The coherent dynamics of photoexcited green fluorescent proteins

The coherent dynamics of vibronic wave packets in the green fluorescent protein is reported. At room temperature the non-stationary dynamics following impulsive photoexcitation displays an oscillating optical transmissivity pattern with components at 67 fs (497 cm-1) and 59 fs (593 cm-1). Our results are complemented by ab initio calculations of the vibrational spectrum of the chromophore. This analysis shows the interplay between the dynamics of the aminoacidic structure and the electronic excitation in the primary optical events of green fluorescent proteins.Comment: accepted for publication in Physical Review Letter

Experimental investigation on the vibrational and fluid dynamics behaviour of a turbocharger compressor in the transition to surge operation

High-speed dynamic centrifugal compressors are widely used both in the modern internal combustion engine design and in advanced pressurized cycles and innovative plant layouts as fuel cell systems. Surge strongly limits the stable operating region of centrifugal compressors in low mass flow rate conditions especially during fast transients. Therefore, it is of great importance to investigate transient system dynamic response of compressor surge evolution and early detection of incipient compressor surge. A specific experimental investigation on compressor surge was carried out at the University of Genoa turbocharger test facility and results are presented and analysed in this paper. The activity consists of steady state and transient measurements used to characterize and identify compressor behaviour in correspondence of surge inception conditions. The frequency and time frequency data analysis have been applied on inflow pressure, anemometric and vibrational signals to identify their contents and so to be able to classify compressor operation as stable or unstable. Synchronous averages performed in the time domain have been identified as a suitable algorithmic tool to detect incipient surge conditions. Anemometric signal analysis allowed to identify intermitting phenomena in deep surge conditions may be related to the rise of a rotation stall condition. The obtained results provide original diagnostic and predictive methods to be integrated in a monitoring system capable of preventing surge and extending compressor operating range, performance and reliability to allow the integration with the other plant components

Dietary patterns and chronic kidney disease: a cross-sectional association in the Irish Nun Eye Study

Associations between dietary patterns and chronic kidney disease are not well established, especially in European populations. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 1033 older Irish women (age range 56–100 years) with a restricted lifestyle. Dietary intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. Renal function was determined by estimated glomerular filtration rate. Two dietary patterns were identified within the study population using factor analysis. A significant negative association was found between unhealthy dietary pattern adherence and renal function in both unadjusted and adjusted models controlling for potential confounding variables (p for trend <0.001), with a mean difference in estimated glomerular filtration rate of −6 ml/min/1.73 m2 between those in the highest fifth of adherence to the unhealthy dietary pattern compared to the lowest, in the fully adjusted model. Chronic kidney disease risk was significantly greater for the highest fifth, compared to the lowest fifth of unhealthy dietary pattern adherence in adjusted models (adjusted odds ratio = 2.62, p < 0.001). Adherence to the healthy dietary pattern was not associated with renal function or chronic kidney disease in adjusted models. In this cohort, an unhealthy dietary pattern was associated with lower renal function and greater prevalence of chronic kidney disease

Violacein, an indole-derived purple-colored natural pigment produced by Janthinobacterium lividum, inhibits the growth of head and neck carcinoma cell lines both in vitro and in vivo

Violacein (VIO; 3-[1,2-dihydro-5-(5-hydroxy-1H-indol-3-yl)-2-oxo-3H-pyrrol-3-ylidene]-1,3-dihydro-2H-indol-2-one), an indole-derived purple-colored pigment, produced by a limited number of Gram-negative bacteria species, including Chromobacterium violaceum and Janthinobacterium lividum, has been demonstrated to have anti-cancer activity, as it interferes with survival transduction signaling pathways in different cancer models. Head and neck carcinoma (HNC) represents the sixth most common and one of the most fatal cancers worldwide. We determined whether VIO was able to inhibit head and neck cancer cell growth both in vitro and in vivo. We provide evidence that VIO treatment of human and mouse head and neck cancer cell lines inhibits cell growth and induces autophagy and apoptosis. In fact, VIO treatment increased PARP-1 cleavage, the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, the inhibition of ERK1 and ERK2 phosphorylation, and the expression of light chain 3-II (LC3-II). Moreover, VIO was able to induce p53 degradation, cytoplasmic nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) accumulation, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. VIO induced a significant increase in ROS production. VIO administration was safe in BALB/c mice and reduced the growth of transplanted salivary gland cancer cells (SALTO) in vivo and prolonged median survival. Taken together, our results indicate that the treatment of head and neck cancer cells with VIO can be useful in inhibiting in vivo and in vitro cancer cell growth. VIO may represent a suitable tool for the local treatment of HNC in combination with standard therapies

