306 research outputs found
Economic factors affecting obesity: an application in Italy
No full textThe World Health Organization has stated that obesity is spreading around the world like a “global epidemic”. In 2004 the percentage of obese people in the Italian population was 9%, but the trend s increasing in recent years. Focusing on this country, the purpose of the paper is to analyze the socio-economic variables affecting obesity by means of a survey conducted in a consumer sample. Our analysis is based on a survey conducted in Italy, and the sample was composed of 999 consumers. We used a binary logit model and the dependent variable is body mass index (BMI), expressed in a dichotomic way (seriously overweight and obese, value 1, and normal weight, value 0). The results show that the condition of the seriously overweight and obese increases with age, especially in people over 65 of age. Also gender is correlated with the pathology: being seriously overweight and obese is far more likely for men than for women. An inverse relation was shown between obesity and education, and between obesity and the level of food knowledge. The results highlight that disadvantaged social categories are more susceptible to the problem of overweight and obesity. A policy implication of the analysis, to limit the spread of obesity, could lie in programs aimed at improving health and food awareness and focused on these minority groups.economics of obesity, BMI and consumer, logit model, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Health Economics and Policy,
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No full textDetecting pathogens and mounting immune responses upon infection is crucial for animal health. However, these responses come at a high metabolic price (McKean and Lazzaro, 2011, Kominsky et al., 2010), and avoiding pathogens before infection may be advantageous. The bacterial endotoxins lipopolysaccharides (LPS) are important immune system infection cues (Abbas et al., 2014), but it remains unknown whether animals possess sensory mechanisms to detect them prior to infection. Here we show that Drosophila melanogaster display strong aversive responses to LPS and that gustatory neurons expressing Gr66a bitter receptors mediate avoidance of LPS in feeding and egg laying assays. We found the expression of the chemosensory cation channel dTRPA1 in these cells to be necessary and sufficient for LPS avoidance. Furthermore, LPS stimulates Drosophila neurons in a TRPA1-dependent manner and activates exogenous dTRPA1 channels in human cells. Our findings demonstrate that flies detect bacterial endotoxins via a gustatory pathway through TRPA1 activation as conserved molecular mechanism.sponsorship: Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie Alessia Soldano Luis Franco Guangda Liu Natalia Mora Emre Yaksi Bassem A Hassanr Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek G.0702.12 Alessia Soldano Yeranddy A Alpizar Brett Boonen Alejandro Lopez-Requena Natalia Mora Thomas Voets Rudi Vennekens Bassem A Hassan Karel Talaverar Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek G.0077.15 Alessia Soldano Yeranddy A Alpizar Brett Boonen Alejandro Lopez-Requena Natalia Mora Thomas Voets Rudi Vennekens Bassem A Hassan Karel Talaverar Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek G.0680.10 Alessia Soldano Yeranddy A Alpizar Brett Boonen Alejandro Lopez-Requena Natalia Mora Thomas Voets Rudi Vennekens Bassem A Hassan Karel Talaverar Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek G.0681.10 Alessia Soldano Yeranddy A Alpizar Brett Boonen Alejandro Lopez-Requena Natalia Mora Thomas Voets Rudi Vennekens Bassem A Hassan Karel Talaverar Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek G.0503.12 Alessia Soldano Yeranddy A Alpizar Brett Boonen Alejandro Lopez-Requena Natalia Mora Thomas Voets Rudi Vennekens Bassem A Hassan Karel Talaverar Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek G.0654.15 Alessia Soldano Yeranddy A Alpizar Brett Boonen Alejandro Lopez-Requena Natalia Mora Thomas Voets Rudi Vennekens Bassem A Hassan Karel Talaverar Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek G.0761.10N Alessia Soldano Yeranddy A Alpizar Brett Boonen Alejandro Lopez-Requena Natalia Mora Thomas Voets Rudi Vennekens Bassem A Hassan Karel Talaverar Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek G.0596.12 Alessia Soldano Yeranddy A Alpizar Brett Boonen Alejandro Lopez-Requena Natalia Mora Thomas Voets Rudi Vennekens Bassem A Hassan Karel Talaverar Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek G.0565.07 Alessia Soldano Yeranddy A Alpizar Brett Boonen Alejandro Lopez-Requena Natalia Mora Thomas Voets Rudi Vennekens Bassem A Hassan Karel Talaverar KU Leuven GOA/14/011 Alessia Soldano Yeranddy A Alpizar Brett Boonen Luis Franco Alejandro Lopez-Requena Guangda Liu Natalia Mora Emre Yaksi Thomas Voets Rudi Vennekens Bassem A Hassan Karel Talaverar European Commission IUAP P7/13 Alessia Soldano Yeranddy A Alpizar Brett Boonen Luis Franco Alejandro Lopez-Requena Guangda Liu Natalia Mora Emre Yaksi Thomas Voets Rudi Vennekensr KU Leuven OT/12/091 Alessia Soldano Yeranddy A Alpizar Brett Boonen Luis Franco Alejandro Lopez-Requena Guangda Liu Natalia Mora Emre Yaksi Thomas Voets Rudi Vennekens Bassem A Hassan Karel Talaverar KU Leuven PF-TRPLe Alessia Soldano Yeranddy A Alpizar Brett Boonen Luis Franco Alejandro Lopez-Requena Guangda Liu Natalia Mora Emre Yaksi Thomas Voets Rudi Vennekens Bassem A Hassan Karel Talavera (Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek|G.0702.12, Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek|G.0077.15, Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek|G.0680.10, Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek|G.0681.10, Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek|G.0503.12, Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek|G.0654.15, Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek|G.0761.10N, Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek|G.0596.12, KU Leuven|GOA/14/011, KU Leuven|OT/12/091, European Commission|IUAP P7/13, KU Leuven PF-TRPLe)status: Publishe
Immunoregulatory signal FoxP3, cytokine gene expression and IFN-γ cell responsiveness upon porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) natural infection
No full textThe study aims at evaluating gene expression of pro-inflammatory (IL-1β, IL-8, TNF-α), pro-immune (IFN-γ), anti-inflammatory (IL-10) cytokines and of the immunoregulatory signal FoxP3 in association with PRRSV-specific IFN-γ secreting cell (SC) responsiveness upon PRRSV natural infection. Forty PRRSV-negative pigs were assigned to two groups: 20 pigs were vaccinated at 3 weeks of age (weaning) against PRRSV (V-PRRSV) with a modified live virus vaccine (MLV) and 20 pigs were kept non-vaccinated (NV) as controls. Blood samples were collected at 3 (vaccination), 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 weeks of age. Natural infection occurred from 8 weeks of age onward in both groups and viremia lasted 8 weeks. In the early phase of infection, pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-8, TNF-α) showed a delayed increase concomitant with the peak of viremia in both groups. In both groups, IL-10 peaked at 12 weeks in association with the increase of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Conversely, in vaccinated pigs (V-PRRSV), IFN-γ showed higher gene expression during the early phase of infection and a more intense secreting cell (SC) response in the late phase. Differently, gene expression of the transcription factor FoxP3, expressed by T regulatory lymphocytes (Tregs), increased significantly in controls only and was associated with the rise of the viral load. Moreover, FoxP3 levels remained significantly higher during the late phase of infection and paralleled with lower levels of IFN-γ SC detected by ELISPOT. The expression/production of immunoregulatory signals involved in Treg activation could be a promising marker to study the immunobiology of PRRSV infection
EVALUATION OF INNATE AND ADAPTIVE IMMUNE RESPONSE IN PIGS NATURALLY INFECTED WITH MYCOPLASMA HYOPNEUMONIAE
No full textMycoplasma hyopneumoniae (MH) is the main causative agent of enzootic pneumonia of pigs.
49 pigs, presenting lung lesions, from 5 different herds were sampled at slaughterhouses.
Lung lesions were individually scored according to Madec e Kobish (1982).
MH was locally RT-PCR detected from each lung lesion according to Marois e coll. (2010)
Lung samples were formalin-fixed. 5 μm paraffin sections were histologically evaluated with a score, ranging from 0 to 4, for BALT volume, severity
of bronchi, bronchiolar disepithelization and subacute inflammation.
Immunohistochemistry was carried out using commercial antibodies anti-MAC387 to detect macrophages, anti-CD3 for T-cells, anti CD79α for B-cells,
Foxp3 for regulatory T-cells. The amount of antigen detected was scored from 0 to 4 based on the number of positive T and B cells foci per 4, 200 magnification
fields. T-reg cells were individually counted in four BALT per pig.
The average histological lung score ranged from 0.14 to 1.98. Results of RT-PCR were 32 positive and 17 negative samples.
Lungs showed catarrhal bronco-interstitial pneumonia with increased volume of peribronchial, peribronchiolar and perivascular lymphoid tissue.
10 samples showed subacute inflammation and 22 showed lesions MH induced without secondary bacteria irruption.
MAC387 positive cells were numerous in lung lesions (scored 4) affected by severe subacute inflammation while B, T and Treg cells were poorly
represented. On the contrary, T cells were numerous in hyperplatic BALT MH induced (scored 3 to 4). B cells were scarcely represented in subacute
inflammation; in MH induced BALT lesions were scored from 2 to 3.
This study shows that Treg cells are very rare in hyperplastic BALT, suggesting a less active role of Treg cells in maintaining a low activation of immune
system. Macrophages are numerous in subacute inflammation, while less in MH BALT, suggesting a low grade of apoptosis of cells of the follicle center
Preliminary in vitro characterization of some immunobiological properties of HP-PRRSV isolates in Italy
No full textSocial Network to analyse the relationship between ‘victim-author’ and ‘motivation’ of violence against women in Italy.
No full textThe paper aims to analyse the phenomenon of Violence against women in the Italian context during 2020. It proposes to study the relationship between ‘victim-author’ and ‘motivation’ in femicides committed in domestic environment. By means of the properties of the Social Network Analysis on bimodal data, the study detected main actors and motivations that generated the homicides with female victims. At the same time, the structural relationships allowed to investigate the existence of motivations that better characterized the action of the various actors. The bipartite graph visualization and centrality scores calculated have demonstrated the effectiveness of the methodology for the pursued objectives
Louis-Philippe Dalembert, «vagabond jusqu’au bout de la fatigue»
No full textThe Haitian novelist and poet Louis-Philippe Dalembert (Port-au-Prince, 1962) has developed in his works of fiction the concept of vagabondage as a literary projection of his biographical wandering through multiple spaces. The aim of this essay is to study the presence of vagabondage and its distinctive features in those novels written by Dalembert that reflect the writer’s perpetual motion: Le Crayon du bon Dieu n’a pas de gomme (1996), L’Autre face de la mer (1998), L’Île du bout des rêves (2003), Les dieux voyagent la nuit (2006). The main characters are constantly moving, they are cosmopolitan wanderers who belong to many places at the same time, just like Dalembert himself. By analyzing the representation of movement in these fictions, we will show that the notion of vagabondage is depicted by the author as a positive and meaningful opportunity for the vagabond who travels across countries, languages and cultures
Clinical and immunological study of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) due to highly pathogenic viruses.
No full textPorcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) è una malattia endemica nella maggior parte dei Paesi a suinicoltura intensiva nei quali è considerata una delle maggiori cause di danno economico. La malattia colpisce le scrofe, determinando insufficienza riproduttiva e aborto, e i suini in accrescimento, con problemi respiratori, calo dell’incremento ponderale giornaliero e maggiore incidenza di infezioni batteriche secondarie. Negli ultimi venti anni in Nord America, Asia e successivamente in Europa sono emersi nuovi ceppi di PRRSV definiti ad alta patogenicità (HP) e caratterizzati da persistente viremia, elevata febbre (>41°C), gravi quadri clinici e alta mortalità in tutte le categorie produttive dell’allevamento.
