Nitrogênio em cobertura, teor de proteína e exportação de nutrientes pelos grãos de painço

Knowledge of the mineral composition of grain and export of nutrients by the proso millet is important to enhance their use and promote more rational fertilizer recommendations. This work aimed to evaluate the protein and nutrients in the grain and export of macronutrient by the proso millet, cv. AL Tibagi, submitted to different doses and times of nitrogen top-dressing application. The experimental design was randomized block design in a 4x2 factorial scheme, constituted by four doses (0, 30, 60, and 120 kg ha(-1) of N) and two application times (14 and 28 days after emergency) of N fertilizer (urea) in top-dressing with four replications. Nitrogen top-dressing application increased grain yield and N content and protein in grains of proso millet, however, reduced the concentration of K. Nitrogen top-dressing fertilization increased the export of N, P, Ca, Mg and S for the grains of proso millet. Proso millet exported an average of macronutrients in the following order: 28.1 kg ha(-1) N; 3.4 kg ha(-1) P; 2.1 kg ha(-1) Ca; 1.4 kg ha(-1) S, 0.9 kg ha(-1) K and 0.8 kg ha(-1) Mg.

Nitrogênio em cobertura e qualidade fisiológica e sanitária de sementes de painço (Panicum miliaceum L.)

O nitrogênio pode influenciar a qualidade das sementes de várias culturas e os seus efeitos variam com as condições ambientais e o estádio de desenvolvimento da planta em que a aplicação é realizada. Porém, pouco se sabe sobre a influência da adubação nitrogenada na qualidade de sementes da cultura do painço (Panicum miliaceum L.). O objetivo neste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de doses e épocas de aplicação de nitrogênio em cobertura na qualidade fisiológica e sanitária de sementes de painço, cv. AL Tibagi, produzidas em condições de campo. As sementes foram produzidas no período de dezembro de 2005 a fevereiro de 2006 e as avaliações laboratoriais realizadas de março a agosto de 2006. O delineamento experimental foi de blocos ao acaso, em esquema fatorial 4 x 2, constituído pela combinação de quatro doses (0, 30, 60 e 120 kg ha-1 de N) e duas épocas de aplicação (14 e 28 dias após a emergência - DAE) do fertilizante nitrogenado (uréia) em cobertura, com quatro repetições. A aplicação de N aumentou o vigor das sementes, expresso pelos testes de envelhecimento acelerado e emergência em campo. A aplicação de nitrogênio aos 28 DAE da cultura do painço proporciona maiores IVE e porcentagem de emergência em campo. A sanidade de sementes de painço não é influenciada pelas doses e épocas de aplicação da adubação nitrogenada.

Doses e épocas de aplicação de nitrogênio em cobertura na cultura do painço (Panicum miliaceum L.)

A cultura do painço é uma opção interessante tanto para a formação de palha para cobertura do solo como para a produção de grãos, pelo seu rápido crescimento, tolerância à seca e ciclo curto. No entanto, são escassas as informações sobre o manejo da adubação nitrogenada para essa cultura. Objetivou-se, neste estudo, avaliar o efeito de doses e épocas de aplicação de nitrogênio em cobertura nas características agronômicas e produtividade de grãos do painço. O delineamento experimental foi o de blocos ao acaso, em esquema fatorial 4x2, constituído pela combinação de quatro doses (0, 30, 60 e 120 kg ha-1 de N) e duas épocas de aplicação (14 e 28 dias após a emergência - DAE) do fertilizante nitrogenado (uréia) em cobertura, com quatro repetições. A adubação nitrogenada em cobertura promoveu aumento na altura da planta, comprimento da panícula e produtividade de grãos da cultura do painço, independentemente da época de aplicação. O número de grãos por panícula foi incrementado pela adubação nitrogenada apenas com a aplicação que foi realizada aos 14 DAE. A aplicação de N em cobertura, aos 14 dias após a emergência, proporcionou acréscimos nas características agronômicas, até a dose de 120 kg ha-1 (maior dose), acarretando aumento da produtividade de grãos do painço.

