Dietary CLA alters intramuscular fat and fatty acid composition of pig skeletal muscle and subcutaneous adipose tissue

The present study was conducted to determinate the responsiveness of different levels of dietary conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) on intramuscular fat (IMF) and fatty acid composition of skeletal muscle and fat in pigs fed from 59.5 to 133.5 kg. Forty female Large White × (Large White × Landrace) pigs were used. Four levels (0%, 0.5%, 1% and 2%) of a commercial enriched CLA oil supplementation (60% of CLA isomers, 30% cis-9, trans-11 and 30% trans-10, cis-12) were fed to pigs. Carcass, ham, foreleg and loin weights were recorded. Dietary CLA enrichment increased the loin weight (P < 0.01) and the combined weights of hams + forelegs + loins (P < 0.02). IMF content in Longissimus dorsi was also increased by dietary CLA treatment (P < 0.001) and a linear response was observed. Dietary CLA increased saturated fatty acids (SFA) and decreased monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) in muscle and adipose tissue (P < 0.001). Feeding 1% CLA to finishing swine increases IMF in heavy pigs slaughtered at an average weight of 133.5 kg.     

Effect of feeding system on the growth and carcass characteristics of Iberian pigs, and the use of ultrasound to estimate yields of joints

Forty three-castrated male Iberian pigs of the Torbiscal line with an average initial weight of 102.27kg were used. A group of 22 pigs was fed according to the traditional way in free-range conditions with acorn and grass from November to January. Another group of 21 animals was fed 3.72kg/day of a conventional feed that contained 12.53MJME/kg, 16.21% crude protein, 4.94% fat and 6.64% of crude fiber, during the same period. Measurements of backfat thickness and Longissimus dorsi muscle area at the last rib were taken by means of a real-time ultrasound device (Kretz Technick Inc., 600 V-V2.32, Sonovet, Austria) in all pigs before slaughter. After slaughter, carcass, ham and foreleg weights and backfat and muscle area measurement from the last rib chop were recorded. The average daily gain, carcass yield, fat thickness, loin area, ham weight and proportion of hams were significantly higher (P<0.05) in the pigs fed in confinement than in those fed extensively (653.36g, 77.97%, 56.46mm, 3031mm(2), 22.26kg and 14.32% vs 501.48g, 76.94%, 51.74mm, 2673mm(2), 21.52kg and 13.79%, respectively). This paper shows the prediction equations for hams, forelegs and total hams and forelegs weights and proportions with respect to slaughter weight and live ultrasound measurements in pigs fed either extensively or in confinement. The ultrasound measurements better predicted the carcass cuts absolute amounts (R(2)=0.591-0.875) than the carcass cuts proportions (R(2)=0.23-0.40). The use of real-time ultrasound should be used with caution to predict the absolute quantities of hams and forelegs from Iberian pigs since the ultrasound measurements are only moderately accurate.     

Feeding Iberian pigs with acorns and grass in either free-range or confinement affects the carcass characteristics and fatty acids and tocopherols accumulation in Longissimus dorsi muscle and backfat

The experiment was undertaken to provide information on the influence of grass intake in a high fat diet based on acorns, in either free-range or confinement, on the carcass yield and characteristics, and on the accumulation of fatty acids and tocopherols. Groups raised free-range or with acorns and grass in confinement had the highest total backfat. Grass addition to the feed did not significantly modify the carcass weight and cut yield. However, outdoor raising produced lower carcass weights and yield, Longissimus dorsi muscle and ham weights than those fed the formulated diet or acorns and grass in confinement. Neither grass intake nor outdoor rearing did modify significantly the proportion of saturated fatty acids of the backfat. However, a lower proportion of saturated fatty acids was found in the intramuscular neutral lipids from pigs fed outdoors. Pigs reared free-range had significantly (P=0.0001) higher proportions of C18:1n-9 in the inner layer and in the intramuscular neutral lipids than the other groups. The grass intake significantly (P=0.0001) increased the proportion of C18:3n-3 in the inner and outer fat layers and intramuscular neutral lipids, while the outdoor rearing system not only affected on the proportion of linolenic acid but also C22:5 and C22:6 of the inner backfat layer and intramuscular polar lipids. These results suggest that the outdoor rearing allows a higher accumulation of n-3 fatty acids maybe due to an increased activity of the desaturase and elongase enzymes. On the other hand, the accumulation of tocopherols was not significantly modified neither by the grass intake nor the outdoor rearing, while differences were detected by the type of feeding (diet vs. acorns/acorns and grass). It is concluded, that the outdoor rearing system affects the nutritional value of meat, mainly by improving the fatty acid composition.     

Psychometric comparability of English- and Spanish-language measures of anxiety and related affective symptoms.

