DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOBIOLOGY, Issue 6 2006
William D. Hopkins
Abstract It has been proposed that human right handedness is determined by genetic factors associated with the emergence of language, whereas non-human primate handedness is determined by random, non-genetic factors. These different mechanisms account for differences in the distribution of handedness between human and non-human primates. Here we report evidence that genetic factors play a role in the determination of handedness in chimpanzees. We further report that differential rearing has no influence on the expression of handedness in related individuals. Contrary to many theories of the origin of handedness, these results indicate that genetic factors have a significant influence on handedness in chimpanzees. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 48: 428,435, 2006. [source]

Defending the Faith through Education: The Catholic Case for Parental and Civil Rights in Victorian Britain

HISTORY OF EDUCATION QUARTERLY, Issue 3 2008
Eric G. Tenbus
First page of article [source]

Antitumor effect of simultaneous transfer of interleukin-12 and interleukin-18 genes and its mechanism in a mouse bladder cancer model

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF UROLOGY, Issue 8 2004
SATOKO HIKOSAKA
Abstract Background:, The objectives of this study were to evaluate the antitumor effects of the simultaneous introduction of interleukin 12 (IL-12) and IL-18 genes into a mouse bladder cancer cell line (MBT2). We intended to compare these with those of either gene alone and to investigate the mechanism of the effects induced by the transfer of IL-12 and/or IL-18 genes in this model system. Methods:, We transfected the IL-12 and/or IL-18 genes into MBT2 cells by the liposome-mediated gene transfer method. We confirmed the secretion of IL-12 and/or IL-18 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Parental (MBT2/P), IL-12-transfected (MBT2/IL-12), IL-18-transfected (MBT2/IL-18) or both IL-12- and IL-18-transfected (MBT2/Both) cells were subcutaneously or intravenously injected into syngeneic C3H mice. To analyze the mechanism of tumor rejection, these clones were subcutaneously injected into naive nude mice and those depleted with natural killer (NK) cells by antibody. Results:, MBT2/IL-12, MBT2/IL-18 and MBT2/Both were completely rejected when they were injected subcutaneously or intravenously into syngeneic mice. However, MBT2/IL-12, but not MBT2/IL-18, could grow in nude mice. Moreover, the antitumor effect of MBT2/IL-18 was partially abrogated when injected into nude mice of which NK cells were depleted by antibody treatment. MBT2/Both was completely rejected in both nude mice with and without NK cells. Conclusion:, The results of the present study indicate that T cells and NK cells seem to play important roles in the antitumor effects by the secretion of IL-12 and IL-18, respectively, and MBT2/Both possesses both mechanisms. [source]

Effects of pets on asthma development up to 8 years of age: the PIAMA study

ALLERGY, Issue 8 2009
M. Kerkhof
Background:, Recall bias may provide discrepant relationships of pet exposure with sensitization and asthma development. We studied prospectively effects of pets at home on development of sensitization, asthma and respiratory symptoms from birth up to age 8 years. Methods:, Event history analysis was performed on annually registered data of 2951 children, participating in the PIAMA birth cohort study. Results:, Children with a cat or dog at home at 3 months of age had a significantly lower prevalence of sensitization to inhalant allergens at age 8, but not of asthma. A cat decreased the risk of house dust mite sensitization at age 8 [odds ratio (OR) = 0.68, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.49,0.95], a dog of pollen sensitization (OR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.29,0.83). A cat or dog at home did not significantly affect asthma incidence in each subsequent year. From 2 years of age onwards, the incidence of wheeze (OR = 1.52, 95% CI: 1.12,2.05) and a dry cough at night (OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.05,1.57) was higher in children with a dog, whereas removal of a dog increased the risk of developing asthma symptoms. Comparing analyses using prospectively and retrospectively collected data on diagnosed asthma showed important recall bias. Conclusions:, Our prospective study shows a protective effect of early presence of pets at home on sensitization to inhalant allergens, but no prevention of asthma development. Furthermore, children with pets had more frequent transient or intermittent asthma symptoms. Parental report of asthma by recall may provide spurious results of these associations. [source]

Genetic variation of body size, condition and pyloric caeca number in juvenile brown trout, Salmo trutta L.

AQUACULTURE RESEARCH, Issue 6 2006
Jean M Blanc
Abstract Parental and individual variance components of body length, weight, condition (estimated as the second principal component of the length,weight relationship) and pyloric caeca number were investigated in 6-month-old brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) by the mean of two sib analyses, which provided consistent results. The average heritabilities (±SE) were 0.12 (±0.08) for length, 0.16 (±0.08) for weight, 0.47 (±0.14) for condition and 0.38 (±0.12) for pyloric caeca number. Maternal effects were also observed, although short of significance, in length, weight and caeca number. Correlations between caeca number and body size averaged +0.10 among individuals within lots, but genetic correlations were negative, i.e. about ,0.9 for length and ,0.7 for weight. There was no significant correlation between caeca number and condition. These results lead to question the role that pyloric caeca may play in growth, as well as their usefulness in fish breeding. [source]

Anti-apoptotic genes Aven and E1B-19K enhance performance of BHK cells engineered to express recombinant factor VIII in batch and low perfusion cell culture

BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOENGINEERING, Issue 4 2007
Toey Nivitchanyong
Abstract The engineering of production cell lines to express anti-apoptotic genes has been pursued in recent years due to potential process benefits, including enhanced cell survival, increased protein expression, and improved product quality. In this study, a baby hamster kidney cell line secreting recombinant factor VIII (BHK-FVIII) was engineered to express the anti-apoptotic genes Aven and E1B-19K. In high cell density shake flask culture evaluation, 11 clonal cell lines expressing either E1B-19K or a combination of Aven and E1B-19K showed improved survival compared to both parental and blank vector cell line controls. These cell lines exhibited lower caspase-3 activation and reduced Annexin-V binding compared to the controls. Parental and blank vector cell lines were less than 50% viable after 48 h of exposure to thapsigargin while cell lines expressing E1B-19K with or without Aven maintained viabilities approaching 90%. Subsequently, the best Aven-E1B-19K candidate cell line was compared to the parental cell line in 12-L perfusion bioreactor studies. Choosing the appropriate perfusion rates in bioreactors is a bioprocess optimization issue, so the bioreactors were operated at sequentially lower specific perfusion rates, while maintaining a cell density of 2,×,107 viable cells/mL. The viability of the parental cell line declined from nearly 100% at a perfusion rate of 0.5 nL/cell/day to below 80% viability, with caspase-3 activity exceeding 15%, at its lower perfusion limit of 0.15 nL/cell/day. In contrast, the Aven-E1B-19K cell line maintained an average viability of 94% and a maximum caspase-3 activity of 2.5% even when subjected to a lower perfusion minimum of 0.1 nL/cell/day. Factor VIII productivity, specific growth rate, and cell size decreased for both cell lines at lower perfusion rates, but the drop in all cases was larger for the parental cell line. Specific consumption of glucose and glutamine and production of lactate were consistently lower for the Aven-E1B-19K culture. Furthermore, the yield of ammonia from glutamine increased for the Aven-E1B-19K cell line relative to the parent to suggest altered metabolic pathways following anti-apoptosis engineering. These results demonstrate that expression of anti-apoptotic genes Aven and E1B-19K can increase the stability and robustness of an industrially relevant BHK-FVIII mammalian cell line over a wide range of perfusion rates. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2007; 98: 825,841. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source]

Parental and perinatal factors affecting childhood anthropometry of very-low-birth-weight premature infants: a population-based survey

ACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 6 2009
Imad R Makhoul
Abstract Background: The perinatal,neonatal course of very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants might affect their childhood growth. We evaluated the effect of parental anthropometry and perinatal and neonatal morbidity of VLBW neonates on their childhood growth. Methods: We obtained parental anthropometry, height and weight at age 6,10.5 years of 334 children born as VLBW infants. Parental, perinatal and neonatal data of these children were tested for association with childhood anthropometry. Results: (1) Maternal and paternal weight standard deviation score (SDS) and discharge weight (DW) SDS were associated with childhood weight SDS (R2= 0.111, p < 0.00001); (2) Maternal and paternal height SDS, corrected gestational age (GA) at discharge, maternal assisted reproduction and SGA status were associated with childhood height SDS (R2= 0.208, p < 0.00001); (3) paternal weight SDS, DW SDS and surfactant therapy were associated with childhood body mass index (BMI) SDS (R2= 0.096, p < 0.00001). 31.1% of VLBW infants had DW SDS < ,1.88, and are to be considered small for gestational age (,SGA'). One quarter of these infants did not catch up by age 6,10.5 years. Conclusion: Childhood anthropometry of VLBW infants depends on parental anthropometry, postnatal respiratory morbidity and growth parameters at birth and at discharge. Almost one-third of VLBW premature infants had growth restriction at discharge from neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), a quarter of whom did not catch up by age 6,10.5 years. [source]

A Longitudinal Investigation of the Dynamics of Mental State Talk in Families

CHILD DEVELOPMENT, Issue 3 2003
Jennifer M. Jenkins
Thirty-seven mothers and fathers were observed in their homes interacting with their 2- and 4-year-old-children at Time 1 and 2 years later. Parental mental state talk to children varied as a function of children's age, the context in which talk occurred, and the gender of the parent. Four-year-old children, with an older sibling, produced and heard more cognitive talk and less desire talk than children without an older sibling. Cognitive and feeling talk by family members at Time 1 predicted change in younger children's cognitive and feeling talk (respectively) 2 years later, after controlling for initial levels of younger children's talk and general language ability. Findings are discussed in the context of theory of mind understanding and family talk about the mind. [source]

Overexpression of profilin reduces the migration of invasive breast cancer cells

CYTOSKELETON, Issue 2 2004
Partha Roy
Abstract The exact role profilin plays in cell migration is not clear. In this study, we have evaluated the effect of overexpression of profilin on the migration of breast cancer cells. Overexpression was carried out by stably expressing GFP-profilin in BT474 cells. It was observed that even a moderate level of overexpression of profilin significantly impaired the ability of BT474 cells to spread on fibronectin-coated substrate and migrate in response to EGF. GFP-profilin expressing cells also showed increased resistance to detachment in response to trypsin and increased tyrosine phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and paxillin compared to the parental and GFP-expressing (control) cell lines. These results suggest that perturbation of profilin levels may offer a good strategy for controlling the metastatic potential of breast cancer cells. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 57:84,95, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Evaluation of success in the reattachment of coronal fractures