Sistema radicular de cultivares de painço em resposta à calagem

The root growth is genetically controlled. There is variability among cultivars and soil factors such as toxicant Al and low contents of Ca and Mg can harm it. The objective of this study was to evaluate the root growth and the shoot growth of millet cultivars in response to liming. The experiment was carried out in pots with 13 dm3 of soil, in greenhouse conditions until 62 days after the emergence of the plants. The used experimental design was completely randomized, in a 2x4 factorial scheme, that is to say,two painço cultivars (AL Mogi e AL Tibagi), and four level of calcareous (0,0; 0,83, 1,67 e 3,34 g dm-3 ), with four replications. Liming promotes increase of the root system and of the aerial parts of the cultivars. The AL Tibagi cultivar presents a root system more tolerant to the low saturation by bases in comparison to the AL Mogi, however, the maximum root growth was occurred in saturations at around 64%. Millet cultivars in high acidity conditions reduce root diameter at the expense of the growth in length.

Comprimento radicular e nutrição de cultivares de painço em resposta à calagem

Information on improved cultivars of fall panicum and cultural practices concerning its cultivation is scarce in Brazil. So, the objectives of this research work were to evaluate root length and the mineral nutrition of fall panicum plants as influenced by liming in an acidic soil. The experiment was conducted in vases containing 13 dm3 of soil under greenhouse conditions up to 44 days after seedling emergence. The experimental units were distributed inside the green house according to a completely random design in a 2 X 4 factorial scheme, that is, two fall panicum cultivars (‘AL Mogi’ and ‘AL Tibagi’) and four doses (0.0, 1.67, 2.91, and 4.15 t ha-1 ). The experimental units were replicated 4 times. ‘AL Tibagi’ plants root system showed more tolerance to soil conditions of low base saturation. That cultivar also absorbed more efficiently P, N, Ca, Mg, and K from the acidic soil. Liming brought about increments of P, N, Ca, Mg, and S absorption by the fall panicum cultivars.

Memorial ajustado hecho en virtud de decreto del Consejo del expediente consultivo que pende en él, en fuerza de Real Orden, comunicada ... en ... 1764, entre don Vicente Paino y Hurtado ... y el Honrado Concejo de la Mesta General ... en que intervienen los señores fiscales del Consejo y D. Pedro Manuel Sáenz de Pedroso y Ximeno, sobre que se pongan en práctica los diez y siete capítulos que ... propone el Diputado de las ciudades y provincia de Estremadura para fomentar la agricultura ...

Mode of access: Internet.

Ultrasound-assisted surface engineering of pharmaceutical powders

Effective processing of powdered particles can facilitate powder handling and result in better drug product performance, which is of great importance in the pharmaceutical industry where the majority of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are delivered as solid dosage forms. The purpose of this work was to develop a new ultrasound-assisted method for particle surface modification and thin-coating of pharmaceutical powders. The ultrasound was used to produce an aqueous mist with or without a coating agent. By using the proposed technique, it was possible to decrease the interparticular interactions and improve rheological properties of poorly-flowing water-soluble powders by aqueous smoothing of the rough surfaces of irregular particles. In turn, hydrophilic polymer thin-coating of a hydrophobic substance diminished the triboelectrostatic charge transfer and improved the flowability of highly cohesive powder. To determine the coating efficiency of the technique, the bioactive molecule β-galactosidase was layered onto the surface of powdered lactose particles. Enzyme-treated materials were analysed by assaying the quantity of the reaction product generated during enzymatic cleavage of the milk sugar. A near-linear increase in the thickness of the drug layer was obtained during progressive treatment. Using the enzyme coating procedure, it was confirmed that the ultrasound-assisted technique is suitable for processing labile protein materials. In addition, this pre-treatment of milk sugar could be used to improve utilization of lactose-containing formulations for populations suffering from severe lactose intolerance. Furthermore, the applicability of the thin-coating technique for improving homogeneity of low-dose solid dosage forms was shown. The carrier particles coated with API gave rise to uniform distribution of the drug within the powder. The mixture remained homogeneous during further tabletting, whereas the reference physical powder mixture was subject to segregation. In conclusion, ultrasound-assisted surface engineering of pharmaceutical powders can be effective technology for improving formulation and performance of solid dosage forms such as dry powder inhalers (DPI) and direct compression products.

