Evaluation of race distance, track surface and season of the year on exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage in flat racing Thoroughbreds in Brazil

Reasons for performing study: To our knowledge no studies evaluating risk factors to EIPH have been undertaken with such a population of horses in Brazil, which is one of the few countries in the racing community to accept the use of frusemide (FUR) as a prerace medication for bleeders. We also compared national results with those already in the literature. Objectives: To verify the influence of variables such as distance of the race, racetrack surface, going and season of the year in the recurrence and severity of EIPH and its effect on the finishing position of flat racing Thoroughbreds in Brazil. Methods: 2118 post race respiratory endoscopies were recorded, in a total of 1003 individual horses. All horses in the study were certified bleeders (deemed positive by registered veterinarians following one or more endoscopies) and were administered FUR prior to each race. Data was analysed using both ordinary logistic regression and multiple logistic regression. Results: The results suggest that race distance, season of the year and racetrack surface affect the recurrence of EIPH. Also, despite the use of FUR, the majority (62%) of horses continued to display some degree of haemorrhage. Conclusions: There was a tendency for horses that remained positive despite the use of FUR to finish unplaced in a race. Horses which had a significant reduction in bleeding and became HPIE negative after the use of FUR, tended to finish in top positions. It was not possible to determine a pattern of severity of EIPH in horses with more than one endoscopy. Further studies are required to improve our understanding of this syndrome and its correlations to performance in the racing Thoroughbred, together with the role of FUR and its possible enhancing performance effects and efficacy in consistently diminishing EIPH. Potential relevance: This study enabled a better understanding of the use of FUR in Brazilian Thoroughbred racehorses and showed there was a tendency towards improvement in performance after administrion of FUR in bleeders. The fact that a large number of horses remained positive for EIPH despite the use of FUR should encourage the scientific community to search for better ways of reducing, or preventing, this syndrome. © 2006 EVJ Ltd.

The wood for the civil engineering: A proposal of distance education

The majority of the Brazilian schools of Civil Engineering have taught the subject works with wood in the traditional only by disciplines of Metallic Structures and Wood at a topic in the content of the program on disciplines at the Materials of Civil Construction. To extend of the wood studies is being made possible that all the pupils have a wider understanding of this material and its adapted use is the goal of the proposal, that by the means of the education modality e-learning, disclosing the first one: Module I - Introduction to the Study of the Wood. This methodology tries to use the theoretical beddings in projects that are related to the pupil daily tasks and its practical professional. The article presents the theoretical bases of the conception proposal and its structure, and at the conclusions, the problems found during its application are displayed. Basically, the methodology considers that the professor and the pupil must share the learning, and adopt it as main in the interdisciplinary.

Evaluation of tropospheric and ionospheric effects on the geographic localization of data collection platforms

The Brazilian National Institute for Space Research (INPE) is operating the Brazilian Environmental Data Collection System that currently amounts to a user community of around 100 organizations and more than 700 data collection platforms installed in Brazil. This system uses the SCD-1, SCD-2, and CBERS-2 low Earth orbit satellites to accomplish the data collection services. The main system applications are hydrology, meteorology, oceanography, water quality, and others. One of the functionalities offered by this system is the geographic localization of the data collection platforms by using Doppler shifts and a batch estimator based on least-squares technique. There is a growing demand to improve the quality of the geographical location of data collection platforms for animal tracking. This work presents an evaluation of the ionospheric and tropospheric effects on the Brazilian Environmental Data Collection System transmitter geographic location. Some models of the ionosphere and troposphere are presented to simulate their impacts and to evaluate performance of the platform location algorithm. The results of the Doppler shift measurements, using the SCD-2 satellite and the data collection platform (DCP) located in Cuiabá town, are presented and discussed.

