optimization of plasma actuator excitation waveform and materials for separation control in turbomachinery

Abstract Different input waveforms applied to a Single Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma Actuator (SDBDPA) were compared for flow separation control on low-pressure turbines (LPTs). The investigated Reynolds number (Re) was 2·104. The work aim was the device optimization in terms of materials and excitation conditions for enhancing its durability and performances. The SDBDPA was manufactured by microfabrication techniques. Device materials that could withstand the plasma environment were selected. Sine, square and triangle waveforms were compared in terms of actuator dissipated power and induced velocity. At comparable peak-to-peak applied voltage, the sinus outperformed the other waveforms, while the square dissipated the most

New insight on tomato seed priming with Anabaena minutissima phycobiliproteins in relation to Rhizoctonia solani root rot resistance and seedling growth promotion

Cyanobacteria phycobiliproteins (PBPs) are already exploited in the food industries and for biotechnological applications but not in the agricultural field. Different concentrations (0.6 - 4.8 mg/mL) of Anabaena minutissima PBPs were applied to tomato seed to study their priming effect against the soil-borne fungal pathogen Rhizoctonia solani and in promoting plant growth. PBPs increased seedling emergence and vigour, showed activity against root rot disease (67%), and enhanced plant dry weight, length, and height. Generally, no dose effect has been observed except for dry weight (55% at 4.8 mg/mL). Seed treatment primed seeds and seedlings by leading to the activation of defence responses raising phenol (26% in hypocotyls) and flavonoid (26 and 45% in hypocotyls and epicotyls, respectively) contents and chitinase (4-fold at 2.4 and 4.8 mg/mL in hypocotyls) and beta-1,3-D-glucanase (up to about 2-fold at all doses in epicotyls) activities. Micro-Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier Transform Infrared revealed changes in functional groups of primed seeds, hypocotyls and exudates released into the agar because of treatment. Protein extract from PBP-primed seedlings inhibited mycelial growth (67% for epicotyl proteins) and caused morphological alterations in hyphae. This research emphasizes the potential priming role of PBPs applied by seed treatment against soil-borne pathogens

The dysregulation of OGT/OGA cycle mediates Tau and APP neuropathology in down syndrome

Protein O-GlcNAcylation is a nutrient-related post-translational modification that, since its discovery some 30 years ago, has been associated with the development of neurodegenerative diseases. As reported in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), flaws in the cerebral glucose uptake translate into reduced hexosamine biosynthetic pathway flux and subsequently lead to aberrant protein O-GlcNAcylation. Notably, the reduction of O-GlcNAcylated proteins involves also tau and APP, thus promoting their aberrant phosphorylation in AD brain and the onset of AD pathological markers. Down syndrome (DS) individuals are characterized by the early development of AD by the age of 60 and, although the two conditions present the same pathological hallmarks and share the alteration of many molecular mechanisms driving brain degeneration, no evidence has been sought on the implication of O-GlcNAcylation in DS pathology. Our study aimed to unravel for the first time the role of protein O-GlcNacylation in DS brain alterations positing the attention of potential trisomy-related mechanisms triggering the aberrant regulation of OGT/OGA cycle. We demonstrate the disruption of O-GlcNAcylation homeostasis, as an effect of altered OGT and OGA regulatory mechanism, and confirm the relevance of O-GlcNAcylation in the appearance of AD hallmarks in the brain of a murine model of DS. Furthermore, we provide evidence for the neuroprotective effects of brain-targeted OGA inhibition. Indeed, the rescue of OGA activity was able to restore protein O-GlcNAcylation, and reduce AD-related hallmarks and decreased protein nitration, possibly as effect of induced autophagy

Ultrastructural study of cultured ovine bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells.