Pushing Stoichiometries of Lithium-Rich Layered Oxides Beyond Their Limits

Lithium-rich layered oxides (LRLOs) are opening unexplored frontiers for high-capacity/high-voltage positive electrodes in Li-ion batteries (LIBs) to meet the challenges of green and safe transportation as well as cheap and sustainable stationary energy storage from renewable sources. LRLOs exploit the extra lithiation provided by the Li1.2TM0.8O2 stoichiometries (TM = a blend of transition metals with a moderate cobalt content) achievable by a layered structure to disclose specific capacities beyond 200-250 mA h g(-1) and working potentials in the 3.4-3.8 V range versus Li. Here, we demonstrate an innovative paradigm to extend the LRLO concept. We have balanced the substitution of cobalt in the transition-metal layer of the lattice with aluminum and lithium, pushing the composition of LRLO to unexplored stoichiometries, that is, Li-1.2(+x)(Mn,Ni,Co,AI)(0.8-x)O2-delta. The fine tuning of the composition of the metal blend results in an optimized layered material, that is, Li1.28Mn0.54Ni0.13Co0.02Al0.03O2-delta, with outstanding electrochemical performance in full LIBs, improved environmental benignity, and reduced manufacturing costs compared to the state-of-the-art

De novo expression of uncoupling protein 3 is associated to enhanced mitochondrial thioesterase-1 expression and fatty acid metabolism in liver of fenofibrate-treated rats

AbstractUncoupling protein 3 (UCP3) is a member of the mitochondrial carrier superfamily, preferentially expressed in skeletal muscle. Its function is not fully understood and it is debated whether it uncouples oxidative phosphorylation as does UCP1 in brown adipose tissue. Recent evidences suggest a role for UCP3 in the flux of fatty acids in and out mitochondria and their utilization in concert with mitochondrial thioesterase-1 (MTE-1). In fact, mice overexpressing muscle UCP3 also show high levels of MTE-1. Fenofibrate is a hypolipidemic drug that prevents body weight gain in diet-induced obese rats and enhances lipid metabolism by activating peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs). Because fatty acids and fenofibrate stimulate PPARs and in turn UCP3, we investigated whether UCP3 expression might be induced ‘de novo’ in situations of increased hepatic mitochondrial fatty acid utilization caused by a combined effect of a high-fat diet and fenofibrate treatment. We also investigated whether Mte-1 expression and β-oxidation were affected. We show here that Ucp3 is induced in liver of fenofibrate-treated rats at the mRNA and protein level. Expression was restricted to hepatocytes and was unevenly distributed in the liver. No increase in cell proliferation, inflammatory or fibrotic responses was found. Mte-1 expression and mitochondrial β-oxidation were upregulated. Thus, Ucp3 can be transactivated in tissues where it is normally silent and fenofibrate can attain this effect in liver. The data demonstrate that UCP3 is involved in fatty acid utilization and support the notion that UCP3 and MTE-1 are linked within the same metabolic pathway

Italian family with two independent mutations:3358T/A in BRCA1 and 8756delA in BRCA2 genes.

Hereditary breast/ovarian cancer is a well-characterized clinical entity, largely attributed to the inheritance of BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations. Among general population, the mutation's frequency of these genes is very low; therefore, the identification of two independent mutations in the same family is a rare event. This study reports the presence of two mutations, one in the BRCA1 and the second in the BRCA2 gene in an Italian Caucasian kindred. This family is composed of more than 250 individuals, spanning through five generations, among which endogamy was a common phenomenon. Considering the tumor spectrum, this family is characterized by a high incidence of different types of cancer. In our study, we considered only three out of seven family units for BRCA1 and BRCA2 analysis. In one of the family units, we found independent mutations of both BRCA genes. The BRCA1 mutation on exon 11 (3358TA) was identified originally in the index case and subsequently in 18 members of this family, whereas the same mutation was not detected in a related family member with male breast cancer. The male breast cancer patient led to the identification, through mutational analysis, of a new BRCA2 mutation (8756delA). This BRCA2 mutation was also found in the male breast cancer patient's daughter. The discovery of the BRCA2 mutation allowed us to alert the patient's daughter who, otherwise, could be falsely reassured since she had a negative BRCA1 test

