Effects of kefir on coccidial oocysts excretion and performance of dairy goat kids following weaning

The aim of this study was to investigate effects of kefir, a traditional source of probiotic, on coccidial oocysts excretion and on the performance of dairy goat kids following weaning. Twin kids were randomly allocated to one of two groups at weaning. Kids of the first group received 20 ml of kefir daily for 6 weeks (KEF), while kids in the control group were given a placebo (CON). Individual faecal samples were regularly (n = 18 per kid) taken to quantify the number of coccidial oocysts per gram of faeces (OpG). There were no differences between the groups in terms of body weight development (P > 0.05) and feed consumption. Kids of both groups were not able to consume enough feed to meet their nutrient requirements during the first 3 weeks following weaning. KEF had a lower frequency of OpG positive samples than CON (P = 0.043). Kefir did not affect the maximum oocyst excretion and age of the kids at the highest oocyst excretion (P > 0.05). KEF shed numerically 35% lower coccidial oocysts than the controls, which corresponded to a statistical tendency (P = 0.074) in lowering Log-OpG in comparison to CON. While KEF had a lower frequency of OpG positive samples and tended to shed lower OPG by around one-third, the frequency of diarrhea, level of highest oocyst excretion, and performance of the kids remained unaffected. Therefore, it is concluded that overall effects of kefir do not have a significant impact on sub-clinical infection and performance in weaned kids under relatively high-hygienic farming conditions

The relationship between nutrient intake, dental status and family cohesion among older Brazilians

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between inadequate nutrient intake, oral health and family cohesion. This was a cross-sectional study with a sample of 887 non-institutionalized elderly people from Vitória, Espírito Santo State, Brazil. Oral examination was performed by trained and calibrated examiners and three measurements were considered: number of posterior occluding pairs of natural teeth (POP), number of teeth and overall dental status. Nutrient intake was assessed by a 24-hour diet recall interview. The elderly person's perception of family cohesion was assessed using the family adaptability and cohesion scale. People with no POP were more likely than those with 5 or more POP to have inadequate intake of vitamin C (OR = 2.79; 95%CI: 1.16-6.71), calcium (OR = 3.74; 95%CI: 1.69-8.25), riboflavin (OR = 2.49; 95%CI: 1.10-5.64) and zinc (OR = 3.43; 95%CI: 1.07-10.94). There was no association between elderly people's perceptions of family cohesion and inadequate intakes. It was concluded that oral health is related to inadequate intake of important nutrients among non-institutionalized elderly people

Elemental concentrations in skin and internal tissues of Commerson’s dolphins (Cephalorhynchus commersonii) from subantarctic waters

The skin of cetaceans is the most accessibletissue, and its sampling has been proposed as a noninvasivemethod to evaluate trace element concentrations in free-rangingpopulations. In the present work, concentrations ofessential (Cl, Na, K, Mg, Fe, Zn, Mn and Co), nonessential(As and Ag), and of unknown essentiality (Br, Rb and Cs)elements were determined in the skin from nine by-caughtCommerson´s dolphins (Cephalorhynchus commersonii)from Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. Skin correlations withinternal tissues (lung, liver, kidney and muscle) wereassessed to evaluate how the skin represents internal elementconcentration for monitoring purposes. Elementalcontents were analyzed by instrumental neutron activationanalysis (INAA). Regarding tissue distribution, skin hadthe highest concentration of Zn being two orders of magnitudehigher than internal tissues, while other elementssuch as Co and Rb had similar concentrations among tissues.High mean concentrations of Cl, Na, Mg, Br and Mnwere observed in the lung and liver. Our results support theuse of skin to evaluate Fe, Br and Rb concentrations ininternal tissues for biomonitoring purposes; however, otherelements did not show significant skin-to-tissue correlations.Overall, toxic element levels were far below concentrationsfound to cause harm in marine vertebrates. Thisstudy provided baseline data on elemental concentrationsin tissues of Commerson´s dolphins in subantarctic watersfrom the South Atlantic Ocean.Fil: Cáceres Saez, Iris. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; Argentina. Museo Acatushún de Aves y Mamíferos Marinos Australes; ArgentinaFil: Ribeiro Guevara, Sergio. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Gerencia del Área de Energía Nuclear. Unidad de Actividad de Ingeniería Nuclear. Laboratorio de Análisis por Activación Neutróica; ArgentinaFil: Prosser Goodall, Rae Natalie. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina. Museo Acatushún de Aves y Mamíferos Marinos Australes; ArgentinaFil: Dellabianca, Natalia Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina. Museo Acatushún de Aves y Mamíferos Marinos Australes; ArgentinaFil: Cappozzo, Humberto Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; Argentina. Fundación de Historia Natural Félix de Azara; Argentina. Universidad Maimónides. Área de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Biotecnológicas. Centro de Estudios Biomédicos, Biotecnológicos, Ambientales y de Diagnóstico; Argentin