Fisiologia da termorregulação e estresse térmico em ovinos lanados

The introduction of wool sheep in warm temperature regions of Brazil has also raised concerns regarding the warm stress and its consequent decrease in animal production. The understanding of the physiology of thermal balance in sheep, as well as the consequences of this phenomenon, should be studied in order to improve animal thermal comfort in association with the production and reproduction indices of these animals. The majority of available research findings related to thermal balance in sheep is derived from countries with temperate climates and therefore might be different from those performed in our climate conditions. This essay presents a literature review that intends to discuss this theme.

EC34-48 Farm Sheep Facts

The farm flock and the fattening of western feeder lambs are the only methods of sheep production of importance in Nebraska. The farm flock is not a major enterprise on Nebraska farms. It serves as a side line on farms having a well-drained place which sheep may call their own. This 1934 extension circular contains information on: Nebraska Sheep-industry facts; market, ewe, ram, and lamb facts; shearing and wool facts; two parasites and one pest; grading and marketing wool; and scouring and carding wool for home use.

RB30-250 Raising Early Lambs from Aged Western Ewes

Many farm flocks in Nebraska are comprised of aged western ewes. They are easily obtained because of the state's geographical position with reference to the sheep-producing sections of the West and the leading feeder lamb markets. Nebraska ranks second in number of western lambs fed. This also tends to acquaint farmers with range sheep. This 1930 research bulletin discusses factors in early lamb production; objects of the experiment, experimental procedure, and experimental data of raising early lambs from aged western ewes.

The Nebraska Agricultural Outlook for 1938

Each year the federal government gathers data relating to agriculture through the various departments of the United States Department of Agriculture. These data are classified and analyzed by the Bureau of Agricultural Economics at Washington and all information which may be helpful to farmers is published. For several years it has been the policy of the Department of Rural Economics and the Agricultural Extension Service of the College of Agriculture, Lincoln, to select from the federal information facts which may be especially helpful to Nebraska farmers. These facts and other economic conditions in Nebraska are published this year as the Agricultural Outlook for Nebraska, 1938. The Outlook should be helpful in the marketing of the crops and livestock on hand. It should also be helpful in making farm plans for 1938.

EC44-5-116 Christmas at Wartime

Should we celebrate Christmas during war times? Why not? Does it help the heartache to sit glumly in the corner and moan? Will this help one or will it help the boy or girl in the service of his or her country? In these war times with all their bad influences and horrible happenings we need to keep up at home every type of mellowing influence and to search out all the inspirational ideals available. It's fun to make gifts. Much of the joy of Christmas comes in the anticipation and preparation. The making of gifts adds personal touch for both the giver and the one who receives the remembrance. The suggestions given in this circular have been chosen for their timeliness of materials available and usefulness. This publication was donated in the memory of Patricia Clare Bennett Meyer by her children.

G82-621 Sources of Livestock and Poultry Market Information (Revised July 1994)

This NebGuide provides a list of various market information sources, each followed by a brief summary of issue schedules and contents. It provides a listing of widely used and readily available market information sources that contain information which may be useful to agricultural producers, lenders and agribusiness firms when making livestock and poultry marketing decisions. Most of the available market information and statistical data comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Many now require an annual subscription fee.

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.

Pozolanicidade dos resíduos industriais, lã de vidro e lã cerâmica

As fibras cerâmicas se caracterizam por ser um material leve, com alto grau de pureza, baixo armazenamento de calor, baixa condutividade térmica, resistência a choque térmico e alta resistência à corrosão em altas temperaturas. Essas características levam a uma grande procura das indústrias mínero-metalúrgicas e de outros setores para revestimentos de distribuidores, muflas, fornos de aquecimentos, entre outros. Após utilização no processo, por perderem sua capacidade de isolamento, os resíduos gerados precisam de destinação. Esse trabalho enfoca, especificamente, resíduos de lã cerâmica e lã de vidro. Pelo fato de a composição das fibras cerâmicas ser rica em sílica e alumina, efetuou-se uma investigação acerca da atividade pozolânica das mesmas com a cal e o cimento, especificamente CPV ARI, CPII E32 e CPIII 32RS, para avaliação da perspectiva de reciclagem em possível incorporação no concreto.

Evolución del poder de pesca en la isla de Gran Canaria: repercusiones ambientales y su impacto sobre los recursos pesqueros

Máster en Gestión Sostenible de Recursos Pesqueros

Theoretical and Experimental Study of the Magnetic Separation of Pollutants from Wastewater

This Thesys reports the study of a HGMS (High GradientMagnetic Separation) process for the treatment of industrialwastewaters that considers an assisted chemical-physical pre-treatment for the removal of heavy metals through the bound by adsorption with added iron-oxide particulate matter (hematite). The considered filter, constituted by ferromagnetic stainless steel wool and permanent magnets, is studied with a new approach based on a statistical analysis that requires the study of the trajectories of the particles. Experimental activity on a laboratory device has been carried out in order to test the model.

New polymeric materials for vascular surgery

The dramatic impact that vascular diseases have on human life quality and expectancy nowadays is the reason why both medical and scientific communities put great effort in discovering new and effective ways to fight vascular pathologies. Among the many different treatments, endovascular surgery is a minimally-invasive technique that makes use of X-ray fluoroscopy to obtain real-time images of the patient during interventions. In this context radiopaque biomaterials, i.e. materials able to absorb X-ray radiation, play a fundamental role as they are employed both to enhance visibility of devices during interventions and to protect medical staff and patients from X-ray radiations. Organic-inorganic hybrids are materials that combine characteristics of organic polymers with those of inorganic metal oxides. These materials can be synthesized via the sol-gel process and can be easily applied as thin coatings on different kinds of substrates. Good radiopacity of organic-inorganic hybrids has been recently reported suggesting that these materials might find applications in medical fields where X-ray absorption and visibility is required. The present PhD thesis aimed at developing and characterizing new radiopaque organic-inorganic hybrid materials that can find application in the vascular surgery field as coatings for the improvement of medical devices traceability as well as for the production of X-ray shielding objects and garments. Novel organic-inorganic hybrids based on different polyesters (poly-lactic acid and poly-ε-caprolactone) and polycarbonate (poly-trimethylene carbonate) as the polymeric phase and on titanium oxide as the inorganic phase were synthesized. Study of the phase interactions in these materials allowed to demonstrate that Class II hybrids (where covalent bonds exists between the two phases) can be obtained starting from any kind of polyester or polycarbonate, without the need of polymer pre-functionalization, thanks to the occurrence of transesterification reactions operated by inorganic molecules on ester and carbonate moieties. Polyester based hybrids were successfully coated via dip coating on different kinds of textiles. Coated textiles showed improved radiopacity with respect to the plain fabric while remaining soft to the touch. The hybrid was able to coat single fibers of the yarn rather than coating the yarn as a whole. Openings between yarns were maintained and therefore fabric breathability was preserved. Such coatings are promising for the production of light-weight garments for X-ray protection of medical staff during interventional fluoroscopy, which will help preventing pathologies that stem from chronic X-ray exposure. A means to increase the protection capacity of hybrid-coated fabrics was also investigated and implemented in this thesis. By synthesizing the hybrid in the presence of a suspension of radiopaque tantalum nanoparticles, PDMS-titania hybrid materials with tunable radiopacity were developed and were successfully applied as coatings. A solution for enhancing medical device radiopacity was also successfully investigated. High metal radiopacity was associated with good mechanical and protective properties of organic-inorganic hybrids in the form of a double-layer coating. Tantalum was employed as the constituent of the first layer deposited on sample substrates by means of a sputtering technique. The second layer was composed of a hybrid whose constituents are well-known biocompatible organic and inorganic components, such as the two polymers PCL and PDMS, and titanium oxide, respectively. The metallic layer conferred to the substrate good X-ray visibility. A correlation between radiopacity and coating thickness derived during this study allows to tailor radiopacity simply by controlling the metal layer sputtering deposition time. The applied metal deposition technique also permits easy shaping of the radiopaque layer, allowing production of radiopaque markers for medical devices that can be unambiguously identified by surgeons during implantation and in subsequent radiological investigations. Synthesized PCL-titania and PDMS-titania hybrids strongly adhered to substrates and show good biocompatibility as highlighted by cytotoxicity tests. The PDMS-titania hybrid coating was also characterized by high flexibility that allows it to stand large substrate deformations without detaching nor cracking, thus being suitable for application on flexible medical devices.

Untersuchungen zur biologischen Bekämpfung der Kleidermotte Tineola bisselliella (Hummel 1823) und anderer tineider Textilschädlinge (Lepidoptera: Tineidae) mit parasitoiden Hymenopteren

