Effect of Heat Stress on Lactating and Non-Lactating Blackbelly Ewes under Tropical Conditions during Summer.

Two groups of ewes (10 lactating and 10 non-lactating) were used to evaluate the effect of heat stress during summer under tropical conditions. In this study, a temperature and humidity index (THI) was found that ranged between 65 and 79 (morning and afternoon). Likewise, a heat tolerance coefficient (HTC) of 6 units was observed. The highest breathing frequency (BF; 115.46 ± 35.25 breaths per minute (bpm)) and rectal temperature (RT; 38.95 ± 0.51 °C) were found during the afternoon in the group of lactating ewes. The means were compared by group, time of the day, and interaction, and only significant differences were found between groups for RT and udder temperature (p < 0.001). In the case of time of day, all parameters were higher during the afternoon, regardless of the group of ewes (p < 0.001). Likewise, an interaction was found in the parameters RT, right paralumbar fossa (RPF), rump, leg, and udder (p < 0.001). In conclusion, Blackbelly ewes lactating during the summer in the tropics have higher skin temperatures, and also raise BF and RT to tolerate HS in tropical climates.

Flexibility in thermal requirements: a comparative analysis of the wide-spread lizard genus Sceloporus.

Adaptation or acclimation of thermal requirements to environmental conditions can reduce thermoregulation costs and increase fitness, especially in ectotherms, which rely heavily on environmental temperatures for thermoregulation. Insight into how thermal niches have shaped thermal requirements across evolutionary history may help predict the survival of species during climate change. The lizard genus Sceloporus has a widespread distribution and inhabits an ample variety of habitats. We evaluated the effects of geographical gradients (i.e. elevation and latitude) and local environmental temperatures on thermal requirements (i.e. preferred body temperature, active body temperature in the field, and critical thermal limits) of Sceloporus species using published and field-collected data and performing phylogenetic comparative analyses. To contrast macro- and micro-evolutional patterns, we also performed intra-specific analyses when sufficient reports existed for a species. We found that preferred body temperature increased with elevation, whereas body temperature in the field decreased with elevation and increased with local environmental temperatures. Critical thermal limits were not related to the geographic gradient or environmental temperatures. The apparent lack of relation of thermal requirements to geographic gradient may increase vulnerability to extinction due to climate change. However, local and temporal variations in thermal landscape determine thermoregulation opportunities and may not be well represented by geographic gradient and mean environmental temperatures. Results showed that Sceloporus lizards are excellent thermoregulators, have wide thermal tolerance ranges, and the preferred temperature was labile. Our results suggest that Sceloporus lizards can adjust to different thermal landscapes, highlighting opportunities for continuous survival in changing thermal environments.

Bacillus thuringiensis-Based Bioproduct: Characterization and Performance Against Spodoptera frugiperda Strains in Maize Under Different Environmental Temperatures.

Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is an important pest in several regions being the use of Bacillus thuringiensis-based bioproducts an alternative for its control. Firstly, 3 L of an aqueous bioproduct suspension was produced and characterized. Its 50% lethal concentration against molecularly identified corn and rice S. frugiperda strains using an artificial diet were 77.01% (95% CL, 68.16-90.47) and 2.22% (95% CL, 0.01-6.68), respectively. The next objective of this work was to evaluate the performance of this bioproduct in maize against S. frugiperda strains under different simulated agrological regions mimicking their corresponding periodic day/night temperatures. Thus, the impact of environmental temperature on the bioproduct efficacy (E) was studied. It was observed that a warmer scenario (35 °C day/30 °C night) could favor the tolerance of corn S. frugiperda strain to the bioproduct (E = 56.36 ± 0.61%) maintaining a high efficacy (92.44 ± 6.55%) when it was tested against rice S. frugiperda strain. Conversely, under temperate conditions, efficacy values ranged from 84 to 95% for both S. frugiperda strains. On the other hand, based on a foliar feeding damage analysis, our bioproduct displayed a significant foliar protection in maize plants infested with either corn or rice S. frugiperda strains.

