Effects of diet supplementation with clove and rosemary essential oils and protected oils (eugenol, thymol and vanillin) on animal performance, carcass characteristics, digestibility, and ingestive behavior activities for Nellore heifers finished in feedlot

This study was carried out to evaluate the influence of essential oils and their blends on animal performance, feed intake, in situ digestibility, ingestive behavior activities, and carcass characteristics for heifers finished in feedlot on a high-grain diet (~65% corn, 25% corn silage, 10% soybean meal). Forty Nellore heifers (initial body weight 297.6 ± 31.2 kg) were used in the experiment and distributed randomly among individual pens. Dietary treatments based on essential oil additives included: CON – Without essential oil; ROS – Rosemary essential oil; BLE – Protected blend of eugenol, thymol, and vanillin; BCL – Protected blend + clove essential oil; and BRC – Protected blend + rosemary essential oil + clove essential oil. There were no diet effects on initial and final body weights. However, average daily gains, dry matter intakes (kg/d), and dry matter intakes (%BW) were greater (P < 0.05) in heifers fed with BLE, BCL, and BRC diets than in heifers fed with ROS diets. Feed efficiency (gain to feed) was greater (P < 0.0001) in heifers fed the BCL and BRC diets when compared to heifers fed the ROS diet. There were no diet effects on carcass characteristics. In situ digestibility of dry matter and neutral detergent fiber were greater (P < 0.0001) in heifers fed the three blended diets when compared to heifers fed the ROS diet. The addition of essential oils to the diets of heifers did not alter the muscle, fat, or bone percentages in the carcass. For ingestive behavior activities, data on rumination and idleness tended to be altered by diet with increased rumination in heifers fed BRC diet. The addition of 4 g/animal/d of a blend of essential oils to the diets of Nellore heifers improved average daily gain, dry matter intake, feed efficiency, and ingestive behavior activities

Essential oils in the diet of young bulls: Effect on animal temperament.

Plant extracts and essential oils can be alternative products to antibiotics, because several plants produce secondary metabolites with antimicrobial properties. Additionally, they may act on the olfactory system, which sends signals to the central nervous system releasing endorphins that may affect the feeling of an animal''s welfare while altering an animal''s temperament. This study was conducted to evaluate the animal temperament of 40 young crossbred bulls (one-half Brown Swiss and one-half Nellore) 10 ± 2.2 mo old with an average BW of 219 ± 11.7 kg. Young bulls were randomly assigned to 1 of 5 diets: control, which had no clove or cinnamon; clove leaf included to supply 3, 500 mg/animal per day; clove leaf included to supply 7, 000 mg/animal per day; essential oil of leaf cinnamon to supply 3, 500 mg/animal per day; or essential oil of leaf cinnamon to supply 7, 000 mg/animal per day. The animal temperament was evaluated by calculating the chute score, exit score, and temperament score for periods (each 28 d during 6 periods) and among diets. The data were submitted to an ANOVA using GLM procedures with SAS version 9.0. The diet and period were considered fixed effects, whereas the animals were considered a random effect. Differences between means were evaluated using a Tukey test of 5% of significance. The addition of clove or cinnamon essential oils did not alter (P > 0.05) animal temperament. The analysis of temperament score (P = 0.55), chute score (P = 0.71), and exit score (P = 0.06) did not show significant differences among the diets. The exit score was similar among the 6 periods (1.57, 1.80, 2.98, 2.02, 2.73, and 2.66, respectively); however, chute score and temperament score were greater (P < 0.001) in the first period compared with other periods. The values for chute score were 1.85, 1.40, 1.35, 1.33, 1.20, 1.17, respectively, and the values for temperament score were 2.31, 1.81, 1.67, 1.69, 1.50, and 1.56, respectively, for periods 1 to 6. The results of this study suggest that clove and cinnamon essential oils can be added as an additive in high-grain finished diets without changing the animal temperament

