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showing 10 items of 806 documents
The spreading of the invasive italian wall lizard on Vulcano, the last island inhabited by the critically endangered aeolian wall lizard
2018
[EN] The Aeolian Wall Lizard (Podarcis raffoneae) is an endemic species of the Aeolian Archipelago of Italy (Mediterranean Sea). Its distribution is limited to three islets and two relict populations on a relatively large island: Vulcano (a population on the summit of Gran Cratere volcano and another on Capo Grosso promontory). The critically endangered Aeolian Wall Lizard is threatened by the introduction of the Italian Wall Lizard (Podarcis siculus), which successfully competes and hybridizes with the endemic lizard. The invasive lizard is widespread on Vulcano, although the literature does not provide the exact distribution. Our first aim was updating the distribution of the Italian Wall…
The Ras/Raf-1/MEK1/ERK Signaling Pathway Coupled to Integrin Expression Mediates Cholinergic Regulation of Keratinocyte Directional Migration
2005
The physiologic mechanisms that determine directionality of lateral migration are a subject of intense research. Galvanotropism in a direct current (DC) electric field represents a natural model of cell re-orientation toward the direction of future migration. Keratinocyte migration is regulated through both the nicotinic and muscarinic classes of acetylcholine (ACh) receptors. We sought to identify the signaling pathway mediating the cholinergic regulation of chemotaxis and galvanotropism. The pharmacologic and molecular modifiers of the Ras/Raf-1/MEK1/ERK signaling pathway altered both chemotaxis toward choline and galvanotropism toward the cathode in a similar way, indicating that the sam…
Epidermolysis Bullosa Simplex-Type Mutations Alter the Dynamics of the Keratin Cytoskeleton and Reveal a Contribution of Actin to the Transport of Ke…
2003
Dominant keratin mutations cause epidermolysis bullosa simplex by transforming keratin (K) filaments into aggregates. As a first step toward understanding the properties of mutant keratins in vivo, we stably transfected epithelial cells with an enhanced yellow fluorescent protein-tagged K14R125C mutant. K14R125C became localized as aggregates in the cell periphery and incorporated into perinuclear keratin filaments. Unexpectedly, keratin aggregates were in dynamic equilibrium with soluble subunits at a half-life time of <15 min, whereas filaments were extremely static. Therefore, this dominant-negative mutation acts by altering cytoskeletal dynamics and solubility. Unlike previously post…
A dynamic performance management approach to frame corruption in public procurement: a case study
2021
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to frame the causal relationships between corruption in public procurement and performance of local governments. Design/methodology/approach An outcome-based dynamic performance management approach is adopted to explore a representative case study of a small Italian municipality. The model is based on three sources: qualitative primary data generated by face-to-face convergent interviews; secondary data retrieved from documents describing legal cases linked to procurement and open-access repositories; and an extensive literature review. Findings Emphasizing the role of community civic morality systemically may help to understand some counterintuitive re…
Downregulation of KLF8 expression by shRNA induces inhibition of cell proliferation in CAL27 human oral cancer cells
2013
Objectives: KLF8 is a member of KLF transcription factors which play an important tolr in oncogenesis. It is barely expressed in normal human epithelial cells but highly overexpressed in several types of human cancer cell lines. In the present study, we investigate the role of KLF8 in oral cancer and the effects of KLF8 knockdown via lentivirus mediated siRNA infection in human adenosquamos carcinoma CAL 27 cells. Study Design: �e developed a vector-based siRNA expression system that can induce RNAi in CAL 27 oral canDesign: �e developed a vector-based siRNA expression system that can induce RNAi in CAL 27 oral canesign: �e developed a vector-based siRNA expression system that can induce RN…
An Economic Approach to Size of a Renewable Energy Mix in Small Islands
2022
The importance of renewable energy exploitation reduces the energy dependence on fossil fuels. Despite technological progress, in several remote areas and small islands the energy production is nowadays dominated by the utilization of fossil fuels. With new, increasingly stringent laws on polluting emissions and the need to lower production costs, it is necessary to exploit as many renewable sources as possible. In order to implement these considerations, it was decided to study renewable energy production. The study was carried out by estimating the energy production on a monthly and annual basis considering a mix of three plants, namely marine, solar, and wind. Simulations on wave product…
Volatiles in pantellerite magmas: A case study of the Green Tuff Plinian eruption (Island of Pantelleria, Italy)
2013
Abstract The Green Tuff (GT) Plinian eruption, the largest in magnitude at Pantelleria, erupted 3 to 7 km3 DRE of pantellerite magma and a small volume of trachyte. Fifty-nine anorthoclase-hosted melt inclusions from the two basal pumice members were analyzed by FT-IR spectroscopy in order to assess the pre-eruptive H2O content in the pantellerite melt. Microanalytical methods were used to determine major element, Cl, F and S contents. Melt inclusions and glassy groundmasses have a nearly homogeneous pantelleritic composition (peralkaline index = 1.9-2.2) and variable water contents ranging from 1.4 to as high as 4.2 wt %, i.e. much higher than the 1.4 wt % of earlier published studies. The…
Insulin-dependent leptin expression in breast cancer cells.
2008
Abstract Pathologic conditions associated with hyperinsulinemia, such as obesity, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes, seem to increase the risk of breast cancer. Here, we studied molecular mechanisms by which insulin activates the expression of leptin, an obesity hormone that has been shown to promote breast cancer progression in an autocrine or paracrine way. Using MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, we found that (a) insulin stimulated leptin mRNA and protein expression, which was associated with increased activation of the leptin gene promoter; (b) insulin increased nuclear accumulation of transcription factors hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-1α and Sp1 and their loading on the leptin promoter;…
Investigation of the superstructure of native collagen by a combination of small angle X-ray scattering, electron microscopy and light diffraction
1978
It is shown that there exists a direct correlation between the light diffraction pattern of an electron-microscopical picture and the X-ray small angle scattering. By this means it can be proved for native collagen prepared by a special method that the density pattern of stained samples imaged in the electron microscopy is identical with the density pattern available from moist fibres. The reflex intensities of the small angle X-ray scattering are taken for calculating the density structure whereby the necessary phases are delivered by the electron microscopic examination combined with light diffraction.
Characterization of small HSPs from Anemonia viridis reveals insights into molecular evolution of alpha crystallin genes among cnidarians.
2014
Gene family encoding small Heat-Shock Proteins (sHSPs containing α-crystallin domain) are found both in prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms; however, there is limited knowledge of their evolution. In this study, two small HSP genes termed AvHSP28.6 and AvHSP27, both organized in one intron and two exons, were characterised in the Mediterranean snakelocks anemone Anemonia viridis. The release of the genome sequence of Hydra magnipapillata and Nematostella vectensis enabled a comprehensive study of the molecular evolution of α-crystallin gene family among cnidarians. Most of the H. magnipapillata sHSP genes share the same gene organization described for AvHSP28.6 and AvHSP27, differing from …