Immunohistochemical markers in endometrial cancer

In 2018, 382,069 new cases of uterine cancer were registered worldwide and 89,929 deaths from this cancer were reported [...]

Concrete in high-rise buildings: practical experiences in Madrid

The use of concrete in high-rise buildings has increased significantly in the last 20 years mainly owing to improvement in all of the technologies associated with this material: admixtures, pumping, transportation and elevation methods, etc. These enhanced possibilities are illustrated by means of four high-rise buildings that were built recently in Madrid, each about 250 m high. The main structural elements of these buildings are presented focusing on the advantages offered by concrete compared to other materials that are commonly used in high-rise construction. The types of concrete considered are high-resistance concrete up to C80, self-compacting concrete, precast and in situ concrete, reinforced or prestressed concrete, as well as normal weight or lightweight concrete. These examples clearly show that, even in structures where the role of self weight is determinant, concrete can be the best solution if all of the different factors involved in the success of a construction site are considered: geometry, ease of construction, means of elevation, prefabrication at factory, repetitiveness, material costs, control requirements, and so o

Exploitation of a natural pasture by wild horses: comparison between nutritive characteristics of the land and the nutrient requirements of the herds over a 2-year period

In the Molise region (Italy), some autochthonous populations are still bred and, between them, some wild horses named 'Pentro horses.' The breeding area is a natural pasture. It is 2200 ha extended including a broad plane surrounded by wooden hills. The aim of this research was to determine the nutritional characteristics of this area over a 2-year period to improve the management of the herd and to define the stocking rate in relation to the forage production in terms of production and quality. The forage samples were collected over two successive years during the grazing period (May to October) from five experimental areas and analysed for dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), crude fibre (CF), neutral-detergent fibre (NDF), acid-detergent fibre (ADF), acid-detergent lignin (ADL) and gross energy (GE). Horse feed units (HFU) and horse-digestible crude protein (HDCP) were also predicted. Data were analysed with a one-way ANOVA test using month and area as factors. The DM, HFU and HDCP total production was determined to be compared with the total nutrient requirements of the herds from May to October. The results show that seasonal and yearly climatic variations significantly affect chemical composition and nutritive value of the pasture. The parameters most influenced were DM, CP, ADF and to a less extent NDF, while OM, ADL and GE show smaller differences during the observed period. The results show a low production per ha; nevertheless, because of the low stocking rate (0.3 to 0.6 head per ha), nutrient production meets the nutrient requirements of the horses regarding DM and energy. The differences among the areas have to be ascribed to the different botanical compositions and to the different draining capacity of the soil, and also in this case the greatest variations are for DM, CP and ADF

Prediction of the chemical composition and nutritive value of lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) by Near Infrared Spectroscopy

Lucerne is a low input energy efficient crop that improves soil fertility, and its importance is rising with the increase of public interest in sustainable agriculture. Furthermore, it occupies a significant economic position in the animal feed market (i.e. hay, dehydrated forage, pellets and silage products) and deserves a particular interest in the Parmigiano-Reggiano and Grana Padano cheese production areas of Northern Italy (Torricelli et al., 2000)

Effect of rearing system and genotype on performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality of slow growing rabbits

Introduction - The conservation of local rabbit breeds, characterized by slow growth, is very important for organic farming, because in most cases production regulations prohibit the use of commercial hybrids. Aim - The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of two different housing systems on the productive performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality of the local grey coloured rabbit population of Tuscany (middle-west Italy) compared to commercial hybrids. Material and methods - 88 rabbits of local populations were housed in colony cages, in open air (GO) organic rearing system; 84 rabbits of the same autochthonous populations (GI) and 80 hybrids (HI) were housed in colony cages in conventional rearing system. An organic diet, composed by pelleted feed and alfalfa hay, was given ad libitum. Thirty animals of each group were slaughtered at 103 days (autochthonous) and 90 days of age (hybrids), and carcass and meat quality parameters were assessed. Results and discussion - The HI group showed the lowest live weight at slaughtering age, the poorest productive performance and the highest mortality. GI group showed the highest live weight and more favorable feed conversion ratio compared with GO group. GO and GI groups showed higher hot carcass and dressing out percentage and lower incidence of full gastrointestinal tract percentage than group HI. Hind leg meat-to-bone ratio was significantly higher in HI group than in GO and GI groups (4.7% vs. 4.0% and 3.8%, respectively; P<0.05). The lowest muscular acidification was found in group GO (pHu=5.79 vs. 5.59 and 5.63, for group GO, GI and HI, respectively; P<0.05). The muscles of GO group showed lower lightness (L*) than the other groups (GO = 54.4 vs. GI = 59.1 vs. HI = 63.4; P<0.05). The GO and GI groups showed higher redness and yellowness than HI group. Chemical composition and lipid oxidation did not show differences due to genotype or housing system. As far as fatty acid content concerns, differences were found only for miristic and vaccenic acid between GO and HI groups. Conclusions - The local rabbits yielded more coloured meat, which could add value for potential consumers, independently of the rearing system used in the study

Cognitive Impairment and Age-Related Vision Disorders: Their Possible Relationship and the Evaluation of the Use of Aspirin and Statins in a 65 Years-and-Over Sardinian Population

Neurological disorders (Alzheimer’s disease, vascular and mixed dementia) and visual loss (cataract, age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy) are among the most common conditions that afflict people of at least 65 years of age. An increasing body of evidence is emerging, which demonstrates that memory and vision impairment are closely, significantly, and positively linked and that statins and aspirin may lessen the risk of developing age-related visual and neurological problems. However, clinical studies have produced contradictory results. Thus, the intent of the present study was to reliably establish whether a relationship exist between various types of dementia and age-related vision disorders, and to establish whether statins and aspirin may or may not have beneficial effects on these two types of disorders. We found that participants with dementia and/or vision problems were more likely to be depressed and displayed worse functional ability in basic and instrumental activities of daily living than controls. Mini mental state examination scores were significantly lower in patients with vision disorders compared to subjects without vision disorders. A closer association with macular degeneration was found in subjects with Alzheimer’s disease than in subjects without dementia or with vascular dementia, mixed dementia, or other types of age-related vision disorders. When we considered the associations between different types of dementia and vision disorders and the use of statins and aspirin, we found a significant positive association between Alzheimer’s disease and statins on their own or in combination with aspirin, indicating that these two drugs do not appear to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease or improve its clinical evolution and may, on the contrary, favor its development. No significant association in statin use alone, aspirin use alone, or the combination of these was found in subjects without vision disorders but with dementia, and, similarly, none in subjects with vision disorders but without dementia. Overall, these results confirm the general impression so far; namely, that macular degeneration may contribute to cognitive disorders (Alzheimer’s disease in particular). In addition, they also suggest that, while statin and aspirin use may undoubtedly have some protective effects, they do not appear to be magic pills against the development of cognitive impairment or vision disorders in the elderly