A comparison of generalized multinomial logit, random parameters logit, wtp-space and latent class models to studying consumers' preferences for animal welfare

The European societies are requiring that animals to be raised as closely as possible to their natural conditions. The growing concerns about animal welfare is resulting in continuous modifications of regulations and policies that led to ban of a number of intensive farming methods. The European authorities consider the pig welfare as a priority issue. They are studying to ban surgical pig castration by 2018, which may seriously affect markets and consumers due to boar tainted-meat. This study analysed consumers’ preferences and acceptance regarding an alternative to castration of high-level boar-taint frankfurter sausages. Non-hypothetical discrete choice experiments was applied by creating a real shopping scenario before and after tasting the products. Data were collected for a sample of 150 consumers from the metropolitan area of Madrid, Spain. Different modelling approaches (Generalized Multinomial Logit-GMNL, Random Parameters Logit-RPL, WTP-space and Latent Class-LC models) were applied to figure out which model have the best goodness of fit. Results showed the appropriateness of the proposed alternative by using a new flavour as a masking strategy. When consumers tasted the products, they showed their willingness to pay a premium for this flavour. The WTP space model showed the best goodness of fit in terms of likelihood, Akaike information criterion and McFadden Pseudo R2. Furthermore, the degree of randomness identified by the scale parameter is also estimated. Uncertainty in selection decreased significantly after the sensory experiencePostprint (published version

Towards entire male pigs in Europe: a perspective from the Spanish supply chain

In pig production, surgical castration is primarily performed to avoid boar taint and for management purposes. The European Commission plans to end surgical piglet castration voluntarily by 2018. The aim of this study was to assess the opinions and attitudes of Spanish stakeholders from the entire pork chain regarding this plan. Two methodologies were used: focus groups with 26 participants (qualitative method) were conducted with representatives of farmers, the meat industry, government institutions, retailers (including butchers), HORECA and consumers, and 127 face-to-face surveys at butchers (quantitative method) were carried out. These include an analytical hierarchical process to assess the determining factors when purchasing fresh pig meat. The results showed that a potential end of pig castration in Europe is not anticipated to affect conventional pig production in Spain. However, butchers are worried of negative effects on high quality meat and meat products, where surgical castration of pigs plays an important role.Postprint (published version

To Provide a Double Feeder in Growing Pigs Housed under High Environmental Temperatures Reduces Social Interactions but Does Not Improve Weight Gains

Heat stress and competition for food are two major challenges in pigs reared in intensive conditions. The aim of the present work was to study the e ect of providing a double feeder for pigs reared under two di erent environmental temperatures. In addition, two types of flooring, of 100% slat and 30% slat 70% concrete, were also considered. A total of 256 pigs in the growing-finishing period (from 27 kg to 110 kg) were housed using two environmental temperatures: control (from 18 C to 25 C) and heat stress (above 30 C six hours a day). They were housed in 32 pens of 8 pigs each, distributed into 4 rooms (16 with one feeder and 16 with two). Pigs subjected to temperatures above 30 C up to six hours had lower body weight gains than pigs subjected to a maximum temperature of 25 C, confirming that thermal stress negatively a ects performance in pigs. In addition, heat stress a ected the final product by decreasing the lean percentage of carcasses by 2.6%. A double feeder reduced the presence of negative social behavior, especially in the feeding area, but body weight was lower than when one single feeder was used. A 30% slat 70% concrete floor showed better results in the pig stress indicators and body weights than 100% slat. It is concluded that providing a double feeder in the pens, although reducing the presence of negative social interactions, negatively a ected body weight, in comparison to pigs fed with just one feeder.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Toma de decisiones en estudiantes de Grado de Ciencia Política y Administración [Decision-making in Political Science and Administration degree students]

La toma de decisiones es una de las competencias principales de los graduados en Ciencia Política y de la Administración. Analizamos una encuesta realizada a estudiantes durante los cursos 2006-2007 al 2012-2013, para la asignatura de Estructura Social de carácter obligatorio y equivalente a 6 créditos ECTS. Aplicamos el análisis multivariante para reducir la dimensionalidad de las variables estudiadas. Se construyen cuatro factores y un modelo de regresión logístico multinomial. Los resultados obtenidos indican que tres de los cuatro factores influyen positivamente a la hora de incrementar la probabilidad de pasar de una capacidad de Toma de decisiones de nivel nulo a un nivel elevado, sólo dos si se pasa a un nivel intermedio, y únicamente uno cuando se pasa a un nivel bajo. [Decision making is one of the main competencies graduates in Political Science and Administration should achieve. We analyzed a survey conducted among students from the 2006-2007 to the 2012-2013 academic courses, for the subject Social Structure, a compulsory subject with 6 ECTS credits. We used a multivariate analysis to reduce the dimensionality of the variables. Four factors were retained and then we applied a multinomial logistic regression model. The results indicate that (1) three of the factors have a positive influence on the probability to move from a null to a large decision making ability, and (2) the higher the decision making capacity, the more factors end up exerting a positive influence.

