A Survey on the milk fatty acid composition of forty dairy sheep flocks in Sardinia

A survey was carried out to monitor milk fatty acid (FA) composition during two years (2003 and 2004) on forty dairy sheep flocks, fed pasture based rations, in 5 macro pedoclimatic areas of Sardinia, featured by different i) soil type, (granitic, G; basaltic, B and alluvial, A) ii) average annual rainfall (low, L, 500-600 mm/year; high, H, 600-800 mm/year). Milk FA profile was strongly influenced by year. In particular milk linolenic acid (LN), CLA (conjugated linoeic acid) and PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acids) levels increased (by 25, 30 and 14%, respectively, P<0.01) whereas the atherogenicity index (AI) decreased (by 8%, P<0.01) in all areas in 2004 as compared with 2003. Pedoclimatic area affected milk fatty acid composition (P<0.01). In both years milk from AL farms showed the highest levels of LN, CLA and PUFA. AI was lower in BH and GH in year 2003 and in BH, AH and GL in 2004

Haplotype affinities resolve a major component of goat (<i>Capra hircus</i>) MtDNA D-loop diversity and reveal specific features of the Sardinian stock

Goat mtDNA haplogroup A is a poorly resolved lineage absorbing most of the overall diversity and is found in locations as distant as Eastern Asia and Southern Africa. Its phylogenetic dissection would cast light on an important portion of the spread of goat breeding. The aims of this work were 1) to provide an operational definition of meaningful mtDNA units within haplogroup A, 2) to investigate the mechanisms underlying the maintenance of diversity by considering the modes of selection operated by breeders and 3) to identify the peculiarities of Sardinian mtDNA types. We sequenced the mtDNA D-loop in a large sample of animals (1,591) which represents a non-trivial quota of the entire goat population of Sardinia. We found that Sardinia mirrors a large quota of mtDNA diversity of Western Eurasia in the number of variable sites, their mutational pattern and allele frequency. By using Bayesian analysis, a distance-based tree and a network analysis, we recognized demographically coherent groups of sequences identified by particular subsets of the variable positions. The results showed that this assignment system could be reproduced in other studies, capturing the greatest part of haplotype diversity. We identified haplotype groups overrepresented in Sardinian goats as a result of founder effects. We found that breeders maintain diversity of matrilines most likely through equalization of the reproductive potential. Moreover, the relevant amount of inter-farm mtDNA diversity found does not increase proportionally with distance. Our results illustrate the effects of breeding practices on the composition of maternal gene pool and identify mtDNA types that may be considered in projects aimed at retrieving the maternal component of the oldest breeds of Sardinia.</br

Haplotype Affinities Resolve a Major Component of Goat (Capra hircus) MtDNA D-Loop Diversity and Reveal Specific Features of the Sardinian Stock

Goat mtDNA haplogroup A is a poorly resolved lineage absorbing most of the overall diversity and is found in locations as distant as Eastern Asia and Southern Africa. Its phylogenetic dissection would cast light on an important portion of the spread of goat breeding. The aims of this work were 1) to provide an operational definition of meaningful mtDNA units within haplogroup A, 2) to investigate the mechanisms underlying the maintenance of diversity by considering the modes of selection operated by breeders and 3) to identify the peculiarities of Sardinian mtDNA types. We sequenced the mtDNA D-loop in a large sample of animals (1,591) which represents a non-trivial quota of the entire goat population of Sardinia. We found that Sardinia mirrors a large quota of mtDNA diversity of Western Eurasia in the number of variable sites, their mutational pattern and allele frequency. By using Bayesian analysis, a distance-based tree and a network analysis, we recognized demographically coherent groups of sequences identified by particular subsets of the variable positions. The results showed that this assignment system could be reproduced in other studies, capturing the greatest part of haplotype diversity

Toxicity and Clinical Results after Proton Therapy for Pediatric Medulloblastoma: A Multi-Centric Retrospective Study

Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor in children. Even if current treatment dramatically improves the prognosis, survivors often develop long-term treatment-related sequelae. The current radiotherapy standard for medulloblastoma is craniospinal irradiation with a boost to the primary tumor site and to any metastatic sites. Proton therapy (PT) has similar efficacy compared to traditional photon-based radiotherapy but might achieve lower toxicity rates. We report on our multi-centric experience with 43 children with medulloblastoma (median age at diagnosis 8.7 years, IQR 6.6, M/F 23/20; 26 high-risk, 14 standard-risk, 3 ex-infant), who received active scanning PT between 2015 and 2021, with a focus on PT-related acute-subacute toxicity, as well as some preliminary data on late toxicity. Most acute toxicities were mild and manageable with supportive therapy. Hematological toxicity was limited, even among HR patients who underwent hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation before PT. Preliminary data on late sequelae were also encouraging, although a longer follow-up is needed

Map of Sardinia showing the 34 municipalities (dotted) where sampling was performed.

<p>In the background all municipalities are shaded according to the overall number of goats recorded <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0030785#pone.0030785-ISTAT1" target="_blank">[23]</a>, as reported in the left panel (map obtained at <a href="http://www.sar.sardegna.it/servizi/sit/datitematici.asp?wgs=1" target="_blank">http://www.sar.sardegna.it/servizi/sit/datitematici.asp?wgs=1</a>). Sampled municipalities in 5 Sardinian sub regions are shown with the following color codes: Ogliastra-red, Sarrabus-blue, Gerrei-yellow, Iglesiente-purple and Sulcis-green. Detailed names and n. of breeding stations sampled are reported in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0030785#pone.0030785.s005" target="_blank">Table S1</a>.</p

Histograms of four summary statistics for DNA diversity from 120 goat breeding stations.

<p>Black arrows point to the value obtained in the overall dataset. In the Tajima's D histogram, significant (nominal p<0.05) values are marked with an asterisk and a normal QQ plot is shown in the inset.</p

Composition of the sample of individuals yielding the set of mtDNA sequences used in all analyses, by provenance and breed.

<p>Composition of the sample of individuals yielding the set of mtDNA sequences used in all analyses, by provenance and breed.</p

Analysis of MOlecular VAriance after partitioning according to different criteria.

<p>Analysis of MOlecular VAriance after partitioning according to different criteria.</p

Properties of major mtDNA clades.

a<p>. Position in the alignment and allelic state (in bold = derived).</p>b<p>. Entries of a 2×2 contingency table, in the order: With defining sub-haplotype AND In the clade, With defining sub-haplotype AND In other clades or unclassified, With other sub-haplotypes AND In the clade, With other sub-haplotypes AND In other clades or unclassified.</p>c<p>. Not calculated, due to mismatch observed variance lower than mean <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0030785#pone.0030785-Excoffier1" target="_blank">[52]</a>.</p

Median joining network of 419 haplotypes and an outgroup obtained as described in Materials and Methods.

<p>Branch length is not proportional to mutational steps. Node size is proportional to haplotype frequency. The correspondence between node clusters and clades in the NJ tree is reported. Unclassified sequences are blackened.</p