Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Theriogenology 2018 Nov 28;126:177-186. Epub 2018 Nov 28.

Institute for Anatomy, University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover Foundation, Bischofsholer Damm 15, 30173, Hanover, Germany. Electronic address:

Knowledge about reproductive parameters in male harbour porpoises such as testicular histology and germ cell maturation as well as seasonal changes in spermatogenesis is scarce. Thus, the aim of the present study was to report changes in the histological appearance of the testicular morphology of neonatal and juvenile harbour porpoises during maturation, to identify stages of spermatogenesis in adult males and to detect seasonal modifications. The identification of these stages can be used to assess the developmental profile of gene expression during spermatogenesis and to identify defects in spermatogenesis arising in pathological conditions. Read More

Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2018 Dec 13. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China. Electronic address:

The vitellogenin receptor (VgR) is highly expressed in the ovaries where it is responsible for vitellogenin (Vg) deposition during oogenesis in insects. Therefore, identifying the VgR of insect pests, and understanding the mechanism regulating its expression, could lead to the development of pest management strategies based on disrupting reproduction. We cloned and identified VgR in the cabbage beetle, Colaphellus bowringi, which is a serious pest of cruciferous vegetables in Asia. Read More

Pharmacol Res 2018 Dec 13. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Division of Experimental Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, Thoraxcenter, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

Uridine adenosine tetraphosphate (UpA), biosynthesized by activation of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) 2, was initially identified as a potent endothelium-derived vasoconstrictor in perfused rat kidney. Subsequently, the effect of UpA on vascular tone regulation was intensively investigated in arteries isolated from different vascular beds in rodents including rat pulmonary arteries, aortas, mesenteric and renal arteries as well as mouse aortas, in which UpA produces vascular contraction. In contrast, UpA produces vascular relaxation in porcine coronary small arteries and rat aortas. Read More

Chemosphere 2018 Dec 8;219:517-525. Epub 2018 Dec 8.

Institute of Quality and Standard for Agro-products, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, State Key Laboratory Breeding Base for Zhejiang Sustainable Pest and Disease Control, Hangzhou, 310021, Zhejiang, China. Electronic address:

Kresoxim-methyl (KM) is a broad spectrum strobilurin fungicide that has been used widely on crops around the world. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the toxic effects of KM using various sublethal endpoints during zebrafish (Danio rerio) larval development. Results showed that the LC values of KM to zebrafish at multiple life stages (embryo, larvae, juvenile and adult) were 0. Read More

Arthritis Rheumatol 2018 Dec 15. Epub 2018 Dec 15.

Division of Rheumatology, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.

Objectives: Our aim was to evaluate expression of type I interferon (IFNα/β)- and type II IFN (IFNγ)-inducible genes in muscle biopsies of JDM patients and to correlate their expression levels with histological and clinical features.

Methods: Expression levels of IFN-inducible genes and pro-inflammatory cytokines were assessed by quantitative PCR in muscle biopsies of JDM patients (n = 39), Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients (n = 24) and healthy controls (HCs) (n = 4). Histological and immunofluorescence studies were performed on muscle biopsy sections. Read More

Diabet Med 2018 Dec 15. Epub 2018 Dec 15.

Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.

Aim: To assess the prevalence of and risk factors for depressive symptoms, comparing a sample of middle-aged adults with and without juvenile-onset Type 1 diabetes mellitus, and to determine if depressive symptoms were associated with white matter hyperintensity volume among those with Type 1 diabetes.

Methods: Depressive symptoms and white matter hyperintensities were compared between adults (age range 30-65 years) with juvenile-onset Type 1 diabetes (n=130) and adults without Type 1 diabetes (n=133). The association of Type 1 diabetes with depression was computed before and after adjustment for white matter hyperintensities. Read More

J Fish Biol 2018 Dec 15. Epub 2018 Dec 15.

Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.

A survey of the Kapisillit River system was conducted in 2005 and 2012 to study the only indigenous Atlantic salmon Salmo salar population in Greenland. Little is known about its characteristics or its relationship with other S. salar populations across the species range. Read More

Hum Nat 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Department of Anthropology, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA.

Identifying the determinants of reproductive success in small-scale societies is critical for understanding how natural selection has shaped human evolution and behavior. The available evidence suggests that status-accruing behaviors such as hunting and prosociality are pathways to reproductive success, but social egalitarianism may diminish this pathway. Here we introduce a mixed longitudinal/cross-sectional dataset based on 45 years of research with the Batek, a population of egalitarian rain forest hunter-gatherers in Peninsular Malaysia, and use it to test the effects of four predictors of lifetime reproductive success: (i) foraging return rate, (ii) sharing proclivity, (iii) cooperative foraging tendency, and (iv) kin presence. Read More

Rheumatol Int 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Department of Pathology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.

Juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) is the most common childhood idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM). It is characterized by the classic skin rash in the form of Gottron papules and heliotrope rash, and symmetric proximal muscle weakness. Renal involvement in JDM is rare which includes acute kidney injury and glomerulonephritis. Read More

Ann Rheum Dis 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, KUL - University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

Objectives: is a key immunological transcription factor, with knockout mice studies identifying functional roles in multiple immune cell types. Despite the importance of NFIL3, little is known about its function in humans.

Methods: Here, we characterised a kindred of two monozygotic twin girls with juvenile idiopathic arthritis at the genetic and immunological level, using whole exome sequencing, single cell sequencing and flow cytometry. Read More

EMBO Mol Med 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Plasticity, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy

Dopamine D2 receptor signaling is central for striatal function and movement, while abnormal activity is associated with neurological disorders including the severe early-onset dystonia. Nevertheless, the mechanisms that regulate D2 receptor signaling in health and disease remain poorly understood. Here, we identify a reduced D2 receptor binding, paralleled by an abrupt reduction in receptor protein level, in the striatum of juvenile mice. Read More

Curr Opin Insect Sci 2018 Oct 26;29:49-55. Epub 2018 May 26.

Department of Biological Sciences and Biomolecular Science Institute, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA. Electronic address:

The juvenile hormones (JHs) are a family of insect acyclic sesquiterpenoids produced by the corpora allata (CA), a pair of endocrine glands connected to the brain. They are involved in the regulation of development, reproduction, behavior, caste determination, diapause, stress response, and numerous polyphenisms. In the post-genomics era, comprehensive analyses using functional 'omics' technologies such as transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics have increased our understanding of the activity of the minute CA. Read More

Curr Opin Insect Sci 2018 Aug 7;28:13-18. Epub 2018 Apr 7.

Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Waterbury, CT 06710, USA.

Juvenile hormone (JH) has both gonadotropic and non-gonadotropic roles in eusocial insects. There is controversy over whether the non-gonadotropic role is novel, related specifically to social evolution, or is a second conserved role. Study of subsocial insects suggests that when JH is non-gonadotropic, the specific associations of high JH, low vitellogenin, suppressed ovarian development and elevated metabolism may parallel those in workers of eusocial insects. Read More

J S Afr Vet Assoc 2018 Dec 5;89(0):e1-e6. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Department of Companion Animal Clinical Studies, University of Pretoria.

Salmonellosis is a disease of major zoonotic importance and canine parvovirus is a potentially fatal cause of canine enteritis with a world-wide distribution. Persistent isolation of Salmonella during routine environmental sampling surveys of a hospital ward, reserved for the treatment of dogs with canine parvovirus infection, prompted investigation into a possible source. We hypothesised that dogs affected by canine parvovirus would have a higher prevalence of faecal salmonellae compared to an apparently healthy cohort. Read More

Int J Environ Res Public Health 2018 Dec 13;15(12). Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Department of Sports Taekwondo, Graduate School of Physical Education, Kyung Hee University, Seocheon-dong 1, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 17104, Korea.

Family types in Asian countries are rapidly changing as the society is changing. Thus, in this study, we analyzed and compared how the newly evolving family types (multicultural/dual-income) affect adolescents' online game addiction, delinquency, and online gaming (eSports) participation motivation. Multiple regression analysis was performed to examine the causal relationships between the variables, and multivariate analysis of variance and analysis of variance were performed for comparative analyses. Read More

Noncoding RNA 2018 Dec 13;4(4). Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark.

In this review, we provide an overview of the current knowledge on the role of different classes of non-coding RNAs for islet and β-cell development, maturation and function. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a prominent class of small RNAs, have been investigated for more than two decades and patterns of the roles of different miRNAs in pancreatic fetal development, islet and β-cell maturation and function are now emerging. Specific miRNAs are dynamically regulated throughout the period of pancreas development, during islet and β-cell differentiation as well as in the perinatal period, where a burst of β-cell replication takes place. Read More

J Hist Med Allied Sci 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Department of History, University of Rochester.

