Evaluation of dietary lignin on broiler performance, nutrient digestibility, cholesterol and triglycerides concentrations, gut morphometry, and lipid oxidation.

Two trials were performed in order to evaluate the effects of dietary Kraft lignin inclusion on broiler performance, ileal nutrient digestibility, blood lipid profile, intestinal morphometry, and lipid oxidation of meat. Trial 1 was conducted in order to evaluate performance and ileal digestibility for the period of 1 to 21 d of age, randomly distributing 490 day-old broiler chicks across 5 dietary treatments with 14 replicates containing 7 birds each in metabolic cages, while trial 2 was executed in order to evaluate performance, blood parameters, intestinal morphometry, carcass yield and abdominal fat, and lipid oxidation for the period of 1 to 42 d of age, randomly distributing 900 day-old broiler chicks across 5 dietary treatments with 15 replicates of 12 birds each in floor pens, being each bird in trial 2 challenged with coccidiosis vaccine at 10 d of age. The treatments used in both trials were: positive control (PC): basal diet + antimicrobial; negative control (NC): Basal diet; NC1: NC + 1% lignin; NC2: NC + 2% lignin; NC3: NC + 3% lignin. For trial 1, it was observed that birds fed diets containing 1% lignin had a significant positive effect for BW, feed intake (FI), average daily weight gain (BWG) and feed conversion rate (FCR), similar to the PC, but also showing better EE, CP and AAs ileal digestibility percentages when compared to other treatments. For trial 2, it was observed that during the period of 21 to 35 d, the inclusion of lignin in the diet provided better results in animal performance, similar to the PC group, but at 42 d, animals fed with dietary lignin showed results lower than animals fed the PC diet (P < 0.05). Animals fed with increasing lignin concentrations showed decreasing levels of HDL (P < 0.05). As of intestinal morphometry, animals fed with 1% and 3% lignin showed longer intestinal length (P < 0.05). At 14 d of age, it was observed that animals fed with lignin showed oxidation levels similar to the control treatments. The inclusion of up to 1% lignin in the diet provides beneficial effects on productive performance and nutrient digestibility, while the inclusion of 2% lignin provided lower cholesterol levels, lower villus/crypt ratio, and better internal organ development, therefore, it can be considered an alternative to performance-enhancing antimicrobials in broiler chicken diets.

Optimization of Plasmodium vivax infection of colonized Amazonian Anopheles darlingi.

Obtaining Plasmodium vivax sporozoites is essential for in vitro culture of liver stage parasites, not only to understand fundamental aspects of parasite biology, but also for drug and vaccine development. A major impediment to establish high-throughput in vitro P. vivax liver stage assays for drug development is obtaining sufficient numbers of sporozoites. To do so, female anopheline mosquitoes have to be fed on blood from P. vivax-infected patients through an artificial membrane-feeding system, which in turns requires a well-established Anopheles colony. In this study we established conditions to provide a robust supply of P. vivax sporozoites. Adding a combination of serum replacement and antibiotics to the membrane-feeding protocol was found to best improve sporozoite production. A simple centrifugation method appears to be a possible tool for rapidly obtaining purified sporozoites with a minimal loss of yield. However, this method needs to be better defined since sporozoite viability and hepatocyte infection were not evaluated.

Effects of feeding spray-dried plasma to broiler breeders and their progeny on broiler performance under stressful rearing conditions of coccidial challenge and heat stress.

A total of 216 Cobb 500 broiler breeder hens were randomly distributed across 2 dietary treatments with 0 or 1% spray-dried plasma (SDP) resulting in 27 replications/treatment and 4 birds/replication. In addition, 36 roosters were divided between the same treatments and housed, in individual pens, being each bird considered a replicate. Experimental diets were fed from 26 wk until 65 wk of age. At 29, 45, and 63 wk of age, broiler breeder hens were inseminated, and eggs were incubated. Three progeny studies were performed and hatched birds were allocated in a randomized 2 × 2 factorial design (maternal diet: with or without inclusion of 1% SDP × progeny diet: with or without the inclusion of 2% SDP from 1 to 7 d of age). After 7 d of age, all birds received the same diet until 42 d. In all trials, birds were challenged with coccidiosis vaccine at 7 d of age. Furthermore, in the second experiment, heat stress was also included for 6 h a day during the whole trial. At 42-days posthatch in the first experiment, greater FI, BW, and BWG in chicks hatched from breeders fed 1% dietary SDP was observed. This effect did not extend to the other hatches. In the second trial, a decreased FCR in broilers fed the control diet from breeder hens fed 1 % of SDP was observed, as well as an interaction between the SDP groups, since broilers supplemented with SDP and originated from breeders fed SDP showed higher BW and BWG in comparison to other groups at 42 d. In the third trial, contrary to what was observed in the first study, SDP supplementation did not affect any of the performance indexes. In the 3 studies, no differences were found in carcass characteristics. SDP did not affect hen BW, egg production, fertility, or hatch of fertile. These results suggest that providing dietary SDP to broilers has some beneficial effects on broiler chickens.

Sodium Salicylate as Feed Additive in Broilers: Absence of Toxicopathological Findings.

Antimicrobial growth promoters (AGPs) in animal production have been related to the increase in multidrug-resistant bacteria. The AGP ban in many countries has highlighted the growing need for alternatives for feed additives. Considering the non-antibiotic anti-inflammatory theory of AGPs, chicks received three different doses of sodium salicylate (SS) in feed (10, 30, 90 mg/kg), basal diet (BD) was used as a negative control, and zinc bacitracin (ZB) was used as a positive control. Chicks were individually housed to increase the accuracy of the dose of SS ingested. Performance parameters and footpad dermatitis were evaluated weekly, while haematology, serum biochemistry, histopathology, and tibial dyschondroplasia were determined on Days 21 and 42. A linear dose-dependent decrease in haemoglobin concentration was observed, but the values were within the normal reference range. Among all the other evaluated parameters, no relevant differences between treatments were observed; however, not even the AGP group performed better than the control group. It is possible that the conditions in which the birds were raised were not stressful enough to allow for anti-inflammatories to demonstrate their beneficial effects on performance. Studies should be conducted where the animals are exposed to commercial conditions, as the presence of natural stressors could allow a better evaluation of the efficacy of the anti-inflammatory agent as a growth promoter.

Hereditary hemochromatosis beyond hyperferritinemia: Clinical and laboratory investigation of the patient's profile submitted to phlebotomy in two reference centers in southern Brazil.

Hereditary Hemochromatosis is a disorder characterized by iron deposition in several organs and hyperferritinemia. The most studied variants are linked to the HFE gene. In Brazil, surveys that characterize this population are scarce, with no sampling in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Our objective is to carry out a data collection focusing on the profile of this population and the influence of the most frequently HFE variants. Two centers were enrolled: Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre and Hospital São Vicente de Paulo. Patients with hyperferritinemia and undergoing phlebotomy were invited. Clinical data were collected, including HFE investigation. Among the descriptive data, the allele frequency of the C282Y variant (0.252) stands out, which differs from the national scenario. Systemic arterial hypertension was the most cited comorbidity. Differences between centers were observed, highlighting higher frequency of H63D cases in HSVP (p<0.01). Genotypes were stratified according to deleterious effect of C282Y variant. Higher transferrin saturation and number of phlebotomies were observed in the C282Y/C282Y cases (p<0.001). Positive family history for hyperferritinemia was more prevalent in compound heterozygotes (p<0.01). The results presented confirm the importance of encouraging such studies and reiterate the need for greater attention to this population.

Influence of Dietary Phytase Inclusion Rates on Yolk Inositol Concentration, Hatchability, Chick Quality, and Early Growth Performance.

