Intrabursal administration of the antiangiopoietin 1 antibody produces a delay in rat follicular development associated with an increase in ovarian apoptosis mediated by changes in the expression of BCL2 related genes

The angiopoietin (ANGPT) receptor (TEK) system plays a crucial role in blood vessel development and regression. To date, no reports have addressed the actions of the anti-ANGPT1 antibody on gonadotropin-stimulated follicular development and atresia in the ovary. Therefore, in this study we specifically investigated whether ANGPT1 plays a critical intraovarian survival role for gonadotropin-dependent folliculogenesis. In particular, we examined the effect of local administration of anti-ANGPT1 antibody on follicular development, apoptosis, and expression of BCL2 protein family members (BAX, BCL2, and BCL2L1), TNFRSF6, and FASLG in ovarian follicles from prepubertal eCG-treated rats. The inhibition of ANGPT1 caused an increase in the number of atretic follicles and a decrease in the number of both antral follicles (AFs) and preovulatory follicles in gonadotropin-treated rat ovaries. Taking into account that follicular atresia is mediated by apoptosis, we analyzed the effect of the antibody against ANGPT1 on programmed cell death. The inhibition of the action of ANGPT1 caused an increase both in the number of apoptotic granulosa cells in AFs and in the spontaneous DNA fragmentation of AFs cultured in serum-free medium. Besides, AFs obtained from rats treated with intraovarian antibodies against ANGPT1 showed both a decrease in BCL2 and an increase in BAX protein levels. Moreover, a reduction in the BCL2L1L/BCL2L1S ratio was observed in this group, with a reduction of BCL2L1L greater than that of BCL2L1S, thus showing that the expression of these antiapoptotic proteins is lower in follicles from treated rats than in those from untreated ones. Our findings suggest that the inhibition of ANGPT1 activity causes an increase in the number of atretic follicles mediated by ovarian apoptosis through an imbalance in the ratio of antiapoptotic to proapoptotic proteins. This could take place through a paracrine effect on granulosa cells mediated by the TEK receptor in theca cells. Therefore, these data clearly indicate that ANGPT1 is necessary for follicular development induced by gonadotropins. © 2008 by the Society for the Study of Reproduction, Inc.Fil:Parborell, F. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina.Fil:Abramovich, D. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina.Fil:Tesone, M. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina

ICMSF Methods Studies. XV. Comparison of Four Media and Methods for Enumerating Staphylococcus aureus in Powdered Milk.

Four media were examined for their usefulness in enumerating Staphylococcus aureus inoculated (a) into milk that was then dried or (b) directly into dried milk powder. In all, seven strains of S. aureus were inoculated individually into each preparation and were enumerated after two periods of storage (18 to 19 d and 60 to 61 d). Fourteen laboratories from twelve countries participated in the comparison which found that direct plating on agar medium in 14-cm petri dishes may be as useful as enrichment followed by streaking. Plating on Baird-Parker medium or on Hauschild pork plasma fibrinogen medium and a MPN method using Giolitti and Cantoni's broth with Tween 80 were equally sensitive for enumerating S. aureus in dried milk powder. The use of Hauschild medium may eliminate the need for supplementary tests to confirm colonies as S. aureus , but in some cases was found to fail in some laboratories. Giolitti and Cantoni's broth without Tween 80 generally was less useful than the three other media for enumerating S. aureus . S. aureus inoculated into milk that was then dried survived longer than when inoculated into dried milk

Interventions to improve therapeutic communications between Black and minority ethnic patients and professionals in psychiatric services: systematic review

Background: Communication may be an influential determinant of inequality of access to, engagement with and benefit from psychiatric services. Aims: To review the evidence on interventions designed to improve therapeutic communications between Black and minority ethnic patients and clinicians who provide care in psychiatric services. Method: Systematic review and evidence synthesis (PROSPERO registration: CRD42011001661). Data sources included the published and the ‘grey’ literature. A survey of experts and a consultation with patients and carers all contributed to the evidence synthesis, interpretation and recommendations. Results: Twenty-one studies were included in our analysis. The trials showed benefits mainly for depressive symptoms, experiences of care, knowledge, stigma, adherence to prescribed medication, insight and alliance. The effect sizes were smaller for better-quality trials (range of d 0.18–0.75) than for moderate- or lower-quality studies (range of d 0.18–4.3). The review found only two studies offering weak economic evidence. Conclusions: Culturally adapted psychotherapies, and ethnographic and motivational assessment leading to psychotherapies were effective and favoured by patients and carers. Further trials are needed from outside of the UK and USA, as are economic evaluations and studies of routine psychiatric care practices

Aspectos de ingeniería de software, bases de datos relacionales, y bases de datos no relacionales y bases de datos como servicios en la nube para el desarrollo de software híbrido

