Corpus Luteum Development and Function after Supplementation of Long-Acting Progesterone During the Early Luteal Phase in Beef Cattle

Contents: Strategic supplementation of P4 may be used to increase conception rates in cattle, but timing of supplementation in relation to ovulation, mass of supplementary P4 and formulation of the P4-containing supplement has not been determined for beef cattle. Effects of supplementation of long-acting progesterone (P4) on Days 2 or 3 post-ovulation on development, function and regression of corpus luteum (CL) were studied in beef cattle. Cows were synchronized with an oestradiol/P4-based protocol and treated with 150 or 300 mg of long-acting P4 on Day 2 or 3 post-ovulation (6-7 cows/group). Colour-doppler ultrasound scanning and blood sample collection were performed from Day 2-21.5. Plasma P4 concentrations were greater (p < 0.05) from Day 2.5-5.5 in the Day 2-treated groups and from Day 3.5-5.5 in the Day 3-treated cows than in the control group. CL area and blood flow during Day 2-8.5 did not differ (p > 0.05) among groups, suggesting no effect of P4 treatment on luteal development. The frequency of cows that began luteolysis before Day 15 was greater (p < 0.04) in cows treated with 300 mg than in the controls, but there were no differences between non-treated and 150 mg-treated cows. The interval from pre-treatment ovulation to functional and structural luteolysis was shorter (p < 0.01) in the combined P4-treated groups than in the control cows. In conclusion, was showed for the first time that long-acting P4 supplementation on Day 2 or 3 post-ovulation increases P4 concentrations for ≥3 day, has no effect on luteal development, but anticipates the beginning of luteolysis in beef cattle. © 2013 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Mitochondrial DNA-like sequence in the nuclear genome of Saguinus (Callitrichinae, Primates): transfer estimation

Seqüências tipo mitocondriais têm comumente sido encontradas no genoma nuclear de diversos organismos. Quando acidentalmente incluídas em estudos de seqüências mitocondriais, diversas conclusões errôneas podem ser obtidas. No entanto, estes pseudogenes nucleares tipo mitocondriais podem ser usados para a estimativa da taxa relativa de evolução de genes mitocondriais e também como grupo externo em análises filogenéticas. No presente trabalho, seqüências mitocondriais com características do tipo de pseudogene, tais como deleções e/ou inserções e códons de parada, foram encontradas em tamarins (Saguinus spp., Callitrichinae, Primates). A análise filogenética permitiu a estimativa do tempo da migração da seqüência mitocondrial para o genoma nuclear e algumas inferências filogenéticas. A escolha de um grupo externo não adequado (Aotus infulatus) não permitiu uma reconstrução filogenética confiável da subfamília Callitrichinae. A divergência bastante antiga de Cebidae (Callitrichinae, Aotinae e Cebinae) pode ter favorecido o aparecimento de homoplasias, obscurecendo a análise.

Geology, Geochemistry, and Geochronology (U-Pb) of the Rio Fortuna Gneiss - Serra do Baú Intrusive Suite - Paraguá Terrane - SW Amazonian Craton

O Gnaisse Rio Fortuna aflora na região da serra Santa Bárbara, nas imediações do Destacamento Militar Fortuna, na fronteira Brasil-Bolívia. Estes ortognaisses estão inseridos no Terreno Paraguá, em um setor afetado pela Orogenia Sunsás (1.0 a 0.9 Ga.). São classificados como ortognaisses de composição monzo a granodiorítica, com registros de, no mínimo, três fases de deformação. Idade U-Pb em zircão de 1.711 ± 13 Ma obtida por ablação a laser MC-ICP-MS, é considerada como correspondendo à idade de cristalização do protólito ígneo. Geoquimicamente, essas rochas constituem uma sequencia ácida formada por um magmatismo subalcalino, do tipo cálcio-alcalino de alto potássio, metaluminoso a peraluminoso.

Erosion of an active fault scarp leads to drainage capture in the Amazon region, Brazil

Far from the continental margin, drainage basins in Central Amazonia should be in topographic steady state; but they are not. Abandoned remnant fluvial valleys up to hundreds of square kilometers in size are observed throughout Amazonia, and are evidence of significant landscape reorganization. While major Late Miocene drainage shifts occurred due to initiation of the transcontinental Amazon River, local landscape change has remained active until today. Driven either by dynamic topography, tectonism, and/or climatic fluctuations, drainage captures in Amazonia provide a natural experiment for assessing the geomorphic response of low-slope basins to sudden, capture related base-level falls. This paper evaluates the timing of geomorphic change by examining a drainage capture event across the Baependi fault scarp involving the Cuieiras and TarumA-Mirim River basins northwest of the city of Manaus in Brazil. A system of capture-related knickpoints was generated by base-level fall following drainage capture; through numerical modeling of their initiation and propagation, the capture event is inferred to have occurred between the middle and late Pleistocene, consistent with other studies of landscape change in surrounding areas. In low-slope settings like the Amazon River basin, base-level fall can increase erosion rates by more than an order of magnitude, and moderate to large river basins can respond to episodes of base-level fall over timescales of tens to hundreds of thousands of years. Copyright (c) 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Long-term skeletal and dental effects and treatment timing for functional appliances in Class II malocclusion

