Role of sialidase Neu3 and ganglioside GM3 in cardiac fibroblasts activation.

Cardiac fibrosis is a key physiological response to cardiac tissue injury to protect the heart from wall rupture. However, its progression increases heart stiffness, eventually causing a decrease in heart contractility. Unfortunately, to date, no efficient antifibrotic therapies are available to the clinic. This is primarily due to the complexity of the process, which involves several cell types and signaling pathways. For instance, the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) signaling pathway has been recognized to be vital for myofibroblasts activation and fibrosis progression. In this context, complex sphingolipids, such as ganglioside GM3, have been shown to be directly involved in TGF-β receptor 1 (TGF-R1) activation. In this work, we report that an induced up-regulation of sialidase Neu3, a glycohydrolytic enzyme involved in ganglioside cell homeostasis, can significantly reduce cardiac fibrosis in primary cultures of human cardiac fibroblasts by inhibiting the TGF-β signaling pathway, ultimately decreasing collagen I deposition. These results support the notion that modulating ganglioside GM3 cell content could represent a novel therapeutic approach for cardiac fibrosis, warranting for further investigations

The Improvement of Durability of Reinforced Concretes for Sustainable Structures: A Review on Different Approaches

The topic of sustainability of reinforced concrete structures is strictly related with their durability in aggressive environments. In particular, at equal environmental impact, the higher the durability of construction materials, the higher the sustainability. The present review deals with the possible strategies aimed at producing sustainable and durable reinforced concrete structures in different environments. It focuses on the design methodologies as well as the use of unconventional corrosion-resistant reinforcements, alternative binders to Portland cement, and innovative or traditional solutions for reinforced concrete protection and prevention against rebars corrosion such as corrosion inhibitors, coatings, self-healing techniques, and waterproofing aggregates. Analysis of the scientific literature highlights that there is no preferential way for the production of “green” concrete but that the sustainability of the building materials can only be achieved by implementing simulta-neous multiple strategies aimed at reducing environmental impact and improving both durability and performances

Therapy-induced senescence upregulates antigen presentation machinery and triggers anti-tumor immunity in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive hematological malignancy often curable only by using intensive chemotherapy. Nonetheless, resistance/early relapses are frequent, underscoring the need to investigate the molecular events occurring shortly after chemotherapy. Therapy-induced senescence (TIS) is a fail-safe tumor suppressive mechanism that may elicit immune-mediated responses contributing to senescent cell clearance. Yet, TIS functional role in AML eradication and immune surveillance early post-chemotherapy remains ill-defined. By combining transcriptional and cellular-based evaluation of senescence markers in AML patient samples, we found upregulation of senescence-associated genes and interferon gene categories with concomitant induction of HLA class I and class II molecules, pointing to a causal link between TIS and leukemia immunogenicity. Consistently, senescence-competent AML samples activated autologous CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and improved leukemia recognition by both T-cell subsets. Lastly, the anti-leukemic activity of Immune Checkpoint Blockades (ICBs) was enhanced upon senescence engagement in AML. Altogether, our results identify senescence as a potent immune-related anti-leukemic mechanism that may rapidly translate into innovative senescence-based strategies to prevent AML relapse

Comparison of ground-waste-glass with other supplementary cementitious materials.

Finely ground glass has pozzolanic properties that make attractive its recycling as supplementary cementitious material. This paper compares the behavior of waste glass powders of different fineness with that of natural pozzolana, coal fly ash and silica fume. Chemical analysis, compressive strength measurements and durability tests were carried out to investigate the effect of ground glass on strength and durability performances of mortars. Blended both with portland cement and lime, ground glass improved strength, resistance to chloride penetration and resistance to sulphate attack of mortars more than natural pozzolana and similarly to fly ash. Mortars with ground glass immersed in water for seven years did not show any sign of degradation and increased their compressive strength. The ranking of ground glass with respect to the other mineral additions was not affected by fineness

Durabilità delle costruzioni in calcestruzzo armato, Restauro convenzionale

When degradation of concrete or corrosion of the steel reinforcement determine safety and serviceability conditions that are no longer acceptable, an intervention of restoration becomes necessary. Such as for design of the durability of the new reinforced concrete structures, even for the project of restoration works it is necessary initially to define clear objectives. A remaining service life should be identified, within which the restored structure will not have to reach a limit state which causes a loss of functionality of the structure (for example, corresponding to cracking, detachment or delamination of the concrete cover and/or an unacceptable loss of the cross section of the reinforcing bars). This paper deals with the approaches for the restoration of reinforced concrete structures, with particular reference to corrosion. The most common repair method is the conventional technique, based on the replacement of concrete which is no longer protective with a cement mortar. This paper describes the phases of the restoration and the requirements for the repair materials to be used

Correnti disperse e corrosione delle armature

This note deals with stray-current induced corrosion of reinforced and prestressed concrete structures. Stray currents (direct, DC, or alternating, AC) may arise, for instance, from railways, tramways, cathodic protection systems, grounding or high voltage power lines. Unlike for buried metallic structures, in the case of concrete structures such interference phenomena rarely have corrosion consequences, except in specific conditions which are discussed in this note in relation to concrete properties (alkaline, carbonated or contaminated by chlorides) and features of the current (density and type). Furthermore, the prevention of stray-current induced corrosion is described keeping in mind the most innovative aspects that concern the field of constructions (i.e., the use of special materials). Although this phenomenon seldom occurs it is necessary to take into account the difficulty to monitor and prevent it; this suggests that this corrosion phenomena can not be neglected for structures for which a longer service life is required compared to ordinary ones