2,482 research outputs found

    Performance of Beef Cattle Fed Diets Containing \u3cem\u3eStylosanthes\u3c/em\u3e and Corn Silages

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    Reports of the use of tropical legumes in silage production are scarce as these legumes have high contents of crude protein, low water soluble carbohydrate and high buffering capacity, which inhibit the production of silages with good fermentation and nutritional characteristics. Recent research has, however, shown that it is possible to produce good quality silages using tropical legumes (Pereira et al. 2012). Souza et al. (2012) concluded that silage produced from Stylosanthes cv. Campo Grande (Stylosanthes capitata + Stylosanthes macrocephala) at 60% proportion of the dry matter of the diet can replace corn silage in diets for beef cattle in feedlots without altering their intake and productive performance. However, the ideal proportion of this silage in the diets for beef cattle is still unknown. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the intake and performance of beef cattle fed diets with Stylosanthes and corn silages

    Estudio Integral sobre la Evaluación del Recurso Eólico en Entornos Urbanos. Estación Anemométrica Adaptable

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    Como consecuencia de un intenso proceso de trabajo, coordinado con Investigadores del CIEMAT (Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas), se pretende comunicar el estado del trabajo de Investigación relacionado con la Evaluación del Potencial Eólico en entornos urbanos, con vistas a la posible generación de energía eléctrica limpia

    The electron-furfural scattering dynamics for 63 energetically open electronic states

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    We report on integral-, momentum transfer-and differential cross sections for elastic and electronically inelastic electron collisions with furfural (C5H4O2). The calculations were performed with two different theoretical methodologies, the Schwinger multichannel method with pseudopotentials (SMCPP) and the independent atom method with screening corrected additivity rule (IAM-SCAR) that now incorporates a further interference (I) term. The SMCPP with N energetically open electronic states (N-open) at either the static-exchange (N-open ch-SE) or the static-exchange-plus-polarisation (N-open ch-SEP) approximation was employed to calculate the scattering amplitudes at impact energies lying between 5 eV and 50 eV, using a channel coupling scheme that ranges from the 1ch-SEP up to the 63ch-SE level of approximation depending on the energy considered. For elastic scattering, we found very good overall agreement at higher energies among our SMCPP cross sections, our IAM-SCAR+I cross sections and the experimental data for furan (a molecule that differs from furfural only by the substitution of a hydrogen atom in furan with an aldehyde functional group). This is a good indication that our elastic cross sections are converged with respect to the multichannel coupling effect for most of the investigated intermediate energies. However, although the present application represents the most sophisticated calculation performed with the SMCPP method thus far, the inelastic cross sections, even for the low lying energy states, are still not completely converged for intermediate and higher energies. We discuss possible reasons leading to this discrepancy and point out what further steps need to be undertaken in order to improve the agreement between the calculated and measured cross sections. (C) 2016 AIP Publishing LLC

    Using normative modelling to detect disease progression in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease in a cross-sectional multi-cohort study

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    Abstract Normative modelling is an emerging method for quantifying how individuals deviate from the healthy populational pattern. Several machine learning models have been implemented to develop normative models to investigate brain disorders, including regression, support vector machines and Gaussian process models. With the advance of deep learning technology, the use of deep neural networks has also been proposed. In this study, we assessed normative models based on deep autoencoders using structural neuroimaging data from patients with Alzheimer’s disease (n = 206) and mild cognitive impairment (n = 354). We first trained the autoencoder on an independent dataset (UK Biobank dataset) with 11,034 healthy controls. Then, we estimated how each patient deviated from this norm and established which brain regions were associated to this deviation. Finally, we compared the performance of our normative model against traditional classifiers. As expected, we found that patients exhibited deviations according to the severity of their clinical condition. The model identified medial temporal regions, including the hippocampus, and the ventricular system as critical regions for the calculation of the deviation score. Overall, the normative model had comparable cross-cohort generalizability to traditional classifiers. To promote open science, we are making all scripts and the trained models available to the wider research community

    Bentonites Modified with Phosphomolybdic Heteropolyacid (HPMo) for Biowaste to Biofuel Production

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    Two bentonites from Paraíba (Northeastern Brazil) were impregnated with heteropoly phosphomolybdic H3PMo12O40 (HPMo). The materials produced were characterized by various techniques such as N2 adsorption-desorption (specific surface area, SSA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA/DTG), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) equipped with Dispersive Energy X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), acid-base titration analysis. The catalytic activity of these materials was tested in the esterification of a waste from palm oil deodorization and the main results obtained (about 93.3% of conversion) indicated that these materials have potential to act as heterogeneous solid acid catalysts. The prepared materials exhibited satisfactory catalytic performance even after a very simple recycling process in three reuse cycles, without significant loss of their activities

    Investigação sorológica de espécies de Ehrlichia em cães, equinos e humanos de um assentamento rural do sul do Brasil

