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Controllo genetico della stagionalità riproduttiva in ovini di razze autoctone
Get PDFGenetic control of reproductive seasonality in native sheep
Reproductive physiology in sheep can change with latitudes. It’s normally characterized by seasonality, and is regulated by photoperiod’s exposure. The aim of this study was to investigate the GPR54, MTNR1a and KiSS1 genes polymorphisms in Sardinian and Slovenian local breeds, in order to determine if there is an association with reproductive seasonality. The PCR-SSCP analysis was carried out on 250, 130, and 106 bp fragment, respectively from GPR54 exons 1 and 2 and KiSS1 exon 1, while for the 824 bp fragment from MTNR1A gene exon 2 was also added RFLP analysis, using MnlI and Rsa1 endonucleases. Some polymorphic sites were found: G1035A at the Kiss1 gene exon 1 leading to GG (75,7 %), GA (21,3 %) and AA (3 %) genotypes; C606T and G612A at the MTNR1A exon 2, leading to genotypes CC (42,5 %), CT (31 %) and TT (26,5 %), and GG (51,5 %), GA (34,75%) and AA (13,75 %), respectively. These two last polymorphisms showed to influence the reproductive recovery in Sarda breed. No polymorphism was found in the exon 1 and 2 of the GPR54 gene. Statistical analysis showed no correlation between genotypes and reproductive seasonality in Slovenian breed sheep. The effect of the gene genotypes, in Slovenian s sheeps, maybe was masked by management e of males put inside the group during decreasing of photoperiod, therefore already favorable at the beginning of the reproductive activity. The low frequency of genotypes found for KISS1 and GPR54 genes does not allow us to highlight possible influences of these mutations on reproductive activity
Electronic identification of sheep in Sardinia: a retrospective analysis of the past fifteen years
Get PDFThis doctorate thesis provides a general background and new research findings on the electronic identification of ruminants. The first chapter is a literature review on electronic devices used for livestock identification. The other chapters describe experimental work on electronic identification devices, mostly in dairy sheep but also in goats. Chapter 2 deals with the effect of the presence and permanence time (from few days to 9 years) of four types of ceramic boluses (differing in capsule size, weight and material) used for electronic identification of Sarda sheep in six farms on the reticulum and chemical-physical characteristics of the interface surface. The boluses showed the presence of calcium, manganese, and zinc salts. The long-term permanence of the bolus in situ caused little changes in the mucosa which did not seem to impair the organ function. Chapter 3 comparing traditional and electronic animal identification in dairy sheep farms showed that the electronic identification device was more realiable, effective and efficient than the ear tag and ear tattoo. Chapter 4 studied possible correlations between the presence of rumen bolus and calcium content in blood, during pregnancy and lactation, and in milk in early, mid and late lactation in Sarda sheep. Calcium content in blood and milk did not differ between ewes with or without ceramic bolus. Chapter 5 concerns animal reading and data collection efficiency of automated milk recording in dairy sheep and goats
Eco-sustainable energy consumption and production in animal farming
Get PDFIntensive animal farming is highly energy demanding and often associated with concerns for food quality and for the environment. Pursuing the general objectives of implementing reliable tools for energy use optimization and for green energy sources exploitation in animal farming, we investigated the energy consumption and production during a three year period in a study farm hosting a rooftop photovoltaic system and a mini-turbine.
Consumption data, collected by detection and in depth analysis of equipment involved in different production cycles, were used to develop and validate a mathematical optimization model, leading to significant energy and money savings through the replacement of actual with alternative and more energy efficient equipment.
Environmental parameters in the same animal farming context, with special regard to solar irradiation and wind speed, were surveyed and employed as input data to run specific simulation software applications that estimated the expected energy production levels of the photovoltaic and wind power systems. The output of these simulations, based on actual and estimated environmental data, was compared to the green energy produced in the farm, which allowed to quantify the deviation between actual and estimated values.