Fat Replacement by Vegetal Fibres to Improve the Quality of Sausages Elaborated with Non-Castrated Male Pork

Based on the need to find alternatives for the use of meat from non-castrated male pigs that contains high levels of androstenone and skatole, the production of meat products (raw and Frankfurt sausages) with reduced fat content was proposed, as these compounds are lipophilic. For this purpose, three batches of each product (total six) were produced. These included a control batch (1); normal fat content and two fat-reduced batches, where (2) fat was replaced with inulin and β-glucan, or (3) fat was replaced with inulin and β-glucan in addition to a skin grape by-product. These groups used meat from non-castrated male pigs that contained 6.25 µg/g androstenone and 0.4451 µg/g skatole. In general, fat-reduced sausages exhibited less brightness than did the controls. The texture results in Frankfurt were similar to those of the control, while Spanish sausage supplemented with grape skin exhibited reduced hardness. Both strategies resulted in a reduction in boar taint, and this reduction was up to 87.3% in raw sausages with grape by-products. Fat reduction could provide an interesting strategy to allow for the use of tainted meat from non-castrated male pigs.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A New MAMLD1 Variant in an Infant With Microphallus and Hypospadias With Hormonal Pattern Suggesting Partial Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism—Case Report

MAMLD1 gene; Hypospadias; MinipubertyGen MAMLD1; Hipospàdies; MinipubertatGen MAMLD1; Hipospadias; MinipubertadMAMLD1 (X chromosome) is one of the recognized genes related to different sex development. It is expressed in testis and ovaries and seems to be involved in fetal sex development and in adult reproductive function, including testosterone biosynthesis. However, its exact role remains unclear. Over 40 genetic variants have been described, mainly in male individuals and mostly associated with hypospadias. Although MAMLD1 has been shown to regulate the expression of the steroidogenic pathway, patients with MAMLD1 variants mostly show normal gonadal function and normal testosterone levels. Here we describe a patient (46,XY) with hypospadias and microphallus, with low testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels, and with inappropriately low values of luteinizing hormone (LH) during minipuberty. This hormonal pattern was suggestive of partial hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. A stimulation test with hCG (4 months) showed no significant increase in both testosterone and dihydrotestosterone concentrations. At 5 months of age, he was treated with intramuscular testosterone, and the penis length increased to 3.5 cm. The treatment was stopped at 6 months of age. Our gonadal function massive-sequencing panel detected a previously unreported nonsense variant in the MAMLD1 gene (c.1738C>T:p.Gln580Ter), which was classified as pathogenic. This MAMLD1 variant, predicting a truncated protein, could explain his genital phenotype. His hormonal profile (low testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, and LH concentrations) together with no significant increase of testosterone and DHT plasma concentrations (hCG test) highlight the potential role of this gene in the biosynthesis of testosterone during the fetal stage and minipuberty of the infant. Besides this, the LH values may suggest an involvement of MAMLD1 in the LH axis or a possible oligogenesis. It is the first time that a decrease in DHT has been described in a patient with an abnormal MAMLD1

D3.1. Architecture and design of the platform

This document aims to establish the requirements and the technological basis and design of the PANACEA platform. These are the main goals of the document: - Survey the different technological approaches that can be used in PANACEA. - Specify some guidelines for the metadata. - Establish the requirements for the platform. - Make a Common Interface proposal for the tools. - Propose a format for the data to be exchanged by the tools (Travelling Object). - Choose the technologies that will be used to develop the platform. - Propose a workplan

Abscisic Acid: A Novel Nutraceutical for Glycemic Control

Abscisic acid is naturally present in fruits and vegetables, and it plays an important role in managing glucose homeostasis in humans. According to the latest U.S. dietary survey, about 92% of the population might have a deficient intake of ABA due to their deficient intake of fruits and vegetables. This review summarizes the in vitro, preclinical, mechanistic, and human translational findings obtained over the past 15 years in the study of the role of ABA in glycemic control. In 2007, dietary ABA was first reported to ameliorate glucose tolerance and obesity-related inflammation in mice. The most recent findings regarding the topic of ABA and its proposed receptor lanthionine synthetase C-like 2 in glycemic control and their interplay with insulin and glucagon-like peptide-1 suggest a major role for ABA in the physiological response to a glucose load in humans. Moreover, emerging evidence suggests that the ABA response might be dysfunctional in diabetic subjects. Follow on intervention studies in healthy individuals show that low-dose dietary ABA administration exerts a beneficial effect on the glycemia and insulinemia profiles after oral glucose load. These recent findings showing benefits in humans, together with extensive efficacy data in mouse models of diabetes and inflammatory disease, suggest the need for reference ABA values and its possible exploitation of the glycemia-lowering effects of ABA for preventative purposes. Larger clinical studies on healthy, prediabetic, and diabetic subjects are needed to determine whether addressing the widespread dietary ABA deficiency improves glucose control in human