Developmental origins of psychological vulnerability factors for mental disorders

Premature birth and associated small body size are known to affect health over the life course. Moreover, compelling evidence suggests that birth size throughout its whole range of variation is inversely associated with risk for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes in subsequent life. To explain these findings, the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) model has been introduced. Within this framework, restricted physical growth is, to a large extent, considered either a product of harmful environmental influences, such as suboptimal nutrition and alterations in the foetal hormonal milieu, or an adaptive reaction to the environment. Whether inverse associations exist between body size at birth and psychological vulnerability factors for mental disorders is poorly known. Thus, the aim of this thesis was to study in three large prospective cohorts whether prenatal and postnatal physical growth, across the whole range of variation, is associated with subsequent temperament/personality traits and psychological symptoms that are considered vulnerability factors for mental disorders. Weight and length at birth in full term infants showed quadratic associations with the temperamental trait of harm avoidance (Study I). The highest scores were characteristic of the smallest individuals, followed by the heaviest/longest. Linear associations between birth size and psychological outcomes were found such that lower weight and thinness at birth predicted more pronounced trait anxiety in late adulthood (Study II); lower birth weight, placental size, and head circumference at 12 months predicted a more pronounced positive schitzotypal trait in women (Study III); and thinness and smaller head circumference at birth associated with symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children who were born at term (Study IV). These associations occured across the whole variation in birth size and after adjusting for several confounders. With respect to growth after birth, individuals with high trait anxiety scores in late adulthood were lighter in weight and thinner in infancy, and gained weight more rapidly between 7 and 11 years of age, but weighed less and were shorter in late adulthood in relation to weight and height measured at 11 years of age (Study II). These results suggest that a suboptimal prenatal environment reflected in smaller birth size may affect a variety of psychological vulnerability factors for mental disorders, such as the temperamental trait of harm avoidance, trait anxiety, schizotypal traits, and symptoms of ADHD. The smaller the birth size across the whole range of variation, the more pronounced were these psychological vulnerability factors. Moreover, some of these outcomes, such as trait anxiety, were also predicted by patterns of growth after birth. The findings are concordant with the DOHaD model, and emphasise the importance of prenatal factors in the aetiology of not only mental disorders but also their psychological vulnerability factors.

Obesity, Smoking and Dieting

Lihavuus ja ylipaino ovat viime vuosikymmeninä yleistyneet; jo yli puolet länsimaiden väestöstä on ylipainoisia ja viidennes lihavia. Varsinkin nuorilla ylipainon lisääntyminen on ollut nopeaa. Ylipaino, erityisesti yhdistettynä vyötärölihavuuteen, sekä tupakointi lisäävät sairastavuutta sydän- ja verisuonisairauksiin, metabolisiin sairauksiin, kuten diabetekseen, sekä moniin syöpiin. Lihavuus ja tupakointi ovatkin kehittyneiden maiden tärkeimpiä ehkäistävissä olevia kuolinsyitä. Samanaikaisesti ylipainon kanssa laihduttaminen ja jopa terveydelle haitalliset laihdutusmenetelmät, kuten tupakointi painonhallintakeinona on tullut yhä yleisemmäksi. Nopeaan painonpudotukseen tähtäävällä laihduttamisella on usein terveydelle haitallisia seurauksia kuten painon nousu yli alkuperäisen painon ja kehon rasvajakauman muuttuminen epäterveellisemmäksi. Kolme neljännestä merkittävästi laihduttaneista kertoo painon nousseen takaisin. Tupakoinnin ja toistuvan laihduttamisen vaikutukset ylipainon ja lihavuuden kehittymiselle kytkeytyvät toisiinsa. Tässä väitöskirjatyössä tutkittiin toistuvan laihduttamisen ja tupakoinnin vaikutusta kehon painoon ja lisäksi tupakoinnin vaikutusta vyötärölihavuuden kehittymiseen. Työn toisena tavoitteena oli tutkia, kuinka voimakkaasti tupakointi ja toistuva laihduttaminen liittyvät toisiinsa suomalaisilla ja onko tämä yhteys erilainen eri ikäryhmissä ja sukupuolilla. Työ perustuu kolmeen laajaan kyselyaineistoon: Nuorten Kaksosten Terveystutkimuksen (englanniksi FinnTwin16) aineistossa on seurattu 1975-79 syntyneitä kaksosia 16, 17, 18 ja 24 vuoden ikäisinä (N=5563). Suomen kaksoskohortin aineisto (N= 12 793) on kerätty vuonna 1990 samaa sukupuolta olevilta, vuosina 1930-57 syntyneiltä kaksosilta. Entisten huippu-urheilijoiden (N=1838) ja heille kaltaistettujen verrokkien (N=834) seurantatutkimuksessa tiedot on kerätty vuosina 1985, 1995 ja 2001. Pituus, paino ja tupakointi on kysytty kaikissa kyselyissä. Kaksoset vastasivat laihdutuskäyttäytymistä koskeviin kysymyksiin. Urheilijoiden laihdutuskäyttäytyminen pääteltiin lajin perusteella, sillä toistuvan laihduttamisen tiedetään olevan yleistä painoluokissa urheilevilla urheilijoilla (esim.painijat, nyrkkeilijät). Nuoruusiän tupakointi ennusti vyötärölihavuutta molemmilla sukupuolilla ja lisäksi ylipainoisuutta naisilla. Toistuva laihduttaminen oli yhteydessä myöhempään painonnousuun ja lihavuuteen miehillä. Lisäksi toistuvan laihduttamisen ja tupakoinnin todettiin liittyvän toisiinsa nuorilla aikuisilla. Vanhemmissa ikäluokissa miehet, jotka tupakoivat, laihduttivat harvemmin kuin tupakoimattomat. Lihavuuteen ja vyötärölihavuuteen liittyvän oheissairastavuuden ennaltaehkäisyssä tupakoinnin ja toistuvan laihduttamisen vähentäminen saattavat olla aiemmin luultua tehokkaampia keinoja.