Gerald Grob's work in the history of psychiatry over the course of almost fifty years created a model for how historians might successfully situate mental health in its social and political context, and how inseparable it was from this context. Over the last twenty years, the field has grown tremendously. Historians have incorporated categories of analysis like gender and race, methodologies like cultural history and intellectual history, and sought to continue Grob's quest to understand American mental health history as a critical component of American history writ large. Read More

Ann Bot 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.

Background And Aims: The increasing frequency of disturbances in temperate forests is responsible for the greater numbers of trees with mechanically damaged cambial zones. Adjustment of wood anatomical structure to balance between safe and efficient water conductivity is one mechanism trees employ to cope with mechanical damage. The relative role of disturbances, tree age and climate in shaping xylem conduits and affecting xylem hydraulic conductivity remains unknown. Read More

Fish Shellfish Immunol 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, 430072, PR China.

The present study was conducted to evaluate dietary inosine 5'-monophosphate (5'-IMP) on growth, immune genes expression and disease resistance against Aeromonas hydrophila in juvenile gibel carp (Carassius auratus gibelio var. CAS Ⅲ) (initial body weight: 7.48g). Read More

Behav Brain Res 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

J.P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind & Behavior, and Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA.

Although scientific research using mammalian models has made great strides in uncovering the enigmatic neural and molecular mechanisms orchestrating the state of drug addiction, a complete understanding has thus far eluded researchers. The complexity of the task has led to the use of invertebrate model systems to complement the research of drug-induced reward in mammalian systems. Invertebrates, such as crayfish, offer excellent model systems to help reveal the underlying mechanisms of drug addiction as they retain the ancestral neural reward circuit that is evolutionarily conserved across taxa, and they possess relatively few, large neurons, laid out in an accessible, modularly organized nervous system. Read More

J Anim Ecol 2018 Nov 22. Epub 2018 Nov 22.

Departamento de Ecoloxía e Bioloxía Animal, Universidade de Vigo, Vigo, Spain.

Most studies of climate change impacts focus on the effects of summer temperatures, which can immediately impact fitness of breeders, but winter temperatures are expected to have a greater impact on development and growth of animals with long-lasting consequences. Exposure to warmer temperatures can increase cellular oxidative damage in ectotherms. Yet, it is unknown whether thermal stress during early life has prolonged effects on oxidative status during adulthood. Read More

Pediatr Int 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan, Kitakyushu, Japan.

Environ Toxicol Chem 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, Minnesota 55155, USA.

Common loons (Gavia immer) are at risk of elevated dietary mercury (Hg) exposure in portions of their breeding range. To assess the level of risk among loons in Minnesota, we investigated loon blood Hg concentrations in breeding lakes across Minnesota. Loon blood Hg concentrations were regressed on predicted Hg concentrations in standardized 12-cm whole organism yellow perch (Perca flavescens), based on fish Hg records from Minnesota lakes, using the U. Read More

Physiol Rep 2018 Dec;6(23):e13939

Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois.

The bioactive peptides of the apelinergic system and its receptor APJ have been shown to play a protective role in experimental cardiovascular and diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Mechanisms of this renoprotective effect remain to be elucidated. In this study, we examined the localization of APJ within the normal kidney and its kidney expression in the db/db model of DKD. Read More

J Ovarian Res 2018 Dec 14;11(1):100. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Department of Radiology, Osaka Medical College, 2-7 Daigaku-machi, Takatsuki City, Osaka, 569-8686, Japan.

Background: Ovarian granulosa cell tumors (GCTs) are divided into adult GCT (AGCT) and juvenile GCT (JGCT). The AGCT is more common type, conversely, less than 5% of tumors are the JGCT and occur in mainly premenarchal girls and in women younger than 30 years. Although JGCT have different histologic features compared to AGCT, the two types have similar imaging features because they have similar gross appearance. Read More

Pediatr Rheumatol Online J 2018 Dec 14;16(1):79. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Department of Rheumatology, Ajou University of medical school, 164 Worldcup-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, 16499, Republic of Korea.

