Using data mining to identify factors that influence the degree of leg injuries in broilers

Locomotor problems prevent the bird to move freely, jeopardizing the welfare and productivity, besides generating injuries on the legs of chickens. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of age, use of vitamin D, the asymmetry of limbs and gait score, the degree of leg injuries in broilers, using data mining. The analysis was performed on a data set obtained from a field experiment in which it was used two groups of birds with 30 birds each, a control group and one treated with vitamin D. It was evaluated the gait score, the asymmetry between the right and left toes, and the degree of leg injuries. The Weka ® software was used in data mining. In particular, C4.5 algorithm (also known as J48 in Weka environment) was used for the generation of a decision tree. The results showed that age is the factor that most influences the degree of leg injuries and that the data from assessments of gait score were not reliable to estimate leg weakness in broilers.

Retrospective study on clinical management of indolent ulcers in Boxer dogs

Indolent ulcers are superficial corneal ulcers secondary to several changes on the corneal surface. They are frequently observed in middle-aged Boxer dogs, cause pain of acute onset and requires appropriate treatment. Aiming to evaluate the efficacy of clinical managements on the rate of healing of indolent ulcers, a retrospective study was conducted (1997-2008). Results demonstrated that proteinase inhibitors were the most often prescribed medication, and its administration did not interfere on the healing rate, as well as observed in dogs that received 1% atropine, antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs. Healing was delayed in dogs administered orally with vitamin C, but the healing process was faster on those dogs that went through corneal debridement/cauterization. In conclusion, to know the various types of treatments seems to be fundamental for the rapid resolution of the disease. It is suggested that debridement/cauterization, administration of proteinase inhibitor eye drops, prophylactic topical antibiotics and oral vitamin C, should be considered as an effective clinical management for indolent ulcers in Boxer dogs.

Superação da dormência de sementes de carrapicho-beiço-de-boi

Visando a obtenção de um tratamento para acelerar a germinação de sementes de Desmodium tortuosum (Sw.) DC., foram realizados dois experimentos, nos quais, segmentos unisseminados de lomentos (testemunha) foram submetidos a debulha manual; debulha manual seguida por escarificação manual empregando-se lixa n. 220; debulha mecânica (processador doméstico ); escarificação química com H2SO4 (95%) por 1,5 e 8 mim pré-aquecimento à 53°C por 4,10 e 16h em estufa com circulação forçada de ar; embebição, utilizando-se H,0 à 80°C por 1,3,5 e 10 min; H20 à 27°C por 2h e embebição com alternância térmica (H,0 à 80°C/ 5min e H20 à 13 °C / 1min) . Para a avaliação dos tratamentos foram empregados os testes de germinação, de emergência de plântulas em solo (E), de primeira contagem de germinação (PG) e de emergência (PE), índices de velocidade de germinação (I.V.G.) e de emergência (I.V.E.), e o comprimento de plântulas (CP). 0 delineamento estatístico adotado foi o inteiramente casualizado com 4 repetições de 100 (G, PG, I.V.G.) ou 20 sementes (C P) por tratamento no primeiro experimento e 4 repetições de 50 (G, PG, I.V.G.) ou 100 sementes (E, PE, I.V.E.) no segundo experimento. No primeiro experimento, os tratamentos que provocaram significativa redução da dormência (D) e, conseqüente elevação da germinação (G), em comparação à testemunha (D=82%; G=15%) foram, em ordem decrescente de eficácia: debulha e escarificação manuais (D=3%; G= 92%), debu lha mecânica (D=13%; G= 81%), embebição em H20 à 80°C por 1min (D=68%; G= 29%) e por 3 min (D=65%; G=32%). No segundo experimento, (testemunha com D=93% e G=3%) destacaram-se: debulha e escarificação manuais (D=2%; G= 93%), debulha mecânica (D = 2%; G = 87%), embebição em H20 à 80°C por 5min e alternância térmica (ambos com D=85% e G= 11%). 0s testes de vigor PC, I.V. G., I.V. E., CP, e E corroboraram esses resultados. 0s métodos de escarificação manual com lixa 220 e debulha mecânica, empregando-se processa dor, podem ser recomendados para a superação da dormência e promoção da germinação de sementes de D. tortuosum.

Controle químico de plantas daninhas aquáticas: Alternanthera philoxeroides, Enhydra anagallis e Pycreus decumbens

As espécies de plantas aquáticas podem causar inúmeros inconvenientes ao uso múltiplo da água quando elas se desenvolvem desordenadamente. Assim, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a eficiência de diferentes herbicidas no controle químico de plantas de Alternanthera philoxeroides, Enhydra anagallis e Pycreus decumbens em caixa-d'água. Quando as plantas atingiram o seu pleno desenvolvimento (antes do florescimento), foram aplicados, nas espécies Alternanthera philoxeroides e Enhydra anagallis, os herbicidas: 2,4-D amina (U-46 D FLUID 720) a 2.880 g e.a. ha-1; diquat (REWARD 240) a 480 g i.a. ha-1; imazapyr (ARSENAL 250) a 500 e 750 g e.a. ha-1; glyphosate (RODEO 480) a 3.360 g e.a. ha-1 com e sem o surfatante Aterbane BR (0,5% v v-1); glyphosate + diquat (3.360 + 480 g i./e.a. ha-1 ); glyphosate + 2,4-D (3.360 + 2.880 g e.a. ha-1); e diquat + 2,4-D (480 + 2.880 g i./e.a. ha-1), além de uma testemunha sem aplicação de herbicida. Para a espécie Pycreus decumbens foram aplicados: 2,4-D amina (U-46 D FLUID 720) a 2.880 g e.a. ha-1; diquat (REWARD 240) a 480 g i.a. ha-1; propanil (STAM 480) a 2.880 g i.a. ha-1; glyphosate (RODEO 480) a 3.360 g e.a. ha-1 mais o surfatante Aterbane BR (0,5% v v-1); glyphosate + propanil (3.360 + 2.880 g i./e.a. ha-1); glyphosate + diquat (3.360 + 480 g i./e.a. ha-1); glyphosate + 2,4-D (3.360 + 2.880 g e.a. ha-1); propanil + 2,4-D (2.880 + 2.880 g i./e.a. ha-1); e diquat + 2,4-D (480 + 2.880 g i./e.a. ha-1), além de uma testemunha sem aplicação de herbicida. Os herbicidas foram aplicados com um pulverizador estacionário, pressurizado a ar comprimido e equipado com um reservatório de 2 litros, pontas Teejet XR11002VS, com um consumo de calda de 200 L ha-1. As avaliações de controle das plantas daninhas foram visuais, por meio de uma escala de percentual de notas, além de se avaliar a massa seca das plantas. Verificou-se que o controle químico apresenta-se como uma boa alternativa de manejo para as espécies A. philoxeroides, E. anagallis e P. decumbens, e a mistura de herbicidas pode aumentar a eficiência de controle. E. anagallis apresentou alta sensibilidade à ação dos herbicidas; entretanto, as espécies A. philoxeroides e P. decumbens evidenciaram alta capacidade de regeneração, principalmente quando se utilizaram herbicidas de ação de contato.

Choræus, Michael

f. 15.3.1774 i Vörå d. 3.6.1806 i Stockholm, Sverige Michael Choræus har gått till historien som sen upplysningstida finländsk diktare. Han publicerade sina litterära verk kring år 1800, vid sidan om sin akademiska och teologiska bana. I fråga om stil och tematik var han influerad av den samtida och likaså svenskspråkiga diktarkollegan Frans Michael Franzén. I sin samtid väckte Choræus uppseende med sin kvickhet och sitt intellekt, samt har setts som den mest begåvade finländska lyrikern i sin tid. I hans produktion ingår flytande verskonst som inte sällan tonsatts, däribland också psalmbearbetningar, samt även t.ex. tillfällesdikt och satir. Som exempel på hans dikter kan nämnas En tanke på min egen graf, Ehrensvärd. Skaldesång och Lilla Calle (utgivna i t.ex. tidningar under diktarens livstid och senare i Choræus samlade skaldestycken 1815). Biografiskt lexikon för Finland: http://www.blf.fi/artikel.php?id=2355

