The effect of protein restriction during the growing period on carcass, meat and fat quality of heavy barrows and gilts

Nutritional strategies are being researched in pigs to increase fatness and then to improve quality of dry-cured products. A total of 160 Duroc × (Landrace × Large White) pigs, 50% barrows and 50% gilts, were used in a trial. During the growing period (73-118. d of age), four feeds were formulated with decreasing levels of crude protein (CP; 21.6, 17.7, 14.7 and 13.5%) to achieve 1.10, 0.91, 0.78 and 0.52% of total Lysine, respectively. From 118. d until slaughter, at 123. kg (183, 181, 178 or 192. d of age, respectively), a common diet was provided (17.7% CP and 0.91% Lysine). Barrows had fatter carcasses than gilts but intramuscular fat (IMF) proportion was similar for both. Dietary CP restriction promoted wider backfat depth and pork with higher IMF percentage which was more monounsaturated and less polyunsaturated. We conclude that CP restriction during the grower period improves desirable carcass and meat traits in barrows and gilts intended for dry-cured products

Investor inattention to all-cash acquisition announcements: a joint day-time analysis in the Spanish market

Prior studies suggest that investors have limited attention, which determines the speed with which information is incorporated into share prices and, in turn, affects the efficiency of the markets. Unlike other corporate events, the information contained in an acquisition announcement is generally less standard and more complicated to process. Therefore, investor inattention is less likely around this event. In this study we test the existence of investor inattention for a sample of all-cash acquisition announcements of listed and unlisted target firms released by listed Spanish firms from 1998 to 2018. Cash acquisitions allow us to control for the strategic behavior of overvalued companies engaged in stock-financed acquisitions. We perform a joint analysis of day of the week and time of trade from both a univariate and a multivariate perspective, after controlling for several factors that are related to the market reaction to acquisition announcements. Consistent with the notion that investors are less attentive to Friday announcements, we find a significant lower market reaction to acquisition announcements released during market trading hours both in terms of price and trading volume

The Majorization Arrow in Quantum Algorithm Design

We apply majorization theory to study the quantum algorithms known so far and find that there is a majorization principle underlying the way they operate. Grover's algorithm is a neat instance of this principle where majorization works step by step until the optimal target state is found. Extensions of this situation are also found in algorithms based in quantum adiabatic evolution and the family of quantum phase-estimation algorithms, including Shor's algorithm. We state that in quantum algorithms the time arrow is a majorization arrow.Comment: REVTEX4.b4 file, 4 color figures (typos corrected.

Effect of pig slaughter weight on chemical and sensory characteristics of Teruel dry-cured ham

A preliminary study was carried out with 36 barrows to investigate the effect of slaughter weight (SW; 120, 130 and 140 kg) on chemical, instrumental and sensory characteristics of Teruel drycured ham. The intramuscular fat content tended to increase and salt, potassium nitrate and sodium nitrite contents decreased as SW increased. The panelists detected wider subcutaneous fat and lower cured colour, saltiness, hardness and fibrousness in hams from heavier pigs but no difference was observed on overall quality assessment. In conclusion, pig SW affected some chemical and sensory traits of dry-cured ham, which contributes to increase the heterogeneity

Optimal estimation of quantum dynamics

We construct the optimal strategy for the estimation of an unknown unitary transformation $U\in SU(d)$. This includes, in addition to a convenient measurement on a probe system, finding which is the best initial state on which $U$ is to act. When $U\in SU(2)$, such an optimal strategy can be applied to estimate simultaneously both the direction and the strength of a magnetic field, and shows how to use a spin 1/2 particle to transmit information about a whole coordinate system instead of only a direction in space.Comment: 4 pages, REVTE

The influence of feeding behaviour on growth performance, carcass and meat characteristics of growing pigs

This study investigated the effect of the feeding behaviour on growth performance, and carcass and meat characteristics of 96 barrows fed ad libitum or restrictively with high or low amino acids (AA) diets according to a 2 x 2 factorial design. The feeding behaviour traits were measured with automated feeders. From 86 kg BW, half of the pigs were given feeds with high indispensable (AA) contents, while the other half received feeds with indispensable AA contents reduced by 9% in early finishing (86-118 kg BW) and by 18% in late finishing (118-145 kg BW). Body lipid and protein retentions were estimated from BW and backfat depth measures recorded at the beginning and end of each period. Pigs were slaughtered at 145 kg BW and carcass and meat quality data were recorded. Phenotypic correlations among feeding behaviours, growth performances, and carcass and meat traits were computed from all the data after adjustment for the effects of feeding treatments. As feeding rate was the behavioural trait most highly correlated with performance and carcass traits, the records of each pig were classified into feeding rate tertiles. Then, the data were statistically analysed using a mixed model, which included feed restriction (FR), AA reduction (AAR), the FR x AAR interaction and the feeding rate tertile as fixed factors, and pen as a random factor. Pigs eating faster (52.1 to 118.9 g/min) had significantly greater final body weights (16%), average daily weight gains (27%), estimated protein gains (22%), estimated lipid retention (46%), carcass weights (16%), weights of lean cuts (14%), weights of fat cuts (21%), proportions of fat in the carcass (14%), and 4% lower proportions of carcass lean cuts than pigs eating slowly (12.6 to 38.2 g/min). Manipulating the eating rate, through management or genetic strategies, could affect feed intake and subsequent growth performance, hence carcass quality, but have little influence on feed efficiency

Fatty acid composition of different adipose tissues in heavy pigs

Forty-seven castrated male Duroc x (Landrace x Large White) pigs were used to determine fatty acids compositions from different adipose tissues. The outer subcutaneous backfat layer had a lower proportion of saturated and higher monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids than the inner laver. Liver fat had the highest proportion of poiyunsaturated fatty acids. Intramuscular fat followed by subcutaneous backfat had the highest monounsaturation indexes. Moreover, omental and hepatic fat had the highest amount of n-3 fatty acids. In conclusion, the fatty acid profile was depended on fat location, with intramuscular and outer backfat the most beneficial from the point of view of nutrition and health

Immunocastration in gilts: a preliminary study of the effect of the second dose administration time on growth, reproductive tract development, and carcass and meat quality

Increasing fatness and avoiding puberty are desirable in gilts intended for high-quality dry-cured ham production. A total of 48 Duroc x (Landrace x Large White) females of 26.5 ± 3.70 kg body weight (BW) were used to evaluate the impact of immunocastration and to find the optimum application time of the second dose for immunocastration on growth; sex hormones; reproductive tract development; and carcass, meat, and fat quality. Gilts were allocated to four experimental treatments (n = 12): control (entire gilts, EG) and immunocastrated gilts (IG), providing the second dose at 12, 9, or 7 weeks before slaughter (with approximately 60, 75, or 90 kg BW, respectively). Mean slaughter BW was 125 kg. Immunocastrated gilts had lighter reproductive tracts and greater fat thickness than EG. Fat from IG was more saturated and less polyunsaturated than that from EG. Numerically, gilts immunocastrated 9 and 12 weeks before slaughter presented higher fatness than those immunocastrated 7 weeks before slaughter. In conclusion, immunocastration is a good strategy to improve the fatness of gilts destined to dry-cured ham elaboration, with the optimum time for the second dose application seemingly between 9 and 12 weeks before slaughter

Minimal measurements of the gate fidelity of a qudit map

We obtain a simple formula for the average gate fidelity of a linear map acting on qudits. It is given in terms of minimal sets of pure state preparations alone, which may be interesting from the experimental point of view. These preparations can be seen as the outcomes of certain minimal positive operator valued measures. The connection of our results with these generalized measurements is briefly discussed

Silver nanoparticles-clays nanocomposites as feed additives: Characterization of silver species released during in vitro digestions. Effects on silver retention in pigs

Two different clay nanocomposites, as sepiolite-Ag and kaolinite-Ag, are studied as carriers for silver nano particles (AgNPs) oral administration as antimicrobial agent in additives for animal feed. A three-step digestibility assay, corresponding to stomach, small and large intestine simulations, has been followed. Ultrafiltration and asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (AF4) coupled to UV-Vis absorption and ICPMS detectors have been used for size characterisation of the silver species released during the in vitro digestibility assays. Less than 1% of the total silver is released in the stomach simulation step, probably due to the formation of silver chloride on the nanocomposite surface. In the case of the intestine simulation, silver released increases and tends to form complexes with the enzymes present in the media. A larger amount of silver was released from kaolinite-Ag compared to sepiolite-Ag (17 vs. 7%), probably due to a higher retention rate of silver shown by sepiolite, justified by its sorption capacity and fibrous structure. No evidences were found about a significant release of silver nanoparticles along the in vitro assay from any of the two nanocomposites studied. These results have been compared to the silver levels found in liver and faeces from weaned pigs fed with these supplements for 35 days and followed by basal diet free of silver for 4 weeks in an in vivo assay. Piglets fed with kaolinite-Ag retained more silver in liver than those receiving sepiolite-Ag, and the opposite was observed in faeces, although differences were not statistically significant. Silver levels found in muscles were below the limit of detection (0.009 mu g Ag g(-1)) in all cases