Sodium levels for Japanese quail at initial phases

The aim of this research was to determine the nutritional requirements of sodium for Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix Japonica) during the periods of 1 to 21 d and 22 to 40 d of age, as well as to evaluate the residual effect on egg production and densitometry bone traits from 41 to 63 d. Two experiments were developed. Experiment 1: 360 Japanese quail were used, from 1 to 21 d of age. Treatments consisted of 5 sodium levels (0.06, 0.12, 0.18, 0.24, and 0.30%). Experiment 2: 240 Japanese quail were used, from 22 to 40 d. Treatments consisted of 5 sodium levels (0.04, 0.12, 0.20, 0.28, and 0.36%). In both experiments, weight gain, final weight, and feed conversion presented a quadratic trend, whereas water intake presented a linear trend. Treatments did not affect the densitometry of bone traits, although they presented a quadratic influence on tibia ash, calcium, and calcium: phosphorus ratio. Therefore, the nutritional requirement of sodium for Japanese quail from 1 to 21 d and from 22 to 40 d is 0.222% and 0.253%, respectively.

Detection of bovine herpesvirus 5 (BoHV-5) in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded bovine brain by nested PCR in Colombian cattle

Fifteen cases of viral meningoencephalitis in Colombian cattle were tested by nested PCR analysis for the detection of bovine herpesvirus 5 (BoHV-5). All fatal cases had shown severe neurological signs and had occurred following natural outbreaks of the disease. The neurological infection was histologically characterized by mild to moderate inflammatory changes in the brain and cerebellum, including meningitis, mononuclear perivascular cuffing, gliosis, haemorrhage, and the presence of Gitter cells (macrophages) accompanying large areas of malacia. No intranuclear inclusion bodies were seen in any of the cases. Results from BoHV-5 molecular extraction analyses showed there were five positive cases thus confirming the presence of the virus in Colombia.

Basal temperature and thermal sum in phenological phases of nectarine and peach cultivars

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a temperatura basal, a soma térmica acumulada em diferentes fases fenológicas, a duração das fenofases, a produtividade e a sazonalidade do ciclo de uma cultivar de nectarina e de 14 cultivares de pêssego, entre 2006 e 2009. As fases fenológicas consideradas foram: poda-brotação; brotação-florescimento, da gema inchada até a flor aberta; florescimento-frutificação, da queda das pétalas até o fruto médio; e maturação. As temperaturas basais mínimas obtidas foram: poda-brotação, 8°C, independentemente das cultivares avaliadas; brotação-florescimento, 10°C, com exceção de 'Cascata 968', que necessitou de Tb de 8°C; florescimento-frutificação, 12°C, exceto 'Oro Azteca', que necessitou de Tb de 14°C; maturação, 14°C, com exceção de 'Sunblaze', 'Diamante Mejorado' e 'Precocinho', com Tb de 12°C. Para a maioria das cultivares, as temperaturas basais máximas foram de 30, 34, 34 e 28ºC, nas fases poda-brotação, brotação-florescimento, florescimento-frutificação e maturação, respectivamente. 'Turmalina', 'Marli' e 'Tropic Beauty' apresentaram produtividade média de 3.945,0, 3.969,3 e 3.954,0 kg ha-1, em 2009, respectivamente, enquanto a nectarineira 'Sunblaze' produziu em torno de 3.900 kg ha-1 em 2008 e 2009. As cultivares diferiram quanto ao ciclo total e quanto às somas térmicas acumuladas que variaram, respectivamente, de 245 dias e 1.881,4 graus-dia em 'Oro Azteca', a 144 dias e 1.455,7 graus-dia em 'Precocinho'.

