Comparison of DNA-extraction methods and Selective Enrichment broths on the detection of Salmonella Typhimurium in swine feces by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)

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

Passive immunity transfer and serum constituents of crossbred calves

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

The effect of offering an energy and protein supplement to grazing canchim beef cows either postpartum or both pre- and postpartum on lipid blood metabolites and folliculogenesis

This study was designed to evaluate the effect of nutritional supplementation offered during the pre- and postpartum periods on serum cholesterol, triglycerides and total lipids of Canchim beef cows and their relationship with folliculogenesis. Thirty cows with predicted calving date between September and October, kept in pastures of Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu together with their calves, were randomly distributed into three experimental groups: the first received only a mineral mixture (Control Group, CG); the second group received a concentrate with 16% crude protein/kg dry matter (DM) and 3000 kcal digestible energy/kg DM offered for 45 days prepartum and 120 days postpartum (PREG); the third group received the concentrate from parturition until the 120th day postpartum (POSG). Consumption was estimated at 1% of body weight, and each cow received approximately 4.0 kg/day (fresh weight) of supplement. Blood samples were taken and an ultrasound examination of the ovaries was performed twice a week until the 60th day postpartum. The body condition score (BCS) and the weight of the cows were recorded at 15-day intervals from calving until the 60th day postpartum. Data are presented as mean +/- SEM. Mean weight and BCS at calving were, respectively, 448 +/- 54.9 kg and 6.2 +/- 0.25 (PREG); 432 +/- 71.1 kg and 5.5 +/- 0.69 (POSG); and 434 +/- 66.4 kg and 5.5 +/- 0.69 (CG). Total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TRIG) and total lipids (TLIP) were measured using colorimetry until the 60th day postpartum. TC averages were PREG 186 +/- 62.6 mg/dL, POSG 159 +/- 43.1 mg/dL and CG 133 +/- 35.1 mg/dL (P < 0.05). For TRIG, the means were PREG 29 +/- 11.3 mg/dL (P < 0.05), POSG 24 +/- 8.1 mg/dL and CG 26 +/- 12.1 mg/dL (P > 0.05). Serum concentrations of TLIP were PREG 588 +/- 145.6 mg/dL, POSG 512 +/- 137.6 mg/dL and CG 452 +/- 122.4 mg/dL (P < 0.05). The first dominant follicle (DF) was identified on Day 21 +/- 10.3 (PREG), 36 +/- 28.5 (POSG) and 51 +/- 32.8 (CG) after calving. The difference between PREG and CG was significant (P < 0.05). TC was positively correlated with the calving to first estrus interval (P < 0.05). Results showed that nutritional supplementation before parturition assured good body condition at calving and suggested that it was effective at increasing cholesterol availability to maintain ovarian follicle function and to favor earlier resumption of ovarian activity. (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Characterization of Escherichia coli isolated from carcasses of beef cattle during their processing at an abattoir in Brazil

Beef carcass sponge samples collected between March 2003 and August 2005 at an abattoir in Brazil were surveyed for the presence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). Only one carcass among the 80 tested showed a STEC, stx2-encoding gene by PCR amplification. The frequency of carcass contamination by E. coli during processing was tested at three situations, respectively: preevisceration, postevisceration and postprocessing, during the rain and dry seasons. The prevalence of E. coli at the three points was of 30.0%, 70.0%, 27.5% in the rain season and of 22.5%, 55.0%, 17.5% during the dry season, respectively. The E. coli isolates exhibited a high level (45.0%) of multidrug resistance to two or more antimicrobial agents. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sources of human non-typhoid salmonellosis: a review

Salmonellosis is a worldwide disease caused by bacteria of the genus Salmonella. Currently, there are over 2,500 identified serovars of Salmonella. A reduced number of these serovars, about eighty, are implicated in most animals and human diseases. Most cases of salmonellosis in humans are associated with the consumption of contaminated food products such as beef, pork, poultry meat, eggs, vegetables, juices and other kind of foods. It may also be associated with the contact between humans and infected pet animals. Therefore, the chain of human salmonellosis is very complex and in most cases the origin of the infection is difficult to establish. The use of antimicrobial agents to treat and to prevent bacterial infections in humans and animals, as well as as growth promoters in animal production, has favoured the selection and transference of resistance genes between different bacteria, including Salmonella serovars. Many studies have confirmed the role of foods of animal origin as a source of multi drugresistant Salmonella serovars. For this reason, continuous surveillance of these pathogens along the food chain together with the responsible use of antimicrobial agents is necessary.

