Associações genéticas entre pesos e características reprodutivas em rebanhos da raça Nelore

Dados de 14.918 animais da raça Nelore nascidos entre 1991 e 2000, provenientes de rebanhos localizados nas regiões Sul e Sudeste do País, foram utilizados para estimar componentes de co-variância, herdabilidade e correlações genéticas de peso ao desmame (PD), peso a 1 ano de idade (PA), peso ao sobreano (PS), peso ao primeiro parto (PPP), idade ao primeiro parto (IPP) e dias para o primeiro parto (DP). As estimativas dos componentes de co-variância e dos parâmetros genéticos foram obtidas pelo método de máxima verossimilhança restrita, em análises multivariadas. As herdabilidades estimadas para PD, PA, PS, PPP, IPP e DP foram de 0,26; 0,30; 0,34; 0,35; 0,14 e 0,07, respectivamente. Correlações genéticas negativas foram estimadas entre pesos medidos em diferentes idades e IPP, as quais variaram de -0,31 a -0,16. do mesmo modo, as estimativas de correlação genética entre PD × DP (-0,09); PA × DP (-0,13); PS × DP (-0,17) e PPP × DP (-0,16) foram negativas, embora de menor magnitude. As correlações genéticas estimadas entre as características de crescimento e a IPP foram favoráveis. Assim, a seleção para aumento de peso deve promover redução da IPP. A alta correlação genética estimada entre IPP e DP (0,73) indica que o uso de DP na seleção de bovinos de corte pode promover resposta correlacionada favorável na idade ao primeiro parto.

Genetic and environmental effects on sexual precocity traits in Nellore cattle

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Herdabilidades e correlações entre pesos do nascimento à idade adulta em rebanhos da raça Nelore

Dados de 19.458 animais da raça Nelore, nascidos entre 1975 e 2002 e pertencentes a oito fazendas participantes do Programa de Melhoramento Genético da Raça Nelore (PMGRN), foram utilizados para estimar componentes de covariância, herdabilidade e correlações genéticas dos pesos ao nascimento, à desmama, ao sobreano e aos 2, 3 e 5 anos de idade. Utilizou-se o método da máxima verossimilhança restrita, em análises uni, bi e multicaracterísticas, com modelos que incluíram o efeito genético aditivo direto, como aleatório, além dos efeitos fixos de grupo de contemporâneos e os efeitos linear e quadrático da idade do animal à pesagem (com exceção do modelo para peso ao nascer) e da idade da mãe ao parto. O efeito aleatório de ambiente permanente materno também foi incluído nos modelos de análise do peso ao nascer, peso à desmama e peso ao sobreano e o efeito aleatório genético materno somente no modelo do peso à desmama. As herdabilidades estimadas em análise multicaracterística para os pesos ao nascer, à desmama, ao sobreano, aos 2, 3 e aos 5 anos de idade foram 0,25; 0,33; 0,34; 0,32; 0,33 e 0,35, respectivamente. As correlações genéticas estimadas entre os pesos foram positivas e de moderadas a altas magnitudes e tenderam a diminuir com o aumento da distância entre as pesagens, o que indica que a seleção para peso em qualquer idade deverá promover mudança genética nos pesos nas demais idades, inclusive no peso adulto de fêmeas da raça Nelore. As estimativas de herdabilidade obtidas na análise multicaracterística foram superiores, sobretudo para os pesos aos 3 e aos 5 anos de idade, o que sugere melhor partição das variâncias genética e de ambiente em comparação às análises uni e bicaracterísticas, porém a alta demanda de recursos computacionais em análises de muitas características pode ainda dificultar o uso dessas análises em grandes bancos de dados.

Heterogeneidade de variâncias na avaliação genética de búfalas no Brasil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Genetic analysis of visual scores and their relationships to mature female weight in Nellore breed

Dados de 79.884 animais da raça Nelore foram utilizados para estimar parâmetros genéticos e avaliar as relações entre os escores de conformação, precocidade e musculatura obtidos à desmama e ao sobreano e o peso das fêmeas à idade adulta. Utilizou-se o método da máxima verossimilhança restrita, em análise multicaracterísticas, com modelo que incluiu os efeitos genéticos aditivos direto e residual, como aleatórios, e os efeitos fixos de grupo de contemporâneos e, como covariáveis, a idade do animal à pesagem e a idade da mãe ao parto (exceto para o peso das fêmeas à idade adulta). Os grupos contemporâneos à desmama foram definidos pelas variáveis: sexo, rebanho, ano e mês de nascimento, grupo de manejo ao nascimento e à desmama. Na definição de grupo contemporâneo ao sobreano também foi incluída a variável grupo de manejo ao sobreano. Para o peso das fêmeas à idade adulta, o grupo de contemporâneos foi composto por rebanho, ano de nascimento, grupo de manejo ao sobreano, ano e estação da pesagem. Os efeitos genético materno e de ambiente permanente materno também foram incluídos no modelo para análise dos escores de conformação, precocidade e musculatura à desmama. As estimativas de herdabilidade direta obtidas foram 0,18 ± 0,02 para o escore de conformação; 0,21 ± 0,01 para o escore de precocidade; 0,22 ± 0,01 para o escore de musculatura à desmama e 0,24 ± 0,01 para o escore de conformação; 0,27 ± 0,01 para o escore de precocidade; e 0,26 ± 0,01 para o escore de musculatura ao sobreano e 0,42 ± 0,02 para o peso das fêmeas à idade adulta. As correlações genéticas estimadas entre os escores visuais medidos à desmama e ao sobreano foram positivas, variando de média a alta magnitude (0,56 ± 0,03 a 0,85 ± 0,01). Por outro lado, as correlações genéticas estimadas entre os escores visuais e o peso das fêmeas à idade adulta foram positivas e moderadas, variando de 0,21 ± 0,03 a 0,35 ± 0,03. Os resultados obtidos indicam que a seleção de animais com maiores escores visuais, principalmente ao sobreano, deve promover aumento do peso das fêmeas à idade adulta.

A construção de modelos situacionais no padrão discursivo narrativa em quadrinhos

The object of this study is the construction of situation models in the discourse pattern comic book narrative, and sits in the field of Cognitive Linguistics. Its main foundations are the notions of embodied mind (LAKOFF; JOHNSON, 1999), mental simulation (BARSALOU, 1999), discourse pattern (DUQUE; COSTA, 2012) and situation models (ZWAAN, 1999). I stem from the hypothesis that the process of meaning construction in narratives is attached to the simulation of space, of time and of the characters goals and actions within the story world, dimensions which make up the situation models elaborated by the reader. The simulation of these experiences during discourse processing originates from the fact of it having an embodied and cultural basis, i.e., upon being confronted with the clues found in the narrative, the cognitive structures that make up the reader s personal and social memories are triggered and make it possible to activate information which in turn refer to his/her physical and social experiences, built up in the environment in which he/she lives. As regards comic book narratives, the construction of situation models is closely related to the recurring activation of certain cognitive structures originating from graphic resources that are typical of that discourse pattern. These conclusions were drawn from the data analysis taken from the work Palestina (SACCO, 2003; 2004; 2011)

Mortalidade infantil em município da região Centro-Oeste Paulista, Brasil, 1990 a 1992

INTRODUÇÃO: A mortalidade infantil em Presidente Prudente, SP (Brasil), foi estudada no período de 1990 a 1992, a partir de aplicação de métodos para obtenção de diagnóstico coletivo que orientassem a identificação e escolha de estratégias de controle de problemas locais. MATERIAL E MÉTODO: Foram utilizadas declarações de óbito colhidas no cartório, cujos dados originais foram corrigidos por meio de pesquisa documental nos serviços de saúde e entrevistas domiciliares. Para estudar variáveis como idade materna e peso ao nascer foram utilizados os dados do Sistema de Informações sobre Nascidos Vivos (SINASC). A qualidade dos dados originais das declarações de óbitos foi inicialmente analisada pela quantidade de informações, sensibilidade, especificidade e valor de Kappa. RESULTADO: A sensibilidade global para a causa básica de óbito foi 78,84% e Kappa igual a 71,32 para o total de causas. Ocorreram 189 óbitos, sendo 66,15% no período neonatal (41,28% durante o primeiro dia de vida) e 33,85% no infantil tardio. O peso ao nascer de 58,28% dos óbitos foi menor que 2.500g. As causas básicas de óbito foram estudadas segundo a possibilidade de serem prevenidas (método desenvolvido por Erica Taucher) por grupos de causas reduzidas utilizadas no International Collaborative Effort (ICE), causas múltiplas e distribuição geográfica. Observou-se que nos óbitos ocorridos até 27 dias, 22,23% poderiam ser evitados por adequada atenção ao parto, 20,64% seriam redutíveis por diagnóstico e tratamento precoce, 13,75% por bom controle da gravidez e apenas 7,94% não evitáveis. Das mortes ocorridas no período infantil tardio, 12,17% foram classificadas como outras preveníveis e 4,23% foram consideradas não evitáveis. Segundo os grupos do ICE, 58,74% faleceram por imaturidade ou asfixias; 19,58% por infecções e, 12,17%, por anomalias congênitas. CONCLUSÃO: Os resultados sugerem prioridade para assistência obstétrica no trabalho de parto e atenção pediátrica por baixo peso ao nascer, entre outras. A análise por causas múltiplas mostra que 76,05% dos óbitos têm as causas básicas relacionadas a causas perinatais e confirma a relação entre as deficiências de peso e as complicações respiratórias do recém-nascido. As complicações maternas também relacionaram-se com o baixo peso. Identificaram-se grandes diferenças no coeficiente de mortalidade infantil entre as áreas da zona urbana não somente restritas aos valores, como também ao tipo de doenças responsáveis pela ocorrência do óbito. Conclui-se haver vantagem no uso associado das quatro técnicas que são complementares, tanto para estudo, como para planejamento de ações dirigidas à prevenção da mortalidade infantil.

