Herdabilidades para ganho de peso da desmama ao sobreano e perímetro escrotal ao sobreano e tendências genética e fenotípica para ganho de peso da desmama ao sobreano em bovinos Nelore-Angus

Com o objetivo de estimar herdabilidades para ganho de peso médio diário da desmama ao sobreano (GMDDS) e para perímetro escrotal ao sobreano (PES) e tendências genética e fenotípica para GMDDS, foram utilizados 47.668 registros de peso e de ganho de peso de uma população multirracial Nelore-Angus, coletados entre 1991 e 2001 em diversas regiões do Brasil. Os dados foram analisados pelo método REML e as estimativas das (co)variâncias foram obtidas por meio de um modelo animal, no qual foram considerados fixos os efeitos da composição racial do animal (obtida pela concatenação do percentual da raça Nelore do próprio animal, de seu pai e de sua mãe) e do grupo de contemporâneos pós-desmama (animais nascidos no mesmo rebanho, ano, época e pertencentes ao mesmo sexo e grupo de manejo) e, como aleatórios, os efeitos genético aditivo direto e residual. A herdabilidade para PES foi estimada utlizando-se o mesmo modelo, acrescido dos efeitos fixos do peso e da idade do animal ao sobreano (covariáveis). As médias para idade nas pesagens foram 215 e 528 dias para a desmama e o sobreano, respectivamente. A herdabilidade estimada para GMDDS foi 0,44 ± 0,02 e para PES, 0,22 ± 0,08. A tendência genética anual predita para GMDDS foi decrescente até 1996 e crescente a partir desse período. A tendência fenotípica anual foi de 9,4 g/dia/ano.

Influência do banho de aspersão ante-mortem na contaminação microbiana da carne bovina

To determine the effects of the pre-slaughter showering on some meat quality parameters, the bacterial changes in the Longus colli muscle and the contamination of the meat surface at three different points of the slaughter line were studied. Sixteen Nelore steers were slaughtered in a commercial slaughterhouse. Eight animals were submitted to pre-slaughter showering; a control group of eight animals were slaughtered without showering. Aseptic samples were collected for evaluations in the muscle depth, in the anterior portion of Longus colli muscle, just before chilling. The swab method was used for sampling carcass surface right after dressing, before carcasse washing, and at the beginning of chilling. Longus colli muscle samples were used to determine bacteria total count, psychrotrophic count and Enterobacteriaceae count, after 5, 24 and 48 hours from slaughtering, and in carcass surface, bacteria total count and psychrotrophic count. Multivariate methods were used to evaluate bacterial data the use of pre-slaughter showering did not affect the bacteria total counts, in the deep tissue. A significant growth of psychrotrophic bacteria was detected in both treatments. No significant differences (P>.05) were found in bacteria total count and psychrotrophic count between treatments. Also, no differences (P>.05) were detected between counts taken at different momments at the kill floor: skinning, before carcasse washing, and at the cooler, before chilling.

Computer-assisted analysis of cell proliferation markers in oral lesions

Abnormalities in any component of the cell cycle regulatory machine may result in oral. cancer, and markers of cell proliferation have been used to determine the prognosis of tumor progression. The aim of this study was to determine whether silver-stained nucleolar organizer region (AgNOR) and Ki-67 measurements could improve the assessment of growth rates in oral lesions. Eighty-three oral biopsies were studied, 20 of which were classified as fibrous inflammatory hyperplasia (FIH), 40 as leukoplakia (LKP) and 23 as oral. squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Within the LKP group, 22 out of 29 biopsies were diagnosed as non-dysplastic leukoplakia (LK) and 18 as dysplastic teukoptakia (DLK), presenting discrete, moderate and severe dysplasia. Ki-67 immunotabeting of the lesions increased steadily in the following order: FIH, DLK, LK and OSCC, indicating that Ki-67 is a good marker for predicting the protiferative fraction among benign, premalignant and malignant oral lesions. The median values of AgNOR parameters indicate that the morphometric index gives better results regarding the proliferative rate than the numerical one. A series of linear regressions between AgNOR parameters and Ki-67 showed positive associations. We conclude that a combination of Ki-67 and morphometric AgNOR analyses could be used as an aid in the determination of the protiferative status of oral epithelial. cells in oral cancer. (C) 2007 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Integration of polyharmonic functions

The results in this paper are motivated by two analogies. First, m-harmonic functions in R(n) are extensions of the univariate algebraic polynomials of odd degree 2m-1. Second, Gauss' and Pizzetti's mean value formulae are natural multivariate analogues of the rectangular and Taylor's quadrature formulae, respectively. This point of view suggests that some theorems concerning quadrature rules could be generalized to results about integration of polyharmonic functions. This is done for the Tchakaloff-Obrechkoff quadrature formula and for the Gaussian quadrature with two nodes.

Glutathione transferase pi (GSTpi) expression in breast cancer: An immunohistochemical and molecular study

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

Central control of cardiorespiratory interactions in fish

Fish control the relative flow rates of water and blood over the gills in order to optimise respiratory gas exchange. As both flows are markedly pulsatile, close beat-to-beat relationships can be predicted. Cardiorespiratory interactions in fish are controlled primarily by activity in the parasympathetic nervous system that has its origin in cardiac vagal. preganglionic neurons. Recordings of efferent activity in the cardiac vagus include units firing in respiration-related bursts. Bursts of electrical stimuli delivered peripherally to the cardiac vagus or centrally to respiratory branches of cranial, nerves can recruit the heart over a range of frequencies. So, phasic, efferent activity in cardiac vagi, that in the intact fish are respiration-related, can cause heart rate to be modulated by the respiratory rhythm. In elasmobranch fishes this phasic activity seems to arise primarily from central feed-forward interactions with respiratory motor neurones that have overlapping distributions with cardiac neurons in the brainstem. In teleost fish, they arise from increased levels of efferent vagal activity arising from reflex stimulation of chemoreceptors and mechanoreceptors in the orobranchial, cavity. However, these differences are largely a matter of emphasis as both groups show elements of feed-forward and feed-back control of cardiorespiratory interactions. (C) 2008 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Barrier and Mechanical Properties of Clay-Reinforced Polymeric Nanocomposites

