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Sieroprevalenze di CAEV, MAP e CpHV1 in capre allevate in Sardegna e loro effetti sulle caratteristiche del latte
No full textThe aim of this thesis is to investigate whether seropositivity to CAE (caprine arthritis), PTB (paratuberculosis) and CpHV1 (goat herpesvirus type 1) may influence the coagulative characteristics of goat milk and its cheese yield. 1272 samples of milk and serum have been collected from goats distributed in 35 farms in Sardinia. The milk was analyzed for chemical parameters such as fat, protein, lactose, pH, somatic cell count and total bacterial load. The milk was also tested with the lactodynamography test for the classic parameters (RTC, K20, A30) and for the modeling parameters, while the nanocaseification was performed on 560 randomly extracted samples. Antibodies were investigated for the three pathologies with the ELISA technique for CAEV and PTB, and with serum neutralization for CpHV1. Data was analyzed using statistical software. The results obtained show a wide diffusion of the three pathologies with high prevalence rates. Although productions tend to be better on average in subjects with negative CAEV, PTB and CpHV1, no significant statistical associations have been observed, therefore seropositivity does not seem to negatively influence the capacity of cheesemaking milk of goats affected by these diseases. The control of these diseases in the future will be crucial
Target identification of small molecules with antiproliferative properties
No full text1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives are widely used in the research of antineoplastic drugs. On the basis of previous work, 16 new 1,3,4-oxadiazole compounds with different structural types were designed and synthesized on the basis of 2j, in order to obtain new efficacious anticancer with low toxicity and side effects.
In the present research, the results showed that 7FB, 16FB, 8VDB, 22VDB, and 23VDB had a significant inhibitory effect on tumor cell lines and caused cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase in a time-dependent manner in Hela and PC-3 cells.
In order to further study 2j and its derivatives possible targets and identify molecular mechanisms, the DEGs were determined after 2j, 16FB and 8VDB treatment. RNA-seq was performed and data were analyzed using functional (GO term) and pathway (KEGG) enrichment of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The hub genes of anti-tumor small molecules were determined by the analysis of protein-protein interaction networks. The results showed that 2j and its derivatives were tubulin inhibitors, mainly affected tumor cells through the cell cycle, FoxO signaling pathway, and apoptotic and p53 signaling pathways. Based on STRING analysis of function gene networks, hub genes were identified and the small molecular targets obtained by CMap comparison, the possible targets of 2j, 16FB and 8VDB could be TUBA1A, TUBA4A, and TUBB. Molecular docking results indicated that 2j interacted at the colchicine-binding site on tubulin
Impacts of fluoride contamination on food crops grown in rural areas of the African Rift Valley
No full textThe consumption of fluoride-rich food products can represent a major source of fluoride (F) exposure for humans, contributing, together with the consumption of F-rich drinking-water, to enhance the hazard of incurring severe diseases known under the name of endemic fluorosis.
Even though the connection between the environmental F contamination and the fluorosis disease is well recognised, the analyses of literature brought to the light the gap of knowledge on the uptake behaviour and the effects of F on food crops, particularly regarding some of the strongest affected areas, such as the East African Rift Valley.
Field experiments conducted in rural areas of North Tanzania confirmed, as previous observed in the literature, the tendency of plants to accumulate F mostly in the root system to the disadvantage of those crops whose edible part is the underground organs. However, a substantial accumulation of F in other plants edible parts (e.g. leaves, fruits or seeds) was also observed, underlining that the consumption of the considered food items can substantially contribute to F-correlated diseases, especially in earlier ages.
Moreover, the protracted use of high-F contaminated waters along the crop cycle, as tested in a greenhouse pot experiment, was observed to considerably affect the quality of the soil leading to a significant rise of its water-soluble F concentration and the increase of F accumulation in plants organs such leaves and stems in a dose-dependent manner
Forage quality and methane emissions in dairy sheep
No full textThe work of this thesis focused direct methane measurements in in vivo and in vitro trials to test possible nutritional strategies aimed to reduce methane emissions from dairy sheep, specifically working on their diets in term of forage quality and inclusion of additives based on nitrate compounds. The first chapter included a review of literature and the rationale background.
The second chapter present a trial planned with the aim to evaluate the effect of hays with different NDF content on milk production, digestibility and methane emissions in dairy sheep. It was observed that sheep fed hays with lower vs. higher content of NDF produced significantly more milk and lower methane emissions.
The third chapter presents a study on the effect of haylages with low and high NDF content on lactating dairy sheep in late lactation. The results showed that milk production and methane emissions were not influenced by the diet. H-NDF vs. L-NDF group produced more methane per unit of milk without significant differences.
The fourth chapter presented an In vitro aimed to evaluate the effects of nanocarriers associated in different combinations to nitrate based compounds and other additives to reduce the methane emission.
Cumulative methane emissions at 48h were significantly affected by treatments. In terms of ml of methane per ml of produced gas, the use of aluminum nitrate NAl caused a reduction of emissions in respect to control without additives
Prevalence and identification of antibiotic residues in dairy cow’s bulk tank milk produced in Lebanon
No full textThis research was aiming to evaluate in Lebanon the prudent use of veterinary antibiotics and the prevalence of antibiotic residues in raw cow’s milk. A first survey concerning antibiotics and their utilization was carried out involving 100 farmers, developing a specific questionnaire. The results have shown that most of the Lebanese dairy farmers have a very low knowledge level about antibiotics. A second study to investigate the occurrence of veterinary drug residues in dairy raw milk produced in the seven Lebanese Governorates was also carried out. A total of 1020 raw milk samples that covers big and medium size dairy farms and dairy raw milk collection centers were collected. Samples were tested using a microbiological test for inhibitors, lateral flow test for residues and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) test. Results show that using microbiological test, 22% (220) out of 1020 collected samples were double positive for inhibitors. HPLC-DAD test results showed that out of 220 double positive samples tested with microbiological test, 143 (65%) samples were contaminated with penicillin G (53.6%), tetracycline (23.1%) and florfenicol (22.7%). Charm® TRIO and AMPH tests revealed that out of arbitrary 95 positive samples tested using HPLC, 92 samples were contaminated with penicillin G (62.1%), tetracycline (43.2%), amphenicol (40%) and sulfa drugs (32.6%)
Studies on the behavioral responses of <i>Apis mellifera</i> to the pathogen <i>Nosema ceranae</i> and the parasite <i>Varroa destructor</i>, and on the predatory wasp <i>Vespula germanica</i> in apiary
No full textDeclining honey bee health has been a major concern worldwide and the responses of bees to biotic factors has not been fully understood yet. This thesis is divided into three parts: the first two chapters concern the use of propolis, as an extract or as a raw propolis, in adult bees experimentally treated with the microsporidium Nosema ceranae (first chapter) and the parasitic mite Varroa destructor (second chapter); and the third chapter relates to the impact of the predatory wasp Vespula germanica on bee hives. The aim of this three-year study was to investigate the behavioral responses of Apis mellifera to the parasite and the pathogen in laboratory, and observe the behavior of the wasp in an experimental apiary. Our results showed that the lifespan of bees artificially infected with N. ceranae or parasitized by V. destructor increased when bees were treated with propolis compared to untreated bees. In particular, laboratory experiments evidenced that raw propolis had a narcoleptic effect on V. destructor mites, by contact, and propolis extract caused a decrease in spore load of N. ceranae. In the study on the feeding strategies of V. germanica in apiary, our results showed the major role of the wasp as a scavenger, because we found that its diet is based mostly on bee carrions. In order to improve the protection measures of honey bees, it would be important to conduct further studies focusing on impact and control of biotic stress factors of this species
Il Lessico dei rapporti di dipendenza libera e servile nella società rurale dell'Europa mediterranea bassomedievale: Sardegna e Catalogna a confronto
No full textThis piece of research is about serfdom and freedom in late Middle Ages rural society in Sardinia, with a comparison related to some specific and selected aspects of the same topic as documented in Catalonia. Analysis focuses extensively on a wide range of sardinian sources, looking for those terms, formulas, signs and indicators of servile status and how that is generated, maintained, modified, adapted and ceased in a period of time ranging from the eleventh to the fifteenth century and depending on the evolving specific circumstances at regional and local level. Perspectives are multiple and in the first instance necessarily legal (laws, rights, customs, deeds, rulings, etc…) but also and at the same level social and economic, by assessing how rural society shape and evolution is defined, determined and affected by rulers and lords’ strategies, aims, decisions and actions. Initial reference is to sardinian model of servitude and if or to what extent this matches with or aligns to “new serfdom” developed in the same period in most regions of continental Europe. Comments on Catalonian rural society are then based on a selected range of sources specifically describing "mals usos", particularly "remença". Conclusions are finally drawn by highlighting key-themes, peculiarities, similarities and differences of the two regions and relevant sub-regions and promoting further discussions and debates around some unresolved topics to be further investigated in the future
Metodologie innovative per la crioconservazione del germoplasma nella specie ovina
Full text linkAim of this work was to develop new methods for germplasm cryopreservation in the ovine species. The research was focused on new techniques and devices for the conservation of semen, tissues and embryos in an effective and cost-saving manner.
