SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF PRODUCTIVE, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS TO DISCRIMINATE DAIRY CATTLE PRODUCTION IN THE SOUTH OF BRAZIL

<div><p>Abstract The South region of Brazil differs from the others due to its high milk production rates. Production heterogeneity, climate and soil diversity, and environmental and socioeconomic circumstances contribute to differentiate political-administrative regions. In this study, we aimed to spatialize the production, environmental, and socioeconomic factors that best discriminate bovine milk production in the states of the South of Brazil. Multivariate analyses were performed to discriminate both the studied variables and the mesoregion and cities of these states. The Western Catarinense and Northwestern Rio-grandense mesoregions showed the highest production indices, but they were discriminated at a low level (35.76 %). The formation of clusters showed that Casca, Marau, and Santo Cristo from the Northwestern Rio-grandense and Concordia, Coronel Freitas, Palmitos, and São Lourenço do Oeste from the Western Catarinense mesoregion had higher production indices. The municipal clusters were discriminated at a high level by production (98.24%) and by environmental and socioeconomic (72.75%) factors. Production variables were the most important for local clusters discrimination. The specificities and peculiarities to each region were evidenced through the heterogeneity of production and environmental and socioeconomic factors. Therefore, it is necessary to design and implement specific technological innovations to each region to maximize productive efficiency and minimize adverse environmental effects in dairy herds.</p></div

Carcass and cut traits in nulliparous and lambed female sheep of different ages and genetic groups

<div><p>ABSTRACT. Two experiments were carried out to evaluate the influence of genetic group, pregnancy and animal age on the carcass traits and commercial cut patterns of sheep carcasses. In the first experiment, the effect of pregnancy and genetic group were evaluated on 61 eleven month old Santa Inês ewes and their crosses with Texel, Dorper and Ile de France. Experiment 2 was carried out with 132 Santa Inês nulliparous or lambed ewes slaughtered with ages ranging from 6 to 48 months to evaluate the influence of age on carcass traits. For both experiments, hot carcass weight, cold carcass weight, carcass yield, cold carcass yield and carcass length were measured, as well as the yields and percentages of shoulder, neck, loin, belly, ribs, leg and leg length and perimeter. In experiment 1, the Santa Inês breed presented similar carcass and cut traits compared to the others genetic groups evaluated, except for fasting body weight. Lambed animals had lower body condition score than nulliparous females. In experiment 2, fasting body weight, loin, rib and leg weights, as well as the leg perimeter, presented a quadratic effect with increasing age. Ideal slaughter age is before 16 months to obtain more expensive cuts.</p></div

Prediction of apparent metabolizable energy and metabolizable energy corrected for nitrogen of corn according to physical classification of the grain

<div><p>ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to develop an equation to determine the apparent metabolizable energy (AME) and metabolizable energy corrected for nitrogen balance (AMEn) using a physical-based classification of corn. A total of 5,055 samples were taken from bulk cargo trucks, over a five-year period. The parameters studied were the variables related to the physical characteristics of grains. The density of maize was evaluated, and AME and AMEn were calculated. The average value for AME was 3,375 kcal/kg, and two groups were formed of high quality and low quality for all samples. Stepwise regression analysis was then carried out using grain quality to estimate AME and AMEn, and the validation of the equations was carried out with 6,490 independent samples. The average value for density was 767.7 kg/m3. The multiple regressions used to estimate AME and AMEn as a function of humidity, density, and physical composition of corn kernels showed that moisture was included for AME, but not for AMEn. The equations presented high coefficients of determination (R2) for AME (0.994) and AMEn (0.987). The discriminant analyses correctly classified 98% of the high-quality samples and 96.69% of low-quality samples, so the error was smaller than the expected. The calculated equations were shown to be good at discriminating between samples of high and low quality of corn according to its physical composition, and the most important variables for separation between groups were damaged grain fraction, impurities, burnt, and soft. The correlation between calculated (independent samples) and estimated metabolizable energy and AMEn were, respectively, 0.9942 and 0.9859. The corn energy values can be estimated based on physical evaluation of the grain.</p></div

A history of integration of the Waco public schools : 1954 to the present.

