Ram semen deterioration by short-term exposure to high altitude is prevented by improvement of antioxidant status.

Abstract Ovine reproduction efficiency in herds at high altitude (ha) is lower than that at low altitude (la). In ewes, ha effects are due to hypoxia and oxidative stress. Our aim was to establish the effect of antioxidant vitamin supplementation on semen traits and antioxidant status of rams exposed to short or long time ha. A total of 32 rams native to la (~500 m) were used, 16 were kept at la and the other 16 were brought to ha (~3600 m), where they were placed in the same flock as the ha native rams (n=16). Half of the animals in each group were supplemented daily with vitamins C 600 mg and E 450 IU per os, during the entire experimental period, starting the 4th day after animal's arrival at ha (day 0). At days 0, 30 and 60 of treatment, blood and semen samples were collected for evaluation of antioxidant status and semen standard characteristics. Data were compared within each experimental time by analysis of variance using a general linear model. Elevated concentrations of oxidative stress biomarkers were present in blood from animals maintained at ha. Ejaculates from ha exposed rams showed decreased sperm concentration, progressive motility and viability, in addition to decreased antioxidant status in seminal fluid. A total of 30 days of oral supplementation with vitamins C and E prevented some ha negative effects on semen characteristics, mainly in recently ha exposed rams. It is concluded that exposure of rams to ha negatively affects semen quality, where oxidative stress plays a predominant role. These effects are mainly prevented by oral supplementation of vitamins C and E, which constitutes a simple and cheap alternative to improve semen quality of rams when they are moved to ha

Process modularity over time : modelling process execution as an evolving activity network

Process modularity describes the extent to which processes can be decomposed into modules to be executed in parallel. So far, research has approached process modularity from a static perspective, not accounting for its temporal evolution. As a result, the understanding of process modularity has been limited to inferences drawn from aggregated analyses that disregard process execution. This article introduces and develops the notion of dynamic process modularity considering the evolving activity network structure as executed by people. Drawing on network science, the article quantifies process modularity over time using archival data from an engineering design process of a biomass power plant. This article shows how studying the temporal evolution of process modularity enables a more complete understanding of activity networks, facilitates the comparison of actual process modularity patterns against formal engineering design stages, and provides data-driven decision-support for process planning and interventions. Finally, managerial recommendations for interface management, resource allocation, and process decomposition are proposed, to help practitioners better to understand and manage dynamic processes

A first AFLP-based genetic linkage map for brine shrimp Artemia franciscana and its application in mapping the sex locus

We report on the construction of sex-specific linkage maps, the identification of sex-linked markers and the genome size estimation for the brine shrimp Artemia franciscana. Overall, from the analysis of 433 AFLP markers segregating in a 112 full-sib family we identified 21 male and 22 female linkage groups (2n = 42), covering 1,041 and 1,313 cM respectively. Fifteen putatively homologous linkage groups, including the sex linkage groups, were identified between the female and male linkage map. Eight sex-linked AFLP marker alleles were inherited from the female parent, supporting the hypothesis of a WZ-ZZ sex-determining system. The haploid Artemia genome size was estimated to 0.93 Gb by flow cytometry. The produced Artemia linkage maps provide the basis for further fine mapping and exploring of the sex-determining region and are a possible marker resource for mapping genomic loci underlying phenotypic differences among Artemia species

Maternal Feeding Controls Fetal Biological Clock

BACKGROUND: It is widely accepted that circadian physiological rhythms of the fetus are affected by oscillators in the maternal brain that are coupled to the environmental light-dark (LD) cycle. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: To study the link between fetal and maternal biological clocks, we investigated the effects of cycles of maternal food availability on the rhythms of Per1 gene expression in the fetal suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and liver using a transgenic rat model whose tissues express luciferase in vitro. Although the maternal SCN remained phase-locked to the LD cycle, maternal restricted feeding phase-advanced the fetal SCN and liver by 5 and 7 hours respectively within the 22-day pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results demonstrate that maternal feeding entrains the fetal SCN and liver independently of both the maternal SCN and the LD cycle. This indicates that maternal-feeding signals can be more influential for the fetal SCN and particular organ oscillators than hormonal signals controlled by the maternal SCN, suggesting the importance of a regular maternal feeding schedule for appropriate fetal molecular clockwork during pregnancy

Connectivity guided theta burst transcranial magnetic stimulation versus repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for treatment-resistant moderate to severe depression: study protocol for a randomised double-blind controlled trial (BRIGhTMIND)

