Overweight and obesity related factors in schoolchildren in Santa Catarina State, Brazil

The purpose of this study is to determine the correlation of socioeconomic, dietary, and anthropometric-nutritional variables of parents and their children to overweight (including obesity) in schoolchildren in Santa Catarina State, Brazil. This is a transversal study conducted on 4,964, 6 to 10-year-old schoolchildren registered in 345 Santa Catarina elementary schools. The following data were acquired: the children`s current weight and height, birth weight and length, duration of breastfeeding, age at which water, herbal tea and other foods were introduced to their diet; parental income, education level, age, weight and height were also obtained. The prevalence of overweight and obese children were estimated by point and by interval with a 95% confidence; prevalence rates were obtained based on the Poisson model. An hierarchical approach was used, in which variables were adjusted within blocks and included in the model when they presented p<0.05 at the outcome (overweight including obesity). The results indicate that 47.8% of the subjects were male. The prevalence of overweight and obese students was 15.4% (C195%: 14.4%-16.5%) and 6.1% (CI95%: 5.4%-6.7%) respectively and were statistically similar among sexes and age ranges. BMI values were higher in males and among older children (p<0.05). After adjustment within and among blocks, the variables per capita household income and parents` BM I values remained associated with overweight (including obesity). Overweight (including obesity) in schoolchildren is associated with a higher per capita household income and parental overweight and obesity.

Population structure and inbreeding effects on growth traits of Santa Ines sheep in Brazil

The aim of this study was to describe the population structure, inbreeding and to quantify their effect for different weights, of Santa Ines sheep. For this reason, 6490 data of production and 17,097 animals in the pedigree data set were utilized to evaluate birth weight (BW), weight at 60 days (W60) and weight at 180 days (W180). The genetic structure analysis of the population was realized by the software ENDOG (v.4.6.), resulting in some level of inbreeding for 21.72% of the animals in the pedigree data, being 41.02% the maximum value, and average of 10.74% for the inbred individuals. The population average inbreeding was 2.33% and the average relatedness was 0.73%. The effective number of ancestors was 156 animals and the effective number of founders was 211 individuals. A significant depressive effect of the inbreeding can be verified for all traits. The monitored parameters related with the genetic variability on this population must be constant in order to prevent the decrease in the genetic progress. The utilization of a program for directed mating in the present flock is an appropriate alternative to keep the level of inbreeding under control. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Paleomagnetism of the Santa Fe Group, central Brazil: Implications for the late Paleozoic apparent polar wander path for South America

Paleomagnetic and rockmagnetic data are reported for the Floresta Formation (Santa Fe Group) of the Sanfranciscana Basin, central Brazil. This formation represents the Permo-Carboniferous glacial record of the basin and comprises the Brocoto (diamictites and flow diamictites), Brejo do Arroz (red sandstones and shales with dropstones and invertebrate trails), and Lavado (red sandstones) members, which crop out near the cities of Santa Fe de Minas and Canabrava, Minas Gerais State. Both Brejo do Arroz and Lavado members were sampled in the vicinities of the two localities. Alternating field and thermal demagnetizations of 268 samples from 76 sites revealed reversed components of magnetization in all samples in accordance with the Permo-Carboniferous Reversed Superchron. The magnetic carriers are magnetite and hematite with both minerals exhibiting the same magnetization component, suggesting a primary origin for the remanence. We use the high-quality paleomagnetic pole for the Santa Fe Group (330.9 degrees E 65.7 degrees S; N = 60; alpha(95) = 4.1 degrees; k = 21) in a revised late Carboniferous to early Triassic apparent polar wander path for South America. On the basis of this result it is shown that an early Permian Pangea A-type fit is possible if better determined paleomagnetic poles become available.

Paleomagnetic data and K-Ar ages from Mesozoic units of the Santa Marta massif: A preliminary interpretation for block rotation and translations

We report 6 K-Ar ages and paleomagnetic data from 28 sites collected in Jurassic, Lower Cretaceous and Paleocene rocks of the Santa Marta massif, to test previous hypothesis of rotations and translations of this massif, whose rock assemblage differs from other basement-cored ranges adjacent to the Guyana margin. Three magnetic components were identified in this study. A first component has a direction parallel to the present magnetic field and was uncovered in all units (D 352, I = 25.6, k = 57.35, a95 = 5.3, N = 12). A second component was isolated in Cretaceous limestone and Jurassic volcaniclastic rocks (D = 8.8, I = 8.3, k = 24.71, a95 = 13.7, N = 6), and it was interpreted as of Early Cretaceous age. In Jurassic sites with this component, Early Cretaceous K-Ar ages obtained from this and previous studies are interpreted as reset ages. The third component was uncovered in eight sites of Jurassic volcaniclastic rocks, and its direction indicates negative shallow to moderate inclinations and northeastward declinations. K-Ar ages in these sites are of Early (196.5 +/- 4.9 Ma) to early Late Jurassic age (156.6 +/- 8.9 Ma). Due to local structural complexity and too few Cretaceous outcrops to perform a reliable unconformity test, we only used two sites with (1) K-Ar ages, (2) less structural complexity, and (3) reliable structural data for Jurassic and Cretaceous rocks. The mean direction of the Jurassic component is (D = 20.4, I = -18.2, k = 46.9, a95 = 5.1, n = 18 specimens from two sites). These paleomagnetic data support previous models of northward along-margin translations of Grenvillian-cored massifs. Additionally, clockwise vertical-axis rotation of this massif, with respect to the stable craton, is also documented; the sense of rotation is similar to that proposed for the Perija Range and other ranges of the southern Caribbean margin. More data is needed to confirm the magnitudes of rotations and translations. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.