Diet Affects the Temperature-Size Relationship in the Blowfly Aldrichina grahami

In warmer environments, most ectotherms exhibit a plastic reduction in body size (the temperature-size rule, TSR). However, in such environments, growth is usually accelerated and would be expected to result in maturation at a larger body size, leading to increases in fecundity, survival, and mating success, compared to maturation at a smaller size (the 'life-history puzzle'). To explore these mechanisms, we reared Aldrichina grahami at 20 °C, 25 °C, and 30 °C, and added a nutritional challenge by using dilutions of pork liver paste to provide diets that ranged in quality from high (undiluted) to moderate (1/8), low (1/16), and poor (1/24). Larvae were randomly sampled for weighing from hatching. Growth curves were fitted to the relationships between growth rate and weight for the third instar larvae. Our results showed that body size was affected by an interaction between temperature and diet, and that following or not following the TSR can vary depending on underfeeding. Moreover, when the TSR was followed as temperature increased, there was a cross-over point that divided the two growth curves into early and later stages, which could be used to help understand the life-history puzzle in warmer temperatures, with the instantaneous growth rate being faster in the early stages of development and then slower in later stages. This study reminds us that animals have evolved to cope with multiple simultaneous environmental changes, and it has thus offered a better understanding of life-history puzzles.

The development rule of feathers and application of hair root tissue in sex identification of Yangzhou geese

Accurate gender identification is crucial for the study of bird reproduction and evolution. The current study aimed to explore and evaluate the effectiveness of a noninvasive method for gender identification in Yangzhou geese. In this experiment, 600 goose eggs were collected. Hair root tissues were used for PCR amplification, molecular sequencing, and anal inversion for early sex recognition in goslings. According to the DNA amplification results for the feather pulp tissue of 2-wk-old geese, bands appeared at 436 bp (CHD1-Z) and 330 bp (CHD1-W) upon gel electrophoresis. This method considered the base of goose feathers to accelerate the process of gender recognition. By examining the sex of anatomized poultry for verification, the accuracy rate of PCR gel electrophoresis and molecular sequencing sex identification was 100%, whereas the average accuracy rate of anal inversion was 97.41%. In the comparison of feather growth trends at 0 to 18 wk of age, the feather root weight (FRW), feather root length (FRL), feather branch length (FBL), and feather shaft diameter (FSD) of Yangzhou goose of the same age were not significantly different between males and females (P > 0.05). At 6 wk of age, the FRW, FRL, and FSD in males and FRL in females increased rapidly; their growth increased by 84.43, 67.58, 45.10, and 69.42%, respectively. At 10 wk of age, the male FRL, male FBL, and female FBL increased by 37.31, 34.81, and 21.72, respectively. The Boltzmann model was found to be the best-fitting model for the feathers of male Yangzhou geese. Early sex identification based on feather growth trends between the sexes is not feasible. This study provides a convenient and reliable technical means for early sex identification of waterfowl and serves as an ecological strategy for protecting the reproduction of poultry populations.

Patterns and predictors of alcohol misuse trajectories from adolescence through early midlife

We took a multilevel developmental contextual approach and characterized trajectories of alcohol misuse from adolescence through early midlife, examined genetic and environmental contributions to individual differences in those trajectories, and identified adolescent and young adult factors associated with change in alcohol misuse. Data were from two longitudinal population-based studies. FinnTwin16 is a study of Finnish twins assessed at 16, 17, 18, 25, and 35 years (N = 5659; 52% female; 32% monozygotic). The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) is a study of adolescents from the United States, who were assessed at five time points from 1994 to 2018 (N = 18026; 50% female; 64% White, 21% Black, 4% Native American, 7% Asian, 9% Other race/ethnicity). Alcohol misuse was measured as frequency of intoxication in FinnTwin16 and frequency of binge drinking in Add Health. In both samples, trajectories of alcohol misuse were best described by a quadratic growth curve: Alcohol misuse increased across adolescence, peaked in young adulthood, and declined into early midlife. Individual differences in these trajectories were primarily explained by environmental factors. Several adolescent and young adult correlates were related to the course of alcohol misuse, including other substance use, physical and mental health, and parenthood.

The proteome of bacterial membrane vesicles in Escherichia coli-a time course comparison study in two different media

Introduction

Bacteria inhabit the in- and outside of the human body, such as skin, gut or the oral cavity where they play an innoxious, beneficial or even pathogenic role. It is well known that bacteria can secrete membrane vesicles (MVs) like eukaryotic cells with extracellular vesicles (EVs). Several studies indicate that bacterial membrane vesicles (bMVs) play a crucial role in microbiome-host interactions. However, the composition of such bMVs and their functionality under different culture conditions are still largely unknown.

Methods

To gain a better insight into bMVs, we investigated the composition and functionality of E. coli (DSM 105380) bMVs from the culture media Lysogeny broth (LB) and RPMI 1640 throughout the different phases of growth (lag-, log- and stationary-phase). bMVs from three time points (8 h, 54 h, and 168 h) and two media (LB and RPMI 1640) were isolated by ultracentrifugation and analyzed using nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), cryogenic electron microscopy (Cryo-EM), conventional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and mass spectrometry-based proteomics (LC-MS/MS). Furthermore, we examined pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-8 in the human monocyte cell line THP-1 upon bMV treatment.

Results

Particle numbers increased with inoculation periods. The bMV morphologies in Cryo-EM/TEM were similar at each time point and condition. Using proteomics, we identified 140 proteins, such as the common bMV markers OmpA and GroEL, present in bMVs isolated from both media and at all time points. Additionally, we were able to detect growth-condition-specific proteins. Treatment of THP-1 cells with bMVs of all six groups lead to significantly high IL-1β and IL-8 expressions.

Conclusion

Our study showed that the choice of medium and the duration of culturing significantly influence both E. coli bMV numbers and protein composition. Our TEM/Cryo-EM results demonstrated the presence of intact E. coli bMVs. Common E. coli proteins, including OmpA, GroEL, and ribosome proteins, can consistently be identified across all six tested growth conditions. Furthermore, our functional assays imply that bMVs isolated from the six groups retain their function and result in comparable cytokine induction.

The Behavioral and Productive Characteristics of Japanese Quails (Coturnix japonica) Exposed to Different Monochromatic Lighting

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of monochromatic illuminations at wavelengths of white (400-700 nm), green (560 nm), yellow (580 nm), blue (480 nm), and red (660 nm) on the performance and behavioral traits of Japanese quails throughout their fattening period. A total of 300 quails in five lighting experimental groups were housed in their conventional rearing cages. Weekly live weights of quails were measured individually, developmental stability was determined, and behavior and fear tests were performed. The body weight averages of quails exposed to blue, green, and yellow light were determined to be greater than those exposed to white and red light (p < 0.05). In terms of the mature weight parameter and the weight of the inflection point of the Gompertz growth model, the averages of the quails exposed to green and blue monochromatic lighting were higher (p < 0.05). The most negative findings on aggressive behavior were observed in birds exposed to monochromatic yellow and red light. Although the body weight of quails exposed to yellow monochromatic lighting was similar to that of quails exposed to green and blue monochromatic lighting, green and blue monochromatic lighting produced the best results in terms of growth, behavior, and developmental stability characteristics. Consequently, it is believed that consistently using green or blue monochromatic lighting programs when raising Japanese quails may provide economic advantages to the producers.

Life events sometimes alter the trajectory of personality development: Effect sizes for 25 life events estimated using a large, frequently assessed sample

OBJECTIVE

Personality changes across the life span. Life events, such as marriage, becoming a parent, and retirement, have been proposed as facilitating personality growth via the adoption of novel social roles. However, empirical evidence linking life events with personality development is sparse. Most studies have relied on few assessments separated by long time intervals and have focused on a single life event. In contrast, the content of life is composed of small, recurrent experiences (e.g., getting sick or practicing a hobby), with relatively few major events (e.g., childbirth). Small, frequently experienced life events may play an important and overlooked role in personality development.

METHOD

The present study examined the extent to which 25 major and minor life events alter the trajectory of personality development in a large, frequently assessed sample (Nsample  = 4904, Nassessments  = 47,814, median retest interval = 35 days).

RESULTS

Using a flexible analytic strategy to accommodate the repeated occurrence of life events, we found that the trajectory of personality development shifted in response to a single occurrence of some major life events (e.g., divorce), and recurrent, "minor" life experiences (e.g., one's partner doing something special).

CONCLUSION

Both stark role changes and frequently reinforced minor experiences can lead to personality change.

