Chromosomal and Plasmid Diversity of Agrobacterium Strains Isolated from Ficus benjamina Tumors

Agrobacteria were previously isolated from tumors developing on branches and aerial and hypogeous roots of weeping fig plants in Italy and in The Netherlands. A representative group of 48 strains was analyzed by PCR–RFLP of 16S and 16S + IGS ribosomal regions, PCR–RFLP of six Ti plasmid (pTi) regions and characterized for plasmid content. Two groups of agrobacteria were separated by cluster analysis of PCR–RFLP profiles of rrs gene: seventeen strains were similar to the new species Agrobacterium larrymoorei, while the remaining strains were included within the agrobacterium biovar 1 group. Sixteen different plasmid profiles from one to five plasmids were observed. In addition, 21 ribotypes and 20 pTi structures were arranged in many different combinations, showing that fig agrobacteria were characterized by a wide heterogeneity. A general lack of correlation between strain ribotypes and plasmid content was observed.     

Phytate degradation by lactic acid bacteria and yeasts during the wholemeal dough fermentation: a 31P NMR study

myo-Inositol hexaphosphate (IP6) is the main source of phosphorus in cereal grains, and therefore, in bakery products. Different microorganisms such as yeasts and lactic acid bacteria have phytase enzymes able to hydrolyze IP6 during the wholemeal breadmaking. In this paper, the phytase activity of Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus curvatus, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains, isolated from southern Italian sourdoughs, is assayed using the (31)P NMR technique. The sourdough technology based on the use of lactic acid bacteria in the breadmaking is finally suggested.     

Relationship between virgin olive oil phenolic compounds and acrylamide formation in fried crisps

In this paper the relationship between virgin olive oil (VOO) phenol compounds and the formation of acrylamide in potato crisps was investigated. The phenol compositions of 20 VOO samples were screened by LC-MS, and 4 oils, characterized by different phenol compound patterns, were selected for frying experiments. Slices of potatoes were fried at 180 degrees C for 5, 10, and 15 min, and acrylamide content was determined by LC-MS. Results demonstrated that VOO phenolic compounds are not degraded during frying, and crisp color was not significantly different among the four VOOs. Acrylamide concentration in crisps increased during frying time, but the formation was faster in the oil having the lowest concentration of phenolic compounds. Moreover, the VOO having the highest concentration of ortho-diphenolic compounds is able to efficiently inhibit acrylamide formation in crisps from mild to moderate frying conditions. It was concluded that the use of ortho-diphenolic-rich VOOs can be proposed as a reliable mitigation strategy to reduce acrylamide formation in domestic deep-frying.     

A New Bioassay Platform Design for the Discovery of Small Molecules with Anticancer Immunotherapeutic Activity

Immunotherapy takes advantage of the immune system to prevent, control, and eliminate neoplastic cells. The research in the field has already led to major breakthroughs to treat cancer. In this work, we describe a platform that integrates in vitro bioassays to test the immune response and direct antitumor effects for the preclinical discovery of anticancer candidates. The platform relies on the use of dendritic cells that are professional antigen-presenting cells (APC) able to activate T cells and trigger a primary adaptive immune response. The experimental procedure is based on two phenotypic assays for the selection of chemical leads by both a panel of nine tumor cell lines and growth factor-dependent immature mouse dendritic cells (D1). The positive hits are then validated by a secondary test on human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MoDCs). The aim of this approach is the selection of potential immunotherapeutic small molecules from natural extracts or chemical libraries.     

Pacemaker implantation in a ferret (Mustela putorius furo) with third-degree atrioventricular block.

A 7.5-year-old castrated male ferret (Mustela putorius furo) was diagnosed with third-degree atrioventricular (AV) block. A monopolar epicardial pacemaker system was implanted, resulting in a regular, paced cardiac rhythm with third-degree AV block at 140 beats per minute. Over the next 2 months, the ferret developed anorexia, interstitial pneumonia, intermittent diarrhea, and hind-limb weakness and had a slow and progressive recovery. The ferret developed clinical signs of congestive heart failure 4 months after the surgery, resulting in its death 3 weeks later. Necropsy results attributed the death to cardiac failure due to extensive myocardial mineralization. To the authors' knowledge this is the first published report of surgical report of surgical pacemaker implantation in a ferret.     

