Publications by authors named "F J Miana-Mena"

Article Synopsis
  • ALS is a neurodegenerative disorder with varying survival rates, making it critical to identify biomarkers that can help in diagnosis and prognosis; one such biomarker is mitochondrial aconitase (Aco2), which is sensitive to oxidative damage.
  • A study measured Aco2 activity in blood platelets from ALS patients compared to controls, finding significantly lower levels in ALS patients, which correlated with their clinical prognosis.
  • The results suggest that Aco2 activity might be a valuable indicator of ALS progression, with higher activity associated with longer survival and earlier disease onset.
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A total of 32 fresh hams intended for the Spanish Protected Designation of Origin "Teruel ham" were used to evaluate the impact of gilt immunocastration (vs. entire gilts) on weight losses during the dry-curing process. After processing, 20 dry-cured hams (10 of each group) were chosen at random to assess instrumental and chemical characteristics.

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A trial was carried out to study the effect of type of castration and diet on pigs destined for Teruel ham production, which is a Spanish protected designation of origin for dry-cured ham. A total of 144 Duroc × (Landrace × Large White) male pigs were used. Half of them were surgically castrated and the other half were immunocastrated with three doses at approximately 25, 58 and 79 kg of body weight.

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Article Synopsis
  • Two experiments tested the effects of immunocastration on female and male pigs for Teruel dry-cured ham production, comparing various diets and castration methods.
  • Results showed that immunocastration improved meat quality in female pigs but negatively affected male pigs compared to surgical castration.
  • While diet had minimal impact on gilt meat quality, high-energy and low-protein diets for immunocastrated males could enhance fat consistency and avoid boar taint.
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