Nitrogen cycling in degraded Leucaena leucocephala-Brachiaria decumbens pastures on an acid infertile soil in south-east Queensland, Australia

A grazing trial was conducted to quantify N cycling in degraded Leucaena leucocephala (leucaena)-Brachiaria decumbens (signal grass) pastures grown on an acid, infertile, podzolic soil in south-east Queensland. Nitrogen accumulation and cycling in leucaena-signal grass pastures were evaluated for 9 weeks until all of the leucaena on offer (mean 600 kg edible dry matter (EDM)/ha, 28% of total pasture EDM) was consumed. Nitrogen pools in the grass, leucaena, soil, cattle liveweight, faeces and urine were estimated. The podzolic soil (pH 4.8-5.9) was found to be deficient in P, Ca and K. Leucaena leaf tissues contained deficient levels of N, P and Ca. Grass tissues were deficient in N and P. Grazing was found to cycle 65% of N on offer in pasture herbage. However, due to the effect of the plant nutrient imbalances described above, biological N fixation by leucaena contributed only 15 kg/ha N to the pasture system over the 9-month regrowth period, of which 13 kg/ha N was cycled. Cattle retained 1.8 kg/ha N (8% of total N consumed) in body tissue and the remainder was excreted in dung and urine in approximately equal proportions. Mineral soil N concentrations did not change significantly (-3.5 kg/ha N) over the trial period. The ramifications of grazing and fertiliser management strategies, and implications for pasture rundown and sustainability are discussed.

Amylases in enzyme detergents and their effects on a simulated long-life dairy dessert

Enzyme detergents used in the food industry contain proteinase as the major enzyme but amylase may be present, either by design or inadvertently. Three commercial enzyme detergents and 3 enzyme preparations used in detergents were assayed for alpha-amylase activity by the Ceralpha method using the Megazyme kits. The amylase activities of the detergents varied from 3.2x 10(-6) to 32x 10(-6) mumoles ml(-1) h(-1) while the enzyme preparations had much higher activities ranging from 0.05 to 8.06 mumoles ml(-1) h(-1). When added aseptically to a simulated dairy dessert (2% starch solution) and stored for 42 days, the enzyme detergents caused an increase in viscosity; enzyme preparations at low concentrations caused an initial increase in viscosity followed by a decrease; and enzyme preparations at high concentrations caused an immediate decrease in viscosity. The increase in viscosity corresponded to formation of a distinct network of starch granules while the decrease in viscosity was characterised by a marked decrease in size of the granules and little or no network of granules. Decreases in viscosity corresponded to increases in reducing sugars but samples which increased in viscosity showed no measurable reducing sugars. The amylase activity in all sources was destroyed by heating at 75degreesC for 15 min at pH 1.8.

Effect of cattle manure on sunflower production and water use in two types of soil

The aim of the present study was to evaluate water consumption, use efficiency and yield components of sunflower variety Embrapa 122 V/2000 cultivated in two types of soil (Fluvissol and Haplic Luvisol) subjected to increasing doses of cattle manure. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse at Universidade Estadual da Para��ba. The experimental design was completely randomized in a factorial scheme. The irrigation was performed every other day, replacing the water absorbed by the plants. The water consumption and the use efficiency were evaluated, being the use efficiency determined by the ratio of the total dry mass of sunflower and the amount of water used to produce it in each treatment. Plants were harvested at 95 days after sowing when the following parameters were evaluated: number of seeds per plant, weight of seeds per plant, weight of 1000 seeds and the outer diameter of the capitulum (head). The results showed that the sunflower was positively affected by cattle manure application, increasing the production components and the water use efficiency, regardless of the type of soil. Excepting for the 1000 seeds weight and the water use efficiency, the type of soil affected significantly the water use, the number and weight of seeds per plant. The plants cultivated in Haplic Luvisol had a better performance.

