EFFETTI DINAMICI DELL'INNALZAMENTO DEL CARICO PER ASSE DI ROTABILI FERROVIARI PER TRASPORTO MERCI

Lo sviluppo di un sistema di trasporto ferroviario merci richiede di minimizzare i tempi di percorrenza e massimizzare la capacità di carico dei convogli. Questo obiettivo può essere raggiunto mediante tre diverse strategie, che possono essere adottate separatamente o in modo congiunto. Le strategie consistono sostanzialmente nell'aumento della capacità di carico del singolo carro, nell'aumento della lunghezza del convoglio e nell'aumento della velocità del veicolo. La possibilità di attuare simultaneamente le tre strategie è possibile solo disponendo di infrastrutture dedicate e utilizzando una progettazione specifica della linea e dei veicoli. Il lavoro illustra gli effetti di un innalzamento del carico per asse, oltre al limite attualmente consentito in Italia, sui principali indicatori utilizzati dalla norma UIC per l'omologazione del materiale rotabile. Le valutazioni sono state effettuate utilizzando un tracciato reale di buona qualità ed un modello numerico di un veicolo di tipo Y2

Characterization of the Channel Constriction Allowing the Access of the Substrate to the Active Site of Yeast Oxidosqualene Cyclase

In oxidosqualene cyclases (OSCs), an enzyme which has been extensively studied as a target for hypocholesterolemic or antifungal drugs, a lipophilic channel connects the surface of the protein with the active site cavity. Active site and channel are separated by a narrow constriction operating as a mobile gate for the substrate passage. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae OSC, two aminoacidic residues of the channel/constriction apparatus, Ala525 and Glu526, were previously showed as critical for maintaining the enzyme functionality. In this work sixteen novel mutants, each bearing a substitution at or around the channel constrictions, were tested for their enzymatic activity. Modelling studies showed that the most functionality-lowering substitutions deeply alter the H-bond network involving the channel/constriction apparatus. A rotation of Tyr239 is proposed as part of the mechanism permitting the access of the substrate to the active site. The inhibition of OSC by squalene was used as a tool for understanding whether the residues under study are involved in a pre-catalytic selection and docking of the substrate oxidosqualene

Monolithically integrated DBR waveguidelaser and intensity modulator in erbiumdoped LiNbO3

For the first time, a DBR laser has been integrated with a Mach Zehnder intensity modulator in Er diffusion doped, Z cut LiNbO,, with Ti indiffused waveguides and dry etched Bragg gratings. The monolithically integrated device has a threshold of 54.8mW incident pump power (hp = 1480nm) and emits, in a single longitudinal mode, up to 0.65 mW CW output power at hs = 1561nm. The Mach-Zehnder type intensity modulator has an optical bandwidth > 3GHz

Assessment of in‐situ gelling microemulsion systems upon temperature and dilution condition for corneal delivery of bevacizumab

Bevacizumab (BVZ), a recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody, has recently been proposed as a topical application in the treatment of anterior segment neovascularization; however, as there are some disadvantages in the administration of common eye-drops, ophthalmic topical drug delivery systems are under study to improve the precorneal residence time, reducing the frequency of administration. In this work, oil-in-water and water-in-oil BVZ-loaded microemulsions are developed, able to increase their viscosity, either by the formation of a liquid-crystalline structure upon aqueous dilution, thanks to the presence of Epikuron® 200 and polysorbate 80, or by body-temperature-induced jellification for the presence of Pluronic® F127 aqueous solution as an external phase. In oil-in-water microemulsion, hydrophobic ion pairs of BVZ were also prepared, and their incorporation was determined by release studies. Microemulsions were characterized for rheological behavior, corneal opacity, in vitro corneal permeation, and adhesion properties. The studied microemulsions were able to incorporate BVZ (from 1.25 to 1.6 mg/mL), which maintained dose-dependent activity on retinal pigment epithelial ARPE-19 cell lines. BVZ loaded in microemulsions permeated the excised cornea easier (0.76–1.56% BVZ diffused, 4–20% BVZ accumulated) than BVZ commercial solution (0.4% BVZ diffused, 5% accumulated) and only a mild irritation effect on the excised cornea was observed. The good adhesion properties as well the increased viscosity after application, under conditions that mimic the corneal environment (from 1 × 103 to more than 100 × 103 mPa·s), might prolong precorneal residence time, proving these systems could be excellent topical BVZ release systems

