Multi-population genetic algorithm to solve the synchronized and integrated two-level lot sizing and scheduling problem

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

Comparison between intermittent mandatory ventilation and synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation with pressure support in children

Objective: To compare intermittent mandatory ventilation (IMV) with synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation plus pressure support (SIMV+PS) in terms of time on mechanical ventilation, duration of weaning and length of stay in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).Methods: This was a randomized clinical trial that enrolled children aged 28 days to 4 years who were admitted to a PICU between October of 2005 and June of 2007 and put on mechanical ventilation (MV) for more than 48 hours. These patients were allocated to one of two groups by drawing lots: IMV group (IMVG; n = 35) and SIMV+PS group (SIMVG; n = 35). Children were excluded if they had undergone tracheotomy or had chronic respiratory diseases. Data on oxygenation and ventilation were recorded at admission and at the start of weaning.Results: There were no statistical differences between the groups in terms of age, sex, indication for MV, PRISM score, Comfort scale, use of sedatives or ventilation and oxygenation parameters. The median time on MV was 5 days for both groups (p = 0.120). There were also no statistical differences between the two groups for duration of weaning [IMVG: 1 day (1-6) vs. SIMVG: 1 day (1-6); p = 0.262] or length of hospital stay [IMVG: 8 days (2-22) vs. SIMVG: 6 days (3-20); p = 0.113].Conclusion: Among the children studied here, there was no statistically significant difference between IMV and SIMV+ PS in terms of time on MV, duration of weaning or time spent in the PICU.ClinicalTrials.govID: NCT00549809.

Effects of two estradiol esters (benzoate and cypionate) on the induction of synchronized ovulations in Bos indicus cows submitted to a timed artificial insemination protocol

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Do high progesterone concentrations decrease pregnancy rates in embryo recipients synchronized with PGF2 alpha and eCG?

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) treatment on the number of induced accessory corpora lutea (CL), plasma progesterone concentrations and pregnancy rate in cross-bred heifers after transfer of frozen-thawed (1.5 M ethylene glycol) embryos. All recipients received 500 mug PGF2alpha (dl-cloprostenol, i.m.) at random stages of the estrous cycle (Day 0) and were observed for estrus for 7 days. on Day 14, heifers detected in estrus between 2 and 7 days after PGF2alpha treatment were randomly allocated to four groups (n = 83 per group) and given 0 (control), 200, 400, or 600 IU of eCG. Two days later (Day 16), these recipients were given PGF2a and observed for estrus. Six to eight days after detection of estrus, plasma samples were collected to determine progesterone concentration and ultrasonography was performed to observe ovarian structures. Heifers with multiple CL or a single CL >15 mm in diameter received an embryo by direct transfer. Embryos of excellent and good quality were thawed and transferred to the recipients by the same veterinarian. Pregnancy was diagnosed by ultrasonography and confirmed by transrectal palpation 21 and 83 days after embryo transfer (ET), respectively. Plasma progesterone concentrations on the day of transfer (Day 7 of the estrous cycle) were 3.9 +/- 0.7, 4.2 +/- 0.4, 6.0 +/- 0.4, and 7.8 +/- 0.6 ng/ml for groups Control, 200, 400, and 600, respectively (Control versus treated groups P = 0.009; 200 versus 400 and 600 groups P = 0.0001; and 400 versus 600 P = 0.012). Conception rates 83 days after ET were 41.9, 50.0, 25.0, and 20.9% for groups Control, 200, 400, and 600, respectively (200 versus 400 and 600 groups P = 0.0036). In conclusion, an increase in progesterone concentration, induced by eCG treatment, did not improve pregnancy rates in ET recipients. Conversely, there was a decline in conception rates in the animals with the highest plasma progesterone concentrations. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Communication and synchronized molting in a colonial araneid spider, Eriophora bistriata

The colonial orb-weaving spider, Eriophora bistriata, coordinates molting cycles through communication. Colonies with differing molting cycles synchronize when combined. Intercycle intervals depend upon food availability. The possible coordination of this synchrony by chemical communication among spiders is discussed. © 1988 Birkhäuser Verlag Basel.

Tabu search to solve the Synchronized and Integrated Two-Level Lot Sizing and Scheduling Problem

This paper proposes a tabu search approach to solve the Synchronized and Integrated Two-Level Lot Sizing and Scheduling Problem (SITLSP). It is a real-world problem, often found in soft drink companies, where the production process has two integrated levels with decisions concerning raw material storage and soft drink bottling. Lot sizing and scheduling of raw materials in tanks and products in bottling lines must be simultaneously determined. Real data provided by a soft drink company is used to make comparisons with a previous genetic algorithm. Computational results have demonstrated that tabu search outperformed genetic algorithm in all instances. Copyright 2011 ACM.

Effect of progesterone concentrations, follicle diameter, timing of artificial insemination, and ovulatory stimulus on pregnancy rate to synchronized artificial insemination in postpubertal Nellore heifers

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

The interval between the emergence of pharmacologically synchronized ovarian follicular waves and ovum pickup does not significantly affect in vitro embryo production in Bos indicus, Bos taurus, and Bubalus bubalis

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

Africanized honey bee (Apis mellifera) venom profiling: Seasonal variation of melittin and phospholipase A(2) levels

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

Concentrações séricas hormonais em vacas azebuadas submetidas à baixa e alta ingestão alimentar

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a influência da ingestão alimentar nas concentrações séricas de hormônios reprodutivos e metabólicos em vacas azebuadas. Dezoito vacas foram divididas em dois grupos: 170% (alta ingestão = A) e 66% (baixa ingestão = B) da dieta de manutenção. Com 21 dias nas dietas experimentais, as vacas tiveram o estro sincronizado. Posteriormente, os ovários foram avaliados por ultra-sonografia transretal e sangue foi coletado diariamente até o dia 7 do ciclo (ovulação = dia 1). Na análise estatística, utilizou-se o teste t. As vacas ganharam 1,1 kg por dia no grupo A e perderam 1,5 kg por dia de PV no grupo B. Apesar de não ter havido diferença entre os grupos no diâmetro máximo do folículo ovulatório, o grupo A apresentou pico pré-ovulatório de estradiol sérico menor. Não foi observada diferença entre os grupos quanto ao volume luteal e concentração sérica de progesterona no dia 7 do ciclo e de FSH, IGF-I e insulina séricos no período peri-ovulatório. As dietas experimentais não alteraram a função ovariana e as concentrações séricas de hormônios reprodutivos e metabólicos, com exceção do estradiol, sugerindo que, no grupo de alta ingestão, ocorreu maior metabolismo desse hormônio.

Fertility Rates Following Fixed-Time Artificial Insemination in Dairy Heifers in a Practical Progesterone-Based Protocol

Background: In bovines, more efficient management practices are important for maximizing profitability. In order to increase the pregnancy rates in artificial insemination (AI) programs, several hormonal protocols were developed to synchronize the follicular wave and the moment of ovulation in beef and dairy cattle. In dairy cattle, detection of estrus can be difficult due to a number of factors including the incidence of silent estrus. Hormonal treatments designed to control both luteal and follicular function has permitting efficient synchronizations of time of ovulation. Thus, the AI can be performed in a large number of animals on a fixed schedule without the need for detection of estrus. Using these management techniques, the fixed-time artificial insemination (TAI) can overcome the problem of accurate estrus detection and help in reducing the incidence of repeat breeding. In addition, with TAI in cattle operations, it is possible to facilitate management practices and commercialization, and to reduce the time and semen wasting with animals inseminated at incorrect times. The investigation of practical and efficient TAI protocols is important for reducing the labor and animal handling of TAI in dairy cattle, as well as for increasing the profitability of the cattle management system. This study was carried out in order to investigate the effectiveness of TAI in dairy heifers treated with a practical progesterone-based protocol.Materials, Methods & Results: This experiment was conducted at the university farm located in southwestern Brazil, during May 2009. Thirty-nine cycling crossbred dairy heifers were employed in this study. All animals received a single intramuscular injection of estradiol benzoate and intravaginal progesterone releasing device in a random stage of the estrous cycle (Day 0). on day 7 the animals were treated with PGF2a analogue and on day 9 the device was removed. Forty-eight hours after the device removal (day 11) a synthetic analogue of GnRH was administered and the animals were fixed-time artificially inseminated at the time of GnRH injection. The inseminations were performed using four different batches from the same Holstein bull. Among the heifers that were synchronized (87.2%), 30.8% ovulated until 24 h after TAI and 56.4% ovulated between 24 and 32 h after TAI. The conception rate was 61.5%. No effects of ovulation time in conception rates were detected. The conception rate from heifers that ovulated until 24 h after TAI was 58.3% and from heifers that ovulated between 24 and 32 h after TAI was 77.3%. The mean of ovulatory follicle in heifers that ovulated until 24 h was 14.3 mm and in heifers that ovulated between 24 and 32 h was 11.9 mm.Discussion: Taking together, the findings of the present study, along with those of others, emphasize the concept that development of practical methods for TAI offers significant advantages to dairy producers if conception rates are close or greater to those obtained after breeding at detected estrus. Thus, the results of the present study reinforce the possibility of making dairy cattle production more cost-effective using TAI. In conclusion, with the progesterone-based TAI protocol of the present experiment all synchronized animals ovulated up to 32 h after GnRH+TAI and no effects of ovulation time related to conception rate was detected. The exogenous control of luteal and follicular development facilitated the reproductive management and animal handling. Also, inseminating the heifers at the moment of GnRH injection in a progesterone-based TAI protocol is a practical strategy and provided satisfactory results regarding ovulation and conception rates in dairy heifers.

