Effects of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles in Different Metabolic Pathways in the Freshwater Microalga <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chlorella sorokiniana</Emphasis> (Trebouxiophyceae)

The products that employ nanoparticles (NPs) in their composition have increased since the beginning of NP production; hence, their availability in the environment, especially in aquatic ecosystems, tends to increase. In these ecosystems, the phytoplankton is immersed in a complex matrix of nutrients, excreted materials, and other chemical compounds, which can influence the metabolic strategy of microalgae. One of the metabolic ways is mixotrophy, a situation whereby microalgae perform photosynthesis and use dissolved organic carbon at the same time. Most toxicity evaluations do not consider such a metabolic route, but this can represent a preferential metabolism in natural environments. The present study aimed at evaluating the effects of NP-TiO₂ at a log concentration range of ??3.10 to 0.89, on photosynthesis, growth, viability, and biochemical composition of the microalgae Chlorella sorokiniana during photoautotrophic and mixotrophic growth (glucose as the organic carbon source). The results showed lower chlorophyll a and photosynthetic activity in mixotrophy than in photoautotrophy, which can be due to a decreased need for photosynthesis in mixotrophy. Photoautotrophy cultures were sensitive to NPs, reaching 39% of viability at log 0.89, while in mixotrophy, cell viability was not affected by NPs. The biochemical composition and cell density changed as a function of NP concentrations, with increase in the protein/carbohydrate ratio in both treatments. The results showed that C. sorokiniana is more resistant to NPs during mixotrophic growth, but with changes in biochemical composition, whereas the photoautotrophic cultures were more sensitive to the increase in NP concentrations.     

Biochemical profiles, restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and multilocus variable number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) for typing Staphylococcus aureus isolated from dairy products

The study concerns 130 Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from different raw-milk dairy products (122 isolates) and human samples (eight isolates). Four different typing techniques were applied: biochemical profiles (Biolog GP), restriction fragment length polymorphism of coagulase gene (coaRFLP), random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and multilocus variable number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA). Moreover multiplex-PCR was used to study the distribution of genes encoding staphylococcal enterotoxins. The results of this study reveal marked genomic and phenotypic variability among the tested S. aureus. The considered techniques were all found useful for strain typing, but, based on discriminatory power as the key parameter of the typing system, MLVA and Biolog GP were found to be the most powerful techniques. The methods showed little concordance in terms of discerning the clusters of related strains.     

Hydrocarbon and fatty acid composition of cheese as affected by the pasture vegetation type

The determination of the geographical origin of dairy products is an ongoing issue. In this paper the effects of botanical diversity of two pastures on the hydrocarbon and fatty acid composition of cheese fat were studied, over 2 years of experimentation. Two areas in the Italian southwestern Alpine region, dominated by Trifolium alpinum (T) and Festuca nigrescens (F) vegetation, respectively, were chosen, and milk obtained from cows grazing on these pastures was used to produce a semihard traditional cheese. Cheese samples showed a significantly different composition of most linear hydrocarbons, odd-chain (C15, C17, and C17:1) and unsaturated (trans-11,cis-15-C18:2, C18:3, C20:4n-6, C20:4n-3, and 20:5n-3) fatty acids, according to pasture type. The ratio between C(29) and C(27) linear hydrocarbons, unlike the absolute content of the single molecules, showed a good discriminating ability between the two pastures and was little affected by the natural variability due to the climatic and environmental factors.     

Vibrational circular-dichroism spectroscopy of homologous cyclic peptides designed to fold into β helices of opposite chirality

