Sarda female lambs bred at pasture: growth rate from weaning to reproductive activity

The traditional dairy sheep system in Sardinia presents 2 lambing seasons: in November-December for mature ewes and in February-March for primiparous. Replacement (20-25% of female lambs) usually came from mature ewes whereas all lambs born in January-February are slaughtered when their market price is low. These lambs could represent part of flock replacement that can integrate the traditional lamb breeding system, and also a flock replacement of ewes that are planned to lamb in late winter to have a continuous milk production all over the year. The aim of the present work, that represent an aspect of a wider trial, was to determine the suitability to breed this lambs under grazing condition monitoring their growth rate from weaning to the beginning of reproductive activity. At the “Bonassai” research farm an experiment was carried out from March 2004 to May 2005. 51 female Sarda lambs born from 19/01/2004 to 07/02/2004 (live weight 3.24±0.51 kg; mean±standard deviation) were weaned on average of 45 days (live weight 12.02±1.52 kg) and weighted monthly. After weaning feeding regimen was based on grazed forage crops (Lolium multiflorum Lam., Hedysarum coronarium L. and Cichorium intybus L.) and on natural pasture with an average stocking rate of 5.5 head/ha. The supplementation ranged between 0 - 1200 g/head/d of Lucerne and Italian ryegrass hay and 0 - 400 g/head/d of commercial concentrate, depending on herbage on offer. The amount of hay and concentrate offered during the trial represented 51% of total energetic requirements of lambs. Average lamb daily gain (ADG) during the experimental period resulted 74±11 g head/day. The ADG pattern showed a maximum value 30 days after weaning (139±33 g head/day) and a minimum value in January when herbage availability was low. At the beginning of reproductive activity lambs weighed on average 40.5±3.5 kg and their average body condition score was 3.03±0.12. The trial showed that is possible to breed lambs born in late winter at pasture. However an economic and technical evaluation of differences of these lambs compared to those bred in the traditional system is under evaluation

Semi e legumi di <i>Medicago polymorpha</i> L. come risorsa alimentare estiva per gli ovini in ambiente mediterraneo

In order to assess the potentialrole of burr medic (Medicago polymorpha L.) on summer feeding of dairy ewes a research on seed production and consumption of seed was carried out. An one ha plot ofburr medic was sown in autumn and the mature pods were harvested the following June. Ten Sarda dry ewes, kept in metabolic cages, were fed during July with 150 g head-1: of burr medic mature pods corresponding to 22000 seeds. After 6, 24, 30, 48, 54, 72, 78, 96, 102 and 120 hours from pod intake, sheep faeces were collected and seed survival was assessed. Pod and seed yields were 3.04 and 1.38 t ha-1, respectively. The crude protein content was 19% in the pods and 31 % in the seeds. Seed recovery in the faeces was negligible (2%). The high burr medic pods yield assures a large «seed bank» and in the meantime the high quality pods represent an important feed resource for the sheep grazing stubble during the summer season. Per valutare il potenziale ruolo di Medicago polymorpha L. nell'alimentazione estiva di pecore da latte è stata effettuata una ricerca sulla produzione di seme e sul suo destino dopo l'ingestione. Una superficie di 1 ha è stata seminata in autunno con medica polimorfa ed in giugno è stata determinata la produzione di legumi e semi. Nel mese di luglio a dieci pecore asciutte di razza Sarda, alloggiate in box singoli, sono stati somministrati 150 g capo-1 di legumi di medica corrispondenti a circa 22000 semi. A distanza di 6, 24, 30, 48, 54, 72, 78, 96, 102 e 120 ore dall'ingestione dei legumi, sono state raccolte le deiezioni totali ed è stato effettuato il conteggio dei semi indigeriti. La produzione di legumi della coltura è stata di 3,04 t ha -1 e quella di seme di 1,38 t ha -1. Il contenuto di proteina grezza del legume e del seme è stato del 19 % e 31 % rispettivamente. La percentuale di seme rilasciato con le deiezioni è risultata trascurabile (2%). Alla luce di questi risultati preliminari l'elevata produzione di legumi di polimorfa oltre a garantire un'ottima «banca di seme» può costituire un'importante risorsa alimentare per gli ovini al pascolo su stoppie nel periodo estivo

