Use of biochemical and protein profiles of seminal plasma to prediction of semen quality and fertility in stallions

The identification of various substances in seminal plasma has opened the way to study their functionality. It was aimed to identify the electrophoretic protein profile (EPP) and biochemical parameters (BP) of seminal plasma (SP) as predictors of semen quality and fertility in stallion. Forty-six ejaculates from 7 fertile stallions, aged between 6-26 years, were collected from May to July and 117 mares were used to obtain fertility data. For each ejaculate, volume, sperm motility, concentration were determined and seminal plasma samples were collected to perform one-dimensional electrophoresis and biochemical profiling. Following the estrus detection, mares were inseminated with fresh sperm. Pregnancy rates and foal rates were recorded. The concentration of 15-18 kDa molecular weight (MW) proteins has shown a positive correlation with sperm concentration and foal rate. Besides, a strong positive correlation was found between sperm concentration and 23-28 kDa MW proteins (r=0.77). The volume of 19-22 kDa MW proteins was negatively correlated with pregnancy and foal rate. Similarly, the volume of high MW proteins (173-385 kDa) correlated negatively with sperm motility and foal rate. Apart from the protein profile, while Magnesium and Glucose levels were negatively correlated with sperm quality and foal rate, Cholesterol level was a positive indicator of the quality of semen as well as the foaling rate. Moreover, the total protein level was correlated negatively with the sperm concentration whereas triglyceride was correlated positively. In conclusion, EPP and BP of seminal plasma are valuable clinical tools as predictors of fertility and semen quality in the stallion.Fil: Stelletta, C.. Università di Padova; ItaliaFil: Alberti, S.. Università di Padova; ItaliaFil: Cil, B.. Ankara University; TurquíaFil: Tekin, K.. Ankara University; TurquíaFil: Tirpan, M. B.. Ankara University; TurquíaFil: Argañaraz, Martin Eduardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Akcay, E.. Ankara University; TurquíaFil: Daskin, A.. Ankara University; Turquí

Factorial electrochemical design for tailoring of morphological and optical properties of Cu2O

