Offspring Of Parents Research Articles

ПЕРЕДАЧА РАДИАЦИОННО-ИНДУЦИРОВАННОЙ ГЕНОМНОЙ НЕСТАБИЛЬНОСТИ ОТ ОБЛУЧЕННЫХ РОДИТЕЛЕЙ ПОТОМКАМ

Numerous studies allow to suppose a transmission of radiation-induced genome instability from irradiated parents to their offspring on cell, chromosome and molecular genetic level. This review focuses on transmission of radiation-induced genome instability from irradiated parents to their offspring. Data of genome instability in animal experiments and in offspring of occupationally exposed human or human exposed in a radiation accident, and in offspring of parents exposed to radiotherapy are reviewed. The possible mechanisms of lineage transmission of genome instability are discussed. High dose irradiation can lead to DNA damage, changes in methylation patterns and miRNAs expression in parents and their offspring and result in mutations, chromosome aberration and destabilization of genome. Non-coding RNAs (miRNA, piRNA, nsRNA) are supposed to contribute to transgenerational effects, since they can target genes, change chromatin structure and disregulate gene expression.

Niemann-Pick type A disease with new mutation: a case report

BackgroundNiemann-Pick type A (NP-A) is a congenital, hereditary disease caused by a deficiency in acid sphingomyelinase, a lysosomal enzyme. This deficiency results in an accumulation of sphingomyelin in lysosomes, leading to cellular apoptosis and ultimately to hepatosplenomegaly, neurodegenerative disorder and failure to thrive. Cherry-red spots in the macula and foamy cells in the bone marrow are other manifestations of the disease that help with diagnosis. Type A is a rare, untreatable disease with early manifestations and a poor prognosis, with newborns rarely surviving for 2–3 years.Case presentationA 1-year-old Persian boy was referred to our clinic due to abdominal distention and poor weight gain. He was the first male offspring of consanguineous parents. Other findings were neurodevelopmental delay, hepatosplenomegaly, severe hypotonia, difficulty in breathing, and a slightly coarse face with an open mouth and protruding tongue. The initial diagnosis was clinical mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) based on the coarse facial features, but further workup ruled out this inherited disorder. Enzyme histochemistry revealed that the level of acid sphingomyelinase was lower than normal. In the genetic study, next-generation sequencing of all coding exons and flanking intronic regions of the patient’s DNA demonstrated a homozygous c.682T>G variant in the SMPD1 gene. This variant was classified as a variant of unknown significance. Further evaluation of DNA extract from his parents and examined using Sanger sequencing showed a heterozygous c.682T>G variant in the SMPD1 gene of both parents.ConclusionsWe describe a 1-year-old boy with neurodevelopmental delay, hepatosplenomegaly, and severe hypotonia. Further investigation demonstrated a new mutation for Niemann-Pick disease.

Dim light melatonin patterns in unaffected offspring of parents with bipolar disorder: A case-control high-risk study

BackgroundCircadian dysregulation has long been thought to be a key component in the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder (BD). However, it remains unclear whether this dysregulation constitutes a risk factor, manifestation, or consequence of BD. This study aimed to compare dim light melatonin secretion patterns between unaffected offspring of parents with BD (OBD) and offspring of control parents (OCP). MethodsThis case-control study included unaffected OBD (mean age 14.0 years; male 50.0 %) and age- and sex-matched OCP (mean age 13.0 years; male: 43.5 %). Seventeen saliva samples were collected in dim light conditions. Dim light melatonin onset (DLMO), phase angles, and area under the curve (AUC) were calculated. Results185 saliva samples from 12 OBD (n = 12) and 741 from OCP (n = 46) were collected. Unaffected OBD had a significant lower nocturnal melatonin level (14.8 ± 4.6 vs. 20.3 ± 11.7 pg/mL) and a smaller melatonin AUC within two hours after DLMO (35.5 ± 11.3 vs. 44.6 ± 18.1 pg/mL) but a significant larger phase angle between DLMO and sleep onset (2.2 ± 1.0 vs. 1.4 ± 1.2 h) than OCP. There was no significant between-group difference in DLMO. The graphic illustrations showed a considerably flattened melatonin secretion in unaffected OBD. LimitationsThe main limitations include lack of 24-h dim melatonin secretion measurement, large age range of participants, and small sample size. ConclusionsThese findings suggest that unaffected OBD already presented with circadian rhythm dysregulations. Future investigations are needed to clarify the role of abnormal melatonin secretion in the onset of BD.

