Forage quality and performance of sheep in Massai grass pastures managed at pre-grazing canopy heights

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of pasture height at pre-grazing of Massai grass on the quality of available forage, forage intake and the performance of lambs raised for meat production. The treatments consisted of four pre-grazing canopy heights (35, 40, 45 and 50 cm). Pastures were managed by the intermittent stocking method and 32 sheep were used. Dry matter intake (DMI) was estimated by Lipe® indicator. Green forage allowance was not affected by pre-grazing heights. There was no effect of heights on the chemical composition of the stem or the leaf blades, except for crude protein content of leaf blades, which showed an inverse linear effect. Grazing time had a quadratic response in function of canopy height. The minimum point was at 42.6 cm, with 502.9 min/day. DMI increased linearly with increasing pasture height. Average daily weight gain (ADG) and stocking rate (SR) responded linearly to pre-grazing heights. Weight gain per hectare was not affected by height as a result of the compensation between SR and ADG. The increase from 35 to 50 cm in Massai grass canopy height reduces its nutritional value and individual performance and increases DMI of sheep intended for meat production.Keywords: Panicum maximum, tropical pasture, voluntary intak

Energy Expenditure In Vocalizations Of Pigs Under Stresses

Modern swine production faces many challenges nowadays, among which are productivity growth, meat quality improvement, decrease of environmental damage and reduction of cost production. Pigs spend energy to vocalizing, especially when they undergo stress. The waste of energy can increase the cost of production and lead to greater environmental damage. The goal of this study was to estimate the energy spent by pigs under the stress of castration and its effect on the animals' weight gain. Two groups of ten animals each were castrated, being one group with local anesthetic and the other without anesthetic. The piglets' vocalizations were recorded during different stages of the neutering process and then estimated of the amount of energy emitted during each vocalization. Afterwards, this energy was associated with the animals' weight gain. There was no difference in the total energy spent in both groups, since the energy used during the application of anesthetic was similar to the energy spent during the castration of the animals without anesthetic. There was also no correlation between energy spent and the animals' weight gain. It was possible to estimate the amount of energy emitted through vocalization. This energy spent by piglets in pain was greater than in other handling situations (contention, weighting and realease).335896901Cordeiro, A.F.S., Pereira, E.M., Nääs, I.A., Silva, W.T., Moura, D.J., Medida de Vocalização de Suínos (Sus scrofa) como um Indicador de Gasto Energético (2009), p. 2. , Brazilian Journal of Biosystems Engineering, CampinasCosta, A.N., Produção e bem-estar animal aspectos técnicos e éticos da produção intensiva de suínos (2008) Ciência Veterinária nos Trópicos, Recife 11, 1, pp. 43-48Costa, O.A.D., Ludke, J.V., Costa, M.J.R.P., Faucitano, L., Peloso, J.V., Roza, D.D., Modelo de carroceria e seu impacto sobre o bem-estar e a qualidade da carne dos suínos (2007) Ciência Rural, Santa Maria, 37 (5), pp. 1418-1422Dallanora, D., Machado, G.S., Biondo, N., Impacto da qualidade dos leitões desmamados sobre o desempenho posterior nas creches terminações (2010) Acta Scientiae Veterinariae, Porto Alegre, 37, pp. 171-180Hötzel, M.J., Machado Filho, L.C.P., (2013), pp. 34-38. , http://www.freewebs.com/hotzel/PorWorld2004.pdf, Comportamento e bem-estar dos leitões em relação ao desmame. Porkworld, Paulina, São Paulo 01 jul. 2004. Disponível em: Acesso em: 28 fevKummer, R., Gonçalves, M.A.D., Lippke, R.T., Marques, B.M.F., Mores, T.J., Fatores que influenciam o desempenho dos leitões na fase de creche (2009) Acta Scientiae Veterinariae, Porto Alegre, 37 (1), pp. 195-209Marx, G., Horn, T., Thielebein, J., Knubel, B., Borell, E., Analysis of pain-related vocalization in young pigs, Journal of Sound and Vibration (2003) Amsterdam 266, 3, pp. 687-698Moraes, E., Kiefer, C., Iandara Schettert Silva, I., S.Ractopamina em dietas para suínos machos imunocastrados, castrados e fêmeas (2010) Ciência Rural, Santa Maria40, pp. 2409-2414Moura, D.J., Silva, W.T., Nääs, I.A., Tolon, Y.B., Lima, K.A.O., Vale, M.M., Real timecomputer stress monitoring of piglets using vocalization analysis (2008) Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, Amsterdam, 64, pp. 111-118Nääs, I.A., Campos, L.S.L., Baracho, M.S., Tolon, Y.B., Uso de redes neurais artificiais na identificação de vocalização de suínos (2008) EngenhariaAgrícola, Jaboticabal, 28, pp. 2204-2216Pauly, C., Spring, P., O'doherty, J.V., Kragten, S.A., Bee, G., Growth performance, carcass characteristics and meat qualityof group-penned surgically castrated, immunocastrated(Improvac®) and entire male pigs and individually pennedentire male pigs (2009) The International Journal of Animal Biosciences, Cambridge, 3 (7), pp. 1057-1066Rault, J.-L., Lay, J.R., Marchant-Forde, J.N., Castration induced pain in pigs and other livestock (2011) Applied Animal Behaviour Science, Amsterdam, 135 (3), pp. 214-225Risi, N., Uso da vocalização como indicador patológico em leitões na fase de maternidade. 2010. 93 f. Dissertação (Mestrado) - Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz", Universidade de São Paulo (2010) PiracicabaSilva, R.B.T.R., Nääs, I.A., Moura, D.J., Silveira, N.A., Welfare norms for swine production under intensive rearing system.Brazilian Journal of Biosystems Engineering (2007) Campinas, 1 (2), pp. 137-145Smith, A.L., Stalder, K.J., Serenius, T.V., Baas, T.J., Mabry, J., W.Effects of piglet birth weights at weaning and 42 days post weaning (2007) Journal of Swine Health and Production, 15 (4), pp. 213-218Taylor, A.A., Weary, D.M., Vocal responses of piglets to castration: identifying procedural sources of pain (2000) Applied Animal Behaviour Science, Amsterdam, 70 (1), pp. 17-26Tolon, Y.B., Baracho, M.S., Nääs, I.A., Rojas, M., Moura, D.J., Ambiências térmica, aérea e acústica para reprodutores suínos EngenhariaAgrícola (2010) Jaboticabal, 30 (1), pp. 1-1

