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Background Objective Method Results Conclusion Implications Black girls in the United States are at increased risk for HIV and sexually transmitted infections due to early sexual development, stereotyping, adultification, and lack of protection. The Becoming a Sexual Black Woman framework highlights protection, or lack thereof, as a critical component of Black girls' sexual development.The purpose of this study was twofold. First, we sought to understand how girls protect their bodies within the societal context of the COVID‐19 pandemic and social injustice. Second, we aimed to explore how Black men can better protect Black girls' sexual development.We conducted 25 in‐depth interviews with Black girls aged 9 to 18 years, primarily across the Midwestern United States. We performed a directed content analysis by reviewing transcripts, coding data, and developing themes.Findings revealed four themes: (a) feeling unsafe, (b) adultification of Black girls' bodies and increased vulnerability to harm, (c) desire for more protection by Black male caregivers, and (d) needing Black men to speak up.Black men's engagement in girls' sexual development may significantly influence the health outcomes of Black girls and women throughout their life course.Findings may inform future family‐based interventions that better protect and promote the sexual health and development of Black girls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The glandular trichomes of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) can efficiently produce secondary metabolites. They act as natural bioreactors, and their natural products function to protect plants against insect-pests and pathogens and are also components of industrial chemicals. To clarify the molecular mechanisms of tobacco glandular trichome development and secondary metabolic regulation, glandular trichomes and glandless trichomes, as well as other different developmental tissues, were used for RNA sequencing and analysis. Results: By comparing glandless and glandular trichomes with other tissues, we obtained differentially expressed genes. They were obviously enriched in KEGG pathways, such as cutin, suberine, and wax biosynthesis, flavonoid and isoflavonoid biosynthesis, terpenoid biosynthesis, and plant–pathogen interaction. In particular, the expression levels of genes related to the terpenoid, flavonoid, and wax biosynthesis pathway mainly showed down-regulation in glandless trichomes, implying that they lack the capability to synthesize certain exudate compounds. Among the differentially expressed genes, 234 transcription factors were found, including AP2-ERFs, MYBs, bHLHs, WRKYs, Homeoboxes (HD-ZIP), and C2H2-ZFs. These transcription factor and genes that highly expressed in trichomes or specially expressed in GT or GLT. Following the overexpression of R2R3-MYB transcription factor Nitab4.5_0011760g0030.1 in tobacco, an increase in the number of branched glandular trichomes was observed. Conclusions: Our data provide comprehensive gene expression information at the transcriptional level and an understanding of the regulatory pathways involved in glandular trichome development and secondary metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review has focused on the different applications of PVC which makes PVC to be a fundamental component in our daily life. PVC has posted its footsteps in several fields including construction, automotive, health care, electronics, Gardening and agriculture, textiles, packaging and sports equipment. This article deals with a detailed explanation of the necessity of PVC in the above fields. Beginning with the timeline of the birth of plastics eventually leading to the discovery of PVC, this article speaks about the importance of such a substance in each field that could pave the way for the development of human lifestyle. Quoting different slogans and statements of great personalities in between could help the readers to enhance their interest to go through each topic. The advantages and disadvantages of the usage of PVC in each field is also mentioned which could impinge a thought of an alternative modification to compensate for the needs. This article shall prove to be a great tool to understand about the unavoidable necessity of PVC in our daily life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Exploring the epigenetic regulations, such as microRNA, in newborns holds significant promise for enhancing our ability to address and potentially prevent early-life developmental delays. Objectives: Hence, this research seeks to investigate if the expression of miRNA in the umbilical cord blood of infants can forecast their developmental outcomes as they grow older. Design and method: We enrolled 143 full-term newborns, delivered either via cesarean section (CS) or through natural spontaneous delivery (NSD). We then analyzed the profiles of specific miRNAs (miR-486-5p, miR-126-5p, miR-140-3p, miR-151a-3p, miR-142-5p, and miR-30e-5p) in the umbilical cord blood of these infants. Subsequently, we performed follow-up assessments using Bayley-III scores when the cohort reached 1 year of age. Furthermore, we conducted pathway-enrichment analyses on the target genes associated with these examined miRNAs. Results: When comparing newborns delivered via cesarean section (CS) to those born via natural spontaneous delivery (NSD), we observed notable differences. Specifically, newborns through NSD displayed significantly higher ΔCt values for miR-486-5p, alongside lower ΔCt values for miR-126-5p and miR-151a-3p in their cord blood. At 1 year of age, cognitive development was significantly linked to the ΔCt values of miR-140-3p and miR-142-5p, while language development showed a significant association with the ΔCt values of miR-140-3p. Moreover, our pathway enrichment analyses revealed that the target genes of these miRNAs were consistently involved in the pathways related to neurons, such as axon guidance and the neurotrophin signaling pathway. Conclusion: In summary, this study represents a pioneering effort in elucidating the potential connections between miRNA levels in cord blood and the health indicators and neurodevelopment of newborns at 1 year of age. Our findings underscore the significance of miRNA levels at birth in influencing mechanisms related to neurodevelopment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research Highlights The human central nervous system (CNS) undergoes tremendous changes from childhood to adulthood and this may affect how individuals at different stages of development learn new skills. Here, we studied motor skill learning in children, adolescents, and young adults to test the prediction that differences in the maturation of different learning mechanisms lead to distinct temporal patterns of motor learning during practice and overnight. We found that overall learning did not differ between children, adolescents, and young adults. However, we demonstrate that adult‐like skill learning is characterized by rapid and large improvements in motor performance during practice (i.e., online) that are susceptible to forgetting and decay over time (i.e., offline). On the other hand, child‐like learning exhibits slower and less pronounced improvements in performance during practice, but these improvements are robust against forgetting and lead to gains in performance overnight without further practice. The different temporal dynamics of motor skill learning suggest an engagement of distinct learning mechanisms in the human CNS during development. In conclusion, adult‐like skill learning mechanisms favor online improvements in motor performance whereas child‐like learning mechanisms favors offline behavioral gains. Many essential motor skills, like walking, talking, and writing, are acquired during childhood, and it is colloquially thought that children learn better than adults. We investigated dynamics of motor skill learning in children, adolescents, and young adults. Adults displayed substantial improvements during practice that was susceptible to forgetting over time. Children displayed smaller improvements during practice that were resilient against forgetting. The distinct age‐related characteristics of these processes of acquisition and consolidation suggest that skill learning relies on different mechanisms in the immature and mature central nervous system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The excitatory monosynaptic activation of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells is spatially segregated such that the proximal part of the apical dendritic tree in stratum radiatum (SR) receives input from the hippocampal CA3 region while the distal part in the stratum‐lacunosum‐moleculare (SLM) receives input mainly from the entorhinal cortex. The AMPA receptor‐mediated (AMPA) signalling of SLM synapses in slices from neonatal rats was previously found to considerably differ from that of the SR synapses. In the present study, AMPA signalling of SLM synapses in 1‐month‐old rats has been examined, that is, when the hippocampus is essentially functionally mature. For the SR synapses, this time is characterized by a facilitatory shift in short‐term plasticity, in the disappearance of labile postsynaptic AMPA signalling, a property thought to be important for early activity‐dependent organization of neural circuits, and the expression of an adult form of long‐term potentiation. We found that the SLM synapses