Environmental niche and flight intensity are associated with molecular evolutionary rates in a large avian radiation.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic activity and environmental energy are two of the most studied putative drivers of molecular evolutionary rates. Their extensive study, however, has resulted in mixed results and has rarely included the exploration of interactions among various factors impacting molecular evolutionary rates across large clades. Taking the diverse avian family Furnariidae as a case study, we examined the association between several estimates of molecular evolutionary rates with proxies of metabolic demands imposed by flight (wing loading and wing shape) and proxies of environmental energy across the geographic ranges of species (temperature and UV radiation). RESULTS: We found weak evidence of a positive effect of environmental and morphological variables on mitochondrial substitution rates. Additionally, we found that temperature and UV radiation interact to explain molecular rates at nucleotide sites affected by selection and population size (non-synonymous substitutions), contrary to the expectation of their impact on sites associated with mutation rates (synonymous substitutions). We also found a negative interaction between wing shape (as described by the hand-wing index) and body mass explaining mitochondrial molecular rates, suggesting molecular signatures of positive selection or reduced population sizes in small-bodied species with greater flight activity. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the demands of flight and environmental energy pose multiple evolutionary pressures on the genome either by driving mutation rates or via their association with natural selection or population size. Data from whole genomes and detailed physiology across taxa will bring a more complete picture of the impact of metabolism, population size, and the environment on avian genome evolution.

A Heuristic and Data Mining Model for Predicting Broiler House Environment Suitability.

The proper combination of environment and flock-based variables plays a critical role in broiler production. However, the housing environment control is mainly focused on temperature monitoring during the broiler growth process. The present study developed a novel predictive model to predict the broiler (Gallus gallus domesticus) rearing conditions' suitability using a data-mining process centered on flock-based and environmental variables. Data were recorded inside four commercial controlled environment broiler houses. The data analysis was conducted in three steps. First, we performed an exploratory and descriptive analysis of the environmental data. In the second step, we labeled the target variable that led to a specific broiler-rearing scenario depending on the age of the birds, the environmental dry-bulb temperature and relative humidity, the ammonia concentration, and the ventilation rate. The output (final rearing condition) was discretized into four categories ('Excellent', 'Good', 'Moderate', and 'Inappropriate'). In the third step, we used the dataset to develop tree models using the data-mining process. The random-tree model only presented accuracy for predicting the 'Excellent' and 'Moderate' rearing conditions. The decision-tree model had high accuracy and indicated that broiler age, relative humidity, and ammonia concentration play a critical role in proper rearing conditions. Using a large amount of data allows the data-mining approach to building up 'if-then' rules that indicate suitable environmental control decision-making by broiler farmers.

The reproductive period of tarantulas is constrained by their thermal preferences (Araneae, Theraphosidae).

Locomotor and physiological performance of ectotherms are affected by temperature. Thermoregulation is achieved by changes in behavior and the selection of micro-habitats with adequate temperatures to maintain the body temperature (Tb) within a range of preference. Apart from this temperature dependence at spatial scales, ectotherms are also affected by temperature at temporal scale. For instance, ectotherms can only be active some months of the year, particularly in temperate environments. Tarantulas are ectotherms that live in burrows most of their life. Nevertheless, after the sexual maturation molt, males leave their refugia and start a wandering life searching for females to mate. The reproductive period varies among species. In some species walking males are seen in late spring or early summer, while in other species males are only seen during fall or winter. Apart from the differences in lifestyles after maturation, tarantulas exhibit sexual dimorphisms in longevity and body mass, having smaller, shorter-lived males. Thus, to optimize energetic budgets, decreasing thermoregulation costs, we hypothesize and examine a putative correlation between an individual's preferred body temperature (Tpref) and the environmental temperature during the reproductive period. Hence, we characterize Tpref in seven tarantula species and analyze which factors (i.e., time of day, body mass, and sex) correlated with it. Furthermore, we assess putative correlated evolution of Tpref with ambient temperature (minima, mean, and maxima) during the reproductive period by means of phylogenetic independent contrasts. We did not find differences in thermal preferences between sexes; and only one species, Acanthoscurria suina, exhibited diel differences in Tpref. We found evidence of correlated evolution between Tpref and minimum temperature during the reproductive period among all seven species studied herein. Our results show that the reproductive period is constrained by thermal preferences, dictating when males can start their wandering life to mate.

When things get hot: Thermoregulation behavior in the lizard Sceloporus aeneus at different thermal conditions.

