Onset of puberty and regularity of oestral cycles in ewe lambs of four breeds under high-altitude conditions in a non-seasonal country.

Twenty-four Colombian Creole, Romney Marsh, Hampshire and Corriedale ewes raised under high-altitude conditions in a non-seasonal country were used to determine and to characterize the onset of puberty and of regularity ovarian function since the age of 3months. They underwent blood collection for determination of progesterone and monthly weight assessment. Oestrus was assessed daily by a teaser ram. In all breeds, age at onset of puberty ranged from 5.4 to 6.9 months and age at onset of regular ovarian function ranged from 7.4 to 8.6 months. Colombian Creole showed a higher body development at onset of puberty: 73.5 ± 8.3% versus 56.2 ± 7.4 in Romney Marsh, 58.8 ± 10.4 in Hampshire, and 57.3 ± 8.0 in Corriedale (p < 0.05), as well as a higher relative daily weight gain (+17%, p < 0.05). A negative correlation between daily weight gain and age at onset of puberty was established. Progesterone at onset of puberty and of regularity did not differ between breeds, but characterization of the luteal phase by the progesterone area under the curve (P4-AUC) revealed at both time points significantly lower values for Creole lambs (p < 0.05). Decreased P4-AUC paralleled a higher proportion of short oestral cycles observed prior to onset of regularity in Creoles, whereas an increased proportion of extra-long cycles were recorded in Romney Marsh (p < 0.05). These results establish first reference data for economically important breeds raised under tropical conditions. In comparison with other breeds, Colombian Creole requires a higher body development to achieve puberty and that an important proportion of short characterizes its prepubertal period cycles.

Reproductive analysis of male and female captive jaguars (Panthera onca) in a Colombian zoological park.

A reproductive analysis of a captive group of jaguars (Panthera onca; n = 6) at the Santacruz Zoological Foundation in Cundinamarca, Colombia, was conducted by performing a longitudinal, noninvasive, hormonal analysis of estradiol and progestogens in females and of androgens in males. During four seasons, female jaguars confined in solitary were evaluated for ovarian activity and spontaneous ovulation, male jaguars for testicular activity. A second hormonal follow-up was conducted in the females after administration of gonadotropins. Hormones were extracted from fecal samples of three females (n = 3) and two males (n = 2). Estradiol measurements were obtained by RIA and progestogens by enzyme immunoassay. The linear mixed-effect regression showed that there was a significant effect of seasons in the concentrations of estradiol (chi square = 15.97, degrees of freedom = 3, P < 0.01). Posthoc comparisons of all pairs of seasonal means were conducted according to Tukey's honest significant difference, revealing significant differences between seasons: Dry 1 versus Rains 2 (P < 0.01), Rains 1 versus Rains 2 (P < 0.05), and Dry 2 versus Rains 2 (P < 0.05). Elevations of progestogens compatible with spontaneous ovulation occurred in three jaguars, and the linear mixed-effect regression showed that there was also a significant effect of seasons (chi square = 28.56, degrees of freedom = 3, P < 0.01). Posthoc comparisons showed significant differences only between seasons: Dry 2 versus Rains 2 (P < 0.01). The season with the lowest average concentration was Rains 2 (October, November, and December). During this season, periods of anestrous were registered that lasted between 31 and 83 days. The three females presented estradiol peaks after the administration of eCG. A noninvasive longitudinal analysis for androgens was also made (males 1 and 2) over the course of 1 year, and no significant differences were found between the different seasons. A seminal analysis of three adult male jaguars (Panthera onca; n = 3) was also performed after electroejaculation under general anesthesia (male 1 and 2) and by a postmortem epididymal wash (male 3). The mean concentration of spermatozoids was 5.7 × 106 ± 1.1 × 106 spermatozoa/mL. The progressive motility + standard deviation averaged 80%. The percentage of normal spermatozoids obtained by electroejaculation was 80 ± 2.8%, and the abnormalities found more frequently were head defects (7 ± 1.4%). The seminal fluid obtained by epididymal flush contained 35 ± 1.4% normal spermatozoids, and the most frequent abnormalities found corresponded to distal cytoplasmic droplets (39 ± 11.3%).

