This study demonstrates that improvements in animal line selection by breeding enterprises exert a strong effect on carcass traits, meat quality and sensory characteristics of Serrano dry-cured ham. A total of 461 pigs from the offspring of a Duroc (DU) × Landrace (LD) sow mated with two DU boars and a DU × Large White (LW) boar from three breeding enterprises were evaluated. The two DU terminal sires were significantly different (P < 0.05) in carcass conformation, backfat thickness, ham and loin yields, raw ham traits, myoglobin concentration and total pigments formed during the curing process; in addition, the two lines provided different percentages of hams (54 vs 91%) with sufficient subcutaneous fat and weight to manufacture dry-cured Serrano hams using a slow ripening process (11 months). The DU × LW sire had the best carcass and ham traits from an economic standpoint and obtained highest scores for sensory characteristics of Serrano ham evaluated by a trained panel test; furthermore, this line provided 84% of total hams suitable for manufacturing Serrano hams by a slow process. When the sex effect was analysed, carcass and ham traits of females were more favourable, but females presented a higher incidence of pale, soft and exudative (PSE) meat and a lower percentage of hams with sufficient subcutaneous fat and weight to produce Serrano hams using a slow ripening process (61% for females and 91% for castrates). On the other hand, castrates provided Serrano hams cured by a slow procedure with better organoleptic characteristics than females. Right and left hams were similar.

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Adverse impacts of air pollution on human health have been well documented in Spain; however, very few have been conducted in the Spanish region of Castilla-La Mancha (CLM). CLM is an extensive region with a low population density, little industrial production, and moderate air pollution level. The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between the risk of hospital admission for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and exposure to PM2.5, PM10, and NO2 in CLM during 2006–2015. Daily air pollution concentration, temperature, and relative humidity were monitored from the air quality monitoring stations in CLM. A time-series analysis with generalized linear model was used to examine the effects of air pollution on hospital admissions by controlling for long-term trend and other potential confounders. The effect modifications by sex and age (15–64; ≥ 65 years) were examined. Lagging exposure concept was used to analyze a possible latency period in cumulative exposure-pollution analyses. Relative risks (RR) of CVD admissions at the same day (lag 0) and to 7 days after exposure (lag 7) were calculated. Relative risks of CVD admissions (for an increase of 10 µg m−3 in concentration of air pollutant) were calculated. The elderly group (≥ 65 years) were the most susceptible group to the effect of air pollution, whereas the estimated effect by sex was significantly different depending on the age group. The potential utility of these results may help for syndromic surveillance during future similar air pollutant concentrations, where an increase in the use of health services among the vulnerable groups could be unexpected by the emergency department.

An automated method based on the principles of flow-injection analysis is proposed for the enzymatic determination of sodium ion in serum. The method relies on the activation of beta-galactosidase by the analyte. The features of the proposed method include linear range between 1 and 1700 mumol/L, a sampling rate of 50 samples/h, a sample volume of 50 microL, and the absence of interferences from species usually present in serum. The results obtained were consistent with those provided by widely used methods such as those based on flame spectrometry and direct potentiometry with ion-selective electrodes.