INFLUENCE OF SEASON, ENVIRONMENT, AND SEX ON SELECTED BLOOD PARAMETERS OF GEOFFROY'S SIDE-NECKED TURTLES, PHRYNOPS GEOFFROANUS (SCHWEIGGER, 1812).

Laboratory tests help to determine a diagnosis, to plan treatment, and to indicate prognosis of diseases. However, the interpretation of test results in reptiles is challenging, because they are influenced by environmental and individual factors. Therefore, the objective of this study was to establish hematologic parameters of Geoffroy's side-necked turtle (Phrynops geoffroanus), including variables such as season, environment, sex, and straight carapace length (SCL). Blood samples were analyzed from 38 P. geoffroanus (23 males and 15 females) collected during the rainy and dry seasons. Some of the animals were from captivity and others from an urban stream. To verify the influence of the variables on blood parameters, the general linear model was performed. The Pearson correlation coefficient was also used to verify the association between SCL and hematologic parameters. Among these parameters, hemoglobin (P = 0.008) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (P = 0.001) were statistically higher during the rainy season. On the other hand, WBC (P = 0.011), heterophils (P = 0.045), eosinophils (P < 0.001), lymphocytes (P = 0.014), and monocytes (P = 0.039) were higher in the dry season. The RBC count (P = 0.035), PCV (P = 0.029), basophils (P = 0.013), and monocytes (P = 0,013) were significantly higher in individuals from captivity, but lymphocytes (P = 0.033) were higher in the urban turtles. Only eosinophils (P = 0.025) were higher in females than in males. There was no influence of the variables season, environment, and sex on the mean corpuscular volume (P = 0.071; P = 0.458; P = 0.052), total solids (P = 0.773; P = 0.121; P = 0.131), and heterophil:lymphocyte ratio (P = 0.992; P = 0.58; P = 0.119). No influence of the size on hematologic parameters was observed. Season, environment, and sex may influence the blood parameters of P. geoffroanus, and these factors should be routinely considered in the interpretation of laboratory results.

Influence of weaning management at 30, 75 and 180 days of age on non-esterified fatty acids and reproductive performance in beef cows.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of age at weaning of calves on non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and reproductive parameters of beef cows. Animals (n = 65) were randomly assigned to three treatments after calving: hyper-early weaning (W30) at 32 ± 0.89 days, early weaning (W75) at 77 ± 0.95 days, and conventional weaning (W180) at 183 ± 0.82 days. Body weight (BW) and body condition score (BCS) were evaluated at parturition (AP) and at 30, 45, 64, 81, 100 and 115 days postpartum (dPP). Blood samples were collected to analyze NEFA levels and progesterone (P4) at 30, 45, 64 and 81 dPP. Higher BW and BCS were observed from 64 to 115 dPP in W30 cows than W180 ones (p < 0.05). Cows subjected to W30 condition had higher levels of NEFA at 30 dPP compared to 64 and 81 dPP (p < 0.05). We also observed that cows from W180 group showed decreased levels of NEFA at 30 dPP compared to 45 (p < 0.01) and 64 dPP (p < 0.05). The highest P4 level was observed at 64 dPP in W30 cows compared to W75 and W180 (p < 0.05). We also observed higher CR of W30 (86%) compared to W180 (47%) at 45 dPP (p < 0.05). The overall pregnancy rate (PR) was higher for W30 (95.5%) than W180 (73.9%). In addition, higher BW at calving and P4 levels at 30 dPP were positively correlated with the possibility of pregnancy (p < 0.05). Improvement in BW and BCS were observed in cows subjected to hyper-early weaning management. However, levels of NEFA decreased as the postpartum period progressed. We concluded that cows who weaned calves hyper-early have greater chances of increasing cyclicity and PRs.

Interventions of Brazil's more doctors program through continuing education for Primary Health Care.

Introduction: Brazil's More Doctors Program, in its training axis, aims to improve medical training for Primary Health Care through interventions related to the reality of the territory. The research presented here analyzed the interventions implemented by Brazil's More Doctors Program physicians, members of the Family Health Continuing Education Program, and the relationship with Primary Health Care programmatic actions. Methodology: The research conducted made use of Text and Data Mining and content analysis. In total, 2,159 reports of interventions from 942 final papers were analyzed. The analysis process was composed of the formation of the corpus; exploration of the materials through text mining; and analysis of the results by inference and interpretation. Results: It was observed that 57% of the physicians worked in the Northeast Region, which was also the region with the most interventions (66.8%). From the analysis of the bigrams, trigrams, and quadrigrams, four constructs were formed: "women's health," "child health," "chronic non-communicable diseases," and "mental health." Terms related to improving access, quality of care, teamwork, and reception were also present among the N-grams. Discussion: The interventions carried out are under the programmatic actions recommended by the Brazilian Ministry of Health for Primary Health Care, also addressing cross-cutting aspects such as Reception, Teamwork, Access Improvement, and Quality of Care, which suggests that the training experience in the Family Health Continuing Education Program reflects on the way these professionals act.

Influence of tropical, subtropical, and temperate climate conditions on seminal redox status and sperm quality parameters in breeding bulls.

This study evaluated the effect of climate change on andrological parameters of beef bulls raised under tropical, subtropical, and temperate conditions. Bull ejaculates were collected to evaluate seminal quality parameters, sperm membrane integrity, and redox status (SOD; GPx; GSH; GRx; CARB; DCF; and SOD/GPx ratio). Bulls located in the temperate region showed a higher sperm motility rate and percentage of viable sperm (P < 0.05). When evaluating regions independently, we observed a lower GPx activity from animals in the tropical region (P < 0.05). In contrast, we found that SOD and GRx activities, GSH content, and CARB oxidative levels were higher in the tropical region, while oxidation values of DCF were lower (P < 0.05). Braford bulls showed higher CARB and DCF levels (1.23 ± 0.61 nmol/mg and 1453.60 ± 828.63 nmol/mg, respectively) compared to Hereford bulls (1.00 ± 0.43 nmol/mg and 1138.70 ± 423.24 nmol/mg, respectively) in the temperate region. However, Nellore bulls showed higher DCF levels (650.50 ± 401.53 nmol/mg) than Braford bulls (409.40 ± 286.97 nmol/mg). In addition, the SOD/GPx ratio was lower in Braford (12.44 ± 7.64 U/mg) compared to Nellore bulls in tropical conditions (87.25 ± 2.83 U/mg). A positive correlation was found in temperate conditions between DCF levels, SOD, and GRx activities (0.51, 0.58; P < 0.01, respectively), as well as in subtropical conditions between DCF levels and GRx activity (0.53; P < 0.01). A negative correlation between the temperature-humidity index and CARB content was found in subtropical and tropical regions (-0.44; P < 0.01). We concluded that Braford breeds showed lower seminal motility, DCF contents and SOD/GPx ratios compared to Nellore bulls in tropical climate conditions. Finally, in temperate environmental conditions, Braford bulls also showed lower seminal motility but higher levels of CARB and DCF contents compared to Hereford bulls. Therefore, the existence of climatic differences between the temperate and tropical regions evaluated affected Braford bulls' seminal motility and seminal redox homeostasis.

The influence of weaning age and biocholine supplementation to post-weaning growth and puberty in Brangus heifers.

This experiment was conducted to determine the effect of earlier weaning in addition to biocholine supplementation on age at puberty of Brangus heifers. Brangus calves were randomized and divided into three weaning ages groups, at 30 (Hyper-early weaning; HW), 75 (Early weaning; EW) and 180 days (Conventional weaning; CW). Then, calves were supplemented using the additive Biocholine (BIO) or not (CON). Animals were subjected to puberty induction and the presence of estrus was observed for 7 days. In addition, transrectal ultrasonography was performed to assess the ovarian activity and the presence of corpus luteum to determine heifer puberty. We also evaluated the body weight (BW; Kg), hip height (HH; cm), thoracic perimeter (TP; cm) and BW:HH ratio during the experimental period. BIO group showed higher ADG (>226 g/day) when the animals were exposed to ryegrass pasture compared to CON (P < 0.05). We observed an interaction between weaning x biocholine and CW-BIO heifers showed greater HH more compared to CW-CON (P < 0.05). Overall, animals that have reached puberty at day 8 after puberty induction showed 331.0 ± 5.04 kg BW, 122.0 ± 0.56 cm HH and 165.4 ± 0.75 cm TP and 2.7 ± 0.03 BW:HH. At the time of ovulation detection, the heifers from the HW group had 32.1 kg BW, 3.93 cm HH and 0.18 cm BW:HH greater compared to CW (P < 0.05). The BIO supplementation together with ryegrass pasture, led to an increase in ADG weight throughout the evaluated period. We concluded that HW heifers showed an adequate body development throughout the experimental period until puberty appearance at the same age as others weaned groups.

Weaning at 30, 75 and 180 days: Comparison between immune responses of beef calves.

The interruption of the maternal-filial bond in young calves can alter the physiological responses due to increased stress at this moment. Therefore, we aimed to analyze the association between age at weaning and the immune responses of 64 beef calves weaned abruptly. The animals were distributed in three weaning (W) treatments: hyper-early (W30), early (W75) and conventional (W180). The treatments agree with the weaning ages used in cow-calf systems in South America. Blood samples were collected of all experimental animals on the day of weaning and days 1, 2 and 7 post-weaning day of the three treatments. Blood samples were used to analyze hematological variables, total plasma proteins (TPP), fibrinogen, serum amyloid A protein (SAA) and cortisol. The variables analyzed were influenced by the sampling day (P < 0.001) and the calf gender (P < 0.05), and an interaction between treatment x sampling day was observed. Over the study period, high serum cortisol levels were observed for W30 calves. The serum amyloid A protein was significantly influenced by sampling day. When compared to W180 calves, W30 and W75 animals showed prolonged concentrations in plasma fibrinogen. In addition, they presented neutrophilia and lymphopenia during the 180-187 days period, which resulted in a greater neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio (N:L ratio). Calf gender resulted in changes in the number of blood leukocytes (P < 0.05). This result provides an alert for weaning at an early age, indicating that different management strategies must be tested to minimize physiological instabilities in critical periods of the life of animals.

Percepção sobre o mercado de trabalho odontológico dos estudantes do curso de odontologia da Universidade Federal do Pará / Perception of the undergraduate students in dentistry at the Federal University of Pará of the job market for dentists

Objetivo: Avaliar o perfil do estudante do Curso de Odontologia da Universidade Federal do Pará e sua percepção quanto à formação e mercado de trabalho. Métodos: Participaram do estudo 100 estudantes com idade igual ou superior a 18 anos, que estavam cursando o 2º, 4º, 6º, 8º e 10º períodos do curso. O instrumento de pesquisa foi um questionário com 18 questões de múltipla escolha e 1 discursiva, elaboradas por dois estudantes do 10º período e um docente. Os estudantes foram divididos em 2 grupos: grupo 1 correspondente ao período pré-clínico e grupo 2 ao clínico. Para análise de dados foi realizada estatística descritiva e Teste G com nível de significância de 0,05. Resultados: A maioria dos estudantes era do sexo feminino (67%), com renda familiar de até 06 salários mínimos (70%), que escolheram a odontologia por vocação (37%) e primeira opção de curso (55%). A maioria relatou que o curso tem condições adequadas para formação, apesar das dificuldades existentes (53%). O mercado de trabalho foi percebido como bom por 56%. O interesse em aprimorar os estudos antes da inserção no mercado foi predominante (83%), com pretensão salarial de 04 a 06 salários mínimos (31%). Não houve associação estatística entre as variáveis e semestres do curso (p > 0,05). Conclusão: O perfil dos estudantes foi de jovens, predominando o sexo feminino e renda salarial de até 06 salários mínimos, ingressantes pelos sistemas de ampla concorrência e cotas. O curso de Odontologia foi considerado adequado, apesar das dificuldades apresentadas. O mercado de trabalho foi percebido como bom pela maioria dos entrevistados.

Aim:To evaluate the profile of undergraduate students in Dentistry at the Federal University of Pará and their perception of education and the job market. Methods:A hundred students participated in the study, 18 years of age or over, who were in the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th periods of the course. The research instrument was a questionnaire with 18 multiple choice questions and one discursive question, which was prepared by two students from the 10th period and one teacher. The students were divided into 2 groups: group 1 corresponding to the preclinical and group 2 to the clinician period. Descriptive statistics and G test were used in the data analysis with a 0.05 significance level. Results: Most students were female (67%), with a family income of up to 06 minimum wages (70%), who chose dentistry by vocation (37%) and as their first course option (55%). Most reported that the course has suitable conditions for training, despite the existing difficulties (53%). The job market was perceived as good by 56%. They showed interest in improving studies before entering the market (83%), with a wage expectation of 04 to 06 minimum wages (31%). There was no statistical association between the variables and periods of the course (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The profile of the students was of young individuals (23.4 years old), with predominance of females and salary income of up to 06 minimum wages, who entered the university through the systems of wide competition (49%) and quotas (43%). The undergraduate dentistry course was considered suitable, despite the adversities. The job market was perceived as good by the majority of respondents.

[Zika virus embryopathy in Argentina: clinical characteristics in newborns]. / Embriopatía por virus Zika en Argentina: características clínicas y diagnóstico en recién nacidos.

Introduction: Microcephaly and brain abnormalities may be due to multiple etiologies, one of them is the congenital infection by Zika virus (ZIKV). From 2016 to the present, there has been a series of ZIKV outbreaks in Argentina. Methods: National Network of Congenital Anomalies (RENAC) and the National Institute of Viral Diseases (INEVH), under the National Administration of Laboratories and Health Institutes "Carlos Malbrán" (ANLIS), carry out the intensified surveillance of newborns with microcephaly and brain abnormalities. This article presents the clinical characteristics and laboratory testof patients detected with congenital infection by ZIKV between April 2016 to March 2018, Results: 10 cases with embryopathy were detected, six autochthonous and four imported; in two cases, the mothers were asymptomatic during pregnancy; all the cases presented microcephaly and cranial facial disproportion, ventriculomegaly in seven cases and in six cerebral calcifications. The diagnosis of congenital infection by Zika in the newborn was made by antigen-specific Immunoglobulin M (MAC-ELISA) and plaque-reduction neutralization test (PRNT90 ). PCR was negative in all cases. Conclusion: the patients presented clinical features that were consistent with those reported in other countries. The need for serological studies that allow confirmation is emphasized, ruling out cross-reactivity with other Flaviviruses.

Introducción: La microcefalia y las anomalías cerebrales congénitas pueden deberse a múltiples etiologías, siendo uno de ellas la infección congénita por el virus Zika (ZIKV). Desde 2016 hasta hoy se han sucedido una serie de brotes del ZIKV en Argentina. Métodos: La Red Nacional de Anomalías Congénitas (RENAC) y el Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Virales (INEVH), dependientes de la Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud "Carlos Malbrán" (ANLIS), realizan la vigilancia intensificada de recién nacidos con microcefalia y anomalías cerebrales. Este trabajo presenta las características clínicas y estudios de laboratorio de los pacientes con infección congénita por ZIKV detectados entre abril de 2016 a marzo 2018. Resultados: se detectaron 10 casos con embriopatía, seis fueron autóctonos y cuatro importados; en dos casos las madres fueron asintomática durante el embarazo; todos los casos presentaron microcefalia y desproporción cráneo facial, ventriculomegalia en siete casos y en seis calcificaciones cerebrales. El diagnóstico de infección congénita por Zika en el recién nacido se realizó por estudios serológicos inmunoglobulina M antígeno específica (MAC-ELISA) y prueba de neutralización por reducción de placas (PRNT90). La PCR fue negativa en todos los casos. Conclusión: Los pacientes presentaron características clínicas coincidentes con las reportadas en otros países Se enfatiza la necesidad de estudios serológicos que permitan la confirmación, descartando la reactividad cruzada con otros Flavivirus.

