Morphological traits, reproductive and productive performances of Casertana pigs reared outdoors

Casertana is an Italian autochthonous pig breed. In the past, the breed was common in Campania and the surrounding area in South Italy because it was valued for its productive performance, particularly regarding the fattening tendency, but in recent decades, autochthonous swine have been replaced by cosmopolitan lean-type pigs and the Casertana breed also experienced a dramatic reduction in numbers. Concern over the preservation of genetic resources and the increased demand for regional food suggest a new way of maintaining the breed. Unfortunately, few recent data on the morpho- logical as well as on the productive traits are available. To ascertain the characteristics of the Casertana breed a pro- ductive trial was performed by comparing Casertana and Large White pure breed and their cross. Sixteen females and 6 males of pure breed Casertana and 18 females and 2 males of pure breed Italian Large White were mated twice to pro- duce Casertana, Large White and Casertana x Large White piglets. The average number of piglets born was significant- ly lower in Casertana gilts, but no difference in the number of weaned piglets among genetic types was observed. Sixty- eight animals of the three genetic types were reared outdoors and received two distinct diets differing in energy content. Pigs were weighted individually every month to calculate average daily gain. Morphological traits of Casertana pigs were also recorded. A total of 54 animals (21 Casertana at 151 kg live weight, 15 crossbreed at 157 kg live weight and 18 Large White at 179 kg live weight) were slaughtered and data on carcasses were collected. Average daily weight gain differed markedly (P< 0.05) among genetic types (450; 552; 695 g/d, respectively for Casertana; Casertana x Large White; Large White) and consequently the slaughter weight also differed. Casertana showed higher dressing percentages that the Italian Large White (P< 0.05). Backfat thickness was also clearly affected by genetic type (P< 0.05): Casertana pigs had the highest value (44.91 mm). The diet had no influence on the average daily weight gain and backfat thick- ness. However, pigs fed with higher energy component had higher (P< 0.05) dressing percentage

Evidence of anomalous dispersion of the generalized sound velocity in glasses

The dynamic structure factor, S(Q,w), of vitreous silica, has been measured by inelastic X-ray scattering in the exchanged wavevector (Q) region Q=4-16.5 nm-1 and up to energies hw=115 meV in the Stokes side. The unprecedented statistical accuracy in such an extended energy range allows to accurately determine the longitudinal current spectra, and the energies of the vibrational excitations. The simultaneous observation of two excitations in the acoustic region, and the persistence of propagating sound waves up to Q values comparable with the (pseudo-)Brillouin zone edge, allow to observe a positive dispersion in the generalized sound velocity that, around Q=5 nm-1, varies from 6500 to 9000 m/s: this phenomenon was never experimentally observed in a glass.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures. To appear in Phys. Rev.

Photothermal Spectroscopic Characterization In Teliurite Glasses Codoped With Rare-earth Ions

