-This study was carried out to evaluate the influence of diets supplemented with glycerin as an alternative ingredient to corn on the performance and carcass characteristics of Santa Inês confined lambs. The study involved 27 lambs aged 90 days, having an average initial weight of 26.33 ± 0.15 kg. Lambs were randomly distributed into a control group and groups with diets containing 15 and 30% glycerin in the total feed. Diet was formulated with 40% roughage and 60% concentrate.The experimental design was completely randomized, and the production performance and carcass characteristics were analyzed by analysis of variance, and the subjective carcass characteristics, by general linear models. The daily average gain was 0.21, 0.24 and 0.23 kg/day; feeding conversion was 6.39, 5.73 and 5.92 kg of diet/kg BW for control animals, and those fed with 15 or 30% glycerin, respectively, without treatment differences. Lambs were slaughtered, weighing 34 to 36 kg, and average weight of the cold carcass and commercial carcass yield were evaluated. The results were, respectively, 15.97 kg and 49.18%, for control, 15.96 kg and 48.31% for animals fed with 15% glycerin, and 15.79 kg and 47.87% for those treated with 30% glycerin, with no treatment effects. Meat tenderness and cooking loss averages were not affected by diets, with 5.07 kg and 40.45%, 5.10 kg and 40.81%, and 5.27 kg and 39.04%, respectively, for control, and those fed with 15 or 30% glycerin. Therefore, it is possible to conclude that up to 30% of medium purity glycerin in the dry matter of the diet can be used to replace corn, without any negative effect on lamb performance or carcass characteristics.

This study proposed the General Health Index of Cheese (GHIC) as an indicator for the presence of health-promoting compounds in cheese and compared the antioxidant capacity and phenolic and fatty acid contents of cheeses from goats consuming 7 forage species. Ninety-one homogeneous Red Syrian goats were randomly assigned to 1 of 7 feeding treatments (Festuca arundinacea, Hordeum vulgare, Triticosecale, Pisum sativum, Trifolium alexandrinum, Vicia sativa, and Vicia faba minor). The housed goat groups received the scheduled forage ad libitum. Forage species affected the antioxidant capacity, the phenolic and fatty acid contents, the Health Promoting Index, and the GHIC. Trifolium alexandrinum, Triticosecale, and Hordeum vulgare showed a clear advantage in terms of beneficial fatty acids content in goat cheese. Cheese from the Triticosecale group also showed a high antioxidant capacity value even if its polyphenol content was intermediate compared with others. Trifolium alexandrinum and Triticosecale had the highest value of the new index GHIC. This comparison suggests that there are important differences in fatty acid profile and polyphenol content among cheeses from goats fed grasses and legumes commonly used in the Mediterranean area. In this first approach, GHIC index, which combines the positive components found in cheese, seems to be a useful tool to provide an indication concerning the general health value of the product.

Two experiments were performed to study the interaction between the standardized ileal digestible (SID) leucine (Leu) and valine (Val) levels on the mRNA expression of genes involved in the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway (experiment I) and determine the requirement of these amino acids in low-protein diets, and their effects on performance, serum parameters and muscle fiber diameters of broilers (experiment II) from day 1 to day 21 post hatch. Broiler chickens were distributed in a completely randomized design in a 3 × 3 and 5 × 5 factorial arrangement for a total of 9 and 25 treatments in experiments I and II, respectively. There was no (P > 0.05) interaction between the SID Leu and Val levels on mRNA expression of mTOR, S6 kinase 1 (S6K1), 4E-binding protein-1 (4EBP1), eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2), and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) genes in pectoralis major muscle. Leucine supplementation increased (P < 0.05) mRNA expression of mTOR and S6K1 genes in muscle tissue, whereas Val supplementation did not affect (P > 0.05) mRNA expression of the genes investigated. Interaction was observed (P < 0.05) between dietary Leu and Val levels on feed intake and gain:feed. Leucine supplementation may stimulate mRNA expression of mTOR and S6K1 genes in pectoralis major muscle of broilers from day 1 to day 21 post hatch. The SID Leu and Val levels required for the optimization of feed intake, weight gain, and gain:feed in low-crude protein diets for broiler chickens from day 1 to 21 post hatch were estimated at 1.29% and 0.96%, 1.28% and 0.92%, and 1.27% and 0.91%, respectively; however, these requirements may be greater to maximize muscle fiber growth.

RESUMO

Objective: To identify the prevalence of risk related to drug use among workers of a construction company and to evaluate how it relates with sociodemographic variables. Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted with 418 workers who were given the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test. Multinominal logistic regression was used as a measure of association. Results: Tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, cocaine and inhalants were the most used drugs. Moderate and high risks were related, respectively, to the use of tobacco (32.5% and 5.7%), alcohol (26.8% and 6.9%), cannabis (2.6% and 2.4%) and cocaine (1.2% and 0.5%). Conclusion: Tobacco and alcohol were the main drugs used by workers. The level of risk related to the use of tobacco, alcohol, cannabis and cocaine were high when compared to that of the general population. ResumoObjetivo: Identificar prevalência do risco relacionado ao consumo de drogas entre trabalhadores de uma empresa de construção civil e avaliar sua associação com variáveis sociodemográficas. Métodos: Estudo transversal realizado com 418 trabalhadores que responderam ao Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test. Utilizou-se a regressão logística multinomial como medida de associação. Resultados: Tabaco, álcool, maconha, cocaína e inalantes tiveram prevalência de uso elevada. Riscos moderado e elevado estiveram relacionados, respectivamente, aos consumos de tabaco (32,5% e 5,7%), álcool (26,8% e 6,9%), maconha (2,6% e 2,4) e cocaína (1,2% e 0,5%). Conclusão: Tabaco e álcool foram as principais drogas utilizadas pelos trabalhadores. Níveis de risco relacionados ao consumo de tabaco, álcool, maconha e cocaína foram elevados quando comparados aos da população em geral. Keywords

The consequences of using aspirin (ASA) for the pathogenesis of Chagas disease are unclear. This study evaluated the effects of treatment of Chagas disease with ASA on the esophageal nitrergic myenteric neuron population and esophageal wall in mice. We observed that treatment of chagasic infection with ASA protects the esophageal myenteric neurons from the atrophy caused by the Trypanosoma cruzi infection. The mice were infected with 1300 trypomastigotes of Y strain T. cruzi intraperitoneally. Part of infected mice was treated with ASA from fifth to twelfth day after inoculation. Our data support the hypothesis that eicosanoids given during the acute phase of the chagasic infection may act as immunomodulators aiding the transition to and maintenance of the chronic phase of the disease. Besides, ASA treatment did not provoke alterations in the esophageal wall and the myenteric neurons in infected mice.

Resumo O objetivo foi analisar a tendência da mortalidade por tuberculose no Paraná, no período de 1998 a 2012, segundo macrorregionais de saúde, sexo e faixa etária. Estudo ecológico de séries temporais, com dados do Sistema de Informações de Mortalidade do Sistema Único de Saúde (SIM/SUS). A análise da tendência dos coeficientes de mortalidade padronizados foi realizada por meio de regressão linear segmentada com identificação dos pontos com modificação da tendência. Houve 847 mortes de residentes no Paraná, no período. Inicialmente, a tendência foi decrescente para o estado, com posterior incremento significativo apenas para a macrorregional Leste. A mortalidade por tuberculose apresentou tendência crescente para as faixas etárias de 20 a 39 anos e 40 a 49 anos, e para o sexo masculino. A tendência crescente da mortalidade por tuberculose, observada a partir de 2010, é um alerta para gestores aprimorarem o atendimento nos diversos níveis de atenção à saúde.

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