[EN] The electrodeposition of cuprous oxide (Cu2O) onto FTO-coated glass substrate was studied by using a statistical approach in order to control the Cu2O morphology and optical properties. The factorial design considered four electrodeposition conditions at two representative levels as input variables (electrolyte temperature and pH, deposition potential and duration) and the deposition charge and morphology of obtained Cu2O as the output variables. The morphology analysis showed the highest influence on crystal shape was exhibited by electrolyte temperature and pH, reaching significance levels of 95 and 98%, respectively. Temperature as low as 35°C and pH 12.2 results in cubic morphology, while other parameters result in octahedron shape. The highest absorbance was exhibited by the Cu2O with cubic morphology.AP acknowledges financial support from Romanian National Authority for Scientific Research and Innovation, CNCS - UEFISCDI (project number PN-II-RU-TE-2014-4-0806].Cembrero-Coca, P.; Cembrero Cil, J.; Busquets Mataix, DJ.; Pérez Puig, MA.; Marí, B.; Pruna, AI. (2017). Factorial electrochemical design for tailoring of morphological and optical properties of Cu2O. Materials Science and Technology. 33(17):2102-2109. https://doi.org/10.1080/02670836.2017.1349595S210221093317Rakhshani, A. E. (1987). Measurement of dispersion in electrodeposited Cu2O. Journal of Applied Physics, 62(4), 1528-1529. doi:10.1063/1.339619Chen, L.-C. (2013). Review of preparation and optoelectronic characteristics of Cu2O-based solar cells with nanostructure. Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing, 16(5), 1172-1185. doi:10.1016/j.mssp.2012.12.028Hsu, Y.-K., Lin, H.-H., Wu, J.-R., Chen, M.-H., Chen, Y.-C., & Lin, Y.-G. (2014). Electrochemical growth and characterization of a p-Cu2O thin film on n-ZnO nanorods for solar cell application. RSC Advances, 4(15), 7655. doi:10.1039/c3ra47188hChou, S.-M., Hon, M.-H., Leu, I.-C., & Lee, Y.-H. (2008). Al-Doped ZnO∕Cu[sub 2]O Heterojunction Fabricated on (200) and (111)-Orientated Cu[sub 2]O Substrates. Journal of The Electrochemical Society, 155(11), H923. doi:10.1149/1.2980424Siegfried, M. J., & Choi, K.-S. (2004). Electrochemical Crystallization of Cuprous Oxide with Systematic Shape Evolution. Advanced Materials, 16(19), 1743-1746. doi:10.1002/adma.200400177Siegfried, M. J., & Choi, K.-S. (2005). Directing the Architecture of Cuprous Oxide Crystals during Electrochemical Growth. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 44(21), 3218-3223. doi:10.1002/anie.200463018Yang, W.-Y., Kim, W.-G., & Rhee, S.-W. (2008). Radio frequency sputter deposition of single phase cuprous oxide using Cu2O as a target material and its resistive switching properties. Thin Solid Films, 517(2), 967-971. doi:10.1016/j.tsf.2008.08.184Reddy, A. S., Uthanna, S., & Reddy, P. S. (2007). Properties of dc magnetron sputtered Cu2O films prepared at different sputtering pressures. Applied Surface Science, 253(12), 5287-5292. doi:10.1016/j.apsusc.2006.11.051Laik, B., Poizot, P., & Tarascon, J.-M. (2002). The Electrochemical Quartz Crystal Microbalance as a Means for Studying the Reactivity of Cu[sub 2]O toward Lithium. Journal of The Electrochemical Society, 149(3), A251. doi:10.1149/1.1445430Fu, L. J., Gao, J., Zhang, T., Cao, Q., Yang, L. C., Wu, Y. P., … Wu, H. Q. (2007). Preparation of Cu2O particles with different morphologies and their application in lithium ion batteries. Journal of Power Sources, 174(2), 1197-1200. doi:10.1016/j.jpowsour.2007.06.030Zhou, Y., & Switzer, J. A. (1998). Electrochemical Deposition and Microstructure of Copper (I) Oxide Films. Scripta Materialia, 38(11), 1731-1738. doi:10.1016/s1359-6462(98)00091-8Budevski, E., Staikov, G., & Lorenz, W. J. (2000). Electrocrystallization. Electrochimica Acta, 45(15-16), 2559-2574. doi:10.1016/s0013-4686(00)00353-4Morales, J., Sánchez, L., Bijani, S., Martı́nez, L., Gabás, M., & Ramos-Barrado, J. R. (2005). Electrodeposition of Cu[sub 2]O: An Excellent Method for Obtaining Films of Controlled Morphology and Good Performance in Li-Ion Batteries. Electrochemical and Solid-State Letters, 8(3), A159. doi:10.1149/1.1854126Holzschuh, H., & Suhr, H. (1990). Deposition of copper oxide (Cu2O, CuO) thin films at high temperatures by plasma-enhanced CVD. Applied Physics A Solids and Surfaces, 51(6), 486-490. doi:10.1007/bf00324731Jeong, S., & Aydil, E. S. (2009). Heteroepitaxial growth of Cu2O thin film on ZnO by metal organic chemical vapor deposition. Journal of Crystal Growth, 311(17), 4188-4192. doi:10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2009.07.020Pruna, A., Pullini, D., & Busquets, D. (2015). Effect of AZO film as seeding substrate on the electrodeposition and properties of Al-doped ZnO nanorod arrays. Ceramics International, 41(10), 14492-14500. doi:10.1016/j.ceramint.2015.07.087Pruna, A., Pullini, D., Tamvakos, D., Tamvakos, A., & Busquets-Mataix, D. (2015). Effect of tin-doped indium oxide film on electrodeposition of ZnO nanostructures. Materials Science and Technology, 31(14), 1794-1799. doi:10.1179/1743284715y.0000000016Pruna, A., Reyes-Tolosa, M. D., Pullini, D., Hernandez-Fenollosa, M. A., & Busquets-Mataix, D. (2015). Seed-free electrodeposition of ZnO bi-pods on electrophoretically-reduced graphene oxide for optoelectronic applications. Ceramics International, 41(2), 2381-2388. doi:10.1016/j.ceramint.2014.10.052Cembrero, J., Pruna, A., Pullini, D., & Busquets-Mataix, D. (2014). Effect of combined chemical and electrochemical reduction of graphene oxide on morphology and structure of electrodeposited ZnO. Ceramics International, 40(7), 10351-10357. doi:10.1016/j.ceramint.2014.03.008Prună, A., Pullini, D., & Mataix, D. B. (2012). Influence of Deposition Potential on Structure of ZnO Nanowires Synthesized in Track-Etched Membranes. Journal of The Electrochemical Society, 159(4), E92-E98. doi:10.1149/2.003205jesJiang, X., Zhang, M., Shi, S., He, G., Song, X., & Sun, Z. (2014). Microstructure and optical properties of nanocrystalline Cu2O thin films prepared by electrodeposition. Nanoscale Research Letters, 9(1), 219. doi:10.1186/1556-276x-9-219Yu, X., Li, X., Zheng, G., Wei, Y., Zhang, A., & Yao, B. (2013). Preparation and properties of KCl-doped Cu2O thin film by electrodeposition. Applied Surface Science, 270, 340-345. doi:10.1016/j.apsusc.2013.01.026Bijani, S., Schrebler, R., Dalchiele, E. A., Gabás, M., Martínez, L., & Ramos-Barrado, J. R. (2011). Study of the Nucleation and Growth Mechanisms in the Electrodeposition of Micro- and Nanostructured Cu2O Thin Films. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 115(43), 21373-21382. doi:10.1021/jp208535