Prevention of type 2 diabetes with lifestyle intervention - emphasis on dietary composition and identification of high-risk individuals

Type 2 diabetes is an increasing, serious, and costly public health problem. The increase in the prevalence of the disease can mainly be attributed to changing lifestyles leading to physical inactivity, overweight, and obesity. These lifestyle-related risk factors offer also a possibility for preventive interventions. Until recently, proper evidence regarding the prevention of type 2 diabetes has been virtually missing. To be cost-effective, intensive interventions to prevent type 2 diabetes should be directed to people at an increased risk of the disease. The aim of this series of studies was to investigate whether type 2 diabetes can be prevented by lifestyle intervention in high-risk individuals, and to develop a practical method to identify individuals who are at high risk of type 2 diabetes and would benefit from such an intervention. To study the effect of lifestyle intervention on diabetes risk, we recruited 522 volunteer, middle-aged (aged 40 - 64 at baseline), overweight (body mass index > 25 kg/m2) men (n = 172) and women (n = 350) with impaired glucose tolerance to the Diabetes Prevention Study (DPS). The participants were randomly allocated either to the intensive lifestyle intervention group or the control group. The control group received general dietary and exercise advice at baseline, and had annual physician's examination. The participants in the intervention group received, in addition, individualised dietary counselling by a nutritionist. They were also offered circuit-type resistance training sessions and were advised to increase overall physical activity. The intervention goals were to reduce body weight (5% or more reduction from baseline weight), limit dietary fat (< 30% of total energy consumed) and saturated fat (< 10% of total energy consumed), and to increase dietary fibre intake (15 g / 1000 kcal or more) and physical activity (≥ 30 minutes/day). Diabetes status was assessed annually by a repeated 75 g oral glucose tolerance testing. First analysis on end-points was completed after a mean follow-up of 3.2 years, and the intervention phase was terminated after a mean duration of 3.9 years. After that, the study participants continued to visit the study clinics for the annual examinations, for a mean of 3 years. The intervention group showed significantly greater improvement in each intervention goal. After 1 and 3 years, mean weight reductions were 4.5 and 3.5 kg in the intervention group and 1.0 kg and 0.9 kg in the control group. Cardiovascular risk factors improved more in the intervention group. After a mean follow-up of 3.2 years, the risk of diabetes was reduced by 58% in the intervention group compared with the control group. The reduction in the incidence of diabetes was directly associated with achieved lifestyle goals. Furthermore, those who consumed moderate-fat, high-fibre diet achieved the largest weight reduction and, even after adjustment for weight reduction, the lowest diabetes risk during the intervention period. After discontinuation of the counselling, the differences in lifestyle variables between the groups still remained favourable for the intervention group. During the post-intervention follow-up period of 3 years, the risk of diabetes was still 36% lower among the former intervention group participants, compared with the former control group participants. To develop a simple screening tool to identify individuals who are at high risk of type 2 diabetes, follow-up data of two population-based cohorts of 35-64 year old men and women was used. The National FINRISK Study 1987 cohort (model development data) included 4435 subjects, with 182 new drug-treated cases of diabetes identified during ten years, and the FINRISK Study 1992 cohort (model validation data) included 4615 subjects, with 67 new cases of drug-treated diabetes during five years, ascertained using the Social Insurance Institution's Drug register. Baseline age, body mass index, waist circumference, history of antihypertensive drug treatment and high blood glucose, physical activity and daily consumption of fruits, berries or vegetables were selected into the risk score as categorical variables. In the 1987 cohort the optimal cut-off point of the risk score identified 78% of those who got diabetes during the follow-up (= sensitivity of the test) and 77% of those who remained free of diabetes (= specificity of the test). In the 1992 cohort the risk score performed equally well. The final Finnish Diabetes Risk Score (FINDRISC) form includes, in addition to the predictors of the model, a question about family history of diabetes and the age category of over 64 years. When applied to the DPS population, the baseline FINDRISC value was associated with diabetes risk among the control group participants only, indicating that the intensive lifestyle intervention given to the intervention group participants abolished the diabetes risk associated with baseline risk factors. In conclusion, the intensive lifestyle intervention produced long-term beneficial changes in diet, physical activity, body weight, and cardiovascular risk factors, and reduced diabetes risk. Furthermore, the effects of the intervention were sustained after the intervention was discontinued. The FINDRISC proved to be a simple, fast, inexpensive, non-invasive, and reliable tool to identify individuals at high risk of type 2 diabetes. The use of FINDRISC to identify high-risk subjects, followed by lifestyle intervention, provides a feasible scheme in preventing type 2 diabetes, which could be implemented in the primary health care system.

Physical activity, fitness, abdominal obesity, and cardiovascular risk factors in Finnish men and women : The National FINRISK 2002 Study

Physical inactivity, low cardiorespiratory fitness, and abdominal obesity are direct and mediating risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). The results of recent studies suggest that individuals with higher levels of physical activity or cardiorespiratory fitness have lower CVD and all-cause mortality than those with lower activity or fitness levels regardless of their level of obesity. The interrelationships of physical activity, fitness, and abdominal obesity with cardiovascular risk factors have not been studied in detail. The aim of this study was to investigate the associations of different types of leisure time physical activity and aerobic fitness with cardiovascular risk factors in a large population of Finnish adults. In addition, a novel aerobic fitness test was implemented and the distribution of aerobic fitness was explored in men and women across age groups. The interrelationships of physical activity, aerobic fitness and abdominal obesity were examined in relation to cardiovascular risk factors. This study was part of the National FINRISK Study 2002, which monitors cardiovascular risk factors in a Finnish adult population. The sample comprised 13 437 men and women aged 25 to 74 years and was drawn from the Population Register as a stratified random sample according to 10-year age groups, gender and area. A separate physical activity study included 9179 subjects, of whom 5 980 participated (65%) in the study. At the study site, weight, height, waist and hip circumferences, and blood pressure were measured, a blood sample was drawn, and an aerobic fitness test was performed. The fitness test estimated maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) and was based on a non-exercise method by using a heart rate monitor at rest. Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) was calculated by dividing waist circumference with hip circumference and was used as a measure of abdominal obesity. Participants filled in a questionnaire on health behavior, a history of diseases, and current health status, and a detailed 12-month leisure time physical activity recall. Based on the recall data, relative energy expenditure was calculated using metabolic equivalents, and physical activity was divided into conditioning, non-conditioning, and commuting physical activity. Participants aged 45 to 74 years were later invited to take part in a 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test with fasting insulin and glucose measurements. Based on the oral glucose tolerance test, undiagnosed impaired glucose tolerance and type 2 diabetes were defined. The estimated aerobic fitness was lower among women and decreased with age. A higher estimated aerobic fitness and a lower WHR were independently associated with lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure, lower total cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and with higher high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and HDL to total cholesterol ratio. The associations of the estimated aerobic fitness with diastolic blood pressure, triglycerides, and HDL to total cholesterol ratio were stronger in men with a higher WHR. High levels of conditioning and non-conditioning physical activity were associated with lower high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. High levels of conditioning and overall physical activities were associated with lower insulin and glucose levels. The associations were stronger among women than men. A better self-rated physical fitness was associated with a higher estimated aerobic fitness, lower CRP levels, and lower insulin and glucose levels in men and women. In each WHR third, the risk of impaired glucose tolerance and type 2 diabetes was higher among physically inactive individuals who did not undertake at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on five days per week. These cross-sectional data show that higher levels of estimated aerobic fitness and regular leisure time physical activity are associated with a favorable cardiovascular risk factor profile and that these associations are present at all levels of abdominal obesity. Most of the associations followed a dose-response manner, suggesting that already low levels of physical activity or fitness are beneficial to health and that larger improvements in risk factor levels may be gained from higher activity and fitness levels. The present findings support the recommendation to engage regularly in leisure time physical activity, to pursue a high level of aerobic fitness, and to prevent abdominal obesity.

