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In this study, we evaluated the serum profile of sheep fed with banana residue hays dried using two methods. Thirty crossbred Santa Inês × Dorper, male, non-castrated sheep (average body weight= 26.5 kg) were distributed in a randomized block design with five treatments: control, two types of residues (banana pseudo stem and banana leaf hays), and two drying methods (sun and shade drying). After feeding the experimental diets for 20 days, the animals were fasted for 12 h before collecting venous blood (6 mL) for plasma and serum at 0, 3, and 6 h after feeding. Variance analysis was performed in subdivided plots, and the means were compared using Dunnett’s test at 5% probability. No differences were observed in the dry matter intake of animals fed with banana by-product hay; however, the in vitro dry matter digestibility was high for pseudo stem hay. The differences in the nutritional value of the hays were not sufficient to alter the serum biochemistry of the animals. No differences were observed in the total protein, serum albumin and globulins, albumin/globulin ratio, and plasma glucose among time points and treatments (5.83 g/dL, 3.43 g/dL, 2.40 g/dL, 1.82 g/dL, and 64.6 mg/dL). Urea and triglyceride levels were the highest (p<0.05) at 3 h after feeding (30.1 and 37.0 mg/dL, respectively) and creatinine at 0 h (0.94 mg/dL). Serum cholesterol levels were the lowest (p<0.05) at 3 h after feeding (38.5 mg/dL). No effect of treatment on these parameters was observed. Thus, sheep can be fed with pseudo stem or banana leaves dehydrated in the sun or shade without compromising blood parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the nanofiltration process as a polishing step of a membrane bioreactor inoculated with commercial baker yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) used to treat sanitary landfill leachate. The contaminants retention and influence of concentration polarization and fouling phenomena on the permeate flux decline (FD) at different operating pressures were analysed. The greatest total flux reductions of 63.57% and 70.83% were observed for the lowest and the highest pressures, respectively, being this reduction attributed mainly to the concentration polarization. Membrane itself and concentration polarization phenomena were the main resistances to the nanofiltration process. Hermia model adjustment to the experimental data revealed that cake formation was the main mechanism that explained the FD at pressures of 8, 10 and 12 bar. At recovery rates above 40%, there was a significant decrease in permeate quality, so this value was chosen as the viable value for the proposed system. Integrated MBR-nanofiltration system led to the high removal of pollutants and made the treated effluent feasible for reuse in the landfill itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The antral follicle count (AFC) is an important tool in the selection of bovine females destined for biotechnology. However, little is known about AFC in prepubertal and pubertal heifers. Some challenges inherent to the physiology of young females must be considered to achieve efficient rates with different procedures, such as ovum pick-up and IVF. This paper covers some important topics about ovarian physiology related to the population of antral follicles and reproductive efficiency in young female cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Staphylococcus spp. can adhere and produce biofilm on different contact surfaces. Thus, the aim of this work was to compare the biofilm production by Staphylococcus spp. on stainless steel using two culture media, milk Ultra High Temperatura (UHT) and Brain Heart Infusion broth (BHI). The bacterial count of adhered cells on steel was performed two times (12 and 24 hours) for both media evaluated with incubation at 25 °C. The bacterial counts of adhered cells were analyzed using ANOVA and Duncan's test for average comparison (p < 0.05). The biofilm formation of two strains (wild type strain and type strain) were observed applying Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The bacterial counts were between 7 and 8 log CFU/cm2. Significant difference was found among the strains evaluated; however, no significant difference was described in times and culture media tested. It was showed by SEM that the wild type strain (S.a2) had considerable ability to biofilm production, which was expected due its results on bacterial counts. Thus, it can indicate milk offers appropriate conditions to biofilm formation of Staphylococcus spp. on stainless steel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Studies of health geography are important in the planning and allocation of emergency health services. The geographical distribution of health facilities is an important factor in timely and quality access to emergency services; therefore, the present study analyzed the emergency health care network in Brazil, focusing the analysis at the roles of small hospitals (SHs). Study design Cross-sectional ecological study. Methods Data were collected from 9429 hospitals of which 3524 were SHs and 5905 were high-complexity centers (HCCs). For analytical purposes, we considered four specialties when examining the proxies of emergency care capability: adult, pediatrics, neonatal, and obstetric. We analyzed the spatial distribution of hospitals, identifying municipalities that rely exclusively on SHs and the distance of these cities from HCCs. Results More than 14 and 30 million people were at least 120 km away from HCCs with an adult intensive care unit (ICU) and pediatric ICU, respectively. For neonatal care distribution, 12% of the population was more than 120 km away from a health facility with a neonatal ICU. The maternities situation is different from other specialties, where 81% of the total Brazilian population was within 1 h or less from such health facilities. Conclusion Our results highlighted a polarization in distribution of Brazilian health care facilities. There is a concentration of hospitals in urban areas more developed and access gaps in rural areas and the Amazon region. Our results demonstrate that the distribution of emergency services in Brazil is not facilitating access to the population due to geographical barriers associated with great distances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bovine mastitis is an inflammation of the mammary glands of cows and causes significant economic losses in dairy cattle. Staphylococcus aureus is one of the microorganisms most commonly isolated. Novel agents are required in agricultural industries to prevent the development of mastitis. The production of biofilm by Staph. aureus facilitates the adhesion of bacteria to solid surfaces and contributes to the transmission and maintenance of these bacteria. The effect of the essential oils of Syzygium aromaticum (clove; EOSA) and Cinnamomum zeylanicum (cinnamon; EOCZ) and their major components, eugenol and cinnamaldehyde, on Staph. aureus biofilm formation on different surfaces was investigated. The results showed a significant inhibition of biofilm production by EOSA on polystyrene and stainless steel surfaces (69.4 and 63.6%, respectively). However, its major component, eugenol, was less effective on polystyrene and stainless steel (52.8 and 19.6%, respectively). Both EOCZ and its major component, cinnamaldehyde, significantly reduced biofilm formation on polystyrene (74.7 and 69.6%, respectively) and on stainless steel surfaces (45.3 and 44.9%, respectively). These findings suggest that EOSA, EOCZ, and cinnamaldehyde may be considered for applications such as sanitization in the food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the energy requirements of female and intact and castrated male Saanen goats. Animals were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 experiments designed to investigate the energy requirements for maintenance and gain. To determine the maintenance requirements, 85 goats were used (26 intact males, 30 castrated males, and 29 females) with an initial BW of 30.3 ± 0.87 kg. Thirty goats (8 intact males, 9 castrated males, and 13 females) were slaughtered to be used as the baseline group. The remaining goats were assigned in a split-plot design using a 3 × 3 factorial arrangement (3 sexes--intact males, castrated males, and females--and 3 DMI levels--ad libitum and restricted fed to 75 or 50% of the ad libitum intake). The NEg was obtained using 65 goats (20 intact males, 22 castrated males, and 23 females) fed ad libitum in a completely randomized design. Eight intact males, 9 castrated males, and 13 females were slaughtered at 30.5 ± 1.53 kg BW. Seventeen goats (6 intact males, 6 castrated males, and 5 females) were slaughtered at 38.1 ± 0.49 kg BW. The remaining goats were slaughtered at 44.0 ± 0.50 kg BW. The NEm did not differ between the sexes (P = 0.59; 258.5 kJ/kg0.75 BW), resulting in a ME for maintenance of 412.4 kJ/kg0.75 BW. The estimated energy use efficiency for maintenance was 0.627. During the growth phase, NEg differed between the sexes (P < 0.001); intact males, castrated males, and females showed an average NEg equal to 15.2, 18.6, and 22.7 MJ/kg of empty weight gain, respectively. The energy requirements for growth differed between the sexes. The difference was found to be due to distinct NEg and partial efficiency of ME utilization for growth in intact and castrated males and females during the late growth phase. This study may contribute to adjustments in feeding system energy recommendations regarding the NEm and NEg found for goats during the late growth phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Batch and fixed bed experiments were carried out for the removal of Reactive Turquoise Blue Q-G125% (TB) dye from aqueous solution using cashew apple bagasse (CAB) as non-conventional adsorbent. CAB, a lignocellulosic material, used in this study contained 20.56% ± 2.19% cellulose, 10.17% ± 0.89% hemicellulose, and 35.26% ± 0.90% lignin and was