Mapping of mutants resistant to p-fluorophenylalanine in diploid Aspergillus nidulans, lethal in haploids

In a previous paper (Babudri and Morpurgo 1990 Curr. Genet. 17:519-522) we described a new class of para-fluorophenylalanine (FPA) resistant mutants in Aspergillus nidulans. These mutants were obtained by plating UV irradiated diploid conidia on minimal medium (MM) supplemented with FPA (0.188 mg/ml)

Effectiveness of cardiac resynchronization therapy in heart failure patients with valvular heart disease: comparison with patients affected by ischaemic heart disease or dilated cardiomyopathy. The InSync/InSync ICD Italian Registry

AimsTo analyse the effectiveness of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in patients with valvular heart disease (a subset not specifically investigated in randomized controlled trials) in comparison with ischaemic heart disease or dilated cardiomyopathy patients.Methods and resultsPatients enrolled in a national registry were evaluated during a median follow-up of 16 months after CRT implant. Patients with valvular heart disease treated with CRT (n = 108) in comparison with ischaemic heart disease (n = 737) and dilated cardiomyopathy (n = 635) patients presented: (i) a higher prevalence of chronic atrial fibrillation, with atrioventricular node ablation performed in around half of the cases; (ii) a similar clinical and echocardiographic profile at baseline; (iii) a similar improvement of LVEF and a similar reduction in ventricular volumes at 6-12 months; (iv) a favourable clinical response at 12 months with an improvement of the clinical composite score similar to that occurring in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and more pronounced than that observed in patients with ischaemic heart disease; (v) a long-term outcome, in term of freedom from death or heart transplantation, similar to patients affected by ischaemic heart disease and basically more severe than that of patients affected by dilated cardiomyopathy.ConclusionIn 'real world' clinical practice, CRT appears to be effective also in patients with valvular heart disease. However, in this group of patients the outcome after CRT does not precisely overlap any of the two other groups of patients, for which much more data are currently available

Study of anisotropic optical properties of poly(arylenephenylene) thin films: Dependence on polymer backbone

The correlation between the optical properties and microstructural parameters of different poly(arylenephenylene) thin films, deposited by spin-coating, is investigated by spectroscopic ellipsometry. Conjugated polymer films are found to be anisotropic. They are birefringent, with a higher refractive index in the plane of the film than perpendicular to it. This anisotropy is due to a preferential in-plane orientation of the polymer chains. The dependence of both the in-plane and out-of-plane optical constants of the polymeric thin films and of the fundamental pi-pi* transition on the structure of the chain backbone are studied. The change of the pi-pi* transition energy of the polymers from solution to thin film and its correlation with the molecular structure are investigated as indicative of interchain interactions

Insight into gold nanoparticle-hydrogen interaction: A way to tailor nanoparticle surface charge and self-assembled monolayer chemisorption

The interaction of hydrogen with gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) and gold thin films also functionalized with thiols is investigated. Au NPs deposited on silicon substrates by radio frequency sputtering of a gold target and gold thin films have been exposed to a remote H(2) plasma and subsequently functionalized by the aromatic (4-methoxyterphenyl-3 '',S ''-dimethanethiol) and aliphatic (dodecanethiol) thiols. The impact of hydrogenation on changes of the charge on gold surfaces and nanoparticles, on the kinetics of the thiol self-assembled monolayer (SAM) formation, and on the density of the resulting SAMs has been investigated combining spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE), Raman spectroscopy, and surface potential Kelvin probe microscopy (SP-KPM) in conjunction with noncontact atomic force microscopy (AFM). We found that remote H(2) plasma pretreatments of gold surfaces are effective in improving thiolate adsorption, making SAMs more uniform and densely packed. We also demonstrate that hydrogenation of nanoparticles improves stability of thiol functionalized Au NPs, avoiding their aggregation. Additionally, we demonstrate that a remote H(2) plasma processing is also effective in the selective removal of the carbon chain and of sulfur atoms from gold surfaces, therefore allowing tailoring of their optical and chemical properties

Photochemical tuning of light emission in a conjugated polymer containing norbornadiene units in the main chain

A conjugated alternating copolymer containing norbornadiene and bis(ethynylene)phenylene units was prepared by the Cassar–Heck–Sonogashira cross-coupling reaction. Its electroluminescence was tested in a device, and its fluorescence colour could be tuned by light-induced norbornadienequadricyclane isomerization

Insight into gold nanoparticle-hydrogen interaction: A way to tailor nanoparticle surface charge and self-assembled monolayer chemisorption

The interaction of hydrogen with gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) and gold thin films also functionalized with thiols is investigated. Au NPs deposited on silicon substrates by radio frequency sputtering of a gold target and gold thin films have been exposed to a remote H(2) plasma and subsequently functionalized by the aromatic (4-methoxyterphenyl-3 '',S ''-dimethanethiol) and aliphatic (dodecanethiol) thiols. The impact of hydrogenation on changes of the charge on gold surfaces and nanoparticles, on the kinetics of the thiol self-assembled monolayer (SAM) formation, and on the density of the resulting SAMs has been investigated combining spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE), Raman spectroscopy, and surface potential Kelvin probe microscopy (SP-KPM) in conjunction with noncontact atomic force microscopy (AFM). We found that remote H(2) plasma pretreatments of gold surfaces are effective in improving thiolate adsorption, making SAMs more uniform and densely packed. We also demonstrate that hydrogenation of nanoparticles improves stability of thiol functionalized Au NPs, avoiding their aggregation. Additionally, we demonstrate that a remote H(2) plasma processing is also effective in the selective removal of the carbon chain and of sulfur atoms from gold surfaces, therefore allowing tailoring of their optical and chemical properties