Fatores de risco associados ao vício de sucção em leitões na fase de creche / Risk factors associated with suckling vice in post-weaning pigs

Foi realizado um estudo epidemiológico em 65 granjas de suínos situadas na região Sul do Brasil para identificar os fatores que favorecem a ocorrência do vício de sucção entre leitões desmamados. Em cada granja acompanhou-se um lote de leitões do nascimento até 21 dias após o desmame, provenientes de no mínimo seis leitegadas, para obtenção de informações relacionadas às instalações, à nutrição, às práticas de manejo, ao ambiente interno e ao desempenho dos leitões. Os dados foram submetidos à análises descritivas e de correspondência múltipla. A manifestação do vício ocorreu em 23 (35,4 por cento) granjas. Nos lotes que apresentaram o vício de sucção, os leitões obtiveram média de ganho diário de peso (P<0,005) inferior aos que não apresentaram o vício de sucção. Os principais fatores de risco identificados foram: peso médio ao desmame menor que 6,3kg, ausência de bebedouro específico para os leitões na maternidade, ocorrência de diarréia na primeira semana após o desmame, tipo de bebedouro usado na creche diferente daquele usado na maternidade, orientação do eixo do prédio inadequado, presença de sinais de sarna no lote, ausência de vazio sanitário na creche e uso da restrição alimentar logo após o desmame. Sugere-se que a correção dos fatores de risco previna a manifestação do vício de sucção e melhore a média de ganho diário de peso dos leitões após o desmame.

Estimativa dos índices de pneumonia, pela tosse, e de rinite atrófica, por espirros, em suínos / Estimating of pneumonia by coughing and atrophic rhinitis by sneezing indices in swine

Realizou-se um estudo em 64 granjas de suínos na regiäo sul do Brasil entre julho de 1995 e março de 1997 com o objetivo de estimar o índice de pneumonia (IP) e o índice de rinite atrófica (IRA), por meio da contagem dos sinais clínicos de tosse e espirro, respectivamente, em suínos em crescimento-terminaçäo. Em cada granja, um lote com cerca de 60 suínos foi acompanhado desde o alojamento na fase de crescimento até o abate. Tosse e espirro foram contados em quatro oportunidades (30, 50 e 80 dias após o alojamento e 1 a 3 dias antes do abate). Em cada oportunidade foram feitas três contagens de dois minutos cada e o percentual de tosse e espirro para cada lote foi calculado pela média das três contagens em relaçäo ao tamanho do lote. No abate, os suínos foram avaliados quanto à frequência e severidade de lesöes de hepatizaçäo pulmonar e de rinite atrófica nos cornetos nasais para cálculo do IP e do IRA, respectivamente. Os dados foram submetidos às análises de correlaçäo de Pearson e de regressäo simples para ajuste da equaçäo de prediçäo do IP em relaçäo à porcentagem de tosse e do IRA em relaçäo à porcentagem de espirro. As equaçöes obtidas foram: IPe=0,35 + (o,11 x porcentagem de tosse) com R ao quadrado=0,45 e IRAe=0,36 + (0,065 x porcentagem de espirro) com R ao quadrado=0,36. Conclui-se que é possível utilizar o método de contagem de tosse e espirro na fase de crescimento-terminaçäo para estimar, respectivamente, o IP e o IRA

Alternative splicing, expression, and genomic structure of the 3' region of the gene encoding the sarcolemmal-associated proteins (SLAPs) defines a novel class of coiled-coil tail-anchored membrane proteins.

The sarcolemmal associated proteins (SLAPs) are encoded by multiple mRNAs that are presumably generated by alternative splicing mechanisms. The amino acid sequence of the SLAP1 isoform exhibited 76% identity with TOP(AP), a topographically graded antigen of the chick visual system. The regions of coiled-coil structure including an 11-heptad acidic amphipathic alpha-helical segment was conserved with a major divergence in sequence noted in the hydrophobic C termini predicted to be transmembrane domains in the two polypeptides. The genomic organization of the 3' region of the SLAP gene indicated that SLAP1 and TOP(AP) are generated by alternative splicing mechanisms, which are conserved among mammalian and avian species. SLAP1/TOP(AP) were encoded by 11 exons distributed over a minimum of 35 kilobase pairs of continuous DNA; 9 of the exons were constitutively expressed, and 2 were alternatively spliced. The exons range in size from 60 to 321 base pairs, and the predicted functional domains within the polypeptides were encompassed by single exons. The introns vary from 0.2 to 10 kilobase pairs and conform to consensus dinucleotide splicing signals. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction studies demonstrated that alternative exons (IV and X) of SLAP were expressed in a tissue-specific fashion and developmentally regulated. The alternatively spliced exon X, which encodes the putative transmembrane anchor in TOP(AP), and a constitutively expressed exon XI, which encodes the putative transmembrane domain in SLAP, were found to target these polypeptides to membrane structures. The presence and conservation of termination codons in exons X and XI render expression of the two SLAP1/TOP(AP) transmembrane domains mutually exclusive. These data reveal that TOP(AP) and SLAP are alternatively spliced products of a single gene that encodes a unique class of tail-anchored membrane proteins.

