197 research outputs found
Valutazione della forza della massa muscolare dell'arto superiore in relazione al suo utilizzo nei voli spaziali in condizioni di microgravità
No full textEVALUATION OF STRENGTH AND MASS OF PROXIMAL UPPER LIMB MUSCLES IN MICROGRAVITY CONDITIONS DURING SPACE-FLIGHT
Muscle unloading in microgravity during space-flight is known to produce significant functional and structural alterations. In microgravity, however, the task to control posture and locomotion is transferred from lower limbs to upper limbs. Actually, careful observation of the space station crew allows the identification of precise and repetitive patterns of upper limb movement aimed to stabilize or to move the body inside or outside the station. It is, therefore, important to develop a facility to quantify the adaptation of the upper limb muscles to new activity conditions. To this end, a facility, the Pullgrip Dynamometer (PGD), was designed as an upgrading of the HPA facility already available on board of the IIS and a testing protocol called MAAT (Methods for Astronaut Arm Testing) was implemented. In parallel, a computerized protocol (Fitnext®) for determination of muscle mass in the proximal part of upper limbs based on anthropometric measurements was developed. PGD, MAAT protocol were validated: 1) in a transversal study on a largely group of 40 young and healthy volunteers (age, 25±2,02 years; body mass 71,7±16,3 kg; height 174,8±9,71 cm) equally divided in 4 groups: trained men (TM), trained women (TW), untrained men (UM), untrained women (UW) and 2) in a longitudinal study on 17 young and healthy subjects (age, 24±1,3 years; body mass 70,6±6,2 kg; height 176,4±9,1 cm) who underwent to a resistance training specific for upper limb muscles. Fitnext® validation included NMR measurements of lean mass of shoulder muscles and was performed: 1) in a transversal study on a largely heterogeneous group of 33 subjects (21-65 years; body mass 59-98 kg; height 160-193 cm) and 2) in the same longitudinal study on 17 subjects shown above for PGD validation.
The results showed that PGD and MAAT can very well discriminate between subjects in relation to their muscle strength and detect variations due to training. Fitnext proved to be suitable to follow changes in muscle mass.E' risaputo che l'assenza di carico in condizioni di microgravità porti a significative alterazioni funzionali e strutturali. Tuttavia in microgravità le richieste di controllo posturale e locomozione sono trasferite dagli arti inferiori a quelli superiori. Attualmente, l'attenta osservazione degli astronauti durante la permanenza nella Space Station ha permesso l'identificazione di precisi e ripetitivi pattern di movimento degli arti superiori finalizzati alla stabilizzazione ed alla deambulazione del corpo dentro e fuori la navicella. Si rivela quindi fondamentale lo sviluppo di una facility che permetta di quantificare gli adattamenti dell'arto superiori ai nuovi compiti ad esso richiesti. A tal fine una facility, il Pullgrip Dynamometer, è stato progettato come uno sviluppo della facility HPA già presente a bordo della ISS (International Space Station) ed un protocollo di test denominato MAAT (Methods for Astronaut Arm Testing). Parallelamente è stato sviluppato un protocollo computerizzato (Fitnext®) per la determinazione della massa muscolare del distretto prossimale dell'arto superiore. Il PGD e MAAT sono stati validati: 1) in uno studio trasversale su 40 giovani volontari in salute (età , 25±2,02 anni; peso corporeo 71,7±16,3 kg; altezza 174,8±9,71 cm) equamente divisi in 4 gruppi: trained men (TM), trained women (TW), untrained men (UM), untrained women (UW) e 2) in uno studio longitudinale su 17 giovani soggetti in salute (età , 24±1,3 years; peso corporeo 70,6±6,2 kg; altezza 176,4±9,1 cm) che si sono sottoposti a resistance training specifico per la muscolatura dell'arto superiore. La validazione del protocollo Fitnext® è avvenuta tramite il confronto con le misurazioni della massa magra ricavate tramite Risonanze Magnetiche in: 1) uno studio trasversale su un gruppo ampio ed eterogeneo di 33 soggetti (21-65 anni; peso corporeo 59-98 kg; altezza 160-193 cm) e 2) nello studio longitudinale precedentemente illustrato per la validazione del PGD.
I risultati dimostrano che il PGD e MAAT sono in grado di valutare le differenze di forza tra soggetti differenti per massa muscolare e grado di allenamento. Fitnext® si è rivelato efficace nell'analizzare i cambiamenti di massa muscolare
Effects of space availability on productive and reproductive performances in buffalo cows
No full textThe effects of space availability on productive and reproductive performances have been evaluated in buffalo cows. The trial was carried out on 124 lactating buffaloes (69±84 days in milk) equally divided in two experimental groups (group 1 and group 2) with different space availability (15 vs 20m2/ head). Daily milk production was recorded in each group and a sample of milk was monthly analysed for fat and protein contents. Furthermore, fertility and intercalving and start trial-conception (number of days from the beginning of the trial until conception) intervals were also evaluated. Statistical analysis was performed by ANOVA with repeated measures for productive parameters and by Student’s t Test for intercalving and start trial-conception intervals. Buffaloes in Group 2 showed higher (P<0.05) milk production in both the initial (74 to 104 days in milk) and final (around 230 days in milk) phases of the lactation curve compared to animals in Group 1. No differences emerged for qualitative characteristics of milk and reproductive parameters. In conclusion the increase of space availability improve animal milk yield in buffalo cows while reproductive performances are not modified
Effect of information about animal welfare on consumer willingness to pay for yogurt
No full textThis study aimed to verify whether consumers confirm
their willingness to pay extra costs for higher
animal welfare standards in a situation where a potential
purchase performed by consumers, such as the
Vickrey auction, is used. A 104-member consumer
panel was asked to rate its willingness to pay (WTP) for
plain and low-fat yogurts in 3 information conditions:
tasting without information (blind WTP), information
about animal welfare without tasting (expected WTP),
tasting with information about animal welfare (actual
WTP). Information was provided to the consumers under
the form of labels indicating the level of animal
cleanliness and freedom of movement (5-point scale,
from poor to very good). Consumers were influenced
by information about low standards of animal welfare
(low cleanliness and low freedom of movement) and
moved their willingness to pay in the direction of their
expectations. However, the discrepancy between expectancy
and actual WTP was not totally assimilated,
indicating that WTP was also expressed in relation
to other aspects (e.g., the sensory properties of the
products). Conversely, the information concerning
high standards of animal welfare (high cleanliness and
high freedom of movement) was able to affect expectancy
but had an effect on actual WTP only when the
most acceptable yogurt was offered to the consumers.
In the case of discordant information on animal welfare,
partly indicating high levels of welfare (freedom
of movements) and low levels of welfare (cleanliness),
expected WTP was always lower than blind WTP.
However, when the least acceptable product was presented,
they completely assimilated their actual WTP
to the expectations. Conversely, with the most acceptable
yogurt, no assimilation occurred and sensory
properties prevailed in orienting consumer WTP.
Within each product, consumers expressed a higher
WTP for products with labels indicating high welfare standards as compared with yogurts with labels reporting
intermediate and low welfare standard. These
results show that information about animal welfare,
if given to the consumers, can be a major determinant
of consumer WTP for animal-based food products.
However, information about high standards of animal
welfare should be paired with products presenting a
good eating quality
Effect of delayed artificial insemination on conception rate using a commercially available semen sexing agent in bovine
No full text- …
