In silico infrared and Raman spectroscopy under pressure: The case of CaSnO3 perovskite

The CaSnO3 perovskite is investigated under geochemical pressure, up to 25 GPa, by means of periodic ab initio calculations performed at B3LYP level with local Gaussian-type orbital basis sets. Structural, elastic, and spectroscopic (phonon wave-numbers, infrared and Raman intensities) properties are fully characterized and discussed. The evolution of the Raman spectrum of CaSnO3 under pressure is reported to remarkably agree with a recent experimental determination [J. Kung, Y. J. Lin, and C. M. Lin, J. Chem. Phys. 135, 224507 (2011)] as regards both wave-number shifts and intensity changes. All phonon modes are symmetry-labeled and bands assigned. The single-crystal total spectrum is symmetry-decomposed into the six directional spectra related to the components of the polarizability tensor. The infrared spectrum at increasing pressure is reported for the first time and its main features discussed. All calculations are performed using the CRYSTAL14 program, taking advantage of the new implementation of analytical infrared and Raman intensities for crystalline materials. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.

Multiphase feeding program for broilers can replace traditional system

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

School inclusion: analyzing the establishment and organization of a special needs education service in a brazilian municipality

The present research integrates a network of studies called National Monitoring Center for Special Education (NMCSE) which studies the Multi-purpose Feature Rooms (MFRs) in regular schools. We aim to investigate whether the service offered by such rooms, maintained by the Department of Education of the Municipality of Araraquara, in São Paulo State, Brazil, is being successful at supporting the education of children and youth with special needs, pervasive developmental disorders and high skilled/gifted individuals. We have also investigated the limits and possibilities of such rooms concerning the set of services offered to their participants. In order to conduct the present research, we have performed: an interview with the Special Education Program manager from the abovementioned Department of Education; and the analysis of a Training Program that MFRs teachers must take. The training program consists of ten morning and afternoon shift meetings. The analyzed data leads us to conclude that the policy of implementation of MFRs, even in this relatively restricted universe is seen from different perspectives. Some interpretations are still permeated by the clinical model, considering individual action. The challenges observed in the classrooms show that the cooperation among teachers still occur randomly and, among other difficulties raised by them, is the selection of the right placement methods to identify eligible students who will benefit from the Specialized Educational Service (SES). In addition, teaching evaluation was considered fragile, as well as the training and the general requirements demanded in order to achieve the expected results.

Care to terminal patients. Perception of nurses from the intensive care unit of a hospital

Objective. To identify the perception of nurses with regard to the process of providing care to patients in the context of hospice care. Method. Qualitative study using the methodological framework Collective Subject Discourse. A total of 18 nursing professionals of the adult intensive care unit of a public hospital in São Paulo, Brazil were interviewed between June and August 2012. Results. The process of providing care to terminal patients is permeated by negative, conflictive and mixed feelings. As regards communication, while the participants acknowledge its importance as a therapeutic resource, they also admit a lack of professional qualification. Conclusion. The interviewees have difficulties to deal with care provided to terminal patients. The qualification of these professionals needs to be improved, starting in the undergraduate program.

Ecological and toxicological responses in a multistressor scenario: are monitoring programs showing the stressors or just showing stress? A case study in Brazil

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

Combined training (aerobic plus strength) potentiates a reduction in body fat but demonstrates no difference on the lipid profile in postmenopausal women when compared to aerobic training with a similar training load

The aim of this study was to verify the effects of aerobic and combined training on the body composition and lipid profile of obese postmenopausal women and to analyze which of these models is more effective after equalizing the training load. Sixty five postmenopausal women (age=61.0±6.3 years) were divided into three groups: Aerobic Training (AT,n= 15), Combined Training (CT,[strength+aerobic],n=32) and control group (CG,n=18). Their body composition: upper body fat (TF), fat mass (FM), percentage of fat mass and fat free mass (FFM) were estimated by DXA. The lipid profile, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol were assessed. There was a statistically significant difference in the TF (AT= -4.4 %, CT= -4.4%, and CG= 1.0%, p= 0.001) and FFM (AT= 1.7%, CT= 2.6%, and CG= -1.4%, p= 0.0001) between the experimental and the control groups. Regarding the percentage of body fat, there was a statistically significant difference only between the CT and CG groups (AT= -2.8%, CT= -3.9% and CG= 0.31%, p= 0.004). When training loads were equalized, the aerobic and combined training decreased core fat and increased fat-free mass, but only the combined training potentiated a reduction in percentage of body fat in obese postmenopausal women after the training program. HDL-c levels increased in the combined group and the chol/HDL ratio (atherogenic index) decreased in the aerobic group, however, there were no significant differences between the intervention programs. Taken together, both the exercise training programs were effective for improving body composition and inducing an anti-atherogenic status.