Comparison of a possession score and a poverty index in predicting anaemia and undernutrition in pre-school children and women of reproductive age in rural and urban Côte d'Ivoire

Abstract Objective To determine whether a possession score or a poverty index best predicts undernutrition and anaemia in women of reproductive age (15-49 years; WRA) and children aged 6-59 months living in Côte d'Ivoire. Design Anthropometric measurements were converted to Z-scores to assess stunting, wasting and underweight in children, and converted to BMI in WRA. A venous blood sample was drawn, and Hb concentration and Plasmodium spp. infection were determined. A possession score was generated with categories of zero to four possessions. A five-point (quintile) poverty index using household assets was created using principal component analysis. These socio-economic measures were compared for their ability to predict anaemia and malnutrition. Setting Data were from a nationally representative survey conducted in Côte d'Ivoire in 2007. Subjects A sample of 768 WRA and 717 children aged 6-59 months was analysed. Results Overall, 74·9 % of children and 50·2 % of WRA were anaemic; 39·5 % of the children were stunted, 28·1 % underweight and 12·8 % wasted, while 7·4 % of WRA had BMI < 18·5 kg/m2. In general, there were more stunted and underweight children and thin WRA in rural areas. The poverty index showed a stronger relationship with nutritional status than the possession score; mean Hb difference between the poorest and wealthiest quintiles in children and WRA was 8·2 g/l and 6·5 g/l, respectively (13·9 % and 19·8 % difference in anaemia, respectively; P < 0·001), and Z-scores and BMI were significantly better in the wealthiest quintile (P < 0·001). Conclusions The poverty index was generally a better predictor of undernutrition in WRA and pre-school children than the possession scor

Cytotoxicity of an innovative pressurised cyclic solid–liquid (Pcsl) extract from artemisia annua

Therapeutic treatments with Artemisia annua have a long-established tradition in various diseases due to its antibacterial, antioxidant, antiviral, anti-malaria and anti-cancer effects. However, in relation to the latter, virtually all reports focused on toxic effects of A. annua extracts were obtained mostly through conventional maceration methods. In the present study, an innovative extraction procedure from A. annua, based on pressurised cyclic solid–liquid (PCSL) extraction, resulted in the production of a new phytocomplex with enhanced anti-cancer properties. This extraction procedure generated a pressure gradient due to compressions and following decompressions, allowing to directly perform the extraction without any maceration. The toxic effects of A. annua PCSL extract were tested on different cells, including three cancer cell lines. The results of this study clearly indicate that the exposure of human, murine and canine cancer cells to serial dilutions of PCSL extract resulted in higher toxicity and stronger propensity to induce apoptosis than that detected by subjecting the same cells to Artemisia extracts obtained through canonical extraction by maceration. Collected data suggest that PCSL extract of A. annua could be a promising and economic new therapeutic tool to treat human and animal tumours

Effect of the extent of ethanol removal on the volatile compounds of a Chardonnay wine dealcoholized by vacuum distillation