Consistent interactions of dual linearized gravity in D=5: couplings with a topological BF model

Under some plausible assumptions, we find that the dual formulation of linearized gravity in D=5 can be nontrivially coupled to the topological BF model in such a way that the interacting theory exhibits a deformed gauge algebra and some deformed, on-shell reducibility relations. Moreover, the tensor field with the mixed symmetry (2,1) gains some shift gauge transformations with parameters from the BF sector.Comment: 63 pages, accepted for publication in Eur. Phys. J.

Prevalence Of α-thalassemia 3.7 Kb Deletion In The Adult Population Of Rio Grande Do Norte, Brazil

α-Thalassemia, arising from a defect in α-globin chain synthesis, is often caused by deletions involving one or both of the α-genes on the same allele. With the aim of investigating the prevalence of α-thalassemia 3.7 kb deletion in the adult population of Rio Grande do Norte, 713 unrelated individuals, between 18 and 59 years-of-age, were analyzed. Red blood cell indices were electronically determined, and A 2 and F hemoglobins evaluated by HPLC. PCR was applied to the molecular investigation of α-thalassemia 3.7 kb deletion. Eighty (11.2%) of the 713 individuals investigated presented α-thalassemia, of which 79 (11.1%) were heterozygous (-α 3.7/αα) deletions and 1 (0.1%) homozygous (-α 3.7/-α 3.7). Ethnically, heterozygous deletions were higher (24.8%) in Afro-Brazilians. Comparison of hematological parameters between individuals with normal genotype and those with heterozygous α +-thalassemia showed a statistically significant difference in the number of erythrocytes (p < 0.001), MCV (p < 0.001), MCH (p < 0.001) and Hb A 2 (p = 0.007). This study is one of the first dedicated to investigating α-thalassemia 3.7 kb deletion in the population of the State Rio Grande do Norte state. Results obtained demonstrate the importance of investigating this condition in order to elucidate the causes of microcytosis and hypochromia. © 2012, Sociedade Brasileira de Genética. Printed in Brazil.353594598Adorno, E.V., Couto, F.D., Moura Neto, J.P., Menezes, J.F., Rêgo, M., Reis, M.G., Gonçalves, M.S., Hemoglobinopathies in newborns from Salvador, Bahia, Northeast Brazil (2005) Cad Saúde Pública, 21, pp. 292-298Bezerra, C.M., Meissner, R.V., Diagnóstico molecular da talassemia alfa + (deleção-( 3.7) em indivíduos com microcitose e/ou hipocromia atendidos no Hemocentro Dalton Barbosa Cunha em Natal, Rio Grande do Norte (2010) Rev Bras Hematol Hemoter, 32, pp. 90-91. , (Abstract in English)Borg, J., Georgitsi, M., Aleporou-Marinou, V., Kollia, P., Patrinos, G.P., Genetic recombination as a major cause of mutagenesis in the human globin gene clusters (2009) Clin Biochem, 42, pp. 1839-1850Borges, E., Wenning, M.R.S.C., Kimura, E.M., Gervásio, S.A., Costa, F.F., Sonati, M.F., High prevalence of alpha-thalassemia among individuals with microcytosis