Footwall refrigeration along a detachment fault: implications for the thermal evolution of core complexes

Oxygen isotope compositions of epidote and quartz from chloritic breccias that underlie the detachment fault in the metamorphic core complex of the Whipple Mountains yielded quartz-epidote fractionations that range from 4.1 to 6.4 per mil and increase systematically toward the fault. These fractionations give mean temperatures that decrease from approximately 432 degrees C at 50 meters below the fault to approximately 350 degrees C at 12 meters below the fault. This extreme thermal gradient of 82 degrees C over 38 meters (2160 degrees C per kilometer) is best explained by advective heat extraction by means of circulating surface-derived fluids. Models of lithospheric extension consider only conductive cooling resulting from tectonic denudation and thus require revision to include fluid-induced fault-zone refrigeration.     

Muscle strain injuries of the hindlimb in eight horses: diagnostic imaging,management and outcomes

Objective To describe the clinical presentation, ultrasound findings, management and outcome in horses with muscle tear injuries of the hindlimbs. Design Retrospective case series Procedure Medical records of eight horses were reviewed and information on signalment, history, presenting complaint, physical examination findings and further diagnostic tests were recorded. Diagnosis of muscle injury was determined by the presence of abnormal ultrasound findings, compared with the contralateral limb, and, when required, nuclear scintigraphy. Follow-up information was obtained via telephone interviews with owners, trainers and referring veterinarians. Results Muscle tears causing lameness were identified in the middle gluteal (3), semitendinosus (1), semimembranosus (2) and gracilis (2) muscles. Tears were classified by ultrasound imaging as partial (6) or complete (2). The degree of lameness did not appear to be indicative of the extent of injury or of completion of healing. Long-term follow-up was available for seven horses and the outcome was favourable in six cases. Conclusions and clinical relevance Ultrasonography is useful in the diagnosis and assessment of moderate to severe muscle strain injuries. The prognosis appears to be favourable in most cases, although recurrence of injury and lameness can delay the return to athletic activity and an inferior outcome with persistent gait abnormality may occur.     

Preliminary Study in Immature Canine Oocytes Stained with Brilliant Cresyl Blue and Obtained From Bitches with Low and High Progesterone Serum Profiles

This study was conducted: (i) to observe the features and levels of blue colour impregnation in morphologically selected immature canine cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs) stained with the brilliant cresyl blue (BCB) dye, as indicators of quality, and integrity of nuclear oocyte chromatin configuration before in vitro maturation (IVM); (ii) to observe the relationship between the influence of serum progesterone (SP) concentrations from ovary donors and BCB staining of immature dog oocytes. The results showed that out of 138 canine COCs, germinal vesicle (GV) stage prevailed in BCB+ oocytes at percentages of 67.4% (60/89), which were statistically higher than those observed in BCB+/− (52.2%; 23/44) and BCB− (20%; 1/5) oocytes (p = 0.023). Oocytes BCB+ were interpreted as those having completed their growth and therefore possessing the capacity to mature and develop in vitro . Ooplasm and cumulus cells (CCs) of canine oocytes were BCB staining independent. Ooplasm blue colour staining reaction varied between grown oocytes, revealing different levels of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity among and within oocytes. Additionally, SP profile of ovary donors was not a relevant indicator for selection of oocytes screened with the BCB stain. Similar numbers of high quality oocytes were observed to be BCB+, BCB+/− and BCB− between groups of females with SP varying from 0 to 2.5 ng/ml (n = 5), and those with SP varying from 2.6 to 16.7 ng/ml (n = 4) (p = 0.680). It may be inferred that bitches with low and high SP profiles have grown oocytes in their ovaries, as determined by the BCB absorbance in their ooplasms.     

Daylight effect on melatonin secretion in adult female guanacos (Lama guanicoe)

The wild South American camelids developed a strategy of seasonal reproduction during spring and summer with singleton birth. The photoperiod is one of the factors that may modulate this seasonality where light would be translated into a hormonal signal. This study evaluated the influence of changes in daily light intensity on melatonin concentration in captive guanacos under a long‐day photoperiod (16 hr light/8 hr dark; 33 ‘28′S). Mean melatonin concentration was 28.3 ± 20.3 pg/ml, with a maximum of 52.14 ± 17.19 pg/ml at 23:30 and minimum of 14.29 ± 6.64 pg/ml at 08:30 (p < .001). There was a negative association between light intensity and melatonin concentration (r = ?0.57; p < .001). The results indicate that guanacos respond to variation in daily environmental light with a hormonal response and point to a circannual rhythm as a function of the photoperiod.     

