Search results for " genetic"
showing 10 items of 7236 documents
Quando pensare ad una sindrome genetica in un adolescente
2008
Genomic Tools for the Characterization of Local Animal Genetic Resources: Application in Mascaruna Goat
2022
Italy contains a large number of local goat populations, some of which do not have a recognized genetic structure. The “Mascaruna” is a goat population reared for milk production in Sicily. In this study, a total of 72 individuals were genotyped with the Illumina Goat_IGGC_65K_v2 BeadChip with the aim to characterize the genetic diversity, population structure and relatedness with another 31 Italian goat populations. The results displayed a moderate level of genetic variability for Mascaruna, in concordance with the estimated values for Italian goats. Runs of homozygosity islands are linked to genes involved in milk production, immune response and local adaptation. Population structure anal…
Between-group competition and human cooperation.
2008
A distinctive feature of human behaviour is the widespread occurrence of cooperation among unrelated individuals. Explaining the maintenance of costly within-group cooperation is a challenge because the incentive to free ride on the efforts of other group members is expected to lead to decay of cooperation. However, the costs of cooperation can be diminished or overcome when there is competition at a higher level of organizational hierarchy. Here we show that competition between groups resolves the paradigmatic ‘public goods’ social dilemma and increases within-group cooperation and overall productivity. Further, group competition intensifies the moral emotions of anger and guilt associated…
Biological adaptation in light of the Lewontin–Williams (a)symmetry
2022
Neo-Darwinism characterises biological adaptation as a one-sided process, in which organisms adapt to their environment but not vice versa. This asymmetric relationship – here called Williams’ asymmetry – is called into question by Niche Construction Theory, which emphasises that organisms and their environments often mutually affect each other. Here we clarify that Williams’ asymmetry is specifically concerned with (quasi-) directed modifications towards phenotypes that increase individual fitness. This directedness – which drives the adaptive fit between organism and environment – entails far more than the mere presence of cause-effect relationships. We argue that difficulties with invoki…
Microbial resources and sparkling wine differentiation : state of the arts
2022
Consumers’ increasing interest in sparkling wine has enhanced the global market’s demand. The pro-technological yeasts strains selected for the formulation of microbial starter cultures are a fundamental parameter for exalting the quality and safety of the final product. Nowadays, the management of the employed microbial resource is highly requested by stakeholders, because of the increasing economic importance of this oenological sector. Here, we report an overview of the production processes of sparkling wine and the main characterisation criteria to select Saccharomyces and non-Saccharomyces strains appropriate for the preparation of commercial starter cultures dedicated to the primary a…
TP53 mutations and S-phase fraction but not DNA-ploidy are independent prognostic indicators in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma
2005
To prospectively evaluate the prognostic significance of TP53, H-, K-, and N-Ras mutations, DNA-ploidy and S-phase fraction (SPF) in patients affected by locally advanced laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). Eight-one patients (median follow-up was 71 months) who underwent resective surgery for primary operable locally advanced LSCC were analyzed. Tumor DNA was screened for mutational analysis by PCR/SSCP and sequencing. DNA-ploidy and SPF were performed by flow cytometric analyses. Thirty-six patients (44%) had, at least, a mutation in the TP53 gene. Of them, 22% (8/36) had double mutations and 3% (1/36) had triple mutations. In total, 46 TP53 mutations were observed. The majority (41…
I nomi del male e i segni dell'eredità. Pensare, nominare e curare la malattia "genetica" dai Greci a noi
2019
Il volume indaga le radici storiche delle malattie che oggi definiamo genetiche e/o ereditarie, ponendo le premesse terminologiche e scientifiche che stanno a fondamento della riflessione moderna e contemporanea sulla malattia genetica, qui animata dal filo della continuità e della pur forte discontinuità con il pensiero antico. In tal senso, si presenta una retrospettiva storico-critica che, affondando le proprie radici nell’indagine lessicografica dei termini fondanti il pensiero embriogenetico moderno, interroga la validità storica ed epistemica di alcuni concetti e parole-chiave dell’era post-genomica, tra cui quello di causalità, o il rapporto tra natura e cultura, per toccare il nucle…
Parasite avoidance behaviours in aquatic environments
2018
Parasites, including macroparasites, protists, fungi, bacteria and viruses, can impose a heavy burden upon host animals. However, hosts are not without defences. One aspect of host defence, behavioural avoidance, has been studied in the terrestrial realm for over 50 years, but was first reported from the aquatic environment approximately 20 years ago. Evidence has mounted on the importance of parasite avoidance behaviours and it is increasingly apparent that there are core similarities in the function and benefit of this defence mechanism between terrestrial and aquatic systems. However, there are also stark differences driven by the unique biotic and abiotic characteristics of terrestrial …
A Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol for Using an Accelerometer-Smartphone Application Intervention to Increase Physical Activity and Improve Healt…
2021
Physical activity is beneficial for improving health and reducing sick leave absences. This article describes a protocol for an intervention using an interactive accelerometer smartphone application, telephone counselling, and physical activity recordings to increase the physical activity of workers in the military and improve their health. Under the protocol, employees from six military brigades in Finland will be randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. The intervention group’s participants will use accelerometers to measure their daily physical activities and their quality of sleep for six months. They will receive feedback based on these measurements via a smartphone applic…
1993
The formulation of the synthetic theory represented a significant-advance for evolutionary studies, which had previously been hampered by apparently irreconcilable contractions. Combining Mendelian laws with Darwinism, it joined the antitheses in a synthesis which was subsequently refined and completed. Today, its content may not be simply rejected or ignored, although there are those who think of it as little more than a corpse.