Maturity Criteria Research Articles

ОЦЕНИВАНИЕ УРОВНЯ СФОРМИРОВАННОСТИ ПОЗНАВАТЕЛЬНЫХ УНИВЕРСАЛЬНЫХ УЧЕБНЫХ ДЕЙСТВИЙ УЧАЩИХСЯ НА УРОКАХ МАТЕМАТИКИ В 7–9 КЛАССАХ В УСЛОВИЯХ БИПРЕДМЕТНОГО МОНИТОРИНГА

The necessity to perform diagnostic procedures within the contemporary process of teaching mathematics is caused by the importance of timely obtaining of the information on the current maturity level of the subject, meta-subject, and personal learning outcomes of students. The task is to choose an assessment technique adequate in educational trends and scientifically grounded. The authors propose to solve the issue of estimation of cognitive universal activities of the 7-9 grades’ students at the mathematics lessons in the conditions of two-subject monitoring. The paper shows that cognitive universal learning activities are a dynamic and important newly formed structure of a person depending on the age peculiarities in the formation process and should be considered in the maturity level assessment. The authors propose and substantiate the structure and step-by-step composition of the cognitive universal learning activities, which allow demonstrating them in a diagnosable view. It made it possible to identify and characterize the maturity level and criteria of the considered learning activities, assessment stages and procedures, and diagnostic tools. The paper presents the author’s conceptual model to assess cognitive universal learning activities when teaching mathematics, which demonstrates the important characteristic of the assessment process – a nonlinear nature. The research resulted in the identification of a specific principle of the assessment of cognitive universal learning activities – a two-subject principle. The implementation of this principle makes it possible to use the subject material to determine the maturity level of both the subject and meta-subject learning results. The authors describe the diagnostic tools, present the diagnostics process chart, the system of assessing certain tasks and give an example of typical assignments on the Equations topic of Algebra course for 7th grade.

Responsibility as a criterion for determining personal maturity

This study was intended testing a new psychodiagnostics tool for diagnosis in order to identify the responsibility recognized by highly qualified professionals as one of the key criteria for maturity in work, especially in agriculture sector. The methodology developed in the framework of this research was conventionally called “The main cause of the VAS situation”. The negative correlation between intropunitive attribute and situational responsibility in experiments and the inverse relationship of extrapunitive attribute to the responsibility were also evidence of the responsibility level that can be used to diagnose events, behaviors far from the time they occur. The pertinent results showed that in the impunitive attribute group, non-situational attribution was dominant with 69%, followed by situational attribution with 31%. However, in the extrapunitive attribute group, there was a very different result that was; situational attribution was dominant, accounted for 73%, whereas 27% of examinees had behavior related to situational attribution. The experiments determined the relationship between extrapunitive, impunitive attributes, and situational responsibility.

Perception of Social Maturity Criteria, Self-perception and Value Orientations among Russian Millennials

The difference between generations is becoming increasingly apparent in the modern world. These days, one can observe over and over again how the intergenerational transmission of values is violated, and the differences between generations are becoming more and more noticeable. A number of studies are focused on the features that distinguish modern generations from each other, the values of generations as well as the perception of these values both by a particular generation and members of cohorts interacting with it. Some researchers note that the modern young generation (the so-called ‘Generation Y’, ‘Gen Y’ or ‘millennials’), in comparison with their parents (the so-called ‘Generation X’, ‘Gen X’), is characterised by a rejection of previously accepted criteria for social maturity (which can be understood as compliance with a number of social-psychological standards). However, there are practically no studies addressing this topic. The article describes a quantitative and qualitative study conducted in three stages, which involved 349, 25 and 100 subjects respectively. At the first stage, the data of the Russian longitudinal monitoring survey (RLMS) of households conducted by HSE University were used and analysed; at the second stage, a series of semi-structured interviews was conducted on the topic of perception of social maturity; at the third stage, the values of generational cohorts were investigated using the Rokeach Value Survey (RVS) and the author’s questionnaire, which makes it possible to assess the influence of the cultural context on the formation of values. Within the first (auxiliary) stage, the basic hypothesis was confirmed about the differences in the compliance with the social maturity criteria (age of marriage, presence of children in the family, financial independence) among the young (Y) and older (X) generations of modern Russians. As part of the second stage, the features of the perception of these differences were identified. And at the third stage, it was proposed to interpret the differences using the values identified in millennials and the features of the perception of these values by themselves and Gen Xers.

