The root towards more circularized animal production systems: From animal to territorial metabolism

This paper deals with a relevant topic in the literature on sustainable management of animal farms, concerning the transition towards circular methods of animal production. The paper aims to put forward an original analytical multilevel perspective overlapping different dimensions at either micro, meso, and macro level. Starting from the Malthusian analysis on depletion of natural resources, with risks of the fragility of the natural and economic systems, the paper points out the importance of moving away from intensive methods of production, by adopting more circularized approaches based on resources efficiency. The application of circular economy approaches to animal production is theorized through the concept of territorial metabolism involving not only internal resources (at the animal farm level) but also territorial resources. The paper underlines the critical points of the transition, which is labeled as a socio-technical transition in that it involves not only technical issues but also social aspects. Critical points are addressed through consumers\u2019 acceptance of products drawn on circular approaches and political support to transition, through political tools which are boosted in recent documents of the European Union, like the Green Deal and Farm to Fork strategy

The root towards more circularized animal production systems: From animal to territorial metabolism

This paper deals with a relevant topic in the literature on sustainable management of animal farms, concerning the transition towards circular methods of animal production. The paper aims to put forward an original analytical multilevel perspective overlapping different dimensions at either micro, meso, and macro level. Starting from the Malthusian analysis on depletion of natural resources, with risks of the fragility of the natural and economic systems, the paper points out the importance of moving away from intensive methods of production, by adopting more circularized approaches based on resources efficiency. The application of circular economy approaches to animal production is theorized through the concept of territorial metabolism involving not only internal resources (at the animal farm level) but also territorial resources. The paper underlines the critical points of the transition, which is labeled as a socio-technical transition in that it involves not only technical issues but also social aspects. Critical points are addressed through consumers’ acceptance of products drawn on circular approaches and political support to transition, through political tools which are boosted in recent documents of the European Union, like the Green Deal and Farm to Fork strategy

An Innovative and Easy Method for Iron-Doped Titania Synthesis

In this work, photocatalytically active titanium oxide nanoparticles were synthesized for the treatment of contaminated water under visible light. Various Ag, Sr and Fe-based synthesis and doping techniques (mainly hydrothermal and sol-gel methods) were performed. Adsorptive and photocatalytic properties were studied by testing in batch mode for the decontaminating a synthetic methylene blue solution (used as a model contaminant) using a simple 13 W LED bulb as the light source. The best material in terms of both activity (high removal kinetics) and simplicity of synthesis was found to be titanium oxide doped with Fe via "solid-state"method. This method enabled the synthesis of titania nanoparticles about 70 nanometers in size with Fe3+ effectively substituting titanium atoms (Ti4+) in the crystalline bulk of titania. The pseudo-first-order kinetic model was found to represent the behavior of the experimental data

Modulation of macrophage activation by prostaglandins

The effect of prostaglandtn E2, iloprost and cAMP on both nitric oxide and tumour necrosis factor-α release in J774 macrophages has been studied. Both prostaglandin E2 and iloprost inhibited, in a concentration-dependent fashion, the lipopolysaccharide-induced generation of nitric oxide and tumour necrosis factor-α. The inhibitory effect of these prostanoids seems to be mediated by an increase of the second messenger cAMP since it was mimicked by dibutyryl cAMP and potentiated by the selective type IV phosphodiesterase inhibitor RO-20-1724. Our results suggest that the inhibition of nitric oxide release by prostaglandin E2 and iloprost in lipopolysaccharide-activated J774 macrophages may be secondary to the inhibition of tumour necrosis factor-α generation, which in turn is likely to be mediated by cAMP

New insights into Chlamydiae persistence: an energy metabolism strategy?

Chlamydiaceae is a family of obligate intracellular bacteria generally considered energy parasites. Several studies have suggested that Chlamydiae are capable of independently producing energy and, more importantly, several genes involved in the energy metabolism are up-regulated during the persistent state. Thus, it has been suggested that chlamydial persistence could be a complex and flexible metabolic strategy designed to favor a lengthy survival in the host cell by evading the immune response. In conclusion, more detailed studies on the shift in the chlamydial energy metabolism, from the active to the persistent form, may be helpful in future to determine whether chlamydial persistence observed in vitro does occur in vivo and whether chronic sequelae of chlamydial diseases may be related to the persistence

Adénocarcinome de la glande lacrymale dans un rétinoblastome bilatéral traité avec radiothérapie externe : à propos d’un cas

This clinical case report describes the clinical findings and diagnosis of lacrimal gland adenocarcinoma that developed 20 years after external beam radiotherapy in the treatment of bilateral retinoblastoma. Visual acuity, slit lamp biomicroscopy, fundus color photography, nuclear magnetic resonance, lateral orbitotomy and histological analysis are described

Chickpea can be a valuable local produced protein feed for organically reared, native bulls

We assessed the effects of inclusion of chickpea from 24 to 21%, as feed basis, in diets for organically reared bulls. Sixteen young bulls (270 ± 6.4 days of age; 246 ± 0.13 kg in weight) belonging to a native Italian breed (Maremmana) were randomly assigned to two dietary treatments. The control diets were based on mixed grass hay, maize meal, and barley meal. In the experimental diets, barley was equally substituted by locally produced chickpea. Animals were weighed every 2 weeks until the prefixed slaughtering weight (630 kg). Plasma metabolites were measured at the 1st, 7th, and 14th month of the experiment. Chemical composition, colour, shear force, and water holding capacity of meat were assessed on Longissimus thoracis et lumborum 7 days after slaughter. The chickpea-fed animals showed a significantly greater average daily gain (1064 vs. 1168 kg/day), a shorter growing phase (364 vs. 335 days), and a better carcass conformation. Plasma metabolites and meat quality were not influenced by the treatments. The better growth performance and carcass quality of the chickpea fed bulls resulted in a higher economic profit for the chickpea-based diets. Results suggest that chickpea may allow sustainable performance improvement of native breeds within their traditional farming systems

Long-term treatment with high-dose of sildenafil in a thalassemic patient with pulmonary hypertension

We report a case of a 37-years-old man, affected by thalassemia major, hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, chronic HCV-hepatitis, diabetes mellitus, severe osteoporosis, prior septic pulmonary embolism and pulmonary artery hypertension was performed a long-term treatment with highdose of sildenafil (120 mg/die) with reduction of pulmonary arterial systolic pressure and of the dyspnea

Analysis of gut microbiota in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Disease-related dysbiosis and modifications induced by etanercept

A certain number of studies were carried out to address the question of how dysbiosis could affect the onset and development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but little is known about the reciprocal influence between microbiota composition and immunosuppressive drugs, and how this interaction may have an impact on the clinical outcome. The aim of this study was to characterize the intestinal microbiota in a groups of RA patients treatment-naïve, under methotrexate, and/or etanercept (ETN). Correlations between the gut microbiota composition and validated immunological and clinical parameters of disease activity were also evaluated. In the current study, a 16S analysis was employed to explore the gut microbiota of 42 patients affected by RA and 10 healthy controls. Disease activity score on 28 joints (DAS-28), erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, rheumatoid factor, anti-cyclic citrullinated peptides, and dietary and smoking habits were assessed. The composition of the gut microbiota in RA patients free of therapy is characterized by several abnormalities compared to healthy controls. Gut dysbiosis in RA patients is associated with different serological and clinical parameters; in particular, the phylum of Euryarchaeota was directly correlated to DAS and emerged as an independent risk factor. Patients under treatment with ETN present a partial restoration of a beneficial microbiota. The results of our study confirm that gut dysbiosis is a hallmark of the disease, and shows, for the first time, that the anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) ETN is able to modify microbial communities, at least partially restoring a beneficial microbiota

Syn-exhumation coupling of oceanic and continental units along the western edge of the alpine corsica: A review

The Alpine Corsica represents a segment of the Alpine collisional belt. In its western edge, it is characterized by the close association of continental units deformed under high-pressure metamorphic conditions (Lower Units) and oceanic units showing a metamorphism ranging from high-pressure (Schistes Lus-trés Complex) to very low-grade conditions (Upper Units). This paper provides a complete review of the relationships between the continental and oceanic units in selected five areas where the stratigraphic features, deformation history, metamorphic P-T path and tectonic setting are available for each unit. The collected data indicate that the oceanic units occur not only at the top of the continental ones, as generally proposed in the literature, but also intercalated within them. Such relationships were achieved at shallow structural level during the late stage of exhumation, when the continental units were tectonically coupled with the oceanic units which were dragged as slices from the orogenic wedge. The coupling probably occurred immediately before the transition from syn-to post-orogenic geodynamic regime that affected the whole Alpine-Apennine collisional system in the early Oligocene. After the coupling, the stack of oceanic and continental units experienced a further exhumation-related deformation before their final exposure at the surface