Vasotocin receptor expression in the brain and pituitary gland during the ovulatory cycle of the fowl

Vasotocin receptors are members of seven transmembrane spanning G-protein associated receptors. Several isoforms have been recognized in mammals and birds. It has been shown that VT-1 expression occurs primarily in the brain while VT-2 expression occurs mainly in the pituitary. There is no current evidence to support that both VTR-1 and -2 are found in a single tissue. Our goal in this experiment was to see if VT-1 and VT-2 receptor mRNA expression varied in known sites of expression over the period of the ovulatory cycle of broiler breeder hens. In order to study potential changes in VT-1 and VT-2 expression, birds were sacrificed at 3 hour intervals over a 24 hour period. Blood samples were drawn. After cervical dislocation, the brain, pituitary, shell gland, and kidney were removed. Plasma was stored at -20ºC prior to determination of corticosterone levels by radioimmuno assays. Isolated mRNA from the brains and the pituitaries was transferred to nylon membranes for northern slot blot analysis. cDNA for VT-1 and VT-2 was used to make random primed cDNA probes. Corticosterone levels significantly increased at 9 hours post oviposition relative to all other times. Neither VT-1 or VT- 2 expression showed any significant variation over the 24 hour cycle. Based on these results, we conclude that VT-1 and VT-2 steady state mRNA levels do not fluctuate dramatically over the ovulatory cycle of broiler breeder hens. Further work on membrane bound receptors and on circadian variations in membrane bound receptors in the brain and pituitary is currently underway of broiler breeder hens

Factors Influencing Reproduction of Beef Heifers : Age at Puberty, Nutritional Anestrus, Glucose in Plasma and Consumption of Cobalt

Animal Scienc

Amyand's hernia: an uncommon entity

A 60-year-old male case whose condition began 6 months prior to admission to the emergency department, presenting an increase in volume in the right inguinal region, with intermittent pain, colic type, with an intensity rating of 8-10/10. On physical examination we found increased volume in the right inguinal region when standing, tumor measuring approximately 5x5 cm, hernia defect approximately 4 cm in diameter, non-painful and reducible. Patient was diagnosed clinically as direct right inguinal hernia and ultrasound confirmed the diagnosis with the presence of the appendix in the sac. A pre-operative diagnosis of right inguinal hernia was made and was planned for hernia mesh repair, during surgery under spinal blockage, the hernia sac was found to contain an appendix without signs of inflammation, so we decided to close the defect and repair with a Lichtenstein mesh hernioplasty without doing an appendectomy. In this case we treated a rare clinical entity called Amyand's hernia. This case highlights the importance of considering Amyand's hernia in the differential diagnosis of inguinal pathologies and the role of imaging modalities in pre-operative diagnosis. Various classification systems have been proposed, including those by Losanoff and Bason, later modified by Rikki et al offering insights into surgical management strategies based on the condition of the appendix and concomitant pathologies. Despite efforts to standardize treatment approaches, consensus on the optimal management strategy remains elusive, necessitating further research to refine diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines

Guía de Práctica Clínica para el Diagnóstico y Tratamiento de Esclerosis Múltiple en Adultos.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease of the central nervous system, for which there is still no definitive cure; but there is a diverse variety of therapies with the objective of modifying the course of the disease, which promotes the constant inclusion of new therapeutic strategies. Objective: The Peruvian Society of Neurology, as requested by the Peruvian Health Ministry, convened a committee of experts with the purpose of elaborating a clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of MS. Method: Clinical practice guidelines were searched and evaluated according to the AGREE II methodology, choosing the Catalan Clinical Practice Guide as a model. The clinical questions not related to treatment were solved through a systematic review. The clinical treatment questions were assessed under the PICO format and were solved with a meta-analysis of clinical trials available until August 2017, considering the therapies approved by DIGEMID until January 2017. The final recommendations were elaborated using the modified Delphi method with a consensus of at least 80% of the members of its committee. Finally, an external revision of the manuscript was made by international experts in MS. Results: Eighteen clinical questions and twenty-one recommendations for management were developed, including therapeutic algorithms.La Esclerosis Múltiple (EM) es una enfermedad crónica del sistema nervioso central, para la cual aún no hay una cura definitiva; sin embargo, existe una diversa variedad de terapias con el objetivo de modificar el curso natural de la enfermedad, que promueve la inclusión constante de nuevas estrategias terapéuticas. Objetivo: La Sociedad Peruana de Neurología, por encargo del Ministerio de Salud, convocó a un comité de expertos con el objetivo de elaborar una guía de práctica clínica para el diagnóstico y tratamiento de EM. Método: Se realizó una búsqueda y evaluación de guías de práctica clínica bajo la metodología AGREE II, escogiendo como modelo la Guía de Práctica Clínica Catalana. Las preguntas clínicas no concernientes al tratamiento fueron resueltas a través de revisión sistemática. Las preguntas clínicas de tratamiento se diseñaron bajo el formato PICO y se resolvieron con un meta-análisis de ensayos clínicos disponibles hasta agosto del 2017, tomando en consideración las terapias aprobadas por DIGEMID hasta enero del 2017. Las recomendaciones finales fueron elaboradas mediante el método Delphi modificado con un consenso de al menos 80% de los miembros de su comité. Finalmente se realizó una revisión externa del manuscrito por expertos internacionales en EM.   Resultados: Se formularon 18 preguntas clínicas y 21 recomendaciones para el manejo, incluyendo algoritmos terapéuticos

Responsabilidad social empresarial : decisiones, reflexiones y casos de estudio

Esta obra es resultado del esfuerzo conjunto realizado por miembros de la Asociación Latinoamericana de Casos (ALAC), el Centro Internacional de Casos del Tecnológico de Monterrey (México) y la Universidad del Norte (Colombia). Contiene una selección de trabajos que versan sobre la problemática de la responsabilidad social empresarial en América Latina, la visión de la cultura y el devenir histórico acerca de este tema y una serie de casos que, sin lugar a dudas, se constituyen en un aporte significativo a los procesos de enseñanza-aprendizaje respecto a la ética empresarial y la responsabilidad social

Carbon sequestration potential of second-growth forest regeneration in the Latin American tropics

Regrowth of tropical secondary forests following complete or nearly complete removal of forest vegetation actively stores carbon in aboveground biomass, partially counterbalancing carbon emissions from deforestation, forest degradation, burning of fossil fuels, and other anthropogenic sources. We estimate the age and spatial extent of lowland second-growth forests in the Latin American tropics and model their potential aboveground carbon accumulation over four decades. Our model shows that, in 2008, second-growth forests (1 to 60 years old) covered 2.4 million km2 of land (28.1%of the total study area).Over 40 years, these lands can potentially accumulate a total aboveground carbon stock of 8.48 Pg C (petagrams of carbon) in aboveground biomass via low-cost natural regeneration or assisted regeneration, corresponding to a total CO2 sequestration of 31.09 Pg CO2. This total is equivalent to carbon emissions from fossil fuel use and industrial processes in all of Latin America and the Caribbean from1993 to 2014. Ten countries account for 95% of this carbon storage potential, led by Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela. We model future land-use scenarios to guide national carbon mitigation policies. Permitting natural regeneration on 40% of lowland pastures potentially stores an additional 2.0 Pg C over 40 years. Our study provides information and maps to guide national-level forest-based carbon mitigation plans on the basis of estimated rates of natural regeneration and pasture abandonment. Coupled with avoided deforestation and sustainable forestmanagement, natural regeneration of second-growth forests provides a low-costmechanism that yields a high carbon sequestration potential with multiple benefits for biodiversity and ecosystem services. © 2016 The Authors

Treatment with tocilizumab or corticosteroids for COVID-19 patients with hyperinflammatory state: a multicentre cohort study (SAM-COVID-19)

Objectives: The objective of this study was to estimate the association between tocilizumab or corticosteroids and the risk of intubation or death in patients with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) with a hyperinflammatory state according to clinical and laboratory parameters. Methods: A cohort study was performed in 60 Spanish hospitals including 778 patients with COVID-19 and clinical and laboratory data indicative of a hyperinflammatory state. Treatment was mainly with tocilizumab, an intermediate-high dose of corticosteroids (IHDC), a pulse dose of corticosteroids (PDC), combination therapy, or no treatment. Primary outcome was intubation or death; follow-up was 21 days. Propensity score-adjusted estimations using Cox regression (logistic regression if needed) were calculated. Propensity scores were used as confounders, matching variables and for the inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTWs). Results: In all, 88, 117, 78 and 151 patients treated with tocilizumab, IHDC, PDC, and combination therapy, respectively, were compared with 344 untreated patients. The primary endpoint occurred in 10 (11.4%), 27 (23.1%), 12 (15.4%), 40 (25.6%) and 69 (21.1%), respectively. The IPTW-based hazard ratios (odds ratio for combination therapy) for the primary endpoint were 0.32 (95%CI 0.22-0.47; p < 0.001) for tocilizumab, 0.82 (0.71-1.30; p 0.82) for IHDC, 0.61 (0.43-0.86; p 0.006) for PDC, and 1.17 (0.86-1.58; p 0.30) for combination therapy. Other applications of the propensity score provided similar results, but were not significant for PDC. Tocilizumab was also associated with lower hazard of death alone in IPTW analysis (0.07; 0.02-0.17; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Tocilizumab might be useful in COVID-19 patients with a hyperinflammatory state and should be prioritized for randomized trials in this situatio

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear un derstanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5–7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8–11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world’s most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepre sented in biodiversity databases.13–15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may elim inate pieces of the Amazon’s biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological com munities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple or ganism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region’s vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most ne glected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lostinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio