Search results for "Early life"

Genetic variation in plasticity of life-history traits between Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) populations exposed to contrasting thermal regimes

2016

We employed common-garden experiments to test for genetic variation in responses of larval life-history traits to temperature between two populations of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L., 1758) that naturally experience contrasting thermal environments during early life due to spatial and temporal differences in spawning. Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence cod larvae experienced faster growth in warmer water and low, uniform survival across all experimental temperatures (3, 7, 11 °C), consistent with previous studies on this spring-spawning population. In contrast, larvae from fall-spawning Southwestern Scotian Shelf cod collected near Sambro, Nova Scotia, lacked plasticity for growth but experienc…

Direct and transgenerational effects of an experimental heatwave on early life stages in a freshwater snail

2019

1. Global climate change imposes a serious threat to natural populations of many species. Estimates of the effects of climate change‐mediated environmental stresses are, however, often based only on their direct effects on organisms, and neglect the potential transgenerational (e.g. maternal) effects. 2. We tested whether high temperature (i.e. an experimental heatwave), which is known to reduce the performance of adult Lymnaea stagnalis snails, affects the produced offspring (eggs and hatchlings) through maternal effects, and how strong these effects are compared with the effects of direct exposure of offspring to high temperature. We examined the effect of maternal thermal environment (15…

Gabrysch and van Ewijk Respond to “Detrimental Consequences of Adverse Early-Life Conditions” and “Ramadan, Pregnancy, Nutrition, and Epidemiology”

2018

The Effects of Early Life Stress on the Brain and Behaviour: Insights From Zebrafish Models

2021

The early life period represents a window of increased vulnerability to stress, during which exposure can lead to long-lasting effects on brain structure and function. This stress-induced developmental programming may contribute to the behavioural changes observed in mental illness. In recent decades, rodent studies have significantly advanced our understanding of how early life stress (ELS) affects brain development and behaviour. These studies reveal that ELS has long-term consequences on the brain such as impairment of adult hippocampal neurogenesis, altering learning and memory. Despite such advances, several key questions remain inadequately answered, including a comprehensive overview…

Melatonin in Early Nutrition: Long-Term Effects on Cardiovascular System

2021

Breastfeeding protects against adverse cardiovascular outcomes in the long term. Melatonin is an active molecule that is present in the breast milk produced at night beginning in the first stages of lactation. This indoleamine appears to be a relevant contributor to the benefits of breast milk because it can affect infant health in several ways. The melatonin concentration in breast milk varies in a circadian pattern, making breast milk a chrononutrient. The consumption of melatonin can induce the first circadian stimulation in the infant’s body at an age when his/her own circadian machinery is not functioning yet. This molecule is also a powerful antioxidant with the ability to act on infa…

Developmental and Early Life Origins of Cardiometabolic Risk Factors

2021

The intent of this review is to critically consider the data that support the concept of programming and its implications. Birth weight and growth trajectories during childhood are associated with cardiometabolic disease in adult life. Both extremes, low and high birth weight coupled with postnatal growth increase the early presence of cardiometabolic risk factors and vascular imprinting, crucial elements of this framework. Data coming from epigenetics, proteomics, metabolomics, and microbiota added relevant information and contribute to better understanding of mechanisms as well as development of biomarkers helping to move forward to take actions. Research has reached a stage in which suff…

Effect of 3,4-dichloroaniline on the early life stages of the zebrafish (Brachydanio rerio): results of a comparative laboratory study.

1991

An early life-stage (ELS) test was conducted with the zebrafish and 3,4-dichloroaniline (3,4-DCA) in eight laboratories. Based on the results from all eight laboratories, an LOEC of 200 micrograms 3,4-dichloroaniline/liter applies for the early life stages of the zebrafish. Effects observed were reduction of the survival rate and malformations. If the 100 micrograms/liter concentration additionally tested by one laboratory is included in the assessment, an LOEC of 100 micrograms 3,4-DCA/liter is obtained for the survival rate and increase in length. The NOEC is 20 micrograms/liter. The present results of a comparative laboratory study with the zebrafish show that a 42-day ELS test can be co…

Geochemical evidence for arsenic cycling in living microbialites of a High Altitude Andean Lake (Laguna Diamante, Argentina)

2020

Arsenic is best known as an environmental toxin, but this element could also serve as a metabolic energy source to certain microorganisms. Moreover, As cycling may have driven microbial life on early Earth prior to oxygenation of the atmosphere. Still, little is known about the arsenic cycling processes occurring in the presence of microorganisms and the possible traces that could be preserved in the rock record. To advance our understanding of this we studied the geochemical proxies of microbial As metabolism in living microbialites from Laguna Diamante, a likely Precambrian ecosystem analogue (Catamarca, Argentina). In this study, we show that the coexistence of As(III) and As(V) strongly…

Role of protozooplankton in the diet of North Sea autumn spawning herring (Clupea harengus) larvae

2022

AbstractThe role of small prey (< 200 µm) in larval marine fish nutrition is largely understudied. Here, we explore the contribution of protozooplankton (PZP 20–200 µm) to larval fish diets, compared to metazoan microzooplankton (MZP 55–200 µm). More specifically, we tested whether the contribution of PZP increased during the low productivity season and decreased as larvae grow. We used North Sea autumn spawning herring (Clupea harengus) as a case study, as it is a key species with high commercial and ecological importance. In autumn and winter, the potential PZP and MZP prey was dominated by cells < 50 µm (mainly Gymnodiniales, Pronoctiluca pelagica,Tripos spp. and Strombidium spp.),…

Early life conditions and later life inequality in health

2013

Abstract Prenatal exposure to adverse conditions is known to affect health throughout the life span. It has also been shown that health is unevenly distributed at advanced ages. This chapter investigates whether health inequalities at old age may be partially caused by prenatal circumstances. We use a sample of people aged 71–91 from eight European countries and assess how shocks in GDP that occurred while the respondents were still in utero affect four important dimensions of later-life health: cognition, depression, functional limitations, and grip strength. We find that early-life macro-economic circumstances do not affect health at advanced ages, nor do they affect inequalities in healt…