Tocilizumab, an anti-interleukin-6 (IL-6) agent, is indicated as a treatment for several autoimmune or inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). IL-6 plays roles in both immune system dysregulation and inflammation, and thus efforts to extend the utility of tocilizumab in patients with autoinflammatory conditions are ongoing. Here, we survey the literature on the off-label use of tocilizumab in patients with juvenile-onset rheumatic diseases including juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), juvenile dermatomyositis (DM), vasculitis, juvenile scleroderma, and other autoinflammatory diseases. Read More

BMC Genomics 2018 Dec 14;19(1):934. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40546, USA.

Background: Epigenetic modifications including DNA methylation and post-translational modifications of histones are known to regulate gene expression. Antagonistic activities of histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs) mediate transcriptional reprogramming during insect development as shown in Drosophila melanogaster and other insects. Juvenile hormones (JH) play vital roles in the regulation of growth, development, metamorphosis, reproduction and other physiological processes. Read More

Paediatr Drugs 2018 Dec 13. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Division of Rheumatology, Children's Mercy Kansas City, 2401 Gillham Road, Kansas City, MO, 64108, USA.

Background: Arthropathy of Down syndrome (DA) is largely under-recognized, with an average 2-year delay in diagnosis. Most patients present with polyarthritis, and treatment has historically been challenging.

Objectives: Our objective was to investigate the clinical features and treatment of DA in the largest cohort reported to date. Read More

Sci Adv 2018 Dec 12;4(12):eaav1781. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Program in Developmental & Stem Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4, Canada.

The etiopathogenesis of idiopathic scoliosis (IS), a highly prevalent spinal deformity that occurs in the absence of obvious congenital or physiological abnormalities, is poorly understood. Although recent zebrafish genetic studies have linked cilia motility and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow defects with scoliosis progression, underlying mechanisms were not identified. Here, we use next-generation sequencing and conditional genetic methodologies to define the spatial and biological origins of spinal curve formation in mutant zebrafish, a faithful IS model. Read More

Mol Clin Oncol 2018 Dec 5;9(6):702-704. Epub 2018 Oct 5.

Department of Sense Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, I-00186 Rome, Italy.

'Juvenile' nasopharyngeal angiofibroma, which accounts for <1% of all head and neck neoplasms, occurs predominantly in males between 10 and 18 years of age. The small number of patients older than 30 years confirms that presentation after this age is exceptional. Only rare cases of nasopharyngeal angiofibroma in female patients have been documented to date, and some authors believe that sex chromosome studies are indicated in such cases. Read More

Front Physiol 2018 28;9:1665. Epub 2018 Nov 28.

Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.

Poyang is the largest freshwater lake in China, where the acoustic environment and space for the critically endangered Yangtze finless porpoises (YFPs) has been altered by heavy vessel traffic and dredging activities. The density of vessel and the rate of dredging increases annually, especially in the area with the highest density of YFPs. The heavy vessel traffic can cause an increase in the physical activities and direct physical injuries to the YFPs. Read More

Drugs Ther Perspect 2018 31;34(12):543-553. Epub 2018 Oct 31.

Springer, Private Bag 65901, Mairangi Bay, 0754 Auckland, New Zealand.

The EU indication for anakinra has been extended to include Still's disease, a serious rare inflammatory disorder of unknown aetiology that comprises adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) and systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SJIA). As activated interleukin-1 pathways are associated with the systemic manifestations of these disorders, targeted treatment with anakinra, an interleukin-1 inhibitor, has been investigated. Across clinical and real-world studies in patients with AOSD and SJIA, treatment with anakinra achieved clinical remission/response, provided rapid and sustained improvements in systemic and laboratory manifestations, and allowed the use of corticosteroid- and disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARD) to be reduced or discontinued. Read More

Sci Rep 2018 Dec 13;8(1):17830. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Center for Integrative Genomics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.

Socially exchanged fluids are a direct means by which an organism can influence conspecifics. It was recently shown that when workers of the carpenter ant Camponotus floridanus feed larval offspring via trophallaxis, they transfer Juvenile Hormone III (JH), a key developmental regulator, as well as paralogs of JH esterase (JHE), an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of JH. Here we combine proteomic, phylogenetic and selection analyses to investigate the evolution of this esterase subfamily. Read More

Arthritis Res Ther 2018 Dec 13;20(1):276. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

German Rheumatism Research Center, a Leibniz Institute, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.

