Breast meat quality and composition in unique chicken populations

The objective of this project was to examine the diversity of breast meat composition and quality traits among unique resource populations. Birds from 5 groups (inbred Leghorn, inbred Fayoumi, commercial broilers, F5 broiler-inbred Leghorn cross, and F5 broiler-inbred Fayoumi cross) were utilized. Contemporary stocks (broilers, inbreds, and crosses) were grown in a single house but in separate pens. Birds were harvested at 8 wk of age. Breast muscle weight, moisture, lipid and protein contents, color, pH, and Kramer shear force values were determined on birds from each group. Breasts from broilers contained lower percentages of protein (P \u3c 0.05) and greater percentages of lipid (P \u3c 0.05) compared with all other groups. The 5 genetic stocks did not differ for Hunter L values or pH. The data indicate that the Leghorn inbred line breasts were a more pure and more intense red color than the crossbred contemporary (P \u3c 0.05). Kramer shear force (kg/g sample) was higher (P \u3c 0.05) in breasts from broilers than in breasts from the inbred lines. Our results demonstrate that the 5 genetic groups differed markedly in breast meat composition and quality characteristics. The described outbred by inbred advanced intercross lines will be useful in searches for genes affecting meat quality traits. Definition of the molecular factors that influence these traits will enhance our ability to make improvements in composition and quality of poultry meats

Predicting aged pork quality using a portable Raman device

The utility of Raman spectroscopic signatures of fresh pork loin (1 d & 15 d postmortem) in predicting fresh pork tenderness and slice shear force (SSF) was determined. Partial least square models showed that sensory tenderness and SSF are weakly correlated (R2 = 0.2). Raman spectral data were collected in 6 s using a portable Raman spectrometer (RS). A PLS regression model was developed to predict quantitatively the tenderness scores and SSF values from Raman spectral data, with very limited success. It was discovered that the prediction accuracies for day 15 post mortem samples are significantly greater than that for day 1 postmortem samples. Classification models were developed to predict tenderness at two ends of sensory quality as “poor” vs. “good”. The accuracies of classification into different quality categories (1st to 4th percentile) are also greater for the day 15 postmortem samples for sensory tenderness (93.5% vs 76.3%) and SSF (92.8% vs 76.1%). RS has the potential to become a rapid on-line screening tool for the pork producers to quickly select meats with superior quality and/or cull poor quality to meet market demand/expectations

Response to ibudilast treatment according to progressive multiple sclerosis disease phenotype

OBJECTIVE: Determine whether a treatment effect of ibudilast on brain atrophy rate differs between participants with primary (PPMS) and secondary (SPMS) progressive multiple sclerosis. BACKGROUND: Progressive forms of MS are both associated with continuous disability progression. Whether PPMS and SPMS differ in treatment response remains unknown. DESIGN/METHODS: SPRINT-MS was a randomized, placebo-controlled 96-week phase 2 trial in both PPMS (n = 134) and SPMS (n = 121) patients. The effect of PPMS and SPMS phenotype on the rate of change of brain atrophy measured by brain parenchymal fraction (BPF) was examined by fitting a three-way interaction linear-mixed model. Adjustment for differences in baseline demographics, disease measures, and brain size was explored. RESULTS: Analysis showed that there was a three-way interaction between the time, treatment effect, and disease phenotype (P \u3c 0.06). After further inspection, the overall treatment effect was primarily driven by patients with PPMS (P \u3c 0.01), and not by patients with SPMS (P = 0.97). This difference may have been due to faster brain atrophy progression seen in the PPMS placebo group compared to SPMS placebo (P \u3c 0.02). Although backward selection (P \u3c 0.05) retained age, T2 lesion volume, RNFL, and longitudinal diffusivity as significant baseline covariates in the linear-mixed model, the adjusted overall treatment effect was still driven by PPMS (P \u3c 0.01). INTERPRETATION: The previously reported overall treatment effect of ibudilast on worsening of brain atrophy in progressive MS appears to be driven by patients with PPMS that may be, in part, because of the faster atrophy progression rates seen in the placebo-treated group

Long-term dementia prevalence in Parkinson Disease: Glass half-full?