Rising environmental temperatures have become a global threat for ectotherms, with the increasing risk of overheating promoting population declines. Flexible thermoregulatory behavior might be a plausible mechanism to mitigate the effects of extreme temperatures. We experimentally evaluated thermoregulatory behavior in the bunchgrass lizard, Sceloporus aeneus, at three different environmental temperatures (25, 35 and 45 °C) both with and without a thermal refuge. We recorded themoregulatory behaviors (body posture and movement between hot and cold patches) and compared individual lizards across all experimental temperature and shelter combinations. Behavioral thermoregulation in S. aeneus was characterized by the expression of five body postures, whose frequencies varied based on environmental temperature and microthermal conditions. Behavioral responses allowed lizards to maintain a mean body temperature <40 °C, the critical thermal maximum for temperate species, even at extreme environmental temperatures (45 °C). Although S. aeneus express an array of behavioral postures that provide an effective mechanism to cope with elevating temperatures, the presence of a thermal refuge was important to better achieve this. Together, our study offers a novel method to evaluate microhabitat preference that encompasses both behavioral observations and time-space analysis based on the ambient thermal distribution, a consideration that can aid in the formulation of more accurate predictions on ectotherm vulnerability related to increasing global environmental temperatures.

Efeito das estações do ano e da idade sobre as variáveis termofisiológicas e hematológicas de bezerros leiteiros mestiços em ambiente tropical / Effect of season and age on thermophysiological and hematological variables of crossbred dairy calves in tropical environment

Background: The wellbeing and performance of calves may be impaired if raised in high temperature environments. Physiological and hematological variables serve as a tool to assess the welfare of cattle; therefore, the influence of seasons and age on physiological and hematological variables was evaluated of crossbred dairy calves in a tropical environment.Materials, Methods & Results: Forty-two male and female calves were evaluated from July 2016 to July 2017, when the calves were of 2, 15, 30, and 60 days of age. Respiratory (RR) and heart rates (HR) and rectal (RT) and body surface (BST) temperatures were quantified in the morning. Additionally, in the morning, dry bulb (Tdb) and wet bulb (Twb) temperatures were measured, and then, relative humidity (RH) and a temperature-humidity index (THI) were calculated. Blood was collected to perform hemogram. The day before the calves were evaluated, thermal environment data were collected to verify whether there were cyclic periods of heat stress. The mean air temperature ranged from 19°C to 22.1°C, and the highest THI value of 68 occurred in the summer mornings. In the afternoon, the maximum air temperature ranged from 27.5°C to 29.7°C. In autumn, respiratory and heart rates and body surface temperature were higher in 2-day-old calves than in other ages. The body surface temperature of 60-day-old calves was higher in spring and summer than in autumn. Rectal temperature remained in the normal range throughout the study period. Season did not influence the erythrogram and plaquetogram. The values for red blood cells, MCV, MCHC, RDW, platelets, and MPV varied among the calf ages. Season did not influence the values of leukocytes, monocytes, lymphocytes, or N/L ratio; however, band neutrophils and eosinophils varied among seasons. Band neutrophils and monocytes were not altered by age, whereas leukocyte, segmented neutrophils, eosinophils, lymphocytes, and N/L ratio values varied with age among the calves.[...](AU)

Efeito das estações do ano e da idade sobre as variáveis termofisiológicas e hematológicas de bezerros leiteiros mestiços em ambiente tropical / Effect of season and age on thermophysiological and hematological variables of crossbred dairy calves in tropical environment

Background: The wellbeing and performance of calves may be impaired if raised in high temperature environments. Physiological and hematological variables serve as a tool to assess the welfare of cattle; therefore, the influence of seasons and age on physiological and hematological variables was evaluated of crossbred dairy calves in a tropical environment.Materials, Methods & Results: Forty-two male and female calves were evaluated from July 2016 to July 2017, when the calves were of 2, 15, 30, and 60 days of age. Respiratory (RR) and heart rates (HR) and rectal (RT) and body surface (BST) temperatures were quantified in the morning. Additionally, in the morning, dry bulb (Tdb) and wet bulb (Twb) temperatures were measured, and then, relative humidity (RH) and a temperature-humidity index (THI) were calculated. Blood was collected to perform hemogram. The day before the calves were evaluated, thermal environment data were collected to verify whether there were cyclic periods of heat stress. The mean air temperature ranged from 19°C to 22.1°C, and the highest THI value of 68 occurred in the summer mornings. In the afternoon, the maximum air temperature ranged from 27.5°C to 29.7°C. In autumn, respiratory and heart rates and body surface temperature were higher in 2-day-old calves than in other ages. The body surface temperature of 60-day-old calves was higher in spring and summer than in autumn. Rectal temperature remained in the normal range throughout the study period. Season did not influence the erythrogram and plaquetogram. The values for red blood cells, MCV, MCHC, RDW, platelets, and MPV varied among the calf ages. Season did not influence the values of leukocytes, monocytes, lymphocytes, or N/L ratio; however, band neutrophils and eosinophils varied among seasons. Band neutrophils and monocytes were not altered by age, whereas leukocyte, segmented neutrophils, eosinophils, lymphocytes, and N/L ratio values varied with age among the calves.[...]

The effect of cyclic heat stress applied to different broiler chicken brooding stages on animal performance and carcass yield

The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance and carcass yield of broilers submitted to heat stress during different rearing stages. A total of 840 one-day-old CobbAvian48TM male broilers were housed in an experimental house equipped with conventional ventilation system and foggers. Birds were distributed according to a completely randomized design into four treatments, with six replicates of 35 birds each. The treatments consisted of: T1 (control) - birds reared under natural temperature and relative humidity conditions from 1 to 42 days of age; T2 - birds submitted to heat stress (HS) from 16 to 21 days of age; T3 - birds submitted to HS from 22 to 42 days of age; and T4 - birds submitted to HS from 16 to 42 days of age. Birds were submitted to heat stress daily for one hour (12:00-13:00h).On day 42, performance data were determined. Six birds per replicate were selected and sacrificed to obtain carcass, parts, and giblet weights and yields. Performance parameters were not influenced by the treatments. Broilers submitted to 1-h cyclic heat between 16 and 42 days of age presented lower deboned breast weight compared with those maintained in natural temperature and relative humidity conditions. It was concluded that the performance of broilers submitted to short cyclic heat periods is not impaired.(AU)

The effect of cyclic heat stress applied to different broiler chicken brooding stages on animal performance and carcass yield

The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance and carcass yield of broilers submitted to heat stress during different rearing stages. A total of 840 one-day-old CobbAvian48TM male broilers were housed in an experimental house equipped with conventional ventilation system and foggers. Birds were distributed according to a completely randomized design into four treatments, with six replicates of 35 birds each. The treatments consisted of: T1 (control) - birds reared under natural temperature and relative humidity conditions from 1 to 42 days of age; T2 - birds submitted to heat stress (HS) from 16 to 21 days of age; T3 - birds submitted to HS from 22 to 42 days of age; and T4 - birds submitted to HS from 16 to 42 days of age. Birds were submitted to heat stress daily for one hour (12:00-13:00h).On day 42, performance data were determined. Six birds per replicate were selected and sacrificed to obtain carcass, parts, and giblet weights and yields. Performance parameters were not influenced by the treatments. Broilers submitted to 1-h cyclic heat between 16 and 42 days of age presented lower deboned breast weight compared with those maintained in natural temperature and relative humidity conditions. It was concluded that the performance of broilers submitted to short cyclic heat periods is not impaired.

Composición, estructura trófica y patrón de actividad de murciélagos de sotobosque en la Reserva Forestal Bitaco / Composition, trophic structure and activity patterns of the understory bats of the bitaco forest reserve

ABSTRACT The present study describes composition and trophic structure, and assesses the effect of environmental temperature and rainfall on the pattern of nocturnal activity of understory bats in an Andean forest, in the first half of the night. Seven sampling events were conducted, lasting six nights each one. Ten mist nets were used to capture bats, which were checked every hour between 18:00 and 00:00 hours. Bat species, sex and capture time were registered. In addition, environmental temperature and rainfall were also recorded during sampling. The bat assemblage of the understory of the study area was represented mostly by frugivore species, within this guild there was a lower richness of nomadic than sedentary species. For the first half of the night, bat activity peaked between 18:00 and 19:00 hours and declined to a minimum level between 22:00 and 23:00 hours. The most accurate model to explain variation in bat captures included only the effect of air temperature, which positively affected the number of captures. In conclusion, for the sampled period the activity of the bat assemblage in the study area was not related to rainfall and exhibited a slight but significant relationship with air temperature.

