A description of the growth of the major body components of 2 broiler chicken strains

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

Energy expenditure, body-part discomfort and mental work load among nurses

The purpose of this prospective observational field study was to present a model for measuring energy expenditure among nurses and to determine if there was a difference between the energy expenditure of nurses providing direct care to adult patients on general medical-surgical units in two major metropolitan hospitals and a recommended energy expenditure of 3.0 kcal/minute over 8 hours. One-third of the predicted cycle ergometer VO2max for the study population was used to calculate the recommended energy expenditure.^ Two methods were used to measure energy expenditure among participants during an 8 hour day shift. First, the Energy Expenditure Prediction Program (EEPP) developed by the University of Michigan Center for Ergonomics was used to calculate energy expenditure using activity recordings from observation (OEE; n = 39). The second method used ambulatory electrocardiography and the heart rate-oxygen consumption relationship (HREE; n = 20) to measure energy expenditure. It was concluded that energy expenditure among nurses can be estimated using the EEPP. Using classification systems from previous research, work load among the study population was categorized as "moderate" but was significantly less than (p = 0.021) 3.0 kcal/minute over 8 hours or 1/3 of the predicted VO2max.^ In addition, the relationships between OEE, body-part discomfort (BPCDS) and mental work load (MWI) were evaluated. The relationships between OEE/BPCDS and OEE/MWI were not significant (p = 0.062 and 0.091, respectively). Among the study population, body-part discomfort significantly increased for upper arms, mid-back, lower-back, legs and feet by mid-shift and by the end of the shift, the increase was also significant for neck and thighs.^ The study also provided documentation of a comprehensive list of nursing activities. Among the most important findings were the facts that the study population spent 23% of the workday in a bent posture, walked an average of 3.14 miles, and spent two-thirds of the shift doing activities other than direct patient care, such as paperwork and communicating with other departments. A discussion is provided regarding the ergonomic implications of these findings. ^

Elements of the practice of physics, in two parts. Part I. Containing, the natural history of the human body. Part II. The history and methods of treating fevers, and internal inflammations.

Mode of access: Internet.

Geographic variation among age-0 walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma): evidence of mesoscale variation in nursery quality?

Nurseries play an important part in the production of marine f ishes. Determining the relative importance of different nurseries in maintaining the parental population, however, can be difficult. In the western Gulf of Alaska, the Kodiak Island vicinity may be particularly well suited as a pollock nursery because of a prey-rich nearshore environment. Our objectives were 1) to examine age-0 pollock body condition, growth, and diet for evidence of a nearshore-shelf effect, and 2) to determine if variation in the potential prey field of zooplankton was associated with this effect. This was a pilot study that occurred in three bays and over the adjacent shelf off east Kodiak Island during 5−18 September 1993. Sampling occurred only during night at locations where echo sign indicated the presence of age-0 pollock. Echo sign was targeted to increase the chance of collecting fish given the limited vessel time. Fish condition was indicated by length-specific body weight. Growth rate indices were estimated for three different periods by using fish lengthage data and daily otolith increment widths: 1) from hatching date to capture, 2) 1−5 d before capture, and 3) 6−10 d before capture. Fish diet was determined from gut content analysis. Considerable variation among areas was evident in zooplankton composition, and fish condition, growth, and diet. However, relatively high prey densities, as well as fish condition and growth rates indicated that Chiniak Bay was particularly well suited as a pollock nursery. Hatching-date distributions indicated that most of the age-0 walleye pollock from bays were spawned earlier than were those from the shelf. The benefit of being reared in nearshore areas is therefore realized more by individuals that were spawned early than by individuals spawned relatively late.

Growth of eight Pacific abalone families at three temperatures

Growth rates, measured as shell length and body weight daily growth, were studied in the eight families of Pacific abalone, Haliotis discus hannai Ino, reared at 12, 16 and 20 degrees C for 40 d respectively. The results show that J(1)Rh family grew the best at 12 degrees C, with growth rates of (32.88 +/- 4.66) mu m/d and (5.24 +/- 1.84) mg/d. C(1)Jm family had the highest growth rates of (58.00 +/- 2.00) mu m/d and (9.71 +/- 1.21) mg/d at 16 degrees C. J(1)Jm family ranked the first at 20 degrees C, with growth rates of (66.00 +/- 1.76) mu m/d and (10.99 +/- 0.34) mg/d. RjRh family had the slowest growth rates at all three temperatures. Shell length growth rates were 18.25, 33.00 and 43.13 mu m/d respectively, while body weight growth rates were 2.47, 2.56 and 4.75 mg/d respectively. Both temperature and family had significant effect on growth rates (P<0.05). At 16 and 20 degrees C, maternal effects on growth rates were not significant (P>0.05), but paternal effects on growth rates were significant (P<0.05). Results of this study indicate genetic difference among the families and importance of selecting male breeders in the commercial hatchery.

Kernelized structural classification for 3D dogs body parts detection

Despite pattern recognition methods for human behavioral analysis has flourished in the last decade, animal behavioral analysis has been almost neglected. Those few approaches are mostly focused on preserving livestock economic value while attention on the welfare of companion animals, like dogs, is now emerging as a social need. In this work, following the analogy with human behavior recognition, we propose a system for recognizing body parts of dogs kept in pens. We decide to adopt both 2D and 3D features in order to obtain a rich description of the dog model. Images are acquired using the Microsoft Kinect to capture the depth map images of the dog. Upon depth maps a Structural Support Vector Machine (SSVM) is employed to identify the body parts using both 3D features and 2D images. The proposal relies on a kernelized discriminative structural classificator specifically tailored for dogs independently from the size and breed. The classification is performed in an online fashion using the LaRank optimization technique to obtaining real time performances. Promising results have emerged during the experimental evaluation carried out at a dog shelter, managed by IZSAM, in Teramo, Italy.

Modulation of pain threshold by virtual body ownership

Background Appropriate sensorimotor correlations can result in the illusion of ownership of exogenous body parts. Nevertheless, whether and how the illusion of owning a new body part affects human perception, and in particular pain detection, is still poorly investigated. Recent findings have shown that seeing one’s own body is analgesic, but it is not known whether this effect is transferable to newly embodied, but exogenous, body parts. In recent years, results from our laboratory have demonstrated that a virtual body can be felt as one’s own, provided realistic multisensory correlations. Methods The current work aimed at investigating the impact of virtual body ownership on pain threshold. An immersive virtual environment allowed a first-person perspective of a virtual body that replaced the own. Passive movement of the index finger congruent with the movement of the virtual index finger was used in the “synchronous” condition to induce ownership of the virtual arm. The pain threshold was tested by thermal stimulation under four conditions: 1) synchronous movements of the real and virtual fingers, 2) asynchronous movements, 3) seeing a virtual object instead of an arm, and 4) not seeing any limb in real world. Results Our results show that, independently of attentional and stimulus adaptation processes, the ownership of a virtual arm per se can significantly increase the thermal pain threshold. Conclusions This finding may be relevant for the development and improvement of digital solutions for rehabilitation and pain treatment.

Viewing the body modulates tactile receptive fields

Tactile discrimination performance depends on the receptive field (RF) size of somatosensory cortical (SI) neurons. Psychophysical masking effects can reveal the RF of an idealized "virtual" somatosensory neuron. Previous studies show that top-down factors strongly affect tactile discrimination performance. Here, we show that non-informative vision of the touched body part influences tactile discrimination by modulating tactile RFs. Ten subjects performed spatial discrimination between touch locations on the forearm. Performance was improved when subjects saw their forearm compared to viewing a neutral object in the same location. The extent of visual information was relevant, since restricted view of the forearm did not have this enhancing effect. Vibrotactile maskers were placed symmetrically on either side of the tactile target locations, at two different distances. Overall, masking significantly impaired discrimination performance, but the spatial gradient of masking depended on what subjects viewed. Viewing the body reduced the effect of distant maskers, but enhanced the effect of close maskers, as compared to viewing a neutral object. We propose that viewing the body improves functional touch by sharpening tactile RFs in an early somatosensory map. Top-down modulation of lateral inhibition could underlie these effects.

Optokinetic stimulation induces illusory movement of both out-of-the-body and on-the-body hand-held visual objects

The coding of body part location may depend upon both visual and proprioceptive information, and allows targets to be localized with respect to the body. The present study investigates the interaction between visual and proprioceptive localization systems under conditions of multisensory conflict induced by optokinetic stimulation (OKS). Healthy subjects were asked to estimate the apparent motion speed of a visual target (LED) that could be located either in the extrapersonal space (visual encoding only, V), or at the same distance, but stuck on the subject's right index finger-tip (visual and proprioceptive encoding, V-P). Additionally, the multisensory condition was performed with the index finger kept in position both passively (V-P passive) and actively (V-P active). Results showed that the visual stimulus was always perceived to move, irrespective of its out- or on-the-body location. Moreover, this apparent motion speed varied consistently with the speed of the moving OKS background in all conditions. Surprisingly, no differences were found between V-P active and V-P passive conditions in the speed of apparent motion. The persistence of the visual illusion during the active posture maintenance reveals a novel condition in which vision totally dominates over proprioceptive information, suggesting that the hand-held visual stimulus was perceived as a purely visual, external object despite its contact with the hand.

Postweaning growth of the non-carcass components of Texel crossbred lambs

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Effects of treatment of the fat body trophocytes of Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides nurse workers and virgin queens in culture by juvenile hormone III and ecdysterone (20-HE)

The fat body (FB) consists of two types of cells: throphocytes and oenocytes. Throphocytes are related to intermediary metabolism storing lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins while oenocytes play role in the lipids and lipoproteins production. The vitellogenin is the precursor of egg yolk (vitelline) and is synthesized on FB. The aim of this work was to analyze the effects of hormones acting in bee reproduction, as juvenile hormone (JH) and ecdisteroids (20 HE) on FB cells, where vitellogenin is synthesized. For the study were chose nurse workers that in Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides present activated ovaries and produce eggs, and virgin queens whose ovaries are not yet activated, presenting only previtellogenic follicles. FB trophocytes from these classes of bees were cultivated in media containing different amounts of JH and 20-HE. The effects on trophocytes cytoplasm reserves of lipids, proteins, and activity of acid phosphatase were compared by observing preparations from cultured FB, treated and control, by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results showed that the hormones effects are related to the bee's caste and functional ovary stage. The role of acid phosphatase on mobilization of the trophocyte reserves was also determined. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Alometria reprodutiva de Podocnemis unifilis (Testudines: Podocnemididae) na várzea do baixo Rio Amazonas, Santarém, Pará, Brasil

O tamanho do corpo dos organismos representa um parâmetro importante, podendo gerar consequências na sua ecologia, atividades reprodutivas, evolução e desenvolvimento. Relação alométrica é o estudo do tamanho (ou do crescimento) de uma parte do corpo relacionado com o tamanho (ou crescimento) total do corpo do organismo. Este estudo analisou a relação alométrica entre as fêmeas de Podocnemis unifilis (Troschel, 1848) e seus ovos e filhotes e entre as características dos ninhos e a ninhada em uma área de várzea do baixo rio Amazonas, Estado do Pará, Brasil. As ninhadas de P. unifilis foram monitoradas no Tabuleiro da Água Preta durante o período reprodutivo de 2009. As fêmeas encontradas desovando foram medidas e seus respectivos ninhos marcados com estacas numeradas e as características físicas mensuradas. Os ovos e filhotes destes ninhos foram retirados e contados, e tiveram seus dados biométricos tomados. Os parâmetros das fêmeas analisados (comprimento retilíneo da carapaça e massa) correlacionaram-se fortemente às variáveis dos ovos (variável x) e filhotes (variável y), exceto com o comprimento do ovo e com a massa do filhote. Estudos futuros direcionados para melhor compreensão de como as características ambientais influenciam nas ninhadas podem ser aplicados, sendo úteis no manejo da espécie.

Growth in weight and of some tissues in the bullfrog: fitting nonlinear models during the fattening phase

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

Corporalidade neopentecostal: análise e concepção de corpo na Igreja Bola de Neve de Marília, SP

Pós-graduação em Ciências Sociais - FFC

Evaluation of mannan-oligosaccharides offered in milk replacers or calf starters and their effect on performance and rumen development of dairy calves

The objective of this study was to evaluate the route of administration of mannan-oligosaccharides in the diet of dairy calves and their effects on performance and plasma parameters indicative of rumen development. Following birth, twenty-four male Holstein calves were used in a completely randomized design and assigned to the following treatments: Control; 4 g/d Bio-Mos (R) (Alltech Biotech.) added to starter concentrate; and 4 g/d Bio-Mos (R) mixed into milk replacer. Animals were housed in individual hutches with free access to water, and fed 4L/d of milk replacer until weaning at six weeks. Calves also received 23g/kg crude protein of starter concentrate ad libitum. Fecal scores were evaluated daily. Body weights, growth measurements and blood samples for glucose, urea-N and beta-hidroxibutyrate analyses were taken weekly until 8 weeks of age. There were no significant effects of treatment or treatment x age interactions for mean starter concentrate intake, weight gain or body growth. However, there was a significant age effect for all parameters. Fecal scores were not affected by treatments. Also, plasma concentration of glucose, urea-N or beta-hidroxibutyrate were not affected by treatment or the treatment x age interaction. However, urea-N and beta-hidroxibutyrate concentrations significantly increased with age, suggesting adequate rumen development. Under the conditions of this study, there were no calf performance benefits when mannan-oligosaccharides were incorporated into milk replacer or calf starter concentrate.