The aim of this study was to determine the influence of dietary phytase in breeder hens on yolk nutrients, hatchability, chick quality, and growth rate of their progeny, and their subsequent performance to 42 d post-hatch when fed diets with the same phytase concentrations. Breeder hens (n = 216) were divided into 3 groups receiving nutrient-adequate diets with reduced calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) (by 0.16% and 0.15%, respectively), supplemented with either 500, 1500, or 4500 FTU/kg phytase from 27 to 50 weeks of age. Eggs were collected at 38 weeks of age and incubated. On the day of hatch, the chick quality and hatchability were determined, and 18 chicks/group were euthanized for yolk sac collection and the determination of inositol and glycerol concentrations. The remaining chicks were divided into three groups, receiving different diets with reduced Ca and P (by 0.16% and 0.15%, respectively), supplemented with 0, 500, or 1500 FTU/kg phytase to 42 d post-hatch. Increasing the phytase concentration in the breeder hen diet linearly (p < 0.05) increased the number of early embryo deaths and decreased the number of late deaths and pips. The inositol concentration in the yolk sac at day of hatch increased (quadratic; p < 0.05) as the phytase dose increased in the breeder hen diet. The breeder hen diet (p < 0.05) influenced the body weight (BW), feed intake (FI), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) up to 21 days of age. The supplementation of breeder hen diets with 1500 FTU/kg phytase increased the concentration of sodium (Na), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn) in the yolk sac. The inclusion of phytase doses up to 4500 FTU/kg appeared to influence embryo mortality, chick feed intake, and BW gain to 21 days and the FCR throughout the entire production phase.

Cenário das políticas públicas para hemocromatose hereditária no Brasil / Public policy scenario for hereditary hemochromatosis in Brazil

Resumo Hemocromatose hereditária (HH) é a doença genética mais comum em descendentes de europeus e sua epidemiologia em nosso país é incerta. Considerando o cenário das políticas públicas em HH no mundo contemporâneo, este artigo propõe uma reflexão sobre o tema, com objetivo de fazer uma revisão bibliográfica narrativa sobre a abordagem adotada para essa doença em países desenvolvidos e a nível nacional. Além disso, discute sobre o custo-benefício da incorporação do índice de saturação da transferrina (ST) e ferritina sérica (FS) no nosso sistema de saúde, com a finalidade de identificar a HH antes que surjam suas complicações, bem como seu rastreio em campanhas nacionais de prevenção. O valor gasto para o screening da HH com dosagem de ST e FS pelo Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) é muito menor do que os custos gerados quando o dano por excesso de ferro já está estabelecido. Nos casos suspeitos de HH, deveria ser viabilizada pelo SUS a pesquisa da mutação genética para o gene HFE, que atualmente só está disponível de forma privada. Com essas medidas, modifica-se a história natural da doença, reduzindo a morbimortalidade dos portadores e custos ao sistema público de saúde.

Abstract Hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) is the most common genetic disease among European descendants and its epidemiology in Brazil is unclear. Considering the contemporary public policy scenario aimed at HH, this narrative bibliographic review reflects on the approach adopted for this disease at the national level in developed countries. It also discusses the cost-effectiveness of incorporating transferrin saturation (TS) and serum ferritin (SF) indexes in the Brazilian healthcare system for early HH identification, as well as its screening in national prevention campaigns. The amount spent on ST- and FS-based HH screening by the Brazilian National Health System (SUS) is much lower than the costs generated by the already established iron overload. In suspected cases, genetic mutation research of the HFE gene, which is currently only performed privately, should be made available by the SUS. These measures can modify the natural history, reducing HH morbidity and mortality and its costs to the public health system.

Maternal supplementation of different trace mineral sources on broiler breeder production and progeny growth and gut health.

Trace mineral minerals Zn, Cu, and Mn play important roles in breeder production and progeny performance. The objective of this study was to determine maternal supplementation of trace mineral minerals on breeder production and progeny growth and development. A total of 540 broiler breeders, Cobb 500 (Slow feathering; 0-66 weeks old) were assigned to one of three treatment groups with the same basal diet and three different supplemental trace minerals: ITM-inorganic trace minerals in sulfates: 100, 16, and 100 ppm of Zn, Cu, and Mn respectively; MMHAC -mineral methionine hydroxy analog chelate: 50, 8, and 50 ppm of bis-chelated MINTREX®Zn, Cu and Mn (Novus International, Inc.), and TMAAC - trace minerals amino acid complex: 50, 8, and 50 ppm of Zn, Cu, and Mn. At 28 weeks of age, eggs from breeder treatments were hatched for progeny trial, 10 pens with 6 males and 6 female birds per pen were fed a common diet with ITM for 45 days. Breeder production, egg quality, progeny growth performance, mRNA expression of gut health associated genes in breeder and progeny chicks were measured. Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA; means were separated by Fisher's protected LSD test. A p-Value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically different and 0.1 was considered numerical trend. Breeders on ITM treatment had higher (p < 0.05) body weight (BW), weight gain and lower (p < 0.05) feed conversion ratio (FCR) from 0 to 10 weeks, when compared to birds fed MMHAC. MMHAC significantly improved egg mass by 3 g (p < 0.05) and FCR by 34 points (0.05 < p < 0.1) throughout the reproductive period (26-66 weeks) in comparison to ITM. MMHAC improved (p < 0.01) egg yolk color versus (vs.) ITM and TMAAC in all periods, except 28 weeks, increased (p < 0.01) eggshell thickness and resistance vs. TMAAC at 58 weeks, and reduced (p < 0.05) jejunal NF-κB gene expression vs. TMAAC at 24 weeks. There was a significant reduction in tibial dry matter weight, Seedor index and resistance for the breeders that received MMHAC and/or TMAAC when compared to ITM at 18 weeks. Lower seedor index but numerically wider tibial circumference was seen in hens fed MMHAC at 24 weeks, and wider tibial circumference but lower tibial resistance in hens fed TMAAC at 66 weeks. Maternal supplementation of MMHAC in breeder hens increased (p < 0.0001) BW vs. ITM and TMAAC at hatching, reduced (p < 0.05) feed intake vs. ITM at d14 and d28, and improved (p < 0.01) FCR and performance index vs. TMAAC at d28, reduced (p < 0.01) NF-κB gene expression and increased (p < 0.05) A20 gene expression vs. TMAAC on d0 and vs. ITM on d14, reduced (p < 0.05) TLR2 gene expression vs. ITM on d0 and vs. TMAAC on d14, increased (p < 0.05) MUC2 gene expression vs. both ITM and TMAAC on d45 in progeny jejunum. Overall, these results suggest that supplementation with lower levels of MHA-chelated trace minerals improved breeder production and egg quality and reduced breeder jejunal inflammation while maintaining tibial development in comparison to those receiving higher inorganic mineral supplementation, and it also carried over the benefits to progeny with better growth performance, less jejunal inflammation and better innate immune response and gut barrier function in comparison to ITM and/or TMAAC.

Streptococcus gallolyticus bacteremia detected in apheresis platelets and its link to colonic neoplasms

Introduction: Streptococcus gallolyticus belongs to theStreptococcus bovis complex, and it is a common bacterium colonizing the gastrointestinal tract. Its presence in the blood may suggest an underlying pathology such as a colonic neoplasm. We report herein a case of S. bovis bacteremia in an apheresis platelet donor, review similar cases in the literature, and suggest a flowchart for the management of similar cases in other blood donation centers. Case Presentation: A 61-year-old subject presented to a Hemotherapy Service to make an apheresis platelet donation. On quality control testing, S. gallolyticus was identified in hemoculture, and the donor was called back for follow-up. At first, a new hemoculture was requested, and the patient was referred to the outpatient department of infectious diseases to further investigate pathologies associated with S. gallolyticus. A subsequent colonoscopy investigation evidenced a polypoid structure in the ascending colon. Pathology reported the resected specimen as a low-grade tubular adenoma. Conclusion: Isolation of S. bovis in blood products requires further investigation and should be managed with precision by Hemotherapy Services. A standard protocol for the management of asymptomatic patients with S. bovis positive hemoculture, with the requests of a new blood culture, a colonoscopy, and an echocardiogram is crucial, as it may ensure early diagnosis and reduce morbidity and mortality. (AU)

Construction and analysis of adjuvant materials in the health education process for the blood donation / CONSTRUÇÃO E ANÁLISE DE MATERIAIS ADJUVANTES NO PROCESSO DE EDUCAÇÃO EM SAÚDE PARA A DOAÇÃO DE SANGUE

The insufficiency of blood donors and the limited supply of blood bags is a reality in most Hemotherapy Services, especially in holiday season and delicate periods such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the production of materials that encourage donation and clarify doubts about the process is necessary. The aim of this study was to transform a static page for an animated website and create animated videos with informational and motivational content about blood donation. For the development, the open source tools used were Inkscape for formatting vector images, Wick Editor for the creation of animations and export in gif format, and Animator for the animation of the videos.  For the validation, a satisfaction survey was conducted. The analysis of the results shows that both the web page and the videos have the potential to clarify and encourage blood donation in the population.

