Nanoparticles-cell association predicted by protein corona fingerprints

In a physiological environment (e.g., blood and interstitial fluids) nanoparticles (NPs) will bind proteins shaping a "protein corona" layer. The long-lived protein layer tightly bound to the NP surface is referred to as the hard corona (HC) and encodes information that controls NP bioactivity (e.g. cellular association, cellular signaling pathways, biodistribution, and toxicity). Decrypting this complex code has become a priority to predict the NP biological outcomes. Here, we use a library of 16 lipid NPs of varying size (Ø ≈ 100-250 nm) and surface chemistry (unmodified and PEGylated) to investigate the relationships between NP physicochemical properties (nanoparticle size, aggregation state and surface charge), protein corona fingerprints (PCFs), and NP-cell association. We found out that none of the NPs' physicochemical properties alone was exclusively able to account for association with human cervical cancer cell line (HeLa). For the entire library of NPs, a total of 436 distinct serum proteins were detected. We developed a predictive-validation modeling that provides a means of assessing the relative significance of the identified corona proteins. Interestingly, a minor fraction of the HC, which consists of only 8 PCFs were identified as main promoters of NP association with HeLa cells. Remarkably, identified PCFs have several receptors with high level of expression on the plasma membrane of HeLa cells

Nanoparticles-cell association predicted by protein corona fingerprints

In a physiological environment (e.g., blood and interstitial fluids) nanoparticles (NPs) will bind proteins shaping a "protein corona" layer. The long-lived protein layer tightly bound to the NP surface is referred to as the hard corona (HC) and encodes information that controls NP bioactivity (e.g. cellular association, cellular signaling pathways, biodistribution, and toxicity). Decrypting this complex code has become a priority to predict the NP biological outcomes. Here, we use a library of 16 lipid NPs of varying size (Ø ≈ 100-250 nm) and surface chemistry (unmodified and PEGylated) to investigate the relationships between NP physicochemical properties (nanoparticle size, aggregation state and surface charge), protein corona fingerprints (PCFs), and NP-cell association. We found out that none of the NPs' physicochemical properties alone was exclusively able to account for association with human cervical cancer cell line (HeLa). For the entire library of NPs, a total of 436 distinct serum proteins were detected. We developed a predictive-validation modeling that provides a means of assessing the relative significance of the identified corona proteins. Interestingly, a minor fraction of the HC, which consists of only 8 PCFs were identified as main promoters of NP association with HeLa cells. Remarkably, identified PCFs have several receptors with high level of expression on the plasma membrane of HeLa cells

Sharing Innovation. The Acceptability of Off-site Industrialized Systems for Housing

From the sixties, innovation and industrialization have been a returning mantra for the construction sector at every new building cycle passage after an economic crisis, as a tool of overcoming difficulties. This positivism has always been disregarded, especially for housing and for Italy. To avoid this dynamic recur-rence even in the current ecological transition passage, research must provide, in parallel with innovative products and techniques, innovative cultural approaches so that extraordinary products and techniques can be accepted by the market, demon-strating how the synergy between them leads to a high added value for sustainable quality of living. Most of the actors (from designers to builders and maintainers) agree that innovative systems, especially industrialized off-site, are more sustainable, espe-cially today when sustainability and resilience are the core of the construction sector; despite this, these systems are struggling to spread. This contribution focuses on acceptability and decision-making processes that lead to innovative choices, iden-tifying the innovation of the functional, social and economic management of the buildings as the “missing ring” for housing. This acceptability has certainly increased today because of new form of “atypical” living, such as senior/student and temporary housing and co-living, which contribute to intensifying the demand of “industrial-ized”, flexible, affordable and reliable houses. Technological innovation, in fact, actives only if technical innovation is combined with strategies and new approaches in organization, marketing and after-sales services focused on sharing and partici-pation. Through an example of a realized off-site transformable residential building and case studies of new form of management, this contribution proposes innovation perspectives capable of overcoming design and decision-making obstacles to the spread of off-site systems, also identifying in the institutional sustainability one of the cores of this subject

The M_BH-M_star relation of obscured AGNs at high redshift

We report the detection of broad Halpha emission in three X-ray selected obscured AGNs at z=1-2. By exploiting the Halpha width and the intrinsic X-ray luminosity, we estimate their black hole masses, which are in the range 0.1-3x10^9 Msun. By means of multi-band photometric data, we measure the stellar mass of their host galaxy and, therefore, infer their M_BH/M_star ratio. These are the first obscured AGNs at high-z, selected based on their black hole accretion (i.e. on the basis of their X-ray luminosity), that can be located on the M_BH-M_star relation at high-z. All of these obscured high-z AGNs are fully consistent with the local M_BH-M_star relation. This result conflicts with those for other samples of AGNs in the same redshift range, whose M_BH/M_star ratio departs significantly from the value observed in local galaxies. We suggest that the obscured AGNs in our sample are in an advanced evolutionary stage, have already settled onto the local M_BH-M_star relation, and whose nuclear activity has been temporarily revived by recent galaxy interactions.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in A&A Letters, slightly revised discussion on SMG

The PEP Survey: Infrared Properties of Radio-Selected AGN

By exploiting the VLA-COSMOS and the Herschel-PEP surveys, we investigate the Far Infrared (FIR) properties of radio-selected AGN. To this purpose, from VLA-COSMOS we considered the 1537, F[1.4 GHz]>0.06 mJy sources with a reliable redshift estimate, and sub-divided them into star-forming galaxies and AGN solely on the basis of their radio luminosity. The AGN sample is complete with respect to radio selection at all z<~3.5. 832 radio sources have a counterpart in the PEP catalogue. 175 are AGN. Their redshift distribution closely resembles that of the total radio-selected AGN population, and exhibits two marked peaks at z~0.9 and z~2.5. We find that the probability for a radio-selected AGN to be detected at FIR wavelengths is both a function of radio power and redshift, whereby powerful sources are more likely to be FIR emitters at earlier epochs. This is due to two distinct effects: 1) at all radio luminosities, FIR activity monotonically increases with look-back time and 2) radio activity of AGN origin is increasingly less effective at inhibiting FIR emission. Radio-selected AGN with FIR emission are preferentially located in galaxies which are smaller than those hosting FIR-inactive sources. Furthermore, at all z<~2, there seems to be a preferential (stellar) mass scale M ~[10^{10}-10^{11}] Msun which maximizes the chances for FIR emission. We find such FIR (and MIR) emission to be due to processes indistinguishable from those which power star-forming galaxies. It follows that radio emission in at least 35% of the entire AGN population is the sum of two contributions: AGN accretion and star-forming processes within the host galaxy.Comment: 13 pages, 14 figures, to appear in MNRA

The star formation rate cookbook at 1 < z < 3: Extinction-corrected relations for UV & [OII]{\lambda}3727 luminosities

We use a spectroscopic sample of 286 star-forming galaxies (SFGs) at 1<z<3 from the GMASS survey to study different star formation rate (SFR) estimators. Infrared (IR) data are used to derive empirical calibrations to correct ultraviolet (UV) and [OII]{\lambda}3727 luminosities for dust extinction and dust-corrected estimates of SFR. In the selection procedure we fully exploit the available spectroscopic information. On the basis of three continuum indices, we are able to identify and exclude from the sample galaxies in which old stellar populations might bring a non-negligible contribution to IR luminosity (LIR) and continuum reddening. Using Spitzer-MIPS and Herschel-PACS data we derive LIR for two-thirds of our sample. The LIR/LUV ratio is used as a probe of effective attenuation (AIRX) to search for correlations with continuum and spectroscopic features. The relation between AIRX and UV continuum slope ({\beta}) was tested for our sample and found to be broadly consistent with the literature results at the same redshift, though with a larger dispersion with respect to UV-selected samples. We find a correlation between the rest-frame equivalent width (EW) of the [OII]{\lambda}3727 line and {\beta}, which is the main result of this work. We therefore propose the [OII]{\lambda}3727 line EW as a dust attenuation probe and calibrate it through AIRX, though the assumption of a reddening curve is still needed to derive the actual attenuation towards the [OII]{\lambda}3727 line. We tested the issue of differential attenuation towards stellar continuum and nebular emission: our results are in line with the traditional prescription of extra attenuation towards nebular lines. A set of relations is provided that allows the recovery of the total unattenuated SFR from UV and [OII]{\lambda}3727 luminosities. (Abridged)Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A; 20 pages, 19 figures, 5 table

Use of a cerclage cable-plate system to stabilize a periprosthetic femoral fracture after total hip replacement in a dog

OBJECTIVE: To report the successful use of cerclage cables around the periprosthetic region of a femoral fracture after total hip replacement (THR) in a dog with bone stock too limited for other methods of fixation. STUDY DESIGN: Case report. ANIMAL: 6-year-old male neutered, golden retriever. METHODS: Locking plate fixation of a type-B1 diaphyseal periprosthetic femoral fracture (PFF) failed 14 days after cementless THR and 6 days after initial femoral fracture repair. Total hip replacement implants seemed unchanged on radiographs, but lateral retraction of the screw-plate construct from the proximal segment was evident. Bone stock was assessed as insufficient for adequate screw purchase, prompting revision of the fixation with cerclage cable fixation of the proximal segment; the cables were anchored to the original locking plate construct with threaded positioning pins that screwed into the locking holes. RESULTS: Acceptable union was documented on radiographs by 3 months after revision. No lameness and good range of motion of the hip were observed on clinical examination 13 months after surgery. Radiographs at 13 months documented static implant positioning and remodeling at the fracture site. CONCLUSION: Use of a cable-plate construct to stabilize a type-B1 PFF led to successful long-term outcome in this dog. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Use of a cable-plate construct may be considered to treat type-B1 PFF with limited bone stock