Performance of transport and selective media for swine Bordetella bronchiseptica recovery and it comparison to polymerase chain reaction detection

Three comparative assays were performed seeking to improve the sensitivity of the diagnosis of Bordetella bronchiseptica infection analyzing swine nasal swabs. An initial assay compared the recovery of B. bronchiseptica from swabs simultaneously inoculated with B. bronchiseptica and some interfering bacteria, immersed into three transport formulations (Amies with charcoal, trypticase soy broth and phosphate buffer according to Soerensen supplemented with 5% of bovine fetal serum) and submitted to different temperatures (10ºC and 27ºC) and periods of incubation (24, 72 and 120 hours). A subsequent assay compared three selective media (MacConkey agar, modified selective medium G20G and a ceftiofur medium) for their recovery capabilities from clinical specimens. One last assay compared the polymerase chain reaction to the three selective media. In the first assay, the recovery of B. bronchiseptica from transport systems was better at 27ºC and the three formulations had good performances at this temperature, but the collection of qualitative and quantitative analysis indicated the advantage of Amies medium for nasal swabs transportation. The second assay indicated that MacConkey agar and modified G20G had similar results and were superior to the ceftiofur medium. In the final assay, polymerase chain reaction presented superior capability of B. bronchiseptica detection to culture procedures.

Productive performance and milk protein fraction composition of dairy cows supplemented with sodium monensin

The objective of this work was to evaluate the levels of sodium monensin on lactating cows and their effects on productive performance and milk protein fraction composition. It was used 12 Holstein cows, distributed in four balanced 3 × 3 Latin squares, and fed three diets: one control without monensin, and two diets with monensin at the levels of 24 or 48 mg/kg DM added to the concentrate. Milk production was daily measured throughout the entire experimental period. The samples used for analysis of milk composition were collected on two alternated days from the two daily milking. Non-protein nitrogen, total nitrogen and non-casein nitrogen contents were directly evaluated in the milk, and casein, whey protein and true protein contents were indirectly determined. The use of monensin in the rations reduced dry matter and nutrient intake, especially when diet with 48 mg/kg of dry matter was given. The ration with 24 mg/kg of DM increased milk production, with or without correction, and also fat and lactose yield, and it improved productive efficiency. The levels of monensin in the ratios did not influence contents of milk crude protein, non-protein nitrogen, non-casein nitrogen, true protein, casein, casein/true protein ratio, whey protein, and of all those fractions expressed as percentage of crude protein. The utilization of monensin in the ratio at the dose of 24 mg/kg of DM influences positively the productive performance of lactating cows, and it does not influence the composition of milk protein fractions.

Energy and amino acid content in phase 1 nursery diet: piglet performance and body chemical composition

It was evaluated the effects of metabolizable energy (ME) and digestible lysine (dLYS) densities on performance and body composition of weaned piglets. The study used 114 piglets weaned at 7.4 ± 0.80 kg, out of which 108 were allotted in the nursery and 6 were slaughtered on the weaning day to determine comparative data of body chemical composition. Six nutrients densities were stipulated from a previous study based on the highest nitrogen retention, maintaining the following ME:LYS relationship in the experimental diets: 3,390:1.291; 3,450:1.409; 3,650:1.411; 3,780:1.461; 3,940:1.507; and 4,109 kcal/kg ME:1.564% dLYS. The experimental diets were offered for 13 days when the piglets reached 12.986 ± 1.449 kg of body weight. The probable residual effects of nutritional density on the subsequent performance of the piglets were evaluated. At the end of initial phase 1, six piglets from each density were slaughtered to determine their chemical composition in body fractions and empty body. There was no significant influence of nutritional levels on the performance of the piglets at the end of the evaluation. The results of food conversion and body composition confirm the level indicated in the previous study, 4 g dLYS/Mcal of ME. The increase of energy and lysine densities confirms the need for a correct relationship among both of them to assure better performance of the piglets at the beginning of the growing phase.