alter their short‐term plasticity similarly to that of the SR synapses. However, the labile postsynaptic AMPA signalling was not only maintained but substantially enhanced in the SLM synapses. The long‐term potentiation observed was not of the adult form but like that of the neonatal SR synapses based on unsilencing of AMPA labile synapses. We propose that these features of the SLM synapses in the mature hippocampus will help to produce a flexible map of the multimodal sensory input reaching the SLM required for its conjunctive operation with the SR input to generate a proper functional output from the CA1 region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human pigmentary disorders encompass a broad spectrum of phenotypic changes arising from disruptions in various stages of melanocyte formation, the melanogenesis process, or the transfer of pigment from melanocytes to keratinocytes. A large number of pigmentation genes associated with pigmentary disorders have been identified, many of them awaiting in vivo confirmation. A more comprehensive understanding of the molecular basis of pigmentary disorders requires a vertebrate animal model where changes in pigmentation are easily observable in vivo and can be combined to genomic modifications and gain/loss‐of‐function tools. Here we present the amphibian Xenopus with its unique features that fulfill these requirements. Changes in pigmentation are particularly easy to score in Xenopus embryos, allowing whole‐organism based phenotypic screening. The development and behavior of Xenopus melanocytes closely mimic those observed in mammals. Interestingly, both Xenopus and mammalian skins exhibit comparable reactions to ultraviolet radiation. This review highlights how Xenopus constitutes an alternative and complementary model to the more commonly used mouse and zebrafish, contributing to the advancement of knowledge in melanocyte cell biology and related diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Miller v. Alabama (2012), the Supreme Court abolished mandatory juvenile life without parole (JLWOP) sentences and subsequently decided that the ruling applied retroactively (Montgomery v. Louisiana, 2016), effectively rendering thousands of inmates eligible for resentencing and potential release from prison. In its decisions, the Court cited developmental science, noting that youth, by virtue of their transient immaturity, are less culpable and more amenable to rehabilitation relative to their adult counterparts. Specifically, the Court notes adolescents' propensity for impulsive action, sensitivity to social influence, and difficulty understanding long‐term consequences. Even so, these rulings raised concerns regarding the consequences of releasing prisoners who had committed heinous crimes as juveniles. Several years after the Court's decision, preliminary data are now available to shed light on rates of recidivism among those released. The current paper comprises three goals. First, we discuss the science of adolescent development and how it intersects with legal practice, contextualizing the Court's decision. Second, we present recidivism data from a sample of individuals formerly sentenced to JLWOP in Pennsylvania who were resentenced and released under Miller and Montgomery (N = 287). Results indicate that 15 individuals received new criminal charges up to 7 years postrelease (5.2%), the majority of which were nonviolent offenses. This low rate of recidivism is consistent with the developmental science documenting compromised decision‐making during the adolescent years, followed by desistance from criminal behavior in adulthood. Lastly, we discuss the importance of interdisciplinary collaborations between researchers and legal practitioners, as well as critical future avenues of research in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although substantial research indicates that considerations about status can lead to anxiety and other negative outcomes, a valid measure of the importance individuals attribute to status is lacking. This paper introduces the Status Importance Scale (SIS), a mono‐factorial 10‐item self‐report questionnaire that quantifies how important a person deems status to be. Five studies validate the scale showing that it has excellent internal reliability and acceptable test–retest reliability, it correlates with several related measures (supporting convergent validity), it shows little correlation with theoretically unrelated constructs (supporting discriminant validity), it is the best predictor of conspicuous consumption compared with other potential candidates (supporting concurrent validity), and it can help predicting which activities one gives importance to (further supporting concurrent validity). Finally, as hypothesized by previous literature, the last study reveals that the SIS can predict status anxiety. The SIS can contribute to research regarding important phenomena such as the detrimental psychological effects of income inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of the human pancreas requires the precise temporal control of gene expression via epigenetic mechanisms and the binding of key transcription factors. We quantified genome-wide patterns of DNA methylation in human fetal pancreatic samples from donors aged 6 to 21 post-conception weeks. We found dramatic changes in DNA methylation across pancreas development, with > 21% of sites characterized as developmental differentially methylated positions (dDMPs) including many annotated to genes associated with monogenic diabetes. An analysis of DNA methylation in postnatal pancreas tissue showed that the dramatic temporal changes in DNA methylation occurring in the developing pancreas are largely limited to the prenatal period. Significant differences in DNA methylation were observed between males and females at a number of autosomal sites, with a small proportion of sites showing sex-specific DNA methylation trajectories across pancreas development. Pancreas dDMPs were not distributed equally across the genome and were depleted in regulatory domains characterized by open chromatin and the binding of known pancreatic development transcription factors. Finally, we compared our pancreas dDMPs to previous findings from the human brain, identifying evidence for tissue-specific developmental changes in DNA methylation. This study represents the first systematic exploration of DNA methylation patterns during human fetal pancreas development and confirms the prenatal period as a time of major epigenomic plasticity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fine characterization of gene expression patterns is crucial to understand many aspects of embryonic development. The chicken embryo is a well-established and valuable animal model for developmental biology. The period spanning from the third to sixth embryonic days (E3 to E6) is critical for many organ developments. Hybridization chain reaction RNA fluorescent in situ hybridization (HCR RNA-FISH) enables multiplex RNA detection in thick samples including embryos of various animal models. However, its use is limited by tissue opacity. Results: We optimized HCR RNA-FISH protocol to efficiently label RNAs in whole mount chicken embryos from E3.5 to E5.5 and adapted it to ethyl cinnamate (ECi) tissue clearing. We show that light sheet imaging of HCR RNA-FISH after ECi clearing allows RNA expression analysis within embryonic tissues with good sensitivity and spatial resolution. Finally, whole mount immunofluorescence can be performed after HCR RNA-FISH enabling as exemplified to assay complex spatial relationships between axons and their environment or to monitor GFP electroporated neurons. Conclusions: We could extend the use of HCR RNA-FISH to older chick embryos by optimizing HCR RNA-FISH and combining it with tissue clearing and 3D imaging. The integration of immunostaining makes possible to combine gene expression with classical cell markers, to correlate expressions with morphological differentiation and to depict gene expressions in gain or loss of function contexts. Altogether, this combined procedure further extends the potential of HCR RNA-FISH technique for chicken embryology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis commentary brings together thoughts on the papers in this special issue and integrates research on adolescent development, resilence, and positive youth experiences that promote character development. We apply the Protective and Compensatory Experieces (PACEs) framework to the papers in the special issue. We also discuss future directions for research and interventions promoting positive youth development and characters strengths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This primer describes research on the development of motor behavior. We focus on infancy when basic action systems are acquired—posture, locomotion, manual actions, and facial actions—and we adopt a developmental systems perspective to understand the causes and consequences of developmental change. Experience facilitates improvements in motor behavior and infants accumulate immense amounts of varied everyday experience with all the basic action systems. At every point in development, perception guides behavior by providing feedback about the results of just prior movements and information about what to do next. Across development, new motor behaviors provide new inputs for perception. Thus, motor development opens up new opportunities for acquiring knowledge and acting