Effects of age on histological parameters of the sweat glands of Nellore cattle

The sweat glands are important in thermoregulation of cattle in a warm environment as they help dissipate heat through evaporation. Studies on gland histology are important to define its secretion potential and the capacity of perspiration and heat removal. The objective of this study was to determine, by histomorphometry, glandular epithelium height, the depth of the gland, length of the glandular portion and number of glands per cm2 of the sweat glands of the three age groups of Nellore cattle. Thirty females were used in this study. They were equally divided into calves, heifers and cows. Histological sections were obtained and analyzed by digital images in Trinocular BX40 Olympus microscope coupled to an Oly - 200 camera, connected to a computer. The images were obtained with microscope with 2x, 4x, 10x and 40x magnification objectives. The measurements were performed using HL Image 97 program. The height of glandular epithelium, depth of the glands, length and density of the glandular portion per cm2 , were all analyzed. The calves showed greater height of the glandular epithelium than heifers (P = 0.0024), and cows (P = 0.0191). The depth of the gland was not influenced by age. Cows had higher length of secretory portion than heifers (P = 0.0379) and calves (P = 0.0077). Heifers had a greater number of sweat glands per cm2 of skin than cows (P = 0.023). In cattle, the height of glandular epithelium and the density decreases as animals get older. On the other hand, the length of the secretor portion increases but with no changes in the depth of the sweat glands

Efficiency Measures in the Agricultural Sector: With Applications

Copyright 2013 Springer Netherlands.

Uma caracteriza����o dos teores de azoto ureico no leite (AUL/MUN) nas explora����es leiteiras da Ilha Terceira

Disserta����o de Mestrado, Engenharia Zoot��cnica, 04 de Junho de 2014, Universidade dos A��ores.

Pittosporum Undulatum and Hedychium Gardnerianum: nutritive value and secondary metabolites on cattle reproductive performances

Hedychium gardnerianum (HG) and Pittospporum undulatum (PU) are invasive plants all over the world, being in the Azores supplied to cattle on periods of shortage food. As these plants produce secondary metabolites, including a diverse range of phytochemicals compounds, the aim of the presente study is to identify how these metabolites can be related to animal���s reproductive performances. For such purpose, plants were harvested on winter, compounds extracted by method of decoction and analysed by combination of liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry as well as highperformance liquid chromatography. For nutritive evaluations, Van Soest and Weende methodologies were used. In HG quercetin-3, 4'-di-O-betaglucopyranoside, myricetin rhamnoside, quercetin rhamnoside, and gibberellin A1 and A8 were identified, while for PU were found cafeic acid derivatives, including dicaffeoylquinic acid and caffeoylquinic acid. In nutritional terms, these plants can be considered as poor, presenting percentages of dry matter (DM%) of 16.34% and 40.39%, respectively for HG and PU. Values for ash 10.4%, crude protein (CP) 7.75%, neutral detergent fiber (NDF) 64.5, acid detergent fiber (ADF) 34.69%, acid detergent lignin (ADL) 3.47% and ether extract (EE) 2.03% were found for HG. For PU values were ash 6.64%, CP 6.11%, NDF 43.84%, acid ADF 35.57%, ADL 3.56% and EE 2.71%. This study clearly indicated that, besides their low nutritive values, these plants can be used to feed ruminants, especially when pasture lacks. Nevertheless, as some compounds, namely the caffeoylquinic and dicaffeoylquinic acids, are known to be associated to physiological reproductive mechanisms, one could speculate that these compounds can be directly or indirectly associated to reproductive performances in bovine fed with these plants.

Plano de neg��cios para a constru����o de uma unidade fabril de misturas complementares

A Cooperativa Agr��cola de Vila do Conde desenvolve um neg��cio de fabrico e comercializa����o de misturas complementares para alimenta����o bovina, sobretudo para vacas leiteiras. H�� alguns anos a esta parte, esta Cooperativa sabe que ter�� que deslocalizar a unidade fabril existente devido a imposi����es da Dire����o Geral de Alimenta����o e Veterin��ria, relacionadas com quest��es de natureza ambiental. A necessidade de ser realizado um novo investimento, para garantir a sustentabilidade do neg��cio mais rent��vel gerido por esta Cooperativa, levou a pensar-se na possibilidade de constru����o de uma nova unidade fabril, de dimens��o superior, capaz de servir outras cooperativas, visando o desejado entendimento das cooperativas em torno de um objetivo comum, logrando a obten����o de economias de escala, de extrema import��ncia para a sobreviv��ncia do setor leiteiro na regi��o do Entre Douro e Minho. Para o efeito ser�� constitu��da uma nova sociedade por quotas, designada por AGRIVIL XXI, Lda., de capital exclusivamente cooperativo, possibilitando que, em cada momento, se possa aferir a situa����o econ��mica e financeira do neg��cio de forma mais rigorosa e aut��noma. Esta realidade foi conducente �� elabora����o do presente Plano de Neg��cios que se espera prof��cuo para defini����o dos objetivos e metas a atingir num futuro pr��ximo pela Cooperativa Agr��cola de Vila do Conde. As an��lises de viabilidade e do risco do projeto demonstraram estarem criadas as condi����es de aceita����o do mesmo, sendo expect��vel um VAL de 1.371.764 euros, uma TIR de 12,04% e um pay-back period pr��ximo dos 11 anos. No entanto �� not��rio a exist��ncia de um risco inerente ao investimento na medida em que o montante dos fluxos gerados tende a aproximar-se dos fluxos investidos, n��o gerando um excedente de riqueza significativo.

