Effect of electrical stimulation of carcasses from Dorper sheep with two permanent incisors on the consumer acceptance of mutton: review article

The inconsistency in the eating quality characteristics of meats, predominantly tenderness, is probably the most critical problem faced by the meat industry worldwide. Consumers consider tenderness to be the single most important component of meat quality. An alternative method for increasing meat tenderness may exist in the form of electrical stimulation of the carcass shortly following slaughter. The aim of this research was to study the effect of electrical stimulation on the consumer acceptance of, preference for and consumption intent regarding mutton of the recently introduced class-AB sheep carcasses (carcasses from sheep with one to two permanent incisors) in South Africa. A total of 22 wethers of class-AB, weighing between 45 and 50 kg, was selected from a homogeneous group of Dorpers. Carcasses were divided into two groups, one was electrically stimulated (0.4 amp/h for 45 sec) and the other group not stimulated. Samples of the left M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum of both groups were oven roasted and a consumer panel evaluated the acceptability of the mutton regarding certain sensory characteristics. Three consumer sensory tests, namely the hedonic rating of the acceptability of each sensory attribute, a preference test and a food action rating test, were conducted in sequence. The acceptability of the juiciness, tenderness, flavour and overall acceptability were not significantly influenced by the electrical stimulation of carcasses. Samples from both the electrically stimulated and non-stimulated carcasses were highly acceptable to consumers. No significant differences in preference or percentage cooking losses were obtained. The present results indicate that electrical stimulation of class-AB carcasses did not have a significant influence on the consumer's acceptance of, nor consumption intent towards the class-AB mutton. This study shows that consumers revealed a positive attitude by declaring their intention to eat samples from both electrically stimulated and non-electrically stimulated carcasses once a week. Moreover, the variation in shear force values of meat samples from the electrically stimulated group was less compared to that of the non-stimulated group, indicating that electrical stimulation can successfully be applied to reduce the variation in tenderness within the class-AB mutton. Keywords: Class AB-mutton, Electrical stimulation, Consumer acceptance, Tenderness South African Journal of Animal Science Vol.33(3) 2003: 206-21

The Effect of Instructor-Produced Videos as Supplemental Material for Training Visual Screening Procedures in Occupational Therapy Education

The aim of this study was to explore student perceptions of instructor-produced videos to enhance knowledge, self-efficacy, and clinical skill with administering visual screening procedures. The video library, hosted by Vimeo™, consisted of 26 videos, with an average video duration less than 90 seconds. The videos were made available to occupational therapy students as supplemental material. Three focus groups consisting of 23 participants captured students’ perceived value of instructor-produced videos to enrich their learning. Three categories emerged from the data analysis including clinical application, learning preferences, and elements of video production. Students commented on how the videos positively influenced their ability to perform visual screening procedures, confidence with screening procedure administration and reasoning skills when evaluating client performance during visual screens. Students expressed how the videos appealed to their learning style (visual/kinesthetic). Also, they reported how the videos allowed them control over the pace of information delivery, the frequency of content delivery, and the environment in which they viewed the content. Students discussed elements of video production that enhanced their learning including actor characteristics and video use pragmatics

Gestão e Improvisação em um Festival Cultural na Bahia

Os objetivos deste caso para ensino é suscitar aprendizagem sobre: (a) entender a importância crucial da improvisação para as organizações e gestores contemporâneos; (b) refletir sobre o papel da imperfeição, cooperação e competição para a prática da improvisação organizacionale (c) identificar e discutir sobre desafios e competências de improvisação para gestores.O caso é baseado em observação participante, prolongada e sistemática do processo de organização e gestão em vários eventos culturais na Bahia. O caso retrata o choque de estudantes de administração ao trabalhar em um megafestival cultural em Salvador. Descobrem, constatam e aprendem o quão estratégica a improvisação organizacional é para a gestão das organizações contemporâneas

Densidad básica de la madera de Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco en la Patagonia

In the Andean region of Patagonia, Argentina, in the provinces of Neuquén, Río Negro and Chubut, there are numerous Douglas Fir [Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb) Franco] plantations, which constitute one of the timber species most widely used in the region for commercial plantations. In this work, we studied Douglas Fir wood basic density and its variation within trees and among trees. Also, the relationship between wood density, ring-with and the proportion of latewood was examined by regression analysis, determining at the some time wood density of juvenile and mature wood. We found that mean wood density of Douglas Fir was 0,366 g/cm3, which is one of the lowest wood density values reported for this species elsewhere. Results show that rings-width and latewood proportion were significantly related to specific gravity. We also found that Douglas fir trees begun to produce mature wood at around 17 years of age.En la región andina de las provincias de Neuquén, Río Negro y Chubut de Argentina existen numerosas plantaciones de pino Oregón [Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco], constituyendo una de las especies más utilizadas en plantaciones comerciales. En el presente trabajo se estudió la densidad básica de la madera de esta especie y su variación entre árboles y dentro de un mismo individuo, determinándose su relación con el ancho de anillos y la proporción leño temprano por medio de análisis de regresión. Paralelamente se determinó la densidad correspondiente a madera juvenil y madura. La densidad básica media para la población analizada fue de 0,366 g/cm3, valor que se encuentra entre los mínimos citados para diferentes lugares del mundo en los cuales se cultiva la especie. La densidad básica se correlacionó significativamente con el ancho de anillos y la proporción de madera tardía. Se encontró que la edad a partir de la cual se forma madera madura es 17 años

