Scattering lengths and universality in superdiffusive L\'evy materials

We study the effects of scattering lengths on L\'evy walks in quenched one-dimensional random and fractal quasi-lattices, with scatterers spaced according to a long-tailed distribution. By analyzing the scaling properties of the random-walk probability distribution, we show that the effect of the varying scattering length can be reabsorbed in the multiplicative coefficient of the scaling length. This leads to a superscaling behavior, where the dynamical exponents and also the scaling functions do not depend on the value of the scattering length. Within the scaling framework, we obtain an exact expression for the multiplicative coefficient as a function of the scattering length both in the annealed and in the quenched random and fractal cases. Our analytic results are compared with numerical simulations, with excellent agreement, and are supposed to hold also in higher dimensionsComment: 6 pages, 8 figure

N-acetyl-cysteine, a drug that enhances the endogenous activation of group-II metabotropic glutamate receptors, inhibits nociceptive transmission in humans.

Emerging research seeking novel analgesic drugs focuses on agents targeting group-II metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGlu2 and mGlu3 receptors). N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) enhances the endogenous activation of mGlu2/3 receptors by activating the glial glutamate:cystine membrane exchanger. Here, we examined whether NAC inhibits nociceptive responses in humans and animals. We tested the effect of oral NAC (1.2 g) on thermal-pain thresholds and laser-evoked potentials in 10 healthy volunteers, according to a crossover, double-blind, placebo-controlled design, and the effect of NAC (100 mg/kg, i.p.) on the tail-flick response evoked by radiant heat stimulation in mice.In healthy subjects, NAC treatment left thermal-pain thresholds unchanged, but significantly reduced pain ratings to laser stimuli and amplitudes of laser-evoked potentials. NAC induced significantly greater changes in these measures than placebo. In the tail-flick test, NAC strongly reduced the nocifensive reflex response to radiant heat. The action of NAC was abolished by the preferential mGlu2/3 receptor antagonist, LY341495 (1 mg/kg, i.p.).Our findings show for the first time that NAC inhibits nociceptive transmission in humans, and does the same in mice by activating mGlu2/3 receptors. These data lay the groundwork for investigating the therapeutic potential of NAC in patients with chronic pain

Dysregulated homeostasis of acetylcholine levels in immune cells of RR-multiple sclerosis patients

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is characterized by pro-inflammatory cytokine production. Acetylcholine (ACh) contributes to the modulation of central and peripheral inflammation. We studied the homeostasis of the cholinergic system in relation to cytokine levels in immune cells and sera of relapsing remitting-MS (RR-MS) patients. We demonstrated that lower ACh levels in serum of RR-MS patients were inversely correlated with the increased activity of the hydrolyzing enzymes acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE). Interestingly, the expression of the ACh biosynthetic enzyme and the protein carriers involved in non-vesicular ACh release were found overexpressed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of MS patients. The inflammatory state of the MS patients was confirmed by increased levels of TNF alpha, IL-12/IL-23p40, IL-18. The lower circulating ACh levels in sera of MS patients are dependent on the higher activity of cholinergic hydrolyzing enzymes. The smaller ratio of ACh to TNF alpha, IL-12/IL-23p40 and IL-18 in MS patients, with respect to healthy donors (HD), is indicative of an inflammatory environment probably related to the alteration of cholinergic system homeostasis

Quantitative evaluation of the phenolic profile in fruits of six avocado (Persea americana) cultivars by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-heated electrospray-mass spectrometry

The phenolic profiles of six varieties of avocado (Persea americana) grown in Sicily were investigated. The ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-heated electrospray-mass spectrometry method was developed to determine qualitative and quantitative changes in fruits at two different ripening stage. Nineteen individual phenolic compounds were detected in avocado pulp extracts. Gallic acid, sinapinic acid, vanillin, p-coumaric acid, and gentisic acid were present only in ripe fruits. On the contrary, epicatechin decreased with fruit ripening, whereas protocatechuic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, chlorogenic acid, and benzoic acid were relatively stable or exhibited erratic changes with fruit ripening. The different avocado cultivars exhibited different phenolic profiles and total quantities and it was found that, among the tested cultivars, 'Orotawa' avocados may provide the highest nutritional and health contribution to human diet. The qualitative and quantitative differences among cultivars and maturation stages by multivariate analysis allowed for the individuation of a set of phenolic compounds that have a great potential in the discrimination and identification of different genetic groups

Violacein, an indole-derived purple-colored natural pigment produced by Janthinobacterium lividum, inhibits the growth of head and neck carcinoma cell lines both in vitro and in vivo

Violacein (VIO; 3-[1,2-dihydro-5-(5-hydroxy-1H-indol-3-yl)-2-oxo-3H-pyrrol-3-ylidene]-1,3-dihydro-2H-indol-2-one), an indole-derived purple-colored pigment, produced by a limited number of Gram-negative bacteria species, including Chromobacterium violaceum and Janthinobacterium lividum, has been demonstrated to have anti-cancer activity, as it interferes with survival transduction signaling pathways in different cancer models. Head and neck carcinoma (HNC) represents the sixth most common and one of the most fatal cancers worldwide. We determined whether VIO was able to inhibit head and neck cancer cell growth both in vitro and in vivo. We provide evidence that VIO treatment of human and mouse head and neck cancer cell lines inhibits cell growth and induces autophagy and apoptosis. In fact, VIO treatment increased PARP-1 cleavage, the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, the inhibition of ERK1 and ERK2 phosphorylation, and the expression of light chain 3-II (LC3-II). Moreover, VIO was able to induce p53 degradation, cytoplasmic nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) accumulation, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. VIO induced a significant increase in ROS production. VIO administration was safe in BALB/c mice and reduced the growth of transplanted salivary gland cancer cells (SALTO) in vivo and prolonged median survival. Taken together, our results indicate that the treatment of head and neck cancer cells with VIO can be useful in inhibiting in vivo and in vitro cancer cell growth. VIO may represent a suitable tool for the local treatment of HNC in combination with standard therapies

Diagnosis and Treatment of Pulmonary Disease in Sea Turtles (Caretta caretta)

The aim of this study was to describe the clinical signs, radiographic, endoscopic and CT findings, cytological and microbiological findings and treatments of pulmonary diseases in sea turtles, in order to obtain an accurate diagnosis that avoids unnecessary therapy and antibiotic-resistance phenomena. In total, 14 loggerheads (Caretta caretta), with clinical and/or radiographic findings of pulmonary pathology, were assessed through various combinations of clinical, radiological, CT, endoscopic examination and bronchoalveolar lavage, which recovered fluid for cytologic and microbiologic analysis. In all cases, radiographic examination led to a diagnosis of pulmonary disorders—4 unilateral and 10 bilateral. All bacteria cultured were identified as Gram-negative. Antibiotic resistance was greater than 70% for all beta-lactams tested. In addition, all bacterial strains were 100% resistant to colistin sulfate and tetracycline. Specific antibiotic therapies were formulated for seven sea turtles using Enrofloxacin, and for four sea turtles using ceftazidime. In two turtles, antibiotic therapy was not included due to the presence of antibiotic resistance against all the antibiotics evaluated. In both cases, the coupage technique and environmental management allowed the resolution of the lung disease without antibiotics. All 14 sea turtles were released back into the sea. Radiographic examination must be considered the gold standard for screening sea turtles that show respiratory signs or abnormal buoyancy. Susceptibility testing with antimicrobials allowed appropriate therapy, including the reduction of antibiotic-resistance

HPLC/HRMS and GC/MS for Triacylglycerols Characterization of Tuna Fish Oils Obtained from Green Extraction

Background: Fish oil is one of the most common lipidic substances that is consumed as a dietary supplement. The high omega-3 fatty acid content in fish oil is responsible for its numerous health benefits. Fish species such as mackerel, herring, tuna, and salmon are particularly rich in these lipids, which contain two essential omega-3 fatty acids, known as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Objectives: Due to the scarcity of information in the literature, this study aimed to conduct a qualitative and quantitative characterization of triglycerides (TAGs) in crude tuna fish oil using HPLC/HRMS. Fatty acid (FA) determination was also performed using GC/MS. The tuna fish oils analyzed were produced using a green, low-temperature process from the remnants of fish production, avoiding the use of any extraction solvents. Results: The analyses led to the tentative identification and semi-quantitation of 81 TAGs. In silico saponification and comparison with fatty acid methyl ester results helped to confirm the identified TAGs and their quantities. The study found that the produced oil is rich in EPA, DHA, and erucic acid, while the negligible isomerization of fatty acids to trans-derivatives was observed

Pseudo solid-appearing pancreatic serous microcystic adenomas: Histologic diagnosis with the EUS core biopsy fork-tip needle

Background and Objectives: Despite rarely, serous cystic adenoma (SCA) can assume a pseudo-solid aspect mimicking other pancreatic neoplasm as neuroendocrine tumor. EUS-FNA cytology has low diagnostic accuracy due to the scant cellularity of the collected samples. Histological diagnosis is usually made after resection. Recently, end-cutting needles for EUS-fine-needle biopsy (EUS-FNB), which obtain tissue cores by penetrating the lesions, have been developed. We aimed to assess the capability of EUS-FNB with SharkCore (TM) needles in the preoperative diagnosis of serous cystic adenoma pseudo-solid-appearing on imaging (Sa-SCA). Materials and Methods: Between January 2016 and January 2018, data from consecutive adult patients, who were referred for EUS-FNB of a solid pancreatic lesion and were diagnosed with having SCA, were retrieved from a single-center institutional database. Results: Two patients were excluded because of microcystic aspect at EUS. Histological diagnosis of SCA was made by EUS-FNB in the remaining 7 patients (5 females; mean age of 62.5 years). Lesions (mean size of 19.8 mm) were hypervascular on cross-sectional imaging, slightly hyperdense magnetic resonance imaging with T2-weighted images can, and negative at Ga-68-somatostatin receptor positron emission tomography and (18)fluoro-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography. EUS-FNB samples were judged adequate for a definitive diagnosis in all cases, achieving specimens suitable for histological evaluation and several ancillary stains. Histochemical positivity for periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) and PAS with diastase digestion was observed in 7/7 cases. Immunohistochemical positivity for alpha-inhibin (7/7), GLUT1 (6/6), MUC6 (5/5), and negativity for synaptophysin (7/7) and chromogranin A (2/2) favored SCA diagnosis. Conclusions: In the case of preoperative workup suspected for Sa-SCA, a "forward acquiring" needle could improve the rate of preoperative histological diagnosis

Brushing the surface: cascade reactions between immobilized nanoreactors

Functionalization of hard or soft surfaces with, for example, ligands, enzymes or proteins, is an effective and practical methodology for the development of new applications. We report the assembly of two types of nanoreactors based upon poly(dimethylsiloxane)-block-poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline) (PDMS-b-PMOXA) diblock copolymers as scaffold, uricase and lactoperoxidase as bio-catalysts located within the nanoreactors, and melittin as the biopores inserted into the hydrophobic shell. The nanoreactors were immobilized on poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-co-poly(2-aminoethyl methacrylate hydrochloride) (PHEMA-co-P(2-AEMA·HCl) brushes-grafted wafer surfaces by utilizing the strong supramolecular interactions between biotin and streptavidin. The (PHEMA-co-P(2-AEMA·HCl) brushes on silicon surfaces were prepared by a surface initiating atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) "graft-from" technique. Cascade reactions between different surface-anchored nanoreactors were demonstrated by converting Amplex Red to the fluorescent probe resorufin by using the H2O2 produced from uric acid and H2O. The detailed properties of the nanoreactors on the functionalized surface including the binding behaviours and cascade reactions were investigated using emission spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), light scattering (LS), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM-D). The results are proof-of-principle for the preparation of catalytically functional engineered surface materials and lay the foundation for applying this advanced functional surface material in biosensing, implanting and antimicrobial materials preparation

Nuclear and mitochondrial data on Trichuris from Macaca fuscata support evidence of host specificity

Whipworms are parasitic intestinal nematodes infecting mammals, and traditionally humans and other primates that have so far been considered infected by Trichuris trichiura. Recent molecular studies report a more complex scenario suggesting the presence of a species complex with several Trichuris taxa specifically infecting only one primate species as well as taxa able to infect a range of primate species. The systematics of the group is important for taxonomic inference, to estimate the relative zoonotic potential, and for conservation purposes. In fact, captive animals living in zoological gardens are usually infected by persistent monoxenous intestinal parasites. Here, two Japanese macaques living in the Bioparco Zoological Garden of Rome were found infected by Trichuris sp. Nematodes were characterized at the molecular level using nuclear (btub and 18S) and mitochondrial (16S and cytb) markers and then compared to Trichuris collected previously in the same location, and to other Trichuris infecting primates. Evidences from mitochondrial and nuclear markers allowed for the identification of Trichuris sp. specific to Macaca fuscata. Results obtained here also described a uniform taxonomic unit of Trichuris, separated but closely related to Trichuris trichiura, thus, emphasizing its zoonotic potential for workers and visitors