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Large ham weight losses (WL) in dry-curing are undesired as they lead to a loss of marketable product and penalise the quality of the dry-cured ham. The availability of early predictions of WL may ease the adaptation of the dry-curing process to the characteristics of the thighs and increase the effectiveness of selective breeding in enhancing WL. Aims of this study were (i) to develop Bayesian and Random Forests (RFs) regression models for the prediction of ham WL during dry-curing using on-site infrared spectra of raw ham subcutaneous fat, carcass and raw ham traits as predictors and (ii) to estimate genetic parameters for WL and their predictions (P-WL). Visible-near infrared spectra were collected on the transversal section of the subcutaneous fat of raw hams. Carcass traits were carcass weight, carcass backfat depth, lean meat content and weight of raw hams. Raw ham traits included measures of ham subcutaneous fat depth and linear scores for round shape, subcutaneous fat thickness and marbling of the visible muscles of the thigh. Measures of WL were available for 1672 hams. The best prediction accuracies were those of a Bayesian regression model including the average spectrum, carcass and raw ham traits, with R2 values in validation of 0.46, 0.55 and 0.62, for WL at end of salting (23 days), resting (90 days) and curing (12 months), respectively. When WL at salting was used as an additional predictor of total WL, the R2 in validation was 0.67. Bayesian regressions were more accurate than RFs models in predicting all the investigated traits. Restricted maximum likelihood (REML) estimates of genetic parameters for WL and P-WL at the end of curing were estimated through a bivariate animal model including 1672 measures of WL and 8819 P-WL records. Results evidenced that the traits are heritable (h2 ± SE was 0.27 ± 0.04 for WL and 0.39 ± 0.04 for P-WL), and the additive genetic correlation is positive and high (ra = 0.88 ± 0.03). Prediction accuracy of ham WL is high enough to envisage a future use of prediction models in identifying batches of hams requiring an adaptation of the processing conditions to optimise results of the manufacturing process. The positive and high genetic correlation detected between WL and P-WL at the end of dry-curing, as well as the estimated heritability for P-WL, suggests that P-WL can be successfully used as an indicator trait of the measured WL in pig breeding programs.

Male reproductive performances are often ignored in cattle breeding programmes, although semen traits might be used to improve bull breeding soundness. Effects of genetic and environmental factors on semen production and quality traits were estimated in 693 Piemontese bulls with the aim of providing the first estimates of genetic parameters for semen traits for this breed. Volume and concentrations of individual ejaculates (up to three per each test-day), and volume, concentration, total number of spermatozoa and post-thawing progressive motility of within test-day pooled semen were available for 19 060 ejaculates. Bulls reached the maximum amount of daily semen production after their third year of age, with concentration rapidly increasing until 23 months of age, and then slowly decreasing. Semen volume was at its highest when collection days were at least 15 days apart, whereas the maximum concentration was reached when the interval was 6 days. Heritability estimates were generally moderate (0.14–0.26), and low for progressive motility (0.08). Estimates of genetic correlation among the volumes of the individual ejaculates were high and positive (≥0.79), as were the genetic correlations among their concentrations (≥0.46). Genetic correlations among volume and concentration traits varied from −0.47 (with a 95% high posterior density interval ranging from −0.65 to −0.23) to −0.32 (with a 95% high posterior density interval ranging from −0.55 to −0.09). Progressive motility was unrelated with the other traits, but moderately positively correlated with volumes of the second and third ejaculates. The magnitude of heritabilities showed that selection for semen traits is possible. However, the unfavourable relationship between volume and concentration must be taken into account if a future selection programme is to be established.

The quality of subcutaneous fat of raw hams is a trait of interest in selective breeding programs for pig lines used in dry-cured ham production, and rapid, non-invasive methods for its assessment are available. However, the efficacy of such methods to provide indicator traits for breeding programs needs to be proven. The study investigated the accuracy of on-site visible–near IR spectroscopy predictions of iodine number and fatty acid (FA) composition of raw ham subcutaneous fat, and it evaluated their effectiveness as indicator traits of ham fat quality in a pig breeding program. Prediction equations were developed using visible–near IR spectra acquired at the slaughterhouse from five sites in subcutaneous fat of raw hams of 1025 crossbred pigs. Pigs were raised, under standardized rearing and feeding conditions, in the sib-testing program of the Goland C21 boar line and slaughtered at nine months of age and average body weight of 166 ± 15 kg. Accuracy was generally relatively poor, but R2 in external validation was >0.7 for iodine number and concentration of C18:2n-6, polyunsaturated FAs and omega-6 FAs. To assess the effectiveness of the on-site predictions as indicator traits in a breeding program, (co)variance components of the measured traits (OBS) and of their predictions using in-lab (in-lab-PR) or on-site (on-site-PR) spectrometers were estimated. Available records for OBS were 6814 and 2048, for iodine number and FA composition, respectively. Predictions using in-lab were available for pigs slaughtered between 2006 and 2014, for a total of 10 153 records. Predictions using on-site were obtained from spectra collected since 2011, for a total of 10 296 records. The estimated heritabilities for the investigated traits ranged from 0.34 to 0.50 and were greater for on-site-PR than for OBS. Genetic correlations between OBS and in-lab-PR were very close to 1.00 for all the investigated traits, whereas those between OBS and on-site-PRED ranged from 0.86 to 0.94. On-site visible-IR predictions are accurate enough to support the use of this technique for large-scale phenotyping of raw ham fat quality, even when dealing with animals of a single genetic line raised in standardized conditions, and may be implemented as indicator traits in breeding programs.

Abstract Background To date, no suitable model tooth has been available for all standard restorative and prosthodontic procedures. To fill this gap, a realistic multilayer tooth with enamel, dentin, integrated caries, pulp, and electrometric and X-ray imaging abilities was developed. The aim of this study was to test the printed tooth while focusing on caries excavation and pulp capping. Methods Based on micro-CT data, a tooth was designed and produced via 3D printing. A total of 396 teeth were tested and evaluated by 66 fourth- and fifth-year students experienced in caries excavation at standard typodonts, extracted teeth and patients. They excavated the caries and capped the pulp on six teeth and rated them in a questionnaire. Results Compared with natural teeth, the printed teeth were generally rated positively and significantly better in all criteria than typodonts used previously (p

In recent years, test day models (TDm) have been proposed for genetic evaluation programs of dairy cattle. Advantages due to the use of TDm are known (Jensen, 2001). TDms differ for the (co)variance structure among observations: the first proposed model was a single trait repeatability model, whereas later studies investigated multitrait (MT) and random regression (RR) models (Swalve, 1999). RR assume that the shape of the lactation curve is influenced by random genetic and permanent environmental effects and differ for the number of parameters of the function used for fitting the shape of the individual lactation curve (Jamrozik et al., 1997). TDm are commonly considered in terms of accuracy of estimated breeding values but effects due to constraints on the observational structure of data, which result from the application of different models, are not considered. Such constraints are expected to affect the effective number of herds and cows providing records and, as a consequence, time at first evaluation of young bulls. Application of some TDm to a population with small average herd size might be troublesome because of the loss of herds involved in the genetic evaluation program, as reported by Dalzotto (2000) for the Italian Brown population.........

Dry cured ham is the most valuable product of the pig industry in Italy and quality of fat covering in fresh hams affects qualitative properties of the final product (Mordenti et al., 1992). High content of unsaturated fatty acids is a predisposing factor for fat with inadequate consistence and for oxydative processes during curing (Chizzolini et al., 1995). Iodine number and linoleic acid content are measures related to the degree of fat unsaturation and can be used to evaluate objectively quality aspects of fat covering of fresh hams (Bellati et al., 1996)...

The aim of this study was to estimate heritability of beef quality traits in Piemontese cattle. A total of 804 young bulls, progeny of 109 AI sires, were sampled from 124 fattening farms (FF) and slaughtered in different days at the same commercial abattoir. At slaughter, bulls were 523±73 d old and average carcasses weight (CW) was 417±45 kg. Carcasses were scored for fleshiness (EUS) and fatness. An individual beef sample was collected from Longissimus Thoracis 24 h after slaughter and held refrigerated at 4 °C for 8 d. Measured traits were pH at ageing (pH8d), beef colour (L*, a*, b*, Hue and Chroma), shear force (SF), drip (DL) and cooking loss (CL). A REML linear animal model including the fixed effects of FF, slaughter age and CW class and the random effect of the bull was used. The estimated heritability for EUS, SF, DL, Hue, L* and a* was of intermediate magnitude (from 0.22 to 0.49) whereas heritabilities for all other traits were low (from 0.04 to 0.16).

Survival analysis methodology was applied in order to analyse sources of variation of preweaning survival time and to estimate variance components using data from a crossbred piglets population. A frailty sire model was used with the litter effect treated as an additional random source of variation. All the variables considered had a significant effect on survivability: sex, cross-fostering, parity of the nurse-sow and litter size. The variance estimates of sire and litter were closed to 0.08 and 2 respectively and the heritability of pre-weaning survival was 0.03.

Pig breeding in Italy aims to obtain heavy pigs for production of typical cured end products. Detailed guidelines related to animals, weight, age, feeding regime, carcass and fresh ham traits impose constraints on this type of production.

Subaortic and pulmonic stenosis are congenital cardiac defects affecting several dog breeds (Jacobs, 1990; Buchanan, 1992; Tidholm, 1997). Subaortic stenosis (SAS) is characterized by a fibrous ring of tissue placed immediately below the aortic valve.

Dissecting the genetics of production traits in livestock is of outmost importance, both to understand biological mechanisms underlying those traits and to facilitate the design of selection programs incorporating that information. For the pig industry, traits related to curing are key for protected designation of origin productions. In particular, appropriate ham weight loss after dry-curing ensures high quality of the final product and avoids economic losses. In this study, we analyzed data (N = 410) of ham weight loss after approximately 20 months of dry-curing. The animals used for ham production were purebred pigs belonging to a commercial line. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 29,844 SNP markers revealed the polygenic nature of the trait: 221 loci explaining a small percentage of the variance (0.3–1.65%) were identified on almost all Sus scrofa chromosomes. Post-GWAS analyses revealed 32 windows located within regulatory regions and 94 windows located in intronic regions of specific genes. In total, 30 candidate genes encoding receptors and enzymes associated with ham weight loss (MTHFD1L, DUSP8), proteolysis (SPARCL1, MYH8), drip loss (TNNI2), growth (CDCA3, LSP1, CSMD1, AP2A2, TSPAN4), and fat metabolism (AGPAT4, IGF2R, PTDSS2, HRAS, TALDO1, BRSK2, TNNI2, SYT8, GTF2I, GTF2IRD1, LPCAT3, ATN1, GNB3, CMIP, SORCS2, CCSER1, SPP1) were detected.

The advent of the Internet of Things brought a new age of interconnected device functionality, ranging from personal devices and smart houses to industrial control systems. However, increased security risks have emerged in its wake, in particular self-replicating malware that exploits weak device security. Studies modeling malware epidemics aim to predict malware behavior in essential ways, usually assuming a number of simplifications, but they invariably simplify the single most important subdynamics of malware: random propagation. In our previous work, we derived and presented the first exact mathematical model of random propagation, defined as the subdynamics of propagation of a malware model. The propagation dynamics were derived for the SIS model in discrete form. In this work, we generalize the methodology of derivation and extend it to any Markov chain model of malware based on random propagation. We also propose a second method of derivation based on modifying the simplest form of the model and adjusting it for more complex models. We validated the two methodologies on three malware models, using simulations to confirm the exactness of the propagation dynamics. Stochastic errors of less than 0.2% were found in all simulations. In comparison, the standard nonlinear model of propagation (present in ∼95% of studies) has an average error of 5% and a maximum of 9.88% against simulations. Moreover, our model has a low mathematical trade-off of only two additional operations, being a proper substitute to the standard literature model whenever the dynamical equations are solved numerically.

Selection to reduce ham weight losses during dry-curing (WL) requires individual traceability of hams throughout dry-curing, with high phenotyping costs and long generation intervals. Infrared spectroscopy enables cost-effective, high-throughput phenotyping for WL 24 h after slaughter. Direct genomic values (DGV) of crossbred pigs and their purebred sires were estimated, for observed (OB) and infrared-predicted WL (IR), through models developed from 640 and 956 crossbred pigs, respectively. Five Bayesian models and two pseudo-phenotypes (estimated breeding value, EBV, and adjusted phenotype) were tested in random cross-validation and leave-one-family-out validation. The use of EBV as pseudo-phenotypes resulted in the highest accuracies. Accuracies in leave-one-family-out validation were much lower than those obtained in random cross-validation but still satisfactory and very similar for both traits. For sires in the leave-one-family-out validation scenario, the correlation between the DGV for IR and EBV for OB was slightly lower (0.32) than the correlation between the DGV for OB and EBV for OB (0.38). While genomic prediction of OB and IR can be equally suggested to be incorporated in future selection programs aiming at reducing WL, the use of IR enables an early, cost-effective phenotyping, favoring the construction of larger reference populations, with accuracies comparable to those achievable using OB phenotype.

There is a very large diversity in plant architecture in nature. Over the past few years, novel theoretical concepts and analytical methods have emerged as powerful tools to understand important aspects of plant architecture. Plant architecture depends on the relative arrangement of three types of organs: leaves, shoots, and flowers. During plant development, the architecture is modulated by the balance of two homologous proteins: FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) and TERMINAL FLOWER 1 (TFL1). The FT/TFL1 balance defines the plant growth habit as indeterminate or determinate by modulating the pattern of formation of vegetative and reproductive structures in the apical and axillary meristems. Here, we present a summarized review of plant architecture and primarily focus on the FT/TFL1 balance and its effect on plant form and development. We also propose passion fruit as a suitable model plant to study the effect of FT/TFL1 genes on plant architecture.

O fechamento inconsequente de empreendimentos de mineração constitui um tema atual de preocupação ambiental e social, o que tem levado à crescente discussão a respeito dos "usos futuros de áreas mineradas". Neste trabalho, apresenta-se o grande potencial didático de algumas lavras desativadas, e propõe-se sua utilização enquanto labratórios naturais para o ensino de Geociências. Utiliza-se, para tanto, o exemplo de Diamantina (MG), onde abundam antigas lavras de diamante, há muito desativadas. No interior de lavras desativadas é frequente a instalação de sistemas sedimentares dinâmicos, onde vários processos diferentes atuam simultaneamente. Nestes sistemas, observam-se processos e produtos sedimentares em diferentes ambientes e contextos, o que configura a situação ideal para o ensino básico e avançado de temas relacionados à sedimentologia, estratigrafia e geomorfologia. Através das feições observadas, é possível a realização de uma profunda análise escalar, discutindo-se diferenças e similaridades com ambientes de sedimentação em tamanho real. Além disso, a existência simultânea nas lavras de processos, produtos recentes e estruturas sedimentares antigas oferece uma excelente oportunidade para a discussão dos princípios do atualismo.

Agonistic behavior after the regrouping of unfamiliar pigs has been recognized as one of the major welfare issues for pig husbandry, as it may result in lesions, lameness, and health problems. One scarcely investigated strategy to curb agonistic behavior is reducing the availability of visual stimuli potentially eliciting aggressions. In this study, we investigated the expression of agonistic behavior by growing pigs and the resulting accumulation of skin lesions over a period of 14 days following the formation of new social groups, which occurred in a condition of darkness maintained for 48 h. Compared to a simulated natural photoperiod (12 h light/day), darkness significantly reduced the number of skin lesions on the mid- and rear thirds of pigs’ body (p ≤ 0.01). A lack of corresponding decrease in frequency and duration of agonistic interactions suggests that darkness acts by decreasing the efficacy, not the expression, of aggressions. Furthermore, the location of lesions mostly affected by darkness indicates that the latter mostly acted by reducing the possibility of pigs to convey damage to a fleeing conspecific, rather than to one involved in a reciprocal fighting. The lighting regime provided did not affect growth performance traits of a 17-weeks feeding trial. The present results identify in the provision of darkness an easily applicable, and relatively inexpensive intervention, that leads to the reduction of skin lesions.

The flowers of the species belonging to the genus Passiflorashow a range of features that are thought to have arisen as adaptations to different pollinators. Some Passiflora species belonging to the subgenus Decaloba sect. Xerogona, show touch-sensitive motile androgynophores. We tested the role of auxin polar transport in the modulation of the androgynophore movement by applying auxin (IAA) or an inhibitor of auxin polar transport (NPA) in the flowers. We recorded the movement of the androgynophore during mechano-stimulation and analyzed the duration, speed, and the angle formed by the androgynophore before and after the movement, and found that both IAA and NPA increase the amplitude of the movement in P. sanguinolenta. We hypothesize that auxin might have a role in modulating the fitness of these Decaloba species to different pollination syndromes and demonstrate that an interspecific hybrid between insect- and hummingbird-pollinated Xerogona species present a heterosis effect on the speed of the androgynophore movement.

Objetivo: Verificar o perfil inflamatório e o risco de doenças das artérias carótidas em adolescentes obesos de acordo com tempo de aleitamento materno exclusivo na infância, Métodos: Trata-se de estudo transversal realizado com 118 adolescentes obesos, A duração do aleitamento materno exclusivo foi obtida por meio de entrevista com os pais, A espessura da íntima-média da artéria carótida (EIMc) foi estimada por ultrassonografia, Massa corporal, Índice de Massa Corporal (IMC), Circunferência da Cintura (CC) e pressão arterial foram mensurados, Dosagens séricas de glicose, insulina, colesterol total, LDL, adiponectina e leptina foram realizadas, A resistência insulínica foi determinada por meio do Homeostasis Model Assessment Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), Resultados: Adiponectina apresentou-se significativamente superior em adolescentes amamentados exclusivamente até os 6 meses, Por outro lado, a EIMc mostrou-se significativamente inferior nesses adolescentes, Massa corporal, IMC, gordura corporal, CC, insulina e HOMA-IR apresentaram-se significativamente inferiores em adolescentes que receberam aleitamento materno exclusivo até os seis meses comparados aos que não receberam, Insulina e HOMA-IR associaram-se com a massa corporal, IMC, CC e gordura corporal, As concentrações de leptina associaram-se negativamente com adiponectina e positivamente com gordura corporal e IMC, Pressão arterial sistólica e diastólica foram preditas positivamente pela massa corporal, IMC e CC, Conclusão: Adolescentes obesos amamentados exclusivamente por 6 meses apresentam um perfil antropométrico e metabólico e estado inflamatório mais atenuado, bem como menores riscos cardiovasculares, o que pode contribuir para redução de riscos de desenvolvimento de aterosclerose em longo prazo.

Véritable questionnement, Le dépaysement est une quête de l’essence de ce que l’on appelle par habitude et/ou par facilité « France », et une enquête. Jean-Christophe Bailly se fait voyageur – Wanderer – et, à travers les lieux, les monuments, la population, ou encore les objets, l’on voit se dérouler sous nos yeux une « histoire des traces » : la reconstitution d’une identité grâce à des indices perçus au fil de voyages menés sur le territoire. L’œuvre se constitue pour une large part comme une enquête, bien que non systématique : elle est essai de « déchiffrement » des paysages français, tentative d’y apercevoir des « échos soulevés en passant » à partir desquels « l’intuition d’un récit » pourra naître. Une dynamique spécifique travaille ainsi en profondeur un texte au sein duquel deux systèmes sémiotiques s’imbriquent : le paysage d’une part, diffusant des signaux qui composent une image fluctuante et mobile de la France, image organisée, pour reprendre les termes de Bailly, comme une « pelote complexe et enchevêtrée où époques, affects et dimensions s’entremêlent » ; l’écriture d’autre part, qui essaye de rendre compte de la multiplicité et de la complexité de ce phénomène.

O estudo objetivou descrever como a equipe de enfermagem atuante em um pronto-socorro (PS) de um hospital-escola percebe os sinais e sintomas sugestivos de agravamento no quadro clínico de pacientes em observação no setor. Pesquisa exploratório-descritiva de natureza qualitativa, realizada com 38 profissionais da equipe de enfermagem. Os dados foram coletados por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas realizadas em local reservado no PS, as quais foram gravadas e transcritas na íntegra e, depois, submetidas à Análise de Conteúdo do tipo temática. Dos discursos emergiram três categorias, que descreveram a forma como a equipe de enfermagem reconhece e atua durante as situações emergenciais e as dificuldades que impedem o satisfatório monitoramento dos pacientes. Concluiu-se que a equipe de enfermagem necessita aprofundar as discussões sobre sinais e sintomas sugestivos de agravamento de pacientes em unidades de PS para que a assistência seja realizada de maneira conjunta e precocemente.El estudio describe cómo el personal de enfermería que actúa en una Sala de Emergencias (SE) de un hospital docente percibe el signos y síntomas sugestivos del agravamiento clínico en pacientes en observación en el sector. Investigación cualitativa, exploratoria, descriptiva, realizada con 38 profesionales del equipo de enfermería. Los datos fueron colectados a través de entrevistas semi-estructuradas llevadas a cabo en un lugar reservado en la SE, que fueron grabadas y transcritas y además sometidas a análisis de contenido del tipo temático. De los discursos emergieron tres categorías, que describían cómo el personal de enfermería reconoce y actúa en situaciones de emergencia y las dificultades que impiden el seguimiento satisfactorio de los pacientes. Se concluyó que el personal de enfermería debe profundizar los debates acerca de los signos y síntomas de agravamiento de los pacientes en unidades de SE para la asistencia se realiza en forma conjunta y precoz.The study aimed to describe how the nursing staff in an Emergency Room (ER) of a university hospital sees the signs and symptoms of clinical aggravation of symptoms of the patients under observation in the sector. An exploratory-descriptive research, of qualitative nature, carried out with 38 professionals of the nursing team. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews conducted in a private place in the ER, recorded and transcribed in full, and lately, it was subjected to the content analysis of the thematic type. From the speeches three categories emerged which described how the nursing staff recognizes and acts during emergency situations, as well as the difficulties that prevent the satisfactory monitoring of patients. It was concluded that the nursing staff need to intensify discussions about signs and symptoms suggestive of aggravation of the patients conditions in units of ER, in order to take early actions and do it as a team.

Alternative milk recording schemes, as alternate a.m.-p.m. (AT) procedures, have been proposed in order to reducerecording costs per cow thereby increasing the number of cows and young bulls that can be tested. The objective of thispaper is to compare predicted breeding values using alternative recording schemes for estimating lactation yields, specificallyfor dams of sires. Over 4 million test day records for milk yield of 306,148 Italian Friesian cows collected in 649herds in the province of Milan (Italy) between 1990 and 1997 were used. The simulation of alternative testing schemeswas carried out using A4 single milking data. The alternative schemes to estimate daily milk yield from AM and PM data,were: a) alternate scheme using a doubling; b) alternate scheme using a correction for milking interval applying (MI)direct or inverse factors; c) non-alternate scheme using a correction for MI applying inverse factors; d) random schemeusing a correction for MI applying inverse factors. A mixed model procedure to estimate breeding values was used. Therank correlation between EBV with A4 method and other testing schemes resulted around 99% at the population leveland around 89% with regard to the top 1% of cows. About 10% of cows ranked with A4 method were excluded from thelist of the top 1% when alternative testing schemes were applied. A negligible effect on the reduction of selection intensityfor the dams of sires path was found.

