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M Zanotti

Publications and source records attributed to M Zanotti.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Short communication: quantitative trait loci affecting the somatic cell score on chromosomes 4 and 26 in Italian Holstein cattle.

This work aimed to confirm previously reported quantitative trait loci (QTL) affecting the somatic cell score (SCS) in dairy cattle on Bos taurus autosomes (BTA) 4 and 26. A granddaughter design with selective genotyping was implemented that included half-sib families from 12 male lines of Italian Holstein cattle. The animals were genotyped for 5 microsatellite markers each on regions of BTA 4 (average marker spacing 9.42 cM) and BTA 26 (average marker spacing 5.26 cM), previously reported by other authors as carrying QTL for somatic cell count. Quantitative trait loci analyses were performed using interval mapping by regressing sire breeding values for SCS onto genotype probabilities at 1-cM intervals along the 2 chromosome regions. Breeding values for SCS were estimated for the whole population using a test-day repeatability animal model. Results were not significant on a chromosome basis, but a possible QTL was found at BM4505 on BTA 26, confirming this region for further studies of QTL affecting SCS in the Italian Holstein population.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Comparative FISH-mapping of the survival of motor neuron gene (SMN) in domestic bovids.

A comparative fluorescence in situ mapping of the SMN gene was performed on R-banded chromosome preparations of cattle (Bos taurus, BTA, 2n = 60), river buffalo (Bubalus bubalis, BBU, 2n = 50), sheep (Ovis aries, OAR, 2n = 54) and goat (Capra hircus, CHI, 2n = 60), as well as on those of a calf from Piedmont breed affected by arthrogryposis. SMN was located on BTA20q13.1, OAR16q13.1, CHI20q13.1 and BBU19q13. These chromosomes and chromosome bands are believed to be homeologous, confirming the high degree of chromosome homeologies among bovids. The position of SMN was refined in cattle, compared to the two previous localizations, while it is a new gene assignment in the other three bovids. A comparative fiber-FISH performed on extended chromatin of both normal cattle and calf affected by arthrogryposis revealed more extended FITC signals in the calf, compared to the normal cattle (control), suggesting a possible duplication of the SMN gene in the calf affected by arthrogryposis. .

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Recombinant DRB sequences produced by mismatch repair of heteroduplexes during cloning in Escherichia coli.

Recombinant chimeric sequences originating from a mixture of the sequences of two different alleles are frequently found after amplification and cloning in Escherichia coli of exon 2 of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) DRB genes. Several authors have suggested that the recombinant molecules result from in vitro recombination during PCR; nevertheless, a clear experimental demonstration of this hypothesis is lacking. In order to understand the mechanism producing the chimeric sequences, we set up a simple experiment based on the different restriction patterns of parental and recombinant sequences. Our data demonstrate that in the analysed case most of the recombinant variants were not produced by in vitro recombination during PCR, but were the result of the mismatch repair of heteroduplex molecules during cloning in E. coli. The high mutation rate in the alpha-helix region of DRB expressed genes, both after cloning in E. coli and after the germ-line differentiation process in vertebrates, suggests that the observed mutations are the result of similar gene conversion processes, probably favoured by chi-dependent microrecombination events.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Typhlitis (neutropenic enterocolitis) after a single dose of vinorelbine.

We report a case of a 50-year-old man with pretreated adenocarcinoma of the lung, who developed fatal neutropenic enterocolitis (typhlitis) after a standard dose of the cytotoxic drug vinorelbine. Blood cultures were negative for all microorganisms tested for. Stool cultures were negative for enteric rods but direct examination of fresh stool revealed the presence of Giardia lamblia. Abdominal pain and diarrhoea developed very rapidly while the patient was only moderately neutropenic. Metronidazole was prescribed without clinical benefit: the abdominal pain remained stable. The duration of neutropenia was very short (4 days). The abdominal catastrophe ending in shock occurred after complete recovery of the neutrophil count. Neutropenic colitis has been reported with increasing frequency in solid tumours after the introduction of taxanes. This complication has been observed mainly in phase I studies, near the maximally tolerated doses (MTD). The combined use of vinorelbine has recently been reported to exacerbate the toxic effects of taxane on the colon. The case presented here demonstrates that typhlitis can occur even with vinorelbine alone, used at a standard recommended dose (30 mg/m2).

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed2000

Chromosome analysis and molecular characterization of highly repeated DNAs in the aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum (Aphididae, Hemiptera).

