Comprehensive characterization of a cost-effective microbial fuel cell with Pt-free catalyst cathode and slip-casted ceramic membrane

This work reports a new procedure for low-cost Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) manufacture, based on the optimization of the most expensive MFC components: separator and cathode. For the first time, tubular MFC clay separators were fabricated by slip-casting, which allowed to reach the lowest thickness reported to date (1.55 mm), with a minimum cost (0.43 €·m^?2). On the other hand, a novel cathode was fabricated by using commercial CuO based catalyst and Carbon Mesh (CM). The new cathode showed a power density of 110 mW m^?2, more than 40% higher than other Cu based cathodes for Ceramic-MFCs (C-MFCs) studied in the literature. The proposed cell was operated for more than 6 months, with a power reduction of 29.4%, contrasting with Pt-cathodes (deactivation of almost 50% during the first month). A deep economic analysis showed a cost of 0.51 €/cell when energetic optimization and a semi-industrial production were considered, one of the lowest for C-MFCs ever reported.     

Fluorescent (rhodamine), folate decorated and doxorubicin charged, PEGylated nanoparticles synthesis

PEGylated silica nanoparticles, giving very stable aqueous sols, were successfully functionalised with rhodamine, one of the more stable fluorophore; they were also decorated with the targeting agent folic acid (FA) and charged with the well known drug doxorubicin. Rhodamine functionalization required a modification of the synthesis route of the nanoparticles (NP). Functionalization with FA required activation with 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride. Folate decorated NP were easily charged with doxorubicin. The experimental results proved the successfulness of the functionalization. The bond to the NP does not reduce the therapeutic efficacy of the drug. The calculated encapsulation efficiency (32?%) was only a little lower than the value (47?%) reported for the very popular PEGylated PLGA NP.     

1,3‐Dioxolane‐Based Ligands as Rigid Analogues of Naftopidil: Structure–Affinity/Activity Relationships at α1 and 5‐HT1A Receptors

Conformational restriction of naftopidil led to the discovery of a new class of ligands with a 1,3‐dioxolane (1,3‐oxathiolane, 1,3‐dithiolane) structure that bind to α₁ adrenoceptor subtypes and 5‐HT_1A receptors. Adequate structural modifications address the selectivity toward one or the other receptor system.

     

Self-organized femtocells: a Fuzzy Q-Learning approach

We introduce in this paper the innovative concept of self-organized femtocells for future generation broadband cellular networks. Since the home is the basic unit at which femtocells will be located, their deployment will be massive and their number and position unknown to the operator. This requires femtocells to be autonomous and self-organized, and able to work without human intervention. We propose self-organization to be implemented through Reinforcement Learning (RL) and femtocells to make transmission decisions as a multiagent system, with the objective of maximizing the system capacity and not generating additional interference to the traditional macrocell network. In particular, we manage the femto-to-macro aggregated interference, in realistic wireless settings, by means of Q-Learning (QL) techniques, which allow the femtocells to learn online and distributively the most appropriate resource allocation policy by continuous interactions with the environment. However, QL is based on discrete representation of state and action spaces, which makes the proposed approach not independent of the environment and designer criterion, since it requires a significant human intervention in the definition of the state and action spaces. As a result, we propose to optimize the self-organization capabilities of the proposed scheme by combining QL with the Fuzzy Inference System theory. We then propose a Fuzzy Q-Learning approach which allows avoiding the subjectivity of the QL design with continuous state and action representation, besides improving performance and convergence capabilities. We evaluate simulation results in a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) compliant scenario and we compare them to heuristic approaches. Results will show the unique ability of these RL approaches to self-adapt to the dynamics of realistic wireless scenarios. Finally, we discuss the implementability of the proposed schemes in 3GPP systems, and in terms of memory and computational requirements.     

Docosahexaenoic Acid Supplementation during Pregnancy: A Potential Tool to Prevent Membrane Rupture and Preterm Labor

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are required to maintain the fluidity, permeability and integrity of cell membranes. Maternal dietary supplementation with ω-3 PUFAs during pregnancy has beneficial effects, including increased gestational length and reduced risk of pregnancy complications. Significant amounts of ω-3 docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are transferred from maternal to fetal blood, hence ensuring high levels of DHA in the placenta and fetal bloodstream and tissues. Fetal DHA demand increases exponentially with gestational age, especially in the third trimester, due to fetal development. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), a daily intake of DHA is recommended during pregnancy. Omega-3 PUFAs are involved in several anti-inflammatory, pro-resolving and anti-oxidative pathways. Several placental disorders, such as intrauterine growth restriction, premature rupture of membranes (PROM) and preterm-PROM (pPROM), are associated with placental inflammation and oxidative stress. This pilot study reports on a preliminary evaluation of the significance of the daily DHA administration on PROM and pPROM events in healthy pregnant women. Further extensive clinical trials will be necessary to fully elucidate the correlation between DHA administration during pregnancy and PROM/pPROM occurrence, which is related in turn to gestational duration and overall fetal health.     

Plasmonic Particles that Hit Hypoxic Cells

The use of gold nanorods as contrast agents for the optical hyperthermia of cancer is receiving ever more attention. However, their selective delivery to tumors still remains an outstanding problem. In most cases, the identification of suitable molecular targets is complicated by the lack of qualitative differences between healthy and cancer cells. The focus of prior work has mainly been on the cancer cells per se. Instead, here, the aim is moved to secondary fingerprints that arise in response to the cancer microenvironment. One common feature of tumors is a combination of poor oxygenation and high oxygen consumption, which generates hypoxia. Hypoxic cells need to switch to an anaerobic metabolism, which is accompanied by a multitude of molecular processes, including the expression of transmembrane isoforms of carbonic anhydrases. Here, gold nanorods are conjugated with selective inhibitors of these enzymes, in order to recognize and hit hypoxic cells. The cellular uptake, cytostatic activity and capacity to impart an optical sensitization of these particles is shown to display a strong dependence on environmental oxygenation.     

Gas-phase ion thermochemistry in organometallic systems

This review represents a general overview on the determination of bond energies in gas-phase organometallic systems. The paper focuses on articles published in the last 7 years, whose main scope was to experimentally measure metal ion-ligand binding energies. Therefore, studies of reactivity and characterization of ion complexes are not included, even if some of them display bond energies among the data measured. Bond energies are presented according to the metal ion complexed, in increasing order of atomic number. Periodic trends of binding energies and correlations among the various ligand are discussed. A brief summary of the most used techniques specifically devoted to gather bond energies is also provided.     

Sexual Harassment Under Social Identity Threat: The Computer Harassment Paradigm.

Two laboratory experiments investigated the hypothesis that threat to male identity would increase the likelihood of gender harassment. In both experiments, using the computer harassment paradigm, male university students (N=80 in Experiment 1, N=90 in Experiment 2) were exposed to different types of identity threat (legitimacy threat and threat to group value in Experiment 1 and distinctiveness threat and prototypicality threat in Experiment 2) or to no threat and were then given the opportunity to send pornographic material to a virtual female interaction partner. Results show that (a) participants harassed the female interaction partner more when they were exposed to a legitimacy, distinctiveness, or prototypicality threat than to no threat; (b) this was mainly true for highly identified males; and (c) harassment enhanced postexperimental gender identification. Results are interpreted as supporting a social identity account of gender harassment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A Coupled Thermo-Electromagnetic Formulation Based on the Cell Method

Two discrete approaches for 3-D weakly coupled thermo-electromagnetic, magnetically linear, quasi-static problems in bounded domains are presented and compared. Both approaches are based, as far as the electromagnetic equations are concerned, on discrete potentials to model both conducting and nonconducting regions, whereas the thermal problem is solved by direct use of the temperature as unknown. The code implementing the formulations is validated by comparing results with those obtained by a commercial axisymmetric package with similar space and time discretizations.