Reproductive Performance of Ewes after 5-Day Treatment with Intravaginal Inserts Containing Progesterone in Combination with Injection of Prostaglandin F2α

Three experiments were conducted with a total of 1579 ewes to examine reproductive performance in response to synchronization of oestrus during the breeding season, using controlled internal drug releasing (CIDR-G) inserts in regimens designed to provide high concentrations of circulating progesterone. In experiment 1, treatment with two CIDR-G inserts for 12 days produced conception rate (79%) and prolificacy (1.9) to first service equivalent to breeding at natural oestrus (56% and 2.0, respectively). Pregnancy rates to two service periods were 90 and 79%, respectively. In experiments 2 and 3, progesterone was delivered by a single CIDR-G insert for 5 days in combination with prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2alpha; 5 mg i.m., twice, 3 h apart) the day before (experiment 2), or at insert removal (experiment 3). The combined treatments improved rates of synchronization of oestrus (p<0.01) by 23 and 20% points, respectively, and pregnancy rates to the first service period by 19 (p<0.05) and 13 (p<0.01) percentage points, respectively, compared to treatment with PGF2alpha alone. It is concluded that the combination of treatment for 5 days with a CIDR-G insert and two injections of 5 mg PGF2alpha, the day before, or the day of insert removal, were effective treatments to obtain high fertility at synchronized oestrus in ewes during the breeding season.     

Cloning and Characterization of Boar Epididymal Secretory Proteins by Homology to the Human

Northern blot analysis suggested that the boar epididymis produces closely related counterparts to human epididymal proteins HE1, HE3, HE4, HE5 and HE12. ‘Full‐length’ cloning by nucleic acid and amino acid sequence similarity was achieved by RT‐PCR methods in the case of the porcine counterparts of HE3 and HE4, while the homologues of HE5 and HE12, despite their cross‐hybridization during Northern blot analysis, have not yet been cloned. The two novel porcine cDNAs were derived from moderately abundant epididymal mRNAs that were 75 and 83% identical to HE3 and HE4 cDNAs, respectively. To emphasize their relationship to the corresponding HEs, they were named Se3 and Se4 cDNAs. Their open reading frames predicted small secretory proteins with 55% (Se3) and 76% (Se4) conserved amino acids. Monospecific antipeptide antibodies to HE secretory proteins identified He3‐ and HE12‐related proteins on Western blots of porcine epididymal fluid and semen. Both Northern and Western analyses indicated that the Se proteins were produced in a regionalized pattern and accumulated in the cauda fluid.     

The Recipients' Parity Does Not Influence Their Reproductive Performance Following Non‐Surgical Deep Uterine Porcine Embryo Transfer

With the development of the non‐surgical deep uterine (NsDU) embryo transfer (ET) technology, the commercial applicability of ET in pigs is now possible. There are, nevertheless, many factors that influence NsDU‐ET effectiveness that need to be addressed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the weaned recipients' parity on fertility and prolificacy following NsDU‐ET. The recipients (n = 120) were selected based on their reproductive history and body condition and grouped into three categories according to their parity: primiparous sows, sows of parity 2 and sows of parities from 3 to 5. Thirty fresh embryos (morulae and unhatched blastocysts) were non‐surgically transferred into one uterine horn of each recipient. It was possible to insert the NsDU‐ET catheter through the cervix along a uterine horn in 98.3% of the recipients. The parity had no influence on the difficulty grade of the insertions or on the percentage of correct insertions. The cervix and uterine wall were not perforated during the insertions, and vaginal discharge was not observed after transfer in any of the recipients. There were no differences in the pregnancy rates (74.8%), farrowing rates (71.2%) or litter sizes (9.6 ± 3.3) between groups. Also, there were no differences between groups regarding to the piglets' birthweights or piglet production efficiency. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that weaned sows from parity 1 to 5 are appropriate to be used as recipients in NsDU‐ET programs, which increase the possibilities for the utilization of ET in the recipient farms.     

Effects of IGF‐1 on In Vitro Culture of Bovine Preantral Follicles are Dose‐Dependent

This study aimed at assessing the effect of different concentrations of the growth factor similar to insulin 1 (IGF‐1) in the development, survival and ultrastructure of the bovine preantral follicles cultured in situ. Fragments of bovine ovarian cortical tissue were cultured during 1 and 7 days in 1 ml of α‐MEM⁺, supplemented with different concentrations of human recombinant IGF‐1 (0, 30, 70 and 100 ng/ml), in an incubator at 37°C and 5% of CO₂ in 24‐well plates with total replacement of the medium every 2 days. Non‐cultured ovarian fragments (control) and ovarian fragments cultured during 1 and 7 days were processed for classic histology, mechanical isolation and electron transmission microscopy (ETM). Parameters such as normality, viability, activation, development, diameter and ultrastructure were evaluated. All statistical analyses were carried out using sas Version 9.2. The results showed that the percentage of follicles morphologically normal in the IGF‐1 30 ng/ml treatment was similar to the fresh control (p > 0.05) both on the day 1 and on the day 7 of in vitro culture. In the viability analysis, the cultured treatments maintained the percentage of viable follicles during the entire culture period (p > 0.05). After 7 days of culture, the IGF‐1 30 ng/ml treatment showed higher percentages of developing follicles (48.33%) than those of the fresh control (22.22%) and the cultured treatments (p < 0.05). Also, after 7 days of culture, IGF‐1 30 ng/ml presented a higher follicular diameter when compared to the control and other concentrations of IGF‐1 tested. Ultrastructurally, the non‐cultured control and IGF‐1 30 ng/ml, after 7 days of culture, showed conserved oocytes, nuclei and organelles. Hence, it is concluded that IGF‐1 30 ng/ml was the most efficient concentration for the development of bovine preantral follicles cultured in vitro.