Microbial Primer: Bacterial growth kinetics

tGrowth of microorganisms and interpretation of growth data are core skills required by microbiologists. While science moves forward, it is of paramount importance that essential skills are not lost. The bacterial growth curve and the information that can gleaned from it is of great value to all of microbiology, whether this be a simple growth experiment, comparison of mutant strains or the establishment of conditions for a large-scale multi-omics experiment. Increasingly, the basics of plotting and interpreting growth curves and growth data are being overlooked. This primer article serves as a refresher for microbiologists on the fundamentals of microbial growth kinetics.

The growth curve determination and economic trait correlation for Qinchuan bull population

Carcass weight, as a measure of meat yield, and body measurements are directly correlated traits in livestock. However, longitudinally collected phenotype records of local breeds are not comprehensive. The research was performed on Qinchuan bull population to understand their growth and development, and data from Qinchuan bull that was weighed and measured at birth, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months of age was analyzed. Furthermore, Logistic, Brody, Gompertz, and Bertallanffy were used to fit the growth curves for weight and body size traits. The results showed that the four curve models have good fitting degrees for the weight and body size (R2 > 0.99), and the Bertallanffy model exhibited a good fit to the measured data of body weight, and the model estimated the inflection point of body weight as (5.43 months of age, 122.01 kg). Particularly, the limited mature body weight can reach 557.8 kg by the Brody model. Body weight was significantly positively correlated with body height, hip height, body length, chest circumference, abdominal girth, and calf girth (p < 0.0001), and the correlation between body weight and body length was the highest (r = 0.975). The regression equation predicting body weight was Y = -275.691 + 3.28 X3 + 1.311 X4 - 0.397 X5.

Ideonella sakaiensis Can Metabolize Bisphenol A as a Carbon Source

Bisphenol A and its analogues represent a significant environmental and public health hazard, particularly affecting the endocrine systems of children and newborns. Due to the growing need for non-pathogenic biodegradation microbial agents as environmentally friendly and cost-effective solutions to eliminate endocrine disruptors, this study aimed to investigate the degradation of bisphenol A by Ideonella sakaiensis, based on its currently understood unique enzymatic machinery that is already well known for degrading polyethylene terephthalate. The present study provides novel insights into the metabolic competence and growth particularities of I. sakaiensis. The growth of I. sakaiensis exposed to bisphenol A exceeded that in the control conditions, starting with 72 h in a 70% nutrient-rich medium and starting with 48 h in a 100% nutrient-rich medium. Computational modeling showed that bisphenol A, as well as its analogue bisphenol S, are possible substrates of PETase and MHETase. The use of bisphenol A as a carbon and energy source through a pure I. sakaiensis culture expands the known substrate spectra and the species' potential as a new candidate for bisphenol A bioremediation processes.

Integrated genomic and functional analyses of human skin-associated Staphylococcus reveal extensive inter- and intra-species diversity

Human skin is stably colonized by a distinct microbiota that functions together with epidermal cells to maintain a protective physical barrier. Staphylococcus, a prominent genus of the skin microbiota, participates in colonization resistance, tissue repair, and host immune regulation in strain-specific manners. To unlock the potential of engineering skin microbial communities, we aim to characterize the diversity of this genus within the context of the skin environment. We reanalyzed an extant 16S rRNA amplicon dataset obtained from distinct body sites of healthy volunteers, providing a detailed biogeographic depiction of staphylococcal species that colonize our skin. S. epidermidis, S. capitis, and S. hominis were the most abundant staphylococcal species present in all volunteers and were detected at all body sites. Pan-genome analysis of isolates from these three species revealed that the genus-core was dominated by central metabolism genes. Species-restricted-core genes encoded known host colonization functions. The majority (~68%) of genes were detected only in a fraction of isolate genomes, underscoring the immense strain-specific gene diversity. Conspecific genomes grouped into phylogenetic clades, exhibiting body site preference. Each clade was enriched for distinct gene sets that are potentially involved in site tropism. Finally, we conducted gene expression studies of select isolates showing variable growth phenotypes in skin-like medium. In vitro expression revealed extensive intra- and inter-species gene expression variation, substantially expanding the functional diversification within each species. Our study provides an important resource for future ecological and translational studies to examine the role of shared and strain-specific staphylococcal genes within the skin environment.

How Do Prebiotics Affect Human Intestinal Bacteria?-Assessment of Bacterial Growth with Inulin and XOS In Vitro

Prebiotics are believed to exhibit high specificity in stimulating the growth or activity of a limited number of commensal microorganisms, thereby conferring health benefits to the host. However, the mechanism of action of prebiotics depends on multiple factors, including the composition of an individual's gut microbiota, and is therefore difficult to predict. It is known that different bacteria can utilize inulin and xylooligosaccharides (XOS), but an overview of which bacteria in the human gut may be affected is lacking. Detailed knowledge of how bacterial growth is affected by prebiotics is furthermore useful for the development of new synbiotics, which combine a living microorganism with a selective substrate to confer a health benefit to the host. Hence, we developed a statistical model to compare growth in vitro among typical human gut bacteria from different phylogenetic lineages. Based on continuous observation of the optical density (OD600), we compare maximal growth rates (rmax), maximal attained OD600 (ODmax), and area under the growth curve (AUC) of bacteria grown on inulin or XOS. The consideration of these three parameters suggests strain-specific preferences for inulin or XOS and reveals previously unknown preferences such as Streptococcus salivarius growth on XOS.

Ploidy in Vibrio natriegens: Very Dynamic and Rapidly Changing Copy Numbers of Both Chromosomes

Vibrio natriegens is the fastest-growing bacterium, with a doubling time of approximately 12-14 min. It has a high potential for basic research and biotechnological applications, e.g., it can be used for the cell-free production of (labeled) heterologous proteins, for synthetic biological applications, and for the production of various compounds. However, the ploidy level in V. natriegens remains unknown. At nine time points throughout the growth curve, we analyzed the numbers of origins and termini of both chromosomes with qPCR and the relative abundances of all genomic sites with marker frequency analyses. During the lag phase until early exponential growth, the origin copy number and origin/terminus ratio of chromosome 1 increased severalfold, but the increase was lower for chromosome 2. This increase was paralleled by an increase in cell volume. During the exponential phase, the origin/terminus ratio and cell volume decreased again. This highly dynamic and fast regulation has not yet been described for any other species. In this study, the gene dosage increase in origin-adjacent genes during the lag phase is discussed together with the nonrandom distribution of genes on the chromosomes of V. natriegens. Taken together, the results of this study provide the first comprehensive overview of the chromosome dynamics in V. natriegens and will guide the optimization of molecular biological characterization and biotechnological applications.

Integrated genomic and functional analyses of human skin-associated Staphylococcus reveals extensive inter- and intra-species diversity

Human skin is stably colonized by a distinct microbiota that functions together with epidermal cells to maintain a protective physical barrier. Staphylococcus, a prominent genus of the skin microbiota, participates in colonization resistance, tissue repair, and host immune regulation in strain specific manners. To unlock the potential of engineering skin microbial communities, we aim to fully characterize the functional diversity of this genus within the context of the skin environment. We conducted metagenome and pan-genome analyses of isolates obtained from distinct body sites of healthy volunteers, providing a detailed biogeographic depiction of staphylococcal species that colonize our skin. S. epidermidis, S. capitis, and S. hominis were the most abundant species present in all volunteers and were detected at all body sites. Pan-genome analysis of these three species revealed that the genus-core was dominated by central metabolism genes. Species-specific core genes were enriched in host colonization functions. The majority (~68%) of genes were detected only in a fraction of isolate genomes, underscoring the immense strain-specific gene diversity. Conspecific genomes grouped into phylogenetic clades, exhibiting body site preference. Each clade was enriched for distinct gene-sets that are potentially involved in site tropism. Finally, we conducted gene expression studies of select isolates showing variable growth phenotypes in skin-like medium. In vitro expression revealed extensive intra- and inter-species gene expression variation, substantially expanding the functional diversification within each species. Our study provides an important resource for future ecological and translational studies to examine the role of shared and strain-specific staphylococcal genes within the skin environment.

Brief mock-scan training reduces head motion during real scanning for children: A growth curve study

Pediatric neuroimaging datasets are rapidly increasing in scales. Despite strict protocols in data collection and preprocessing focused on improving data quality, the presence of head motion still impedes our understanding of neurodevelopmental mechanisms. Large head motion can lead to severe noise and artifacts in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies, inflating correlations between adjacent brain areas and decreasing correlations between spatial distant territories, especially in children and adolescents. Here, by leveraging mock-scans of 123 Chinese children and adolescents, we demonstrated the presence of increased head motion in younger participants. Critically, a 5.5-minute training session in an MRI mock scanner was found to effectively suppress the head motion in the children and adolescents. Therefore, we suggest that mock scanner training should be part of the quality assurance routine prior to formal MRI data collection, particularly in large-scale population-level neuroimaging initiatives for pediatrics.

Comparative Transcriptome Analyses of Leg Muscle during Early Growth between Geese (Anser cygnoides) Breeds Differing in Body Size Characteristics

Goose is an important poultry commonly raised for meat. The early growth performance of geese significantly influences their market weight and slaughter weight, affecting the poultry industry's economic benefits. To identify the growth surge between the Shitou goose and the Wuzong goose, we collected the early growth body traits from 0 to 12 weeks. In addition, we investigated the transcriptomic changes in leg muscles at the high growth speed period to reveal the difference between the two geese breeds. We also estimated the growth curve parameters under three models, including the logistic, von Bertalanffy, and Gompertz models. The results showed that except for body length and keel length, the best-fitting model between the body weight and body size of the Shitou and Wuzong was the logistic model. The growth turning points of Shitou and Wuzong were 5.954 and 4.944 weeks, respectively, and the turning point of their body weight was 1459.01 g and 478.54 g, respectively. Growth surge occurred at 2-9 weeks in Shitou goose and at 1-7 weeks in Wuzong goose. The body size traits of the Shitou goose and Wuzong goose showed a trend of rapid growth in the early stage and slow growth in the later stage, and the Shitou goose growth was higher than the Wuzong goose. For transcriptome sequencing, a total of 87 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified with a fold change ≥ 2 and a false discovery rate < 0.05. Many DEGs have a potential function for growth, such as CXCL12, SSTR4, FABP5, SLC2A1, MYLK4, and EIF4E3. KEGG pathway analysis identified that some DEGs were significantly enriched in the calcium signaling pathway, which may promote muscle growth. The gene-gene interaction network of DEGs was mainly related to the transmission of cell signals and substances, hematological system development, and functions. This study can provide theoretical guidance for the production and breeding management of the Shitou goose and Wuzong goose and help reveal the genetic mechanisms underlying diverse body sizes between two goose breeds.

Early Growth and Development and Nonlinear Model Fitting Analysis of Ashidan Yak

Understanding animal growth plays an important role in improving animal genetics and breeding. In order to explore the early growth and development law of Ashidan yak, the body weight (BW), wither height (WH), body oblique length (BL) and chest girth (CG) of 260 female Ashidan yaks were measured. These individuals grew under grazing conditions, and growth traits were measured at 6, 12, 18 and 30 months of age. Then the absolute growth and relative growth of Ashidan yak were calculated, and five nonlinear models (Logistic model, Gompertz model, Brody model, von Bertalanffy model and Richards model) were used to fit the growth curve of Ashidan yak. The fitting effect of the model was evaluated according to MSE, AIC and BIC. The results showed that the growth rate of Ashidan yak was the fastest from 12 to 18 months old, and the growth was slow or even stagnant from 6 to 12 months old. The AIC and BIC values of the Richards model were the lowest among the five models, with an AIC value of 4543.98 and a BIC value of 4563.19. The Richards model estimated body weight at 155.642 kg. In summary, the growth rate of female Ashidan yak changes with the seasons, growing faster in warm seasons and slower in cold seasons. Richards model is the best model to describe the growth curve of female Ashidan yak in five nonlinear models.

Predictors and outcomes associated with the growth curves of self-efficacy beliefs in regard to anger and sadness regulation during adolescence: a longitudinal cross-cultural study

Introduction

This longitudinal study examined unique and joint effects of parenting and negative emotionality in predicting the growth curves of adolescents' self-efficacy beliefs about regulating two discrete negative emotions (anger and sadness) and the association of these growth curves with later maladjustment (i.e., internalizing and externalizing problems).

Methods

Participants were 285 children (T1: M age = 10.57, SD = 0.68; 53.3% girls) and their parents (mothers N = 286; fathers N = 276) from Colombia and Italy. Parental warmth, harsh parenting, and internalizing and externalizing problems were measured in late childhood at T1, whereas early adolescents' anger and sadness were measured at T2 (T2: M age = 12.10, SD = 1.09). Adolescent self-efficacy beliefs about anger and sadness regulation were measured at five time-points from T2 to T6 (T6: M age = 18.45, SD = 0.71), and internalizing and externalizing problems were measured again at T6.

Results

Multi-group latent growth curve models (with country as the grouping variable) demonstrated that in both countries there was on average a linear increase in self-efficacy about anger regulation and no change or variation in self-efficacy about sadness regulation. In both countries, for self-efficacy about anger regulation (a) T1 harsh parenting and T1 externalizing problems were negatively associated with the intercept, (b) T2 anger was negatively associated with the slope, and (c) the intercept and the slope were associated with lower T6 internalizing and externalizing problems, controlling for T1 problems. For self-efficacy about sadness regulation, (a) T1 internalizing problems were negatively associated with the intercept only in Italy, (b) T2 sadness was negatively associated with the intercept only in Colombia, and (c) the intercept negatively predicted T6 internalizing problems.

Discussion

This study advances knowledge of the normative development of self-efficacy beliefs about anger and sadness regulation during adolescence across two countries, highlighting the predictive value of pre-existing family and individual characteristics on this development and prediction by the development of self-efficacy beliefs on later adjustment.

Alterations of Growth, Biofilm-Forming, and Gene Expression of Bordetella pertussis by Antibiotics at Sub-Minimal Inhibitory Concentrations

Bordetella pertussis is the primary agent of the acute respiratory disease pertussis. It has been reported that the disease has recently become more common, especially in adults and adolescents, and adaptation of the pathogen is thought to have an important influence on the recurrence of the disease. This study aims to determine the effect of erythromycin, azithromycin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole used in the treatment of pertussis on the virulence gene expressions (prn, ptxS1, fhaB), biofilm-forming and growth of B. pertussis. In this study, the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of azithromycin and erythromycin in B. pertussis local strain Saadet were determined to be 0.09 μg/mL and 0.3 μg/mL, respectively. However, the Tohama-I and Saadet strains were resistant to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (MIC>32 μg/mL). The biofilm-forming of the Saadet strain decreased with the increase in antibiotic doses. It was observed that 1/32MIC erythromycin and 1/32MIC azithromycin upregulated the expression of fhaB in Tohama-I, whereas the expression of ptxS1 and prn significantly decreased in sub-MICs of erythromycin. In the Saadet strain, only ptxS1 was highly expressed at 1/16MIC azithromycin and erythromycin (p>0.05). This is the first study to investigate the effect of sub-MIC antibiotics on the expression of virulence genes and biofilm-forming of B. pertussis.

Trajectories of incarcerated coparenting: Examining differences across race and ethnicity

Emerging research suggests that those coparenting with an incarcerated person experience multiple challenges. Examining incarcerated coparenting among minority fathers is especially salient as their incarceration rates are substantially higher than White males. This study utilized data from the Multi-Site Family Study on Incarceration, Parenting and Partnering Study to examine changes in coparenting relationships when the male partner was incarcerated. Theoretically guided by structural family therapy, latent growth models were used to evaluate trajectories of fathers' coparenting reliability and coparenting cohesion across 34 months. Results indicated average declines within incarcerated men's reported coparenting responsibility and coparenting cohesion with their partner. Incarcerated men with higher relationship quality at T1 was significantly associated with higher initial levels of coparenting cohesion and coparenting responsibility-but not with the trajectories of coparenting change. Incarcerated fathers identifying as Hispanic and Other declined at a significantly steeper rate in coparenting responsibility than Black and White incarcerated fathers. Clinical implications and future research directions are provided.

Antibacterial Activity of Two New Cassane Diterpenoids from Caesaplinia pulcherrima against Bacillus cereus by Damage to Cell Membrane

Bacillus cereus, a Gram-positive bacterium, is a food contaminant that threatens the health of thousands of people around the world. Because of the continuous emergence of drug-resistant strains, the development of new classes of bactericides from natural products is of high priority. In this study, two novel cassane diterpenoids (pulchins A and B) and three known ones (3-5) were elucidated from the medicinal plant Caesaplinia pulcherrima (L.) Sw. Pulchin A, with a rare "6/6/6/3" carbon skeleton, showed significant antibacterial activity against B. cereus and Staphylococcus aureus, with MIC values of 3.13 and 6.25 μM, respectively. Further investigation of its mechanism of antibacterial activity against B. cereus is also discussed in detail. The results revealed that the antibacterial activity of pulchin A against B. cereus may be caused by pulchin A interfering with bacterial cell membrane proteins, affecting membrane permeability and causing cell damage or death. Thus, pulchin A may have a potential application as an antibacterial agent in the food and agricultural industries.

