X-linked retinoschisis in three females from the same family: A phenotype-genotype correlation

Purpose: To describe the clinical findings and outcome for three homozygous females affected with X-linked retinoschisis (XLRS) in a large Colombian family with 26 affected males. Methods: Retrospective review of charts for females from a family with XLRS who underwent complete ophthalmologic examinations, ancillary tests, clinical genetic evaluation, and molecular studies. Results: Three female patients (6 eyes) with clinical findings of XLRS were identified. The patients' ages ranged from 10 to 37 years. Initial visual acuity was equal to or worse than 20/50 in 4 eyes (66%) of 2 patients. Four eyes (66%) were hyperopic. Intraocular pressure was normal in all eyes. Three eyes (50%) had cataracts, and vitreous veils were present in 3 (50%). The optic disk was pale in 6 eyes (100%). Foveal schisis was present in 6 eyes (100%). Peripheral retinal schisis was present in five eyes. A silvery gloss or tapetal-like retinal reflex or sheen was observed in 6 eyes (100%), and dendritic lines were found in 2 (33%). One eye had a retinal break, and one had a retinal detachment. Two eyes underwent cataract extraction; one patient underwent bilateral cryotherapy, one, laser treatment, and one, scleral buckling. Final visual acuity was 20/50 to 20/100 in 2 eyes and 20/200 to 20/400 in 4. Follow-up ranged from 7 to 22 years. Molecular analysis showed that all three female patients were homozygous for the allele 639delG of (on) the XRLS1 gene. Conclusions: Compared with their affected male relatives, three females from a family with XLRS had similar ocular findings and a more severe course of disease. These findings are explained by the fact that these patients were homozygous for a mutation in the XLRS1 gene

Value of Indirect Hemagglutination and Coagglutination Tests for Serotyping Haemophilus parasuis

P. 880-882An indirect hemagglutination test (IHA) and a coagglutination test (CA) were evaluated using saline, boiled, and autoclaved extracts for serotyping Haemophilus parasuis. CA showed several cross-reactions, whereas IHA gave rise to specific reactions, with minor exceptions. IHA was further compared with the immunodiffusion test (the “gold standard”) for the serotyping of 67 field isolates. As a conclusion, IHA is recommended as a useful method for sensitive and specific serotyping of H. parasuisS

High temperature internal friction in a Tie46Ale1Moe0.2Si intermetallic, comparison with creep behaviour

Advanced g-TiAl based intermetallics Mo-bearing have been developed to obtain the fine-grained microstructure required for superplastic deformation to be used during further processing. In the present work we have studied an alloy of Tie46.8Ale1Moe0.2Si (at%) with two different microstructures, as-cast material with a coarse grain size above 300 mm, and the hot extruded material exhibiting a grain size smaller than 20 mm. We have used a mechanical spectrometer especially developed for high temperature internal friction measurements to study the defect mobility processes taking place at high temperature. The internal friction spectra at different frequencies has been studied and analyzed up to 1360 K in order to characterize the relaxation processes appearing in this temperature range. A relaxation peak, with a maximum in between 900 K and 1080 K, depending on the oscillating frequency, has been attributed to Ti-atoms diffusion by the stress-induced reorientation of AleVTieAl elastic dipoles. The high temperature background in both microstructural states, as-cast and extruded, has been analyzed, measuring the apparent activation parameters, in particular the apparent energies of Ecast(IF) ¼ 4.4 ± 0.05 eV and Eext(IF) ¼ 4.75 ± 0.05 eV respectively. These results have been compared to those obtained on the same materials by creep deformation. We may conclude that the activation parameters obtained by internal friction analysis, are consistent with the ones measured by creep. Furthermore, the analysis of the high temperature background allows establish the difference on creep resistance for both microstructural states.Peer reviewe