Synthesis of layered silicon-graphene hetero-structures by wet jet milling for high capacity anodes in Li-ion batteries

While silicon-based negative electrode materials have been extensively studied, to develop high capacity lithium-ion batteries, implementing a large-scale production method that can be easily transferred to industy, has been a crucial challenge. Here, a scalable wet-jet milling method was developed to prepare a silicon-graphene hybrid material to be used as negative electrode in lithium-ion batteries. This synthesized composite, when used as an anode in lithium cells, demonstrated high Li ion storage capacity, long cycling stability and high-rate capability. In particular, the electrode exhibited a reversible discharge capacity exceeding 1763 mAh g-1 after 450 cycles with a capacity retention of 98% and a coulombic efficiency of 99.85% (with a current density of 358 mA g-1). This significantly supersedes the performance of a Si-dominant electrode structures. The capacity fade rate after 450 cycles was only 0.005% per cycle in the 0.05-1 V range. This superior electrochemical performance is ascribed to the highly layered, silicon-graphene porous structure, as investigated via focused ion beam in conjunction with scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) tomography. The hybrid electrode could retain 89% of its porosity (under a current density of 358 mA g-1) after 200 cycles compared with only 35% in a Si-dominant electrode. Moreover, this morphology can not only accommodate the large volume strains from active silicon particles, but also maintains robust electrical connectivity. This confers faster transportation of electrons and ions with significant permeation of electrolyte within the electrode. Physicochemical characterisations were performed to further correlate the electrochemical performance with the microstructural dynamics. The excellent performance of the hybrid material along with the scalability of the synthesizing process is a step forward to realize high capacity/energy density lithium-ion batteries for multiple device applications

A new methodology for the multi-risk assessment of existing road tunnels

The optimal management of infrastructural assets is a key aspect to guarantee the adequate competitiveness of a country from the economic point of view and a good level of quality from the social one. In this framework, particular attention shall be paid to the critical elements of the infrastructure network, such as bridges and tunnels, which often strongly influence the resilience of the network itself, as highlighted both by what happened immediately after the collapse of the Morandi bridge in Genoa and by the situation that was created following the several construction sites implemented to reduce the structural risk in the tunnels of Ligurian territory. Indeed, on one hand these critical elements are often characterized by lower structural safety levels than those required by the regulations for similar newly built structures but, on the other hand, the presence of construction sites determines a reduction in the performance of the infrastructure with a significant increase of the road accident and traffic risk. This paper proposes an operational methodology for assessing the risk associated to existing road tunnels. The research is carried out in collaboration with SINA SpA and ASPI, Autostrade per l'Italia, and has the main objective of providing practical tools that can help the road managers to evaluate the global risk variation when temporary interventions are carried out in tunnels and to give indications regarding the optimal construction site organization

Application of a Clinical Workflow May Lead to Increased Diagnostic Precision in Hereditary Spastic Paraplegias and Cerebellar Ataxias: A Single Center Experience

The molecular characterization of Hereditary Spastic Paraplegias (HSP) and inherited cerebellar ataxias (CA) is challenged by their clinical and molecular heterogeneity. The recent application of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies is increasing the diagnostic rate, which can be influenced by patients\u2019 selection. To assess if a clinical diagnosis of CA/HSP received in a third-level reference center might impact the molecular diagnostic yield, we retrospectively evaluated the molecular diagnostic rate reached in our center on 192 unrelated families (90 HSP and 102 CA) (i) before NGS and (ii) with the use of NGS gene panels. Overall, 46.3% of families received a genetic diagnosis by first-tier individual gene screening: 43.3% HSP and 50% spinocerebellar ataxias (SCA). The diagnostic rate was 56.7% in AD-HSP, 55.5% in AR-HSP, and 21.2% in sporadic HSP. On the other hand, 75% AD-, 52% AR- and 33% sporadic CA were diagnosed. So far, 32 patients (24 CA and 8 HSP) were further assessed by NGS gene panels, and 34.4% were diagnosed, including 29.2% CA and 50% HSP patients. Eleven novel gene variants classified as (likely) pathogenic were identified. Our results support the role of experienced clinicians in the diagnostic assessment and the clinical research of CA and HSP even in the next generation era