Estimating contemporary migration numbers of adults based on kinship relationships in iteroparous species.

This paper describes the development of estimators for the contemporary migration number and rate of adults between two populations in iteroparous species. The proposed estimators are based on known half-sibling (HS) and/or parent-offspring (PO) relationships observed between populations across breeding seasons. The rationale is that HS and PO pairs exhibit information about the occurrence frequency of parental movements during the breeding interval. The proposed method allows for variance in the average number of offspring per parent within and between populations. In addition, coupled with the PO pairs found within the population, the estimators can be obtained using only genetic data. Generally, a sample size representing the square root of the population size is required to obtain meaningful migration information. We describe a detailed evaluation of the performance of the proposed estimators by running an individual-based model, and the results provide guidance regarding sample sizes to ensure the required accuracy and precision. In addition, given that there are few effective methods to estimate adult movement (especially when populations cannot be genetically distinct), we discuss the usefulness of the proposed kinship assignment method in terms of conservation biology and wildlife management.

Trajectories of positive and negative affect across adolescence: Maternal history of depression and adolescent sex as predictors

BackgroundTrajectories of affect vary across development, with normative increases in positive affect occurring during childhood and declines in positive affect appearing across adolescence. Little is known, however, about predictors of the trajectories of affect across adolescence. The present study examined associations between changes in adolescent affect across adolescence and maternal history of depression and child sex. MethodsParticipants were 240 adolescents and their mothers; 185 mothers had a history of depression (i.e., high risk) and 55 mothers did not (i.e., low risk). Youth were assessed annually from 6th grade (meanage = 11.86 years, SD = 0.57, 54.2 % female, 82 % White) through 12th grade. Latent growth models tested the relation of maternal depression history and adolescent sex with trajectories of adolescent affect. ResultsHigh-risk adolescents exhibited lower levels of PA as compared to low-risk youth (coefficient = −3.51, p = .008, 95 % CI [−6.11, −0.91]). Girls experienced earlier increases in negative affect (NA) as compared to boys, with more positive linear (coefficient = 2.07, p = .002, 95 % CI [0.774, 3.368]) and quadratic (coefficient = −0.29, p = .025, 95 % CI [−0.55,−0.04]) slopes. LimitationsUse of self-report measures and limited generalizability. ConclusionMaternal depression significantly predicted decreases in offspring PA and distinct trajectories of NA in girls and boys. Interventions aimed at reducing risk in adolescent offspring of depressed parents may benefit from targeting PA and supporting girls in early adolescence.

Parental and individual experience with predation risk interact in shaping phenotypes in a sex-specific manner

Evolutionary history, parental experience and individual experience provide distinct avenues by which the environment alters phenotypes, yet the mechanisms mediating phenotypic variation on these timescales may interact. Here we examine how parental environment and juvenile experience jointly modify offspring phenotypes in the Trinidadian guppy, Poecilia reticulata . Parents were reared in the laboratory either with or without predator cues, and offspring were split and reared either with or without predator cues. We found that parental effects led to smaller body size, an increase in whole-body cortisol and increases in activity and antipredator behaviour in open field and model predator assays. For most traits, both individual and parental experience with predators produced similar outcomes. For some traits, male and female offspring differed in consequences of parental and individual exposure to predator cues. Together, our results suggest that parental effects and offspring experience influence males and females differently, last into adulthood and highlight the complex interactions between intergenerational and developmental plasticity. • Organisms receive information from parents and individual experience. • Trinidadian guppies were exposed to parental and individual predator cues. • Offspring differed in morphological, physiological and behavioural responses. • Male and female offspring phenotypes differed. • Parental and offspring experience interact differently in males and females.

Multiplicative or compensatory advantage? Multigenerational contribution to grandchildren’s educational success in the Soviet and the post-Soviet contexts

ABSTRACT Drawing on retrospective data from the Estonian Family and Fertility Survey, this article examines the impact of grandfathers, who reached adulthood in the Estonian Republic before World War II, on their grandchildren’s educational attainment in the late Soviet and post-Soviet Estonia. The article argues that despite the Sovietization policies, the high social position of grandfathers had a positive effect on their grandchildren’s educational attainment, net of parental education and resources. Our results show that the multiplication effect (i.e. the advantage of having highly educated parents is strengthened by grandparents’ resources) prevails over the compensatory one (i.e. the use of advantageous grandparents’ resources to overcome shortage of parental resources), suggesting that social hierarchies and advantages of the pre-Soviet period contribute to the overall and increasing intergenerational inequality in the late Soviet and post-Soviet Estonian society. This conclusion is also supported by finding that respondents with persistently high (across two familial generations and political regimes) social background have the highest probability to attain higher education, while offspring of parents characterized by the loss of grandparents’ high pre-WWII status has very low (and practically non-different from that of descendants of persistently low social background) probability to attain higher education.

Hybridization decreases native cutthroat trout reproductive fitness.

Examining natural selection in wild populations is challenging, but crucial to understanding many ecological and evolutionary processes. Additionally, in hybridizing populations, natural selection may be an important determinant of the eventual outcome of hybridization. We characterized several components of relative fitness in hybridizing populations of Yellowstone cutthroat trout and rainbow trout in an effort to better understand the prolonged persistence of both parental species despite predictions of extirpation. Thousands of genomic loci enabled precise quantification of hybrid status in adult and subsequent juvenile generations; a subset of those data also identified parent-offspring relationships. We used linear models and simulations to assess the effects of ancestry on reproductive output and mate choice decisions. We found a relatively low number of late-stage (F3+) hybrids and an excess of F2 juveniles relative to the adult generation in one location, which suggests the presence of hybrid breakdown decreasing the fitness of F2+ hybrids later in life. Assessments of reproductive output showed that Yellowstone cutthroat trout are more likely to successfully reproduce and produce slightly more offspring than their rainbow trout and hybrid counterparts. Mate choice appeared to be largely random, though we did find statistical support for slight female preference for males of similar ancestry. Together, these results show that native Yellowstone cutthroat trout are able to outperform rainbow trout in terms of reproduction and suggest that management action to exclude rainbow trout from spawning locations may bolster the now-rare Yellowstone cutthroat trout.

Exploring the Mutational Landscape of Isolated Congenital Heart Defects: An Exome Sequencing Study Using Cardiac DNA.

Congenital heart defects (CHD) are the most common congenital anomalies in liveborn children. In contrast to syndromic CHD (SCHD), the genetic basis of isolated CHD (ICHD) is complex, and the underlying pathogenic mechanisms appear intricate and are incompletely understood. Next to rare Mendelian conditions, somatic mosaicism or a complex multifactorial genetic architecture are assumed for most ICHD. We performed exome sequencing (ES) in 73 parent–offspring ICHD trios using proband DNA extracted from cardiac tissue. We identified six germline de novo variants and 625 germline rare inherited variants with ‘damaging’ in silico predictions in cardiac-relevant genes expressed in the developing human heart. There were no CHD-relevant somatic variants. Transmission disequilibrium testing (TDT) and association testing (AT) yielded no statistically significant results, except for the AT of missense variants in cilia genes. Somatic mutations are not a common cause of ICHD. Rare de novo and inherited protein-damaging variants may contribute to ICHD, possibly as part of an oligogenic or polygenic disease model. TDT and AT failed to provide informative results, likely due to the lack of power, but provided a framework for future studies in larger cohorts. Overall, the diagnostic value of ES on cardiac tissue is limited in individual ICHD cases.

