GRASS UTILIZATION IN GROWING FINISHING BÍSARO PIGS (85-107 KG). PERFORMANCE AND CARCASS COMPOSITION

The use of different quantities of vegetables, forages or fresh grass as fodder for growing-finishing pigs is an important factor of the northern Portugal traditional system. The increasing development of swine production in outdoor systems, extensive and organic production, turns to upcoming natural diets, in which grass performs a significant part. With regard to this, some investigation has been made concerning the use of fibre-rich feed ingredients in pig nutrition. Metabolic effects of its ingestion are analysed concerning different sights (economical, social, environmental and physiological ones). The aim of this work was to study the effects of grass utilization in the diets on performances of finishing Bísaro pigs. A total of 22 pigs (16 castrated males and 6 females) was housed outdoor and fed ad libitum (37 – 85 kg live weight) with a growing diet and then transferred to an indoor system (with free access to an outdoor area) for 49 days, according to 3 different treatments: 100% concentrate (C), 75% concentrate + ad libitum grass (CE75), 50% concentrate + ad libitum grass (CE50). The grass was supplied and its intake registered on a daily basis. Every 14 days, the pigs were weighted and their back fat (P2 in vivo) measured. After slaughter (average weight of 107 kg LW), yield and ½ left carcass characteristics were controlled. During the outdoor growing phase, the ADG was 513 g/day. During the indoor finishing phase, the increase grass intake was proportional to the reduction of concentrate in the diet. The ADG (g) and the fat deposition (P2 cm) were significantly different (P<0,05) in the 3 treatments (ADG: C=641, CE75=467, CE50=356 and: C=11,4, CE75=+9,5, CE50=+6,2). The empty body weight (kg) was also proportional to the intake of concentrate (C=116,2; CE75=107,7; CE50=102,2). Comparatively to the weight of the body parts, pigs that had higher intake of grass and lower of concentrate showed a higher % of shoulder (P<0,05; C=20,4, CE75=21,7, CE50=22,2) and the pH45min of CE carcasses was significantly higher (P<0,05). As a conclusion, concentrate substitution for grass showed a slower growing rate, thinner carcasses and a high technological quality. Neverthelles variability (CV %) of the productive parameters at the end of this study were higher in the treatments that included grass: live weight (C= 10,5%; C75=10,7%; C50=14,3%), finishing ADG (C=24%; C75=37%, C50=42%), and final fat (C=37%; C75=32%, C50=52%). These values suggest that the utilization of fibrous feeds in growing-finishing swine may be one of the possible explanations of the more heterogeneous products and carcasses found in the traditional or extensive systems, common users of fibrous feeds in the carcass finishing phase

Palladium-catalyzed borylation and Suzuki coupling (BSC) to obtain beta-substituted dehydroamino acid derivatives

Several benzo[b]thienyldehydroamino acids were prepared by one pot palladium-catalyzed borylation and Suzuki coupling (BSC) from bromobenzo[b]thiophenes containing EDG (OMe or Me), as the component to be borylated with pinacolborane, and pure stereoisomers of beta-bromodehydroamino acid derivatives. To our knowledge it is the first time that the BSC reaction involves a non aromatic system.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia - POCTI/1999/QUI/32689, SFRH/BD/4709/2001

WALKINSENSE VALIDATION: PRELIMINARY TESTS OF MOBILITY PARAMETERS

The purpose of this study was to perform a preliminary validation of a new electronic instrument for human movement and performance assessment in sports. Measurements of distance, walking speed, step length and frequency were acquired, for a small sample of 15 subjects in a track of 10 m length, and compared to reference data. Results show good repeatability and data agreement across several trials at three different selfselected walking speeds

Implantation of intracorneal ring segments in pediatric patients: long-term follow-up

