Efeito da salinidade, densidade de estocagem e da infecção hipodermal e necrose hematopoiética (IHHN) na imunidade do camarão Litopenaeus vannamei cultivados em fazendas do Rio Grande do Norte

The main problem faced by the shrimp industry are the infectious diseases. The hypodermal and hematopoietic necrosis infection (IHHN) is one of the major cause of disease in the cultured shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. Environmental changes involving water quality, oxygen concentration, salinity, temperature, stocking density, presence of pathogens, among others, triggering a stressing condition for the cultured shrimp, weakening them and allowing the outbreak of diseases. The stress on the animal leads to a change in the molecules immune response components, which can be used as indicators of shrimp health. Thus, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of salinity, stocking density and IHHNV infection on the L. vannamei shrimp. The immune parameters used to check the shrimp health were the total hemocytes counts (THC), the agglutinating activity (AA) and the clotting time (CT) of the serum of shrimp. These parameters were analyzed in healthy and IHHNV-infected shrimp, grown in low (0-0.5 ), medium (19-24 ) and high (> 38 ) salinity, and extensive (7-12 cam.m-2), semi-intensive (15-25 cam.m-2) and intensive (33-45 cam.m -2) stocking density. The IHHNV infection rate was significantly higher in low salinity (P<0.005) and intensive density (P<0.005), both stressful conditions for L. vannamei. Low salinity significantly increased THC (P<0.05) and decreased and CT (P<0.05) in healthy and infected shrimp, but AA (P<0.05) significantly decreased in healthy shrimp at medium salinity. Culture intensification did not affect the THC, AA and CT of healthy and infected shrimp (P>0.05). The IHHNV infection did not affect any immune parameters of shrimp cultured at different salinities and stocking densities. It is necessary to emphasize that this study was conducted in shrimp grown in ponds, where several environmental factors are acting simultaneously. Thus, further studies are needed about the influence of other environmental factors on the immune parameters of shrimp cultured in pond

Análise de cDNAs identificados em bibliotecas substrativas de cDNA para floração de variedades de cana-de-açúcar cultivadas no Rio Grande do Norte(RN): fator de transição NAC, Calmodulina e Fosfatidiltransferase

The flowering is a physiological process that it is vital for plants. This physiological process has been well studied in the plant model Arabidopsis, but in sugarcane this process is not well known. The transition of the shoot apical meristem from vegetative to flowering is a critical factor for plant development. At Brazil northeastern region, the transition to flowering in sugarcane has an important effect as it may reduce up to 60% its production. This is a consequence of the sugar translocation from stalks to the shoot apical meristem which is necessary during the flowering process. Therefore, the aim of this work was to explore and analyze cDNAs previously identified using subtractive cDNA libraries. The results showed that these cDNAs showed differential expression profile in varieties of sugarcane (early x late flowering). The in silico analysis suggested that these cDNAs had homology to calmodulin, NAC transcription factor and phosphatidylinositol, a SEC14, which were described in the literature as having a role in the process of floral development. To better understand the role of the cDNA homologous to calmodulin, tobacco plants were transformed with overexpression cassettes in sense and antissense orientation. Plants overexpressing the cassette in sense orientation did not flowered, while plants overexpressing the cassette in the antissense orientation produced flowers. The data obtained in this study suggested the possible role from CAM sequence, SEC14 and NAC in the induction/floral development pathway in sugarcane, this is the first study in order to analyze these genes in the sugarcane flowering process.

Inclusão de farinha de resíduos da indústria de filetagem de tilápias na alimentação de girinos de rã-touro (Rana Catesbeiana Shaw,1802)

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the inclusion of meal of tilapia industrial waster in bullfrog tadpoles' diets (Rana Catesbeina Shaw, 1802). Two hundred fifty tadpoles with initial weight and length of 0,18 +/- 0,05g and 2,50 +/- 0,18 centimeters were used, respectively, they were used and distributed in 25 aquariums of 30 liter each in a complete randomized design with five treatments and five repetitions. The tadpoles were fed four times a day with diets containing 0, 5, 10 and 15% of inclusion of tilapia filleting and another diet with 0% of supplemented tilapia filleting with synthetic methionine, being supplied four times a day at ease. The experiment period was 30 days. The diets with tilapia filleting inclusion and methionine supplementation did not have influence in the final weight and length averages, feed survival and conversion of bullfrog tadpoles. It cam be used until 15% of tilapia filleting inclusion in the bullfrog tadpoles food. The synthetic methionine supplementation in diets for bullfrog tadpoles is not necessary in diets with levels over 0,471/4 of the total methionine.

