Previous compilation of crustal structure in South America had large unsampled areas including the thin crust in the Sub‐Andean lowlands, largely estimated by gravity data, and the sparsely sampled Amazon Craton. A deployment of 35 seismic stations in Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, and Uruguay improved the coverage of the Pantanal Basin in Western Brazil, the intracratonic Paraná and the Chaco Basins. Crustal thicknesses and Vp/Vs ratios were estimated with a modified H‐k method by producing three stacked traces to enhance the three Moho conversions (the direct Ps and the two multiples Ppps and Ppss). This modified method gives lower uncertainties than previous studies and shows more regional consistency between nearby stations. The temporary stations and the Brazilian Network (RSBR) have characterized the crustal structure as follows. The Paraná Basin has a thick crust 40–45 km and average Vp/Vs ratio (1.71–1.77), while the Chaco Basin has a slightly thinner crust (35–40 km) and higher Vp/Vs ratio (1.75–1.79). This confirms the lack of widespread magmatic underplating in the Paraná Basin that could be related to the origin of the flood basalts during the South Atlantic opening. A belt of thin crust (30–35 km) with low Vp/Vs (<1.74) is confined to the eastern edge of the Pantanal Basin. Normal crust (38–43 km) is observed along the western edge of the Pantanal, from the southern part of the Amazon craton to the Rio Apa cratonic block. This study, combined with other published data, provides an updated crustal thickness map of South America.

The objectives of the present experiment were to analyse the reproductive and productive responses to suckling-restriction treatments and flushing in primiparous grazing beef cows. During 3 years, 153 primiparous anoestrus cows were assigned randomly to one of four treatments in a 2 by 2 factorial arrangement of suckling-management treatments and flushing. Suckling-restriction treatments started at 61 ± 10 days postpartum and consisted of applying nose plates to calves for 12 days (i.e. TS treatment) or 5 days of isolation of the calf from the cow followed by applying nose plates to calves for 7 days as calves were reunited with their mothers (i.e. IS treatment). Nutritional treatments (flushing v. control) started at the beginning of the breeding season, immediately after the suckling-restriction treatments were finished (73 ± 10 days postpartum), with cows receiving or not receiving 2 kg/day of whole-rice middling for 22 days. Cow body condition score (BCS) was recorded every 20 days from calving until 120 days postpartum. Duration of postpartum anoestrus (PPA) and probability of cyclicity were estimated by plasma progesterone concentrations analysed in weekly samples. Pregnant cows were determined by ultrasound 42 days after bull introduction (early pregnancy; EP) and 30 days after the end of the breeding season (total pregnancy; TP). BCS at calving and changes in BCS from calving to the day of BCS nadir (ΔBCS) varied among years depending on forage availability and weather conditions. Increased cow BCS at calving decreased PPA (b = –41 days, P < 0.0001) and, in interaction with ΔBCS, increased EP (P < 0.008) and TP (P < 0.003). Calf weights at weaning and average daily gain were not affected by suckling-restriction or flushing treatments. Isolated temporary suckling control reduced PPA by 11 days when compared with temporary suckling control (P < 0.004). Flushing increased EP by 40%, which was also affected by BCS at calving and was greater in cows that gained, than in those that maintained or lost BCS. We conclude that flushing was useful in improving early pregnancy rates of primiparous beef cows with ‘suboptimal’ body condition (lower than 4.5) at calving and grazing native pasture.

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The aims of this experiment were to study suckling manipulation strategies, such as early weaning, suckling inhibition with nose plates or temporary weaning for 5 days, on resumption of ovarian cyclicity in anoestrous beef cows. Seventy-four primiparous Aberdeen Angus and Hereford cows with a mean body condition score of 3.8 ± 0.1 (mean ± s.e.m, 1–8 scale) grazing together on rangeland were used. At 71 days postpartum (Day 0) animals were assigned to one of four groups as follows: (1) suckling group (S, n = 14): cows were suckled throughout all the experiment; (2) nose plates group (NP, n = 20): nose plates were placed to calves for 14 days; (3) temporary weaning group (TW5d, n = 20): calves were isolated from their dams for 5 days; (4) early weaning group (EW, n = 20): calves were definitely weaned. After treatments, weekly serum progesterone concentrations were measured for 9 weeks. EW and NP cows had shorter intervals between treatments and resumption of ovarian cyclicity (19.6 ± 1.7 and 24.5 ± 3.3 days versus 40.6 ± 3.5 and 37.5 ± 4.0 days for EW, NP, TW5d and S, respectively, P < 0.01). A higher proportion of the EW group showed luteal progesterone concentrations the first week after treatments (20 versus 5, 0 and 0% for EW, NP, TW5d and S, respectively, P < 0.05), then proportions of EW and NP cows resuming postpartum cyclicity were similar throughout the remainder of the study. Temporary weaning for 5 days showed no effects on ovarian cyclicity resumption. When body condition score is not very limiting, restricting suckling over 14 days with nose plates is a useful strategy to induce postpartum cyclicity in range cow herds with effects similar to early weaning.

Introduction and objective: Childhood hearing loss affects cognitive, emotional and language development of children causing difficulties in communication. Therefore, many organizations stress the importance of early detection of hearing loss and early cochlear implantation. The purpose was to verify the effect of cochlear implants performed in children from Tenerife (sorted by chronological age, age at cochlear implantation and time of use of cochlear implant) in lexical comprehension and communication skills. Method: A psycholinguistic profile of all children implanted in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife during the years 2007-2012 using two standardized tests were developed: The Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities (ITPA) and the Picture Vocabulary Test (Peabody). Results: Most of the children studied were implanted at a late age (over 3-yearolds). This situation carries some functional use of the implant but causes an indiscernible development of oral communicative functions of children. Specifically, 20% of the sample (28 children) was implanted with less than 2-year-olds; another 28% of children was implemented between the ages of 2 and 3 years old; finally, 58% of children was implemented with more than 3-year-olds. The latter age of implantation may affect the standard language development. Conclusions: This study has become evident that early implantation has a positive effect on language development of deaf children. European Scientific Journal September 2016 edition vol.12, No.26 ISSN: 1857 -7881 (Print) e -ISSN 1857 43 Keywords: Cochlear implant; language development; communicative function ResumenIntroducción y objetivo: La hipoacusia infantil repercute en el desarrollo cognitivo, emocional y lingüístico de niñas y niños ocasionando dificultades en su comunicación. Por ello, muchos organismos destacan la relevancia de la detección temprana de la hipoacusia y la implantación coclear precoz. El propósito fue constatar el efecto de los implantes cocleares realizados en las niñas y los niños de Tenerife (clasificados por edad cronológica, edad de implantación coclear y tiempo de uso del implante coclear) en la comprensión léxica y en la capacidad comunicativa. Método: Se elaboró un perfil psicolingüístico del total de niñas y niños implantados en la provincia de Santa Cruz de Tenerife durante los años 2007 a 2012 mediante dos pruebas estandarizadas: el Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities (ITPA) y el Test de Vocabulario en Imágenes (Peabody). Resultados: La mayoría de los casos estudiados fueron implantados (con más de 3 años de edad). Esta situación conllevó un desarrollo imperceptible de las funciones comunicativas orales de niñas y niños. En concreto, el 20% de la muestra (28 casos de niñas y niños) fue implantado con menos de dos años de edad; otro 28% de casos fue implantado entre los dos y tres años; finalmente, el 58% de las niñas y los niños fue implantado con más de tres años. Esta última edad de implantación puede afectar el desarrollo normalizado del lenguaje de una...