Search for Salmonella spp. in ostrich productive chain of Brazilian southeast region

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

Performance and carcass characteristics of beef cattle fed with ammoniated marandugrass hay

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

Sward canopy structure and performance of beef heifers under supplementation in Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu pastures maintained with three grazing intensities in a continuous stocking system

The objective of this study was to assess the sward canopy structure of Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu pastures maintained in three grazing intensities under continuous stocking system during the rainy season, along with the behavior and performance of grazing beef heifers supplemented with mineral salt or an energy/protein supplement. Three levels of forage allowance were assessed: 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0 kg of forage/kg of live weight, combined with two supplements (ad libitum mineral salt, and an energy/protein supplement at 0.3% of live weight/day, supplied daily). The experiment was designed as a randomized block study with two replications. The supplements did not influence the variables related to the canopy structure. Canopy height was greater at higher forage allowances during the late summer and early fall. Similarly, the stem mass was greater in pastures with higher forage allowances. Animals fed protein supplement spent less time grazing than animals supplemented with mineral salt. Stocking rate was higher in pastures with lower forage allowance levels, which increased the live weight gain per grazing area. Daily weight gain did not vary according to the forage allowance levels. The use of an energy/protein supplement did not affect the stocking rate; however, it increased individual live weight gain and live weight gain per grazing area compared with mineral salt supplementation. The use of energy/protein supplements is an efficient alternative to enhance animal performance and production under grazing systems during the rainy season

Results of 23 years of selection for post-weaning weight in a Caracu beef herd

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Genotype by environment interaction for birth and weaning weights of composite beef cattle in different regions of Brazil

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

Evaluation of an average numerator relationship matrix model and a Bayesian hierarchical model for growth traits in Nellore cattle with uncertain paternity

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

Effects of sex and age on genotype x environment interaction for beef cattle body weight studied using reaction norm models

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Análise pelo Supply Chain Management da cadeia produtiva da castanha de caju no Rio Grande do Norte

This work presents the cashew nuts chain in the State of Rio Grande do Norte between 1960 and 2009. The main purpose of this research was to find the reason of the low productivity of the cashew nut in this state, identifying in the cashew's chain production the struggling points which were limiting the commerce of this product through the distribution network. Therefore, the Supply Chain Management was used as a logistic analysis methodology, focusing on relationships management between the nodes of this chain, from the producer until the final customer. Many problems were found: first, the precarious production conditions of the small producer don't lead to reach the demanded productivity by the market. The distance, the lack of communication of the small producers among themselves and an archaic way of dealing with their businesses, may be an explanatory reason for this problem, considering that those factors are the main elements which contribute for the weakening of the small producer placed in the productive chain. Another spotted point was that the business-oriented relationship between the producer and the local trader does not allow the small producer's economical development, which interferes in any technological investment to reach a good quality production that fulfills the market demand. And also, the fact that there is a tendency of the final costumer to require lower prices day-byday, forcing a pressure on the nodes transferring to the other and successively until arriving at the producer who inevitably is suffering the biggest impacts from this mentioned pressure.

Bayesian inference in genetic parameter estimation of visual scores in Nellore beef-cattle

The aim of this study was to estimate the components of variance and genetic parameters for the visual scores which constitute the Morphological Evaluation System (MES), such as body structure (S), precocity (P) and musculature (M) in Nellore beef-cattle at the weaning and yearling stages, by using threshold Bayesian models. The information used for this was gleaned from visual scores of 5,407 animals evaluated at the weaning and 2,649 at the yearling stages. The genetic parameters for visual score traits were estimated through two-trait analysis, using the threshold animal model, with Bayesian statistics methodology and MTGSAM (Multiple Trait Gibbs Sampler for Animal Models) threshold software. Heritability estimates for S, P and M were 0.68, 0.65 and 0.62 (at weaning) and 0.44, 0.38 and 0.32 (at the yearling stage), respectively. Heritability estimates for S, P and M were found to be high, and so it is expected that these traits should respond favorably to direct selection. The visual scores evaluated at the weaning and yearling stages might be used in the composition of new selection indexes, as they presented sufficient genetic variability to promote genetic progress in such morphological traits.

Cadeia produtiva da farinha de mandioca na perspectiva da análise de filière e supply chain management :um estudo de caso das relações entre a agroindústria e a distribuição

This research aims to study the manioc flour productive chain in order to understand how the relationship between its segments happens, specially between the flour agroindustry and the distribuition. This research was made from a study of case that envolved three agro industries from the Potiguar wasteland and a company of food distribution. The filiére and the supply chain management analysis were applied to identify the functioning and the organization of the manioc flour productive chain. From the study of case it s noticed that the existing contracts, even the informal ones, has mutual benefits and it suggests that they be legalized