Fully Bio-Based Nanocomposite: Formulations For Packaging Application

The effect of a small amount of organoclay (OMMT) on mechanical, dynamic-mechanical, barrier and thermal properties of blown films based on blends of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and polyamide 11 (PA11) was investigated. The addition of PA11 results in a decrease of elastic modulus (E) and tensile strength (σR) compared to neat PLA, which suggests poor interfacial adhesion between the polymer phases. Besides an enhancement of E and σR, the addition of 1 wt% of OMMT brings about a significant increase of the elongation at break. Neither blending with PA11 nor adding OMMT cause appreciable alterations of the barrier properties of the films, which remain essentially the same as those of pure PLA. Thermogravimetric analysis reveals that the onset of thermal degradation of the OMMT-filed blend is 15°C higher than of neat PLA. This improvement is probably due to the labyrinth effect of the PA11 phase. Finally, the OMMT brings about a slight enhancement of the glassy modulus compared to the unfilled blend, which suggests that the clay may exert some compatibilizing action. Such a beneficial effect of the OMMT endures up to the glass transition of PLA. he testing methods such as CCT, RCT, FCT, COBB, bursting etc. are supported by statistical technique and do not provide accurate results. The reason is the deviation of testing results. The same problem can be defined at the classification of different paper materials and qualities. This paper describes a new possible testing method to analyze the chemical and thermo-analytical nature of papers. This method can be used to specify effectively the limits of a given paper quality using in packaging industry and can help to ensure the exact traceability of paper identification. The results show that the this method on the one hand can be helpful to testing the paper during packaging producing process on the other hand after using as a packaging. To the testing a DSC measurement device was used as a thermo-analytical method to observe new specifics of paper based packaging

Chemical Linkage to Injected Tissues Is a Distinctive Property of Oxidized Avidin

We recently reported that the oxidized avidin, named AvidinOX®, resides for weeks within injected tissues as a consequence of the formation of Schiff's bases between its aldehyde groups and tissue protein amino groups. We also showed, in a mouse pre-clinical model, the usefulness of AvidinOX for the delivery of radiolabeled biotin to inoperable tumors. Taking into account that AvidinOX is the first oxidized glycoprotein known to chemically link to injected tissues, we tested in the mouse a panel of additional oxidized glycoproteins, with the aim of investigating the phenomenon. We produced oxidized ovalbumin and mannosylated streptavidin which share with avidin glycosylation pattern and tetrameric structure, respectively and found that neither of them linked significantly to cells in vitro nor to injected tissues in vivo, despite the presence of functional aldehyde groups. The study, extended to additional oxidized glycoproteins, showed that the in vivo chemical conjugation is a distinctive property of the oxidized avidin. Relevance of the high cationic charge of avidin into the stable linkage of AvidinOX to tissues is demonstrated as the oxidized acetylated avidin lost the property. Plasmon resonance on matrix proteins and cellular impedance analyses showed in vitro that avidin exhibits a peculiar interaction with proteins and cells that allows the formation of highly stable Schiff's bases, after oxidation

Antioxidant metabolites in tomato organs as response to virus infection

The study regards the effects of eggplant mottled dwarf virus (EMDV) on Campanian tomato ecotypes Tondo Giallo, characterized by long shelf life, and Maiese, on ascorbic acid and polyphenol accumulations as plant response to the infection stress. Such response to virus is little studied, thus, we explored this on ecotypes for which we already found a different pattern of the metabolite accumulations during ripening that we associated also to their different shelf life. The EMDV was mechanically inoculated onto tomato plants grown in greenhouse until the second leaf stage, and virus infection was monitored by symptom expression and ELISA test. Both ecotypes showed almost similar susceptibility to the infection. In post inoculation, for both ecotypes total ascorbic acid (ascorbic and dehydroascorbic acids, tAsA) increased in leaves of diseased plants respect to healthy plants, in these latters higher tAsA was recorded for Maiese than for Tondo Giallo. Also, in leaves, although healthy Maiese showed lower total polyphenols (tPph) than healthy Tondo Giallo, in the diseased ecotypes the relative contents were inverted because tPph contents increased in Maiese and decreased in Tondo Giallo respect to the levels in the respective healthy plants. Both ecotypes, transferred in field, showed higher tPph in the typical discoloured symptomatic fruits, than in those from healty plants at any stage of sampling: immature, mature green, turning and ripe. Instead, tAsA in diseased fruits was generally lower for Tondo Giallo, and at turning and at ripe higher for Maiese, than in fruits from the respective healthy plants. Although both ecotypes were susceptible to EMDV infection, the host response seems to depend by the genotype, since Tondo Giallo did not always show increase in the antioxidant metabolites in the diseased organs as expected, because virus usually upregulates response genes. Investigations on gene regulations in tomatoes by EMDV have to be carried out

