A Cumulative Effect of Food and Viruses to Trigger Celiac Disease (CD): A Commentary on the Recent Literature

Celiac disease (CD) is a type of inflammatory chronic disease caused by nutrients such as gliadin that induce a TC (T cell)-mediated response in a partially known genetical background in an environment predisposed to inflammation, including viruses and food. Various experimental and clinical observations suggest that multiple agents such as viruses and bacteria have some common, inflammatory pathways predisposing individuals to chronic inflammatory diseases including celiac disease (CD). More recently, a Western diet and lifestyle have been linked to tissue inflammation and increase in chronic inflammatory diseases. In CD, the gliadin protein itself has been shown to be able to induce inflammation. A cooperation between viruses and gliadin is present in vitro and in vivo with common mechanisms to induce inflammation. Nutrients could have also a protective effect on CD, and in fact the anti-inflammatory Mediterranean diet has a protective effect on the development of CD in children. The possible impact of these observations on clinical practice is discussed.     

A Phenylacetamide Resveratrol Derivative Exerts Inhibitory Effects on Breast Cancer Cell Growth

Resveratrol (RSV) is a natural compound that displays several pharmacological properties, including anti-cancer actions. However, its clinical application is limited because of its low solubility and bioavailability. Here, the antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory activity of a series of phenylacetamide RSV derivatives has been evaluated in several cancer cell lines. These derivatives contain a monosubstituted aromatic ring that could mimic the RSV phenolic nucleus and a longer flexible chain that could confer a better stability and bioavailability than RSV. Using MTT assay, we demonstrated that most derivatives exerted antiproliferative effects in almost all of the cancer cell lines tested. Among them, derivative 2, that showed greater bioavailability than RSV, was the most active, particularly against estrogen receptor positive (ER+) MCF7 and estrogen receptor negative (ER-) MDA-MB231 breast cancer cell lines. Moreover, we demonstrated that these derivatives, particularly derivative 2, were able to inhibit NO and ROS synthesis and PGE2 secretion in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated U937 human monocytic cells (derived from a histiocytoma). In order to define the molecular mechanisms underlying the antiproliferative effects of derivative 2, we found that it determined cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase, modified the expression of cell cycle regulatory proteins, and ultimately triggered apoptotic cell death in both breast cancer cell lines. Taken together, these results highlight the studied RSV derivatives, particularly derivative 2, as promising tools for the development of new and more bioavailable derivatives useful in the treatment of breast cancer.     

Kinetic study of a hen-egg white lysozyme-based oenological preparation

The catalytic activity of a lysozyme-based oenological preparation toward the specific substrates i) glycol chitosan, as a non-cellular synthetic substrate, and ii) Oenococcus oeni, as a microbial substrate for muramidase activity, was investigated in wine-like acidic medium (tartaric buffer, pH 3.2). The good reproducibility and reliability of results revealed that both substrates are useful for lysozyme kinetics studies. Both the chitinolytic and muramidase activity of lysozyme were affected by uncompetitive substrate inhibition. However, the O. oeni effect occurred at very high concentration with respect to the typical wine bacterial content, even when microbial population reaches its maximum growth level during malolactic fermentation. The optimum pH and temperature for lysozyme activity were very far from the usual wine handling conditions, but residual enzyme activity was observed at pH 3.2 and 20°C, confirming that the oenological application of lysozyme is a useful practice.     

The Expression of Active CD11b Monocytes in Blood and Disease Progression in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Monocytes expressing the inflammation suppressing active CD11b, a beta2 integrin, may regulate neuroinflammation and modify clinical outcomes in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In this single site, retrospective study, peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 38 individuals living with ALS and 20 non-neurological controls (NNC) were investigated using flow cytometry to study active CD11b integrin classical (CM), intermediate (IM) and non-classical (NCM) monocytes during ALS progression. Seventeen ALS participants were sampled at the baseline (V1) and at two additional time points (V2 and V3) for longitudinal analysis. Active CD11b+ CM frequencies increased steeply between the baseline and V3 (ANOVA repeated measurement, p < 0.001), and the V2/V1 ratio negatively correlated with the disease progression rate, similar to higher frequencies of active CD11b+ NCM at the baseline (R = −0.6567; p = 0.0031 and R = 0.3862; p = 0.0168, respectively). CD11b NCM, clinical covariates and neurofilament light-chain plasma concentration at the baseline predicted shorter survival in a multivariable and univariate analysis (CD11b NCM—HR: 1.05, CI: 1.01–1.11, p = 0.013. Log rank: above median: 43 months and below median: 21.22 months; p = 0.0022). Blood samples with the highest frequencies of active CD11b+ IM and NCM contained the lowest concentrations of soluble CD11b. Our preliminary data suggest that the levels of active CD11b+ monocytes and NCM in the blood predict different clinical outcomes in ALS.     