on the world, instigating cascades of developmental changes in perceptual, cognitive, and social domains.This article is categorized under: Cognitive Biology > Cognitive Development Psychology > Motor Skill and Performance Neuroscience > Development [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we examine what local well‐being means in the contexts of collaborative heritage management and national development in Mexico. Driven by the request of Lacandon Mayas (including the second author) who live in Puerto Bello Metzabok, Chiapas, Mexico, in 2018, we engaged in archeological consolidation and heritage management to promote local tourism and sustainable economic development. This collaboration raised a series of ethical and practical questions of how to engage with the Eurocentric project of development. Addressing these issues has become critical, as the Mexican president's signature infrastructure project, Tren Maya (Maya Train), is designed to promote nationwide development via increased cultural heritage tourism in Chiapas and southern Mexico. Through critical reflection on experiences with Metzabok community members, we address Eurocentrism and colonialism by enacting a Lacandon (i.e., Hach Winik) buen vivir. This form of well‐being is relational and communal and creates a common good that includes more‐than‐humans. Via this critical perspective, we argue that a decolonial project can use the tools of development as an initial step in creating Indigenous well‐being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stroke is the second most common cause of death worldwide, and it greatly impacts the quality of life for survivors by causing impairments in their upper limbs. Due to the difficulties in accessing rehabilitation services, immersive virtual reality (IVR) is an interesting approach to improve the availability of rehabilitation services. This systematic review evaluates the technological characteristics of IVR systems used in the rehabilitation of upper limb stroke patients. Twenty-five publications were included. Various technical aspects such as game engines, programming languages, headsets, platforms, game genres, and technical evaluation were extracted from these papers. Unity 3D and C# are the primary tools for creating IVR apps, while the Oculus Quest (Meta Platforms Technologies, Menlo Park, CA, USA) is the most often used headset. The majority of systems are created specifically for rehabilitation purposes rather than being readily available for purchase (i.e., commercial games). The analysis also highlights key areas for future research, such as game assessment, the combination of hardware and software, and the potential integration incorporation of biofeedback sensors. The study highlights the significance of technological progress in improving the effectiveness and user-friendliness of IVR. It calls for additional research to fully exploit IVR's potential in enhancing stroke rehabilitation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: A synchronized global genome is a flexible, homeostatic system that underwrites ontogenic development and deprograming in disease. As human progenitor cells differentiate into neurons, the activities of many genes change; these changes are maintained within a narrow range, referred to as genome homeostasis. This process, which alters the synchronization of the entire expressed genome, is distorted in neurodevelopmental diseases such as schizophrenia. The coordinated gene activity networks formed by altering sets of genes comprise recurring coordination modules, governed by the entropy-controlling action of nuclear FGFR1, known to be associated with DNA topology. These modules can be modeled as energy-transferring circuits, revealing that genome homeostasis is maintained by reducing oscillations (noise) in gene activity while allowing gene activity changes to be transmitted across networks; this occurs more readily in neuronal committed cells than in neural progenitors. These findings advance a model of an "entangled" global genome acting as a flexible, coordinated homeostatic system that responds to developmental signals, is governed by nuclear FGFR1, and is reprogrammed in disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collective behaviors efficiently impart benefits to a diversity of species ranging from bacteria to humans. Fly larvae tend to cluster and form coordinated digging groups under crowded conditions, yet understanding the rules governing this behavior is in its infancy. We primarily took advantage of the Drosophila model to investigate cooperative foraging behavior. Here, we report that Drosophila‐related species and the black soldier fly have evolved a conserved strategy of cluster digging in food foraging. Subsequently, we investigated relative factors, including larval stage, population density, and food stiffness and quality, that affect the cluster digging behavior. Remarkably, oxygen supply through the posterior breathing spiracles is necessary for the organization of digging clusters. More importantly, we theoretically devise a mathematical model to accurately calculate how the cluster digging behavior expands food resources by diving depth, cross‐section area, and food volume. We found that cluster digging behavior approximately increases 2.2 fold depth, 1.7‐fold cross‐section area, and 1.9 fold volume than control groups, respectively. Amplification of food sources significantly facilitates survival, larval development, and reproductive success of Drosophila challenged with competition for limited food resources, thereby conferring trophic benefits to fitness in insects. Overall, our findings highlight that the cluster digging behavior is a pivotal behavior for their adaptation to food scarcity, advancing a better understanding of how this cooperative behavior confers fitness benefits in the animal kingdom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives: Identity disruption is a key feature of borderline personality disorder (BPD), characterized by disturbances in self-image. This study aimed to use the Dimensions of Identity Development Scale (DIDS) in a population aged 16–25, to assess differences in identity status and correlations with BPD features as well as whether a correlation exists between the BPD features, the scores obtained on the DIDS and the scores of the different dimensions of this disorder. Methods: We analyzed data from 132 individuals: 44 with BPD using the Diagnostic Interview for Borderline—Revised (DIB-R). Statistical analyses included quantile regression to determine the differences in the DIDS after adjusting for confounding factors identified during group comparisons and Spearman correlation between the DIDS, the BPD features and the DIB-R. Results: Results indicated significantly lower DIDS scores in the BPD group, particularly in commitment making, exploration breadth (EB), identity with commitment (IM) and ruminative exploration (RE). After adjusting, only EB differs significantly between the two groups. All dimensions of the DIDS except for the exploration in depth (ED) are correlated with BPD features. Significant correlations could be demonstrated between cognitive dimension and ED, between the total DIDS and the number of suicide attempt (SA) and between the IM and the number of SA. Conclusions: Our clinical sample showed distinct identity formation compared to controls, with a lower EB associated with BPD. RE correlated with BPD, suggesting that the individuals engage in repetitive exploratory processes. SA was negatively associated with overall identity development and commitment, indicating impulsive behaviors in BPD intersect with identity struggles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article looks at the conversations and ideas exchanged between US and Mexican architects and planners in the early 1960s and their vision of redesigning the borderlands. Through a reading of Robert Evans Alexander's archival material (donated to Cornell University) and primary source material written by Guillermo Rossell, I argue that broader ideas of spatial justice influenced their conceptions of design. Moreover, Rossell brought to the table the idea that the border was a region and thus required a binational, regional design. The binational commission on planning developed in the midst of the Cold War and this was an element in their minds. And a part of this conversation, especially on the part of Mexican architects and planners, was development. Yet it was development through tourism, not industry. The article should be of interest to scholars working on the border, architecture and planning, development, tourism, and collaborative planning. • Collaborative binational planning along the US-Mexico borderlands. • Tourism as development. • Spatial justice in design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Xayaburi Hydroelectric Power Project entered operation in October 2019. After this the Mekong started to behave strangely-the water ran blue and clear instead of red and silty, and the great backflow of the river into Cambodia's Tonle Sap Lake arrived off schedule or, at times, threatened to not arrive at all. Villagers who had remained ambivalent or apathetic about hydropower issues suddenly found themselves facing a radically altered world, where a seemingly distant power was able to dramatically alter the nature of their every day. These shifts introduced an arrhythmia into the hydroscape: ecological, fishing, and religious cycles