Effect of lairage duration on some blood constituents and beef quality in bulls after long journey

Al fine di contribuire alla individuazione di un tempo adeguato di sosta al termine di un lungo trasporto, sono stati esaminati gli effetti di diverse durate della sosta al macello su alcuni parametri ematici e sulla qualit\ue0 della carne in bovini maschi interi sottoposti a viaggi commerciali di lunga durata. Lo studio \ue8 stato condotto su 39 vitelloni Limousine allevati nelle medesime condizioni presso un unica azienda situata nelle vicinanze di Saragoza (Spagna). Gli animali sono stati esaminati al termine di 5 viaggi commerciali dopo un tragitto di 2500 km, presso lo stabilimento di macellazione \u201cSan Giorgio\u201d di Gangi (Palermo). Il tempo di trasporto \ue8 stato pari a ore 53,6\ub110,9. Per i soggetti della prima, della terza e della quinta consegna, la durata della sosta \ue8 risultata compresa tra 24 e 36 ore, con una media pari a 31 ore (gruppo \u201cShort Lairage\u201d), mentre nella terza e nella quinta consegna la sosta \ue8 stata pari, rispettivamente, a 57 e 59 ore (gruppo \u201cLong Lairage\u201d). I risultati relativi all\u2019esame emocromo-citometrico, hanno evidenziato un effetto significativo (P>0,001) della durata della sosta pre-macellazione sia sul numero dei leucociti che sulle piastrine. La durata della sosta non ha mostrato avere nessun effetto significativo su globuli rossi, emoglobina ed ematocrito anche se l\u2019analisi della varianza per misure ripetute ha mostrato che, indipendentemente dalla durata della sosta, l\u2019ematocrito \ue8 variato significativamente dal momento dello scarico a quello della macellazione, aumentando durante tale periodo. L\u2019analisi statistica effettuata sui parametri ematochimici ha evidenziato un effetto significativo (P>0,05) della durata della sosta solo sull\u2019enzima CK e sul cortisolo. L\u2019enzima CK ha mostrato un incremento nel gruppo \u201cShort Lairage\u201d (33,2% vs 14,3%) mentre il Cortisolo ha mostrato una diminuzione nel gruppo \u201cLong Lairage\u201d (36,3% vs 3,8%). La durata della sosta non ha influenzato significativamente (P>0,05) l\u2019incidenza di lesioni lievi e gravi registrate sulle carcasse. Per quanto concerne la qualit\ue0 della carne, la durata della sosta ha influenzato significativamente il pHu, risultato pi\uf9 elevato (P>0,01) nel muscolo dei soggetti del gruppo \u201cLong Lairage\u201d; la luminosit\ue0 a 24h post mortem \ue8 risultata significativamente pi\uf9 elevata (P>0,05) nei soggetti del gruppo \u201cShort Lairage\u201d rispetto a quelli del gruppo \u201cLong Lairage\u201d, mentre gli indici del rosso e del giallo sono risultati essere maggiori in quest\u2019ultimo gruppo. Il calo peso dopo cottura \ue8 risultato significativamente minore (P>0,01) nel gruppo \u201cShort Lairage\u201d, lo stesso gruppo \u201cShort Lairage\u201d ha fatto registrare carni significativamente pi\uf9 tenere (P>0,01). Dai risultati ottenuti emerge come la durata della sosta pre-macellazione dopo un trasporto di lunga durata pu\uf2 influenzare il quadro ematologico e la qualit\ue0 della carne. Nel complesso \ue8 emerso che prolungare la sosta oltre le 36 ore non provoca alcun beneficio per il benessere dell\u2019animale e rischia di peggiorare la qualit\ue0 della carne. Nel caso di trasporti cos\uec lunghi come quelli esaminati sarebbe opportuno una migliore organizzazione della logistica al fine di ridurre il tempo di attesa degli animali prima della macellazione.With the aim to contribute to determine an adequate resting time for cattle after long transportation, the effects of different lairage time on some haematic parameters and meat quality of bulls subjected to long commercial journeys were investigated. Thirty-nine Limousine bulls supplied by one farm located near to Saragoza (Spain) were examined after 5 consignments at the final destination, after a journey of 2.550 km, of the \u201cSan Giorgio\u201d abattoir (Palermo, Italy). Transport time was of 53.6 \ub1 10.9 h; lairage duration for bulls of the 1st, 3rd and 5th consignments was of 31 h on average (\u201cShort Lairage\u201d group), whereas, for those of the 2nd and 4th consignments, was of 59 and 57 h, respectively (\u201cLong Lairage\u201d group). As regards the blood cell counts, data showed a significant effect (P< 0.001) of the lairage duration on leukocyte and platelet counts. No significant effect was observed for erythrocyte count, haemoglobin and hematocrit in relation to the lairage duration, even if the repeated measure analysis of variance showed that, irrespectively to the lairage duration, the hematocrit increased significantly from the unloading to the slaughter. Haematological parameters showed a significant (P< 0.05) effect of the lairage time only on CK and Cortisol. CK enzyme showed an increase in the \u201cShort Lairage\u201d group (33.2% vs. 14.3%) whereas, Cortisol showed a decrease in the \u201cLong Lairage\u201d group (36.3% vs. 3.8%). The different lairage duration did not significantly (P> 0.05) affect the incidence of slight and severe bruises of carcass. As regard meat quality, lairage duration has significantly influenced the pHu which was higher (P< 0.01) in the muscle of the animals of the \u201cLong Lairage\u201d group, the luminosity at 24h post mortem which was significantly higher (P< 0.05) in animals of the \u201cShort Lairage\u201d group and the red and yellow indices which were higher in the \u201cLong Lairage\u201d group. \u201cShort Lairage\u201d group showed lower (P< 0.01) value of cooking loss and higher (P< 0.01) value of tenderness. Data show that pre-slaughter lairage duration after a long transport may influence the blood parameters as well as meat quality. On the whole, the increase of the lairage duration over 36 h does not determine any benefit for the animal well-being whereas it can cause a reduction of the beef quality. For so long transports, it should be better an adequate organization of the facilities in order to diminish the pre-slaughter lairage duration

Body condition score (BCS) and metabolic status of shelter dogs

A group of 147 shelter dogs were weighted and assigned a body condition score (BCS) using a 9 point scale system, in order to evaluate the prevalence of obesity in the kennel. More than 60% of the animals showed a BCS³6 (overweight and obese) and this condition was mainly attributed to an excess of carbohydrates and fat in the diet. In 67/147 dogs, a blood sample was drawn and the effects of BCS, age and time spent in the shelter were evaluated on biochemical parameters. Obese dogs showed significantly higher levels of triglycerides (P<0.01), while increasing BCS determined only an increasing non significant trend on cholesterol values. Age influenced creatinine (P<0.05) and the oldest dogs scoring BCS³6 registered significant higher NEFA (P<0.05) and CK (P=0.01) levels. Time spent in the shelter did not affect any parameter. The dogs' metabolic condition reflects the need of taking more care of the quality of feed administered in the shelters to avoid the negative health effects caused by chronic obesity

Short communication: Reference values for blood parameters in Holstein dairy cows: Effects of parity, stage of lactation, and season of production

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Short communication: Reference limits for blood analytes in Holstein late-pregnant heifers and dry cows: Effects of parity, days relative to calving, and season.

Abstract Reference limits for metabolic profiles in Holstein late-pregnant heifers and dry cows were determined considering the effects of parity, days relative to calving, and season. Blood samples were collected from 104 pregnant heifers and 186 dry cows (68 primiparous and 118 pluriparous) from 60 to 10 d before the expected calving date in 31 dairy farms in northeastern Italy. Sampling was performed during summer (182 samples) and the following winter (108 samples). All the animals were judged as clinically healthy at a veterinary visit before sampling. Outliers were removed from data of each blood analyte, and variables that were not normally distributed were log transformed. A mixed model was used to test the fixed effects of parity (late-pregnant heifers, primiparous or pluriparous dry cows), class of days relative to calving (60–41 d, 40–21 d, 20–10 d), season (summer or winter), and the interactions between parity and class of days relative to calving and between parity and season, with farm as random effect. Single general reference limits and 95% confidence intervals were generated for analytes that did not vary according to fixed effects. Whenever a fixed effect included in the model significantly affected a given analyte, specific reference limits and 95% confidence intervals were generated for each of its levels. Albumin, urea, triglycerides, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, creatinine kinase, conjugated bilirubin, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, chloride, zinc, copper, and iron concentrations were not influenced by any of the fixed effects. Total protein, globulins, creatinine, glucose, alkaline phosphatase, gamma glutamyltransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, and sodium plasma concentrations were affected by parity. The class of days relative to calving had a significant effect on the concentrations of total protein, globulins, fatty acids, cholesterol, total bilirubin, and sodium. Season affected plasma concentrations of creatinine, glucose, fatty acids, lactate dehydrogenase, and sodium. Interactions between parity and class of days relative to calving and between parity and season did not significantly affect any of the blood analytes tested. The reference limits and the 95% confidence intervals for blood analytes determined in the study could help dairy practitioners to improve the accuracy of metabolic profile interpretation in Holstein late-pregnant cattle

The role of formal and informal paths of learning in risk prevention education

This paper explores the relations among formal, non-formal and informal modes of learning, and the potential for web communication to play a role in risk prevention education. The learning theme addressed is that of risk (Lupton, 2013), a concept that generally concerns a negative event or danger, characterized by the threat of loss (or damage) and an associated feeling of insecurity (Ewald, 1993); potentially a topic of great interest, given that knowledge of risk prevention strategies can enhance quality of life. Existing studies have shown that young people are sensitive to the need to prevent risks. For example, Whitaker, Miller, May and Levin (1999) demonstrated the key role of informal learning in relation to sexual risk and the use of condoms, while Santi, Borselli, Bertoletti, Giaccherini, Mingione and Schifano (1997) reported similar findings concerning the perceived risks of ecstasy. However, the knowledge acquired is not always sufficiently in-depth; for example, the participants in the second study cited perceived ecstasy as a dangerous substance, but were unable to state its composition. In order to investigate the value attributed by young people to formal, non-formal and informal learning paths, respectively, we conducted a study with a particular focus on chemical risk in food. Chemical food risk is linked to the presence in food products of toxins, allergens and natural contaminants. It is vital to monitor chemical changes in food because they can lead to major health problems and in extreme cases even to death. To investigate the potential for web communication to spread awareness of salient aspects of chemical food risk among young people, an ad hoc website was developed by a group of experts. Seven classes of secondary school students (science and technology curriculum) in the Veneto region were introduced to the site during a presentation in class, with the aim of promoting individual use of the resource. To assess participants' usage of the site and the extent to which they perceived it to be salient, we conducted focus group discussions and administered a questionnaire to the adolescents in our sample. The results suggested that participants recognized the authority of an official site informing about a risk, but tended to visit it mainly when prompted to do so via their social network feeds. They also reported a preference for being able to access the site interchangeably from their desktop, tablet or smartphone. Young people appeared to view television (63.4%) as more authoritative than the formal website (36.6%) or social networks (25%). This finding confirms the fact that students expect formal education agencies to disseminate knowledge about risks. In other words, adolescents see schools and reputable television programs as the main resources for learning to recognize and prevent risks. Social networks and informal websites, therefore, do not seem to be the channel of preference for constructing learning processes for risk prevention. However, these more informal media play a crucial role at a later stage, when they aid in disseminating and providing up-to-date information about formal initiatives. In sum, formal educational agencies remain the most trusted and credible source of risk prevention messages. On the other hand, informal channels are decisive in promoting formal initiatives that might otherwise fail to reach or engage target audiences

Using Digital Storytelling to communicate chemical risks in food to high school students.

The research project, \u201c Chemical risk in food: comparing web- and paper-based communication tools \u201d , funded by the Italian Ministry of Health, intended to make a comparative assessment of the most effective tools to use in communication campaigns on chemical risks associated with food. The aim of the project was to raise awareness among adolescents about the problem of food safety and, as a result, to reduce the risk of exposure to chemical contaminants contained in food The objective of the project was to build a message and to disseminate it to a sample of young people aged between 16 and 18 in North East Italy, by means of two tools: one web- and the other paper-based. The choice of storytelling, as a method to develop the message on both the web- and the paper- based tools, is one of the more innovative aspects of the project pilot. Storytelling was identified as a technique able to facilitate understanding of scientific notions and to foster learning by emotionally involving the target. The use of this technique can be considered absolutely original in the communication of risk for consumer safety. Evaluation showed that the use of the storytelling technique had a positive impact on the target involved. From the data collected through the evaluation questionnaires, it was found that most of the young people (83%) considered the technique to be an effective means of communication able to attract the curiosity of their peers. Besides being an important innovation in the field of food risk communications, the direct involvement of the students in designing the communication tools in the early stages of the project and their participation in building the Digital Storytelling product proved to be a means of arousing the curiosity not only of the spectators but also of the students involved in the participatory process. Implementation of the storytelling technique actually required the young people to reflect on their own experience and daily life and to build a narrative related to the subject in question. In particular, the results of the analyses showed that, of the various elements used to build the tool, the students who saw the Digital Storytelling product reported appreciating that the actors were people of their own age, indicating this as an effective way of conveying the communication message to the identified targe