DENTAL TRAUMATOLOGY, Issue 2 2008
Yucel Yilmaz
This study was conducted on 11 children (six girls and five boys; age range: 8,13 years). Before the treatment, the teeth were evaluated clinically and radiographically. The broken incisal part was directly reattached to the remaining tooth part with flowable resin composite. Thereafter, with the purpose of obtaining optimal esthetics and function, along the fracture line an external ,double chamfer' in the shape of a V was created and then covered with resin composite. During the follow-up (1,24 months) after the treatment, the teeth were evaluated clinically and/or radiographically with regard to periodontal, pulpal, coronal, color harmony of the fragments, and occlusion. In addition, the restored teeth were assessed in terms of parental,patient ratings of satisfaction. Both clinically and radiographically, no pathology was reported and all the restorations were successful. Moreover, the mean scores of parental,patient satisfaction were reported as ,satisfied, very-satisfied.' [source]

Tritrophic interactions and trade-offs in herbivore fecundity on hybridising host plants

ECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 3 2004
Maria V. Cattell
Abstract., 1. Interspecific plant hybridisation can have important evolutionary consequences for hybridising plants and for the organisms that they interact with on multiple trophic levels. In this study the effects of plant hybridisation on the abundance of herbivores and on the levels of herbivore parasitism were investigated. 2. Borrichia frutescens, B. arborescens, and their hybrid (B. × cubana) were censused for Asphondylia borrichiae galls and Pissonotus quadripustulatus plant hoppers in the Florida Keys. Levels of egg parasitism were determined by dissecting parental and hybrid stems and galls for herbivore and parasite eggs and larvae. Stem toughness and gall size are plant-mediated modes of protection from parasitism and these were also measured. For gall midges, fly size was measured as an estimate of fecundity. 3. Field censuses indicated that herbivore abundances varied on hybrid hosts relative to parent plant species and that the different herbivore species exhibited different patterns of abundance. Asphondylia borrichiae gall numbers followed the additive pattern of abundance while P. quadripustulatus numbers most closely resembled the dominance pattern. 4. Parasitism of P. quadripustulatus eggs was high on B. frutescens and the hybrids, and low on B. arborescens, which also had significantly tougher stems. Asphondylia borrichiae suffered the highest levels of parasitism on B. frutescens, the host plant which produced the smallest galls. On B. arborescens, which produced the largest galls, levels of A. borrichiae parasitism were lowest. Both parasitism and gall size were intermediate on the hybrid plants. Galls on B. arborescens and hybrid plants produced significantly smaller flies then those from B. frutescens suggesting that, when selecting hosts from among parent species and hybrids, gall flies may face a trade-off between escape from natural enemies and maximising fecundity. [source]

Estimating the Technology of Cognitive and Noncognitive Skill Formation

ECONOMETRICA, Issue 3 2010
Flavio Cunha
This paper formulates and estimates multistage production functions for children's cognitive and noncognitive skills. Skills are determined by parental environments and investments at different stages of childhood. We estimate the elasticity of substitution between investments in one period and stocks of skills in that period to assess the benefits of early investment in children compared to later remediation. We establish nonparametric identification of a general class of production technologies based on nonlinear factor models with endogenous inputs. A by-product of our approach is a framework for evaluating childhood and schooling interventions that does not rely on arbitrarily scaled test scores as outputs and recognizes the differential effects of the same bundle of skills in different tasks. Using the estimated technology, we determine optimal targeting of interventions to children with different parental and personal birth endowments. Substitutability decreases in later stages of the life cycle in the production of cognitive skills. It is roughly constant across stages of the life cycle in the production of noncognitive skills. This finding has important implications for the design of policies that target the disadvantaged. For most configurations of disadvantage it is optimal to invest relatively more in the early stages of childhood than in later stages. [source]

Cognitive functioning in substance abuse and dependence: a population-based study of young adults

ADDICTION, Issue 9 2009
Antti Latvala
ABSTRACT Aims To investigate whether substance use disorders (SUDs) are associated with verbal intellectual ability, psychomotor processing speed, verbal and visual working memory, executive function and verbal learning in young adults, and to study the associations of SUD characteristics with cognitive performance. Participants A population-based sample (n = 466) of young Finnish adults aged 21,35 years. Measurements Diagnostic assessment was based on all available information from a structured psychiatric interview (SCID-I) and in- and out-patient medical records. Established neuropsychological tests were used in the cognitive assessment. Confounding factors included in the analyses were comorbid psychiatric disorders and risk factors for SUDs, representing behavioural and affective factors, parental factors, early initiation of substance use and education-related factors. Findings Adjusted for age and gender, life-time DSM-IV SUD was associated with poorer verbal intellectual ability, as measured with the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale,Revised (WAIS-R) vocabulary subtest, and slower psychomotor processing, as measured with the WAIS-R digit symbol subtest. Poorer verbal intellectual ability was accounted for by parental and own low basic education, whereas the association with slower psychomotor processing remained after adjustment for SUD risk factors. Poorer verbal intellectual ability was related to substance abuse rather than dependence. Other SUD characteristics were not associated with cognition. Conclusions Poorer verbal intellectual ability and less efficient psychomotor processing are associated with life-time alcohol and other substance use disorders in young adulthood. Poorer verbal intellectual ability seems to be related to parental and own low basic education, whereas slower psychomotor processing is associated with SUD independently of risk factors. [source]

