Biometry traits and geometric morphometrics in sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) from different farming systems

The effect of the farming system on biometry traits and dressing out yield were inves- tigated in market-size European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) cultured extensively or intensively in sea cages or land-based basins. Fish external appearences and shapes were studies with geometric morphometrics in order to assess the potential of combined methodologies in the assessment of finfish quality. Both standard biometry and geometric morphometrics were able to discriminate between sea bass farmed extensively from those cultured under intensive conditions. Geometric morphometrics has been shown to be a valuable tool for describing changes in shape features and could result a useful technique to be associated to biometry traits in the context of fish quality assessment

Molecular approach for insect detection in feed and food: the case of Gryllodes sigillatus

The production of insects on an industrial scale has attracted the attention of the research and agricultural industry as novel protein sources. To detect the presence of Gryllodes sigillatus (GS) in feed and food, a real-time PCR method based on the mitochondrial cytochrome b (CYB) gene is proposed by this study. Forty DNA samples of animal and plant origin were used to confirm the specificity of the qPCR system. The detection method\u2019s performance was evaluated on different processed GS matrices including native GS (UnGS) and different commercial products: crunchy roasted samples (RoGS), insect meal mixtures (ACGS) and energetic snacks containing GS (GSS). Data on sequencing were aligned with the reference gene to confirm the PCR products. The regression curve (y = 123.394 x + 42.521; R2 = 0.994, d.f. 14) between Ct values and Log DNA concentrations of Gryllodes sigillatus resulted in an efficiency of 96.4%. The severity of the technological processing treatments and the matrix structure affected the intensity of the PCR signal with the same amount of insect DNA as observed by different y-intercepts of the three-regression lines for RoGS, ACGS, and GSS. The real-time PCR method resulted in robust and sensitive outcomes able to detect low amounts of GS DNA (5 g/100 g) in a complex matrix, making it suitable for detecting the presence or absence of labeled Gryllodes sigillatus material both in feed and food

Pea protein concentrate as a substitute for fish meal protein in sea bass diet

Pea seeds, even if lower in protein than oilseed meals, have been shown to successfully replace moderate amounts of fish meal protein in diets for carnivorous fish species (Kaushik et al., 1993, Gouveia and Davies, 2000). A further processing of such pulses provides concentrated protein products which look very promising as fish meal substitutes in aquafeeds (Thiessen et al., 2003). The aim of the present study was to evaluate nutrient digestibility, growth response, nutrient and energy retention efficiencies and whole body composition of sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax, L.) fed complete diets in which a pea protein concentrate (PPC) was used to replace graded levels of fish meal protein

Compensatory growth following long term multi-phase cyclic feeding in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Compensatory growth (CG) during recovery from feed deprivation is a well-known phenomenon in fish, making the practice of cyclic feed restriction-refeeding a possible tool for aquaculturists to optimize growth performance. While earlier studies in this direction focused on relatively short single feed restriction-refeeding protocols, the present trial was designed to evaluate the impact of different repeated cyclic feeding schemes on the zootechnical response of rainbow trout (O. mykiss) over a complete growing phase up to the commercial size. Three hundred trout (body weight 72\ub16 g) were randomly distributed among 12 tanks, each of 0.5 m3 capacity and supplied with 8 L min-1 of well water at a temperature of 12.7\ub10.8\ub0C. Triplicated groups of fish were subjected over 27 weeks to one of the following treatments: C, control, continuous feeding to visual satiety 6 days a week; T1, cyclic feeding regularly alternating 1 week starvation (S) and 3 weeks refeeding (F) (1S+3F); T2, cyclic feeding consisting in 3 consecutive phases: 1S+3F, 2S+6F, and 3S+12F; T3, where a feed restriction (70% of the satiety level observed in the previous week) was applied instead of starvation with the same schedule as T2. The same trout feed (45% crude protein, 28% crude lipid) was used throughout the trial. At the end of the trial the different cyclic feeding protocols resulted in the same zootechnical outcome (P>0.05). A nearly complete convergence of body mass was evident as no significant differences were found among treatments in individual weight (543\ub128g), specific growth rate (1.06\ub10.03%), feed conversion ratio (0.84\ub10.03) and protein efficiency ratio (2.64\ub10.12) despite a lower feed consumption in treatments T1, T2 and T3 relative to controls (357 vs. 390 g fish-1, P<0.05). All protocols imposing fasting or feed restriction resulted in CG at the end of each re-feeding phase. Hyperphagia was a major cause of CG. Both phenomena were emphasized with treatment T3 after recovering from the last 3-week fasting period, when they were associated to a marked improvement of feed conversion ratio relative to controls (0.75 vs. 0.85, P<0.05). The results obtained so far suggest repeated cyclic feeding as a reliable practice in trout farming, provided fasting or feed restriction periods are followed by refeeding phases of suitable length to allow recovery of body mass. This could result in improved profitability and environmental sustainability

The impact of morning stiffness duration on the definition of clinical inactive disease in juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Objective To investigate the impact of morning stiffness (MS) on parent disease perception in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) with clinical inactive disease (CID). Methods 652 visits in which patients fulfilled 2004 or 2011 Wallace criteria for CID were examined. Parent-reported outcomes were compared among patients with no MS or with MS &lt; or 65 15 minutes. Results Among 652 visits with CID by 2004 criteria, no MS was reported in 554 visits (85%), MS &lt; 15 minutes in 53 (8%), and MS 65 15 minutes in 45 (7%). The frequency of altered physical function, health-related quality of life, and well-being, pain and disease activity visual analog scales was proportionally greater from patients without MS to those with longer MS. The frequency of parent subjective rating of disease state as remission was 87.7%, 58% and 27.7% among patients with no MS, MS &lt; 15 minutes and MS 65 15 minutes, respectively. Conclusion Our results suggest that a change in 2011 CID criteria to require absence of MS should be considered

Processed Animal Proteins from Insect and Poultry By-Products in a Fish Meal-Free Diet for Rainbow Trout: Impact on Intestinal Microbiota and Inflammatory Markers

Sustainability of aquaculture is tied to the origin of feed ingredients. In search of sustainable fish meal-free formulations for rainbow trout, we evaluated the effect of Hermetia illucens meal (H) and poultry by-product meal (P), singly (10, 30, and 60% of either H or P) or in combination (10% H + 50% P, H10P50), as partial replacement of vegetable protein (VM) on gut microbiota (GM), inflammatory, and immune biomarkers. Fish fed the mixture H10P50 had the best growth performance. H, P, and especially the combination H10P50 partially restored \u3b1-diversity that was negatively affected by VM. Diets did not differ in the Firmicutes:Proteobacteria ratio, although the relative abundance of Gammaproteobacteria was reduced in H and was higher in P and in the fishmeal control. H had higher relative abundance of chitin-degrading Actinomyces and Bacillus, Dorea, and Enterococcus. Actinomyces was also higher in H feed, suggesting feed-chain microbiome transmission. P increased the relative abundance of protein degraders Paeniclostridium and Bacteroidales. IL-1\u3b2, IL-10, TGF-\u3b2, COX-2, and TCR-\u3b2 gene expression in the midgut and head kidney and plasma lipopolysaccharide (LPS) revealed that the diets did not compromise the gut barrier function or induce inflammation. H, P, and H10P50 therefore appear valid protein sources in fishmeal-free aquafeeds

Targeted activation of the SHP-1/PP2A signaling axis elicits apoptosis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells

Lyn, a member of the Src family of kinases, is a key factor in the dys-regulation of survival and apoptotic pathways of malignant B cells in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. One of the effects of Lyn's action is spatial and functional segregation of the tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1 into two pools, one beneath the plasma membrane in an active state promoting pro-survival signals, the other in the cytosol in an inhibited conformation and unable to counter the elevated level of cytosolic tyrosine phosphorylation. We herein show that SHP-1 activity can be elicited directly by nintedanib, an agent also known as a triple angiokinase inhibitor, circumventing the phospho-S591-dependent inhibition of the phosphatase, leading to the dephosphorylation of pro-apoptotic players such as procaspase-8 and serine/threonine phosphatase 2A, eventually triggering apoptosis. Furthermore, the activation of PP2A by using MP07-66, a novel FTY720 analog, stimulated SHP-1 activity via dephosphorylation of phospho-S591, which unveiled the existence of a positive feedback signaling loop involving the two phosphatases. In addition to providing further insights into the molecular basis of this disease, our findings indicate that the PP2A/SHP-1 axis may emerge as an attractive, novel target for the development of alternative strategies in the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Per il 450° anniversario della nascita di Galileo Galilei. Iniziativa di divulgazione interdisciplinare

Conferenze storico scientifiche su Galileo Galilei, Conferenze-concerto sul ruolo della musica nella formazione e nella scienza di Galileo Galilei, Mostra libraria di testi galileiani, Ricostruzione di esperimenti e strumenti di Galileo Galilei (vedi il programma nel file allegato)

IN ChAc RED CELLS THE ABNORMALLY ACTIVATED LYN AFFECTS ANKYRIN MULTIPROTEIN COMPLEXES AND IS INHIBITED BY DASATINIB

Chorea-acanthocytosis (ChAc) is a hereditary-neurodegenerative disorder, one of the neuroacanthocytosis syndromes (NA). One of the hallmarks of NA is the presence of circulating acanthocytes, generation of which is still under investigation. Recently, we reported increased Tyr-phosphorylation state of the red blood cell (RBC) membrane proteins from ChAc patients, related to abnormal activation of Lyn, an Src family kinase (SFKs) (Blood 118; 5652; 2011). In the context of international collaboration, we further characterized Lyn signaling pathway in RBC from ChAc patients. In ChAc RBCs, we found a weakness of ankyrin - based multiprotein complex bridging the membrane to the cytoskeleton, contributing to the generation of acanthocytes. We then evaluated the state of Lyn (active-inactive) in the cytoplasmic fraction from RBC of ChAc patients. In ChAc RBCs we found higher levels of Phospho- Lyn-396, corresponding to active Lyn, compared to controls. We then evaluated whether classical Lyn inhibitors such as PP2 or Dasatinib, a pharmacological Lyn inhibitor, might block Lyn in ChAc RBCs. We found that both PP2 (0.1\u3bcM) or Dasatinib (0.1 \u3bcM) were able to efficiently inhibit Lyn in both ChAc and healthy RBCs. These data suggest that in ChAc (i) the abnormal activation of Lyn affects RBC membrane mechanical stability weakening both multiprotein complexes, bridging the membrane to the cytoskeleton; (ii) Lyn activity is inhibited by either PP2 or Dasatinib, suggesting Lyn as possible new therapeutic target in ChAc