Transformation of wealth produced into quality of life: analysis of the social efficiency of nation-states with the DEA's triple index approach

Although an essential condition for the occurrence of human development, economic growth is not always efficiently converted into quality of life by nation-states. Accordingly, the objective of this study is to measure the social efficiency-the ability of a nation-state to convert its produced wealth into quality of life-of a set of 101 countries. To achieve this goal, the Data Envelopment Analysis method was used in its standard, cross-multiplicative and inverted form, by means of a new approach called 'triple index'. The main results indicated that the former Soviet republics and Eastern European countries stood out in terms of social efficiency. The developed countries, notwithstanding their high social indicators, did not excel in efficiency; however, the countries of south of Africa, despite having the worst social conditions, were also the most inefficient.

A comparative, prospective and randomized evaluation of roux-en-y gastric bypass with and without the silastic ring: a 2-year follow up preliminary report on weight loss and quality of life

Currently, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is one of the most widely used bariatric surgeries. Banding the pouch forms a banded gastric bypass operation, an accepted and frequently used variant. Placing a silastic ring around the pouch to band the gastric bypass operation increases the restriction mechanism. However, the ubiquitous use of the banded gastric bypass remains controversial. One of the controversies is the effect of the silastic ring on patients' perception of their well being after surgery because of the frequency of vomiting. A prospective, blindly randomized, comparative trial was undertaken to resolve this controversy. Four hundred subjects scheduled for gastric bypass surgery were randomized into two arms of the trial, 200 with a silastic ring (WR) and 200 without (NR). After 2-year follow-up, the variables associated with the scores of Bariatric Analysis and Reporting Outcome System (BAROS) were analyzed. The initial median weight (125 kg), BMI (47), and age (36 years) were the same in both the NR and WR groups. The median excess weight loss, weight regain, and incidence of vomiting were 71, 10.5, and 7.75 %, respectively, in the NR group vs. 75.4 and 1.1, and 24.4 % in the WR group. The mean QOL score was 79 % in the NR group vs. 80 % in the WR group. After 2-year follow-up, silastic ring placement in the RYGB resulted in greater weight loss and weight stability and a threefold greater incidence of vomiting. There was no difference in the scores in the quality of life analysis.

Effects of discontinuous Percoll gradient centrifugation on the quality of bovine spermatozoa evaluated with computer-assisted semen analysis and fluorescent probes association

The objective of this study was to evaluate the quality of bovine frozen-thawed sperm cells after Percoll gradient centrifugation. Frozen semen doses were obtained from six bulls of different breeds, including three taurine and three Zebu animals. Four ejaculates per bull were evaluated before and after discontinuous Percoll gradient centrifugation. Sperm motility was assessed by computer-assisted semen analysis and the integrity of the plasma and acrosomal membranes, as well as mitochondrial function, were evaluated using a combination of fluorescent probes propidium iodide, fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated Pisum sativum agglutinin and 5,5',6,6'-tetrachloro-1,1',3,3'-tetraethylbenzimidazolcarbocyanine iodide. The procedure of Percoll gradient centrifugation increased the percentage of total and progressive sperm motility, beat frequency, rectilinear motility, linearity and rapidly moving cells. In addition, the percentage of cells with intact plasma membrane and mitochondrial membrane potential was increased in post-centrifugation samples. However, the percentage of sperm cells with intact acrosomal membrane was markedly reduced. The method used selected the motile cells with intact plasma membrane and higher mitochondrial functionality in frozen-thawed bull semen, but processing, centrifugation and/or the Percoll medium caused damage to the acrosomal membrane.

Grain quality of upland rice cultivars in response to cropping systems in the Brazilian tropical savanna

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Performance, carcass traits, meat quality and economic analysis of feedlot of young bulls fed oilseeds with and without supplementation of vitamin E

The objective of this research was to evaluate average daily gain (ADG), carcass traits, meat tenderness and profitability of keeping cattle fed different oilseeds and vitamin E in feedlot. A total of 40 Red Norte young bulls with initial average body weight of 339±15 kg were utilized. The experimental design was completely randomized in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. The experiment lasted 84 days and experimental diets presented soybeans or cottonseeds as lipid sources associated or not to daily supplementation of 2,500 UI vitamin E per animal. The concentrate:roughage ratio was 60:40. Diets had the same amount of nitrogen (13% CP) and ether extract (6.5%). The data were analyzed by means of statistical software SAS 9.1. Neither vitamin supplementation nor lipid source affected ADG. There was no interaction between lipid source and vitamin supplementation for the variables studied. The inclusion of cottonseed reduced the carcass yield. There was no effect of diets on hot and cold carcass weights or prime cuts. The inclusion of cottonseed reduced the backfat thickness. No effect of experimental diets on the rib-eye area was observed. There was no effect of lipid source or vitamin supplementation on meat tenderness, which was affected, however, by ageing time. Diets with soybeans presented higher cost per animal. The utilization of soybean implied reduction of the gross margin (R$ 59.17 and R$ 60.51 for diets based on soy with and without supplemental vitamin, respectively, vs. R$ 176.42 and R$ 131.79 for diets based on cottonseed). The utilization of cottonseed enables improvement of profitability of feedlot fattening, in spite of negatively affecting some carcass characteristics.

New approach to four-phase transmission systems: analysis of the transient response and the possible voltage surges

This study describes a technical analysis of a four-phase line as a transmission system alternative. An analysis in the frequency and the time domains is performed to evaluate the electrical characteristics and the transient response of a generic four-phase system compared with those of a conventional three-phase transmission system. The technical features of this non-conventional system are discussed and reviewed based on the current literature. Thus, a new analysis of the four-phase system is presented that emphasises several technical characteristics that have not been discussed in previous studies.

Physical quality of an Oxisol under an integrated crop-livestock-forest system in the Brazilian Cerrado

Soil physical quality is an important factor for the sustainability of agricultural systems. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate soil physical properties and soil organic carbon in a Typic Acrudox under an integrated crop-livestock-forest system. The experiment was carried out in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Treatments consisted of seven systems: integrated crop-livestock-forest, with 357 trees ha-1 and pasture height of 30 cm (CLF357-30); integrated crop-livestock-forest with 357 trees ha-1 and pasture height of 45 cm (CLF357-45); integrated crop-livestock-forest with 227 trees ha-1 and pasture height of 30 cm (CLF227-30); integrated crop-livestock-forest with 227 trees ha-1 and pasture height of 45 cm (CLF227-45); integrated crop-livestock with pasture height of 30 cm (CL30); integrated crop-livestock with pasture height of 45 cm (CL45) and native vegetation (NV). Soil properties were evaluated for the depths of 0-10 and 10-20 cm. All grazing treatments increased bulk density (r b) and penetration resistance (PR), and decreased total porosity (¦t) and macroporosity (¦ma), compared to NV. The values of r b (1.18-1.47 Mg m-3), ¦ma (0.14-0.17 m³ m-3) and PR (0.62-0.81 MPa) at the 0-10 cm depth were not restrictive to plant growth. The change in land use from NV to CL or CLF decreased soil organic carbon (SOC) and the soil organic carbon pool (SOCpool). All grazing treatments had a similar SOCpool at the 0-10 cm depth and were lower than that for NV (17.58 Mg ha-1).

Physical quality of an Oxisol after different periods of management systems

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

Iron oxides and quality of organic matter in sugarcane harvesting systems

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

Effect of cropping systems in no-till farming on the quality of a Brazilian Oxisol

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Effect of citrus sudden death on yield and quality of sweet orange cultivars in Brazil

Citrus sudden death (CSD) has greatly affected sweet orange cultivars grafted on Rangpur lime in São Paulo and Minas Gerais States, Brazil. To characterize and quantify CSD damage, fruit yield and quality were assessed in each combination of sweet orange cultivar (Hamlin, Pera, Natal, and Valencia), age class (3 to 5, 6 to 10, and 11 to 15 years old), and CSD severity class (0 = no symptom, 1 = initial symptoms, and 2 = severe symptoms). For each combination, 10 trees were harvested and 20 fruit were taken for quality analysis. Damage was characterized by reduc_ tion of: (i) total weight of fruit/tree (36 and 67% for severity class 1 and 2, respectively), (ii) number of fruit/tree (27 and 55%), (iii) fruit size (13 and 25% in diameter and height [stem to styler distance]), (iv) fruit weight (32 and 56%), (v) total soluble solids (TSS)/fruit (18 and 42%), and increase of (vi) Brix (14 and 34%), (vii) acidity (16 and 41%), and (viii) TSS/90-1b. box (21 and 33%). There was no alteration on Brix/acidity ratio and percentage of juice on fruit of affected trees. Sweet orange cultivars did not differ in percentage of reduction or increase of all yield and quality variables, with the exception of Pera, which expressed increases of Brix and acidity. For more severe affected trees, the youngest plants showed a higher reduction in fruit number/tree, whereas plants 6 to 10 years old showed a higher increase in fruit acidity and TSS/box. However, no differences in percentage of reduction or increase for other variables were observed among different age classes. The damage to the above probably was associated with reduced water absorption capacity of CSD-affected trees.

