Diprosopus, craniorachischisis, arthrogryposis, and other associated anomalies in a stillborn lamb

Congenital malformations with multiple anomalies have been described infrequently in the veterinary literature. A stillborn male crossbred lamb with diprosopus, craniorachischisis, and arthrogryposis was examined macroscopically and histopathologically in this study. The left head was smaller than the right head. Micrencephaly, agnathia, and a rudimentary tongue, which was adherent to the palate, were present in the left head. Micrencephaly, brachygnathia superior, and cleft palate were present in the right head. Cerebellar agenesis and spinal cord hypoplasia were observed. The cerebrums and the spinal cord were covered with a tapering membranous structure. Neural and dermal tissues were noted to intervene upon microscopic examination of this structure. Disorganization of neurons was observed in both cerebrums, though it was more severe in the left one. This case demonstrates many congenital defects occurring together in a lamb

Cosmology, Oscillating Physics and Oscilllating Biology

According to recent reports there is an excess correlation and an apparent regularity in the galaxy one-dimensional polar distribution with a characteristic scale of 128 $h^{-1}$ Mpc. This aparent spatial periodicity can be naturally explained by a time oscillation of the gravitational constant $G$. On the other hand, periodic growth features of bivalve and coral fossiles appear to show a periodic component in the time dependence of the number of days per year. In this letter we show that a time oscillating gravitational constant with similar period and amplitude can explain such a feature.Comment: 9 pages. latex using revtex. This revised version is supposed to be free of e-mail nois

Whiting–related sediment export along the Middle Miocene carbonate ramp of Great Bahama Bank.

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Analysis of Nuclear/Cytoplasm Ratio and Histone Levels at the Midblastula Transition Across Various Species of Drosophila

In recently fertilized Drosophila embryos, maternal deposits regulate development, while zygotic transcription is almost nowhere to be found. Over time, the maternal RNAs are degraded and zygotic transcription is activated, in a process known as the maternal to zygotic transition, or MZT. In conjunction with the MZT, the embryo’s progression into cycle 14 induces significant lengthening of the cell cycle. This event is known as the midblastula transition, or MBT, and is strongly regulated by the nuclear-to-cytoplasm ratio, or N/C ratio. To better understand the timing of the MBT, we look at histones as a N/C ratio-dependent inhibitor across various species of Drosophila. Western blots were used to quantify histone levels of each species relative to the model organism D. melanogaster. Histone levels at the MBT, with the exception of a few outliers, remained fairly consistent across species. Images of embryos that we fixed and stained at the MBT allowed us to determine the embryo size and nuclear content for each species. The amount of DNA present in each species at the MBT varied more significantly than histone levels, as was expected due to their known differences in genome size and developmental timing. Future studies will hopefully identify proteins that vary with the N/C ratio rather than egg size alone by analyzing the relationships between total amount of DNA, histone levels, and embryo volume at the MBT

Relations between Veterans\u27 Coping Strategies and Symptoms of PTSD and Depression

Mental health problems, especially posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression are significant concerns for veterans. Coping strategies may compound or alleviate mental health problems. Prior research shows maladaptive coping strategies are used by people with more severe PTSD and depression, while adaptive strategies are used by people who are more resilient. This study investigated how coping strategies contribute to symptoms of PTSD and depression in two samples of veterans: 55 veterans recruited from a Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) (12 women, 43 men; Mage = 36.58; 43.6% White, 45.5% Black), 71 student veterans enrolled at a university (22 women, 49 men; Mage = 30.15; 69.0% White, 23.9% Black). Hierarchical linear regressions were conducted to determine the relative contribution of veterans\u27 coping strategies to both PTSD severity and depression severity. Results for VAMC veterans showed composite approach coping and composite avoidant coping predicted PTSD and depression. Specifically, denial predicted greater PTSD severity, while behavioral disengagement and self-blame predicted higher depression severity. Acceptance predicted lower depression severity. For student veterans, composite avoidant coping predicted PTSD and depression. Self-blame and self-distraction predicted higher PTSD severity, while self-blame and behavioral disengagement predicted higher depression severity. Results show avoidant coping strategies are maladaptive; this suggests that treatments for both disorders should include interventions to reduce avoidant coping