Effects of type of lesion and trimming on short-term behavior of grazing dairy cows

This study aimed to investigate how type of hoof injury and corrective trimming alter the behavior of dairy cows. Thirty-four lactating Holstein and Jersey cows were used. They were scored for lameness score on days –2 and 6, before and after trimming and treatment, respectively, using a numerical rating system, in which 1 = perfect gait and 5 = severely lame, and had their postural and ingestive behavior evaluated on days –1 and 6 before and after trimming and treatment, respectively. Locomotion score was analyzed using t-paired test and behavioral data were analyzed by univariate variance analysis with cows as the experimental units, according to a completely randomized design with repeated measurements. Cows with infectious hoof diseases spent less time lying down and idling, but more time standing up and feeding at the trough than those with non-infectious hoof diseases. Locomotion score and the proportion of time spent standing decreased one week after trimming and treatment, while time spent lying down increased. Trimming plus treatment and type of hoof diseases do not change ingestive behavior but change postural behavior of dairy cows

Supplementation with green tea and oregano extracts on productive characteristics, blood metabolites, and antioxidant status of Jersey cows during the transition period

Plant extracts have been recognized as beneficial to human health and have been evaluated as feed additive for domestic and companion animals. This study evaluated oregano and green tea extracts fed to Jersey cows from approximately 21 d before calving to 21 d after calving on milk production, milk composition, and blood metabolites as well as investigated immunological and antioxidant attributes. Twenty-four Jersey cows with 441±27 kg of BW, 3.5±0.3 of body condition score (BCS), and 2.7±1.8 lactations were selected at approximately 28d before the expected parturition date and were randomly assigned to three treatments with eight cows each: without plant extracts in diet (control – CON), addition of 10g per day of oregano extract (OR), and addition of 5g per day of green tea extract (GT). Feed intake, BW, BCS, blood metabolites, hemogram as well as oxidative stress biomarkers were evaluated from approximately 3 weeks prepartum to 3 weeks postpartum (transition period) while milk production and composition were evaluated during the first 3 weeks of lactation. Plant extracts did not change BW, BCS, and DM intake (DMI) throughout the transition period, but OR increased in approximately 20% total digestive nutrients and metabolizable energy intake on days 15 and 16 postpartum compared with CON. In the prepartum, OR increased in 48% platelets count compared to the CON, while GT augmented in 142% eosinophils compared with CON. Oregano extract reduced the levels of reactive species in the erythrocytes in 40% during prepartum and postpartum compared with CON, while GT reduced its levels in 24 and 29% during prepartum and postpartum, respectively, when compared with CON. In the postpartum period, OR increased in 60% the carbonylated protein content compared with CON, while GT reduced in 45% the levels of reactive species in plasma compared with CON. During the postpartum, both extracts increased in 33% the concentration of reduced glutathione when compared with CON. Moreover, GT tended to decrease feed efficiency in 11% when compared with CON; OE reduced milk pH and somatic cell count when compared with CON. In conclusion, OE and GT did not expressively affect immunological attributes in blood but reduce some oxidative stress biomarkers without compromising productive traits of Jersey cows during the transition period

Cell-derived microvesicles in infective endocarditis: Role in diagnosis and potential for risk stratification at hospital admission

Objectives: To characterize the plasmatic profile of cell-derived microvesicles (MVs) at diagnosis and during the treatment of patients with infective endocarditis (IE). Methods: Blood samples from 57 patients with IE were obtained on 3 consecutive moments: upon admission (T0), at 2 weeks (T1), and at the end of treatment (T2), and were compared with 22 patients with other bacterial infections. MPs were measured by flow cytometry and labeled for specific cell markers of CD45 (leukocytes), CD66b (neutrophils), CD14 (monocytes), CD41a (platelets), CD51 (endothelial cells), CD3 (T lymphocyte) and CD235a (erythrocytes). Results: MVs from platelets (pltMVs), leukocytes (leukMVs), neutrophils (neutMVs), monocytes (monoMVs) and lymphocytes (lymphMVs) were significantly more elevated in the patients with IE, compared to the patients with other bacterial infections, despite comparable age, sex, blood counts and C-reactive protein levels. MVs values revealed a relatively stable pattern over time in IE, except for a significant increase in leukMVs and neutMVs in T1. LeukMVs (p = 0.011), neutMVs (p = 0.010), monoMVs (p = 0.016) and lymphMVs (p = 0.020), measured at admission, were significantly higher in IE patients that died during hospitalization in comparison with those that survived. In a multivariable analyses, the levels of neutMVs remained as an independent factor associated with mortality (odds ratio 2.203; 95% confidence interval 1.217 - 3.988; p = 0.009), adjustment for heart failure during the treatment. Conclusions: Plasma levels of pltMVs, leukMVs, neutMVs, monoMVs and lymphMVs were significantly more elevated in patients with IE than in patients with other bacterial infections at hospital admission. Furthermore, neutMVs at admission have been identified as an independent predictor of mortality in patients with IE. Thus, cell derived MPs may become an important tool in the differential diagnosis and mortality risk assessment early in the course of IE suspected cases

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Summary Background Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. Methods We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung’s disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. Findings We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung’s disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middleincome countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in lowincome countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. Interpretation Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between lowincome, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030

Changes in bovine digits related to the characteristics of the diet and of the animals

Problemas de locomoção em bovinos estão entre as principais causas de desconforto por afetar diretamente o bem-estar animal, são comumente relacionados a perda de produtividade, acarretando em prejuízos. É uma das principais causas de descarte em bovinos leiteiros, destaca-se que doenças de origem não infeciosa possuem maior impacto no descarte de animais, em virtude das alterações na conformação dos dígitos, que são em sua maioria irreversíveis. Diante deste contexto, está tese de doutorado visou o estudo dos fatores envolvidos nas enfermidades não infeciosas, especificamente o fator nutrição e as características anatômicas. O fator nutrição, foi abordado no primeiro estudo, no qual buscou-se entender a relação causal entre acidose ruminal e ocorrência de laminite por meio de uma revisão sistemática em quatro bases de dados e o banco de teses Capes. Neste primeiro estudo encontramos resultados que demonstraram parcialmente a relação entre acidose e laminite aguda, porem o mecanismo de desenvolvimento continua a ser indefinido. O segundo estudo visou descrever as características da conformação do digito externo com as estruturas internas consideradas importantes para a saúde do digito. Foram realizadas mensurações das características externas e internas em 296 dígitos oriundos de vacas Jerseys que vieram a óbito em fazendas leiteiras no período de janeiro a junho de 2018. A avaliação pos mortem dos dígitos revelou que o comprimento da parede dorsal foi a principal característica externa associada a expessura de sola, foram encontradas alta frequência (44%) de patas com expessura de sola inadequadas (<7 mm) em vacas primíparas. Unhas com inadequada expessura de sola e rotação de terceira de falange representaram 22% dos resultados.Locomotion problems in cattle are among the main causes of discomfort because they directly affect animal welfare, are commonly related to loss of productivity, leading to losses. It is one of the main causes of culling rates in dairy cattle. It is worth noting that diseases of non-infectious origin have a greater impact on the culling rates, due to the alterations in the conformation of the digits, which are mostly irreversible. Faced with this context, this doctoral thesis focused on the study of the factors involved in non-infectious diseases, specifically the nutrition factor and the anatomical characteristics. The nutrition factor was addressed in the first study, in which the aim was to understand the causal relationship between ruminal acidosis and the occurrence of laminitis by means of a systematic review in four databases and the bank of thesis (Capes). In this first study we found results that partially demonstrated the relationship between acidosis and acute laminitis, but the mechanism of development continues to be undefined. The second study aimed to describe the characteristics of the external digit conformation with the internal structures considered important for the health of the claw. Measurements of external and internal characteristics were carried out on 296 claws originating from cows that died in dairy farms from January to June 2018. Post-mortem evaluation of the hooves revealed that the length of the dorsal wall was the main associated external characteristic (44%) of feet with inadequate sole thickness (<7 mm) were found in primiparous cows. Claws with inadequate sole thickness and third phalangeal rotation represented 22% of the results

