instrumental objective measurement of veal calves carcass colour at slaughterhouse

A total of 6700 veal calves were used to compare the ability of chromameter CR300 in measuring the veal meat colour on-line at slaughterhouse and to develop a prediction equation of colour score based on relationship between instrumental and visual assessments. A total of 5000 carcasses were used to develop equation of prediction while 1700 were used to test it. The meat colour was assessed subjectively in 3 different slaughterhouses by the slaughterhouse's judges 10h post mortem and objectively by chromameter CR300 45 post mortem on the Rectus abdominis. The prediction equation classified correctly 79% of carcasses and was characterized by an R2 of 78%. Furthermore it has to be underlined that the chroma contributes to the total R2 with a 0.21 partial R2. This data confirmed that chromameter CR300 can be used on-line to measure objectively veal meat colour at the end of the slaughter line

Effects of Administration of Three Different By-Pass Lipids on Growth Performance, Rumen Activity and Feeding Behaviour of Beef Cattle

A study was carried out on beef cattle to compare three different by-pass lipids administration in relation to their intake, performance, bunk behaviour and rumen fermentation characteristics. Ninety-six Charolaise males were subdivided into three groups. Each group was fed a specific diet including differentiated sources of rumen by-pass fats. The first group received 500 g/head/day of calcium salts (CaS), the second and the third received 420 g/head/day of hydrogenated fatty acids (HF) and triglycerides (AL), respectively. The three by-pass fats differ in fatty acids composition, chain length and mean particle size. AL group had average daily gain significantly greater (P = 0.0005) than animals fed calcium soaps. No difference was observed between AL and HF groups (P = 0.08) and between HF and CaS groups. Final body weights of AL animals were significantly higher (P = 0.005) than CaS group. There were no differences between AL group and HF group and between HF group and CaS group. Average dry matter intake (DMI) was higher (P < 0.05) in AL and HF groups compared with CaS group. Feed conversion rate was better for AL and CaS groups (P<0.05) compared with HF group. Evaluating their behaviours in approaching feed, the animals seemed to prefer hydrogenated fats flavour as regard to calcium soaps. No differences were highlighted in ruminal pH and ruminal volatile fatty acids composition among the three groups. When high dosage of fat is included into a beef cattle diet, the administration of hydrogenated triglycerides, characterized by a pleasant flavour and a small mean particle size, is likely to prove more suitable than adding calcium soaps or hydrogenated free fatty acids, probably thanks to its higher DMI and feed conversion rate, respectively. With regard to the latter higher rate, it could be only supposed that it is related to the smaller mean particle size of hydrogenated triglycerides

Moderating diets to feed the future

The recent intensification of international trade has led to a globalization of food commodities and to an increased disconnection between human populations and the land and water resources that support them through crop and livestock production. Several countries are not self-sufficient and depend on imports from other regions. Despite the recognized importance of the role of trade in global and regional food security, the societal reliance on domestic production and international trade remains poorly quantified. Here we investigate the global patterns of food trade and evaluate the dependency of food security on imports. We investigate the relationship existing between the trade of food calories and the virtual transfer of water used for their production. We show how the amount of food calories traded in the international market has more than doubled between 1986 and 2009, while the number of links in the trade network has increased by more than 50%. Likewise, global food production has increased by more than 50% in the same period, providing an amount of food that is overall sufficient to support the global population at a rate of 2700–3000 kcal per person per day. About 23% of the food produced for human consumption is traded internationally. The water use efficiency of food trade (i.e., food calories produced per unit volume of water used) has declined in the last few decades. The water use efficiency of food production overall increases with the countries' affluence; this trend is likely due to the use of more advanced technology

Integrated Analysis of Myocardial Blush and ST-Segment Elevation Recovery After Successful Primary Angioplasty

Background — ST-segment elevation (ΣSTe) recovery and the angiographic myocardial blush (MB) grade are useful markers of microvascular reperfusion after recanalization of the infarct-related artery. We investigated the ability of a combined analysis of MB grade and ΣSTe changes to identify different patterns of myocardial reperfusion shortly after primary percutaneous coronary angioplasty (PTCA) and to predict 7-day and 6-month left ventricular (LV) functional recovery. Methods and Results — MB grade and ΣSTe recovery were evaluated shortly after successful primary PTCA (restoration of TIMI grade 3 flow) in 114 consecutive patients with ΣSTe acute myocardial infarction. LV function was assessed by 2D echocardiograms before PTCA and at 7 days and 6 months thereafter. By combining MB and ΣSTe changes, 3 main groups of patients were identified. Group 1 patients (n=60) had both significant MB (grade 2 to 3) and ΣSTe recovery (>50% versus basal ΣSTe) and a high rate of 7-day (65%) and 6-month (95%) LV functional recovery. In group 2 patients (n=21), who showed MB but persistent ΣSTe, the prevalence of early LV functional recovery was low (24%) but increased up to 86% in the late phase. Group 3 patients (n=28), who had neither significant MB nor ΣSTe resolution, had poor early (18%) and late (32%) LV functional recovery. Conclusions — After successful primary PTCA, integrated analysis of MB and ΣSTe recovery allows a real-time grading of microvascular reperfusion of the infarct area and predicts the time-course and magnitude of LV functional recovery

Effect of steady-state aerobic exercise intensity and duration on the relationship between reserves of heart rate and oxygen uptake

