[validation Of The Brazilian Version Of Mini-test Casi-s].

To determine CASI-S accuracy in the diagnosis of dementia. The Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument - Short Form (CASI-S) was applied in 43 Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients and 74 normal controls. AD diagnosis was based on DSM-IV, NINCDS-ADRDA, and CAMDEX. CASI-S includes: registration, temporal orientation, verbal fluency (4-legged animals in 30s), and recall (3 words). Its maximum score is 33 points. A copy of 2 pentagons was added. ROC curve showed an accuracy of 0.87, with standard error of 0.032, and 95% confidence intervall between 0.795 and 0.925. The cut-off score for cognitive deficit was 23, with sensitivity of 76.7%, specificity 86.5%, positive likelihood ratio (LR) 5.68, and negative LR 0.27. The cut-off score for subjects 70 years or older was 20, with sensitivity of 71.4% and specificity 97.1%. CASI-S is a practical test, with high specificity, particularly in individuals above 70 years of age. The adding of the drawing test did not improve its accuracy.63416-2

Principal components in the study of soil and plant properties in precision coffee farming

ArticleIn this work, a principal component analysis was performed to evaluate the possibility of discarding obsolete soil and plant variables in a coffee field to eliminate redundant and difficult-to-measure information in precision coffee farming. This work was conducted at Brejão Farm in Três Pontas, Minas Gerais, Brazil, in a coffee field planted with 22 ha of Topázio cultivar. The evaluated variables were the yield, plant height, crown diameter, fruit maturation index, degree of fruit maturation, leafing, soil pH, available phosphorus (P), remaining phosphorus (Prem), available potassium (K), exchangeable calcium (Ca2+), exchangeable magnesium (Mg2+), exchangeable acidity (Al3+), potential acidity (H + Al), aluminium saturation (N(Al)), potential CEC (CECp), actual CEC (CECa), sum of bases (SB), base saturation (BS) and organic matter (OM). The data were evaluated by a principal component analysis, which generated 20 components. Of these, 7 representing 88.98% of the data variation were chosen. The variables were discarded based on the preservation of the variables with the greatest coefficients in absolute values corresponding to the first component, followed by the variable with the second highest absolute value corresponding to the second principal component. Based on the results, the variables V, OM, fruit maturity index, plant height, yield, leafing and P were selected. The other variables were discarded

Valor preditivo da punção liquórica (tap test) na hidrocefalia de pressão normal

Eighteen patients (mean age of 66.5 years) with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) underwent a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt surgery. Prior to operation a cerebrospinal fluid tap-test (CSF-TT) was performed with measurements of gait pattern and psychometric functions (memory, visuo-motor speed and visuo-constructive skills) before and after the removal of 50 ml CSFby lumbar puncture (LP). Fifteen patients improved and 3 were unchanged after surgery. Short duration of disease, gait disturbance preceding mental deterioration, wide temporal horns and small sulci on CT-scan were associated with good outcome after shunting. There was a good correlation between the results of CSF-TT and shunt surgery (X² = 4,11 ,phi = 0.48, p < 0.05), with gait test showing highest correlation (r = 0.99, p = 0.01). In conclusion, this version of CSF-TT proved to be an effective test to predict improvement after shunting in patients with NPH.Este estudo visa melhorar o valor diagnóstico e preditivo da punção liquórica (tap test, TT) na hidrocefalia de pressão normal (HPN), particularmente nos casos em que os dados clinicos e de neuroimagem são inconclusivos e não permitem uma decisão cirúrgica segura. Dezoito pacientes (média de idade = 66.5 anos) com HPN foram submetidos a derivação (shunt) ventriculo-peritoneal. O TT era realizado antes da cirurgia, consistindo na análise quantitativa da marcha e funções cognitivas (memória, rapidez perceptivo-motora e habilidade vísuo-construtiva) antes e depois da retirada de 50 ml de liquor via punção lombar. Quinze pacientes melhoraram e 3 permaneceram inalterados após a cirurgia. Curta duração da doença, distúrbio da marcha precedendo a deterioração mental, dilatação dos cornos temporais e apagamento (ou redução) dos sulcos corticais na tomografia computadorizada cerebral estavam associados a bons resultados pós-operatórios. Houve boa correlação entre os resultados do TT e os do shunt (X² = 4.11, phi = 0.48, p < 0.05), principalmente no teste da marcha (r = 0.99, p = 0.01). Esta versão do TT liquórico mostrou-se efetiva na prediçâo da melhora pós-operatória em pacientes com HPN.17918

Caracterização físico-química da amêndoa de tucumã (Astrocaryum vulgare Mart.).

