Studies of genetic diversity and genome-wide association for vitamin C content in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) using high-throughput SNP arrays.

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is a source of beneficial compounds though they are generally present in low quantities. We used 40K Axiom and 9K Infinium SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) arrays to (i) explore the genetic variability in 21 varieties and (ii) carry out genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of vitamin C content in21 varieties and a population of 205 plants from the richest variety in vitamin C ('Lechuga del Pirineo').

A Machine Learning Approach Investigating Consumers' Familiarity with and Involvement in the Just Noticeable Color Difference and Cured Color Characterization Scale.

The aim of this study was to elucidate the relations between the visual color perception and the instrumental color of dry-cured ham, with a specific focus on determining the Just Noticeable Color Difference (JNCD). Additionally, we studied the influence of consumer involvement and familiarity on color-related associations and JNCD. Slices of ham were examined to determine their instrumental color and photos were taken.

Effects of Drying Methods on Chemical Composition, Lipid Oxidation, and Fatty Acid Profile of a Traditional Dried Meat Kaddid.

This work aimed to study the effect of three drying methods, namely sun-drying (SD) (T = 32 °C), continuous convective drying (CCD) (T = 35 ± 2 °C) and interval starting accessibility Drying (ISAD) (T = 35 ± 2 °C) with an active time of 30 s (t) and a tempering time of 60 s (t), on selected quality characteristics of a traditional dry-salted meat product known as "kaddid". The analyses of chemical composition, lipid oxidation and fatty acid profile of kaddid were carried out before and after 45 days of storage (t = 0 vs. t = 45) at ambient temperature.

Dependence on the socio-economic system impairs the sustainability of pasture-based animal agriculture.

Livestock systems contribution to environmental change is controversial. Pasture-based systems are considered a sustainable alternative due to their adaptation to the use of local natural resources. However, they have limited productivity per product unit and, in Europe, depend on public economic support.

Selection of Novel Reference Genes by RNA-Seq and Their Evaluation for Normalising Real-Time qPCR Expression Data of Anthocyanin-Related Genes in Lettuce and Wild Relatives.

Lettuce is a popular vegetable source of bioactive compounds, like anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants present in red and semi-red varieties. Selection of reliable reference genes (RGs) for the normalization of real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) data is crucial to obtain accurate gene expression results. Among the genes with totally unrelated biological functions, six candidate RGs (, , , , , and with low variation in expression according to RNA-seq analyses, were selected for future expression studies of anthocyanin-related genes in three different experiments: leaf colour comparison (green vs.

Thorough Characterization of , a QTL Involved in Melon Fruit Climacteric Behavior and Aroma Volatile Composition.

The effect of the QTL involved in climacteric ripening on the fruit VOC composition was studied using a set of Near-Isogenic Lines (NILs) containing overlapping introgressions from the Korean accession PI 16375 on the chromosome 3 in the climacteric 'Piel de Sapo' (PS) genetic background. was mapped in an interval of 1.24 Mb that contained a NAC transcription factor.

Live and let live: understanding the temporal drivers and spillovers of life expectancy in Europe for public planning.

The European continent has one of the longest life expectancies in the world, but still faces a significant challenge to meet the health targets set by the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations for 2030. To improve the understanding of the rationale that guides health outcomes in Europe, this study assesses the direction and magnitude effects of the drivers that contribute to explain life expectancy at birth across 30 European countries for the period 2008-2018 at macro-level. For this purpose, an aggregated health production function is used allowing for spatial effects.

Gene-Edited Meat: Disentangling Consumers' Attitudes and Potential Purchase Behavior.

Novel gene-editing (GE) technologies provide promising opportunities to increase livestock productivity and to tackle several global livestock production sustainability and food security challenges. However, these technologies, as with previous genetic modification technologies in food production, are very likely to generate social controversy and opposition toward their use in the meat industry. Here, we explored public attitudes and consumption predisposition toward gene-edited meat products and their potential added benefits to livestock farming.

Exploring the Differential Effect of Life Satisfaction on Low and High-Cost Pro-Environmental Behaviors.

