Cytotoxic and Bacteriostatic Activity of Nanostructured TiO2 Coatings

Nanostructures are structures, mainly synthetic (nanosurfaces, cylindrical nanotubes, and nanospheres), which range between 1-100 nm in at least one dimension and can be engineered to a wide range of physical properties. This paper aims to explore the bacteriostatic and cytotoxic characteristics of nano-TiO2 coated specimens of glass, stainless steel and ceramic with different thickness and roughness. The results show that stainless steel and glass specimens with a nano-TiO2 coating thickness of 200 nm have a bacteriostatic effect of 97% and 100%, respectively after 30 minutes of UV exposure. Glass specimens with a nano-TiO2 coating thickness of 750, 200 and 50 nm have a bacteriostatic effect of 86%, 93% and 100% after 60 minutes. Nano-TiO2 coatings show a great bacteriostatic but not a cytotoxic effect, thus representing a valuable alternative for biomedical applications

Simulation of a scroll expander using R1233zd(E), R1234ze(Z) and their mixtures as drop-in replacements for R245fa

This paper presents simulations of the performance of a 2 kW hermetic scroll expander, based on a model reported in literature, when replacing the original working fluid (R245fa) with fourth-generation refrigerants. Calculations of micro organic Rankine cycles, equipped with the selected expander, show a slightly better performance when using R1234ze(Z) or R1233zd(E), as drop-in replacements of R245fa. Binary mixtures, characterized by a non-isothermal phase-change behavior, are considered as well. In particular, results of mixtures depend on the fluid temperature at the expander inlet. The most relevant result is that the mixture process for some hydrofluoroolefins causes a decrease of the maximum cycle temperature, after setting a fixed expander power output, and therefore the possibility of exploiting heat sources at lower temperatures

Oxytetracycline-Protein Complex: The Dark Side of Pet Food

Background: Worldwide antibiotic abuse represents a huge burden, which can have a deep impact on pet and human health through nutrition and medicalization representing another way of antibiotic resistance transmission. Objective: We aimed our research to determine a possible complex formation between biological bone substrates, such as proteins, and Oxytetracycline (OTC), an approved antibiotic for use in zootechny, which might determine a toxic effect on K562 cells. Method: Cell viability and HPLC-ESI/QqToF assays were used to assess potential toxicity of bone extract derived from OTC-treated chickens according to standard withdrawal times and from untreated chickens at 24, 48 and 72h of incubation. Results: Cell culture medium with ground bone from chickens reared in the presence of OTC (OTC-CCM) resulted significantly cytotoxic at every incubation time regardless of the bone concentration while cell culture medium with ground bone from chickens reared without OTC (BIO-CCM) resulted significantly cytotoxic only after 72h of incubation. HPLC-ESI/QqToF assay ruled out the possible presence of OTC main derivatives possibly released by bone within culture medium until 1 \u3bcg/mL. Conclusion: The presence of a protein complex with OTC is able to exert a cytotoxic effect once released in the medium after 24-48h of incubation

An Unusual Case of Primary Extranodal Lymphoma of the Gallbladder.

Primary gallbladder lymphoma is an extremely rare disease. We report a case of a 63 year-old woman who has been admitted with gradual onset abdominal pain in the upper right quadrant and in the suprapubic region, nausea and malaise. According to the computed tomography scan of the abdomen, which was suggestive of chronic cholecystitis, she was treated conservatively. A laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed 5 months later and the histological examination of the gallbladder showed a low grade small lymphocytic lymphoma. The patient has been taken over by the hematology team who kept her under surveillance as no further treatment was deemed as necessary. The purpose of this paper is to report a rare case of primary gallbladder lymphoma and to demonstrate that a laparoscopic cholecystectomy may be a valid treatment for this disease.This article is available via Open Access. Click on the Additional Link above to access the full-text via the publisher's site

Los métodos didáctico musicales y la atención en relación al movimiento

La línea que dirige la orientación y el propósito de ésta investigación, se centra en realizar de forma panorámica, una visión en la que poner de relieve el grado de implementación de la atención en los distintos métodos didáctico musicales más relacionados con la docencia musical general, desde las propuestas taxonómicas diseñadas por el iniciador Émile Jacques-Dalcroze, pasando por diferentes proposiciones metodológicas, hasta los planteamientos considerados en el reciente método BAPNE. Para ello se tendrán en cuenta las diferentes aportaciones, clasificaciones de las mismas, priorizando aquellas con mayor grado de vinculación hacia los elementos del lenguaje musical más relacionados con el binomio movimiento y atención. De igual forma, se pone de relieve el diferente grado de tratamiento, sistematización y pertinente consideración de la atención con respecto a los diferentes métodos seleccionados en general y del movimiento en ellos de forma particular. El Método BAPNE, propone fundamentada y sistematizadamente, una serie de criterios por los que sus taxonomías optimizan las potencialidades didácticas del binomio movimiento-atención en el diseño de aplicaciones para el aula

Reactivation of latent HIV-1 in vitro using an ethanolic extract from Euphorbia umbellata (Euphorbiaceae) latex

Euphorbia umbellata (E. umbellata) belongs to Euphorbiaceae family, popularly known as Janauba, and its latex contains a combination of phorbol esters with biological activities described to different cellular protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms. Here, we identified deoxi-phorbol esters present in E. umbellata latex alcoholic extract that are able to increase HIV transcription and reactivate virus from latency models. This activity is probably mediated by NF-kB activation followed by nuclear translocation and binding to the HIV LTR promoter. In addition, E. umbellata latex extract induced the production of pro inflammatory cytokines in vitro in human PBMC cultures. This latex extract also activates latent virus in human PBMCs isolated from HIV positive patients as well as latent SIV in non-human primate primary CD4+ T lymphocytes. Together, these results indicate that the phorbol esters present in E. umbellata latex are promising candidate compounds for future clinical trials for shock and kill therapies to promote HIV cure and eradication.Research and experimental expenses were funded by the grant E26/2015064289 from FAPERJinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Perioperative anaphylactic risk score for risk-oriented premedication

Basing on the current knowledge, this paper is aimed to review the core characteristics of the most relevant therapeutic agents (steroids and antihistamines), administered to prevent perioperative anaphylaxis. Moreover, the Authors propose the validation of a Global Anaphylactic Risk Score, built up by recording the individual scores related to the most relevant anaphylaxis parameters (i.e. medical history, symptoms and medication for asthma, rhinitis and urticaria etc) and by adding them on all together; the score could be used in the preoperative phase to evaluate the global anaphylactic risk and to prescribe risk-oriented premedication protocols

A chemical survey of exoplanets with ARIEL

Thousands of exoplanets have now been discovered with a huge range of masses, sizes and orbits: from rocky Earth-like planets to large gas giants grazing the surface of their host star. However, the essential nature of these exoplanets remains largely mysterious: there is no known, discernible pattern linking the presence, size, or orbital parameters of a planet to the nature of its parent star. We have little idea whether the chemistry of a planet is linked to its formation environment, or whether the type of host star drives the physics and chemistry of the planet’s birth, and evolution. ARIEL was conceived to observe a large number (~1000) of transiting planets for statistical understanding, including gas giants, Neptunes, super-Earths and Earth-size planets around a range of host star types using transit spectroscopy in the 1.25–7.8 μm spectral range and multiple narrow-band photometry in the optical. ARIEL will focus on warm and hot planets to take advantage of their well-mixed atmospheres which should show minimal condensation and sequestration of high-Z materials compared to their colder Solar System siblings. Said warm and hot atmospheres are expected to be more representative of the planetary bulk composition. Observations of these warm/hot exoplanets, and in particular of their elemental composition (especially C, O, N, S, Si), will allow the understanding of the early stages of planetary and atmospheric formation during the nebular phase and the following few million years. ARIEL will thus provide a representative picture of the chemical nature of the exoplanets and relate this directly to the type and chemical environment of the host star. ARIEL is designed as a dedicated survey mission for combined-light spectroscopy, capable of observing a large and well-defined planet sample within its 4-year mission lifetime. Transit, eclipse and phase-curve spectroscopy methods, whereby the signal from the star and planet are differentiated using knowledge of the planetary ephemerides, allow us to measure atmospheric signals from the planet at levels of 10–100 part per million (ppm) relative to the star and, given the bright nature of targets, also allows more sophisticated techniques, such as eclipse mapping, to give a deeper insight into the nature of the atmosphere. These types of observations require a stable payload and satellite platform with broad, instantaneous wavelength coverage to detect many molecular species, probe the thermal structure, identify clouds and monitor the stellar activity. The wavelength range proposed covers all the expected major atmospheric gases from e.g. H2O, CO2, CH4 NH3, HCN, H2S through to the more exotic metallic compounds, such as TiO, VO, and condensed species. Simulations of ARIEL performance in conducting exoplanet surveys have been performed – using conservative estimates of mission performance and a full model of all significant noise sources in the measurement – using a list of potential ARIEL targets that incorporates the latest available exoplanet statistics. The conclusion at the end of the Phase A study, is that ARIEL – in line with the stated mission objectives – will be able to observe about 1000 exoplanets depending on the details of the adopted survey strategy, thus confirming the feasibility of the main science objectives.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Energy Metabolism in H460 Lung Cancer Cells: Effects of Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors

BACKGROUND: Tumor cells are characterized by accelerated growth usually accompanied by up-regulated pathways that ultimately increase the rate of ATP production. These cells can suffer metabolic reprogramming, resulting in distinct bioenergetic phenotypes, generally enhancing glycolysis channeled to lactate production. In the present work we showed metabolic reprogramming by means of inhibitors of histone deacetylase (HDACis), sodium butyrate and trichostatin. This treatment was able to shift energy metabolism by activating mitochondrial systems such as the respiratory chain and oxidative phosphorylation that were largely repressed in the untreated controls. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Various cellular and biochemical parameters were evaluated in lung cancer H460 cells treated with the histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACis), sodium butyrate (NaB) and trichostatin A (TSA). NaB and TSA reduced glycolytic flux, assayed by lactate release by H460 cells in a concentration dependent manner. NaB inhibited the expression of glucose transporter type 1 (GLUT 1), but substantially increased mitochondria bound hexokinase (HK) activity. NaB induced increase in HK activity was associated to isoform HK I and was accompanied by 1.5 fold increase in HK I mRNA expression and cognate protein biosynthesis. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and pyruvate kinase (PYK) activities were unchanged by HDACis suggesting that the increase in the HK activity was not coupled to glycolytic flux. High resolution respirometry of H460 cells revealed NaB-dependent increased rates of oxygen consumption coupled to ATP synthesis. Metabolomic analysis showed that NaB altered the glycolytic metabolite profile of intact H460 cells. Concomitantly we detected an activation of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP). The high O(2) consumption in NaB-treated cells was shown to be unrelated to mitochondrial biogenesis since citrate synthase (CS) activity and the amount of mitochondrial DNA remained unchanged. CONCLUSION: NaB and TSA induced an increase in mitochondrial function and oxidative metabolism in H460 lung tumor cells concomitant with a less proliferative cellular phenotype

Covid-19 and the role of smoking: the protocol of the multicentric prospective study COSMO-IT (COvid19 and SMOking in ITaly).

The emergency caused by Covid-19 pandemic raised interest in studying lifestyles and comorbidities as important determinants of poor Covid-19 prognosis. Data on tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption and obesity are still limited, while no data are available on the role of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products (HTP). To clarify the role of tobacco smoking and other lifestyle habits on COVID-19 severity and progression, we designed a longitudinal observational study titled COvid19 and SMOking in ITaly (COSMO-IT). About 30 Italian hospitals in North, Centre and South of Italy joined the study. Its main aims are: 1) to quantify the role of tobacco smoking and smoking cessation on the severity and progression of COVID-19 in hospitalized patients; 2) to compare smoking prevalence and severity of the disease in relation to smoking in hospitalized COVID-19 patients versus patients treated at home; 3) to quantify the association between other lifestyle factors, such as e-cigarette and HTP use, alcohol and obesity and the risk of unfavourable COVID-19 outcomes. Socio-demographic, lifestyle and medical history information will be gathered for around 3000 hospitalized and 700-1000 home-isolated, laboratory-confirmed, COVID-19 patients. Given the current absence of a vaccine against SARS-COV-2 and the lack of a specific treatment for -COVID-19, prevention strategies are of extreme importance. This project, designed to highly contribute to the international scientific debate on the role of avoidable lifestyle habits on COVID-19 severity, will provide valuable epidemiological data in order to support important recommendations to prevent COVID-19 incidence, progression and mortality