Epidemiology of dermatophytoses in 31 municipalities of the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina: A 6-year study

Background No reliable data are available in the province of Buenos Aires regarding the frequency of dermatophytoses and other fungal diseases. The distribution of the clinical forms and the species involved are also unknown. Aims To present the data collected by the laboratories participating in the Mycology Network of the province of Buenos Aires (MNPBA) from a retrospective epidemiological survey on dermatophytoses. Methods A descriptive and exploratory analysis was performed on the cases of dermatophytoses gathered between 2002 and 2007 by the Mycology Network of the province of Buenos Aires. Results Of the 3966 dermatophytosis cases reported by 41 laboratories in 31 municipalities, more than a half occurred in three highly populated urban municipalities. The male:female ratio was 1:1.5. The most frequent clinical form was tinea unguium, diagnosed in 904 cases (51.83%), followed by tinea capitis (19.32%), tinea corporis (15.19%), tinea pedis (6.77%), tinea cruris (3.73%), and tinea manuum (2.18%). The species involved was identified in 1368 (33.49%) cases. Trichophyton rubrum was the most common species, with a frequency of 42.03%. An association was found between urban municipalities and T. rubrum or the Trichophyton mentagrophytes complex. Conclusions Results from the MNPBA survey provide valuable information that should enable further interventions to be designed in order to prevent and control the disease.UIQA -Unidade de Investigação Química Ambientalinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Cryptococcus neoformans complex: actividad in vitro de antifúngicos frente a cepas aisladas de pacientes VIH/SIDA

Cryptococcus neoformans complex (Cn) es el agente más frecuente de meningitis en individuos infectados por el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH). El 90 % de los pacientes con VIH/SIDA en todo el mundo son infectados por el serotipo A (var. grubii), mientras que el serotipo D (var. neoformans) se reporta principalmente en Europa, y se lo relaciona con menor sensibilidad a los antifúngicos. En Argentina la tasa de mortalidad alcanza un 35 % dentro del mes de diagnosticada la enfermedad y la sobrevida no supera 1-2 años pos diagnóstico. El tratamiento de elección es con anfotericina B (AB) sola o en combinación con 5-Fluorocitosina (5FC) en la fase aguda, seguida de fluconazol (FZ) durante la fase de mantenimiento. No obstante, la respuesta a la terapéutica convencional es errática y la recidiva es frecuente, con un 20-30 % de fallas en el tratamiento, motivos éstos que hacen necesario el conocimiento de la sensibilidad in vitro de Cn frente a distintos antifúngicos. Objetivos: conocer la actividad in vitro de 5 antifúngicos frente a cepas de Cn aisladas de pacientes VIH/SIDA con criptococosis meníngea (CM).Facultad de Ciencias Veterinaria

Posttranslational mechanisms associated with reduced NHE3 activity in adult vs. young prehypertensive SHR

Crajoinas RO, Lessa LMA, Carraro-Lacroix LR, Davel APC, Pacheco BPM, Rossoni LV, Malnic G, Girardi ACC. Posttranslational mechanisms associated with reduced NHE3 activity in adult vs. young prehypertensive SHR. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 299:F872-F881, 2010. First published July 14, 2010; doi:10.1152/ajprenal.00654.2009.-Abnormalities in renal proximal tubular (PT) sodium transport play an important role in the pathophysiology of essential hypertension. the Na(+)/H(+) exchanger isoform 3 (NHE3) represents the major route for sodium entry across the apical membrane of renal PT cells. We therefore aimed to assess in vivo NHE3 transport activity and to define the molecular mechanisms underlying NHE3 regulation before and after development of hypertension in the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR). NHE3 function was measured as the rate of bicarbonate reabsorption by means of in vivo stationary microperfusion in PT from young prehypertensive SHR (Y-SHR; 5-wk-old), adult SHR (A-SHR; 14-wk-old), and age-matched Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats. We found that NHE3-mediated PT bicarbonate reabsorption was reduced with age in the SHR (1.08 +/- 0.10 vs. 0.41 +/- 0.04 nmol/cm(2)xs), while it was increased in the transition from youth to adulthood in the WKY rat (0.59 +/- 0.05 vs. 1.26 +/- 0.11 nmol/cm(2)xs). Higher NHE3 activity in the Y-SHR compared with A-SHR was associated with a predominant microvilli confinement and a lower ratio of phosphorylated NHE3 at serine-552 to total NHE3 (P-NHE3/total). After development of hypertension, P-NHE3/total increased and NHE3 was retracted out of the microvillar microdomain along with the regulator dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV). Collectively, our data suggest that the PT is playing a role in adapting to the hypertension in the SHR. the molecular mechanisms of this adaptation possibly include an increase of P-NHE3/total and a redistribution of the NHE3-DPPIV complex from the body to the base of the PT microvilli, both predicted to decrease sodium reabsorption.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Univ São Paulo, Sch Med, Heart Inst InCor, BR-05403900 São Paulo, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Inst Biomed Sci, Dept Physiol & Biophys, BR-05403900 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Physiol, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Physiol, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Cryptococcus neoformans complex: actividad in vitro de antifúngicos frente a cepas aisladas de pacientes VIH/SIDA

