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Influences Development (influence + development)
Selected AbstractsHow do changes in parental investment influence development in echinoid echinoderms?EVOLUTION AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 6 2009Nicholas J. Alcorn SUMMARY Understanding the relationship between egg size, development time, and juvenile size is critical to explaining patterns of life-history evolution in marine invertebrates. Currently there is conflicting information about the effects of changes in egg size on the life histories of echinoid echinoderms. We sought to resolve this conflict by manipulating egg size and food level during the development of two planktotrophic echinoid echinoderms: the green sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis and the sand dollar, Echinarachnius parma. Based on comparative datasets, we predicted that decreasing food availability and egg size would increase development time and reduce juvenile size. To test our prediction, blastomere separations were performed in both species at the two-cell stage to reduce egg volume by 50%, producing whole- and half-size larvae that were reared to metamorphosis under high or low food levels. Upon settlement, age at metamorphosis, juvenile size, spine number, and spine length were measured. As predicted, reducing egg size and food availability significantly increased age at metamorphosis and reduced juvenile quality. Along with previous egg size manipulations in other echinoids, this study suggests that the relationship between egg size, development time, and juvenile size is strongly dependent upon the initial size of the egg. [source] Systematic pelvic floor training for lower urinary tract symptoms post-prostatectomy: a randomized clinical trialINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF UROLOGICAL NURSING, Issue 1 2008Joanne P. Robinson Abstract Because the majority of prostate cancers are diagnosed in the local or regional stages, radical prostatectomy is a treatment of choice for many patients, particularly men younger than 65 years of age. However, radical prostatectomy carries a significant risk of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and may also impair quality of life. The aim of the study was to examine the effects of systematic postoperative pelvic floor training (PFT) on LUTS intensity, LUTS distress and health-related quality of life (HRQL) at 3, 6 and 12 months following radical prostatectomy. This randomized clinical trial was guided by the Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms. All participants (n = 126) received brief instructions for exercising pelvic floor muscles before surgery and the offer of a biofeedback evaluation session 1 month following catheter removal. The intervention group (n = 62) received an additional 4 weeks of PFT immediately following catheter removal. Intervention and control groups both reported steady declines in the intensity and distress associated with LUTS, but no between-group differences were found. Similarly, no between-group differences were found in impact on HRQL; however, the pattern of HRQL impact differed by group (p < 0·01) in the direction of greater impairment over time for the control group. LUTS intensity, LUTS distress and negative effects on HRQL decline for many radical prostatectomy patients over the first postoperative year; however, improvement does not occur in all patients. Further research is needed to improve our understanding of factors that influence development, resolution and management of LUTS following radical prostatectomy. [source] Normal and Abnormal Personality Traits: Evidence for Genetic and Environmental Relationships in the Minnesota Study of Twins Reared ApartJOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 5 2002Kristian E. Markon ABSTRACT Recent studies have demonstrated substantial correlations between normal and abnormal personality traits. Yet little is known about how these correlations are mediated genetically and environmentally: Do normal and abnormal personality traits stem from the same underlying genes and environments? We addressed this question using data from 128 monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs in the Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart (MISTRA). Additive genetic and nonshared environmental correlations between scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI),an index of abnormal personality,and the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ),an index of normal personality,were estimated. Results indicated that phenotypic correlations between normal and abnormal personality were mediated by genetic as well as environmental factors, although the magnitude of genetic mediation tended to be larger overall. Moreover, the patterns of phenotypic, genetic, and environmental relationships among the scales were similar, suggesting that influences on normal and abnormal personality act through systems common to both. It is suggested that future research focus on the neurogenetic substrates of these shared systems and how dysfunction in these systems influences development of disordered personality. [source] No evidence found that childhood onset of psoriasis influences disease severity, future body mass index or type of treatments usedJOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN ACADEMY OF DERMATOLOGY & VENEREOLOGY, Issue 11 2010MEA De Jager Abstract Background, In more than one-third of the psoriatic population, the first manifestations occur in childhood. Whether the age of onset of psoriasis influences the march of psoriasis is not known. Objectives, To describe the epidemiology and clinical features as well as prescribed treatments and familial distribution in psoriasis depending on the age of onset of the disease. Methods, A structured questionnaire was sent to 5300 adult psoriatic patients. Respondents were divided into two groups: patients who experienced an onset of disease before the age of 18 [childhood onset psoriasis (COP)] and patients with an onset of disease from the age of 18 [adult onset psoriasis (AOP)]. Results, Questionnaires of 1926 (36.3%) patients were suitable for analysis. In 37.1% of patients, first signs of the disease occurred before the age of 18. COP occurs predominantly in females, has a longer delay in diagnosis and a higher frequency of familial distribution. The development of guttate and erythrodermic psoriasis in adulthood is more frequently seen in COP. In contrast to common belief, type of psoriasis in COP often remains the same from childhood to adulthood. There was no evidence found that getting psoriasis before the age of 18 years influences development of high body mass index in adulthood, disease severity in later life or type of treatments used. Conclusions, The age of onset of psoriasis essentially does not influence the subsequent course of the disease in adulthood. [source] Genetic variation in CRTh2 influences development of allergic phenotypesALLERGY, Issue 10 2009L. Cameron Background:, Allergic disorders are characterized by an increase in the Th2 cytokines IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13, produced primarily by Th2 cells. These cells are marked by the expression of CRTh2 (chemoattractant receptor-homologous molecule expressed on Th2 cells), a receptor for prostaglandin D2. As genetic variation plays a significant role in the predisposition for allergic disorders, we investigated the influence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in CRTh2. Methods:, In a large study population of German children (n = 4264) from the International Study of Asthma and Allergy in Children (ISAAC II), six polymorphisms in CRTh2 were genotyped. Statistical analyses were performed using single SNP and haplotype analyses. Results:, Uncorrected associations among ,6373G>A, +1431G>C and +1538A>G were observed with a number of allergic phenotypes (P < 0.05). After correction, association between +1431C and specific IgE to food allergens remained significant (P = 0.04). Associations of haplotype (H)3 (containing +1538G) with reduced risk for asthma and H2 (containing +1431C) with increased risk for specific IgE to food allergens also remained significant after correction for multiple testing (P = 0.004). Conclusions:, Genetic variation within CRTh2 modifies the development of allergic sensitization and asthma in a population of German children. [source] | ||||||||||