Receptor localization of steroid hormones and drugs: discoveries through the use of thaw-mount and dry-mount autoradiography

The history of receptor autoradiography, its development and applications, testify to the utility of this histochemical technique for localizing radiolabeled hormones and drugs at cellular and subcellular sites of action in intact tissues. Localization of diffusible compounds has been a challenge that was met through the introduction of the "thaw-mount" and "dry-mount" autoradiographic techniques thirty years ago. With this cellular receptor autoradiography, used alone or combined with other histochemical techniques, sites of specific binding and deposition in vivo and in vitro have been characterized. Numerous discoveries, some reviewed in this article, provided information that led to new concepts and opened new areas of research. As an example, in recent years more than fifty target tissues for vitamin D have been specified, challenging the conventional view about the main biological role of vitamin D. The functions of most of these vitamin D target tissues are unrelated to the regulation of systemic calcium homeostasis, but pertain to the (seasonal) regulation of endo- and exocrine secretion, cell proliferation, reproduction, neural, immune and cardiovascular responses, and adaptation to stress. Receptor autoradiography with cellular resolution has become an indispensable tool in drug research and development, since information can be obtained that is difficult or impossible to gain otherwise

Antiproliferative effects of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 on breast cells: a mini review

The hormone 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-(OH)2D3), the active form of vitamin D3, is an important regulator of calcium homeostasis, exerts antiproliferative effects on various cell systems and can induce differentiation in some kinds of hematopoietic cells. These effects are triggered by its receptor, vitamin D receptor (VDR), a phosphoprotein member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, which functions as a transcriptional factor. VDR binds as a heterodimer with retinoid X receptor (R X R) to hexameric repeats, characterized as vitamin D-responsive elements present in the regulatory region of target genes such as osteocalcin, osteopontin, calbindin-D28K, calbindin-D9K, p21WAF1/CIP1, TGF-ß2 and vitamin D 24-hydroxylase. Many factors such as glucocorticoids, estrogens, retinoids, proliferation rate and cell transformation can modulate VDR levels. VDR is expressed in mammary tissue and breast cancer cells, which are potential targets to hormone action. Besides having antiproliferative properties, vitamin D might also reduce the invasiveness of cancer cells and act as an anti-angiogenesis agent. All of these antitumoral features suggest that the properties of vitamin D could be explored for chemopreventive and therapeutic purposes in cancer. However, hypercalcemia is an undesirable side effect associated with pharmacological doses of 1,25-(OH)2D3. Some promising 1,25-(OH)2D3 analogs have been developed, which are less hypercalcemic in spite of being potent antiproliferative agents. They represent a new field of investigation.

Normal HC11 and ras-transformed mouse mammary cells are resistant to the antiproliferative effects of retinoic acid

The objective of the present study was to determine the effects of retinoic acid on the growth of the mouse mammary cells HC11 and HC11ras, which are a model for in vitro breast cancer progression. The expression of the two classes (RARs and RXRs) of retinoic acid receptor mRNAs was determined by Northern blot analysis. Receptor functional integrity was determined by testing whether RAR ß mRNA could be induced by retinoic acid. The effects of a 72-h exposure to 50 µM 13-cis retinoic acid on HC11 and HC11ras cell proliferation and HC11 cell differentiation were investigated by flow cytometric cell cycle analysis, and by determination of ß-casein mRNA expression, respectively. The possibility that retinoic acid would induce the expression of the vitamin D receptor and synergize with vitamin D, a known inhibitor of HC11 cell growth, was also investigated. HC11 cells expressed higher mRNA levels of both RAR a and RAR g when compared to HC11ras cells. In contrast, RAR ß, as well as RXR a, ß and g expression was low in both HC11 and HC11ras cells. In addition, RAR ß mRNA was induced by retinoic acid treatment in both cells. In spite of these observations, no effects were seen on cell proliferation or differentiation upon exposure to retinoic acid. Neither vitamin D receptor induction nor synergy with vitamin D on growth inhibition was observed. We conclude that the RAR expression profile could be related to the transformed state in HC11ras cells and that the retinoic acid resistance observed merits further investigation.

