ultrafine particle generation by high velocity impact of metal projectiles

Ultrafine particle generation through mechanical processes was not carefully deepened so far, even if it could be related to the human health-based researches. In particular, the evaluation of ultrafine particles produced in battlefield scenarios can be useful to quantify the exposure of soldiers to particles carrying toxic heavy metals. In the present work ultrafine particle generation during high-velocity impact of metal projectiles was deepened performing symmetrical high velocity Taylor impacts of copper cylinder tests (Rod-on-Rod tests) by means of a gas-gun facility. Particle number distributions and total concentrations were measured through one-second-time resolution instruments in a chamber where impact events at different velocities were performed. Particle number generation per impact was also evaluated. Particle concentrations in the 106 part. cm-3 range were measured corresponding to particle generations higher than 1012 particles per impact, then comparable to those typical of combustion sources. Particle number distribution showed a unimodal distribution with a 10 nm mode. Summarizing, the performed experimental campaign revealed an extremely high generation of ultrafine particles from mechanical processes

Formation of gutingimycin: analytical investigation of trioxacarcin A-mediated alkylation of dsDNA

Formation and fragmentation of recognition complexes between trioxacarcin A and various DNA sequences were examined by temperature-dependent UV and CD spectroscopy, HPLC analysis, and ESI mass spectrometry with regard to reaction conditions, intermediates, products, mechanism, and sequence specificity. Cleavage of the trioxacarcin–DNA complexes provided the natural product gutingimycin by guanine abstraction. The resulting DNA with an abasic site was further cleaved into a DNA fragment with a furanyl unit at the 3′-end and an oligonucleotide with a phosphorylated 5′-end

Incidence, mechanism and prognostic value of activated AKT in pancreas cancer

When activated, the serine/threonine kinase AKT mediates an antiapoptotic signal implicated in chemoresistance of various cancers. The mechanism(s) of AKT activation are unknown, though overexpression of HER-2/neu has been implicated in breast cancer. Therefore, we determined the incidence of activated AKT in human pancreatic cancer, whether HER-2/neu is involved in AKT activation, and if AKT activation is associated with biologic behaviour. HER-2/neu expression and AKT activation were examined in seven pancreatic cancer cell lines by Western blotting. The in vitro effect of HER-2/neu inhibition on AKT activation was similarly determined. Finally, 78 pancreatic cancer specimens were examined for AKT activation and HER-2/neu overexpression, and correlated with the clinical prognostic variable of histologic grade. HER-2/neu was overexpressed in two of seven cell lines; these two cell lines demonstrated the highest level of AKT activation. Inhibition of HER-2/neu reduced AKT activation in vitro. AKT was activated in 46 out of 78 (59%) of the pancreatic cancers; HER-2/neu overexpression correlated with AKT activation (P=0.015). Furthermore, AKT activation was correlated with higher histologic tumour grade (P=0.047). Thus, it is concluded that AKT is frequently activated in pancreatic cancer; this antiapoptotic signal may be mediated by HER-2/neu overexpression. AKT activation is associated with tumour grade, an important prognostic factor

Mechanisms and therapeutic applications of electromagnetic therapy in Parkinson's disease

© 2015 Vadalà et al. Electromagnetic therapy is a non-invasive and safe approach for the management of several pathological conditions including neurodegenerative diseases. Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative pathology caused by abnormal degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area and substantia nigra pars compacta in the midbrain resulting in damage to the basal ganglia. Electromagnetic therapy has been extensively used in the clinical setting in the form of transcranial magnetic stimulation, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, high-frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation and pulsed electromagnetic field therapy which can also be used in the domestic setting. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms and therapeutic applications of electromagnetic therapy to alleviate motor and non-motor deficits that characterize Parkinson's disease

Intestinal microbiota in human health and disease: the impact of probiotics

The complex communities of microorganisms that colonise the human gastrointestinal tract play an important role in human health. The development of culture-independent molecular techniques has provided new insights in the composition and diversity of the intestinal microbiota. Here, we summarise the present state of the art on the intestinal microbiota with specific attention for the application of high-throughput functional microbiomic approaches to determine the contribution of the intestinal microbiota to human health. Moreover, we review the association between dysbiosis of the microbiota and both intestinal and extra-intestinal diseases. Finally, we discuss the potential of probiotic microorganism to modulate the intestinal microbiota and thereby contribute to health and well-being. The effects of probiotic consumption on the intestinal microbiota are addressed, as well as the development of tailor-made probiotics designed for specific aberrations that are associated with microbial dysbiosis