Important metabolic changes occur during transition period of late pregnancy and early lactation to meet increasing energy demands of the growing fetus and for milk production. The aim of this investigation is to present an innovative and non-invasive tool using ewe earwax sample analysis to assess the metabolic profile in ewes during late pregnancy and early lactation. In this work, earwax samples were collected from 28 healthy Brazilian Santa Inês ewes divided into 3 sub-groups: 9 non-pregnant ewes, 6 pregnant ewes in the last 30 days of gestation, and 13 lactating ewes ≤ 30 days postpartum. Then, a range of metabolites including volatile organic compounds (VOC), amino acids (AA), and minerals were profiled and quantified in the samples by applying headspace gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, high performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry, and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry, respectively. As evident in our results, significant changes were observed in the metabolite profile of earwax between the studied groups where a remarkable elevation was detected in the levels of non-esterified fatty acids, alcohols, ketones, and hydroxy urea in the VOC profile of samples obtained from pregnant and lactating ewes. Meanwhile, a significant decrease was detected in the levels of 9 minerals and 14 AA including essential AA (leucine, phenyl alanine, lysine, isoleucine, threonine, valine), conditionally essential AA (arginine, glycine, tyrosine, proline, serine), and a non-essential AA (alanine). Multivariate analysis using robust principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis was successfully applied to discriminate the three study groups using the variations of metabolites in the two stress states (pregnancy and lactation) from the healthy non-stress condition. The innovative developed method was successful in evaluating pre- and post-parturient metabolic changes using earwax and can in the future be applied to recognize markers for diagnosis, prevention, and intervention of pregnancy complications in ewes.

Objectives: to identify the temporal trends and regional variations in maternal near miss in Brazil. Methods: ecological study of temporal trends. The units of analysis are in the States, the regions and Brazil, between 2000 and 2012, the dependent variable being the maternal near miss rate (MNMR), calculated from the records of the Sistema de Informações Hospitalares do Sistema Único de Saúde (SIH-SUS) (National Health Hospital Information System).Regression analysis using Joinpoint regression software, version 4.1.0. was applied to analyze morbidity trends. Results: the main result of this study was a finding on an increase rate trend in maternal near miss in Brazil, between 2000 and 2012. This trend behaves differently depending on the development level of the region studied, presenting a positively higher increase in less developed regions and states. Conclusions: there is an increasing trend in maternal near miss rates in Brazil. The SIH-SUS may be an important instrument in identifying and monitoring maternal morbidity. Furthermore, investments in more effective public policies are needed to reduce inequalities and improve human development, both of which have influenced the chain of events related to maternal health.

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Digital dermatitis can impair the health and milk yield of dairy cattle. Treatment of digital dermatitis involves corrective trimming and footbaths. The results of these are not always satisfactory, with an added risk of persisting residues in the dairy products and environment. In this study, we evaluated the effect of Stryphnodendron adstringens (Martius) Coville extract (applied via footbath or directly over the lesions) and biotin supplementation on wound healing in 90 surgically-corrected digital dermatitisaffected dairy cows. All animals were female, crossbred (Holstein × Gir), affected with digital dermatitis to different degrees of severity. The lesions were evaluated over a 45-day post-surgical period, and the cows were divided to six treatment groups. The groups were divided based on application of the extract as a footbath solution with or without supplemental biotin, application by brushing with or without biotin, and cleaning with water with or without biotin. The evaluation was performed considering the rates and recovery times. Supplementation with biotin did not influence the rate or recovery time of the surgical wounds. Topical application of the bark extract (via footbath solution and brushing) was determined to be more beneficial than washing with water. Key words: Bovine, lameness, digital illness, phytotherapy, vitamin ResumoA dermatite digital compromete a saúde e produtividade dos bovinos. O controle da enfermidade pode ser feito com a apara corretiva do casco e passagem dos animais em pedilúvio. Os resultados nem sempre são satisfatórios e há o risco de ocorrerem resíduos na carne, leite e no ambiente. No presente estudo avaliou-se a reparação de feridas cirúrgicas de dermatite digital após aplicação tópica do extrato da casca de barbatimão, em pedilúvio ou por pincelamento, e suplementação com biotina, em 90 vacas de aptidão leiteira. Todos os animais eram fêmeas, mestiças (Gir x Holandesa) e apresentavam dermatite digital em graus variados. As feridas foram analisadas em vários momentos durante 45 dias. Os animais foram divididos em seis grupos de 15 de acordo com o protocolo. Avaliou-se a aplicação do barbatimão em pedilúvio com ou sem suplementação de biotina, barbatimão por pincelamento com ou sem biotina e limpeza com água sob pressão com ou sem biotina, considerando os índices e os tempos de recuperação. A suplementação com biotina não influenciou os índices nem o tempo de recuperação das feridas cirúrgicas de dermatite digital e o uso tópico do extrato da casca do barbatimão, independente da forma de aplicação, se mostrou benéfico em relação à aplicação de água.

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