Using online tools at the Bovine Genome Database to manually annotate genes in the new reference genome.

With the availability of a new highly contiguous Bos taurus reference genome assembly (ARS-UCD1.2), it is the opportune time to upgrade the bovine gene set by seeking input from researchers. Furthermore, advances in graphical genome annotation tools now make it possible for researchers to leverage sequence data generated with the latest technologies to collaboratively curate genes. For many years the Bovine Genome Database (BGD) has provided tools such as the Apollo genome annotation editor to support manual bovine gene curation. The goal of this paper is to explain the reasoning behind the decisions made in the manual gene curation process while providing examples using the existing BGD tools. We will describe the sources of gene annotation evidence provided at the BGD, including RNA-seq and Iso-Seq data. We will also explain how to interpret various data visualizations when curating gene models, and will demonstrate the value of manual gene annotation. The process described here can be applied to manual gene curation for other species with similar tools. With a better understanding of manual gene annotation, researchers will be encouraged to edit gene models and contribute to the enhancement of livestock gene sets.

[Mexican consensus on portal hypertension]. / Consenso Mexicano de Hipertensión Portal.

The aim of the Mexican Consensus on Portal Hypertension was to develop documented guidelines to facilitate clinical practice when dealing with key events of the patient presenting with portal hypertension and variceal bleeding. The panel of experts was made up of Mexican gastroenterologists, hepatologists, and endoscopists, all distinguished professionals. The document analyzes themes of interest in the following modules: preprimary and primary prophylaxis, acute variceal hemorrhage, and secondary prophylaxis. The management of variceal bleeding has improved considerably in recent years. Current information indicates that the general management of the cirrhotic patient presenting with variceal bleeding should be carried out by a multidisciplinary team, with such an approach playing a major role in the final outcome. The combination of drug and endoscopic therapies is recommended for initial management; vasoactive drugs should be started as soon as variceal bleeding is suspected and maintained for 5 days. After the patient is stabilized, urgent diagnostic endoscopy should be carried out by a qualified endoscopist, who then performs the corresponding endoscopic variceal treatment. Antibiotic prophylaxis should be regarded as an integral part of treatment, started upon hospital admittance and continued for 5 days. If there is treatment failure, rescue therapies should be carried out immediately, taking into account that interventional radiology therapies are very effective in controlling refractory variceal bleeding. These guidelines have been developed for the purpose of achieving greater clinical efficacy and are based on the best evidence of portal hypertension that is presently available.

[Bone transport with external fixator RALCA in chronic osteomyelitis. Case report]. / Transportación ósea con fijador externo RALCA en la osteomielitis crónica. Reporte de un caso.

OBJECTIVE: To present the results obtained in the treatment of chronic osteomyelitis of the distal third of the tibia using an external fixator. CLINICAL CASE: Male, young patient with chronic osteomyelitis of the left tibia resulting from a Gustilo IIIB complicated fracture. We performed resection of the osteomyelitis focus. RESULTS: Good clinical and radiologic results were obtained with this technique; a 9 cm effective bone transport was achieved. CONCLUSIONS: Bone transport is a very useful method for the treatment of osteomyelitis that involves bone resection; the RALCA external fixator is technically useful.

Comparison of lung morphology in COPD secondary to cigarette and biomass smoke.

OBJECTIVE: To compare lung morphology in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) secondary to cigarette smoke (CS) and biomass smoke (BS). METHODS: Necropsies of women with COPD diagnosis by lung pathology and unique exposure to BS (n = 27) or CS (n = 21) matched by age and place of origin. Lungs were macroscopically and microscopically examined to evaluate the extent of emphysema, pigment deposition, and abnormalities in pulmonary arteries, large airways (including the Reid index) and small airways (SAWs) by a semiquantitative method. RESULTS: Both groups had variable degrees of emphysema and SAWs disease. Patients exposed to BS had more lung fibrosis and pigment deposition and thicker pulmonary arterial intima than smokers, who had more emphysema and epithelial damage (goblet cell metaplasia). The Reid index was similar in both groups. CONCLUSION: Lengthy exposure to BS can produce emphysema and other lesions typically observed in cigarette smokers, but with a slightly different distribution. Whether the differences observed are the consequence of severity of exposure or smoke composition, or both, remains to be clarified.

Use of insulin-like growth factor-I during embryo culture and treatment of recipients with gonadotropin-releasing hormone to increase pregnancy rates following the transfer of in vitro-produced embryos to heat-stressed, lactating cows.

An experiment was conducted to determine whether pregnancy rates following the transfer of in vitro-produced embryos to heat-stressed cows could be improved by 1) culturing embryos in the presence of IGF-I and 2) treating recipients with GnRH. Lactating Holstein cows (n = 260) were synchronized using a timed ovulation protocol. Embryos were produced in vitro and cultured with or without 100 ng/mL of IGF-I. On d 7 after anticipated ovulation (d 0), a single embryo was transferred to all recipients with a palpable corpus luteum (n = 210). A subset of recipients (n = 164) was injected with either GnRH or placebo on d 11. Plasma progesterone concentrations on d 0 and 7 were used to determine the synchrony of recipients. Pregnancy was diagnosed at d 53 and 81 by rectal palpation. Among all recipients, transfer of IGF-I-treated embryos increased pregnancy rate at d 53 (P < 0.05) and tended to increase pregnancy rate at d 81 (P < 0.06). Calving rate also tended to be higher for recipients that received IGF-I-treated embryos (P < 0.07). Among the subset of synchronized recipients (n = 190), pregnancy rate at d 53 and d 81 and calving rate were higher (P < 0.05) for IGF-I-treated embryos. The GnRH tended to increase pregnancy rate at d 53 for all recipients (P < 0.08) and the subset of synchronized recipients (P < 0.10). There were no effects of GnRH (P > 0.10) for pregnancy rate at d 81 and calving rate. The overall proportion of male calves was 64.3%. There was no effect (P > 0.10) of embryo treatment or GnRH on the birth weight or sex ratio of calves. Results of this experiment indicate that treatment of embryos with IGF-I can improve pregnancy and calving rates following transfer of in vitro-produced embryos. Further research is necessary to determine whether the treatment of recipients with GnRH is a practical approach to increase pregnancy rates following in vitro embryo transfer.

Differences between Brahman and Holstein cows in response to estrus synchronization, superovulation and resistance of embryos to heat shock.

Embryos from Bos indicus are more resistant to elevated culture temperature (i.e. heat shock) than embryos from some Bos taurus breeds. The present experiment was designed to determine if Brahman embryos have greater resistance to heat shock than Holstein embryos at a stage in development before the embryonic genome was fully activated. A second objective was to test breed effects on estrus synchronization and superovulation responses. A total of 29 Brahman and 24 Holstein cows were subjected to estrus synchronization using gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) and prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2alpha) superovulation. Embryos were collected at 48 h and day 5 after insemination. There was a tendency for a lower proportion of Brahmans to be detected in standing estrus than Holsteins. There were no differences between breeds in the proportion of cows detected in estrus using both tailpaint and standing estrus as criteria or in interval from PGF2alpha to estrus. The degree of synchrony in estrus was greater for Brahmans. Superovulation response was generally similar between breeds. At 48 h after insemination, there was a tendency for a greater proportion of Brahman oocytes to have undergone cleavage. Uncleaved oocytes were cultured for an additional 24 h-at this time, cleavage rate was similar between breeds. When embryos reached the 2-4-cell stage, they were heat-shocked for 4.5 h at 41 degrees C. This heat shock reduced the proportion of embryos that developed to the blastocyst stage but there was no breedxtreatment interaction. At day 5 after insemination, the number of embryos recovered was too low to allow comparison of breed effects. In conclusion, genetic effects on cellular thermotolerance that make Brahman embryos more resistant to heat shock are not expressed at the 2-4-cell stage. There were few differences between Brahman and Holstein in response to estrus synchronization and superovulation. The fact that cleavage tended to occur earlier in Brahman than Holstein embryos suggests breed differences in timing of ovulation, fertilization or events leading to cleavage.

[Body image and restrictive eating behavior in adolescents]. / Imagen corporal y restricción alimentaria en adolescentes.

BACKGROUND: The progressive increase in eating disorders suggests the need to begin health education in early childhood. However, the prevention of eating disorders has been a complicated and, perhaps for this reason, elusive goal for researchers. Restrictive behavior and body image distortion are two basic criteria in the diagnosis of eating disorders. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between appearance schema and restrictive behavior such as preoccupation with weight and dieting in a random sample of 373 adolescents. METHODS: The instruments used were the Appearance Schemas Inventory (ASI) and the Restraint Scale (RS). Statistical analysis included Pearson's correlation coefficient, Student's t-test, and analysis of variance with the post hoc Tukey contrast test. RESULTS: Body image and restrictive behavior scores were positively correlated (p < 0.0001). Body image distortions were significantly greater in younger adolescents and in those with a higher RS score (i.e. those involved in following restrictive diets and who experienced frequent weight fluctuations) than in older adolescents and in those with a lower RS score. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest the importance of working in primary prevention and of concentrating efforts on the identification and subsequent modification of body image distortions in children and adolescents.

Imagen corporal y restricción alimentaria en adolescentes / Body image and restrictive eating behavior in adolescents

Antecedentes. El progresivo incremento de los trastornos alimentarios sugiere la necesidad de comenzar los esfuerzos de educación para la salud en la infancia. Sin embargo, la prevención de los problemas alimentarios ha sido un objetivo complicado y, tal vez por eso, eludido por los investigadores. La conducta restrictiva y la alteración de la imagen corporal son dos criterios fundamentales en el diagnóstico de los trastornos alimentarios. Objetivo. El propósito de este trabajo fue explorar en una muestra de 373 adolescentes las relaciones existentes entre sus esquemas acerca de la apariencia y actitudes restrictivas como la preocupación por el peso y la dieta. Métodos. Los instrumentos utilizados fueron Appearance Schemas Inventory (ASI) (Inventario sobre los Esquemas acerca de la apariencia) y Restraint Scale (RS) (Escala de restricción).Para el análisis estadístico de los datos se utilizó el coeficiente de correlación de Pearson, la prueba t de Student y el análisis de varianza con la prueba de contraste de Tukey. Resultados. Los resultados indicaron correlaciones significativas y positivas entre una excesiva valoración de la apariencia física y las conductas restrictivas (p < 0,0001). Los adolescentes más jóvenes y los adolescentes restrictivos (aquellos que se implicaban en mayor medida en la práctica de dietas y en la fluctuación de su peso) presentaron de forma significativa (p < 0,0001) más alteraciones en la imagen corporal que los adolescentes no restrictivos y que los adolescentes de mayor edad. Conclusiones. A la luz de estos datos, se concluye la importancia de trabajar en un nivel de prevención primaria, centrando los esfuerzos en la identificación y posterior modificación de las distorsiones de la imagen corporal en niños y adolescentes (AU)

Genetic divergence in cellular resistance to heat shock in cattle: differences between breeds developed in temperate versus hot climates in responses of preimplantation embryos, reproductive tract tissues and lymphocytes to increased culture temperatures.

