Effect of an extruded linseed diet on meat quality traits in Nero Lucano pigs

The study aimed to evaluate the effect of a diet containing extruded linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) on growth performances, carcass traits and meat quality in Nero Lucano pigs. Sixteen male piglets were weaned at about 50 days of age and divided into two homogeneous groups fed a control diet (C) or a diet containing 3% extruded linseed (EL). The trial lasted 32 weeks and pigs were slaughtered at 9 months of age. Samples from the Longissimus dorsi (Ld) muscle were analysed to assess physical and chemical parameters and intramuscular fatty acid composition. Average daily gain, feed intake and feed conversion ratio were not affected by the diet. Pigs fed the C diet showed a significantly greater slaughter weight in comparison to the EL group (116.50 vs 108.25 kg) Meat pH and chemical composition were not influenced by the diet. No differences were found for shear force (WBS) in raw meat, while cooked meat of the EL group showed a lower WBS value. The EL diet significantly lowered total SFA and increased total PUFA, of both n-6 and n-3 series. Among the n-6, significant differences between dietary treatments were found for linoleic acid. As for the n-3 series, EL feeding significantly enhanced linolenic acid, EPA, DPA and DHA. Feeding EL also significantly lowered the PUFA/SFA and n-6/n-3 ratios and the AI and TI, with benefits for human health. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with 3% EL didn't affect growth performance while it improved the fatty acid profile of meat

Use of sweet lupin (Lupinus albus L.) as alternative protein source in diets for podolian young bulls

AbstractThe Podolian bovine represents an important example of Italian rustic breed, since it is able to live under difficult environmental conditions and it takes advantage of sources that could not be otherwise used, producing meat and secondarily milk. The "Podolica" breed is diffused in the marginal areas of the south of Italy and it is especially reared in Lucania and also Apulia. It could be improved by means of a rearing management set up in agreement with the traditional systems, using the pastures and feeding schemes aimed to increase meat productions.This trial was carried out on sixteen podolian young bulls of about 9 months of age that were transferred from the pasture to the box and after that divided into two homogeneous groups of 8 subjects each. Then the young bulls had been fed ad libitum for about 180 days on straw and a complete feed containing either extruded soybean meal s.e. (group Soybean, S) or sweet lupine (Lupinus albus L., var. Multitalia) (group Lupine, L).The two different pel..

Effect of an extruded linseed diet on meat quality traits in Nero Lucano pigs

The study aimed to evaluate the effect of a diet containing extruded linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) on growth performances, carcass traits and meat quality in Nero Lucano pigs. Sixteen male piglets were weaned at about 50 days of age and divided into two homogeneous groups fed a control diet (C) or a diet containing 3% extruded linseed (EL). The trial lasted 32 weeks and pigs were slaughtered at 9 months of age. Samples from the Longissimus dorsi (Ld) muscle were analysed to assess physical and chemical parameters and intramuscular fatty acid composition. Average daily gain, feed intake and feed conversion ratio were not affected by the diet. Pigs fed the C diet showed a significantly greater slaughter weight in comparison to the EL group (116.50 vs 108.25 kg) Meat pH and chemical composition were not influenced by the diet. No differences were found for shear force (WBS) in raw meat, while cooked meat of the EL group showed a lower WBS value. The EL diet significantly lowered total SFA and increased total PUFA, of both n-6 and n-3 series. Among the n-6, significant differences between dietary treatments were found for linoleic acid. As for the n-3 series, EL feeding significantly enhanced linolenic acid, EPA, DPA and DHA. Feeding EL also significantly lowered the PUFA/SFA and n-6/n-3 ratios and the AI and TI, with benefits for human health. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with 3% EL didn't affect growth performance while it improved the fatty acid profile of meat. Keywords: fatty acid profile, feeding, flaxseed, por

Rehabilitation Interventions for Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome: A Systematic Review