Vapor barrier properties of polycaprolactone montmorillonite nanocomposites: effect of clay dispersion

Different compositions of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and (organo-modified) montmorillonite were prepared by melt blending or catalyzed ring opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone. Microphase composites were obtained by direct melt blending of PCL and sodium montmorillonite (MMT-Na⁺). Exfoliated nanocomposites were obtained by in situ ring opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone with an organo-modified montmorillonite (MMT-(OH)₂) by using dibutyltin dimethoxide as an initiator/catalyst. Intercalated nanocomposites were formed either by melt blending with organo-modified montmorillonite or in situ polymerization within sodium montmorillonite. The barrier properties were studied for water vapor and dichloromethane as an organic solvent. The sorption (S) and the zero concentration diffusion coefficient (D₀) were evaluated for both vapors. The water sorption increases with increasing the MMT content, particularly for the microcomposites containing the unmodified MMT-Na⁺. The thermodynamic diffusion parameters, D₀, were compared to the value of the parent PCL: both microcomposites and intercalated nanocomposites show diffusion parameters very near to PCL. At variance exfoliated nanocomposites show much lower values, even for small montmorillonite content. In the case of the organic vapor, the value of sorption at low relative pressure is mainly dominated by the amorphous fraction present in the samples, not showing any preferential adsorption on the inorganic component. At high relative pressure the isotherms showed an exponential increase of sorption, due to plasticization of the polyester matrix. The D₀ parameters were also compared to those of the unfilled PCL; in this case, both the exfoliated and the intercalated samples showed lower values, due to a more tortuous path for the penetrant molecules.     

A simple model for deep dynamic stall conditions

The present study is focused on modeling of dynamic stall behavior of a pitching airfoil. The deep stall regime is in particular considered. A model is proposed, which has a low implementation and computational complexity but yet is able to deal with different types of dynamic stall conditions, including those characterized by multiple vortex shedding at the airfoil leading edge. The proposed model is appraised against an extensive data set of experimental (α,C_L) curves for NACA0012. The results of an existing widely used model, having comparable complexity, are also shown for comparison. The proposed model is able to well reproduce not only the classic curves of deep dynamic stall but also the curves characterized by lift oscillations at high angles of attack due to the shedding of multiple vortices. Furthermore, the model appears to be robust to variations of its parameters from the optimal values and of the airfoil geometry. Finally, the model is successfully implemented in a commercial CFD software and applied to the simulation of a vertical axis wind turbine within the actuator cylinder approach. The accuracy of the prediction of the turbine power coefficient in the whole rotation cycle is very good for the optimal working condition of the turbine, for which the model parameters were calibrated. Fairly good accuracy is also obtained in significantly different working conditions without any further calibration.     

Incorporation of active nano-hybrids into poly(ε-caprolactone) for local controlled release: Antifibrinolytic drug

The antifibrinolytic drug trans-4-(aminomethyl)cyclohexanecarboxylate (tranexamic anions) was intercalated by anion exchange into Mg/Al layered double hydroxide (LDH). The hybrid, of formula [Zn_0.65Al_0.35(OH)₂]Trx_0.24(CO₃)_0.055 × 1.5H₂O, was characterized by chemical and thermal analyses and X-ray powder diffraction.Different amounts of the hybrid material were incorporated into poly(ε-caprolactone) by high energy ball milling technique and processed as films. The composite materials were analyzed by X-ray diffractometry, thermogravimetry and FT-IR spectroscopy to clarify the filler-polymer structural organization. An investigation of the mechanical properties of the composite showed an improvement of mechanical parameters, in particular the elastic modulus, when compared to of the pristine polymer. Thus, the inorganic component, even in small quantities, beside acting as a reservoir of active molecular anions, can improve the physical properties.A new method for the quantitative determination of tranexamic anions by infrared spectroscopic analysis was proposed and the release process of the tranexamic anions from the composite into a physiological solution was monitored. The release consisted of two stages: a first stage, very rapid as a burst, in which a small fraction of intercalated drug was released and of a second stage over longer time, much slower than the first.The composites are very promising in the preparation of new hybrid polymeric materials to be used for the molecular delivery of drugs in topical applications, as suture threads or medicate scaffolds.     

Effect of periodic background loss on grating spectra

The effect of periodic loss on the performance of refractive-index gratings has been studied in detail. It is shown that the loss periodicity and relative phase strongly affects the symmetry of the reflection, transmission, and loss spectra. This asymmetry is explained successfully through consideration of the overlap between the standing-wave intensity distribution and the periodic loss pattern.     

Magnetostatic wave propagation in YIG double layers

Calculations are presented for the magnetostatic surface wave propagation characteristics in single-crystal yttrium-iron-garnet (YIG) double layers with arbitrary direction of magnetization. The induced uniaxial magnetic anisotropy field is assumed to be different in the two layers; hence, the magnetization in one layer is aligned at an angle with respect to the magnetization direction in the other layer. The magnetostatic field interactions between layers depend on the angle between the two magnetization directions and on the separation between the two YIG layers. The wave propagation directions and time delays in each layer can be strongly affected by the use of an applied magnetic field and the magnetostatic coupling between the two layers, as well as by the uniaxial anisotropy energy in each layer