Seminal plasma applied post-thawing affects boar sperm physiology: A flow cytometry study

P. 400-410Cryopreservation induces extensive biophysical and biochemical changes in the sperm. In the present study, we used flow cytometry to assess the capacitation-like status of frozen-thawed boar spermatozoa and its relationship with intracellular calcium, assessment of membrane fluidity, modification of thiol groups in plasma membrane proteins, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, viability, acrosomal status, and mitochondrial activity. This experiment was performed to verify the effect of adding seminal plasma on post-thaw sperm functions. To determine these effects after cryopreservation, frozen-thawed semen from seven boars was examined after supplementation with different concentrations of pooled seminal plasma (0%, 10%, and 50%) at various times of incubation from 0 to 4 hours. Incubation caused a decrease in membrane integrity and an increase in acrosomal damage, with small changes in other parameters (P > 0.05). Although 10% seminal plasma showed few differences with 0% (ROS increase at 4 hours, P < 0.05), 50% seminal plasma caused important changes. Membrane fluidity increased considerably from the beginning of the experiment, and ROS and free thiols in the cell surface increased by 2 hours of incubation. By the end of the experiment, viability decreased and acrosomal damage increased in the 50% seminal plasma samples. The addition of 50% of seminal plasma seems to modify the physiology of thawed boar spermatozoa, possibly through membrane changes and ROS increase. Although some effects were detrimental, the stimulatory effect of 50% seminal plasma could favor the performance of post-thawed boar semen, as showed in the field (García JC, Domínguez JC, Peña FJ, Alegre B, Gonzalez R, Castro MJ, Habing GG, Kirkwood RN. Thawing boar semen in the presence of seminal plasma: effects on sperm quality and fertility. Anim Reprod Sci 2010;119:160–5).S

Melatonin non-linearly modulates bull spermatozoa motility and physiology in capacitating and non-capacitating conditions

Bull spermatozoa physiology may be modulated by melatonin. We washed ejaculated spermatozoa free of melatonin and incubated them (4 h, 38 °C) with 0-pM, 1-pM, 100-pM, 10-nM and 1-µM melatonin in TALP-HEPES (non-capacitating) and TALP-HEPES-heparin (capacitating). This range of concentrations encompassed the effects mediated by melatonin receptors (pM), intracellular targets (nM–µM) or antioxidant activity (µM). Treatment effects were assessed as motility changes by computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) of motility and physiological changes by flow cytometry. Melatonin effects were more evident in capacitating conditions, with 100 pM reducing motility and velocity (VCL) while increasing a “slow” subpopulation. All concentrations decreased apoptotic spermatozoa and stimulated mitochondrial activity in viable spermatozoa, with 100 pM–1 µM increasing acrosomal damage, 10 nM–1 µM increasing intracellular calcium and 1 pM reducing the response to a calcium-ionophore challenge. In non-capacitating media, 1 µM increased hyperactivation-related variables and decreased apoptotic spermatozoa; 100 pM–1 µM increased membrane disorders (related to capacitation); all concentrations decreased mitochondrial ROS production. Melatonin concentrations had a modal effect on bull spermatozoa, suggesting a capacitation-modulating role and protective effect at physiological concentrations (pM). Some effects may be of practical use, considering artificial reproductive techniques

Especificación de problemas reales para la enseñanza de la informática industrial

En este artículo exponemos una mejora que se aplicará en la especificación de los problemas que los alumnos de la asignatura “Informática Industrial” de segundo curso de la especialidad de electrónica resuelven mediante un miniproyecto desarrollado durante el curso. Hemos establecido una colaboración de intercambio de información con pequeñas empresas de la Comunidad Valenciana para la especificación de problemas reales. Esta colaboración entrará a funcionar de forma experimental este próximo año académico

Enseñanza de la informática industrial mediante proyectos reales simplificados

En este artículo presentamos una iniciativa para las asignaturas de Informática Industrial de especialidades de Electrónica enfocada a fomentar en los alumnos la capacidad para afrontar proyectos de diseño de sistemas informáticos industriales. La idea fundamental es emplear un proyecto real simplificado para que sirva de esqueleto en la explicación y comprensión de contenidos teóricos y en el fomento de las necesarias aptitudes

