement disorders with onset in the neonatal period, infancy, or childhood. They are characterized by the absence of associated neurological manifestations and by their favorable outcome, although developmental abnormalities can be occasionally observed. Knowledge of the clinical, neurophysiological, and pathogenetic aspects of these disorders is poor. Based on a comprehensive review of the literature and our practical experience, this article summarizes current knowledge in this area. We pay special attention to the recognition and management of these movement disorders in children. (c) 2010 Movement Disorder Society.

Understanding and acting on the developmental origins of health and disease in Africa would improve health across generations.

PubMed

Norris, Shane A; Daar, Abdallah; Balasubramanian, Dorairajan; Byass, Peter; Kimani-Murage, Elizabeth; Macnab, Andrew; Pauw, Christoff; Singhal, Atul; Yajnik, Chittaranjan; Akazili, James; Levitt, Naomi; Maatoug, Jihene; Mkhwanazi, Nolwazi; Moore, Sophie E; Nyirenda, Moffat; Pulliam, Juliet R C; Rochat, Tamsen; Said-Mohamed, Rihlat; Seedat, Soraya; Sobngwi, Eugene; Tomlinson, Mark; Toska, Elona; van Schalkwyk, Cari

2017-01-01

Data from many high- and low- or middle-income countries have linked exposures during key developmental periods (in particular pregnancy and infancy) to later health and disease. Africa faces substantial challenges with persisting infectious disease and now burgeoning non-communicable disease.This paper opens the debate to the value of strengthening the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) research focus in Africa to tackle critical public health challenges across the life-course. We argue that the application of DOHaD science in Africa to advance life-course prevention programmes can aid the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, and assist in improving health across generations. To increase DOHaD research and its application in Africa, we need to mobilise multisectoral partners, utilise existing data and expertise on the continent, and foster a new generation of young African scientists engrossed in DOHaD.

Child Neglect: Developmental Issues and Outcomes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hildyard, Kathryn L.; Wolfe, David A.

2002-01-01

This article reviews the effects of child neglect on three developmental periods: infancy/preschool, school-aged and younger adolescents, and older adolescents and adults. The severe cognitive and academic deficits, the social withdrawal and limited peer interactions, and the internalizing problems of neglected children relative to physically…

Neural crest cells: from developmental biology to clinical interventions.

PubMed

Noisa, Parinya; Raivio, Taneli

2014-09-01

Neural crest cells are multipotent cells, which are specified in embryonic ectoderm in the border of neural plate and epiderm during early development by interconnection of extrinsic stimuli and intrinsic factors. Neural crest cells are capable of differentiating into various somatic cell types, including melanocytes, craniofacial cartilage and bone, smooth muscle, and peripheral nervous cells, which supports their promise for cell therapy. In this work, we provide a comprehensive review of wide aspects of neural crest cells from their developmental biology to applicability in medical research. We provide a simplified model of neural crest cell development and highlight the key external stimuli and intrinsic regulators that determine the neural crest cell fate. Defects of neural crest cell development leading to several human disorders are also mentioned, with the emphasis of using human induced pluripotent stem cells to model neurocristopathic syndromes. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Evolutionary crossroads in developmental biology: Cnidaria

PubMed Central

Technau, Ulrich; Steele, Robert E.

2011-01-01

There is growing interest in the use of cnidarians (corals, sea anemones, jellyfish and hydroids) to investigate the evolution of key aspects of animal development, such as the formation of the third germ layer (mesoderm), the nervous system and the generation of bilaterality. The recent sequencing of the Nematostella and Hydra genomes, and the establishment of methods for manipulating gene expression, have inspired new research efforts using cnidarians. Here, we present the main features of cnidarian models and their advantages for research, and summarize key recent findings using these models that have informed our understanding of the evolution of the developmental processes underlying metazoan body plan formation. PMID:21389047

Evolutionary crossroads in developmental biology: Cnidaria.

PubMed

Technau, Ulrich; Steele, Robert E

2011-04-01

There is growing interest in the use of cnidarians (corals, sea anemones, jellyfish and hydroids) to investigate the evolution of key aspects of animal development, such as the formation of the third germ layer (mesoderm), the nervous system and the generation of bilaterality. The recent sequencing of the Nematostella and Hydra genomes, and the establishment of methods for manipulating gene expression, have inspired new research efforts using cnidarians. Here, we present the main features of cnidarian models and their advantages for research, and summarize key recent findings using these models that have informed our understanding of the evolution of the developmental processes underlying metazoan body plan formation.

Attachment in Middle Childhood: An Evolutionary-Developmental Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Del Giudice, Marco

2015-01-01

Middle childhood is a key transitional stage in the development of attachment processes and representations. Here I discuss the middle childhood transition from an evolutionary-developmental perspective and show how this approach offers fresh insight into the function and organization of attachment in this life stage. I begin by presenting an…

Phenotypic screening for developmental neurotoxicity ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

There are large numbers of environmental chemicals with little or no available information on their toxicity, including developmental neurotoxicity. Because of the resource-intensive nature of traditional animal tests, high-throughput (HTP) methods that can rapidly evaluate chemicals for the potential to affect the developing brain are being explored. Typically, HTP screening uses biochemical and molecular assays to detect the interaction of a chemical with a known target or molecular initiating event (e.g., the mechanism of action). For developmental neurotoxicity, however, the mechanism(s) is often unknown. Thus, we have developed assays for detecting chemical effects on the key events of neurodevelopment at the cellular level (e.g., proliferation, differentiation, neurite growth, synaptogenesis, network formation). Cell-based assays provide a test system at a level of biological complexity that encompasses many potential neurotoxic mechanisms. For example, phenotypic assessment of neurite outgrowth at the cellular level can detect chemicals that target kinases, ion channels, or esterases at the molecular level. The results from cell-based assays can be placed in a conceptual framework using an Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) which links molecular, cellular, and organ level effects with apical measures of developmental neurotoxicity. Testing a wide range of concentrations allows for the distinction between selective effects on neurodevelopmental and non-specific

The developmental switch in GABA polarity is delayed in fragile X mice.

PubMed

He, Qionger; Nomura, Toshihiro; Xu, Jian; Contractor, Anis

2014-01-08

Delays in synaptic and neuronal development in the cortex are key hallmarks of fragile X syndrome, a prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder that causes intellectual disability and sensory deficits and is the most common known cause of autism. Previous studies have demonstrated that the normal progression of plasticity and synaptic refinement during the critical period is altered in the cortex of fragile X mice. Although the disruptions in excitatory synapses are well documented in fragile X, there is less known about inhibitory neurotransmission during the critical period. GABAergic transmission plays a crucial trophic role in cortical development through its early depolarizing action. At the end of cortical critical period, response properties of GABA transform into their mature hyperpolarizing type due to developmental changes in intracellular chloride homeostasis. We found that the timing of the switch from depolarizing to hyperpolarizing GABA is delayed in the cortex of fragile X mice and there is a concurrent alteration in the expression of the neuronal chloride cotransporter NKCC1 that promotes the accumulation of intracellular chloride. Disruption of the trophic effects of GABA during cortical development could contribute to the altered trajectory of synaptic maturation in fragile X syndrome.

Revisiting a Progressive Pedagogy. The Developmental-Interaction Approach. SUNY Series, Early Childhood Education: Inquiries and Insights.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nager, Nancy, Ed.; Shapiro, Edna K., Ed.

This book reviews the history of the developmental-interactive approach, a formulation rooted in developmental psychology and educational practice, progressively informing educational thinking since the early 20th century. The book describes and analyzes key assumptions and assesses the compatibility of new theoretical approaches, focuses on…

Developmental variation, homology, and the pharyngula stage.

PubMed

Collazo, A

2000-03-01

Understanding how development varies both inter- and intraspecifically can be important for systematic and evolutionary studies. This review will explore three different ways such understanding can be applied to evolutionary analyses. First, developmental data can be useful for homology determination. Interspecific variation in development has been thought to make developmental data poor candidates for determining homology. However, an updated developmental criterion that is more broadly comparative and mechanistic augments the available criteria used in homology determination. Second, modern cell and molecular biology are providing a better understanding of the many developmental processes involved in a structure's formation and will augment the number of characters available for phylogenetic analyses. Recent work has revealed that what had been thought to be a highly conserved developmental stage, the pharyngula (the phylotypic and zootypic stage of craniates) is highly variable. This variation can be seen in the development of such tissues as neural crest and placodes. These tissues are particularly interesting from a phylogenetic standpoint because they and the structures they form contribute to key synapomorphies of craniates. Finally, understanding developmental processes and how they form the variety of morphologies seen in nature will help in constructing the transformations that occurred during evolution. One such example involves descriptions of how lateral line development is affected in different mutant lines of zebrafish. The many species of teleost fishes express great variation in the patterns of their lateral lines, and this is often an important systematic character. Understanding the genetic basis of lateral line development would help not only in hypothesizing possible transformational series but also in determining how many genes may have been required for these transformations.

Dopamine and serotonin signaling during two sensitive developmental periods differentially impact adult aggressive and affective behaviors in mice.

PubMed

Yu, Q; Teixeira, C M; Mahadevia, D; Huang, Y; Balsam, D; Mann, J J; Gingrich, J A; Ansorge, M S

2014-06-01

Pharmacologic blockade of monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) or serotonin transporter (5-HTT) has antidepressant and anxiolytic efficacy in adulthood. Yet, genetically conferred MAOA or 5-HTT hypoactivity is associated with altered aggression and increased anxiety/depression. Here we test the hypothesis that increased monoamine signaling during development causes these paradoxical aggressive and affective phenotypes. We find that pharmacologic MAOA blockade during early postnatal development (P2-P21) but not during peri-adolescence (P22-41) increases anxiety- and depression-like behavior in adult (>P90) mice, mimicking the effect of P2-21 5-HTT inhibition. Moreover, MAOA blockade during peri-adolescence, but not P2-21 or P182-201, increases adult aggressive behavior, and 5-HTT blockade from P22-P41 reduced adult aggression. Blockade of the dopamine transporter, but not the norepinephrine transporter, during P22-41 also increases adult aggressive behavior. Thus, P2-21 is a sensitive period during which 5-HT modulates adult anxiety/depression-like behavior, and P22-41 is a sensitive period during which DA and 5-HT bi-directionally modulate adult aggression. Permanently altered DAergic function as a consequence of increased P22-P41 monoamine signaling might underlie altered aggression. In support of this hypothesis, we find altered aggression correlating positively with locomotor response to amphetamine challenge in adulthood. Proving that altered DA function and aggression are causally linked, we demonstrate that optogenetic activation of VTA DAergic neurons increases aggression. It therefore appears that genetic and pharmacologic factors impacting dopamine and serotonin signaling during sensitive developmental periods can modulate adult monoaminergic function and thereby alter risk for aggressive and emotional dysfunction.

Developmental Toxicology##

EPA Science Inventory

Developmental toxicology encompasses the study of developmental exposures, pharmacokinetics, mechanisms, pathogenesis, and outcomes potentially leading to adverse health effects. Manifestations of developmental toxicity include structural malformations, growth retardation, functi...

Epigenetics and developmental plasticity across species.

PubMed

Champagne, Frances A

2013-01-01

Plasticity is a typical feature of development and can lead to divergent phenotypes. There is increasing evidence that epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, are present across species, are modifiable by the environment, and are involved in developmental plasticity. Thus, in the context of the concept of developmental homology, epigenetic mechanisms may serve to create a process homology between species by providing a common molecular pathway through which environmental experiences shape development, ultimately leading to phenotypic diversity. This article will highlight evidence derived from across-species investigations of epigenetics, development, and plasticity which may contribute to our understanding of the homology that exists between species and between ancestors and descendants. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Developmental Programming, a Pathway to Disease

PubMed Central

Cardoso, Rodolfo C.; Puttabyatappa, Muraly

2016-01-01

Accumulating evidence suggests that insults occurring during the perinatal period alter the developmental trajectory of the fetus/offspring leading to long-term detrimental outcomes that often culminate in adult pathologies. These perinatal insults include maternal/fetal disease states, nutritional deficits/excess, stress, lifestyle choices, exposure to environmental chemicals, and medical interventions. In addition to reviewing the various insults that contribute to developmental programming and the benefits of animal models in addressing underlying mechanisms, this review focuses on the commonalities in disease outcomes stemming from various insults, the convergence of mechanistic pathways via which various insults can lead to common outcomes, and identifies the knowledge gaps in the field and future directions. PMID:26859334

Analysing growth and development of plants jointly using developmental growth stages

PubMed Central

Dambreville, Anaëlle; Lauri, Pierre-Éric; Normand, Frédéric; Guédon, Yann

2015-01-01

Background and Aims Plant growth, the increase of organ dimensions over time, and development, the change in plant structure, are often studied as two separate processes. However, there is structural and functional evidence that these two processes are strongly related. The aim of this study was to investigate the co-ordination between growth and development using mango trees, which have well-defined developmental stages. Methods Developmental stages, determined in an expert way, and organ sizes, determined from objective measurements, were collected during the vegetative growth and flowering phases of two cultivars of mango, Mangifera indica. For a given cultivar and growth unit type (either vegetative or flowering), a multistage model based on absolute growth rate sequences deduced from the measurements was first built, and then growth stages deduced from the model were compared with developmental stages. Key Results Strong matches were obtained between growth stages and developmental stages, leading to a consistent definition of integrative developmental growth stages. The growth stages highlighted growth asynchronisms between two topologically connected organs, namely the vegetative axis and its leaves. Conclusions Integrative developmental growth stages emphasize that developmental stages are closely related to organ growth rates. The results are discussed in terms of the possible physiological processes underlying these stages, including plant hydraulics, biomechanics and carbohydrate partitioning. PMID:25452250

Constructivist developmental theory is needed in developmental neuroscience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arsalidou, Marie; Pascual-Leone, Juan

2016-12-01

Neuroscience techniques provide an open window previously unavailable to the origin of thoughts and actions in children. Developmental cognitive neuroscience is booming, and knowledge from human brain mapping is finding its way into education and pediatric practice. Promises of application in developmental cognitive neuroscience rests however on better theory-guided data interpretation. Massive amounts of neuroimaging data from children are being processed, yet published studies often do not frame their work within developmental models—in detriment, we believe, to progress in this field. Here we describe some core challenges in interpreting the data from developmental cognitive neuroscience, and advocate the use of constructivist developmental theories of human cognition with a neuroscience interpretation.

Developmental programming of the metabolic syndrome - critical windows for intervention

PubMed Central

Vickers, Mark H

2011-01-01

Metabolic disease results from a complex interaction of many factors, including genetic, physiological, behavioral and environmental influences. The recent rate at which these diseases have increased suggests that environmental and behavioral influences, rather than genetic causes, are fuelling the present epidemic. In this context, the developmental origins of health and disease hypothesis has highlighted the link between the periconceptual, fetal and early infant phases of life and the subsequent development of adult obesity and the metabolic syndrome. Although the mechanisms are yet to be fully elucidated, this programming was generally considered an irreversible change in developmental trajectory. Recent work in animal models suggests that developmental programming of metabolic disorders is potentially reversible by nutritional or targeted therapeutic interventions during the period of developmental plasticity. This review will discuss critical windows of developmental plasticity and possible avenues to ameliorate the development of postnatal metabolic disorders following an adverse early life environment. PMID:21954418

Incubation period and immune function: A comparative field study among coexisting birds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Palacios, M.G.; Martin, T.E.

2006-01-01

Developmental periods are integral components of life history strategies that can have important fitness consequences and vary enormously among organisms. However, the selection pressures and mechanisms causing variation in length of developmental periods are poorly understood. Particularly puzzling are prolonged developmental periods, because their selective advantage is unclear. Here we tested the hypotheses that immune function is stronger in species that are attacked at a higher rate by parasites and that prolonged embryonic development allows the development of this stronger immune system. Through a comparative field study among 12 coexisting passerine bird species, we show that species with higher blood parasite prevalence mounted stronger cellular immune responses than species with lower prevalence. These results provide support for the hypothesis that species facing greater selection pressure from parasites invest more in immune function. However, species with longer incubation periods mounted weaker cellular immune responses than species with shorter periods. Therefore, cellular immune responses do not support the hypothesis that longer development time enhances immunocompentence. Future studies should assess other components of the immune system and test alternative causes of variation in incubation periods among bird species. ?? Springer-Verlag 2005.

Developmental Programming of Adult Disease: Reprogramming by Melatonin?

PubMed

Tain, You-Lin; Huang, Li-Tung; Hsu, Chien-Ning

2017-02-16

Adult-onset chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) can originate from early life through so-called the "developmental origins of health and disease" (DOHaD) or "developmental programming". The DOHaD concept offers the "reprogramming" strategy to shift the treatment from adulthood to early life, before clinical disease is apparent. Melatonin, an endogenous indoleamine produced by the pineal gland, has pleiotropic bioactivities those are beneficial in a variety of human diseases. Emerging evidence support that melatonin is closely inter-related to other proposed mechanisms contributing to the developmental programming of a variety of chronic NCDs. Recent animal studies have begun to unravel the multifunctional roles of melatonin in many experimental models of developmental programming. Even though some progress has been made in research on melatonin as a reprogramming strategy to prevent DOHaD-related NCDs, future human studies should aim at filling the translational gap between animal models and clinical trials. Here, we review several key themes on the reprogramming effects of melatonin in DOHaD research. We have particularly focused on the following areas: mechanisms of developmental programming; the interrelationship between melatonin and mechanisms underlying developmental programming; pathophysiological roles of melatonin in pregnancy and fetal development; and insight provided by animal models to support melatonin as a reprogramming therapy. Rates of NCDs are increasing faster than anticipated all over the world. Hence, there is an urgent need to understand reprogramming mechanisms of melatonin and to translate experimental research into clinical practice for halting a growing list of DOHaD-related NCDs.

Developmental Programming of Adult Disease: Reprogramming by Melatonin?

PubMed Central

Tain, You-Lin; Huang, Li-Tung; Hsu, Chien-Ning

2017-01-01

Adult-onset chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) can originate from early life through so-called the “developmental origins of health and disease” (DOHaD) or “developmental programming”. The DOHaD concept offers the “reprogramming” strategy to shift the treatment from adulthood to early life, before clinical disease is apparent. Melatonin, an endogenous indoleamine produced by the pineal gland, has pleiotropic bioactivities those are beneficial in a variety of human diseases. Emerging evidence support that melatonin is closely inter-related to other proposed mechanisms contributing to the developmental programming of a variety of chronic NCDs. Recent animal studies have begun to unravel the multifunctional roles of melatonin in many experimental models of developmental programming. Even though some progress has been made in research on melatonin as a reprogramming strategy to prevent DOHaD-related NCDs, future human studies should aim at filling the translational gap between animal models and clinical trials. Here, we review several key themes on the reprogramming effects of melatonin in DOHaD research. We have particularly focused on the following areas: mechanisms of developmental programming; the interrelationship between melatonin and mechanisms underlying developmental programming; pathophysiological roles of melatonin in pregnancy and fetal development; and insight provided by animal models to support melatonin as a reprogramming therapy. Rates of NCDs are increasing faster than anticipated all over the world. Hence, there is an urgent need to understand reprogramming mechanisms of melatonin and to translate experimental research into clinical practice for halting a growing list of DOHaD-related NCDs. PMID:28212315

Pre-implantation alcohol exposure and developmental programming of FASD: an epigenetic perspective.

PubMed

Legault, Lisa-Marie; Bertrand-Lehouillier, Virginie; McGraw, Serge

2018-04-01

Exposure to alcohol during in-utero development can permanently change the developmental programming of physiological responses, thereby increasing the risk of neurological illnesses during childhood and later adverse health outcomes associated with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). There is an increasing body of evidence indicating that exposure to alcohol during gestation triggers lasting epigenetic alterations in offspring, long after the initial insult; together, these studies support the role of epigenetics in FASD etiology. However, we still have little information about how ethanol interferes with the fundamental epigenetic reprogramming wave (e.g., erasure and re-establishment of DNA methylation marks) that characterizes pre-implantation embryo development. This review examines key epigenetic processes that occur during pre-implantation development and especially focus on the current knowledge regarding how prenatal exposure to alcohol during this period could affect the developmental programming of the early stage pre-implantation embryo. We will also outline the current limitations of studies examining the in-vivo and in-vitro effects of alcohol exposure on embryos and underline the next critical steps to be taken if we want to better understand the implicated mechanisms to strengthen the translational potential for epigenetic markers for non-invasive early detection, and the treatment of newborns that have higher risk of developing FASD.

Developmental ecology of annual killifish Millerichthys robustus (Cyprinodontiformes: Cynolebiidae).

PubMed

Domínguez-Castanedo, Omar; Valdesalici, Stefano; Rosales-Torres, Ana María

2017-11-01

Populations of annual killifishes persist in temporary water bodies over the dry season through the expression of diapause in their drought-resistant embryos. Environmental cues may influence expression of the diapause phenotype during embryonic incubation. Millerichthys robustus is the only annual killifish distributed in North America. The aim of this review is to analyze the ecology of M. robustus development and contrast this with that of annual killifishes in austral locations. The temporary water bodies inhabited by M. robustus present the following environmental conditions: flood, drought, and humidity. During the flooding period, the environment presents the lowest temperatures, shortest photoperiod, and highest precipitation, and embryos were found in diapause I. The drought period features the highest temperatures and lowest precipitation, and embryos were found in diapause II. In contrast, during the humid period at the beginning of the rainy season, embryos were found in diapause I, II, and III, associated with the longer photoperiod and high temperatures. These dynamics of the diapause phenotypes can be explained by a combination of the strategies of phenotypic plasticity during flood and drought periods, and bet-hedging during the humid period. Moreover, the microenvironmental conditions in which embryos were buried could influence developmental trajectories. Developmental Dynamics 246:802-806, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[Study on the relationship between iodine status and growth in infants at the key period of brain development].

PubMed

Wang, Yan-ling; Ge, Peng-fei; Ma, Qi-yi; Cao, Yong-qin; Li, Hong-bo; Zheng, Jing; Shi, Wen-quan; Sun, Wei

2012-02-01

To investigate the relationship between iodine nutrition and growth/development in infants at the key period of brain development. All women from pregnancy to the end of lactation and the weaning infants within 3 years in the Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture (Linxia Prefecture) were added iodized oil in 2006 - 2010. In 2006, 2010 one town was randomly selected from each of the five directions (east, south, west, north, central) of each county in Linxia Prefecture. One village was chosen from every town and 20 infants, 20 pregnant women and 20 lactating women were randomly selected in each town. Urinary iodine (UI) of the infants, pregnant and lactating women were determined. DQ value, height and weight of part of infants were measured. According to the above sampling plan, UI of pregnant women, lactating women and infants had been monitored every year after intervention. 0-3 infants were choosing to be control before intervention. UI of 1056 and 2989 0-3 infants were investigated before and after the iodine oil intervention. After the 'iodine oil' intervention, the median UI of infants increased from 107.3 µg/L to 139.6 - 190.7 µg/L, the percentage of UI level that lower than 50 µg/L, decreased from 23.9% to 6.7% - 12.9%. DQ value increased from 92.8 to 104.3, the percentage of normal height and above increased from 65.0% to 82.1% and the percentage of the normal weight and above, increased from 59.3% to 81.4%. The outcomes of DQ value, height and weight showed statistically significant differences, compared to the pre-intervention outcomes (P < 0.05). The median UI of pregnant and lactating women increased from 89.3 µg/L to 118.2 - 187.8 µg/L and from 84.9 µg/L to 135.2 - 187.5 µg/L respectively. Infant's growth and development were retarded when iodine deficiency existed at the key period of brain development. Intake of oral iodine oil at key period of brain development could provide adequate nutrition thus improve growth and development on infants.

Eco-Evo-Devo: developmental symbiosis and developmental plasticity as evolutionary agents.

PubMed

Gilbert, Scott F; Bosch, Thomas C G; Ledón-Rettig, Cristina

2015-10-01

The integration of research from developmental biology and ecology into evolutionary theory has given rise to a relatively new field, ecological evolutionary developmental biology (Eco-Evo-Devo). This field integrates and organizes concepts such as developmental symbiosis, developmental plasticity, genetic accommodation, extragenic inheritance and niche construction. This Review highlights the roles that developmental symbiosis and developmental plasticity have in evolution. Developmental symbiosis can generate particular organs, can produce selectable genetic variation for the entire animal, can provide mechanisms for reproductive isolation, and may have facilitated evolutionary transitions. Developmental plasticity is crucial for generating novel phenotypes, facilitating evolutionary transitions and altered ecosystem dynamics, and promoting adaptive variation through genetic accommodation and niche construction. In emphasizing such non-genomic mechanisms of selectable and heritable variation, Eco-Evo-Devo presents a new layer of evolutionary synthesis.

Nonlinear Developmental trajectory of fear learning and memory

PubMed Central

King, Elizabeth C.; Pattwell, Siobhan S.; Sun, Alice; Glatt, Charles E.; Lee, Francis S.

2013-01-01

The transition into and out of adolescence represents a unique developmental period during which neuronal circuits are particularly susceptible to modification by experience. Adolescence is associated with an increased incidence of anxiety disorders in humans,1–3 and an estimated 75% of adults with fear-related disorders met diagnostic criteria as children and adolescents.4,5 Conserved neural circuitry between rodents and humans has facilitated neurodevelopmental studies of behavioral and molecular processes associated with fear learning and memory, which lie at the heart of many anxiety disorders. Here, we review the non-linear developmental aspects of fear learning and memory during a transition period into and out of adolescence and provide a discussion of the molecular mechanisms that may underlie these alterations in behavior. We provide a model that may help to inform novel treatment strategies for children and adolescents with fear-related disorders. PMID:24176014

Leveraging Neuroscience to Inform Adolescent Health: The Need for an Innovative Transdisciplinary Developmental Science of Adolescence.

PubMed

Suleiman, Ahna Ballonoff; Dahl, Ronald E

2017-03-01

In this article, we consider how to leverage some of the rapid advances in developmental neuroscience in ways that can improve adolescent health. We provide a brief overview of several key areas of scientific progress relevant to these issues. We then focus on two examples of important health problems that increase sharply during adolescence: sleep problems and affective disorders. These examples illustrate how an integrative, developmental science approach provides new insights into treatment and intervention. They also highlight a cornerstone principle: how a deeper understanding of potentially modifiable factors-at key developmental inflection points along the trajectory toward clinical disorders-is beginning to inform, and may eventually transform, a broad range of innovative early intervention strategies to improve adolescent health. Copyright © 2016 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

ISSUES IN ENDOCRINE DISRUPTION: COMPARING CRITICAL PERIODS OF HORMONE SENSITIVITY

EPA Science Inventory

Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) have been developed as a model species to compare the effects of endocrine active chemicals at critical life-stage periods of hormonal sensitivity, specifically as reproductively active adults, during the developmental period of differentiation, ...

Decreased head circumference velocity as related to developmental deficit in infancy.

PubMed

Tal, Galit; Cohen, Ayala; Habib, Sonia; Tirosh, Emanuel

2012-11-01

We evaluated the significance of head circumference growth velocity as related to developmental deficits during infancy. Head circumferences, lengths, and developmental diagnoses were retrieved in a standard manner at ≥ 2 time points from 437 infants with developmental deficits, and 3909 normally developing infants. Infants' ages ranged from 1-24 months, with final diagnoses ascertained at age 24 months. Increased velocity during the first 2 months in typical infants was evident in the study group during the period 2-4 months. A differential head circumference growth velocity was observed, and infants diagnosed with motor delay presented decreased velocity between ages 2-4 months, compared with infants receiving other nonmotor developmental diagnoses. These differences remained after controlling for birth weight and length. No significant sex effect was evident. Infants with developmental deficits demonstrate delayed acceleration of head circumference velocity, compared with typical infants in the first 2 months. Infants with motor delay manifest decreased velocity, compared with infants presenting other developmental deficits. These differences may be related to delayed white matter maturation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The keys to healthy family child care homes intervention: study design and rationale.

PubMed

Østbye, Truls; Mann, Courtney M; Vaughn, Amber E; Namenek Brouwer, Rebecca J; Benjamin Neelon, Sara E; Hales, Derek; Bangdiwala, Shrikant I; Ward, Dianne S

2015-01-01

Obesity is a major public health problem for which early preventive interventions are needed. Large numbers of young children are enrolled in some form of child care program, making these facilities influential environments in children's development. Family child care homes (FCCH) are a specific type of child care in which children are cared for within the provider's own residence. FCCHs serve approximately 1.5 million children in the U.S.; however, research to date has overlooked FCCH providers and their potential to positively influence children's health-related behaviors. Keys to Healthy Family Child Care Homes (Keys) is a cluster-randomized controlled trial testing the efficacy of an intervention designed to help providers become healthy role models, provide quality food- and physical activity-supportive FCCH environments, and implement effective business practices. The intervention is delivered through workshops, home visits, tailored coaching calls, and educational toolkits. Primary outcomes are child physical activity measured via accelerometry data and dietary intake data collected using direct observation at the FCCH. Secondary outcomes include child body mass index, provider weight-related behaviors, and observed obesogenic environmental characteristics. Keys is an innovative approach to promoting healthy eating and physical activity in young children. The intervention operates in a novel setting, targets children during a key developmental period, and addresses both provider and child behaviors to synergistically promote health. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The Keys to Healthy Family Child Care Homes intervention: Study design and rationale

PubMed Central

Østbye, Truls; Mann, Courtney M.; Vaughn, Amber E.; Namenek Brouwer, Rebecca J.; Benjamin Neelon, Sara E.; Hales, Derek; Bangdiwala, Shrikant I.; Ward, Dianne S.

2014-01-01

Background Obesity is a major public health problem for which early preventive interventions are needed. Large numbers of young children are enrolled in some form of child care program, making these facilities influential environments in children’s development. Family child care homes (FCCH) are a specific type of child care in which children are cared for within the provider’s own residence. FCCHs serve approximately 1.5 million children in the U.S.; however, research to date has overlooked FCCH providers and their potential to positively influence children’s health-related behaviors. Methods Keys to Healthy Family Child Care Homes (Keys) is a cluster-randomized controlled trial testing the efficacy of an intervention designed to help providers become healthy role models, provide quality food- and physical activity-supportive FCCH environments, and implement effective business practices. The intervention is delivered through workshops, home visits, tailored coaching calls, and educational toolkits. Primary outcomes are child physical activity measured via accelerometry data and dietary intake data collected using direct observation at the FCCH. Secondary outcomes include child body mass index, provider weight-related behaviors, and observed obesogenic environmental characteristics. Conclusion Keys is an innovative approach to promoting healthy eating and physical activity in young children. The intervention operates in a novel setting, targets children during a key developmental period, and addresses both provider and child behaviors to synergistically promote health. PMID:25460337

Conserved patterns of integrated developmental plasticity in a group of polyphenic tropical butterflies.

PubMed

van Bergen, Erik; Osbaldeston, Dave; Kodandaramaiah, Ullasa; Brattström, Oskar; Aduse-Poku, Kwaku; Brakefield, Paul M

2017-02-27

Developmental plasticity is thought to have profound macro-evolutionary effects, for example, by increasing the probability of establishment in new environments and subsequent divergence into independently evolving lineages. In contrast to plasticity optimized for individual traits, phenotypic integration, which enables a concerted response of plastic traits to environmental variability, may affect the rate of local adaptation by constraining independent responses of traits to selection. Using a comparative framework, this study explores the evolution of reaction norms for a variety of life history and morphological traits across five related species of mycalesine butterflies from the Old World tropics. Our data indicate that an integrated response of a suite of key traits is shared amongst these species. Interestingly, the traits that make up the functional suite are all known to be regulated by ecdysteroid signalling in Bicyclus anynana, one of the species included in this study, suggesting the same underlying hormonal regulator may be conserved within this group of polyphenic butterflies. We also detect developmental thresholds for the expression of alternative morphs. The phenotypic plasticity of a broad suite of morphological and life history traits is integrated and shared among species from three geographically independent lineages of mycalesine butterflies, despite considerable periods of independent evolution and exposure to disparate environments. At the same time, we have detected examples of evolutionary change where independent traits show different patterns of reaction norms. We argue that the expression of more robust phenotypes may occur by shifting developmental thresholds beyond the boundaries of the typical environmental variation.

Decoding the language of epigenetics during neural development is key for understanding development as well as developmental neurotoxicity.

PubMed

Yeo, Michele; Patisaul, Heather; Liedtke, Wolfgang

2013-11-01

Neural development is a delicate process that can be disrupted by pollution that exerts detrimental impact on neural signaling. This commentary highlights recent discoveries in the arena of research at the interface of environmental toxicology and developmental neuroscience relating to toxicity mechanisms of bisphenol A (BPA), a ubiquitous chemical used in manufacturing of plastics and epoxy resins that is known to bind to and interfere with estrogen receptors, estrogen-receptor-related receptors and other receptors for gonadal steroids. It was recently observed that BPA disrupts the perinatal chloride shift, a key neurodevelopmental mechanism that brings down neuronal chloride from ~100 mM to ~20 mM within weeks. The chloride shift happens in all central nervous systems of vertebrates around parturition. High neuronal chloride supports neuron precursors' migrations, low neuronal chloride is the prerequisite for inhibitory action of neurotransmitters GABA and glycine, and thus an absolute requisite for normal functioning of the mature CNS. One critical contributor to the neuronal chloride shift is the concomitant upregulation of expression of the chloride-extruding transporter molecule, KCC2. We highlight recent findings including our discovery that BPA disrupts the chloride shift in a sex-specific manner by recruiting epigenetics mechanisms. These could be relevant for childhood neuropsychiatric disorders as well as for liability to develop chronic neuropsychiatric diseases later in life.

The mid-developmental transition and the evolution of animal body plans

PubMed Central

Cole, Alison G.; Winter, Eitan; Mostov, Natalia; Khair, Sally; Senderovich, Naftalie; Kovalev, Ekaterina; Silver, David H.; Feder, Martin; Fernandez-Valverde, Selene L.; Nakanishi, Nagayasu; Simmons, David; Simakov, Oleg; Larsson, Tomas; Liu, Shang-Yun; Jerafi-Vider, Ayelet; Yaniv, Karina; Ryan, Joseph F.; Martindale, Mark Q.; Rink, Jochen C.; Arendt, Detlev; Degnan, Sandie M.; Degnan, Bernard M.; Hashimshony, Tamar; Yanai, Itai

2016-01-01

Animals are grouped into ~35 ‘phyla’ based upon the notion of distinct body plans1–4. Morphological and molecular analyses have revealed that a stage in the middle of development—known as the phylotypic period—is conserved among species within some phyla5–9. Although these analyses provide evidence for their existence, phyla have also been criticized as lacking an objective definition, and consequently based on arbitrary groupings of animals10. Here we compare the developmental transcriptomes of ten species, each annotated to a different phylum, with a wide range of life histories and embryonic forms. We find that in all ten species, development comprises the coupling of early and late phases of conserved gene expression. These phases are linked by a divergent ‘mid-developmental transition’ that uses species-specific suites of signalling pathways and transcription factors. This mid-developmental transition overlaps with the phylotypic period that has been defined previously for three of the ten phyla, suggesting that transcriptional circuits and signalling mechanisms active during this transition are crucial for defining the phyletic body plan and that the mid-developmental transition may be used to define phylotypic periods in other phyla. Placing these observations alongside the reported conservation of mid-development within phyla, we propose that a phylum may be defined as a collection of species whose gene expression at the mid-developmental transition is both highly conserved among them, yet divergent relative to other species. PMID:26886793

Sampling in Developmental Science: Situations, Shortcomings, Solutions, and Standards.

PubMed

Bornstein, Marc H; Jager, Justin; Putnick, Diane L

2013-12-01

Sampling is a key feature of every study in developmental science. Although sampling has far-reaching implications, too little attention is paid to sampling. Here, we describe, discuss, and evaluate four prominent sampling strategies in developmental science: population-based probability sampling, convenience sampling, quota sampling, and homogeneous sampling. We then judge these sampling strategies by five criteria: whether they yield representative and generalizable estimates of a study's target population, whether they yield representative and generalizable estimates of subsamples within a study's target population, the recruitment efforts and costs they entail, whether they yield sufficient power to detect subsample differences, and whether they introduce "noise" related to variation in subsamples and whether that "noise" can be accounted for statistically. We use sample composition of gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status to illustrate and assess the four sampling strategies. Finally, we tally the use of the four sampling strategies in five prominent developmental science journals and make recommendations about best practices for sample selection and reporting.

Developmental Changes for the Hemolymph Metabolome of Silkworm (Bombyx moriL.)

PubMed Central

Zhou, Lihong; Li, Huihui; Hao, Fuhua; Li, Ning; Liu, Xin; Wang, Guoliang; Wang, Yulan; Tang, Huiru

2015-01-01

Silkworm (Bombyx mori) is a lepidopteran-holometabolic model organism. To understand its developmental biochemistry, we characterized the larval hemolymph metabonome from the third instar to prepupa stage using 1H NMR spectroscopy whilst hemolymph fatty acid composition using GC-FID/MS. We unambiguously assigned more than 60 metabolites, among which tyrosine-o-β-glucuronide, mesaconate, homocarnosine, and picolinate were reported for the first time from the silkworm hemolymph. Phosphorylcholine was the most abundant metabolite in all developmental stages with exception for the periods before the third and fourth molting. We also found obvious developmental dependence for the hemolymph metabonome involving multiple pathways including protein biosyntheses, glycolysis, TCA cycle, the metabolisms of choline amino acids, fatty acids, purines, and pyrimidines. Most hemolymph amino acids had two elevations during the feeding period of the fourth instar and prepupa stage. Trehalose was the major blood sugar before day 8 of the fifth instar, whereas glucose became the major blood sugar after spinning. C16:0, C18:0 and its unsaturated forms were dominant fatty acids in hemolymph. The developmental changes of hemolymph metabonome were associated with dietary nutrient intakes, biosyntheses of cell membrane, pigments, proteins, and energy metabolism. These findings offered essential biochemistry information in terms of the dynamic metabolic changes during silkworm development. PMID:25825269

Developmental Changes for the Hemolymph Metabolome of Silkworm (Bombyx mori L.).

PubMed

Zhou, Lihong; Li, Huihui; Hao, Fuhua; Li, Ning; Liu, Xin; Wang, Guoliang; Wang, Yulan; Tang, Huiru

2015-05-01

Silkworm (Bombyx mori) is a lepidopteran-holometabolic model organism. To understand its developmental biochemistry, we characterized the larval hemolymph metabonome from the third instar to prepupa stage using (1)H NMR spectroscopy whilst hemolymph fatty acid composition using GC-FID/MS. We unambiguously assigned more than 60 metabolites, among which tyrosine-o-β-glucuronide, mesaconate, homocarnosine, and picolinate were reported for the first time from the silkworm hemolymph. Phosphorylcholine was the most abundant metabolite in all developmental stages with exception for the periods before the third and fourth molting. We also found obvious developmental dependence for the hemolymph metabonome involving multiple pathways including protein biosyntheses, glycolysis, TCA cycle, the metabolisms of choline amino acids, fatty acids, purines, and pyrimidines. Most hemolymph amino acids had two elevations during the feeding period of the fourth instar and prepupa stage. Trehalose was the major blood sugar before day 8 of the fifth instar, whereas glucose became the major blood sugar after spinning. C16:0, C18:0 and its unsaturated forms were dominant fatty acids in hemolymph. The developmental changes of hemolymph metabonome were associated with dietary nutrient intakes, biosyntheses of cell membrane, pigments, proteins, and energy metabolism. These findings offered essential biochemistry information in terms of the dynamic metabolic changes during silkworm development.

CUMULATIVE DEVELOPMENTAL EFFECTS OF ENDOCRINE DISRUPTERS: SYNERGY OR ADDITIVITY?

EPA Science Inventory

Exposure to chemicals with hormonal activity during critical developmental periods can disrupt reproductive function and development. Within the last decade, several classes of pesticides and toxic substances have been shown to disrupt differentiation of the male rat reproductive...

Antisocial behavior from a developmental psychopathology perspective.

PubMed

Frick, Paul J; Viding, Essi

2009-01-01

This paper reviews research on chronic patterns of antisocial behavior and places this research into a developmental psychopathology framework. Specifically, research suggests that there are at least three important pathways through which children and adolescents can develop severe antisocial behaviors. One group of youth shows antisocial behavior that begins in adolescence, and two groups show antisocial behavior that begins in childhood but differ on the presence or absence of callous-unemotional traits. In outlining these distinct pathways to antisocial behavior, we have tried to illustrate some key concepts from developmental psychopathology such as equifinality and multifinality, the importance of understanding the interface between normal and abnormal development, and the importance of using multiple levels of analyses to advance causal theories. Finally, we discuss how this development model can be used to enhance existing interventions for antisocial individuals.

Developmental studies of the hippocampus and hippocampal-dependent behaviors: insights from interdisciplinary studies and tips for new investigators.

PubMed

Albani, Sarah H; McHail, Daniel G; Dumas, Theodore C

2014-06-01

The hippocampus is not fully developed at birth and, with respect to spatial cognition, only begins to show signs of adult-like function at three postnatal weeks in rodents. Studying the developmental period spanning roughly two to four weeks of age permits an understanding of the neural framework necessary for the emergence of spatial navigation and, quite possibly, human episodic memory. However, due to developmental factors, behavior data collection and interpretation can be severely compromised if inappropriate designs are applied. As such, we propose methodological considerations for the behavioral assessment of hippocampal function in developing rats that take into account animal size, growth rate, and sensory and motor ability. We further summarize recent key interdisciplinary studies that are beginning to unravel the molecular machinery and physiological alterations responsible for hippocampal maturation. In general, hippocampal development is a protracted process during which unique contributions to spatial cognition and complex recognition memory come "on line" at different postnatal ages creating a unique situation for elucidating the neural bases of specific components of higher cognitive abilities. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Developmental studies of the hippocampus and hippocampal-dependent behaviors: Insights from interdisciplinary studies and tips for new investigators

PubMed Central

Albani, Sarah H.; McHail, Daniel G.; Dumas, Theodore C.

2016-01-01

The hippocampus is not fully developed at birth and, with respect to spatial cognition, only begins to show signs of adult-like function at three postnatal weeks in rodents. Studying the developmental period spanning roughly two to four weeks of age permits an understanding of the neural framework necessary for the emergence of spatial navigation and, quite possibly, human episodic memory. However, due to developmental factors, behavior data collection and interpretation can be severely compromised if inappropriate designs are applied. As such, we propose methodological considerations for the behavioral assessment of hippocampal function in developing rats that take into account animal size, growth rate, and sensory and motor ability. We further summarize recent key interdisciplinary studies that are beginning to unravel the molecular machinery and physiological alterations responsible for hippocampal maturation. In general, hippocampal development is a protracted process during which unique contributions to spatial cognition and complex recognition memory come “on line” at different postnatal ages creating a unique situation for elucidating the neural bases of specific components of higher cognitive abilities. PMID:24769291

To Encounter, to Build the World and to Become a Human Being. Advocating for a Material-Cultural Turn in Developmental Psychology.

PubMed

Moro, Christiane

2016-12-01

Why have material world of daily life and material objects in their conventional features or to say it in other words, why have the mundane world and mundane objects, in which the human beings live and children come to, encounter, experience and develop through, received so little attention from psychologists thus remaining a blind spot in mainstream developmental psychology? Certainly the object has not been totally forgotten (e.g. Piaget's constructivist paradigm) but it has been considered as theoretically determined by the categories of understanding (cf. Kant), and considered as a key to understanding the world in its physical properties by the infant. But the material world and the material objects that are used for everyday purposes (i.e. pragmatically) belonging to material culture, have been totally neglected by developmental psychologists. Reacting to the Kantian agenda of developmental psychology but also to heterodox non developmentalist thinkers such as Gibson who is a growing source of inspiration for developmental psychologists today, we challenge the taken-for-granted mundane world, arguing for the importance of material objects related to material culture in psychological development during the prelinguistic period. On the basis of recent research in early development grounded in the Vygotskian paradigm, we discuss this issue through Marxist Anthropology, Material Culture Studies and Phenomenology. As a consequence we advocate for a material-cultural turn in psychological development in order to place the issue of material world and material objects in their pragmatic and semiotic features on the agenda of developmental psychology.

Quantitative developmental transcriptomes of the Mediterranean sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus.

PubMed

Gildor, Tsvia; Malik, Assaf; Sher, Noa; Avraham, Linor; Ben-Tabou de-Leon, Smadar

2016-02-01

Embryonic development progresses through the timely activation of thousands of differentially activated genes. Quantitative developmental transcriptomes provide the means to relate global patterns of differentially expressed genes to the emerging body plans they generate. The sea urchin is one of the classic model systems for embryogenesis and the models of its developmental gene regulatory networks are of the most comprehensive of their kind. Thus, the sea urchin embryo is an excellent system for studies of its global developmental transcriptional profiles. Here we produced quantitative developmental transcriptomes of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus (P. lividus) at seven developmental stages from the fertilized egg to prism stage. We generated de-novo reference transcriptome and identified 29,817 genes that are expressed at this time period. We annotated and quantified gene expression at the different developmental stages and confirmed the reliability of the expression profiles by QPCR measurement of a subset of genes. The progression of embryo development is reflected in the observed global expression patterns and in our principle component analysis. Our study illuminates the rich patterns of gene expression that participate in sea urchin embryogenesis and provide an essential resource for further studies of the dynamic expression of P. lividus genes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Alcohol-Induced Developmental Origins of Adult-Onset Diseases

PubMed Central

Lunde, Emilie R.; Washburn, Shannon E.; Golding, Michael C.; Bake, Shameena; Miranda, Rajesh C.; Ramadoss, Jayanth

2016-01-01

Fetal alcohol exposure may impair growth, development, and function of multiple organ systems, and is encompassed by the term Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). Research has so far focused on the mechanisms, prevention, and diagnosis of FASD, while the risk for adult-onset chronic diseases in individuals exposed to alcohol in utero is not well explored. David Barker’s hypothesis on Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) suggests that insults to the milieu of the developing fetus program it for adult-development of chronic diseases. In the 25 years since the introduction of this hypothesis, epidemiological and animal model studies have made significant advancements in identifying in utero developmental origins of chronic adult-onset diseases affecting cardiovascular, endocrine, musculoskeletal, and psycho-behavioral systems. Teratogen exposure is an established programming agent for adult diseases, and recent studies suggest that prenatal alcohol exposure correlates with adult-onset of neuro-behavioral deficits, cardiovascular disease, endocrine dysfunction, nutrient homeostasis instability, warranting additional investigation of alcohol-induced DOHaD, as well as patient follow-up well into adulthood for affected individuals. In utero epigenetic alterations during critical periods of methylation is a key potential mechanism for programming and susceptibility of adult-onset chronic diseases, with imprinted genes affecting metabolism being critical targets. Additional studies in epidemiology, phenotypic characterization in response to timing, dose and duration of exposure, as well as elucidation of mechanisms underlying FASD-DOHaD inter-relation are thus needed to clinically define chronic disease associated with prenatal alcohol exposure. These studies are critical to establish interventional strategies that decrease incidence of these adult-onset diseases and promote healthier aging among individuals affected with FASD. PMID:27254466

Developmental programming of happiness.

PubMed

Schmidt, Louis A; Fortier, Paz; Lahat, Ayelet; Tang, Alva; Mathewson, Karen J; Saigal, Saroj; Boyle, Michael H; Van Lieshout, Ryan J

2017-09-01

Being born at an extremely low birth weight (ELBW; <1,000 grams) is presumed to reflect a suboptimal intrauterine environment and thus presents an opportunity for examining developmental programming hypotheses. Interfacing prenatal programming and differential susceptibility hypotheses, we tested whether individuals with ELBW in different childhood rearing environments showed different attention biases to positive and negative facial emotions in adulthood. Using the oldest known, prospectively followed cohort of ELBW survivors, we found that relative to normal birth weight controls (NBW; >2,500 grams), ELBW survivors displayed the highest and lowest attention bias to happy faces at age 30-35, depending on whether their total family income at age 8 was relatively low (environmental match) or high (environmental mismatch), respectively. This bias to happy faces was associated with a reduced likelihood of emotional problems. Findings suggest that differential susceptibility to positive emotions may be prenatally programmed, with effects lasting into adulthood. We discuss implications for integrating prenatal programming and differential susceptibility hypotheses, and the developmental origins of postnatal plasticity and resilience. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Tensor-driven extraction of developmental features from varying paediatric EEG datasets.

PubMed

Kinney-Lang, Eli; Spyrou, Loukianos; Ebied, Ahmed; Chin, Richard Fm; Escudero, Javier

2018-05-21

Constant changes in developing children's brains can pose a challenge in EEG dependant technologies. Advancing signal processing methods to identify developmental differences in paediatric populations could help improve function and usability of such technologies. Taking advantage of the multi-dimensional structure of EEG data through tensor analysis may offer a framework for extracting relevant developmental features of paediatric datasets. A proof of concept is demonstrated through identifying latent developmental features in resting-state EEG. Approach. Three paediatric datasets (n = 50, 17, 44) were analyzed using a two-step constrained parallel factor (PARAFAC) tensor decomposition. Subject age was used as a proxy measure of development. Classification used support vector machines (SVM) to test if PARAFAC identified features could predict subject age. The results were cross-validated within each dataset. Classification analysis was complemented by visualization of the high-dimensional feature structures using t-distributed Stochastic Neighbour Embedding (t-SNE) maps. Main Results. Development-related features were successfully identified for the developmental conditions of each dataset. SVM classification showed the identified features could accurately predict subject at a significant level above chance for both healthy and impaired populations. t-SNE maps revealed suitable tensor factorization was key in extracting the developmental features. Significance. The described methods are a promising tool for identifying latent developmental features occurring throughout childhood EEG. © 2018 IOP Publishing Ltd.

The Role of Passion and Purpose in Leader Developmental Readiness.

PubMed

Bronk, Kendall Cotton; McLean, Derrick C

2016-01-01

The founder of TOMS Shoes, Blake Mycoskie, and the late Apple cofounder and CEO, Steve Jobs, model the role of passion and purpose in leader developmental readiness. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company.

Developmental Effects of Acute, Chronic, and Withdrawal from Chronic Nicotine on Fear Conditioning

PubMed Central

Portugal, George S.; Wilkinson, Derek S.; Turner, Jill R.; Blendy, Julie A.; Gould, Thomas J.

2012-01-01

Pre-adolescence and adolescence are developmental periods associated with increased vulnerability for tobacco addiction, and exposure to tobacco during these periods may lead to long-lasting changes in behavioral and neuronal plasticity. The present study examined the short- and long-term effects of nicotine and nicotine withdrawal on fear conditioning in pre-adolescent, adolescent, and adult mice, and potential underlying substrates that may mediate the developmental effects of nicotine, such as changes in nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) binding, CREB expression, and nicotine metabolism. Age-related differences existed in sensitivity to the effects of acute nicotine, chronic nicotine and nicotine withdrawal on contextual fear conditioning (no changes in cued fear conditioning were seen); younger mice were more sensitive to the acute effects and less sensitive to the effects of nicotine withdrawal 24 hours post treatment cessation. Developmental differences in nAChR binding were associated with the effects of nicotine withdrawal on contextual learning. Developmental differences in nicotine metabolism and CREB expression were also observed, but were not related to the effects of nicotine withdrawal on contextual learning 24 hours post treatment. Chronic nicotine exposure during pre-adolescence or adolescence, however, produced long-lasting impairments in contextual learning that were observed during adulthood, whereas adult chronic nicotine exposure did not. These developmental effects could be related to changes in CREB. Overall, there is a developmental shift in the effects of nicotine on hippocampus-dependent learning and developmental exposure to nicotine results in adult cognitive deficits; these changes in cognition may play an important role in the development and maintenance of nicotine addiction. PMID:22521799

Current and future needs for developmental toxicity testing.

PubMed

Makris, Susan L; Kim, James H; Ellis, Amy; Faber, Willem; Harrouk, Wafa; Lewis, Joseph M; Paule, Merle G; Seed, Jennifer; Tassinari, Melissa; Tyl, Rochelle

2011-10-01

A review is presented of the use of developmental toxicity testing in the United States and international regulatory assessment of human health risks associated with exposures to pharmaceuticals (human and veterinary), chemicals (agricultural, industrial, and environmental), food additives, cosmetics, and consumer products. Developmental toxicology data are used for prioritization and screening of pharmaceuticals and chemicals, for evaluating and labeling of pharmaceuticals, and for characterizing hazards and risk of exposures to industrial and environmental chemicals. The in vivo study designs utilized in hazard characterization and dose-response assessment for developmental outcomes have not changed substantially over the past 30 years and have served the process well. Now there are opportunities to incorporate new technologies and approaches to testing into the existing assessment paradigm, or to apply innovative approaches to various aspects of risk assessment. Developmental toxicology testing can be enhanced by the refinement or replacement of traditional in vivo protocols, including through the use of in vitro assays, studies conducted in alternative nonmammalian species, the application of new technologies, and the use of in silico models. Potential benefits to the current regulatory process include the ability to screen large numbers of chemicals quickly, with the commitment of fewer resources than traditional toxicology studies, and to refine the risk assessment process through an enhanced understanding of the mechanisms of developmental toxicity and their relevance to potential human risk. As the testing paradigm evolves, the ability to use developmental toxicology data to meet diverse critical regulatory needs must be retained. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

ASSESSMENT OF THE REPRODUCTIVE AXIS: COMPARING CRITICAL PERIODS OF HORMONE SENSITIVITY.

EPA Science Inventory

Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) have been developed as a model species to compare the effects of endocrine active chemicals at critical life-stage periods of hormonal sensitivity, specifically as reproductively active adults, during the developmental period of differentiation, ...

Testing inferences in developmental evolution: the forensic evidence principle.

PubMed

Larsson, Hans C E; Wagner, Günter P

2012-09-01

Developmental evolution (DE) examines the influence of developmental mechanisms on biological evolution. Here we consider the question: "what is the evidence that allows us to decide whether a certain developmental scenario for an evolutionary change is in fact "correct" or at least falsifiable?" We argue that the comparative method linked with what we call the "forensic evidence principle" (FEP) is sufficient to conduct rigorous tests of DE scenarios. The FEP states that different genetically mediated developmental causes of an evolutionary transformation will leave different signatures in the development of the derived character. Although similar inference rules have been used in practically every empirical science, we expand this approach here in two ways: (1) we justify the validity of this principle with reference to a well-known result from mathematical physics, known as the symmetry principle, and (2) propose a specific form of the FEP for DE: given two or more developmental explanations for a certain evolutionary event, say an evolutionary novelty, then the evidence discriminating between these hypotheses will be found in the most proximal internal drivers of the derived character. Hence, a detailed description of the ancestral and derived states, and their most proximal developmental drivers are necessary to discriminate between various evolutionary developmental hypotheses. We discuss how this stepwise order of testing is necessary, establishes a formal test, and how skipping this order of examination may violate a more accurate examination of DE. We illustrate the approach with an example from avian digit evolution. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Cooler butterflies lay larger eggs: developmental plasticity versus acclimation.

PubMed Central

Fischer, Klaus; Eenhoorn, Evelien; Bot, Adriane N M; Brakefield, Paul M; Zwaan, Bas J

2003-01-01

We use a full factorial design to investigate the effects of maternal and paternal developmental temperature, as well as female oviposition temperature, on egg size in the butterfly Bicyclus anynana. Butterflies were raised at two different temperatures and mated in four possible sex-by-parental-temperature crosses. The mated females were randomly divided between high and low oviposition temperatures. On the first day after assigning the females to different temperatures, only female developmental temperature affected egg size. Females reared at the lower temperature laid larger eggs than those reared at a higher temperature. When eggs were measured again after an acclimation period of 10 days, egg size was principally determined by the prevailing temperature during oviposition, with females ovipositing at a lower temperature laying larger eggs. In contrast to widely used assumptions, the effects of developmental temperature were largely reversible. Male developmental temperature did not affect egg size in either of the measurements. Overall, developmental plasticity and acclimation in the adult stage resulted in very similar patterns of egg size plasticity. Consequently, we argue that the most important question when testing the significance of acclamatory changes is not at which stage a given plasticity is induced, but rather whether plastic responses to environmental change are adaptive or merely physiological constraints. PMID:14561294

Neurocognitive outcomes in pediatric diabetes: a developmental perspective.

PubMed

Schwartz, David D; Wasserman, Rachel; Powell, Priscilla W; Axelrad, Marni E

2014-10-01

The impact of diabetes on the developing brain is well-accepted. Effects on neurocognitive functioning are moderate but have larger functional implications, especially when considered through a developmental lens. Pathophysiological factors such as severe hypoglycemia and chronic hyperglycemia can alter developmental trajectories in early childhood and perhaps at later periods. In this paper, we selectively review neurocognitive outcomes in pediatric diabetes (largely type 1), integrating recent research from developmental neuroscience and neuroimaging. We examine the effects of diabetes at different stages and place findings within a neurodevelopmental diathesis/stress framework. Early-onset diabetes is associated with specific effects on memory and more global cognitive late-effects, but less is known about cognitive outcomes of diabetes in later childhood and in adolescence, a time of increased neurobehavioral vulnerability that has received relatively limited empirical attention. Studies are also needed to better elucidate risk and protective factors that may moderate neurodevelopmental outcomes in youth with diabetes.

Microglia and Inflammation: Impact on Developmental Brain Injuries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chew, Li-Jin; Takanohashi, Asako; Bell, Michael

2006-01-01

Inflammation during the perinatal period has become a recognized risk factor for developmental brain injuries over the past decade or more. To fully understand the relationship between inflammation and brain development, a comprehensive knowledge about the immune system within the brain is essential. Microglia are resident immune cells within the…

History of family violence, childhood behavior problems, and adolescent high-risk behaviors as predictors of girls' repeated patterns of dating victimization in two developmental periods.

PubMed

Vézina, Johanne; Hébert, Martine; Poulin, François; Lavoie, Francine; Vitaro, Frank; Tremblay, Richard E

2015-04-01

This study aims to document the prevalence of repeated patterns of dating victimization and to examine, within the frameworks of an ecological model and lifestyle/routine activities theories, associations between such patterns and family, peer, and individual factors. Dating victimization in adolescence (age 15) and early adulthood (age 21) was evaluated in 443 female participants. Multinomial logistic regression analyses revealed that history of family violence, childhood behavior problems, and adolescent high-risk behaviors were associated with an increased risk for girls of being victimized (psychologically and/or physically/sexually) in their dating relationships, either in adolescence or early adulthood, or at both developmental periods. © The Author(s) 2015.

Developmental origins of non-communicable disease: Implications for research and public health

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

This White Paper highlights the developmental period as a plastic phase, which allows the organism to adapt to changes in the environment to maintain or improve reproductive capability in part through sustained health. Plasticity is more prominent prenatally and during early postnatal life, i.e., during the time of cell differentiation and specific tissue formation. These developmental periods are highly sensitive to environmental factors, such as nutrients, environmental chemicals, drugs, infections and other stressors. Nutrient and toxicant effects share many of the same characteristics and reflect two sides of the same coin. In both cases, alterations in physiological functions can be induced and may lead to the development of non-communicable conditions. Many of the major diseases – and dysfunctions – that have increased substantially in prevalence over the last 40 years seem to be related in part to developmental factors associated with either nutritional imbalance or exposures to environmental chemicals. The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) concept provides significant insight into new strategies for research and disease prevention and is sufficiently robust and repeatable across species, including humans, to require a policy and public health response. This White Paper therefore concludes that, as early development (in utero and during the first years of postnatal life) is particularly sensitive to developmental disruption by nutritional factors or environmental chemical exposures, with potentially adverse consequences for health later in life, both research and disease prevention strategies should focus more on these vulnerable life stages. PMID:22715989

[Neurotransmission in developmental disorders].

PubMed

Takeuchi, Yoshihiro

2008-11-01

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) is a heterogeneous developmental disorder with an etiology that is not fully understood. AD/HD has been considered to occur due to a disturbance in cathecholaminergic neurotransmission, with particular emphasis on dopamine. The neurotransmission of dopamine in subcortical regions such as the basal ganglia and limbic areas is synaptic; on the other hand, dopamine neurotransmission in the frontal cortex is quite different, because there are very few dopamine transporters (DAT) in the frontal cortex that allow dopamine to diffuse away from the dopamine synapse ("volume transmission"). It is now clear that noradrenergic neurons play a key regulatory role in dopaminergic function in the frontal cortex. Furthermore, serotonergic neurons exert an inhibitory effect on midbrain dopamine cell bodies, and they have an influence on dopamine release in terminal regions. There is accumulating neurobiological evidence pointing toward a role of the serotonin system in AD/HD. The etiology of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is still unclear, but information from genetics, neuropathology, brain imaging, and basic neuroscience has provided insights into the understanding of this developmental disorder. In addition to abnormal circuitry in specific limbic and neocortical areas of the cerebral cortex, impairments in brainstem, cerebellar, thalamic, and basal ganglia connections have been reported. Numerous studies have pointed to abnormalities in serotonin and glutamate neurotransmission. Three important aspects involved in the pathophysiology of ASD have been proposed. The first is cell migration, the second is unbalanced excitatory-inhibitory networks, and the third is synapse formation and pruning, the key factors being reelin, neurexin, and neuroligin. Serotonin is considered to play an important role in all of these aspects of the pathophysiology of ASD. Finally, I would like to emphasize that it is crucial in the field of child

Reverse engineering development: Crosstalk opportunities between developmental biology and tissue engineering.

PubMed

Marcucio, Ralph S; Qin, Ling; Alsberg, Eben; Boerckel, Joel D

2017-11-01

The fields of developmental biology and tissue engineering have been revolutionized in recent years by technological advancements, expanded understanding, and biomaterials design, leading to the emerging paradigm of "developmental" or "biomimetic" tissue engineering. While developmental biology and tissue engineering have long overlapping histories, the fields have largely diverged in recent years at the same time that crosstalk opportunities for mutual benefit are more salient than ever. In this perspective article, we will use musculoskeletal development and tissue engineering as a platform on which to discuss these emerging crosstalk opportunities and will present our opinions on the bright future of these overlapping spheres of influence. The multicellular programs that control musculoskeletal development are rapidly becoming clarified, represented by shifting paradigms in our understanding of cellular function, identity, and lineage specification during development. Simultaneously, advancements in bioartificial matrices that replicate the biochemical, microstructural, and mechanical properties of developing tissues present new tools and approaches for recapitulating development in tissue engineering. Here, we introduce concepts and experimental approaches in musculoskeletal developmental biology and biomaterials design and discuss applications in tissue engineering as well as opportunities for tissue engineering approaches to inform our understanding of fundamental biology. © 2017 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 35:2356-2368, 2017. © 2017 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Environmental Toxicants and Developmental Disabilities: A Challenge for Psychologists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koger, Susan M.; Schettler, Ted; Weiss, Bernard

2005-01-01

Developmental, learning, and behavioral disabilities are a significant public health problem. Environmental chemicals can interfere with brain development during critical periods, thereby impacting sensory, motor, and cognitive function. Because regulation in the United States is based on limited testing protocols and essentially requires proof of…

Differentiating the Neural Response to Intervention in Children with Developmental Dyslexia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Odegard, Timothy N.; Ring, Jeremiah; Smith, Stephanie; Biggan, John; Black, Jeff

2008-01-01

Developmental dyslexia is associated with functional abnormalities within reading areas of the brain. For some children diagnosed with dyslexia, phonologically based remediation programs appear to rehabilitate brain function in key reading areas (Shaywitz et al., Biological Psychiatry 55: 101-110, 2004; Simos et al., Neuroscience 58: 1203-1213,…

Building clinical networks: a developmental evaluation framework.

PubMed

Carswell, Peter; Manning, Benjamin; Long, Janet; Braithwaite, Jeffrey

2014-05-01

Clinical networks have been designed as a cross-organisational mechanism to plan and deliver health services. With recent concerns about the effectiveness of these structures, it is timely to consider an evidence-informed approach for how they can be developed and evaluated. To document an evaluation framework for clinical networks by drawing on the network evaluation literature and a 5-year study of clinical networks. We searched literature in three domains: network evaluation, factors that aid or inhibit network development, and on robust methods to measure network characteristics. This material was used to build a framework required for effective developmental evaluation. The framework's architecture identifies three stages of clinical network development; partner selection, network design and network management. Within each stage is evidence about factors that act as facilitators and barriers to network growth. These factors can be used to measure progress via appropriate methods and tools. The framework can provide for network growth and support informed decisions about progress. For the first time in one place a framework incorporating rigorous methods and tools can identify factors known to affect the development of clinical networks. The target user group is internal stakeholders who need to conduct developmental evaluation to inform key decisions along their network's developmental pathway.

Developmental Screening

MedlinePlus

Learn More about Your Child’s Development: Developmental Monitoring and Screening Taking a first step, waving “bye-bye,” and pointing to something interesting are all developmental milestones, ...

I. DEVELOPMENTAL METHODOLOGY AS A CENTRAL SUBDISCIPLINE OF DEVELOPMENTAL SCIENCE.

PubMed

Card, Noel A

2017-06-01

This first chapter introduces the main goals of the monograph and previews the remaining chapters. The goals of this monograph are to provide summaries of our current understanding of advanced developmental methodologies, provide information that can advance our understanding of human development, identify shortcomings in our understanding of developmental methodology, and serve as a flagpost for organizing developmental methodology as a subdiscipline within the broader field of developmental science. The remaining chapters in this monograph address issues in design (sampling and big data), longitudinal data analysis, and issues of replication and research accumulation. The final chapter describes the history of developmental methodology, considers how the previous chapters in this monograph fit within this subdiscipline, and offers recommendations for further advancement. © 2017 The Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

Sampling in Developmental Science: Situations, Shortcomings, Solutions, and Standards

PubMed Central

Bornstein, Marc H.; Jager, Justin; Putnick, Diane L.

2014-01-01

Sampling is a key feature of every study in developmental science. Although sampling has far-reaching implications, too little attention is paid to sampling. Here, we describe, discuss, and evaluate four prominent sampling strategies in developmental science: population-based probability sampling, convenience sampling, quota sampling, and homogeneous sampling. We then judge these sampling strategies by five criteria: whether they yield representative and generalizable estimates of a study’s target population, whether they yield representative and generalizable estimates of subsamples within a study’s target population, the recruitment efforts and costs they entail, whether they yield sufficient power to detect subsample differences, and whether they introduce “noise” related to variation in subsamples and whether that “noise” can be accounted for statistically. We use sample composition of gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status to illustrate and assess the four sampling strategies. Finally, we tally the use of the four sampling strategies in five prominent developmental science journals and make recommendations about best practices for sample selection and reporting. PMID:25580049

Introduction: digital games as a context for cognitive development, learning, and developmental research.

PubMed

Blumberg, Fran C; Fisch, Shalom M

2013-01-01

The authors present reasons why developmental psychologists should care about children's and adolescents' digital game play. These reasons may be identified as: a) digital game play is an integral aspect of children's and adolescents' lives; b) digital game play contributes to learning and cognitive development; and c) developmental research has the potential to contribute to effective educational game design. The authors expand on these reasons with the goal of introducing or reintroducing to developmental psychologists a rich and very relevant context in which to examine children's and adolescents' applied cognitive development. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company.

IGF-1 deficiency in a critical period early in life influences the vascular aging phenotype in mice by altering miRNA-mediated post-transcriptional gene regulation: implications for the developmental origins of health and disease hypothesis.

PubMed

Tarantini, Stefano; Giles, Cory B; Wren, Jonathan D; Ashpole, Nicole M; Valcarcel-Ares, M Noa; Wei, Jeanne Y; Sonntag, William E; Ungvari, Zoltan; Csiszar, Anna

2016-08-01

Epidemiological findings support the concept of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, suggesting that early-life hormonal influences during a sensitive period of development have a fundamental impact on vascular health later in life. The endocrine changes that occur during development are highly conserved across mammalian species and include dramatic increases in circulating IGF-1 levels during adolescence. The present study was designed to characterize the effect of developmental IGF-1 deficiency on the vascular aging phenotype. To achieve that goal, early-onset endocrine IGF-1 deficiency was induced in mice by knockdown of IGF-1 in the liver using Cre-lox technology (Igf1 f/f mice crossed with mice expressing albumin-driven Cre recombinase). This model exhibits low-circulating IGF-1 levels during the peripubertal phase of development, which is critical for the biology of aging. Due to the emergence of miRNAs as important regulators of the vascular aging phenotype, the effect of early-life IGF-1 deficiency on miRNA expression profile in the aorta was examined in animals at 27 months of age. We found that developmental IGF-1 deficiency elicits persisting late-life changes in miRNA expression in the vasculature, which significantly differed from those in mice with adult-onset IGF-1 deficiency (TBG-Cre-AAV8-mediated knockdown of IGF-1 at 5 month of age in Igf1 f/f mice). Using a novel computational approach, we identified miRNA target genes that are co-expressed with IGF-1 and associate with aging and vascular pathophysiology. We found that among the predicted targets, the expression of multiple extracellular matrix-related genes, including collagen-encoding genes, were downregulated in mice with developmental IGF-1 deficiency. Collectively, IGF-1 deficiency during a critical period during early in life results in persistent changes in post-transcriptional miRNA-mediated control of genes critical targets for vascular health, which likely contribute to the

Feedforward motor control in developmental dyslexia and developmental coordination disorder: Does comorbidity matter?

PubMed

Cignetti, Fabien; Vaugoyeau, Marianne; Fontan, Aurelie; Jover, Marianne; Livet, Marie-Odile; Hugonenq, Catherine; Audic, Frédérique; Chabrol, Brigitte; Assaiante, Christine

2018-05-01

Feedforward and online controls are two facets of predictive motor control from internal models, which is suspected to be impaired in learning disorders. We examined whether the feedforward component is affected in children (8-12 years) with developmental dyslexia (DD) and/or with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) compared to typically developing (TD) children. Children underwent a bimanual unloading paradigm during which a load supported to one arm, the postural arm, was either unexpectedly unloaded by a computer or voluntary unloaded by the subject with the other arm. All children showed a better stabilization (lower flexion) of the postural arm and an earlier inhibition of the arm flexors during voluntary unloading, indicating anticipation of unloading. Between-group comparisons of kinematics and electromyographic activity of the postural arm revealed that the difference during voluntary unloading was between DD-DCD children and the other groups, with the former showing a delayed inhibition of the flexor muscles. Deficit of the feedforward component of motor control may particularly apply to comorbid subtypes, here the DD-DCD subtype. The development of a comprehensive framework for motor performance deficits in children with learning disorders will be achieved only by dissociating key components of motor prediction and focusing on subtypes and comorbidities. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Developmental stress increases reproductive success in male zebra finches.

PubMed

Crino, Ondi L; Prather, Colin T; Driscoll, Stephanie C; Good, Jeffrey M; Breuner, Creagh W

2014-11-22

There is increasing evidence that exposure to stress during development can have sustained effects on animal phenotype and performance across life-history stages. For example, developmental stress has been shown to decrease the quality of sexually selected traits (e.g. bird song), and therefore is thought to decrease reproductive success. However, animals exposed to developmental stress may compensate for poor quality sexually selected traits by pursuing alternative reproductive tactics. Here, we examine the effects of developmental stress on adult male reproductive investment and success in the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata). We tested the hypothesis that males exposed to developmental stress sire fewer offspring through extra-pair copulations (EPCs), but invest more in parental care. To test this hypothesis, we fed nestlings corticosterone (CORT; the dominant avian stress hormone) during the nestling period and measured their adult reproductive success using common garden breeding experiments. We found that nestlings reared by CORT-fed fathers received more parental care compared with nestlings reared by control fathers. Consequently, males fed CORT during development reared nestlings in better condition compared with control males. Contrary to the prediction that developmental stress decreases male reproductive success, we found that CORT-fed males also sired more offspring and were less likely to rear non-genetic offspring compared with control males, and thus had greater overall reproductive success. These data are the first to demonstrate that developmental stress can have a positive effect on fitness via changes in reproductive success and provide support for an adaptive role of developmental stress in shaping animal phenotype. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Applying Developmental Theory and Research to the Creation of Educational Games

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Revelle, Glenda

2013-01-01

The field of developmental psychology has produced abundant theory and research about the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development of children; however, to date there has been limited use of this wealth of knowledge by developers creating games for children. This chapter provides an overview of key theoretical observations and…

Developmental toxicity evaluation of Bendectin in CD rats.

PubMed

Tyl, R W; Price, C J; Marr, M C; Kimmel, C A

1988-06-01

Bendectin, composed of doxylamine succinate and pyridoxine HCl (1:1), is an antinauseant previously prescribed for nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. The present study examined the maternal and developmental effects of Bendectin (0, 200, 500, or 800 mg/kg/day, po) administered to timed-pregnant CD rats (36-41/group) during organogenesis (gestational days [gd] 6-15). At death (gd 20), all live fetuses were examined for external, visceral, and skeletal abnormalities. At 500 and 800 mg/kg/day, maternal toxicity included reduced food consumption during treatment and for the gestation period, increased water consumption in the posttreatment period, reduced weight gain during treatment, and sedation; water consumption was reduced during treatment and for the gestation period, and maternal mortality (17.1%) was observed only at the high dose. Developmental toxicity included reduced prenatal viability (800 mg/kg/day) and reduced fetal body weight/litter (500 and 800 mg/kg/day). In addition, reduced ossification of metacarpals (800 mg/kg/day), phalanges of the forelimbs (500 and 800 mg/kg/day), and of caudal vertebral centra (all doses) was observed. No increase in percent malformed live fetuses/litter was observed. The proportion of litters with one or more malformed fetuses was higher than vehicle controls only at 800 mg/kg/day, with short 13th rib (to which the test species is predisposed) as the predominant observation. By contrast, a positive control agent (nitrofen, 50 mg/kg/day, po, 14 dams) produced 85% malformed fetuses/litter with the predominant malformation being diaphragmatic hernia. In conclusion, the incidence of litters with one or more malformed fetuses was increased only at a dose of Bendectin which produced maternal mortality (17.1%) and other indices of maternal and developmental toxicity (see Discussion).

Developmental and Social Determinants of Religious Social Categorization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van der Straten Waillet, Nastasya; Roskam, Isabelle

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to assess developmental and social determinants of the age at which children become aware that the social environment can be marked by categorization into religious groups and that those groups are associated with different religious beliefs. The results show that middle childhood is a critical period for this…

Communication-based assessment of developmental age for young children with developmental disabilities.

PubMed

DeVeney, Shari L; Hoffman, Lesa; Cress, Cynthia J

2012-06-01

In this study, the authors compared a multiple-domain strategy for assessing developmental age of young children with developmental disabilities who were at risk for long-term reliance on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) with a communication-based strategy composed of receptive language and communication indices that may be less affected by physically challenging tasks than traditional developmental age scores. Participants were 42 children (age 9-27 months) with developmental disabilities and who were at risk for long-term reliance on AAC. Children were assessed longitudinally in their homes at 3 occasions over 18 months using multiple-domain and communication-based measures. Confirmatory factor analysis examined dimensionality across the measures, and age-equivalence scores under each strategy were compared, where possible. The communication-based latent factor of developmental age demonstrated good reliability and was almost perfectly correlated with the multiple-domain latent factor. However, the mean age-equivalence score of the communication-based assessment significantly exceeded that of the multiple-domain assessment by 5.3 months across ages. Clinicians working with young children with developmental disabilities should consider a communication-based approach as an alternative developmental age assessment strategy for characterizing children's capabilities, identifying challenges, and developing interventions. A communication-based developmental age estimation is sufficiently reliable and may result in more valid inferences about developmental age for children whose developmental or cognitive age scores may otherwise be limited by their physical capabilities.

Developmental Processes in Peer Problems of Children with ADHD in the MTA Study1: Developmental Cascades and Vicious Cycles

PubMed Central

Murray-Close, Dianna; Hoza, Betsy; Hinshaw, Stephen P.; Arnold, L Eugene; Swanson, James; Jensen, Peter S.; Hechtman, Lily; Wells, Karen

2010-01-01

We examined the developmental processes involved in peer problems among children (M age = 10.41 years) previously diagnosed with ADHD at study entry (N = 536) and a comparison group (N = 284). Participants were followed over a 6-year period ranging from middle childhood to adolescence. At four assessment periods, measures of aggression, social skills, positive illusory biases (in the social and behavioral domains), and peer rejection were assessed. Results indicated that children from the ADHD group exhibited difficulties in each of these areas at the first assessment. Moreover, there were vicious cycles among problems over time. For example, peer rejection was related to impaired social skills, which in turn predicted later peer rejection. Problems also tended to “spill over” into other areas, which in turn compromised functioning in additional areas across development, leading to cascading effects over time. The findings held even when controlling for age and were similar for males and females, the ADHD and comparison groups, and among ADHD treatment groups. The results suggest that the peer problems among children with and without ADHD may reflect similar processes; however, children with ADHD exhibit greater difficulties negotiating important developmental tasks. Implications for interventions are discussed. PMID:20883582

Developmental Thyroid Hormone Insufficiency Reduces Expression of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) in Adults But Not in Neonates

EPA Science Inventory

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a neurotrophin critical for many developmental and physiological aspects of CNS function. Severe hypothyroidism in the early neonatal period results in developmental and cognitive impairments and reductions in mRNA and protein expressio...

Developmental imaging: the avian embryo hatches to the challenge.

PubMed

Kulesa, Paul M; McKinney, Mary C; McLennan, Rebecca

2013-06-01

The avian embryo provides a multifaceted model to study developmental mechanisms because of its accessibility to microsurgery, fluorescence cell labeling, in vivo imaging, and molecular manipulation. Early two-dimensional planar growth of the avian embryo mimics human development and provides unique access to complex cell migration patterns using light microscopy. Later developmental events continue to permit access to both light and other imaging modalities, making the avian embryo an excellent model for developmental imaging. For example, significant insights into cell and tissue behaviors within the primitive streak, craniofacial region, and cardiovascular and peripheral nervous systems have come from avian embryo studies. In this review, we provide an update to recent advances in embryo and tissue slice culture and imaging, fluorescence cell labeling, and gene profiling. We focus on how technical advances in the chick and quail provide a clearer understanding of how embryonic cell dynamics are beautifully choreographed in space and time to sculpt cells into functioning structures. We summarize how these technical advances help us to better understand basic developmental mechanisms that may lead to clinical research into human birth defects and tissue repair. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Cerebellum: links between development, developmental disorders and motor learning

PubMed Central

Manto, Mario U.; Jissendi, Patrice

2012-01-01

The study of the links and interactions between development and motor learning has noticeable implications for the understanding and management of neurodevelopmental disorders. This is particularly relevant for the cerebellum which is critical for sensorimotor learning. The olivocerebellar pathway is a key pathway contributing to learning of motor skills. Its developmental maturation and remodeling are being unraveled. Advances in genetics have led to major improvements in our appraisal of the genes involved in cerebellar development, especially studies in mutant mice. Cerebellar neurogenesis is compartmentalized in relationship with neurotransmitter fate. The Engrailed-2 gene is a major actor of the specification of cerebellar cell types and late embryogenic morphogenesis. Math1, expressed by the rhombic lip, is required for the genesis of glutamatergic neurons. Mutants deficient for the transcription factor Ptf1a display a lack of Purkinje cells and gabaergic interneurons. Rora gene contributes to the developmental signaling between granule cells and Purkinje neurons. The expression profile of sonic hedgehog in postnatal stages determines the final size/shape of the cerebellum. Genes affecting the development impact upon the physiological properties of the cerebellar circuits. For instance, receptors are developmentally regulated and their action interferes directly with developmental processes. Another field of research which is expanding relates to very preterm neonates. They are at risk for cerebellar lesions, which may themselves impair the developmental events. Very preterm neonates often show sensori-motor deficits, highlighting another major link between impaired developments and learning deficiencies. Pathways playing a critical role in cerebellar development are likely to become therapeutical targets for several neurodevelopmental disorders. PMID:22291620

Alternative Models to Deliver Developmental Math: Issues of Use and Student Access

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kosiewicz, Holly; Ngo, Federick; Fong, Kristen

2016-01-01

Objective: Changing how community colleges deliver developmental education has become a key policy lever to increase student achievement. Alternative development education models reduce the amount of time a student spends in remediation, provide students with supplemental instruction and support, and contextualize content to align with student…

A Quality Framework for Personalised Residential Supports for Adults with Developmental Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cocks, E.; Boaden, R.

2011-01-01

Background: The Personalised Residential Supports (PRS) Project provided detailed information about the nature, purposes and outcomes of PRS from the perspectives of key stakeholder groups including people with developmental disabilities, family members and service providers. Although these forms of support have developed over the past two…

The Accuracy of Adult Narrative Reports of Developmental Trajectories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohen, Patricia; Kasen, Stephanie; Bifulco, Antonia; Andrews, Howard; Gordon, Kathy

2005-01-01

This methodological investigation examines the accuracy of narrative-based scaled ratings covering several post high school years. Guided narratives by young adults described developmentally relevant behaviour and context for each month between ages 17 and the mid-20s. "Prospective" narratives covered shorter time periods in three interviews…

Providing developmentally appropriate psychosocial care to adolescent and young adult cancer survivors.

PubMed

D'Agostino, Norma M; Penney, Annette; Zebrack, Brad

2011-05-15

To deliver developmentally appropriate psychosocial care, the key developmental tasks facing adolescents and young adults (AYA) need to be taken into consideration. These include establishing autonomy from parents; a personal set of values and identity; strong peer relationships, including intimate and sexual relationships; and obtaining adequate preparation to join the workforce. To minimize the amount of disruption caused by the cancer experience and to maximize the health-related quality of life of AYA patients, young individuals with cancer need opportunities to participate as much as possible in typical AYA activities and to master the developmental tasks of this life stage. Promoting a sense of normalcy is essential. To achieve this, the health care environment must be flexible and recognize the important role of peers. Informational and practical supports also are necessary for AYA to stay on track developmentally in the context of coping with cancer. Critical elements of effective AYA psychosocial services should include access to AYA-specific information and support resources, fertility and sexuality counseling, programs to maximize academic and vocational functioning, and financial support. © 2011 American Cancer Society

Collaborative Developmental Action Inquiry: An Opportunity for Transformative Learning to Occur?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nicolaides, Aliki; Dzubinski, Leanne

2016-01-01

Life in the 21st century is increasingly complex, paradoxical, and ambiguous, bringing into question the ways that graduate adult education programs function. In this article, we describe an action research study involving the method of collaborative developmental action inquiry conducted with key stakeholders of a program in adult education at a…

Developmental Toxicity

EPA Science Inventory

This chapter provides an overview the developmental toxicity resulting from exposure to perfluorinated alkyl acids (PFAAs). The majority of studies of PFAA-induced developmental toxicity have examined effects of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) or perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) a...

Homologous recombination and non-homologous end-joining repair pathways in bovine embryos with different developmental competence

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Henrique Barreta, Marcos; Laboratorio de Biotecnologia e Reproducao Animal-BioRep, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS; Garziera Gasperin, Bernardo

2012-10-01

This study investigated the expression of genes controlling homologous recombination (HR), and non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) DNA-repair pathways in bovine embryos of different developmental potential. It also evaluated whether bovine embryos can respond to DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) induced with ultraviolet irradiation by regulating expression of genes involved in HR and NHEJ repair pathways. Embryos with high, intermediate or low developmental competence were selected based on the cleavage time after in vitro insemination and were removed from in vitro culture before (36 h), during (72 h) and after (96 h) the expected period of embryonic genome activation. All studied genes weremore » expressed before, during and after the genome activation period regardless the developmental competence of the embryos. Higher mRNA expression of 53BP1 and RAD52 was found before genome activation in embryos with low developmental competence. Expression of 53BP1, RAD51 and KU70 was downregulated at 72 h and upregulated at 168 h post-insemination in response to DSBs induced by ultraviolet irradiation. In conclusion, important genes controlling HR and NHEJ DNA-repair pathways are expressed in bovine embryos, however genes participating in these pathways are only regulated after the period of embryo genome activation in response to ultraviolet-induced DSBs.« less

Alcohol-Induced Developmental Origins of Adult-Onset Diseases.

PubMed

Lunde, Emilie R; Washburn, Shannon E; Golding, Michael C; Bake, Shameena; Miranda, Rajesh C; Ramadoss, Jayanth

2016-07-01

Fetal alcohol exposure may impair growth, development, and function of multiple organ systems and is encompassed by the term fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). Research has so far focused on the mechanisms, prevention, and diagnosis of FASD, while the risk for adult-onset chronic diseases in individuals exposed to alcohol in utero is not well explored. David Barker's hypothesis on Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) suggests that insults to the milieu of the developing fetus program it for adult development of chronic diseases. In the 25 years since the introduction of this hypothesis, epidemiological and animal model studies have made significant advancements in identifying in utero developmental origins of chronic adult-onset diseases affecting cardiovascular, endocrine, musculoskeletal, and psychobehavioral systems. Teratogen exposure is an established programming agent for adult diseases, and recent studies suggest that prenatal alcohol exposure correlates with adult onset of neurobehavioral deficits, cardiovascular disease, endocrine dysfunction, and nutrient homeostasis instability, warranting additional investigation of alcohol-induced DOHaD, as well as patient follow-up well into adulthood for affected individuals. In utero epigenetic alterations during critical periods of methylation are a key potential mechanism for programming and susceptibility of adult-onset chronic diseases, with imprinted genes affecting metabolism being critical targets. Additional studies in epidemiology, phenotypic characterization in response to timing, dose, and duration of exposure, as well as elucidation of mechanisms underlying FASD-DOHaD inter relation, are thus needed to clinically define chronic disease associated with prenatal alcohol exposure. These studies are critical to establish interventional strategies that decrease incidence of these adult-onset diseases and promote healthier aging among individuals affected with FASD. Copyright © 2016 by

Key Events in Student Leaders' Lives and Lessons Learned from Them

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sessa, Valerie I.; Morgan, Brett V.; Kalenderli, Selin; Hammond, Fanny E.

2014-01-01

This descriptive study used an interview protocol developed by the Center for Creative Leadership with 50 college student leaders to determine what key developmental events young college leaders experience and the leadership lessons learned from these events. Students discussed 180 events and 734 lessons learned from them. Most events defined by…

Developmental risk and young children's regulatory strategies: predicting behavior problems at age five.

PubMed

Gerstein, Emily D; Pedersen Y Arbona, Anita; Crnic, Keith A; Ryu, Ehri; Baker, Bruce L; Blacher, Jan

2011-04-01

Children with early developmental delays are at heightened risk for behavior problems and comorbid psychopathology. This study examined the trajectories of regulatory capabilities and their potentially mediating role in the development of behavior problems for children with and without early developmental delays. A sample of 231 children comprised of 137 typically developing children and 94 children with developmental delays were examined during mildly frustrating laboratory tasks across the preschool period (ages 3-5). Results indicated that children with delays had greater use of maladaptive strategies (distraction, distress venting) and lower use of adaptive strategies (constructive coping) than typically developing children. For both groups, strategies had similar rates of growth across time; maladaptive strategies decreased and adaptive strategies increased. The intercept of strategy use, but not the slope, was found to mediate the relation between developmental risk and externalizing behaviors. Findings support that dysregulation, rather than the developmental risk, may be responsible for the high levels of comorbid psychopathology.

Developmental timing differences underlie armor loss across threespine stickleback populations.

PubMed

Currey, Mark C; Bassham, Susan; Perry, Stephen; Cresko, William A

2017-11-01

Comparing ontogenetic patterns within a well-described evolutionary context aids in inferring mechanisms of change, including heterochronies or deletion of developmental pathways. Because selection acts on phenotypes throughout ontogeny, any within-taxon developmental variation has implications for evolvability. We compare ontogenetic order and timing of locomotion and defensive traits in three populations of threespine stickleback that have evolutionarily divergent adult forms. This analysis adds to the growing understanding of developmental genetic mechanisms of adaptive change in this evolutionary model species by delineating when chondrogenesis and osteogenesis in two derived populations begin to deviate from the developmental pattern in their immediate ancestors. We found that differences in adult defensive morphologies arise through abolished or delayed initiation of these traits rather than via an overall heterochronic shift, that intra-population ontogenetic variation is increased for some derived traits, and that altered armor developmental timing differentiates the derived populations from each other despite parallels in adult lateral plate armor phenotypes. We found that changes in ossified elements of the pelvic armor are linked to delayed and incomplete development of an early-forming pelvic cartilage, and that this disruption likely presages the variable pelvic vestiges documented in many derived populations. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The developmental basis of an evolutionary diversification of female gametophyte structure in Piper and Piperaceae

PubMed Central

Madrid, Eric N.; Friedman, William E.

2009-01-01

Background and Aims Fritillaria-type female gametophyte development is a complex, yet homoplasious developmental pattern that is interesting from both evolutionary and developmental perspectives. Piper (Piperaceae) was chosen for this study of Fritillaria-type female gametophyte development because Piperales represent a ‘hotspot’ of female gametophyte developmental evolution and have been the subject of several recent molecular phylogenetic analyses. This wealth of phylogenetic and descriptive data make Piper an excellent candidate for inferring the evolutionary developmental basis for the origin of Fritillaria-type female gametophytes. Methods Developing ovules of Piper peltatum were taken from greenhouse collections, embedded in glycol methacrylate, and serially sectioned. Light microscopy and laser scanning confocal microscopy were combined to produce three-dimensional computer reconstructions of developing female gametophytes. The ploidies of the developing embryos and endosperms were calculated using microspectrofluorometry. Key Results The data describe female gametophyte development in Piper with highly detailed three-dimensional models, and document two previously unknown arrangements of megaspore nuclei during early development. Also collected were microspectrofluorometric data that indicate that Fritillaria-type female gametophyte development in Piper results in pentaploid endosperm. Conclusions The three-dimensional models resolve previous ambiguities in developmental interpretations of Fritillaria-type female gametophytes in Piper. The newly discovered arrangements of megaspore nuclei that are described allow for the construction of explicit hypotheses of female gametophyte developmental evolution within Piperaceae, and more broadly throughout Piperales. These detailed hypotheses indicate that the common ancestor of Piperaceae minus Verhuellia had a Drusa-type female gametophyte, and that evolutionary transitions to derived tetrasporic female

Social Inequality in Population Developmental Health: An Equity and Justice Issue.

PubMed

Keating, Daniel P

2016-01-01

The conceptual framework for this chapter focuses on outcomes in developmental health as a key indicator of equity. Not all disparities in developmental health are indicators of a failure of equity and justice, but those that are clearly linked to social patterns in theoretically coherent and empirically substantial ways serve as a powerful diagnostic tool. They are especially diagnostic when they point to social factors that are remediable, especially in comparison to societies in which such social disparities are sharply lower (Keating, Siddiqi, & Nguyen, 2013). In this chapter, I review the theoretical links and empirical evidence supporting this central claim and propose that there is strong evidence for the following critical links: (a) there is a compelling empirical connection between disparities in social circumstances and disparities in developmental health outcomes, characterized as a social gradient effect; (b) "drilling down" reveals the core biodevelopmental mechanisms that yield the social disparities that emerge across the life course; (c) in turn, life course effects on developmental health have an impact on societies and populations that are revealed by "ramping up" the research to consider international comparisons of population developmental health; and (d) viewing this integrated evidence through the lens of equity and justice helps to break the vicious cycle that reproduces social inequality in a distressingly recurring fashion. © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Associations Between Maternal-Foetal Attachment and Infant Developmental Outcomes: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Branjerdporn, Grace; Meredith, Pamela; Strong, Jenny; Garcia, Jenniffer

2017-03-01

Objectives Infant developmental outcomes may be influenced by a range of prenatal maternal characteristics. While there is some evidence to suggest that maternal-foetal attachment may be associated with infant developmental outcomes, there is a need to systematically review this evidence to guide future research and clinical practice. Methods Five electronic databases were systematically scanned. Key journals and reference lists were hand-searched. Papers were included if: (1) pregnant women were assessed for maternal-foetal attachment; (2) the infants were later assessed, under 2 years old, for any developmental outcome (e.g., social-emotional, cognition, motor, language, adaptive behaviour); and (3) they were published in English. Two independent reviewers used the STROBE checklist to appraise the quality of each paper. Results Of the 968 papers identified, eight were included in the review, and four of these were of low quality (<60 %) based on the STROBE. The developmental domains that were examined included: infant temperament (n = 5), adaptive behaviour (e.g., colic, sleep) (n = 2), and milestone attainment (n = 1). There is some evidence to suggest that lower maternal-foetal attachment is related to suboptimal developmental outcomes. However, these results should be interpreted with caution due to the limited and low quality studies available. Conclusions Although maternal-foetal attachment may be associated with infant developmental outcomes, future research is required which: (1) considers a range of developmental outcomes, (2) has increased scientific rigour, (3) assesses mother-infant dyads at different prenatal and postnatal time points, and (4) examines different target populations.

Developmental gene regulatory network architecture across 500 million years of echinoderm evolution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hinman, Veronica F.; Nguyen, Albert T.; Cameron, R. Andrew; Davidson, Eric H.

2003-01-01

Evolutionary change in morphological features must depend on architectural reorganization of developmental gene regulatory networks (GRNs), just as true conservation of morphological features must imply retention of ancestral developmental GRN features. Key elements of the provisional GRN for embryonic endomesoderm development in the sea urchin are here compared with those operating in embryos of a distantly related echinoderm, a starfish. These animals diverged from their common ancestor 520-480 million years ago. Their endomesodermal fate maps are similar, except that sea urchins generate a skeletogenic cell lineage that produces a prominent skeleton lacking entirely in starfish larvae. A relevant set of regulatory genes was isolated from the starfish Asterina miniata, their expression patterns determined, and effects on the other genes of perturbing the expression of each were demonstrated. A three-gene feedback loop that is a fundamental feature of the sea urchin GRN for endoderm specification is found in almost identical form in the starfish: a detailed element of GRN architecture has been retained since the Cambrian Period in both echinoderm lineages. The significance of this retention is highlighted by the observation of numerous specific differences in the GRN connections as well. A regulatory gene used to drive skeletogenesis in the sea urchin is used entirely differently in the starfish, where it responds to endomesodermal inputs that do not affect it in the sea urchin embryo. Evolutionary changes in the GRNs since divergence are limited sharply to certain cis-regulatory elements, whereas others have persisted unaltered.

Zebrafish Model Systems for Developmental Neurobehavioral Toxicology

PubMed Central

Bailey, Jordan; Oliveri, Anthony; Levin, Edward D.

2014-01-01

Zebrafish offer many advantages that complement classic mammalian models for the study of normal development as well as for the teratogenic effects of exposure to hazardous compounds. The clear chorion and embryo of the zebrafish allow for continuous visualization of the anatomical changes associated with development, which, along with short maturation times and the capability of complex behavior, makes this model particularly useful for measuring changes to the developing nervous system. Moreover, the rich array of developmental, behavioral, and molecular benefits offered by the zebrafish have contributed to an increasing demand for the use of zebrafish in behavioral teratology. Essential for this endeavor has been the development of a battery of tests to evaluate a spectrum of behavior in zebrafish. Measures of sensorimotor plasticity, emotional function, cognition and social interaction have been used to characterize the persisting adverse effects of developmental exposure to a variety of chemicals including therapeutic drugs, drugs of abuse and environmental toxicants. In this review, we present and discuss such tests and data from a range of developmental neurobehavioral toxicology studies using zebrafish as a model. Zebrafish provide a key intermediate model between high throughput in vitro screens and the classic mammalian models as they have the accessibility of in vitro models and the complex functional capabilities of mammalian models. PMID:23723169

Twins and virtual twins: Do genetic (as well as experiential) factors affect developmental risks?

