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This study assessed whether the meat tenderness of broilers raised in a free-range system varies by sex, lineage, and age at the time of slaughter. Physicochemical parameters were measured to adequately assess breast and thigh muscle morphometry, including shear force (SF), muscle fibre diameter (MD), histological connective tissue (HCT) content, and total and soluble collagen contents (TCC and SCC, respectively). The experiment was conducted with a completely randomized design using two lineages (Pescoço Pelado and Paraíso Pedrês), with specimens of both sexes raised in a free-range system. Randomly selected broilers were slaughtered at 65, 75, 85, and 95 days old. A total of 192 birds were analysed. SF values correlated positively with age. The highest SF values were measured in thighs of the Pescoço Pelado lineage. Age also showed a positive correlation with MD and HCT content of the breast regardless of lineage. Gender did not have any significant correlation with physical parameters; although, higher values were measured in thighs of the Paraíso Pedrês than in those of the Pescoço Pelado lineage. There were no significant differences among treatments regarding the SCC and TCC of thighs and breasts. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed relationships between SF and the rest of the measured attributes. PCA showed that age was positively correlated with the SF, MD, and HCT content of thighs and breasts. In contrast, SCC and TCC had negative correlations. The greatest breast and thigh MD values were associated with the least tender meat. Thus, age at the time of slaughter proved to be the most significant parameter impacting the physical characteristics of muscle morphometry and meat tenderness of breasts and thighs of broilers raised in a free-range system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the peculiarities of Count D. Pedro's Book of Lineages is precisely that it is not only a genealogy. This feature alone makes this kind of “chronicle of medieval noble memory” of Portugal one of the richest and most interesting sources with regard to the knowledge of the aristocracy. The book contains diverse narratives of varying nature, from historical narratives to anecdotes and mythical ones. The latter are capital to the understanding strategies and resources used by the nobility to assert their power. For the most part, they are short texts, but full of symbolism, of course, by their internal constitutions, which tend to explain the origin of a renowned lineage. These stories are not unique to the Portuguese nobility, the mythical ones then seem to report to other counterparts that circulated in much of Europe, composing a common cultural background. There are pages about families from all over the Iberian Peninsula, Galician, Castilian, Navarras and Portuguese. We intend here to analyze how these narratives, through the role of women, built a mythical background legitimacy for the aristocracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grapevine rupestris stem pitting-associated virus (GRSPaV) is one of the most common viruses of grapevine. It is involved in the grafttransmissible disease rupestris stem pitting of the rugose wood complex. The objective of the research was to perform the molecular characterization of the coat protein (CP) gene of sixteen Brazilian GRSPaV isolates aiming to determine the occurrence of molecular variants (strains) of this virus. Nine grapevine samples were evaluated, from which dsRNA was extracted. Nucleotide sequences were generated by Next generation sequencing (NGS). Fifteen complete sequences of the GRSPaV CP gene were obtained and phylogenetically analyzed. Multiple alignments of the sequences showed identities of nucleotides ranging from 82% to 99%, suggesting high variability among the CPs of Brazilian isolates. The study revealed that genetic variability of GRSPaV comprising three molecular variants is also present in Brazilian grapevine genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The availability and appropriate level of vitamin D to promote physiological demand, bone formation and reduce the occurrence of locomotors problems in broilers. The aim of this study was to evaluate three levels of vitamin D on performance breaking strength and mineral content of tibia of three strains of broilers, it was used 1,440 chicken of one day of age. The complete random design used was in factorial 3X3, with three strains (Ross 308, Cobb 500 and Hybro) and three inclusion levels of vitamin D3 (1250 IU vitamin D3; 3000 IU vitamin D3 and 2760 UI of 25- hydroxycholecalciferol (OH) D3), provided in the diet until 21 day of life, with eight replicates of 30 birds per group, a total of 160 birds per treatment. There was no difference (P> 0.05) between the levels of vitamin D, in the strains for the perfomance and breaking strength, except for feed intake for the strain factor (P <0.05), with higher feed intake of Cobb, probably due to its higher growth potential. The levels of vitamin D had no influence significant (P> 0.05) the quantities of calcium and phosphorus in the tibia bones. However, for strains was significant difference (P <0.05) at 14 days of age, with higher amounts of calcium to Ross 308 and higher amount of phosphorus to Hybro. This can be explained because of the genetic variation in metabolism of calcium and phosphorus in broilers. In conclusion the addition of 1250 IU vitamin D/kg of feed is sufficient to ensure performance and bone development of broilers independent of the strain to be used by proper adjustment of the levels of Ca and P. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Kingdom of Portugal, at the end of the thirteenth century, the heads of the oldest families of "infanções" (chief warriors) settled between Douro and Minho rivers, in the lineage books they have produced, traced their origins back also to Arab ancestors. All in search of an authority, an antiquity that would legitimize its invocation of old nobility, against the hegemonic power of the new Portuguese Royal House. By that way, those gentlemen proclaim the greater antiquity of their families, stating that they were, for centuries, the true conquerors, the builders of the kingdom of Portugal. The Royal House was recent and of foreign origin, coming from the north of the Pyrenees and not, like them, of secular peninsular origin, in which melted also Arabic blood. They assume a clear origin, ethno- cultural, Mozarabic, which merged origin elites Christian and Muslim elites, and giving therefore sociological substance to the Andalusian culture, symbiotic culture, and that was the frame of reference for the different kingdoms, Muslim, further south, and Christians, to the north, until the mid eleventh century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated yield performance of lines in the trial network of the Soybean Breeding Program of Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, in Uberaba-MG. The experiment was done at the Experimental Farm of Faculdades Associadas de Uberaba - FAZU, in the season 2007/2008, with plots consisting of four 5.0-m long rows spaced by 0.50 m. The agricultural characteristics evaluated were: plant height at flowering, plant height at maturation, insertion height of the first pod, number of days for flowering, number of days to maturity, yield and lodging, in late cycle soybean. The lines UFU-518 with 4300.3 kg ha-1 and UFU-513 with 3810.2 kg ha-1 were the most productive, with performance above the commercial controls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In vitro mycelium growth of five Agaricus bisporus strains submitted to different temperature conditions. The in vitro mycelium growth of Agaricus bisporus strains AB1-05/03, ABI-06/04, ABI-04/02, ABI-06/05 and ABI-01/01 was evaluated in solid culture media made up of compost. Evaluations were performed by means of measurements of four diameters of the colonies, every 48 hours, during 12 days of incubation in darkness under 20 and 25°C. The experimental design consisted of randomized blocks, using the Tukey test to compare averages. Based on the obtained results, it was verified that: mycelium growth of A. bisporus is influenced by the temperature of incubation; the temperature of 25°C was more favorable to the mycelium growth of all A. bisporus strains; under the temperature of 20°C, the best growth was obtained with strains ABI-06/05 and ABI-01/01 and, under the temperature of 25°C. strain ABI-01/01 showed significantly higher growth than all other strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]