maternal consumption of organic trace minerals alters calf systemic and neutrophil mrna and microrna indicators of inflammation and oxidative stress

Abstract Organic trace mineral (ORG) supplementation to dairy cows in substitution of sulfate (INO) sources has been associated with improvement in immune function during stressful states such as the peripartal period. However, the effect of supplemental ORG during pregnancy on the neonatal calf is unknown. Therefore, our aim was to investigate the effects of ORG supplementation during late pregnancy on the immune system and growth of the neonatal calf. Of specific interest was the evaluation of inflammation-related microRNA (miRNA) and target gene expression in blood neutrophils as indicators of possible nutritional programming. Forty multiparous cows were supplemented for 30d prepartum with 40mg/kg of Zn, 20mg/kg of Mn, 5mg/kg of Cu, and 1mg/kg of Co from either organic (ORG) or sulfate (INO) sources (total diet contained supplemental 75mg/kg of Zn, 65mg/kg of Mn, 11mg/kg of Cu, and 1mg/kg of Co, and additional Zn, Mn, and Co provided by sulfates), and a subset of calves (n=8/treatment) was used for blood immunometabolic marker and polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMNL) gene and miRNA expression analyses. Samples were collected at birth (before colostrum feeding), 1d (24h after colostrum intake), and 7 and 21d of age. Data were analyzed as a factorial design with the PROC MIXED procedure of SAS. No differences were detected in BW, but maternal ORG tended to increase calf withers height. Calves from INO-fed cows had greater concentrations of blood glucose, GOT, paraoxonase, myeloperoxidase, and reactive oxygen metabolites. Antioxidant capacity also was greater in INO calves. The PMNL expression of toll-like receptor pathway genes indicated a pro-inflammatory state in INO calves, with greater expression of the inflammatory mediators MYD88 , IRAK1 , TRAF6 , NFKB , and NFKBIA . The lower expression of miR-155 and miR-125b in ORG calves indicated the potential for maternal organic trace minerals in regulating the PMNL inflammatory response at least via alterations in mRNA and miRNA expression. Overall, these results indicate that maternal nutrition with organic trace minerals could alter the neonatal innate immune response at least in part via changes in gene and miRNA expression. Further studies involving inflammatory challenges during the neonatal period should be performed to determine the functional benefit of maternal organic trace minerals on the neonatal immune response

A portable X-ray fluorescence device for in situ analyses of mural paintings

Within the context of a research program for studying with nondestructive methods the preparation and realisation techniques of mural paintings used in the Roman age, a portable ED-XRF device for elemental analysis has been set up. Preliminary tests have been carried out on two Roman mural paintings belonging to the Baia Archaeological Complex (Naples). Datable to different periods, the two paintings show different manufacturing and conservation states, thus representing a good test for verifying the ED-XRF device capability. In situ and laboratory measurements, performed on materials of different origin and nature, have permitted the determination of the pigments and the recognition of pollution traces

A portable X-ray fluorescence device for in situ analyses of mural paintings

Within the context of a research program for studying with nondestructive methods the preparation and realisation techniques of mural paintings used in the Roman age, a portable ED-XRF device for elemental analysis has been set up. Preliminary tests have been carried out on two Roman mural paintings belonging to the Baia Archaeological Complex (Naples). Datable to different periods, the two paintings show different manufacturing and conservation states, thus representing a good test for verifying the ED-XRF device capability. In situ and laboratory measurements, performed on materials of different origin and nature, have permitted the determination of the pigments and the recognition of pollution traces

Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in collagen genes and association with skin quality trait

AbstractLivestock skin is largely employed in the manufacturing of clothing and shoes, sector in which Italy is a world leader. To sustain Italian products against foreign competition in the globalization era particular attention is to be focus on product quality. Here we investigate the association of SNP mutations in genes coding for collagen proteins present in animal skin with a number of phisico-chemical parameters influencing skin quality for the tanning industry.Skin and blood were sampled from 73 Italian Friesian and Italian Brown bovines and from 43 Bergamasca and Sarda ovines, classified by sex and age. Skins were characterised for a set of chemico-physical parameters (thickness, density, humidity, protein content, ashes, lipid content, hydrossi-proline and DNA content).Regions of the collagen type I, III and IV were screened for SNP discovery in the two species by sequencing a set of reference animals. In bovine 15 polymorphisms were identified: (2 in collagen type I, 9 in collagen type III alp..

A 3D Polymeric Platform for Photonic Quantum Technologies

open10The successful development of future photonic quantum technologies will much depend on the possibility of realizing robust and scalable nanophotonic devices. These should include quantum emitters like on-demand single-photon sources and non-linear elements, provided their transition linewidth is broadened only by spontaneous emission. However, conventional strategies to on-chip integration, based on lithographic processes in semiconductors, are typically detrimental to the coherence properties of the emitter. Moreover, such approaches are difficult to scale and bear limitations in terms of geometries. Here an alternative platform is discussed, based on molecules that preserve near-Fourier-limited fluorescence even when embedded in polymeric photonic structures. 3D patterns are achieved via direct laser writing around selected molecular emitters, with a fast, inexpensive, and scalable fabrication process. By using an integrated polymeric design, detected photon counts of about 2.4 Mcps from a single cold molecule are reported. The proposed technology will allow for competitive organic quantum devices, including integrated multi-photon interferometers, arrays of indistinguishable single-photon sources, and hybrid electro-optical nanophotonic chips.openColautti, Maja; Lombardi, Pietro; Trapuzzano, Marco; Piccioli, Francesco S.; Pazzagli, Sofia; Tiribilli, Bruno; Nocentini, Sara; Cataliotti, Francesco S.; Wiersma, Diederik S.; Toninelli, CostanzaColautti, Maja; Lombardi, Pietro; Trapuzzano, Marco; Piccioli, Francesco S.; Pazzagli, Sofia; Tiribilli, Bruno; Nocentini, Sara; Cataliotti, Francesco S.; Wiersma, Diederik S.; Toninelli, Costanz

Assessing the Impact of Household Participation on Satisfaction and Safe Design in Humanitarian Shelter Projects

Participation has long been considered important for post‐disaster recovery. Establishing what constitutes participation in post‐disaster shelter projects, however, has remained elusive, and the links between different types of participation and shelter programme outcomes are not well understood. Furthermore, recent case studies suggest that misguided participation strategies may be to blame for failures. This study analysed 19 shelter projects implemented in the Philippines following Typhoon Haiyan in November 2013 to identify the forms of participation employed. Using fuzzy‐set qualitative comparative analysis, it assessed how household participation in the planning, design, and construction phases of shelter reconstruction led to outcomes of household satisfaction and safe shelter design. Participation was operationalised via eight central project tasks, revealing that the involvement of households in the early planning stages of projects and in construction activities were important for satisfaction and design outcomes, whereas engagement during the design phase of projects had little impact on the selected outcomes.National Science Foundation, United States Agency for International Development Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance, Nicolas R. and Nancy D. Petry Fellowship in Construction Engineering and Managemen

First bounds on the very high energy gamma-ray emission from Arp 220

Using the Major Atmospheric Gamma Imaging Cherenkov Telescope (MAGIC), we have observed the nearest ultra-luminous infrared galaxy Arp 220 for about 15 hours. No significant signal was detected within the dedicated amount of observation time. The first upper limits to the very high energy $\gamma$-ray flux of Arp 220 are herein reported and compared with theoretical expectations.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap

Implementation of the Random Forest Method for the Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescope MAGIC

The paper describes an application of the tree classification method Random Forest (RF), as used in the analysis of data from the ground-based gamma telescope MAGIC. In such telescopes, cosmic gamma-rays are observed and have to be discriminated against a dominating background of hadronic cosmic-ray particles. We describe the application of RF for this gamma/hadron separation. The RF method often shows superior performance in comparison with traditional semi-empirical techniques. Critical issues of the method and its implementation are discussed. An application of the RF method for estimation of a continuous parameter from related variables, rather than discrete classes, is also discussed.Comment: 16 pages, 8 figure

Systematic search for VHE gamma-ray emission from X-ray bright high-frequency BL Lac objects

All but three (M87, BL Lac and 3C 279) extragalactic sources detected so far at very high energy (VHE) gamma-rays belong to the class of high-frequency peaked BL Lac (HBL) objects. This suggested to us a systematic scan of candidate sources with the MAGIC telescope, based on the compilation of X-ray blazars by Donato et al. (2001). The observations took place from December 2004 to March 2006 and cover sources on the northern sky visible under small zenith distances zd < 30 degrees at culmination. The sensitivity of the search was planned for detecting X-ray bright F(1 keV) > 2 uJy) sources emitting at least the same energy flux at 200 GeV as at 1 keV. In order to avoid strong gamma-ray attenuation close to the energy threshold, the redshift of the sources was constrained to values z<0.3. Of the fourteen sources observed, 1ES 1218+304 and 1ES 2344+514 have been detected in addition to the known bright TeV blazars Mrk 421 and Mrk 501. A marginal excess of 3.5 sigma from the position of 1ES 1011+496 was observed and has been confirmed as a source of VHE gamma-rays by a second MAGIC observation triggered by a high optical state (Albert et al. 2007). For the remaining sources, we present here the 99% confidence level upper limits on the integral flux above ~200 GeV. We characterize the sample of HBLs (including all HBLs detected at VHE so far) by looking for correlations between their multi-frequency spectral indices determined from simultaneous optical, archival X-ray, and radio luminosities, finding that the VHE emitting HBLs do not seem to constitute a unique subclass. The absorption corrected gamma-ray luminosities at 200 GeV of the HBLs are generally not higher than their X-ray luminosities at 1 keV.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figures, 5 tables, submitted to ApJ (revised version

First bounds on the high-energy emission from isolated Wolf-Rayet binary systems

High-energy gamma-ray emission is theoretically expected to arise in tight binary star systems (with high mass loss and high velocity winds), although the evidence of this relationship has proven to be elusive so far. Here we present the first bounds on this putative emission from isolated Wolf-Rayet (WR) star binaries, WR 147 and WR 146, obtained from observations with the MAGIC telescope.Comment: (Authors are the MAGIC Collaboration.) Manuscript in press at The Astrophysical Journal Letter