adapted to a seasonal river were off sync with power demands. The radical alteration that dams make to the landscape, in the promise of irrigation, electrification, and the sheer feat of changing a river, are a tangible symbol of the state's power over its land. But with a deep look into hydropower projects-in this case, the dams across the midstream of the Mekong in Laos and China-the story grows more convoluted. Here are conflicting narratives of power: state-focused, international, and royalist; as well as religious, ecological, and hydrosocial. Here, too, as I found in my eight years of fieldwork in Lao-speaking Thailand, is an alteration in time, where the rhythms of the river change the rhythms of life, and where the cyclical riparian clock clashes with a future-oriented developmentalist notion of time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mekong River has long conjured images of power: cascading waterfalls, impenetrable rapids, and pervading spirits. But power is always malleable and shifting, a fact not lost on the human and nonhuman agents who live with the river and its tributaries. Rises and drops in water levels that once fluctuated in accordance with the seasons have now become beholden to the electricity needs of urban centres like Bangkok: a shift from watershed to powershed. The emerging techno-political realities of the Mekong give rise to new ways of seeing and managing the river, often at the cost of longheld local understandings and configurations of power. The recent boom in hydropower development in the Mekong Basin has been alarming, and rapid change has had adverse impacts on the riparian peoples who depend on the river for their livelihoods. Despite the countless negative social and ecological impacts from dams, especially on the mainstream Mekong, hydropower investments and construction continue. New hegemonic scales and configurations of power have emerged in the Mekong Basin, but older local ones have not simply disappeared. Rather, power shifts in and out of plain sight. In this special issue, we trace the flows, scales, and reconfigurations of power from the management of Mekong water flows and the financing of hydropower projects through to the ruptures and (un) intended consequences of hydropower dam projects on living human and nonhuman worlds in the region. Through a multi-scaled and multi-sited lens, we bring to light emerging worlds in the Mekong Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the days of Ramón y Cajal, the vast diversity of neuronal and particularly dendrite morphology has been used to catalog neurons into different classes. Dendrite morphology varies greatly and reflects the different functions performed by different types of neurons. Significant progress has been made in our understanding of how dendrites form and the molecular factors and forces that shape these often elaborately sculpted structures. Here, we review work in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans that has shed light on the developmental mechanisms that mediate dendrite morphogenesis with a focus on studies investigating ciliated sensory neurons and the highly elaborated dendritic trees of somatosensory neurons. These studies, which combine time-lapse imaging, genetics, and biochemistry, reveal an intricate network of factors that function both intrinsically in dendrites and extrinsically from surrounding tissues. Therefore, dendrite morphogenesis is the result of multiple tissue interactions, which ultimately determine the shape of dendritic arbors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The historical challenges to bridge the gaps between developmental biology and population or statistical genetics under the explanatory dominance of the Modern Evolutionary Synthesis during the 20th century have been thoroughly documented. However, although several attempts to integrate these fields have been made, most have been deemed unsuccessful. As an example of those efforts, in this paper I discuss the work of James Meadows Rendel, a student of J. B. S. Haldane and disciple of Conrad Hal Waddington. I present his largely forgotten or unrecognized, but innovative, ideas about canalization and the role of development in phylogeny as a valuable piece to connect these fields that could still have important ramifications for today's evolutionary biology. In fact, it is expected that the legacy of J. M. Rendel will be rediscovered, and more importantly, incorporated and extended by future researchers, in light of the growth of evolutionary developmental biology in the last decades. What is more, this case offers a chance to critically revisit standard historiographies about the dichotomy between developmental and population genetics research frameworks in 20th century biology. • Rendel's theory integrated various developmental and evolutionary processes. • Rendel's theoretical work is generally omitted or unrecognized in the literature. • J. M. Rendel can be seen as a forerunner for contemporary Evo-Devo approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aleppo Pine forests provide several ecosystem services for the local population as well as for the society in Tunisia. Knowing the citizens' preferences is crucial to guide forest management strategies. This study aims to determine the social demand for key benefits provided by forests using the choice experiment modelling. Results show a high social awareness of the benefits derived from forests suggesting that citizens are willing to support forest management activities, especially for promoting the local economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land reforms have been implemented in many parts of the world because of both justice and the attractive developmental policy objectives of improving poor people's welfare – as the prime beneficiaries. Land reform also facilitates rural economic growth. In some parts of the world, like China and India, there is evidence that land reform has been effective in poverty reduction and in enabling economic growth. However, in other parts of the world, like South Africa, the impact of land reform has been very minimal mainly due to poor policy implementation, which entails inadequate support structures. Using an integrative literature review approach and key policy documents on South Africa's land reform, this article dissects this policy–practice gap in South Africa's land redistribution policy and proposes that land redistribution be implemented by a private independent entity to reduce state bureaucracy and inefficiencies and, in turn, improve execution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health education is an essential topic for contemporary society because it focuses on providing information to improve and sustain the health of the community. This type of education covers issues of broad interest, such as disease prevention, promoting a healthy lifestyle, the importance of nutrition and exercise, and stress reduction. Health education aims to raise awareness and build skills for healthy behaviour. This article aims to cover topics of interest to society such as a literature review to emphasize the importance of the concept of health education, a theoretical approach to the factors that influence health, in the idea of the possibility to act on them. The specialized literature shows a connection between education for health, health and economy, a connection that the authors proposed to highlight also by referring to the social determinants of health that we believe start, on the one hand, from children's education and, on the other on the other hand, from the economy. Health and education can be considered determinants of the economy and, implicitly, health education contributes to the balanced development of society. Most of the time, an educated child will be a healthy, employable adult; there is a possibility that not every healthy child will be educated, but will be able to work. Society is interested in people's labor force, without considering that a low standard of living and lack of health care will exhaust the labor force sooner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The study of highly conserved mechanosensitive proteins, such as zyxin, is essential due to their role in shaping embryos of all animals during embryogenesis through coordinated morphogenetic processes and controlled cell differentiation. This study aims to identify endogenous zyxin isoforms in Xenopus laevis and investigate changes in their abundance and intracellular localization during embryogenesis. Methods: Endogenous proteins were primarily detected using specific antibodies. Polyclonal antibodies targeting the C-terminal region of zyxin containing the NES and three LIM domains (438–663 aa), as well as antibodies against the N-terminal proline-rich region of Zyxin (1–373 aa) crucial for interactions with actinin and cytoskeletal proteins, were employed. Western blotting with these antibodies was conducted on Xenopus laevis embryo cell samples after fractionation into nuclear and cytoplasmic fractions. Results and Discussion: The study revealed multiple isoforms of zyxin in Xenopus laevis, including a full-length modified protein (105 kDa), an unmodified form (70 kDa), and two truncated forms of 45 and 37 kDa. The number and subcellular distribution of the truncated forms were found to vary based on the developmental stage, with increased levels of the 45 and 37 kDa isoforms observed in the early stages. Conclusions: This