Purpose: To analyze the long-term outcomes of intracorneal ring segments (ICRS) implantation for keratoconus management in pediatric patients. Methods: Retrospective case series review of the long-term (>5 years) outcomes of Intacs® ICRS implantation for keratoconus in pediatric patients (age <18 years old at the time of surgery) between January 2008 and December 2011 at Ophthalmology Department of Hospital de Santo António. Demographic data, follow-up time, preoperative and postoperative uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in decimal scale, and corneal topography were evaluated. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS for windows (version 24). Significance was set at p<0.0125. Results: Fourteen eyes of 14 patients, with a mean age of 15.36 years (range 10-18 years), were included in this study. All patients had been diagnosed with keratoconus with reported progression in the 6 months prior to surgery. Follow-up time was 6.36±0.97 years. UCVA and BCVA improved after ICRS implantation (p<0.0125). Keratometry (K) minimum (Kmin) and K maximum (Kmax) decreased after surgery (p<0.0125). During follow-up, UCVA, BCVA, Kmin, and Kmax values ranged, showing a tendency to worsen at the end of follow-up. However, statistically significant differences were not observed. Conclusion: ICRS implantation showed good visual and topographic results in pediatric patients. Long-term follow-up suggests that, despite ICRS implantation, there is still progression of keratoconus. To the best of our knowledge, there are no reports regarding the long-term efficacy of ICRS implantation in pediatric patients.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Sonogashira cross-couplings of dehydroamino acid derivatives and phenylacetylenes

Several phenylacetylenes were coupled under Sonogashira cross coupling conditions with the methyl esters of N-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)-(E)-beta-bromo or beta, beta-dibromodehydroalanine to give respectively beta-substituted or beta,beta-bis-substituted dehydroalanines. The beta-substituted dehydroalanines were obtained in good to high yields (60-90%) under the usual Sonogashira conditions (1 equiv. of the phenylacetylene, 1 mol% Pd(PPh3)4, 2 mol% CuI 18 equiv. NEt3 in acetonitrile, 24h at rt) with maintenance of the stereochemistry. The beta,beta-bis-substituted dehydroalanines were in turn obtained in moderate to good yields (44-63%) requiring modified Sonogashira conditions (4 equiv. of the phenylacetylene,10 mol% PdCl2(PPh3)2, 20 mol% CuI, 1.4 equiv. Cs2CO3, 2h at reflux of acetonitrile). In the latter reactions some phenylacetylene dimer and the (E)-isomer of the mono substituted coupled products were also isolated in some extent. The Sonogashira products which were obtained from the 4-bromophenylacetylene were reacted with functionalized benzo[b]thiophenes under C-C or C-N palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling conditions. Preliminary fluorescence studies were performed for mono and disubstituted 4-aminophenylacetylenic dehydroamino acids and for the benzo[b]thiophene derivatives. The results showed that some of the dehydroalanines prepared can be used as fluorescent probes.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia - POCTI/99/QUI/32689, SFRH/BD/4709/2001

Nanoliposomes for encapsulation and delivery of the potential antitumoral methyl 6-methoxy-3-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1H-indole-2-carboxylate

[Excerpt] Nanoliposomes are new technological developments for the encapsulation and delivery of bioactive agents. Because of their biocompatibility and biodegradability, along with their size, nanoliposomes have potential applications in a vast range of fields, including nanotherapy. Nanoliposomes are able to enhance the performance of bioactive agents by improving their bioavailability, in vitro and in vivo stability, as well as preventing their unwanted interactions with other molecules [1]. Nanoliposomes may contain, in addition to phospholipids, other molecules such as cholesterol (Ch) which is an important component of most natural membranes. The incorporation of Ch can increase stability by modulating the fluidity of the lipid bilayer preventing crystallization of the phospholipid acyl chains and providing steric hindrance to their movement. Further advances in liposome research found that polyethylene glycol (PEG), which is inert in the body, allows longer circulatory life of the drug delivery system [2]. [...]This work was funded by FCT-Portugal and FEDER through CFUM, CQ-UM, Project PTDC/QUI/81238/2006 (cofinanced by FCT and by program FEDER/COMPETE, ref. FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-007467) and Post-doc. grant of A.S. Abreu (SFRH/BPD/24548/2005)

Studies of encapsulation of a new potential antitumoral indole derivative in nanoliposomes for drug delivery applications

This work was funded by FCT-Portugal and FEDER through CFUM, CQ-UM, Project PTDC/QUI/81238/2006 and Post-doc. grant of A.S. Abreu (SFRH/BPD/ /24548/2005)

Studies of encapsulation of new antitumoral fluorescent compounds in nanoliposomes for drug delivery purposes

This work was funded by Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT-Portugal) through CFUM, CQ-UM, Project PTDC/QUI/81238/2006 and Post-doc. grant of A.S. Abreu (SFRH/BPD/24548/2005)