ABSTRACT High-production cows require facilities providing comfortable environments to enhance production efficiency and sustain milk quality. This study evaluated the impact of climatizing the feeding area post-morning and afternoon milking on environmental variables, thermal comfort indices, and the yield and quality of milk in lactating Girolando cows. The experiment followed a 4 × 4 Latin square design with four treatments across four experimental periods, using four cows per treatment. The post-milking climate control treatments included: shading; shading + ventilation; shading + ventilation + shower; and an evaporative adiabatic cooling system. The evaporative adiabatic cooling system proved most effective in maintaining thermal conditions near the comfort level for dairy cows, as indicated by lower thermal comfort indices. This system also enhanced morning and overall milk production. However, the climate control systems did not significantly affect the contents of protein, fat, or lactose in the milk.

RESUMO As vacas de alta produção necessitam de instalações que ofereçam ambientes amenos, para que ocorra aumento da sua eficiência produtiva e manutenção da qualidade do leite. Dessa forma, esse trabalho objetivou avaliar a influência da climatização da área de alimentação após o período das ordenhas matutina e vespertina sobre as variáveis ambientais, índices de conforto térmico, produtividade e qualidade do leite de vacas girolando em lactação. Foi utilizado o delineamento em quadrado latino 4 × 4, com quatro tratamentos e quatro períodos experimentais, com quatro animais por tratamento, totalizando 16 repetições. Os tratamentos foram os sistemas de climatização na pós-ordenha: sombreamento; sombreamento + ventilação; sombreamento+ ventilação+ ducha e sistema de resfriamento adiabático evaporativo. O sistema de resfriamento adiabático evaporativo aumenta a produção leiteira na ordenha da manhã e na produção total. Os teores de proteína, gordura e lactose não foram influenciados pelos sistemas de climatização estudados.

OBJECTIVES: Evidence suggests that infection or inflammation is a major contributor to early spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB). Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the development and causes of maternal infection associated with maternal and neonatal outcomes in women with sPTB. METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of a multicenter cross-sectional study with a nested case–control component, the Brazilian Multicentre Study on Preterm Birth (EMIP), conducted from April 2011 to July 2012 in 20 Brazilian referral obstetric hospitals. Women with preterm birth (PTB) and their neonates were enrolled. In this analysis, 2,682 women undergoing spontaneous preterm labor and premature pre-labor rupture of membranes were included. Two groups were identified based on self-reports or prenatal or hospital records: women with at least one infection factor and women without any maternal infection (vulvovaginitis, urinary tract infection, or dental infection). A bivariate analysis was performed to identify potential individual risk factors for PTB. The odds ratios (ORs) with their respective 95% confidence intervals were calculated. RESULTS: The majority of women with sPTB fulfilled at least one criterion for the identification of maternal infection (65.9%), and more than half reported having urinary tract infection during pregnancy. Approximately 9.6% of women with PTB and maternal infection were classified as having periodontal infection only. Apart from the presence of a partner, which was more common among women with infectious diseases (p=0.026; OR, 1.28 [1.03-1.59]), other variables did not show any significant difference between groups. CONCLUSION: Maternal infection was highly prevalent in all cases of sPTBs, although it was not clearly associated with the type of PTB, gestational age, or any adverse neonatal outcomes.

O Brasil é um país de clima tropical, fato que dificulta a produção de aves no aspecto de conforto térmico. Desta forma, objetivou-se avaliar o ambiente térmico, em três seções de galpões avícolas matrizeiros comerciais com diferentes coberturas, durante os meses de dezembro/2012 a maio/2013, no município de Rio Verde, Goiás. O delineamento experimental foi o inteiramente casualizado, em parcelas subdivididas, com arranjo fatorial de 2x3, sendo dois modelos de galpões (telhas térmicas e telhas de alumínio) e três seções avaliadas dentro de cada galpão (inicial, central e final), durante 182 dias, tendo os dias como repetições. O ambiente térmico foi avaliado através de índices de conforto térmico: Índice de Temperatura e Umidade, Índice de Temperatura Globo Negro e Umidade, Carga Térmica Radiante e Entalpia. Os dados foram analisados pelo programa SisVar 5.1., por meio da análise de variância, sendo o teste de Scott Knott, a 1% de significância. Os resultados mostram que houve diferença estatística entre as variáveis ambientais e os índices de conforto térmico aferidos nos diferentes galpões, e também, entre as seções avaliadas (P<0,05). O galpão térmico apresentou os valores menores para as variáveis ambientais (Tbs e Tgn) e para os índices térmicos estudados; porém, maiores valores para a UR, em comparação ao galpão com cobertura de alumínio. O uso de coberturas térmicas minimiza a diferença de amplitude térmica ao longo dos diversos horários do dia, tendo o horário das 14 horas se destacado perante os outros.

Brazil is a country of tropical climate, a fact that hinders the poultry production in the aspect of thermal comfort. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the thermal environment in commercial poultry houses with different covers during the months of December 2012 to May 2013, in the municipality of Rio Verde, Goiás. The experimental design was completely randomized in split plots with factorial arrangement of treatments 2x3, being two shed models (thermal and aluminum roof tiles) and three sections within each shed (initial, central and final) for 182 days, having the days as replicates. The thermal environment was assessed through thermal comfort indices: Temperature and Humidity Index, Black Globe Temperature and Humidity Index, Radiant Heat Load and Enthalpy. The data was analyzed by SISVAR 5.1., through the analysis of variance, the Scott Knott test used to compare the means, considering a significance level of 1%. The results showed a significant statistical difference between the sheds and the points assessed (P < 0.05). The thermal shed had the lowest values for the environmental variables (Dbt and Bgt) and thermal indices studied, but larger values for the RH compared to the shed with aluminum covering. The use of thermal covers minimizes the difference in temperature range throughout various times of the day, being at 14:00 o'clock the prominence time to others.

Este trabalho objetivou avaliar manejos de cobertura e ventilação artificial sobre índices de conforto de frangos de corte. Aplicou-se, para avaliação dos índices térmicos, delineamento inteiramente casualizado, em parcela subdividida, com arranjo fatorial de tratamentos 2 x 2, sendo: dois manejos de cobertura (com e sem pintura reflexiva) e dois manejos internos (com e sem ventilação artificial) totalizando 4 tratamentos, avaliados durante 40 dias, tidos como repetição. Os estudos foram conduzidos no IFG - Campus Urutaí, de dezembro/2009 a janeiro/2010. Como variáveis ambientais foram coletadas as temperaturas de bulbo seco, bulbo úmido, globo negro, umidade relativa e velocidade do vento, sendo posteriormente calculados os índices térmicos: ITU, ITGU, ITE, TMR e CTR. Os dados foram analisados pelo programa computacional SISVAR por meio da análise de variância e teste de comparação de médias. Utilizou-se o Teste de Scott Knott considerando-se 5% de significância. A combinação de pintura branca na cobertura e ventilação artificial mostrou-se eficiente na melhoria do conforto térmico do ambiente estudado. A utilização de pintura ou ventilação artificial de forma isolada não foi eficiente.

This study aimed to evaluate roof covering strategies and artificial ventilation on comfort indices of broilers. For the assessment of thermal indices, randomized design in split plots was used in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Two management treatments of roof covering (with and without reflective paint) and two internal management (with and without artificial ventilation), totalizing 4 treatments were evaluated for 40 days, taking the days as replications. The studies were conducted in IFG - Urutaí Campus from December/2009 to January/2010. As environmental variables the dry bulb temperature, wet bulb, black globe, relative humidity and wind speed were considered and then the thermal indices THI, BGHI, ETI, RMT and RTR were calculated. Data were analysed by the SISVAR program, through the variance analysis and means were compared by Scott Knott test at 0.05 probability. The combination of white paint covering and artificial ventilation proved to be effective in improving the studied environmental thermal comfort. The use of paint or artificial ventilation in an isolated way was not efficient.