This research studied the relevance of potential sources of variation for dry period length in Italian Holstein cows reared in northern Italy and investigated the effect of days dry (DD) on milk production and calving interval in the subsequent lactation. Field data of individual cow DD were merged: a) with information from the previous lactation (6832 lactations, 87 herds) and analysed to investigate factors influencing DD; b) with milk yield (MY) and calving interval (CI) of the subsequent lactation (≈4000 lactations, >80 herds) and analysed to investigate the effect of DD on subsequent lactation performance. Individual cow DD averaged 67±27d, with a median of 62d; nearly 20% of DD were greater than 80 d. Herd had the greatest impact on DD; average herd DD was 71 d and >50% of herds had a mean dry period length >70d. Longer DD were associated with second or later parity cows, lower daily MY at dryoff, and extremes in the length of the previous lactation, either short or long. After an adjustment for MY genetic merit, dry periods 80d resulted in a 100kg increase in subsequent MY. However, yield lost in the subsequent lactation caused by average DD

OBJETIVO: Descrever os efeitos da terapia multidisciplinar de longo prazo sobre a composição corporal de adolescentes obesos severos internados. MÉTODOS: Um total de 728 adolescentes obesos extremos, incluindo 249 meninos (15,25±1,56 anos) e 479 meninas (15,34±1,59 anos), recebeu terapia multidisciplinar durante um período de 3 a 9 meses. A terapia consistiu de redução da ingestão energética, orientação dietética, exercícios físicos e terapia psicológica. A composição corporal foi analisada pela bioimpedância elétrica, e a aptidão física foi avaliada pelo teste em ciclo ergômetro multiestágios. O tipo e duração de cada atividade foram avaliados através de recordatório diário de atividade física. RESULTADOS: Foi verificada redução significante (p < 0,05) na massa corporal (27,84±12,49 kg para meninos e 21,60±9,87 kg para meninas), índice de massa corporal (9,19±3,88 kg/m² para meninos e 7,72±3,98 kg/m² para meninas) e da gordura corporal. Além disso, a porcentagem de massa magra aumentou significantemente (p < 0,05) nos meninos (de 58,8±6,41 para 69,98±7,43%) e nas meninas (de 51,86±4,96 para 60,04±5,65%). CONCLUSÃO: A terapia multidisciplinar de longo prazo permite reduzir acentuadamente a obesidade severa, preservando o crescimento e a porcentagem de massa magra.OBJECTIVE: To describe the effects of long-term multidisciplinary inpatient therapy on body composition of severely obese adolescents. METHODS: A total of 728 extremely obese adolescents, including 249 boys (aged 15.25±1.56 years) and 479 girls (aged 15.34±1.59 years) received multidisciplinary therapy during a period of 3 to 9 months. The therapy consisted of reduced energy intake, dietetic education, physical exercises and psychological therapy. Body composition was assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis, and physical capacity was assessed by the multistage cycle ergometer test. Type and duration of each activity were recorded using a daily controlled activity diary. RESULTS: There was a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in body mass (27.84±12.49 kg for boys and 21.60±9.87 kg for girls), body mass index (9.19±3.88 kg/m² for boys and 7.72±3.98 kg/m² for girls) and fat mass. In addition, the percentage of fat free mass increased significantly (p < 0.05) in boys (from 58.8±6.41 to 69.98±7.43%) and in girls (from 51.86±4.96 to 60.04±5.65%). CONCLUSION: Long-term multidisciplinary approach allows significant reduction in severe obesity, preserving growth and percentage of fat free mass.

Citrus sinensis is a perennial woody species, for which genetic approaches to the study of reproductive development are not readily amenable. Here, the usefulness of the CitEST Expressed Sequence Tag (EST) database is demonstrated as a reliable new resource for identifying novel genes exclusively related to Citrus reproductive biology. We performed the analysis of an EST dataset of the CitEST Project containing 4,330 flower-derived cDNA sequences. Relying on bioinformatics tools, sequences exclusively present in this flower-derived sequence collection were selected and used for the identification of Citrus putative flower-specific genes. Our analysis revealed several Citrus sequences showing significant similarity to conserved genes known to have flower-specific expression and possessing functions related to flower metabolism and/or reproductive development in diverse plant species. Comparison of the Citrus flower-specific sequences with all available plant peptide sequences unraveled 247 unique transcripts not identified elsewhere within the plant kingdom. Additionally, 49 transcripts, for which no biological function could be attributed by means of sequence comparisons, were found to be conserved among plant species. These results allow further gene expression analysis and possibly novel approaches to the understanding of reproductive development in Citrus.

The development of the syndrome of cancer cachexia and that of metastasis are related with a poor prognostic for cancer patients. They are considered multifactorial processes associated with a proinflammatory environment, to which tumour microenvironment and other tissues from the tumour bearing individuals contribute. The aim of the present review is to address the role of ghrelin, myostatin, leptin, HIF, IL-6, TNF-α, and ANGPTL-4 in the regulation of energy balance, tumour development, and tumoural cell invasion. Hypoxia induced factor plays a prominent role in tumour macro- and microenvironment, by modulating the release of proinflammatory cytokines.

