Effects of Goji berries supplementation on the productive performance of rabbit

Abstract Recognized by the traditional medicine and recent scientific research studies, Lycium barbarum berries (Goji berries) have beneficial effects on human and animal health. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effects of Goji berries on the productive performance of rabbits. One month before insemination, 60 New Zealand White does were randomly assigned to one of the following 3 dietary treatments: commercial standard diet (C); C supplemented with 1% Goji berries (LG); and C supplemented with 3% Goji berries (HG). After weaning up to 91 days of age, 15 randomly selected rabbits/group were fed the same diet as the mothers (C, LG, and HG). Non-pregnant and lactating does of C group showed the highest feed intake (P < 0.01), although no significant differences in body weight (BW) were observed between groups. Nutritional treatment did not affect the offspring's feed intake. However, the rabbits fed with Goji supplementation showed not only higher mean BW both during growth (P < 0.001) and at slaughter (P < 0.01), but also better feed conversion ratio (FCR; P < 0.01) than the control group. Rabbits of LG group showed the best performances in the pre-weaning period which was probably related to the highest milk production of the LG does (P < 0.001). Indeed, LG group showed lower pre-weaning mortality (P < 0.05), higher litter size (P < 0.05), and higher litter weight (P < 0.05) at day 18 as well as higher litter size at weaning (P = 0.05) compared to C group. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates that a low percentage of dietary supplementation with Goji berry improves both reproductive and productive traits of rabbits. Although further studies are needed, our study paves the way for the use of Goji berries in the rabbit nutrition

Acid and neutral sphingomyelinase behavior in radiation-induced liver pyroptosis and in the protective/preventive role of rMnSOD

Sphingomyelins (SMs) are a class of relevant bioactive molecules that act as key modulators of different cellular processes, such as growth arrest, exosome formation, and the inflammatory response influenced by many environmental conditions, leading to pyroptosis, a form of programmed cell death due to Caspase-1 involvement. To study liver pyroptosis and hepatic SM metabolism via both lysosomal acid SMase (aSMase) and endoplasmic reticulum/nucleus neutral SMase (nSMase) during the exposure of mice to radiation and to ascertain if this process can be modulated by protective molecules, we used an experimental design (previously used by us) to evaluate the effects of both ionizing radiation and a specific protective molecule (rMnSOD) in the brain in collaboration with the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna (Russia). As shown by the Caspase-1 immunostaining of the liver sections, the radiation resulted in the loss of the normal cell structure alongside a progressive and dose-dependent increase of the labelling, treatment, and pretreatment with rMnSOD, which had a significant protective effect on the livers. SM metabolic analyses, performed on aSMase and nSMase gene expression, as well as protein content and activity, proved that rMnSOD was able to significantly reduce radiation-induced damage by playing both a protective role via aSMase and a preventive role via nSMase

Research activity and capability in the European reference network MetabERN

BACKGROUND: MetabERN is one of the 24 European Reference Networks created according to the European Union directive 2011/24/EU on patient's rights in cross border healthcare. MetabERN associates 69 centres in 18 countries, which provide care for patients with Hereditary Metabolic Diseases, and have the mission to reinforce research and provide training for health professionals in this field. MetabERN performed a survey in December 2017 with the aim to produce an overview documenting research activities and potentials within the network. As the centres are multidisciplinary, separated questionnaires were sent to the clinical, university and laboratory teams. Answers were received from 52 out of the 69 centres of the network, covering 16 countries. A descriptive analysis of the information collected is presented. RESULTS: The answers indicate a marked interest of the respondents for research, who expressed high motivation and commitment, and estimated that the conditions to do research in their institution were mostly satisfactory. They are active in research, which according to several indicators, is competitive and satisfies standards of excellence, as well as the education programs offered in the respondent's universities. Research in the centres is primarily performed in genetics, pathophysiology, and epidemiology, and focuses on issues related to diagnosis. Few respondents declared having activity in human and social sciences, including research on patient's quality of life, patient's awareness, or methods for social support. Infrastructures offering services for medical research were rarely known and used by respondents, including national and international biobanking platforms. In contrast, respondents often participate to patient registries, even beyond their specific field of interest. CONCLUSIONS: Taken as a whole, these results provide an encouraging picture of the research capacities and activities in the MetabERN network, which, with respect to the number and representativeness of the investigated centres, gives a comprehensive picture of research on Hereditary Metabolic Diseases in Europe, as well as the priorities for future actions. Marginal activity in human and social sciences points out the limited multidisciplinary constitution of the responding teams with possible consequences on their current capability to participate to patient's empowerment programs and efficiently collaborate with patient's advocacy groups

Impact of gastrointestinal side effects on patients’ reported quality of life trajectories after radiotherapy for prostate cancer: Data from the prospective, observational pros-it CNR study

Radiotherapy (RT) represents an important therapeutic option for the treatment of localized prostate cancer. The aim of the current study is to examine trajectories in patients’ reported quality of life (QoL) aspects related to bowel function and bother, considering data from the PROState cancer monitoring in ITaly from the National Research Council (Pros-IT CNR) study, analyzed with growth mixture models. Data for patients who underwent RT, either associated or not associated with androgen deprivation therapy, were considered. QoL outcomes were assessed over a 2-year period from the diagnosis, using the Italian version of the University of California Los Angeles-Prostate Cancer Index (Italian-UCLA-PCI). Three trajectories were identified for the bowel function; having three or more comorbidities and the use of 3D-CRT technique for RT were associated with the worst trajectory (OR = 3.80, 95% CI 2.04–7.08; OR = 2.17, 95% CI 1.22–3.87, respectively). Two trajectories were identified for the bowel bother scores; diabetes and the non-Image guided RT method were associated with being in the worst bowel bother trajectory group (OR = 1.69, 95% CI 1.06–2.67; OR = 2.57, 95% CI 1.70–3.86, respectively). The findings from this study suggest that the absence of comorbidities and the use of intensity modulated RT techniques with image guidance are related with a better tolerance to RT in terms of bowel side effects

