A comparative study of the wine fermentation performance of Saccharomyces paradoxus under different nitrogen concentrations and glucose/fructose ratios.

AIMS: The main goal of the present study is to determine the effects of different nitrogen concentrations and glucose/fructose ratios on the fermentation performance of Saccharomyces paradoxus, a nonconventional species used for winemaking. METHODS AND RESULTS: Ethanol yield, residual sugar concentration, as well as glycerol and acetic acid production were determined for diverse wine fermentations conducted by S. paradoxus. Experiments were also carried out with a commercial Saccharomyces cerevisiae wine strain used as control. The values obtained were compared to test significant differences by means of a factorial anova and the Scheffé test. Our results show that S. paradoxus strain was able to complete the fermentation even in the nonoptimal conditions of low nitrogen content and high fructose concentration. In addition, the S. paradoxus strain showed significant higher glycerol synthesis and lower acetic acid production than S. cerevisiae in media enriched with nitrogen, as well as a lower, but not significant, ethanol yield. CONCLUSIONS: The response of S. paradoxus was different with respect to the commercial S. cerevisiae strain, especially to glycerol and acetic acid synthesis. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The present study has an important implication for the implementation of S. paradoxus strains as new wine yeast starters exhibiting interesting enological properties.

N-tert-butyl-alpha-phenylnitrone, a free radical scavenger with anticholinesterase activity does not improve the cognitive performance of scopolamine-challenged rats.

Reversible inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase improve spatial learning and memory in animal models of cognitive impairment. Here we investigate if the beneficial effects of free radical scavenger N-tert-butyl-alpha-phenylnitrone (PBN) on cognitive performance could be explained by its recently discovered anticholinesterase activity. Morris water maze experiment was performed to examine the effect of PBN on the impairment of spatial learning and memory induced by the antagonist of cholinergic muscarinic transmission scopolamine. In situ hybridization histochemistry experiment was performed to study its effects on the induction of immediate early gene expression (c-fos, c-jun) by dopamine D1 receptor agonist SKF-82958 and on the augmentation of the SKF-82958-induced expression of these genes by scopolamine. In both experiments, the effects of PBN were compared to the effects of reversible anticholinesterase physostigmine. We found that physostigmine but not PBN significantly reversed the cognitive impairment in scopolamine-challenged rats, prevented the induction of c-fos and c-jun mRNAs by SKF-82958 and attenuated the augmentation of the SKF-82958-induced expression of these genes by scopolamine. The present experiments did not reveal a significant in vivo anticholinesterase activity of PBN.

Dopaminergic regulation of synaptotagmin I and IV mRNAs in hemiparkinsonian rats.

Synaptotagmins (Syts) I and IV are synaptic proteins involved in the regulation of neurosecretion. Dopaminergic drugs have been shown to modulate their expression. Here we investigate whether dopaminergic regulation of syt I and syt IV expression could play a role in the hypersensitive striatum of rats with unilateral lesions of dopaminergic nigrostriatal neurons with 6-hydroxydopamine. We show that chronic dopaminergic denervation resulted in a small down-regulation of striatal syt I mRNA, whereas acute treatment with SKF-82958, a dopamine D1 receptor agonist, induced a massive syt IV mRNA upregulation in the striatum on the lesioned side. We conclude that chronic lack of dopamine and treatment with dopamine D1 receptor agonists alter the synaptic plasticity in dopamine depleted basal ganglia.

[Cytomegalovirus retinitis in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection]. / Citomegalovirusni retinitis u oboljelih od infekcije virusom humane imunodeficijencije.

Cytomegalovirus retinitis (CMVR) is a common opportunistic infection and a major cause of blindness in patients with AIDS. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency, clinical course and outcome of CMVR in patients treated at the University Hospital of Infectious Diseases "Dr. Fran Mihaljevic" in Zagreb in the period from January 1995 to April 1996. CMVR was diagnosed in 8 (27.5%) of 29 patients with AIDS. The median CD4 lymphocyte count in patients with CMVR was 44 per mm3, six patients had less than 50 per mm3. Five patients died during the study period, the mean survival being 5.5 months. CMVR was present in both eyes in 5 (62.5%) patients at the time of diagnosis. Blindness in both eyes developed in 3 (37.5%) patients. In order to recognize and promptly treat CMVR frequent ophthalmologic examinations should be performed in patients with advanced HIV disease.

Possibility of blocking n. ischiadicus within foramen ischiadicum majus in sheep.

The blocking of the ischiadic nerve within foramen ischiadicus majus of 8 sheep was performed with 6-12 ml 2% xylocain from three different places: 1. From the middle of a line joining the top of processus spinosus of the 1st sacral vertebra and the peak of trochanter major. The needle pierces vertically through the skin, gluteal fascia and m. gluteus medius till foramen ischiadicum majus. 2. Along the most prominent part of crista iliaca on the gluteal surface of ala ossis ilium along the medial side of well expressed linea glutea. The needle pierces by an angle of 45 degrees through the skin, gluteal fascia and m. gluteus medius till the nerve itself. When the nerve is touched the animal makes a jerk. 3. Along the caudal part of tuber sacrale with the needle orientated caudo-ventro-laterally through the skin, gluteal fascia and m. gluteus medius toward foramen ischiadicum majus. The most appropriate approach for blocking is along crista glutea on the gluteal surface of ala assis ilii. In this approach the success is complete. The symptoms of the blocking appear immediately after the application. The complete akinesia of the limb appears 15 minutes after the application of 6 ml, and 5-10 minutes after being applied 12 ml of 2% xylocain. The blocking symptoms disappear within 90-100 or 120-140 minutes. Beside the blocking of n. ischiadicus, a simultaneous blocking of n. gluteus cranialis, n. caudalis and n. cutaneus femoris caudalis as well was performed within foramen ischiadicus majus.

Flavin, oxidative and hydrolytic enzyme activity in the skin of Sana, Togemburg and Balkan engrafted kid breeds.

Flavin, oxidative and hydrolytic enzyme activity in the Togenburg, Sana and Balkan engrafted kid breeds, skin from the back, abdomen and leg areas was investigated. The strongest activity of the enzymes was found in the connective tissue, muscular tissue cells and sebaceous glands while the weaker activity was found in epidermis and hair follicle cells. Those are slight differences in the activity of the investigated enzymes among kid groups in the investigated part of the body.

Variations of the arterial supply of the duodenum and the pancreas in the domestic cat (Felis domestica brisson).

We found that there are variations of the arterial supply of the duodenum and the pancreas in the domestic cat. In not a single cat does the cranial pancreatico-duodenal artery supply the whole descending duodenum. In 80% of our cases it supplies the cranial half, and in 20% of our cases only the cranial third of the descending duodenum. Only 48% of our cases is the caudal pancreaticoduodenal artery the first branch of the cranial mesenteric artery. But in 52% of our cases it is the second or even the third branch of the cranial mesenteric artery.