Ferritin nanovehicle for targeted delivery of cytochrome C to cancer cells

In this work, we have exploited the unique properties of a chimeric archaeal-human ferritin to encapsulate, deliver and release cytochrome c and induce apoptosis in a myeloid leukemia cell line. The chimeric protein combines the versatility in 24-meric assembly and cargo incorporation capability of Archaeglobus fulgidus ferritin with specific binding of human H ferritin to CD71, the “heavy duty” carrier responsible for transferrin-iron uptake. Delivery of ferritin-encapsulated cytochrome C to the Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL) NB4 cell line, highly resistant to transfection by conventional methods, was successfully achieved in vitro. The effective liberation of cytochrome C within the cytosolic environment, demonstrated by double fluorescent labelling, induced apoptosis in the cancer cells

Invecchiamento a temperatura ambiente di leghe Pb-Bi

Misure di variazione delle dimensioni lineari hanno dimostrato che le leghe Pb-Bi di composizione rientrante nel campo di esistenza bifasico ? + ?, raffreddate rapidamente da liquido, si dilatano nel corso del successivo invecchiamento a temperatura ambiente. L’espansione è risultata massima per la lega Pb55.5Bi di composizione eutettica, e decrescente con la quantità di lega che solidifica da liquido di composizione eutettica. Per invecchiamento, la microdurezza dapprima aumenta, presumibilmente per la precipitazione da fase ? di particelle indurenti di fase ?, e successivamente diminuisce gradualmente per effetto di un riassetto strutturale della lega a cui contribuiscono un ingrossamento del grano e, probabilmente, un rilassamento di tensioni meccaniche. Il meccanismo alla base della dilatazione nel tempo risulta complesso e non ancora chiarito in maniera conclusiva. L’ipotesi di lavoro più promettente si basa su un rilassamento delle tensioni meccaniche indotte nelle leghe dal raffreddamento rapido, particolarmente nella parte di lega che si è solidificata con morfologia eutettica

Entorno de simulación basado en DEVS para agentes de aprendizaje por refuerzo aplicado a la generación y administración de energías renovables

La dinámica y complejidad de los entornos industriales actualmente han llevado a la necesidad de soluciones que permitan capturar la interacción en tiempo real para tomar decisiones sobre el control de los procesos involucrados. El Aprendizaje por Refuerzo es un enfoque promisorio, que se aplica en problemas de decisión secuencial, donde la complejidad radica en la interacción agente-entorno y la incertidumbre subyacente del entorno, pero requiere de una simulación que refleje el proceso bajo control (entorno) y su dinámica para entrenar el agente. En particular, el uso de energías alternativas representa un problema con enormes desafíos, donde existen procesos críticos que necesitan monitoreo y control en tiempo real de un ambiente altamente incierto. En este trabajo, se presenta una solución para entrenar este tipo de agentes con entornos modelados y simulados usando DEVS. El mismo se aplica al problema de generación y administración de una energía alterna, biogás producido por un digestor y usado por diferentes perfiles de consumidores industriales.XXIII Workshop Agentes y Sistemas Inteligentes (WASI)Red de Universidades con Carreras en Informátic

Self-assembling ferritin-dendrimer nanoparticles for targeted delivery of nucleic acids to myeloid leukemia cells

Background: In recent years, the use of ferritins as nano-vehicles for drug delivery is taking center stage. Compared to other similar nanocarriers, Archaeoglobus fulgidus ferritin is particularly interesting due to its unique ability to assemble-disassemble under very mild conditions. Recently this ferritin was engineered to get a chimeric protein targeted to human CD71 receptor, typically overexpressed in cancer cells. Results: Archaeoglobus fulgidus chimeric ferritin was used to generate a self-assembling hybrid nanoparticle hosting an aminic dendrimer together with a small nucleic acid. The positively charged dendrimer can indeed establish electrostatic interactions with the chimeric ferritin internal surface, allowing the formation of a protein-dendrimer binary system. The 4 large triangular openings on the ferritin shell represent a gate for negatively charged small RNAs, which access the internal cavity attracted by the dense positive charge of the dendrimer. This ternary protein-dendrimer-RNA system is efficiently uptaken by acute myeloid leukemia cells, typically difficult to transfect. As a proof of concept, we used a microRNA whose cellular delivery and induced phenotypic effects can be easily detected. In this article we have demonstrated that this hybrid nanoparticle successfully delivers a pre-miRNA to leukemia cells. Once delivered, the nucleic acid is released into the cytosol and processed to mature miRNA, thus eliciting phenotypic effects and morphological changes similar to the initial stages of granulocyte differentiation. Conclusion: The results here presented pave the way for the design of a new family of protein-based transfecting agents that can specifically target a wide range of diseased cells. Graphic abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]

Invecchiamento a temperatura ambiente di leghe Pb-Bi

Con autorización de la revista para autores CSIC[EN ]This article analyses transformations in the Brazilian agrofood system in the light of a cluster of advanced technologies, which have been designated as disruptive both in the academic literature and in the international policy literature. Within the framework of the agrofood chain perspective we develop a specific analysis of the food industry drawing on an official innovation survey, a complementary survey of medium and large firms, and an analysis of academic and specialist literature[FR] Cet article analyse les transformations du système agro-alimentaire brésilien à la lumière du cluster des technologies dites disruptives. La perspective de la chaine agro-alimentaire est adoptée pour mieux comprendre leur impact. Dans ce cadre, nous développons une analyse spécifique de l’industrie agro-alimentaire sur la base d’une enquête officielle de l’innovation, d’une enquête complémentaire de sociétés grandes et moyennes, et d’une analyse de la bibliographie académique et spécialisée.Peer reviewe

Invecchiamento a temperatura ambiente di leghe Pb-Bi

Misure di variazione delle dimensioni lineari hanno dimostrato che le leghe Pb-Bi di composizione rientrante nel campo di esistenza bifasico ? + ?, raffreddate rapidamente da liquido, si dilatano nel corso del successivo invecchiamento a temperatura ambiente. L’espansione è risultata massima per la lega Pb55.5Bi di composizione eutettica, e decrescente con la quantità di lega che solidifica da liquido di composizione eutettica. Per invecchiamento, la microdurezza dapprima aumenta, presumibilmente per la precipitazione da fase ? di particelle indurenti di fase ?, e successivamente diminuisce gradualmente per effetto di un riassetto strutturale della lega a cui contribuiscono un ingrossamento del grano e, probabilmente, un rilassamento di tensioni meccaniche. Il meccanismo alla base della dilatazione nel tempo risulta complesso e non ancora chiarito in maniera conclusiva. L’ipotesi di lavoro più promettente si basa su un rilassamento delle tensioni meccaniche indotte nelle leghe dal raffreddamento rapido, particolarmente nella parte di lega che si è solidificata con morfologia eutettica

BEHAVIOUR TO ABRASIVE WEAR OF WHITE ENAMELLED EXTRA LOW CARBON STEEL SHEETS

The demand for advanced ceramic materials for surface engineered components is growing due to the necessity of material displaying improved properties in terms of wear and corrosion resistance. In this paper the tribological behaviour of vitreous enamel coatings are investigated by the microscale abrasive wear test. Vitreous enamels, here considered, are hybrid materials and they consist of a ceramic-vitreous matrix with specific additives which are chemically dispersed. The matrix is a boron-silicate glass made by a compound of various row materials and elements within metal oxides which enhance corrosion resistance, wear resistance, mechanical strength and fracture toughness. The compound is fired at about 1300\ub0C and cooled into cold water obtaining the so called frit. The additives are mixed and milled with the frit, via a wet or dry processes, in order to obtain the enamel base material. The deposition process for the wet base material over the metal surface consists of three phases: wet spraying deposition, drying, firing at high temperature (850\ub0C). In the case of the dry base material the deposition process requires an electrostatic deposition phase followed by a firing step at high temperature ( 850\ub0C). The coating process produces a composite layered structure: an external vitreous layer, the metal sheet and an intermediate layer between the coating and the substrate. The external layer consists on a ceramic-vitreous structure in which bubbles of different dimensions are uniformly distributed. The tribological performances of the vitreous enamel coating are influenced by the nature of the frit compound, by the additives and by the presence of the embedded gas bubbles. The experimental data were analysed and relation maps between tribological properties and coating structure parameters have been carried out

Interfacial microstructure and properties of dissimilar steels joined by high energy beam melting processes

Abstract Junctions between austenitic and ferritic steels were produced using two different processes involving melting at the contact surfaces: electron beam cladding designed to improve the corrosion resistance of the joined component, and laser beam welding carried out to obtain mechanically resistant joints. Different processing conditions were adopted in order to determine the beam irradiation parameters, such as incident power density and beam translation speed, suitable for any specific application. Solidified and thermally altered zones were investigated by means of different and complementary techniques: X-ray diffraction, M\uf6ssbauer spectroscopy, electron probe microanalysis, metallography and microhardness measurements. The effects of the rapid solidification processes on phase composition, microstructure and properties of clads and welds, are presented and discussed