242 research outputs found
Motor activity and the effects on development in evolutionary age
In recent years several studies have been carried out attesting to the importance of motor education within Primary schools. The integration of physical activity into the school curriculum is a way to increase levels of movement by interrupting static moments produced by the traditional lesson, and in unison, stimulate with active methodologies the acquisition of more complex content and making them more motivating. Motor exercises are therefore not only beneficial or health-based but, when linked with cognitive objectives, they can also improve school learning. A systematic review has been carried out on the main search engines to understand the results obtained in the cognitive, motor and educational fields at European level and beyond, reflecting on any adjustments to be made or taking for example those experiments that have obtained positive needs, as a sample for a strengthening of motor activity in primary school, still not always carried out also at institutional level and not easy to investigate in this particular target audienc
Non-invasive diet analysis based on DNA Barcoding: the Himalayan Brown Bears (Ursus arctos isabellinus) as a case study
The study of food webs and their dynamics is fundamental to understand how the
feeding habits of the different species can affect the community, thus improving our
understanding of the functioning of the ecosystem as a whole. Furthermore, the study of
feeding ecology becomes crucial when it concerns endangered species since a precise
knowledge of their diet is to be gathered when designing reliable conservation
strategies. A wide range of methodologies have been proposed for diet analysis,
including simple ones, as visual observation of foraging behavior, and more complex
ones such as Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy and DNA based methods.
DNA barcoding, i.e. species identification using a standardized DNA region or
markers, has recently received much attention and is being further developed through an
international initiative called "Consortium for the Barcode of Life". When using DNA
barcoding for diet analysis, the choice of the markers is crucial. The ideal DNA
barcoding marker should meet several criteria. It should be variable among species,
standardized, with enough phylogenetic information, extremely robust, and short
enough to allow amplification of degraded DNA.
In this study we propose the trnL (UAA) intron as marker for plant DNA
barcoding. The power and the limitations of this system were evaluated as well as the
possibility of species identification with highly degraded DNA. The main limitation of
this system is its relatively low resolution in discriminating closely related species.
Despite the relatively low resolution, it has many advantages: the primers are highly
conserved, the amplification system is very robust and it is able to work with much
degraded DNA samples. This system has been coupled with massively parallel
pyrosequencing technique. We demonstrate the efficiency of this new approach by
analyzing the diet of various herbivorous species. The whole chloroplast trnL (UAA)
intron (254–767 bp) and a shorter fragment of this intron (the P6 loop, 10–143 bp) were
used in this study. For the whole trnL intron 67.3% of the species retrieved from
GenBank were unambiguously identified and 19.5% for the P6 loop. The resolution is
much higher after calibration of specific contexts using species originating from the
same ecosystem.
Furthermore, the trnL approach was coupled with individual and sex identification
using microsatellites polymorphism in the Himalayan brown bear (Ursus arctos
isabellinus). Among world brown bears populations; those in Asia are the most
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endangered and least studied. Here, populations have declined by more than half in the
past century owing to habitat loss and fragmentation and human activity. Presently in
Pakistan brown bear occur sparsely in seven small populations, with the largest isolate
in the Deosai National Park. We examined this population using a combination of fecal
DNA analysis and field data for which geographical location and date of sampling were
available, with the aim to study individual and sexual differentiation in the diet, and also
temporal and geographical variations. Twenty-eight individuals (16 male, 10 females
and 2 unknown sex) were identified in this study with microsatellites markers. Only
eight plant species were found represented in more than 50% of individual feces.
Temporal differences were found with more energetic food detected before the
hibernation periods.Lo studio delle reti trofiche e della loro dinamica è fondamentale per comprendere come
le abitudini alimentari delle diverse specie possono incidere sulla comunità, migliorando
in tal modo la nostra comprensione sul funzionamento dell'ecosistema nel suo
complesso. Inoltre, lo studio dell’ecologia dell’alimentazione diventa cruciale quando si
tratta di specie in via d’estinzione, nelle quali una precisa conoscenza della loro dieta
deve essere acquisita per definire una strategia di conservazione di successo. Una vasta
gamma di metodi é stata proposta per l’analisi della dieta, che vanno da quelli più
semplici, come osservazione visiva dell’animale durante il pasto, a quelli più complessi,
come la Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy e i metodi basati sul DNA.
Il DNA barcoding, cioè l’identificazione di attraverso una regione standardizzata
di DNA o attraverso marcatori, ha recentemente ricevuto molta attenzione e si è
ulteriormente sviluppato attraverso un'iniziativa del consorzio internazionale
denominato "Consortium for Barcoding of Life". Quando si usa il DNA barcoding per
l'analisi della dieta, la scelta dei marcatori è cruciale. Il marcatore ideale per il DNA
barcoding deve soddisfare diversi criteri. Deve essere variabile tra specie,
standardizzato, avente una sufficiente informazione filogenetica, molto robusto, e
abbastanza corto da consentire l'amplificazione di DNA degradato.
In questo studio si propone l'introne trnL (UAA) come marcatore per il DNA
barcoding delle piante. I vantaggi e gli svantaggi di questo sistema sono stati valutati
come pure la possibilità di identificare di specie da DNA molto degradato. Il limite
principale di questo sistema è la sua relativamente bassa risoluzione in discriminare
specie filogeneticamente molto simili. Nonostante la relativa bassa risoluzione, il
sistema ha molti vantaggi: i primers sono molto conservati, il sistema di amplificazione
è molto robusto ed è in grado di funzionare con campioni di DNA molto degradati.
Questo sistema è stato accoppiato con la tecnica di pirosequenziamento parallelo.
Abbiamo dimostrato l'efficacia di questo nuovo approccio analizzando la dieta di varie
specie d’erbivori. L'intero introne trnL (UAA) del cloroplasto (254-767 pb) e un breve
frammento di questo introne (il P6 loop, 10-143 pb) sono stati utilizzati in questo studio.
Per l'intero introne trnL, il 67,3% delle specie, recuperate da GenBank, sono statie
indentificate in modo inequivocabile e 19,5% per il P6 loop. La risoluzione è molto più
elevata dopo la calibrazione in contesti specifici utilizzando specie originarie dello
stesso ecosistema.
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Inoltre, il trnL approach è stato condotto in parallelo con identificazione degli
individui e del sesso dell’animale tramite microsatelliti nell’orso bruno imalaiano
(Ursus arctos isabellinus). Tra le popolazioni d’orso bruno al mondo, quelle in Asia
sono le più minacciate e meno studiate. Qui, le popolazioni sono diminuite di oltre la
metà nel secolo passato, a causa della frammentazione, la perdita di habitat e le attività
umane. Attualmente in Pakistan, l’orso bruno è presente in sette piccole popolazioni
isolate, con la più grande nel Parco Nazionale del Deosai. Abbiamo esaminato questa
popolazione utilizzando una combinazione d’analisi di DNA da feci e di dati di campo
per i quali la localizzazione geografica e la data di campionamento erano disponibili,
con l'obiettivo di studiare differenze nella dieta a livello individuale tra i due sessi, e
anche variazioni geografiche e temporali. Ventotto individui (16 maschi, 10 femmine e
2 di sesso sconosciuto) sono stati identificati in questo studio con i marcatori
microsatelliti. Solo otto specie di piante sono state trovate rappresentate per oltre il 50%
degli individui. Differenze temporali sono state riscontrate, con un consumo di cibo più
energtico prima del periodo del letargo.L'étude des réseaux trophiques et leur dynamique est fondamentale pour comprendre
comment les habitudes alimentaires des différentes espèces peuvent influencer la
communauté, afin d'améliorer notre compréhension du fonctionnement de l'écosystème
dans son ensemble. En outre, l'étude de l'écologie alimentaire devient cruciale lorsqu'il
s'agit des espèces en voie de disparition, une connaissance précise de leur alimentation
doit être acquise lors de la conception des stratégies de conservation. Un large éventail
de méthodes a été proposé pour l’analyse du régime alimentaire, y compris les plus
simples, comme l'observation visuelle du comportement d’alimentation, et les plus
complexes, comme la spectrométrie dans le proche infrarouge et les méthodes basées
sur l'ADN.
"DNA barcoding" (Code barre d’ADN), c'est-à-dire l'identification des espèces en
utilisant une région standardisée d'ADN ou des marqueurs standardisés, a récemment
reçu beaucoup d'attention et est actuellement développé grâce à une initiative
internationale appelée "Consortium for The Barcoding of Life". Lors de l'utilisation du
"DNA barcoding" pour le régime alimentaire, le choix des marqueurs est crucial. Le
marqueur idéal pour le "DNA barcoding" doit satisfaire plusieurs critères. Il doit être
variable entre les espèces, standardisé, avec suffisamment d'informations
phylogénétiques, très robuste, et suffisamment court pour permettre l'amplification de
l’ADN dégradé.
