Imunomodulacija i oksidativni stres u radnika u pjeskarenju traper platna: promjene uzrokovane izloženosti silici

Workers in denim sandblasting are at a high risk of developing silicosis, an occupational lung disease caused by inhaling crystalline silica dust. The development and progress of silicosis is associated with the activation of the immune system and oxidative stress. In the former, interferon-gamma induces both neopterin release and the enzyme indoleamine [2,3]-dioxygenase (IDO) in various cells. The determination of the kynurenine-to-tryptophan ratio and neopterin concentration has proven to be an efficient method to monitor the activation status of IDO and cellular immunity. The present study aimed to investigate whether occupational silica exposure leads to any alterations in neopterin levels, tryptophan degradation, and activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), agents in the antioxidant defence system. Fifty-five male denim sandblasting workers and twenty-two healthy men as controls were included. Mean neopterin and kynurenine levels, kynurenine-to-tryptophan ratio, and SOD activity were higher in subjects with silicosis compared to non-exposed controls (all, p<0.05). Neopterin levels and kynurenine-totryptophan ratios were positively correlated (p<0.05); however, no correlation was observed between length of employment and the measured parameters. Some of the measured parameters were significantly affected by the severity of the pathology. Our results suggest that silica exposure activates the cellular immune response. The increased neopterin levels and tryptophan degradation confirm the possibility of their use as an indicator of cellular immune response.Radnici u pjeskarenju traper platna izloženi su visokom riziku od silikoze, profesionalne plućne bolesti uzrokovane udisanjem čestica silikatne prašine. Razvoj i progresija silikoze povezani su s aktivacijom imunosnog sustava i oksidativnim stresom. Pri aktivaciji imunosnoga sustava, interferon-gama potiče otpuštanje neopterina i enzima indoleamina [2, 3]-dioksigenaze (IDO) u različitim vrstama stanica. Određivanje omjera kinurenina i triptofana te koncentracije neopterina pokazale su se učinkovitim metodama praćenja aktivacijskoga statusa IDO-a i staničnog imuniteta. Ovaj rad istražuje uzrokuje li profesionalna izloženost silici promjene u razinama neopterina, degradaciji triptofana i aktivnosti superoksid dismutaze (SOD) i katalaze (CAT), agenata u antioksidativnom obrambenom sustavu. U istraživanju je sudjelovalo 55 muških radnika u pjeskarenju traper platna i 22 zdrava muškarca u kontrolnoj skupini. Srednje vrijednosti razina neopterina i kinurenina, omjera kinurenina i triptofana, te aktivnosti SOD-a bile su više u radnika oboljelih od silikoze nego u kontrolnoj skupini (p<0,05). Razina neopterina i omjer kinurenina i triptofana bile su u pozitivnoj korelaciji (p<0,05). Međutim, korelacija nije uočena između mjerenih vrijednosti i radnog staža. Neke od mjerenih vrijednosti bitno su ovisile o težini patologije. Dobiveni rezultati daju naslutiti da izloženost silici uzrokuje aktivaciju staničnog imunosnog odgovora. Povećane razine neopterina i degradacije triptofana potvrđuju mogućnost njihova korištenja kao pokazatelja staničnog imunosnog odgovora

“Ni/ZrO2 catalysts for ethanol steam reforming: effect of Ca-doping”

Ni/ZrO2 catalysts doped with various percentage of CaO were synthesized and used in the steam reforming of ethanol for hydrogen production. The addition of CaO to the support decreases the Lewis acidity of zirconia, which contributes to the side reactions that lead to coke deposition. Moreover, the replacement of the Zr4+ cation in the ZrO2 lattice with cations with lower positive charge, as Ca2+, generates oxygen vacancies which modify the interaction between the active phase and the support and activate CO2, thus favoring the gasification of coke. The sample doped with the maximum percentage of CaO presents an optimum carbon balance, which can enhance the catalyst durability

Generation of 20 human induced pluripotent stem cell lines from patients with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS)

Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a major cause of familial nephrotic syndrome. We generated 20 induced pluripotent stem cell lines from patients diagnosed with FSGS. The iPSC lines include 8 female and 12 male lines and cover a donor age range from 31 to 78. The lines were generated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells by integration-free reprogramming using Sendai virus vectors. Cell lines were fully characterized regarding their pluripotency and differentiation potential, and quality controlled for karyotypic integrity, identity and clearance of reprogramming vectors. The generated cell lines represent a valuable tool for disease modelling and drug development for FSGS

Changes in content of proteins in centrifugal drip from meat of young bulls of different breeds at different ages

Celem pracy było określenie zmian udziału białek w wycieku wirówkowym pozyskanym z mięsa buhajków czterech ras: polskiej holsztyńsko-fryzyjskiej (PHF) odmiany czarno-białej, polskiej czerwonej (PC), Limousine (L) i Hereford (H) ubijanych w wieku 6, 9 i 12 miesięcy, w ciągu 10-dniowego chłodniczego dojrzewania mięsa. Elektroforetyczną analizę białek wycieku wirówkowego pozyskanego z tkanki mięśniowej 45 min, 48, 96 i 240 h post mortem wykonywano techniką SDS-PAGE. Obecność titiny, desminy i troponiny T w wycieku wirówkowym potwierdzono metodą Western blotting z zastosowaniem monoklonalnych przeciwciał specyficznie rozpoznających określone białka. Stwierdzono, że czas dojrzewania był najważniejszym czynnikiem wpływającym na proteolizę białek mięsa. Największe zmiany w udziale białek o dużej masie cząsteczkowej (2400 ÷ 3700 kDa i >160 kDa) zaobserwowano po 10 dniach dojrzewania mięsa. W przypadku białek o mniejszej masie cząsteczkowej (160 kDa i 90 ÷ 95 kDa) zmiany te wystąpiły już w pierwszych dwóch dniach post mortem. Wszystkie analizowane czynniki zmienności, tj. rasa bydła, wiek buhajków i czas dojrzewania mięsa wpłynęły istotnie (p ≤ 0,05) tylko na udział białek o masie cząsteczkowej 90 ÷ 95 kDa. Najbardziej zaawansowany proces proteolizy białek wielkocząsteczkowych obserwowano w wycieku wirówkowym z mięsa buhajków rasy PHF.The objective of the research study was to determine the changes in the content of proteins in centrifugal drip obtained from meat of young bulls of four breeds: Polish Holstein-Friesian (PHF) of Black and White variety, Polish Red (PC), Limousine (L), and Hereford (H), all of them slaughtered at the age of 6, 9, and 12 months during a 10-day period of chilled beef aging. A SDS-PAGE technique was applied to perform an electrophoretic analysis of proteins derived from centrifugal drip of muscle tissue 45 min, 48, 96, and 240 h after slaughter. The occurrence of titin, desmin and troponin T in the centrifugal drip was confirmed by a western blotting method using monoclonal antibodies to specifically identify definite proteins. The aging time was found to be the most important factor that impacted the proteolysis of proteins in meat. The greatest changes in the content of high-molecular proteins (2400 ÷ 3700 kDa and >160 kDa) were reported on the 10th day of meat ageing. In the case of proteins with a lower molecular weight (160 kDa and 90 ÷ 95 kDa), such changes occurred already during the first two days post mortem. All the variability factors analyzed (i.e. breed and age of cattle, and aging time of beef meat) significantly affected (p 0.05) only the content of proteins with a molecular weight of 90 ÷ 95 kDa. The most advanced process of proteolysis of high molecular weight proteins was reported in the centrifugal drip from meat of bulls of PHF breed

New functional ingredients from agri-food by-product for fortified food

A wheat bran hydrolisate was obtained using commercial enzyme preparations selected in order to get all the enzymatic activities needed (Cellulases, Hemicellulases, Arylesterases, etc.) to get a liquid suspension containing 168,39 mg/L of ferulic acid and 703 ORAC/L as measure of the antioxidant activity. Fortified breads were prepared by substituting different percentages of water (33,3%, 50% e 100% w/w ) with the hydrolised wheat bran during dough preparation. After bread making samples were extracted to recover the phenolic fraction in which the amount of ferulic acid was found proportional to the added quantity of wheat bran hydrolysate. Surprisingly the antioxidant activity measured on the same extracts shown higher values than expected considering the antioxidant activities of each individual ingredient, up to 400% than the theoretical values. The ORAC/L values vs. wheat bran hydrolysate added had an exponential trend likely due to an interaction between some component of hydrolysed bran and the yeast during the bread making process

Effect of the Rovimix (ß carotene) addition on the ß carotene and vitamin A content in the blood serum of calves

Результаты соответствующих исследований показали, что прибавка к корму телят начиная с 7-дневного возраста синтетического β каротина (препарата Ровимикс) в дозах колеблющихся в пределах 50-250 мг на голову в сутки приводит к существенному повышению содержания β каротина и витамина А в сыворотке крови. Интенсивное потребление β каротина из препарата Ровимикс, а также динамика преобразования β каротина в витамин А были обнаружены у телят урожденных коровами, которым в течение 14 дней до отела прибавляли к ежедневному рациону 60 мг синтетического β каротина на 100 кг корма. Повышение содержания церулоплазмина в сыворотке крови телят с повышенным уровнем β карoтина и витамина А позволяет предполагать существование взаимосвязи между указанными компонентами. Установленная взаимозависимость резервов β каротина у матери и количества витамина А накопленного теленком в эмбриональный период, а также содержания β каротина и витамина А в сыворотке крови телят после рождения позволяет заключать, что прибавка к ежедневному рациону коров соответствующих количеств β каротина, или подача 60 мг синтетического каротина на 100 кг корма в течение 14 дней до отела полностью обеспечивает потребность новорожденных телят в β каротине и витамине А.The respective investigations have proved that the β carotene and vitamin A levels in the blood serum of calves can be significantly increased by addition to the feed of calves since the 7th day of their life of synthetic β carotene (Rovimix) in the amount ranging within 50-250 mg/day/calf. An intensive utilization of β carotene from Rovimix and a high dynamics of the β carotene conversion into vitamin A were found in calves born by cows, which received 14 days before calving an addition of 60 mg/100 kg of synthetic carotene to their rations. An increase of the cerruloplasmin content in the blood serum of calves with increased β carotene and vitamin A level allows to prove a relationship between the above components. The found relationship between β carotene reserves in mother and the vitamin A accumulation by calf in its foetal period on the one hand and the β carotene and vitamin A content in the blood serum of calves after calving on the other proves that the addition of appropriate β carotene amounts to the daily ration of cows or administration of 60 mg/100 kg of synthetic β carotene for 14 days after calving would satisfy to a full extent the requirement of β carotene and vitamin A of newborn calves

“Effect of Ca-doping on coke resistance of Ni/ZrO2 catalysts in ethanol steam reforming:”

Hydrogen is considered as the future energy vector and ethanol steam reforming is promising to produce hydrogen in a clean way. Nickel is known to be active in reforming reactions, although it can be quickly deactivated by coking and sintering [1]. Ni/ZrO2 is highly active in steam reforming reactions [2, 3, 4] because of its properties, such as high surface area, high stability under the reaction conditions, strong interactions with the active phase. Nevertheless, zirconia is known to be a solid acid and the presence of acid sites at the surface of the support is related to some of the side reactions responsible for coke formation. The addition of oxides of alkaline earth metals, which are strong Lewis bases, can decrease the acidity of the support. The aim of the present work is to prepare Ni/ZrO2 catalysts modified with different amounts of CaO and to evaluate the effect of the addition of a basic oxide on the overall Lewis acidity of the support, and then on carbon balance. The catalysts were characterized in order to establish the possible effect of CaO-doping also on other physico-chemical properties. Zr(OH)4 was prepared by a precipitation method [2] at a constant pH of 10. Ni (8 wt%) and CaO (0, 3, 6, 9 wt%) were introduced on the support by means of co-impregnation with an aqueous solution of the corresponding precursors. Samples obtained after calcination at 500 \ub0C are denoted as ZCaxNi, where Cax indicates the percentage of CaO. The catalysts were thoroughly characterized in order to assess the physico-chemical properties of both the support and the final catalyst. Activity tests were performed after reduction of the catalysts in H2 flow for 1 h at 500 \ub0C. The activity tests were carried out at atmospheric pressure by feeding a 3:1 (mol/mol) H2O:CH3CH2OH mixture at 500 \ub0C. The results showed that CaO-doping did not to affect some relevant properties of the catalysts, such as the specific surface area of the support and Ni dispersion. All samples exhibit small and well dispersed Ni nanoparticles, essential in order to minimize coke formation. By contrast, CaO addition to zirconia effectively reduced the Lewis acidity of the support, involved in coke deposition, and produced oxygen vacancies, which seem to affect Ni reducibility. The progressive decrease of the Lewis acidity of the support showed beneficial in improving catalyst resistance towards coking, with sample ZCa9Ni showing the best performance. Moreover the presence of oxygen vacancies, which can activate CO2, seems to favour the gasification of coke. References. [1] Zhang, Z., Verykios, X.E. (1996): Appl. Catal. A: General, 138, 109-133; \uf05b2\uf05d Nichele, V., Signoretto, M., Menegazzo, F., Gallo, A., Dal Santo, V., Cruciani, G., Cerrato, G. (2012): Appl. Catal. B: Environ., 111\u2013 112, 225-232; \uf05b3\uf05d Rossetti, I., Biffi, C., Bianchi, C.L., Nichele, V., Signoretto, M., Menegazzo, F., Finocchio, E., Ramis, G., Di Michele, A. (2012): Appl. Catal. B: Environ., 117\u2013 118, 384-396; \uf05b4\uf05d Rossetti, I., Gallo, A., Dal Santo, V., Bianchi, C.L., Nichele, V., Signoretto, M., Finocchio, E., Ramis, G., Di Michele, A. (2013): ChemCatChem., 5, 294-306