Sequencing and analysis of plasmids pAV1 and pAV2 ofAcinetobacter venetianus VE-C3 involved in diesel fuel degradation

Acinetobacter venetianus strain VE-C3 was isolated in the Venice lagoon (Italy) as a strain able to degrade diesel fuel oil. This strain possesses genes of the alkane monoxygenase complex responsible forn-alkane degradation and carries two plasmids, pAV1 (10820 bp) and pAV2 (15135 bp), which were supposed from the analysis of Alk mutant strains to harbour genetic determinants for hydrocarbon degradation. In this work we determined the nucleotide sequence of both plasmids and showed the presence of a putative aldehyde dehydrogenase gene, essential for hydrocarbon degradation, on plasmid pAV2, and of an ORF similar toalkL gene present on pAV1 plasmid. These data, combined with genetic reports indicating that strains lacking one of the two plasmids or carrying transposon insertion on pAV1, are defective inn-alkane degradation, suggest a complex genomic organisation of genes involved in alkane degradation inA. venetianus VE-C3. In this bacterium these genes are carried by both the chromosome and the plasmids, while inAcinetobacter sp. strain ADP1 and M1 all the genes for alkane monoxygenase complex are located only on the chromosome

The effect of superior pedicle breast reductions on breast sensation

The aim of this study was to assess nipple, areola and breast skin sensation after breast reductions with two different superior pedicle techniques: a short, vertical scar technique compared to a long, inverted-T scar technique. Thirty-six women with a vertical technique (group I) and ten women with an inverted-T technique (group II) with a resection weight of ≤500g per breast completed their 1-year follow-up. The four modalities used to evaluate sensation were pressure with Semmes-Weinstein filaments, vibration with a vibrometer, and temperature and pain perception on a qualitative basis. The evaluation revealed that 1-year after breast reduction, the sensation was either reduced, unaltered, or improved in both groups. In the nipple, the mean sensation was markedly reduced throughout all qualities in both groups with the exception of pain, which was enhanced. In the areola, the mean sensation was also reduced in all qualities in both groups. In the quadrants of the skin, mean sensation was improved in terms of pressure and vibration in group I (8.3% normal pressure values preoperatively vs. 70% normal pressure values postoperatively) but reduced in the lower quadrant of the skin in group II with the inverted-T scar. This reduction of pressure was also significant (p = 0.04) in comparison with group I. Apart from this difference between the two groups, this study showed that in breast reductions with a superior pedicle technique, the long-scar technique did not lead to a greater reduction of sensation in the nipple and areola than the short-scar techniqu

GLI ANTICHI MAIS DEL PIEMONTE

Il libro descrive le caratteristiche agronomiche ma anche culturali della coltivazione del mais effettuata in Piemonte nel secolo scorso, nonchè le possibilità di valorizzazione e di miglioramento delle cultivar tradizionali destinate all'alimentazione umana ed il loro ruolo nella tutela della biodiversità rurale. Nel libro si descrive inoltre il lavoro attuato dal CRAB (Centro di riferimento per l'Agricoltura Biologica, Provincia di Torino) per il recupero e la caratterizzazione delle cultivar locali di mais, che ha portato alla costituzione di un associazione di produttori e alla formazione di un gruppo di "agricoltori custodi" per la coltivazione in purezza delle sementi di queste antiche varietà maidicole

Grasslands and Open Savannas of the Dry Chaco

The Dry Chaco is mostly known as a forested ecosystem. However it includes natural grasslands, savannas, scrublands, and wetlands. With one of the highest global deforestation rates in the last two decades and only 12% of the area protected, the concern about land-use change in this ecoregion has raised exponentially; but conservation initiatives developed in last years almost exclusively targeted forests whereas natural grasslands and savannas remain as neglected ecosystem within scientific and governmental agendas. While currently the distribution of natural grassland and savanna area encompasses over 20,000 km2, historical records and spatial models indicate that natural grassland and savannas were more widespread in pre-European era. Two main reasons drove this reduction in natural grasslands and savannas: woody encroachment by fire suppression and overgrazing, and conversion to agriculture and implanted pastures. In this article, through a combination of analyzes and bibliographic revisions, we describe biotic and abiotic components of natural grassland and savannas of the Dry Chaco. We also present the current distribution and conservation status of these ecosystems, and describe the process of change and the ecological consequences for biogeochemical cycles and biologic interactions. To provide basis for management, we estimate current grazing stocking rates on natural grasslands and savannas of Argentine Dry Chaco and we propose an alternative approach to sustainably intensify the use of these ecosystems and improve cattle rancher livelihoods. Despite the existent knowledge about natural grasslands and savannas in the region, we believe that is necessary to motivate the scientific community and national institutions to increase efforts to reconcile the restoration and conservation of these particular rangelands.Fil: Fernández, Pedro. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigaciones Agropecuarias. Instituto de Investigación Animal del Chaco Semiárido; ArgentinaFil: Baumann, Mathias. Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin; AlemaniaFil: Baldi, Germán. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto de Matemática Aplicada de San Luis "Prof. Ezio Marchi". Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias Físico, Matemáticas y Naturales. Instituto de Matemática Aplicada de San Luis "Prof. Ezio Marchi"; ArgentinaFil: Banegas, Natalia Romina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigaciones Agropecuarias. Instituto de Investigación Animal del Chaco Semiárido; ArgentinaFil: Bravo, Sandra. Universidad Nacional de Santiago del Estero. Facultad de Ciencias Forestales. Instituto de Silvicultura y Manejo de Bosques; ArgentinaFil: Gasparri, Nestor Ignacio. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional; ArgentinaFil: Lucherini, Mauro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas y Biomédicas del Sur. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas y Biomédicas del Sur; ArgentinaFil: Marinaro Fuentes, María Sofía. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional; ArgentinaFil: Nanni, Ana Sofía. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional; ArgentinaFil: Nasca, Jose Andres. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigaciones Agropecuarias. Instituto de Investigación Animal del Chaco Semiárido; ArgentinaFil: Tessi, Torcuato. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Córdoba. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Manfredi; ArgentinaFil: Grau, Hector Ricardo. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional; Argentin

Statistical methodology for the analysis of dye-switch microarray experiments

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In individually dye-balanced microarray designs, each biological sample is hybridized on two different slides, once with <it>Cy3 </it>and once with <it>Cy5</it>. While this strategy ensures an automatic correction of the gene-specific labelling bias, it also induces dependencies between log-ratio measurements that must be taken into account in the statistical analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We present two original statistical procedures for the statistical analysis of individually balanced designs. These procedures are compared with the usual ML and REML mixed model procedures proposed in most statistical toolboxes, on both simulated and real data.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The UP procedure we propose as an alternative to usual mixed model procedures is more efficient and significantly faster to compute. This result provides some useful guidelines for the analysis of complex designs.</p

Guideline-Based Follow-Up Outcomes in Patients With Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor With Low Risk of Recurrence: A Report From the Italian Sarcoma Group

Importance: Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) follow-up is recommended by international guidelines, but data on the role of follow-up in patients with low relapse risk are missing. For these patients, the potential benefit of anticipating recurrence detection should be weighed against psychological burden and radiologic examination loads in terms of costs and radiation exposure. Objective: To evaluate the outcomes of guideline-based follow-up in low-risk GIST. Design, setting, and participants: This multi-institutional retrospective cohort study involving Italian Sarcoma Group reference institutions evaluated patients with GIST who underwent surgery between January 2001 and June 2019. Median follow-up time was 69.2 months. Data analysis was performed from December 15, 2022, to March 20, 2023. Patients with GIST at low risk according to Armed Forces Institute of Pathology criteria were included provided adequate clinical information was available: primary site, size, mitotic index, surgical margins, and 2 or more years of follow-up. Exposures: All patients underwent follow-up according to European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) guidelines. Main outcomes and measures: The primary outcome was the number of tests needed to identify a relapse according to ESMO guidelines follow-up plan. Secondary outcomes included relapse rate, relapse timing, disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), GIST-specific survival (GIST-SS), postrelapse OS, secondary tumor rates, and theoretical ionizing radiation exposure. An exploratory end point, new follow-up schedule proposal for patients with low-risk GIST according to the observed results, was also assessed. Results: A total of 737 patients (377 men [51.2%]; median age at diagnosis, 63 [range, 18-86] years) with low-risk GIST were included. Estimated 5-year survival rates were 95.5% for DFS, 99.8% for GIST-SS, and 96.1% for OS. Estimated 10-year survival rates were 93.4% for DFS, 98.1% for GIST-SS, and 91.0% for OS. Forty-two patients (5.7%) experienced disease relapse during follow-up (9 local, 31 distant, 2 both), of which 9 were detected after 10 or more years. This translated into approximately 1 relapse detected for every 170 computed tomography scans performed, with a median radiation exposure of 80 (IQR, 32-112) mSv per patient. Nongastric primary tumor (hazard ratio [HR], 2.09; 95% CI, 1.14-3.83; P = .02), and KIT mutation (HR, 2.77; 95% CI, 1.05-7.27; P = .04) were associated with a higher risk of relapse. Second tumors affected 187 of 737 patients (25%), of which 56 were detected during follow-up and represented the primary cause of death in these patients. Conclusions and relevance: In this cohort study on patients affected by low-risk GISTs, the risk of relapse was low despite a follow-up across 10 or more years. These data suggest the need to revise follow-up schedules to reduce the anxiety, costs, and radiation exposure of currently recommended follow-up strategy

Identification of a mitotic recombination hotspot on chromosome III of the asexual fungus Aspergillus niger and its possible correlation elevated basal transcription

Genetic recombination is an important tool in strain breeding in many organisms. We studied the possibilities of mitotic recombination in strain breeding of the asexual fungus Aspergillus niger. By identifying genes that complemented mapped auxotrophic mutations, the physical map was compared to the genetic map of chromosome III using the genome sequence. In a program to construct a chromosome III-specific marker strain by selecting mitotic crossing-over in diploids, a mitotic recombination hotspot was identified. Analysis of the mitotic recombination hotspot revealed some physical features, elevated basal transcription and a possible correlation with purine stretches