Avaliação da Empatia nos Médicos Residentes do Hospital Universitário Alzira Velano em Alfenas, Minas Gerais / Evaluation of Empathy in Medical Residents of Alzira Velano University Hospital in Alfenas, Minas Gerais

RESUMO INTRODUÇÃO Muito se discute a importância da empatia na relação médico-paciente. Poucos estudos avaliaram essa habilidade em médicos residentes (MR). OBJETIVO Avaliar a empatia dos MR do Hospital Universitário Alzira Velano (Huav) por meio da Escala Jefferson de Empatia Médica (Ejem), que fornece quatro tipos de escores: empatia geral (EG); tomada de perspectiva do doente (TP); compaixão (CP) e capacidade de colocar-se no lugar do outro (LO). MÉTODOS A Ejem e um questionário sociodemográfico foram aplicados em 36 MR do Huav no início do segundo semestre de 2016 após assinatura do Termo de Consentimento Livre e Esclarecido. RESULTADOS A análise estatística mostrou que os escores de empatia apresentaram associação em relação às variáveis: sexo, área de atuação (clínica ou cirúrgica) e período da residência em curso. Para a variável sexo, os seguintes achados foram encontrados: MR do sexo feminino do 1° ano apresentaram escores de EG e TP maiores que as MR no ≥ 2°ano (p = 0,01) e (0,03), respectivamente. Em relação à área de atuação, foi encontrado: (a) os escores de EG dos MR do 1° ano eram maiores, comparados aos dos MR no ≥ 2° ano, tanto para a área clínica (p = 0,03) como para a cirúrgica (p = 0,02); (b) MR da área cirúrgica apresentaram escores TP mais elevados no 1° ano em relação aos MR no ≥ 2° ano (p = 0,01). Nenhuma associação aos fatores estudados foi observada para os escores CP e LO. CONCLUSÃO Os dados demonstram que os escores de empatia dos MR dos anos finais são menores em relação aos dos MR do primeiro ano, fato verificado também para MR do sexo feminino. Nossos dados concordam com as observações da literatura e evidenciam a importância do desenvolvimento de estratégias instrucionais para o ensino da empatia entre médicos residentes.

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION Much is discussed about the importance of empathy in the patient-physician relationship. Few studies have evaluated this ability in resident physicians (RPs). OBJECTIVE To evaluate the empathy of the resident physicians of the University Hospital Alzira Velano (HUAV), through the Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE), which provides 4 types of scores: General Empathy (GE); Perspective Taking (PT); Compassionate Care (CC) and Standing in Patient's Shoes (SP). METHODS The JSE and a sociodemographic questionnaire were applied to 36 RPs of the HUAV at the beginning of the second semester of 2016, after they signed the informed consent form. RESULTS Statistical analysis by the Mann-Whitney test showed that empathy scores were associated with variables: gender, area of performance (clinical or surgical) and period of residence in progress. For the variable gender, the following findings were observed: 1) Female RPs of the 1st year had higher GE scores than the RPs in the ≥ 2nd year (p = 0.01) and (0.03), respectively; 2) female RP's of 1st year had higher TP scores than RPs of ≥ 2nd year (p = 0.03). Regarding the area of performance, 1) the GE scores of the 1st year RPs were higher when compared to the RPs in the ≥ 2nd year, both for the clinical (p = 0.03) and for the surgical area (p = 0.02); 2) RPs of the surgical area had higher PT scores in the 1st year compared to RPs in the ≥ 2nd year (p = 0.01). No association was observed between the studied factors and CC and SP scores. CONCLUSION The data show that the empathy scores of the RPs of the final years are lower in relation to the RPs of the 1 st year, a fact also verified for female RPs. Our data are in agreement with the observations of the literature and show the importance of the development of instructional strategies for the teaching of empathy among resident physicians.

