Landscape Diversity Influences Dispersal and Establishment of Pest with Complex Nutritional Ecology

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

Survey of the nutritional recommendations and management practices adopted by feedlot cattle nutritionists in Brazil

Thirty-three feedlot cattle nutritionists were surveyed to evaluate the management practices and nutritional recommendations adopted by feedlots in Brazil. The web-based survey consisted of 81 questions that included: general information (n = 10); general commodity information (n = 15); use of coproducts (n = 5), roughage source and level (n = 5); adaptation methods (n = 7); feed mixers (n = 6); feeding management (n = 6); cattle management and type of cattle fed (n = 13); formulation practices (n = 9); information resources used for nutritional recommendations (n = 2); and additional questions (n = 3). In total, the 33 nutritionists were responsible for approximately 2,658,000 animals, and moreover, 65.5% of those participants had clients that feed less than 5000 animals yearly. Corn was the primary source of grain used in feedlot diets (87.9%) and cracking was the primary processing method recommended by nutritionists (57.6%). The average concentrate and roughage inclusion in finishing diets was 79.0% and 21.0%, respectively. The main challenges faced by nutritionists are the lack of available and precise equipment and lack of trained employees with respiratory diseases as the main health problem. This survey of nutrition and management practices should aid in the development of research for the feedlot industry in Brazil and similar tropical climates, as well as provide data to facilitate the broader application of future NRC models. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nutritional parameters are associated with mortality in acute kidney injury

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to perform a nutritional assessment of acute kidney injury patients and to identify the relationship between nutritional markers and outcomes.METHOD: This was a prospective and observational study. Patients who were hospitalized at the Hospital of Botucatu School of Medicine were evaluated between January 2009 and December 2011. We evaluated a total of 133 patients with a clinical diagnosis of acute kidney injury and a clinical presentation suggestive of acute tubular necrosis. We explored the associations between clinical, laboratory and nutritional markers and in hospital mortality. Multivariable logistic regression was used to adjust for confounding and selection bias.RESULTS: Non-survivor patients were older (67 +/- 14 vs. 59 +/- 16 years) and exhibited a higher prevalence of sepsis (57.1 vs. 21.4%) and higher Acute Tubular Necrosis-Individual Severity Scores (0.60 +/- 0.22 vs. 0.41 +/- 0.21) than did survivor patients. Based on the multivariable analysis, laboratorial parameters such as blood urea nitrogen and C-reactive protein were associated with a higher risk of death (OR: 1.013, p = 0.0052; OR: 1.050, p = 0.01, respectively), and nutritional parameters such as low calorie intake, higher levels of edema, lower resistance based on bioelectrical impedance analysis and a more negative nitrogen balance were significantly associated with a higher risk of death (OR: 0.950, p = 0.01; OR: 1.138, p = 0.03; OR: 0.995, p = 0.03; OR: 0.934, p = 0.04, respectively).CONCLUSIONS: In acute kidney injury patients, a nutritional assessment seems to identify nutritional markers that are associated with outcome. In this study, a low caloric intake, higher C-reactive protein levels, the presence of edema, a lower resistance measured during a bioelectrical impedance analysis and a lower nitrogen balance were significantly associated with risk of death in acute kidney injury patients.

NUTRITIONAL STATUS AND DRY MASS PRODUCTION OF ALFALFA IN FUNCTION OF POTASSIUM RATES IN TWO SOILS

Potassium fertilization is very important to alfalfa crop in terms of yield, quality and persistence of forage, especially on soils naturally poor K. Thus, to assess the effects of K fertilization in alfalfa production and nutritional status, was carried out an experiment in a greenhouse using samples of a Dystrophic Oxisol medium texture (LV) (0.6 mmol(c) dm(-3) K) and a Dystrophic Ultisol sandy/medium texture (PVA) (2.2 mmol(c) dm(-3) K). A completely randomized design in a factorial arrangement 6 x 2 (six K rates and two soils) was used, with four replications. The K rates used were: 0, 25, 50, 100, 150 and 200 mg kg(-1) K. Potassium fertilization increased K content in soil and shoots. Dry matter production was increased with the K addition. However, in the PVA, this occurred only in the second cut. In LV, potassium fertilization increased N concentration in alfalfa shoots in both cuts. Plants with K concentration around 10 g kg(-1) had typical symptoms of this nutrient deficiency. The K critical levels of K in soil and shoots were 1.8 mmolc dm(-3) and 16.7 g kg(-1), respectively.

