Consumer Acceptability of Dry Cured Meat from Cull Ewes Reared with Different Linseed Supplementation Levels and Feeding Durations

Dry cured meatcecina''is a traditional, although not well-known, dry product that could add value to cull ewes. Because of this, the aim of the study was to assess consumer acceptability of cecina'' from cull ewes finished with different levels of linseed (5, 10 or 15%) for different periods before slaughtering (30, 50 or 70 days). One hundred and fifty consumers evaluated colour acceptability, fatness and odour, flavour and overall acceptability of cecina'' from those 9 treatments. Additionally, habits of consumption of cured products and preferences for different species and willingness to pay for cecina'' were investigated. Linseed supplementation was identified as the most important factor for sensorial attributes (p < 0.01), with the preferred cecina'' being that with 5% and 10% supplementation. Feeding duration only modified the fatness acceptability (p < 0.01). Cecina'' from small ruminants is a product consumed occasionally by the majority of participants; however, it presented an adequate overall acceptability. Consequently, elaborating cecina'' would be a feasible strategy to improve the income of farmers

Evaluation of Antioxidant Parameters in Rats Treated with Sevoflurane

SummaryBackground and objectivesSevoflurane is a halogenated fluorinated ether that undergoes hepatic biotransformation through cytochrome P4502E1. Halogenated ethers undergoing biotransformation by P4502E1 can produce reactive oxygen species (ROS), weakening the antioxidant defense mechanism. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between the activity of erythrocyte antioxidant enzymes and sevoflurane.MethodsAnimals were divided in four groups: Group 1 – control: 100% oxygen (1 L.min-1 for 60 min during five consecutive days); Group 2 – 4.0% sevoflurane in 100% oxygen (1 L.min-1 for 60 minutes during five consecutive days); Group 3 – isoniazid (i.p.), 50 mg.kg-1/day for four consecutive days, followed by 100% oxygen (1 L.min-1 for 60 minutes during four consecutive days); Group 4 – intraperitoneal isoniazid, 50 mg.kg-1 daily for four days, followed by 4.0% sevoflurane in 100% oxygen (1 L.min-1 for 60 minutes during five days). Twelve hours after the last exposure to sevoflurane, animals were sacrificed and their blood was collected through the portal vein for analysis of antioxidant enzymes.ResultsAn increase in the activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and a decrease in the activity of catalase were observed, especially in the group of animals pre-treated with isoniazid. Changes in the activity of glutathione peroxidase were not observed.ConclusionsThe interaction between sevoflurane and cytochrome P450 2E1 with enzymatic inducers can lead to oxidative stress with prolonged and repetitive exposure

Características de la canal y de la carne en la raza caprina Bermeya. Comparación con el Ternasco de Aragón y lechales de la raza Murciano-Granadina

Se ha estudiado la calidad de la raza caprina Bermeya: lechales ligeros (BL) y cabritos pesados de explotación tradicional (BP), que se compararon con productos reconocidos (lechal de la raza Murciano-Granadina (MG) y corderos amparados bajo la IGP Ternasco de Aragón (TA). Los animales fueron criados y sacrificados en condiciones comerciales, y seleccionados por las respectivas Asociaciones de Productores y Consejo Regulador. Los porcentajes de hueso y músculo fueron mayores, y el de grasa inferior, en Bermeya (P < 0,001), encontrándose, igualmente, diferencias en la composición química de la carne. Los animales bermeyos presentaron valores de pH superiores (P < 0,001) a los de MG o TA. Los BP presentaron un índice de rojo y croma mayor respecto a BL. Tanto el tipo de animal como el tiempo de maduración afectaron significativamente a la textura. Así, MG mostró el mayor valor al 20% de compresión (C20) a 2 días de maduración (P < 0,001) y el TA los menores al 80% de compresión (C80) en todos los tiempos de maduración (P < 0,001). Se observaron diferencias significativas en casi todos los ácidos grasos analizados y en la intensidad de olor a especie (P < 0,05), terneza, jugosidad e intensidad de flavor a especie (P < 0,001), valoradas por un panel entrenado. En aceptabilidad global y de la terneza (consumidores), BL presentaron puntuaciones superiores (P < 0,001) a BP, aunque inferiores a las de los productos de referencia. Los resultados obtenidos sugieren, no obstante, una buena aceptación de los productos de la raza Bermeya y un cierto grado de diferenciación con los productos con los que han sido comparados Meat quality characteristics from Bermeya goat breed were studied. Light suckling kids (n = 12) and heavy kids from the traditional production system (n = 10) were compared with reference products from the Spanish market (suckling kids from Murciano-Granadina breed (MG); n = 12 and light lamb included in the Ternasco de Aragón Protected Geographic Indication (TA); n = 12). Animals were reared and slaughtered under commercial conditions, and selected from the respective Breeder Associations. Bermeya carcasses showed greater percentage of bone and muscle (P < 0.001), and lower percentage of fat in comparison with the other types, differing also in the chemical meat composition. pH values were higher in both Bermeya breed types than in MG and TA. Redness and Chroma increased with age in the Bermeya breed. Both type of animal and ageing affected textural variables. Murciano-Granadina meat showed the highest value of compression at 20% (C20) at 2 days of ageing (P < 0.001) and TA the smallest at 80% of compression rate (C80) at all the ageing times analyzed (P < 0.001). Differences between commercial types were observed both in most fatty acids and in the intensity of species odor (P < 0.05), tenderness, juiciness and specie flavour (P < 0.001) evaluated by trained panelists. A higher tenderness and overall acceptability scores were given by consumers to light Bermeya in comparison with heavy Bermeya kids (P < 0.001), and both were lower than those of the reference products. Results suggest a good acceptability and certain degree of differentiation from Bermeya breed products with respect to those compared with

Phase transitions in the spinless Falicov-Kimball model with correlated hopping

The canonical Monte-Carlo is used to study the phase transitions from the low-temperature ordered phase to the high-temperature disordered phase in the two-dimensional Falicov-Kimball model with correlated hopping. As the low-temperature ordered phase we consider the chessboard phase, the axial striped phase and the segregated phase. It is shown that all three phases persist also at finite temperatures (up to the critical temperature $\tau_c$) and that the phase transition at the critical point is of the first order for the chessboard and axial striped phase and of the second order for the segregated phase. In addition, it is found that the critical temperature is reduced with the increasing amplitude of correlated hopping $t'$ in the chessboard phase and it is strongly enhanced by $t'$ in the axial striped and segregated phase.Comment: 17 pages, 6 figure

Point-Contact Conductances at the Quantum Hall Transition

On the basis of the Chalker-Coddington network model, a numerical and analytical study is made of the statistics of point-contact conductances for systems in the integer quantum Hall regime. In the Hall plateau region the point-contact conductances reflect strong localization of the electrons, while near the plateau transition they exhibit strong mesoscopic fluctuations. By mapping the network model on a supersymmetric vertex model with GL(2|2) symmetry, and postulating a two-point correlator in keeping with the rules of conformal field theory, we derive an explicit expression for the distribution of conductances at criticality. There is only one free parameter, the power law exponent of the typical conductance. Its value is computed numerically to be X_t = 0.640 +/- 0.009. The predicted conductance distribution agrees well with the numerical data. For large distances between the two contacts, the distribution can be described by a multifractal spectrum solely determined by X_t. Our results demonstrate that multifractality can show up in appropriate transport experiments.Comment: 18 pages, 15 figures included, revised versio