Intake of milk, but not total dairy, yogurt, or cheese, is negatively associated with the clustering of cardiometabolic risk factors in adolescents

Epidemiologic studies have reported an inverse association between dairy product consumption and cardiometabolic risk factors in adults, but this relation is relatively unexplored in adolescents. We hypothesized that a higher dairy product intake is associated with lower cardiometabolic risk factor clustering in adolescents. To test this hypothesis, a cross-sectional study was conducted with 494 adolescents aged 15 to 18 years from the Azorean Archipelago, Portugal. We measured fasting glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, systolic blood pressure, body fat, and cardiorespiratory fitness. We also calculated homeostatic model assessment and total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio. For each one of these variables, a z score was computed using age and sex. A cardiometabolic risk score (CMRS) was constructed by summing up the z scores of all individual risk factors. High risk was considered to exist when an individual had at least 1 SD from this score. Diet was evaluated using a food frequency questionnaire, and the intake of total dairy (included milk, yogurt, and cheese), milk, yogurt, and cheese was categorized as low (equal to or below the median of the total sample) or ���appropriate��� (above the median of the total sample).The association between dairy product intake and CMRS was evaluated using separate logistic regression, and the results were adjusted for confounders. Adolescents with high milk intake had lower CMRS, compared with those with low intake (10.6% vs 18.1%, P = .018). Adolescents with appropriate milk intake were less likely to have high CMRS than those with low milk intake (odds ratio, 0.531; 95% confidence interval, 0.302-0.931). No association was found between CMRS and total dairy, yogurt, and cheese intake. Only milk intake seems to be inversely related to CMRS in adolescents.

Association between dairy product intake and abdominal obesity in Azorean adolescents

BACKGROUND: Some studies have reported an inverse association between dairy product (DP) consumption and weight or fat mass loss. OBJECTIVES: The objective of our study was to assess the association between DP intake and abdominal obesity (AO) among Azorean adolescents. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional analysis. A total of 903 adolescents (370 boys) aged 15--16 years was evaluated. Anthropometric measurements were collected (weight, height and waist circumference (WC)) and McCarthy���s cut-points were used to categorize WC. AO was defined when WC was X90th percentile. Adolescent food intake was assessed using a self-administered semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire and DP intake was categorized in o2 and X2 servings/day. Data were analyzed separately for girls and boys, and logistical regression was used to estimate the association between DPs and AO adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: The prevalence of AO was 54.9% (boys: 32.1% and girls: 70.7%, Po0.001). For boys and girls, DP consumption was 2.3��1.9 and 2.1��1.6 servings/day (P��0.185), respectively. In both genders, the proportion of adolescents with WC o90th percentile was higher among individuals who reported a dairy intake of X2 servings/day compared with those with an intake o2 servings/day (boys: 71% vs 65% and girls: 36% vs 24%, Po0.05). After adjustments for confounders, two or more DP servings per day were a negative predictor of AO (odds ratio, 0.217; 95% confidence interval, 0.075 -- 0.633) only in boys. CONCLUSION: We found a protective association between DP intake and AO only in boys.

