Modulation of Hydra attenuata rhythmic activity. Photic stimulation.

We investigated in Hydra attenuata the possibility of altering more or less permanently and in different environmental conditions, the frequency of Contraction Pulse Trains (CPT's) associated with the rhythmic spontaneous contraction activity, by repetitive light stimuli of variable duration, frequency and amplitude. The CPT's activity of various pieces of Hydra has been also investigated in indisturbed conditions and under stimulation. The following observations have been performed. 1. A transient effect, consisting of an increase or a decrease of CPT's frequency, occurs respectively after an abrupt decrease or increase of the light level. 2. If Hydra is stimulated by repetitive light pulses of 0.5-10 sec duration, at a frequency different from the CPT's average one, the CPT's frequency modifies; if the stimulation frequency is included in a range not too much up or below that of CPT's the new CPT's frequency equals exactly that of stimulation; close to this range the CPT's frequency is a multiple or submultiple of that of stimulation. 3. No habituation to such repetitive stimulation was found. 4. The phase relation between CPT's at the new frequency and light stimuli is a function of the difference between CPT's and stimulation frequencies. 5. Stimulation with repetition of light and darkness periods of some minutes duration induces activity only or mainly during darkness. 6. Modification of CPT's frequency by means of repetitive light stimulation [of the type mentioned either in 2) or 5)] has been observed also with hypostomal preparations. 7. With cessation of the light stimulation, the new CPT's frequency of the whole animal lasts in darkness for a time (10-85 min) that is about 5-10 times longer than that necessary to obtain CPT's syncronization with stimulation. 8. The influence of the light intensity level on transient CPT's frequency variation (see 1), CPT's inhibition and stimulation, promptness of entrainment, range of entrainability, phase relation between entrained CPT's and stimuli, retention time of entrained rhythm has been examined, together with the influence of the reversal of polarity of light transitions on CPT's inhibition and entrainment.     

Improving material efficiency in the life cycle of products: a review of EU Ecolabel criteria

The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment - Material efficiency encompasses a range of strategies that support a reduction of material consumption and waste production from a...     

Using life cycle assessment to achieve a circular economy

The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment - The current global interest in circular economy (CE) opens an opportunity to make society’s consumption and production patterns more...     

Differential Denaturation of Serum Proteome Reveals a Significant Amount of Hidden Information in Complex Mixtures of Proteins

Recently developed proteomic technologies allow to profile thousands of proteins within a high-throughput approach towards biomarker discovery, although results are not as satisfactory as expected. In the present study we demonstrate that serum proteome denaturation is a key underestimated feature; in fact, a new differential denaturation protocol better discriminates serum proteins according to their electrophoretic mobility as compared to single-denaturation protocols. Sixty nine different denaturation treatments were tested and the 3 most discriminating ones were selected (TRIDENT analysis) and applied to human sera, showing a significant improvement of serum protein discrimination as confirmed by MALDI-TOF/MS and LC-MS/MS identification, depending on the type of denaturation applied. Thereafter sera from mice and patients carrying cutaneous melanoma were analyzed through TRIDENT. Nine and 8 protein bands were found differentially expressed in mice and human melanoma sera, compared to healthy controls (p<0.05); three of them were found, for the first time, significantly modulated: α2macroglobulin (down-regulated in melanoma, p<0.001), Apolipoprotein-E and Apolipoprotein-A1 (both up-regulated in melanoma, p<0.04), both in mice and humans. The modulation was confirmed by immunological methods. Other less abundant proteins (e.g. gelsolin) were found significantly modulated (p<0.05).Conclusions: i) serum proteome contains a large amount of information, still neglected, related to proteins folding; ii) a careful serum denaturation may significantly improve analytical procedures involving complex protein mixtures; iii) serum differential denaturation protocol highlights interesting proteomic differences between cancer and healthy sera.     

