Autologous whole ram seminal plasma and its vesicle-free fraction improve motility characteristics and membrane status but not in vivo fertility of frozen-thawed ram spermatozoa

Motility characteristics (assessed subjectively and with computer-assisted semen analysis) and membrane status (after staining with chlortetracycline) of washed and non-washed frozen-thawed ram spermatozoa were evaluated after incubation in buffer and buffer containing autologous whole seminal plasma or one of its two fractions: the pellet of membrane vesicles obtained by ultracentrifugation (and used at three times normal protein concentration) or the vesicle-free supernatant fraction. Whole seminal plasma and supernatant, but not membrane vesicles, improved the motility characteristics of spermatozoa after 3 and 6 h of post-thaw incubation compared with the control buffer. Resuspension and incubation with whole seminal plasma, supernatant or membrane vesicles lowered the proportion of acrosome-reacted frozen-thawed spermatozoa compared with the control buffer. Unwashed frozen-thawed semen from three rams, incubated with autologous whole seminal plasma or its fractions and inseminated using cervical or intrauterine artificial insemination, had no effect on pregnancy rates of ewes in synchronized oestrus. However, fertility was higher after laparoscopic than cervical insemination (44.9 vs 12.3%, p < 0.001). In conclusion, resuspension and incubation of frozen-thawed ram spermatozoa in autologous whole seminal plasma or its vesicle-free supernatant fraction improved their motility characteristics and, with membrane vesicles, membrane status, but these benefits were not reflected in improved fertility after cervical or intrauterine insemination. © 2007 The Authors

Средневековая армянская архитектура в Крыму на примере Белогорского района

Цель работы - раскрыть вопрос о возникновении и развитии средневековой армянской архитектуры в Крыму на примере Белогорского района

Impaired neutrophil directional chemotactic accuracy in chronic periodontitis patients

Aim: To investigate the chemotactic accuracy of peripheral blood neutrophils from patients with chronic periodontitis compared with matched healthy controls, before and after non-surgical periodontal therapy. Material &#38; Methods: Neutrophils were isolated from patients and controls (n = 18) by density centrifugation. Using the Insall chamber and video microscopy, neutrophils were analysed for directional chemotaxis towards N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine [fMLP (10 nM), or CXCL8 (200 ng/ml)]. Circular statistics were utilized for the analysis of cell movement. Results: Prior to treatment, neutrophils from patients with chronic periodontitis had significantly reduced speed, velocity and chemotactic accuracy compared to healthy controls for both chemoattractants. Following periodontal treatment, patient neutrophils continued to display reduced speed in response to both chemoattractants. However, velocity and accuracy were normalized for the weak chemoattractant CXCL8 while they remained significantly reduced for fMLP. Conclusions: Chronic periodontitis is associated with reduced neutrophil chemotaxis, and this is only partially restored by successful treatment. Dysfunctional neutrophil chemotaxis may predispose patients with periodontitis to their disease by increasing tissue transit times, thus exacerbating neutrophil-mediated collateral host tissue damage

Construcción y validación de un cuestionario para evaluar los estilos de apego en niños de 3 a 5 años del distrito de villa rica - 2018

El objetivo de la investigación fue, crear un cuestionario para evaluar los estilos de apego en niños de 3 a 5 años del distrito de Villa Rica-2018. Este estudio es de tipo aplicada, de nivel descriptivo y diseño descriptivo simple. Para su validación se contó con una muestra de 264 participantes de instituciones educativas de nivel inicial. Posteriormente, el test fue validado por juicio de expertos; se exploró la validez de constructo por medio del análisis factorial exploratorio, donde los valores obtenidos del KMO fueron muy altos (0.718) y la prueba de esfericidad de Barlett fue estadísticamente significativa (2385,330). Se ha demostrado que el cuestionario posee la confiabilidad requerida para su uso (α=,841), además, en las evaluaciones de pre y post test de los Estilos de Apego en niños de 3 a 5 años se obtuvo (r=,997) y finalmente se elaboraron baremos percentilares. Según los resultados, se observan relaciones fuertes y significativas en las dimensiones Apego seguro, Apego inseguro ambivalente y Apego inseguro evitativo, expresadas a través de los valores obtenidos en el coeficiente de correlación de Pearson; concluyendo en que, el Cuestionario Estilos de Apego para niños de 3 a 5 años, es un instrumento altamente consistente, en cuanto a su estabilidad de puntuaciones a través del tiempo. Palabras Claves: Validez, Confiabilidad, Jardín, Estilos de Apego

Interventions for erythema nodosum leprosum

Background Erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL) is a serious immunological complication of leprosy, causing inflammation of skin, nerves, other organs, and general malaise. Many different therapies exist for ENL, but it is unclear if they work or which therapy is optimal. Objectives To assess the effects of interventions for erythema nodosum leprosum. Search strategy We searched the Cochrane Skin Group Specialised Register, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) in The Cochrane Library (Issue 1, 2009), MEDLINE (from 2003), EMBASE (from 2005), LILACS and AMED (from inception), CINAHL (from 1981), and databases of ongoing trials, all in March 2009. We checked reference lists of articles and contacted the American Leprosy Missions in Brazil to locate studies. Selection criteria Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of interventions for ENL in people with leprosy. Data collection and analysis Two authors performed study selection, assessed trial quality, and extracted data. Main results We included 13 studies with a total of 445 participants. The quality of the trials was generally poor and no results could be pooled due to the treatments being so heterogeneous. Treatment with thalidomide showed a significant remission of skin lesions compared to acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) (RR 2.43; 95% CI 1.28 to 4.59) (1 trial, 92 participants). Clofazimine treatment was superior to prednisolone (more treatment successes; RR 3.67; 95% CI 1.36 to 9.91) (1 trial, 24 participants), and thalidomide (fewer recurrences; RR0.08; 95% CI 0.01 to 0.56) (1 trial, 72 participants). We did not find any significant benefit for intravenous betamethasone compared to dextrose (1 trial, 10 participants), pentoxifylline compared to thalidomide (1 trial, 44 participants), indomethacin compared to prednisolone, aspirin or chloroquine treatments (2 trials, 80 participants), or levamisole compared to placebo (1 trial, 12 participants). Mild to moderate adverse events were significantly lower in participants taking 100 mg thalidomide compared to 300 mg thalidomide daily (RR 0.46; 95% CI 0.23 to 0.93). Significantly more minor adverse events were reported in participants taking clofazimine compared with prednisolone (RR 1.92; 95% CI 1.10 to 3.35). None of the studies assessed quality of life or economic outcomes. Authors' conclusions There is some evidence of benefit for thalidomide and clofazimine, but generally we did not find clear evidence of benefit for interventions in the management of ENL. However, this does not mean they do not work, because the studies were small and poorly reported. Larger studies using clearly defined participants, outcome measures, and internationally recognised scales are urgently required

UAV Forge

UAV Forge is a multidisciplinary engineering design team focusing on designing, manufacturing, programming, and testing autonomous aerial vehicles at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). The design aims to fulfill the constraints that allow the team to participate in the SUAS 2025 competition season. The SUAS competition is designed to spark interest in Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), promote careers and technology in the field, and allow students to take on a challenging mission

High-mobility group protein B1 derived mutant peptide mB Box-97 inhibits the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps

IntroductionNeutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs) are vital for innate immunity, playing a key role in controlling pathogen and biofilm proliferation. However, excessive NETosis is implicated in autoimmunity, inflammatory and neoplastic diseases, as well as thrombosis, stroke, and post-COVID-19 complications. Managing NETosis, therefore is a significant area of ongoing research. Herein, we have identified a peptide derived from HMGB1 that we have modified via a point mutation that is referred to as mB Box-97. In our recent study in a murine lung infection model, mB Box-97 was shown to be safe and effective at disrupting biofilms without eliciting an inflammatory response typically associated with HMGB1. Here we show that the lack of an inflammatory response of mB Box-97 is in part due to the inhibition of NETosis of which we investigated the mechanism of action.MethodsmB Box-97’s anti-NETosis activity was assessed using human neutrophils with known NET inducers PMA, LPS, or Ionomycin. Additionally, mB Box-97’s binding to Protein Kinase C (PKC), in addition to downstream effects on NADPH oxidase (NOX) activation, Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) generation and thereby NETosis were assessed.ResultsmB Box-97 significantly inhibited NETosis regardless of the type of induction pathway. Mechanistically, mB Box-97 inhibits PKC activity likely through direct binding and thereby reduced downstream activities including NOX activation, ROS production and NETosis.ConclusionsmB Box-97 is a promising dual acting therapeutic candidate for managing NET-mediated pathologies and resolving biofilm infections. Our results reveal that PKC is a viable target for NETosis inhibition independent of NET inducer and worthy of further study. These findings pave the way for a novel class of therapeutics aimed at controlling excessive NETosis, potentially offering new treatments for a range of inflammatory and immune-related diseases

From the traditional to a new approach of micro-enterprises: conceptual model of strategic alliances