Antibody response in cattle after vaccination with inactivated and attenuated rabies vaccines

Despite the absence of current official reports showing the number of cattle infected by rabies, it is estimated that nearly 30,000 bovines are lost each year in Brazil. In order to minimize the important economic losses, control of the disease is achieved by eliminating bat colonies and by herd vaccination. In this study, we compare the antibody response in cattle elicited by vaccination with an attenuated ERA vaccine (AEvac) and an inactivated-adjuvanted PV (IPVvac) vaccine. The antibody titers were appraised by cell-culture neutralization test and ELISA, and the percentage of seropositivity was ascertained for a period of 180 days. IPVvac elicited complete seropositivity rates from day 30 to day 150, and even on day 180, 87% of the sera showed virus-neutralizing antibody titers (VNA) higher than 0.5IU/ml. There were no significant differences between the VNA titers and seropositivity rates obtained with IPVvac in the two methods tested. AEvac, however, elicited significantly lower titers than those observed in the group receiving inactivated vaccine. In addition, the profiles of antirabies IgG antibodies, evaluated by ELISA, and VNA, appraised by cell-culture neutralization test, were slightly different, when both vaccines were compared.

Epidemiological characterization, antimicrobial resistance and virulence mechanisms of human and animal streptococci

Disserta����o para obten����o do Grau de Doutor em Biologia

Antimicrobial resistance and investigation of the molecular epidemiology of Listeria monocytogenes in dairy products

INTRODUCTION: Listeria monocytogenes is a ubiquitous microorganism in nature and is responsible for listeriosis, an infectious disease caused by consumption of contaminated food. METHODS: Molecular characterization was performed on 19 strains of Listeria monocytogenes (serovars 1/2a, 1/2b, 4b and 4c), isolated from dairy products in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The molecular techniques applied were random amplification of polymorphic DNA and restriction enzyme analysis. In addition to the molecular analysis, the antimicrobial resistance profile was determined. RESULTS: The strains studied showed a low degree of diversity. In relation to the antimicrobial resistance profile of those microorganisms from the samples analyzed, all of them were susceptible to the antimicrobials tested. CONCLUSIONS: The molecular techniques that were used presented good discriminatory power for the strains studied. Furthermore, all of the samples that were analyzed were susceptible to the antimicrobials tested.

Brucelose na Prov��ncia do Namibe, Angola, 2012 : preval��ncias humana (profissionais da pecu��ria) e animal, factores de risco, conhecimento e pr��ticas

