Dibutyltin(IV) and Tributyltin(IV) Derivatives of meso-Tetra(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphine Inhibit the Growth and the Migration of Human Melanoma Cells

Melanoma is the most aggressive and deadly form of skin cancer, which is largely due to its propensity to metastasize. Therefore, with the aim to inhibit the growth and the metastatic dissemination of melanoma cells and to provide a novel treatment option, we studied the eects of the melanoma treatment with two organotin(IV) complexes of the meso-tetra(4-sulfonato-phenyl)porphine, namely (Bu2Sn)2TPPS and (Bu3Sn)4TPPS. In particular, we showed that nanomolar concentrations of (Bu2Sn)2TPPS and (Bu3Sn)4TPPS are sucient to inhibit melanoma cell growth, to increase the expression of the full-length poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP-1), to induce the cell cycle arrest respectively at G2/M and G0/G1 through the inhibition of the Cyclin D1 expression and to inhibit cell colony formation. Nanomolar concentrations of (Bu2Sn)2TPPS and (Bu3Sn)4TPPS are also sucient to inhibit the melanoma cell migration and the expression of some adhesion receptors. Moreover, we report that (Bu2Sn)2TPPS and (Bu3Sn)4TPPS act downstream of BRAF, mainly bypassing its functions, but targeting the STAT3 signalling protein. Finally, these results suggest that (Bu2Sn)2TPPS and (Bu3Sn)4TPPS may be eective therapeutic strategies for their role in the inhibition of melanoma growth and migration

Dibutyltin(IV) and Tributyltin(IV) Derivatives of meso-Tetra(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphine Inhibit the Growth and the Migration of Human Melanoma Cells

Melanoma is the most aggressive and deadly form of skin cancer, which is largely due to its propensity to metastasize. Therefore, with the aim to inhibit the growth and the metastatic dissemination of melanoma cells and to provide a novel treatment option, we studied the eects of the melanoma treatment with two organotin(IV) complexes of the meso-tetra(4-sulfonato-phenyl)porphine, namely (Bu2Sn)2TPPS and (Bu3Sn)4TPPS. In particular, we showed that nanomolar concentrations of (Bu2Sn)2TPPS and (Bu3Sn)4TPPS are sucient to inhibit melanoma cell growth, to increase the expression of the full-length poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP-1), to induce the cell cycle arrest respectively at G2/M and G0/G1 through the inhibition of the Cyclin D1 expression and to inhibit cell colony formation. Nanomolar concentrations of (Bu2Sn)2TPPS and (Bu3Sn)4TPPS are also sucient to inhibit the melanoma cell migration and the expression of some adhesion receptors. Moreover, we report that (Bu2Sn)2TPPS and (Bu3Sn)4TPPS act downstream of BRAF, mainly bypassing its functions, but targeting the STAT3 signalling protein. Finally, these results suggest that (Bu2Sn)2TPPS and (Bu3Sn)4TPPS may be eective therapeutic strategies for their role in the inhibition of melanoma growth and migration

Challenge-based learning as a tool for creativity and talent expression

After the stop caused by the pandemic, the University of Trento and its newly born FabLab reopened the doors to DigiEduHack (https://digieduhack.com/en/), the decentralized hackathon dedicated to the most pressing challenges of digital and innovative education. More than 30 multidisciplinary students have ventured into the design of innovative learning tools to meet the challenge thrown at them: prototyping educational board games; multimedia artefacts and installations at the intersection of big data, art and technology; co-designing festivals in a combination of art, science and fun; laboratory images to be presented in the classroom. In this short paper, as a case study one, we will outline the DigiEduHack initiative, focusing on the potential of a challenge-based approach in stimulating and strengthening introspection, creative thinking and talent’s expression. Supported by a set of qualitative data collected before and after the event, this work reports an education case study and shows the progress and preliminary reflections of the students and educators involved

Deep Learning Forecasting for Supporting Terminal Operators in Port Business Development

Accurate forecasts of containerised freight volumes are unquestionably important for port terminal operators to organise port operations and develop business plans. They are also relevant for port authorities, regulators, and governmental agencies dealing with transportation. In a time when deep learning is in the limelight, owing to a consistent strip of success stories, it is natural to apply it to the tasks of forecasting container throughput. Given the number of options, practitioners can benefit from the lessons learned in applying deep learning models to the problem. Coherently, in this work, we devise a number of multivariate predictive models based on deep learning, analysing and assessing their performance to identify the architecture and set of hyperparameters that prove to be better suited to the task, also comparing the quality of the forecasts with seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average models. Furthermore, an innovative representation of seasonality is given by means of an embedding layer that produces a mapping in a latent space, with the parameters of such mapping being tuned using the quality of the predictions. Finally, we present some managerial implications, also putting into evidence the research limitations and future opportunities

Addition of Different Biochars as Catalysts during the Mesophilic Anaerobic Digestion of Mixed Wastewater Sludge

Biochar (BC) recently gained attention as an additive for anaerobic digestion (AD). This work aims at a critical analysis of the effect of six BCs, with different physical and chemical properties, on the AD of mixed wastewater sludge at 37 °C, comparing their influence on methane production and AD kinetics. AD batch tests were performed at the laboratory scale operating 48 reactors (0.25 L working volume) for 28 days with the addition of 10 g L−1 of BC. Most reactors supplemented with BCs exhibited higher (up to 22%) methane yields than the control reactors (0.15 Nm3 kgVS−1). The modified Gompertz model provided maximum methane production rate values, and in all reactors the lag-phase was equal to zero days, indicating a good adaptation of the inoculum to the substrate. The potential correlations between BCs’ properties and AD performance were assessed using principal component analysis (PCA). The PCA results showed a reasonable correlation between methane production and the BCs’ O–C and H–C molar ratios, and volatile matter, and between biogas production and BCs’ pore volume, specific surface area, and fixed and total carbon. In conclusion, the physic-chemical properties of BC (specifically, hydrophobicity and morphology) showed a key role in improving the AD of mixed wastewater sludge

Extending Virial Black Hole Mass Estimates to Low-Luminosity or Obscured AGN: the cases of NGC 4395 and MCG -01-24-012

In the last decade, using single epoch (SE) virial based spectroscopic optical observations, it has been possible to measure the black hole (BH) mass on large type 1 Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) samples. However this kind of measurements can not be applied on those obscured type 2 and/or low luminosity AGN where the nuclear component does not dominate in the optical. We have derived new SE relationships, based on the FWHM and luminosity of the broad line region component of the Pabeta emission line and/or the hard X-ray luminosity in the 14-195 keV band, which have the prospect of better working with low luminosity or obscured AGN. The SE relationships have been calibrated in the 10^5-10^9 M_sol mass range, using a sample of AGN whose BH masses have been previously measured using reverberation mapping techniques. Our tightest relationship between the reverberation-based BH mass and the SE virial product has an intrinsic spread of 0.20 dex. Thanks to these SE relations, in agreement with previous estimates, we have measured a BH mass of M_BH =1.7^+1.3_-0.7 X 10^5 M_sol for the low luminosity, type 1, AGN NGC 4395 (one of the smallest active galactic BH known). We also measured, for the first time, a BH mass of M_BH = 1.5^+1.1_-0.6 X 10^7 M_sol for the Seyfert 2 galaxy MCG -01-24-012.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures. Accepted by MNRA

The obscured X-ray source population in the HELLAS2XMM survey: the Spitzer view

Recent X-ray surveys have provided a large number of high-luminosity, obscured Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN), the so-called Type 2 quasars. Despite the large amount of multi-wavelength supporting data, the main parameters related to the black holes harbored in such AGN are still poorly known. Here we present the results obtained for a sample of eight Type 2 quasars in the redshift range 0.9-2.1 selected from the HELLAS2XMM survey, for which we used Ks-band, Spitzer IRAC and MIPS data at 24 micron to estimate bolometric corrections, black hole masses, and Eddington ratios.Comment: 6 pages, to appear in "The Multicoloured Landscape of Compact Objects and their Explosive Progenitors: Theory vs Observations" (Cefalu, Sicily, June 2006). Eds. L. Burderi et al. (New York: AIP

Expression of selected genes related to energy mobilization and insulin resistance in dairy cows

The physiological and metabolic adaptation characterizing the transition period in the dairy cows is developed by a complex modulation of different metabolic pathways as well as the expression of selected tissue-specific gene. The aim of this study was to evaluate the age effect on expression of selected genes in adipose, hepatic and muscle tissues in dairy cows during their dry period using the quantitative Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). Twenty-two pluriparous dairy cows were divided into 3 groups in relation to the age: Group A (38 \uc2\ub1 2 months); Group B (52 \uc2\ub1 2 months) and Group C (80 \uc2\ub1 8 months). Lower levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARG) and higher levels of adiponectin (ADIPOQ) were found in adipose tissue in Group C than Groups A and B (P < 0.05). Higher levels of solute carrier family 2/facilitated glucose transporter member 4 (SLC2A4) were found in muscle in Group C than Group A (P < 0.001) and Group B (P < 0.05). The present study showed in dairy cows that the expression of selected genes associated with mobilization of energy and with insulin resistance are influenced by age demonstrating and highlighting the importance of a genomics approach to assess the metabolic status of dairy cows during the transition period