The research was divided into three main experiments. In the former, the possibility of semen conservation after partial freeze-drying was tested; such approach would avoid the use of nitrogen and of the entire cold chain, with enormous advantages in terms of costs and feasibility. In the second and third experiments, a new micro-device (E.Vit), consisting of a 0.25 mm diameter straw with a 50 μm pore polycarbonate grid at one end, was used to create two protocols for vitrification of prepubertal animal testicular tissue and blastocyst stage embryos.
The first experiment showed that ram semen maintains a good vitality after cryopreservation with low-toxic cryoprotectants and the partial freeze-drying technique suggest lyophilization as an alternative technique to classical freezing.
E-Vit was successfully applied in both second and third experiments. Cell vitality and gene expression were evaluated in the vitrified-warmed testicular tissues, while the validity of the protocol for embryo cryopreservation was assessed in terms of post-warming survival and DNA fragmentation (TUNEL test).
These new cryopreservation methodologies may significantly contribute to the improvement of reproductive technologies in both animal and human field
In vitro and in silico studies of Syk inhibitors as new antimalarial drugs
Full text linkMalaria remains one of the most devastating infectious diseases and despite the current therapies are efficient, the WHO recommends Artemisinin Combination Therapies (ACTs) as the treatments against P. falciparum malaria to limit the artemisinin resistance. Unfortunately, in the Greater Mekong subregion, their efficacy has recently questioned. A new mechanism of action based on the release of denatured haemoglobin products (haemichromes) bound to erythrocyte membrane through the Band 3 protein has recently characterized. This process, mediated by erythrocytic spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk), entails the Tyr phosphorylation of band 3. The consequent membrane destabilization could be essential for P. falciparum egress, since inhibitors of Syk block these events. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of the Syk inhibitors during parasite growth within the human erythrocyte through in vitro experiments and to explore current molecular docking strategies used in drug discovery and medicinal chemistry. In vitro studies have involved the treatment of parasitized erythrocytes with different concentrations of Syk inhibitors and the Tyr phosphorylation levels in Band 3 residues by proteomic approach was evaluated. In silico studies were based on different approaches of molecular modelling. In presence of Syk inhibitors we observed both in silico and in vitro experiments a marked decrease of band 3 phosphorylation which is proportional to the increase of drug dosage. These studies enabled us to better analyse the structure of different compounds and to possibly discover new Syk inhibitors through virtual screening analysis
Il confronto della tutela della persona disabile e a mobilità ridotta nel trasporto aereo, marittimo e terrestre
Full text linkCOMPARISON OF THE PROTECTION PROVIDED FOR THE DISABLED AND PERSONS WITH REDUCED MOBILITY IN AIR, MARITIME AND LAND TRANSPORT
The research on real means of protection for the disabled in order to guarantee their right to mobility and access to means of transport has received growing attention of the international and national regulations in the last 20 years. The measures that have derived, both in the EU legal system and in the national legislation, aim at guaranteeing not only to the disabled but also to the "persons with reduced mobility" (p.r.m.) a full exercise of their right to mobility and free movement on conditions comparable to those granted to the other users.
The object of the present dissertation is, therefore, the comparison of the different sector-specific regulations that regulate the transport of all the persons that can be counted within the vast "p.r.m." category.
Upon careful evaluation of the points of contact as well as of the ongoing differences among the applicable regulations, we shall try to identify proposals, modifications and solutions (also of a practical nature) that are appropriate, at least, to foster (if not to attain yet) the level of uniformity desired by the EU institutions with the aim of achieving greater protection for the p.r.m