Efficacy of spesolimab for the treatment of generalized pustular psoriasis flares across pre-specified patient subgroups in the Effisayil 1 study.

Effisayil 1 was a multicentre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the anti-interleukin (IL)-36 receptor monoclonal antibody, spesolimab, in patients presenting with a generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP) flare. Previously published data from this study revealed that within 1 week, rapid pustular and skin clearance were observed in patients receiving spesolimab versus placebo. In this pre-specified subgroup analysis, the efficacy of spesolimab was evaluated according to patient demographic and clinical characteristics at baseline in patients receiving spesolimab (n = 35) or placebo (n = 18) on Day 1. Efficacy was by assessed by achievement of primary endpoint (Generalized Pustular Psoriasis Physician Global Assessment [GPPGA] pustulation subscore of 0 at Week 1) and key secondary endpoint (GPPGA total score of 0 or 1 at Week 1). Safety was assessed at Week 1. Spesolimab was found to be efficacious and had a consistent and favourable safety profile in patients presenting with a GPP flare, regardless of patient demographics and clinical characteristics at baseline.

Lymphocyte subsets and Langerhans cells in the skin of kidney transplant recipients under three different immunosuppressive regimens.

BACKGROUND: Renal transplant recipients (RTRs) are at increased risk of developing skin cancer; however, the role of immunosuppression is not yet fully understood. In this study, we evaluated the immunohistochemical changes in the skin of RTRs under three different immunosuppression regimens: mTOR inhibitors (mTORi), sirolimus or everolimus, mycophenolic acid (MPA) precursors such as mycophenolate sodium or mofetil, or azathioprine (AZA). METHODS: We evaluated biopsies of sun-exposed and sun-protected skin for immunohistochemical quantification of B lymphocytes (CD20+ ), T lymphocytes (CD3+ , CD4+ , and CD8+ ), and Langerhans cells (LCs) (CD1a+ ) in 30 RTRs and 10 healthy controls. The RTRs were divided into three groups: mTORi (n = 10), MPA (n = 10), and AZA (n = 10). RESULTS: No differences were observed in the number of B lymphocytes. However, a significant decrease in the number of T lymphocytes and LCs was observed in both sun-protected and sun-exposed skin in the AZA and MPA groups, although to a lesser degree in the latter group. The skin of the mTORi group did not differ from that of the control group in terms of the number of B and T lymphocytes and LCs. CONCLUSIONS: Patients treated with mTORi exhibit preserved cellular elements related to cutaneous immune surveillance. The use of AZA induced a greater degree of skin immunosuppression than in the control group, as demonstrated by the decrease in T lymphocytes and LCs.

Persistent inequalities in 90-day colon cancer mortality: an English cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Variation in colon cancer mortality occurring shortly after diagnosis is widely reported between socio-economic status (SES) groups: we investigated the role of different prognostic factors in explaining variation in 90-day mortality. METHODS: National cancer registry data were linked with national clinical audit data and Hospital Episode Statistics records for 69 769 adults diagnosed with colon cancer in England between January 2010 and March 2013. By gender, logistic regression was used to estimate the effects of SES, age and stage at diagnosis, comorbidity and surgical treatment on probability of death within 90 days from diagnosis. Multiple imputations accounted for missing stage. We predicted conditional probabilities by prognostic factor patterns and estimated the effect of SES (deprivation) from the difference between deprivation-specific average predicted probabilities. RESULTS: Ninety-day probability of death rose with increasing deprivation, even after accounting for the main prognostic factors. When setting the deprivation level to the least deprived group for all patients and keeping all other prognostic factors as observed, the differences between deprivation-specific averaged predicted probabilities of death were greatly reduced but persisted. Additional analysis suggested stage and treatment as potential contributors towards some of these inequalities. CONCLUSIONS: Further examination of delayed diagnosis, access to treatment and post-operative care by deprivation group may provide additional insights into understanding deprivation disparities in mortality.

Autoimmune/inflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants (Shoenfeld's syndrome) - An update.

