Carcass characteristics and meat quality of goats fed increasing levels of crude glycerin.

Crude glycerin is a byproduct of the biodiesel industry and has been widely used in ruminant diets as a source of energy, usually in place of corn, primarily during periods of drought in tropical regions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of including levels of the crude glycerin of low purity (0, 6, 12 and 18%) replacing corn in the diets of goats on the carcass characteristics, tissue composition, meat cuts yield and physicochemical parameters of meat. Forty males castrated without defined racial pattern goats an initial average weight of 19.70 ± 2.30 kg were slaughtered after 86 days. Diets content 0 and 6% crude glycerin promoted similar responses to the analyzed variables, except for pH and breast weight. No differences were observed to total digestible nutrients, slaughter body weight, commercial cut yield leg tissue composition and physicochemical parameters of meat. Crude glycerin can be included up to 12% without losses on carcass weight and meat cuts, leg composition, and meat quality. The inclusion of crude glycerin containing 63.06% glycerol and 45.57% lipids could be effective in partial replacement of corn in diets for confined goats in tropical areas.

Reliability of different electromyographic normalization methods for pelvic floor muscles assessment.

AIMS: To evaluate the reliability of different methods to normalize pelvic floor muscles (PFM) electromyography (EMG). METHODS: Thirty nulliparous women (23.9 ± 3.2 years), free from PFM dysfunction, completed two test sessions 7 days apart. For EMG normalization, signals were acquired during four different tasks using a vaginal probe in situ: PFM maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) and three daily activities with increased intra-abdominal pressure (coughing, Valsalva maneuver, and abdominal contraction). The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM), relative standard error of measurement (%SEM), and minimal detectable change (MDC) were calculated for each variable. RESULTS: ICC values for test-retest reliability of normalization methods ranged from 0.61 to 0.95. The highest values were obtained for mean root mean square (RMS) of the abdominal contraction and peak RMS of PFM-MVC. Normalization using RMS of PFM-MVC showed the lowest values of SEM and MDC. CONCLUSIONS: The normalization of EMG data is considered a fundamental part of EMG investigations. These findings suggest that the normalization of PFM-EMG by either peak RMS of PFM-MVC or mean and peak RMS of abdominal contraction has excellent reliability and it can be applied in studies involving the evaluation of young women.

The role of Janus kinase inhibitors in the treatment of alopecia areata: A systematic review.

Alopecia areata (AA) is a non-scarring alopecia, which often carries a major impact on patients' quality of life. Currently there is no single approved treatment that effectively induces permanent remission. Recently, the JAK-STAT signaling pathway has emerged as a possible therapeutic target leading to increased interest in the use of Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors (JAKis) in the treatment of this pathology. This review of the literature summarizes information on patients with AA who underwent treatment with JAKis and discusses the current evidence on the efficacy and safety of its use. A literature search was conducted in different databases to identify clinical trials and case reports published in January 2019. Several clinical studies have shown very promising results in the treatment of AA with oral formulas of JAKis. These agents, however, need chronic administration to maintain response. Topical formulations did not show satisfactory responses. The safety profile of these agents appears to be favorable. Current evidence is promising regarding the efficacy and safety of oral JAKis. However, the data obtained are of low quality, originating predominantly from reports of clinical cases. Further studies are needed to confirm these data and to optimize its long-term efficacy and safety.

Inspection Score and Grading System for Food Services in Brazil: The Results of a Food Safety Strategy to Reduce the Risk of Foodborne Diseases during the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

In 2014, Brazil hosted one of the most popular sport competitions in the world, the FIFA World Cup. Concerned about the intense migration of tourists, the Brazilian government decided to deploy a food safety strategy based on inspection scores and a grading system applied to food services. The present study aimed to evaluate the results of the food safety strategy deployed during the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. To assess food safety, an evaluation instrument was applied twice in 1927 food service establishments from 26 cities before the start of the competition. This instrument generated a food safety score for each establishment that ranged from 0.0 (no flaws observed) to 2565.95, with four possible grades: A (0.0-13.2); B (13.3-502.6); C (502.7-1152.2); and pending (more than 1152.3). Each food service received a stamp with the grade of the second evaluation. After the end of the World Cup, a study was conducted with different groups of the public to evaluate the acceptance of the strategy. To this end, 221 consumers, 998 food service owners or managers, 150 health surveillance auditors, and 27 health surveillance coordinators were enrolled. These participants completed a survey with positive and negative responses about the inspection score system through a 5-point Likert scale. A reduction in violation scores from 393.1 to 224.4 (p < 0.001) was observed between the first and second evaluation cycles. Of the food services evaluated, 38.7% received the A stamp, 41.4% the B stamp, and 13.9% the C stamp. All positive responses on "system reliability" presented a mean of 4.0 or more, indicating that the public believed this strategy is reliable for communicating risks and promoting food safety. The strategy showed positive results regarding food safety and public acceptance. The deployed strategy promoted improvements in the food safety of food services. The implementation of a permanent policy may be well accepted by the public and may greatly contribute to a reduction in foodborne diseases (FBDs).