Antioxidant capacity and total reducing power of balsamic and traditional balsamic vinegar from Modena and Reggio Emilia by conventional chemical assays

Antioxidant capacity of a number of balsamic vinegar (BV) and traditional balsamic (TBV) vinegars from the districts of Modena and Reggio Emilia (Italy) have been assessed using two chemical assays, the Briggs–Rauscher oscillating reaction method and the Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) method. The total reducing power was also evaluated using the Folin–Ciocalteu reagent. The results show that the antioxidant parameters of TBV are significantly better than those of the BV, in agreement with the different manufacturing procedures and product ageing. A good correlation was found between the methods used. Suggestion for an approximate evaluation of ageing based on antioxidant parameters values is also given.     

Cooperative strategies in satellite assisted emergency services

This paper deals with the cooperative strategies, which can be adopted in emergency scenarios by integrating space and terrestrial segments, and communication and localization services. First, the cooperative solutions for integrated Navigation and Communication systems are reviewed and an effective software‐defined radio implementation is described. Then, cooperative systems for broadcast and multicast communications in Incident Area Network are proposed and evaluated: in the broadcast scenario, low‐complexity relaying techniques are adopted to overcome the propagation impairments and the performance degradation; in the multicast system, radio resources management techniques for group communications are designed to allow the efficient use of scarce resources and improve connectivity and reliability of the overall system. The technical solutions have been studied and tested in the framework of the Italian National Research Project SAtellite‐assisted LocalIzation and Communication system for Emergency services [1]. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Aggregation behaviour of a water-soluble ammonium-functionalized polythiophene: Luminescence enhancement induced by bile-acid anions

The water-soluble poly{trimethyl-[7-(3-thienylsulfanyl)heptyl]ammonium iodide-co-thiophene} (PTN⁺Me₃) forms aggregates whose size span a large range of values, depending on solvent, concentration and film formation conditions. Larger aggregates were detected by atomic force microscopy and dynamic light scattering, smaller ones by DOSY NMR, UV–visible and fluorescence. All techniques indicate a reduced aggregation of PTN⁺Me₃ in DMSO relative to water and a marked de-aggregation of PTN⁺Me₃ in water following addition of bile-acid anions such as deoxycholate and ursodeoxycholate. The latter effect shows itself through a very large enhancement of the polymer photoluminescence likely caused by disruption of aggregated non-emissive exciton traps. A tailored combination of electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions between the polymer and the bile-acid anions seems to be necessary to achieve this effect. These observations suggest that this polythiophene might provide a basis for the development of fluorescent sensors suitable for the detection of medium-sized amphiphilic biomolecules.     

Single-crystalline Te microtubes: Synthesis and NO2 gas sensor application

Tellurium tubular crystals were grown by direct thermal evaporation of tellurium metal in an inert atmosphere on quartz substrates at ambient pressure without employing any catalyst. Tellurium powder was evaporated by heating at 600 °C and was condensed at a substrate temperature of 300–350 °C in the downstream of argon gas at a flow rate of 100 mL/min. The structure and chemical composition of the as-synthesized samples were examined by X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-rays microanalysis and micro-Raman spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy images and X-ray diffraction patterns showed that the as-synthesized Te had a tubular single-crystalline morphology with a hexagonal cross-section. The Te microtubes were typically 0.5–6 mm long, 30–70 μm in external diameter, and 5–20 μm thick. NO₂ gas-sensing properties of the Te microtubes at room temperature were also investigated. They showed a promising sensitivity and response towards tested gas.     

