Maugis e Malagigi : storia di un personaggio

La tesi ha per oggetto la storia e lo sviluppo del personaggio di Maugis d'Aigremont dalle sue origini epiche nella tradizione delle chansons de geste fino ai suoi esiti nel poema cavalleresco italiano. Lo studio délia tradizione italiana del mago-ladro Malagigi si concentra sui Cantari di Rinaldo da Montalbano5 il Morgante di Luigi Pulci, YOrlando Innamorato di Matteo Maria Boiardo e il Mambriano di Francesco Cieco da Ferrara. Lo studio propone una riflessione sulle trasformazioni e sui significati del personaggio del mago- ladro Maugis nelle chansons de geste e deirincantatore Malagigi dei poemi cavallereschi italiani. La prima parte délia tesi affronta lo studio del personaggio di Maugis d'Aigremont nella tradizione delle canzoni di gesta del XII e XIII secolo, con una riflessione sui tema del mago-ladro e le relative implicazioni culturali e sociali. Dal punto di vista testuale, nel quadro del ciclo epico di Doon de Mayence, meglio conosciuto corne "ciclo dei baroni ribelli", si è studiata la presenza del personaggio nelle chansons di Renaut de Montauban e di Maugis d'Aigremont. La seconda parte délia tesi propone invece uno studio del mago Malagigi nella tradizione cavalleresca italiana a partire dai Cantari del XIV secolo, fino a giungere al romanzo cavalleresco dei secoli XV e XVI. Prendendo in esame un periodo cronologico assai vasto, è stato dunque possibile defmire le caratteristiche e le qualité specifiche di questo particolare personaggio, evidenziando le costanti tematiche e morali cosi corne gli elementi di discontinuité tra le due diverse tradizioni letterarie oggetto di studio. -- La thèse propose l'étude du personnage de Maugis d'Aigremont dans deux traditions littéraires historiquement liées l'une à l'autre : celle de l'épopée française et celle du poème épique de la Renaissance italienne. Il s'agit d'une réflexion sur les transformations et les avatars du personnage du magicien - voleur Maugis des chansons de geste qui apparaît par la suite sous le nom de Malagigi dans la tradition italienne des cantari et que l'on retrouve avec ses caractéristiques de chevalier-enchanteur dans la tradition du poème chevaleresque. La recherche a pour objet la naissance, l'histoire et le développement du personnage Maugis d'Aigremont à partir de la tradition des chansons de geste dans le Maugis d'Aigremont et le Renaut de Montauban. Le corpus pris en compte se concentre sur les Cantari di Rinaldo da Montalbano, le Morgante de Luigi Pulci, YOrlando Innamorato de Matteo Maria Boiardo et le Mambriano de Francesco Cieco da Ferrara. Visant une étude comparative et intertextuelle, la thèse est partagée en deux sections. La première concerne l'étude du personnage de Maugis d'Aigremont et son caractère épique dans la tradition de la chanson de geste des Xlle et XHIe siècles. Dans cette partie la thèse se concentre notamment sur la thématique du magicien-voleur et ses implications culturelles et sociales. Cette partie prend en considération deux textes en particulier, Renaut de Montauban et Maugis d'Aigremont, dans le cadre du cycle épique de Doon de Mayence ou des barons révoltés. La deuxième partie présente une étude comparée de la définition du personnage Maugis d'Aigremont dans la tradition littéraire italienne, notamment à partir des Cantari du XlVe siècle pour arriver au roman chevaleresque des XVe et XVIe siècles dans les œuvres de Pulci, Boiardo et Cieco da Ferrara. Le personnage prend le nom de Malagigi, magicien présenté comme personnage complémentaire aux héros protagonistes. En prenant en compte une période assez vaste, l'étude a souligné les caractéristiques et les qualités spécifiques à ce personnage, en faisant ressortir les constantes thématiques et morales ainsi que les innovations individuelles des auteurs de la tradition

Effect of probiotic inocula on the population density of lactic acid bacteria and enteric pathogens in the intestine of weaning piglets

Because antibiotic resistance occurs in bacteria at an alarming rate, significant research has been focused on finding alternative treatments which do not involve the use of antibiotics. The promotion of beneficial gut bacteria can increase the resistance of animals to possible intestinal infections. Probiotics can be administered to humans or animals, offering preventive benefits of protecting the host from various types of intestinal diseases, providing positive effects on digestive processes and stimulating influence on the growth of organism, strengthening the barrier function of the gut microbiota and/or non-specific enhancement of the immune system. A study was designed to screen potential probiotic Bifidobacterium spp. strains with the ability to multiply in the intestine of weaned piglets and then to assess their health promoting effects when challenged with two enteric pathogens. Three series of trials were conducted with 60 weaning pigs fed one of 12 different Bifidobacterium spp. strains either once or twice a day. The most effective probiotic treatment (Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis, strain Ra 18, at a dose of 1011cfu twice a day) was then challenged in two series of experiments with the enteric pathogens, Salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium and E. coli K88. Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis strain Ra 18 significantly increased (p<0.01) the number of viable bifidobacteria in the cecum contents. When it was challenged with Salmonella, Ra 18 reduced excretion of this pathogen with the faeces. On the whole, supplementation with Ra 18 had a positive effect on the growth performance of pigs except after challenge with E. coli K88 where pigs susceptible to ETEC adhesion were lighter than pigs not susceptible

Fiber Metabolism, Procollagen and Collagen Type III Immunoreactivity in Broiler Pectoralis Major Affected by Muscle Abnormalities

The present study aimed to evaluate the muscle fiber metabolism and assess the presence and distribution of both procollagen and collagen type III in pectoralis major muscles affected by white striping (WS), wooden breast (WB), and spaghetti meat (SM), as well as in those with macroscopically normal appearance (NORM). For this purpose, 20 pectoralis major muscles (five per group) were selected from the same flock of fast-growing broilers (Ross 308, males, 45-days-old, 3.0 kg live weight) and were used for histochemical (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide tetrazolium reductase (NADH-TR) and alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase (\u3b1-GPD)) and immunohistochemical (procollagen and collagen type III) analyses. When compared to NORM, we found an increased proportion (p &lt; 0.001) of fibers positively stained to NADH-TR in myopathic muscles along with a relevant decrease (p &lt; 0.001) in the percentage of those exhibiting a positive reaction to \u3b1-GPD. In addition, an increased proportion of fibers exhibiting a positive reaction to both stainings was observed in SM, in comparison with NORM (14.3 vs. 7.2%; p &lt; 0.001). After reacting to NADH-TR, SM exhibited the lowest (p &lt; 0.001) cross-sectional area (CSA) of the fibers ( 1212% with respect to NORM). On the other hand, after reacting to \u3b1-GPD, the CSA of WS was found to be significantly larger (+10%) in comparison with NORM (7480 vs. 6776 \ub5m2; p &lt; 0.05). A profound modification of the connective tissue architecture involving a different presence and distribution of procollagen and collagen type III was observed. Intriguingly, an altered metabolism and differences in the presence and distribution of procollagen and collagen type III were even observed in pectoralis major muscle classified as NORM

non covalent interactions in anisole co2 n n 1 2 complexes

Non-covalent interactions are a ubiquitous binding motif and a challenge for theory and experiments

Superficial and deep changes of histology, texture and particle size distribution in broiler wooden breast muscle during refrigerated storage

Abstract Recently the poultry industry faced an emerging muscle abnormality termed wooden breast (WB), the prevalence of which has dramatically increased in the past few years. Considering the incomplete knowledge concerning this condition and the lack of information on possible variations due to the intra-fillet sampling locations (superficial vs. deep position) and aging of the samples, this study aimed at investigating the effect of 7-d storage of broiler breast muscles on histology, texture, and particle size distribution, evaluating whether the sampling position exerts a relevant role in determining the main features of WB. With regard to the histological observations, severe myodegeneration accompanied by accumulation of connective tissue was observed within the WB cases, irrespective of the intra-fillet sampling position. No changes in the histological traits took place during the aging in either the normal or the WB samples. As to textural traits, although a progressive tenderization process took place during storage (P ≤ 0.001), the differences among the groups were mainly detected when raw meat rather than cooked was analyzed, with the WB samples exhibiting the highest (P ≤ 0.001) 80% compression values. In spite of the increased amount of connective tissue components in the WB cases, their thermally labile cross-links will account for the similar compression and shear-force values as normal breast cases when measured on cooked samples. Similarly, the enlargement of extracellular matrix and fibrosis might contribute in explaining the different fragmentation patterns observed between the superficial and the deep layer in the WB samples, with the superficial part exhibiting a higher amount of larger particles and an increase in particles with larger size during storage, compared to normal breasts

Effect of spaghetti-meat abnormality on quality and histological traits of broiler breast fillets

During the last few years, the increasing growth rate and meat yield of modern broiler hybrids caused the appearance of several breast muscle abnormalities, such as white striping and wooden breast. Recently, a new myopathy termed spaghetti-meat (SM) characterized by extremely soft and friable pectoralis major when palpated after chilling has emerged. Since the occurrence of SM is often associated with white striping (WS), this study aimed at evaluating the effects of SM and/or WS conditions on meat quality and histological traits in broilers. For this purpose, 96 pectoralis major muscles were selected from homogeneous flocks (47 d of age and 2.8 kg of live weight at slaughter) into two independent trials and classified as follows: 24 Normal (N), 24 WS, 24 SM and 24 WS/SM. Each fillet was cut in order to separate the superficial layer from the deep one and both used to assess proximate composition, histological features, colour, pH and protein profile. Data were analyses by two-way ANOVA using abnormality and sampling position as the main variables. Proximate composition was found to be significantly modified according the type of abnormality, especially in the superficial layer of the fillets. The SM and WS/SM groups had a remarkable decrease in total protein content coupled with an increased moisture level (p&lt;.001), while WS group was associated with higher lipid content. Histological evaluations of abnormal samples evidenced several degenerative aspects that almost completely concern the superficial layer of the fillets. The SM samples showed poor fibres uniformity and a progressive rarefaction of the endo- and peri-mysial connective tissue. The WS fillets exhibited necrosis and lysis of fibres, fibrosis, lipidosis, loss of cross striation and vacuolar degeneration, while WS/SM fillets exhibited intermediate histological features. No relevant effect on meat colour has been detected, however abnormal fillets showed increased yellowness (b) and ultimate pH values (p&lt;.001). Moreover, both WS and SM abnormalities were associated with a more intense proteolytic degradation of muscle tissue (p&lt;.001), which led to the formation of high molecular-weight protein fragments. In conclusion, both muscle myopathies mainly affect the superficial layer of pectoralis major muscle, while deep section is poorly involved. Furthermore, if compared with WS, SM abnormality is associated with a more remarkable alteration of the proximate composition and quality traits of the meat

Time course evaluation of collagen type IV in Pectoralis major muscles of broiler chickens selected for different growth-rates

Collagen type IV (COL4) is one of the major components of animals’ and humans’ basement membranes of several tissues, such as skeletal muscles and vascular endothelia. Alterations in COL4 assembly and secretion are associated to muscular disorders in humans and animals among which growth-related abnormalities such as white striping and wooden breast affecting Pectoralis major muscles (PMs) in modern fast-growing (FG) chickens. Considering the high prevalence of these myopathies in FG broilers and that a worsening is observed as the bird slaughter age is increased, the present study was intended to evaluate the distribution and the expression level of COL4 protein and its coding genes in PMs of FG broilers at different stages of muscle development (i.e., 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, and 42 d of age). Medium-growing (MG) chickens have been considered as the control group in consideration of the lower selection pressure on breast muscle growth rate and hypertrophy. Briefly, 5 PM/sampling time/genotype were selected for western blot, immunohistochemistry (IHC), and gene expression analyses. The normalized expression levels of COL4 coding genes showed an overexpression of COL4A2 in FG than MG at d 28, as well as a significant decrease in its expression over their rearing period. Overall, results obtained through the gene expression analysis suggested that selection for the hypertrophic growth of FG broilers may have led to an altered regulation of fibroblast proliferation and COL4 synthesis. Moreover, western blot and IHC analyses suggested an altered secretion and/or degradation of COL4 protein in FG broilers, as evidenced by the fluctuating trend of 2 bands observed in FG over time. In view of the above, the present research supports the evidence about a potential aberrant synthesis and/or degradation of COL4 and corroborates the hypothesis regarding a likely involvement of COL4 in the series of events underlying the growth-related abnormalities in modern FG broilers

Cell proliferation patterns in canine infundibular keratinizing acanthoma and well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma of the skin

The aim of the present study was to investigate if the evaluation of cell proliferation of the well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma (WDSCC) and infundibular keratinizing acanthoma (IKA) could be useful in the differential diagnosis between these two tumours. Eighteen IKAs and ten WDSCCs were selected for this study. Two different methods were used to assess the activity of cell proliferation: MIB1 immunohistochemical detection and AgNOR proteins silver staining. The quantification of proliferative parameters was performed by means of an image analyzer and expressed as MIB1 index and AgNOR area (MNORA). Both MIB1 immunohistochemical and AgNOR histochemical patterns were different in WDSCC and IKA; moreover analysis of variance showed a significant difference for both parameters employed (MIB1 index, MNORA) between WDSCC and IKA (P<0.003 for MIB1 index; P<0.0001 for AgNOR area). The results show that canine WDSCC and IKA have a different proliferative behaviour and the assessment of cell proliferation can be considered as a useful adjunctive tool to the histopathological investigation in the differential diagnosis of these tumours

My heart is racing! Psychophysiological dynamics of skilled racecar drivers

Our purpose was to test the multi-action plan (MAP) model assumptions in which athletes’ psychophysiological patterns differ among optimal and suboptimal performance experiences. Nine professional drivers competing in premier race categories (e.g., Formula 3, Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge) completed the study. Data collection involved monitoring the drivers’ perceived hedonic tone, accuracy on core components of action, posture, skin temperature, respiration rate, and heart rate responses during a 40-lap simulated race. Time marks, gathered at three standardized sectors, served as the performance variable. The A1GP racing simulator (Allinsport, Modena) established a realistic race platform. Specifically, the Barcelona track was chosen due to its inherently difficult nature characterized by intermittent deceleration points. Idiosyncratic analyses showed large individual differences in the drivers’ psychophysiological profile, as well as distinct patterns in regards to optimal and suboptimal performance experiences. Limitations and future research avenues are discussed. Action (e.g., attentional control) and emotion (e.g., biofeedback training) centered applied sport psychology implications are advanced