Effects of artificial day length on early sexual maturation, reproductive performance, and egg quality in female European sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax (Linnaeus, 1758)

Juvenile sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax (Linnaeus, 1758), (4-5 months old) were kept during four (experiment I) or three (experiment II) consecutive years under artificial photoperiod conditions. Compared with the control group, in experiment I, during the first reproductive cycle, the EX and LO groups showed a statistically significant advance and delay of 53 and 58 days, respectively, in mean spawning time. In Experiment II, the SLmar and CO groups presented a significant advance in spawning time, of 1 and 2 months, respectively, compared with the controls. From these results, it can be concluded that long-term application of artificial photoperiods can advance or delay the time of first spawning in D. labrax, as well as altering their rates of relative fecundity, and the quality of eggs and larvae.Se estudió la influencia del fotoperiodo en juveniles de lubina Dicentrarchus labrax (Linnaeus, 1758), de 4-5 meses de edad, mantenidos en cautividad durante 4 y 3 años consecutivos (experimentos I y II, respectivamente). En el experimento I, durante el primer ciclo reproductor, se observó que los grupos EX (fotoperiodo expandido) y LO (fotoperiodo largo constante) adelantaron y retrasaron el periodo medio de puesta en 53 y 58 días, respectivamente, en comparación con el grupo control. En el siguiente ciclo reproductor, estos grupos retrasaron el periodo medio de puesta en 21 y 31 días, respectivamente, con respecto al control. En general, las fecundidades relativas y las tasas de viabilidad de huevos y larvas de los grupos experimentales fueron un 50 % más bajas que las observadas en el grupo control. En el experimento II, los grupos SLmar y CO adelantaron en 1 o 2 meses el periodo medio de puesta en comparación con el grupo control (NP). En conclusión, el fotoperiodo puede alterar la aparición de la primera madurez sexual en las hembras, el periodo de puesta, la fecundidad y las tasas de viabilidad de huevos y larvas.Instituto Español de Oceanografí

Effect of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation on metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients

Artículo derivado de un proyecto de investigación de Suplementación con ácidos grasos poliinsaturados n-3 y vitamina D en pacientes con diabetes mellitus tipo 2Abstract: Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is accompanied by chronic low-grade inflammation, with an imbalance in the secretion of adipokines and, worsening insulin resistance. Supplementation with n-3 PUFA in T2DM decreases inflammatory markers, the purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of n-3 PUFA supplementation on adipokines, metabolic control, and lipid profile in T2DM Mexican adults. Methods: In a randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study, 54 patients with T2DM received 520 mg of DHA + EPA-enriched fish-oil (FOG) or a placebo (PG) daily. Baseline and 24-week anthropometric and biochemical measurements included glucose, insulin, glycosylated hemoglobin (Hb1Ac), leptin, adiponectin, resistin, and lipid profile; n-3 PUFA intake was calculated in g/day. Results: Waist circumference and blood glucose showed significant reductions in the FOG group (p = 0.001 and p = 0.011, respectively). Hb1Ac (p = 0.009 and p = 0.004), leptin (p < 0.000 and p < 0.000), and leptin/adiponectin ratio (p < 0.000 and p < 0.000) decreased significantly in both groups after 24 weeks (FOG and PG respectively). Serum resistin (FOG p < 0.000 and PG p = 0.001), insulin (FOG p < 0.000 and PG p < 0.000), and HOMA-IR (FOG p = 0.000 and PG p < 0.000) increased significantly in both groups. FOG had an overall improvement in the lipid profile with a significant decrease in triacylgycerols (p = 0.002) and atherogenic index (p = 0.031); in contrast, the PG group had increased total cholesterol (p < 0.000), non-HDL cholesterol (p < 0.000), and atherogenic index (p = 0.017). Conclusions: We found a beneficial effect of n-3 PUFA supplementation on waist circumference, glucose, Hb1Ac, leptin, leptin/adiponectin ratio, and lipid profile, without significant changes in adiponectin, and increases in resistin, insulin, and HOMA-IR in both groups.CONACyT, Desarrollo Científico para atender problemas nacionales, No. 21294

Genetic analysis of porcine circovirus type 2 from pigs affected with PMWS in Chile reveals intergenotypic recombination

