Sheep and Goat Meat Processing and Quality

Sheep and goat meat production includes the increased demand for grass-fed and organic meat and value-added products such as sausages, meatballs, and burgers [...].

Introducing Mediterranean Lupins in Lamb Diets: Effects on Carcass Composition, Meat Quality, and Intramuscular Fatty Acid Profile

The objective of this preliminary study was to evaluate the effects of partial replacement of soybean meal by lupins on lambs’ diets, on the carcass traits, meat characteristics, and meat fatty acid profile. Two trials were conducted: In trial 1, the soybean meal (control; C) was partially replaced by Lupinus albus or Lupinus luteus (50 g/kg; LA5 and LL5, respectively); in trial 2, lambs were fed four diets with graded levels of Lupinus luteus (0, 100, 150 and 200 g/kg; C, LL10, LL15, LL20, respectively). At the end of the feeding trials, animals were slaughtered to evaluate carcass characteristics and meat composition, including fatty acids. Carcass composition in tissues was not affected (p > 0.05) by diet in both trials. Additionally, no significant (p < 0.05) differences were observed in meat quality attributes between diets in trials 1 and 2. Overall, the Longissimus muscle’s fatty acid content was not affected by diet (p > 0.05) in both trials. Carcass and meat quality was overall comparable between lambs fed with soybean meal and lupins, indicating the latter as a potential alternative protein source. However, the lack of significant differences could also be attributed to the small sample size.

Evaluation of an Image Analysis Approach to Predicting Primal Cuts and Lean in Light Lamb Carcasses

Simple Summary

The traditional way of estimating the carcass composition by complete dissection of muscle, fat and bone is an expensive, time-consuming and inconsistent process. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of a simple video image analysis (VIA) system to predict the composition and primal cuts using light lamb carcasses. The six cuts of the carcasses were grouped according to their commercial value: high-value cuts (HVC), medium-value (MVC), low-value (LVC) and all of the cuts (AllC). Results showed the ability of the VIA system to estimate the weight and yield of the groups of carcass joints.

Abstract

Carcass dissection is a more accurate method for determining the composition of a carcass; however, it is expensive and time-consuming. Techniques like VIA are of great interest once they are objective and able to determine carcass contents accurately. This study aims to evaluate the accuracy of a flexible VIA system to determine the weight and yield of the commercial value of carcass cuts of light lamb. Photos from 55 lamb carcasses are taken and a total of 21 VIA measurements are assessed. The half-carcasses are divided into six primal cuts, grouped according to their commercial value: high-value (HVC), medium-value (MVC), low-value (LVC) and all of the cuts (AllC). K-folds cross-validation stepwise regression analyses are used to estimate the weights of the cuts in the groups and their lean meat yields. The models used to estimate the weight of AllC, HVC, MVC and LVC show similar results and a k-fold coefficient of determination (k-fold-R²) of 0.99 is achieved for the HVC and AllC predictions. The precision of the weight and yield of the three prediction models varies from low to moderate, with k-fold-R² results between 0.186 and 0.530, p < 0.001. The prediction models used to estimate the total lean meat weight are similar and low, with k-fold-R² results between 0.080 and 0.461, p < 0.001. The results confirm the ability of the VIA system to estimate the weights of parts and their yields. However, more research is needed on estimating lean meat yield.

Understanding stress in patients with multiple sclerosis: The joint predictive role of disease characteristics and emotion regulation processes

Introduction

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory, demyelinating, and neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system. This condition is enhanced by stress. In turn, stress symptoms are a risk factor for the onset and progression of MS. However, knowledge about predictors of stress in patients with MS is scarce.

Objectives

This preliminary study aimed to verify whether the number of relapses, fatigue, physical disability (MS characteristics), experiential avoidance and self-judgment (emotion regulation processes) predict stress symptoms in patients diagnosed with MS.

Methods

A convenience sample of 101 patients diagnosed with MS and without other neurological diseases participated in this study. Participants completed the Depression Scale of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales-21, Analog Fatigue Scale, World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule-12, Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II, and Self-Judgment Subscale of the Self-Compassion Scale.

Results

All predictors initially hypothesized and years of education have significant correlations with stress symptoms. Simple linear regression analyses showed that the variables significantly predicted stress symptoms and were, therefore, included in the multiple linear regression model. This model explained 51.8% of the variance of the stress symptoms and showed that years of education, the number of relapses, fatigue, and experiential avoidance significantly predicted those symptoms.