Gestión del conocimiento: mayor producción y competitividad: perspectivas para los sistemas de producción ovino-caprinos / Knowledge management: higher production and competitiveness: prospects for ovine and caprine production systems / Gestão do conhecimento: maior nível de produção e competitividade: perspectivas para os sistemas de produção ovino-caprinos

Los ovinos se presentan hoy día en Colombia como una de las especies promisorias para el sector pecuario, con un despertar en la actividad que se manifiesta con un incremento del inventario, que según Faostat (datos debatibles), ha pasado de 2’400.000 cabezas en el año 2000 a 3’400.000 para el 2008; por su lado, las cabras han pasado de 1’200.000 a 1’300.000 cabezas en el mismo periodo, creciendo, aunque con un ritmo menor que el de las ovejas. Según esta base de datos, la misma tendencia se observa en el consumo per cápita de carne ovino-caprina que partiendo de 270 g/persona/año para el 2000 llega a 370 g/persona/año para el 2008. Este crecimiento en el inventario y el consumo per cápita del ovino-caprino impulsa la necesidad de aprovechar no solo las ventajas comparativas, sino también la generación de ventajas competitivas que lleven a la ovino-cultura y la caprino-cultura colombiana por el camino de la competitividad y la globalización, aprovechando las oportunidades en el mercado nacional y de exportación. El eficaz aprovechamiento de dichas ventajas implica la incorporación de los datos, la información y el conocimiento como factores de producción dentro de un proceso ordenado, bajo el marco de un sistema de “gestión de conocimiento”. El presente documento trata los fundamentos teóricos sobre los cuales se discute la manera como los datos, la información y el conocimiento se transforman en productividad y competitividad; se tratan los temas del “Big-Bang”, la entropía y neguentropía, la complejidad, la teoría de sistemas, la teoría del conocimiento, la epistemología, el management, la economía del conocimiento, la planeación estratégica, la espiral del conocimiento en las organizaciones, y la gestión del conocimiento, procurando algunas aproximaciones al sector agropecuario y la contextualización de la gestión del conocimiento en la ovino-cultura y caprino-cultura colombiana.

Nowadays sheep are presented as a promising species for the livestock sector in Colombia, with an awakening of the activity manifested by an increase in inventory, which, according to FAOSTAT (debatable data), increased from 2,400,000 head in 2000 to 3,400,000 in 2008; on the other hand, goats went from 1,200,000 head to 1,300,000 head during the same period, thus showing an increase, albeit at a slower pace than with sheep. According to this database, the same trend is observed in per capita consumption of ovine/caprine meat, which went from 270 g/person/year in 2000 to 370 g/person/year in 2008. This increase in inventory and per capita consumption of lamb and goat meat drives the need to make the most of not only the comparative advantages, but also the generation of competitive advantages that lead the Colombian sheep and goat-culture through the road of competitiveness and globalization, taking advantage of opportunities in the national and export market. The effective use of these benefits involves the incorporation of data, information and knowledge as factors of production within an orderly process under the framework of a “knowledge management” system. This paper addresses a series of theoretical foundations upon which the way data, information and knowledge are transformed into productivity and competitiveness are discussed; the issue of the “Big Bang” is addressed, as are the issues of entropy and negentropy, complexity, systems theory, the theory of knowledge, epistemology, management, knowledge economy, strategic planning, the spiral of knowledge in organizations, and knowledge management, aiming to find some approaches to the agricultural sector and the contextualization of knowledge management in the Colombian sheep and goat-culture.

Os ovinos apresentam-se hoje em dia na Colômbia como uma das espécies promissoras para o setor pecuário, com um despertar na atividade que se manifesta com um aumento do rebanho, que segundo a FAOSTAT (dados contestáveis), passou de 2.400.000 cabeças em 2000 para 3.400.000 em 2008; por outro lado, as cabras passaram de 1.200.000 cabeças a 1.300.000 cabeças no mesmo período, crescendo, ainda que num ritmo menor que o das ovelhas De acordo com este banco de dados, a mesma tendência é observada no consumo per capita de carne ovino-caprina que partindo de 270 g/pessoa/ano em 2000 chega a 370 g/pessoa/ano em 2008. Este crescimento no consumo per capita de ovino-caprino impulsiona a necessidade de aproveitar não só as vantagens comparativas, senão também a geração de vantagens competitivas que levem a ovinocultura e a caprinocultura colombiana pelo caminho da competitividade e da globalização, aproveitando as oportunidades no mercado nacional e de exportação. O eficaz aproveitamento dessas vantagens implica a incorporação dos dados, a informação e o conhecimento como fatores de produção dentro de um processo ordenado, no entorno de um sistema de “gestão do conhecimento”. O presente documento trata fundamentos teóricos sobre os quais se discute a maneira como os dados, a informação e o conhecimento se transformam em produtividade e competitividade; se tratam os temas do “Big-Bang”, a entropia e entropia negativa, a complexidade, a teoria de sistemas, a teoria do conhecimento, a epistemologia, o management, a economia do conhecimento, o planejamento estratégico, o espiral do conhecimento nas organizações, e a gestão do conhecimento, procurando algumas aproximações ao setor agropecuário e a contextualização da gestão do conhecimento na ovinocultura e caprinocultura colombiana.