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ObjectiveThe aim of this research was to evaluate the effect of different concentrate levels in diets based on cactus Opuntia Stricta (Haw.) Haw cladodes on the performance of lactating Girolando cows.MethodsThe experiment involved 10 Girolando multiparous dairy cows at 512.6 kg of body weight (BW) and producing 13.2 kg milk/d, allocated into two 5×5 Latin squares. The experimental treatments consisted of control diet composed by cactus Nopalea cochenillifera. Salm-Dyck. cladodes (Nopalea), forage sorghum silage and concentrate at 20% on dry matter (DM) basis, and four concentrate levels diets (20%, 24%, 28%, and 32%) plus cactus Opuntia stricta (Haw.) Haw. cladodes (Opuntia) and forage sorghum silage.ResultsRegarding cows fed control diet, the nutrients intake were greater than for cows fed with cactus Opuntia and concentrate. Regarding concentrate levels, intakes of DM, organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), non-fiber carbohydrates (NFC), and total digestible nutrients of cows increased linearly. Organic matter, CP, and NDF digestibilities were similar in between to control diet and cactus Opuntia-based diets. The digestibility of NFC increased linearly when the concentrate was inserted. The N balance was the same for control diet and cactus Opuntia-based diets, irrespective the concentrate levels.ConclusionFor cows producing 14 kg/d with 3.5% of fat, it is recommended 32% of concentrate to be included in cactus Opuntia-based diets, and the increase in concentrate level promotes a linear increase in milk yield.

Gut health is crucial for pigs because it affects nutrient absorption, immune function, and growth performance. However, its definition remains unclear, particularly regarding measurable responses in scientific studies. This review critically analyzed studies assessing intestinal health in pigs during the nursery, growing, and finishing phases, focusing on the invasiveness of the applied techniques. Papers published between 2005 and 2023 were searched in PubMed, Web of Science, and Science Direct, resulting in 322 articles. Publications grew at an annual rate of 23%, with 84% of studies conducted in the nursery phase. In the database, 87% of intestinal health assessments were combined with growth performance measures. Semi-invasive methods, such as blood collection, were used in 65% of the studies. Non-invasive measures, such as fecal samples, were analyzed in 39% of the studies, whereas urine (7%) and saliva (0.6%) were used in only a small fraction of the studies. Invasive methods, including intestinal tissue collection, were employed in 89% of studies. Among these, 24% did not specify the euthanasia method or number of pigs euthanized. No significant association was found between invasive and non-invasive methods, limiting the ability to establish clear relationships. Future studies should integrate multiple levels of invasiveness to improve the understanding and reduce reliance on invasive techniques.

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the nonfinancial information related to capitals (intellectual, human, social and relationship, and natural) demanded by professional investors in their decision-making process, which can improve the usefulness of integrated reporting for this target audience.Design/methodology/approachA Systematic Literature Review in the Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases enabled the identification of information demanded by professional investors. This information was presented to experienced Brazilian investors participating in a focus group to align the theory on this topic with professional practice.FindingsThe results allow us to conclude that the focus group participants' perception is aligned with the international literature, both in the importance given to most of the nonfinancial information items identified and in the lack of interest in using integrated reporting in investment decisions. Nonetheless, the general perception of the focus group is not aligned with the literature procedures in terms of social and environmental information.Research limitations/implicationsA study with a larger scope and the adoption of other approaches can contribute to broaden the understanding of the perspectives of professional investors in Brazil, as well as in other regions.Practical implicationsThe authors provide evidence that contributes to discussions about the information to be disclosed in integrated reports. Their results are useful to legislators, regulators, report preparers and investors.Originality/valueThe authors investigate the information demanded by professional investors in their decision-making process aiming to fill the literature gap relating the determinants of the integrated reporting disclosure and what is demanded by this target audience as a minimum content to be reported. As an additional result they offer interesting contributions to the literature providing reflections on nonfinancial information which have become important for Brazilian investors as from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Motivated by the project uncertainties of complex realities brought by the fourth industrial revolution, Industry 4.0 (I4.0), researchers must look at Lean project management (LPM) soft skills as a new mindset to have a holistic view of customer needs and to improve value to the organization. In the digital transformation era, it is essential that Lean practitioners develop socio-technical thinking while also prioritizing interpersonal soft skills that directly affect their ability to solve problems in order for the company to grow sustainably. This paper aims to identify the critical soft skills (CSSs) to implement LPM in the I4.0 era and to investigate, from the perspective of organizations, the latent factors for LPM implementation that generate sustainable value. For this purpose, a mixed-method approach was used, combining literature review and a survey with 166 Brazilian professionals. This empirical study intends to set the CSSs from a practice perspective and explore the benefits they generate throughout the organization. Data analysis was conducted with descriptive statistics and factorial analysis. Research findings revealed convergences regarding the practitioners’ perception regarding the ten CSSs identified in the literature, and portray two latent factors, human and process factors, which can assist decision-makers in implementing LPM by offering a better perspective of the key factors that add sustainable value for companies in the digital transformation context. This study contributes to the debate on rethinking traditional skills, accentuates the need for adjustments, and proposes a socio-technical framework that can be used in a project manager’s routine to enable better Lean project execution, help with decision making, and increase the understanding and meeting of customer needs.

Purpose This paper aims to deal with the skills for sustainable development in engineering courses. The main objective is to identify which competences should be developed in these courses to contribute to the resolution of conflicts related to sustainability, as well as the means used by universities for their development. Design/methodology/approach The research is divided into two strands: a theoretical and an empirical one. Concerning the theoretical part, the webibliomining method was adopted, to select the articles that were relevant to the theme, and 22 works were selected. Regarding the empirical study, structured questionnaires were applied to 30 specialists in the field, aiming at validating the competencies found in the literature. Findings In the literature, eight main competencies required to the engineering professional, related to sustainability, were found. The empirical study showed that some competences are considered more relevant than others by the interviewees. Practical implications The competencies verified in the present study and the relative relevance between them found in the empirical study can contribute to the engineering courses that wish to develop the sustainable behavior of the engineers in their professional or daily life. Originality/value The originality of the work consists in presenting to engineering students and teachers as well as professionals of the market and the government the competencies that can contribute to the formation of an engineer capable of bringing adequate solutions to the conflicts of sustainability in the twenty-first century. This paper also presents learning teaching methodologies indicated for this purpose. No other works were found with these results.

The intensification of production systems has resulted in detrimental effects on sow welfare, which can have an adverse influence on their offspring. Considering the relevance of the microbiota–gut–brain axis, probiotics can mitigate such impacts. To investigate the effects of the dietary inclusion of probiotics on the welfare of sows and piglets, 147 multiparous sows were randomly assigned to two groups: a control group or a group supplemented with a multistrain probiotic from the beginning of pregnancy to the end of lactation. The human–animal relationship (HAR), stereotypic behavior, position changes, salivary cortisol, and plasma serotonin levels were assessed in the sows. The piglets’ back test behavior and organ weight were analyzed. The probiotic-supplemented sows exhibited a better HAR index (p = 0.017), which indicated reduced aversion towards humans. The frequency of stereotypies was not influenced by the treatments. However, the supplemented sows spent more time standing (p = 0.054) and less time lying down (p = 0.008). The cortisol level of the supplemented sows was 50% lower (p = 0.047) and the serotonin levels were 11% higher (p = 0.034) than control animals. The multistrain piglets were more passive and less resistant (p = 0.076) in the back test. The organ weights were not influenced by treatments. In conclusion, the sows supplemented with probiotics showed less fear and more motivation indicators, while their piglets showed less aggression behaviors.

Equine rhodococcosis is caused by Rhodococcus equi , an intracellular coccobacillus whose main virulence factor is a plasmid that harbors genes encoding proteins from the Vap family, with the vapA gene being the most important in equine isolates. Furthermore, other factors observed in R. equi strains, such as antimicrobial resistance and biofilm production, may represent significant challenges in the treatment of affected animals. The objective of this study was to characterize four isolates of R. equi from foals in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. All isolates were identified as R. equi through biochemical tests, amplification of the choE gene, and sequencing of 16 S rRNA. PCR analysis revealed that three isolates were positive for the plasmid virulence genes ( vapA , -C , -D , -E , -F , -H and traA ), although vapD was absent in one of the three isolates. One isolate did not present any virulence genes, possibly due to the loss of the plasmid after repeated passages at 37ºC. In the antimicrobial susceptibility test, all isolates were susceptible to erythromycin, clarithromycin, azithromycin, rifampicin, gentamicin, and doxycycline. However, all isolates were capable of forming biofilms, with moderate biofilm formation in isolates Rhodo1 and Rhodo2, and weak biofilm formation in isolates Rhodo3 and Rhodo4, which may be associated with increased antimicrobial tolerance. This molecular characterization demonstrated, for the first time, the presence of the virulence plasmid in R. equi isolates from foals in Northeast Brazil, as well as their capacity for biofilm formation.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of a scalable feeding strategy based on daily diet adjustments to predefined group feeding curves for growing-finishing pigs, on growth performance, nutrient efficiency, and environmental sustainability responses. Six hundred thirty 64-day-old male pigs were allocated to 30 pens (21 animals per pen), which were randomly assigned to the following treatments: control (conventional phase-feeding program) or daily adjusted diet (same diets but provided in predefined mixing ratios adjusted daily for a gradual transition between feeding phases). Growth performance and nutrient efficiency were assessed using body weight and feed intake records. Serum biochemical responses were analyzed in a representative subsample of the population. Environmental impact was inferred based on estimates of the global warming, terrestrial acidification, freshwater eutrophication, and land use associated with feeding practices. All data were tested using analysis of variance, and the results were interpreted at a significance level of 5%. No differences were observed in growth performance or backfat thickness between the treatments. However, daily adjusted feeding program allowed a 5% reduction in standardized ileal digestible (SID) lysine intake (  < 0.05), consequently improving SID lysine efficiency by 6% (  < 0.05). Serum urea concentrations were consistently lower in the daily adjusted feeding program (  < 0.05), indicating more efficient protein utilization. Daily adjusted feeding program also mitigated (  < 0.05) the potential impacts of global warming (up to 6%), acidification (up to 3.5%), eutrophication (up to 9%), and land use (up to 3%). These findings demonstrate that a scalable precision feeding strategy can improve nutrient efficiency and metabolic responses without compromising growth performance, representing a practical solution for enhancing sustainability in commercial pig production systems.

Purpose of Review Migraine is a common and highly disabling condition that is particularly prevalent among women and especially women of reproductive age. The tremendous rise in adiposity in the Western world has led to an epidemic of obesity in women. The particular effects of obesity on women with migraine of various ages are the focus of this review. Recent Findings Conflicting findings from various studies with different approaches and populations have made challenging definitive conclusions about associations between migraine and obesity. While the association between obesity and migraine frequency has been consistently demonstrated and obesity is considered a risk factor for progression from episodic to chronic migraine, the association between obesity and migraine prevalence is still somewhat debated and appears to be dependent on gender and age, with the most consistent effects observed in women younger than 55 years of age. Summary Association between migraine and obesity is most commonly observed in women of reproductive age. The multimodal changes associated with age and hormonal change in women likely play a role in this relationship, as obesity does not appear to be related to migraine in women over 55 years of age. Future studies focusing on the migraine-obesity relationship in women should examine the effects of age, endogenous hormonal state, and exogenous hormones on migraine and obesity.

Purpose An interaction between emerging technologies (ETs) for facility management (FM) activities and stakeholder skills is necessary to promote the optimization of FM performance. Previous studies do not show strategies for the selection of ETs in FM considering the technological competencies of stakeholders. Thus, this study analyzes the interactions between ETs and FM from the perceptions of Brazilian professionals, identifying the most appropriate and effective technological solutions, based on a broad literature review. Design/methodology/approach The steps of the methodology are as follows: systematic literature review (SLR); detailing the ETs for FM; online questionnaire based on SLR findings; sample of Brazilian FM professionals; statistical treatment; and discussion. Findings Results indicate wireless sensor network, Internet of Thing, building information modeling and Big Data as ETs in FM with greater potential for optimization in the performance of FM activities, from survey respondents. Research limitations/implications The scope of possible findings may have been biased, considering the small number of research participants and current transformations resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g. changes to standard operating procedures). Practical implications The results ensure greater security to facility managers in the effective implementation of ETs in FM activities. Originality/value The research explores the published studies and the consultation with Brazilian FM professionals in the selection of ETs.