American public schools were segregated racially in most of the nation for more than a century after the first public school system was established in 1837 in Massachusetts. Desegregation and integration of the public schools nationwide began in 1954 when the United States Supreme Court made its historic decision in the case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. The process of desegregation in the Waco Independent School District (WISD) actually started in 1963 after many problems and obstacles. By 1968, integration of both teachers and students was virtually completed. Although blacks and Mexican Americans in Waco strongly opposed the WISD's integration plan of 1973, the plan was approved by U.S. District Judge Jack Roberts on 27 July 1973. Dissatisfied with the integration situation and Roberts' order, some blacks and Mexican Americans lodged an appeal to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, Louisiana. The case was returned to the District Court. As a result, the school integration plan of 1973 remained largely intact. Now, thirty-three years after the Supreme Court's 1954 decision, both de jure and de facto segregation in the Waco schools are issues of the past. The American public schools as a whole are practicing desegregated education. The issue of school integration, though no longer a main civil rights issue, still demands further attention of both the American people and the American government

Crossbreeding locally adapted hair sheep to improve productivity and meat quality

<div><p>ABSTRACT: The use of lambs from crossing of local with specialized sheep breeds for meat production may lead to higher meat deposition and a smaller fat amount in the carcass, with a more adequate nutritional profile for human consumption. This study investigated the performance, carcass and meat characteristics of lambs from the Morada Nova and Santa Inês locally adapted hair breeds and crosses between Dorper × Morada Nova and Dorper × Santa Inês slaughtered at approximately 35 kg. Morada Nova lambs showed lower (p < 0.05) performance compared to the other genetic groups resulting in a higher age at slaughter (p < 0.05). Crossbred Dorper × Santa Inês and Dorper × Morada Nova lambs showed better characteristics for meat production with better (p < 0.05) conformation as well as leg and carcass compacteness index. Dorper × Santa Inês have a fatty acid profile that is more suitable for human consumption than Dorper × Morada Nova lambs do (p < 0.05); however, both had lower (p < 0.05) intramuscular lipid content (as measured by ether extract levels from Longíssimus lumborum) compared with purebred lambs. Therefore, when the objective is to obtain lean meat, with improved nutritional profile to reduce risks of cardiovascular disease, the use of breeds and crosses that reduce animal slaughter age, such as the ½ Dorper × ½ Santa Inês crossbred, is an interesting alternative.</p></div

Relative growth of cattle numbers and percentage (standard error) in Brazil from 1977 to 2011 in 5-year periods by region.

<p>Relative growth of cattle numbers and percentage (standard error) in Brazil from 1977 to 2011 in 5-year periods by region.</p

Cluster of Brazilian municipalities according to the acceleration of growth in the number of cattle (Standard error) and the percentage of the total herd over the 5-year period.

<p>Cluster of Brazilian municipalities according to the acceleration of growth in the number of cattle (Standard error) and the percentage of the total herd over the 5-year period.</p

Growth of cattle production in Brazil by municipality by period: (A) 1977–1981; (B) 1982–1986; (C) 1987–1991; (D) 1992–1996; (E) 1997–2001; (F) 2002–2006; and (G) 2007–2011.

<p>Growth of cattle production in Brazil by municipality by period: (A) 1977–1981; (B) 1982–1986; (C) 1987–1991; (D) 1992–1996; (E) 1997–2001; (F) 2002–2006; and (G) 2007–2011.</p

Midpoint of cattle production in Brazil by year.

<p>Midpoint of cattle production in Brazil by year.</p

Clusters of Brazilian municipalities according to the relative growth in the number of cattle (standard error) and the percentage of the total herd from 1977 to 2011 in 5-year periods.

<p>Clusters of Brazilian municipalities according to the relative growth in the number of cattle (standard error) and the percentage of the total herd from 1977 to 2011 in 5-year periods.</p