Los nuevos mercados internacionales y nacionales han incrementado la competencia y afectado a lasmicroempresas mexicanas, ya que se enfrentan cada vez más a entornos cambiantes y complejos, los cuales les impiden la permanencia en el mercado. Es importante que los propietarios de microempresas realicen ajustes que fomenten el desarrollo, competitividad y supervivencia de sus empresas. Por esta razón, se diseña un modelo conceptual de alianzas estratégicas para microempresas, el cual está fundamentado con los diversos modelos que otros investigadores han desarrollado, además de considerar los procesos que llevan a cabo las pequeñas, medianas y grandes empresas en la formación o desarrollo de alianzas. La propuesta del modelo de alianzas estratégicas consta de cinco etapas, cada una de ellas presenta algunas indicaciones y habilidades que los microempresarios deben desarrollar para incrementar la participación en los mercados globalizados, de esta manera alcanzarán aquellas metas que, de manera individual, resultan complejas.The new international and national markets have increased competition and affected Mexican microenterprises, as they increasingly face changing and complex environments, which prevent them from remaining in the market. It is important that the owners of microenterprises make adjustments that promote the development, competitiveness and survival of their companies. For this reason, a conceptual model of strategic alliances for microenterprises is designed, which is based on thevarious models that other researchers have developed, as well as considering the processes carried out by small, medium and large companies in the training or development of alliances. The proposal of the model of strategic alliances consists of five stages, each of them presenting some indications and skills that micro-entrepreneurs must develop to increase participation in globalized markets; in this way, they will reach those goals that individually are complex

CD38 Exacerbates Focal Cytokine Production, Postischemic Inflammation and Brain Injury after Focal Cerebral Ischemia

BACKGROUND: Converging evidence suggests that inflammatory processes significantly influence brain injury and clinical impairment in ischemic stroke. Although early studies suggested a key role of lymphocytes, recent data has emphasized the orchestrating function of innate immunity, i.e., macrophages and microglia. The bifunctional receptor and ectoenzyme CD38 synthesizes calcium-mobilizing second messengers (e.g., cyclic ADP-ribose), which have been shown to be necessary for activation and migration of myeloid immune cells. Therefore, we investigated the dynamics of CD38 in stroke and the impact of CD38-deficiency on cytokine production, inflammation and cerebral damage in a mouse model of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We show that the local expression of the chemokine MCP-1 was attenuated in CD38-deficient mice compared with wildtype mice after focal cerebral ischemia and reperfusion. In contrast, no significant induction of MCP-1 expression was observed in peripheral blood after 6 hours. Flow cytometry analysis revealed less infiltrating macrophages and lymphocytes in the ischemic hemisphere of CD38-deficient mice, whereas the amount of resident microglia was unaltered. An up-regulation of CD38 expression was observed in macrophages and CD8(+) cells after focal cerebral ischemia in wildtype mice, whereas CD38 expression was unchanged in microglia. Finally, we demonstrate that CD38-deficiency decreases the cerebral ischemic injury and the persistent neurological deficit after three days of reperfusion in this murine temporary middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) model. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: CD38 is differentially regulated following stroke and its deficiency attenuates the postischemic chemokine production, the immune cell infiltration and the cerebral injury after temporary ischemia and reperfusion. Therefore CD38 might prove a therapeutic target in ischemic stroke

A Systematic Review of Immunological Studies of Erythema Nodosum Leprosum.

Erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL) is a painful inflammatory complication of leprosy occurring in 50% of lepromatous leprosy patients and 5-10% of borderline lepromatous patients. It is a significant cause of economic hardship, morbidity and mortality in leprosy patients. Our understanding of the causes of ENL is limited. We performed a systematic review of the published literature and critically evaluated the evidence for the role of neutrophils, immune complexes (ICs), T-cells, cytokines, and other immunological factors that could contribute to the development of ENL. Searches of the literature were performed in PubMed. Studies, independent of published date, using samples from patients with ENL were included. The search revealed more than 20,000 articles of which 146 eligible studies were included in this systematic review. The studies demonstrate that ENL may be associated with a neutrophilic infiltrate, but it is not clear whether it is an IC-mediated process or that the presence of ICs is an epiphenomenon. Increased levels of tumor necrosis factor-α and other pro-inflammatory cytokines support the role of this cytokine in the inflammatory phase of ENL but not necessarily the initiation. T-cell subsets appear to be important in ENL since multiple studies report an increased CD4+/CD8+ ratio in both skin and peripheral blood of patients with ENL. Microarray data have identified new molecules and whole pathophysiological pathways associated with ENL and provides new insights into the pathogenesis of ENL. Studies of ENL are often difficult to compare due to a lack of case definitions, treatment status, and timing of sampling as well as the use of different laboratory techniques. A standardized approach to some of these issues would be useful. ENL appears to be a complex interaction of various aspects of the immune system. Rigorous clinical descriptions of well-defined cohorts of patients and a systems biology approach using available technologies such as genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics could yield greater understanding of the condition