Crying and feeding problems in infancy and cognitive outcome in preschool children born at risk : a prospective population study

Objective: To investigate whether regulatory problems, i.e., crying and feeding problems in infants > 3 months of age, predict cognitive outcome in preschool children born at risk even when controlled for confounding factors. Methods: A prospective longitudinal study of children born in a geographically defined area in Germany. N = 4427 children of 6705 eligible survivors (66%) participated at all four assessment points (neonatal, 5, 20, and 56 months of age). Excessive crying and feeding problems were measured at 5 months. Mental development was assessed with the Griffiths Scale at 20 months, and cognitive assessments were conducted at 56 months. Neonatal complications, neurological, and psychosocial factors were controlled as confounders in structural equation modeling and analyses of variance. Results: One in five infants suffered from single crying or feeding problems, and 2% had multiple regulatory problems, i.e., combined crying and feeding problems at 5 months. In girls, regulatory problems were directly predictive of lower cognition at 56 months, even when controlled for confounders, whereas in boys, the influence on cognition at 56 months was mediated by low mental development at 20 months. Both in boys and girls, shortened gestational age, neonatal neurological complications, and poor parent-infant relationship were predictive of regulatory problems at 5 months and lower cognition at 56 months. Conclusion: Regulatory problems in infancy have a small but significant adverse effect on cognitive development

Advice from the Scientific Advisory Board of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons on riot control agents in connection to the Chemical Weapons Convention

Compounds that cause powerful sensory irritation to humans were reviewed by the Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in response to requests in 2014 and 2017 by the OPCW Director-General to advise which riot control agents (RCAs) might be subject to declaration under the Chemical Weapons Convention (the Convention). The chemical and toxicological properties of 60 chemicals identified from a survey by the OPCW of RCAs that had been researched or were available for purchase, and additional chemicals recognised by the SAB as having potential RCA applications, were considered. Only 17 of the 60 chemicals met the definition of a RCA under the Convention. These findings were provided to the States Parties of the Convention to inform the implementation of obligations pertaining to RCAs under this international chemical disarmament and non-proliferation treaty.Peer reviewe

Notes for genera: basal clades of Fungi (including Aphelidiomycota, Basidiobolomycota, Blastocladiomycota, Calcarisporiellomycota, Caulochytriomycota, Chytridiomycota, Entomophthoromycota, Glomeromycota, Kickxellomycota, Monoblepharomycota, Mortierellomycota, Mucoromycota, Neocallimastigomycota, Olpidiomycota, Rozellomycota and Zoopagomycota)

Compared to the higher fungi (Dikarya), taxonomic and evolutionary studies on the basal clades of fungi are fewer in number. Thus, the generic boundaries and higher ranks in the basal clades of fungi are poorly known. Recent DNA based taxonomic studies have provided reliable and accurate information. It is therefore necessary to compile all available information since basal clades genera lack updated checklists or outlines. Recently, Tedersoo et al. (MycoKeys 13:1--20, 2016) accepted Aphelidiomycota and Rozellomycota in Fungal clade. Thus, we regard both these phyla as members in Kingdom Fungi. We accept 16 phyla in basal clades viz. Aphelidiomycota, Basidiobolomycota, Blastocladiomycota, Calcarisporiellomycota, Caulochytriomycota, Chytridiomycota, Entomophthoromycota, Glomeromycota, Kickxellomycota, Monoblepharomycota, Mortierellomycota, Mucoromycota, Neocallimastigomycota, Olpidiomycota, Rozellomycota and Zoopagomycota. Thus, 611 genera in 153 families, 43 orders and 18 classes are provided with details of classification, synonyms, life modes, distribution, recent literature and genomic data. Moreover, Catenariaceae Couch is proposed to be conserved, Cladochytriales Mozl.-Standr. is emended and the family Nephridiophagaceae is introduced

Novel immunolocalization of alpha-synuclein in human muscle of inclusion-body myositis, regenerating and necrotic muscle fibers, and at neuromuscular junctions