Assessment of pain in lame cows and the relation with physical and chemical characteristics of milk, physiological parameters, thermography and nociceptive threshold

As afecções podais podem alterar negativamente o comportamento, bem estar e produtividade das vacas leiteiras, mas ainda é preciso explorar mais seus efeitos sobre os atributos fisiológicos, limiar da dor e as características físico-químicas do leite. Esse estudo teve por objetivo verificar os efeitos provocados pelo desconforto de vacas com problemas podais severos no escore de locomoção, atributos fisiológicos, limiar da dor, variáveis termográficas e características físico-químicas do leite, além de avaliar a melhoria nessas variáveis após o tratamento. Foram utilizadas 34 vacas lactantes claudicantes, as quais foram classificadas quanto à locomoção antes e depois do tratamento. Foram diagnosticadas as lesões, avaliados a composição do leite, limiar nociceptivo, realizadas as medidas fisiológicas e imagens termográficas nos membros com e sem lesão. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o completamente casualizado com medidas repetidas no tempo, onde cada vaca foi considerada uma unidade experimental. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância, utilizando o procedimento Mixed do programa estatístico SAS versão 9.0. Vacas claudicantes apresentaram maior sensibilidade à dor. O tratamento reduziu o escore de locomoção e aumentou limiar nociceptivo, além de influenciar os valores de pH e cálcio iônico, pois maiores valores de pH foram observados no dia pré-tratamento enquanto maiores valores de cálcio iônico foram observados no dia 8. Houve pequena associação entre os valores termográficos e os escores de locomoção. Os maiores valores de pH foram encontrados no dia pré-tratamento, (dia -1), para vacas da raça Jersey, animais mais velhos ou para animais mais pesados; enquanto os valores de cálcio iônico foram superiores no 8° dia em relação aos demais dias. Não houve efeito de escores de locomoção alto x baixo sobre a composição do leite. Por outro lado, fatores ligados aos animais como estádio lactacional, peso, número de tratamentos anteriores, ordem de parto, raça e idade influenciaram as características físico-químicas do leite.Lameness can negatively affect behavior, well-being and productivity, but it is still worthy to explore its effect on the nociceptive threshold, physiological attributes and the physicochemical characteristics of milk. This study aimed to verify the effects caused by the discomfort in severely lame cows on locomotion score, physiological attributes, pain threshold, thermographic variables and physicochemical characteristics of milk and assess improvement in these variables after corrective trimming and digital treatment. Thirty-nine severely lame lactating cows were classified according to locomotion score before and 1 week after trimming. In several days, injuries were diagnosed, milk composition evaluated, nociceptive threshold and physiological measurements were done, besides thermographic images of the hoofs with and without injury. The experimental design was a completely randomized design with repeated measurements over time, and each cow was considered an experimental unit. Data was subjected to analysis of variance using the mixed procedure of SAS statistical software version 9.0. Severely lame cows showed higher sensitivity to pain. Trimming and treatment reduced locomotion score and increased nociceptive threshold, as well as influence the pH and ionic calcium, because higher pH values were observed in the pre-trimming day while larger ionic calcium values were observed on day 8. Cows had higher thermographic values in the affected hoof. There was little association between thermographic values and locomotion scores. Higher pH values were found in the pre-trimming (day -1) in the milk of Jersey cows, older animals or heavier animals; while the ionic calcium values were higher on the 8th day compared to other days. There was no effect of high x low locomotion scores on milk composition. On the other hand, factors related to animals as lactation stage, weight, number of previous trimmings, calving order, breed and age influenced the physicochemical characteristics of milk

Changes in bovine digits related to the characteristics of the diet and of the animals