Body fat and cholecalciferol supplementation in elderly homebound individuals

Vitamin D deficiency, observed mainly in the geriatric population, is responsible for loss of bone mass and increased risk of bone fractures. Currently, recommended doses of cholecalciferol are advised, but since there are few studies evaluating the factors that influence the serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) following supplementation, we analyzed the relationship between the increase in serum 25(OH)D after supplementation and body fat. We studied a group of 42 homebound elderly subjects over 65 years old (31 women) in order to assess whether there is a need for adjustment of the doses of cholecalciferol administered to this group according to their adipose mass. Baseline measurements of 25(OH)D, intact parathyroid hormone and bone remodeling markers (osteocalcin and carboxy-terminal fraction of type 1 collagen) were performed. Percent body fat was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The patients were divided into three groups according to their percent body fat index and were treated with cholecalciferol, 7,000 IU a week, for 12 weeks. The increases in serum levels of 25(OH)D were similar for all groups, averaging 7.46 ng/mL (P < 0.05). It is noteworthy that this increase only shifted these patients from the insufficiency category to hypovitaminosis. Peak levels of 25(OH)D were attained after only 6 weeks of treatment. This study demonstrated that adipose tissue mass does not influence the elevation of 25(OH)D levels following vitamin D supplementation, suggesting that there is no need to adjust vitamin D dose according to body fat in elderly homebound individuals.

Heritability of multiple mating by female field crickets, Gryllus integer (Orthoptera: Gryllidae)

The heritability of multiple mating in female Gryllus integer crickets was studied. Two preliminary experiments were conducted to determine when females first mate following the post-imaginal moult and to ascertain whether constant exposure to males affects female mating rate. Female Q. integer first mated at an average age of 3.6 days (S.D. = 2.3, Range = 0-8 days) . Exposing female crickets to courting males 24 hr daily did not significantly alter mating rates from those females in contact with males for only 5 hr per day. A heritability value of 0.690 ± 0.283 was calculated for multiple mating behavior in female Q. integer using a parent-offspring regression approach. Parental females mated between land 30 times (x 9.8, S . D. = 6. 6 ) and offspring matings ranged from 0 to 26 times (x 7 .3, S.D. = 3.4). Multiple mating is probably a sexually selected trait which functions as a mechanism of female choice and increases reproductive success through increased offspring production. Classical theory suggests that traits intimately related with fitness should exhibit negligible heritable variation. However, this study has shown that multiple mating, a trait closely linked with reproductive fitness, exhibits substantial heritability. These results are in concordance with a growing body of empirical evidence suggesting many fitness traits in natural populations demonstrate heritabilities far removed from zero. Various mechanisms which may maintain heritable variation for female multiple mating in wild, outbred Q. integer populations are discussed.

Bone speed of sound, biochemical markers of bone turnover and IGF-1 in competetive synchronized swimmers

The purpose of this study was to compare bone speed of sound (SOS) measured by quantitative ultrasound, circulating levels of IGF- 1 and biochemical markers of bone turnover in pre- (Pr) and post-menarcheal (Po) synchronized swimmers (SS) and controls (NS). Seventy participants were recruited: 8 PrSS, 22 PoSS, 20 PrNS, and 20 PoNS. Anthropometric measures of height, weight, skeletal maturity and percent body fat were taken, and dietary intake evaluated using 24-hour recall. Bone SOS was measured at the distal radius and mid-tibia and blood samples analyzed for IGF-1, osteocalcin, NTx, and 25-OH vitamin D. Results demonstrated maturational effects on bone SOS, IGF-1 and bone turnover (p<0.05), with no differences observed between SS and NS. Main effects were observed for a reduced caloric intake in SS compared to NS (p<0.05). Therefore, SS does not offer additive affects on bone strength but imparts no adverse affects to skeletal health in these athletes.

