Polymorphisms of seed storage proteins in Olea europaea L. cultivars

The use of Olea europaea globulins as genetic markers for the identification of the cultivars was perfomed in the laboratory of Genetics of Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa. The major component of Olea europaea L. seed storage proteins is represented by globulins. These fractions were characterised by electrophoresis and compared with the proteins extracted from protein bodies. The biochemical analysis of the olive seed globulins was carried out in sixteen different cultivars coming from several geographical areas of Italy. The electrophoretic patterns in polyacrylamide gels electrophoresis in denaturing conditions (SDS-PAGE) evidenced both qualitative and quantitative differences. It was possible to identify all the cultivars by their electrophoretic spectra. Number and position of the electrophoretic bands allowed the construction of a similarity matrix and of a dendrogram that allowed the separation into groups, according to their phylogenetic relationships. The several clusters seem to be related with agronomic traits such as fruit size or oil production; no relationships were found with the geographical cultivation area

Callisto and Europa gravity measurements from JUICE 3GM experiment simulation

The JUpiter Icy Moons Explorer is an ESA mission set for launch in 2023 April and arrival in the Jovian system in 2031 July to investigate Jupiter and its icy satellites with a suite of 10 instruments. The mission will execute several flybys of the icy moons Europa, Callisto, and Ganymede before ending the mission with a 9-month orbit around Ganymede. The 3GM experiment on board the spacecraft will exploit accurate range and Doppler (range-rate) measurements to determine the moons’ orbit, gravity field, and tidal deformation. The focus of this paper is on the retrieval of Europa’s and Callisto’s gravity field, without delving into the modeling of their interior structures. By means of a covariance analysis of the data acquired during flybys, we assess the expected results from the 3GM gravity experiment. We find that the two Europa flybys will provide a determination of the J2 and C22 quadrupole gravity field coefficients with an accuracy of 3.8 × 10−6 and 5.1 × 10−7, respectively. The 21 Callisto flybys will provide a determination of the global gravity field to approximately degree and order 7, the moon ephemerides, and the time-variable component of the gravitational tide raised by Jupiter on the moon. The k2 Love number, describing the Callisto tidal response at its orbital period, can be determined with an uncertainty σk2 ∼ 0.06, allowing us to distinguish with good confidence between a moon with or without an internal ocean. The constraints derived by 3GM gravity measurements can then be used to develop interior models of the moon

Ozone damage and tolerance in leaves of two poplar genotypes.

The effects induced by an acute ozone exposure were investigated in two poplar hybrids differen- tially O3 susceptible in terms of leaf injuries: Populus deltoides x maximowiczii, Eridano clone and..

Total and Partial Fragmentation Cross-Section of 500 MeV/nucleon Carbon Ions on Different Target Materials

By using an experimental setup based on thin and thick double-sided microstrip silicon detectors, it has been possible to identify the fragmentation products due to the interaction of very high energy primary ions on different targets. Here we report total and partial cross-sections measured at GSI (Gesellschaft fur Schwerionenforschung), Darmstadt, for 500 MeV/n energy $^{12}C$ beam incident on water (in flasks), polyethylene, lucite, silicon carbide, graphite, aluminium, copper, iron, tin, tantalum and lead targets. The results are compared to the predictions of GEANT4 (v4.9.4) and FLUKA (v11.2) Monte Carlo simulation programs.Comment: 10pages, 13figures, 4table

Author Correction: 3D measurement techniques for the hindfoot alignment angle from weight-bearing CT in a clinical population

Cone-beam CT (CBCT) scans now enable accurate measurements on foot skeletal structures with the advantage of observing these in 3D and in weight-bearing. Among the most common skeletal deformities, the varus/valgus of the hindfoot is the most complex to be represented, and a number of measure proposals have been published. This study aims to analyze and to compare these measurements from CBCT scans in a real clinical population with large such deformity. Ten patients with severe acquired adult fatfoot and indication for surgery underwent CBCT scans (Carestream, USA) while standing on that leg, before and after surgical correction. Corresponding 3D shape of each bone of the distal shank and hindfoot were defned (Materialise, Belgium). Six diferent techniques from the literature were used to calculate the varus/valgus deformity, i.e. the inclination of the hindfoot in the frontal plane of the shank. Standard clinical measurements by goniometers were taken for comparison. According to these techniques, and starting from a careful 3D reconstruction of the relevant foot skeletal structures, a large spectrum of measurements was found to represent the same hindfoot alignment angle. Most of them were very diferent from the traditional clinical measures. The assessment of the pre-operative valgus deformity and of the corresponding post-operative correction varied considerably. CBCT fnally allows 3D assessment of foot deformities in weight-bearing. Measurements from the diferent available techniques do not compare well, as they are based on very diferent approaches. It is recommended to be aware of the anatomical and functional concepts behind these techniques before clinical and surgical conclusions