Surveillance of microcephaly and selected brain anomalies in Argentina: Relationship with Zika virus and other congenital infections.

BACKGROUND: Zika virus (ZIKV) vertical transmission may lead to microcephaly and other congenital anomalies. In March and April 2016, the first outbreak of ZIKV occurred in Argentina. The objective was to describe the surveillance of newborns with microcephaly and other selected brain anomalies in Argentina, and evaluation different etiologies. METHODS: Participants were enrolled between April 2016 and March 2017. CASES: newborns from the National Network of Congenital Abnormalities of Argentina (RENAC) with head circumference lower than the 3rd percentile according to gestational age and sex, or selected brain anomalies. Blood and urine samples from cases and their mothers were tested for ZIKV by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), antigen-specific Immunoglobulin M (MAC-ELISA) and plaque-reduction neutralization test (PRNT90 ). Toxoplasmosis, rubella, herpes simplex, syphilis, and cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection were also tested. RESULTS: A total of 104 cases were reported, with a prevalence of 6.9 per 10,000 [95% confidence interval (CI): 5.7-8.4], a significant increase when compared with the data prior to 2016, Prevalence Rate Ratio 1.7 (95% CI 1.2-2.3). In five cases positive serology for ZIKV (IgM and IgG by PRNT) was detected. The five cases presented microcephaly with craniofacial disproportion. We detected four cases of CMV infection, three cases of congenital toxoplasmosis, two cases of herpes simplex infection, and one case of congenital syphilis. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of microcephaly was significantly higher when compared with the previous period. The system had the capacity to detect five cases with congenital ZIKV syndrome in a country with limited viral circulation.

Tratamento de agenesia de incisivos laterais com facetas laminadas sem preparo dentário / Treatment of lateral incisor agenesis with prepareless laminate veneers ­ a case report

O sorriso está ligado diretamente à autoestima dos pacientes, e a busca por um tratamento dentário tem sido realizada cada vez mais por melhorias estéticas. Quando se percebe qualquer desvio da normalidade de um padrão estético, pode-se apresentar como consequências transtornos funcionais e sociais. O presente trabalho relatou um caso clínico de paciente com agenesia de incisivos laterais superiores e diastema interincisal. A proposta de tratamento, aceita de acordo com o anseio da paciente, foi a confecção de facetas indiretas em dissilicato de lítio, resultando em fechamento do diastema e reanatomização dos demais elementos dentários anteriores. O objetivo deste estudo foi apresentar as vantagens da utilização das facetas laminadas sem o preparo/desgaste da estrutura dental para o tratamento de agenesia de incisivos laterais superiores, através de um caso clínico.

The smile is directly connected with patient self-esteem and the demand for dental treatment as aesthetic improvement has been increased. When there is any deviation from normality of an aesthetic standard, it can be presented as consequences of functional and social disorders. In this paper, a clinical case of a patient with agenesis of upper lateral incisors and diastema between the central incisors is outlined. The proposed accepted treatment in accordance with the patient desire was the fabrication of indirect lithium disilicate veneers, resulting in diastema closure and reconfi guring of the remaining dental elements. The aim of this study is to present the advantages of laminate ceramics without preparation/abrasion of dental structure to treat the agenesis of upper lateral incisors.

Effects of ambient air temperature, humidity, and wind speed on seminal traits in Braford and Nellore bulls at the Brazilian Pantanal.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the bioclimatic thermal stress assessed by Equivalent Temperature Index (ETI) and Temperature Humidity Index (THI) on Braford and Nellore bulls sperm quality during the reproductive seasons at the tropical region in the Brazilian Pantanal. We used 20 bulls aged approximately 24 months at the beginning of the study. Five ejaculates per animal were collected using an electroejaculator. Temperature, air humidity, and wind speed data were collected every hour from the automatic weather station at the National Institute of Meteorology. Infrared thermography images data were collected to assess the testicular temperature gradient in each animal. Data were analyzed with ANOVA using MIXED procedure of SAS and means were compared using Tukey's HSD test. The THI and ETI at 12 days (epididymal transit) were higher in January (89.7 and 28.5, respectively) and February (90.0 and 29.0, respectively) compared to other months (P < 0.01). Total seminal defects differ only in Bradford bulls between the months of November and February. Nellore bulls had lower major defects (MaD) and total defects (TD) compared to Braford. Nellore bulls showed correlation between minor defects (MiD) and THI for 30 days (0.90) and 18 days (0.88; P < 0.05). Braford bulls showed correlation for MaD (0.89) in ETI for 12 days (P < 0.05). Infrared thermography showed no difference between animals. Reproductive response to environmental changes is a consequence of Nellore and Braford adaptation to climate stress conditions. Both THI and ETI environmental indexes can be used to evaluate the morphological changes in the seminal parameters in Nellore or Braford bulls; however, more experiments should be performed focusing on larger sample numbers and also in reproductive assessment during the consecutive years to assess fertility potential.

The uses of infrared thermography to evaluate the effects of climatic variables in bull's reproduction.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the seasonal effects of the environment on sperm quality in subtropical region determined by temperature and humidity index (THI). We used 20 Brangus bulls (5/8 Angus × 3/8 Nellore) aged approximately 24 months at the beginning of the study. Semen evaluations were performed twice per season during 1 year. Climate THI data were collected from an automatic weather station from the National Institute of Meteorology. Infrared thermography images were used to determine the temperature of the proximal and distal poles of the testis to assess the testicular temperature gradient (TG). The seasonal effects on seminal and climatic variables were analyzed with ANOVA using MIXED procedure of SAS. Sperm motility in spring (60.1%), summer (57.6%), and autumn (64.5%) showed difference compared to winter (73.0%; P < 0.01). TG was negatively correlated with THI at 18 days (spermiogenesis) (-0.76; P < 0.05) and at 12 days (epididymal transit) (-0.85; P < 0.01). Ocular temperature (OcT) had a positive correlation with THI at 18 days (0.78; P < 0.05) and at 12 days (0.84; P < 0.01). Motility showed a negative correlation with THI only at 18 days (-0.79; P < 0.05). During spermiogenesis, the TG had higher negative correlation compared to OcT (-0.97; P < 0.01) and rectal temperature (-0.72; P < 0.05). Spermatozoa with distal midpiece reflex were correlated with THI during transit epididymis (0.72; P < 0.05). Seminal parameters are not affected when THI reaches 93.0 (spermiogenesis) and 88.0 (epididymal transit). We concluded that infrared thermography can be adopted as an indirect method in order to assess the effect of environmental changes in TG and OcT of Brangus bulls.

Membrane vesicles released by Avibacterium paragallinarum contain putative virulence factors.

Avibacterium paragallinarum, the causative agent of infectious coryza, releases extracellular membrane vesicles (MVs), containing immunogenic proteins, proteases, putative RTX proteins, haemagglutinin, and nucleic acids, into the medium. MVs ranging 50-300 nm in diameter were observed by electron microscopy. They contained immunogenic proteins in the range of 20-160 kDa, detected using vaccinated or experimentally infected chicken sera raised against Av. paragallinarum, but not in pooled sera from specific pathogen-free chickens. Proteolytic activity was not detected in MVs through zymograms; however, immune recognition of high molecular mass bands was observed by Western blotting using an antiprotease serum against Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 1 purified protease, suggesting its presence. MVs agglutinated glutaraldehyde-fixed chicken red blood cells indicating the presence of haemagglutinating antigens. Nucleic acids were also detected inside MVs. Avibacterium paragallinarum releases MVs containing putative virulence factors, which could be important in the pathogenesis of infectious coryza.