In questo studio sono state condotte due sperimentazioni su un isolato italiano di PRRSV che in campo si comportava con caratteristiche di alta patogenicità (PRRSV-1 PR40/2014). Nella prima, è stata riprodotta l’infezione sostenuta dall’isolato confrontandola con quella causata da un isolato, sempre di origine italiana, a normale patogenicità (PRRSV-1 PR11/2014), per valutare ed evidenziare le differenze nella virulenza a cui si associano diversi quadri clinici e anatomopatologici. Nella seconda sperimentazione è stata valutata l’efficacia di un vaccino commerciale vivo attenuato MLV PRRSV.1 nei confronti di PRRSV-1 PR40/2014.
I risultati ottenuti dal primo studio hanno confermato una sintomatologia respiratoria grave, febbre elevata e anoressia nel gruppo infetto con PRRSV-1 PR40/2014, evidenziata macroscopicamente da una grave polmonite interstiziale, rispetto al gruppo infetto con PRRSV-1 PR11/2014. Microscopicamente, l’istologia e l’immunoistochimica degli organi linfoidi hanno mostrato una marcata deplezione linfoide, e in alcuni casi, totale atrofia del timo cervicale nei soggetti HP.
Nel secondo studio, i risultati ottenuti hanno mostrato una sintomatologia respiratoria più lieve e una ridotta viremia nei soggetti vaccinati e infetti con PR40-HP rispetto al gruppo HP. I valori degli anticorpi nei soggetti vaccinati sono stati sempre più alti rispetto al gruppo non vaccinato e si è osservato dopo 10 giorni dall’ inoculazione del virus un effetto booster che ha mantenuto tali i valori per tutta la sperimentazione.
Le sperimentazioni oggetto della tesi hanno confermato le principali caratteristiche cliniche, virologiche e patologiche di un isolato italiano PRRSV 1.1 ad alta patogenicità, mettendo in evidenza, attraverso il confronto con un virus a normale virulenza, la gravità del quadro clinico e anatomopatologico. Il vaccino commerciale MVL PRRSV-1 ha fornito una cross protezione parziale nei confronti dell’isolato italiano altamente virulento PRRSV-1 PR40 / 2014.Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) is an endemic disease in intensive pig production countries, and it is one of the most important cause of economic damage. The disease affects sows resulting in reproductive and abortion failure, and growing pigs, with respiratory problems, decrease in daily weight gain and higher incidence of secondary bacterial infections. During the last twenty years, outbreaks of new highly pathogenic (HP) PRRSV strains, characterized by persistent viraemia, high fever (> 41 ° C), severe clinical signs and high mortality in all breeding categories have been reported in North America, Asia and later in Europe.
In this study, two experiments on an Italian isolate of PRRSV, with high pathogenicity characteristics (PRRSV-1 PR40 / 2014) in the field were carried out. In the first one, the infection dynamics of the Italian HP- isolate and of Italian normal pathogenicity (PRRSV-1 PR11 / 2014) strain were compared, in order to evaluate the differences in terms of virulence and pathogenicity. In the second experiment, the efficacy of a PRRSV.1 modified-live virus (MLV) commercial vaccine against PRRSV-1 PR40 / 2014 was evaluated.
The comparison results from the first study confirmed the more severe clinical and pathological aspects associated with the PRRSV-1 PR40 / 2014 infection, already described during the outbreak in the field. In particular, severe respiratory symptoms, high fever, anorexia and an interstitial pneumonia were reported in the infected group. Microscopically, histology and immunohistochemistry of lymphoid organs confirmed a marked lymphocyte depletion in HP–infected animals, and in some cases a complete atrophy of the cervical thymus.
In the second study, the obtained results showed a milder respiratory symptomatology and a reduced viraemia in the vaccinated and PR40-infected animals, compared to the NP group. The antibody titres in vaccinated group were higher than in the unvaccinated group, and 10 days after infection a booster was observed.
Both the experiments confirmed the main clinical, virological and pathological features of a highly pathogenic Italian PRRSV 1.1 isolate, highlighting the severity of the clinical and anatomo-pathological pictures. The PRRSV-1 MLV commercial vaccine provided a partial cross protection against the highly virulent Italian isolate PRRSV-1 PR40 / 2014
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