Staphylococcus aureus is a pathogen that frequently causes mastitis in bovine herds worldwide. This pathogen produces several virulence factors, including cell-associated adhesins, toxic and cytolytic exoproteins, and capsular polysaccharides. The aim of the present study was to test for the presence of genes involved in capsular polysaccharide production and biofilm formation in S. aureus isolated from bovine mastitis samples collected from 119 dairy herds located in three different Brazilian regions, as well as to assay the production of capsular polysaccharides and biofilm, in vitro. The detection of the cap, icaAD, and bap genes was performed using PCR. The detection and quantification of capsular polysaccharide production was performed using ELISA assays. The ability of the isolates to form a biofilm was examined using the polystyrene surface of microtiter plates. All 159 S. aureus isolates investigated harboured the cap gene: 80 % carried the cap5 gene and 20 % carried the cap8 gene. Sixty-nine percent of the isolates expressed capsular polysaccharide (CP) in vitro, 58 % expressed CP5 and 11 % expressed CP8. All of the isolates harboured the icaA and icaD genes, and 95.6 % of the isolates carried the bap gene. Of the 159 isolates analysed, 97.5 % were biofilm producers. A significant association between the capsular genotype and phenotype and the amount of biofilm formation was detected: cap5/CP5 isolates tended to form more biofilm and to produce a thinner CP layer than cap8/CP8 isolates. The results indicate a high potential for pathogenicity among S. aureus isolated from bovine milk collected from three different regions in Brazil.

Objective: Affordable nutrition refers to the relation between nutrient density of foods and their monetary cost. There are limited data on affordable nutrition in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). The present study aimed to develop a nutrient density score and nutrient affordability metrics for 377 most consumed foods in Brazil. Design: The foods were aggregated into 7 major food groups and 4 NOVA food categories. Nutrient composition data were obtained from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). Food prices were obtained from retailer websites and were converted to prices per 100g and 100kcal. The Nutrient Rich Food (NRF8.2) score was based on protein, fiber, vitamins A, C and E, calcium, iron and potassium. Nutrients to limit were sugar and sodium. Affordability was measured as kcal/R$ and nutrients/R$. Results: Grains, fats and sweets were more energy-dense and had lower NRF8.2 scores than dairy, vegetables, and fruits. Grains, fats, and sweets were the lowest-cost sources of calories. Vegetables and fruits, beans, nuts and seeds, and eggs and dairy were the lowest-cost sources of multiple nutrients. Ultra-processed foods (48% of total) had higher energy density and lower NRF8.2 scores than did unprocessed foods. In Brazil, fruits, vegetables and dairy products offered the most nutrients per real. Conclusions: Analysis of the relation between nutrient density of foods and their cost can help identify locally available foods that are nutrient rich, affordable and culturally acceptable. Achieving high nutrient density at an affordable cost should be the goal of Brazil food systems.

In bovine preimplantation development, female embryos progress at lower rates and originate smaller blastocysts than male counterparts. Although sex-specific gene expression patterns are reported, when and how sex dimorphism is established is not clear. Differences among female and male early development can be useful for human assisted reproductive medicine, when X-linked disorders risk is detected, and for genetic breeding programs, especially in dairy cattle, which requires female animals for milk production. The aim of this study was to characterize the development of female and male embryos, attempting to identify sex effects during preimplantation development and the role of cell death in this process. Using sex-sorted semen from three different bulls for fertilization, we compared kinetics of bovine sex-specific embryos in six time points, and cell death was assessed in viable embryos. For kinetics analysis, we detected an increased population of female embryos arrested at 48 and 120h.p.i., suggesting this time points as delicate stages of development for female embryos that should be considered for testing improvement strategies for assisted reproductive technologies. Assessing viable embryos quality, we found 144h.p.i. is the first time point when viable embryos are phenotypically distinct: cell number is decreased, and apoptosis and cell fragmentation are increased in female embryos at this stage. These new results lead us to propose that sex dimorphism in viable embryos is established during morula-blastocyst transition, and cell death is involved in this process.

Os efluentes gerados na pecuária intensiva quando tratados por reatores anaeróbios possuem relevante potencial para reuso agrícola. Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o crescimento das cultivares de cana-de-açúcar SP 803280 e RB 867515 durante 220 dias. Foram aplicadas doses de 0, 16, 48, 64, 80, 96 kg ha-1 de nitrogênio, usando como fontes biofertilizantes produzidos por meio da água residuária da bovinocultura e ureia. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de blocos ao acaso, totalizando 96 parcelas com quatro repetições. As cultivares adubadas com biofertilizante obtiveram crescimento semelhante às adubadas com ureia, onde as doses de 64, 80, 96 kg ha-1 proporcionaram melhor eficácia no crescimento. Ao fim do experimento obteve-se uma altura média de três metros para as culturas, indicando que a ureia pode ser substituída pelo biofertilizante.

The aim of this study was to determine the favorable constant temperature range for Mahanarva spectabilis (Distant) (Hemiptera: Cercopidae) development as well as to generate geographic distribution maps of this insect pest for future climate scenarios. M. spectabilis eggs were reared on two host plants (Brachiaria ruziziensis (Germain and Edvard) and Pennisetum purpureum (Schumach)), with individual plants kept at temperatures of 16, 20, 24, 28, and 32°C. Nymphal stage duration, nymphal survival, adult longevity, and egg production were recorded for each temperature*host plant combination. Using the favorable temperature ranges for M. spectabilis development, it was possible to generate geographic distribution. Nymphal survival was highest at 24.4°C, with estimates of 44 and 8% on Pennisetum and Brachiaria, respectively. Nymphal stage duration was greater on Brachiaria than on Pennisetum at 20 and 24°C but equal at 28°C. Egg production was higher on Pennisetum at 24 and 28°C than at 20°C, and adult longevity on Pennisetum was higher at 28°C than at 20°C, whereas adult longevity at 24°C did not differ from that at 20 and 28°C. With these results, it was possible to predict a reduction in M. spectabilis densities in most regions of Brazil in future climate scenarios.