Giovanni Filippo Ingrassia: A five-hundred year-long lesson.

Giovanni Filippo Ingrassia was born five centuries ago in Regalbuto, a small town in the center of Sicily. After his medical course in Padua, under the guidance of Vesalius and Fallopius, he gained international fame as a physician and was recruited as a Professor of human anatomy in Naples and later in Palermo. He is remembered as "the new Galen" or "the Sicilian Hippocrates." He contributed to the knowledge of human anatomy through the description of single bones rather than the whole skeleton. In particular, he was the first to describe the "stapes," the "lesser wings of the sphenoid" and various other structures in the head (probably the pharyngotympanic tube) as well as in the reproductive system (corpora cavernosa and seminal vesicles). He was also a pioneer in the study of forensic medicine, hygiene, surgical pathology, and teratology. As Protomedicus of Sicily, he developed the scientific culture in this country. During those years, he faced the spread of malaria and plague with competence and authoritativeness. Indeed, he was one of the first physicians to suppose that certain diseases could be transmitted between individuals, therefore, introducing revolutionary measures of prevention. He is remembered for his intellectual authority and honesty. Five-hundred years after his birth, his teaching is still alive. In this article, we survey the life and contribution of this pioneer of early anatomical study

Effect of Nanoadditives on Bitumen Aging Resistance: A Critical Review

Starting from the eighties, the use of nanoadditives registered an increasing attention in the scientific and patent literature, especially for the case of polymeric nanocomposites. In the last decade, this involved bituminous materials, modified either with nanosized fillers or with polymeric nanocomposites. One of the expected benefits is an increased resistance of the binder to aging. After a short introduction underlining the uncertainties and risks of artefacts in aging tests, a review is given, focusing on the antiaging properties of layered silicates, which are by far the most important nanoadditives for bitumens. Together with layered silicates, other materials such as nanohydrated lime, nanosilica, and layered double hydroxides are mentioned. Preparation and characterization of the binary bitumen/layered silicate and ternary bitumen/layered silicate/polymer systems are described in order to individuate the aspects that influence the antiaging effect. Even if the available literature is quite abundant and unanimously confirms that nanoadditives may improve bitumen durability, there is a lack of studies clarifying the involved mechanisms. As it is for conventional fillers, it seems to be a combination of physical and chemical interactions. Nanoadditives with different chemistries, porosities, and interlayer spacings differently absorb the polar components from the bitumen, thus affecting their predisposition to oxidative aging

Involvement of caspase-3 and GD3 ganglioside in ceramide-induced apoptosis in Farber disease

Farber's disease (FD) is a rare genetic disorder caused by ceramidase deficiency, which results in ceramide accumulation in lung, liver, colon, skeletal muscle, cartilage, and bone. Although this disease has been symptomatically characterized, little is known about its molecular pathogenetic process. Because recent studies reported that ceramide accumulation induces GD3 ganglioside formation and apoptosis, we investigated, in tissue obtained via colonoscopy from seriously involved patients, the possible involvement of ceramide in FD colonocyte destruction. Histochemical and TUNEL analyses of paraffin-embedded sections revealed that 45 ± 4.3% of FD colonocytes showed morphological signs of apoptosis compared with the 8 ± 2.3% of constitutive epithelial cell death. Importantly, immunohistochemical study for pro-apoptotic factors showed that GD3 accumulation colocalized with active caspase-3 and cleaved K18 in FD colon tissue. These findings provide evidence for a role of the apoptotic ceramide pathway in the pathogenesis of FD

ROLE OF CHAPERONES IN HEALTHY BOWEL AND IBD.

The chaperoning system is the wole complement of chaperones, co-chaperones and chaperone cofactors of the body that preserves cell and tissue homeostasis. Its structural and/or functional defects can cause pathologic conditions, nemed chaperonopathies. Large bowel homeostasis includes a healthy status of the mucosal tissues and the microbiota. An alteration of one of them may determine, in turn, modifications of the other. Molecular chaperones of bacteria and human origin have been implicated in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In IBD chaperone levels usually increase and their cellular and subcellular loclization change. This is considered a physiological stress-response of mucosal cells to inflammation. However, chaperones also play active roles in IBD pathogenesis, e.g. perpetuate inflammation. Therefore, IBD can be classified among the chaperonopathies. This classification opens the door to the design and application of new forms of treatment targeting the chaperones, namely chaperonopathy

Azidated Ether-Butadiene-Ether Block Copolymers as Binders for Solid Propellants

Polymeric binders for solid propellants are usually based on hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB), which does not contribute to the overall energy output. Azidic polyethers represent an interesting alternative but may have poorer mechanical properties. Polybutadiene–polyether copolymers may combine the advantages of both. Four different ether-butadiene-ether triblock copolymers were prepared and azidated starting from halogenated and/or tosylated monomers using HTPB as initiator. The presence of the butadiene block complicates the azidation step and reduces the storage stability of the azidic polymer. Nevertheless, the procedure allows modifying the binder properties by varying the type and lengths of the energetic blocks