Thermal Lens (TL) and spectroscopic characterizations were performed in 70TeO2-19WO3-7Na2O-4Nb2O 5 (mol%) tellurite glasses. TL measurements were accomplished in Er3+/Tm3+ co-doped tellurite glasses in function of the Tm2O3 concentration (0.4 -1.6 ×1020 ions/cm3). Fluorescence spectra at 488 nm showed that Er 3+/Tm3+co-doped tellurite glasses present several emission bands between (500-1800) nm. However, the more iniense emission bands correspond to the Er3+ and Tm3+ transitions ( 4I13/2 → 4I15/2 and 3F4 → 3H6), respectively. The absolute nonradiative quantum efficiency (φ) was determined by TL method. Higher values of φ were obtained with the increase of Tm2O 3 concentration inside of the Er3+/Tm3+ co-doped tellurite glasses. These results are corroborated by the Judd-Ofelt calculations.6116Ryba-Romanowski, W., Effect of Temperature and activator concentration on luminescence decay of erbium-doped tellurite glass (1990) J. Lumin., 46, pp. 163-172Tanabe, S., Hirao, K., Soga, N., Upconversion fluorescences of TeO2 and Ga2O 3. based oxide glasses containing Er3+ (1990) J. Non-cryst. Solids, 122, pp. 79-82Inoue, S., Nukui, A., Yamamoto, K., Yano, T., Shibata, S., Yamane, M., Refractive index patterning of tellurite glass surfaces by ultra short pulse laser spot heating (2002) J. Mater. Sci., 37, pp. 3459-3465Huang, L., Jha, A., Shen, S., Chung, W.J., Visible emissions at 592 and 613 nm in Er3+-Eu3+ -codoped tellurite fibers (2004) Opt. Commun., 239, pp. 403-408Chillece, E.F., Rodriguez, E., Neves, A.A.R., Moreira, W.C., César, C.L., Barbosa, L.C., Er3+-Tm3+ co-doped tellurite fibers for broadband optical fiber amplifier around 1550 nm band (2005) Opt. Fiber Tech.Tanabe, S., Suzuki, K., Soga, N., Hanada, T., Mechanisms and concentration dependence of Tm3+ blue and Er3+ green up-con version in codoped glasses by red-laser pumping (1995) J. Lumin., 65, pp. 247-255Dai, S.X., Yang, J.H., Liu, Z.P., Wen, L., Hu, L.L., Jiang, Z.H., The luminescence of Er3+, Yb3+, Tm 3+-codoped tellurite glass pumped at 970 nm (2003) Acta Physica Sinica, 52, pp. 729-735Shen, S.X., Jha, A., Huang, L.H., Joshi, P., 980-nm diode-pumped Tm3+/Yb3+-codoped tellurite fiber for S-band amplification (2005) Optics Letters, 30, pp. 1437-1439Shen, X., Nie, Q., Xu, T., Peng, T., Gao, Y., Green and red upconversion emission and energy-transfer between Er 3+ and Tm3+ions in tellurite glasses (2004) Phys. Lett. A, 332, pp. 101-106Daf, S., Yang, J., Xu, S., Dai, N., Hu, L., Jiang, Z., The spectroscopic properties of Er3+, Yb3+, Tm 3+ -codoped tellurite glass (2003) Proc. SPIE, 4990, pp. 150-156. , Rare-Earth-Doped Materials and Devices Vil, S. Jiang, J. Lucas (Eds.)Lima, S.M., Sampaio, J.A., Catuncla, T., Bento, A.C., Miranda, L.C.M., Baesso, M.L., Mode-mismatched thermal lens spcctrometry for thermo-optical properties measurement in optical glasses: A review (2000) J. Non-cryst. Solids, 273, pp. 215-227Sampaio, J.A., Catunda, T., Gama, S., Baesso, M.L., Thermo-optical properties of OH-free erbium-doped low silica calcium aluminosilicate glasses measured by thermal lens technique (2001) J. Non-cryst. Solids, 284, pp. 210-216Lima, S.M., De Camargo, A.S.S., Nunes, L.A.O., Catunda, T., Fluorescence quantum efficiency measurements of excitation and nonradiative deexcitation processes of rare earth 4f-states in chalcogenide glasses (2002) Appl. Phys. Lett., 81, pp. 589-591Oliveira, S.L., Lima, S.M., Catunda, T., Nunes, L.A.O., Rohling, J.H., Bento, A.C., Baesso, M.L., High fluorescence quantum efficiency of 1.8 μm emission in Tm-dopcd low silica calcium aluminate glass determined by thermal lens spectroscopy (2004) Appl. Phys. Lett., 84, pp. 359-361Jacinto, C., Oliveira, S.L., Nunes, L.A.O., Catunda, T., Bell, M.J.V., Thermal lens study of the OH influence on the fluorescence efficiency of Yb3+ -doped phosphate glasses (2005) Appl. Phys. Lett., 86Sampaio, J.A., Gama, S., Baesso, M.L., Catunda, T., Fluorescence quantum efficiency of Er3+ in low silica calcium aluminate glasses determined by mode-mismatched thermal lens spectromctry (2005) J. Non-cryst. Solids, 351, pp. 1594-1602Pilla, V., Lima, S.M., Catunda, T., Medina, A., Baesso, M.L., Jenssen, H.P., Cassanho, A., Thermal quenching of the fluorescence quantum efficiency in colquiriite crystals measured by thermal lens spcctrometry (2004) J. Opt. Soc. Am. B., 21, pp. 1784-1791Pilla, V., Catunda, T., Balogh, D.T., Faria, R.M., Zilio, S.C., Thermal lensing in Polyvinyl alcoholVpolyaniline blends (2002) J. Polym. Sc., Part B Polym. Physics, 40, pp. 1949-1956Lima, S.M., Catunda, T., Lebullenger, R., Hernandes, A.C., Baesso, M.L., Bento, A.C., Miranda, L.C.M., Temperature dependence of thermo-optical properties of fluoride glasses determined by thermal lens spectrometry (1999) Phys. Rev. B, 60, pp. 15173-15178Lima, S.M., Sampaio, J.A., Catunda, T., De Camargo, A.S.S., Nunes, L.A.O., Baesso, M.L., Hewak, D.W., Spectroscopy, thermal and optical properties of Nd3+ -doped chalcogenide glasses (2001) J. Non-cryst. Solids, 284, pp. 274-281Zou, X., Izumitani, T., Spectroscopic properties and mechanisms of excited state absorption and energy transfer upconversion for Er3+ -doped glasses (1993) J. Non-cryst. Solids, 162, pp. 68-8

