RESUMO Entre todos os subtipos de AVC isquêmico, os eventos cardioembólicos (CE) apresentam os piores prognósticos. Determinamos a incidência de AVC isquêmico CE, associada ou não à fibrilação atrial (FA), o uso prévio de anticoagulantes e os desfechos funcionais em Joinville, Brasil. Utilizando múltiplas e sobrepostas fontes de informação, registramos todos os primeiros eventos CE ocorridos em 2015. Entre 374 eventos isquêmicos, 23% (84) foram CE. A incidência ajustada, para qualquer fonte cardioembólica, foi 0.14 (0.11–0.17) por 1000 pessoas-ano. Entre 26 pacientes com FA previamente conhecida, 73% (19) não estavam anticoagulados, 77% (20) tinham ≥ 3 pontos na escala CHA2DS2VASc e 81 % (21) < 3 pontos na escala HAS-BLED. Após 3 meses, um terço destes 26 pacientes morreram ou ficaram dependentes. A incidência de AVC I CE em Joinville é menor do que em outros estudos de base populacional. Um terço dos casos de AVC I CE com FA previamente conhecida perderam a oportunidade de anticoagulação.

ABSTRACT Among ischemic strokes, cardioembolic (CE) stroke has the worst outcome. We measured the incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) and non-AF related CE strokes, previous anticoagulant use, and the 90-day functional outcome. Using multiple overlapping sources, we included all CE strokes that occurred in 2015 in Joinville, Brazil. Of the 374 ischemic strokes, 23% (84) were CE. The CE age-adjusted incidence, per 1,000 person-years, was 0.14 (0.11–0.17). Of the 26 patients with known prior AF, 73% (19) were not anticoagulated, 77% (20) had a CHA2DS2VASc score ≥ 3 and 81% (21) had a HAS-BLED score < 3. After three months, approximately one third of those 26 patients died or became disabled. The incidence of CE stroke in our sample was lower than in other population-based studies. The opportunity for anticoagulation was missed in one third of cases.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of betaine in methionine- and choline-reduced diets fed to broilers submitted to heat stress. In total, 1,408 male broilers were randomly distributed into eight treatments, according to 2 x 4 (environment x diet) factorial arrangement, with eight replicates of 2 birds each. Birds were reared environmental chambers under controlled temperature (25-26 °C) or cyclic heat-stressing temperature (25-31 °C). The following diets were tested: positive control (PC), formulated to meet broiler nutritional requirements; negative control (NC), with reduced DL-methionine and choline chloride levels; and with two supplementation levels of natural betaine to the negative control diet (NC+NB1 and NC+NB2). Live performance, carcass traits, and intestinal morphometrics were evaluated when broilers were 45 days of age. The results showed that all evaluated parameters were influenced by the interaction between environment and diet, except for breast meat drip loss. The breakdown of the interactions showed that birds fed the PC diet and reared in the controlled environment had greater breast drip loss than those submitted to the cyclic heat-stress environment. Birds submitted to cyclic heat stress and fed the PC diet presented the lowest feed intake. Feed conversion ratio was influenced only by diet. The FCR of broilers fed the NC+NB2 diet was intermediate relative to those fed the PC and NC diets. The addition of betaine in the diet, with 11.18% digestible methionine and 24.73% total choline reductions, did not affect broiler live performance, carcass yield, or intestinal morphometrics.

There are some evidences described in the literature showing reduced energy metabolizability of ingredients for newly hatched chicks. Hence, a metabolism trial was carried out with the objective of determining the metabolizable energy of corn grain, soybean meal and micronized full fat soybean for newly hatched chicks. The method of total excreta collection was used in an experiment with 192 male chicks from one to seven days, distributed in a completely randomized design with four treatments and four replicates of twelve birds. Excreta were collected from four to seven days of age. The treatments included a reference diet, two test-diets consisting of 60% of the reference diet and 40% of the test ingredients: corn grain (CG) and soybean meal (SM), and one test-diet consisting of 80% of the reference diet and 20% of micronized full fat soybean (MFFS). The N-corrected apparent metabolizable energy (AMEn) and the metabolizability coefficient of gross energy (MCGE) of the ingredients determined for the chicks were respectively 3,213 kcal/kg and 81.6% for CG; 2,085 kcal/kg and 49.7% for SM and 4,068 kcal/kg and 74.8% for MFFS.

This study was conducted to determine the effect of microbial or antimicrobial additives on the performance and organ morphology of broilers raised in batteries or in floor pens. The effect of microbial additives on the presence of oocysts in the litter was also studied. Experiments 1 and 2 consisted of four treatments (non-supplemented control diet or diet supplemented with avilamycin, bacitracin methylene disalicylate or enramycin) and six repetitions in a randomized block design. In Experiment 1, 288 day-old chicks were housed in heated batteries in a environmentally controlled room, 12 chicks per cage; in Experiment 2, 1,200 day-old chicks were housed in a curtain-sided experimental house, with concrete floor and rice hulls as litter material, 50 chicks per pen. Experiments 3 and 4 were carried out similarly to Experiments 1 and 2, respectively, but the treatments consisted of microbial additives (non-supplemented control diet or Bacillus subtilis added to the feed plus Lactobacillus reuteri and Lactobacillus johnsonii added to the water, undefined microflora added to the water or live yeast added to the feed). The antibiotics did not affect the performance of birds raised in batteries, but improved feed conversion, weight gain and live weight when chickens were kept on the floor pens. Microbial additives did not affect bird performance in any environment; however, treatments affected liver weight. Microbial agents increased intestinal weight in floor-raised broilers. No relationship was seen between the use of microbial additives and the presence of oocysts in the litter.