Detection of embryo mortality and hatch using thermal differences among incubated chicken eggs

Accurate diagnosis of both the stage of embryonic mortality and the hatch process in incubated eggs is a fundamental component in troubleshooting and hatchery management. However, traditional methods disturb incubation, destroy egg samples, risk contamination, are time and labour-intensive and require specialist knowledge and training. Therefore, a new method to accurately detect embryonic mortality and hatching time would be of significant interest for the poultry industry if it could be done quickly, cheaply and be fully integrated into the process. In this study we have continuously measured individual eggshell temperatures and the corresponding micro-environmental air temperatures throughout the 21 days of incubation using standard low-cost temperature sensors. Moreover, we have quantified the thermal interaction between eggs and air by calculating thermal profile changes (temperature drop time, drop length and drop magnitude) that allowed us to detect four categories of egg status (infertile/early death, middle death, late death and hatch) during incubation. A decision tree induction classification model accurately (93.3%) predicted the status of 105 sampled eggs in comparison to the classical hatch residue breakout analyses. With this study we have provided a major contribution to the optimisation of incubation processes by introducing an alternative method for the currently practiced hatch residue breakout analyses.status: publishe

Adsorption Capabilities of Fungoid Chitosan Toward Organic Acids in Model Solutions and White Wine

In oenology, fungoid chitosan (CH) can be used as an adjuvant for microbial control, haziness prevention, metal chelation, and ochratoxin removal. In acidic media (such as wine), CH can ionise and interact with charged compounds, giving rise to a series of adsorption and/or removal phenomena, some of which potentially impairing the overall quality of wines. In this context, it is worth noting that the interaction between CH and acidic components of wines has been poorly studied so far, and detailed information on this subject is still lacking. To study those interactions, different doses of chitosan (0.5; 1.0; 2.0 g/L) were dispersed in hydro-alcoholic solution (HS), synthetic wine solution (SW), and white wine (W). Results demonstrated that the remotion of tartaric acid and the change of pH were strongly affected by the matrix and dosage. In W and SW, chitosan was found to adsorb tartaric acid up to about 200 mg/g and 350 mg/g CH, respectively. Accordingly, pH values increased; however, the magnitude depended on the matrix as a consequence of different buffer capacities. Interestingly, even in the absence of tartaric acid (e.g. in HS samples) CH addition caused a pH increase (up to 1.2 units for 2 g/L CH addition) which demonstrated that pH variations may not only depend on the amount of organic acids adsorbed. The chitosan dispersed in W showed the highest average diameter D [3,2] (127.96 μm) compared to the ones dispersed in SW (120.81 μm) and in HS (116.26 μm), probably due to the presence of organic acids on the polymer surface. The minor removal of tartaric acid in W compared to SW could probably depend on the competitive adsorption onto chitosan of other families of compounds present in wine such as polyphenols. The data suggested that chitosan addition could affect the pH and organic acid concentration of all matrices, depending on the doses and composition of the solutions

Physico-chemical and sensory characterization of a fruit beer obtained with the addition of cv. Lambrusco grapes must

In 2015, Italian Grape Ale (IGA) beers have been included as a new provisional sub-category of special-type fruit beers by the Beer Judge Certification Program, including those products whose brewing process is carried out in presence of determined quantities of grape must. However, information on the effects of these additions on the composition of final beers are still scarce. This work is hence focused on the chromatic, volatile, phenolic and sensory characterization of IGA beers obtained with the addition of grape musts during brewing process. To this aim, different amounts of must (5, 10 and 20%) from cv. Lambrusco red grapes were added to a lager wort before primary fermentation. Beers were then characterized by HPLC-MS, GC-MS and sensory analysis in order to determine phenolic and aroma compounds along with their sensory attributes. Results confirmed the addition of must from cv. Lambrusco grapes capable to enrich beers in color, acids, phenolic (up to 7-folded increased) and volatile compounds, while giving complexity to beers. These results, which were confirmed by a trained sensory panel, are among the very first insights on the impact of red grape must in brewing, both from a compositional and sensory point of view

Feulgen-DNA Content and C-Banding of Robertsonian Transformed Karyotypes in Dugesia Lugubris

SUMMARYIn the planarian species, Dugesia lugubris, two biotypes are found: E (2n = 8, n = 4) and F (2n = 6, n = 3); on the basis of karyometric studies it has been hypothesized that the second was derived from the first through a Robert-sonian mechanism of centric fusion. The quantitative cytochemical data reported here confirm the hypothesis of karyotype evolution, since there are no significant differences between the DNA content of the nucleus in the two biotypes. The regenerative blastemas of both biotypes contain a number of cellular populations with a variable Feulgen-DNA content; these correspond to successive doublings of the 2C diploid content. In addition, metaphase plates with multistranded chromosomes have been found. A difference between the chromosome C-banding in the two biotypes has also been observed

Search for weakly interacting sub-eV particles with the OSQAR laser-based experiment: results and perspectives

Recent theoretical and experimental studies highlight the possibility of new fundamental particle physics beyond the Standard Model that can be probed by sub-eV energy experiments. The OSQAR photon regeneration experiment looks for "Light Shining through a Wall" (LSW) from the quantum oscillation of optical photons into "Weakly Interacting Sub-eV Particles" (WISPs), like axion or axion-like particles (ALPs), in a 9 T transverse magnetic field over the unprecedented length of $2 \times 14.3$ m. No excess of events has been detected over the background. The di-photon couplings of possible new light scalar and pseudo-scalar particles can be constrained in the massless limit to be less than $8.0\times10^{-8}$ GeV$^{-1}$. These results are very close to the most stringent laboratory constraints obtained for the coupling of ALPs to two photons. Plans for further improving the sensitivity of the OSQAR experiment are presented.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figure

Higher levels of CO2 during late incubation alter the hatch time of chicken embryos

status: publishe

Epidermal growth factor, oestrogen and progesterone receptor expression in primary ovarian cancer: correlation with clinical outcome and response to chemotherapy.

The expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), oestrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) was assayed by a radioreceptor method in 117 primary ovarian cancers. EGFR was not significantly related to any of the clinicopathological parameters examined. In patients with stage II-IV disease who underwent second-look surgery after primary chemotherapy, a significant correlation between high EGFR levels and poor response to chemotherapy was demonstrated (P = 0.031). Moreover, post-operative residual tumour showed an independent role in predicting chemotherapy response (P = 0.0007) and EGFR status showed a borderline significance (P = 0.052) in the multivariate analysis. No correlation between steroid hormone receptors and clinicopathological parameters was observed. Whereas a significant relationship was shown between EGFR positivity and a shorter overall survival (OS) (P = 0.0022) and progression-free survival (PFS) (P = 0.0033), patient survival was not related to steroid hormone receptor status. Among the parameters tested only stage, ascites and EGFR status retained an independent prognostic value in the multivariate analysis