Beef quality differentiation in the framework of the Serrana de Teruel endangered breed conservation programme

La Serrana de Teruel es una raza bovina en peligro de extinción, criada tradicionalmente en áreas montañosas del Sur de Aragón (España). Con objeto de recuperar la raza, se realizó la caracterización morfológica, zootécnica y genética de la población existente. La raza presentó un grado medio-alto de armonía y homogeneidad, siendo la mayoría de individuos de perfil recto, eumétricos y sublongilíneos, aunque de menor tamaño al observado en otras razas filogenéticamente próximas. Los estudios de biodiversidad mostraron niveles altos de variabilidad genética y bajos de consanguinidad, a pesar del censo reducido (240 individuos en 2010), y proporcionaron las bases para llevar a cabo un programa sostenible de conservación. Para garantizar su mantenimiento a largo plazo, los bancos de germoplasma mantienen 6400 dosis de semen y 74 embriones. Paralelamente, se analizó la viabilidad comercial de la raza, a través del estudio de la calidad de canal y carne de las categorías comerciales de ternero, añojo y cebón (castrados con 9 meses), con edades a sacrificio de 12, 22 y 22 meses y pesos vivos de 470, 720 y 660 kg, respectivamente. Finalmente, se realizó un análisis prospectivo, según la opinión de expertos, de una nueva carne de vacuno con denominación de calidad, llamada ‘Serrana de Teruel’. Estos trabajos muestran la posibilidad de realizar una producción alternativa, tipo cebón, susceptible de acogerse a distintivos de calidad diferenciada, que podrían suponer un incentivo para la explotación de la Serrana de Teruel frente a otras razas, lo que favorecería su conservación a medio plazo.Serrana de Teruel is an endangered cattle breed raised traditionally in the mountainous areas of Southern Aragon (Spain). With the aim of recovering the breed, a characterization was carried out to determine the morphology, husbandry and genetic values of the Serrana de Teruel breed. Individuals showed a medium to high degree of homogeneity and harmony, most of the animals being of straight profile, and eumetrical and sublongilineal individuals, although smaller in size than other phylogenetically proximate breeds. Biodiversity studies showed good diversity values despite the breed’s low effective population size (240 individuals in 2010). These studies provided the basis for a sustainable programme of genetic conservation. In order to guarantee long-term maintenance, germplasm banks contain 6400 doses of semen and 74 embryos. Concurrently, the commercial viability of the breed was studied by means of an analysis of carcass and meat quality from three commercial categories – yearling, bull and steer (castrated at 9 months old) – with ages at slaughter of 12, 22 and 22 months and live weights of 470, 720 and 660 kg,, respectively. Good performances and high-quality products with no commercial constraints in the beef market were obtained. Finally, a prospective study for a new beef quality product labelled ‘Serrana de Teruel’ was performed, according to the opinions of experts. These studies provide the standard requirements for the alternative production of a labelled beef product that might create an incentive for the production of the Serrana de Teruel breed among other breeds, and thus favour the conservation of the breed in the medium termLa Serrana de Teruel est une race bovine rustique élevée dans les régions montagneuses du sud de l’Aragon (Espagne) qui est en danger d’extinction. Afin de récupérer cette race on a réalisé la caractérisation morphologique, génétique et zootechnique de la population existante. La race présente un degré moyen-élevé d’harmonie et d’uniformité, la plupart des animaux étant de profil droit, eumétrique et sublongiligne, bien que plus petit en taille que les autres races proches. Des études sur la biodiversité ont montré des niveaux élevés de diversité génétique et un faible niveau de consanguinité, malgré les effectifs limités d’animaux (240 individus en 2010), en fournissant les bases du programme de conservation. Afin de garantir le maintien à long terme, a été créée une banque de matériel génétique contenant 6400 doses de semence et 74 embryons. En parallèle, on a confirmé la viabilité commerciale de la race à travers l’étude de la qualité de la carcasse et de la viande pour les catégories commerciales de veau, taurillon et bouvillons (castrés à 9 mois), avec des âges à l’abattage de 12, 22 et 22 mois, et 470, 720 et 660 kg de poids vif, respectivement. Enfin, nous avons mené une analyse prospective, à dires d’experts, pour un nouveau label de qualité du boeuf appelé ‘Serrana de Teruel’. Ces travaux montrent la possibilité d’une production alternative, comme boeuf, susceptible de bénéficier d’une certification de qualité, ce qui pourrait créer une incitation pour l’exploitation de la Serrana de Teruel parmi les autres races, et ainsi favoriser sa préservation à long termePublishe

Poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid drug delivery systems through transdermal pathway : an overview

In past few decades, scientists have made tremendous advancement in the field of drug delivery systems (DDS), through transdermal pathway, as the skin represents a ready and large surface area for delivering drugs. Efforts are in progress to design efficient transdermal DDS that support sustained drug release at the targeted area for longer duration in the recommended therapeutic window without producing side-effects. Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) is one of the most promising Food and Drug Administration approved synthetic polymers in designing versatile drug delivery carriers for different drug administration routes, including transdermal drug delivery. The present review provides a brief introduction over the transdermal drug delivery and PLGA as a material in context to its role in designing drug delivery vehicles. Attempts are made to compile literatures over PLGA-based drug delivery vehicles, including microneedles, nanoparticles, and nanofibers and their role in transdermal drug delivery of different therapeutic agents. Different nanostructure evaluation techniques with their working principles are briefly explained.RL thanks the funding support from Singapore National Research Foundation under its Translational and Clinical Research Flagship Programme (NMRC/TCR/008-SERI/2013) and administered by the Singapore Ministry of Health’s National Medical Research Council and Co-operative Basic Research Grant from the Singapore National Medical Research Council (Project No. NMRC/CBRG/0048/2013).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Integrated treatment of first episode psychosis with online training (e-learning): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

BackgroundThe integrated treatment of first episode psychosis has been shown to improve functionality and negative symptoms in previous studies. In this paper, we describe a study of integrated treatment (individual psychoeducation complementary to pharmacotherapy) versus treatment as usual, comparing results at baseline with those at 6-month re-assessment (at the end of the study) for these patients, and online training of professionals to provide this complementary treatment, with the following objectives: 1) to compare the efficacy of individual psychoeducation as add-on treatment versus treatment as usual in improving psychotic and mood symptoms; 2) to compare adherence to medication, functioning, insight, social response, quality of life, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor, between both groups; and 3) to analyse the efficacy of online training of psychotherapists.Methods/designThis is a single-blind randomised clinical trial including patients with first episode psychosis from hospitals across Spain, randomly assigned to either a control group with pharmacotherapy and regular sessions with their psychiatrist (treatment as usual) or an intervention group with integrated care including treatment as usual plus a psychoeducational intervention (14 sessions). Training for professionals involved at each participating centre was provided by the coordinating centre (University Hospital of Álava) through video conferences. Patients are evaluated with an extensive battery of tests assessing clinical and sociodemographic characteristics (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, Scale to Assess Unawareness of Mental Disorders, Strauss and Carpenter Prognostic Scale, Global Assessment of Functioning Scale, Morisky Green Adherence Scale, Functioning Assessment Short Test, World Health Organization Quality of Life instrument WHOQOL-BREF (an abbreviated version of the WHOQOL-100), and EuroQoL questionnaire), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels are measured in peripheral blood at baseline and at 6 months. The statistical analysis, including bivariate analysis, linear and logistic regression models, will be performed using SPSS.DiscussionThis is an innovative study that includes the assessment of an integrated intervention for patients with first episode psychosis provided by professionals who are trained online, potentially making it possible to offer the intervention to more patients.Trial registrationNCT01783457 clinical trials.gov. Date of registration in primary registry 23 January 2013

Studies of new Higgs boson interactions through nonresonant HH production in the b¯bγγ fnal state in pp collisions at √s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search for nonresonant Higgs boson pair production in the b ¯bγγ fnal state is performed using 140 fb−1 of proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. This analysis supersedes and expands upon the previous nonresonant ATLAS results in this fnal state based on the same data sample. The analysis strategy is optimised to probe anomalous values not only of the Higgs (H) boson self-coupling modifer κλ but also of the quartic HHV V (V = W, Z) coupling modifer κ2V . No signifcant excess above the expected background from Standard Model processes is observed. An observed upper limit µHH < 4.0 is set at 95% confdence level on the Higgs boson pair production cross-section normalised to its Standard Model prediction. The 95% confdence intervals for the coupling modifers are −1.4 < κλ < 6.9 and −0.5 < κ2V < 2.7, assuming all other Higgs boson couplings except the one under study are fxed to the Standard Model predictions. The results are interpreted in the Standard Model efective feld theory and Higgs efective feld theory frameworks in terms of constraints on the couplings of anomalous Higgs boson (self-)interactions

Measurement of the H → γ γ and H → ZZ∗ → 4 cross-sections in pp collisions at √s = 13.6 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The inclusive Higgs boson production cross section is measured in the di-photon and the Z Z∗ → 4 decay channels using 31.4 and 29.0 fb−1 of pp collision data respectively, collected with the ATLAS detector at a centre of-mass energy of √s = 13.6 TeV. To reduce the model dependence, the measurement in each channel is restricted to a particle-level phase space that closely matches the chan nel’s detector-level kinematic selection, and it is corrected for detector effects. These measured fiducial cross-sections are σfid,γ γ = 76+14 −13 fb, and σfid,4 = 2.80 ± 0.74 fb, in agreement with the corresponding Standard Model predic tions of 67.6±3.7 fb and 3.67±0.19 fb. Assuming Standard Model acceptances and branching fractions for the two chan nels, the fiducial measurements are extrapolated to the full phase space yielding total cross-sections of σ (pp → H) = 67+12 −11 pb and 46±12 pb at 13.6 TeV from the di-photon and Z Z∗ → 4 measurements respectively. The two measure ments are combined into a total cross-section measurement of σ (pp → H) = 58.2±8.7 pb, to be compared with the Stan dard Model prediction of σ (pp → H)SM = 59.9 ± 2.6 p

Searches for lepton-flavour-violating decays of the Higgs boson into eτ and μτ in \sqrt{s} = 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

Abstract This paper presents direct searches for lepton flavour violation in Higgs boson decays, H → eτ and H → μτ, performed using data collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The searches are based on a data sample of proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy s $$\sqrt{s}$$ = 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb−1. Leptonic (τ → ℓνℓντ) and hadronic (τ → hadrons ντ) decays of the τ-lepton are considered. Two background estimation techniques are employed: the MC-template method, based on data-corrected simulation samples, and the Symmetry method, based on exploiting the symmetry between electrons and muons in the Standard Model backgrounds. No significant excess of events is observed and the results are interpreted as upper limits on lepton-flavour-violating branching ratios of the Higgs boson. The observed (expected) upper limits set on the branching ratios at 95% confidence level, B $$\mathcal{B}$$ (H → eτ) < 0.20% (0.12%) and B $$\mathcal{B}$$ (H → μτ ) < 0.18% (0.09%), are obtained with the MC-template method from a simultaneous measurement of potential H → eτ and H → μτ signals. The best-fit branching ratio difference, B $$\mathcal{B}$$ (H → μτ) → B $$\mathcal{B}$$ (H → eτ), measured with the Symmetry method in the channel where the τ-lepton decays to leptons, is (0.25 ± 0.10)%, compatible with a value of zero within 2.5σ

Model-independent search for the presence of new physics in events including H → γγ with s \sqrt{s} = 13 TeV pp data recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC

Abstract A model-independent search for new physics leading to final states containing a Higgs boson, with a mass of 125.09 GeV, decaying to a pair of photons is performed with 139 fb−1 of s $$\sqrt{s}$$ = 13 TeV pp collision data recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. This search examines 22 final states categorized by the objects that are produced in association with the Higgs boson. These objects include isolated electrons or muons, hadronically decaying τ-leptons, additional photons, missing transverse momentum, and hadronic jets, as well as jets that are tagged as containing a b-hadron. No significant excesses above Standard Model expectations are observed and limits on the production cross section at 95% confidence level are set. Detector efficiencies are reported for all 22 signal regions, which can be used to convert detector-level cross-section limits reported in this paper to particle-level cross-section constraints

Comparison of inclusive and photon-tagged jet suppression in 5.02 TeV Pb+Pb collisions with ATLAS

Parton energy loss in the quark–gluon plasma (QGP) is studied with a measurement of photon-tagged jet production in 1.7 nb−1 of Pb+Pb data and 260 pb−1 of pp data, both at √sNN = 5.02 TeV, with the ATLAS detector. The process pp → γ +jet+X and its analogue in Pb+Pb collisions is measured in events containing an isolated photon with transverse momentum (pT) above 50 GeV and reported as a function of jet pT. This selection results in a sample of jets with a steeply falling pT distribution that are mostly initiated by the showering of quarks. The pp and Pb+Pb measurements are used to report the nuclear modification factor, RAA, and the fractional energy loss, Sloss, for photon-tagged jets. In addition, the results are compared with the analogous ones for inclusive jets, which have a significantly smaller quark-initiated fraction. The RAA and Sloss values are found to be significantly different between those for photon-tagged jets and inclusive jets, demonstrating that energy loss in the QGP is sensitive to the colour-charge of the initiating parton. The results are also compared with a variety of theoretical models of colour-charge-dependent energy loss