Relationship between consumers’ perceptions about goat kid meat and meat sensory appraisal

The goat meat preferred by consumers in Spain comes from suckling goat kids, slaughtered at a live weight of 8–10 kg. However, consumption of this meat is very uncommon, so it is necessary to show its value. To achieve this, we planned to investigate consumers’ perceptions about goat kid meat and to study whether their perceptions are related to their sensory appraisal of the meat, measured by the mean of the consumers’ home tests. The experiment was conducted with 30 volunteer families (from two cities with different consumption patterns), who were surveyed regarding their sociodemographic parameters, purchasing and eating habits, and the importance of the meat’s attributes. As a result, four clusters were obtained, which were labeled “negative,” “idealistic,” “positive,” and “concerned about fat content”. The parameters of the animal production system were valued differently by the clusters. Meat tenderness, taste, and amount of fat were considered very decisive factors by most respondents. When the goat kid meat was valued, tenderness was considered more important than taste among older people (“negative” cluster), whereas there was not so much difference between the appraisal of all parameters for the other three clusters. We conclude that it is necessary to improve the information received by consumers about goat production systems and meat quality parameters. There is certainly potential for creating new markets, especially targeted toward young consumers and considering specific strategies for the different groups of consumers, depending on the region and habits of consumption

Consumer visual appraisal and shelf life of leg chops from suckling kids raised with natural milk or milk replacer

BACKGROUND: The use of milk replacers to feed suckling kids could affect the shelf life and appearance of the meat. Leg chops were evaluated by consumers and the instrumental color was measured. A machine learning algorithm was used to relate them. The aim of this experiment was to study the shelf life of the meat of kids reared with dam's milk or milk replacers and to ascertain which illuminant and instrumental color variables are used by consumers as criteria to evaluate that visual appraisal. RESULTS: Meat from kids reared with milk replacers was more valuable and had a longer shelf life than meat from kids reared with natural milk. Consumers used the color of the whole surface of the leg chop to assess the appearance of meat. Lightness and hue angle were the prime cues used to evaluate the appearance of meat. CONCLUSION: Illuminant D65 was more useful for relating the visual appraisal with the instrumental color using a machine learning algorithm. The machine learning algorithms showed that the underlying rules used by consumers to evaluate the appearance of suckling kid meat are not at all linear and can be computationally schematized into a simple algorithm

Calidad de la canal de corderos (ternasco y lechal) de la raza autóctona andaluza churra lebrijana

En la raza Churra Lebrijana (catalogada como “de protección oficial”) se ha estudiado por primera vez el potencial productivo de corderos lechales frente a ternascos (el peso vivo de estos animales fue de 11,38 y 18,48 Kg respectivamente). Para ello se estudiaron en 8 corderos machos de cada tipo las características de sus canales en relación a parámetros de pH, color, rendimiento comercial, medidas zoometricas, engrasamiento y despiece. Del trabajo se deduce que los ternascos ofrecen unas mejores características cárnicas que los lechales (tipo que es el que más se comercializa actualmente) por lo que es interesante su comercialización en este tipo comercial.In Churra Lebrijana breed (catalogued as "of official protection") the productive potential of suckling lambs has studied for the first time front to light lamb (the alive weight of these animals was of 11.38 and 18.48 kg respectively). For it the characteristics of their carcasses in relation to parameters of pH studied in 8 male lambs of each type, color, commercial yield, zoometric measures, fattening and quartering. Of the work it is deduced that the light lambs offer better meat characteristics than the suckling lambs (type that are the one that is commercialized more at the moment) reason why its commercialization in this commercial type is interesting.INIA RZ03-01

Primeros resultados sobre la calidad de la canal de los corderos de la raza autóctona montesina

En el presente trabajo se ha realizado la caracterización de la canal de los corderos machos de raza Montesina sacrificados con aproximadamente 20 y 25 kg de peso vivo. Para ello se han realizado las siguientes determinaciones: valor de pH, peso de la canal fría, estado de engrasamiento y conformación. Además, se han obtenido algunas medidas zoométricas, como el espesor de la grasa dorsal. El color de la canal se ha valorado instrumentalmente mediante espectrocolorímetro. Por último, se ha calculado el contenido de piezas de 1ª, 2ª y 3ª categoría mediante despiece comercial normalizado. Las características de las canales de corderos de raza Montesina se aproximan a las de los ovinos ligeros producidos en la cuenca mediterránea con pesos de canal por debajo de los 13 kg, de conformación ligera (O y P) y reducido contenido de grasa. El porcentaje de piezas de primera categoría ha sido de aproximadamente del 46% lo que hace pensar en el buen rendimiento carnicero de la raza. El incremento de peso de las canales de raza Montesina desde 20 a 25 kg de peso vivo supone, fundamentalmente, una mejora en la conformación de las mismas, sin embargo, otros aspectos de la canal no se modifican significativamenteMontesina Sheep breed, as endangered breed, must be characterized for developing an useful expansion plan. This paper shows the first and only data obtained in slaughterhouse from carcasses of this breed. Live weights were 20,67 and 25,40 kg for “Ligero” and “Ternasco” lambs respectively

Fault interpretation in seismic reflection data: an experiment analyzing the impact of conceptual model anchoring and vertical exaggeration

[EN]This paper presents an analysis on the limitations and advantages that some types of seismic data display present on the interpretation of the dataset

Development and Optimization of Freeze-Dried Eye Drops Derived from Plasma Rich in Growth Factors Technology

Purpose: To investigate whether plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF) eye drops maintain their biological potential after a freeze drying process. The addition of a lyopro-tectant like trehalose was also evaluated. Methods: Blood from three healthy donors was collected to obtain eye drops by PRGF technology. The resultant eye drops were divided in four groups: PRGF, freeze-dried PRGF (PRGF lyo), and PRGF lyophilized mixed with 2,5% trehalose (PRGF lyo+2.5T) or 5% trehalose (PRGF lyof+5T). Chemical and biological characteristics were evaluated. Photorefractive keratectomy was performed on C57BL/6 mice which were divided in three treatment groups: control, PRGF, and PRGF lyo. Corneal wound healing and haze formationwere evaluated macroscopically. Eyeswere collected at 1, 2, 3, and 7 days after surgery, and were processed for histologic studies. Results: The pH values of PRGF samples increased significantly after the lyophilization process. Osmolarity levels increased significantly in PRGF samplesmixed with trehalose in comparison with PRGF samples without protectants. The freeze drying process maintained growth factors levels as well as the biological properties of PRGF eye drops even without the use of lyoprotectants. PRGF lyo treatment significantly decreased the re-epithelialization time and haze formation in photorefractive keratectomy-treated corneas regarding PRGF and control groups. Furthermore, the PRGF lyo group significantly decreased the number of smooth muscle actin-positive cells in comparison with the control group at each time of the study and at days 2 and 3 in the PRGF group. Conclusions: The freeze drying process preserves the protein and growth factor content as well as the biological properties of PRGF eye drops, even without the use of protectants. Freeze-dried PRGF eye drops accelerate corneal tissue regeneration after photorefractive keratectomy in comparison with the control group. Translational Relevance: Our study shows the feasibility to preserve the biological capability of PRGF eye drops as freeze-dried formulation, avoiding the addition of protectants.This study received funding from the Basque Country Government, within the Elkartek program, phase I. Support program for collaborative research in strategic area, within the project named SINET (reference KK-2018/00048

Half-sandwich isocyanide, phosphine, methyl and phosphanido pentamethylcyclopentadienylniobium(V) complexes

[NbCp★Cl4] Cp★ = ν5-C5Me5) reacts with one molar equivalent of isocyanides and phosphines to give pseudo-octahedral adducts [NbCp★Cl4·L], (Full-size image (<1 K), 4) and the dinuclear complex [∗[NbCp★Cl4∗]2(μ-dmpe)], 5. Reactions of [NbCp★Cl4] with appropriate amounts of MgClMe yield the correspodning dimethyl [NbCp★Cl2Me2], 6, and tetramethyl [NbCp★Me4], 7 derivatives. Similarly, when [∗[NbCp★Cl3∗2(μ-O)] an and 3 are treated with the alkylating magnesium reagent, [∗[NbCp★Me3∗]2(μ-O)], 8, and [NbCp★Cl3Me(PMe2Ph)], 9, are obtained in high yields. A new phosphanido-niobium(V) complex [NbCp★Cl3(PPh2)] 10, is formed in the reaction of the starting tetrachloro complex with one equivalent of LiPPh2. All the complexes were characterized by IR and NMR spectroscopy, and most of them were studied by mass spectrometry

Relationship between Consumers Perceptions about Goat Kid Meat and Meat Sensory Appraisal

The goat meat preferred by consumers in Spain comes from suckling goat kids, slaughtered at a live weight of 8–10 kg. However, consumption of this meat is very uncommon, so it is necessary to show its value. To achieve this, we planned to investigate consumers’ perceptions about goat kid meat and to study whether their perceptions are related to their sensory appraisal of the meat, measured by the mean of the consumers’ home tests. The experiment was conducted with 30 volunteer families (from two cities with different consumption patterns), who were surveyed regarding their sociodemographic parameters, purchasing and eating habits, and the importance of the meat’s attributes. As a result, four clusters were obtained, which were labeled “negative,” “idealistic,” “positive,” and “concerned about fat content”. The parameters of the animal production system were valued differently by the clusters. Meat tenderness, taste, and amount of fat were considered very decisive factors by most respondents. When the goat kid meat was valued, tenderness was considered more important than taste among older people (“negative” cluster), whereas there was not so much difference between the appraisal of all parameters for the other three clusters. We conclude that it is necessary to improve the information received by consumers about goat production systems and meat quality parameters. There is certainly potential for creating new markets, especially targeted toward young consumers and considering specific strategies for the different groups of consumers, depending on the region and habits of consumption.The present research was funded by the ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of Spain and the European Union Regional Development Funds (INIA_RTA2006-00177-00-00).Publishe

Two-step ATP-driven opening of cohesin head.

The cohesin ring is a protein complex composed of four core subunits: Smc1A, Smc3, Rad21 and Stag1/2. It is involved in chromosome segregation, DNA repair, chromatin organization and transcription regulation. Opening of the ring occurs at the “head” structure, formed of the ATPase domains of Smc1A and Smc3 and Rad21. We investigate the mechanisms of the cohesin ring opening using techniques of free molecular dynamics (MD), steered MD and quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics MD (QM/MM MD). The study allows the thorough analysis of the opening events at the atomic scale: i) ATP hydrolysis at the Smc1A site, evaluating the role of the carboxy-terminal domain of Rad21 in the process; ii) the activation of the Smc3 site potentially mediated by the movement of specific amino acids; and iii) opening of the head domains after the two ATP hydrolysis events. Our study suggests that the cohesin ring opening is triggered by a sequential activation of the ATP sites in which ATP hydrolysis at the Smc1A site induces ATPase activity at the Smc3 site. Our analysis also provides an explanation for the effect of pathogenic variants related to cohesinopathies and cancer.post-print4709 K

Summer truffle in the Iberian Peninsula: current status and crop potential

La trufa de verano (Tuber aestivum, incluyendo Tuber uncinatum) es una especie de un gran valor económico y social, que se produce de modo silvestre en toda Europa, norte de África y parte de Oriente medio. Los esfuerzos de cultivo de esta especie en la península ibérica han permanecido en un segundo plano debido a las condiciones adecuadas de ciertos terrenos para cultivar especies de mayor valor económico, como la trufa negra (Tuber melanosporum). Sin embargo, la trufa de verano es una alternativa viable y muy productiva para zonas de dudosa aptitud para T. melanosporum. En este trabajo, mediante revisión bibliográfica, se ponen de manifiesto los siguientes aspectos: la distribución y ecología de T. aestivum, la situación actual del cultivo, así como las perspectivas de futuro propias de esta especie en la península ibérica. En rasgos generales, se ha constatado su mayor amplitud ecológica y geográfica en relación a la trufa negra y se ha observado que es un cultivo incipiente pero en crecimiento. Sin embargo, se ha deducido que aún es necesario realizar un gran esfuerzo para dar a conocer este producto tanto a cultivadores como a consumidores potenciales en España así como divulgar aspectos técnicos sobre la gestión de su cultivo.Summer truffle (Tuber aestivum, including Tuber uncinatum) is a species of great economic and social value. Wild summer truffles are produced all over Europe, North Africa and part of the Middle East. This species has been underutilized in the Iberian Peninsula due to ability of certain areas to cultivate species of greater economic value, such as the black truffle (Tuber melanosporum). However, the summer truffle is an alternative species for areas where the black truffle is not well adapted. In this paper, the distribution and ecology of T. aestivum, the current situation and the future prospects of this crop in the Iberian Peninsula is reviewed. Summer truffle is a growing crop, well adapted in greater ecological and geographical areas than black truffle. However, it is still necessary to carry out further efforts to publicize it to both growers and consumers in Spain and to spread technical aspects of its managementPublishe