Heavy quarkonium: progress, puzzles, and opportunities

A golden age for heavy quarkonium physics dawned a decade ago, initiated by the confluence of exciting advances in quantum chromodynamics (QCD) and an explosion of related experimental activity. The early years of this period were chronicled in the Quarkonium Working Group (QWG) CERN Yellow Report (YR) in 2004, which presented a comprehensive review of the status of the field at that time and provided specific recommendations for further progress. However, the broad spectrum of subsequent breakthroughs, surprises, and continuing puzzles could only be partially anticipated. Since the release of the YR, the BESII program concluded only to give birth to BESIII; the $B$-factories and CLEO-c flourished; quarkonium production and polarization measurements at HERA and the Tevatron matured; and heavy-ion collisions at RHIC have opened a window on the deconfinement regime. All these experiments leave legacies of quality, precision, and unsolved mysteries for quarkonium physics, and therefore beg for continuing investigations. The plethora of newly-found quarkonium-like states unleashed a flood of theoretical investigations into new forms of matter such as quark-gluon hybrids, mesonic molecules, and tetraquarks. Measurements of the spectroscopy, decays, production, and in-medium behavior of c\bar{c}, b\bar{b}, and b\bar{c} bound states have been shown to validate some theoretical approaches to QCD and highlight lack of quantitative success for others. The intriguing details of quarkonium suppression in heavy-ion collisions that have emerged from RHIC have elevated the importance of separating hot- and cold-nuclear-matter effects in quark-gluon plasma studies. This review systematically addresses all these matters and concludes by prioritizing directions for ongoing and future efforts.Comment: 182 pages, 112 figures. Editors: N. Brambilla, S. Eidelman, B. K. Heltsley, R. Vogt. Section Coordinators: G. T. Bodwin, E. Eichten, A. D. Frawley, A. B. Meyer, R. E. Mitchell, V. Papadimitriou, P. Petreczky, A. A. Petrov, P. Robbe, A. Vair

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Desempenho de cabras em lactação alimentadas com dietas com concentrado a base de feno da parte aérea da mandioca

This work evaluated the inclusion of aerial part hay of cassava on intake, digestibility, milk yield and milk composition of lactating goats. Eight multiparous Alpine goats, with 51.0 ± 6.2 kg of body weight and 120 days in milk, were distributed in replicated 4 x 4 Latin square design. Treatments were three levels of hay from aerial part of cassava (HAC): 5, 10 and 15 % DM of diet; plus the control treatment (0 %). HAC had no effect on dry matter and nutrient intakes. There was no effect on apparent digestibility of DM (64.99 %) and OM (66.90 %) due to HAC inclusion in the diet. HAC decreased NDF and CP digestibility. There was no effect on milk yield, 3.5 % fat-corrected milk yield, milk efficiency and fat content and yield. HAC increased protein, lactose, total solids and non-fat dry extract contents in milk. HAC has no effect on performance of lactating goats, but decreases NDF digestibility.Objetivou-se avaliar o efeito do feno da parte aérea da mandioca (FAM) em diferentes níveis na dieta sobre o consumo, digestibilidade, produção e composição físico-química do leite de cabra. Foram utilizadas oito cabras multíparas, da raça Parda Alpina, com peso corporal de 51,0 ± 6,2 kg, aproximadamente 120 dias de lactação. Os animais foram distribuídos aleatoriamente em um quadrado latino 4 x 4 duplicado, com três teores de FAM na dieta total: 5, 10 e 15 %; além do controle (0 %). A dieta foi composta por milho, farelo de soja, FAM e feno de Tifton. A variação nos teores de FAM nas dietas de cabras em lactação não apresentou efeito sobre os consumos de matéria seca e nutrientes. Não houve efeito sobre a digestibilidade aparente da MS (64,99 %) e MO (66,9 %) das dietas. Houve redução na digestibilidade da fibra e da proteína bruta. Não houve efeito das dietas para a produção de leite em kg/d e produção de leite corrigida para 3,5 %. A concentração e a produção diária de gordura não foram influenciadas. Houve aumento nos teores de proteína, lactose, sólidos totais e extrato seco desengordurado (g/d) do leite em comparação à dieta controle. O feno da parte aérea da mandioca pode ser utilizado em até 15 % da MS não interferindo nos consumos de matéria seca e nutrientes e produção de leite, porém reduz a digestibilidade da fibra pela redução de volumoso da dieta

