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

Analysis of the influence of the podalic support in face radiographies of the knees in load

Introdução – A articulação do joelho é das mais complexas do corpo humano e das mais afetadas pela osteoartrose uma vez que sustenta a maior parte do peso corporal. As alterações do alinhamento dos seus componentes podem conduzir ao desequilíbrio biomecânico e promover a redução do espaço articular. Apesar de outras modalidades de imagem serem utilizadas, neste contexto a radiologia convencional constitui, ainda, um instrumento indispensável na avaliação imagiológica do joelho. Contudo, não é consensual qual o protocolo mais adequado para a sua avaliação. Objetivos – O objetivo principal deste estudo centrou-se na análise da influência do apoio podálico, bi ou mono, na imagem radiográfica resultante da incidência de face do joelho em carga. Material e métodos – Realizou-se um estudo institucional, observacional, transversal e retrospetivo, incidindo sobre indivíduos, adultos, submetidos a um exame radiográfico de face dos joelhos em carga, com apoio bipodálico e monopodálico no mesmo episódio de exame. Foram aplicadas técnicas de medição do espaço articular e do ângulo femorotibial em todas as imagens recolhidas e comparadas as medições entre as imagens com apoio monopodálico e bipodálico. Resultados – A amostra foi composta por 30 indivíduos (63,3% do género feminino) com uma média de idades de 60,9 anos (±10,4 anos). A partir desta amostra foram constituídos dois grupos, um composto pelos joelhos direitos (n=21) e o outro pelos joelhos esquerdos (n=27). O espaço articular do compartimento medial apresentou-se como o mais diminuído em ambos os grupos. Comparando as médias das medições do espaço articular nas imagens adquiridas com apoio monopodálico e bipodálico observaram-se diferenças com significância estatística quer no joelho direito (p<0,001) quer no esquerdo (p<0,001). Observaram-se ainda diferenças na amplitude do ângulo femorotibial entre as imagens com apoio mono e bipodálico. Conclusão – Os resultados obtidos apontam para que a incidência de face em carga do joelho realizada com apoio monopodálico promove uma redução do espaço articular do compartimento afetado e, consequentemente, o aumento do espaço articular do compartimento contralateral.ABSTRACT: Introduction – The knee joint is one of the most complex of the human body and most affected by osteoarthritis since it sustains most of the body weight. The modifications of the alignment of its components can lead to biomechanical imbalance and promote the joint space reduction. Although other imaging modalities are used, in this context, conventional radiology is still an indispensable instrument in the knee imaging evaluation. However, it is not consensual which protocol is most appropriate for its evaluation. Aim – The main objective of this study was centered on the osteoarthrosis, bi or mono, on the radiographic image resultant of the incidence of the face of the knee in weight-bearing. Methods – An institutional, observational, transversal and retrospective study was conducted, focusing on individuals, adults, subjected to a radiographic exam of the face of the knee in weight-bearing, with bipodal and monopodal support in the same examination episode. Measurement techniques of the joint space and femorotibial angle were applied to all collected images and the measurements were compared between images with monopodal and bipodal support. Results – The sample consisted of 30 subjects (63.3% female) with a mean age of 60.9 years (±10.4 years). From this sample two groups were constituted, one consisting of right knees (n=21) and the other by left knees (n=27). The joint space of the medial compartment was presented as the most decreased in both groups. Comparing the average of the measurements of joint space on the images acquired with mono and bipodal support, statistically significant differences were observed both in the right knee (p<0.001) and the left (p<0.001). Differences in the range of femorotibial angle were also observed between images with mono and bipodal support. Conclusion – The results obtained indicate that the incidence of the face of the knee with monopodal weight-bearing, promotes a reduction in the articular space of the affected compartment consequently increasing the contralateral joint space compartment.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Manipulation of Magnetic Skyrmions by Superconducting Vortices in Ferromagnet-Superconductor Heterostructures

Dynamics of magnetic skyrmions in hybrid ferromagnetic films harbors novel physical phenomena and holds promise for technological applications. In this work, we discuss the behavior of magnetic skyrmions when coupled to superconducting vortices in a ferromagnet-superconductor heterostructure. We use numerical simulations and analytic arguments to reveal broader possibilities for manipulating the skyrmion-vortex dynamic correlations in the hybrid system, that are not possible in its separated constituents. We explore the thresholds of particular dynamic phases, and quantify the phase diagram as a function of the relevant material parameters, applied current and induced magnetic torques. Finally, we demonstrate the broad and precise tunability of the skyrmion Hall-angle in presence of vortices, with respect to currents applied to either or both the superconductor and the ferromagnet within the heterostructure

Duration of Low Wage Employment: A Study Based on a Survival Model

This paper includes a survival analysis which attempts to explain the duration, as in the number of years a worker remains in a low wage situation. Explanatory variables take into account the characteristics of the employee, such as education, age, tenure with the company, gender and nationality, and the characteristics of the job and the company such as industry affiliation, number of employees, age of the company and location.low wage, survival, Portugal

Spreading gossip in social networks

We study a simple model of information propagation in social networks, where two quantities are introduced: the spread factor, which measures the average maximal fraction of neighbors of a given node that interchange information among each other, and the spreading time needed for the information to reach such fraction of nodes. When the information refers to a particular node at which both quantities are measured, the model can be taken as a model for gossip propagation. In this context, we apply the model to real empirical networks of social acquaintances and compare the underlying spreading dynamics with different types of scale-free and small-world networks. We find that the number of friendship connections strongly influences the probability of being gossiped. Finally, we discuss how the spread factor is able to be applied to other situations.Comment: 10 pages, 16 figures, Revtex; Virt.J. of Biol. Phys., Oct.1 200

Madeira wine volatile profile. A platform to establish madeira wine aroma descriptors

In the present study we aimed to investigate the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that may potentially be responsible for specific descriptors of Madeira wine providing details about Madeira wine aroma notes at molecular level. Moreover, the wine aroma profile, based on the obtained data, will be a starting point to evaluate the impact of grape variety (Malvasia, Bual, Sercial, Verdelho and Tinta Negra), type (sweet, medium sweet, dry and medium dry), and age (from 3 to 20 years old) on Madeira wine sensorial properties. Firstly, a comprehensive and in-depth Madeira wine volatile profiling was carried out using headspace solid-phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS–SPME/GC–qMS). Secondly, a relation among the varietal, fermentative and aging aroma compounds, and their aroma descriptors with the Madeira wine sensorial properties was assessed. A total of 82 VOCs, belonging to different chemical families were identified, namely 21 esters, 13 higher alcohols, ten terpenic compounds, nine fatty acids, seven furanic compounds, seven norisoprenoids, six lactones, four acetals, four volatile phenols and one sulphur compound. From a sensorial point of view, during the aging process the wine lost its freshness and fruitiness odor related to the presence of some varietal and fermentative compounds, whereas other descriptors such as caramel, dried fruits, spicy, toasty and woody, arose during ageing. The Maillard reaction and diffusion from the oak were the most important pathways related with these descriptors. A relationship-based approach was used to explore the impact of grape variety, wine type, and age on Madeira wine sensorial properties based on shared number of VOCs and their odors.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio