Breed and selection line differences in the temperament of beef cattle

O temperamento de quatro raças bovinas foi avaliado utilizando-se o teste de velocidade de fuga (FT) e o escore de comportamento (BST). FT foi definida como o tempo necessário para animais percorrerem uma distância de 2 m após a pesagem. BST foi baseada no comportamento dos animais na balança, amostrando-se quatro categorias de comportamento: movimentos, intensidade de respiração, vocalizações e coices. Os coeficientes de herdabilidade de FT e BST foram estimados com uso de um modelo de máxima verossimilhança restrita, considerando meio irmãos paternos. Caracu apresentou menores médias para BST do que as demais raças. Nelore apresentou resultados intermediários, seguida por Guzerat e Gyr com médias mais elevadas (p < 0,05). Resultados similares foram observados para FT, mas as médias de Caracu e Nelore não diferiram entre si. Observou-se baixa associação entre FT e BST (r p= -0,36; p < 0,01). A correlação entre rank de touros ordenados pelos seus valores preditos (p) para FT e BST foi moderada e negativa (r s = -0,63; p < 0,001). A herdabilidade de FT e BST foi de 0,35 e 0,34, respectivamente. A comparação de rebanhos Nelore com diferentes critérios de seleção para peso corporal mostrou que linhas de seleção podem modular positivamente o temperamento de Bos indicus.

Production of reinforced composites with natural fibers for industrial applications - Extrusion and injection WPC

The aim of this work is to study the replacement of currently used thermoplastics by composites reinforced with vegetable fibers with several advantages, mainly better mechanical properties, low weight and competitive cost compared to its counterparts. Extrusion and injection molding processes were studied using polypropylene (PP) matrix. The raw materials used were sugar cane bagasse, elephant grass, wood, milk cartons and recycled polypropylene. The composites were tested for bending, tension, hardness and impact resistance, following ASTM standards. The results obtained were extremely positive since they proved that natural fibers as reinforcement can be an important alternative to replace talc and other fillers.

Potential and costs for the production of electrolytic hydrogen in alcohol and sugar cane plants in the central and south regions of Brazil

This project verified the potential for the production of hydrogen via water electrolysis by using the exceeding electrical energy resultant from alcohol and sugar plants that use sugar cane bagasse as fuel. The studies were carried out in cogeneration plants authorized by the Electrical Energy National Agency (ANEEL). The processing history of sugar cane considered was based on the 2006/2007 harvests. The total bagasse produced, electrical energy generated and exceeding electrical energy in a year were calculated. It was obtained an average energy consumption value of 5.2 kWh Nm(-3) and the hydrogen production costs regarding the amount of sugar cane processed that ranged from US$ 0.50 to US$ 0.75 Nm(-3). The results pointed that the costs for the production of hydrogen via the bagasse exceeding energy are close to the production costs that use other sources of energy. As the energy generated from the bagasse is a renewable one, this alternative for the production of hydrogen is economical and environmentally viable. (C) 2008 International Association for Hydrogen Energy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Production of iceberg lettuce using mulches

A utilização da cobertura do solo pode trazer inúmeros benefícios ao cultivo de alface. Este experimento teve como objetivo avaliar o efeito de tipos de coberturas de solo no cultivo de alface tipo americana cv. Lucy Brown. Os tratamentos foram: 1- canteiro sem cobertura e sem capina (testemunha), 2- canteiro sem cobertura, com capina quinzenal, 3- canteiro com cobertura de bagaço de cana de 2 cm de espessura, 4- canteiro com cobertura de plástico preto, 5- canteiro com cobertura de plástico dupla face (prateado/preto). Foram avaliados o ciclo das plantas no campo, a quantidade de clorofila nas folhas, a produção em peso individual de cabeça e a quantidade de nutrientes absorvidos nas folhas. A utilização de cobertura plástica do tipo dupla face proporcionou os maiores valores médios de produção. Foi também o tratamento em que foram obtidos os maiores valores para quantidade de clorofila, nitrogênio, fósforo, enxofre, boro e ferro acumulado nas folhas.

Production of polysaccharidases in different carbon sources by Leucoagaricus gongylophorus Moller (Singer), the symbiotic fungus of the leaf-cutting ant Atta sexdens linnaeus

Leucoagaricus gongylophorus, the fungus cultured by the leaf-cutting ant Atta sexdens, produces polysaccharidases that degrade leaf components by generating nutrients believed to be essential for ant nutrition. We evaluated pectinase, amylase, xylanase, and cellulase production by L. gongylophorus in laboratory cultures and found that polysaccharidases are produced during fungal growth on pectin, starch, cellulose, xylan, or glucose but not cellulase, whose production is inhibited during fungal growth on xylan. Pectin was the carbon source that best stimulated the production of enzymes, which showed that pectinase had the highest production activity of all of the carbon sources tested, indicating that the presence of pectin and the production of pectinase are key features for symbiotic nutrition on plant material. During growth on starch and cellulose, polysaccharidase production level was intermediate, although during growth on xylan and glucose, enzyme production was very low. We propose a possible profile of polysaccharide degradation inside the nest, where the fungus is cultured on the foliar substrate.

Production of Agaricus blazei ss. Heinemann (A. brasiliensis) on different casing layers and environments

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Effects of row spacing and intercrop on maize grain yield and forage production of palisade grass

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

Screening Botryosphaeria species for lipases: Production of lipase by Botryosphaeria ribis EC-01 grown on soybean oil and other carbon sources

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Effect of soybean oil and Tween 80 on the production of botryosphaeran by Botryosphaeria rhodina MAMB-05

The addition of soybean oil and Tween 80 was evaluated with the objective of increasing the production of botryosphaeran, an exopolysaccharide (EPS) of the (1 -> 3 ;1 -> 6)-beta-D-glucan type produced by the fungus Botowsphaeria rhodina MAMB-05. Factorial design and analysis by response surface methodology was developed to select the main factors that would affect and enhance EPS production. The optimized culture conditions were: 40g l(-1) glucose with 10ml l(-1) soybean oil, and 4.5 ml l(-1) Tween 80, during 72h cultivation at 28 degrees C (180 rpm) and initial pH 5.7. The predicted result for botryosphaeran production was 8.22 +/- 1.36 g l(-1), and compared with the experimental value of 7.74 +/- 0.13 g l(-1) . Partial characterization of the botryosphaeran produced under the optimized conditions showed one type of polysaccharide with P-glycosidic linkages containing glucose as monosaccharide. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Botryosphaeran, a new substrate for the production of beta-1,3-glucanases by Botryosphaeria rhodina and Trichoderma harzianum Rifai

Botryosphaeria rhodina and Trichoderma harzianum Rifai were grown on botryosphaeran (an exopolysaccharide (EPS) of the beta-1,3; 1,6-D-Glucan type produced by B. rhodina) as sole carbon source with the objective of producing beta-glucanases of the beta-type. Conditions for beta-1,3-glucanase production by T harzianum were examined by a statistical response surface method, and showed maximal enzyme production at 5 days growth in media containing 1.5 g/1 of EPS. Good agreement was obtained between the experimental values of beta-1, 3-glucanase activity and the corresponding values predicted by the mathernatical model. The crude beta-1,3-glucanase preparations were active towards a number of different beta-1,3-glucans and beta-glucosides. The mycelium of B. rhodina also proved to be a good substrate for beta-1,3-glucanase production by both fungal species. (c) 2005 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Effect of therapeutic plasma concentrations of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on the production of reactive oxygen species by activated rat neutrophils

The release of reactive oxygen specie (ROS) by activated neutrophil is involved in both the antimicrobial and deleterious effects in chronic inflammation. The objective of the present investigation was to determine the effect of therapeutic plasma concentrations of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on the production of ROS by stimulated rat neutrophils. Diclofenac (3.6 µM), indomethacin (12 µM), naproxen (160 µM), piroxicam (13 µM), and tenoxicam (30 µM) were incubated at 37ºC in PBS (10 mM), pH 7.4, for 30 min with rat neutrophils (1 x 10(6) cells/ml) stimulated by phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (100 nM). The ROS production was measured by luminol and lucigenin-dependent chemiluminescence. Except for naproxen, NSAIDs reduced ROS production: 58 ± 2% diclofenac, 90 ± 2% indomethacin, 33 ± 3% piroxicam, and 45 ± 6% tenoxicam (N = 6). For the lucigenin assay, naproxen, piroxicam and tenoxicam were ineffective. For indomethacin the inhibition was 52 ± 5% and diclofenac showed amplification in the light emission of 181 ± 60% (N = 6). Using the myeloperoxidase (MPO)/H2O2/luminol system, the effects of NSAIDs on MPO activity were also screened. We found that NSAIDs inhibited both the peroxidation and chlorinating activity of MPO as follows: diclofenac (36 ± 10, 45 ± 3%), indomethacin (97 ± 2, 100 ± 1%), naproxen (56 ± 8, 76 ± 3%), piroxicam (77 ± 5, 99 ± 1%), and tenoxicam (90 ± 2, 100 ± 1%), respectively (N = 3). These results show that therapeutic levels of NSAIDs are able to suppress the oxygen-dependent antimicrobial or oxidative functions of neutrophils by inhibiting the generation of hypochlorous acid.

Production of active recombinant eIF5A: reconstitution in E.coli of eukaryotic hypusine modification of eIF5A by its coexpression with modifying enzymes

Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A) is the only cellular protein that contains the polyamine-modified lysine, hypusine [N(epsilon)-(4-amino-2-hydroxybutyl)lysine]. Hypusine occurs only in eukaryotes and certain archaea, but not in eubacteria. It is formed post-translationally by two consecutive enzymatic reactions catalyzed by deoxyhypusine synthase (DHS) and deoxyhypusine hydroxylase (DOHH). Hypusine modification is essential for the activity of eIF5A and for eukaryotic cell proliferation. eIF5A binds to the ribosome and stimulates translation in a hypusine-dependent manner, but its mode of action in translation is not well understood. Since quantities of highly pure hypusine-modified eIF5A is desired for structural studies as well as for determination of its binding sites on the ribosome, we have used a polycistronic vector, pST39, to express eIF5A alone, or to co-express human eIF5A-1 with DHS or with both DHS and DOHH in Escherichia coli cells, to engineer recombinant proteins, unmodified eIF5A, deoxyhypusine- or hypusine-modified eIF5A. We have accomplished production of three different forms of recombinant eIF5A in high quantity and purity. The recombinant hypusine-modified eIF5A was as active in methionyl-puromycin synthesis as the native, eIF5A (hypusine form) purified from mammalian tissue. The recombinant eIF5A proteins will be useful tools in future structure/function and the mechanism studies in translation.

The effect of pH on horseradish peroxidase-catalyzed oxidation of melatonin: production of N-1-acetyl-N-2-formyl-5-methoxykynuramine versus radical-mediated degradation

There is a g-rowing body of evidence that melatonin and its oxidation product, N-1-acetyl-N-2-formyl-5-methoxykynuramine (AFMK), have anti-inflammatory properties. From a nutritional point of view, the discovery of melatonin in plant tissues emphasizes the importance of its relationship with plant peroxidases. Here we found that the pH of the reaction mixture has a profound influence in the reaction rate and products distribution when melatonin is oxidized by the plant enzyme horseradish peroxidase. At pH 5.5. 1 mm of melatonin was almost completely oxidized within 2 min, whereas only about 3% was consumed at pH 7.4. However, the relative yield of AFMK was higher in physiological pH. Radical-mediated oxidation products, including 2-hydroxymelatonin a dimer of, 2-hydroxymelatonin and O-demethylated dimer of melatonin account for the fast consumption of melatonin at pH 5.5. The higher production of AFMK at pH 7.4 was explained by the involvement of compound III of peroxidases as evidenced by spectral studies. on the other hand, the fast oxidative degradation at pH 5.5 was explained by the classic peroxidase cycle.

Effect of the essential oil of Achillea millefolium L. in the production of hydrogen peroxide and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in murine macrophages

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