Environmental Application of Cyclodextrin Metal-Organic Frameworks in an Undergraduate Teaching Laboratory

Reported herein is a multidisciplinary laboratory experiment for advanced undergraduate students that includes elements of material synthesis, in the synthesis of cyclodextrin-containing metal–organic frameworks (CD-MOFs), and environmental chemistry, in the use of these MOFs for pollutant removal. This multiday laboratory experiment starts with the synthesis of cyclodextrin-containing metal–organic frameworks (CD-MOFs) using vapor diffusion crystal growth procedures, followed by the use of the CD-MOFs for a pollutant removal application. Specifically, the CD-MOFs were used for the removal of a methylene blue dye (a common mimic of aromatic pollutants) from an organic solution, with the monitoring of the success of the removal procedures using UV–vis spectroscopy. This experiment was implemented as part of a larger multiday unit, and undergraduate students were particularly engaged with and excited by the CD-MOF synthesis and methylene blue removal experimental modules. As a result, the decision was made to make these two components a stand-alone multidisciplinary laboratory experiment, the results of which are reported herein

Temporal blastemal cell gene expression analysis in the kidney reveals new Wnt and related signaling pathway genes to be essential for Wilms' tumor onset

Wilms' tumors (WTs) originate from metanephric blastema cells that are unable to complete differentiation, resulting in triphasic tumors composed of epithelial, stromal and blastemal cells, with the latter harboring molecular characteristics similar to those of the earliest kidney development stages. Precise regulation of Wnt and related signaling pathways has been shown to be crucial for correct kidney differentiation. In this study, the gene expression profile of Wnt and related pathways was assessed in laser-microdissected blastemal cells in WTs and differentiated kidneys, in human and in four temporal kidney differentiation stages (i.e. E15.5, E17.5, P1.5 and P7.5) in mice, using an orthologous cDNA microarray platform. A signaling pathway-based gene signature was shared between cells of WT and of earliest kidney differentiation stages, revealing genes involved in the interruption of blastemal cell differentiation in WT. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR showed high robustness of the microarray data demonstrating 75 and 56% agreement in the initial and independent sample sets, respectively. The protein expression of CRABP2, IGF2, GRK7, TESK1, HDGF, WNT5B, FZD2 and TIMP3 was characterized in WTs and in a panel of human fetal kidneys displaying remarkable aspects of differentiation, which was recapitulated in the tumor. Taken together, this study reveals new genes candidate for triggering WT onset and for therapeutic treatment targets

PPARβ activation inhibits melanoma cell proliferation involving repression of the Wilms’ tumour suppressor WT1

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are ligand-activated transcription factors that strongly influence molecular signalling in normal and cancer cells. Although increasing evidence suggests a role of PPARs in skin carcinogenesis, only expression of PPARγ has been investigated in human melanoma tissues. Activation of PPARα has been shown to inhibit the metastatic potential, whereas stimulation of PPARγ decreased melanoma cell proliferation. We show here that the third member of the PPAR family, PPARβ/δ is expressed in human melanoma samples. Specific pharmacological activation of PPARβ using GW0742 or GW501516 in low concentrations inhibits proliferation of human and murine melanoma cells. Inhibition of proliferation is accompanied by decreased expression of the Wilms’ tumour suppressor 1 (WT1), which is implicated in melanoma proliferation. We demonstrate that PPARβ directly represses WT1 as (1) PPARβ activation represses WT1 promoter activity; (2) in chromatin immunoprecipitation and electrophoretic mobility shift assays, we identified a binding element for PPARβ in the WT1 promoter; (3) deletion of this binding element abolishes repression by PPARβ and (4) the WT1 downstream molecules nestin and zyxin are down-regulated upon PPARβ activation. Our findings elucidate a novel mechanism of signalling by ligands of PPARβ, which leads to suppression of melanoma cell growth through direct repression of WT1

Predictive methodology as a tool for planning water and wastewater processes

Predictive methodology as a tool for planning water and wastewater processe

Design and management of effective distance learning programs

Design and management of effective distance learning program

Landslides triggered after the 16 August 2018 Mw 5.1 Molise earthquake (Italy) by a combination of intense rainfalls and seismic shaking

On 16 August 2018, a Mw 5.1 earthquake occurred in the Molise region (Central Italy) during an intense rainfall event which cumulated up to 140 mm in 3 days. Within 5 days after the seismic event, 88 landslides were surveyed and classified in disrupted and coherent as well as in first-time failures and reactivation. As it resulted by the inventorying, most of the surveyed ground effects were represented by coherent landslides involving clays, marly clays, and cover deposits on low dipping slopes. A spatial distribution analysis of landslides in relation to seismic action and rainfall intensity was carried out to evaluate the possible contribution of both the rainfall-induced saturation and the earthquake shaking to landslide triggering. Based on this analysis, in the epicentral area, it is not possible to clearly split the role of seismic and hydraulic destabilising actions, while, at greater distances, the joined contribution of rainfall and earthquake shaking could have promoted slope failures. Comparisons among collected data and existing worldwide catalogues allow to highlight, through the analysis of the spatial distribution of the surveyed landslides, the possible and not negligible effect of soil saturation during the seismic shaking both in epicentral distance vs. magnitude distribution and in number and spatial concentration of triggered ground effects