Características de qualidade da carne de ovinos de diferentes genótipos e idades ao abate

Cordeiros criados em regime de pasto, provenientes de ovelhas Romney acasaladas com três raças paternas (Romney, East Friesian x (Finn x Texel) e Finn x Poll Dorset), foram avaliados quanto às características de qualidade da carne. Os cordeiros foram abatidos aos 150 e 300 dias de idade, cada lote com 15 animais de cada raça paterna, totalizando 90 animais. A carne dos cordeiros Romney foi mais macia que a dos demais genótipos. O pH final do músculo Semimembranosus dos cordeiros abatidos mais precocemente foi superior (5,61) ao dos abatidos mais tardiamente (5,58), entretanto estes últimos apresentaram carne com menor maciez (11,16 kg) que os abatidos aos 150 dias de idade (7,45 kg). Com relação à cor, a luminosidade da carne de cordeiros abatidos aos 150 dias foi maior (38,20) que a dos abatidos mais tardiamente (36,80), mas não foi afetada pelo genótipo. Concluiu-se que o genótipo e a idade de abate influíram na produção e qualidade da carne ovina.

Firmeza de polpa e aceitabilidade como parâmetros para indicação do amadurecimento de peras 'Abate Fetel'.

Dada à importância do estabelecimento de parâmetros relacionados ao amadurecimento, este trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar a firmeza de polpa e a aceitabilidade como parâmetros para indicar o amadurecimento e a qualidade ótima para consumo de peras 'Abate Fetel'.

Policies and Procedures to Address Bullying at Australian Universities

While bullying is often researched in children and adolescents and in the workplace, there is limited research in the emerging adult population, especially in students at university. This is perhaps due to the fact that bullying generally declines as children and young people become older (e.g., Nansel et al., 2001; Wang, Iannotti, & Nansel, 2009). Although this may indeed be the case, it is apparent that bullying does not completely abate when students graduate from high school. The plethora of literature evidencing workplace bullying, clearly shows that bullying continues beyond the school years (e.g., Hoel, Cooper, & Faragher, 2001; Privitera & Campbell, 2009). With the advent of cyberbullying in the last decade it has been shown that this particular form of bullying may not decrease with age as does traditional bullying (Kowalski & Limber, 2007; Raskauskas & Stoltz, 2007). In addition, we know there is a spike in prevalence rates during the transition from primary to high school Pellegrini et al., 2010), so it is possible that new university students are at an increased risk of victimisation due to this being a transition period. This has led to some interest in examining the prevalence of bullying in the emerging adult population at universities (Chapell, Casey, & de la Cruz, 2004; Pontzer, 2010; Wensley & Campbell, 2009).

Mechanism-based inhibition of CYP2C8 by gemfibrozil in humans : characterisation of time and dose relationships

Drug-drug interactions may cause serious, even fatal clinical consequences. Therefore, it is important to examine the interaction potential of new chemical entities early in drug development. Mechanism-based inhibition is a pharmacokinetic interaction type, which causes irreversible loss of enzyme activity and can therefore lead to unusually profound and long-lasting consequences. The in vitro in vivo extrapolation (IVIVE) of drug-drug interactions caused by mechanism-based inhibition is challenging. Consequently, many of these interactions have remained unrecognised for many years. The concomitant use of the fibrate-class lipid-lowering agent gemfibrozil increases the concentrations of some drugs and their effects markedly. Even fatal cases of rhabdomyolysis occurred in patients administering gemfibrozil and cerivastatin concomitantly. One of the main mechanisms behind this effect is the mechanism-based inhibition of the cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2C8 enzyme by a glucuronide metabolite of gemfibrozil leading to increased cerivastatin concentrations. Although the clinical use of gemfibrozil has clearly decreased during recent years, gemfibrozil is still needed in some special cases. To enable safe use of gemfibrozil concomitantly with other drugs, information concerning the time and dose relationships of CYP2C8 inhibition by gemfibrozil should be known. This work was carried out as four in vivo clinical drug-drug interaction studies to examine the time and dose relationships of the mechanism-based inhibitory effect of gemfibrozil on CYP2C8. The oral antidiabetic drug repaglinide was used as a probe drug for measuring CYP2C8 activity in healthy volunteers. In this work, mechanism-based inhibition of the CYP2C8 enzyme by gemfibrozil was found to occur rapidly in humans. The inhibitory effect developed to its maximum already when repaglinide was given 1-3 h after gemfibrozil intake. In addition, the inhibition was shown to abate slowly. A full recovery of CYP2C8 activity, as measured by repaglinide metabolism, was achieved 96 h after cessation of gemfibrozil treatment. The dose-dependency of the mechanism-based inhibition of CYP2C8 by gemfibrozil was shown for the first time in this work. CYP2C8 activity was halved by a single 30 mg dose of gemfibrozil or by twice daily administration of less than 30 mg of gemfibrozil. Furthermore, CYP2C8 activity was decreased over 90% by a single dose of 900 mg gemfibrozil or twice daily dosing of approximately 100 mg gemfibrozil. In addition, with the application of physiological models to the data obtained in the dose-dependency studies, the major role of mechanism-based inhibition of CYP2C8 in the interaction between gemfibrozil and repaglinide was confirmed. The results of this work enhance the proper use of gemfibrozil and the safety of patients. The information related to time-dependency of CYP2C8 inhibition by gemfibrozil may also give new insights in order to improve the IVIVE of the drug-drug interactions of new chemical entities. The information obtained by this work may be utilised also in the design of clinical drug-drug interaction studies in the future.

