Perceptions and preconceptions about chicken and pork meat: A qualitative exploratory study of Argentine consumers in the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires

In the past, the Argentine livestock production system was based on the extensive breeding that used pastures. However, technological progress and the use of land for soybean production are leading to a strong intensification of beef production, with a negative impact on the environment. According to FAO data, Argentina has the third highest meat consumption in the world, half of which is beef. A change in diet is a long and difficult process. The first step in favor of the environment could be the replacement of beef with other types of meat that have a lower impact on the environment, such as chicken and pork. The purpose of this study is to understand the causes limiting the preference for these alternatives and to identify useful tools to encourage their consumption. The results show that the interviewed Argentine consumers in the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires have preconceptions about these two types of meat, such as the fact that hormones are still used in the chicken production system, that pork has higher cholesterol content than other meats, and that it carries diseases. These products are instead appreciated for their practicality of use, especially when purchased in portions, and they are not only tasty but also cheap

Multi-criteria approach for the environmental impact assessment of inland aquaculture

Trout farming, that represents the most important sector for aquaculture inland production in Italy, can cause negative effects on aquatic ecosystems. Recently, in the framework of Water Frame Directive 2000/60/EC and national law DL 152/2006, concerning the sustainable uses of water resources, multi-criteria approaches have been suggested to evaluate the impact of fish farming on aquatic ecosystems. In this study trout farms of central Italy were selected to investigate the effects of their effluents, on receiving water bodies using a multi-criteria approach based on physicochemical parameters, microbiological and macrobenthonic indicators, detected in sampling stations located upstream/downstream the trout farm. Moreover, antibiotic susceptibility against antibiotics allowed and/or forbidden by current law (D.lgs 193/56/06) was tested on E. coli strains. The results indicate variations of chemical parameters and biological indicators from upstream to downstream sites in some of the investigated farms. Antibiotic resistance of E. coli strains suggested a large use of tetracycline and a possible past use of chloramphenicol. This study represents a first contribute to the knowledge of fish farm impacts on aquatic systems in Central Italy

Efficacy and Effectiveness of Physical Agent Modalities in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Type I: A Scoping Review

Complex regional pain syndrome type I (CRPS-I) is a rare condition with huge variability in triggering factors and clinical scenarios. The complexity of the pathophysiology of this condition fosters the proposal of several therapeutic options with different mechanisms of action in both research and clinical practice. An interdisciplinary and multimodal approach, including pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions, particularly physical therapy, is recommended by international guidelines, but the benefits and harms of available interventions are poorly known. In this scoping review, the clinical rationale for use of physical agent modalities for patients with CRPS-I will be presented. We found 10 studies addressing the role of electromagnetic field therapy, electrotherapy, and laser therapy. Our findings suggest that physical therapy modalities, in particular transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF), may contribute to reduce pain and improve function in patients with CRPS-1

Gene effects controlling the earliness in flint-maize

El objetivo de este trabajo fue determinar la herencia de la precocidad presente en cruzamientos entre una variedad precoz de maíz (Zea mays sp. mays) llamada Gaspé y líneas coloradas, de grano tipo flint, argentinas. La información obtenida será utilizada en programas de mejoramiento para seleccionar materiales precoces. Se emplearon líneas endocriadas, de ciclo largo y buena aptitud combinatoria general, como progenitores femeninos, y a Gaspé como polinizador. La prueba de escala permitió analizar las medias generacionales de los progenitores, F1' s, F2' s y las dos retrocruzas para cada una de las cinco posibles combinaciones. Se utilizaron las unidades de calor acumuladas desde la siembra hasta el panojamiento como índice de precocidad. Sólo dos cruzamientos se ajustaron al modelo de aditividad-dominancia. Para las otras tres cruzas los efectos génicos simples y de interacción fueron mejor explicados por el modelo de 6 parámetros. Se estimó un número de 4 a 10 factores efectivos controlando el carácter. Dado que los efectos aditivos superaron ampliamente a los dominantes, se puede predecir un progreso consistente empleando métodos convencionales de selección.The objetive of this investigation was to determine the inheritance of earliness in crosses between an early variety of maize called Gaspé and orange flint inbred lines from Argentina. The information obtained will be applied in breeding programs to select early materials. Inbreeds, with a long cycle and a good general combining ability, were used as female parents and Gaspé as the pollinator. The joint scaling test allowed to analyze the means of the parents, F1?s, F2?s and the two backcross generations for each one of the five possible combinations. Cumulative heat units from planting to tasseling were used as an earliness index. Only two crosses fitted to the additive-dominance model. For the other three crosses, the single gene effects and interactions were better explained by the six parameter model. The number of effective factors controlling the trait was estimated between 4 to 10. As the additive effects widely overcome the dominance effects, a consistent progress can be predicted using conventional selection methods.Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestale

Hepatitis a epidemic in men who have sex with men (MSM) in milan, Italy

Background and aim of the work: Hepatitis A is an infectious disease characterized by fecal-oral transmission; however, a rise in sexually-transmitted cases has been observed, particularly among \u201cmen who have sex with men\u201d. In Europe, a Hepatitis A epidemic occurred among men who have sex with men between 2016 and 2018. The aim of this study is to describe this Hepatitis A epidemic in the city of Milan and to analyze the incidence of Sexually Transmitted Diseases co-infection among Hepatitis A cases. Methods: Hepatitis A cases were traced and identified. Epidemiological data were collected and Hepatitis A vaccination was investigated. Cases were georeferenced, calculating incidence rates for each Milan Municipality. Viral genotypic analysis was carried out. Results: 353 cases were reported in Milan. Incidence rates resulted significantly higher in males (RR 18.1 CI9 5% 11.5 - 28.4). 70 cases reported foreign travel. 172 cases reported \u201cMen who have Sex with Men\u201d behaviour. Genotypic analysis revealed correlation with strains of the European \u201cMen who have Sex with Men\u201d epidemic. Georeferencing showed asymmetric case distribution. Only 12 cases reported Hepatitis A vaccination. The Relative Risk for syphilis infection among Hepatitis A cases was 133.9 (95% CI 81.7 - 219.7) and 29.7 (95%CI 9.5 - 92.7) for gonorrhea. Conclusions: Most genotyped cases (93.7%) correlated to the European Hepatitis A epidemic among Men who have Sex with Men. Georeferencing showed a greater incidence of Hepatitis A cases in areas characterized by the homosexual community. The higher incidence of Sexually Transmitted Diseases co-infection in Hepatitis A cases correlated to clusters responsible for the European Hepatitis A epidemic, suggests increased sexual promiscuity among Men who have Sex with Men. These data support the need for Hepatitis A vaccination programs and sensitization of Men who have Sex with Men to the adoption of safe sexual practices

Gene effects controlling the earliness in flint-maize

El objetivo de este trabajo fue determinar la herencia de la precocidad presente en cruzamientos entre una variedad precoz de maíz (Zea mays sp. mays) llamada Gaspé y líneas coloradas, de grano tipo flint, argentinas. La información obtenida será utilizada en programas de mejoramiento para seleccionar materiales precoces. Se emplearon líneas endocriadas, de ciclo largo y buena aptitud combinatoria general, como progenitores femeninos, y a Gaspé como polinizador. La prueba de escala permitió analizar las medias generacionales de los progenitores, F1' s, F2' s y las dos retrocruzas para cada una de las cinco posibles combinaciones. Se utilizaron las unidades de calor acumuladas desde la siembra hasta el panojamiento como índice de precocidad. Sólo dos cruzamientos se ajustaron al modelo de aditividad-dominancia. Para las otras tres cruzas los efectos génicos simples y de interacción fueron mejor explicados por el modelo de 6 parámetros. Se estimó un número de 4 a 10 factores efectivos controlando el carácter. Dado que los efectos aditivos superaron ampliamente a los dominantes, se puede predecir un progreso consistente empleando métodos convencionales de selección.The objetive of this investigation was to determine the inheritance of earliness in crosses between an early variety of maize called Gaspé and orange flint inbred lines from Argentina. The information obtained will be applied in breeding programs to select early materials. Inbreeds, with a long cycle and a good general combining ability, were used as female parents and Gaspé as the pollinator. The joint scaling test allowed to analyze the means of the parents, F1?s, F2?s and the two backcross generations for each one of the five possible combinations. Cumulative heat units from planting to tasseling were used as an earliness index. Only two crosses fitted to the additive-dominance model. For the other three crosses, the single gene effects and interactions were better explained by the six parameter model. The number of effective factors controlling the trait was estimated between 4 to 10. As the additive effects widely overcome the dominance effects, a consistent progress can be predicted using conventional selection methods.Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestale

Nodulation capacity of Argentinean soybean (Glycine max L. Merr) cultivars inoculated with commercial strains of Bradyrhizobium japonicum.

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the nodulation potential of 31 Argentinean soybean commercial cultivars. Those with the highest nodulation capacity developed twice the amount of nodules than the low nodulating ones, which is the variation contained in soybean genotypes. Furthermore, this was not due to bacterial promiscuity, since the re-sponse was independent of the bradyrhizobia strain inoculated. The ability of cultivars to develop a larger number and biomass of nodules was unrelated with the maturity group they belong to and also was not a response to quorum sensing effects. Our results suggest that breeding programs can be aimed at improving the nodulation capacity of soybean and that cultivars from different maturity groups can be a source of nodulation QTLs

Glider data collected during the Algerian Basin Circulation Unmanned Survey

We present data collected in the framework of the Algerian BAsin Circulation Unmanned Survey (ABACUS) project. The main objective of ABACUS is the monitoring of the basin circulation and of the surface and intermediate water masses' physical and biological properties in a key region of the Mediterranean Sea circulation. Data presented here have been collected through deep glider cruises in the Western Mediterranean Sea during the autumns of 2014, 2015 and 2016; activities at sea are expected to be repeated during the coming years, so that the dataset will be extended. Glider missions were conducted in the Algerian Basin, between the island of Mallorca and the Algerian coast. Across the three glider missions, eight repeated transects were completed which enabled us to investigate the basin-scale circulation and the presence of mesoscale structures, utilising both the adaptive sampling capabilities of the gliders and the higher resolution of the data. After collection, all data passed a quality control procedure and were then made available through an unrestricted repository host by the SOCIB Data Centre at https://doi.org/10.25704/b200-3vf5. The actual dataset spans three autumn seasons, providing an important contribution to the data collection in the chronically undersampled Algerian Basin. Temperature and salinity data collected in the first 975&thinsp;m of the water column allowed us to identify the main water masses and describe their characteristics, improving the understanding of the dynamics of the region. On the timescale of the project, data show a large variability in the surface layer and reduced variability in the intermediate and deep layers. Our measurements have been successfully compared to data previously collected in the area from 1909 to 2011. Results showed similar overall distribution, ranges and variability to the historical data, with no outliers in the surface or deep layers.</p

Highly efficient CRISPR-mediated large DNA docking and multiplexed prime editing using a single baculovirus

CRISPR-based precise gene-editing requires simultaneous delivery of multiple components into living cells, rapidly exceeding the cargo capacity of traditional viral vector systems. This challenge represents a major roadblock to genome engineering applications. Here we exploit the unmatched heterologous DNA cargo capacity of baculovirus to resolve this bottleneck in human cells. By encoding Cas9, sgRNA and Donor DNAs on a single, rapidly assembled baculoviral vector, we achieve with up to 30% efficacy whole-exon replacement in the intronic β-actin (ACTB) locus, including site-specific docking of very large DNA payloads. We use our approach to rescue wild-type podocin expression in steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) patient derived podocytes. We demonstrate single baculovirus vectored delivery of single and multiplexed prime-editing toolkits, achieving up to 100% cleavage-free DNA search-and-replace interventions without detectable indels. Taken together, we provide a versatile delivery platform for single base to multi-gene level genome interventions, addressing the currently unmet need for a powerful delivery system accommodating current and future CRISPR technologies without the burden of limited cargo capacity