Effects of glycyrrhetinic acid β on growth and virulence of Aeromonas hydrophila

Aeromonas hydrophila is a significant pathogen to freshwater farmed animals, and antibiotics are usually used to control the bacterial septicemia caused by A. hydrophila. Due to the severe situation of development and spread of antibiotic resistance, there are stricter restrictions on antibiotics used in aquaculture. To evaluate the feasibility of glycyrrhetinic acid β (GA) as an alternative therapy against bacterial infection, in this study, an A. hydrophila isolated from diseased fish is used to test the antibacterial, anti-virulence activity and therapeutic effect of GA in vitro and in vivo, respectively. Results showed that GA did not affect the growth of A. hydrophila in vitro, while it could down-regulate (p < 0.05) the mRNA expression of the hemolysis-related genes hly and aerA, and significantly inhibited (p < 0.05) hemolytic activity of A. hydrophila. In addition, in vivo test showed that oral administration of GA was ineffective in controlling acute infections caused by A. hydrophila. In conclusion, these findings suggested that GA was a potential anti-virulence candidate against A. hydrophila, but the application of GA for the prevention and treatment of A. hydrophila-related diseases was still a long way.

Nonlinear model fitting analysis of feather growth and development curves in the embryonic stages of Jilin white geese (Anser cygnoides)

Poultry is subject to varying degrees of feather loss and feather pecking during production, which seriously affects the live appearance and carcass appearance of their commercial traits and greatly reduces the production profitability of the farming enterprise. It also has an impact on down production and quality in the case of geese. In this study, mathematical models (Logistic, Gompertz, and Von Bertalanffy) were used to assess feather growth and development during the embryonic period in Jilin white geese (Anser cygnoides) predicting the weight and length of feathers from the back, chest, and belly tracts at different embryonic ages, to determine which growth model more accurately described feather growth patterns. The result first showed that the primary feather follicles of the Jilin white goose developed at E14 and secondary feather follicles at E18; primary feather follicle density increased and then decreased, whereas secondary feather follicle density increased continuously and the primary and secondary feather follicles developed independently. Secondly, the embryonic feather growth followed a slow-fast-slow pattern, with feathers growing slowly from E12 to E18, quickly from E18 to E24, and then decreasing after E24 until just before emergence (E30). In addition, before E14, feathers were concentrated in the back tracts, and no feathers were found on the head, neck, chest, abdomen, or wings. By E22, the whole body of the embryo was covered with feathers, and the back feathers were the earliest and fastest to develop. Compared to the Gompertz and von Bertalanffy models, the logistic model fit (R2 = 0.997) was the highest, while the sum of residual squares (RSS = 25661.67), Akaike's information criterion (AIC = 77.600), Bayesian information criterion (BIC = 78.191), and mean square error (MSE = 2851.296) were the lowest. Therefore, the logistic model was more suitable for describing the changes in whole-body feather growth during the embryonic period in Jilin white geese. In conclusion, using the growth curve model to explain the relationship between feather growth and embryonic age in geese will potentially speed up the process of genetic improvement in Jilin white geese (A. cygnoides) and thus provide scientific support for molecular genetic breeding.

Relationships between body- and udder-related type traits with somatic cell counts and potential use for an early selection method for water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis)

Water buffalo milk is a reliable source of high-quality nutrients; however, the susceptibility of mastitis in buffaloes must be taken into consideration. An animal with somatic cell count (SCC) of greater than 250,000 cells/mL is reported to be likely to have mastitis which has serious adverse effects on animal health, reproduction, milk yield, and milk quality. Type traits (TTs) of water buffalo can affect SCC in animal milk to some extent, but few reports on the correlation between SCC and TTs are available. In this study, a total of 1908 records collected from 678 water buffaloes were investigated. The general linear model was used to identify factors associated with phenotypic variation of the somatic cell score (SCS) trait, including parity, lactation length, calving year, and calving season as fixed effects. Using PROC CORR analysis method, taking calving year and lactation length as covariates, the correlation co-efficient between TT and SCS was obtained. Our results showed that correlation co-efficients between the 45 TTs with SCS ranged from 0.003 to 0.443 (degree of correlation). The correlation between udder traits and SCS was greater than that between body structure traits and SCS. Among udder traits, distance between teats (including front and rear teat distance [r = 0.308], front teat distance [r = 0.211], and teat crossing distance [r = 0.412]) and teat circumference (r = 0.443) had the highest correlation with SCS, followed by the leg traits including rear leg height (r = -0.354) and hock bend angle (r = -0.170). Animal with high rear legs (>48 cm) and short teat crossing distance (<17 cm), and narrow teat circumference (<11 cm) exhibited low SCS. Using four nonlinear models (Von Bertalanffy, Brody, Logistic, and Gompertz), the optimal growth curves of the TTs highly correlated with the SCS (rear leg height and teat crossing distance) were fitted, and the correction co-efficients of these two TTs rear leg height and teat crossing distance of animal from young age (2 mo old) to first lactation (35 mo old) were attained for establishment of early selection method for water buffaloes with low SCS. This study provides theoretical support for early selection of low-SCS water buffaloes and lays a foundation for improving milk quality and promoting healthy development of water buffalo's dairy industry.

Decline Is Not Inevitable: Changes in Science Identity during the Progression through a U.S. Middle School among Boys and Girls

In the United States, science capital is important for navigating many aspects of life. Yet during middle school, science interest declines more for girls than boys. It is unclear, however, whether science identity also declines during the middle school years and if there are differences by gender. The authors advance prior research by modeling changes in science identity and associations with changes in identity-relevant characteristics using growth curve analyses on four waves of data from 760 middle school youth. For girls and boys, science identity changes over time; about 40 percent of the variance is within-person change, with the remainder explained by aggregate between-person differences. The associations of all identity-relevant characteristics with science identity are not significantly different for girls and boys, yet declines in average values of identity-relevant characteristics are larger for girls than boys.

Growth and growth curve analysis in Dorper × Tumele crossbred sheep under a smallholder management system

This study aimed to evaluate the growth performance and Kleiber ratio (KR) and to determine the growth curve of Dorper × Tumele sheep under a smallholder management system. Growth and efficiency-related traits were analyzed by using the general linear model (GLM) procedure of SAS. Gompertz, Logistics, Brody, Monomolecular, and Negative exponential models were used to determine the growth curve, and growth curve parameters were estimated via the nonlinear regression model (NLIN) procedure of SAS. The overall least-squares means of the birth weight, weaning weight, 6-month weight, and yearling weight were 3.29, 13.7, 17.3, and 23.4 kg, respectively. Dorper × Tumele lambs grew faster during the preweaning period (115.3 ± 1.19 g day^-1) than during the postweaning periods (44.1 ± 1.26 g day^-1 to 33.5 ± 1.13 g day^-1). Likewise, a higher KR was observed during the pre-weaning age (16.1 ± 0.08 g/day/kg^0.75) than during postweaning periods (5.08 ± 0.13 g/day/kg^0.75 to 3.10 ± 0.09 g/day/kg^0.75). Brody, a model without an inflection point was the best-fitted growth function for Dorper × Tumele sheep under a smallholder management system. The highest and lowest asymptotic weight was observed for Brody (23.8 ± 0.22 kg) and Logistics (20.7 ± 0.11 kg) models, respectively. The maturation rate ranged between 0.21 (Brody) and 0.66 (Logistics). Based on the Brody model, the correlation between asymptotic weight and maturity rate was -0.92. The growth parameter estimate in this study indicates that Dorper × indigenous sheep had a better speed to achieve mature weight and the early mature crossbred sheep are less likely to exhibit high adult weight. The rapid growth of crossbred sheep during the early period can provide more profit to the farmer by reducing the cost of sheep production inputs. Therefore, crossing Tumele with Dorper sheep and integrating with improved management would be suggested to improve productivity and profit from sheep production.

Spinal Canal and Spinal Cord in Rat Continue to Grow Even after Sexual Maturation: Anatomical Study and Molecular Proposition

Although rodents have been widely used for experimental models of spinal cord diseases, the details of the growth curves of their spinal canal and spinal cord, as well as the molecular mechanism of the growth of adult rat spinal cords remain unavailable. They are particularly important when conducting the experiments of cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM), since the disease condition depends on the size of the spinal canal and the spinal cord. Thus, the purposes of the present study were to obtain accurate growth curves for the spinal canal and spinal cord in rats; to define the appropriate age in weeks for their use as a CSM model; and to propose a molecular mechanism of the growth of the adult spinal cord in rats. CT myelography was performed on Lewis rats from 4 weeks to 40 weeks of age. The vertical growth of the spinal canal at C5 reached a plateau after 20 and 12 weeks, and at T8 after 20 and 16 weeks, in males and females, respectively. The vertical growth of the C5 and T8 spinal cord reached a plateau after 24 weeks in both sexes. The vertical space available for the cord (SAC) of C5 and T8 did not significantly change after 8 weeks in either sex. Western blot analyses showed that VEGFA, FGF2, and BDNF were highly expressed in the cervical spinal cords of 4-week-old rats, and that the expression of these growth factors declined as rats grew. These findings indicate that the spinal canal and the spinal cord in rats continue to grow even after sexual maturation and that rats need to be at least 8 weeks of age for use in experimental models of CSM. The present study, in conjunction with recent evidence, proposes the hypothetical model that the growth of rat spinal cord after the postnatal period is mediated at least in part by differentiation of neural progenitor cells and that their differentiation potency is maintained by VEGFA, FGF2, and BDNF.

