The occurrence of Austrodiplostomum compactum (Lutz, 1928) (Digenea: Diplostomidae) metacercariae in the eyes of loricariid fish (Siluriformes: Osteichthyes: Loricariidae) from Brazil

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

Influence of hot environments on some blood variables of sheep

Thirty-two Polwarth sheep of ages up to 1 year were observed under temperatures varying from 10.5 to 46.5°C. The following blood cell counts were made: erythrocyte (RBC), leucocyte (WBC), eosinophil (EOS), neutrophil (NEU), lymphocyte (LYM) and monocyte (MON). Other traits measured were: haemoglobin (HB), haematocrit (HT), blood glucose (GLU) and serum protein (PROT). Multivariate analysis of variance was used and the results showed a significant (P<0.001) effect for the interaction of shearing and temperature treatment. Under temperatures >25°C, sheep presented a decrease of RBC, WBC, HB and HT, these differences being greater in the shorn than in the unshorn animals. Unshorn animals presented higher variations in EOS, NEU, LYM, MON and GLU. Blood glucose increased under high temperatures in the shorn animals (from 56.36±0.65 mg/100 ml to 60.52±0.69 mg/100 ml) as in the unshorn animals (from 54.72±0.74 mg/100 ml to 57.56±0.77 mg/100 ml). © 1992 International Society of Biometeorology.

Estimates of covariance functions for growth from birth to 630 days of age in Nelore cattle

Weight records of Brazilian Nelore cattle, from birth to 630 d of age, recorded every 3 mo, were analyzed using random regression models. Independent variables were Legendre polynomials of age at recording. The model of analysis included contemporary groups as fixed effects and age of dam as a linear and quadratic covariable. Mean trends were modeled through a cubic regression on orthogonal polynomials of age. Up to four sets of random regression coefficients were fitted for animals' direct and maternal, additive genetic, and permanent environmental effects. Changes in measurement error variances with age were modeled through a variance function. Orders of polyno-mial fit from three to six were considered, resulting in up to 77 parameters to be estimated. Models fitting random regressions modeled the pattern of variances in the data adequately, with estimates similar to those from corresponding univariate analysis. Direct heritability estimates decreased after birth and tended to be lowest at ages at which maternal effect estimates tended to be highest. Maternal heritability estimates increased after birth to a peak around 110 to 120 d of age and decreased thereafter. Additive genetic direct correlation estimates between weights at standard ages (birth, weaning, yearling, and final weight) were moderate to high and maternal genetic and environmental correlations were consistently high. © 2001 American Society of Animal Science. All rights reserved.

Possible effects of sodium chloride treatment on quality of effluents from Alabama channel Catfish ponds

Channel catfish ponds are treated with salt (sodium chloride) to increase chloride concentration and prevent nitrite toxicity in fish. A survey indicated that most farmers try to maintain chloride concentration of 50 to 100 mg/L in ponds by annual salt applications. Averages and standard deviations for selected water quality variables in salt-treated ponds were as follows: chloride, 87.2 ± 37.5 mg/L; total dissolved solids (TDS), 336 ± 96 mg/L; specific conductance, 512 ± 164 μmhos/cm. Maximum values were 189 mg/L for chloride, 481 mg/L for TDS, and 825 μmhos/cm for specific conductance. Good correlations between specific conductance values and both chloride and TDS concentrations suggest that specific conductance can be a rapid method for estimating concentrations of these two variables in surface water. The maximum limit for chloride concentration in Alabama streams allowed by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management is 230 mg/L. The usual recommended upper limit of TDS for protection of aquatic life in freshwater streams is 1,000 mg/L. Based on the observed relationship between TDS concentration and specific conductance in Alabama catfish ponds, 1,000 mg/L TDS corresponds to 1,733 μmhos/cm specific conductance. It is unlikely that effluents from salt-treated catfish ponds would violate the in-stream chloride standard of 230 mg/L or harm aquatic life in streams. Nevertheless, chloride concentrations in ponds should be measured before salt application as a safe guard against excessive salt application and chloride concentrations above the in-stream chloride standard.

Factors that cause genotype by environment interaction and use of a multiple-trait herd-cluster model for milk yield of Holstein cattle from Brazil and Colombia

Descriptive herd variables (DVHE) were used to explain genotype by environment interactions (G x E) for milk yield (MY) in Brazilian and Colombian production environments and to develop a herd-cluster model to estimate covariance components and genetic parameters for each herd environment group. Data consisted of 180,522 lactation records of 94,558 Holstein cows from 937 Brazilian and 400 Colombian herds. Herds in both countries were jointly grouped in thirds according to 8 DVHE: production level, phenotypic variability, age at first calving, calving interval, percentage of imported semen, lactation length, and herd size. For each DVHE, REML bivariate animal model analyses were used to estimate genetic correlations for MY between upper and lower thirds of the data. Based on estimates of genetic correlations, weights were assigned to each DVHE to group herds in a cluster analysis using the FASTCLUS procedure in SAS. Three clusters were defined, and genetic and residual variance components were heterogeneous among herd clusters. Estimates of heritability in clusters 1 and 3 were 0.28 and 0.29, respectively, but the estimate was larger (0.39) in Cluster 2. The genetic correlations of MY from different clusters ranged from 0.89 to 0.97. The herd-cluster model based on DVHE properly takes into account G x E by grouping similar environments accordingly and seems to be an alternative to simply considering country borders to distinguish between environments.

