Comparison of Bacterial and Archaeal Microbiome in Two Bioreactors Fed with Cattle Sewage and Corn Biomass

The bacterial and archaeal communities of two full-scale biogas producing plants (P1 and P2), associated with a 999 kW cogeneration unit, both located in North Italy, were analyzed at start up and fully operating phases, by means of various molecular approaches: (i) Automated Ribosomal Intergenic Spacer Analysis; (ii) cloning and sequencing of PCR amplicons of archaeal genes 16Srrna and mcrA; (iii) 16S rDNA high throughput next generation sequencing. P1 and P2 use the same technology and both were fed with cattle manure and corn silage. During the study of P1 also the post digester (fed with pig manure) was analyzed. The aim of this research was to characterize the bacterial and archaeal communities in two very similar plants to profile the core microbiota. The results of this analysis highlighted that the two plants (producing comparable quantities of volatile fatty acids, biogas, and energy) differed in anerobic microbiota (Bacteria and Archaea). Notably the methanogenic community of P1 was dominated by the strict acetoclastic Methanosaeta (Methanothrix) (up to 23.05%) and the unculturable Candidatus Methanofastidiosum (up to 32.70%), while P2 was dominated by the acetoclastic, but more substrate-versatile, Methanosarcina archaeal genus (49.19%). The data demonstrated that the performances of plants with identical design, in similar operating conditions, yielding comparable amount of biogas (average of 7237 m3 day−1 and 7916 m3 day−1 respectively for P1 and P2), VFA (1643 mg L− 1 and 1634 mg L−1) and energy recovery (23.90–24 MWh day−1), depend on the stabilization of effective and functionally optimized methanogenic communities, but these communities aretaxonomically different in the two biodigesters

60PV Related Lesions in HIV Positive Subjects on HAART: Study of Viral Markers of Cervical Neoplasia Progression

Methods HIV pos women (N = 410) were followed since 1995 in a longitudinal study. Each one undergo periodic (6–12 months) colposcopy, PAP smear, biopsy if needed, and cervical sampling for HPV testing. HIV related parameters (CD4, HIV-RNA, ART) are recorded and related to cervical disease. HPV typing is performed by reverse hybridisation assays, viral load by in-house real time PCR and viral expression by E6/E7 mRNA detection. The Mann-Whitney rank sum test for non-parametric data and the association between discrete variables by Chi-square test of Fisher exact test were applied

Fenomenologia del pensiero razionale: i paradossi della tendenza alla pregnanza

L'attenzione teorico-epistemologica di questo lavoro si focalizzerà sulla "logica paradossale", utile per la comprensione della complessità dell'agire e della mente umana. L'ipotesi di fondo è che la logica a cui dobbiamo guardare non è lineare ma ha le caratteristiche dei sistemi dinamici non-lineari, dove l'autorganizzazione delle varie componenti fenomenologico-esistenziali fa emergere nuove qualità sulla base di complesse interazioni tra una tendenza verso l'ordine ed una tendenza altrettanto intensa verso il disordine che contrasta dinamicamente la prima. Le nuove qualità non riducibili (Gestalt), che emergono, possono assumere la forma di quelli che verranno denominati "paradossi esistenziali". Il sistema teorico-concettuale che verrà adottato è quello della Scienza della Complessità e della Psicologia della Gestalt

Caveolae-Mediated internalization of extracellular HIV-1 tat fusion proteins visualized in real time

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Cell membrane lipid rafts mediate caveolar endocytosis of HIV-1 Tat fusion proteins.

