Prostaglandina f2α como indutor de ovulação em novilhas púberes.

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o efeito da Prostaglandina F2&#945; (PGF) como indutor de ovulação em novilhas leiteiras. Treze novilhas púberes foram submetidas à sincronização de cio, e no Dia 5 da onda folicular receberam: 1) 1mg de BE (Grupo BE); 2) 500µg de PGF (Grupo PG) ou nenhum tratamento (Grupo Controle). Todas as novilhas ovularam, no entanto, os grupos BE e PG ovularam antes do Grupo CTL (P < 0,05). Estes resultados demonstram que a PGF é capaz de induzir a ovulação em novilhas leiteiras

Novel putative candidate genes associated with umbilical hernia in pigs.

Abstract: Umbilical hernia is one of the most frequent anatomical defects in pigs in which abdominal contents protrude through the umbilical ring. This condition is considered to have a multifactorial basis in which environmental, infectious and genetic factors play a role. However, a better understanding about the genetic components involved in the umbilical hernia development has not yet been achieved. Although a few studies have mapped QTL for umbilical hernia, just a few candidate genes were reported. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify genomic regions related to the development of umbilical hernias in pigs and search for potential candidate genes. A GWAS was performed with 92 cases and 233 control crossbred pigs. Five SNPs were associated with umbilical hernia: on SSC4/SSC6/SSC13 and one with unknown position. Candidate genes TBX15 and WARS2 were identified close to the SNP on SSC4. Another two candidate genes were located near the SNP associated with umbilical hernia on SSC13 (LIPI and RBM11). Further validation of these genes should be performed to improve the knowledge about umbilical hernia development in order to improve pig welfare and production by eliminating susceptible animals through genetic selection Resumo: A hérnia umbilical é um dos defeitos anatômicos mais freqüentes em suínos nos quais o conteúdo abdominal se projeta através do anel umbilical. Considera-se que esta condição tem uma base multifatorial na qual fatores ambientais, infecciosos e genéticos desempenham um papel. Entretanto, um melhor entendimento sobre os componentes genéticos envolvidos no desenvolvimento da hérnia umbilical ainda não foi alcançado. Embora alguns estudos tenham mapeado o QTL para a hérnia umbilical, apenas alguns genes candidatos foram relatados. Portanto, o objetivo deste estudo foi identificar regiões genômicas relacionadas ao desenvolvimento de hérnias umbilicais em porcos e buscar potenciais genes candidatos. Um GWAS foi realizado com 92 casos e 233 porcos cruzados de controle. Cinco SNPs foram associados com hérnia umbilical: em SSC4 / SSC6 / SSC13 e um com posição desconhecida. Os genes candidatos TBX15 e WARS2 foram identificados próximos ao SNP em SSC4. Outros dois genes candidatos foram localizados perto do SNP associado à hérnia umbilical na SSC13 (LIPI e RBM11). A validação adicional desses genes deve ser realizada para melhorar o conhecimento sobre o desenvolvimento de hérnia umbilical, a fim de melhorar o bem-estar ea produção de suínos, eliminando os animais suscetíveis por meio da seleção genétic

A successful search for intervening 21 cm HI absorption in galaxies at 0.4 < z <1.0 with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP)

We have used the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) radio telescope to search for intervening 21 cm neutral hydrogen (HI) absorption along the line of sight to 53 bright radio continuum sources. Our observations are sensitive to HI column densities typical of Damped Lyman Alpha absorbers (DLAs) in cool gas with an HI spin temperature below about 300-500 K. The six-dish Boolardy Engineering Test Array (BETA) and twelve-antenna Early Science array (ASKAP-12) covered a frequency range corresponding to redshift $0.4<z<1.0$ and $0.37<z<0.77$ respectively for the HI line. Fifty of the 53 radio sources observed have reliable optical redshifts, giving a total redshift path $\Delta z$ = 21.37. This was a spectroscopically-untargeted survey, with no prior assumptions about the location of the lines in redshift space. Four intervening HI lines were detected, two of them new. In each case, the estimated HI column density lies above the DLA limit for HI spin temperatures above 50-80 K, and we estimate a DLA number density at redshift $z\sim0.6$ of $n(z)=0.19\substack{+0.15 \\ -0.09}$. This value lies somewhat above the general trend of $n(z)$ with redshift seen in optical DLA studies. Although the current sample is small, it represents an important proof of concept for the much larger 21cm First Large Absorption Survey in HI (FLASH) project to be carried out with the full 36-antenna ASKAP telescope, probing a total redshift path $\Delta z\sim\,50,000$.Comment: 21 pages, 11 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA

Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) : the absence of stellar mass segregation in galaxy groups and consistent predictions from GALFORM and EAGLE simulations

We investigate the contentious issue of the presence, or lack thereof, of satellites mass segregation in galaxy groups using the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey, the galform semi-analytic, and the EAGLE cosmological hydrodynamical simulation catalogues of galaxy groups. We select groups with halo mass 12 ≤ log (Mhalo/h−1 M⊙) < 14.5 and redshift z ≤ 0.32 and probe the radial distribution of stellar mass out to twice the group virial radius. All the samples are carefully constructed to be complete in stellar mass at each redshift range and efforts are made to regularize the analysis for all the data. Our study shows negligible mass segregation in galaxy group environments with absolute gradients of ≲0.08 dex and also shows a lack of any redshift evolution. Moreover, we find that our results at least for the GAMA data are robust to different halo mass and group centre estimates. Furthermore, the EAGLE data allows us to probe much fainter luminosities (r-band magnitude of 22) as well as investigate the three-dimensional spatial distribution with intrinsic halo properties, beyond what the current observational data can offer. In both cases we find that the fainter EAGLE data show a very mild spatial mass segregation at z ≤ 0.22, which is again not apparent at higher redshift. Interestingly, our results are in contrast to some earlier findings using the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We investigate the source of the disagreement and suggest that subtle differences between the group-finding algorithms could be the root cause.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

SimSpin v2.6.0 -- Constructing synthetic spectral IFU cubes for comparison with observational surveys

In this work, we present a methodology and a corresponding code-base for constructing mock integral field spectrograph (IFS) observations of simulated galaxies in a consistent and reproducible way. Such methods are necessary to improve the collaboration and comparison of observation and theory results, and accelerate our understanding of how the kinematics of galaxies evolve over time. This code, SimSpin, is an open-source package written in R, but also with an API interface such that the code can be interacted with in any coding language. Documentation and individual examples can be found at the open-source website connected to the online repository. SimSpin is already being utilised by international IFS collaborations, including SAMI and MAGPI, for generating comparable data sets from a diverse suite of cosmological hydrodynamical simulations.Comment: 20 pages, 15 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication in PASA. 30/08/2

Near-field interactions between metal nanoparticle surface plasmons and molecular excitons in thin-films: part I: absorption

In this and the following paper (parts I and II, respectively), we systematically study the interactions between surface plasmons of metal nanoparticles (NPs) with excitons in thin-films of organic media. In an effort to exclusively probe near-field interactions, we utilize spherical Ag NPs in a size-regime where far-field light scattering is negligibly small compared to absorption. In part I, we discuss the effect of the presence of these Ag NPs on the absorption of the embedding medium by means of experiment, numerical simulations, and analytical calculations, all shown to be in good agreement. We observe absorption enhancement in the embedding medium due to the Ag NPs with a strong dependence on the medium permittivity, the spectral position relative to the surface plasmon resonance frequency, and the thickness of the organic layer. By introducing a low index spacer layer between the NPs and the organic medium, this absorption enhancement is experimentally confirmed to be a near field effect In part II, we probe the impact of the Ag NPs on the emission of organic molecules by time-resolved and steady-state photoluminescence measurements

MicroRNAs in cardiac arrhythmia: DNA sequence variation of MiR-1 and MiR-133A in long QT syndrome.

Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a genetic cardiac condition associated with prolonged ventricular repolarization, primarily a result of perturbations in cardiac ion channels, which predisposes individuals to life-threatening arrhythmias. Using DNA screening and sequencing methods, over 700 different LQTS-causing mutations have been identified in 13 genes worldwide. Despite this, the genetic cause of 30-50% of LQTS is presently unknown. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small (∼ 22 nucleotides) noncoding RNAs which post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression by binding complementary sequences within messenger RNAs (mRNAs). The human genome encodes over 1800 miRNAs, which target about 60% of human genes. Consequently, miRNAs are likely to regulate many complex processes in the body, indeed aberrant expression of various miRNA species has been implicated in numerous disease states, including cardiovascular diseases. MiR-1 and MiR-133A are the most abundant miRNAs in the heart and have both been reported to regulate cardiac ion channels. We hypothesized that, as a consequence of their role in regulating cardiac ion channels, genetic variation in the genes which encode MiR-1 and MiR-133A might explain some cases of LQTS. Four miRNA genes (miR-1-1, miR-1-2, miR-133a-1 and miR-133a-2), which encode MiR-1 and MiR-133A, were sequenced in 125 LQTS probands. No genetic variants were identified in miR-1-1 or miR-133a-1; but in miR-1-2 we identified a single substitution (n.100A> G) and in miR-133a-2 we identified two substitutions (n.-19G> A and n.98C> T). None of the variants affect the mature miRNA products. Our findings indicate that sequence variants of miR-1-1, miR-1-2, miR-133a-1 and miR-133a-2 are not a cause of LQTS in this cohort

An Overview of the 2014 ALMA Long Baseline Campaign

A major goal of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) is to make accurate images with resolutions of tens of milliarcseconds, which at submillimeter (submm) wavelengths requires baselines up to ~15 km. To develop and test this capability, a Long Baseline Campaign (LBC) was carried out from September to late November 2014, culminating in end-to-end observations, calibrations, and imaging of selected Science Verification (SV) targets. This paper presents an overview of the campaign and its main results, including an investigation of the short-term coherence properties and systematic phase errors over the long baselines at the ALMA site, a summary of the SV targets and observations, and recommendations for science observing strategies at long baselines. Deep ALMA images of the quasar 3C138 at 97 and 241 GHz are also compared to VLA 43 GHz results, demonstrating an agreement at a level of a few percent. As a result of the extensive program of LBC testing, the highly successful SV imaging at long baselines achieved angular resolutions as fine as 19 mas at ~350 GHz. Observing with ALMA on baselines of up to 15 km is now possible, and opens up new parameter space for submm astronomy.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables; accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Letters; this version with small changes to affiliation

Circulating microRNAs Reveal Time Course of Organ Injury in a Porcine Model of Acetaminophen-Induced Acute Liver Failure

Acute liver failure is a rare but catastrophic condition which can progress rapidly to multi-organ failure. Studies investigating the onset of individual organ injury such as the liver, kidneys and brain during the evolution of acute liver failure, are lacking. MicroRNAs are short, non-coding strands of RNA that are released into the circulation following tissue injury. In this study, we have characterised the release of both global microRNA and specific microRNA species into the plasma using a porcine model of acetaminophen-induced acute liver failure. Pigs were induced to acute liver failure with oral acetaminophen over 19h±2h and death occurred 13h±3h thereafter. Global microRNA concentrations increased 4h prior to acute liver failure in plasma (P<0.0001) but not in isolated exosomes, and were associated with increasing plasma levels of the damage-associated molecular pattern molecule, genomic DNA (P<0.0001). MiR122 increased around the time of onset of acute liver failure (P<0.0001) and was associated with increasing international normalised ratio (P<0.0001). MiR192 increased 8h after acute liver failure (P<0.0001) and was associated with increasing creatinine (P<0.0001). The increase in miR124-1 occurred concurrent with the pre-terminal increase in intracranial pressure (P<0.0001) and was associated with decreasing cerebral perfusion pressure (P<0.002)

Laboratory coupling approach

This chapter deals with the coupling of smart grid laboratories for joint experiments. Therefore, various possibilities are outlined and a reference implementation is introduced. Finally, the vision of a distributed, virtual research infrastructure is presented