Concepta Margaret McManus Pimentel

Causes of condemnation of carcasses from poultry in slaughterhouses located in State of Goiás, Brazil

The aim of this research was to detect the principal reasons for condemnation of poultry carcasses in two slaughterhouses (A and B); located in the southeastern region of the State of Goias, Brazil. The data were collected by the federal veterinary inspection services of the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture between January and April 2007. The principal causes of condemnation observed in both industries were cellulite, contusion/ fractures and bruises, as well as contamination due to gut severance at evisceration. The three main values observed for each of the causes were different between the slaughter houses. In A, cellulite was the main cause of condemnation with 51.20% of all condemnations, followed by 5.67% for contusion/ fractures and bruising and 33.61% for contamination by evisceration. In B, the major cause of condemnation was 28.90% due to fractures/ contusion and bruising, followed by 25.27% for cellulite and 22.50% for contamination. Other causes of condemnation were observed, however in minute quantities in both industries (<10% to A and <23% to B). The high cellulite occurrence in A was due to the high density of the poultry in sheds (17 or 18 chickens m-2). The greater value for fractures/ contusion and bruising verified in B was due to the inefficiency during capture in the sheds and putting on hooks in the slaughterhouse. Carcass lesions were also caused by insensitization because of non-uniformity in the poultry groups. Contamination by residues due to gut severance, mainly intestines, was attributed to problems in adjustment of machinery and non- uniformity of lots in industry A. In industry B the value detected within an acceptable level of failure in evisceration for machine, according to the manufacturer. All problems observed suggest a failure in handling, cellulite and mainly failures in pre slaughter and slaughter procedure to prevent contusions, fractures and bruising.

Factor Analysis of Linear Type Traits and Their Relation with Longevity in Brazilian Holstein Cattle

In this study we aimed to evaluate the reduction in dimensionality of 20 linear type traits and more final score in 14,943 Holstein cows in Brazil using factor analysis, and indicate their relationship with longevity and 305 d first lactation milk production. Low partial correlations (−0.19 to 0.38), the medium to high Kaiser sampling mean (0.79) and the significance of the Bartlett sphericity test (p<0.001), indicated correlations between type traits and the suitability of these data for a factor analysis, after the elimination of seven traits. Two factors had autovalues greater than one. The first included width and height of posterior udder, udder texture, udder cleft, loin strength, bone quality and final score. The second included stature, top line, chest width, body depth, fore udder attachment, angularity and final score. The linear regression of the factors on several measures of longevity and 305 d milk production showed that selection considering only the first factor should lead to improvements in longevity and 305 milk production.

Modelagem de espectros temporais NDVI-MODIS, no período de 2000 a 2008, na bacia do rio Paracatu, Brasil

The objectives of this work were to model the distribution of NDVI-MODIS data, in six distinct targets: Crop Land Areas, Gallery Forest, Cerrado, Pastureland, Urban Areas and Semideciduous Seasonal Forest; and also to analyze the physiognomies changes of the index through of waveform models, period 2000-2008, at the Paracatu River Basin (Sao Francisco Sub-River Basin). The materials and methods were detached in the steps: (a) getting MODIS images; (b) noise treatment; (c) math modeling of the NDVI temporal signature; and (d) analysis of statistical relation between NDVI and open canopy. The nonlinear regression, waveform model, to spread NDVI by temporal series, got high significance of its parameters (R2 and p) and tolerable error. With this could identify the physiognomies to be delimited, and to simulate future temporal series by land use, vegetation cover and area extension of each physiognomy. The standard of distribution of the NDVI data showed significant relation with field data of open canopy, this could to be a precise indicator of land use change between the temporal series.