Smoking, nicotine dependence and mental health among young adults: a 13-year population-based longitudinal study

ADDICTION, Issue 1 2009
Willy Pedersen
ABSTRACT Aims To investigate prospectively the associations between daily smoking and nicotine dependence and anxiety, depression and suicide attempts. Methods Data were from the Young in Norway Longitudinal Study. A population-based sample (n = 1501) was followed for 13 years from ages 13,27 years. Data were gathered on smoking patterns and nicotine dependence; and depression, anxiety and parasuicide. Extensive information on socio-demographic factors, parental and family conditions, parental rearing practices, educational career, conduct problems, alcohol problems and use of illegal substances was also collected. Results Young adults who were nicotine-dependent had clearly elevated rates of anxiety, depression and parasuicide. These rates declined after controlling for a previous history of mental health problems and potential confounding factors. After adjustment, nicotine dependence was still associated with anxiety, depression and parasuicide. There was also a significant association with later depression in the group of non-dependent daily smokers. Measures of reduced mental health did not predict later smoking initiation or the development of nicotine dependence. Conclusions Mental health was reduced more seriously in nicotine-dependent smokers than in non-dependent smokers. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that smoking, in particular nicotine dependence, influences mental health. [source]

Childhood social disadvantage and smoking in adulthood: results of a 25-year longitudinal study

ADDICTION, Issue 3 2007
David M. Fergusson
ABSTRACT Aim To examine the associations between exposure to socio-economic disadvantage in childhood and smoking in adulthood. Design A 25-year longitudinal study of the health, development and adjustment of a birth cohort of 1265 New Zealand children. Measurements Assessments of childhood socio-economic disadvantage, smoking in adulthood and potential mediating pathways, including: parental education, family socio-economic status, family living standards and family income; smoking frequency and nicotine dependence at age 25 years; child IQ, educational achievement by age 18 years, conduct problems ages 14,16 years, parental smoking 0,16 years and peer smoking at 16 years. Findings Smoking at age 25 was correlated significantly (P < 0.0001) with increasing childhood socio-economic disadvantage. Further, indicators of childhood socio-economic disadvantage were correlated significantly (P < 0.0001) with the intervening variables of childhood intelligence, school achievement, conduct problems and exposure to parental and peer smoking; which in turn were correlated significantly (P < 0.0001) with measures of smoking at age 25. Structural equation modelling suggested that the linkages between the latent factor of childhood disadvantage and later smoking were explained largely by a series of pathways involving cognitive/educational factors, adolescent behavioural adjustment and exposure to parental and peer smoking. Conclusions The current study suggested that smoking in adulthood is influenced by childhood socio-economic disadvantage via the mediating pathways of cognitive/educational factors, adolescent behaviour and parental and peer smoking. [source]

Parents and Practitioners Are Poor Judges of Young Children's Pain Severity

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 6 2002
Adam J. Singer MD
Objective: Visual analog pain scales are reliable measures in older children and adults; however, pain studies that include young children often rely on parental or practitioner assessments for measuring pain severity. The authors correlated patient, parental, and practitioner pain assessments for young children with acute pain. Methods: This was a prospective, descriptive study of a convenience sample of 63 emergency department patients aged 4-7 years, with acute pain resulting from acute illness or painful invasive procedures. A trained research assistant administered a structured pain survey containing demographic and historical features to all parents/guardians. Children assessed their pain severity using a validated ordinal scale that uses five different faces with varying degrees of frowning (severe pain) or smiling (no pain). Each face was converted to a numeric value from 0 (no pain) to 4 (severe pain). Parents and practitioners independently assessed their child's pain using a validated 100-mm visual analog scale (VAS) marked "most pain" at the high end. Pairwise correlations between child, parent, and practitioner pain assessments were performed using Spearman's or Pearson's test as appropriate. The association between categorical data was assessed using ,2 tests. Results: Sixty-three children ranging in age from 4 to 7 were included. Mean age (±SD) was 5.7 (±1.1); 42% were female. Fifty-seven successfully completed the face scale. The distribution of the children's scores was 0-17%, 1-9%, 2-30%, 3-14%, and 4-30%. Mean parental and practitioner scores (±SD) on the VAS were 61 (±26) mm and 37 (±26) mm, respectively (maximal = 100 mm). Correlation between child and parent scores was 0.47 (p < 0.001). Correlation between child and practitioner scores was 0.08 (p = 0.54). Correlation between parent and practitioner scores was 0.04 (p = 0.001). Conclusions: There is poor agreement between pain ratings by children, parents, and practitioners. It is unclear which assessment best approximates the true degree of pain the child is experiencing. [source]