PubMed

Segal, Nancy L; Tan, Tony Xing; Graham, Jamie L

2015-08-01

Factors underlying developmental delays and psychosocial risks are of interest to international adoption communities. The current study administered a Pre-Adoption Adversity (PAA) Questionnaire to mostly American parents raising (a) adopted Chinese twins or (b) same-age unrelated adopted siblings. A goal was to replicate earlier analyses of pre-adoption adversity/adjustment among adopted preschool-age Chinese girls. A second goal was to conduct genetic analyses of four content areas (Developmental Delays at Adoption, Initial Adaptation to Adoption, Crying/Clinging, and Refusal/Avoidance) derived from the PAA Questionnaire. A key finding was that age at adoption added less than other predictors to adoptees' externalizing and internalizing behaviors. Family factors (e.g., parental education) contributed significantly to behavioral outcomes among the adopted Chinese twins. Genetic effects were indicated for all four content areas, with shared environmental effects evident for Developmental Delays at Adoption and Crying/Clinging. Future investigators should consider incorporating genetically sensitive designs into developmental research programs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparative transcriptome analysis reveals vertebrate phylotypic period during organogenesis

PubMed Central

Irie, Naoki; Kuratani, Shigeru

2011-01-01

One of the central issues in evolutionary developmental biology is how we can formulate the relationships between evolutionary and developmental processes. Two major models have been proposed: the 'funnel-like' model, in which the earliest embryo shows the most conserved morphological pattern, followed by diversifying later stages, and the 'hourglass' model, in which constraints are imposed to conserve organogenesis stages, which is called the phylotypic period. Here we perform a quantitative comparative transcriptome analysis of several model vertebrate embryos and show that the pharyngula stage is most conserved, whereas earlier and later stages are rather divergent. These results allow us to predict approximate developmental timetables between different species, and indicate that pharyngula embryos have the most conserved gene expression profiles, which may be the source of the basic body plan of vertebrates. PMID:21427719

Developmental Programming Mediated by Complementary Roles of Imprinted Grb10 in Mother and Pup

PubMed Central

Cowley, Michael; Garfield, Alastair S.; Madon-Simon, Marta; Charalambous, Marika; Clarkson, Richard W.; Smalley, Matthew J.; Kendrick, Howard; Isles, Anthony R.; Parry, Aled J.; Carney, Sara; Oakey, Rebecca J.; Heisler, Lora K.; Moorwood, Kim; Wolf, Jason B.; Ward, Andrew

2014-01-01

Developmental programming links growth in early life with health status in adulthood. Although environmental factors such as maternal diet can influence the growth and adult health status of offspring, the genetic influences on this process are poorly understood. Using the mouse as a model, we identify the imprinted gene Grb10 as a mediator of nutrient supply and demand in the postnatal period. The combined actions of Grb10 expressed in the mother, controlling supply, and Grb10 expressed in the offspring, controlling demand, jointly regulate offspring growth. Furthermore, Grb10 determines the proportions of lean and fat tissue during development, thereby influencing energy homeostasis in the adult. Most strikingly, we show that the development of normal lean/fat proportions depends on the combined effects of Grb10 expressed in the mother, which has the greater effect on offspring adiposity, and Grb10 expressed in the offspring, which influences lean mass. These distinct functions of Grb10 in mother and pup act complementarily, which is consistent with a coadaptation model of imprinting evolution, a model predicted but for which there is limited experimental evidence. In addition, our findings identify Grb10 as a key genetic component of developmental programming, and highlight the need for a better understanding of mother-offspring interactions at the genetic level in predicting adult disease risk. PMID:24586114

Drinker Identity: Key Risk Factor for Adolescent Alcohol Use

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Chia-Kuei; Corte, Colleen; Stein, Karen F.

2018-01-01

Background: Adolescent alcohol use continues to be a critical public health problem with both short- and long-term negative health consequences. Defining oneself in terms of alcohol, a drinking-related identity, has been shown to predict high levels of alcohol use. Because adolescence is the developmental period during which identity development…

Developmental cascades: Externalizing, internalizing, and academic competence from middle childhood to early adolescence

PubMed Central

Moilanen, Kristin L.; Shaw, Daniel S.; Maxwell, Kari L.

2011-01-01

The current study was initiated to increase understanding of developmental cascades in childhood in a sample of at-risk boys (N = 291; 52% White). Mothers, teachers, and boys reported on boys’ externalizing problems, internalizing difficulties, and academic competence. Consistent with hypotheses regarding school-related transitions, high levels of externalizing problems were associated with both low levels of academic competence and high levels of internalizing problems during the early school-age period, and with elevations in internalizing problems during the transition to adolescence. Low levels of academic competence were associated with high levels of internalizing problems in middle childhood, and with high levels of externalizing problems during the transition from elementary school to middle school. Shared risk factors played a minimal role in these developmental cascades. Results suggest that there are cascading effects of externalizing problems and academic competence in childhood and early adolescence, and that some cascading effects are more likely to occur during periods of school-related transitions. Implications of developmental cascade effects for research and intervention are discussed. PMID:20576184

Consumption of key food groups during the postpartum period in low-income, non-Hispanic black mothers.

PubMed

Kay, Melissa C; Wasser, Heather; Adair, Linda S; Thompson, Amanda L; Siega-Riz, Anna Maria; Suchindran, Chirayath M; Bentley, Margaret E

2017-10-01

The postpartum period can impact diet quality and subsequently place women at greater risk for overweight or obesity. This study examined consumption of key food groups during the first 2 years postpartum among low income, non-Hispanic black, first-time mothers. Data were from the Infant Care, Feeding and Risk of Obesity Study, a cohort of 217 mother-infant dyads, followed from 3 to 18 months postpartum, collected from 2003 to 2007. At each study visit (3, 6, 9, 12, and 18 months) 24-h dietary recalls were collected. Consumption levels were compared to those recommended from the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) for each of the following food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, whole grains, protein foods and dairy, as well as an estimated upper limit for sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption. At each time point, mothers met recommended intake levels for grains and protein foods only. In random-intercept logistic regression models, no demographic or household characteristics were associated with a likelihood of consuming recommended levels for any of the food groups according to the DGAs. Given the low intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein foods and high intake of SSBs and refined grains, interventions targeting women's diet during the postpartum period are warranted. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Conceptualising Teacher Practice and Pupil Group Learning through Developmental Stages and Integration Factors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saito, Eisuke; Atencio, Matthew

2014-01-01

This article proposes four key developmental stages and various underpinning factors pertaining to the practices of setting up and supporting group learning in the classroom setting. The discussion is mostly explained conceptually, with some compelling examples from the field. The authors subsequently advise that three elements of…

Developmental Specificity in Targeting and Teaching Play Activities to Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lifter, Karin; Ellis, James; Cannon, Barbara; Anderson, Stephen R.

2005-01-01

Developmentally specific play programs were designed for three children with pervasive developmental disorders being served in a home-based program. Using the Developmental Play Assessment, six activities for each of three adjacent developmentally sequenced play categories were targeted for direct instruction using different toy sets. A modified…

The Domain of Developmental Psychopathology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sroufe, L. Alan; Rutter, Michael

1984-01-01

Describes how developmental psychopathology differs from related disciplines, including abnormal psychology, psychiatry, clinical child psychology, and developmental psychology. Points out propositions underlying a developmental perspective and discusses implications for research in developmental psychopathology. (Author/RH)

Developmental Typologies of Identity Formation and Adjustment in Female Emerging Adults: A Latent Class Growth Analysis Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luyckx, Koen; Schwartz, Seth J.; Goossens, Luc; Soenens, Bart; Beyers, Wim

2008-01-01

The developmental interplay between identity and adjustment was examined in a seven-wave longitudinal study of 428 European female college students (M[subscript age] = 18.8 years) over a period of 3 years, with semi-annual measurement waves each year. Latent Class Growth Analysis (LCGA) was used to identify developmental typologies of both…

A Sensitive Period of Mice Inhibitory System to Neonatal GABA Enhancement by Vigabatrin is Brain Region Dependent

PubMed Central

Levav-Rabkin, Tamar; Melamed, Osnat; Clarke, Gerard; Farber, Malca; Cryan, John F; Dinan, Timothy G; Grossman, Yoram; Golan, Hava M

2010-01-01

Neurodevelopmental disorders, such as schizophrenia and autism, have been associated with disturbances of the GABAergic system in the brain. We examined immediate and long-lasting influences of exposure to the GABA-potentiating drug vigabatrin (GVG) on the GABAergic system in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex, before and during the developmental switch in GABA function (postnatal days P1–7 and P4–14). GVG induced a transient elevation of GABA levels. A feedback response to GABA enhancement was evident by a short-term decrease in glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) 65 and 67 levels. However, the number of GAD65/67-immunoreactive (IR) cells was greater in 2-week-old GVG-treated mice. A long-term increase in GAD65 and GAD67 levels was dependent on brain region and treatment period. Vesicular GABA transporter was insensitive to GVG. The overall effect of GVG on the Cl− co-transporters NKCC1 and KCC2 was an enhancement of their synthesis, which was dependent on the treatment period and brain region studied. In addition, a short-term increase was followed by a long-term decrease in KCC2 oligomerization in the cell membrane of P4–14 hippocampi and cerebral cortices. Analysis of the Ca2+ binding proteins expressed in subpopulations of GABAergic cells, parvalbumin and calbindin, showed region-specific effects of GVG during P4–14 on parvalbumin-IR cell density. Moreover, calbindin levels were elevated in GVG mice compared to controls during this period. Cumulatively, these results suggest a particular susceptibility of the hippocampus to GVG when exposed during days P4–14. In conclusion, our studies have identified modifications of key components in the inhibitory system during a critical developmental period. These findings provide novel insights into the deleterious consequences observed in children following prenatal and neonatal exposure to GABA-potentiating drugs. PMID:20043003

Developmental and functional outcomes in children with global developmental delay or developmental language impairment.

PubMed

Shevell, Michael; Majnemer, Annette; Platt, Robert W; Webster, Richard; Birnbaum, Rena

2005-10-01

Preschool children diagnosed with either global developmental delay (GDD) or developmental language impairment (DLI) were reassessed during their early school years with standardized developmental (Battelle Developmental Inventory [BDI]) and functional (Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale [VABS]) outcome measures. Of an original cohort of 99 children with GDD and 70 children with DLI assessed and diagnosed at a mean age of 3 years 5 months (SD 1.1) and 3 years 7 months (SD 0.7) respectively, 48 children (34 [71%] males) with GDD and 43 children (36 [84%] males) with DLI were reassessed at a mean age of 7 years 4 months (SD 0.9) and 7 years 5 months (SD 0.7) respectively. The overall total mean BDI score for children with GDD was 66.4 (SD 4.3) versus 71.9 (SD 8.2) for children with DLI (p=0.002). On each subdomain of the BDI, except communication, mean scores for the GDD group were significantly lower than for the DLI group (p<0.05). Similarly, the VABS total score for the GDD group was significantly lower than for the DLI group (p<0.001). For each subdomain of the VABS, the GDD group scored significantly lower than the DLI group (p<0.001). The proportion of children falling below meaningful cut-offs on the outcome measures selected was significantly higher for those initially diagnosed with GDD. Preschool diagnosis of either GDD or DLI has later prognostic validity with regard to persisting developmental and functional deficits.

Developmental programming: Interaction between prenatal BPA and postnatal overfeeding on cardiac tissue gene expression in female sheep.

PubMed

Koneva, L A; Vyas, A K; McEachin, R C; Puttabyatappa, M; Wang, H-S; Sartor, M A; Padmanabhan, V

2017-01-01

Epidemiologic studies and studies in rodents point to potential risks from developmental exposure to BPA on cardiometabolic diseases. Furthermore, it is becoming increasingly evident that the manifestation and severity of adverse outcomes is the result of interaction between developmental insults and the prevailing environment. Consistent with this premise, recent studies in sheep found prenatal BPA treatment prevented the adverse effects of postnatal obesity in inducing hypertension. The gene networks underlying these complex interactions are not known. mRNA-seq of myocardium was performed on four groups of four female sheep to assess the effects of prenatal BPA exposure, postnatal overfeeding and their interaction on gene transcription, pathway perturbations and functional effects. The effects of prenatal exposure to BPA, postnatal overfeeding, and prenatal BPA with postnatal overfeeding all resulted in transcriptional changes (85-141 significant differentially expressed genes). Although the effects of prenatal BPA and postnatal overfeeding did not involve dysregulation of many of the same genes, they affected a remarkably similar set of biological pathways. Furthermore, an additive or synergistic effect was not found in the combined treatment group, but rather prenatal BPA treatment led to a partial reversal of the effects of overfeeding alone. Many genes previously known to be affected by BPA and involved in obesity, hypertension, or heart disease were altered following these treatments, and AP-1, EGR1, and EGFR were key hubs affected by BPA and/or overfeeding. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 58:4-18, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Developing culturally responsive approaches with Southeast Asian American families experiencing developmental disabilities.

PubMed

Baker, Dian L; Miller, Elizabeth; Dang, Michelle T; Yaangh, Chiem-Seng; Hansen, Robin L

2010-12-01

Southeast Asian American families are underrepresented among recipients of special education and social services for people with developmental disabilities. Our aims were to use a community-based participatory research approach to examine Hmong and Mien families' perceptions of developmental disabilities and understand barriers to and facilitators of service provision among families experiencing developmental disabilities. We describe here a case study of a successful attempt to engage marginalized and underserved communities to understand their needs to improve access and services for persons with developmental disabilities. We conducted 2 focus groups with 11 key informants and 1 focus group with 10 family members of persons with developmental disabilities, as well as in-depth interviews with 3 shamans. Using a thematic analysis approach, we coded notes and transcripts to assess community members' understanding of developmental disabilities, experiences negotiating educational and health care systems, and barriers to high-quality care. A predominant theme was the perception that reliance on governmental support services is not appropriate. Common barriers identified included lack of accurate information, language difficulties, lack of trust, and limited outreach. These perceptions and barriers, combined with limited access to services, interfere with community acceptance and use of available support services. Despite these barriers, participants indicated that with education, outreach, and culturally responsive support, families would likely accept services. Community-based participatory methods are effective for eliciting root causes of health inequities in marginalized communities. Outreach to community-based organizations and an inclusive research practice identified social and cultural reasons for low service uptake and provided a pathway for the community to improve services for persons with developmental disabilities.

Cutaneous wound healing: recruiting developmental pathways for regeneration.

PubMed

Bielefeld, Kirsten A; Amini-Nik, Saeid; Alman, Benjamin A

2013-06-01

Following a skin injury, the damaged tissue is repaired through the coordinated biological actions that constitute the cutaneous healing response. In mammals, repaired skin is not identical to intact uninjured skin, however, and this disparity may be caused by differences in the mechanisms that regulate postnatal cutaneous wound repair compared to embryonic skin development. Improving our understanding of the molecular pathways that are involved in these processes is essential to generate new therapies for wound healing complications. Here we focus on the roles of several key developmental signaling pathways (Wnt/β-catenin, TGF-β, Hedgehog, Notch) in mammalian cutaneous wound repair, and compare this to their function in skin development. We discuss the varying responses to cutaneous injury across the taxa, ranging from complete regeneration to scar tissue formation. Finally, we outline how research into the role of developmental pathways during skin repair has contributed to current wound therapies, and holds potential for the development of more effective treatments.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluation of developmental delay in pediatric patients.

PubMed

Ali, Althaf S; Syed, Naziya P; Murthy, G S N; Nori, Madhavi; Abkari, Anand; Pooja, B K; Venkateswarlu, J

2015-01-01

Developmental delay is defined as significant delay in one or more developmental domains. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is the best modality to investigate such patients. Evaluation of a child with developmental delay is important not only because it allows early diagnosis and treatment but also helpful for parental counseling regarding the outcome of their child and to identify any possible risk of recurrence in the siblings. Thus this study was undertaken to evaluate the developmental delay in Indian children which will help the clinicians in providing an estimation of the child's ultimate developmental potential and organize specific treatment requirement and also relieve parental apprehension. To study the prevalence of normal and abnormal MRI in pediatric patients presenting with developmental delay and further categorize the abnormal MRI based on its morphological features. It is a prospective, observational & descriptive study of MRI Brain in 81 paediatric patients (46 Males and 35 Females), aged between three months to 12 years; presenting with developmental delay in Deccan College of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad; over a period of three years (Sept 2011 to Sept 2014). MRI brain was done on 1.5T Siemens Magnetom Essenza & 0.35T Magnetom C with appropriate sequences and planes after making the child sleep/sedated/ anesthetized. Various anatomical structures like Ventricles, Corpus callosum, etc were systematically assessed. The MRI findings were divided into various aetiological subgroups. Normal MRI findings were seen in 32% cases and 68% had abnormal findings of which the proportion of Traumatic/ Neurovascular Diseases, Congenital & Developmental, Metabolic and Degenerative, neoplastic and non specific were 31%, 17%, 10%, 2.5% and 7.5% respectively. The ventricles and white matter mainly the corpus callosum were the most commonly affected anatomical structures. The diagnostic yield was found to be 68% and higher yield was seen in patients presenting with

Can Nucleoli Be Markers of Developmental Potential in Human Zygotes?

PubMed

Fulka, Helena; Kyogoku, Hirohisa; Zatsepina, Olga; Langerova, Alena; Fulka, Josef

2015-11-01

In 1999, Tesarik and Greco reported that they could predict the developmental potential of human zygotes from a single static evaluation of their pronuclei. This was based on the distribution and number of specific nuclear organelles - the nucleoli. Recent studies in mice show that nucleoli play a key role in parental genome restructuring after fertilization, and that interfering with this process may lead to developmental failure. These studies thus support the Tesarik-Greco evaluation as a potentially useful method for selecting high-quality embryos in human assisted reproductive technologies. In this opinion article we discuss recent evidence linking nucleoli to parental genome reprogramming, and ask whether nucleoli can mirror or be used as representative markers of embryonic parameters such as chromosome content or DNA fragmentation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Child maltreatment syndrome: demographics and developmental issues of inpatient cases.

PubMed

Ngiam, Xin Ying; Kang, Ying Qi; Aishworiya, Ramkumar; Kiing, Jennifer; Law, Evelyn Chung Ning

2015-11-01

This study aimed to describe the demographic, social, developmental and behavioural profile of children hospitalised for alleged child maltreatment syndrome (CMS). This study was a retrospective review of the consecutive inpatient records of children (0-16 years) admitted to the National University Hospital, Singapore, for alleged CMS over a three-year period. Descriptive data on the demographic characteristics, alleged maltreatment, medical and developmental histories, and family background of these children were collected and analysed. Chi-square statistics were used to test whether family factors were associated with the type of maltreatment and the presence of developmental disorders. A total of 89 children, who accounted for 90 admission cases, were studied. Physical abuse (70.0%) was the most common, followed by neglect (11.1%) and sexual abuse (7.8%). Child protection services had already been involved in 29.2% of the cases prior to the child's admission. Children who were victims of abuse were more likely to come from homes with a prior history of domestic violence (p = 0.028). Financial difficulty was found to be a risk factor for neglect (p = 0.005). Among the 89 children, 15.7% were found to have developmental disorders and 10.1% had mental health diagnoses. Children who had developmental disorders were more likely to have a parent with a mental health disorder (p = 0.002). A sizeable proportion of the children admitted for alleged CMS had developmental or behavioural disorders. Clinicians have a role in ensuring that these children have appropriate follow-up plans. Children from high-risk families should be screened for maltreatment.

Developmental origins of inflammatory and immune diseases

PubMed Central

Chen, Ting; Liu, Han-xiao; Yan, Hui-yi; Wu, Dong-mei; Ping, Jie

2016-01-01

Epidemiological and experimental animal studies show that suboptimal environments in fetal and neonatal life exert a profound influence on physiological function and risk of diseases in adult life. The concepts of the ‘developmental programming’ and Developmental Origins of Health and Diseases (DOHaD) have become well accepted and have been applied across almost all fields of medicine. Adverse intrauterine environments may have programming effects on the crucial functions of the immune system during critical periods of fetal development, which can permanently alter the immune function of offspring. Immune dysfunction may in turn lead offspring to be susceptible to inflammatory and immune diseases in adulthood. These facts suggest that inflammatory and immune disorders might have developmental origins. In recent years, inflammatory and immune disorders have become a growing health problem worldwide. However, there is no systematic report in the literature on the developmental origins of inflammatory and immune diseases and the potential mechanisms involved. Here, we review the impacts of adverse intrauterine environments on the immune function in offspring. This review shows the results from human and different animal species and highlights the underlying mechanisms, including damaged development of cells in the thymus, helper T cell 1/helper T cell 2 balance disturbance, abnormal epigenetic modification, effects of maternal glucocorticoid overexposure on fetal lymphocytes and effects of the fetal hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis on the immune system. Although the phenomena have already been clearly implicated in epidemiologic and experimental studies, new studies investigating the mechanisms of these effects may provide new avenues for exploiting these pathways for disease prevention. PMID:27226490

Introduction: The Golden Triangle for Examining Leadership Developmental Readiness.

PubMed

Avolio, Bruce J

2016-01-01

This introduction includes the history of the leadership field that resulted in the creation of the developmental readiness construct, which represents readiness of the leader as well as followers, peers, and the target leader's leader, and how context is to be developed through some form of leadership intervention. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company.

Job Satisfaction of Developmentally Disabled Workers in Competitive Employment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Judd, Patricia A.; And Others

The job satisfaction of 35 developmentally disabled workers (17 to 38 years old) placed into competitive employment over a 2.5 year period was assessed. The Job Satisfaction Survey which measures satisfaction with the job itself, with the work group, with the company, and with the pay and job status, was administered orally in structured interview…

Developmental Neurotoxicology: History and Outline of Developmental Neurotoxicity Study Guidelines.

EPA Science Inventory

The present work provides a brief review of basic concepts in developmental neurotoxicology, as well as current representative testing guidelines for evaluating developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) of xenobiotics. Historically, DNT was initially recognized as a “functional” teratoge...

Comparison of the validity of direct pediatric developmental evaluation versus developmental screening by parent report

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

To compare the validity of direct pediatric developmental evaluation with developmental screening by parent report, parents completed a developmental screen (the Child Development Review), a pediatrician performed a direct developmental evaluation (Capute Scales), and a psychologist administered the...

Aerobic capacity of Peruvian Quechua: a test of the developmental adaptation hypothesis.

PubMed

Kiyamu, Melisa; Rivera-Chira, María; Brutsaert, Tom D

2015-03-01

High altitude natives are reported to have outstanding work capacity in spite of the challenge of oxygen transport and delivery in hypoxia. To evaluate the developmental effect of lifelong exposure to hypoxia on aerobic capacity, VO2peak was measured on two groups of Peruvian Quechua subjects (18-35 years), who differed in their developmental exposure to altitude. Male and female volunteers were recruited in Lima, Peru (150 m), and were divided in two groups, based on their developmental exposure to hypoxia, those: a) Born at sea-level individuals (BSL), with no developmental exposure to hypoxia (n = 34) and b) Born at high-altitude individuals (BHA) with full developmental exposure to hypoxia (n = 32), but who migrated to sea-level as adults (>16-years-old). Tests were conducted both in normoxia (BP = 750 mm Hg) and normobaric hypoxia at sea-level (BP = 750 mm Hg, FiO2  = 0.12, equivalent to 4,449 m), after a 2-month training period (in order to control for initial differences in physical fitness) at sea-level. BHA had a significantly higher VO2peak at hypoxia (40.31 ± 1.0 ml/min/kg) as compared to BSL (35.78 ± 0.96 ml/min/kg, P = 0.001), adjusting for sex. The decrease of VO2peak at HA relative to SL (ΔVO2peak ) was not different between groups, controlling for baseline levels (VO2peak at sea-level) and sex (BHA = 0.35 ± 0.04 l/min, BSL = 0.44 ± 0.04 l/min; P = 0.12). Forced vital capacity (controlling for height) and the residuals of VO2peak (controlling for weight) had a significant association in the BHA group only (r = 0.155; P = 0.031). In sum, results indicate that developmental exposure to altitude constitutes an important factor to determine superior exercise performance. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Motor proficiency differences among students with intellectual disabilities, autism, and developmental disability

PubMed Central

Jeoung, Bogja

2018-01-01

There is considerable overlap in the manifestations of intellectual disability, autism, and developmental disability. We aimed to determine whether students with such disabilities have differences in their motor proficiency. We compared the motor proficiency of 82 students (age, 11 to 20 years) with different severities of intellectual disability (borderline, 11 students; mild, 27 students; moderate, 19 students), developmental disability (15 students), or autism (10 students). The Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, Second edition was used to assess motor skills. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, and analysis of variance. Compared to students with borderline intellectual disabilities, mild intellectual disabilities, or autism, those with moderate intellectual disabilities scored significantly lower on al-most all items regarding motor skill on the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency. The results of this study provide key information for developing exercise programs to improve the motor proficiency and quality of life of children with various developmental disorders. PMID:29740563

Motor proficiency differences among students with intellectual disabilities, autism, and developmental disability.

PubMed

Jeoung, Bogja

2018-04-01

There is considerable overlap in the manifestations of intellectual disability, autism, and developmental disability. We aimed to determine whether students with such disabilities have differences in their motor proficiency. We compared the motor proficiency of 82 students (age, 11 to 20 years) with different severities of intellectual disability (borderline, 11 students; mild, 27 students; moderate, 19 students), developmental disability (15 students), or autism (10 students). The Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, Second edition was used to assess motor skills. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t -tests, and analysis of variance. Compared to students with borderline intellectual disabilities, mild intellectual disabilities, or autism, those with moderate intellectual disabilities scored significantly lower on al-most all items regarding motor skill on the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency. The results of this study provide key information for developing exercise programs to improve the motor proficiency and quality of life of children with various developmental disorders.

Tracking and Quantifying Developmental Processes in C. elegans Using Open-source Tools.

PubMed

Dutta, Priyanka; Lehmann, Christina; Odedra, Devang; Singh, Deepika; Pohl, Christian

2015-12-16

Quantitatively capturing developmental processes is crucial to derive mechanistic models and key to identify and describe mutant phenotypes. Here protocols are presented for preparing embryos and adult C. elegans animals for short- and long-term time-lapse microscopy and methods for tracking and quantification of developmental processes. The methods presented are all based on C. elegans strains available from the Caenorhabditis Genetics Center and on open-source software that can be easily implemented in any laboratory independently of the microscopy system used. A reconstruction of a 3D cell-shape model using the modelling software IMOD, manual tracking of fluorescently-labeled subcellular structures using the multi-purpose image analysis program Endrov, and an analysis of cortical contractile flow using PIVlab (Time-Resolved Digital Particle Image Velocimetry Tool for MATLAB) are shown. It is discussed how these methods can also be deployed to quantitatively capture other developmental processes in different models, e.g., cell tracking and lineage tracing, tracking of vesicle flow.

Examining the social determinants of children's developmental health: protocol for building a pan-Canadian population-based monitoring system for early childhood development

PubMed Central

Guhn, Martin; Janus, Magdalena; Enns, Jennifer; Brownell, Marni; Forer, Barry; Duku, Eric; Muhajarine, Nazeem; Raos, Rob

2016-01-01

Introduction Early childhood is a key period to establish policies and practices that optimise children's health and development, but Canada lacks nationally representative data on social indicators of children's well-being. To address this gap, the Early Development Instrument (EDI), a teacher-administered questionnaire completed for kindergarten-age children, has been implemented across most Canadian provinces over the past 10 years. The purpose of this protocol is to describe the Canadian Neighbourhoods and Early Child Development (CanNECD) Study, the aims of which are to create a pan-Canadian EDI database to monitor trends over time in children's developmental health and to advance research examining the social determinants of health. Methods and analysis Canada-wide EDI records from 2004 to 2014 (representing over 700 000 children) will be linked to Canada Census and Income Taxfiler data. Variables of socioeconomic status derived from these databases will be used to predict neighbourhood-level EDI vulnerability rates by conducting a series of regression analyses and latent variable models at provincial/territorial and national levels. Where data are available, we will measure the neighbourhood-level change in developmental vulnerability rates over time and model the socioeconomic factors associated with those trends. Ethics and dissemination Ethics approval for this study was granted by the Behavioural Research Ethics Board at the University of British Columbia. Study findings will be disseminated to key partners, including provincial and federal ministries, schools and school districts, collaborative community groups and the early childhood development research community. The database created as part of this longitudinal population-level monitoring system will allow researchers to associate practices, programmes and policies at school and community levels with trends in developmental health outcomes. The CanNECD Study will guide future early childhood

Rational and Developmental-Contextual Predictors of Alcohol Consumption by Youth.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuther, Tara L.; Higgins-D'Alessandro, Ann

This paper examines the relation of cognitive and developmental-contextual variables to alcohol use in adolescence and early adulthood in an attempt to increase the understanding of alcohol use during this age period. Components for each of the rational decision making theories, specifically attitude, subjective norm, and self-efficacy, were…

Adaptive developmental delay in Chagas disease vectors: an evolutionary ecology approach.

PubMed

Menu, Frédéric; Ginoux, Marine; Rajon, Etienne; Lazzari, Claudio R; Rabinovich, Jorge E

2010-05-25

The developmental time of vector insects is important in population dynamics, evolutionary biology, epidemiology and in their responses to global climatic change. In the triatomines (Triatominae, Reduviidae), vectors of Chagas disease, evolutionary ecology concepts, which may allow for a better understanding of their biology, have not been applied. Despite delay in the molting in some individuals observed in triatomines, no effort was made to explain this variability. We applied four methods: (1) an e-mail survey sent to 30 researchers with experience in triatomines, (2) a statistical description of the developmental time of eleven triatomine species, (3) a relationship between development time pattern and climatic inter-annual variability, (4) a mathematical optimization model of evolution of developmental delay (diapause). 85.6% of responses informed on prolonged developmental times in 5(th) instar nymphs, with 20 species identified with remarkable developmental delays. The developmental time analysis showed some degree of bi-modal pattern of the development time of the 5(th) instars in nine out of eleven species but no trend between development time pattern and climatic inter-annual variability was observed. Our optimization model predicts that the developmental delays could be due to an adaptive risk-spreading diapause strategy, only if survival throughout the diapause period and the probability of random occurrence of "bad" environmental conditions are sufficiently high. Developmental delay may not be a simple non-adaptive phenotypic plasticity in development time, and could be a form of adaptive diapause associated to a physiological mechanism related to the postponement of the initiation of reproduction, as an adaptation to environmental stochasticity through a spreading of risk (bet-hedging) strategy. We identify a series of parameters that can be measured in the field and laboratory to test this hypothesis. The importance of these findings is discussed in

From big data to deep insight in developmental science.

PubMed

Gilmore, Rick O

2016-01-01

The use of the term 'big data' has grown substantially over the past several decades and is now widespread. In this review, I ask what makes data 'big' and what implications the size, density, or complexity of datasets have for the science of human development. A survey of existing datasets illustrates how existing large, complex, multilevel, and multimeasure data can reveal the complexities of developmental processes. At the same time, significant technical, policy, ethics, transparency, cultural, and conceptual issues associated with the use of big data must be addressed. Most big developmental science data are currently hard to find and cumbersome to access, the field lacks a culture of data sharing, and there is no consensus about who owns or should control research data. But, these barriers are dissolving. Developmental researchers are finding new ways to collect, manage, store, share, and enable others to reuse data. This promises a future in which big data can lead to deeper insights about some of the most profound questions in behavioral science. © 2016 The Authors. WIREs Cognitive Science published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Early neurotrophic pharmacotherapy rescues developmental delay and Alzheimer’s-like memory deficits in the Ts65Dn mouse model of Down syndrome

PubMed Central

Kazim, Syed Faraz; Blanchard, Julie; Bianchi, Riccardo; Iqbal, Khalid

2017-01-01

Down syndrome (DS), caused by trisomy 21, is the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability and is associated with a greatly increased risk of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The Ts65Dn mouse model of DS exhibits several key features of the disease including developmental delay and AD-like cognitive impairment. Accumulating evidence suggests that impairments in early brain development caused by trisomy 21 contribute significantly to memory deficits in adult life in DS. Prenatal genetic testing to diagnose DS in utero, provides the novel opportunity to initiate early pharmacological treatment to target this critical period of brain development. Here, we report that prenatal to early postnatal treatment with a ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) small-molecule peptide mimetic, Peptide 021 (P021), rescued developmental delay in pups and AD-like hippocampus-dependent memory impairments in adult life in Ts65Dn mice. Furthermore, this treatment prevented pre-synaptic protein deficit, decreased glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK3β) activity, and increased levels of synaptic plasticity markers including brain derived neurotrophic factor (BNDF) and phosphorylated CREB, both in young (3-week-old) and adult (~ 7-month-old) Ts65Dn mice. These findings provide novel evidence that providing neurotrophic support during early brain development can prevent developmental delay and AD-like memory impairments in a DS mouse model. PMID:28368015

Making developmental biology relevant to undergraduates in an era of economic rationalism in Australia.

PubMed

Key, Brian; Nurcombe, Victor

2003-01-01

This report describes the road map we followed at our university to accommodate three main factors: financial pressure within the university system; desire to enhance the learning experience of undergraduates; and motivation to increase the prominence of the discipline of developmental biology in our university. We engineered a novel, multi-year undergraduate developmental biology program which was "student-oriented," ensuring that students were continually exposed to the underlying principles and philosophy of this discipline throughout their undergraduate career. Among its key features are introductory lectures in core courses in the first year, which emphasize the relevance of developmental biology to tissue engineering, reproductive medicine, therapeutic approaches in medicine, agriculture and aquaculture. State-of-the-art animated computer graphics and images of high visual impact are also used. In addition, students are streamed into the developmental biology track in the second year, using courses like human embryology and courses shared with cell biology, which include practicals based on modern experimental approaches. Finally, fully dedicated third-year courses in developmental biology are undertaken in conjunction with stand-alone practical courses where students experiencefirst-hand work in a research laboratory. Our philosophy is a "cradle-to-grave" approach to the education of undergraduates so as to prepare highly motivated, enthusiastic and well-educated developmental biologists for entry into graduate programs and ultimately post-doctoral research.

Neurogenesis and Developmental Anesthetic Neurotoxicity

PubMed Central

Kang, Eunchai; Berg, Daniel A.; Furmanski, Orion; Jackson, William M.; Ryu, Yun Kyoung; Gray, Christy D.; Mintz, C. David

2017-01-01

The mechanism by which anesthetics might act on the developing brain in order to cause long term deficits remains incompletely understood. The hippocampus has been identified as a structure that is likely to be involved, as rodent models show numerous deficits in behavioral tasks of learning that are hippocampal-dependent. The hippocampus is an unusual structure in that it is the site of large amounts of neurogenesis postnatally, particularly in the first year of life in humans, and these newly generated neurons are critical to the function of this structure. Intriguingly, neurogenesis is a major developmental event that occurs during postulated windows of vulnerability to developmental anesthetic neurotoxicity across the different species in which it has been studied. In this review, we examine the evidence for anesthetic effects on neurogenesis in the early postnatal period and ask whether neurogenesis should be studied further as a putative mechanism of injury. Multiple anesthetics are considered, and both in vivo and in vitro work is presented. While there is abundant evidence that anesthetics act to suppress neurogenesis at several different phases, evidence of a causal link between these effects and any change in learning behavior remains elusive. PMID:27751818

[Models and Foundations of Developmental Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boylan, Hunter R., Ed.; Kerstiens, Gene, Ed.

1988-01-01

These five issues of "Research in Developmental Education," examine the theoretical models and foundations of developmental education. Included are the following: (1) "Theoretical Foundations of Developmental Education," by Hunter R. Boylan, which examines the behaviorist, humanist, and developmental theories underpinning developmental education;…

Effect of Pachybasin on General Toxicity and Developmental Toxicity in Vivo.

PubMed

Lin, Yi-Ruu; Peng, Kou-Cheng; Chan, Ming-Huan; Peng, Huan-Lin; Liu, Shu-Ying

2017-12-06

To document the safety of pachybasin, a secondary metabolite of Trichoderma harzianum, for use as a bioagricultural agent, it was subjected to general toxicological testing in mice and developmental toxicity in zebrafish. With either 5 or 20 mg kg -1 pachybasin i.p. injection, mice behavioral responses such as motor coordination, spontaneous locomotor activity, or nociceptive pain were not influenced. In long-term effect (daily injection for 14 days), the physiological, hematological, liver, and kidney functions were not altered either. Evidence for the developmental toxicity of pachybasin (10-100 μM) in 72-h exposure period was shown in zebrafish larvae, based on developmental retardation, impairment of chorion, and increase of mortality. In summary, there are no significant general toxicities presented in the pachybasin-treated adult male mice. However, the embryo-toxicity in aquatic biota should be taken into consideration during bioagricultural agent application.

The impact of a developmental science course on college success for underprepared health science students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Candace A.

Developmental education for the academically underprepared college student has been aimed at helping students succeed in college. However, developmental education courses have traditionally focused on reading, writing and math. This quantitative study examined the relationship between a developmental science course for underprepared health science students on grades achieved in college level medical terminology courses. The effect was measured by analyzing student grades retrieved from a college database of official school records through the use of correlation research methodology during a previous 2-year academic period at a selected independent 4-year right-to-try college. The results yielded a weakly positive correlation, but not statistically significant coefficient of 0.325 between grades for students who successfully completed the developmental science course and their subsequent success in a college-level science course. The study added to the gap in knowledge in terms of the effect a developmental science course has on grades in college-level science courses.

The developmental roots of social responsibility in childhood and adolescence.

PubMed

Wray-Lake, Laura; Syvertsen, Amy K

2011-01-01

Social responsibility is a value orientation, rooted in democratic relationships with others and moral principles of care and justice, that motivates certain civic actions. Given its relevance for building stronger relationships and communities, the development of social responsibility within individuals should be a more concerted focus for developmental scholars and youth practitioners. During childhood and adolescence, the developmental roots of individuals' social responsibility lie in the growth of executive function, empathy and emotion regulation, and identity. Efforts to cultivate children and adolescents' social responsibility in the proximal settings of their everyday lives should emphasize modeling prosocial behaviors, communicating concerns for others, and creating opportunities to practice civic skills. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company.

Critical period plasticity is disrupted in the barrel cortex of Fmr1 knockout mice

PubMed Central

Harlow, Emily G.; Till, Sally M.; Russell, Theron A.; Wijetunge, Lasani S.; Kind, Peter; Contractor, Anis

2010-01-01

Summary Alterations in sensory processing constitute prominent symptoms of Fragile X syndrome; however, little is known about how disrupted synaptic and circuit development in sensory cortex contributes to these deficits. To investigate how the loss of fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) impacts the development of cortical synapses, we examined excitatory thalamocortical synapses in somatosensory cortex during the perinatal critical period in Fmr1 knockout mice. FMRP ablation resulted in dysregulation of glutamatergic signaling maturation. The fraction of silent synapses persisting to later developmental times was increased, there was a temporal delay in the window for synaptic plasticity, while other forms of developmental plasticity were not altered in Fmr1 knockout mice. Our results indicate that FMRP is required for the normal developmental progression of synaptic maturation, and loss of this important RNA binding protein impacts the timing of the critical period for layer IV synaptic plasticity. PMID:20159451

Developmental Risk and Goodness of Fit in the Mother-Child Relationship: Links to Parenting Stress and Children's Behaviour Problems.

PubMed

Newland, Rebecca P; Crnic, Keith A

2017-01-01

Despite the compelling nature of goodness of fit, empirical support has lagged for this construct. The present study examined an interactional approach to measuring goodness of fit and prospectively explored associations with mother-child relationship quality, child behavior problems, and parenting stress across the preschool period. In addition, as goodness of fit might be particularly important for children at developmental risk, the presence of early developmental delay was considered as a moderator of goodness of fit processes. Children with ( n = 110) and without ( n = 137) developmental delays and their mothers were coded while interacting in the lab at child age 36 months and during naturalistic home observations at child ages 36 and 48 months. Mothers also completed questionnaires at child age 60 months. Results highlight the effects of child developmental risk as a moderator of mother-child goodness of fit processes across the preschool period. There was also evidence that the goodness of fit between maternal scaffolding and child activity level at 36 months influenced both mother and child functioning at 60 months. Findings call for more precise models and expanded developmental perspectives to fully capture the transactional and dynamic nature of goodness of fit.

Global developmental delay and mental retardation--a pediatric perspective.

PubMed

Tirosh, Emanuel; Jaffe, Michael

2011-01-01

Pediatricians play a leading role in the detection, diagnosis, and management of children with global developmental delay (GDD) and mental retardation (MR). Assessment, investigation, and consultation with the family are the prime responsibility of the developmental pediatrician, in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team. The model used by the developmental pediatrician depends on the community health framework. Significant progress has been recently achieved in identifying underlying etiologies, using a variety of laboratory tests including neuroimaging and genetic and metabolic investigations. Although being used to achieve an acceptable yield, this progress in diagnostic investigations should be associated with proper weighing of the value of each test to the diagnostic process. Optimal utilization of this rapidly expanding knowledge can only be accomplished in the setting of in-depth clinical evaluation, including a thoughtful assessment of the child and family needs. In this article, the literature on the process of clinical evaluation and laboratory work-up of the child with GDD/MR is reviewed, with an emphasis on a multidisciplinary team approach to the child and family needs. An integrated model used by the developmental pediatrician that relates to the process of evaluation and management as well as the consequences of the diagnosis on the child, his/her family, and the community is suggested. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Child maltreatment syndrome: demographics and developmental issues of inpatient cases

PubMed Central

Ngiam, Xin Ying; Kang, Ying Qi; Aishworiya, Ramkumar; Kiing, Jennifer; Law, Evelyn Chung Ning

2015-01-01

INTRODUCTION This study aimed to describe the demographic, social, developmental and behavioural profile of children hospitalised for alleged child maltreatment syndrome (CMS). METHODS This study was a retrospective review of the consecutive inpatient records of children (0–16 years) admitted to the National University Hospital, Singapore, for alleged CMS over a three-year period. Descriptive data on the demographic characteristics, alleged maltreatment, medical and developmental histories, and family background of these children were collected and analysed. Chi-square statistics were used to test whether family factors were associated with the type of maltreatment and the presence of developmental disorders. RESULTS A total of 89 children, who accounted for 90 admission cases, were studied. Physical abuse (70.0%) was the most common, followed by neglect (11.1%) and sexual abuse (7.8%). Child protection services had already been involved in 29.2% of the cases prior to the child’s admission. Children who were victims of abuse were more likely to come from homes with a prior history of domestic violence (p = 0.028). Financial difficulty was found to be a risk factor for neglect (p = 0.005). Among the 89 children, 15.7% were found to have developmental disorders and 10.1% had mental health diagnoses. Children who had developmental disorders were more likely to have a parent with a mental health disorder (p = 0.002). CONCLUSION A sizeable proportion of the children admitted for alleged CMS had developmental or behavioural disorders. Clinicians have a role in ensuring that these children have appropriate follow-up plans. Children from high-risk families should be screened for maltreatment. PMID:26668405

Developmental dyscalculia.

PubMed

Shalev, Ruth S

2004-10-01

Developmental dyscalculia is a specific learning disability affecting the normal acquisition of arithmetic skills. Genetic, neurobiologic, and epidemiologic evidence indicates that dyscalculia, like other learning disabilities, is a brain-based disorder. However, poor teaching and environmental deprivation have also been implicated in its etiology. Because the neural network of both hemispheres comprises the substrate of normal arithmetic skills, dyscalculia can result from dysfunction of either hemisphere, although the left parietotemporal area is of particular significance. The prevalence of developmental dyscalculia is 5 to 6% in the school-aged population and is as common in girls as in boys. Dyscalculia can occur as a consequence of prematurity and low birthweight and is frequently encountered in a variety of neurologic disorders, such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), developmental language disorder, epilepsy, and fragile X syndrome. Developmental dyscalculia has proven to be a persisting learning disability, at least for the short term, in about half of affected preteen pupils. Educational interventions for dyscalculia range from rote learning of arithmetic facts to developing strategies for solving arithmetic exercises. The long-term prognosis of dyscalculia and the role of remediation in its outcome are yet to be determined.

Developing Cognitive Control: Three Key Transitions

PubMed Central

Munakata, Yuko; Snyder, Hannah R.; Chatham, Christopher H.

2012-01-01

The ability to flexibly break out of routine behaviors develops gradually and is essential for success in life. We discuss three key developmental transitions toward more flexible behavior. First, children develop an increasing ability to overcome habits by engaging cognitive control in response to environmental signals. Second, children shift from recruiting cognitive control reactively, as needed in the moment, to recruiting cognitive control proactively, in preparation for needing it. Third, children shift from relying on environmental signals for engaging cognitive control to becoming more self-directed. All three transitions can be understood in terms of the development of increasingly active and abstract goal representations in prefrontal cortex. PMID:22711982

Transgenerational developmental programming.

PubMed

Aiken, Catherine E; Ozanne, Susan E

2014-01-01

The concept of developmental programming suggests that the early life environment influences offspring characteristics in later life, including the propensity to develop diseases such as the metabolic syndrome. There is now growing evidence that the effects of developmental programming may also manifest in further generations without further suboptimal exposure. This review considers the evidence, primarily from rodent models, for effects persisting to subsequent generations, and evaluates the mechanisms by which developmental programming may be transmitted to further generations. In particular, we focus on the potential role of the intrauterine environment in contributing to a developmentally programmed phenotype in subsequent generations. The literature was systematically searched at http://pubmed.org and http://scholar.google.com to identify published findings regarding transgenerational (F2 and beyond) developmental programming effects in human populations and animal models. Transmission of programming effects is often viewed as a form of epigenetic inheritance, either via the maternal or paternal line. Evidence exists for both germline and somatic inheritance of epigenetic modifications which may be responsible for phenotypic changes in further generations. However, there is increasing evidence for the role of both extra-genomic components of the zygote and the interaction of the developing conceptus with the intrauterine environment in propagating programming effects. The contribution of a suboptimal reproductive tract environment or maternal adaptations to pregnancy may be critical to inheritance of programming effects via the maternal line. As the effects of age exacerbate the programmed metabolic phenotype, advancing maternal age may increase the likelihood of developmental programming effects being transmitted to further generations. We suggest that developmental programming effects could be propagated through the maternal line de novo in generations

Core measures for developmentally supportive care in neonatal intensive care units: theory, precedence and practice

PubMed Central

Coughlin, Mary; Gibbins, Sharyn; Hoath, Steven

2009-01-01

Title Core measures for developmentally supportive care in neonatal intensive care units: theory, precedence and practice. Aim This paper is a discussion of evidence-based core measures for developmental care in neonatal intensive care units. Background Inconsistent definition, application and evaluation of developmental care have resulted in criticism of its scientific merit. The key concept guiding data organization in this paper is the United States of America’s Joint Commission’s concept of ‘core measures’ for evaluating and accrediting healthcare organizations. This concept is applied to five disease- and procedure-independent measures based on the Universe of Developmental Care model. Data sources Electronically accessible, peer reviewed studies on developmental care published in English were culled for data supporting the selected objective core measures between 1978 and 2008. The quality of evidence was based on a structured predetermined format that included three independent reviewers. Systematic reviews and randomized control trials were considered the strongest level of evidence. When unavailable, cohort, case control, consensus statements and qualitative methods were considered the strongest level of evidence for a particular clinical issue. Discussion Five core measure sets for evidence-based developmental care were evaluated: (1) protected sleep, (2) pain and stress assessment and management, (3) developmental activities of daily living, (4) family-centred care, and (5) the healing environment. These five categories reflect recurring themes that emerged from the literature review regarding developmentally supportive care and quality caring practices in neonatal populations. This practice model provides clear metrics for nursing actions having an impact on the hospital experience of infant-family dyads. Conclusion Standardized disease-independent core measures for developmental care establish minimum evidence-based practice expectations and

Developmental stages of cultivated strawberry flowers in relation to chilling sensitivity

PubMed Central

Ariza, Maria Teresa; Soria, Carmen; Martínez-Ferri, Elsa

2015-01-01

Environmental factors affecting flower development may limit the yields of fruiting crops worldwide. In temperate regions, chilling temperatures during flower development can compromise fruit production, but their negative effects vary depending on the differing susceptibilities of each developmental stage. The cultivated strawberry (Fragaria× ananassa Duch.) is widely grown worldwide but financial returns are influenced by sudden shifts to chilling temperatures occurring during the cropping cycle. Despite this important limitation, knowledge of F.× ananassa flower development is lacking, in contrast to the diploid wild-type strawberry (F. vesca). In this study we describe steps in floral development of cultivated strawberry and define their vulnerability to chilling temperatures. To achieve this, flower buds from strawberry plants of cv. ‘Camarosa’ were labelled and monitored from bud initiation until anthesis. Description of morphological and functional changes during flower development was based on histological sections and scanning electron microscopy. To determine the impact of low temperatures at different developmental stages, plants carrying buds of different sizes were chilled at 2 °C for 24 h. Several parameters related to male and female gametophyte development were later evaluated in flowers as they approached anthesis. Fragaria× ananassa flower development was divided into 16 stages according to landmark events. These stages were similar to those documented for F. vesca but three new additional intermediate stages were described. Timing of developmental processes was achieved by correlating developmental staging with specific bud sizes and days before anthesis. Time to reach anthesis from early bud stages was 17–18 days. During this period, we detected four critical periods vulnerable to low temperatures. These were mostly related to male gametophyte development but also to injury to female organs at late developmental stages. These results

Developmental predictors of inattention-hyperactivity from pregnancy to early childhood.

PubMed

Foulon, Stéphanie; Pingault, Jean-Baptiste; Larroque, Béatrice; Melchior, Maria; Falissard, Bruno; Côté, Sylvana M

2015-01-01

The objective of the study was to characterize the developmental sequence of pre- and postnatal risk factors for inattention-hyperactivity symptoms in preschoolers. Longitudinal data came from a French population based birth cohort study (EDEN; N = 1311 mother-child pairs followed from the pregnancy onwards). Inattention-hyperactivity symptoms were assessed with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire when participating children were 3 years of age. Potential risk factors were classified in four domains (fetal exposures and child somatic characteristics, child temperament, child neurodevelopmental status, psychosocial environment) and four periods (before pregnancy, prenatal/birth, infancy, toddlerhood). Their role as potential moderator or mediator was tested with path analysis to determine the developmental sequence. A low family socioeconomic status before pregnancy was the main environmental risk factor for inattention-hyperactivity symptoms at 3 years, and its effect occurred via two pathways. The first was a risk pathway, where lower SES was associated with higher maternal depression and anxiety during pregnancy; then to higher maternal and child distress and dysregulation in infancy; and in turn to higher levels of inattention-hyperactivity at 3 years. The second was a protective pathway, where higher SES was associated with longer duration of breastfeeding during infancy; then to better child neurodevelopmental status in toddlerhood; and in turn to lower levels of inattention-hyperactivity at 3 years. This study identified psychosocial factors at several developmental periods that represent potential targets for preventing the emergence of inattention-hyperactivity symptoms in early childhood.

Elevated Amygdala Perfusion Mediates Developmental Sex Differences in Trait Anxiety

PubMed Central

Kaczkurkin, Antonia N.; Moore, Tyler M.; Ruparel, Kosha; Ciric, Rastko; Calkins, Monica E.; Shinohara, Russell T.; Elliott, Mark A.; Hopson, Ryan; Roalf, David R.; Vandekar, Simon N.; Gennatas, Efstathios D.; Wolf, Daniel H.; Scott, J. Cobb; Pine, Daniel S.; Leibenluft, Ellen; Detre, John A.; Foa, Edna B.; Gur, Raquel E.; Gur, Ruben C.; Satterthwaite, Theodore D.

2016-01-01

Background Adolescence is a critical period for emotional maturation and is a time when clinically significant symptoms of anxiety and depression increase, particularly in females. However, few studies relate developmental differences in symptoms of anxiety and depression to brain development. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) is one brain phenotype that is known to have marked developmental sex differences. Methods We investigated whether developmental sex differences in CBF mediated sex differences in anxiety and depression symptoms by capitalizing upon a large sample of 875 youths who completed cross-sectional imaging as part of the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort. Perfusion was quantified on a voxelwise basis using arterial spin labeled MRI at 3T. Perfusion images were related to trait and state anxiety using a general additive model with penalized splines, while controlling for gray matter density on a voxelwise basis. Clusters found to be related to anxiety were evaluated for interactions with age, sex, and puberty. Results Trait anxiety was associated with elevated perfusion in a network of regions including the amygdala, anterior insula, and fusiform cortex, even after accounting for pre-scanner state anxiety. Notably, these relationships strengthened with age and the transition through puberty. Moreover, higher trait anxiety in post-pubertal females was mediated by elevated perfusion of the left amygdala. Conclusions Taken together, these results demonstrate that differences in the evolution of cerebral perfusion during the adolescent period may be a critical element of the affective neurobiology underlying sex differences in anxiety and mood symptoms. PMID:27395327

Developmental Stability Covaries with Genome-Wide and Single-Locus Heterozygosity in House Sparrows

PubMed Central

Vangestel, Carl; Mergeay, Joachim; Dawson, Deborah A.; Vandomme, Viki; Lens, Luc

2011-01-01

Fluctuating asymmetry (FA), a measure of developmental instability, has been hypothesized to increase with genetic stress. Despite numerous studies providing empirical evidence for associations between FA and genome-wide properties such as multi-locus heterozygosity, support for single-locus effects remains scant. Here we test if, and to what extent, FA co-varies with single- and multilocus markers of genetic diversity in house sparrow (Passer domesticus) populations along an urban gradient. In line with theoretical expectations, FA was inversely correlated with genetic diversity estimated at genome level. However, this relationship was largely driven by variation at a single key locus. Contrary to our expectations, relationships between FA and genetic diversity were not stronger in individuals from urban populations that experience higher nutritional stress. We conclude that loss of genetic diversity adversely affects developmental stability in P. domesticus, and more generally, that the molecular basis of developmental stability may involve complex interactions between local and genome-wide effects. Further study on the relative effects of single-locus and genome-wide effects on the developmental stability of populations with different genetic properties is therefore needed. PMID:21747940

Identification of new developmentally regulated genes involved in Streptomyces coelicolor sporulation.

PubMed

Salerno, Paola; Persson, Jessica; Bucca, Giselda; Laing, Emma; Ausmees, Nora; Smith, Colin P; Flärdh, Klas

2013-12-05

The sporulation of aerial hyphae of Streptomyces coelicolor is a complex developmental process. Only a limited number of the genes involved in this intriguing morphological differentiation programme are known, including some key regulatory genes. The aim of this study was to expand our knowledge of the gene repertoire involved in S. coelicolor sporulation. We report a DNA microarray-based investigation of developmentally controlled gene expression in S. coelicolor. By comparing global transcription patterns of the wild-type parent and two mutants lacking key regulators of aerial hyphal sporulation, we found a total of 114 genes that had significantly different expression in at least one of the two mutants compared to the wild-type during sporulation. A whiA mutant showed the largest effects on gene expression, while only a few genes were specifically affected by whiH mutation. Seven new sporulation loci were investigated in more detail with respect to expression patterns and mutant phenotypes. These included SCO7449-7451 that affect spore pigment biogenesis; SCO1773-1774 that encode an L-alanine dehydrogenase and a regulator-like protein and are required for maturation of spores; SCO3857 that encodes a protein highly similar to a nosiheptide resistance regulator and affects spore maturation; and four additional loci (SCO4421, SCO4157, SCO0934, SCO1195) that show developmental regulation but no overt mutant phenotype. Furthermore, we describe a new promoter-probe vector that takes advantage of the red fluorescent protein mCherry as a reporter of cell type-specific promoter activity. Aerial hyphal sporulation in S. coelicolor is a technically challenging process for global transcriptomic investigations since it occurs only as a small fraction of the colony biomass and is not highly synchronized. Here we show that by comparing a wild-type to mutants lacking regulators that are specifically affecting processes in aerial hypha, it is possible to identify previously

Identification of developmentally toxic drinking water disinfection byproducts and evaluation of data relevant to mode of action

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Colman, Joan; Rice, Glenn E., E-mail: rice.glenn@epa.gov; Wright, J. Michael

Reactions between chemicals used to disinfect drinking water and compounds present in source waters produce chemical mixtures containing hundreds of disinfection byproducts (DBPs). Although the results have been somewhat inconsistent, some epidemiological studies suggest associations may exist between DBP exposures and adverse developmental outcomes. The potencies of individual DBPs in rodent and rabbit developmental bioassays suggest that no individual DBP can account for the relative risk estimates reported in the positive epidemiologic studies, leading to the hypothesis that these outcomes could result from the toxicity of DBP mixtures. As a first step in a mixtures risk assessment for DBP developmentalmore » effects, this paper identifies developmentally toxic DBPs and examines data relevant to the mode of action (MOA) for DBP developmental toxicity. We identified 24 developmentally toxic DBPs and four adverse developmental outcomes associated with human DBP exposures: spontaneous abortion, cardiovascular defects, neural tube defects, and low birth weight infancy. A plausible MOA, involving hormonal disruption of pregnancy, is delineated for spontaneous abortion, which some epidemiologic studies associate with total trihalomethane and bromodichloromethane exposures. The DBP data for the other three outcomes were inadequate to define key MOA steps.« less

Can knowledge of developmental processes illuminate the evolution of parental care?

PubMed

Michel, George F; Tyler, Amber N

2007-01-01

There are two levels of investigation for elucidating the evolution of parental behavior. The macro level focuses on how parental behavior can evolve as an aspect of reproduction. The micro level focuses on how species variations in parental behavior evolve. Recently, modern evolutionary biology has turned to developmental biology as a source for information about how trait variability (the substrate upon which natural selection and other evolutionary mechanisms can operate) can emerge during development (called "evo-devo"). Application of this evo-devo approach to the phenomenon of parental behavior requires identification of those mechanisms that produce variations in developmental pathways leading to parental behavior. It is these variations that provide the phenotypes for the potential evolution of different parental behavior systems. Variations in rodent maternal behavior affect the development of the HPA and HPG axes in their offspring. These mechanisms are examined to reveal how such developmental variations could underlie the evolution of biparental behavior. Knowledge of the developmental mechanisms responsible for species variations in mammalian parental behavior systems may provide insight into those mechanisms that may have been involved in the evolution of parental behavior itself. Copyright (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[Developmental amnesia as a focal cognitive sequela of a neonatal pathology].

PubMed

Sans, Anna; Colomé, Roser; López-Sala, Anna; Boix, Cristina; Muchart, Jordi; Rebollo, Mónica; Guitet, Montse; Callejón-Póo, Laura; Campistol, Jaume

2011-03-01

The developmental amnesia is a recently known entity that occurs as a consequence of hypoxic-ischemic events in the perinatal period. This is a specific deficit of episodic memory with greater preservation of semantic memory and other memory components such as the immediate and working memory. It occurs in patients without apparent neurological sequelae, with normal psychomotor development and general intelligence. The developmental amnesia has been associated with bilateral involvement of the hippocampus, which is evident in some cases on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as signal disturbance and signs of atrophy, or reduced size of the hippocampus in brain volumetric studies. We present six observations of developmental amnesia, their clinical, neuropsychological and neuroimaging findings. All of them show impaired episodic memory with preservation of semantic memory, have a normal general intelligence and follow a regular school with special educational needs. It is necessary to keep in mind this entity in monitoring risk newborns by their perinatal history and include the exploration of memory in neuropsychological study of these subjects. On the other hand, we highlight the specificity of the clinical and neuropsychological profile for the diagnosis of developmental amnesia even in the absence of hippocampal lesions on conventional MRI.

Developmental Origins of Adult Diseases and Neurotoxicity: Epidemiological and Experimental Studies

PubMed Central

Fox, Donald A.; Grandjean, Philippe; de Groot, Didima; Paule, Merle

2013-01-01

To date, only a small number of commercial chemicals have been tested and documented as developmental neurotoxicants. Moreover, an increasing number of epidemiological, clinical and experimental studies suggest an association between toxicant or drug exposure during the perinatal period and the development of metabolic-related diseases and neurotoxicity later in life. The four speakers in this symposium presented their research results on different neurotoxic chemicals as they relate to the developmental origins of health and adult disease (DOHaD). Philippe Grandjean presented epidemiological data on children exposed to methylmercury and discussed the behavioral outcome measures as they relate to age and stage of brain development. Donald A. Fox presented data that low-to-moderate dose human equivalent gestational lead exposure produced late-onset obesity, and motor and coordination dysfunction only in male mice. Didima de Groot discussed the role of caloric restriction and/or high fat diets during gestation and/or postnatal development in mediating the metabolic and neurotoxic effects of developmental methylmercury exposure in rats. Merle G. Paule addressed the long-term changes in learning, motivation and short-term memory in aged Rhesus monkeys following 24 hour exposure to ketamine during early development. Overall, these presentations addressed fundamental issues in the emerging areas of lifetime neurotoxicity testing, differential vulnerable periods of exposure, nonmonotonic dose-response effects and neurotoxic risk assessment. PMID:22245043

Spatial Experiences of High Academic Achievers: Insights from a Developmental Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weckbacher, Lisa Marie; Okamoto, Yukari

2012-01-01

The study explored the relationship between types of spatial experiences and spatial abilities among 13- to 14-year-old high academic achievers. Each participant completed two spatial tasks and a survey assessing favored spatial activities across five categories (computers, toys, sports, music, and art) and three developmental periods (early…

Persistence of Early Emerging Aberrant Behavior in Children with Developmental Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Vanessa A.; O'Reilly, Mark; Itchon, Jonathan; Sigafoos, Jeff

2005-01-01

This study examined the persistence of early emerging aberrant behavior in 13 preschool children with developmental disabilities. The severity of aberrant behavior was assessed every 6 months over a 3-year period. Teachers completed the assessments using the Aberrant Behavior Checklist [Aman, M. G., & Singh, N. N. (1986). "Aberrant…

Investigating Key Psychometric Properties of the French Version of the Early Years Evaluation-Teacher Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laurie, Robert; Sloat, Elizabeth

2016-01-01

This research investigates key psychometric properties of the French Early Years Evaluation-Teacher Assessment measure designed to systematically assess kindergarten children across five social and academic developmental domains: awareness of self and environment, social skills and behaviour, cognitive abilities, language and communication, and…

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Evaluation of Developmental Delay in Pediatric Patients

PubMed Central

Syed, Naziya P.; Murthy, G.S.N.; Nori, Madhavi; Abkari, Anand; Pooja, B.K.; Venkateswarlu, J.

2015-01-01

Introduction: Developmental delay is defined as significant delay in one or more developmental domains. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is the best modality to investigate such patients. Evaluation of a child with developmental delay is important not only because it allows early diagnosis and treatment but also helpful for parental counseling regarding the outcome of their child and to identify any possible risk of recurrence in the siblings. Thus this study was undertaken to evaluate the developmental delay in Indian children which will help the clinicians in providing an estimation of the child’s ultimate developmental potential and organize specific treatment requirement and also relieve parental apprehension. Aims and Objectives: To study the prevalence of normal and abnormal MRI in pediatric patients presenting with developmental delay and further categorize the abnormal MRI based on its morphological features. Materials and Methods: It is a prospective, observational & descriptive study of MRI Brain in 81 paediatric patients (46 Males and 35 Females), aged between three months to 12 years; presenting with developmental delay in Deccan College of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad; over a period of three years (Sept 2011 to Sept 2014). MRI brain was done on 1.5T Siemens Magnetom Essenza & 0.35T Magnetom C with appropriate sequences and planes after making the child sleep/sedated/ anesthetized. Various anatomical structures like Ventricles, Corpus callosum, etc were systematically assessed. The MRI findings were divided into various aetiological subgroups. Results: Normal MRI findings were seen in 32% cases and 68% had abnormal findings of which the proportion of Traumatic/ Neurovascular Diseases, Congenital & Developmental, Metabolic and Degenerative, neoplastic and non specific were 31%, 17%, 10%, 2.5% and 7.5% respectively. The ventricles and white matter mainly the corpus callosum were the most commonly affected anatomical structures. The diagnostic yield was

Parental Practices and Developmental Challenges of Boys of Color: Opportunities for Early Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barbarin, Oscar A.

2015-01-01

The "My Brother's Keeper" Initiative (Obama, 2014) has helped to attract public attention to the vulnerabilities faced by many boys of color (BOC). In this article, I review what is known about the developmental status of BOC, identify key family practices that are critical to their development, and consider the implications of both for…

Developmental Exposure to an Environmental PCB Mixture ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Developmental PCB exposure impairs hearing and induces brainstem audiogenic seizures in adult offspring. The degree to which this enhanced susceptibility to seizure is manifest in other brain regions has not been examined. Thus, electrical kindling of the amygdala was used to evaluate the effect of developmental exposure to an environmentally relevant PCB mixture on seizure susceptibility in the rat. Female Long-Evans rats were dosed orally with 0 or 6 mg/kg/day of the PCB mixture dissolved in corn oil vehicle during the perinatal period. On postnatal day (PND) 21, pups were weaned, and two males from each litter were randomly selected for the kindling study. As adults, the male rats were implanted bilaterally with electrodes in the basolateral amygdala. For each animal, afterdischarge (AD) thresholds in the amygdala were determined on the first day of testing followed by once daily stimulation at a standard 200 µA stimulus intensity until three stage 5 generalized seizures (GS) ensued. Developmental PCB exposure did not affect the AD threshold or total cumulative AD duration, but PCB exposure did increase the latency to behavioral manifestations of seizure propagation. PCB exposed animals required significantly more stimulations to reach stage 2 seizures compared to control animals, indicating an attenuated focal (amygdala) excitability. A delay in kindling progression from a focally stimulated limbic site stands in contrast to our previous finding of increase

Developmental Programming of Hypertension and Kidney Disease

PubMed Central

Chong, Euming; Yosypiv, Ihor V.

2012-01-01

A growing body of evidence supports the concept that changes in the intrauterine milieu during “sensitive” periods of embryonic development or in infant diet after birth affect the developing individual, resulting in general health alterations later in life. This phenomenon is referred to as “developmental programming” or “developmental origins of health and disease.” The risk of developing late-onset diseases such as hypertension, chronic kidney disease (CKD), obesity or type 2 diabetes is increased in infants born prematurely at <37 weeks of gestation or in low birth weight (LBW) infants weighing <2,500 g at birth. Both genetic and environmental events contribute to the programming of subsequent risks of CKD and hypertension in premature or LBW individuals. A number of observations suggest that susceptibility to subsequent CKD and hypertension in premature or LBW infants is mediated, at least in part, by reduced nephron endowment. The major factors influencing in utero environment that are associated with a low final nephron number include uteroplacental insufficiency, maternal low-protein diet, hyperglycemia, vitamin A deficiency, exposure to or interruption of endogenous glucocorticoids, and ethanol exposure. This paper discusses the effect of premature birth, LBW, intrauterine milieu, and infant feeding on the development of hypertension and renal disease in later life as well as examines the role of the kidney in developmental programming of hypertension and CKD. PMID:23251800

Profile of referrals for early childhood developmental delay to ambulatory subspecialty clinics.

PubMed

Shevell, M I; Majnemer, A; Rosenbaum, P; Abrahamowicz, M

2001-09-01

The objective of this study was to determine the profile and pattern of referral to subspecialty clinics of young children with suspected developmental delay together with the factors prompting their referral. All children under 5 years of age referred to either developmental pediatrics or pediatric neurology clinics at a single tertiary hospital over an 18-month period were prospectively identified. Standardized demographic and referral information were collected at intake, final developmental delay subtype diagnosed was identified, and referring physicians were surveyed regarding factors prompting referral. A total of 224 children met study criteria. There was a marked male preponderance (166/224), especially among those with either cognitive or language delay. Two delay subtypes, global developmental delay and developmental language disorder, accounted for two thirds of the diagnoses made. For slightly more than one third of the children (75/224), the delay subtype diagnosed following specialty evaluation was different from that initially suspected by the referring physician. A mean delay of 15.5 months was observed for the cohort as a whole between initial parental concern and specialty assessment. For referring physicians, the major factor prompting referral was the severity of the observed delay. The most important aspects of the specialty evaluation according to referral sources were the identification of a possible etiology and confirmation of delay. A profile of referrals and the rationale thereof for a cohort of children with suspected developmental delay is presented that, although locale specific, has implications for service provision and training.

Critical Windows of Cardiovascular Susceptibility to Developmental Hypoxia in Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina) Embryos.

PubMed

Tate, Kevin B; Kohl, Zachary F; Eme, John; Rhen, Turk; Crossley, Dane A

2015-01-01

Environmental conditions fluctuate dramatically in some reptilian nests. However, critical windows of environmental sensitivity for cardiovascular development have not been identified. Continuous developmental hypoxia has been shown to alter cardiovascular form and function in embryonic snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina), and we used this species to identify critical periods during which hypoxia modifies the cardiovascular phenotype. We hypothesized that incubation in 10% O2 during specific developmental periods would have differential effects on the cardiovascular system versus overall somatic growth. Two critical windows were identified with 10% O2 from 50% to 70% of incubation, resulting in relative heart enlargement, either via preservation of or preferential growth of this tissue, while exposure to 10% O2 from 20% to 70% of incubation resulted in a reduction in arterial pressure. The deleterious or advantageous aspects of these embryonic phenotypes in posthatching snapping turtles have yet to be explored. However, identification of these critical windows has provided insight into how the developmental environment alters the phenotype of reptiles and will also be pivotal in understanding its impact on the fitness of egg-laying reptiles.

CDC Kerala 15: Developmental Evaluation Clinic (2-10 y)--developmental diagnosis and use of home intervention package.

PubMed

Nair, M K C; Lakshmi, M A; Latha, S; Lakshmi, Geetha; Harikumaran Nair, G S; Bhaskaran, Deepa; George, Babu; Leena, M L; Russell, Paul Swamidhas Sudhakar

2014-12-01

To describe the last 5 years' experience of Child Development Centre (CDC), Kerala Developmental Evaluation Clinic II for children between 2 and 10 y, referred for suspicion of developmental lag in the preschool years and scholastic difficulty in the primary classes with specific focus on developmental profile and the experience of the home based intervention package taught to the mothers. A team of evaluators including developmental therapist, preschool teacher with special training in clinical child development, speech therapist, special educator, clinical psychologist and developmental pediatrician assessed all the children referred to CDC Kerala. Denver Developmental Screening Test (DDST-II), Vineland Social Maturity Scale (VSMS) and Intelligent Quotient (IQ) tests were administered to all children below 6 y and those above 6 with apparent developmental delay. Speech/delay (35.9%), behavior problem (15.4%), global delay/ intellectual disability (15.4%), learning problem (10.9%), pervasive developmental disorders (7.7%), seizure disorder (1.7%), hearing impairment (0.7%), and visual impairment (0.7%) were the clinical diagnosis by a developmental pediatrician. Each child with developmental problem was offered a home based intervention package consisting of developmental therapy and special education items, appropriate to the clinical diagnosis of the individual child and the same was taught to the mother. The experience of conducting the developmental evaluation clinic for children between 2 and 10 y has shown that a team consisting of developmental therapist, speech therapist, preschool teacher, special educator, clinical child psychologist and developmental pediatrician, using appropriate test results of the child could make a clinical diagnosis good enough for providing early intervention therapy using a home based intervention package.

Orienting Oneself for Leadership: The Role of Goal Orientation in Leader Developmental Readiness.

PubMed

Culbertson, Satoris S; Jackson, Alexander T

2016-01-01

The ways in which individuals approach achievement situations influence their use of self-management activities such as goal setting, feedback seeking, and developmental strategies, and ultimately impact success in leader development. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company.

Developmental Risk and Goodness of Fit in the Mother–Child Relationship: Links to Parenting Stress and Children’s Behaviour Problems

PubMed Central

Newland, Rebecca P.; Crnic, Keith A.

2016-01-01

Despite the compelling nature of goodness of fit, empirical support has lagged for this construct. The present study examined an interactional approach to measuring goodness of fit and prospectively explored associations with mother-child relationship quality, child behavior problems, and parenting stress across the preschool period. In addition, as goodness of fit might be particularly important for children at developmental risk, the presence of early developmental delay was considered as a moderator of goodness of fit processes. Children with (n = 110) and without (n = 137) developmental delays and their mothers were coded while interacting in the lab at child age 36 months and during naturalistic home observations at child ages 36 and 48 months. Mothers also completed questionnaires at child age 60 months. Results highlight the effects of child developmental risk as a moderator of mother-child goodness of fit processes across the preschool period. There was also evidence that the goodness of fit between maternal scaffolding and child activity level at 36 months influenced both mother and child functioning at 60 months. Findings call for more precise models and expanded developmental perspectives to fully capture the transactional and dynamic nature of goodness of fit. PMID:28943806

Critical periods of vulnerability for the developing nervous system: evidence from humans and animal models.

PubMed Central

Rice, D; Barone, S

2000-01-01

Vulnerable periods during the development of the nervous system are sensitive to environmental insults because they are dependent on the temporal and regional emergence of critical developmental processes (i.e., proliferation, migration, differentiation, synaptogenesis, myelination, and apoptosis). Evidence from numerous sources demonstrates that neural development extends from the embryonic period through adolescence. In general, the sequence of events is comparable among species, although the time scales are considerably different. Developmental exposure of animals or humans to numerous agents (e.g., X-ray irradiation, methylazoxymethanol, ethanol, lead, methyl mercury, or chlorpyrifos) demonstrates that interference with one or more of these developmental processes can lead to developmental neurotoxicity. Different behavioral domains (e.g., sensory, motor, and various cognitive functions) are subserved by different brain areas. Although there are important differences between the rodent and human brain, analogous structures can be identified. Moreover, the ontogeny of specific behaviors can be used to draw inferences regarding the maturation of specific brain structures or neural circuits in rodents and primates, including humans. Furthermore, various clinical disorders in humans (e.g., schizophrenia, dyslexia, epilepsy, and autism) may also be the result of interference with normal ontogeny of developmental processes in the nervous system. Of critical concern is the possibility that developmental exposure to neurotoxicants may result in an acceleration of age-related decline in function. This concern is compounded by the fact that developmental neurotoxicity that results in small effects can have a profound societal impact when amortized across the entire population and across the life span of humans. Images Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 8 Figure 9 Figure 12 Figure 14 Figure 16 Figure 17 PMID:10852851

Developmental Trajectories of Male Physical Violence and Theft

PubMed Central

Barker, Edward D.; Séguin, Jean R.; White, Helene Raskin; Bates, Marsha E.; Lacourse, Éric; Carbonneau, René; Tremblay, Richard E.

2012-01-01

Context Neurocognitive mechanisms have long been hypothesized to influence developmental trajectories of antisocial behavior. However, studies examining this association tend to aggregate a variety of problem behaviors that may be differently affected by neurocognitive deficits. Objective To describe the developmental trajectories of physical violence and theft from adolescence to adulthood, their associations, and the neurocognitive characteristics of individuals following different patterns of trajectory association. Design Accelerated cohort-sequential, longitudinal design. Setting Rutgers Health and Human Development Project. Participants Six hundred ninety-eight men. Main Outcome Measures Self-reports of physical violence (ages 12–24 years) and theft (ages 12–31 years) were collected across 5 waves. Neurocognitive performance was assessed with executive function and verbal IQ tests between late adolescence and early adulthood. Results The majority (55%) of subjects showed an increased frequency of theft during the study period, while only a minority (13%) evinced an increasing frequency of physical violence. Executive function and verbal IQ performance were negatively related to high frequency of physical violence but positively related to high frequency of theft. Conclusions Developmental trajectories of physical violence and theft during adolescence and early adulthood are different and differently related to neurocognitive functioning. Global indexes of antisocial behavior mask the development of antisocial behavior subtypes and putative causal mechanisms. PMID:17485611

Neurotoxicity of developmental hypothyroxinemia and hypothyroidism in rats: Impairments of long-term potentiation are mediated by phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase signaling pathway

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Yi; Wei, Wei; Wang, Yuan

Neurotoxicity of iodine deficiency-induced hypothyroidism during developmental period results in serious impairments of brain function, such as learning and memory. These impairments are largely irreversible, and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In addition to hypothyroidism, iodine deficiency may cause hypothyroxinemia, a relatively subtle form of thyroid hormone deficiency. Neurotoxicity of developmental hypothyroxinemia also potentially impairs learning and memory. However, more direct evidence of the associations between developmental hypothyroxinemia and impairments of learning and memory should be provided, and the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. Thus, in the present study, we investigated the effects of developmental hypothyroxinemia and hypothyroidism onmore » long-term potentiation (LTP), a widely accepted cellular model of learning and memory, in the hippocampal CA1 region. The activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling pathway – a pathway closely associated with synaptic plasticity and learning and memory – was also investigated. Wistar rats were treated with iodine deficient diet or methimazole (MMZ) to induce developmental hypothyroxinemia or hypothyroidism. The results showed that developmental hypothyroxinemia caused by mild iodine deficiency and developmental hypothyroidism caused by severe iodine deficiency or MMZ significantly reduced the field-excitatory postsynaptic potential (f-EPSP) slope and the population spike (PS) amplitude. Decreased activation of the PI3K signaling pathway was also observed in rats subjected to developmental hypothyroxinemia or hypothyroidism. Our results may support the hypothesis that neurotoxicity of both developmental hypothyroxinemia and hypothyroidism causes damages to learning and memory. Our results also suggest that decreased activation of the PI3K signaling pathway may contribute to impairments of LTP caused by neurotoxicity of both developmental

Epigenetics and the Developmental Origins of Health and ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Epigenetic programming is likely to be an important mechanism underlying the lasting influence of the developmental environment on lifelong health, a concept known as the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD). DNA methylation, posttranslational histone protei n modifications, noncoding RNAs and recruited protein complexes are elements of the epigenetic regulation of gene transcription. These heritable but reversible changes in gene function are dynamic and labile during specific stages of the reproductive cycle and development. Epigenetic marks may be maintained throughout an individual's lifespan and can alter the life-long risk of disease; the nature of these epigenetic marks and their potential alteration by environmental factors is an area of active research. This chapter provides an overview of epigenetic regulation, particularly as it occurs as an essential component of embryo-fetal development. In this chapter we will present key features of DNA methylation and histone protein modifications, including the enzymes involved and the effects of these modifications on gene transcription. We will discuss the interplay of these dynamic modifications and the emerging role of noncoding RNAs in epigenetic gene regulation.

Maternal and developmental toxicity of ayahuasca in Wistar rats.

PubMed

Oliveira, Carolina Dizioli Rodrigues; Moreira, Camila Queiroz; de Sá, Lilian Rose Marques; Spinosa, Helenice de Souza; Yonamine, Mauricio

2010-06-01

Ayahuasca is a psychotropic plant beverage initially used by shamans throughout the Amazon region during traditional religious cult. In recent years, ayahuasca has also been used in ceremonies of a number of modern syncretic religious groups, including pregnant women. However, no documented study has been performed to evaluate the risk of developmental toxicity of ayahuasca. In the present work, maternal and developmental toxicity was evaluated in Wistar rats. Ayahuasca was administered to pregnant rats in three different doses [the equivalent typical dose (TD) administered to humans, five-fold TD and 10-fold TD] during the gestational period (6-20 days). Dams treated with the highest ayahuasca dose showed maternal toxicity with decrease of weight gain and food intake. Visceral fetal findings were observed in all treatment groups. Skeletal findings were observed in the intermediate- and high-dose groups. The fetuses deriving from the highest dose group also presented a decrease in body weight. From these results, it is possible to conclude that there is a risk of maternal and developmental toxicity following ayahuasca exposure and that the level of toxicity appears to be dose-dependent.

Key Largo Limestone revisited: Pleistocene shelf-edge facies, Florida Keys, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gray, Multer H.; Gischler, E.; Lundberg, J.; Simmons, K.R.; Shinn, E.A.

2002-01-01

New dates and analysis of 12 deep and 57 shallow cores allow a more detailed interpretation of the Pleistocene shelf edge of the Florida Platform as found in various facies of the Key Largo Limestone beneath the Florida Keys. In this study a three-phase evolution of the Quaternary units (Q1-Q5) of the Key Largo is presented with new subdivision of the Q5. (1) In the first phase, the Q1 and Q2 (perhaps deposited during oxygen-isotope stage 11) deep-water quartz-rich environment evolved into a shallow carbonate phase. (2) Subsequently, a Q3 (presumably corresponding to oxygen-isotope stage 9) flourishing reef and productive high-platform sediment phase developed. (3) Finally, a Q4 and Q5 (corresponding to oxygen-isotope stages 7 and 5) stabilization phase occured with reefs and leeward productive lagoons, followed by lower sea levels presenting a sequence of younger (isotope substages 5c, 5a) shelf-margin wedges, sediment veneers and outlier reefs. The Key Largo Limestone provides an accessible model of a carbonate shelf edge with fluctuating water depth, bordering a deep seaward basin for a period of at least 300 ka. During this time, at least four onlaps/offlaps, often separated by periods of karst development with associated diagenetic alterations, took place. The story presented by this limestone not only allows a better understanding of the history of south Florida but also aids in the interpretation of similar persistent shelf-edge sites bordering deep basins in other areas.

DEVELOPMENTAL HYPOTHYROIDISM ALTERS SYNAPTIC TRANSMISSION IN DENTATE GYRUS AND AREA CA1 OF HIPPOCAMPUS.

EPA Science Inventory

Hypothyroidism during critical periods of brain developmental leads to learning deficits and alterations in hippocampal structure. Neurophysiological properties of the hippocampus, however, have not been well characterized. The present study examined field potentials evoked in...

A developmental cycle masks output from the circadian oscillator under conditions of choline deficiency in Neurospora.

PubMed

Shi, Mi; Larrondo, Luis F; Loros, Jennifer J; Dunlap, Jay C

2007-12-11

In Neurospora, metabolic oscillators coexist with the circadian transcriptional/translational feedback loop governed by the FRQ (Frequency) and WC (White Collar) proteins. One of these, a choline deficiency oscillator (CDO) observed in chol-1 mutants grown under choline starvation, drives an uncompensated long-period developmental cycle ( approximately 60-120 h). To assess possible contributions of this metabolic oscillator to the circadian system, molecular and physiological rhythms were followed in liquid culture under choline starvation, but these only confirmed that an oscillator with a normal circadian period length can run under choline starvation. This finding suggested that long-period developmental cycles elicited by nutritional stress could be masking output from the circadian system, although a caveat was that the CDO sometimes requires several days to become consolidated. To circumvent this and observe both oscillators simultaneously, we used an assay using a codon-optimized luciferase to follow the circadian oscillator. Under conditions where the long-period, uncompensated, CDO-driven developmental rhythm was expressed for weeks in growth tubes, the luciferase rhythm in the same cultures continued in a typical compensated manner with a circadian period length dependent on the allelic state of frq. Periodograms revealed no influence of the CDO on the circadian oscillator. Instead, the CDO appears as a cryptic metabolic oscillator that can, under appropriate conditions, assume control of growth and development, thereby masking output from the circadian system. frq-driven luciferase as a reporter of the circadian oscillator may in this way provide a means for assessing prospective role(s) of metabolic and/or ancillary oscillators within cellular circadian systems.

Convergent evolution of alternative developmental trajectories associated with diapause in African and South American killifish.

PubMed

Furness, Andrew I; Reznick, David N; Springer, Mark S; Meredith, Robert W

2015-03-07

Annual killifish adapted to life in seasonally ephemeral water-bodies exhibit desiccation resistant eggs that can undergo diapause, a period of developmental arrest, enabling them to traverse the otherwise inhospitable dry season. Environmental cues that potentially indicate the season can govern whether eggs enter a stage of diapause mid-way through development or skip this diapause and instead undergo direct development. We report, based on construction of a supermatrix phylogenetic tree of the order Cyprinodontiformes and a battery of comparative analyses, that the ability to produce diapause eggs evolved independently at least six times within African and South American killifish. We then show in species representative of these lineages that embryos entering diapause display significant reduction in development of the cranial region and circulatory system relative to direct-developing embryos. This divergence along alternative developmental pathways begins mid-way through development, well before diapause is entered, during a period of purported maximum developmental constraint (the phylotypic period). Finally, we show that entering diapause is accompanied by a dramatic reduction in metabolic rate and concomitant increase in long-term embryo survival. Morphological divergence during the phylotypic period thus allows embryos undergoing diapause to conserve energy by shunting resources away from energetically costly organs thereby increasing survival chances in an environment that necessitates remaining dormant, buried in the soil and surrounded by an eggshell for much of the year. Our results indicate that adaptation to seasonal aquatic environments in annual killifish imposes strong selection during the embryo stage leading to marked diversification during this otherwise conserved period of vertebrate development. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Toward a Neuroscience of Adult Cognitive Developmental Theory

PubMed Central

Girgis, Fady; Lee, Darrin J.; Goodarzi, Amir; Ditterich, Jochen

2018-01-01

Piaget's genetic epistemology has provided the constructivist approach upon which child developmental theories were founded, in that infants are thought to progress through distinct cognitive stages until they reach maturity in their early 20's. However, it is now well established that cognition continues to develop after early adulthood, and several “neo-Piagetian” theories have emerged in an attempt to better characterize adult cognitive development. For example, Kegan's Constructive Developmental Theory (CDT) argues that the thought processes used by adults to construct their reality change over time, and reaching higher stages of cognitive development entails becoming objectively aware of emotions and beliefs that were previously in the realm of the subconscious. In recent years, neuroscience has shown a growing interest in the biological substrates and neural mechanisms encompassing adult cognitive development, because psychological and psychiatric disorders can arise from deficiencies therein. In this article, we will use Kegan's CDT as a framework to discuss adult cognitive development in relation to closely correlated existing constructs underlying social processing, such as the perception of self and others. We will review the functional imaging and electrophysiologic evidence behind two key concepts relating to these posited developmental changes. These include self-related processing, a field that distinguishes between having conscious experiences (“being a self”) and being aware of oneself having conscious experiences (“being aware of being a self”); and theory of mind, which is the objective awareness of possessing mental states such as beliefs and desires (i.e., having a “mind”) and the understanding that others possess mental states that can be different from one's own. We shall see that cortical midline structures, including the medial prefrontal cortex and cingulate gyrus, as well as the temporal lobe, are associated with

Toward a Neuroscience of Adult Cognitive Developmental Theory.

PubMed

Girgis, Fady; Lee, Darrin J; Goodarzi, Amir; Ditterich, Jochen

2018-01-01

Piaget's genetic epistemology has provided the constructivist approach upon which child developmental theories were founded, in that infants are thought to progress through distinct cognitive stages until they reach maturity in their early 20's. However, it is now well established that cognition continues to develop after early adulthood, and several "neo-Piagetian" theories have emerged in an attempt to better characterize adult cognitive development. For example, Kegan's Constructive Developmental Theory (CDT) argues that the thought processes used by adults to construct their reality change over time, and reaching higher stages of cognitive development entails becoming objectively aware of emotions and beliefs that were previously in the realm of the subconscious. In recent years, neuroscience has shown a growing interest in the biological substrates and neural mechanisms encompassing adult cognitive development, because psychological and psychiatric disorders can arise from deficiencies therein. In this article, we will use Kegan's CDT as a framework to discuss adult cognitive development in relation to closely correlated existing constructs underlying social processing, such as the perception of self and others. We will review the functional imaging and electrophysiologic evidence behind two key concepts relating to these posited developmental changes. These include self-related processing, a field that distinguishes between having conscious experiences ("being a self") and being aware of oneself having conscious experiences ("being aware of being a self"); and theory of mind, which is the objective awareness of possessing mental states such as beliefs and desires (i.e., having a "mind") and the understanding that others possess mental states that can be different from one's own. We shall see that cortical midline structures, including the medial prefrontal cortex and cingulate gyrus, as well as the temporal lobe, are associated with psychological tasks that

Neurogenesis and developmental anesthetic neurotoxicity.

PubMed

Kang, Eunchai; Berg, Daniel A; Furmanski, Orion; Jackson, William M; Ryu, Yun Kyoung; Gray, Christy D; Mintz, C David

The mechanism by which anesthetics might act on the developing brain in order to cause long term deficits remains incompletely understood. The hippocampus has been identified as a structure that is likely to be involved, as rodent models show numerous deficits in behavioral tasks of learning that are hippocampal-dependent. The hippocampus is an unusual structure in that it is the site of large amounts of neurogenesis postnatally, particularly in the first year of life in humans, and these newly generated neurons are critical to the function of this structure. Intriguingly, neurogenesis is a major developmental event that occurs during postulated windows of vulnerability to developmental anesthetic neurotoxicity across the different species in which it has been studied. In this review, we examine the evidence for anesthetic effects on neurogenesis in the early postnatal period and ask whether neurogenesis should be studied further as a putative mechanism of injury. Multiple anesthetics are considered, and both in vivo and in vitro work is presented. While there is abundant evidence that anesthetics act to suppress neurogenesis at several different phases, evidence of a causal link between these effects and any change in learning behavior remains elusive. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Developmental Idealism in China

PubMed Central

Thornton, Arland; Xie, Yu

2016-01-01

This paper examines the intersection of developmental idealism with China. It discusses how developmental idealism has been widely disseminated within China and has had enormous effects on public policy and programs, on social institutions, and on the lives of individuals and their families. This dissemination of developmental idealism to China began in the 19th century, when China met with several military defeats that led many in the country to question the place of China in the world. By the beginning of the 20th century, substantial numbers of Chinese had reacted to the country’s defeats by exploring developmental idealism as a route to independence, international respect, and prosperity. Then, with important but brief aberrations, the country began to implement many of the elements of developmental idealism, a movement that became especially important following the assumption of power by the Communist Party of China in 1949. This movement has played a substantial role in politics, in the economy, and in family life. The beliefs and values of developmental idealism have also been directly disseminated to the grassroots in China, where substantial majorities of Chinese citizens have assimilated them. These ideas are both known and endorsed by very large numbers in China today. PMID:28316833

Developmental Idealism in China.

PubMed

Thornton, Arland; Xie, Yu

2016-10-01

This paper examines the intersection of developmental idealism with China. It discusses how developmental idealism has been widely disseminated within China and has had enormous effects on public policy and programs, on social institutions, and on the lives of individuals and their families. This dissemination of developmental idealism to China began in the 19 th century, when China met with several military defeats that led many in the country to question the place of China in the world. By the beginning of the 20 th century, substantial numbers of Chinese had reacted to the country's defeats by exploring developmental idealism as a route to independence, international respect, and prosperity. Then, with important but brief aberrations, the country began to implement many of the elements of developmental idealism, a movement that became especially important following the assumption of power by the Communist Party of China in 1949. This movement has played a substantial role in politics, in the economy, and in family life. The beliefs and values of developmental idealism have also been directly disseminated to the grassroots in China, where substantial majorities of Chinese citizens have assimilated them. These ideas are both known and endorsed by very large numbers in China today.

Developmental origins of inflammatory and immune diseases.

PubMed

Chen, Ting; Liu, Han-Xiao; Yan, Hui-Yi; Wu, Dong-Mei; Ping, Jie

2016-08-01

Epidemiological and experimental animal studies show that suboptimal environments in fetal and neonatal life exert a profound influence on physiological function and risk of diseases in adult life. The concepts of the 'developmental programming' and Developmental Origins of Health and Diseases (DOHaD) have become well accepted and have been applied across almost all fields of medicine. Adverse intrauterine environments may have programming effects on the crucial functions of the immune system during critical periods of fetal development, which can permanently alter the immune function of offspring. Immune dysfunction may in turn lead offspring to be susceptible to inflammatory and immune diseases in adulthood. These facts suggest that inflammatory and immune disorders might have developmental origins. In recent years, inflammatory and immune disorders have become a growing health problem worldwide. However, there is no systematic report in the literature on the developmental origins of inflammatory and immune diseases and the potential mechanisms involved. Here, we review the impacts of adverse intrauterine environments on the immune function in offspring. This review shows the results from human and different animal species and highlights the underlying mechanisms, including damaged development of cells in the thymus, helper T cell 1/helper T cell 2 balance disturbance, abnormal epigenetic modification, effects of maternal glucocorticoid overexposure on fetal lymphocytes and effects of the fetal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis on the immune system. Although the phenomena have already been clearly implicated in epidemiologic and experimental studies, new studies investigating the mechanisms of these effects may provide new avenues for exploiting these pathways for disease prevention. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email

Infancy parenting and externalizing psychopathology from childhood through adulthood: developmental trends.

PubMed

Lorber, Michael F; Egeland, Byron

2009-07-01

Developmental models and previous findings suggest that early parenting is more strongly associated with externalizing problems in early childhood than it is in adolescence. In this article, the authors address whether the association of poor-quality infancy parenting and externalizing problems "rebounds" in adulthood. Poor-quality infancy parenting was associated with externalizing problems at kindergarten and first grade (mother report) as well as at 23 and 26 years (self report). Infancy parenting was not significantly associated with either mothers' or youths' reports of externalizing problems at 16 years. These findings are consistent with the notion that poor-quality infancy parenting is a risk factor for externalizing problems in developmental periods for which externalizing behavior is most deviant.

Reproduction Symposium: developmental programming of reproductive and metabolic health.

PubMed

Padmanabhan, V; Veiga-Lopez, A

2014-08-01

Inappropriate programming of the reproductive system by developmental exposure to excess steroid hormones is of concern. Sheep are well suited for investigating developmental origin of reproductive and metabolic disorders. The developmental time line of female sheep (approximately 5 mo gestation and approximately 7 mo to puberty) is ideal for conducting sequential studies of the progression of metabolic and/or reproductive disruption from the developmental insult to manifestation of adult consequences. Major benefits of using sheep include knowledge of established critical periods to target adult defects, a rich understanding of reproductive neuroendocrine regulation, availability of noninvasive approaches to monitor follicular dynamics, established surgical approaches to obtain hypophyseal portal blood for measurement of hypothalamic hormones, and the ability to perform studies in natural setting thereby keeping behavioral interactions intact. Of importance is the ability to chronically instrument fetus and mother for determining early endocrine perturbations. Prenatal exposure of the female to excess testosterone (T) leads to an array of adult reproductive disorders that include LH excess, functional hyperandrogenism, neuroendocrine defects, multifollicular ovarian morphology, and corpus luteum dysfunction culminating in early reproductive failure. At the neuroendocrine level, all 3 feedback systems are compromised. At the pituitary level, gonadotrope (LH secretion) sensitivity to GnRH is increased. Multifollicular ovarian morphology stems from persistence of follicles as well as enhanced follicular recruitment. These defects culminate in progressive loss of cyclicity and reduced fecundity. Prenatal T excess also leads to fetal growth retardation, an early marker of adult reproductive and metabolic diseases, insulin resistance, hypertension, and behavioral deficits. Collectively, the reproductive and metabolic deficits of prenatal T-treated sheep provide proof of

Developmental programming of reproductive and metabolic health1,2

PubMed Central

Padmanabhan, V.; Veiga-Lopez, A.

2014-01-01

The inappropriate programming of the reproductive system by developmental exposure to excess steroid hormones is of concern. Sheep are well suited for investigating developmental origin of reproductive and metabolic disorders. The developmental time line of female sheep (~5 mo gestation and ~7 mo to puberty) is ideal for conducting sequential studies of the progression of metabolic and (or) reproductive disruption from the developmental insult to manifestation of adult consequences. Major benefits of using sheep include knowledge of established critical periods to target adult defects, a rich understanding of reproductive neuroendocrine regulation, availability of non-invasive approaches to monitor follicular dynamics, established surgical approaches to obtain hypophyseal portal blood for measurement of hypothalamic hormones, and the ability to perform studies in natural setting keeping behavioral interactions intact. Of importance is the ability to chronically instrument fetus and mother for determining early endocrine perturbations. Prenatal exposure of the female to excess testosterone (T) leads to an array of adult reproductive disorders that include LH excess, functional hyperandrogenism, neuroendocrine defects, multifollicular ovarian morphology, and corpus luteum dysfunction culminating in early reproductive failure. At the neuroendocrine level all three feedback systems are compromised. At the pituitary level, gonadotrope (LH secretion) sensitivity to GnRH is increased. Multifollicular ovarian morphology stems from persistence of follicles, as well as enhanced follicular recruitment. These defects culminate in progressive loss of cyclicity and reduced fecundity. Prenatal T excess also leads to fetal growth retardation, an early marker of adult reproductive/metabolic diseases, insulin resistance, hypertension and behavioral deficits. Collectively, the reproductive and metabolic deficits of prenatal T-treated sheep provide proof of concept for the

Developmental communication impairments in adults: outcomes and life experiences of adults and their parents.