Cyclic β-helical peptides have been developed as model structured biomolecules for examining peptide adsorption and conformation on surfaces. As a key prerequisite to circular-dichroism (CD) analysis of these model peptides on surfaces, their conformations and the corresponding vibrational spectra in the 1400-1800 cm?1 range were analyzed by vibrational circular-dichroism (VCD) spectroscopy in solution. The two model peptides ("β Leu and β Val") were examined in chloroform, where they each fold into a homogeneous well-defined antiparallel double-stranded β-helical species, as determined previously by NMR and electronic CD spectroscopy. Because the β-helical conformations of β Leu and β Val are well characterized, the VCD spectra of these peptides can be unambiguously correlated with their structures. In addition, these two β-helical peptides differ from one another in two key respects that make them uniquely advantageous for CD analysis--first, while their backbone conformations are topologically similar, β Leu and β Val form helices of opposite chiralities; second, the two peptides differ in their sequences, i.e., composition of the side chains attached to the backbone. The observed VCD spectra for β Leu and β Val are roughly mirror images of each other, indicating that the VCD features are dominated by the chirality and conformation of the peptide backbone rather than by the peptide sequence. Accordingly, spectra similarly characteristic of peptide secondary structure can be expected for peptides designed to be structural analogs of β Leu and β Val while incorporating a variety of side chains for studies of surface adsorption from organic and aqueous solvents.     

Do We Adequately Control for Unmeasured Confounders When Estimating the Short-term Effect of Air Pollution on Mortality?

Numerous time series studies have quantified the potential association between daily variations in air pollution and daily variations in non-accidental deaths. In order to account for the presence of unmeasured confounders, a smooth function of time trend is typically used as a proxy for these variables. We shed light on the validity of the results obtained by using this approach. Specifically, we use data from the National Morbidity, Mortality and Air Pollution Study database, and carry out a carefully designed simulation study. Our findings suggest that the use of a smooth function of time trend cannot fully account for the presence of unmeasured confounders, especially when their impact is strong relatively to the effect of air pollution, and when several unobservables are not included in the model.     

Novel swine influenza virus subtype H3N1 in Italy

To date, three subtypes of swine influenza viruses, H1N1, H1N2, and H3N2 have been isolated in Italy. In 2006, a novel swine influenza virus subtype (H3N1) was isolated from coughing pigs. RT-PCR performed on lung tissues, experimental infection in pigs with the novel isolate, and cloning the virus by plaque assay confirmed this unique H and N combination. The novel isolate was also antigenically and genetically characterized. Genetic and phylogenetic analysis showed that the complete HA gene of the H3N1 strain has the highest nucleotide identity to three Italian H3N2 strains, one isolated in 2001 and two in 2004, whereas the full length NA sequence is closely related to three H1N1 subtype viruses isolated in Italy in 2004. The remaining genes are also closely related to respective genes found in H1N1 and H3N2 SIVs currently circulating in Italy. This suggests that the novel SIV could be a reassortant between the H3N2 and H1N1 SIVs circulating in Italy.     

A comparison of the humoral and cell-mediated response of pigs experimentally infected with either influenza or PRRS viruses

Veterinary Research Communications -     

Ovarian function suppression with a GnRH analogue: D-ser(But[t])[6]-Arzgly[10]-LHRH (Goserelin) in hormone dependent canine mammary cancer

Hormones and hormone level modifying substances have long been used to treat hormone-dependent tumours in humans. Recently, attempts have been made to use hormone manipulation regimens for the treatment of these tumours in veterinary medicine. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the activity of the luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH)-agonist, D-ser(But[t])[6]-Azgly[10]-LHRH (Goserelin) in hormone-dependent mammary cancer in dogs. Eighteen female dogs with hormone-dependent mammary cancer (T2-T4, N0, M0 according to TNM clinical staging classification) were selected and allocated into two groups: nine dogs not treated with Goserelin (Group 1) referred to as control; and nine dogs treated with 60 microg/kg depot Goserelin every 21 days for 12 months (Group 2). Goserelin treatment decreased circulating levels of oestradiol and progesterone and reduced the size of mammary tumours; all the animals showed objective response (OR) to treatment after 3 months, and the relapse-free survival after 2 years was 88%. Haematology and blood chemistry parameters, measured every month from the beginning of treatment, as well as physical examination, showed that the drug was without toxic effects. This suggests that, at the dose administered, Goserelin blocks the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary axis, and consequently can be useful to treat hormone-dependent mammary tumours in female dogs.