Perdas econômicas decorrentes da artrite-encefalite caprina em rebanho leiteiro.

Resumo: As criações de caprinos na região Nordeste sofrem perdas, que resultam de práticas comumente inadequadas de manejo alimentar, reprodutivo e sanitário, da ausência de escrituração zootécnica e do diagnóstico tardio de diversas enfermidades com etiologias diferentes, que em sua maior parte não são controladas de maneira apropriada. As doenças parasitárias que acometem animais domésticos destacam-se como o principal fator limitante na produção animal. Dentre as enfermidades infecciosas, pode-se destacar a Artrite-Encefalite Caprina (CAE) que incide em todo o mundo e cujo contágio pode causar infecção ao longo da vida do animal, resultando em inflamação clínica e subclínica em um ou mais órgãos, seja nas articulações, cérebro, pulmões e na glândula mamária, provocando importantes perdas econômicas. Com o objetivo de determinar as perdas econômicas decorrentes da CAE, este estudo foi realizado nas dependências da Embrapa Caprinos e Ovinos, situada em Sobral, Ceará. Foram utilizados: 90 cabras ½ Anglo-Nubiana x ½ Saanen, quatro reprodutores, do mesmo grupo genético das fêmeas e quatro rufiões sem raça definida. A produção leiteira foi verificada através de pesagens diárias por um período de 210 dias e o ganho em peso vivo pela pesagem das crias ao nascimento e ao desmame. Foram calculadas as receitas com a venda de animais após desmame e com a venda de leite dos dois grupos experimentais. A CAE acarretou perdas econômicas significativas na produção e qualidade do leite e comprometeu o ganho de peso em cabras mestiças. A associação com a verminose gastrintestinal elevou em 60% os custos com a aplicação de vermífugos nas matrizes, sendo maior o percentual para o grupo das primíparas. A debilidade provocada pela CAE predispôs os animais às infecções secundárias e ao parasitismo gastrintestinal. Conclui-se que o aumento de custos com vermifugação decorrente do quadro parasitário tende a reduzir a rentabilidade da atividade para o caprinocultor. [Economic losses due to the caprine arthritis-encephalitis in dairy cattle]. Abstract: The rearing of goats in the northeast suffers losses, which are characterized by inappropriate management practices, usually food, reproductive health, as well as the lack of animal science bookkeeping and for the delayed diagnosis of various diseases with different etiologies, which mostly are not controlled properly. Parasitic diseases affecting domestic animals have emerged as the main limiting factor in animal production. Among infectious diseases, we can highlight the Caprine ArthritisEncephalitis (CAE) which happens everywhere and whose contamination can cause lifelong infection resulting in a subclinical inflammation in one or more organs, or joints, brain, lungs and mammary gland, causing significant economic losses. Aiming to determine the economic losses arising from the CAE, this study was conducted at the facilities of Embrapa Sheep and Goats, located in Sobral, Ceará. 90 goats were used ½ x ½ Anglo-Nubian Saanen, four reproducers, of the same genetic group of females, and four ruffians without a defined race. Milk production was measured by daily weighing during the period of 210 days and the life weight gain by weighing of pups at birth and at weaning. We calculated the records from the animal after-weaning sales, and with the sale of milk according to the quality of different groups. CAE entails significant economic losses in the production and quality of milk and in the life weight gain in crossbred goats. When associated with gastrointestinal nematode parasites, increases the cost by 60% with the application of anthelmintics, the firstborns being the most affected. The weakness caused by CAE predisposes animals to secondary infections and gastrointestinal parasitism. The increase in costs arising from the framework of parasitic worming tends to reduce the profitability of this activity to goat farmers.Dissertação (Mestrado em Zootecnia. Área de concentração: Produção Animal) - Universidade Estadual Vale do Acaraú, Sobral. Orientador: Raymundo Rizaldo Pinheiro

On Useful Conformal Tranformations In General Relativity

Local conformal transformations are known as a useful tool in various applications of the gravitational theory, especially in cosmology. We describe some new aspects of these transformations, in particular using them for derivation of Einstein equations for the cosmological and Schwarzschild metrics. Furthermore, the conformal transformation is applied for the dimensional reduction of the Gauss-Bonnet topological invariant in $d=4$ to the spaces of lower dimensions.Comment: 17 pages, LaTeX. The paper is intended mainly for pedagogical purposes and represents a collection of exercises concerning local conformal transformations and dimensional reduction. To be published in "Gravitation and Cosmology

Developing intelligent environments with OSGi and JADE

Series: IFIP International Federation for Information ProcessingThe development of intelligent environments poses complex challenges, namely at the level of device heterogeneity and environment dynamics. In fact, we still lack supporting technologies and development approaches that can efficiently integrate different devices and technologies. In this paper we present how a recent integration of two important technologies, OSGi and Jade, can be used to significantly improve the development process, making it a more dynamic, modular and configurable one. We also focus on the main advantages that this integration provides to developers, from the Ambient Intelligence point of view. This work results from the development of two intelligent environments: VirtualECare, which is an intelligent environment for the monitorization of elderly in their homes and UMCourt, a virtual environment for dispute resolution.The work described in this paper is included in TIARAC - Telematics and Artificial Intelligence in Alternative Conflict Resolution Project (PTDC/JUR/71354/2006), which is a research project supported by FCT (Science & Technology Foundation), Portugal

Evaluation of macronutrient demand in calla lily (<i>Zantedeschia aethiopica</i>)

Abstract Zantedeschia species are important plants in the flower market, but there is insufficient information available on nutrient absorption and accumulation for the various developmental stages of these plants. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate macronutrient accumulation in Zantedeschia aethiopica. Following acclimatization, micropropagated shoots were cultivated in pots with coconut fiber as a substrate and were fertilized with a modified version of Malavolta solution, as described. For each tested plot, evaluations were performed every 30 days for 12 months. We evaluated the dry mass of each plant part (leaves, rhizomes, roots and flower stalks) and then calculated the dry mass accumulation and the nutrient contents. A randomized block study design was applied, with 4 replicates, totaling 48 plots. The aerial parts of the plants showed macronutrient content and accumulation in the sequences K + &gt;N&gt;Ca 2+ &gt;S&gt;P&gt;Mg and K&gt;N&gt;P&gt;Ca&gt;S&gt;Mg, respectively, with the highest values being observed between 265 and 328 days after planting. The aerial parts showed greater accumulation of dry mass and macronutrients, whereas the flowers did not display significant macronutrient accumulation. The highest rates of macronutrient accumulation and growth occurred during the 210 days after transplanting, which corresponds to the pre-blooming period, indicating that fertilizers must be divided and applied at their highest levels prior to blooming