Productive performance and composition of milk protein fraction in dairy cows supplemented with fat sources

The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of fat sources in rations for lactating cows on the productive performance and composition of milk protein fraction. Twelve Holstein cows were used, grouped in three balanced 4 × 4 Latin squares, fed with the following rations: control; refined soybean oil; whole raw soybean; and calcium salts of unsaturated fatty acid (Megalac-E). Dry matter and nutrient intake, and daily milk production were evaluated. The samples used to analyze milk composition were collected in two alternate days and were obtained from two daily milking. Milk composition and total nitrogen, non-protein nitrogen and non-casein nitrogen ratios were analyzed. The casein, serum protein and true protein ratios were obtained by difference. Dry matter and nutrient intakes were lower when cows received the diet containing calcium salts of fatty acids, in relation to the control diet. Among the diets with fat sources, the one with whole raw soybean and calcium salts decreased milk production. There was no effect of fat sources added to the diet on crude protein, non-protein nitrogen, non-casein nitrogen, true protein, casein, casein/milk true protein ratio and serum protein. Similarly, the experimental diets did not influence the protein fractions when expressed in percentage of milk crude protein. The utilization of fat sources in diets changes milk production and composition of lactating cows, but does not influence the composition of milk protein fractions.

Índices de preço para o transporte de cargas: o caso da soja

Esta pesquisa objetivou analisar metodologias para elaboração de índices de preços para o transporte de cargas. O estudo das principais fórmulas da Teoria Econômica culminou com a conclusão que os Índices de Fisher e Walsh são aqueles capazes de atender ao maior número de preceitos lógicos, estatísticos e econômicos. Em seguida, surgem os índices geométricos de Törnqvist, Vartia e Theil. Os Índices de Laspeyres e Paasche, apesar de apresentarem algumas limitações, acabam sendo amplamente utilizados, graças a maior capacidade de operacionalização. A pesquisa apresentou um estudo de caso para o transporte da soja em grão. Foram realizados quatro tratamentos. Obteve-se a variação acumulada no nível geral de preços para o transporte rodoviário de soja no Brasil, no período entre fevereiro de 1998 e março de 2002. De acordo com os resultados, essa variação acumulada teria sido de 76%.

Dietary levels of lysine for male broilers from 23 to 36 days of age: performance and body composition

One thousand and fifty (1,050) Ross male broilers from 23 to 36 days of age were used to evaluate the dietary effects of levels of lysine. It was used a random block design with 5 levels of digestible lysine (0.95; 1.00; 1.05; 1.10 and 1.15%). Each level was applied to seven replicates and the experimental unit was composed of 30 birds. Diets were offered in seven replicates and the experimental unit was represented by 30 birds. Weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion, carcass traits, cut yields, composition and deposition of body nutrients were evaluated. The concentration of 1.09% of digestible lysine optimized performance without significant effects on feed intake. Carcass traits and cut yields had no significant differences among levels of lysine. On the other hand, there was a quadratic effect on carcass weight, which was the best at the level of 1.07% of digestible lysine. On crude protein content of the empty body, the best response was observed at the level of 1.10% of dietary lysine. This same level corresponded to a quadratic response in the deposition of water from carcass and empty body. The level of digestible lysine for better performance, chemical composition and body nutrient deposition in broilers from 23 to 36 days of age is between 1.07 and 1.10%.

Digestible lysine and organic zinc for male broiler from 1 to 11 days of age: performance and body composition

This study evaluated levels of digestible lysine and organic zinc for male Ross strain broilers from 1 to 11 days of age. It was used 1,050 chicks distributed in randomized block design, in 5 × 2 factorial scheme, with seven repetitions of 15 birds per experimental unit. The dietary concentrations of digestible lysine were 0.90; 1.00; 1.10; 1.20; and 1.40% combined with 43 and 253 ppm zinc chelate. The diets contained 2,965 ± 18 kcal/kg of apparent metabolizable energy (AME) and 21.48 ± 0.18% of CP. It was determined chemical composition, protein, lipid, mineral and water depositions on carcass and empty body. There was no interaction among the factors digestible lysine and organic zinc. Effect of zinc concentration increase was observed on greatest deposition of body fat, indicating that there is interference in lipid metabolism of the birds in the studied phase. The most pronounced effects resulted from the dietary inclusion of lysine. There was a linear effect on reconstituted body weight as a response to the increase of dietary lysine, which suggests equal or superior requirement to the greatest studied level. However, the deposition of water and protein on the carcass had a quadratic increase, characterizing higher muscle mass accumulation up to the levels 1.25 and 1.27 of this amino acid in the diet. Considering the studied strain, broiler chickens from the first to the 11th days of age require 1.28 ± 0.01% of digestible lysine, according to the deposition of muscle mass.

High performance concrete applied to storage system buildings at low temperatures

According to some estimates, world's population growth is expected about 50% over the next 50 years. Thus, one of the greatest challenges faced by Engineering is to find effective options to food storage and conservation. Some researchers have investigated how to design durable buildings for storing and conserving food. Nowadays, developing concrete with mechanical resistance for room temperatures is a parameter that can be achieved easily. On the other hand, associating it to low temperature of approximately 35 °C negative requires less empiricism, being necessary a suitable dosage method and a careful selection of the material constituents. This ongoing study involves these parameters. The presented concrete was analyzed through non-destructive tests that examines the material properties periodically and verifies its physical integrity. Concrete with and without incorporated air were studied. The results demonstrated that both are resistant to freezing.

Microbiological indicators for the assessment of performance in the hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) system in meat lasagna production

The HACCP system is being increasingly used to ensure food safety. This study investigated the validation of the control measures technique in order to establish performance indicators of this HACCP system in the manufacturing process of Lasagna Bolognese (meat lasagna). Samples were collected along the manufacturing process as a whole, before and after the CCPs. The following microorganism s indicator (MIs) was assessed: total mesophile and faecal coliform counts. The same MIs were analyzed in the final product, as well as, the microbiological standards required by the current legislation. A significant reduction in the total mesophile count was observed after cooking (p < 0.001). After storage, there was a numerical, however non-significant change in the MI count. Faecal coliform counts were also significantly reduced (p < 0.001) after cooking. We were able to demonstrate that the HACCP system allowed us to meet the standards set by both, the company and the Brazilian regulations, proved by the reduction in the established indicators

Turbulence in collisionless plasmas: statistical analysis from numerical simulations with pressure anisotropy

In recent years, we have experienced increasing interest in the understanding of the physical properties of collisionless plasmas, mostly because of the large number of astrophysical environments (e. g. the intracluster medium (ICM)) containing magnetic fields that are strong enough to be coupled with the ionized gas and characterized by densities sufficiently low to prevent the pressure isotropization with respect to the magnetic line direction. Under these conditions, a new class of kinetic instabilities arises, such as firehose and mirror instabilities, which have been studied extensively in the literature. Their role in the turbulence evolution and cascade process in the presence of pressure anisotropy, however, is still unclear. In this work, we present the first statistical analysis of turbulence in collisionless plasmas using three-dimensional numerical simulations and solving double-isothermal magnetohydrodynamic equations with the Chew-Goldberger-Low laws closure (CGL-MHD). We study models with different initial conditions to account for the firehose and mirror instabilities and to obtain different turbulent regimes. We found that the CGL-MHD subsonic and supersonic turbulences show small differences compared to the MHD models in most cases. However, in the regimes of strong kinetic instabilities, the statistics, i.e. the probability distribution functions (PDFs) of density and velocity, are very different. In subsonic models, the instabilities cause an increase in the dispersion of density, while the dispersion of velocity is increased by a large factor in some cases. Moreover, the spectra of density and velocity show increased power at small scales explained by the high growth rate of the instabilities. Finally, we calculated the structure functions of velocity and density fluctuations in the local reference frame defined by the direction of magnetic lines. The results indicate that in some cases the instabilities significantly increase the anisotropy of fluctuations. These results, even though preliminary and restricted to very specific conditions, show that the physical properties of turbulence in collisionless plasmas, as those found in the ICM, may be very different from what has been largely believed.

Searching for molecular markers in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) by statistical and bioinformatic analysis of larynx-derived SAGE libraries