Membrane Fluctuations Destabilize Clathrin Protein Lattice Order

We develop a theoretical model of a clathrin protein lattice on a flexible cell membrane. The clathrin subunit is modeled as a three-legged pinwheel with elastic deformation modes and intersubunit binding interactions. The pinwheels are constrained to lie on the surface of an elastic sheet that opposes bending deformation and is subjected to tension. Through Monte Carlo simulations, we predict the equilibrium phase behavior of clathrin lattices at various levels of tension. High membrane tensions, which correspond to suppressed membrane fluctuations, tend to stabilize large, flat crystalline structures similar to plaques that have been observed in vivo on cell membranes that are adhered to rigid surfaces. Low tensions, on the other hand, give rise to disordered, defect-ridden lattices that behave in a fluidlike manner. The principles of two-dimensional melting theory are applied to our model system to further clarify how high tensions can stabilize crystalline order on flexible membranes. These results demonstrate the importance of environmental physical cues in dictating the collective behavior of self-assembled protein structures.     

Low‐Temperature Behaviour of Charge Transfer Excitons in Narrow‐Bandgap Polymer‐Based Bulk Heterojunctions

Photoluminescence studies of the charge transfer exciton emission from a narrow‐bandgap polymer‐based bulk heterojunction are reported. The quantum yield of this emission is as high as 0.03%. Low temperature measurements reveal that while the dynamics of the singlet exciton is slower at low temperature, the dynamics of the charge transfer exciton emission is temperature independent. This behavior rules out any diffusion process of the charge transfer excitons and energy transfer from these interfacial states toward lower lying states. Photoluminescence measurements performed on the device under bias show a reduction (but not the total suppression) of the charge transfer exciton recombination. Finally, based on the low temperature results the role of the charge transfer excitons and the possible pathways to populate them are identified.     

Anoxybacillus thermarum sp. nov., a novel thermophilic bacterium isolated from thermal mud in Euganean hot springs, Abano Terme, Italy

A novel aerobe thermophilic endospore-forming bacterium designated strain AF/04^T was isolated from thermal mud located in Euganean hot springs, Abano Terme, Padova, Italy. Strain AF/04^T was Gram-positive, motile, rod-shaped, occurring in pairs, or filamentous. The isolate grew between 55 and 67°C (optimum 65°C) and at pH 6.0–7.5 (optimum pH 7.2). The strain was aerobic and grew on maltose, trehalose, and sodium acetate as sole carbon sources. The G + C content of DNA was 53.5 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain AF/04^T falls within the genus Anoxybacillus. Levels of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity between strain AF/04^T and the type strains of recognized Anoxybacillus species ranged from 95 to 99%. Chemotaxonomic data (major isoprenoid quinone–menaquinone-7; major fatty acid iso-C15:0 and anteiso-C17:0) supported the affiliation of strain AF/04^T to the genus Anoxybacillus. Based on phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics, 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis and DNA–DNA hybridization data, it was proposed that strain AF/04^T (=DSM 17141^T = ATCC BAA 1156^T) should be placed in the genus Anoxybacillus as the type strain of a novel species, Anoxybacillus thermarum sp. nov.     

Phytoplankton succession in the euphotic zone of Lake Corlo (Northern Italy) during summer stratification

Abstract

Lake Corlo is a dammed reservoir for hydro-electrical purposes in Northern Italy. Weekly samplings were made from May to August 1985 in the euphotic layer. Two major categories, flagellates and diatoms, alternatively dominated the algal community. Flagellates prevailed with stratified conditions. The strong influence of hydraulic conditions on phytoplakton succession is emphasized.     

Correction to: Are the existing eu ecolabel criteria for furniture products too complex? An analysis of complexity from a material and a supply chain perspective and suggestions for ways ahead

The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment -     

CCR3 gene overexpression in patients with Down syndrome

Molecular Biology Reports - Chromosome 21 trisomy or Down syndrome (DS) is the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability (ID). DS is also associated with hypotonia, muscle weakness,...