Penentuan Rendemen, Mutu dan Komposisi Kimia Minyak Sawit dan Minyak Inti Sawit Tandan Buah Segar Bervariasi Kematangan sebagai Dasar untuk Penetapan Standar Kematangan Panen

Kematangan tandan buah segar (TBS) sangat memengaruhi rendemen dan kualitas minyak sawit (crude palm oil, CPO), kernel dan minyak inti sawit (palm kernel oil, PKO). Kriteria matang panen secara konvensional masih digunakan dalam penentuan target produksi. Kriteria tersebut juga digunakan sebagai dasar dalam pengembangan teknologi pemanenan secara mekanisasi dan digitalisasi. Penelitian ini dilakukan untuk menentukan kriteria matang panen optimum TBS berdasarkan jumlah berondolan dari tandan sebelum dipanen, terkait dengan rendemen, mutu, dan karakteristik kimia pada CPO dan PKO. Sampel yang digunakan adalah TBS berjenis Tenera dengan variasi kematangan meliputi mentah (buah berwarna hitam kemerahan), mengkal (buah berwarna merah namun belum ada berondolan), matang (berondolan 1-3 butir), matang (berondolan 5-10 butir) dan lewat matang (berondolan 20-40 butir). Rendemen CPO, kernel dan PKO semakin meningkat dengan meningkatnya kematangan buah. Semakin matang buah, kadar asam lemak bebas dan bilangan peroksida pada CPO semakin meningkat. Hal yang sama juga pada kadar karoten dan nilai deterioration of the bleachability index (DOBI) namun nilai keduanya menurun pada buah lewat matang. Bilangan iodin dan komposisi asam lemak berbeda pada setiap kematangan buah. Secara umum, pada beberapa varietas Tenera, rata-rata rendemen CPO dan kernel, dan mutu CPO pada buah matang dengan berondolan 1-3 butir relatif sama dengan buah matang dengan berondolan 5-10 butir. Dengan demikian, rendemen dan mutu CPO, kernel dan PKO yang optimal dapat diperoleh dengan melakukan pemanenan TBS pada kriteria matang dengan jumlah berondolan 1-3 butir di piringan.

PROFESSIONALISM AND ITS CRITERIA IN THE CULTURAL AND PLURAL ENVIRONMENT: METHODOLOGICAL ASPECT

The theoretical problem (methodological aspect) of the content of the subject of acmeology is analyzed, namely the ratio of the concepts of professionalism and maturity through the prism of socio-cultural and personal components (interpretation of these components is given); emphasis is placed on the requirements related to the professional self-realization of the individual and on the problems of the criteria of professional maturity of the individual in a culturally pluralistic environment, which requires clarification of what is this environment. Attention is paid to the concepts that are basic to reflect the professional aspect of acmeology (the concept of philosophical and cultural nature) - the methodology of systematic analysis of activities: the place and features of different approaches to its content - philosophical, sociological, socio-psychological; activity in the system of substantial-attributive coordinates of different levels of existence; activity as a way of existence of society and a way of human existence in the world of culture; complication of the content of labor activity, its differentiation and specialization; professional, non-professional characteristics and socio-cultural grounds for distinguishing between "professional" and "non-professional"; attributiveness of the aspect, which is expressed in the interconnected concepts of professionalism, qualification and competence.