An array of measures of anxiety and related disorders (viz., Albany Panic and Phobia Questionnaire; Anxiety Sensitivity Index; Beck Anxiety Inventory; Beck Depression Inventory-II; Body Sensation Questionnaire; Fear Questionnaire; Padua Inventory; Penn State Worry Questionnaire; Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Diagnostic Scale; Social Interaction Anxiety Inventory; and Worry Scale) was edited or translated from English into Spanish. Following an extensive edit and translation process, bilingual participants (n?=?98) were assessed with the English and Spanish versions of these measures. Coefficient alphas were excellent and comparable across language versions. Means and standard deviations were also comparable across language versions. Evidence of convergent and discriminant validity was found for both language versions. The two language versions of each measure correlated highly with each other. This psychometric comparability adds confidence in using the newly edited or translated Spanish language measures in clinical practice and research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Radial scan of the molecular electrostatic potential of RNA double helices: an application to the enzyme-tRNA recognition

We introduced a method to characterize quantitatively the molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) of the minor and major grooves of base pairs located at nucleic acid double helices. By means of a radial MEP scan, we obtained a n-tuple of potential values corresponding to each groove, which can be analyzed by plotting the MEP values as a function of the angle in the radial scan. We studied base pairs of two different tRNAs, relevant in the recognition process with their cognate aminoacyl tRNA synthetases (aaRSs), in order to correlate their electrostatic behavior with the corresponding aminoacylation activity. We analyzed the first three base pairs of the Escherichia coli tRNA(Ala) acceptor stem, finding several cases where the MEP profiles obtained from the plots are in agreement with the reported aminoacylation activities. Additionally, a non-hierarchical clustering performed over the MEP n-tuples resulted in meaningful classifications that correlate with the activity and with the predicted stereochemistry of the reaction. We also studied the first two base pairs of the E. coli tRNA(Thr) acceptor stem but constraining the analysis to the angle intervals that seem relevant for the binding sites of the enzyme. These intervals were deduced from the ThrRS-tRNA(Thr) complex crystal structure. In this case, we also found a good agreement between the MEP profiles and the activity, supporting the idea that the tRNA identity elements function is to allow an optimal electrostatic complementarity between the aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase and the tRNA.     

Kinetics of thermal inactivation of transglutaminase from a newly isolated Bacillus circulans BL32

BACKGROUND: This paper describes the modeling of the kinetics of thermal inactivation of transglutaminase (TGase) from a newly isolated Bacillus circulans BL32, isolated from the Amazon environment. The purified enzyme was incubated at temperatures ranging from 30 to 70 °C and values of the thermodynamic inactivation parameters, such as activation energy (ΔE), activation enthalpy (ΔH), activation entropy (ΔS), and free energy (ΔG) for thermal inactivation, were calculated. RESULTS: The kinetics of TGase thermo‐inactivation followed a Lumry–Eyring model. The enzyme was very stable up to 50 °C, with approximately 50% of activity remaining after heating for 12 h. It was completely inactivated by incubation at 70 °C for 2 min. ΔE for TGase was 350.5 kJ mol^?1. ΔH and ΔS for thermo‐inactivation of the TGase were 347.8 kJ mol^?1 and 744 J mol^?1 K^?1 at 50 °C, respectively. Dynamic light scattering measurements suggest that the thermal inactivation of this microbial TGase can be partially attributed to the formation of aggregates. CONCLUSION: These results provide useful information about the thermal characteristics of the microbial TGase from B. circulans BL32 and indicate that this enzyme could be a good candidate for industrial applications. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Mercury elimination from gaseous streams

The elimination of mercury vapours from gaseous streams has been studied using sulfurized silicates as adsorbents. A new method to sulfurize the materials based in hydrogen sulfide oxidation at low temperature is proposed. The sulfur produced in the reaction is deposited on the material, its dispersion depending on the process temperature and physico-chemical properties of the silicates used. The adsorbents were tested in static and dynamic systems for mercury depuration of gaseous streams. Commercial sulfurized active carbon was used as a reference. X-ray diffraction, atomic absorption spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, nitrogen adsorption-desorption and mercury intrusion porosimetry were used in raw materials and adsorbents characterization.     

Linear monitoring of patients sensitive to Olea and grass pollens treated with immunotherapy based on glutaraldehyde-modified (allergoid) extracts

Extracts modified with glutaraldehyde (allergoid) have been offered to allergologists for immunotherapy in the last few years as supposedly clinically effective agents that diminish undesirable side-effects (allergenicity vs. immunogenicity). In order to acquire experience in the use of this therapeutic resource, we monitored a group of patients with pollinosis sensitive to Olea, grass pollens or both, who suffered from seasonal rhinoconjunctivitis (SRC) or rhinoconjunctivitis and seasonal asthma (RCSA) and were administered allergoid treatments standardized in biological units (HEP). The patients were monitored by determination of specific IgE and IgG4, endpoint prick tests and conjunctival provocation tests (CPT) with two types of antigen: Lolium perenne and Olea europaea. Measurements were made at baseline (T1), when the maximal tolerated dose had been given (T2) and 1 year after the treatment was started (T3). According to our results, this type of extract is tolerated quite well and causes no alterations in specific IgG4 or IgE levels. On the other hand, it features significantly decreased allergen-specific skin reactivity and increased response thresholds to the CPT (p < 0.01). A high correlation between skin and conjunctival provocation tests was observed at some stages (r = 0.79, p < 0.01).     

Multi-objective optimization of water consumption for a methanol synthesis process

Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy - Methanol is an important product in chemical industries, having many applications: solvent, fuel and mainly being a feedstock for a large number of...