Tradução e adaptação transcultural do instrumento de avaliação prenatal selfevaluation questionnaire

Introduction: The human gestation period is 40 weeks. This is the essential time for maternal psychosocial adaptation, in which there is the intense transformation of a life without offspring into a life with one or more children. The Pregnancy Self-Evaluation Questionnaire (PSEQ) has 79 items, subdivided into seven subcategories: acceptance of pregnancy, identification with the maternal role, well-being of mother and baby, preparing for labor, control in labor, relationship with the mother and the relationship with the partner. Objective: To translate and cross-culturally adapt the instrument PSEQ to be used with Brazilian women. Methods: It is a cross-sectional observational study. We followed some methodological steps to achieve the cross-cultural adaptation of this measuring instrument. They are: translation, synthesis, back translation, analysis of the committee of specialists and pre-test. Another questionnaire was applied to characterize the socio-demographic and clinical status of the pregnant women (n = 36). The descriptive statistics was gotten through the average, standard deviation (SD), absolute and relative frequency. The statistical test used for the analysis of the internal consistency was Cronbach's alpha coefficient, using SPSS version 17.0. Results: The volunteers had low socioeconomic status, average age of 25.1 years (± 5.52), and average gestational age of 25.9 weeks (± 8.11). 58.3% of these volunteers had not planned their current pregnancy. The pretest showed that 75% of pregnant women found the questionnaire easy to understand. There was an average of 76.9 (± 3.23) answered items among the participants. Regarding the instrument PSEQ, the identification with the maternal role was the subcategory which showed the highest average 24.8 (± 5.6), while the relationship with the mother had the lowest average 15.4 (± 7.7). The internal consistency ranged from 0.52-0.89. Conclusion: The translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the PSEQ to Portuguese language were carried out with methodological rigor and can be considered an instrument with good internal consistency

Sistema de produção misto de caprino na região central do estado do Rio Grande do Norte

This study aimed to evaluate the performance and profitability of Canindé goats kept under semi-intensive management in mix farming system. 84 animals were used, being 81 does e three bucks.. The means of fertility rate at parturition, prolificacy and percentages of pregnant, kid survival and reproductive rate were compared by Tukey test at significance level of 5.0%. The kid weights from birth to weaning were submitted to variance analysis considering sex and birth type and the means were compared by Tukey test at 5.0% of significance. The percentages of fertility rate by ultrassographic were 91.36 and parturition 74.84. The prolificacy was 1.53. Independently of sex the mortality rate of kids from birth to weaning was 12.3. The average weights of offspring were 2.11 and 1.92 kg and 6.74 and 6.84 kg for male and female offspring at birth and weaning, in this order. The average weights of kids, meaning PN, P28, P56, P63, in the first season of kidding were 2.11 ± 0.46 kg, 3.63 ± 1.04 kg, 5.96 ± 158 kg and 6.74 ± 1.79 kg. There was significant differences (P<0,05) only to birth weight of kids sons of buck 135. However, the fertility at parturition for first and second breeding seasons (BS) were 87.65 and 62.96, respectively (P<0.05). The prolificacy was 1.58 and 1.47 to first and second BS in this order. The percentages of offspring survival from birth to weaning, to first and second BS were 92.86 and 80.00, respectively. From the first BS the reproduction rate was 1.28 while in the second was 0.74. After weaning the duration of lactation was 104 days to first breeding parturition and 38 days in the second one. The total milk production was 853.50 kg. The kids weight gain was influenced by season of year, wet and dry and buck (P<0.05). Were concluded that the seasons of year when breeding season and parturition occur strongly affected the productive performance and profitability of production system

Levantamento exploratório da composição e frações proteicas do leite bovino em propriedades leiteras

The direct relationship with the processing, industrial yield and price of milk, the importance of the centesimal composition of milk and their protein fractions has increased for both the dairy industry and for the producers, so it is important to identify the possible causes on variation of these components. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the seasons, order of calving and lactation phase on milk composition and protein fractions in dairy farms in the Agreste and Leste meso-regions, of Rio Grande do Norte State (RN). Milk samples were taken in seven milk farms directly from the bulk tanks except for one farm where samples were taken from higher milking cows producers and heifers. The experiment was done in seven properties with milk samples taken directly from the bulk tanks and in one property were collected from higher production cows and heifers. Composition analyses were carried out for both experiments and sensorial trial was performed for the second experiment only. The data results were submitted to analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey test performed for 5% significance level. In the first experiment was observed response of the seasons, dry and rainy season; while in the second, the effect of the order of calving and lactation phase had influence on milk composition and protein fractions. There was significant response (p < 0.05) for season effects but due to farms. The rainy season had higher averages in the protein, lactose, total solids and nonfat dry extract. Multiparous cows had higher CCS, NUL and PCAS milk contents; while, first calving heifers showed higher average for the sensory attribute, color of milk. The final third of lactation was responsible for the elevation of the levels of almost all milk components and their protein fractions

Avaliação genética da eficiência reprodutiva em vacas pardo-suíças por meio da análise de sobrevivência

Among the traits of economic importance to dairy cattle livestock those related to sexual precocity and longevity of the herd are essential to the success of the activity, because the stayability time of a cow in a herd is determined by their productive and reproductive lives. In Brazil, there are few studies about the reproductive efficiency of Swiss-Brown cows and no study was found using the methodology of survival analysis applied to this breed. Thus, in the first chapter of this study, the age at first calving from Swiss-Brown heifers was analyzed as the time until the event by the nonparametric method of Kaplan-Meier and the gamma shared frailty model, under the survival analysis methodology. Survival and hazard rate curves associated with this event were estimated and identified the influence of covariates on such time. The mean and median times at the first calving were 987.77 and 1,003 days, respectively, and significant covariates by the Log-Rank test, through Kaplan-Meier analysis, were birth season, calving year, sire (cow s father) and calving season. In the analysis by frailty model, the breeding values and the frailties of the sires (fathers) for the calving were predicted modeling the risk function of each cow as a function of the birth season as fixed covariate and sire as random covariate. The frailty followed the gamma distribution. Sires with high and positive breeding values possess high frailties, what means shorter survival time of their daughters to the event, i.e., reduction in the age at first calving of them. The second chapter aimed to evaluate the longevity of dairy cows using the nonparametric Kaplan-Meier and the Cox and Weibull proportional hazards models. It were simulated 10,000 records of the longevity trait from Brown-Swiss cows involving their respective times until the occurrence of five consecutive calvings (event), considered here as typical of a long-lived cow. The covariates considered in the database were age at first calving, herd and sire (cow s father). All covariates had influence on the longevity of cows by Log-Rank and Wilcoxon tests. The mean and median times to the occurrence of the event were 2,436.285 and 2,437 days, respectively. Sires that have higher breeding values also have a greater risk of that their daughters reach the five consecutive calvings until 84 months

Caracterização e modelagem dos sistemas de produção de caprinos leiteiros

The objectives of this research were characterizing the dairy goat production systems and model it using linear program. On the first step of this research, the model was developed using data from farms that was affiliated in the ACCOMIG/Caprileite, used a similar dairy goat production systems and have a partnership program with Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais . The data of research were from a structured questionnaire applied with farmers and monitoring of production systems during a guided visit on their farms. The results permitted identify that all farms were classified as a small and have a intensive production system. The average herd size had 63.75 dairy goats on lactation; it permits a production of 153, 38 kg of goat milk per day. It was observed that existing more than one channel of commercialization for the goat milk and their derivative products. The data obtained, on the first step of this research, was used to develop a linear program model. It was evaluated in two goat production systems, called P1 and P2. The results showed that the P1 system, with an annual birth and lactation during approximately 300 days was the best alternative for business. These results were compared with a mixed (beef and dairy) goat system in the semiarid region, which indicated merged with both systems. Therefore, to achieve profits and sustainability of the system, in all simulations it was necessary a minimum limit of funding of U.S. $ 10,000.00; this value permit earning of U.S. $ 792.00 per month and pay the investment within 5 years

Quando as mulheres se tornam mães: a história reprodutiva feminina numa visão evolucionista

