Use of ultrasounds in blanca celtiberica live kids as predictors of carcasses composition

Sobre diez cabritos machos de raza Blanca Celtibérica, se compararon seis medidas de espesor de grasa lumbar, 6 de profundidad del M. Longissimus dorsi (PMLD) y 3 del espesor de grasa esternal obtenidas con ultrasonidos en el animal vivo y sobre la canal. La mejor correspondencia se consiguió para las medidas entre la 3ª y 4ª vértebra lumbar, a 4 cm de la columna vertebral en su punto medio y a 1/3 de la longitud total de la apófisis transversa. Para PMLD, el lugar óptimo fue entre la 1ª-2ª vértebra lumbar, a 2 cm de la columna vertebral en su punto medio. La mejor correlación para espesor de grasa se obtuvo en la región esternal. La medida B, evaluada entre la 3ª-4ª vértebra lumbar, fue la mejor predictora de los principales depósitos adiposos, explicando el 70 p.100 de la variación en el peso de la grasa renal, el 71 p.100 de la variación en el peso de la grasa subcutánea, omental y total del cuerpo, y el 80 p.100 de la variación en el peso de la grasa intermuscular y total de la canal.On 10 Blanca Celtiberica kids, 6 measurements of lumbar fat thickness, six of M. Longissimus dorsi depth (PMLD) and three of the breastbone fat thickness taken by ultrasounds in live animals or by carcass measurement, were compared. The best correspondence was obtained in the measurements on the 3rd-4th lumbar vertebra at 4 cm from the middle of the spinal column. The best measurement of PMLD was taken between the 1st and the 2nd lumbar vertebrae and at 2 cm distance from the middle of the spinal column. The highest correlation coefficients with respect to fat thickness were registered at the breastbone region. The B measurement, evaluated between the 3rd and 4th lumbar vertebrae, was the best predictor of the main fat depots, explaining 70 percent of the variation of the kidney fat weight, 71 percent of the variation of the subcutaneous, omental and total body fat weight, as well as 80 percent of the variation of the weight of the intermuscular and total carcass fat

Carcass and meat quality in light lambs from different classes in the European grading system

Fat, quantity and quality, are important aspects for consumers (Sendim et al., 1997), who are more and more interested in healthy products and usually prefer lean meat and carcasses, although fat is positively associated with acceptability. Thus, Jeremiah (1998) found that the percentage of unacceptable cuts was higher in lean than fat categories, similar findings being obtained by Paul et al., ( 1964) and Smith et al., (1970). For this reason practically all carcass classification systems around the world include fatness score as a criterion of quality and price (EEC n° 2 137/92 and 46 1/93 regulations; Moxhan and Brownlie (1976)). Other characteristics such as age, sex, weight, carcass length, meat colour and specially conformation score are also used, but they have a lower market significance and a lower price influence. Inside the EU there are two different schemes for lamb classification: one for carcasses up 13 kg and other for light carcasses under 13 kg. In the latter scheme, since Mediterranean carcasses were systematically penalised because of their natural poor morphology (walker breeds), low subcutaneous/internal fat ratio and light weights, conformation score is not considered. Only weight (three categories: < 7.0 kg, 7.1-10.0 kg and 10.1-13.0 kg), meat colour and fat class are included Several studies have shown weak relationships between lamb quality grades and palatability assessments in heavy or medium weight carcasses (Jeremiah et al., 1972; Crouse and Ferrel, I 982), but there has been no investigation of this relationship in light lambs. On the other hand, it seems essential to know if any classification is, or is not, related with real carcass value and quality

Method of recovering municipal boundary lines in Province of Valencia (Spain) by means of historical cadastral maps

Land demarcation is a fundamental requirement when determining to what extent property owners and public administrations can apply their rights. Just as international boundaries must be clearly marked so that there can be no doubt as to which jurisdiction is to be applied, municipal boundaries must be clearly defined in order to avoid disputes between local administrations. In Spain the Geographical Institute carried out the demarcation of all municipal boundaries at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, defined their limits on cadastral maps and represented them on the 1:50,000 scale National Topographical Map. At the present time, more than a hundred years after this survey, in many cases parts of the original municipal limits have been lost for one reason or another, both on the maps and on the ground itself, and it has now become necessary to take steps to recover them. This paper defines a method of using the municipal councils own historical information to trace original boundary lines. The work included both a study and a series of tests carried out in different municipal areas in the Province of Valencia, Spain. The original reports and field notebooks of the Geographical Institute were used as the basic material of the study, supported by cadastral maps from different periods, as well as historical and contemporary orthophotos to help locate possible boundary markers. GPS techniques were employed to look for, survey and reinstate boundary marker positions.This work has been partially supported by the research project 'The Land Registry as the basic tool for organising spatial information; INSPIRE Directive, spatial data and metadata (II)', DER2011-23321 from the Spanish Government.Femenía Ribera, C.; Benítez Aguado, E.; Mora Navarro, JG.; Martínez Llario, JC. (2014). 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Reduced Cortisol and Metabolic Responses of Thin Ewes to an Acute Cold Challenge in Mid-Pregnancy: Implications for Animal Physiology and Welfare

Background: Low food availability leading to reductions in Body Condition Score (BCS; 0 indicates emaciation and 5 obesity) in sheep often coincides with low temperatures associated with the onset of winter in New Zealand. The ability to adapt to reductions in environmental temperature may be impaired in animals with low BCS, in particular during pregnancy when metabolic demand is higher. Here we assess whether BCS affects a pregnant animal’s ability to cope with cold challenges. Methods: Eighteen pregnant ewes with a BCS of 2.760.1 were fed to attain low (LBC: BCS2.360.1), medium (MBC: BCS3.260.2) or high BCS (HBC: BCS3.660.2). Shorn ewes were exposed to a 6-h acute cold challenge in a climate-controlled room (wet and windy conditions, 4.460.1uC) in mid-pregnancy. Blood samples were collected during the BCS change phase, acute cold challenge and recovery phase. Results: During the BCS change phase, plasma glucose and leptin concentrations declined while free fatty acids (FFA) increased in LBC compared to MBC (P,0.01, P,0.01 and P,0.05, respectively) and HBC ewes (P,0.05, P,0.01 and P,0.01, respectively). During the cold challenge, plasma cortisol concentrations were lower in LBC than MBC (P,0.05) and HBC ewes (P,0.05), and FFA and insulin concentrations were lower in LBC than HBC ewes (P,0.05 and P,0.001, respectively). Leptin concentrations declined in MBC and HBC ewes while remaining unchanged in LBC ewes (P,0.01). Glucose concentrations and internal body temperature (Tcore) increased in all treatments, although peak Tcore tended to be higher in HBC ewes (P,0.1). During the recovery phase, T4 concentrations were lower in LBC ewes (P,0.05). Conclusion: Even though all ewes were able to increase Tcore and mobilize glucose, low BCS animals had considerably reduced cortisol and metabolic responses to a cold challenge in mid-pregnancy, suggesting that their ability to adapt to cold challenges through some of the expected pathways was reduced

SiPM-matrix readout of two-phase argon detectors using electroluminescence in the visible and near infrared range

Proportional electroluminescence (EL) in noble gases is used in two-phase detectors for dark matter searches to record (in the gas phase) the ionization signal induced by particle scattering in the liquid phase. The “standard” EL mechanism is considered to be due to noble gas excimer emission in the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV). In addition, there are two alternative mechanisms, producing light in the visible and near infrared (NIR) ranges. The first is due to bremsstrahlung of electrons scattered on neutral atoms (“neutral bremsstrahlung”, NBrS). The second, responsible for electron avalanche scintillation in the NIR at higher electric fields, is due to transitions between excited atomic states. In this work, we have for the first time demonstrated two alternative techniques of the optical readout of two-phase argon detectors, in the visible and NIR range, using a silicon photomultiplier matrix and electroluminescence due to either neutral bremsstrahlung or avalanche scintillation. The amplitude yield and position resolution were measured for these readout techniques, which allowed to assess the detection threshold for electron and nuclear recoils in two-phase argon detectors for dark matter searches. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first practical application of the NBrS effect in detection science

Design and construction of a new detector to measure ultra-low radioactive-isotope contamination of argon

Large liquid argon detectors offer one of the best avenues for the detection of galactic weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) via their scattering on atomic nuclei. The liquid argon target allows exquisite discrimination between nuclear and electron recoil signals via pulse-shape discrimination of the scintillation signals. Atmospheric argon (AAr), however, has a naturally occurring radioactive isotope, 39Ar, a β emitter of cosmogenic origin. For large detectors, the atmospheric 39Ar activity poses pile-up concerns. The use of argon extracted from underground wells, deprived of 39Ar, is key to the physics potential of these experiments. The DarkSide-20k dark matter search experiment will operate a dual-phase time projection chamber with 50 tonnes of radio-pure underground argon (UAr), that was shown to be depleted of 39Ar with respect to AAr by a factor larger than 1400. Assessing the 39Ar content of the UAr during extraction is crucial for the success of DarkSide-20k, as well as for future experiments of the Global Argon Dark Matter Collaboration (GADMC). This will be carried out by the DArT in ArDM experiment, a small chamber made with extremely radio-pure materials that will be placed at the centre of the ArDM detector, in the Canfranc Underground Laboratory (LSC) in Spain. The ArDM LAr volume acts as an active veto for background radioactivity, mostly γ-rays from the ArDM detector materials and the surrounding rock. This article describes the DArT in ArDM project, including the chamber design and construction, and reviews the background required to achieve the expected performance of the detector

Avaliação "in vivo" da composição corporal e da carcaça de caprinos: uso de ultrasonografia

Atendendo ao crescente interesse na produção e consumo de carne de caprinos e à cada vez maior necessidade de recorrer a metodologias rápidas que proporcionem a predição da composição corporal e qualidade da carcaça, realizamos uma revisão dos últimos trabalhos realizados com recurso à técnica dos ultra-sons. Após uma breve resenha histórica sobre a evolução do uso do método na caprinicultura, são referidos os princípios da técnica e a sua aplicação aos caprinos (operador, identificação de pontos anatómicos de medida, diferentes medidas corporais e na carcaça, tipos de aparelhos e sondas e acondicionamento animal). São posteriormente analisados os resultados das principais pesquisas recentemente efectuadas. Finalmente são discutidas as expectativas futuras para o uso da técnica de ultra-sons na avaliação in vivo de caprinos, com referência a diferentes procedimentos para a obtenção de modelos de predição.<br>Considering the increasing interest in the production and meat goat consumption and the necessity to appeal the rapid methodologies that provide to predict the body composition and quality of the carcass, we carry through a revision of the last works using ultrasound technology. After a brief history description about the evolution of the use of ultrasound methods in goats, the main important principles of the technique and its application in goats are refereed (operator, anatomical point's identification for measurements, different body and carcass measures, types of probes and equipment and animal handling). The most recent results of works in goats to predict carcass composition were mentioned. Finally the future expectations for the use of ultrasound technology to evaluate in vivo goats are discussed with a reference of different procedures to obtain the prediction models