On the dimensionality of the Attachment Style Questionnaire in Italian clinical and nonclinical participants

This study examined the utility of the Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ) in an Italian sample of 487 consecutively admitted psychiatric participants and an independent sample of 605 nonclinical participants. Minimum average partial analysis of data from the psychiatric sample supported the hypothesized five-factor structure of the items; furthermore, multiple-group component analysis showed that this five-factor structure was not an artifact of differences in item distributions. The five-factor structure of the ASQ was largely replicated in the nonclinical sample. Furthermore, in both psychiatric and nonclinical samples, a two-factor higher order structure of the ASQ scales was observed. The higher order factors of Avoidance and Anxious Attachment showed meaningful relations with scales assessing parental bonding, but were not redundant with these scales. Multivariate normal mixture analysis supported the hypothesis that adult attachment patterns, as measured by the ASQ, are best considered as dimensional constructs.

Cytochrome c(551) from Starkeya novella - Characterization, spectroscopic properties, and phylogeny of a diheme protein of the SoxAX family

Cytochromes from the SoxAX family have a major role in thiosulfate oxidation via the thiosulfate-oxidizing multi-enzyme system (TOMES). Previously characterized SoxAX proteins from Rhodovulum sulficlophilum and Paracoccus pantotrophus contain three heme c groups, two of which are located on the SoxA subunit. In contrast, the SoxAX protein purified from Starkeya novella was found to contain only two heme groups. Mass spectrometry showed that a disulfide bond replaced the second heme group found in the diheme SoxA subunits. Apparent molecular masses of 27,229 +/- 10.3 Da and 20,258.6 +/- 1 Da were determined for SoxA and SoxX with an overall mass of 49.7 kDa, indicating a heterodimeric structure. Optical redox potentiometry found that the two heme cofactors are reduced at similar potentials (versus NHE) that are as follows: + 133 mV (pH 6.0); + 104 mV (pH 7.0); +49 (pH 7.9) and +10 mV (pH 8.7). EPR spectroscopy revealed that both ferric heme groups are in the low spin state, and the spectra were consistent with one heme having a His/Cys axial ligation and the other having a His/Met axial ligation. The His/Cys ligated heme is present in different conformational states and gives rise to three distinct signals. Amino acid sequencing was used to unambiguously assign the protein to the encoding genes, soxAX, which are part of a complete sox gene cluster found in S. novella. Phylogenetic analysis of soxA- and soxX-related gene sequences indicates a parallel development of SoxA and SoxY, with the diheme and monoheme SoxA sequences located on clearly separated branches of a phylogenetic tree.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of sulfite dehydrogenase from Stargeya novella

Crystals of purified heterodimeric sulfite dehydrogenase from Starkeya novella have been grown using vapour diffusion. X-ray diffraction data have been collected from crystals of the native protein at lambda=1.0 Angstrom and close to the iron absorption edge at lambda=1.737 Angstrom. The crystals belong to space group P2(1)2(1)2, with unit-cell parameters a=97.5, b=92.5, c=55.9 Angstrom. Native data have been recorded to 1.8 Angstrom resolution and Fe-edge data to 2.5 Angstrom.

Relationship of body condition score and blood urea and ammonia to pregnancy in Italian Mediterranean buffaloes

The relationship of body condition score ( BCS) and blood urea and ammonia to pregnancy outcome was examined in Italian Mediterranean Buffalo cows mated by AI. The study was conducted on 150 buffaloes at 145 +/- 83 days in milk that were fed a diet comprising 14.8% crude protein, 0.9 milk forage units . kg(-1) dry matter and a non- structural carbohydrate/ crude protein ratio of 2.14. The stage of the oestrous cycle was synchronised by the Ovsynch- TAI programme and blood urea and ammonia levels were assessed on the day of AI. Energy corrected milk ( ECM) production and BCS were recorded bi- weekly. The pregnancy risk was 46.7% and was slightly lower in buffaloes with BCS < 6.0 and BCS > 7.5. There were no significant differences in ECM, urea and ammonia between pregnant and non- pregnant buffaloes. However, pregnancy outcome was higher ( P = 0.02) in buffaloes with blood urea < 6.83 mmol . L-1. The likelihood of pregnancy for buffaloes with low urea blood level was 2.6 greater than for high urea level and exposure to a high urea level lowered the probability of pregnancy by about 0.25. The findings indicate that buffaloes are similar to cattle and increased blood levels of urea are associated with reduced fertility when animals are mated by AI.

Structure of the active site of sulfite dehydrogenase from Starkeya novella

In this paper, we report the results of molybdenum K-edge X-ray absorption studies performed on the oxidized and reduced active sites of the sulfite dehydrogenase from Starkeya novella. Our results provide the first direct structural information on the active site of the oxidized form of this enzyme and confirm the conclusions derived from protein crystallography that the molybdenum coordination is analogous to that of the sulfite oxidases. The molybdenum atom of the oxidized enzyme is bound by two Mo=O ligands at 1.73 angstrom and three thiolate Mo-S ligands at 2.42 angstrom, whereas the reduced enzyme has one oxo at 1.74 angstrom, one long oxygen at 2.19 angstrom (characteristic of Mo-OH2), and three Mo-S ligands at 2.40 angstrom.