Small Extracellular Vesicles from Human Amniotic Fluid Samples as Promising Theranostics

Since the first evidence that stem cells can provide pro-resolving effects via paracrine secretion of soluble factors, growing interest has been addressed to define the most ideal cell source for clinical translation. Leftover or clinical waste samples of human amniotic fluid obtained following prenatal screening, clinical intervention, or during scheduled caesarean section (C-section) delivery at term have been recently considered an appealing source of mesenchymal progenitors with peculiar regenerative capacity. Human amniotic fluid stem cells (hAFSC) have been demonstrated to support tissue recovery in several preclinical models of disease by exerting paracrine proliferative, anti-inflammatory and regenerative influence. Small extracellular vesicles (EVs) concentrated from the hAFSC secretome (the total soluble trophic factors secreted in the cell-conditioned medium, hAFSC-CM) recapitulate most of the beneficial cell effects. Independent studies in preclinical models of either adult disorders or severe diseases in newborns have suggested a regenerative role of hAFSC-EVs. EVs can be eventually concentrated from amniotic fluid (hAF) to offer useful prenatal information, as recently suggested. In this review, we focus on the most significant aspects of EVs obtained from either hAFSC and hAF and consider the current challenges for their clinical translation, including isolation, characterization and quantification methods

Structural Analysis and Photocurrent Spectroscopy of CCCs on 99.99% Aluminum

A characterization of chromate conversion coatings (CCCs) formed in the presence and in the absence of accelerator (ferro-ferricyanide redox couple) has been performed by various techniques (transmission electron microscopy, TEM, glow discharge optical emission spectrometry, GDOES, X-ray absorption near-end structure, XANES, and photon correlation spectroscopy). The results of a detailed investigation on morphological, compositional, and solid-state properties of freshly converted aluminum samples at different immersion times (30 s-90 min) are reported. The TEM and GDOES data suggest the presence of iron-cyanide species only in the external layer of CCC of nearly constant thickness. The XANES data suggest the presence of both Cr(VI) and Cr(III) species with a ratio Cr(VI)/Cr(III) close to 1:2. This ratio remains constant with the conversion time and seems slightly affected by the composition of conversion solution. The photoelectrochemical study suggests an insulating or slightly p-type behavior for CCC layers. A bandgap value of about 2.55 eV has been estimated, regardless of the conversion solution, although some differences in the photocurrent spectra have been observed for coatings formed in the presence or absence of accelerator. The location of electronic energy levels of the Al/CCC/electrolyte interface has been derived which could account for the different kinetics of coating formation in the presence of accelerator

A geostatistical fusion approach using UAV data for probabilistic estimation of Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca infection in olive trees

Xylella fastidiosa is one of the most destructive plant pathogenic bacteria worldwide, affecting more than 500 plant species. In Apulia region (southeastern Italy), X. fastidiosa subsp. pauca (Xfp) is responsible for a severe disease, the olive quick decline syndrome (OQDS), spreading epidemically and with dramatic impact on the agriculture, the landscape, the tourism, and the cultural heritage of this region. An early detection of the infected plants would hinder the rapid spread of the disease. The main objective of this paper was to define a geostatistical approach of data fusion, which combines remote (radiometric), and proximal (geophysical) sensor data and visual inspections with plant diagnostic tests, to provide probabilistic maps of Xfp infection risk. The study site was an olive grove located at Oria (province of Brindisi, Italy), where at the time of monitoring (September 2017) only few plants showed initial symptoms of the disease. The measurements included: 1) acquisitions of reflected electromagnetic radiation with UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) equipped with a multi-spectral camera; 2) geophysical surveys on the trunks of 49 plants with Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR); 3) disease severity rating, by visual inspection of the proportion of canopy with symptoms; 4) qPCR (real time-quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction) data from tests on 61 plants. The data were submitted to a set of processing techniques to define a “data fusion” procedure, based on non-parametric multivariate geostatistics. The approach allowed marking those areas where the risk of infection was higher, and identifying the possible infection entry routes into the field. The probability map of infection risk could be used as an effective tool for a preventive action and for a better organization of the monitoring plans

A Two-Step Approach to Tune the Micro and Nanoscale Morphology of Porous Niobium Oxide to Promote Osteointegration

We present a two-step surface modification process to tailor the micro and nano morphology of niobium oxide layers. Niobium was firstly anodized in spark regime in a Ca-and P-containing solution and subsequently treated by acid etching. The effects of anodizing time and applied potential on the surface morphology is investigated with SEM and AFM, complemented by XPS compositional analysis. Anodizing with a limiting potential of 250 V results in the fast growth of oxide layers with a homogeneous distribution of micro-sized pores. Cracks are, however, observed on 250 V grown layers. Limiting the anodizing potential to 200 V slows down the oxide growth, increasing the anodizing time needed to achieve a uniform pore coverage but produces fracture-free oxide layers. The surface nano morphology is further tuned by a subsequent acid etching process that leads to the formation of nano-sized pits on the anodically grown oxide surface. In vitro tests show that the etching-induced nanostructure effectively promotes cell adhesion and spreading onto the niobium oxide surface

A nosocomial outbreak of 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1) in a paediatric oncology ward in Italy, October – November 2009

A nosocomial outbreak of 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1), with eight confirmed cases, occurred in a paediatric oncology ward in Italy, in October/November 2009. The fact that one case was infected despite being isolated and without contact to a symptomatic patient, hints towards potential transmission through a health care worker (HCW) and underlines the importance of vaccination of HCW who are involved in the care of critically ill patients

Leaf Anatomy and Photochemical Behaviour of Solanum lycopersicum

Plants can be exposed to ionising radiation not only in Space but also on Earth, due to specific technological applications or after nuclear disasters. The response of plants to ionising radiation depends on radiation quality/quantity and/or plant characteristics. In this paper, we analyse some growth traits, leaf anatomy, and ecophysiological features of plants of Solanum lycopersicum L. “Microtom” grown from seeds irradiated with increasing doses of X-rays (0.3, 10, 20, 50, and 100 Gy). Both juvenile and compound leaves from plants developed from irradiated and control seeds were analysed through light and epifluorescence microscopy. Digital image analysis allowed quantifying anatomical parameters to detect the occurrence of signs of structural damage. Fluorescence parameters and total photosynthetic pigment content were analysed to evaluate the functioning of the photosynthetic machinery. Radiation did not affect percentage and rate of seed germination. Plants from irradiated seeds accomplished the crop cycle and showed a more compact habitus. Dose-depended tendencies of variations occurred in phenolic content, while other leaf anatomical parameters did not show distinct trends after irradiation. The sporadic perturbations of leaf structure, observed during the vegetative phase, after high levels of radiation were not so severe as to induce any significant alterations in photosynthetic efficiency

Exposure to reversine affects the chondrocyte morphology and phenotype in vitro

Articular chondrocytes derived from osteoarthritic tissues (OA HAC) show a severely reduced chondrogenic commitment. This impairment undermines their use for tissue-engineered cartilage repair, which relies on cell proliferation and growth to meet therapeutic needs, but also on efficient cell plasticity to recover the chondrogenic phenotype. Reversine (Rev), a 2,6-disubstituted purine inhibitor of spindle-assembly checkpoints, was described to convert differentiated mesenchymal cells to their undifferentiated precursors. We hypothesized that Rev exposure could divert OA HAC to more plastic cells, re-boosting their subsequent commitment. HAC were enzymatically released from OA cartilage specimens, expanded for 2 weeks and treated with 5 \u3bcm Rev in dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO) or with DMSO alone for 6 days. Cell growth was assessed using the AlamarBlueTM assay. Cytoskeletal structure, endoproliferation and caspase-3-immunopositivity were assayed by epifluorescence microscopy. The OA HAC chondrogenic performance was evaluated by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, Sox9, Aggrecan (Agg), type II collagen (Col2), Ki67, cyclinD1, transforming growth factor-\u3b21 (TGF-\u3b21), -2 and -3, interleukin-1\u3b2 (IL-1\u3b2) and -6 , SMAD3 and -7, and vascular endothelial growth factor. Rev-treated OA HAC recovered polygonal morphology and reduced Ki67 expression and proliferation. Cell-cycle impairment accounted for altered cytoskeletal organization, endoproliferation and apoptosis, whereas a compensatory mechanism sustained the increased cyclinD1 transcript levels. Sox9, Agg and TGFs were overexpressed, but not Col2. IL transcripts were massively downregulated. These events were dose-related and transient. Overall, in spite of a higher Rev-induced transcriptional activity for extracellular matrix components and in spite of a Rev-treated cell phenotype closer to that of the three-dimensional native articular chondrocyte, Rev effects seem unleashed from a full regained chondrogenic potential

Physicochemical Characterization of Passive Films and Corrosion Layers by Differential Admittance and Photocurrent Spectroscopy

Two different electrochemical techniques, differential admittance and photocurrent spectroscopy, for the characterization of electronic and solid state properties of passive films and corrosion layers are described and critically evaluated. In order to get information on the electronic properties of passive film and corrosion layers as well as the necessary information to locate the characteristic energy levels of the passive film/electrolyte junction like: flat band potential (Ufb), conduction band edge (EC) or valence band edge (EV), a wide use of Mott-Schottky plots is usually reported in corrosion science and passivity studies. It has been shown, in several papers, that the use of simple M-S theory to get information on the electronic properties and energy levels location at the film/electrolyte interface can be seriously misleading and/or conflicting with the physical basis underlying the M-S theory. A critical appraisal of this approach to the study of very thin and thick anodic passive film grown on base-metals (Cr, Ni, Fe, SS etc..) or on valve metals (Ta, Nb, W etc..) is reported in this work, together with possible alternative approach to overcome some of the mentioned inconsistencies. At this aim the theory of amorphous semiconductor Schottky barrier, introduced several years ago in the study of passive film/electrolyte junction, is reviewed by taking into account some of the more recent results obtained by the present authors. Future developments of the theory appears necessary to get more exact quantitative information on the electronic properties of passive films, specially in the case of very thin film like those formed on base metals and their alloys. The second technique described in this chapter, devoted to the physico-chemical characterization of passive film and corrosion layers, is a more recent technique based on the analysis of the photo-electrochemical answer of passive film/electrolyte junction under illumination with photons having suitable energy. Such a technique usually referred to as Photocurrent Spectroscopy (PCS) has been developed on the basis of the large research effort carried out by several groups in the 1970’s and aimed to investigate the possible conversion of solar energy by means of electrochemical cells. In this work the fundamentals of semiconductor/electrolyte junctions under illumination will be highlighted both for crystalline and amorphous materials. The role of amorphous nature and film thickness on the photo-electrochemical answer of passive film/solution interface is reviewed as well the use of PCS for quantitative analysis of the film composition based on a semi-empirical correlation between optical band gap and difference of electronegativity of film constituents previously suggested by the present authors. In this frame the results of PCS studies on valve metal oxides and valve metal mixed oxides will be discussed in order to show the validity of the proposed method. The results of PCS studies aimed to get information on passive film composition and carried out by different authors on base metals (Fe, Cr, Ni) and their alloys, including stainless steel, will be also compared with compositional analysis carried out by well-established surface analysis techniques