Background: Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is a very small, non-enveloped and icosahedral virus, with circular single stranded DNA genome. This virus is the most ubiquitous and persistent pathogen currently affecting the swine industry worldwide. PCV2 has been implicated as the major causative agent of postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS), a disease which is characterized by severe immunosuppressive effects in the porcine host. Worldwide PCV2 isolates have been classified into four different genotypes, PCV2a, PCV2b, PCV2c and PCVd. The goal of this work was to conduct the first phylogenetic analysis of PCV2 in Chile. Methods: PCV2 partial ORF2 sequences (462 nt) obtained from 29 clinical cases of PMWS in 22 Chilean intensive swine farms, covering over the 90% of the local pork-production, were analyzed. Results: 14% and 52% of sequences belonged to the genotypes PCV2a and PCV2b, respectively. Surprisingly, 34% of sequences were PCV2a/PCV2d recombinant viruses. Conclusions: Our findings suggested that a novel cluster of Chilean sequences emerged resulting from intergenotypic recombination between PCV2a and PCV2d

Photo-astrometric distances, extinctions, and astrophysical parameters for Gaia DR2 stars brighter than G = 18

Combining the precise parallaxes and optical photometry delivered by Gaia's second data release (Gaia DR2) with the photometric catalogues of PanSTARRS-1, 2MASS, and AllWISE, we derive Bayesian stellar parameters, distances, and extinctions for 265 million stars brighter than G=18. Because of the wide wavelength range used, our results substantially improve the accuracy and precision of previous extinction and effective temperature estimates. After cleaning our results for both unreliable input and output data, we retain 137 million stars, for which we achieve a median precision of 5% in distance, 0.20 mag in V-band extinction, and 245 K in effective temperature for G<14, degrading towards fainter magnitudes (12%, 0.20 mag, and 245 K at G=16; 16%, 0.23 mag, and 260 K at G=17, respectively). We find a very good agreement with the asteroseismic surface gravities and distances of 7000 stars in the Kepler, the K2-C3, and the K2-C6 fields, with stellar parameters from the APOGEE survey, as well as with distances to star clusters. Our results are available through the ADQL query interface of the Gaia mirror at the Leibniz-Institut f\"{u}r Astrophysik Potsdam (gaia.aip.de) and as binary tables at data.aip.de. As a first application, in this paper we provide distance- and extinction-corrected colour-magnitude diagrams, extinction maps as a function of distance, and extensive density maps, demonstrating the potential of our value-added dataset for mapping the three-dimensional structure of our Galaxy. In particular, we see a clear manifestation of the Galactic bar in the stellar density distributions, an observation that can almost be considered a direct imaging of the Galactic bar.Comment: 25 pages, 23 figures + appendix, accepted for publication in A&A. Data (doi:10.17876/gaia/dr.2/51) are available through ADQL queries at gaia.aip.d

Micronúcleos y otras anormalidades nucleares en células de mucosa bucal como biomarcadores de genotoxicidad y citotoxicidad en personal expuesto a gases anestésicos

Associated damage to health during occupational exposition is a controvert issue. It has been reported either reproductive toxicity, affections to organs, cancer and genotoxicity. Objective: To evaluate micronuclei and other nuclear abnormalities frequencies at epithelial mouth cells from people exposed to anesthetic gasses as genotoxicity and cytotoxicity markers. Methodology: We gathered a total of 164 epithelial mouth samples from 81 anesthesiologists from different Mexican Health clinics across, 43 health people not exposed and with no addictions and 40 patients receiving antineoplastic drugs. The survey included questions related with habits, work location and schedules and general data that could be related with results. Epithelial cell smears were obtained with gentle scraping, dried and fixed with 80% ethylic alcohol and stained with orcein and fast green. We analyzed 2,000 cells from each sample under microscope (100x) and counted for Micronucleated cells (CMN) and Nuclear abnormalities (AN) [Binucleated (CBN), Lobulated nucleus (NL), Karyorrhexis (CR), condensed chromatin (CC), Pyknosis (PN) and Karyolysis (CL)]. Results: Counts from anesthesiologists MN were statistically higher than not exposed [2.8(1.9)/ 0.7(0.7)/ 1,000 cells, (p: &lt;0.001)]. No matter of exposition time, age or sex, 86% of the anesthesiologists presented micronucleus genotoxicity and the complement presented cytotoxicity. Conclusions: Occupational exposition to anesthetic gases at Mexican health clinics system induces genotoxic and cytotoxic damage been evident by the MN and AN count at mouth epithelial cells. We highly recommend increasing security measures.El daño a la salud asociado a exposición ocupacional de anestésicos es controversial, se ha encontrado toxicidad reproductiva, afección de órganos, cáncer y genotoxicidad. Objetivo: Evaluar la frecuencia de micronúcleos y otras anormalidades nucleares en células de mucosa bucal de personal expuesto a gases, como marcadores de genotoxicidad y citotoxicidad. Métodología: Se colectaron 164 muestras de mucosa bucal de 81 anestesiólogos que laboraban en diferentes hospitales en México, 43 personas sanas no expuestas y sin toxicomanías, y 40 pacientes tratados con antineoplásicos. Se preguntó hábitos, lugar y horas de trabajo, sistemas de eliminación de gases del centro de trabajo y datos que podrían influir en los resultados. Se realizaron frotis de mucosa bucal mediante un raspado suave, se dejaron secar, se fijaron con etanol al 80% y se tiñeron con orceína y verde rápido. Al microscopio (100X), por muestra se analizaron 2,000 células, se identificaron células micronucleadas (CMN) y anormaliades nucleares (AN) [binucleadas (CBN), núcleo lobulado (NL), cariorrexis (CR), cromatina condensada (CC), picnosis (PN) y cariólisis (CL)]. Resultados: La frecuencia de CMN es mayor en anestesiólogos que en no expuestos, [2.8 (1.9)/ 0.7(0.7)/ 1,000 células, (p: &lt;0.001)]. Independiente de tiempo de exposición, lugar de trabajo, edad o sexo, en el 86.4% de anestesiólogos se observó micronucleogenicidad y en el resto citotoxicidad. Conclusiones: La exposición ocupacional a gases anestésicos en el ambiente hospitalario mexicano induce daño genotóxico y citotóxico evidenciado por presencia de MN y AN en células exfoliadas de mucosa bucal, por ello se sugiere reforzar las medidas de seguridad

