37 research outputs found
Effect of corn and beet pulp based concentrate on ruminal parameters in wethers fed with fresh forage
Four wethers housed in individual pens and fitted with ruminal cannulae were grouped (two wethers per
group) and fed fresh forage (Italian ryegrass, Lolium multiflorum) with either beet pulp (BP) or corn based
concentrate (C) as supplements, using a crossover experimental design. The experiment was carried out
during two experimental periods: the growing phase (early spring, G) and the reproductive phase (late
spring, R) of the ryegrass. The diet of each animal was changed as the grass moved from the vegetative
phase to the reproductive phase. The intake, the chemical composition of the diet and ruminal parameters
such as pH, ammonia and volatile fatty acid were determined. Total dry matter intake (DMI) decreased
from early to late spring (1081 vs 767 g/d; P<0.0001). Herbage DMI in particular decreased more (811
vs 543 g/d; P<0.05) than concentrate DMI (271 vs 224 g/d; P<0.054). There were marked differences
in the chemical composition of the diet in wethers fed with the forage from early or late spring. This was
because of changes in the characteristics of the forage. In detail, DM, NDF and ADF increased from early
to late spring while CP, and EE decreased (P<0.05). Ruminal pH was lower in G than in R (6.24 vs 6.57,
P<0.05). The concentrate used had no effect on the pH value. The ammonia concentration in the rumen
fluid decreased from early to late spring (10.79 vs 6.68 mg/100 ml, P<0.05) and it was not influenced by
the source of carbohydrates from the concentrate. VFA rumen fluid concentration increased (P<0.05) after
feeding and decreased before the second meal. In the rumen fluid, the maximum total VFA concentration
and the lowest pH were observed 2 h after the morning meal. Acetate and butyrate concentrations in the
rumen fluid were influenced by the period (P<0.05) but not by the concentrate source. By contrast, the
concentrate source significantly influenced the rumen fermentation patterns of propionate and VFA ratios,
with higher propionic acid and lower acetate to propionate ratios in C than BP. This highlights the importance
of the carbohydrate source in supplements for pasture based rations which varied according to the
proportion of beet pulp and corn in the ingested diet
Seasonal Variability of the Acoustic Climate of Ski Resorts in the Aosta Valley Territory
The Aosta Valley is an alpine region in north-west Italy that is characterized by a high level of naturalness, with extensive uninhabited areas that are distant from artificial sound sources. The Aosta Valley Regional Environmental Protection Agency (ARPA-VdA) has been particularly sensitive to the preservation of the soundscape, which is considered an integral part of the landscape, since the laws on noise pollution were first introduced. The nature of the ski areas in the Aosta mountains, which undergoes changes throughout the year, is surely of great importance, especially during the winter season, when the number of visitors is particularly high. In fact, during the winter, the sounds of nature are replaced by those produced by recreation and sports activities. Mountain and snow tourism, which are developed in sensitive environmental contexts in the Aosta Valley, are sectors of immense social and economic importance. Much of this tourism takes place in ski resorts. Three mountain areas with different characteristics, in terms of attendance and recreational/sport activities, have been examined in this paper, as part of a collaboration between ARPA-VdA and the Politecnico di Torino. Acoustic measurements were performed in order to identify the seasonal variations of sound emissions from both natural and anthropic sound sources. In addition to the standard environmental acoustic descriptors foreseen by European legislation (LAeq, Ln, Lden, etc.), the harmonica (IH) index, which provides a quantitative evaluation of the acoustic quality on a zero to ten numerical scale, was used to qualify the acoustic climate of the three areas. The results presented in the paper provide useful information on a relevant subjectâthe preservation of the acoustic quality of a mountain area of touristic importanceâwhich has been scarcely investigated so far
Proper gravel management may counteract population decline of the Collared Sand Martin Riparia riparia
Riparian habitats have gone through major structural changes, and related bird populations had to suffer the consequences or adapt to the newfound conditions. Here, we present the results of the analysis of on the river and quarry evolution, in relation to a long-term monitoring (1970-2016) of a Sand Martins population nesting along the River Po in northern Italy. During the course of the study, the population went from breeding in the natural river banks to more anthropogenic sites in the surrounding quarries. The alteration of the river dynamic and linearization of the course, alongside the development of the sand quarries, may have caused this change. We conclude with a consideration on the ways to support the survival of populations of riparian birds. Functional nesting habitat along the river should be better preserved, and potential nesting areas in the surrounding quarries should be protected with long term restoration projects. Sand quarries are not free of threats, and cooperation among stakeholders has proven to be of the utmost importance to ensure the success of the population breeding in the area.</p
Specific capture and wholeâgenome phylogeography of Dolphin morbillivirus
Dolphin morbillivirus (DMV) is considered an emerging threat having caused several epidemics worldwide. Only few DMV genomes are publicly available. Here, we report the use of target enrichment directly from cetacean tissues to obtain novel DMV genome sequences, with sequence comparison and phylodynamic analysis. RNA from 15 tissue samples of cetaceans stranded along the Italian and French coasts (2008â2017) was purified and processed using custom probes (by bait hybridization) for target enrichment and sequenced on Illumina MiSeq. Data were mapped against the reference genome, and the novel sequences were aligned to the available genome sequences. The alignment was then used for phylogenetic and phylogeographic analysis using MrBayes and BEAST. We herein report that target enrichment by specific capture may be a successful strategy for whole-genome sequencing of DMV directly from field samples. By this strategy, 14 complete and one partially complete genomes were obtained, with reads mapping to the virus up to 98% and coverage up to 7800X. The phylogenetic tree well discriminated the Mediterranean and the NE-Atlantic strains, circulating in the Mediterranean Sea and causing two different epidemics (2008â2015 and 2014â2017, respectively), with a limited time overlap of the two strains, sharing a common ancestor approximately in 1998