Search results for "Sheep"
showing 10 items of 279 documents
On the origin of European sheep as revealed by the diversity of the Balkan breeds and by optimizing population-genetic analysis tools
2020
Background In the Neolithic, domestic sheep migrated into Europe and subsequently spread in westerly and northwesterly directions. Reconstruction of these migrations and subsequent genetic events requires a more detailed characterization of the current phylogeographic differentiation. Results We collected 50 K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) profiles of Balkan sheep that are currently found near the major Neolithic point of entry into Europe, and combined these data with published genotypes from southwest-Asian, Mediterranean, central-European and north-European sheep and from Asian and European mouflons. We detected clines, ancestral components and admixture by using variants of commo…
Feeding and management techniques to favour summer sheep milk and cheese production in the Mediterranean environment
2015
Sheep milk production in summer can lead to a diversification of milk products and to a more regular product distribution in the market throughout the year. However, in Mediterranean countries small ruminant production cycles are subjected to seasonal variations in forage resources. During summer, a key period for out of season production systems, nutrition plays a fundamental role in regulating the quantity and quality of milk production. In this review, feeding strategies and techniques that could be applied for out of season production in dairy ewes under different Mediterranean conditions are described for intensive, pasture-based and mixed systems. The most common feeding strategies us…
Epidemiology of Q fever in Italy and in other Mediterranean countries
1987
Abstract The history of Q fever in Italy may be divided into three periods: epidemic in character after the Second World War, endemic occurrence from 1960 to 1980, and sporadic occurrence at present. Clinical symptoms are unspecific, and diagnosis must be confirmed by serology and isolation of the causative agent. The reported incidence is consequently underestimated. Results are reported of a seroepidemiologic survey in animals and humans in the Italian region and western Sicily. In the Mediterranean area several epidemic foci are still present. The need of further studies to evaluate the incidence of Q fever and to shed more light upon the epidemiology of Coxiella burnetii infections is s…
A comprehensive analysis of the genetic diversity and environmental adaptability in worldwide Merino and Merino-derived sheep breeds
2023
Abstract Background To enhance and extend the knowledge about the global historical and phylogenetic relationships between Merino and Merino-derived breeds, 19 populations were genotyped with the OvineSNP50 BeadChip specifically for this study, while an additional 23 populations from the publicly available genotypes were retrieved. Three complementary statistical tests, Rsb (extended haplotype homozygosity between-populations), XP-EHH (cross-population extended haplotype homozygosity), and runs of homozygosity (ROH) islands were applied to identify genomic variants with potential impact on the adaptability of Merino genetic type in two contrasting climate zones. Results The results indicate…
Leucine aminopeptidase is an immunodominant antigen of Fasciola hepatica excretory and secretory products in human infections.
2007
ABSTRACT The liver fluke Fasciola hepatica parasitizes humans and ruminant livestock worldwide, and it is now being considered a reemerging zoonotic disease, especially in areas in which it is endemic, such as South America. This study investigates the immune response to excretory and secretory products produced by F. hepatica in a group of patients from the Peruvian Altiplano, where the disease is highly endemic. Using a proteomic approach and immunoblotting techniques, we have identified the enzymes leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase as immunodominant antigens recognized by sera from fasciolosis patients. An indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using …
The hemagglutinin of Staphylococcus saprophyticus binds to a protein receptor on sheep erythrocytes.
1997
Staphylococcus saprophyticus, an important cause of urinary tract infections, produces two major surface proteins, the S. saprophyticus surface-associated protein (Ssp) and the hemagglutinin, which mediates fibronectin binding and also functions as the major adhesion of the organism. The hemagglutinating and fibronectin binding functions probably reside on different parts of the molecule. To identify a receptor on eukaryotic cells, binding and inhibition studies with acidic and neutral glycosphingolipids, carbohydrates, and proteins of sheep erythrocyte membranes were conducted. S. saprophyticus did not bind to any glycosphingolipid and no inhibition was observed when hemagglutination assay…
Prions, mad cow disease, and preventive measures: a critical appraisal
2003
In 1996 the first key epidemiological study on bovine spongiform encephalitis (BSE) appeared in the renowned journal Nature [1]. In that article it was estimated that by the year 1996, some 750,000 cows with BSE had entered the food chain in Great Britain. Accordingly, millions of people in GB must have consumed contaminated meat. That same year the first report on a new form of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease [variant (v) CJD] manifesting in young patients appeared [26]. A connection between this disease and BSE was assumed. In view of the suspicion that the use of meat and bone meal (MBM) had led to the outbreak of BSE, feeding with MBM was banned in the year 1988. The number of new BSE infecti…
Loss in milk yield and related composition changes resulting from different levels of somatic cell count in Valle del Belice dairy sheep
2015
Mastitis is the most common and costly disease in the dairy industry and is responsible for several production effects. Mammary infections cause high somatic cell count (SCC) and severe damage to udder tissue and result in important losses of milk yield and quality, curd and cheese yields in dairy ewes. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of different levels of SCC on milk yield and composition in Valle del Belice dairy sheep. The original data set used for this study included 92,261 records of 6,763 ewes. Data were collected between 1994 and 2006 in 15 flocks. Test-day records of milk yield (MY), fat % (F%), protein % (P%), and SCC were collected following an A4 recording sch…
DNA Multi-Marker Genotyping and CIAS Morphometric Phenotyping of Fasciola gigantica-Sized Flukes from Ecuador, with an Analysis of the Radix Absence …
2021
Simple Summary Fasciolid flukes collected from sheep and cattle in Ecuador showed a high diversity in DNA sequences whose analyses indicated introductions from South America, European and North American countries. These results agree with the numerous livestock importations performed by Ecuador. Abnormally big-sized liver flukes were found in Ecuadorian sheep. The morphometric phenotypic CIAS study showed that its size maximum and mean very pronouncedly and significantly surpassed those of the Fasciola hepatica populations from South America and Spain and proved to be intermediate between standard F. hepatica and F. gigantica populations. Such a feature is only known in intermediate fasciol…
Pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine derivatives as COX-2 selective inhibitors: synthesis and molecular modelling studies.
2009
The pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine system shows a multitude of interesting pharmacological properties. Owing to the potential anti-inflammatory activity of 5-benzamido-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin- 4-one derivatives and considering the easy synthesis of this class of compounds, a set of new 5- benzamido-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-4-ones has been prepared in 42-80% yields by reacting 5- aminopyrazole-4(N-benzoyl)carbohydrazide derivatives and the opportune triethylorthoesters. Compounds 8a, b, 10a–d, and 11a, b revealed a superior inhibitory profile against COX-2, when compared to that of reference standards NS398 and indomethacin. Molecular modelling studies confirmed the obtained biological result…