work provides novel insights into changes in the abundance and localization of zyxin isoforms during embryonic development, shedding light on the dynamics of this mechanosensitive protein in the embryo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trade openness has long been encouraged as the path to economic development, and many countries have embraced international trade. To deal with the risks of trade conflicts and economic disputes, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) provides a forum for negotiating multilateral trade agreements between nations that aim to remove trade barriers. While most members are developing countries, the benefits of the Dispute Settlement System (DSS) adopted by the WTO to settle trade disputes between members raise concerns about its adequacy for settling disputes involving developing countries. In this work, we look at the effects of trade openness on developing countries' participation as complainants in the WTO DSS. We argue that with more openness of developing countries to external trade, they become less likely to file complaints with the DSS. Using quantitative data, we analyse how trade openness reflects dependence on international trade, dissuading developing countries from using the DSS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous research has demonstrated heterogeneous adaptive outcomes across the autism spectrum; however, the current literature remains limited in elucidating turning points and associated factors for longitudinal variability (chronogeneity). To address these empirical gaps, we aimed to provide a finer‐grained characterization of trajectories of adaptive functioning from early childhood to adolescence in autism. Methods: Our sample (N = 406) was drawn from an inception cohort of children diagnosed Autistic at ages 2–5. Adaptive functioning was assessed with Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS, 2nd Edition) across 6 visits from the time of diagnosis by age 18. Parallel‐process latent growth curve modeling were used to estimate domain‐level VABS trajectories, followed by latent class growth analysis to identify trajectory subgroups. Child characteristics at diagnosis, family demographics, and participation outcomes at adolescence were compared across subgroups. Results: Piecewise latent growth models best described VABS trajectories with two turning points identified at around ages 5‐6 and 9–10, respectively reflecting transitions into school age and early adolescence. We parsed four VABS trajectory subgroups that vary by level of functioning and change rate for certain domains and periods. Around 16% of the sample exhibited overall adequate functioning (standard score >85) with notable early growth and social adaptation during adolescence. About 21% showed low adaptive functioning (standard score ≤70), with decreasing slopes by age 6 followed by improvements in communication and daily‐living skills by age 10. The other two subgroups (63% in total) were characterized by adaptive functioning between low and adequate levels, with relatively stable trajectories entering school age. These subgroups differed most in their cognitive ability at diagnosis, household income, and social participation in adolescence. Conclusions: We identified key individual and family characteristics and time windows associated with distinct adaptive functioning trajectories, which have important implications for providing timely and tailored supports to Autistic people across developmental stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Au cours de la dernière année, plusieurs articles sont parus dans la presse grand public ou dans des revues scientifiques sur les bienfaits/méfaits de la mise à l'écart temporaire de l'enfant, appelé « time-out » (TO). L'objectif de cet article est de faire une revue de la littérature scientifique, en exposant les conclusions des méta-analyses réalisées sur les programmes éducatifs parentaux incluant le TO, et sur la procédure du TO elle-même. Dans un second temps, seront décrites les caractéristiques du TO pour appréhender comment les parents/les éducateurs le pratiquent et pour en apprécier son efficacité. Les résultats montrent que le TO n'est pas une stratégie éducative isolée mais qu'il s'inscrit dans un processus plus complet avec un avant (pose du cadre éducatif, des règles à suivre), et un après (debrief, explications sur les comportements inadaptés), appelés temps-in. Il est ainsi difficile d'appréhender l'efficacité du TO sans prendre en compte une temporalité plus large que le seul moment où l'enfant s'y trouve. De plus, l'âge de l'enfant, la durée du TO, les troubles du comportements éventuels de l'enfant comme du parent, sont autant de facteurs mis en évidence qui témoignent de la pluralité des TO. Les recherches scientifiques doivent donc être poursuivies afin d'évaluer son efficacité en prenant en compte les caractéristiques épidémiologiques de chaque acteur. Il s'agira de regarder plus précisément quel TO pour quel enfant et par quel parent. Over the past year, several controversial articles have been written in the press and scientific journals about the benefits and harms of time-out (TO). The aim of this article is to review the scientific literature outlining the conclusions of meta-analyses carried out on parenting programs including TO, and on the TO procedure itself. Then, we describe the characteristics of the TO to understand how parents/educators use it and to assess its efficiency. The results show that the TO is not an isolated educational strategy but is included in a more comprehensive process with a before (establishment of the educational framework, rules to be followed) and an after (debriefing, explanations of inappropriate behavior) called time-in. Thus, it is difficult to assess the effectiveness of a TO without considering a wider temporality, including time-in. Moreover, the age of the child, the TO's duration and any behavioral or mental problems in the dyad child/parent are important factors that highlight the plurality of the TO. Further scientific research is necessary to assess its effectiveness considering the epidemiological characteristics of each protagonist. We need to look more closely at which TO is the best for which child and by which parent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a process, containerization in Africa is still on-going. In the last decades, a number of new port projects have emerged in parallel with the reorganization of services by shipping companies. To reflect these changes, this paper studies several questions on the geographic differentiation of maritime connectivities across the continent as well as on the longitudinal trends in maritime connectivities in relation to evolving economic, trade and logistical contexts. To this end, we propose a synthetic visualization of the country-level containerized links using the Liner Shipping Bilateral Connectivity Indicator (LSBCI). The resulting graph, obtained through Multidimensional Scaling (MDS), shows that West Africa and East Africa appear as relatively separated subsystems, mediated by several countries in the Northern and the Southern parts of Africa. Between 2006 and 2016, West Africa, initially tied to Europe and America, is increasingly tied to Asia. Our results show major improvements in the maritime connectivity of Morocco, Djibouti and several West African ports. Conversely, most of mainland East African countries stagnate or decline. Connectivities have not converged across the continent. In some cases changes in maritime connectivity mostly result from variations in vessel size. We explore a method to identify these situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The postsynaptic density (PSD) is a collection of specialized proteins assembled beneath the postsynaptic membrane of dendritic spines. The PSD proteome comprises ~1000 proteins, including neurotransmitter receptors, scaffolding proteins and signalling enzymes. Many of these proteins have essential roles in synaptic function and plasticity. During brain development, changes are observed in synapse density and in the stability and shape of spines, reflecting the underlying molecular maturation of synapses. Synaptic protein composition changes in terms of protein abundance and the assembly of protein complexes, supercomplexes and the physical organization of the PSD. Here, we summarize the developmental alterations of postsynaptic protein composition during synapse maturation. We describe major PSD proteins involved in postsynaptic signalling that regulates synaptic plasticity and discuss the effect of altered expression of these proteins during development. We consider the abnormality of synaptic profiles and synaptic protein composition in the brain in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorders. We also explain differences in synapse development between rodents and primates in terms of synaptic profiles and protein composition. Finally, we introduce recent findings related to synaptic diversity and nanoarchitecture and discuss their impact on future research. Synaptic protein composition can be considered a major determinant and marker of synapse maturation in normality and disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many Puget Sound streams, summer low flows have declined in recent decades, and are projected to decline further. Concerns that humans may be responsible have focused on two main causes: anthropogenic climate warming and