Search

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a reutilização de um dispositivo intravaginal de progesterona (P4) durante o diestro de vacas Nelore receptoras de embriões, a fim de melhorar a taxa de concepção, acelerar a ressincronização do ciclo estral de animais não prenhes e reduzir a quantidade de resíduos gerados por biotécnicas na produção animal. Foram realizados dois experimentos com 268 vacas Nelore multíparas. No experimento 1, todos os animais foram submetidos a um procedimento de transferência de embriões em tempo fixo (TETF), mas no momento da transferência embrionária foram estabelecidos dois grupos de tratamento: T1 - o tratamento controle (N = 132) e T2 - animais recebendo um dispositivo de segundo uso CIDR® por 12 dias (N = 136). O experimento 2 foi realizado em vacas que permaneceram vazias após o experimento 1 usando dois grupos: G1 - um grupo controle (N = 69) e vacas ressincronizadas (G2) que receberam um dispositivo P4 por 12 dias para a TETF (N = 74) No experimento 1, não foi observado efeito significativo do tratamento P4 na taxa de concepção (T1 = 37,9%, T2 = 39,7%; P = 0,50) e diâmetro do corpo lúteo (CL) (T1 = 17,5 ± 3,4 mm, T2 = 18,1 ± 3,4 mm; P = 0,61). No experimento 2, nenhum efeito significativo do tratamento foi observado na taxa de concepção (G1 = 22,2%, G2 = 35,7%; P = 0,24), taxa de utilização de receptoras (G1 = 75,4%, G2 = 70,3%; P = 0,86), e diâmetro do CL (G1 = 17,4 ± 3 mm, G2 = 18,1 ± 3,2 mm; P = 0,27). No entanto, o tratamento P4 (para ressincronização) aumentou significativamente a taxa de concepção (G1 = 22,2%, G2 = 35,7%; P = 0,04), semelhante ao de um protocolo TETF convencional realizado com dispositivo de primeiro uso (38,8%). Concluímos que dispositivos P4 intravaginais reutilizáveis podem ajudar a acelerar protocolos TETF, sugerindo um método de aplicação alternativo; além disso, este protocolo pode ajudar a reduzir a produção de resíduos nas biotécnicas de reprodução assistida.

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a rare solid tumor in childhood and adolescence. The higher incidence is predominant during the first two decades of life. According to the Intergroup RMS Study Group, the embryonal RMS (ERMS), botryoidal variant, constitutes a histological subtype characterized as a “grape-like” lesion of 2.0 cm to 9.5 cm. The treatment involves chemotherapy, surgery, and/or radiotherapy. We present the case of a 14-year-old female patient diagnosed with ERMS, botryoidal variant, which originated in the uterine cervix with vaginal externalization. The initial therapeutic approach comprised an initial prolapsed mass excision followed by Wertheim–Meigs surgery due to the tumor extension. No consensual protocol to ERMS treatment is found in the medical literature; however, a combined approach seems to offer a better result. The postoperative time period was uneventful and the patient followed an adjuvant therapy with vincristine, d-actinomycin, and cyclophosphamide. A comprehensive evaluation of the therapeutic options preserving the reproductive function—unfortunately not always possible—is part of a multi-disciplined care team concerning the pediatric patients.

During the sleep onset (SO) process, the human electroencephalogram (EEG) is characterized by an orchestrated pattern of spatiotemporal changes. Sleep deprivation (SD) strongly affects both wake and sleep EEG, but a description of the topographical EEG power spectra and oscillatory activity during the wake-sleep transition after a period of prolonged wakefulness is still missing. The increased homeostatic sleep pressure should induce an earlier onset of sleep-related EEG oscillations. The aim of the present study was to assess the spatiotemporal EEG pattern at SO following SD. A dataset of a previous study was analyzed. We assessed the spatiotemporal EEG changes (19 cortical derivations) during the SO (5 min before vs. 5 min after the first epoch of Stage 2) of a recovery night after 40 h of SD in 39 healthy subjects, analyzing the EEG power spectra (fast Fourier transform) and the oscillatory activity [better oscillation (BOSC) detection method]. The spatiotemporal pattern of the EEG power spectra mostly confirmed the changes previously observed during the wake-sleep transition at baseline. The comparison between baseline and recovery showed a wide increase of the post- vs. pre-SO ratio during the recovery night in the frequency bins ≤10 Hz. We found a predominant alpha oscillatory rhythm in the pre-SO period, while after SO the theta oscillatory activity was prevalent. The oscillatory peaks showed a generalized increase in all frequency bands from delta to sigma with different predominance, while beta activity increased only in the fronto-central midline derivations. Overall, the analysis of the EEG power replicated the topographical pattern observed during a baseline night of sleep but with a stronger intensity of the SO-induced changes in the frequencies ≤10 Hz, and the detection of the rhythmic activity showed the rise of several oscillations at SO after SD that was not observed during the wake-sleep transition at baseline (e.g., alpha and frontal theta in correspondence of their frequency peaks). Beyond confirming the local nature of the EEG pattern at SO, our results show that SD has an impact on the spatiotemporal modulation of cortical activity during the falling-asleep process, inducing the earlier emergence of sleep-related EEG oscillations.

Most fixed-time artificial insemination (FTAI) protocols utilize progesterone (P4) as a hormonal source to achieve synchronization of estrus in cattle. The use of an injectable P4 source to control estrus would be an interesting pharmacological strategy owing to the practicality of parenteral application. However, the effects of injectable P4 on estrus cycle control in cattle remain poorly studied. In particular, no existing studies have investigated the effect of injectable P4 on the fertility of cows subjected to FTAI. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pregnancy rate of lactating and non-lactating Nelore cows subjected to FTAI with injectable P4. Of the 422 non-lactating cows in this study, 162 (38.3%) became pregnant by 60 days post-FTAI. In the lactating group (n = 516), 166 (32.1%) were pregnant by 60 days after treatment with injectable P4. The proportions of lactating and non-lactating cows becoming pregnant were compared using the chi-square test, adopting a significance level of P < 0.05. It was found that the pregnancy rate of the cows subjected to FTAI with injectable P4 was influenced by lactation status. Lactating cows had lower reproductive performance, possibly because of their higher nutritional requirements. However, the use of injectable P4 shows promising results and may prove to be a useful strategy in large-scale livestock production.

BACKGROUND:Grandiose narcissism has been associated with poor ability to understand one's own mental states and the mental states of others. In particular, two manifestations of Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) can be explained by poor mindreading abilities: absence of symptomatic subjective distress and lack of empathy. METHODS:We conducted two studies to investigate the relationships between mindreading capacity, symptomatic subjective distress and narcissistic personality. In the first study (N = 246), we compared mindreading capacities and symptomatic distress in three outpatient samples: narcissistic patients (NPD); patients with other Personality Disorders (PD); patients without PD. In the second study (N = 1357), we explored the relationships between symptomatic distress, mindreading and specific NPD criteria. RESULTS:In the first study, the NPD patients showed poorer mindreading than the patients without PD and comparable to patients with other PDs. Symptomatic subjective distress in the narcissistic group was less severe than in the other PDs group and comparable to the group without PDs. However, no relationship emerged between mindreading and symptomatic subjective distress. In the second study, taking the clinical sample as a whole, symptomatic distress appeared negatively linked to grandiosity traits, while mindreading scores were negatively linked to empathy. CONCLUSIONS:NPD showed specific mindreading impairments. However, mindreading capacity did not appear to be directly connected with subjective distress, but did appear to be connected with specific aspects of narcissistic pathology.

Social sharing capacities have attracted attention from a number of fields of social cognition and have been variously defined and analyzed in numerous studies. Social sharing consists in the subjective awareness that aspects of the self’s experience are held in common with other individuals. The definition of social sharing must take a variety of elements into consideration: the motivational element, the contents of the social sharing experience, the emotional responses it evokes, the behavioral outcomes, and finally, the circumstances and the skills which enable social sharing. The primary objective of this study is to explore some of the diverse forms of human social sharing and to classify them according to levels of complexity. We identify four different types of social sharing, categorized according to the nature of the content being shared and the complexity of the mindreading skills required. The second objective of this study is to consider possible applications of this graded model of social sharing experience in clinical settings. Specifically, this model may support the development of graded, focused clinical interventions for patients with personality disorders characterized by severe social withdrawal.

Este artículo analiza las principales características regulatorias de las relaciones económicas entre Angola y Brasil, como un ejemplo de las relaciones Sur-Sur. Identificamos, en este análisis, particularidades en la coordinación económica entre estos países, no sin observar el discurso de la cooperación y las estructuras económicas de financiamiento que afectan las relaciones comerciales y de inversión.

The objective of this study was to compare the number of follicles, oocytes and the recovery rate in sheep submitted to the one-shot protocol with or without ovarian priming with estradiol benzoate (EB). Pluriparous non-lactating sheep (n=33) with an average age of five years (range 4-6) and a body condition score of 3.0±0.3 were divided into three groups. The one-shot group (n=10) was treated with a subcutaneous implant containing 1.5 mg of norgestomet from D0 to D10. The animals in this group were administered 0.04 mg of D-cloprostenol, 200 IU of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and 300 IU of equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) on D8. Animals in the EB group (n=11) received the same treatment as one-shot plus the administration of 0.6 mg of EB on D0. In the untreated group (n=12), the animals received no hormone stimulation. The collection of the oocytes was performed by laparotomy 36 h after the administration of gonadotropins (D10). Oocytes were searched and classified based on morphology. An increase was observed (p

This study aims to evaluate ovarian follicular dynamics of Nelore cows subjected to fixed-time artificial insemination (FTAI) with injectable progesterone (P4) or intravaginal device. In the device group, 20 cows received an intravaginal device with 1 g P4 and administration of 2 mg estradiol benzoate (EB) intramuscularly (im) on D0. The device was removed on D8, followed by administration of 500 ?g cloprostenol, 300 IU equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) and 1 mg estradiol cypionate (EC), im. The cows were inseminated 48h later. In the injectable group, 350 mg P4 (300 mg subcutaneously and 50 mg im) and 2 mg EB im were administered on D0 to 16 cows. On D6, 500 ?g cloprostenol, 300 IU eCG and 1 mg EC were administered im. The FTAI was performed 48h later. Sixty-five percent of cows from the device group (13/20) and 75% from the injectable group (12/16) showed follicles ? 5 mm on D4 (p>0.05). The average rate of follicular growth was 0.92±0.25 mm/day for the device group and 1.06±0.45 mm/day for the injectable group (p>0.05). The average diameter of the dominant follicle (DF) at FTAI was 11.4±1.4 mm for the device group and 10.8±1.8 mm for the injectable group (p>0.05). In the device group, ovulatory follicles (OF) had an average diameter of 12.1±1.4 mm, and in the injectable group 12.3±1.6 mm (p>0.05). Ninety percent of the device group (18/20) and 37.5% of the injectable group (6/16) demonstrated ovulation (p

This study evaluated the follicular dynamics and the pregnancy rates of Nelore cows with or without a CL synchronized with FTAI employing injectable progesterone (P4). Multiparous cows (n=44), 45-65 days postpartum were allocated into a 2x2 factorial. Eleven cows with and 11 without a CL received a conventional protocol of FTAI (D0/1 g P4 + 2 mg EB; D8/500 ?g cloprostenol, 300 IU eCG and 24 h later 1 mg EB; D10/FTAI). Other 11 cows with and 11 without a CL received 350 mg of injectable P4 (300 mg sc and 50 mg im) and 2 mg of EB im on D0. On D6, 500 ?g of cloprostenol and 300 IU of eCG were administered im. After 24 h, 1 mg of EB was administered im and FTAI was performed on D8. The results were analyzed by ANOVA and Tukey or by Chi-square test (p?0.05). The presence of follicles ? 5mm on D4, follicular growth rate and CL diameter were similar between groups (50-55%, 1.1-1.2mm/ day and 16.1-17.6mm; respectively). The diameter of the dominant follicle (DF) at FTAI and ovulatory follicle (OF) were similar between groups with CL (10.5±1.8 and 11.4±1.3mm, respectively) and without CL (10.8±2.3 and 11.1±2.2mm, respectively) but device was higher than injectable (11.7±2.0 and 11.8±1.7 vs. 9.7±1.7 and 10.6±2.0mm, respectively). The ovulation and pregnancy rate were similar between groups with CL (59% and 36%, respectively) and without CL (77% and 27%, respectively) but device was higher than injectable (91% and 45% vs. 45.5% and 18%; respectively). The ciclicity did not affect the follicular dynamics and pregnancy rate. The device showed higher diameter of the DF at FTAI, OF and ovulation and pregnancy rates. However, the injectable P4 produced similar percentages of follicles ? 5 mm on D4, follicular growth rate and CL diameter, raising the possibility of further investigation.

The diaphragmatic hernia is a rare cause of colic in equine and may be congenital or acquired. The intestine is commonly involved in cases of diaphragmatic hernia, and clinical signs are related to the intestinal segment involved and the extension, obstruction may occur from a simple process to a strangulating. Often, clinical signs are characterized by acute abdominal whit severe pain, dyspnea and tachypnea. The diagnosis of diaphragmatic hernia can be difficult, and in most cases only is established during surgery or at necropsy. This paper reports a diaphragmatic hernia case in a quarter horse stallion, with 14 years of age showing acute abdominal signs. The clinical examination showed tachycardia, tachypnea and absence of intestinal motility. Turbidity, increase of leukocytes and protein was observed in the analysis of peritoneal fluid. Exploratory laparotomy was performed, but due to the presence of hemorrhagic mesentery, intestinal ischemia, and irreducible incarceration of the jejunum in epiploic foramen, euthanasia was decided. Furthermore, at necropsy, was observed a diaphragmatic hernia with presence of the small intestine in the thorax.

The ruminal degradability of different byproducts was evaluated by the in situ technique. The feeds were incubated in the rumen of three crossbred E x Z steers averaging 300 kg for 72, 48, 24, 18, 12, 6, 3 e 0 hours. The potentially degradable fraction and effective degradability of DM and CP for the sunflower crushed were, respectively, 40.2 and 26.2% and 50.97 and 38.65%. The crushed soybean presented soluble fraction of 36.6 and 20.7%, for DM and CP, with an effective degradability of 72.5 and 69.9%, and the crushed grape, of 21.61 and 19.84% for DM and CP, with degradation rate of 4.2 and 7.67%/h, that resulted in effective degradabilities of 54.36 and 50.03 for DM and CP, respectively. For the protein, the cookie residue showed high soluble fraction (53.87%), the soybean hulls, high potentially degradable fraction (77.55%), and the wheat hulls, soluble fraction (63.23%).Avaliou-se a degradabilidade ruminal de diferentes alimentos alternativos, utilizando-se a técnica in situ, em três novilhos mestiços ExZ, com peso médio de 300 kg. Os alimentos foram incubados por 72, 48, 24, 18, 12, 6, 3 e 0 horas. A fração potencialmente degradável e a degradabilidade efetiva da MS e PB para a torta de girassol foram, respectivamente, de 40,2 e 26,2% e 50,97 e 38,65%. A torta de soja apresentou fração solúvel de 36,6 e 20,7%, para MS e PB, com degradabilidade de 72,5 e 69,9%, e o bagaço de uva, de 21,61 e 19,84% para MS e PB, com taxa de degradação de 4,2 e 7,67%/h, o que acarretou degradabilidades de 54,36 e 50,03 para MS e PB, respectivamente. Para a proteína, o resíduo de bolacharia apresentou alta fração solúvel (53,87%); a casca de soja, alta fração potencialmente degradável (77,55) e a casca de trigo, fração solúvel (63,23%).

BACKGROUND:Sleep electroencephalogram (EEG) brain oscillations in the low-frequency range show local signs of homeostatic regulation after learning. Such increases and decreases of slow wave activity are limited to the cortical regions involved in specific task performance during wakefulness. Here, we test the hypothesis that reorganization of motor cortex produced by long-term potentiation (LTP) affects EEG activity of this brain area during subsequent sleep. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:By pairing median nerve stimulation with transcranial magnetic stimulation over the contralateral motor cortex, one can potentiate the motor output, which is presumed to reflect plasticity of the neural circuitry. This paired associative stimulation increases M1 cortical excitability at interstimulus intervals of 25 ms. We compared the scalp distribution of sleep EEG power following paired associative stimulation at 25 ms to that following a control paradigm with 50 ms intervals. It is shown that the experimental manipulation by paired associative stimulation at 25 ms induces a 48% increase in amplitude of motor evoked potentials. This LTP-like potentiation, induced during waking, affects delta and theta EEG power in both REM and non-REM sleep, measured during the following night. Slow-wave activity increases in some frontal and prefrontal derivations and decreases at sites neighboring and contralateral to the stimulated motor cortex. The magnitude of increased amplitudes of motor evoked potentials by the paired associative stimulation at 25 ms predicts enhancements of slow-wave activity in prefrontal regions. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE:An LTP-like paradigm, presumably inducing increased synaptic strength, leads to changes in local sleep regulation, as indexed by EEG slow-wave activity. Enhancement and depression of slow-wave activity are interpreted in terms of a simultaneous activation of both excitatory and inhibitory circuits consequent to the paired associative stimulation at 25 ms.

BACKGROUND: There is compelling evidence indicating that sleep plays a crucial role in the consolidation of new declarative, hippocampus-dependent memories. Given the increasing interest in the spatiotemporal relationships between cortical and hippocampal activity during sleep, this study aimed to shed more light on the basic features of human sleep in the hippocampus. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We recorded intracerebral stereo-EEG directly from the hippocampus and neocortical sites in five epileptic patients undergoing presurgical evaluations. The time course of classical EEG frequency bands during the first three NREM-REM sleep cycles of the night was evaluated. We found that delta power shows, also in the hippocampus, the progressive decrease across sleep cycles, indicating that a form of homeostatic regulation of delta activity is present also in this subcortical structure. Hippocampal sleep was also characterized by: i) a lower relative power in the slow oscillation range during NREM sleep compared to the scalp EEG; ii) a flattening of the time course of the very low frequencies (up to 1 Hz) across sleep cycles, with relatively high levels of power even during REM sleep; iii) a decrease of power in the beta band during REM sleep, at odds with the typical increase of power in the cortical recordings. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our data imply that cortical slow oscillation is attenuated in the hippocampal structures during NREM sleep. The most peculiar feature of hippocampal sleep is the increased synchronization of the EEG rhythms during REM periods. This state of resonance may have a supportive role for the processing/consolidation of memory.