Mathematical modeling of bovine brucellosis control by vaccination

As fêmeas bovinas, por sua importância na transmissão e na manutenção da brucelose, constituíram o alvo dos inquéritos do Programa Nacional de Controle e Erradicação da Brucelose e da Tuberculose Animal. Com base em informações obtidas em unidades federativas onde foram realizados inquéritos sorológicos e observadas prevalências de animais acima de 2%, elaborou-se um modelo para simular a dinâmica da brucelose em rebanhos bovinos formados exclusivamente por fêmeas, analisando o efeito de estratégias de vacinação. Para baixa cobertura vacinal, da ordem de 30%, o tempo para reduzir a prevalência a 2%, valor adotado como referência, pode ser longo, aproximando-se do dobro do tempo necessário para uma cobertura mais alta, de 90%. De acordo com o modelo, o tempo para reduzir a prevalência a 1% ou 2%, que permitam passar à fase de erradicação, pode chegar a uma década. Recomenda-se a intensificação do esforço para a vacinação de fêmeas, procurando atingir alta cobertura vacinal.Due to the important role played by female bovines in the transmission and maintenance of brucellosis, they were the target of the serological surveys of the Brazilian National Program for the Control and Eradication of Bovine Brucellosis and Tuberculosis. Based on the information obtained in Brazilian states, where the serological surveys were carried out and prevalences higher than 2% were observed, a model to simulate the dynamics of brucellosis in herds of female bovines was developed to analyze the effects of vaccination strategies. For low vaccination coverage (around 30%), the time to reduce the prevalence to 2%, adopted as a reference, may be long, approximately twice as long as the time observed for a higher coverage (90%). According to the model, the time to reduce the prevalence to levels of 1% or 2%, adequate to start the eradication phase, may reach a decade. It is recommended an intensification of the effort to vaccinate females, aiming at attaining high vaccination coverage.FAPESPCNPqMAPA Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abasteciment

Removing non visible objects in scenes of clusters of particles

El objeto de este trabajo es resolver, en parte, la problemática de la visualización de conglomerados de partículas resultantes de métodos numéricos en la ingeniería. Se han desarrollado dos métodos para la eliminación de partículas no visibles desde cualquier punto de observación de la cámara. Estos se distinguen según el tipo de información disponible: modelos de partículas con información del contorno (malla de superficie) y modelos sin información del contorno (métodos sin mallas). En ambos casos, los resultados son buenos, pues se logra eliminar gran cantidad de partículas que no influyen en la imagen final.The aim of this paper is to partially solve the problem of visualization of clusters of particles resulting from numerical methods in engineering. Two methods for removing non-visible particles from some view point of the camera were developed. These are divided depending on the type of information available: particle systems with contour information (surface mesh) and particle systems without contour information (methods without mesh). In both cases, the results are very good, it is achieved removing large amount of particles that do not affect the final image, permitting interact with the results of numerical methods.Peer Reviewe

Nutritional valorisation of cane (Arundo donax) by treatment with sodium hydroxide

This study evaluated the effects of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) treatment on the nutritional value of Arundo donax (A. donax). Its ultimate goal was to develop an environmentally friendly animal feed alternative that could be produced sustainably while combatting the spread of A. donax. Plants were collected and dried at 60 °C in an oven with controlled air circulation to determine the dry matter (DM) content. The dry plant material was then sprinkled with an NaOH solution of 2%, 4%, 6%, or 8% and placed in leak-proof containers for four weeks. The chemical and in vitro digestibility properties of treated and untreated A. donax samples were analysed in triplicate. The treatment led to significant decreases in neutral detergent fibre (NDF) from 81.06% DM to 69.39% DM, acid detergent fibre (ADF) from 46.99% DM to 43.19% DM, and ether extract (EE) from 2.06% DM to 1.39% DM, in the untreated samples compared with those treated with 8% NaOH, respectively. In addition, DM digestibility increased from 24.61% to 33.78%, ash content from 11.75% DM to 19.92% DM, and ADL from 7.43% M to 15.38% DM. Thus, treatment of A. donax with an 8% solution of NaOH concentration improved its nutritional value

Nutritive characterization of Musa spp and its effects on in vitro Rumen fermentation characteristics

Received: February 1st, 2021 ; Accepted: April 24th, 2021 ; Published: May 24th, 2021 ; Correspondence: [email protected] research aims to study the effect of nutritive value of Musa spp on animal feed. Residues of banana culture, leaves and stems, could be used as a fibre source for animal feeding, especially in Banana producing areas, such as Macaronesia Archipelagos, avoiding wastes and supplementing periods of scarcity of food. Musa spp were collected and dried at 65 °C in an oven with controlled air circulation. The pseudostems were divided in three different portions and chemical composition, in vitro digestibility, and in vitro gas production were determined. Regarding dry matter results, they were low (16.54% in leaves and 6.54% DM% in pseudostem), crude protein raging 11.25 DM% in leaves and 7.25% in pseudostem. Concerning fiber values, NDF is higher in leaves (70.07 DM%) than in pseudostems (52.11 DM%) and ADL is higher in leaves (9.90 DM%) comparing with pseudostems (6.21 DM%). In vitro DM digestibility is low, (24.42% in leaves and 42.69% in pseudostem), corroborating the NDF values. Cumulative gas production was recorded at 4, 8, 12, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h of incubation. The results showed that the gas production in leaves was lower (11.36 mL 200 mg˗1 DM) when compared to pseudostem (23.81 mL 200 mg˗1 DM), being so in accordance with the digestibility results. The current study suggested that this by-product can be used in animal feed, however, it will be necessary to carry out tests to improve its nutritional value, namely with NaOH and/or with Urea, being a promising strategy for improving ruminant feed efficiency

Cork-oak reforestation – effects of preplanting root treatments and treeshelters on survival and growth seven years after plantation

Four-month old containerized cork-oak seedlings grown in nursery with different root conditioning were planted in a fenced area near Évora, southern Portugal. The effects of six precondioning root treatments and two different treeshelters on the survival and growth were evaluated seven years after plantation. Pre-planting root treatments, consisting in the combination of three different containers and two different substrates did not clearly affect survival but plants grown with a mixture of ground pine bark and vermiculite grew better than plants which received a superfosphate enriched mixture of soil and peat. Different shelters affect differently both survival and growth of the plants. The 1.20 m high, translucent light brown corrugated polypropylene shelter (Sheltatree) did not significantly affect survival, increased growth in height but trunk growth in diameter was delayed in comparison with non sheltered plants. The 0.75 cm high transparent PVC shelter (Gro-Cone) had no effects on height and significantly reduced trunk radial growth as well as plant survival but only when compared with the other shelter. The use of treeshelters appears as a promising technique which, depending on the local conditions, may conciliate the multiple use of the montado with cork-oak regeneration. The use of a seedling growth substrate like ground pine bark revealed high potential for plant growth in the usually nutrient scarce soils of cork-oak stands

Unveiling the Role of the Integrated Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Response in Leishmania Infection - Future Perspectives.

The integrated endoplasmic reticulum stress response (IERSR) is an evolutionarily conserved adaptive mechanism that ensures endoplasmic reticulum (ER) homeostasis and cellular survival in the presence of stress including nutrient deprivation, hypoxia, and imbalance of Ca(+) homeostasis, toxins, and microbial infection. Three transmembrane proteins regulate integrated signaling pathways that comprise the IERSR, namely, IRE-1 that activates XBP-1, the pancreatic ER kinase (PERK) that phosphorylates the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 and transcription factor 6 (ATF6). The roles of IRE-1, PERK, and ATF4 in viral and some bacterial infections are well characterized. The role of IERSR in infections by intracellular parasites is still poorly understood, although one could anticipate that IERSR may play an important role on the host's cell response. Recently, our group reported the important aspects of XBP-1 activation in Leishmania amazonensis infection. It is, however, necessary to address the relevance of the other IERSR branches, together with the possible role of IERSR in infections by other Leishmania species, and furthermore, to pursue the possible implications in the pathogenesis and control of parasite replication in macrophages

