Nucleotídeos na dieta de frangos de corte criados no sistema alternativo

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Old beagle dogs have lower faecal concentrations of some fermentation products and lower peripheral lymphocyte counts than young adult beagles

The effects of age on microbiota composition, gut fermentation end-product formation and peripheral lymphocyte numbers were compared between old and young adult Beagle dogs fed four kibble diets differing in yeast cell wall contents. The experiment had a double 4 x 4 Latin square design, one with four mature dogs (4 years old) and the other with four old dogs (10 years old), with four replicates (diets) per dog. In each period a 15d adaptation period preceded a 5d total collection of faeces for the digestibility trial. on day 21, fresh faecal samples were collected for the determination of bacterial enumeration, pH, biogenic amine and short-chain fatty acid. Flow cytometry was used for immunophenotypic evaluation. Dogs were fed four kibble diets with similar composition with 0, 0.15, 0.30 and 0.45% of yeast cell wall (as-fed), respectively. Data were evaluated using general linear models of Statistical Analysis Systems statistical software (P<0.05). No evidence of a difference in faecal bacteria counts between ages was found (total aerobes, total anaerobes, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Clostridium and Escherichia coli: P. 0.15). Faecal concentrations of butyrate, histamine, agmatine and spermine were lower (P <= 0.05) and faecal pH was higher (P=0.03) in older dogs than in mature adult dogs, suggesting an alteration in bacterial metabolic activity, or in the rate of intestinal absorption of these compounds. Concentrations of T-lymphocytes, T-cytotoxic lymphocytes and B-lymphocytes were also lower (P <= 0.01) in older dogs than in mature adult dogs. The study confirmed alterations in peripheral lymphocytes and revealed a reduced concentration of some fermentation end products in the colon of old dogs.

Study of charge transport in blends of natural rubber and poly(o-methoxyaniline) based on a resistor network statistical model

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Trends and patterns of exclusive breastfeeding for under-6-month-old children

Objective: To study the trends and patterns of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for under-6-month-old infants in the city of Bauru, southeastern Brazil.Methods: We compared data from three cross-sectional surveys, using similar methodologies, which were part of a project for monitoring breastfeeding indicators in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The sample included infants aged 0 to 6 months who attended one of the two rounds of the nationwide infant vaccination campaign in 1999, 2003 and 2006 (respectively: 496, 674 and 509 infants). Descriptive statistics were used to compare the prevalence of EBF according to age (in months) and group of children under 6 months of age. Differences in prevalence were expressed as percentage-points and submitted to statistical analysis (Pearson's chi-square and tendency), and the level of significance was set at p < 0.05. Factors associated with EBF interruption in 2006 were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analyses.Results: An increase in the prevalence of EBF was observed in under-6-month-old infants: 1999-2003, increase of 9.1 percentage-points; 2003-2006, increase of 6.6 percentage-points, resulting in an annual increase rate of 2.3 percentage-points for the first period and 2.2 percentage-points for the second period. Significant inverse association was observed between EBF and the use of pacifiers (prevalence ratio = 2.03; 95% confidence interval 1.44-2.84).Conclusion: EBF prevalence in under-6-month-old infants in the city of Bauru, southeastern Brazil, increased almost threefold over the period studied, from 8.5% in 1999 to 24.2% in 2006, a total increase of 184.7%. The use of pacifiers was the only factor strongly associated with the interruption of EBF.

Blood galactose and glucose levels in mothers, cord blood, and 48-hour-old breast-fed full-term infants

Background: Although galactose is an important component in human lactose, there are few reports of its role in the newborn metabolism. Objective: To determine the relationship of blood galactose and glucose levels in mothers, cord blood, and breast-fed full-term newborn infants. Methods: Maternal and cord vein blood samples were obtained from 27 pregnant women at delivery, and from their breastfed, full-term newborns 48 h later. Galactose and glucose were determined by HPLC. Statistical analysis used ANOVA and Pearson correlation with p < 0.05. Results: Maternal galactose concentrations (0.08 +/- 0.03 mmol/l) were similar to cord blood galactose (0.07 +/- 0.03 mmol/l; p = 0.129). However, newborn blood galactose (0.05 +/- 0.02 mmol/l) was significantly lower than both cord (p = 0.042) and maternal blood (p = 0.002). Maternal blood glucose levels (4.72 +/- 0.86 mmol/l) were higher than cord blood (3.98 +/- 0.57 mmol/l; p < 0.001), and cord blood concentrations were higher than newborn blood levels (3.00 +/- 0.56 mmol/l; p < 0.001); all values expressed as mean +/- SD. Significant correlation was only seen between maternal and cord blood galactose levels (r = 0.67; p < 0.001) and glucose levels (r = 0.38; p = 0.047). Conclusion: the association and similarity between maternal and cord blood galactose levels suggest that the fetus is dependent on maternal galactose. In contrast, the lower galactose levels in newborn infants and a lack of association between both suggest self-regulation and a dependence on galactose ingestion. Copyright (c) 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel.

TMJ Vibrations in Asymptomatic Patients Using Old and New Complete Dentures

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the presence of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) noises in subjects with severe bone resorption, who have worn the same complete dentures for over 10 years, and 5 months after treatment with increments of acrylic resin on the occlusal surface after having new dentures in place.Methods: After applying the research diagnostic criteria (RDC)/temporomandibular disorder (TMD) questionnaire, 20 asymptomatic subjects were assessed before and 5 months after the new dentures were put in place. Joint vibrations were assessed by the Sono Pak program by selecting the vibrations that occurred during the opening and closing cycle.Results: The means of the results revealed a nonnormal distribution and were submitted to Kruskal-Wallis statistical analysis (p < 0.05). The vibration means were of low intensity (<= 9.96 Hz). After rehabilitation, there was a reduction in the vibrations (<= 5.2 Hz) statistically significant only at the end of mouth opening with the old dentures when compared with the other cycles.Conclusion: The intensity and number of occurrences of joint vibrations were reduced after 5 months of wearing new dentures.

Optimum design of experiments for statistical inference

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Caries and its association with infant feeding and oral health-related behaviours in 3-4-year-old Brazilian children

Objectives: To investigate the relationships between socio-demographic factors, infant feeding habits, oral hygiene and the prevalence and patterns of caries in Brazilian 3-4-year-olds. Methods: Systematic random sampling was used to select children enrolled in municipal nurseries in Araraquara, Brazil, in 1998. Clinical examinations were carried out by one examiner using dmft and dmfs indices and WHO criteria. Questionnaires for information related to the socio-demographic background, oral hygiene and dietary history of the children were completed by their mothers. Results: Caries was seen in 46% of the children; 17% of them had the more extensive pattern involving molars and incisors. Social class, mother's education, and age at which breast-feeding terminated showed statistically significant associations with caries. Feeding bottles with added sugars were still being given to 80% of the children. When the significant variables were taken into account only age at which breast-feeding terminated showed a significant relationship to the pattern of disease. Children who were never breast-fed or were breast-fed beyond the age of 24 months had a higher prevalence of the more extensive pattern of caries. Conclusions: The association between the length of time a mother breast-feeds and extensive caries should be a consideration in any local infant feeding policies or health promotion strategies. The duration for appropriate breast- or bottle-feeding should be emphasised.

Digestible tryptophan requirements for broilers from 22 to 42 days old

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Digestible valine requirements for broilers from 22 and 42 days old

Current experiment established different criteria to evaluate the requirements of digestible valine for broilers from 22 and 42 days of age, by different regression models (quadratic, exponential and Linear Response Plateau) and, in the case of statistical significance, the comparison of means by Duncan test at 5% probability. A total of 1,920 Cobb 500 male broilers were used and distributed in an entirely randomized experimental design, with 6 treatments (6 digestible valine levels: 0.7192, 0.7729, 0.8265, 0.8802, 0.9339 and 0.9876%) and 8 replications, with 40 broilers each. Data on performance and carcass characteristics were evaluated. The level of 0.8265% digestible valine was considered standard. The inclusion of 0.816, 0.848 and 0.903% of digestible valine levels, corresponding to digestible valine:lysine ratios of approximately 76.00%, 79.00% and 84.12%, provided best feed intake, weight gain and feed conversion ratio, respectively for broiler from 22 to 42 days of age.

Heydrichia (?) poignantii, sp nov (Sporolithaceae, Sporolithales, Rhodophyta), a 100 million year old fossil coralline red alga from north-eastern Brazil, and a new Hauterivian record of Sporolithon from Switzerland

Fossil specimens of Heydrichia (?) poignantii, sp. nov. (Sporolithaceae, Sporolithales, Rhodophyta), representing the first confirmation of the genus in the fossil record, were discovered in thin sections of Albian limestones from the Riachuelo Formation, Sergipe Basin, and in thin sections of Albian -Cenomanian limestones from the Ponta do Mel Formation, Potiguar Basin in north-eastern Brazil. A detailed morphological-anatomical account of the species is provided, and its placement in Heydrichia is discussed in relation to current classification proposals. Comparisons with the four other known species of the genus, all non-fossil, show that H. poignantii is the only known species of Heydrichia in which thalli are encrusting to sparsely warty to horizontally layered with overlapping lamellate branches that commonly appear variously curved or arched, and in which thalli have sporangial complexes that become buried in the thallus. The evolutionary history of Heydrichia remains uncertain, but available data suggest that the genus may have diverged from the sporolithacean genus Sporolithon, known as early as Hauterivian times (c. 129.4-132.9 +/- 1 Ma) from Spain (and newly reported here from Switzerland), or it may have arisen from a graticulacean alga such as Graticula, dating from mid-Silurian times (c. 427-435 Ma). Current data also suggest that Heydrichia is more likely to have arrived in Brazil from Central Atlantic waters than from higher latitude South Atlantic waters. This implies that currently living species in southern Africa probably arose later from ancestors further equatorward in the South Atlantic, although confirming studies are needed. All non-fossil species of Heydrichia are known only from the southern hemisphere.

Concilier les données qualitatives et quantitatives: un défi pour les recherches en acquisition du langage

What is the role of qualitative data? How should mixed approaches be considered? Is it necessary to complement the quantitative approach by the qualitative approach (Maziére et al., 2010) or the opposite? How can these two approaches be combined in a Language Acquisition research? What are the possibilities of generalization that these approaches provide? Besides those necessary theoretical discussions, our starting point is a qualitative research on the acquisition of the plural morpheme in Brazilian Portuguese (BP) in children between 1 year 11 months old and 2 years 7 months old (Hilário, 2012), whose linguistic production is intrinsically connected to their dialogic aspect (Bakhtin & Vološinov, 1973) and to the interaction among interlocutors (Bruner, 2004; Vygotsky, 1986). In this research through the usage of a computational tool (CLAN) it is expected to have more visibility of the quantitative results even if they are in a qualitative approach. Although, it should be taken into account the fact that each approach can achieve valid and relevant results (Valsiner 2000), i.e., with any given method it is possible to reach a kind of generalization (statistical or analytical).