Physical separation and reduction of contact duration with sexually hyperactive bucks decrease testosterone concentrations and sexual behaviour in bucks in sexual rest.

Sexually hyperactive bucks are more efficient than sexually hypoactive bucks in stimulating testosterone secretion and sexual behaviour in other bucks in seasonal sexual rest by the phenomenon that we called the "buck-to-buck effect". Here, we determined whether physical separation and reduction of the duration of contact with the sexually hyperactive bucks would modify those parameters in sexually hypoactive bucks exposed to the "buck-to-buck effect". Bucks were subjected to natural day length throughout the study; this was the sexually hypoactive group. Other bucks were subjected to artificial long days (16 h of light per day) from 15 November to 15 January followed by exposure to natural day length to stimulate their sexual activity during the rest season; this was the sexually hyperactive group. In Experiment 1, we determined testosterone concentrations and sexual behaviour of six sexually hypoactive bucks separated 1.5 m from six sexually hyperactive bucks for 60 days by a metal open work fence, while a control group of six sexually hypoactive bucks was in permanent contact with six sexually hyperactive bucks. In Experiment 2, the duration of contact with sexually hyperactive males was reduced from 31 days (contact group, six bucks) to 10 days (withdraw group, seven bucks). In experiments 1 and 2, there was an effect of time (P < 0.01) and an interaction between time and groups (P < 0.05). In Experiment 1, testosterone plasma concentrations were greater in bucks in contact with sexually hyperactive bucks than in those separated from bucks at 20 and 30 days after the introduction of sexually hyperactive bucks (P < 0.01). The bucks from the contact group also displayed more nudging than bucks from the separated group from 0 to 30 days (P < 0.001). In Experiment 2, testosterone concentrations were greater in the contact group than in those from the withdraw group from 19 to 31 days after the introduction of sexually hyperactive bucks (P < 0.05). Bucks from the withdraw group displayed more nudging than the contact group 7 days after the introduction of the sexually hyperactive bucks (P < 0.05). Afterwards, bucks from the contact group displayed more nudging than the withdraw group 14, 21 and 28 days after the introduction of the sexually hyperactive bucks. We concluded that physical separation and reduction of the duration of contact with the sexually hyperactive bucks decrease testosterone concentrations and sexual behaviour of bucks in sexual rest exposed to the "buck-to-buck effect".

Concurrent optical inspection to boost characterization of plastic cortical bone under mechanical deformation.

The simultaneous surface and internal measurements from a chemically modified cortical bovine bone suffering a plastic range deformation are presented. Since the bone is an anisotropic structure, its mechanical response could be modified if its organic or inorganic phases change. The latter could result in high plastic deformations, where the interferometrical signal from an optical analysis is easily de-correlated. In this work, digital holography interferometry (DHI) and Fourier domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT) are used to analyze the plastic range deformation of the bone under compression. The simultaneous use of these two optical methods gives information even when one of them de-correlates. The surface results retrieved with DHI show the high anisotropy of the bone as a continuously increasing displacement field map. Meanwhile, the internal information obtained with FD-OCT records larger deformations at different depths. Due to the optical phase, it is possible to complement the measurements of these two methods during the plastic deformation.

Effectiveness of guided endodontics in locating calcified root canals: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to answer the question: "Is guided endodontics an effective technique for locating calcified canals?". METHODS: A systematic search was carried out by two independent authors in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Scielo databases. According to the PIOS criteria, observational studies, ex vivo studies, clinical case reports, and case series were included. The quality of evidence of observational studies, case reports, and case series were assessed using the respective Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tool, and a previous personalized tool was used to assess the quality of the ex vivo studies. RESULTS: Forty-five studies were included. Of them, 21 were clinical case reports, 11 case series, 12 ex vivo studies, and 1 cohort study. Of the 45 studies analyzed, 43 reported that guided endodontics is an effective and precise technique to access the permeable portion of calcified canals. Only 2 studies report accidents or failures related to the use of endodontic guides. CONCLUSIONS: Guided endodontics allows conservative access, minimizes accidents, and is effective in locating calcified canals; however, it is a technique that still presents limitations. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Guided endodontics has been proposed as a simple and effective technique for the treatment of calcified canals. The expansion of this technique requires knowing its benefits and limitations to ensure success and avoid accidents.