aspects of development, including urbanization and the abstraction of groundwater. Difficulty in distinguishing their relative impacts has hindered the conception and design of strategies intended to restore and enhance future low flows. We analyzed trends in low flows over recent decades, separating the effects of these factors in two steps. First, low flow variation was assessed in 23 basins that are minimally disturbed by development. Low flows varied over time, and with elevation, in complex ways, consistent with the loss of snowpack at elevations >~800 m. Second, low flow trends in developed lowland basins were compared with trends in a minimally developed lowland reference basin. Flows in developed basins deviated from a purely climate‐driven pattern in unique ways, reflecting unique histories of development. In 21 lowland basins, there was no consistent decline in low flows with increasing impervious land cover, at least between 2001 and 2019. Effects on low flows of private wells alone could be assessed in only one basin, but no impact was evident. An assessment of projected relative impacts on low flows of urbanization, rural development, and anthropogenic warming suggested that the latter will be the greatest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses an embodied political ecology framework to evaluate the structural, discursive, and visceral effects of government food assistance policy in an agrarian community in southern Mexico. During the administration of President Enrique Peña Nieto (2012-2018), the government's efforts to resolve the growing double-burden of under- and over-nutrition included the expansion of food assistance programs alongside cash transfers conditioned on health and nutritional education. A parastatal company sourced and distributed foodstuffs to community and school kitchens, where mothers prepared them into meals. This research explores how women participating in government food assistance in the agricultural community of Santa Inés del Monte, Oaxaca, evaluated the foods they received and conceptualized broader changes in their food system and community health. Qualitative research methods, including interviews, focus groups and a community survey of 87 households, were conducted in the community in 2015, 2017 and 2018. Through attention to visceral experience, this study demonstrates how sensations of taste, embodied knowledge, nutrition discourses, gendered development programs, and structural marginalization combined to produce an outcome in which mothers accepted and prepared foods in the community kitchens that did not meet their standards of food quality. However, this study also finds that participating mothers and other residents continue to conceive of direct food production—especially organic production of local heirloom crop and animal varieties—as the best way to access good nutrition. These findings suggest the need for attention to knowledge politics in the design and evaluation of culturally appropriate food security policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to analyse the state and the dynamics of developmental and other aspects of investments in research and development (R&D) in the group of countries in Southeast Europe. The analysis is performed for several countries in Southeast Europe together and by individual countries. The period from 1996 to 2020 is observed in the analysis. In most countries of Southeast Europe, the allocation for R&D is relatively small. Applied research is the most represented. Significant differences can be noticed regarding the sources of financing and to the implementation of allocations for R&D. A particularly important part of this work is devoted to the analysis of the impact of the gross expenditures on R&D on economic growth. This analysis was performed on the basis of regression analysis. Several regression models were formed in which the dependent variable was gross domestic product per capita It can be concluded that the parameters of the financial condition of the observed economy have the greatest influence on the economic growth of the observed group of countries. Allocations for research and development still do not have a significant enough impact on economic growth in observed countries in Southeast Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing devices and instrumentation in a bioimaging core facility is an important part of the innovation mandate inherent in the core facility model but is a complex area due to the required skills and investments, and the impossibility of a universally applicable model. Here, we seek to define technological innovation in microscopy and situate it within the wider core facility innovation portfolio, highlighting how strategic development can accelerate access to innovative imaging modalities and increase service range, and thus maintain the cutting edge needed for sustainability. We consider technology development from the perspective of core facility staff and their stakeholders as well as their research environment and aim to present a practical guide to the 'Why, When, and How' of developing and integrating innovative technology in the core facility portfolio. Core facilities need to innovate to stay up to date. However, how to carry out the innovation is not very obvious. One area of innovation in imaging core facilities is the building of optical setups. However, the creation of optical setups requires specific skill sets, time, and investments. Consequently, the topic of whether a core facility should develop optical devices is discussed as controversial. Here, we provide resources that should help get into this topic, and we discuss different options when and how it makes sense to build optical devices in core facilities. We discuss various aspects, including consequences for staff and the relation of the core to the institute, and also broaden the scope toward other areas of innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To provide a detailed description of the development of the first case of congenital Zika syndrome (CZS) to be reported in the literature worldwide. This report describes the case of a child with CZS monitored from pregnancy until four years of age, with periodic evaluations of head circumference, weight, height, motor function according to the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-88), and the occurrence of comorbidities. The child's birth weight and length were normal (z-score = 1.1 and −1.95, respectively), while head circumference was below the expected value (z-score = −3.15). At 48 months, head circumference reached 43 cm (z-score = −4.48). During daily home physiotherapy sessions, the child achieved developmental milestones, standing unsupported at 17 months, with a GMFM-88x score of 137. With specialist therapy, the child walked independently at 36 months and a total GMFM-66 score of 214 was achieved by 42 months. In the four years of follow-up, the child was hospitalized four times for different reasons. No convulsive seizures occurred. Despite severe neurological impairment, the child's weight and height are adequate for age, with motor and cognitive function improving over the first four years of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wandering is a symptom of dementia that can have devastating consequences on the lives of persons living with dementia and their families and caregivers. Increasingly, caregivers are turning towards electronic tracking devices to help manage wandering. Ethical questions have been raised regarding these location-based technologies and although qualitative research has been conducted to gain better insight into various stakeholders' views on the topic, developers of these technologies have been largely excluded. No qualitative research has focused on developers’ perceptions of ethics related to electronic tracking devices. To address this, we performed a qualitative semi-structured interview study based on grounded theory. We interviewed 15 developers of electronic tracking devices to better understand how they perceive ethical issues surrounding the design, development, and use of these devices within dementia care. Our results reveal that developers are strongly motivated by moral considerations and believe that including stakeholders throughout the development process is critical for success. Developers felt a strong sense of moral obligation towards topics within their control and a weaker sense of moral obligation towards topics outside their control. This leads to a perceived moral boundary between development and use, where some moral responsibility is shifted to end-users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depression is a prevalent, heterogeneous, and debilitating disorder that often emerges in adolescence, and there is a need to better understand vulnerability processes to inform more targeted intervention efforts. Psychophysiological methods, like event‐related potentials (ERPs), can offer unique insights into the cognitive and emotional processes underlying depression vulnerability. I review my and others' research examining ERP measures of reward responsiveness in youth depression and present a conceptual model of the development of low reward responsiveness, its role in depression vulnerability, and potential windows for targeted intervention. There is evidence that a blunted reward positivity (RewP) is observable in children at risk for depression, appears to be shaped in part by early social