Sensitivity of terrestrial water and energy budgets to CO(2)-physiological forcing: an investigation using an offline land model

Increasing concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO(2)) influence climate by suppressing canopy transpiration in addition to its well- known greenhouse gas effect. The decrease in plant transpiration is due to changes in plant physiology (reduced opening of plant stomata). Here, we quantify such changes in water flux for various levels of CO(2) concentrations using the National Center for Atmospheric Research's (NCAR) Community Land Model. We find that photosynthesis saturates after 800 ppmv (parts per million, by volume) in this model. However, unlike photosynthesis, canopy transpiration continues to decline at about 5.1% per 100 ppmv increase in CO(2) levels. We also find that the associated reduction in latent heat flux is primarily compensated by increased sensible heat flux. The continued decline in canopy transpiration and subsequent increase in sensible heat flux at elevated CO(2) levels implies that incremental warming associated with the physiological effect of CO(2) will not abate at higher CO(2) concentrations, indicating important consequences for the global water and carbon cycles from anthropogenic CO(2) emissions.

A comparative assessment of the methods of control of water hyacinth infestation with regards to fish production

Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) has been subject of three control methods since its arrival into the Nigerian freshwater lagoon system in 1984 - mechanical, chemical and biological. An assessment of these three methods seems to suggest that mechanical and chemical control methods, both of which being costly, must be applied either solely or integrated to combat the present level of considerable infestation in Nigeria. The biological control methods are advisable for slow, sustained control and can only cope with low levels of infestation. It is thus concluded that the preliminary control method should be mechanical or chemical to effectively abate the nuisance plant, followed by biological control once infestation levels have been sufficiently reduced

