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

Horizontal Branch Stars: The Interplay between Observations and Theory, and Insights into the Formation of the Galaxy

We review HB stars in a broad astrophysical context, including both variable and non-variable stars. A reassessment of the Oosterhoff dichotomy is presented, which provides unprecedented detail regarding its origin and systematics. We show that the Oosterhoff dichotomy and the distribution of globular clusters (GCs) in the HB morphology-metallicity plane both exclude, with high statistical significance, the possibility that the Galactic halo may have formed from the accretion of dwarf galaxies resembling present-day Milky Way satellites such as Fornax, Sagittarius, and the LMC. A rediscussion of the second-parameter problem is presented. A technique is proposed to estimate the HB types of extragalactic GCs on the basis of integrated far-UV photometry. The relationship between the absolute V magnitude of the HB at the RR Lyrae level and metallicity, as obtained on the basis of trigonometric parallax measurements for the star RR Lyrae, is also revisited, giving a distance modulus to the LMC of (m-M)_0 = 18.44+/-0.11. RR Lyrae period change rates are studied. Finally, the conductive opacities used in evolutionary calculations of low-mass stars are investigated. [ABRIDGED]Comment: 56 pages, 22 figures. Invited review, to appear in Astrophysics and Space Scienc

NEOTROPICAL XENARTHRANS: a data set of occurrence of xenarthran species in the Neotropics

Xenarthrans – anteaters, sloths, and armadillos – have essential functions for ecosystem maintenance, such as insect control and nutrient cycling, playing key roles as ecosystem engineers. Because of habitat loss and fragmentation, hunting pressure, and conflicts with 24 domestic dogs, these species have been threatened locally, regionally, or even across their full distribution ranges. The Neotropics harbor 21 species of armadillos, ten anteaters, and six sloths. Our dataset includes the families Chlamyphoridae (13), Dasypodidae (7), Myrmecophagidae (3), Bradypodidae (4), and Megalonychidae (2). We have no occurrence data on Dasypus pilosus (Dasypodidae). Regarding Cyclopedidae, until recently, only one species was recognized, but new genetic studies have revealed that the group is represented by seven species. In this data-paper, we compiled a total of 42,528 records of 31 species, represented by occurrence and quantitative data, totaling 24,847 unique georeferenced records. The geographic range is from the south of the USA, Mexico, and Caribbean countries at the northern portion of the Neotropics, to its austral distribution in Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay. Regarding anteaters, Myrmecophaga tridactyla has the most records (n=5,941), and Cyclopes sp. has the fewest (n=240). The armadillo species with the most data is Dasypus novemcinctus (n=11,588), and the least recorded for Calyptophractus retusus (n=33). With regards to sloth species, Bradypus variegatus has the most records (n=962), and Bradypus pygmaeus has the fewest (n=12). Our main objective with Neotropical Xenarthrans is to make occurrence and quantitative data available to facilitate more ecological research, particularly if we integrate the xenarthran data with other datasets of Neotropical Series which will become available very soon (i.e. Neotropical Carnivores, Neotropical Invasive Mammals, and Neotropical Hunters and Dogs). Therefore, studies on trophic cascades, hunting pressure, habitat loss, fragmentation effects, species invasion, and climate change effects will be possible with the Neotropical Xenarthrans dataset