An integrated study of the chemical composition of Antarctic aerosol to investigate natural and anthropogenic sources

During the 2010-11 austral summer, an aerosol sampling campaign was carried out at a coastal Antarctic site (Terra Nova Bay, Victoria Land). In this work, previously published data about water-soluble organic compounds and major and trace elements were merged with novel measurements of major ions, carboxylic acids and persistent organic pollutants (polychlorobiphenyls, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated naphthalenes, polybrominated diphenylethers and organochlorine pesticides) in order to provide a chemical characterisation of Antarctic aerosol and to investigate its sources. The persistent organic pollutants were determined using a high-volume sampler, able to collect both particulate and gaseous fractions, whereas remaining compounds were determined by performing an aerosol size fractionation with a PM10 cascade impactor. Ionic species represented 58% (350 ng m(-3)) of the sum of concentrations of all detected compounds (596 ng m(-3)) in our Antarctic PM10 aerosol samples due to natural emission. Trace concentrations of persistent organic pollutants highlighted that the occurrence of these species can be due to long-range atmospheric transport or due to the research base. Factor analysis was applied to the dataset obtained from the samples collected with the PM10 sampler in order to make a distinction between anthropogenic, crustal and biogenic sources using specific chemical markers

Keep off the grass?:Cannabis, cognition and addiction

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the publisher via the DOI in this record.In an increasing number of states and countries, cannabis now stands poised to join alcohol and tobacco as a legal drug. Quantifying the relative adverse and beneficial effects of cannabis and its constituent cannabinoids should therefore be prioritized. Whereas newspaper headlines have focused on links between cannabis and psychosis, less attention has been paid to the much more common problem of cannabis addiction. Certain cognitive changes have also been attributed to cannabis use, although their causality and longevity are fiercely debated. Identifying why some individuals are more vulnerable than others to the adverse effects of cannabis is now of paramount importance to public health. Here, we review the current state of knowledge about such vulnerability factors, the variations in types of cannabis, and the relationship between these and cognition and addiction.This work was supported by grants from the US National Institutes of Health to L.H.P. (AA020404, AA006420, AA022249 and AA017447) and by grants from the UK Medical Research Council to H.V.C. and C.J.A.M. (G0800268; MR/K015524/1)

Long term evaluation of biomass production and quality of two cardoon (Cynara cardunculus L.) cultivars for energy use

Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus L.) is an herbaceous species indicated as one of the most suitable energy crop for southern European countries. The aim of this work was to outline the productivity of two cardoon cultivars, Bianco Avorio (BA) and Gigante di Romagna (GR), over 11 years of cultivation in rain fed field conditions in the temperate climate of Central Italy. The quantitative and qualitative aspects of its biomass (calorific value, ultimate and proximate analyses, ash composition) as well as its energy balance (energy efficiency, net energy yield) have been determined. Crop dry yield was not different between the two cultivars and it was rather stable with a mean value (averaged from year 3 to 11) of 14 and 13 t ha-1 for GR and BA respectively. Furthermore the biomass dry matter content was higher in BA than GR (51% vs 42%). The chemical analysis of cardoon biomass showed a similar composition in both cultivars with good calorific value (15 MJ kg-1) but with an ash content (13.9% d.w.) higher than other herbaceous energy crops. The total energy input was higher in the establishing than in the following years, however from the planting year onward, both cardoon crops were characterised by a positive energy balance. Even if its mean net energy is lower than other perennial energy crops (182 GJ ha-1 year-1), cardoon can be easily propagated by seed with important advantages for crop management and production costs. The results confirmed cardoon’s good biomass yield and favourable energy balance even in cultivation systems characterised by limited water input. Moreover, future works are necessary in order to improve cardoon biomass quality and to evaluate the possibility of using it in blends with other biomass sources

Comparison of Arundo donax L.. and Miscanthus x giganteus in a long-term field experiment in central Italy. Analysis of productive characteristics and energy balance

Miscanthus x giganteus (miscanthus) and Arundo donax L. (giant reed) are two perennial crops which have been received particular attention during the last decade as bioenergy crops. The main aim of the present study was to compare the above-ground biomass production and the energy balance of these perennial rhizomatous grasses in a long-term field experiment. The crops were cultivated from 1992 to 2003 in the temperate climate of Central Italy with 20,000 plants ha-1, 100–100–100 kg N, P2O5, K2O per hectare, and without irrigation supply. For each year of trial, biomass was harvested in autumn to estimate biometric characteristics and productive parameters. Besides, energy analysis of biomass production was carried out determining energy output, energy input, energy efficiency (output/input) and net energy yield (output–input). Results showed high above-ground biomass yields over a period of 10 years for both species, with better productive performances in giant reed than in miscanthus (37.7 t DM ha-1 year-1 vs 28.7 t DM ha-1 year-1 averaged from 2 to 12 years of growth). Such high yields resulted positively correlated to number of stalks (miscanthus), plant height and stalk diameter (giant reed). Moreover, these perennial species are characterised by a favourable energy balance with a net energy yield of 467 and 637 GJ ha-1 (1–12 year mean) for miscanthus and giant reed respectively. With such characteristics, both grasses could be proposed as biomass energy crops in Southern Europe with a significant and environmentally compatible contribution to energy needs