In this thesis we tested evolutionary hypotheses, with empirically collected data, in a sample composed of pregnant Brazilian women. We consider that during pregnancy and soon after the baby's birth fundamental reproductive decisions take place, given the complete feminine involvement with the reproduction phenomenon. The results are presented in four empirical articles related to the history of female reproduction. The topics approached were mate selection, the life-history theory, the strategies of parental investment and postpartum depression. Data collection was accomplished through interviews with pregnant women and after the baby s birth, with a sample composed of women from two income classes (low income and middle class), in Natal, Brazil. With respect to mate selection, the results suggest that a real situation of reproductive mate selection shows significant differences when compared to the results obtained in studies involving potential mate selection (Article I). Considering the life-history theory, we have partially confirmed the hypothesis of the father`s absence influencing the development of the young female syndrome (Article II). In regard to parental investment strategies and the decrease of fatherhood uncertainty, we identified a larger attribution of the baby's resemblance after birth with the father, confirming our hypothesis (Article III). The results related to postpartum depression occurrence partially support the hypothesis that it is an evolutionary adaptation (Article IV). This thesis is part of a consolidation movement of Evolutionary Psychology in Brazil and it presents results on female reproductive history hitherto unpublished.

Influência do estado nutricional materno em vitamina A sobre os níveis de imunoglobulina A no colostro humano

Mothers with good vitamin A nutritional status during gestation and lactation are better able to nourish and protect their infant with maternal milk. Our hypothesis is that women with more serum retinol have more retinol and secretory immunoglobulin A in colostrum. 190 healthy puerperal women from a Brazilian public maternity were recruited and divided according to the cutoff point for serum retinol (30 μg/dL). A number of the women was supplemented with 200000 UI (60 mg) of retinyl palmitate in the immediate postpartum. Serum and colostrum were collected on the 1st day postpartum and colostrum again on the following day. Retinol (serum and colostrum) was analyzed by HPLC and SIgA (colostrum) by turbidimetry. The mothers presented with adequate biochemical indicators of nutritional status, according to serum retinol (44.6 μg/dL). There were significant differences (p= 0.0017 and p= 0.043, respectively) in retinol and SIgA levels in the colostrum of mothers with serum retinol > 30 μg/dL and < 30 μg/dL. The concentration of SIgA in the colostrum of non-supplemented mothers on the 1st day postpartum was 822.6 mg/dL, decreasing after 24 hours to 343.7 mg/dL. Supplemented mothers showed levels of SIgA in colostrum of 498.9 mg/dL on the 2nd day postpartum (p= 0.00006). The colostrum of women with good vitamin A nutritional status had more retinol and SIgA. Additionally, maternal supplementation increases the levels of SIgA in colostrum. The higher levels of SIgA on the 1st day postpartum showed the importance of early breastfeeding, given that it provides considerable immunological benefits to newborn infants

Sinalização cromática da condição reprodutiva de fêmeas de segui comum (Callithrix jacchus)

As social animals, primates use different sensory modalities (acoustic, chemical, tactile and visual) to convey information about social and sexual status to conspecifics. Among these modalities, visual signals are widely used, especially color signals, since primates are the mammalian group that displays the greatest variety of colors in their skin and fur. Studies with Old World primate species suggest that hormonal variations are related to variations in the colors of individual faces and genitals. Therefore, chromatic cues can be used by conspecifics to identify the reproductive condition of an individual. To date, studies with the same approach are unknown for New World species. However, behavioral and physiological studies suggest that different New World primate species seem to perceive reproductive conditions such as the timing of female conception and gestation. Thus, in this study, our aim was to: i) identify whether there are chromatic cues on the skin of female common marmosets, (Callithrix jacchus) that indicate their reproductive condition; ii) define whether this chromatic variation can be perceived by all visual phenotypes known in this species; iii) identify if these chromatic cues can be perceived under different light intensity levels (dim, intermediate and high). For this, we selected 13 female common marmosets in four distinct reproductive conditions: pregnant female preceding parturition, postpartum mothers, noncycling and cycling females. The coloration of the skin in genital and thigh areas in females was measured using a spectrophotometer. Using mathematical models of visual perception, we calculated the values of quantum catch for each photoreceptor type known in this species, the visual opponency channels and color contrast between those body spots. Our results indicate the occurance of chromatic variations in the genital area during the weeks that precede and follow parturition, forming a U-pattern of variation perceptible to males and females in natural conditions of low and high luminosity. Furthermore, we observed distinct color patterns in the genital skin of pregnant and cycling females that indicate their reproductive conditions. Finally, we present evidence of color contrast in noncycling females that is higher than that of pregnant ones. This study suggests that there is a chromatic xii variation in the genital skin of females that can be perceived by conspecifics and that may be related to hormonal changes typical of pregnancy and the ovarian cycle