Despite the interest in aphid biology, information on chromatin organization of their holocentric chromosomes is still limited to few species. In order to fill this gap, we have performed an extensive survey on pea aphid mitotic chromosomes using both classical and molecular cytogenetic techniques. Our results after silver, CMA3 and DAPI-staining, C-banding and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) using 28S rDNA and 5S rDNA as probes evidenced a tendency of repetitive DNAs to be concentrated on the X chromosomes. FISH experiments with the telomeric probe (TTAGG)n revealed bright hybridization signals on each telomere of all Acyrthosiphon pisum chromosomes. No interstitial signals were seen.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

[Acute pancreatitis. Our experience during 20 years].

BACKGROUND: On the basis of personal experience and studies, the importance to diagnose quickly the seriousness of an acute pancreatitis with the help of simple and credible criteria of evaluation is underlined. It's also underlined the help of endoscopic papillosphincterotomy in the initial phase of a biliary pancreatitis; in fact this exam permits to perform a laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a second time and reduce surgical trauma. METHODS: Personal experience with 288 cases of acute pancreatitis (AP), during a twenty-year period (1975-1996) is described. In 61% of cases the AP was associated with biliary illness, and in 13% with alcohol abuse. Real important for therapeutic implication and prognostic significance is the classification of severity of acute attack, by using clinical evaluation (pain, fever, jaundice, abdominal tenderness), multiparametric score (i.e. Imrie's score, Ranson's criteria, SAPS or APACHE II score system) and morphological evaluation of the pancreas (echo and CT scan). 151 patients have been admitted at different times to surgery, the cholecystectomy being the more common surgical procedure, with a surgical rate of 52%. RESULTS: The overall mortality has been 7.2%, ranging from 45.4% in 17 severe necrotic haemorrhagic AP to 2.1% for the mild one. CONCLUSIONS: The widespread use of endoscopic retrograde colangiopancreatography (associated to endoscopic sphincterotomy if necessary) and the recent but universally accepted diffusion of laparoscopic cholecystectomy have changed the modern approach to surgical treatment of biliary associated AP, ensuring mininvasive less traumatic surgical procedures.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1999

[Giant benign gastric ulcer penetrating into the liver, pancreas and mesocolon].

Penetration of the liver, pancreas and transverse mesocolon by a giant benign gastric ulcer is relatively uncommon, and literature contains a few reports of this complication. The preoperative histological diagnosis may be difficult or impossible. A 63-year-old female patient with a history of seven months of lack of appetite, asthenia, epigastric pain, a remarkable weight decrease, presenting at physical examination a large, smooth margins, not pulsating, quite fixed abdominal mass, is reported. Echography confirmed the presence of a mass of approximately 14 x 19 cm, with solid and liquid content. Biopsy showed inflammatory elements and cellular detriti. Barium enema showed that the mass compressed the descendent colon, which appeared dislocated. Tumor markers (CEA, CA 19-9, alpha-fetoprotein) where in the normal range. Endoscopy showed a giant angular ulcer whose bottom was represented by necrotic material (after the definitive histological examination it proved to be hepatic tissue). At TC scan of the abdomen, a remarkable thickening of the gastric wall was present. At surgery the stomach appeared increased in volume, with remarkably thickened walls, tenaciously sticking to II and III hepatic segments, to the pancreas and transverse mesocolon. A total gastrectomy was performed because of the depth of the ulcer penetration and the extension of the alteration of the gastric wall, even if the giant gastric ulcer, in the literature, is more frequently benign than malignant.

Anastomosis, Roux-en-Y↗
PubMed1998

Molecular definition of an allelic series of mutations disrupting the myostatin function and causing double-muscling in cattle.

We have determined the entire myostatin coding sequence for 32 double-muscled cattle sampled from ten European cattle breeds. Seven DNA sequence polymorphisms were identified, of which five would be predicted to disrupt the function of the protein, one is a conservative amino acid substitution, and one a silent DNA sequence variant. Four additional DNA sequence polymorphisms were identified in myostatin intronic sequences. In all but two breeds, all double-muscled animals were either homozygous or compound heterozygotes for one of the five loss-of-function mutations. The absence of obvious loss-of-function mutations in the coding sequence of the two remaining breeds points either towards additional mutations in unexplored segments of the gene, or towards locus heterogeneity of double-muscling.

Alleles↗
PubMed1996

Assessment of the RSCL quality of life instrument during chemotherapy in an Italian setting.