The possibility of using human hormones for maturation of swine oocytes in vitro

Gonadotropins have been used for the last 50 years in assisted reproductive technologies. Often, due to hyperstimulation, there is a worsening effect on both eggs and patients. Therefore, it is possible to use the swine oocyte maturation system in vitro as a culture model for testing hormones used in humans. The purpose of our research was to study the possibility of using human chorionic gonadotropin for maturation of swine oocytes in vitro. The criterion of successful maturation was the presence of the first polar body (MII stage), as well as the ability of matured oocytes to reach the blastocyst stage after artificial (parthenogenetic) activation. It is shown that in the medium with Ovogest(human chorionic gonadotropin derived from urine) there is a tendency to improve the maturation of the nucleus compared to the variant with Pregnyl(human chorionic gonadotropinderived from urineandused for "human” in vitro fertilization) - 59,5% vs 45,8%. After artificial activation, the oocytes reached the stage MII, the cleavage is approximately the same in both cases (89,4% vs 81,2%). But, the percentage of blastocysts obtained, both from the total number of activated eggs, and from the number of cleaving after activation, was greater in variant with Pregnyl(42,4% vs 23,4% without significant difference and 51,2% vs 26,2% with significant difference р

Peningkatan Produksi Crude Palm Oil Melalui Kriteria Matang Panen Tandan Buah Segar untuk Optimalisasi Pendapatan Perusahaan

This study aims to determine the maturity level of oil palm fresh fruit bunches (FFB) that enter the Palm Oil Mill (POM). If the maturity level of FFB changes (not standardized), the company's income will change. This research method uses a quantitative approach, the type of research is secondary data collection. Data were obtained from POM of Rambutan PTPN III with garden samples, namely the Raja Tanah Gardens, Sei Putih, Sarang Giting, and Rambutan. The data collected is secondary data in the form of data series, namely FFB production, CPO, Core and Revenue in 2016 - 2018. Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression, optimization and two different test averages. The results showed that the composition of harvested fruit had a very significant effect on CPO and core production. Optimizing the maturity of the fruit harvest will significantly increase the production of palm oil and palm kernel. The average palm oil production that can be optimized from the realization in accordance with the fruit maturity criteria is 4,734.16 tons or 11.04%. The average palm kernel production that can be optimized from the realization in accordance with the fruit maturity criteria is 1,091.31 tons or 11.54%. Optimizing the maturity of harvested fruit will significantly increase revenues from palm oil and palm kernel. The average income that can be optimized from optimizing palm oil production is Rp. 38,862.51 million or 11.14%. The average income that can be optimized from optimizing the production of Palm Oil is Rp. 7,350.05 million or 11.57%

Применение критерия распределения связей между элементами сложной системы для оценки совершенства целостного текста (Application of the Criterion for the Distribution of Links Between the Elements of a Complex System to Assess the Perfection of an Integral Text)

Russian Abstract: Известно, что тексты можно рассматривать как сложные социальные системы, и для оценки их совершенства используется закон Ципфа. К критериям совершенства, зрелости и целостности текстов как сложных систем предлагается добавить ранговое распределение связей (РРС) между объектами системы. Предлагается эмпирический закон распределения в текстах служебных слов и слов –связок. Для поиска математической формулировки этого закона рассматриваются примеры сложных систем, модели которых связаны с теорией графов, с обменом сообщениями на форумах в интернете, с распределением городского населения по районам, с транспортными сетями. Для этих систем «на инженерном уровне строгости» показано, что эмпирический закон распределения связей между объектами имеет общее математическое представление (РРС). English Abstract: It is known that texts can be considered as complex social systems, and Zipf's law is used to assess their perfection. To the criteria of perfection, maturity and integrity of texts as complex systems, it is proposed to add the rank distribution of links (RRS) between the objects of the system. An empirical law of distribution of function words and linking words in texts is proposed. To search for a mathematical formulation of this law, examples of complex systems are considered, the models of which are related to graph theory, with the exchange of messages on forums on the Internet, with the distribution of the urban population by districts, with transport networks. For these systems at the engineering level of rigor it is shown that the empirical law of distribution of connections between objects has a general mathematical representation (RRS).

Some fecundity parameters and ovarian maturity criteria of ornamental red cherry shrimp (Neocaridina davidi)

The red cherry shrimp RCS Neocaridina davidi is a tiny shrimp that has a bright red color; therefore, it has become a popular ornamental species. The aims of this study are to determine the fecundity, egg size, and maturation time of the RCS at different sizes and also to determine its ovarian maturity criteria. A total of 18 adult female shrimps in 3 different size groups based on carapace length were used. They were grouped as small S: 1.5-1.7 cm , medium M: 1.8-2.0 cm , and large L: 2.1-2.3 cm ; a total of 36 adult male shrimps 1.5 ± 0.2 cm were used in the research. The parameters observed in this study were fecundity, size of the egg diameter , and gonadal maturity of the female. The L-size group of the RCS obtained the highest fecundity, the highest uniformity of egg size, and the fastest maturation period, so it can be concluded that the best reproductive performance was observed in the L-size group of RCS. We also determined 4 ovarian maturity criteria of the RCS so that they can be used for production efficiency, in further research, and for its culture.

СФОРМИРОВАННОСТЬ ЧИТАТЕЛЬСКОЙ КОМПЕТЕНТНОСТИ СТУДЕНТОВ 1 КУРСА НАПРАВЛЕНИЯ ПЕДАГОГИЧЕСКОЕ ОБРАЗОВАНИЕ, ПРОФИЛЯ «НАЧАЛЬНОЕ ОБРАЗОВАНИЕ»

Introduction. Today, reading is one of the language activities that consists not only of transforming letters into sounds. It is one of the meta-subject skills, which affect learning success. One of the priority objectives set in the Federal State Educational Standard for Primary General Education is to create the necessary level of reading competence in junior students. Consequently, the level of reading competence in students, i.e., future primary school teachers, should be high. The study aims to identify the level of reading competence in first-year students of the specialty ‘Pedagogical education’ (44.03.01) majoring in Primary education. The objectives of the research are to carry out a theoretical analysis of the reading competence issue, identify criteria for reading competence formation in first-year students, identify their levels of reading competence, and propose tasks to develop reading competence in first-year students. Materials and methods. The paper is devoted to the analysis of reading competence in the first-year students majoring in Primary Education. The paper presents the results of the tasks completed by first-year students. Students’ results were analyzed according to the criteria of efficiency, flexibility, maturity, and activity. Results of the study. The analysis has indicated that, in general, reading competence in the students is at the average level. According to the criteria of ‘efficiency’ (a high level of understanding the information read), ‘flexibility’ (the ability to change reading strategies), and ‘maturity’ (the ability to switch from one form of information presentation to another), the students are mainly at a medium and low level. In our opinion, this is because many students do not have a well-developed ability to carefully read information, and identify the essentials. According to the criterion ‘activity’ (the ability to use the information obtained from reading), more than half of the first-year students showed a low level, which indicates that they are not able to analyze and express their thoughts on what they read. Based on monitoring of reading competence in the first-year students of specialty Pedagogical Education (44.03.01) majoring in Primary Education, we have developed and proposed tasks aimed at building reading competence. These, in particular, include keeping a literary dictionary; keeping a reader’s diary; analyzing literary works for children; self-analyzing of reading the literary works for children, with their systematization by the time of writing, themes, genres; a compilation of chronological tables on the development of children’s literature in Russia, and others. Conclusion. The paper proposes constant monitoring of reading competence, which will provide an objective picture of reading competence in students and the identification of factors affecting the quality of reading skills. Keywords: competence, reading competence, federal state educational standard of primary general education, formation of reading competence.

Risk management maturity of the supervising consultant on quality and time performances in construction building

Construction of buildings has a complex type of work. Detailed work does not only refer to the technical specifications and drawing plans that have been set, but there are also construction norms and work steps that need to be understood by the Supervising Consultant in achieving project objectives. There are often problems with quality and time control, so the ability to manage risk from the Supervising Consultant needs to be known and analyzed. Based on this analysis, it can be determined the level of risk maturity of the Supervising Consultant in overseeing the implementation of building construction. The purpose of this study is to obtain the maturity level of the Supervising Consultant in managing risks related to quality and time performances. This study uses descriptive analysis and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to get category in risk control. The results of the study indicate that the Enterprise Risk Maturity criteria assessor obtained maturity level 4. This means that the Supervising Consultant has a supervisory system on the implementation of risk management, the principles have been implemented and accompanied by periodic improvements in terms of control.