Objective: The objective was to evaluate the 25(OH) vitamin D (25(OH)D) status of patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and determine whether the 25(OH)D level is associated with disease activity and the course of JIA.

Methods: Patients ≤ 16 years of age with recently diagnosed JIA (< 12 months) were enrolled in the inception cohort of patients with newly diagnosed JIA (ICON), an ongoing prospective observational, controlled multicenter study started in 2010. Clinical and laboratory parameters were ascertained quarterly during the first year and half-yearly thereafter. Read More

Arthritis Res Ther 2018 Dec 13;20(1):275. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Department of Rheumatology, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Carrer Villarroel 170, 08036, Barcelona, Spain.

Background: Calprotectin is a biomarker of disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and predicts relapse in juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Higher drug trough serum levels are associated with a good response in patients treated with tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi). Power Doppler ultrasound synovitis is predictive of relapse and structural damage progression in patients in clinical remission. Read More

Child Abuse Negl 2018 Dec 10;88:256-265. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, United States.

Background: Childhood neglect is an understudied form of childhood maltreatment despite being the most commonly reported to authorities.

Objective: This study provides national estimates of neglect subtypes, demographic variations in exposure to neglect subtypes, and examines the psychological impact.

Participants And Setting: Pooled data from two representative U. Read More

Food Chem Toxicol 2018 Dec 10. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, 03760, Republic of Korea. Electronic address:

Phthalates are being suggested to be associated with altered thyroid function and proliferative changes, but detailed mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we examined the effects of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) on DNA damage and proliferation in thyroid using thyroid carcinoma cell line, 8505C, in vitro and the rats orally treated with DEHP at 0, 0.3, 3, 30 and 150 mg/kg for 90 days from post-natal day 9 in vivo. Read More

Virus Res 2018 Dec 10. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany. Electronic address:

Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (CyHV-3) or koi herpesvirus is a global pathogen causing mass mortality in koi and common carp, against which improved vaccines are urgently needed. In this study we investigated the role of four nonessential, but immunogenic envelope glycoproteins encoded by members of the ORF25 gene family (ORF25, ORF65, ORF148 and ORF149) during CyHV-3 replication. Single deletion of ORF65 did not affect in vitro replication, and deletion of ORF148 even slightly enhanced virus growth on common carp brain (CCB) cells, deletions of ORF25 or ORF149 led to reduced plaque sizes and virus titers, which was due to delayed entry into host cells. Read More

Acta Medica (Hradec Kralove) 2018 ;61(3):79-85

Department of Dermatology, A. Reiman's Hospital, Prešov, Slovakia.

Background: To evaluate the presence of endothelial dysfunction in Slovak children with juvenile psoriatic arthritis in the absence of classic cardiovascular risk factors in order to assess its relationship to the disease activity and disability.

Methods: 25 juvenile psoriatic arthritis patients (JPSA) and 25 healthy controls aged 6-19 years were enrolled into this study. In all subjects vascular measurements over a period of three years (January 2013 - January 2016) were performed, in accordance with the guidelines for ultrasonographic evaluation of FMD% (flow-mediated endothelial dependent vasodilatation) of the brachial artery. Read More

Methods Mol Biol 2019 ;1902:245-256

Agronomy Department, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.

Transgenic crops expressing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins have become a cornerstone in integrated pest management. To counter rapidly increasing pest resistance to transgenic crops producing single Bt toxins, transgenic plant "pyramids" producing two or more Bt toxins targeting the same pest have been widely adopted. However, cross-resistance and antagonism between Bt toxins limit the sustainability of this approach. Read More

J Neurosci 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306-4301

Song learning in zebra finches () requires exposure to the song of a tutor, resulting in an auditory memory. This memory is the foundation for later sensorimotor learning, resulting in the production of a copy of the tutor's song. The cortical premotor nucleus HVC (proper name) is necessary for auditory and sensorimotor learning as well as the eventual production of adult song. Read More

BMC Pediatr 2018 Dec 12;18(1):386. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Nihon University School of Medicine, 30-1, Oyaguchi, Kami-cho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, 173-8610, Japan.

