Showing papers by "University of Udine published in 1995"
TL;DR: The putative biological roles of the selenoenzymes, particularly those of the glutathione peroxidases (GPX), proved instrumental in the understanding of selenium deficiency syndromes in livestock and humans, although the emerging complexity of seenium enzymology still precludes definitive conclusions.
Abstract: Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the diversity of glutathione peroxidases Selenium was identified as a toxic factor for grazing animals in the first half of the twentieth century and since then has been considered hazardous Only long after the identification of the first selenoenzymes in bacteria and mammals was a Recommended Dietary Allowance gradually established In fact, the putative biological roles of the selenoenzymes, particularly those of the glutathione peroxidases (GPX), proved instrumental in the understanding of selenium deficiency syndromes in livestock and humans, although the emerging complexity of selenium enzymology still precludes definitive conclusions The selenium-dependent peroxidases have long been considered a late achievement of evolution, as they were only detected in vertebrates This view now has to be revised Whether the common ancester of the GPX superfamily was a selenoprotein or a cysteine-containing homolog cannot be deduced from the available sequences The only prokaryotic member of the superfamily detected so far, a cobalamine-binding protein of Escherichia coli , does not contain selenocysteine, and despite ongoing efforts, functionally active glutathione peroxidases have not yet been found in prokaryotes
800 citations
TL;DR: A novel protein family, showing a conserved proregion and a variable C‐terminal antimicrobial domain, and named0 cathelicidin, has been identified in mammalian myeloid cells and shows sequence similarity to members of the cystatin superfamily of cysteine proteinase inhibitors.
708 citations
TL;DR: Long-term randomized clinical trials of adequate size in secondary and primary prevention could support the free-radical hypothesis for diabetic diabetic vascular complications and the use of antioxidants to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.
Abstract: Accelerated atherosclerotic vascular disease is the leading cause of mortality in patients with diabetes mellitus. Endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO) is a potent endogenous nitrovasodilator and plays a major role in modulation of vascular tone. Selective impairment of endothelium-dependent relaxation has been demonstrated in aortas of both nondiabetic animals exposed to elevated concentrations of glucose in vitro and insulin-dependent diabetic animals. The impaired NO release in experimentally induced diabetes may be prevented by a number of antioxidants. It has been hypothesized that oxygen-derived free radicals (OFR) generated during both glucose autoxidation and formation of advanced glycosylation end products may interfere with NO action and attenuate its vasodilatory activity. The oxidative injury may also be increased in diabetes mellitus because of a weakened defense due to reduced endogenous antioxidants (vitamin E, reduced glutathione [GSH]). A defective endothelium-dependent vascular relaxation has been found in animal models of hypertension and in hypertensive patients. An imbalance due to reduced production of NO or increased production of free radicals, mainly superoxide anion, may facilitate the development of an arterial functional spasm. Treatment with different antioxidants increases blood flow in the forearm and decreases blood pressure and viscosity in normal humans; vitamin E inhibits nonenzymatic glycosylation, oxidative stress, and red blood cell microviscosity in diabetic patients. Long-term randomized clinical trials of adequate size in secondary and primary prevention could support the free-radical hypothesis for diabetic diabetic vascular complications and the use of antioxidants to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.
380 citations
TL;DR: It is shown that the class of these functions is universal in the sense that if the problem of ultimately bounding the state in an assigned convex set via state feedback control can be solved via a Lyapunov function and a continuous state-feedback compensator then it can be solve via a polyhedral Lyap unov functionand a (possibly different) continuous control.
369 citations
TL;DR: Reactive growth processes in myocytes and architectural rearrangement of the muscle compartment of the myocardium appear to be the major determinants of ventricular remodeling and the occurrence of cardiac failure in DC.
266 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors analyze the problem of working out a worldview accommodating our knowledge about natural phenomena, and stress the relevant conceptual differences between the considered models and standard quantum mechanics, and conclude that, within the considered theories and at the nonrelativistic level, one can satisfy all sensible requirements for a completely satisfactory macroobjective description of reality.