Growth until Peak Height Velocity Occurs Rapidly in Early Maturing Adolescent Boys

The timing and tempo of growth rate varies inter-individually during adolescence and can have an impact on athletic performance. This study aimed to determine the difference in growth rate for each maturity status. We combined data collected both retrospectively and prospectively from 78 adolescent boys aged 12 years old; growth charts were collected from their elementary school records, and the height of each participant was subsequently measured every six months over a period of two years. Take Off Age (TOA), Peak Height Velocity Age (PHVA), and Final Height Age (FHA) were estimated using the AUXAL 3.1 program. Growth Tempo 1 and 2 were calculated by dividing the height increase by the time difference between TOA and PHVA, and FHA, respectively. Our results showed three group differences based on the maturation status of PHVA: Growth Tempo 1 and 2 were both higher in the early than during middle and late maturation. Additionally, entering the height at each event as a covariate, the group differences for Growth Tempo 1 did not change; however, for Growth Tempo 2, group differences were eliminated. Therefore, we conclude that during early maturation, growth from TOA to PHVA occurs rapidly and in a shorter period.

A United States national reference for foetal growth for Asian American ethnicities

The purpose of this study was to calculate 10th, 50th, and 90th percentiles of birth weight for gestational age for the total US population and the Asian-American ethnicities. Using the US Natality data files for the years 1992-2020, estimated growth curves were determined across gestational ages and for each Asian American ethnic group-Chinese, Asian Indians, Japanese, Koreans, Filipino, and Vietnamese. Average weight at the 10th, 50th and 90th foetal growth percentiles by race/ethnicity and sex were calculated. Overall, for the 10th, 50th and 90th percentiles, Asian American average birth weight was 18, 90 and 144 g lower than the national average, respectively. We also found that Asian Indians consistently had the lowest birthweight, while Koreans had the highest birthweight among Asian Americans. Updated racial/ethnic-specific weight percentiles by gestational age can be a useful reference for accurate small and large-for-gestational age classifications among different Asian American sub-populations.Impact statementWhat is already known on this subject? Foetal growth is an important determinant of infants' immediate and long-term health outcomes and foetal growth reference curves have been developed to provide average birth weights for each week of gestation and identify growth-restricted as well as excess-weighing foetuses.What the results of this study add? Using the U.S. Natality data files for the years 1992-2020, estimated growth curves were determined across gestational ages and for each Asian American ethnic group-Chinese, Asian Indians, Japanese, Koreans, Filipino, and Vietnamese. Average weight at the 10th, 50th and 90th foetal growth percentiles by race/ethnicity and sex were calculated.What the implications are of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Updated racial/ethnic-specific weight percentiles by gestational age can be a useful reference for accurate small and large-for-gestational age classifications among different Asian American sub-groups.

Osteohistological and taphonomic life-history assessment of Edmontosaurus annectens (Ornithischia: Hadrosauridae) from the Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Ruth Mason dinosaur quarry, South Dakota, United States, with implication for ontogenetic segregation between juvenile and adult hadrosaurids

The Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Ruth Mason Dinosaur Quarry (RMDQ) represents a monodominant Edmontosaurus annectens bonebed from the Hell Creek Formation of South Dakota and has been determined as a catastrophic death assemblage likely belonging to a single population, providing an ideal sample to investigate hadrosaurid growth and population dynamics. For this study, size-frequency distributions were constructed from linear measurements of long bones (humeri, femora, tibiae) from RMDQ that revealed five relatively distinct size classes along a generally right-skewed distribution, which is consistent with a catastrophic assemblage. To test the relationship between morphological size ranges and ontogenetic age classes, subsets from each size-frequency peak were transversely thin-sectioned at mid-diaphysis to conduct an ontogenetic age assessment based on growth marks and observations of the bone microstructure. When combining these independent datasets, growth marks aligned with size-frequency peaks, with the exclusion of the overlapping subadult-adult size range, indicating a strong size-age relationship in early ontogeny. A growth curve analysis of tibiae indicated that E. annectens exhibited a similar growth trajectory to the Campanian hadrosaurid Maiasaura, although attaining a much larger asymptotic body size by about 9 years of age, further suggesting that the clade as a whole may have inherited a similar growth strategy. This rich new dataset for E. annectens provides new perspectives on other hypotheses of hadrosaurid life history. When the RMDQ population was compared with size distributions from other hadrosaurid bonebed assemblages, juveniles (categorized as ages one and two) were either completely absent from or heavily underrepresented in the samples, providing support for the hypothesized segregation between juvenile and adult hadrosaurids. Osteohistological comparison with material from polar and temperate populations of Edmontosaurus revealed that previous conclusions correlating osteohistological growth patterns with the strength of environmental stressors were a result of sampling non-overlapping ontogenetic growth stages.

Phenotypic correlations between feed efficiency, growth, and meat quality of slow-growing chickens

1. Korat (KR) chicken is a new meat-type chicken breed established with the purpose of developing Small and Micro Community Enterprise Production. This slow-growing chicken has been recognised for its good texture and flavour, but its low feed efficiency is associated with high cost of production which can hamper the development of local production. This has highlighted the importance of studying the trade-off between feed efficiency and meat quality in KR chicken.2. This study investigated the phenotypic correlations between feed efficiency, growth performance, and meat quality in KR chicken. Individual body weight and feed intake were recorded weekly for 75 male KR chickens for the calculation of feed conversion ratio (FCR) and residual feed intake (RFI). The growth curve was modelled by Gompertz function and meat quality evaluated at 10 weeks of age, through the measurement of pH (pH_u), water-holding capacity (WHC) and drip loss (DL) in breast and thigh muscle.3. Faster growth rate at young age appeared favourable, regarding feed efficiency, since a moderate negative correlation was found between FCR and initial growth rate. Chickens with a higher initial growth and maturation rates were characterised by lower water-holding capacity in meat. This was not associated with acidic meat, since a higher speed of growth (especially in the first weeks) was positively associated with final pH in breast meat. Relationships between RFI and meat quality traits appeared to be weak. While better FCR could be achieved by increased initial growth rate, this seemed to negatively impact water-holding capacity of the meat.4. RFI appeared as an interesting alternative as a compromise between FCR and meat quality.

Growth charts of brain morphometry for preschool children

Brain development from 1 to 6 years of age anchors a wide range of functional capabilities and carries early signs of neurodevelopmental disorders. However, quantitative models for depicting brain morphology changes and making individualized inferences are lacking, preventing the identification of early brain atypicality during this period. With a total sample size of 285, we characterized the age-dependence of the cortical thickness and subcortical volume in neurologically normal children and constructed quantitative growth charts of all brain regions for preschool children. While the cortical thickness of most brain regions decreased with age, the entorhinal and parahippocampal regions displayed an inverted-U shape of age-dependence. Compared to the cortical thickness, the normalized volume of subcortical regions exhibited more divergent trends, with some regions increasing, some decreasing, and some displaying inverted-U-shaped trends. The growth curve models for all brain regions demonstrated utilities in identifying brain atypicality. The percentile measures derived from the growth curves facilitate the identification of children with developmental speech and language disorders with an accuracy of 0.875 (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve: 0.943). Our results fill the knowledge gap in brain morphometrics in a critical development period and provide an avenue for individualized brain developmental status evaluation with demonstrated sensitivity.

