LARGE MAMMAL REMAINS FROM THE LATE MIDDLE PLEISTOCENE DEPOSITS OF SICILY: NEW STRATIGRAPHIC EVIDENCE FROM THE WESTERN EDGE OF THE HYBLEAN PLATEAU (SOUTHEASTERN SICILY)

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Direct X-ray photoconversion in flexible organic thin film devices operated below 1 v

The application of organic electronic materials for the detection of ionizing radiations is very appealing thanks to their mechanical flexibility, low-cost and simple processing in comparison to their inorganic counterpart. In this work we investigate the direct X-ray photoconversion process in organic thin film photoconductors. The devices are realized by drop casting solution-processed bis-(triisopropylsilylethynyl)pentacene (TIPS-pentacene) onto flexible plastic substrates patterned with metal electrodes; they exhibit a strong sensitivity to X-rays despite the low X-ray photon absorption typical of low-Z organic materials. We propose a model, based on the accumulation of photogenerated charges and photoconductive gain, able to describe the magnitude as well as the dynamics of the X-ray-induced photocurrent. This finding allows us to fabricate and test a flexible 2 × 2 pixelated X-ray detector operating at 0.2 V, with gain and sensitivity up to 4.7 × 10 4 and 77,000 nC mGy 1 cm 3, respectively

Direct X-ray photoconversion in flexible organic thin film devices operated below 1 v

The application of organic electronic materials for the detection of ionizing radiations is very appealing thanks to their mechanical flexibility, low-cost and simple processing in comparison to their inorganic counterpart. In this work we investigate the direct X-ray photoconversion process in organic thin film photoconductors. The devices are realized by drop casting solution-processed bis-(triisopropylsilylethynyl)pentacene (TIPS-pentacene) onto flexible plastic substrates patterned with metal electrodes; they exhibit a strong sensitivity to X-rays despite the low X-ray photon absorption typical of low-Z organic materials. We propose a model, based on the accumulation of photogenerated charges and photoconductive gain, able to describe the magnitude as well as the dynamics of the X-ray-induced photocurrent. This finding allows us to fabricate and test a flexible 2 × 2 pixelated X-ray detector operating at 0.2 V, with gain and sensitivity up to 4.7 × 10^4 and 77,000 nC mGy ^(-1) cm^(-3), respectively

Elementos de análisis en la construcción de la gobernabilidad democrática

El presente artículo explora, desde la teoría del republicanismo deliberativo, la conveniencia de construir un modelo de esfera pública inserta en el marco de la gobernanza. El trabajo está dividido en tres partes: en la primera, se considera la distinción que existe entre el republicanismo, el liberalismo y el comunitarismo con respecto a la construcción de una esfera pública. En la segunda, se abordan los cuatro procesos básicos que acompañan toda deliberación republicana. Finalmente, en la tercera, se enlaza la construcción de la esfera pública republicana-deliberativa con el entramado de la gobernanza, unión que resulta ser un paradigma de marcada inclusión ciudadana para la acción gubernamental

Nasal Microbiota in RSV Bronchiolitis

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is the leading cause of bronchiolitis, and the severity may be influenced by the bacterial ecosystem. Our aim was to analyze the nasal microbiota from 48 infants affected by bronchiolitis from RSV virus and 28 infants with bronchiolitis but negative for the virus. Results showed a significantly lower biodiversity in the RSV-positive group with respect to the RSV-negative group, a specific microbial profile associated with the RSV-positive group different from that observed in the negative group, and significant modifications in the relative abundance of taxa in the RSV-positive group, as well as in the RSV-A group, with respect to the negative group. Furthermore, microbial network analyses evidenced, in all studied groups, the presence of two predominant sub-networks characterized by peculiar inter- and intra-group correlation patterns as well as a general loss of connectivity among microbes in the RSV-positive group, particularly in the RSV-A group. Our results indicated that infants with more severe bronchiolitis disease, caused by RSV-A infection, present significant perturbations of both the nasal microbiota structure and the microbial relationships. Patients with a milder bronchiolitis course (RSV-B-infected and patients who have cleared the virus) presented less severe alterations

Characterization of Screen-Printed Organic Electrochemical Transistors to Detect Cations of Different Sizes

[EN] A novel screen-printing fabrication method was used to prepare organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) based on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) doped with polysterene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS). Initially, three types of these screen-printed OECTs with a different channel and gate areas ratio were compared in terms of output characteristics, transfer characteristics, and current modulation in a phosphate buffered saline (PBS) solution. Results confirm that transistors with a gate electrode larger than the channel exhibit higher modulation. OECTs with this geometry were therefore chosen to investigate their ion-sensitive properties in aqueous solutions of cations of different sizes (sodium and rhodamine B). The effect of the gate electrode was additionally studied by comparing these all-PEDOT:PSS transistors with OECTs with the same geometry but with a non-polarizable metal gate (Ag). The operation of the all-PEDOT:PSS OECTs yields a response that is not dependent on a Na+ or rhodamine concentration. The weak modulation of these transistors can be explained assuming that PEDOT:PSS behaves like a supercapacitor. In contrast, the operation of Ag-Gate OECTs yields a response that is dependent on ion concentration due to the redox reaction taking place at the gate electrode with Cl− counter-ions. This indicates that, for cation detection, the response is maximized in OECTs with non-polarizable gate electrodes.Financial support from FEDER and Spanish Government funds (MAT2015-64139-C4-3-R (MINECO/FEDER)) and GVA funds (AICO/2015/103) are gratefully acknowledged.Contat-Rodrigo, L.; Pérez Fuster, C.; Lidon-Roger, JV.; Bonfiglio, A.; Garcia-Breijo, E. (2016). Characterization of Screen-Printed Organic Electrochemical Transistors to Detect Cations of Different Sizes. Sensors. 16(10). https://doi.org/10.3390/s16101599S15991610Shirakawa, H., Louis, E. J., MacDiarmid, A. G., Chiang, C. K., & Heeger, A. J. (1977). Synthesis of electrically conducting organic polymers: halogen derivatives of polyacetylene, (CH) x. Journal of the Chemical Society, Chemical Communications, (16), 578. doi:10.1039/c39770000578Chiang, C. K., Fincher, C. R., Park, Y. W., Heeger, A. J., Shirakawa, H., Louis, E. J., … MacDiarmid, A. G. (1977). Electrical Conductivity in Doped Polyacetylene. Physical Review Letters, 39(17), 1098-1101. doi:10.1103/physrevlett.39.1098Malliaras, G., & Friend, R. (2005). An Organic Electronics Primer. Physics Today, 58(5), 53-58. doi:10.1063/1.1995748D’Andrade, B. W., & Forrest, S. R. (2004). White Organic Light-Emitting Devices for Solid-State Lighting. Advanced Materials, 16(18), 1585-1595. doi:10.1002/adma.200400684Li, G., Shrotriya, V., Huang, J., Yao, Y., Moriarty, T., Emery, K., & Yang, Y. (2005). High-efficiency solution processable polymer photovoltaic cells by self-organization of polymer blends. Nature Materials, 4(11), 864-868. doi:10.1038/nmat1500Dimitrakopoulos, C. D., & Malenfant, P. R. L. (2002). Organic Thin Film Transistors for Large Area Electronics. Advanced Materials, 14(2), 99-117. doi:10.1002/1521-4095(20020116)14:23.0.co;2-9Guo, Y., Yu, G., & Liu, Y. (2010). Functional Organic Field-Effect Transistors. Advanced Materials, 22(40), 4427-4447. doi:10.1002/adma.201000740Lin, P., & Yan, F. (2011). Organic Thin-Film Transistors for Chemical and Biological Sensing. Advanced Materials, 24(1), 34-51. doi:10.1002/adma.201103334Mabeck, J. T., & Malliaras, G. G. (2005). Chemical and biological sensors based on organic thin-film transistors. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 384(2), 343-353. doi:10.1007/s00216-005-3390-2White, H. S., Kittlesen, G. P., & Wrighton, M. S. (1984). Chemical derivatization of an array of three gold microelectrodes with polypyrrole: fabrication of a molecule-based transistor. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 106(18), 5375-5377. doi:10.1021/ja00330a070Groenendaal, L., Jonas, F., Freitag, D., Pielartzik, H., & Reynolds, J. R. (2000). Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) and Its Derivatives: Past, Present, and Future. Advanced Materials, 12(7), 481-494. doi:10.1002/(sici)1521-4095(200004)12:73.0.co;2-cKirchmeyer, S., & Reuter, K. (2005). Scientific importance, properties and growing applications of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene). Journal of Materials Chemistry, 15(21), 2077. doi:10.1039/b417803nNilsson, D. (2002). An all-organic sensor–transistor based on a novel electrochemical transducer concept printed electrochemical sensors on paper. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 86(2-3), 193-197. doi:10.1016/s0925-4005(02)00170-3Andersson, P., Nilsson, D., Svensson, P.-O., Chen, M., Malmström, A., Remonen, T., … Berggren, M. (2002). Active Matrix Displays Based on All-Organic Electrochemical Smart Pixels Printed on Paper. Advanced Materials, 14(20), 1460-1464. doi:10.1002/1521-4095(20021016)14:203.0.co;2-sBasiricò, L., Cosseddu, P., Scidà, A., Fraboni, B., Malliaras, G. G., & Bonfiglio, A. (2012). Electrical characteristics of ink-jet printed, all-polymer electrochemical transistors. Organic Electronics, 13(2), 244-248. doi:10.1016/j.orgel.2011.11.010Bernards, D. A., & Malliaras, G. G. (2007). Steady-State and Transient Behavior of Organic Electrochemical Transistors. Advanced Functional Materials, 17(17), 3538-3544. doi:10.1002/adfm.200601239Nikolou, M., & Malliaras, G. G. (2008). Applications of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) doped with poly(styrene sulfonic acid) transistors in chemical and biological sensors. The Chemical Record, 8(1), 13-22. doi:10.1002/tcr.20133Nilsson, D., Robinson, N., Berggren, M., & Forchheimer, R. (2005). Electrochemical Logic Circuits. Advanced Materials, 17(3), 353-358. doi:10.1002/adma.200401273Lin, P., Yan, F., & Chan, H. L. W. (2010). Ion-Sensitive Properties of Organic Electrochemical Transistors. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2(6), 1637-1641. doi:10.1021/am100154eStavrinidou, E., Leleux, P., Rajaona, H., Khodagholy, D., Rivnay, J., Lindau, M., … Malliaras, G. G. (2013). Direct Measurement of Ion Mobility in a Conducting Polymer. Advanced Materials, 25(32), 4488-4493. doi:10.1002/adma.201301240Cicoira, F., Sessolo, M., Yaghmazadeh, O., DeFranco, J. A., Yang, S. Y., & Malliaras, G. G. (2009). Influence of Device Geometry on Sensor Characteristics of Planar Organic Electrochemical Transistors. Advanced Materials, 22(9), 1012-1016. doi:10.1002/adma.200902329Yaghmazadeh, O., Cicoira, F., Bernards, D. A., Yang, S. Y., Bonnassieux, Y., & Malliaras, G. G. (2010). Optimization of organic electrochemical transistors for sensor applications. Journal of Polymer Science Part B: Polymer Physics, 49(1), 34-39. doi:10.1002/polb.22129Demelas, M., Scavetta, E., Basiricò, L., Rogani, R., & Bonfiglio, A. (2013). A deeper insight into the operation regime of all-polymeric electrochemical transistors. Applied Physics Letters, 102(19), 193301. doi:10.1063/1.4804423Hütter, P. C., Rothländer, T., Haase, A., Trimmel, G., & Stadlober, B. (2013). Influence of geometry variations on the response of organic electrochemical transistors. Applied Physics Letters, 103(4), 043308. doi:10.1063/1.4816781Tarabella, G., Santato, C., Yang, S. Y., Iannotta, S., Malliaras, G. G., & Cicoira, F. (2010). Effect of the gate electrode on the response of organic electrochemical transistors. Applied Physics Letters, 97(12), 123304. doi:10.1063/1.3491216Khodagholy, D., Rivnay, J., Sessolo, M., Gurfinkel, M., Leleux, P., Jimison, L. H., … Malliaras, G. G. (2013). High transconductance organic electrochemical transistors. Nature Communications, 4(1). doi:10.1038/ncomms313

Medical Applications of Tissue-Equivalent, Organic-Based Flexible Direct X-Ray Detectors

The aim of this study is to assess direct X-ray detectors based on organic thin films, fabricated onto flexible plastic substrates, and operating at ultra-low bias (<1 V), for different medical applications. With this purpose, flexible fully organic pixelated X-ray detectors have been tested at the imaging beamline SYRMEP (SYnchrotron Radiation for MEdical Physics) at the Italian synchrotron Elettra, Trieste. The detectors' performance has been assessed for potential employment both as reliable wearable personal dosimeters for patients and as flexible X-ray medical imaging systems. A spatial resolution of 1.4 lp mm−1 with a contrast of 0.37 has been evaluated. Finally, we validate the detector using X-ray doses and energies typically employed for actual medical radiography, and using X-ray beam pulses provided by a commercial dental radiography system, recording a sensitivity of 1.6 × 105 μC Gy−1 cm−3 with a linear response with increasing of the dose rates and a reliable signal to 100 ms X-rays pulses

Fasting-mimicking diet cycles reduce neuroinflammation to attenuate cognitive decline in Alzheimer's models

The effects of fasting-mimicking diet (FMD) cycles in reducing many aging and disease risk factors indicate it could affect Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we show that FMD cycles reduce cognitive decline and AD pathology in E4FAD and 3xTg AD mouse models, with effects superior to those caused by protein restriction cycles. In 3xTg mice, long-term FMD cycles reduce hippocampal Aβ load and hyperphosphorylated tau, enhance genesis of neural stem cells, decrease microglia number, and reduce expression of neuroinflammatory genes, including superoxide-generating NADPH oxidase (Nox2). 3xTg mice lacking Nox2 or mice treated with the NADPH oxidase inhibitor apocynin also display improved cognition and reduced microglia activation compared with controls. Clinical data indicate that FMD cycles are feasible and generally safe in a small group of AD patients. These results indicate that FMD cycles delay cognitive decline in AD models in part by reducing neuroinflammation and/or superoxide production in the brain

The Impact of Long-Term Exposure to Space Environment on Adult Mammalian Organisms: A Study on Mouse Thyroid and Testis

Hormonal changes in humans during spaceflight have been demonstrated but the underlying mechanisms are still unknown. To clarify this point thyroid and testis/epididymis, both regulated by anterior pituitary gland, have been analyzed on long-term space-exposed male C57BL/10 mice, either wild type or pleiotrophin transgenic, overexpressing osteoblast stimulating factor-1. Glands were submitted to morphological and functional analysis