Reproductive fluids, used for the in vitro production of pig embryos, result in healthy offspring and avoid aberrant placental expression of PEG3 and LUM.

BACKGROUND: In vitro embryo production (IVP) and embryo transfer (ET) are two very common assisted reproductive technologies (ART) in human and cattle. However, in pig, the combination of either procedures, or even their use separately, is still considered suboptimal due to the low efficiency of IVP plus the difficulty of performing ET in the long and contorted uterus of the sow. In addition, the potential impact of these two ART on the health of the offspring is unknown. We investigated here if the use of a modified IVP system, with natural reproductive fluids (RF) as supplements to the culture media, combined with a minimally invasive surgery to perform ET, affects the output of the own IVP system as well as the reproductive performance of the mother and placental molecular traits. RESULTS: The blastocyst rates obtained by both in vitro systems, conventional (C-IVP) and modified (RF-IVP), were similar. Pregnancy and farrowing rates were also similar. However, when compared to in vivo control (artificial insemination, AI), litter sizes of both IVP groups were lower, while placental efficiency was higher in AI than in RF-IVP. Gene expression studies revealed aberrant expression levels for PEG3 and LUM in placental tissue for C-IVP group when compared to AI, but not for RF-IVP group. CONCLUSIONS: The use of reproductive fluids as additives for the culture media in pig IVP does not improve reproductive performance of recipient mothers but could mitigate the impact of artificial procedures in the offspring.

Effect of Different Media and Protein Source on Equine Gametes: Potential Impact During In Vitro Fertilization.

Equine in vitro fertilization (IVF) is still inconsistent. In the present work, we studied how modified Whitten's (MW) medium and Tissue Culture Medium 199 (TCM) added with Foetal Bovine Serum (FBS; 10% v/v) or Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA; 7 mg/ml) affected equine gametes to subsequently run IVF trials. Compact (Cp) and expanded (Ex) cumuli equine oocytes were matured and placed in TCM or MW supplemented with BSA or FBS for 18-20 h (no sperm added). In Ex oocytes, TCM-199 added with FBS or BSA resulted in higher metaphase II (MII) rates (75.7% and 62.7%, respectively) than MW added with BSA (54%) or FBS (52.2%; p < 0.05); this was not observed for Cp oocytes. Equine sperm were capacitated in the same media at 10 × 10(6) sperm/ml for 4 h at 37°C; total motility and protein tyrosine phosphorylation (PY) were evaluated. While motility remained unchanged, TCM or MW added with FBS enhanced the number of sperm showing PY-stained tails (25 ± 4.8% and 31 ± 6.6%; mean ± SEM, respectively) over BSA supplemented media (3 ± 1.2% and 11.7 ± 1.1%) for TCM and MW (p < 0.05). In view of the previous results, sperm were capacitated in TCM + FBS and MW + BSA (control); IVF trials were run in the same media supplemented with 200 ng/ml of progesterone, but no fertilization occurred. Our results show that TCM + FBS enhances Ex equine oocyte's meiotic competence over MW + BSA and TCM or MW added with FBS successfully induce equine PY over media supplemented with BSA.

Impact of tuberculosis treatment length and adherence under different transmission intensities.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a leading cause of human mortality due to infectious disease. Treatment default is a relevant factor which reduces therapeutic success and increases the risk of resistant TB. In this work we analyze the relation between treatment default and treatment length along with its consequence on the disease spreading. We use a stylized model structure to explore, systematically, the effects of varying treatment duration and compliance. We find that shortening treatment alone may not reduce TB prevalence, especially in regions where transmission intensity is high, indicating the necessity of complementing this action with increased compliance. A family of default functions relating the proportion of defaulters to the treatment length is considered and adjusted to a particular dataset. We find that the epidemiological benefits of shorter treatment regimens are tightly associated with increases in treatment compliance and depend on the epidemiological background.

Coestimation of recombination, substitution and molecular adaptation rates by approximate Bayesian computation.

The estimation of parameters in molecular evolution may be biased when some processes are not considered. For example, the estimation of selection at the molecular level using codon-substitution models can have an upward bias when recombination is ignored. Here we address the joint estimation of recombination, molecular adaptation and substitution rates from coding sequences using approximate Bayesian computation (ABC). We describe the implementation of a regression-based strategy for choosing subsets of summary statistics for coding data, and show that this approach can accurately infer recombination allowing for intracodon recombination breakpoints, molecular adaptation and codon substitution rates. We demonstrate that our ABC approach can outperform other analytical methods under a variety of evolutionary scenarios. We also show that although the choice of the codon-substitution model is important, our inferences are robust to a moderate degree of model misspecification. In addition, we demonstrate that our approach can accurately choose the evolutionary model that best fits the data, providing an alternative for when the use of full-likelihood methods is impracticable. Finally, we applied our ABC method to co-estimate recombination, substitution and molecular adaptation rates from 24 published human immunodeficiency virus 1 coding data sets.

The Brazilian database on pregnancy in multiple sclerosis.

OBJECTIVES: To report the results from the Brazilian database on multiple sclerosis (MS) and pregnancy. METHODS: Retrospective data from MS patients who became pregnant at any time of their disease were sent to a Brazilian database, using a specific file for this purpose. RESULTS: Data on 128 women (142 pregnancies) from 30 neurologists working in 21 cities in Brazil were collected. Patients' average age at pregnancy was 29.8 years (range 16-42). EDSS at start of pregnancy was 1.5±1.4; and the relapse rate in the year preceding pregnancy was 1.2±1.5. Exposure to medication at any time during pregnancy was high (69.7%): 48.6% to interferon beta; 14.1% to glatiramer acetate; and 7% to other immunomodulatory and immunosuppressive drugs. There was a significant decrease in relapse rate during pregnancy. The prevalence of complications was relatively low, with 4.9% of obstetric and 1.4% neonatal unfavorable outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Our patients had low degrees of disability, short histories of disease, high drug exposure, and relatively high relapse rate in the year previous to pregnancy. Obstetric and neonatal outcomes were successful in over 90% of our patients.

Avaliação do desempenho na pós-desmama para uma população bovina multirracial Aberdeen Angus x Nelore utilizando-se diferentes modelos genéticos / Post weaning performance evaluation for a multibreed Aberdeen Angus x Nellore population using different genetic models

Com o objetivo de testar modelos genéticos alternativos ao aditivo-dominante em populações multirraciais, foram utilizadas informações do peso ao sobreano (PS) de 35.931 novilhos, filhos de 752 touros e 30.535 vacas das raças Aberdeen Angus (A) e Nelore (N) e de diversos grupos genéticos possíveis por meio do cruzamento entre elas. Foram testados cinco diferentes modelos (M) genéticos: o M1 continha o efeito genético fixo aditivo direto (AD), heterozigótico direto (HD), epistático direto (ED) e aditivo-conjunto direto (ACD); o M2, igual ao M1, menos o efeito ACD; o M3, igual ao M1, menos o efeito ED; o M4, igual ao M1, menos os efeitos ED e ACD; e o M5, igual ao M1, menos os efeitos HD, ED e ACD. Os modelos foram submetidos a três métodos de análise diferentes: método dos quadrados mínimos (MQM), regressão de cumeeira (RC) e máxima verossimilhança restrita (REML). O método de RC produziu estimativas de coeficientes com magnitudes e sinais explicados biologicamente. As estimativas dos efeitos, das (co)variâncias, dos parâmetros e dos valores genéticos diferiram entre os modelos, indicando a importância da correta escolha do modelo de análise, devendo-se ter conhecimento prévio do fenômeno estudado e sua interpretação biológica e sempre preceder à escolha de um modelo de análise genética multirracial o estudo da relação existente entre as variáveis independentes. Importantes efeitos adicionais ao efeito AD foram acrescentados pelas inclusões dos efeitos HD e ED aos modelos de análise. A notação matemática dos efeitos ACD, aplicada atualmente na literatura e testada neste estudo, não foi capaz de explicar a complementaridade entre raças como esperado, havendo problemas com casos de multicolinearidade entre os efeitos estudados.

In order to evaluate alternative genetic models to the additive dominant model, weights at yearling (PS) of 35,931 animals, sired by 752 bulls and 30,535 cows of Aberdeen Angus (A) and Nellore (N) breeds and the genetic groups from their crosses were used. Five different genetic models (M) were tested: M1, containing the direct additive fixed genetic effect (DA), heterozygote direct (HD), epystatic direct (ED), and direct joint additive direct (DJA); M2 was equal to M1, excluding DJA effect; M3 was equal to M1, excluding ED effect; M4 was equal M1, excluding ED and ACD effects, and M5 was equal to M1, excluding HD, ED, and DJA effects. The models were analyzed by different methods: Least Square Means Method (MQM), Ridge Regression Method (RC), and Restricted Maximum Likelihood Method (REML). Estimated coefficients by RC showed magnitude and sign which were biologically explained. The estimates of the covariances, parameters, and genetic values varied among the models, indicating the importance of the correct choice of the model for analysis, being necessary a previous knowledge of the studied phenomenon and its biological interpretation. Besides, it should always be considered the relationship between the independent variables before choosing a multibreed genetic analysis model. Important additional effects to the DA effect were considered by the inclusion of the HD and ED effects to the models for analysis. The DJA math notation, currently used in the literature and tested in the present study, was not able to explain the breed complementarity, due to the multi colinearity among the studied effects.

ABC: a useful Bayesian tool for the analysis of population data.

Approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) is a recently developed technique for solving problems in Bayesian inference. Although typically less accurate than, for example, the frequently used Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods, they have greater flexibility because they do not require the specification of a likelihood function. For this reason considerable amounts of data can be analysed and more complex models can be used providing, thereby, a potential better fit of the model to the data. Since its first applications in the late 1990s its usage has been steadily increasing. The framework was originally developed to solve problems in population genetics. However, as its efficiency was recognized its popularity increased and, consequently, it started to be used in fields as diverse as phylogenetics, ecology, conservation, molecular evolution and epidemiology. While the ABC algorithm is still being greatly studied and alterations to it are being proposed, the statistical approach has already reached a level of maturity well demonstrated by the number of related computer packages that are being developed. As improved ABC algorithms are proposed, the expansion of the use of this method can only increase. In this paper we are going to depict the context that led to the development of ABC focusing on the field of infectious disease epidemiology. We are then going to describe its current usage in such field and present its most recent developments.

Fatores de correção para perímetro escrotal ao sobreano para tourinhos mestiços Aberdeen Angus x Nelore / Adjustment factors for scrotal circumference at yearling for crossbred Aberdeen Angus x Nelore young bulls

Obtiveram-se fatores de correção (FC) para o perímetro escrotal ao sobreano (PES) para os efeitos de grupo genético (GG), heterozigose individual (HI), peso ao sobreano (PS) e idade do animal à pesagem de sobreano (IDS), utilizando-se registros de peso corporal e medidas de perímetro escrotal obtidos de 11.662 tourinhos das raças Aberdeen Angus, Nelore e de produtos do cruzamento entre elas, criados nas regiões Sul, Sudeste e Centro-Oeste do Brasil, nascidos entre 1987 e 2001. Os coeficientes de regressão que geraram os FC foram estimados pelo método dos quadrados mínimos, adotando um modelo que incluiu os efeitos de grupo de contemporâneos ao sobreano (GC), GG, heterozigose materna (HM), HI, PS e IDS. Todos os efeitos incluídos no modelo foram significativos (P<0,01) sobre PES. A média observada e respectivo desvio-padrão para PES foi 29,90±3,55cm. Foi observado efeito polinomial de segunda ordem de PS sobre PES. Foram verificados ganhos decrescentes no PES à medida que o POS aumentou, ou seja, os maiores acréscimos foram observados em animais recém desmamados. O efeito linear de PS sobre PES foi 0,06695804±0,00345000cm/kg, e o efeito quadrático, 0,00005252±0,00000508cm/kg². Para IDS o efeito linear foi de 0,02176450±0,00038568cm/dia. Aumentos de HI e HM promoveram incremento no PES e de GG, decréscimos. Os fatores incluídos no modelo foram importantes fontes de variação que devem ser considerados no ajuste de PES para seleção de tourinhos para melhora da precocidade sexual.

Adjustment factors (AF) for scrotal circumference at yearling (SCY) were figured out for effects of genetic group (GG), individual heterozygosis (IH), yearling weight (YW), and age of the animal at yearling weight (AYW) using body weight and scrotal circumference records from 11,662 Aberdeen Angus, Nelore, and their crosses. The animals were born from 1987 to 2001 and were raised in the South East and Central West Regions of Brazil. The regression coefficients to obtain AF were estimated by least squares means method. The model included the fixed effects of contemporaneous group at yearling (CG), maternal heterozygosis (MH), IH, and the covariates YW (linear and quadratic effects) and AYW (linear effect). All the factors included in the model showed significant effects (P<0.01) on SCY. The mean and standard deviation for SCY were 29.90±3.55cm. Quadratic effect of YW on SCY was also observed. Decreases in SCY with the increase in YW was found. High SCY was observed immediately after post-weaning. The YW effects on SCY were 0.06695804±0.00345000cm/kg (linear effect) and -0.00005252±0.00000508cm/kg² (quadratic effect). The AYW linear effect on SCY was 0.02176450±0.00038568cm/day. The factors included in the model are important sources of variation to adjust SCY for the selection of young bulls in order to improve sexual precocity.

Estimação de parâmetros genéticos para produção de leite de vacas da raça Holandesa via regressão aleatória / Estimation of genetic parameters for Holstein cows milk production by random regression

Foram utilizados 21.702 registros de produção de leite no dia do controle de 2.429 vacas primíparas da raça Holandesa, filhas de 233 touros, coletados em 33 rebanhos do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, para estimar parâmetros genéticos para produção de leite no dia do controle. O modelo de regressão aleatória ajustado aos controles leiteiros entre o sexto e o 305º dia de lactação incluiu o efeito de rebanho-ano-mês do controle, idade da vaca no parto e os parâmetros do polinômio de Legendre de ordem quatro, para modelar a curva média da produção de leite da população e parâmetros do mesmo polinômio, para modelar os efeitos aleatórios genético-aditivo e de ambiente permanente. As variâncias genéticas e de ambiente permanente para produção de leite no dia do controle variaram, respectivamente, de 2,38 a 3,14 e de 7,55 a 10,35. As estimativas de herdabilidade aumentaram gradativamente do início (0,14) para o final do período de lactação (0,20), indicando ser uma característica de moderada herdabilidade. As correlações genéticas entre as produções de leite de diferentes estágios leiteiros variaram de 0,33 a 0,99 e foram maiores entre os controles adjacentes. As correlações de ambiente permanente seguiram a mesma tendência das correlações genéticas. O modelo de regressão aleatória com polinômio de Legendre de ordem quatro pode ser considerado como uma boa ferramenta para estimação de parâmetros genéticos para a produção de leite ao longo da lactação.

A total of 21,702 records of milk production from 2,429 first-lactation Holstein cows, sired by 233 bulls, collected in 33 herds in the State of Rio Grande do Sul from 1991 to 2003, were used to estimate genetic parameters for that characteristic. The random regression model adjusted to test day from the 6th and the 305th lactation day included the effect of herd-year-month of the test day, the age of the cow at parturition, and the order fourth Legendre polynomial parameters, in order to obtain the average curve for the milk production of the population and parameters from the same polynomial to estimate the additive genetic and permanent environmental random effects. The genetic and permanent environmental variances for test day milk yield ranged from 2.38 to 3.14 and from 7.55 to 10.35, respectively. The estimated heritabilities gradually increased from the beginning (0.14) to the end (0.20) of the lactation period, indicating that test day milk yield is a characteristic with moderate heritability. The genetic correlation between milk yield in different phases of lactation ranged from 0.33 to 0.99 and was higher between the adjacent test days. The permanent environmental correlations followed the same tendency of the genetic ones. The random regression animal model using Legendre polynomials of order four can be considered as a good tool to estimate genetic parameters for milk production throughout the lactation.

Tendências genética e fenotípica para ganho de peso médio diário entre a desmama e o sobreano em uma população Angus x Nelore / Genetic and phenotypic trends for average daily weight gain from weaning to 550 days of age in a Angus Nellore population

Foram analisados os registros de ganho médio diário entre a desmama e o sobreano (GMDDS) de 33.267 animais de uma população multirracial Angus - Nelore, filhos de 525 touros, criados em 37 rebanhos, em diversas regiões do Brasil, entre os anos de 1987 e 2001. O modelo animal usado incluiu os efeitos aleatórios genético aditivo direto e materno e residual e os efeitos fixos de grupo genético do pai, da mãe e do animal e do grupo de contemporâneos pós-desmama, além da covariável idade à desmama, não ajustada. O GMDDS médio observado para a população foi 384,22g. O ano de 1999 foi o que apresentou o maior GMDDS (484,04g), e o ano de 1992, o menor (299,42g). Os coeficientes de herdabilidade estimados foram: 0,30±0,11 (direta) e 0,29±0,07 (materna). O VG médio foi de -0,827g. A tendência genética estimada para essa característica foi de -0,029g/ano (P<0,08) e a fenotípica foi de 5,69g/ano (P<0,05).

Direct and maternal heritability coefficients were estimated and genetic and phenotypic trends were predicted for average weight gain from weaning to 550 days of age (AWG) from 33,267 animals of a multi-breed Angus-Nellore population, sired by 525 bulls and raised in 37 herds in several regions of Brazil, from 1987 to 2001. MTDFREML was used for estimating the (co)variance components utilized to estimate the genetic direct and maternal heritability coefficients and to predict the breeding values. The animal model included as fixed the genetic group of sire, dam and animal and the pos weaning year/station/herd contemporary group and the covariate weaning age, and as ramdom, the additive genetic, maternal and residual effects. The observed AWG was 384.22g, 1999 presented the highest (484.04g) and 1992 the lowest value (299.42g). The direct heritability was 0.30±0.11, the maternal h² was 0.29±0.07 and the average genetic value was -0.827g. The estimated genetic trend for AWG was -0.029g (P<0.08) and the phenotypic trend was 5.68g (P<0.05). A phenotypic progress for average weight gain from weaning to 550 days of age occurred as a consequence of an environmental improvement, and the estimated genetic progress was close to zero.

[Apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy associated with coronary artery disease]. / Cardiomiopatia hipertrófica apical associada a doença arterial coronária.

A fifty-nine year old man, known to have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, presented worsening of angina. Multivessel coronary artery disease was diagnosed, and he underwent myocardial revascularization (mammary and two safenous grafts were implanted) with good evolution and reduction of left atrium dimension.

[Apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with right ventricular involvement]. / Cardiomiopatia hipertrófica apical acometendo o ventrículo direito.

We report right ventricular involvement in apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCMP) in two women and one man, aged from 19 to 44 years-old, who presented different signs from those with left ventricular disease (who have good clinical evolution), with signs and symptoms of severe diastolic restriction, showing great atrial enlargement and two with atrial fibrillation and death due to thromboembolism. The right ventricular involvement in apical HCMP leads to a worst prognosis than isolated left ventricular disease, does not have the typical electrocardiographic changes and presents with ventricular restriction and tricuspid regurgitation.

[Comparative study of three psychotropics for treatment of depressions]. / Etude comparative de trois psychotropes dans le traitement des dépressions

The effect of three anti-depressive psychotropes (Clorimipramine, Doxepine and Dibenzepine) was studied in 107 depressed patients. In each patient the mean value of twelve symptoms was evaluated and compared weekly (for 4 weeks), by statistical methods. In addition, the effect of each drug was analysed in personality stratus. A thymeretic and thymoanaleptic rapid action on 'corporality' and 'endotimic-vital' layer was found with Clorimipramine. Doxepine acts rapidly with sedative and anxiolitic actions on reactive symptoms related with personality super-structures having long term anti-depressive effects. Dibenzepine has a thymeretic rapid and intensive action and a slow thymoanaleptic effect on the same personality stratus of Clorimipramine.