Design of Computer Experiments: a powerful tool for the numerical design of BAW filters

We apply Design of Computer Experiments methods to the simulation of piezoelectric stacks and the design of BAW resonators and filters. Through the example of DCS filters with two different technologies (Iridium and Molybdenum electrodes), we show that the definition and the exploitation of a metamodel can accurately replace acoustic simulations and allows therefore a much faster material stack desig

Statistical accuracy of scattered points filters and application to the dynamics of bubbles in gas-fluidized beds

A novel analytical equation for the assessment of the accuracy of filters used for the interpolation and differentiation of scattered experimental data is presented. The equation takes into account the statistical nature of the filter output resulting from both the arbitrary positions of the data points and the randomness and noise present in the experimental data. Numerical estimation of the accuracy of the filter, using a Monte Carlo procedure, shows good agreement with the deduced analytical equation. This numerical procedure was also used to determine the accuracy of variance filters aimed at calculating the mean-square fluctuation of experimental data. The combination of the numerical results and analytical equations reveals the exact sources of inaccuracy arising in scattered point filters, namely: (i) the spectral inaccuracy of the weighting function; (ii) the noise or stochastic signal amplification; and (iii) the error arising from the random collocation of points within the filter window. The results also demonstrate that the use of the local mean in the calculation of the quadratic fluctuation leads to smaller estimation errors than the central mean. Finally, all these filters are used and critically evaluated in the framework of the stochastic position, diameter, and velocity of bubbles in a gas-fluidized bed. It is shown that the empirical coefficient of bubble coalescence in the two-dimensional bed tested, $\bar {\lambda }$ , is in the range 2.0-2.4 when incorporating only the visible flow of bubbles. Here, the vertical distance over which a bubble survives without coalescing is $\bar {\lambda } {L}_{c}$ , where ${L}_{c}$ is the characteristic separation between neighbouring bubbles in the horizontal direction prior to coalescence. It was also seen that the relative mean-square-root fluctuation of both bubble diameter and velocity is more than 50 % at the centre of the bed and remains nearly constant along the height of the be

Inoculation of the Leishmania infantum HSP70-II null mutant induces long-term protection against L. amazonensis infection in BALB/c mice

Leishmania amazonensis parasites are etiological agents of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the New World. BALB/c mice are highly susceptible to L. amazonensis challenge due to their inability to mount parasite-dependent IFN-γ-mediated responses. Here, we analyzed the capacity of a single administration of the LiΔHSP70-II genetically-modified attenuated L. infantum line in preventing cutaneous leishmaniasis in mice challenged with L. amazonensis virulent parasites. In previous studies, this live attenuated vaccine has demonstrated to induce long-protection against murine leishmaniasis due to Old World Leishmania species. Vaccinated mice showed a reduction in the disease evolution due to L. amazonensis challenge, namely reduction in cutaneous lesions and parasite burdens. In contrast to control animals, after the challenge, protected mice showed anti-Leishmania IgG2a circulating antibodies accompanied to the induction of Leishmania-driven specific IFN-γ systemic response. An analysis performed in the lymph node draining the site of infection revealed an increase of the parasite-specific IFN-ϒ production by CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and a decrease in the secretion of IL-10 against leishmanial antigens. Since the immunity caused by the inoculation of this live vaccine generates protection against different forms of murine leishmaniasis, we postulate LiΔHSP70-II as a candidate for the development of human vaccines.This research was funded by grants from Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación FISPI11/00095 and FISPI14/00366 (FEDER FUNDING) to M.S. and RYC-2016-19463 and RTI2018-343 to S.I. J.M.R. and M.S. are funded by the Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias (ISCIII-RETICRD16/0027/008-FEDER). E.H.G. is supported by a FPI grant from the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. Institutional grants from the Fundación Ramón Areces and Banco de Santander to the CBMSO are also acknowledged. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.Peer reviewe

Nanoformulations based on collagenases loaded into halloysite/Veegum® clay minerals for potential pharmaceutical applications

The design and development of nanomaterials capable of penetrate cancer cells is fundamental when anticancer therapy is involved. The use of collagenase (Col) is useful since this enzyme can degrade collagen, mainly present in the tumor extracellular matrix. However, its use is often limited since collagenase suffers from inactivation and short half-life. Use of recombinant ultrapure collagenase or carrier systems for their delivery are among the strategies adopted to increase the enzyme stability. Herein, based on the more stability showed by recombinant enzymes and the possibility to use them in anticancer therapy, we propose a novel strategy to further increase their stability by using halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) as carrier. ColG and ColH were supramolecularly loaded onto HNTs and used as fillers for Veegum gels. The systems could be used for potential local administration of collagenases for solid tumor treatment. All techniques adopted for characterization showed that halloysite interacts with collagenases in different ways depending with the Col considered. Furthermore, the hydrogels showed a very slow release of the collagenases within 24 h. Finally, biological assays were performed by studying the digestion of a type-I collagen matrix highlighting that once released the Col still possessed some activity. Thus we developed carrier systems that could further increase the high recombinant collagenases stability, preventing their inactivation in future in vivo applications for potential local tumor treatment

Zeolites as Ingredients of Medicinal Products

Development of new medicinal products for particular therapeutic treatment or for better manipulations with better quality and less side effects are possible as a result of advanced inorganic and organic materials application, among which zeolites, due to their properties and versatility, have been gaining attention. This paper is an overview of the development in the use of zeolite materials and their composites and modifications as medicinal products for several purposes such as active agents, carriers, for topical treatments, oral formulations, anticancer, the composition of theragnostic systems, vaccines, parenteral dosage forms, tissue engineering, etc. The objective of this review is to explore the main properties of zeolites and associate them with their drug interaction, mainly addressing the advances and studies related to the use of zeolites for different types of treatments due to their zeolite characteristics such as molecule storage capacity, physical and chemical stability, cation exchange capacity, and possibility of functionalization. The use of computational tools to predict the drug—zeolite interaction is also explored. As conclusion was possible to realize the possibilities and versatility of zeolite applications as being able to act in several aspects of medicinal products

Connecting Variability in Global Transcription Rate to Mitochondrial Variability

The authors demonstrate a connection between variability in the rate of transcription and differences in cellular mitochondrial content

Synthesis and Characterization of Nanomaterial Based on Halloysite and Hectorite Clay Minerals Covalently Bridged

Halloysite is an aluminosilicate clay with a predominantly hollow tubular structure (HNTs) able to act as a nanocontainer for the encapsulation of several chemicals. However, HNTs possess low affinity for metal ions in their pristine form and they need to be modified for improving their adsorption capabilities. Therefore, to overcome this issue herein we report a straightforward approach for the covalent modification of the external surface of halloysite nanotubes with hectorite clay. Compared to halloysite, hectorite possesses a lamellar structure with higher cation exchange capacity. The covalent linkage between the two clays was verified by several techniques (FTIR spectroscopy, 13C CP-MAS NMR, TGA, -potential, DLS, and XRD measurements) and the morphology was imaged by TEM investigations. As proof of concept the adsorption ability of the obtained nanomaterial in comparison to pristine clays was proved using ciprofloxacin and silver ions chosen as models for their different chemical characteristics.University of PalermoPON "AIM: Attrazione e Mobilita Internazionale" 1808223-1University of Granada P18-RT-378

Influence of operating conditions on ceramic ultrafiltration membrane performance when treating textile effluents

This work studies the performance of three commercial ceramic ultrafiltration membranes (ZrO2–TiO2) treating raw effluent from a textile industry. The effect of crossflow velocity at 3, 4 and 5 m s−1 as well as membrane characteristics, such as molecular weight cut-off (30, 50 and 150 kDa), on process performance were studied. Experiments were carried out in concentration mode in order to observe the effect of volume reduction factor simultaneously. Results showed a combined influence of both crossflow velocity and molecular weight cut-off on flux performance. TOC and COD removals up to 70% and 84% respectively were reached. On the other hand, almost complete color (>97%) and turbidity (>99%) removals were achieved for all the membranes and operating conditions

New Mussel Inspired Polydopamine-Like Silica-Based Material for Dye Adsorption

A straightforward and economic procedure has been developed for the synthesis of a new polydopamine-like silica-based material that has been obtained by oxidation of catechol with KIO4 followed by reaction with 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane. All techniques adopted for characterization showed that the obtained material is rich in different functional groups and the morphological analyses revealed dimensions in the nanometric range. The hybrid material has been characterized by several techniques showing its polydopamine-like nature, and preliminary observations for dye adsorption have been reported.University of Palermo PRIN2017- 2017YJMPZ

Chemoselective Reductive Heterocyclization by Controlling the Binomial Architecture of Metal Particles and Acid−Base Properties of the Support

2,1-Benzisoxazoles have been selectively synthesized through reductive heterocyclization of 2-nitroacylarenes using Pt-supported nanoparticles. The reaction involves a cascade process in which the first step is the reduction of the nitro group into hydroxylamine followed by heterocyclization through the nucleophilic attack of the hydroxylamine group to the carbonyl of the acyl group and further dehydration. The reaction was performed on Pt/C, Pt/TiO2, and Pt/MgO using hydrogen as the reducing agent under mild reaction conditions. The results showed that Pt/MgO was the most active and selective catalyst. The study of the influence of the crystal size of the metal on the activity and selectivity, combined with the reaction mechanism examined by in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy of the adsorbed reactant, showed that the maximum activity and selectivity to the target compound can be achieved by controlling the architecture of metal particles and acid–base properties of the support. The effect of temperature on selectivity, the stability of the Pt/MgO catalyst, and the scope of the reaction have been studied. Finally, reductive heterocyclization using different metals (Pd and Au) supported on MgO has also been performed.Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ciencias Aplicada