Problemas de locomoção em bovinos estão entre as principais causas de desconforto por afetar diretamente o bem-estar animal, são comumente relacionados a perda de produtividade, acarretando em prejuízos. É uma das principais causas de descarte em bovinos leiteiros, destaca-se que doenças de origem não infeciosa possuem maior impacto no descarte de animais, em virtude das alterações na conformação dos dígitos, que são em sua maioria irreversíveis. Diante deste contexto, está tese de doutorado visou o estudo dos fatores envolvidos nas enfermidades não infeciosas, especificamente o fator nutrição e as características anatômicas. O fator nutrição, foi abordado no primeiro estudo, no qual buscou-se entender a relação causal entre acidose ruminal e ocorrência de laminite por meio de uma revisão sistemática em quatro bases de dados e o banco de teses Capes. Neste primeiro estudo encontramos resultados que demonstraram parcialmente a relação entre acidose e laminite aguda, porem o mecanismo de desenvolvimento continua a ser indefinido. O segundo estudo visou descrever as características da conformação do digito externo com as estruturas internas consideradas importantes para a saúde do digito. Foram realizadas mensurações das características externas e internas em 296 dígitos oriundos de vacas Jerseys que vieram a óbito em fazendas leiteiras no período de janeiro a junho de 2018. A avaliação pos mortem dos dígitos revelou que o comprimento da parede dorsal foi a principal característica externa associada a expessura de sola, foram encontradas alta frequência (44%) de patas com expessura de sola inadequadas (<7 mm) em vacas primíparas. Unhas com inadequada expessura de sola e rotação de terceira de falange representaram 22% dos resultados.Locomotion problems in cattle are among the main causes of discomfort because they directly affect animal welfare, are commonly related to loss of productivity, leading to losses. It is one of the main causes of culling rates in dairy cattle. It is worth noting that diseases of non-infectious origin have a greater impact on the culling rates, due to the alterations in the conformation of the digits, which are mostly irreversible. Faced with this context, this doctoral thesis focused on the study of the factors involved in non-infectious diseases, specifically the nutrition factor and the anatomical characteristics. The nutrition factor was addressed in the first study, in which the aim was to understand the causal relationship between ruminal acidosis and the occurrence of laminitis by means of a systematic review in four databases and the bank of thesis (Capes). In this first study we found results that partially demonstrated the relationship between acidosis and acute laminitis, but the mechanism of development continues to be undefined. The second study aimed to describe the characteristics of the external digit conformation with the internal structures considered important for the health of the claw. Measurements of external and internal characteristics were carried out on 296 claws originating from cows that died in dairy farms from January to June 2018. Post-mortem evaluation of the hooves revealed that the length of the dorsal wall was the main associated external characteristic (44%) of feet with inadequate sole thickness (<7 mm) were found in primiparous cows. Claws with inadequate sole thickness and third phalangeal rotation represented 22% of the results

Assessment of pain in lame cows and the relation with physical and chemical characteristics of milk, physiological parameters, thermography and nociceptive threshold

