Chapter L’esperienza formativa di Anton Domenico Gabbiani a Venezia. Disegni e dipinti inediti

This paper aims to cast new light on Anton Domenico Gabbiani’s first sojourn in Venice, which took place between 1678 and 1681, by following the two main biographies of the artist, written by Ignazio Enrico Hugford and Francesco Saverio Baldinucci, and by analysing new archival documents. Specific attention is given to the constant study of artworks by the great Venetian masters of the Sixteenth century, especially Titian, to whom Gabbiani devoted himself also in his later years, copying famous masterpieces of the Cadore painter. Through some unpublished drawings of the Uffizi and new or little-known paintings, the Venetian component of Gabbiani’s style is identified in the way of composing and in the execution of airy and light figures. The highlights and intense Venetian colorism contributed to the creation of sophisticated chiaroscuro modulations expressed in the mimetic rendering of animals and landscape settings

The assessment of trait emotional intelligence: psychometric characteristics of the TEIQue-full form in a large Italian adult sample

Trait Emotional Intelligence (or trait emotional self-efficacy) is a constellation of emotional perceptions assessed through questionnaires and rating scales (Petrides et al., 2007b). This paper examined the psychometric features of the Trait Emotional Questionnaire Full Form (TEIQue-FF; Petrides, 2009b) in the Italian context. Incremental validity in the prediction of depression and anxiety was also tested with respect to the Big Five. Participants were 1343 individuals balanced for gender (690 females and 653 males) whose mean age was 29.65 years (SD = 13.64, range 17-74 years). They completed a questionnaire battery containing the TEIQue and measures of the Big Five, depression, and anxiety (both trait and state). Results indicated that the performance of the TEIQue-FF in the Italian context was comparable to the original United Kingdom version as regards its reliability and factor structure. Moreover, the instrument showed incremental validity in the prediction of depression and state-trait anxiety after controlling for the Big Five

The History and geography of the Y chromosome SNPs in Europe: an update

The knowledge of the evolution of the human genome is strictly dependent on the availability of appropriate genetic markers and their relative coverage of genetic variation which refine the phylogenetic reconstruction. While autosomal markers are particularly valuable for recognizing correspondence between genetic and geographic distances, markers on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) or Non Recombining Portion of Y Chromosome (NRY), because of their unilinear transmission, can effectively trace diachronical patterns of the human peopling. The maximum extent of polymorphism coverage has already been reached for the very small mitochondrial genome (about 16,5 Kbp), whereas the first studies based on RFLPs (Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms) (Cann et al., 1987) and on sequencing of the hypervariable regions (Vigliant et al., 1991), were then combined to get higher resolution (Torroni et al., 1996), and finally the complete genome sequencing is now routinely performed (Achilli et al., 2004, Pala et al., 2009), in order to detect the whole mtDNA variation. A similar approach cannot be used yet at population level for the by far larger nuclear genome. However, advances in genotyping technology have dramatically enhanced the resolution of the analysis at genome-wide level, and recent papers significantly improved the knowledge of the relationships among European populations, using 300 to 500 K SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms) on microarrays chips (Tian et al., 2008; Novembre et al., 2008). As to the NRY, most of the studies before the year 2000 were performed using Alu insertion (Hammer, 1995) or STRs (Short Tandem Repeats) (De Knijff et al., 1997; Pritchard et al., 1999) with the known limitations due to recurrence and reversion of this kind of polymorphisms. Using D-HPLC (Denaturing High Performance Liquid Chromatography) technology, Underhill and coworkers (1997) discovered 22 new SNP biallelic markers, rapidly raising in number to 167 (Underhill et al., 2000), 242 (YCC, 2002), about 600 (Karafet et al., 2008), up to more than 725 presently listed in the Y-DNA SNP Index 2009, (www.isogg. org), and the knowledge of Y chromosome phylogeny and of the spread worldwide of human populations raised proportionally. The next goal of the research on Y chromosome will be the use of specific microarrays that can genotype a much higher number of SNPs than nowadays routinely performed, and, ultimately, the complete Y chromosome sequencing. Waiting for future developments, this short note reports the state of the art of the phylogenetic (“history”) and phylogeographic (“geography”) research on Y chromosome SNP analyses in Europe, updating the review published in this Journal by Francalacci & Sanna at the beginning of 2008

Performance and genome-centric metagenomics of thermophilic single and two-stage anaerobic digesters treating cheese wastes

The present research is the first comprehensive study regarding the thermophilic anaerobic degradation of cheese wastewater, which combines the evaluation of different reactor configurations (i.e. single and two-stage continuous stirred tank reactors) on the process efficiency and the in-depth characterization of the microbial community structure using genome-centric metagenomics. Both reactor configurations showed acidification problems under the tested organic loading rates (OLRs) of 3.6 and 2.4 g COD/L-reactor day and the hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 15 days. However, the two-stage design reached a methane yield equal to 95% of the theoretical value, in contrast with the single stage configuration, which reached a maximum of 33% of the theoretical methane yield. The metagenomic analysis identified 22 new population genomes and revealed that the microbial compositions between the two configurations were remarkably different, demonstrating a higher methanogenic biodiversity in the two-stage configuration. In fact, the acidogenic reactor of the serial configuration was almost solely composed by the lactose degrader Bifidobacterium crudilactis UC0001. The predictive functional analyses of the main population genomes highlighted specific metabolic pathways responsible for the AD process and the mechanisms of main intermediates production. Particularly, the acetate accumulation experienced by the single stage configuration was mainly correlated to the low abundant syntrophic acetate oxidizer Tepidanaerobacter acetatoxydans UC0018 and to the absence of aceticlastic methanogens

Power mismatch and civil conflict: an empirical investigation

This paper empirically shows that the imbalance between an ethnic group’s political and military power is crucial to understanding the likelihood that such a group engages in a conflict. We develop a novel measure of a group’s military power by combining machine learning techniques with rich data on ethnic group characteristics and outcomes of civil conflicts in Africa and the Middle East. We couple this measure with available indicators of an ethnic group’s political power as well as with a novel proxy based on information about the ethnicity of cabinet members. We find that groups characterized by a higher mismatch between military and political power are between 30% and 50% more likely to engage in a conflict against their government depending on the specification used. We also find that the effects of power mismatch are nonlinear, which is in agreement with the predictions of a simple model that accounts for the cost of conflict. Moreover, our results suggest that high-mismatched groups are typically involved in larger and centrist conflicts. The policy implication is that powersharing recommendations and institutional design policies for peace should consider primarily the reduction of power mismatches between relevant groups, rather than focusing exclusively on equalizing political power in isolation

A Novel Genetic Screen Identifies Modifiers of Age-Dependent Amyloid β Toxicity in the Drosophila Brain

The accumulation of amyloid β peptide (Aβ) in the brain of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients begins many years before clinical onset. Such process has been proposed to be pathogenic through the toxicity of Aβ soluble oligomers leading to synaptic dysfunction, phospho-tau aggregation and neuronal loss. Yet, a massive accumulation of Aβ can be found in approximately 30% of aged individuals with preserved cognitive function. Therefore, within the frame of the "amyloid hypothesis", compensatory mechanisms and/or additional neurotoxic or protective factors need to be considered and investigated. Here we describe a modifier genetic screen in Drosophila designed to identify genes that modulate toxicity of Aβ42 in the CNS. The expression of Aβ42 led to its accumulation in the brain and a moderate impairment of negative geotaxis at 18 days post-eclosion (d.p.e) as compared with genetic or parental controls. These flies were mated with a collection of lines carrying chromosomal deletions and negative geotaxis was assessed at 5 and 18 d.p.e. Our screen is the first to take into account all of the following features, relevant to sporadic AD: (1) pan-neuronal expression of wild-type Aβ42; (2) a quantifiable complex behavior; (3) Aβ neurotoxicity associated with progressive accumulation of the peptide; and (4) improvement or worsening of climbing ability only evident in aged animals. One hundred and ninety-nine deficiency (Df) lines accounting for ~6300 genes were analyzed. Six lines, including the deletion of 52 Drosophila genes with human orthologs, significantly modified Aβ42 neurotoxicity in 18-day-old flies. So far, we have validated CG11796 and identified CG17249 as a strong candidate (whose human orthologs are HPD and PRCC, respectively) by using RNAi or mutant hemizygous lines. PRCC encodes proline-rich protein PRCC (ppPRCC) of unknown function associated with papillary renal cell carcinoma. HPD encodes 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD), a key enzyme in tyrosine degradation whose Df causes autosomal recessive Tyrosinemia type 3, characterized by mental retardation. Interestingly, lines with a partial Df of HPD ortholog showed increased intraneuronal accumulation of Aβ42 that coincided with geotaxis impairment. These previously undetected modifiers of Aβ42 neurotoxicity in Drosophila warrant further study to validate their possible role and significance in the pathogenesis of sporadic AD.Fil: Belfiori Carrasco, Lautaro Francisco. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Marcora, Maria Silvina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Bocai, Nadia Irina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Ceriani, Maria Fernanda. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Morelli, Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Castaño, Eduardo Miguel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; Argentin

Comparison of first-line and second-line terlipressin versus sole norepinephrine in fulminant ovine septic shock

The Surviving Sepsis Guidelines suggest the use of vasopressin in case of catecholamine-refractory septic shock. Terlipressin (TP) as a V-1-selective AVP analogue is a potential alternative, though data regarding the first-line administration in septic shock are scarce. The present study explored and compared the effects of first-line vs. second-line infusion of TP or sole norepinephrine regarding organ function, fluid and norepinephrine requirements and survival in fulminant ovine septic shock. Peritoneal sepsis was induced in 23 ewes after laparotomy and faecal withdrawal from the caecum. After onset of shock, causal and supportive sepsis therapy (antibiotics, peritoneal lavage, fluids and open-label norepinephrine) was performed in all animals. Concurrently, animals were randomized to receive 0.9% sodium chloride (control group) or TP (2 mu g.kg(-1).h(-1), first-line group) after shock onset. In the second-line TP group, TP (2 mu g.kg(-1).h(-1)) was started once norepinephrine requirements exceeded 0.5 mu g.kg(-1).min(-1). No significant differences were found between groups regarding survival, haemodynamics as well as fluid-and catecholamine-requirements. Kidney function and electron microscopic kidney injury were comparable between groups. In the present model of fulminant ovine septic shock, first-line TP infusion had no significant effect on fluid and norepinephrine requirements or organ dysfunction as compared to second-line TP infusion or placebo

Draft whole-genome sequence of Sphingobium sp. 22B, a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon- degrading bacterium from semiarid Patagonia, Argentina

Sphingobium sp. 22B is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-degrading strain isolated from Patagonia, Argentina, with capabilities to withstand the environmental factors of that semiarid region. The draft genome shows the presence of genes related with responses to carbon starvation and drying environmental conditions.Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriale

Draft whole-genome sequence of Sphingobium sp. 22B, a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon- degrading bacterium from semiarid Patagonia, Argentina

Sphingobium sp. 22B is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-degrading strain isolated from Patagonia, Argentina, with capabilities to withstand the environmental factors of that semiarid region. The draft genome shows the presence of genes related with responses to carbon starvation and drying environmental conditions.Fil: Madueño, Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales; ArgentinaFil: Macchi, Marianela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales; ArgentinaFil: Morelli, Irma Susana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales; ArgentinaFil: Coppotelli, Bibiana Marina. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin