Sicilia—silicon carbide detectors for intense luminosity investigations and applications

Silicon carbide (SiC) is a compound semiconductor, which is considered as a possible alternative to silicon for particles and photons detection. Its characteristics make it very promising for the next generation of nuclear and particle physics experiments at high beam luminosity. Silicon Carbide detectors for Intense Luminosity Investigations and Applications (SiCILIA) is a project starting as a collaboration between the Italian National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN) and IMM-CNR, aiming at the realization of innovative detection systems based on SiC. In this paper, we discuss the main features of silicon carbide as a material and its potential application in the field of particles and photons detectors, the project structure and the strategies used for the prototype realization, and the first results concerning prototype production and their performance

Stent Thrombosis and Restenosis with Contemporary Drug-Eluting Stents: Predictors and Current Evidence

Iterations in stent technologies, advances in pharmacotherapy, and awareness of the implications of implantation techniques have markedly reduced the risk of stent failure, both in the form of stent thrombosis (ST) and in-stent restenosis (ISR). However, given the number of percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) performed worldwide every year, ST and ISR, albeit occurring at a fairly low rate, represent a public health problem even with contemporary DES platforms. The understanding of mechanisms and risk factors for these two PCI complications has been of fundamental importance for the parallel evolution of stent technologies. Risk factors associated with ST and ISR are usually divided into patient-, lesion-, device- and procedure-related. A number of studies have shown how certain risk factors are related to early (1 month) versus late/very late ST (between 1 month and 1 year and >1 year, respectively). However, more research is required to conclusively show the role of time-dependence of risk factors also in the incidence of ISR (early [1 year] or late [>1 year]). A thorough risk assessment is required due to the complex etiology of ST and ISR. The most effective strategy to treat ST and ISR is still to prevent them; hence, it is crucial to identify patient-, lesion-, device- and procedure-related predictors

Functionally active recombinant flavonoid 3’-hydroxylase from a pelargonidin accumulating poinsettia cultivar

European Union's Horizon 202

Metabolite investigations of poinsettia cultivars

Europäische Kommissio

Comparison of DNA extraction methods for pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica detection from meat food by nested PCR

The objective of this work was to compare three different methods of DNA extraction from meat food, and to determine whether these methods removed inhibitors of nested PCR for pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica detection. The amplification of the yadA gene from the DNA obtained from a pure Y. enterocolitica culture could be carried out with all the protocols. DNA amplification from the food samples was observed with two of the three tested protocols, which gave highly sensitive amplifications (detection limit 1 CFU/ml). These protocols detected a lower limit of 0.6 fg/μl of DNA extracted from Y. enterocolitica pure culture. We concluded that these protocols were able to eliminate satisfactorily the PCR inhibitors present in the foods. The nested PCR tested could be used satisfactorily in the investigation of pathogenic Y. enterocolitica in foods in the presence of a high background of microflora.Fil: Lucero Estrada, Cecilia Stella Marys. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Área Microbiología; ArgentinaFil: Velázquez, Lidia del Carmen. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Área Microbiología; ArgentinaFil: Di Genaro, Maria Silvia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Área Microbiología; ArgentinaFil: Stefanini de Guzman, Ana Maria Teresa Valentina. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Área Microbiología; Argentin

Evaluation of chlorine, benzalkonium chloride and lactic acid as sanitizers for reducing Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Yersinia enterocolitica on fresh vegetables

The effectiveness in the assurance of fresh vegetable microbiological quality of wash solutions containing 200 ppm free chlorine, 0.1 mg/ml benzalkonium chloride, 0.2% and 1% lactic acid was assessed on Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Yersinia enterocolitica contaminated lettuce and tomatoes. Y. enterocolitica reduction on tomatoes (5.08, 4.77 and 4.21 log after 0.2% lactic acid, 200 ppm chlorine and 0.1 mg/ml benzalkonium chloride treatments, respectively) were significantly higher than those for Y. enterocolitica on lettuce and E. coli O157:H7 on both vegetables. Antimicrobial treatment effects on bacterial counts and product quality after subsequent 7 day storage (4 C and 22 C) were determined. No pathogens were found in natural microflora of fresh vegetables.Fil: Velázquez, Lidia del Carmen. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Área Microbiología; ArgentinaFil: Barbini, Norma Beatriz. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Área Microbiología; ArgentinaFil: Escudero, María Esther. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Área Microbiología; ArgentinaFil: Lucero Estrada, Cecilia Stella Marys. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Área Microbiología; ArgentinaFil: Stefanini de Guzman, Ana Maria Teresa Valentina. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Área Microbiología; Argentin

Pulsed field, PCR ribotyping and multiplex PCR analysis of Yersinia enterocolitica strains isolated from meat food in San Luis Argentina

The characterization of phenotypic and genotypic virulence markers of Yersinia enterocolitica strains belonging to biotypes (B) 1A, 2 and 3, mostly isolated from food in San Luis, Argentina, and the assessment of their genotypic diversity using PFGE and PCR ribotyping, were performed in our laboratory for the first time. Thirty five Y. enterocolitica strains, two reference strains and 33 strains isolated in our laboratory were studied. The presence of virF, ail, ystA, and myfA genes was investigated by multiplex PCR. The pathogenic potential of B1A strains, the most predominant biotype of Y. enterocolitica strains isolated from meat in our region, was investigated by simple PCR. Four B1A strains were positive for ystB gene. Four Y. enterocolitica 2/O:9 (bio/serotype) and two 3/O:5 strains isolated in our laboratory showed virulence-related results in the phenotypic tests and multiplex PCR. A good correlation between the expression of virulence markers and their corresponding genotypes was observed for most strains. Sixteen genomic types (GT) and 9 different intergenic spacer region (SR) groups were generated by PFGE and PCR ribotyping, respectively. In both cases the Y. enterocolitica 2/O:9 strains were separately clustered from 1A and 3/O:5 strains. Meat foods might be vehicles of transmission of pathogenic Y. enterocolitica strains in our region.Fil: Lucero Estrada, Cecilia Stella Marys. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Área Microbiología; ArgentinaFil: Velázquez, Lidia de Carmen. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Área Microbiología; ArgentinaFil: Escudero, María Esther. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Área Microbiología; ArgentinaFil: Favier, Gabriela Isabel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Área Microbiología; ArgentinaFil: Lazarte Otero, Valeria Sabrina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Área Microbiología; ArgentinaFil: Stefanini de Guzman, Ana Maria Teresa Valentina. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Área Microbiología; Argentin

The rare orange-red colored Euphorbia pulcherrima cultivar 'Harvest Orange' shows a nonsense mutation in a flavonoid 3'-hydroxylase allele expressed in the bracts

Background: Commercially available poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) varieties prevalently accumulate cyanidin derivatives and show intense red coloration. Orange-red bract color is less common. We investigated four cultivars displaying four different red hues with respect to selected enzymes and genes of the anthocyanin pathway, putatively determining the color hue. Results: Red hues correlated with anthocyanin composition and concentration and showed common dark red coloration in cultivars 'Christmas Beauty' and 'Christmas Feeling' where cyanidin derivatives were prevalent. In contrast, orange-red bract color is based on the prevalent presence of pelargonidin derivatives that comprised 85% of the total anthocyanin content in cv. 'Premium Red' and 96% in cv. 'Harvest Orange' (synonym: 'Orange Spice'). cDNA clones of flavonoid 3'-hydroxylase (F3'H) and dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR) were isolated from the four varieties, and functional activity and substrate specificity of the corresponding recombinant enzymes were studied. Kinetic studies demonstrated that poinsettia DFRs prefer dihydromyricetin and dihydroquercetin over dihydrokaempferol, and thus, favor the formation of cyanidin over pelargonidin. Whereas the F3'H cDNA clones of cultivars 'Christmas Beauty', 'Christmas Feeling', and 'Premium Red' encoded functionally active enzymes, the F3'H cDNA clone of cv. 'Harvest Orange' contained an insertion of 28 bases, which is partly a duplication of 20 bases found close to the insertion site. This causes a frameshift mutation with a premature stop codon after nucleotide 132 and, therefore, a non-functional enzyme. Heterozygosity of the F3'H was demonstrated in this cultivar, but only the mutated allele was expressed in the bracts. No correlation between F3'H-expression and the color hue could be observed in the four species. Conclusions: Rare orange-red poinsettia hues caused by pelargonidin based anthocyanins can be achieved by different mechanisms. F3'H is a critical step in the establishment of orange red poinsettia color. Although poinsettia DFR shows a low substrate specificity for dihydrokaempferol, sufficient precursor for pelargonidin formation is available in planta, in the absence of F3'H activity

The rare orange-red colored Euphorbia pulcherrima cultivar ‘Harvest Orange’ shows a nonsense mutation in a flavonoid 3’-hydroxylase allele expressed in the bracts

Abstract Background Commercially available poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) varieties prevalently accumulate cyanidin derivatives and show intense red coloration. Orange-red bract color is less common. We investigated four cultivars displaying four different red hues with respect to selected enzymes and genes of the anthocyanin pathway, putatively determining the color hue. Results Red hues correlated with anthocyanin composition and concentration and showed common dark red coloration in cultivars ‘Christmas Beauty’ and ‘Christmas Feeling’ where cyanidin derivatives were prevalent. In contrast, orange-red bract color is based on the prevalent presence of pelargonidin derivatives that comprised 85% of the total anthocyanin content in cv. ‘Premium Red’ and 96% in cv. ‘Harvest Orange’ (synonym: ‘Orange Spice’). cDNA clones of flavonoid 3′-hydroxylase (F3′H) and dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR) were isolated from the four varieties, and functional activity and substrate specificity of the corresponding recombinant enzymes were studied. Kinetic studies demonstrated that poinsettia DFRs prefer dihydromyricetin and dihydroquercetin over dihydrokaempferol, and thus, favor the formation of cyanidin over pelargonidin. Whereas the F3′H cDNA clones of cultivars ‘Christmas Beauty’, ‘Christmas Feeling’, and ‘Premium Red’ encoded functionally active enzymes, the F3′H cDNA clone of cv. ‘Harvest Orange’ contained an insertion of 28 bases, which is partly a duplication of 20 bases found close to the insertion site. This causes a frameshift mutation with a premature stop codon after nucleotide 132 and, therefore, a non-functional enzyme. Heterozygosity of the F3′H was demonstrated in this cultivar, but only the mutated allele was expressed in the bracts. No correlation between F3′H-expression and the color hue could be observed in the four species. Conclusions Rare orange-red poinsettia hues caused by pelargonidin based anthocyanins can be achieved by different mechanisms. F3′H is a critical step in the establishment of orange red poinsettia color. Although poinsettia DFR shows a low substrate specificity for dihydrokaempferol, sufficient precursor for pelargonidin formation is available in planta, in the absence of F3’H activity