Fewer newborn result in superior juveniles in the paternally brooding pipefish Syngnathus typhle L.

In the pipefish Syngnathus typhle L. parental care is exclusively paternal. Males brood embryos in a brood pouch for about a month, providing nutrients and oxygen. The newborn juveniles are free-swimming and no further care is provided. The influence of paternal length and number of newborn on juvenile weight and growth rate, and how in turn the latter relates to juvenile survival, were investigated. It was found, using partial correlations, that paternal length is significantly and positively correlated to weight of newborn, weight of a two-week-old juvenile and juvenile growth rate (weight increment day^-1). Furthermore, number of newborn is correlated negatively to weight of newborn, weight after two weeks and juvenile growth rate. In an experiment in which juvenile pipefish of different sizes were exposed to predation it was shown that larger juveniles survived better. It is concluded that, in S. typhle , large juvenile size and rapid juvenile growth positively influence offspring performance. Offspring performance is positively influenced by paternal length which, however, may be a consequence of larger males receiving larger eggs. The number of newborn, i.e. the number of siblings in the male's pouch, has a negative effect on offspring performance, independently of other factors. Thus, the results show that for males the benefits of having superior juveniles will be at the cost of having fewer offspring.     

Painful Memories: Ritual and the Transformation of Community Trauma

This paper explores the question of how ritual can heal community pain or trauma. Drawing together recent insights into the ideological nature of healing with a focus on ritual process, I argue that in cases of social violence and healing, ritual's ability to assuage pain is linked to the ways in which it draws pain into the process of reconstructing memory. The argument is illustrated through an examination of how the Betsimisaraka of east Madagascar used rituals of cattle sacrifice to transform the pain they experienced during an anticolonial rebellion that took place in 1947.     

THE WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY: DECISION THEORY AND THE TIMING OF PROGNOSTIC TESTS FOR NEWBORN INFANTS

In many forms of severe acute brain injury there is an early phase when prognosis is uncertain, followed later by physiological recovery and the possibility of more certain predictions of future impairment. There may be a window of opportunity for withdrawal of life support early, but if decisions are delayed there is the risk that the patient will survive with severe impairment. In this paper I focus on the example of neonatal encephalopathy and the question of the timing of prognostic tests and decisions to continue or to withdraw life‐sustaining treatment. Should testing be performed early or later; and how should parents decide what to do given the conflicting values at stake? I apply decision theory to the problem, using sensitivity analysis to assess how different features of the tests or different values would affect a decision to perform early or late prognostic testing. I draw some general conclusions from this model for decisions about the timing of testing in neonatal encephalopathy. Finally I consider possible solutions to the problem posed by the window of opportunity. Decision theory highlights the costs of uncertainty. This may prompt further research into improving prognostic tests. But it may also prompt us to reconsider our current attitudes towards the palliative care of newborn infants predicted to be severely impaired.     

Nuclear remodeling and reprogramming in transgenic pig production

The manufacture of pigs with modifications to specific chromosomal regions requires that the modification first be made in somatic cells. The modified cells can then be used as donors for nuclear transfer (NT) in an attempt to clone that cell into a newborn animal. Unfortunately the procedures are inefficient and sometimes lead to animals that are abnormal. The cause of these abnormalities is likely established during the first cell cycle after the NT. Either the donor cell was abnormal or the oocyte cytoplasm was unable to adequately remodel the donor nucleus such that it was structured similar to the pronucleus of a zygote. A better understanding of chromatin remodeling and subsequent developmental gene expression will provide clues as to how procedures can be modified to generate fertile animals more efficiently.     

The case for early bone grafting in cleft lip and palate: a second report

In 1982, the first long-term study of our early bone-grafting and infant maxillary orthopedic approach to newborn complete clefts of the lip, alveolus, and palate was published. The protocol and sequence of procedures were shown on the first 16 consecutively treated orthodontic patients, with a mean age of 14 years. Cephalometric analysis evaluated anteroposterior and vertical facial growth. This report follows the next 37 consecutively treated individuals in a similar manner and includes not only 20 complete unilateral clefts, but also 17 complete bilateral clefts. Results, when evaluated alone and in comparison with the original series, show once again that there are no adverse growth restraints and that early primary bone grafting in our protocol leads to teeth in better overall occlusion than if it had not been undertaken.     

