Characterization and molecular epidemiology of extensively prevalent nosocomial isolates of drug-resistant Acinetobacter spp.

Acinetobacter sp isolates deserve special attention once they have emerged globally in healthcare institutions because they display numerous intrinsic and acquired drug-resistance mechanisms. This study assessed the antibiotic susceptibility profile, the presence of the genetic marker blaOXA-23, and the clonal relationship among 34 nosocomial isolates of Acinetobacter spp obtained at a hospital in southeastern Brazil. Antibiotic sensitivity analysis was performed by the standard disc-diffusion method. All isolates were found to be extensively resistant to several drugs, but sensitive to polymyxin B. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was used to detect the blaOXA-23 gene, which is associated with carbapenem resistance. The genetic profile and the clonal relationship among isolates were analyzed via enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC)-PCR. The Acinetobacter spp were divided into four groups with 22 distinct genetic subgroups. ERIC-PCR analysis revealed the genetic diversity among isolates, which, despite having a heterogeneous profile, displayed 100% clonality among 56% (19/34) of them.

Qualidade do leite e perfil das propriedades leiteiras no sul de Santa Catarina: abordagem multivariada / Milk quality and profile of dairy farms in southern Santa Catarina: multivariate approach

O objetivo do presente estudo foi caracterizar as propriedades leiteiras da região do Vale do Braço do Norte, sul de Santa Catarina, Brasil, quanto à qualidade do leite e ao perfil em infraestrutura, manejo e alimentação dos animais. Foram coletadas informações de 50 propriedades leiteiras, obtidas por meio da aplicação de um questionário estruturado, abrangendo questões socioeconômicas dos produtores, manejo do rebanho, estrutura da propriedade, caracterização dos animais, alimentação das vacas além de manejo e higiene da ordenha. As amostras de leite foram submetidas a análises de composição, contagem bacteriana total, contagem de células somáticas e estabilidade do leite ao teste do álcool. Os dados foram analisados pela análise fatorial, discriminante, canônica, e de agrupamento. As propriedades têm como principal característica a agricultura familiar, com área média de 30 hectares; destes, 15,1 são destinados à pecuária leiteira, com média de 23,1 vacas ordenhadas. Na análise fatorial, o primeiro fator representa as relações entre as práticas de higiene na ordenha e de controle/prevenção de mastite, o segundo fator compreende a infraestrutura da fazenda com o nível de produção e o terceiro fator demonstra a relação entre a suplementação concentrada, a produção e a estabilidade do leite ao teste do álcool. A análise de agrupamento formou três grupos, sendo dois compostos por produtores com maior nível tecnológico e outro constituído por pequenos produtores com menor infraestrutura e nível de tecnologia. As propriedades que apresentam infraestrutura mais adequada para a produção, maior adoção das práticas recomendadas de manejo de ordenha e critérios de alimentação mais adequados produzem leite com melhor qualidade.

The aim of this study was to characterize the dairy farms of the Vale do Braço do Norte region, south of Santa Catarina State, Brazil, regarding milk quality and profile of the farms for infrastructure, management and nutrition of the animals. Information about 50 dairy farms was obtained through a survey regarding socio-economic conditions of the farmers, farm structure, characterization of animals, cow feeding and also milking management and hygiene. The milk samples were analyzed for total bacterial count, somatic cell count and stability of milk to ethanol. The data were analyzed in factorial, discriminant, canonical and cluster analysis. The main characteristic of farms is family farming with an average area of 30 hectares, of which 15.1 are destined for dairy farming, where an average of 23.1 cows are milked. On the factor analysis, the first factor represents the relation between hygiene practices during milking and control / prevention of mastitis, the second factor comprises the infrastructure of the farm with the level of production and the third factor shows the ratio of concentrate supplementation, production and stability of the milk to the ethanol test. The cluster analysis formed three groups, two composed of producers with higher technological level and another by small producers with lower infrastructure and level of technology. The dairy farms that have more adequate infrastructure for production, greater adoption of practices recommended for milking management and more appropriate criteria for cow feeding produce better quality milk.

Brazilian beef produced on pastures: sustainable and healthy.

With a herd of 209 million cattle, Brazilian beef production estimate for 2023 is 10,935 million tons, representing an increase of 28.9% and accounting for 20% of the world trade. Beef cattle production is constantly evolving; however, there are extremes, ranging from simple existing farm ranges to intensive forage systems, strategic supplementation, updated health and genetic improvement programs for the production of quality beef. This modern production is based on scientific research carried out at universities and other research institutions. A new generation of professionals with multidisciplinary knowledge and a holistic vision of the productive chain-proposed management practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the production of grass-fed beef cattle, whose meat has high omega-3 and CLA contents. Age at slaughter of steers and of heifers at first mating, significant increases in the ratio calves/100 cows, adequate traceability for pastoral systems with hundreds or thousands of animals per farm and a more intense transference of technology are required.

Nutritional composition of the meat of Hereford and Braford steers finished on pastures or in a feedlot in southern Brazil.

Chemical and mineral composition and the intramuscular fatty acid (IMF) profile of the Longissimus dorsi muscle (LM) of 60 purebred Hereford, 1/4 Braford and 3/8 Braford steers finished either in a feedlot or on improved pastures of the Pampa biome were evaluated. Pastures were improved with the introduction of Lolium multiflorum, Trifolium repens, and Lotus corniculatus. On average, beef from pasture-fed steers presented higher concentrations of the fatty acids C18:3n-3 (P<0.001), C20:3n-3 (P=0.035), total n-3 (P<0.001) and lower n-6/n-3 ratio (P<0.001) in the IMF, and higher Mg and lower K content in muscle relative to those finished in the feedlot. C12:0 concentration in IMF was higher (P=0.027) for 3/8 Braford than the purebred Hereford steers, whereas purebred Herefords presented lower C14:1 (P=0.003) and higher C18:0 (P=0.022) concentrations than the two Braford groups. The meat composition of purebred Hereford and Braford steers was not substantially different; however, beef produced exclusively on improved pastures presented higher concentration of components that are considered beneficial to human health, such as n-3 fatty acids, and a lower n-6/n-3 ratio.

Zeólita na dieta de bovinos de corte / Zeolite in the diet of beef cattle

Avaliou-se o efeito da inclusão de zeólita na dieta de bovinos de corte sobre os parâmetros ruminais, as digestibilidades total e parcial, a produção de nitrogênio, a eficiência microbiana e as características do sangue. Os tratamentos, com base na matéria seca (MS) da dieta, foram: 0; 0,75; 1,5; 2,25 e 3,0% de zeólita. Utilizaram-se cinco bovinos machos mestiços, fistulados no rúmen e abomaso, alimentados com silagem de milho e concentrado, representando 65% de volumoso e 35% de concentrado. O delineamento utilizado foi em quadrado latino 5×5, com cinco períodos de 15 dias. Os animais receberam 15g de dióxido de titânio (TiO2) do terceiro ao 12º dia de cada período. Houve efeito (P<0,05) sobre o consumo diário (kg/dia) de proteína bruta (PB) e efeito (P<0,05) sobre o consumo de MS e de fibra em detergente neutro corrigida para cinza e proteína, expresso em g/kg de peso. A digestibilidade total dos nutrientes digestíveis totais (NDT) foi influenciada pelos tratamentos (P<0,05). A digestibilidade ruminal dos carboidratos não fibrosos (CNF) foi afetada quadraticamente (P<0,05), assim como a intestinal da PB e dos CNF. A ingestão e a excreção fecal de nitrogênio (g/dia) foram influenciadas linearmente (P<0,05) pela inclusão de zeólita. Concluiu-se que a adição de zeólita na dieta, embora tenha aumentado os consumos de MS e de FDN, não melhorou a utilização da ureia em dietas de bovinos de corte.

We evaluated the effect of the inclusion of zeolite in the diet of beef cattle on the ruminal digestibility, total and partial production of nitrogen, microbial efficiency and blood characteristics. Treatments based on the dietary dry matter (DM) were: 0%, 0.75%, 1.5%, 2.25% and 3.0% of zeolite. We used five crossbred steers fistulated in the rumen and abomasum, fed corn silage and concentrate, representing 65% forage and 35% concentrate. The design was a 5x5 latin square with five periods of 15 days. The animals received 15g of titanium dioxide (TiO2) from the third to the 12th day of each period. A significant effect (P<0.05) on the daily consumption (kg/day) of crude protein (CP) was observed (P<0.05) for DM intake and neutral detergent fiber corrected for ash and protein (NDFap) expressed in g/kg. The total digestibility of total digestible nutrients (TDN) was influenced by treatments (P<0.05). Ruminal digestibility of non-fiber carbohydrates (NFC) was affected quadratically (P<0.05) as well as intestinal CP and NFC. Intake and fecal excretion of nitrogen (g/day) were affected linearly (P<0.05) by adding zeolite. It was concluded that the addition of zeolite in the diet, while increasing the intake of DM and NDF, did not improve the use of urea in the diet of beef cattle.