Con el objetivo de describir el diámetro de fibra y el peso de vellón de vicuñas en la Región Cusco, se evaluaron 302 muestras de fibra de vicuñas crías, juveniles y adultas mediante un equipo OFDA ...2000®, colectadas en diferentes capturas programadas (denominadas Chaccus) bajo dos sistemas de manejo: silvestría y semicautividad. Se registró, además, el peso de 633 vellones diferenciados por edad, sexo y tipo de manejo de los animales. El presente estudio estuvo amparado con la Resolución de Dirección General N° 180-2016-SERFOR/DGGSPFFS. Se determinó la finura promedio de fibra de crías (13.24 μm), juveniles (12.03 μm) y adultos (12.72 μm). La finura para machos y hembras fue de 12.99 y 13.53 μm en las crías, 12.06 y 12.02 μm en los juveniles y 12.88 y 12.58 μm en los adultos, respectivamente. El menor diámetro de fibra se presentó en vicuñas juveniles en silvestría (11.88 μm) y en la localidad de Canllini (11.49 μm). El peso de vellón fue mayor en silvestría (165.01 g) y en animales adultos (162.97 g), sin hallar diferencia entre sexos. Se concluye que las mejores características de fibra se encontraron en animales mantenidos en silvestría.
In the female camelid, systemic administration of NGF induces a preovulatory LH surge that results in ovulation, but the effects of seminal NGF in the male are unknown. In the present study, we ...tested the hypothesis that the LH-releasing pathway of NGF is present in male camelids. In Experiment 1, male llamas and alpacas were treated with NGF or GnRH (n = 2 llamas and 3 alpacas) and blood samples were collected from 1 h before to 3 h after treatment. Plasma LH concentrations increased after treatment in a surge-like fashion in both GnRH- and NGF-treated groups, but concentrations reached a maximum 2.5 times higher and remained elevated for at least 2 h longer in the NGF-treated group (treatment-by-time interaction, P = 0.01). In Experiment 2, we evaluated the LH and testosterone response to NGF vs saline treatment (n = 3 llamas and 3 alpacas). The LH response to NGF was similar to that in Experiment 1, and plasma testosterone concentrations were higher in the NGF group than in the saline group at 2, 4 and 6 h after treatment (P < 0.05). Results support the hypothesis that the LH-releasing pathway for NGF exists in male South American camelids. The LH response to NGF sustained circulating testosterone concentrations in llamas, suggesting a moderate role of NGF in testosterone secretion.
•NGF induces LH release in male camelids.•NGF -induced LH secretion may be related to testosterone secretion in male llamas and alpacas.
To elucidate the mechanism by which nerve growth factor (NGF) influences the LH secretory pathway in camelids, a series of experiments were done to determine the involvement of the hypothalamus ...(Experiment 1), the role of GnRH neurons (Experiment 2), and the effect of progesterone (Experiment 3) on the NGF-induced LH surge and ovulation in llamas. In Experiment 1, the declining phase of the NGF-induced LH surge was used to determine if the decline is a result of pituitary depletion or hypothalamic unresponsiveness. Female llamas were treated with NGF and, 7 h later, assigned to three groups and given a second dose of NGF (n = 5), a dose of GnRH (n = 5), or saline (n = 6). The LH response was attenuated after the second dose of NGF vs GnRH. In Experiment 2, Fos expression (marker of neuronal activation) in GnRH neurons was examined in the hypothalamus of llamas after NGF or saline treatment (n = 3 per group). Despite an LH surge in the NGF group but not in the saline group, no differences were detected between groups in Fos/GnRH co-expression. In Experiment 3, llamas in low-, medium-, and high-plasma progesterone groups (n = 4 per group) were treated with NGF. The NGF-induced LH surge did not differ among treatment groups. Results from the present study show that the induction of a preovulatory LH surge by NGF may be controlled by a novel pathway involving GnRH neuro-terminals downstream of the hypothalamus and is independent of progesterone influence.
El estudio tuvo como objetivo analizar la producción de fibra de vicuña (Vicugna mensalis mensalis) en semicautiverio y silvestría entre 2008 y 2016 en la región Apurímac, Perú, así como ...determinar la población de vicuñas capturadas y esquiladas y el efecto del sexo, edad y sistema de manejo en la producción de fibra. La producción de fibra de vicuña en los nueve años del estudio fue de 2 623 kg, promedio anual de 295.7 kg, rendimiento de 152.76 g/vicuña esquilada y un rango de variación de 54-426 g. La producción de fibra tuvo una tasa de crecimiento anual de 9.45% y una tasa de captura de 10.34%. Al análisis factorial se encontró diferencia significativa (p<0.05) para las interacciones años, edad, sexo y efectos simples.