Allelopathic plants. 7. Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)

Sunflower is an annual dicotyledonous plant, herbaceous, erect and native of North America. It is thermo- and photo-insensitive, hence, can be grown round the year in sub-tropical and tropical countries. Only two spp. H. annuus and H. tuberosum are cultivated for food, remaining spp. are ornamentals, weeds and wild plants. However, H. annuus is allelopathic and inhibit the growth and development of other plants thus reducing their productivity. Much information is available about the allelopathic effects of sunflower crop on following crops in crop rotations. Although it is harmful to all crops, but, is less harmful to crops of Graminae family than other families. It seems that the harmful effects of sunflower in crop rotations are due to release and accumulation of root exudates during crop growth in soil. Soil incorporation of its fresh (green manure) or dry biomass in soil is inhibitory to both crops and weed spp. Several allelochemicals have been characterized from the H. annuus, which inhibit the seed germination and seedling growth of A. albus, A. viridis, Agropyron repens (Elymus repens), Ambrosia artemsiifolia, Avena fatua, Celosia crustata, Chenopodium album, Chloris barbara, Cynodon dactylon, D. sanguinalis, Dactyloctenium ageyptium, Digitaria ciliaris, Echinochloa crus-galli, Flaveria australasica, Parthenium hysterophorus, Portulaca oleracea, Sida spinosa, Trianthema portulacastrum, Veronica perisca the inhibitory effects of this crop may be used for weed management with less herbicides for sustainable agriculture.

Efeitos cardiorrespiratórios da buprenorfina em cães anestesiados pelo desfluorano

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

Infusão contínua de lidocaína em diferentes taxas no controle de arritmias induzidas pela administração de adrenalina em cães anestesiados com isofluorano

Avaliaram-se os efeitos da infusão de diferentes doses de lidocaína sobre o ritmo cardíaco, em cães anestesiados com isofluorano que receberam doses crescentes de adrenalina. Foram utilizados 10 cães, cada qual anestesiado quatro vezes, respeitando-se um intervalo de duas semanas. A indução anestésica foi realizada com propofol, 8mg/kg, e a manutenção com isofluorano a 1,5 CAM. Os animais foram distribuídos em quatro grupos, que receberam bolus de lidocaína, 1mg/kg, seguido pela infusão de lidocaína nas taxas de 50μg/kg/h (G50), 100μg/kg/h (G100) e 200μg/kg/h (G200). O grupo-controle (GC) recebeu bolus e infusão de NaCl a 0,9%. As variáveis foram mensuradas 30 minutos após a indução, e em seguida, iniciadas as infusões. Após 10 minutos do princípio dos tratamentos, colheram-se novamente os dados e iniciou-se a infusão de adrenalina, 1μg/kg/min. em intervalos de 10 minutos, realizou-se nova colheita de dados e acrescentou-se 1μg/kg/min na taxa de infusão de adrenalina, até atingir 5μg/kg/min. Comparativamente ao GC, ocorreu redução do aparecimento de batimentos de origem não sinusal e bloqueios atrioventriculares de segundo grau nos grupos tratados com lidocaína. Concluiu-se que a associação de lidocaína à anestesia com isofluorano diminuiu o aparecimento de irregularidades no ritmo cardíaco.

Resistência de genótipos de sorgo a Contarinia sorghicola (Coq.) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) e Diatraea saccharalis (Fabr.) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) e influência sobre parasitóides

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Otimização do fresamento de roscas internas com a técnica de interpolação helicoidal

In machining of internal threads, dedicated tools, known as taps, are needed for each profile type, diameter, and low cutting speed values are used when compared to main machining processes. This restriction in the cutting speed is associated with the difficulty of synchronizing the tool s rotation speed and feed velocity in the process. This fact restricts the flexibility and makes machining lead times longer when manufacturing of components with threads is required. An alternative to the constraints imposed by the tap is the thread milling with helical interpolation technique. The technique is the fusion of two movements: rotation and helical interpolation. The tools may have different configurations: a single edge or multiple edges (axial, radial or both). However, thread milling with helical interpolation technique is relatively new and there are limited studies on the subject, a fact which promotes challenges to its wide application in the manufacturing shop floor. The objective of this research is determine the performance of different types of tools in the thread milling with helical interpolation technique using hardened steel workpieces. In this sense, four tool configurations were used for threading milling in AISI 4340 quenched and tempered steel (40 HRC). The results showed that climb cut promoted a greater number of machined threads, regardless of tool configuration. The upcut milling causes chippings in cutting edge, while the climb cutting promotes abrasive wear. Another important point is that increase in hole diameter by tool diameter ratio increases tool lifetime

IFTrace: Video segmentation of deformable objects using the Image Foresting Transform