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    Objetivou-se determinar a soroprevalência de Ehrlichia spp. e os fatores de risco associados a exposição em uma população restrita de cães, cavalos e humanos altamente expostos a picadas de carrapatos em um assentamento rural brasileiro utilizando um teste comercial de ELISA rápido e dois testes de imunofluorescência indireta (IFI) com antígenos brutos de E. canis e E. chaffeensis. Amostras de soro de 132 cães, 16 cavalos e 100 humanos foram utilizadas. Cinquenta e seis/132 (42,4%) cães foram soropositivos para E. canis. Cães > um ano apresentaram mais chance de serem soropositivos para E. canis do que cães ≤ um ano (p =0,0051). Dez/16 (62,5%) e 8/16 (50%) cavalos foram soropositivos pelo ELISA comercial e IFI, respectivamente. Cinco/100 (5%) humanos foramsoropositivos para E. canis e E. chaffeensis. Rhipicephalus sanguineus (n= 291, 97,98%) nos cães e A. cajennense (n = 25, 96,15%) nos cavalos foram os carrapatos mais encontrados. Concluindo, anticorpos anti-Ehrlichia spp. foram encontrados em cavalos; entretanto, a ausência de uma caracterização molecular impede qualquer conclusão sobre agente envolvido. Além disso, a alta soroprevalência de E. canis em cães e a evidência de anticorpos anti-Ehrlichia sp. em humanos, sugere que os casos de erliquiose humana no Brasil possam ser causados por E. canis ou outra espécie intimamente relacionada.The aims of this study were to determine the seroprevalence of Ehrlichia spp. and risk factors for exposure in a restricted population of dogs, horses, and humans highly exposed to tick bites in a Brazilian rural settlement using a commercial ELISA rapid test and two indirect immunofluorescent assays (IFA) with E. canis and E. chaffeensis crude antigens. Serum samples from 132 dogs, 16 horses and 100 humans were used. Fifty-six out of 132 (42.4%) dogs were seropositive for E. canis. Dogs > one year were more likely to be seropositive for E. canis than dogs ≤ one year (p = 0.0051). Ten/16 (62.5%) and 8/16 (50%) horses were seropositive by the commercial ELISA and IFA, respectively. Five out of 100 (5%) humans were seropositive for E. canis and E. chaffeensis. Rhipicephalus sanguineus (n = 291, 97.98%) on dogs and Amblyomma cajennense (n = 25, 96.15%) on horses were the most common ticks found. In conclusion, anti-Ehrlichia spp. antibodies were found in horses; however, the lack of a molecular characterization precludes any conclusion regarding the agent involved. Additionally, the higher seroprevalence of E. canis in dogs and the evidence of anti-Ehrlichia spp. antibodies in humans suggest that human cases of ehrlichiosis in Brazil might be caused by E. canis, or other closely related species

    Integral elastic, electronic-state, ionization, and total cross sections for electron scattering with furfural

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    We report absolute experimental integral cross sections (ICSs) for electron impact excitation of bands of electronic-states in furfural, for incident electron energies in the range 20-250 eV. Wherever possible, those results are compared to corresponding excitation cross sections in the structurally similar species furan, as previously reported by da Costa et al. [Phys. Rev. A 85, 062706 (2012)] and Regeta and Allan [Phys. Rev. A 91, 012707 (2015)]. Generally, very good agreement is found. In addition, ICSs calculated with our independent atom model (IAM) with screening corrected additivity rule (SCAR) formalism, extended to account for interference (I) terms that arise due to the multi-centre nature of the scattering problem, are also reported. The sum of those ICSs gives the IAM-SCAR+I total cross section for electron-furfural scattering. Where possible, those calculated IAM-SCAR+I ICS results are compared against corresponding results from the present measurements with an acceptable level of accord being obtained. Similarly, but only for the band I and band II excited electronic states, we also present results from our Schwinger multichannel method with pseudopotentials calculations. Those results are found to be in good qualitative accord with the present experimental ICSs. Finally, with a view to assembling a complete cross section data base for furfural, some binary-encounter-Bethe-level total ionization cross sections for this collision system are presented. (C) 2016 AIP Publishing LLC

    Educational inequality in consumption of in natura or minimally processed foods and ultra-processed foods: The intersection between sex and race/skin color in Brazil

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    BackgroundIt remains uncertain how the intersection between educational, gender, and race/skin color inequalities influences food consumption in Brazil. In this study, we examined the educational inequality in the consumption of in natura/minimally processed and ultra-processed foods by Brazilians with an intersectional perspective between sex and race/color.MethodsWe used cross-sectional data from the Telephone Surveillance System (VIGITEL 2019), comprising 52,443 participants ≥ 18 years. Daily food consumption was considered high when consumption of ≥5 foods for each food group was reported the day before the survey. Educational inequality in food consumption was assessed by the slope index of inequality (SII) and the relative index of inequality (RII) according to sex and race/color (White; Black/Brown). Positive SII and RII values > 1.0 indicate higher food consumption among more educated participants.ResultsThe consumptions of in natura/minimally processed and ultra-processed foods were more prevalent in those with the highest level of education (≥12 years) and intermediate education (9–11 years), respectively. However, highly educated White women had higher consumption of in natura/minimally processed foods than Black women with the same education level, and White men in low and intermediate school levels had higher consumption of these foods than Black men with the same education levels. We found higher absolute educational inequality for in natura/minimally processed foods among White women (SII 21.8, 95% CI 15.3, 28.4) and Black/Brown men (SII 19.3, 95% CI 12.5, 26.1). Black/Brown men (SII 7.3, 95% CI 0.5, 14.0) and Black/Brown women (SII 5.6, 95% CI 1.0, 10.2) had higher absolute educational inequality than White men (SII −3.3, 95% CI −10.9, 4.3; P = 0.04) in the consumption of ultra-processed foods.ConclusionEducational inequalities influenced the consumption of in natura/minimally processed more than ultra-processed foods, and, for the latter, inequalities were greater among Black/Brown men and women than among White men
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