This study was supported by a grant obtained from the Peruvian National Council of Sciences, Technology and Innovation (CONCYTEC) through the grant PROCOM 2009, No. 217-2009, Peru. G. F. participated in the design of the study and writing the paper. B. V. V. and M. G. participated in the development of the study. All the authors revised the manuscript. Dr. Gustavo F. Gonzales is in charge of CAYENATUR EIRL, a small enterprise that develops products based on maca. No other authors have conflict of interest.

We investigated the effect of two extracts from Peruvian plants given alone or in a mixture on sperm count and glycemia in streptozotocin-diabetic mice. Normal or diabetic mice were divided in groups receiving vehicle, black maca (Lepidium meyenii), yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius) or three mixtures of extracts black maca/yacon (90/10, 50/50 and 10/90%). Normal or diabetic mice were treated for 7 d with each extract, mixture or vehicle. Glycemia, daily sperm production (DSP), epididymal and vas deferens sperm counts in mice and polyphenol content, and antioxidant activity in each extract were assessed. Black maca (BM), yacon and the mixture of extracts reduced glucose levels in diabetic mice. Non-diabetic mice treated with BM and yacon showed higher DSP than those treated with vehicle (p < 0.05). Diabetic mice treated with BM, yacon and the mixture maca/yacon increased DSP, and sperm cou...

This study was supported in part by a Maintenance Grant from the World Health Organization, Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction, and by a grant from the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologıa CONCYTEC , Peru.

This study investigated the effect of ageing and reduction in ovarian function on whole blood serotonin levels and the effect of the oestrogen replacement in postmenopausal women on blood serotonin levels. Amenorrbeic, natural postmenopausal and ovariectomised women had lower blood serotonin levels than regularly menstruating women. Blood serotonin levels increased after oestrogen replacement in postmenopausal women to values similar to those observed in regularly menstruating women. In ovariec-tomised women, the blood serotonin levels were inversely correlated with age (P < 0.01). In women with different serum oestradiol levels ranging 30–1335 pg/ml, a direct relationship was observed between serum oestradiol levels and whole blood serotonin levels (P < 0.001). It was concluded that whole blood serotonin concentration is reduced during menopause by suppression of ovarian function but ...

OBJETIVOS: Determinar los niveles séricos de prolactina en mujeres a nivel del mar y a gran altura, y la prevalencia de hiperprolactinemia en ambos lugares. MÉTODOS: El estudio incluyó a 303 mujeres normales y 112 mujeres con alguna disfunción reproductiva (anormalidades menstruales, galactorrea o dismenorrea). De ellas, 228 vivían en Lima a 150 m sobre el nivel del mar y 187 vivían en Cerro de Pasco a 4340 m. Las mujeres normales incluían mujeres no embarazadas y embarazadas. Las anormalidades menstruales incluyeron amenorrea, oligomenorrea y polimenorrea. RESULTADOS: Los niveles de prolactina sérica fueron significativamente más bajos en las mujeres no embarazadas y embarazadas que vivían a gran altura que a nivel del mar. La prevalencia de la hiperprolactinemia, la galactorrea y las anomalías menstruales fueron significativamente menores a gran altura que al nivel del mar. ...

This study was supported by a grant from theConsejo Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innova-ción Tecnológica (CONCYTEC), Lima, Peru.

Lepidium meyenii, a Peruvian plant growing over 4000 m.a.s.l., has effects on nutrition and fertility. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the sperm count in 105 male mice receiving boiled aqueous extract of yellow maca hypocotyls from different sizes, under different pH conditions and using two different routes of administration. Five mice per group were treated daily for 3 days with vehicle (oral and intraperitoneal) or maca aqueous extracts (5 mg/0.5 ml/day) belonging to the first, second, third and fourth categories, according to their hypocotyl size. On day four, sperm count was evaluated at testis, epididymis and vas deferens. Sperm count was higher in mice receiving maca from the larger sizes (first and second categories). Reduction in maca extract pH increased sperm count, whereas an increase in the pH resulted in a reduction in sperm count. The effect of pH reduction is ob...

