Notch4 and Wnt-1 Proteins Function to Regulate Branching Morphogenesis of Mammary Epithelial Cells in an Opposing Fashion

AbstractElongation and branching of epithelial ducts is a crucial event during the development of the mammary gland. Branching morphogenesis of the mouse mammary epithelial TAC-2 cell line was used as an assay to examine the role of Wnt, HGF, TGF-β, and the Notch receptors in branching morphogenesis. Wnt-1 was found to induce the elongation and branching of epithelial tubules, like HGF and TGF-β2, and to strongly cooperate with either HGF or TGF-β2 in this activity. Wnt-1 displayed morphogenetic activity in TAC-2 cells as it induced branching even under conditions that normally promote cyst formation. The Notch4(int-3) mammary oncoprotein, an activated form of the Notch4 receptor, inhibited the branching morphogenesis normally induced by HGF and TGF-β2. The minimal domain within the Notch4(int-3) protein required to inhibit morphogenesis consists of the CBF-1 interaction domain and the cdc10 repeat domain. Coexpression of Wnt-1 and Notch4(int-3) demonstrates that Wnt-1 can overcome the Notch-mediated inhibition of branching morphogenesis. These data suggest that Wnt and Notch signaling may play opposite roles in mammary gland development, a finding consistent with the convergence of the wingless and Notch signaling pathways found inDrosophila

One year follow-up of a randomized trial with a dilemma-focused intervention for depression: Exploring an alternative to problem-oriented strategies

© 2018 Feixas et al.Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is aimed to counteract cognitions and behaviours that are considered as dysfunctional. The aim of the study is to test whether the inclusion of a non-counteractive approach (dilemma-focused intervention, DFI) in combination with CBT group therapy will yield better short- and long-term outcomes than an intervention conducted entirely using CBT.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Commissioning and operation of the Cherenkov detector for proton Flux Measurement of the UA9 Experiment

The UA9 Experiment at CERN-SPS investigates channeling processes in bent silicon crystals with the aim to manipulate hadron beams. Monitoring and characterization of channeled beams in the high energy accelerators environment ideally requires in-vacuum and radiation hard detectors. For this purpose the Cherenkov detector for proton Flux Measurement (CpFM) was designed and developed. It is based on thin fused silica bars in the beam pipe vacuum which intercept charged particles and generate Cherenkov light. The first version of the CpFM is installed since 2015 in the crystal-assisted collimation setup of the UA9 experiment. In this paper the procedures to make the detector operational and fully integrated in the UA9 setup are described. The most important standard operations of the detector are presented. They have been used to commission and characterize the detector, providing moreover the measurement of the integrated channeled beam profile and several functionality tests as the determination of the crystal bending angle. The calibration has been performed with Lead (Pb) and Xenon (Xe) beams and the results are applied to the flux measurement discussed here in detail.Comment: 25 pages, 14 figure

Various applications of processing of olive leaves waste extracted with RSLDE: a green technology

There is no waste in nature. Everything that is produced has a purpose and everything that becomes waste can be transformed into a new resource, triggering a virtuous circuit that feeds itself. The circular economy of waste means a system in which the production-consumption-disposal process is overcome to replace it with a circular model, where the final waste product is re-introduced into the circulation as a secondary raw material. The logic to follow is that after consumption and before any disposal, it is necessary to activate virtuous processes such as reduce, reuse and recycling. This work focuses on the possible uses of a vegetable waste matrix, such as olive leaves. The olive tree (Olea europaea) is a fruit tree, cultivated for more than 3,500 years for its fruits and edible oil. However, just like oil, olive leaf contains a high amount of polyphenols, in particular oleuropein, one of the most powerful natural antioxidants known and hydroxytyrosol, which also has powerful antiseptic properties. Therefore, olive leaf extracts, thanks to the presence of oleuropein associated with hydroxytyrosol, represent a powerful natural antioxidant, a valid ally of the cardiovascular system. In addition, olive leaves are an excellent regulator of the digestive system: they regulate intestinal transit and above all eliminate fungi and other unwanted parasites from our body. Starting from these premises, in this work, a green extraction technique such as rapid solid liquid dynamic extraction (RSLDE) is compared with conventional maceration to obtain an olive leaf extract rich in antioxidants to be used in various sectors

Waste recovery and circular economy: a resource from orange peels deriving from production of orange juice

In the perspective of bio-sustainable development and renewable resource technologies, by-products and waste from agro-industrial sector represent a relatively cheap source of material suitable for several aims, which would reduce both the amount of waste and the related costs of disposal, while producing added-value nutritional products. The processing waste of oranges find various fields of application, in fact in addition to their use in agriculture as a fertilizer, orange peels can be used to produce candied fruit. Moreover, in a very recent application with the aim to recover these industrial residues, a chemical process that allows the processing of orange peel waste has been developed. This process is useful for obtaining a purified cellulose suitable for spinning, thus creating a truly innovative and sustainable fabric (Orange Fiber). In this work, the orange peels obtained from industrial processing waste were subjected to a first hydroalcoholic extraction which allowed to obtain an extract rich in essential oils that could be used in the food sector to produce liqueurs and/or aromas, but also in the cosmetic or pharmacological sectors. Subsequently, the peels after hydroalcoholic extraction were dried and this residue represents a valuable product rich in dietetic fiber useful in nutraceutical and pharmaceutical fields. Moreover, the same product could be used as fertilizer in agriculture. In lights of this, citrus fruit processing waste can be considerate as a sustainable and renewable energy source

Extraction and purification of phycocyanin from Arthrophira platensis microalgae using a green solid-liquid extraction technology (RSLDE)

Abstract. Spirulina is a blue alga belonging to the class of Cyanobacteria. This alga is characterized by a high content of phycocyanin, a blue photosynthetic pigment belonging to the phycobiliprotein family. Phycocyanin has a lot of industrial applications, in fact, it is used as a natural dye both in the cosmetic industry and in the food and textile sectors. It is also used in the biomedical field as a fluorescent marker. Anti-inflammatory, nephroprotective and hepatoprotective properties are also reported, probably related to its antioxidant activity. However, the extraction of phycobiliproteins from cyanobacteria is a very complicated procedure due to the extreme resistance of the wall of the cellular aggregates that make up spirulina. In literature, several procedures have been used to cause rupture of cell envelopes, through cycles of freezing/thawing, sonication and rupture of the cell wall with lysozyme. However, all these methods for cell breakdown do not guarantee a high quality of the extract, due to the complexity of the mixture obtained. In order to improve the yield of recovery of phycocyanin and to reduce the extraction process time, in this work, in combination with some experimental procedures for rupture of the membrane, a green extraction technique was used, the rapid solid liquid dynamic extraction (RSLDE). This technique can generate a pressure and a consequent depression on the matrix to be extracted. The extract obtained was immediately frozen at -20°C and then lyophilized. Analyzes such as UV-VIS spectrophotometric analysis and acrylamide gel electrophoresis were performed on the sample of lyophilizate to evaluate the efficiency of the extraction and purity of phycocyanin

Experimental results of crystal-assisted slow extraction at the SPS

The possibility of extracting highly energetic particles from the Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS) by means of silicon bent crystals has been explored since the 1990's. The channelling effect of a bent crystal can be used to strongly deflect primary protons and eject them from the synchrotron. Many studies and experiments have been carried out to investigate crystal channelling effects. The extraction of 120 and 270 GeV proton beams has already been demonstrated in the SPS with dedicated experiments located in the ring. Presently in the SPS, the UA9 experiment is performing studies to evaluate the possibility to use bent silicon crystals to steer particle beams in high energy accelerators. Recent studies on the feasibility of extraction from the SPS have been made using the UA9 infrastructure with a longer-term view of using crystals to help mitigate slow extraction induced activation of the SPS. In this paper, the possibility to eject particles into the extraction channel in LSS2 using the bent crystals already installed in the SPS is presented. Details of the concept, simulations and measurements carried out with beam are presented, before the outlook for the future is discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 7 figures, submitted to to International Particle Accelerator Conference (IPAC) 2017 in Copenhagen, Denmar