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Formation of the dorsal-ventral axis of the sea urchin embryo relies on cell interactions initiated by the TGFbeta Nodal. Intriguingly, although nodal expression is restricted to the ventral side of the embryo, Nodal function is required for specification of both the ventral and the dorsal territories and is able to restore both ventral and dorsal regions in nodal morpholino injected embryos. The molecular basis for the long-range organizing activity of Nodal is not understood. In this paper, we provide evidence that the long-range organizing activity of Nodal is assured by a relay molecule synthesized in the ventral ectoderm, then translocated to the opposite side of the embryo. We identified this relay molecule as BMP2/4 based on the following arguments. First, blocking BMP2/4 function eliminated the long-range organizing activity of an activated Nodal receptor in an axis rescue assay. Second, we demonstrate that BMP2/4 and the corresponding type I receptor Alk3/6 functions are both essential for specification of the dorsal region of the embryo. Third, using anti-phospho-Smad1/5/8 immunostaining, we show that, despite its ventral transcription, the BMP2/4 ligand triggers receptor mediated signaling exclusively on the dorsal side of the embryo, one of the most extreme cases of BMP translocation described so far. We further report that the pattern of pSmad1/5/8 is graded along the dorsal-ventral axis and that two BMP2/4 target genes are expressed in nested patterns centered on the region with highest levels of pSmad1/5/8, strongly suggesting that BMP2/4 is acting as a morphogen. We also describe the very unusual ventral co-expression of chordin and bmp2/4 downstream of Nodal and demonstrate that Chordin is largely responsible for the spatial restriction of BMP2/4 signaling to the dorsal side. Thus, unlike in most organisms, in the sea urchin, a single ventral signaling centre is responsible for induction of ventral and dorsal cell fates. Finally, we show that Chordin may not be required for long-range diffusion of BMP2/4, describe a striking dorsal-ventral asymmetry in the expression of Glypican 5, a heparin sulphated proteoglycan that regulates BMP mobility, and show that this asymmetry depends on BMP2/4 signaling. Our study provides new insights into the mechanisms by which positional information is established along the dorsal-ventral axis of the sea urchin embryo, and more generally on how a BMP morphogen gradient is established in a multicellular embryo. From an evolutionary point of view, it highlights that although the genes used for dorsal-ventral patterning are highly conserved in bilateria, there are considerable variations, even among deuterostomes, in the manner these genes are used to shape a BMP morphogen gradient.

Objective To explore changes in family‐based nature activities (FBNA) across five developmental stages and investigate whether frequency and type of FBNA across the early life course is associated with greater family relationship quality in emerging adulthood. Method Retrospective survey data was collected from 451 undergraduate students who primarily identified as Asian American (44.9%) and Latinx (42.7%). Results Multilevel models showed that participants who showed greater stability in FBNA across the early life course reported more positive family relationship quality in emerging adulthood. Higher income participants' FBNA declined more rapidly as they aged, whereas lower income participants showed greater stability across five developmental stages. Greater participation in social, physical, nature, and travel types of outdoor family activities were associated with more positive family relationship quality in emerging adulthood, whereas sports and entertainment were not significantly associated. Conclusion Findings support the FBNA framework, suggesting that continued participation in outdoor family rituals across the early life course is associated with positive family relationship outcomes in adulthood. Implications Results are discussed in relation to the importance of studying outdoor family leisure rituals in the field of human development and family studies.

