Ações para solucionar os problemas da bacia do Rio Taquari - Pantanal.

bitstream/CPAP/56311/1/ADM102.pdfFormato eletrônico

Reproductive biology of the pampas deer (Ozotoceros bezoarticus): a review

The pampas deer (Ozotoceros bezoarticus) is a South American grazing deer which is in extreme danger of extinction. Very little is known about the biology of the pampas deer. Moreover, most information has not been published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, and is only available in local publications, theses, etc. Therefore, our aim was to update and summarize the available information regarding the reproductive biology of the pampas deer. Moreover, in most sections, we have also included new, unpublished information. Detailed descriptions are provided of the anatomy of both the female and the male reproductive tract, puberty onset, the oestrous cycle and gestational length. Birthing and the early postpartum period are described, as are maternal behaviour and early fawn development, seasonal distribution of births, seasonal changes in male reproduction and antler cycle, reproductive behaviour, semen collection, and cryopreservation. Finally, an overview is given and future directions of research are proposed

Making the Anscombe-Aumann approach to ambiguity suitable for descriptive applications

The Anscombe-Aumann (AA) model, originally introduced to give a normative basis to expected utility, is nowadays mostly used for another purpose: to analyze deviations from expected utility due to ambiguity (unknown probabilities). The AA model makes two ancillary assumptions that do not refer to ambiguity: expected utility for risk and backward induction. These assumptions, even if normatively appropriate, fail descriptively. This paper relaxes these ancillary assumptions to avoid the descriptive violations, while maintaining AA\xe2\x80\x99s convenient mixture operation. Thus, it becomes possible to test and apply all AA-based ambiguity theories descriptively while avoiding confounds due to violated ancillary assumptions. The resulting tests use only simple stimuli, avoiding noise due to complexity. We demonstrate the latter in a simple experiment where we find that three assumptions about ambiguity, commonly made in AA theories, are violated: reference independence, universal ambiguity aversion, and weak certainty independence. The second, theoretical, part of the paper accommodates the violations found for the first ambiguity theory in the AA model\xe2\x80\x94Schmeidler\xe2\x80\x99s CEU theory\xe2\x80\x94by introducing and axiomatizing a reference dependent generalization. That is, we extend the AA ambiguity model to prospect theory

Evaluation of appendicitis risk prediction models in adults with suspected appendicitis

Background Appendicitis is the most common general surgical emergency worldwide, but its diagnosis remains challenging. The aim of this study was to determine whether existing risk prediction models can reliably identify patients presenting to hospital in the UK with acute right iliac fossa (RIF) pain who are at low risk of appendicitis. Methods A systematic search was completed to identify all existing appendicitis risk prediction models. Models were validated using UK data from an international prospective cohort study that captured consecutive patients aged 16–45 years presenting to hospital with acute RIF in March to June 2017. The main outcome was best achievable model specificity (proportion of patients who did not have appendicitis correctly classified as low risk) whilst maintaining a failure rate below 5 per cent (proportion of patients identified as low risk who actually had appendicitis). Results Some 5345 patients across 154 UK hospitals were identified, of which two‐thirds (3613 of 5345, 67·6 per cent) were women. Women were more than twice as likely to undergo surgery with removal of a histologically normal appendix (272 of 964, 28·2 per cent) than men (120 of 993, 12·1 per cent) (relative risk 2·33, 95 per cent c.i. 1·92 to 2·84; P < 0·001). Of 15 validated risk prediction models, the Adult Appendicitis Score performed best (cut‐off score 8 or less, specificity 63·1 per cent, failure rate 3·7 per cent). The Appendicitis Inflammatory Response Score performed best for men (cut‐off score 2 or less, specificity 24·7 per cent, failure rate 2·4 per cent). Conclusion Women in the UK had a disproportionate risk of admission without surgical intervention and had high rates of normal appendicectomy. Risk prediction models to support shared decision‐making by identifying adults in the UK at low risk of appendicitis were identified

Functional cross-talk between aldosterone and angiotensin-(1-7) in ventricular myocytes

High serum levels of aldosterone have been linked to the development of cardiac disease. In contrast, angiotensin (Ang)-(1-7) was extensively shown to possess cardioprotective effects, including the attenuation of cardiac dysfunction induced by excessive mineralocorticoid activation in vivo, suggesting possible interactions between these 2 molecules. Here, we investigated whether there is cross-talk between aldosterone and Ang-(1-7) and its functional consequences for calcium (Ca(2+)) signaling in ventricular myocytes. Short-term effects of aldosterone on Ca(2+) transient were assessed in Fluo-4/AM-loaded myocytes. Confocal images showed that Ang-(1-7) had no effect on Ca(2+) transient parameters, whereas aldosterone increased the magnitude of the Ca(2+) transient. Quite unexpectedly, addition of Ang-(1-7) to aldosterone-treated myocytes further enhanced the amplitude of the Ca(2+) transient suggesting a synergistic effect of these molecules. Aldosterone action on Ca(2+) transient amplitude was mediated by protein kinase A, and was related to an increase in Ca(2+) current (I(Ca)) density. Both changes were not altered by Ang-(1-7). When cardiomyocytes were exposed to aldosterone, increased Ca(2+) spark rate was measured. Ang-(1-7) prevented this change. In addition, a NO synthase inhibitor restored the effect of aldosterone on Ca(2+) spark rate in Ang-(1-7)-treated myocytes and attenuated the synergistic effect of these 2 molecules on Ca(2+) transient. These results indicate that NO plays an important role in this cross-talk. Our results bring new perspectives in the understanding of how 2 prominent molecules with supposedly antagonist cardiac actions cross-talk to synergistically amplify Ca(2+) signals in cardiomyocytes