Abstract: With reference to recently proposed theoretical models accounting for reduction in terms of a unified dynamics governing all physical processes, we analyze the problem of working out a worldview accommodating our knowledge about natural phenomena. We stress the relevant conceptual differences between the considered models and standard quantum mechanics. In spite of the fact that both theories describe systems within a genuine Hilbert space framework, the peculiar features of the spontaneous reduction models limit drastically the states which are dynamically stable. This fact by itself allows one to work out an interpretation of the formalism which makes it possible to give a satisfactory description of the world in terms of the values taken by an appropriately defined mass density function in ordinary configuration space. A topology based on this function and which is radically different from the one characterizing the Hilbert space is introduced, and in terms of it the idea of similarity of macroscopic situations is precisely defined. Finally, the formalism and the interpretation are shown to yield a natural criterion for establishing the psychophysical parallelism. The conclusion is that, within the considered theories and at the nonrelativistic level, one can satisfy all sensible requirements for a completely satisfactory macro-objective description of reality.
252 citations
TL;DR: PCR-based analysis of mononucleotide repeats may be used to detect both intraspecific and interspecific variability in the chloroplast genomes of seed plants and provides an important experimental tool to examine a range of issues in plant genetics.
215 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the influence of Pb, Zn, and Tl on microbial biomass survival and activity during a laboratory incubation of soil was studied, and it was shown that the microbial biomass C decreased sharply in soil contaminated with Zn and Tls, whereas the addition of PB did not have any significant inhibitory effect on the level of microbial biomassC.
Abstract: In this work we studied the influence of Pb, Zn, and Tl on microbial biomass survival and activity during a laboratory incubation of soil. In comparison to uncontaminated soil, the microbial biomass C decreased sharply in soil contaminated with Zn and Tl, whereas the addition of Pb did not have any significant inhibitory effect on the level of microbial biomass C. Zn displayed the greatest biocidal effect, confirmed by the measurement of the death rate quotient (q D). The microbial activity, measured as CO2 evolution, increased significantly in contaminated soils, emphasizing the need of living organisms to expend more energy to survive. The greater demand for energy by microorganisms in order to cope with the toxicity of pollutants was also confirmed by measurement of the metabolic quotient (q CO2). In order to determine whether soil microorganisms affect the bioavailability of these metals through their mobilization and release, we studied the relationships between available Pb, Zn, and Tl, and microbial biomass C. The water-soluble fraction of Tl, available Tl, and Zn, and microbial biomass C were related significantly, but not Pb.
202 citations
TL;DR: The seven questions concerning individual fat intake pattern led, however, to a significant increase in mean daily intake of vegetable fat, oleic acid, and vitamin E, but a reduction of estimateddaily intake of linoleic acid and polyunsaturated fatty acids.
196 citations
TL;DR: The data suggest that hyperglycemia may induce thrombin activation, possibly inducing an oxidative stress, and that antioxidant GSH may counterbalance this effect.
Abstract: Diabetes is characterized by the existence of a thrombosis-prone condition, possibly related to hyperglycemia However, the mechanism linking hyperglycemia to the activation of the coagulation cascade is still unclear It has been recently suggested that diabetes is accompanied by increased oxidative stress In this work, the possibility that oxidative stress may be involved in the hyperglycemia-induced coagulation activation has been evaluated Prothrombin fragment 1 + 2 (F1 + 2), which represents a reliable marker of the amount of thrombin released in the circulation, has been chosen for studying thrombin formation in vivo In nine type II diabetic patients and in seven healthy control subjects, matched for age and body mass index, three different experiments were performed: oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), intravenous antioxidant glutathione (GSH) administration for 2 h, and OGTT plus intravenous GSH administration Samples were drawn at -15 min and every 30 min from 0 to 180 min During the OGTT, F1 + 2 significantly increased in both diabetic and healthy subjects GSH administration during OGTT normalized this phenomenon GSH administration alone significantly decreased F1 + 2 in diabetic patients, while no effect was observed in the normal subjects These data suggest that hyperglycemia may induce thrombin activation, possibly inducing an oxidative stress, and that antioxidant GSH may counterbalance this effect
191 citations
TL;DR: The first demonstration of recognition of partly occluded objects in a bird species, the domestic chickGallus gallus, is provided, using the naturalistic setting made available by filial imprinting, a process whereby young birds form attachments to their mothers or some artificial substitute.
Abstract: Completion of partly occluded objects is a ubiquitous phenomenon in human visual perception. It is unclear, however, whether it occurs at all in other species: Studies on visual discrimination learning have revealed that animals usually attend to parts and features of the discriminative stimuli rather than to global object properties. We provide here the first demonstration of recognition of partly occluded objects in a bird species, the domestic chick Gallus gallus, using the naturalistic setting made available by filial imprinting, a process whereby young birds form attachments to their mothers or some artificial substitute. In Experiment 1, newborn chicks were reared singly with a red cardboard triangle, to which they rapidly imprinted and therefore treated as a social partner. On Day 3 of life, the chicks were presented with pairs of objects composed of either isolated fragments or occluded parts of the imprinting stimulus. Chicks consistently chose to associate with complete or with partly occluded versions of the imprinting object rather than with separate fragments of it. Similarly, in Experiment 2, chicks reared with a partly occluded triangle chose to associate with a complete triangle rather than with fragmented one, whereas chicks reared with a fragmented triangle chose to associate with a fragmented triangle and not with a complete one. Newborn chicks thus appear to behave as if they could experience amodal completion.
TL;DR: Evidence of lateral asymmetries in the direction of turning during escape behaviour in a species of poeciliid fish, Girardinus falcatus, is reported and the implications to current understanding of the evolution of brain lateralization are discussed.
TL;DR: Air pollution is a moderate risk factor for certain histologic types of lung cancer, and a case-control study among men who had died in Trieste, Italy, from 1979 to 1981 and from 1985 to 1986 provides evidence.
Abstract: To investigate the relation between air pollution and histologic type of lung cancer, the authors conducted a case-control study among men who had died in Trieste, Italy, from 1979 to 1981 and from 1985 to 1986. Through the local autopsy registry, 755 cases of lung cancer and 755 controls were identified. Information on smoking habits, occupation, and place of residence was obtained from each subject's next of kin. Air pollution at the residence of each subject was estimated from the average value of total particulate at the nearest monitoring station. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the effect of residence and air pollution on lung cancer after adjustment for age, smoking habits, likelihood of exposure to occupational carcinogens, and social group. The risk of lung cancer increased with increasing level of air pollution for all types of lung cancer combined (p = 0.022), for small cell carcinoma (p = 0.016), and for large cell carcinoma (p = 0.049). Compared with inhabitants of the residential area, residents of the rural area had a relative risk (RR) of 0.6 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.4-1.0). The RR was 1.5 (95% CI 1.0-2.2) for residents of the center of the city and 1.4 (95% CI 1.0-2.1) for residents of the industrial area. In the center of the city, the excess risk was almost completely restricted to small cell carcinoma (RR = 2.0) and to large cell carcinoma (RR = 2.6). In the industrial area, the risk was increased especially for adenocarcinoma (RR = 2.1). These results provide evidence that air pollution is a moderate risk factor for certain histologic types of lung cancer.
TL;DR: In this paper, two-day-old chicks were tested in a detour situation requiring them to abandon a clear view of a desired goal (a small red object on which they had been imprinted) in order to achieve that goal.
TL;DR: In this paper, the possible role of polyamines and peroxidases in response to ozone and simulated acid precipitation is discussed, and it is shown that polyamines putrescine and spermidine increased in younger tissues (c-y needles) with a combined treatment; a less clear effect was found in older needles although polyamine content was always higher in treated than in control plants.
