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Visual comfort plays a central role in building occupants' comfort, well-being and productivity. It is therefore fundamental to meet the occupants' visual and lighting needs, carefully accounting for the room layout, usage and activities. In this framework, physiotherapy centres constitute a peculiar case since they are occupied by therapists and patients from different age groups, engaged in various activities performed in different positions in the rooms, and affected by different health issues. Lighting quality and satisfaction were monitored in four physiotherapy centres in Northern Italy and Denmark. Subjective assessments were compared with objective illuminance measurements at the task areas, and the sites were also analysed in terms of window and architectural features. Moreover, the interaction between visual and other environmental perceptions was studied. The results revealed: (1) positive influence of daylight access on the satisfaction of occupants; (2) occupants' complaints about low lighting levels associated with artificial lighting being unable to provide 300 lx and natural light not balancing this lack of illumination; and (3) lower satisfaction among therapists, who also showed the tendency to assess their environmental perception more globally, since correlations between light and daylight satisfaction and other stimuli were observed when comfort issues were present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Aim of this study was the development of an optimised cryopreservation pellet procedure for chicken semen and the assessment of DNA and membrane integrity in frozen/thawed spermatozoa in a Hubbard F15 meat type selected strain. 2. The following semen processing conditions were studied: spermatozoa working concentration (SWC), 1.5vs2 × 109cells/ml in pre-freezing extender; equilibration of diluted semen at 5°C, 20vs40 min; dimethylacetamide concentration, 6%vs9%; dimethylacetamide equilibration time at 5°C, 1vs30 min; thawing at 60°C for 10vs50°C for 30 sec. Spermatozoa viability (EtBr exclusion procedure – stress test), mobility (Accudenz® swim-down test) and subjective motility were assessed in fresh and frozen-thawed semen. 3. The lower SWC (1.5 × 109cells/ml) and the higher dimethylacetamide concentration (9%) had positive significant effects on the recovery rate of motile (22%vs16%) and viable spermatozoa (39vs34%), respectively. 4.Membrane (SYBR14-PI staining) and DNA integrity (comet assay) were assessed before and after freezing/thawing according to the optimised protocol. 5. Recovery rates of spermatozoa with undamaged plasma membrane and DNA were 41% and 76%, respectively. The distribution of spermatozoa in classes of DNA damage was also analysed and discussed. 6. It was concluded that pellet cryopreservation was a damaging process mainly for plasma membrane rather than nuclear DNA in chicken spermatozoa. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

1. Milanino is a heavy Italian chicken breed included in a conservation project of the University of Milan and is an important genetic resource for alternative production systems. This research was aimed to study the effect of the dietary protein concentration on growth, slaughter performance and meat composition in free-range reared Milanino chickens. 2. A total of 120 Milanino chickens were fed on different protein concentrations (HP = 20% CP and LP = 16% CP), reared according to a free-range system and slaughtered at 150 and 180 d of age. Growth, slaughter performance and meat (breast and thigh) composition were recorded. 3. The protein concentration of the diet did not affect the overall Milanino mean body weight recorded in the straight-run group in the whole rearing period. However, the growth rate within sex was significantly different between the dietary treatments: heavier females were found in the HP group from 125 d onwards, while no differences were recorded in male body weights. The protein concentration of the diet did not affect carcass weight data or meat composition. 4. The present results suggest the use of a low-protein diet for rearing straight-run Milanino chickens for long rearing periods. However, in females, a high-protein diet is recommended from 125 d of age onwards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. This study was designed to identify a suitable protocol for freezing turkey semen in straws exposed to nitrogen vapour by examining the effects of dimethylacetamide (DMA) or dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) as cryoprotectant (CPA), CPA concentration, freezing rate and thawing rate onin vitropost-thaw semen quality. 2. Pooled semen samples were diluted 1:1 (v:v) with a freezing extender composed of Tselutin diluent containing DMA or DMSO to give final concentrations of 8% or 18% DMA and 4% or 10% DMSO. The semen was packaged in 0.25 ml plastic straws and frozen at different heights above the liquid nitrogen (LN2) surface (1, 5 and 10 cm) for 10 min. Semen samples were thawed at 4°C for 5 min or at 50°C for 10 s. After thawing, sperm motility, viability and osmotic tolerance were determined. 3. Cryosurvival of turkey sperm was affected by DMSO concentration. Freezing rate affected the motility of sperm cryopreserved using both CPAs, while thawing rates showed an effect on the motility of sperm cryopreserved using DMA and on the viability of sperm cryopreserved using DMSO. Significant interactions between freezing rate × thawing rate on sperm viability in the DMA protocol were found. 4. The most effective freezing protocol was the use of 18% DMA or 10% DMSO with freezing 10 cm above the LN2surface and a thawing temperature of 50°C. An efficient protocol for turkey semen would improve prospects for sperm cryobanks and the commercial use of frozen turkey semen. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A selective DNA pooling approach was applied to identify QTL for conjugated linoleic acid ( CLA), vaccenic acid ( VA) and Δ9-desaturase (D9D) milk content in Italian Brown Swiss dairy cattle. Milk samples from 60 animals with higher values (after correction for environmental factors) and 60 animals with lower values for each of these traits from each of five half-sib families were pooled separately. The pools were genotyped using the Illumina Bovine SNP50 BeadChip. Sire allele frequencies were compared between high and low tails at the sire and marker level for SNPs for which the sires were heterozygous. An r procedure was implemented to perform data analysis in a selective DNA pooling design. A correction for multiple tests was applied using the proportion of false positives among all test results. BTA 19 showed the largest number of markers in association with CLA. Associations between SNPs and the VA and Δ9-desaturase traits were found on several chromosomes. A bioinformatics survey identified genes with an important role in pathways for milk fat and fatty acids metabolism within 1 Mb of SNP markers associated with fatty acids contents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The major polyunsaturate in phospholipids of chicken spermatozoa is docosatetraenoic acid, 22:4n-6, which is positively correlatable with sperm motility and fertility. The potential for dietary manipulation of sperm fatty acid in order to improve male fertility has been extensively studied in the chicken. The effects of diets enriched in n-3 and n-6 long chain polyunsaturates have been investigated in different trials using different oil sources and levels of oil inclusion.The 22:6n-3 and 22:5n-3 content of avian spermatozoa is increased by supplementing the feed with fish oil (rich in 22:6n-3) and linseed oil (rich in 18:3n-3) respectively. The 22:4n-6 content is also increased by supplementing the feed with evening primrose oil (rich in 18:3n-6) in association with high level of vitamin E (200 mg/kg) and with arasco oil (rich in 20:4n-6). The effects of these fatty acid manipulations on sperm quality and/or fertility are reviewed. Both n-3 and n-6 rich diets showed a positive effect on sperm movement during the reproductive period and an age-dependent positive effect on fertility. Reported effects of n-6 rich diets on semen production have been variable with 20:4n-6 rich diet having a positive effect on semen volume and thus on total sperm number and 18:3n-6 rich diets having a negative effect on semen concentration. Spermatozoa enriched in 22:5n-3, or 22:6n-3 or 22:4n-6 result in significantly higher fertility values following artificial insemination compared to control spermatozoa; however, such a positive effect is age dependent and observed at 37 to 42 weeks, but not in older birds.The n-6 fatty acid composition of chicken spermatozoa is recognised as a specie-specific characteristic. The fundamental relation between dietary lipid, spermatozoa fatty acid composition and thus sperm quality and fertility can be seen as having a potential commercial application. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]