Nach den Ergebnissen der vorliegenden Arbeit ist eine biologische Bekämpfung von Kleider- und Pelzmotten durch die gezielte Freilassungen von parasitoiden Hymenopteren als deren natürliche Gegenspieler möglich. Es wurden erstmalig ausführliche Versuche zur Parasitierung der Kleider- und Pelzmotte, insbesondere durch Eiaparasitoide der Gattung Trichogramma, durchgeführt. Für die braconide Schlupfwespe Apanteles carpatus wurde eine Zucht- und Freilassungsmethode entwickelt. Sie kann nun als neuer Nützlinge gegen textilschädigende Mottenlarven eingesetzt werden. Eine natürliche Parasitierung textilschädigender Motten durch Eiparasitoide ist bislang nicht nachgewiesen worden. Die Tineiden erwiesen sich im Laborversuch für Trichogramma als gut geeignete Wirte. Hinsichtlich der praktischen Anwendung von Eiparasitoiden der Gattung Trichogramma konnte aus einer Auswahl von 29 Arten und Stämmen aus einer Laborzucht mit T. piceum (Stamm: PIC M 91) eine besonders geeignete Art selektiert werden. Dieser Stamm zeigte die höchste Parasitierungsrate mit über 80 Eiern bei Temperaturen von 20-25°C und einer Lebensdauer von bis zu 17 Tagen. Im Präferenztest wurden sowohl Eier der Kleidermotte als auch der Getreidemotte, dem Massenzuchtwirt, von allen Stämmen mit Abstand am besten parasitiert. Das Geschlechterverhältnis von T. piceum lag bei über 80%. Der untersuchte Stamm von Apanteles carpatus zeigte bei 25°C eine durchschnittliche Nachkommenzahl von 55 pro Weibchen. Die Parasitoide erreichten jedoch nur unter optimalen Bedingungen eine Lebensdauer von bis zu 14 Tagen. In den Käfigversuchen ohne zusätzliche Nahrungsquellen wurden die Tiere nicht älter als 4 Tage. Es war nicht möglich, für A. carpatus Ersatzwirte für eine Massenzucht zu finden, da sie offensichtlich auf Tineiden spezialisiert sind, jedoch konnte ein Zuchtsystem mit Kleidermotten als Zuchtwirte etabliert werden. Die ausgewählten Trichogramma-Arten wurden in Käfigversuchen ausführlich untersucht und im Hinblick auf ihre Suchleistung auf verschiedenen Stoffoberflächen geprüft. Es wurde festgestellt, dass die getesteten Arten sehr unterschiedlich geeignet sind, um Textilien nach Eiern abzusuchen. Die Arten T. evanescens (Stamm: Lager) und T. piceum (PIC M 91) erwiesen sich als in der Suchleistung als am besten geeignet. Im Vergleich dazu zeigte T. cacoeciae (CAC D 90 O) sehr wenig Suchleistugsvermögen auf Textilien. Die geeigneten Arten durchdrangen außer verschiedenen Textilien auch grobe Schafwolle bis zu 0,4 m vom Freilassungsort. Das Ködern von Larvalparasitoiden von tineiden Motten im Freiland erwies sich als nicht erfolgreich. Trotzdem in der Literatur eine Reihe parasitoider Hymenopteren als Gegenspieler von Tineiden beschrieben sind und in Innenräumen beobachtet wurden, war es nicht möglich, weitere freilebende Arten zu ködern. Sowohl für das Ködern im Freiland als auch für die Rückköderung in Lagern wurden Ködermethoden getestet und optimiert. Nebenwirkungstests haben ergeben, dass die Nützlinge ergänzend zum Einsatz von Niem-Präparaten an schlecht zugänglichen Befallsstellen eingesetzt werden können. Ebenso wurde ermittelt, dass eine Kombination des Nützlingseinsatzes mit Repellents möglich ist. Bei zu hoher Konzentration der Wirkstoffe, den reinen Niem-Öl und konzentriertem Lavendel-Öl, in geschlossenen Glaskäfigen, wurden starke Nebenwirkungen auf Trichogramma festgestellt. In größerem Raumvolumen oder geringerer Dosierung der Wirkstoffe parasitierte Trichogramma allerdings auch Ködereier, die sich auf Niem-behandeltem Stoff befanden. Erste Freilassungsversuche in der Praxis ergaben unterschiedliche Erfolge. Nach einer Freilassung von Apanteles carpatus in einem Wohnhaus, das mit Schafwolle gedämmt wurde, reduzierte sich Fang von adulten Motten auf Pheromon-Klebfallen deutlich. In einem Textillager hingegen war es mit einer einmaligen Freilassung jedoch nicht möglich, die Gegenspieler zu etablieren und den Mottenbefall zu kontrollieren. Die mehrwöchige Freilassung von Trichogramma in einem Textillager konnte dazu beitragen, einen Pelzmottenbefall zu reduzieren. Hier zeigten sich Möglichkeiten und Grenzen des Einsatzes von parasitoiden Schlupfwespen gegen Textilmotten gleichermaßen.