During embryonic development, pattern formation must be tightly synchronized with tissue morphogenesis to coordinate the establishment of the spatial identities of cells with their movements. In the vertebrate retina, patterning along the dorsal-ventral and nasal-temporal (anterior-posterior) axes is required for correct spatial representation in the retinotectal map. However, it is unknown how specification of axial cell positions in the retina occurs during the complex process of early eye morphogenesis. Studying zebrafish embryos, we show that morphogenetic tissue rearrangements during eye evagination result in progenitor cells in the nasal half of the retina primordium being brought into proximity to the sources of three fibroblast growth factors, Fgf8/3/24, outside the eye. Triple-mutant analysis shows that this combined Fgf signal fully controls nasal retina identity by regulating the nasal transcription factor Foxg1. Surprisingly, nasal-temporal axis specification occurs very early along the dorsal-ventral axis of the evaginating eye. By in vivo imaging GFP-tagged retinal progenitor cells, we find that subsequent eye morphogenesis requires gradual tissue compaction in the nasal half and directed cell movements into the temporal half of the retina. Balancing these processes drives the progressive alignment of the nasal-temporal retina axis with the anterior-posterior body axis and is controlled by a feed-forward effect of Fgf signaling on Foxg1-mediated cell cohesion. Thus, the mechanistic coupling and dynamic synchronization of tissue patterning with morphogenetic cell behavior through Fgf signaling leads to the graded allocation of cell positional identity in the eye, underlying retinotectal map formation.

The idea of Matthew effects in reading—the widening achievement gap between good and poor readers—has attracted considerable attention in education research in the past 25 years. Despite the popularity of the topic, however, empirical studies that have analyzed the core assumption of Matthew effects in reading have produced inconsistent results. This review summarizes the empirical findings on the development of early interindividual differences in reading. We did not find strong support for the general validity of a pattern of widening achievement differences or for a pattern of decreasing achievement differences in reading. The inclusion of moderating variables, however, allowed a clearer picture to be painted. Matthew effects were more likely to occur for measures of decoding efficiency, vocabulary, and composite reading scores when the achievement tests were not affected by deficits in measurement precision. Furthermore, moderators such as the applied analytic method or the orthographic consistency of the language were of less importance for the emergence of Matthew effects in reading. An additional meta-analysis of studies reporting correlations between a baseline level and a growth parameter yielded a small, negative mean correlation (r = -.214), which again was moderated by properties of the measures. Possible explanations for the reported findings are discussed.

Age has an important effect on the aroma of chicken meat. In this study, we systematically analyzed the patterns of aroma changes with increasing age and the key aroma‐contributing compounds and metabolites that lead to aroma differences with age. Electronic nose (e‐nose) and gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry analyses showed that the overall aroma intensity and the types and levels of volatile aroma compounds increased with age. Eight key aroma‐contributing compounds were identified by GC‐olfactometry (GC‐O) and odor activity value analyses, and their content increased with age. The e‐nose and GC‐O results revealed that 315‐day‐old chickens had the strongest aroma. Thus, taking 315‐day‐old chickens as reference, we found that the contents of key aroma‐contributing compounds and metabolites at 140 days of age were most similar to those at 315 days of age. Due to low feed cost, yellow chickens around 140 days of age were more suitable for marketing in terms of volatile aroma substances. It was found that hexanal, 1‐octen‐3‐ol, and (E,E)‐2,4‐decadienal contributed the most to chicken aroma. Additionally, small peptides were found to be the main types of metabolites responsible for the aroma difference in chickens due to age. Weighted gene co‐expression network analysis identified Ile‐Ser, Ile‐Thr, and Phe‐Ile as metabolic markers of hexanal and 1‐octen‐3‐ol, respectively. Further analysis revealed that Ile‐Ser, Ile‐Thr, and Phe‐Ile may promote the Maillard reaction by acting as substrates on the one hand, and facilitating the uptake of amino acids on the other hand, which in turn increases the contents of hexanal and 1‐octen‐3‐ol. The graphical shows the principal results of this study. Eight major aroma‐contributing compounds (nonanal, octanal, dimethyl tetrasulfide, hexanal, 1‐octen‐3‐ol, (E)‐2‐nonenal, heptanal, and (E,E)‐2,4‐decadienal) were identified by electronic nose and GC‐O‐MS analysis, and their content increased with age. Based on metabolomic data, multivariate statistical analysis found that small peptides were found to be the main type of metabolites responsible for the aroma difference in chickens due to age. Weighted gene co‐expression network analysis identified Ile‐Ser, Ile‐Thr, and Phe‐Ile as metabolic markers of hexanal and 1‐octen‐3‐ol, respectively. Further analysis revealed that Ile‐Ser, Ile‐Thr, and Phe‐Ile may promote the Maillard reaction by acting as substrates on the one hand, and facilitating the uptake of amino acids on the other hand, which in turn increases the contents of hexanal and 1‐octen‐3‐ol.

