More on false thrombocytopenias: EDTA-dependent pseudothrombocytopenia associated with a congenital platelet release defect

Natural metabolite glycine administered per os to rats in the fetus period of pregnancy in a dose of 1 mg/kg was found to exert a corrective action with respect to the toxic effect of ethanol in the mother-fetus system. Glycine prevents loss in the body weight, normalizes functional state of the nervous system and metabolic disorders in the maternal organism, improve the redox processes in the lymphocytes changed under alcoholization, and protect the fetus both on the metabolic and microstructural levels.     

Pump power stability range of single-mode solid-state lasers with rod thermal lensing

The pump power stability range of solid-state laser resonators operating in the TEM00mode has been thoroughly investigated. It has been shown that, for a very general resonator containing intracavity optical systems, rod thermal lensing engenders a pump power stability range which is a characteristic parameter of laser material and pump cavity, but is independent of resonator configuration. Stability ranges have been calculated and critically discussed for Nd:YAG, Nd:glasses, Nd: Cr: GSGG, and alexandrite. The independence of the pump power stability range from the resonator configuration has been experimentally demonstrated for a CW Nd:YAG laser.     

Exploiting Unique Alignment of Cobalt Ferrite Nanoparticles,Mild Hyperthermia,and Controlled Intrinsic Cobalt Toxicity for Cancer Therapy

Nanoparticle-based magnetic hyperthermia is a well-known thermal therapy platform studied to treat solid tumors, but its use for monotherapy is limited due to incomplete tumor eradication at hyperthermia temperature (45 °C). It is often combined with chemotherapy for obtaining a more effective therapeutic outcome. Cubic-shaped cobalt ferrite nanoparticles (Co–Fe NCs) serve as magnetic hyperthermia agents and as a cytotoxic agent due to the known cobalt ion toxicity, allowing the achievement of both heat and cytotoxic effects from a single platform. In addition to this advantage, Co–Fe NCs have the unique ability to form growing chains under an alternating magnetic field (AMF). This unique chain formation, along with the mild hyperthermia and intrinsic cobalt toxicity, leads to complete tumor regression and improved overall survival in an in vivo murine xenograft model, all under clinically approved AMF conditions. Numerical calculations identify magnetic anisotropy as the main Co–Fe NCs’ feature to generate such chain formations. This novel combination therapy can improve the effects of magnetic hyperthermia, inaugurating investigation of mechanical behaviors of nanoparticles under AMF, as a new avenue for cancer therapy.     

Investigation of the microbial ecology of Ciauscolo, a traditional Italian salami, by culture-dependent techniques and PCR-DGGE

The microbial ecology of 22 samples of commercially available Ciauscolo salami were investigated using a polyphasic approach, based on culture-dependent and -independent techniques. The viable counts of pathogen and hygiene indicator microorganisms highlighted the adequate application of good manufacturing practices, while the viable counts of the lactic acid bacteria, coagulase negative cocci, and yeasts showed dominance of the first of these microbial groups. Bacterial and fungal DNA were extracted directly from the salami and amplified by PCR, using two primer sets targeting the 16S and 28S rRNA genes, respectively. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and sequencing of selected bands were used to investigate the microbial ecology of these Ciauscolo salami. The most frequently found bacterial species were Lactobacillus sakei and Lb. curvatus, while Debaryomyces hansenii was the prevalent yeast species detected. Cluster analysis of the DGGE profiles and calculation of biodiversity indices allowed the degree of microbial similarity across these salami to be determined.     

Salt marsh vegetation radiometry: Data analysis and scaling

This paper aims to determine the optimal procedure for classifying salt marsh vegetation from hyperspectral data and to establish relationships between airborne and ground measurement properties. The study is carried out on data collected in the Lagoon of Venice (Italy). Spectral angle mapping proves to be a reliable classification procedure, and spectral differentiation is seen to improve separability of vegetation types. Further, scaling relationships are derived to link the value of the variance of data aggregated at different scales, allowing the determination of data variability at coarse resolution on the basis of ground measurements. The comparison between the theoretical, up-scaled, values of standard deviation and those computed from remote sensing data shows a good agreement supporting the derived relations. Finally, a scaling relationship is established for spectral angles, which may be useful in determining an optimal threshold angle from ground data.     

Swelling properties and bioactivity of silica gel/pHEMA nanocomposites

A novel hydrogel based on 2-hydroxyethyl- methacrilate and SiO₂ nanoparticles was prepared. The filler was added at a concentration of 30% w/w of silica nanoparticles to the mass of polymer. The composite material was characterised as far as concerns swelling behaviour in comparison to pHEMA. Swelling ratio of modified pHEMA was higher. Bioactivity of both SiO₂ nanoparticles and the modified hydrogel was evaluated by soaking samples into a simulated body fluid (SBF). FT-IR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive system (EDS) results suggest silica nanoparticles keep bioactive in the polymer. SiO₂ filler in a p(HEMA) matrix makes the composite bioactive. Therefore, these composites can be used to make bioactive scaffold for bone engineering.     

Characterization of Hyaluronic Acid-Coated PLGA Nanoparticles by Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

Nanoparticles (NPs) coated with hyaluronic acid (HA) seem to be increasingly promising for targeted therapy due to HA chemical versatility, which allows them to bind drugs of different natures, and their affinity with the transmembrane receptor CD-44, overexpressed in tumor cells. However, an essential aspect for clinical use of NPs is formulation stability over time. For these reasons, analytical techniques capable of characterizing their physico-chemical properties are needed. In this work, poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) NPs with an average diameter of 100–150 nm, coated with a few 10 s of nm of HA, were synthesized. For stability characterization, two complementary investigative techniques were used: Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) spectroscopy. The first technique provided information on size, polidispersity index, and zeta-potential, and the second provided a deeper insight on the NP surface chemicals, allowing distinguishing of HA-coated NPs from uncoated ones. Furthermore, in order to estimate formulation stability over time, NPs were measured and monitored for two weeks. SERS results showed a progressive decrease in the signal associated with HA, which, however, is not detectable by the DLS measurements.