Everything considered, the application of this study approach on a larger scale will generate useful tools for farm management toward general economical benefits and a higher environmental responsibility
Antimicrobial activity and chemical characterization of the Sardinian plants <i>Citrus limon</i> cv. <i>pompia</i> Camarda, <i>Vitis vinifera</i> L. cv. Cannonau, <i>Thymus herba-barona</i> Loisel and <i>Pistacia lentiscus</i> L.
Get PDFAim: To assess the antibacterial activity and the chemical characterization of Citrus lemon var. pompia (CLP), Vitis vinifera L. cv. (cultivar) Canonau pomacee (VVC), Thyme herba-barona Loisel (THB) and Pistacia lentiscus (PL) against oral bacteria in comparison to that of the same agents added in Modified Liposomes (MLs).
Methods: CLP and VVC were obtained from the fresh fruits. THB and PL essential oils were obtained from the aerial part of the plants. Identification of the components was carried out using chromatography. The agents were incorporated into MLs (soy phosphatidylcholine in water/propylene glycol). Anti-bacterial activity was carried out using the bacterial inhibition halo test using planktonic Streptococcus sanguinis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Enterococcus faecalis and Candida albicans. Sensitivity was ranked on the inhibition zone expressed in mm.
Results: CLP was rich in phenolic and flavonoids. VVC mostly contained phenolic acids and flavonoids. THB greatly showed monoterpenes and phenols. PL was high in flavonols. All of the drugs, except THB oil, showed higher antimicrobial activity when carried in MLs. Moreover, with the exception of THB oil, none of the agents were effective against Candida albicans.
Conclusions: the antimicrobial efficiency of the drugs was increased in MLs with the exception of THB suggesting a possible interference between THB and the chemical/physical characteristics of the carrier used
A Spatially explicit risk assessment approach: Cetaceans and marine traffic in the Pelagos Sanctuary (Mediterranean Sea)
No full textSpatially explicit risk assessment is an essential component of Marine Spatial Planning (MSP), which provides a comprehensive framework for managing multiple uses of the marine environment, minimizing environmental impacts and conflicts among users. In this study, we assessed the risk of the exposure to high intensity vessel traffic areas for the three most abundant cetacean species (Stenella coeruleoalba, Tursiops truncatus and Balaenoptera physalus) in the southern area of the Pelagos Sanctuary, which is the only pelagic Marine Protected Area (MPA) for marine mammals in the Mediterranean Sea. In particular, we modeled the occurrence of the three cetacean species as a function of habitat variables in June by using hierarchical Bayesian spatial-temporal models. Similarly, we modelled the marine traffic intensity in order to find high risk areas and estimated the potential conflict due to the overlap with the cetacean home ranges. Results identified two main hot-spots of high intensity marine traffic in the area, which partially overlap with the area of presence of the studied species. Our findings emphasize the need for nationally relevant and transboundary planning and management measures for these marine species
Come cambiano le abitudini alimentari: cibo e processi di trasformazione socioeconomica
Get PDFFood acquires today a growing importance. We are facing with undeniable changes, which affect what we put on our plates, the structure of individual meals, time and places dedicated to supplying, preparation and consumption of food, and the number and variety of courses. Not just eating habits change, but also the very meaning of the act of eating and our role with respect to it. Food is a multidimensional concept that can be analysed in its geo-biological, material and symbolic aspects, but also considering the mechanisms of production and consumption.
Based on developmentalist approach – which takes distance from the idea of food mostly unchanging and ritual and the primacy of social class and economic system (Mennell et. Al, 1982, Lupton 1996) – the aim of this research is the identification of transformations experienced by food practices in recent decades, with attention to socio-economic progress.