Ditregra - An auxiliary program for structural determination of diterpenes

This work describes the creation of heuristics rules based on 13C-NMR spectroscopy that characterize several skeletal types of diterpenes. Using a collection of 2745 spectra we built a database linked to the expert system SISTEMAT. Several programs were applied to the database in order to discover characteristic signals that identify with a good performance, a large diversity of skeletal types. The heuristic approach used was able to differentiate groups of skeletons based firstly on the number of primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary carbons, and secondly the program searches, for each group, if there are ranges of chemical shifts that identifies specific skeletal type. The program was checked with 100 new structures recently published and was able to identify the correct skeleton in 65 of the studied cases. When the skeleton has several hundreds of compounds, for example, the labdanes, the program employs the concept of subskeletal, and does not classify in the same group labdanes with double bounds at different positions. The chemical shift ranges for each subskeletal types and the structures of all skeletal types are given. The consultation program can be obtained from the authors. © 1997 - IOS Press. All rights reserved.

The use of nonlinear programming as a tool for maximum profit feed formulation of broilers

The purpose of this study was to compare linear and nonlinear programming models for feed formulation, for maximum profit, considering the real variation in the prices of the corn, soybean meal and broilers during the period from January of 2008 to October of 2009, in the São Paulo State, Brazil. For the nonlinear formulation model, it was considered the following scenarios of prices: a) the minimum broiler price and the maximum prices of the corn and soybean meal during the period, b) the mean prices of the broiler, corn and soybean meal in the period and c) the maximum broiler price and the minimum prices of the corn and soybean meal, in the considered period; while for the linear formulation model, it was considered just the prices of the corn and the soybean. It was used the Practical Program for Feed Formulation 2.0 for the diets establishment. A total of 300 Cobb male chicks were randomly assigned to the 4 dietary treatments with 5 replicate pens of 15 chicks each. The birds were fed with a starter diet until 21 d and a grower diet from 22 to 42 d of age, and they had ad libitum access to feed and water, on floor with wood shavings as litter. The broilers were raised in an environmentally-controlled house. Body weight, body weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio and profitability (related to the prices variation of the broilers and ingredients) were obtained at 42 d of age. It was found that the broilers fed with the diet formulated with the linear model presented the lowest feed intake and feed conversion ratio as compared with the broilers fed with diets from nonlinear formulation models. There were no significant differences in body weight and body weight gain among the treatments. Nevertheless, the profitabilities of the diets from the nonlinear model were significantly higher than that one from the linear formulation model, when the corn and soybean meal prices were near or below their average values for the studied period, for any broiler chicken price.

Improvements of nutrition behavior fitness and body fatness with a short-term after school intervention program

The prevalence of childhood obesity has been increasing worldwide and lifestyle changes are the most important strategies in managing this prevalence. This study aimed to describe the intervention effects of nutrition and physical activities offered as an after school short-term on outcomes of healthy nutrition practices, fitness and lowering fatness. This quasi-experimental study was conducted with a convenience sample of 59 caucasian children, aged 7.7 ± 1.4 years old (52.5% girls) registered on a private school of a middle-size town located in Sao Paulo State, Brazil. The school-based 12-week intervention consisted of 2 weekly 60 minutes section, during 3 months, including a nutritional education and a physical activity curriculum. Anthropometric data was measured for all children at baseline and after 12 weeks. All parents were contacted and requested to complete questionnaire about child’s eating behavior at baseline and after the 12-week program. After the intervention, children showed an increasing in the intake of fruits (64.3%), vegetables (61.9%), and water (52.0%). Overall, 83.3% of the children changed eating behavior according to the questionnaire responded by the parents. Waist circumference was significantly lower and abdominal strength improved after participating in the intervention program. Mean height and weight were significantly higher in boys and girls after a 12-week intervention. Although mean values of BMI remained the same after the intervention it was observed a decreasing in the prevalence of obesity among the children. Thus our study showed that a school-based intervention program focused on nutritional education and physical activity program promoted waist circumference reduction and decreased obesity without affecting the height growth along with improved fitness and healthy eating behavior. This intervention program would be feasible and replicable in others schools around the country.

Forty-Fifth Annual Report of the Agricultural Experiment Station of Nebraska, February 1, 1932

This report covers the investigations, expenditures, and publications of the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station for the fiscal year June 30, 1931. During the year 68 projects have been under investigation at the main station. These have covered a wide range of subjects. At the various substations the work is planned to meet the needs of the different regions. The funds for carrying on the work of the stations are derived from federal and state sources. The work is carried on in definite projects according to the supporting fund. Satisfactory progress was made on the research program. During the year eight projects were completed and seven new ones added. The selection of new projects is on the basis of most urgent need, together with the ability of the Experiment Station to carry the project. The financial depression in which agriculture still finds itself has increased rather than decreased the demand upon the Experiment Station and the College for new and definite information. This demand has been taken care of insofar as possible. During the year covered by this report eleven bulletins, nine research bulletins, and one circular have been published by the Experiment Station. In addition 22 technical papers have been prepared by members of the staff and printed in various technical and professional journals.

Landscape-Genetic Analysis of Population Structure in the Texas Gray Fox Oral Rabies Vaccination Zone

In west-central Texas, USA, abatement efforts for the gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) rabies epizootic illustrate the difficulties inherent in large-scale management of wildlife disease. The rabies epizootic has been managed through a cooperative oral rabies vaccination program (ORV) since 1996. Millions of edible baits containing a rabies vaccine have been distributed annually in a 16-km to 24-km zone around the perimeter of the epizootic, which encompasses a geographic area >4 x 105 km2. The ORV program successfully halted expansion of the epizootic into metropolitan areas but has not achieved the ultimate goal of eradication. Rabies activity in gray fox continues to occur periodically outside the ORV zone, preventing ORV zone contraction and dissipation of the epizootic. We employed a landscape-genetic approach to assess gray fox population structure and dispersal in the affected area, with the aim of assisting rabies management efforts. No unique genetic clusters or population boundaries were detected. Instead, foxes were weakly structured over the entire region in an isolation by distance pattern. Local subpopulations appeared to be genetically non-independent over distances >30 km, implying that long-distance movements or dispersal may have been common in the region. We concluded that gray foxes in west-central Texas have a high potential for long-distance rabies virus trafficking. Thus, a 16-km to 24-km ORV zone may be too narrow to contain the fox rabies epizootic. Continued expansion of the ORV zone, although costly, may be critical to the long-term goal of eliminating the Texas fox rabies virus variant from the United States.

Evaluating the EDGE: What are the Impacts?

In 2008, the Center for Applied Rural Innovation conducted a comprehensive five-year evaluative study of the NebraskaEDGE program. Two different surveys were sent to former NebraskaEDGE training participants who were enrolled in the EDGE training courses between the Fall of 2002 and Spring of 2007. The objective of the surveys were to: 1) measure changes in participant knowledge and skills as a result of the entrepreneurial training class, and 2) better learn how participants applied their new skills to their businesses and what those impacts were on the businesses.

The effect of flex fuel vehicles in the Brazilian light road transportation

The retaking of the ethanol program in the year 2003 as a fuel for light road transportation in Brazil through the introduction of flex fuel vehicles fleet was a good strategy to overcome the difficulties of the ethanol production sector and did work to increase its market share relative to gasoline. This process, however, may cause a future disequilibrium on the food production and on the refining oil derivates structure. In order to analyze the substitution process resultant of the competition between two opponents fighting for the same market, in this case the gasoline/ethanol substitution process, a method derived from the biomathematics based on the non-linear differential equations (NLDE) system is utilized. A brief description of the method is presented. Numerical adherence of the method to explain several substitution phenomena that occurred in the past is presented in the previous author`s paper, in which the urban gas pipeline system substitution of bottled LPG in the dwelling sector and the substitution of the urban diesel transportation fleet by compressed natural gas (CNG) buses is presented. The proposed method is particularly suitable for prospective analysis and scenarios assessment. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Skeletal abnormalities in humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae stranded in the Brazilian breeding ground

Skeletal tissues of 49 humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae that stranded between 2002 and 2011 along the Abrolhos Bank seashore and its adjacent waters in Brazil were studied. Twelve (24.5%) animals presented pathological changes in one or more bones. Degenerative changes and developmental malformations were most frequent (10.2% each), followed by inflammatory/infectious and traumatic lesions (8.2% each). Infectious diseases led to severe lesions of the caudal vertebrae of 2 whales. In one of these individuals, the lesions involved 6 caudal vertebrae, leading to ankylosis of 3 vertebrae. Degenerative changes were observed in the vertebral columns of 3 animals, involving the joints of 13 ribs of 1 individual, and in the humerus of 1 whale. Traumatic lesions, such as osseous callus in the ribs, were observed in 4 animals. In 1 whale, the rib showed severe osteomyelitis, possibly resulting from the infection of multiple fractures. Developmental abnormalities such as spina bifida on 3 cervical vertebrae of 1 whale, fusion of spinal processes on thoracic vertebrae of 1 individual and fusion of the first 2 ribs unilaterally or bilaterally in 4 animals were found. Chronic infectious conditions found in the axial skeleton may have restrained spinal mobility and had detrimental effects on the general health of the animals, contributing to stranding and death. To our knowledge, this is the first systematic study on skeletal lesions in stranded humpback whales.

Dropouts or Discontinuity of the Treatment of Tuberculosis in Rio Branco, Acre

This research investigates the factors related to the discontinuity of the treatment of tuberculosis in Rio Branco-Acre. To the fulfillment of this research, a contribution to ethnography has been adopted, for the successful apprehension of the reality to be studied. The research has been developed in two mapping steps: on the first, a search for information on the SINAN (System of National Injuries Notification - Sistema de Notificacao de Agravos Nacionais) and on the Municipal Coordination of the Tuberculosis Program databases was taken; the second aimed to record facts from the observation of the care given on a health care unit, which serves assistance to tuberculosis carriers in treatment, and the interviews of the elected subjects. On the analysis of the observations, narrative and interview collection, it was observed that the professionals of health services label some people as auspicious to discontinue the treatment and don't consider the different ways of life on the approach of their patients, complicating the formation of the bond and favoring the discontinuity. It was also identified people treating for tuberculosis that had many ways of dealing with the limitations generated by the disease, such as restrictions for the work, among others, and people that discontinued the treatment took in consideration their system of beliefs and values, as well as the perception of health/disease, due to the feeling of cure when the treatment was interrupted.