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 Moreover, in most sections, we have also included new, unpublished information.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

Sarcopenia: etiology, clinical consequences, intervention, and assessment

The aging process is associated with loss of muscle mass and strength and decline in physical functioning. The term sarcopenia is primarily defined as low level of muscle mass resulting from age-related muscle loss, but its definition is often broadened to include the underlying cellular processes involved in skeletal muscle loss as well as their clinical manifestations. The underlying cellular changes involve weakening of factors promoting muscle anabolism and increased expression of inflammatory factors and other agents which contribute to skeletal muscle catabolism. At the cellular level, these molecular processes are manifested in a loss of muscle fiber cross-sectional area, loss of innervation, and adaptive changes in the proportions of slow and fast motor units in muscle tissue. Ultimately, these alterations translate to bulk changes in muscle mass, strength, and function which lead to reduced physical performance, disability, increased risk of fall-related injury, and, often, frailty. In this review, we summarize current understanding of the mechanisms underlying sarcopenia and age-related changes in muscle tissue morphology and function. We also discuss the resulting long-term outcomes in terms of loss of function, which causes increased risk of musculoskeletal injuries and other morbidities, leading to frailty and loss of independence

The importance of the altricial – precocial spectrum for social complexity in mammals and birds:A review

Various types of long-term stable relationships that individuals uphold, including cooperation and competition between group members, define social complexity in vertebrates. Numerous life history, physiological and cognitive traits have been shown to affect, or to be affected by, such social relationships. As such, differences in developmental modes, i.e. the ‘altricial-precocial’ spectrum, may play an important role in understanding the interspecific variation in occurrence of social interactions, but to what extent this is the case is unclear because the role of the developmental mode has not been studied directly in across-species studies of sociality. In other words, although there are studies on the effects of developmental mode on brain size, on the effects of brain size on cognition, and on the effects of cognition on social complexity, there are no studies directly investigating the link between developmental mode and social complexity. This is surprising because developmental differences play a significant role in the evolution of, for example, brain size, which is in turn considered an essential building block with respect to social complexity. Here, we compiled an overview of studies on various aspects of the complexity of social systems in altricial and precocial mammals and birds. Although systematic studies are scarce and do not allow for a quantitative comparison, we show that several forms of social relationships and cognitive abilities occur in species along the entire developmental spectrum. Based on the existing evidence it seems that differences in developmental modes play a minor role in whether or not individuals or species are able to meet the cognitive capabilities and requirements for maintaining complex social relationships. Given the scarcity of comparative studies and potential subtle differences, however, we suggest that future studies should consider developmental differences to determine whether our finding is general or whether some of the vast variation in social complexity across species can be explained by developmental mode. This would allow a more detailed assessment of the relative importance of developmental mode in the evolution of vertebrate social systems

Svar til Prof. Dr. polit. L. V. Birck.

The exchange interactions in polycrystalline samples of Ca1-xLaxMnO3 (0.00 less than or equal to x less than or equal to 0.05) are studied by means of Raman scattering and electron paramagnetic resonance. Dramatic reductions in the spin-phonon interactions and magnetic correlations are observed for La doping levels as small as similar to2%-3%. These results show that the charge carriers play an important role in the overall exchange coupling in the electron-doped manganites, even at very low doping levels

Weak ferromagnetism and Raman scattering in Eu2-xPrxCuO4

Magnetization and Raman experiments performed in single crystals of Eu2-xPrxCuO4 (0 less than or similar to x less than or similar to 1) are interpreted in terms of local distortions within the CuO2 planes. We find that samples grown in Pt crucibles contain Pt impurities, that are partially responsible for these distortions. We observed: (i) the appearance of two forbidden Raman modes (fRM) and (ii) a weak-ferromagnetic (WF) component when the crystals are field cooled in the ab-plane. The WF component, the onset temperature where 3D long-range WF is first observed, T-WF, the coercive field, H-C, and the intensity of the fRM decrease as the Pt content decreases. For crystals with a similar Pt content, the above quantities are larger for samples with smaller lattice unit cell volume, V. The crystal with the highest Pt content and smallest V (x = 0) shows, for T --> 0, an average canted Cu moment of 5.5(3) x 10(-3) mu(B)/Cu. The intensity of the fRM decrease with T, suggesting that the number of distortions decrease as V expands. This is consistent with recent neutron diffraction results in Eu2CuO4, where a tetragonal to orthorhombic phase transition was observed at T less than or similar to 200 K. We concluded that the Pt impurities and/or the reduction of V beyond a critical value, V-c, are the origin of these orthorhombic distortions which in turn are responsible for the fRM and WF observed in these compounds. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.2534173229630

Magnetic ordering effects in the Raman spectra of La1-xMn1-xO3

Temperature-dependent Raman spectra of polycrystalline La1-xMn1-xO3 samples, referred to as LaMnO3+delta for convenience, were correlated to their structural and magnetic properties for different delta. For delta less than or equal to 0.05, a softening of the similar to 610 cm(-1) Raman mode is observed below the magnetic ordering temperature. This softening is reduced as delta increases from 0.00 to 0.05. This behavior is not associated with lattice anomalies, and is interpreted in terms of a spin-phonon coupling caused by a phonon modulation of the superexchange integral. A quantitative analysis of this effect is presented. [S0163-1829(99)10737-9].6017118791188

Phonon Raman scattering in R(1-x)A(x)MnO(3+delta) (R = La,Pr; A = Ca,Sr)

Polarized Raman spectra of single and polycrystalline R(1-x)A(x)MnO(3) (R = La,Pr;A = Ca,Sr) ceramic samples were studied as a function of temperature. For the rhombohedral LaMnO3.1 and La0.7Sr0.3MnO3, the observed Raman peaks were associated with modes arising from the folding of the Brillouin zone under lattice deformation. For the orthorhombic LaMnO3.0, the Raman spectra are consistent with the Pnma structure and show an anomalous softening of the 494 and 604 cm(-1) modes below the antiferromagnetic ordering temperature T-N similar or equal to 140 K. Polycrystalline samples of La0.5Ca0.5MnO3 show a dramatic change of the Raman spectra between 100 and 160 K, which was associated with the increase of the orthorhombic distortion observed by others for T less than or similar to 240 K. Other R(1-x)A(x)MnO(3) single crystals, with small orthorhombic distortions, show Raman spectra which are similar to those observed in the rhombohedral samples. [S0163-1829(98)05338-7].5817114351144

Role of oxygen vacancies in the magnetic and dielectric properties of the high-dielectric-constant system CaCu3Ti4O12: An electron-spin resonance study

We report experiments of electron spin resonance (ESR) of Cu2+ in polycrystalline samples of CaCu3Ti4O12 post-annealed in different atmospheres. After being synthesized by solid state reaction, pellets of CaCu3Ti4O12 were annealed for 24 h at 1000 degrees C under air, Ar or O-2. Our temperature dependent ESR data revealed for all samples nearly temperature independent g value (2.15(1)) and linewidth for T > T-N approximate to 25 K. However, the values of ESR linewidth are strongly affected by the oxygen content in the sample. For instance, argon post-annealed samples show a much larger linewidth than the O-2 or air post-annealed samples. We attribute this broadening to an increase of the dipolar homogeneous broadening of the Cu2+ ESR lines due to the presence of oxygen vacancies which induce an S=1/2 spin inside the TiO6 octahedra. Correlation between a systematic dependence of the ESR linewidth on the oxygen content and the high dielectric constant of these materials is addressed. Also, ESR, magnetic susceptibility, and specific heat data for a single crystal of CaCu3Ti4O12 and for polycrystals of CdCu3Ti4O12 are reported.732

Disability, discourse and desire: Analyzing online talk by people with disabilities

Fran Vicary, who has had cerebral palsy from birth, recently claimed in the UK newspaper, The Guardian, that most people with a disability seek to express themselves sexually. Arguing from personal experience, she said the expression of sexual desire is a much contested space for those with disabilities because their sexualities and bodies are controlled by broader public discourses that delegitimize and stigmatize their sexual agency and the possibility of pleasure. It is not surprising then that positive and empowering discourses of disability and sexuality are either invisible or missing. Drawing on discourse analysis, the author examines electronic talk by people with disabilities in a disability specific online community website. His analysis shows their rejection of mainstream discourses positioning them as asexual and the deployment of mainstream discourses, which draw on gender, sexuality and intimacy, as well as the circulation of disability-specific sexual pleasure discourses with sex workers and caregivers. The use of social media in expressing marginalized sexual identities is also discussed.N/