Search results for "pac"
showing 10 items of 28794 documents
Identification and structural characterization of LytU, a unique peptidoglycan endopeptidase from the lysostaphin family
2017
AbstractWe introduce LytU, a short member of the lysostaphin family of zinc-dependent pentaglycine endopeptidases. It is a potential antimicrobial agent for S. aureus infections and its gene transcription is highly upregulated upon antibiotic treatments along with other genes involved in cell wall synthesis. We found this enzyme to be responsible for the opening of the cell wall peptidoglycan layer during cell divisions in S. aureus. LytU is anchored in the plasma membrane with the active part residing in the periplasmic space. It has a unique Ile/Lys insertion at position 151 that resides in the catalytic site-neighbouring loop and is vital for the enzymatic activity but not affecting the …
Barbus meridionalis Risso, 1827 populations status in the Vişeu River basin (Maramureş Mountains Nature Park)
2017
Abstract The ecological state of lotic ecosystems occupied naturally by Barbus meridionalis, in the Vişeu Basin within the Maramureş Mountains Natural Park, vary among good to reduced. The inventoried human activities which negatively influence the ecologic state of the Barbus meridionalis species habitats and populations are the organic and mining pollution, and poaching. The habitats with low and inadequate conditions created a reduced status of the Barbus meridionalis populations; the status of Barbus meridionalis populations is not so much affected in the cases of habitats of average to good condition. Barbus meridionalis is considered a relatively common fish species in the researched …
Hippocampal hyperexcitability is modulated by microtubule-active agent: evidence from in vivo and in vitro epilepsy models in the rat
2016
The involvement of microtubule dynamics on bioelectric activity of neurons and neurotransmission represents a fascinating target of research in the context of neural excitability. It has been reported that alteration of microtubule cytoskeleton can lead to profound modifications of neural functioning, with a putative impact on hyperexcitability phenomena. Altogether, in the present study we pointed at exploring the outcomes of modulating the degree of microtubule polymerization in two electrophysiological epileptiform activity in the rat hippocampus. To this aim, we used in vivo Maximal Dentate Activation (MDA) and in vitro hippocampal epileptiform bursting activity (HEBA) paradigms to asse…
Fungal community assemblage of different soil compartments in mangrove ecosystem
2017
AbstractThe fungal communities of different soil compartments in mangrove ecosystem are poorly studied. We sequenced the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions to characterize the fungal communities in Avicennia marina root-associated soils (rhizosphere and pneumatophore) and bulk soil compartments. The rhizosphere but not pneumatophore soil compartment had significantly lower fungal species richness than bulk soil. However, bulk soil fungal diversity (Shannon diversity index) was significantly higher than both pneumatophore and rhizosphere soil compartments. The different soil compartments significantly affected the fungal community composition. Pairwise sample analyses showed that bulk…
Testing the Domino Theory of Gene Loss in Buchnera aphidicola: The Relevance of Epistatic Interactions
2018
The domino theory of gene loss states that when some particular gene loses its function and cripples a cellular function, selection will relax in all functionally related genes, which may allow for the non-functionalization and loss of these genes. Here we study the role of epistasis in determining the pattern of gene losses in a set of genes participating in cell envelope biogenesis in the endosymbiotic bacteria Buchnera aphidicola. We provide statistical evidence indicating pairs of genes in B. aphidicola showing correlated gene loss tend to have orthologs in Escherichia coli known to have alleviating epistasis. In contrast, pairs of genes in B. aphidicola not showing correlated gene loss…
Voluntary Running Aids to Maintain High Body Temperature in Rats Bred for High Aerobic Capacity
2016
The production of heat, i.e., thermogenesis, is a significant component of the metabolic rate, which in turn affects weight gain and health. Thermogenesis is linked to physical activity (PA) level. However, it is not known whether intrinsic exercise capacity, aging, and long-term voluntary running affect core body temperature. Here we use rat models selectively bred to differ in maximal treadmill endurance running capacity (Low capacity runners, LCR and High capacity Runners, HCR), that as adults are divergent for aerobic exercise capacity, aging, and metabolic disease risk to study the connection between PA and body temperature. Ten high capacity runner (HCR) and ten low capacity runner (L…
Consensus Statement on the Use of Bone Turnover Markers for Short-Term Monitoring of Osteoporosis Treatment in the Asia-Pacific Region
2019
Osteoporosis is a major health issue. By 2050, a greater than 2-fold increase in patients number with hip fractures will occur in Asia representing 50% of all hip fractures worldwide. For the Asia-Pacific (AP) region, more efforts on controlling osteoporosis and the subsequent fractures are crucial. Bone mineral density (BMD) by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is commonly used to diagnose osteoporosis and monitor osteoporosis treatment. However, the inconvenience, cost, limited availability of DXA and the delay in detection of BMD changes after treatment initiation support an important role for bone turnover markers (BTMs), as short-term tools to monitor therapy. With regards to low …
Biomarker analysis of the MITO2 phase III trial of first-line treatment in ovarian cancer: Predictive value of DNA-PK and phosphorylated ACC
2016
// Francesco Perrone 1,* , Gustavo Baldassarre 2,* , Stefano Indraccolo 3,* , Simona Signoriello 4 , Gennaro Chiappetta 1 , Franca Esposito 5 , Gabriella Ferrandina 6 , Renato Franco 1,15 , Delia Mezzanzanica 7 , Maura Sonego 2 , Elisabetta Zulato 3 , Gian F. Zannoni 6 , Vincenzo Canzonieri 2 , Giovanni Scambia 6 , Roberto Sorio 2 , Antonella Savarese 8 , Enrico Breda 9 , Paolo Scollo 10 , Antonella Ferro 11 , Stefano Tamberi 12 , Antonio Febbraro 13 , Donato Natale 14 , Massimo Di Maio 1,16 , Daniela Califano 1 , Giosue Scognamiglio 1 , Domenica Lorusso 7 , Silvana Canevari 7 , Simona Losito 1 , Ciro Gallo 4,** and Sandro Pignata 1,** 1 Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumor…
Evaluation of the Ocular Tolerance of Three Tacrolimus Topical Pharmaceutical Preparations by Bovine Corneal Opacity and Permeability Test.
2015
Tacrolimus ocular preparations are commonly employed in autoimmune or inflammatory ocular disorders. However, currently there are not yet approved ocular formulations. Tacrolimus ocular side effects have been reported in clinical use, so the evaluation of different pharmaceutical preparations is mandatory. In this study, the local corneal tolerance and safety profile of three common tacrolimus 0.03% pharmaceutical preparations were evaluated.Corneal irritation and permeability of tacrolimus preparations were evaluated with the bovine corneal opacity and permeability (BCOP) test. Complementary corneal hematoxylin/eosin and immunohistochemistry staining for tight junctions and adherent juncti…
Comparison of total antioxidant capacity of saliva in women with gestational diabetes mellitus and non-diabetic pregnant women
2017
Background Pregnancy is considered a stressful event, results in higher levels of oxidative stress and considerable changes in physiological and metabolic functions such as gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Due to the cumulative effect of antioxidants and considering the controversies in this area, this study was undertaken to investigate the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of saliva in pregnant women whit gestational diabetes in comparison to non-diabetic pregnant women. Material and methods In this cross-sectional study (2015-16), a total of 31 women with a diagnosis of GDM and 59 non-diabetic pregnant women were included in the diabetic and control groups, respectively. Salivary samp…