The Enigmatic Role of TP53 in Germ Cell Tumours: Are We Missing Something?

The cure rate of germ cell tumours (GCTs) has significantly increased from the late 1970s since the introduction of cisplatin-based therapy, which to date remains the milestone for GCTs treatment. The exquisite cisplatin sensitivity has been mainly explained by the over-expression in GCTs of wild-type TP53 protein and the lack of TP53 somatic mutations; however, several other mechanisms seem to be involved, many of which remain still elusive. The findings about the role of TP53 in platinum-sensitivity and resistance, as well as the reported evidence of second cancers (SCs) in GCT patients treated only with surgery, suggesting a spectrum of cancer predisposing syndromes, highlight the need for a deepened understanding of the role of TP53 in GCTs. In the following report we explore the complex role of TP53 in GCTs cisplatin-sensitivity and resistance mechanisms, passing through several recent genomic studies, as well as its role in GCT patients with SCs, going through our experience of Center of reference for both GCTs and cancer predisposing syndromes.     

Linear increase of the modal gain in 1.3 µm InAs/GaAs quantum dot lasers containing up to seven-stacked QD layers

The authors have recently demonstrated the enhancement of the quantum dot laser modal gain, linearly scaling with the number of stacked QD layers. These results allowed the achievement of multi-quantum dot (MQD) lasers, the zero-dimensional counterpart of MQW lasers, with a modal gain as high as 42?cm(-1), in a seven-layer structure. A detailed investigation of the structural and optical properties was performed on laser structures with three, five and seven QD layers. Such an investigation clearly shows that the high uniformity of QD layer features is responsible for the linear increase of the modal gain and its high value.     

Isolation and characterization of tyramine-producing Enterococcus faecium strains from red wine

Enterococcus faecium strains were isolated from red wines undergoing malolactic fermentation and identified by comparison of their 16S rDNA gene sequences with those included in the GenEMBL Databases. The tyrosine decarboxylase gene was identified in all the strains analysed by PCR using gene-specific primers and the ability to produce tyramine in a synthetic media was analysed by RP-HPLC. Survival of an E. faecium strain was also evaluated in microvinification assays using two different musts with different ethanol concentrations (10% and 12% (v/v)). Tyramine production was monitored during the vinification trials. Our results suggest that E. faecium strains isolated from wine are able to produce tyramine and tolerate wine conditions following a pre-acidic stress.     

Combined effect of active coating and modified atmosphere packaging on prolonging the shelf life of low-moisture Mozzarella cheese

In this work, the effect of active coating on the shelf life of low-moisture Mozzarella cheese packaged in air and modified atmosphere (MAP) was studied. The active coating was based on sodium alginate (2%, wt/vol) and potassium sorbate (1%, wt/vol). The MAP was made up of 75% CO₂ and 25% N₂ (MAP1), 25% CO₂ and 75% N₂ (MAP2), or 50% CO₂ and 50% N₂ (MAP3). The product quality decay was assessed by monitoring microbiological and sensory changes during storage at 4, 8, and 14°C. Results showed that the combination of active coating and MAP was able to improve the preservation of low-moisture Mozzarella cheese. Specifically, the shelf life increased up to 160 d for samples stored at 4°C, and 40 and 11 d for those at 8 and 14°C, respectively. A faster quality decay for untreated samples packaged in air was observed. In particular, the Pseudomonas spp. growth and the appearance of molds were responsible for product unacceptability. The combination of active coating and MAP represents a strategic solution to prolong the shelf life of low-moisture Mozzarella cheese and to ensure the safety of the product under thermal abuse conditions.     

Optimization-oriented design of free-running and tunable microwave oscillators by fully nonlinear CAD techniques (invited article)

The article reviews the application of optimization techniques, in conjunction with the methods of harmonic-balance simulation, to the nonlinear design of free-running and tunable microwave oscillators. The purpose is to give an in-depth treatment of many different aspects of the practical oscillator design problem, and of their formulation in terms of numerical optimization. This includes free-running and tunable oscillators, with both discrete (multiple-cavity) and continuous tuning. Conventional specifications on electrical performance are extended to include near-carrier phase noise, steady-state stability, and tuning linearity in the VCO case. The problem of designing oscillators integrated with other nonlinear subsystems to build up multifunctional modules is also addressed. Several examples of application to typical engineering problems are provided. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Microwave Millimeter-Wave CAE 7: 52–74, 1997.     

Drag-and-drop multimedia: ¶an interface framework for digital libraries

In this paper, we describe a new interface for querying multimedia digital libraries and an interface building framework. The interface employs a drag-and-drop style of interaction and combines a structured natural-language style query specification with reusable multimedia objects. We call this interface DanDMM, short for “drag-and-drop multimedia”. DanDMM interfaces capture the syntax of the underlying query language, and dynamically reconfigure to reflect the contents of the data repository. A distinguishing feature of DanDMM is its ability to synthesize integrated interfaces that incorporate both example-based specification using multimedia objects, and traditional techniques including keyword, attribute, and free text-based search. We describe the DanDMM-builder, a framework for synthesizing DanDMM interfaces, and give several examples of interfaces that have been constructed using DanDMM-builder, including a remote-sensing library application and a video digital library. Received: 15 December 1997 / Revised: June 1999     

Evaluating the Efficiency of Chitosan-Graphene Oxide Hybrid Hydrogels as Drug Delivery Systems

With the objective of creating an electro-responsive and antimicrobial device suitable as delivery system for Rose Bengal (RB) to the skin, a hybrid hydrogel combining Chitosan (CS) and Graphene Oxide (GO) are designed, serving as functional polymer support and active filling element, respectively. The hybrid system, synthesized using tripolyphosphate as a crosslinker via ionic gelation, shows a uniform and homogeneous surface, as verified by SEM investigations, high biocompatibility when tested on human fibroblast lung cells MRC-5 cells, and biodegradability in phosphate buffered medium at physiological pH. Drug loading and release experiments, extensively analyzed using suitable mathematical modeling, shows the enhancement of the binding efficiency conferred by GO (534 and 979 mg g⁻¹ for blank and hybrid hydrogels, respectively) and an electro-responsive behavior (maximum BR release of 36 and 23% at 0 and 12 V, respectively). Additionally, hybrid hydrogel is found to prevent the adhesion of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and to kill the bacterial cells by taking advantage of the sustained release of the antimicrobial RB.