Kinetics of electron-positron pair plasmas using an adaptive Monte Carlo method

A new algorithm for implementing the adaptive Monte Carlo method is given. It is used to solve the relativistic Boltzmann equations that describe the time evolution of a nonequilibrium electron-positron pair plasma containing high-energy photons and pairs. The collision kernels for the photons as well as pairs are constructed for Compton scattering, pair annihilation and creation, bremsstrahlung, and Bhabha & Moller scattering. For a homogeneous and isotropic plasma, analytical equilibrium solutions are obtained in terms of the initial conditions. For two non-equilibrium models, the time evolution of the photon and pair spectra is determined using the new method. The asymptotic numerical solutions are found to be in a good agreement with the analytical equilibrium states. Astrophysical applications of this scheme are discussed.Comment: 43 pages, 7 postscript figures, to appear in the Astrophysical Journa

Raman scattering from fractals. Simulation on large structures by the method of moments

We have employed the method of spectral moments to study the density of vibrational states and the Raman coupling coefficient of large 2- and 3- dimensional percolators at threshold and at higher concentration. We first discuss the over-and under-flow problems of the procedure which arise when -like in the present case- it is necessary to calculate a few thousand moments. Then we report on the numerical results; these show that different scattering mechanisms, all {\it a priori} equally probable in real systems, produce largely different coupling coefficients with different frequency dependence. Our results are compared with existing scaling theories of Raman scattering. The situation that emerges is complex; on the one hand, there is indication that the existing theory is not satisfactory; on the other hand, the simulations above threshold show that in this case the coupling coefficients have very little resemblance, if any, with the same quantities at threshold.Comment: 26 pages, RevTex, 8 figures available on reques

Molecular characterization of the Montecristo feral goats in the Mediterranean context

The Montecristo wild goat is an endangered feral population occurring on the homonymous island in the Tuscan Archipelago since a long time. The origins of Montecristo goats are still debated, with authors dating their introduction either back to Neolithic times or between the 6th and 13th century of the Common Era. To investigate the evolutionary history and relationships of this population we assembled a 50K SNP dataset including 55 Mediterranean breeds and two nuclei of Montecristo goats sampled on the island and from an ex situ conservation project on the Italian mainland, respectively. Diversity levels, gene flow, population structure and relationships were assessed through multiple approaches. The insular population scored the lowest values of both observed and expected heterozygosity, highlighting reduced genetic variation, while the ex situ nucleus highlighted a less severe reduction. Multivariate statistics, Neighbour-network and population structure analyses clearly separated the insular nucleus from all other breeds, but also the two Montecristo populations from each other. Treemix software analysis pinpointed possible genetic inputs received by the two Montecristo goat nuclei from different sources, while Runs Of Homozygosity (ROHs) indicated an ancient bottleneck/founder effect in the insular population and recent inbreeding in the ex situ one. Overall, our results suggest that Montecristo goats experienced several demographic fluctuations combined with admixture events over time, and highlighted a noticeable differentiation between the two nuclei. This evidence can serve as a starting point to implement marker-assisted conservation plans for the endangered Montecristo feral goat

Genome-Wide Analysis Reveals Selection Signatures Involved in Meat Traits and Local Adaptation in Semi-Feral Maremmana Cattle

The Maremmana cattle is an ancient Podolian-derived Italian breed raised in semi-wild conditions with distinctive morphological and adaptive traits. The aim of this study was to detect potential selection signatures in Maremmana using medium-density single nucleotide polymorphism array. Putative selection signatures were investigated combining three statistical approaches designed to quantify the excess of haplotype homozygosity either within (integrated haplotype score, iHS) or among pairs of populations (Rsb and XP-EHH), and contrasting the Maremmana with a single reference population composed of a pool of seven Podolian-derived Italian breeds. Overall, the three haplotype-based analyses revealed selection signatures distributed over 19 genomic regions. Of these, six relevant candidate regions were identified by at least two approaches. We found genomic signatures of selective sweeps spanning genes related to mitochondrial function, muscle development, growth, and meat traits (SCIN, THSD7A, ETV1, UCHL1, and MYOD1), which reflects the different breeding schemes between Maremmana (semi-wild conditions) and the other Podolian-derived Italian breeds (semi-extensive). We also identified several genes linked to Maremmana adaptation to the environment of the western-central part of Italy, known to be hyperendemic for malaria and other tick-borne diseases. These include several chemokine (C-C motif) ligand genes crucially involved in both innate and adaptive immune responses to intracellular parasite infections and other genes playing key roles in pulmonary disease (HEATR9, MMP28, and ASIC2) or strongly associated with malaria resistance/susceptibility (AP2B1). Our results provide a glimpse into diverse selection signatures in Maremmana cattle and can be used to enhance our understanding of the genomic basis of environmental adaptation in cattle

Investigation of laser milling process characteristics for micro tooling applications

Laser milling is a new application that is challenging for the power contained in the laser light. Due to its small unit of material removal, accuracy and repeatability, laser milling has found an application area in micro manufacturing, especially the manufacturing of microtools. There is a number of micro manufacturing and replication processes on the market at present. Their needs raise the requirements that have to be met by the microtool manufacturing process. Initially, the requirements of micro manufacturing processes, such as micro-injection moulding and hot-embossing, are identified and compared to what the laser milling process can achieve. An investigation is carried out to identify the capabilities of the laser milling process and match them to these requirements. The investigated process characteristics are surface finish, aspect ratio, accuracy and minimum feature size. Furthermore, as surface finish is identified to be a considerable constraint, an investigation is undertaken to improve the resulting surface finish obtained from the laser milling process. A two-dimensional theoretical model is developed to investigate the crater formation on a metal target by a microsecond laser pulse. The model takes into account the absorption of the laser light by the target, and simulates the heating and vaporisation of the material, including an adjustment to compensate for the change of state. A simple numerical technique is employed to describe the major physical processes taking part in the laser milling process. Experimental validation of the proposed model is provided for two common tooling materials. To investigate the formation of the material surface after laser milling, a complex 3D surface model is presented based on the single crater profiles of the 2D theoretical model together with a consideration for the overlapping of the craters. Additional factors, that are influential in the formation of the final material surface, are also considered and their effect on the surface roughness estimated. Finally, a number of techniques for reducing surface roughness are presented. Laser cleaning is a technique that utilises the de-focused laser beam to "smooth out" the material surface irregularities. The other three techniques are applied after laser milling, and are ultrasonic cleaning bath, chemical pickling and electro-chemical polishing.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Fecal microbiota and inflammatory and antioxidant status of obese and lean dogs, and the effect of caloric restriction