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

An immunohistochemical study of interleukin-8 (IL-8) in breast cancer

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

The development of a febrile response to pyrogen in the thyroid-deficient rabbit

The development of the febrile response to E. coli lipopolysaccharide (1.5 μg/kg, i.v.) in thyroid-deficient rabbits has been studied. Twenty-eight New Zealand White rabbits weighing 2.1-2.3 kg were used. Hypothyroidism was induced by treatment with propylthiouracil (100 or 200 mg/kg body wt./15 days). Thyroid-deficient animals showed a reduction in the febrile response to lipopolysaccharide, but the effect was significantly different (p<0.01) from the control only for rabbits treated with 200 mg/kg of propylthiouracil. Propranolol (2 mg/kg, i.p.) given 30 min before lipopolysaccharide also reduced (p<0.01) the fever response in control rabbits. The results of this experiment are consistent with the hypothesis that the reduction in the febrile response of thyroid-deficient rabbits is due to the reduced number of β-adrenergic receptors, or to a change in the availability of neurotransmitter in thermogenically active tissues, such as brown fat.

The Role of the Korteweg-de Vries Hierarchy in the N-Soliton Dynamics of the Shallow Water Wave Equation

We apply a multiple-time version of the reductive perturbation method to study long waves as governed by the shallow water wave model equation. As a consequence of the requirement of a secularity-free perturbation theory, we show that the well known N-soliton dynamics of the shallow water wave equation, in the particular case of α = 2β, can be reduced to the N-soliton solution that satisfies simultaneously all equations of the Korteweg-de Vries hierarchy.

PCM thermal insulation in buildings

This paper presents the results of a numerical and experimental study of phase change material (PCM) filled walls and roofs under real operational conditions to achieve passive thermal comfort. The numerical part of the study was based on a one-dimensional model for the phase change problem controlled by pure conduction. Real radiation data was used to determine the external face temperature. The numerical treatment was based upon using finite difference approximations and the ADI scheme. The results obtained were compared with field measurements. The experimental set-up consisted of a small room with movable roof and side wall. The roof was constructed in the traditional way but with the phase change material enclosed. Thermocouples were distributed across the cross section of the roof. Another roof, identical but without the PCM, was also used during comparative tests. The movable wall was also constructed as is done traditionally but with the PCM enclosed. Again, thermocouples were distributed across the wall thickness to enable measurement of the local temperatures. Another wall, identical but without the PCM, was also used during comparative tests. The PCM used in the numerical and experimental tests was composed of a mixture of two commercial grades of glycol in order to obtain the required fusion temperature range. Comparison between the simulation results and the experiments indicated good agreement. Field tests also indicated that the PCM used was adequate and that the concept was effective in maintaining the indoor temperature very close to the established comfort limits. Further economical analysis indicated that the concept could effectively help in reducing the electric energy consumption and improving the energy demand pattern. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A simple constant-current neural stimulator with accurate pulse-amplitude control

A simple constant-current electrocutaneous stimulator for high-impedance loads using low-cost, standard high-voltage components is presented. A voltage-regulator powers an oscillator built across the primary of a transformer whose secondary delivers, after rectification, the high-voltage supply to switched current-mirrors in the driving stage. Since the compliance high-voltage is proportional to the stimulation current, overall power consumption is minimized. By adjusting the regulated voltage, control of the pulsed-current amplitude is achieved. A prototype with readily available components features stimulation currents of amplitude and pulsewidth in the range 0≤Iskin≤20mA and 50μs ≤Tpulse≤1ms, respectively. Pulse-repetition spans from 1 Hz to 10Hz. Worst-case ripple is 3.7% @Iskin=1mA. Measured pulse fall-time is shorter than 32μs. Overall consumption is 4.4W @Iskin=20mA. Subject isolation from line is 4KV.

Educação para a saúde: A doença como conteúdo nas aulas de ciências

The study analyzes how middle-school students view Hansen's disease, which constitutes a public health problem in Brazil. A questionnaire was presented to 159 8th-grade students at three schools, two state and one private. Responses were analyzed by category, with results organized according to knowledge, prejudice about the disease, and the importance of health-education campaigns. The students displayed no scientific knowledge of the disease, although they also showed little prejudice. In terms of educational campaigns, it was concluded that more information of an up-to-date nature should be offered at schools as a way of reaching most of the population.

Biodegradability of diesel and biodiesel blends

The biodegradability of pure diesel and biodiesel and blends with different proportions of biodiesel (2% (commercial); 5% and 20%) was evaluated employing the respirometric method and the redox indicator 2,6-dichlorophenol indophenol (DCPIP) test. In the former, experiments simulating the contamination of natural environments (soil from a petrol station or water from a river) were carried out in Bartha biometer flasks (250 ml), and used to measure the microbial CO 2 production. With the DCPIP test, the capability of three inocula to biodegrade the blends was tested. Results show that although biodiesel is more easily and faster biodegraded than diesel oil, among the blends evaluated (2%, 5% and 20%), only the blend with higher concentration of biodiesel presented biodegradability significantly different from diesel and it was not verified an improvement on the biodegradation of the diesel by means of co-metabolism. © 2008 Academic Journals.