experiences, and predicts later depressive symptoms in combination with other risk factors like stress exposure. Further, a component consistent with RewP is reliably elicited in response to social acceptance feedback in computerized peer interaction tasks and demonstrates unique associations with social contextual factors and depressive symptoms, supporting the utility of developing psychophysiological tasks that may better capture youths' real‐world experiences and social risk processes. In addition, I address the translational implications of clinical psychophysiological research and describe a series of studies showing that a reduced RewP predicts greater reductions in depressive symptoms with treatment but is not modifiable by current treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy. Finally, I describe our preliminary efforts to develop a positive emotion‐focused intervention for the offspring of depressed mothers, informed by the RewP literature, and describe future directions for translating psychophysiological research to intervention and prevention. In this review, I summarize research on depression vulnerability showing relatively consistent evidence of blunted reward responsiveness (measured by event‐related potentials) in children and adolescents at risk for depression that appears to be shaped in part by early social experiences and predicts later depressive symptoms in combination with other risk factors like stress exposure. I highlight the importance of examining reward processing in the social domain and offer future directions to translate psychophysiology research into intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This cross‐sectional study aimed to investigate developmental changes in the efficiency of sustained, selective, and divided attention in a group of children aged 6−12 years by means of a computerized test battery. Participants included 199 children (51% female, majority White) who had normal or corrected‐to‐normal vision and no history of either neurological or attention deficit disorders. The study was conducted in three different schools. We used a convenience sampling strategy; each age group was sampled from one of the schools and was represented by students selected from different (parallel) classes of the same grade level. The three aspects of attention showed different developmental trajectories from 6 to 12 years. In terms of accuracy, selective attention was found to improve gradually, while the efficiency of divided attention increased dramatically across the school‐age years. In terms of reaction time, all attentional components showed a slow developmental time course. The results indicate that situations in which children have to divide attention among several sources of visual information while looking for two target stimuli considerably hamper their task performance. This is especially true for children of senior preschool and primary school age. Practitioners Points: The manuscript reports the application of a new test battery designed for the assessment of different attentional components in preschool‐ and school‐age children.The study is focused on the exploration of age‐related changes in different aspects of attention—including divided attention—in children aged 6−12 years.The results indicate that the ability to divide attention among several stimuli improves dramatically from the age of 6 to the age of 12. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolutionary forces underlying the rapid evolution in sequences and functions of new genes remain a mystery. Adaptation by natural selection explains the evolution of some new genes. However, many new genes perform sex-biased functions that have rapidly evolved over short evolutionary time scales, suggesting that new gene evolution may often be driven by conflicting selective pressures on males and females. It is well established that such sexual conflict (SC) plays a central role in maintaining phenotypic and genetic variation within populations, but the role of SC in driving new gene evolution remains essentially unknown. This review explores the connections between SC and new gene evolution through discussions of the concept of SC, the phenotypic and genetic signatures of SC in evolving populations, and the molecular mechanisms by which SC could drive the evolution of new genes. We synthesize recent work in this area with a discussion of the case of Apollo and Artemis , two extremely young genes (<200,000 years) in Drosophila melanogaster , which offered the first empirical insights into the evolutionary process by which SC could drive the evolution of new genes. These new duplicate genes exhibit the hallmarks of sexually antagonistic selection: rapid DNA and protein sequence evolution, essential sex-specific functions in gametogenesis, and complementary sex-biased expression patterns. Importantly, Apollo is essential for male fitness but detrimental to female fitness, while Artemis is essential for female fitness but detrimental to male fitness. These sexually antagonistic fitness effects and complementary changes to expression, sequence, and function suggest that these duplicates were selected for mitigating SC, but that SC has not been fully resolved. Finally, we propose Sexual Conflict Drive as a self-driven model to interpret the rapid evolution of new genes, explain the potential for SC and sexually antagonistic selection to contribute to long-term evolution, and suggest its utility for understanding the rapid evolution of new genes in gametogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since South Sudan's independence, complex conflicts across the country have eroded trust, challenged nation-building, and displaced 4 million people, with hunger threatening millions more, continuing a long tradition of war inherited from the Sudan. This article examines people's perceptions of conflict in Aweil and Yambio and found that for trust in the government to return, citizens must believe that development is ethnically and politically inclusive and coherent. In addition to a credible program, government's effective communication of a "peace through development policy" could rebuild the torn social fabric within and across ethnic groups, and between them and Government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although research clearly demonstrates the importance of motivation in mathematics learning, relatively little is known about the developmental dynamics between different facets of mathematics motivation and performance, especially in the early years of schooling. Aims: In a longitudinal setting, we examined (1) how children's ability self‐concept and intrinsic value in mathematics change over time during their first 3 years in school, (2) how those changes relate to each other and (3) how they connect with mathematics performance. Sample: The participants were 285 Finnish school‐beginners (52.7% girls). Methods: Latent growth curve modelling was used to examine the developmental trajectories of children's ability self‐concept and intrinsic value, and how those trajectories predicted later mathematics achievement (both mathematics test performance and teacher‐rated grades), while controlling for previous mathematics performance and gender. Results: The results showed significant decreases in children's ability self‐concept and intrinsic value, but also significant individual differences in the trajectories. The strong dependency between the levels and changes in self‐concept and intrinsic value led us to specify a factor‐of‐curves latent growth curve model, thus merging the trajectories of ability self‐concept and intrinsic value into one common model. Subsequent results showed prior mathematics performance to predict change in children's mathematics motivation, and both the level and change in mathematics motivation to predict third‐grade performance and teacher‐rated grade. Conclusions: Our findings provide evidence for a developmental link between children's ability self‐concept, intrinsic value and achievement. Achievement seems to enhance mathematics motivation, and positive motivation appears to support the further development of mathematics skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In most ectotherms, several life‐history traits, including body size, respond to environmental conditions through the temperature–size rule (TSR). The mechanisms underlying the TSR are still being debated, but studying idiobiont insect parasitoids, which develop with a fixed amount of resources, may shed light on this relationship. In this study, we conducted experiments to determine how the developmental temperature affects various characteristics of male and female Trichogramma euproctidis (Girault) (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae), an idiobiont egg parasitoid of Lepidoptera. The study tested various hypotheses, including the cellular or oxygen diffusion hypotheses and the resource acquisition hypothesis, to understand whether T. euproctidis follows the TSR. The developmental time of both male and female T. euproctidis decreased with increasing temperature. Both males and females displayed a unimodal distribution for size, dry mass, and lipid content, with individuals at lower and higher temperatures being smaller, weighing less, and containing fewer lipids. Female lifetime fecundity increased from 13 to 24 °C and then decreased at 31 °C. Additionally, the number and size of gametes in male and female T. euproctidis displayed