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Spatial variability of litter temperature, relative air humidity and skin temperature of chicks in a commercial broiler house

ArticleThe thermal environment inside a broiler house has a great influence on animal welfare and productivity during the production phase. Among the importance of the chicken litter is the function of absorbing moisture, provide thermal insulation and provide a soft surface for broilers. The skin temperature is an important physiological parameter to quantify the thermal comfort of animals, its variations may occur as a function of thermal variables. So, the aim of this work was to analyse the magnitude and spatial variability of chicken litter temperature and relative humidity of the air and to correlate them with the spatial distribution of chicks’ skin surface temperature throughout the broiler house during the 7th, 14th and 21st days of the chicks’ life, using geostatistical techniques. The experiment was performed in a commercial broiler house located in the western mesoregion of Minas Gerais, Brazil, where 28,000 male Cobb chicks were housed. The heating system consisted of an industrial indirect-fired biomass furnace. The heated air was inflated by an AC motor, 2,206 W of power, 1,725 RPM. Geostatistical techniques were used through semivariogram analysis and isochore maps were generated through data interpolation by kriging. The semivariogram was fitted by the restricted maximum likelihood method. The used mathematical model was the spherical one. After fitting the semivariograms, the data were interpolated by ordinary kriging. The semivariograms along with the isochore maps allowed identifying the non-uniformity of spatial distribution of the broiler litter temperature throughout the broiler house for 3 days of chicks’ life. It was observed that skin surface presented a positive correlation with the litter temperature and a negative correlation with the air humidity. The semivariograms along with the isochore maps allowed identifying the non-uniformity of spatial distribution of the litter temperature, air humidity and skin temperature of chicks throughout the broiler aviary for the three days. In addition, the use of geostatistics and distribution maps made possible to identify different environmental conditions in regions inside the broiler house that may harm the development of chicks

Caracterização fisico-quimica da polpa de tucumãs do BAG da Embrapa Amazônia Oriental (Astrocaryum vulgare Mart.).

Editores técnicos: Nádia Elígia Pinto Paracampo, Laura Figueiredo Abreu. XIII MET

Spatial variability of soil fertility attributes and productivity in a coffee crop farm

ArticleCoffee cultivation is of great importance to Brazilian agribusiness, as coffee occupies extensive production areas and is one of the most exported Brazilian products. To maintain coffee production numbers, productive techniques must be adopted that optimize productive system use. The objective of this work was to apply geostatistical techniques in the evaluation of soil fertility attributes to construct maps of variability in soil fertility parameters and the productivity of a coffee crop in the municipality of Monte Carmelo, Minas Gerais (MG), Brazil. The work was developed with coffee of the cultivar Mundo Novo 379/19, and 19 sample points were georeferenced in Universal Transverse Mercator coordinates. Spatial dependence of the fertility and productivity parameters was analysed via classic semivariogram fitting and interpolation by ordinary kriging using the statistical computer system, R. All parameters evaluated showed high degrees of spatial dependence. The attribute values varied along the sampling points, except for the sodium (Na) contents, which had similar values in all samplings. The studied parameters ranged from 80 to 200 metres. It is conclusion, the use of productivity maps linked to soil chemical attributes can be useful for determining the occurrence of variable productivity rates throughout the area, allowing the adoption of corrective practices for subsequent crops and thus making the maps very useful tools for producers

Microbiological quality of Brazil nuts milk submitted to different dehulling methods.

Bertholletia excelsa Bonpl populaly known as Brazil nut, is considered one of the noblest species of the Amazon rainforest, being found throughout this territory. Its fruit represents a high economic value due to its use in both human and animal feeding, presenting about 60 to 70% of lipids, polyunsaturated fatty acids and 15 to 20% of protein. There are many uses of Brazil nuts, and the "milk" extracted from the nuts, is usually consumed pure and used by the natives as typical food. Due to the high content of unsaturated fatty acids in its composition, the nuts becomes very perishable, due oxidative processes, reduction of nutritional value, appearance of smell and rancid flavor, leading to a product with low quality, besides the susceptibility to colonization by pathogenic microorganisms due poorly handled. The process for obtaining Brazil nuts milk involves the stages of degumming of the nuts, extraction, separation of the insoluble residue, formulation and packaging. The most common form of degumming is manual. The objective of the work was to evaluate the microbiological quality of Brazil nuts and its milk obtained through the processes of manual or NaOH dehulling. The count of aerobic bacteria in the standard agar for counting (PCA), total coliforms and E. coli, presence of Salmonella sp., and counting of molds and yeasts using Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) were counted

Assessment of spatial variability of environmental variables of a typical house of laying hens in Colombia: Antioquia state case

This paper aimed to analyze the magnitude and spatial variability of environmental variables: Temperature and Relative Humidity Index (THI), Radiant Thermal Load (RTL), Globe Temperature and Relative Humidity Index (BGTH) and Enthalpy (H), inside a house for laying hens, in the state of Antioquia (Colombia) during the month of August. A traditional Colombian poultry house with natural ventilation was used. All variables were manually measured at equally spaced 1.0×1.0 m points, totaling 99 data collection points inside the poultry house. Geostatistical techniques were used through semivariogram analysis, and isochore maps were generated through data interpolation by kriging. The semivariogram was fitted by the restricted maximum likelihood method. The used mathematical model was the spherical one. After adjusting the semivariograms, the data were interpolated by ordinary kriging. The semivariograms and the isochore maps allowed identifying the non-uniformity of the spatial distribution of all evaluated variables throughout the poultry house. The results show that THI, RTL, BGTH and, H presented values above the comfort limits in the most significant part of the poultry house during the observed period. It is possible to concluded that the use of natural ventilation alone was not sufficient to guarantee the homeothermy conditions for the layers. Thus, it is suggested that in addition to natural ventilation, secondary modifications should be used to improve farm productivity