Postnatal phenotype of dairy cows is altered by in vitro embryo production using reverse X-sorted semen

Abnormal fetuses, neonates, and adult offspring derived by assisted reproductive technologies have been reported in humans and mice and have been associated with increased likelihood of certain adult diseases. To test the hypothesis that bovine females derived by assisted reproductive technologies have altered postnatal growth and adult function, a retrospective cohort study evaluated survival, growth, and production traits of offspring derived by in vitro embryo production (IVP) with conventional (IVP-conv) or reverse X-sorted semen (IVP-sexed), multiple ovulation and embryo transfer, and artificial insemination (AI) in a large dairy herd. Live calves produced by IVP were born slightly heavier compared with AI calves. In addition, IVP-sexed calves had a higher cumulative mortality from 90 to 180 d of age compared with AI offspring. Mortality of IVP-conv and multiple ovulation and embryo transfer offspring was intermediate and not different from AI or IVP-sexed offspring. The altered phenotype of offspring from IVP-sexed extended to adult milk production. Cows derived by IVP-sexed produced less milk, fat, and protein in their first lactation compared with dairy cows derived by AI. Additionally, females born to nulliparous dams had a distinct postnatal phenotype compared with offspring from parous dams even when data were restricted to offspring of surrogate females. In conclusion, procedures associated with in vitro production of embryos involving use of reverse-sorted spermatozoa for fertilization result in an alteration of embryonic programming that persists postnatally and causes an effect on milk production in adulthood. Thus, some benefits of reverse-sorted semen for genetic improvement may be offset by adverse programming events.     

Behavior of Listeria monocytogenes in avocado pulp and processed guacamole

The potential ability of Listeria monocytogenes to grow or survive in avocado pulp (AP) and processed guacamole (PG) stored at 22, 4 to 7, and -18 degrees C was studied. Both products were obtained from a factory in Michoacan, Mexico. PG consisted of AP mixed with dehydrated vegetables, antioxidants, and preservatives. Populations of L monocytogenes in AP stored at 22 degrees C increased from 2 to 6 and 9 log CFU/g after 24 and 48 h, respectively. At 4 to 7 degrees C, the growth rate of L monocytogenes in AP was greatly decreased; generation time was 8.2 h, in contrast with 1.35 h observed at 22 degrees C. L. monocytogenes populations did not increase in PG either at 22 degrees C for 48 h or at 4 to 7 degrees C for 15 days. The bacteriostatic effect in PG may have resulted from the presence of added substances, especially citric acid and disodium dihydrogen pyrophosphate. Aerobic plate counts and coliforms increased in AP and PG stored at ambient temperature and under refrigeration. However, these increments did not affect the growth of the pathogen. L. monocytogenes (50,000 most probable number [MPN]/g) survived at least 58 weeks in both products stored frozen at -18 degrees C; the final population was 335 MPN/g in AP and 23 MPN/g in PG. Although the composition of avocado fruit differs significantly (high content of lipids and scarcity of simple carbohydrates) from that typical of most fruits, these results underline AP as a potential vehicle of human listeriosis and indicate that freezing should not be used as the sole mechanism to control this pathogen.     

Understanding phase maps in MRI: a new cutline phase unwrapping method

This paper describes phase maps. A review of the phase unwrapping problem is given. Different structures, in particular fringelines, cutlines, and poles, contained within a phase map are described and their origin and behavior investigated. The problem of phase unwrapping can then be addressed with a better understanding of the source of poles or inconsistencies. This understanding, along with some assumptions about what is being encoded in the phase of a magnetic resonance image, are used to derive a new method for phase unwrapping which relies only on the phase map. The method detects cutlines and distinguishes between noise-induced poles and signal undersampling poles based on the length of the fringelines. The method was shown to be robust to noise and successful in unwrapping challenging clinical cases.     

