Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is related with the proteinuria degree and the microscopic kidney findings in leishmania-infected dogs

Early diagnosis of renal damage in Leishmania infected dogs may allow appropriate treatments and prevent some deaths. This study investigates neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) as a biomarker of kidney disease in dogs experimentally infected with Leishmania infantum. Serum, urine, and kidney samples were collected from 30 infected beagle dogs and six uninfected control dogs. Based on proteinuria and azotemia values, dogs were initially classified. NGAL was measured in urine and serum samples. Then, the urinary NGAL to creatinine ratio (uNGAL/C) was calculated. Kidney samples were taken for histopathological studies, and the dogs were classified according to the severity of glomerular and tubulointerstitial lesions. In Leishmania-infected dogs, the uNGAL/C was significantly higher in proteinuric non-azotemic dogs compared with non-proteinuric non-azotemic dogs (p = 0.038). Serum NGAL (sNGAL) concentration did not differ between groups. Microscopic studies revealed several degrees of glomerulonephritis and slight focal lymphoplasmacytic interstitial nephritis in 89% and 55% of infected dogs, respectively. Urinary protein to creatinine ratio (UPC) and uNGAL/C were significantly higher in dogs with affected glomeruli compared to infected dogs without renal lesions (p = 0.045 and p = 0.043, respectively). The results show that uNGAL/C correlates with proteinuria and the presence of moderate glomerular lesions in non-azotemic dogs experimentally infected with L. infantum

An effective field theory approach to the electroweak corrections at LEP energies

In the framework of the effective field theory (EFT) we discuss the electroweak (EW) corrections at LEP energies. We obtain the effective Lagrangian in the large m_t limit, and reproduce analytically the dominant EW corrections to the LEP2 processes e+ e- --> gamma Z and e+ e- --> Z Z. To include effects of finite top-quark and Higgs masses, we use the effective Lagrangian at tree level and fit LEP1/SLD observables with four arbitrary parameters, plus alpha_s(m_Z). The EFT approach works remarkably well. Using the effective couplings determined from the fit, and tree-level EFT formulae, we predict the cross sections for e+ e- --> Z Z, gamma Z at a level better than 1%.Comment: 17 pages incl. 2 eps figures, REVTeX. New references added and few misprints correcte

Quantum Loops in the Resonance Chiral Theory: The Vector Form Factor

We present a calculation of the Vector Form Factor at the next-to-leading order in the 1/N_C expansion, within the framework of Resonance Chiral Theory. The calculation is performed in the chiral limit, and with two dynamical quark flavours. The ultraviolet behaviour of quantum loops involving virtual resonance propagators is analyzed, together with the kind of counterterms needed in the renormalization procedure. Using the lowest-order equations of motion, we show that only a few combinations of local couplings appear in the final result. The low-energy limit of our calculation reproduces the standard Chiral Perturbation Theory formula, allowing us to determine the resonance contribution to the chiral low-energy couplings, at the next-to-leading order in 1/N_C, keeping a full control of their renormalization scale dependence.Comment: 27+1 pages, 9 figure

Tipificación de dos nombres linneanos del género Erigeron L. (Compositae)

Lectotypification of the name Erigeron glutinosus L., with a Barrelier illustration from 1714 and E. tuberosus L., with a specimen from the UPSBURSER herbarium, is presented.Se presenta la lectotipificación del nombre Erigeron glutinosus L., con una ilustración de Barrelier de 1714 y de E. tuberosus L., con un ejemplar del herbario UPS-BURSER

Influence of Genetic Selection for Growth and Broodstock Diet n-3 LC-PUFA Levels on Reproductive Performance of Gilthead Seabream, Sparus aurata

© 2021 by the authors.Genetic selection in gilthead seabream (GSB), Sparus aurata, has been undertaken to improve the growth, feed efficiency, fillet quality, skeletal deformities and disease resistance, but no study is available to delineate the effect of genetic selection for growth trait on GSB reproductive performance under mass spawning condition. In this study, high growth (HG) or low growth (LG) GSB broodstock were selected to evaluate the sex steroid hormones, sperm, egg quality and reproductive performance under different feeding regime of commercial diet or experimental broodstock diet containing either fish oil (FO) or vegetable oil (VO) based diet. Under commercial diet feeding phase, broodstock selected for either high growth or low growth did not show any significant changes in the egg production per kg female whereas egg viability percentage was positively (p = 0.014) improved by the high growth trait broodstock group. The experimental diet feeding results revealed that both growth trait and dietary fatty acid composition influenced the reproductive performance of GSB broodstock. In the experimental diet feeding phase, we observed high growth trait GSB males produced a higher number of sperm cells (p < 0.001) and also showed a higher sperm motility (p = 0.048) percentage. The viable egg and larval production per spawn per kg female were significantly improved by the broodstock selected for high growth trait and fed with fish oil-based diet. This present study results signifies that gilthead seabream broodstock selected on growth trait could have positive role in improvement of sperm and egg quality to produce viable progeny.This study was funded by the EU-funded project AQUAIMPACT (Genomic and Nutritional Innovations for Genetically Superior Farmed Fish), grant agreement No. 818367, PROGENSA III (Mejora de la competitividad del sector de la dorada a través de la selección genética, JACUMAR program with support from the European Maritime and Fisheries), and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi, India