Alpha-synuclein (alpha-syn) is an important component of neuronal and glial inclusions in brains of patients with several neurodegenerative disorders. Sporadic inclusion-body myositis (s-IBM) is the most common progressive muscle disease of older patients. Its muscle phenotype shows several similarities with Alzheimer disease brain. A distinct feature of s-IBM pathology is specific vacuolar degeneration of muscle fibers characterized by intracellular amyloid inclusions formed by both amyloid-beta (Abeta) and paired-helical filaments composed of phosphorylated tau. We immunostained alpha-syn in muscle biopsies of s-IBM, disease-control, and normal patients. Approximately 60% of Abeta-positive vacuolated muscle fibers (VMF) contained well-defined inclusions immunoreactive with antibodies against alpha-syn. In those fibers. alpha-syn co-localized with Abeta, both by light microscopy, and ultrastructurally. Paired-helical filaments did not contain alpha-syn immunoreactivity. In all muscle biopsies, alpha-syn was strongly immunoreactive at the postsynaptic region of the neuromuscular junctions. alpha-syn immunoreactivity also occurred diffusely in regenerating and necrotic muscle fibers. In cultured human muscle fibers, alpha-syn and its mRNA were expressed by immunocytochemistry, immunoblots, and Northern blots. Our study provides the first demonstration that alpha-syn participates in normal and pathologic processes of human muscle. Therefore, its function is not exclusive to the brain and neurodegenerative diseases

Identificación de dos especies de Fusarium Link causantes de marchitez vascular en calas de colores ( Zantedeschia aethiopica (L.) Spreng.) cultivadas bajo condiciones de invernadero en Chile

Calla ( Zantedeschia aethiopica (L.) Spreng.) is a flower that is conquering international markets. It is very important to maintain the healthiness of the crop during its development in order to obtain high quality plants that meet the demands of the markets. The objective of this investigation was to determine the etiological agent(s) of a pathology never observed before in Chile that causes vascular wilt during the cultivation of colored calla developed under greenhouse conditions. Fungal isolates were collected from infected plants. Pathogenicity tests, microscopic observations, and scanning electronic microscopy evaluations were also conducted. Healthy calla tubers were inoculated with isolates of the genus Fusarium Link. Plants grown during 5 months in a climatic chamber showed five classes of symptoms: damping off, dwarfism, intense wilting, mild wilting and no symptoms. The isolates were identified at the species level and it was found that 20% was Fusarium solani (Mart.) Sacc. and 80% was Fusarium oxysporum Schltdl. Results and collected evidence these two new species that affect production of calla under greenhouse conditions in Chile.El cultivo de la cala de color ( Zantedeschia aethiopica (L.) Spreng.) es un producto que está conquistando los mercados internacionales. Para su producción es de vital importancia mantener la sanidad en el cultivo durante su desarrollo, para obtener plantas de calidad que cumplan con los requerimientos exigidos por los mercados. El objetivo de esta investigación fue establecer el o los agentes etiológicos involucrados con la súbita aparición de síntomas de marchitez vascular en plantas de calas cultivadas bajo invernadero. Para esto se realizó una colección de cepas fúngicas a partir de muestras de plantas afectadas. Además, se realizaron pruebas de patogenicidad, observaciones microscópicas y de microscopía electrónica de barrido. Túberos sanos de cala fueron inoculados con cepas del género Fusarium Link. Éstos se desarrollaron durante 5 meses en una cámara climática, en donde manifestaron síntomas de caída de plántulas, enanismo, marchitez vascular intensa, marchitez vascular leve y plantas sin síntomas. Finalizado el ensayo se identificaron las cepas a nivel de especie, encontrando cerca de un 20% de Fusarium solani (Mart.) Sacc. y un 80% de Fusarium oxysporum Schltdl., siendo este último más virulento. Los resultados obtenidos y las evidencias recolectadas muestran a estas dos especies fitopatógenas nuevas que afectan al cultivo de cala de color bajo condiciones de invernadero para Chile