Evaluation of the quality of life of oncological patients is now perceived as a major element of cancer treatment, and various instruments for measuring it have been proposed. However, whatever instrument is used must be capable of reflecting the different ways in which different contexts and cultures respond to cancer. We administered the Italian version of the Rotterdam Symptom Checklist (RSCL) to 60 patients with advanced disease attending five oncological centres in Romagna (central Italy). The RSCL was found to be able to measure both psychological and physical well-being and to detect a difference between patients on low/medium and those on high-burden chemotherapy. The Italian version of the RSCL is an adequate scale that is capable of capturing patient perceptions and could be used for monitoring the quality of life of Italian patients participating in clinical trials.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Improving the quality of health services organization structure by reengineering: circular design and clinical case impact in an academic medical center.

Innovation to improve the quality of structure and process in health care organization is reported in this case example of change in an academic medical center. Interactive planning and the circular organization design concept were the driving principles and methods. This report presents the needs for and initial obstructions to change, planning and project design work, a description of the change process, and illustrative accomplishments to date--two cases, one of conscious sedation policy and one of nuisance pages. Evaluative criteria for judging the progress and lessons of the project regarding key design characteristics also are included.

Academic Medical Centers↗
PubMed1996

Association of BoLA class II haplotypes with subclinical progression of bovine leukaemia virus infection in Holstein-Friesian cattle.

The influence of bovine lymphocyte antigen (BoLA) complex polymorphism on subclinical progression of bovine leukaemia virus (BLV) infection was investigated in 41 Holstein-Friesian cows from two herds in Italy. All cows were seropositive for BLV and 22 had persistent lymphocytosis (PL). BoLA-A specificities were defined by serology, and class II haplotypes were defined based on restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-RFLP analysis of DQ and DR genes. Chi-square analysis revealed a significant and absolute association of haplotype DQA*3A-DQB*3A-DRB2*2A-DRB3.2*11 with resistance to PL (P chi 2 = 0.028, relative risk (RR) = 0.061). Consistent with this observation, multiple regression analysis revealed that animals carrying this haplotype had lower lymphocyte counts (P = 0.0057). By contrast, haplotype DQA*12-DQB*12-DRB2*3A-DRB3.2*8 was associated with susceptibility to PL (P chi 2 = 0.043, RR = 9.625) and increased lymphocyte counts (P = 0.0537). These results confirm the association of haplotype DQA*3A-DQB*3A-DRB2*2A-DRB3.2*11 with resistance to PL, and substantiate earlier findings of haplotype DQA*12-DQB*12-DRB2*3A-DRB3.2*8 as a risk factor for subclinical progression to PL in BLV-infected Holstein-Friesian cattle.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Exposure to low-frequency pulsed electromagnetic fields increases mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferation in Down's syndrome.

We previously reported that exposure of human mitogen-stimulated peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) to extremely low frequency pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) could restore the defective proliferative capability of PBL from aged subjects. The effects of exposure to PEMFs were studied in PBL from 25 patients with Down's syndrome (DS), a syndrome of premature aging characterized by precocious immune system derangement, including age-related defective PBL proliferative capability. PBL were stimulated with different doses of phytohemagglutinin, and cell proliferation was assessed by measuring the incorporation of tritiated thymidine. After PEMF-exposure, a significant increase in cell proliferation was observed in cells from DS children and young adults, but it was much more evident in PBL from relatively aged DS patients. The age-related effect of PEMFs on DS lymphocytes demonstrates that age must be considered a major variable when studies on DS are performed, and confirms that DS must be regarded as a syndrome of accelerated aging.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Dressing for success: measuring productivity can ensure continuing success.

Both managerial and financial benefits can be gained by implementing and monitoring productivity standards in the health-care organization. However, these standards must be reasonable and acceptable to both management and staff if they are to be effective. By implementing a logging system to determine actual daily activity, Elizabethtown Hospital was able to develop reasonable productivity standards that allowed department managers to manage their operations more efficiently.

Efficiency↗
PubMed1980

[The role of decompressive transversotomy in surgery of the left colon and rectum (personal experience)].

Personal experience of 135 operations on the left colon and the rectum, with simultaneous formation of decompressive transversotomy, is presented. According to the Authors, decompressive transversotomy is the sole method capable not of avoiding anastomotic dehiscences, but of ensuring that they do not become clinically manifest, and hence of reducing the mortality connected therewith. The doubts sometimes raised with regard to the method seem in the Authors' opinion to be linked to technical shortcomings in performance of the transversotomy itself.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

[Decompressive transversotomy. Technic of performance and closure].

The routine technique used by the Authors for performance of decompressive transversotomy in operations on the left colon and the rectum is described. The technique for extraperitoneal closure of the stoma is described in detail: the method is easy to perform and does not involve any noteworthy postoperative complications. Long-term follow-ups demonstrate that there are no functional disorders connected with adhesion of the organ to the abdominal wall.

Colon↗