Nitrogen symbiotically fixed by cowpea and gliricidia in traditional and agroforestry systems under semiarid conditions

The objective of this work was to estimate the amounts of N fixed by cowpea in a traditional system and by cowpea and gliricidia in an agroforestry system in the Brazilian Northeast semiarid. The experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block design, in a split-plot arrangement, with four replicates, in the semiarid region of the state of Paraíba, Brazil. Plots consisted of agroforestry and traditional systems (no trees), and split-plots of the three crops planted between the tree rows in the agroforestry system. To estimate N fixation, plant samples were collected in the fourth growth cycle of the perennial species and in the fourth planting cycle of the annual species. In the agroforestry system with buffel grass and prickly-pear cactus, gliricidia plants symbiotically fix high proportions of N (>50%) and contribute with higher N amounts (40 kg ha-1 in leaves) than in the traditional system (11 kg ha-1 in grain and 18 kg ha-1 in straw). In the agroforestry system with maize and cowpea, gliricidia plants do not fix nitrogen, and N input is limited to the fixation by cowpea (2.7 kg ha-1), which is lower than in the traditional system due to its lower biomass production

Inter-hospital dissemination of glycopeptide-resistant Enterococcus faecalis in Brazil

ABSTRACTThe antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of 73 glycopeptide-resistant Enterococcus faecalis isolates from nine hospitals in Brazil were analysed by the disk diffusion method and Etests. Isolates were typed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and vancomycin resistance genes were detected by PCR. The isolates shared a single major PFGE pattern, with six subtypes, and all were positive for vanA. These results indicate the occurrence of inter-hospital dissemination of glycopeptide-resistant E. faecalis in São Paulo, and raise concerns about the rapid dissemination of this pathogen throughout Brazil

Valor nutritivo de silagens de capim-elefante enriquecidas com subproduto do processamento do maracujá Nutritive value of elephantgrass silage enriched with processed passion fruit by-product

Esta pesquisa foi realizada com o objetivo de avaliar o valor nutritivo de silagens de capim-elefante contendo níveis crescentes de subproduto desidratado de maracujá (SDM). Foram testados cinco níveis de adição de SDM (0,0; 3,5; 7,0; 10,5 e 14,0%) na dieta de 20 ovinos machos, não-castrados, segundo delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado, com cinco tratamentos (níveis de adição) e quatro repetições. Foram estimados os consumos de MS (CMS), PB (CPB), FDN (CFDN) e FDA (CFDA), as digestibilidades aparentes da MS (DAMS), PB (DAPB), FDN (DAFDN), FDA (DAFDA) e hemicelulose (DAHEM), além dos valores de nutrientes digestíveis totais (NDT) e do balanço de nitrogênio (BN). Com a inclusão de SDM na ensilagem do capim-elefante, ocorreram elevações nos CMS e CPB, sem, no entanto, alterar os valores de CFDN e CFDA. As DAMS, DAPB e os valores de NDT e BN elevaram com a adição de SDM, mas as DAFDN, DAFDA e DAHEM não foram alteradas. A adição de SDM na ensilagem de capim-elefante é uma prática recomendável, pois o uso dessas silagens aumentou o consumo e a digestibilidade dos nutrientes e elevou a densidade energética da dieta.<br>This research was carried out to evaluate the nutritive value of elephant grass silages, with increasing levels of dehydrated passion fruit by-product (DPFB). Five inclusion levels were studied (0.0, 3.5, 7.0, 10.5, and 14.0%). Twenty castrated male sheep were assigned to a complete randomized design with five treatments (inclusion levels) and four replicates. The intakes of DM (DMI), CP (CPI), NDF (NDFI) and ADF (IADF) were determined, as well as the DM apparent digestibility (DMAD), CP (CPAD), NDF (NDFAD), ADF (ADFAD) and hemicellulose (HEMIAD). In addition, it was determined total digestible nutrients (TDN) and the nitrogen balance (NB). The DPFB inclusion during the elephantgrass ensiling process raised the DMI and the CPI, although there was no effect on the NDFI and ADFI. The DPFB addition also raised the DMAD, CPAD, the TDN and the NB. The NDFAD, ADFAD and the HEMIAD were not affected by the treatments. It was concluded that the DPFB addition by the time of elephantgrass ensiling is a recommended practice, increasing the energetic density, the intake and apparent digestibility of the silages

Selection of patients for myocardial perfusion scintigraphy based on fuzzy sets theory applied to clinical-epidemiological data and treadmill test results

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a worldwide leading cause of death. The standard method for evaluating critical partial occlusions is coronary arteriography, a catheterization technique which is invasive, time consuming, and costly. There are noninvasive approaches for the early detection of CAD. The basis for the noninvasive diagnosis of CAD has been laid in a sequential analysis of the risk factors, and the results of the treadmill test and myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS). Many investigators have demonstrated that the diagnostic applications of MPS are appropriate for patients who have an intermediate likelihood of disease. Although this information is useful, it is only partially utilized in clinical practice due to the difficulty to properly classify the patients. Since the seminal work of Lotfi Zadeh, fuzzy logic has been applied in numerous areas. In the present study, we proposed and tested a model to select patients for MPS based on fuzzy sets theory. A group of 1053 patients was used to develop the model and another group of 1045 patients was used to test it. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to compare the performance of the fuzzy model against expert physician opinions, and showed that the performance of the fuzzy model was equal or superior to that of the physicians. Therefore, we conclude that the fuzzy model could be a useful tool to assist the general practitioner in the selection of patients for MPS