The presence of black vultures at the calving sites and its effects on cows' and calves' behaviour immediately following parturition

Black vultures (Coragyps atratus) are often present near calving sites, and under this situation they may play a positive role by removing animal carcasses and afterbirth or a negative role by attacking neonate calves or disturbing cow-calf behaviours following parturition. Cow-calf behaviour was recorded over a 4-year study period from a total of 300 births involving 200 Nellore, 54 Guzerat, 20 Gyr and 26 Caracu cows. The calving site in relation to the location of the herd, considering cow-calf pairs within, close or distant to the herd, the presence of vultures and the behaviour of cows and calves were recorded instantaneously, at 5-min interval. On average, vultures were present at 80% of the calving sites. The frequency of vultures present at calving sites was dependent on the years for the Nellore herd, increasing from 1998 to 2003. When vultures were present, the time that the cow was in contact with its calf decreased, and the percentage of time that the cow was standing still increased. Vultures were observed pecking cows and their neonates during 34.1% of all recordings. However, in only two cases pecking injuries were actually observed on calves that were noted to be very weak. The preliminary results suggest that although black vultures cannot be characterized as a predator of neonate calves, they sometimes attack neonate calves and their presence near the calving sites alter the behaviours of cows and calves. © 2012 The Animal Consortium.

Effects of Cigarette Smoking Intensity on the Mucociliary Clearance of Active Smokers

Background: Smoking impairs mucociliary clearance and increases respiratory infection frequency and severity in subjects with and without smoking-related chronic lung diseases. Objective: This study evaluated the effects of smoking intensity on mucociliary clearance in active smokers. Methods: Seventy-five active smokers were grouped into light (1-10 cigarettes/day; n = 14), moderate (11-20 cigarettes/day; n = 34) and heavy smokers (≥21 cigarettes/day; n = 27) before starting a smoking cessation programme. Smoking behaviour, nicotine dependence, pulmonary function, carbon monoxide in exhaled air (exCO), carboxyhaemoglobin (COHb) and mucociliary clearance measured by the saccharin transit time (STT) test were all evaluated. An age-matched non-smoker group (n = 24) was assessed using the same tests. Results: Moderate (49 ± 7 years) and heavy smokers (46 ± 8 years) had higher STT (p = 0.0001), exCO (p < 0.0001) and COHb (p < 0.0001) levels compared with light smokers (51 ± 15 years) and non-smokers (50 ± 11 years). A positive correlation was observed between STT and exCO (r = 0.4; p < 0.0001), STT and cigarettes/day (r = 0.3, p = 0.02) and exCO and cigarettes/day (r = 0.3, p < 0.01). Conclusion: Smoking impairs mucociliary clearance and is associated with cigarette smoking intensity. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Predation-risk effects of predator identity on the foraging behaviors of frugivorous bats

Predators directly and indirectly affect the density and the behavior of prey. These effects may potentially cascade down to lower trophic levels. In this study, we tested the effects of predator calls (playbacks of bird vocalizations: Tyto alba, Speotyto cunicularia, and Vanellus chilensis), predator visual stimuli (stuffed birds) and interactions of visual and auditory cues, on the behavior of frugivore phyllostomid bats in the field. In addition, we tested if the effects of predation risk cascade down to other trophic levels by measuring rates of seed dispersal of the tree Muntingia calabura. Using video recording, we found that bats significantly decreased the foraging frequency on trees when a visual cue of T. alba was present. However, no stimuli of potential predatory birds, including vocalization of T. alba, affected bat foraging frequency. There was a change in bat behavior during 7 min, but then their frequency of activity gradually increased. Consequently, the presence of T. alba decreased by up to ten times the rate of seed removal. These results indicate that risk sensitivity of frugivorous phyllostomid bats depends on predator identity and presence. Among the predators used in this study, only T. alba is an effective bat predator in the Neotropics. Sound stimuli of T. alba seem not to be a cue of predation risk, possibly because their vocalizations are used only for intraspecific communication. This study emphasizes the importance of evaluating different predator stimuli on the behavior of vertebrates, as well as the effects of these stimuli on trait-mediated trophic cascades. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Diabetic rats exercised prior to and during pregnancy: Maternal reproductive outcome, biochemical profile, and frequency of fetal anomalies

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of exercise prior to or during pregnancy on maternal reproductive outcome, biochemical profile, and on fetal anomaly frequency in a rat pregnancy model utilizing chemically induced diabetes. Wistar rats (minimum n = 11 animals/group) were randomly assigned the following groups: group 1 (G1), sedentary, nondiabetic; G2, nondiabetic, exercised during pregnancy; G3, nondiabetic, exercised prior to and during pregnancy; G4, sedentary, diabetic; G5, diabetic, exercised during pregnancy; and G6, diabetic, exercised prior to and during pregnancy. A swimming program was utilized for moderate exercise. On day 21 of pregnancy, all rats were anesthetized to obtain blood for biochemical measurements. The gravid uterus was weighed with its contents, and the fetuses were analyzed. The nondiabetic rats exercised prior to pregnancy presented a reduced maternal weight gain. Besides, G2 and G3 groups showed decreased fetal weights at term pregnancy, indicating slight intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). In the diabetic dams, the swimming program did not have antihyperglycemic effects. The exercise applied only during pregnancy caused severe IUGR, as confirmed by reduced fetal weight mean, fetal weight classification, and ossification sites. Nevertheless, exercise was not a teratogenic factor and improved the rats' lipid profiles, demonstrating that the exercise presented possible benefits, but there are also risks prior and during pregnancy, especially in diabetic pregnant women. © The Author(s) 2012.

The effects of different styles of musical auditory stimulation on cardiac autonomic regulation in healthy women

The literature investigated the effects of chronic baroque music auditory stimulation on the cardiovascular system. However, it lacks in the literature the acute effects of different styles of music on cardiac autonomic regulation. To evaluate the acute effects of baroque and heavy metal music on heart rate variability (HRV) in women. The study was performed in 21 healthy women between 18 and 30 years old. We excluded persons with previous experience with music instrument and those who had affinity with the song styles. All procedures were performed in the same sound-proof room. We analyzed HRV in the time (standard deviation of normal-to-normal respiratory rate (RR) intervals, root-mean square of differences between adjacent normal RR intervals in a time interval, and the percentage of adjacent RR intervals with a difference of duration greater than 50 ms) and frequency (low frequency [LF], high frequency [HF], and LF/HF ratio) domains. HRV was recorded at rest for 10 min. Subsequently they were exposed to baroque or heavy metal music for 5 min through an earphone. After the first music exposure they remained at rest for more 5 min and them they were exposed again to baroque or heavy metal music. The sequence of songs was randomized for each individual. The power analysis provided a minimal number of 18 subjects. Shapiro-Wilk to verify normality of data and analysis of variance for repeated measures followed by the Bonferroni test for parametric variables and Friedman's followed by the Dunn's post-test for non-parametric distributions. During the analysis of the time-domain indices were not changed. In the frequency-domain analysis, the LF in absolute units was reduced during the heavy metal music stimulation compared to control. Acute exposure to heavy metal music affected the sympathetic activity in healthy women.

Low-temperature structural effects in the (TMTSF)2PF6 and AsF6 Bechgaard salts

We present a detailed low-temperature investigation of the statics and dynamics of the anions and methyl groups in the organic conductors (TMTSF) 2PF6 and (TMTSF)2AsF6 (TMTSF: tetramethyl-tetraselenafulvalene). The 4 K neutron-scattering structure refinement of the fully deuterated (TMTSF)2PF6-D12 salt allows locating precisely the methyl groups at 4 K. This structure is compared to the one of the fully hydrogenated (TMTSF)2PF6-H12 salt previously determined at the same temperature. Surprisingly, it is found that deuteration corresponds to the application of a negative pressure of 5×102 MPa to the H12 salt. Accurate measurements of the Bragg intensity show anomalous thermal variations at low temperature both in the deuterated PF 6 and AsF6 salts. Two different thermal behaviors have been distinguished. Small Bragg-angle measurements reflect the presence of low-frequency modes at characteristic energies θE = 8.3 K and θE = 6.7 K for the PF6-D12 and AsF6-D12 salts, respectively. These modes correspond to the low-temperature methyl group motion. Large Bragg-angle measurements evidence an unexpected structural change around 55 K, which probably corresponds to the linkage of the anions to the methyl groups via the formation of F...D-CD2 bonds observed in the 4 K structural refinement. Finally we show that the thermal expansion coefficient of (TMTSF)2PF6 is dominated by the librational motion of the PF6 units. We quantitatively analyze the low-temperature variation of the lattice expansion via the contribution of Einstein oscillators, which allows us to determine for the first time the characteristic frequency of the PF6 librations: θE ≈ 50 K and θE = 76 K for the PF6-D12 and PF6-H12 salts, respectively. © 2013 American Physical Society.

Loss of sleep spindle frequency deceleration in Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Objective: Sleep spindles have been suggested as surrogates of thalamo-cortical activity. Internal frequency modulation within a spindle's time frame has been demonstrated in healthy subjects, showing that spindles tend to decelerate their frequency before termination. We investigated internal frequency modulation of slow and fast spindles according to Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) severity and brain topography. Methods: Seven non-OSA subjects and 21 patients with OSA contributed with 30 min of Non-REM sleep stage 2, subjected to a Matching pursuit procedure with Gabor chirplet functions for automatic detection of sleep spindles and quantification of sleep spindle internal frequency modulation (chirp rate). Results: Moderate OSA patients showed an inferior percentage of slow spindles with deceleration when compared to Mild and Non-OSA groups in frontal and parietal regions. In parietal regions, the percentage of slow spindles with deceleration was negatively correlated with global apnea-hypopnea index (r s = -0.519, p = 0.005). Discussion: Loss of physiological sleep spindle deceleration may either represent a disruption of thalamo-cortical loops generating spindle oscillations or some compensatory mechanism, an interesting venue for future research in the context of cognitive dysfunction in OSA. Significance: Quantification of internal frequency modulation (chirp rate) is proposed as a promising approach to advance description of sleep spindle dynamics in brain pathology. © 2013 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology.