characterized as nonporous material and its surface area cannot be determined by nitrogen adsorption at 77 K. Kinetic and equilibrium study were performed in batch systems, evaluating the effects of pH, contact time, initial concentration, adsorbent loading, and temperature on the adsorption. The pseudo-second-order model best described the adsorption kinetic data. The adsorption isotherms of TB onto CAB were well fitted by the Freundlich model. The maximum adsorption capacity of the biomass was 145.10 mg/g and high levels of dye removal (> 90%) at 60°C. According to thermodynamic results, the adsorption of TB onto CAB is a spontaneous endothermic process. Dynamic adsorption behavior was studied in fixed bed system. The highest bed adsorbed quantity of 32 mg/g with 100 mg/L TB initial concentration at 1 mL/min flow rate and 1.4 cm bed-height was obtained. The results showed that CAB is a promising adsorbent for the adsorption of the dye. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Similar to the tendency in Europe and North America, awareness towards environmental hazards to health has been rising strongly in Brazil for some years. Among these, indoor radon (Rn) is increasingly being acknowledged as an indoor pollutant that contributes to lung cancer and which one therefore attempts to limit by regulations. Scattered regional surveys performed in Brazil have shown that Rn problem may exist in certain regions, but not much is known about its possible overall extent. Therefore, the idea of a national survey has been brought forward. It is still in the conceptual phase; in this contribution, the authors present the state of knowledge and addressing of particular challenges that can be expected to be encountered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the idea of generating radon map of Brazil has emerged. First attempts of coordinating radon surveys—carried out by different groups across the country—and initial discussions on how to proceed on a larger scale were made at the First Brazilian Radon Seminary, Natal, September 2012. Conventionally, it is believed that indoor radon is no major problem in Brazil, because the overall benign climate usually allows high ventilation rates. Nevertheless, scattered measurements have shown that moderately high indoor radon concentrations (up to a few hundred Bq m−³) do occur regionally. Brazilian geology is very diverse and there are regions where an elevated geogenic radon potential exists or is expected to exist. Therefore, a Brazilian Radon Survey is expected to be a challenge, although it appears an important issue, given the rising concern of the public about the quality of its environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acid mine drainage (AMD) has been identified as the main cause for outflow of acid water and radioactive/non-radioactive contaminants. AMD encompasses pyrites oxidation when water and oxygen are available. AMD was identified in uranium waste rock piles (WRPs) of Indústrias Nucleares do Brasil-Caldas facility (Brazilian uranium mine), resulting in high costs for water treatment. AMD reduction is the main challenge, and scientific investigation has been conducted to understand oxygen and water transportation within WRPs, where 222Rn is used as natural tracer for oxygen transportation. The study consists of soil radon gas mapping in the top layer of WRP4 using active soil gas pumping, radon adsorption in active charcoal and 222Rn determination using high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometry. A sampling network of 71 points was built where samples were collected at a depth of 40 cm. Soil radon gas concentration ranged from 33.7 to 1484.2 kBq m−3 with mean concentration of 320.7±263.3 kBq m−3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mastitis is an important disease for the dairy industry worldwide, causing economic losses and reducing milk quality and production. Staphylococcus aureus is a worldwide agent of this intramammary infection, which also causes foodborne diseases. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of methicillinsusceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) isolates in milk of mastitis cows in Brazil and to analyze the genetic lineages and the content of antimicrobial resistance genes and virulence factors among these isolates. Fifty-six MSSA isolates were recovered from 1,484 milk samples (positive for the California mastitis test) of 518 cows from 11 different farms in Brazil (representing 51% of total Staph. aureus obtained), and they were further characterized. Methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus were isolated from 3.7% of California mastitis test-positive tested milk samples and from 6.2% of tested mastitic cows. Methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus isolates were characterized by spa typing, agr typing, and multilocus sequence typing, and resistance and virulence traits were investigated by PCR. Seven spa types were identified among MSSA (% of