Threonine-to-lysine ratio in laying hens: physiological parameters and organ weight

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of threonine:digestible lysine ratio in the diet on the physiological variables and weight of organs of light laying hens. Two hundred and ten 47 week-old Dekalb White laying hens were distributed in a completely randomized design, with five levels of threonine (0.507; 0.552; 0.597; 0.642 and 0.677%) and seven replicates of six birds each. The experimental period was 10 weeks, totaling 62 days and more eight days for the animals to adapt. The physiological parameters of cloacal temperature (CT), respiratory rate (RR) and average surface temperature (AST) were recorded weekly (7:00 am, 10:00 am, 1:00 pm, 4:00 pm, and 7:00 pm); after solid and water fasting, the birds were slaughtered to assess the absolute weight of the organs. The time of day influenced (p < 0.05) the physiological parameters RR and AST, and CT showed a significant effect (p < 0.05) of increasing levels of digestible threonine. The total weight of the pancreas, proventriculus and lung showed a significant effect (p < 0.05) of the increase in the levels of digestible threonine. The respiratory rate is affected by the levels of threonine in the diet. The 0.687% level promoted hypertrophy of the pancreas, proventriculus and lung, promoting more significant activity of these organs

Bioclimatic zoning for quails in the rain season in the state of Paraíba, Brazil

This work aimed to perform bioclimatic zoning based on the temperature and humidity index (THI) for quails from the 3rd to the 5th week of life during the rainy season in the state of Paraíba, Brazil, in order to identify the most suitable mesoregions among the Zona da Mata, Agreste, Borborema and Sertão for the breeding of these birds and to propose mitigating measures for the thermal comfort of the animals. The monthly air temperature and relative humidity data for calculating the THI were obtained from conventional meteorological stations of the National Meteorological Institute of the Brazilian federal government from 1961 to 2015, in turn making maps with the spatial distribution of the index. The index ranged from 71 to 76 in the various mesoregions of Paraíba, with Agreste being the best mesoregion for breeding quails from the 3rd to the 5th week of life, thus providing a thermal comfort zone for birds and only requiring a few corrective measures in their facilities, when necessary, followed by the Sertão, Zona da Mata and Borborema mesoregions

Physiological responses and hormone cortisol as indicators of thermal stress in boer goats in climatic chamber.

No nordeste, a caprinocultura se destaca principalmente pela rusticidade das raças criadas na região e sua adaptabilidade a ambientes de temperaturas elevadas. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi avaliar os efeitos das diferentes temperaturas em câmara climática nas respostas fisiológicas, de desempenho e hormonal, em caprinos da raça Boer. O trabalho foi desenvolvido em câmara climática na UFCG, Campina Grande-PB. Utilizaram-se seis caprinos ¾Boer + ¼SRD com peso médio de 25 kg submetidos a três diferentes temperaturas controladas. O experimento foi realizado em duas etapas; na primeira etapa três animais foram submetidos a três temperaturas e em cada temperatura cinco dias eram de adaptação e 10 dias de coleta de dados com cinco dias para recomposição das funções fisiológicas entre as temperaturas; o mesmo procedimento foi adotado para a segunda etapa. Foram coletadas temperatura retal, frequência respiratória, frequência cardíaca e temperatura superficial, além de comparadas quatro metodologias de estimativa da Temperatura Superficial Média. Os gradientes térmicos TS-TA, TR-TS e TR-TA foram estimados e coletadas amostras de sangue para avaliação do hormônio cortisol. O delineamento utilizado foi o DIC, com três tratamentos e seis repetições; os dados foram analisados por meio do SAS pela aplicação dos procedimentos GLM e Teste de Tukey (T <0,05) para as variáveis significativas. As variáveis fisiológicas apresentaram efeito diretamente proporcional à temperatura ambiente, a frequência respiratória ficou dentro de faixas pertencentes a raças nativas. A frequência cardíaca variou de 100,6 bat/min (25,7ºC) a 116,2 bat/min (33,4ºC), 15%. A temperatura superficial teve aumento de 24%. Os gradientes foram afetados em temperatura ambiente elevada, assim como o consumo de ração, água, ganho de peso e conversão alimentar porém o cortisol não foi afetado pela temperatura ambiente elevada.The goat in the northeast it stands out mainly by the rusticity of breeds in the region and their suitability to elevated temperature environments. The objective of this research was to assess the effects of different temperatures out in climatic chamber in physiological responses, and hormonal performance in goats of the Boer breed. The work was developed out in climatic chamber at UFCG, Campina Grande-PB. Six ¾Boer + ¼SRD goats with an average weight of 25 kg submitted to three different temperatures were used. The experiment was conducted in two stages. In the first stage three animals were subjected to three temperatures and at each temperature five days were adapted and 10 days of data collection. five days for recomposition of physiological functions between temperatures. The same procedure was adopted for the second stage. Rectal temperature, respiratory rate, heart rate and skin temperature were collected and compared four methods of estimation of Medium Superficial Temperature. Thermal gradients TS-TA, TR- TS and TR-TA were estimated and blood samples for evaluation of the hormone cortisol was collected. The design utilized was the DIC three treatments and six repetitions, the data were analyzed using SAS by applying the GLM procedures and Tukey test (T <0.05) for the significant variables. The physiological variables were directly proportional effect at ambient temperature, respiratory rate was within ranges belonging to native breeds. Heart rate ranged from 100.6 beats / min (25,7ºC) to 116.2 beats / min (33,4ºC), 15%. The skin temperature is had an increase of 24%. Gradients were affected in elevated ambient temperature, as well as the feed intake, water, weight gain and feed conversion ratio, but cortisol was not affected by high ambient temperature

Interaction of water with the gypsum (010) surface: Structure and dynamics from nonlinear vibrational spectroscopy and Ab initio molecular dynamics

Water-mineral interfaces are important for several environmental, industrial, biological, and geological processes. Gypsum, CaSO 4 ·2H 2 O, is a widespread mineral of high technological, medical, and environmental relevance, but little is known about its surface structure and its interaction with water. A molecular-level understanding of gypsum/water interface is given here by a combined experimental/theoretical study. We investigate the structure and dynamics of water adsorbed from vapor on the gypsum (010) single-crystal surface at room temperature, combining sum-frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy experiments and ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations. The SFG spectra of gypsum at low relative humidity (RH) show an anisotropic arrangement of structural water molecules and the presence of dangling OH groups. The AIMD simulations allow a detailed assignment of the SFG spectra and show that the cleaved (010) surface rearranges to have only 25% of the OH groups pointing away from the surface. At higher RHs, the first adsorbed water layer binds to these OH groups and forms an anisotropic arrangement, but with the amount of free OH groups significantly suppressed and without any significant diffusion. Upon adsorption of a second water layer, although the topmost layer of molecules is more disordered and dynamic than the previous one, its structure is still influenced by the gypsum surface underneath because it has a much reduced amount of free OH groups with respect to the free surface of water, and a slower surface diffusion with respect to bulk water. The theoretical results corroborate the experimental ones and provide an accurate atomic characterization of the surface structure.Fil: Santos, Jaciara C. C.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Negreiros Ribeiro, Fábio. Universidade Federal Do Abc; Brasil. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones en Físico-química de Córdoba. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Físico-química de Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Pedroza, Luana S.. Universidade Federal Do Abc; BrasilFil: Dalpian, Gustavo M.. Universidade Federal Do Abc; BrasilFil: Miranda, Paulo B.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; Brasi