Bioengineering bacterial outer membrane vesicles as delivery system for RNA therapeutics targeted to lung epithelial cytosols

Intact epithelia lining the airways and alveoli in the lung are essential to maintain lung function. Structural or functional damage of epithelial cells leads in severe diseases, including COPD/emphysema, ibrosis or ALI/ARDS. This central role of epithelia in pulmonary diseases identifies these cells as primary candidates for targeted therapy. With the exception of surface-expressed molecules, however, targeting intracellular components is severely restricted due to poor delivery. We aim to overcome this obstacle using topically administered, bioengineered, biocompatible bacterial outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) as recombinant drug delivery systems for novel biopharmaceuticals. Engineering recombinant surface expression of eukaryotic receptor ligands in ClearColi®, a commercial E.coli BL21 (DE3) strain deficient in lipopolysaccharide production, we have used red fluorescent protein reporters to track OMV loading, transgene expression, and eukaryotic cell trafficking. We demonstrate statistically significant differences in the levels of over 700 proteins between differentially engineered and purified OMV preps with additional differences in transcriptome and lipidome consistency. We also characterised visual and particle size differences observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA). Here we report early bioadhesion and culture of re-differentiated lung epithelia. This project aims to bridge the biotechnological gap in the intracellular biopharmaceutics drug delivery challenge for respiratory epithelia through highly controlled, and scalable bio-nanotechnology process. If successful, our work will unlock intracellular imaging and therapeutics research for respiratory diseases with a significant epithelial component, paving the way for other targeting ligands and potentially non-respiratory indications. cellular uptake results in A549 culture as well as air-liquid interface

Investigation and characterisation of the wear mechanisms of abradable compressor linings

During aero-engine operation, rotor misalignment, thermal and centrifugal dilatations, and unbalanced parts lead to contact between the rotating blade and the abradable lining of the surrounding casing. Observation of aero-engine service has highlighted undesirable issues and relative wear mechanisms that have created problems during operation, with significant reductions in aero-engine performance. Examples of issues observed were adhesive transfer of abradable material to the blade tip, along with blade wear. These observations have highlighted the final result of the contact between the blade and abradable; however, the complexity of introducing instruments to the aero-engine has led to a gap in knowledge with respect to the parameters that influence these wear mechanisms. This issue has provided the motivation for this research, where wear mechanism between a Ti-6Al-4V rotating blade and abradable material AlSi-hBN has been investigated on a scaled test platform. AlSi-hBN has been chosen as it represents the most common technology used in the compressor stage of the engine. Alternative approaches that characterised the wear mechanism in real time were introduced in order to try to explore the nature of the contact. The introduction of an innovative stroboscopic imaging technique allowed the progression of adhesive transfer / blade wear to be investigated in real time during a test, revealing that the standard practice of performing analysis of adhered material at the end of a test does not necessarily characterise the overall mechanics of adhesive transfer satisfactorily. In addition, the measurement of contact force and the calculation of the efficiency of cut and force ratio, highlighted different material behaviour in relation to the incursion rate and hardness. It was shown that it was difficult to dislocate the material at low incursion rate, with consolidation evident, whereas at higher incursion rates the material was well fractured. The measurement of the coating temperature highlighted the heat generated in the contact, along with the effect of changing coating hardness on the thermal properties of the abradable, leading to markedly different thermal behaviour at low hardness, and in particular at low incursion rate. The wear mechanisms observed, adhesive transfer, blade wear and cutting, were mainly incursion rate dependent, with a thermal wear mechanism at low incursion rate and a well cut mechanism at high incursion rate. At low incursion rate, different wear mechanisms were observed in relation to the hardness, with adhesive transfer on the blade tip from the hard coating and blade wear in the test performed against the soft coating, with similar results observed at all blade speeds. A wear map was generated in relation to the input parameters, such as the incursion rate, speed and coating hardness, and also the reflected different thermal properties of the coating. This indicated that it is better to have a high thermally conductivity coating; therefore, the use of a hard AlSi-hBN is a better option, because less thermal damage was observed. The wear map with the highlighted wear regimes is a useful design tool with respect to planning running and handling manoeuvres for the engine, where the manufacturer has the option to control incursion parameters. As these represent the most significant incursion performed, this finding is of particular benefit

Bacterial flora associated with the digestive tract of gilthead seabreams reared in floating cages in the Alghero Bay (North western Sardinia, Italy): preliminary results

The intestinal microflora of fish is highly variable and can depend on many factors such as species, developmental stage, environmental conditions, trophic habits and, in the case of farmed fish, on rearing conditions (i.e., fish density, quality of rearing water, dietary regimen, etc.). Different studies showed that Gram-negative bacteria such as Enterobacteriaceae and the Vibrio-Aeromonas group dominate the fish intestine. However, since few studies have been carried out on the bacterial flora of intensively reared marine teleosts, the aim of the present study was to investigate the microflora associated with the digestive tract of Sparus aurata specimens reared in floating cages. A total of 30 gilthead seabreams (mean weight 324.9±61.4 g) starved for 48 hours was sampled in autumn 2008 from a fish farming facility located in the Alghero Bay (North western Sardinia, Italy: Lat 40°33’43.9’’N, Long 8°16’09.0’’E). The intestine between the pyloric caeca and the anus of each specimen was removed and analysed by means of conventional bacteriological techniques using five culture media: Plate Count Agar (PCA), Nutrient Agar (NA), Violet Red Bile Glucose Agar (VRBGA), Violet Red Bile Agar Mug (VRBA-MUG), and de Man-Rogosa-Sharpe (MRS) agar. Total viable counts on PCA and NA were quite similar, showing mean values of 126.7±109.0 colony forming units (cfu) per gram intestinal tissue (between 10.0 and 495.0 cfu/g) and 108.0±101.6 cfu/g (from nil to 350.0 cfu/g), respectively. The mean number of Enterobacteriaceae determined on VRBGA proved to be 46.3±42.8 cfu/g (from nil to 150 cfu/ g) and the VRBA-MUG mean count were 30.4±29.3 cfu/g (from nil to 95.0 cfu/g). No bacterial colonies were instead detected using the MRS medium. These results, although preliminary, evidenced a relative low number of bacteria associated with the digestive tract of the fish examined, thus indicating good hygienic conditions inside the cages as well as a suitable rearing density and a balanced diet for the seabreams

Struttura di popolazione di vongola verace (<i>Ruditapes decussatus</i> l.) in due lagune costiere della Sardegna = Population structure of carpet shell clam (<i>Ruditapes decussatus</i> l.) in two coastal lagoons of Sardinia (Italy)

Ruditapes decussatus L. (Bivalvia) is a traditional resource for fishing activity in Sardinia Island. This species is not cultured, but fishermen pick them up from the bottom of brackish areas. The distribution and the population structure of R. decussatus were investigated in two coastal lagoons: S. Giovanni (CA) and Calich (SS). The samplings were performed seasonally from autumn 2008 to summer 2009

Survey of the genetic variability of populations of <i>Ruditapes philippinarum</i> from tre Gulf of Olbia (N-E Sardinia) by microsatellites = Indagine sulla variabilità genetica di popolazioni di <i>Ruditapes philippinarum</i> provenienti dal golfo di Olbia (N-E Sardegna)

Genetic variability was investigated at six microsatellite loci of the Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum (Adams &amp; Reeve, 1850) (Bivalvia) from the Gulf of Olbia (N-E Sardinia) and Sacca di Goro (N Adriatic Sea). We found no significant differentiation among Sardinian samples and between those and the Adriatic one, which suggests the absence of a founder effect in Sardinian population

Intestinal Microbial Ecology and Fillet Metal Chemistry of Wild Grey Mullets Reflect the Variability of the Aquatic Environment in a Western Mediterranean Coastal Lagoon (Santa Giusta, Sardinia, Italy)

Fish populations play an active role in the maintenance of aquatic ecosystems biodiversity. Their intestinal microbiota and fillet chemistry depend on abiotic and biotic factors of the water environments that they inhabit. The present study investigated the grey mullets' gut microbiota from a transitional aquatic ecosystem (Santa Giusta Lagoon, Sardinia, Italy) by a multidisciplinary approach which refers the results of (1) gut cultivable microbiota analyses (MA), (2) the trace metal assessment of fish muscle (TM), (3) the physico-chemical water monitoring (PC). MA detected the greatest number of total aerobic heterotrophic bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae and coliforms in Autumn (mean values 1.3 × 105, 2.4 × 104, 1.1 × 104 cfu g−1, respectively) when the accumulated rain and mean values of nutrients (reactive phosphorous and silica) were the highest. Marine bacteria were more numerous in Summer (mean value 7.4 × 105 cfu g−1) when the highest mean values of water temperature and salinity were registered. The gut bacteria were identified as Pseudomonas spp. (64%), Aeromonas spp. (17%), Ochrobactrum pseudogrignonense (10%), Providencia spp. (5%), Enterobacter ludwigii (2%) and Kocuria tytonicola (2%). TM showed that Ca, Na, B and Ni increased their concentrations in Winter while maxima of P, Zn, Cu and Fe were found in muscles of fish sampled in Summer. This study highlighted that the fish intestinal microbiota and metal composition of the fillet reflected the seasonal aquatic environmental variability

Confronto fra sistemi foraggero-zootecnici per ovini da latte in ambiente asciutto: nota II: risultati zootecnici del triennio 1990-93

Three 5 ha dairy sheep systems with different input levels were compared during three years. The percentage oftotal system area conventionally cultivated each year was equal to 80%, 20% and 30% in systems C, EPM and EPMP respectively. Each system was rotationally grazed by 30 dairy ewes. Milk yield was significantly higher in EPM group, the total annual yield for each system being equal to 1.10 (C), 1.33 (EPM) and 1.17 (EPMP) t ha-1 of milk. Hay consumption tended to be lower in the system EPM in comparison with system C and EPMP averaging to 0.30 (EPM), 0.34 (C) and 0.36 t ha-1 of DM (EPMP). On the basis of overall results, the EPM system showed the best performances. Nel triennio 1990-93 sono stati confrontati tre sistemi foraggero zootecnici C (Cereali), EPM (Erbaio Pascolo Migliorato) e EPMP (Erbaio Pascolo Migliorato Prati), caratterizzati da una percentuale di SAU coltivata rispettivamente pari all'80, 20 e 30%. Ciascun sistema è stato pascolato da 30 pecore da latte di razza Sarda. La produzione di latte è stata significativamente più elevata nel sistema EPM e la produzione totale media annua è stata di 1,10 (C), 1,33 (EPM) e 1,17 (EPMP) t ha-1. Il consumo di fieno è stato in media 0,30 (EPM), 0,34 (C) e 0,36 (EPMP) t ha-1 di sostanza secca. In conclusione il sistema EPM, fra quelli a confronto, ha mostrato i migliori risultati sia in termini di produzione di latte e di carne e nel contempo di un minore consumo di supplementi

Molecular Signature of Biological Aggressiveness in Clear Cell Sarcoma of the Kidney (CCSK)

: Clear cell sarcoma of the kidney (CCSK) is a rare pediatric renal tumor with a worse prognosis than Wilms' tumor. Although recently, BCOR internal tandem duplication (ITD) has been found as a driver mutation in more than 80% of cases, a deep molecular characterization of this tumor is still lacking, as well as its correlation with the clinical course. The aim of this study was to investigate the differential molecular signature between metastatic and localized BCOR-ITD-positive CCSK at diagnosis. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) and whole-transcriptome sequencing (WTS) were performed on six localized and three metastatic BCOR-ITD-positive CCSKs, confirming that this tumor carries a low mutational burden. No significant recurrences of somatic or germline mutations other than BCOR-ITD were identified among the evaluated samples. Supervised analysis of gene expression data showed enrichment of hundreds of genes, with a significant overrepresentation of the MAPK signaling pathway in metastatic cases (p &lt; 0.0001). Within the molecular signature of metastatic CCSK, five genes were highly and significantly over-expressed: FGF3, VEGFA, SPP1, ADM, and JUND. The role of FGF3 in the acquisition of a more aggressive phenotype was investigated in a cell model system obtained by introducing the ITD into the last exon of BCOR by Crispr/Cas9 gene editing of the HEK-293 cell line. Treatment with FGF3 of BCOR-ITD HEK-293 cell line induced a significant increase in cell migration versus both untreated and scramble cell clone. The identification of over-expressed genes in metastatic CCSKs, with a particular focus on FGF3, could offer new prognostic and therapeutic targets in more aggressive cases