Human herpesvirus 6 in multiple sclerosis and encephalitis

Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) was identified from patients with HIV and lymphoproliferative diseases in 1986. It is a β-herpesvirus and is divided into two subgroups, variants A and B. HHV-6 variant B is the cause of exanthema subitum, while variant A has not yet definitely proven to cause any disease. HHV-6, especially variant A, is a highly neurotropic virus and has been associated with many diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) such as encephalitis and multiple sclerosis (MS). The present studies were aimed to elucidate the role of HHV-6 and its two variants in neurological infections. Special attention was given to study the possible role of HHV-6 in the pathogenesis of MS. We studied the expression of HHV-6 antigens using immunohistochemistry in brain autopsy samples from patients with MS and controls. HHV-6 antigen was identified in 70% of MS specimens whereas 30% of control specimens expressed HHV-6 antigen. Serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were collected from patients with MS and patients with other neurological diseases (OND) from patients visiting Helsinki University Central Hospital Neurological Outpatient Clinic during the years 2003 and 2004. In addition, we studied 53 children with suspected encephalitis. We developed an immunofluorescence IgG-avidity assay for the detection of primary HHV-6A and HHV-6B infection. For HHV-6B antibodies, no differences were observed between patients with MS and OND. For HHV-6A both seroprevalence and mean titers were significantly higher in MS compared to OND. HHV-6A low-avidity IgG antibodies, suggestive of primary infection, were found in serum of two, three and one patient with definite MS, possible MS and OND, respectively. From pediatric patients with suspected encephalitis, six serum samples (11.3%) contained low-avidity antibodies, indicating a temporal association between HHV-6A infection and onset of encephalitis. Three out of 26 patients with CDMS and four out of 19 patients with CPMS had HHV-6 antibodies in their CSF compared to none of the patients with OND (p=0.06 and p=0.01, respectively). Two patients with CDMS and three patients with CPMS appeared to have specific intrathecal synthesis of HHV-6A antibodies. In addition, oligoclonal bands (OCB) were observed in the CSF of five out of nine MS patients tested, and in two the OCBs reacted specifically with HHV-6 antigen, which is a novel finding. These results indicate HHV-6 specific antibody production in the CNS and suggest that there is a subset of MS patients with an active or chronic HHV-6A infection in the CNS that might be involved in the pathogenesis of MS. Our studies suggest that HHV-6 is an important causative or associated virus in some neurological infections, such as encephalitis and it might contribute to the development of MS, at least in some cases. In conclusion, HHV-6 is a neurotropic virus that should be taken into consideration when studying acute and chronic CNS diseases of unknown origin.

Automatic Lameness Detection in a Milking Robot : Instrumentation, measurement software, algorithms for data analysis and a neural network model