Antioxidant accumulation in different pepper organs

Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is an important crop not only for the economic point of view, but also for the nutritional value of its fruits which are a source of antioxidants such as ascorbic acid, polyphenols, carotenoids, and chlorophylls. These, reduce the risk of onset of diseases such as atherosclerosis, some cancers and degenerative and cardiovascular disease. Antioxidants vary according to the genotype, developmental stage and environmental conditions. The aim of this study is to evaluate during ripening the accumulation of antioxidant metabolites in different pepper ecotypes and varieties which differ in the fruit colour and shape. Pepper seeds were provided by SemiOrto Sementi (http://www.semiorto.com) and plant germoplasm Regione Campania. The experiments were carried out in a greenhouse. Antioxidants in leaves were evaluated at vegetative stage, and in fruits at the stages: immature (IG); mature green (MG); turning (T), and ripe (R). In leaves, all analyzed antioxidants varied according to the genotypes. In general at higher polyphenol contents corresponded lower total ascorbic acid. Among the numerous genotypes, Corno di Capra Giallo showed the highest accumulations of total ascorbic acid, licopene, ß‐carotene and flavonoids and had also a good amount of total polyphenols and chlorophylls. In fruits, generally total ascorbic acid increased along ripening, and at the ripe the highest values was reached in Puparulillo and Papecchia and the lowest in Nocera Giallo. Instead, in the ecotype Rogianiello the highest total ascorbic acid was at MG stage. Polyphenols generally showed a minimum at MG and in the other stages was variable among ecotypes. This investigation could be useful as preliminary study for the pepper resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses, that are know to be controlled by antioxidants, and to evaluate nutraceutical quality of peppers that in Mediterranean diet are consumed at any ripening stage

Lean thinking to improve emergency department throughput at AORN Cardarelli hospital

Throughout the world, emergency departments (ED) are characterized by overcrowding and excessive waiting times. Furthermore, the related delays significantly increase patient mortality and make inefficient use of resources to the detriment of the satisfaction of employees and patients. In this work, lean thinking is applied to the ED of Cardarelli Hospital of Naples with the aim of increasing patient flow, improving the processes that contribute to facilitating the flow of patients through the various stages of medical treatment and eliminating all bottlenecks (queue) as well as all activities that generate waste

Multiple Reaction Monitoring Tandem Mass Spectrometry Approach for the Identification of Biological Fluids at Crime Scene Investigations

Knowledge of the nature of biofluids at a crime scene is just as important as DNA test to link the nature of the biofluid, the criminal act, and the dynamics of the crime. Identification of methods currently used for each biological fluid (blood, semen, saliva, urine) suffer from several limitations including instability of assayed biomolecules, and low selectivity and specificity; as an example of the latter issue, it is not possible to discriminate between alpha-amylase 1 (present in saliva) and alpha-amylase 2 (present in semen and vaginal secretion. In this context, the aim of the work has been to provide a predictive protein signature characteristic of each biofluid by the recognition of specific peptides unique for each protein in a single analysis. A panel of four protein biomarkers for blood, four for saliva, five for semen, and two for urine has been monitored has been monitored by using a single multiple reaction monitoring (MRM)-based method targeting concomitantly 46 different peptides. Then, The optimized method allows four biological matrices to be identified when present on their own or in 50:50 mixture with another biofluid. Finally, a valid strategy combining both DNA analysis and liquid chromatographic-tandem mass spectrometric multiple reaction monitoring (LC-MS-MRM) identification of biofluids on the same sample has been demonstrated to be particularly effective in forensic investigation of real trace evidence collected at a crime scene

Oxadivin reacts with tissues and efficiently uptakes biotinylated therapeutics

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