Physical quality of an Oxisol cultivated with maize submited to cover crops in the pre-cropping period

The intensive use of land alters the distribution of the pore size which imparts consequences on the soil physical quality. The Least Limiting Water Range (LLWR) allows for the visualization of the effects of management systems upon either the improvement or the degradation of the soil physical quality. The objective of this study was to evaluate the physical quality of a Red Latosol (Oxisol) submited to cover crops in the period prior to the maize crop in a no-tillage and conventional tillage system, using porosity, soil bulk density and the LLWR as attributes. The treatments were: conventional tillage (CT) and a no-tillage system with the following cover crops: sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.) (NS), pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum (L.) Leeke) (NP) and lablab (Dolichos lablab L.) (NL). The experimental design was randomized blocks in subdivided plots with six replications, with the plots being constituted by the treatments and the subplots by the layers analyzed. The no-tillage systems showed higher total porosity and soil organic matter at the 0-0.5 m layer for the CT. The CT did not differ from the NL or NS in relation to macroporosity. The NP showed the greater porosity, while CT and NS presented lower soil bulk density. No <= 10 % airing porosity was found for the treatments evaluated, and value for water content where soil aeration is critical (theta(PA)) was found above estimated water content at field capacity (theta(FC)) for all densities. Critical soil bulk density was of 1.36 and 1.43 Mg m(-3) for NP and CT, respectively. The LLWR in the no-tillage systems was limited in the upper part by the theta(FC), and in the bottom part, by the water content from which soil resistance to penetration is limiting (theta(PR)). By means of LLWR it was observed that the soil presented good physical quality.

Population structure and effects of inbreeding on milk yield and quality of Murrah buffaloes

To provide data for conservation, selection, and expansion programs of buffalo herds, this study evaluated the history of a population of Murrah buffaloes based on population structure and the effect of inbreeding on accumulated 305-d milk yield (MY), fat yield (FY), protein yield (PY), mozzarella production (MProd), and somatic cell score (SCS). The usefulness of including the individual inbreeding coefficient (F) or individual increase in inbreeding coefficient (Delta F) in the model to describe inbreeding depression was evaluated. Pedigree information from 8,054 animals born between 1976 and 2008 and 4,497 lactation records obtained from 12 herds were used. The realized effective population size was 40.10 +/- 1.27, and the mean F of the entire population was 2.14%. The ratio between the number of founders and ancestors demonstrated the existence of a bottleneck in the pedigree of this population, which may contribute to a reduction of genetic diversity. The effect of F on MY, FY, PY, MProd, and SCS was -1.005 kg, -0.299 kg, -0.246 kg, -1.201 kg, and -0.002 units, and the effect of Delta F transformed to equivalent F (%) for a mean of 2.57 equivalent generations was -4.287 kg, -0.581 kg, -0.383 kg, -2.001 kg, and -0.007 units, respectively. The inbreeding depression observed may have important economic repercussions for production systems. The Delta F can be considered the better of the two indicators of inbreeding depression due to its properties that prevent underestimation of this effect. A designed mating system to avoid inbreeding may be applied to this population to maintain genetic diversity.

Silicon leaf application and physiological quality of white oat and wheat seeds

Plant nutrition can positively influence quality of seeds by improving plant tolerance to adverse climate. In this context, silicon is currently considered a micronutrient and it is beneficial to plant growth, especially Poaceaes such as white oat and wheat, thereby improving physiological quality of seeds. This study had the objective of evaluating the effects of silicon leaf application on plant tillering, silicon levels and physiological quality of white oat and wheat seeds besides establishing correlations between them. Two experiments were carried out in winter with white oat and wheat. The experimental design was the completely randomized block with eight replications. Treatments consisted of foliar application of silicon (0.8% of soluble silicon, as stabilized orthosilicic acid) and a control (with no application). Silicon levels in leaves were determined at flowering whereas the number of plants and panicles/spikes per area was counted right before harvest. Seed quality was evaluated right after harvest through mass, germination and vigor tests. Data was submitted to variance analysis and means were compared by the Tukey test at a probability level of 5%. Person's linear correlation test was performed among silicon level in plants, tillering and seed quality data. Silicon leaf application increases root and total length of white oat seedlings as an effect of higher Si level in leaves. Silicon leaf application increases mass of wheat seeds without affecting germination or vigor.