The role of life satisfaction as a determinant of pro-environmental behavior remains largely unexplored in the extant literature. Using a sample of undergraduate students, we explore the effect of life satisfaction on low- and high-cost pro-environmental behaviors. While low-cost pro-environmental behavior has been defined as recycling activities, high-cost pro-environmental behavior is defined in a contingent valuation framework in which respondents are asked about their willingness to pay extra for offsetting CO emissions, thus avoiding treating the proposed payment as symbolic.

Experimental Study of the Mechanical Transmission of Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus (RHDV2/b) by Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) and Phlebotomus papatasi (Diptera: Psychodidae).

Rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD) is caused by a lagovirus mainly affecting European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), although other European and North American lagomorph species are also susceptible to fatal infection by the new viral variant RHDV2/b. In the present work, direct mechanical transmission of the rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV2/b variant) by the hematophagous Diptera Aedes albopictus (Skuse) (Diptera: Culicidae) and the sand fly Phlebotomus papatasi (Scopoli) (Diptera: Psychodidae) was tested. For each species, six and three laboratory rabbits were exposed to bites of dipterous females partially fed on RHDV2/b viral suspension 2 h and 24 h prior to exposure, respectively.

Measuring farmers' attitude towards breeding tools: the Livestock Breeding Attitude Scale.

Under-use of genetic improvement tools and low participation in breeding programmes are key drivers of breeding programmes under-performance. Both aspects are heavily influenced by farmers attitudes which, to date, have not been analysed in an objective and systematic manner. A key factor constraining the implementation of attitudinal studies towards livestock breeding tools is the lack of a reference scale for measuring attitudes.

Estimation of economic value for efficiency and animal health and welfare traits, teat and udder structure, in Canadian Angus cattle.

The Canadian Angus Association recently developed genetic evaluations for teat and udder structure, which impact efficiencies, and animal health and welfare. Genetic selection tools are most effective incorporated into economic selection indexes. An important factor in the development of economic indexes is the estimation of the economic value and discounted gene expression coefficients, and thereby the economic weight, of each trait.

A multi-stakeholder participatory study identifies the priorities for the sustainability of the small ruminants farming sector in Europe.

The European small ruminants (i.e. sheep and goats) farming sector (ESRS) provides economic, social and environmental benefits to society, but is also one of the most vulnerable livestock sectors in Europe.

Estimation of the second ventilatory threshold through ventricular repolarization profile analysis.

Under the hypothesis that sympathetic control of ventricular repolarization may change once the second ventilatory threshold (VT2) has been reached, a novel methodology for non-invasive VT2 estimation based on the analysis of the T wave from the electrocardiogram (ECG) is proposed, and potential underlying physiological mechanisms are suggested. 25 volunteers (33.4 ± 5.

Coupled DSSAT-SWAT models to reduce off-site N pollution in Mediterranean irrigated watershed.

In any agricultural watershed, best management practices (BMPs) are a conservational way to reduce non-point source pollution and, soil and water resources sustainability. The objectives of this study were to calibrate and validate the modified Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) in the Violada Watershed (VW), Spain and assess the BMPs scenarios, already tested at field scale, using the Decision Support System for Agro Technology Transfer model (DSSAT), and finally, to access the BMPs impact on water quality off-site. To this end, daily streamflow discharge and NO concentration were measured at VW outlet from October 2015 to September 2017 for model evaluation.

Swim-Specific Resistance Training: A Systematic Review.

Muniz-Pardos, B, Gomez-Bruton, A, Matute-Llorente, A, Gonzalez-Aguero, A, Gomez-Cabello, A, Gonzalo-Skok, O, Casajus, JA, and Vicente-Rodriguez, G. Swim-specific resistance training: A systematic review. J Strength Cond Res 33(10): 2875-2881, 2019-The purpose of this systematic review was to determine which type of swim-specific training is most beneficial to enhance swimming performance and to determine which specific strength- or power-related tests better predict swimming performance.

The influence of feeding behaviour on growth performance, carcass and meat characteristics of growing pigs.

This study investigated the effect of the feeding behaviour on growth performance, and carcass and meat characteristics of 96 barrows fed ad libitum or restrictively with high or low amino acids (AA) diets according to a 2 × 2 factorial design. The feeding behaviour traits were measured with automated feeders. From 86 kg BW, half of the pigs were given feeds with high indispensable (AA) contents, while the other half received feeds with indispensable AA contents reduced by 9% in early finishing (86-118 kg BW) and by 18% in late finishing (118-145 kg BW).