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

Levomepromazina e acepromazina no bloqueio da arritmia induzida pela adrenalina em cães anestesiados pelo halotano

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

Padrão de atividades do sagüi callithrix jacchus numa área de caatinga

Callithrix jacchus, as the other species in the family Callitrichidae, lives in social groups. The groups cam be found in different habitats, whose distinct floristic physiognomies and communities are intrinsically related to their behavioral ecology and social relations. Our objective was to describe the social relations and feeding behavior of Callithrix jacchus in the Bioma Caatinga. We observed a group at the FLONA (National Forest IBAMA), in Açu-RN, in northeastern Brazil, compose of five adults (2 females and 3 males) at the beginning of the study. The birth of five animals was registered along the study. The following behavioral categories were registered along eleven months, once a week, through instantaneous focal animal sampling: social grooming, contact, proximity, foraging, feeding, locomotion and rest. Foraging presented the highest levels comparing to other activities, and was more frequent in the dry season. Social grooming was the second more frequent activity, with higher levels in the rainy season, and between the reproductive couple. We found similar results for proximity. The most explored feeding item was the gum, specially in the rainy season. The most explored species for exudates feeding were Cirus limon (limão) and Pitecolobiun foliolosum (jurema branca). The comparision of fruit and insect ingestion between the seasons showed higher percentage for both in the dry season. The general activity pattern was similar to what is registeded in groups the inhabit the Atlantic Forest. These results indicate the flexibility of the species which survives and reproduces in such physically and biologically different environments

Multidimensional cluster stability analysis from a Brazilian Bradyrhizobium sp RFLP/PCR data set

The taxonomy of the N(2)-fixing bacteria belonging to the genus Bradyrhizobium is still poorly refined, mainly due to conflicting results obtained by the analysis of the phenotypic and genotypic properties. This paper presents an application of a method aiming at the identification of possible new clusters within a Brazilian collection of 119 Bradryrhizobium strains showing phenotypic characteristics of B. japonicum and B. elkanii. The stability was studied as a function of the number of restriction enzymes used in the RFLP-PCR analysis of three ribosomal regions with three restriction enzymes per region. The method proposed here uses Clustering algorithms with distances calculated by average-linkage clustering. Introducing perturbations using sub-sampling techniques makes the stability analysis. The method showed efficacy in the grouping of the species B. japonicum and B. elkanii. Furthermore, two new clusters were clearly defined, indicating possible new species, and sub-clusters within each detected cluster. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Influência da técnica de fabricação e dos materiais sobre o ajuste da interface pilar/implante em infraestruturas implantossuportadas

The aim of this study was to compare the misfit vertical, horizontal and passivity of zirconia and cobalt-chromium frameworks fabricated for CAD / CAM technology and conventional method of casting. Sixteen frameworks in one-piece, were obtained from a metallic matrix containing three Brånemark compatible implants with regular platform (Titamax Cortical Ti, Neodent). Eight frameworks were fabricated by CAD / CAM system (NeoShape, Neodent): four in zirconia (ZirCAD) and four cobalt-chromium (CoCrcad). Eight other frameworks were obtained by conventional casting method: four cobalt-chromium with UCLA abutment premachined Co-Cr (CoCrUCci) and four cobalt-chromium with UCLA abutment castable (CoCrUCc). The fit vertical, horizontal and passivity by one-screw test were measured using scanning electron microscopy with magnification of 250x. Initially evaluated the passivity by one-screw test and subsequently to assess the vertical and horizontal misfit, tightened all the screws with a torque of 20 Ncm. Mean, standard deviation, minimum and maximum values were calculated for each group. Measurements of horizontal misfit were transformed into cumulative frequency for categorization of the variable and the group later comparison groups. To evaluate the existence of quantitative differences between the groups tested for vertical misfit and passivity, we used the Kruskal-Wallis test. The Mann-Whitney test was used to compare group to group statistical differences (p <0.05). Were observed the respective mean and standard deviation for vertical misfit and passivity in micrometers: ZirCAD (5.9 ± 3.6, 107.2 ± 36), CoCrcad (1.2 ± 2.2, 107.5 ± 26 ), CoCrUCci (11.8 ± 9.8, 124.7 ± 74), CoCrUCc (12.9 ± 11.0, 108.8 ± 85). There were statistical differences in measures of vertical misfit (p = 0.000). The Mann-Whitney test revealed statistical differences (p <0.05) between all groups except between CoCrUCci and CoCrUCc (p = 0.619). No statistical difference was observed for the passivity. In relation to the horizontal misfit groups ZirCAD and CoCrcad did not show best values in relation to CoCrUCci and CoCrUCc. Based on the results it can be concluded that frameworks fabricated by CAD / CAM technology had better values of vertical fit than those manufactured by the casting method, nevertheless, the passivity was not influenced by manufacturing technique and material used. The horizontal fit obtained by frameworks manufactured by CAD / CAM was not superior to those manufactured by casting. A lower variability in vertical adjustment and passivity was observed when frameworks were fabricated by CAD / CAM technology

Efeitos do halotano, isoflurano e sevoflurano sobre a função renal em cães sob pinçamento aórtico infra-renal

JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: O pinçamento infra-renal da aorta abdominal pode produzir alterações renais. O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar os efeitos do halotano, isoflurano e sevoflurano sobre a função renal, em cães submetidos a pinçamento aórtico infra-renal. MÉTODO: O estudo aleatório foi realizado em 30 cães, distribuídos em três grupos, de acordo com o anestésico halogenado utilizado durante a anestesia, em concentrações equipotentes de 0,75 CAM: GH (n = 10) - halotano a 0,67%; GI (n = 10) - isoflurano a 0,96%; e GS (n = 10) - sevoflurano a 1,8%. em todos os animais foi realizada ligadura infra-renal da aorta, por período de 30 minutos. Os atributos renais foram estudados nos momentos: C (controle), após 15 (Ao15) e 30 (Ao30) minutos de pinçamento aórtico, e após 15 (DAo15) e 30 (DAo30) minutos do despinçamento aórtico. RESULTADOS: A depuração de água livre foi menor nos grupos GI e GS, em relação ao GH, após o despinçamento aórtico (p < 0,05). Durante o pinçamento aórtico, nos três grupos, houve aumento do débito urinário, da excreção urinária de sódio e da depuração de sódio, e diminuição da osmolaridade urinária (p < 0,05). A resistência vascular renal e a fração de filtração aumentaram somente em GS (p < 0,05), enquanto a excreção fracionária de sódio aumentou em GH e GI (p < 0,05). Após o despinçamento aórtico, houve normalização dos atributos que haviam se alterado, com exceção da osmolaridade urinária, que continuou em níveis menores do que os do controle em todos os grupos (p < 0,05). A resistência vascular renal e a fração de filtração continuaram mais elevadas em GS, acompanhadas por diminuição do fluxo sangüíneo renal e da depuração de para-aminohipurato de sódio (p < 0,05). CONCLUSÕES: No cão nas condições experimentais empregadas, a inalação de halotano e isoflurano a 0,75 CAM, mas não de sevoflurano, atenuou a principal alteração após o pinçamento infra-renal da aorta, que é o aumento da resistência vascular renal.

Efeitos do halotano, isoflurano e sevoflurano nas respostas cardiovasculares ao pinçamento aórtico infra-renal: estudo experimental em cães

JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: O pinçamento infra-renal da aorta abdominal pode produzir alterações hemodinâmicas. O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar os efeitos do halotano, isoflurano e sevoflurano sobre a função cardiovascular, em cães submetidos à pinçamento aórtico infra-renal. MÉTODO: O estudo aleatório foi realizado em 30 cães, distribuídos em três grupos, de acordo com o anestésico halogenado utilizado durante a anestesia, em concentrações equipotentes de 0,75 CAM: GH (n=10) - halotano a 0,67%; GI (n=10) - isoflurano a 0,96%; e GS (n=10) - sevoflurano a 1,8%. em todos os animais foi realizada ligadura infra-renal da aorta, por período de 30 min. Os atributos hemodinâmicos foram estudados nos momentos: C (Controle), Ao15 e Ao30, respectivamente após 15 e 30 minutos do pinçamento aórtico, e DAo e DAo15, respectivamente, imediatamente e após 15 min do despinçamento aórtico. RESULTADOS: Durante o pinçamento aórtico houve, em todos os grupos, aumento das pressões arterial média e do átrio direito, e dos índices cardíaco, sistólico e de trabalho sistólico dos ventrículos direito e esquerdo. A pressão da artéria pulmonar aumentou em GI e GS e a pressão pulmonar ocluída em GH e GI. Após o despinçamento aórtico, houve normalização dos atributos que haviam se elevado, com exceção dos índices cardíaco e sistólico, que continuaram elevados, acompanhados de diminuição do índice de resistência vascular sistêmica. Não houve diferença significante entre os grupos em relação aos atributos estudados, com exceção da freqüência cardíaca que foi sempre menor em GH, em relação aos demais grupos, durante o pinçamento e despinçamento aórtico. CONCLUSÕES: No cão, nas condições experimentais empregadas, a inalação do halotano, isoflurano e sevoflurano em concentrações equipotentes (0,75 CAM) não atenua as respostas cardiovasculares ao pinçamento aórtico infra-renal.