Buildings standing on unstable soils are vulnerable to natural processes such as internal and external geodynamics and climate change. The village of Tapacocha, which is settled on slid floor, would be sensitive to those natural processes. The May 1970 earthquake caused ground fracture and building destruction; heavy rains in 1942 and 1997 caused mudslides that destroyed buildings and agriculture land. The internal geodynamics gave its shape to the base rocks through intense folding and fracturing of the sedimentary rocks; the external geodynamics created shapes through rotational movements, landslides and differential erosion. Presently, climate change is causing unusual torrential rains that periodically erode and threaten buildings and agriculture. The goal of this study is to advise the authorities and the population on ways to prevent and mitigate the destructive effects of these na...

Las construcciones civiles edificadas sobre suelos inestables son vulnerables a los procesos naturales como la geodinámica interna, externa y el cambio climático. El poblado de Tapacocha que está asentado sobre suelo deslizado es sensible a los procesos naturales. El terremoto de mayo de 1970 ocasionó fracturamiento de la planicie, destrucción de sus construcciones; las intensas lluvias de los años 1942 y 1997 ocasionaron huaycos que destruyeron algunas de sus edificaciones y terrenos de cultivo. La geodinámica interna modeló el basamento con un intenso plegamiento y fracturamiento de las rocas sedimentarias; la geodinámica externa por geoformas modeladas por los movimientos rotacionales, deslizamientos, erosión diferencial. En la actualidad el efecto del cambio climático se manifiestan por las inusuales torrenciales lluvias que erosionan periódicamente y ponen en peligro las...

Buildings standing on unstable soils are vulnerable to natural processes such as internal and external geodynamics and climate change. The village of Tapacocha, which is settled on slid floor, would be sensitive to those natural processes. The May 1970 earthquake caused ground fracture and building destruction; heavy rains in 1942 and 1997 caused mudslides that destroyed buildings and agriculture land. The internal geodynamics gave its shape to the base rocks through intense folding and fracturing of the sedimentary rocks; the external geodynamics created shapes through rotational movements, landslides and differential erosion. Presently, climate change is causing unusual torrential rains that periodically erode and threaten buildings and agriculture. The goal of this study is to advise the authorities and the population on ways to prevent and mitigate the destructive effects of these na...

The present study was supported by a grant obtained from Peruvian National Council of Sciences, Technology and Innovation (CONCYTEC) through the grant PROCOM 2008. All authors participated in the experimental design and development of the study. Also, the authors report no conflicts of interest. The study was performed in 2008. Since 2009, Dr Gustavo F. Gonzales is in charged of CAYENATUR EIRL an enterprise that develops products based on Maca.

The aim of the present study was to compare the productive performance of single stage versus multiple stage incubation in eggs of broiler breeders of three age groups. In the incubation process was used 21 878 026 eggs from Cobb 500 broiler breeders (slow feather) grouped in three age categories: young (24 to 35 weeks), adults (36 to 50 weeks), and old (51 to 63 weeks) for a period of one year. The results showed lower total embryonic mortality in the single stage as compared to the multi stage incubation system (p<0.05), both in the young (9.55 vs 10.49%), adult (7.06 vs 9.62%) and old breeders (8.31 vs 12.55%) as well as higher total hatchability and hatchability of fertile eggs in the single stage incubation system in the three age groups (p<0.05). In addition, it was found a better utilization of the older breeders under the single stage incubation system.

The aim of the present study was to compare the productive performance of single stage versus multiple stage incubation in eggs of broiler breeders of three age groups. In the incubation process was used 21 878 026 eggs from Cobb 500 broiler breeders (slow feather) grouped in three age categories: young (24 to 35 weeks), adults (36 to 50 weeks), and old (51 to 63 weeks) for a period of one year. The results showed lower total embryonic mortality in the single stage as compared to the multi stage incubation system (p<0.05), both in the young (9.55 vs 10.49%), adult (7.06 vs 9.62%) and old breeders (8.31 vs 12.55%) as well as higher total hatchability and hatchability of fertile eggs in the single stage incubation system in the three age groups (p<0.05). In addition, it was found a better utilization of the older breeders under the single stage incubation system.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the factors that affect the transfer of embryos obtained through simple ovulation in alpacas and transferred to alpacas and llamas. The study was conducted under conditions of the Peruvian Highlands during the reproductive season (December to March). Thirteen donor alpacas (Huacaya = 6, Suri = 7) and 80 recipients (40 alpacas and 40 llamas) with at least 15 postpartum days were selected. The embryo recovery rate in 93 consecutive washes were 88.68% in Huacaya alpacas and 80% in Suri alpacas, and the pregnancy rates were 67.57 and 66.67% in alpacas and llamas, respectively without significant differences in both cases. The variables size and quality of the embryo, location and area of the corpus luteum (CL) in the recipient, species of the recipient (llama, alpaca), donor breed (Huacaya, Suri), body condition score (BCS) of the receptor, depth of the ...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the factors that affect the transfer of embryos obtained through simple ovulation in alpacas and transferred to alpacas and llamas. The study was conducted under conditions of the Peruvian Highlands during the reproductive season (December to March). Thirteen donor alpacas (Huacaya = 6, Suri = 7) and 80 recipients (40 alpacas and 40 llamas) with at least 15 postpartum days were selected. The embryo recovery rate in 93 consecutive washes were 88.68% in Huacaya alpacas and 80% in Suri alpacas, and the pregnancy rates were 67.57 and 66.67% in alpacas and llamas, respectively without significant differences in both cases. The variables size and quality of the embryo, location and area of the corpus luteum (CL) in the recipient, species of the recipient (llama, alpaca), donor breed (Huacaya, Suri), body condition score (BCS) of the receptor, depth of the ...

Peng Bo, Hu Qin, Xiaming Wen, Yang Keli, Jiang Zhen and Sandra Yucra are acknowledged for their help in this study. Special thanks to the joint financial support for this work from the National Nature Science Foundation of China, NSFC in 2004 (30472016/C03020701) and from Peruvian National Council of Sciences, Technology and Innovation (CONCYTEC) through the grant PROCOM 2005 and support for travel. Julio Rubio was on leave from the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Peru (UPCH) through the Memorandum of Understanding between IMPLAD, CONCYTEC and UPCH.

The present study aimed to determine the presence of spores of Enterocytozoon bieneusi in pigs under extensive breeding in the department of Tumbes, Peru. Three hundred samples of feces and 300 of bile were taken twice between March and October 2009. Samples were processed by the staining technique using Chromotrope 2R (microsporidia exclusive). All samples resulted negative.

El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo determinar la presencia de esporas de Enterocytozoon bieneusi en cerdos de traspatio, en el departamento de Tumbes, Perú. Se tomaron 300 muestras de heces y 300 muestras de bilis de cerdos en dos oportunidades entre marzo y octubre de 2009. Se empleó la coloración Chromotrope 2R (exclusiva para microsporidios) para la detección del hongo. Todas las muestras resultaron negativas.

This study was supported by Grant PIBA15A106 and B17100101 Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos and National Council of Science Technology and Innovation N° 313-2011-CONCYTEC-OAJ. This article includes results of Martha Valdivia ?octoral Thesis of Sciences with mention of Physiology, Universidad Peruana Cayetano

Human high-altitude (HA) adaptation or mal-adaptation is explored to understand the physiology, pathophysiology, and molecular mechanisms that underlie long-term exposure to hypoxia. Here, we report the results of an analysis of the largest whole-genome-sequencing of Chronic Mountain Sickness (CMS) and nonCMS individuals, identified candidate genes and functionally validated these candidates in a genetic model system (Drosophila). We used PreCIOSS algorithm that uses Haplotype Allele Frequency score to separate haplotypes carrying the favored allele from the noncarriers and accordingly, prioritize genes associated with the CMS or nonCMS phenotype. Haplotypes in eleven candidate regions, with SNPs mostly in nonexonic regions, were significantly different between CMS and nonCMS subjects. Closer examination of individual genes in these regions revealed the involvement of previously identifi...