Effect of fish length and nutritional condition on the fecundity of distressed Atlantic cod Gadus morhua from the Baltic Sea

The disappearance of larger individuals and the decrease in individual body condition suffered by Atlantic cod Gadus morhua in the eastern Baltic during the past two decades can be expected to affect the stock reproductive output. To investigate this, female G. morhua were collected during the spawning and pre-spawning period in 2015-2016. The current individual potential fecundity (F_P ) of eastern Baltic G. morhua was estimated and analysed in relation to total length (L_T ) and indices of nutritional status such as body condition (K) and hepato-somatic index (I_H ) using generalized linear models. In addition, the current prevalence of atresia and its potential relation to K were investigated. Moreover, a calibration curve to estimate F_P from oocyte diameter, based on the autodiametric oocyte counting method, was established for the first time for eastern Baltic G. morhua and can be used for future fecundity studies on this stock. The results showed that F_P was mainly positively related to fish length, but K and I_H also contributed significantly to the variation in F_P . The model predicted that fish with K = 1·2 have a F_P 51% higher than fish of the same L_T with K = 0·8. The prevalence of fecundity regulation by atresia was 5·8%, but it was found only in fish in the pre-spawning maturity stage and with low K. Temporal changes in biological features such as the length composition and individual body condition of eastern Baltic G. morhua, should be accounted for when estimating stock reproductive potential.

New multiple congenital anomalies/mental retardation syndrome with cardio-facio-cutaneous involvement--the CFC syndrome

Eight patients (4 males, 4 females) were affected with a previously undefined multiple congenital anomalies/mental retardation syndrome which was designated the Cardio-Facio-Cutaneous (CFC) syndrome and which includes congenital heart defects, characteristic facial appearance, ectodermal abnormalities, and growth failure. Cardiac defects were variable, the most common being pulmonic stenosis and atrial septal defect. Typical facial characteristics were high forehead with bitemporal constriction, hypoplasia of supraorbital ridges, antimongoloid slant of palpebral fissures, depressed bridge of nose, and posteriorly angulated ears with prominent helices. The hair was usually sparse and friable. Skin changes varied from patchy hyperkeratosis to a severe generalized ichthyosis-like condition. All cases were sporadic in occurrence, there was no family history of consanguinity, and chromosomes were normal. Although presumed to be genetic, the cause of the CFC syndrome remains unknown.

Familial Kallmann syndrome with unilateral renal aplasia

On the basis of studies in two brothers and their double first cousin, the Kallmann syndrome (KS) is discussed as an X-linked syndrome of anosmic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. The anosmia is thought to represent agenesis or hypoplasia of the olfactory lobes, the mildest form of the alobar holoprosencephaly developmental field defect; this is supported by the finding of hypotelorism in two of the patients and their mother. The endocrine defect is thought to represent a hypothalamic abnormality of the luteinizing hormone releasing hormone; borderline normal intelligence may represent another pleio-tropic CNS manifestation of the KS gene. All three affected males had unilateral renal aplasia, associated in one with ipsilateral absence of the testis. The presence of at least two developmental field defects (involving the CNS and urogenital system) makes it likely that the KS is a true multiple congenital anomaly syndrome; this is supported by the finding of additional, mostly minor, anomalies reported by other investigators. Heterozygous females may also show manifestations of anosmia, hypogonadism, possibly even internal genital malformation; however, genetic heterogeneity of anosmic hypogonadism is possible, and for the time being it is probably better to designate sporadic female cases of anosmic hypogonadism as examples of the olfacto-genital syndrome of DeMorsier. Linkage studies are urgently needed to clear up the question of genetic heterogeneity and to help develop empiric recurrence risk figures in anosmic hypogonadism.

Studies of malformation syndromes in man XXXVI: the Pfeiffer syndrome, association with Kleeblattschädel and multiple visceral anomalies. Case report and review

This paper reports sporadic occurrence of the Pfeiffer syndrome with Kleeblattschädel (KS) in a male infant who died at 6 months of pneumonia with signs of increased intracranial pressure and who was found to have hydrocephalus, polymicrogyria, cerebellar herniation, bicuspid aortic valve, a common mesentery, absence of lesser omentum, hypoplasia of gallbladder, a single umbilical artery, and multiple eye defects. This case is presumed to represent a new mutation: in other families the Pfeiffer syndrome has been dominantly inherited. The Pfeiffer syndrome is a form of acrocephalosyndactyly and impresses clinically as a mild form of the Apert syndrome. The Kleeblattschädel is an etiologically non-specific developmental field defect (DFC); about two fifths of 51 known cases have apparent thanatophoric dwarfism and about one fifth are probable or possible examples of the Pfeiffer syndrome. The KS-DFC has also been seen in the syndromes of Carpenter, Apert and Crouzon.