Search results for "GC"
showing 10 items of 606 documents
Two-photon light-sheet microscopy for high-speed whole-brain functional imaging of zebrafish neuronal physiology and pathology
2020
We present the development of a custom-made two-photon light-sheet microscope optimized for high-speed (5 Hz) volumetric imaging of zebrafish larval brain for the analysis of neuronal physiological and pathological activity. High-speed volumetric two-photon light-sheet microscopy is challenging to achieve, due to constrains on the signal-to-noise ratio. To maximize this parameter, we optimized our setup for high peak power of excitation light, while finely controlling its polarization, and we implemented remote scanning of the focal plane to record without disturbing the sample. Two-photon illumination is advantageous for zebrafish larva studies since infra-red excitation does not induce a …
Astrocytes Protect Neurons from Aβ1-42 Peptide-Induced Neurotoxicity Increasing TFAM and PGC-1 and Decreasing PPAR-γ and SIRT-1
2015
One of the earliest neuropathological events in Alzheimer's disease is accumulation of astrocytes at sites of Aβ1-42 depositions. Our results indicate that Aβ1-42 toxic peptide increases lipid peroxidation, apoptosis and cell death in neurons but not in astrocytes in primary culture. Aβ1-42-induced deleterious neuronal effects are not present when neurons and astrocytes are mixed cultured. Stimulation of astrocytes with toxic Aβ1-42 peptide increased p-65 and decreased IκB resulting in inflammatory process. In astrocytes Aβ1-42 decreases protein expressions of sirtuin 1 (SIRT-1) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPAR-γ) and over-expresses peroxisome proliferator-activated re…
Climate change effects on the hydrological regime of small non-perennial river basins.
2015
Recent years have been witnessing an increasing interest on global climate change and, although we are only at the first stage of the projected trends, some signals of climate alteration are already visible. Climate change encompasses modifications in the characteristics of several interrelated climate variables, and unavoidably produces relevant effects on almost all the natural processes related to the hydrological cycle. This study focuses on potential impacts of climate variations on the streamflow regime of small river basins in Mediterranean, seasonally dry, regions. The paper provides a quantitative evaluation of potential modifications in the flow duration curves (FDCs) and in the p…
Emissions and spatial variability of N2O, N2 and nitrous oxide mole fraction at the field scale, revealed with 15N isotopic techniques.
2006
Abstract The accurate measurement of nitrous oxide (N 2 O) and dinitrogen (N 2 ) during the denitrification process in soils is a challenge which will help to estimate the contribution of soil N 2 O emissions to global warming. Oxygen concentration, nitrate concentration and carbon availability are generally the main factors that control soil denitrification rate and the amount of N 2 O or N 2 emitted. The aim of this paper is to present a database of the N 2 O mole fraction measured at the field scale, and to test hypotheses concerning its regulation. A 15 N-nitrate tracer solution was added to 36 undisturbed soil cores on a 20 m×20 m cultivated field plot. Fluxes of CO 2 , N 2 O and N 2 f…
Metagenomics uncovers a new group of low GC and ultra-small marine Actinobacteria
2013
We describe a deep-branching lineage of marine Actinobacteria with very low GC content (33%) and the smallest free living cells described yet (cell volume ca. 0.013 μm(3)), even smaller than the cosmopolitan marine photoheterotroph, 'Candidatus Pelagibacter ubique'. These microbes are highly related to 16S rRNA sequences retrieved by PCR from the Pacific and Atlantic oceans 20 years ago. Metagenomic fosmids allowed a virtual genome reconstruction that also indicated very small genomes below 1 Mb. A new kind of rhodopsin was detected indicating a photoheterotrophic lifestyle. They are estimated to be ~4% of the total numbers of cells found at the site studied (the Mediterranean deep chloroph…
Comparative genomic sequencing reveals a strikingly similar architecture of a conserved syntenic region on human chromosome 11p15.3 (including gene S…
2001
Comparative genomics is a superior way to identify phylogenetically conserved features like genes or regions involved in gene regulation. The comparison of extended orthologous chromosomal regions should also reveal other characteristic traits essential for chromosome or gene function. In the present study we have sequenced and compared a region of conserved synteny from human chromosome 11p15.3 and mouse chromosome 7. In human, this region is known to contain several genes involved in the development of various disorders like Beckwith-Wiedemann overgrowth syndrome and other tumor diseases. Furthermore, in the neighboring chromosome region 11p15.5 extensive imprinting of genes has been repo…
Volatile constituents of the aerial parts of Pulicaria sicula (L.) Moris growing wild in Sicily: Chemotaxonomic volatile markers of the genus Pulicar…
2015
Abstract The chemical composition of the essential oil isolated from the aerial parts of Pulicaria sicula (L.) Moris was characterized by GC-FID and GC/MS analyses. The oil was particularly rich in oxygenated terpenoids. Among the oxygenated monoterpenes (content of 44.5%), the most abundant were borneol (23.7%), bornyl acetate (6.5%), and isothymol isobutyrate (6.2%). Caryophyllene oxide (10.2%), caryophylladienol I (4.3%), and caryophylla-3,8(13)-dien-5β-ol (4.4%) were identified as the main constituents among the oxygenated sesquiterpenes. Furthermore, a complete literature review on the composition of the essential oils of all the Pulicaria taxa studied so far was performed and a princi…
The Essential Oil Compositions of Three Teucrium Taxa Growing Wild in Sicily: HCA and PCA Analyses
2021
The chemical composition and the qualitative and quantitative variability of the essential oils of three taxa belonging to the Teucrium genus were studied. The investigated taxa, that grow wild in Sicily, were Teucrium flavum L. (section Chamaedrys (Mill.) Scheb.), Teucrium montanum and Teucrium capitatum L. of section Polium (Mill.) Scheb. Essential oils were extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC-MS. In total, 74 compounds were identified. Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons were found to be the main group for T. flavum (48.3%). T. capitatum consisted essentially of monoterpene hydrocarbons (72.7%), with &alpha
Determination of selected phthalates by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry in mural paintings from Palermo (Italy)
2013
Abstract Phthalate esters for decades, and probably even now, were used as softeners in water-based paintings. In general, these compounds are dangerous owing to their carcinogenicity and reproductive effects. Phthalates are not chemically but only physically bound to the matrices, hence, they may be leached into the environment and are ubiquitously found in environmental matrices. Considering that, construction is one of most important fields in Europe, and probably worldwide, with respect to its economic, technological and environmental impact. In the present work the phthalate esters content of several mural paintings was evaluated by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Because…