Increasing numbers of individuals suffer from post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS), which manifests with persistent symptoms, the most prevalent being dyspnea, fatigue, and musculoskeletal, cognitive, and/or mental health impairments. This systematic review investigated the effectiveness of rehabilitation interventions for individuals with PACS. We searched the MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials, CINHAL, Scopus, Prospero, and PEDro databases and the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) up to November 2021. We screened 516 citations for eligibility, i.e., trials that included individuals with PACS exposed to exercise-based rehabilitation interventions. Five RCTs were included, accounting for 512 participants (aged 49.2–69.4 years, 65% males). Based on the revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool (RoB 2.0), two RCTs had “low risk of bias”, and three were in the “some concerns” category. Three RCTs compared experimental rehabilitation interventions with no or minimal rehabilitation, while two compared two active rehabilitation interventions. Rehabilitation seemed to improve dyspnea, anxiety, and kinesiophobia. Results on pulmonary function were inconsistent, while improvements were detected in muscle strength, walking capacity, sit-to-stand performance, and quality of life. Pending further studies based on qualitatively sound designs, these first findings seem to advocate for rehabilitation interventions to lessen disability due to PACS

Effects of protein sources on performance, carcass composition, blood parameters and meat quality in Charolais heifers

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of feeding faba bean and sweet lupin as alternative protein sources to soybean on productive performance, blood parameters, carcass composition, and chemical-physical characteristics of meat and its fatty acid (FA) profile in Charolais heifers. Twenty-four heifers were divided into three homogenous groups and fed with durum wheat straw and three iso-energetic and isonitrogenous pelleted complete diets containing 14% (on as-fed basis) soybean meal; 28% faba bean; and 20% sweet lupin seed. The animals were slaughtered after a 168 day feeding period, and the Longissimus lumborum muscle was sampled for meat quality measurements. The feed conversion index was better in the heifers fed faba bean compared with the soybean treatment group (6.71 versus 7.17). No differences were found among treatment groups in productive performance, slaughtering data and physical features. The concentration of linoleic acid in the meat of the soybean group differed significantly from that in the lupin group (2.38 versus 2.11%). Feeding lupin seed increased the concentrations of C20:3 n-6 (0.09%) and C20:4 n-6 (0.20%) in meat significantly, compared with the soya- and faba bean treatments (0.06–0.07% and 0.12–0.13%, respectively). No differences were found among groups for blood parameters, except for urea concentration, which was lower in the lupin group compared with the concentrations in the serum of heifers receiving the soya bean treatment (31.29 as opposed to 37.56 mg/dL). In conclusion, since faba bean and lupin seed did not affect any of the parameters negatively, these legume grains can be included successfully as alternative protein sources in beef cattle diet.Keywords: Faba bean, lupin seed, soybean, beef cattle, feedin

Integrated intErventional bronchoscopy in the treatment of locally adVanced non-small lung cancER with central Malignant airway Obstructions: a multicentric REtrospective study (EVERMORE).

Objectives- Despite new therapeutic perspectives, the presence of central airways occlusion (CAO) in patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is associated with poor survival. There is no clear evidence on the clinical impact of interventional bronchoscopy as a part of an integrated treatment to cure these patients. Materials and methods- This retrospective cohort study was conducted in two teaching hospitals over a 10 years period (January 2010-January 2020) comparing patients with NSCLC at stage IIIB and CAO at disease onset treated with chemotherapy/radiotherapy (standard therapy-ST) with those receiving interventional bronchoscopy plus ST (integrated treatment-IT). Primary outcome was 1-year survival. The onset of respiratory events, symptoms-free interval, hospitalization, need for palliation, and overall mortality served as secondary outcomes. Results- A total of 100 patients were included, 60 in the IT and 40 in the ST group. Unadjusted Kaplan-Meier estimates showed greater effect of IT compared to ST on 1-year survival (HR=2.1 95%CI[1.1-4.8], p=0.003). IT showed a significantly higher survival gain over ST in those patients showing KRAS mutation (7.6 VS 0.8 months,<0.0001), a lumen occlusion >65% (6.6 VS 2.9 months,<0.001), and lacking the involvement of left bronchus (7 VS 2.3 months,<0.0001). Compared to ST, IT also showed a favorable difference in terms of new hospitalizations (p=0.03), symptom-free interval (p=0.02), and onset of atelectasis (p=0.01). Conclusions- In patients with NSCLC stage IIIB and CAO, additional interventional bronchoscopy might impact on 1-year survival. Genetic and anatomic phenotyping might allow identifying those patients who may gain life expectancy from the endoscopic intervention

