Design of hybrid gels based on gellan-cholesterol derivative and P90G liposomes for drug depot applications

Gels are extensively studied in the drug delivery field because of their potential benefits in therapeutics. Depot gel systems fall in this area, and the interest in their development has been focused on long-lasting, biocompatible, and resorbable delivery devices. The present work describes a new class of hybrid gels that stem from the interaction between liposomes based on P90G phospholipid and the cholesterol derivative of the polysaccharide gellan. The mechanical properties of these gels and the delivery profiles of the anti-inflammatory model drug diclofenac embedded in such systems confirmed the suitability of these hybrid gels as a good candidate for drug depot applications

Augev Method and an Innovative Use of Vocal Spectroscopy in Evaluating and Monitoring the Rehabilitation Path of Subjects Showing Severe Communication Pathologies

A strongly connotative element of developmental disorders (DS) is the total or partial impairment of verbal communication and, more generally, of social interaction. The method of Vocal-verb self-management (Augev) is a systemic organicistic method able to intervene in problems regarding verbal, spoken and written language development successfully. This study intends to demonstrate that it is possible to objectify these progresses through a spectrographic examination of vocal signals, which detects voice phonetic-acoustic parameters. This survey allows an objective evaluation of how effective an educational-rehabilitation intervention is. This study was performed on a population of 40 subjects (34 males and 6 females) diagnosed with developmental disorders (DS), specifically with a diagnosis of the autism spectrum disorders according to the DSM-5. The 40 subjects were treated in “la Comunicazione” centers, whose headquarters are near Bari, Brindisi and Rome. The results demonstrate a statistical significance in a correlation among the observed variables: supervisory status, attention, general dynamic coordination, understanding and execution of orders, performing simple unshielded rhythmic beats, word rhythm, oral praxies, phono-articulatory praxies, pronunciation of vowels, execution of graphemes, visual perception, acoustic perception, proprioceptive sensitivity, selective attention, short-term memory, segmental coordination, performance of simple rhythmic beatings, word rhythm, voice setting, intonation of sounds within a fifth, vowel pronunciation, consonant pronunciation, graphematic decoding, syllabic decoding, pronunciation of caudate syllables, coding of final syllable consonant, lexical decoding, phoneme-grapheme conversion, homographic grapheme decoding, homogeneous grapheme decoding, graphic stroke

Comparison of fatty acid profile in lamb meat and baby food based on lamb meat

The aim of this study was to compare the fatty acid (FA) profile of fresh lamb meat with those of baby foods based on lamb meat. For this purpose, samples of commercial homogenized (HO) and lyophilized (LIO) baby food based on lamb meat and fresh lamb meat (FM) were analyzed for their FA composition. All fatty acids, except for oleic acid and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), differed among the three baby products tested. The sum of omega-6 FA and the ratio omega 6/omega 3 FA were lower in FM and LIO meat compared to HO samples. The content of total PUFA n-3 was the highest in FM, because of its highest content of C18:3 n3, EPA, DPA and DHA compared to LIO and HO baby food. The content of arachidonic acid was more than 6-fold higher in FM compared to LIO and HO. This study evidenced the possibility of enhancing the FA profile of commercial baby food based on lamb meat by using meat with healthier FA profile

Photophysics of pentacene-doped picene thin films

Here were report a study of picene nano-cristalline thin films doped with pentacene molecules. The thin films were grown by supersonic molecular beam deposition with a doping concentration that ranges between less than one molecules of pentacene every 104 picene molecules up to about one molecule of pentacene every 102 of picene. Morphology and opto-electronic properties of the films were studied as a function of the concentration of dopants. The optical response of the picene films, characterized by absorption, steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence measurements, changes dramatically after the doping with pentacene. An efficient energy transfer from the picene host matrix to the pentacene guest molecules was observed giving rise to an intense photoluminescence coming out from pentacene. This efficient mechanism opens the possibility to exploit applications where the excitonic states of the guest component, pentacene, are of major interest such as MASER. The observed mechanism could also serve as prototypical system for the study of the photophysics of host guest systems based on different phenacenes and acenes.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figure

Phenolic compounds from wines as natural preservative of fish meat

The aims of this work were to investigate the antibacterial effect of phenolic compound combinations and total polyphenols of Argentinean red wines varieties against Escherichia coli ATCC 35218 and Listeria monocytogenes using commercial fish meat as model food. Rutin- quercetin combination and the three wine varieties produced cellular death of both bacteria on fish meat at 4 oC. Rutin-quercetin combination was effect even at 20 °C on fish meat. Clarified wines were inactive against both bacteria, indicating that the responsible of observed effect were the polyphenols of wines. The use of wine phenolic compounds as antibacterial agent could be used to prevent contamination and extend the shelf life of fish meat. A big finding of this work is the use of rutin–quercetin combination as preservative during the transport and conservation of fish meat to the fish market, which is an effective antibacterial agent even when there is an Interrupted in the cold chain.Fil: Rodriguez Vaquero, Maria Jose. Universidad Nacional de Tucuman. Facultad de Bioquimica, Quimica y Farmacia. Instituto de Microbiologia; Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico - CONICET - Tucumán. Centro de Referencia Para Lactobacilos (i); Argentina;Fil: Aredes Fernández, Pedro Adrián. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico - CONICET - Tucumán. Centro de Referencia Para Lactobacilos (i); Argentina;Fil: Manca, Maria Cristina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico - CONICET - Tucumán. Centro de Referencia Para Lactobacilos (i); Argentina

Estelle AMY DE LA BRETÈQUE : Paroles mélodisées. Récits épiques et lamentations chez les Yézidis d’Arménie

Le livre très intéressant d’Estelle Amy de la Bretèque porte sur les lamentations et les récits épiques d’une communauté yézidie kurdophone établie en Arménie, qui célèbre de la même façon ses morts et ses héros à travers des « paroles mélodisées ». L’ouvrage de 230 pages est la version remaniée d’une thèse soutenue en 2010, fruit d’un an et demi de terrain. Ramassé, sobre et clair, il allie l’étude ethnographique à des analyses musicales et linguistiques toujours concises et appuyées sur des..

Composition influence on pulmonary delivery of rifampicin liposomes

The effects of lipid concentration and composition on the physicochemical properties, aerosol performance and in vitro toxicity activity of several rifampicin-loaded liposomes were investigated. To this purpose, six liposome formulations containing different amounts of soy phosphatidylcholine and hydrogenated soy phosphatidylcholine, with and without cholesterol and oleic acid, were prepared and fully characterized. Uni- or oligo-lamellar, small (~100 nm), negatively charged (~60 mV) vesicles were obtained. Lipid composition affected aerosol delivery features of liposomal rifampicin; in particular, the highest phospholipid concentration led to a better packing of the vesicular bilayers with a consequent higher nebulization stability. The retention of drug in nebulized vesicles (NER%) was higher for oleic acid containing vesicles (55% ± 1.4%) than for the other samples (~47%). A549 cells were used to evaluate intracellular drug uptake and in vitro toxicity activity of rifampicin-loaded liposomes in comparison with the free drug. Cell toxicity was more evident when oleic acid containing liposomes were used

Esiste una Ginevra del Sud? L'eterodossia a Lecce tra Sei e Settecento

EnThe Protestant reform found no reception in the religious and cultural circles of Lecce, but gradually penetrated it through the preaching of the Waldensians. The diffusion of the doctrine of the reformed did not long survive in the city of Salento, especially when the local inquisition with the bishop Luigi Pappacoda (1639-1670) became effective and all-engaging.ItLa riforma protestante non trovò accoglienza nei circoli religiosi e culturali di Lecce, tuttavia vi penetrò gradualmente attraverso la predicazione dei valdesi. La diffusione della dottrina dei riformati non sopravvisse a lungo nella città salentina, soprattutto quando l'Inquisizione locale con il vescovo Luigi Pappacoda (1639-1670) diventò operativa e totalizzante

Influenza della melatonina sulla riproduzione della specie ovina

The current Doctoral Thesis studied the Influence of melatoninon the reproductive capacity of ovine species in 3 different experimental work .The first experiment assessed the effect of increasing concentration of melatonin during blastocyst post-warming culture on embryo’s ability to restore its functions after cryopreservation. Thereafter, they were vitrified, warmed, and cultured in BSA plus melatonin 10-3,10-6,10-9 M. The melatonin 10-9 M improve the re- expansion and hatching rates, the total cell number and intracellular ATP concentration , with a low oxidative and apoptotic index. Thus, the dose at which the embryos are exposed is pivotal to obtain the desiderate effect. In the second experiment o, was to assess the effect of melatonin deprival on ovarian status and function in sheep. The pinealectomy affect the extention of the breeding season,the mean area of corpus luteum, the progesterone plasma concentration and caused fewer waves and caused during oestrus cycle.The third experiment assessed the influence of melatonin implant in ram, during non-breeding season, in the plasma testosterone and prolactin concentration,in the semen characteristics and in the cryopreservation. The melatonin implant influence positivily the fertilization rate