Where Will the Baby Sleep? Attitudes and Practices of New and Experienced Parents Regarding Cosleeping with Their Newborn Infants

An evolutionary perspective on human infant sleep physiology suggests that parent-infant cosleeping, practiced under safe conditions, might be beneficial to both mothers and infants. However, cosleeping is not part of mainstream parenting ideology in the United States or the United Kingdom, and little evidence is available to indicate whether, and under what circumstances, parents sleep with their newborn infants. We present data from an anthropological investigation into the practices and attitudes of new and experienced parents of newborn infants regarding parent-infant sleeping arrangements in a community in the northeast of England. Despite not having contemplated cosleeping prior to the birth, new parents in our sample found it to be a convenient nighttime caregiving strategy, and one which was practiced regularly. Infants slept with both their parents, some being habitual all-night cosleepers, but commonly beginning the night in a cnb and sleeping with their parents for several hours following the early morning feed, [infant sleep, newborn, cosleeping, new parents]     

Parental Involvement in the Decision to Treat Spina Bifida Cystica

Twenty couples whose newborn baby had an open myelomeningocoele were given a detailed account of the baby''s clinical state and likely future by the paediatrician. They each said how they wanted their child treated. I believe a high percentage of parents would like to be involved in the decision on how to treat their spina bifida baby. When parents are given all the facts (including an interpretation of the clinical assessment) by an experienced doctor—and who better for the job than the paediatrician—then the chances of reaching the right decision for child and family which that joint consultation offers are greater than when the doctor has to act as adviser and sole adjudicator.     

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura--the role of ADAMTS13 assay in clinical practice

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a disorder characterized by disseminated thrombotic occlusions of the microcirculation. Identification of ADAMTS13 protease and its place in the pathophysiology of TTP led to better understanding of the disease and better survival for the diseased. Here we show a case report of a patient that had a normal ADAMTS13protease activity and an unusual clinical presentation and utilize that case to highlight how the absence of a severe ADAMTS13 protease deficiency does not preclude a diagnosis of TTP and how early initiation and continuation of plasma exchange therapy can lead to a positive outcome, even in a severely ill patient. Even though ADAMTS13 protease determination has no immediate influence on the decision whether or not to start the plasma exchange therapy, it has great impact on future management of the patient and should be determined whenever possible.     

Ectogestation ethics: The implications of artificially extending gestation for viability,newborn resuscitation and abortion

Recent animal research suggests that it may soon be possible to support the human fetus in an artificial uterine environment for part of a pregnancy. A technique of extending gestation in this way (“ectogestation”) could be offered to parents of extremely premature infants (EPIs) to improve outcomes for their child. The use of artificial uteruses for ectogestation could generate ethical questions because of the technology’s potential impact on the point of “viability”—loosely defined as the stage of pregnancy beyond which the fetus may survive external to the womb. Several medical decisions during the perinatal period are based on the gestation at which infants are considered viable, for example decisions about newborn resuscitation and abortion, and ectogestation has the potential to impact on these. Despite these possible implications, there is little existing evidence or analysis of how this technology would affect medical practice. In this paper, we combine empirical data with ethical analysis. We report a survey of 91 practicing Australian obstetricians and neonatologists; we aimed to assess their conceptual understanding of “viability,” and what ethical consequences they envisage arising from improved survival of EPIs. We also assess what the ethical implications of extending gestation should be for newborn and obstetric care. We analyze the concept of viability and argue that while ectogestation might have implications for the permissibility of neonatal life-prolonging treatment at extremely early gestation, it should not necessarily have implications for abortion policy. We compare our ethical findings with the results of the survey.     

Tissue-Specific Effects of Genetic and Epigenetic Variation on Gene Regulation and Splicing

Understanding how genetic variation affects distinct cellular phenotypes, such as gene expression levels, alternative splicing and DNA methylation levels, is essential for better understanding of complex diseases and traits. Furthermore, how inter-individual variation of DNA methylation is associated to gene expression is just starting to be studied. In this study, we use the GenCord cohort of 204 newborn Europeans’ lymphoblastoid cell lines, T-cells and fibroblasts derived from umbilical cords. The samples were previously genotyped for 2.5 million SNPs, mRNA-sequenced, and assayed for methylation levels in 482,421 CpG sites. We observe that methylation sites associated to expression levels are enriched in enhancers, gene bodies and CpG island shores. We show that while the correlation between DNA methylation and gene expression can be positive or negative, it is very consistent across cell-types. However, this epigenetic association to gene expression appears more tissue-specific than the genetic effects on gene expression or DNA methylation (observed in both sharing estimations based on P-values and effect size correlations between cell-types). This predominance of genetic effects can also be reflected by the observation that allele specific expression differences between individuals dominate over tissue-specific effects. Additionally, we discover genetic effects on alternative splicing and interestingly, a large amount of DNA methylation correlating to alternative splicing, both in a tissue-specific manner. The locations of the SNPs and methylation sites involved in these associations highlight the participation of promoter proximal and distant regulatory regions on alternative splicing. Overall, our results provide high-resolution analyses showing how genome sequence variation has a broad effect on cellular phenotypes across cell-types, whereas epigenetic factors provide a secondary layer of variation that is more tissue-specific. Furthermore, the details of how this tissue-specificity may vary across inter-relations of molecular traits, and where these are occurring, can yield further insights into gene regulation and cellular biology as a whole.     