Teams in organizations: recent research on performance and effectiveness.

This review examines recent research on groups and teams, giving special emphasis to research investigating factors that influence the effectiveness of teams at work in organizations. Several performance-relevant factors are considered, including group composition, cohesiveness, and motivation, although certain topics (e.g. composition) have been more actively researched than others in recent years and so are addressed in greater depth. Also actively researched are certain types of teams, including flight crews, computer-supported groups, and various forms of autonomous work groups. Evidence on basic processes in and the performance effectiveness of such groups is reviewed. Also reviewed are findings from studies of organizational redesign involving the implementation of teams. Findings from these studies provide some of the strongest support for the value of teams to organizational effectiveness. The review concludes by briefly considering selected open questions and emerging directions in group research.

Potency in groups: articulating a construct.

This paper examines potency, defined as the collective belief in a group that it can be effective, and its role in determining group effectiveness. The paper illustrates the construct and reviews its origins. The distinctiveness of potency from efficacy and from other collective and motivational constructs is described. The measurement of potency is also examined. The paper concludes with a presentation of a conceptual framework for understanding the determinants of potency and with a discussion of future theory, research and practice.

Growth delay in homeless children.

This study compared the growth of homeless children with National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) standards and with growth of age-matched domiciled children of similar income level. Homeless children (n = 167) had lower height percentiles when compared with domiciled children (n = 167; P less than .001) and when compared with NCHS standards (P less than .001). The weight-height percentiles of homeless children did not differ from NCHS standards; however, domiciled children had higher weight-heights when compared with the homeless (P less than .001) and with NCHS standards (P less than .001). After controlling via regression analysis for the effects of potentially confounding factors that affect growth, it was found that homeless children from larger families and with single mothers accounted for the lower height percentiles observed. After controlling for confounding factors, domiciled children still had increased weight-height percentiles when compared with the homeless group. Duration of homelessness was not associated with decreased height or weight-height among homeless children. Homeless children in this study exhibited a pattern of stunting without wasting which is characteristic of poor children experiencing moderate, chronic nutritional stress. They exhibited a greater degree of nutritional stress than domiciled children at a similar income level and than that reported in other groups of poor children in the United States. Preexisting social factors in the families of homeless children were important in explaining the observed growth abnormalities. Further exploration of the associations between social characteristics of homeless children and their families and the growth of these children is warranted.

[A systematic approach to the prediction of psychosomatic disease]. / Approccio sistematico alla previsione di malattia psicosomatica.

This paper is an introduction to the "philosophy" adopted in research on the influence of mental factors in the onset of psychosomatic diseases. The research is oriented to the construction and implementation on a computer of a model that makes it possible to formulate predictions regarding the onset and possibly the classification of the "type" of psychosomatic disease so as to be able to activate an appropriate prophylaxis.

Evaluating evaluation: assessment of the American Board of Internal Medicine Resident Evaluation Form.

The American Board of Internal Medicine suggests use of a standard form to rate residents on nine dimensions (such as clinical judgment and overall clinical competence) on a scale of 1 to 9. The authors examined the psychometric evidence for reliability and validity of 1,039 ratings of 85 residents by 135 attendings in a single internal medicine residency program. Of these ratings, 95.6% were from 6 to 9. Factor analysis revealed that high correlations among the nine dimensions (r ranged from 0.72 to 0.92) resulted from a single global factor accounting for 86% of the variance. The study also examined whether the form reliably distinguishes among residents scoring between 6 and 9. Agreement among attendings rating the same individual was weak (average reliability = 0.64, by the method of James). The rating method fails to discriminate dimensions of clinical care and has low reliability for distinguishing among competent residents.

[Internal medicine and psychosomatic medicine between dualism and monism]. / Medicina interna e medicina psicosomatica tra dualismo e monismo.

This paper investigates the possibility that psychosomatics could overcome the dualistic concept of a human being divided into mind and body. According to S. Freud's theories about the individual uniqueness and to G. A. Kelly's personal construct theory, the authors try to determine a monistic concept of the human being also from the clinical standpoint.