The Energy Requirement for Maintenance of Nellore Crossbreds in Tropical Conditions during the Finishing Period

This study determined the energy requirement for maintenance of purebred Nellore cattle and its crossbreds using data from a comparative slaughter trial in which animals were raised under the same plane of nutrition from birth through slaughter and born from a single commercial Nellore cow herd. Seventy-nine castrated steers (361 ± 54 kg initial BW) were used in a completely randomized design by age (22 months ± 23 days of age) with four genetic groups (GG): Nellore (NL), ½ Angus x ½ Nellore (AN), ½ Canchim x ½ Nellore (CN), and ½ Simmental x ½ Nellore (SN). The experimental design provided ranges in ME intake, BW, and ADG needed to develop regression equations to predict NEm requirements. Four steers of each GG were slaughtered to determine the initial body composition. The remaining 63 steers were assigned to different nutritional treatments (NT) by GG; ad libitum or limit-fed treatments (receiving 70% of the daily feed of the ad libitum treatment of the same GG). Full BW was recorded at birth, weaning, 12, 18, and 22 months. In the feedlot, steers were fed for 101 days a diet containing (DM basis) 60% corn silage and 40% concentrate. No difference of age at weaning (P = 0.534) and slaughter (P = 0.179 and P = 0.896, for GG and NT, respectively) were observed. AN steers were heavier at weaning weight, yearling weight and had higher EBW (P = 0.007, P = 0.014 and P < 0.001, respectively) in comparison to NL, CN, and SN. There were no interactions (P > 0.05) between GG and NT for any variable evaluated. When fed ad libitum, AN steers had higher daily MEI (Mcal/d; P < 0.001) in comparison to NL, CN, and SN. On a constant age basis, differences were observed on body composition (P < 0.05) between GG. The slope (P = 0.600) and intercept (P = 0.702) of the regression of log HP on MEI were similar among GG. Evaluating at the same age and the same frame size, there were no differences in NEm requirement between Nellore and AN (P = 0.528), CN (P = 0.671), and SN (P = 0.706). The combined data indicated a NEm requirement of 86.8 kcal/d/kg 0.75 EBW and a MEm requirement had a common value of 137.53 kcal/d/kg 0.75 EBW. The km and kg values were similar among GG (P > 0.05 and P > 0.05, respectively) and were on average 63.2 and 26.0%, respectively. However, although not statistically different, the NEm values from NL showed a decrease in NEm of 5.76% compared to AN steers.

The Impact of PM2.5 on the Growth Curves of Children's Obesity Indexes: A Prospective Cohort Study

Aims

To explore the effect of long-term exposure to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 μm or less (PM2.5) on childhood obesity based on a cohort study in Chongqing.

Methods

A total of 4,284 children aged 6-8 years at baseline were enrolled from the Chongqing Children Health Cohort in 2014-2015 and were followed up in 2019. A stratified cluster sampling was applied to select the participants. A Mixed-effects linear regression model was used to examine the effect of long-term exposure to PM2.5 on the growth curve of obesity indicators [including body mass index (BMI), BMI Z-score (BMIz), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR)]. A mixed-effects logistic regression model was used to study the dose relationship between PM2.5 exposure and the risk of obesity indicators.

Results

A higher level of accumulating exposure to PM2.5 was associated with an increased childhood obesity index, and the effect was the most significant for WHtR than BMI and BMIz. This effect was more pronounced in boys than in girls except for WHtR, and it was the most significant under the PM2.5 exposure period from pregnancy to 6 years old. Compared the annual average PM2.5 exposure level of <60 μg/m³, the WHtR and BMI were increased by 0.019 [(95% CIs): 0.014, 0.024] and 0.326 [(95% CIs): 0.037, 0.616] Kg/m² for participants living with the PM2.5 exposure level of 70-75 μg/m³, respectively. For every 5 μg/m³ increase in PM2.5 levels (from pregnancy to 6 years old), the risk of central obesity was increased by 1.26 {odds ratio [OR] (95% CIs): 1.26 (1.16, 1.37), p < 0.001} times.

Conclusions

This study confirmed a dose-response relationship between PM2.5 exposure and childhood obesity, especially central obesity, suggesting that controlling ambient air pollution can prevent the occurrence of obesity in children and adolescents.

Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae Exoribonuclease R Is Required for Complete Virulence in Rice, Optimal Motility, and Growth Under Stress

Exoribonuclease R (RNase R) is a 3' hydrolytic exoribonuclease that can degrade structured RNA. Mutation in RNase R affects virulence of certain human pathogenic bacteria. The aim of this study was to determine whether RNase R is necessary for virulence of the phytopathogen that causes bacterial blight in rice, Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo). In silico analysis has indicated that RNase R is highly conserved among various xanthomonads. Amino acid sequence alignment of Xoo RNase R with RNase R from various taxa indicated that Xoo RNase R clustered with RNase R of order Xanthomonadales. To study its role in virulence, we generated a gene disruption mutant of Xoo RNase R. The Xoo rnr^- mutant is moderately virulence deficient, and the complementing strain (rnr^-/pHM1::rnr) rescued the virulence deficiency of the mutant. We investigated swimming and swarming motilities in both nutrient-deficient minimal media and nutrient-optimal media. We observed that RNase R mutation has adversely affected the swimming and swarming motilities of Xoo in optimal media. However, in nutrient-deficient media only swimming motility was noticeably affected. Growth curves in optimal media at suboptimal temperature (15°C cold stress) indicate that the Xoo rnr^- mutant grows more slowly than the Xoo wild type and complementing strain (rnr^-/pHM1::rnr). Given these findings, we report for the first time that RNase R function is necessary for complete virulence of Xoo in rice. It is also important for motility of Xoo in media and for growth of Xoo at suboptimal temperature.

Response of a Diverse European Soybean Collection to "Short Duration" and "Long Duration" Drought Stress

Drought causes significant damage to a high value crop of soybean. Europe has an increasing demand for soybean and its own production is insufficient. Selection and breeding of cultivars adapted to European growth conditions is therefore urgently needed. These new cultivars must have a shorter growing cycle (specifically for adaptation to North-West Europe), high yield potential under European growing conditions, and sufficient drought resistance. We have evaluated the performance of a diverse collection of 359 soybean accessions under drought stress using rain-out shelters for 2 years. The contrasting weather conditions between years and correspondingly the varying plant responses demonstrated that the consequences of drought for an individual accession can vary strongly depending on the characteristics (e.g., duration and intensity) of the drought period. Short duration drought stress, for a period of four to 7 weeks, caused an average reduction of 11% in maximum canopy height (CH), a reduction of 17% in seed number per plant (SN) and a reduction of 16% in seed weight per plant (SW). Long duration drought stress caused an average reduction of 29% in CH, a reduction of 38% in SN and a reduction of 43% in SW. Drought accelerated plant development and caused an earlier cessation of flowering and pod formation. This seemed to help some accessions to better protect the seed yield, under short duration drought stress. Drought resistance for yield-related traits was associated with the maintenance of growth under long duration drought stress. The collection displayed a broad range of variation for canopy wilting and leaf senescence but a very narrow range of variation for crop water stress index (CWSI; derived from canopy temperature data). To the best of our knowledge this is the first study reporting a detailed investigation of the response to drought within a diverse soybean collection relevant for breeding in Europe.

Maternal effect on first-year growth of Hokkaido native foals kept outdoors all year round

In this study, we investigated maternal effects on the growth of Hokkaido native horses kept outdoors throughout the year. We used the data on body weight (BW), height at withers (HW), heart girth (HG), and cannon circumference (CC) of 517 foals during the first year of life to (1) examine the growth patterns by comparing six linear mixed models and (2) analyze the maternal effect on BW, HW, HG, and CC for each month by estimating variance components. The segmented polynomial third-order regression equation was selected as the best model for all the traits. The estimated proportion of variance components for the effects of the dam were 0.25-0.38 for BW, 0.19-0.28 for HW, 0.19-0.34 for HG, and 0.10-0.21 for CC. A higher effect of the dam compared with that of the sire was observed on BW and HG at all months of age and HW at 0-2 months of age. Therefore, the dam contributed to foal growth not only through half of its heredity but also through the maternal effect derived mainly from its milk. These results provide valuable information for the breeding of Hokkaido native foals.

Birth growth curves of neonates in high-altitude areas: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Since the current commonly used birth growth curves are unsuitable for neonates in high-altitude areas; this study aimed to establish birth growth curves for full-term neonates residing at 2,000-3,000 m.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study retrospectively analyzed the physical measurement data of 1,546 full-term neonates delivered at the Red Cross Hospital of Qinghai province, China, from July 2021 to April 2022. The percentile curves of birth weight, length, and head circumference of neonates of different gestational ages and genders were developed using curve fitting. The newly developed birth-weight percentile reference was compared with the INTERGROWTH-21st Neonatal Growth Curve (International Standard) and the Chinese Neonate Growth Curve (Chinese Standard).

RESULTS

The median birth weight, length, and head circumference of the study population were 3,200 g, 52.0 cm, and 32.8 cm, respectively, except for the group with a gestational age of 37 weeks. The growth indicators of male infants in all groups were higher than those of the female infants (P < 0.05). We found differences between the newly developed birth-weight percentile curves in the high-altitude areas and the International and Chinese Standards.

CONCLUSION

Establishing birth growth curves corresponding to altitude may be more suitable than the existing standards for local medical staff to conduct health assessments of neonates.