Conclusions

The promotion of mental health mental in patients with MS must develop functional skills to deal with stress induced by years of education (possibly responsible for the degree of awareness about MS and its consequences), recurrence of relapses and fatigue, and should minimize emotion regulation strategies focused on experiential avoidance.

Non-Destructive Imaging and Spectroscopic Techniques for Assessment of Carcass and Meat Quality in Sheep and Goats: A Review

In the last decade, there has been a significant development in rapid, non-destructive and non-invasive techniques to evaluate carcass composition and meat quality of meat species. This article aims to review the recent technological advances of non-destructive and non-invasive techniques to provide objective data to evaluate carcass composition and quality traits of sheep and goat meat. We highlight imaging and spectroscopy techniques and practical aspects, such as accuracy, reliability, cost, portability, speed and ease of use. For the imaging techniques, recent improvements in the use of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging to assess sheep and goat carcass and meat quality will be addressed. Optical technologies are gaining importance for monitoring and evaluating the quality and safety of carcasses and meat and, among them, those that deserve more attention are visible and infrared reflectance spectroscopy, hyperspectral imagery and Raman spectroscopy. In this work, advances in research involving these techniques in their application to sheep and goats are presented and discussed. In recent years, there has been substantial investment and research in fast, non-destructive and easy-to-use technology to raise the standards of quality and food safety in all stages of sheep and goat meat production.

Sheep and Goat Meat Processed Products Quality: A Review

Even though sheep and goat processed meat products are not as popular as pork, beef or poultry and are generally considered not as important, they have a very important role in meat consumption around the world. A concise review of the origin and type of the most important sheep and goat processed meat products produced in different countries and world regions is made. The manuscript also summarizes the most recent studies on sheep and goat processed meats on the physicochemical characterizations, sensory quality, microbiological quality and safety. Some conclusions and future trends in production, processing and commercial potentiality for sheep and goat processed meat products are discussed. Several possibilities exist to make them more diversified and appealing to the market. Processing meat from culled animals is an interesting way to value animals with low market acceptability. Some as fermented sausages, cured legs and pâtés have great commercial potential as highly acceptable consumer commodities. An interesting field of food research is the rediscovery of a new generation of goat and sheep meat products as functional foods that will respond to the constant innovation required by the meat industry. Everything related to food safety must be considered in the future.

Utilization of Bioelectrical Impedance to Predict Intramuscular Fat and Physicochemical Traits of the Beef Longissimus Thoracis et Lumborum Muscle

The bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a non-destructive technique that has been successfully used to assess the body and carcass composition of farm species. This study aimed to predict intramuscular fat (IMF) and physicochemical traits in the longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscle (LM) of beef, using BIA. These traits were evaluated in LM samples of 52 crossbred heifer carcasses. The BIA was performed in LM, using a 50 Hz frequency high precision impedance converter system. A correlation analysis of the studied variables was performed. Then a stepwise with a k-folds cross validation procedure was used to modelling the prediction of IMF and physicochemical traits from BIA parameters (24.5% ≤ CV ≤ 47.3%). Wide variation was found for IMF and BIA parameters. In general, correlations of BIA parameters with IMF and physicochemical traits were moderate to high and were similar for all BIA parameters (−0.50 ≤ r ≤ 0.50 only for total pigments, a* and pH48). It was possible to predict IMF and physicochemical traits from BIA. The best fit explained 79.3% of the variation in IMF, while for physicochemical traits the best fits were for sarcomere length and shear force (64.4% and 60.5%, respectively). The results confirmed the potential of BIA for objective measurement of meat quality.

Cardiac manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis: a case-control transesophageal echocardiography study in 30 patients

OBJECTIVES

Current knowledge of the cardiac manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) stems only from clinical and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) studies. To determine the incidence and type of heart lesions in RA, we coupled TTE with transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), which is more sensitive and more accurate.

METHODS

Thirty unselected RA patients (26 women and 4 men aged 27 to 84 years, with a mean age of 57.8+/-15.1 years) free of known progressive heart disease underwent a chest radiograph, an electrocardiogram, laboratory tests, and TTE coupled with TEE. Results were compared with those in age- and sex-matched patients who were free of rheumatic disease and who underwent TEE to investigate a neurologic or cardiologic disorder.