Autoimmune/inflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants (ASIA) has been widely described in many studies conducted thus far. The syndrome incorporates five immune-mediated conditions, all associated with previous exposure to various agents such as vaccines, silicone implants and several others. The emergence of ASIA syndrome is associated with individual genetic predisposition, for instance those carrying HLA-DRB1*01 or HLA-DRB4 and results from exposure to external or endogenous factors triggering autoimmunity. Such factors have been demonstrated as able to induce autoimmunity in both animal models and humans via a variety of proposed mechanisms. In recent years, physicians have become more aware of the existence of ASIA syndrome and the relationship between adjuvants exposure and autoimmunity and more cases are being reported. Accordingly, we have created a registry that includes at present more than 300 ASIA syndrome cases that have been reported by different physicians worldwide, describing various autoimmune conditions induced by diverse adjuvants. In this review, we have summarized the updated literature on ASIA syndrome and the knowledge accumulated since 2013 in order to elucidate the association between the exposure to various adjuvant agents and its possible clinical manifestations. Furthermore, we especially referred to the relationship between ASIA syndrome and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and antiphospholipid syndrome (APS).

Influence of meteorological conditions on RSV infection in Portugal.

Acute viral bronchiolitis is a common cause for infant hospital admissions. Of all etiological agents, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is commonly the most frequent. The present study assesses relationships between atmospheric factors and RSV infections in under 3-year-old patients admitted to the Inpatient Paediatric Service of Vila Real (North of Portugal). For this purpose, (1) clinical files of children admitted with a diagnosis of acute bronchiolitis from September 2005 to December 2015 (>10 years) were scrutinised and (2) local daily temperature/precipitation series, as well as six weather types controlling meteorological conditions in Portugal, were used. Fifty-five percent of all 770 admitted children were effectively infected with a given virus, whilst 48 % (367) were RSV+, i.e. 87 % of virus-infected children were RSV+. The bulk of incidence is verified in the first year of age (82 %, 302), slightly higher in males. RSV outbreaks are typically from December to March, but important inter-annual variability is found in both magnitude and shape. Although no clear connections were found between monthly temperatures/precipitation and RSV outbreaks apart from seasonality, a linkage to wintertime cold spells is apparent on a daily basis. Anomalously low minimum temperatures from the day of admittance back to 10 days before are observed. This relationship is supported by anomalously high occurrences of the E and AA weather types over the same period, which usually trigger dry and cold weather. These findings highlight some predictability in the RSV occurrences, revealing potential for modelling and risk assessments.

Reproductive Patterns in the Non-Breeding Season in Asinina de Miranda Jennies.

This study aims to characterize the reproductive patterns in Asinina de Miranda jennies during the non-breeding season. Reproductive activity was surveyed in 12 females, aged between 3 and 18 years old, using ultrasound and teasing with a jack. The animals were monitored from September to April, six in each consecutive year. Of these 12 females, nine showed disruption to the normal pattern of ovarian activity during the non-breeding season. Loss of normal cyclicity included anoestrus (41.7%), silent ovulatory oestrus (25%), and persistence of corpus luteum (8.3%). Only three females maintained a regular cyclic pattern with oestrous behaviour during the non-breeding season. Anoestrus began in early November and lasted for an average of 147 ± 28 days (113-191 days), ending near to the spring equinox. Onset of silent oestrous cycles began more erratically, between October and February. In both groups the first behavioural ovulation of the year occurred around the time of the spring equinox. Disrupted reproductive activity was preceded by a shorter oestrous cycle only in females entering anoestrus. The mean follicle size in the first ovulation of the year was larger than in the reproductive season (44.7 ± 2.45 mm vs 39.2 ± 3.60 mm) in anoestrous jennies with protracted oestrus. Though age and body condition score (BCS) were associated, changes in BCS below a threshold of four points (for anoestrus) and five points (for silent oestrus) contributed greatly to disruption of reproductive cycles. BCS in females with regular oestrous cycles during the winter season remained unchanged or exceeded five points prior to the winter solstice.

Funnel plots for population-based cancer survival: principles, methods and applications.

Funnel plots are graphical tools designed to detect excessive variation in performance indicators by simple visual inspection of the data. Their main use in the biomedical domain so far has been to detect publication bias in meta-analyses, but they have also been recommended as the most appropriate way to display performance indicators for a vast range of health-related outcomes. Here, we extend the use of funnel plots to population-based cancer survival and several related measures. We present three applications to familiarise the reader with their interpretation. We propose funnel plots for various cancer survival measures, as well as age-standardised survival, trends in survival and excess hazard ratios. We describe the components of a funnel plot and the formulae for the construction of the control limits for each of these survival measures. We include three transformations to construct the control limits for the survival function: complementary log-log, logit and logarithmic transformations. We present applications of funnel plots to explore the following: (i) small-area and temporal variation in cancer survival; (ii) racial and geographical variation in cancer survival; and (iii) geographical variation in the excess hazard of death. Funnel plots provide a simple and informative graphical tool to display geographical variation and trend in a range of cancer survival measures. We recommend their use as a routine instrument for cancer survival comparisons, to inform health policy makers in planning and assessing cancer policies. We advocate the use of the complementary log-log or logit transformation to construct the control limits for the survival function.

Nutritional value of meat lipid fraction obtained from mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos) reared in semiextensive conditions for hunting purposes.

The mallard duck or wild duck (Anas platyrhynchos) is the world's most widespread and numerous dabbling duck, being traditionally hunted across many countries in Europe and North America. This study aims to provide a detailed characterization of mallard duck's meat lipid fraction obtained from farmed specimens, reared for hunting purposes, under semiextensive conditions. The mallard's duck meat total lipid content averaged 2.0 and 4.26 g/100 g of fresh meat in breast and leg meat portions, and its meat comprised 23 individual fatty acids (FA) and 3 dimethylacetals (DMA), independently of the sex or meat portion. The oleic (C18:1 cis-9), palmitic (C16:0), stearic (C18:0), linoleic (C18:2n-6), arachidonic (C20:4n-6), palmitoleic (C16:1 cis-9), and cis-vaccenic (C18:1 cis-11) acids were the predominant FA (representing >1% of total fatty acids in both breast and leg meat portions and independently of the sex), and together, these 7 fatty acids were accountable for 92.4 to 96.5% of total FA plus DMA in mallard duck meat. The monounsaturated, saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids were accountable for 40.4, 35.0, and 21.0% of total FA plus DMA in breast and 54.6, 38.7, and 5.7% of total fatty acids in leg, while total DMA were liable for 3.6 and 0.9% of total FA plus DMA in breast and leg, respectively. The mallard duck meat total cholesterol content averaged 49.8 and 57.1 mg/100 g of fresh meat for breast and leg meat portions. Five tocochromanols were quantified in mallard duck meat, affording it with a total vitamin E content of 5.48 and 3.63 µg/g of fresh meat in breast and leg portions. The sex had no influence (P > 0.05) on mallard's duck meat lipid composition, but meat portion had a strong influence on mallard's duck meat lipid composition, influencing total lipid, total cholesterol, total vitamin E contents, FA partial sums, FA ratios (exception made for the n-6/n-3 ratio), and all nutritional lipid indices. The breast meat presented lower total lipid and total cholesterol contents, better FA ratios and nutritional quality indices and higher vitamin E content, being regarded as a healthier meat than leg. The study presented herein shows that mallard duck production in semiextensive conditions, similar to those used herein, could be used for the production of mallard duck beyond hunting. A production of duck's meat under natural or organic production practices, oriented to a market niche within the gourmet/organic markets.

Evaluating dried salted cod amino acid signature for nutritional quality assessment and discriminant analysis.

Aim: Thus, the aim of this study was to answer three scientific questions: (1) Are the protein content and amino acid profile of dried salted cod influenced by species (Gadus morhua and Gadus macrocephalus)? (2) Are the protein content and amino acid profile of dried salted cod influenced by the geographical area of capture (Iceland and Norway)? and (3) Does the amino acid profile have the potential to be used as a discriminator of species and geographical areas of capture? Methods: A total of 45 dried salted cods (2-3 kg of dry weight; n = 15 samples/origin) were used in this study. The Atlantic cod was fished in the Atlantic northeast (FAO 27 area) within the Exclusive Economic zones (EEZ) of Norway (n = 15) and Iceland (n = 15), while the Pacific cod was caught in the Pacific northeast (FAO 67 area) within the Alaska EEZ (n = 15). Total protein content was determined by the Kjeldahl method, in accordance with the AOAC procedures. The amino acid profile was analyzed by HPLC with fluorescence detection (at excitation and emission wavelengths of 338 and 425 nm, respectively). Results: The Atlantic cod presented higher contents of total protein (33.90 versus 33.10 g/100 g of cod edible portion; p = 0.017) and total amino acid contents (32.52 versus 32.04 g/100 g of cod edible portion; p = 0.015) but displayed lower percentage of indispensable amino acids (32.16 versus 32.83 g/100 g of protein; p < 0.001) than Pacific cod. Among the Atlantic cod harvesting locations, the Norwegian cod displayed higher total amino acid contents (96.91 versus 96.81 g/100 g of protein; p = 0.012) and higher percentage of indispensable amino acids (35.38 versus 28.94 g/100 g of protein; p = 0.042) than the Icelandic counterpart. A correct classification of 100% was obtained for the Pacific and Icelandic cod varieties, but the classification accuracy in the Norwegian cod was of just 86.67%, since 2 samples out of 15 were incorrectly classified as Icelandic. Conclusion: The comparison of cod species showed that the Atlantic cod had a significantly lower EAAI than the Pacific cod (p < 0.001; 88.23 versus 88.61). On the other hand, the comparison of the two origins in the Atlantic cod, showed that Norwegian cod displayed a significantly higher EAAI than the Icelandic cod (99.15 versus 77.32). The assessment of the EAAI allows the classification of the protein's nutritional quality, allowing us to classify both cod species as a good protein source to human diet. However, within the Atlantic cod, the Norwegian cod's protein is classified as high quality, while the Icelandic cod attain the classification of useful quality. Regarding the amino acid profile discriminatory potential to classify cod samples. The results show that the AA profile has 100% accuracy in the separation of cod species, but was not globally efficient in the differentiation of the Norwegian from the Icelandic cod.