Oral cancer mortality trends in Brazilian geographical regions from 1996-2001

The purpose of this study was to analyse the oral cancer mortality trends in Brazil by geographic region, age and sex, from 1996 to 2001. The Brazilian Ministry of Health database DATASUS and the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics were used as the source of data. Oral cancer mortality rates per 100,000 population were estimated. Statistical analyses comprised estimates of oral cancer mortality rates, grouped according to the study variables, in 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001; also, the three-year periods 1996-1998 and 1999-2001 were analysed, allowing the oral cancer mortality trends between these two periods to be calculated. For comparison, in each geographical region, the ratio between two death rates (related to period or sex) was calculated. In the period 1996-2001, a total of 25,972 deaths due to oral cancer were reported, giving a mortality rate of 2.67. The rates for the periods 1996-1998 and 1999-2001 were 2.53 and 2.73, respectively, showing a slight increase in the rate. There was a predominance of oral cancer in males with a male/female ratio of approximately 4. All regions exhibited an increase in mortality rates, with the exception of the Southeast region. From 1996 to 2001, the average mortality rates were 3.55 and 3.58 for the Southeast and South regions, and 1.94, 1.41, and 0.86 for the Mid-West, Northeast, and North regions, respectively. Over the age of 40, oral cancer mortality rates were seen to increase rapidly with age. Oral cancer mortality increased in all regions, except in the Southeast, and was considerably higher among males and older individuals.

Semen variables of sheep (Ovis aries) experimentally infected with Toxoplasma gondii

The influence of Toxoplasma gondii on semen variables and sperm morphology of sheep was evaluated in eight reproductive males distributed into three experimental groups: GI, three sheep inoculated with 2.0 × 105 of P strain oocytes; GII, three sheep infected with 1.0 × 106 of RH strain tachyzoites and; GIII two control sheep. Clinical (rectal temperature, cardiac and respiratory frequencies), parasite and serology exams (IIF) were realized. Sperm variables (volume, motility, vigor and concentration) and semen morphology for each sheep were also evaluated. Thus, semen and blood collections were assessed on post-inoculation days (PIDs)-1,3,5,7,11,14 and weekly thereafter up to PID 70. Clinical alterations were observed (hypothermia and anorexia) in infected sheep from groups GI and GII. Parasitic outbreaks were detected in five sheep. All the infected sheep produced antibodies against T. gondii from PID 5 onwards, reaching a peak of 4096 and 8192 for group GI and GII sheep, respectively. Differences (P < 0.05) were observed regarding the ejaculate volume between the inoculated groups (oocytes and tachyzoites) and control. Even though experimental toxoplasmic infection resulted in clinical symptomology in the inoculated sheep, the minimal alterations in sperm pathologies could not be directly attributed to T. gondii. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Climatic variables and altitude as predictors of anuran species richness and number of reproductive modes in Brazil

Because anuran species are highly dependent on environmental variables, we hypothesized that anuran species richness and the number of reproductive modes from different Brazilian localities vary according to climatic and altitudinal variables. Published data were compiled from 36 Brazilian localities and climatic and altitudinal data were extracted from an available database. A partial redundancy analysis (pRDA) showed that 23.5% of the data set's variation was explained by climatic and altitudinal data, while the remaining 76.5% remained unexplained. This analysis suggests that other factors not analysed herein may also be important for predicting anuran species richness and the number of reproductive modes in Brazil. Altitude and total annual rainfall were positively correlated with anuran species richness and the number of reproductive modes, and total annual rainfall was strongly associated with these two biotic variables in the triplot of pRDA. The positive association of total annual rainfall and the negative association of the concentration of annual rainfall were already expected based on physiological and reproductive requirements of anurans. On the other hand, temperature was not associated with richness or the number of reproductive modes. Copyright © 2010 Cambridge University Press.

Transitional fiscal costs and demographic factors in shifting from unfunded to funded pensions in Latin America

Includes bibliography

Aquatic macroinvertebrates survey and assessment of two artificial reservoirs into conservation units from the Southeast Region of Brazil

This study aims to inventory and assess the aquatic macroinvertebrates fauna in two artificial reservoirs into conservation units with differences regarding conservation level and to anthropogenic impacts. The samplings were carried out in Caetetus Ecological Station and Bauru City Zoological Park, where some physical and chemical variables also were measured. The results obtained indicated that the Caetetus Ecological Station is more effective in the conservation of the diversity of aquatic macroinvertebrates compared to Bauru City Zoological Park. These results can be attributed to the strong anthropogenic impact suffered by the reservoir in Bauru and demonstrate the importance of these areas in maintaining the diversity of aquatic macroinvertebrates community.

