Avaliação das silagens de capim-elefante aditivadas com nabo forrageiro, pinhão manso e tremoço, pela técnica de produção de gases

Objetivou-se, na condução deste trabalho, a avaliação das silagens de capim-elefante aditivadas com tortas de nabo forrageiro, pinhão manso e tremoço pela técnica de produção de gás. O experimento foi desenvolvido no Laboratório de Nutrição Animal do Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura da Universidade de São Paulo (LANA/CENA/USP). Como doadores de líquido de rúmen, foram utilizados 2 ovinos da raça Santa Inês, machos, adultos, castrados e providos de cânula ruminal permanente. A alimentação dos animais doadores foi constituída de forragem de gramínea cultivada e uma suplementação, ao final do dia, com feno de Tifton, concentrado comercial e sal mineral à vontade. Os substratos foram secos a 60ºC, moídos em moinho do tipo Willey, provido de peneira com perfurações de 2 mm. Os gases produzidos durante os diferentes períodos de fermentação (0, 4, 8, 12, 24, 36, 48, 72 e 96 h) foram medidos com um transducer - medidor de pressão.O experimento foi instalado segundo um delineamento de blocos ao acaso em que os tratamentos foram arranjados em um esquema de parcelas subdivididas no tempo. Os maiores valores de produção de gás observados para os tratamentos em que adicionou-se torta de tremoço quando comparados com as outras tortas, decorreu do fato da torta de tremoço apresentar menor teor de fibras, propiciando assim, uma maior fermentação ruminal e, consequentemente, maior produção de gás em relação a outros alimentos com maior proporção de carboidratos estruturais (parede celular).As taxas de degradação da fração solúvel da matéria seca foi menor para NF 8% e PM 11% em relação às outras silagens estudadas. Foram encontradas diferenças significativas para as TNF, TPM e TT, nos diferentes níveis, em relação ao volume de gases em 96 h de incubação (P<0,05). As silagens contendo torta de tremoço apresentaram maior produção de gases quando comparadas Às outras tortas. em todos os tratamentos, exceto naqueles em que adicionou-se TT, houve diminuição (P<0,05) nos valores médios de degradabilidade da matéria seca às 96 horas, à medida que aumentou-se o nível de inclusão das tortas. As silagens de capim-elefante adicionadas de tortas de nabo forrageiro ou tremoço, nos diferentes níveis, apresentaram maiores taxas de degradação e maiores produções de gases que as adicionadas de torta de pinhão manso.

The symmetry group of Z(q)(n) in the Lee space and the Z(qn)-linear codes

The Z(4)-linearity is a construction technique of good binary codes. Motivated by this property, we address the problem of extending the Z(4)-linearity to Z(q)n-linearity. In this direction, we consider the n-dimensional Lee space of order q, that is, (Z(q)(n), d(L)), as one of the most interesting spaces for coding applications. We establish the symmetry group of Z(q)(n) for any n and q by determining its isometries. We also show that there is no cyclic subgroup of order q(n) in Gamma(Z(q)(n)) acting transitively in Z(q)(n). Therefore, there exists no Z(q)n-linear code with respect to the cyclic subgroup.

Hamming and Reed-Solomon codes over certain rings

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

Relating propelinear and binary G-linear codes

In this paper we establish the connections between two different extensions of Z(4)-linearity for binary Hamming spaces, We present both notions - propelinearity and G-linearity - in the context of isometries and group actions, taking the viewpoint of geometrically uniform codes extended to discrete spaces. We show a double inclusion relation: binary G-linear codes are propelinear codes, and translation-invariant propelinear codes are G-linear codes. (C) 2002 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.