Cow's Milk in Human Nutrition and the Emergence of Plant-Based Milk Alternatives.

Cow's milk is considered a complete food, providing high-quality protein and essential micronutrients, including vitamins and minerals. For medical reasons or as a lifestyle choice, consumers are replacing cow's milk with plant-based milk alternatives (PBMA); some perceive them as healthier alternatives to cow's milk due to their low saturated fatty acid content and no cholesterol content. However, the nutritional composition of PBMA is quite variable between different types and even within, which makes a comparison with cow's milk a complex issue. Furthermore, the consumption of PBMA has been associated with the development of some diseases in infants and children. Meanwhile, the consumption of cow's milk in human health is a controversial issue since it has been associated with a favorable effect in some diseases (such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and Alzheimer's) and a negative effect in others (such as prostate cancer risk and Parkinson's disease); while in some diseases, there is no consensus in the cow's milk consumption effect. The aim of this review is to make a nutritional comparison of cow's milk with PBMA and to clarify the potential health issues related to their consumption.

The composition of the lipid, protein and mineral fractions of quail breast meat obtained from wild and farmed specimens of Common quail (Coturnix coturnix) and farmed Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica domestica).

The present study was intended to answer 2 scientific hypotheses: 1) the quail species has a significant influence in quail breast meat composition; 2) the wild quail's meat presents healthier composition than their farmed counterparts. An analysis of the pectoral muscles of wild and captive common quails (Coturnix coturnix) and domestic quails (Coturnix japonica domestica) was performed. The content of fatty acids (FA), amino acids, total cholesterol, and vitamin E, some basic macro- and microminerals in the pectoral muscles of the 2 species of the genus Coturnix were analyzed. Regarding the quail species influence on meat composition, Japanese Quail (JQ) revealed better lipid composition, characterized by lower saturated FA (SFA; less 3.17 g/100 g of total fatty acids), higher polyunsaturated FA contents (PUFA; more 5.5 g/100 g of total fatty acids) and healthier polyunsaturated FA/saturated FA (P/S) and n-6/n-3 ratios and TI value (1.08, 9.54 and 0.60 vs. 0.76, 12.58, and 0.75, correspondingly). The absence of differences observed on amino acids partial sums and ratios reveals equality between species on protein nutritional quality. On the other hand, Common Quail (CQ) proved to be a better source of copper (0.181 mg/100 g of meat), iron (2.757 mg/100 g of meat), manganese (0.020 mg/100 g of meat), and zinc (0.093 mg/100 g of meat) than JQ. The comparison of farmed and wild specimens within CQ, showed that wild birds presented lower total cholesterol (less 8.32 mg/g of fresh meat) and total PUFA (less 4.26 g/100 g of total fatty acids), and higher n-3 PUFA contents (more 1.53 g/100 g of total fatty acids), which contributed to healthier P/S and n-6/n-3 ratios, but worst PI (1.60, 8.08, and 113.1 vs. 0.76, 12.58, and 100.8, respectively). The wild species revealed higher α-tocopherol content (2.40 vs. 1.49 µg/g of fresh meat. Differences observed on their mineral composition counterbalance each other. Under intensive production system and similar feeding and management conditions, the CQ develops better nutritional qualities than JQ. The comparison of wild and farmed species within CQ reveals more similarities than differences. Quail´s meat presents good nutritional quality and introduces variability to human's diet, which is much valued by consumers.

