WHY DO RESEARCHERS COLLABORATE WITH INDUSTRY? AN ANALYSIS OF THE WINE SECTOR IN CHILE, SOUTH AFRICA AND ITALY

This paper explores the determinants of the linkages between industry and research organizations – including universities. We present new evidence on three wine producing areas – Piedmont, a region of Italy, Chile, South Africa - that have successfully reacted to the recent structural changes experienced in the industry worldwide. Based on an original data-set, we carry out an econometric exercise to study the microeconomic determinants of researchers' collaborations with industry. The evidence reveals that individual researcher characteristics, such as embeddedness in the academic system, age and sex, matter more than their publishing record or formal degrees.University-Industry Linkages, Innovation System, Wine Sector, Emerging Economies

The down-regulation of pank2 gene in zebrafish as a model of Pantothenate Kinase Associated Neurodegeneration.

open9siThe increased iron deposition is a hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases, but its pathogenic role is still unclear. A strong link between iron and neurodegeneration is evident in a set of heterogeneous neurological disorders, known as Neurodegeneration with Brain Iron Accumulation (NBIA). The most common form of inherited NBIA is associated with mutations in hPank2 gene (PKAN). Pank2 is the rate limiting enzyme in CoA biosynthesis and its downregulation in mammalian cells leads to perturbation of cellular iron homeostasis. Here we explore Pank2 biological function in Danio rerio, and propose this system as an important new tool for the study of PKAN disease.openZizioli, Daniela; Tiso, Natascia; Busolin, Giorgia; Khatri, Deepak; Giuliani, Roberta; Borsani, Giuseppe; Monti, Eugenio; Argenton, Francesco; Finazzi, DarioZizioli, Daniela; Tiso, Natascia; Busolin, Giorgia; Khatri, Deepak; Giuliani, Roberta; Borsani, Giuseppe; Monti, Eugenio; Argenton, Francesco; Finazzi, Dari

In vitro exposure to very low-level laser modifies expression level of extracellular matrix protein RNAs and mitochondria dynamics in mouse embryonic fibroblasts

BACKGROUND: Low-level lasers working at 633 or 670 nm and emitting extremely low power densities (Ultra Low Level Lasers - ULLL) exert an overall effect of photobiostimulation on cellular metabolism and energy balance. In previous studies, it was demonstrated that ULLL pulsed emission mode regulates neurite elongation in vitro and exerts protective action against oxidative stress. METHODS: In this study the action of ULLL supplied in both pulsed and continuous mode vs continuous LLL on fibroblast cultures (Mouse Embryonic Fibroblast-MEF) was tested, focusing on mitochondria network and the expression level of mRNA encoding for proteins involved in the cell-matrix adhesion. RESULTS: It was shown that ULLL at 670 nm, at extremely low average power output (0.21 mW/ cm(2)) and dose (4.3 mJ/ cm(2)), when dispensed in pulsed mode (PW), but not in continuous mode (CW) supplied at both at very low (0.21 mW/cm(2)) and low levels (500 mW/cm(2)), modifies mitochondria network dynamics, as well as expression level of mRNA encoding for selective matrix proteins in MEF, e.g. collagen type 1α1 and integrin α5. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that pulsatility, but not energy density, is crucial in regulating expression level of collagen I and integrin α5 in fibroblasts by ULLL

Tools to Tie: Flower Characteristics, VOC Emission Profile, and Glandular Trichomes of Two Mexican Salvia Species to Attract Bees

A plant can combine physical and chemical tools to interact with other organisms. Some are designed for pollinator attraction (i.e., colors and volatile organic compounds-VOCs); others can act to discourage herbivores (i.e., non-glandular trichomes). Few studies fully address available tools in a single species; notwithstanding, this information can be pivotal in understanding new interactions out of the home range. We characterized flower traits, emission profiles of constitutive compounds from flowers and leaves, micro-morphology of the glandular trichomes, and listed flower visitors of two Mexican bird-pollinated Salvia species (S. blepharophylla and S. greggii), growing in an Italian botanical garden. Flowers were highly variable in their morphometric characteristics. In both species, four trichome morphotypes with similar histochemistry and distribution were documented for leaves and flowers except the calyx abaxial side. The vegetative emission profiles were qualitatively more complex than the floral ones; however, common compounds occurring in high relative percentages were β-caryophyllene and germacrene D. Floral bouquets were dominated by limonene and β-pinene in S. greggii and by 1,8-cineole in S. blepharophylla. Two potential (non-bird) pollinators were especially abundant: small bees belonging to the genus Lasioglossum and large bees belonging to the species Xylocopa violacea. Our study highlights the plasticity of these plants, as well as tools that can be conveniently used to establish novel interactions.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Focal adhesion molecules as potential target of lead toxicity in NRK-52E cell line

AbstractIn this study, we investigated the influence of inorganic lead (Pb(II)), an environmental pollutant having nephrotoxic action, on the focal adhesion (FA) organization of a rat kidney epithelial cell line (NRK-52E). In particular, we evaluated the effects of the metal on the recruitment of paxillin, focal adhesion kinase, vinculin and cytoskeleton proteins at the FAs complexes. We provided evidences that, in proliferating NRK-52E cell cultures, low concentrations of Pb(II) affect the cell adhesive ability and stimulate the disassembly of FAs, thus inhibiting the integrin-activated signalling. These effects appeared to be strictly associated to the Pb-induced arrest of cell cycle at G0/G1 phase also proved in this cell line

Land consumption in Italy

This paper illustrates a land consumption map for Italy (year 2017) at a scale 1:1,300,000, and the assessment of its changes (2012–2017). We define land consumption as the replacement of a non-artificial land cover to an artificial land cover, both permanent and no-permanent. The maps are a 10 m spatial resolution raster, produced by photointerpretation of very high resolution images and semiautomatic classification of high resolution remote sensing images. An overall accuracy of 97.7% for the map of 2012 and of 99.66% for the map of 2017 was obtained. The results suggest that the method proposed is appropriate to detect land consumption, both for the urban densification and for the sprawling phenomena, from national to local level. Furthermore, because of the high spatial resolution and the classification scheme adopted, it is suitable for an effective monitoring system, compared to other existing classification systems or monitoring programs

Knock-down of pantothenate kinase 2 severely affects the development of the nervous and vascular system in zebrafish, providing new insights into PKAN disease

Pantothenate Kinase Associated Neurodegeneration (PKAN) is an autosomal recessive disorder with mutations in the pantothenate kinase 2 gene (PANK2), encoding an essential enzyme for Coenzyme A (CoA) biosynthesis. The molecular connection between defects in this enzyme and the neurodegenerative phenotype observed in PKAN patients is still poorly understood. We exploited the zebrafish model to study the role played by the pank2 gene during embryonic development and get new insight into PKAN pathogenesis. The zebrafish orthologue of hPANK2 lies on chromosome 13, is a maternal gene expressed in all development stages and, in adult animals, is highly abundant in CNS, dorsal aorta and caudal vein. The injection of a splice-inhibiting morpholino induced a clear phenotype with perturbed brain morphology and hydrocephalus; edema was present in the heart region and caudal plexus, where hemorrhages with reduction of blood circulation velocity were detected. We characterized the CNS phenotype by studying the expression pattern of wnt1 and neurog1 neural markers and by use of the Tg(neurod:EGFP/sox10:dsRed) transgenic line. The results evidenced that downregulation of pank2 severely impairs neuronal development, particularly in the anterior part of CNS (telencephalon). Whole-mount in situ hybridization analysis of the endothelial markers cadherin-5 and fli1a, and use of Tg(fli1a:EGFP/gata1a:dsRed) transgenic line, confirmed the essential role of pank2 in the formation of the vascular system. The specificity of the morpholino-induced phenotype was proved by the restoration of a normal development in a high percentage of embryos co-injected with pank2 mRNA. Also, addition of pantethine or CoA, but not of vitamin B5, to pank2 morpholino-injected embryos rescued the phenotype with high efficiency. The zebrafish model indicates the relevance of pank2 activity and CoA homeostasis for normal neuronal development and functioning and provides evidence of an unsuspected role for this enzyme and its product in vascular development

Guanine inhibits the growth of human glioma and melanoma cell lines by interacting with GPR23

Guanine-based purines (GBPs) exert numerous biological effects at the central nervous system through putative membrane receptors, the existence of which is still elusive. To shed light on this question, we screened orphan and poorly characterized G protein-coupled receptors (GPRs), selecting those that showed a high purinoreceptor similarity and were expressed in glioma cells, where GBPs exerted a powerful antiproliferative effect. Of the GPRs chosen, only the silencing of GPR23, also known as lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) 4 receptor, counteracted GBP-induced growth inhibition in U87 cells. Guanine (GUA) was the most potent compound behind the GPR23-mediated effect, acting as the endpoint effector of GBP antiproliferative effects. Accordingly, cells stably expressing GPR23 showed increased sensitivity to GUA. Furthermore, while GPR23 expression was low in a hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl-transferase (HGPRT)-mutated melanoma cell line showing poor sensitivity to GBPs, and in HGPRT-silenced glioma cells, GPR23-induced expression in both cell types rescued GUA-mediated cell growth inhibition. Finally, binding experiments using [H-3]-GUA and U87 cell membranes revealed the existence of a selective GUA binding (K-D = 29.44 & PLUSMN; 4.07 nM; Bmax 1.007 & PLUSMN; 0.035 pmol/mg prot) likely to GPR23. Overall, these data suggest GPR23 involvement in modulating responses to GUA in tumor cell lines, although further research needs to verify whether this receptor mediates other GUA effects

Reduction of multiple pregnancies in the advanced maternal age population after implementation of an elective single embryo transfer policy coupled with enhanced embryo selection: Pre- and post-intervention study

STUDY QUESTION Is an elective single-embryo transfer (eSET) policy an efficient approach for women aged >35 years when embryo selection is enhanced via blastocyst culture and preimplantation genetic screening (PGS)? SUMMARY ANSWER Elective SET coupled with enhanced embryo selection using PGS in women older than 35 years reduced the multiple pregnancy rates while maintaining the cumulative success rate of the IVF programme. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Multiple pregnancies mean an increased risk of premature birth and perinatal death and occur mainly in older patients when multiple embryos are transferred to increase the chance of pregnancy. A SET policy is usually recommended in cases of good prognosis patients, but no general consensus has been reached for SET application in the advanced maternal age (AMA) population, defined as women older than 35 years. Our objective was to evaluate the results in terms of efficacy, efficiency and safety of an eSET policy coupled with increased application of blastocyst culture and PGS for this population of patients in our IVF programme. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION In January 2013, a multidisciplinary intervention involving optimization of embryo selection procedure and introduction of an eSET policy in an AMA population of women was implemented. This is a retrospective 4-year (January 2010-December 2013) pre- and post-intervention analysis, including 1161 and 499 patients in the pre- and post-intervention period, respectively. The primary outcome measures were the cumulative delivery rate (DR) per oocyte retrieval cycle and multiple DR. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Surplus oocytes and/or embryos were vitrified during the entire study period. In the post-intervention period, all couples with good quality embryos and less than two previous implantation failures were offered eSET. Embryo selection was enhanced by blastocyst culture and PGS (blastocyst stage biopsy and 24-chromosomal screening). Elective SET was also applied in cryopreservation cycles. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Patient and cycle characteristics were similar in the pre- and post-intervention groups [mean (SD) female age: 39.6 ± 2.1 and 39.4 ± 2.2 years; range 36-44] as assessed by logistic regression. A total of 1609 versus 574 oocyte retrievals, 937 versus 350 embryo warming and 138 versus 27 oocyte warming cycles were performed in the pre- and post-intervention periods, respectively, resulting in 1854 and 508 embryo transfers, respectively. In the post-intervention period, 289 cycles were blastocyst stage with (n = 182) or without PGS (n = 107). A mean (SD) number of 2.9 ± 1.1 (range 1-4) and 1.4 ± 0.8 (range 1-3) embryos were transferred pre- and post-intervention, respectively (P < 0.01) and similar cumulative clinical pregnancy rates per transfer and per cycle were obtained: 26.8, 30.9% and 29.7, 26.3%, respectively. The total DR per oocyte retrieval cycle (21.0 and 20.4% pre- and post-intervention, respectively) defined as efficacy was not affected by the intervention [odds ratio (OR) = 0.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.7-1.1; P = 0.23]. However, a significantly increased live birth rate per transferred embryo (defined as efficiency) was observed in the post-intervention group 17.0 versus 10.6% (P < 0.01). Multiple DRs decreased from 21.0 in the preintervention to 6.8% in the post-intervention group (OR = 0.3. 95% CI = 0.1-0.7; P < 0.01). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION In this study, the suitability of SET was assessed in individual women on the basis of both clinical and embryological prognostic factors and was not standardized. For the described eSET strategy coupled with an enhanced embryo selection policy, an optimized culture system, cryopreservation and aneuploidy screening programme is necessary. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Owing to the increased maternal morbidity and perinatal complications related to multiple pregnancies, it is recommended to extend the eSET policy to the AMA population. As shown in this study, enhanced embryo selection procedures might allow a reduction in the number of embryos transferred and the number of transfers to be performed without affecting the total efficacy of the treatment but increasing efficiency and safety. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology

The Association between Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms, including miR-499a Genetic Variants, and Dyslipidemia in Subjects Treated with Pharmacological or Phytochemical Lipid-Lowering Agents

none12noDisorders of lipoprotein metabolism are among the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) development. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been associated with the individual variability in blood lipid profile and response to lipid-lowering treatments. Here, we genotyped 34 selected SNPs located in coding genes related to lipid metabolism, inflammation, coagulation, and a polymorphism in the MIR499 gene-a microRNA previously linked to CVD-to evaluate the association with lipid trait in subjects with moderate dyslipidemia not on lipid-lowering treatment (Treatment-naïve (TN) cohort, n = 125) and in patients treated with statins (STAT cohort, n = 302). We also explored the association between SNPs and the effect of a novel phytochemical lipid-lowering treatment in the TN cohort. We found that 6 SNPs (in the MIR499, TNFA, CETP, SOD2, and VEGFA genes) were associated with lipid traits in the TN cohort, while no association was found with the response to twelve-week phytochemical treatment. In the STAT cohort, nine SNPs (in the MIR499, CETP, CYP2C9, IL6, ABCC2, PON1, IL10, and VEGFA genes) were associated with lipid traits, three of which were in common with the TN cohort. Interestingly, in both cohorts, the presence of the rs3746444 MIR499 SNP was associated with a more favorable blood lipid profile. Our findings could add information to better understand the individual genetic variability in maintaining a low atherogenic lipid profile and the response to different lipid-lowering therapies.openGiuliani, Angelica; Montesanto, Alberto; Matacchione, Giulia; Graciotti, Laura; Ramini, Deborah; Protic, Olga; Galeazzi, Roberta; Antonicelli, Roberto; Tortato, Elena; Bonfigli, Anna Rita; Sabbatinelli, Jacopo; Olivieri, FabiolaGiuliani, Angelica; Montesanto, Alberto; Matacchione, Giulia; Graciotti, Laura; Ramini, Deborah; Protic, Olga; Galeazzi, Roberta; Antonicelli, Roberto; Tortato, Elena; Bonfigli, Anna Rita; Sabbatinelli, Jacopo; Olivieri, Fabiol