Characterization of the Coupling between Out‐of‐Plane Graphene and Electrogenic Cells

AbstractThe cell‐chip coupling is in general regulated by the interplay between cells and the material surface at the interface. Electroactive planar materials have shown limited crosstalk with cells, whereas pseudo 3D patterned materials promote a more intimate contact with the biological system. Here, unprecedented physical properties of a carbon‐based material, i.e., graphene, to engineer out‐of‐plane morphologies are exploited: 1) 3D single‐ to few‐layer fuzzy graphene morphology (3DFG), 2) 3DFG on a collapsed Si nanowire mesh template, and 3) 3DFG on a noncollapsed Si nanowire mesh template. These materials are synthesized and interfaced with cardiomyocyte‐like cells focusing on the characterization of the cytoskeletal arrangement as well as membrane wrapping processes yet regulated by endocytic proteins. Finally, some major conditions to promote tight coupling to the device and eventually spontaneous intracellular penetration are found

Optimizing integrated steelworks process off-gas distribution through Economic Hybrid Model Predictive Control and Echo State Networks

Steel production in integrated steelworks involves the simultaneous production of various byproducts, including process off-gases that are usually exploited for generating electricity in the internal power plant, heat and steam. Their discontinuous production is managed through complex network, gasholders and torches, which must be managed with stringent operational constraints. In this paper we present a supervision and control system designed to optimize the economic management of the distribution of process off-gases that also allows minimizing the environmental impact. The system implements a digital twin based mainly on machine learning techniques, including Echo State Networks, and a hierarchical optimization system, which first level is based on an economic model predictive approach and the second level is based on the economic hybrid model predictive control. This system allows to effectively maximize the use of off-gases while minimizing the environmental impact of their use up to 97%

Naturally Degradable Photonic Devices with Transient Function by Heterostructured Waxy-Sublimating and Water-Soluble Materials

Combined dry–wet transient materials and devices are introduced, which are based on water-dissolvable dye-doped polymers layered onto nonpolar cyclic hydrocarbon sublimating substrates. Light-emitting heterostructures showing amplified spontaneous emission are obtained on transient elements and used as illumination sources for speckle-free, full-field imaging, and transient optical labels are realized that incorporate QR-codes with stably encoded information. The transient behavior is also studied at the microscopic scale, highlighting the real-time evolution of material domains in the sublimating compound. Finally, the exhausted components are fully soluble in water thus being naturally degradable. This technology opens new and versatile routes for environmental sensing, storage conditions monitoring, and organic photonics

A flowsheet-based model approach to reduce water consumption and improve water networks management in the steel sector

Resource consumption is an important topic for steelmaking industry, which is spending significant efforts to reduce its environmental impact and improve its competitiveness. Water is largely exploited in steelworks for indirect and direct cooling, specific surface treatment, and fumes washing and cooling. It is already reused and recycled after restoring its quality through treatments for temperature and/or pollutant reduction. However, sometimes water networks are not optimized due to outdated water treatments, lack of continuous monitoring, and water network management strategies often based on experience without automation. In recent years, new water treatments, simulation, and optimization tools are becoming available, together with a stronger awareness of the importance of online parameters monitoring. Therefore, improvement of water cleaning, reuse, recycling, and consequent reduction of impact related to water exploitation are potentially achievable. The introduction of innovative treatments must be tested before their implementation in steel plants and the exploration of their behavior in different operating conditions is fundamental. The presented work addresses this topic through the application of several models of operational units, developed in OpenModelica environment and aggregated into a plant simulator. The simulator was used in different case studies related to an Italian plant to assess the impact of new filtering technology for reducing suspended solids on the analyzed water networks and test the effects of different operating configurations on the treatment efficiency. The introduction of new filtration technology leads to environmental and economic advantages due to freshwater intake reduction and water management improvemen

Engagement of nuclear coactivator 7 by 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid enhances activation of aryl hydrocarbon receptor in immunoregulatory dendritic cells

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) catalyzes the first step in the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan (Trp) degradation that produces several biologically active Trp metabolites. L-kynurenine (Kyn), the first byproduct by IDO1, promotes immunoregulatory effects via activation of the Aryl hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR) in dendritic cells (DCs) and T lymphocytes. We here identified the nuclear coactivator 7 (NCOA7) as a molecular target of 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid (3-HAA), a Trp metabolite produced downstream of Kyn along the kynurenine pathway. In cells overexpressing NCOA7 and AhR, the presence of 3-HAA increased the association of the two molecules and enhanced Kyn-driven, AhR-dependent gene transcription. Physiologically, conventional (cDCs) but not plasmacytoid DCs or other immune cells expressed high levels of NCOA7. In cocultures of CD4+ T cells with cDCs, the co-addition of Kyn and 3-HAA significantly increased the induction of Foxp3+ regulatory T cells and the production of immunosuppressive transforming growth factor β in an NCOA7-dependent fashion. Thus, the co-presence of NCOA7 and the Trp metabolite 3-HAA can selectively enhance the activation of ubiquitary AhR in cDCs and consequent immunoregulatory effects. Because NCOA7 is often overexpressed and/or mutated in tumor microenvironments, our current data may provide evidence for a new immune check-point mechanism based on Trp metabolism and AhR

International consensus recommendations on the management of people with haemophilia B

Haemophilia B is a rare X-linked genetic deficiency of coagulation factor IX (FIX) that, if untreated, can cause recurrent and disabling bleeding, potentially leading to severe arthropathy and/or life-threatening haemorrhage. Recent decades have brought significant improvements in haemophilia B management, including the advent of recombinant FIX and extended half-life FIX. This therapeutic landscape continues to evolve with several non-factor replacement therapies and gene therapies under investigation. Given the rarity of haemophilia B, the evidence base and clinical experience on which to establish clinical guidelines are relatively sparse and are further challenged by features that are distinct from haemophilia A, precluding extrapolation of existing haemophilia A guidelines. Due to the paucity of formal haemophilia B-specific clinical guidance, an international Author Group was convened to develop a clinical practice framework. The group comprised 15 haematology specialists from Europe, Australia, Japan, Latin America and North America, covering adult and paediatric haematology, laboratory medicine and biomedical science. A hybrid approach combining a systematic review of haemophilia B literature with discussion of clinical experience utilized a modified Delphi format to develop a comprehensive set of clinical recommendations. This approach resulted in 29 recommendations for the clinical management of haemophilia B across five topics, including product treatment choice, therapeutic agent laboratory monitoring, pharmacokinetics considerations, inhibitor management and preparing for gene therapy. It is anticipated that this clinical practice framework will complement existing guidelines in the management of people with haemophilia B in routine clinical practice and could be adapted and applied across different regions and countries

Deficiency of immunoregulatory indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 in juvenile diabetes

A defect in indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1), which is responsible for immunoregulatory tryptophan catabolism, impairs development of immune tolerance to autoantigens in NOD mice, a model for human autoimmune type 1 diabetes (T1D). Whether IDO1 function is also defective in T1D is still unknown. We investigated IDO1 function in sera and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from children with T1D and matched controls. These children were further included in a discovery study to identify SNPs in IDO1 that might modify the risk of T1D. T1D in children was characterized by a remarkable defect in IDO1 function. A common haplotype, associated with dysfunctional IDO1, increased the risk of developing T1D in the discovery and also confirmation studies. In T1D patients sharing such a common IDO1 haplotype, incubation of PBMCs in vitro with tocilizumab (TCZ) - an IL-6 receptor blocker - would, however, rescue IDO1 activity. In an experimental setting with diabetic NOD mice, TCZ was found to restore normoglycemia via IDO1-dependent mechanisms. Thus, functional SNPs of IDO1 are associated with defective tryptophan catabolism in human T1D, and maneuvers aimed at restoring IDO1 function would be therapeutically effective in at least a subgroup of T1D pediatric patients.The authors wish to thank patients and subjects who participated in this study, as well as nurses and staff of the Pediatric Clinic of S. Maria della Misericordia Hospital (Perugia), Juvenile Diabetes Center-Anna Meyer Children's Hospital (Florence), Unit of Endocrinology and Diabetes-'Bambino Gesu' Children's Hospital (Rome), Hopital Necker-Enfants Malades (Paris), and Diabetes and Metabolism Service-University Hospital Centre of Coimbra (Coimbra). The authors wish also to thank Roberto Gerli for the gift of TCZ, Giovanni Ricci for histologies, and Francisco Carrilho and Eduarda Coutinho for providing and processing, respectively, DNA samples from the Portuguese cohorts. This work was supported by the European Research Council (338954-DIDO to UG) and, in part, by Associazione per l'Aiuto ai Giovani con Diabete Italia e dell'Umbria (to UG) and the Northern Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the Portugal 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000013 to AC) and the Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (contracts IF/00735/2014 to AC, and SFRH/BPD/96176/2013 to CC).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Notulae to the Italian flora of algae, bryophytes, fungi and lichens: 9

In this contribution, new data concerning bryophytes, fungi, and lichens of the Italian flora are presented. It includes new records and confirmations for the bryophyte genera Encalypta, Grimmia, and Riccia, for the fungal genera Hericium, Inocybe, Inocutis, Pluteus, and Russula, and for the lichen genera Bryoria, Farnoldia, Hypocenomyce, Lecania, Paracollema, Peltigera, Sarcogyne, and Teloschistes

Bead-like structures and self-assembled monolayers from 2,6-dipyrazolylpyridines and their iron(II) complexes

Drop-casting acetone solutions of [Fe(bpp)2][BF4]2 (bpp = 2,6-di[pyrazol-1-yl]pyridine) onto a HOPG surface affords unusual chain-of-beads nanostructures. The beads in each chain are similar in size, with diameters in the range of 2–6 nm and heights of up to 10 Å, which is consistent with them containing between 10–50 molecules of the compound. The beads can be classified into two types, which exhibit different conduction regimes by current-imaging tunnelling spectroscopy (CITS) which appear to correlate with their positions in the chains, and may correspond to molecules containing high-spin and low-spin iron centres. Similarly drop-cast films of the complex on a gold surface contain the intact [Fe(bpp)2][BF4]2 compound by XPS. 4-Mercapto-2,6-di[pyrazol-1-yl]pyridine undergoes substantial decomposition when deposited on gold, forming elemental sulfur, but 4-(N-thiomorpholinyl)-2,6-di[pyrazol-1-yl]pyridine successfully forms SAMs on a gold surface by XPS and ellipsometry