Effect of breed and corpus luteum on pregnancy rate of bovine embryo recipients

The objective of this study was to evaluate pregnancy rates of recipients of different breed groups (Nellore and crossbreed), as well as the effects of size and type of the corpus luteum (CL) on plasmatic concentrations of progesterone and pregnancy rates of embryo recipients. A total of 152 heifers were synchronized with progesterone implants and on the day of embryo transfer, previously obtained by superovulation and frozen in ethylene glycol, the diameter and type of the corpus luteum (cavitary and compact) was measured and blood was collected for progesterone measurement. The pregnancy rate was 44.1%, with a diameter of corpus luteum higher in recipients that became pregnant (2.03±0.41) compared with non-pregnant ones (1.86±0.34 cm). Plasmatic concentrations of progesterone did not differ between pregnant (1.50±1.05) and non-pregnant (1.31±0.91 ng/mL) animals. The type of corpus luteum did not influence the pregnancy rates. Only Angus and crossbred Marchigiana differ among themselves in pregnancy rates (33.3 and 59.2%, respectively). The pregnancy probability was affected only by CL diameter, but not by P4 plasmatic concentration. Selection of the corpus luteum size at the time of embryo transfer is an important factor to increase pregnancy rates in recipients, and compact and cavitary corpora lutea do not influence the pregnancy rates of bovine embryo recipients. Nellore recipients have pregnancy rates that are satisfactory and comparable to crossbred (Bos taurus × Bos indicus) recipients.

Waveshapes of continuing currents and properties of M-components in natural positive cloud-to-ground lightning

This work analyses the waveshapes of continuing currents and parameters of M-components in positive cloud-to-ground (CG) flashes through high-speed GPS synchronized videos. The dataset is composed of only long continuing currents (with duration longer than 40 ms) and was selected from more than 800 flashes recorded in Sao Jose dos Campos (45.864 degrees W, 23.215 degrees S) and Uruguaiana (29.806 degrees W, 57.005 degrees S) in Southeast and South of Brazil, respectively, during 2003 to 2007 summers. The videos are compared with data obtained by the Brazilian Lightning Location System (BrasilDAT) in order to determine the polarity of each flash and select only positive cases. There are only two studies of waveshapes of continuing currents in the literature. One is based on direct current measurements of triggered lightning, in which four different types of waveshapes were observed; and the other is based on measurements of luminosity variations in high-speed videos of CG negative lightning, in which besides the four types above mentioned two additional types were observed. The present work is an extension of the latter, using the same method but now applied to obtain the waveshapes of positive CG lightning. As far as the authors know, this is the first report on M-components in positive continuing currents. We also have used the luminosity-versus-time graphs to observe their occurrence and measure some parameters (duration, elapsed time and time between two successive M-components), whose statistics are presented and compared in detail to the data for negative flashes. We have plotted a histogram of the M-components elapsed time over the total duration of the continuing current for positive flashes, which presented an exponential decay (correlation coefficient: 0.83), similar to what has been observed for negative flashes. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mês de parição, condição corporal e resposta ao protocolo de inseminação artificial em tempo fixo em vacas de corte primíparas

No experimento I, foi avaliada a alteração da condição corporal (CC) pré e pós-parto em 155 novilhas inseminadas para parir de setembro a dezembro. A CC foi avaliada mensalmente no pré e pós-parto, de junho a fevereiro. No experimento II, 538 vacas primíparas foram sincronizadas com o protocolo de inseminação artificial em tempo fixo (IATF) que usou estradiol junto ao dispositivo intravaginal de progesterona (CIDR®). As taxas de ciclicidade, sincronização e concepção foram avaliadas por ultra-som. No experimento I, os animais que pariram primeiro tiveram maior (P<0,001) redução na CC pós-parto. No experimento II, foi observado maior CC (P<0,0001) nos animais com menor número de dias pós-parto, maior (P<0,05) taxa de sincronização nas vacas de melhor CC e aumento (P<0,0001) na taxa de concepção proporcional ao aumento na CC (incremento médio na concepção de seis pontos percentuais para cada 0,25 ponto na CC). Não se deve antecipar a parição de novilhas de corte quando se pretende realizar IATF no início da estação de monta subseqüente.