To investigate developmental changes in emotion dysregulation (ED) and associated symptoms of emotional lability, irritability, anxiety, and depression, among girls and boys with and without ADHD from childhood through adolescence. Data were collected from a sample of 8–18-year-old children with (n = 264; 76 girls) and without (n = 153; 56 girls) ADHD, with multiple time-points from a subsample of participants (n = 121). Parents and youth completed rating scales assessing child ED, emotional lability, irritability, anxiety, and depression. Mixed effects models were employed to examine effects and interactions of diagnosis, sex [biological sex assigned at birth], age among boys and girls with and without ADHD. Mixed effects analyses showed sexually dimorphic developmental patterns between boys and girls, such that boys with ADHD showed a greater reduction in ED, irritability, and anxiety with age compared to girls with ADHD, whose symptom levels remained elevated relative to TD girls. Depressive symptoms were persistently elevated among girls with ADHD compared to boys with ADHD, whose symptoms decreased with age, relative to same-sex TD peers. While both boys and girls with ADHD showed higher levels of ED during childhood (compared to their sex-matched TD peers), mixed effects analyses revealed substantial sexually dimorphic patterns of emotional symptom change during adolescence: Boys with ADHD showed robust improvements in emotional symptoms from childhood to adolescence while girls with ADHD continued to show high and/or increased levels of ED, emotional lability, irritability, anxiety and depression.

Background Artificial Intelligence entails the application of computer algorithms to the huge and heterogeneous amount of morphodynamic data produced by Time-Lapse Technology. In this context, Machine Learning (ML) methods were developed in order to assist embryologists with automatized and objective predictive models able to standardize human embryo assessment. In this study, we aimed at developing a novel ML-based strategy to identify relevant patterns associated with the prediction of blastocyst development stage on day 5. Methods We retrospectively analysed the morphokinetics of 575 embryos obtained from 80 women who underwent IVF at our Unit. Embryo morphokinetics was registered using the Geri plus® time-lapse system. Overall, 30 clinical, morphological and morphokinetic variables related to women and embryos were recorded and combined. Some embryos reached the expanded blastocyst stage on day 5 (BL Group, n  = 210), some others did not (nBL Group, n  = 365). Results The novel EmbryoMLSelection framework was developed following four-steps: Feature Selection, Rules Extraction, Rules Selection and Rules Evaluation. Six rules composed by a combination of 8 variables were finally selected, and provided a predictive power described by an AUC of 0.84 and an accuracy of 81%. Conclusions We provided herein a new feature-signature able to identify with an high performance embryos with the best developmental competence to reach the expanded blastocyst stage on day 5. Clear and clinically relevant cut-offs were identified for each considered variable, providing an objective tool for early embryo developmental assessment.

Purpose Inconsistent reports raise the question of the extent to which poor adult outcomes are associated with adolescent polysubstance use (PSU: alcohol, marijuana, other illicit drugs) above and beyond earlier risk factors. Methods Early adulthood substance-related and psychosocial outcomes were examined in association with age 13 to 17 developmental patterns of PSU in boys from urban, low SES neighborhoods ( N  = 926). Three classes obtained by latent growth modeling described low/non-users ( N  = 565, 61.0%), lower risk PSU (later onset, occasional use, 2 ≤ substances; N  = 223, 24.1%), and higher risk PSU (earlier onset, frequent use, 3 ≥ substances; N  = 138, 14.9%). Preadolescent individual, familial and social predictors of adolescent PSU patterns were used as covariates. Results Adolescent PSU contributed to both age-24 substance-related outcomes (frequency of alcohol, drug use, and getting drunk, risky behaviors under influence, and use-related problems) and psychosocial outcomes (no high school diploma, professional or financial strain, ASP symptoms, criminal record) over and above preadolescent risk factors. Controlling for preadolescent risk factors, adolescent PSU made a more important contribution to adult substance use outcomes (increasing the risk by about 110%) than to psychosocial outcomes (16.8% risk increase). PSU classes showed poorer adjustment for all age-24 substance use, and for various psychosocial outcomes than low/non-users. Higher risk polysubstance users also reported poorer outcomes than their lower risk peers for most substance use outcomes, and for professional or financial strain and criminal record. Conclusion Findings highlight the contribution of adolescent PSU in a dose–response fashion, over and above preadolescent risk factors, on both homotypic and heterotypic outcomes in early adulthood.