Se presenta una línea de investigación que tiene por objeto estudiar las problemáticas actuales que afronta los procesos de Ingeniería de Software y Bases de Datos ante una gran variedad aplicaciones multiplataformas (Web y móvil), que son de uso constante por millones de usuario simultáneamente y de cualquier punto geográfico. En este contexto, las metodologías ágiles, son sin duda, las más utilizadas en el proceso de desarrollo del Software actual. El modelo {relacional de Bases de Datos (Codd 1970), es el modelo predominante de almacenamiento de información. Sin embargo, la idea de considerar que un único modelo de datos pueda adaptarse de forma eficiente a todos los requerimientos, ha sido discutida. Surgen así, otros motores de Bases de Datos que poseen implementaciones propias no relacionales y se denominan Bases de Datos NoSQL (No solo SQL). Estas Bases de Datos son un complemento y/o alternativa a las Bases de Datos Relacionales en el proceso de diseño de la información. En la actualidad, los proveedores de Bases de Datos No Relacionales ofrecen implementaciones alternativas en la nube. Con esto se cuenta con un conjunto de herramientas importantes para el desarrollo de aplicaciones móviles. Esto implica, tener en cuenta aspectos que hace algunos años no eran considerados, tales como, movilidad, geolocalización, generación de grandes volúmenes de información y la diversidad de los dispositivos electrónicos involucrados.Eje: Ingeniería de Software.Red de Universidades con Carreras en Informátic

Sexuação, desejo e gozo: entre neurose e perversão

Este artigo retoma três perguntas lançadas por Freud em 1927, no seu excepcional texto intitulado "Fetichismo", para repensá-las a partir do ensino de Lacan dos anos 1970, conhecido como o campo do gozo. O artigo se serve das fórmulas quânticas da sexuação, para verificar a evidenciação lógica "a relação sexual não existe" na posição sexuada que um sujeito pode ocupar com seus parceiros nas estruturas neurótica e perversa. Interrogamos algumas variantes do sujeito com seu parceiro no gozo e no desejo. Para tanto, retomamos os três tipos de gozo verificados por Lacan na relação do sujeito com o parceiro na posição sexuada: o gozo feminino - também chamado de suplementar e gozo Outro -, o gozo místico e o gozo perverso. Revisitam-se os casos trabalhados por Lacan para questionar o que distingue fundamentalmente o neurótico do perverso, ou seja, retomando as questões introduzidas por Freud

“It’s Like Hating Puppies!” Employee Disengagement and Corporate Social Responsibility

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been linked with numerous organizational advantages, including recruitment, retention, productivity, and morale, which relate specifically to employees. However, despite specific benefits of CSR relating to employees and their importance as a stakeholder group, it is noteworthy that a lack of attention has been paid to the individual level of analysis with CSR primarily being studied at the organizational level. Both research and practice of CSR have largely treated the individual organization as a “black box,” failing to account for individual differences amongst employees and the resulting variations in antecedents to CSR engagement or disengagement. This is further exacerbated by the tendency in stakeholder theory to homogenize priorities within a single stakeholder group. In response, utilizing case study data drawn from three multinational tourism and hospitality organizations, combined with extensive interview data collected from CSR leaders, industry professionals, engaged, and disengaged employees, this exploratory research produces a finer-grained understanding of employees as a stakeholder group, identifying a number of opportunities and barriers for individual employee engagement in CSR interventions. This research proposes that employees are situated along a spectrum of engagement from actively engaged to actively disengaged. While there are some common drivers of engagement across the entire spectrum of employees, differences also exist depending on the degree to which employees, rather than senior management, support corporate responsibility within their organizations. Key antecedents to CSR engagement that vary depending on employees’ existing level of broader engagement include organizational culture, CSR intervention design, employee CSR perceptions, and the observed benefits of participation

Intrabursal administration of the antiangiopoietin 1 antibody produces a delay in rat follicular development associated with an increase in ovarian apoptosis mediated by changes in the expression of BCL2 related genes

The angiopoietin (ANGPT) receptor (TEK) system plays a crucial role in blood vessel development and regression. To date, no reports have addressed the actions of the anti-ANGPT1 antibody on gonadotropin-stimulated follicular development and atresia in the ovary. Therefore, in this study we specifically investigated whether ANGPT1 plays a critical intraovarian survival role for gonadotropin-dependent folliculogenesis. In particular, we examined the effect of local administration of anti-ANGPT1 antibody on follicular development, apoptosis, and expression of BCL2 protein family members (BAX, BCL2, and BCL2L1), TNFRSF6, and FASLG in ovarian follicles from prepubertal eCG-treated rats. The inhibition of ANGPT1 caused an increase in the number of atretic follicles and a decrease in the number of both antral follicles (AFs) and preovulatory follicles in gonadotropin-treated rat ovaries. Taking into account that follicular atresia is mediated by apoptosis, we analyzed the effect of the antibody against ANGPT1 on programmed cell death. The inhibition of the action of ANGPT1 caused an increase both in the number of apoptotic granulosa cells in AFs and in the spontaneous DNA fragmentation of AFs cultured in serum-free medium. Besides, AFs obtained from rats treated with intraovarian antibodies against ANGPT1 showed both a decrease in BCL2 and an increase in BAX protein levels. Moreover, a reduction in the BCL2L1L/BCL2L1S ratio was observed in this group, with a reduction of BCL2L1L greater than that of BCL2L1S, thus showing that the expression of these antiapoptotic proteins is lower in follicles from treated rats than in those from untreated ones. Our findings suggest that the inhibition of ANGPT1 activity causes an increase in the number of atretic follicles mediated by ovarian apoptosis through an imbalance in the ratio of antiapoptotic to proapoptotic proteins. This could take place through a paracrine effect on granulosa cells mediated by the TEK receptor in theca cells. Therefore, these data clearly indicate that ANGPT1 is necessary for follicular development induced by gonadotropins. © 2008 by the Society for the Study of Reproduction, Inc.Fil:Parborell, F. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina.Fil:Abramovich, D. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina.Fil:Tesone, M. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina