Bioaccessibility of condensed tannins and their effect on the physico-chemical characteristics of lamb meat.

The bioaccessibility of tannins as antioxidants in meat is essential to maximise their effectiveness in protecting the product. This property determines the amount of tannins available to interact with meat components, inhibiting lipid and protein oxidation and, consequently, prolonging shelf life and preserving the sensory quality of the product. The objective of this study was to evaluate the bioaccessibility of condensed tannins (CT) from Acacia mearnsii extract (AME) and their effect on the physico-chemical characteristics of fattened lamb meat. Thirty-six Dorset × Hampshire lambs (3 months old and 20.8 ± 3.3 kg live weight) were used. The lambs were distributed equally (n = 9) into four treatments: T1, T2, T3 and T4, which included a basal diet plus 0%, 0.25%, 0.5% and 0.75% of CT from AME, respectively. At the end of the fattening period, bioaccessibility was evaluated, the animals were slaughtered and a sample of the longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle was collected to assess colour, lipid oxidation, cooking weight loss and shear force on days 1, 4, 7 and 14 of shelf-life, in samples preserved at -20 °C. In addition, the long chain fatty acid profile was analysed. A completely randomised design was used, and the means were compared with Tukey's test (P < 0.05). The mean lightness (L*), yellowness (b*) and hue (H*) values were higher for T3 and T4. The addition of CT did not affect (P > 0.05) redness (a*), cooking weight loss (CWL) or shear force (SF). T4 decreased (P < 0.05) stearic acid and increased cis-9 trans-12 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). Bioaccessibility was higher in the supplemented groups (T1 < T2, T3 and T4). In conclusion, supplementing CT from AME in the diet of lambs did not reduce lipid oxidation, but T3 or T4 improved some aspects of meat colour and CLA deposition.

Effects of probiotic-supplemented milk replacer on growth, blood biochemistry, fermentation, digestibility, and carcass traits in lambs.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of feeding cow's milk replacer and probiotic supplementation on growth performance, blood metabolites, ruminal fermentation parameters, and nutrient digestibility in male lambs, with ewe's milk serving as the control treatment. Eighteen male lambs with an average initial body weight of 5.0 ± 1.2 kg and age of 15 ± 4 days were randomly assigned to three experimental groups: ewe's milk, cow's milk replacer, and cow's milk replacer with probiotic supplementation. The experiment was conducted using a completely randomized design. Lambs fed ewe's milk showed significantly higher average daily gain (218.4 g/day) compared to those fed cow's milk replacer (183.7 g/day) or cow's milk replacer with probiotic (209.1 g/day). Similarly, dry matter intake was highest in the ewe's milk group (585.6 g/day) compared to the cow's milk replacer (435.9 g/day) and cow's milk replacer with probiotic (510.5 g/day) groups. Blood glucose levels were higher in the ewe's milk group (75.3 mg/dL) compared to the cow's milk replacer (70.3 mg/dL) and cow's milk replacer with probiotic (72.1 mg/dL) groups. Probiotic supplementation resulted in increased blood urea nitrogen (15.6 mg/dL) and total protein (7.3 g/dL) levels compared to the other groups. Furthermore, the ewe's milk group showed higher apparent dry matter (76.1%) and crude protein (68.5%) digestibility compared to the other treatments. The fecal score on day 30 was higher in the cow's milk replacer group (2.34) compared to the ewe's milk (1.24) and cow's milk replacer with probiotic (1.45) groups. There were no significant differences in the carcass traits of the experimental lambs. In conclusion, based on the results of this study, it seems that feeding cow's milk + probiotic as a replacement for ewe's milk did not significantly affect the performance, carcass traits, and blood and fermentation parameters in infant lambs.

Mode conversion of fundamental guided ultrasonic wave modes at part-thickness crack-like defects.

Guided ultrasonic waves can be employed for efficient structural health monitoring (SHM) and non-destructive evaluation (NDE), as they can propagate long distances along thin structures. The scattering (S0 mode) and mode conversion of low frequency guided waves (S0 to A0 and SH0 wave modes) at part-thickness crack-like defects was studied to quantify the defect detection sensitivity. Three-dimensional (3D) Finite Element (FE) modelling was used to predict the mode conversion and scattering of the fundamental guided wave modes. Experimentally, the S0 mode was excited by a piezoelectric (PZT) transducer in an aluminum plate. A laser vibrometer was used to measure the out-of-plane displacement to characterize the mode-converted A0 mode, employing baseline subtraction to achieve mode and pulse separation. Good agreement between FE model predictions and experimental results was obtained for perpendicular incidence of the S0 mode. The influence of defect depth and length on the scattering and mode conversion was studied and the sensitivity for part-thickness defects was quantified. The maximum mode conversion (S0-A0 mode) occurred for ¾ defect depth and the amplitude of the mode-converted A0 and scattered S0 modes mostly increased linearly as the defect length increased with an almost constant A0/S0 mode scattered amplitude ratio. Similar forward and backward scattering amplitude was found for the mode converted A0 mode. The mode conversion of the S0 to SH0 mode has the highest sensitivity for short defects, but the SH0 mode amplitude only increased slightly for longer defects. Employing the information contained in the mode-converted, scattered guided ultrasonic wave modes could improve the detection sensitivity and localization accuracy of SHM algorithms.

Cannabinoid residuals in tissues of lambs fed spent hemp biomass and consumer's exposure assessment.

Spent hemp biomass (SHB) contains trace amounts of cannabinoids, including Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), that may accumulate in the tissues of animals consuming SHB. We measured cannabinoid residues in the liver, adipose tissue, and muscle of finishing lambs fed either 10% or 20% SHB for 8 weeks, or 4 weeks followed by 4 weeks SHB withdrawal. We detected multiple cannabinoids in the liver at a similar proportion to the SHB. However, CBD and Δ9-THC were enriched >20-fold in the adipose and muscle, compared to their proportion in SHB. The highest concentration of Δ9-THC was detected in adipose tissue and was 7.4-times higher than in muscle. Most cannabinoids were undetectable in tissues after 4 weeks of clearance. The consumers' exposure assessment on Δ9-THC revealed tissue levels of total THC (THCA+Δ9-THC) that exceed the acute reference dose of 1 µg/kg BW across population groups. When consuming meat from the lambs fed 10% and 20% SHB, the maximum total THC exposure was 2.03 and 7.32 µg/kg BW, respectively, equal to or below the Lowest Observed Adverse Effect Level of 36 µg/kg BW, the No Observed Adverse Effect Level of 12 µg/kg BW or a tolerable dose intake of 7 µg/kg BW.

Fabrication and characterization of Karaya gum-based films reinforced with bacterial nanocellulose stabilized valerian root extract Pickering emulsion for lamb meat preservation.

A novel biodegradable film was fabricated by incorporating bacterial nanocellulose stabilized valerian root extract (VRE) Pickering emulsion into karaya gum with better antioxidant and antibacterial properties for lamb meat preservation. The valerian root extract Pickering emulsion (VPE) exhibited 98 ±â€¯1.84 % encapsulating efficiency and excellent physical stability with an average particle size of 274.6 nm. The incorporation of VPE-5 into the film matrix increased its elongation at break (EAB), and improved water resistance and barrier properties against oxygen, water vapor, and UV light. Moreover, the antioxidant and anti-bacterial properties against S.aerous and E. coli were also improved based on VPE-5 concentration. The SEM images showed a uniform distribution of VPE-5 while FTIR and XRD revealed its compatibility with karaya gum, which improved its thermal stability. The active films showed a significant preservative effect by reducing the pH, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and total viable count (TVC) value of lamb meat and maintained its texture and color during the storage period of 9 days at 4 °C. These results demonstrated the inclusion of VPE-5 into Karaya gum was a promising technique and offers a great potential application as a bioactive material in food packaging.

Effects of dietary arginine supplementation on muscle structure, meat characteristics and lipid oxidation products in lambs and its potential mechanisms of action.