Otimização da distância de extração de madeira com forwarder

The activities and management operations of wood harvesting do not have good computational tools available to help the forest technicians with the task of cost reduction. In many cases, machines of high investment are used in wood harvesting without adequate operation planning; consequently, the cost per hour of these machines, which is high, could be reduced. Using technological resources such as the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) integrated with the Global Positioning System (GPS), which are the basis of precision harvesting. In this research, a technological tool capable of calculating and optimizing the average skidding distance of the forwarder was developed. It was used in stands of different sizes and formats through mathematical techniques and available functionalities in the Geographic Information System GRASS. The developed tool, called optimized model, divides the stand in small parts in relation to shorter skidding distances. The main variable considered was the alignment of plantation. The model was tested in eucalypt stands located in the State of São Paulo. Sixteen stands were randomly selected: eight with a rectangular polygon form, and eight with irregular polygon form. The main variables were collected in these stands. Results showed that the optimized model developed, is efficient and flexible. It was possible to divide the stands in small parts resulting in smaller skidding medium distances. The stands with irregular form had shorter skidding medium distances than the rectangular stands.

Short-distance part of the interaction of D mesons and nucleons

The short-distance part of the low energy interaction of D-mesons and nucleons is investigated in the context of a quark model. The quark model is based on Coulomb gauge QCD. The model contains a confining Coulomb potential and a transverse hyperfine interaction consistent with a finite gluon propagator in the infrared. The basic mechanism for the short-distance interaction between the D-mesons and nucleons is quark interchange. Using Resonating GroupMethod techniques an effective potential for the interaction between nucleons and D mesons can be obtained and used in a Lippmann-Schwinger equation to obtain differential cross-sections and phase shifts.

Youth and social cohesion in Ibero-America: a model in the making. Summary

Includes bibliography

Effect of the density and of the distance of Brachiaria decumbens staff on the initial growth of Coffea arabica L. Seedligns

The aim of this work was to evaluate the interference of three densities (4, 8 and 16 plants/m 2) of Brachiaria decumbens Stapf distributed at three different distances (0, 10 and 20 cm from coffee plants) on the initial growth of Coffea arabica L. seedlings. Dark red Latosoil was used as substrate to fill up 70 liters cement boxes. Coffee seedlings at 15 cm height and 8 leaves stage were planted in each box. B. decumbens seedlings were transplanted when they reached two to four leaves stage. The experimental design was a randomized blocks with ten treatments and three replications. At the end of the experiment were measured, height, leaf number, leaf area, chlorophyll content and dry weight of coffee plants. Dry weight of B. decumbens leaves was also evaluated. The leaf area and leaf dry weight was shown to be more sensitive parameters to the interference of Brachiaria plants. Dry weight of coffee plants were reduced from 60% to 88% when the B. decumbens were transplanted 0 cm from the coffee plant. With distance of 10 cm the reduction of dry weight increased with the increase of the density of the B. decumbens. In the coexistence of the coffee plants with 16 plants/m 2 of B. decumbens, there was a reduction in the dry weight of about 80% at the distances of 0 and 20 cm. Regarding leaf area, the reduction was 47% on the average in the density of 4 plants/m 2 of B. decumbens The reduction in leaf area at other densities was higher at the distance of 0 and 20 cm, and 55% reduction was obtained at the distance of 10 cm.

Reinforcing and expanding the predictions of the disturbance vicariance hypothesis in Amazonian harlequin frogs: A molecular phylogenetic and climate envelope modelling approach

The disturbance vicariance hypothesis (DV) has been proposed to explain speciation in Amazonia, especially its edge regions, e. g. in eastern Guiana Shield harlequin frogs (Atelopus) which are suggested to have derived from a cool-adapted Andean ancestor. In concordance with DV predictions we studied that (i) these amphibians display a natural distribution gap in central Amazonia; (ii) east of this gap they constitute a monophyletic lineage which is nested within a pre-Andean/western clade; (iii) climate envelopes of Atelopus west and east of the distribution gap show some macroclimatic divergence due to a regional climate envelope shift; (iv) geographic distributions of climate envelopes of western and eastern Atelopus range into central Amazonia but with limited spatial overlap. We tested if presence and apparent absence data points of Atelopus were homogenously distributed with Ripley's K function. A molecular phylogeny (mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene) was reconstructed using Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference to study if Guianan Atelopus constitute a clade nested within a larger genus phylogeny. We focused on climate envelope divergence and geographic distribution by computing climatic envelope models with MaxEnt based on macroscale bioclimatic parameters and testing them by using Schoener's index and modified Hellinger distance. We corroborated existing DV predictions and, for the first time, formulated new DV predictions aiming on species' climate envelope change. Our results suggest that cool-adapted Andean Atelopus ancestors had dispersed into the Amazon basin and further onto the eastern Guiana Shield where, under warm conditions, they were forced to change climate envelopes. © 2010 The Author(s).

Effect of thickness of indirect restoration and distance from the light-curing unit tip on the hardness of a dual-cured resin cement

This study evaluated the Knoop hardness and polymerization depth of a dual-cured resin cement, light-activated at different distances through different thicknesses of composite resin. One bovine incisor was embedded in resin and its buccal surface was flattened. Dentin was covered with PVC film where a mold (0.8-mm-thick and 5 mm diameter) was filled with cement and covered with another PVC film. Light curing (40 s) was carried out through resin discs (2, 3, 4 or 5 mm) with a halogen light positioned 0, 1, 2 or 3 mm from the resin surface. After storage, specimens were sectioned for hardness measurements (top, center, and bottom). Data were subjected to split-plot ANOVA and Tukey's test (α=0.05). The increase in resin disc thickness decreased cement hardness. The increase in the distance of the light curing tip decreased hardness at the top region. Specimens showed the lowest hardness values at the bottom, and the highest at the center. Resin cement hardness was influenced by the thickness of the indirect restoration and by the distance between the light-curing unit tip and the resin cement surface.

Geographic distribution and parturition of mabuya arajara Rebouças-Spieker, 1981 (Squamata, sauria, scincidae) from Ceará, northeastern Brazil

Mabuya arajara Rebouças-Spieker, 1981 has been considered an endemic species from the southern of state of Ceará, restricted to the Deciduous Dry Forests in the slopes of Plateau of Araripe (Chapada do Araripe). Here, we present an updated distributional map for the species and demonstrate that its range is not restricted as formerly believed. In addition, we had an opportunity to observe a gravid female and we describe aspects regarding parturition and number of offspring for the species.

Amphibia, Anura, Cycloramphidae, Odontophrynus carvalhoi Savage and Cei, 1965: Distribution extension and geographic distribution map

We present the first record of Odontophrynus carvalhoi for the state of Alagoas, Brazil, and a distribution map for this species. This new record represents the nearest location to the Brazilian coast known for this species. © 2010 Check List and Authors.

Amphibia, Anura, Leptodactylidae, Leptodactylus furnarius Sazima and Bokermann, 1978: Geographic distribution extension in Brazil

The geographic distribution of Leptodactylus furnarius Sazima and Bokermann, 1978 comprises Argentina, Brazil (southern, southeastern, and west-central regions), Paraguay, and Uruguay. Herein, we report for the first time the occurrence of L. furnarius in northeastern and north regions of Brazil, at the states of Bahia and Tocantins, respectively. © 2010 Check List and Authors.

Amphibia, Anura, Centrolenidae, Hyalinobatrachium crurifasciatum Myers and Donnelly, 1997: First record from Brazil and geographic distribution map

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Using virtual worlds in distance learning environments

This paper presents two tools developed to facilitate the use and automate the process of using Virtual Worlds for educational purposes. The first tool has been developed to automatically create the classroom space, usually called region in the virtual world, which means, a region in the virtual world used to develop educational activities between professors, students and interactive objects. The second tool helps the process of creating 3D interactive objects in a virtual world. With these tools educators will be able to produce 3D interactive learning objects and use them in virtual classrooms improving the quality and appeal, for students, of their classes. © 2011 IEEE.

Simulation environment of distance protection with ATP and foreign models

This paper presents an interactive simulation environment for distance protection, developed with ATP and foreign models based on ANSI C. Files in COMTRADE format are possible to generate after ATP simulation. These files can be used to calibrate real relays. Also, the performance of relay algorithms with real oscillography events is possible to assess by using the ATP option for POSTPROCESS PLOT FILE (PPF). The main purpose of the work is to develop a tool to allow the analysis of diverse fault cases and to perform coordination studies, as well as, to allow the analysis of the relay's performance in the face of a real event. © 2011 IEEE.