Stability during storage of LC-PUFA-supplemented infant formula containing single cell oil or egg yolk

The medical community recommends that infant formulae should mimic human milk as far as possible, particularly in regards to long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA). These include arachidonic acid (AA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), both of which provide biochemical and functional benefits to neonates. However, LC-PUFAs are highly susceptible to oxidation and the composition of formulae must be carefully controlled. In this study, the stability of two types of LC-PUFA-supplemented milk-based powdered infant formula was evaluated over the course of 18 months storage at 25 °C and 40 °C. One contained egg yolk phospholipids (IF-EPL) and the other contained triacylglycerides (DHA and AA) synthesized by single cell oils (IF-SCO). The following parameters were monitored: peroxide values, volatile content (propanal, pentanal and hexanal), fatty acid profiles, and potential and free furfural content (5-hydroxymethyl-2-furaldehyde and 2-furaldehyde). In addition, these formulae were subjected to sensory evaluations by a panel of experts. The parameters studied revealed acceptable lipid stability in both types of formula, with better results for IF-EPL. At the end of the study period, significant deficits (p < 0.05) in linoleic acid were noted in both formulae. However, no significant decreases were observed in the other fatty acids, including AA and DHA. In regards to furfural content, both formulae exhibited a similar increase, indicative of the typical Maillard reaction characteristic of products stored for long periods.     

Modifying biodegradable plastics with additives based on condensed tannin esters

Condensed tannins derived from Pinus radiata bark have been esterified and added to biodegradable plastics as extrusion compounded functional plastic additives. The presence of longer alkyl chain hexanoate esters promoted tannin miscibility in the commercial polyesters Bionolle? and Biopol? whereas short chain acetate esters tended to remain as discrete domains, acting as fillers in the processed plastics. In the aliphatic polyester Bionolle the presence of tannin esters at typical plastic additive loadings did not alter plastic mechanical properties whereas at 5% content in Biopol the tannin‐additives reduced both flexural and tensile properties. Similarly tannin esters do not alter the melt or glass transition temperatures of the polyesters, but tannin hexanoate at 5% can influence the crystallization temperatures. Artificially aging plastics realized the functionality these plant extracts can impart to plastics in acting to reduce ultraviolet (UV)‐induced plastic degradation. Results indicate the tannin‐additives likely provide a stabilising role through inhibiting UV penetration into the plastic, with color analysis suggesting the tannin moiety itself was sacrificial and preferentially degrading. The imparted UV stability was linked to the dissolution of tannin esters in the plastic with longer chain esters providing greater protection against UV degradation. Tannin esters showed potential as functional additives for biodegradable polymers enhancing the UV stability of the plastic. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 41626.     

Oxidation of SiCf/SiC‐HfB2 Composites under Laser Heating

Ceramic matrix composites with Sylramic^TM and CG Nicalon^TM SiC fibers and SiC‐HfB₂ matrices derived from a combination of polymer‐derived SiC ceramic and HfB₂ particulate slurries were prepared. The composites were tested for oxidation resistance by laser heating at 2 MW/m² to achieve temperatures near 1600°C. The oxidation resistance was compared between uncoated CG Nicalon^TM and BN‐coated Sylramic^TM fiber‐based composites. Oxidation resulted in precipitated nano‐sized HfO₂ independent of the fibers and fiber coatings.     

Spider Silk-CBD-Cellulose Nanocrystal Composites: Mechanism of Assembly

The fabrication of cellulose-spider silk bio-nanocomposites comprised of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and recombinant spider silk protein fused to a cellulose binding domain (CBD) is described. Silk-CBD successfully binds cellulose, and unlike recombinant silk alone, silk-CBD self-assembles into microfibrils even in the absence of CNCs. Silk-CBD-CNC composite sponges and films show changes in internal structure and CNC alignment related to the addition of silk-CBD. The silk-CBD sponges exhibit improved thermal and structural characteristics in comparison to control recombinant spider silk sponges. The glass transition temperature (Tg) of the silk-CBD sponge was higher than the control silk sponge and similar to native dragline spider silk fibers. Gel filtration analysis, dynamic light scattering (DLS), small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and cryo-transmission electron microscopy (TEM) indicated that silk-CBD, but not the recombinant silk control, formed a nematic liquid crystalline phase similar to that observed in native spider silk during the silk spinning process. Silk-CBD microfibrils spontaneously formed in solution upon ultrasonication. We suggest a model for silk-CBD assembly that implicates CBD in the central role of driving the dimerization of spider silk monomers, a process essential to the molecular assembly of spider-silk nanofibers and silk-CNC composites.     

Effect of polymer structure on the molecular dynamics and thermal behavior of poly(allyl acetoacetate) and copolymers

In this paper, dielectric and calorimetric studies of the small-molecule glass former allyl acetoacetate monomers as well as its newly synthetized homopolymer and copolymers with different styrene composition were performed in both the liquid and glassy states. The molecular dynamics studies by the broadband dielectric spectroscopy and the stochastic temperature modulated differential scanning calorimetry enabled us to explore relaxation processes of examined materials in the wide frequency range. We found that the copolymers reveal two co-existing glass transitions characterized by the glass transition temperatures, which are very close to those of the corresponding homopolymers. These results suggest that the copolymers exhibited some sequences of acetoacetate units with a microphase-separated morphology in agreement with the value of reactivity ratio previously determined. We investigated effects of copolymerization compositions on the glass transition temperature, the isobaric fragility index, the dielectric and calorimetric intensity, and the dynamic heterogeneity on the glass transitions of the materials.     

Artificial enzyme with magnetic properties and peroxidase activity on indoleamine metabolite tumor marker

Stable and easily-handled synthetic materials mimicking natural enzymes activity would find important biotechnological applications. This article describes the synthesis and characterization of magnetic molecularly imprinted catalytic polymers that exhibit peroxidase-like activity towards 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid (5-HIAA) oxidation. This multifunctional material is obtained from highly crystalline magnetite nuclei coated with a silica layer to protect the iron nucleus from oxidation and to provide anchoring for hydroxyl surface groups. After acrylic functionalization via sol–gel process, a molecularly imprinted polymer with hemin as catalytic center and 5-HIAA as template has been successfully attached to the structure. The resulting hybrid composite is magnetically separable and possesses excellent catalytic ability for the selective oxidation of the indoleamine metabolite tumor marker, showing Michaelis–Menten kinetics with this molecule but not towards other structural analogs. Therefore, it can be considered an artificial peroxidase enzyme.     

Umwandlung von (20S)-20-(Hydroxymethyl)pregna-1,4-dien-3-on in (20S)-20-(p-Toluolsulfonyloxymethyl)pregna-1,5-dien-3β-ol und -3α-ol: Zwischenprodukte für Vitamin D-Derivate

Transformation of (20S)-20-(Hydroxymethyl)pregna-1,4-dien-3-one into (20S)-20-(p-Toluene-sulfonyloxymethyl)pregna-1,5-dien-3β-ol and -3α-ol: Intermediates of Vitamin D Derivatives Efficient three-step approaches to the two 3-epimeric 22-tosylated 1,5-diene-3,22-diols 6 and 7 starting with (20S)-20-(hydroxymethyl)pregna-1,4-dien-3-one ( 1 ) were developed and optimized. Isomerization of 1 to the 1,5-dien-3-one 3 and subsequent tosylation furnished the deconjugated 3-ketone 4 . The 3β-alcohol 6 was available from 4 by means of in situ generated calcium borohydride. Treatment of 4 with lithium trisiamylborohydride (LS-Selectride) afforded the highest yield of the hitherto unknown 3α-epimer 7 . Following the optimized synthesis, 6 and 7 were obtained from 1 in 60 % and 50 % overall yield, respectively.     

Novel Therapeutic Opportunities in Neoadjuvant Setting in Urothelial Cancers: A New Horizon Opened by Molecular Classification and Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

Muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) is a widespread malignancy with a worse prognosis often related to a late diagnosis. For early-stage MIBC pts, a multidisciplinary approach is mandatory to evaluate the timing of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and surgery. The current standard therapy is platinum-based NAC (MVAC-methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin or Platinum–Gemcitabine regimens) followed by radical cystectomy (RC) with lymphadenectomy. However, preliminary data from Vesper trial highlighted that dose-dense NAC MVAC is endowed with a good pathological response but shows low tolerability. In the last few years, translational-based research approaches have identified several candidate biomarkers of NAC esponsiveness, such as ERCC2, ERBB2, or DNA damage response (DDR) gene alterations. Moreover, the recent consensus MIBC molecular classification identified six molecular subtypes, characterized by different sensitivity to chemo- or targeted or immunotherapy, that could open a novel procedure for patient selection and also for neoadjuvant therapies. The Italian PURE-01 phase II Trial extended data on efficacy and resistance to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICIs) in this setting. In this review, we summarize the most relevant literature data supporting NAC use in MIBC, focusing on novel therapeutic strategies such as immunotherapy, considering the better patient stratification and selection emerging from novel molecular classification.     

On the Acetylation of Phenanthrene and 9-chlorophenanthrene

Friedel-Crafts acetylation of phenanthrene ( 1a ) in sym-tetrachloroethane yields mixtures of 2-, 3- and 9-acetylphenanthrenes ( 2a, 3a, 4 ). The distribution of isomers is found to depend strongly upon the method of mixing the reagents. Acetylation of 9-chlorophenanthrene ( 1b ), performed by a variety of methods and solvents, led mainly to 3-acetyl-9-chlorophenanthrene ( 3b ) (≥85%). Previously unreported 2-acetyl-9-chlorophenanthrene ( 2b ) was found to form up to a maximum 11% in nitrobenzene.     

Cellular and Molecular Targets for Non-Invasive,Non-Pharmacological Therapeutic/Rehabilitative Interventions in Acute Ischemic Stroke

BACKGROUND: Cerebral circulation delivers the blood flow to the brain through a dedicated network of sanguine vessels. A healthy human brain can regulate cerebral blood flow (CBF) according to any physiological or pathological challenges. The brain is protected by its self-regulatory mechanisms, which are dependent on neuronal and support cellular populations, including endothelial ones, as well as metabolic, and even myogenic factors. OBJECTIVES: Accumulating data suggest that “non-pharmacological” approaches might provide new opportunities for stroke therapy, such as electro-/acupuncture, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, hypothermia/cooling, photobiomodulation, therapeutic gases, transcranial direct current stimulations, or transcranial magnetic stimulations. We reviewed the recent data on the mechanisms and clinical implications of these non-pharmaceutical treatments. METHODS: To present the state-of-the-art for currently available non-invasive, non-pharmacological-related interventions in acute ischemic stroke, we accomplished this synthetic and systematic literature review based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Principles Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). RESULTS: The initial number of obtained articles was 313. After fulfilling the five steps in the filtering/selection methodology, 54 fully eligible papers were selected for synthetic review. We enhanced our documentation with other bibliographic resources connected to our subject, identified in the literature within a non-standardized search, to fill the knowledge gaps. Fifteen clinical trials were also identified. DISCUSSION: Non-invasive, non-pharmacological therapeutic/rehabilitative interventions for acute ischemic stroke are mainly holistic therapies. Therefore, most of them are not yet routinely used in clinical practice, despite some possible beneficial effects, which have yet to be supplementarily proven in more related studies. Moreover, few of the identified clinical trials are already completed and most do not have final results. CONCLUSIONS: This review synthesizes the current findings on acute ischemic stroke therapeutic/rehabilitative interventions, described as non-invasive and non-pharmacological.