CNP temporarily inhibited the meiotic resumption of goat oocytes cultured <i>in vitro</i>.

<p>COCs were cultured in medium containing different concentrations (0, 50, 100 and 150 ng/mL) of CNP, and the proportion of oocytes with GV was evaluated after 0, 4, 6, 8 hours of culture, respectively. CNP: C-type natriuretic peptide; COCs: cumulus oocyte complexes; GV: germinal vesicle.</p

Effect of estradiol on CNP-induced meiotic arrest and the expression of Npr2.

<p>A, Effect of estradiol on CNP-induced meiotic arrest. COCs were cultured in medium containing 100 ng/mL CNP and different concentrations (0, 5, 10 and 50 nM) of estradiol. The proportion of oocytes with GV was evaluated after 6 and 8 hours of culture, respectively. B, Effect of estradiol on the expression of Npr2 mRNA. The Npr2 mRNA in COCs cultured in medium containing 100 ng/mL CNP and 10 nM estradiol was detected after 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 hours of culture, respectively. CNP: C-type natriuretic peptide; Npr2: natriuretic peptide receptor 2; COCs: cumulus oocyte complexes; E2: estradiol.</p

Treatment with CNP during prematuration improved the developmental competence of goat oocytes matured <i>in vitro</i>.

<p><i>Note</i>: Values are expressed as means % ± SD.</p><p>^a-b Different superscripts within the same column are significantly different (P<0.05).</p><p>Treatment with CNP during prematuration improved the developmental competence of goat oocytes matured <i>in vitro</i>.</p

The expression of Npr2 mRNA in goat follicles and COCs.

<p>A, The relative levels of Npr2 mRNA in goat preantral follicles at different developmental stages. B, The relative levels of Npr2 mRNA in mural granulosa cells and COCs in goat antral follicles. C, The expression of Npr2 mRNA in cumulus cells and oocytes of COCs in goat antral follicles. Npr2: natriuretic peptide receptor 2; COCs: cumulus oocyte complexes; GCs: granulosa cells.</p

Effect of C-Type Natriuretic Peptide on Maturation and Developmental Competence of Goat Oocytes Matured <i>In Vitro</i>

<div><p>The developmental competence of oocytes during <i>in vitro</i> maturation (IVM) is compromised due to asynchronous nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation. To improve IVM efficiency, a pre-maturation culture or two-step maturation strategy has been established, involving meiosis arrest induced by pharmacological agents to provide oocytes with sufficient time to synchronize the maturation of the nucleus and cytoplasm. C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), which has been demonstrated to function as an oocyte maturation inhibitor (OMI) in many species, provides a new alternative to improve the developmental capacity of oocytes matured <i>in vitro</i>. However, the effect of CNP on meiosis arrest and the maturation of goat oocytes remains unclear. In the present study, CNP was shown to function as an OMI in goat oocytes. CNP could temporarily maintain the meiotic arrest of goat oocytes cultured <i>in vitro</i> for 4 hours. This transient effect was partly due to the reduction of natriuretic peptide receptor 2 (Npr2). Estradiol could delay the decrease in Npr2 expression and prolong the duration of meiosis arrest up to 6 hours. Based on the above results, a two-step method was established for goat oocyte maturation, in which the oocyte maturation rate was significantly increased. After parthenogenetic activation, the cleavage rate, blastocyst rate and total cell number of blastocysts were significantly improved. Our results suggested that CNP can be used to delay meiotic resumption and enhance the developmental competence of goat oocytes matured <i>in vitro</i>.</p></div

A estratégia organizacional subjacente à gestão de incentivos em empresas do setor secundário: estudo de caso