Nucleation kinetics of crystalline phases from a kaolinitic body used in the processing of red ceramics

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

Electrocatalysis of oxidation of hydrogen on platinum ordered intermetallic phases: Kinetic and mechanistic studies

An experimentally based kinetic and mechanistic study of the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) on platinum and platinum ordered intermetallic materials in acid medium is presented. RDE kinetic data were re-evaluated and complemented by Tafel plots obtained from chronoamperometric measurements. Among the materials evaluated, PtSb and PtSn exhibited markedly improved kinetic current densities and exchange current densities, compared to Pt in the same experimental conditions. It is proposed that the intermetallic phase enhanced the adsorptive characteristic of the surface sites and, as a consequence, improved the kinetics of the adsorption steps (Tafel or Heyrovsky) of the mechanism involved. (c) 2006 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Preparation and characterization of ordered intermetallic platinum phases for electrocatalytic applications

Ordered intermetallic phases of Pt with several transition metals have been prepared and their electrocatalytic properties studied. In light of these tests it is proposed that these catalysts could be used as electrodes in fuel cells, as they combine an excellent capacity to adsorb organic fuels at the Pt sites with low susceptibility to being poisoned by intermediates and reaction products at the transition-metal sites. An experimental procedure used to obtain the four intermetallic phases Pt-M (M = Mn, Pb, Sb and Sn) is described. The phases thus produced were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy with surface analysis by energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry, scanning tunneling microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The data thus obtained support the conclusion that the method described here is highly effective for the preparation of Pt-M phases featuring a range of structural and electronic modifications that will allow a useful relation to be established between their physicochemical properties and predicted electrocatalytic activity. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A mixture theory based method for three-dimensional modeling of reinforce concrete members with embedded crack finite elements

The paper presents a methodology to model three-dimensional reinforced concrete members by means of embedded discontinuity elements based on the Continuum Strong Discontinuous Approach (CSDA). Mixture theory concepts are used to model reinforced concrete as a 31) composite material constituted of concrete with long fibers (rebars) bundles oriented in different directions embedded in it. The effects of the rebars are modeled by phenomenological constitutive models devised to reproduce the axial non-linear behavior, as well as the bond-slip and dowel action. The paper presents the constitutive models assumed for the components and the compatibility conditions chosen to constitute the composite. Numerical analyses of existing experimental reinforced concrete members are presented, illustrating the applicability of the proposed methodology.

2D evaluation of crack openings using smeared and embedded crack models

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

Spinless bosons embedded in a vector Duffin-Kemmer-Petiau oscillator

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Observing the performance of distribution systems with embedded generators

In this paper, a multi-objective approach for observing the performance of distribution systems with embedded generators in the steady state, based on heuristic and power system analysis, is proposed. The proposed hybrid performance index describes the quality of the operating state in each considered distribution network configuration. In order to represent the system state, the loss allocation in the distribution systems, based on the Z-bus loss allocation method and compensation-based power flow algorithm, is determined. Also, an investigation of the impact of the integration of embedded generators on the overall performance of the distribution systems in the steady state, is performed. Results obtained from several case studies are presented and discussed. Copyright (C) 2004 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.

Organ tropism during the acute and chronic phases of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in BALB/c mice

The aim of the present study was to investigate the presence of Trypanosoma cruzi in the heart, liver, lung, and kidneys, using hemoculture and PCR analysis, of mice infected with different parasite strains during the acute and chronic phases of infection. Parasitemia curves revealed strain-specific biological behaviors. For the Y and JLP strains, the acute phase of infection started at days six and ten post-infection, parasitemia peaked at days seven and 15 post-infection, the chronic phase started at days nine and 28 post-infection, and animals started dying at days 19 and 120 post-infection, respectively. When the two strains were compared, the JLP strain exhibited reduced and slower replication rates associated with a delayed peak of parasitism and reduced parasite burdens. However, parasites were detected in all studied organs using PCR analysis. The capacity of both strains to infect different organs likely influences disease pathogenesis.

Morphologic and quantitative evaluation of preantral follicles of buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) in different reproductive phases

The objectives of the present study were to estimate the population of the normal and degenerated preantral follicles of buffaloes in different reproductive phases and to classify the different types of degeneration of ovarian preantral follicles. For this, 18 ovaries were divided in three groups: prepubertal, non pregnat and pregnant adult females. The ovaries were collected from a slaughterhouse (Frigol - Brazil) and processed for classic histological examination. The follicular population was estimated according to Cahill et al. (1979) and calculated according to Gougeon & Chainy (1987). Young buffaloes, pregnant and non pregnat adults presented an average number of 15.5, 3.7 and 8.9 preantral follicles with normal morphology and type I (the degeneration was observed just in oocyte) and II (oocyte and granulosa cells were degenerated) degeneration, respectively. This experiment demonstrated that the proportions of primordial, primary and secondary follicles were affected by reproductive phase. A significant difference was observed considering the proportions of preantral follicles with normal morphology and Type I degeneration in all reproductive phases evaluated. The primary follicles presented more percentage of Type I degeneration that the others follicles and the primordial and primary follicles presented more percentage of Type II degeneration in three reproductive phases evaluated.

