IL PROBLEMA DELL'INNOVAZIONE IN ZOOTECNIA IN PROSPETTIVA STORICA: IL CASO DELLA FRISONA ITALIANA

Con questa ricerca si sono volute ripercorrere le diverse fasi storiche e le motivazioni che, nel corso del Novecento, hanno portato la razza bovina Frisona Italiana, conosciuta per la sua alta produttività lattifera, ad affermarsi come la più allevata sul territorio della Penisola. Al di là di una ricostruzione fattuale si sono volute comprendere le strategie dell’innovazione tecnologica in campo zootecnico negli ultimi decenni. Il lavoro prende avvio dall’emergere tra Sei e Ottocento in Gran Bretagna, nei Paesi Bassi e negli Stati Uniti di una speciale attenzione alla riproduzione animale. Viene poi analizzata l’introduzione in Italia di capi Friesian olandesi a partire dalla fine dell’800 e di quelli Holstein-Friesian nordamericani nel periodo tra le due Guerre Mondiali. Infine viene ricostruita l’opera di miglioramento della popolazione in esame, arrivando a una nuova sottorazza, col tempo divenuta oggetto anche di esportazione. Nel lavoro viene analizzato infine il ruolo delle istituzioni e dell’associazionismo, amplificatosi dopo la seconda guerra mondiale, tramite la ricostruzione dei rapporti dialettici tra queste istituzioni collettive da un lato e gli ispettorati agrari e il MAF dall’altro, in ordine alla gestione dei libri genealogici e alla definizione degli indirizzi zootecnici.With this research we wanted to reconstruct the different historical phases and the reasons that, during the XX century, led the Italian Friesian breed of cow, known for its high milk productivity, to become the most widespread breed on the Peninsula. Besides a reconstruction of the facts, we wanted to understand the strategies for the technological innovation in the field of zootechnics during the last ten years. The work starts with the emergence, between the XVII and the XIX century in Great Britain, in the Low Countries and in the United States of a special attention for animal reproduction. Then, we examined the introduction in Italy of Dutch Friesian heads, from the end of the XIX century, and of North-American Holstein-Friesian, in the period between the two world wars. Finally, we reconstructed the process of improvement of the population here analysed, which led to a new sub-breed, later exported. Finally, we analysed the role of institutions and associations, increased after the Second World War, by reconstructing the relations between them

Applicazione delle nuove tecnologie nel trattamento del diabete insulino dipendente nel bambino: analisi del flusso e destino metabolico dei substrati in fase postprandiale.

Scopo della ricerca e obiettivi dello studio Lo scopo dello studio \ue8 stato quello di analizzare il comportamento e l'andamento dei profili glicemici postprandiali in un gruppo di bambini e adolescenti con DMT1 in trattamento con microinfusore (CSII), in relazione alla dose totale di insulina somministrata e al tempo impiegato nella somministrazione. Inoltre \ue8 stato valutato il destino ossidativo dei substrati energetici, in particolare del glucosio, dopo somministrazione di un pasto test naturalmente arricchito con 13C. Disegno sperimentale, materiali e metodi Lo studio \ue8 stato disegnato come studio non randomizzato, cross-sectional, per misure ripetute. Nel giorno del test ciascuno dei 15 pazienti arruolati ha consumato un pasto prova, composto da carboidrati (CHO) naturalmente arricchiti con isotopi stabili (13C), e calcolato in modo tale da avere il medesimo contenuto energetico per kg di massa magra (FFM) per ogni paziente. 15 minuti prima dell'assunzione del pasto \ue8 stato infuso un bolo d\u2019insulina, calcolato in base al rapporto I/CHO (insulina/carboidrati) di ciascun paziente. La valutazione del metabolismo a riposo e dopo assunzione del pasto prova \ue8 stata effettuata tramite calorimetria indiretta computerizzata. Nelle tre ore successive al pasto sono state effettuate raccolte dell\u2019espirato (breath-test) per l'analisi dell'ossidazione dei CHO, in particolare di quelli di origine esogena, e sono stati raccolti prelievi ematici per valutare i livelli plasmatici di glucosio, insulina, trigliceridi e acidi grassi liberi. Risultati Come parametro del controllo glicemico post-prandiale \ue8 stata presa in considerazione l\u2019area sotto la curva (AUC) della glicemia totale (mg/dl*180min) e la AUC della glicemia netta (mg/dl*180min). E\u2019 stata riscontrata, a parit\ue0 di adiposit\ue0 (% di massa grassa) e di CHO intake del pasto assunto (g), una correlazione inversamente proporzionale tra la AUC della glicemia totale (mg/dl*180min) e la quantit\ue0 di CHO esogeni ossidati (g) (r = -0.57, p<0.05), e tra la AUC della glicemia netta (mg/dl*180min) e la quantit\ue0 di CHO esogeni ossidati (g) (r = -0.58, p<0.05). Inoltre \ue8 stata riscontrata una correlazione inversamente proporzionale tra la HbA1c (%), parametro di controllo glicometabolico cronico, e la quantit\ue0 di CHO esogeni ossidati (g) (r = -0.64, p<0.05), Dall\u2019altra parte \ue8 stata riscontrata una correlazione direttamente proporzionale tra la HbA1c (%), e la AUC della glicemia totale (mg/dl*180min) (r = 0.62, p<0.05). Discussione e Conclusioni I dati preliminari di questo studio ci indicano come l\u2019ossidazione del glucosio introdotto con i CHO del pasto, giochi un ruolo fondamentale nel controllo della glicemia post-prandiale e sia significativamente correlato con il livello medio di controllo glicemico a lungo termine (HbA1c). Questi dati preliminari potrebbero contribuire nel definire come strumento di screening della sensibilit\ue0 insulinica, un semplice test, il breath-test a due punti (0\u2019 e 180\u2019 dopo pasto con 13C). Inoltre, i dati preliminari potranno essere la base per la creazione di nuovi possibili algoritmi di somministrazione insulinica preprandiale per permettere ai pazienti con DMT1 di ottenere profili glicemici migliori e un miglior controllo glicemico a lungo termine

Hemoglobin A1C Percentage in Nonhuman Primates: A Useful Tool to Monitor Diabetes before and after Porcine Pancreatic Islet Xenotransplantation

Non-human primates (NHPs) are a very valuable experimental model for diabetes research studies including experimental pancreatic islet transplantation. In particular NHPs are the recipients of choice to validate pigs as possible source of pancreatic islets. The aim of this study was to quantify glycated hemoglobin percentage in NHPs and to assess whether changes in values reflect the metabolic trends after diabetes induction and islet transplantation. Sera from 15 NHPs were analyzed. 9 NHPs were rendered diabetic with streptozotocin (STZ), and 3 of them received porcine islet transplants. Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) percentage was measured with an assay based on a latex immunoagglutination inhibition methodology. Whereas diabetes and its duration were associated with increasing HbA1c levels, postislet transplantation blood glucose normalization was paralleled by a decrease in the HbA1c percentage. Our data provide evidence that HbA1c is a useful tool to monitor glucose metabolism in NHPs

Accuracy of a CGM Sensor in Pediatric Subjects With Type 1 Diabetes. Comparison of Three Insertion Sites: Arm, Abdomen, and Gluteus

Patients with diabetes, especially pediatric ones, sometimes use continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) sensor in different positions from the approved ones. Here we compare the accuracy of Dexcom\uae G5 CGM sensor in three different sites: abdomen, gluteus (both approved) and arm (off-label)

Bias in food intake reporting in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes: the role of body size, age and gender