“Beverages obtained from the partial dealcoholization of wine” are those drinks whose final alcoholic degree after dealcoholization is lower than that of a wine and higher than or equal to 0.5% v/v. When the total alcoholic degree is lower than 0.5% v/v the denomination is “Beverages obtained from the dealcoholization of wine”. The practices to be authorized for the production of these drinks with the dealcoholized wine fractions are currently being studied at OIV. The characterization of the composition of these fractions is essential to identify the necessary corrective practices. The present work was aimed at monitoring the losses of the main volatile compounds of a Chardonnay wine with the proceeding of the dealcoholization process by vacuum distillation. The wine was subjected to total dealcoholization, and during the process the evaporated fractions, re-condensed at 9 ∘C, were collected in aliquots of 1.25 L each. The ethanol content of each fraction was measured, and for the first 20 fractions the content in volatile compounds was determined with GC-MS. The results show that the losses of volatile compounds during the dealcoholization process follow different trends depending on the molecules considered. The most volatile compounds, generally with the lowest perception thresholds, were mainly present in the first evaporated fractions. The greatest losses concerned isoamylacetate, ethyl hexanoate and ethyl octanoate. Conversely, a greater number of molecules were present at similar concentrations in the different fractions, and their losses followed a linear or sometimes exponential trend: in particular, these compounds included n-hexanol, 2-phenylethanol, diethyl succinate and medium chain fatty acids (hexanoic, octanoic and decanoic acids). In the wine dealcoholized at 3.36% v/v (loss of ethanol equal to 7.43% v/v, corresponding to the 20th and last recondensed fraction), some volatile compounds were no longer detectable or quantifiable; in particular, these compounds were isoamylacetate, ethylhexanoate, hexylacetate, n-hexanol and other alcohols with 6 carbon atoms and ethyl octanoate. Other compounds, such as hexanoic, octanoic and decanoic acids, and, in particolar, β-phenylethanol, benzylic aalcohol and γ-butyrolactone, underwent lower percentage losses than those of ethanol. The dealcoholization process can therefore deeply modify the original aromatic profile of the wines, intervening on the absolute concentration and on the relative ratios of the single molecules

Phenolic profile and biological activity of table grapes (Vitis vinifera L.)

Table grapes are largely produced and consumed in the Mediterranean area. Furthermore, in the last years, the commercial interest in table grapes and other non-alcoholic grape products has notably increased worldwide. In addition to the nutritional aspects, polyphenol compounds in fresh grapes could exert positive effects on human health. The aim of this study was the characterization of the phenolic pattern of sixteen grape varieties and the evaluation of the associated antioxidant capacity and anti-inflammatory activity at gastric level. The methods used were: 1) Folin-Cocalteau\u2019s assay for the quantification of total polyphenol content; 2) High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) coupled with Diode-Array Detector (DAD) to perform the quantitative analysis of grapes phenolic fraction 3) DPPH (1,1,-diphenil-2-picrylhydrazyl) spectrophotometric assay for the assessment of radical scavenging activity; 4) assessment of IL-8 release from human gastric epithelial cells to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of grape extracts. Some grapes, including seedless varieties, showed that the phenolic pattern was highly correlated with the biological activities, and, in particular, with peel and seeds portion. These results suggest that selected grape varieties could represent, also for consumers who do not drink wine, a source of healthy compounds potentially able to counteract oxidative stress and gastric inflammation

Elevated alanine aminotransferase in blood donors: role of different factors and multiple viral infections.

Many different aetiological agents stimulate alanine aminotransferase (ALT) production. Viral markers and other aetiologies were investigated in 2166 individuals, randomly selected from 10 000 consecutive blood donors. Elevation of ALT was found in 10.8% of subjects. Grouping donors according to ALT level and correlating with, respectively, hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb), cytomegalovirus antibody alone, or associated with HBcAb, showed similar findings (high ALT 11.1%, normal 11.6%; high 85.4%, normal 81.4%; high 10.2%, normal 11.0%, respectively). Hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody was found to be significantly associated with elevated ALT levels (high 1.7%, normal 0.26%). Other causes of ALT elevation were alcohol abuse (17%), obesity (25%) and dyslipidaemia (38%), but in 11% there was no obvious aetiology. Although HCV is a rare cause of elevated ALT in blood donors, it seems to be the only virus, among those tested, to account for liver damage. This may be due to the non-protective role of HCV antibody, the low specificity of ALT, or the pathogenic role of uninvestigated viruses