Seminal nerve growth factor induces ovulation in camelids by influencing the secretion of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) into the portal vessels of the pituitary gland. We show that the nerve ...growth factor-induced release of GnRH is not mediated directly through interaction with hypothalamic neurons.
Ovulation in camelids is triggered by seminal nerve growth factor (NGF). The mechanism of action of NGF appears to occur via the central nervous system. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that NGF acts in the hypothalamus to induce GnRH release. To determine if NGF-induced ovulation is associated with a rise in NGF concentrations in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), llamas were i) mated with an urethrostomized male, ii) mated with intact male, or given intrauterine iii) seminal plasma or i.v.) saline (Experiment 1). To characterize the luteinizing hormone (LH) response after central vs peripheral administration, llamas were treated with saline (negative control) or NGF either by i.v. or intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration (Experiment 2). To determine the role of kisspeptin, the effect of ICV infusion of a kisspeptin receptor antagonist on NGF-induced LH secretion and ovulation was tested in llamas (Experiment 3). In Experiment 1, a surge in circulating concentrations of LH was detected only in llamas mated with an intact male and those given intrauterine seminal plasma, but no changes in CSF concentrations of NGF were detected. In Experiment 2, peripheral administration (i.v.) of NGF induced an LH surge and ovulation, whereas no response was detected after central (ICV) administration. In Experiment 3, the kisspeptin receptor antagonist had no effect on the LH response to NGF. In conclusion, results did not support the hypothesis that NGF-induced ovulation is mediated via a trans-synaptic pathway within the hypothalamus, but rather through a releasing effect on tanycytes at the median eminence.
Evalúa la osteomielitis del maxilar de 21 alpacas adultas, seis tuis y tres crías mediante el examen clínico, anatomopatológico, y microbiológico. En todos los casos se hallaron lesiones de ...osteomielitis exclusivamente en el maxilar inferior y más frecuentemente en el maxilar izquierdo. Las lesiones leves son engrosamientos focalizados, mientras que las lesiones moderadas y graves son multifocales con la presencia de ulceraciones y fístulas directamente relacionadas a la gravedad de la lesión. A nivel histológico, se observa que la osteomielitis del maxilar inferior es un proceso agudo, crónico primario y crónico secundario. Concluye que la osteomielitis de las alpacas es una enfermedad debilitante, progresiva desde leve a grave, que afecta a cualquier edad, es polimicrobial e invasiva desde una lesión inicial y que conlleva a la muerte sobre todo en crías.
Tesis
Sjögren's disease is a chronic autoimmune disease with an unmet need for targeted therapies. The aim of the TWINSS study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of iscalimab, a monoclonal antibody ...against CD40, in patients with active Sjögren's disease.
This randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2b study, conducted at 71 sites in 23 countries, enrolled patients aged 18 years or older fulfilling the American College of Rheumatology/European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) 2016 criteria. In the dose-ranging cohort 1, patients with a EULAR Sjögren's Syndrome Disease Activity Index (ESSDAI) score of 5 or higher and a EULAR Sjögren's Syndrome Patient Reported Index (ESSPRI) score of 5 or higher were randomly assigned (1:1:1:1) to subcutaneous iscalimab 150 mg, 300 mg, 600 mg, or placebo. In the proof-of-concept cohort 2, patients with an ESSDAI score of less than 5, ESSPRI (dryness or fatigue) score of 5 or higher, and Impact of Dry Eye on Everyday Life score of 30 or higher were randomly assigned (1:1) to iscalimab 600 mg or placebo. The sponsor, investigator, site personnel, and patients were masked to the treatment assignment. The primary objectives were to demonstrate a dose–response relationship of iscalimab based on the change in ESSDAI from baseline to week 24 in cohort 1 by Multiple Comparison Procedure—Modelling (MCP-Mod), and to assess the effect of iscalimab 600 mg on ESSPRI at week 24 in cohort 2. All the efficacy analyses included all patients who were randomly assigned, and safety analysis included all patients who received at least one dose of study drug. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03905525), and is complete.
Between Oct 1, 2019, and Feb 28, 2022, 460 patients were screened; 173 patients were assigned to cohort 1 (44 to iscalimab 150 mg, 43 to 300 mg, 43 to 600 mg, and 43 to placebo) and 100 to cohort 2 (50 to each group). In cohort 1, the MCP step showed a significant dose–response relationship for placebo-adjusted ESSDAI change from baseline in one of four models (Linlog model, one-sided p=0·0041). ESSDAI decreased from baseline to week 24 with all three doses of iscalimab; 150 mg and 600 mg doses showed statistically significant improvement (placebo-adjusted least squares LS mean difference –3·0 95% CI –4·9 to –1·1; p=0·0025 for 150 mg and –2·9 –4·9 to –1·0; p=0·0037 for 600 mg). In cohort 2, ESSPRI showed a trend towards improvement with iscalimab 600 mg (placebo-adjusted LS mean change from baseline –0·57 points 95% CI –1·30 to 0·15; p=0·12). Serious adverse events were reported in nine patients in cohort 1 (one 2% of 43 in the placebo group, one 2% of 44 in the iscalimab 150 mg group, three 7% of 42 in the 300 mg group, four 9% of 44 in the 600 mg group) and four patients in cohort 2 (two 4% of 50 in each group). No deaths occurred over the 24-week period.
The study met the primary objective of demonstrating a significant dose–response relationship with iscalimab in terms of disease activity at week 24. Iscalimab was well tolerated and showed initial clinical benefit over placebo in two distinct populations of patients with Sjögren's disease, to be confirmed in larger trials.
Novartis Pharma.
We aimed to assess acute and midterm efficacy of premature ventricular contraction (PVC) ablation guided by multielectrode and point-by-point (PbP) mapping.
Retrospective, international multicenter ...study of consecutive patients referred for PVC ablation in 10 hospital centers from January 2017 to December 2021. Based on the mapping approach two cohorts were identified: the "Multipolar group" where a dedicated high density mapping catheter was employed and the "PbP group" where mapping was performed with the ablation catheter. Procedural endpoints, safety, acute (procedural) and midterm efficacy were assessed.
Of the 698 patients included in this study, 592 received activation mapping (46% males, median age of 5541-65 years) - 248 patients in the Multipolar group and 344 patients in the PbP group. A higher number of activation points (432 217-843 vs. 95 42-185, p<0.001), reduced mapping time (40±38 min vs. 61±50 min, p<0.001), and shorter procedure time (124±60 min vs. 143±63 min, p<0.001) were reported in the Multipolar group. Both groups had high acute success rates (84.7% with Multipolar mapping vs. 81.3% with PbP mapping, p=0.63), as well as midterm efficacy (83.4% vs. 77.4%, p=0.08), with no significant differences in the risk of adverse events (6.0% vs. 3.5%, p=0.24). However, for left-sided PVC ablation specifically, there was higher midterm efficacy in the Multipolar group (80.7% vs. 69.5%, p=0.04), with multipolar mapping being an independent predictor of success (adjusted OR= 2.231 95% CI, 1.476-5.108, p=0.02).
Acute and midterm efficacy of PVC ablation is high with both multipolar and PbP mapping, although the former allow for quicker procedures and may potentially improve the outcomes of left-sided PVC ablation.
The use of cover crops has become a common practice in oil palm plantations, ensuring greater sustainability to agroecosystems, increasing nutrient cycling and providing greater savings in the use of ...mineral fertilizers. In this sense, the objective of this study was to evaluate the accumulation of macronutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S) in tropical kudzu plants (Pueraria phaseoloides L.) in oil palm plantations. The experiment was carried out in the municipality of Tailândia, Pará State, using a completely randomized experimental design, four replications and seven treatments (ages of oil palm). The accumulation of macronutrients was obtained through the product of nutrient concentrations and the dry matter of the aerial part of the living, dead and total cover of tropical kudzu. The order of total accumulation of cycled nutrients by legumes was Ca, N, K, Mg, P and S. Tropical kudzu cultivation, as a cover plant, contributes to nutrient cycling in oil palm plantations, but this benefit decreased with the age of palm oil trees.
People in Nature Silvius, Kirsten; Bodmer, Richard; Fragoso, José
2004., 20041214, 2004
eBook
South and Central American (including Mexico) approaches to wildlife conservation are rooted in traditions of resource use derived from interactions between complex biological, cultural, and ...socioeconomic systems. South and Central American peoples inhabit a land rich in biological diversity and complexity, with several nations considered megadiversity countries (e.g., Brazil, Colombia, and Ecuador) (see Mittermeier, Robles-Gil, and Mittermeier 1997). The most extensive tropical forests and wetlands of our planet occur in South and Central America. Unlike the situation in many parts of the world, most of these ecosystems still function as intact ecological entities little disturbed by human activities (Mittermeier et al. 1998). The Amazon rain forest, for example, extends over 2500 km from east to west and about 2000 km from north to south. It is the largest continuous tropical forest on earth and the second largest forested ecosystem after the Eurasian Boreal forest. The world's largest wetland, the Pantanal, is located in south central Brazil and northern Paraguay, and the Andean Mountain range supports some of the most extensive montane forests and grasslands in existence. With the exception of high altitude Andean habitats and Atlantic forests, these "natural areas" are relatively unfragmented and continue functioning as continental level "natural" ecosystems. Many are considered as some of our planet's last great wilderness areas (Dinerstein et al. 1995; Mittermeier et al. 1998). The "intact" condition of South American biomes is unusual, given the high levels of species extirpations and ecosystem fragmentation that have occurred in North America, Europe, Africa, and much of the rest of the world.
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