Review: The development of the gastrointestinal tract microbiota and intervention in neonatal ruminants

The complex microbiome colonizing the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of ruminants plays an important role in the development of the immune system, nutrient absorption and metabolism. Hence, understanding GIT microbiota colonization in neonatal ruminants has positive impacts on host health and productivity. Microbes rapidly colonize the GIT after birth and gradually develop into a complex microbial community, which allows the possibility of GIT microbiome manipulation to enhance newborn health and growth and perhaps induce lasting effects in adult ruminants. This paper reviews recent advances in understanding how host-microbiome interactions affect the GIT development and health of neonatal ruminants. Following initial GIT microbiome colonization, continuous exposure to host-specific microorganisms is necessary for GIT development and immune system maturation. Furthermore, the early GIT microbial community structure is significantly affected by early life events, such as maternal microbiota exposure, dietary changes, age and the addition of prebiotics, probiotics and synbiotics, supporting the idea of microbial programming in early life. However, the time window in which interventions can optimally improve production and reduce gastrointestinal disease as well as the role of key host-specific microbiota constituents and host immune regulation requires further study.     

Amnesia,Anesthesia, and Warranted Fear

Is a painful experience less bad for you if you will not remember it? Do you have less reason to fear it? These questions bear on how we think about medical procedures and surgeries that use an anesthesia regimen that leaves patients conscious – and potentially in pain – but results in complete ‘drug‐induced amnesia’ after the fact. I argue that drug‐induced amnesia does not render a painful medical procedure a less fitting object of fear, and thus the prospect of amnesia does not give patients a reason not to fear it. I expose three mistakes in reasoning that might explain our tendency to view pain or discomfort as less fearful in virtue of expected amnesia: a mistaken view of personal identity; a mistaken view of the target of anticipation; and a mistaken method of incorporating past evidence into calculations about future experiences. Ultimately my argument has implications for whether particular procedures are justified and how medical professionals should speak with anxious patients about the prospect of drug‐induced amnesia.     

Central mechanisms of pathological pain

Chronic pain is a major challenge to clinical practice and basic science. The peripheral and central neural networks that mediate nociception show extensive plasticity in pathological disease states. Disease-induced plasticity can occur at both structural and functional levels and is manifest as changes in individual molecules, synapses, cellular function and network activity. Recent work has yielded a better understanding of communication within the neural matrix of physiological pain and has also brought important advances in concepts of injury-induced hyperalgesia and tactile allodynia and how these might contribute to the complex, multidimensional state of chronic pain. This review focuses on the molecular determinants of network plasticity in the central nervous system (CNS) and discusses their relevance to the development of new therapeutic approaches.     

Maternal and paternal alcohol use: effects on the immune system of the offspring

There is no single mechanism which can account for such a complex biological phenomenon as immune regulation, nor is it clear how alcohol teratogenicity exerts its multiple adversive effects, including lasting immune deficits. Much of the research aimed at unravelling effects of pre- or early postnatal alcohol exposure on the organism's defense mechanisms and long-term health risks has been phenomenological. A better understanding of mechanisms which underlie alcohol effects on immune competency will require integrated studies of the neuro-immune-endocrine networks.     

Association between maternal age at menarche and newborn size

The impact of maternal age at menarche on newborn size was tested using data from 4,996 single births taking place at Vienna, Austria, between 1985 and 1995--so-called teenager pregnancies were excluded from the present analyses. All women experienced pregnancies between the ages of 19 to 42 years. Maturational time was related significantly to infant weight and length independent of maternal age and behavioral variables such as smoking. Early maturation, i.e., age at menarche before the 12th birthday, was significantly associated with decreased newborn weight and size. The incidence of low-weight newborns was significantly higher in early-maturing mothers. The more favorable nutritional status of women whose menarche occurred relatively early was not able to compensate for the negative effects of early maturation on intrauterine growth. Higher circulating estrogen levels in early maturers preserved into adulthood are discussed as possible reasons for intrauterine growth retardation of the offspring of early-maturing mothers.     