Avaliação de aditivos para remoção catalítica de SOx em unidades de fcc

Os óxidos de enxofre (SOx) são um dos maiores poluentes atmosféricos e um dos precursores da chuva ácida. Um levantamento feito na Petrobrás mostrou que cerca de 17% dos SOx emitidos numa refinaria são oriundos do processo de FCC. Com o avanço dos controles ambientais, traduzido numa legislação mais restritiva, a técnica de incorporação de aditivos para remoção de SOx em UFCCs apresenta-se como a alternativa de menor custo frente outras tecnologias de abate das emissões de SOx. No presente trabalho, foram estudados aditivos constituídos por compostos derivados de hidrotalcitas com a substituição parcial do magnésio e do alumínio por cobre e/ou manganês, sendo estes impregnados ou não por dióxido de cério. Estes aditivos foram submetidos a testes de desempenho em uma unidade multi-propósito acoplada a um micro-GC/TCD. Em todos os testes, a corrente gasosa para a etapa de adsorção oxidativa foi de 1700 ppm de SO2 e 1,5% O2 em He e, para a etapa de regeneração, 30% H2/He. No primeiro conjunto de testes, realizou-se uma adsorção a 720C de 10 min e regeneração com um patamar a 530C, seguido de um TPR até 800C. Observou-se que as amostras impregnadas com cério apresentaram o melhor desempenho na remoção de SO2, indicando que o cério pode ter um papel de promotor da oxidação de SO2 a SO3. Os resultados do TPR mostram que as amostras com cério e com manganês parecem apresentar menores temperaturas de redução dos sulfatos, apesar das maiores liberações de H2S serem identificadas nas amostras com cobre. No segundo conjunto de testes, a adsorção foi a 720C durante 35 min e a regeneração a 650C por 5 minutos em um patamar de 5 minutos, seguida de um TPR até 800C. Para os tempos de sulfatação curtos (5 e 10 min), os resultados confirmaram o efeito positivo que a incorporação de CeO2 apresenta sobre a adsorção oxidativa do SO2. Todavia, para tempos de reação maiores (35 min), não se observou uma correlação clara entre a composição química do catalisador e a quantidade total de SOx removida. Os aditivos foram ainda testados em ciclos de reação-regeneração em condições equivalentes ao segundo conjunto de testes descrito. De um modo geral, os aditivos que contêm cobre têm uma vida útil superior aos demais, possivelmente, pelo fato do cobre ter importante papel na regeneração do aditivo

Design considerations for a micro aerial vehicle aerodynamic characterization facility at the University of Florida research and engineering education facility

This paper describes the design considerations for a proposed aerodynamic characterization facility (ACF) for micro aerial vehicles (MAVs). This is a collaborative effort between the Air Force Research Laboratory Munitions Directorate (AFRL/MN) and the University of Florida Research and Engineering Education Facility (UF/REEF). The ACF is expected to provide a capability for the characterization of the aerodynamic performance of future MAVs. This includes the ability to gather the data necessary to devise control strategies as well as the potential to investigate aerodynamic 'problem areas' or specific failings. Since it is likely that future MAVs will incorporate advanced control strategies, the facility must enable researchers to critically assess such novel methods. Furthermore, the aerodynamic issues should not be seen (and tested) in isolation, but rather the facility should be able to also provide information on structural responses (such as aeroelasticity) as well as integration issues (say, thrust integration or sensor integration). Therefore the mission for the proposed facility ranges form fairly basic investigations of individual technical issues encountered by MAVs (for example an evaluation of wing shapes or control effectiveness) all the way to testing a fully integrated vehicle in a flight configuration for performance evaluation throughout the mission envelope.

The toxicities of single-celled Microcystis aeruginosa PCC7820 and liberated M-aeruginosa to Daphnia carinata in the absence and presence of the green alga Scenedesmus obliquus

We evaluated the toxic effect of Microcystis aeruginosa on Daphnia carinata King using survival rate, population growth rate, and body length. When fed Microcystis aerugionsa PCC7820 and liberated colonial Microcystis spp., all D. carinata died within five days. When fed a mixture of M. aeruginosa PCC7820 and the green alga Scenedesmus obliquus, the survival rate, population growth rate, and body length of D. carinata generally increased. The survival rates were all above 80% after ten days. However, with liberated colonial M. aeruginosa, the toxic effect on D. carinata was more pronounced, and only at higher concentration of S. obliquus did that toxic effect abate. Our results indicated that green algae could greatly weaken the toxic effect of cyanobacteria.