A2A Receptor Dysregulation in Dystonia DYT1 Knock-Out Mice

We aimed to investigate A2A receptors in the basal ganglia of a DYT1 mouse model of dystonia. A2A was studied in control Tor1a+/+ and Tor1a+/− knock-out mice. A2A expression was assessed by anti-A2A antibody immunofluorescence and Western blotting. The co-localization of A2A was studied in striatal cholinergic interneurons identified by anti-choline-acetyltransferase (ChAT) antibody. A2A mRNA and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) contents were also assessed. In Tor1a+/+, Western blotting detected an A2A 45 kDa band, which was stronger in the striatum and the globus pallidus than in the entopeduncular nucleus. Moreover, in Tor1a+/+, immunofluorescence showed A2A roundish aggregates, 0.3–0.4 μm in diameter, denser in the neuropil of the striatum and the globus pallidus than in the entopeduncular nucleus. In Tor1a+/−, A2A Western blotting expression and immunofluorescence aggregates appeared either increased in the striatum and the globus pallidus, or reduced in the entopeduncular nucleus. Moreover, in Tor1a+/−, A2A aggregates appeared increased in number on ChAT positive interneurons compared to Tor1a+/+. Finally, in Tor1a+/−, an increased content of cAMP signal was detected in the striatum, while significant levels of A2A mRNA were neo-expressed in the globus pallidus. In Tor1a+/−, opposite changes of A2A receptors’ expression in the striatal-pallidal complex and the entopeduncular nucleus suggest that the pathophysiology of dystonia is critically dependent on a composite functional imbalance of the indirect over the direct pathway in basal ganglia.     

Role of miRNA-19a in Cancer Diagnosis and Poor Prognosis

Cancer is a multifactorial disease that affects millions of people every year and is one of the most common causes of death in the world. The high mortality rate is very often linked to late diagnosis; in fact, nowadays there are a lack of efficient and specific markers for the early diagnosis and prognosis of cancer. In recent years, the discovery of new diagnostic markers, including microRNAs (miRNAs), has been an important turning point for cancer research. miRNAs are small, endogenous, non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression. Compelling evidence has showed that many miRNAs are aberrantly expressed in human carcinomas and can act with either tumor-promoting or tumor-suppressing functions. miR-19a is one of the most investigated miRNAs, whose dysregulated expression is involved in different types of tumors and has been potentially associated with the prognosis of cancer patients. The aim of this review is to investigate the role of miR-19a in cancer, highlighting its involvement in cell proliferation, cell growth, cell death, tissue invasion and migration, as well as in angiogenesis. On these bases, miR-19a could prove to be truly useful as a potential diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic marker.     

The Importance of N186 in the Alpha-1-Antitrypsin Shutter Region Is Revealed by the Novel Bologna Deficiency Variant

Alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency causes pulmonary disease due to decreased levels of circulating AAT and consequently unbalanced protease activity in the lungs. Deposition of specific AAT variants, such as the common Z AAT, within hepatocytes may also result in liver disease. These deposits are comprised of ordered polymers of AAT formed by an inter-molecular domain swap. The discovery and characterization of rare variants of AAT and other serpins have historically played a crucial role in the dissection of the structural mechanisms leading to AAT polymer formation. Here, we report a severely deficient shutter region variant, Bologna AAT (N186Y), which was identified in five unrelated subjects with different geographical origins. We characterized the new variant by expression in cellular models in comparison with known polymerogenic AAT variants. Bologna AAT showed secretion deficiency and intracellular accumulation as detergent-insoluble polymers. Extracellular polymers were detected in both the culture media of cells expressing Bologna AAT and in the plasma of a patient homozygous for this variant. Structural modelling revealed that the mutation disrupts the hydrogen bonding network in the AAT shutter region. These data support a crucial coordinating role for asparagine 186 and the importance of this network in promoting formation of the native structure.     

Therapeutic Acellular Scaffolds for Limiting Left Ventricular Remodelling-Current Status and Future Directions

Myocardial infarction (MI) is one of the leading causes of heart-related deaths worldwide. Following MI, the hypoxic microenvironment triggers apoptosis, disrupts the extracellular matrix and forms a non-functional scar that leads towards adverse left ventricular (LV) remodelling. If left untreated this eventually leads to heart failure. Besides extensive advancement in medical therapy, complete functional recovery is never accomplished, as the heart possesses limited regenerative ability. In recent decades, the focus has shifted towards tissue engineering and regenerative strategies that provide an attractive option to improve cardiac regeneration, limit adverse LV remodelling and restore function in an infarcted heart. Acellular scaffolds possess attractive features that have made them a promising therapeutic candidate. Their application in infarcted areas has been shown to improve LV remodelling and enhance functional recovery in post-MI hearts. This review will summarise the updates on acellular scaffolds developed and tested in pre-clinical and clinical scenarios in the past five years with a focus on their ability to overcome damage caused by MI. It will also describe how acellular scaffolds alone or in combination with biomolecules have been employed for MI treatment. A better understanding of acellular scaffolds potentialities may guide the development of customised and optimised therapeutic strategies for MI treatment.