Bidirectional synaptic plasticity is driven by sex neurosteroids targeting estrogen and androgen receptors in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons

Neuroactive estrogenic and androgenic steroids influence synaptic transmission, finely modulating synaptic plasticity in several brain regions including the hippocampus. While estrogens facilitate long-term potentiation (LTP), androgens are involved in the induction of long-term depression (LTD) and depotentiation (DP) of synaptic transmission. To examine sex neurosteroid-dependent LTP and LTD in single cells, patch-clamp recordings from hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons of male rats and selective antagonists for estrogen receptors (ERs) and androgen (AR) receptors were used. LTP induced by high-frequency stimulation (HFS) depended on activation of ERs since it was prevented by the ER antagonist ICI 182,780 in most of the neurons. Application of the selective antagonists for ERα (MPP) or ERβ (PHTPP) caused a reduction of the LTP amplitude, while these antagonists in combination, prevented LTP completely. LTP was never affected by blocking AR with the specific antagonist flutamide. Conversely, LTD and DP, elicited by low-frequency stimulation (LFS), were impeded by flutamide, but not by ICI 182,780, in most neurons. In few cells, LTD was even reverted to LTP by flutamide. Moreover, the combined application of both ER and AR antagonists completely prevented both LTP and LTD/DP in the same neuron. The current study demonstrates that the activation of ERs is necessary for inducing LTP in hippocampal pyramidal neurons, whereas the activation of ARs is required for LTD and DP. Moreover, both estrogen- and androgen-dependent LTP and LTD can be expressed in the same pyramidal neurons, suggesting that the activation of sex neurosteroids signaling pathways is responsible for bidirectional synaptic plasticity

Fitoproteasas con potencial aplicación en la industria alimentaria y farmacéutica

El objetivo de este trabajo es la purificación y caracterización parcial de proteasas en plantas Bromelia pinguin L. (“maya” o “piña de ratón”) .Esta es una planta ampliamente distribuida en Centroamérica y las islas del Caribe, en particular, esta especie fue cultivada en Cienfuegos, Cuba. Del fruto se obtiene una preparación que ha sido utilizada como antiparasitaria. Para caracterizar bioquímicamente a esta enzima, se determinó la especificidad de sustrato, activadores e inhibidores de su actividad y parámetros cinéticos de la enzima. Asimismo se determino parámetros fundamentales para su aplicación industrial como son la termoestabilidad y el pH óptimo. Luego se realizó la purificación a homogeneidad de la enzima aislada a partir de los frutos y se caracterizó la fracción pura mediante el estudio de los parámetros cinéticos clásicos (Km, Vmáx y kcat) empleando sustratos proteicos y sintéticos .Finalmente se están diseñando posibles modelos para ensayar su aplicación biotecnológica. A su vez también se estudiará el mecanismo de acción de las peptidasas sobre proteínas de uso alimentario, tanto en la modificación de sus propiedades funcionales como en el proceso de tiernizado de la carne vacuna.Centro de Investigación de Proteínas Vegetale

Patients' perceptions of quality of care delivery by urology residents: A nationwide study

Objective To present the results of a nationwide survey among urological patients to evaluate their perception of the quality of care provided by residents. Methods An anonymous survey was distributed to patients who were referred to 22 Italian academic institutions. The survey aimed to investigate the professional figure of the urology resident as perceived by the patient. Results A total of 2587 patients were enrolled in this study. In all, 51.6% of patients were able to correctly identify a urology resident; however, almost 40% of respondents discriminated residents from fully trained urologists based exclusively on their young age. Overall, 98.2% patients rated the service provided by the resident as at least sufficient. Urology trainees were considered by more than 50% of the patients interviewed to have good communication skills, expertise and willingness. Overall, patients showed an excellent willingness to be managed by urology residents. The percentage of patients not available for this purpose showed an increasing trend that directly correlated with the difficulty of the procedure. Approximately 5-10% of patients were not willing to be managed by residents for simple procedures such as clinical visits, cystoscopy or sonography, and up to a third of patients were not prepared to undergo any surgical procedure performed by residents during steps in major surgery, even if the residents were adequately tutored. Conclusions Our data showed that patients have a good willingness to be managed by residents during their training, especially for medium- to low-difficulty procedures. Furthermore, the majority of patients interviewed rated the residents' care delivery as sufficient. Urology trainees were considered to have good communication skills, expertise and willingness