Risk factors for low birth weight in Botucatu city, SP state, Brazil: A study conducted in the public health system from 2004 to 2008

Background: Low birth weight (LBW), defined as birth weight less than 2500 g, has a complex etiology and may be a result of premature interruption of pregnancy or intrauterine growth restriction. The objective of this study was to provide information on determinants of LBW and contribute to the understanding of the problem in Brazil. Methods. A case-control study was conducted in Botucatu city, SP state, Brazil. The study population consisted of 2 groups with 860 newborns in each group as follows: low weight newborns (LWNB) and a control group (weight ≤ 2500 g). Secondary data from 2004 to 2008 were collected using the Live Birth Certificate (LBC) and records from medical charts of pregnant women in Basic Health Units (BHU) and in the Public University Hospital (UH). Variables were as follows: maternal socio-demographic characteristics, pregnancy and birth conditions including quality of prenatal care according to 3 criteria. They were based on parameters established by the Ministry of Health (MH), one of them, the modified Kessner Index. The multivariable analysis by logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between variables and LBW. Results: According to the analysis, the factors associated with LBW were as follows: prematurity (OR = 56.98, 95% CI 29.52-109.95), twin pregnancy (OR = 20.00, 95% CI 6.25-100.00), maternal smoking (OR = 2.12, 95% CI 1.33-3.45), maternal malnourishment (OR = 2.30, 95% CI 1.08-5.00), maternal obesity (OR = 2.30, 95% IC 1.18-4.48), weight gain during pregnancy less than 5 kg (OR = 2.63, 95% CI 1.35-5.00) and weight gain during pregnancy more than 15 kg (OR = 2.26, 95% CI 1.16-4.41). Adequacy of prenatal care visits adjusted to gestational age was less frequent in the LBW group than in the control group (68.7% vs. 80.5%, x 2 p < 0.001). According to the modified Kessner Index, 64.4% of prenatal visits in the LWNB group were adequate. Conclusion: LWNB are a quite heterogeneous group of infants concerning their determinants and prevention actions against LBW and the follow-up of these infants have also been very complex. Therefore, improvement in the quality of care provided should be given priority through concrete actions for prevention of LBW. © 2012 Fonseca et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Selection of desulfurizing agents and optimization of operational variables in hot metal desulfurization

The growing demand for steels with tighter compositional specifications led the Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional (CSN) to develop more efficient processes. To solve this problem this paper aims to identify the operational variables more impacting in the desulfurization process, specifically in torpedo car, as well as its causes and solutions. Then select and test, with laboratorial and industrial tests, desulfurizing agents based of CaC 2, CaO, CaCO3, and Mg to assess the cost per quantity of product desulfurized. The mixture with best results was not that one with highest content of CaC2. It is believed that this mixture showed better efficiency because of the increased agitation of the bath, produced by the releasing of gas from compound CaCO3 present in this mixture. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Lifestyle factors and socioeconomic variables associated with abdominal obesity in Brazilian adolescents

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Strategies to reduce the number of variables and the combinatorial search space of the multistage transmission expansion planning problem

This paper proposes strategies to reduce the number of variables and the combinatorial search space of the multistage transmission expansion planning problem (TEP). The concept of the binary numeral system (BNS) is used to reduce the number of binary and continuous variables related to the candidate transmission lines and network constraints that are connected with them. The construction phase of greedy randomized adaptive search procedure (GRASP-CP) and additional constraints, obtained from power flow equilibrium in an electric power system are employed for more reduction in search space. The multistage TEP problem is modeled like a mixed binary linear programming problem and solved using a commercial solver with a low computational time. The results of one test system and two real systems are presented in order to show the efficiency of the proposed solution technique. © 1969-2012 IEEE.

The reproductive cycle of the male sleep snake Sibynomorphus mikanii (Schlegel, 1837) from southeastern brazil

This study describes the male reproductive cycle of Sibynomorphus mikanii from southeastern Brazil considering macroscopic and microscopic variables. Spermatogenesis occurs during spring-summer (September-December) and spermiogenesis or maturation occurs in summer (December-February). The length and width of the kidney, the tubular diameter, and the epithelium height of the sexual segment of the kidney (SSK) are larger in summer-autumn (December-May). Histochemical reaction of the SSK [periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) and bromophenol blue (BB)] shows stronger results during summer-autumn, indicating an increase in the secretory activity of the granules. Testicular regression is observed in autumn and early winter (March-June) when a peak in the width of the ductus deferens occurs. The distal ductus deferens as well as the ampulla ductus deferentis exhibit secretory activities with positive reaction for PAS and BB. These results suggest that this secretion may nourish the spermatozoa while they are being stored in the ductus deferens. The increase in the Leydig cell nuclear diameter in association with SSK hypertrophy and the presence of sperm in the female indicate that the mating season occurs in autumn when testes begin to decrease their activity. The peak activity of Leydig cells and SSK exhibits an associated pattern with the mating season. However, spermatogenesis is dissociated of the copulation characterizing a complex reproductive cycle. At the individual level, S. mikanii males present a continuous cyclical reproductive pattern in the testes and kidneys (SSK), whereas at the populational level the reproductive pattern may be classified as seasonal semisynchronous. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.