Terminal Crossbreeding of Murciano-Granadina Goats to Boer Bucks: Effects on Reproductive Performance of Goats and Growth of Kids in Artificial Rearing

The aim of this work was to improve the growth characteristics of Murciano-Granadina (MG) kids through terminal crossbreeding of MG goats to Boer bucks. Four experiments were carried out, using a total of 354 MG goats, half of which were mated with MG bucks (n = 12) and the other half with Boer bucks (n = 12). The kids were raised in artificial rearing until slaughter weight (9 kg). The birth weight and average daily gain were recorded in crossed kids (n = 197 and 145, respectively) and purebred kids (n = 257 and 169, respectively). Crossed kids presented significant differences (p < 0.001) compared to MG purebred kids in birth weight (+ 24%), mortality in artificial rearing (−37%), average daily gain (+32%) and milk powder conversion rate (−16%). However, the reproductive performance rates of MG goats mated with Boer bucks were slightly worse (pregnancy rate: 78.5% vs. 86.6%, p < 0.05; kidding rate: 62.0% vs. 75.7%; p < 0.01; prolificacy: 1.9 vs. 2.1 kids/parturition), especially when the matings took place in non-breeding season (experiments conducted at latitude 38–39° N). It is concluded that the terminal crossbreeding of MG goats to Boer bucks (those not used to produce replacement kids) could be an interesting option for ethical goat production

Disruption of the sea bass skin-scale barrier by antidepressant fluoxetine and estradiol: in vivo and in vitro evidence

Trabajo presentado en la Joint 30th Conference of the European Society for Comparative Endocrinology and of the 9th International Society for Fish Endocrinology, celebrada en Faro (Portugal) del 04 al 08 de septiembre de 2022.Fluoxetine (FLX) is a highly prescribed selective inhibitor of serotonin-reuptake and an emerging pollutant affecting fish behaviour, stress and reproduction, but little is known about possible actions and mechanisms in barrier tissues. We combined in vivo and in vitro approaches to demonstrate multi-level impacts of FLX on the sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) skin-scale barrier and on the estrogenic system. Juvenile sea bass intraperitoneally injected with FLX had significantly increased levels of FLX and its metabolite nor-FLX. In contrast to the natural estrogen E2, FLX did not increase plasma calcium, phosphorus (P) or vitellogenin, although a slight decrease in scale P content was detected. Quantitative SWATH-MS proteomics of the scales identified 134 proteins that were affected by FLX. Modified proteins were mainly related to extracellular matrix and protein turnover and energy production, 31 of which were also affected by E2. Multiple estrogen receptors and genes related to serotonin activity, transport and degradation were expressed in sea bass scales and transcript abundance of some of them was modulated by E2 and/or FLX. Using a minimally invasive in vitro bioassay with cultured sea bass scales and adhering epithelia we showed direct effects of FLX exposure on enzymatic activity associated with mineral mobilization, while the expression of estrogen receptors was not significantly affected. In in vitro receptor-reporter assays, FLX alone did not activate any of the three sea bass nuclear estrogen receptors but had antiestrogenic effects on Esr1/2b when in co-treatment with E2, and directly activated both plasma membrane Gprotein-coupled estrogen receptors. The combination of in vitro and in vivo assays substantiated the notion that FLX disrupted scale physiology through several different processes, with probable consequences for fish health, and revealed that some of the mechanisms of disruption can result from direct interaction with multiple estrogen .Projects UIDB/04326/2020, PTDC/AAG-GLO/4003/2012 and DL57/2016/CP1361/CT0015 from FCT (Pt); EU Interreg FR-UK project RedPol; grant AGL2015-67477-C2-1- R (Sp)

Hadronic light-by-light scattering contribution to the muon g-2: an effective field theory approach

The hadronic light-by-light contribution to a_{mu}, the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon, is discussed from the point of view of an effective low-energy theory. As an application, the coefficient of the leading logarithm arising from the two-loop graphs involving two anomalous vertices is computed, and found to be positive. This corresponds to a positive sign for the pion-pole contribution to the hadronic light-by-light correction to a_{mu}, and to a sizeable reduction of the discrepancy between the present experimental value of a_{mu} and its theoretical counterpart in the standard model.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure. v2: published versio

Photoproduction of scalar mesons on protons and nuclei

We study the photoproduction of scalar mesons close to the threshold of f_0(980) and a_0(980) using a unitary chiral model. Peaks for both resonances show up in the invariant mass distributions of pairs of pseudoscalar mesons. A discussion is made on the photoproduction of these resonances in nuclei, which can shed light on their nature, a subject of continuous debate.Comment: 25 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in Phys Rev

Tau Physics 2006: Summary & Outlook

A large amount of new results have been presented at TAU2006. The highlights of the workshop, the present status of a few selected topics on lepton physics (universality, QCD tests, V_{us} determination from tau decay, g-2, neutrino oscillations, lepton-flavour violation) and the prospects for future improvements are briefly summarized.Comment: Conference Summary at the 9th International Workshop on Tau Lepton Physics (TAU06), 19-22 September 2006, Pisa (Italy