and hypochromia without anemia (2001) Braz J Med Biol Res, 34, pp. 759-762Cascudo, L.C., (1984) História do Rio Grande do Norte, p. 524. , 2 edition. Fundação José Augusto, NatalCouto, F.D., Albuquerque, A.B.L., Adorno, E.V., Moura Neto, J.P., Freitas, A.L., Oliveira, J.L.B., Reis, M.G., Gonçalves, M.S., Alpha-thalassemia-2, 3.7 kb deletion and hemoglobin AC heterozygosity in pregnancy: A molecular and hematological analysis (2003) Clin Lab Haematol, 25, pp. 29-34Dacie, J.V., Lewis, S.M., (1995) Practical Haematology., p. 608. , Churchill Livingstone, EdinburghDodé, C., Krishnamoorthy, R., Lamb, J., Rochette, J., Rapid analysis of-α 3.7 thalassaemia and ttt anti3.7 triplication by enzymatic amplification analysis (1992) Br J Haematol, 83, pp. 105-111Harteveld, L.C., Higgs, D.R., H-thalassaemia (2010) Orphanet J Rare Dis, 5, pp. 1-21Higgs, D.R., H-Thalassaemia (1993) Baillière's Clin Haematol, 6, pp. 117-150Higgs, D.R., The pathopysiology and clinical features of H thalassemia (2009) Disorders of Hemoglobin, pp. 266-295. , In: Steinberg MH, Forget BG, Higgs DR and Weatherall DJ (eds) 2 nd edition. Cambridge University Press, New YorkHiggs, D.R., Weatherall, D.J., The alpha thalassaemias (2009) Cell Mol Life Sci, 66, pp. 1154-1162Mouélé, R., Pambou, O., Feingold, J., Galactéros, F., M-thalassemia in Bantu population from Congo-Brazzaville: Its interaction with sickle cell anemia (2000) Hum Hered, 50, pp. 118-125Peres, M.J., Romão, L., Carreiro, H., Picanço, I., Batalha, L., Magalhães, H.A., Martins, M.C., Lavinha, J., Molecular basis of H-thalassemia in Portugal (1995) Hemoglobin, 19, pp. 343-352Rahim, F., Microcytic hypochromic anemia patients with thalassemia: Genotyping approach (2009) J Med, 63, pp. 101-108Sankar, V.H., Arya, V., Tewari, D., Gupta, U.R., Pradhan, M., Genotyping of alpha-thalassemia in microcytic hypochromic anemia patients from North India (2006) Indian J Med Res, 47, pp. 391-395Sonati, M.F., Farah, S.B., Ramalho, A.S., Costa, F.F., High prevalence of alpha-thalassemia in a black population of Brazil (1991) Hemoglobin, 15, pp. 309-311Souza, A.E.S., Takanashi, S.Y.L., Cardoso, G., Guerreiro, J.F., S-thalassemia (3.7 kb deletion) in a population from the Brazilian Amazon region: Santarém, Pará State (2009) Genet Mol Res, 8, pp. 477-481Steinberg, M.H., Nagel, R.L., Hemoglobins of the embryo, fetus and adult (2009) Disorders of Hemoglobin, pp. 119-135. , In: Steinberg MH, Forget BG, Higgs DR and Weatherall DJ (eds) 2 nd edition. Cambridge University Press, New YorkWagner, S.C., Castro, S.M., Gonzalez, T.P., Santin, A.P., Filippon, L., Zaleski, C.F., Azevedo, L.A., Hutz, M., Prevalence of common c-thalassemia determinants in south Brazil: Importance for the diagnosis of microcytic anemia (2010) Genet Mol Biol, 33, pp. 641-645Weatherall, D.J., Clegg, J.B., Inherited haemoglobin disorders: An increasing global health problem (2001) Bull World Health Organ, 79, pp. 704-71