Introduction The BRIGhTMIND study aims to determine the clinical effectiveness, cost effectiveness and mechanism of action of connectivity guided intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation (cgiTBS) versus standard repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) in adults with moderate to severe treatment resistant depression. Methods and analysis The study is a randomised double-blind controlled trial with 1:1 allocation to either 20 sessions of (a) cgiTBS or (b) neuronavigated rTMS not using connectivity guidance. A total of 368 eligible participants with a diagnosis of current unipolar major depressive disorder that is both treatment resistant (defined as scoring 2 or more on the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Staging Score) and moderate to severe (scoring >16 on the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-17)), will be recruited from primary and secondary care settings at four treatment centres in the United Kingdom. The primary outcome is depression response at 16 weeks (50% or greater reduction in HDRS-17 score from baseline). Secondary outcomes include assessments of self-rated depression, anxiety, psychosocial functioning, cognition and quality of life at 8, 16 and 26 weeks post randomisation. Cost effectiveness, patient acceptability, safety, mechanism of action and predictors of response will also be examined

Envejecimiento de la población

•Actividades básicas de la vida diaria en personas mayores y factores asociados •Asociación entre depresión y posesión de mascotas en personas mayores •Calidad de vida en adultos mayores de Santiago aplicando el instrumento WHOQOL-BREF •Calidad de vida en usuarios con enfermedad de Parkinson, demencia y sus cuidadores, comuna de Vitacura •Caracterización de egresos hospitalarios de adultos mayores en Puerto Natales (2007-2009) •Comportamiento de las patologías incluidas como GES para el adulto mayor atendido en un Cesfam •Contribución de vitaminas y minerales a las ingestas recomendadas diarias en ancianos institucionalizados de Madrid •Estado de salud oral del paciente inscrito en el Programa de Visita Domiciliaria •Evaluación del programa de discapacidad severa en Casablanca con la matriz de marco lógico •Factores asociados a satisfacción vital en una cohorte de adultos mayores de Santiago, Chile •Pauta instrumental para la identificación de riesgos para el adulto mayor autovalente, en su vivienda •Perfil farmacológico del paciente geriátrico institucionalizado y posibles consecuencias en el deterioro cognitivo •Programa de cuidados paliativos y alivio del dolor en Puerto Natales •Rehabilitación mandibular implantoprotésica: efecto en calidad de vida relacionada con salud bucal en adultos mayores •Salud bucodental en adultos mayores autovalentes de la Región de Valparaíso •Transición epidemiológica y el estudio de carga de enfermedad en Brasi

Evolución Cognitiva del Concepto Espacio Vectorial.

In this doctoral dissertation our objective is to study the cognitive evolution of the concept of vector space in the students of linear algebra, as notions such as linear independence/dependence and basis get integrated into their knowledge. We use the theoretical framework of APOS (Action-Process-Object-Schema) theory in our research, since it offers useful and rigorous theoretical and analytical tools that allow us to describe and interpret reasonings that students show in relationship with the cognitive evolution of the concept of vector space. At the same time it helps us to model the way with which university students understand the fundamental concepts of linear algebra and how they make evolve an advanced mathematical concept

Variation of the interphase heterochromatin in Artemia (Crustacea, Anostraca) of the Americas is related to changes in nuclear size and ionic composition of hipersaline habitats

Abstract The populations of Artemia (or brine shrimp) from the Americas exhibit a wide variation in the amount of interphase heterochromatin. There is interest in understanding how this variation affects different parameters, from the cellular to the organismal levels. This should help to clarify the ability of this organism to tolerate brine habitats regularly subject to strong abiotic changes. In this study, we assessed the amount of interphase heterochromatin per nucleus based on chromocenter number (N-CHR) and relative area of chromocenter (R-CHR) in two species of Artemia, A. franciscana (Kellog, 1906) (n=9 populations) and A. persimilis (Piccinelli and Prosdocimi, 1968) (n=3 populations), to investigate the effect on nuclear size (S-NUC). The relationship of the R-CHR parameter with the ionic composition (IC) of brine habitats was also analysed. Our results indicate a significant variation in the amount of heterochromatin both within and between species (ANOVA, p0.05). The R-CHR and IC parameters were associated significantly for the magnesium ion (r= 0.496, p<0.05) and also for the chloride, sodium and calcium ions (r = from -0.705 to -0.478, p<0.05). At species level, a significant association between both parameters was also found in A. franciscana populations, for the sulphate and calcium ions, in contrast to A. persimilis. These findings suggest that the amount of interphase heterochromatin modifies the nuclear size in Artemia. Our data also indicate that change in the amount of interphase heterochromatin is in line with the ionic composition of brines. This would be a species-specific phenomenon, whose occurrence may be involved in the ability of this organism to survive in these environments