Placentation in dolphins from the Amazon River Basin: the Boto, Inia geoffrensis, and the Tucuxi, Sotalia fluviatilis

A recent reassessment of the phylogenetic affinities of cetaceans makes it timely to compare their placentation with that of the artiodactyls. We studied the placentae of two sympatric species of dolphin from the Amazon River Basin, representing two distinct families. The umbilical cord branched to supply a bilobed allantoic sac. Small blood vessels and smooth muscle bundles were found within the stroma of the cord. Foci of squamous metaplasia occurred in the allanto-amnion and allantochorion. The interhemal membrane of the placenta was of the epitheliochorial type. Two different types of trophoblastic epithelium were seen. Most was of the simple columnar type and indented by fetal capillaries. However, there were also areolar regions with tall columnar trophoblast and these were more sparsely supplied with capillaries. The endometrium was well vascularised and richly supplied with actively secreting glands. These findings are consistent with the current view that Cetacea are nested within Artiodactyla as sister group to the hippopotamids

O Procedimento de Desenhos-Estórias com Tema em pesquisas qualitativas sobre imaginários coletivos

O Procedimento de Desenhos-Estórias com Tema é um mediador que vem sendo utilizado em várias pesquisas sobre imaginários coletivos que tomam a psicologia psicanalítica concreta como referencial teórico-metodológico. Assim, justifica-se o objetivo do presente texto de apresentar os fundamentos teórico-metodológicos desse tipo de recurso. Para tanto, o artigo está organizado em três seções. Na primeira, discorre sobre as diversas possibilidades por meio das quais a psicanálise vem sendo vinculada à pesquisa qualitativa, com vistas a situar o trabalho com o Procedimento de Desenhos-Estórias com Tema nesse leque de alternativas. Na segunda, apresenta, detalha e fundamenta o próprio procedimento, dedicando atenção ao processo de definição do tema a ser solicitado. Na terceira, apresenta material de pesquisa para ilustrar as questões que compõem a segunda parte do artigo

O Procedimento de Desenhos-Estórias com Tema em pesquisas qualitativas sobre imaginários coletivos

La Procédure de Dessins-Histoires avec Thème est un ressource qui a été utilisé dans plusieurs recherches sur des imaginaires collectives qui prennent la psychologie psychanalytique concrète comme cadre théorique et méthodologique. L'objectif de ce texte se justifie pour présenter les fondements théoriques et méthodologiques de ce type de ressource. À cette fin, l'article est organisé en trois sections. Dans la premier, il aborde des différentes possibilités par lesquelles la psychanalyse est liée à la recherche qualitative, en vue de situer des travails avec la Procédure de Dessins-Histoires avec Thème dans cettes alternatives. Dans la seconde, il présente, détaille et justifie la procédure elle-même, en accordant une attention au processus de définition du thème. Dans la troisième, il présente du matériel de recherche pour illustrer les questions qui composent la deuxième partie de l'article.Il conclut en considérant que l'utilisation de la Procédure de Dessins-Histoires avec Thème, lorsqu'elle est ancrée et articulée avec un cadre théorique dûment expliqué, s'avère être un médiateur dialogique fécond dans la production de matériel d'investigation dans la recherche sur les imaginaires collectifs.El Procedimiento de Dibujos-Cuentos con Tema es un mediador que ha sido utilizado en diversas investigaciones sobre imaginarios colectivos que toman la psicología psicoanalítica concreta como marco teórico-metodológico. Así, se justifica el propósito del texto de presentar los fundamentos teórico-metodológicos de este tipo de recurso. El artículo se organiza en tres secciones. En el primero, se discuten las diversas posibilidades a través de las cuales el psicoanálisis se ha vinculado a la investigación cualitativa, con miras a situar el trabajo con el Procedimiento de Dibujos-Cuentos con Tema en este abanico de alternativas. En el segundo, presenta, detalla y ustifica el propio procedimiento, prestando atención al proceso de definición del tema a solicitar. En el tercero, presenta material de investigación para ilustrar las preguntas que componen la segunda parte del artículo. Concluye considerando que la utilización del Procedimiento de Dibujos-Cuentos con Tema, cuando fundamentado y articulado con un refencial teórico debidamente explicado, se muestra como un fructífero mediador dialógico en la producción de material investigativo en la investigación de los imaginarios colectivos.O Procedimento de Desenhos-Estórias com Tema é um mediador que vem sendo utilizado em várias pesquisas sobre imaginários coletivos que tomam a psicologia psicanalítica concreta como referencial teórico-metodológico. Assim, justifica-se o objetivo do presente texto de apresentar os fundamentos teórico-metodológicos desse tipo de recurso. Para tanto, o artigo está organizado em três seções. Na primeira, discorre sobre as diversas possibilidades por meio das quais a psicanálise vem sendo vinculada à pesquisa qualitativa, com vistas a situar o trabalho com o Procedimento de Desenhos-Estórias com Tema nesse leque de alternativas. Na segunda, apresenta, detalha e fundamenta o próprio procedimento, dedicando atenção ao processo de definição do tema a ser solicitado. Na terceira, apresenta material de pesquisa para ilustrar as questões que compõem a segunda parte do artigo. Finaliza considerando que o uso do Procedimento de Desenhos-Estórias com Tema, quando fundamentado e articulado com referencial teórico devidamente explicitado, revela-se um mediador dialógico fecundo na produção de material investigativo em pesquisas sobre imaginários coletivos.The Thematic Story-Drawing Procedure is a mediator that has been used in several researches on collective imagery which take the concrete psychoanalytic psychology as a theoretical-methodological framework. Thus, it is justified the present’s paper aim which is to discuss the theoretical and methodological foundations of this type of mediator. The paper is organized in three sections. In the first, it discusses the various possibilities through which psychoanalysis has been linked to qualitative research, situating researches with Thematic Story-Drawing Procedure in these range of possibilities. In the second, it presents, details, and justifies the procedure itself, devoting attention to the process of defining the theme to be requested. In the third, it presents research material to illustrate the questions presented in the second part of the paper. It considers that the use of the Thematic Story-Drawing Procedure, when articulated with a duly explained theoretical framework, proves to be a fruitful dialogic mediator in the production of investigative material in research on collective imaginaries