The intergenerational transmission of social dominance: A three-generation study

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 6 2008
Armand Chatard
Abstract This study examined the transmission of social dominance orientation (SDO) from parents and grandparents to children. It was predicted that parents as well as grandparents would pass their social dominance attitudes to children. Children's levels of SDO would thus be the highest when parental and grandparental attitudes are high; the lowest when parental and grandparental attitudes are low; and intermediate when parental and grandparental attitudes are incongruent. These hypotheses were examined in a sample of 93 families including children (in early adulthood), one of their parents, and one of their grandparents. Results yielded support for the predictions. These findings' implications are discussed in terms of their potential to explain previous inconsistent results on the transmission of social attitudes to children. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Sex differences in school performance as a function of conscientiousness, imagination and the mediating role of problem behaviour

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 3 2008
Filip De Fruyt
The roles of Conscientiousness and Imagination in explaining sex differences in school performance were examined in two Flemish samples of school children using parental and teacher ratings of school performance (N,=,599) and school grades (N,=,448). Both personality domains predicted parental ratings of school performance and grades. In one sample, girls received slightly higher parental ratings of language achievement and overall performance ratings by teachers. However, controlling for Conscientiousness and Imagination facets, boys scored slightly higher for math and history. In this sample, lower externalising behaviour partially mediated the relation between Conscientiousness facets and school performance in girls but not in boys, but this pattern was not replicated in the second sample. We concluded that sex differences in school performance were small and many could be accounted for by personality traits. In some cases, however, personality traits acted to amplify sex differences in school performance. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

POPULATION DIFFERENTIATION IN THE BEETLE TRIBOLIUM CASTANEUM.

EVOLUTION, Issue 3 2007

We used joint-scaling analyses in conjunction with rearing temperature variation to investigate the contributions of additive, non-additive, and environmental effects to genetic divergence and incipient speciation among 12 populations of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, with small levels of pairwise nuclear genetic divergence (0.033 < Nei's D < 0.125). For 15 population pairs we created a full spectrum of line crosses (two parental, two reciprocal F1's, four F2's, and eight backcrosses), reared them at multiple temperatures, and analyzed the numbers and developmental defects of offspring. We assayed a total of 219,388 offspring from 5147 families. Failed crosses occurred predominately in F2's, giving evidence of F2 breakdown within this species. In all cases where a significant model could be fit to the data on offspring number, we observed at least one type of digenic epistasis. We also found maternal and cytoplasmic effects to be common components of divergence among T. castaneum populations. In some cases, the most complex model tested (additive, dominance, epistatic, maternal, and cytoplasmic effects) did not provide a significant fit to the data, suggesting that linkage or higher order epistasis is involved in differentiation between some populations. For the limb deformity data, we observed significant genotype-by-environment interaction in most crosses and pure parent crosses tended to have fewer deformities than hybrid crosses. Complexity of genetic architecture was not correlated with either geographic distance or genetic distance. Our results support the view that genetic incompatibilities responsible for postzygotic isolation, an important component of speciation, may be a natural but serendipitous consequence of nonadditive genetic effects and structured populations. [source]

OUTBREEDING DEPRESSION VARIES AMONG COHORTS OF IPOMOPSIS AGGREGATA PLANTED IN NATURE

EVOLUTION, Issue 2 2000
Nickolas M. Waser
Abstract., Outbreeding depression in progeny fitness may arise from disruption of local adaptation, disruption of allelic coadaptation, or a combination of these "environmental" and "physiological" mechanisms. Thus the minimum spatial scale over which outbreeding depression arises should depend on the spatial scale of gene dispersal and (with an environmental mechanism) of change in selection regimes. We previously reported substantial outbreeding depression in lifetime fitness of progeny resulting from crosses among parents separated by 100 m in natural populations of the herbaceous plant Ipomopsis aggregata. In this paper we explore the effect of crossing distance on fitness in two additional experiments begun in 1987 and 1990. We planted seed progeny derived from partial diallel crossing designs in randomized blocks in maternal environments and scored emergence of seedlings, survival, and eventual flowering of individuals over the subsequent six to eight years. Nested within each diallel design were crossing distances of 1 m, 10 m, and 100 m. Compared to 1-m and 10-m progeny, 100-m progeny of the 1987 diallel suffered a significant reduction in seedling emergence, and both 1-m and 100-m progeny that survived to flower achieved lower ,-values on average than 10-m progeny. Total outbreeding depression suffered by 100-m relative to 10-m progeny was approximately 10%, compared to approximately 30% in our earlier study of I. aggregata. Progeny of 10-m crosses also outperformed 1-m and 100-m progeny of the 1990 diallel by approximately 5%, but no difference among crossing distance treatments was significant. Thus, the magnitude of outbreeding depression in 100-m crosses varied among experiments. This is not surprising given likely spatial and temporal variation in gene flow and selection regimes, different population histories, and different parental and progeny environments. Characterizing outbreeding depression on the shortest spatial scales over which it is expressed, as well as its variation and causes, is worthwhile because it promises to shed light on the earliest stages of angiosperm speciation. [source]

Revisiting Reuben Hill's Theory of Familial Response to Stressors: The Mediating Role of Mental Outlook for Offspring of Divorce

FAMILY & CONSUMER SCIENCES RESEARCH JOURNAL, Issue 1 2007
Susan Frazier Kahl
With data from the National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH), the authors probe the link between parental and second-generation divorce. They investigate whether parental divorce and offspring's subsequent marital behavior are related to mental outlook. Existing literature maintains that children who experience parental divorce are more likely to divorce than their counterparts, yet explanations for this pattern remain contested. Drawing from Reuben Hill's classic ABCX model, the authors derive an analytical model that includes personal as opposed to interpersonal aspects of family crises. Only one factor produces mediating effects. Parental divorce depresses offspring self-satisfaction as opposed to their marital commitment, which subsequently leads to greater odds of their divorce and marital unhappiness. These results suggest the utility of mental outlook in future analytical models and lend continuing support to the viability of Reuben Hill's perspective for disentangling the complexities of family behaviors. [source]

Parental Separation and Children's Behavioral/Emotional Problems: The Impact of Parental Representations and Family Conflict

FAMILY PROCESS, Issue 1 2010
STEPHANIE STADELMANN PH.D.
In this longitudinal study, we examine whether the effect of parental separation on kindergarten children's behavioral/emotional problems varies according to the level of family conflict, and children's parental representations. One hundred and eighty seven children were assessed at ages 5 and 6. Family conflict was assessed using parents' ratings. Children's parental representations were assessed using a story-stem task. A multiinformant approach (parent, teacher, child) was employed to assess children's behavioral/emotional problems. Bivariate results showed that separation, family conflict, and negative parental representations were associated with children's behavioral/emotional problems. However, in multivariate analyses, when controlling for gender and symptoms at age 5, we found that children of separated parents who showed negative parental representations had a significantly greater increase in conduct problems between 5 and 6 than all other children. In terms of emotional symptoms and hyperactivity, symptoms at 5 and (for hyperactivity only) gender were the only predictors for symptoms 1 year later. Our results suggest that kindergarten children's representations of parent-child relationships moderate the impact of parental separation on the development of conduct problems, and underline play and narration as a possible route to access the thoughts and feelings of young children faced with parental separation. RESUMEN En este estudio longitudinal analizamos si el efecto de la separación parental sobre los problemas emocionales y conductuales de los niños de primer grado varía según el nivel de conflicto familiar y las representaciones parentales de los niños. Se evaluó a ciento ochenta y siete niños de 5 y 6 años. El conflicto familiar se evaluó utilizando valoraciones de los padres. Las representaciones parentales de los niños se evaluaron mediante una tarea basada en relatos. Se empleó un enfoque multi-informante (padre, maestro, niño) para evaluar los problemas conductuales y emocionales de los niños. Los resultados bivariables demostraron que la separación, el conflicto familiar y las representaciones parentales negativas estuvieron asociadas con problemas conductuales y emocionales en los niños. Sin embargo, en análisis multivariables, cuando se controló el género y los síntomas a los 5 años, descubrimos que los niños de padres separados que demostraron representaciones parentales negativas tuvieron un aumento mucho mayor en problemas de conducta entre los 5 y los 6 años que todos los demás niños. En cuanto a síntomas emocionales e hiperactividad, los síntomas a los 5 años (para hiperactividad solamente) y el género fueron los únicos predictores de síntomas un año después. Nuestros resultados sugieren que las representaciones de los niños de primer grado de las relaciones entre padres y niños moderan el impacto que tiene la separación parental sobre el desarrollo de problemas de conducta. Además, subrayan el juego y la narración como un posible camino para acceder a los pensamientos y sentimientos de los niños que enfrentan la separación de sus padres. Palabras clave: niños de primer grado; separación parental; representaciones parentales; conflicto familiar; problemas conductuales y emocionales [source]

Use of a breeding approach for improving biocontrol efficacy of Phlebiopsis gigantea strains against Heterobasidion infection of Norway spruce stumps

FEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2009
Hui Sun
Abstract Sixty-four wild heterokaryotic isolates of Phlebiopsis gigantea were analysed for asexual spore production, growth rate and competitive ability against Heterobasidion in vitro, as well as growth rate in Norway spruce wood. These P. gigantea traits were considered important for controlling infection of Norway spruce stumps by spores of Heterobasidion spp. Ten most promising P. gigantea isolates were crossed with each other and 172 F1 progeny heterokaryons were analysed for the above-mentioned traits. Thirteen most promising progeny heterokaryons were selected and their biocontrol ability against infection by Heterobasidion was compared with the parental isolates in stem pieces of Norway spruce. The results indicated that the progeny strains had generally better traits and control efficacy than the parental strains. The genetic effects accounted for a part of the variations between progeny and parental strains. This further suggests that there is a potential to improve the biocontrol properties of P. gigantea through breeding. [source]

Cross-generation effects due to cold exposure in Drosophila serrata

FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY, Issue 5 2003
A. Magiafoglou
Summary 1Environmental variation experienced in the parental and grandparental generation can affect progeny phenotype, performance and response to selection. Here the effects of parental and grandparental exposure to a non-lethal cold shock are considered in Drosophila serrata Malloch. Development time, viability and early age productivity were measured in flies originating from border and central locations in the distribution of this species that had been held under two separate laboratory maintenance schedules. 2Cross-generation effects were detected for several traits. Development time usually decreased following maternal and/or grandmaternal cold exposure. Parental cold exposure negatively influenced viability while grandparental effects on viability were negligible. Early female productivity showed opposing responses depending on generation; maternal cold exposure increased progeny productivity while grandmaternal exposure decreased it. Male parental and grandparental exposure to cold shock decreased male productivity, although this pattern may have been partly confounded by size effects. 3Population effects, reflecting geographical origin, were limited to development time, while selective background effects were demonstrated for most traits. The influence these factors had on the expression of cross-generation effects was negligible, given interactions with treatment were not evident. These responses suggest that environmental variation experienced in preceding generations can influence progeny phenotype in a manner that is complex and difficult to predict. [source]

Impaired Pavlovian fear extinction is a common phenotype across genetic lineages of the 129 inbred mouse strain

GENES, BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR, Issue 8 2009
M. Camp
Fear extinction is impaired in psychiatric disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder and schizophrenia, which have a major genetic component. However, the genetic factors underlying individual variability in fear extinction remain to be determined. By comparing a panel of inbred mouse strains, we recently identified a strain, 129S1/SvImJ (129S1), that exhibits a profound and selective deficit in Pavlovian fear extinction, and associated abnormalities in functional activation of a key prefrontal-amygdala circuit, as compared with C57BL/6J. The first aim of the present study was to assess fear extinction across multiple 129 substrains representing the strain's four different genetic lineages (parental, steel, teratoma and contaminated). Results showed that 129P1/ReJ, 129P3/J, 129T2/SvEmsJ and 129X1/SvJ exhibited poor fear extinction, relative to C57BL/6J, while 129S1 showed evidence of fear incubation. On the basis of these results, the second aim was to further characterize the nature and specificity of the extinction phenotype in 129S1, as an exemplar of the 129 substrains. Results showed that the extinction deficit in 129S1 was neither the result of a failure to habituate to a sensitized fear response nor an artifact of a fear response to (unconditioned) tone per se. A stronger conditioning protocol (i.e. five × higher intensity shocks) produced an increase in fear expression in 129S1, relative to C57BL/6J, due to rapid rise in freezing during tone presentation. Taken together, these data show that impaired fear extinction is a phenotypic feature common across 129 substrains, and provide preliminary evidence that impaired fear extinction in 129S1 may reflect a pro-fear incubation-like process. [source]

Calcium taste preferences: genetic analysis and genome screen of C57BL/6J × PWK/PhJ hybrid mice

GENES, BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR, Issue 6 2008
M. G. Tordoff
To characterize the genetic basis of voluntary calcium consumption, we tested C57BL/6J mice (B6; with low avidity for calcium), PWK/PhJ mice (PWK; with high avidity for calcium) and their F1 and F2 hybrids. All mice received a series of 96-h two-bottle preference tests with a choice between water and the following: 50 mm CaCl2, 50 mm calcium lactate, 50 mm MgCl2, 100 mm KCl, 100 mm NH4Cl, 100 mm NaCl, 5 mm citric acid, 30 ,m quinine hydrochloride and 2 mm saccharin. Most frequency distributions of the parental and F1 but not F2 groups were normally distributed, and there were few sex differences. Reciprocal cross analysis showed that B6 × PWK F1 mice had a non-specific elevation of fluid intake relative to PWK × B6 F1 mice. In the F2 mice, trait correlations were clustered among the divalent salts and the monovalent chlorides. A genome screen involving 116 markers showed 30 quantitative trait loci (QTLs), of which six involved consumption of calcium chloride or lactate. The results show pleiotropic controls of calcium and magnesium consumption that are distinct from those controlling consumption of monovalent chlorides or exemplars of the primary taste qualities. [source]

Modelling opportunity in health under partial observability of circumstances

HEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue 3 2010
Pedro Rosa Dias
Abstract This paper proposes a behavioural model of inequality of opportunity in health that integrates John Roemer's framework of inequality of opportunity with the Grossman model of health capital and demand for health. The model generates a recursive system of equations for health and lifestyles, which is then jointly estimated by full information maximum likelihood with freely correlated error terms. The analysis innovates by accounting for the presence of unobserved heterogeneity, therefore addressing the partial-circumstance problem, and by extending the examination of inequality of opportunity to health outcomes other than self-assessed health, such as long-standing illness, disability and mental health. The results provide evidence for the existence of third factors that simultaneously influence health outcomes and lifestyle choices, supporting the empirical relevance of the partial-circumstance problem. Accounting for these factors, the paper corroborates that the effect of parental and early circumstances on adult health disparities is paramount. However, the particular set of circumstances that affect each of the analysed health outcomes differs substantially. The results also show that differences in educational opportunities, and in social development in childhood, are crucial determinants of lifestyles in adulthood, which, in turn, shape the observed health inequalities. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Rearing conditions determine offspring survival independent of egg quality: a cross-foster experiment with Oystercatchers Haematopus ostralegus