This study aimed to assess the effect of dietary arginine supplementation on muscle structure and meat characteristics of lambs also considering lipid oxidation products and to contribute to reveal its mechanisms of action using tandem mass tagging (TMT) proteomics. Eighteen lambs were allocated to two dietary treatment groups: control diet or control diet with the addition of 1% L-arginine. The results revealed that dietary arginine supplementation increased muscle fibre diameter and cross-sectional area (P < 0.05), which was attributable to protein deposition, as evidenced by increased RNA content, RNA/DNA ratio, inhibition of apoptotic enzyme activity, and alterations in the IGF-1/Akt signaling pathway (P < 0.05). In addition, dietary arginine elevated pH24h, a* values, and IMF content, decreased shear force value and backfat thickness (P < 0.05), as well as decreased the formation of lipid oxidation products involved in meat flavor including hexanal, heptanal, octanal, nonanal and 1-octen-3-ol by increasing the antioxidant capacity of the muscle (P < 0.05). The proteomics results suggested that seven enrichment pathways may be potential mechanisms by which arginine affected the muscle structure and meat characteristics of lambs. In summary, arginine supplementation in lamb diets provides a safe and effective way to improve meat quality, and antioxidant capacity of muscle of lamb.

YAP-LAMB3 axis dictates cellular resistance of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells to gemcitabine.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most aggressive tumors with poor prognosis and inadequate response to treatment, such as gemcitabine (Gem), the first-line chemotherapeutic drug. Understanding the molecular determinants that control drug resistance to Gem is critical to predict potentially responsive patients and improve the benefits of Gem therapy. Emerging evidence suggests that certain developmental pathways, such as Hippo signaling, are aberrated and play important roles in Gem resistance in cancers. Although Hippo signaling has been reported to play a role in chemoresistance in cancers, it has not been clarified which specific target gene(s) functionally mediates the effect. In the present study, we found that YAP serves as a potent barrier for the cellular sensitivity of PDAC cells to Gem. We then identified and characterized laminin subunit beta 3 (LAMB3) as a bona fide target of YAP-TEAD4 to amplify YAP signaling via a feedback loop. Such a YAP-LAMB3 axis is critical to induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition and mediate Gem resistance. Taken together, we uncovered that YAP-LAMB3 axis is an important regulator of Gem, thus providing potential therapeutic targets for overcoming Gem resistance in PDAC.

A new stress measurement strategy based on time-frequency characteristics of Lamb waves.

Existing stress evaluation methods based on the Lamb waves mainly use the time of flight (TOF) or velocity as the means of stress measurement. However, these two features used for stress measurement are sometimes insensitive to stress changes. Therefore, it is essential to explore other features that are potentially more sensitive to stress changes. The time-frequency spectrums of signals containing stress information have not yet been fully studied for stress evaluation. This paper proposes a uniaxial stress measurement method based on two time-frequency characteristics of Lamb waves, i.e., the slope of time-frequency spectrum distribution (TFSD) and pulse width impact factor. Theoretical expressions of the slope of TFSD are derived. The impacts of excitation signal parameters (i.e., bandwidth and center frequency) and noise on two time-frequency characteristics were discussed. Then, the fitting results of the finite element simulation are consistent with the results predicted by theory. To experimentally validate the proposed theory, aluminum plate specimens with two different types of adhesives were used for the experiment. According to the experimental stress measurement expression, three uniaxial tensile tests in the range of 35-95 MPa were conducted on the identical batch of specimens. The maximum standard deviation of multiple measured stress based on pulse width impact factor is 3.76433 MPa, demonstrating excellent measurement stability. The maximum standard deviation of multiple measured stress based on the slope of TFSD is 9.12492 MPa. It shows that the proposed methodology is a promising alternative for stress measurement.

Growth Performance, Blood Metabolites, Carcass Characteristics and Meat Quality of Lambs Fed Diets Containing Different Energy Levels Supplemented with Rumen-Protected Choline.

This study aimed to examine the effects of metabolizable energy (ME) level and rumen-protected choline (RPC) supplementation on the growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality, serum energy, lipid, and protein profiles of Karayaka lambs. Twenty-eight Karayaka lambs, with an initial body weight (BW) of 26.85 ± 0.26 kg, were randomly assigned (2 × 2 factorial design) to one of four dietary treatments with two levels of ME (optimum: 2750 or low: 2500 kcal ME/kg dry matter) and two levels of RPC (0 or 4 g/d/lamb). Lambs of each group were housed in individual pens. The experiment lasted 66 d, with the first 10 d consisting of acclimation and the next 56 d of the formal experimental period. The data on BW, dietary matter intake (DMI), and serum glucose concentrations confirm that our model successfully induced low energy using 250 kcal/kg less energy than the optimum level. RPC supplementation did not significantly affect average daily DMI, total average daily gain (ADG), or feed conversion ratio (FCR) at any energy level. Additionally, there was no substantial effect on carcass characteristics, meat quality, serum lipids, energy metabolism indicators, and liver function parameters. There was also no interaction effect of RPC × ME on the parameters tested. However, at 56 d into the experiment, the interaction effect of RPC × ME on serum urea-N was highly significant, and RPC supplementation led to lower serum urea-N levels (p = 0.001). These results suggest that while RPC supplementation did not enhance overall performance and carcass characteristics in Karayaka lambs, it may play a role in modulating nitrogen metabolism, as indicated by the significant reduction in serum urea-N levels.

The Role of BMP7 in the Proliferation of Hu Sheep Dermal Papilla Cells Is Influenced by DNA Methylation.

Previous studies have shown that the BMP7 gene is differentially expressed in Hu sheep lamb skin of different pattern types, and its expression level is significantly correlated with hair follicle indices of different pattern types, but the molecular mechanism of the differential expression of the BMP7 gene remains unclear. This study investigated the effect of DNA methylation on the transcriptional expression of BMP7. Firstly, we found that the mRNA expression of the BMP7 gene and the activity of the core promoter of the BMP7 gene were upregulated after 5-Aza-Deoxycytidine-induced demethylation treatment using qRT-PCR and double luciferase reporter assay. Then, we found that the proliferation of Hu sheep DPCs in vitro was promoted after 5-Aza-Deoxycytidine-induced demethylation treatment through qRT-PCR, CCK-8, and EdU assay, and that the overexpression of DNMT1 in DPCs induced the opposite effect. In addition, the results of the cell cycle assay reveal that the percentage of cells in the S phase was increased after 5-Aza-Deoxycytidine-induced demethylation treatment, and that the percentage of cells in the S phase was decreased after overexpression of DNMT1 in DPCs. This study indicated that the differential expression of the BMP7 gene in different patterns of Hu sheep lamb skin may be regulated by DNA methylation modification. In addition, DNA methylation can regulate the proliferation and cell cycle of DPCs in Hu sheep.

Effect of supplementing lysins and methionine to low-protein diets on growth performance, hepatic antioxidant capacity, immune status, and glycolytic activity of tibetan sheep.

Reducing the levels of dietary protein is an effective nutritional approach in lowering feed cost and nitrogen emissions in ruminants. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary Lys/Met ratio in a low protein diet (10%, dry matter basis) on the growth performance and hepatic function (antioxidant capacity, immune status, and glycolytic activity) in Tibetan lambs. Ninety two-month-old rams with an average weight of 15.37 ± 0.92 kg were randomly assigned to LP-L (dietary Lys/Met = 1:1), LP-M (dietary Lys/Met = 2:1) and LP-H (dietary Lys/Met = 3:1) treatments. The trial was conducted over 100 d, including 10 d of adaption to the diets. Hepatic phenotypes, antioxidant capacity, immune status, glycolytic activity and gene expression profiling was detected after the conclusion of the feeding trials. The results showed that the body weight was higher in the LP-L group when compared to those on the LP-M group (P < 0.05). In addition, the activities of the catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in the LP-L group were significantly increased compared with the LP-M group (P < 0.05), while the malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in LP-H group were significantly decreased (P < 0.05). Compared with LP-H group, both hepatic glycogen (P < 0.01) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (P < 0.05) were significantly elevated in LP-L group. For the LP-L group, the hepatocytes were arranged radially with the central vein in the center, and hepatic plates exhibited tight arrangement. Transcriptome analysis identified 29, 179, and 129 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the LP-M vs. LP-L, LP-H vs. LP-M, and LP-H vs. LP-L groups, respectively (Q-values < 0.05 and |log2Fold Change| > 1). Gene Ontology (GO) and correlation analyses showed that in the LP-L group, core genes (C1QA and JUNB) enriched in oxidoreductase activity were positively correlated with antioxidant indicators, while the MYO9A core gene enriched in the immune response was positively associated with immune indicators, and core genes enriched in molecular function (PDK3 and PDP2) were positively correlated with glycolysis indicators. In summary, low-protein diet with a low Lys/Met ratio (1:1) could reduce the hepatic oxidative stress and improve the glycolytic activity by regulating the expression of related genes of Tibetan sheep.

