Short communication: Fourier-transform mid-infrared spectroscopy to predict coagulation and acidity traits of sheep bulk milk.

Sheep milk is mainly transformed into cheese; thus, the dairy industry seeks more rapid and cost-effective methods of analysis to determine milk coagulation and acidity traits. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of Fourier-transform mid-infrared spectroscopy to determine milk coagulation and acidity traits of sheep bulk milk and to classify milk samples according to their renneting capacity. A total of 465 bulk milk samples collected in 140 single-breed flocks of Comisana (84 samples, 24 flocks) and Sarda (381 samples, 116 flocks) breeds located in Central Italy were analyzed for coagulation properties (rennet coagulation time, curd firming time, and curd firmness) and acidity traits (pH and titratable acidity) using standard laboratory procedures. Fourier-transform mid-infrared spectroscopy prediction models for these traits were built using partial least squares regression analysis and were externally validated by randomly dividing the full data set into a calibration set (75%) and a validation set (25%). The discriminant capacity of the rennet coagulation time prediction model was determined using partial least squares discriminant analysis. Prediction models were more accurate for acidity traits than for milk coagulation properties, and the ratio of prediction to deviation ranged from 1.01 (curd firmness) to 2.14 (pH). Moreover, the discriminant analysis led to an overall accuracy of 74 and 66% for the calibration and validation sets, respectively, with greater sensitivity for samples that coagulated between 10 and 20 min and greater specificity to detect early-coagulating (<10 min) and late-coagulating (20-30 min) samples. Results suggest that Fourier-transform mid-infrared spectroscopy has the potential to help the dairy sheep industry identify milk with better coagulation ability for cheese production and thus improve milk transformation efficiency. However, further research is needed before this information can be exploited at the industry level

Italian local goat breeds have better milk coagulation properties than cosmopolitan breed

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Heterozygous Variants in KMT2E Cause a Spectrum of Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Epilepsy.

We delineate a KMT2E-related neurodevelopmental disorder on the basis of 38 individuals in 36 families. This study includes 31 distinct heterozygous variants in KMT2E (28 ascertained from Matchmaker Exchange and three previously reported), and four individuals with chromosome 7q22.2-22.23 microdeletions encompassing KMT2E (one previously reported). Almost all variants occurred de novo, and most were truncating. Most affected individuals with protein-truncating variants presented with mild intellectual disability. One-quarter of individuals met criteria for autism. Additional common features include macrocephaly, hypotonia, functional gastrointestinal abnormalities, and a subtle facial gestalt. Epilepsy was present in about one-fifth of individuals with truncating variants and was responsive to treatment with anti-epileptic medications in almost all. More than 70% of the individuals were male, and expressivity was variable by sex; epilepsy was more common in females and autism more common in males. The four individuals with microdeletions encompassing KMT2E generally presented similarly to those with truncating variants, but the degree of developmental delay was greater. The group of four individuals with missense variants in KMT2E presented with the most severe developmental delays. Epilepsy was present in all individuals with missense variants, often manifesting as treatment-resistant infantile epileptic encephalopathy. Microcephaly was also common in this group. Haploinsufficiency versus gain-of-function or dominant-negative effects specific to these missense variants in KMT2E might explain this divergence in phenotype, but requires independent validation. Disruptive variants in KMT2E are an under-recognized cause of neurodevelopmental abnormalities

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Italian local goat breeds: phenotypic variation of milk mineral and fatty acid composition and milk technological traits. Le razze italiane di capra: variazione fenotipica della composizione del profilo minerale, degli acidi grassi e delle caratteristiche tecnologiche del latte

Studies on goat milk have mainly focused on dairy cosmopolitan breeds and very limited information is available on local breeds. Generally, the cosmopolitan breeds received major attention by farmers and dairy industries for their greater milk yield than local breeds. However, the refuse of locals in favour of more productive breeds implies a gradual decrease in number of animals and may lead to the extinction of the local breed causing the genetic erosion of the species. Hence, preserving local breeds from extinction is a significant action that aims not only to maintain ancient local traditions but also to support local economies in marginal areas. Moreover, local breeds are well adapted to their original environment, showing a better resistance to disease; in addition, several studies found that local breeds yield milk with better milk composition than cosmopolitan breeds. The overall objectives of the present thesis were to assess the phenotypic variation of i) yield, chemical composition and somatic cell; ii) minerals composition iii) fatty acids composition; and iv) technological traits in milk of five Italian local goat breeds (Garganica, GA; Girgentana, GI; Jonica, JO; Maltese, MA; and Mediterranean Red, MR) and one cosmopolitan breed (Saanen, SA). The main source of variation were breed, lactation phase and parity order. The first study examined the phenotypic variation of milk yield and composition. From February to September (every 2-3 weeks) individual milk yield was recorded for 60 does, and a total of 840 individual milk samples were collected. Local breeds produced less milk than cosmopolitan breed; however, local milks were poorer in somatic cell score but richer in fat and lactose than SA breed. The variation in yield and milk quality traits through lactation followed the general pattern described for small ruminants. Milk yield peaked around the 4th week of lactation for all breeds; however, local breeds showed a greater persistency of lactation (until 23rd week of lactation) compared to Saanen breed (until 16th week of lactation). The better milk composition was observed in late lactation. The second and third contribute investigated the variation in milk mineral and fatty acids composition of the pervious goat breeds by investigating a subset of original dataset (n = 252; 7 does per breed). Breed affected P, Mg and Zn and C4:0, from C14:0 to C18:0, C16:1, desaturation index of C16:0 and atherogenic index; however, SA mineral profile was similar to that one of some local breeds, whereas its fatty acids profile was less healthy. Week of lactation highly affect major and trace milk minerals contents. Due to the concentration effect, the greatest content for almost all the minerals was found in late than early lactation. On the other hand, fatty acids were affected by feeding ratio adjusted according lactation phases; in detail, short and medium chain of fatty acids were greater in early than late lactation, and milk of late lactation was richer in n3, n6, conjugated of linoleic acid and unsaturated fatty acids. The fourth research examined the milk composition and coagulation properties of samples collected monthly from GA, GI, MA, MR and SA breeds between May and August (n = 178; 8-10 does per breed). Breed significant affected milk coagulation properties, protein and lactose percentage, and pH; whereas, month of lactation affected all the studied traits. Milk of local breeds were richer in protein that reflected in shorter time of coagulation and curding firming time than SA breed. Therefore, SA milk showed a curd firmness different only to GI breed. Rennet coagulation time and curd firmness decreased toward the end of lactation, observing significant difference between May and August, whereas curd- firming time differs between May and June-July

Fast and Green Method to Control Frauds of Geographical Origin in Traded Cuttlefish Using a Portable Infrared Reflective Instrument

An appropriate seafood origin identification is essential for labelling regulation but also economic and ecological issues. Near infrared (NIRS) reflectance spectroscopy was employed to assess the origins of cuttlefish caught from five fishing FAO areas (Adriatic Sea, northeastern and eastern central Atlantic Oceans, and eastern Indian and western central Pacific Oceans). A total of 727 cuttlefishes of the family Sepiidae (Sepia officinalis and Sepiella inermis) were collected with a portable spectrophotometer (902–1680 nm) in a wholesale fish plant. NIR spectra were treated with standard normal variate, detrending, smoothing, and second derivative before performing chemometric approaches. The random forest feature selection procedure was executed to select the most significative wavelengths. The geographical origin classification models were constructed on the most informative bands, applying support vector machine (SVM) and K nearest neighbors algorithms (KNN). The SVM showed the best performance of geographical classification through the hold-out validation according to the overall accuracy (0.92), balanced accuracy (from 0.83 to 1.00), sensitivity (from 0.67 to 1.00), and specificity (from 0.88 to 1.00). Thus, being one of the first studies on cuttlefish traceability using NIRS, the results suggest that this represents a rapid, green, and non-destructive method to support on-site, practical inspection to authenticate geographical origin and to contrast fraudulent activities of cuttlefish mislabeled as local

Differences in the Detailed Milk Mineral Composition of Italian Local and Saanen Goat Breeds

Very little information about local breed goat milk is available, which is relevant for biodiversity preservation and local cheese production. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of breed and week of lactation on milk mineral profile of five Italian local breeds (Garganica, Girgentana, Jonica, Maltese and Mediterranean Red) and a cosmopolitan breed (Saanen). Sixty goats (10 per breed) from an experimental farm were enrolled in the study and sampled every 2 weeks for milk gross composition analysis. In addition, an individual milk sample was collected monthly from 42 goats (seven goats per breed) for mineral determination through inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. Data were analysed using a mixed linear model with repeated measures, including breed and week of lactation as fixed effects. Week of lactation affected mineral contents, except for B, being lower in early than late lactation, whereas, breed affected only P, Mg and Zn. Mediterranean Red and Jonica breeds’ milk was richer in P than Maltese, and in Zn than Maltese, Girgentana and Saanen breeds. For Mg, only Saanen differed from Maltese. Such information might be useful for the valorisation of goat milk produced by autochthonous breeds

Italian local goat breeds: phenotypic variation of milk mineral and fatty acid composition and milk technological traits. Le razze italiane di capra: variazione fenotipica della composizione del profilo minerale, degli acidi grassi e delle caratteristiche tecnologiche del latte

Studies on goat milk have mainly focused on dairy cosmopolitan breeds and very limited information is available on local breeds. Generally, the cosmopolitan breeds received major attention by farmers and dairy industries for their greater milk yield than local breeds. However, the refuse of locals in favour of more productive breeds implies a gradual decrease in number of animals and may lead to the extinction of the local breed causing the genetic erosion of the species. Hence, preserving local breeds from extinction is a significant action that aims not only to maintain ancient local traditions but also to support local economies in marginal areas. Moreover, local breeds are well adapted to their original environment, showing a better resistance to disease; in addition, several studies found that local breeds yield milk with better milk composition than cosmopolitan breeds. The overall objectives of the present thesis were to assess the phenotypic variation of i) yield, chemical composition and somatic cell; ii) minerals composition iii) fatty acids composition; and iv) technological traits in milk of five Italian local goat breeds (Garganica, GA; Girgentana, GI; Jonica, JO; Maltese, MA; and Mediterranean Red, MR) and one cosmopolitan breed (Saanen, SA). The main source of variation were breed, lactation phase and parity order. The first study examined the phenotypic variation of milk yield and composition. From February to September (every 2-3 weeks) individual milk yield was recorded for 60 does, and a total of 840 individual milk samples were collected. Local breeds produced less milk than cosmopolitan breed; however, local milks were poorer in somatic cell score but richer in fat and lactose than SA breed. The variation in yield and milk quality traits through lactation followed the general pattern described for small ruminants. Milk yield peaked around the 4th week of lactation for all breeds; however, local breeds showed a greater persistency of lactation (until 23rd week of lactation) compared to Saanen breed (until 16th week of lactation). The better milk composition was observed in late lactation. The second and third contribute investigated the variation in milk mineral and fatty acids composition of the pervious goat breeds by investigating a subset of original dataset (n = 252; 7 does per breed). Breed affected P, Mg and Zn and C4:0, from C14:0 to C18:0, C16:1, desaturation index of C16:0 and atherogenic index; however, SA mineral profile was similar to that one of some local breeds, whereas its fatty acids profile was less healthy. Week of lactation highly affect major and trace milk minerals contents. Due to the concentration effect, the greatest content for almost all the minerals was found in late than early lactation. On the other hand, fatty acids were affected by feeding ratio adjusted according lactation phases; in detail, short and medium chain of fatty acids were greater in early than late lactation, and milk of late lactation was richer in n3, n6, conjugated of linoleic acid and unsaturated fatty acids. The fourth research examined the milk composition and coagulation properties of samples collected monthly from GA, GI, MA, MR and SA breeds between May and August (n = 178; 8-10 does per breed). Breed significant affected milk coagulation properties, protein and lactose percentage, and pH; whereas, month of lactation affected all the studied traits. Milk of local breeds were richer in protein that reflected in shorter time of coagulation and curding firming time than SA breed. Therefore, SA milk showed a curd firmness different only to GI breed. Rennet coagulation time and curd firmness decreased toward the end of lactation, observing significant difference between May and August, whereas curd- firming time differs between May and June-July

Effect of Inoculants and Sealing Delay on the Fermentation Quality of Early Harvested Wheat Forage

Winter cereal silages can suffer from an inadequate fermentative path which can lead to aerobic instability. We evaluate the pre-ensiled conditions influencing the final fermentative quality and its aerobic stability. We studied the use of hetero/homofermentative inoculants on two early-harvest wheat samples (312 and 348 g/kg of dry matter—DM levels) undergoing three ensiling delays. The fermentative profiles were evaluated during the first ten d of ensiling, at 60 d and after 7 and 14 d of aerobic exposure. Aerobic stability was recorded during fourteen d after the silo opening. Significant (p Pichia and Geotricum)

Egg Quality of Italian Local Chicken Breeds: II. Composition and Predictive Ability of VIS-Near-InfraRed Spectroscopy

The aims of the present study were to characterize egg composition and develop VIS-Near-infrared spectroscopy (VIS-NIR) models for its predictions in Italian local chicken breeds, namely Padovana Camosciata, Padovana Dorata, Polverara Bianca, Polverara Nera, Pepoi, Ermellinata di Rovigo, Robusta Maculata and Robusta Lionata. Hens were reared in a single conservation center under the same environmental and management conditions. A total of 200 samples (25 samples per breed, two eggs/sample) were analyzed for the composition of albumen and yolk. Prediction models for these traits were developed on both fresh and freeze-dried samples. Eggs of Polverara Nera and Polverara Bianca differed from eggs of the other breeds (p p p 2cv), standard error of prediction (SEcv) and the ratio of performance to deviation (RPDcv) in cross-validation. Prediction models performed better for freeze-dried than fresh albumen and yolk. In particular, for the albumen the performance of models using freeze-dried eggs was excellent (R2cv ≥ 0.91), and for yolk it was suitable for the prediction of protein content and dry matter. Good performances of prediction were observed in yolk for dry matter (R2cv = 0.85), lipids and cholesterol (R2cv = 0.74). Overall, the results support the potential of infrared technology to predict the composition of eggs from local hens. Prediction models for proteins, dry matter and lipids of freeze-dried yolk could be used for labelling purposes to promote local breeds through the valorization of nutritional aspects