NUTRITIONAL STATUS AND LEVELS OF HEAVY METALS IN LETTUCE PLANTS FERTILIZED WITH ORGANIC COMPOUNDS

The use of organic compounds has been a good option to reduce spending on fertilizers, and gain increased productivity in the cultivation of lettuce. However, given the wide variety of raw materials used in the preparation of organic compounds, studies are needed to evaluate its effects on the release of essential nutrients to plants and on the release of contaminants such as heavy metals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the mineral nutrition and heavy metal contamination of lettuce in soils treated with doses and types of compost. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse in randomized blocks in factorial scheme 5x4, with five types of organic compounds and four nitrogen levels (0, 35, 70 and 140 kg ha(-1) of N), with four replications. In general, the doses of the compounds were not enough to provide the necessary quantity of nutrients to the lettuce, with the exception of nitrogen. There was no increase in levels of heavy metals in the soil above that allowed by Brazilian legislation. Furthermore, compounds based on manure plus grass, and commercial compound caused increases in Zn concentration in plants at levels above the recommended for consumed.

Crude glycerin in the supplement for beef cattle on pasture

Pós-graduação em Zootecnia - FCAV

Estratégias alimentares para a recria e terminação de tourinhos Nelore

Pós-graduação em Zootecnia - FCAV

DNA damage in BALB/c mice infected with Lacazia loboi and its relation to nutritional status

Background: Jorge Lobo's disease, also known as lacaziosis, is a cutaneous-subcutaneous mycosis with chronic evolution. It is caused by the fungus Lacazia loboi. Herein we report a study that relates the genotoxicity caused by L. loboi in isogenic mice with nutritional status, through a normal or restricted diet.Methods: DNA damage was assessed in the peripheral blood by the comet assay (tail intensity).Results: The results for leukocytes showed increases in the mean tail intensity in mice under dietary restriction, in infected mice under dietary restriction and in infected mice ingesting a normal diet.Conclusion: These results indicate that dietary restriction and L. loboi infection may increase DNA damage levels in mice, as detected by the comet assay.

Effects of aging and maternal protein restriction on the muscle fibers morphology and neuromuscular junctions of rats after nutritional recovery

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Growth and nutritional disorders of eggplant cultivated in nutrients solutions with suppressed macronutrients

The objective was to evaluate the effects of omitting macronutrients in the nutrients solution on growth characteristics and nutritional status of eggplants. The treatments were complete nutrients solution and solutions with nutrient omission: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and sulfur (S). The experiment was carried out under greenhouse conditions with three replicates in a completely random design. Plant height, number of leaves per plant, leaf area, relative chlorophyll index, photosynthesis rate, stomatal conductance, dry matter, concentration levels of macronutrients in plant aerial part and root system, and nutritional disorders were evaluated. Omitting elements interfered in the concentration of elements in the various plant tissues and this had as consequences limited vegetative growth, reduced dry matter and led to the development of the typical deficiency symptoms of each element. Although potassium was the most demanded of all elements, nitrogen and calcium were the most growth limiting ones.

