Use of thermography in the long-term evaluation of scrotal surface temperature and its impact on seminal quality in stallions.

Scrotal surface thermography is a non-invasive method for assessing testicular thermoregulation in stallions; however, few studies have explored the application of this technique concerning the thermal physiology of equine reproductive systems. This study aimed to evaluate the consistency of testicular thermoregulation in stallions over a year using thermography to measure the scrotal surface temperature (SST). Moreover, we assessed the best region for measuring the surface body temperature compared with the SST. Ten light-breed stallions were used in the experiment. Thermographic images of the scrotal and body surfaces (neck and abdomen) were captured. Fresh, cooled and frozen-thawed semen samples were evaluated to verify the impact of thermoregulation on semen quality. Testicular thermoregulation was maintained throughout the year in stallions amidst changes in the external temperature, as evidenced by the weak correlation between the SST and ambient temperature. A lower correlation was observed between the environmental temperature and body surface temperature (BTS) obtained from the abdomen (BTS-A; R = .4772; p < .0001) than with that obtained from the neck (BTS-N; R = .7259; p < .0001). Moreover, both BTS-A and SST were simultaneously captured in a single image. The consistent quality of the fresh, cooled and frozen semen suggests efficient thermoregulation in stallions throughout the year.

Use of radio-frequency identification technology to assess the frequency of cattle visits to mineral feeders.

Three experiments were conducted to evaluate the frequency of visits to a mineral feeder equipped with radio-frequency identification (RFID). In Exp. 1, twelve heifers (Braford, Brahman, and White Angus; n = 4/breed) were fitted with RFID ear tags and placed into a pasture with access to a RFID-equipped mineral feeder. Number of visits were greater (P ≤ 0.05) during daytime than the night period. Brahman and Braford heifers favored (P ≤ 0.05) daytime than night period. White Angus heifers did not display a specific period preference (P = 0.32). In Exp. 2, Black Angus and Brahman cows (n = 15 and 19, respectively) were placed into a pasture with access to a RFID-equipped mineral feeder. Brahman cows made more (P < 0.01) visits to the mineral feeder than Black Angus cows. There were no breed differences on the number of visits during the morning (P = 0.25) and night (P ≤ 0.25) periods, but Brahman cows made more (P ≤ 0.05) visits to the mineral feeder in the afternoon period than Black Angus cows. In Exp. 3, the location of the mineral feeder was tested using 3 groups of Bos indicus-influenced heifers (n = 12/group). The mineral feeder was moved weekly within pasture. The number of visits to the mineral feeder differed for each location (P < 0.001) with visits being greatest when mineral feeder was placed near supplement and water, followed by center of the pasture, and lastly in the shade.

Quercetin influences in vitro maturation, apoptosis and metabolically active mitochondria of goat oocytes.

SummaryThe present study aimed to investigate the effect of quercetin as an alternative antioxidant to cysteamine on in vitro maturation. Oocytes were collected from goat ovaries, destined for in vitro maturation and distributed into three groups: CIS group, oocytes were immersed in MIV base medium; in Groups Q4 and Q8, oocytes were immersed in the medium of the CIS group, adding 4 µM or 8 µM of quercetin, respectively, and cultured for 24 h at 38.5°C with 5% CO2. The CIS and Q4 groups presented the same percentage of expanded cumulus cells, but the per cent in the Q8 group was significantly lower than that of the other groups (P<0.05). The oocyte retraction rate in the Q8 group was higher (P<0.05) than in the CIS and Q4 groups. Treatment with 8 µM of quercetin presented a lower proportion of expanded oocytes than the CIS group and 4 µM of quercetin (P<0.05). The percentage of MII oocytes was higher in the Q4 group than in the CIS group (P<0.05), but the percentages in the CIS and Q8 groups were similar. The rate of apoptosis was higher in the CIS group than in the other groups (P<0.05). In addition, oocytes matured with 4 µM quercetin showed higher mitochondrial activity than matured oocytes in the CIS and Q8 groups (P<0.05). In conclusion, 4 µM of quercetin can be used as an alternative to cysteamine in the in vitro maturation of goat oocytes.

Influence of partial or total replacement of glycerol by alternative cryoprotectants in Ghent freezing extender on post-thaw sperm quality in stallions.

Although glycerol is the cryoprotectant most commonly used in stallions, it has also a considerable toxicity for equine sperm. It was the aim of this study to analyse the quality of frozen-thawed stallion semen after complete or partial replacement of glycerol in the freezing extender by alternative cryoprotectants. We hypothesized that partial or total replacement of glycerol by cryoprotectants occurring in cold-resistant frog, insect or plant species results in similar or better semen quality after freezing-thawing. As basic medium, the commercial Ghent basic extender was used and either supplemented with glucose and urea, trehalose and proline, or trehalose and betaine. Based on a series of preliminary experiments, semen was frozen in either commercial Ghent cryopreservation extender (Ghent control), Ghent glucose-urea extender or a Ghent combined extender (glucose-urea, trehalose-betaine and trehalose-proline; volume ratio of 2:1:2) in a computer-controlled rate freezer. After freezing-thawing, semen was analysed for motility, membrane integrity, phosphatidylserine translocation, mitochondrial membrane potential and chromatin condensation. No differences between Ghent control and Ghent glucose-urea extender were seen, while all endpoints except DNA integrity were negatively affected in Ghent combined extender (e.g., progressive motility: Ghent 49.2 ± 3.7, Ghent glucose-urea 46.5 ± 4.6, Ghent combined 24.4 ± 2.8%; p < .001). In conclusion, glycerol concentration in a commercial freezing extender for equine spermatozoa can be successfully reduced when urea as an additive cryoprotectant is added and the glucose concentration is elevated. However, total glycerol replacement with urea, betaine, proline and trehalose was less successful.

Comparison between different selection indices in energy cane breeding.

Sugarcane breeding programs have been adapting to a new market demand: aside from high sucrose yield per hectare, the sector needs new cultivars with higher fiber percentages. The selection of sugarcane clones based on phenotype alone is a complex task. The selected clones should display high performance in a series of yield- and quality-related traits. Selection indices can provide information about which clones can best combine the traits of agronomic interest. In this study, different selection indices were evaluated in a population of 220 clones. The following traits were evaluated: weight of 10 stalks with straw, weight of 10 stalks with no straw, tons of cane per hectare with straw, tons of cane per hectare with no straw, sucrose content, fiber percentage, and tons of fiber per hectare. The selection indices of Smith (1936) and Hazel (1943) and Mulamba and Mock (1978), the base index (Williams, 1962), and the index of Pesek and Baker (1969) were used. The selection index of Mulamba and Mock (1978) without economic weight estimates, the index of Mulamba and Mock with economic weights based on heritability, and the index of Pesek and Baker (1969) with the desired gains based on genetic standard deviations were efficient for the selection of energy cane clones with good fiber yield, sucrose content, and tons of cane per hectare.

RESEARCH-ARTILE Agricultural performance and genetic parameters for yield-related traits of sugar- and energy cane families derived from planned crosses.

The forecast of a growing energy demand in the coming years has aroused particular interest in biomass for energy cogeneration, to diversify the energy matrix by using clean and renewable sources. To meet the new demands of the sugarcane industry, this study evaluated the agronomic performance and estimated genetic parameters for yield traits in sugar- and energy cane families derived from planned crosses. The cane families were assessed in the northwest of the State of Paraná, county of Paranavaí, in a randomized complete block design, with three replications. The evaluations were carried out 12 months after the first cut, in the ratoon cane cycle, in December 2014, under very unfavorable conditions for the crop, due to the low fertility and water-holding capacity of the soil. Besides, the crop was evaluated at the end of the harvest, when the agricultural and industrial quality of the crop is reduced. The following traits were evaluated at the plot level: soluble solids content, apparent sucrose content (PC), fiber content, tons of cane per hectare, tons of sucrose per hectare (TSH), and tons of fiber per hectare (TFH). High genetic variability was observed for all evaluated traits, with accuracy estimates from 0.69 (TSH) to 0.92 (PC), and high heritability ​​(up to 0.84), indicating the possibility of genetic progress. The sugarcane families derived from crosses of Saccharum spontaneum and Saccharum robustum species with sugarcane hybrids had the highest fiber contents. Highest sugar contents were found in sugarcane families resulting from crosses of sugarcane clones and conventional cultivars. The TSH means were highest in the families F160 x MEX68-200 and RB855156 x RB987935. The highest genotypic mean for TFH was observed in the special polycross involving cultivar RB036066 with S. spontaneum accessions as pollen donors.

A novel HLA allele, HLA-A*29:01:08, identified in a Brazilian individual.

HLA-A*29:01:08 differs from A*29:01:01:01 by a single synonymous substitution at position 519, codon 149 GCG→GCA in exon 3.

A novel HLA allele, HLA-DRB1*13:204, detected in a Brazilian unrelated hematopoietic stem cell donor.

The HLA-DRB1*13:204 allele differs from HLA*13:64 by two nucleotide substitutions at positions 181 and 189 in the exon 2.

Nonlinear optical memory for manipulation of orbital angular momentum of light.

We report on the demonstration of a nonlinear optical memory (NOM) for storage and on-demand manipulation of orbital angular momentum (OAM) of light via higher-order nonlinear processes in cold cesium atoms. A spatially resolved phase-matching technique is used to select each order of the nonlinear susceptibility associated, respectively, with time-delayed four-, six-, and eight-wave mixing processes. For a specific configuration of the stored OAM of the incident beams, we demonstrated that the OAM of the retrieved beam can be manipulated according to the order of the nonlinear process chosen by the operator for reading out the NOM. This demonstration indicates new pathways for applications in classical and quantum information processing where OAM of light is used to encode optical information.

Storage of orbital angular momenta of light via coherent population oscillation.

We report on the storage of orbital angular momenta (OAM) of light via the phenomenon of coherent population oscillation (CPO) in cold cesium atoms. The experiment is performed using a delayed four wave mixing configuration, where the transverse optical information of a probe field carrying OAM associated with its azimuthal phase dependence is stored in the CPO of Zeeman sublevels of the hyperfine transition F=3→F'=2 of the cesium D2 line. We also demonstrate experimentally the simultaneous storage and retrieval of different OAM states propagating along different directions in space, leading to algebraic operations with OAM and, therefore, opening the possibility of multiplexing OAM states.

Description and molecular modeling of four novel HLA-B alleles identified in Brazilian individuals.

Four novel HLA-B alleles, B*42:20, B*51:151, B*57:64 and B*58:42 were identified in Brazilian individuals.

The heterogeneous HLA genetic composition of the Brazilian population and its relevance to the optimization of hematopoietic stem cell donor recruitment.

The aim of this study was to investigate the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecular variation across the Brazilian population in order to determine possible regional differences, which would be highly relevant to optimizing donor recruitment strategies in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and understanding the population genetic background of this heterogeneous country. HLA data of 551 HSCT donors from five Brazilian regions were characterized by high-resolution DNA alleles at the HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1 and -DQB1 loci and compared with other populations in Brazil and worldwide populations. Allele and haplotype frequencies were estimated. The analysis was performed to assess Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) and linkage disequilibrium (LD) among different loci in each recruitment center. Genetic variation was explored through genetic distance analyzed by using a new algorithm based on linear algebra, taking into account geographic regions of Brazil. The results indicated a heterogeneous genetic composition of the Brazilian population, such that HLA allele and haplotype frequencies exhibit different distributions among Brazilian regions, which has important implications for donor matching. In addition, a pronounced differentiation was observed by the absence of clustering of the regional populations in the reduced-dimension space. These data may be useful for increasing donor recruitment with more genetic representativeness in the Brazilian Volunteer Bone Marrow Donors Registry (REDOME).

Description of five novel HLA-B alleles, B*07:184, B*41:27, B*42:19, B*50:32 and B*57:63, identified in Brazilian individuals.

Five novel HLA-B alleles were identified by HLA-SBT typing in seven unrelated Brazilian individuals. The new alleles discovered include HLA-B*07:184, B*41:27, B*42:19, B*50:32 and B*57:63 and were officially named by the World Health Organization (WHO) Nomenclature Committee. All new HLA-B alleles had nonsynonymous nucleotide substitution polymorphisms when compared to their most closely related HLA-B allele.

Four novel HLA alleles, DRB1*04:11:03, DRB1*10:05, DRB1*15:94 and DRB1*16:22, identified in Brazilian individuals.

Four novel human leucocyte antigen (HLA) class II alleles were identified by sequencing-based typing (SBT) and analysis of the closest-matching alleles from volunteer subjects from the Brazilian Bone Marrow Donor Register (REDOME, Brazil). The new HLA alleles discovered include DRB1*04:11:03, DRB1*10:05, DRB1*15:94 and DRB1*16:22. Three of the novel alleles had single-nucleotide substitution polymorphisms when compared to their most homologous allele. Of these, one harboured a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) identified as a silent substitution.

Influence of aberrant myeloid expression on acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children and adolescents from Maranhão, Brazil.

The aim of this study was to evaluate myeloid expression in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in children and adolescents who had been referred to the Oncology Department in a hospital in the State of Maranhão based on demographic, laboratory, and clinical data. Myeloid expression was evaluated in 65 patients under 18 years of age who were diagnosed with morphological, cytochemical, and immunophenotypes of ALL. Demographic, laboratory (hemogram), and clinical variables were obtained from medical records. The sample was divided into groups with and without anomalous myeloid expression to analyze the variables. Myeloid expression was observed in 49.2% of the sample. Platelet count was significantly lower in the group of children without aberrant myeloid expression (33,627 platelets/mm(3), P = 0.01). A total of 88.9% of children with B-cell ALL without myeloid expression showed less than 50,000 platelets/mm(3) (P = 0.01). Thus, platelet count may be an important parameter in the diagnosis of children with ALL without myeloid aberrant expression and may indicate a greater risk of bleeding during treatment in this group.

Identification of a novel HLA-B allele, B*27:102, in a Brazilian individual.

The HLA-B*27:102 allele may have originated by an intralocus gene conversion event.

A novel HLA allele, HLA-A*80:03, identified in a Brazilian individual.

The HLA-A*80:03 allele differs from HLA*80:01:01:01 by two nucleotide substitutions at positions 559 and 560 in the exon 3.

Physical interpretation for the correlation spectra of electromagnetically-induced-transparency resonances.

The phenomenon called Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (EIT) may induce different types of correlation between two optical fields interacting with an ensemble of atoms. It is presently well known, for example, that in the vicinity of an EIT resonance the dominant correlations at low powers turn into anti-correlations as power increases. Such correlation spectra present striking power-broadening-independent features, with the best condition for measuring the characteristic linewidth occurring at the highest powers. In the present work we investigate the physical mechanisms responsible for this set of observations. Our approach is first to reproduce these effects in a better controlled experimental setup: a cold atomic ensemble, obtained from a magneto-optical trap. The results from this conceptually simpler system were then compared to a correspondingly simpler theory, which clearly relates the observed features to the interplay between two key aspects of EIT: the transparency itself and the steep normal dispersion near two-photon resonance.

Water deficit and salt stress diagnosis through LED induced chlorophyll fluorescence analysis in Jatropha curcas L.

LED induced chlorophyll fluorescence analysis is employed to investigate the effect of water deficit and salt stress upon the growth process of Jatropha curcas L.. Red(Fr) and far-red(FFr) chlorophyll fluorescence around 685 nm and 735 nm, respectively, were observed and examined as a function of the stress intensity(salt concentration and water deficit). The fluorescence ratio Fr/FFr which is a valuable nondestructive and nonintrusive indicator of the chlorophyll content of leaves was exploited to monitor the jatropha plants under stress. The data indicated that salinity plays a minor role in the chlorophyll concentration of leaves for NaCl concentrations in the 25 to 200 mM range. The fluorescence ratio also permitted the detection of damage caused by water deficit in the early stages of the plants growing process. A significant variation of the Fr/FFr ratio was observed in the first 10 days of the experiment, and before signs of visual stress became apparent. The results suggest that the Fr/FFr ratio is an early-warning indicator of water deficit stress.

Outcomes and Allograft Survival of Patients Who Underwent a Second Kidney Transplant and Were Followed Up for 10 Years.

BACKGROUND: Kidney transplantation is the treatment of choice for end-stage kidney disease, and a second transplantation becomes an opportunity for a better chance for long-term survival and quality of life. This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes and graft survival of patients transplanted a second time in comparison with single kidney transplant patients. METHODS: This retrospective observational study was conducted using a cohort of kidney transplant patients from 2008 to 2018. Fifty patients who underwent first transplant were randomly selected as group 1 (G1), and 31 patients who received a second kidney transplant as group 2 (G2). Outcomes, graft, and patient survival were assessed. RESULTS: G2 patients had higher proportions of rejection episodes and graft loss than G1. Fifteen (48.39%) patients from G2 maintained functioning grafts during follow-up, while 16 (51.61%) lost their grafts. The 10-year graft survival rate for patients with first transplant was 76.66%; it was 46.09% for retransplanted patients (P = 0.005). There was no statistically significant difference in patient survival between G1 and G2. CONCLUSIONS: Allograft survival rates of the first and second transplant with living donors had no statistically significant difference, but for deceased donors, poor graft survival was observed for the second allograft.