TL;DR: CDNA sequences of three ovine cathelicidins of 155, 160 and 190 residues, respectively, with cationic C‐terminal sequences corresponding to putative antimicrobial domains are reported, which include a novel 29 residue sequence named SMAP‐29 with a possible α‐helical conformation.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the correlation of output innovations at the industry and country levels, and discussed to what extent output innovations can be considered "symmetric" or "asymmetric".
TL;DR: In this paper, two experiments were performed in a hedgerow vineyard, in June and July, to assess the influence of spray application rate and air output on the spray distribution from an axial-fan sprayer.
TL;DR: It appears that the apparent stronger propensity of SPB to progress is actually due to the great number of cases that at diagnosis conceal an occult MM.
01 Jan 1995
TL;DR: This chapter concerns the thalamic nuclei that project to the barrel cortex—their classification, their afferent and efferent connections, and their functional properties.
Abstract: Each sensory field of neocortex (somatic, visual, and auditory) is the target of multiple thalamic pathways (Macchi, 1983). The barrel field of rodent cortex (Woolsey and Van der Loos, 1970; C. Welker and Woolsey, 1974) provides a particularly useful model for investigating how multiple thalamic inputs are integrated; the various ascending sensory pathways are segregated in the thalamus and terminate in separate cortical sites. This chapter concerns the thalamic nuclei that project to the barrel cortex—their classification, their afferent and efferent connections, and their functional properties.
TL;DR: The flexible region in Hsp25 encompasses exactly that expected from sequence comparison with α‐crystallin implying that both proteins have similar structures and that the C‐terminal extensions could be of functional importance for both proteins.
TL;DR: In a recent study, this paper found that the inability to obtain detour behavior in the double screen test in the chick was not due to a cognitive limitation, but rather to the evocation of fear responses to the novel environment that interfered with the correct execution of the spatial task.
TL;DR: In vitro experiments showed that PMAP-37 strongly inhibits the growth of several strains of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, with minimal inhibitory concentrations ranging over 1-4 microM, and permeabilizes the inner membrane of Escherichia coli.
Abstract: A molecular biological approach, based on preproregion homology in the precursors of several diverse antibacterial peptides, was used to clone a pig bone marrow cDNA encoding a novel 167-residue polypeptide. The preproregion of this polypeptide is highly similar to corresponding regions in congeners from pig, cattle and rabbit. It is followed by a unique, cationic, 37-residue sequence, which was predicted to have a high propensity for an α-helical conformation. A peptide, termed PMAP-37, corresponding to this sequence, was chemically synthesized and shown to undergo a transition from a random coil to an ordered, mainly helical, conformation on addition of trifluoroethanol. This behaviour is typical of an amphipathic α helix, a structure common to several membrane-active, antimicrobial peptides. In vitro experiments showed that PMAP-37 strongly inhibits the growth of several strains of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, with minimal inhibitory concentrations ranging over 1–4 μM, and permeabilizes the inner membrane of Escherichia coll. Interestingly, the 15–32 stretch of PMAP-37 show a remarkable similarity to N-terminal stretches in cecropins B and A from Drosophila melanogaster and Cecropia hyalophora, respectively. This affords an uncommon example of sequence convergence.
TL;DR: Results are consistent with the idea of an involvement of plasma membrane H+-ATPase in the overall response of roots to NO3- and kinetics of NO3-- or Cl--stimulated ATP-dependent intravesicular H+ accumulation were modified in plasma membrane vesicles isolated from NO3)-- induced roots.
