Measurement of ZZ production in leptonic final states at {\surd}s of 1.96 TeV at CDF

In this paper we present a precise measurement of the total ZZ production cross section in pp collisions at {\surd}s= 1.96 TeV, using data collected with the CDF II detector corresponding to an integrated luminosity of approximately 6 fb-1. The result is obtained by combining separate measurements in the four-charged (lll'l'), and two-charged-lepton and two-neutral-lepton (llvv) decay modes of the Z. The combined measured cross section for pp {\to} ZZ is 1.64^(+0.44)_(-0.38) pb. This is the most precise measurement of the ZZ production cross section in 1.96 TeV pp collisions to date.Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time, and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space. While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes, vast areas of the tropics remain understudied. In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity, but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases. To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge, it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

Salivary cortisol as a tool for physiological studies and diagnostic strategies

Salivary cortisol is an index of plasma free cortisol and is obtained by a noninvasive procedure. We have been using salivary cortisol as a tool for physiological and diagnostic studies, among them the emergence of circadian rhythm in preterm and term infants. The salivary cortisol circadian rhythm in term and premature infants was established between 8 and 12 postnatal weeks. In the preterm infants the emergence of circadian rhythm was parallel to the onset of sleep rhythm. We also studied the use of salivary cortisol for screening for Cushing's syndrome (CS) in control and obese outpatients based on circadian rhythm and the overnight 1 mg dexamethasone (DEX) suppression test. Salivary cortisol was suppressed to less than 100 ng/dl after 1 mg DEX in control and obese patients. A single salivary cortisol measurement at 23:00 h and again after 1 mg DEX above the 90th percentile of the obese group values had sensitivity and specificity of 93 and 93% (23:00 h), and 91 and 94% (after DEX), respectively. The sensitivity improved to 100% when we combined both parameters. We also studied 11 CS children and 21 age-matched primary obese children for whom salivary cortisol sensitivity and specificity were 100/95% (23:00 h), and 100/95% (1 mg DEX), respectively. Similar to adults, sensitivity and specificity of 100% were obtained by combining 23:00 h and 1 mg DEX. The measurement of salivary cortisol is a useful tool for physiological studies and for the diagnosis of CS in children and adults on an outpatient basis

Salivary cortisol as a tool for physiological studies and diagnostic strategies

Salivary cortisol is an index of plasma free cortisol and is obtained by a noninvasive procedure. We have been using salivary cortisol as a tool for physiological and diagnostic studies, among them the emergence of circadian rhythm in preterm and term infants. The salivary cortisol circadian rhythm in term and premature infants was established between 8 and 12 postnatal weeks. In the preterm infants the emergence of circadian rhythm was parallel to the onset of sleep rhythm. We also studied the use of salivary cortisol for screening for Cushing's syndrome (CS) in control and obese outpatients based on circadian rhythm and the overnight 1 mg dexamethasone (DEX) suppression test. Salivary cortisol was suppressed to less than 100 ng/dl after 1 mg DEX in control and obese patients. A single salivary cortisol measurement at 23:00 h and again after 1 mg DEX above the 90th percentile of the obese group values had sensitivity and specificity of 93 and 93% (23:00 h), and 91 and 94% (after DEX), respectively. The sensitivity improved to 100% when we combined both parameters. We also studied 11 CS children and 21 age-matched primary obese children for whom salivary cortisol sensitivity and specificity were 100/95% (23:00 h), and 100/95% (1 mg DEX), respectively. Similar to adults, sensitivity and specificity of 100% were obtained by combining 23:00 h and 1 mg DEX. The measurement of salivary cortisol is a useful tool for physiological studies and for the diagnosis of CS in children and adults on an outpatient basis

Efeito do pastejo rotacionado e alternado com bovinos adultos no controle da verminose em ovelhas Effect of rotational and alternate grazing with adult cattle on the control of nematode parasites in sheep

Estudaram-se os efeitos do pastejo alternado de ovinos e bovinos e do pastejo rotacionado sobre o controle da verminose em ovelhas. Utilizou-se uma área experimental composta por três módulos de 1,67ha cada. Os módulos foram subdivididos em oito piquetes. Vinte ovelhas foram colocadas no módulo 1 e quatro bovinos adultos no módulo 2. Os animais permaneceram em cada piquete do módulo por cinco dias, totalizando 40 dias de permanência em cada módulo. Ao final desse período, as ovelhas foram transferidas para o módulo onde estavam os bovinos e estes para o módulo onde estavam os ovinos, mantendo esse esquema até o final do experimento. Um grupo-controle de 20 ovelhas foi mantido, também em sistema rotacionado, em um terceiro módulo, sem compartilhar a pastagem. As ovelhas submetidas ao manejo com bovinos apresentaram o menor grau de infecção por nematódeos gastrintestinais e os maiores valores de volume globular. O pastejo rotacionado de ovinos, sem a utilização de bovinos, não foi eficiente no controle da verminose das ovelhas. A utilização do pastejo rotacionado e alternado de ovinos e bovinos adultos exerceu efeito benéfico significativo no controle da verminose ovina.<br>The effects of rotational and alternate grazing involving cattle and sheep on the control of nematode parasites in sheep were evaluated. Three areas with 1.67ha were subdivided into eight paddocks each. Twenty ewes and four cattle were allotted to areas 1 and 2, respectively. They grazed during five days in each of eight paddocks of each area. The sheep and cattle rotated in each area for 40 days. At the end of this period, ewes were transferred to the area where cattle were previously kept and these animals were transferred to the area where sheep had previously grazed. This arrangement was kept until the end of the experiment. A control group with 20 ewes rotated in the third area, also with eight paddocks. Ewes that alternately grazed with cattle showed the lowest fecal egg counts and the highest values of packed cell volume. The rotational grazing of sheep, without cattle, was not efficient to control gastrointestinal nematodes. The alternate grazing of sheep and cattle resulted in a reduction of parasitic infection in the ewes

Balanço eletrolítico e níveis de proteína bruta sobre parâmetros sangüíneos e ósseos de frangos de corte aos 21 dias de idade Electrolyte balance and crude protein levels on blood and bone parameters of 21 days broiler chicks

Foi realizado um experimento com o objetivo de determinar os melhores valores de balanço eletrolítico (BE) para frangos de corte de 1 a 21 dias. Utilizaram-se 2.112 pintinhos da marca comercial Ross, machos, criados em boxes de galpão de alvenaria, cobertos com maravalha e alimentados com duas rações basais, uma com 20 e outra com 23% de proteína bruta (PB) à base de milho e de farelo de soja, combinadas com níveis de BE de 00; 50; 100; 150; 200; 250; 300 e 350 mq/kg. Foi utilizado delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado, em esquema fatorial 8x2 (oito níveis de BE e dois níveis de PB), seis repetições e 22 aves por unidade experimental. Avaliaram-se os níveis sangüíneos de cálcio, fósforo e proteínas totais aos 21 dias de idade. As cinzas, o cálcio, o fósforo, o potássio, o sódio e o magnésio dos ossos também foram quantificados. Aos 21 dias de idade, os melhores valores estimados de BE foram 168 (20% PB) e 245 (23% PB) mEq/kg para o cálcio no sangue. O valor de BE obtido para o menor nível de proteínas totais foi de 189 (23% PB) mEq/kg. Os melhores valores de BE no sangue foram os pontos de mínimo na curva de regressão. O melhor valor de BE para o cálcio no tibiotarso foi de 132 mEq/kg (23% PB). O BE da dieta deve situar-se entre 150 e 200 mEq/kg para frangos de corte de 1 a 21 dias de idade.<br>An experiment was conducted to determine the best electrolyte balance (EB) for broiler chicks from one to 21 days of age, based on blood and bone parameters. One day old chicks, male, Ross were reared on floor covered with shaving woods and fed with two corn-soybean meal based diet with 20 and 23% of crude protein (CP) combined with 0; 50; 100; 150; 200; 250; 300 and 350 mEq/kg of EB. The experiment was analised as a completely randomized design in a factorial arrangement of treatments (two CP levels and eight EB) with six replicates of 22 chicks each. It were evaluated blood levels of calcium, phosphorus and total proteins. Ash, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and magnesium in the bone were also measured at 21 days of age. The best values of EB estimated were 168 (20% CP) and 245 (23% CP) mEq/kg for blood calcium. The EB value obtained for the lowest level of blood total protein was 189 (23% CP) mEq/kg. The optimum EB obtained in the blood were the minimum points of the regression curve. The best value for calcium in the bone was 132 mEq/kg (23% CP). The dietary EB should be from 150 to 200 mEq/kg, concerning the biological responses of broiler chicks (from 1 to 21 days of age)