The detrimental effects of heat stress on fertility in cattle are less pronounced in heat-tolerant breeds. Although these genetic differences reflect differences in thermoregulation, cells from heat-tolerant breeds are less adversely compromised by increased temperature (that is, heat shock) than cells from heat-sensitive breeds. Experiments were performed to test the hypothesis that cells and tissues from two thermotolerant breeds (Brahman and Senepol) are better able to survive and function after exposure to increased temperature than cells and tissues from two thermosensitive breeds (Holstein and Angus). Exposure of embryos at>eight-cell stage at day 5 after insemination to heat shock of 41.0 degrees C for 6 h decreased development to the blastocyst stage and the number of cells per embryo. However, the deleterious effect of heat shock on blastocyst formation and the number of cells per embryo was less pronounced for Brahman than for Holstein and Angus breeds. Embryos from Senepol cows had very low development and it was not possible to determine heat shock effects in this breed. In contrast to the sensitivity of embryos to heat shock, there was no effect of a 41.0 degrees C heat shock on [(3)H]leucine incorporation into proteins secreted by oviductal or endometrial explants. Lymphocytes from Brahman and Senepol cows were more resistant to heat-induced apoptosis than lymphocytes from other breeds. Heat shock reduced lymphocyte glutathione content but the magnitude of the decrease was not affected by breed. In conclusion, embryos from Brahman cows are more resistant to heat shock than embryos from Holstein or Angus cows. Genetic differences are also present in thermotolerance for apoptosis response in lymphocytes, with Brahman and Senepol cattle being more resistant to heat shock than Angus and Holstein breeds. It is likely that the evolutionary forces that led to the Brahman and Senepol breeds being adapted to hot climates resulted in the selection of genes controlling resistance to cellular heat shock.

Tratamiento mediante realidad virtual para la fobia a volar: un estudio de caso / Treatment of fear of flying by means of virtual reality: a case report

La tecnología de la Realidad Virtual (RV) está teniendo un gran impacto en diferentes ámbitos de la salud, especialmente en el de los tratamientos psicológicos. Este trabajo se centra en su utilidad para el tratamiento de la fobia a volar. Las intervenciones psicológicas para este problema basadas en la terapia de la exposición han demostrado ser eficaces, pero dada la naturaleza de este trastorno tienen importantes limitaciones, pues resultan caras en términos de tiempo, dinero y esfuerzos. La RV ayuda a superar estas dificultades, ya que permite recrear diferentes ambientes en los que la persona puede interactuar con sus miedos mientras está en un medio seguro y protegido (la consulta del terapeuta). El presente trabajo tiene dos objetivos: mostrar los escenarios virtuales que nuestro equipo ha diseñado para el tratamiento del miedo a volar mediante RV y presentar los resultados de un estudio de caso que apoyan su eficacia (AU)

Adverse impact of heat stress on embryo production: causes and strategies for mitigation.

The production of embryos by superovulation is often reduced in periods of heat stress. The associated reduction in the number of transferable embryos is due to reduced superovulatory response, lower fertilization rate, and reduced embryo quality. There are also reports that success of in vitro fertilization procedures is reduced during warm periods of the year. Heat stress can compromise the reproductive events required for embryo production by decreasing expression of estrus behavior, altering follicular development, compromising oocyte competence, and inhibiting embryonic development. While preventing effects of heat stress can be difficult, several strategies exist to improve embryo production during heat stress. Among these strategies are changing animal housing to reduce the magnitude of heat stress, utilization of cows with increased resistance to heat stress (i.e., cows with lower milk yield or from thermally-adapted breeds), and manipulation of physiological and cellular function to overcome deleterious consequences of heat stress. Effects of heat stress on estrus behavior can be mitigated by use of estrus detection aids or utilization of ovulation synchronization treatments to allow timed embryo transfer. There is some evidence that embryonic survival can be improved by antioxidant administration and that pharmacological treatments can be developed that reduce the degree of hyperthermia experienced by cows exposed to heat stress.

Development of cultured bovine embryos after exposure to high temperatures in the physiological range.

Embryonic development is inhibited by exposure of cultured embryos to high temperatures. However, culture temperatures used to demonstrate the effects of heat on development have been higher than the body temperatures experienced typically by heat-stressed cows. The aim of this study was to determine whether exposing bovine oocytes and embryos to temperatures characteristic of body temperatures of heat-stressed cows would affect embryonic development in vitro. The CO2 percentage of the gas phase was adjusted in all experiments to prevent pH changes in the medium caused by decreased solubility of CO2 at high temperatures. Fertilization of oocytes at 41.0 degrees C reduced cleavage rate and the percentage of oocytes that became blastocysts compared with at 38.5 degrees C. There was no deleterious effect of fertilization at 40.0 degrees C. When putative zygotes and two-cell embryos were exposed to a range of temperatures from 38.5 to 41.0 degrees C for 3, 6, 9 or 12 h, heat shock reduced the number that developed to the blastocyst stage but only after exposure to 41.0 degrees C for 9 or 12 h. In addition, it was tested whether low O2 tension would reduce the detrimental effects of heat shock. The deleterious effect of 41.0 degrees C was not dependent upon oxygen content or the gas mixture used for culture (5% versus 20.95% O2), indicating that the deleterious effects of heat shock did not depend upon a high O2 environment. In the final experiment, embryos were exposed to 24 h fluctuations in temperature designed to mimic the rectal temperatures of cows exposed to heat stress. Exposure of embryos to this pattern of temperatures starting after fertilization reduced development when embryos were exposed to this environment for 8 days but not when embryos were exposed for 1 day only. These findings indicate that embryonic development can be disrupted by a short-term severe or a prolonged mild heat shock and that the effects of heat shock are not artefacts of changes in pH or high oxygen tension.

Short communication: seasonal effects on development of bovine embryos produced by in vitro fertilization in a hot environment.

The objective of this study was to determine if season affected the production of in vitro-derived bovine embryos from oocytes of cattle in a subtropical environment. Ovaries (approximately 75% beef cattle, including many with Bos indicus breeding) were collected from an abattoir. Oocytes were obtained and subjected to in vitro maturation and fertilization. Embryos were then cultured in CR1aa medium. Cleavage rate averaged 72.2+/-9.7% and was not different between months of collection. In addition, no differences were observed in the percent of oocytes or embryos that became blastocysts on d 8 or 9 after insemination. Least-squares means averaged across months for percent oocytes and cleaved embryos to blastocyst on d 8 were 22.8+/-7.5% and 31.2+/-9.4%, respectively. When d 8 blastocysts were classified according to stage of development (nonexpanded, expanded, and hatched), an effect of month was observed that reflected month-to-month variation and not a consistent change associated with season. Taken together, results failed to indicate an effect of season on in vitro production of embryos in a subtropical environment.

Attentional biases and vulnerability to depression.

This study was designed to examine selective processing of emotional information in depression. It focuses on possible attentional biases in depression, and whether such biases constitute a cognitive vulnerability factor to suffer from the disorder or, on the contrary, they reflect a feature associated exclusively with the clinical level of depression. 81 participants were included in the study: 15 with a diagnosis of Major Depression; 17 were diagnosed as Dysthymia; 11 participants scored over 18 in the Beck Depression Inventory (Beck, Rush, Shaw, & Emery, 1979); 15 participants, in whom a sad mood state was induced by an experimental mood induction (Velten technique + music, or biographical recall + music); and 23 participants as a normal-control group. All participants were presented with the emotional Stroop task. The data indicated that attentional bias was only present in the group of patients with Major Depression, so it does not seem to be a cognitive vulnerability factor for this disorder.

Deleterious actions of gossypol on bovine spermatozoa, oocytes, and embryos.

Gossypol (50 and 100 micrograms/ml) decreased the percentage of sperm that completed the swim-up procedure. This effect was not blocked by glutathione monoethyl ester. Cleavage rates were not different between oocytes inseminated with gossypol-treated spermatozoa (10 or 50 micrograms/ml) and oocytes inseminated with control spermatozoa. Development to the blastocyst stage at Day 7 after insemination was reduced when spermatozoa treated with 50 micrograms/ml gossypol were used for fertilization. Gossypol toxicity was evident in cows fed cottonseed meal because erythrocyte fragility was greater than for control cows. However, there were no differences between cottonseed meal and control groups in number of oocytes collected per cow, cleavage rate after in vitro maturation and fertilization, or the proportion of oocytes or embryos that developed to blastocysts. Similarly, exposure of oocytes to 2.5-10 micrograms/ml gossypol during in vitro maturation did not affect cleavage rates or subsequent development. In contrast, addition of 10 micrograms/ml gossypol to embryos reduced cleavage rate. Moreover, development of cleaved embryos was reduced by culture with 5 or 10 micrograms/ml gossypol and tended to be reduced by 2.5 micrograms/ml gossypol. In conclusion, bovine gametes are resistant to gossypol at concentrations similar to those in blood of cows fed cottonseed meal. In contrast, the developing embryo is sensitive to gossypol.

A comparison of the number of inner cell mass and trophectoderm cells of preimplantation Meishan and Yorkshire pig embryos at similar developmental stages.

Day 12 blastocysts from Meishan gilts contain fewer cells than do day 12 blastocysts from Yorkshire gilts. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of breed on the relative numbers of inner cell mass and trophectoderm cells in Meishan and Yorkshire embryos at similar stages. Embryos were collected on days 5.5-6.5 of gestation and were subjected to image analysis and differential cell staining. No breed differences were detected in the thickness of zona pellucida or in the areas of the perivitelline space, embryo proper, blastocoel and inner cell mass at any of the developmental stages examined (compact morula, early blastocyst or blastocyst). However, differences were observed in the pattern of growth of embryos from Meishan versus Yorkshire gilts. The total number of cells of Meishan embryos from Meishan gilts increased progressively from the compact morula through the blastocyst stage, whereas the total number of cells of embryos from Yorkshire gilts remained constant from compact morula through to early blastocyst, and then increased markedly from the early blastocyst to the blastocyst stage. At the blastocyst stage, Meishan embryos contained fewer (P < 0.05) cells than did Yorkshire embryos, and this lower number of cells was due entirely to fewer (P < 0.05) trophectoderm cells. As the number of inner cell mass cells increased during embryonic growth, Meishan embryos exhibited a slower (P < 0.02) increase in the number of trophectoderm cells than did Yorkshire embryos. These results demonstrate that the reduced number of cells present in Meishan embryos results from a selective reduction in the number of trophectoderm, but not inner cell mass, cells.

Calbindin D-28k and parvalbumin immunoreactivity in the frontal cortex in patients with frontal lobe dementia of non-Alzheimer type associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

The morphology and distribution of local-circuit neurons (interneurons) were examined, by calbindin D-28k and parvalbumin immunocytochemistry, in the frontal cortex (area 8) in two patients with frontal lobe dementia of non-Alzheimer type associated with classical amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and in seven normal cases. The density of calbindin D-28k immunoreactive cells was dramatically reduced in ALS patients, but the density of parvalbumin-immunoreactive neurons was preserved. Decreased density of calbindin D-28k-immunoreactive neurons, which are mainly located in the upper cortical layers, may interfere with the normal processing of cortico-cortical connections, whereas integrity of parvalbumin-immunoreactive cells may be associated with the preservation of the major inhibitory intracortical circuits in patients with frontal lobe dementia.

Effects of intertrial interval, orientation, and adaptation on orientation discrimination measured with a yes-no signal detection paradigm.

Orientation discriminations were measured with a 3.8-cpd sinusoidal grating stimulus and a yes-no signal-detection procedure. Analysis showed that such discriminations are independent of light-adaptation conditions and of intertrial interval over the 2- to 8-sec. range of values explored. However, they are strongly influenced by the orientation where measurements are made (the "oblique effect").