Human-computer cooperation platform for developing real-time robotic applications

[EN] This paper presents a human-computer cooperation platform, which permits the coordination between the user and the tool to improve the development of real-time control applications (e.g., mobile robots). These applications have functional (robot objectives) and temporal requirements to accomplish (deadlines guarantee of tasks). The simulation tool has been designed in order to permit the testing and validation of these two requirements. To this end, the tool is composed of two independent simulators interconnected through a shared memory: the robot simulator (functional level) and the real-time task scheduler simulator (task execution level). Robotic applications can be defined with the robot simulator while the real-time scheduler simulator permits to analyze the schedulability of the robotic tasks. The real-time task simulator incorporates a flexible task model where the task temporal parameters (e.g., computation time) adapt to the requirements of the application (e.g., number of objects in scenes); thus, the use of the CPU is not overestimated. A key issue of the framework is the human-computer interface, which allows the monitoring of different parameters of the application: robot objectives, task schedule, robot speed, computation time, CPU utilization, deadline misses. The usefulness of the simulation tool is shown through different robotic navigation experiments. Finally, the simulation tool has been used to evaluate the proposed flexible model of tasks compared to a traditional fixed temporal parameters task model. Results show that the robot fulfills the objectives earlier, about 32% on average, and consumes on average about 15% less CPU to accomplish the objectives.Domínguez Montagud, CP.; Martínez-Rubio, J.; Busquets Mataix, JV.; Hassan Mohamed, H. (2019). Human-computer cooperation platform for developing real-time robotic applications. The Journal of Supercomputing. 75(4):1849-1868. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11227-018-2343-4S18491868754Dominguez C, Hassan H, Crespo A (2007) Real-time embedded architecture for pervasive robots. In: The 2007 International Conference on Intelligent Pervasive Computing (IPC 2007), pp 531–536Audsley NC, Burns A, Davis RI, Tindell KW, Wellings AJ (1995) Fixed priority pre-emptive scheduling: an historical perspective. Real Time Syst 8(2–3):173–198Stankovic JA, Lee I, Mok A, Rajkumar R (2005) Opportunities and obligations for physical computing systems. Computer 38(11):23–31Zhen Z, Qixin C, Lo C, Lei Z (2009) A CORBA-based simulation and control framework for mobile robots. Robotica 27(3):459Ferretti G, Magnani G, Porrati P, Rizzi G, Rocco P, Rusconi A (2008) Real-time simulation of a space robotic arm. In: IROSQadi A, Goddard S, Huang J, Farritor S (2005) A performance and schedulability analysis of an autonomous mobile robot. In: 17th Euromicro Conference on Real-Time Systems (ECRTS’05), pp 239–248Goud GR, Sharma N, Ramamritham K, Malewar S (2006) Efficient real-time support for automotive applications: a case study. In: 12th IEEE International Conference on Embedded and Real-Time Computing Systems and Applications (RTCSA’06), pp 335–341Pedreiras P, Luis A (2003) The flexible time-triggered (FTT) paradigm: an approach to QoS management in distributed real-time systems. In: Proceedings International Parallel and Distributed Processing Symposium, p 9Li H, Sweeney J, Ramamritham K, Grupen R, Shenoy P (2003) Real-time support for mobile robotics. In: The 9th IEEE Real-Time and Embedded Technology and Applications Symposium. Proceedings, pp 10–18Chetto H, Chetto M (1989) Some results of the earliest deadline scheduling algorithm. IEEE Trans Softw Eng 15(10):1261–1269Liu R, Zhang X (2017) Systems of natural-language-facilitated human-robot cooperation: a review. arXiv:1701.08269v2Tsarouchi P, Makris S, Chryssolouris G (2016) Human–robot interaction review and challenges on task planning and programming. Int J Comput Integr Manuf 29(8):916–931Moniz A (2013) Organizational concepts and interaction between humans and robots in industrial environments. In: IEEE-RAS-IARP Joint Workshop on Technical Challenges for Dependable Robots in Human Environment, TokyoMayer MP, Odenthal B, Faber M, Winkelholz C, Schlick CM (2014) Cognitive engineering of automated assembly processes. Hum Factors Ergon Manuf Serv Ind 24(3):348–368Agostini A, Torras C, Wörgötter F (2011) Integrating task planning and interactive learning for robots to work in human environments. In: IJCAIKwon W, Suh I (2014) Planning of proactive behaviors for human–robot cooperative tasks under uncertainty. Knowl Based Syst 72:81–95Chen F, Sekiyama K, Sasaki H, Huang J, Sun B, Fukuda T (2011) Assembly strategy modeling and selection for human and robot coordinated cell assembly. In: 2011 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, pp 4670–4675Gombolay M, Wilcox R, Diaz A, Yu F (2013) Towards successful coordination of human and robotic work using automated scheduling tools: an initial pilot study. In: Proceedings of Robotics: Science and Systems, Human–Robot Collaboration WorkshopGombolay MC, Gutierrez RA, Clarke SG, Sturla GF, Shah JA (2015) Decision-making authority, team efficiency and human worker satisfaction in mixed human–robot teams. Auton Robots 39(3):293–312Frontoni E, Mancini A, Caponetti F, Zingaretti P (2006) A framework for simulations and tests of mobile robotics tasks. In: 2006 14th Mediterranean Conference on Control and Automation, pp 1–6I. Embarcadero Technologies, C++ Builder 10.2. https://www.embarcadero.com

Análisis de la competitividad del sistema extensivo de producción ovina de pequeña escala en el sureste hidalguense.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the comparative advantage of grazing in the competitiveness of the small-scale sheep production system in Singuilucan, Hidalgo, Mexico. For this purpose, data from 51 production units were analyzed, chosen from a simple random sampling. The information was obtained through an interview with 120 questions, organized into technical variables, economic aspects and social aspects of the producer. The Policy Analysis Matrix (PAM) was used to analyze the impact of grazing on competitiveness, in two scenarios: in the first, the low cost structure was studied under the traditional form of production, which uses grazing as feeding basis; while in the second, the cost was simulated by counting the purchase of feed, as well as hiring workforce. The results revealed that grazing as a feeding basis (real scenario), instead of commercial feed (simulated scenario), increases the profitability of the sheep system in 53%, which translates into a cost reduction (32%) and an increase in the utility of $10,830 (ten thousand eight hundred thirty pesos per farm) for each productive cycle of four months. The high dependency on grazing and family workforce observed in the simulated scenario indicate that the small-scale sheep production in Singuilucan could be vulnerable, if the micro-regional advantages that these factors contribute were to be lost, which would translate into a competitive reduction of approximately 62$10,830 (diez mil ochocientos treinta pesos promedio por granja) por cada ciclo productivo de cuatro meses. La alta dependencia del pastoreo y mano de obra familiar observada en el escenario simulado, indican que la producción ovina de pequeña escala en Singuilucan, podría ser vulnerable, si perdiera las ventajas microregionales que le aportan estos factores, lo cual, se traduciría en una reducción competitiva de aproximadamente 62%

El periodismo en el espejo. La profesión analizada por periodistas andaluces

La organización profesional, la precariedad laboral, las presiones de los propios medios, la ética de los profesionales a la hora de elaborar la información o su sensibilidad frente a los problemas sociales, fueron los ejes de la entrevista en profundidad realizada a veinticuatro periodistas andaluces para reflexionar en voz alta sobre su propia profesión en nuestra sociedad. En este artículo explicamos los motivos de nuestra investigación y las cuestiones más relevantes que se pusieron de manifiesto en sus discursos

Cold alkaline extraction of Elephant grass for optimal subsequent extraction of hemicelluloses and energy production

There is growing scientific and industrial interest in obtaining useful substances by fractionating lignocellulosic biomass from non-food plant crops for use by the bioenergy industry. The primary goals are to ensure process sustainability and to comply with the principles of circular economy. In this work, we optimized energy production from Elephant grass by previously using cold alkaline extraction to remove its hemicellulose fraction. Elephant grass contains a high proportion of lignin (20%) and hemicelluloses (27.4%), and therefore is an excellent alternative to wood materials for energy production by direct burning. Energy production was optimized to identify the best operating conditions among those tested, namely: alkali concentrations of 80–120 g NaOH L– 1, temperatures of 20–40 °C, and treatment times of 30–90 min. Using the optimum conditions thus established (viz., 100 g NaOH L– 1, 30 °C, and 30 min) raised the high heating value (HHV) to 19.151 MJ kg– 1 (i.e., by 4% relative to the starting material). Also, it allowed the content in elemental C to be preserved, that in H increased by 4.86% and, more environmentally significant, most sulphur (46.9%) to be removed from the solid phase upon treatment. Cold alkaline extraction of the raw material additionally enabled relatively selective separation of the hemicellulose fraction from the cellulose and lignin fractions. Thus, 30.1% of all hemicellulose was dissolved in the treatment liquor and made valorizable while 93.0% of cellulose and 82.1% of lignin present in the raw material remained in the solid phase.Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature. Funding for open acces charge: Universidad de Huelva/CBUA. This study was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the National Programme for Research Aimed at the Challenges of Society (CTQ201785251-C2-1and 2-R and PID2020-112875RB-C21), additional cofunding, in an 80:20 proportion, by FEDER (Project Green Asphalt, ref. 802C1800001) and the Andalusian Regional Government (Economy, Knowledge, Enterprises and University Council/IDEA Agency) and by micro-projects of research “Cátedra de la provincia” of the University of Huelva

Melatonin Non-Linearly Modulates Bull Spermatozoa Motility and Physiology in Capacitating and Non-Capacitating Conditions

[EN] Bull spermatozoa physiology may be modulated by melatonin. We washed ejaculated spermatozoa free of melatonin and incubated them (4 h, 38 °C) with 0-pM, 1-pM, 100-pM, 10-nM and 1-µM melatonin in TALP-HEPES (non-capacitating) and TALP-HEPES-heparin (capacitating). This range of concentrations encompassed the effects mediated by melatonin receptors (pM), intracellular targets (nM–µM) or antioxidant activity (µM). Treatment effects were assessed as motility changes by computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) of motility and physiological changes by flow cytometry. Melatonin effects were more evident in capacitating conditions, with 100 pM reducing motility and velocity (VCL) while increasing a “slow” subpopulation. All concentrations decreased apoptotic spermatozoa and stimulated mitochondrial activity in viable spermatozoa, with 100 pM–1 µM increasing acrosomal damage, 10 nM–1 µM increasing intracellular calcium and 1 pM reducing the response to a calcium-ionophore challenge. In non-capacitating media, 1 µM increased hyperactivation-related variables and decreased apoptotic spermatozoa; 100 pM–1 µM increased membrane disorders (related to capacitation); all concentrations decreased mitochondrial ROS production. Melatonin concentrations had a modal effect on bull spermatozoa, suggesting a capacitation-modulating role and protective effect at physiological concentrations (pM). Some effects may be of practical use, considering artificial reproductive techniquesSIThis research was funded by MINECO (Spain), Grant Number AGL2013-4332

El Simulador SimSeny en la Innovación Docente de la Asignatura Informática Industrial

La asignatura Informática Industrial de 2º curso de Ingeniería Técnica Industrial, especialidad Electrónica, forma parte de un ambicioso Proyecto de Innovación Educativa de la Universidad Politécnica de Valencia que engloba diferentes asignaturas de dicha especialidad y curso. En este contexto se ha desarrollado un simulador didáctico, que permite al alumno imitar la funcionalidad de la tarjeta de adquisición de datos utilizada en las prácticas de laboratorio, de manera que se puedan desarrollar las aplicaciones informáticas sin depender de la costosa tarjeta. Este artículo expone los objetivos que se han perseguido con dicho simulador y los resultados obtenidos tras dos años de uso por parte de los alumnos