0000000000713172
AUTHOR
Vincenzo Russo
Some considerations on Hydra groups and a new bound for the length of words
Abstract After a survey on some recent results of Riley and others on Ackermann functions and Hydra groups, we make an analogy between DNA sequences, whose growth is the same of that of Hydra groups, and a musical piece, written with the same algorithmic criterion. This is mainly an aesthetic observation, which emphasizes the importance of the combinatorics of words in two different contexts. A result of specific mathematical interest is placed at the end, where we sharpen some previous bounds on deterministic finite automata in which there are languages with hairpins.
A melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) gene polymorphism is useful for authentication of Massese sheep dairy products
Massese is an Italian sheep breed, with black or grey coat colour, mainly reared in the Tuscany and Emilia Romagna regions. Recently, the emerging interests in this breed have resulted in the production of Pecorino cheese obtained with only Massese milk. In order to be profitable, this marketing link between Massese breed and its products should be defended against fraudsters who could include milk of other sheep breeds or cow milk in Massese labelled productions. To identify the genetic factors affecting coat colour in sheep, we have recently analysed the melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) gene and identified several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). In this work, as a first step to set …
Rationale, design and methods of CTCA-PRORECAD (Computed Tomography Coronary Angiography Prognostic Registry for Coronary Artery Disease): a multicentre and multivendor registry.
PURPOSE: This study was done to assess the prognostic value of computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) in a large multicentre population of patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) and, in particular, its incremental value compared with traditional methods for risk stratification. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective observational study that began in January 2003 conducted on patients with suspected CAD assessed with CTCA on the basis of symptoms (chest pain, dyspnoea) and/or abnormal or equivocal stress test and/or a high cardiovascular risk profile. The participating centres will provide data obtained with CTCA performed with 16-slice or higher equipment. Ex…
Oxidative dehydrogenation of alcohols on gold : An experimental and computational study on the role of water and the alcohol chain length
The oxidative dehydrogenation of primary alcohols promoted by gold nanoparticles was investigated from an experimental and computational viewpoint to derive a plausible reaction mechanism and to understand the role of water and alcohol chain length in the elementary steps. The influence of water in reaction kinetics and product distribution was determined in a laboratory-scale microreactor adding water to the reaction mixture in different amounts. DFT calculations revealed that the presence of water on the catalyst surface is beneficial to assist the key step in alcohol oxidation i.e., oxygen activation by protonation. The calculations were performed for primary alcohols ranging from methan…
Sequence characterization of the melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) gene in sheep with different coat colour and identification of the putative e allele at the ovine Extension locus
Abstract Sequence of the melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) gene (the Extension locus) was obtained from a panel of 73 animals belonging to 9 Italian sheep breeds or populations (Appenninica, Bergamasca, Comisana, Cornigliese-like, Delle Langhe, Massese, Merinizzata Italiana, Sarda and Valle del Belice) with different coat colours. Evaluation of the identified polymorphisms on this phenotype was reported with in silico predictions and comparative approaches within and across breeds and across species. Five novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), organized in three haplotypes, were detected. Another haplotype, including the two missense mutations already described for the ED allele, was id…
Additional file 11 of An initial comparative map of copy number variations in the goat (Capra hircus) genome
Additional file 11:PANTHER categories significantly overrepresented in goat CNVRs. PANTHER annotation has been obtained for the whole cattle genome. (DOC 101 KB)
Missense and nonsense mutations in melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) gene of different goat breeds: association with red and black coat colour phenotypes but with unexpected evidences
Abstract Background Agouti and Extension loci control the relative amount of eumelanin and pheomelanin production in melanocytes that, in turn, affects pigmentation of skin and hair. The Extension locus encodes the melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) whose permanent activation, caused by functional mutations, results in black coat colour, whereas other inactivating mutations cause red coat colour in different mammals. Results The whole coding region of the MC1R gene was sequenced in goats of six different breeds showing different coat colours (Girgentana, white cream with usually small red spots in the face; Maltese, white with black cheeks and ears; Derivata di Siria, solid red; Murciano-Granad…
Analysis of the melanocortin receptor 1 (MC1R) gene in Sicilian goat breeds
AbstractMammalian coat colour is mainly determined by the distribution of two different types of melanins: pheomelanin (red/yellow pigments) and eumelanin (black pigments). Their synthesis is regulated by the melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R/Extension locus) that binds the α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) and the agouti signalling protein (ASIP, coded by the Agouti locus). In mammals, several studies have reported that loss-of-function mutations in MC1R lead to red/yellow pigmentation, while gain-of-function mutations lead to black/dark colours. Mutations at the Agouti locus exert, in general, epistatic interactions on the Extension locus. In goats, classical genetic studies have indic…
A new system for animal products traceability and authentication: Use of DNA analysis of natural tracers and example of application to dry cured hams
A few DNA based approaches have been developed to trace animal products from the farm to the consumer “fork”. These approaches make use of the animal DNA that can be recovered during all steps of t...
