Use of coenzyme Q-10 to improve the pregnancy rate in sheep.

One of the factors responsible for less pregnancy rates is the use of frozen semen in sheep due to the oxidative stress created by the process. The aim of this experiment was to test the effects of adding coenzyme Q-10 (CoQ10) to the seminal extender on sperm quality and the pregnancy rate of sheep. In this study, ejaculates from eight Dorper rams of reproductive age were used and tested in four treatments: Control (pure BotuBov®), C1 (175 µM of CoQ10), C3 (350 µM of CoQ10), and C7 (700 µM of CoQ10).

Assessing COVID-19 pandemic excess deaths in Brazil: Years 2020 and 2021.

We estimated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mortality in Brazil for 2020 and 2021 years. We used mortality data (2015-2021) from the Brazilian Health Ministry for forecasting baseline deaths under non-pandemic conditions and to estimate all-cause excess deaths at the country level and stratified by sex, age, ethnicity and region of residence, from March 2020 to December 2021. We also considered the estimation of excess deaths due to specific causes.

Meiotic behavior, transmission and active genes of B chromosomes in the cichlid Astatotilapia latifasciata: new clues about nature, evolution and maintenance of accessory elements.

Supernumerary B chromosomes (Bs) are dispensable genetic elements widespread in eukaryotes and are poorly understood mainly in relation to mechanisms of maintenance and transmission. The cichlid Astatotilapia latifasciata can harbor Bs in a range of 0 (named B -) and 1-2 (named B +). The B in A.

Circulating Plasma miRNA and Clinical/Hemodynamic Characteristics Provide Additional Predictive Information About Acute Pulmonary Thromboembolism, Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension and Idiopathic Pulmonary Hypertension.

Idiopathic pulmonary artery hypertension (IPAH), chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), and acute pulmonary embolism (APTE) are life-threatening cardiopulmonary diseases without specific surgical or medical treatment. Although APTE, CTEPH and IPAH are different pulmonary vascular diseases in terms of clinical presentation, prevalence, pathophysiology and prognosis, the identification of their circulating microRNA (miRNAs) might help in recognizing differences in their outcome evolution and clinical forms. The aim of this study was to describe the APTE, CTEPH, and IPAH-associated miRNAs and to predict their target genes.

Domestic cooking practices influence the carotenoid and tocopherol content in colored cauliflower.

Cauliflowers are generally associated with healthy diets due to their positive impact on health. This research aims to evaluate the effects of cooking processes (boiling, steaming and microwaving) and different preparation times, on the content of carotenoids and provitamin A and tocopherols, in cauliflowers and to verify the effect of the cooking process on maintaining the coloring. The results revealed that the thermal processinfluencedthe antioxidant compounds releaseindependent of genotype.

Telomere-associated genes and telomeric lncRNAs are biomarker candidates in lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC).

In the past decade, research efforts were made to identify molecular biomarkers useful as therapeutic targets in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC), the most frequent type of lung carcinoma. NSCLC presents different histological subtypes being the most prevalent LUSC (Lung Squamous Cell Cancer) and LUAD (Lung Adenocarcinoma), and only a subset of LUAD patients' present tumors expressing known targetable genetic alterations. Telomeres and its components, including telomerase, the enzyme that replenishes telomeres, have been considered potential cancer biomarkers due to their crucial role in cell proliferation and genome stability.

Correction to: Culture of mesenchymal stem cells derived from equine synovial membrane in alginate hydrogel microcapsules.

The original article [1] contained a minor error regarding the mean diameter of the alginate microcapsules described in relation to Fig. 4 in the Results section. The microcapsules had an actual mean diameter of 3000 μm instead of 1000 μm as mistakenly mentioned in the original article.

Detection of the mecA gene and identification of Staphylococcus directly from blood culture bottles by multiplex polymerase chain reaction.

Introduction: Staphylococcus spp. - both S. aureus, including methicillin-resistant strains (MRSA) and coagulase negative staphylococci (CoNS) - are relevant agents of healthcare-associated infections.

Comparative bioavailability study with two chlorpropamide tablet formulations in healthy volunteers.

Objective: The aim of this study was the assessment of the bioequivalence of two formulations (250 mg tablet) of chlorpropamide (CAS 94-20-2) in 36 healthy volunteers of both sexes.

Methods: The study was conducted using an open, randomized, two-period crossover design with a 3-week washout interval. Plasma samples were obtained over a 72-h period.