Objective: To analyze the long-term skeletal and dentoalveolar effects and to evaluate treatment timing of Class II treatment with functional appliances followed by fixed appliances.Materials and Methods: A group of 40 patients (22 females and 18 males) with Class II malocclusion consecutively treated either with a Bionator or an Activator followed by fixed appliances was compared with a control group of 20 subjects (9 females and 11 males) with untreated Class II malocclusion. Lateral cephalograms were available at the start of treatment (mean age 10 years), end of treatment with functional appliances (mean age 12 years), and long-term observation (mean age 18.6 years). The treated sample also was divided into two groups according to skeletal maturity. The early-treatment group was composed of 20 subjects (12 females and 8 males) treated before puberty, while the late-treatment group included 20 subjects (10 females and 10 males) treated at puberty. Statistical comparisons were performed with analysis of variance followed by Tukey's post hoc tests.Results: Significant long-term mandibular changes (Co-Gn) in the treated group (3.6 mm over the controls) were associated with improvements in the skeletal sagittal intermaxillary relationship, overjet, and molar relationship (similar to 3.0-3.5 mm). Treatment during the pubertal peak was able to produce significantly greater increases in total mandibular length (4.3 mm) and mandibular ramus height (3.1 mm) associated with a significant advancement of the bony chin (3.9 mm) when compared with treatment before puberty.Conclusion: Treatment of Class II malocclusion with functional appliances appears to be more effective at puberty. (Angle Orthod. 2013;83:334-340.)

Leishmania amazonensis Promastigotes Present Two Distinct Modes of Nucleus and Kinetoplast Segregation during Cell Cycle

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

Relationships between growth of the preovulatory follicle and gestation success in lactating dairy cows

This report summarizes three studies conducted with lactating dairy cows aiming to increase pregnancy rates to fixed time artificial insemination (TAI) protocols. Experiment 1 was designed to determine if changing the timing of PGF2 alpha treatment during an E2/P4-based program would affect fertility to TAI or fixed-time embryo transfer (TET). In experiment 2, pregnancy rates to AI were compared following synchronized ovulation using two protocols that have been developed to reduce the period between follicular wave emergence and TAI. The Ovsynch-type protocol utilizes GnRH to synchronize the follicular wave by inducing ovulation of a dominant follicle at the beginning of the protocol, and to synchronize ovulation at the end of the protocol allowing TAI. In contrast, E2/P4-based protocols utilize E2 products in the presence of P4 to induce atresia of antral follicles and synchronize emergence of a new follicular wave. At the end of E2/P4-based protocol another E2 treatment in the absence of P4 is used to induce LH release and synchronize ovulation and allow TAI. Experiment 3 was designed to determine whether increasing the length time interval with reduced circulating P4 (proestrus) would increase fertility in a TAI program that utilized E2 and P4 to synchronize ovulation of cycling, lactating dairy cows. The overall conclusions are that circulating concentrations of progesterone and estradiol prior to and circulating concentrations of progesterone following ovulation can affect fertility in cattle. In addition, small increases in P4 concentrations near the time of AI, due to lack of complete CL regression, result in reductions in fertility. Earlier treatment with PGF2 alpha should allow greater time for CL regression, an increase in estradiol and subsequent reductions in circulating P4 that could be critical for fertility. Optimization of follicle size in TAI programs is clearly an intricate balance between oocyte quality, adequate circulating E2 near AI, and adequate circulating P4 after AI.

Age of No-Till System and Nitrogen Management on Common Bean Nutrition and Yield

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

Effect of delayed start of light-curing on microtensile bond strengths of two adhesives bonded to dentin

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the microtensile bond strength to dentin (ATBS) of two total-etching adhesives applied with delays of 1-30 s for curing. Fifty extracted molar teeth were used. Occlusal enamel was sectioned to expose flat dentin surface, which was further polished with 600-grit paper for smear layer standardization. The specimens were divided into two groups, G1: Single Bond total-etching adhesive (SB), and G2: Prime & Bond NT total-etching adhesive (PB). Each group was further divided into 5 subgroups according to the delayed light-cure initiation after the adhesive systems application (n=5): Subgroup 1s - 1 s; Subgroup 5s -5 s; Subgroup 10s - 10 s; Subgroup 20s - 20 s; Subgroup 30s - 30 s. Composite resin cones 5 mm height and 10 mm in diameter were fabricated. Specimens were stored in distilled water at 37 degrees C for 24 h and sectioned to obtain 1 x 1 mm(2) transversal specimens. Specimens were thermocycled and mu TBS was measured. Data were submitted to two-way ANOVA (AdhesiveXDelay time) and Tukey's test. The level of significance was set at 5%. The results in mean MPa(+/- SD) for interaction between adhesive and delay time were: PB/1s - 23.82 +/- 2.54a; SB/5s - 19.52 +/- 2.67b; PB/5s - 18.56 +/- 3.06bc; SB/1s - 15.49 +/- 2.69cd; SB/20s - 16.33 +/- 2.55d; SB/10s - 13.88 +/- 1.67d; PB/10s - 11.04 +/- 1.28e; PB/30s - 10.89 +/- 1.31e; PB/20s - 10.24 +/- 2.33e; SB/30s - 9.19 +/- 1.91e. It was concluded that light-cure initiation timing of total-etching adhesives interferes negatively with mu TBS to dentin. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fire and the reproductive phenology of endangered Madagascar sclerophyllous tapia woodlands

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Reduced levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species and apoptotic status are not correlated with increases in cryotolerance of bovine embryos produced in vitro in the presence of antioxidants

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

ORIGIN AND EARLY DIVERSIFICATION OF THE PHYLUM CNIDARIA VERRILL: MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS IN THE ANALYSIS OF THE TAXON'S PROTEROZOIC-CAMBRIAN HISTORY

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

Impact of patient training patterns on peritonitis rates in a large national cohort study

Background. Ideal training methods that could ensure best peritoneal dialysis (PD) outcome have not been defined in previous reports. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of training characteristics on peritonitis rates in a large Brazilian cohort.Methods. Incident patients with valid data on training recruited in the Brazilian Peritoneal Dialysis Multicenter Study (BRAZPD II) from January 2008 to January 2011 were included. Peritonitis was diagnosed according to International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis guidelines; incidence rate of peritonitis (episodes/patient-months) and time to the first peritonitis were used as end points.Results. Two thousand two hundred and forty-three adult patients were included in the analysis: 59 +/- 16 years old, 51.8% female, 64.7% with <= 4 years of education. The median training time was 15 h (IQI 10-20 h). Patients were followed for a median of 11.2 months (range 3-36.5). The overall peritonitis rate was 0.29 per year at risk (1 episode/41 patient-months). The mean number of hours of training per day was 1.8 +/- 2.4. Less than 1 h of training/day was associated with higher incidence rate when compared with the intervals of 1-2 h/day (P = 0.03) and > 2 h/day (P = 0.02). Patients who received a cumulative training of > 15 h had significantly lower incidence of peritonitis compared with < 15 h (0.26 per year at risk versus 0.32 per year at risk, P = 0.01). The presence of a caregiver and the number of people trained were not significantly associated with peritonitis incidence rate. Training in the immediate 10 days after implantation of the catheter was associated with the highest peritonitis rate (0.32 per year), compared with training prior to catheter implantation (0.28 per year) or > 10 days after implantation (0.23 per year). More experienced centers had a lower risk for the first peritonitis (P = 0.003).Conclusions. This is the first study to analyze the association between training characteristics and outcomes in a large cohort of PD patients. Low training time (particularly < 15 h), smaller center size and the timing of training in relation to catheter implantation were associated with a higher incidence of peritonitis. These results support the recommendation of a minimum amount of training hours to reduce peritonitis incidence regardless of the number of hours trained per day.

Effects of late defoliations on chemical and sensory characteristics of cv. Uva Longanesi wines

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

Identification of the molecular sex-differentiation period in the siberian sturgeon

Sexual development prior to gonadal sex differentiation is regulated by various molecular mechanisms. In fish, a molecular sex-differentiation period has been identified in species for which sex can be ascertained prior to gonadal sex differentiation. The present study was designed to identify such a period in a species for which no genetic sex markers or monosex populations are available. Siberian sturgeons undergo a slow sex-differentiation process over several months, so gonad morphology and gene expression was tracked in fish from ages 3-27 months to identify the sex-differentiation period. The genes amh, sox9, and dmrt1 were selected as male gonad markers; cyp19a1a and foxl2a as female gonad markers; and cyp17a1 and ar as markers of steroid synthesis and steroid receptivity. Sex differentiation occurred at 8 months, and was preceded by a molecular sex-differentiation period at 3-4 months, at which time all of the genes except ar showed clear expression peaks. amh and sox9 expression seemed to be involved in male sexual development whereas dmrt1, a gene involved in testis development in metazoans, unexpectedly showed a pattern similar to those of the genes known to be involved in female gonadal sex differentiation (cyp19a1 and foxl2a). In conclusion, the timing of and gene candidates involved with molecular sex differentiation in the Siberian sturgeon were identified. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.