氮肥对黄瓜根际土壤线虫群落组成、结构及其多样性的影响

土壤线虫是土壤动物的主要功能类群之一，在土壤养分分解和循环中起到重要的作用。本研究通过施用两种形态氮肥，硝态氮(NO-3–N)和铵态氮(NH+4–N)，对黄瓜整个生长期内根际土壤线虫的群落组成、结构及其多样性等的影响进行了比较研究。为增进土壤健康，提高土壤质量以及合理施用氮肥提供科学的理论依据。研究结果如下： 1. 氮肥处理后，不同浓度NO-3–N处理提高了根际土壤线虫数量，而NH+4–N处理（202.5 kg N/ hm2）抑制了线虫数量的增加。线虫群落结构相对较稳定，营养类群变化不大。且少量优势科/属会对土壤线虫群落特征起着至关重要的作用。 2. 在整个生长季节内，非寄生线虫的群体动态变化与寄生线虫的群体的动态变化具有相反的变化趋势。其中，NO-3–N处理和NH+4–N处理后植物寄生线虫出现频率的变化趋势相近，都是由高到低；非植物寄生线虫出现频率的变化趋势则都是由低到高。这说明非植物寄生线虫数量增长和空间占位对植物寄生线虫群体有一定的抑制作用。另外，也反映了适量氮肥在一定程度上能够减轻植物寄生线虫对黄瓜的危害。 3. 由多样性指数变化可知，NO-3–N和NH+4–N在低肥（67.5 kg N/hm2）和高肥（202.5 kg N/hm2）处理较中肥（135.0 kg N/hm2）处理，更不利于提高土壤线虫多样性地提高和线虫群落的稳定性。中肥不同形态氮肥处理与对照相比，H´指数在初花期和结果期显著增加了土壤线虫的H´指数，说明施入两种形态的氮肥能够提高线虫生物多样性程度。NH+4–N处理在初花期和结果期显著降低了土壤线虫种类的丰富性。土壤线虫生物多样性变化中，H´和SR指数在一定程度上能够反映施用无机氮肥对土壤线虫的多样性的影响，而J指数和λ指数效果不明显。NO-3–N和NH+4–N处理相比较，NO-3–N处理对黄瓜土壤线虫的多样性指数影响更大，促进了土壤线虫群体的多样化和种类的丰富度，更有利于提高土壤线虫的多样性，增加其稳定性。这些结果表明适量无机氮肥特别是NO-3–N的施用对黄瓜土壤线虫的生物多样性有一定的维护和提高作用。 4. 线虫数量与土壤质量指标的相关分析表明：线虫数量与有关土壤理化生指标，如土壤NO-3–N、NH+4–N、有机质含量等的正相关程度高，与总酚含量等显著负相关；与根际土壤微生物，细菌、真菌、放线菌数量等呈显著正相关。另外，线虫数量与土壤含水量未表现出显著相关关系。 Nematodes play a major role in decomposition and nutrient cycling in soil. Nematode community analyses are useful in assessing soil ecosystem status and function. The effects of two forms of mineral nitrogenous fertilizers (NO-3–N and NH+4–N) on nematode community composition, structure and diversity in rhizosphere of cucumber were investigated during different growing seasons of cucumber. Systematically research of effects of nitrogenous fertilizers could help to obtain better undstanding of a healthy soil and using nitrogenous fertilizers in reason. The main results are as follows: 1. The total numbers of nematode were more abundant in NH+4–N treatments than other teatments. However, NH+4–N teatment（202.5 kg N/hm2）dramatically inhibited it. All the tropic groups in the soil nematode communities were stable, and the dominant family or genus had an important function in the nematode community structure. 2. There was similar trend of the frequency of plant parasitic nematodes between NO-3–N and NH+4–N treatment, the similar trend of the frequency of non-plant parasitic nematodes was also found. But the frequency of plant parasitic nematodes exhibited a contrary trend to that of plant parasitic nematodes after different nitrogenous fertilizer treatments. The results showed that the increasing trend of the frequency and the niche of non-plant parasitic nematodes inhibited the plant parasitic nematodes, and indicated that right chemical fertilizers dosage could abate plant parasitic nematodes harm to cucumber. 3. The changes of the biodiversity index showed that the nitrogen treatment（135.0 kg N/hm2）promoted the stabilization of soil nematode diversity than other nitrogen treatments(67.5 kg N/hm2 and 202.5 kg N/hm2). In the treatment（135.0 kg N/hm2）,The changes in nematode diversity between the control plots and treated plots were compared by the biodiversity index (H´, J, SR, λ). Among these tested index, H´ and SR were effective in reflecting the effects of different nitrogenous fertilizers on the diversity of soil nematodes. In comparison with the NH+4–N treatment, the NO-3–N treatment promoted the stabilization of soil nematode diversity. 4. Correlation coefficients between nematode abundance and soil quality indices indicated that the total numbers of nematode were affected positively by NO-3–N, NH+4–N and the organic matter, and negatively by total phenolic acids; the total num- bers of nematode had positive correlation with bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes nu- mbers. Soil water contents had only a weak negative influence on it.

