Fetus in fetu is a very rare congenital abnormality in which one vertebrate fetus is enclosed within the abdomen of another fetus. With advancing ultrasound imaging technique, a few case of prenatal diagnosis is reported recently. A case of fetus in fetu with 6 X 6 X 4 cm sized cystic mass in the fetal retroperitoneum was diagnosed prenatally using ultrasound and confirmed by ultrasound and computer tomogram after delivery. This mass was removed completely from delivered baby and finally confirmed fetus in fetu by pathologic examination. Solid portion in this mass was composed of vertebral organization with limb bud, well-developed organ system.
Abdomen ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Fetus* ; Limb Buds ; Prenatal Diagnosis* ; Ultrasonography ; Vertebrates

CpG is the pair of nucleotides C and G, appearing successively, in this order, along one DNA strand. It is known that due to biochemical considerations CpG is relatively rare in most DNA sequences. However, in particular subsequences, which are a few hundred to a few thousand nucleotides long, the couple CpG is more frequent. These subsequences, called CpG islands, are known to appear in biologically more significant parts of the genome. The ability to identify CpG islands along a chromosome will therefore help us spot its more significant regions of interest, such as the promoters or 'start' regions of many genes. In this respect, I developed the CpG islands search tool, CpG Islands Detector, which was implemented in JAVA to be run on any platform. The window-based graphical user interface of CpG Islands Detector may facilitate the end user to employ this tool to pinpoint CpG islands in a genomic DNA sequence. In addition, this tool can be used to highlight potential genes in genomic sequences since CpG islands are very often found in the 5' regions of vertebrate genes.
Base Sequence ; CpG Islands ; DNA ; Genome ; Indonesia ; Nucleotides ; Vertebrates

Fetus in fetu is an very rare condition in which a vertebrate fetus is incorporated within its twin. Although a number of cases were reported at 3rd trimester of gestation or postnatally, the authors present a retroperitoneal fetus in fetu with 9 x 7 x 6 cm sized cystic mass that was diagnosed at 2nd trimester using ultrasonography and confirmed on a computed tomography scan after birth. The mass was successfully excised postnatally and consistent with a fetus in fetu by pathological confirmation. Solid mass was surrounded by a fluid-containing sac and showed highly ordered organogenesis around an axial vertebral column.
Diagnosis* ; Fetus* ; Humans ; Organogenesis ; Parturition ; Pregnancy ; Spine ; Ultrasonography ; Vertebrates

The comparative analysis of the human and primate genomes including the chimpanzee can reveal unique types of information impossible to obtain from comparing the human genome with the genomes of other vertebrates. PrimateDB is an open depository server that provides primate genome information for the comparative genome research. The database also provides an easy access to variable information within/between the primate genomes and supports analyzed information, such as annotation and retroelements and phylogeny. The comparative analyses of more primate genomes are also being included as the long-term objective.
Genome* ; Genome, Human ; Humans ; Pan troglodytes ; Phylogeny ; Primates* ; Retroelements ; Vertebrates

Müller glia (MG) are the primary support cells in the vertebrate retina, regulating homeostasis in one of the most metabolically active tissues. In lower vertebrates such as fish, they respond to injury by proliferating and reprogramming to regenerate retinal neurons. In mammals, MG may also react to injury by proliferating, but they fail to initiate regeneration. The barriers to regeneration could be intrinsic to mammalian MG or the function of the niche that cannot support the MG reprogramming required for lineage conversion or both. Understanding these mechanisms in light of those being discovered in fish may lead to the formulation of strategies to unlock the neurogenic potential of MG and restore regeneration in the mammalian retina.
Homeostasis ; Mammals ; Neurogenesis ; Neuroglia* ; Regeneration ; Retina ; Retinal Neurons ; Vertebrates

Animals ; Humans ; Organogenesis ; physiology ; Sex Determination Processes ; Vertebrates ; physiology