a unimodal distribution with increasing temperature. Trichogramma euproctidis deviates from the TSR as it follows a non‐linear reaction norm with an optimal developmental temperature. This result supports the hypothesis that for species following TSR and having unlimited access to food resources, the resource acquisition hypothesis is a significant mechanism explaining the TSR. With climate change affecting temperature, understanding the TSR is crucial, and research on insect parasitoids may help reveal how the interplay between environmental temperature and resource allocation affects the TSR in natural populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The word "talent" is used across many sport disciplines – to describe an athlete's prowess (i.e. "he is talented"), as a term for what is sought after during assessment and selection (i.e. talent selection camps) or in reference to players to be developed (i.e. "a group of talents"). While the term has received research attention regarding its definition and criteria, its utility in practical settings is often debated. In this paper, we review several areas of concern researchers have raised for using the term "talent" and why this matters in the context of athlete development. While the notion of talent continues to resonate with coaches, scientists and practitioners, we suggest several areas for future research and recommendations for the use of this controversial term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Congenital hypopituitarism (CH) and its associated syndromes, septo-optic dysplasia (SOD) and holoprosencephaly (HPE), are midline defects that cause significant morbidity for affected people. Variants in 67 genes are associated with CH, but a vast majority of CH cases lack a genetic diagnosis. Whole exome and whole genome sequencing of CH patients identifies sequence variants in genes known to cause CH, and in new candidate genes, but many of these are variants of uncertain significance (VUS). Methods: The International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium (IMPC) is an effort to establish gene function by knocking-out all genes in the mouse genome and generating corresponding phenotype data. We used mouse embryonic imaging data generated by the Deciphering Mechanisms of Developmental Disorders (DMDD) project to screen 209 embryonic lethal and sub-viable knockout mouse lines for pituitary malformations. Results: Of the 209 knockout mouse lines, we identified 51 that have embryonic pituitary malformations. These genes not only represent new candidates for CH, but also reveal new molecular pathways not previously associated with pituitary organogenesis. We used this list of candidate genes to mine whole exome sequencing data of a cohort of patients with CH, and we identified variants in two unrelated cases for two genes, MORC2 and SETD5, with CH and other syndromic features. Conclusions: The screening and analysis of IMPC phenotyping data provide proof-of-principle that recessive lethal mouse mutants generated by the knockout mouse project are an excellent source of candidate genes for congenital hypopituitarism in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social work education is considered essential in developing the social work profession in Vietnam to set a foundation for the profession in the late 1980s. Since officially given a training code in 2004 and recognition of the professional status in 2010, the development of social work education has been significantly expanded in the number of training institutions and programs provided at various levels with only two schools providing undergraduate programs in 2003 to 35 in 2024, including 10 MSW and two PhD programs. After two decades of fast development, there have been considerable issues and challenges in maintaining the quality and professionalization of social work education. As an imported discipline, social work education depends on programs and resources from other countries. Hence, indigenization has become an increasing issue and challenge in Vietnam and other countries in the Global South. This paper presents the result of a short survey of 30 training institutions and an online questionnaire of 116 social work educators, practitioners, policymakers and social service managers. The paper examines the process of development, challenges and how to promote indigenous social work training programs to appropriately meet local needs and context and ensure regional and global standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The enzymes performing protein post-translational modifications (PTMs) form a critical post-translational regulatory circuitry that orchestrates literally all cellular processes in the organism. In particular, the balance between cellular stemness and differentiation is crucial for the development of multicellular organisms. Importantly, the fine-tuning of this balance on the genetic level is largely mediated by specific PTMs of histones including lysine methylation. Lysine methylation is carried out by special enzymes (lysine methyltransferases) that transfer the methyl group from S-adenosyl-L-methionine to the lysine residues of protein substrates. Set7/9 is one of the exemplary protein methyltransferases that however, has not been fully studied yet. It was originally discovered as histone H3 lysine 4-specific methyltransferase, which later was shown to methylate a number of non-histone proteins that are crucial regulators of stemness and differentiation, including p53, pRb, YAP, DNMT1, SOX2, FOXO3, and others. In this review we summarize the information available to date on the role of Set7/9 in cellular differentiation and tissue development during embryogenesis and in adult organisms. Finally, we highlight and discuss the role of Set7/9 in pathological processes associated with aberrant cellular differentiation and self-renewal, including the formation of cancer stem cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies have demonstrated the remarkable potential of early life intervention strategies at influencing the course of postnatal development, thereby offering exciting possibilities for enhancing longevity and improving overall health. Metformin (MF), an FDA‐approved medication for type II diabetes mellitus, has recently gained attention for its promising anti‐aging properties, acting as a calorie restriction mimetic, and delaying precocious puberty. Additionally, trodusquemine (MSI‐1436), an investigational drug, has been shown to combat obesity and metabolic disorders by inhibiting the enzyme protein tyrosine phosphatase 1b (Ptp1b), consequently reducing hepatic lipogenesis and counteracting insulin and leptin resistance. In this study, we aimed to further explore the effects of these compounds on young, developing mice to uncover biomolecular signatures that are central to liver metabolic processes. We found that MSI‐1436 more potently alters mRNA and miRNA expression in the liver compared with MF, with bioinformatic analysis suggesting that cohorts of differentially expressed miRNAs inhibit the action of phosphoinositide 3‐kinase (Pi3k), protein kinase B (Akt), and mammalian target of rapamycin (Mtor) to regulate the downstream processes of de novo lipogenesis, fatty acid oxidation, very‐low‐density lipoprotein transport, and cholesterol biosynthesis and efflux. In summary, our study demonstrates that administering these compounds during the postnatal window metabolically reprograms the liver through induction of potent epigenetic changes in the transcriptome, potentially forestalling the onset of age‐related diseases and enhancing longevity. Future studies are necessary to determine the impacts on lifespan and overall quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In developmental language disorder (DLD), learning to comprehend and express oneself with spoken language is impaired, but the reason for this remains unknown. Using millisecond-scale magnetoencephalography recordings combined with machine learning models, we investigated whether the possible neural basis of this disruption lies in poor cortical tracking of speech. The stimuli were common spoken Finnish words (e.g., dog, car, hammer) and sounds with corresponding meanings (e.g., dog bark, car engine, hammering). In both children with DLD (10 boys and 7 girls) and typically developing (TD) control children (14 boys and 3 girls), aged 10-15 years, the cortical activation to spoken words was best modeled as time-locked to the unfolding speech input at ~100 ms latency between sound and cortical activation. Amplitude envelope (amplitude changes) and spectrogram (detailed time-varying spectral content) of the spoken words, but not other sounds, were very successfully decoded based on time-locked brain responses in bilateral temporal areas; based on the cortical responses, the models could tell at ~75-85% accuracy which of the two sounds had been presented to the participant. However, the cortical representation of the amplitude envelope information was poorer in children with DLD compared with TD children at longer latencies (at ~200-300 ms lag). We interpret this effect as reflecting poorer retention of acoustic-phonetic information in short-term memory. This impaired tracking could potentially affect the processing and learning of words as well as continuous speech. The present results offer an explanation for the problems in language comprehension and acquisition in DLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]