Improving the properties of Cu2O/ZnO heterojunction for photovoltaic application by graphene oxide

[EN] A p-Cu2O/n-ZnO heterojunction grown on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate is reported by a combined low-cost approach employing tape-casting of ZnO layer and subsequent electrochemical deposition of Cu2O layer. Graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets were employed as nanofiller for the ZnO matrix. Moreover, a ZnO buffer layer was inserted at the interface between the Cu2O and ZnO layers. The morphological, structural and photoelectrical characteristics of these heterojunction layers were investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and photoelectrical current-voltage measurements. The results confirmed that the morphology and structure of ZnO layer were affected by the incorporation of GO nanosheets while the presence of buffer layer influenced the growth of Cu2O layer. This work shows the addition of GO and the use of ZnO buffer layer represent a viable approach towards improving the photoelectrical properties of the Cu2O/ZnO heterojunction cell.Financial support from Escuela Politecnica Nacional, Ecuador (project number PIMI 15-09) and Secretaria de Education Superior, Ciencia, Tecnologia e Innovation (SENESCYT) and Romanian National Authority for Scientific Research and Innovation, Romania CNCS - UEFISCDI (project number PN-III-P1-1.1-TE-2016-1544) is gratefully acknowledged.Rosas-Laverde, NM.; Pruna, AI.; Busquets Mataix, DJ.; Marí, B.; Cembrero Cil, J.; Salas Vicente, F.; Orozco-Messana, J. (2018). Improving the properties of Cu2O/ZnO heterojunction for photovoltaic application by graphene oxide. Ceramics International. 44(18):23045-23051. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2018.09.107S2304523051441

ANIMAL BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION, A KEY OF SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE. CASE STUDY: THE ROMANIAN PINZGAU BREED IN TRANSILVANIA REGION