First report of vancomycin-resistant staphylococci isolated from healthy carriers in Brazil

Reduced susceptibility or resistance to vancomycin has been reported among clinical isolates of staphylococci in previous studies. In the present study we report on the isolation of four vancomycin-resistant staphylococcal strains from healthy carriers inside and outside the hospital environment. These carriers did not receive treatment with any antibiotic. All coagulase-negative staphylococcal strains showed variable levels of resistance to several antimicrobial agents, including oxacillin, and unstable resistance to vancomycin, with decreased vancomycin MICs (<4 mg/liter) after 10 days of passage in a nonselective medium. However, exposure of these revertants to vancomycin selected staphylococcal strains resistant to vancomycin at very high frequencies (10(-2) and 10(-3)). The vancomycin resistance in these staphylococcal strains was not mediated by the van gene. The cell wall of the staphylococcal strains studied became thickest after culture in medium containing vancomycin, and the differences in cell wall thickness were statistically significant (P < 0.001). Thus, the thickening of the cell wall in these staphylococcal strains may be an important contributor to vancomycin resistance.

Degradação ruminal de silagem de capim-elefante com adição de vagem de algaroba triturada

This research was carried out to evaluate the ruminal degradation of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) of silages of elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) cutting in 70; 90 and 110 days after regrowth with inclusion of 0; 5; 10 and 15% of mesquite (Prosopis juliflora) meal, based on natural matter in a completely randomized design, in split plot arrangement. Samples of silages were incubated in the rumen of two Jersey cows for 3; 6; 12; 24; 48; 72 and 96 h, and the bags at time "zero" were only washed with water to determine the soluble fraction. There was not interaction (P> 0.05) incubation time x inclusion of mesquite pods x cutting age of the grass for DM degradability, there was only interaction (P <0.05) between these factors for CP and NDF degradability. The most effective DM degradability (42.54%) was observed for 15% inclusion of mesquite pods. The effective CP degradability was higher (69.04%) for elephant grass silage with 70 days after regrowth with 15% of mesquite pods. The inclusion of mesquite pods in elephant grass silages improve DM, CP and NDF degradability, while increment of the age after regrowth result in reduction of this parameters.

Transcriptome architecture across tissues in the pig

Background: Artificial selection has resulted in animal breeds with extreme phenotypes. As an organism is made up of many different tissues and organs, each with its own genetic programme, it is pertinent to ask: How relevant is tissue in terms of total transcriptome variability? Which are the genes most distinctly expressed between tissues? Does breed or sex equally affect the transcriptome across tissues?Results: In order to gain insight on these issues, we conducted microarray expression profiling of 16 different tissues from four animals of two extreme pig breeds, Large White and Iberian, two males and two females. Mixed model analysis and neighbor - joining trees showed that tissues with similar developmental origin clustered closer than those with different embryonic origins. Often a sound biological interpretation was possible for overrepresented gene ontology categories within differentially expressed genes between groups of tissues. For instance, an excess of nervous system or muscle development genes were found among tissues of ectoderm or mesoderm origins, respectively. Tissue accounted for similar to 11 times more variability than sex or breed. Nevertheless, we were able to confidently identify genes with differential expression across tissues between breeds (33 genes) and between sexes (19 genes). The genes primarily affected by sex were overall different than those affected by breed or tissue. Interaction with tissue can be important for differentially expressed genes between breeds but not so much for genes whose expression differ between sexes.Conclusion: Embryonic development leaves an enduring footprint on the transcriptome. The interaction in gene x tissue for differentially expressed genes between breeds suggests that animal breeding has targeted differentially each tissue's transcriptome.

The in vitro antiviral activity of an aliphatic nitro compound from Heteropteris aphrodisiaca

We investigated the antiviral activity of an aliphatic nitro compound (NC) isolated from Heteropteris aphrodisiaca O. Mach. (Malpighiaceae), a Brazilian medicinal ptant. The NC was tested for its antiviral activity against poliovirus type 1 (PV-1) and bovine herpes virus type 1 (BHV-1) by plaque reduction assay in cell culture. The NC showed a moderate antiviral activity against PV-1 and BHV-1 in HEp-2 celts, and the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) were 22.01 mu g/ml (selectivity index (SI) = 2.83) and 21.10 mu g/mi (SI = 2.95), respectivety. At the highest concentration of the drug (40 mu g/ml) a reduction of approximately 80% in plaque assay was observed for both viruses. The treatment of cells or virus prior to infection did not inhibit the replication of virus strains. (C) 2006 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Construction and decoding of BCH codes over finite commutative rings