The transactivator protein of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Tat has the unique property of mediating the delivery of large protein cargoes into the cells when present in the extracellular milieu. Here we show that Tat fusion proteins are internalized by the cells through a temperature-dependent endocytic pathway that originates from cell membrane lipid rafts and follows caveolar endocytosis. These conclusions are supported by the study of the slow kinetics of the internalization of Tat endosomes, by their resistance to nonionic detergents, the colocalization of internalized Tat with markers of caveolar endocytosis, and the impairment of the internalization process by drugs that disrupt lipid rafts or disturb caveolar trafficking. These results are of interest for all those who exploit Tat as a vehicle for transcellular protein delivery

Influenza dei fattori socio-culturali nella percezione di manifesti turistici

Lo scopo del presente lavoro è quello di una indagine sperimentale sull'influenza di variabili socio-culturali nella valutazione delle qualità espressive di manifesti turistici. Si tratta cioè di capire in che modo la rappresentazione delle conoscenze sociali viene impiegata nel giudizio e nella categorizzazione di immagini turistiche, che hanno di per sé un'evidente valenza sociale

Organic aggregates formed by benthopleustophyte brown alga Acinetospora crinita (Acinetosporaceae, Ectocarpales)

This work presents the elemental, polysaccharide, and fatty acid compositions of benthic aggregates formed by the filamentous brown alga cinetospora crinita, which are widely spread on the rocky bottoms of the Mediterranean Sea. The aggregates can be characterized as mineralized centers in which regeneration of nutrients and recycling of dissolved organic matter actively occur and favor the development of an abundant phytoplankton community. Analyses of the stable isotopes of C and N display their marine origin and could provide evidence of the processes that occur inside/outside of the aggregates. The monosaccharide compositions of Adriatic and Tyrrhenian mucilages produced by brown alga A. crinita were quite similar. In particular, the Adriatic sample compositions resembled the average composition of the Tyrrhenian high molecular weight exopolymers, and the observed differences could be ascribed to different degradation stages. The fatty acid patterns found for the aggregates were similar to those observed in the isolated A. crinita algae with variable contributions from embedded diatom species. The bacterial contribution to the fatty acid pool was quite low, most likely due to the known poor conditions for their heterotrophic growth

Mari e monti: comunicare attraverso le immagini

Il lavoro presentato a questo convegno affronta l'analisi del messaggio turistico secondo due diversi approcci. Da una parte si intendono rintracciare quegli elementi espressivi che connotano un messaggio turistico, analizzando l'immagine di alcuni manifesti pubblicitari del turismo dal punto di vista semiologico. In un secondo momento si è voluto verificare come il messaggio viene organizzato a livello percettivo dal destinatario e a quali elementi significanti quest'ultimo attribuisce una priorità di decodifica in un contesto sperimentale

Polymorphic variants of IGF2BP3 and SENCR have an impact on predisposition and/or progression of Ewing sarcoma

Ewing sarcoma (EWS), the second most common malignant bone tumor in children and adolescents, occurs abruptly without clear evidence of tumor history or progression. Previous association studies have identified some inherited variants associated with the risk of developing EWS but a common picture of the germline susceptibility to this tumor remains largely unclear. Here, we examine the association between thirty single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the IGF2BP3, a gene that codes for an oncofetal RNA-binding protein demonstrated to be important for EWS patient's risk stratification, and five SNPs of SENCR, a long non-coding RNA shown to regulate IGF2BP3. An association between polymorphisms and EWS susceptibility was observed for three IGF2BP3 SNPs - rs112316332, rs13242065, rs12700421 - and for four SENCR SNPs - rs10893909, rs11221437, rs12420823, rs4526784 -. In addition, IGF2BP3 rs34033684 and SENCR rs10893909 variants increased the risk for female respect to male subgroup when carried together, while IGF2BP3 rs13242065 or rs76983703 variants reduced the probability of a disease later onset (> 14 years). Moreover, the absence of IGF2BP3 rs10488282 variant and the presence of rs199653 or rs35875486 variant were significantly associated with a worse survival in EWS patients with localized disease at diagnosis. Overall, our data provide the first evidence linking genetic variants of IGF2BP3 and its modulator SENCR to the risk of EWS development and to disease progression, thus supporting the concept that heritable factors can influence susceptibility to EWS and may help to predict patient prognosis