Background: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most common malignancies in humans. The average 5-year survival rate is one of the lowest among aggressive cancers, showing no significant improvement in recent years. When detected early, HNSCC has a good prognosis, but most patients present metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis, which significantly reduces survival rate. Despite extensive research, no molecular markers are currently available for diagnostic or prognostic purposes. Methods: Aiming to identify differentially-expressed genes involved in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) development and progression, we generated individual Serial Analysis of Gene Expression (SAGE) libraries from a metastatic and non-metastatic larynx carcinoma, as well as from a normal larynx mucosa sample. Approximately 54,000 unique tags were sequenced in three libraries. Results: Statistical data analysis identified a subset of 1,216 differentially expressed tags between tumor and normal libraries, and 894 differentially expressed tags between metastatic and non-metastatic carcinomas. Three genes displaying differential regulation, one down-regulated (KRT31) and two up-regulated (BST2, MFAP2), as well as one with a non-significant differential expression pattern (GNA15) in our SAGE data were selected for real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in a set of HNSCC samples. Consistent with our statistical analysis, quantitative PCR confirmed the upregulation of BST2 and MFAP2 and the downregulation of KRT31 when samples of HNSCC were compared to tumor-free surgical margins. As expected, GNA15 presented a non-significant differential expression pattern when tumor samples were compared to normal tissues. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study reporting SAGE data in head and neck squamous cell tumors. Statistical analysis was effective in identifying differentially expressed genes reportedly involved in cancer development. The differential expression of a subset of genes was confirmed in additional larynx carcinoma samples and in carcinomas from a distinct head and neck subsite. This result suggests the existence of potential common biomarkers for prognosis and targeted-therapy development in this heterogeneous type of tumor.

Carbohydrate mouth rinse: does it improve endurance exercise performance?

It is well known that carbohydrate (CHO) supplementation can improve performance in endurance exercises through several mechanisms such as maintenance of glycemia and sparing endogenous glycogen as well as the possibility of a central nervous-system action. Some studies have emerged in recent years in order to test the hypothesis of ergogenic action via central nervous system. Recent studies have demonstrated that CHO mouth rinse can lead to improved performance of cyclists, and this may be associated with the activation of brain areas linked to motivation and reward. These findings have already been replicated in other endurance modalities, such as running. This alternative seems to be an attractive nutritional tool to improve endurance exercise performance.

The acute effects of varying strength exercises bouts on 5km running

This study investigated if there were acute interference effects of strength exercises on subsequent continuous and intermittent 5Km aerobic exercises. Eleven physically active males (23.1 +/- 3.1 yrs, 1.75 +/- 0.07 m, 70.5 +/- 8.8 kg, and 58.2 +/- 8.3 VO(2)max) performed the following experimental sessions: A) 5 sets of 5 RM on the leg press followed by a 5km run performed continuously (average velocity of the first and second ventilatory thresholds, nu Delta 50), B) 5 sets of 5 RM on the leg press followed by a 5km run performed intermittently (1 min run at the nu VO(2)max : 1 min of rest); C) 2 sets of 15 RM on the leg press followed by a 5km continuous run; and D) 2 sets of 15 RM on the leg press followed by a 5km intermittent run. Heart rate, blood lactate concentration, rate of perceived exertion, and VO(2) at the first and the fifth km were considered for statistical purposes. There were no significant effects of both strength bouts on any of the variables associated with endurance performance (p > 0.05). It seems that both maximum and strength endurance bouts do not acutely impair aerobic performance.

Performance of young male swimmers in the 100-meters front crawl

Youth swimming performance may be influenced by anthropometric, physiology and technical factors. The present paper examined the role of these factors in performance of 100m freestyle in swimmers 12-14 years of age (n = 24). Multiple regression analysis (forward method) was used to examine the variance of the 100 meters front crawl. Anaerobic power, swimming index and critical speed explained 88% (p < .05) of the variance in the average speed of 100 meters front crawl among young male pubertal swimmers. To conclude, performance of young swimmers in the 100 meters front crawl is determined predominantly by physiological factors and swimming technique.

Association between neuromuscular tests and kumite performance on the Brazilian Karate National Team

The aim of this study was to verify the relationship of strength and power with performance on an international level karate team during official kumite simulations. Fourteen male black belt karate athletes were submitted to anthropometric data collection and then performed the following tests on two different days: vertical jump test, bench press and squat maximum dynamic strength (1RM) tests. We also tested power production for both exercises at 30 and 60% 1RM and performed a kumite match simulation. Blood samples were obtained at rest and immediately after the kumite matches to measure blood lactate concentration. Karate players were separated by performance (winners vs. defeated) on the kumite matches. We found no significant differences between winners and defeated for strength, vertical jump height, anthropometric data and blood lactate concentration. Interestingly, winners were more powerful in the bench press and squat exercises at 30% 1RM. Maximum strength was correlated with absolute (30% 1RM r = 0.92; 60% 1RM r = 0.63) and relative power (30% 1RM r = 0.74; 60% 1RM r = 0.11, p > 0.05) for the bench press exercise. We concluded that international level karate players' kumite match performance are influenced by higher levels of upper and lower limbs power production.