RESUMO - Enquadramento: A Brucelose �� uma antropozoonose prevalente no Mundo e �� uma das mais negligenciadas. A sua transmiss��o ao ser humano �� directa e indirecta, e acontece por via de contacto com animal infectado, o consumo de leite e seus derivados n��o pasteurizados e a n��o observ��ncia de uso de equipamentos de protec����o individual e colectiva, entre outros factores. O conhecimento da preval��ncia e incid��ncia da brucelose animal e humana no Namibe, uma prov��ncia de Angola, �� muito escasso sendo poucos os estudos que evidenciam esta doen��a no seio dos profissionais da pecu��ria expostos: trabalhadores de matadouros, veterin��rios e criadores de gado. �� assim pertinente, com base em estudos cient��ficos espec��ficos, caracterizar esta situa����o. Objectivos: Caracterizar os ambientes dos profissionais (matadouro, talhos e salas municipais de abate e explora����es); estimar a seropreval��ncia da brucelose humana em profissionais da pecu��ria (trabalhadores de matadouros e criadores de gado bovino) na prov��ncia do Namibe, Angola em 2012; determinar a associa����o da presen��a da brucelose humana com vari��veis s��cio-demogr��ficas, de conhecimento, de pr��ticas e de caracter��sticas das explora����es; determinar a preval��ncia da Brucelose em animais e em explora����es; caracterizar os factores associados �� presen��a da Brucelose em explora����es bovinas; caracterizar o conhecimento e pr��ticas sobre a Brucelose dos profissionais da pecu��ria e analisar a rela����o entre as preval��ncias nas explora����es (infectadas versus n��o infectadas) e nos criadores (infectados versus n��o infectados). M��todos e materiais: estudos observacional e transversal seroepidemiol��gico em 131 trabalhadores de talhos, salas de abate e matadouro e 192 criadores amostrados aleatoriamente em toda prov��ncia do Namibe. Os dados foram obtidos atrav��s da colheita de sangue e da aplica����o de um question��rio. Os testes laboratoriais utilizados foram o Rosa de Bengala (RBT) e a Aglutina����o Lenta em Tubos (SAT). O estudo de conhecimento foi principalmente centrado na pergunta ���J�� ouviu falar de Brucelose��� e nas quest��es relativas ao n��vel de conhecimento e pr��ticas (indicadores baseados nas percentagens de respostas correctas ou pr��ticas adequadas) dos factores de risco da Brucelose. Tamb��m foram investigados 1344 animais (em 192 explora����es) com recurso ao m��todo de diagn��stico laboratorial RBT para an��lise de soro sangu��neo e, complementarmente, foi aplicado um question��rio aos respectivos criadores. Em termos de an��lise estat��stica, para al��m da abordagem descritiva, foram utilizados os testes de Independ��ncia do Quiquadrado, Fisher, Teste n��o param��trico de Mann-Whitney, Teste de correla����o de Spearman. Adicionalmente, com base em modelos de regress��o log��stica, foram determinados odds ratio e os respectivos intervalos de confian��a utilizando um n��vel de signific��ncia de 5%. Resultados: os ambientes dos profissionais (matadouro, talhos e salas municipais de abate e explora����es) n��o reuniram as condi����es higio-sanit��rias definidas internacionalmente como adequadas. Nos profissionais a infec����o geral ponderada da Brucelose foi de 15.56% (IC95% : 13.61-17.50), sendo 5.34% em trabalhadores e 16.66% (IC95% : 11.39-21.93) em criadores. A signific��ncia estat��stica foi observada entre a seropreval��ncia humana e a categoria (trabalhador e criador) (p< 0.001) e o n��vel de instru����o (p= 0.032), in��cio de actividade (p= 0.079) e local de servi��o (p= 0.055). Num contexto multivariado o factor positivamente associado �� brucelose em profissionais foi a categoria profissional (OR = 3.54, IC95%: 1.57-8.30, relativo aos criadores em rela����o a trabalhadores). As taxas gerais aparentes de preval��ncia em animais e explora����es foram respectivamente de 14.96% (IC 95%, 12.97-17.19) e de 40.10% (IC 95%, 32.75-47.93). Encontrou-se uma correla����o positiva moderada entre o n��mero de animais infectados por explora����o com a m��dia do n��mero de abortos na explora����o = 0.531, p< 0.001). Em m��dia os profissionais tiveram um conhecimento global muito insuficiente (16.1%), tendo os trabalhadores apresentado valores mais elevados que os criadores (20.2% e 13.8%), diferen��a n��o estatisticamente significativa (p= 0.170). As perguntas ���o leite in natura �� fervido antes do consumo humano?���, ���contacto com materiais fetais animais?���, ���contacto com aeross��is no local de trabalho?��� e ���j�� fez alguma vez o teste de Brucelose humana?��� (relacionadas com pr��ticas) e as perguntas ���j�� ouviu falar da Brucelose?���, ���Brucelose �� doen��a zoon��tica/s�� animal/s�� humana? e ���como a Brucelose se transmite aos humanos?��� apresentaram n��veis m��dios de pr��ticas adequadas e conhecimentos correctos inferiores a 20%. Nas explora����es infectadas, 39% dos criadores foram positivos (infectados) e nas n��o infectadas apenas 1.7%. O risco de um criador ser infectado estando numa explora����o infectada foi significativamente mais elevado (OR= 36, IC95%: 8.28-157.04). Conclus��es: os ambientes dos profissionais (matadouros, salas municipais de abate e talhos e explora����es) propiciam o risco �� brucelose. O estudo permite aferir que a Brucelose humana em profissionais da pecu��ria e a Brucelose animal s��o prevalentes na prov��ncia do Namibe. Os n��veis de seropreval��ncia detectados s��o elevados comparandoos com outros encontrados em algumas localidades africanas que possuem condi����es similares ��s do Namibe. Perto de duas em cada cinco (40.10%) explora����es est��o infectadas por esta doen��a. O n��mero de abortos (m��dia) est�� claramente relacionado com as explora����es infectadas. O conhecimento geral dos profissionais da pecu��ria sobre a Brucelose �� muito insuficiente, tendo os trabalhadores mostrado um maior conhecimento em rela����o aos criadores, mas ambos com n��veis alarmantes. Os criadores infectados est��o relacionados com as explora����es infectadas. H�� necessidade de controlar a doen��a e de informar e educar os profissionais sobre a brucelose, sendo fundamental que os servi��os provinciais de veterin��ria reforcem ac����es de divulga����o e de fiscaliza����o.