PubMed

Clegg, Judy; Ansorge, Lydia; Stackhouse, Joy; Donlan, Chris

2012-10-01

This study identifies the outcomes and documents the longitudinal life experiences of adults who attended a specialist residential school for children with pervasive and complex developmental communication impairments. Semistructured interviews were carried out with 26 adult ex-pupils who had attended the school and the parents of 15 of the ex-pupils. Seven key themes were identified from the data, including (a) lack of appropriate support and the impact of this in early childhood, (b) advantages and disadvantages of specialist educational provision compared to mainstream and other provision, (c) changing impact of developmental communication impairments over time, (d) challenging transition away from specialist educational provision, (e) absence of appropriate support for adults with developmental communication impairments, (f) persisting impact of developmental communication impairments on social and emotional functioning in adult life, and (g) differences in perspective between the adult ex-pupils and their parents. Across the adult ex-pupils and their parents, the perceived reported benefits of early intervention, parental support, specialist educational provision, and guidance at times of transitions should inform current service provision for this vulnerable group of individuals and their families.

An absolute measure for a key currency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oya, Shunsuke; Aihara, Kazuyuki; Hirata, Yoshito

It is generally considered that the US dollar and the euro are the key currencies in the world and in Europe, respectively. However, there is no absolute general measure for a key currency. Here, we investigate the 24-hour periodicity of foreign exchange markets using a recurrence plot, and define an absolute measure for a key currency based on the strength of the periodicity. Moreover, we analyze the time evolution of this measure. The results show that the credibility of the US dollar has not decreased significantly since the Lehman shock, when the Lehman Brothers bankrupted and influenced the economic markets, and has increased even relatively better than that of the euro and that of the Japanese yen.

A Theoretical Approach to Understanding Population Dynamics with Seasonal Developmental Durations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lou, Yijun; Zhao, Xiao-Qiang

2017-04-01

There is a growing body of biological investigations to understand impacts of seasonally changing environmental conditions on population dynamics in various research fields such as single population growth and disease transmission. On the other side, understanding the population dynamics subject to seasonally changing weather conditions plays a fundamental role in predicting the trends of population patterns and disease transmission risks under the scenarios of climate change. With the host-macroparasite interaction as a motivating example, we propose a synthesized approach for investigating the population dynamics subject to seasonal environmental variations from theoretical point of view, where the model development, basic reproduction ratio formulation and computation, and rigorous mathematical analysis are involved. The resultant model with periodic delay presents a novel term related to the rate of change of the developmental duration, bringing new challenges to dynamics analysis. By investigating a periodic semiflow on a suitably chosen phase space, the global dynamics of a threshold type is established: all solutions either go to zero when basic reproduction ratio is less than one, or stabilize at a positive periodic state when the reproduction ratio is greater than one. The synthesized approach developed here is applicable to broader contexts of investigating biological systems with seasonal developmental durations.

Developmental aspects of a life course approach to healthy ageing

PubMed Central

Cooper, C.; Aihie Sayer, A.; Eendebak, R. J.; Clough, G. F.; Beard, J. R.

2016-01-01

Abstract We examine the mechanistic basis and wider implications of adopting a developmental perspective on human ageing. Previous models of ageing have concentrated on its genetic basis, or the detrimental effects of accumulated damage, but also have raised issues about whether ageing can be viewed as adaptive itself, or is a consequence of other adaptive processes, for example if maintenance and repair processes in the period up to reproduction are traded off against later decline in function. A life course model places ageing in the context of the attainment of peak capacity for a body system, starting in early development when plasticity permits changes in structure and function induced by a range of environmental stimuli, followed by a period of decline, the rate of which depends on the peak attained as well as the later life conditions. Such path dependency in the rate of ageing may offer new insights into its modification. Focusing on musculoskeletal and cardiovascular function, we discuss this model and the possible underlying mechanisms, including endothelial function, oxidative stress, stem cells and nutritional factors such as vitamin D status. Epigenetic changes induced during developmental plasticity, and immune function may provide a common mechanistic process underlying a life course model of ageing. The life course trajectory differs in high and low resource settings. New insights into the developmental components of the life course model of ageing may lead to the design of biomarkers of later chronic disease risk and to new interventions to promote healthy ageing, with important implications for public health. PMID:26518329

Developmental Predictors of Inattention-Hyperactivity from Pregnancy to Early Childhood

PubMed Central

Foulon, Stéphanie; Pingault, Jean-Baptiste; Melchior, Maria; Falissard, Bruno; Côté, Sylvana M.

2015-01-01

Objective The objective of the study was to characterize the developmental sequence of pre- and postnatal risk factors for inattention-hyperactivity symptoms in preschoolers. Materials and Methods Longitudinal data came from a French population based birth cohort study (EDEN; N = 1311 mother-child pairs followed from the pregnancy onwards). Inattention-hyperactivity symptoms were assessed with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire when participating children were 3 years of age. Potential risk factors were classified in four domains (fetal exposures and child somatic characteristics, child temperament, child neurodevelopmental status, psychosocial environment) and four periods (before pregnancy, prenatal/birth, infancy, toddlerhood). Their role as potential moderator or mediator was tested with path analysis to determine the developmental sequence. Results A low family socioeconomic status before pregnancy was the main environmental risk factor for inattention-hyperactivity symptoms at 3 years, and its effect occurred via two pathways. The first was a risk pathway, where lower SES was associated with higher maternal depression and anxiety during pregnancy; then to higher maternal and child distress and dysregulation in infancy; and in turn to higher levels of inattention-hyperactivity at 3 years. The second was a protective pathway, where higher SES was associated with longer duration of breastfeeding during infancy; then to better child neurodevelopmental status in toddlerhood; and in turn to lower levels of inattention-hyperactivity at 3 years. Discussion This study identified psychosocial factors at several developmental periods that represent potential targets for preventing the emergence of inattention-hyperactivity symptoms in early childhood. PMID:25938453

Parenting and the development of effortful control from early childhood to early adolescence: A transactional developmental model.

PubMed

Tiberio, Stacey S; Capaldi, Deborah M; Kerr, David C R; Bertrand, Maria; Pears, Katherine C; Owen, Lee

2016-08-01

Poor effortful control is a key temperamental factor underlying behavioral problems. The bidirectional association of child effortful control with both positive parenting and negative discipline was examined from ages approximately 3 to 13-14 years, involving five time points, and using data from parents and children in the Oregon Youth Study-Three Generational Study (N = 318 children from 150 families). Based on a dynamic developmental systems approach, it was hypothesized that there would be concurrent associations between parenting and child effortful control and bidirectional effects across time from each aspect of parenting to effortful control and from effortful control to each aspect of parenting. It was also hypothesized that associations would be more robust in early childhood, from ages 3 to 7 years, and would diminish as indicated by significantly weaker effects at the older ages, 11-12 to 13-14 years. Longitudinal feedback or mediated effects were also tested. The findings supported (a) stability in each construct over multiple developmental periods; (b) concurrent associations, which were significantly weaker at the older ages; (c) bidirectional effects, consistent with the interpretation that at younger ages children's effortful control influenced parenting, whereas at older child ages, parenting influenced effortful control; and (d) a transactional effect, such that maternal parenting in late childhood was a mechanism explaining children's development of effortful control from middle childhood to early adolescence.

The neurite growth inhibitory effects of soluble TNFα on developing sympathetic neurons are dependent on developmental age.

PubMed

Nolan, Aoife M; Collins, Louise M; Wyatt, Sean L; Gutierrez, Humberto; O'Keeffe, Gerard W

2014-01-01

During development, the growth of neural processes is regulated by an array of cellular and molecular mechanisms which influence growth rate, direction and branching. Recently, many members of the TNF superfamily have been shown to be key regulators of neurite growth during development. The founder member of this family, TNFα can both promote and inhibit neurite growth depending on the cellular context. Specifically, transmembrane TNFα promotes neurite growth, while soluble TNFα inhibits it. While the growth promoting effects of TNFα are restricted to a defined developmental window of early postnatal development, whether the growth inhibitory effects of soluble TNFα occur throughout development is unknown. In this study we used the extensively studied, well characterised neurons of the superior cervical ganglion to show that the growth inhibitory effects of soluble TNFα are restricted to a specific period of late embryonic and early postnatal development. Furthermore, we show that this growth inhibitory effect of soluble TNFα requires NF-κB signalling at all developmental stages at which soluble TNFα inhibits neurite growth. These findings raise the possibility that increases in the amount of soluble TNFα in vivo, for example as a result of maternal inflammation, could negatively affect neurite growth in developing neurons at specific stages of development. Copyright © 2015 International Society of Differentiation. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Parenting and the Development of Effortful Control from Early Childhood to Early Adolescence: A Transactional Developmental Model

PubMed Central

Capaldi, Deborah M.; Kerr, David C. R.; Bertrand, Maria; Pears, Katherine C.; Owen, Lee

2016-01-01

Poor effortful control is a key temperamental factor underlying behavioral problems. The bidirectional association of child effortful control with both positive parenting and negative discipline was examined from ages approximately 3 to 13–14 years, involving 5 time points, and using data from parents and children in the Oregon Youth Study-Three Generational Study (N = 318 children from 150 families). Based on a dynamic developmental systems approach, it was hypothesized that there would be concurrent associations between parenting and child effortful control and bidirectional effects across time from each aspect of parenting to effortful control and from effortful control to each aspect of parenting. It was also hypothesized that associations would be more robust in early childhood, from ages 3 to 7 years, and would diminish as indicated by significantly weaker effects at the older ages, 11–12 to 13–14 years. Longitudinal feedback or mediated effects were also tested. Findings supported (a) stability in each construct over multiple developmental periods; (b) concurrent associations, which were significantly weaker at the older ages; (c) bidirectional effects, consistent with the interpretation that at younger ages children’s effortful control influenced parenting, whereas at older child ages, parenting influenced effortful control; and (d) a transactional effect, such that maternal parenting in late childhood was a mechanism explaining children’s development of effortful control from midchildhood to early adolescence. PMID:27427809

Developmental antecedents of abnormal eating attitudes and behaviors in adolescence.

PubMed

Le Grange, Daniel; O'Connor, Meredith; Hughes, Elizabeth K; Macdonald, Jacqui; Little, Keriann; Olsson, Craig A

2014-11-01

This study capitalizes on developmental data from an Australian population-based birth cohort to identify developmental markers of abnormal eating attitudes and behaviors in adolescence. The aims were twofold: (1) to develop a comprehensive path model identifying infant and childhood developmental correlates of Abnormal Eating Attitudes and Behaviors in adolescence, and (2) to explore potential gender differences. Data were drawn from a 30-year longitudinal study that has followed the health and development of a population based cohort across 15 waves of data collection from infancy since 1983: The Australian Temperament Project. Participants in this analysis were the 1,300 youth who completed the 11th survey at 15-16 years (1998) and who completed the eating disorder inventory at this time point. Developmental correlates of Abnormal Eating Attitudes and Behaviors in mid-adolescence were temperamental persistence, early gestational age, persistent high weight, teen depression, stronger peer relationships, maternal dieting behavior, and pubertal timing. Overall, these factors accounted for 28% of the variance in Abnormal Eating Attitudes and Behaviors at 15-16 years of age. Depressive symptoms, maternal dieting behavior, and early puberty were more important factors for girls. Late puberty was a more important factor for boys. Findings address an important gap in our understanding of the etiology of Abnormal Eating Attitudes and Behaviors in adolescence and suggest multiple targets for preventive intervention. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Trajectories of fathers' psychological distress across the early parenting period: Implications for parenting.

PubMed

Giallo, Rebecca; Cooklin, Amanda; Brown, Stephanie; Christensen, Daniel; Kingston, Dawn; Liu, Cindy H; Wade, Catherine; Nicholson, Jan M

2015-10-01

Fathers' parenting behavior is a likely key mechanism underlying the consistent associations between paternal mental health difficulties and poor emotional-behavioral outcomes for children. This study investigates the association between fathers' mental health trajectories and key parenting behaviors (warmth, hostility, consistency) spanning the first 8-9 years postpartum. Secondary analyses of 5 waves of data from 2,662 fathers participating in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children were conducted. Latent growth class analysis was used to identify distinct trajectories of fathers' distress (Kessler-6; Kessler et al., 2003), and latent growth models estimated parenting warmth, hostility, and consistency. Multiple group analyses were conducted to describe and compare the course of parenting behaviors for fathers assigned to the distress trajectories identified. Two distinct classes of fathers were identified based on the trajectories of distress: minimal distress (92%) and persistent and increasing distress (8%). The latter group reported significantly lower parenting warmth when their children were 8-9 years and lower consistency and higher hostility across all study intervals. The postnatal and early parenting period is a critical time for the development of parenting behaviors that are important for children's development. Engagement and support for fathers around well-being and parenting is vital for promoting optimal family and child developmental outcomes. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Mindfulness and Compassion Training in Adolescence: A Developmental Contemplative Science Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roeser, Robert W.; Pinela, Cristi

2014-01-01

Adolescence is a developmental period of risk, as well as a window of opportunity for cultivating positive development and thriving. It is characterized by simultaneous changes in the brain, body, mind, and social domains that offer a platform for building new skills and habits. This chapter discusses the role that secular forms of mindfulness and…

An Empirical Analysis of the Cascade Secret Key Reconciliation Protocol for Quantum Key Distribution

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-09-01

performance with the parity checks within each pass increasing and as a result, the processing time is expected to increase as well. A conclusion is drawn... timely manner has driven efforts to develop new key distribution methods. The most promising method is Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and is...thank the QKD Project Team for all of the insight and support they provided in such a short time period. Thanks are especially in order for my

The origin of the bird's beak: new insights from dinosaur incubation periods.

PubMed

Yang, Tzu-Ruei; Sander, P Martin

2018-05-01

The toothless beak of modern birds was considered as an adaption for feeding ecology; however, several recent studies suggested that developmental factors are also responsible for the toothless beak. Neontological and palaeontological studies have progressively uncovered how birds evolved toothless beaks and suggested that the multiple occurrences of complete edentulism in non-avian dinosaurs were the result of selection for specialized diets. Although developmental biology and ecological factors are not mutually exclusive, the conventional hypothesis that ecological factors account for the toothless beak appears insufficient. A recent study on dinosaur incubation period using embryonic teeth posited that tooth formation rate limits developmental speed, constraining toothed dinosaur incubation to slow reptilian rates. We suggest that selection for tooth loss was a side effect of selection for fast embryo growth and thus shorter incubation. This observation would also explain the multiple occurrences of tooth loss and beaks in non-avian dinosaur taxa crownward of Tyrannosaurus Whereas our hypothesis is an observation without any experimental supports, more studies of gene regulation of tooth formation in embryos would allow testing for the trade-off between incubation period and tooth development. © 2018 The Author(s).

Taurine protects methamphetamine-induced developmental angiogenesis defect through antioxidant mechanism

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shao, Xue; Hu, Zhengtao; Hu, Chunyan

Investigations have characterized addictive drug-induced developmental cardiovascular malformation in human, non-human primate and rodent. However, the underlying mechanism of malformation caused by drugs during pregnancy is still largely unknown, and preventive and therapeutic measures have been lacking. Using {sup 1}H NMR spectroscopy, we profiled the metabolites from human embryo endothelial cells exposed to methamphetamine (METH) and quantified a total of 226 peaks. We identified 11 metabolites modified robustly and found that taurine markedly increased. We then validated the hypothesis that this dramatic increase in taurine could attribute to its effect in inhibiting METH-induced developmental angiogenesis defect. Taurine supplement showed amore » more significant potential than other metabolites in protecting against METH-induced injury in endothelial cells. Taurine strongly attenuated METH-induced inhibition of proliferation and migration in endothelial cells. Furthermore, death rate and vessel abnormality of zebrafish embryos treated with METH were greatly reversed by taurine. In addition, taurine supplement caused a rapid decrease in reactive oxygen species generation and strongly attenuated the excitable arise of antioxidase activities in the beginning of METH exposure prophase. Dysregulations of NF-κB, p-ERK as well as Bax, which reflect apoptosis, cell cycle arrest and oxidative stress in vascular endothelium, were blocked by taurine. Our results provide the first evidence that taurine prevents METH-caused developmental angiogenesis defect through antioxidant mechanism. Taurine could serve as a potential therapeutic or preventive intervention of developmental vascular malformation for the pregnant women with drug use. Highlights: ► Metabonomics findings. ► Abnormal development. ► Dysregulations of key proteins.« less

Common pediatric head and neck congenital/developmental anomalies.

PubMed

LaPlante, Justin K; Pierson, Nicholas S; Hedlund, Gary L

2015-01-01

Pediatric head and neck neuroradiology is a broad and complex topic. This article focuses on several of the common and sometimes challenging pediatric head and neck congenital/developmental anomalies physicians may encounter in clinical practice. Although some diagnoses may be evident on physical examination, others may present a diagnostic dilemma. Patients may initially present with a variety of secondary findings. Imaging serves an important role in making a diagnosis, guiding referral, and in some cases even providing treatment options through interventional radiology. Key diagnostic criteria and critical points of interest for each diagnosis are presented. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Determining Developmental Education Effectiveness in Math

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

May, Joseph E.

2017-01-01

One of the most problematic issues facing community colleges is developmental education. In the last decade, more research has been conducted examining developmental education. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of developmental math in a rural community college setting. Is developmental math an effective intervention?…

An Interpretation of Part of Gilbert Gottlieb's Legacy: Developmental Systems Theory Contra Developmental Behavior Genetics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Molenaar, Peter C. M.

2015-01-01

The main theme of this paper concerns the persistent critique of Gilbert Gottlieb on developmental behavior genetics and my reactions to this critique, the latter changing from rejection to complete acceptation. Concise characterizations of developmental behavior genetics, developmental systems theory (to which Gottlieb made essential…

Developmental cognitive genetics: How psychology can inform genetics and vice versa

PubMed Central

Bishop, Dorothy V. M.

2006-01-01

Developmental neuropsychology is concerned with uncovering the underlying basis of developmental disorders such as specific language impairment (SLI), developmental dyslexia, and autistic disorder. Twin and family studies indicate that genetic influences play an important part in the aetiology of all of these disorders, yet progress in identifying genes has been slow. One way forward is to cut loose from conventional clinical criteria for diagnosing disorders and to focus instead on measures of underlying cognitive mechanisms. Psychology can inform genetics by clarifying what the key dimensions are for heritable phenotypes. However, it is not a one-way street. By using genetically informative designs, one can gain insights about causal relationships between different cognitive deficits. For instance, it has been suggested that low-level auditory deficits cause phonological problems in SLI. However, a twin study showed that, although both types of deficit occur in SLI, they have quite different origins, with environmental factors more important for auditory deficit, and genes more important for deficient phonological short-term memory. Another study found that morphosyntactic deficits in SLI are also highly heritable, but have different genetic origins from impairments of phonological short-term memory. A genetic perspective shows that a search for the underlying cause of developmental disorders may be misguided, because they are complex and heterogeneous and are associated with multiple risk factors that only cause serious disability when they occur in combination. PMID:16769616

Assessing Adolescents’ Attachment Hierarchies: Differences Across Developmental Periods and Associations With Individual Adaptation

PubMed Central

Rosenthal, Natalie L.; Kobak, Roger

2012-01-01

Adolescents’ attachment hierarchies were assessed in a sample of 212 high school and 198 college students. The Important People Interview (IPI) differentiated attachment bonds from other supportive or affiliative relationships and indicated that adolescents show a hierarchical ordering of preferences for multiple attachment figures. Differences in the composition and structure of adolescents’ attachment hierarchies were found between the early high school (9th and 10th grades), later high school (11th and 12th grades), and college samples. In the college sample, romantic partners were placed in higher positions in adolescents’ hierarchies, fathers were placed in lower positions, and the structure of adolescents’ hierarchies were less differentiated than in the high school samples. Individual differences in the composition of adolescents’ hierarchies were associated with adjustment outcomes. Friends’ placement in higher positions and fathers’ exclusion from or placement in quaternary positions was associated with increased behavior problems. Findings demonstrate that the IPI provides a measure of adolescents’ attachment hierarchies that is sensitive to developmental stage and individual differences. PMID:22545000

Developmental histories of perceived racial discrimination and diurnal cortisol profiles in adulthood: A 20-year prospective study

PubMed Central

Adam, Emma K.; Heissel, Jennifer A.; Zeiders, Katharine H.; Richeson, Jennifer A.; Ross, Emily C.; Ehrlich, Katherine B.; Levy, Dorainne J.; Kemeny, Margaret; Brodish, Amanda B.; Malanchuk, Oksana; Peck, Stephen C.; Fuller-Rowell, Thomas E.; Eccles, Jacquelynne S.

2015-01-01

Perceived racial discrimination (PRD) has been associated with altered diurnal cortisol rhythms in past cross-sectional research. We investigate whether developmental histories of PRD, assessed prospectively, are associated with adult diurnal cortisol profiles. One-hundred and twelve (N = 50 Black, N = 62 White) adults from the Maryland Adolescent Development in Context Study provided saliva samples in adulthood (at approximately age 32 years) at waking, 30 min after waking, and at bedtime for 7 days. Diurnal cortisol measures were calculated, including waking cortisol levels, diurnal cortisol slopes, the cortisol awakening response (CAR), and average daily cortisol (AUC). These cortisol outcomes were predicted from measures of PRD obtained over a 20-year period beginning when individuals were in 7th grade (approximately age 12). Greater average PRD measured across the 20-year period predicted flatter adult diurnal cortisol slopes for both Black and White adults, and a lower CAR. Greater average PRD also predicted lower waking cortisol for Black, but not White adults. PRD experiences in adolescence accounted for many of these effects. When adolescent and young adult PRD are entered together predicting cortisol outcomes, PRD experiences in adolescence (but not young adulthood) significantly predicted flatter diurnal cortisol slopes for both Black and White adults. Adolescent, but not young adult PRD, also significantly predicted lower waking and lower average cortisol for Black adults. Young adult PRD was, however, a stronger predictor of the CAR, predicting a marginally lower CAR for Whites, and a significantly larger CAR for Blacks. Effects were robust to controlling for covariates including health behaviors, depression, income and parent education levels. PRD experiences interacted with parent education and income to predict aspects of the diurnal cortisol rhythm. Although these results suggest PRD influences on cortisol for both Blacks and Whites, the key

Developmental status and home environment among children born to immigrant women married to Taiwanese men.

PubMed

Chen, Chwen-Jen; Hsu, Chiung-Wen; Chu, Yu-Roo; Han, Kuo-Chiang; Chien, Li-Yin

2012-04-01

The aims of this cross-sectional study were to examine (a) the developmental status and home environments of children (6-24 months) of immigrant women married to Taiwanese men, and (b) the association of child developmental status with parental socio-demographics, maternal language abilities, and home environment qualities. Participants were 61 children and their mothers from China and Vietnam. Data were collected with interviews, home observations, and developmental testing. The children had lower cognitive and language but higher motor and social development scores compared with native norms. Home environment and maternal perceived language ability were positively associated with child development. The association of home environment and maternal language ability with early childhood development was supported for immigrant populations in Taiwan. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Changes in the Population of Persons with Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders in California's Developmental Services System: 1987 through 1998. A Report to the Legislature, March 1, 1999.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California State Dept. of Developmental Services, Sacramento.

This report discusses the results of an analysis of demographic and Client Development Evaluation Record data compiled at each of the 21 regional centers in California serving individuals with autism and pervasive developmental disorders. Data covering a period of 11 years, beginning in January 1987 and continuing through December 1998, show that…

Attentional networks in developmental dyscalculia

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Very little is known about attention deficits in developmental dyscalculia, hence, this study was designed to provide the missing information. We examined attention abilities of participants suffering from developmental dyscalculia using the attention networks test - interactions. This test was designed to examine three different attention networks--executive function, orienting and alerting--and the interactions between them. Methods Fourteen university students that were diagnosed as suffering from developmental dyscalculia--intelligence and reading abilities in the normal range and no indication of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder--and 14 matched controls were tested using the attention networks test - interactions. All participants were given preliminary tests to measure mathematical abilities, reading, attention and intelligence. Results The results revealed deficits in the alerting network--a larger alerting effect--and in the executive function networks--a larger congruity effect in developmental dyscalculia participants. The interaction between the alerting and executive function networks was also modulated by group. In addition, developmental dyscalculia participants were slower to respond in the non-cued conditions. Conclusions These results imply specific attentional deficits in pure developmental dyscalculia. Namely, those with developmental dyscalculia seem to be deficient in the executive function and alertness networks. They suffer from difficulty in recruiting attention, in addition to the deficits in numerical processing. PMID:20157427

Attentional networks in developmental dyscalculia.

PubMed

Askenazi, Sarit; Henik, Avishai

2010-01-07

Very little is known about attention deficits in developmental dyscalculia, hence, this study was designed to provide the missing information. We examined attention abilities of participants suffering from developmental dyscalculia using the attention networks test - interactions. This test was designed to examine three different attention networks--executive function, orienting and alerting--and the interactions between them. Fourteen university students that were diagnosed as suffering from developmental dyscalculia--intelligence and reading abilities in the normal range and no indication of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder--and 14 matched controls were tested using the attention networks test-interactions. All participants were given preliminary tests to measure mathematical abilities, reading, attention and intelligence. The results revealed deficits in the alerting network--a larger alerting effect--and in the executive function networks--a larger congruity effect in developmental dyscalculia participants. The interaction between the alerting and executive function networks was also modulated by group. In addition, developmental dyscalculia participants were slower to respond in the non-cued conditions. These results imply specific attentional deficits in pure developmental dyscalculia. Namely, those with developmental dyscalculia seem to be deficient in the executive function and alertness networks. They suffer from difficulty in recruiting attention, in addition to the deficits in numerical processing.

Casualties of Childhood: A Developmental Perspective on Sexual Abuse Using Projective Drawings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaufman, Bobbie; Wohl, Agnes

Recognizing the compelling language of imagery available in the drawings of children who have been sexually abused, this book focuses on the link between sexual abuse during the latency period and specific developmental problems. Chapter 1, "Paradigms of Trauma and Sexual Abuse," presents sexual abuse as an external event associated with…

A multidisciplinary treatment for encopresis in children with developmental disabilities.

PubMed

Call, Nathan A; Mevers, Joanna Lomas; McElhanon, Barbara O; Scheithauer, Mindy C

2017-04-01

Achieving continence of one's bowel movements is a key step in development and failure to do so leads to many negative consequences. Treatments for encopresis appearing in the literature have employed behavioral strategies; medications such as suppositories, laxatives, or enemas; and in some studies a combination of these approaches. To date, attempts to extend successful treatments for encopresis in typically developing children to those with developmental disabilities have been limited. The current study included three participants diagnosed with developmental disabilities who had a history of encopresis. None of the participants had a continent bowel movement under baseline conditions. Continent bowel movements increased during treatment that included the addition of suppositories to elicit continent bowel movements. Two participants began having independent continent bowel movements (i.e., without requiring suppositories) and medication was successfully faded out for the remaining participant. Treatment took between 13 and 21 days. © 2017 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Developmental pathways to autism: A review of prospective studies of infants at risk☆

PubMed Central

Jones, Emily J.H.; Gliga, Teodora; Bedford, Rachael; Charman, Tony; Johnson, Mark H.

2014-01-01

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by impairments in social interaction and communication, and the presence of restrictive and repetitive behaviors. Symptoms of ASD likely emerge from a complex interaction between pre-existing neurodevelopmental vulnerabilities and the child's environment, modified by compensatory skills and protective factors. Prospective studies of infants at high familial risk for ASD (who have an older sibling with a diagnosis) are beginning to characterize these developmental pathways to the emergence of clinical symptoms. Here, we review the range of behavioral and neurocognitive markers for later ASD that have been identified in high-risk infants in the first years of life. We discuss theoretical implications of emerging patterns, and identify key directions for future work, including potential resolutions to several methodological challenges for the field. Mapping how ASD unfolds from birth is critical to our understanding of the developmental mechanisms underlying this disorder. A more nuanced understanding of developmental pathways to ASD will help us not only to identify children who need early intervention, but also to improve the range of interventions available to them. PMID:24361967

Gender considerations in ventilatory and metabolic development in rats: special emphasis on the critical period

PubMed Central

LIU, QIULI; WONG-RILEY, MARGARET T.T

2013-01-01

In rats, a critical period exists around postnatal day (P) 12-13, when an imbalance between heightened inhibition and suppressed excitation led to a weakened ventilatory and metabolic response to acute hypoxia. An open question was whether the two genders follow the same or different developmental trends throughout the first 3 postnatal weeks and whether the critical period exists in one or both genders. The present large-scale, in-depth ventilatory and metabolic study was undertaken to address this question. Our data indicated that: 1) the ventilatory and metabolic rates in both normoxia and acute hypoxia were comparable between the two genders from P0 to P21; thus, gender was never significant as a main effect; and 2) the age effect was highly significant in all parameters studies for both genders, and both genders exhibited a significantly weakened response to acute hypoxia during the critical period. Thus, the two genders have comparable developmental trends, and the critical period exists in both genders in rats. PMID:23797186

Developmental instability of gynodioecious Teucrium lusitanicum

USGS Publications Warehouse

Alados, C.L.; Navarro, T.; Cabezudo, B.; Emlen, J.M.; Freeman, C.

1998-01-01

Developmental instability was assessed in two geographical races of Teucrium lusitanicum using morphometric measures of vegetative and reproductive structures. T. lusitanicum is a gynodioecious species. Male sterile (female) individuals showed greater developmental instability at all sites. Plants located inland had higher developmental instability of vegetative characters and lower developmental instability of reproductive characters than coastal plants. These results support the contentions that (1) developmental instability is affected more by the disruption of co-adapted gene complexes than by lower heterozygosity, and (2) different habitat characteristics result in the differential response of vegetative and reproductive structures.

Modeling Developmental Language Difficulties from School Entry into Adulthood: Literacy, Mental Health, and Employment Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Law, James; Rush, Robert; Schoon, Ingrid; Parsons, Samantha

2009-01-01

Purpose: Understanding the long-term outcomes of developmental language difficulties is key to knowing what significance to attach to them. To date, most prognostic studies have tended to be clinical rather than population-based, which necessarily affects the interpretation. This study sought to address this issue using data from a U.K. birth…

Does Attention Constrain Developmental Trajectories in Fragile X Syndrome? A 3-Year Prospective Longitudinal Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cornish, Kim; Cole, Victoria; Longhi, Elena; Karmiloff-Smith, Annette; Scerif, Gaia

2012-01-01

Basic attentional processes and their impact on developmental trajectories in fragile X syndrome were assessed in a 3-year prospective study. Although fragile X syndrome is a monogenic X-linked disorder, there is striking variability in outcomes even in young boys with the condition. Attention is a key factor constraining interactions with the…

Developmental trajectories of work values and job entitlement beliefs in the transition to adulthood.

PubMed

Chow, Angela; Krahn, Harvey J; Galambos, Nancy L

2014-04-01

Employing a life span developmental systems perspective, this study used a 5-wave (1985-1992) Canadian longitudinal data set (N = 404) to examine trajectories of intrinsic and extrinsic work values and job entitlement beliefs from age 18 to 25. Piecewise growth models (Slope 1: age 18-20; Slope 2: age 20-25) showed intriguing patterns of change. Unconditional and conditional models suggested downward trends in all 3 measures from age 18 to 20. After age 20, the 2 work values reversed direction. Competing scarcity and value reinforcement hypotheses guided the analysis of change in work values and job entitlement beliefs conditional on unemployment experiences and postsecondary education pathways. Supporting a scarcity hypothesis, more unemployment from age 18 to 20 was associated with a faster increase in intrinsic and extrinsic work values, and a slower decrease in job entitlement beliefs from age 20 to 25. In line with a value reinforcement hypothesis, more unemployment from age 20 to 25 was associated with a slower concurrent increase in intrinsic work values. A postsecondary selection effect was observed; individuals who eventually obtained a university degree had higher intrinsic work values and job entitlement beliefs at age 18. Also congruent with a scarcity hypothesis, young adults with only a high school education experienced a significantly faster increase in extrinsic work values from age 20 to 25. This study highlights the transition to adulthood as a key developmental period for change in work values and beliefs. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

29 CFR 1952.101 - Developmental schedule.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... (CONTINUED) APPROVED STATE PLANS FOR ENFORCEMENT OF STATE STANDARDS Oregon § 1952.101 Developmental schedule. The Oregon plan is developmental. The schedule of developmental steps as described in the plan is...

29 CFR 1952.101 - Developmental schedule.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... (CONTINUED) APPROVED STATE PLANS FOR ENFORCEMENT OF STATE STANDARDS Oregon § 1952.101 Developmental schedule. The Oregon plan is developmental. The schedule of developmental steps as described in the plan is...

Influence of Conduct Problems and Depressive Symptomatology on Adolescent Substance Use: Developmentally Proximal versus Distal Effects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maslowsky, Julie; Schulenberg, John E.; Zucker, Robert A.

2014-01-01

The identification of developmentally specific windows at which key predictors of adolescent substance use are most influential is a crucial task for informing the design of appropriately targeted substance use prevention and intervention programs. The current study examined effects of conduct problems and depressive symptomatology on changes in…

Developmental Markers of Genetic Liability to Autism in Parents: A Longitudinal, Multigenerational Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Losh, Molly; Martin, Gary E.; Lee, Michelle; Klusek, Jessica; Sideris, John; Barron, Sheila; Wassink, Thomas

2017-01-01

Genetic liability to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be expressed in unaffected relatives through subclinical, genetically meaningful traits, or endophenotypes. This study aimed to identify developmental endophenotypes in parents of individuals with ASD by examining parents' childhood academic development over the school-age period. A cohort of…

Rapamycin treatment causes developmental delay, pigmentation defects, and gastrointestinal malformation on Xenopus embryogenesis.

PubMed

Moriyama, Yuki; Ohata, Yoshihisa; Mori, Shoko; Matsukawa, Shinya; Michiue, Tatsuo; Asashima, Makoto; Kuroda, Hiroki

2011-01-28

Rapamycin is a drug working as an inhibitor of the TOR (target of rapamycin) signaling pathway and influences various life phenomena such as cell growth, proliferation, and life span extension in eukaryote. However, the extent to which rapamycin controls early developmental events of amphibians remains to be understood. Here we report an examination of rapamycin effects during Xenopus early development, followed by a confirmation of suppression of TOR downstream kinase S6K by rapamycin treatment. First, we found that developmental speed was declined in dose-dependent manner of rapamycin. Second, black pigment spots located at dorsal and lateral skin in tadpoles were reduced by rapamycin treatment. Moreover, in tadpole stages severe gastrointestinal malformations were observed in rapamycin-treated embryos. Taken together with these results, we conclude that treatment of the drug rapamycin causes enormous influences on early developmental period. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Lifespan Development of Neuromodulation of Adaptive Control and Motivation as an Ontogenetic Mechanism for Developmental Niche Construction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Shu-Chen

2013-01-01

Instead of viewing organisms and individuals as passive recipients of their biological, ecological, and cultural inheritances, the developmental niche construction theory and the biocultural co-construction framework both emphasize that the individual's agency plays a key role in regulating how environmental and sociocontextual influences may…

Developmental Programming: State-of-the-Science and Future Directions

PubMed Central

Sutton, Elizabeth F.; Gilmore, L. Anne; Dunger, David B.; Heijmans, Bas T.; Hivert, Marie-France; Ling, Charlotte; Martinez, J. Alfredo; Ozanne, Susan E.; Simmons, Rebecca A.; Szyf, Moshe; Waterland, Robert A.; Redman, Leanne M.; Ravussin, Eric

2016-01-01

Objective On December 8–9, 2014, the Pennington Biomedical Research Center convened a scientific symposium to review the state-of-the-science and future directions for the study of developmental programming of obesity and chronic disease. The objectives of the symposium were to discuss: (i) past and current scientific advances in animal models, population-based cohort studies and human clinical trials, (ii) the state-of-the-science of epigenetic-based research, and (iii) considerations for future studies. Results The overarching goal was to provide a comprehensive assessment of the state of the scientific field, to identify research gaps and opportunities for future research in order to identify and understand the mechanisms contributing to the developmental programming of health and disease. Conclusions Identifying the mechanisms which cause or contribute to developmental programming of future generations will be invaluable to the scientific and medical community. The ability to intervene during critical periods of prenatal and early postnatal life to promote lifelong health is the ultimate goal. Considerations for future research including the use of animal models, the study design in human cohorts with considerations about the timing of the intrauterine exposure and the resulting tissue specific epigenetic signature were extensively discussed and are presented in this meeting summary. PMID:27037645

Examining the social determinants of children's developmental health: protocol for building a pan-Canadian population-based monitoring system for early childhood development.

PubMed

Guhn, Martin; Janus, Magdalena; Enns, Jennifer; Brownell, Marni; Forer, Barry; Duku, Eric; Muhajarine, Nazeem; Raos, Rob

2016-04-29

Early childhood is a key period to establish policies and practices that optimise children's health and development, but Canada lacks nationally representative data on social indicators of children's well-being. To address this gap, the Early Development Instrument (EDI), a teacher-administered questionnaire completed for kindergarten-age children, has been implemented across most Canadian provinces over the past 10 years. The purpose of this protocol is to describe the Canadian Neighbourhoods and Early Child Development (CanNECD) Study, the aims of which are to create a pan-Canadian EDI database to monitor trends over time in children's developmental health and to advance research examining the social determinants of health. Canada-wide EDI records from 2004 to 2014 (representing over 700,000 children) will be linked to Canada Census and Income Taxfiler data. Variables of socioeconomic status derived from these databases will be used to predict neighbourhood-level EDI vulnerability rates by conducting a series of regression analyses and latent variable models at provincial/territorial and national levels. Where data are available, we will measure the neighbourhood-level change in developmental vulnerability rates over time and model the socioeconomic factors associated with those trends. Ethics approval for this study was granted by the Behavioural Research Ethics Board at the University of British Columbia. Study findings will be disseminated to key partners, including provincial and federal ministries, schools and school districts, collaborative community groups and the early childhood development research community. The database created as part of this longitudinal population-level monitoring system will allow researchers to associate practices, programmes and policies at school and community levels with trends in developmental health outcomes. The CanNECD Study will guide future early childhood development action and policies, using the database as a tool

Deep Processing Strategies and Critical Thinking: Developmental Trajectories Using Latent Growth Analyses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phan, Huy P.

2011-01-01

The author explored the developmental courses of deep learning approach and critical thinking over a 2-year period. Latent growth curve modeling (LGM) procedures were used to test and trace the trajectories of both theoretical frameworks over time. Participants were 264 (119 women, 145 men) university undergraduates. The Deep Learning subscale of…

Hemispheric, Attentional, and Processing Speed Factors in the Treatment of Developmental Dyslexia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lorusso, Maria Luisa; Facoetti, Andrea; Molteni, Massimo

2004-01-01

Aim of the study is to analyze the contributions of hemispheric, attentional, and processing speed factors to the effects of neuropsychological treatment of developmental dyslexia. Four groups of dyslexic children (M-type dyslexia) were treated over a period of four months. A first group (n=9) underwent Bakker's Hemisphere-Specific Stimulation,…

Social Influence on Positive Youth Development: A Developmental Neuroscience Perspective.

PubMed

Telzer, Eva H; van Hoorn, Jorien; Rogers, Christina R; Do, Kathy T

2018-01-01

Susceptibility to social influence is associated with a host of negative outcomes during adolescence. However, emerging evidence implicates the role of peers and parents in adolescents' positive and adaptive adjustment. Hence, in this chapter we highlight social influence as an opportunity for promoting social adjustment, which can redirect negative trajectories and help adolescents thrive. We discuss influential models about the processes underlying social influence, with a particular emphasis on internalizing social norms, embedded in social learning and social identity theory. We link this behavioral work to developmental social neuroscience research, rooted in neurobiological models of decision making and social cognition. Work from this perspective suggests that the adolescent brain is highly malleable and particularly oriented toward the social world, which may account for heightened susceptibility to social influences during this developmental period. This chapter underscores the need to leverage social influences during adolescence, even beyond the family and peer context, to promote positive developmental outcomes. By further probing the underlying neural mechanisms as an additional layer to examining social influence on positive youth development, we will be able to gain traction on our understanding of this complex phenomenon. © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Structural brain imaging correlates of ASD and ADHD across the lifespan: a hypothesis-generating review on developmental ASD-ADHD subtypes.

PubMed

Rommelse, Nanda; Buitelaar, Jan K; Hartman, Catharina A

2017-02-01

We hypothesize that it is plausible that biologically distinct developmental ASD-ADHD subtypes are present, each characterized by a distinct time of onset of symptoms, progression and combination of symptoms. The aim of the present narrative review was to explore if structural brain imaging studies may shed light on key brain areas that are linked to both ASD and ADHD symptoms and undergo significant changes during development. These findings may possibly pinpoint to brain mechanisms underlying differential developmental ASD-ADHD subtypes. To this end we brought together the literature on ASD and ADHD structural brain imaging symptoms and particularly highlight the adolescent years and beyond. Findings indicate that the vast majority of existing MRI studies has been cross-sectional and conducted in children, and sometimes did include adolescents as well, but without explicitly documenting on this age group. MRI studies documenting on age effects in adults with ASD and/or ADHD are rare, and if age is taken into account, only linear effects are examined. Data from various studies suggest that a crucial distinctive feature underlying different developmental ASD-ADHD subtypes may be the differential developmental thinning patterns of the anterior cingulate cortex and related connections towards other prefrontal regions. These regions are crucial for the development of cognitive/effortful control and socio-emotional functioning, with impairments in these features as key to both ASD and ADHD.

The Residency as a Developmental Process.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brent, David A.

1981-01-01

The residency is examined from the standpoint of adult developmental theory, and significant developmental tasks facing residents are described. Recommendations for management of common developmental conflicts occurring in residency are discussed. (Author/MLW)

Temporal variation and interaction between nutritional and developmental instability in prehistoric Japanese populations.

PubMed

Hoover, Kara C; Matsumura, Hirofumi

2008-12-01

We examined nutritional and developmental instability in prehistoric Japan, using data from 49 individuals across 13 archaeological sites. Hypoplasia incidence was used as a measure of nutritional stress, and fluctuating asymmetry (of upper facial breath, orbital breadth, and orbital height) as an indirect assessment of developmental instability. Abundant resources due to a stable climate during the Middle Jomon (5,000-3,000 BP) encouraged population growth, which led to regional cultural homogeneity and complexity. A population crash on Honshu in the Late/Final Jomon (roughly 4,000-2,000 BP) led to regionally divergent subsistence economies and settlement patterns. We find that the nutritional stress was consistent between periods, but developmental instability (DI) decreased in the Late/Final Jomon. While the DI values were not statistically significant, the higher values for Middle Jomon may result from sedentism, social stratification, and differential access to resources. On Hokkaido, Jomon culture persisted until the Okhotsk period (1,000-600 BP), marked by the arrival of immigrants from Sakhalin. Nutritional stress was consistent between Middle and Late/Final Jomon, but DI increased in the Late/Final. Nutritional and developmental instability decreased from Late/Final to Okhotsk, suggesting a positive immigrant effect. We expected to find an association between stress markers due to the synergistic relationship between nutrition and pathology. The data support this hypothesis, but only one finding was statistically significant. While high critical values from small sample sizes place limits on the significance of our results, we find that the impact of environmental and cultural change to prehistoric Japanese populations was minimal. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Effects of postnatal ethanol exposure at different developmental phases on neurotrophic factors and phosphorylated proteins on signal transductions in rat brain.

PubMed

Tsuji, Ryozo; Fattori, Vittorio; Abe, Shin-ichi; Costa, Lucio G; Kobayashi, Kumiko

2008-01-01

Exposure to ethanol during development induces severe brain damage resulting in a number of CNS dysfunctions including microencephaly and mental retardation in humans and in laboratory animals. The most vulnerable period to ethanol neurotoxicity coincides with the peak of brain growth spurt. Recently, neurotrophic factors and/or their signal transduction pathways have been reported as a potential relevant target for the developmental neurotoxicity of ethanol. The present studies were designed to investigate the effects of ethanol given in various developmental phases during the brain growth spurt in rats. Rat pups were assigned to the three treatment groups and treated with 5 g/kg of ethanol for three days, on postnatal days (PND) 2-4, 6-8 or 13-15. Whole brain weights were reduced only in the PND 6-8 group concurrently with the reduction of GDNF mRNA in cortex in this group. BDNF mRNA expression was reduced in both the PND 6-8 and 13-15 groups, while mRNA expressions of NT-3 and NGF were unchanged in all three groups. Phospho-Akt level was mostly reduced in the PND 6-8 group. Both phospho-MAPK and p-70S6 kinase levels were decreased in all groups whereas no changes were observed in either phospho-PKCzeta or CREB level. The phosphorylation of Akt was immediately inhibited after single administration of ethanol, and its inhibition was correlated with variations in blood ethanol concentration. These findings suggest that GDNF and the phosphorylation of Akt play a possible key role in the ethanol-induced developmental neurotoxicity.

Developmental Origins of Chronic Kidney Disease: Should We Focus on Early Life?

PubMed Central

Tain, You-Lin; Hsu, Chien-Ning

2017-01-01

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is becoming a global burden, despite recent advances in management. CKD can begin in early life by so-called “developmental programming” or “developmental origins of health and disease” (DOHaD). Early-life insults cause structural and functional changes in the developing kidney, which is called renal programming. Epidemiological and experimental evidence supports the proposition that early-life adverse events lead to renal programming and make subjects vulnerable to developing CKD and its comorbidities in later life. In addition to low nephron endowment, several mechanisms have been proposed for renal programming. The DOHaD concept opens a new window to offset the programming process in early life to prevent the development of adult kidney disease, namely reprogramming. Here, we review the key themes on the developmental origins of CKD. We have particularly focused on the following areas: evidence from human studies support fetal programming of kidney disease; insight from animal models of renal programming; hypothetical mechanisms of renal programming; alterations of renal transcriptome in response to early-life insults; and the application of reprogramming interventions to prevent the programming of kidney disease. PMID:28208659

Exploring ownership in a developmental context.

PubMed

Noles, Nicholaus S; Keil, Frank C

2011-01-01

Ownership and economic behaviors are highly salient elements of the human social landscape. Indeed, the human world is literally constructed of property. Individuals perceive and manipulate a complex web of people and property that is largely invisible and abstract. In this chapter, the authors focus on drawing together information from a variety of disciplines, including legal theory, philosophy, psychology, and economics, to begin creating a coherent picture of the cognitive architecture that underlies ownership concepts. In doing so, the authors review theories of ownership and discuss recent research that highlights the unique contributions garnered by studying ownership in a developmental context. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company.

Reproductive Consequences of Developmental Phytoestrogen Exposure

PubMed Central

Jefferson, Wendy N.; Patisaul, Heather B.; Williams, Carmen J.

2012-01-01

Phytoestrogens, estrogenic compounds derived from plants, are ubiquitous in human and animal diets. These chemicals are generally much less potent than estradiol but act via similar mechanisms. The most common source of phytoestrogen exposure to humans is soybean-derived foods that are rich in the isoflavones genistein and daidzein. These isoflavones are also found at relatively high levels in soy-based infant formulas. Phytoestrogens have been promoted as healthy alternatives to synthetic estrogens and are found in many dietary supplements. The aim of this review is to examine the evidence that phytoestrogen exposure, particularly in developmentally sensitive periods of life, has consequences for future reproductive health. PMID:22223686

Neuron class-specific requirements for Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein in critical period development of calcium signaling in learning and memory circuitry.

PubMed

Doll, Caleb A; Broadie, Kendal

2016-05-01

Neural circuit optimization occurs through sensory activity-dependent mechanisms that refine synaptic connectivity and information processing during early-use developmental critical periods. Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein (FMRP), the gene product lost in Fragile X syndrome (FXS), acts as an activity sensor during critical period development, both as an RNA-binding translation regulator and channel-binding excitability regulator. Here, we employ a Drosophila FXS disease model to assay calcium signaling dynamics with a targeted transgenic GCaMP reporter during critical period development of the mushroom body (MB) learning/memory circuit. We find FMRP regulates depolarization-induced calcium signaling in a neuron-specific manner within this circuit, suppressing activity-dependent calcium transients in excitatory cholinergic MB input projection neurons and enhancing calcium signals in inhibitory GABAergic MB output neurons. Both changes are restricted to the developmental critical period and rectified at maturity. Importantly, conditional genetic (dfmr1) rescue of null mutants during the critical period corrects calcium signaling defects in both neuron classes, indicating a temporally restricted FMRP requirement. Likewise, conditional dfmr1 knockdown (RNAi) during the critical period replicates constitutive null mutant defects in both neuron classes, confirming cell-autonomous requirements for FMRP in developmental regulation of calcium signaling dynamics. Optogenetic stimulation during the critical period enhances depolarization-induced calcium signaling in both neuron classes, but this developmental change is eliminated in dfmr1 null mutants, indicating the activity-dependent regulation requires FMRP. These results show FMRP shapes neuron class-specific calcium signaling in excitatory vs. inhibitory neurons in developing learning/memory circuitry, and that FMRP mediates activity-dependent regulation of calcium signaling specifically during the early

Developmental aspects of a life course approach to healthy ageing.