A insuficiência de doadores de sangue e a limitada oferta de bolsas é uma realidade na maioria dos Serviços de Hemoterapia, principalmente em épocas festivas e em períodos delicados, como a pandemia de COVID-19. Nessa perspectiva, a produção de materiais que incentivem a doação sanguínea e esclareçam as dúvidas sobre tal processo se faz necessária. O objetivo do presente estudo foi transformar uma página estática em uma página web animada e criar vídeos animados com conteúdos informativos e motivacionais sobre a doação de sangue. Para o desenvolvimento, as ferramentas open source utilizadas foram Inkscape para a formatação de imagens vetoriais, Wick Editor para a criação das animações e exportação no formato gif, e Animator para a animação dos vídeos. Para a validação, realizou-se uma pesquisa de satisfação. A análise dos resultados demonstrou que tanto a página web quanto os vídeos apresentam potencial de esclarecer e incentivar a doação de sangue na população.

Association of positive direct antiglobulin test (DAT) with nonreactive eluate and drug-induced immune hemolytic anemia (DIHA).

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Drug-induced immune hemolytic anemia is a rare condition that occurs primarily because of drug-induced antibodies, either dependent or independent and positive direct antiglobulin test. Our aim was to evaluate the association of positive DAT with nonreactive eluate and DIHA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 2014-2018, we evaluated 159 patients who presented positive DAT with a nonreactive eluate. Laboratory and clinical analyses were performed including HIV, HBV and HCV testing. All patients were exposed to the following drugs: Dipyrone in 63.5 %, Furosemide in 28.9 %, Metoclopramide in 34.6 % and Ondansetron in 41.5 %. RESULTS: Results of DAT showed IgG in 125 (78.4 %) patients and C3d in 24 (15.1 %) with reactions varying from 1+ to 4+. HIV test was positive in 10 (16.1 %) patients, HBV was positive in 3 (4.7 %) and HCV was positive in, 1 (1.5 %). There was no clinical significance when the parameters of hemoglobin, hematocrit, reticulocytes and LDH were evaluated, only a slight increase in bilirubin, especially, in patients with positive DAT reacting 3+/4+ due to IgG and C3d sensitization. Clinical evaluations showed that all patients were asymptomatic. CONCLUSIONS: The association of drugs with positive DAT can be a challenge to transfusion services and immunohematology reference laboratories. There was no evidence of any case of severe hemolysis with clinical repercussion through the clinical and laboratory findings analyzed with the drugs associated with positive DAT. Dipyrone and Furosemide have already been associated with DIHA but there are no studies reporting the association of Metoclopramide and Ondansetron with DIHA.

Caregivers of Individuals with Cancer in the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Phenomenological Study.

Caregivers of individuals with cancer in the COVID-19 pandemic are faced with the demands of cancer and the health needs produced by it, along with their own health and self-care needs, and the uncertainties of expectations and risks. A qualitative analytical phenomenological study with caregivers of individuals with cancer registered at the state referral hospital supplying medications, who answered the sociodemographic assessment questionnaires and semi-structured questions about their feelings and perceptions in the COVID-19 pandemic. Bardin's content analysis was used, with methodological quality assessed using SRQR Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research and the MAXQDA software. Most of the caregivers are women, married, Catholic, of low income and education, aged between 30 and 60 years, optimistic, comply with health guidelines regarding social distancing, use of masks, and routine hand hygiene, do not practice regular physical activities, mention concern for their own physical and financial survival, and that of their family. The main need identified in the affective sphere was to reframe contact with family members, seeking to strengthen the bonds of affection. The feeling of emotional vulnerability shows the importance of building effective public policies for social support consistent with the improvement of health care for this population.

Characterization of chicken muscle disorders through metabolomics, pathway analysis, and water relaxometry: a pilot study.