Dans cette étude, nous proposons l’intron trnL (UAA) en tant que marqueur pour
le "DNA barcoding" des plantes. Le pouvoir et les limites de ce système ont été évalués,
ainsi que la possibilité d'identification des espèces avec de l'ADN fortement dégradé. La
principale limitation de ce système est la relative faible résolution de discrimination des
espèces très proches. En dépit de la résolution relativement faible, elle présente de
nombreux avantages: les amorces sont hautement conservées, le système d'amplification
est très robuste et il est capable de travailler avec des échantillons d'ADN très dégradés.
Ce système a été couplé avec la technique du pyroséquençage. Nous avons démontré
l'efficacité de cette nouvelle approche par l'analyse de l'alimentation de différentes
espèces herbivores. L'ensemble des introns chloroplastique trnL (UAA) (254-767 pb) et
d'un court fragment de cet intron (P6 boucle, 10-143 pb) ont été utilisés dans cette
étude. Pour l'ensemble de l’intron trnL, 67,3% des espèces récupérées à partir de
GenBank ont été identifiées sans ambiguïté et 19,5% pour la P6 boucle. La résolution
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est beaucoup plus élevée après calibration sur des contextes spécifiques en utilisant des
espèces originaires d'un même écosystème.
En outre, l’approche par le trnL a été associée à l'identification individuelle et le
sexe en utilisant le polymorphisme de microsatellites dans l’ours brun himalayen (Ursus
arctos isabellinus). Parmi les populations mondiales d'ours bruns, celles d’Asie sont les
plus menacées et les moins étudiées. Ici, les populations ont diminué de plus de moitié
au cours du siècle dernier en raison de la perte d'habitats, de sa fragmentation et de
l'activité humaine. Actuellement, au Pakistan l'ours brun existe dans sept petites
populations isolées, dont la plus grande est située dans le Parc National du Deosai. Nous
avons examiné cette population au moyen d'une combinaison de l'analyse d'ADN des
fèces et de données de terrain pour lesquelles les coordonnées géographiques et la date
de prélèvement étaient disponibles, pour étudier la différenciation sexuelle et
individuelle du régime alimentaire, ainsi que les variations temporelles et
géographiques. Vingt-huit individus (16 mâles, 10 femelles et 2 de sexe inconnu), ont
été identifiés dans cette étude avec les marqueurs microsatellites. Seulement huit
espèces de plantes ont été trouvées représentées dans plus de 50% des fèces des
individus. Des différences temporelles ont été trouvées, avec une alimentation plus
énergétique avant la période d'hibernation.Dottorato di ricerca in Ecologia e gestione delle risorse biologich
Circus-mobility: The value of a circus laboratory at school
The circus has always fascinated children due to its magic, imaginary and creativity. In this work, we analyse international research which emphasises the value of the discipline of the circus in relation to mobility. The aim of the study is to introduce the circus into schools. Although there is no unique definition of circus pedagogy as yet, scholars agree that such a discipline could provide a valid alternative to learn and deepen various mobility contents. We report examples of proposed school activities from the international landscape. Taking into consideration that circus pedagogy is little known in Italy, a comparison with the “National curriculum guidelines for 2012” Italy, was key to adapting this discipline to the Italian school context (in nursery and primary school) contributing to create and integrate a pupil’s mobility experience creatively
Educazione motoria e lateralizzazione: il binomio perfetto per apprendere. Un progetto di ricerca nella scuola primaria
In the present study the effect of a physical education protocol aiming at improving the prerequisites of reading and writing skills was evaluated in the primary school.Two year-one classes were assigned, respectively, to a control group, which undertook standard physical education classes (1h, 2 times-a-week for the whole school year), and to an experimental group, which undertook the same physical education schedule and contents but spent some of those hours on an exercise program aimed at improving reading and writing skill prerequisites. Before and after the intervention children of both groups were assessed for reading and writing skills (SD1 test), walking and object handling skills (TGM tests), and lateral dominance. The results were compared using the independent sample Mann-Whitney U (intergroup comparisons of the pre-testvalues and of the variations recorded in each group across the school year) and the matched sample Wilcoxon (intra-group comparisons between pre- and post-test values) non parametric statistics. Results showed significantly greater improvements of the SD1 and TGM tests in the experimental group compared to control group, and significant improvements of lateral dominance in bothgroups. In conclusion, physical education significantly improves the acquisition of the reading and writing prerequisites.In questo studio è stato indagato, nella scuola primaria, l’effetto di un intervento di educazione motoria mirato allo sviluppo dei pre-requisiti delle capacità di letto-scrittura.Due classi prime sono state assegnate, rispettivamente, ad un gruppo di controllo, che effettuava lezioni di attività motoria (1 ora, 2 volte a settimana per tutto l’anno scolastico) con contenuti standard, e ad un gruppo sperimentale, che effettuava lo stesso monte ore di lezione con i medesimi contenuti, ma dedicava parte delle ore ad un intervento sperimentale di attività motoria appositamente ideato per il miglioramento dei pre-requisiti della letto-scrittura. Prima e dopo la sperimentazione i bambini di entrambe le classi sono stati sottoposti a valutazione delle capacità di letto-scrittura (SD1), delle abilità di locomozione e controllo oggetti (TGM), e della dominanza laterale. I risultatisono stati confrontati con test non parametrici per campioni indipendenti (raffronto inter-gruppo dei valori dei pre-test e delle variazioni nel corso dell’anno scolastico) e per campioni dipendenti (raffronti intra-gruppo della variazione tra i valori pre- e post-test).I risultati evidenziano un miglioramento significativamente maggiore di SD1 e dei TGM nel gruppo di controllo rispetto al gruppo sperimentale ed incrementi significativi della dominanza laterale in entrambi i gruppi. In conclusione, l’attività motoria migliora significativamente l’apprendimento dei prerequisiti per la letto-scrittura
Using environmental DNA for detection of Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans in natural water
Rapid, early, and reliable detection of invasive pathogenic microorganisms is essential in order to either predict or delineate an outbreak, and monitor appropriate mitigation measures. The chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans is expanding in Europe, and infection with this fungus may cause massive mortality in urodelans (salamanders and newts). In this study, we designed and validated species‐specific primers and a probe for detection of B. salamandrivorans in water. In a garden pond in close proximity to the B. salamandrivorans index site in the Netherlands, B. salamandrivorans‐infected newts had been detected in 2015 and have been monitored since. In 2016 and 2017, no B. salamandrivorans was detected at this site, but in 2018 B. salamandrivorans flared up in this isolated pond which allowed validation of the technique in situ. We here present the development of an environmental DNA technique that successfully detects B. salamandrivorans DNA in natural waterbodies even at low concentrations. This technique may be further validated to play a role in B. salamandrivorans range delineation and surveillance in both natural waterbodies and in captive collections
No evidence for the effect of MHC on male mating success in the brown bear
Mate choice is thought to contribute to the maintenance of the spectacularly high polymorphism of the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) genes, along with balancing selection from parasites, but the relative contribution of the former mechanism is debated. Here, we investigated the association between male MHC genotype and mating success in the brown bear. We analysed fragments of sequences coding for the peptide-binding region of the highly polymorphic MHC class I and class II DRB genes, while controlling for genome-wide effects using a panel of 18 microsatellite markers. Male mating success did not depend on the number of alleles shared with the female or amino-acid distance between potential mates at either locus. Furthermore, we found no indication of female mating preferences for MHC similarity being contingent on the number of alleles the females carried. Finally, we found no significant association between the number of MHC alleles a male carried and his mating success. Thus, our results provided no support for the role of mate choice in shaping MHC polymorphism in the brown bear
Power and limitations of the chloroplast trnL (UAA) intron for plant DNA barcoding
DNA barcoding should provide rapid, accurate and automatable species identifications by using a standardized DNA region as a tag. Based on sequences available in GenBank and sequences produced for this study, we evaluated the resolution power of the whole chloroplast trnL (UAA) intron (254–767 bp) and of a shorter fragment of this intron (the P6 loop, 10–143 bp) amplified with highly conserved primers. The main limitation of the whole trnL intron for DNA barcoding remains its relatively low resolution (67.3% of the species from GenBank unambiguously identified). The resolution of the P6 loop is lower (19.5% identified) but remains higher than those of existing alternative systems. The resolution is much higher in specific contexts such as species originating from a single ecosystem, or commonly eaten plants. Despite the relatively low resolution, the whole trnL intron and its P6 loop have many advantages: the primers are highly conserved, and the amplification system is very robust. The P6 loop can even be amplified when using highly degraded DNA from processed food or from permafrost samples, and has the potential to be extensively used in food industry, in forensic science, in diet analyses based on feces and in ancient DNA studies
Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in amphibians from the Po River Delta, Northern Italy
Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis is a pathogen infecting amphibians at the global scale and causing their decline, but knowledge of the distribution of this pathogen is far from complete. We sampled amphibians from three species (Hyla intermedia, Rana dalmatina and Pelophylax synklepton esculentus) to evaluate whether B. dendrobatidis infects amphibians in the Po River Delta Natural Park, Northern Italy. We detected the pathogen in one population of P. sk. esculentus (prevalence: 0.33). These findings expand the known distribution of B. dendrobatidis in Italy and add further concern to the conservation of amphibians in this area
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