PubMed

Hanson, M A; Cooper, C; Aihie Sayer, A; Eendebak, R J; Clough, G F; Beard, J R

2016-04-15

We examine the mechanistic basis and wider implications of adopting a developmental perspective on human ageing. Previous models of ageing have concentrated on its genetic basis, or the detrimental effects of accumulated damage, but also have raised issues about whether ageing can be viewed as adaptive itself, or is a consequence of other adaptive processes, for example if maintenance and repair processes in the period up to reproduction are traded off against later decline in function. A life course model places ageing in the context of the attainment of peak capacity for a body system, starting in early development when plasticity permits changes in structure and function induced by a range of environmental stimuli, followed by a period of decline, the rate of which depends on the peak attained as well as the later life conditions. Such path dependency in the rate of ageing may offer new insights into its modification. Focusing on musculoskeletal and cardiovascular function, we discuss this model and the possible underlying mechanisms, including endothelial function, oxidative stress, stem cells and nutritional factors such as vitamin D status. Epigenetic changes induced during developmental plasticity, and immune function may provide a common mechanistic process underlying a life course model of ageing. The life course trajectory differs in high and low resource settings. New insights into the developmental components of the life course model of ageing may lead to the design of biomarkers of later chronic disease risk and to new interventions to promote healthy ageing, with important implications for public health. © 2015 The Authors. The Journal of Physiology © 2015 The Physiological Society.

Communication-Based Assessment of Developmental Age for Young Children with Developmental Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeVeney, Shari L.; Hoffman, Lesa; Cress, Cynthia J.

2012-01-01

Purpose: In this study, the authors compared a multiple-domain strategy for assessing developmental age of young children with developmental disabilities who were at risk for long-term reliance on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) with a communication-based strategy composed of receptive language and communication indices that may…

ADAPTIPS: Adapting Curricula for Students Who Are Deaf-Blind and Who Function in the Sensorimotor Developmental Stage.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodrich, Judy A.; Kinney, Patricia G.

Intended to assist teachers as they assess, plan for, and teach deaf blind students, this manual describes a process for adapting curricula for students who function within the 0-24 month developmental period, also known as the sensorimotor period. The manual's first section provides an overview of project activities including the literature…

Developmental Care Rounds: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Support Developmentally Appropriate Care of Infants Born with Complex Congenital Heart Disease.

PubMed

Lisanti, Amy Jo; Cribben, Jeanne; Connock, Erin McManus; Lessen, Rachelle; Medoff-Cooper, Barbara

2016-03-01

Newborn infants with complex congenital heart disease are at risk for developmental delay. Developmental care practices benefit prematurely born infants in neonatal intensive care units. Cardiac intensive care units until recently had not integrated developmental care practices into their care framework. Interdisciplinary developmental care rounds in our center have helped in the promotion of developmentally supportive care for infants before and after cardiac surgery. This article discusses basic principles of developmental care, the role of each member of the interdisciplinary team on rounds, common developmental care practices integrated into care from rounds, and impacts to patients, families, and staff. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Impact of Short-Term Video Games on Performance among Children with Developmental Delays: A Randomized Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Hsieh, Ru-Lan; Lee, Wen-Chung; Lin, Jui-Hsiang

2016-01-01

This prospective, randomized controlled study investigated the effects of short-term interactive video game playing among children with developmental delays participating in traditional rehabilitation treatment at a rehabilitation clinic. One hundred and one boys and 46 girls with a mean age of 5.8 years (range: 3 to 12 years) were enrolled in this study. All patients were confirmed to suffer from developmental delays, and were participating in traditional rehabilitation treatment. Children participated in two periods of 4 weeks each, group A being offered intervention of eight 30-minute sessions of interactive video games in the first period, and group B in the second, in addition to the traditional rehabilitation treatment. The physical, psychosocial, and total health of the children was periodically assessed using the parent-reported Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory-Generic Core Scales (PedsQL); and the children’s upper extremity and physical function, transfer and basic mobility, sports and physical functioning, and global functioning were assessed using the Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument. Parental impact was evaluated using the PedsQL-Family Impact Module for family function, PedsQL-Health Satisfaction questionnaire for parents’ satisfaction with their children’s care and World Health Organization-Quality of Life-Brief Version for quality of life. Compared with the baseline, significant improvements of physical function were observed in both groups (5.6 ± 19.5, p = 0.013; 4.7 ± 13.8, p = 0.009) during the intervention periods. No significant improvement of psychosocial health, functional performance, or family impact was observed in children with developmental delays. Short-term interactive video game play in conjunction with traditional rehabilitation treatment improved the physical health of children with developmental delays. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02184715 PMID:26983099

The Impact of Short-Term Video Games on Performance among Children with Developmental Delays: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Hsieh, Ru-Lan; Lee, Wen-Chung; Lin, Jui-Hsiang

2016-01-01

This prospective, randomized controlled study investigated the effects of short-term interactive video game playing among children with developmental delays participating in traditional rehabilitation treatment at a rehabilitation clinic. One hundred and one boys and 46 girls with a mean age of 5.8 years (range: 3 to 12 years) were enrolled in this study. All patients were confirmed to suffer from developmental delays, and were participating in traditional rehabilitation treatment. Children participated in two periods of 4 weeks each, group A being offered intervention of eight 30-minute sessions of interactive video games in the first period, and group B in the second, in addition to the traditional rehabilitation treatment. The physical, psychosocial, and total health of the children was periodically assessed using the parent-reported Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory-Generic Core Scales (PedsQL); and the children's upper extremity and physical function, transfer and basic mobility, sports and physical functioning, and global functioning were assessed using the Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument. Parental impact was evaluated using the PedsQL-Family Impact Module for family function, PedsQL-Health Satisfaction questionnaire for parents' satisfaction with their children's care and World Health Organization-Quality of Life-Brief Version for quality of life. Compared with the baseline, significant improvements of physical function were observed in both groups (5.6 ± 19.5, p = 0.013; 4.7 ± 13.8, p = 0.009) during the intervention periods. No significant improvement of psychosocial health, functional performance, or family impact was observed in children with developmental delays. Short-term interactive video game play in conjunction with traditional rehabilitation treatment improved the physical health of children with developmental delays. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02184715.

De novo Assembly of the Burying Beetle Nicrophorus orbicollis (Coleoptera: Silphidae) Transcriptome Across Developmental Stages with Identification of Key Immune Transcripts

PubMed Central

Won, Harim I.; Schulze, Thomas T.; Clement, Emalie J.; Watson, Gabrielle F.; Watson, Sean M.; Warner, Rosalie C.; Ramler, Elizabeth A. M.; Witte, Elias J.; Schoenbeck, Mark A.; Rauter, Claudia M.; Davis, Paul H.

2018-01-01

Burying beetles (Nicrophorus spp.) are among the relatively few insects that provide parental care while not belonging to the eusocial insects such as ants or bees. This behavior incurs energy costs as evidenced by immune deficits and shorter life-spans in reproducing beetles. In the absence of an assembled transcriptome, relatively little is known concerning the molecular biology of these beetles. This work details the assembly and analysis of the Nicrophorus orbicollis transcriptome at multiple developmental stages. RNA-Seq reads were obtained by next-generation sequencing and the transcriptome was assembled using the Trinity assembler. Validation of the assembly was performed by functional characterization using Gene Ontology (GO), Eukaryotic Orthologous Groups (KOG), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses. Differential expression analysis highlights developmental stage-specific expression patterns, and immunity-related transcripts are discussed. The data presented provides a valuable molecular resource to aid further investigation into immunocompetence throughout this organism's sexual development. PMID:29707046

Rapamycin treatment causes developmental delay, pigmentation defects, and gastrointestinal malformation on Xenopus embryogenesis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moriyama, Yuki; Ohata, Yoshihisa; Mori, Shoko

Research highlights: {yields} Does famous anti-aging drug rapamycin work from the beginning of life? The answer is yes. {yields} This study shows that developmental speed of frog embryo was dose-dependently decreased by rapamycin treatment. {yields} In additions, morphogenetic effects such as less pigmentations and gut malformation are occurred by rapamycin. -- Abstract: Rapamycin is a drug working as an inhibitor of the TOR (target of rapamycin) signaling pathway and influences various life phenomena such as cell growth, proliferation, and life span extension in eukaryote. However, the extent to which rapamycin controls early developmental events of amphibians remains to be understood.more » Here we report an examination of rapamycin effects during Xenopus early development, followed by a confirmation of suppression of TOR downstream kinase S6K by rapamycin treatment. First, we found that developmental speed was declined in dose-dependent manner of rapamycin. Second, black pigment spots located at dorsal and lateral skin in tadpoles were reduced by rapamycin treatment. Moreover, in tadpole stages severe gastrointestinal malformations were observed in rapamycin-treated embryos. Taken together with these results, we conclude that treatment of the drug rapamycin causes enormous influences on early developmental period.« less

Developmental Pathways of Youth Gang Membership: A Structural Test of the Social Development Model

PubMed Central

Hill, Karl G.; Gilman, Amanda B.; Howell, James C.; Catalano, Richard F.; Hawkins, J. David

2017-01-01

As a result of nearly 40 years of research using a risk and protective factor approach, much is known about the predictors of gang onset. Little theoretical work, however, has been done to situate this approach to studying gang membership within a more comprehensive developmental model. Using structural equation modeling techniques, the current study is the first to test the capacity of the social development model (SDM) to predict the developmental pathways that increase and decrease the likelihood of gang membership. Results suggest that the SDM provides a good accounting of the social developmental processes at age 13 that are predictive of later gang membership. These findings support the promotion of a theoretical understanding of gang membership that specifies both pro- and antisocial developmental pathways. Additionally, as the SDM is intended as a model that can guide preventive intervention, results also hold practical utility for designing strategies that can be implemented in early adolescence to address the likelihood of later gang involvement. Three key preventive intervention points to address gang membership are discussed, including promoting efforts to enhance social skills, increasing the availability of prosocial opportunities and rewarding engagement in these opportunities, and reducing antisocial socialization experiences throughout the middle- and high school years. PMID:29403146

The society for craniofacial genetics and developmental biology 38th annual meeting.

PubMed

Taneyhill, Lisa A; Hoover-Fong, Julie; Lozanoff, Scott; Marcucio, Ralph; Richtsmeier, Joan T; Trainor, Paul A

2016-07-01

The mission of the Society for Craniofacial Genetics and Developmental Biology (SCGDB) is to promote education, research, and communication about normal and abnormal development of the tissues and organs of the head. The SCGDB welcomes as members undergraduate students, graduate students, post doctoral researchers, clinicians, orthodontists, scientists, and academicians who share an interest in craniofacial biology. Each year our members come together to share their novel findings, build upon, and challenge current knowledge of craniofacial biology. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Developmental Changes in Visual Object Recognition between 18 and 24 Months of Age

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pereira, Alfredo F.; Smith, Linda B.

2009-01-01

Two experiments examined developmental changes in children's visual recognition of common objects during the period of 18 to 24 months. Experiment 1 examined children's ability to recognize common category instances that presented three different kinds of information: (1) richly detailed and prototypical instances that presented both local and…

Development of a Preschool Developmental Assessment Scale for Assessment of Developmental Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leung, Cynthia; Mak, Rose; Lau, Vanessa; Cheung, Jasmine; Lam, Catherine

2010-01-01

The aim of this paper was to describe the development of the cognitive domain of the Preschool Developmental Assessment Scale (PDAS) for assessment of preschool children with developmental disabilities. The initial version of the cognitive domain consisted of 87 items. They were administered to 324 preschool children, including 240 children from…

Developmental emergence of fear/threat learning: neurobiology, associations and timing.

PubMed

Tallot, L; Doyère, V; Sullivan, R M

2016-01-01

Pavlovian fear or threat conditioning, where a neutral stimulus takes on aversive properties through pairing with an aversive stimulus, has been an important tool for exploring the neurobiology of learning. In the past decades, this neurobehavioral approach has been expanded to include the developing infant. Indeed, protracted postnatal brain development permits the exploration of how incorporating the amygdala, prefrontal cortex and hippocampus into this learning system impacts the acquisition and expression of aversive conditioning. Here, we review the developmental trajectory of these key brain areas involved in aversive conditioning and relate it to pups' transition to independence through weaning. Overall, the data suggests that adult-like features of threat learning emerge as the relevant brain areas become incorporated into this learning. Specifically, the developmental emergence of the amygdala permits cue learning and the emergence of the hippocampus permits context learning. We also describe unique features of learning in early life that block threat learning and enhance interaction with the mother or exploration of the environment. Finally, we describe the development of a sense of time within this learning and its involvement in creating associations. Together these data suggest that the development of threat learning is a useful tool for dissecting adult-like functioning of brain circuits, as well as providing unique insights into ecologically relevant developmental changes. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and International Behavioural and Neural Genetics Society.

Developmental emergence of fear/threat learning: neurobiology, associations and timing

PubMed Central

Tallot, L.; Doyère, V.; Sullivan, R. M.

2016-01-01

Pavlovian fear or threat conditioning, where a neutral stimulus takes on aversive properties through pairing with an aversive stimulus, has been an important tool for exploring the neurobiology of learning. In the past decades, this neurobehavioral approach has been expanded to include the developing infant. Indeed, protracted postnatal brain development permits the exploration of how incorporating the amygdala, prefrontal cortex and hippocampus into this learning system impacts the acquisition and expression of aversive conditioning. Here, we review the developmental trajectory of these key brain areas involved in aversive conditioning and relate it to pups’ transition to independence through weaning. Overall, the data suggests that adult-like features of threat learning emerge as the relevant brain areas become incorporated into this learning. Specifically, the developmental emergence of the amygdala permits cue learning and the emergence of the hippocampus permits context learning. We also describe unique features of learning in early life that block threat learning and enhance interaction with the mother or exploration of the environment. Finally, we describe the development of a sense of time within this learning and its involvement in creating associations. Together these data suggest that the development of threat learning is a useful tool for dissecting adult-like functioning of brain circuits, as well as providing unique insights into ecologically relevant developmental changes. PMID:26534899

Demystifying Moderators and Mediators in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research: A Primer and Review of the Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farmer, C.

2012-01-01

Background: Intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) researchers have been relatively slow to adopt the search for moderators and mediators, although these variables are key in understanding how and why relationships exist between variables. Although the traditional method of causal steps is useful for describing and understanding…

Developmental plasticity: Friend or foe?

PubMed

Michels, Karin B

2017-01-01

Developmental plasticity - the concept that adaptation to changing and unfavorable environmental conditions are possible but may come at the price of compromised health potentials - has evolutionary grounding as it facilitates survival but dissents with fundamental evolutionary principles in that it may advance the lesser fit. It is an important cornerstone of the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD). Unlike evolutionary adaptation developmental plasticity may be short-lived and restricted to one or few generations and inheritance is uncertain. Potential mechanisms include epigenetic modifications adopted in utero which may not transmit to the next generation; future insights may allow adjustments of the outcomes of developmental plasticity.

Developmental changes in hippocampal shape among preadolescent children.

PubMed

Lin, Muqing; Fwu, Peter T; Buss, Claudia; Davis, Elysia P; Head, Kevin; Muftuler, L Tugan; Sandman, Curt A; Su, Min-Ying

2013-11-01

It is known that the largest developmental changes in the hippocampus take place during the prenatal period and during the first two years of postnatal life. Few studies have been conducted to address the normal developmental trajectory of the hippocampus during childhood. In this study shape analysis was applied to study the normal developing hippocampus in a group of 103 typically developing 6- to 10-year-old preadolescent children. The individual brain was normalized to a template, and then the hippocampus was manually segmented and further divided into the head, body, and tail sub-regions. Three different methods were applied for hippocampal shape analysis: radial distance mapping, surface-based template registration using the robust point matching (RPM) algorithm, and volume-based template registration using the Demons algorithm. All three methods show that the older children have bilateral expanded head segments compared to the younger children. The results analyzed based on radial distance to the centerline were consistent with those analyzed using template-based registration methods. In analyses stratified by sex, it was found that the age-associated anatomical changes were similar in boys and girls, but the age-association was strongest in girls. Total hippocampal volume and sub-regional volumes analyzed using manual segmentation did not show a significant age-association. Our results suggest that shape analysis is sensitive to detect sub-regional differences that are not revealed in volumetric analysis. The three methods presented in this study may be applied in future studies to investigate the normal developmental trajectory of the hippocampus in children. They may be further applied to detect early deviations from the normal developmental trajectory in young children for evaluating susceptibility for psychopathological disorders involving hippocampus. Copyright © 2013 ISDN. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Developmental aspects of fear: Comparing the acquisition and generalization of conditioned fear in children and adults.

PubMed

Schiele, Miriam A; Reinhard, Julia; Reif, Andreas; Domschke, Katharina; Romanos, Marcel; Deckert, Jürgen; Pauli, Paul

2016-05-01

Most research on human fear conditioning and its generalization has focused on adults whereas only little is known about these processes in children. Direct comparisons between child and adult populations are needed to determine developmental risk markers of fear and anxiety. We compared 267 children and 285 adults in a differential fear conditioning paradigm and generalization test. Skin conductance responses (SCR) and ratings of valence and arousal were obtained to indicate fear learning. Both groups displayed robust and similar differential conditioning on subjective and physiological levels. However, children showed heightened fear generalization compared to adults as indexed by higher arousal ratings and SCR to the generalization stimuli. Results indicate overgeneralization of conditioned fear as a developmental correlate of fear learning. The developmental change from a shallow to a steeper generalization gradient is likely related to the maturation of brain structures that modulate efficient discrimination between danger and (ambiguous) safety cues. © 2016 The Authors. Developmental Psychobiology Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

LACIE analyst interpretation keys

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baron, J. G.; Payne, R. W.; Palmer, W. F. (Principal Investigator)

1979-01-01

Two interpretation aids, 'The Image Analysis Guide for Wheat/Small Grains Inventories' and 'The United States and Canadian Great Plains Regional Keys', were developed during LACIE phase 2 and implemented during phase 3 in order to provide analysts with a better understanding of the expected ranges in color variation of signatures for individual biostages and of the temporal sequences of LANDSAT signatures. The keys were tested using operational LACIE data, and the results demonstrate that their use provides improved labeling accuracy in all analyst experience groupings, in all geographic areas within the U.S. Great Plains, and during all periods of crop development.

Developmental cigarette smoke exposure II: Hippocampus proteome and metabolome profiles in adult offspring.

PubMed

Neal, Rachel E; Jagadapillai, Rekha; Chen, Jing; Webb, Cindy; Stocke, Kendall; Greene, Robert M; Pisano, M Michele

2016-10-01

Exposure to cigarette smoke during development is linked to neurodevelopmental delays and cognitive impairment including impulsivity, attention deficit disorder, and lower IQ. Utilizing a murine experimental model of "active" inhalation exposure to cigarette smoke spanning the entirety of gestation and through human third trimester equivalent hippocampal development [gestation day 1 (GD1) through postnatal day 21 (PD21)], we examined hippocampus proteome and metabolome alterations present at a time during which developmental cigarette smoke exposure (CSE)-induced behavioral and cognitive impairments are evident in adult animals from this model system. At six month of age, carbohydrate metabolism and lipid content in the hippocampus of adult offspring remained impacted by prior exposure to cigarette smoke during the critical period of hippocampal ontogenesis indicating limited glycolysis. These findings indicate developmental CSE-induced systemic glucose availability may limit both organism growth and developmental trajectory, including the capacity for learning and memory. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Leadership and Leader Developmental Self-Efficacy: Their Role in Enhancing Leader Development Efforts.

PubMed

Murphy, Susan Elaine; Johnson, Stefanie K

2016-01-01

This chapter describes the role of two types of self-efficacy-leader self-efficacy and leader developmental efficacy-for enhancing leadership development. Practical implications for designing and developing leadership programs that take into account these two types of self-efficacy are discussed. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company.

Testing for developmental neurotoxicity using a battery of in vitro assays for key cellular events in neurodevelopment.

PubMed

Harrill, Joshua A; Freudenrich, Theresa; Wallace, Kathleen; Ball, Kenneth; Shafer, Timothy J; Mundy, William R

2018-04-05

Medium- to high-throughput in vitro assays that recapitulate the critical processes of nervous system development have been proposed as a means to facilitate rapid testing and identification of chemicals which may affect brain development. In vivo neurodevelopment is a complex progression of distinct cellular processes. Therefore, batteries of in vitro assays that model and quantify effects on a variety of neurodevelopmental processes have the potential to identify chemicals which may affect brain development at different developmental stages. In the present study, the results of concentration-response screening of 67 reference chemicals in a battery of high content imaging and microplate reader-based assays that evaluate neural progenitor cell proliferation, neural proginitor cell apoptosis, neurite initiation/outgrowth, neurite maturation and synaptogenesis are summarized and compared. The assay battery had a high degree of combined sensitivity (87%) for categorizing chemicals known to affect neurodevelopment as active and a moderate degree of combined specificity (71%) for categorizing chemicals not associated with affects on neurodevelopment as inactive. The combined sensitivity of the assay battery was higher compared to any individual assay while the combined specificity of the assay battery was lower compared to any individual assay. When selectivity of effects for a neurodevelopmental endpoint as compared to general cytotoxicity was taken into account, the combined sensitivity of the assay battery decreased (68%) while the combined specificity increased (93%). The identity and potency of chemicals identified as active varied across the assay battery, underscoring the need for use of a combination of diverse in vitro models to comprehensively screen chemicals and identify those which potentially affect neurodevelopment. Overall, these data indicate that a battery of assays which address many different processes in nervous system development may be used to

Developmental onset of reproductive barriers and associated proteome changes in stigma/styles of Solanum pennellii

PubMed Central

Chalivendra, Subbaiah C.; Lopez-Casado, Gloria; Bedinger, Patricia A.

2013-01-01

Although self-incompatibility (SI) in plants has been studied extensively, far less is known about interspecific reproductive barriers. One interspecific barrier, known as unilateral incongruity or incompatibility (UI), occurs when species display unidirectional compatibility in interspecific crosses. In the wild tomato species Solanum pennellii, both SI and self-compatible (SC) populations express UI when crossed with domesticated tomato, offering a useful model system to dissect the molecular mechanisms involved in reproductive barriers. In this study, the timing of reproductive barrier establishment during pistil development was determined in SI and SC accessions of S. pennellii using a semi-in vivo system to track pollen-tube growth in developing styles. Both SI and UI barriers were absent in styles 5 days prior to flower opening, but were established by 2 days before flower opening, with partial barriers detected during a transition period 3–4 days before flower opening. The developmental expression dynamics of known SI factors, S-RNases and HT proteins, was also examined. The accumulation of HT-A protein coincided temporally and spatially with UI barriers in developing pistils. Proteomic analysis of stigma/styles from key developmental stages showed a switch in protein profiles from cell-division-associated proteins in immature stigma/styles to a set of proteins in mature stigma/styles that included S-RNases, HT-A protein and proteins associated with cell-wall loosening and defense responses, which could be involved in pollen–pistil interactions. Other prominent proteins in mature stigma/styles were those involved in lipid metabolism, consistent with the accumulation of lipid-rich material during pistil maturation. PMID:23166371

Post-Larval Developmental Trajectory of Zebrafish Fry is Altered by Exposure to T3 or T4 Analogues

EPA Science Inventory

The thyroid axis plays a key role in development. While the impacts of perturbing thyroid axis development and/or function are documented in embryonic and larval zebrafish, the effects on developmental milestones at later life stages are not well-delineated. To assess potential l...

Werner's Relevance for Contemporary Developmental Psychology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glick, Joseph A.

1992-01-01

Considers the contributions of Heinz Werner to developmental psychology and identifies the tensions between Werner's theory and the practices of contemporary developmental psychology. Core issues of Werner's psychology concern: (1) development as heuristic, rather than phenomenon; (2) developmental process analysis; and (3) conceptions of the…

Genome-wide chromatin state transitions associated with developmental and environmental cues.

PubMed

Zhu, Jiang; Adli, Mazhar; Zou, James Y; Verstappen, Griet; Coyne, Michael; Zhang, Xiaolan; Durham, Timothy; Miri, Mohammad; Deshpande, Vikram; De Jager, Philip L; Bennett, David A; Houmard, Joseph A; Muoio, Deborah M; Onder, Tamer T; Camahort, Ray; Cowan, Chad A; Meissner, Alexander; Epstein, Charles B; Shoresh, Noam; Bernstein, Bradley E

2013-01-31

Differences in chromatin organization are key to the multiplicity of cell states that arise from a single genetic background, yet the landscapes of in vivo tissues remain largely uncharted. Here, we mapped chromatin genome-wide in a large and diverse collection of human tissues and stem cells. The maps yield unprecedented annotations of functional genomic elements and their regulation across developmental stages, lineages, and cellular environments. They also reveal global features of the epigenome, related to nuclear architecture, that also vary across cellular phenotypes. Specifically, developmental specification is accompanied by progressive chromatin restriction as the default state transitions from dynamic remodeling to generalized compaction. Exposure to serum in vitro triggers a distinct transition that involves de novo establishment of domains with features of constitutive heterochromatin. We describe how these global chromatin state transitions relate to chromosome and nuclear architecture, and discuss their implications for lineage fidelity, cellular senescence, and reprogramming. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Label-free proteome profiling reveals developmental-dependent patterns in young barley grains.

PubMed

Kaspar-Schoenefeld, Stephanie; Merx, Kathleen; Jozefowicz, Anna Maria; Hartmann, Anja; Seiffert, Udo; Weschke, Winfriede; Matros, Andrea; Mock, Hans-Peter

2016-06-30

Due to its importance as a cereal crop worldwide, high interest in the determination of factors influencing barley grain quality exists. This study focusses on the elucidation of protein networks affecting early grain developmental processes. NanoLC-based separation coupled to label-free MS detection was applied to gain insights into biochemical processes during five different grain developmental phases (pre-storage until storage phase, 3days to 16days after flowering). Multivariate statistics revealed two distinct developmental patterns during the analysed grain developmental phases: proteins showed either highest abundance in the middle phase of development - in the transition phase - or at later developmental stages - within the storage phase. Verification of developmental patterns observed by proteomic analysis was done by applying hypothesis-driven approaches, namely Western Blot analysis and enzyme assays. High general metabolic activity of the grain with regard to protein synthesis, cell cycle regulation, defence against oxidative stress, and energy production via photosynthesis was observed in the transition phase. Proteins upregulated in the storage phase are related towards storage protein accumulation, and interestingly to the defence of storage reserves against pathogens. A mixed regulatory pattern for most enzymes detected in our study points to regulatory mechanisms at the level of protein isoforms. In-depth understanding of early grain developmental processes of cereal caryopses is of high importance as they influence final grain weight and quality. Our knowledge about these processes is still limited, especially on proteome level. To identify key mechanisms in early barley grain development, a label-free data-independent proteomics acquisition approach has been applied. Our data clearly show, that proteins either exhibit highest expression during cellularization and the switch to the storage phase (transition phase, 5-7 DAF), or during storage

29 CFR 1952.241 - Developmental schedule.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... extended training plan of substantially permanent form will be developed and adopted by October 1, 1976. (e... (CONTINUED) APPROVED STATE PLANS FOR ENFORCEMENT OF STATE STANDARDS Alaska § 1952.241 Developmental schedule. The Alaska plan is developmental. The Schedule of developmental steps (described in the plan as...

29 CFR 1952.371 - Developmental schedule.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... (CONTINUED) APPROVED STATE PLANS FOR ENFORCEMENT OF STATE STANDARDS Virginia § 1952.371 Developmental schedule. The Virginia plan is developmental. Following is a schedule of major developmental steps: (a) Standards identical to the Federal standards will be completely adopted by January 1, 1978. (b) A plan for...

29 CFR 1952.371 - Developmental schedule.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... (CONTINUED) APPROVED STATE PLANS FOR ENFORCEMENT OF STATE STANDARDS Virginia § 1952.371 Developmental schedule. The Virginia plan is developmental. Following is a schedule of major developmental steps: (a) Standards identical to the Federal standards will be completely adopted by January 1, 1978. (b) A plan for...

29 CFR 1952.371 - Developmental schedule.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... (CONTINUED) APPROVED STATE PLANS FOR ENFORCEMENT OF STATE STANDARDS Virginia § 1952.371 Developmental schedule. The Virginia plan is developmental. Following is a schedule of major developmental steps: (a) Standards identical to the Federal standards will be completely adopted by January 1, 1978. (b) A plan for...

29 CFR 1952.371 - Developmental schedule.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... (CONTINUED) APPROVED STATE PLANS FOR ENFORCEMENT OF STATE STANDARDS Virginia § 1952.371 Developmental schedule. The Virginia plan is developmental. Following is a schedule of major developmental steps: (a) Standards identical to the Federal standards will be completely adopted by January 1, 1978. (b) A plan for...

Ultrasound in detection of developmental hip dysplasia in premature born children.

PubMed

Misanovic, Verica; Jonuzi, Fedzat; Maksic-Kovacevic, Hajra; Rahmanovic, Selma

2015-04-01

Developmental hip dysplasia represents the most common deformation of locomotor system in children. Developmental modulation of the hip is expressed during first year of life which is important for early diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, in the practice, it is very important to set a diagnosis early with application of simple and convenient methods (ultrasound) in order to achieve fast and efficient therapeutical effect and avoid permanent disability. The aim of this paper is to point out the increase of prematurely born infants and their survival thanks to the development of Unit for Intensive Neonatal Care at the Pediatric Clinics in Sarajevo. Clinical investigation included 150 infants (77 girls and 73 boys) in whom the developmental hip dysplasia was diagnosed with clinical exam, ultrasound exam and x-ray of the hips. The exams were done in period of January 2012 to August 2014. Two groups of patients were formed. The first one consisted of premature infants, total number of 75 (34 girls and 41 boys), with developmental hip dysplasia that was diagnosed at the first exam at the Ultrasound unit of the Pediatric clinics and at the Intensive Neonatal Care Unit of the Pediatric Clinics in Sarajevo. Second (control) group consistsed of patients-on term infants who had diagnosed one of developmental hip dysplasia, total of 75 (43 girls and 32 boys) during first exam in the Ultrasound unit of the Pediatric clinics in Sarajevo. The frequency of premature birth is between 5 and 10% of all labors and demonstrates increasing trend. We suggest ultrasound examination of hips in each newborn, term or premature, at the age of 6 weeks after birth.

Fostering Locomotor Behavior of Children with Developmental Disabilities: An Overview of Studies Using Treadmills and Walkers with Microswitches

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lancioni, Giulio E.; Singh, Nirbhay N.; O'Reilly, Mark F.; Sigafoos, Jeff; Didden, Robert; Manfredi, Francesco; Putignano, Pietro; Stasolla, Fabrizio; Basili, Gabriella

2009-01-01

This paper provides an overview of studies using programs with treadmills or walkers with microswitches and contingent stimulation to foster locomotor behavior of children with developmental disabilities. Twenty-six studies were identified in the period 2000-2008 (i.e., the period in which research in this area has actually taken shape).…

[Study on the histological anatomy on medicinal parts of Semiaquilegia adoxoides in different developmental stages].

PubMed

Yang, Jun; Peng, Hua-Sheng; Wang, De-Qun; Sun, Jing

2012-08-01

To study the structural characteristics of medicinal parts at different developmental stages of Semiaquilegia adoxoides. Observed on sections of medicinal parts of Semiaquilegia adoxoides at various developmental stages during growth periods. There was a great difference between the upper and bottom of the medicinal parts of Semiaquilegia adoxoides: rhizome at the top of root had the structure of rhizome with pith; The upper one third of enlarged root was root-stem transition zone, also with pith; And the other two thirds of enlarged root had the structure of root without pith. The microscopic structures of the medicinal parts of Semiaquilegia adoxoides at various developmental stages presented great disparities, the structures regularly increased as the size of plant increased. It was the first time to find that there were structure of growth rings in xylem of the root and rhizome of Semiaquilegia adoxoides. The method of identification of characteristics and histology of medicinal parts of Semiaquilegia adoxoides at different developmental stages is established, and the results provide a basis for identification of Semiaquilegia adoxoides medicinal materials.

Integrating Technology in the Classroom: Factors That Account for Teachers' Regressive Developmental Trajectories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Looi, Chee-Kit; Chen, Wenli; Chen, Fang-Hao

2014-01-01

In this article, we studied the developmental trajectories of three teachers as they integrated GroupScribbles (GS) technology in their classroom lessons over a semester period of about 5 months. Coherency diagrams were used to capture the complex interplay of a teacher's knowledge (K), goals (G) and beliefs (B) in leveraging technology…

Designing Meaningful Developmental Reform. Research Overview

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jaggars, Shanna Smith; Hodara, Michelle; Stacey, Georgia West

2013-01-01

This practitioner packet is designed to help community college administrators implement reforms to developmental education at their colleges. It reviews common impediments to developmental reform and presents data that supports directions colleges can take to create a system of developmental education that might serve students more effectively.…

Developmental Rainbow: Early Childhood Development Profile.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahoney, Gerald; Mahoney, Frida

One of the most important skills of professionals who work with young children is the ability to assess developmental functioning through informal observation. This skill serves as the foundation for screening or identifying children in need of developmental services, conducting play-based developmental assessments, and helping parents to…

Tracing the developmental origin of a lizard skull: Chondrocranial architecture, heterochrony, and variation in lacertids.

PubMed

Yaryhin, Oleksandr; Werneburg, Ingmar

2018-06-08

The sand lizard, Lacerta agilis, is a classical model species in herpetology. Its adult skull anatomy and its embryonic development are well known. The description of its fully formed primordial skull by Ernst Gaupp, in 1900, was a key publication in vertebrate morphology and influenced many comparative embryologists. Based on recent methodological considerations, we restudied the early cranial development of this species starting as early as the formation of mesenchymal condensations up to the fully formed chondrocranium. We traced the formation of the complex chondrocranial architecture in detail, clarified specific homologies for the first time, and uncovered major differences to old textbook descriptions. Comparison with other lacertid lizards revealed a very similar genesis of the primordial skull. However, we detected shifts in the developmental timing of particular cartilaginous elements, mainly in the nasal region, which may correlate to specific ecological adaptation in the adults. Late timing of nasal elements might be an important innovation for the successful wide range distribution of the well-known sand lizard. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

CHEMICAL PRIORITIZATION FOR DEVELOPMENTAL ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Defining a predictive model of developmental toxicity from in vitro and high-throughput screening (HTS) assays can be limited by the availability of developmental defects data. ToxRefDB (www.epa.gov/ncct/todrefdb) was built from animal studies on data-rich environmental chemicals, and has been used as an anchor for predictive modeling of ToxCast™ data. Scaling to thousands of untested chemicals requires another approach. ToxPlorer™ was developed as a tool to query and extract specific facts about defined biological entities from the open scientific literature and to coherently synthesize relevant knowledge about relationships, pathways and processes in toxicity. Here, we investigated the specific application of ToxPlorer to weighting HTS assay targets for relevance to developmental defects as defined in the literature. First, we systemically analyzed 88,193 Pubmed abstracts selected by bulk query using harmonized terminology for 862 developmental endpoints (www.devtox.net) and 364,334 dictionary term entities in our VT-KB (virtual tissues knowledgebase). We specifically focused on entities corresponding to genes/proteins mapped across of >500 ToxCast HTS assays. The 88,193 devtox abstracts mentioned 244 gene/protein entities in an aggregated total of ~8,000 occurrences. Each of the 244 assays was scored and weighted by the number of devtox articles and relevance to developmental processes. This score was used as a feature for chemical prioritization by Toxic

Developmental control of transcriptional and proliferative potency during the evolutionary emergence of animals

PubMed Central

Arenas-Mena, Cesar; Coffman, James A.

2016-01-01

Summary It is proposed that the evolution of complex animals required repressive genetic mechanisms for controlling the transcriptional and proliferative potency of cells. Unicellular organisms are transcriptionally potent, able to express their full genetic complement as the need arises through their life cycle, whereas differentiated cells of multicellular organisms can only express a fraction of their genomic potential. Likewise, whereas cell proliferation in unicellular organisms is primarily limited by nutrient availability, cell proliferation in multicellular organisms is developmentally regulated. Repressive genetic controls limiting the potency of cells at the end of ontogeny would have stabilized the gene expression states of differentiated cells and prevented disruptive proliferation, allowing the emergence of diverse cell types and functional shapes. We propose that distal cis-regulatory elements represent the primary innovations that set the stage for the evolution of developmental gene regulatory networks and the repressive control of key multipotency and cell-cycle control genes. The testable prediction of this model is that the genomes of extant animals, unlike those of our unicellular relatives, encode gene regulatory circuits dedicated to the developmental control of transcriptional and proliferative potency. PMID:26173445

Developmental Education Repeaters: Stories about Repetition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Dell, Jade J.

2012-01-01

Developmental education students make up almost half of the community college population in the United States (Bettinger & Long, 2005). Approximately 42% of first-time freshmen at community colleges must enroll in at least one developmental education course in English, reading and/or math (NCES, 2010). Many developmental education students are…

A comparative view of early development in the corals Favia lizardensis, Ctenactis echinata, and Acropora millepora - morphology, transcriptome, and developmental gene expression.

PubMed

Okubo, Nami; Hayward, David C; Forêt, Sylvain; Ball, Eldon E

2016-02-29

Research into various aspects of coral biology has greatly increased in recent years due to anthropogenic threats to coral health including pollution, ocean warming and acidification. However, knowledge of coral early development has lagged. The present paper describes the embryonic development of two previously uncharacterized robust corals, Favia lizardensis (a massive brain coral) and Ctenactis echinata (a solitary coral) and compares it to that of the previously characterized complex coral, Acropora millepora, both morphologically and in terms of the expression of a set of key developmental genes. Illumina sequencing of mixed age embryos was carried out, resulting in embryonic transcriptomes consisting of 40605 contigs for C.echinata (N50 = 1080 bp) and 48536 contigs for F.lizardensis (N50 = 1496 bp). The transcriptomes have been annotated against Swiss-Prot and were sufficiently complete to enable the identification of orthologs of many key genes controlling development in bilaterians. Developmental series of images of whole mounts and sections reveal that the early stages of both species contain a blastocoel, consistent with their membership of the robust clade. In situ hybridization was used to examine the expression of the developmentally important genes brachyury, chordin and forkhead. The expression of brachyury and forkhead was consistent with that previously reported for Acropora and allowed us to confirm that the pseudo-blastopore sometimes seen in robust corals such as Favia spp. is not directly associated with gastrulation. C.echinata chordin expression, however, differed from that seen in the other two corals. Embryonic transcriptomes were assembled for the brain coral Favia lizardensis and the solitary coral Ctenactis echinata. Both species have a blastocoel in their early developmental stages, consistent with their phylogenetic position as members of the robust clade. Expression of the key developmental genes brachyury, chordin and

Ophiuroid robot that self-organizes periodic and non-periodic arm movements.

PubMed

Kano, Takeshi; Suzuki, Shota; Watanabe, Wataru; Ishiguro, Akio

2012-09-01

Autonomous decentralized control is a key concept for understanding the mechanism underlying adaptive and versatile locomotion of animals. Although the design of an autonomous decentralized control system that ensures adaptability by using coupled oscillators has been proposed previously, it cannot comprehensively reproduce the versatility of animal behaviour. To tackle this problem, we focus on using ophiuroids as a simple model that exhibits versatile locomotion including periodic and non-periodic arm movements. Our existing model for ophiuroid locomotion uses an active rotator model that describes both oscillatory and excitatory properties. In this communication, we develop an ophiuroid robot to confirm the validity of this proposed model in the real world. We show that the robot travels by successfully coordinating periodic and non-periodic arm movements in response to external stimuli.

The Progression of Severe Behavior Disorder in Young Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

PubMed Central

Medeiros, Kristen; Curby, Timothy W.; Bernstein, Alec; Rojahn, Johannes; Schroeder, Stephen R.

2015-01-01

Behavior disorders, such as self-injurious, stereotypic, and aggressive behavior are common among individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities. While we have learned much about those behaviors over the past few decades, longitudinal research that looks at developmental trajectory has been rare. This study was designed to examine the trajectory of these three forms of severe behavior disorders over a one year time period. The behaviors were measured on two dimensions: frequency of occurrence and severity. Participants were 160 infants and toddlers at risk for developmental delays in Lima, Peru. Using structural equation modeling, we found that the frequency of self-injury and stereotypic behavior and the severity of aggressive behavior remained stable over the 12 month period. Uni-directional structural models fit the data best for self-injurious and aggressive behavior (with frequency being a leading indicator of future severity of self-injury and severity being a leading indicator of future frequency for aggression). For stereotypic behavior, a cross-lagged autoregressive model fit the data best, with both dimensions of frequency and severity involved as leading indicators of each other. These models did not vary significantly across diagnostic groups, suggesting that toddlers exhibiting behavior disorders may be assisted with interventions that target the specific frequencies or severities of behaviors, regardless of diagnostic category. PMID:24012587

The progression of severe behavior disorder in young children with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

PubMed

Medeiros, Kristen; Curby, Timothy W; Bernstein, Alec; Rojahn, Johannes; Schroeder, Stephen R

2013-11-01

Behavior disorders, such as self-injurious, stereotypic, and aggressive behavior are common among individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities. While we have learned much about those behaviors over the past few decades, longitudinal research that looks at developmental trajectory has been rare. This study was designed to examine the trajectory of these three forms of severe behavior disorders over a one year time period. The behaviors were measured on two dimensions: frequency of occurrence and severity. Participants were 160 infants and toddlers at risk for developmental delays in Lima, Peru. Using structural equation modeling, we found that the frequency of self-injury and stereotypic behavior and the severity of aggressive behavior remained stable over the 12-month period. Uni-directional structural models fit the data best for self-injurious and aggressive behavior (with frequency being a leading indicator of future severity of self-injury and severity being a leading indicator of future frequency for aggression). For stereotypic behavior, a cross-lagged autoregressive model fit the data best, with both dimensions of frequency and severity involved as leading indicators of each other. These models did not vary significantly across diagnostic groups, suggesting that toddlers exhibiting behavior disorders may be assisted with interventions that target the specific frequencies or severities of behaviors, regardless of diagnostic category. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Impact of Immigration on the Internal Processes and Developmental Tasks of Emerging Adulthood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walsh, Sophie; Shulman, Shmuel; Feldman, Benny; Maurer, Offer

2005-01-01

This study examines the experience of emerging adult immigrants, a group simultaneously attempting to navigate the developmental period of exploration and experimentation of emerging adulthood, together with the need for re-organization of the self, following immigration. In this study, in-depth interviews were conducted, with 41 emerging adult…

Applied Developmental Science: An Advanced Textbook. The SAGE Program on Applied Developmental Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lerner, Richard M., Ed.; Jacobs, Fraincine, Ed.; Wertlieb, Donald, Ed.

2005-01-01

This course textbook has been adapted from the four-volume "Handbook of Applied Developmental Science" (SAGE 2003), a work that offers a detailed roadmap for action and research in ensuring positive child, youth, and family development. In 20 chapters, "Applied Developmental Science: An Advanced Textbook" brings together theory and application…

Developmental odontogenic cysts of jaws: a clinical study of 245 cases.

PubMed

Yazdani, Javad; Kahnamouii, Shiva Solahaye

2009-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the relative frequency of developmental odontogenic cysts in an Iranian population. In this study 245 cysts from both jaws, treated in the Faculty of Dentistry at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences during a 10-year period from 1998 to 2008, were analyzed in order to evaluate the incidence of such cysts. We had permission from all the patients. Case histories of 65% of male and 35% of female patients were analyzed. The age of the patients varied from 14 to 64 years, with an average of 33.21 ± 10.89. In this 10-year study of odontogenic cysts, 97 cases were developmental odontogenic cysts with the following inci-dence: dentigerous cyst, 44%; odontogenic keratocyst, 36%; primordial cyst, 9%; Gorlin cyst, 2%; lateral periodontal cyst, 3%; eruption cyst, 3%; and gingival cyst, 3% (adults 2%, infants 1%). A total of 60% of the cysts were found in the mandible and 40% in the maxilla. Regarding the mandible, the molar region was involved in 47% of the cases, premolar region in 33% and anterior region in 20% (total = 100%). Regarding the maxilla, the canine-to-canine region was involved in 52% of the cases, premolar region in 20% and molar region in 28% (total = 100%). An important finding in this study was the fact that 39% of the jaw cysts were developmental odontogenic cysts and the most common developmental odontogenic cysts were dentigerous cyst and OKC (odontogenic keratocyst).

Long-term consequences of developmental vascular defects on retinal vessel homeostasis and function in a mouse model of Norrie disease.

PubMed

Beck, Susanne C; Feng, Yuxi; Sothilingam, Vithiyanjali; Garcia Garrido, Marina; Tanimoto, Naoyuki; Acar, Niyazi; Shan, Shenliang; Seebauer, Britta; Berger, Wolfgang; Hammes, Hans-Peter; Seeliger, Mathias W

2017-01-01

Loss of Norrin signalling due to mutations in the Norrie disease pseudoglioma gene causes severe vascular defects in the retina, leading to visual impairment and ultimately blindness. While the emphasis of experimental work so far was on the developmental period, we focus here on disease mechanisms that induce progression into severe adult disease. The goal of this study was the comprehensive analysis of the long-term effects of the absence of Norrin on vascular homeostasis and retinal function. In a mouse model of Norrie disease retinal vascular morphology and integrity were studied by means of in vivo angiography; the vascular constituents were assessed in detailed histological analyses using quantitative retinal morphometry. Finally, electroretinographic analyses were performed to assess the retinal function in adult Norrin deficient animals. We could show that the primary developmental defects not only persisted but developed into further vascular abnormalities and microangiopathies. In particular, the overall vessel homeostasis, the vascular integrity, and also the cellular constituents of the vascular wall were affected in the adult Norrin deficient retina. Moreover, functional analyses indicated to persistent hypoxia in the neural retina which was suggested as one of the major driving forces of disease progression. In summary, our data provide evidence that the key to adult Norrie disease are ongoing vascular modifications, driven by the persistent hypoxic conditions, which are ineffective to compensate for the primary Norrin-dependent defects.

Long-term consequences of developmental vascular defects on retinal vessel homeostasis and function in a mouse model of Norrie disease

PubMed Central

Sothilingam, Vithiyanjali; Garcia Garrido, Marina; Tanimoto, Naoyuki; Acar, Niyazi; Shan, Shenliang; Seebauer, Britta; Berger, Wolfgang; Hammes, Hans-Peter; Seeliger, Mathias W.

2017-01-01

Loss of Norrin signalling due to mutations in the Norrie disease pseudoglioma gene causes severe vascular defects in the retina, leading to visual impairment and ultimately blindness. While the emphasis of experimental work so far was on the developmental period, we focus here on disease mechanisms that induce progression into severe adult disease. The goal of this study was the comprehensive analysis of the long-term effects of the absence of Norrin on vascular homeostasis and retinal function. In a mouse model of Norrie disease retinal vascular morphology and integrity were studied by means of in vivo angiography; the vascular constituents were assessed in detailed histological analyses using quantitative retinal morphometry. Finally, electroretinographic analyses were performed to assess the retinal function in adult Norrin deficient animals. We could show that the primary developmental defects not only persisted but developed into further vascular abnormalities and microangiopathies. In particular, the overall vessel homeostasis, the vascular integrity, and also the cellular constituents of the vascular wall were affected in the adult Norrin deficient retina. Moreover, functional analyses indicated to persistent hypoxia in the neural retina which was suggested as one of the major driving forces of disease progression. In summary, our data provide evidence that the key to adult Norrie disease are ongoing vascular modifications, driven by the persistent hypoxic conditions, which are ineffective to compensate for the primary Norrin-dependent defects. PMID:28575130

The developmental genetics of biological robustness

PubMed Central

Mestek Boukhibar, Lamia; Barkoulas, Michalis

2016-01-01

Background Living organisms are continuously confronted with perturbations, such as environmental changes that include fluctuations in temperature and nutrient availability, or genetic changes such as mutations. While some developmental systems are affected by such challenges and display variation in phenotypic traits, others continue consistently to produce invariable phenotypes despite perturbation. This ability of a living system to maintain an invariable phenotype in the face of perturbations is termed developmental robustness. Biological robustness is a phenomenon observed across phyla, and studying its mechanisms is central to deciphering the genotype–phenotype relationship. Recent work in yeast, animals and plants has shown that robustness is genetically controlled and has started to reveal the underlying mechinisms behind it. Scope and Conclusions Studying biological robustness involves focusing on an important property of developmental traits, which is the phenotypic distribution within a population. This is often neglected because the vast majority of developmental biology studies instead focus on population aggregates, such as trait averages. By drawing on findings in animals and yeast, this Viewpoint considers how studies on plant developmental robustness may benefit from strict definitions of what is the developmental system of choice and what is the relevant perturbation, and also from clear distinctions between gene effects on the trait mean and the trait variance. Recent advances in quantitative developmental biology and high-throughput phenotyping now allow the design of targeted genetic screens to identify genes that amplify or restrict developmental trait variance and to study how variation propagates across different phenotypic levels in biological systems. The molecular characterization of more quantitative trait loci affecting trait variance will provide further insights into the evolution of genes modulating developmental robustness. The

Automated secured cost effective key refreshing technique to enhance WiMAX privacy key management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sridevi, B.; Sivaranjani, S.; Rajaram, S.

2013-01-01

In all walks of life the way of communication is transformed by the rapid growth of wireless communication and its pervasive use. A wireless network which is fixed and richer in bandwidth is specified as IEEE 802.16, promoted and launched by an industrial forum is termed as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX). This technology enables seamless delivery of wireless broadband service for fixed and/or mobile users. The obscurity is the long delay which occurs during the handoff management in every network. Mobile WiMAX employs an authenticated key management protocol as a part of handoff management in which the Base Station (BS) controls the distribution of keying material to the Mobile Station (MS). The protocol employed is Privacy Key Management Version 2- Extensible Authentication Protocol (PKMV2-EAP) which is responsible for the normal and periodical authorization of MSs, reauthorization as well as key refreshing. Authorization key (AK) and Traffic Encryption key (TEK) plays a vital role in key exchange. When the lifetime of key expires, MS has to request for a new key to BS which in turn leads to repetition of authorization, authentication as well as key exchange. To avoid service interruption during reauthorization , two active keys are transmitted at the same time by BS to MS. The consequences of existing work are hefty amount of bandwidth utilization, time consumption and large storage. It is also endured by Man in the Middle attack and Impersonation due to lack of security in key exchange. This paper designs an automatic mutual refreshing of keys to minimize bandwidth utilization, key storage and time consumption by proposing Previous key and Iteration based Key Refreshing Function (PKIBKRF). By integrating PKIBKRF in key generation, the simulation results indicate that 21.8% of the bandwidth and storage of keys are reduced and PKMV2 mutual authentication time is reduced by 66.67%. The proposed work is simulated with Qualnet model and

Developmental Origins of Infant Emotion Regulation: Mediation by Temperamental Negativity and Moderation by Maternal Sensitivity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Jenna C.; Letourneau, Nicole; Campbell, Tavis S.; Tomfohr-Madsen, Lianne; Giesbrecht, Gerald F.

2017-01-01

Emotion regulation is essential to cognitive, social, and emotional development and difficulties with emotion regulation portend future socioemotional, academic, and behavioral difficulties. There is growing awareness that many developmental outcomes previously thought to begin their development in the postnatal period have their origins in the…

Care of adults with developmental disabilities: Effects of a continuing education course for primary care providers.

PubMed

Balogh, Robert; Wood, Jessica; Lunsky, Yona; Isaacs, Barry; Ouellette-Kuntz, Hélène; Sullivan, William

2015-07-01

To evaluate the effects of an interdisciplinary, guideline-based continuing education course on measures related to the care of adults with developmental disabilities (DD). Before-and-after study with a control group. Ontario. Forty-seven primary care providers (physicians, registered nurses, and nurse practitioners). Participants either only received reference material about primary care of people with DD (control group) or participated in a continuing education course on primary care of people with DD in addition to receiving the reference material (intervention group). Participants reported on 5 key measures related to care of adults with DD: frequency of using guidelines, frequency of performing periodic health examinations, frequency of assessing patients who present with behaviour changes, level of comfort while caring for adults with DD, and knowledge of primary care related to adults with DD. Over time, the intervention group showed significant increases in 4 of the 5 key measures of care compared with the control group: the frequency of guideline use (P < .001), frequency of assessment of patients' behaviour change (P = .03), comfort level in caring for people with DD (P = .01), and knowledge of primary care related to adults with DD (P = .01). A continuing education course on primary care of adults with DD is a useful interdisciplinary model to train health professionals who provide primary care services to these patients.

Dietary and developmental shifts in butterfly-associated bacterial communities

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Bacterial communities associated with insects can substantially influence host ecology, evolution and behaviour. Host diet is a key factor that shapes bacterial communities, but the impact of dietary transitions across insect development is poorly understood. We analysed bacterial communities of 12 butterfly species across different developmental stages, using amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Butterfly larvae typically consume leaves of a single host plant, whereas adults are more generalist nectar feeders. Thus, we expected bacterial communities to vary substantially across butterfly development. Surprisingly, only few species showed significant dietary and developmental transitions in bacterial communities, suggesting weak impacts of dietary transitions across butterfly development. On the other hand, bacterial communities were strongly influenced by butterfly species and family identity, potentially due to dietary and physiological variation across the host phylogeny. Larvae of most butterfly species largely mirrored bacterial community composition of their diets, suggesting passive acquisition rather than active selection. Overall, our results suggest that although butterflies harbour distinct microbiomes across taxonomic groups and dietary guilds, the dramatic dietary shifts that occur during development do not impose strong selection to maintain distinct bacterial communities across all butterfly hosts. PMID:29892359

Immunohistochemical localization of steroidogenic enzymes in the testis of the sika deer (Cervus nippon) during developmental and seasonal changes.

PubMed

Hayakawa, Daisuke; Sasaki, Motoki; Suzuki, Masatsugu; Tsubota, Toshio; Igota, Hiromasa; Kaji, Koichi; Kitamura, Nobuo

2010-02-01

Testicular steroidogenesis and spermatogenesis during developmental and seasonal changes were investigated in male sika deer (Cervus nippon), a short-day seasonal breeder, to clarify the physiological mechanisms for reproductive function. The immunohistochemical localization of steroidogenic enzymes (P450scc, P450c17, 3betaHSD and P450arom), spermatogenesis and cell proliferation were analyzed in the testes of fetal (164 to 218 days of fetal age), fawn (0 years old), yearling (1 year old) and adult (more than 2 years old) male sika deer. Three kinds of steroidogenic enzymes, P450scc, P450c17 and 3betaHSD, essential for the synthesis of testosterone were located only in the Leydig cells of the testes from the fetal period, and these localizations did not change during developmental or seasonal stages. Immunoreactivity for P450arom, a key enzyme converting testosterone to estradiol, was also localized only in the Leydig cells of testes but was also further limited to the testes of yearlings and adults. Seminiferous tubules had already formed in the fetal testes examined in the present study. Spermatogenesis started in yearlings and was more active in the breeding season. In the adult sika deer testes, the Leydig cells, which displayed immunoreactivities for steroidogenic enzymes, changed to have more cytoplasm in the breeding season than in the non-breeding season. Cell proliferation of Leydig cells was hardly observed in adult testes during seasonal changes. The present results suggested that sika deer testes start to synthesize testosterone from the fetal period, that seasonal changes in testosterone and estradiol syntheses are dependent on the quantitative variation of steroidogenic enzymes synchronized with the size of Leydig cells and that estradiol synthesized in yearling and adult testes makes a contribution to the initiation and recrudescence of spermatogenesis and spermiogenesis in the sika deer.

Developmental TVET Rhetoric In-Action: The White Paper for Post-School Education and Training in South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akoojee, Salim

2016-01-01

This paper explores the extent to which latest developments in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training System in South Africa respond to key principles espoused for a developmental, democratic and inclusionary ideal. The White Paper for post school education and training (DHET, 2013) approved by Cabinet in November, 2013 is referred to…

Developmental TVET Rhetoric In-Action: The White Paper for Post-School Education and Training in South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akoojee, Salim

2016-01-01

This paper explores the extent to which latest developments in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training System in South Africa respond to key principles espoused for a developmental, democratic and inclusionary ideal. The White Paper for post school education and training approved by Cabinet in November, 2013 is referred to by the…

Micro-computed tomography imaging and analysis in developmental biology and toxicology.

PubMed

Wise, L David; Winkelmann, Christopher T; Dogdas, Belma; Bagchi, Ansuman

2013-06-01

Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) is a high resolution imaging technique that has expanded and strengthened in use since it was last reviewed in this journal in 2004. The technology has expanded to include more detailed analysis of bone, as well as soft tissues, by use of various contrast agents. It is increasingly applied to questions in developmental biology and developmental toxicology. Relatively high-throughput protocols now provide a powerful and efficient means to evaluate embryos and fetuses subjected to genetic manipulations or chemical exposures. This review provides an overview of the technology, including scanning, reconstruction, visualization, segmentation, and analysis of micro-CT generated images. This is followed by a review of more recent applications of the technology in some common laboratory species that highlight the diverse issues that can be addressed. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Exonic deletions of AUTS2 in Chinese patients with developmental delay and intellectual disability.

PubMed

Fan, Yanjie; Qiu, Wenjuan; Wang, Lili; Gu, Xuefan; Yu, Yongguo

2016-02-01

Genomic rearrangements involving dosage change of genes have been implicated in a range of developmental disorders. Increasing evidences suggest copy number variations (CNVs) of autism susceptibility candidate gene 2 (AUTS2) are associated with a syndromic form of developmental delay and intellectual disability. However, the genetic and clinical profiles involving AUTS2 variations have not been fully characterized in Asian patients yet, and the outcome of treatments has not been reported. Here we report de novo exonic deletions of AUTS2 detected by chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) in three Chinese children referred to the clinic for developmental delay, including two deletions involving only exon 6 (98.4 and 262 kb, respectively) and one deletion involving the C-terminal of AUTS2 (2147 kb). The phenotypic presentations of these three patients were described and compared with previous cases in literature. In addition, we presented the outcome of hormonal treatment for short stature in one patient. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Auditory scene analysis in school-aged children with developmental language disorders

PubMed Central

Sussman, E.; Steinschneider, M.; Lee, W.; Lawson, K.

2014-01-01

Natural sound environments are dynamic, with overlapping acoustic input originating from simultaneously active sources. A key function of the auditory system is to integrate sensory inputs that belong together and segregate those that come from different sources. We hypothesized that this skill is impaired in individuals with phonological processing difficulties. There is considerable disagreement about whether phonological impairments observed in children with developmental language disorders can be attributed to specific linguistic deficits or to more general acoustic processing deficits. However, most tests of general auditory abilities have been conducted with a single set of sounds. We assessed the ability of school-aged children (7–15 years) to parse complex auditory non-speech input, and determined whether the presence of phonological processing impairments was associated with stream perception performance. A key finding was that children with language impairments did not show the same developmental trajectory for stream perception as typically developing children. In addition, children with language impairments required larger frequency separations between sounds to hear distinct streams compared to age-matched peers. Furthermore, phonological processing ability was a significant predictor of stream perception measures, but only in the older age groups. No such association was found in the youngest children. These results indicate that children with language impairments have difficulty parsing speech streams, or identifying individual sound events when there are competing sound sources. We conclude that language group differences may in part reflect fundamental maturational disparities in the analysis of complex auditory scenes. PMID:24548430

A Case Study of a Volunteer-Based Literacy Class with Adults with Developmental Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lynch, Jacqueline

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine participants' perspectives on how a volunteer-based adult literacy class supports the learning of adults with developmental/intellectual disabilities. Interviews were conducted with four tutors, three adult learners, and two coordinators and observations of the class occurred over a 6-month period during…

Piaget's Structural Developmental Psychology. v. Ideology-Critique and the Possibility of a Critical Developmental Theory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Broughton, John M.

1981-01-01

This final essay in a five-part series examining Piaget's structural developmental psychology suggests that a psychological theory which integrates aspects of developmental structuralism within a critical social framework can be developed. (Author/RH)

Research Review: Evaluating and reformulating the developmental taxonomic theory of antisocial behaviour

PubMed Central

Fairchild, Graeme; Goozen, Stephanie HM; Calder, Andrew J; Goodyer, Ian M

2013-01-01

BackgroundThe developmental taxonomic theory proposes that there are two subtypes of antisocial behaviour. The first is a neurodevelopmental disorder which emerges in early childhood and follows a life-course persistent course, whereas the second emerges in adolescence, remits in early adulthood and reflects peer processes such as mimicry of antisocial peers. The aim of this review was to evaluate the developmental taxonomic theory in the light of recent empirical research. MethodsWe conducted a comprehensive literature review comparing these subtypes of antisocial behaviour based on searches on PubMed and other scientific databases covering the period from 1993 to 2013. We focused on research encompassing psychiatric epidemiology, personality assessment, neuropsychology, neuroendocrinology, genetics, and structural and functional neuroimaging. Sixty one empirical studies were identified that investigated one of these forms of antisocial behaviour separately or explicitly compared childhood-onset and adolescence-onset forms of antisocial behaviour. ResultsEmpirical research provides support for the hypothesis that life-course persistent antisocial behaviour is a neurodevelopmental disorder which emerges in the transactions between individual vulnerabilities and environmental adversity. In contrast to the developmental taxonomic theory, however, empirical findings suggest that severe antisocial behaviour that emerges in adolescence frequently has a negative prognosis and is rarely limited to the adolescent period. In addition, both forms of antisocial behaviour are associated with emotion processing deficits, changes in brain structure and function, alterations in cortisol secretion, and atypical personality traits (such as increased callous-unemotional traits). ConclusionsWe conclude that the developmental taxonomic theory is in need of revision, as differences between life-course persistent and adolescence-onset forms of antisocial behaviour appear to be

Metabolite Profiling Reveals Developmental Inequalities in Pinot Noir Berry Tissues Late in Ripening.

PubMed

Vondras, Amanda M; Commisso, Mauro; Guzzo, Flavia; Deluc, Laurent G

2017-01-01

Uneven ripening in Vitis vinifera is increasingly recognized as a phenomenon of interest, with substantial implications for fruit and wine composition and quality. This study sought to determine whether variation late in ripening (∼Modified Eichhorn-Lorenz stage 39) was associated with developmental differences that were observable as fruits within a cluster initiated ripening (véraison). Four developmentally distinct ripening classes of berries were tagged at cluster véraison, sampled at three times late in ripening, and subjected to untargeted HPLC-MS to measure variation in amino acids, sugars, organic acids, and phenolic metabolites in skin, pulp, and seed tissues separately. Variability was described using predominantly two strategies. In the first, multivariate analysis (Orthogonal Projections to Latent Structures-Discriminant Analysis, OPLS-DA) was used to determine whether fruits were still distinguishable per their developmental position at véraison and to identify which metabolites accounted for these distinctions. The same technique was used to assess changes in each tissue over time. In a second strategy and for each annotated metabolite, the variance across the ripening classes at each time point was measured to show whether intra-cluster variance (ICV) was growing, shrinking, or constant over the period observed. Indeed, berries could be segregated by OPLS-DA late in ripening based on their developmental position at véraison, though the four ripening classes were aggregated into two larger ripening groups. Further, not all tissues were dynamic over the period examined. Although pulp tissues could be segregated by time sampled, this was not true for seed and only moderately so for skin. Ripening group differences in seed and skin, rather than the time fruit was sampled, were better able to define berries. Metabolites also experienced significant reductions in ICV between single pairs of time points, but never across the entire experiment

Translating Developmental Origins: Improving the Health of Women and Their Children Using a Sustainable Approach to Behaviour Change.

PubMed

Barker, Mary; Baird, Janis; Tinati, Tannaze; Vogel, Christina; Strömmer, Sofia; Rose, Taylor; Begum, Rufia; Jarman, Megan; Davies, Jenny; Thompson, Sue; Taylor, Liz; Inskip, Hazel; Cooper, Cyrus; Nutbeam, Don; Lawrence, Wendy

2017-03-20

Theories of the developmental origins of health and disease imply that optimising the growth and development of babies is an essential route to improving the health of populations. A key factor in the growth of babies is the nutritional status of their mothers. Since women from more disadvantaged backgrounds have poorer quality diets and the worst pregnancy outcomes, they need to be a particular focus. The behavioural sciences have made a substantial contribution to the development of interventions to support dietary changes in disadvantaged women. Translation of such interventions into routine practice is an ideal that is rarely achieved, however. This paper illustrates how re-orientating health and social care services towards an empowerment approach to behaviour change might underpin a new developmental focus to improving long-term health, using learning from a community-based intervention to improve the diets and lifestyles of disadvantaged women. The Southampton Initiative for Health aimed to improve the diets and lifestyles of women of child-bearing age through training health and social care practitioners in skills to support behaviour change. Analysis illustrates the necessary steps in mounting such an intervention: building trust; matching agendas and changing culture. The Southampton Initiative for Health demonstrates that developing sustainable; workable interventions and effective community partnerships; requires commitment beginning long before intervention delivery but is key to the translation of developmental origins research into improvements in human health.

[Developmental disorders in children and adolescents of the Los Ríos region, Valdivia, Chile, 2006-2008].

PubMed

Guzmán C, Maria L; Guzmán C, Sergio F; Guzmán, Maria E; Marín, Fransisco; Remolcois, Elisabeth; Gallardo, Andrés; Rozas, Néstor; Urra, Edmundo; Rojas, Fabián

2015-01-01

To study possible findings of factors in the antenatal, perinatal or postnatal period, in the mother or the child that may have an influence on the appearance of a developmental disorder. A Data Base of Clinical Histories from every patient with a developmental disorder (F80-F90 ICD10) was created. The patients attended the Child Psychiatric Unit at Hospital Regional of Valdivia, Chile, from August 2006 to December 2008. Total: 493 patientes (48.7% of the total of patients consulting); 32 healthy patients. odds ratio (95% confidence). The main risk factors for developing a developmental disorder (P<.005, 25% frequency in the consulting population) are: prematurity, male sex, mother with low education, early hospitalizations, and medical illnesses (all with a significant odds ratio). Also, having a mother with psychiatric illness doubles the risk of having a developmental disorder. It requires an interdisciplinary collaborative work between neonatologists, obstetricians, child psychiatrists and the primary care to detect early children at risk. Copyright © 2015 Sociedad Chilena de Pediatría. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Developmental aspects of fear: Comparing the acquisition and generalization of conditioned fear in children and adults

PubMed Central

Schiele, Miriam A.; Reinhard, Julia; Reif, Andreas; Domschke, Katharina; Romanos, Marcel; Deckert, Jürgen

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Most research on human fear conditioning and its generalization has focused on adults whereas only little is known about these processes in children. Direct comparisons between child and adult populations are needed to determine developmental risk markers of fear and anxiety. We compared 267 children and 285 adults in a differential fear conditioning paradigm and generalization test. Skin conductance responses (SCR) and ratings of valence and arousal were obtained to indicate fear learning. Both groups displayed robust and similar differential conditioning on subjective and physiological levels. However, children showed heightened fear generalization compared to adults as indexed by higher arousal ratings and SCR to the generalization stimuli. Results indicate overgeneralization of conditioned fear as a developmental correlate of fear learning. The developmental change from a shallow to a steeper generalization gradient is likely related to the maturation of brain structures that modulate efficient discrimination between danger and (ambiguous) safety cues. © 2016 The Authors. Developmental Psychobiology Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 58: 471–481, 2016. PMID:26798984

47 CFR 80.391 - Frequencies for developmental stations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... developmental stations. (a) Ship and shore stations engaged in developmental operations may be assigned any... following frequency bands are also assignable to ships and coast stations for developmental operations: Ship... are assignable for developmental operations at ship and shore radiolocation stations if their...

47 CFR 80.391 - Frequencies for developmental stations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... developmental stations. (a) Ship and shore stations engaged in developmental operations may be assigned any... following frequency bands are also assignable to ships and coast stations for developmental operations: Ship... are assignable for developmental operations at ship and shore radiolocation stations if their...

47 CFR 80.391 - Frequencies for developmental stations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... developmental stations. (a) Ship and shore stations engaged in developmental operations may be assigned any... following frequency bands are also assignable to ships and coast stations for developmental operations: Ship... are assignable for developmental operations at ship and shore radiolocation stations if their...

Using metaphor to translate the science of resilience and developmental outcomes.

PubMed

Kendall-Taylor, Nathaniel; Haydon, Abigail

2016-07-01

Developmental scientists have used a variety of linguistic devices to communicate the science of resilience, but their effectiveness at improving understanding and expanding support for evidence-based social policies has not been empirically tested. We describe the process of developing, testing, and refining an Explanatory Metaphor to communicate the science of resilience to the public and policymakers. We argue that public understanding is key to bridging the research-to-practice divide and that communications is a social science endeavor in its own right that requires careful empirical research. © The Author(s) 2014.

Early Influences and Later Outcomes Associated With Developmental Trajectories of Eriksonian Fidelity

PubMed Central

Brittian, Aerika S.; Lerner, Richard M.

2014-01-01

Although Eriksonian theory suggests that adolescents’ sense of fidelity is a key component of healthy development, research on this psychosocial construct has been limited. The current study developed an index of youth fidelity, examined the developmental course of this construct, explored the influence of contextual factors on different fidelity trajectories, and tested if trajectories were associated with later indicators of adolescents’ positive development. Participants included 1,941 ethnically diverse youth (61% female) participants in the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development who were recruited from schools and youth development programs across the United States. Results suggested that three types of developmental trajectories existed among youth: high and increasing, moderate and increasing, and low and decreasing. Fidelity group membership varied in relation to social relationships and psychosocial and behavioral characteristics (i.e., contribution, substance use, and delinquency). Girls were more likely than boys to be in the highest fidelity trajectories. Directions for future research and implications for enhancing the thriving of adolescents are discussed. PMID:22545838

Interactive augmented reality using Scratch 2.0 to improve physical activities for children with developmental disabilities.

PubMed

Lin, Chien-Yu; Chang, Yu-Ming

2015-02-01

This study uses a body motion interactive game developed in Scratch 2.0 to enhance the body strength of children with disabilities. Scratch 2.0, using an augmented-reality function on a program platform, creates real world and virtual reality displays at the same time. This study uses a webcam integration that tracks movements and allows participants to interact physically with the project, to enhance the motivation of children with developmental disabilities to perform physical activities. This study follows a single-case research using an ABAB structure, in which A is the baseline and B is the intervention. The experimental period was 2 months. The experimental results demonstrated that the scores for 3 children with developmental disabilities increased considerably during the intervention phrases. The developmental applications of these results are also discussed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Developmental transcriptome analysis and identification of genes involved in formation of intestinal air-breathing function of Dojo loach, Misgurnus anguillicaudatus

PubMed Central

Luo, Weiwei; Cao, Xiaojuan; Xu, Xiuwen; Huang, Songqian; Liu, Chuanshu; Tomljanovic, Tea

2016-01-01

Dojo loach, Misgurnus anguillicaudatus is a freshwater fish species of the loach family Cobitidae, using its posterior intestine as an accessory air-breathing organ. Little is known about the molecular regulatory mechanisms in the formation of intestinal air-breathing function of M. anguillicaudatus. Here high-throughput sequencing of mRNAs was performed from six developmental stages of posterior intestine of M. anguillicaudatus: 4-Dph (days post hatch) group, 8-Dph group, 12-Dph group, 20-Dph group, 40-Dph group and Oyd (one-year-old) group. These six libraries were assembled into 81300 unigenes. Totally 40757 unigenes were annotated. Subsequently, 35291 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were scanned among different developmental stages and clustered into 20 gene expression profiles. Finally, 15 key pathways and 25 key genes were mined, providing potential targets for candidate gene selection involved in formation of intestinal air-breathing function in M. anguillicaudatus. This is the first report of developmental transcriptome of posterior intestine in M. anguillicaudatus, offering a substantial contribution to the sequence resources for this species and providing a deep insight into the formation mechanism of its intestinal air-breathing function. This report demonstrates that M. anguillicaudatus is a good model for studies to identify and characterize the molecular basis of accessory air-breathing organ development in fish. PMID:27545457

Value transmissions between parents and children: gender and developmental phase as transmission belts.

PubMed

Roest, Annette M C; Dubas, Judith Semon; Gerris, Jan R M

2010-02-01

This study applied the gender role model of socialization theory, the developmental aging theory, and the topic salience perspective to the investigation of parent-child value transmissions. Specifically, we examined whether the bi-directionality and selectivity of value transmissions differed as a function of parents' and children's gender and children's developmental phase (adolescence versus emerging adulthood). Transmissions between parents and children from 402 Dutch families on the topics of work as duty and hedonism were studied across a 5-year period using structural equation modeling. As expected, we did not find convincing support for the general models of gender socialization and developmental aging. Instead, parent-child value transmissions appeared to be qualified by value salience. Particularly, high salience of work as duty for fathers was related with great paternal involvement in transmissions on this value orientation and high salience of hedonism for sons and adolescents was linked to transmissions from these groups to parents. Copyright (c) 2009 The Association for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The never-ending story: from pluripotency to plant developmental plasticity

PubMed Central

Gaillochet, Christophe; Lohmann, Jan U.

2015-01-01

Plants are sessile organisms, some of which can live for over a thousand years. Unlike most animals, plants employ a post-embryonic mode of development driven by the continuous activity of pluripotent stem cells. Consequently, plants are able to initiate new organs over extended periods of time, and many species can readily replace lost body structures by de novo organogenesis. Classical studies have also shown that plant tissues have a remarkable capacity to undergo de-differentiation and proliferation in vitro, highlighting the fact that plant cell fate is highly plastic. This suggests that the mechanisms regulating fate transitions must be continuously active in most plant cells and that the control of cellular pluripotency lies at the core of diverse developmental programs. Here, we review how pluripotency is established in plant stem cell systems, how it is maintained during development and growth and re-initiated during regeneration, and how these mechanisms eventually contribute to the amazing developmental plasticity of plants. PMID:26130755

Factors associated with mouth breathing in children with -developmental -disabilities.

PubMed

de Castilho, Lia Silva; Abreu, Mauro Henrique Nogueira Guimarães; de Oliveira, Renata Batista; Souza E Silva, Maria Elisa; Resende, Vera Lúcia Silva

2016-01-01

To investigate the prevalence and factors associated with mouth breathing among patients with developmental disabilities of a dental service. We analyzed 408 dental records. Mouth breathing was reported by the patients' parents and from direct observation. Other variables were as -follows: history of asthma, bronchitis, palate shape, pacifier use, thumb -sucking, nail biting, use of medications, gastroesophageal reflux, bruxism, gender, age, and diagnosis of the patient. Statistical analysis included descriptive analysis with ratio calculation and multiple logistic regression. Variables with p < 0.25 were included in the model to estimate the adjusted OR (95% CI), calculated by the forward stepwise method. Variables with p ​​< 0.05 were kept in the model. Being male (p = 0.016) and use of centrally acting drugs (p = 0.001) were the variables that remained in the model. Among patients with -developmental disabilities, boys and psychotropic drug users had a greater chance of being mouth breathers. © 2016 Special Care Dentistry Association and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effects of gas periodic stimulation on key enzyme activity in gas double-dynamic solid state fermentation (GDD-SSF).

PubMed

Chen, Hongzhang; Shao, Meixue; Li, Hongqiang

2014-03-05

The heat and mass transfer have been proved to be the important factors in air pressure pulsation for cellulase production. However, as process of enzyme secretion, the cellulase formation has not been studied in the view of microorganism metabolism and metabolic key enzyme activity under air pressure pulsation condition. Two fermentation methods in ATPase activity, cellulase productivity, weight lose rate and membrane permeability were systematically compared. Results indicated that gas double-dynamic solid state fermentation had no obviously effect on cell membrane permeability. However, the relation between ATPase activity and weight loss rate was linearly dependent with r=0.9784. Meanwhile, the results also implied that gas periodic stimulation had apparently strengthened microbial metabolism through increasing ATPase activity during gas double-dynamic solid state fermentation, resulting in motivating the production of cellulase by Trichoderma reesei YG3. Therefore, the increase of ATPase activity would be another crucial factor to strengthen fermentation process for cellulase production under gas double-dynamic solid state fermentation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

47 CFR 101.413 - Developmental report required.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 5 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Developmental report required. 101.413 Section 101.413 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND SPECIAL RADIO SERVICES FIXED MICROWAVE SERVICES Developmental Authorizations § 101.413 Developmental report required. (a...

47 CFR 101.413 - Developmental report required.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Developmental report required. 101.413 Section 101.413 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND SPECIAL RADIO SERVICES FIXED MICROWAVE SERVICES Developmental Authorizations § 101.413 Developmental report required. (a...

47 CFR 101.413 - Developmental report required.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Developmental report required. 101.413 Section 101.413 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND SPECIAL RADIO SERVICES FIXED MICROWAVE SERVICES Developmental Authorizations § 101.413 Developmental report required. (a...

Developmental Timing of Trauma Exposure Relative to Puberty and the Nature of Psychopathology Among Adolescent Girls.

PubMed

Marshall, Amy D

2016-01-01

Increased neuroplasticity and neural development during puberty provide a context for which stress and trauma can have dramatic and long-lasting effects on psychological systems; therefore, this study was designed to determine whether exposure to potentially traumatic events during puberty uniquely predicts adolescent girls' psychopathology. Because neural substrates associated with different forms of psychopathology seemingly develop at different rates, the possibility that the developmental timing of trauma relative to puberty predicts the nature of psychopathology (posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD], depressive, and anxiety disorders) was examined. A subset of 2,899 adolescent girls from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication-Adolescent Supplement who completed the study 2+ years postmenarche was selected. Past-year psychiatric disorders and reports of age of trauma exposure were assessed using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Developmental stages were defined as the 2 years after the year of menarche ("postpuberty"), 3 years before and year of menarche ("puberty"), 2 to 6 years before the puberty period ("grade school"), and 4 to 5 years after birth ("infancy-preschool"). Compared to other developmental periods, trauma during puberty conferred significantly more risk (50.47% of model R(2)) for girls' past-year anxiety disorder diagnoses (primarily social phobia), whereas trauma during the grade school period conferred significantly more risk (47.24% of model R(2)) for past-year depressive disorder diagnoses. Recency of trauma best predicted past-year PTSD diagnoses. Supporting rodent models, puberty may be a sensitive period for the impact of trauma on girls' development of an anxiety disorder. Trauma prepuberty or postpuberty distinctly predicts depression or PTSD, suggesting differential etiological processes. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The right time to happen: play developmental divergence in the two Pan species.

PubMed

Palagi, Elisabetta; Cordoni, Giada

2012-01-01

Bonobos, compared to chimpanzees, are highly motivated to play as adults. Therefore, it is interesting to compare the two species at earlier developmental stages to determine how and when these differences arise. We measured and compared some play parameters between the two species including frequency, number of partners (solitary, dyadic, and polyadic play), session length, and escalation into overt aggression. Since solitary play has a role in developing cognitive and physical skills, it is not surprising that chimpanzees and bonobos share similar developmental trajectories in the motivation to engage in this activity. The striking divergence in play developmental pathways emerged for social play. Infants of the two species showed comparable social play levels, which began to diverge during the juvenile period, a 'timing hotspot' for play development. Compared to chimpanzees, social play sessions in juvenile bonobos escalated less frequently into overt aggression, lasted longer, and frequently involved more than two partners concurrently (polyadic play). In this view, play fighting in juvenile bonobos seems to maintain a cooperative mood, whereas in juvenile chimpanzees it acquires more competitive elements. The retention of juvenile traits into adulthood typical of bonobos can be due to a developmental delay in social inhibition. Our findings show that the divergence of play ontogenetic pathways between the two Pan species and the relative emergence of play neotenic traits in bonobos can be detected before individuals reach sexual maturity. The high play motivation showed by adult bonobos compared to chimpanzees is probably the result of a long developmental process, rooted in the delicate transitional phase, which leads subjects from infancy to juvenility.

Students Negotiating and Designing Their Collaborative Learning Norms: A Group Developmental Perspective in Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hod, Yotam; Ben-Zvi, Dani

2015-01-01

This research shows how participants in classroom learning communities (LCs) come to take responsibility over designing their collaborative learning norms. Taking a micro-developmental perspective within a graduate-level course, we examined fine-grained changes in group discourse during a period of rapid change where this responsibility taking…

Interoception and psychopathology: A developmental neuroscience perspective.

PubMed

Murphy, Jennifer; Brewer, Rebecca; Catmur, Caroline; Bird, Geoffrey

2017-02-01

Interoception refers to the perception of the physiological condition of the body, including hunger, temperature, and heart rate. There is a growing appreciation that interoception is integral to higher-order cognition. Indeed, existing research indicates an association between low interoceptive sensitivity and alexithymia (a difficulty identifying one's own emotion), underscoring the link between bodily and emotional awareness. Despite this appreciation, the developmental trajectory of interoception across the lifespan remains under-researched, with clear gaps in our understanding. This qualitative review and opinion paper provides a brief overview of interoception, discussing its relevance for developmental psychopathology, and highlighting measurement issues, before surveying the available work on interoception across four stages of development: infancy, childhood, adolescence and late adulthood. Where gaps in the literature addressing the development of interoception exist, we draw upon the association between alexithymia and interoception, using alexithymia as a possible marker of atypical interoception. Evidence indicates that interoceptive ability varies across development, and that this variance correlates with established age-related changes in cognition and with risk periods for the development of psychopathology. We suggest a theory within which atypical interoception underlies the onset of psychopathology and risky behaviour in adolescence, and the decreased socio-emotional competence observed in late adulthood. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Developmental trajectories of male physical violence and theft: relations to neurocognitive performance.

PubMed

Barker, Edward D; Séguin, Jean R; White, Helene Raskin; Bates, Marsha E; Lacourse, Eric; Carbonneau, René; Tremblay, Richard E

2007-05-01

Neurocognitive mechanisms have long been hypothesized to influence developmental trajectories of antisocial behavior. However, studies examining this association tend to aggregate a variety of problem behaviors that may be differently affected by neurocognitive deficits. To describe the developmental trajectories of physical violence and theft from adolescence to adulthood, their associations, and the neurocognitive characteristics of individuals following different patterns of trajectory association. Accelerated cohort-sequential, longitudinal design. Rutgers Health and Human Development Project. Six hundred ninety-eight men. Self-reports of physical violence (ages 12-24 years) and theft (ages 12-31 years) were collected across 5 waves. Neurocognitive performance was assessed with executive function and verbal IQ tests between late adolescence and early adulthood. The majority (55%) of subjects showed an increased frequency of theft during the study period, while only a minority (13%) evinced an increasing frequency of physical violence. Executive function and verbal IQ performance were negatively related to high frequency of physical violence but were unrelated to theft [corrected]. Developmental trajectories of physical violence and theft during adolescence and early adulthood are different and differently related to neurocognitive functioning. Global indexes of antisocial behavior mask the development of antisocial behavior subtypes and putative causal mechanisms.

Autoshaping of key pecking in pigeons with negative reinforcement.

PubMed

Rachlin, H

1969-07-01

Pigeons exposed to gradually increasing intensities of pulsing electric shock pecked a key and thereby reduced the intensity of shock to zero for 2 min. Acquisition of key pecking was brought about through an autoshaping process in which periodic brief keylight presentations immediately preceded automatic reduction of the shock. On the occasions of such automatic reduction of shock preceding the first measured key peck, little or no orientation to the key was observed. Observations of pigeons with autoshaping of positive reinforcement also revealed little evidence of orientation toward the key.

Food Preferences in Young Dutch Children and Recommendations for Feeding Intervention in Developmental Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deckers, Stijn R. J. M.; De Moor, Jan M. H.; Van der Burg, Jan J. W.

2011-01-01

Total and chronic food refusal (i.e., the refusal of all types of food during a prolonged period) in young children with developmental disabilities can be treated effectively using a combination of environmental interventions. However, no guidelines for the selection of food items to offer the child in these interventions are available. The aim of…

Developmental Odontogenic Cysts of Jaws: A Clinical Study of 245 Cases

PubMed Central

Yazdani, Javad; Kahnamouii, Shiva Solahaye

2009-01-01

Background and aims The aim of this study was to investigate the relative frequency of developmental odontogenic cysts in an Iranian population. Materials and methods In this study 245 cysts from both jaws, treated in the Faculty of Dentistry at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences during a 10-year period from 1998 to 2008, were analyzed in order to evaluate the incidence of such cysts. We had permission from all the patients. Case histories of 65% of male and 35% of female patients were analyzed. The age of the patients varied from 14 to 64 years, with an average of 33.21 ± 10.89. Results In this 10-year study of odontogenic cysts, 97 cases were developmental odontogenic cysts with the following inci-dence: dentigerous cyst, 44%; odontogenic keratocyst, 36%; primordial cyst, 9%; Gorlin cyst, 2%; lateral periodontal cyst, 3%; eruption cyst, 3%; and gingival cyst, 3% (adults 2%, infants 1%). A total of 60% of the cysts were found in the mandible and 40% in the maxilla. Regarding the mandible, the molar region was involved in 47% of the cases, premolar region in 33% and anterior region in 20% (total = 100%). Regarding the maxilla, the canine-to-canine region was involved in 52% of the cases, premolar region in 20% and molar region in 28% (total = 100%). Conclusion An important finding in this study was the fact that 39% of the jaw cysts were developmental odontogenic cysts and the most common developmental odontogenic cysts were dentigerous cyst and OKC (odontogenic keratocyst). PMID:23230485

Young Children with Developmental Delays as Young Adults: Predicting Developmental and Personal-Social Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernheimer, Lucinda P.; Keogh, Barbara K.; Guthrie, Donald

2006-01-01

We report on a 20-year follow-up of 30 children with developmental delays identified at age 3. Our purpose was to assess the relationship of early indicators of delay to cognitive and personal-social status in young adulthood. Predictors were Developmental and Personal-Social factors derived from standardized tests and parent questionnaires…

Ecdysis period and rate deviations of dengue mosquito vector, Aedes aegypti reared in different artificial water-holding containers.

PubMed

Almanzor, Beatriz Louise J; Ho, Howell T; Carvajal, Thaddeus M

2016-03-01

Artificial water-holding containers (AWHCs) have been well-documented in many Aedes aegypti studies for dengue surveillance and developmental research. Hence, we investigated the role of different AHWCs on the development and ecdysis period of Ae. aegypti dengue vector, a container breeding mosquito. Nine types of AWHCs, namely glass, polystyrene foam, rubber, steel, porcelain, plastic, aluminum, clay and concrete, were chosen for the study. All AWHCs were subjected to the developmental assay for an observation period of 10 days. Regression and hazard analyses were employed to the developmental stages and the characteristics of the AWHCs. The observations revealed that Ae. aegypti development is fastest in glass and polystyrene containers while slowest in concrete containers. Moreover, pupal ecdysis appears to be the most affected by the characteristics of the AWHCs based on regression and hazard analyses. Characteristics of the container that can regulate water temperature seem to be the driving force with regards to the slow or fast development of Ae. aegypti, more notably in pupal ecdysis. The results of the study further strengthen our understanding on the dynamics of Ae. aegypti's developmental biology to different characteristics of artificial water containers. This, in turn, would aid in devising vector control strategies against dengue especially in endemic areas.

Developmental tumors and adjacent cortical dysplasia: single or dual pathology?

PubMed

Palmini, André; Paglioli, Eliseu; Silva, Vinicius Duval

2013-12-01

Developmental tumors often lead to refractory partial seizures and constitute a well-defined, surgically remediable epilepsy syndrome. Dysplastic features are often associated with these tumors, and their significance carries both practical and conceptual relevance. If associated focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) relates to the extent of the epileptogenic tissue, then presurgical evaluation and surgical strategies should target both the tumor and the surrounding dyslaminated cortex. Furthermore, the association has been included in the recently revised classification of FCD and the epileptogenicity of this associated dysplastic tissue is crucial to validate such revision. In addition to the possibility of representing dual pathology, the association of developmental tumors and adjacent dysplasia may instead represent a single developmental lesion with distinct parts distributed along a histopathologic continuum. Moreover, the possibility that this adjacent dyslamination is of minor epileptogenic relevance should also be entertained. Surgical data show that complete resection of the solid tumors and immediately adjacent tissue harboring satellites may disrupt epileptogenic networks and lead to high rates of seizure freedom, challenging the epileptogenic relevance of more extensive adjacent dyslaminated cortex. Whether the latter is a primary or secondary abnormality and whether dyslaminated cortex in the context of a second lesion may produce seizures after complete resection of the main lesion is still to be proven. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2013 International League Against Epilepsy.

Developmental origins of epigenetic transgenerational inheritance

PubMed Central

Hanson, Mark A.; Skinner, Michael K.

2016-01-01

Abstract Environmental factors can induce epigenetic alterations in the germ cells that can potentially be transmitted transgenerationally. This non-genetic form of inheritance is termed epigenetic transgenerational inheritance and has been shown in a variety of species including plants, flies, worms, fish, rodents, pigs, and humans. This phenomenon operates during specific critical windows of exposure, linked to the developmental biology of the germ cells (sperm and eggs). Therefore, concepts of the developmental origins of transgenerational inheritance of phenotypic variation and subsequent disease risk need to include epigenetic processes affecting the developmental biology of the germ cell. These developmental impacts on epigenetic transgenerational inheritance, in contrast to multigenerational exposures, are the focus of this Perspective. PMID:27390622

DEVELOPMENTAL CHANGES IN SEROTONIN SIGNALING: IMPLICATIONS FOR EARLY BRAIN FUNCTION, BEHAVIOR AND ADAPTATION

PubMed Central

BRUMMELTE, S.; GLANAGHY, E. MC; BONNIN, A.; OBERLANDER, T. F.

2017-01-01

The neurotransmitter serotonin (5-HT) plays a central role in brain development, regulation of mood, stress reactivity and risk of psychiatric disorders, and thus alterations in 5-HT signaling early in life have critical implications for behavior and mental health across the life span. Drawing on preclinical and emerging human evidence this narrative review paper will examine three key aspects when considering the consequences of early life changes in 5-HT: (1) developmental origins of variations of 5-HT signaling; (2) influence of genetic and epigenetic factors; and (3) preclinical and clinical consequences of 5-HT-related changes associated with antidepressant exposure (SSRIs). The developmental consequences of altered prenatal 5-HT signaling varies greatly and outcomes depend on an ongoing interplay between biological (genetic/epigenetic variations) and environmental factors, both pre and postnatally. Emerging evidence suggests that variations in 5-HT signaling may increase sensitivity to risky home environments, but may also amplify a positive response to a nurturing environment. In this sense, factors that change central 5-HT levels may act as ‘plasticity’ rather than ‘risk’ factors associated with developmental vulnerability. Understanding the impact of early changes in 5-HT levels offers critical insights that might explain the variations in early typical brain development that underlies behavioral risk. PMID:26905950

Which visual functions depend on intermediate visual regions? Insights from a case of developmental visual form agnosia.

PubMed

Gilaie-Dotan, Sharon

2016-03-01

A key question in visual neuroscience is the causal link between specific brain areas and perceptual functions; which regions are necessary for which visual functions? While the contribution of primary visual cortex and high-level visual regions to visual perception has been extensively investigated, the contribution of intermediate visual areas (e.g. V2/V3) to visual processes remains unclear. Here I review more than 20 visual functions (early, mid, and high-level) of LG, a developmental visual agnosic and prosopagnosic young adult, whose intermediate visual regions function in a significantly abnormal fashion as revealed through extensive fMRI and ERP investigations. While expectedly, some of LG's visual functions are significantly impaired, some of his visual functions are surprisingly normal (e.g. stereopsis, color, reading, biological motion). During the period of eight-year testing described here, LG trained on a perceptual learning paradigm that was successful in improving some but not all of his visual functions. Following LG's visual performance and taking into account additional findings in the field, I propose a framework for how different visual areas contribute to different visual functions, with an emphasis on intermediate visual regions. Thus, although rewiring and plasticity in the brain can occur during development to overcome and compensate for hindering developmental factors, LG's case seems to indicate that some visual functions are much less dependent on strict hierarchical flow than others, and can develop normally in spite of abnormal mid-level visual areas, thereby probably less dependent on intermediate visual regions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mental health difficulties in children with developmental coordination disorder.

PubMed

Lingam, Raghu; Jongmans, Marian J; Ellis, Matthew; Hunt, Linda P; Golding, Jean; Emond, Alan

2012-04-01

To explore the associations between probable developmental coordination disorder (DCD) defined at age 7 years and mental health difficulties at age 9 to 10 years. We analyzed of prospectively collected data (N = 6902) from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. "Probable" DCD was defined by using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision criteria as those children below the 15th centile of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children Coordination Test, with functional limitations in activities of daily living or handwriting, excluding children with neurologic difficulties or an IQ <70. Mental health was measured by using the child-reported Short Moods and Feelings Questionnaire and the parent-reported Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression models, with the use of multiple imputation to account for missing data, assessed the associations between probable DCD and mental health difficulties. Adjustments were made for environmental confounding factors, and potential mediating factors such as verbal IQ, associated developmental traits, bullying, self-esteem, and friendships. Children with probable DCD (N = 346) had an increased odds of self-reported depression, odds ratio: 2.08 (95% confidence interval: 1.36-3.19) and parent-reported mental health difficulties odds ratio: 4.23 (95% confidence interval: 3.10-5.77). The odds of mental health difficulties significantly decreased after accounting for verbal IQ, social communication, bullying, and self-esteem. Children with probable DCD had an increased risk of mental health difficulties that, in part, were mediated through associated developmental difficulties, low verbal IQ, poor self-esteem, and bullying. Prevention and treatment of mental health difficulties should be a key element of intervention for children with DCD.

[Contemporary cognitive theories about developmental dyscalculia].

PubMed

Castro-Cañizares, D; Estévez-Pérez, N; Reigosa-Crespo, V

To analyze the current theories describing the cognitive mechanisms underlying developmental dyscalculia. The four most researched hypotheses concerning the cognitive deficits related to developmental dyscalculia, as well as experimental evidences supporting or refusing them are presented. The first hypothesis states that developmental dyscalculia is consequence of domain general cognitive deficits. The second hypothesis suggests that it is due to a failure in the development of specialized brain systems dedicated to numerosity processing. The third hypothesis asserts the disorder is caused by a deficit in accessing quantity representation through numerical symbols. The last hypothesis states developmental dyscalculia appears as a consequence of impairments in a generalized magnitude system dedicated to the processing of continuous and discrete magnitudes. None of the hypotheses has been proven more plausible than the rest. Relevant issues rose by them need to be revisited and answered in the light of new experimental designs. In the last years the understanding of cognitive disorders involved in developmental dyscalculia has remarkably increased, but it is nonetheless insufficient. Additional research is required in order to achieve a comprehensive cognitive model of numerical processing development and its disorders. This will improve the diagnostic precision and the effectiveness of developmental dyscalculia intervention strategies.

Emplotting children's lives: developmental delay vs. disability.

PubMed

Landsman, Gail

2003-05-01

While it is increasingly possible to envision "perfect" babies, it is not always the case that reproduction actually proceeds according to individual will; for example, there has been no recent reduction in rates of childhood disability. Nevertheless, in most studies of new reproductive technologies, the birth of those children whom few would actively choose-"defective" or disabled infants-is presented only in hypothetical terms. This paper argues for expanding the domain of reproduction to include research on the parenting of children with disabilities. Based on a qualitative research project carried out at a hospital-based newborn follow-up program that serves as an evaluation site determining eligibility for early intervention services for infants and young children with disabilities, this paper focuses on a particular part of women's experience of acquiring new knowledge about personhood and disability, that is, on the period of time when a woman has recently had confirmed that reproduction has, in her case, gone awry. Disability in many cultures, including the United States, diminishes personhood. I suggest that American mothers' narratives, by utilizing the concept of developmental delay, can assert personhood, or rather, the potential for its future attainment; in doing so, they justify ongoing nurturance of a disabled child in spite of negative attitudes about disability. A particular case of one mother's emplotment of her child's life within a story of developmental delay, in competition with the physician's story of disability, is analyzed. The paper concludes with reflections on how stories of developmental delay told by mothers just encountering a diagnosis of disability may differ from the stories told by those who have experienced mothering a disabled child over time, and on the implications of these differences for the cultural construction of personhood in the United States.