An Analysis and Comparison of Expectations and Perceptions on Sustainable Tourism among Italian and German Tourists
The paper investigates the relationship of Italian and German consumers with sustainable tourism through a quantitative online questionnaire. The study’s first aim is to understand the representation of sustainable tourism. It also analyzes if the issue of sustainability denotes an abstract or concrete value to consumers, the extent to which sustainability is considered an important factor in the process of purchasing and consumption of a tourism product, and then becomes a driver for consumers to choose from. The analysis of tourist flows and the literature of the field have shown that in Germany there is extensive experience on the topics of sustainability and sustainable tourism, while l…
Copy number variation and missense mutations of the agouti signaling protein (ASIP) gene in goat breeds with different coat colors.
In goats, classical genetic studies reported a large number of alleles at the Agouti locus with effects on coat color and pattern distribution. From these early studies, the dominant A(Wt) (white/tan) allele was suggested to cause the white color of the Saanen breed. Here, we sequenced the coding region of the goat ASIP gene in 6 goat breeds (Girgentana, Maltese, Derivata di Siria, Murciano-Granadina, Camosciata delle Alpi, and Saanen), with different coat colors and patterns. Five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified, 3 of which caused missense mutations in conserved positions of the cysteine-rich carboxy-terminal domain of the protein (p.Ala96Gly, p.Cys126Gly, and p.Val1…
NREM Sleep Instability in Pediatric Migraine Without Aura
Children with migraine headaches appear to have a range of sleep disturbances. The aim of the present study was to assess the NREM sleep instability in a population of school-aged individuals affected by migraine without aura (MoA). Thirty-three children with MoA (20 males, 13 females, mean age 10.45 ± 2.06 years) underwent to overnight Polysomnographic (PSG) recordings and Cyclic Alternating Pattern (CAP) analyses accordingly with international criteria. MoA group showed a reduction in sleep duration parameters (TIB, SPT, TST; p ≤ 0.001 for all) and in arousal index during REM sleep and an increase in awakenings per hour (AWK/h) vs. Controls (C) (p = 0.008). In particular, MoA children sho…
Additional file 10 of An initial comparative map of copy number variations in the goat (Capra hircus) genome
Additional file 10:Gene ontology (GO) categories significantly overrepresented in goat CNVRs at different False Discovery Rate (FDR) levels. GO categories were Molecular function, Biological process, and Cellular component. (DOC 118 KB)
Clinical indications for the use of cardiac MRI. By the SIRM Study Group on Cardiac Imaging
Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is considered an useful method in the evaluation of many cardiac disorders. Based on our experience and available literature, we wrote a document as a guiding tool in the clinical use of CMR. Synthetically we describe different cardiac disorders and express for each one a classification, I to IV, depending on the significance of diagnostic information expected.
Additional file 5 of An initial comparative map of copy number variations in the goat (Capra hircus) genome
Additional file 5:Tables reporting the P values for the overlapping between goat and cattle CNVRs and among the four CNVR datasets available in cattle. Table S1 reports the results obtained comparing the goat CNVRs with the cattle CNVRs. Table S2 reports the results obtained comparing the different cattle datasets. (DOC 110 KB)
Additional file 15 of An initial comparative map of copy number variations in the goat (Capra hircus) genome
Authors’ original file for figure 3
Additional file of An initial comparative map of copy number variations in the goat (Capra hircus) genome
Additional file of An initial comparative map of copy number variations in the goat (Capra hircus) genome
Additional file 6 of An initial comparative map of copy number variations in the goat (Capra hircus) genome
Additional file 6:Primers and PCR conditions used to validate goat CNVRs. The table includes the goat CNVRs number, the corresponding bovine chromosome, gene symbol, amplified gene fragment data (including Ensembl number), sequence of the PCR primers, length of the amnplified fragment and PCR conditions. (DOC 38 KB)
Clinical evaluation of bempedoic acid for the treatment of hyperlipidaemia.
Bempedoic acid (BA) is a novel first-in-class oral lipid-lowering therapy. BA has been approved by the European Medicinal Agency and Food and Drug Administration and has been commercialised throughout Europe since the end of 2020 as an add-on therapy in patients at high/very-high cardiovascular risk that are not at LDL-C goals with current lipid-lowering treatments. Recently, Italian lipid management experts gathered to discuss several open questions on BA characteristics and BArelated practical clinical issues. The panel permitted collection of its opinions in a ten Q&A format. Aim: The aim of this viewpoint is to discuss and answer several open questions on BA characteristics and BA-r…
An initial comparative map of copy number variations in the goat (Capra hircus) genome
Abstract Background The goat (Capra hircus) represents one of the most important farm animal species. It is reared in all continents with an estimated world population of about 800 million of animals. Despite its importance, studies on the goat genome are still in their infancy compared to those in other farm animal species. Comparative mapping between cattle and goat showed only a few rearrangements in agreement with the similarity of chromosome banding. We carried out a cross species cattle-goat array comparative genome hybridization (aCGH) experiment in order to identify copy number variations (CNVs) in the goat genome analysing animals of different breeds (Saanen, Camosciata delle Alpi,…
Coat colours in the Massese sheep breed are associated with mutations in the agouti signalling protein (ASIP) and melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) genes
Massese is an Italian dairy sheep breed characterized by animals with black skin and horns and black or apparent grey hairs. Owing to the presence of these two coat colour types, this breed can be considered an interesting model to evaluate the effects of coat colour gene polymorphisms on this phenotypic trait. Two main loci have been already shown to affect coat colour in sheep: Agouti and Extension coding for the agouti signalling protein (ASIP) and melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) genes, respectively. The Agouti locus is affected by a large duplication including the ASIP gene that may determine the Agouti white and tan allele (A(Wt)). Other disrupting or partially inactivating mutations ha…
Copy Number Variation and Missense Mutations of the Agouti Signaling Protein (<i>ASIP)</i> Gene in Goat Breeds with Different Coat Colors
In goats, classical genetic studies reported a large number of alleles at the <i>Agouti</i> locus with effects on coat color and pattern distribution. From these early studies, the dominant <i>A</i><sup>Wt</sup> (white/tan) allele was suggested to cause the white color of the Saanen breed. Here, we sequenced the coding region of the goat <i>ASIP</i> gene in 6 goat breeds (Girgentana, Maltese, Derivata di Siria, Murciano-Granadina, Camosciata delle Alpi, and Saanen), with different coat colors and patterns. Five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified, 3 of which caused missense mutations in conserved positions of the cysteine-ri…
A first comparative map of copy number variations in the sheep genome.
article i nfo We carried out a cross species cattle-sheep array comparative genome hybridization experiment to identify copy number variations (CNVs) in the sheep genome analysing ewes of Italian dairy or dual-purpose breeds (Bagnolese, Comisana, Laticauda, Massese, Sarda, and Valle del Belice) using a tiling oligonucleotide array with ~385,000 probes designed on the bovine genome. We identified 135 CNV regions (CNVRs; 24 reported in more than one animal) covering ~10.5 Mb of the virtual sheep genome referred to the bovine genome (0.398%) with a mean and a median equal to 77.6 and 55.9 kb, respectively. A comparative analysis between the identified sheep CNVRs and those reported in cattle a…
Additional file 8 of An initial comparative map of copy number variations in the goat (Capra hircus) genome
Additional file 8:Gene Ontology (GO) annotation of genes included in goat CNVRs. Ensembl cattle transcripts located in goat CNVRs have been annotated using GO for Biological process, Cellular component, and Molecular function. (XLS 108 KB)
Additional file of An initial comparative map of copy number variations in the goat (Capra hircus) genome
Additional file of An initial comparative map of copy number variations in the goat (Capra hircus) genome
Additional file 12 of An initial comparative map of copy number variations in the goat (Capra hircus) genome
Additional file 12:List of goat CNVRs with human orthologous genes. EntrezGene ID and gene name are reported for human orthologous genes. The file includes genes already mapped in goat and genes for which mutations in human cause or are associated with human genetic diseases (data have been retrieved from OMIM database, May 2010). (XLS 60 KB)
Additional file 16 of An initial comparative map of copy number variations in the goat (Capra hircus) genome
Authors’ original file for figure 4
Additional file 3 of An initial comparative map of copy number variations in the goat (Capra hircus) genome
Additional file 3:Extension of CNVRs in the different chromosomes. Proportion of the CNVRs identified in goat compared to the dimension of the bovine chromosomes. (XLS 14 KB)
Additional file 14 of An initial comparative map of copy number variations in the goat (Capra hircus) genome
Authors’ original file for figure 2
Additional file 7 of An initial comparative map of copy number variations in the goat (Capra hircus) genome
Additional file 7:Semiquantitative fluorescent multiplex-PCR (SQF-PCR) results obtained for different goats. The averaged SQF-PCR ratio normalized against the reference Camosciata delle Alpi goat is reported for the goats of the aCGH panel and for additional goats (additional panel) for the validated CNVs. (XLS 20 KB)
Additional file 9 of An initial comparative map of copy number variations in the goat (Capra hircus) genome
Additional file 9:PANTHER annotation of genes included in goat CNVRs. Ensembl cattle transcripts located in goat CNVRs have been annotated using PANTHER. (XLS 102 KB)
Additional file 4 of An initial comparative map of copy number variations in the goat (Capra hircus) genome
Additional file 4:List of cattle CNVRs reported in four other experiments[49–52]and overlapping with goat CNVRs. CNVRs identified in cattle have been merged from the four reported experiments [49–52]. Progressive CNVR number has been assigned using the complete list. CNVRs are indicated with nucleotide positions (begin and end) on the Btau_4.0 version. Information reported for the four different experiments includes the progressive number and in parenthesis the chromosome number and the nucleotide positions (start and end). The goat CNVRs are reported. (XLS 128 KB)
Additional file 1 of An initial comparative map of copy number variations in the goat (Capra hircus) genome
Additional file 1:List of CNVs identified in the analysed goats. The Excel file reports the chromosome, the nucleotides position of the CNV start and end (referred to the Btau_4.0 genome assembly), the size of the CNV in bp, the number of valid probes in the CNV (additional probes are included in CNV considering the position between two contiguous regions without 0.175 log2 value; see Methods for the definition of CNV), log2 mean of the probes in the CNV (see Methods), the type of CNV (gain/loss), the goat sample (C = Camosciata delle Alpi; G = Girgentana; MG = Murciano-Granadina; S = Saanaen; numbers after the breed symbols indicate the different animals used in the aCGH experiment), and t…
Additional file 17 of An initial comparative map of copy number variations in the goat (Capra hircus) genome
Authors’ original file for figure 5
Additional file 13 of An initial comparative map of copy number variations in the goat (Capra hircus) genome
Authors’ original file for figure 1
Additional file 2 of An initial comparative map of copy number variations in the goat (Capra hircus) genome
Additional file 2:List of CNVRs obtained by merging overlapping CNVs across animals. The Excel file reports the progressive CNVR number, the chromosome, the nucleotides position of the CNVR start and end (referred to the Btau_4.0 genome assembly), the size of the CNVR in bp, the number of valid probes in the CNVR (additional probes are included in CNVR considering the position between two contiguous regions without 0.175 log2 value; see Methods for the definition of CNVR), the type of CNVR (gain/loss), the frequency of CNVR in the analysed goat panel, the goat breed (C = Camosciata delle Alpi; G = Girgentana; MG = Murciano-Granadina; S = Saanaen), and the goat subject (numbers after the bre…