Background: The clinical features and laboratory parameters of patients with Kawasaki disease (KD) and systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA) occasionally overlap. Therefore, serum levels of cytokine and ferritin are used as markers to distinguish between KD and sJIA. KD patients have a high level of interleukin (IL)-6, low level of IL-18, and no elevation of the level of serum ferritin. Read More

Turk J Med Sci 2018 12 12;48(6):1109-1114. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Background/aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of biologic drugs on the tuberculin skin test in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Materials And Methods: A total of 234 biologic drug-using juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients and 45 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. The tuberculin skin test results of the patients, which had been routinely provided during follow-up, were obtained from the patient files. Read More

Front Vet Sci 2018 20;5:288. Epub 2018 Nov 20.

Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States.

Galectins are potent regulators of cell adhesion, growth and apoptosis in diverse cell types, including chondrocytes and synovial fibroblasts. Elevations in synovial fluid galectin-3 have been observed in rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis and experimental inflammatory arthritis in animal models, whereas galectin-1 is thought to be protective. Less is known about galectins-1 and-3 in osteoarthritis (OA). Read More

Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health 2018 3;12:48. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

1INCIA, CNRS, UMR 5287, Centre Ressource Autisme Aquitaine, Centre Hospitalier Charles Perrens, Bordeaux, France.

Background: Children and youths with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have behavioural characteristics and severe social disabilities that make them vulnerable to victimisation. The current study explores the prevalence of peer victimisation in this population in France.

Methods: We used the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire-Screener Sum Version in a French sample of 39 children and youths with ASD and 53 typically developing (TD) children and youths and tested the association of the victimisation with socio-demographic factors and clinical factors of anxiety and post-traumatic stress. Read More

Front Plant Sci 2018 22;9:1693. Epub 2018 Nov 22.

Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, Faculty of Forestry, University of British Columbia Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Forest tree breeding has been successful at delivering genetically improved material for multiple traits based on recurrent cycles of selection, mating, and testing. However, long breeding cycles, late flowering, variable juvenile-mature correlations, emerging pests and diseases, climate, and market changes, all pose formidable challenges. Genetic dissection approaches such as quantitative trait mapping and association genetics have been fruitless to effectively drive operational marker-assisted selection (MAS) in forest trees, largely because of the complex multifactorial inheritance of most, if not all traits of interest. Read More

Front Immunol 2018 22;9:2726. Epub 2018 Nov 22.

Costa Edutainment spa, Riccione, Italy.

The present study describes the isolation of Methicillin-resistant (MRSA) from respiratory tract of 2 dolphins of different origin, a stranded juvenile Risso's dolphin () and a captive born common bottlenose dolphin () calf, which died in the same institution at 1-month distance from the other. A complete microbiological and genetic investigation confirmed the presence of MRSA clone-complex 8, sequence type (ST) 8, type t008 in both individuals. This strain differs from the one previously reported in walruses and dolphins and has never been described in dolphins before, but it is randomly isolated from Italian human patients. Read More

Front Physiol 2018 22;9:1677. Epub 2018 Nov 22.

State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China.

Metamorphosis is a crucial process in insect development. Ecdysone-induced protein 93 (E93) is a determinant that promotes adult metamorphosis in both hemimetabolous and holometabolous insects. Krüppel-homolog 1 (Kr-h1), an early juvenile hormone (JH)-inducible gene, participates in JH signaling pathway controlling insect metamorphosis. Read More

Front Physiol 2018 20;9:1663. Epub 2018 Nov 20.

Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia.

Tay-Sachs disease belongs to the group of autosomal-recessive lysosomal storage metabolic disorders. This disease is caused by β-hexosaminidase A (HexA) enzyme deficiency due to various mutations in α-subunit gene of this enzyme, resulting in GM2 ganglioside accumulation predominantly in lysosomes of nerve cells. Tay-Sachs disease is characterized by acute neurodegeneration preceded by activated microglia expansion, macrophage and astrocyte activation along with inflammatory mediator production. Read More

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2018 Dec;57(12):909-910

NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY. Electronic address:

Recent efforts to reform and improve the juvenile justice system have overlooked one critically important issue-the widespread failure to routinely screen for intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) in young offenders. Pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, offenders with I/DD must receive appropriate accommodations. Yet across the country, adolescents and adults with I/DD must engage with the juvenile justice system without appropriate supports and often with their disabilities unknown to corrections staff, lawyers, judges, and other personnel. Read More