The dynamics of plant development not only has an impact on ecological adaptation but also contributes to the realization of genetically determined yield potentials in various environments. Dissecting the genetic determinants of plant development becomes urgent due to the global climate change, which can seriously affect and even disrupt the locally adapted developmental patterns. In order to determine the role plant developmental loci played in local adaptation and yield formation, a panel of 188 winter and facultative wheat cultivars from diverse geographic locations were characterized with the 15K Illumina Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) chip and functional markers of several plant developmental genes and included into a multiseason field experiment. Genome-wide association analyses were conducted on five consecutive developmental phases spanning from the first node appearance to full heading together with various grain yield–related parameters. The panel was balanced for the PPD-D1 photoperiod response gene, which facilitated the analyses in the two subsets of photoperiod-insensitive and -sensitive genotypes in addition to the complete panel. PPD-D1 was the single highest source, explaining 12.1%–19.0% of the phenotypic variation in the successive developmental phases. In addition, 21 minor developmental loci were identified, each one explaining only small portions of the variance, but, together, their effects amounted to 16.6%–50.6% of phenotypic variance. Eight loci (2A_27, 2A_727, 4A_570, 5B_315, 5B_520, 6A_26, 7A_1-( VRN-A3 ), and 7B_732) were independent of PPD-D1 . Seven loci were only detectable in the PPD-D1 -insensitive genetic background (1A_539, 1B_487, 2D_649, 4A_9, 5A_584-( VRN-A1 ), 5B_571-( VRN-B1 ), and 7B_3-( VRN-B3 )), and six loci were only detectable in the sensitive background, specifically 2A_740, 2D_25, 3A_579, 3B_414, 7A_218, 7A_689, and 7B_538. The combination of PPD-D1 insensitivity and sensitivity with the extremities of early or late alleles in the corresponding minor developmental loci resulted in significantly altered and distinct plant developmental patterns with detectable outcomes on some yield-related traits. This study examines the possible significance of the above results in ecological adaptation.

Several studies describe the development of the chondrocranium of vertebrates. The details in these studies vary a lot, which makes it hard to compare developmental patterns and identify evolutionary trends. Therefore, we aim to close this gap for anurans, which is the largest order of amphibians. We present here a detailed description of the chondrocranium morphology and development of Smilisca phaeota, the New Granada cross-banded tree frog. The anatomy was described for the larvae at or older than Gossner stage 31 and before ossification starts. Following this, we describe the development of the chondrocranium from Gossner stages 19–26. Early in Gossner stage 19 no precursors of any cartilages are visible, while later in that stage the mesodermal Anlage of Meckel’s cartilage was observed. In the subsequent stages more and more mesodermal anlagen become identifiable, followed by chondrification, and final differentiation of the cartilage elements. We used serial sections to study all the developmental stages and additionally utilized cleared and stained specimens and CT scan data. The latter were also used for the 3D reconstruction of the chondrocranium. We previously studied several species and compared these developmental patterns with S. phaeota , revealing potentially characteristic patterns significant for Lalagobatrachia, a clade that includes over 7000 frog species. These include (1) the suprarostral alae develop before the suprarostral corpus, (2) the infrarostral cartilage chondrifies late, after the chondrification of ceratobranchial 1, and (3) the ceratohyal body is the first element to show chondrocytes and to chondrify. However, with only six species studied so far, our data only provide a basis for future studies and developing hypotheses about the ancestral developmental pattern in anurans.