Foliar application of ethephon induces bud dormancy and affects gene expression of dormancy- and flowering-related genes in 'Mauritius' litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.).

A previous study showed that foliar application of ethephon to litchi trees with mature shoots and dormant terminal buds during autumn successfully inhibited new vegetative shoot growth prior to floral induction thereby promoting carbohydrate accumulation and flowering. However, the functional mechanisms of ethylene, the breakdown product of ethephon, in the leaves and terminal buds of litchi and its involvement in the flowering process is largely unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the phenological, physiological and molecular changes underlying ethephon application and its associations with bud dormancy and flowering in litchi.

Does general movements quality in term infants predict cerebral palsy and milder forms of limited mobility at 6 years?

Aim: To evaluate in term infants associations between quality of general movements and developmental outcome in term infants at 6 years with either cerebral palsy (CP) or limited mobility without CP.

Method: Participants of this prospective study were 145 term infants (86 male, 59 female). Their general movements quality was assessed at 'writhing' and 'fidgety' general movements age (3wks and 13wks post term).

Limitations in the Activity of Mobility at Age 6 Years After Difficult Birth at Term: Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: A difficult birth at term (DBAT) may manifest as fetal acidosis and low Apgar scores and is often referred to as "perinatal asphyxia," especially when infants show signs of neonatal encephalopathy (NE). In contrast to DBAT resulting in moderate-to-severe NE, which is associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, little is known about the prognosis of less severe forms of DBAT, with or without NE.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, Children & Youth Version activity "mobility" and other neurodevelopmental sequelae in infants with DBAT at age 6 years.

Does perinatal asphyxia contribute to neurological dysfunction in preterm infants?

Background: Children born preterm are known to be at risk for neurodevelopmental disorders. The role of perinatal asphyxia in this increased risk is still a matter of debate.

Aim: To analyze the contribution of perinatal asphyxia in a population of preterm infants admitted to a secondary paediatric setting to neurological dysfunction in the first months after birth and to the development of cerebral palsy.

Quality of general movements in term infants with asphyxia.

Background: Perinatal asphyxia may result in a developmental disorder. A recently developed non-invasive tool to investigate brain function at an early age is the assessment of general movements (GMs).

Aim: To evaluate relationships between perinatal risk factors and the quality of GMs in the neonatal period and at 3 months in term newborns with asphyxia in a secondary paediatric setting.