Biomass allometry and carbon factors for a Mediterranean pine (Pinus pinea L.) in Portugal

Forests play an important role in the global carbon balance because they offset a large portion of the carbon dioxide emitted through human activities. Accurate estimates are necessary for national reporting of greenhouse gas inventories, carbon credit trading and forest carbon management but in Portugal reliable and accessible forest carbon measurement methodologies are still lacking for some species. The objective of this study was to provide forest managers with a comprehensive database of carbon factors and equations that allows estimating stand-level carbon stocks in Pinus pinea L. (P. pinea), regardless of the tree inventory information available. We produced aboveground biomass and stem volume equations, biomass expansion factors (BEF) by component as well as wood basic density (WBD) and component carbon fraction in biomass. A root-to-shoot ratio is also presented using data from trees in which the root system was completely excavated. We harvested 53 trees in centre and south Portugal covering different sizes (6.5 to 56.3 cm), ages (10 to 45 years) and stand densities (20 to 580 trees ha–1). The results indicate that aboveground allometry in P. pinea is not comparable with other pines and varies considerably with stand characteristics, highlighting the need to develop stand-dependent factors and equations for local or regional carbon calculations. BEFaboveground decreases from open (1.33 ± 0.03 Mg m–3) to closed stands (1.07 ± 0.01 Mg m–3) due to a change in biomass allocation pattern from stem to branches. Average WBD was 0.50 ± 0.01 Mg m–3 but varies with tree dimensions and the root-to-shoot ratio found was 0.30 ± 0.03. The carbon fraction was statistically different from the commonly used 0.5 factor for some biomass components. The equations and factors produced allow evaluating carbon stocks in P. pinea stands in Portugal, contributing to a more accurate estimation of carbon sequestered by this forest type

Measures of insulin sensitivity, leptin, and adiponectin concentrations in cats in diabetic remission compared to healthy control cats

Objectives: Firstly, to compare differences in insulin, adiponectin, leptin, and measures of insulin sensitivity between diabetic cats in remission and healthy control cats, and determine whether these are predictors of diabetic relapse. Secondly, to determine if these hormones are associated with serum metabolites known to differ between groups. Thirdly, if any of the hormonal or identified metabolites are associated with measures of insulin sensitivity. Animals: Twenty cats in diabetic remission for a median of 101 days, and 21 healthy matched control cats. Methods: A casual blood glucose measured on admission to the clinic. Following a 24 h fast, a fasted blood glucose was measured, and blood sample taken for hormone (i.e., insulin, leptin, and adiponectin) and untargeted metabolomic (GC-MS and LC-MS) analysis. A simplified IVGGT (1 g glucose/kg) was performed 3 h later. Cats were monitored for diabetes relapse for at least 9 months (270 days). Results: Cats in diabetic remission had significantly higher serum glucose and insulin concentrations, and decreased insulin sensitivity as indicated by an increase in HOMA and decrease in QUICKI and Bennett indices. Leptin was significantly increased, but there was no difference in adiponectin (or body condition score). Several significant correlations were found between insulin sensitivity indices, leptin, and serum metabolites identified as significantly different between remission and control cats. No metabolites were significantly correlated with adiponectin. No predictors of relapse were identified in this study. Conclusion and clinical importance: Insulin resistance, an underlying factor in diabetic cats, persists in diabetic remission. Cats in remission should be managed to avoid further exacerbating insulin resistance

Magnetic Field Dependent Behavior of the CDW ground state in Per2M(mnt)2 (M = Au, Pt)

The Per2M(mnt)2 class of organic conductors exhibit a charge density wave (CDW) ground state below about 12 K, which may be suppressed in magnetic fields of order 20 to 30 T. However, for both cases of counter ion M(mnt)2 species studied (M = Au (zero spin) and M = Pt (spin 1/2)), new high field ground states evolve for further increases in magnetic field. We report recent investigations where thermopower, Hall effect, high pressure and additional transport measurements have been carried out to explore these new high field phases.Comment: 6 pages, 10 figures, 27 reference