RESULTS

Mitral regurgitation (MR) was evidenced in 24 cases (80%). Among the controls, only 11 (37%) had MR (P < 0.001). Aortic regurgitation was found in 10 cases (33%), versus 7 controls (not significant-NS). Seven cases (23%) versus only 2 controls (7%) had tricuspid valve abnormalities (NS). Pericarditis was found in 4 cases (13%) and in none of the controls. Eleven cases had evidence of cardiomyopathy (37%) and 12 (40%) had atheroma of the aorta, this last being missed by TTE in 10 patients. Echo-generating nodules were seen on a mitral valve in 2 cases and on an aortic valve in 1. We found no correlations linking cardiac lesions to clinical or laboratory features of RA.

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrated that cardiac involvement, particularly of the mitral valve, is extremely common in RA patients.

Prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis and spondyloarthropathy in Brittany, France. Société de Rhumatologie de l'Ouest

OBJECTIVE

To document the prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and spondyloarthropathy (SpA) in Brittany, France.

METHODS

(1) Members of rheumatism self-help groups screened cases using questionnaires. (2) Rheumatologists in our unit contacted persons who had possible inflammatory rheumatic diseases and persons who refused the first interview. (3) When diagnosis remained unknown or discordant with the questionnaire, the general practitioner or the rheumatologist of these patients was interviewed. (4) Patients without diagnosis and who had not had a rheumatological examination were examined without charge by a rheumatologist.

RESULTS

An overall prevalence rate of 0.62% (0.33-0.91) and 0.47% (0.22-0.72) was found for RA and for SpA, respectively. The prevalence of RA and SpA was 0.86 (0.39-1.33) and 0.53 (0.16-0.9) in women and 0.32 (0.01-0.63) and 0.41 (0.05-0.77) in men. The minimum prevalence of RA and SpA calculated on the estimated initial group (3189 persons) was 0.53 (0.28-0.78) and 0.41 (0.18-0.63), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Our telephone survey revealed that the prevalences of RA and SpA are nearly similar among our population and that SpA is as common in women as in men.

Risk factors for radiographic articular destruction of hands and wrists in rheumatoid arthritis

OBJECTIVE

To carry out a cross sectional case-control study of the risk factors for articular destruction in a large sample of patients with a long history of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), presupposing that the variables we measured were unrelated to the duration of disease.

METHODS

Each inpatient with RA admitted to our department from January 1, 1985, to December 31, 1995, underwent standard examination, laboratory tests, and hand roentgenograms. We carried out a radiographic cross sectional study on 287 of them. Radiographic evaluation was performed by the same observer (correlation coefficient 0.97) using the modified Sharp method. To investigate an association between articular destruction and prognostic variables, a matched analysis of the case-control data and calculation of the odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were carried out. For each patient with severe articular destruction, patients hospitalized during the study period with the same disease duration but without severe articular destruction were included as controls. The sample size was chosen to show an OR > 2 (1-alpha = 95%; 1-beta = 80%).

RESULTS

The risk of articular joint destruction was higher in women than in men (OR 2.72, CI 1.17-7.9, p<0.023), whereas age at onset or the presence of HLA-DR4, antiperinuclear factor, or antikeratin antibodies was not sufficiently strongly associated with the process of articular destruction to be considered relevant prognostic markers.

CONCLUSION

We conclude that female sex is significantly associated with a higher risk of articular destruction.

Mortality in rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis reduces not only quality but also length of life. In the 14 main studies conducted since 1980, in a total of 13,424 patients, the mean standardized mortality ratio was 1.82 (range, 0.87-3) as compared to the population at large. Life expectancy was shortened by 5 to 10 years in most studies. The diversity of the methods used explains the discrepancies among results. Excess mortality may occur in only some subsets of patients. Both rheumatoid complications and an increase in nonspecific causes of death (e.g., infections) contribute to the excess mortality. Factors predictive of premature death are the same as those predictive of functional impairment. Many unknowns remain about the condition of rheumatoid arthritis patients at the end of their life.

Are tennis players at increased risk for low back pain and sciatica?

OBJECTIVE

Tennis practiced intensively is generally held to be a risk factor for low back pain. The objective of our study was to evaluate the prevalence of low back pain with or without sciatica during the last week in tennis players versus controls.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

During an international tennis competition held in Brest, France, ten physicians or medical students interviewed 633 spectators older than 18 years and divided them into tennis players and controls. The sample size was selected to allow detection of a twofold increase in the risk of low back pain in tennis players (with alpha = 5% and 1-beta = 80%).

