The Effect of Serial Culture and Storage on the Protective Potential of a Competitive Exclusion Preparation

Cultura de fezes (Método de Exclusão Competitiva - EC) utilizada para prevenir a colonização cecal de aves por Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (SE) foi submetida a cultivos seriados para evitar a presença de patógenos e, após o tratamento mais adequado, foi armazenada em temperatura de refrigeração antes do seu uso por até 63 dias. Os resultados mostraram que o cultivo repetido por 14 vezes não prejudica a ação protetora da cultura (CE), a qual continua inibindo a colonização cecal por SE. O produto submetido a 12 cultivos e armazenado durante 28 dias em temperatura de refrigeração também continua eficaz.

Environmental management in Brazil: is it a completely competitive priority?

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Competitive release and area effects

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Stroking Parameters during Continuous and Intermittent Exercise in Regional-Level Competitive Swimmers

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Evidence of zinc deficiency in competitive swimmers

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the nutritional zinc (Zn) status of elite swimmers during different training periods.Methods: A longitudinal paired study was performed at the University of São Paulo in eight male swimmers 18 to 25 y old who had been swimming competitively at the state and national levels for at least 5 y. The swimmers were evaluated over a total period of 14 wk: before the basic and specific preparatory period (BSPP-baseline), at the end of the basic and specific preparatory period (post-BSPP), and at the end of the polishing period (PP). Levels of Zn were determined in the plasma, erythrocyte, urine, and saliva by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Anthropometric measurements and a 3-d food record were also evaluated.Results: The median plasma Zn concentration was below the reference value in all training periods (BSPP-baseline 59 mu g/dL, post-BSPP 55.9 mu g/dL, after PP 58.8 mu g/dL, P > 0.05), as were threshold values for erythrocytes (BSPP-baseline 36.5 mu g of Zn/g of hemoglobin, post-BSPP 42 mu g of Zn/g of hemoglobin, after PP 40.7 mu g of Zn/g of hemoglobin, P > 0.05), urinary Zn (BSPP-baseline 280 mu g/24 h, post-BSPP 337 mu g/24 h, after PP 284 mu g/24 h, P > 0.05), and salivary Zn (BSPP-baseline 66.1 mu g/L, post-BSPP 54.1 mu g/L, after PP 79.7 mu g/L, > 0.05). Salivary Zn did not correlate with plasma and erythrocyte Zn levels.Conclusion: The results suggest that the elite swimmers studied presented a possible Zn deficiency and that salivary Zn was not adequate to evaluate the Zn nutritional status. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Detection of infectious bronchitis virus in experimentally infected chickens by an antigen-competitive ELISA

An antigen-competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Ag-C-ELISA) was developed for the detection of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) antigens, M41 strain, in tissues from experimentally infected chickens, or in allantoic fluid harvested from inoculated embryonated eggs. The detection limit of IBV in the Ag-C-ELISA was 104.1 median embryo infective doses (EID50)/well. Tracheal and lung samples from chickens vaccinated with 102.5 EID50 of live attenuated infectious bronchitis (H120) vaccine were negative in the direct detection Ag-C-ELISA. The results indicate that the Ag-C-ELISA has the potential to detect IBV, either directly in tissue samples or when combined with the passage of material in embryonated eggs, thereby constituting an alternative method for the diagnosis of IBV.

Video target tracking by using competitive neural networks

A target tracking algorithm able to identify the position and to pursuit moving targets in video digital sequences is proposed in this paper. The proposed approach aims to track moving targets inside the vision field of a digital camera. The position and trajectory of the target are identified by using a neural network presenting competitive learning technique. The winning neuron is trained to approximate to the target and, then, pursuit it. A digital camera provides a sequence of images and the algorithm process those frames in real time tracking the moving target. The algorithm is performed both with black and white and multi-colored images to simulate real world situations. Results show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, since the neurons tracked the moving targets even if there is no pre-processing image analysis. Single and multiple moving targets are followed in real time.

Optimal contract pricing of distributed generation under a competitive framework

A bilevel programming approach for the optimal contract pricing of distributed generation (DG) in distribution networks is presented. The outer optimization problem corresponds to the owner of the DG who must decide the contract price that would maximize his profits. The inner optimization problem corresponds to the distribution company (DisCo), which procures the minimization of the payments incurred in attending the expected demand while satisfying network constraints. The meet the expected demand the DisCo can purchase energy either form the transmission network through the substations or form the DG units within its network. The inner optimization problem is substituted by its Karush- Kuhn-Tucker optimality conditions, turning the bilevel programming problem into an equivalent single-level nonlinear programming problem which is solved using commercially available software. © 2010 IEEE.

Use of organic acids and competitive exclusion product as an alternative to antibiotic as a growth promoter in the raising of commercial turkeys

Processo FAPESP: 10/20655-3

Control of Salmonella Enteritidis in turkeys using organic acids and competitive exclusion product

Aim: To evaluate the use of organic acids (OAs) and competitive exclusion (CE) product administered continuously in the feed and transiently in drinking water on the control of Salmonella enterica subspecie enterica serotype Enteritidis (SE) prior to slaughter.Methods and Results: The influence of treatments were evaluated on pH, population of the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and bacteria of the family Enterobacteriaceae, concentration of volatile fatty acids and SE colonization in the crop and caecum. The birds were challenged with SE 24 h before being slaughtered, and then, the caeca and crop were removed and subjected to SE counts. Continuous administration of OAs reduced the population of bacteria from the Enterobacteriaceae family in both crop and caecum, positively influenced the butyric acid concentration and reduced SE colonization in the caecum. The diet supplemented with CE product positively influenced the quantity of LAB in the crop and caecum, elevated the butyric acid concentration and reduced both Enterobacteriaceae quantity and SE colonization in the caecum. There was no effect from administering the treatments via drinking water on the variables measured.Conclusions: Continuous supplementation in feed with OAs and CE product reduced SE colonization of the caeca.Significance and Impact of the Study: Supplementation of OAs and CE product in diet to turkeys can reduce the SE load, potentially leading to a lower contamination risk of meat during slaughter.