Dissertação de mestrado em Gestão de Recursos HumanosCom o presente estudo objetiva-se analisar as percepções e resultados estratégicos consequentes da aplicação da prática de Remuneração Variável através do Prêmio por Objetivo, segundo a percepção dos trabalhadores que são elegíveis ao recebimento do prêmio financeiro, nomeadamente, pessoas com cargo técnico, operadores, líderes de equipes, supervisor e a percepção estratégica de um Chefe de Divisão de Recursos Humanos. É intenção deste estudo, compreender quais os resultados estratégicos no que tange à produtividade, inovação, satisfação, desempenho e Melhoria do Clima Organizacional que a adoção da prática poderá trazer de impacto para o negócio, a sua praticabiliadade e a complementaridade trazida por outras práticas de Gestão de Recursos Humanos. Desta feita, para a análise do mesmo, assume-se uma postura epistemológica interpretativa e qualitativa dos fatos, sendo que o objetivo é obter respostas através de como cada trabalhador percepciona a realidade no dia a dia da organização diante dos objetivos estratégicos determinados. Através dos discursos, é possível obter, de forma mais próxima, dados relevantes para a conclusão deste estudo. O estudo realizou-se numa organização de caráter privado, de origem Alemã, nomeadamente Volkswagen Autoeuropa, situada no concelho de Palmela em Portugal, onde foi possível realizar 10 entrevistas á trabalhadores dos cargos acima mencionados. É importante ressaltar a complexidade deste sistema, que teve os resultados demonstrados em um ambiente com uma forte cultura organizacional e que junto com outras práticas de Recursos Humanos, principalmente a avaliação de desempenho, fazem parte de um sistema de alta performance orientados os objetivos estratégicos organizacionais. Foi possível constatar o impacto positivo da prática da Remuneração Variável através do prêmio por objetivo nos índices de produtividade, no desempenho na melhoria do clima organizacional e na cooperação entre pares. Porém para a inovação e satisfação não foi possível perceber o impacto da ferramenta.The aim of this study is to analyze the perceptions and strategic outputs resulting from the application of the Variable Remuneration practice through the Profit Sharing, according to the perception of the workers who are eligible to receive the financial award, namely, people with technical positions, Team leaders, supervisor and the strategic insight of a Head of Human Resources Division. It is the intention of this study to understand the strategic results regarding productivity, innovation, satisfaction, performance and Organizational Climate Improvement that the adoption of the practice may bring as impact to the business, its practicability and the complementarity by other Human Resources Management practices. In order to analyze it, an interpretative and qualitative epistemological posture of the facts is assumed. The objective is to obtain answers through how each worker perceives the reality in the day to day of the organization in front of the determined strategic objectives. Through the speeches, it is possible to obtain, more closely, relevant data for the conclusion of this study. The study was carried out in a private organization of German origin, namely Volkswagen Autoeuropa, located in the municipality of Palmela in Portugal, where it was possible to carry out 10 interviews with workers of the aforementioned positions. It is important to emphasize the complexity of this system, which had the results demonstrated in an environment with a strong organizational culture and that along with other Human Resources practices, mainly evaluation performance system, are part of a high performance system oriented to organizational strategic objectives. It was possible to verify the positive impact of the practice of Variable Remuneration through the Profit Sahring in productivity indices, performance in improving the organizational climate and in peer cooperation. However for innovation and satisfaction it was not possible to have the impact of the tool perceived

How Structure-Directing Cations Tune the Fluorescence of Metal–Organic Frameworks

A series of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), {Zn-BTC}­{cations}, which contain anionic Zn-BTC coordination polymers, is reported here. It was observed that cations with different hydrogen-bond forming abilities could significantly affect the coordination of Zn-BTC structures in the frameworks. The 13 Zn-BTC MOFs reported herein showed solid-state fluorescent emission in the visible spectrum, and the fluorescence of the frameworks was tunable by adjusting the interactions of the cations with the anionic Zn-BTC structure in the MOFs

Photocatalytic Radical Trifluoromethylation/Cyclization Cascade: Synthesis of CF₃‑Containing Pyrazolines and Isoxazolines

A general visible light induced photoredox-catalyzed radical trifluoromethylation/cyclization cascade of β-aryl-β,γ-unsaturated hydrazones and oximes is described. The protocol enables an efficient access to various densely functionalized and biologically important CF₃-containing dihydropyrazoles and isoxazolines with generally high yields

HUMSCs cultured on BAMG.

<p>A SEM showed HUMSCs migrated and proliferated actively in the three-dimensional fashion of BAMG (magnification×2400) at five days. B SEM showed HUMSCs overspread the surface of BAMG at 10 days (magnification×1200).</p

Histologic analysis of reconstructed bladder at 12 weeks after implantation.

<p>(A, E and I) Hematoxylin–eosin stain (magnification×200); (B, F and J) Masson trichrome stain (magnification×200); (C, G and K) immunohistochemistry staining showed the smooth muscle cells to stain positively with α-SMA antibody (magnification×200); (D, H and L) immunohistochemistry staining showed the urothelium cell to stain positively with cytokeratin (AE1/AE3) antibody (magnification×200).</p