Essential fatty acids (EFA) in haflinger and thoroughbreed mare’s milk

SUMMARY Mare milk EFA amounts from Thoroughbreed and Haflinger mares from different lactation period in the first 4 months were evaluated. In Thoroughbreed’s milk samples linoleic acid was 22.77% on total fatty acids in colostrum, with a significative decrease at 10 (16.94%), 20 (15.15%) and 30 days (15.06%) increasing at 60 (17.82%); α- linolenic significantly increased from 4.56% on total FA in colostrum samples, until 8.20% at 30 days, 9.11% at 60 days and 10.58% in 90 days milk samples. LA/ALA ratio decreased from 4.99 in presuckle samples until 1.63 in 3rd month’s. In Haflinger mare’s milk LA amounts were 10.35% on total fatty acids at 30 days, about 1/3 less than corresponding Thoroughbreed samples amounts, with not significative decrease at 105 (8.59%). Alpha-linolenic acid amounts increased between 5.46% at 30 days and 6.01% at 60, until 6.50% at 105. LA/ALA ratio decreased between 1.84 in 30 days samples until 1.29 in 105 days ones. In spite of Thoroughbreed samples, where unsaturated FA prevailed over saturated (sat/unsat 0.57-0.94), in Haflinger samples sat/unsat FA ratio ranged between 1.16-1.39. RIASSUNTO La ricerca ha preso in esame i contenuti in acidi grassi essenziali (EFA) del latte di fattrici Purosangue Inglese ed Avelignese a tempi diversi di lattazione durante i primi 4 mesi. Il contenuto medio di acido linoleico nei campioni di colostro provenienti dai soggetti PSI è risultato pari a 22,77% (sul totale degli acidi grassi), ha presentato un significativo decremento nei prelievi effettuati a 10 giorni di lattazione (16,94%), a 20 (15,15%), a 30 (15,06%), aumentando nei campioni di latte raccolti a 60 giorni (17,82%). L’acido α-linolenico ha evidenziato una costante e significativa tendenza all’aumento, passando da valori di 4,56% nei campioni colostrali a 8,20% in quelli rela- tivi al primo mese, 9,11% a 60 giorni e 10,58% al terzo mese. Il rapporto LA/ALA ha subìto un progressivo decremento da 4,99 nei campioni presuckle a 1,63 nei campioni relativi al terzo mese. Nei campioni di latte delle fattrici di razza Avelignese il contenuto in acido linoleico è risultato pari a 10,35% (circa 1/3 in meno del valore individuato nei corrispondenti campioni raccolti dalle cavalle PSI) ed ha evidenziato un progressivo decremento fino a raggiungere un valore di 8,59% nei campioni di 105 giorni. L’acido α-linolenico si è innalzato da valori di 5,46% nelle campionature del primo mese a 6,01% in quelle del secondo ed a 6,50% a 105 giorni. Il rapporto LA/ALA è diminuito da 1,84 nei campioni di 30 giorni a 1,29 a 105. A differenza dei campioni di soggetti PSI nei quali prevalevano gli acidi grassi insaturi (sat/insat 0,57-0,94), negli Avelignesi tale rapporto è risultato a favore dei saturi (sat/insat 1,16-1,39)

The role of H-bonds on the structure and dynamics of very concentrated polymer solutions

153 p.El proposito de la presente tesis doctoral es determinar como la presencia de moleculas de disolventes afecta las dinamicas de un polmero en diferentes escalas temporales y espaciales y como la dinamica del disolvente esta in uenciada por las interacciones con el polímero. En particular, es de fundamental intees entender cual es la función de los enlaces hidrogeno en esta interaccion reciproca. Además, con el objetivo de conseguir una visión completa del asunto, es muy importante investigar tambien los aspectos estructurales de las mezclas. Con este fin, ha sido necesario un estudio comparativo con disolventes caracterizados por distintas interacciones con los polmeros. Los sistemas elegidos han sido poli(dimetiloaminoetilo metacrilato) (PDMAEMA) en soluciones con tetrahidrofurano (THF) y agua con distintas concentraciones. El THF como el agua son buenos disolventes para el polmero investigado. Sin embargo, mientras que en las soluciones con agua los enlaces hidrogeno dominan las interacciones polmero/disolvente, el THF no interacciona con el polmero por esta forma. La informacion sobre las propriedades estructurales de los sistemas ha sido adquirida por la combinacion de difraccion de rayos-X y difraccion de neutrones. El uso conjunto de espectroscopia dielectrica (DS) y espectroscopia de difusion de neutrones (NS) cuasi-elastica y inelastica ha sido una herramienta muy util para la investigacion de las dinamicas en las mezclas. De hecho, la primera tecnica permite explorar un rango de frecuencia muy amplio y puede ser selectiva si una de las componentes tiene un momento de dipolo mucho mayor que las otras. La segunda concede la posibilidad de seleccionar una dada componente a traves de las etiquetas isoopicas (H/D). Primero, han sido investigados a fondo las propriedades estructurales y dinamicas del polimero seco y de las mezclas con THF y agua en una concentracion representativa (c=30 wt%). Luego, las propriedades dinamicas de las mezclas en funcion de la concentracion de disolvente han sido estudiadas por DS y calorimetra diferencial de barrido (DSC)

Entropy-Based Tests for Complex Dependence in Economic and Financial Time Series with the R Package tseriesEntropy

Testing for complex serial dependence in economic and financial time series is a crucial task that bears many practical implications. However, the linear paradigm remains pervasive among practitioners as the autocorrelation function, because, despite its known shortcomings, it is still one of the most used tools in time series analysis. We propose a solution to the problem, by introducing the R package tseriesEntropy, dedicated to testing for serial/cross dependence and nonlinear serial dependence in time series, based on the entropy metric S-rho. The package implements tests for both continuous and categorical data. The nonparametric tests, based on S-rho, rely on minimal assumptions and have also been shown to be powerful for small sample sizes. The measure can be used as a nonlinear auto/cross-dependence function, both as an exploratory tool, or as a diagnostic measure, if computed on the residuals from a fitted model. Different null hypotheses of either independence or linear dependence can be tested by means of resampling methods, backed up by a sound theoretical background. We showcase our methods on a panel of commodity price time series. The results hint at the presence of a complex dependence in the conditional mean, together with conditional heteroskedasticity, and indicate the need for an appropriate nonlinear specification

Ariel - Volume 12(13) Number 1

Executive Editor Gary E. Fishbein Associate Editor Sam Markind Business Manager Rich Davis Sports Editor Dave Cohen Photography Editor Ben Alman Layout Sheila Grossma

Phage Display-Based Nanotechnology Applications in Cancer Immunotherapy

Phage display is a nanotechnology with limitless potential, first developed in 1985 and still awaiting to reach its peak. Awarded in 2018 with the Nobel Prize for Chemistry, the method allows the isolation of high-affinity ligands for diverse substrates, ranging from recombinant proteins to cells, organs, even whole organisms. Personalized therapeutic approaches, particularly in oncology, depend on the identification of new, unique, and functional targets that phage display, through its various declinations, can certainly provide. A fast-evolving branch in cancer research, immunotherapy is now experiencing a second youth after being overlooked for years; indeed, many reports support the concept of immunotherapy as the only non-surgical cure for cancer, at least in some settings. In this review, we describe literature reports on the application of peptide phage display to cancer immunotherapy. In particular, we discuss three main outcomes of this procedure: (i) phage display-derived peptides that mimic cancer antigens (mimotopes) and (ii) antigen-carrying phage particles, both as prophylactic and/or therapeutic vaccines, and (iii) phage display-derived peptides as small-molecule effectors of immune cell functions. Preclinical studies demonstrate the efficacy and vast potential of these nanosized tools, and their clinical application is on the way

The interconnection of hierarchy, affiliative behaviours, and social play shapes social dynamics in Maremmana beef cattle

Dominance hierarchies can be interconnected with behaviours that are essential to manage social living, such as affiliative behaviours and social play, whose importance can already emerge in the early phases of life. Here, we carried out an observational study (all occurrences sampling) to investigate the possible interconnection between these three behavioural categories in a group of Maremmana beef cattle (n = 44, 6–21 months of age) in an extensive breeding system. We found that a clearly linear hierarchy is present in the group, and that the age of the animals positively correlated with their hierarchical ranks. Affiliative behaviours were directed up to the hierarchy: dominants received more affiliative behaviours and subordinates were generally starting the sessions, suggesting that affiliative behaviours may be used by subordinates to bond with dominants for possibly gaining some benefits. Social play mainly consisted of play fighting and dominant subjects played with the highest frequency. However, playful modality was independent from playmates’ relative rank position, with longer-lasting sessions being characterized by unbalanced and unreciprocated patterns. This indicates that play fighting in cattle has a competitive rather than cooperative nature and that it may be used as physical training to develop competitive skills in all groupmates. When play fighting was punctuated by affiliative behaviours, the playful sessions lasted longer. In this view, affiliative behaviours can have a communicative value useful in downgrading the competition emerging during play fighting. In conclusion, under naturalistic conditions young animals of beef cattle express all the behavioural repertoire typical of adulthood and their agonistic, affiliative, and playful behaviours are strongly interconnected in shaping social dynamics. Thus, our study suggests that extensive farming conditions are ideal to study the behavioural strategies domestic animals enact to form cohesive social groups. Such information is needed to enhance management and welfare of domestic ungulates

Zerasca sheep: environment, characteristics and production

The Zeri ewe is an indigenous Italian breed that is spread throughout the homonymous area located in northwest Tuscany. This article presents the history and evolution of Zerasca sheep, describes the breed’s characteristics in terms of somatic and productive traits, managerial and health practices, meat quality; moreover it underlines its contribution to the preservation of the rural land and population of the Zeri district. First documentation on this breed dates back to the 19th Century (Antonelli, 1845). Zerasca breed has a medium-large size with white fleece. Males present horns while in females can be absent. Currently Zerasca ovine population totals more than 2,000 heads. Sheep husbandry is currently predominant in Zeri area thanks to the great availability of woody vegetation (oak, chestnut, hazel, alder and beech trees), meadows and pastures. Animals’ nutrition depends mostly on grazing pastures, infact flocks are generally supported only with a little nutritional supplementation. The first typical production is the heavy lamb that is gaining more and more relevance thanks to its excellent meat quality, unique in taste; infact, Zeri lamb is included in the list of Slow Food Presidia, reflecting the recognized quality of this product in the world.Most of shepherds jointed in a consortium for the valorization and safeguarding of Zerasca sheep and lambs, whose regulation points towards the implementation of extensive farming systems with an optimal exploitation of local pasture resources. One of the most important problem that Zerasca sheep farmers often complain is represented by gastrointestinal parasitism, almost endemic in sheep husbandry and particularly in sheep raised under extensive systems. Today, “Zeri lamb” has a considerable economic impact on its territory, ensuring increasing profits for shepherds. The aim of this review is to collect information about a native breed in endangered status that it is gaining importance thanks to the high-quality of products

Il trattato tra Lacedemoni ed Etoli (Osborne-Rhodes, GHI 128): una nuova proposta di integrazione

Oggetto di questo contributo è un celebre trattato, presumibilmente della seconda metà del V secolo, stipulato dai Lacedemoni con una controparte che figura prima con il nome di Aitoloi, poi con quello di Erxadieise (Osborne - Rhodes, GHI 128). Benché si tratti di un documento ampiamente discusso, rimangono ancora numerosi punti oscuri, quali la definizione del rapporto tra Aitoloi ed Erxadieis, la collocazione geografica dei gruppi umani indicati con questi due etnonimi e la contestualizzazione storica del documento. Alcuni di questi aspetti potevano forse essere chiariti nella sezione iniziale del trattato, giuntaci fortemente mutila.  Il contributo tenta così di fare chiarezza sulle principali ambiguità interpretative del documento, attraverso una nuova proposta ricostruttiva delle prime linee di testo

sine sweep qualification test for engine components the choice of simulation technique

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