Assessment of broiler chicken welfare in Southern Brazil

Scientific literature on broiler chicken welfare in Brazilian industrial systems is scarce. This study aimed at assessing broiler chicken welfare on industrial farms in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil, using the Welfare Quality (R) assessment protocol for poultry, to provide directly applicable scientific information. Results are presented as criteria scores ranging from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better welfare; and percentages of prevalence. The scores classified as excellent (above 80) were absence of prolonged thirst, absence of prolonged hunger, litter quality, breast blister and touch test. Enhanced scores (between 55 and 80) were comfort around resting, plumage cleanliness and dust sheet test. Acceptable scores (between 20 and 55) were thermal comfort, stocking density, absence of injuries, footpad dermatitis and hock burn; and unacceptable scores (below 20) were lameness and qualitative behavioral assessment. The median percentage of mortality and culled birds were 5.2% and 0.6%, respectively. This study provides useful information to select priorities of action on assessed farms and may contribute for setting up legal standards and guiding decisions related to animal welfare issues in Brazil

Eficiência da bioadição na remoção de matéria orgânica em sistemas aquaculturais

Several techniques are currently used to treat effluents. Bioaugmentation is a new bioremediation strategy and has been employed to improve effluent quality by treating the water during the production process. This technology consists basically of the addition of microorganisms able to degrade or remove polluting compounds, especially organic matter and nutrients. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of bioaugmentation on some parameters of organic matter and on the performance of juvenile tilapias in an intensive aquaculture production system. The combination of two bacterial consortiums in a complete randomized design was employed in a factorial analysis with two factors. Statistical differences between treatments were analyzed by the analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey test at the 5% level. One of the treatments, heterotrophic bacterial supplementation, was able to reduce biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) by 23%, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) by 83.7% and phytoplanktonic biomass by 43%. On the other hand, no damage was done to either the physical-chemical indicators of water quality or to the growth performance of juvenile tilapias assessed in this study.Existem diversas tecnologias para tratamento de efluentes, o processo de bioadição consiste em uma vertente da biorremediação e tem sido empregado na melhoria da qualidade dos efluentes através do tratamento da água de produção. Esta tecnologia consiste basicamente na adição de microrganismos com a capacidade de degradar ou remover compostos poluentes, especialmente matéria orgânica e nutrientes. Este estudo objetivou avaliar os efeitos da suplementação de composto bioativo sobre alguns parâmetros de matéria orgânica e de desempenho de juvenis de tilápias em um sistema intensivo de produção aquacultural. Foi empregada a combinação de dois consórcios bacterianos em delineamento inteiramente aleatorizado, em um esquema fatorial com dois fatores. As diferenças estatísticas entre os tratamentos foram analisadas por meio da análise de variância (ANOVA) e do teste de Tukey ao nível de 5%. Verificou-se neste estudo, que a bioadição heterotrófica foi capaz de reduzir em 23% a demanda bioquímica de oxigênio (DBO); em 83,7%, o carbono orgânico dissolvido (COD); e em 43%, a biomassa fitoplanctônica. Por outro lado, não se observou nenhum prejuízo com relação aos parâmetros físico-químicos de qualidade de água bem como ao desempenho de crescimento para juvenis de tilápias avaliados neste estudo.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP

Perceptions locales de la manifestation des changements climatiques et mesures d’adaptation dans la gestion de la fertilité des sols dans la Commune de Banikoara au Nord- Bénin