RESUMEN En el presente trabajo se describe la composición y estructura trófica, y se evalúa el efecto de la temperatura ambiental y la precipitación sobre el patrón de actividad nocturna de los murciélagos de sotobosque que habitan que un bosque Andino, para la primera mitad de la noche. Para esto se realizaron siete campañas de muestreo, con una duración de seis noches cada una, en las que se utilizaron diez redes de niebla que operaron entre las 18:00 y 00:00 horas, siendo revisadas cada hora. Además, se registró la temperatura ambiental y la precipitación durante los eventos de muestreo. El ensamblaje de murciélagos de sotobosque del área de estudio estuvo representado principalmente por especies frugívoras, y dentro de este gremio, se registró una menor riqueza de especies nómadas que sedentarias. La actividad de los murciélagos, para la primera mitad de la noche, fue máxima entre las 18:00 y 19:00 horas, disminuyendo hasta alcanzar una actividad mínima entre las 22:00 y 23:00 horas. El modelo más adecuado para explicar la variación en las capturas de murciélagos incluyó sólo el efecto de la temperatura ambiental, la cual afectó positivamente el número de capturas. En conclusión, para el periodo evaluado, la actividad del ensamble de murciélagos de sotobosque en el área de estudio no se relacionó con la precipitación y exhibió relación leve pero significativa con la temperatura ambiental.

Effects of the addition of pure glycerin supplementation in the drinking water on the performance of broilers submitted to heat stress and feed restriction

The experiment was conducted to study the effect of pure glycerin supplementation (GLYC) in the drinking water of broilers subjected to heat stress and feed restriction. Water with 0, 1, or 2% glycerin was provided ad libitum to broilers in six hours of feed restriction. The birds were housed in two environments: thermoneutral (TN) - 25 ° C, and cyclic heat stress (HS) - 12h with 250C, 6h with 320C, 3h of 250 to 320C and 3h of 320 to 250C. The experimental design was randomized in a factorial arrangement of 2 x 3 + 2, with three GLYC levels, two environments and one control group with ad libitum feeding each environment. When submitted to HS, broiler receiving 2% glycerin presented higher weight gain (WG), water consumption (WC), feed intake (FI) and energy consumption (EI) than those in the other treatments, contrarily to birds in TN, where increasing GLYC levels decreased those responses. Broilers submitted to feed restriction presented reduced FI, but better feed conversion (FCR), independently of rearing environment or GLYC levels. Broilers under HS submitted to feed restriction and receiving 2% GLYC presented higher WC (p < 0.05) and similar WG as the controls, differently from the restricted-fed broilers under TN receiving 2% GLYC, which WC and WG were lower than the controls. The inclusion of 2% pure glycerin in the drinking water may compensate the negative effects on performance caused by feed restriction in broilers submitted to heat stress.(AU)

Effects of the addition of pure glycerin supplementation in the drinking water on the performance of broilers submitted to heat stress and feed restriction

The experiment was conducted to study the effect of pure glycerin supplementation (GLYC) in the drinking water of broilers subjected to heat stress and feed restriction. Water with 0, 1, or 2% glycerin was provided ad libitum to broilers in six hours of feed restriction. The birds were housed in two environments: thermoneutral (TN) - 25 ° C, and cyclic heat stress (HS) - 12h with 250C, 6h with 320C, 3h of 250 to 320C and 3h of 320 to 250C. The experimental design was randomized in a factorial arrangement of 2 x 3 + 2, with three GLYC levels, two environments and one control group with ad libitum feeding each environment. When submitted to HS, broiler receiving 2% glycerin presented higher weight gain (WG), water consumption (WC), feed intake (FI) and energy consumption (EI) than those in the other treatments, contrarily to birds in TN, where increasing GLYC levels decreased those responses. Broilers submitted to feed restriction presented reduced FI, but better feed conversion (FCR), independently of rearing environment or GLYC levels. Broilers under HS submitted to feed restriction and receiving 2% GLYC presented higher WC (p < 0.05) and similar WG as the controls, differently from the restricted-fed broilers under TN receiving 2% GLYC, which WC and WG were lower than the controls. The inclusion of 2% pure glycerin in the drinking water may compensate the negative effects on performance caused by feed restriction in broilers submitted to heat stress.

Differential responses of the somatotropic and thyroid axes to environmental temperature changes in the green iguana.

Growth hormone (GH), together with thyroid hormones (TH), regulates growth and development, and has critical effects on vertebrate metabolism. In ectotherms, these physiological processes are strongly influenced by environmental temperature. In reptiles, however, little is known about the direct influences of this factor on the somatotropic and thyroid axes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to describe the effects of both acute (48h) and chronic (2weeks) exposure to sub-optimal temperatures (25 and 18°C) upon somatotropic and thyroid axis function of the green iguana, in comparison to the control temperature (30-35°C). We found a significant increase in GH release (2.0-fold at 25°C and 1.9-fold at 18°C) and GH mRNA expression (up to 3.7-fold), mainly under chronic exposure conditions. The serum concentration of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) was significantly greater after chronic exposure (18.5±2.3 at 25°C; 15.92±3.4 at 18°C; vs. 9.3±1.21ng/ml at 35°C), while hepatic IGF-I mRNA expression increased up to 6.8-fold. Somatotropic axis may be regulated, under acute conditions, by thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) that significantly increased its hypothalamic concentration (1.45 times) and mRNA expression (0.9-fold above control), respectively; and somatostatin (mRNA expression increased 1.0-1.2 times above control); and under chronic treatment, by pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide (PACAP mRNA expression was increased from 0.4 to 0.6 times). Also, it was shown that, under control conditions, injection of TRH stimulated a significant increase in circulating GH. On the other hand, while there was a significant rise in the hypothalamic content of TRH and its mRNA expression, this hormone did not appear to influence the thyroid axis activity, which showed a severe diminution in all conditions of cold exposure, as indicated by the decreases in thyrotropin (TSH) mRNA expression (up to one-eight of the control), serum T4 (from 11.6±1.09 to 5.3±0.58ng/ml, after 2weeks at 18°C) and T3 (from 0.87±0.09 to 0.05±0.01ng/ml, under chronic conditions at 25°C), and Type-2 deiodinase (D2) activity (from 992.5±224 to 213.6±26.4fmolI(125)T4/mgh). The reduction in thyroid activity correlates with the down-regulation of metabolism as suggested by the decrease in the serum glucose and free fatty acid levels. These changes apparently were independent of a possible stress response, at least under acute exposure to both temperatures and in chronic treatment to 25°C, since serum corticosterone had no significant changes in these conditions, while at chronic 18°C exposure, a slight increase (0.38 times above control) was found. Thus, these data suggest that the reptilian somatotropic and thyroid axes have differential responses to cold exposure, and that GH and TRH may play important roles associated to adaptation mechanisms that support temperature acclimation in the green iguana.

Variação sazonal na prevalência de distúrbios hipertensivos da gestação entre primigestas do sul do Brasil / Seasonal variation in the prevalence of pregnancyinduced hypertension among primiparous women in Southern Brazil

Introdução: A hipertensão é uma das mais graves patologias gestacionais, levando a um aumento importante da morbimortalidade materna e perinatal. Este estudo teve como objetivo determinar a correlação entre o número de internações hospitalares em primigestas com distúrbios hipertensivos na gestação e variação sazonal. Métodos: Estudo prospectivo ecológico entre todas as primigestas com idade gestacional maior de 20 semanas que internaram no Centro Obstétrico do Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre num período de 12 meses. A frequência de internações por distúrbios hipertensivos foi comparada nos diferentes meses e estações do ano e também em relação à temperatura média e mínima do dia da internação e da semana anterior. Resultados: Foram estudadas 1.327 primigestas com idade média de 20,7 anos e idade gestacional média de 38,6 semanas. Entre estas, 232 (17,5%) apresentaram alteração na pressão arterial, sendo que 9,7% apresentaram pré-eclâmpsia (PE) e 7,5% outros distúrbios hipertensivos da gestação. Não houve associação significativa entre a frequência de internações por distúrbios hipertensivos e a temperatura média ou mínima do dia ou da semana anterior à internação. Ao longo do ano, ocorreu variação significativa (p < 0,05) na frequência de internações por pré-eclâmpsia, sendo esta maior no mês de setembro (15,1% das internações), marcando a transição entre o inverno e primavera. Conclusão: As variações da temperatura têm influência no número de internações por hipertensão na gestação, sendo essa informação útil no planejamento do sistema de saúde e da disponibilidade de leitos hospitalares.

Introduction: Hypertension is one of the most severe pregnancy disorders, leading to a significant increase of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to determine the correlation of the number of hospital admissions of primiparous women with hypertensive disorders and seasonal variation. Methods: A prospective ecologic study of all primiparous women who were admitted to the Obstetric Center of Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre at 20 or more weeks of gestation in 12 months. The frequency of hospital admissions was compared in different months and seasons of the year and with regard to mean or minimum temperature of the day and the week before admission. Results: A total of 1,327 primiparous women were studied, with average age of 20.7 years and mean gestational age of 38.6 weeks. Of these, 232 (17.5%) had hypertensive disorders, 9.7% of which had pre-eclampsia and 7.5% others hypertensive disorders. We observed no differences between the number of admissions and mean or minimum temperature on the day of admission nor during the week before the diagnosis. There was a significant variation (p < 0.05) in the number of admissions for pre-eclampsia by month, with the highest frequency in September (15.1% of admissions), which marks a transition from winter to spring. Conclusions: Variations in temperature influence the number of hospital admissions for hypertensive disorders. This information is very important to plan public health services and availability of hospital beds

Glutamic acid improves body weight gain and intestinal morphology of broiler chickens submitted to heat stress

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of 1% dietary glutamic acid on the body weight, intestinal morphometry, and anti-Newcastle antibody titers of broiler chickens submitted to heat stress. One-d-old male broiler chicks (n=120) were distributed according to a 2 x 2 factorial design with two environmental temperatures (thermoneutral or heat stress) and two diets (with 0 or 1% glutamic acid). Heat stress temperature was constantly maintained (24h/day) 5 ºC higher than the thermoneutral temperature. Diets supplied the nutritional requirements of broilers in the pre-starter (1 to 7d) and starter (8 to 21d) phases. Birds were vaccinated against Newcastle disease on d 7 via eye drop. On days 5, 10, 15, and 20, individual body weight was determined, serum samples were collected from five birds, and duodenum samples were collected from four birds per treatment. Serum anti-Newcastle antibody titers were determined by enzyme immunoassay and transformed into log10. Villus height, crypt depth, and villus: crypt ratio were measured in the duodenum. Data were analyzed by ANOVA. Chronic heat stress negatively affected body weight and intestinal morphometry during the pre-starter and starter phases, but had no effect on antibody titers. Dietary glutamic acid supplementation (1%) improved body weight and intestinal integrity of birds submitted to heat stress when compared with non-supplemented and heat-stressed birds.

Global warming influence on climatic variables and thermal comfort index in Paraíba state, Brazil / Influência do aquecimento global sobre as variáveis climatológicas e índice de conforto térmico no estado da Paraíba, Brasil

The increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases originated from burning fossil fuels, along with breeding, been appointed as the main causes of global climate change resulting from global warming in earth"s atmosphere. These changes can cause serious impacts on the lives and livestock production mainly in tropical regions. Therefore, the aim with this work was to evaluate the effect of global warming on the climatological variables, thermal comfort index and animal production in the state of Paraiba. For this meteorological data from four meteorological stations by state and calculated the temperature humidity index used. The means analyzed from the difference between the normal period of 30 years (1961 to 1990) and the period of the last four years (2011-2015). The results showed that all regions of the state are suffering from climate change due to global warming and that there was an average elevation of ITU in recent years, indicating that changes in attitude should be intensified to allow the survival and productivity of animals does not become increasingly costly in the state.(AU)

O aumento na concentração de gases poluentes, originados da queima de combustíveis fósseis, juntamente com a criação de animais, tem sido apontado como as principais causas das mudanças climáticas globais decorrentes do efeito estufa na atmosfera da terra. Essas mudanças podem causar sérios impactos sobre a vida e a produção animal, principalmente nas regiões tropicais. Portanto, objetivou-se com esse trabalho avaliar o efeito do aquecimento global sobre as variáveis climatológicas, índice de conforto térmico e produção animal no estado da Paraíba. Para isso foram utilizados os dados meteorológicos de quatro estações meteorológicas distribuídas pelo estado e calculado o índice de temperatura e umidade. As médias obtidas foramanalisadas a partir da diferença entre o período das normais 30 anos (1961-1990) e o período dos últimos quatro anos (2011-2015). Os resultados demonstraram que todas as regiões do estado estão sofrendo mudanças climáticas devido ao efeito estufa e que houve uma elevação média do ITU nosúltimos anos, indicando que mudanças de atitude devem ser intensificadas para permitir que a sobrevivência e a produtividade dos animais não se torne cada vez mais dispendiosa dentro do estado.(AU)

Glutamic acid improves body weight gain and intestinal morphology of broiler chickens submitted to heat stress

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of 1% dietary glutamic acid on the body weight, intestinal morphometry, and anti-Newcastle antibody titers of broiler chickens submitted to heat stress. One-d-old male broiler chicks (n=120) were distributed according to a 2 x 2 factorial design with two environmental temperatures (thermoneutral or heat stress) and two diets (with 0 or 1% glutamic acid). Heat stress temperature was constantly maintained (24h/day) 5 ºC higher than the thermoneutral temperature. Diets supplied the nutritional requirements of broilers in the pre-starter (1 to 7d) and starter (8 to 21d) phases. Birds were vaccinated against Newcastle disease on d 7 via eye drop. On days 5, 10, 15, and 20, individual body weight was determined, serum samples were collected from five birds, and duodenum samples were collected from four birds per treatment. Serum anti-Newcastle antibody titers were determined by enzyme immunoassay and transformed into log10. Villus height, crypt depth, and villus: crypt ratio were measured in the duodenum. Data were analyzed by ANOVA. Chronic heat stress negatively affected body weight and intestinal morphometry during the pre-starter and starter phases, but had no effect on antibody titers. Dietary glutamic acid supplementation (1%) improved body weight and intestinal integrity of birds submitted to heat stress when compared with non-supplemented and heat-stressed birds.(AU)

Global warming influence on climatic variables and thermal comfort index in Paraíba state, Brazil / Influência do aquecimento global sobre as variáveis climatológicas e índice de conforto térmico no estado da Paraíba, Brasil

The increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases originated from burning fossil fuels, along with breeding, been appointed as the main causes of global climate change resulting from global warming in earth"s atmosphere. These changes can cause serious impacts on the lives and livestock production mainly in tropical regions. Therefore, the aim with this work was to evaluate the effect of global warming on the climatological variables, thermal comfort index and animal production in the state of Paraiba. For this meteorological data from four meteorological stations by state and calculated the temperature humidity index used. The means analyzed from the difference between the normal period of 30 years (1961 to 1990) and the period of the last four years (2011-2015). The results showed that all regions of the state are suffering from climate change due to global warming and that there was an average elevation of ITU in recent years, indicating that changes in attitude should be intensified to allow the survival and productivity of animals does not become increasingly costly in the state.

O aumento na concentração de gases poluentes, originados da queima de combustíveis fósseis, juntamente com a criação de animais, tem sido apontado como as principais causas das mudanças climáticas globais decorrentes do efeito estufa na atmosfera da terra. Essas mudanças podem causar sérios impactos sobre a vida e a produção animal, principalmente nas regiões tropicais. Portanto, objetivou-se com esse trabalho avaliar o efeito do aquecimento global sobre as variáveis climatológicas, índice de conforto térmico e produção animal no estado da Paraíba. Para isso foram utilizados os dados meteorológicos de quatro estações meteorológicas distribuídas pelo estado e calculado o índice de temperatura e umidade. As médias obtidas foramanalisadas a partir da diferença entre o período das normais 30 anos (1961-1990) e o período dos últimos quatro anos (2011-2015). Os resultados demonstraram que todas as regiões do estado estão sofrendo mudanças climáticas devido ao efeito estufa e que houve uma elevação média do ITU nosúltimos anos, indicando que mudanças de atitude devem ser intensificadas para permitir que a sobrevivência e a produtividade dos animais não se torne cada vez mais dispendiosa dentro do estado.