Determination of broiler femur parameters at different growth phases

The objective of this experiment was to analyse macroscopically the femur and determine the biochemical values at 8, 22 and 42 days of age, producing basic results that can help to understand the pathogeny of the locomotor problems and the broiler physiologic growth. A total of 60 Cobb male broilers were distributed in three age groups (8, 22 and 42 days of age) of 20 birds. All macroscopic measurements, except the cranial compact layer increased (p<0.05) over the course of the ages. The cranial compact layer presented the biggest measure at 22 days of age. The ash percentage increased (p<0.05) until 22 days of age, but at 42 days of age this values decreased. Calcium and phosphorus percentage in ash increased (p<0.05) until 22 days of age and evidenced constancy from 22 to 42 days of age. The biomechanical adaptation capacity of femur was evidenced by the increase of the macroscopic measures over the course of the ages and the different behavior of cranial compact layer at 22 days of age suggested an adaptation attempt of the immature bone to muscle mass increase. The ash and mineral percentage confirmed that the relative growth occurs with more intensity until 21 days of age. The calcium and phosphorus percentage evidenced the physiologic balance acting on the deposition of these minerals in femur. © Asian Network for Scientific Information, 2011.

Features and phases of the "Swedish model"

Analiza el sistema sociopolítico de Suecia.

D̄N interaction in a color-confining chiral quark model

We investigate the low-energy elastic D̄N interaction using a quark model that confines color and realizes dynamical chiral symmetry breaking. The model is defined by a microscopic Hamiltonian inspired in the QCD Hamiltonian in Coulomb gauge. Constituent quark masses are obtained by solving a gap equation, and baryon and meson bound-state wave functions are obtained using a variational method. We derive a low-energy meson-nucleon potential from a quark-interchange mechanism whose ingredients are the quark-quark and quark-antiquark interactions and baryon and meson wave functions, all derived from the same microscopic Hamiltonian. The model is supplemented with (σ, ρ, ω, a0) single-meson exchanges to describe the long-range part of the interaction. Cross sections and phase shifts are obtained by iterating the quark-interchange plus meson-exchange potentials in a Lippmann-Schwinger equation. Once coupling constants of long-range scalar σ and a0 meson exchanges are adjusted to describe experimental phase shifts of the K+N and K0N reactions, predictions for cross sections and s-wave phase shifts for the D̄0N and D-N reactions are obtained without introducing new parameters. © 2013 American Physical Society.

Hydrogen oxidation on ordered intermetallic phases of platinum and tin - A combined experimental and theoretical study

Hydrogen oxidation on the surfaces of the intermetallic compounds Pt 3Sn, PtSn and PtSn2 has been studied by the rotating disc electrode technique. Pt3Sn and PtSn were found to be good catalysts, about as good as Pt, while PtSn2 was inactive over the investigated range of potentials. Underpotential deposition of hydrogen is observed only on Pt3Sn. These results are explained by theoretical calculations based on a theory developed within our own group, and by density functional theory. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

Chiral symmetry, massive gluons and confinement

It is quite difficult to obtain non-trivial chiral symmetry breaking solutions for the quark gap equation in the presence of dynamically generated gluon masses. An effective confining propagator has recently been proposed by Cornwall in order to solve this problem. We study phenomenological consequences of this approach, showing its compatibility with the experimental data. We argue that this confining propagator should be restricted to a small region of momenta, leading to effective four-fermion interactions at low energy. © 2013 American Institute of Physics.

Role of interstitial pinning in the dynamical phases of vortices in superconducting films

We analyze the vortex dynamics in superconducting thin films with a periodic array of pinning centers. In particular, we study the effect of anisotropy for a Kagomé pinning network when longitudinal and transverse transport currents are applied. By solving the equations of motion for the vortex array numerically at zero temperature, we find different phases for the vortex dynamics, depending on the pinning and driving force. An unusual sequence of peaks for driving force along and perpendicular to the main lattice axes is observed for the differential resistance, reflecting the anisotropy of the transport properties and the complex behavior of the vortex system. This behavior may be understood in terms of interstitial pinning vacancies, which create channels of vortices with different pinning strengths. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Gastroprotective mechanisms of the chloroform and ethyl acetate phases of Praxelis clematidea (Griseb.) R.M.King & H.Robinson (Asteraceae)

Flavonoid-rich Praxelis clematidea (Griseb.) R.M.King & H.Robinson (Asteraceae) is a native plant of South America. This study evaluates the gastroprotective activity and possible mechanisms for both the chloroform (CHCl3P) and ethyl acetate phases (AcOEtP) obtained from aerial parts of the plant. The activity was investigated using acute models of gastric ulcer. Gastric secretion biochemical parameters were determined after pylorus ligature. The participation of cytoprotective factors such as mucus, nitric oxide (NO), sulfhydryl (SH) groups, prostaglandin E2 (PGE 2), reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), reduction of lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde level), and polymorphonuclear infiltration (myeloperoxidase activity), was also investigated. CHCl3P (125, 250, and 500 mg/kg) and AcOEtP (62.5, 125, and 250 mg/kg) showed significant gastroprotective activity, reducing the ulcerative index by 75, 83, 88 % and 66, 66, 81 % for ethanol; 67, 67, 56 % and 56, 53, 58 % for a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID); and 74, 58, 59 % and 64, 65, 61 % for stress-induced gastric ulcer, respectively. CHCl3P (125 mg/kg) and AcOEtP (62.5 mg/kg) significantly reduced the ulcerative area by 78 and 83 %, respectively, for the ischemia-reperfusion model. They also did not alter the biochemical parameters of gastric secretion, the GSH level or the activities of SOD, GPx or GR. They increased the quantity of gastric mucus, not dependent on NO, yet dependent on SH groups, and maintained PGE2 levels. The P. clematidea phases demonstrated gastroprotective activity related to cytoprotective factors. © 2012 The Japanese Society of Pharmacognosy and Springer.

Ultrastructural characteristics of the spermatogenesis during the four phases of the annual reproductive cycle of the black myotis bat, Myotis nigricans (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae)

Myotis nigricans is an endemic species of vespertilionid bat, from the Neotropical region, that resembles temperate zone bats in their reproductive cycle; presenting an annual reproductive cycle with two periods of testicular regression, which are not linked to the apoptotic process and seems to be not directly linked to any seasonal abiotic variation. Thus, this study aimed to ultrastructurally evaluate their reproductive cycle. The process of testicular regression could be divided into four periods: active; regressing; regressed and recrudescence; with all presenting distinct characteristics. The active period was similar to that of other bats, presenting the complete occurrence of spermatogenesis, with three main types of spermatogonia (Ad, Ap, and B) and 12 steps in spermatid differentiation; however, it differed in having the outer dense fibers 1, 5, 6, and 9 larger than the others. These three types of spermatogonia undergo considerable morphologic changes from regressing to the regressed period, and in the recrudescence, they return to the basic morphology, which reactivates spermatogenesis. In conclusion, our study described the process of spermatogenesis, the ultrastructure of the spermatozoa and the distinct morphologic variations in the ultrastructure of the testicular cells of M. nigricans during the four different periods of its annual reproductive cycle. Microsc. Res. Tech., 76:1035-1049, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Biochemical Profile of Amniotic and Allantoic Fluid During Different Gestational Phases in Mares

Fetal fluids have different vital functions that sustain both pregnancy and normal parturition. The biochemical composition of amniotic fluid during gestation is not well established; thus the purpose of the present study was to determine the biochemical profile of both amniotic and allantoic fluids from mares during initial, mid, and latter third phases of pregnancy. Samples were collected after slaughter, using allantocentesis and amniocentesis. Sixty samples of fetal fluids were analyzed. Alkaline phosphatase (AP), glucose, total protein (TP), urea, creatinine, Ca, chloride (Cl), Na, and K concentrations were measured using commercially available kits. The AP concentration in amniotic fluid was higher than that in allantoic fluid during the three gestational phases (P < .05). There were no differences between glucose mean values of allantoic and those of amniotic fluids (P < .05). However, glucose values were higher in the allantoic fluid in the last trimester of pregnancy. TP was higher in the amniotic fluid than in allantoic fluid (P < .05). Urea values varied among the phases; however, there were no differences between the amniotic and allantoic fluid values (P > .05). Creatinine values were higher in allantoic fluid (P < .05). Na and Cl concentrations were higher in amniotic fluid (P < .05). However, Ca and K concentrations were higher in the allantoic fluid. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comportamento reprodutivo e cooperação no ciclídeo neotropical Laetacara sp

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Síntese e caracterização de cátodos de perovskitas 'La IND.0,6''Sr IND.0,4''Fe IND.y''Co IND.1-y''O IND.3-'delta'', para células a combustível de eletrólito sólido (SOFC) operando em temperaturas intermediárias

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Dynamical chiral symmetry breaking: the fermionic gap equation with dynamical gluon mass and confinement

Pós-graduação em Física - IFT

Síntese, caracterização e avaliação eletroquímica de nanopartículas intermetálicas ordenadas PtSb e PtSn

Pós-graduação em Ciência e Tecnologia de Materiais - FC

Reação de redução de oxigênio sobre perovskitas La1-xSrxFeyCo1-yO3-δ, para células a combustível de óxido sólido (SOFC)

Pós-graduação em Ciência e Tecnologia de Materiais - FC

Avaliação do potencial biotecnológico de linhagens mutantes de Rhizobium tropici

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)