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Prediction of dry-cured ham weight loss and prospects of use in a pig breeding program
- V. Bonfatti, P. Carnier
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Large ham weight losses (WL) in dry-curing are undesired as they lead to a loss of marketable product and penalise the quality of the dry-cured ham. The availability of early predictions of WL may ease the adaptation of the dry-curing process to the characteristics of the thighs and increase the effectiveness of selective breeding in enhancing WL. Aims of this study were (i) to develop Bayesian and Random Forests (RFs) regression models for the prediction of ham WL during dry-curing using on-site infrared spectra of raw ham subcutaneous fat, carcass and raw ham traits as predictors and (ii) to estimate genetic parameters for WL and their predictions (P-WL). Visible-near infrared spectra were collected on the transversal section of the subcutaneous fat of raw hams. Carcass traits were carcass weight, carcass backfat depth, lean meat content and weight of raw hams. Raw ham traits included measures of ham subcutaneous fat depth and linear scores for round shape, subcutaneous fat thickness and marbling of the visible muscles of the thigh. Measures of WL were available for 1672 hams. The best prediction accuracies were those of a Bayesian regression model including the average spectrum, carcass and raw ham traits, with R2 values in validation of 0.46, 0.55 and 0.62, for WL at end of salting (23 days), resting (90 days) and curing (12 months), respectively. When WL at salting was used as an additional predictor of total WL, the R2 in validation was 0.67. Bayesian regressions were more accurate than RFs models in predicting all the investigated traits. Restricted maximum likelihood (REML) estimates of genetic parameters for WL and P-WL at the end of curing were estimated through a bivariate animal model including 1672 measures of WL and 8819 P-WL records. Results evidenced that the traits are heritable (h2 ± SE was 0.27 ± 0.04 for WL and 0.39 ± 0.04 for P-WL), and the additive genetic correlation is positive and high (ra = 0.88 ± 0.03). Prediction accuracy of ham WL is high enough to envisage a future use of prediction models in identifying batches of hams requiring an adaptation of the processing conditions to optimise results of the manufacturing process. The positive and high genetic correlation detected between WL and P-WL at the end of dry-curing, as well as the estimated heritability for P-WL, suggests that P-WL can be successfully used as an indicator trait of the measured WL in pig breeding programs.
The role of multicomponent therapy in the metabolic syndrome, inflammation and cardiovascular risk in obese adolescents
- Deborah C. L. Masquio, Aline de Piano, Raquel M. S. Campos, Priscila L. Sanches, June Carnier, Flávia C. Corgosinho, Bárbara D. M. Netto, Joana P. Carvalho-Ferreira, Lila M. Oyama, Claudia M. O. Nascimento, Marco T. de Mello, Sergio Tufik, Ana R. Dâmaso
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- Journal:
- British Journal of Nutrition / Volume 113 / Issue 12 / 28 June 2015
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 24 April 2015, pp. 1920-1930
- Print publication:
- 28 June 2015
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Obesity is characterised by low-grade inflammation, which increases the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and cardiovascular risks. The aim of the present study was to verify the role of multicomponent therapy in controlling the MetS, inflammation and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) in obese adolescents. The second aim was to investigate the relationships between adipokines, the MetS parameters and cIMT. A total of sixty-nine obese adolescents participated in the present study and completed 1 year of multicomponent therapy (a combination of strategies involving nutrition, psychology, physical exercise and clinical therapy), and were divided according to their MetS diagnosis as follows: MetS (n 19); non-MetS (n 50). Blood analyses of glucose, lipid and adipokine concentrations (adiponectin, leptin, plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) and C-reactive protein) were collected. Insulin resistance was assessed using the homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance, quantitative insulin sensitivity check index and homeostasis model assessment-adiponectin. cIMT and visceral and subcutaneous fat were estimated using ultrasonography. At baseline, the MetS group presented higher waist circumference, glucose and insulin levels, and systolic and median blood pressures compared with the non-MetS group. After therapy, both groups showed improvements in the anthropometric profile, body composition, insulin level, insulin resistance, insulin sensibility, TAG and VLDL-cholesterol, adiponectin, leptin and PAI-1 levels, blood pressure and cIMT. The prevalence of the MetS was reduced from 27·5 to 13·0 %. Metabolic syndrome patients showed resistance in the attenuation of total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels and leptin:adiponectin and adiponectin:leptin ratios. In the MetS group, the variation in the adiponectin:leptin ratio was correlated with variations in glucose, insulin sensibility, total cholesterol, LDL-c and systolic blood pressure. Additionally, the number of MetS parameters was correlated with the carotid measurement. Moreover, the variation in cIMT was correlated with the variations in insulin sensibility, total cholesterol and LDL-c. For the entire group, the number of MetS alterations was correlated with the leptin level and leptin:adiponectin ratio and adiponectin:leptin ratio after therapy. In conclusion, multicomponent therapy was effective in controlling the MetS, inflammation and cIMT in the obese adolescents. However, the MetS patients showed resistance in the attenuation of the atherogenic lipid profile and leptin:adiponectin ratio and adiponectin:leptin ratio. These results suggest that the MetS patients have increased cardiovascular risks, and that it is important to attempt to control the inflammatory process that occurs due to obesity in clinical practice in order to improve the health of adolescents.
Genetic parameters for daily live-weight gain, live fleshiness and bone thinness in station-tested Piemontese young bulls
- A. Albera, R. Mantovani, G. Bittante, A. F. Groen, P. Carnier
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- Journal:
- Animal Science / Volume 72 / Issue 3 / June 2001
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 18 August 2016, pp. 449-456
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- June 2001
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Estimates of genetic parameters for beef production traits were obtained for Piemontese cattle. Data were from 988 young bulls station-tested from 1989 till 1998. Bulls entered the station at 6 to 8 weeks of age and, after an adaptation period of 3 months, were tested for growth, live fleshiness and bone thinness. Length of test was 196 days. Growth traits considered were gain at farm, gain during the adaptation period, gain on test and total gain at the station. Six different fleshiness traits and bone thinness were scored on live animals at the end of the test using a linear system. Live evaluations of fleshiness were adjusted for the weight at scoring in order to provide an assessment of conformation independent of body size. Genetic parameters were estimated using animal models. Heritability of live-weight gain ranged from 0·20 in the adaptation period to 0·60 for total gain at the station. Genetic correlations between gains at station in different periods were high (from 0·63 to 0·97). Residual correlation between gain during the adaptation period and gain during test was negative, probably due to the occurrence of compensatory growth of the animals.
Live fleshiness traits and bone thinness were of moderate to high heritability (from 0·34 to 0·55) and highly correlated indicating that heavy muscled bulls also have thin bones. Accuracy of breeding values and therefore response to selection were improved by multiple trait analysis of the live fleshiness traits and bone thinness. Overall weight gain at the station had a moderate negative genetic correlation with all live fleshiness traits and bone thinness (from –0·11 to –0·39).
Genetic aspects of condition score, heart girth and milk-yield traits in Italian Friesian cows
- L. Gallo, P. Carnier, M. Cassandro, R. Dal Zotto, G. Bittante
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- Journal:
- BSAP Occasional Publication / Volume 24 / 1999
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 27 February 2018, pp. 159-164
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- 1999
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Functional traits related to costs are currently of interest for selection and management of dairy cattle. The present study was aimed to estimate heritability for body condition score (BCS) and heart girth (HG), to investigate the genetic relationships between BCS, HG and milk-yield traits using a test-day model and to analyse the consistency of the estimates in different lactation stages. Cows from 25 dairy herds were scored for BCS and measured for HG at 3-month intervals for 2 years. Approximately 5000 test-day observations on BCS, HG and milk fat and protein yield from 1429 Italian Friesian cows were analysed using two approaches: (1) repeated observations were treated as repeated measurements of the same trait, both within and across lactations; (2) observations collected in different stages of lactation (dry period, 1 to 75 days in milk (DIM), 76 to 130 DIM, 131 to 210 DIM, 211 to 300 DIM) were treated as different traits. (Co)variance components and related parameters were estimated using REML multiple-trait procedures and unequal design animal models.
Heritability estimates (approach 1) for fat and protein test-day yield, BCS and HG were 0.22, 0.18, 0.29 and 0.33, respectively. BCS was negatively correlated with yield traits (-0.43 and -0.48 for fat and protein yield, respectively) but positively correlated (0.33) with HG. Genetic relationships between HG and milk-yield traits were negligible. Heritability estimates (approach 2) were 0.28 and 0.27 for BCS recorded in the first half of lactation (1 to 75 and 76 to 130 DIM, respectively), 0.36 for BCS measured on cows in the second half of lactation and 0.32 for BCS recorded on dry cows. Heritability estimates for HG in different lactation stages ranged from 0.31 to 0.40. Genetic correlations between BCS measured in different lactation stages were generally high (0.85 or more), with the exception of the correlation between the first and the last stage of lactation (0.74) and of the relationships between the beginning of lactation and the dry period (0.7). Genetic correlations between HG measured in different lactation stages were mostly higher than 0.80.