Bronchial Thermoplasty Global Registry (BTGR) : 2-year results

Funding This study was sponsored by Boston Scientific Corporation, Marlborough, MA, USA.Objectives Bronchial thermoplasty (BT) is a device-based treatment for subjects ≥18 years with severe asthma not well controlled with inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta-agonists. The Bronchial Thermoplasty Global Registry (BTGR) collected real-world data on subjects undergoing this procedure. Design The BTGR is an all-comer, prospective, open-label, multicentre study enrolling adult subjects indicated for and treated with BT. Setting Eighteen centres in Spain, Italy, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, South Africa and Australia Participants One hundred fifty-seven subjects aged 18 years and older who were scheduled to undergo BT treatment for asthma. Subjects diagnosed with other medical conditions which, in the investigator's opinion, made them inappropriate for BT treatment were excluded. Primary and secondary outcome measures Baseline characteristics collected included demographics, Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ), Asthma Control Test (ACT), medication usage, forced expiratory volume in one second and forced vital capacity, medical history, comorbidities and 12-month baseline recall data (severe exacerbations (SE) and healthcare utilisation). SE incidence and healthcare utilisation were summarised at 1 and 2 years post-BT. Results Subjects' baseline characteristics were representative of persons with severe asthma. A comparison of the proportion of subjects experiencing events during the 12 months prior to BT to the 2-year follow-up showed a reduction in SE (90.3% vs 56.1%, p<0.0001), emergency room visits (53.8% vs 25.5%, p<0.0001) and hospitalisations (42.9% vs 23.5 %, p=0.0019). Reductions in asthma maintenance medication dosage were also observed. AQLQ and ACT scores improved from 3.26 and 11.18 at baseline to 4.39 and 15.54 at 2 years, respectively (p<0.0001 for both AQLQ and ACT). Conclusions The BTGR demonstrates sustained improvement in clinical outcomes and reduction in asthma medication usage 2 years after BT in a real-world population. This is consistent with results from other BT randomised controlled trials and registries and further supports improvement in asthma control after BT. Trial registration number NCT02104856

SANI definition of Clinical Remission in Severe Asthma: a Delphi consensus

: Severe Asthma affects about 10% of the asthmatic population, and it is characterized by a low lung function and a higher count of blood leucocytes, mainly eosinophils. To date, various definitions are used in clinical practice and in the literature to identify asthma remission: clinical remission, inflammatory remission, and complete remission. The aim of this work is to highlight a consensus for asthma remission using a Delphi method. In the context of SANI (Severe Asthma Network Italy), accounting for 57 Severe Asthma Centers and more then 2200 patients, a Board of six expert drafted a list of candidate statements in a questionnaire, which has been revised to minimize redundancies and ensure clear and consistent wording for the first round (R1) of the analysis. 32 statements have been included in the R1 questionnaire, and then submitted to a panel of 80 experts, which used a 5-points Likert scale to measure their agreement to each statement. Then, an Interim Analysis of R1 data have been performed, items were discussed and considered to produce a consistent questionnaire for the round 2 (R2) of the analysis. After this, the Board set the R2 questionnaire, which included only the important key topics. Panelists have been asked to vote the statements in the R2 questionnaire afterwards. During R2, the criteria of complete clinical remission (the absence of need for OCS, symptoms, exacerbations/attacks, and a pulmonary function stability) and those of partial clinical remission (the absence of need for OCS, and 2 out of 3 criteria: the absence of symptoms, exacerbations/attacks, and a pulmonary stability) were confirmed. This SANI Delphi Analysis defined a valuable, independent and easy to use tool to test the efficacy of different treatments in patients with severe asthma enrolled into the SANI registry