Genetic and Phenotypic Analysis of Meat Quality Traits in Buffalo Beef and Correlations to Carcass Composition

Abstract: Meat quality traits in buffalo beef were examined and their genetic parameters and genetic correlations to carcass composition were estimated. Dissection was performed on 40 buffalo beef carcasses and all traits recorded for each animal, as well as the weight on muscle lungissimus dorsi (LD). The temperature and pH were recorded at 1 and 48h post-slaughter. Intramuscular fat, protein, dry matter, meat colour (redness, a*, yellowness b* and lightness L*) were recorded. Hereditability estimates ranged from 0.12 and 0.99 for dissection traits and 0.61 and 0.68 for meat quality traits, which was significant for all traits except for ultimate pH and b*. Genetic correlation with L* were negative for a* and high and positive for b*. Intramuscular fat was moderate to highly genetically correlated to the a*, b* and half hot carcass weight. The not significant genetic correlation found between several of the meat quality traits, and between meat quality traits and carcasses composition traits, suggests that the meat quality traits analyzed should be implemented into breeding programme with care since their full effect on the other traits under selection cannot be accurately estimated. For more accurate estimates, further studies that especially include a large number of records for colour meat measures are needed

Napoli versus coelum. La città e le sue cupole.

Electa Napol

NAPOLI AL QUATTROMILA. ASSONOMETRIA E PIANTA SINOTTICA DELLA CITTà

Il volume affianca due documenti di particolare completezza ed immediatezza illustrativa: l'assonometria e la pianta sinottica della città, disegnata sulla cartografia ufficiale del Comune di Napoli. L'assonometria offre una lettura tridimensionale della sua articolazione nel territorio e nel paesaggio, del percorso altimetrico e planimetrico delle strade, della localizzazione di piazze e larghi, dell'ubicazione dei monumenti più rilevanti e della suddivisione dell'abitato in innumerevoli unità edilizie. La pianta sinottica della città-rappresentata, a fronte, alla stessa scala di uno a quattromila- fornisce un'integrazione preziosa per l'ubicazione di ciascun monumento, consentendo la lettura puntuale di ciascuna voce dell'indice e sinossi dei luoghi e delle architetture: un censimento straordinario del patrimonio architettonico, urbano e ambientale della città

Nutritive value of maize and sorghum silages: fibre fraction degradation and rumen microbial density in buffalo cows

Sorghum could be a potential substitute to maize in Mediterranean buffaloes feed in order to improve sustainability of buffalo-based agriculture, due to its reduced water and nitrogen requirements compared with maize, which is currently fed primarily. The aim of this study is to obtain information on rumen degradability of fibre fraction of maize and sorghum silages and to investigate the relationship between degradability and rumen microbial populations. As such four cannulated buffalo milking cows were fed ad libitum two different iso-energetic and iso-proteic diets based on maize silage (MS) and sorghum silage (SS). Based on plate counts, values of cellulolytic bacteria showed to be higher within the rumen of SS fed buffaloes compared to MS fed buffaloes (4.4 × 109 vs 1.9 × 109 cfu/ml, P <0.05), on the contrary, those of xylanolytic bacteria (3.2 × 109 vs 1.3 × 109 cfu/ml, P < 0.01) were higher in MS possibly due to the different fibre degradability. Real-time PCR of total bacteria, Fibrobacter succinogenes, Ruminococcus albus, and Ruminococcus flavefaciens revealed no statistical difference in their 16S rDNA concentrations between diets. MS and SS were subsequently utilized for a degradability experiment. For this trial three cannulated Mediterranean dry buffalo cows were used (body weight 580 ± 8.5 kg). The MS was found to have an effective degradability of acid detergent fibre, hemicelluloses, and cellulose which were always lower than SS. Maize neutral detergent fibre degradability and slowly degradable fraction were significantly (P < 0.01) higher, on the contrary the immediately degradable fraction was found to be significantly (P < 0.001) lower compared with sorghum. The better sorghum relative feed value (P < 0.001) was related to the major content of fibre fraction compared to maize. As recommended by the IPCC Guidelines (in IPCC 2006), Tier 2 was chosen to estimate the enteric CH4 emission factor. The estimate of methane production is significantly lower in animals eating sorghum rather than maize (63.48 and 103.00 kg CH4/head/year respectively, P < 0.001). In conclusion, as no difference was observed in animal weight gain and milk yield, rumen microbiota or degradability, it could be possible to substitute MS with SS in buffalo diet

Legislazione e ricerca applicata tra status e prospettive

Il rilevamento dei fronti urbani oltre che implicazioni nell'ambito disciplinare presuppone un confronto con tutto quanto riguarda l'utilizzo dei dati che il processo mette a disposizione dell'utente. Un primo significativo interesse riguarda il rapporto con la realizzazione pratica degli interventi sui manufatti indagati che non può avvenire esclusivamente sulla base delle motivazioni o indicazioni derivanti dal riliev

Napoli città in vista.

Electa, Napoi

Gatekeepers of Knowledge within Industrial Districts: Who They Are, How They Interact

Morrison A. Gatekeepers of knowledge within industrial districts: who they are, how they interact, Regional Studies. Studies on industrial districts suggest that their innovative performance is strictly linked to their ability to absorb external knowledge. Yet, the existing literature provides few insights into the functioning of this process. This paper, focusing on leader firms located in a successful Italian furniture district, investigates whether they feed the district with knowledge absorbed from external sources, thereby behaving as 'gatekeepers of knowledge'. Findings show that leader firms are well connected with knowledge sources; yet, linkages with districts firms are far more limited as are informal exchanges that, when they do occur, are mostly restricted to generic information. [image omitted] Morrison A. Les gardiens du savoir dans les regions industrielles: qui sont-ils, comment interagissent-ils?, Regional Studies. De recentes etudes sur les regions industrielles suggerent que leurs performances en matiere d'innovation sont strictement liees a leur capacite a absorber le savoir exterieur. Neanmoins, la litterature existante fournit peu d'eclaircissements quant au fonctionnement de ce processus. Cet article, axe sur des societes leaders situees dans une region d'Italie ou l'industrie de l'ameublement est prospere, examine si ces societes alimentent la region en savoir assimile aupres de sources exterieures, se comportant ce faisant en gardiens du savoir. Les resultats montrent que ces societes leaders sont bien connectees aux sources de savoir; neanmoins, les liens avec les entreprises de la region sont beaucoup plus limites que ne le sont les echanges informels qui, lorsqu'ils interviennent effectivement, se limitent pour l'essentiel a des informations generiques. Flux de savoir Regions industrielles Societes leaders Communaute de techniciens Industrie de l'ameublement Region de Murge Morrison A. Wissensregulatoren in Industriebezirken: Wer sie sind und in welcher Wechselwirkung sie zueinander stehen, Regional Studies. Aus den neuesten Studien uber Industriebezirke geht hervor, dass die innovative Leistung dieser Bezirke stark von ihrer Fahigkeit abhangt, externes Wissen zu absorbieren. Die Funktionsweise dieses Prozesses wurde in der Literatur hingegen bisher nur selten untersucht. In diesem Beitrag konzentrieren wir uns auf fuhrende Firmen in einem erfolgreichen italienischen Mobelindustriebezirk und untersuchen, ob diese Firmen den Bezirk mit Wissen aus externen Quellen anreichern und somit als Wissensregulatoren auftreten. Die Ergebnisse lassen darauf schliessen, dass fuhrende Firmen gut mit Wissensquellen verknupft sind. Die Verknupfungen zu den Firmen des Bezirks sind jedoch weitaus starker eingeschrankt; dasselbe gilt fur den informellen Austausch, der - wenn er uberhaupt auftritt - sich meist auf generelle Informationen beschrankt. Wissensstrome Industriebezirke Fuhrende Firmen Gemeinschaft der Fachleute Mobelindustrie Region Murge Morrison A. Guardianes del conocimiento en comarcas industriales: quienes son y como interactuan, Regional Studies. En recientes estudios se ha observado que el rendimiento innovador de las comarcas industriales esta estrictamente vinculado a su capacidad de absorber conocimiento externo. Sin embargo, la literatura presente ofrece pocas perspectivas en cuanto al funcionamiento de este proceso. En este ensayo me centro en empresas lideres ubicadas en una comarca italiana conocida por su exitosa industria del mueble e investigo si estas empresas proporcionan a la comarca conocimientos absorbidos de fuentes externas y si entonces se comportan como guardianes del conocimiento. Los resultados indican que si bien las empresas lideres estan bien conectadas con fuentes de conocimiento, los enlaces con empresas de la comarca estan mucho mas limitados que los intercambios informales que, aunque ocurren, estan principalmente restringidos a informacion generica. Flujos de conocimiento Comarcas industriales Empresas lideres Comunidad de tecnicos Industria del mueble Region de MurgeKnowledge flows, Industrial districts, Leader firms, Community of technicians, Furniture industry, Murge region,

Of other (energy) spaces: protected areas and everyday landscapes of energy in the southern Italian region of Alta Murgia

The text is a chapter in the book Renewable Energies and European Landscapes: Lessons from Southern European Cases. The book provides timely, multidisciplinary cross-national comparison of the institutional and social processes through which renewable energy landscapes have emerged in Southern Europe (Spain, France, Italy and Portugal). On the basis of case studies in these countries, it analyzes the way in which and the extent to which the development of renewable energies has affected landscape forms and whether or not it has contributed to a reformulation of landscape practices and values in these countries. Landscape is conceived broadly, as a material, social, political and historical process embedded into the local realm, going beyond aesthetic. The chapter presents a case study in the southern Italian region of Puglia (Apulia), the rural area of Alta Murgia, which is partly included within the perimeter of the first National Rural Park in Italy (Alta Murgia National Park). The study focuses on the process of PV power development in this agricultural area since the first Italian feed-in tariff system came into force (2005–2007). The purpose of the study is to explore the impacts of the political forces embodied in the planning process of these renewable energy projects. This goal is achieved by considering not only the impacts on the socioeconomic development of the whole area over the last decade but also those on the landscape features and values that sustain and enable local socioeconomic development. National and regional renewable energy policies, on the one hand, and the National Park Plan and Regulations, on the other hand, have engendered dramatically different consequences for the agricultural lands located inside and outside the perimeter of the protected area. The argument developed in the chapter is that these two radically different approaches to the process of energy project planning ultimately reinforce the physical and symbolic gap existing between so-called particularly worthy landscapes and ordinary everyday landscapes (of energy). It is argued that the process of PV plant planning and development in the areas surrounding the Park has been essentially dominated and led by a sort of “site counter-logic.” This ultimately resulted in a “counter-site logic.” In the conclusion, the chapter emphasizes the potential for the planning process of green energy projects to act as a laboratory for experimenting with a new integrated approach to energy provisioning, as both a conceptual frame and a biophysical phenomenon