Detection of bovine Herpesvirus type 5 in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded bovine brain by PCR: a useful adjunct to conventional tissue-based diagnostic test of bovine encephalitis

The aim of this study was to evaluate the application of PCR technique for the detection of BoHV-5 in routinely formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded brain tissues in 20 naturally infected calves affected by fatal meningoencephalitis. Brains were divided into two halves, one kept fresh for virus isolation and PCR assay, targeting the glycoprotein C gene from BoHV-5 genome. The other half brain, corresponding to posterior cortex region, was submitted to formalin fixation and embedded into paraffin blocks for microscopic evaluation and total DNA isolation. Most of the slides showed severe multifocal non-supurative encephalitis with neuronal degeneration, neurophagia, and no acidophilic intranuclear inclusions could be found in neurons and glial. The 20 fresh samples were confirmed, by virus isolation and PCR assay, as having the BoHV-5 virus and, respective glicoprotein C sequence, while 15 of 20 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples were considered positive for the same analysis. The results revealed the first description of PCR efficiency, applied to formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded brain collected from naturally infected calves, improving the detection of BoHV-5 from archival samples in South America. (c) 2007 Published by Elsevier B.V.

A novel in situ Polymerase chain reaction hybridisation assay for the direct detection of bovine herpesvirus type 5 in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues

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

Staining methods applied to glycol methacrylate embedded tissue sections

The use of glycol methacrylate (GMA) avoids some technical artifacts, which are usually observed in paraffin-embedded sections, providing good morphological resolution. on the other hand, weak staining have been mentioned during the use of different methods in plastic sections. In the present study, changes in the histological staining procedures have been assayed during the use of staining and histochemical methods in different GMA-embedded tissues.Samples of tongue, submandibular and sublingual glands, cartilage, portions of respiratory tract and nervous ganglion were fixed in 4% formaldehyde and embedded in glycol methacrylate. The sections of tongue and nervous ganglion were stained by H&E. Picrosirius, Toluidine Blue and Sudan Black B methods were applied, respectively, for identification of collagen fibers in submandibular gland, sulfated glycosaminoglycans in cartilage (metachromasia) and myelin lipids in nervous ganglion. Periodic Acid-Schiff (PAS) method was used for detection of glycoconjugates in submandibular gland and cartilage while AB/PAS combined methods were applied for detection of mucins in the respiratory tract. In addition, a combination of Alcian Blue (AB) and Picrosirius methods was also assayed in the sublingual gland sections.The GMA-embedded tissue sections showed an optimal morphological integrity and were favorable to the staining methods employed in the present study. In the sections of tongue and nervous ganglion, a good contrast of basophilic and acidophilic structures was obtained by H&E. An intense eosinophilia was observed either in the striated muscle fibers or in the myelin sheaths in which the lipids were preserved and revealed by Sudan Black B. In the cartilage matrix, a strong metachromasia was revealed by Toluidine Blue in the negatively-charged glycosaminoglycans. In the chondrocytes, glycogen granules were intensely positive to PAS method. Extracellular glycoproteins were also PAS positive in the basal membrane and in the region occupied by the lamina externa and reticular fibers surrounding each smooth muscle cells of the blood vessels. In the epithelial cells of the respiratory tract, acid and neutral mucins were histochemically detected by AB and PAS methods, respectively. Moreover, granules containing acid and neutral mucins were revealed in purple by AB and PAS concomitantly. In the sublingual gland sections, a distinct affinity of acid mucins by AB (in turquoise-blue) and collagen fibers by Picrosirius (in red) was obtained when these methods were combined. Although some routine dyes used in paraffin sections have showed a weak stain in historesin sections, our results showed that different dyes could be applied in GMA sections if modified staining procedures were assayed. Therefore, appropriate staining contrast and, thus, detection of one or different substances in a same section can be acquired in association to the good morphological resolution provided by GMA. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.