Biotransformation of aromatic hydrocarbons and organic sulphides by fungi

Toluene is converted to benzyl alcohol by the fungi Mortierella isabellina and Helminthosporium species; in the latter case, the product is further metabolized. Toluene-a -d 1 , toluene-a,a-d2, and toluene-a,a,a-d 3 have been used with Mortierellaisabellina in a series of experiments to determine both primary and secondary deuterium kinetic isotope effects for the enzymic benzylic hydroxylation reaction. The values obtained, intermolecular primary kH/kD = intramolecular p rim a r y kH r kD = 1. 0 2 + O. 0 5, and sec 0 n dar y k H I kD = 1. 37 .:!. 0.05, suggest a mechanism for the reaction involving benzylic proton removal from a radical intermediate in a non-symmetrical transition state. 2H NMR (30.7 MHz) studies using ethylbenzene-l,1-d 2 , 3 -fluoroethylbenzene-l,1-d 2 , 4 -fluoroethylbenzene-l,1-d 2 , and toluene-dB as substrates with Mortierella isabellina suggest, based on the observable differences in rates of conversion between the substrates, that the hydroxylation of hydrocarbons at the benzylic position proceeds via a one electron abstraction from the aromatic ring, giving a radical cation. A series of 1,3-oxathiolanes (eight) were incubated with Mortierella isabellina , Helminthosporium , Rhizopus arrhizus , and Aspergillus niger . Sulphoxides were obtained from Mortierella isabellina and Rhizopus arrhizus using the substrates 2-phenyl-, 2-methyl-2-phenyl-, and 2-phenyl-2-tert. butyl-l,3-oxathiolane. The relative stereochemistry of 2-methyl-2-phenyl-l,3-oxathiolan-l-oxide was assigned based on lH decoupling, n.O.e, 1 and H NMR experiments. The lH NMR (200 MHz) of the methylene protons of 2-methyl-2-phenyl-l,3-oxathiolan-l-oxide was used as a diagnostic standard in assigning the relative stereochemistry of 2-phenyl-l,3-oxathiolan-l-oxide and 2-phenyl-2-tert. butyl-l,3-oxathiolan-l-oxide. The sulphoxides obtained were consistent with an oxidation occurring from the opposite side of the molecule to the phenyl substituent.

Photographs - Three photographs of females

3 black and white photographs, 10 cm x 6 cm, of females’ faces. One of the women is older and the other 2 are young. The 2 photos of the younger females were taken by Poole, Photo, St. Catharines.

Various Cards

1. Invitation and program to the Merritton Hose Co. No. 1 Grand Masquerade Ball and Supper. The invitation is for Mrs. J. Wilson. Ladies are by invitation only. Ladies without masks are charged 10 cents. The supper was held at the Union Hall and the dance was held in the Merritton Town Hall. Phalen’s Full Orchestra was providing the music, Feb. 16, 1900. 2. Business card of Long’s Hotel of Niagara. Rooms were $1.50 per day and the proprietor was Wm. Long, n.d. 3. Business card of Niagara Tannery of Niagara, Ontario. Blake and Burk were the proprietors. They were wholesale manufacturers of oak tanned, hose, belting and harness leather, n.d. 4. Business card of James B. Secord of Niagara, Ontario. His office was in the town hall. He was a notary public, conveyancer, clerk of first division court and Commissioner. He also had money to loan, n.d.

Various Cards

1. Business card of Nouveautes of Delaware Ave., Buffalo, N.Y., n.d. 2. Calling card for Mrs. Hamilton Cassels Jr., n.d. 3. 3 Calling cards for Mrs. Hamilton K. Woodruff, n.d. 4. Calling card for Miss Margaret J. Woodruff, n.d.