Metabolite profiles of chicken breast extracts and water mobility in breasts were studied using proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) spectroscopy and time-domain NMR (TD-NMR) relaxometry, respectively, using normal breast (NB), and wooden breast (WB) and white striping (WS) myopathies in broilers. One thousand eight hundred sixty broilers were raised to commercial standards, receiving the same diets that were formulated as per the different growth stages. At 49 D of age, 200 animals were slaughtered following routine commercial procedures, and at 4 h postmortem, the whole breast (pectoralis major muscle) was removed and visually inspected by an experienced meat inspector who selected NB (without myopathies) and samples with the presence of WS and WB myopathies. Fifteen breasts (5 each of NB, WS, and WB) were analyzed through TD-NMR relaxometry, and samples of approximately 20 g were taken from each breast and frozen at -80°C for metabolite profiling through 1H-NMR spectroscopy. Multivariate statistical analysis was used to evaluate the effect on water relaxometry and metabolite profile in accordance with the presence and type of myopathy in the breast. 1H-NMR data showed that the metabolite profiles in WS and WB breasts were different from each other and from NB. This pilot study shows that myopathies appear to be related to hypoxia, connective tissue deposition, lower mitochondrial function, and greater oxidative stress compared with NB. The longitudinal and transverse relaxation time of the breasts determined by TD-NMR relaxometry was shorter for NB than that for WS and WB, indicating greater water mobility in breasts affected by myopathies. 1H-NMR spectroscopy can be used to differentiate the metabolism of WS, WB, and NB, and TD-NMR has the potential to be a fast, simple, and noninvasive method to distinguish NB from WB and WS. As a practical application, the metabolomic profile as per the occurrence of breast myopathies may be used for a better understanding of these issues, which opens a gap to mitigate the incidence and severity of WS and WB. In addition, the present study brings an opportunity for the development of a new and objective tool to classify the incidence of breast myopathies through TD-NMR relaxometry.

Effects of tibial and parasacral nerve electrostimulation techniques on women with poststroke overactive bladder: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Neurogenic bladder (NB) can affect people after stroke episodes. NB features changes in the normal voiding pattern at the bladder filling and emptying phases. Overactive NB is characterized by urgency symptoms, with or without urinary incontinence, caused by NB. This disorder affects many domains of life (physical, social, psychological, domestic, sexual) that limit personal autonomy and degrade the quality of life. Among the several treatments available, the conservative physical therapy intervention through tibial nerve electrostimulation (TNES) and parasacral electrostimulation (PSES) can help improve patient conditions with a smaller number of collateral effects than those of interventions based on medication. The aim of the present study is to compare the effects of TNES and PSES techniques in women with overactive NB after stroke episodes to assess the impact of urinary incontinence in these women, on their number of incontinence episodes, daytime and nocturnal urinary frequency, and quality of life. METHODS: This is a prospective clinical study to compare two randomized groups based on parallel and blind conditions. Forty-four women who have had a stroke episode at least 30 days before the trial and who have developed overactive NB will be recruited for the trial. All patients will be subjected to initial evaluation and randomly divided into two groups, TNES and PSES. Subsequently, the two groups will be subjected to a 12-session intervention protocol, twice a week. A new evaluation will be performed after the intervention. DISCUSSION: The results of this study will contribute to the physiotherapeutic treatment of women with NB after a stroke episode since such results will add information about the benefits of this treatment, urinary control, and the improvements in the quality of life of these women. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials (REBEC) RBR-2bn2z4 . Registered on December 11, 2018.

Oleoresins from chili pepper and turmeric could substitute for salinomycin in broilers / Oleoresinas de pimiento y cúrcuma podrian reemplazar la salinomicina en pollos de engorde / Oleoresinas de pimenta chilli e cúrcuma podem substituir a salinomicina em frangos de corte

Abstract Background: Coccidiosis is the infectious disease with the greatest economic impact in poultry production. Additionally, chemotherapeutic growth promoters are being substituted for safer alternative strategies. Objective: To evaluate the effect of feeding oleoresins from chili pepper (Capsicum annuum) and turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) on the performance, survival rate, and the Productive Efficiency Index of broilers from 1 to 21d challenged by Eimeria sp. Methods: A total of 700 male 1-day-old chicks (Cobb 500) challenged with Eimeria sp, were assigned to a completely randomized design with four treatments: (1) negative control diet, without anticoccidial agent or growth promoters; (2) control diet+0.05% salinomycin; (3) negative control diet+100g/ton; and (4) negative control diet +140g/ton of test product (Curcuma longa L. plus Capsicum annuum oleoresins). Results: Body weight, weight gain, feed conversion and Productive Efficiency Index did not differ between broilers fed anticoccidial chemotherapeutics and oleoresins. In addition, there was no difference in feed intake and survival rate between dietary treatments. Conclusion: Broilers supplemented with chili pepper and turmeric oleoresins from 1 to 21d present similar body weight, weight gain, feed conversion, and Productive Efficiency Index compared to broilers supplemented with chemotherapeutic anticoccidials without affecting feed intake or survival rate.

Resumen Antecedentes: El impacto económico generado por la coccidiosis en el sector avícola es el mayor en relación con otras enfermedades. Adicionalmente, los promotores de crecimiento quimioterapéuticos se han venido reemplazando por estrategias alternativas. Objetivo: Evaluar el efecto de oleorresinas de pimiento (Capsicum annuum) y cúrcuma (Curcuma longa L.) sobre el desempeño zootécnico, tasa de supervivencia y el Índice de Eficiencia Productiva en pollos de engorde de 1 a 21 dias desafiados con Eimeria sp. Métodos: Se utilizaron 700 pollos machos (Cobb500) de 1 día de edad, distribuidos en un diseño completamente al azar con cuatro tratamientos: (1) dieta control negativo sin agentes anticoccidianos ni promotores de crecimiento; (2) dieta control+0,05% de salinomicina; (3) dieta control negativa+100g/ton; y (4) dieta control negativa +140g/ton del producto a evaluar (oleorresina de Curcuma longa L. y Capsicum annuum). Resultados: Se obtuvieron resultados similares repecto a peso corporal, ganancia de peso, conversión alimenticia e Índice de Eficiencia Productiva en los tratamientos que contenían anticoccidiano quimioterapéutico y los que contenian oleorresinas. Además, no se observaron diferencias en el consumo de alimento ni en la tasa de supervivencia entre los tratamientos dietarios. Conclusión: Los pollos de engorde suplementados entre 1 y 21 d con oleorresinas de pimiento y cúrcuma presentan similar peso corporal, ganancia de peso, conversión alimenticia e Índice de Eficiencia Productiva en comparación con los suplementados con anticoccidianos quimioterapéuticos, sin afectar el consumo de alimento ni la viabilidad.

Resumo Antecedentes: O impacto econômico da coccidiose é o maior quando comparado a outras doenças na produção avícola. Além disso, promotores de crescimento quimioterápicos tem sido substituídos por estratégias alternativas. Objetivo: Avaliar o efeito das oleoresinas da pimenta Chilli (Capsicum annuum) e açafrão-da-terra (Curcuma longa L.) no desempenho zootécnico, taxa de sobrevivência e Índice de Eficiência Produtiva de frangos de corte de 1 a 21d desafiados por Eimeria sp Métodos: Foram utilizados 700 pintos de 1d, machos (Cobb500) distribuídos em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, em quatro tratamentos: (1) dieta controle negativo, sem agente anticoccidiano ou promotores de crescimento; (2) dieta controle+0,05% de salinomicina; (3) dieta controle negativa+100g/ton; e (4)+140g/ton de produto teste (oleoresina de Curcuma longa L. mais Capsicum annuum) e desafiados por Eimeria sp. Resultados: Houve resultados similares para peso, ganho de peso, conversão alimentar e Índice de Eficiência Produtiva entre frangos alimentados com dietas contendo anticocidiano quimioterápico e dietas contendo oleoresinas. Além disso, não houve diferença para consumo de ração e a taxa de sobrevivência entre os tratamentos dietéticos. Conclusão: Frangos de corte alimentados com dietas suplementadas com oleorresinas de pimenta chili e açafrão-da-terra apresentaram resultados similares para peso, ganho de peso, conversão alimentar e Índice de Eficiência Produtiva que frangos de corte alimentados com dietas suplementadas com anticoccidianos quimioterápicos de 1 a 21d, sem afetar o consumo de ração e a taxa de sobrevivência dos animais.