Simply a nest? Effects of different enrichments on stereotypic and anxiety-related behaviour in mice

Improving the home cages of laboratory mice by environmental enrichment has been widely used to reduce cage stereotypies and anxiety-related behaviour in behavioural tests. However, enrichment studies differ substantially in type, complexity and variation of enrichments. Therefore, it is unclear whether success depends on specific enrichment items, environmental complexity, or novelty associated with enrichment. The aim of this study was therefore to dissociate the effects of environmental complexity and novelty on stereotypy development and compare these effects with the provision of nesting material alone. Thus, 54 freshly weaned male ICR (CD-1) mice were pairwise allocated to standard laboratory cages enriched in three different ways (n = 18 per group). Treatment 1 consisted of cotton wool as nesting material. Treatments 2 and 3 were structurally more complex, including a shelter and a climbing structure as additional resources. To render complexity and novelty independent of the specific enrichment items, three shelters (cardboard house, plastic tunnel, red plastic house) and three climbing structures (ladder, rope, wooden bars) were used to create nine different combinations of enrichment. In treatment 2 (complexity), each pair of mice was assigned to a different combination that remained constant throughout 9 weeks, whereas in treatment 3 (novelty), each pair of mice was exposed to all 9 combinations in turn by changing them weekly in a pseudorandom order. After 9 weeks, stereotypic behaviour in the home cage was assessed from video recordings, and anxiety-related behaviour was assessed in two behavioural tests (elevated zero-maze, open-field). However, no significant differences in stereotypy scores and no consistent differences in anxiety-related behaviours were found between the three groups. These findings indicate that within standard laboratory cages neither complexity nor novelty of simple enrichments have additional effects on stereotypic and anxiety-related behaviour beyond those of adequate nesting material. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Negative impact of the noseclip on high-frequency respiratory impedance measurements

The noseclip is conventionally used in lung function testing to prevent leakage via the nasal compartments. However, some subjects exhibit a velum-opening reflex which may affect results. We performed forced oscillation measurements at frequencies (8-256 Hz) that include the first antiresonance, comparing the noseclip with a cotton wool nose plug to eliminate upper airway contribution. Three sets of measurements were made in 18 adults: with and without noseclip, and with cotton wool. Velum opening during noseclip measurements was monitored using a nasal pressure transducer. A significantly greater proportion of subjects produced a characteristic distortion to the first antiresonance with the noseclip than with either no noseclip or with cotton wool. Distortion of the spectrum coincided with the transmission of oscillations into the nasal cavity. Thus, the noseclip cannot be used in high-frequency forced oscillation measurements because of the velum reflex. The cotton wool plug offers a simple alternative. This effect has unknown impact in other lung function tests.

Valorization of agrobiodiversity products and strengthening of local identities in the Peruvian Andes: Experiences from the BioAndes Programme

In the Peruvian Andes, a long history of interaction between the local populations and their natural environment has led to extraordinary levels of agrobiodiversity. However, in sharp contrast with this biological wealth, Andean indigenous populations live under most precarious conditions. Moreover, natural resources are undergoing severe degradation processes and local knowledge about biodiversity management is under serious pressure. Against this background, the BioAndes Programme is developing initiatives based on a biocultural approach that aim at fostering biodiversity through the enhancement of cultural processes. On the basis of intercultural dialogue, joint learning and capacity development, and transdisciplinary action-research, indigenous communities, development practitioners, and researchers strive for the creation of innovative ways to contribute to more sustainable economic, socio-cultural, and political valorization of Andean biodiversity. Project activities are diverse and range from the cultivation, transformation, and commercialization of organic Andean fruits in San Marcos, Cajamarca Department, to the recuperation of natural dying techniques for alpaca wool and traditional weaving in Pitumarca, Cusco Department, and the promotion of responsible ecotourism in both regions. Based on the projects’ first two-years of experience, the following lessons learnt will be presented and discussed: 1. The economic valorization and commercialization of local products can be a powerful tool for the revival and innovation of eroded know-how; at the same time it contributes to the strengthening of local identities, in parallel with the empowerment of marginalized groups such as smallholders and women. 2. Such initiatives are only successful when they are embedded within activities that go beyond the focus on local products and seek the valorization of the entire natural and cultural landscape (e.g. through the promotion of agrotourism and local gastronomy, more sustainable management of local resources including the restoration of ecosystems, and the realization of inventories of local agrobiodiversity and the knowledge related to it). 3. The sustainability of these initiatives, which are often externally induced, is conditioned by the ability of local actors to acquire ownership of projects and access to the knowledge required to carry them out, which also means developing the personal and institutional capacities for handling the whole chain from production to commercialization. 4. The confrontation of different economic rationalities and their underlying worldviews that occur when local or indigenous people integrate into the market economy implies the need for a dialogical co-production of knowledge and collective action by local people, experts from NGOs, and political authorities in order to better control the conditions relating to the market economy. The valorization of local agrobiodiversity shows much potential for enhancing natural and cultural diversity in Southern countries, but only when local communities can participate in the shaping of the conditions under which this happens. Such activities should be designed in the mid- to long-term as part of social learning processes that are carefully embedded in the local context. Supporting institutions play a crucial role in these processes, but should see themselves only as facilitators, while ensuring that control and ownership remain with the local actors.