Objectifs: L’étude a pour objectif d’analyser les déterminants biophysiques des changements climatiques et les mesures d’adaptations développées par les producteurs notamment dans la gestion de la fertilité des sols au Nord-Bénin.Méthodologie et Résultats: Les données ont été collectées auprès de focus groupes d’effectif variant de 6 à 12 personnes réalisés dans chacun des dix arrondissements de la Commune de Banikoara. Une enquête auprès de 986 producteurs a été réalisée sur les perceptions, les mesures d’adaptation et les déterminants socio-économiques des changements climatiques. Les données sont analysées avec le test d’indépendance de Χ², l’analyse factorielle des correspondances suivie ou non de la classification ascendante hiérarchique. Ensuite une régression logistique polychotomique ordinale a été utilisée en vue de modéliser la relation entre les déterminants socio-économiques des producteurs enquêtés et le niveau de fertilité de leur sol. Les résultats ont permis d’identifier 24 perceptions liées aux changements climatiques et 63 stratégies d’adaptation. Les stratégies d’adaptation dépendaient des niveaux de prospérité mais n’avaient pas de relation avec l’appartenance aux classes d’âges. Les déterminants socioéconomiques les plus liés à la fertilité des sols sont la location de parcelles, le nombre de charrues et le nombre de charrettes.Conclusion et Application des Résultats: L’amélioration du niveau de prospérité des producteurs est un élément clé de leur adaptation aux changements climatiques. La possession de charrues, de charrettes et la disponibilité des terres sont les déterminants socio-économiques qui expliquent au mieux l’adaptation des producteurs aux changements climatiques dans la gestion de la fertilité des sols.Local perceptions of manifestation of climate change and adaptation measures in the management of soil fertility in the Municipality of Banikoara in North BeninObjectives: The study aims to analyze the biophysical determinants of climate change and adaptation measures developed by such producers in the management of soil fertility in northern Benin.Methodology and Results: Data were collected from focus groups of staff ranging from 6 to 12 people made in each of the ten districts of the Municipality of Banikoara. A survey of 986 farmers was conducted on perceptions, adaptation and socio-economic determinants of climate change. The data were analyzed with the chi-square test of independence, the correspondence analysis or not followed by the hierarchical clustering. Then polychotomous ordinal logistic regression was used to model the relationship between socio-economic determinants of producers surveyed and the fertility of their soil. The results identified 24 perceptions related to climate change and adaptation strategies 63. Adaptation strategies depended on the levels of prosperity but had no relationship with the membership age groups. Socio-economic determinants related to most soil fertility include the rental plots, the number of plows and the number of carts.Conclusion and Application of Results: Improving the level of prosperity of the producers is a key element of their adaptation to climate change. Possession of plows, carts and land availability are the socioeconomic determinants that explain the adaptation of the best producers to climate change in the management of soil fertilit

Atomic scale patterns formed during surface scanning by atomic force microscopy tips

In this work, tip sliding at the water/substrate interfacial region was used to investigate the pattern observed during image acquisition with atomic resolution in atomic force microscopy. The process responsible for the pattern formation is the oscillatory movement of the tip in the direction that is normal to scanning induced by a change in the water interfacial dielectric permittivity from epsilon approximate to 4 at the interface to epsilon approximate to 80 (bulk value) that results in a variation of the measured force acting on the tip of approximate to 30 pN. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.892

Contribution of microscopy for understanding the mechanism of action against trypanosomatids

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has proved to be a useful tool to study the ultrastructural alterations and the target organelles of new antitrypanosomatid drugs. Thus, it has been observed that sesquiterpene lactones induce diverse ultrastructural alterations in both T. cruzi and Leishmania spp., such as cytoplasmic vacuolization, appearance of multilamellar structures, condensation of nuclear DNA, and, in some cases, an important accumulation of lipid vacuoles. This accumulation could be related to apoptotic events. Some of the sesquiterpene lactones (e.g., psilostachyin) have also been demonstrated to cause an intense mitochondrial swelling accompanied by a visible kinetoplast deformation as well as the appearance of multivesicular bodies. This mitochondrial swelling could be related to the generation of oxidative stress and associated to alterations in the ergosterol metabolism. The appearance of multilamellar structures and multiple kinetoplasts and flagella induced by the sesquiterpene lactone psilostachyin C indicates that this compound would act at the parasite cell cycle level, in an intermediate stage between kinetoplast segregation and nuclear division. In turn, the diterpene lactone icetexane has proved to induce the external membrane budding on T. cruzi together with an apparent disorganization of the pericellar cytoskeleton. Thus, ultrastructural TEM studies allow elucidating the possible mechanisms and the subsequent identification of molecular targets for the action of natural compounds on trypanosomatids.Fil: Lozano, Esteban Sebastián. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo; ArgentinaFil: Spina Zapata, Renata María. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos; ArgentinaFil: Barrera, Patricia Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos; ArgentinaFil: Tonn, Carlos Eugenio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto de Investigaciones en Tecnología Química. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Instituto de Investigaciones en Tecnología Química; ArgentinaFil: Sosa Escudero, Miguel Angel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos; Argentin

False positive diagnosis of malignancy in a case of cryptogenic organising pneumonia presenting as a pulmonary mass with mediastinal nodes detected on fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>We report the case of a patient with positive findings on a lung emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scan, with possible contra lateral mediastinal involvement, which strongly suggested an inoperable lung carcinoma. The lung mass proved to be a cryptogenic organising pneumonia. While the latter has previously been shown to be PET/CT positive, mediastinal involvement simulating malignant spread has not been previously reported.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 50-year-old Caucasian woman presented with a history of unproductive cough and was found to have a mass in the right upper lobe as shown on chest X-ray and a computed tomography scan. A subsequent PET/CT scan showed strong uptake in the right upper lobe (maximum standard uptake values (SUVmax) 9.6) with increased uptake in the adjacent mediastinum and contralateral mediastinal nodes. Surgical resection and mediastinoscopy revealed cryptogenic organising pneumonia, with enlarged reactive mediastinal lymph nodes.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The case illustrates the limits of PET/CT scanning as a diagnostic tool, and emphasizes the importance of obtaining histological confirmation of malignant diseases whenever possible.</p

Análises fitoquímicas em extrato das folhas de Anthurium affine Schott (milho de urubu)

Apesar da ampla disposição de medicamentos no mercado, muitas dificuldades ainda existem quanto ao tratamento de determinados tipos de doenças, como é o caso das dermatites nos animais domésticos, mais especificamente nos cães. Apoiando-se na hipótese de que plantas da família das Araceae podem oferecer insumos importantes no tratamento deste tipo de doença, idealizou-se este trabalho tendo-se como principal objetivo estudar mais precisamente a composição fitoquímica do Anthurium affine Schott (A. affine), conhecido popularmente como “milho de urubu”. A partir de amostras da planta colhidas na Região Metropolitana do Grande Recife, foi confeccionado o extrato hidroalcóolico (etanol a 70%), das folhas da planta, sendo colocado para maceração por sete dias. A partir desta etapa o material foi submetido a procedimentos de filtragem e caracterização do extrato final obtido. Posteriormente, alíquotas deste material foram colhidas e trabalhadas para a realização dos ensaios de identificação fitoquímica, conforme protocolo padrão disponível na literatura. Como resultados, obteve-se um extrato hidroalcóolico da planta na concentração de 85 mg/mL; as análises fitoquímicas apresentaram resposta positiva para taninos, flavonóides, alcalóides e saponinas. Verificou-se que o A. affine apresentou um potencial fitoterápico mais rico do que normalmente se apresenta, embora estudos mais precisos sejam necessários para se avaliar os reais riscos de toxicidade no uso terapêutico da planta, como também para melhor definir os mecanismos de ação por traz dos efeitos farmacológicos atribuídos aos seus extratos

Widespread forest vertebrate extinctions induced by a mega hydroelectric dam in lowland Amazonia

Mega hydropower projects in tropical forests pose a major emergent threat to terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity worldwide. Despite the unprecedented number of existing, underconstruction and planned hydroelectric dams in lowland tropical forests, long-term effects on biodiversity have yet to be evaluated. We examine how medium and large-bodied assemblages of terrestrial and arboreal vertebrates (including 35 mammal, bird and tortoise species) responded to the drastic 26-year post-isolation history of archipelagic alteration in landscape structure and habitat quality in a major hydroelectric reservoir of Central Amazonia. The Balbina Hydroelectric Dam inundated 3,129 km2 of primary forests, simultaneously isolating 3,546 land-bridge islands. We conducted intensive biodiversity surveys at 37 of those islands and three adjacent continuous forests using a combination of four survey techniques, and detected strong forest habitat area effects in explaining patterns of vertebrate extinction. Beyond clear area effects, edge-mediated surface fire disturbance was the most important additional driver of species loss, particularly in islands smaller than 10 ha. Based on species-area models, we predict that only 0.7% of all islands now harbor a species-rich vertebrate assemblage consisting of ≥80% of all species. We highlight the colossal erosion in vertebrate diversity driven by a man-made dam and show that the biodiversity impacts of mega dams in lowland tropical forest regions have been severely overlooked. The geopolitical strategy to deploy many more large hydropower infrastructure projects in regions like lowland Amazonia should be urgently reassessed, and we strongly advise that long-term biodiversity impacts should be explicitly included in pre-approval environmental impact assessments

Complete experimental toolbox for alignment-free quantum communication

Quantum communication employs the counter-intuitive features of quantum physics to perform tasks that are im- possible in the classical world. It is crucial for testing the foundations of quantum theory and promises to rev- olutionize our information and communication technolo- gies. However, for two or more parties to execute even the simplest quantum transmission, they must establish, and maintain, a shared reference frame. This introduces a considerable overhead in communication resources, par- ticularly if the parties are in motion or rotating relative to each other. We experimentally demonstrate how to circumvent this problem with the efficient transmission of quantum information encoded in rotationally invariant states of single photons. By developing a complete toolbox for the efficient encoding and decoding of quantum infor- mation in such photonic qubits, we demonstrate the fea- sibility of alignment-free quantum key-distribution, and perform a proof-of-principle alignment-free entanglement distribution and violation of a Bell inequality. Our scheme should find applications in fundamental tests of quantum mechanics and satellite-based quantum communication.Comment: Main manuscript: 7 pages, 3 figures; Supplementary Information: 7 pages, 3 figure