Dynamics of Higher Spin Fields and Tensorial Space

The structure and the dynamics of massless higher spin fields in various dimensions are reviewed with an emphasis on conformally invariant higher spin fields. We show that in D=3,4,6 and 10 dimensional space-time the conformal higher spin fields constitute the quantum spectrum of a twistor-like particle propagating in tensorial spaces of corresponding dimensions. We give a detailed analysis of the field equations of the model and establish their relation with known formulations of free higher spin field theory.Comment: JHEP3 style, 40 pages; v2 typos corrected, comments and references added; v3 published versio

Aerobic exercise prevents cardiomyocyte damage caused by oxidative stress in early cardiovascular disease by increasing vascularity while L-arginine supplementation prevents it by increasing activation of the enzyme nitric oxide synthase

L-Arginine and chronic exercise reduce oxidative stress. However, it is unclear how they affect cardiomyocytes during cardiovascular disease (CVD) development. The aim of this research was to investigate the possible effects of L-arginine supplementation and aerobic training on systemic oxidative stress and their consequences on cardiomyocytes during cardiometabolic disease onset caused by excess fructose. Wistar rats were allocated into four groups: control (C), fructose (F, 10% fructose in water), fructose training (FT; moderate running, 50-70% of the maximal velocity), and fructose arginine (FA; 880 mg/kg/day). Fructose was given for two weeks and fructose plus treatments for the subsequent eight weeks. Body composition, blood glucose, insulin, lipid profile, lipid peroxidation, nitrite, metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) activity, left ventricle histological changes, microRNA-126, -195, and -146, eNOS, p-eNOS, and TNF-α expressions were analyzed. Higher abdominal fat mass, triacylglycerol level, and insulin level were observed in the F group, and both treatments reversed these alterations. Myocardial vascularization was impaired in fructose-fed groups, except in FT. Cardiomyocyte hypertrophy was observed in all fructose-fed groups. TNF-α levels were higher in fructose-fed groups than in the C group, and p-eNOS levels were higher in the FA than in the C and F groups. Lipid peroxidation was higher in the F group than in the FT and C groups. During CVD onset, moderate aerobic exercise reduced lipid peroxidation, and both training and L-arginine prevented metabolic changes caused by excessive fructose. Myocardial vascularization was impaired by fructose, and cardiomyocyte hypertrophy appeared to be influenced by pro-inflammatory and oxidative environments