IBIS, Issue 2 2006
MARTIJN VAN DE POL
Variation in rearing conditions, due either to parental or to environmental quality, can result in offspring of different quality (e.g. body condition, immune function). However, evidence is accumulating that egg size and composition can also affect offspring quality. In Oystercatchers Haematopus ostralegus, high-quality rearing conditions result in a higher quantity as well as quality of offspring. This is thought to be caused by increased parental food provisioning to the chicks in high-quality environments. However, variation in egg quality between rearing conditions could also affect the quantity and quality of offspring. Determining the mechanism and ontogeny of quality differences is important in unravelling the causes of variation in reproductive success. To disentangle the effects of egg quality, and quality of the rearing conditions, on the future survival of offspring, we cross-fostered complete clutches between nests. When reared under conditions of similar environmental quality, chicks originating from eggs laid in low-quality environments survived as well as chicks originating from eggs laid in a high-quality environment. However, chicks reared in high-quality environments survived twice as long as chicks reared in low-quality environments, independent of the environmental quality in which the eggs were laid. This suggests that variation in the future survival of offspring is primarily caused by differences in environmental and/or parental quality, with no clear effect of egg quality (size). [source]

Immune-privileged embryonic Swiss mouse STO and STO cell-derived progenitor cells: major histocompatibility complex and cell differentiation antigen expression patterns resemble those of human embryonic stem cell lines

IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 1 2006
Katherine S. Koch
Summary Embryonic mouse STO (S, SIM; T, 6-thioguanine resistant; O, ouabain resistant) and 3(8)21-enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) cell lines exhibit long-term survival and hepatic progenitor cell behaviour after xenogeneic engraftment in non-immunosuppressed inbred rats, and were previously designated major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I- and class II-negative lines. To determine the molecular basis for undetectable MHC determinants, the expression and haplotype of H-2K, H-2D, H-2L and I-A proteins were reassessed by reverse transcriptase,polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), cDNA sequencing, RNA hybridization, immunoblotting, quantitative RT-PCR (QPCR), immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry. To detect cell differentiation (CD) surface antigens characteristic of stem cells, apoptotic regulation or adaptive immunity that might facilitate progenitor cell status or immune privilege, flow cytometry was also used to screen untreated and cytokine [interferon (IFN)-,]-treated cultures. Despite prior PCR genotyping analyses suggestive of H-2q haplotypes in STO, 3(8)21-EGFP and parental 3(8)21 cells, all three lines expressed H-2K cDNA sequences identical to those of d-haplotype BALB/c mice, as well as constitutive and cytokine-inducible H-2Kd determinants. In contrast, apart from H-2Ld[LOW] display in 3(8)21 cells, H-2Dd, H-2Ld and I-Ad determinants were undetectable. All three lines expressed constitutive and cytokine-inducible CD34; however, except for inducible CD117[LOW] expression in 3(8)21 cells, no expression of CD45, CD117, CD62L, CD80, CD86, CD90·1 or CD95L/CD178 was observed. Constitutive and cytokine-inducible CD95[LOW] expression was detected in STO and 3(8)21 cells, but not in 3(8)21-EGFP cells. MHC (class I+[LOW]/class II,) and CD (CD34+/CD80,/CD86,/CD95L,) expression patterns in STO and STO cell-derived progenitor cells resemble patterns reported for human embryonic stem cell lines. Whether these patterns reflect associations with mechanisms that are regulatory of immune privilege or functional tissue-specific plasticity is unknown. [source]

Decreased pyruvate kinase M2 activity linked to cisplatin resistance in human gastric carcinoma cell lines

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 4 2004
Byong Chul Yoo
Abstract Resistance to anticancer drugs is a major obstacle preventing effective treatment of disseminated cancers. Understanding the molecular basis to chemoresistance is likely to provide better treatment. Cell lines resistant to cisplatin or 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) were established from human gastric carcinoma cell lines SNU-638 and SNU-620. Comparative proteomics involving 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and matrix-associated laser desorption ionization-mass spectroscopy (MALDI-MS) was performed on protein extracts from these parental and drug-resistant derivative lines to screen drug resistance-related proteins. Pyruvate kinase M2 (PK-M2) was identified as a protein showing lower expression in cisplatin-resistant cells compared to parental cells. Consistent with this finding, PK-M2 activity was also lower in cisplatin-resistant cells. Suppression of PK-M2 expression by antisense oligonucleotide resulted in acquired cisplatin resistance in SNU-638 cells. Furthermore, PK-M2 activity in 11 individual human gastric carcinoma cell lines positively correlated with cisplatin sensitivity. Taken together, PK-M2 protein and activity levels were lower in cisplatin-resistant human gastric carcinoma cell lines compared to their parental cell lines. Furthermore, suppression of PK-M2 expression using antisense oligonucleotides increased cisplatin resistance. These data clearly link PK-M2 and cisplatin resistance mechanisms. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]