114 research outputs found
Curcumin Supplementation Protects Broiler Chickens Against the Renal Oxidative Stress Induced by the Dietary Exposure to Low Levels of Aflatoxin B1
Effect of dietary clenbuterol and cimaterol on muscle composition, b-adrenergic and androgen receptor concentrations in broiler chickens
Integrated three-dimensional models for noninvasive monitoring and valorization of the Morgantina silver treasure (Sicily)
The Morgantina silver treasure belonging to the Archaeological Museum of Aidone (Sicily) was
involved in a three-dimensional (3-D) survey and diagnostics campaign for monitoring the collection over
time in anticipation of their temporary transfer to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York for a period
of 4 years. Using a multidisciplinary approach, a scientific and methodological protocol based on noninvasive
techniques to achieve a complete and integrated knowledge of the precious items and their conservation state,
as well as to increase their valorization, has been developed. All acquired data, i.e., 3-D models, ultraviolet
fluorescence, x-ray images, and chemical information, will be made available, in an integrated way, within a
web-oriented platform, which will present an in-progress tool to deepen existing archaeological knowledge
and production technologies and to obtain referenced information of the conservation state before and after
moving of the collection from its exposure site
EP-1027: Unusual cases of hyperpigmentation of tongue in patients treated for head and neck cancer.
Human Mutated MYOT and CRYAB Genes Cause a Myopathic Phenotype in Zebrafish
Myofibrillar myopathies (MFMs) are a group of hereditary neuromuscular disorders sharing common histological features, such as myofibrillar derangement, Z-disk disintegration, and accumulation of degradation products into protein aggregates. They are caused by mutations in several genes that encode either structural proteins or molecular chaperones. Nevertheless, the mechanisms by which mutated genes result in protein aggregation are still unknown. To unveil the role of myotilin and αB-crystallin in the pathogenesis of MFM, we injected zebrafish fertilized eggs at one-cell stage with expression plasmids harboring cDNA sequences of human wildtype or mutated MYOT (p.Ser95Ile) and human wildtype or mutated CRYAB (p.Gly154Ser). We evaluated the effects on fish survival, motor behavior, muscle structure and development. We found that transgenic zebrafish showed morphological defects that were more severe in those overexpressing mutant genes which developed a myopathic phenotype consistent with that of human myofibrillar myopathy including the formation of protein aggregates. Results indicate that pathogenic mutations in myotilin and αB-crystallin genes associated with MFM cause a structural and functional impairment of the skeletal muscle in zebrafish, thereby making this non-mammalian organism a powerful model to dissect disease pathogenesis and find possible druggable targets
A mating scheme based on molecular parentage improves growth performance in slow-growing chickens over three generations
distinguishing industrial meat from that of indigenous chickens with molecular markers
Abstract The aim of investigation was to evaluate a traceability system to detect industrial chicken meat among indigenous products, considering issues that could affect assignment accuracy. The dataset included 2 Italian indigenous meat breeds, namely Bionda Piemontese (2 ecotypes) and Bianca di Saluzzo, one broiler line, and 3 layer lines. Assignment tests were performed using a standard panel of 28 microsatellite loci. To evaluate effects of inbreeding and substructure on assignment accuracy, a simulated dataset was prepared. Broilers and layers belong to homogeneous populations and never enter the clusters of indigenous breeds. Ambiguity or misallocation are expected between the Bionda ecotypes and between the 2 indigenous breeds, but it is unlikely that niche products provided by Bionda and Bianca will compete with one another. Non-random mating reduces accuracy, but only populations having weak genetic differentiation are involved, namely those that are less interesting to discriminate. The dataset can be used as a reference population to distinguish commercial meat from indigenous meat with great accuracy. Misallocations increase as number of loci decreases, but only within or between the indigenous breeds. A subpanel of the most resolving 14 loci keeps sufficient informative content to provide accuracy and to correctly allocate additional test samples within the reference population. This analytical tool is economically sustainable as a method to detect fraud or mislabeling. Adoption of a monitoring system should increase the value of typical products because the additional burden of molecular analyses would improve commercial grade and perception of quality
Genetic diversity, productive and reproductive performance in Italian chicken breed Bianca di Saluzzo
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