Scutellaria caucasica A. Ham.: Morphological features and headspace characterization

In the context of a wide research project, a micromorphological and phytochemical characterization was performed on the vegetative and reproductive organs of Scutellaria caucasica A. Ham. (Lamiaceae), cultivated at the Ghirardi Botanic Garden (Toscolano Maderno, BS, Lombardy, Italy). The morphological survey revealed the presence of both non-glandular and glandular trichomes. The latter belonged to three different morphotypes: peltate, short-stalked and long-stalked capitate. Histochemical assays demonstrated that the terpenes biosynthesis mainly took place in the peltates, while short-stalked capitates secreted only polysaccharides; the long-stalked ones mainly produced polysaccharides, coupled with terpene and polyphenolic fractions. An element of novelty was represented by the characterization of the VOC emission profile. Leaves and flowers showed differences in their emissions: the floral profile had a higher number of compounds than that of the leaves (37 vs 29), with a higher heterogeneity. The almost totality of the leaf profile was characterized by sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (98.8 %), while the flowers presented a more varied composition, with sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (87.2 %), monoterpenes (10.4 % oxygenated, 1.8 % hydrocarbons) and non-terpenes derivatives (0.6 %). The most abundant compounds were \u3b3-muurolene (42.6 %) and \u3b2-caryophyllene (35.0 %) in the leaves and in the flowers, respectively. In the flower headspace, 16 exclusive compounds were identified, among which germacrene D (31.7 %) dominated; leaves had 8 exclusive compounds, with valencene (1.8 %) as the most represented one. 21 common compounds were revealed: \u3b2-caryophyllene (34.1 % leaves; 35.0 % flowers), \u3b1-humulene (3.0 % leaves; 3.1 % flowers), alloaromadendrene (2.4 % leaves; 1.0 % flowers), \u3b1-copaene (2.1 % leaves; 2.7 % flowers) and \u3b2-copaene (2.2 % leaves; 1.5 % flowers) were the most abundant ones. \u3b3-Muurolene relative abundances (42.6 % leaves; 0.7 % flowers) were very different between the two profiles. Overall, this work represented the first multidisciplinary study on S. caucasica, combining a scientific research approach with the policies of the Open Science

Probing the single-particle character of rotational states in 19^{19}F using a short-lived isomeric beam

A beam containing a substantial component of both the $J^{\pi}=5^+$, $T_{1/2}=162$ ns isomeric state of $^{18}$F and its $1^+$, 109.77-min ground state has been utilized to study members of the ground-state rotational band in $^{19}$F through the neutron transfer reaction $(d$,$p)$ in inverse kinematics. The resulting spectroscopic strengths confirm the single-particle nature of the 13/2$^+$ band-terminating state. The agreement between shell-model calculations, using an interaction constructed within the $sd$ shell, and our experimental results reinforces the idea of a single-particle/collective duality in the descriptions of the structure of atomic nuclei

Search for particle–vibration coupling in 65Cu

The lifetime of the 9/2 + state of 65 Cu, at 2534 keV, has been measured by fast timing techniques, in order to establish wether such state arises from a weak coupling between a p3=2 proton and the 3 octupole vibration at 3.56 MeV in the 64 Ni core. The 65 Cu nucleus was populated by the reaction 7 Li + 64 Ni at 32 MeV, at the Horia Hu- lubei National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering (NIPNE) in Bucharest, and its -decay was detected by the ROSPHERE array. The measured lifetime coresponds to a B(E3) reduced transition probability to the ground state equal to 8.89 W.u., in agreement with theoretical predictions in the weak coupling limit

UCbase & miRfunc: a database of ultraconserved sequences and microRNA function

Four hundred and eighty-one ultraconserved sequences (UCRs) longer than 200 bases were discovered in the genomes of human, mouse and rat. These are DNA sequences showing 100% identity among the three species. UCRs are frequently located at genomic regions involved in cancer, differentially expressed in human leukemias and carcinomas and in some instances regulated by microRNAs (miRNAs). Here we present UCbase & miRfunc, the first database which provides ultraconserved sequences data and shows miRNA function. Also, it links UCRs and miRNAs with the related human disorders and genomic properties. The current release contains over 2000 sequences from three species (human, mouse and rat). As a web application, UCbase & miRfunc is platform independent and it is accessible at http://microrna.osu.edu/.UCbase4

MicroRNA-296 is enriched in cancer cells and downregulates p21WAF1 mRNA expression via interaction with its 3′ untranslated region

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of noncoding small RNAs that act as negative regulators of gene expression. To identify miRNAs that may regulate human cell immortalization and carcinogenesis, we performed comparative miRNA array profiling of human normal and SV40-T antigen immortalized cells. We found that miR-296 was upregulated in immortalized cells that also had activation of telomerase. By an independent experiment on genomic analysis of cancer cells we found that chromosome region (20q13.32), where miR-296 is located, was amplified in 28/36 cell lines, and most of these showed enriched miR-296 expression. Overexpression of miR-296 in human cancer cells, with and without telomerase activity, had no effect on their telomerase function. Instead, it suppressed p53 function that is frequently downregulated during human cell immortalization and carcinogenesis. By monitoring the activity of a luciferase reporter connected to p53 and p21WAF1 (p21) untranslated regions (UTRs), we demonstrate that miR-296 interacts with the p21-3′UTR, and the Hu binding site of p21-3′UTR was identified as a potential miR-296 target site. We demonstrate for the first time that miR-296 is frequently upregulated during immortalization of human cells and contributes to carcinogenesis by downregulation of p53-p21WAF1 pathway

Superhydrophobic lab-on-chip measures secretome protonation state and provides a personalized risk assessment of sporadic tumour

Secretome of primary cultures is an accessible source of biological markers compared to more complex and less decipherable mixtures such as serum or plasma. The protonation state (PS) of secretome reflects the metabolism of cells and can be used for cancer early detection. Here, we demonstrate a superhydrophobic organic electrochemical device that measures PS in a drop of secretome derived from liquid biopsies. Using data from the sensor and principal component analysis (PCA), we developed algorithms able to efficiently discriminate tumour patients from non-tumour patients. We then validated the results using mass spectrometry and biochemical analysis of samples. For the 36 patients across three independent cohorts, the method identified tumour patients with high sensitivity and identification as high as 100% (no false positives) with declared subjects at-risk, for sporadic cancer onset, by intermediate values of PS. This assay could impact on cancer risk management, individual’s diagnosis and/or help clarify risk in healthy populations