Produção de ovinos em pastagem de capim-massai suplementados na estação seca

The low quality of tropical pastures in the dry season justifies the use of dietary supplements to meet the nutritional needs of sheep to meat production. Therefore, the objective of this experiment was to evaluate the agronomic characteristics of massaigrass in the dry season and the effect of protein supplements in the performance and productivity of sheep to meat production grazing. The protein supplements evaluated were: soybean meal, Leucena hay, Gliricidia hay and multiple mixture. The animals were managed in massaigrass pastures under rotational stocking and supplemented daily. Were used 24 sheep ½ Santa Inês x ½ SPRD (without defined breed), males uncastrated, mean age 90 days in a completely randomized design. Performance of sheep was evaluated for average daily gain of live weight gain per area and stocking rate (animals of 25 kg/ha). The pasture was evaluated for forage mass of pre and post-grazing, the percentages of participation of morphological constituents and their nutritional values and rates of herbage accumulation. The total herbage mass decreased throughout the dry season. Crude protein and in vitro digestibility of organic matter of the leaf were higher in the upper 15 cm of the canopy stratum. The average daily weight gain of the animals supplemented with legume hay was similar to that gained by animals supplemented with soybean meal in the four grazing cycles. The total live weight gain of animals supplemented with legume hay was higher than the animals supplemented only with multiple mixing the first two grazing cycles. Hays of Leucena and Gliricidia can be given for supplementation of sheep maintained on pasture

Cooperação em sagüis comuns callithrix jacchus: condições e restrições

The cooperative behavior is no longer a dilemma for the theory of evolution, since there are models that explain the evolution of this behavior by means of natural selection at the individual level. However, there have been few studies on the proximal factors that interfere with cooperative behavior. In the study of the influence of cognition on cooperation, many authors have been interested in situations in which individuals decide whether to act cooperatively and select partners with different qualities to cooperate. Of the factors studied, we highlight the need for understanding the apparatus and communication between partners to the occurrence of cooperation. Recently, highlight is the proposal that the ability to cooperate would be greater in species with cooperative breeding system. Thus, the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) is a New World monkey which stands as a valuable species for this type of study because it presents cooperative actions in nature, such as sharing food and protection of the community territory. Our experiment investigated whether common marmosets unrelated females (n = 6) were able to cooperate using an electrical and a mechanical apparatus, if this cooperation is a byproduct of individual actions or involve social attention, if it occurs inter-individual variation in the use of devices and formation of roles (producer / scrounger) in dyads. We use the number of rewards obtained by animals (Ratio of Correct Pulls) as indicators of cooperation and glances for partners (Ratio of Correct Glances) as indicators of social attention and communication. The results indicate that the type of apparatus was not a constraint for the occurrence of cooperation between the marmosets, but still has not been verified formation of roles in the dyads. The performance of animals in the two devices showed a large variation in the learning time, not having relationship with the performance in the tests phase. In both devices the level of social glances at control phases were casually correlated with any other phase, but the data showed that there was not social attention, that is, the monkeys realized that they gave food to the partners, but the partners did

Uso de habitat e comportamento do boto-cinza sotalia guianensis em uma zona estuarina do estado de Sergipe, nordeste do Brasil a biotecnologia vegetal como alternativa para a cotonicu

To clarify the functional mechanisms of habitat use is necessary to analyze it in conjunction with the conduct performed by animals. The occurrence, distribution and use of space are characteristic of a species resulting from habitat selection that is in search of conditions favorable to its survival. One can relate the physical and biological factors of the environment with the ecological characteristics of the species, since these factors act by regulating the ecological success of organisms, and from there you can get important information about the habitat use and behavior of individuals. This study aimed to characterize the use of habitat and diurnal activity expressed by the Guiana dolphin, Sotalia guianensis in an estuarine area of Sergipe state, Brazil, analyzing the influence of tide and time days on the occurrence of animals and behavior s state, and group s size and composition in this cetacean species. From March 2009 to February 2010, focal groups observations of dolphins were made from fixed - point and records snapshots of data taken every 5 min. in the interval from 6 a.m to 6 p.m, in alternating shifts. The results showed that the constant presence of animals in the area of the Sergipe River estuary indicates that this is an important area of occurrence of S. guianensis, which use the region mainly in the morning, at low tide and as a feeding. As in other regions of northeastern Brazil, small groups formed 2-12 individuals were most common, with adults and immatures. The high frequency of immature animals may indicate that this area of the estuary is used as brood area and parental care of pups and young animals, since the immature animals were very associated with adults and monitoring the activities of foraging / feeding may be related to a form of learning or training of such behavior

Efeitos do tratamento com lítio na memória aversiva, comportamentos relacionados à ansiedade e depressão e na expressão de BDNF em ratos

Lithium (Li) is the first choice to treat bipolar disorder, a psychiatric illness characterized by mood oscillations between mania and depression. However, studies have demonstrated that this drug might influence mnemonic process due to its neuroprotector, antiapoptotic and neurogenic effects. The use of Li in the treatment of cognitive deficits caused by brain injury or neurodegenerative disorders have been widely studied, and this drug shows to be effective in preventing or even alleviating the memory impairment. The effects of Li on anxiety and depression are controversial and the relationship of the effects of lithium on memory, anxiety and depression remain unknown. In this context, this study aims to: evaluate the effects of acute and chronic administration of lithium carbonate in aversive memory and anxiety, simultaneously, using the plus maze discriminative avoidance task (PMDAT); test the antidepressant effect of the drug through the forced swimming test (FS) and analyze brainderived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in structures related to memory and emotion. To evaluation of the acute effects, male Wistar rats were submitted to i.p. administration of lithium carbonate (50, 100 or 200 mg/kg) one hour before the training session (PMDAT) or lithium carbonate (50 or 100 mg/kg) one hour before the test session (FS). To evaluation of the chronic effects, the doses administered were 50 or 100 mg/kg or vehicle once a day for 21 days before the beginning of behavioral tasks (PMDAT and FS). Afterwards, the animals were euthanized and their brains removed and submitted to immunohistochemistry procedure to quantify BDNF. The animals that received acute treatment with 100 and 200 mg/kg of Li did not discriminated between the enclosed arms (aversive and non-aversive) in the training session of PMDAT, showing that these animal did not learned the task. This lack of discrimination was also observed in the test session, showing that the animals did not recall the aversive task. We also observed an increased exploration of the open arms of these same groups, indicating an anxiolytic effect. The same groups showed a reduction of locomotor activity, however, this effect does not seem to be related with the anxiolytic effect of the drug. Chronic treatment with Li did not promote alterations on learning or memory processes. Nevertheless, we observed a reduction of open arms exploration by animals treated with 50 mg/kg when compared to the other groups, showing an anxiogenic effect caused by this dose. This effect it is not related to locomotor alterations since there were no alterations in these parameters. Both acute and chronic treatment were ineffective in the FS. Chronic treatment with lithium was not able to modify BDNF expression in hippocampus, amygdala and pre-frontal cortex. These results suggest that acute administration of lithium promote impairments on learning in an aversive task, blocking the occurrence of memory consolidation and retrieval. The reduction of anxiety following acute treatment may have prevented the learning of the aversive task, as it has been found that optimum levels of anxiety are necessary for the occurrence of learning with emotional context. With continued, treatment the animals recover the ability to learn and recall the task. Indeed, they do not show differences in relation to control group, and the lack of alterations on BDNF expression corroborates this result. Possibly, the regimen of treatment used was not able to promote cognitive improvement. Li showed acute anxiolytic effect, however chronic administration 4 promoted the opposite effect. More studies are necessary to clarify the potential beneficial effect of Li on aversive memory

Preferência e competição alimentar em um grupo de Sapajus flavius em fragmento de Mata Atlântica em Caaporã – Paraíba – Brasil

Feeding is the primary selective pressure in all forms of animals. Nutritional ecological models predict consequences of preferred and non-preferred food consumption on behavioural, physiological and morphological adaptations. At same time, socioecological models infer socio-organizarion patterns based on feeding competition faced by animals. A list of preferred foods, and inferences regarding the intensity of feeding competition and its behavioural consequences are information of much importance for management of populations in fragments. In this work we observed the feeding behavior and spatial positioning of a group of more than 100 blond capuchin monkeys (Sapajus flavius) that inhabit a fragment of Atlantic forest, surrounded by sugarcane plantation. We compared the consumption of different food items with their monthly availability in the area to define the preferred and fallback food items. We recorded the vocalizations of aggression and the inter-individual distance (area of Minimum Convex Polygon/n individuals) to infer the type of food competition experienced by animals. In the year studied the fruit feeding time correlated with top consumed fruit productivity, indicating preference for fruits. Our data indicate that the species Elaeis sp., Cecropia palmata, Inga spp. and Simarouba amara are the preferred food items in the diet. Available all year round and uniformly distributed, sugarcane was a regular item in the diet and its was characterized as a staple fallback food for this group. Although fruits are preferential food items, direct competition rate did not correlate to fruit productivity in the area, maintaining the high rates throughout the year (2.45 events/ hour). The inter-individual distance index positively correlated with rain fall indicating scramble food competition. The number of neighbours of females carrying infants was smaller when fruit productivity is low, indicating that females carrying infants are suffering increased indirect competition. Our data indicates that blond capuchins in this fragment make use of sugar cane as a staple fallback food, which evidence the importance of sugar cane landscape for the survival of this critically endangered capuchin species in fragmented habitats in Northeast Brazil. A preliminary list of preferred and important foods is offered, and can assist in the choice of trees for reforestation, better fragments to be preserved and areas of release and translocation of animals. We did not observe an increase of contest competition while using preferred foods, but when using staple FBF. This may be due the altered environment, which results in high competition food throughout the year. Both the food preference as the social and behavioral consequences of high food competition experienced by animals in this fragment must be accompanied over the years to ensure the survival of this population.

Preferência e competição alimentar em um grupo de Sapajus flavius em fragmento de Mata Atlântica em Caaporã – Paraíba – Brasil

Feeding is the primary selective pressure in all forms of animals. Nutritional ecological models predict consequences of preferred and non-preferred food consumption on behavioural, physiological and morphological adaptations. At same time, socioecological models infer socio-organizarion patterns based on feeding competition faced by animals. A list of preferred foods, and inferences regarding the intensity of feeding competition and its behavioural consequences are information of much importance for management of populations in fragments. In this work we observed the feeding behavior and spatial positioning of a group of more than 100 blond capuchin monkeys (Sapajus flavius) that inhabit a fragment of Atlantic forest, surrounded by sugarcane plantation. We compared the consumption of different food items with their monthly availability in the area to define the preferred and fallback food items. We recorded the vocalizations of aggression and the inter-individual distance (area of Minimum Convex Polygon/n individuals) to infer the type of food competition experienced by animals. In the year studied the fruit feeding time correlated with top consumed fruit productivity, indicating preference for fruits. Our data indicate that the species Elaeis sp., Cecropia palmata, Inga spp. and Simarouba amara are the preferred food items in the diet. Available all year round and uniformly distributed, sugarcane was a regular item in the diet and its was characterized as a staple fallback food for this group. Although fruits are preferential food items, direct competition rate did not correlate to fruit productivity in the area, maintaining the high rates throughout the year (2.45 events/ hour). The inter-individual distance index positively correlated with rain fall indicating scramble food competition. The number of neighbours of females carrying infants was smaller when fruit productivity is low, indicating that females carrying infants are suffering increased indirect competition. Our data indicates that blond capuchins in this fragment make use of sugar cane as a staple fallback food, which evidence the importance of sugar cane landscape for the survival of this critically endangered capuchin species in fragmented habitats in Northeast Brazil. A preliminary list of preferred and important foods is offered, and can assist in the choice of trees for reforestation, better fragments to be preserved and areas of release and translocation of animals. We did not observe an increase of contest competition while using preferred foods, but when using staple FBF. This may be due the altered environment, which results in high competition food throughout the year. Both the food preference as the social and behavioral consequences of high food competition experienced by animals in this fragment must be accompanied over the years to ensure the survival of this population.

New developmental stages for common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) using mass and age variables obtained by K-means algorithm and self-organizing maps (SOM)

LEÃO, Adriano de Castro; DÓRIA NETO, Adrião Duarte; SOUSA, Maria Bernardete Cordeiro de. New developmental stages for common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) using mass and age variables obtained by K-means algorithm and self-organizing maps (SOM). Computers in Biology and Medicine, v. 39, p. 853-859, 2009

Histopathology findings in common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus Linnaeus, 1758) with chronic weight loss associated with bile tract obstruction by infestation with Platynosomum (Loos, 1907)

Chronic weight loss in marmosets is often associated with wasting marmoset syndrome (WMS), an important disease that occurs in callitrichid colonies around the world. Even though its etiology is very difficult to determine, particular variables, such as weight loss, diarrhea and alopecia, associated or not with infestation in the pancreatic ducts with Trichospirura leptossoma (Nematoda: Thelazioidea), seem to be linked with the syndrome. This study investigated the histopathology of the lungs, duodenum, liver, gallbladder, extrahepatic bile ducts and pancreatic ducts of six common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) suffering from severe non-diarrheic weight loss. Three individuals died naturally and the other three were euthanized. Microscopic findings showed the presence of adult flukes (Platynosomum) in the liver. These flukes, which provoke common infection in cats, were also observed inside the gallbladder as well as in the intra and extrahepatic bile ducts in common marmosets. Portal fibrosis was observed in two animals, which developed chronic fibrosing hepatopathy (biliary pattern, grade 3). The disease progresses without diarrhea and without pancreatic lesions or infestation. With the rogression, the animals presented with ascending cholangitis, cholestasis and portal fibrosis, sometimes culminating in secondary biliary cirrhosis. Therefore, this nfirmity, associated with chronic weight loss in common marmosets, could be another tiological factor linked with WMS