Nutritional status of the cauliflower cultivar ‘verona’ grown with omission of out added macronutrients

Knowledge of plant nutritional status allows an understanding of the physiological responses of plants to crop fertilization. A hydroponic experiment evaluated the symptoms of macronutrient deficiency in cauliflower 'Verona'and determined: a) the macronutrient contents of foliar tissues when visual symptoms were observed, b) macronutrients content of foliar and inflorescence tissues at harvest. The effect of nutrient deficiency on inflorescence mass was also evaluated. Nitrogen deficiency caused chlorosis followed by purple color in the old leaves, while P deficiency caused only chlorosis in old leaves. Chlorosis at the edge of old leaves progressing to the center of the leaves was observed with the omission of K, and after was observed necrosis in the chlorotic areas. Ca deficiency caused tip burn in new leaves, while Mg deficiency caused internerval chlorosis in old leaves. The omission of eachmacronutrient reduced inflorescence dry matter. This deleterious effect was larger for N, P, and K deficiencies, reducing inflorescence dry matter by 87, 49, and 42%, respectively. When the nutrient solutions without N, P, K, Ca, or Mg were supplied to cauliflower plants, the macronutrient contents at harvest were 8.8, 0.6, 3.5, 13.0, and 0.8 g kg(-1) in the foliar tissues and 27.3, 2.2, 21.6, 1.1, and 0.7 g kg(-1) in the inflorescence tissues, respectively.

Influence of the collection season on production, size, and chemical composition of bee pollen produced by apis mellifera l.

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

Evaluation of the owner's perception in the use of homemade diets for the nutritional management of dogs

Many dog owners see homemade diets as a way of increasing the bond with their pets, even though they may not have the convenience of commercial diets. Modifications of ingredients, quality and proportion might change the nutritional composition of the diet, generating nutritional imbalances. The present study evaluated how dog owners use and adhere to homemade diets prescribed by veterinary nutritionists over an extended period of time. Forty-six owners of dogs fed a homemade diet for at least 6 months were selected for the present study. Owners were invited to answer questions by first reading all possible answers and then selecting the one that best indicated their opinion. The results were evaluated through descriptive statistics. Thirty-five owners (76·1 %) found that the diets are easy to prepare. Fourteen owners (30·4 %) admitted to modifying the diets, 40 % did not adequately control the amount of provided ingredients, 73·9 % did not use the recommended amounts of soyabean oil and salt, and 34·8 % did not correctly use the vitamin, mineral or amino acid supplements. Twenty-six owners (56·5 %) reported that their dogs refused to eat at least one food item. All of these alterations make the nutritional composition of the diets unpredictable and likely nutritionally imbalanced. Although homemade diets could be a useful tool for the nutritional management of dogs with certain diseases, not all owners are able to appropriately use this type of diet and adhere to it for an extended period of time and this limitation needs to be considered when recommending the use of homemade diets.

Nutritional status and immune response in murine experimental Jorge Lobo's disease

There are no studies investigating the role of nutritional status and immunity associated with Jorge Lobo's disease. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of protein-calorie malnutrition on the immune response of BALB/c mice inoculated with Lacazia loboi. In this study,the animals were divided into four groups: G1: inoculated with restricted diet, G2: not inoculated with restricted diet, G3: inoculated with regular diet, G4: not inoculated with regular diet. The animals of groups G1 and G2 were submitted to malnutrition for 20 days and once installed the animals were inoculated intradermally into the footpad. After 4 months, they were euthanised for the isolation of peritoneal lavage cells and removal of the footpad. The production of IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IL-12, IFN-γ, TNF-α, H2 O2 and nitric oxide (NO) was evaluated in the peritoneal lavage cells. The footpad was evaluated regarding the size of macroscopic lesions, number of fungi and viability index. The results showed that the infection did not exert great influence on the body weight of the mice and previous malnutrition was an unfavourable factor for viability index, number of fungi, macroscopic lesion size in the footpad and production of H2 O2 , NO, IL-12, IL-10 and IFN-γ, suggesting that malnutrition significantly altered fungal activity and peritoneal cells. The results suggest considerable interaction between nutrition and immunity in Jorge Lobo's disease.