Effects of a single nucleotide polymorphism in the leptin gene on the productive traits of dairy buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis)

The gene responsible for coding the leptin hormone has been associated with productive and reproductive traits in cattle. In dairy cattle, different polymorphisms found in the leptin gene have been associated with several traits of economic interest, such as energy balance, milk yield and composition, live weight, fertility and dry matter consumption. The aim of this study was to detect genetic variability in the leptin gene of buffaloes and to test possible associations with milk yield, fat and protein percentages, age at first calving and first calving interval. Three genotypes (AA, AG and GG) were identified by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism, which presented genotypic frequencies of 0.30, 0.54 and 0.16, respectively. The allele frequencies were 0.57 for the A allele and 0.43 for the G allele. No significant effects were found in the present study, but there is an indicative that leptin gene affects lipid metabolism. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

Organically produced coffee exerts protective effects against the micronuclei induction by mutagens in mouse gut and bone marrow

While researchers have extensively evaluated the beneficial effects of coffee consumption in reducing the frequency of certain diseases, studies examining the differences between organic and conventional coffee intake are still needed. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the functional effects of organic and conventional coffee by examining both its chemical composition and its mutagenic/antimutagenic properties. Infusions of 10% or 20% (w/v) of organic and conventional coffee were administered by gavage (10 mL/kg b.w., once or twice a day) to male Swiss mice against doxorubicin (DXR) and 1,2-dimethylhydrazine dihydrochloride (DMH)-induced mutagenicity. The levels of chlorogenic acids, caffeine and trigonelline from the coffee infusions and oxidative stress analysis from the liver were measured by HPLC. Gut and bone marrow micronucleus assays were used as mutagenic/antimutagenic endpoints, as well as the crypt measurements and gut apoptosis index. The in vivo tests revealed that only organic coffee exerted protective effects, despite oxidative stress analysis and crypt measurements not showing differences among treatments. Intriguingly, the low dose (10% w/v mL/kg) displayed a robust protective effect that showed a significant reduction in bone marrow micronuclei (26.8%), gut micronuclei (11.5%) and apoptosis (27.8%), whereas the higher coffee dose (2 × 20% w/v) only showed a protective effect against bone marrow micronucleus (43.7%). These results highlight that organic coffee could be considered to have beneficial functional effects, although it is still a challenge to define conclusions from analytical data and all the possible interactions from this complex food matrix. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effects of auditory stimulation with music on heart rate variability in healthy women

OBJECTIVES: There are no data in the literature with regard to the acute effects of different styles of music on the geometric indices of heart rate variability. In this study, we evaluated the acute effects of relaxant baroque and excitatory heavy metal music on the geometric indices of heart rate variability in women. METHODS: We conducted this study in 21 healthy women ranging in age from 18 to 35 years. We excluded persons with previous experience with musical instruments and persons who had an affinity for the song styles. We evaluated two groups: Group 1 (n = 21), who were exposed to relaxant classical baroque musical and excitatory heavy metal auditory stimulation; and Group 2 (n = 19), who were exposed to both styles of music and white noise auditory stimulation. Using earphones, the volunteers were exposed to baroque or heavy metal music for five minutes. After the first music exposure to baroque or heavy metal music, they remained at rest for five minutes; subsequently, they were re-exposed to the opposite music (70-80 dB). A different group of women were exposed to the same music styles plus white noise auditory stimulation (90 dB). The sequence of the songs was randomized for each individual. We analyzed the following indices: triangular index, triangular interpolation of RR intervals and Poincaré plot (standard deviation of instantaneous beat-by-beat variability, standard deviation of the long-term RR interval, standard deviation of instantaneous beat-by-beat variability and standard deviation of the long-term RR interval ratio), low frequency, high frequency, low frequency/high frequency ratio, standard deviation of all the normal RR intervals, root-mean square of differences between the adjacent normal RR intervals and the percentage of adjacent RR intervals with a difference of duration greater than 50 ms. Heart rate variability was recorded at rest for 10 minutes. RESULTS: The triangular index and the standard deviation of the long-term RR interval indices were reduced during exposure to both music styles in the first group and tended to decrease in the second group whereas the white noise exposure decreased the high frequency index. We observed no changes regarding the triangular interpolation of RR intervals, standard deviation of instantaneous beat-by-beat variability and standard deviation of instantaneous beat-by-beat variability/standard deviation in the long-term RR interval ratio. CONCLUSION: We suggest that relaxant baroque and excitatory heavy metal music slightly decrease global heart rate variability because of the equivalent sound level.

The seasonal and ovarian status effects on in vitro production of domestic cat embryos between Equator and Tropic of Capricorn

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Effects of substrate temperature, substrate orientation, and energetic atomic collisions on the structure of GaN films grown by reactive sputtering

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Elucidating Redox-Level Dispersion and Local Dielectric Effects within Electroactive Molecular Films

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Effects of an isotonic beverage on autonomic regulation during and after exercise

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Effects of saccadic eye movements on postural control stabilization

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)