Effect of contralateral acoustic stimulation on cochlear tuning measured using stimulus frequency and distortion product OAEs

Objective: To study whether a change in cochlear tuning, measured using OAEs, could be detected due to contralateral activation of the efferent system using broadband noise. Design: Cochlear tuning measures based on SFOAE phase gradients and SFOAE-2TS ‘Q’ were used to test this hypothesis. SFOAE magnitude and phase gradient were measured using a pure-tone sweep from 1248 to 2496 Hz at 50 dB SPL. 2TS curves of SFOAE were recorded with a suppressor frequency swept from 1120 to 2080 Hz at 50 dB SPL. DPOAE f2-sweep phase gradient was also obtained to allow comparisons with the literature. All three assays were performed across with- and no-CAS conditions. Study sample: Twenty-two young, normal-hearing adults. Results: CAS did not produce a statistically significant change in the tuning metric in any of the OAE methods used, despite producing significant reductions in the OAE magnitude. Conclusion: It is unknown whether this insensitivity to CAS is due to an insensitivity of these three measures to cochlear mechanical tuning. The results suggest that any changes in tuning induced by CAS that may occur are small and difficult to detect using the OAE measurement paradigms used here<br/

Hemi-ovariossalpingohisterectomia em pacas prenhes e posterior ocorrência de prenhez (Agouti paca, Linnaeus, 1766) Hemiovarysalpingohysterectomy in pregnant pacas and further occurrency of pregnancy (Agouti paca, Linnaeus, 1766)

Foi descrita a hemi-ovariossalpingohisterectomia em cinco pacas prenhes mantidas em cativeiro no Setor de Animais Silvestres da Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV-UNESP) de Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brasil, a fim de observar futura prenhez no corno restante. A tranqüilização foi obtida após aplicação de azaperone (4mg/kg) seguida da aplicação de sulfato de atropina (0,06mg/kg) e da associação de cloridrato de quetamina (20mg/kg) e cloridrato de xilazina (1,5mg/kg), ambos na mesma seringa, para indução da anestesia. A anestesia geral foi obtida mediante inalação de halotano por máscara. Por meio de laparotomia mediana, foram retirados o corno uterino prenhe, o ovário e a tuba uterina, todos do mesmo antímero. Antibióticos (30.000UI/kg de três penicilinas e 12,5mg/kg de duas estreptomicinas) e analgésico (0,02mg/kg de buprenorfina) foram aplicados imediatamente após a cirurgia, sendo repetidos após dois dias. Todas as aplicações foram feitas por via intramuscular. Apesar da permanência de apenas um ovário após a cirurgia, nova prenhez ocorreu no corno restante nas cinco fêmeas submetidas à cirurgia, com o nascimento de filhotes (apenas um por parto) após 215, 248, 276, 302 e 310 dias da hemi-ovariossalpingohisterectomia.<br>The hemiovarysalpingohysterectomy in five captive pregnant pacas kept on the Wild Animal Section at the College of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences (FCAV-UNESP) in Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil, was conducted aiming at verifying the further occurrence of pregnancy on the remaining uterine horn. The tranquilization was achieved by using azaperone (4mg/kg) and consequent application of atropine sulphate (0.06mg/kg) and the association of ketamine (20mg/kg) and xylazine (1.5mg/kg) cloridrates, on the same syringe, for induction of anesthesia. The general anesthesia was performed via a face mask with halothane. By means of median laparotomy, the uterine horn with the fetus, the ovary and the uterine tube, all from the same antimere, were taken out. Antibiotics (30,000IU/kg of three penicillins and 12.5mg/kg of two streptomycins) and analgesic (buprenorfine 0.02 mg/kg) were injected immediately after surgery and repeated after two days. All injections were made intramuscularly. In spite of the permanence of only one ovary after surgery, new pregnancy occurred in the remaining uterine horn in the five females which went through surgery, and the birth (solely one by delivery) happened 210, 248, 276, 302 and 310 days after the hemiovarysalpingohysterectomy

Características reprodutivas da paca fêmea (Agouti paca) criada em cativeiro Reprodutive characteristics of the female paca (Agouti paca) raised in captivity

O objetivo do trabalho foi estudar a biologia reprodutiva da Agouti paca criada em cativeiro. Os resultados demonstraram que, a duração média do ciclo estral foi de 32,5 + 3,7 dias e o período gestacional de 148,6 + 4,8 dias. O intervalo entre partos foi de 224,5 + 52,2 dias e o primeiro cio pós-parto foi de 25,6 + 8,8 dias. A maioria (55,6 %) das fêmeas apresentou dois partos por ano, com o nascimento de um filhote por parto, sendo 44,7 % fêmeas e 55,3 % machos. Ao nascer o peso médio das fêmeas foi de 605,9 + 87,5 g e dos machos 736,7 + 108,4 g (P < 0,05). A puberdade das fêmeas ocorreu entre o 8º e 12º mês, porém neste aspecto são necessárias investigações mais detalhadas.<br>The objective of this paper was to study the reproductive biology of the Agouti paca raised in captivity. It was observed that the estrous cycle average was 32.5 + 3.7 days, gestation length 148.6 + 4.8 days, parturition interval 224.5 + 52.2 days, and the first post-partum 25.6 + 8.8 days. It was also observed that 55.5% of the females presented two parturitions per year with one young per parturition, of which 44.7% were females and 55.3% were males. The birth weight was 605.9 + 87.8 g for females and 736.7 + 108.4 g for males (P<0.05). Puberty in females occurred between 8 to 12 months; for this, however, more detailed investigations are necessary