Hemodynamics During Development and Postnatal Life.

A well-developed heart is essential for embryonic survival. There are constant interactions between cardiac tissue motion and blood flow, which determine the heart shape itself. Hemodynamic forces are a powerful stimulus for cardiac growth and differentiation. Therefore, it is particularly interesting to investigate how the blood flows through the heart and how hemodynamics is linked to a particular species and its development, including human. The appropriate patterns and magnitude of hemodynamic stresses are necessary for the proper formation of cardiac structures, and hemodynamic perturbations have been found to cause malformations via identifiable mechanobiological molecular pathways. There are significant differences in cardiac hemodynamics among vertebrate species, which go hand in hand with the presence of specific anatomical structures. However, strong similarities during development suggest a common pattern for cardiac hemodynamics in human adults. In the human fetal heart, hemodynamic abnormalities during gestation are known to progress to congenital heart malformations by birth. In this chapter, we discuss the current state of the knowledge of the prenatal cardiac hemodynamics, as discovered through small and large animal models, as well as from clinical investigations, with parallels gathered from the poikilotherm vertebrates that emulate some hemodynamically significant human congenital heart diseases.

Transcriptome analysis reveals the effects of Schizochytrium sp. on the meat quality attributes of Tan lambs.

Schizochytrium sp., a feed additive, positively affects the quality of animal meat. In this study, the molecular mechanisms through which dietary Schizochytrium sp. affects the meat quality characteristics of Tan lambs were investigated using transcriptomic techniques. The findings demonstrate that the lambs supplemented with Schizochytrium sp. had a larger loin eye area and a higher average daily gain and intramuscular fat content (P < 0.05). They also had lower drip loss (at 24 and 48 h) and shear force (P < 0.05). Further, 745 genes were differentially expressed between lambs supplemented with Schizochytrium and the control group. Moreover, KEGG pathway analysis showed that the ECM-receptor interaction pathway, which is related to muscle generation and intramuscular fat deposition, was significantly enriched in the lambs administered a diet containing Schizochytrium sp. Herein, we identified some pivotal genes linked to muscular system development and lipid metabolism. Thus, using Schizochytrium sp. may boost the meat quality of Tan lambs by modifying the expression of genes related to hub pathways. The results supply a new basis to determine the molecular mechanisms through which Schizochytrium sp. supplementation regulates the meat quality characteristics of sheep.

Low-Voltage High-Frequency Lamb-Wave-Driven Micromotors.

By leveraging the benefits of a high energy density, miniaturization and integration, acoustic-wave-driven micromotors have recently emerged as powerful tools for microfluidic actuation. In this study, a Lamb-wave-driven micromotor is proposed for the first time. This motor consists of a ring-shaped Lamb wave actuator array with a rotor and a fluid coupling layer in between. On a driving mechanism level, high-frequency Lamb waves of 380 MHz generate strong acoustic streaming effects over an extremely short distance; on a mechanical design level, each Lamb wave actuator incorporates a reflector on one side of the actuator, while an acoustic opening is incorporated on the other side to limit wave energy leakage; and on electrical design level, the electrodes placed on the two sides of the film enhance the capacitance in the vertical direction, which facilitates impedance matching within a smaller area. As a result, the Lamb-wave-driven solution features a much lower driving voltage and a smaller size compared with conventional surface acoustic-wave-driven solutions. For an improved motor performance, actuator array configurations, rotor sizes, and liquid coupling layer thicknesses are examined via simulations and experiments. The results show the micromotor with a rotor with a diameter of 5 mm can achieve a maximum angular velocity of 250 rpm with an input voltage of 6 V. The proposed micromotor is a new prototype for acoustic-wave-driven actuators and demonstrates potential for lab-on-a-chip applications.

Concentration of Microparticles/Cells Based on an Ultra-Fast Centrifuge Virtual Tunnel Driven by a Novel Lamb Wave Resonator Array.

The µTAS/LOC, a highly integrated microsystem, consolidates multiple bioanalytical functions within a single chip, enhancing efficiency and precision in bioanalysis and biomedical operations. Microfluidic centrifugation, a key component of LOC devices, enables rapid capture and enrichment of tiny objects in samples, improving sensitivity and accuracy of detection and diagnosis. However, microfluidic systems face challenges due to viscosity dominance and difficulty in vortex formation. Acoustic-based centrifugation, particularly those using surface acoustic waves (SAWs), have shown promise in applications such as particle concentration, separation, and droplet mixing. However, challenges include accurate droplet placement, energy loss from off-axis positioning, and limited energy transfer from low-frequency SAW resonators, restricting centrifugal speed and sample volume. In this work, we introduce a novel ring array composed of eight Lamb wave resonators (LWRs), forming an Ultra-Fast Centrifuge Tunnel (UFCT) in a microfluidic system. The UFCT eliminates secondary vortices, concentrating energy in the main vortex and maximizing acoustic-to-streaming energy conversion. It enables ultra-fast centrifugation with a larger liquid capacity (50 µL), reduced power usage (50 mW) that is one order of magnitude smaller than existing devices, and greater linear speed (62 mm/s), surpassing the limitations of prior methods. We demonstrate successful high-fold enrichment of 2 µm and 10 µm particles and explore the UFCT's potential in tissue engineering by encapsulating cells in a hydrogel-based micro-organ with a ring structure, which is of great significance for building more complex manipulation platforms for particles and cells in a bio-compatible and contactless manner.

A damage localization technique using wave front shapes in composite laminates without knowing the velocity profile.

Composite laminates are widely used in various fields, but their structures are prone to cracks and damage. Due to the difference in angles of the instantaneous direction of the wave front propagation and the direction of the energy flow in an anisotropic material, the use of Lamb waves for damage localization in composite laminates is a challenging task. Establishing the wave front shape equation can overcome the difficulty of damage localization caused by anisotropy, but this usually requires a priori knowledge of the acoustic velocity distribution of the laminates, which is not convenient for efficient damage localization. In this paper, a damage localization method based on wave front shapes for composite laminates without any knowledge of the velocity profile is presented. Numerical simulation and experimental results show that the proposed method works. This method shows good damage localization accuracy and has broad application prospects in non-destructive testing for plate structures with strong anisotropy.

Fingerprint authentication based on deep convolutional descent inversion tomography.

Fingerprint authentication is widely used in various areas. While existing methods effectively extract and match fingerprint features, they encounter difficulties in detecting wet fingers and identifying false minutiae. In this paper, a fast fingerprint inversion and authentication method based on Lamb waves is developed by integrating deep learning and multi-scale fusion. This method speeds up the inversion performance through deep fast inversion tomography (DeepFIT) and uses Mask R-CNN to improve authentication accuracy. DeepFIT utilizes fully connected and convolutional operations to approach the descent gradient, enhancing the efficiency of ultrasonic array reconstruction. This suppresses artifacts and accelerates sub-millimeter-level fingerprint minutia inversion. By identifying the overall morphological relationships of various minutia in fingerprints, meaningful minutia representing individual identities are extracted by the Mask R-CNN method. It segments and matches multi-scale fingerprint features, improving the reliability of authentication results. Results indicate that the proposed method has high accuracy, robustness, and speed, optimizing the entire fingerprint authentication process.

Expanding the spectrum of LAMB2: Pierson syndrome associated with neuromuscular junction disorder in two patients.

LAMB2 gene disorders present with different phenotypes. Pierson syndrome (PS) is a common phenotype associated with LAMB2 variants. Neuromuscular phenotype has been reported including hypotonia and developmental delay. However, neuromuscular junction abnormalities represented as congenital myasthenic syndrome (CMS) was reported in one adult patient only. Here, in this paper, we present two pediatric cases with a severe presentation of PS and have CMS so expanding the knowledge of LAMB2 related phenotypes. The first patient had hypotonia and global developmental delay. Targeted genetic testing panel demonstrated homozygous pathogenic variant in the LAMB2 gene (c.5182C>T, pGln1728*) which was reported by Maselli et al. 2009. Repetitive nerve stimulation (RNS) showed a decremental response at low frequency of 3 Hz. On the other hand, the second patient had profound weakness since birth. Tri-Whole exome sequencing showed homozygous pathogenic variant in the LAMB2 gene c.2890C>T, pArg964*. A trial of salbutamol did not improve the symptoms. Both patients passed away from sequala of PS. The spectrum of phenotypic changes associated with LAMB2 mutations is still expanding, and further investigation into the various clinical and morphologic presentations associated with these mutations is important to better identify and manage affected individuals.

Flavor profile analysis of grilled lamb seasoned with classic salt, chili pepper, and cumin (Cuminum cyminum) through HS-SPME-GC-MS, HS-GC-IMS, E-nose techniques, and sensory evaluation on Sonit sheep.

In this study, the volatile flavor profiles of grilled lamb seasoned with salt, chili pepper, and cumin were analyzed employing HS-SPME-GC-MS, HS-GC-IMS, E-nose, and sensory evaluation techniques. The E-nose was found effective in differentiating the samples seasoned variously. A total of 67 volatile compounds were identified by HS-SPME-GC-MS, and 59 by HS-GC-IMS. The PCA demonstrated a correlation between the seasonings and the volatile compounds, with five principal components accounting for 99.54% of the total variance. 1-octen-3-ol, 3-furanmethanol, acetic acid, and heptanal were introduced by salt; compounds like propyl acetate were correlated with chili pepper; a broader range, including ethyl 3-methylbutanoate and high concentrations of alpha-pinene, was associated with cumin. Samples seasoned with all three ingredients showed similarities to those associated with cumin, alongside unique compounds such as gamma-octalactone and alpha-pinene. Sensory evaluations by consumers indicated that the combination of these seasonings significantly enhanced the overall acceptability of the grilled lamb. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Utilizing modern analytical techniques, this study has successfully revealed the distinct impacts of seasonings-salt, chili pepper, and cumin-on the flavor profile of grilled lamb. By providing experimental data on how each seasonings influence the flavor profile of grilled lamb prepared with Sonit sheep. The research offers theoretical foundation for the development of grilled lamb products. By conducting a thorough comparison between GC-MS and GC-IMS, this study has expanded the understanding of the distinct characteristics of these two technologies. It has also provided a clearer analysis of some flavor compounds dimers produced in GC-IMS system.

Feeding pomegranate pulp to Ghezel lambs for enhanced productivity and meat quality.

Agrifood by-products contain nutrients and bioactive compounds that can be used in the diets of livestock - thereby value-adding to an otherwise waste product of environmental and economic significance. This study investigated the effect of dietary pomegranate pulp in the total mixed ration of Ghezel lambs, evaluating its effect on growth performance, blood parameters, carcass traits, as well as meat quality and shelf life. 3-month-old Ghezel lambs (individually housed, n = 8) were randomly assigned to be either non-supplemented (control) or supplemented with 100 g/kg DM of sun-dried pomegranate pulp for 28 days, post-adjustment. Results showed that supplementation of lamb diets with pomegranate pulp significantly increased liveweight and average daily gains, while not significantly affecting dry matter intake. Lamb serum urea and alkaline phosphatase concentrations and hot carcass weight were increased with pomegranate pulp supplementation. Compared to control lambs, the meat from lambs fed the supplemented diet had higher concentrations of intramuscular fat, mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acid, total unsaturated fatty acid, and meat phenolic compounds. Pomegranate pulp supplemented lambs also had a higher ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acids; and produced liver tissue with less fat and ash contents. Meat oxidative status (thiobarbituric acid reactive substance) and quality (water holding capacity, colour, and pH) were improved when lambs were supplemented with pomegranate pulp. These findings demonstrate that using pomegranate pulp as a feed for Ghezel lambs has advantageous effects on animal performance and meat quality, offering valorisation of an agrifood by-product.