186,594 research outputs found
A new subspecies of Pulmonaria officinalis (Boraginaceae) from the southern Alps
No full textAstuti, Giovanni, Cristofolini, Giovanni, Peruzzi, Lorenzo, Pupillo, Paolo (2014): A new subspecies of Pulmonaria officinalis (Boraginaceae) from the southern Alps. Phytotaxa 186 (3): 148-157, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.186.3.3, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.186.3.
Molecular characterization of NAD(P)H :quinone oxidoreductase of tobacco leaves
No full textThe NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase activity of tobacco leaves is catalyzed by a soluble flavoprotein [NAD(P)H-QR] and membrane-bound forms of the same enzyme. In particular, the activity associated with the plasma membrane cannot be released by hypoosmotic and salt washing of the vesicles, suggesting a specific binding. The products of the plasma-membrane-bound quinone reductase activity are fully reduced hydroquinones rather than semiquinone radicals. This peculiar kinetic property is common with soluble NAD(P)H-QR, plasma-membrane-bound NAD(P)H:quinone reductase purified from onion roots, and animal DT-diaphorase. These and previous results demonstrate that soluble and plasma-membrane-bound NAD(P)H:quinone reductases are strictly related flavo-dehydrogenases which seem to replace DT-diaphorase in plant tissues. Following purification to homogeneity, the soluble NAD(P)H-QR from tobacco leaves was digested. Nine peptides were sequenced, accounting for about 50% of NAD(P)H-QR amino acid sequence. Although one peptide was found homologous to animal DT-diaphorase and another one to plant monodehydroascorbate reductase, native NAD(P)H-QR does not seem to be structurally similar to any known flavoprotein
Cloning and heterologous expression of NAD(P)H:quinone reductase of Arabidopsis thaliana, a functional homologue of animal DT-diaphorase
No full textAbstractIn higher plants, NAD(P)H:quinone reductase (NQR) is the only flavoreductase known to reduce quinone substrates directly to hydroquinones by a two-electron reaction mechanism. This enzymatic activity is believed to protect aerobic organisms from the oxidative action of semiquinones. For this reason plant NQR has recently been suggested to be related to animal DT-diaphorase. A cDNA clone for NQR of Arabidopsis thaliana was identified, expressed in Escherichia coli, purified and characterized. Its amino acid sequence was found related to a number of putative proteins, mostly from prokaryotes, with still undetermined function. Conversely, in spite of the functional homology, sequence similarity between plant NQR and animal DT-diaphorase was limited and essentially confined to the flavin binding site
INTEFF_TOTEM Project: magneTron sputtering cyclOtron TargEt Manufacturing
No full textINTEFF_TOTEM is a Proof-of-Concept project in the
framework of “Innovazione tecnologica dalla fisica
fondamentale” (INTEFF) program promoted by INFN
Technology Transfer Committee (CNTT). This project is
funded by the Ministry of Economic Development (MISE)
for a period of 18 months and started on February 2021.
The project aims to enhance the INFN patent
no. WO 2019/053570 “Method for obtaining a solid target
for radiopharmaceuticals production”, developed within the
framework of the LARAMED project at LNL. A
technological R&D program to improve the deposition
efficiency of some materials (e.g., Cr, ZnO) on different
substrates (metal and non-metal) with Magnetron Sputtering
(MS) technique is planned. The goal is to limit, as much as
technically achievable, the losses of the starting material,
thus making this technique also attractive for the expensive
isotopically enriched materials, typically used to
manufacture cyclotron solid targets for the production of
medical radionuclides. The current estimated Technology
Readiness Level (TRL) of this patent is 4. At the end of the
project, to evaluate the developed technology, some targets
will be irradiated with the proton beam of the medical
cyclotron available at the S. Cuore Don Calabria Hospital
(SCDCH) in Negrar, (VR). With such a planned
improvement, we expect to achieve a TRL of 6. Moreover,
a technological development of another INFN patent held
by LARAMED group (no. WO 2019/220224 A1, “A
method and a target for the production of 67Cu”) is strictly
related to this project. The manufacturing of the first step
towards the realization of a ZnO multilayer target for 67Cu
production with a high energy cyclotron (e.g., the BEST 70p
at LNL) is foreseen using both MS and Spark Plasma
Sintering (SPS) techniques. The INTEFF_TOTEM project
is carried out in the framework of the LARAMED target
development activities [1] and in collaboration with the
Servizio Tecnologia delle Superfici e Superconduttività at
the LNL
Effects of Ca2+ chelators on plant resistance to bacteria and on plasma membrane NADH-DQR activity
No full textThe pretreatment of tobacco leaves with protein-lipopolysaccharide complexes purified from Pseudomonas syringae pv. aptata (Psa) prevents the hypersensitive response (HR) against heterologous bacteria (i.e. Psa) and delays disease symptoms induced by homologous bacteria (i.e. P. syringae pv. tabaci; Pst). That pretreatment also causes an increase of NADH-duroquinone reductase (NADH-DQR) located in the tobcco leaf plasma membrane. This enzyme may be involved in prLPS prevention of the HR by inhibiting superoxide radicals generation. According to this proposal, the protection induced by pr-LPS treatment may be partially due to chelation of Ca2+ ions. In fact calcium ions can act as secondary messengers in the plant-pathogen interaxtion. To test this hypothesis, the effect of some ca2+ chelators (EGTA, EDTA, oxalate) were studied in planta, on plant pathogen interaction, and on NADH-DQR activity in beet suspension cells
Variegation in Erythronium dens-canis L. (Liliaceae) leaves: a structural functional study.
No full text
Increase of Plasma Membrane NADH-Duroquinone Reductase in Tobacco Leaves Treated with Protein-Lipopolysaccharide complexes
No full textPossible involvement of NADH-Duroquinone Reductase in the localized cellular response of the induced protection in pr-LPS treated tobacco leaves
Long-term survival in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a population-based study
No full textOBJECTIVE:
To determine the long-term survival in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and identify predictors of prolonged survival in a population-based cohort of newly diagnosed patients.
METHODS:
An incident cohort from a population-based registry during the years 1998 through 2002 in Lombardy, Italy was followed until death or to February 28, 2013. Age, sex, date of onset of symptoms, site of onset, date of diagnosis, and El Escorial diagnostic category were collected. Survival was assessed using Kaplan-Meier curves. Cox proportional hazards function was used to identify independent prognostic predictors. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) were used to assess the 5-year and 10-year excess mortality of ALS patients.
RESULTS:
Included were 280 men and 203 women aged 18 to 93 years. Spinal onset ALS was present in 312 cases (64.6%). Definite ALS was diagnosed in 213 cases (44.1%), probable ALS in 130 (26.9%), possible ALS in 93 (19.3%), and suspected ALS in 47 (9.7%). The cumulative time-dependent survival at 1, 5, and 10 years from diagnosis was 76.2%, 23.4%, and 11.8%, respectively. Independent predictors included younger age, the diagnosis of possible/suspected ALS, spinal onset, and symptoms having started >12 months previously at diagnosis. SMR was 9.4 at 5 years and 5.4 at 10 years. SMR at 10 years was higher until age 75 year, predominating in women, and became nonsignificant for males thereafter.
INTERPRETATION:
The outcome in ALS varies with phenotype. Longer survival is predicted by younger age, spinal onset, male gender, and suspected ALS. After age 75 years, 10-year survival in men with ALS is similar to the general population
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