Morphology of Palladium Thin Film Deposited on a Two-Dimensional Bilayer Aluminosilicate

Topics in Catalysis - The morphology of a thin palladium film deposited on bilayer Al0.35Si0.65O2/Ru(0001), previously proposed as a two-dimensional zeolite model, is investigated using a set of...     

A Topical Formulation of Melatoninergic Compounds Exerts Strong Hypotensive and Neuroprotective Effects in a Rat Model of Hypertensive Glaucoma

Melatonin is of great importance for regulating several eye processes, including pressure homeostasis. Melatonin in combination with agomelatine has been recently reported to reduce intraocular pressure (IOP) with higher efficacy than each compound alone. Here, we used the methylcellulose (MCE) rat model of hypertensive glaucoma, an optic neuropathy characterized by the apoptotic death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), to evaluate the hypotensive and neuroprotective efficacy of an eye drop nanomicellar formulation containing melatonin/agomelatine. Eye tissue distribution of melatonin/agomelatine in healthy rats was evaluated by HPLC/MS/MS. In the MCE model, we assessed by tonometry the hypotensive efficacy of melatonin/agomelatine. Neuroprotection was revealed by electroretinography; by levels of inflammatory and apoptotic markers; and by RGC density. The effects of melatonin/agomelatine were compared with those of timolol (a beta blocker with prevalent hypotensive activity) or brimonidine (an alpha 2 adrenergic agonist with potential neuroprotective efficacy), two drugs commonly used to treat glaucoma. Both melatonin and agomelatine penetrate the posterior segment of the eye. In the MCE model, IOP elevation was drastically reduced by melatonin/agomelatine with higher efficacy than that of timolol or brimonidine. Concomitantly, gliosis-related inflammation and the Bax-associated apoptosis were partially prevented, thus leading to RGC survival and recovered retinal dysfunction. We suggest that topical melatoninergic compounds might be beneficial for ocular health.     

Strategies to Modulate Specialized Metabolism in Mediterranean Crops: From Molecular Aspects to Field

Plant specialized metabolites (SMs) play an important role in the interaction with the environment and are part of the plant defense response. These natural products are volatile, semi-volatile and non-volatile compounds produced from common building blocks deriving from primary metabolic pathways and rapidly evolved to allow a better adaptation of plants to environmental cues. Specialized metabolites include terpenes, flavonoids, alkaloids, glucosinolates, tannins, resins, etc. that can be used as phytochemicals, food additives, flavoring agents and pharmaceutical compounds. This review will be focused on Mediterranean crop plants as a source of SMs, with a special attention on the strategies that can be used to modulate their production, including abiotic stresses, interaction with beneficial soil microorganisms and novel genetic approaches.     

A simple and effective design strategy to increase power conversion efficiency of linear charge pumps

This paper introduces a simple design strategy to increase the power efficiency of linear charge pumps. The technique exploits a voltage amplitude of the clock signal lower than the supply voltage to reduce the power conversion losses. The nominal output voltage is maintained unaltered by increasing the number of stages.     

Quantitative Assessment of Affinity Selection Performance by Using DNA-Encoded Chemical Libraries

DNA-encoded chemical libraries are often used for the discovery of ligands against protein targets of interest. These large collections of DNA-barcoded chemical compounds are typically screened by using affinity capture methodologies followed by PCR amplification and DNA sequencing procedures. However, the performance of individual steps in the selection procedures has been scarcely investigated, so far. Herein, the quantitative analysis of selection experiments, by using three ligands with different affinity to carbonic anhydrase IX as model compounds, is described. In the first set of experiments, quantitative PCR (qPCR) procedures are used to evaluate the recovery and selectivity for affinity capture procedures performed on different solid-phase supports, which are commonly used for library screening. In the second step, both qPCR and analysis of DNA sequencing results are used to assess the recovery and selectivity of individual carbonic anhydrase IX ligands in a library, containing 360 000 compounds. Collectively, this study reveals that selection procedures can be efficient for ligands with sub-micromolar dissociation constants to the target protein of interest, but also that selection performance dramatically drops if 10⁴ copies per library member are used as the input.     

Three-Dimensionality in Reciprocal Structures: Concepts and Generative Rules

Reciprocal systems based on superimposition joints, i.e. where un-notched bars sits on the top or in the bottom of each other, could be regarded as being intrinsically three-dimensional because of their natural out-of plane development. This paper presents seven of these three-dimensional configurations, conceived and built by the students of the Master of Science in “Architectural Design” at Aalborg University. They have been developed as an integral part of a 2-week workshop, organized and run by the authors during the fall semester 2011. Since physical models are instruments that trigger the exploration of new typologies because of the direct interaction they provide with the designer the students were called to deal with the issue of three-dimensionality in reciprocal systems through scale models and actual scale prototypes.     

Genes and Pathways Involved in Adult Onset Disorders Featuring Muscle Mitochondrial DNA Instability

Replication and maintenance of mtDNA entirely relies on a set of proteins encoded by the nuclear genome, which include members of the core replicative machinery, proteins involved in the homeostasis of mitochondrial dNTPs pools or deputed to the control of mitochondrial dynamics and morphology. Mutations in their coding genes have been observed in familial and sporadic forms of pediatric and adult-onset clinical phenotypes featuring mtDNA instability. The list of defects involved in these disorders has recently expanded, including mutations in the exo-/endo-nuclease flap-processing proteins MGME1 and DNA2, supporting the notion that an enzymatic DNA repair system actively takes place in mitochondria. The results obtained in the last few years acknowledge the contribution of next-generation sequencing methods in the identification of new disease loci in small groups of patients and even single probands. Although heterogeneous, these genes can be conveniently classified according to the pathway to which they belong. The definition of the molecular and biochemical features of these pathways might be helpful for fundamental knowledge of these disorders, to accelerate genetic diagnosis of patients and the development of rational therapies. In this review, we discuss the molecular findings disclosed in adult patients with muscle pathology hallmarked by mtDNA instability.     

A Critical Review of Biological Processes and Technologies for Landfill Leachate Treatment

The most common method to deal with the huge production of municipal wastes is still the disposal in landfills which, however, generates a leachate with high contents of organic and nitrogen pollutants. Requirements must be fixed by law to control leachate release from such landfills, and effective treatment processes and technologies must be applied to reduce its impact on the environment. Biological processes for leachate treatment are discussed in this review, in the former part of which attention is paid to leachate formation and its qualitative and quantitative features, while the latter deals with the state‐of‐the‐art of the most effective biotechnological treatments presently employed. Processes, alternative methods, and technological improvements are compared, with special focus on novel technologies to remove nitrogen pollutants from leachate, highlighting advantages and drawbacks of each treatment.