Abstract: Plasma membrane H+-ATPase was studied in maize (Zea mays L.) roots induced for NO3- uptake. Membrane vesicles were isolated by means of Suc density gradient from roots exposed for 24 h either to 1.5 mM NO3- or 1.5 mM SO4-. The two populations of vesicles had similar composition as shown by diagnostic inhibitors of membrane-associated ATPases. However, both ATP-dependent intravesicular H+ accumulation and ATP hydrolysis were considerably enhanced (60–100%) in vesicles isolated from NO3--induced roots. Km for Mg:ATP and pH dependency were not influenced by NO3- treatment of the roots. ATP hydrolysis in plasma membrane vesicles for both control and NO3--induced roots was not affected by 10 to 150 mM NO3- or Cl-. On the other hand, kinetics of NO3-- or Cl--stimulated ATP-dependent intravesicular H+ accumulation were modified in plasma membrane vesicles isolated from NO3-- induced roots. Immunoassays carried out with polyclonal antibodies against plasma membrane H+-ATPase revealed an increased steady-state level of the enzyme in plasma membrane vesicles isolated from NO3--induced roots. Results are consistent with the idea of an involvement of plasma membrane H+-ATPase in the overall response of roots to NO3-.
TL;DR: The partition between the urine and milk excretion of allantoin, uric acid, creatinine and urea was examined and the urine/milk urea excretion ratio had a significant interaction between dietary treatments and periods.
TL;DR: The results argue against an involvement of vitamin E, both as antioxidant or pro-oxidant in LDL challenged with Cu++, and suggest that other factors, besides antioxidant content, must be relevant in determining LDL oxidative resistance.
TL;DR: In this article, an experimental evidence for the existence of orbitally excited B meson states is presented in an analysis of the Bπ and B∗π distribution of View the MathML source using Z0 decay data taken with the DELPHI detector at LEP.
TL;DR: The three chicken chains assembled by disulfide bonding to form correctly folded triple helical aggregated composites with sizes corresponding to type VI collagen monomers, dimers, and tetramers were secreted and became incorporated into the extracellular matrix, where they formed an extensive fibrillar network.
TL;DR: The equations of calculation of percentage prediction error (percentage prediction error = [equation: see text] x 100) and similar equations have been widely used but not much is known about the property of this type of equation and the caution which should be taken into account.
TL;DR: The comparison of the RFLP patterns in the parents and their progeny showed a strictly paternal inheritance of chloroplast DNA in Actinidia, with no exception found in any of the crosses examined.
Abstract: RFLPs (restriction fragment length polymorphisms) of PCR (polymerase chain reaction) -amplified fragments were used to trace the pattern of plastid DNA inheritance in the genus Actinidia. A total of 51 progeny originating from interspecific crosses between three A. arguta cultivars and A. deliciosa, the kiwifruit, and 12 progeny originating from the cross between A. kolomikta and A. chinensis were analysed together with their parents. No reciprocal crosses could be tested since they all failed to set viable seeds. Attempts to rescue immature embryos failed in all cases as well. The A. argutaXA. deliciosa crosses were checked for the RFLP patterns of a sequence encoding part of the Rubisco large subunit (rbcL), using either AluI or MseI, and for a sequence encoding part of the photosystem II D1 protein (psbA), using HinfI. The A. kolomiktaXA. chinensis cross was checked for the RFLP patterns of sequences encoding the spacers between trnT and the 5'-trnL exon (a-b spacer DNA) and the trnL 3' exon and trnF (e-f spacer DNA), respectively. The first spacer revealed a natural polymorphism between the two parent species due to a large deletion occurring in A. kolomikta detectable without further restriction enzyme treatment. The e-f spacer DNA was digested with HinfI. The comparison of the RFLP patterns in the parents and their progeny showed a strictly paternal inheritance of chloroplast DNA in Actinidia, with no exception found in any of the crosses examined. As the reciprocal crosses were not available, we do not know whether paternal inheritance of plastids is restricted to the crosses we analysed or if this is the general rule for plastid inheritance in the genus Actinidia. Actinidia is dioecious and is the first purely outbreeding species for which a paternal plastid inheritance has so far been documented.