An assessment of total daily energy intake is helpful in planning the overall treatment of children with type 1 diabetes (T1D). However, energy intake misreporting may hinder nutritional intervention.Aims: To assess the plausibility of energy intake reporting and the potential role of gender, body mass index (BMI) z-score (z-BMI), disease duration and insulin requirement in energy intake misreporting in a sample of children and adolescents with T1D.Methods: The study included 58 children and adolescents aged 8–16 yr with T1D. Anthropometry, blood pressure and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were measured. Subjects were instructed to wear a SenseWear Pro Armband (SWA) for 3 consecutive days, including a weekend day and to fill out with their parents a weighed dietary record for the same days. Predicted energy expenditure (pEE) was calculated by age and gender specific equations, including gender, age, weight, height and physical activity level (assessed by SWA). The percent reported energy intake (rEI)/pEE ratio was used as an estimate of the plausibility of dietary reporting.Results: Misreporting of food intake, especially under-reporting, was common in children and adolescents with T1D: more than one-third of participants were classified as under- reporters and 10% as over-reporters. Age, z-BMI and male gender were associated with the risk of under-reporting (model R2 = 0.5). Waist circumference was negatively associated with the risk of over-reporting (model R2 = 0.25).Conclusions: Children and adolescents with T1D frequently under-report their food intake. Age, gender and z-BMI contribute to identify potential under-reporters

In vivo confocal microscopy study of corneal nerve alterations in children and youths with Type 1 Diabetes

Objective: To determine whether children and youths with type 1 diabetes (T1D) have early alterations of the corneal subbasal nerve plexus detectable with In vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) and to investigate the role of longitudinally measured major risk factors for diabetes complications associated with these alterations. Methods: One hundred and fifty children and youths with T1D and 51 age-matched controls were enrolled and underwent IVCM. Corneal nerve fiber length (CNFL), corneal nerve fiber density (CNFD), corneal nerve branch density (CNBD), corneal fiber total branch density (CTBD), and corneal fiber fractal dimension (CNFrD) were measured. Risk factors for diabetes complications (blood pressure, BMI, HbA1c, lipoproteins, urinary albumin-creatinine ratio) were recorded at IVCM and longitudinally since T1D onset. Unpaired t-test was used to compare variables between the groups. Multiple regression models were calculated using IVCM parameters as dependent variables and risk factors as independent variables. Results: All IVCM parameters, except CTBD, were significantly lower in the T1D patients. Glycometabolic control (HbA1c, visit-to-visit HbA1c variability, and mean HbA1c), and blood pressure were inversely correlated with IVCM parameters. Multiple regression showed that part of the variability in CNFL, CNFD, CTBD, and CNFraD was explained by HbA1c, blood pressure percentiles, and age at IVCM examination, independent of diabetes duration, BMI percentile, and LDL cholesterol. Comparable results were obtained using the mean value of risk factors measured longitudinally since T1D onset. Conclusions: Early signs of corneal nerve degeneration were found in children and youths with T1D. Glycometabolic control and blood pressure were the major risk factors for these alterations. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Celiac Disease Negatively Influences Lipid Profiles in Youngest Children With Type 1 Diabetes: Effect of the Gluten-Free Diet

The association between low HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) concentrations and increased cardiovascular risk is well established. Low HDL-C levels were found in subjects with type 1 diabetes (T1D) who presented complications and in untreated subjects with celiac disease (CD). The association between TID and CD might therefore enhance this lipid abnormality and accelerate the atherosclerotic process

Has COVID-19 Delayed the Diagnosis and Worsened the Presentation of Type 1 Diabetes in Children?

Objective: To evaluate whether the diagnosis of pediatric type 1 diabetes or its acute complications changed during the early phase of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Italy. Research design and methods: This was a cross-sectional, Web-based survey of all Italian pediatric diabetes centers to collect diabetes, diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), and COVID-19 data in patients presenting with new-onset or established type 1 diabetes between 20 February and 14 April in 2019 and 2020. Results: Fifty-three of 68 centers (77.9%) responded. There was a 23% reduction in new diabetes cases in 2020 compared with 2019. Among those newly diagnosed patient who presented in a state of DKA, the proportion with severe DKA was 44.3% in 2020 vs. 36.1% in 2019 (P = 0.03). There were no differences in acute complications. Eight patients with asymptomatic or mild COVID-19 had laboratory-confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic might have altered diabetes presentation and DKA severity. Preparing for any "second wave" requires strategies to educate and reassure parents about timely emergency department attendance for non-COVID-19 symptoms