Composition and antimicrobial properties of Sardinian Juniperus essential oils against foodborne pathogens and spoilage microorganisms

In this work, the chemical compositions and antimicrobial properties of Juniperus essential oils and of their main components were determined. Five berry essential oils obtained from different species of Juniperus growing wild in Sardinia were analyzed. The components of the essential oils were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The antimicrobial activities of the oils and their components against food spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms were determined by a broth microdilution method. The GC-MS analysis showed a certain variability in the concentrations of the main constituents of the oils. Alpha-pinene was largely predominant in the oils of the species J. phoenicea subsp. turbinata and J. oxycedrus. Alpha-pinene and myrcene constituted the bulk (67.56%) of the essential oil of J. communis. Significant quantitative differences were observed for myrcene, delta-3-carene, and D-germacrene. The results of the antimicrobial assay show that the oils of J. communis and J. oxycedrus failed to inhibit any of the microorganisms at the highest concentrations tested (MLC > or = 900 microg/ml), while the oils extracted from J. turbinata specimens were active against fungi, particularly against a strain of Aspergillus flavus (an aflatoxin B1 producer). Of the single compounds tested, delta-3-carene was found to possess the broadest spectrum of activity and appeared to contribute significantly to the antifungal activity observed for J. turbinata oils. This activity may be helpful in the prevention of aflatoxin contamination for many foods.     

Alcohol and cancer

Immunocytochemically detectable MT and p53 have been found more commonly in comedo DCIS of the breast with high-grade cytology. The aim of this study is to confirm these findings and to investigate the relationship between MT and p53 in a single large series of cases of DCIS of the breast. To this end, 127 cases of DCIS were classified histologically according to architecture, cytonuclear differentiation (grade), presence and extent of intraduct necrosis, and using the Van Nuys system. Sections were immunostained for p53 and MT (E9) using established techniques, and the extent and intensity of staining were assessed semi-quantitively. The results confirmed that there was generally more MT and p53 positivity in poorly differentiated (grade 3) DCIS with extensive necrosis and that MT expression was greater in grade 2 lesions than p53 expression. However, overall there was no statistically significant correlation between p53 and MT staining. The results indicate that MT and p53 overexpression may arise from independent mechanisms in early breast neoplasia.     

An improved neural network for fuzzy reasoning implementation

Neural networks or connectionist models are massively parallel interconnections of simple neurons that work as a collective system, can emulate human performance and provide high computation rates. On the other hand, fuzzy systems are capable to model uncertain or ambiguous situations that are so often encountered in real life. One way for implementing fuzzy systems is through utilizations of the expert system architecture. Recently, many attempts have been made to “fuse” fuzzy systems and neural nets in order to achieve better performance in reasoning and decision making processes. The systems that result from such a fusion are called neuro-fuzzy inference systems and possess combined features. The purpose of the present paper is to propose such a neuro-fuzzy system by extending and improving the system of Keller et al. (1992). The present system makes use of Hamacher's fuzzy intersection function and Sugeno's complement function. After a brief outline of the operation of the system its features are established with the aid of four theorems which are fully proved. The capabilities of the system are shown by a set of simulation results derived for the case of trapezoidal fuzzy sets. These results are shown to be better than the ones obtained with the original neuro-fuzzy system of Keller et al.     

The deletion polymorphism of the angiotensin I-converting enzyme gene is associated with target organ damage in essential hypertension

The activity of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system is thought to play a significant role in the development of target organ damage in essential hypertension. An insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism of the angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) gene has recently been associated with increased risk for left ventricular hypertrophy and coronary heart disease in the general population. The D allele is associated with higher levels of circulating ACE and therefore may predispose to cardiovascular damage. The study presented here was performed to investigate the association between the ACE genotype, microalbuminuria, retinopathy, and left ventricular hypertrophy in 106 patients with essential hypertension. ACE gene polymorphism was determined by polymerase chain reaction technique. Microalbuminuria was evaluated as albumin-to-creatinine ratio (A/C) in three nonconsecutive first morning urine samples (negative urine culture) after a 4-wk washout period. Microalbuminuria was defined as A/C between 2.38 to 19 (men) and 2.96 to 20 (women). Hypertensive retinopathy was evaluated by direct funduscopic examination (keith-Wagener-Barker classification) and left ventricular hypertrophy by M-B mode echocardiography. The distribution of the DD, ID, and II genotypes was 27, 50, and 23%, respectively. The prevalence of microalbuminuria, retinopathy, and left ventricular hypertrophy was 19, 74, and 72% respectively. There were no differences among the three genotypes for age, known duration of disease, body mass index, blood pressure, serum glucose, uric acid, and lipid profile. DD and ID genotypes were significantly associated with the presence of microalbuminuria (odds ratio, 8.51; 95% confidence interval, 1.07 to 67.85; P = 0.019), retinopathy (odds ratio, 5.19; 95% confidence interval, 1.71 to 15.75; P = 0.005) and left ventricular hypertrophy (odds ratio, 5.22; 95% confidence interval, 1.52 to 17.94; P = 0.016). Furthermore, patients with DD and ID genotypes showed higher levels of A/C (3.6 +/- 0.9, DD; 2.6 +/- 0.7, ID; 0.9 +/- 0.2 mg/mmol, II; P = 0.0015 by analysis of variance) and increased left ventricular mass index (152 +/- 4.7, DD + ID versus 133 +/- 5.7 g/m2, II; P = 0.01) compared with II patients. The D allele was significantly more frequent in patients with microalbuminuria (odds ratio, 2.59; 95% confidence interval, 1.24 to 5.41; P = 0.013) and in those with retinopathy (odds ratio, 2.44; 95% confidence interval, 1.21 to 4.90; P = 0.015). Multiple regression analyses performed among the entire cohort of patients demonstrated that ACE genotype significantly and independently influences the presence of retinopathy, left ventricular hypertrophy, and microalbuminuria. In conclusion, the D allele of the ACE gene is associated with microalbuminuria as well as with retinopathy and left ventricular hypertrophy, and seems to be an independent risk factor for target organ damage in essential hypertension.     

Prevalence and clinical correlates of microalbuminuria in essential hypertension: the MAGIC Study. Microalbuminuria: A Genoa Investigation on Complications

The prevalence of microalbuminuria and its relationship with several cardiovascular risk factors and target organ damage were evaluated in a cohort of 787 untreated patients with essential hypertension. Albuminuria was measured as the albumin-to-creatinine ratio in three nonconsecutive, first morning urine samples. The prevalence of microalbuminuria was 6.7%. Albuminuric patients were more likely to be men and to be characterized by higher blood pressure, body mass index, and uric acid levels and lower HDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol-to-LDL cholesterol ratio. Piecewise linear regression analysis demonstrated that uric acid and diastolic blood pressure significantly influence albuminuria and together account for a large part of its variations. K-means cluster analysis performed on the entire cohort of patients confirmed that microalbuminuria is associated with a worse cardiovascular risk profile. Furthermore, microalbuminuria was associated with the presence of target organ damage (eg, electrocardiographic [ECG] abnormalities and retinal vascular changes). Age and the presence of microalbuminuria act as independent risk factors for the development of ECG abnormalities and retinal vascular changes. Cluster analysis allowed us to identify three subgroups of patients who differed in the presence or absence of microalbuminuria, retinopathy, and ECG abnormalities. We conclude that the prevalence of microalbuminuria in essential hypertension is lower than previously reported. Increased urinary albumin excretion is associated with a worse cardiovascular risk profile and is a concomitant indicator of early target organ damage.     

Anion exchange resins prepared from polystyrene crosslinked via a Friedel–Crafts reaction

The preparation of anion exchange resins from polystyrene crosslinked via a Friedel–Crafts reaction is investigated. Chloromethylation of a highly swollen styrene–hexahydrotriacrylolyl-s-triazine copolymer with a mixture of chlorosulfonic acid and methylal is accompanied by the crosslinking of the initially flexible copolymer. The crosslinking efficiency is dependent on the conditions (temperature, nature of solvent) of chloromethylation and can be explained by cationic postpolymerization of polystyrene or poly(benzylchloride), which takes place concurrently with the chloromethylation.