Research takes place in Sardinia, an Italian island characterized by a peculiar process of socio-economic modernization, which began in the 50s of the last century and may provide an interesting key to explain the evolution of habits and eating practices (Bottazzi, 1999). We used a mixed-methods approach – combining in-deep interviews and a quantitative survey, realized into three specific areas of the region – to bring out the cultural dimension of food tying it to the economic one, because symbolic meanings of food often provide an "emotional foothold" that hides underlying economic rationality, not always immediately detectable
Archeologia e storia delle forme e delle dinamiche dell'insediamento nel territorio di Stintino dall'Antichità all'Età contemporanea
Get PDFThe aim of the research project is to analyze the typologies and dynamics of settlement that developed in the territory of the Stintino Municipality from Ancient Times to the Contemporary Age, using the theoretical and procedural tools of archeology, archive records and computer science.
The approach to the fieldwork has been inspired by the teachings and methodologies of Global Archeology and Landscape Archeology, according to which all historical researches must be characterised by no chronological restrictions and by the interest in all human activities traces and their relationship with the environment, through the contribution of multiple sources and techniques.
The result obtained by the project has been a significant increasing of the historical and archaeological knowledge of the territory, which can be considered the basis for future research and stratigraphical excavations. The research has also produced data and informations about archaeological sites and topographical dynamics that will be useful for institutions in the conservation and developement of local cultural heritage
Tipologie insediative urbane in età medievale. Un caso di studio: Castelsardo
Get PDFThe doctoral thesis analyzes the urban development throughout the Middle Ages of the fortified village of Castelgenovese, later renamed Castellaragonese and finally Castelsardo. The peculiar nature of the terrain have kept relatively intact the original urban core, enabling comprehensive investigation of the stages and rules followed in medieval times. The methodological process that led the research is based on topographic surveys carried out on site, bibliographic research and the deepening of the main texts relating to the military in Sardinia, together with an analysis of the historical center of Castelsardo projects. Through an interdisciplinary study of archaeological and city planning sources, the research project analyzed and elaborated the development of the medieval village, limited in its expansion but preserved from the destructive actions which instead have affected other centers of the territory. The historical and archaeological aspect was found next to the architectural and urban planning to provide a more complete elaboration of the meaning of the medieval city as urban form. From a technical-practical point of view it is paid to the analysis of individual elements of investigation provided by the analysis of the historical nucleus of the settlement plans, detailed plans and surveys in the field, needed to reach a full understanding of the construction mode of the tim
Pediatric tuberculosis in Northern Sardinia
No full textBackground and objectives: Migration flux is an increasing phenomenon in Italy, and it raises several public health issues and concerns in pediatric infectious diseases. This study investigated the clinical characteristics and outcomes of a pediatric population at high-risk for tuberculosis (TB) and the potential role of immigration as a risk factor.
Design: We performed an observational retrospective study of children referred to the only Pediatric Infectious Diseases Unit for Northern Sardinia over a 6-year-period (2009-2014). Main variables assessed included TB skin test (TST), confirmed by quantiFERON Gold in Tube test, thorax X-ray (TX), microbiological culture, direct microscopy for acid-fast bacilli and molecular assays.
Results: Of the 246 children (mean age = 5.8 ± 3.9 years) identified, 222 (90.2%) were native to Sardinia and 24 (9.8%) were immigrants. The majority of children (n=205; 83%) were TB-exposed but not infected based on a negative TST and TX. Among the TST positive group (n= 39; 16%), 19 (49%) had latent TB (TX negative), while 20 (51%) had active TB (TX positive). The percent of TST positive children was significantly higher in the immigrant than the native group (42.5% versus 14%, p<0.001). Clinical presentations included pulmonary involvement with hilar lymphadenopathy (72%), pleurisy (13,5%), lateral-cervical lymphadenopathy (9%), pneumonia with calcifications (4.5%) and disseminated TB (4.5%). One child had multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.
Conclusions: Pediatric TB represents a relevant and potentially worsening public health problem in Northern Sardinia. A strict surveillance system and appropriate treatment can prevent the most severe forms and reduce TB transmission
Recent dynamics of forest fires in <i>Quercus suber</i> stands in Sardinia, Corsica and Catalonia
No full textIn this study, we analyzed the recent dynamics of forest fires in Quercus suber stands in Sardinia (Italy), Corsica (France), and Catalonia (Spain) for the period 2003-2015