RESULTS

Of the 633 subjects, 388 were and 245 were not tennis players. There were 421 men with a mean age of 37 +/- 13.7 years and 212 women with a mean age of 34.3 +/- 12.7. Among the men, 49 of the 281 tennis players (17.4%) reported low back pain during the last week versus 26 of the 140 controls (18.6%). Corresponding figures in women were 20 of 107 tennis players (18.7%) and 29 of 105 controls (27.6%). Sciatica was not more common in tennis players (men, 20 of 281 tennis players [7.1%] versus 6 of 140 controls [4.3%]; women, 8 of 107 tennis players [7.5%] versus 10 of 105 controls [9.5%]). None of the differences between tennis players and controls were significant. The number of hours spent playing tennis per week was similar in tennis players with and without low back pain.

CONCLUSION

Our interview-based cross-sectional study found no evidence that playing tennis involves a higher risk of low back pain with or without sciatica.

HLA-B27 in French patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Aims were to determine the prevalence of the HLA-B27 phenotype in a group of patients with RA, and to evaluate the clinical, radiological and, serological characteristics of RA in relation to this phenotype. All relevant information was obtained retrospectively from the standardized clinical records of 311 RA in-patients first admitted to the Rheumatology Unit of the Brest University Medical School. In the control population of Britanny, the frequency of HLA-B27 has been shown to be 12%, while HLA-B27 was present in 30 (9.6%) of the 311 RA patients. There was no significant association between demographic, clinical, biological, or radiological characteristics of the patients on the one hand, and the presence of the HLA-B27 allele on the other. The subgroup of RA patients with HLA-B27 had however a slightly higher IgA level than that without HLA-B27. Ankylosing spondylitis were found to coexist in three patients who all were HLA-B27 positive. We conclude (1) that the prevalence of HLA-B27 is not higher in French RA patients than in the normal controls, and (2) that HLA-B27 typing is not useful in RA. HLA-B27 does not confirm nor does it reject the diagnosis of associated ankylosing spondylitis.

Prevalence of symptomatic bronchiectasis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the prevalence of symptomatic bronchiectasis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

METHODS

Cross-sectional retrospective study of 453 rheumatoid arthritis patients. All patients completed a questionnaire designed to detect manifestations of bronchiectasis and had a chest film taken. Computed tomography of the chest was performed in those patients whose chest film was normal.

RESULTS

Thirteen patients (2.9%), all female, had symptoms that met Walker's criteria for definite (n = 7) or probable (n = 6) bronchiectasis. Symptom onset was during childhood or adolescence in 69% of cases and antedated the first symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis in all patients but one. Six of the 13 patients (46%) had chest film abnormalities suggestive of bronchiectasis, and three of the remaining seven patients had abnormal computed tomography findings, yielding a total of nine cases of bronchiectasis confirmed by imaging studies among the 13 patients with suggestive symptoms (69%). This proportion rose to 90% when the three patients who failed to come to their computed tomography appointment were excluded.

CONCLUSION

Using a methodological approach similar to that previously used by pneumologists, we found a 2.9% prevalence of symptomatic bronchiectasis in a population of hospitalized rheumatoid arthritis patients, which is higher than the 0.03% prevalence previously reported in the population at large.

[Diagnostic value of the HLA phenotype in inflammatory rheumatic diseases]

OBJECTIVES

HLA phenotyping is usually considered as costly and unnecessary for the diagnosis of inflammatory rheumatoid diseases. The aim of our work was to assess the diagnostic value of HLA phenotyping compared with the diagnostic value of sex and age at the onset of disease in cases where there is a doubt between rheumatoid polyarthritis and spondyloarthropathy with peripheral involvement.

METHODS

The relative prevalence of inflammatory rheumatoid diseases was calculated for 138 patients hospitalized for diagnosis of rheumatoid disease. We considered however that in these patients the etiology of the inflammatory rheumatoid disease with synovitis, after search for etiology, could be either spondyloarthropathy with peripheral involvement or early-stage rheumatoid polyarthritis. Positive and negative predictive values were calculated by comparison between these two diseases. The sensitivity of HLA B27 in spondyloarthropathy with peripheral involvement was determined in a population of 83 hospitalized patients with confirmed diagnosis. The prevalence of HLA DR4 in rheumatoid polyarthritis was determined in 375 hospitalized patients with confirmed diagnosis. Predictive values were calculated using Bayes formula.

RESULTS

The analysis of the positive and negative predictive values for HLA B27 showed that the diagnostic value of this allele was much greater than age at disease onset and sex in spondyloarthropathy with peripheral involvement. For rheumatoid arthritis, comparison of the diagnostic value of HLA DR4 versus age at disease onset and sex showed the lower performance of HLA DR4. However, the positive predictive value of HLA DR4 in rheumatoid polyarthritis was similar to that for these factors and equivalent to that of HLA B27. The positive predictive value for the combinations HLA DR4+ HLA B27- and HLA B27+ HLA DR4- was 0.90 for rheumatoid polyarthritis and spondyloarthropathy with peripheral involvement respectively.

CONCLUSION

The validity of these promising findings should be confirmed in prospective studies.

Clinical, laboratory, and radiographic features of rheumatoid arthritis with and without nodules

To determine the significance of nodules in rheumatoid arthritis, we reviewed the medical records of 420 patients who underwent standardized clinical, laboratory, and radiological investigations during a hospitalization for rheumatoid arthritis between January 1, 1981 and December 31, 1994. Sixty-six patients (16%) had nodules and 354 (84%) did not. Age and gender distributions were similar in the two groups. Disease duration was significantly longer in the nodular than in the nonnodular group (11.3 +/- 9.4 years versus 7.6 +/- 7.3 years; P = 0.0003). When patients were stratified into five-year disease duration groups, dryness of the eyes and mouth was found to be more common in the nodular group, with the difference being largest during the first five years. Patients with nodules were more likely to have vasculitis irrespective of disease duration (odds ratio, 6.08; P = 0.028). Lee's and Ritchie's indices and radiographic alterations were more severe in the nodular group, whereas tests for inflammation were not significantly different. Patients with rheumatoid factors accounted for a larger proportion of the nodular than of the nonnodular group (odds ratio 2.48; P = 0.017). When patients were dichotomized based on latex test results, nodules were not significantly associated with antiperinuclear factor or antikeratin antibodies, whereas patients with nodules were significantly more likely to have vasculitis (odds ratio 5.3; P = 0.035), antinuclear factors (odds ratio 1.82; P = 0.043), and cryoglobulinemia (odds ratio 4.86; P = 0.0029). As compared with nonnodular rheumatoid arthritis, nodular rheumatoid arthritis was associated with more severe extraarticular disease, faster radiographic progression and a greater likelihood of rheumatoid factor and antinuclear antibody production. Each of these characteristics was associated with the presence of nodules independently from disease duration and rheumatoid factor positivity.

Raynaud's phenomenon in rheumatoid arthritis

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of Raynaud's phenomenon in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and to relate this symptom to clinical, radiological and serological characteristics of the patients. All relevant information was retrospectively obtained from the standardized clinical records of 322 RA in-patients first admitted to the Rheumatology Unit of Brest University Medical School. Raynaud's phenomenon was found in 54 (17.2%) of 322 RA patients. There was no significant correlation between demographic, clinical or radiological characteristics. However, the subgroup of RA patients with Raynaud's phenomenon had a slightly higher prevalence of vasculitis than the subgroup without Raynaud's phenomenon. CRP level and C4 level were found to be lower in the former than in the latter group, whereas ESR and various serological findings (rheumatoid factor, antinuclear antibodies) were comparable in the two groups. We conclude that the prevalence of Raynaud's phenomenon is high in French RA in-patients, and that some clinical and biological abnormalities (vasculitis, low CRP level and low C4 level) suggest an association between Raynaud's phenomenon and vasculitis in a few cases, whereas this association might be fortuitous in the remainder.

Insufficiency fractures of the sacrum in elderly subjects

Elderly patients who develop insufficiency fractures of the sacrum usually have generalized bone loss and/or lesions of the pelvic bones (due to radiation therapy or previous fractures). The sacral fracture occurs either spontaneously or after a trivial traumatic episode. We compared patients admitted for sacral fractures (n = 12) or vertebral crush fractures (n = 56) in an effort to identify risk factors for sacral fractures. We conducted a retrospective review of the medical records of the 12 patients older than 70 years who were admitted to the rheumatology department of the Morvan Hospital between January 1, 1985 and December 31, 1994 for evaluation of a sacral fracture. The onset of symptoms was abrupt in 11 patients and occurred after an unremarkable fall in three. Patients admitted for sacral fractures were significantly more likely to have a positive history for a fracture, femoral surgery, or pelvic radiation therapy than patients admitted for vertebral fractures (58% versus 9%, p = 0.0005). In contrast, levels of calcium, phosphorus, 25-OH vitamin D and 1,25(OH)2 vitamin D were comparable in the two groups after exclusion of those patients with endocrine disorders or a history of calcium and vitamin D supplementation. In conclusion, populations of elderly patients with sacral fractures and crush fractures are comparable and the occurrence of a sacral fracture is dependent on the presence of pelvic and/or femoral osseous abnormalities.