IntroductionObesity is the most common nutritional disease in dogs, and is generally managed by caloric restriction. Gut microbiota alteration could represent a predisposing factor for obesity development, which has been associated with a low-grade inflammatory condition and an impaired antioxidant status. Besides, weight loss has been shown to influence the gut microbiota composition and reduce the inflammatory response and oxidative stress. MethodHowever, these insights in canine obesity have not been fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to assess the differences in serum and inflammatory parameters, antioxidant status, fecal microbiota and bacterial metabolites in 16 obese and 15 lean client-owned dogs and how these parameters in obese may be influenced by caloric restriction. First, for 30 days, all dogs received a high-protein, high-fiber diet in amounts to maintain their body weight; later, obese dogs were fed for 180 days the same diet in restricted amounts to promote weight loss. ResultsBefore the introduction of the experimental diet (T0), small differences in fecal microbial populations were detected between obese and lean dogs, but bacterial diversity and main bacterial metabolites did not differ. The fecal Dysbiosis Index (DI) was within the reference range (&lt; 0) in most of dogs of both groups. Compared to lean dogs, obese dogs showed higher serum concentrations of acute-phase proteins, total thyroxine (TT4), and antioxidant capacity. Compared to T0, dietary treatment affected the fecal microbiota of obese dogs, decreasing the abundance of Firmicutes and increasing Bacteroides spp. However, these changes did not significantly affect the DI. The caloric restriction failed to exert significative changes on a large scale on bacterial populations. Consequently, the DI, bacterial diversity indices and metabolites were unaffected in obese dogs. Caloric restriction was not associated with a reduction of inflammatory markers or an improvement of the antioxidant status, while an increase of TT4 has been observed. DiscussionIn summary, the present results underline that canine obesity is associated with chronic inflammation. This study highlights that changes on fecal microbiota of obese dogs induced by the characteristics of the diet should be differentiated from those that are the consequence of the reduced energy intake

Refining the genetic structure and relationships of European cattle breeds through meta-analysis of worldwide genomic SNP data, focusing on Italian cattle

The availability of genotyping assays has allowed the detailed evaluation of cattle genetic diversity worldwide. However, these comprehensive studies did not include some local European populations, including autochthonous Italian cattle. In this study, we assembled a large-scale, genome-wide dataset of single nucleotide polymorphisms scored in 3,283 individuals from 205 cattle populations worldwide to assess genome-wide autozygosity and understand better the genetic relationships among these populations. We prioritized European cattle, with a special focus on Italian breeds. Moderate differences in estimates of molecular inbreeding calculated from runs of homozygosity (FROH) were observed among domesticated bovid populations from different geographic areas, except for Bali cattle. Our findings indicated that some Italian breeds show the highest estimates of levels of molecular inbreeding among the cattle populations assessed in this study. Patterns of genetic differentiation, shared ancestry, and phylogenetic analysis all suggested the occurrence of gene flow, particularly among populations originating from the same geographical area. For European cattle, we observed a distribution along three main directions, reflecting the known history and formation of the analyzed breeds. The Italian breeds are split into two main groups, based on their historical origin and degree of conservation of ancestral genomic components. The results pinpointed that also Sicilian breeds, much alike Podolian derived-breeds, in the past experienced a similar non-European influence, with African and indicine introgression