Abstract In this study, a hierarchical threshold mixed model based on a cumulative t-link specification for the analysis of ordinal data or more, specifically, calving ease scores, was developed. The validation of this model and the Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithm was carried out on simulated data from normally and t4 (i.e. a t-distribution with four degrees of freedom) distributed populations using the deviance information criterion (DIC) and a pseudo Bayes factor (PBF) measure to validate recently proposed model choice criteria. The simulation study indicated that although inference on the degrees of freedom parameter is possible, MCMC mixing was problematic. Nevertheless, the DIC and PBF were validated to be satisfactory measures of model fit to data. A sire and maternal grandsire cumulative t-link model was applied to a calving ease dataset from 8847 Italian Piemontese first parity dams. The cumulative t-link model was shown to lead to posterior means of direct and maternal heritabilities (0.40 ± 0.06, 0.11 ± 0.04) and a direct maternal genetic correlation (-0.58 ± 0.15) that were not different from the corresponding posterior means of the heritabilities (0.42 ± 0.07, 0.14 ± 0.04) and the genetic correlation (-0.55 ± 0.14) inferred under the conventional cumulative probit link threshold model. Furthermore, the correlation (> 0.99) between posterior means of sire progeny merit from the two models suggested no meaningful rerankings. Nevertheless, the cumulative t-link model was decisively chosen as the better fitting model for this calving ease data using DIC and PBF.

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between cathepsin B activity and muscle firmness of dry cured hams. A total of 988 samples of semimembranosus muscle were collected from raw hams of heavy pigs and cathepsin B activity was determined using fluorimetric method. Raw hams were cured following San Daniele guidelines. Dry-cured hams were deboned and cross-sectioned. On the cross section firmness was measured at three muscular sites (M. semimembranosus, semitendinosus and biceps femoris) using a Hardness Meter MK2. This study did not evidence any significant relationship between cathepsin activity and firmness of dry cured hams.

Localizada na porção central do estado da Bahia, a Bacia de Irecê exibe as mais significativas exposições de coberturas neoproterozoicas da porção norte do Cráton do São Francisco. Apesar da grande quantidade de estudos geológicos ali realizados, restam ainda várias questões em aberto, em especial no que tange à evolução tectônica do cinturão epidérmico de antepaís que envolve as rochas da bacia. No sentido de contribuir para o entendimento de tal evolução, este trabalho revisa os principais elementos estruturais da bacia e adjacências e apresenta novos dados adquiridos por meio de modelo físico-analógico em caixa de areia. O cinturão epidérmico de antepaís da Bacia de Irecê corresponde a uma grande feição curva confinada ao longo do sinclinal homônimo e tem sua formação atribuída ao fechamento das faixas marginais do setor norte do Cráton do São Francisco. Seu desenvolvimento foi condicionado por um vetor tectônico N-S, responsável pela nucleação de dobras e falhas E-W. Nas bordas da bacia, a deformação é acomodada através de falhas direcionais responsáveis pela rotação geral das estruturas. Para o sul, o cinturão perde gradativamente sua expressividade, ocorrendo apenas as estruturas geradas previamente durante o desenvolvimento do Sistema de Dobras e Empurrões da Chapada Diamantina. O modelo físico-analógico em caixa de areia simulou com sucesso o desenvolvimento do Cinturão de Antepaís da Bacia de Irecê e indica que sua curvatura em planta resulta da interação com as bordas do sinclinal e da própria curvatura do substrato. A propagação deu-se por meio de um descolamento com baixo coeficiente de atrito, provavelmente condicionado pelo contraste reológico entre as unidades carbonáticas do Grupo Una e o substrato quartzítico do Supergrupo Espinhaço.

The prevention of obesity and health concerns related to body fat is a major challenge worldwide. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of a medically supervised, multidisciplinary approach, on reduction in the prevalence of obesity related comorbidities, inflammatory profile, and neuroendocrine regulation of energy balance in a sample of obese adolescents. A total of 97 postpuberty obese adolescents were enrolled in this study. Body composition, neuropeptides, and adipokines were analysed. The metabolic syndrome was defined by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF). The abdominal ultrasonography was performed to measure visceral, subcutaneous fat and hepatic steatosis. All measures were performed at baseline and after one year of therapy. The multidisciplinary management promoted the control of obesity reducing body fat mass. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome, asthma, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), binge eating, and hyperleptinemia was reduced. An improvement in the inflammatory profile was demonstrated by an increase in anti-inflammatory adiponectin and reduction in proinflammatory adipokines, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, interleukin-6 concentrations, and in the Lep/Adipo ratio. Moreover, a reduction in the AgRP and an increase in the alfa-MSH were noted. The multidisciplinary approach not only reduced obesity but also is efficacious in cardiovascular risk factors, inflammatory profile, and neuroendocrine regulation of energy balance.