Zoonoses are the diseases that are transmitted to human being from vertebrate animals either from livestock animals or from wildlife. Recently, zoonoses are increasingly common as a result of incremental human-animal contact. Propagative infections in wild animals and livestock are transmitted to human beings who are encountered with them. In general, wild animals can transmit infectious agents to livestock, and then livestock further transmit them to human being is a simple model of on how zoonotic diseases get transmitted to human being. This model emphasizes the importance of early detection of zoonoses by surveillance at its incipient stage. Cooperation between the respective ministries plays an important role in the identification of zoonoses and planning for the formulation of better preventive and control policy and strategy. We will be able to predict the occurrence of zoonotic diseases in human on the basis of disease trends in wildlife and livestock once when we obtain the surveillance data and data generated by respective ministries through sound cooperation and collaboration.
Animals ; Animals, Wild ; Cooperative Behavior ; Humans ; Livestock ; Vertebrates ; Zoonoses

Fibrous dysplasis is a condition characterized by the metastatic replacement of the medullary component of predominantly long bone with fibrous tissues. This change is responsible for the characteristic features, including bony abnormalities, pathologic fractures and pain. The monostotic form of the fibrous dysplasia occurs more freguent than the polyostotic form. The monostotic fibrous dysplasia does not exhibit the laboratory abnormality, extra-skeletal manifestation or the endocrinopathies associated writh polyostotic disease. Monostotic fibrous dysplasia occurs most frequently in the metaphysis of long bones and the ribs. Only the seven previous cases of vertebral involvement (three cervical, one thoracic, three lumbar spine) in monostotic fibrous dysplsia have been reported. Authors experienced a case of monosotic fibrous dysplasia of the seventh cervical vertebrate, so we report a case with the review of the seven previous reported cases of the monosotic fibrous dysplasia of the spine.
Fibrous Dysplasia, Monostotic ; Fractures, Spontaneous ; Ribs ; Spine ; Vertebrates

Zoonoses are diseases caused by the agents that are transmitted between vertebrate animals and human. It is the interaction between agents, host, and the environment they share that determines whether or not infection will be successful. Zoonotic diseases usually have a wide range of host and are particularly important sources of emerging new infectious diseases in human. From an evolutionary point of view, infections in humans and in other animals share common origins. Zoonotic agents are extremely variable in their host specificity and their impact on individuals and host population. The control of zoonoses depends on attempts to reduce vector populations of to limit contacts with reservoir species. In most instances, however, the control efforts require an environmental or human behavioral modification in addition to direct efforts to reduce the size of the vector population. In this article, I described the common natural history and ecologic characteristics of zoonoses, and explained why we should keep an eye on the change in zoonoses with emerging infections. And I also introduced the recent change in the incidence of notifiable zoonotic diseases among animals and humans in Korea, and the principle of control and prevention of zoonoses.
Animals ; Communicable Diseases ; Epidemiology* ; Host Specificity ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Natural History ; Vertebrates ; Zoonoses*

The serotonergic system in vertebrates and invertebrates has been a focus for over 50 years and will likely continue in the future. Recently, genomic analysis and discovery of alternative splicing and differential expression in tissues have increased the knowledge of serotonin (5-HT) receptor types. Comparative studies can provide useful insights to the wide variety of mechanistic actions of 5-HT responsible for behaviors regulated or modified by 5-HT. To determine cellular responses and influences on neural systems as well as the efferent control of behaviors by the motor units, preparations amenable to detailed studies of synapses are beneficial as working models. The invertebrate neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) offer some unique advantages for such investigations; action of 5-HT at crustacean NMJs has been widely studied, and leech and Aplysia continue to be key organisms. However, there are few studies in insects likely due to the focus in modulation within the CNS and lack of evidence of substantial action of 5-HT at the Drosophila NMJs. There are only a few reports in gastropods and annelids as well as other invertebrates. In this review we highlight some of the key findings of 5-HT actions and receptor types associated at NMJs in a variety of invertebrate preparations in hopes that future studies will build on this knowledge base.
Alternative Splicing ; Aplysia ; Drosophila ; Gastropoda ; Insects ; Invertebrates ; Knowledge Bases ; Neuromuscular Junction ; Serotonin ; Synapses ; Synaptic Transmission ; Vertebrates