Genética molecular aplicada à qualidade da carne bovina.

A manutenção da competitividade da bovinocultura de corte nacional nos mercados interno e externo implica a produção de carne com máxima eficiência e com um padrão de qualidade que atenda aos mercados mais exigentes. Dentre os fatores que determinam a qualidade da carne estão os atributos organolépticos e, dentre esses, a maciez é o principal quesito de avaliação ou apreciação por parte do consumidor. Sabe-se que há inúmeros fatores que afetam a maciez da carne bovina, como a raça do animal e os manejos pré e pós-abate. No entanto, mesmo existindo diferentes padrões de maciez entre as raças, a variação mais importante é aquela que ocorre em uma mesma raça. Por isso, a identificação precoce de animais que apresentam potencial para produção de carne mais macia, por meio da utilização de testes de DNA, constitui uma ferramenta importante para viabilizar a seleção dos reprodutores que possuam essas características, aumentando, assim, a qualidade da carne do rebanho comercial. Os ganhos genéticos poderão ser acelerados com a integração das descobertas sobre as bases genéticas e moleculares que regulam tais características aos programas de melhoramento clássico, permitindo a formação de rebanhos mais uniformes quanto às características dos produtos derivados. Para que o Brasil não só mantenha, mas também aumente sua competitividade no mercado mundial da carne, é extremamente importante que essas novas tecnologias sejam incorporadas aos programas de melhoramento genético animal, a fim de gerar informações e conhecimentos que irão garantir novos avanços qualitativos e quantitativos em médio e longo prazos nos rebanhos zebuínos e cruzados. Um dos esforços da Embrapa Gado de Corte na busca da produção de conhecimentos científicos e tecnológicos necessários para a difusão e adoção desta nova tecnologia se concretizou com a criação, em 2007, da área de Biologia Molecular aplicada ao Melhoramento Animal, visando ao desenvolvimento de novos produtos e/ou processos que sejam capazes de agregar qualidade e valor econômico ao produto final.

Estudo comparativo entre número de perfilhos no cultivo da pupunheira sem espinhos (Bactris gasipaes Kunth) para produção de palmito.

Dois diferentes numeros de perfilhos de pupunheira foram estudados para producao de palmito nas condicoes edafoclimaticas do municio de Rio Preto da Eva (AM). O Espacamento utilizado foi de 2,5m x 1m, deixando-se dois perfilhos por cova. O que apresentou melhores resultados foi de dois perfilhos/cova, que produziu 713kg/ha/ano de palmito comestivel de primeira (tambem denominado creme), dos quais foram aproveitados 87%, um envasamento de 2067 frascos de vidro de 300g de peso drenado. O diametro medio do palmito creme (2,44cm), obtido por criterios fixados para abate das plantas, atendem a exigencia industrial. Foram taambem produzidas 40t/ha/ano de restos vegetais, proprios para arracoamento de ruminantes. A composicao centesimal do palmito creme, revelou que o mesmo pode usado como componente de dieta alimentar para emagrecimento.

Protocolo para o transporte de tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) vivo.

Sistemas de transporte. Sistema fechado. Sistema aberto. Condicionamento pré-transporte (período de depuração). Densidade e tempo de transporte. Qualidade da água durante o transporte. Transporte de juvenis. Transporte de juvenis para o abate.

Produção de carne bovina no estado do Acre no ano de 1998.

A produção de carne no Estado do Acre vem apresentando crescimento significativo de ano para ano. É importante que os pecuaristas atentem para o futuro que este mercado apresenta, estruturando com novas tecnologias os sistemas de produção como um todo, a fim de que possam produzir animais de excelente carcaça e de baixa idade para o abate. No Estado não existem dados oficiais publicados sobre produção nos municípios de Rio Branco e Senador Guiomard-AC. Estas informações foram coletadas em janeiro de 1999, junto aos frigoríficos e ao Ministério da Agricultura (MA) objetivando levantar a quantidade de animais abatidos e produção de carne bovina produzida, armazenando as informações em banco de dados da Embrapa Acre.