Typology of companies networks for competitive assessment: an application in higher education institutions

Taking into account the changes in the market scenario by virtue of globalization, Institutes of Higher Education (IES) as well as other organizations seek their competitive stability. For that reason, it is up to organizations to adopt innovative models of management for their operations aimed at improving results. Company networks consist of a model that is perfect for uniting efforts through cooperation among partners in a given business, which can involve ties of different natures. This paper shows the development and the application of an auxiliary technique to analyze the intensity, nature and importance of internal and external relations in the formation of results for a company network. For such, a multiple case study was conducted at two IES in the State of São Paulo and their networks of partners and employees in order to observe their specificities and organizational strategies. The study demonstrated the existence of specific performance criteria (pillars) for each IES and its network, resulting from its competitive reality. It reveals evidence that the education pillar is strengthened in both cases, and the research pillar is growing, although it is the weakest. The outreach pillar is the most robust in the public IES and the financial sustainability pillar is relevant for the private IES, and it was only detected in this IES.

Effect of the competition of Cu(II) and Ni(II) on the kinetic and thermodynamic stabilities of Cr(III)-organic ligand complexes using competitive ligand exchange (EDTA)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Talent detection in taekwondo: which factors are associated with the longitudinal competitive success?

Background Several morphological and functional characteristics are associated with the performance of taekwondo (TKD) adult athletes. However, we did not find any longitudinal study associating these features to the future performance of young athletes, and thereby, identifying the best variables to use in a battery of tests to talent detection. Therefore, the aim of this study is answer the question which factors are associated with the longitudinal competitive success of TKD young athletes over five competitive years (2008 to 2012).Material &Methods: Six taekwondo athletes (13.06 +/- 1.07 years, 43.6 +/- 6.6 kg, 157.9 +/- 8.3 cm), who trained three to six hours per week, for more than three years, were assessed on 32 maturational indicators, of body composition, anthropometric and functional, using anthropometric techniques, dual energy x-ray absorptiometry, carpal radiography and contact platform. To determine the competitive ranking, the competitive results of athletes from 2008 to 2012 were analysed, and these values were correlated with the other 32 indicators for determining the Longitudinal Predictors of Performance in TKD (LPPT). Moreover, one of the athletes achieved results notably higher than the other, being medalled at Junior World Championships. Therefore, all variables were transformed into z-scores and all those in which this athlete presented superior performance in 1 z-scores were considered as LPPT. Results: The athlete of reference (the first in Longitudinal Competitive Ranking 2008-2012) distinguished, in accordance with the criteria, in nineteen LPPT indicators. The ranking was correlated with 6 LPPT parameters, including one from the maturation group of indicators and five from the functional group.Conclusion: Our results allowed us to identify several factors that are related to longitudinal competitive success in taekwondo young athletes. These factors should be considered by coaches to the proper selection of training programs, as well as for the pre-selection of young talents in competitive taekwondo. However, these results apply only to the Portuguese taekwondo adolescent athletes, being of limited generalizability.

Competitive interactions between C. albicans, C. glabrata and C. krusei during biofilm formation and development of experimental Candidiasis

In this study, we evaluated the interactions between Candida albicans, Candida krusei and Candida glabrata in mixed infections. Initially, these interactions were studied in biofilms formed in vitro. CFU/mL values of C. albicans were lower in mixed biofilms when compared to the single biofilms, verifying 77% and 89% of C. albicans reduction when this species was associated with C. glabrata and C. krusei, respectively. After that, we expanded this study for in vivo host models of experimental candidiasis. G. mellonella larvae were inoculated with monotypic and heterotypic Candida suspensions for analysis of survival rate and quantification of fungal cells in the haemolymph. In the groups with single infections, 100% of the larvae died within 18 h after infection with C. albicans. However, interaction groups achieved 100% mortality after 72 h of infection by C. albicans-C. glabrata and 96 h of infection by C. albicans-C. krusei. C. albicans CFU/mL values from larvae hemolymph were lower in the interacting groups compared with the monoespecies group after 12 h of infection. In addition, immunosuppressed mice were also inoculated with monotypic and heterotypic microbial suspensions to induce oral candidiasis. C. albicans CFU/mL values recovered from oral cavity of mice were higher in the group with single infection by C. albicans than the groups with mixed infections by C. albicans-C. glabrata and C. albicans-C. krusei. Moreover, the group with single infection by C. albicans had a higher degree of hyphae and epithelial changes in the tongue dorsum than the groups with mixed infections. We concluded that single infections by C. albicans were more harmful for animal models than mixed infections with non-albicans species, suggesting that C. albicans establish competitive interactions with C. krusei and C. glabrata during biofilm formation and development of experimental candidiasis.