1,721,012 research outputs found
Computer-Assisted Molecular Traceability for Dairy Farming Products
Full text linkFood integrity and food safety have received much attention in recent years due to the dramatic increasing number of food frauds. In this article we analyze dairy products for which one of the crucial issues is traditional cheese traceability. In this paper we propose a computer- assisted molecular traceability system able to certify a traditional dairy product. We investigate the use of short tandem repeat analysis data processed by a Covariance Matrix Adaptation Evolution Strategy algo- rithm in order to predict the traceability between dairy products and the corresponding producer and to highlight possible adulterations and/or inconsistencies. Preliminary results collected from two farms are pre- sented in this study to show the capability of the proposed algorithm in a real setu
Evaluation of genetic variability in Brown hare populations from two protected areas in northern Italy
No full textCaratterizzazione morfologica e genetica di una popolazione di misgurno (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus Cantor, 1842) in Provincia di Vercelli
No full textIn Italia, così come nel resto del Mondo, sono presenti specie estranee alla fauna originaria, intenzionalmente o accidentalmente immesse dall'uomo in epoca storica. All'interno del territorio italiano sono indigene 50 specie ittiche d'acqua dolce, di cui 22 endemiche o sub-endemiche. A tutt'oggi risultano inoltre presenti 51 specie aliene, per la gran parte immesse nella seconda metà del Novecento. Considerando la frequenza con cui viene introdotto materiale proveniente dall'estero, la conseguente comparsa di specie aliene nelle nostre acque dolci è sempre in aumento. L’introduzione di specie ittiche aliene è un grave problema anche per le acque piemontesi dove, su un totale di 45 specie, risultano 20 esotiche, ma si teme un ulteriore peggioramento. Misgurnus anguillicaudatus, noto con il nome comune di cobite di stagno orientale, è una specie di origine asiatica. La sua diffusione in Europa è dovuta al probabile rilascio di esemplari da acquariofilia divenuti troppo grandi per rimanere in cattività. In Piemonte la prima segnalazione è sull’Arbogna a Borgo Lavezzaro (NO). Oltre all’ovvia competizione con le altre specie di Cobitidi presenti in Italia, tra cui il raro ed endemico cobite padano (Sabanejewia larvata), questa specie, grazie anche alla riproduzione efficiente e ripetuta più volte nel corso dell’anno ed all’ampia valenza ecologica, tollerando temperature oscillanti tra 2 e i 30°C, stabilisce popolazioni numerosissime e talvolta dominanti negli ambienti in cui si insedia (corsi d'acqua di portata esigua, stagni, canali e risaie). Nei corsi d'acqua piemontesi, nel corso dei campionamenti mirati alla definizione della carta ittica, la sua frequenza di ritrovamento, rispetto al totale delle stazioni campionate (428), è passata dallo 0% nel 1989 all'1,6% nel 2009. Nel corso dell'estate 2015, 40 esemplari ascrivibili a M. angullicaudatus provenienti da un canale di scolo di una risaia di Motta dei Conti (VC) sono stati sottoposti ad analisi morfologica e genetica. Morfologicamente sono stati individuati tre tipi differenti di pattern fenotipici. Ventuno individui, selezionati all'interno dei tre pattern, sono stati sottoposti ad identificazione genetica di specie. Dall’analisi è stato possibile evidenziare l’assenza di corrispondenza tra caratteristiche morfologiche e genetiche poiché ad certo profilo genetico non corrisponde un morfotipo. La maggior parte dei campioni sono stati identificati come M. anguillicaudatus, mentre per gli altri non è stato possibile stabilire la specie, ma sono stati classificati come Misgurnus spp. Inoltre, all’interno di questo gruppo, è stato possibile evidenziare la presenza di due sottogruppi separati, sempre indipendentemente dal morfotipo di appartenenza. L’analisi genetica è stata condotta impiegando un marcatore mitocondriale (COI) quindi non si può escludere che si tratti di ibridi; per questo motivo, ulteriori studi che prevedono l’uso di marcatori nucleari saranno condotti
FishAPP: A mobile App to detect fish falsification through image processing and machine learning techniques
Full text linkFood forgery is one of the most articulated socio-economic concerns, which contributed to increase people awareness on what they eat. Identification of species represents a key aspect to expose commercial frauds implemented by substitution of valuable species with others of lower value. Fish species identification is mainly performed by morphological identification of gross anatomical features of the whole fish. However, the increasing presence on markets of new little-known species makes morphological identification of species difficult. In this paper we present FishAPP, a cloud-based infrastructure for fish species recognition. FishAPP is composed of a mobile application developed for the Android and the iOS mobile operating system enabling the user to shot pictures of a whole fish and submit them for remote analysis and a remote cloud-based processing system that implements a complex image processing pipeline and a neural network machine learning system able to analyze the obtained images and to perform classification into predefined fish classes. Preliminary results obtained from the available dataset provided encouraged result
Mortality outbreak by perch rhabdovirus in European perch (Perca fluviatilis) farmed in Italy: Clinical presentation and phylogenetic analysis
Full text linkThis work reports a mortality outbreak, occurred in 2015 and affecting juveniles of European perch (Perca fluviatilis L.) farmed in Italy. Perch rhabdovirus (PRV) was de‐tected by viral isolation and biomolecular investigations. Phylogenetic analysis clus‐tered our isolate into genogroup B, which also includes PRV isolates from Perca fluviatilis identified in France (2004–2009); diagnostic investigations also revealed opportunistic bacteria (Aeromonas hydrophila) and parasites (Chilodonella piscicola). Since, occasionally, PRV has been reported in the natural environment, which is often a source of eggs and broodstock for farms, it could be possible that both similar France and Italian isolate were imported from a same place elsewhere and have a common origin. Improving biosecurity measures (batch control) and disinfection of egg strings with an iodine‐based solution helps prevent apparent vertical transmis‐sion of PRV
First record of Aedes japonicus in Liguria region, Northwest of Italy
No full textAedes japonicus is an invasive Asian mosquito species, and to date it is widespread in many European countries. In Italy, it was first recorded in 2015 at the Austrian border and it then spread throughout the Northeast of the country. In 2019, it was also identified in Piedmont region, near the Swiss border. In the framework of the Italian program for prevention, surveillance, and response to Arboviruses, from June to November 2021, biweekly entomological surveillance was performed in the Liguria region (Northwest Italy). The collected mosquitoes were morphologically and genetically identified and molecularly analysed for the detection of West Nile and Usutu viruses. Six female mosquitoes, trapped on the 6th of July 2021 using a gravid trap in Albenga (Savona province), were morphologically identified as Ae. japonicus and the identification was genetically confirmed. The pool tested was negative for the presence of West Nile and Usutu viruses. The detection of Ae. japonicus was performed in a coastal area characterized by the presence of many floriculture activities. Considering the distance from the established Ae. japonicus mosquito populations in Italy and other European countries, this could represent an independent introduction in this country
Identification of single nucleotide polymorphisms in Toll-like receptor candidate genes associated with tuberculosis infection in water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis)
Full text linkToll-like receptors play a key role in innate immunity by recognizing pathogens and activating appropriate responses. Pathogens express several signal molecules (pathogen-associated molecular patterns, PAMPs) essential for survival and pathogenicity. Recognition of PAMPs triggers an array of anti-microbial immune responses through the induction of various inflammatory cytokines. The objective of this work was to perform a case-control study to characterize the distribution of polymorphisms in three candidate genes (toll-like receptor 2, toll-like receptor 4, toll-like receptor 9) and to test their role as potential risk factors for tuberculosis infection in water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis)
Two-dimensional gel and shotgun proteomics approaches to distinguish fresh and frozen-thawed curled octopus (Eledone cirrhosa)
No full text
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
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