"Hey assistant, how can I become a donor?" The case of a conversational agent designed to engage people in blood donation.

BACKGROUND: People have insufficient knowledge and many misconceptions about the blood donation process, which hampers donors recruitment. Therefore, novel strategies and resources are needed to provide information and improve these circumstances. OBJECTIVE: We aimed at an interactive conversational agent to explain about blood donation. METHODS: We used the Dialogflow framework to develop a conversational agent and deployed it publicly. Afterward, we conducted an assessment of user experience (UX) with 50 participants who interacted with the agent. We analyzed participants' opinions, the different UX scales, and their association with participants' demographic variables. RESULTS: The conversational agent is available on the Google Assistant platform in Brazil. It is capable of responding to utterances related to 30 common questions and concerns about donating blood. The user can interact and explore freely and in any order by typing, speaking and selecting interface elements. The agent responds by speaking and displaying visual information, some multimedia content, and suggestions for continuing the dialogue. It enables a conversational sequence in which knowledge is imparted to the user in stages as the dialogue evolves. The overall UX assessed was very satisfactory, and people with specific demographic characteristics were more likely to have better UX. All participants had positive opinions and attitudes towards the conversational agent. CONCLUSIONS: A conversational agent is a creative and captivating strategy of imparting knowledge and engage people regarding blood donation. The findings reaffirm the potential of using this technology for information outreach, especially for socially relevant purposes.

Associated Factors of Quality of Life in Prison Officers, Brazil.

This study analyzed factors associated with the quality of life (QoL) of prison officers (POs) in the Midwest Region of Brazil. POs in five penitentiary units participated in this cross-sectional study. Sociodemographic data were obtained through face to face interview and a World Health Organization Quality of Life abbreviated version (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire was applied to assess QoL. Student's t-test or ANOVA were used for bivariate analysis and multiple linear regression was applied for adjusted analysis. The domains used for outcomes were: physical, psychological, social relations, and the environment. The lowest score among WHOQOL-BREF domains was environment (59.9; 95%CI 58.0-61.5). After adjustment, the factors associated with the physical domain were 'female sex' and 'no history of workplace PO-PO violence'; factors associated with the psychological domain were 'female sex', 'without spouse', and 'no history of inmate-PO violence'; factors associated with the social relationships domain were 'female sex', 'work experience in years', 'no higher education', 'no private health insurance', and 'no history of inmate-PO violence'; and factors associated with environment domain were 'female sex', 'work experience in years', 'no private health insurance', and 'no history of PO-PO violence'. This study showed that female workers and those with a history of violence at work had worse QoL scores. This investigation highlights the importance of prison management in promoting QoL of POs, as well as support and development of strategies to prevent workplace violence.

Identification of rare blood types in southern Brazil: impact on transfusion support.

CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of blood group antigens and phenotypes varies significantly in Brazil. To ensure a proper rare blood supply, it is essential to establish a local and regional database of rare donors connected to the national registry. The objective of this study was to create a database of rare blood donors in the northern region of southern Brazil. From November 2011 to December 2018, red blood cell (RBC) phenotyping and genotyping were performed on common and high-prevalence antigens in donors and patients in southern Brazil. During this study period, 17 patients and 33 blood donors with rare phenotypes were identified. Six patients had already been alloimmunized to clinically significant antigens. Patients with the following phenotypes (i.e., negative for highprevalence antigens) were found: Yt(a-), Jk(a-b-), Lu(a-b-), Oh (Bombay), Tc(a-), k-, and Fy(a-b-). Among the donors, Kp(a+b-), Fy(a-b-), Lu(a-b-), and k- phenotypes were identified. We also found four donors with the weak D type 18 phenotype. In conclusion, we observed that the prevalence of rare blood phenotypes in our region corresponds more to the prevalence found in the Caucasian population when compared with other regions in Brazil. Our results show the importance of continuous screening for rare donors in different regions of the country and the creation of a local database to support RBC transfusions in patients who need rare blood.