Most of the plant pigments ranging from red to purple colors belong to the anthocyanin group of flavonoids. The flowers of plants belonging to the genus Passiflora (passionflowers) show a wide range of floral adaptations to diverse pollinating agents, including variation in the pigmentation of floral parts ranging from white to red and purple colors. Exploring a database of expressed sequence tags obtained from flower buds of two divergent Passiflora species, we obtained assembled sequences potentially corresponding to 15 different genes of the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway in these species. The obtained sequences code for putative enzymes are involved in the production of flavonoid precursors, as well as those involved in the formation of particular (“decorated”) anthocyanin molecules. We also obtained sequences encoding regulatory factors that control the expression of structural genes and regulate the spatial and temporal accumulation of pigments. The identification of some of the putative Passiflora anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway genes provides novel resources for research on secondary metabolism in passionflowers, especially on the elucidation of the processes involved in floral pigmentation, which will allow future studies on the role of pigmentation in pollinator preferences in a molecular level.

Objective. To assess the long-term effects of metformin in combination with lifestyle intervention and its association between insulin levels and the degree of steatosis at ultrasonography (US) in obese adolescents. Methods. Thirty-five postpubertal obese boys were randomized into two groups: one receiving metformin in combination with a multidisciplinary lifestyle intervention versus a placebo group, which also received the same intervention. The visceral, subcutaneous fat and degree of steatosis were measured by ultrasonography. Fasting blood samples were collected to analyze glucose, insulin, insulin resistance, and aminotransferases. Repeated ANOVA measures were used to compare changes over time and between groups, and Spearman's correlations were used to identify an association between insulin and the degree of steatosis at US. Results. There was a positive correlation between the degree of steatosis at US with insulin concentrations and HOMA-IR. Long-term therapy plus metformin significantly reduced body weight, body mass index, insulin, HOMA-IR, and visceral fat. Conclusions. Metformin was more effective than the placebo in improving clinical parameters associated with obesity and steatosis.

This study investigated, through the “Inventário Portage Operacionalizado”, the general development and the areas in imbalance of 60 children of one to five years, with levels of lead contamination in the blood above 10µg/dl. Of the children in the study, 15 had been evaluated every year:1 to 2, 2 to 3, 3 to 4 and 4 to 5 years with indices of contamination for lead up until 45,40µg/dl. The obtained results showed that general development did not experience important imbalances. The analysis of the specific areas pointed that the children, independent of age, had presented important imbalances in Cognition and Language. The data had shown that the performance in Cognition worsens while Language improves with age. In Language, one observed more children in imbalance with the highest levels of lead contamination compared to that in Cognition. The reduced number of children and the absence of data from a control group made it difficult to confirm the observed results concerning general development following lead contamination, though it is consistent with the research literature. Keywords: contamination for lead; developmental assessment; Inventário Portage Operacionalizado.

[Display omitted] • Thermochronology reveals differential erosion of the Brazilian passive margin. • Meso-Cenozoic exhumation domains can be delineated for the Araçuaí Orogen. • Proximity of stiffer lithospheres (e.g. cratons) mitigates tectonism and erosion. • Onshore denudation of passive margins is controlled by structural inheritance. • Offshore deposition, tectonism, and hydrocarbons linked to onshore erosion pattern. The Araçuaí Orogen, in eastern Brazil, was formed during the Neoproterozoic – Cambrian amalgamation of West Gondwana. During the Mesozoic – Cenozoic opening of the South Atlantic Ocean, and the associated divergent tectonics, the orogen developed as basement to the passive margin of South America and was progressively covered by thick offshore sedimentary basins, particularly the Espírito Santo, Mucuri, and Cumuruxatiba basins, in which hydrocarbon systems have been exploited. Our understanding of the Araçuaí Orogen's passive margin evolution, erosion, and sediment transfer to these basins ultimately depends on constraining the onshore exhumation in response to Mesozoic – Cenozoic events. Here, new and previously published data from apatite fission-track (AFT) analyses and inverse thermal history modelling of (Pre)Cambrian basement rocks from the Araçuaí Orogen resolve three discrete basement cooling and associated erosional exhumation episodes. In the Pre-Rift phase, Jurassic – Hauterivian erosion of the Araçuaí Orogen is most likely related to the adjoining intra-continental West Gondwana flexural subsidence, which increased hillslope and river erosion power. In the Rift and Transitional phases, Barremian – Albian accelerated phase of erosion is associated with the uplift of the Atlantic rift shoulders and the establishment of an oceanic base-level. In the Drift phase, reactivations in response to far-field stresses likely triggered a Late Cretaceous – Paleocene rapid erosion event. The rates at which these events unfolded vary spatially and are controlled by inherited structures. The Araçuaí Orogen experienced slower denudation rates in areas closer to the São Francisco Craton, which suggests that the tectonic reactivation and related surface uplift during the Mesozoic–Cenozoic is in first-order controlled by lithospheric rigidity. Furthermore, the structural framework of the Paramirim and Pirapora aulacogens and NE-oriented shear zones in the orogen's southeast facilitated later reactivations. From the spatial pattern of denudation/exhumation of the Araçuaí Orogen during the Mesozoic – Cenozoic, we draw inferences on the tectonic development of the offshore basins regarding their hydrocarbon potentials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]