Abstract Pinzgau breed or Pinzgauer is called after its region of origin . These things are the main reasons why race should be kept in a form of active conservation. Moreover, in order to preserve the tradition and traditional products in Romania, is required to maintain this breed and even the formation of its national park

Blunt trauma as a suspected cause of delayed constrictive pericarditis: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Constrictive pericarditis is a heterogeneous disease with many causes. Traumatic hemopericardium is an uncommon initiating cause. We report the case of a man developing constrictive pericarditis after blunt chest trauma, in order to highlight an approach to diagnosing the condition and to raise awareness of the possibility of this condition developing after blunt trauma.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 72-year-old Caucasian man presented initially to our outpatient clinic with a one-year history of progressively worsening dyspnea, and recent onset of edema of the legs. He was later taken to the emergency department and admitted to hospital. He had previously received unsuccessful treatment from his local primary physicians for suspected respiratory disorder and cellulitis of his legs. Echocardiography showed evidence of pericardial constriction, and computed tomography revealed nodular, lobulated thickening of the pericardium and pleura bilaterally. Interventional biopsies were taken, but gave inconclusive results. Thus, as pericarditis and/or advanced malignancy were suspected, diagnostic video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery was performed to take biopsies from the abnormal lung and pericardial tissue. Examination of these supported the diagnosis of pericarditis, as acute and chronic inflammation and fibrous thickening were found, with no evidence of malignancy. Our patient underwent cardiac catheterization, which revealed three-vessel coronary artery disease. Emergency total pericardiectomy and coronary bypass were performed. Having excluded other common initiating factors, we considered that a blunt trauma that our patient had previously sustained to his chest was the potential cause of the constrictive pericarditis.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This was an interesting case of blunt chest trauma followed by progressive pericardial and pleural thickening. Subsequent development of chronic constrictive pericarditis occurred, requiring treatment by surgical pericardiectomy, as the clinical course of constrictive pericarditis is usually progressive without surgical intervention. Diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis remains challenging. Although uncommon, blunt trauma should be considered as a possible initiating cause. Delayed presentation of constrictive pericarditis should also be considered as a possible morbidity in a patient who has sustained blunt chest trauma. Our case also highlights the importance of performing echocardiography promptly in patients experiencing ongoing symptoms of congestive heart failure to allow earlier diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis or other cardiac disorders, and avoid unnecessary treatments.</p

Cotton in the new millennium: advances, economics, perceptions and problems

Cotton is the most significant natural fibre and has been a preferred choice of the textile industry and consumers since the industrial revolution began. The share of man-made fibres, both regenerated and synthetic fibres, has grown considerably in recent times but cotton production has also been on the rise and accounts for about half of the fibres used for apparel and textile goods. To cotton’s advantage, the premium attached to the presence of cotton fibre and the general positive consumer perception is well established, however, compared to commodity man-made fibres and high performance fibres, cotton has limitations in terms of its mechanical properties but can help to overcome moisture management issues that arise with performance apparel during active wear. This issue of Textile Progress aims to: i. Report on advances in cotton cultivation and processing as well as improvements to conventional cotton cultivation and ginning. The processing of cotton in the textile industry from fibre to finished fabric, cotton and its blends, and their applications in technical textiles are also covered. ii. Explore the economic impact of cotton in different parts of the world including an overview of global cotton trade. iii. Examine the environmental perception of cotton fibre and efforts in organic and genetically-modified (GM) cotton production. The topic of naturally-coloured cotton, post-consumer waste is covered and the environmental impacts of cotton cultivation and processing are discussed. Hazardous effects of cultivation, such as the extensive use of pesticides, insecticides and irrigation with fresh water, and consequences of the use of GM cotton and cotton fibres in general on the climate are summarised and the effects of cotton processing on workers are addressed. The potential hazards during cotton cultivation, processing and use are also included. iv. Examine how the properties of cotton textiles can be enhanced, for example, by improving wrinkle recovery and reducing the flammability of cotton fibre