Immunoglobulin genes, reproductive isolation and vertebrate speciation

Reproductive isolation drives the formation of new species, and many genes contribute to this through Dobzhansky–Muller incompatibilities (DMIs). These incompatibilities occur when gene divergence affects loci encoding interacting products such as receptors and their ligands. We suggest here that the nature of vertebrate immunoglobulin (IG) genes must make them prone to DMIs. The genes of these complex loci form functional genes through the process of recombination, giving rise to a repertoire of heterodimeric receptors of incredible diversity. This repertoire, within individuals and within species, must defend against pathogens but must also avoid pathogenic self‐reactivity. We suggest that this avoidance of autoimmunity is only achieved through a coordination of evolution between heavy‐ and light‐chain genes, and between these genes and the rest of the genome. Without coordinated evolution, the hybrid offspring of two diverging populations will carry a heavy burden of DMIs, resulting in a loss of fitness. Critical incompatibilities could manifest as incompatibilities between a mother and her divergent offspring. During fetal development, biochemical differences between the parents of hybrid offspring could make their offspring a target of the maternal immune system. This hypothesis was conceived in the light of recent insights into the population genetics of IG genes. This has suggested that antibody genes are probably as susceptible to evolutionary forces as other parts of the genome. Further repertoire studies in human and nonhuman species should now help determine whether antibody genes have been part of the evolutionary forces that drive the development of species.

Long-term exposure of zebrafish to bisphenol F: Adverse effects on parental reproduction and offspring neurodevelopment.

Bisphenol F (BPF), an alternative to bisphenol A (BPA) has potential endocrine and reproductive toxicity; however, the effects of environmental concentrations of BPF on the reproductive and developmental toxicity of offspring following parental exposure to BPF remain unclear. In the present study, the effects of life-cycle BPF exposure at environmental concentrations on zebrafish reproduction, offspring growth, and development were investigated. The results showed that the life-cycle of BPF exposure significantly elevated oxidative stress levels, increased gonadal apoptosis, and reduced zebrafish (F0) spawning. Notably, through maternal transfer, BPF exposure significantly affected offspring development. Developmental parameters such as hatching rate, spontaneous movements, heart rate, body length, and locomotor behavior decreased in zebrafish larvae (F1). In addition, the expression levels of genes related to oxidative stress, apoptosis, and neurodevelopment were altered in F1 larvae. Therefore, the present study provides evidence that BPF, even at environmental concentrations, can be potentially adverse in terms of reproductive defects and offspring neurodevelopmental disorders. Therefore, BPF, as a substitute for BPA, is worthy of in-depth evaluation.

Parents exposed to warming produce offspring lower in weight and condition.

The parental environment can alter offspring phenotypes via the transfer of non‐genetic information. Parental effects may be viewed as an extension of (within‐generation) phenotypic plasticity. Smaller size, poorer physical condition, and skewed sex ratios are common responses of organisms to global warming, yet whether parental effects alleviate, exacerbate, or have no impact on these responses has not been widely tested. Further, the relative non‐genetic influence of mothers and fathers and ontogenetic timing of parental exposure to warming on offspring phenotypes is poorly understood. Here, we tested how maternal, paternal, and biparental exposure of a coral reef fish (Acanthochromis polyacanthus) to elevated temperature (+1.5°C) at different ontogenetic stages (development vs reproduction) influences offspring length, weight, condition, and sex. Fish were reared across two generations in present‐day and projected ocean warming in a full factorial design. As expected, offspring of parents exposed to present‐day control temperature that were reared in warmer water were shorter than their siblings reared in control temperature; however, within‐generation plasticity allowed maintenance of weight, resulting in a higher body condition. Parental exposure to warming, irrespective of ontogenetic timing and sex, resulted in decreased weight and condition in all offspring rearing temperatures. By contrast, offspring sex ratios were not strongly influenced by their rearing temperature or that of their parents. Together, our results reveal that phenotypic plasticity may help coral reef fishes maintain performance in a warm ocean within a generation, but could exacerbate the negative effects of warming between generations, regardless of when mothers and fathers are exposed to warming. Alternatively, the multigenerational impact on offspring weight and condition may be a necessary cost to adapt metabolism to increasing temperatures. This research highlights the importance of examining phenotypic plasticity within and between generations across a range of traits to accurately predict how organisms will respond to climate change.