BCH codes over arbitrary finite commutative rings with identity are derived in terms of their locator vector. The derivation is based on the factorization of xs -1 over the unit ring of an appropriate extension of the finite ring. We present an efficient decoding procedure, based on the modified Berlekamp-Massey algorithm, for these codes. The code construction and the decoding procedures are very similar to the BCH codes over finite integer rings. © 1999 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lattice constellations and codes from quadratic number fields

We propose new classes of linear codes over integer rings of quadratic extensions of Q, the field of rational numbers. The codes are considered with respect to a Mannheim metric, which is a Manhattan metric modulo a two-dimensional (2-D) grid. In particular, codes over Gaussian integers and Eisenstein-Jacobi integers are extensively studied. Decoding algorithms are proposed for these codes when up to two coordinates of a transmitted code vector are affected by errors of arbitrary Mannheim weight. Moreover, we show that the proposed codes are maximum-distance separable (MDS), with respect to the Hamming distance. The practical interest in such Mannheim-metric codes is their use in coded modulation schemes based on quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM)-type constellations, for which neither the Hamming nor the Lee metric is appropriate.

Energy and angular momentum of the gravitational field in the teleparallel geometry

The Hamiltonian formulation of the teleparallel equivalent of general relativity is considered. Definitions of energy, momentum and angular momentum of the gravitational field arise from the integral form of the constraint equations of the theory. In particular, the gravitational energy-momentum is given by the integral of scalar densities over a three-dimensional spacelike hypersurface. The definition for the gravitational energy is investigated in the context of the Kerr black hole. In the evaluation of the energy contained within the external event horizon of the Kerr black hole, we obtain a value strikingly close to the irreducible mass of the latter. The gravitational angular momentum is evaluated for the gravitational field of a thin, slowly rotating mass shell. © 2002 The American Physical Society.

Gravitational energy of Kerr and Kerr anti-de Sitter space-times in the teleparallel geometry

In the context of the hamiltonian formulation of the teleparallel equivalent of general relativity we compute the gravitational energy of Kerr and Kerr Anti-de Sitter (Kerr-AdS) space-times. The present calculation is carried out by means of an expression for the energy of the gravitational field that naturally arises from the integral form of the constraint equations of the formalism. In each case, the energy is exactly computed for finite and arbitrary spacelike two-spheres, without any restriction on the metric parameters. In particular, we evaluate the energy at the outer event horizon of the black holes. © SISSA/ISAS 2003.

Contribuição ao estudo farmacognóstico da mutamba (Guazuma ulmifolia - Sterculiaceae)

Guazuma ulmifolia Lam., Sterculiaceae, popularly known as mutamba, has a wide geographical distribution, ranging from Mexico to Southern Brazil. The interest in its chemical properties is due to its popular use for hair loss treatment. This activity can be attributed to tannins that have many pharmacological activities such anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcerogenic, anti-microbial, anti-viral, capillary protective action and radical scavenging properties. In the microscopic analysis of barks and leaves, large secretor ducts could be detected among the parenchyma cells, as well as star shaped trichoms on the epidermis. One of the aims of the anatomical study was to detect tissues with polyphenolic compounds. The results indicated two tissues rich in these compounds: the phloematic region and the periderm. Chemical analyses were carried out on the bark and showed the presence of the following chemical groups: flavonoids, tannins, saponins and mucilages.

2,3,4,6-Tetra-O-(3-nitropropanoyl)-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, a new antimicrobial from the roots of Heteropteris aphrodisiaca

A new 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-(3-nitropropanoyl)-O-β-D-glucopyranoside anomer was isolated from the roots of Heteropteris aphrodisiaca and characterized by spectroscopic methods. Activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Candida albicans, C. parapsilosis, C. krusei, and C. tropicalis was demonstrated.