Growth in Joubert syndrome: Growth curves and physical measurements with correlation to genotype and hepatorenal disease in 170 individuals

Joubert syndrome (JS) is a genetically heterogenous disorder of nonmotile cilia with a characteristic "molar tooth sign" on axial brain imaging. Clinical features can include developmental delay, kidney failure, liver disease, and retinal dystrophy. Prospective growth and measurement data on 170 individuals with JS were collected, including parental measurements, birth measurements, and serial measures when available. Analysis of growth parameters in the context of hepatorenal disease, genotype, and other features was performed on 100 individuals assessed at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center. Individuals with JS had shorter stature despite normal growth velocity and were shorter than predicted for mid-parental height. Individuals were lighter in weight, resulting in a normal body mass index (BMI). Head circumference was larger, averaging 1.9 Z-scores above height. At birth, head circumference was proportional to length. Individuals with variants in CPLANE1 had a larger head circumference compared to other genotypes; individuals with evidence of liver disease had lower weight and BMI; and individuals with polydactyly had shorter height. Here we present growth curves and physical measurements for Joubert syndrome based on the largest collection of individuals with this disorder to aid in clinical management and diagnosis.

In vitro Assessment of Chemical and Pre-biotic Properties of Carboxymethylated Polysaccharides From Passiflora edulis Peel, Xylan, and Citrus Pectin

This study aimed to determine the carboxymethylation effect of crude water-soluble polysaccharides of Passiflora edulis peel (WPEP), xylan (XY), and citrus pectin (CP). Their chemical and pre-biotic properties were also determined. The polysaccharides were carboxymethylated by reacting with chloroacetic acid and sodium hydroxide. The carboxymethylated and non-carboxymethylated polysaccharides were also used as pre-biotics to study the growth pattern of selected intestinal microflora. These polysaccharides substituted the glucose solution in culture media for culturing Lactobacillus brevis GIM1.773, Lactobacillus plantarum GIM1.19, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus GIM1.155, and Streptococcus thermophilus GIM1.540. The results showed that the carboxymethylated polysaccharides c-XY, c-CP, and c-WPEP, had substitution degrees of 0.682, 0.437, and 0.439, respectively. The polysaccharides demonstrated resistance to digestion in the simulated human digestive models. The resistance to digestion was enhanced by carboxymethylation, especially the carboxymethylated CP and WPEP. The results also showed that the pre-biotic activities of the polysaccharides increased after carboxymethylation. The c-XY had a better pre-biotic effect than XY and the other carbohydrate samples. The findings suggested that carboxymethylated polysaccharides may be developed into novel pre-biotics and nutraceuticals that could promote growth of the probiotic strains.

Growth dynamic of Leptospira spp. from Sejroe serogroup in different media formulae

The culturing of Leptospira strains from bovine clinical samples is challenging and has resulted in some gaps in securing an epidemiological understanding. Strains related to chronic reproductive leptospirosis in cattle belong to the Sejroe serogroup - not only Hardjoprajitno and Hardjobovis but also Guaricura genotypes. This study analyses the growth of Leptospira strains from serogroup Sejroe in different culture media, with the aim of suggesting better culturing approaches. To meet this objective, two culture media were applied: EMJH and T80/40/LH. In addition, three different cocktails of selective agents were chosen. The combinations of medium and selective additives resulted in 10 different tested formulae. The poor performance of Hardjobovis in EMJH indicated that its growth may represent a possible bias when culturing these strains from bovine samples. The most efficient medium for culturing Hardjobovis was T80/40/LH, while T80/40/LH medium + STAFF combination proved to be the best choice for growth, being recommended for obtaining a higher number of these strains from bovines.

Estimation of body weight in captive Amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica)

So far, there has been no safe and convenient method to weigh the large fierce animals, like Amur tigers. To address this problem, we built models to predict the body weight of Amur tigers based on the fact that body weight is proportional to body measurements or age. Using the method of body measurements, we extracted the body measurements from four different kinds of the lateral body image of tigers, i.e., total lateral image, central lateral image, ellipse fitting image and rectangle fitting image, and then we respectively used artificial neural network (ANN) and power regression model to analyze the predictive relationships between body weight and body measurements. Our results demonstrated that, among all ANN models, the model built with rectangle fitting image had the smallest mean square error. Comparatively, we screened power regression models which had the smallest Akakai information criteria (AIC). In addition, using the method of age, we fitted nonlinear regression models for the relationship between body weight and age and found that, for male tigers, logistic model had the smallest AIC. For female tigers, Gompertz model had the smallest AIC. Consequently, this study could be applied to estimate body weight of captive, or even wild, Amur tigers safely and conveniently, helping to monitor individual health and growth of the Amur tiger populations. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

High Phenotypic Plasticity in a Prominent Plant Invader along Altitudinal and Temperature Gradients

Studies on plant growth and trait variation along environmental gradients can provide important information for identifying drivers of plant invasions and for deriving management strategies. We used seeds of the annual plant invader Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. (common ragweed) collected from an agricultural site in Northern Italy (226 m. a.s.l; Mean Annual Air Temperature: 12.9 °C; precipitations: 930 mm) to determine variation in growth trajectories and plant traits when grown along a 1000-m altitudinal gradient in Northern Italy, and under different temperature conditions in the growth chamber (from 14/18 °C to 26/30 °C, night/day), using a non-liner modeling approach. Under field conditions, traits related to plant height (maximum height, stem height, number of internodes) followed a three-parameter logistic curve. In contrast, leaf traits (lateral spread, number of leaves, leaf length and width) followed non-monotonic double-Richards curves that captured the decline patterns evident in the data. Plants grew faster, reaching a higher maximum plant height, and produced more biomass when grown at intermediate elevations. Under laboratory conditions, plants exhibited the same general growth trajectory of field conditions. However, leaf width did not show the recession after the maximum value shown by plants grown in the field, although the growth trajectories of some individuals, particularly those grown at 18 °C, showed a decline at late times. In addition, the plants grown at lower temperatures exhibited the highest value of biomass and preserved reproductive performances (e.g., amount of male inflorescence, pollen weight). From our findings, common ragweed exhibits a high phenotypic plasticity of vegetative and reproductive traits in response to different altitudes and temperature conditions. Under climate warming, this plasticity may facilitate the shift of the species towards higher elevation, but also the in situ resistance and (pre)adaptation of populations currently abundant at low elevations in the invasive European range. Such results may be also relevant for projecting the species management such as the impact by possible biocontrol agents.

Functional Mapping of Phenotypic Plasticity of Staphylococcus aureus Under Vancomycin Pressure

Phenotypic plasticity is the exhibition of various phenotypic traits produced by a single genotype in response to environmental changes, enabling organisms to adapt to environmental changes by maintaining growth and reproduction. Despite its significance in evolutionary studies, we still know little about the genetic control of phenotypic plasticity. In this study, we designed and conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to reveal genetic architecture of how Staphylococcus aureus strains respond to increasing concentrations of vancomycin (0, 2, 4, and 6 μg/mL) in a time course. We implemented functional mapping, a dynamic model for genetic mapping using longitudinal data, to map specific loci that mediate the growth trajectories of abundance of vancomycin-exposed S. aureus strains. 78 significant single nucleotide polymorphisms were identified following analysis of the whole growth and development process, and seven genes might play a pivotal role in governing phenotypic plasticity to the pressure of vancomycin. These seven genes, SAOUHSC_00020 (walR), SAOUHSC_00176, SAOUHSC_00544 (sdrC), SAOUHSC_02998, SAOUHSC_00025, SAOUHSC_00169, and SAOUHSC_02023, were found to help S. aureus regulate antibiotic pressure. Our dynamic gene mapping technique provides a tool for dissecting the phenotypic plasticity mechanisms of S. aureus under vancomycin pressure, emphasizing the feasibility and potential of functional mapping in the study of bacterial phenotypic plasticity.

Environmentally Relevant Levels of Depleted Uranium Impacts Dermal Fibroblast Proliferation, Viability, Metabolic Activity, and Scratch Closure

Uranium (U) is a heavy metal used in military and industrial settings, with a large portion being mined from the Southwest region of the United States. Uranium has uses in energy and military weaponry, but the mining process has released U into soil and surface waters that may pose threats to human and environmental health. The majority of literature regarding U's human health concern focuses on outcomes based on unintentional ingestion or inhalation, and limited data are available about its influence via cutaneous contact. Utilizing skin dermis cells, we evaluated U's topical chemotoxicity. Employing soluble depleted uranium (DU) in the form of uranyl nitrate (UN), we hypothesized that in vitro exposure of UN will have cytotoxic effects on primary dermal fibroblasts by affecting cell viability and metabolic activity and, further, may delay wound healing aspects via altering cell proliferation and migration. Using environmentally relevant levels of U found in water (0.1 μM to 100 μM [UN]; 23.8-23,800 ppb [U]), we quantified cellular mitosis and migration through growth curves and in vitro scratch assays. Cells were exposed from 24 h to 144 h for a time-course evaluation of UN chemical toxicity. The effects of UN were observed at concentrations above and below the Environmental Protection Agency threshold for safe exposure limits. UN exposure resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in the viable cell count; however, it produced an increase in metabolism when corrected for the viable cells present. Furthermore, cellular proliferation, population doubling, and percent closure was hindered at levels ≥10 μM UN. Therefore, inadvertent exposure may exacerbate pre-existing skin diseases in at-risk demographics, and additionally, it may substantially interfere in cutaneous tissue repair processes.

Fenton vs. Intergrowth-21st: Postnatal Growth Assessment and Prediction of Neurodevelopment in Preterm Infants

Although the survival rate of preterm infants has improved over the years, growth failure and associated impaired neurodevelopmental outcome remains a significant morbidity. Optimal nutrition plays an important role in achieving adequate postnatal growth. Accurate growth monitoring of preterm infants is critical in guiding nutritional protocols. Currently, there is no consensus regarding which growth assessment tool is suitable for monitoring postnatal growth of preterm infants to foster optimal neurodevelopmental outcomes while avoiding future consequences of aggressive nutritional approaches including increased risk for cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome. A retrospective single center cohort study was conducted to compare the performance of two growth-assessment tools, Fenton and Intergrowth-21st (IG-21st) in the classification of size at birth, identification of impaired growth and predicting neurodevelopment. A total of 340 infants with mean gestational age of 30 weeks were included. Proportion of agreement between the two tools for identification of small for gestational age (SGA) was high 0.94 (0.87, 0.1) however, agreement for classification of postnatal growth failure at discharge was moderate 0.6 (0.52, 0.69). Growth failure at discharge was less prevalent using IG-21st. There was significant association between weight-based growth failure and poor neurodevelopmental outcomes at 12 and 24 months of age.

Dose-Dependent Effect of Cordycepin on Viability, Proliferation, Cell Cycle, and Migration in Dental Pulp Stem Cells

Simple Summary

Cordycepin is an adenosine analogue isolated from the fungus Cordyceps militaris. Cordycepin is a nucleoside antimetabolite that has shown a broad spectrum of biological activity including antineoplastic activity. limited research has been carried out on the effects of Cordycepin on the regenerative potential of stem cells, including dental pulp-derived mesenchymal stem cells. The present study was designed to assess if Cordycepin could enhance the vital properties of dental pulp-derived mesenchymal stem cells for regenerative purposes.

Abstract

Objective: To examine the effect of Cordycepin on the viability, proliferation, and migratory properties of dental pulp-derived mesenchymal stem cells. Materials and methods: The pulp was derived from human premolar teeth extracted for orthodontic purposes after obtaining informed consent. The samples were transferred to the laboratory for processing. DPSCs were expanded and characterized using flow cytometry and differentiation to the bone, adipose, and cartilage cells was examined. MTT Assay was performed using various concentrations of Cordycepin. The growth curve was plotted for 13 days. Cell cycle analysis was performed by flow cytometry. Migratory ability was assessed by wound healing assay. ROS generation was detected by flow cytometry. Gene expression was quantified by RT-qPCR. Statistical analysis was performed. p < 0.05 was considered as significant and p < 0.01 was considered as highly significant (* p < 0.05, and ** p < 0.01). Results: DPSCs expressed characteristic MSC-specific markers and trilineage differentiation. Cordycepin at lower concentrations did not affect the viability of DPSCs. The growth curve of cells showed a dose-dependent increase in cell numbers till the maximum dose. DPSCs treated with 2.5 µM Cordycepin was found to have a reduced G1 phase cell percentage. DPSCs treated with 2.5 µM and 5 µM Cordycepin showed a significant decrease in G2 phase cells. No significant difference was observed for S phase cells. Cordycepin treatment affected the migratory ability in DPSCs in a concentration-dependent manner. Conclusion: Cordycepin can be used at therapeutic doses to maintain stem cells.

Overcoming stochastic variations in culture variables to quantify and compare growth curve data

The comparison of growth, whether it is between different strains or under different growth conditions, is a classic microbiological technique that can provide genetic, epigenetic, cell biological, and chemical biological information depending on how the assay is used. When employing solid growth media, this technique is limited by being largely qualitative and low throughput. Collecting data in the form of growth curves, especially automated data collection in multi-well plates, circumvents these issues. However, the growth curves themselves are subject to stochastic variation in several variables, most notably the length of the lag phase, the doubling rate, and the maximum expansion of the culture. Thus, growth curves are indicative of trends but cannot always be conveniently averaged and statistically compared. Here, we summarize a simple method to compile growth curve data into a quantitative format that is amenable to statistical comparisons and easy to graph and display.

Milestone Learning Trajectories of Residents at Five Anesthesiology Residency Programs

Construct: Every six months, residency programs report their trainees' Milestones Level achievement to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Milestones should enable the learner and training program to know an individual's competency development trajectory. Background: Milestone Level ratings for residents grouped by specialty (e.g., Internal Medicine and Emergency Medicine) show that, in aggregate, senior residents receive higher ratings than junior residents. Anesthesiology Milestones, as assessed by both residents and faculty, also have a positive linear relationship with postgraduate year. However, these studies have been cross-sectional rather than longitudinal cohort studies, and studies of how individual residents progress during the course of training are needed. Longitudinal data analysis of performance assessment trajectories addresses a relevant validity question for the Next Accreditation System. We explored the application of learning analytics to longitudinal Milestones data to: 1) measure the frequency of "straight-lining"; 2) assess the proportion of residents that reach "Level 4" (ready for unsupervised practice) by graduation for each subcompetency; 3) identify variability among programs and individual residents in their baseline Milestone Level and rates of improvement; and 4) determine how hypothetically constructed growth curve models fit to the Milestones data reported to ACGME. Approach: De-identified Milestone Level ratings in each of the 25 subcompetencies submitted semiannually to the ACGME from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2017 were retrospectively analyzed for graduating residents (n = 67) from a convenience sample of five anesthesia residency programs. The data reflected longitudinal resident Milestone progression from the beginning of the first year to the end of the third and final year of clinical anesthesiology training. The frequency of straight-lining, defined as the resident receiving the same exact Milestone Level rating for all 25 subcompetencies on a given 6-month report, was calculated for each program. Every resident was evaluated six times during training with the possibility of six straight-lined ratings. Findings: The number of residents in each program ranged from 5-21 (Median 13, range 16). Mean Milestone Level ratings for subcompetencies were significantly different at each six-month assessment (p < 0.001). Frequency of straight-lining varied significantly by program from 9% - 57% (Median 22%). Depending on the program, 53%-100% (median 86%) of residents reached the graduation target Level 4 or higher in all 25 anesthesiology subcompetencies. Nine to 18% of residents did not achieve a Level 4 rating for at least one subcompetency at any time during their residency. Across programs, significant variability was found in first-year clinical anesthesia training Milestone Levels, as well in the rate of improvement for five of the six core competencies. Conclusions: Anesthesia residents' Milestone Level growth trajectories as reported to the ACGME vary significantly across individual residents as well as by program. The present study offers a case example that raises concerns regarding the validity of the Next Accreditation System as it is currently used by some residency programs.

Predicting the Digestive Tract Development and Growth Performance of Goat Kids Using Sigmoidal Models

The transition from monogastric to rumination stage is crucial in ruminants' growth to avoid stressors-weaning and neonatal mortalities. Poor growth of the digestive tract could adversely affect the performance of the animal. Modeling informative growth curves is of great importance for a better understanding of the effective development pattern, in order to optimize feeding management system, and to achieve more production efficiency. However, little is known about the digestive tract growth curves. For this reason, one big goat farm of Laiwu black breed was chosen as a basis of this study. Forty-eight kids belonging to eight-time points (1, 7, 14, 28, 42, 56, 70, and 84 d; 6 kids for each) were selected and slaughtered. The body weight, body size indices, rumen pH, and stomach parts were determined and fitted to the polynomial and sigmoidal models. In terms of goodness of fit criteria, the Gompertz model was the best model for body weight, body oblique length, tube, and rumen weight. Moreover, the Logistic model was the best model for carcass weight, body height, and chest circumference. In addition, the Quadratic model showed the best fit for dressing percentage, omasum weight, abomasum weight, and rumen volume. Moreover, the cubic model best fitted the ruminal pH and reticulum percentage. The Weibull model was the best model for the reticulum weight and omasum percentage, while the MMF model was the best model describing the growth of chest depth, rumen percentage, and abomasum percentage. The model parameters, R squared, inflection points, area under curve varied among the different dependent variables. The Pearson correlation showed that the digestive tract development was more correlated with age than body weight, but the other variables were more correlated with body weight than age. The study demonstrated the use of empirical sigmoidal and polynomial models to predict growth rates of the digestive tract at relevant age efficiently.