Introduction: Dementia occurs in up to 80% of Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients long-term, but studies reporting such high rates were published years ago and had relatively small sample sizes and other limitations. Objective: To determine long-term, cumulative dementia prevalence rates in PD using data from two large, ongoing, prospective observational studies. Design: Analyses of data from the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) and a longstanding PD research clinical core at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn). Setting: PPMI is a multi-site international study, and Penn is a single site study at a tertiary movement disorders center. Participants: PPMI enrolls de novo, untreated PD participants at baseline, and Penn enrolls a convenience cohort from a large clinical center. Methods: For PPMI a cognitive battery and MDS-UPDRS Part I are administered annually, and the site investigator assigns a cognitive diagnosis annually. At Penn a comprehensive cognitive battery is administered either annually or biennially, and a cognitive diagnosis is made by expert consensus. Main Outcomes: Kaplan-Meier (KM) survival curves were fit for time from PD diagnosis to stable dementia diagnosis for each cohort, using assigned cognitive diagnosis of dementia as the primary endpoint (for both PPMI and Penn), and MoCA score <21 and MDS-UPDRS Part I cognition score ≥3 as secondary endpoints (for PPMI). In addition, cumulative dementia prevalence by PD disease duration was tabulated for each study and endpoint. Results: For the PPMI cohort, 417 PD participants were seen at baseline; estimated cumulative probability of dementia at year 10 disease duration were: 7% (site investigator diagnosis), 9% (MoCA) or 7.4% (MDS-UPDRS Part I cognition). For the Penn cohort, 389 PD participants were followed over time, with 184 participants (47% of cohort) eventually diagnosed with dementia. The KM curve for the Penn cohort had median time to dementia diagnosis =15 years (95% CI: 13-15) disease duration; the estimated cumulative probability of dementia was 27% at year 10, 50% at year 15, and 74% at year 20. Conclusions and Relevance: Results from two large, prospective studies suggest that dementia in Parkinson disease occurs less frequently, or later in the disease course, than often-cited previous research studies have reported

Clinical decision support of therapeutic drug monitoring of phenytoin: measured versus adjusted phenytoin plasma concentrations

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Therapeutic drug monitoring of phenytoin by measurement of plasma concentrations is often employed to optimize clinical efficacy while avoiding adverse effects. This is most commonly accomplished by measurement of total phenytoin plasma concentrations. However, total phenytoin levels can be misleading in patients with factors such as low plasma albumin that alter the free (unbound) concentrations of phenytoin. Direct measurement of free phenytoin concentrations in plasma is more costly and time-consuming than determination of total phenytoin concentrations. An alternative to direct measurement of free phenytoin concentrations is use of the Sheiner-Tozer equation to calculate an adjusted phenytoin that corrects for the plasma albumin concentration. Innovative medical informatics tools to identify patients who would benefit from adjusted phenytoin calculations or from laboratory measurement of free phenytoin are needed to improve safety and efficacy of phenytoin pharmacotherapy. The electronic medical record for an academic medical center was searched for the time period from August 1, 1996 to November 30, 2010 for patients who had total phenytoin and free phenytoin determined on the same blood draw, and also a plasma albumin measurement within 7 days of the phenytoin measurements. The measured free phenytoin plasma concentration was used as the gold standard.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In this study, the standard Sheiner-Tozer formula for calculating an estimated (adjusted) phenytoin level more frequently underestimates than overestimates the measured free phenytoin relative to the respective therapeutic ranges. Adjusted phenytoin concentrations provided superior classification of patients than total phenytoin measurements, particularly at low albumin concentrations. Albumin plasma concentrations up to 7 days prior to total phenytoin measurements can be used for adjusted phenytoin concentrations.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The results suggest that a measured free phenytoin should be obtained where possible to guide phenytoin dosing. If this is not feasible, then an adjusted phenytoin can supplement a total phenytoin concentration, particularly for patients with low plasma albumin.</p

Influence of postmortem aging and post-aging freezing on pork loin quality attributes

The objectives were to determine 1) the interaction between aging duration and post-aging freezing on pork loin quality attributes and 2) the relationship between pork loin star probe (SP) and Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBS). Loins from 20 carcasses were collected 1 d postmortem. Chops (n = 9; 2.54-cm thick) were fabricated from each loin and vacuum packaged. Four chops from each loin were aged at 4°C for 1, 8, 14, and 21 d and immediately evaluated (Fresh). Four adjacent chops were aged (1, 8, 14, and 21 d), frozen for 14 d, and thawed for evaluation (Frozen). An additional chop was used for evaluation of sarcomere length, intact desmin, and troponin-T degradation. Purge, objective color, pH, subjective color and marbling score, cook loss, SP, and WBS were evaluated at each aging period. Desmin and troponin-T degradation, and sarcomere length were measured on fresh samples at each day of aging. Post-aging freezing had no significant impact on SP, WBS, pH, and subjective color or marbling score at any aging period. Fresh chop purge increased at each day of aging (P 0.05). Aging, without freezing, for 14 or 21 d did not improve SP or WBS observed at 8 d, corresponding with changes in desmin degradation

Longitudinal clinical and biomarker characteristics of non-manifesting LRRK2 G2019S carriers in the PPMI cohort

We examined 2-year longitudinal change in clinical features and biomarkers in LRRK2 non-manifesting carriers (NMCs) versus healthy controls (HCs) enrolled in the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI). We analyzed 2-year longitudinal data from 176 LRRK2 G2019S NMCs and 185 HCs. All participants were assessed annually with comprehensive motor and non-motor scales, dopamine transporter (DAT) imaging, and biofluid biomarkers. The latter included cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Abeta, total tau and phospho-tau; serum urate and neurofilament light chain (NfL); and urine bis(monoacylglycerol) phosphate (BMP). At baseline, LRRK2 G2019S NMCs had a mean (SD) age of 62 (7.7) years and were 56% female. 13% had DAT deficit (defined as <65% of age/sex-expected lowest putamen SBR) and 11% had hyposmia (defined as ≤15th percentile for age and sex). Only 5 of 176 LRRK2 NMCs developed PD during follow-up. Although NMCs scored significantly worse on numerous clinical scales at baseline than HCs, there was no longitudinal change in any clinical measures over 2 years or in DAT binding. There were no longitudinal differences in CSF and serum biomarkers between NMCs and HCs. Urinary BMP was significantly elevated in NMCs at all time points but did not change longitudinally. Neither baseline biofluid biomarkers nor the presence of DAT deficit correlated with 2-year change in clinical outcomes. We observed no significant 2-year longitudinal change in clinical or biomarker measures in LRRK2 G2019S NMCs in this large, well-characterized cohort even in the participants with baseline DAT deficit. These findings highlight the essential need for further enrichment biomarker discovery in addition to DAT deficit and longer follow-up to enable the selection of NMCs at the highest risk for conversion to enable future prevention clinical trials

Transcriptome analysis of Sporisorium scitamineum reveals critical environmental signals for fungal sexual mating and filamentous growth

BACKGROUND: Sporisorium scitamineum causes the sugarcane smut disease, one of the most serious constraints to global sugarcane production. S. scitamineum possesses a sexual mating system composed of two mating-type loci, a and b locus. We previously identified and deleted the b locus in S. scitamineum, and found that the resultant SsΔMAT-1b mutant was defective in mating and pathogenicity. RESULTS: To further understand the function of b-mating locus, we carried out transcriptome analysis by comparing the transcripts of the mutant strain SsΔMAT-1b, from which the SsbE1 and SsbW1 homeodomain transcription factors have previously been deleted, with those from the wild-type MAT-1 strain. Also the transcripts from SsΔMAT-1b X MAT-2 were compared with those from wild-type MAT-1 X MAT-2 mating. A total of 209 genes were up-regulated (p < 0.05) in the SsΔMAT-1b mutant, compared to the wild-type MAT-1 strain, while 148 genes down-regulated (p < 0.05). In the mixture, 120 genes were up-regulated (p < 0.05) in SsΔMAT-1b X MAT-2, which failed to mate, compared to the wild-type MAT-1 X MAT-2 mating, and 271 genes down-regulated (p < 0.05). By comparing the up- and down-regulated genes in these two sets, it was found that 15 up-regulated and 37 down-regulated genes were common in non-mating haploid and mating mixture, which indeed could be genes regulated by b-locus. Furthermore, GO and KEGG enrichment analysis suggested that carbon metabolism pathway and stress response mediated by Hog1 MAPK signaling pathway were altered in the non-mating sets. CONCLUSIONS: Experimental validation results indicate that the bE/bW heterodimeric transcriptional factor, encoded by the b-locus, could regulate S. scitamineum sexual mating and/or filamentous growth via modulating glucose metabolism and Hog1-mediating oxidative response. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-016-2691-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Breast meat quality and composition in unique chicken populations

The objective of this project was to examine the diversity of breast meat composition and quality traits among unique resource populations. Birds from 5 groups (inbred Leghorn, inbred Fayoumi, commercial broilers, F5 broiler-inbred Leghorn cross, and F5 broiler-inbred Fayoumi cross) were utilized. Contemporary stocks (broilers, inbreds, and crosses) were grown in a single house but in separate pens. Birds were harvested at 8 wk of age. Breast muscle weight, moisture, lipid and protein contents, color, pH, and Kramer shear force values were determined on birds from each group. Breasts from broilers contained lower percentages of protein (P This article is published as Lonergan, S. M., N. Deeb, C. A. Fedler, and S. J. Lamont. "Breast meat quality and composition in unique chicken populations." Poultry Science 82, no. 12 (2003): 1990-1994. DOI: 10.1093/ps/82.12.1990. Posted with permission.</p