Cent anys de millora genètica del bestiar a Catalunya

En aquest article es recullen les activitats de millora genètica animal a Catalunya des del temps de la Mancomunitat fins als nostres dies. El veterinari Pere Màrtir Rossell i Vilà es presenta com a figura destacada de la zootècnia i la genètica del bestiar, a l'inici del segle xx. En temps més recents, en particular durant els últims vint-i-cinc anys, la millora genètica a Catalunya ha experimentat un importantíssim impuls gràcies a les activitats sinèrgiques d'empreses de millora ramadera, associacions de ramaders i institucions acadèmiques i de recerca, entre les quals podem destacar l'Escola Tècnica Superior d'Enginyers Agrònoms de Lleida, la Facultat de Veterinària de Barcelona i l'Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries.En este artículo se recogen las actividades de mejora genética animal en Cataluña desde los tiempos de la Mancomunidad hasta nuestros días. El veterinario Pere Màrtir Rossell i Vilà se presenta como figura destacada de la zootecnia y de la genética del ganado, en los inicios del siglo xx. En tiempos más recientes, en particular durante los últimos veinticinco años, la mejora genética ha experimentado un importantísimo impulso en Cataluña gracias a las actividades sinérgicas de empresas de mejora ganadera, asociaciones de ganaderos e instituciones académicas y de investigación; entre ellas, podemos destacar la Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Agrónomos de Lleida, la Facultad de Veterinaria de Barcelona y el Instituto de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentarias

Glycine increases the number of somatostatin receptors and somatostatin-mediated inhibition of the adenylate cyclase system in the rat hippocampus

The glycine and somatostatin (SS) neurotransmission systems in the brain have been implicated in the function of sensory, motor, and nociceptive pathways. To investigate a possible relationship between these two components, we studied the influence of glycine on the binding of 125I-Tyr11-SS to its receptors and on SS-like immunoreactivity (SSLI) levels in the rat hippocampus and frontoparietal cortex. An intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) dose of 16 or 160 nmol of glycine induced an increase in the total number of specific SS receptors in the hippocampus but not in the frontoparietal cortex at 15 min following injection, with no changes in the affinity constant. This effect seems to be mediated by inhibitory strychnine-sensitive glycine receptors since pretreatment with the antagonist strychnine (80 μg/100 g body weight, intravenously) abolished this response. No significant changes in SSLI content were detected in either brain region of glycine- and strychnine plus glycine-treated rats as compared to control values. Since SS receptors are coupled via guanine nucleotide-binding G proteins to the adenylyl cyclase (AC) system, we also examined the inhibitory effects of SS and the guanine nucleotide Gpp(NH)p on AC activity in hippocampal membranes of control, glycine- and strychnine plus glycine-treated rats since the increase in SS receptors was observed only in this brain area. No significant differences were observed for the forskolin (FK)-stimulated AC enzyme activities in hippocampal membranes from all the experimental groups studied. In the hippocampus of the glycine-(160 nmol) treated group, however, basal AC activity was significantly lower, and the capacity of SS to inhibit FK-stimulated AC activity was increased as compared to the control group. Pretreatment with strychnine prevented the increase in SS-mediated inhibition of AC activity. The functional activity of the inhibitory guanine nucleotide-binding protein G1, as determined by the inhibitory effect of the stable GTP analogue Gpp(NH)p on FK-stimulated AC activity, was significantly higher in hippocampal membranes of glycine- (160 nmol) treated rats as compared to controls. This suggests that the increased inhibition of AC activity by SS in the glycine-treated group may be due to the increase in G1 activity and/or the increase in the number of SS receptors observed. Alternatively, the greater G1 activity may be responsible for the increased binding of 125I-Tyr11-SS to its receptors observed after glycine administration. Altogether, these data suggest that the hippocampal somatostatinergic system can be regulated by strychnine-sensitive glycine receptors in the rat. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.This work was supported by a grant from the Dirección General de Investigación Científica y Técnica of Spai

Comunicación, información y cultura.

Sin resume

Bayes factors for testing between different structures of random genetic groups : a case study using weanin weight in Bruna dels Pirineus beef cattle

The implementation of genetic groups in BLUP evaluations accounts for different expectations of breeding values in base animals. Notwithstanding, many feasible structures of genetic groups exist and there are no analytical tools described to compare them easily. In this sense, the recent development of a simple and stable procedure to calculate the Bayes factor between nested competing models allowed us to develop a new approach of that method focused on compared models with different structures of random genetic groups. The procedure is based on a reparameterization of the model in terms of intraclass correlation of genetic groups. The Bayes factor can be easily calculated from the output of a Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling by averaging conditional densities at the null intraclass correlation. It compares two nested models, a model with a given structure of genetic groups against a model without genetic groups. The calculation of the Bayes factor between different structures of genetic groups can be quickly and easily obtained from the Bayes factor between the nested models. We applied this approach to a weaning weight data set of the Bruna dels Pirineus beef cattle, comparing several structures of genetic groups, and the final results showed that the preferable structure was an only group for unknown dams and different groups for unknown sires for each year of calving

Ponderación ontológica del origen del análisis documental.

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Demo 82. Lanzador de combustión y transformaciones de energía

Objetivo: Ilustrar la transformación de la energía de unas formas en otras. Reconocer la energía útil de aquella que se “pierde” para el proceso de interés. Razonar termodinámicamente sobre el proceso de combustión

El modelo de crecimiento de Alcorcón.

Sin resume

El divorcio en España tras 22 años de su legalización

The article refers to the evolution of divorce in Spain from the moment it was legalized in 1981 and to its spacial distribution by provinces. The number of divorced people is taken from the Population Census and Populations Lists for 1981, 1986 and 1991. As civil status is not included in present Population Census and Lists, it is not possible to compare it with later years ciphers; therefore, space distribution of divorces by provinces is represented according to statistics from the INE.El artículo recoge la evolución del divorcio en España desde su legalización en 1981, así como su distribución espacial por provincias. En primer lugar se representan el número de personas divorciadas en los Censos y Padrones de 1981, 1986 y 1991. Después, ante la imposibilidad de comparar con años posteriores, al no incluirse el estado civil en Censos y Padrones, se representa la distribución espacial del número de divorcios por provincias según los datos estadísticos del INE

Histamine H1-receptors modulate somatostatin receptors coupled to the inhibition of adenylyl cyclase in the rat frontoparietal cortex

Since exogenous histamine has been previously shown to increase the somatostatin (SS) receptor-effector system in the rat frontoparietal cortex and both histamine H1-receptor agonists and SS modulate higher nervous activity and have anticonvulsive properties, it was of interest to determine the participation of the H1-histaminergic system in this response. The intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of the specific histamine H1-receptor agonist 2-pyridylethylamine (PEA) (10 ¿g) to rats 2 h before decapitation increased the number of SS receptors (599 ± 40 vs 401 ± 31 femtomoles/mg protein, p< 0.01) and decreased their apparent affinity for SS (0.41 ± 0.03 vs 0.26 ± 0.02 nM, p < 0.01) in rat frontoparietal cortical membranes. No significant differences were seen for the basal and forskolin (FK)-stimulated adenylyl cyclase (AC) activities in the frontoparietal cortex of PEA-treated rats when compared to the control group. In the PEA group, however, the capacity of SS (10-4 M) to inhibit basal and FK (10-5 M)- stimulated AC activity in frontoparietal cortical membranes was significantly higher than in the control group (34 ± 1% vs 20 ± 2%, p < 0.001). The ability of low concentrations of the stable GTP analogue 5'- guanylylimidodiphosphate [Gpp(NH)p] to inhibit FK-stimulated AC activity in frontoparietal cortical membranes was similar in the PEA-treated and control animals. These results suggest that the increased SS-mediated inhibition of AC activity in the frontoparietal cortex of PEA-treated rats may be due to the increase of the number of SS receptors induced by PEA. Pretreatment with the H1-receptor antagonist mepyramine (30 mg/kg, intraperitoneally (IP) prevented the PEA-induced changes in SS binding and SS-mediated inhibition of AC activity. Mepyramine (30 mg/kg, IP) alone had no observable effect on the somatostatinergic system. The in vitro addition of PEA or mepyramine to frontoparietal cortical membranes obtained from untreated rats did not affect the SS binding parameters. Altogether, these results suggest that the H1- histaminergic system modulates the somatostatinergic system in the rat frontoparietal cortex

Activation of D1 and D2 dopamine receptors increases the activity of the somatostatin receptor-effector system in the rat frontoparietal cortex

The role of dopamine D1 and D2 receptor subtypes in the regulation, in vivo, of the somatostatin (SRIF) receptor-effector system in rat frontoparietal cortex was investigated. The D1-receptor agonist SKF 38393 (4 mg/kg) or the D2-receptor agonist bromocriptine (2 mg/kg), administered intraperitoneally to rats, increased the number of SRIF receptors without altering the affinity constant, an effect antagonized by both SCH 23390 (0.25 mg/kg) and raclopride (5 mg/kg), D1 and D2 receptor antagonists, respectively. These antagonists alone had no effect on [125I]Tyr3 octreotide binding to its receptors. No change in binding was detected when the dopamine agonists were added in vitro. Basal adenylyl cyclase (AC) activity was increased by SKF 38393 treatment and decreased by bromocriptine. Octreotide (SMS 201-995)-mediated inhibition of basal and forskolin-stimulated AC was increased by SKF 38393 or bromocriptine treatment. In frontoparietal cortical slices, basal inositol-1,4,5-triphosphate (IP3) levels were decreased by bromocriptine treatment but were unaffected by SKF 38393. SMS 201-995 increased the IP3 accumulation in control, SKF 38393-, and bromocriptine-treated rats. Insofar as SRIF and dopamine appear to be involved in motor regulation and could well modulate somatosensory functions in frontal and parietal cortex, respectively, heterologous receptor regulation may have important repercussions regarding the control exerted by these neurotransmitters on frontal and parietal cortical function in the intact animal. J. Neurosci. Res. 62:91–98, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.We thank Martin Lexell from Centro de Lenguas Extranjeras of the Universidad de Alcala´, Angela Martı´n Espinosa for her excellent technical assistance, and Lilian Puebla and Jerry Keller for their linguistic assistance. We express our sincere thanks to Astra Ifesa (Barcelona, Spain) for the supply of raclopride and to Sandoz (Basel, Switzerland) for the supply of SMS 201-995 and SDZ 204- 090