PAPIRI

Con la parola papiro si indica sia la pianta, sia il materiale che ne deriva, utilizzato anticamente per la scrittura. Il volume ripercorre a grandi linee le caratteristiche botaniche ed ecologiche della pianta, con note sull'utilizzo tecnologico e la raffigurazione nell'arte; prosegue con accenni alla scrittura, alla storia del supporto scrittorio, alle piante papirifere, alle proto-carte e conclude con una riflessione sull'uso sostenibile dei materiali cartacei e sulla differenziazione dei rifiuti e il riciclaggio

The phosphatidylcholine synthase of Pseudomonas putida A ATCC 12633 is responsible for the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine, which acts as a temporary reservoir for Al3+

In Pseudomonas putida A ATCC 12633 cells grown with tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide and exposed to Al3Cl, phosphatidylcholine (PC) levels increased, which alleviated stress caused by the Al3+. Here we cloned and sequenced a gene from this strain that encodes a phosphatidylcholine synthase (PCS) and characterized a pcs-deficient mutant. In the pcsdeficient mutant, PC could not be detected, whereas the mutant could be successfully complemented and expressed the enzyme, indicating that PC synthesis occurs exclusively via the PCS pathway in this organism. Although under non-stressing growth conditions the pcs-deficient mutant showed growth like that of the wild-type strain, the mutant was much more sensitive when challenged with Al3+, which strongly supports the supposition that PC is involved in the response of P. putida to Al3+ and acts as a temporary reservoir of available ions through the formation of Al3+: PC complexes. © 2012 SGM.Fil: Boeris, Paola Sabrina. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Instituto de Biotecnología Ambiental y Salud - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Biotecnología Ambiental y Salud; ArgentinaFil: Lucchesi, Gloria Ines. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Instituto de Biotecnología Ambiental y Salud - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Biotecnología Ambiental y Salud; Argentin

Papiri

The word “papyrus” indicates both the plant and the resulting material used in ancient times for writing. The volume broadly traces the botanical and ecological characteristics of the plant, with notes on its technological use and its representation in art; it continues with references to writing, the history of the writing medium, papyrus plants and proto-papers, and ends with a reflection on the sustainable use of paper materials and on the differentiation of waste and recycling

The rab3A-22A chimera prevents sperm exocytosis by stabilizing open fusion pores

At the final stage of exocytotis, a fusion pore opens between the plasma and a secretory vesicle membranes; typically, when the pore dilates the vesicle releases its cargo. Sperm contain a large dense-core secretory granule (the acrosome) whose contents are secreted by regulated exocytosis at fertilization. Minutes after the arrival of the triggering signal, the acrosomal and plasma membranes dock at multiple sites and fusion pores open at the contact points. It is believed that immediately afterward, fusion pores dilate spontaneously. Rab3A is an essential component of human sperm exocytotic machinery. Yet, recombinant, persistently active Rab3A halts calcium-triggered secretion when introduced after docking into streptolysin O-permeabilized cells; so does a Rab3A-22A chimera. Here, we applied functional assays, electron and confocal microscopy to show that the secretion blockage is due to the stabilization of open fusion pores. Other novel findings are that sperm SNAREs engage in α-SNAP/NSF-sensitive complexes at a post-fusion stage. Complexes are disentangled by these chaperons to achieve vesiculation and acrosomal contents release. Thus, post-fusion regulation of the pores determines their expansion and the success of the acrosome reaction.Fil: Quevedo, María Florencia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Cienicas Médicas. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos; ArgentinaFil: Lucchesi, Ornella. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Cienicas Médicas. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos; ArgentinaFil: Bustos, Matias Alberto. John Wayne Cancer Institute; Estados Unidos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Cienicas Médicas. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos; ArgentinaFil: Pocognoni, Cristián Adrián. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Cienicas Médicas. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos; ArgentinaFil: De la Iglesia, Paola X.. Hospital Italiano; ArgentinaFil: Tomes, Claudia Nora. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Cienicas Médicas. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos; Argentin

Content of cardiolipi n of the membrane and sensitivit y to cationic surfactants in Pseudomonas putida

Aims: To establish the role of cardiolipin (CL) of the membrane in response to the presence of tetradecyltrimethylammonium in Pseudomonas putida A (ATCC 12633). Methods and Results: Two ORFs of Ps. putida A (ATCC 12633), which in Ps. putida KT2440 encode the putative CL synthase genes cls and cls2, were cloned, sequenced and mutated. Only the double mutant lacking cls and cls2 showed a reduction of the CL content, 83% lower than the amount produced by the wild-type. Accompanying this change was a 40% decrease in the content of unsaturated fatty acid. Consequently, the membrane of the mutant was more rigid than the one of the parental strain, as observed using fluorescence polarization techniques. The mutant strain showed reduced viability in the presence of tetradecyltrimethylammonium. The incorporation of exogenous CL into its membrane relieved sensitivity to the cationic detergent. Conclusions: Pseudomonas Putida cells with low levels of CL die in the presence of tetradecyltrimethylammonium, because they cannot counter the fluidizing effect of the cationic surfactant. Significance and Impact of the Study: The modification in the membrane phospholipids composition allows knowing the adaptation strategy of Ps. putida when these bacteria are exposed to cationic surfactant.Fil: López, G. A.. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Biología Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Heredia, Romina Marisa. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Biología Molecular; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Boeris, Paola Sabrina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Biología Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Lucchesi, Gloria Ines. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Biología Molecular; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; Argentin

Biosorption of aluminum through the use of non-viable biomass of Pseudomonas putida

Living and non-living biomass of Pseudomonas putida A (ATCC 12633) was used as biosorbent for the removing of Al3+ from aqueous solutions. The process was stable with time, efficient at pH 4.3 and between 15 °C and 42 °C. Two isotherms models were applied to describe the interaction between the biosorbent and Al3+. Non-living biomass of P. putida A (ATCC 12633) was found to be the most efficient at adsorbing Al3+ with a maximum sorption capacity of 0.55 mg Al3+/gr adsorbent and with 36 × 105 binding sites of Al3+/microorganisms. Infrared spectroscopy analysis shows that the biosorbent present some vibrational band of functional groups that change in presence of Al3+: hydroxyl, carboxyl and phosphate. Considering that Al3+ binds to the phosphate group of phosphatidylcholine, non-viable biomass of P. putida PB01 (mutant lacking phosphatidylcholine) was used. Aluminum adsorption of the parental strain was 30 times higher than values registered in P. putida PB01 (36 × 105 sites/microorganism vs 1.2 × 105 sites/microorganism, respectively). This result evidenced that the absence of phosphatidylcholine significantly affected the availability of the binding sites and consequently the efficiency of the biomass to adsorb Al3+.Fil: Boeris, Paola Sabrina. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Biología Molecular; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Agustín, María del Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Biología Molecular; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Acevedo, Diego Fernando. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Lucchesi, Gloria Ines. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Biología Molecular; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; Argentin

Preliminary Report on the Study of Beam-Induced Background Effects at a Muon Collider

Physics at a multi-TeV muon collider needs a change of perspective for the detector design due to the large amount of background induced by muon beam decays. Preliminary studies, based on simulated data, on the composition and the characteristics of the particles originated from the muon decays and reaching the detectors are presented here. The reconstruction performance of the physics processes $H\to b\bar b$ and $Z\to b\bar b$ has been investigated for the time being without the effect of the machine induced background. A preliminary study of the environment hazard due to the radiation induced by neutrino interactions with the matter is presented using the FLUKA simulation program

Circulating Endothelial Cell Levels Correlate with Treatment Outcomes of Splanchnic Vein Thrombosis in Patients with Chronic Myeloproliferative Neoplasms

Circulating endothelial cells (CECs) are viable, apoptotic or necrotic cells, identified by CD 146 surface antigen expression, considered a biomarker of thrombotic risk, given their active role in inflammatory, procoagulant and immune processes of the vascular compartment. Growing evidence establishes that CECs are also involved in the pathogenesis of several hematological and solid malignancies. The primary aim of this study was to verify if CEC levels could predict both the course and treatment responses of splanchnic vein thrombosis (SVT), either in patients affected by myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) or liver disease. Thus, a retrospective multicenter study was performed; fifteen patients receiving anticoagulant oral treatment with vitamin k antagonists (VKA) for SVT were evaluated. Nine patients were affected by MPN, and all of them received cytoreduction in addition to anticoagulant therapy; four of these patients had primary myelofibrosis (PMF) and were treated with ruxolitinib (RUX), and one patient with primary myelofibrosis, two patients with essential thrombocythemia (ET), and two patients with polycythemia vera (PV) were treated with hydroxyurea (HU). Six patients affected by liver diseases (three with liver cirrhosis and three with hepatocellular carcinoma) were included as the control group. CECs were assayed by flow cytometry on peripheral blood at specific time points, for up to six months after enrollment. The CEC levels were related to C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, splenic volume reduction, and thrombus recanalization, mainly in MPN patients. In patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), for which the mechanism of SVT development is quite different, the relationship between CEC and SV reduction was absent. In conclusion, the CEC levels showed a significant correlation with the extent of venous thrombosis and endothelial cell damage in myeloproliferative neoplasm patients with splanchnic vein thrombosis. Although preliminary, these results show how monitoring CEC levels during cytoreductive and anticoagulant treatments may be useful to improve SVT outcome in MPN patients

Modelling Approach for NBSs Suitability Assessment in an Agricultural Area under Changing Climate Conditions: Case Studies in the Massaciuccoli Catchment (Central Italy)

Nature-Based Solutions (NBSs) are considered worldwide as a suitable approach for mitigating the impact of industrial agriculture on sediments and nutrient losses. However, their actual effectiveness is still questioned. In cases where site measurements of NBS performance are scarce, models can provide useful insights if accurately set. This study analyzed the effects of vegetated buffer strips (VBSs) and winter cover crops (WCCs) planted in some herbaceous cropping systems within the Massaciuccoli reclamation area (Vecchiano, Central Italy). Analyses stem from modelling water and soil dynamics by applying SWAT+ at field scale on high resolution close-range photogrammetric digital terrain model (DTM), real crop rotations, and a detailed calendar of the main agronomic interventions. The NBS implementation was modelled in two experimental areas, showing contrasting soil properties. Comparing results from the modelling of different scenarios highlighted that NBS mitigative effect is influenced by soil properties and local topographic irregularities, which could induce concentrated flows. Long term climate changes can induce relevant different effects by varying the nature of soil