A survey of gastrointestinal helminths in cats of the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The prevalence of gastrointestinal helminth parasites in 135 cats over 1 year of age and inhabiting the metropolitan region of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil was investigated by necropsy. These animals had two distinct origins: 99 cats (29 males and 70 females) were derived by capture in public areas (feral/stray) and 36 (12 males and 24 females) from shelters. The overall prevalence of gastrointestinal helminth parasites was 89.6%. The following parasites, with their respective prevalence in parenthesis, were found: Dipylidium caninum (52.6%), Ancylostoma braziliense (65.9%), Ancylostoma tubaeforme (8.9%), Toxocara cati (25.2%), Toxascaris leonina (11.9%), Physaloptera praeputialis (9.6%). Concurrent infections with two or more parasites were recorded in 59.5% of the individuals. Of the 121 parasitized cats, 94 were feral/strays and 27 were from shelters. Among feral/stray cats, 80 were infected with A. braziliense (85%) and 17 of the shelter felids were infected with D. caninum (63%). Feral/stray cats had higher worm intensities (6411/94-68.2) than shelter cats (992/27-36.7). The helminth parasites most frequently found in feral/stray cats were Ancylostoma braziliense (47.5%) and D. caninum (47%) while in shelter cats, D. caninum was the predominant species (85.2%). Twenty seven cats (22.3%) had only A. braziliense and 19 (15.7%) were parasitized only with D. caninum. Among those cats harboring mixed infections A. braziliense and D. caninum were the species more frequently found (P < 0.001).     

Effects of composite antimicrobial peptide on growth performance and health in weaned piglets

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of composite antimicrobial peptide (CAP) on growth performance and health status in weaned piglets. Over 28 days, 36 weaned piglets (body weight, 10.58 ± 0.99 kg) underwent three treatments: negative control (NC, basal diet), positive control (PC, basal diet + 20 mg/kg colistin sulphate + 50 mg/kg kitasamycin), and CAP treatment (CAP, basal diet with 400 mg/kg CAP). Average daily gain of piglets fed the CAP diet was greater (P < 0.05) than that of piglets fed the PC or NC diet during days 1–7, 8–14 and 15–21. Diarrhea rates of piglets fed the CAP or PC diet were lower (P < 0.05) than those of NC‐fed piglets during days 1–7. Apparent total tract digestibility for dry matter and crude ash in CAP‐fed piglets was greater (P < 0.05) than that of NC‐fed piglets. In the CAP group, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium counts were greater (P < 0.05) and Escherichia coli counts were lower (P < 0.05) than numbers for the NC group. Our results indicate that dietary CAP had beneficial effects on growth performance and health status in weaned piglets.     

Effects of magnesium on the performance of sows and their piglets

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of supplemental magnesium (Mg) on the performance of gilts and parity 3 sows and their piglets. Fifty-six gilts (Trial 1) and 56 sows (Trial 2) were assigned to one of 4 treatments according to their mating weight, respectively. The treatments comprised corn-soybean meal based gestation and lactation diets (0.21% magnesium) supplemented with 0, 0.015, 0.03, or 0.045% Mg from mating until weaning. The results showed that magnesium supplementation significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the weaning to estrus interval in both gilts and sows. There were significant effects (P < 0.05) of supplemental magnesium on the total number of piglets born, born alive and weaned in sows. In late gestation and lactation, the digestibility of crude fiber (quadratic effects, P < 0.05), and crude protein (P < 0.05), were significantly influenced by magnesium in gilts and sows, respectively. There were differences among the 4 groups in terms of the apparent digestibility of dry matter and crude fiber in sows (P < 0.05) during both early and late gestation. The apparent digestibility of gross energy was increased for sows in late gestation (P < 0.05), and lactation (quadratic effects, P < 0.05). At farrowing and weaning, serum prolactin levels and alkaline phosphate activities linearly increased in sows as the Mg supplementation increased (P < 0.05). Serum Mg of sows at farrowing and serum urea nitrogen of sows at weaning was significantly influenced by Mg supplementation (P < 0.05). The Mg concentration in sow colostrum and the serum of their piglets were increased by supplemental magnesium (P < 0.05). In addition, growth hormone levels were linearly elevated (P < 0.05) in the serum of piglets suckling sows. Our data demonstrated that supplemental magnesium has the potential to improve the reproduction performance of sows, and the suitable supplemental dose ranged from 0.015% to 0.03%.     

Do traditional sheep breeders perform conscious selection? An example from a participatory breeding program of Morada Nova sheep

The implementation of sustainable breeding programs requires genetic breeding strategies that are appropriate for the reality production systems. It is also essential that the choice of animal selection criteria be based on breeders’ knowledge and objectives. This work is an ethno-zootechnical study of the Morada Nova sheep breed and its crossbreeds. The goals of this study were to register and analyze indigenous breeders’ knowledge and practices regarding animal selection criteria and to generate technical information to support a participatory breeding program of the breed. This study was conducted in the Morada Nova municipality in the state of Ceará, Brazil. Semi-structured interviews were evaluated using two groups of individuals, purebred Morada Nova sheep breeders (RMN, n = 13) and breeders of Morada Nova crossbreeds (MMN, n = 48). Interview questions were used to identify local selection criteria adopted by each group in the choice of animals for breeding. Data from the interviews were submitted to frequency distribution analysis and the Shapiro-Wilk test to verify their distribution. Later, the Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare the two groups of farmers based on that information, in addition to multivariate statistical analysis and evaluation of Smith salience index. Breeders in the RMN group used selection criteria related to breed standards, such as pelage color. In contrast, breeders of the MMN group used criteria related to productivity, such as body conformation and milk production. Breeders should be engaged in the development of breeding programs, and it is important to consider their preferences and objectives when evaluating breeding animals.     

RRR-RRR Ⅱ级杆组的等效系统动力学建模

将等效的思想与有限元的方法结合起来，用等效元素法建立了RRR Ⅱ级杆组的动力学等效模型，给出了其动力学微分方程，将建模的关键归结为二阶张量Tia和三阶张量Tibc的建立以及等效质量阵的组装。对给定的RRR—RRR六杆机构进行了建模和求解，给出了其动力响应曲线。实例表明，此方法与传统方法比较，无论从微分方程的列写，还是由计算机进行的解算，都显示出强大优势，解题效率高。     

解淀粉芽孢杆菌(Bacillus amyloliquefaciens)的研究进展

近年对解淀粉芽孢杆菌(Bacillus amyloliquefaciens)的研究与探索越来越多,由于其自身具有广泛地抑制真菌与细菌的能力,因而成为具有生物农药开发潜力的微生物。文章对近几年关于解淀粉芽孢杆菌的新发现与新应用、基因功能与分子研究方法的探索、发酵条件与培养基配方的研究进行了总结。     

基于分形分布的股票期权VaR计算

本文提出一种运用分形分布计算股票期权VaR的方法.首先对股票价格行为进行了理论总结和实证分析,表明采用分形分布来拟合股票的对数收益率是合理的,然后在此基础上推导股票期权VaR的计算公式,最后给出若干算例.     

广州园林亭廊与植物配置初探

通过对广州的余荫山房、云台花园、黄花岗公园、广州兰圃、流花湖公园等庭园的亭廊与植物配置关系的调查,总结出亭、廊的植物配置方法。     

南海南部海域夏季分粒级叶绿素a浓度的分布特征及其影响因素

利用2009年6月南海综合调查数据,分析了分粒级叶绿素a (Chl a) 的分布特征及其影响因素,其结果如下: Chl a浓度为未检出至0.51µg/L,平均值为0.10±0.09µg/L,其自表向底层逐渐升高, 至50m层达到最高值, 而后迅速降低,在100m以深的水体中, Chl a含量很少, 水深达到200m时, Chl a的含量接近于零, 部分站位Chl a含量低于检出限。分粒级Chl a 结果表明, Pico 级Chl a (<2µm) 浓度介于0.022-0.40 µg/L之间, 平均值为0.097±0.072 µg/L, 垂向分布上与Chl a 总量一致, 浓度最高值位于50 m; Nano 级Chl a (2-20µm )浓度介于0.0040-0.12µg/L之间, 平均值为0.016±0.018µg/L, 垂向分布变化不大, 在50m层有一高值; Micro 级Chl a (20-200µm)浓度介于0.0013-0.051µg/L之间, 平均值为0.0065±0.0086 µg/L, 垂向分布变化不大,在表层有一高值。分级Chl a 对总Chl a 的贡献主要以细胞粒径0.7-2 µm的Pico 级Chl a 占优势(81.7±8.89%), 其次是2-20 µm的Nano 级Chl a (13.2±6.19%); 粒径>20 µm的Micro 级Chl a 的贡献最小(5.10±3.72%)。调查海域内普遍存在潜在氮限制因素, 但不存在硅的限制。温度、营养盐浓度及营养盐比值(营养盐限制)、真光层厚度、水文状况是控制不同粒级Chl a 含量及分布的主要因素。