Association of BMI Category Change with TB Treatment Mortality in HIV-Positive Smear-Negative and Extrapulmonary TB Patients in Myanmar and Zimbabwe

OBJECTIVE: The HIV epidemic has increased the proportion of patients with smear-negative and extrapulmonary tuberculosis (TB) diagnoses, with related higher rates of poor TB treatment outcomes. Unlike in smear-positive pulmonary TB, no interim markers of TB treatment progress are systematically used to identify individuals most at risk of mortality. The objective of this study was to assess the association of body mass index (BMI) change at 1 month (±15 days) from TB treatment start with mortality among HIV-positive individuals with smear-negative and extrapulmonary TB. METHODS AND FINDINGS: A retrospective cohort study of adult HIV-positive new TB patients in Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) treatment programmes in Myanmar and Zimbabwe was conducted using Cox proportional hazards regression to estimate the association between BMI category change and mortality. A cohort of 1090 TB patients (605 smear-negative and 485 extrapulmonary) was followed during TB treatment with mortality rate of 28.9 per 100 person-years. In multivariable analyses, remaining severely underweight or moving to a lower BMI category increased mortality (adjusted hazard ratio 4.05, 95% confidence interval 2.77-5.91, p<0.001) compared with remaining in the same or moving to a higher BMI category. CONCLUSIONS: We found a strong association between BMI category change during the first month of TB treatment and mortality. BMI category change could be used to identify individuals most at risk of mortality during TB treatment among smear-negative and extrapulmonary patients

Precise measurement of the W-boson mass with the CDF II detector

We have measured the W-boson mass MW using data corresponding to 2.2/fb of integrated luminosity collected in proton-antiproton collisions at 1.96 TeV with the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron collider. Samples consisting of 470126 W->enu candidates and 624708 W->munu candidates yield the measurement MW = 80387 +- 12 (stat) +- 15 (syst) = 80387 +- 19 MeV. This is the most precise measurement of the W-boson mass to date and significantly exceeds the precision of all previous measurements combined

Search for the standard model Higgs boson in the H to ZZ to 2l 2nu channel in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV

A search for the standard model Higgs boson in the H to ZZ to 2l 2nu decay channel, where l = e or mu, in pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV is presented. The data were collected at the LHC, with the CMS detector, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 4.6 inverse femtobarns. No significant excess is observed above the background expectation, and upper limits are set on the Higgs boson production cross section. The presence of the standard model Higgs boson with a mass in the 270-440 GeV range is excluded at 95% confidence level.Comment: Submitted to JHE

Measurement of the t t-bar production cross section in the dilepton channel in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV

The t t-bar production cross section (sigma[t t-bar]) is measured in proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV in data collected by the CMS experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.3 inverse femtobarns. The measurement is performed in events with two leptons (electrons or muons) in the final state, at least two jets identified as jets originating from b quarks, and the presence of an imbalance in transverse momentum. The measured value of sigma[t t-bar] for a top-quark mass of 172.5 GeV is 161.9 +/- 2.5 (stat.) +5.1/-5.0 (syst.) +/- 3.6(lumi.) pb, consistent with the prediction of the standard model.Comment: Replaced with published version. Included journal reference and DO