Ovine bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (oBM-MSCs) represent a good animal model for cell-based therapy and tissue engineering. Despite their use as a new therapeutic tool for several clinical applications, the morphological features of oBM-MSCs are yet unknown. Therefore, in this study the ultrastructural phenotype of these cells was analysed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The oBM-MSCs were isolated from the iliac crest and cultured until they reached near-confluence. After trypsinization, they were processed to investigate their ultrastructural features as well as specific surface marker proteins by flow cytometry and immunogold electron microscopy. Flow cytometry displayed that all oBM-MSCs lacked expression of CD31, CD34, CD45, HLA-DR whereas they expressed CD44, CD58, HLAI and a minor subset of the cell population (12%) exhibited CD90. TEM revealed the presence of two morphologically distinct cell types: cuboidal electron-lucent cells and spindle-shaped electron-dense cells, both expressing the CD90 antigen. Most of the electron-lucent cells showed glycogen aggregates, dilated cisternae of RER, moderately developed Golgi complex, and secretory activity. The electron-dense cell type was constituted by two different cell-populations: type A cells with numerous endosomes, dense bodies, rod-shaped mitochondria and filopodia; type B cells with elongated mitochondria, thin pseudopodia and cytoplasmic connectivity with electron-lucent cells. These morphological findings could provide a useful support to identify “in situ” the cellular components involved in the cell-therapy when cultured oBM-MSCs are injected

Autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells (Bmmcs) for the treatment of uncomplicated grade 2 ununited anconeal process (uap) in six dogs: Preliminary results

The aim of this study was to report the results of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cell (BMMC) transplantation as a minimally invasive treatment for grade 2 UAP in dogs. This was an observational case series on six German shepherd dogs affected by grade 2 UAP as defined according to their clinical condition as well as radiographic and CT findings. Bone marrow was collected from the iliac crest and the mononuclear fraction was separated with density gradient centrifugation. Cells were suspended in fibrin glue before BMMC administration and implanted via transcutaneous injection under IB or CT guidance, using a spinal needle directly inserted into the ossification centre between the anconeal process and the olecranon. Clinical and radiographic follow-up was performed for up to 6 months. Microradiographic assessment was performed on one dog that died of other causes. A progressive reduction of pain within 3 weeks after BMMC administration was observed in all dogs, with gradually increased weight bearing on the affected limb. Radiographic and CT follow-up revealed the progressive fusion of the ossification centre at 90 days without any signs of secondary OA. The examination of microradiographs showed newly formed bone tissue in which a residue of calcified cartilage was present at the site of BMMC implantation. On the basis of these results, BMMC therapy for grade 2 UAP may be considered to be an effective and minimally invasive treatment option for dogs

One- and two-electron oxidations of β-amyloid25-35 by carbonate radical anion (CO3•-) and peroxymonocarbonate (HCO4-): role of sulfur in radical reactions and peptide aggregation

The β-amyloid (Aβ) peptide plays a key role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. The methionine (Met) residue at position 35 in Aβ C-terminal domain is critical for neurotoxicity, aggregation, and free radical formation initiated by the peptide. The role of Met in modulating toxicological properties of Aβ most likely involves an oxidative event at the sulfur atom. We therefore investigated the one- or two-electron oxidation of the Met residue of Aβ25-35 fragment and the effect of such oxidation on the behavior of the peptide. Bicarbonate promotes two-electron oxidations mediated by hydrogen peroxide after generation of peroxymonocarbonate (HCO4-, PMC). The bicarbonate/carbon dioxide pair stimulates one-electron oxidations mediated by carbonate radical anion (CO3•-). PMC efficiently oxidizes thioether sulfur of the Met residue to sulfoxide. Interestingly, such oxidation hampers the tendency of Aβ to aggregate. Conversely, CO3•- causes the one-electron oxidation of methionine residue to sulfur radical cation (MetS•+). The formation of this transient reactive intermediate during Aβ oxidation may play an important role in the process underlying amyloid neurotoxicity and free radical generation

Blueberry counteracts bv-2 microglia morphological and functional switch after lps challenge

Microglia, the innate immune cells of the CNS, respond to brain injury by activating and modifying their morphology. Our study arises from the great interest that has been focused on blueberry (BB) for the antioxidant and pharmacological properties displayed by its components. We analyzed the influence of hydroalcoholic BB extract in resting or lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated microglia BV-2 cells. BB exerted a protective effect against LPS-induced cytotoxicity, as indicated by cell viability. BB was also able to influence the actin cytoskeleton organization, to recover the control phenotype after LPS insult, and also to reduce LPS-driven migration. We evaluated the activity of Rho and Rac1 GTPases, which regulate both actin cytoskeletal organization and migratory capacity. LPS caused an increase in Rac1 activity, which was counteracted by BB extract. Furthermore, we demonstrated that, in the presence of BB, mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α decreased, as did the immunofluorescence signal of iNOS, whereas that of Arg-1 was increased. Taken together, our results show that, during the inflammatory response, BB extract shifts the M1 polarization towards the M2 phenotype through an actin cytoskeletal rearrangement. Based on that, we might consider BB as a nutraceutical with anti-inflammatory activities

A Monitoring Framework with Integrated Sensing Technologies for Enhanced Food Safety and Traceability

A novel and low-cost framework for food traceability, composed by commercial and proprietary sensing devices, for the remote monitoring of air, water, soil parameters and herbicide contamination during the farming process, has been developed and verified in real crop environments. It offers an integrated approach to food traceability with embedded systems supervision, approaching the problem to testify the quality of the food product. Moreover, it fills the gap of missing low-cost systems for monitoring cropping environments and pesticides contamination, satisfying the wide interest of regulatory agencies and final customers for a sustainable farming. The novelty of the proposed monitoring framework lies in the realization and the adoption of a fully automated prototype for in situ glyphosate detection. This device consists of a custom-made and automated fluidic system which, leveraging on the Molecularly Imprinted Polymer (MIP) sensing technology, permits to detect unwanted glyphosate contamination. The custom electronic mainboard, called ElectroSense, exhibits both the potentiostatic read-out of the sensor and the fluidic control to accomplish continuous unattended measurements. The complementary monitored parameters from commercial sensing devices are: temperature, relative humidity, atmospheric pressure, volumetric water content, electrical conductivity of the soil, pH of the irrigation water, total Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and equivalent CO (Formula presented.). The framework has been validated during the olive farming activity in an Italian company, proving its efficacy for food traceability. Finally, the system has been adopted in a different crop field where pesticides treatments are practiced. This has been done in order to prove its capability to perform first level detection of pesticide treatments. Good correlation results between chemical sensors signals and pesticides treatments are highlighted

Synthesis and characterization of UV-curable nanocellulose/ZnO/AlN acrylic flexible films: thermal, dynamic mechanical and piezoelectric response

This work is aimed at fabricating nanocomposites based on zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures and nanocellulose dispersed in a UV-cured acrylic matrix (EC) for application as functional coatings for self-powered applications. Morphological, thermal, and dynamic mechanical properties of the nanocomposites were characterized by X-Ray diffractometry (XRD), scanning electron microscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry. The piezoelectric behavior was evaluated in terms of root mean square (RMS) open circuit voltage, at different accelerations applied to cantilever beams. The generated voltage was correlated with ZnO nanostructures morphology, aluminum nitride film integration on the beam and proof mass insertion at the tip. Nitride layer increased the RMS voltage from 1 to 2.4 mV up to 3.9 mV (using ZnO nanoflowers). As confirmed by XRD analyses, the incorporation of ZnO nanostructures into the acrylic matrix favored an ordered structural arrangement of the deposited AlN layer, hence improving the piezoelectric response of the resulting nanocomposites. With proof mass insertion, the output voltage was further increased, reaching 4.5 mV for the AlN-coated system containing ZnO nanoflowers

Correction to: How will a drier climate change carbon sequestration in soils of the deciduous forests of Central Europe?

The initial online publication contained a typesetting mistake in the author information. The original article has been corrected