As afecções podais podem alterar negativamente o comportamento, bem estar e produtividade das vacas leiteiras, mas ainda é preciso explorar mais seus efeitos sobre os atributos fisiológicos, limiar da dor e as características físico-químicas do leite. Esse estudo teve por objetivo verificar os efeitos provocados pelo desconforto de vacas com problemas podais severos no escore de locomoção, atributos fisiológicos, limiar da dor, variáveis termográficas e características físico-químicas do leite, além de avaliar a melhoria nessas variáveis após o tratamento. Foram utilizadas 34 vacas lactantes claudicantes, as quais foram classificadas quanto à locomoção antes e depois do tratamento. Foram diagnosticadas as lesões, avaliados a composição do leite, limiar nociceptivo, realizadas as medidas fisiológicas e imagens termográficas nos membros com e sem lesão. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o completamente casualizado com medidas repetidas no tempo, onde cada vaca foi considerada uma unidade experimental. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância, utilizando o procedimento Mixed do programa estatístico SAS versão 9.0. Vacas claudicantes apresentaram maior sensibilidade à dor. O tratamento reduziu o escore de locomoção e aumentou limiar nociceptivo, além de influenciar os valores de pH e cálcio iônico, pois maiores valores de pH foram observados no dia pré-tratamento enquanto maiores valores de cálcio iônico foram observados no dia 8. Houve pequena associação entre os valores termográficos e os escores de locomoção. Os maiores valores de pH foram encontrados no dia pré-tratamento, (dia -1), para vacas da raça Jersey, animais mais velhos ou para animais mais pesados; enquanto os valores de cálcio iônico foram superiores no 8° dia em relação aos demais dias. Não houve efeito de escores de locomoção alto x baixo sobre a composição do leite. Por outro lado, fatores ligados aos animais como estádio lactacional, peso, número de tratamentos anteriores, ordem de parto, raça e idade influenciaram as características físico-químicas do leite.Lameness can negatively affect behavior, well-being and productivity, but it is still worthy to explore its effect on the nociceptive threshold, physiological attributes and the physicochemical characteristics of milk. This study aimed to verify the effects caused by the discomfort in severely lame cows on locomotion score, physiological attributes, pain threshold, thermographic variables and physicochemical characteristics of milk and assess improvement in these variables after corrective trimming and digital treatment. Thirty-nine severely lame lactating cows were classified according to locomotion score before and 1 week after trimming. In several days, injuries were diagnosed, milk composition evaluated, nociceptive threshold and physiological measurements were done, besides thermographic images of the hoofs with and without injury. The experimental design was a completely randomized design with repeated measurements over time, and each cow was considered an experimental unit. Data was subjected to analysis of variance using the mixed procedure of SAS statistical software version 9.0. Severely lame cows showed higher sensitivity to pain. Trimming and treatment reduced locomotion score and increased nociceptive threshold, as well as influence the pH and ionic calcium, because higher pH values were observed in the pre-trimming day while larger ionic calcium values were observed on day 8. Cows had higher thermographic values in the affected hoof. There was little association between thermographic values and locomotion scores. Higher pH values were found in the pre-trimming (day -1) in the milk of Jersey cows, older animals or heavier animals; while the ionic calcium values were higher on the 8th day compared to other days. There was no effect of high x low locomotion scores on milk composition. On the other hand, factors related to animals as lactation stage, weight, number of previous trimmings, calving order, breed and age influenced the physicochemical characteristics of milk

Effects of type of lesion and trimming on short-term behavior of grazing dairy cows

This study aimed to investigate how type of hoof injury and corrective trimming alter the behavior of dairy cows. Thirty-four lactating Holstein and Jersey cows were used. They were scored for lameness score on days –2 and 6, before and after trimming and treatment, respectively, using a numerical rating system, in which 1 = perfect gait and 5 = severely lame, and had their postural and ingestive behavior evaluated on days –1 and 6 before and after trimming and treatment, respectively. Locomotion score was analyzed using t-paired test and behavioral data were analyzed by univariate variance analysis with cows as the experimental units, according to a completely randomized design with repeated measurements. Cows with infectious hoof diseases spent less time lying down and idling, but more time standing up and feeding at the trough than those with non-infectious hoof diseases. Locomotion score and the proportion of time spent standing decreased one week after trimming and treatment, while time spent lying down increased. Trimming plus treatment and type of hoof diseases do not change ingestive behavior but change postural behavior of dairy cows

Effects of type of lesion and trimming on short-term behavior of grazing dairy cows

ABSTRACT This study aimed to investigate how type of hoof injury and corrective trimming alter the behavior of dairy cows. Thirty-four lactating Holstein and Jersey cows were used. They were scored for lameness score on days –2 and 6, before and after trimming and treatment, respectively, using a numerical rating system, in which 1 = perfect gait and 5 = severely lame, and had their postural and ingestive behavior evaluated on days –1 and 6 before and after trimming and treatment, respectively. Locomotion score was analyzed using t-paired test and behavioral data were analyzed by univariate variance analysis with cows as the experimental units, according to a completely randomized design with repeated measurements. Cows with infectious hoof diseases spent less time lying down and idling, but more time standing up and feeding at the trough than those with non-infectious hoof diseases. Locomotion score and the proportion of time spent standing decreased one week after trimming and treatment, while time spent lying down increased. Trimming plus treatment and type of hoof diseases do not change ingestive behavior but change postural behavior of dairy cows