Search results for "actin"

Serum Response Factor-Mediated Gene Regulation in a Drosophila Visual Working Memory

2013

Summary Background Navigation through the environment requires a working memory for the chosen target and path integration facilitating an approach when the target becomes temporarily hidden. We have previously shown that this visual orientation memory resides in the ellipsoid body, which is part of the central complex in the Drosophila brain. Former analysis of  foraging and ignorant mutants have revealed that a hierarchical PKG and RSKII kinase signaling cascade in a subset of the ellipsoid-body ring neurons is required for this type of working memory in flies. Results Here we show that mutants in the ellipsoid body open  ( ebo ) gene, which encodes the actin-binding protein Exportin 6, e…

OPLA scaffold, collagen I, and horse serum induce a higher degree of myogenic differentiation of adult rat cardiac stem cells

2009

In the last few years, a major goal of cardiac research has been to drive stem cell differentiation to replace damaged myocardium. Several research groups have attempted to differentiate potential cardiac stem cells (CSCs) using bi- or three-dimensional systems supplemented with growth factors or molecules acting as differentiating substances. We hypothesize that these systems failed to induce a complete differentiation because they lacked an architectural space. In the present study, we isolated a pool of small proliferating and fibroblast-like cells from adult rat myocardium. The phenotype of these cells was assessed and the characterized cells were cultured in a collagen I/OPLA scaffold …

The Use of Opuntia ficus-indica Mucilage and Aloe arborescens as Edible Coatings to Improve the Physical, Chemical, and Microbiological Properties of…

2022

Edible coatings (EC) with mucilage of Opuntia ficus-indica or Aloe arborescens are promising to extend the shelf life of fresh-cut fruit products by reducing weight loss and microbial spoilage. In this work, fresh-cut kiwifruits (cv. Hayward) were coated in solutions with mucilage extracted from Opuntia ficus-indica (MC) and A. arborescens (AL). We used three alternative treatments with AL or MC, MC+AL, and with distilled water as control, and stored in passive atmosphere at 5 °C for 3, 5, 7, and 9 d, respectively. For all treatments at each storage period, firmness, weight loss, color, visual quality score, respiration rate, pectin content, and microbiological characteristics were observed…

Effetto di tre diversi edible coating a base di gel di Aloe vera sulla qualità di frutti di kiwi di IV gamma

2021

Negli ultimi anni, il mercato della frutta di IV gamma si è contraddistinto per una crescita esponenziale legata ai ritmi di vita più intensi rispetto al passato, che spingono a privilegiare prodotti offerti in porzioni, utilizzabili in modo facile e veloce. La frutta di IV gamma è caratterizzata, però, da una breve durata di conservazione a causa delle fasi di lavorazione e preparazione che accelerano i processi di maturazione. Lo scopo di questo lavoro è stato quello di analizzare sulla qualità di kiwi della varietà “Hayward” in IV gamma l’effetto di tre diversi rivestimenti commestibili basati su (1) Aloe vera gel (AVG), (2) Aloe vera gel + idrossipropilmetilcellulosa (HPMC), (3) Aloe ve…

Impiego di insetticidi di origine vegetale per il contenimento delle popolazioni di Bagrada hilaris nei cappereti panteschi

2007

Bagrada hilaris, nota con il nome di Cimice delle crocifere, è un Eterottero Pentatomide dannoso al cappero nell’isola di Pantelleria. Per verificare la possibilità di utilizzare insetticidi a basso impatto ambientale per il contenimento delle popolazioni di questo fitofago, sono state condotte prove in laboratorio e in campo con due insetticidi di origine vegetale, Show e Neemik, e un insetticida di sintesi, Decis Jet, utilizzato come controllo. Nel 2004 sono state condotte prove in laboratorio atte a definire i valori di CL70 e le curve dose-risposta a diverse concentrazioni di formulato commerciale. Nel biennio 2005-06, l’efficacia degli insetticidi è stata valutata con prove in campo ef…

I batteri associati al nettare fiorale influiscono sulle longevità degli insetti parassitoidi

2023

I parassitoidi adulti frequentemente visitano le piante in fioritura, ricercando nettare fiorale per coprire i loro bisogni energetici e nutrizionali. In letteratura, infatti, i benefici del nettare sulla fitness dei parassitoidi sono ampiamente documentati. Sebbene il nettare fiorale costituisca un substrato ideale per la crescita di comunità microbiche che possono alterarne le caratteristiche organolettiche, l'effetto della fermentazione batterica del nettare sui parassitoidi non è stato ancora sufficientemente esplorato. In questo lavoro è stata studiata la longevità dei parassitoidi adulti utilizzando nettare sintetico fermentato da diversi ceppi batterici appartenenti ai phyla Firmicut…

Isolamento di nuovi peptidi citolitici da Actinia equina (Anthozoa, Cnidaria)

2010

Response of captive seabass and seabream as behavioural indicator in aquaculture

2010

Welfare of cultivate fish at high-density represents an important concern for modern aquaculture. The behaviour of European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) and seabream (Sparus aurata) reared in cages was studied in a fish farm of northern Sardinia (Italy) in autumn 2006 to test whether captive condition had an effect on the movement patterns of these two species.Video images recorded before, during and after the manual feeding distribution allowed us to collect data on different behaviours of captive fish. Thus, behaviours indicating the position of fish in the water column, swimming direction and possible aggressive behaviours (aggression, direction change and collision) showed juveniles a…

Pinger affects fish catch efficiency and damage to bottom gill nets related to bottlenose dolphins

2009

There is some evidence that the presence of Tursiops truncatus in fishing areas represents a real economic threat to fishermen due the dolphin feeding on the entangled fish, damaging the nets and reducing the fish catch. We have carried out experiments to assess the efficiency of a pinger in decreasing the interaction between the dolphins and fishing nets, in a fishing area off the coast of southern Italy, where Tursiops truncatus is frequently observed to interact with bottom gill nets. Two identical monofilament bottom gill nets (900 m long), one equipped with pingers and the other without, were used to measure the effect of these pingers on the abundance of the catch and net damage. For …

Polyculture as a tool to increase the economic income: a study case in the Gulf of Castellammare

2010

Polyculture is a practice involving integration between organisms of different trophic levels (i.e. fish with low-trophic-level organism like molluscs and/or algae). This paper, reporting on a field experiment carried out during 2004 in the Gulf of Castellammare (South Tyrrhenian), showed that mussels transplanted in areas under fish farm influence grew up better than mussels transplanted far from fish farm. Thus, results pointed out polyculture as a reliable tool for i) increasing local bivalve production, ii) obtaining the reduction of importation from other countries and iii) increasing the environmental sustainability of fish aquaculture.