Study of PEDOT conductive polymer films by admittance measurements

In this paper we propose the use of a microwave technique to measure the conductivity of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) films. The PEDOT layers were prepared by electropolymerization from aqueous solutions using both poly(sodium 4-styrene sulphonate) (NaPSS) and sodium dodecyl sulphate (NaDS) acting as monomer solubilizer and dopant for the polymer. The conductive properties of a series of samples produced under different synthesis conditions and characterized by different structures have been investigated by microwave measurements in the frequency range from 40 MHz to 40 GHz by using a Corbino disc geometry. Such technique allows to estimate the mean conductivity of the polymer samples overcoming the limitations of the measuring configurations typically imposed by the conventional d.c. measurements. The morphology of PEDOT films and the structure of polymer chains were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Raman spectroscopy, respectively. The correlated morphological, structural and microwave analysis enabled us to evidence several factors that affect the macroscopic scale conductivity of the polymer sample films and to identify the conditions for preparation of PEDOT films with functional properties relevant to technological applications.     

Agents for information retrieval: Issues of mobility and coordination

This paper focuses on agent-based applications for information retrieval on the Web, by specifically analysing mobility and coordination issues. On the one hand, mobile agents well suit the requirements of information retrieval in the new dynamic scenario derived from the Internet. This is due to their capability of moving to the place where the information is stored – therefore saving bandwidth – and to their robustness in the presence of unreliable connections. On the other hand, the search for information by several mobile active agents calls for suitable models to rule the interactions among agents and between agents and execution environments. The paper surveys different coordination approaches and evaluates their impact in information retrieval applications based on mobile agents. The survey outlines the advantages of uncoupled coordination models and points out the suitability of a coordination model based on reactive and programmable tuple spaces: they may increase the safety and the security of the environment while simplifying the task of programming distributed mobile agent applications.     

Efficient Second Harmonic Generation Through Selective Photonic Crystal-Microcavity Coupling

In this paper, a new 2-D frequency converter based on second harmonic generation (SHG) in GaAs photonic crystal waveguides is proposed. The input waveguide, where the second order nonlinear process takes place, is coupled to a secondary waveguide that is designed to allow only SH propagation. A row of photonic crystal microcavity resonators is then placed parallel to the waveguides in order to assist the field coupling. By tuning the resonance of the microcavities at second harmonic wave, the waveguides-microcavities arrangement showed good enhancement of conversion efficiency and selectivity. The performance of the proposed frequency converter has been analyzed by using multiresolution time domain (MRTD) scheme developed for nonlinear problems in conjunction with uniaxial perfectly matched layer (UPML) boundary conditions that rigorously truncate the computational window.     

Oxidative Inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 on Photoactive AgNPs@TiO2 Ceramic Tiles

The current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic causes serious public health, social, and economic issues all over the globe. Surface transmission has been claimed as a possible SARS-CoV-2 infection route, especially in heavy contaminated environmental surfaces, including hospitals and crowded public places. Herein, we studied the deactivation of SARS-CoV-2 on photoactive AgNPs@TiO₂ coated on industrial ceramic tiles under dark, UVA, and LED light irradiations. SARS-CoV-2 inactivation is effective under any light/dark conditions. The presence of AgNPs has an important key to limit the survival of SARS-CoV-2 in the dark; moreover, there is a synergistic action when TiO₂ is decorated with Ag to enhance the virus photocatalytic inactivation even under LED. The radical oxidation was confirmed as the the central mechanism behind SARS-CoV-2 damage/inactivation by ESR analysis under LED light. Therefore, photoactive AgNPs@TiO₂ ceramic tiles could be exploited to fight surface infections, especially during viral severe pandemics.     

Abiotic oxidation of catechol by soil metal oxides

The mechanism of catechol oxidation by soil metal oxides is investigated in a slurry reactor. This abiotic transformation is shown to consist in a three-step process. The first step is a heterogeneous reaction. Catechol undergoes fast, partial oxidation at the expenses of Fe and Mn oxides contained in the soil. In the second step, reduced Fe and Mn are released into the aqueous solution and immediately complexed by catechol. Metal-catecholate complexes are stable at the very low dissolved-oxygen concentration levels attained under nitrogen sparging. The third step is a homogenous reaction. The highly reactive intermediate produced by catechol partial oxidation initiates catechol polymerisation. Under nitrogen sparging, the polymerisation process ends rather rapidly, thus yielding only partial conversion of the phenol and producing low-molecular weight, water-soluble polymers. Further oxidation of the metal-catecholate complexes formed in the second step only occurs under air sparging. Thus, reactive intermediates are formed at much higher concentration levels than those attained when nearly no oxygen is present in solution. The polymerisation proceeds at a much faster rate until, under the experimental conditions adopted, complete catechol conversion is attained and high-molecular-weight, insoluble polymers are produced.     

In Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Alpha-Synuclein Increases and Marks Peri-Neural Infiltration

α-Synuclein (α-syn) is a protein involved in neuronal degeneration. However, the family of synucleins has recently been demonstrated to be involved in the mechanisms of oncogenesis by selectively accelerating cellular processes leading to cancer. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal human cancers, with a specifically high neurotropism. The molecular bases of this biological behavior are currently poorly understood. Here, α-synuclein was analyzed concerning the protein expression in PDAC and the potential association with PDAC neurotropism. Tumor (PDAC) and extra-tumor (extra-PDAC) samples from 20 patients affected by PDAC following pancreatic resections were collected at the General Surgery Unit, University of Pisa. All patients were affected by moderately or poorly differentiated PDAC. The amount of α-syn was compared between tumor and extra-tumor specimen (sampled from non-affected neighboring pancreatic areas) by using in situ immuno-staining with peroxidase anti-α-syn immunohistochemistry, α-syn detection by using Western blotting, and electron microscopy by using α-syn-conjugated immuno-gold particles. All the methods consistently indicate that each PDAC sample possesses a higher amount of α-syn compared with extra-PDAC tissue. Moreover, the expression of α-syn was much higher in those PDAC samples from tumors with perineural infiltration compared with tumors without perineural infiltration.     

The Chaperone System in Breast Cancer: Roles and Therapeutic Prospects of the Molecular Chaperones Hsp27, Hsp60, Hsp70, and Hsp90

Breast cancer (BC) is a major public health problem, with key pieces of information needed for developing preventive and curative measures still missing. For example, the participation of the chaperone system (CS) in carcinogenesis and anti-cancer responses is poorly understood, although it can be predicted to be a crucial factor in these mechanisms. The chief components of the CS are the molecular chaperones, and here we discuss four of them, Hsp27, Hsp60, Hsp70, and Hsp90, focusing on their pro-carcinogenic roles in BC and potential for developing anti-BC therapies. These chaperones can be targets of negative chaperonotherapy, namely the elimination/blocking/inhibition of the chaperone(s) functioning in favor of BC, using, for instance, Hsp inhibitors. The chaperones can also be employed in immunotherapy against BC as adjuvants, together with BC antigens. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) in BC diagnosis and management are also briefly discussed, considering their potential as easily accessible carriers of biomarkers and as shippers of anti-cancer agents amenable to manipulation and controlled delivery. The data surveyed from many laboratories reveal that, to enhance the understanding of the role of the CS in BS pathogenesis, one must consider the CS as a physiological system, encompassing diverse members throughout the body and interacting with the ubiquitin–proteasome system, the chaperone-mediated autophagy machinery, and the immune system (IS). An integrated view of the CS, including its functional partners and considering its highly dynamic nature with EVs transporting CS components to reach all the cell compartments in which they are needed, opens as yet unexplored pathways leading to carcinogenesis that are amenable to interference by anti-cancer treatments centered on CS components, such as the molecular chaperones.