Characterization of the hierarchical architecture and micromechanical properties of walnut shell (Juglans regia L.).

In the present work a comprehensive characterization of the hierarchical architecture of the walnut shell (Juglans regia L.) was carried out using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Furthermore, micromechanical properties (hardness, HIT and elastic modulus, EIT) of plant tissues were evaluated at cell wall level by applying the instrumented indentation technique (IIT). The complex architecture of the material was described in terms of four hierarchical levels (HL): endocarp (H1), plant tissues (H2), plant cells (H3) and cell wall (H4). Our findings revealed that the walnut shell consists of a multilayer structure (sclerenchyma tissue, ST; interface tissue, IT; porous tissue, PT; and flattened parenchyma tissue, FPT), where differences in the microstructure and composition of plant tissues generate parallel gradients along the cross-section. The indentation tests showed a functional gradient with a sandwich-like configuration, i.e., a lightweight and soft layer (PT, HIT = 0.04 GPa) is located between two dense and hard layers (ST, HIT = 0.33 GPa; FPT, HIT = 0.28 GPa); where additionally there is an interface between ST and PT (IT, HIT = 0.16 GPa). This configuration is a successful strategy designed by nature to improve the protection of the kernel by increasing the strength of the shell. Therefore, the walnut shell can be considered as a functionally graded material (FGM), which can be used as bioinspiration for the design of new functional synthetic materials. In addition, we proposed some structure-property-function relationships in the whole walnut shell and in each of the plant tissues.

Gabor's holography: seven decades influencing optics [Invited].

Dennis Gabor's seminal idea of a simple all-optical setup aimed at reconstructing the object wavefront stored on a photographic plate gave birth a little over seven decades ago to the field of holography. In 1971 Gabor obtained the Nobel Prize in Physics for this invention. Still, the road in the early days after his two first papers on the subject was one full of obstacles, so his scientific and engineering contemporaries put his idea to rest for more than 10 years, until the invention of the laser. This fact made his holographic concept take off to new and unsuspected applications. This invited review paper is a homage to Dennis Gabor's 50th anniversary of his Nobel Prize accolade. For this purpose, the review departs from the typical common route, i.e., those written following a timeline fashion, and instead is written with the intent to cover only a few of the holography applications in optics while scanning the electromagnetic spectrum. In doing this, the authors are aware that other invited papers for this special issue will tackle other subjects not dealt with in this review non-timeline paper.

Nutritional supplementation improves the sexual response of bucks exposed to long days in semi-extensive management and their ability to stimulate reproduction in goats.

In confined management systems, well-nourished bucks rendered sexually active by exposure to long days are efficient in fertilizing out-of-season goats. However, underfeeding is common in semi-extensive management systems and may reduce the reproductive efficiency of bucks. The objective of the present study was to determine whether nutritional supplementation improved the sexual activity of bucks submitted to long days in semi-extensive management systems and their ability to stimulate the reproduction of goats in semi-extensive or confined conditions. In experiment 1, three groups of bucks were placed in different flocks and grazed daily with females for 7 h. Each day after grazing, males were separated from females and moved into open pens. One group did not receive any treatment (control group; n = 6). Two other groups were submitted to artificially long days from 15 November to 15 January. From 16 January, one group did not receive nutritional supplementation (long-day group; n = 5), whereas bucks from the other group each received 600 g of a commercial concentrate (long-day+supplementation group; n = 5). The fourth group was kept in confined conditions, exposed to long days and fed alfalfa hay (long-day confined group; n = 6). On 26 March, anovulatory goats from other flocks were assigned to four groups (n = 27 each) and confined separately in open pens. Three bucks of each group were housed with the females. Pregnancy rates were greater in the goats housed with the long-day group than those housed with the control group (P < 0.01). However, pregnancy rates did not differ between the long-day confined group (89%) and long-day+supplementation group (70%; P = 0.09), but these rates were greater than those from the long-day (37%) and control groups (0%; P < 0.05). In experiment 2, two groups of males (n = 3 each) were incorporated into two flocks under semi-extensive management and grazed daily with females for 7 h. One group of males did not receive any treatment (control group). The other group was submitted to long days and nutritional supplementation as in experiment 1 (long-day+supplementation group). Males remained with females during the whole study. The pregnancy rate was greater in the goats joined by males of the long-day+supplementation group (78%) than in those from the control group (0%; P < 0.001). We conclude that long days and nutritional supplementation improve the ability of bucks kept in semi-extensive management to stimulate reproduction of out-of-season goats in confined or semi-extensive management systems.

Melatonin administration during the dry period stimulates subsequent milk yield and weight gain of offspring in subtropical does kidding in summer.

In the present experiment, we tested the hypothesis that in does kidding in summer, melatonin administration during dry period is galactopoietic for the subsequent lactation and results in improved growth of their suckling kids. Twenty-five multiparous pregnant creole does were enrolled into a randomized complete block design during their dry period in the 49 d prepartum, and under natural long photoperiods around the summer solstice, pregnant does either received 2 subcutaneous ear implants (18 mg) of melatonin (MEL, n = 10) or served as nonimplanted controls (CONT, n = 15). During the first 14 wk of subsequent lactation (suckling and milking periods), MEL does yielded more milk than CONT does. Throughout subsequent lactation, milk composition was not affected by treatment. In MEL does, peripheral triiodothyronine levels peaked at 2 wk of lactation, remaining higher than in CONT does. The mean daily weight gain was higher in MEL compared with CONT kids and was also higher in males than females, and for males, was positively correlated with milk yield. The current data support our hypothesis that melatonin during the prepartum period is galactopoietic in suckling does.

Subtropical goats ovulate in response to the male effect after a prolonged treatment of artificial long days to stimulate their milk yield.

The objectives of this study were to determine (i) if in subtropical goats that gave birth during mid-December, the exposition to an artificial long-day photoperiod consisting in only 14 hr of light per day can increase the milk yield and (ii) to test whether these females can respond to the male effect at the end of the prolonged photoperiodic treatment. In experiment 1, 17 lactating goats were maintained under natural short days (control group), while another 22 goats were maintained under artificial long days (treated group) consisting in 14 hr light and 10 hr darkness starting at day 10 of lactation. The continuous exposition to an artificial long-day photoperiod produced an increase in the milk yield level during the first 110 days of lactation (time × treatment interaction; p = .01), while none of the milk components were modified due to the photoperiodic treatment (p > .05). In experiment 2, all control and treated anovulatory goats were submitted to the male effect using photostimulated males. All females showed oestrous behaviour within the first 10 days that were in contact with males (100% in both groups; p > .05). Thus, the latency to onset of oestrus did not differ between females from control (58.2 ± 3.0 hr) and treated (62 ± 4.6 hr) groups. Male exposition provoked ovulation independently if females were previously under long days or natural photoperiod (96 vs 100%, respectively; p = .79). It was concluded that exposure to 14 hr of light per day in subtropical goats that gave birth in late autumn stimulates milk yield without preventing the ovulation in response to the male effect at the end of the prolonged photoperiodic treatment.

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Artificial long-day photoperiod in the subtropics increases milk production in goats giving birth in late autumn.

Two experiments were conducted to determine whether exposure to a photoperiod of artificial long days in autumn increased milk yield in subtropical goats milked once (Exp. I) or twice daily (Exp. II). In Exp. I, starting at d 10 of lactation, 1 group of does was kept under naturally decreasing photoperiod (DD1X; n = 8), whereas the other group was submitted to an artificial photoperiod of long days (LD1X; n = 8; 16 h light:8 h darkness). The kids were weaned 28 d after parturition, and dams were manually milked once daily. Milk yield and milk components (fat, protein, and lactose) were assessed up to 140 d of lactation. From d 0 to 28 of lactation (suckling phase), mean daily milk yield did not differ between DD1X and LD1X goats (2.3 ± 0.2 kg vs. 2.4 ± 0.2 kg; P = 0.717). However, between d 29 and 84 (early milking phase), mean daily milk yield was greater in LD1X does than in DD1X does (2.6 ± 0.1 kg vs. 2.1 ± 0.1 kg; P = 0.001). Finally, between d 85 and 140 (late milking phase), mean daily milk yield was greater in LD1X goats than in DD1X goats (P ≤ 0.05) only during the first 2 wk. In Exp. II, one group of goats was exposed to a photoperiod of naturally decreasing days (DD2X; n = 8) and another group was submitted to an artificial photoperiod of long days (LD2X; n = 7). In both groups, kids were weaned on d 28 of lactation and the dams were manually milked twice daily. During the nursing phase, mean daily milk yield did not differ between the DD2X and LD2X groups (2.5 ± 0.3 kg vs. 2.6 ± 0.2 kg; P = 0.767). In the early milking phase, mean daily milk yield was greater in LD2X than in DD2X goats (3.3 ± 0.2 kg vs. 2.8 ± 0.2 kg; P = 0.022), whereas during the late milking phase, milk yield did not differ between the 2 groups (P = 0.946). In both experiments, milk composition was not significantly influenced by exposure to long-day photoperiod. We conclude that, in subtropical female goats that start lactation in late autumn, exposure to an artificial long-day photoperiod stimulates milk yield, even if goats are milked once daily. In addition, combining exposure to long days with twice-daily milking will increase further milk yield in such goats without affecting milk components.

Health-related quality of life is associated with COPD severity: a comparison between the GOLD staging and the BODE index.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a highly prevalent disease. Currently, severity Global initiative for chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) criteria are used to diagnose the severity of COPD, but a new grading system, the body mass index, bronchial obstruction, dyspnea, exercise (BODE) index, was recently proposed to provide useful prognostic information. The objective of this study is to evaluate the association between health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and COPD severity assessed by two criteria: the GOLD classification and the BODE index. Sixty-four patients with COPD were examined with lung function tests and specific and generic HRQOL questionnaires (St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire [SGRQ], Nottingham Health Profile [NHP]). Participants were divided into four severity groups using the GOLD guidelines and the BODE index quartiles. The association between NHP and SGRQ subscales, and the BODE index was significant (P < 0.01). However, the GOLD classification shows a correlation only with SGRQ total score (P < 0.05) but not with NHP or SGRQ subscales. There was an association of the SGRQ total score between the severity groups of BODE (P = 0.0001), but there was no difference in the SGRQ total score between the severity groups of GOLD classification (P = 0.244). The present study suggests that COPD severity assessed by the BODE index can be more directly related with HRQOL.

Thermoluminescence response of new KCl(X)Br(1-X):EuCl3 sintered phosphors exposed to beta and gamma radiation.

Alkali halides crystals have been the subject of intense research for an understanding of their radiation-induced defects and luminescence properties. They exhibit noteworthy thermoluminescence (TL) properties when exposed to ionising radiation. Currently, these materials are grown employing expensive and rather complicated techniques. In this work, the results on the TL properties of new alkali halides phosphors fabricated by a simple and inexpensive procedure are presented. The samples were made by mixing KCl, KBr and EuCl3 salts, and compressing them at a pressure of 3.2 x 10(7) Pa during 3 min, followed by sintering at 700 degrees C during 24 h under air atmosphere. The dosimetric response of the samples showed an increase with radiation dose in the 1.5-20.0 Gy dose range for beta and gamma radiation. The TL glow curves in sintered samples presented significant differences in their peak structures compared with monocrystalline samples, indicating that the nature of the trapping states and the recombination mechanisms may be different.

Ultrastructural studies of Sarcocystis cruzi (Hasselmann, 1926) Wenyon, 1926 infection in cattle (Bos taurus): Philippine cases.

This paper documents the first report of Sarcocysti s cruzi infection in domesticated cattle (Bos taurus) in the Philippines. Fusiform-shaped microscopic sarcocysts (183-578 microns long and 20-98 microns wide) with distinct septae were found in the skeletal, striated and heart muscle. The sarcocyst wall or parasitophorous vacuolar membrane, 1.37-2.75 microns thick consisted of closely-packed villar protrusions 80-400 nm in dm. Middle and distal segments of VP were bent approximately 90 degrees parallel to the cyst wall surface. The villar core lacked microtubules, and at some points, the distal ends of the VP collectively formed conical tufts. Primary cyst wall had numerous 70-100 nm bubble-like undulations, and the ground substance was 0.25-0.5 micron in thickness. The ultrastructure of S. cruzi cyst wall typifies the Type 7 sarcocyst wall, and bears close similarities with the Philippine and the Vietnam strain of bubaline Sarcocystis levinei.

Sarcocystis miescheriana infection in domestic pigs (Sus scrofa) in the Philippines.

Sarcocystis miescheriana sarcocysts were identified in skeletal muscles of 9 (27%) of 33 swine slaughtered for human consumption. Sarcocysts were 144-180 microm x 20-38 microm in size. Ultrastructurally, the cyst wall resembled the type 10 sarcocyst wall. The villar protrusions (VP) were 3-4.5 microm long and 0.6-1.2 microm wide and had prominent longitudinally arranged microtubules extending from the VP tips to the granular layer (=ground substance). The parasitophorous vacuolar membrane with its underlying electron-dense layer (EDL) measured 25 nm in thickness. The base of the VP exhibited minute (0.42-0.87 microm) bulblike inpocketings. Each VP had 80-90 microtubules situated underneath the EDL. The granular layer was 0.5-1.2 microm thick, and contained hairlike microtubules continuous with those of the VP core. This is the first report of S. miescheriana in Philippine domestic pigs Sus scrofa.

Rescue of arrested replication forks by homologous recombination.

DNA synthesis is an accurate and very processive phenomenon; nevertheless, replication fork progression on chromosomes can be impeded by DNA lesions, DNA secondary structures, or DNA-bound proteins. Elements interfering with the progression of replication forks have been reported to induce rearrangements and/or render homologous recombination essential for viability, in all organisms from bacteria to human. Arrested replication forks may be the target of nucleases, thereby providing a substrate for double-strand break repair enzyme. For example in bacteria, direct fork breakage was proposed to occur at replication forks blocked by a bona fide replication terminator sequence, a specific site that arrests bacterial chromosome replication. Alternatively, an arrested replication fork may be transformed into a recombination substrate by reversal of the forked structures. In reversed forks, the last duplicated portions of the template strands reanneal, allowing the newly synthesized strands to pair. In bacteria, this reaction was proposed to occur in replication mutants, in which fork arrest is caused by a defect in a replication protein, and in UV irradiated cells. Recent studies suggest that it may also occur in eukaryote organisms. We will review here observations that link replication hindrance with DNA rearrangements and the possible underlying molecular processes.

Impairment of lagging strand synthesis triggers the formation of a RuvABC substrate at replication forks.

The holD gene codes for the psi subunit of the Escherichia coli DNA polymerase III holoenzyme, a component of the gamma complex clamp loader. A holD mutant was isolated for the first time in a screen for mutations that increase the frequency of tandem repeat deletions. In contrast to tandem repeat deletions in wild-type strains, deletion events stimulated by the holD mutation require RecA. They do not require RecF, and hence do not result from the recombinational repair of gaps, arguing against uncoupling of the leading and lagging strand polymerases in the holD mutant. The holD recBC combination of mutations is lethal and holD recBts recCts strains suffer DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) at restrictive temperature. DSBs require the presence of the Holliday junction-specific enzymes RuvABC and are prevented in the presence of RecBCD. We propose that impairment of replication due to the holD mutation causes the arrest of the entire replisome; consequently, Holliday junctions are formed by replication fork reversal, and unequal crossing over during RecA- and RecBCD-mediated re-incorporation of reversed forks causes the hyper-recombination phenotype.

Length of postpartum anestrus in goats in subtropical Mexico: effect of season of parturition and duration of nursing.

The aim of this study was to determine whether season of birth and length of nursing affected the duration of postpartum anestrus in Creole female goats maintained on a constant plane of nutrition in subtropical Mexico. Three experiments were conducted in the Laguna region in the State of Coahuila, Mexico (26 degrees N). In the first experiment, 34 goats gave birth in January; in the second, 31 females gave birth in May; and in the third, 22 goats kidded in October. At parturition, females were allocated to 1 of 3 groups based on body weight and date of parturition: kids were weaned at 2, 30 or 90 d according to their group. After weaning, females were milked manually once a day until the end of the study. All animals were kept in a shed and were fed alfalfa ad libitum and given 200 g of concentrate daily. Starting 1 wk after parturition, estrous behavior was detected twice daily using an apron-bearing male, and blood samples were obtained twice weekly to determine ovarian activity from the plasma progesterone levels. A strong effect of month of parturition was found on the duration of postpartum anestrus (P < 0.0001), which was longer in females kidding in January (about 200 d) than in those kidding in May (about 100 d) or October (about 50 d). A tendency for an interaction between season of parturition and length of nursing was observed in the length of anovulation (P < 0.07): for parturition in October, anestrus was longer when kids were weaned after 90 d than after 2 or 30 d (P < 0.01). Season of parturition also affected dates of reinitiation of ovulatory and estrous activity (P < 0.001). Proportions of normal, short and long cycles and of associations between estrous and ovulations were not influenced by season of parturition or the age of weaning. These data demonstrate that in subtropical latitudes, season of parturition can dramatically influence the duration of postpartum anestrus independently of the availability of food.

Protection provided by exogenous DNA ligase in G0 human lymphocytes treated with restriction enzyme MspI or bleomycin as shown by the comet assay.

DNA double-strand breaks (DSB) may arise either spontaneously during cellular processes or as a result of exposure to DNA-damaging agents such as ionizing radiation, or radiomimetic agents such as restriction endonucleases or bleomycin. It is widely accepted that nonrepaired or misrepaired DSB are the main lesions leading to the production of chromosomal aberrations, mutagenesis, oncogenic transformation, and cell killing. Studies focusing on this relationship, as well as the possible modulation of DNA repair mechanisms, are currently of major interest. A wide variety of test systems are available to study DNA damage. In the last few years, single-cell gel electrophoresis, commonly known as "comet assay," has been considered a rapid, sensitive, and visual method for quantifying DNA strand breaks and alkali-labile damage in individual cells. In this study, making use of the comet assay, we tried to find out if under conditions that maintain chromatin structure the DNA ligase from T4 phage is able to facilitate the rejoining of strand breaks with different end structures, induced by the restriction endonuclease MspI or bleomycin in living human lymphocytes in a nonproliferating state. T4 DNA ligase, as well as the restriction endonuclease or bleomycin, were introduced together by electroporation into human lymphocytes. Our results support the idea that it is possible to modulate the DSB-rejoining of different DNA strand-breaking agents by exogenous T4 DNA ligase.

T4 DNA ligase reduces chromosome damage and enhances cell survival in CHO cells treated with bleomycin.

The effect of DNA ligase from T4 phage on the modulation of the damage induced by bleomycin was studied. CHO6 cells were electroporated with either bleomycin alone or bleomycin plus T4 DNA ligase, and both cytogenetic and clonogenic assays were carried out in parallel. Our results show that T4 DNA ligase is able to decrease the frequency of chromosome aberrations in bleomycin-treated cells while increasing cell survival.

Both bovine and rabbit lymphocytes conditioned with hydrogen peroxide show an adaptive response to radiation damage.

We have carried out experiments to study the possible induction of an adaptive response in cultured bovine and rabbit lymphocytes conditioned with subtoxic doses of hydrogen peroxide after stimulation and subsequently challenged with 1 Gy of X-rays. Peroxide treatment was given at different doses 48 h after the addition of PHA to stimulate the cells. A protective effect of pre-exposure to H2O2 against radiation damage detected as micronuclei in binucleated cells was evident for all the animals tested regardless the dose of H2O2 used, although this effect was in general of greater magnitude in bovine than in rabbit cells. These results lend further support to our previous finding in human lymphocytes that DNA single strand breaks induced by H2O2 (most likely due to the generation of hydroxyl radicals) is the most important lesion to trigger the adaptive response.