Synthesis and resistance to in vitro proteolysis of transglutaminase cross-linked phaseolin, the major storage protein from Phaseolus vulgaris

The ability of phaseolin to act as an acyl donor and acceptor substrate of transglutaminase was studied by using an enzyme isolated from Streptoverticillium mobarense. Phaseolin, a trimeric storage protein from Phaseolus vulgaris L., was shown to possess both glutamine and lysine residues reactive for the enzyme. The extent of transglutaminase-catalyzed cross-linking has been studied in function of both incubation time and enzyme concentration. Native- and SDS-PAGE demonstrated that phaseolin is intra- and intermolecularly cross-linked by transglutaminase and gives rise to different polymers as well as to modified forms of the protein having a similar molecular weight but lower Stokes radius if compared to unmodified phaseolin. Cross-linked phaseolin was found to be more resistant to proteolytic cleavage than the unmodified counterpart, as demonstrated by in vitro trypsin and pepsin digestion experiments. This behavior could suggest novel possible uses of the transglutaminase-modified phaseolin.     

Assessment of cable tensile forces in active winch-assist harvesting using an anchor machine configuration

European Journal of Forest Research - The growing interest in accessing steep terrain is pushing the expansion of the operating range of ground-based machines through winch-assist technology....     

Screening RAPD primers for molecular taxonomy and cultivar fingerprinting in the genus Actinidia

Summary Eighty ten-base long arbitrary primers were tested for PCR-based DNA amplification of three species of the genus Actinidia (A. deliciosa the kiwifruit, A. chinensis, and A. kolomikta), with the aim of screening species-specific and genotype-specific markers.Of the 80 primers tested, 30 gave an average of 3.5 bands which were monomorphic within one or two species and absent in the remaining one(s), thus resulting in useful markers for taxonomic and phylogenetic purposes. None of the primers tested produced bands linked to sex. Twenty primers out of the twenty-five selected from a preliminary screening showed high levels of polymorphism, producing two to eleven patterns each from the 13 kiwifruit cultivars examined.We found the Stoffel fragment and the Taq polymerase were both suitable for RAPD analysis, the most noticeable difference being the smaller size of fragments (0.4–1.2 kb) produced by the former in comparison to the latter (1.0–3.4 kb). We tested also three different annealing temperatures (35, 37, and 39° C) and found the intermediate one best for number of amplified bands and reproducibility of results.Abbreviations 2-BE 2-butoxyethanol - CTAB hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide - MAS Marker-Assisted-Selection - PCR Polymerase Chain Reaction - RAPD Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA - RFLPs Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms     

Organochlorine and Metal Accumulation in Fish (Phoxinus phoxinus) Along a North-South Transect in the Alps

Southern populations of the European minnow fromremote oligotrophic mountain lakes along an Alpinenorth-south transect accumulated more p,p DDE andPCBs than northern populations. As these semi-volatileorganochlorines predominantly evaporate in warmcountries, higher rates of condensation (deposition)are assumed to occur in the southern slopes of theAlps. The higher accumulation of lead and cadmium insouthern population is rather attributed to geogenicand specific environmental impacts than to atmosphericdeposition. Increasing liver ratios of [glutathionedisulfide]/[glutathione], a potential indicator foroxidative stress, from north to south reflect thegenerally higher toxic load at remote sites at thesouthern edge of the Alps. However, histopathologicalchanges in the liver did not correlate withaccumulated toxicants indicating that deposition doesnot lead to severe lesions but induces specificmechanisms for detoxification.     

Work quality and veneer value recovery of mechanised and manual log-making in Italian poplar plantations

In Italy, poplar plantations represent an important source of wood products, and especially of high-quality veneer logs. These plantations offer favourable conditions to the introduction of forest mechanisation, and especially easy access and industrial management. However, owners fear that mechanised log-making may cause value losses, due to poor length measurement, log surface damage and improper grading. This study compared the performance of manual and mechanised log-making on ten commercial operations, in order to determine the occurrence and the severity of possible value losses due to product degrade. The study found that length measurement errors are smaller for mechanised processing, while the frequency and severity of log surface damage are the same for both treatments. In three cases out of five, mechanised log-making extracted the same value from the stems as manual log-making: in the remaining two, differences were very small and went opposite directions. Significant differences were found between operators, stressing the importance of operator skills and motivation. In fact, the log-making specifications and the pricing structure applied to poplar processing are relatively simple and are unlikely to challenge the ability of personnel and equipment. At present, most Italian poplar growers are unaware of the potential offered by modern technology, whose intelligent use would boost value recovery and decrease harvesting cost. Significant benefits may derive from the introduction of optimised bucking, which may help shifting to a more articulated and rewarding product strategy.