The aim of this thesis is to develop a fully automatic lameness detection system that operates in a milking robot. The instrumentation, measurement software, algorithms for data analysis and a neural network model for lameness detection were developed. Automatic milking has become a common practice in dairy husbandry, and in the year 2006 about 4000 farms worldwide used over 6000 milking robots. There is a worldwide movement with the objective of fully automating every process from feeding to milking. Increase in automation is a consequence of increasing farm sizes, the demand for more efficient production and the growth of labour costs. As the level of automation increases, the time that the cattle keeper uses for monitoring animals often decreases. This has created a need for systems for automatically monitoring the health of farm animals. The popularity of milking robots also offers a new and unique possibility to monitor animals in a single confined space up to four times daily. Lameness is a crucial welfare issue in the modern dairy industry. Limb disorders cause serious welfare, health and economic problems especially in loose housing of cattle. Lameness causes losses in milk production and leads to early culling of animals. These costs could be reduced with early identification and treatment. At present, only a few methods for automatically detecting lameness have been developed, and the most common methods used for lameness detection and assessment are various visual locomotion scoring systems. The problem with locomotion scoring is that it needs experience to be conducted properly, it is labour intensive as an on-farm method and the results are subjective. A four balance system for measuring the leg load distribution of dairy cows during milking in order to detect lameness was developed and set up in the University of Helsinki Research farm Suitia. The leg weights of 73 cows were successfully recorded during almost 10,000 robotic milkings over a period of 5 months. The cows were locomotion scored weekly, and the lame cows were inspected clinically for hoof lesions. Unsuccessful measurements, caused by cows standing outside the balances, were removed from the data with a special algorithm, and the mean leg loads and the number of kicks during milking was calculated. In order to develop an expert system to automatically detect lameness cases, a model was needed. A probabilistic neural network (PNN) classifier model was chosen for the task. The data was divided in two parts and 5,074 measurements from 37 cows were used to train the model. The operation of the model was evaluated for its ability to detect lameness in the validating dataset, which had 4,868 measurements from 36 cows. The model was able to classify 96% of the measurements correctly as sound or lame cows, and 100% of the lameness cases in the validation data were identified. The number of measurements causing false alarms was 1.1%. The developed model has the potential to be used for on-farm decision support and can be used in a real-time lameness monitoring system.

Ravinnon hiilihydraattien glykemiaindeksin vaikutus keskiglukoosipitoisuuteen ja glukoosikäyrän alaiseen pinta-alaan henkilöillä, joilla on heikentynyt glukoosinsieto

Johdanto Korkeat aterianjälkeiset veren glukoosipitoisuushuiput ovat haitallisia verisuonille jo ennen varsinaisten diabeteskriteerien täyttymistä. Valitsemalla alhaisen glykemiaindeksin (GI) hiilihydraatteja ruokavalioon, voidaan veren glukoosipitoisuutta alentaa diabeetikoilla. Tyypin 2 diabeteksen lisääntymisen takia on tarpeellista etsiä keinoja ehkäistä sairauden puhkeamista riskiryhmissä. Glukoosimonitorilla on mahdollista seurata aiempaa tarkemmin glykemiaindeksin vaikutusta veren glukoosipitoisuuteen. Tavoitteet Selvittää, miten korvaamalla ruokavalion tavanomaiset hiilihydraatit joko korkean tai alhaisen GI:n hiilihydraateilla voidaan vaikuttaa vuorokauden keskiglukoosipitoisuuteen. Lisäksi tavoitteena oli selvittää, voidaanko vain hiilihydraattien laatua muuttamalla, puuttumatta niiden määrään tai muuhun ruokavalioon, vaikuttaa glukoosiaineenvaihduntaan henkilöillä, joilla on heikentynyt glukoosin sieto. Tutkittavat ja menetelmät Tutkimus toteutettiin satunnaistettuna vaihtovuorokokeena, jossa tutkittavina oli 56 51-73-vuotiasta henkilöä, joista naisia oli 41 ja miehiä 15. Tutkittavilla oli heikentynyt glukoosinsieto tai ruokavaliohoitoinen tyypin 2 diabetes. Tutkittavat korvasivat ruokavalionsa päähiilihydraatit 7-10 vuorokauden ajaksi glykemiaindeksiltään joko alhaiseksi (GI = 38) tai korkeaksi (GI = 72) arvioiduilla tutkimushiilihydraateilla. Kolmen viimeisen vuorokauden ajaksi tutkittaville asennettiin glukoosimonitoriin kytketty ihonalainen sensori, joka mittasi kudosnesteen glukoosipitoisuutta ja tutkimusjaksojen lopuksi tutkittaville tehtiin oraalinen glukoosirasituskoe. Tulokset Alhaisen GI:n ruokavaliolla kahden vuorokauden glukoosikäyrien alainen pinta-ala oli pienempi kuin korkean GI:n ruokavaliolla (16487 vs. 17270 mmol/l*48h; p = 0,009, n = 47). Vastaavasti kahden vuorokauden keskiglukoosipitoisuudet olivat 5,7 mmol/l ja 6,0 mmol/l, p = 0,009, n = 47. Glykosyloitunut hemoglobiini oli alhaisen GI:n ruokavalion jälkeen pienempi (5,33% vs. 5,38 %, p = 0,017, n = 53). Tutkittavien paino pieneni kummallakin ruokavaliolla; alhaisen GI:n ruokavaliolla 1,02 kg ja korkean GI:n ruokavaliolla 0,31 kg (p alle 0,001, n = 56). Vaikutusta plasman paastoglukoosiin ja seerumin paastoinsuliiniin ei ollut. Johtopäätökset Korvaamalla ruokavalion päähiilihydraatit alhaisen GI:n hiilihydraateilla, voidaan pitkäaikaista glukoositasoa pienentää ja näin ollen mahdollisesti ehkäistä heikentyneen glukoosinsiedon kehittymistä tyypin 2 diabetekseksi. Koska paastoglukoosipitoisuus ja paastoinsuliinipitoisuus eivät muuttuneet, lienee erityisesti aterianjälkeisillä glukoosihuipuilla merkitystä elimistön pitkäaikaiselle glukoositasolle henkilöillä, joilla on heikentynyt glukoosinsieto.

Mutations as molecular tools : The metabolic-rate dependent molecular clock and DNA barcoding of allied species

Mutation and recombination are the fundamental processes leading to genetic variation in natural populations. This variation forms the raw material for evolution through natural selection and drift. Therefore, studying mutation rates may reveal information about evolutionary histories as well as phylogenetic interrelationships of organisms. In this thesis two molecular tools, DNA barcoding and the molecular clock were examined. In the first part, the efficiency of mutations to delineate closely related species was tested and the implications for conservation practices were assessed. The second part investigated the proposition that a constant mutation rate exists within invertebrates, in form of a metabolic-rate dependent molecular clock, which can be applied to accurately date speciation events. DNA barcoding aspires to be an efficient technique to not only distinguish between species but also reveal population-level variation solely relying on mutations found on a short stretch of a single gene. In this thesis barcoding was applied to discriminate between Hylochares populations from Russian Karelia and new Hylochares findings from the greater Helsinki region in Finland. Although barcoding failed to delineate the two reproductively isolated groups, their distinct morphological features and differing life-history traits led to their classification as two closely related, although separate species. The lack of genetic differentiation appears to be due to a recent divergence event not yet reflected in the beetles molecular make-up. Thus, the Russian Hylochares was described as a new species. The Finnish species, previously considered as locally extinct, was recognized as endangered. Even if, due to their identical genetic make-up, the populations had been regarded as conspecific, conservation strategies based on prior knowledge from Russia would not have guaranteed the survival of the Finnish beetle. Therefore, new conservation actions based on detailed studies of the biology and life-history of the Finnish Hylochares were conducted to protect this endemic rarity in Finland. The idea behind the strict molecular clock is that mutation rates are constant over evolutionary time and may thus be used to infer species divergence dates. However, one of the most recent theories argues that a strict clock does not tick per unit of time but that it has a constant substitution rate per unit of mass-specific metabolic energy. Therefore, according to this hypothesis, molecular clocks have to be recalibrated taking body size and temperature into account. This thesis tested the temperature effect on mutation rates in equally sized invertebrates. For the first dataset (family Eucnemidae, Coleoptera) the phylogenetic interrelationships and evolutionary history of the genus Arrhipis had to be inferred before the influence of temperature on substitution rates could be studied. Further, a second, larger invertebrate dataset (family Syrphidae, Diptera) was employed. Several methodological approaches, a number of genes and multiple molecular clock models revealed that there was no consistent relationship between temperature and mutation rate for the taxa under study. Thus, the body size effect, observed in vertebrates but controversial for invertebrates, rather than temperature may be the underlying driving force behind the metabolic-rate dependent molecular clock. Therefore, the metabolic-rate dependent molecular clock does not hold for the here studied invertebrate groups. This thesis emphasizes that molecular techniques relying on mutation rates have to be applied with caution. Whereas they may work satisfactorily under certain conditions for specific taxa, they may fail for others. The molecular clock as well as DNA barcoding should incorporate all the information and data available to obtain comprehensive estimations of the existing biodiversity and its evolutionary history.