Caracterização química de salsichas frescas de ovino e caprino

Este trabalho teve como principal objectivo a caracterização físico-química de salsichas frescas à base de carne de ovinos e caprinos, cujos animais excedem o peso e idade exigido pelo caderno de especificações das marcas de qualidade com denominações, DOP ou IGP. Neste sentido o principal objectivo do presente trabalho será demonstrar que a elaboração deste novo produto permite acrescentar valor a animais que inicialmente eram de difícil escoamento e de baixo valor comercial, vendidos a maioria das vezes como refugo

Carcass characteristics and sensorial evaluation of meat from Nellore steers and crossbred angus vs. Nellore bulls [Características de carcaça e avaliação sensorial da carne de novilhos Nelore e touros cruzados Angus vs. Nelore]

This study evaluated animal performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality of 36- month old Nellore steers finished in pastures (n = 10) and 20-month old Angus vs. Nellore bulls finished in feedlot (n = 10). Final body weight, carcass weight, characteristics, conformation and fat thickness, were higher (p &lt; 0.001) for the Nellore steers than for Angus vs. Nellore bulls. Water losses during chilling (24 hours, 4oC) were lower (p &lt; 0.05) for Nellore steers than for the Angus vs. Nellore bulls. Muscle percentage on the 6th rib was higher (p &lt; 0.05) for the Nellore steers than for Angus vs. Nellore bulls; while bone percentage was lower (p &lt; 0.05) for Nellore steers. After 7 and 14 days of ageing, the L* meat value was higher for the Nellore steers than for the Angus vs. Nellore bulls; the L* meat value was similar (p &gt; 0.05) throughout the ageing period for the Angus vs. Nellore bulls, but higher in meat from the Nellore steers (p &lt; 0.05). Genetic group had no effect (p &gt; 0.05) on meat a* value (redness). Likewise, ageing time had no effect on a* in both genetic groups, and genetic group had no effect (p &gt; 0.05) on meat b* value (yellowness). On the other hand, b* was increased after day 7 of ageing for the bulls from the two genetic groups. Thawing and cooking losses were lower for Nellore steers after day 7 of aging (p &lt; 0.05). The meat of the Angus vs. Nellore bulls was more tender (p &lt; 0.05) at all ageing times studied (1, 4, 7 and 14 days) than the meat of the Nellore steers. Genetic group had no effect (p &gt; 0.05) on lipid oxidation; however, lipid oxidation increased after day7. Meat from Nellore steers contained a higher percentage of saturated fatty acids (SFA), a lower percentage of unsaturated (UFA) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and a similar percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) than the meat from Angus vs. Nellore bulls. Intramuscular fat from Nellore steers had a more favourable n-6:n-3 fatty acid ratio than that from Angus vs. Nellore bulls (4.37 vs. 11.45, respectively). Tenderness, flavour and overall acceptability were higher (p &lt; 0.001) for meats of the Nellore steers, regardless of ageing time (1, 4, 7 and 14 days)

Ultrastructure (SEM) of the gills of Prochilodus Scrofa Steindachner (Pisces, Teleostei)

Gills arches of the freshwater fish Prochilodus scrofa Steindachner, 1881 (Lt= 8.0-12.4cm) were removed to be analyzed in a scanning electron microscope. The morphology of the superficial structures of the gill filaments and pharyngeal region of the gills arches was discussed and related to their functional aspects. A great quantity of mucous secretory cells and of microridges, along with the pavement cell surface of the primary lamellae and branchial pharyngeal region, indicate the existence of a protection strategy of the respiratory lamellae. The chloride cells are abundant, specially on the distal portion of the primary lamellae, and bring out the osmo regulatory capacity of this species. This fish seems not to be a filtering one according to: its short and simple gill rakers; presence of several taste buds turned towards the mouth opening; evidence of spines on the external side of the arches and an abundant secretion of mucous in the pharyngeal region. This species probably selects the food to be swallowed through its chemical receptors and retains it with the help of spines and mucous secretion this way protecting the gills filaments against the rubbing of particles over them