Ionic Conductivity in Sodium–Alkaline Earth–Aluminosilicate Glasses

The effect of alkaline‐earth ions on Na transport in aluminosilicate glasses was studied by measuring ionic conductivity for a systematic compositional series of Na₂O–RO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂ glasses (R=Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba). The Na transport in aluminosilicate glass could be affected by compositional changes in aluminum coordination and nonbridging oxygen as well as physical properties such as dielectric constant, shear modulus, and ionic packing factor. Through careful experimental designs and measurements, the main determinants among these parameters were identified. ²⁷Al MAS‐NMR indicated that all aluminum species contained in these glasses are four‐coordinated. The activation energy for ion conductivity decreased with increasing aluminum content and decreasing ionic radii of the alkaline‐earth ion in the region where [Al] < [Na]. When the aluminum content exceeded the sodium content ([Al] > [Na]), the composition dependence of the activation energy depended on the specific alkaline earth. These results are explained based on variations in free volume and dielectric constant caused by structural changes around the AlO₄ charge compensation sites. These structure changes occur in response to the smaller size and higher field strength of the alkaline‐earth ions, and are most prevalent in the compositions which require bridging of two AlO₄ sites by the alkaline‐earth ion for charge compensation.     

Integrating a Human Behavior Model within an Agent‐Based Approach for Blasting Evacuation

Several studies on Emergency Management are available in the literature, but most of them do not consider how the human behavior during an emergency can affect the evacuation process. Therefore, the novel contribution of this article is the implementation of an agent‐based model to describe the evacuation, due to a blast in a public area, integrated with a human behavior analytical model. Each agent has its own behavior that is described in a layered framework. The first layer simulates the “agent's features” function. Then, an “individual module” describes dynamically the emotional aspects using (i) the Decision Field Theory, (ii) a stationary stochastic model, and (iii) the results coming from a questionnaire. An agent‐based model with integrated human behavior is proposed to test critical infrastructures in emergency conditions without performing full scale evacuation tests. Analyses could be performed both in real time with a hazard scenario and at the design level to predict the system response to identify the optimal configuration. Therefore, the development of the proposed methodology could support both designers and policy makers in the decision‐making process.     

Comparative analysis of the outdoor performance of a dye solar cell mini‐panel for building integrated photovoltaics applications

New generation photovoltaic (PV) devices such as polymer and dye sensitized solar cells (DSC) have now reached a more mature stage of development, and among their various applications, building integrated PVs seems to have the most promising future, especially for DSC devices. This new generation technology has attracted an increasing interest because of its low cost due to the use of cheap printable materials and simple manufacturing techniques, easy production, and relatively high efficiency. As for the more consolidated PV technologies, DSCs need to be tested in real operating conditions and their performance compared with other PV technologies to put into evidence the real potential. This work presents the results of a 3 months outdoor monitoring activity performed on a DSC mini‐panel made by the Dyepower Consortium, positioned on a south oriented vertical plane together with a double junction amorphous silicon (a‐Si) device and a multi‐crystalline silicon (m‐Si) device at the ESTER station of the University of Rome Tor Vergata. Good performance of the DSC mini‐panel has been observed for this particular configuration, where the DSC energy production compares favorably with that of a‐Si and m‐Si especially at high solar angles of incidence confirming the suitability of this technology for the integration into building facades. This assumption is confirmed by the energy produced per nominal watt‐peak for the duration of the measurement campaign by the DSC that is 12% higher than that by a‐Si and only 3% lower than that by m‐Si for these operating conditions. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Energetics and Structure of Polymer‐Derived Si–(B–)O–C Glasses: Effect of the Boron Content and Pyrolysis Temperature

The structure and properties of polymer‐derived Si–(B–)O–C glasses have been shown to be significantly influenced by the boron content and pyrolysis temperature. This work determined the impact of these two parameters on the thermodynamic stability of these glasses. High‐temperature oxide melt solution calorimetry was performed on a series of amorphous samples, with varying boron contents (0–7.7 at.%), obtained by pyrolysis of precursors made by a sol–gel technique. Thermodynamic analysis of the calorimetric results demonstrated that at a constant pyrolysis temperature, adding boron makes the materials energetically less stable. While the B‐containing glasses pyrolyzed at 1000°C were energetically less stable than the competitive crystalline components, increasing the pyrolysis temperature to 1200°C led to their enthalpic stability. ²⁹Si and ¹¹B MAS nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy measurements on selected samples confirmed a decrease in the concentrations of mixed Si‐centered SO_iC_4?i and B‐centered BO_jC_3?j bonds at the expense of formation of SiO₄ and B(OSi)₃ species (indicating a tendency toward phase separation) when the boron content and pyrolysis temperature increased. In light of the findings from calorimetry and NMR spectroscopy, we propose a structure–energetic relationship in Si–(B–)O–C glasses.     

Pullulan‐based films and coatings for food packaging: Present applications,emerging opportunities,and future challenges

Societal and industrial demands for lower environmental impact, cost effectiveness, and high‐performance goods and services are increasingly impacting the choice of technologies which are developed and deployed in consumer products. Like many other sectors, food packaging is moving to new technologies; the use of biopolymers is one of the most promising strategies toward an optimized use of traditional packaging materials (e.g., oil‐based plastics) without impairing the goal of extending shelf life. Among other food packaging materials, pullulan is attracting much attention due to its unique features. The goal of this review is to provide an overview of current and emerging applications of pullulan within the food packaging sector. In particular, the functional properties of interest for the food packaging industry will be discussed in light of the physicochemical attributes of this exopolysaccharide. Future challenges that may dictate the successful penetration of pullulan in the food packaging market are also outlined. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40539.     

Ficolin-2 Plasma Level Assesses Liver Fibrosis in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Fibrosis is the strongest predictor for disease-specific mortality in non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases (NAFLD), but the need for liver biopsy limits its diagnosis. We assessed the performance of plasma ficolin-2 (FCN-2) as a biomarker of fibrosis identified by an in silico discovery strategy. Two hundred and thirty-five morbidly obese (MO) subjects with biopsy-proven NAFLD stratified by fibrosis stage (F0, n = 44; F1, n = 134; F2, n = 46; F3/F4, n = 11) and 40 cirrhotic patients were enrolled. The cohort was subdivided into discovery (n = 76) and validation groups (n = 159). The plasma level of FCN-2 and other candidate markers was determined. FCN-2 was inversely correlated with the stage of liver fibrosis (ρ = −0.49, p < 0.001) independently of steatosis (p = 0.90), inflammation (p = 0.57), and ballooning (p = 0.59). In the global cohort, FCN-2 level decreased significantly in a stepwise fashion from F0/F1 (median 4753 ng/mL) to F2–F3–F4 (2760 ng/mL) and in cirrhotic subjects (1418 ng/mL). The diagnostic performance of FCN-2 in detecting F ≥ 2 was higher than other indexes (APRI, FIB-4) (AUROC 0.82, 0.68, and 0.6, respectively). The accuracy improved when combined with APRI score and HDL values (FCNscore, AUROC 0.85). Overall, the FCN-2 plasma level can accurately discriminate liver fibrosis status (minimal vs. moderate/advanced) significantly improving the fibrosis diagnostic algorithms.     

The L467F-F508del Complex Allele Hampers Pharmacological Rescue of Mutant CFTR by Elexacaftor/Tezacaftor/Ivacaftor in Cystic Fibrosis Patients: The Value of the Ex Vivo Nasal Epithelial Model to Address Non-Responders to CFTR-Modulating Drugs

Loss-of-function mutations of the CFTR gene cause cystic fibrosis (CF) through a variety of molecular mechanisms involving altered expression, trafficking, and/or activity of the CFTR chloride channel. The most frequent mutation among CF patients, F508del, causes multiple defects that can be, however, overcome by a combination of three pharmacological agents that improve CFTR channel trafficking and gating, namely, elexacaftor, tezacaftor, and ivacaftor. This study was prompted by the evidence of two CF patients, compound heterozygous for F508del and a minimal function variant, who failed to obtain any beneficial effects following treatment with the triple drug combination. Functional studies on nasal epithelia generated in vitro from these patients confirmed the lack of response to pharmacological treatment. Molecular characterization highlighted the presence of an additional amino acid substitution, L467F, in cis with the F508del variant, demonstrating that both patients were carriers of a complex allele. Functional and biochemical assays in heterologous expression systems demonstrated that the double mutant L467F-F508del has a severely reduced activity, with negligible rescue by CFTR modulators. While further studies are needed to investigate the actual prevalence of the L467F-F508del allele, our results suggest that this complex allele should be taken into consideration as plausible cause in CF patients not responding to CFTR modulators.     

Li4SiO4 pebbles reduction in He + 0.1% H2 purge gas and effects on tritium release properties

Lithium orthosilicate reduction was examined by Temperature Programmed Reaction (TPR) and Temperature Programmed Desorption (TPD) methods performed in He (or Ar) + H₂ purge gas flowing through pebble bed specimens. The parameters governing the kinetics and the steady-state of the reduction process to Li₄SiO_4−x were determined at 800°C. The level x of the O-vacancy concentration at steady-state (of the order of 1.5×10⁻³ mole fraction) was found to be compatible with the impurities content in the specimens. Pebble pre-annealing treatments were found to affect the microstructure and the reduction mechanism. Post-irradiation tritium release by TPD tests were performed on both stoichiometric and reduced pebbles with similar results. Tritium release properties of this breeder system seem to be independent from the material reduction state (x).     

The Role of Testosterone in the Elderly: What Do We Know?

Testosterone is the most important hormone in male health. Aging is characterized by testosterone deficiency due to decreasing testosterone levels associated with low testicular production, genetic factors, adiposity, and illness. Low testosterone levels in men are associated with sexual dysfunction (low sexual desire, erectile dysfunction), reduced skeletal muscle mass and strength, decreased bone mineral density, increased cardiovascular risk and alterations of the glycometabolic profile. Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) shows several therapeutic effects while maintaining a good safety profile in hypogonadal men. TRT restores normal levels of serum testosterone in men, increasing libido and energy level and producing beneficial effects on bone density, strength and muscle as well as yielding cardioprotective effects. Nevertheless, TRT could be contraindicated in men with untreated prostate cancer, although poor findings are reported in the literature. In addition, different potential side effects, such as polycythemia, cardiac events and obstructive sleep apnea, should be monitored. The aim of our review is to provide an updated background regarding the pros and cons of TRT, evaluating its role and its clinical applicability in different domains.     

Diabetes and Ischemic Stroke: An Old and New Relationship an Overview of the Close Interaction between These Diseases

Diabetes mellitus is a comprehensive expression to identify a condition of chronic hyperglycemia whose causes derive from different metabolic disorders characterized by altered insulin secretion or faulty insulin effect on its targets or often both mechanisms. Diabetes and atherosclerosis are, from the point of view of cardio- and cerebrovascular risk, two complementary diseases. Beyond shared aspects such as inflammation and oxidative stress, there are multiple molecular mechanisms by which they feed off each other: chronic hyperglycemia and advanced glycosylation end-products (AGE) promote ‘accelerated atherosclerosis’ through the induction of endothelial damage and cellular dysfunction. These diseases impact the vascular system and, therefore, the risk of developing cardio- and cerebrovascular events is now evident, but the observation of this significant correlation has its roots in past decades. Cerebrovascular complications make diabetic patients 2–6 times more susceptible to a stroke event and this risk is magnified in younger individuals and in patients with hypertension and complications in other vascular beds. In addition, when patients with diabetes and hyperglycemia experience an acute ischemic stroke, they are more likely to die or be severely disabled and less likely to benefit from the one FDA-approved therapy, intravenous tissue plasminogen activator. Experimental stroke models have revealed that chronic hyperglycemia leads to deficits in cerebrovascular structure and function that may explain some of the clinical observations. Increased edema, neovascularization, and protease expression as well as altered vascular reactivity and tone may be involved and point to potential therapeutic targets. Further study is needed to fully understand this complex disease state and the breadth of its manifestation in the cerebrovasculature.