Number of progeny number and accuracy of breeding value in productive traits of alpacas. A simulation study

El objetivo del estudio fue evaluar mediante simulación las exactitudes de la predicción del valor de cría según la heredabilidad de la característica y el número de progenie. Se simularon poblaciones con seis números de progenie para machos (n = 15, 30, 50, 75, 100 y 150) y tres para hembras (n = 1, 2 y 3) y características con tres heredabilidades (h2 = 0.098, 0.22 y 0.56). La predicción de los valores de cría fue mediante el método del mejor predictor lineal insesgado y la exactitud fue calculada a partir de la diagonal de la matriz de la ecuación de los modelos mixtos. Se obtuvo que a mayor heredabilidad la exactitud fue también mayor en todos los escenarios. Respecto al número de hijos por reproductor, se obtuvo valores encima de 0.9 de exactitud cuando la progenie fue mayor a 30 hijos. En el caso de las hembras, las mayores exactitudes fueron para la heredabilidad de 0.56 con valores de 0.71, 0.74 y 0.76 para 1, 2 y 3 hijos, respectivamente. La exactitud de la predicción del valor de cría en características con heredabilidad similar a las de importancia en alpacas fue mayor cuando se incrementó el número de hijos por padre y cuando la heredabilidad de la característica fue mayor

RELACIÓN ENTRE EL DÍA DE COLECCIÓN Y LA RECUPERACIÓN DE EMBRIONES EN ALPACAS SUPEROVULADAS.

The relationship between day of collection and embryo recovery was studied inmultiparous adult alpacas. Females with ?7 mm follicles were superovulated, mated withfertile males (day 0 = day of service) and embryos were recovered on day 5 (G1), 6 (G2) and 7 (G3) post copula, where the number and size of corpora lutea were echographicallyevaluated. In Exp. 1, 14 females were slaughtered and embryos were recovered from theuterine horns and the oviduct. In Exp. 2, embryos were recovered in vivo from 21 females.Each uterine horn was flushed with 250 ml of PBS using a Foley catheter; and oviductswere flushed from the utero-tubal junction to the fimbria using 20 ml of PBS. The numberand rate of embryos recovered from the uterine horns was higher in G2 and G3 as comparedto G1 (p<0.05), while in the oviduct was higher in G1. Collected embryos from uterinehorns had the condition of excellent and good in 81.4% (35/43) in Exp. 1 and 74.5% (38/51)in Exp. 2, and without statistical differences between treatments in each experiment. Themost frequent level of embryo development was hatching blastocyst (77.7%, 73/94), andwithout differences between G2 and G3. It was concluded that embryos could be recovereduntil day 5 after mating in oviducts and from day 6 onwards in the uterine horns.Se estudió la relación entre el día de colección y la recuperación embrionaria en alpacas adultas multíparas. Alpacas con folículos ≥7 mm se sometieron a un protocolo de superovulación, se cubrieron con machos fértiles (día 0 = día de servicio), y los embriones se recuperaron en el día 5 (G1), 6 (G2) y 7 (G3) post cópula, previa evaluación del número y tamaño de los cuerpos lúteos por ecografía transrectal ovárica. En el Exp. 1 se usaron 14 alpacas, que fueron sacrificadas para recuperar los embriones de los cuernos uterino y del oviducto. En el Exp. 2 se realizó la recuperación embrionaria in vivo a 21 alpacas. El lavado de los cuernos uterinos se hizo con 250 ml de PBS a través de un catéter Foley y en los oviductos se hizo con 20 ml de PBS desde la unión útero tubal hacia la fimbria. El número de embriones recuperados de cuerno uterino así como el porcentaje de recuperación embrionaria fue mayor en G2 y G3 respecto a G1 (p<0.05), mientras que en el oviducto hubo mayor recuperación en G1. Los embriones recolectados de los cuernos uterinos considerados como buenos y excelentes fue de 81.4% (35/43) en el Exp. 1 y de 74.5% (38/51) en el Exp. 2, sin encontrar diferencias significativas entre tratamientos dentro de cada experimento. El estadio de desarrollo embrionario más frecuente en ambos experimentos fue de blastocisto eclosionado (77.7%, 73/94), sin diferencia estadística entre G2 y G3. Se concluye que los embriones pueden ser recuperadas del oviducto hasta el día 5 y del cuerno uterino desde el día 6 post cópula

Closing the Phenotypic Gap between Transformed Neuronal Cell Lines in Culture and Untransformed Neurons

Studies of neuronal dysfunction in the central nervous system (CNS) are frequently limited by the failure of primary neurons to propagate in vitro. Neuronal cell lines can be substituted for primary cells but they often misrepresent normal conditions. We hypothesized that a dimensional (3-D) cell culture system would drive the phenotype of transformed neurons closer to that of untransformed cells. In our studies comparing 3-D versus 2-dimensional (2-D) culture, neuronal SH-SY5Y (SY) cells underwent distinct morphological changes combined with a significant drop in their rate of cell division. Expression of the proto-oncogene N-myc and the RNA binding protein HuD was decreased in 3-D culture as compared to standard 2-D conditions. We observed a decline in the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 in 3-D culture, coupled with increased expression of the pro-apoptotic proteins Bax and Bak. Moreover, thapsigargin (TG)-induced apoptosis was enhanced in the 3-D cells. Microarray analysis demonstrated significantly differing mRNA levels for over 700 genes in the cells of each culture type. These results indicate that a 3-D culture approach narrows the phenotypic gap between neuronal cell lines and primary neurons. The resulting cells may readily be used for in vitro research of neuronal pathogenesis

EVALUATION OF TWO EMBRYO CRYOPRESERVATION METHODS IN LLAMA ON THE IN VIVO E IN VITRO EMBRYONIC SURVIVAL RATES

El objetivo del estudio fue evaluar el efecto de dos métodos de criopreservación sobre la supervivencia in vivo e in vitro de embriones de llama. Se recuperaron 73 embriones en estadio de blastocisto eclosionado mediante una técnica no quirúrgica a los 6.5 días post servicio en llamas superestimuladas. Las llamas receptoras se distribuyeron aleatoriamente en grupo Control (n = 14), de vitrificación (n=30) y de congelación lenta (n=29). Para la vitrificación, los embriones fueron expuestos a la solución de vitrificación (SV) conteniendo 20% Glicerol + 20% Etilenglicol + 0.5M Sucrosa + 10% suero fetal bovino (SFB) + 50 μg/ml sulfato de gentamicina, y sumergidos en nitrógeno líquido dentro de pajillas de 0.25 ml. Para la congelación lenta, los embriones fueron expuestos a fosfato buffer salino (PBS) con 1.5 M de Etilenglicol + 10% de SFB + 50 μg/ml de sulfato de gentamicina, aspirados en pajillas de 0.25 ml, y enfriados a una tasa de descenso de 0.12 °C/min hasta 5 °C y, luego, en la boca del tanque de nitrógeno, se continuó el descenso a una tasa de 5 °C /min hasta -20 °C por 5 min, y luego se sumergieron en el nitrógeno líquido. En la descongelación se utilizaron soluciones de dilución conteniendo dos concentraciones de sucrosa: 0.5 M y 0.2 M para congelación lenta y 0.25 M y 0.12 M para vitrificación. Se realizó una evaluación in vivo a todos los embriones del grupo control y al 50% de los embriones de los dos grupos experimentales, mediante transferencia directa a hembras receptoras previamente sincronizadas. El diagnóstico de preñez se llevó a cabo por ecografía transrectal a los 20 y 30 días. La preñez fue de 4/13, 2/12 y 0/11 para las receptoras de los grupos Control, Vitrificados y Congelación lenta, respectivamente, sin diferencia estadística. Para la evaluación in vitro, los embriones criopreservados fueron cultivados en PBS + 20% SFB, en una atmósfera compuesta por 5% de CO2, 20% de O2 y 75% de N2, durante 1 h a 39 °C, y se observó su re-expansión mediante la observación de su morfología. Se obtuvo 75.0% (9/12) de re-expansión en embriones vitrificados y 57.1% (4/7) en embriones congelados lentamente (4/7), sin diferencia significativa. Los resultados permiten concluir que la vitrificación podría ser el método adecuado para la criopreservación de embriones de llama.The aim of the study was to evaluate in llama embryosthe effect of twocryopreservation methods on the in vivo and in vitro survival rate. Seventy three hatchedblastocysts were recovered by a non-surgical technique at day 6.5 after mating fromsuperstimulated llamas. Receptors were randomly allocated to a control group (n=14),vitrification (n=30) and slow freezing (n=29). On vitrification, embryos were exposed to avitrification solution (VS) containing 20% Glycerol + 20% Ethylene glycol + 0.5 M Sucrose+ 10% fetal calf serum (FCS) + 50 μg/ml gentamicin sulfate, and then plunged into liquidnitrogen in 0.25 ml straws. On the slow freezing, embryos were exposed to phosphatebuffer saline (PBS) with 1.5 M Ethylene glycol + 10% FCS + 50 μg/ml gentamicin sulfate,loaded in 0.25 ml straws, and cooled at a rate of 0.12 °C/min to 5 °C. Then, furthertemperature decrease at 5 °C /min rate, to -20 °C, for 5 min at the mouth of the nitrogentank; finally straws were plunged into liquid nitrogen. For thawing, two dilution solutionswere used composed of two sucrose concentrations: 0.5 M and 0.2 M for slow freezing,and 0.25 M and 0.12 M for vitrification. An in vivo evaluation was performed in allembryos of the control group and in 50% of the experimental groups by direct transferinto previously synchronized female recipients. Pregnancy diagnosis was carried out bytransrectal ultrasound evaluation at 20 and 30 days. Pregnancy was in 4/13, 2/12, and 0/11 in recipients from control, vitrification and slow freezing groups respectively, withoutsignificant difference. For the in vitro evaluation cryopreservated embryos were culturedin PBS + 20% FCS under atmosphere compose of 5% CO2, 20% O2, and 75% N2 at 39 °C for1 h, then reexpansion was recorded by morphological characteristics. Embryo reexpansionwas 75% (9/12) in vitrified embryos and 57.1% (4/7) in slow freezing embryos, and withoutsignificant difference. It was concluded that vitrification could be a suitable method forllama embryo cryopreservation

Fracture–dislocation of the shoulder and brachial plexus palsy: a terrible association

Primary post-traumatic anterior dislocation of the shoulder with associated fracture of the greater tuberosity and brachial plexus injury is rare and, to our knowledge, has never previously been reported in the literature. We present a case of this unhappy triad in which a brachial plexus injury was diagnosed and treated 3 weeks later. The characteristics of this rare condition are discussed on the basis of our case and the published literature in order to improve early diagnosis and treatment of this lesion

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

An Ultra-short Period Rocky Super-Earth with a Secondary Eclipse and a Neptune-like Companion around K2-141

Ultra-short period (USP) planets are a class of low mass planets with periods shorter than one day. Their origin is still unknown, with photo-evaporation of mini-Neptunes and in-situ formation being the most credited hypotheses. Formation scenarios differ radically in the predicted composition of USP planets, it is therefore extremely important to increase the still limited sample of USP planets with precise and accurate mass and density measurements. We report here the characterization of an USP planet with a period of 0.28 days around K2-141 (EPIC 246393474), and the validation of an outer planet with a period of 7.7 days in a grazing transit configuration. We derived the radii of the planets from the K2 light curve and used high-precision radial velocities gathered with the HARPS-N spectrograph for mass measurements. For K2-141b we thus inferred a radius of $1.51\pm0.05~R_\oplus$ and a mass of $5.08\pm0.41~M_\oplus$, consistent with a rocky composition and lack of a thick atmosphere. K2-141c is likely a Neptune-like planet, although due to the grazing transits and the non-detection in the RV dataset, we were not able to put a strong constraint on its density. We also report the detection of secondary eclipses and phase curve variations for K2-141b. The phase variation can be modeled either by a planet with a geometric albedo of $0.30 \pm 0.06$ in the Kepler bandpass, or by thermal emission from the surface of the planet at $\sim$3000K. Only follow-up observations at longer wavelengths will allow us to distinguish between these two scenarios.Comment: 16 pages, 10 figures., accepted for publication in A

ExoClock Project III: 450 new exoplanet ephemerides from ground and space observations

The ExoClock project has been created with the aim of increasing the efficiency of the Ariel mission. It will achieve this by continuously monitoring and updating the ephemerides of Ariel candidates over an extended period, in order to produce a consistent catalogue of reliable and precise ephemerides. This work presents a homogenous catalogue of updated ephemerides for 450 planets, generated by the integration of $\sim$18000 data points from multiple sources. These sources include observations from ground-based telescopes (ExoClock network and ETD), mid-time values from the literature and light-curves from space telescopes (Kepler/K2 and TESS). With all the above, we manage to collect observations for half of the post-discovery years (median), with data that have a median uncertainty less than one minute. In comparison with literature, the ephemerides generated by the project are more precise and less biased. More than 40\% of the initial literature ephemerides had to be updated to reach the goals of the project, as they were either of low precision or drifting. Moreover, the integrated approach of the project enables both the monitoring of the majority of the Ariel candidates (95\%), and also the identification of missing data. The dedicated ExoClock network effectively supports this task by contributing additional observations when a gap in the data is identified. These results highlight the need for continuous monitoring to increase the observing coverage of the candidate planets. Finally, the extended observing coverage of planets allows us to detect trends (TTVs - Transit Timing Variations) for a sample of 19 planets. All products, data, and codes used in this work are open and accessible to the wider scientific community.Comment: Recommended for publication to ApJS (reviewer's comments implemented). Main body: 13 pages, total: 77 pages, 7 figures, 7 tables. Data available at http://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/P298

A pair of TESS planets spanning the radius valley around the nearby mid-M dwarf LTT 3780

We present the confirmation of two new planets transiting the nearby mid-M dwarf LTT 3780 (TIC 36724087, TOI-732, $V=13.07$, $K_s=8.204$, $R_s$=0.374 R$_{\odot}$, $M_s$=0.401 M$_{\odot}$, d=22 pc). The two planet candidates are identified in a single TESS sector and are validated with reconnaissance spectroscopy, ground-based photometric follow-up, and high-resolution imaging. With measured orbital periods of $P_b=0.77$ days, $P_c=12.25$ days and sizes $r_{p,b}=1.33\pm 0.07$ R$_{\oplus}$, $r_{p,c}=2.30\pm 0.16$ R$_{\oplus}$, the two planets span the radius valley in period-radius space around low mass stars thus making the system a laboratory to test competing theories of the emergence of the radius valley in that stellar mass regime. By combining 63 precise radial-velocity measurements from HARPS and HARPS-N, we measure planet masses of $m_{p,b}=2.62^{+0.48}_{-0.46}$ M$_{\oplus}$ and $m_{p,c}=8.6^{+1.6}_{-1.3}$ M$_{\oplus}$, which indicates that LTT 3780b has a bulk composition consistent with being Earth-like, while LTT 3780c likely hosts an extended H/He envelope. We show that the recovered planetary masses are consistent with predictions from both photoevaporation and from core-powered mass loss models. The brightness and small size of LTT 3780, along with the measured planetary parameters, render LTT 3780b and c as accessible targets for atmospheric characterization of planets within the same planetary system and spanning the radius valley.Comment: Accepted to AJ. 8 figures, 6 tables. CSV file of the RV measurements (i.e. Table 2) are included in the source cod

Properties of Rubble-Pile Asteroid (101955) Bennu from OSIRIS-REx Imaging and Thermal Analysis

Establishing the abundance and physical properties of regolith and boulders on asteroids is crucial for understanding the formation and degradation mechanisms at work on their surfaces. Using images and thermal data from NASA's Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft, we show that asteroid (101955) Bennu's surface is globally rough, dense with boulders, and low in albedo. The number of boulders is surprising given Bennu's moderate thermal inertia, suggesting that simple models linking thermal inertia to particle size do not adequately capture the complexity relating these properties. At the same time, we find evidence for a wide range of particle sizes with distinct albedo characteristics. Our findings imply that ages of Bennu's surface particles span from the disruption of the asteroid's parent body (boulders) to recent in situ production (micrometre-scale particles)