Placentation and fetal membrane development in the South American coati, Nasua nasua (Mammalia, Carnivora, Procyonidae)

Abstract\ud \ud Background\ud Placental research in carnivores has concentrated on domestic species, which have zonary, labyrinthine placentas with an endotheliochorial barrier. Although the coati, Nasua nasua, is a widely distributed species in South America, data on the development of the placenta and the fetal membranes in this species are very sparse.\ud \ud \ud Findings\ud Four placentas from mid-gestation to near term were collected from wild individuals and were investigated based on gross morphology, histology, immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. The available data support the concept that the ancestral condition of placentation in carnivores is phylogenetically characterized by a zonary and labyrinthine placental type with an endotheliochorial fetomaternal barrier, comprising extended epitheliochorial and haemochorial zones, such as hemophagous organs for iron supply and histiotrophe uptake and a yolk sac placenta.\ud \ud \ud Conclusions\ud Because of the foundational mechanisms that lead to the considerable complexity of fetomaternal contact zones in carnivores have not been studied, carnivores are interesting animal models for interhaemal barrier differentiation.Financial support was provided by FAPESP (2009/51606-0)

Early transplantation of human immature dental pulp stem cells from baby teeth to golden retriever muscular dystrophy (GRMD) dogs: Local or systemic?

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The golden retriever muscular dystrophy (GRMD) dogs represent the best available animal model for therapeutic trials aiming at the future treatment of human Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). We have obtained a rare litter of six GRMD dogs (3 males and 3 females) born from an affected male and a carrier female which were submitted to a therapeutic trial with adult human stem cells to investigate their capacity to engraft into dogs muscles by local as compared to systemic injection without any immunosuppression.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Human Immature Dental Pulp Stem Cells (hIDPSC) were transplanted into 4 littermate dogs aged 28 to 40 days by either arterial or muscular injections. Two non-injected dogs were kept as controls. Clinical translation effects were analyzed since immune reactions by blood exams and physical scores capacity of each dog. Samples from biopsies were checked by immunohistochemistry (dystrophin markers) and FISH for human probes.</p> <p>Results and Discussion</p> <p>We analyzed the cells' ability in respect to migrate, engraftment, and myogenic potential, and the expression of human dystrophin in affected muscles. Additionally, the efficiency of single and consecutive early transplantation was compared. Chimeric muscle fibers were detected by immunofluorescence and fluorescent <it>in situ </it>hybridisation (FISH) using human antibodies and X and Y DNA probes. No signs of immune rejection were observed and these results suggested that hIDPSC cell transplantation may be done without immunosuppression. We showed that hIDPSC presented significant engraftment in GRMD dog muscles, although human dystrophin expression was modest and limited to several muscle fibers. Better clinical condition was also observed in the dog, which received monthly arterial injections and is still clinically stable at 25 months of age.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our data suggested that systemic multiple deliveries seemed more effective than local injections. These findings open important avenues for further researches.</p