isolates): t127 (44.6), t605 (37.5), t002, t1784, t2066 (1.8), and 2 new ones: t10856 (10.7) and t10852 (1.8). Five distinct sequence types (ST) were detected (% of isolates): ST1 (46.4), ST126 (37.5), ST133 (10.7), ST5 (3.6), and a novel ST registered as ST2493 (1.8). Resistances were detected for streptomycin, chloramphenicol, and tetracycline. One strain contained the chloramphenicol resistance gene (fexA; included within transposon Tn558) and 3 strains contained the tetracycline resistance gene [tet(K)]. Methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus strains were susceptible to most of the antibiotics studied and lacked the virulence genes of Panton-Valentine leukocidin (lukF/S-PV), toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (tst), exfoliative toxin A (eta), and exfoliative toxin B (etb), as well as the genes of the immune evasion cluster. Methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus isolates were detected in a relatively low proportion of cows with mastitis (6.2%) and recovered isolates presented high diversity of genetic lineages, with CC1 and CC126 the predominant clonal complexes, and CC133 also being detected. Larger epidemiological studies with molecular characterization of isolates are required to deepen the knowledge on the circulating genetic lineages among the cow population with mastitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a plant extract obtained from the leaves of coffee plants infected by Hemileia vastatrix ( NEFID), different formulations of phosphites and the combination of the extract and phosphites in controlling powdery mildew in eucalyptus mini-stumps, as well as to study the effects on the production of mini-cuttings and their rooting percentage. The experiments were conducted on two eucalyptus hybrids ('urocam' and 'urograndis') in a clonal garden and greenhouse. First, the NEFID plant extract and phosphites of copper, zinc, potassium and potassium/manganese were evaluated to determine their effectiveness in controlling powdery mildew and their toxic effect on the fungus' morphology. Subsequently, we analysed the direct fungitoxicity, curative efficiency and anti-sporulating action of the NEFID extract and various combinations of phosphites with or without the extract, and we also evaluated their effects on shoot production and rooting in eucalyptus mini-cuttings. The NEFID plant extract and phosphites of Cu, Zn and K/Mn were more effective than the fungicide pyraclostrobin + epoxiconazole in the control of powdery mildew. Potassium phosphite was not effective in controlling the pathogen. Among the tested mixtures, the combination of 50% NEFID plant extract and 50% copper phosphite was the most effective because it exhibited direct toxicity on powdery mildew, a high curative efficiency, anti-sporulating action and no adverse effects on the production of shoots or rooting in eucalyptus mini-cuttings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Restricting periods of diet access to lactating dairy goats could influence level or efficiency of production and offer different management options. Therefore, 40 Alpine goats (12 and 28 of parity 1 and ≥2, respectively) with initial BW of 58.0 kg (SEM 1.50) and 14.2 d in milk (SEM 0.72) were offered a 40% forage diet (16.6% CP and 37.5% NDF; 20% alfalfa pellets, 10% cottonseed hulls, 10% coarsely ground grass hay, 12.9% wheat middlings, 12.9% rolled oats, 12.9% rolled corn, 11.0% soybean meal, 3.0% soybean oil, 5.0% molasses, and 2.3% other ingredients) free choice in Calan gate feeders for 12 wk. Feed access was continuous other than during morning and afternoon milking (Control), during the day for 8 h (Day) or night for 16 h (Night), or for 1 or 2 h after morning and afternoon milking (2Hour and 4Hour, respectively). Digestibilities were not influenced by treatment (e.g., OM: 73.1, 76.9, 77.1, 76.3, and 77.3% [SEM 1.81]), DMI was greater (P < 0.05) for Control than for most treatments (2.07, 2.23, 2.70, 2.33, and 2.01 kg/d [SEM 0.157]), and ADG was greater (P = 0.019) for Control than for the mean of restricted feeder access treatments (39, 11, 73, 24, and 21 g [SEM 17.7] for 2Hour, 4Hour, Control, Day, and Night, respectively). Milk yield was similar among treatments (2.60, 3.24, 3.05, 3.07, and 2.58 kg/d [SEM 0.375]), fat concentration tended (P = 0.089) to be lower for Control than for other treatments (3.88, 4.21, 3.41, 3.70, and 3.49% [SEM 0.208]), and milk energy yield was not affected by treatment (7.36, 9.53, 8.20, 8.56, and 6.91 MJ/d [SEM 1.071] for 2Hour, 4Hour, Control, Day, and Night, respectively). Intake of ME (22.69, 25.92, 31.25, 26.69, and 23.46 MJ/d [SEM 2.184]) and heat energy (13.34, 14.09, 17.51, 15.54, and 15.25 MJ/d [SEM 0.921]) were greater (P ≤ 0.011) for Control than for other treatments, resulting in milk energy that was 31.9, 37.6, 26.0, 31.4, and 30.0% of ME intake for 2Hour, 4Hour, Control, Day, and Night, respectively (SEM 3.08). In conclusion, continuous diet access may affect partitioning of nutrients