Biology and therapy of fibromyalgia. Functional magnetic resonance imaging findings in fibromyalgia

Techniques in neuroimaging such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have helped to provide insights into the role of supraspinal mechanisms in pain perception. This review focuses on studies that have applied fMRI in an attempt to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in the processing of pain associated with fibromyalgia. This article provides an overview of the nociceptive system as it functions normally, reviews functional brain imaging methods, and integrates the existing literature utilizing fMRI to study central pain mechanisms in fibromyalgia.     

Effects of habitat enrichment and food availability on the foraging behaviour of juvenile Atlantic Cod (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Gadus morhua L</Emphasis>)

The environment can play an important role in shaping how an animal behaves, and how well the animal performs in a particular environment can be influenced by early experiences. The tradition of releasing captive-reared juveniles into the wild in an effort to strengthen wild fish populations has often had little success owing to high post-release mortality. Fish reared under standard hatchery conditions are provided with fewer stimuli and they receive excess quantities of pellet food that are easy to handle and consume. Captive reared fish therefore appear to be under-stimulated and overfed. Several studies have demonstrated that simple structural enrichment in the rearing facilities promotes flexible behaviour compared to fish reared in plain, standard hatchery tanks. Less attention has been given to the effects of the diet. Here we use a cross-factored design to test the relative role of food ration and spatial enrichment on foraging behaviour. Our results show that fish from enriched environments, regardless of previous food-ration size, were more reluctant to start feeding on the first day in a novel arena. On day two and three, however, fish with prior experience of a low food ration showed greater foraging activity and efficiency than fish fed on full rations. On the second and third day, prior experience with enrichment was less important. We discuss how early feeding experience in combination with structural enrichment may contribute in producing fish that are better suited for release into the wild.     

Automatic classification of activity and apneas using whole body plethysmography in newborn mice.

An increasing number of studies in newborn mice are being performed to determine the mechanisms of sleep apnea, which is the hallmark of early breathing disorders. Whole body plethysmography is the method of choice, as it does not require immobilization, which affects behavioral states and breathing. However, activity inside the plethysmograph may disturb the respiratory signal. Visual classification of the respiratory signal into ventilatory activity, activity-related disturbances, or apneas is so time-consuming as to considerably hamper the phenotyping of large pup samples. We propose an automatic classification of activity based on respiratory disturbances and of apneas based on spectral analysis. This method was validated in newborn mice on the day of birth and on postnatal days 2, 5, and 10, under normoxic and hypoxic (5% O(2)) conditions. For both activity and apneas, visual and automatic scores showed high Pearson's correlation coefficients (0.92 and 0.98, respectively) and high intraclass correlation coefficients (0.96-0.99), supporting strong agreement between the two methods. The present results suggest that breathing disturbances may provide a valid indirect index of activity in freely moving newborn mice and that automatic apnea classification based on spectral analysis may be efficient in terms of precision and of time saved.     

The neurotropic activity of food-derived opioid peptides beta-casomorphins

In the review the history of food-derived opioid peptides beta-casomorphins (beta-cas) discovery is given. The beta-cas formation in gastrointestinal tract during the beta-casein degradation and the following penetration into the blood are described, in the first place in newborn mammals. The attention is focused on neurotropic activity of beta-cas: their influence on the pain sensitivity, locomotion, anxiety and learning of experimental animals. The beta-cas ability to change the characteristics of mother-infant interaction is specially analysed. The necessity to take into consideration of beta-cas physiological effects on nursing dams and newborns behaviour is noted.     

Kinetics of intracolloidal iodine within the thyroid of newborn rats. Direct imagery using secondary ion mass spectrometry

The spatiotemporal distribution of cellular uptake site of radiotoxics is essential data for microdosimetric studies. As early as 1950, the heterogeneity of iodine incorporation within the thyroid has been shown using autoradiography. The objective of this study is to describe the kinetic cellular distribution of newly organified iodine in the thyroid of newborn rats using secondary ion mass microscopy (NanoSIMS50). Ionic images obtained at high mass resolution and with a lateral resolution of about 50 nm show that the early distribution of iodine is heterogeneous from one follicle to another, from one thyrocyte to another inside the same follicle, and that this distribution varies as a function of time. The obtained kinetic profile will allow us to refine the studies concerning the aetiopathology of thyroid cancers of the Chernobyl children.