Background. The percentages of heart rate (%HRR) or oxygen uptake (%V̇O2R) reserve are used interchangeably for prescribing aerobic exercise intensity due to their assumed 1:1 relationship, although its validity is debated. This study aimed to assess if %HRR and %V̇O2R show a 1:1 relationship during steady-state exercise (SSE) and if exercise intensity and duration affect their relationship. Methods. Eight physically active males (age 22.6±1.2 years) were enrolled. Pre-exercise and maximal HR and V̇O2 were assessed on the first day. In the following 4 days, different SSEs were performed (running) combining the following randomly assigned durations and intensities: 15 min, 45 min, 60% HRR, 80% HRR. Post-exercise maximal HR and V̇O2 were assessed after each SSE. Using pre-exercise and post-exercise maximal values, the average HR and V̇O2 of the last 5 min of each SSE were converted into percentages of the reserves (%RES), which were computed in a 3-way RM-ANOVA (α=0.05) to assess if they were affected by the prescription parameter (HRR or V̇O2R), exercise intensity (60% or 80% HRR), and duration (15 or 45 min). Results. The %RES values were not affected by the prescription parameter (p=0.056) or its interactions with intensity (p=0.319) or duration and intensity (p=0.117), while parameter and duration interaction was significant (p=0.009). %HRRs and %V̇O2Rs did not differ in the 15-min SSEs (mean difference [MD]=0.7 percentage points, p=0.717), whereas %HRR was higher than %V̇O2R in the 45-min SSEs (MD=6.7 percentage points, p=0.009). Conclusion. SSE duration affects the %HRR-%V̇O2R relationship, with %HRRs higher than %V̇O2Rs in SSEs of longer duration

physical activity monitoring devices energy expenditure comparison in a setting of free living activities

The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of Energy Expenditure (EE) estimation provided by 3 wearable devices [Fitbit-One (FO), Sensewear Armband (AR) and Actiheart (AC)] in a setting of free-living activities. 43 participants (24 females; 23.4±.4,5yrs) performed 9 activities: sedentary (watching video, reading), walking (on treadmill and outdoor), running (on treadmill and outdoor) and moderate-to-vigorous activities (Wii gaming, taking the stairs and playing football). Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) and Pearson's correlation were calculated to assess the validity of each instrument in comparison to a portable metabolic analyser (PMA). In overall comparison MAPE's were 7,7% for AR (r=.86; p<.0001), 8,6% for FO (r=.69; P<.001), and 11.6% for AC (r=.81; p<.0001). These findings support the accuracy of the wearables. The AR was the most accurate in the whole protocol. However, MAPE results suggest that devices algorithms should be improved for better measure of EE during moderate-to-vigorous activities

Standalone vertex finding in the ATLAS muon spectrometer

A dedicated reconstruction algorithm to find decay vertices in the ATLAS muon spectrometer is presented. The algorithm searches the region just upstream of or inside the muon spectrometer volume for multi-particle vertices that originate from the decay of particles with long decay paths. The performance of the algorithm is evaluated using both a sample of simulated Higgs boson events, in which the Higgs boson decays to long-lived neutral particles that in turn decay to bbar b final states, and pp collision data at √s = 7 TeV collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC during 2011

Measurements of Higgs boson production and couplings in diboson final states with the ATLAS detector at the LHC

Measurements are presented of production properties and couplings of the recently discovered Higgs boson using the decays into boson pairs, H →γ γ, H → Z Z∗ →4l and H →W W∗ →lνlν. The results are based on the complete pp collision data sample recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider at centre-of-mass energies of √s = 7 TeV and √s = 8 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 25 fb−1. Evidence for Higgs boson production through vector-boson fusion is reported. Results of combined fits probing Higgs boson couplings to fermions and bosons, as well as anomalous contributions to loop-induced production and decay modes, are presented. All measurements are consistent with expectations for the Standard Model Higgs boson

Measurement of the top quark-pair production cross section with ATLAS in pp collisions at \sqrt{s}=7\TeV

A measurement of the production cross-section for top quark pairs(\ttbar) in $pp$ collisions at \sqrt{s}=7 \TeV is presented using data recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Events are selected in two different topologies: single lepton (electron $e$ or muon $\mu$) with large missing transverse energy and at least four jets, and dilepton ($ee$, $\mu\mu$ or $e\mu$) with large missing transverse energy and at least two jets. In a data sample of 2.9 pb-1, 37 candidate events are observed in the single-lepton topology and 9 events in the dilepton topology. The corresponding expected backgrounds from non-\ttbar Standard Model processes are estimated using data-driven methods and determined to be $12.2 \pm 3.9$ events and $2.5 \pm 0.6$ events, respectively. The kinematic properties of the selected events are consistent with SM \ttbar production. The inclusive top quark pair production cross-section is measured to be \sigmattbar=145 \pm 31 ^{+42}_{-27} pb where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. The measurement agrees with perturbative QCD calculations.Comment: 30 pages plus author list (50 pages total), 9 figures, 11 tables, CERN-PH number and final journal adde

Measurement of the top quark pair cross section with ATLAS in pp collisions at √s=7 TeV using final states with an electron or a muon and a hadronically decaying τ lepton

A measurement of the cross section of top quark pair production in proton-proton collisions recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV is reported. The data sample used corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 2.05 fb -1. Events with an isolated electron or muon and a τ lepton decaying hadronically are used. In addition, a large missing transverse momentum and two or more energetic jets are required. At least one of the jets must be identified as originating from a b quark. The measured cross section, σtt-=186±13(stat.)±20(syst.)±7(lumi.) pb, is in good agreement with the Standard Model prediction