On relative isodiametric inequalities

We consider subdivisions of convex bodies G in two subsets E and G\E. We obtain several inequalities comparing the relative volume 1) with the minimum relative diameter and 2) with the maximum relative diameter. In the second case we obtain the best upper estimate only for subdivisions determined by straight lines in planar sets

Molecular Cloning and Characterization of the Human Diacylglycerol Kinase β (DGKβ) Gene ALTERNATIVE SPLICING GENERATES DGKβ ISOTYPES WITH DIFFERENT PROPERTIES

Diacylglycerol kinases are key modulators of levels of diacylglycerol, a second messenger involved in a variety of cellular responses to extracellular stimuli. A number of diacylglycerol kinases encoded by separate genes are present in mammalian genomes. We have cloned cDNAs encoding several isoforms of the human homologue of the rat diacylglycerol kinase β gene and characterized two such isoforms that differ at their carboxyl terminus through alternative splicing and the usage of different polyadenylation signals. Quantitative analysis of gene expression in a panel of human tissue cDNAs revealed that transcripts corresponding to both isoforms are co-expressed in central nervous system tissues and in the uterus, with one variant being expressed at relatively higher levels. As green fluorescent protein fusions, the two isoforms displayed localization to different subcellular compartments, with one variant being associated with the plasma membrane, while the other isoform was predominantly localized within the cytoplasm. Differences were also observed in their subcellular localization in response to phorbol ester stimulation. Enzymatic assays demonstrated that the two isoforms display comparable diacylglycerol kinase activities. Therefore, the human diacylglycerol kinase β gene can generate several enzyme isoforms, which can display different expression levels and subcellular localization but similar enzymatic activities in vitro

Evolution of the lactic acid bacterial biofilms on different wood typologies applied for the production of vats intended for cheese making

The present work was carried out to evaluate the lactic acid bacterial biofilms formation on wooden vat produced with seven different woods, derived from trees species grown in Sicily. The biofilm formation on the wooden surfaces was performed as reported by Gaglio et al. Microbiological and scanning electron microscopy analyses did not show differences in terms of microbial levels and composition within the neoformed biofilms (Fig.1). The specific investigation of Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli and positive-coagulase staphylococci did not generate any colony for all vats before and after microbial activation. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) populations dominated the surfaces of all vats and the highest concentration of approximately 7.63 Log CFU/cm2 was registered for thermophilic cocci. All colonies of different morphologies were isolated and characterized for their physiological and biochemical characteristics before being investigated genetically at strain level by RAPD-PCR and species level by a polyphasic approach consisting of 16S rRNA gene sequencing. As reported in a preview investigation conducted on wooden vat surfaces. we found species within the genera Enterococcus, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, and Streptococcus. The species most frequently present were Lactobacillus fermentum and Lactococcus lactis. The technological characterization of the LAB found at high numbers on to the surfaces of the wooden vats showed interesting dairy properties. In order to deeply investigate on the safety of the wooden vat, a test of artificial contamination on new Calabrian chestnut vats was carried out showing that the acidity and the bacteriocin generated by LAB represent efficient barriers to their adhesion. This study highlights the importance to use the wooden vats for traditional cheese production and provides evidences for their safety in terms of bacterial community evolution

Formation and Characterization of Early Bacterial Biofilms on Different Wood Typologies Applied in Dairy Production

The main hypothesis of this work was that Sicilian forestry resources are suitable for the production of equipment to be used in cheese making and indigenous milk lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are able to develop stable biofilms providing starter and nonstarter cultures necessary for curd fermentation and cheese ripening, respectively. Hence, the present work was carried out with deproteinized whey to evaluate LAB biofilm formation on different woods derived from tree species grown in Sicily. Microbiological and scanning electron microscopy analyses showed minimal differences in microbial levels and compositions for the neoformed biofilms. The specific investigation of Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, coagulase-positive staphylococci (CPS), and sulfite-reducing anaerobes did not generate any colony for all vats before and after bacterial adhesion. LAB populations dominated all vat surfaces. The highest levels (7.63 log CFU/cm2) were registered for thermophilic cocci. Different colonies were characterized physiologically, biochemically, and genetically (at strain and species levels). Six species within the genera Enterococcus, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, and Streptococcus were identified. The species most frequently present were Lactobacillus fermentum and Lactococcus lactis. LAB found on the surfaces of the wooden vats in this study showed interesting characteristics important for dairy manufacture. To thoroughly investigate the safety of the wooden vat, a test of artificial contamination on new Calabrian chestnut (control wood) vats was carried out. The results showed that LAB represent efficient barriers to the adhesion of the main dairy pathogens, probably due to their acidity and bacteriocin generation. IMPORTANCE This study highlights the importance of using wooden vats for traditional cheese production and provides evidence for the valorization the Sicilian forest wood resources via the production of dairy equipment

Highly Conserved Non-Coding Sequences and the 18q Critical Region for Short Stature: A Common Mechanism of Disease?

Background. Isolated growth hormone deficiency (IGHD) and multiple pituitary hormone deficiency (MPHD) are heterogeneous disorders with several different etiologies and they are responsible for most cases of short stature. Mutations in different genes have been identified but still many patients did not present mutations in any of the known genes. Chromosomal rearrangements may also be involved in short stature and, among others, deletions of 18q23 defined a critical region for the disorder. No gene was yet identified. Methodology/Principal Findings. We now report a balanced translocation X;18 in a patient presenting a breakpoint in 18q23 that was surprisingly mapped about 500 Kb distal from the short stature critical region. It separated from the flanking SALL3 gene a region enriched in highly conserved non-coding elements (HCNE) that appeared to be regulatory sequences, active as enhancers or silencers during embryonic development. Conclusion. We propose that, during pituitary development, the 18q rearrangement may alter expression of 18q genes or of X chromosome genes that are translocated next to the HCNEs. Alteration of expression of developmentally regulated genes by translocation of HCNEs may represent a common mechanism for disorders associated to isolated chromosomal rearrangements. © 2008 Rizzolio et al

A Metabolic Imaging Study of Lexical and Phonological Naming Errors in Alzheimer Disease

Patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) produce a variety of errors on confrontation naming that indicate multiple loci of impairment along the naming process in this disease. We correlated brain hypometabolism, measured with 18fluoro-deoxy-glucose positron emission tomography, with semantic and formal errors, as well as nonwords deriving from phonological errors produced in a picture-naming test by 63 patients with AD. Findings suggest that neurodegeneration leads to: (1) phonemic errors, by interfering with phonological short-term memory, or with control over retrieval of phonological or prearticulatory representations, within the left supramarginal gyrus; (2) semantic errors, by disrupting general semantic or visual-semantic representations at the level of the left posterior middle and inferior occipitotemporal cortex, respectively; (3) formal errors, by damaging the lexical-phonological output interface in the left mid-anterior segment of middle and superior temporal gyri. This topography of semantic-lexical-phonological steps of naming is in substantial agreement with dual-stream neurocognitive models of word generation

Variation of hemoglobin levels in normal Italian populations from genetic isolates.

Normal hemoglobin levels vary greatly according to genetic and acquired factors. As a consequence there is no general agreement on the definition of anemia in terms of hemoglobin levels. Here we compare the hemoglobin levels of subjects recruited from normal genetically isolated Italian populations whose medical history, life style habits and results of laboratory tests are available. After the exclusion of pathological samples we analyzed the hemoglobin levels of 3,849 subjects (1,661 males and 2,188 females) and evaluated the hemoglobin heritability. Normal subjects of different age groups from a northern Italian isolate have significantly higher hemoglobin levels when compared to matched subjects of southern Italian isolates. The estimated heritability of hemoglobin levels ranges from 0.34 to 0.42 in the different isolates. Our study provides a dataset of hemoglobin levels for normal subjects of different geographical origin and indicate that hemoglobin levels are substantially influenced by heritable components

Expression of verocytotoxic Escherichia coli antigens in tobacco seeds and evaluation of gut immunity after oral administration in mouse model

Verocytotoxic Escherichia (E.) coli strains are responsible for swine oedema disease, which is an enterotoxaemia that causes economic losses in the pig industry. The production of a vaccine for oral administration in transgenic seeds could be an efficient system to stimulate local immunity. This study was conducted to transform tobacco plants for the seed-specific expression of antigenic proteins from a porcine verocytotoxic E. coli strain. Parameters related to an immunological response and possible adverse effects on the oral administration of obtained tobacco seeds were evaluated in a mouse model. Tobacco was transformed via Agrobacteium tumefaciens with chimeric constructs containing structural parts of the major subunit FedA of the F18 adhesive fimbriae and VT2e B-subunit genes under control of a seed specific GLOB promoter. We showed that the foreign Vt2e-B and F18 genes were stably accumulated in storage tissue by the immunostaining method. In addition, Balb-C mice receiving transgenic tobacco seeds via the oral route showed a significant increase in IgA-positive plasma cell presence in tunica propria when compared to the control group with no observed adverse effects. Our findings encourage future studies focusing on swine for evaluation of the protective effects of transformed tobacco seeds against E. coli infection

Switchable graphene-substrate coupling through formation/dissolution of an intercalated Ni-carbide layer

Control over the film-substrate interaction is key to the exploitation of graphene\u2019s unique electronic properties. Typically, a buffer layer is irreversibly intercalated \u201cfrom above\u201d to ensure decoupling. For graphene/Ni(111) we instead tune the film interaction \u201cfrom below\u201d. By temperature controlling the formation/dissolution of a carbide layer under rotated graphene domains, we reversibly switch graphene\u2019s electronic structure from semi-metallic to metallic. Our results are relevant for the design of controllable graphene/metal interfaces in functional devices