Los prebióticos tipo inulina en alimentación aviar II: efectos sistémicos

Conseguir y mantener una elevada eficiencia productiva es un objetivo primordial de los programas de alimentación animal. Con esta finalidad se ha intensificado la investigación sobre la utilización de prebióticos como alternativa a los antibióticos promotores del crecimiento (APC) en alimentación aviar. Los prebióticos, y entre ellos los fructanos del tipo de la inulina, pueden tener efectos positivos sobre las aves, no sólo a nivel intestinal, sino también a nivel general o sistémico. Debido a que muchos prebióticos comparten gran parte de las propiedades fisiológicas de la fibra dietética, las investigaciones recientes están prestando especial atención al estudio de los efectos de los prebióticos sobre el metabolismo lipídico y el metabolismo mineral, así como sobre el sistema inmune. En este artículo se hace una revisión de la acción de los fructanos tipo inulina en los pollos de carne, en relación con sus efectos sistémicos y su influencia sobre los índices productivos.A primary goal of the animal feeding programs is to achieve and maintain high production efficiency. With this purpose, nowadays the research in poultry feeding is focussed to the use of prebiotics as an alternative to the antibiotic growth promoters (APC). In poultry production, prebiotics, and especially inulin-type fructans, could have beneficial effects at both local (intestinal function) and systemic levels. Since many prebiotics exhibit much of the physiological properties of dietary fibre, nowadays the research is paying special attention to the study of the effects of prebiotics on lipid and mineral metabolisms and immune system. The current article is a review of some of the systemic effects of inulin-type fructans in broiler feeding as well as of the incidence on performance

Los prebióticos tipo inulina en alimentación aviar. I: características y efectos a nivel intestinal.

Tras la prohibición por la Unión Europea en 2006 del uso de los antibióticos promotores del crecimiento (APC) en alimentación animal, los investigadores tuvieron que proponer alternativas a los productores de broilers para sustituir estos APC. Los prebióticos se definieron en 1995 como ingredientes alimentarios no digestibles que afectan de manera favorable al hospedador mediante la estimulación del crecimiento de bacterias intestinales beneficiosas. Dentro de los diferentes prebióticos estudiados, la inulina ha destacado debido a los resultados alentadores obtenidos sobre diferentes parámetros. En este trabajo se revisan, en primer lugar, los efectos de los prebióticos del tipo de la inulina sobre el intestino de los broilers, tanto a nivel macroscópico (longitud intestinal) como microscópico (tamaño y densidad de vellosidades y microvellosidades), así como sobre la microbiota intestinal. En segundo lugar, se hace una puesta al día de la información publicada relativa a la influencia de la inclusión de inulina en la ración sobre la digestibilidad de los diferentes nutrientes.Following the EU ban in 2006 on the use of antibiotic growth promoters (AGP) in animal feeding there was a need to find some alternatives to replace AGP in broiler production. Prebiotics were defined in 1995 as non-digestible food ingredients that favourably affect the host by stimulating the growth of beneficial intestinal bacteria. Among the different studied prebiotics, the use of inulin has been highlighted in several studies due to the encouraging results obtained on different parameters. This paper reviews, first, the effects of inulin-type prebiotics on intestinal morphology, both on macroscopic (intestinal length) and microscopic (size and density of villi and microvilli) structures and on the intestinal microbiota in the gut of broiler chickens. Finally, there is an update of the published information concerning the influence of the dietary inclusion of inulin on nutrient digestibility

Identification and characterization of the TonB region and its role in transferrin-mediated iron acquisition in Haemophilus parasuis

12 p.Haemophilus parasuis is the causative agent of Glässer's disease, which is responsible for considerable economic losses in the pigrearing industry. The aim of the study reported here was the identification, sequencing and molecular characterization of the TonB region that includes tonB, exbBD, and tbpBA genes in H. parasuis. In addition, two fusion proteins were generated. One of them (pGEX-6P-1-GST-TbpB) contained the first 501 amino acids of H. parasuis TbpB protein, while the second (pBAD-Thio-TbpBV5- His) included the first 102 amino acids of H. parasuis TbpB N-terminus domain. A panel of 14 hybridomas secreting monoclonal antibodies was raised against the two recombinant TbpB fusion proteins. Furthermore, to assess whether the expression of the H. parasuis ExbB, TbpB, and TbpA proteins was upregulated under conditions of restricted availability of iron, a rabbit polyclonal antibody against H. parasuis TbpB-His fusion protein was produced. A rabbit polyclonal antibody against serotype 7 of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae ExbB and TbpA proteins was also used for the detection of the homologous proteins in H. parasuis. Overall, the data indicate that H. parasuis, like other members of the Pasteurellaceae family, possesses the genetic elements of the TonB region for iron acquisition and the transferrin-binding proteins encoded under this region are upregulated under restricted iron availabilityS

El ajuar doméstico en el poblado protohistórico de El Castejón de Bargota, Navarra

En este trabajo se ofrecen los resultados de las actividades de campo llevadas a cabo en el yacimiento protohistórico de El Castejón, y del posterior estudio de los datos recuperados, tanto de las estructuras, como del ajuar