Transforming growth factor(TGF) superfamily members, TGFand bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), are potent regulatory cytokines with diverse functions on vascular cells. They signal through heteromeric type I and II receptor complexes activating Smad-dependent and Smad-independent signals, which regulate proliferation, differentiation, and survival. They are potent regulators of vascular develo...

Optimal therapy of growth disorders depends on accurate diagnosis and clear goals for therapy. Understanding normal patterns of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor secretion are necessary to appreciate the different hormone pattern induced by therapy. Finally, monitoring efficacy and safety, identifying interfering factors, and adjusting doses, are all part of optimizing GH thera...

GH deficiency (GHD) can manifest in childhood as growth failure, delayed bone age and slow growth velocity, while in adults the picture is more complex and is characterised by negative effects on body composition, cardiovascular functions and poor quality of life. Life expectancy is reduced in adult patients with GHD as a consequence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. Most, if not al...

The prior quote is from a recent issue of Science with a special section on the topic of developmental timing. The temporal events that guide development are key parts of the puzzle of contemporary molecular genetics. Genes are known to turn on at certain times in development; microRNAs show temporaland tissuespecific patterns of gene expression (cf. Carrington & Ambros, 2003); and genes activa...

Gestures shed light on thinking-for-(and while)-speaking. They do this because they are components of speaking, not accompaniments but actually integral parts of it. Much evidence supports this idea, but its full implications have not always been recognized. For comparison, cf. modular-style modeling in de Ruiter (2000) and Kita & Özyürek (2005), based on the theory of speech production in Leve...

Rapid Growth Problems The problems discussed here occur in the younger, rapidly growing German Shepherd. As German Shepherds are far more angulated than most breeds, they can appear to be having serious problems when in many cases they are going through fairly normal stages of development. Common problems are: 1. Excessive looseness of hocks, can be secondary to excessive depth of hindquarter a...

DNA mapping techniques are being increasingly applied to familial and acquired disorders affecting growth and development. To understand the potential applications of these techniques, one must first have a good understanding of the components and basic structure of DNA, the genetic code, the basic structure of genes and the roles that various components of gene structure play in regulating gen...

Genetic disorders of growth are numerous and include defects of the central nervous system, hypothalamus, pituitary, thyroid, skeleton and other glands, tissues or organs. These disorders are caused by genetic variations that interrupt different points of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis and other synthetic pathways that are required for growth. The resulting growth disorders can be classified b...