Hormonal induction of ovulation and artificial insemination in suckled beef cows under nutritional stress

The objective was to develop a program for inducing estrus (followed by insemination) of suckled beef cows under nutritional stress (poor body condition). A total of 123 cows, from 60 to 75 days postpartum, were classified according to their body condition score (BCS; range from 1 to 5, in increments of 0.5) and allocated into two groups. On Day 0 (without regard to stage of the estrous cycle), cows (n = 59) in the hormone induction (HI) treatment group were given an intravaginal device (IVD) containing 250 mg of medroxiprogesterone acetate (MAP) and an i.m. injection of 2.5 mg estradiol benzoate (EB). On Day 6, these cows were given 500 IU eCG i.m. and calves were weaned for 96 h. The IVD were removed on Day 7. Cows detected in estrus by 45 h after IVD removal were inseminated 12 h after standing estrus; cows not in estrus by 45 h after IVD removal received an i.m. injection of 100 microg gonadorelin (GnRH) and were inseminated 16-18 h later. In the control group (C), cows (n = 64) only had their calves weaned at Day 6 (for 96 h), with estrus detection and AI from Days 6 to 11. Overall, the BCS ranged from 2.0 to 3.0. In the treatment group, estrus and pregnancy rates in cows with BCS 2.0 (20 and 30%, respectively) was lower (P < 0.05) than those with BCS 3.0 (50 and 66.6%, respectively), but did not differ (P > 0.05) from BCS 2.5 (23.3 and 47.6%). In C group, only 2 of 66 cows were detected in estrus and bred (neither was pregnant). In conclusion, the program for induction of ovulation using MAP, EB, eCG and GnRH increased the pregnancy rate in beef cows in poor body condition, enabling AI to be done in a 63-h interval.     

A new species of Tiddergasilus Marques & Boeger, 2018 (Copepoda: Ergasilidae) from the gills of Astyanax lacustris (Lütken) (Osteichthyes: Characidae) in Brazil

A new parasitic copepod, Tiddergasilus bipartitus n. sp. (Copepoda, Ergasilidae), is described herein based on three adult females found attached to the gills of the yellow-tail lambari Astyanax lacustris (Lütken), sampled in Pardo River, municipality of Botucatu, São Paulo State, Brazil. Tiddergasilus bipartitus n. sp. was recognized as a new member of the monotypic genus Tiddergasilus Marques & Boeger, 2018 by having: antennule 6-segmented; maxillary basis armed with 2 terminal teeth and ornamented with multiple spinules; second and third leg both with endopod 3-segmented. The new copepod can be distinguished from its congener, Tiddergasilus iheringi (Tidd, 1942), by the morphology of the antennal claw, number of somites/segments in abdomen and fourth leg, and by the ornamentation of the first leg. This report expands the geographic distribution and diversity of fish species parasitized with Tiddergasilus spp. in Brazil. Moreover, it also represents the first report of an ergasilid species in the Pardo River. A list of diagnostic features for the Brazilian species of Ergasilus von Nordmann, 1832 is provided herein, in order to aid comparisons with the species of this complex genus.

     

Dynamics of Cattle Production in Brazil

Movement of livestock production within a country or region has implications for genetics, adaptation, well-being, nutrition, and production logistics, particularly in continental-sized countries, such as Brazil. Cattle production in Brazil from 1977 to 2011 was spatialized, and the annual midpoint of production was calculated. Changes in the relative production and acceleration of production were calculated and spatialized using ARCGIS®. Cluster and canonical discriminant analyses were performed to further highlight differences between regions in terms of cattle production. The mean production point has moved from the Center of Minas Gerais State (in the southeast region) to the North of Goiás State (in the Midwest region). This reflects changes in environmental factors, such as pasture type, temperature and humidity. Acceleration in production in the northern region of Brazil has remained strong over the years. More recently, “traditional” cattle-rearing regions, such as the south and southeast, showed a reduction in growth rates as well as a reduction in herd size or internal migration over the period studied. These maps showed that this movement tends to be gradual, with few regions showing high acceleration or deceleration rates.     

Geriatric dentistry: a new specialty in Brazil

Objective: To present the current status of geriatric dentistry in Brazil. Background: In 2001, the Brazilian Dental Council established a new specialty: geriatric dentistry. This decision was based on the increase in both the elderly population and the demand for dental treatment of this cohort. Materials and methods: Data were obtained through online searches of the Brazilian Dental Council and the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. Results: Brazil has 170 dental schools offering around 14 000 undergraduate vacancies every year. At the postgraduate level, there are 19 recognised dental specialties, one of which is geriatric dentistry, comprising 18 certificate programmes, with the potential to produce 216 new specialists every 18 months. The dentist/habitant ratio was 1:870, higher than that recommended by the Word Health Organization. The Brazilian population consists of around 14.5 million elderly people (8.6%). There were 124 specialists in geriatric dentistry distributed irregularly throughout the country. The specialist/elderly population rate was 1:117 249. At the undergraduate level, this new specialty is not included in the curricula of most dental schools in Brazil. Conclusions: Geriatric dentistry should be included in the undergraduate curricula of dental schools in Brazil. Postgraduate degree courses should be developed to produce more clinical academics and researchers in this field.     

