A scuola di Museo

Laboratori didattici in un museo di storia moderna. Le fonti archivistiche e iconografiche come base per la didattica

Insertional mutagenesis reveals genes involved in <em>Bacillus cereus</em> ATCC 14579 growth at low temperature

International audienceTransposon mutagenesis of Bacillus cereus ATCC 14579 yielded cold-sensitive mutants. Mutants of genes encoding enzymes of the central metabolism were affected by cold, but also by other stresses, such as pH or salt, whereas a mutant with transposon insertion in the promoter region of BC0259 gene, encoding a putative DEAD-box RNA helicase displaying homology with Escherichia coli CsdA and Bacillus subtilis CshA RNA helicases, was only cold-sensitive. Expression of the BC0259 gene at 10 °C is reduced in the mutant. Analysis of the 5' untranslated region revealed the transcriptional start and putative cold shock-responsive elements. The role of this RNA helicase in the cold-adaptive response of B. cereus is discusse

Multicenter Evaluation of the New Abbott RealTime Assays for Quantitative Detection of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 and Hepatitis C Virus RNA▿

The analytical performances of the new Abbott RealTime hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 viral load assays were compared at nine laboratories with different competitor assays. These included the Abbott LcX, Bayer Versant bDNA, Roche COBAS Amplicor, and Roche COBAS TaqMan assays. Two different protocols used during the testing period with and without a pre-m1000 RNA isolation spin were compared. The difference proved to be nonsignificant. A uracil-N-glycosylase (UNG) contamination control option in the HCV test for previous Roche COBAS Amplicor users was evaluated. It proved to decrease amplicon carryover by 100-fold independent of the amplicon input concentration. The protocol including UNG proved to overcome problems with false-positive negative controls. Comparison with other assays revealed only minor differences. The largest difference was observed between the Abbott HCV RealTime assay and the Roche COBAS Amplicor HCV Monitor version 2.0 assay

Interdisciplinary identification of the skeletal remains of Catherine Roberts-Davies, The first Welsh settler death in Patagonia, Argentina in 1865

In 1995, an almost complete human skeleton was found in Punta Cuevas, in the southern coast of Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina. The burial traits and the associated objects suggested the skeleton might belong to Mrs. Catherine Roberts-Davies, a middle-aged woman who was the first dead person among the first group of 163 Welsh settlers that set sail on May 28, 1865, from Liverpool to Bahía Nueva, in Argentinian Patagonia. The aim of this paper is to present the interdisciplinary studies conducted between 1995 and 2016 in order to identify these remains and to explore the possible causes of death. The age at death of the skeleton was estimated between 25 and 40 years old and sexed as female. The analyses of mtDNA haplogroup resulted in K2a, which is highly frequent in European populations. An ascendant maternal genealogy of Mrs. Roberts-Davies was reconstructed, based on documentary sources. After this genealogical research, a living descendant, who currently lives in Wales, was found. An mtDNA analysis of control region 16024-576 was compared among samples taken from the unknown skeleton and the descendant. The results confirmed that the skeleton found in Punta Cuevas belongs to Mrs. Catherine Roberts-Davies. With respect to the cause of death, according to two historical medical reports, Mrs. Roberts-Davies died from “black fever” (i.e., visceral leishmaniasis) or scurvy. Skeletal evidence suggests that she could have suffered from scurvy as a consequence of the harsh conditions of living during the trip from Liverpool and the first days after the arrival to Patagonia.Fil: Dahinten, Silvia Lucrecia V.. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia "San Juan Bosco"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Instituto de Diversidad y Evolución Austral; ArgentinaFil: Gomez Otero, Julieta. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia "San Juan Bosco"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Instituto de Diversidad y Evolución Austral; ArgentinaFil: Suby, Jorge Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Investigaciones Arqueológicas y Paleontológicas del Cuaternario Pampeano. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Investigaciones Arqueológicas y Paleontológicas del Cuaternario Pampeano; ArgentinaFil: Coronato, Fernando Raul. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Instituto Patagónico para el Estudio de los Ecosistemas Continentales; ArgentinaFil: Vullo, Carlos. Equipo Argentino de Antropología Forense; Argentin