EFFECT OF ANGIOTENSIN II ON MATURATION OF OOCYTES OF COWS IN VITRO

Physiological function of angiotensin II, in particular, the role of angiotensin II in the maturation of cows' eggs is not sufficiently evaluated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of different concentrations of angiotensin II on the maturation of the nuclei of cows' eggs in vitro in serum-free medium aMEM with hormonal additives or without them. In the first series of experiments, the cows' eggs matured in vitro in a medium containing hormonal additives with three different concentrations of angiotensin II (10-11, 10-9, 10-7 М). The criterion of successful maturation was the ability of the eggs to reach the stage of metaphase II. Our results demonstrate that angiotensin II in concentrations of 10-11, 10-9, 10-7 М does not affect the maturation of the egg nucleus in vitro if the maturation medium contained hormonal additives (57,1% eggs with the first polar body in the control vs 64,6% in the experiment; 60,8% vs 58,6%; 65,2% vs 66,7%, respectively). In the second series of experiments, the eggs were cultured in a medium without hormonal additives, where angiotensin II was added to a concentration of 10-7 М. Angiotensin II at a concentration of 10-7М significantly suppressed the release of the first polar body (43,6% in the control vs 29,3% in the experiment, P

A JOURNEY TO MATURITY IN A WALK TO REMEMBER BY NICHOLAS SPARKS

This study aims to examine the journey to maturity of the main character, Landon Carter, in A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks, by analyzing the literary elements that construct it. Employing a textual analysis method, this study is framed within Allport’s (1961) theory of maturity, and to discuss the analysis, Bean and Moni’s (2003) theory of young adult literature is also employed. The findings show that Landon’s journey to maturity is depicted mostly through the use of one literary element, namely characterization peculiar to Reams’ (2015). Based on Allport’s (1961) general criteria of maturity, throughout the story, Landon shows six types of maturity: (1) extension of the sense of self, (2) warm relatedness of self to others, (3) emotional security, (4) realistic perception of skills, (5) self-insight, and (6) unifying philosophy of life, and three types of immaturity: (1) an ego-centric sense of self, (2) emotional insecurity, and (3) lack of self-insight. Based on the analysis, several moral values can be obtained by young adult readers with different perspectives from reading Landon’s journey to maturity, such as the importance of being mature and the struggles of attaining maturity.

PEDAGOGICAL SKILLS OF THE TEACHER AS A MEANS OF FORMING A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE AMONG STUDENTS

The article considers the phenomenon of teacher's personal maturity as a key factor in the effectiveness of pedagogical activity. The purpose of our article is to substantiate the pedagogical skills of the teacher as a means of forming a healthy life. Generalization of various approaches gives the grounds to allocate some bipolar parameters which have great value in a context of pedagogical activity and characterize the level of a personal maturity or, accordingly, immaturity of the teacher. Based on the analysis of psychological and pedagogical approaches to the interpretation of the essence of personal development, we determine the following criteria of the teacher's personal maturity: self-determination, capacity for self-awareness, spontaneity, authenticity, readiness for emotionally close relationships, etc., as well as the adequacy of self-perception, flexibility, tolerance for contradictions, understanding of the relativity of things, positive self-image, inclination for creativity, existence of individual life philosophy and professional position. The humanization of the school and the organization of the educational process on the basis of a personal approach requires the teacher to have a high level of personal maturity, who can present him/herself to the students not as an impersonal functionary, professional, but as an original personality, who has his/her own position, which is open in expression, their feelings, emotions and views. Teaching such teachers requires the realization of a set of pedagogical conditions in the educational environment of higher education institutions, connected with ensuring the subjective position of students, intensifying their reflective processes, dialogue, problematization and personalization of pedagogical communication. The preparation of such teachers requires the realization in the educational space of a higher educational institution of a complex of pedagogical conditions connected with the maintenance of the subject position of students, activation of their reflexive processes, dialogical character, personification and complication of pedagogical interaction, Psychology of Technology and Social Psychology.

Evaluation of the Functional Indicator Maturity of Newborns

The Apgar data scale is one of three parameters that, along with mass and longitudinal body size, inform the parents of the newborn. The Apgar scale assumes a cumulative analysis of five criteria for the functional maturity of a newborn, each of which is scored from 0 to 2.

Xanthones Analysis and Antioxidant Activity Analysis (Applying ESR) of Six Different Maturity Levels of Mangosteen Rind Extract (Garcinia mangostana Linn.)

Background: Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana Linn.) is tropical fruit that known to contain bioactive compounds which has particular function as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial. Mangosteen rind extract is known to have high contents of xanthone compounds which have antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities. This study was aiming to determine the contents of xanthone derivatives using Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and antioxidant activity of six different maturity levels of mangosteen rind extract using electron spin resonance (ESR). Method: Mangosteen was classified based on the maturity level by its visual characteristic and divided into six criteria of maturity. The mangosteen rinds were extracted through maceration and freeze drying method. Qualitative analysis of xanthone was obtained using LC-MS/MS. Antioxidant activity was determined using ESR spectrometer. To evaluate antioxidant activity, using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) was used as free radical scavenger method. Results: The LC-MS/MS analysis showed that the highest concentrations are filled by mangosteen rind with maturity level 6. Moreover, each maturity levels of mangosteen rind extract has different g value compared to DPPH free radical. Different g value indicated the different type of free radical and decreasing g value indicated the declining intensity of free radical. The higher decreasing of g value was mangosteen rind with maturity level 4, 5 and 6. Conclusion: Mangosteen rind extract contains xanthone and its derivatives and ESR analysis showed that different maturity levels on mangosteen rind has different antioxidant activity as indicated by declining free radical intensity.

Why piaget does not philosophize? critical discussion of gareth b. mathews with the piagetan concept of cognitive development

TThis article analyzes the critique of the Piagetan theory of intellectual development made by American philosopher Gareth B. Matthews (1929-2011). Matthews analyzes Piaget's ideas from the perspective of the meaning and possibility of philosophizing among children. His use of Piaget is particularly relevant today because the theory of cognitive development has shaped modern education and contributes to the preservation of skepticism about children's philosophy. The article reconstructs and interprets Matthews' arguments, which consistently and systematically show that Piaget misunderstood children's philosophy. By “child’s philosophizing,” Matthews refers to children's tendency to ask philosophically significant questions, their ability to problematize experience, their specific attitude toward the world, and their ability to sense the problems that great philosophers have been dealing with for centuries. Piaget interpreted all these observable features of children's thinking as intellectual deficits; Matthews argues against this interpretation. The discussion focuses on the problem of determining the criterion of intellectual maturity, the importance of creativity and fantasy in thinking, the development of concepts and language skills, and the related differences between children and adults' language use. This analysis of Matthews’ critique of the Piagetian theory of cognitive development concludes that child psychology needs to be more open to this aspect of children's thought and that psychologists and philosophers must seek to better understand the child's philosophizing.

Effect of complexed trace minerals on cumulus-oocyte complex recovery and in vitro embryo production in beef cattle1,2.

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the impact of complexed trace mineral supplementation on ovum pick-up (OPU) and in vitro embryo production in lactating beef cows. Thirty days prior to fixed-time artificial insemination (FTAI; day −30), 68 postpartum cows were stratified by BW, BCS, and parity before being randomly assigned to 10 pens of either a treatment (TRT; n = 5) or a control (CNT; n = 5) group. Each group received a weekly mineral supplement allotment of 1.16 kg × week−1 × cow–calf pair−1 for 14 wk. Cows assigned to the TRT group received a mineral supplement that contained amino acid complexes of zinc, copper, and manganese, as well as cobalt glucoheptonate (Availa Plus; Zinpro Corp., Eden Prairie, MN, USA), while cows assigned to the CNT group received a mineral supplement that was formulated to contain similar concentrations of these trace minerals from inorganic sources. All cows were submitted to a 7 d CO-Synch + CIDR protocol on day −10 and bred using FTAI on day 0. Pregnancy diagnosis was performed on day 28 and nonpregnant cows were removed. All pregnant cows were subjected to ovum pick-up (OPU) on day 52 and 67 of gestation. Cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were evaluated and graded prior to in vitro fertilization (IVF). Analysis of variance was conducted to determine effects of treatment on response variables, and pen was considered the experimental unit. Supplement consumption did not differ (P = 0.48) between treatments (1.16 ± 0.12 vs. 1.07 ± 0.15 kg of DM × week−1 × cow–calf pair−1 for TRT and CNT, respectively). Total COC recovery was greater (P = 0.03) from TRT when compared with CNT cows (22.4 ± 2.0 vs. 16.4 ± 1.4 COCs × pen−1, respectively) and the number of COCs meeting maturation criteria was increased in TRT cows (P = 0.05) when compared with CNT cows (15.9 ± 1.6 vs. 11.8 ± 1.0 COCs × pen−1, respectively). Production of transferable embryos tended to be greater (P = 0.06) for TRT than CNT cows (4.7 ± 0.6 vs. 2.7 ± 0.7 embryos × pen−1, respectively). Furthermore, when expressed as a ratio, the number of recovered COCs meeting maturation criteria that were required to produce a transferable embryo tended to be lower for TRT than CNT cows (3.10 ± 0.93 vs. 7.02 ± 1.60; P = 0.06). In summary, complete replacement with complexed trace mineral improved COC recovery and in vitro embryo production when compared with inorganic forms of these trace minerals in beef cows.

Detection of engraftment of donor-derived antibody producing cells in a lung transplant recipient by anti-cytomegalovirus IgG avidity test

Transplant recipients become immunocompromised through the use of immunosuppressive therapy to prevent allograft rejection. These recipients readily experience human cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection or reactivation. Therefore, CMV represents a life-threatening pathogen in transplant recipients. To demonstrate the serostatus and course of IgG maturation against CMV in transplant patients, we measured the transition of anti-CMV IgG and its affinity (avidity index; AI) as criteria for antibody maturation. Among 31 lung transplant recipients, 26 were infected with CMV before transplantation and maintained anti-CMV IgG and high AI values throughout the study period. Four of the 31 experienced primary infection with CMV through the allograft, with two of the 4 recipients presented high AI values even after 6 month post-transplantation. A significant portion of donor-derived plasma cells were detectable in one recipient. These results suggested that the plasma cells from donors are carried in through the transplanted lung and lymph nodes and produce matured high-avidity IgG from the early stage of transplantation.

Reproductive biology of the slipper lobster Scyllarus arctus in Galicia (NW Spain): Implications for fisheries management

This work addresses the study of a population of the slipper lobster S. arctus in the Galician coast (NE Atlantic), where a decrease in the exploited stock has been observed in the last decades, as has occurred in other populations of this species throughout its geographical distribution range. In spite of this fact and of its high commercial value, the management of its fishery relies on poor knowledge of relevant biological aspects such as its reproductive biology. For this purpose, monthly sampling has been carried out between February 2008 and June 2009 to characterize the reproductive cycle, breeding cycle, and sexual maturity size of S. arctus in the study area. The obtained results are particularly interesting to attempt to improve fishery management. On one hand, the current regional minimum landing size (90 mm total length; 30 mm cephalothorax length, CL) has been demonstrated to allow newly sexually mature individuals—regardless of which sexual maturity criterion is applied (females: 16.3–25.7 mm CL; males: 16.3–25.8 mm CL)—to reproduce at least once. On the other hand, the long breeding cycle observed in the area, with presence of ovigerous females throughout the whole year except for October and with values over 50% for 7 months a year (between February–August), along with the prohibition to catch ovigerous females, makes the fishery highly biased towards males, and the reproductive potential of the stock could therefore be affected.