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Jun 2021 DOI 10.14302/issn.2689-4602.jes-21-3868
O. Henderson JeffreyCorresponding author
Department of Science and Mathematics, Judson University, Elgin, IL 60123, USA
Hox genes, their conserved derivatives, and the pathways responsible for their expression have been extensively studied in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster;the experimentation done in the Drosophila model system has given developmental biologists tools to better understand the role and significance of Hox genes and their derivatives in anterior-posterior axis determination in the Drosophila embryo. Along with this, Drosophila research opened up the door to investigation on the conservation of Hox genes between vertebrates and invertebrates. Comparative embryology in mice, chickens, pufferfish, and zebrafish have shown conserved Hox gene expression patterns specifically along the anterior-posterior axis. Recently, comparative analysis performed on dorsal-ventral axis formation showed that patterning and segmentation of the spinal cord is influenced by the action of Hox genes as well. This review will briefly consider the evolution of the vertebrate brain and the evolution and conservation of Hox genes in regulating hindbrain patterning and spinal cord development.
Jul 2026 DOI 10.14302/issn.2379-7835.ijn-26-6094
Amanya Mutuli LucyCorresponding author
In early childhood, adequate dietary intake is essential for optimal growth, brain development, and the acquisition of cognitive skills. However, children with special needs often face increased nutritional vulnerability due to feeding difficulties, restricted diets, metabolic anomalies and limited access to health and care services. These challenges significantly compromise their access to optimal dietary intake that negatively impacts on their cognitive development and functioning. This baseline survey aimed at identifying the existing characteristics of dietary intake and cognitive developmental outcomes of children aged below five years with special needs in Kakamega County. We involved 90 mother/child caregiver-child pair, selected through stratified sampling from early childhood development centers in Kakamega County. Data was collected using 24-hour dietary recall, food frequency questionnaires, anthropometric and Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (BSIDIV) was used for assessment of cognitive development outcomes. Findings revealed high levels of micronutrient deficiencies, with 66.7 percent not meeting recommended intake for vitamin A, 76.7 percent for iron, and 89 percent for zinc. Only 47.7 percent met minimum dietary diversity score. Nutrition assessments showed 52.2 percent of children had normal weight and 6.7 percent were severely undernourished. Feeding dependence varied by disability with 100 percent of children with ADHD self-fed. Cognitive assessments showed that children with physical disabilities had the highest scores across all cognitive domains, while children with autism demonstrated lowest, particularly in communication and executive functioning. In conclusion, the prevalence of nutritional deficiencies as a consequence of sub-optimal dietary intake, particularly in essential micronutrients are closely linked to poor cognitive developmental outcomes. Low levels of nutrition education of parents and feeding dependency negatively impacts on cognitive development outcomes of children with special needs. Thus, implementation of special needs inclusive of nutrition interventions, caregivers’ training and early stimulation programs to support holistic development of these children is needed.
Mar 2024 DOI 10.14302/issn.2689-4602.jes-24-4982
O. Henderson JeffreyCorresponding author
Mammalian Rbm45 is predominately expressed in neuronal tissue and is integral in brain development and neuronal differentiation under physiological conditions. Dysregulation of Rbm45 has been strongly associated with neurodegenerative disorders in humans and can drive hepatocellular carcinoma through reprogramming lipid metabolism. Intriguingly, Rbm45 is an ancient protein, evolutionarily conserved throughout metazoans, including in sponges which lack a nervous system. Curiously, the evolution of Rbm45 gene structure and protein domain conservation across kingdom Animalia is largely unknown. We performed phylogenetic analysis of Rbm45 nucleotide and amino acid sequences from 36 species representing 9 phyla: Porifera, Cnidaria, Priapulida, Mollusca, Brachiopoda, Arthropoda, Echinodermata, Hemichordata, and Chordata. While the tree from Rbm45 nucleotide sequence data resulted in clades Protostomia and Deuterostomia showing paraphyly, the phylogeny derived from Rbm45 amino acid sequence largely recapitulated known monophyletic relationships among metazoans. Human RBM45 protein structure includes three RNA-binding domains (RBD), a homo-oligomerization association (HOA) domain, a nuclear localization sequence (NLS), and a nuclear export sequence (NES). Multiple sequence alignment across the same 36 taxa used for phylogenetic analysis revealed conservation of all three RBDs, the HOA, and NLS; in contrast the NES was only detected in clade Craniata and not in clades Ambulacraria and Protostomia. Rbm45 gene structure analysis revealed increasing gene complexity concomitant with increasing evolutionary complexity. Rbm45 from non-bilaterian taxa had from 2 to 4 large exons, while bilaterian taxa had between 6 to17 small exons. These findings demonstrate that Rbm45 is an ancient, highly conserved gene among metazoans suggesting a function in a breadth of neural/sensory systems.