Socioeconomic inequalities in cancer survival in England after the NHS cancer plan.

BACKGROUND: Socioeconomic inequalities in survival were observed for many cancers in England during 1981-1999. The NHS Cancer Plan (2000) aimed to improve survival and reduce these inequalities. This study examines trends in the deprivation gap in cancer survival after implementation of the Plan. MATERIALS AND METHOD: We examined relative survival among adults diagnosed with 1 of 21 common cancers in England during 1996-2006, followed up to 31 December 2007. Three periods were defined: 1996-2000 (before the Cancer Plan), 2001-2003 (initialisation) and 2004-2006 (implementation). We estimated the difference in survival between the most deprived and most affluent groups (deprivation gap) at 1 and 3 years after diagnosis, and the change in the deprivation gap both within and between these periods. RESULTS: Survival improved for most cancers, but inequalities in survival were still wide for many cancers in 2006. Only the deprivation gap in 1-year survival narrowed slightly over time. A majority of the socioeconomic disparities in survival occurred soon after a cancer diagnosis, regardless of the cancer prognosis. CONCLUSION: The recently observed reduction in the deprivation gap was minor and limited to 1-year survival, suggesting that, so far, the Cancer Plan has little effect on those inequalities. Our findings highlight that earlier diagnosis and rapid access to optimal treatment should be ensured for all socioeconomic groups.

Cervical hypoplasia in jennets: a description of two cases.

The authors describe two cases of cervical hypoplasia in jennets, detected during the gynaecological evaluation of two purebred females of the Portuguese donkey breed Asinina de Miranda. These jennets aged 10 and 15 years were referred for consultation by the local breeders association because of infertility detected during an artificial breeding programme. In both jennets the cervix was small, shorter than the usual and closed. In one of the females, outflow of semen during artificial insemination was reported. Clinical and ultrasonographic evaluation of the genital tract demonstrated that both ovaries were normally sized in both animals and presenting structures suggestive of regular ovarian activity. In one of the jennets, a small amount of air in the uterus was evidenced. In the other, signs indicative of atresia of the cervical canal were found. Vaginal examination showed that the cervix was reduced in size and shallowed in both animals. A diagnosis of congenital cervical hypoplasia was made in both cases and the animals were excluded from reproduction.

Nutritional value of meat lipid fraction from red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) obtained from wild and farmed specimens1.

The red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) is a feathered game species of great socioeconomic importance in its native range and also in the UK. The aim of this study was to present a detailed comparison of meat's lipid fraction obtained from wild and farm-raised specimens and simultaneously compare the breast and leg meat portions. Meat from wild specimens had a significant (P < 0.05) lower proportion of saturated fatty acid (less 5.1%) and presented better P/S and n-6/n-3 ratios, and atherogenicity index than farm-raised counterparts. The wild specimens presented significant (P < 0.001) higher contents of total vitamin E (8.8 vs. 2.2 µg/g of fresh meat), is for that reason less prone to lipid peroxidation than farm-raised specimens. Meat portions differed significantly (P < 0.05) on total lipid and total cholesterol contents and in all partial sums of fatty acids. The breast was leaner (0.86 vs. 1.47 g/100 g of meat), with lower total cholesterol (37.5 vs. 54.7 mg/100 g of meat), lower saturated fatty acid, monounsaturated fatty acid, polyunsaturated fatty acid, and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (less 0.27, 0.28, 0.10, and 0.11 g/100 g of fresh meat, correspondingly). Regarding the fatty acid ratios and lipid quality indexes, breast meat presents better n-6/n-3 ratio and atherogenicity and thrombogenicity indexes.

Effect of immunocastration and caponization on fatty acid composition of male chicken meat.