Maternal Locus of Control and Developmental Gain Demonstrated by High Risk Infants: A Longitudinal Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maisto, Albert A.; German, Michael L.

1981-01-01

Short- and long-term effects of a parent-infant training program for biologically handicapped infants was evaluated in terms of maternal locus of control. Results indicated that maternal locus of control accounted for a substantial portion of the variance in the infants' developmental gains following the program intervention period. (Author/RH)

Epigenetic stress responses induce muscle stem-cell ageing by Hoxa9 developmental signals.

PubMed

Schwörer, Simon; Becker, Friedrich; Feller, Christian; Baig, Ali H; Köber, Ute; Henze, Henriette; Kraus, Johann M; Xin, Beibei; Lechel, André; Lipka, Daniel B; Varghese, Christy S; Schmidt, Manuel; Rohs, Remo; Aebersold, Ruedi; Medina, Kay L; Kestler, Hans A; Neri, Francesco; von Maltzahn, Julia; Tümpel, Stefan; Rudolph, K Lenhard

2016-12-15

The functionality of stem cells declines during ageing, and this decline contributes to ageing-associated impairments in tissue regeneration and function. Alterations in developmental pathways have been associated with declines in stem-cell function during ageing, but the nature of this process remains poorly understood. Hox genes are key regulators of stem cells and tissue patterning during embryogenesis with an unknown role in ageing. Here we show that the epigenetic stress response in muscle stem cells (also known as satellite cells) differs between aged and young mice. The alteration includes aberrant global and site-specific induction of active chromatin marks in activated satellite cells from aged mice, resulting in the specific induction of Hoxa9 but not other Hox genes. Hoxa9 in turn activates several developmental pathways and represents a decisive factor that separates satellite cell gene expression in aged mice from that in young mice. The activated pathways include most of the currently known inhibitors of satellite cell function in ageing muscle, including Wnt, TGFβ, JAK/STAT and senescence signalling. Inhibition of aberrant chromatin activation or deletion of Hoxa9 improves satellite cell function and muscle regeneration in aged mice, whereas overexpression of Hoxa9 mimics ageing-associated defects in satellite cells from young mice, which can be rescued by the inhibition of Hoxa9-targeted developmental pathways. Together, these data delineate an altered epigenetic stress response in activated satellite cells from aged mice, which limits satellite cell function and muscle regeneration by Hoxa9-dependent activation of developmental pathways.

Trisomy 21 and Facial Developmental Instability

PubMed Central

Starbuck, John M.; Cole, Theodore M.; Reeves, Roger H.; Richtsmeier, Joan T.

2013-01-01

The most common live-born human aneuploidy is trisomy 21, which causes Down syndrome (DS). Dosage imbalance of genes on chromosome 21 (Hsa21) affects complex gene-regulatory interactions and alters development to produce a wide range of phenotypes, including characteristic facial dysmorphology. Little is known about how trisomy 21 alters craniofacial morphogenesis to create this characteristic appearance. Proponents of the “amplified developmental instability” hypothesis argue that trisomy 21 causes a generalized genetic imbalance that disrupts evolutionarily conserved developmental pathways by decreasing developmental homeostasis and precision throughout development. Based on this model, we test the hypothesis that DS faces exhibit increased developmental instability relative to euploid individuals. Developmental instability was assessed by a statistical analysis of fluctuating asymmetry. We compared the magnitude and patterns of fluctuating asymmetry among siblings using three-dimensional coordinate locations of 20 anatomic landmarks collected from facial surface reconstructions in four age-matched samples ranging from 4 to 12 years: 1) DS individuals (n=55); 2) biological siblings of DS individuals (n=55); 3) and 4) two samples of typically developing individuals (n=55 for each sample), who are euploid siblings and age-matched to the DS individuals and their euploid siblings (samples 1 and 2). Identification in the DS sample of facial prominences exhibiting increased fluctuating asymmetry during facial morphogenesis provides evidence for increased developmental instability in DS faces. We found the highest developmental instability in facial structures derived from the mandibular prominence and lowest in facial regions derived from the frontal prominence. PMID:23505010

Developmental plasticity of growth and digestive efficiency in dependence of early-life food availability

PubMed Central

Kotrschal, Alexander; Szidat, Sönke; Taborsky, Barbara

2014-01-01

Nutrition is a potent mediator of developmental plasticity. If food is scarce, developing organisms may invest into growth to outgrow size-dependent mortality (short-term benefit) and/or into an efficient digestion system (long-term benefit). We investigated this potential trade-off, by determining the influence of food availability on juvenile body and organ growth, and on adult digestive efficiency in the cichlid fish Simochromis pleurospilus. We reared two groups of fish at constant high or low food rations, and we switched four other groups between these two rations at an early and late juvenile period. We measured juvenile growth and organ sizes at different developmental stages and determined adult digestive efficiency. Fish kept at constant, high rations grew considerably faster than low-food fish. Nevertheless, S. pleurospilus partly buffered the negative effects of low food availability by developing heavier digestive organs, and they were therefore more efficient in digesting their food as adults. Results of fish exposed to a ration switch during either the early or late juvenile period suggest (i) that the ability to show compensatory growth after early exposure to low food availability persists during the juvenile period, (ii) that digestive efficiency is influenced by varying juvenile food availability during the late juvenile phase and (iii) that the efficiency of the adult digestive system is correlated with the growth rate during a narrow time window of juvenile period. PMID:25866430

A strategy to apply quantitative epistasis analysis on developmental traits.

PubMed

Labocha, Marta K; Yuan, Wang; Aleman-Meza, Boanerges; Zhong, Weiwei

2017-05-15

Genetic interactions are keys to understand complex traits and evolution. Epistasis analysis is an effective method to map genetic interactions. Large-scale quantitative epistasis analysis has been well established for single cells. However, there is a substantial lack of such studies in multicellular organisms and their complex phenotypes such as development. Here we present a method to extend quantitative epistasis analysis to developmental traits. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, we applied RNA interference on mutants to inactivate two genes, used an imaging system to quantitatively measure phenotypes, and developed a set of statistical methods to extract genetic interactions from phenotypic measurement. Using two different C. elegans developmental phenotypes, body length and sex ratio, as examples, we showed that this method could accommodate various metazoan phenotypes with performances comparable to those methods in single cell growth studies. Comparing with qualitative observations, this method of quantitative epistasis enabled detection of new interactions involving subtle phenotypes. For example, several sex-ratio genes were found to interact with brc-1 and brd-1, the orthologs of the human breast cancer genes BRCA1 and BARD1, respectively. We confirmed the brc-1 interactions with the following genes in DNA damage response: C34F6.1, him-3 (ortholog of HORMAD1, HORMAD2), sdc-1, and set-2 (ortholog of SETD1A, SETD1B, KMT2C, KMT2D), validating the effectiveness of our method in detecting genetic interactions. We developed a reliable, high-throughput method for quantitative epistasis analysis of developmental phenotypes.

The developmental race between maturing host plants and their butterfly herbivore - the influence of phenological matching and temperature.

PubMed

Posledovich, Diana; Toftegaard, Tenna; Wiklund, Christer; Ehrlén, Johan; Gotthard, Karl

2015-11-01

Interactions between herbivorous insects and their host plants that are limited in time are widespread. Therefore, many insect-plant interactions result in a developmental race, where herbivores need to complete their development before plants become unsuitable, while plants strive to minimize damage from herbivores by outgrowing them. When spring phenologies of interacting species change asymmetrically in response to climate warming, there will be a change in the developmental state of host plants at the time of insect herbivore emergence. In combination with altered temperatures during the subsequent developmental period, this is likely to affect interaction strength as well as fitness of interacting species. Here, we experimentally explore whether the combined effect of phenological matching and thermal conditions influence the outcome of an insect-host interaction. We manipulated both developmental stages of the host plants at the start of the interaction and temperature during the subsequent developmental period in a model system of a herbivorous butterfly, Anthocharis cardamines, and five of its Brassicaceae host plant species. Larval performance characteristics were favoured by earlier stages of host plants at oviposition as well as by higher developmental temperatures on most of the host species. The probability of a larva needing a second host plant covered the full range from no influence of either phenological matching or temperature to strong effects of both factors, and complex interactions between them. The probability of a plant outgrowing a larva was dependent only on the species identity. This study demonstrates that climatic variation can influence the outcome of consumer-resource interactions in multiple ways and that its effects differ among host plant species. Therefore, climate warming is likely to change the temporal match between larval and plant development in some plant species, but not in the others. This is likely to have important

Developmentally Appropriate Peace Education Curricula

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewsader, Joellen; Myers-Walls, Judith A.

2017-01-01

Peace education has been offered to children for decades, but those curricula have been only minimally guided by children's developmental stages and needs. In this article, the authors apply their research on children's developmental understanding of peace along with peace education principles and Vygotsky's sociocultural theory to present…

Developmental Kindergarten Program Evaluation Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blois, George T.; Cushing, Katherine S.

The evaluation of the Developmental Kindergarten (DK) Program at the Harrison School District #2, Colorado Springs, Colorado, involved pre- and post-testing of student academic gains and interviewing of principals and teachers. The program aimed to provide developmentally appropriate activities for students believed to be "at risk" of…

Female Overweight and Obesity in Adolescence: Developmental Trends and Ethnic Differences in Prevalence, Incidence, and Remission

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huh, David; Stice, Eric; Shaw, Heather; Boutelle, Kerri

2012-01-01

Despite substantial increases in the prevalence of adolescent overweight and obesity documented in recent decades, few studies have prospectively tracked their development during the entire adolescent period. The aims of this study were to characterize developmental trends in prevalence, incidence, and remission of overweight and obesity using…

A Prospective Cohort Study Comparing Workload in Children with and without Developmental Coordination Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rivilis, Irina; Liu, Jian; Cairney, John; Hay, John A.; Klentrou, Panagiota; Faught, Brent E.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this prospective cohort study was to assess how cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) of children with probable developmental coordination disorder (DCD) changes over a period of 4.7 years relative to a group of typically developing controls. A school-based sample of children in a large region of Ontario, Canada with 75 out of a possible…

Public Expenditures for Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities in the United States: State Profiles.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Braddock, David; And Others

Part of a study of the state-federal fiscal structure in developmental disabilities, the report presents detailed state-by-state expenditure data for FY 1977-84. The first section graphically presents expenditure data aggregated across the 50 states and the District of Columbia for the 8-year period. Six subsections in this first part present (1)…

Developmental Assets and the Middle School Counselor

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scales, Peter C.

2005-01-01

Search Institute has identified 40 Developmental Assets[TM] that are building blocks of healthy development and success for children and adolescents. Young people's experience of most of these developmental assets declines over the middle school years. In this article, research is described showing the prevalence and impact of developmental assets…

Developmental Milestones in Toddlers with Atypical Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horovitz, Max; Matson, Johnny L.

2011-01-01

The attainment of developmental milestones was examined and compared in 162 infants and toddlers with developmental disabilities, including Down Syndrome (n = 26), Cerebral Palsy (n = 19), Global Developmental Delay (n = 22), Premature birth (n = 66), and Seizure Disorder (n = 29). Toddlers in the Seizures Disorder group began crawling at a…

Developmental biology, the stem cell of biological disciplines.

PubMed

Gilbert, Scott F

2017-12-01

Developmental biology (including embryology) is proposed as "the stem cell of biological disciplines." Genetics, cell biology, oncology, immunology, evolutionary mechanisms, neurobiology, and systems biology each has its ancestry in developmental biology. Moreover, developmental biology continues to roll on, budding off more disciplines, while retaining its own identity. While its descendant disciplines differentiate into sciences with a restricted set of paradigms, examples, and techniques, developmental biology remains vigorous, pluripotent, and relatively undifferentiated. In many disciplines, especially in evolutionary biology and oncology, the developmental perspective is being reasserted as an important research program.

Developmental estrogen exposures and disruptions to maternal behavior and brain: Effects of ethinyl estradiol, a common positive control.

PubMed

Catanese, Mary C; Vandenberg, Laura N

2017-11-07

Due of its structural similarity to the endogenous estrogen 17β-estradiol (E2), the synthetic estrogen 17α-ethinyl estradiol (EE2) is widely used to study the effects of estrogenic substances on sensitive organs at multiple stages of development. Here, we investigated the effects of EE2 on maternal behavior and the maternal brain in females exposed during gestation and the perinatal period. We assessed several components of maternal behavior including nesting behavior and pup retrieval; characterized the expression of estrogen receptor (ER)α in the medial preoptic area (MPOA), a brain region critical for the display of maternal behavior; and measured expression of tyrosine hydroxylase, a marker for dopaminergic cells, in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), a brain region important in maternal motivation. We found that developmental exposure to EE2 induces subtle effects on several aspects of maternal behavior including time building the nest and time spent engaged in self-care. Developmental exposure to EE2 also altered ERα expression in the central MPOA during both early and late lactation and led to significantly reduced tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity in the VTA. Our results demonstrate both dose- and postpartum stage-related effects of developmental exposure to EE2 on behavior and brain that manifest later in adulthood, during the maternal period. These findings provide further evidence for effects of exposure to exogenous estrogenic compounds during the critical periods of fetal and perinatal development. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Developmental Dyspraxia

MedlinePlus

... disorder may be of average or above average intelligence, they may behave immaturely. × Definition Developmental dyspraxia is ... disorder may be of average or above average intelligence, they may behave immaturely. View Full Definition Treatment ...

Developmental toxicology: adequacy of current methods.

PubMed

Peters, P W

1998-01-01

Toxicology embraces several disciplines such as carcinogenicity, mutagenicity and reproductive toxicity. Reproductive toxicology is concerned with possible effects of substances on the reproductive process, i.e. on sexual organs and their functions, endocrine regulation, fertilization, transport of the fertilized ovum, implantation, and embryonic, fetal and postnatal development, until the end-differentiation of the organs is achieved. Reproductive toxicology is divided into areas related to male and female fertility, and developmental toxicology. Developmental toxicology can be further broken down into prenatal and postnatal toxicology. Today, much new information is available about the origins of developmental disorders resulting from chemical exposure. While these findings seem to promise important new developments in methodology and research, there is a danger of losing sight of the precepts and principles established in the light of existing knowledge. There is also a danger that we may fail to correct shortcomings in our existing procedures and practice. The aim of this presentation is to emphasize the importance of testing substances for their impact in advance of their use and to underline that we must use the best existing tools for carrying out risk assessments. Moreover, it needs to be stressed that there are many substances that are never assessed with respect to reproductive and developmental toxicity. Similarly, our programmes for post-marketing surveillance with respect to developmental toxicology are grossly inadequate. Our ability to identify risks to normal development and reproduction would be much improved, first if a number of straightforward precepts were always followed and second, if we had a clearer understanding of what we mean by risk and acceptable levels of risk in the context of development. Other aims of this paper are: to stress the complexity of the different stages of normal prenatal development; to note the principles that are

Species diversity vs. morphological disparity in the light of evolutionary developmental biology

PubMed Central

Minelli, Alessandro

2016-01-01

Background Two indicators of a clade’s success are its diversity (number of included species) and its disparity (extent of morphospace occupied by its members). Many large genera show high diversity with low disparity, while others such as Euphorbia and Drosophila are highly diverse but also exhibit high disparity. The largest genera are often characterized by key innovations that often, but not necessarily, coincide with their diagnostic apomorphies. In terms of their contribution to speciation, apomorphies are either permissive (e.g. flightlessness) or generative (e.g. nectariferous spurs). Scope Except for Drosophila, virtually no genus among those with the highest diversity or disparity includes species currently studied as model species in developmental genetics or evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo). An evo-devo approach is, however, potentially important to understand how diversity and disparity could rapidly increase in the largest genera currently accepted by taxonomists. The most promising directions for future research and a set of key questions to be addressed are presented in this review. Conclusions From an evo-devo perspective, the evolution of clades with high diversity and/or disparity can be addressed from three main perspectives: (1) evolvability, in terms of release from previous constraints and of the presence of genetic or developmental conditions favouring multiple parallel occurrences of a given evolutionary transition and its reversal; (2) phenotypic plasticity as a facilitator of speciation; and (3) modularity, heterochrony and a coupling between the complexity of the life cycle and the evolution of diversity and disparity in a clade. This simple preliminary analysis suggests a set of topics that deserve priority for scrutiny, including the possible role of saltational evolution in the origination of high diversity and/or disparity, the predictability of morphological evolution following release from a former constraint, and

Species diversity vs. morphological disparity in the light of evolutionary developmental biology.

PubMed

Minelli, Alessandro

2016-04-01

Two indicators of a clade's success are its diversity (number of included species) and its disparity (extent of morphospace occupied by its members). Many large genera show high diversity with low disparity, while others such as Euphorbia and Drosophila are highly diverse but also exhibit high disparity. The largest genera are often characterized by key innovations that often, but not necessarily, coincide with their diagnostic apomorphies. In terms of their contribution to speciation, apomorphies are either permissive (e.g. flightlessness) or generative (e.g. nectariferous spurs). Except for Drosophila, virtually no genus among those with the highest diversity or disparity includes species currently studied as model species in developmental genetics or evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo). An evo-devo approach is, however, potentially important to understand how diversity and disparity could rapidly increase in the largest genera currently accepted by taxonomists. The most promising directions for future research and a set of key questions to be addressed are presented in this review. From an evo-devo perspective, the evolution of clades with high diversity and/or disparity can be addressed from three main perspectives: (1) evolvability, in terms of release from previous constraints and of the presence of genetic or developmental conditions favouring multiple parallel occurrences of a given evolutionary transition and its reversal; (2) phenotypic plasticity as a facilitator of speciation; and (3) modularity, heterochrony and a coupling between the complexity of the life cycle and the evolution of diversity and disparity in a clade. This simple preliminary analysis suggests a set of topics that deserve priority for scrutiny, including the possible role of saltational evolution in the origination of high diversity and/or disparity, the predictability of morphological evolution following release from a former constraint, and the extent and the possible

Stage selection and restricted oviposition period improves cryopreservation of dipteran embryos.

PubMed

Rajamohan, Arun; Rinehart, Joseph P; Leopold, Roger A

2015-04-01

Embryos of two dipteran species (Musca domestica and Lucilia sericata) were assessed for an effective sampling time that would result in the highest post-cryopreservation hatch rate, with a primary goal to define species-specific egg collection periods and the effects of manual stage selection on post cryopreservation yield. The effects of the time taken to collect eggs on, (a) the proportion of embryos reaching a specific developmental stage between 17 and 20 h of development, and (b) the post-cryopreservation hatch rate were assessed. Permeabilization treatment applied at any stage of embryonic development did not significantly reduce embryo viability. Eggs collected over longer durations significantly reduced the number of embryos available in a specific developmental stage amenable to cryopreservation. Hatch percentage after cryopreservation of the embryos of M. domestica collected over a 60 min period was 10.7 ± 8.7% compared to 31 ± 5% for the eggs collected for just 15 min. Similarly, percent hatch in L. sericata resulted in 17.0 ± 3.9 and <2% for 15 and 60 min samples, respectively. Significantly higher hatching rates were obtained for cryopreservation after manual selection of specific embryonic developmental stages from the dechorionated samples. Post-cryopreservation hatching rate for stage-selected M. domestica embryos was 86.5 ± 5.5% compared to 33.3 ± 4.5% for embryos staged only by an overall visual confirmation. In the case of L. sericata, the hatching percentage was 79.0 ± 11.1 for stage-selected embryos compared to 17.0 ± 3.9% without individual selection. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Developmental Math: What's the Answer?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cafarella, Brian

2016-01-01

Developmental mathematics has been under the radar within higher education for some time. The reality is that there are many proven best practices in developmental math. Unfortunately, there are many obstacles that prevent student success. Moreover, the high rates of attrition and failure have led state legislators and college administrators to…

Character: A Multifaceted Developmental System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nucci, Larry

2017-01-01

Character is a developmental system embedded within the self-system. This Relational Developmental Systems (RDS) view is in juxtaposition with virtue theory and accounts of character in terms of moral identity. The character system includes 4 components 3 of which: basic moral cognition (as described within domain theory); other regarding; and…

Developmental milestones among Aboriginal children in Canada

PubMed Central

Findlay, Leanne; Kohen, Dafna; Miller, Anton

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: Windows of achievement provide age ranges for the attainment of early developmental skills. Group-specific research is warranted given that development may be influenced by social or cultural factors. OBJECTIVES: To examine developmental milestones for Inuit, Métis and off-reserve First Nation children in Canada, based on developmental domains collected from the 2006 Aboriginal Children’s Survey. Sociodemographic and health predictors of risk for developmental delay were also examined. RESULTS: The ranges in which children achieve certain developmental milestones are presented. Gross motor and self-help skills were found to be achieved earlier (across the three Aboriginal groups), whereas language skills were achieved slightly later than in Canadian children in general. Furthermore, health factors (eg, low birth weight, chronic health conditions) were associated with late achievement of developmental outcomes even when sociodemographic characteristics were considered. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that the timing of milestone achievement may differ for Aboriginal children, highlighting the importance of establishing culturally specific norms and standards rather than relying on those derived from general populations. This information may be useful for practitioners and parents interested in identifying the age ranges for development, as well as age ranges indicating potential for developmental risk and opportunities for early intervention among Aboriginal children. PMID:24855426

Developmental Dyslexia: An Evaluation of a Theory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Satz, Paul; Van Nostrand, Gary K.

The paper reviews a theory advanced by Satz and Sparrow (1970) which purports to explain the nature and cause of specific developmental dyslexia, and evaluates several developmental hypotheses which are generated bythe theory. The theory postulates that developmental dyslexia is not a unitary syndrome but rather reflects a lag in the maturation of…

29 CFR 1952.222 - Completed developmental steps.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 9 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Completed developmental steps. 1952.222 Section 1952.222... Completed developmental steps. (a) In accordance with § 1952.223(b), the Tennessee Occupational Safety and..., as having completed all developmental steps specified in its plan as approved on June 28, 1973, on or...

29 CFR 1952.242 - Completed developmental steps.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 9 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Completed developmental steps. 1952.242 Section 1952.242... Completed developmental steps. (a) In accordance with § 1952.243(d) Alaska completed its interim training... completed on or before October 1, 1976, all developmental steps specified in the plan as approved on July 31...

Clinical competence in developmental-behavioural paediatrics: raising the bar.

PubMed

O'Keeffe, Mick

2014-01-01

For our specialist paediatric workforce to be suitably equipped to deal with current childhood morbidity, a high level of competence in developmental-behavioural paediatrics (DBP) is necessary. New models of training and assessment are required to meet this challenge. An evolution of training in DBP, built around the centrepiece of competency-based medical education, is proposed. Summative assessment based upon entrustable professional activities, and a menu of formative workplace-based assessments specific to the DBP context are key components. A pilot project to develop and implement these changes is recommended. © 2013 The Author. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health © 2013 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

A Review of Commonly-Used State Employment Measures in Intellectual and Developmental Disability Services. Policy Research Brief. Volume 22, Number 1

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nord, Derek

2012-01-01

This "Policy Research Brief" summarizes publicly-available data sources that provide information about the employment of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It provides important information about these data sources, including their purposes, key definitions, and where to access the public data. Using these data…

Out-of-synchrony speech entrainment in developmental dyslexia.

PubMed

Molinaro, Nicola; Lizarazu, Mikel; Lallier, Marie; Bourguignon, Mathieu; Carreiras, Manuel

2016-08-01

Developmental dyslexia is a reading disorder often characterized by reduced awareness of speech units. Whether the neural source of this phonological disorder in dyslexic readers results from the malfunctioning of the primary auditory system or damaged feedback communication between higher-order phonological regions (i.e., left inferior frontal regions) and the auditory cortex is still under dispute. Here we recorded magnetoencephalographic (MEG) signals from 20 dyslexic readers and 20 age-matched controls while they were listening to ∼10-s-long spoken sentences. Compared to controls, dyslexic readers had (1) an impaired neural entrainment to speech in the delta band (0.5-1 Hz); (2) a reduced delta synchronization in both the right auditory cortex and the left inferior frontal gyrus; and (3) an impaired feedforward functional coupling between neural oscillations in the right auditory cortex and the left inferior frontal regions. This shows that during speech listening, individuals with developmental dyslexia present reduced neural synchrony to low-frequency speech oscillations in primary auditory regions that hinders higher-order speech processing steps. The present findings, thus, strengthen proposals assuming that improper low-frequency acoustic entrainment affects speech sampling. This low speech-brain synchronization has the strong potential to cause severe consequences for both phonological and reading skills. Interestingly, the reduced speech-brain synchronization in dyslexic readers compared to normal readers (and its higher-order consequences across the speech processing network) appears preserved through the development from childhood to adulthood. Thus, the evaluation of speech-brain synchronization could possibly serve as a diagnostic tool for early detection of children at risk of dyslexia. Hum Brain Mapp 37:2767-2783, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Developmental Approach for Behavior Learning Using Primitive Motion Skills.

PubMed

Dawood, Farhan; Loo, Chu Kiong

2018-05-01

Imitation learning through self-exploration is essential in developing sensorimotor skills. Most developmental theories emphasize that social interactions, especially understanding of observed actions, could be first achieved through imitation, yet the discussion on the origin of primitive imitative abilities is often neglected, referring instead to the possibility of its innateness. This paper presents a developmental model of imitation learning based on the hypothesis that humanoid robot acquires imitative abilities as induced by sensorimotor associative learning through self-exploration. In designing such learning system, several key issues will be addressed: automatic segmentation of the observed actions into motion primitives using raw images acquired from the camera without requiring any kinematic model; incremental learning of spatio-temporal motion sequences to dynamically generates a topological structure in a self-stabilizing manner; organization of the learned data for easy and efficient retrieval using a dynamic associative memory; and utilizing segmented motion primitives to generate complex behavior by the combining these motion primitives. In our experiment, the self-posture is acquired through observing the image of its own body posture while performing the action in front of a mirror through body babbling. The complete architecture was evaluated by simulation and real robot experiments performed on DARwIn-OP humanoid robot.

A comparative review of developmental screening tests.

PubMed

Glascoe, F P; Martin, E D; Humphrey, S

1990-10-01

Public Law 99-457 amends the Education of the Handicapped Act to include services for children from birth through 3 years. Inasmuch as detection and referral of children with developmental delays continues to reside largely with pediatricians and other health care professionals, developmental screening, using standardized tests, is increasingly important. To help physicians select from the array of instruments, 19 different screening tests were administered by a pediatrician and rated by a panel of pediatricians and a special educator. While the panel found few tests that fit within the time constraints of pediatric practice, several tests approached standards for educational and psychologic tests. These included the Battelle Developmental Inventory Screening Test, Infant Monitoring System, Developmental Indicators for Assessment of Learning-Revised, Screening Children for Related Early Educational Needs, and the Developmental Profile II.

Translating Developmental Origins: Improving the Health of Women and Their Children Using a Sustainable Approach to Behaviour Change

PubMed Central

Barker, Mary; Baird, Janis; Tinati, Tannaze; Vogel, Christina; Strömmer, Sofia; Rose, Taylor; Begum, Rufia; Jarman, Megan; Davies, Jenny; Thompson, Sue; Taylor, Liz; Inskip, Hazel; Cooper, Cyrus; Nutbeam, Don; Lawrence, Wendy

2017-01-01

Theories of the developmental origins of health and disease imply that optimising the growth and development of babies is an essential route to improving the health of populations. A key factor in the growth of babies is the nutritional status of their mothers. Since women from more disadvantaged backgrounds have poorer quality diets and the worst pregnancy outcomes, they need to be a particular focus. The behavioural sciences have made a substantial contribution to the development of interventions to support dietary changes in disadvantaged women. Translation of such interventions into routine practice is an ideal that is rarely achieved, however. This paper illustrates how re-orientating health and social care services towards an empowerment approach to behaviour change might underpin a new developmental focus to improving long-term health, using learning from a community-based intervention to improve the diets and lifestyles of disadvantaged women. The Southampton Initiative for Health aimed to improve the diets and lifestyles of women of child-bearing age through training health and social care practitioners in skills to support behaviour change. Analysis illustrates the necessary steps in mounting such an intervention: building trust; matching agendas and changing culture. The Southampton Initiative for Health demonstrates that developing sustainable; workable interventions and effective community partnerships; requires commitment beginning long before intervention delivery but is key to the translation of developmental origins research into improvements in human health. PMID:28335519

Developmental Systems Theory and the Person-Oriented Approach. Commentary on: "An Interpretation of Part of Gilbert Gottlieb's Legacy: Developmental Systems Theory Contra Developmental Behavior Genetics"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bergman, Lars R.

2015-01-01

Molenaar's (2015) article concerns Developmental Systems Theory (DST) in relation to behavior genetics and he presents implications of DST for empirical research, especially the need for subject-specific studies. In this commentary, the article is discussed from a broader developmental science perspective, particularly regarded through the lens of…

Early developmental trajectories of preterm infants.

PubMed

Yaari, Maya; Mankuta, David; Harel-Gadassi, Ayelet; Friedlander, Edwa; Bar-Oz, Benjamin; Eventov-Friedman, Smadar; Maniv, Nimrod; Zucker, David; Yirmiya, Nurit

2017-11-04

Preterm infants are at risk for neuro-developmental impairments and atypical developmental trajectories. The aims of this study were to delineate early developmental trajectories of preterm and full-term infants. The cognitive, language, and motor development of 149 infants - 19 extremely preterm (EPT), 34 very preterm (VPT), 57 moderately preterm (MPT), and 39 full-term (FT) - was evaluated using Mullen Scales at 1, 4, 8, 12, and 18 months. Mixed models were applied to examine group differences. Gender, maternal education, and neurobehavior were included as predictors of developmental trajectories. The EPT and VPT infants achieved significantly lower scores than the FT infants in all domains, with a significantly increasing gap over time. The MPT infants' trajectories were more favorable than those of the EPT and VPT infants yet lower than the FT infants on the Visual Reception, Gross, and Fine Motor subscales. Male gender and lower maternal education were associated with lower scores that declined over time. Abnormal neonatal neurobehavior was associated lower Mullen scores and with less stability in scores over time. The EPT and VPT infants were found to have disadvantages across all domains. The MPT infants revealed more favorable developmental trajectories yet displayed vulnerability compared to the FT infants. Gender, maternal education, and neonatal neurobehavior are important in predicting the developmental outcomes of preterm infants. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Family Life and Developmental Idealism in Yazd, Iran

PubMed Central

Abbasi-Shavazi, Mohammad Jalal; Askari-Nodoushan, Abbas

2012-01-01

BACKGROUND This paper is motivated by the theory that developmental idealism has been disseminated globally and has become an international force for family and demographic change. Developmental idealism is a set of cultural beliefs and values about development and how development relates to family and demographic behavior. It holds that modern societies are causal forces producing modern families, that modern families help to produce modern societies, and that modern family change is to be expected. OBJECTIVE We examine the extent to which developmental idealism has been disseminated in Iran. We also investigate predictors of the dissemination of developmental idealism. METHODS We use survey data collected in 2007 from a sample of women in Yazd, a city in Iran. We examine the distribution of developmental idealism in the sample and the multivariate predictors of developmental idealism. RESULTS We find considerable support for the expectation that many elements of developmental idealism have been widely disseminated. Statistically significant majorities associate development with particular family attributes, believe that development causes change in families, believe that fertility reductions and age-at-marriage increases help foster development, and perceive family trends in Iran headed toward modernity. As predicted, parental education, respondent education, and income affect adherence to developmental idealism. CONCLUSIONS Developmental idealism has been widely disseminated in Yazd, Iran and is related to social and demographic factors in predicted ways. COMMENTS Although our data come from only one city, we expect that developmental idealism has been widely distributed in Iran, with important implications for family and demographic behavior. PMID:22942772

Providing comprehensive health services for young key populations: needs, barriers and gaps

PubMed Central

Delany-Moretlwe, Sinead; Cowan, Frances M; Busza, Joanna; Bolton-Moore, Carolyn; Kelley, Karen; Fairlie, Lee

2015-01-01

Introduction Adolescence is a time of physical, emotional and social transitions that have implications for health. In addition to being at high risk for HIV, young key populations (YKP) may experience other health problems attributable to high-risk behaviour or their developmental stage, or a combination of both. Discussion We reviewed the needs, barriers and gaps for other non-HIV health services for YKP. We searched PubMed and Google Scholar for articles that provided specific age-related data on sexual and reproductive health; mental health; violence; and substance use problems for adolescent, youth or young sex workers, men who have sex with men, transgender people, and people who inject drugs. Results YKP experience more unprotected sex, sexually transmitted infections including HIV, unintended pregnancy, violence, mental health disorders and substance use compared to older members of key populations and youth among the general population. YKP experience significant barriers to accessing care; coverage of services is low, largely because of stigma and discrimination experienced at both the health system and policy levels. Discussion YKP require comprehensive, integrated services that respond to their specific developmental needs, including health, educational and social services within the context of a human rights-based approach. The recent WHO Consolidated Guidelines on HIV Prevention, Diagnosis, Treatment and Care for Key Populations are an important first step for a more comprehensive approach to HIV programming for YKP, but there are limited data on the effective delivery of combined interventions for YKP. Significant investments in research and implementation will be required to ensure adequate provision and coverage of services for YKP. In addition, greater commitments to harm reduction and rights-based approaches are needed to address structural barriers to access to care. PMID:25724511

Developmental programming of energy balance regulation: is physical activity more 'programmable' than food intake?

PubMed

Zhu, Shaoyu; Eclarinal, Jesse; Baker, Maria S; Li, Ge; Waterland, Robert A

2016-02-01

Extensive human and animal model data show that environmental influences during critical periods of prenatal and early postnatal development can cause persistent alterations in energy balance regulation. Although a potentially important factor in the worldwide obesity epidemic, the fundamental mechanisms underlying such developmental programming of energy balance are poorly understood, limiting our ability to intervene. Most studies of developmental programming of energy balance have focused on persistent alterations in the regulation of energy intake; energy expenditure has been relatively underemphasised. In particular, very few studies have evaluated developmental programming of physical activity. The aim of this review is to summarise recent evidence that early environment may have a profound impact on establishment of individual propensity for physical activity. Recently, we characterised two different mouse models of developmental programming of obesity; one models fetal growth restriction followed by catch-up growth, and the other models early postnatal overnutrition. In both studies, we observed alterations in body-weight regulation that persisted to adulthood, but no group differences in food intake. Rather, in both cases, programming of energy balance appeared to be due to persistent alterations in energy expenditure and spontaneous physical activity (SPA). These effects were stronger in female offspring. We are currently exploring the hypothesis that developmental programming of SPA occurs via induced sex-specific alterations in epigenetic regulation in the hypothalamus and other regions of the central nervous system. We will summarise the current progress towards testing this hypothesis. Early environmental influences on establishment of physical activity are likely an important factor in developmental programming of energy balance. Understanding the fundamental underlying mechanisms in appropriate animal models will help determine whether early life

An fMRI Examination of Developmental Differences in the Neural Correlates of Uncertainty and Decision-Making

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krain, Amy L.; Hefton, Sara; Pine, Daniel S.; Ernst, Monique; Castellanos, F. Xavier; Klein, Rachel G.; Milham, Michael P.

2006-01-01

Background: Maturation of prefrontal circuits during adolescence contributes to the development of cognitive processes such as decision-making. Recent theories suggest that these neural changes also play a role in the shift from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) to depression that often occurs during this developmental period. Cognitive models of…

Effect of embryo density on in vitro developmental characteristics of bovine preimplantative embryos with respect to micro and macroenvironments.

PubMed

Hoelker, M; Rings, F; Lund, Q; Phatsara, C; Schellander, K; Tesfaye, D

2010-10-01

To overcome developmental problems as a consequence of single embryo culture, the Well of the Well (WOW) culture system has been developed. In this study, we aimed to examine the effect of embryo densities with respect to both microenvironment and macroenvironment on developmental rates and embryo quality to get a deeper insight into developmentally important mechanisms. WOW diameter and depth significantly affected developmental rates (p < 0.05). WOWs with diameter of 500 μm reached significantly higher blastocyst rates (32.5 vs 21.1% vs 20.3%) compared to embryos cultured in WOWs of 300 μm diameter or plain cultured controls. Embryos cultured in WOWs with 700 μm depth reached significant higher developmental rates compared with embryos cultured in WOWs of 300 μm depth and control embryos (30.6 vs 22.6% vs 20.3%). Correlation of the embryo per WOW volume with developmental rates was higher (r(2) = 0.92, p = 0.0004) than correlation of WOW diameter or WOW depth with developmental rates. However, the embryo per WOW volume did not affect differential cell counts. An embryo per culture dish volume of 1 : 30 μl was identified to be optimal when the embryo per WOW volume was 1 : 0.27 μl increasing developmental rates up to the level of mass embryo production. Giving the opportunity to track each embryo over the complete culture period while keeping high developmental rates with normal mitotic dynamics, the results of this work will provide benefit for the single culture of embryos in human assisted reproduction, mammalian embryos with high economic interest as well as for scientific purpose. © 2009 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Developmental Audits with Challenging Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brendtro, Larry K.; du Toit, Lesley; Bath, Howard; Van Bockern, Steve

2006-01-01

The Developmental Audit[R] is a new strength-based assessment model for youth who are in conflict in home, school, or community. Developmental Audits involve collaboration with young persons who are seen as experts on themselves. Discussing challenging life events provides a window to the young person's private logic and goals. The audit scans…

Developmental Sentence Scoring for Japanese

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miyata, Susanne; MacWhinney, Brian; Otomo, Kiyoshi; Sirai, Hidetosi; Oshima-Takane, Yuriko; Hirakawa, Makiko; Shirai, Yasuhiro; Sugiura, Masatoshi; Itoh, Keiko

2013-01-01

This article reports on the development and use of the Developmental Sentence Scoring for Japanese (DSSJ), a new morpho-syntactical measure for Japanese constructed after the model of Lee's English Developmental Sentence Scoring model. Using this measure, the authors calculated DSSJ scores for 84 children divided into six age groups between 2;8…

Characterizing the Developmental Trajectory of Sirolimus Clearance in Neonates and Infants

PubMed Central

Emoto, C; Mizuno, T; Schniedewind, B; Christians, Uwe; Adams, DM; Vinks, AA

2016-01-01

Sirolimus is increasingly being used in neonates and infants, but the mechanistic basis of age‐dependent changes in sirolimus disposition has not been fully addressed yet. In order to characterize the age‐dependent changes, serial sirolimus clearance (CL) estimates in individual young pediatric patients were collected and analyzed by population modeling analysis. In addition, sirolimus metabolite formation was also investigated to further substantiate the corresponding age‐dependent change in CYP3A activity. The increasing pattern over time of allometrically size‐normalized sirolimus CL estimates vs. age was well described by a sigmoidal Emax model. This age‐dependent increase was also observed within each individual patient over a 4‐year study period. CYP3A‐dependent sirolimus metabolite formation changed in a similar fashion. This study clearly demonstrates the rapid increase of sirolimus CL over time in neonates and infants, indicating the developmental change. This developmental pattern can be explained by a parallel increase in CYP3A metabolic activity. PMID:27501453

Toward a Practice-Oriented Approach to Developmental Education Theory: Instructor Worldviews and Beliefs about Developmental Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosen, Karen M.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this exploratory, phenomenological study was to understand developmental mathematics in community college by examining the beliefs and worldviews of developmental mathematics instructors. This study interviewed 11 instructors in 4 demographically different community colleges within a single state with decentralized developmental…

Future Directions in Sleep and Developmental Psychopathology.

PubMed

Meltzer, Lisa J

2017-01-01

It is critical for psychologists to gain a better understanding about the intersection between sleep and developmental psychopathology. However, while many strive to answer the question of whether sleep causes developmental psychopathology, or vice versa, ultimately the relationship between sleep and developmental psychopathology is complex and dynamic. This article considers future directions in the field of clinical child and adolescent psychology that go beyond this mechanistic question, highlighting areas important to address for clinicians and researchers who strive to better understand how best to serve children and adolescents with developmental psychopathology. Questions are presented about what is normal in terms of sleep across development, the role of individual variability in terms of sleep needs and vulnerability to sleep loss, and how sleep may serve as a risk or resilience factor for developmental psychopathology, concluding with considerations for interventions.

Author's Response to Commentaries on: "An Interpretation of Part of Gilbert Gottlieb's Legacy: Developmental Systems Theory Contra Developmental Behavior Genetics"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Molenaar, Peter C. M.

2015-01-01

In this article, Peter Molenaar responds to three commentaries (this issue) on his article, "An Interpretation of Part of Gilbert Gottlieb's Legacy: Developmental Systems Theory Contra Developmental Behavior Genetics." He addresses aspects of relational developmental systems (RDS) mentioned and questions raised in each of the…

Maternal Prenatal Stress and Other Developmental Risk Factors for Adolescent Depression: Spotlight on Sex Differences.

PubMed

Maxwell, Seth D; Fineberg, Anna M; Drabick, Deborah A; Murphy, Shannon K; Ellman, Lauren M

2018-02-01

Maternal stress during pregnancy has been linked to premorbid abnormalities associated with depression (e.g., difficult temperament, cognitive deficits) in offspring. However, few studies have looked across developmental periods to examine maternal stress during pregnancy and offspring depression during adolescence and whether these associations differ by sex. The current study used data from 1711 mother-offspring dyads (offspring sex: 49.8% male) in a longitudinal birth cohort study. Maternal narratives collected during pregnancy were qualitatively coded for stress-related themes by independent raters. Latent class analysis (LCA) identified distinct subgroups of offspring based on exposure to maternal prenatal stress and other developmental factors from the prenatal, childhood, and adolescent periods that have been associated with depression and/or maternal prenatal stress. LCA identified subgroups that were compared to determine whether and to what extent they differed on adolescent depressive symptoms. LCA revealed a subgroup of "high-risk" individuals, characterized by maternal factors during pregnancy (higher ambivalence/negativity and lower positivity towards the pregnancy, higher levels of hassles, lower maternal education and higher maternal age at birth, higher pre-pregnancy BMI) and offspring developmental factors (decreased cognitive functioning during childhood and adolescence, lower perceived parental support during adolescence, and higher levels of maternal depression during adolescence). High-risk females exhibited elevated conduct symptoms and higher birth order, while high-risk males exhibited decreased internalizing symptoms and lower birth order. Both high-risk males and females reported elevated depressive symptoms during adolescence relative to their "low-risk" counterparts.

Language used in interaction during developmental science instruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Avenia-Tapper, Brianna

The coordination of theory and evidence is an important part of scientific practice. Developmental approaches to instruction, which make the relationship between the abstract and the concrete a central focus of students' learning activity, provide educators with a unique opportunity to strengthen students' coordination of theory and evidence. Therefore, developmental approaches may be a useful instructional response to documented science achievement gaps for linguistically diverse students. However, if we are to leverage the potential of developmental instruction to improve the science achievement of linguistically diverse students, we need more information on the intersection of developmental science instruction and linguistically diverse learning contexts. This manuscript style dissertation uses discourse analysis to investigate the language used in interaction during developmental teaching-learning in three linguistically diverse third grade classrooms. The first manuscript asks how language was used to construct ascension from the abstract to the concrete. The second manuscript asks how students' non-English home languages were useful (or not) for meeting the learning goals of the developmental instructional program. The third manuscript asks how students' interlocutors may influence student choice to use an important discourse practice--justification--during the developmental teaching-learning activity. All three manuscripts report findings relevant to the instructional decisions that teachers need to make when implementing developmental instruction in linguistically diverse contexts.

Research review: evaluating and reformulating the developmental taxonomic theory of antisocial behaviour.

PubMed

Fairchild, Graeme; van Goozen, Stephanie H M; Calder, Andrew J; Goodyer, Ian M

2013-09-01

The developmental taxonomic theory proposes that there are two subtypes of antisocial behaviour. The first is a neurodevelopmental disorder which emerges in early childhood and follows a life-course persistent course, whereas the second emerges in adolescence, remits in early adulthood and reflects peer processes such as mimicry of antisocial peers. The aim of this review was to evaluate the developmental taxonomic theory in the light of recent empirical research. We conducted a comprehensive literature review comparing these subtypes of antisocial behaviour based on searches on PubMed and other scientific databases covering the period from 1993 to 2013. We focused on research encompassing psychiatric epidemiology, personality assessment, neuropsychology, neuroendocrinology, genetics, and structural and functional neuroimaging. Sixty one empirical studies were identified that investigated one of these forms of antisocial behaviour separately or explicitly compared childhood-onset and adolescence-onset forms of antisocial behaviour. Empirical research provides support for the hypothesis that life-course persistent antisocial behaviour is a neurodevelopmental disorder which emerges in the transactions between individual vulnerabilities and environmental adversity. In contrast to the developmental taxonomic theory, however, empirical findings suggest that severe antisocial behaviour that emerges in adolescence frequently has a negative prognosis and is rarely limited to the adolescent period. In addition, both forms of antisocial behaviour are associated with emotion processing deficits, changes in brain structure and function, alterations in cortisol secretion, and atypical personality traits (such as increased callous-unemotional traits). We conclude that the developmental taxonomic theory is in need of revision, as differences between life-course persistent and adolescence-onset forms of antisocial behaviour appear to be quantitative, rather than qualitative, in

A new species in the genus Crisicoccus Ferris (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Pseudococcidae), with a key to Chinese species.

PubMed

Zhang, Jiang-Tao; Wu, San-An

2016-06-01

A new mealybug, Crisicoccus ziziphus sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Pseudococcidae), collected on the leaves and twigs of Ziziphus jujuba (Rhamnaceae), is described from China. All the female developmental stages (adult, third-instar, second-instar and first-instar nymphs) are described and illustrated. Keys are provided to separate the female instars and to identify adult females of Crisicoccus species from China.

Developmental Immunotoxicity

EPA Science Inventory

Animal models suggest that the immature immune system is more susceptible to xenobiotics than the fully mature system, and sequelae of developmental immunotoxicant exposure may be persistent well into adulthood. Immune maturation may be delayed by xenobiotic exposure and recover...

Maternal dietary free or bound fructose diversely influence developmental programming of lipogenesis.

PubMed

Yuruk, Armagan Aytug; Nergiz-Unal, Reyhan

2017-12-01

Maternal dietary choices throughout preconception, pregnancy, and lactation irreversibly affect the development of fetal tissues and organs, known as fetal programming. Recommendations tend to emphasize reducing added sugars. However, the impact of maternal dietary free or bound fructose in added sugars on developmental programming of lipogenesis is unknown. Virgin Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups. Rats were given feed and plain water (control) or water containing maltodextrin (vehicle), fructose, high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) containing 55% fructose, sucrose (20% w/v) for 12 weeks before mating and throughout the pregnancy and lactation periods. Body weight, water, and feed intake were measured throughout the study. At the end of the lactation period, blood was drawn to determine the fasting levels of glucose, insulin, triglycerides, and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) in blood. Triglycerides and acetyl Co-A Carboxylase-1 (ACC1) levels in livers were analyzed, and insulin resistance was calculated. The energy intake of dams in the HFCS group was higher than in the fructose group, while weight gain was less in the HFCS group than in the fructose group. HFCS resulted in greater insulin resistance in dams, whereas free fructose had a robust effect on the fetal programming of insulin resistance. Free fructose and HFCS in the maternal diet increased blood and liver triglycerides and NEFA content in pups. Furthermore, fructose and HFCS exposure increased phosphorylated ACC1 as compared to maltodextrin and control, indicating greater fatty acid synthesis in pups and dams. Different types of added sugar in the maternal diet have different metabolic effects on the developmental programming of lipogenesis. Consequently, high fructose intake via processed foods may increase the risk for chronic diseases, and free fructose might contribute to developmental programming of chronic diseases more than bound fructose.