QTL Mapping of Agronomic Waterlogging Tolerance Using Recombinant Inbred Lines Derived from Tropical Maize (Zea mays L) Germplasm

Waterlogging is an important abiotic stress constraint that causes significant yield losses in maize grown throughout south and south-east Asia due to erratic rainfall patterns. The most economic option to offset the damage caused by waterlogging is to genetically incorporate tolerance in cultivars that are grown widely in the target agro-ecologies. We assessed the genetic variation in a population of recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from crossing a waterlogging tolerant line (CAWL-46-3-1) to an elite but sensitive line (CML311-2-1-3) and observed significant range of variation for grain yield (GY) under waterlogging stress along with a number of other secondary traits such as brace roots (BR), chlorophyll content (SPAD), % stem and root lodging (S&RL) among the RILs. Significant positive correlation of GY with BR and SPAD and negative correlation with S&RL indicated the potential use of these secondary traits in selection indices under waterlogged conditions. RILs were genotyped with 331 polymorphic single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers using KASP (Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR) Platform. QTL mapping revealed five QTL on chromosomes 1, 3, 5, 7 and 10, which together explained approximately 30% of phenotypic variance for GY based on evaluation of RIL families under waterlogged conditions, with effects ranging from 520 to 640 kg/ha for individual genomic regions. 13 QTL were identified for various secondary traits associated with waterlogging tolerance, each individually explaining from 3 to 14% of phenotypic variance. Of the 22 candidate genes with known functional domains identified within the physical intervals delimited by the flanking markers of the QTL influencing GY and other secondary traits, six have previously been demonstrated to be associated with anaerobic responses in either maize or other model species. A pair of flanking SNP markers has been identified for each of the QTL and high throughput marker assays were developed to facilitate rapid introgression of waterlogging tolerance in tropical maize breeding programs.     

Acclimatization of micropropagated plantlets induces an antioxidative burst: a case study with <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ulmus minor</Emphasis> Mill.

In this article, the effects of increased light intensities on antioxidant metabolism during ex vitro establishment of Ulmus minor micropropagated plants are investigated. Three month old in vitro plants were acclimatized to ex vitro conditions in a climate chamber with two different light intensities, 200 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ (high light, HL) and 100 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ (low light, LL) during 40 days. Immediately after ex vitro transfer, the increase of both malondialdehyde (MDA) and electrolyte leakage in persistent leaves is indicative of oxidative stress. As the acclimatization continues, an upregulation of the superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione reductase (GR) enzyme activities were also observed. Simultaneously, MDA content and membrane permeability stabilized, suggesting that the antioxidant enzymes decrease the deleterious effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Unexpectedly, newly formed leaves presented a different pattern of antioxidative profile, with high levels of MDA and membrane leakage and low antioxidant enzyme activity. Despite these differences, both leaf types looked healthy (e.g. greenish, with no necrotic spots) during the whole acclimatization period. The results indicate that micropropagated U. minor plantlets develop an antioxidant enzyme system after ex vitro transfer and that, in general, LL treatment leads to lower oxidative stress. Moreover, new leaves tolerate higher levels of ROS without the need to activate the antioxidative pathway, which suggests that the environment at which leaves are exposed during its formation determinate their ability to tolerate ROS.     

A case–control study between interleukin-10 gene variants and periodontal disease in dogs

Periodontal disease (PD) refers to a group of inflammatory diseases that affect the periodontium, the organ which surrounds and supports the teeth. PD is a highly prevalent disease with a multifactorial etiology and, in humans the individual susceptibility is known to be strongly determined by genetic factors. Several candidate genes have been studied, namely genes related with molecules involved in the inflammatory response. Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is a cytokine with important anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory roles, and several studies indicate an association between IL10 polymorphisms and PD. In dogs, an important animal model in periodontology, PD is also a highly prevalent naturally occurring disease, and only now are emerging the first studies evaluating the genetic predisposition. In this case–control study, a population of 90 dogs (40 dogs with PD and 50 healthy dogs) was used to study the IL10 gene, and seven new genetic variations in this gene were identified. No statistically significant differences were detected in genotype and allele frequencies of these variations between the PD cases and control groups. Nevertheless, one of the variations (IL10/2_g.285G > A) leads to an amino acid change (glycine to arginine) in the putative signal peptide, being predicted a potential influence on IL-10 protein functionality. Further investigations are important to clarify the biological importance of these new findings. The knowledge of these genetic determinants can help to understand properly the complex causal pathways of PD, with important clinical implications.