Effects of cottonseed hull on intake, digestibility, nitrogen balance, blood metabolites and ingestive behaviour of rams.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of cottonseed hull (CH) in the diets of rams on intake, digestibility, nitrogen balance, ingestive behaviour, and blood metabolites. Twenty males, uncastrated with an average body weight of 29.08 ± 4.18 kg, were distributed in a completely randomized design with four treatment diets and five replicates. The diet contained a forage to concentrate ratio of 50 : 50 (ground corn, soybean meal, corn silage, and CH), and the experimental treatments were inclusion of 0, 10, 20, and 30% CH (dry matter basis). Inclusion of CH linearly increased water intake, effective intake of ethereal extract and non-fibrous carbohydrates, and crude protein digestibility. Dry matter (DM) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) digestibility, nitrogen faecal losses, and nitrogen balance reduced linearly with CH inclusion in the diet. Inclusion of CH in rams' diet reduces intake, nutrient digestibility, and intake and rumination efficiencies. Thus, it is not recommended to add this by-product to the diet of high-performance rams, but for nurture that does not aim at high performance, inclusion of up to 5% of this by-product is recommended.

Application of highly ozonated sunflower oil does not improve palatal wound healing: A randomized controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Ozone is a molecule that plays an important role in dentistry, specially for wound healing. The aim of the present study was to clinically and immunologically evaluate the effect of ozonated oil on the healing of palatal wounds. METHODS: This is a prospective, longitudinal, triple-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. The groups were divided as follows: Test group (n = 14): after removal of the free gingival graft (FGG), the palatal wound was treated with ozonized seed sunflower oil with a peroxide index between 510 and 625 meq O2 /kg; Control group (n = 14): after removal of the FGG, the palatal wound was treated with non-ozonated sunflower oil (placebo). The treatments were applied three times a day, for 7 days. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the measurements of wound area (mm2 ) between the test and control groups in the different periods evaluated (0, 3, 7, and 14 days; p > 0.05). The intra-group analysis showed a significant decrease in wound size over the course of days (0, 3, 7, and 14 days; p < 0.05). Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF; pg/mL) presented a significant reduction at 7 days (p < 0.05) compared to day 3 in the test group (p < 0.05). There was a statistical difference for malondialdehyde (MDA; pg/mL) in the test group between 3 and 7 days post-treatment (p < 0.05) and between test and control groups on the 7th day (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The application of highly ozonated sunflower oil did not improve the remaining scar area of the palate, decreasing the VEGF and increasing the oxidative stress marker MDA.

Therapeutic potential of metal ions for COVID-19: insights from the papain-like protease of SARS-CoV-2.

Coronaviruses have been responsible for multiple challenging global pandemics, including coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Papain-like protease (PLpro), one of two cysteine proteases responsible for the maturation and infectivity of SARS-CoV-2, processes and liberates functional proteins from the viral polyproteins and cleaves ubiquitin and ISG15 modifications to inhibit innate immune sensing. Consequently, PLpro is an attractive target for developing COVID-19 therapies. PLpro contains a zinc-finger domain important for substrate binding and structural stability. However, the impact of metal ions on the activity and biophysical properties of SARS-CoV-2 PLpro has not been comprehensively studied. Here, we assessed the impacts of metal ions on the catalytic activity of PLpro. Zinc had the largest inhibitory effect on PLpro, followed by manganese. Calcium, magnesium, and iron had smaller or no effects on PLpro activity. EDTA at a concentration of 0.5 mM was essential for PLpro activity, likely by chelating trace metals that inhibit PLpro. IC50 values for ZnCl2, ZnSO4, and MnCl2 of 0.42 ± 0.02 mM, 0.35 ± 0.01 mM, and 2.6 ± 0.3 mM were obtained in the presence of 0.5 mM EDTA; in the absence of EDTA, the estimated IC50 of ZnCl2 was 14 µM. Tryptophan intrinsic fluorescence analysis confirmed the binding of zinc and manganese to PLpro, and differential scanning calorimetry revealed that zinc but not manganese reduced ΔHcal of PLpro. The results of this study provide a reference for further work targeting PLpro to prevent and treat COVID-19.

Chronic copper poisoning in beef cattle in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil / Intoxicação crônica por cobre em bovinos de corte no Estado de Mato Grosso, Brasil

Copper is an essential micromineral in animal feed; however, when consumed in excess, it can cause liver necrosis, hemolytic crisis, hemoglobinuric nephrosis and death in cattle. Although uncommon in this species, copper poisoning occurs as a result of exacerbated supplementation, deficiency of antagonist microminerals, or previous liver lesions. An outbreak of chronic copper poisoning is reported in semi-confined cattle after supplementation with 50 mg/Kg of dry matter copper. The cattle showed clinical signs characterized by anorexia, motor incoordination, loss of balance, jaundice, brownish or black urine, diarrhea and death, or were found dead, 10 to 302 days after consumption. Of the 35 cattle that died, 20 underwent necropsy, whose frequent findings were jaundice, enlarged liver with evident lobular pattern, black kidneys, and urinary bladder with brownish to blackish content. Microscopically, the liver showed vacuolar degeneration and/or zonal hepatocellular centrilobular or paracentral coagulative necrosis, in addition to cholestasis, mild periacinal fibrosis, apoptotic bodies, and mild to moderate mononuclear inflammation. Degeneration and necrosis of the tubular epithelium and intratubular hemoglobin cylinders were observed in the kidneys. Copper levels in the liver and kidneys ranged from 5,901.24 to 28,373.14 µmol/kg and from 303.72 to 14,021 µmol/kg, respectively. In conclusion, copper poisoning due to excessive nutritional supplementation is an important cause of jaundice, hemoglobinuria, and death in semi-confined cattle.(AU)

Cobre é um micromineral essencial, que quando em excesso induz necrose hepática, crise hemolítica, nefrose hemoglobínurica e morte em bovinos. As intoxicações, apesar de incomuns nessa espécie, ocorrem devido a suplementação exacerbada de cobre, pela deficiência de microminerais antagonistas ou secundária a lesão hepática prévia. Relata-se um surto de intoxicação crônica por cobre em bovinos semiconfinados após suplementação com 50mg/kg de cobre em matéria seca. Os bovinos manifestaram sinais clínicos caracterizados por anorexia, incoordenação motora, perda de equilíbrio, icterícia, urina acastanhada ou negra, diarreia e morte ou foram encontrados mortos, após 10 a 302 dias do início de consumo. De 35 bovinos que morreram 20 foram submetidos à necropsia sendo achada frequente icterícia, fígado aumentado e com padrão lobular evidente, rins pretos e bexiga urinária repleta de conteúdo acastanhado a enegrecida. Microscopicamente, no fígado havia degeneração vacuolar e ou necrose coagulativa hepatocelular zonal, centrolobular ou paracentral, além de degeneração vacuolar com corpúsculos de Councilman, colestase, fibrose periascinar leve, e inflamação de discreta a moderada. Nos rins havia degeneração e necrose do epitélio tubular assim como cilindros de hemoglobina intratubulares. Os níveis de cobre no fígado e rim foram de 5.901,24 a 28.373,14µmol/kg e 303,72 a 14.021µmol/kg respectivamente. A suplementação nutricional excessiva com cobre pode causar doença hemolítica com icterícia, hemoglobinúria e morte de bovinos mantidos em sistema de semiconfinamento.(AU)

Increasing Soluble Phosphate Species by Treatment of Phosphate Rocks with Acidic Waste.

The development of efficient fertilizers with a diminished environmental footprint will help meet the increasing demand for food and nutrients by a growing global population. Our objective was to evaluate whether an acidic mine waste (AMW) could be used beneficially by reacting it with sparingly soluble phosphate rocks (PRs) to produce more soluble P fertilizer materials. Three PRs from Brazil and Peru were reacted with different concentrations of AMW. Changes in mineralogy and P species were determined using a combination of X-ray diffraction and phosphorus K-edge XANES spectroscopy, in addition to extractable P concentrations. Increasing the AMW concentration typically increased extractable P. X-ray diffraction data showed transformation of apatite to other species when PRs were reacted with AMW at ≥50% (v/v) in water, with gypsum or anhydrite forming at AMW concentrations as low as 12.5%. Linear combination fitting analysis of X-ray absorption near edge structure spectra also indicated a progressive transformation of apatite to noncrystalline Fe(III)-phosphate and more soluble Ca-phosphates with increasing AMW concentration. Because this AMW is costly to dispose of, reacting it with PR to produce a higher-grade phosphate fertilizer material could decrease the environmental impacts of the AMW and diminish the consumption of pure acids in conventional P fertilizer production.

Plasma testosterone, luteinizing hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone after vasectomy.

Plasma testosterone, LH, and FSH were measured in 24 healthy subjects prior to and after bilateral vasectomy. No significant changes were noted in any of the hormones 42 and 87 days after surgery; this indicated that normal testicular function persisted during the period of study.