Recently, immunocastration with Improvac (ImmC). has been tested in broilers and a considerable reduction in serum testosterone concentration (reduced by 79% compared to roosters) was observed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of immunocastration on meat fatty acid (FA) composition and its comparison with caponized and intact males (roosters). The study was conducted with 3 experimental groups: control group (roosters), the group of birds submitted to surgical caponization (SurgC), and the group of birds submitted to immunocastration with Improvac. The comparison of breast meat partial FA sums of castrated (SurgC and ImmC) with control birds (roosters) revealed that castrated birds showed significantly higher content of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) than control birds (1.76 vs. 1.46 g/100 g of total FA; superiority of 20.2%), which has contributed to the occurrence of significant differences on both the n-6/n-3 ratio and the atherogenicity index (AI). In contrast, on leg meat portion, castrated birds displayed higher contents of both total saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids (SFA and MUFA, with 2.2 and 4.1% more, respectively) and lower total n-6 PUFA content (8.3% less) than was observed in control birds, which contributed to significant differences in the AI index. On the other hand, the comparison of breast meat portion from SurgC with ImmC showed that immunocastration contributed to lower total SFA and higher total n-6 PUFA, which have contributed to significant differences on both Polyunsaturated/Saturated (P/S) and n-6/n-3 ratios. Whereas, on leg meat portion no significant differences were observed on partial sums and a single difference was observed on the thrombogenicity index. Immunocastration of broilers has contributed to minor changes in the FA profile, but has improved the overall lipid quality indexes in both breast and leg meat portions. Therefore, immunocastration could be applied as an alternative method to caponization without negative consequences in meat FA profile.

Prolactin receptor expression in gynaecomastia and male breast carcinoma.

AIMS: Despite the well-established function of prolactin (PRL) in normal breast development, its role in breast cancer pathogenesis is still controversial. PRL activity is dependent on the activation of a transmembrane protein, the PRL receptor (PRLR). The aim was to evaluate and compare PRLR expression in gynaecomastia and male breast carcinoma (MBC). METHODS AND RESULTS: PRLR expression was detected immunohistochemically in 30 cases of gynaecomastia and 30 cases of MBC. The whole series was also assessed for oestrogen receptors (ER), progesterone receptors (PR) and androgen receptors (AR). A cut-off of 10% was used as the criterion for positivity. Histological type and tumour differentiation were evaluated. Pathological stage was assessed [Tumour Node Metastasis (TNM)-International Union Against Cancer system]. Statistical analysis was performed with Fisher's exact test. PRLR positivity was seen in 20% of gynaecomastia cases and in 60% of MBC cases (P = 0.003). In gynaecomastia immunoreactivity was predominantly observed in luminal cell borders, whereas in MBC the reactivity was heterogeneous and mainly cytoplasmic. There was no statistically significant correlation between PRLR expression and ER, PR, AR, pTNM, or histological grade. CONCLUSIONS: PRLR is significantly more expressed in MBC than in gynaecomastia, and with different patterns of reactivity, suggesting a role for PRL in male breast carcinogenesis.

A complex intersex condition in a Holstein calf.

A case of disrupted embryonic development of the genital tract in a newborn Holstein calf is described. The physical examination of the calf evidenced several abnormalities, like atresia ani, rudimentary external genitalia and caudal vertebral agenesis. On necropsy, the excised genitalia consisted of bilateral streak gonads, apparently normal uterine tubes, a fluid-filled uterus, a long vagina and a very narrow clitoris-like structure covered with a discrete skin-fold. The urinary tract seemed normal and the urethra's opening was at the vestibule-vaginal junction. A cytogenetic analysis was requested. Karyotype revealed the existence of Y chromosome material in the two X chromosomes. However, the search for the sex-determining region Y (SRY) showed that this was an apparently absent gene. The histological examination of the gonads revealed the existence of ovarian dysplasia. Uterine sections evidenced the absence of the uterine epithelium, with only sporadic caruncles. Under microscopic examination, the uterine tubes and vagina structure was normal. The external genitalia sections revealed the existence of a skin-fold covering an erectile structure surrounding the urethra, a structure more similar to a penis than to a clitoris. This is an unusual situation of gonadal dysplasia combined with genital tract anomalies in cattle, probably associated to a genetic defect.

Lipid profile and quality indices of ostrich meat and giblets.

In this study, the lipid profile of 5 different edible tissues (leg, thigh, heart, gizzard, and liver) of ostrich was analyzed. Ostrich edible tissues presented a low fat content (<5 g/100 g wet basis). Gizzard and heart revealed the highest amounts of total cholesterol (1.77 and 1.47 mg/g wet basis, respectively), differing significantly from all other tissues (which averaged 0.95 mg/g wet basis). The main tocochromanol in all tissues was α-tocopherol (10.3 µg/g wet basis in heart and an average of 3.4 µg/g wet basis for all the remaining tissues). All the samples presented a fatty acid profile, dominated by polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) (>38%), namely, linoleic and arachidonic acids. The leg presented simultaneously the highest PUFA/saturated fatty acids (SFA), the lowest n-6/n-3 ratios, and the most favorable lipid quality indices among all tissues in comparison.