The accumulation of industrial by-products increases the use of sweet potato waste for ruminants, but ruminal pH characteristics are still not well known. The objective was to assess the fluctuation of ruminal pH in sheep supplemented with different levels of sweet potato flour inclusion in their diet. Four rumen-fistulated sheep were used; they were fed a diet based on ryegrass haylage (Lolium multiflorum) and sweet potato flour (Ipomoea batatas), provided according to the level of inclusion in the total diet (0, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5%). Approximately 80 ml of ruminal fluid was collected for reading on a bench pH meter. Statistical data analysis was run on Statistical Analysis System (SAS Institute INC. Cary, NC, USA), and statistical difference was considered for p < 0.05. The animals that received 1.5% of sweet potato flour in their diet presented acid rumen pH; the 1.0% group presented rumen pH acidification in the first 6 hours after feeding, and the 0.5% level of inclusion did not change the rumen environment. It is concluded that the inclusion of 0.5% sweet potato flour in sheep diet proved to be an efficient energy supplementation strategy.

This study aimed to verify the effect of butaphosphan combined with cyanocobalamin (B+C) on dry matter intake (DMI) and milk yield in high producing dairy cows. Eighteen multiparous Holstein cows managed in a compost barn system were enrolled on a calving date and remained under observation until 28 days in milk (DIM). The B+C group administered at 2500 mg of butaphosphan and 1.25 mg of cyanocobalamin (25 mL/cow/day, n = 9), or the control group (NaCl 0.9% administered at 25 mL/cow/day, n = 9,) receiving injections at calving, and at day 3 and 7 post-partum. The DMI, feed efficiency, and DMI/% body weight were evaluated until 21 DIM and the milk yield, rumination, activity, and lying time until 28 DIM. Various metabolites were evaluated at 0, 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28 DIM. DMI did not change with treatment. Milk yield was more significant in the B+C group than in the control group, with an increase of 3.66 kg/milk/d. The maintenance of DMI and the greater milk yield in the B+C group may suggest that the use of B+C can improve feed efficiency. No treatment effect was observed for concentrations of serum glucose, NEFA, BHB, and acetone, however, albumin was higher in B+C than in control. No effect was observed on milk composition. Our results suggest that B+C improves milk yield and feed efficiency by modulating the DMI.

This study aimed to evaluate sweet potato feed as an alternative energy supplement for ovine. A latin-square design was used to assess the effects of feeding the animals 0, 0.5, 1 and 1.5% their body weight in sweet potato as well as ryegrass hay (Lolium multiflorum) twice daily, mineral salt and water ad libitum. During this study 8 males were housed in metabolic cages with urine and feces collectors. Each round of experimentation consisted of 14 days adaptation followed by 5 days evaluating the diet, left-overs, feces, and urine to determine intake, digestibility, and nitrogen retention. The results show a linear increase in intake of ryegrass hay, FDN, DM and OM because of the increasing supplementation levels. Similarly, we observed a linear increase in DM and OM intake, as well as in the OM digestibility. Additionally, BP digestibility decreased considering nitrogen excretion. In conclusion, sweet potato feed is a viable alternative for ovine receiving ryegrass hay since it increased DM and OM digestibility, albeit reducing NDF and BP digestibility.

Resumo-O objetivo deste trabalho é demonstrar o processo de captação de sinais corporais como expressões faciais, batimentos cardíacos e ondas cerebrais para compreender a relação dos mesmos com as emoções e a aprendizagem, durante experimentos realizados em instituições de ensino, guiados por um processo de seis passos apoiados por ferramentas tecnológicas. A metodologia é de natureza qualitativa e quantitativa. Os resultados mostram que o estado emocional dos participantes durante a realização das atividades pode ser percebido através do monitoramento dos sinais corporais, e conclui-se que, analisando o conjunto de batimentos cardíacos, métricas de performance através das ondas cerebrais e estado emocional por expressões faciais, uma mesma atividade pode produzir reações diferentes nos participantes, de acordo com a metodologia adotada e o estilo de aprendizagem de cada aluno. Com relação aos trabalhos futuros, o objetivo é expandir o número de experimentos a fim de comparar os dados, ajustar e validar o processo metodológico adotado.

The objective of was to evaluate whether the provision of an acidogenic diet in late gestation influences the metabolism of cows with experimentally induced subclinical hypocalcemia. Nine multiparous Holstein cows were divided into 3 groups according to the duration of supply of the acidogenic diet: G0 = without acidogenic diet; G9 = nine days and G15 = fifteen days. All animals underwent an experimental induction of subclinical hypocalcemia for 6 hours, performed after the last day of feeding with the diet. Urine samples were collected weekly to evaluate the effectiveness of the diet and blood samples were collected performed one day (-1) and immediately (0) before the induction, every hour until 6 h after the induction and at the end of 72 hours for the evaluation of metabolic parameters. During INDUCTION, G15 had the lowest concentration of CaT, globulins, TP, HCO¬¬ 3, pCO2, K and the highest concentration of creatinine (P < 0.05); G9 and G15 had the lowest concentration of iCa and higher concentration of Mg (P <0.05). In the POST-INDUCTION period, G15 again had the lowest concentration of globulins, TP, HCO¬- 3 and lowest serum pH, in addition to having the highest concentration of creatinine, glucose, and Na (P <0.05). G9 and G15 had the lowest CaT and K concentration and the highest Mg (P < 0.05) in that period. Provision of 15 days of an acidogenic diet to cows with induced hypocalcemia modulated other parameters besides calcium, demonstrated may not be suitable for animals.