Constraining an R-parity violating supersymmetric theory from the SuperKamiokande data on atmospheric neutrinos

The constraints on an R-parity violating supersymmetric theory arising from the recent SuperKamiokande results on atmospheric neutrinos are studied, with special reference to a scenario with bilinear R-parity violating terms. Considering both the fermionic and scalar sectors, we find that a large area of the parameter space is allowed, in terms of both the lepton-number violating entries in the superpotential and the soft R-violating terms in the scalar potential, and that no fine-tuning is required. However, the need to avoid flavour changing neutral currents puts additional restrictions on the theory, requiring either the R-violating terms in the superpotential to be smaller than the R-conserving ones, or a hierarchy in the R-violating parameters for different lepton flavours in the superpotential.Comment: 18 pages, LaTex including postscript figure

Cosmological parameter estimation using Very Small Array data out to l=1500

We estimate cosmological parameters using data obtained by the Very Small Array (VSA) in its extended configuration, in conjunction with a variety of other CMB data and external priors. Within the flat $\Lambda$CDM model, we find that the inclusion of high resolution data from the VSA modifies the limits on the cosmological parameters as compared to those suggested by WMAP alone, while still remaining compatible with their estimates. We find that $\Omega_{\rm b}h^2=0.0234^{+0.0012}_{-0.0014}$, $\Omega_{\rm dm}h^2=0.111^{+0.014}_{-0.016}$, $h=0.73^{+0.09}_{-0.05}$, $n_{\rm S}=0.97^{+0.06}_{-0.03}$, $10^{10}A_{\rm S}=23^{+7}_{-3}$ and $\tau=0.14^{+0.14}_{-0.07}$ for WMAP and VSA when no external prior is included.On extending the model to include a running spectral index of density fluctuations, we find that the inclusion of VSA data leads to a negative running at a level of more than 95% confidence ($n_{\rm run}=-0.069\pm 0.032$), something which is not significantly changed by the inclusion of a stringent prior on the Hubble constant. Inclusion of prior information from the 2dF galaxy redshift survey reduces the significance of the result by constraining the value of $\Omega_{\rm m}$. We discuss the veracity of this result in the context of various systematic effects and also a broken spectral index model. We also constrain the fraction of neutrinos and find that $f_{\nu}< 0.087$ at 95% confidence which corresponds to $m_\nu<0.32{\rm eV}$ when all neutrino masses are the equal. Finally, we consider the global best fit within a general cosmological model with 12 parameters and find consistency with other analyses available in the literature. The evidence for $n_{\rm run}<0$ is only marginal within this model

Macroscopia da orofaringe de Ema

The rhea (Rhea americana americana) is an american bird belonging to Ratite's family. Studies related to its morphology are still scarce. This study aims to describe the macroscopic structures of the oropharyngeal cavity. Five heads (2 to 6 months old) formalin preserved were anatomically dissected to expose the oropharynx. The oropharynx of the rhea was "bell-shaped" composed by the maxillary and mandibular rhamphotheca. The roof and floor presented two distinct regions different in colour of the mucosa. The rostral region was pale pink contrasting to grey coloured caudal region. The median longitudinal ridge extended rostrally from the apex of the choana to the tip of the beak in the roof and it is clearly more prominent and rigid than the homolog in the floor that appeared thin and stretched merely along the rostral portion of the regio interramalis. The floor was formed by the interramal region, (regio interramalis) tongue and laryngeal mound containing glove-shaped glottis. This study confirmed the basic morphology of the oropharinx of the rhea. However, important morphological information not previously described is highlighted and contradictory information present in the literature is clarified

Three-Neutrino Mixing after the First Results from K2K and KamLAND

We analyze the impact of the data on long baseline \nu_\mu disappearance from the K2K experiment and reactor \bar\nu_e disappearance from the KamLAND experiment on the determination of the leptonic three-generation mixing parameters. Performing an up-to-date global analysis of solar, atmospheric, reactor and long baseline neutrino data in the context of three-neutrino oscillations, we determine the presently allowed ranges of masses and mixing and we consistently derive the allowed magnitude of the elements of the leptonic mixing matrix. We also quantify the maximum allowed contribution of \Delta m^2_{21} oscillations to CP-odd and CP-even observables at future long baseline experiments.Comment: Some typos correcte