Diastolic function parameters in normotensive offspring of hypertensive Nigerians: Comparison with age-matched control

Abstract Background: Systemic hypertension is associated with left ventricular systolic and diastolic dysfunction (LVD). Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) is present in over 25% of adults over 40 years of age and may precede the onset of systemic hypertension. Genetic predisposition may be the reason why some normotensive (NT) individuals develop systemic hypertension despite modest lifestyle modification and others do not. Aim: This study aimed to compare diastolic function parameters in NT offspring of Nigerians with systemic hypertension with those of NT offspring of NT individuals. Materials and Methods: A total of 45 NT offspring of parents with systemic hypertension (ocular hypertension [OHT]) were selected with 45 NT ONT parents, matched for age and sex. All subjects had echocardiography (echo) and electrocardiography (ECG) done. The presence and pattern of LVDD in all subjects were analyzed statistically. Analysis of data was done using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 19. Results: This study observed a statistically significant difference in some LVDD echo parameters between OHT subjects and ONT controls. The left atrial volume (LAV: t = 2.229, P = 0.028), LAV index (LAVI: t = 2.578, P = 0.012), isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT: t = 3.630, P < 0.0001), and difference in atrial reversal and A-wave duration (Ar-A: t = 2.649, P = 0.01) had a statistically significant difference in their mean values between OHT subjects and ONT controls. The prevalence of LVDD in this study was 17.78%. Impaired relaxation (Grade I LVDD) pattern had the highest frequency compared to pseudonormal (Grade II LVDD) pattern (26.67% vs. 4.44%) in OHT subjects. There was no subject in the study population who had restrictive (Grade III or IV LVDD) pattern. It was observed that three sets of LVDD parameters were present in all subjects with LVDD and they were as follows: (1) IVRT + E/A + DT, (2) IVRT + E/A + DT + E/e’, and (3) IVRT + E/A + DT + E/e’ + S/D + Ar-A. The prevalence of abnormal LV geometric pattern was 42.2% (CR: 20%, CH: 13.3%, and EH: 8.9%) in OHT subjects, and this was about two and half times more than the prevalence in ONT controls. Furthermore, the prevalence of LV hypertrophy (CH and EH) in OHT subjects was 22.2%, while it was 14.4% in all subjects in this study. There was a significant correlation between DBP and all echocardiographic LVDD parameters in OHT subjects except A-wave, E/e’ ratio, and systolic fraction (S/D ratio). Conclusions: LVDD and abnormalities are present in NT offspring of systemic hypertensive individuals. These findings suggest that LVDD precedes the development of systemic hypertension.

Hereditary predisposition of water voles (Arvicola amphibius L.) to seizures in response to handling.

Finding out the hereditary predisposition to seizures in response to specif ic external stimuli is important for understanding the causes of epileptiform conditions, developing new methods for their prevention and therapies. In the water vole, individuals with convulsive seizures are found both in natural and laboratory conditions. The data of long-lasting maintenance and breeding of water voles in vivarium conditions were analyzed in order to establish a hereditary predisposition to convulsive seizures, and the inf luence of sex and age on their development. In the vivarium, seizures are provoked by handling and are observed in 2.4 % of voles caught in the natural population with cyclic f luctuations in abundance. Seizures are observed more often in individuals caught in the phases of decline and depression of abundance than in individuals caught in the phases of rise or peak. Convulsive states are probably an element of adaptive behavior formed in the predator-prey system. In natural conditions, individuals predisposed to convulsive seizures may have a selective advantage when under increasing pressure from predators. Convulsive seizures in response to handling were noted in 29.8 % of descendants of captive-bred water voles. The proportion of such individuals increased signif icantly if one or both parents had convulsive states, which indicates the presence of a hereditary predisposition to seizures. In parent–offspring pairs, a signif icant correlation was found between the average age of onset of the f irst seizures in parents and their offspring, r = 0.42, p <0.01. The minimum age of registration of seizures in the water vole is 39 days, the maximum is 1105 days, and the median is 274 days. Predisposition to seizures is not related to sex. Genes that control the occurrence of seizures have a pleiotropic effect on life span, since individuals with seizures live longer in vivarium conditions than individuals with a normal phenotype. The water vole can serve as a suitable model object for studying the nature of convulsive states and the evolution of longevity

Comparison of Effect of Exercise on Insulin Sensitivity of Overweight Normoglycemic Offspring of T2DM Parents and Non-Diabetic Parents

Background: The primary causes of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) are largely unknown but insulin insensitivity has been reported to be a risk factor for the T2DM through the alteration of insulin sensitivity pattern. There is paucity of studies on the effect of exercise on occurrence of T2DM in offspring of diabetic parents in our population. Objectives: This study was designed to assess the effect of exercise on insulin sensitivity (IS) on offspring of T2DM parents compared with offspring of non-diabetic parents. Design: This study involved 60 offspring of T2DM parents attending University College Hospital, Ibadan and 60 offspring of non-diabetic parents who are undergraduate students of the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Participants were randomly assigned into two groups. Each participant followed a protocol of graded exercise using ‘‘tummy trimmer’’ everyday spending 45 minutes daily for 24 weeks. Blood samples were obtained after an overnight fasting for determination of insulin sensitivity using standard methods at baseline and at 24 weeks. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistic and student t test with significance at p&lt;0.05). Results: The most populated aged group was 26 to 35 years of which 47.3% (n=26) were OODP and 52.7% (n=29) were OONDP. However, all subjects were overweight with mean BMI of OODP and OONDP (29.30kg/m2±0.71 versus 26.37kg/m2±0.88) p=.0.035. Significantly, total insulin sensitivity between the two groups increased after 6 months of exercise p=0.045(3.36µ /l±0.24 versus 3.48µ /l±0.24). Conclusions: Male subjects tend to have higher insulin sensitivity than females.

A study of emotional intelligence in an Egyptian sample of offspring of patients with schizophrenia

BackgroundEmotional intelligence is usually a construct measured in healthy children, now it may be used for relatives of schizophrenia, and considered as trait marker for schizophrenia. Offspring of parents with schizophrenia are considered children with high familial risk for major mental disorder. The aim of the study is to assess emotional intelligence in a group of off springs of a parent with schizophrenia and compare them to healthy control subjects, and to find possible relation between emotional intelligence in offspring and profile of symptoms in schizophrenic parents.ResultsOffspring of parents with schizophrenia had lower scores of emotional intelligences than their matched controls in emotion perception, self-esteem, low impulsivity and emotion regulation’s subsets of TEIQue-CF. There was correlation between offspring trait emotional intelligence and their parent’s duration of illness. There was no correlation found between schizophrenia severity in the parents and their offspring’s trait emotional intelligence.ConclusionsOffspring of parents with schizophrenia had impaired trait emotional intelligence in some of its facets when compared to normal healthy subjects.

What About the Sexual Orientation of the Offspring of Lesbian and Gay Parents? A Multidimensional, Time and Gender-Based Answer

ABSTRACT This study examined the sexual orientation of 30 young adult children of lesbian and gay parents, analyzing three dimensions (sexual behavior, sexual attraction and sexual self-identification), their evolution over time and the possible influence of gender (19 women and 11 men). Sexual orientation was measured using KSOG. The results revealed that most participants defined themselves as heterosexual only, although percentages varied between 87% for sexual behavior to 67% for sexual attraction and 60% for sexual self-identification. Gender differences were found for sexual attraction and self-identification, with men having a polarized profile (responses at both ends of the scale) and women reporting a less exclusive and more fluid sexuality. These findings are discussed in light of the complex nature of sexual orientation, the freedom of these young adults for defining their sexual orientation, and the role played by gender and family experiences.

A study of Heart Rate Variability (HRV) in healthy offsprings with parental history of type 2 diabetes mellitus

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a heterogeneous polygenic metabolic disease condition that is caused by insulin resistance leading to hyperglycemia. Since, T2DM is genetically inherited and autonomic dysfunction is its major complications, healthy offsprings of diabetic parents are highly vulnerable to manifest dysautonomia leading to insulin resistance.&#x0D; Objectives: We aimed to assess cardiac autonomic function using heart rate variability (HRV) parameters in healthy offsprings having parental history of T2DM.&#x0D; Methodology: A comparative cross-sectional study was carried out in the laboratory of department of Physiology enrolling 30 healthy offsprings of non-diabetic parents (Group 1) and 30 healthy offsprings of diabetic parents (Group 2). Anthropometric, biochemical and cardiovascular variables were assessed using standard procedures. Time domain and frequency domain parameters of HRV spectrum were assessed using photoplethysmography principle.&#x0D; Results: HRV findings revealed that markers of sympathetic regulation were significantly higher and those of parasympathetic function were significantly reduced in subject group having parental history of T2DM. LF/HF ratio was significantly increased suggesting sympatho-vagal imbalance in offspring of diabetic parents even in their euglycemic state.&#x0D; Conclusion: Alteration of cardiovascular autonomic function is found in healthy offspring of diabetic parents, characterized by reduced vagal activity and pronounced sympathetic regulation. Assessment of cardiac autonomic function would help in timely detection of such dysautonomia and reducing the life-threatening effects on offspring having parental history of T2DM.

Parent-offspring cannibalism throughout the animal kingdom: a review of adaptive hypotheses.

Parents that kill and consume their offspring often appear to be acting against their own reproductive interests. Yet parent-offspring cannibalism is common and taxonomically widespread across the animal kingdom. In this review, I provide an overview of our current understanding of parent-offspring cannibalism, which has seen a proliferation in adaptive hypotheses over the past 20 years for why parents consume their own young. I review over four decades of research into this perplexing behaviour, drawing from work conducted on fishes, reptiles, insects, birds, and mammals among other taxa. Many factors have been hypothesised to explain parent-offspring cannibalism in nature, including poor parental energy reserves, small or large brood sizes, low or uncertain parentage, and high brood densities, and additional factors are still being uncovered. Parent-offspring cannibalism does not appear to have a single predominant explanation; rather, the factor, or set of factors, that govern its expression is largely taxon specific. Parents may either consume all offspring under their care (full-brood cannibalism) or consume a fraction of their offspring (partial brood cannibalism). These forms of cannibalism are thought to provide adaptive benefits to cannibals under a range of circumstances, primarily by allowing parents to allocate parental efforts more optimally - energy from eating (some of) one's current offspring can be redirected to other offspring, or to parental growth, survival, and ultimately to other future reproductive endeavours. Thus, parent-offspring cannibalism is a phenotypically plastic trait that responds to changing environmental, social, and physiological conditions. The expression of parent-offspring cannibalism in any given system is intimately linked to the reproductive value of current young relative to parents' expectations for future reproduction, and also to whether parental care is predominantly depreciable or non-depreciable. Furthermore, parent-offspring cannibalism has the potential to generate conflict between the sexes, and I briefly discuss some consequences of this conflict on patterns of mate choice. Finally, there still remain many aspects of this behaviour where our understanding is poor, and I highlight these topics to help guide future research.

Social and genetic associations with educational performance in a Scandinavian welfare state

Recent research has suggested that across Western developed societies, the influence of genetics on educational outcomes is relatively constant. However, the degree to which family environment matters varies, such that countries with high levels of intergenerational mobility have weaker associations of family background. Research in this vein has relied on twin-based estimates, which involve variance decomposition, so direct assessment of the association of genes and environments is not possible. In the present study, we approach the question by directly measuring the impact of child genotype, parental genetic nurture, and parental realized education on educational achievement in primary and secondary school. We deploy data from a social democratic context (Norway) and contrast our findings with those derived from more liberal welfare state contexts. Results point to genetics only confounding the relationship between parent status and offspring achievement to a small degree. Genetic nurture associations are similar to those in other societies. We find no, or very small, gene-environment interactions and parent-child genotype interactions with respect to test scores. In sum, in a Scandinavian welfare state context, both genetic and environmental associations are of similar magnitude as in societies with less-robust efforts to mitigate the influence of family background.