Performance of rearing female hoggets under different feeding strategies

The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of Texel × Ile de France female hoggets on pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum (L.) Leeke) pastures fed supplementation with cassava meal or corn gluten. It was used a completely randomized experimental design, with three treatments (feed strategies) and two area replications. Feed strategies consisted of supplementation of the pastures with cassava meal or corn gluten in comparison to exclusive pasture. Supplements were given daily at 9:00 a.m. at quantity of 1% of the body weight (BW). The lambs on corn gluten supplementation presented greater daily weight gain and greater per area weight gain. Use of supplementation did not permit to increase pasture stocking rate, however. In vitro digestibility and chemical composition of the harvested forage was similar (crude protein, neutral detergent fiber) among groups. At the end of the experiment, all feed strategies were efficient in promoting weight greater than 60% of the mature weight, showing that the lambs are able for mating. Body condition score (BCS) of lambs under cassava meal supplementation was 3.0 whereas body composition score of the other lambs was 2.8. Exclusive use of pearl millet can provide dry matter requirement of the lambs

Application of ozone to enhance the defluoridation property of activated alumina: a novel approach

Drinking water containing high fluoride concentrations may lead to serious health problems. Thus, aiming at water defluoridation through adsorption, several adsorbent materials have been studied worldwide. Due to its low cost and selectivity for fluoride ions, activated alumina (AA) is one of the most applied materials. At the same time, AA has low adsorption capacity, the pH of the aqueous solution must be less than 6.0 for fluoride adsorption, and it requires a long contact time to reach adsorption equilibrium. This study investigated the use of ozone to enhance the defluoridation property of AA. For this purpose, AA was treated under various ozonation conditions. Subsequently, the ozone-treated AA (OAA) samples were applied to adsorb fluoride from an aqueous solution. The influence of some ozonation parameters (AA concentration, pH, and contact time) was evaluated by carrying out adsorption experiments under fixed conditions. As a result, by full-factorial central composite rotational design (CCRD) and response surface methodology (RSM), it was found that the effect of initial pH during the ozonation is negligible on improving the defluoridation property of AA. At the same time, the decrease of AA concentration in the ozonation system significantly enhances the defluoridation property of AA. For example, the ozonation of 10 g L−1 of AA at a pH of 7.0 increased the fluoride removal efficiency of this material from 77.4% to 98.3%. Finally, the analysis of the ozonation time (0–120 min) showed that 90 min are sufficient to promote a significant rise in the fluoride removal efficiency of AA (from 78.3% to 97.4%). AA was characterized by FTIR, SEM, EDX NMR, and N2 physisorption methods to elucidate factors responsible for the increased fluoride removal efficiency when the material is ozonized

Artrite Séptica - aspectos fisiopatológicos, epidemiológicos e manejo terapêutico

A artrite séptica é uma condição inflamatória articular desencadeada por uma infecção bacteriana, fúngica, viral ou por outros patógenos incomuns. O Staphylococcus aureus é o patógeno mais comum, com destaque para o aumento preocupante de isolados resistentes à meticilina (MRSA). Os sintomas incluem dor, inchaço, febre e dificuldade de movimentação na articulação afetada. O diagnóstico precoce é crucial e envolve análise do líquido sinovial, hemoculturas e testes sorológicos. A artrite séptica pode afetar tanto crianças quanto adultos, com diferentes agentes etiológicos predominantes em cada faixa etária. A terapia antimicrobiana empírica é iniciada imediatamente, com posterior ajuste com base nos resultados da cultura. A drenagem articular, por artrocentese ou cirurgia, é essencial para remover o exsudato infectado. Os sintomas locais incluem dor, edema e redução da mobilidade, enquanto os sistêmicos podem incluir febre e toxemia. O diagnóstico diferencial é amplo e inclui várias condições que mimetizam a artrite séptica. O tratamento cirúrgico pode ser necessário em casos graves ou refratários à terapia farmacológica. O prognóstico varia, com taxas de mortalidade hospitalar entre 7% e 15%, sendo influenciado por fatores como idade, estado imunológico e resistência bacteriana. Complicações como dor crônica e perda de função articular podem ocorrer, destacando a importância da intervenção rápida e eficaz para melhorar os resultados clínicos