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The aim of this study was to determine the effect of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on donkey sperm parameters and ultrastructure. AgNPs were synthesized, purified and resuspended in the extender. Nine frozen–thawed donkey sperm samples were exposed to different concentrations of AgNPs (0, 1.25, 2.5, 5, 12.5, 25 and 50 μg/mL). Sperm parameters: total (TMOT, %) and progressive (PMOT, %) sperm motility, plasma (LIVE, %) and acrosomal membrane integrity (AIS, %), and sperm morphology (MORF, %) were evaluated immediately after AgNPs exposure (T0) and after 2 h of incubation (T2). The interaction beween AgNPs and spermatozoa was visualized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). At T0, sperm motility and AIS were reduced (p <.05) when using concentrations ≥50 and ≥25 μg/mL, respectively. At T2, sperm motility and LIVE were significantly decreased (p <.05) in concentrations ≥25 and ≥50 μg/mL, respectively. TEM analysis revealed nanoparticle adhesion to the acrosomal region of the plasma membrane. In conclusion, AgNPs at concentrations ≥25 μg/mL impair motility, acrosome and plasma membrane integrity of donkey sperm, which may be mediated by adhesion to the acrosomal region of the sperm surface membrane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poor maternal nutrition during gestation negatively affects offspring growth and metabolism. To evaluate the impact of maternal nutrient restriction and realimentation on metabolism in the fetal liver, skeletal muscle, and circulation, on day 50 of gestation, ewes (n = 48) pregnant with singletons were fed 100% (CON) or 60% (RES) of requirements until day 90 of gestation, when a subset of ewes (n = 7/treatment) were euthanized, and fetal samples were collected. The remaining ewes were maintained on a current diet (CON-CON, n = 6; RES-RES, n = 7) or switched to an alternative diet (CON-RES, RES-CON; n = 7/treatment). On day 130 of gestation, the remaining ewes were euthanized, and fetal samples were collected. Fetal liver, longissimus dorsi (LD), and blood metabolites were analyzed using LC-MS/MS, and pathway enrichment analysis was conducted using MetaboAnalyst. Then, 600, 518, and 524 metabolites were identified in the liver, LD, and blood, respectively, including 345 metabolites that were present in all three. Nutrient restriction was associated with changes in amino acid, carbohydrate, lipid, and transulfuration/methionine metabolic pathways, some of which were alleviated by realimentation. Fetal age also affected metabolite abundance. The differential abundance of metabolites involved in amino acid, methionine, betaine, and bile acid metabolism could impact fetal epigenetic regulation, protein synthesis, lipid metabolism, and signaling associated with glucose and lipid metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Collecting, cooling, and cryopreserving semen is essential for accessing genetically superior stallions. However, preserving stallion sperm presents unique challenges compared with other species. Aims: This study aimed to investigate the effect of zinc (Zn) supplementation on the quality of equine sperm during cold storage. Methods: Various factors contributing to sperm quality were assessed at 24 and 48 h after cooling, and after subjecting the sperm samples to a heat-resistance test. In Experiment 1, four experimental groups were examined, each with different concentrations of Zn sulfate, as follows: 0, 1, 2, and 3 mM. Subsequently, Experiment 2 involved testing a wider range of concentrations (0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.8, 1.6, and 3.2 mM), including evaluation of samples after incubation for 240 min at 37°C (heat-resistance test). Key results: The addition of different concentrations of Zn to the extender INRA96 did not yield substantial improvements in sperm-quality parameters for cooling stallion semen after 24 or 48 h. Moreover, no protective benefits were observed when samples underwent a heat-resistance test. Concentrations of Zn surpassing 3 mM had an adverse effect on sperm-quality parameters. Conclusions and implications: These findings have contributed to the understanding of Zn supplementation as a strategy for improving semen preservation in stallions. This study explores the impact of zinc supplementation to improve the quality of cooled equine semen, addressing a crucial aspect of genetic preservation in horses. The findings showed that adding various concentrations of zinc to the sperm does not significantly enhance sperm quality during cold storage and concentrations exceeding 3 mM had detrimental effects. These findings challenge the common belief of the protective role of zinc in sperm preservation, contributing valuable insights for the equine breeding industry. This article belongs to the Collection Equine Science Part II. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is one of the most prevalent pediatric chronic conditions. Without proper intervention, significant delays in motor skill performance and learning may persist until adulthood. Moderate-to-vigorous physical exercise has been proven to improve motor learning (adaptation and consolidation) in children with or without disorders. However, the effect of a short bout of physical exercise on motor adaptation and consolidation in children with DCD has not been examined. Furthermore, the role of perceptual-motor integration and attention as mediators of learning has not been examined via neuroimaging in this population. Objectives: Therefore, the primary aims of this project will be to compare children with and without DCD to (a) examine the effect of acute exercise on motor learning (adaptation and consolidation) while performing a rotational visuo-motor adaptation task (rVMA), and (b) explore cortical activation in the dorsolateral- and ventrolateral-prefrontal cortex areas while learning the rVMA task under rest or post-exercise conditions. Methods: One hundred twenty children will be recruited (60 DCD, 60 controls) and within-cohort randomly assigned to either exercise (13-minute shuttle run task) or rest prior to performing the rVMA task. Adaptation and consolidation will be evaluated via two error variables and three retention tests (1h, 24h and 7 days post adaptation). Cortical activation will be registered via functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) during the baseline, adaptation, and consolidation. Discussion: We expect to find exercise benefits on motor learning and attention so that children with DCD profiles will be closer to those of children with typical development. The results of this project will provide further evidence to: (a) better characterize children with DCD for the design of educational materials, and (b) establish acute exercise as a potential intervention to improve motor learning and attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accounting for marine stocks spatiotemporal complexity has become one of the most pressing improvements that should be added to the new generation of stock assessment. Disentangling persistent and dynamic population subcomponents and understanding their main drivers of variation are still stock-specific challenges. Here, we hypothesized that the spatiotemporal variability of density in two adjacent fish stocks is associated with spatially structured environmental processes across multiple spatiotemporal scales. To test this, we applied a generalized empirical orthogonal function and dynamic factor analysis to fishery-independent and -dependent data of red mullet, a highly commercial species, in the Western Mediterranean Sea. Areas with persistent and dynamic high aggregations were detected for both stock units. A large-scale climatic index and local open-ocean convection were associated with both stocks, while other variables exhibited stock-specific effects. We also revealed spatially structured density dynamics within the examined management units. This suggests a metapopulation structure and supports the future implementation of a spatial stock assessment. Considering the common—generally unrealistic—assumptions of panmictic structure and absence of connectivity with neighbouring stock units, our methodology can be applied to other species and systems with putative spatial complexity to inform more accurate population dynamics and structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This contribution presents a wavelet-based algorithm to detect patterns in images. A two-dimensional extension of the DST-II is introduced to construct adapted wavelets using the equation of the tensor product corresponding to the diagonal coefficients in the 2D discrete wavelet transform. A 1D filter was then estimated that meets finite energy conditions, vanished moments, orthogonality, and four new detection conditions. These allow, when performing the 2D transform, for the filter to detect the pattern by taking the diagonal coefficients with values of the normalized similarity measure, defined by Guido, as greater than 0.7, and α = 0.1 . The positions of these coefficients are used to estimate the position of the pattern in the original image. This strategy has been used successfully to detect artificial patterns and localize mass-like abnormalities in digital mammography images. In the case of the latter, high sensitivity and positive predictive value in detection were achieved but not high specificity or negative predictive value, contrary to what occurred in the 1D strategy. This means that the proposed detection algorithm presents a high number of false negatives, which can be explained by the complexity of detection in these types of images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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