between milk synthesis and tissue accretion differently than some restricted feeder access treatments, particularly 4Hour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of supplementation with exogenous enzyme of Aspergillus oryzae (primarily alpha amylase) in high-concentrate feedlot diets on blood and ruminal parameters of Nellore cattle. Ten Nellore bulls with rumen fistulae, initial body weight between 350 to 400 kg and age of 24 months were housed in individual pens. The experimental design was crossover, in which the animals were randomized between treatments 1: Control - absence of amylase and 2: Amylase -Aspergillus oryzae extract containing alpha amylase activity (Amaize®, Alltech, Inc.), 5 g/animal daily. There was an initial adjustment period (25 days) and a data-collection period (25 days); after, there was rest period (25 days), then the treatments were reversed and the adjustment and collection periods repeated. The diet was composed of: sugar cane bagasse (12% DM), corn (62% DM), citrus pulp (17% DM), soybean meal (4.7% DM), Optigen®, a controlled-relaease urea (1.1% DM) and mineral salt (3.2% DM). The parameters evaluated were plasma concentrations of insulin, glucose, and beta-hydroxybutyrate plus molar proportions of volatile fatty acids (VFA), pH and ammonia concentration in rumen fluid. The data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS (9.0), considering the effects of treatment, time and random animals, with P < 0.10 declared significant. As shown in Table 649, plasma insulin concentrations were reduced in animals receiving Amylase (16.9 vs 27.8 μIU/mL; P = 0.06), as well as acetate and acetate:propionate to the same animals, while the propionate was higher in animals receiving Amylase (18.8 vs 20.4 molar proportion; P = 0.03). In conclusion, exogenous amylase can reduce insulin levels in the animals' blood and also cause effect on ruminal parameters. Acknowledgments: Alltech and FAPESP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess the effect of cleaning protocols on dentin contaminated with blood in reparative endodontic materials, bovine root samples were divided: no contamination (N); contamination (P); contamination and cleaning with saline (S), 2.5% NaOCl+saline (Na) or 2.5% NaOCl+17% EDTA+saline (NaE) and filled with: mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), calcium-aluminate-cement (C), or C+collagen (Ccol) (n=13). The samples were evaluated for porosity, chemical composition, and bond strength. MTA porosity was lower than C (p=0.02) and higher than Ccol (p<0.001). P and NaE were similar (p=1.00), but higher than the other groups (p<0.001). MTA bond strength was similar to Ccol (p=0.777) and lower than C (p=0.028). P presented lower bond strength than the N (p<0.001); S and Na were similar to each other (p=0.969), but higher than P and lower than N (p<0.001). It was observed a predominance of mixed and cohesive failures. None of the samples showed Ca/P ratio values similar to human hydroxyapatite. This study showed that contamination with blood increased the materials porosity, but dentin cleaning with 2.5% NaOCl reduced this effect, and the collagen additive reduced the material porosity. Furthermore, blood contamination reduced the materials bond strength, and cleaning with saline or 2.5% NaOCl diminished this effect.

The continuous use of synthetic anthelmintics against gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) has resulted in the increased resistance, which is why alternative methods are being sought, such as the use of natural products. Plant essential oils (EOs) have been considered as potential products for the control of GINs. However, the chemical composition and, consequently, the biological activity of EOs vary in different plant cultivars. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anthelmintic activity of EOs from cultivars of Ocimum basilicum L. and that of their major constituents against Haemonchus contortus. The EOs from 16 cultivars as well the pure compound linalool, methyl chavicol, citral and eugenol were used in the assessment of the inhibition of H. contortus egg hatch. In addition, the composition of three cultivars was simulated using a combination of the two major compounds from each. The EOs from different cultivars showed mean Inhibition Concentration (IC50) varying from 0.56 to 2.22 mg/mL. The cultivar with the highest egg-hatch inhibition, Napoletano, is constituted mainly of linalool and methyl chavicol. Among the individual compounds tested, citral was the most effective (IC50 0.30 mg/mL). The best combination of compounds was obtained with 11% eugenol plus 64% linalool (IC50 0.44 mg/mL), simulating the Italian Large Leaf (Richters) cultivar. We conclude that different cultivars of O. basilicum show different anthelmintic potential, with cultivars containing linalool and methyl chavicol being the most promising; and that citral or methyl chavicol isolated should also be considered for the development of new anthelmintic formulations.

Lidocaine is a versatile drug that not only provides local anesthesia, but also reduces anesthetic requirements of other agents and has antiarrhythmic, pro-kinetic, anti-inflammatory, antiendotoxemic and antioxidant effects. As it is a drug commonly used in critically ill patients, its safety from the cardiovascular system should be ensured. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of a continuous rate infusion (CRI) of lidocaine on left ventricular systolic and diastolic function of healthy rabbits sedated with midazolam by use of transthoracic echocardiography. Ten New Zealand healthy rabbits were sedated with intramuscular midazolam (1 mg/kg) and enrolled in two experimental treatments (control or lidocaine). The control treatment (CT) comprised an intravenous bolus of 0.9% sodium chloride (0.05 mL/kg) followed by CRI at 5 mL/h, whereas the lidocaine treatment (LT) comprised a bolus of 2% lidocaine without epinephrine at 1 mg/kg followed by CRI at 50 µg/kg/minute. Echocardiographic and hemodynamic variables were studied. Variables were recorded at baseline (TB) and 20, 40 and 60 minutes following start of CRI (T20, T40 and T60, respectively). No differences were found between treatments. The results of this study demonstrate that a continuous rate infusion of lidocaine at 50 µg/kg/minute does not impair echocardiographic indices of left ventricular systolic and diastolic function of healthy rabbits sedated with midazolam., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Aim: Determine the risk indicators of caries lesion activity in a child sample from Porto Alegre, Brazil., Materials and Methods: Study design: cross-sectional study included 97 individuals aged between 3 and 12-years who sought treatment at the Paediatric Clinic at the Dental Teaching Hospital at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, between 2017 and 2018. Questionnaires recorded sociodemographic data, frequency of sugar intake, and toothbrushing frequency. Clinical examination included the visible plaque index, gingival blood index, and caries lesion activity., Results: s The mean of surfaces with active caries lesions was 9.81 (IC 95% = 8.47-11.15). Children who presented a frequency of sugar intake of twice/day (PR = 1.62, IC 95% = 1.30-2.03), three times/day (PR = 1.68, IC 95% = 1.37-2.08), and four or more times/day (PR = 1.59, IC 95% = 1.26-2.01), were likely to have active lesions. Ages between 8 and 12-years were associated with a lower probability of active carious lesions (PR = 0.77, IC 95% = 0.66-088)., Statistics: Poisson regression analysis was used to estimate the child's relative risk of developing new active caries lesions., Conclusions: The monitoring of sugar intake should be considered a strong instrument for the strategies of control of dental caries in children.

Bovine mastitis has been a concern for dairy herd for decades. The adaptation capacity of one of the main species responsible for this disease, Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), plays a pivotal role in this issue. The aim of this study was to establish a molecular and phenotypic profile of 285 S. aureus strains isolated from milk of subclinical mastitis cows from 18 different farms in São Paulo State using spa typing, multilocus sequence typing (MLST), pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), agr cluster (I, II, III and IV) typing, PCR for genes including enterotoxins (sea, seb, sec, sed, see, seg, seh, sei), toxic shock syndrome toxin (tsst-1), and Panton-Valentine leucocidin (pvl), as well as in vitro resistance assays for 12 antibiotics. The results showed a wide variety of strains with a high toxigenic potential; concomitantly, sec, seg and seh were prevalent. In addition, we observed a predominance of the spa types t605 (ST 126, CC126) and t127 (ST1, CC1) and the unusual presence of t321 causing bovine mastitis, which has been previously reported only in swine. The most frequent ST were ST126 (70.5%) and ST1 (10.5%). Regarding PFGE, we observed four major groups and six profile patterns. The highest resistance was observed for streptomycin (9.5%), followed by tetracycline (3.5%), clindamycin (9.3%), and erythromycin (2.8%). The tsst-1 gene was detected in 36.8% of isolates and pvl was not observed. One hundred and thirty-six (47.7%) isolates possessed agr type II, followed by types III (20%) and I (8.1%), with type IV not being detected. We observed that the same spa type could result in different PFGE profiles, so the exclusive use of spa type sequences can lead to incorrect interpretations regarding the spread of clones in an epidemiological context., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

We investigated the effects of different types and doses of inoculants for ensiling rehydrated corn grain. Shelled corn was finely ground and rehydrated to 35% moisture. Treatments were as follows: (1) control (no additives); (2) Lactobacillus plantarum and Pediococcus acidilactici (LPPA) at a theoretical application rate of 1 × 10 5 cfu/g; (3) LPPA at 5 × 10 5 cfu/g; (4) LPPA at 1 × 10 6 cfu/g; (5) Lactobacillus buchneri (LB) at 1 × 10 5 cfu/g; (6) LB at 5 × 10 5 cfu/g; and (7) LB at 1 × 10 6 cfu/g. We detected no effect of inoculant dose. Gas losses were greater in silages treated with LB compared with control and LPPA silages. Treating silages with LB reduced the concentrations of lactic acid and ethanol and increased silage pH and concentrations of acetic acid, propionic acid, and 1,2-propanediol. At silo opening, silages treated with LB had higher counts of lactic acid bacteria but lower yeast counts than the control silage. Aerobic stability was greater for silages treated with LB and lower for silages treated with LPPA compared with the control. The LB reduced dry matter (DM) losses during aerobic exposure, whereas LPPA increased them. Prolamin content was lower in silages treated with LB compared with the control, resulting in greater ruminal in situ DM degradability. Inoculating LB to a dose of 1 × 10 5 cfu/g increased aerobic stability and ruminal in situ DM degradability of rehydrated corn grain silage. The addition of LPPA did not alter the fermentation process and worsened the aerobic stability of rehydrated corn grain silage. Further studies are warranted to confirm these conclusions in other corn hybrids, inoculants, and their combinations., (Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The antral follicle count (AFC) is an important tool in the selection of bovine females destined for biotechnology. However, little is known about AFC in prepubertal and pubertal heifers. Some challenges inherent to the physiology of young females must be considered to achieve efficient rates with different procedures, such as ovum pick-up and IVF. This paper covers some important topics about ovarian physiology related to the population of antral follicles and reproductive efficiency in young female cattle.

Unlabelled: The objective of this study was to analyse the prevalence and molecular characteristics of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in milk of cows with mastitis. The California mastitis test (CMT) was used to detect the presence of mastitis in all 100 cows of a farm in Brazil. The CMT was positive in milk of 115 mammary quarters from 36 cows (36%). MRSA isolates were recovered from 4 of these 36 cows with mastitis (11%), and they were further characterized (one MRSA/sample). The four MRSA isolates were typed as t011-ST398-agr1-SCCmecV and presented two different pulsed-field-gel-electrophoresis-ApaI patterns. These four MRSA isolates showed resistance to tetracycline, streptomycin and ciprofloxacin, carried the mecA, blaZ, tet(K), and tet(M) resistance genes, and presented the S84L and S80F amino acid substitutions in GyrA and GrlA proteins, respectively. Two ST398 isolates exhibited resistance to gentamicin and tobramycin [with aac(6)-aph(2") and ant(4)-Ia genes] and one isolate resistance to clindamycin [with lnu(B) and lsa(E) genes]; this latter isolate also carried the spectinomycin/streptomycin resistance genes spw and aadE. MRSA of lineage ST398 is worldwide spread, normally multidrug resistant and may be responsible for bovine mastitis. To our knowledge, this is the first detection of MRSA-ST398 in Brazil., Significance and Impact of the Study: Few studies on the epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from bovine isolates have been performed in Brazil. MRSA of lineage ST398 is worldwide spread and associated with farm animals. Multidrug-resistant MRSA-ST398 isolates were recovered in 11% of mastitic cows from a single farm, with one isolate carrying the unusual lsa(E), spw and aadE genes. To our knowledge, this is the first detection of MRSA-ST398 isolates in milk samples of cows with mastitis in Brazil., (© 2014 The Society for Applied Microbiology.)

We aimed to establish a phytochemical analysis of the crude extracts and performed GC-MS of the essential oils (EOs) of Eugenia uniflora L. (Myrtaceae) and Asteraceae species Baccharis dracunculifolia DC, Matricaria chamomilla L. and Vernonia polyanthes Less, as well as determining their antimicrobial activity. Establishment of the minimal inhibitory concentrations of the crude extracts and EOs against 16 Staphylococcus aureus and 16 Escherichia coli strains from human specimens was carried out using the dilution method in Mueller-Hinton agar. Some phenolic compounds with antimicrobial properties were established, and all EOs had a higher antimicrobial activity than the extracts. Matricaria chamomilla extract and E. uniflora EO were efficient against S. aureus strains, while E. uniflora and V. polyanthes extracts and V. polyanthes EO showed the best antimicrobial activity against E. coli strains. Staphylococcus aureus strains were more susceptible to the tested plant products than E. coli, but all natural products promoted antimicrobial growth inhibition.

The limitations on the availability of organs for transplantation have aroused interest in research on xenotransplantation of whole organs or certain parts of them. Thus, studies that confirm or reject similarities between the organs of different animals have started to have important clinical applications. In the present study, we investigated the septomarginal trabecula in 34 hearts from Landrace pigs with the aim of observing their similarities with the septomarginal trabecula in humans. In pigs, the muscle bundle of the septomarginal trabecula and the right branch of the stimulating complex are dissociated. The right branch is a narrow bridge that, after going out from the upper part of the interventricular septum, is attached to the upper part of the anterior papillary muscle. On the other hand, the muscle bundle of the septomarginal trabecula is generally a resistant crest that goes from the lower part of the septum to the lower part of the anterior papillary muscle. The septomarginal trabecula presents marked anatomical differences between humans and pigs., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

The interest in experimental use of coronary arteries of swine as a stage towards their application in human hearts justifies the need for obtaining a detailed anatomical understanding of those arteries, particularly to evaluate similarities and differences. However, we did not find any citations about anatomical indicators of coronary dominance among swine in the literature. Many authors have used the crux cordis and the origin of the posterior interventricular branch as references for defining three types of pattern in human hearts: right, balanced and left dominance. We used 30 hearts fixed in 10% formalin from male and female Landrace swine aged five to six months, weighing 80 to 110 kg. The branch corresponding to the subsinuosal interventricular sulcus came from the right coronary artery (96.7%) or from both coronary arteries (3.3%). The subsinuosal interventricular branch presented at least one small branch that went beyond the crux cordis. The apical area presented predominance of the paraconal interventricular (left anterior descending) branch in 43.3%, the subsinuosal interventricular branch in 23.3% and presence of both arteries in 33.3%. The left coronary artery emitted 54.5% of the ventricular branches and the right coronary artery 46.5%. Taking the crux cordis and the subsinuosal interventricular branch as references, the arterial pattern in swine hearts is right dominance. The diversity of the apical pattern and the balance in the distribution of ventricular branches do not allow this to be used as an approach in isolation. The similarities between human and swine hearts also apply to the coronary artery pattern.

An analysis of a new medusa mutant of Aspergillus nidulans obtained by 5-azacytidine-treatment and named B116 is provided. The B116 mutant was phenotypically characterized by the production of conidiophores with reduced pigmentation and vesicles bearing multiple tiers of sterigmata. A single nuclear gene located on chromosome I is responsible for phenotypical changes in the mutant. The 5-azacytidine-altered locus, designated medA102, is recessive in heterozygous diploid and the medusa mutant is a Dp(II,I) duplication bearer that renders the strain mitotically unstable.

Neurocysticercosis (NC) is an endemic condition in several areas of Brazil. It is most likely the major responsible for the high prevalence of epilepsy in our country, estimated in 1-2% of general population. We performed a study to evaluate NC as aetiology of epilepsy in the west of Santa Catarina. This state belong to southern Brazil and it has a very developed economy. However, due the widespread swine farming in the west district, many of them without any sanitary control, the national health authorities have considered all this area at risk to NC. The study was carried out in Chapecó, the main town in that region, where CT Scan service was started in 1995. All patients put on hospital care due epileptic seizures in 1995-96 were considered. Febrile convulsions were excluded of the sample. We found a very expressive prevalence rate of NC among patients suffering from epilepsy. Roughly 24% of these patients, showed unequivocal tomography evidences for the diagnosis of NC. Our data suggest cysticercosis as a real endemic trouble in the area and, overdosis of information in proper language, diffuse to the whole population, seems to be the only remedy to fight against it. Moreover, we should pay special attention to everyone related to swine farming, does not matter how this activity has been classified.

The authors analyze the result of Shouldice inguinal hernia repair in 1000 patients. In a total of 1034 hernias, 966 of them were unilateral and 68 bilateral. The hernias were indirect (61.7%), direct (24.9%) and combined (3.5%). There were 102 recurrent hernias (9.9%) and the mean age of the patients was 50 years. In most cases the patients were male (96.9%) and peasants (47.6%). The post-operative follow-up was annual in 65.8% of the patients, for a period up to 10 years. The recurrence rate was 0.8% in the cases of primary hernias and 4.9% in the case of recurrent ones.

Atrophy of the alveolar process can be avoided by intentionally preserving dental roots in patients with ideal parodontal and pulpar health conditions. This article illustrates results with a representative case history.