Cryptococcus neoformans complex (Cn) es el agente más frecuente de meningitis en individuos infectados por el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH). El 90 % de los pacientes con VIH/SIDA en todo el mundo son infectados por el serotipo A (var. grubii), mientras que el serotipo D (var. neoformans) se reporta principalmente en Europa, y se lo relaciona con menor sensibilidad a los antifúngicos. En Argentina la tasa de mortalidad alcanza un 35 % dentro del mes de diagnosticada la enfermedad y la sobrevida no supera 1-2 años pos diagnóstico. El tratamiento de elección es con anfotericina B (AB) sola o en combinación con 5-Fluorocitosina (5FC) en la fase aguda, seguida de fluconazol (FZ) durante la fase de mantenimiento. No obstante, la respuesta a la terapéutica convencional es errática y la recidiva es frecuente, con un 20-30 % de fallas en el tratamiento, motivos éstos que hacen necesario el conocimiento de la sensibilidad in vitro de Cn frente a distintos antifúngicos. Objetivos: conocer la actividad in vitro de 5 antifúngicos frente a cepas de Cn aisladas de pacientes VIH/SIDA con criptococosis meníngea (CM).Facultad de Ciencias Veterinaria

Cortinas forestales de álamos en los valles de Patagonia Norte

Según la FAO (2014) los principales complejos productivos que dinamizan la economía de las provincias de Río Negro y Neuquén son los vinculados a la fruticultura, el turismo, la explotación de hidrocarburos, la minería, la pesca y la ganadería; la especialización de estas actividades es muy marcada por región. A pesar de la crítica situación del sector en los últimos años, la producción de frutas de pepita y sus eslabonamientos siguen siendo, como conjunto, la actividad más importante dentro de la estructura productiva en la provincia de Río Negro. El viento, es una adversidad climática importante en esta zona, principalmente en primavera, si se pretende realizar alguna actividad productiva. En el período comprendido entre los meses de septiembre a diciembre se registra la mayor frecuencia de vientos con velocidades promedio mayores a 20 km/h, y ráfagas que alcanzan los 80 km/h (Rodríguez et al. 2014). Los efectos negativos que genera sobre los cultivos pueden ocurrir directamente en forma mecánica e, indirectamente, por el aumento de la tasa de evapotranspiración. En el caso de los frutales, el efecto más visible se produce sobre el fruto y el daño se conoce como rameado. El rameado es una lesión superficial causada por rozamiento del fruto contra otras estructuras de la planta (Rodriguez et al. 2014). Nolting (1992) menciona que el uso de barreras rompeviento permite atenuar el efecto perjudicial del viento sobre los cultivos y la calidad de los frutos. Sin embargo, las cortinas forestales no solo protegen y permiten el aumento de la producción de la mayoría de los cultivos, sino que, a través de ellas, se ha generado un complejo foresto industrial muy importante para la región. El consumo anual de madera por parte de esta industria en el Valle del Río Negro, durante el período 1990-2001, fue de alrededor de 220.000 a 230.000 t/año, valor que aumentó, entre 2001 y 2003, hasta aproximadamente 300.000 t/año (Serventi y García 2004). Esta producción se destina en un 42 % a envases y embalajes, el 26,5 % a construcción, el 12,5 % a tableros multilaminados, el 12,5 % a aglomerados y el 6,5 % a celulosa (García 2002). El insumo para esta industria de la madera es, en gran parte, abastecida por el aprovechamiento forestal de las cortinas de álamo.EEA Santa CruzFil: Davel, Miguel. Centro de Investigación y Extensión Forestal Andino Patagónica (CIEFAP); Argentina.Fil: Arquero, Darío E. Centro de Investigación y Extensión Forestal Andino Patagónica (CIEFAP); Argentina.Fil: Arquero, Darío E. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina.Fil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Santa Cruz; Argentina.Fil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral; Argentina.Fil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina.Fil: Serventi, Mauro. Universidad Nacional del Comahue; Argentina.Fil: Diaz, Gastón M. Centro de Investigación y Extensión Forestal Andino Patagónica (CIEFAP); Argentina.Fil: Diaz, Gastón M. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina