In-feed nutritional additive probiotic Saccharomyces boulardii RC009 can substitute for prophylactic antibiotics and improve the production and health of weaning pigs.

Background and Aims: Non-therapeutic antibiotic use is associated with the current decrease in antibiotic therapeutic efficiency and the emergence of a wide range of resistant strains, which constitutes a public health risk. This study aimed to evaluate the use of Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii RC009 as a nutritional feed additive to substitute the prophylactic use of antibiotics and improve the productive performance and health of post-weaning piglets. Materials and Methods: Four regular nutritional phases were prepared. Post-weaning pigs (21-70 days old) received one of two dietary treatments: T1-basal diet (BD-control group) with in-feed antibiotics as a prophylactic medication (one pulse of Tiamulin in P3 and one pulse of Amoxicillin in P4); and T2-BD without in-feed antibiotics but with Saccharomyces boulardii RC009 (1 × 1012 colony forming unit/T feed). The feed conversion ratio (FCR), total weight gain (TWG-kg), and daily weight gain (DWG-kg) were determined. A post-weaning growth index (GI) was calculated and animals (160 days old) from each treatment were analyzed at the abattoir after sacrifice for carcass weight and respiratory tract lesions. Results: Pigs consuming probiotics had higher TWG and DWG than the control group. The group of animals with low body weight obtained the same results. Saccharomyces boulardii administration decreased diarrhea, and FCR reduction was related to a GI improvement. A significant increase in carcass weight and muscle thickness reduction was observed in animals received the probiotic post-weaning. Conclusion: Saccharomyces boulardii RC009, a probiotic additive, was found to improve the production parameters of pigs post-weaning and enhance their health status, indicating that it may be a promising alternative to prophylactic antibiotics.

Respiratory tract clinometry, fat thickness, haematology and productive parameters associated with direct-fed microbials used as growth promoter antibiotic alternative in weaned piglets.

The objective was to evaluate the effect of two probiotic yeast strains (Saccharomyces. cerevisiae RC016 and Kluyveromyces marxianus VM004) as a substitute of growth promoter antibiotics on health status and productive parameters in weaned piglets. Commercial line hybrid piglets (Choice n=200), weaned at 21 d age were allotted by sex, and assigned in 4 pens per treatment (2 pens males and 2 pens females), 10 pigs per pen divided into 2 blocks (with or without antibiotics). Dietary treatments included a basal diet (BD) supplemented with probiotic Saccharomyces cerevisiae RC016 and Kluyveromyces marxianus VM004 (100 g, 1 × 1010 CFU/g, respectively), with or without antibiotics, mixed per ton of growth phases diets. Pigs were fed ad libitum with treatments T1) BD with antibiotics (BD); T2) BD with antibiotics + Saccharomyces cerevisiae; T3) BD without antibiotics + Saccharomyces cerevisiae; T4) BD with antibiotics + Kluyveromyces marxianus; T5) BD without antibiotics + Kluyveromyces marxianus. The effects on respiratory tract clinometry, carcass quality, organs weight, blood haematology and productive parameters were evaluated. When clinical signs occurred (diarrhoea, stomach ulcers, respiratory signs), they decreased with both probiotics addition, mainly Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The productive parameters promotion by both probiotics was similar than that using antibiotics. The probiotics inclusion increased the carcass weight and significantly reduced the lumbar fat thickness (P ≤ 0.05). Supplementation with both probiotics demonstrated their ability to substitute the antibiotics use on clinometry, carcass quality and on the productive parameters promotion of weaned piglets.

Evaluación de la confiabilidad y validez de constructo de la Escala de Calidad de Vida en Salud SF-12 en población chilena (ENCAVI 2015-6)

Background: Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) is understood as a multidimensional variable, mostly measured using the SF-12 questionnaire. However, this measurement doesn't always replicate the factorial structure theoretically expected, hindering potential conclusions. Aim: To assess the reliability and validity of SF-12 questionnaire in a representative sample of Chilean participants. Material and Methods: Information was obtained from the National Quality of Life Survey performed in Chile during 2015-16. During the survey, SF-12 was answered by 7041 participants older than 15 years, with a median age of 47 years (63% women). Results: SF-12 has reliability, but it does not have construct validity. The analysis suggests that there is a factorial structure that resembles theory, only when factors and items are related. Conclusions: The practical importance of these results highlight the need to measure HRQoL using more extensive scales.

[Reliability and construct validity of SF-12 to measure health related quality of life in Chilean subjects]. / Evaluación de la confiabilidad y validez de constructo de la Escala de Calidad de Vida en Salud SF-12 en población chilena (ENCAVI 2015-6).

BACKGROUND: Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) is understood as a multidimensional variable, mostly measured using the SF-12 questionnaire. However, this measurement doesn't always replicate the factorial structure theoretically expected, hindering potential conclusions. AIM: To assess the reliability and validity of SF-12 questionnaire in a representative sample of Chilean participants. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Information was obtained from the National Quality of Life Survey performed in Chile during 2015-16. During the survey, SF-12 was answered by 7041 participants older than 15 years, with a median age of 47 years (63% women). RESULTS: SF-12 has reliability, but it does not have construct validity. The analysis suggests that there is a factorial structure that resembles theory, only when factors and items are related. CONCLUSIONS: The practical importance of these results highlight the need to measure HRQoL using more extensive scales.

Percepción familiar del estado nutricional y patrones alimentarios de escolares de Córdoba / Family perception of nutritional status and eating patterns of schoolchildren in Córdoba

INTRODUCCIÓN la alimentación en la infancia es clave para el desarrollo del ser humano. La madre juega un rol en dicho proceso ya que, en general, es la principal cuidadora y encargada de promover en los niños hábitos saludables. OBJETIVO Analizar la percepción del principal cuidador del niño en relación al estado nutricional (EN) y a los patrones alimentarios (PA) en escolares de 9-12 años de la ciudad de Córdoba, 2016-2018. METODOLOGÍA estudio transversal, correlacional, en 311 niños de escuelas públicas y privadas de Córdoba. Se evaluó el EN, según el IMC/edad (OMS 2007). La percepción del EN del principal cuidador (adecuada, sobreestimada o subestimada) se evaluó con un cuestionario estructurado autoadministrado. Se aplicó un cuestionario de alimentación validado para conocer el consumo alimentario a partir del cual se estimaron escores de adherencia a los PA identificados mediante análisis factorial de componentes principales. La adherencia fue categorizada en baja, media o elevada en base a los terciles de la distribución los escores. Se aplicó Test de Chi cuadrado para analizar la asociación de la percepción familiar del EN del niño con la presencia de exceso de peso y con la adherencia a los PA. RESULTADOS La distribución de niños y niñas fue semejante. Con relación al EN, se observó un 25,2% de varones y 22,6% de mujeres con sobrepeso; y mayor proporción de varones (26%) que mujeres (14,4%) con obesidad (p=0,02). Un 65,5% percibió de manera adecuada el EN de su hijo, casi el 32% de las madres subestimó el peso corporal y un 2,4% lo sobreestimó. La percepción familiar del EN se asoció con el EN del niño, sin embargo, no hubo asociación con la adherencia a los PA. DISCUSIÓN Una proporción considerable de familias no logran reconocer el exceso de peso en los niños. Asimismo, la adherencia a PA poco saludables en los escolares evidencia la necesidad de iniciar acciones de salud pública para contribuir a mejorar la alimentación y el EN desde la infancia

Pediococcus acidolactici and Pediococcus pentosaceus isolated from a rainbow trout ecosystem have probiotic and ABF1 adsorbing/degrading abilities in vitro.

Probiotics are being used in biological control of bacterial pathogens, as an alternative to antibiotics, to improve health and production parameters in fish farming. Fish farming production is severely affected by aflatoxins (AFs), which are a significant problem in aquaculture systems. Aflatoxins exert substantial impact on production, causing disease with high mortality and a gradual decline of reared fish stock quality. Some aspects of aflatoxicosis in fish, particularly its effects on the gastrointestinal tract, have not been well documented. The aim of the present study was to evaluate probiotic properties of lactic acid bacterial (LAB) strains isolated from rainbow trout intestine and feed. Moreover, AFB1-binding and/or degrading abilities were also evaluated to assess their use in the formulation of feed additives. Growth at pH 2, the ability to co-aggregate with bacterial pathogens, inhibition of bacterial pathogens, and determination of the inhibitory mechanism were tested. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) adsorption and degradation ability were also tested. All strains were able to maintain viable (107 cells ml-1) at pH 2. Pediococcus acidilactici RC001 and RC008 showed the strongest antimicrobial activity, inhibiting all the pathogens tested. The strains produced antimicrobial compounds of different nature, being affected by different treatments (catalase, NaOH and heating), which indicated that they could be H2O2, organic acids or proteins. All LAB strains tested showed the ability to coaggregate pathogenic bacteria, showing inhibition percentages above 40%. Pediococcus acidilactici RC003 was the one with the highest adsorption capacity and all LAB strains were able to degrade AFB1 with percentages higher than 15%, showing significant differences with respect to the control. The ability of some of the LAB strains isolated in the present work to compete with pathogens, together with stability against bile and gastric pH, reduction of bioavailability and degradation of AFB1, may indicate the potential of LAB for use in rainbow trout culture.

Influencia del género en la mortalidad del infarto del miocardio tratado con angioplastía primaria / Impact of gender on mortality of patients with acude myocardial infarction managed with primary angioplasty

Antecedentes: El infarto del miocardio (IAM) tratado con trombolíticos tiene mayor mortalidad en mujeres que en hombres. Objetivo: Estudiar la mortalidad, según sexo, del IAM tratado mediante angioplastía primaria. Métodos: Se utilizaron los datos de los 3 últimos años del registro multicéntrico chileno de angioplastía coronaria (RENAC). Comparamos la mortalidad hospitalaria entre hombres y mujeres con IAM tratados con angioplastía primaria, ajustando las diferencias por edad, comorbilidad, número de vasos comprometidos, función ventricular y resultado de la angioplastía. Además se compararon entre ambos sexos la mortalidad por grupo etario y el intervalo entre el inicio de los síntomas y el tratamiento. Resultados: En el período analizado, en el RENAC existían 637 pacientes con IAM tratados con angioplastía primaria, 77 por ciento de los cuales eran hombres. La mortalidad hospitalaria fue 4.3 por ciento en hombres y 14 por ciento en mujeres (p<0.01). No hubo diferencias por sexo en el número de vasos comprometidos, fracción de eyección < 50 por ciento, uso de stents o en el éxito angiográfico (89 hombres vs 86 por ciento mujeres, ns). Las mujeres tenían mayor edad (65±12 vs 59±12 años, p<0.01), incidencia de diabetes (29 vs 19 por ciento, p<0.01) e hipertensión (78 vs 44 por ciento, p<0.01). En el análisis multivariado persistió el mayor riesgo de mortalidad en las mujeres (OR 3.29, 95 por ciento IC: 1.41-7.69, p = 0.006), pero sólo en el grupo > 70 años (24 vs 7 por ciento, p<0.01). Conclusión: En personas menores de 70 años, la angioplastía primaria permitiría disminuir la diferencia pronóstica del IAM entre mujeres y hombres.