Immune parameters in female workers exposed to urban pollutants

Urban outside workers, such as traffic police, are daily exposed to air pollutants and psychosocial stressors: for these workers, the working environment corresponds to the living environment of the general population. Studies in the literature have shown that immune parameters could be affected by chronic exposure to various chemical pollutants. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether occupational exposure to urban pollutants can cause alterations in NK, IL-2, IFN-gamma and C3 plasma levels in female traffic police compared to a control group. After excluding subjects with the principal confounding factors, 86 female traffic police and 87 controls were matched by age, years of police work and habitual alcohol consumption. The distribution of NK values in female traffic police and controls was significantly different (p=0.000); NK values above the upper limit of the normal laboratory range were observed in 23 female traffic police and in 2 controls (p=0.000). IL-2 mean levels were higher in traffic police compared to controls, but the difference was not significant. The mean and the distribution of IFN-gamma values in female traffic police and controls were not different. C3 mean levels were higher in female traffic police versus controls, but the difference was not significant. Considering that the subjects with the principal confounding factors were excluded from the study and that female traffic police and controls were matched by the above-mentioned variables, our results suggest that chronic occupational exposure to low doses of chemical stressors, which may interact with and add to psychosocial ones, can affect both innate and adaptative immunity.     

The Histamine H4 Receptor Participates in the Neuropathic Pain-Relieving Activity of the Histamine H3 Receptor Antagonist GSK189254

Growing evidence points to the histamine system as a promising target for the management of neuropathic pain. Preclinical studies reported the efficacy of H₃R antagonists in reducing pain hypersensitivity in models of neuropathic pain through an increase of histamine release within the CNS. Recently, a promising efficacy of H₄R agonists as anti-neuropathic agents has been postulated. Since H₃R and H₄R are both localized in neuronal areas devoted to pain processing, the aim of the study is to investigate the role of H₄R in the mechanism of anti-hyperalgesic action of the H₃R antagonist GSK189254 in the spared nerve injury (SNI) model in mice. Oral (6 mg/kg), intrathecal (6 µg/mouse), or intra locus coeruleus (LC) (10 µg/µL) administration of GSK189254 reversed mechanical and thermal allodynia in the ipsilateral side of SNI mice. This effect was completely prevented by pretreatment with the H₄R antagonist JNJ 10191584 (6 µg/mouse i.t.; (10 µg/µL intraLC). Furthermore, GSK189254 was devoid of any anti-hyperalgesic effect in H₄R deficient mice, compared with wild type mice. Conversely, pretreatment with JNJ 10191584 was not able to prevent the hypophagic activity of GSK189254. In conclusion, we demonstrated the selective contribution of H₄R to the H₃R antagonist-induced attenuation of hypernociceptive behavior in SNI mice. These results might help identify innovative therapeutic interventions for neuropathic pain.     

设计和仿真无线局域网设备天线

对带有开关电路的2.4 GHz极化分集印刷天线进行电磁场及电磁场与电路协同仿真 通过采用极化分集技术,可以用低成本PCB基片制造具有良好接收机性能的无线局域网设备(WLAN)天线.本文将描述如何使用最新的三维电磁场(EM)仿真工具来设计和仿真一对2.4GHz正交极化的印刷偶极子天线,同时预测表面电流和相关的远场辐射图.     

Open Questions in Cold Atmospheric Plasma Treatment in Head and Neck Cancer: A Systematic Review

Over the past decade, we witnessed a promising application of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) in cancer therapy. The aim of this systematic review was to provide an exhaustive state of the art of CAP employed for the treatment of head and neck cancer (HNC), a tumor whose late diagnosis, local recurrence, distant metastases, and treatment failure are the main causes of patients’ death. Specifically, the characteristics and settings of the CAP devices and the in vitro and in vivo treatment protocols were summarized to meet the urgent need for standardization. Its molecular mechanisms of action, as well as the successes and pitfalls of current CAP applications in HNC, were discussed. Finally, the interesting emerging preclinical hypotheses that warrant further clinical investigation have risen. A total of 24 studies were included. Most studies used a plasma jet device (54.2%). Argon resulted as the mostly employed working gas (33.32%). Direct and indirect plasma application was reported in 87.5% and 20.8% of studies, respectively. In vitro investigations were 79.17%, most of them concerned with direct treatment (78.94%). Only eight (33.32%) in vivo studies were found; three were conducted in mice, and five on human beings. CAP showed pro-apoptotic effects more efficiently in tumor cells than in normal cells by altering redox balance in a way that oxidative distress leads to cell death. In preclinical studies, it exhibited efficacy and tolerability. Results from this systematic review pointed out the current limitations of translational application of CAP in the urge of standardization of the current protocols while highlighting promising effects as supporting treatment in HNC.     

Engineered Immature Testicular Tissue by Electrospun Mats for Prepubertal Fertility Preservation in a Bioluminescence Imaging Transgenic Mouse Model

Prepubertal boys with cancer may suffer from reduced fertility and maturity following gonadotoxic chemoradiotherapy. Thus, a viable method of immature testicular tissue (ITT) preservation is required in this cohort. In this study, we used poly-L-lactic acid electrospun scaffolds with two levels of fineness to support the development of ITT transplanted from transgenic donors to wild-type recipient mice. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential of ITT transplantation and spermatogenesis after using the two scaffolds, employing bioluminescence imaging for evaluation. The results suggest that ITT from 4-week-old mice possessed the most potential in spermatogenesis on the 70th day, together with the fine electrospun scaffolds. Moreover, bioluminescent imaging intensity was observed in recipient mice for up to 107 days, approximately six times more than the coarse electrospun scaffold and the control group. This occurs since the fine scaffold is more akin to the microenvironment of native testicular tissue as it reduces stiffness resulting from micronization and body fluid infiltration. The thermal analysis also exhibited recrystallization during the biodegradation process, which can lead to a more stable microenvironment. Overall, these findings present the prospect of fertility preservation in prepubertal males and could serve as a framework for future applications.     

Santolina pinnata Viv. Exerts Promising Antitumor Activity against Breast Cancer Cells and Anti-Inflammatory Effects in LPS-Stimulated RAW 264.7 Cells

Cancer is one of the largest causes of mortality in the world, and due to its incidence, the discovery of novel anticancer drugs is of great importance. Many successful anticancer drugs used in clinical practices are derived from natural products. The genus Santolina is a group of species distributed in the Mediterranean area and used in traditional medicine for their biological properties. The aim of this work was to investigate, for the first time, the multi-target biological potential of Italian Santolina pinnata in relation to their chemical profile, by which an interesting natural source of valuable phytochemicals endowed with anticancer and anti-inflammatory features could be assessed. n-Hexane (EHSP) and methanol (EMSP) extracts were investigated by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC), respectively. Anti-proliferative activity was analyzed on MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, as well as on non-tumorigenic MCF-10A cells, by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Apoptotic death was assessed by comet assay. Cell motility and invasive features were examined in highly invasive MDA-MB-231 by wound-healing scratches, while, in both breast cancer cell lines, by gel-zymography experiments. The anti-inflammatory potential was analyzed by nitric oxide (NO) production and the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) staining experiments in bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS) which stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. EHSP and EMSP extracts exhibited anticancer activity against breast cancer cells, promoting apoptotic death, as well as decreasing cell migration and invasive behaviours. The highest activity (IC₅₀ of 15.91 μg/mL) was detected against MDA-MB-231 cells, a highly invasive breast cancer cell line. Both extracts were also able to promote anti-inflammatory effects (IC₅₀ values ranging from 27.5 to 61.14 μg/mL), as well as to reduce NO levels by inducing inhibitory effects on NF-κB nuclear translocation in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. The different biological behaviours found between the extracts could be related to their different chemical compositions. Herein, the multi-target biological potential of S. pinnata in inducing antitumor and anti-inflammatory effects was comprehensively demonstrated. These findings will provide important stepping-stones for further investigations and may lead to the development of highly effective S. pinnata extract-based treatments for breast cancer and inflammatory processes.     

In-air hand gesture signature recognition system based on 3-dimensional imagery

Multimedia Tools and Applications - A traditional online handwritten signature recognition system requires direct contact to acquisition device and usually will leave a traceable print on the...     

Lysines Acetylome and Methylome Profiling of H3 and H4 Histones in Trichostatin A—Treated Stem Cells

Trichostatin A ([R-(E,E)]-7-[4-(dimethylamino) phenyl]-N-hydroxy- 4,6-dimethyl- 7-oxo-2,4-heptadienamide, TSA) affects chromatin state through its potent histone deacetylase inhibitory activity. Interfering with the removal of acetyl groups from lysine residues in histones is one of many epigenetic regulatory processes that control gene expression. Histone deacetylase inhibition drives cells toward the differentiation stage, favoring the activation of specific genes. In this paper, we investigated the effects of TSA on H3 and H4 lysine acetylome and methylome profiling in mice embryonic stem cells (ES14), treated with trichostatin A (TSA) by using a new, untargeted approach, consisting of trypsin-limited proteolysis experiments coupled with MALDI-MS and LC-MS/MS analyses. The method was firstly set up on standard chicken core histones to probe the optimized conditions in terms of enzyme:substrate (E:S) ratio and time of proteolysis and, then, applied to investigate the global variations of the acetylation and methylation state of lysine residues of H3 and H4 histone in the embryonic stem cells (ES14) stimulated by TSA and addressed to differentiation. The proposed strategy was found in its simplicity to be extremely effective in achieving the identification and relative quantification of some of the most significant epigenetic modifications, such as acetylation and lysine methylation. Therefore, we believe that it can be used with equal success in wider studies concerning the characterization of all epigenetic modifications.     

A network approach to large-scale experimental data acquisition and analysis

The Plasma Research Laboratory at the Australian National University has developed a sophisticated and flexible data acquisition system for its LT-4 tokamak that requires very little support to construct, maintain and expand. It is novel in that it is based on a minicomputer network and is built almost entirely of commercially available products. Benchmarks show that the network system outperforms conventional stand-alone and time-shared data systems.     

Resonant-tank control of parallel resonant converter

A control method called resonant-tank control (RTC) is proposed for a parallel resonant converter operating above resonance. Using a simple linear combination of tank variables, it has potential for high-frequency DC-DC converter applications. RTC controls the tank in a near-time-optimal manner and is shown to have better dynamics than conventional frequency control. Experimental results that confirm the superior transient performance of the RTC method are provided. The principle of operation of the RTC can be extended to operation below resonance as well as to series resonant converter control