Melanocytes Affect Nodal Expression and Signaling in Melanoma Cells: A Lesson from Pediatric Large Congenital Melanocytic Nevi

Expression of Nodal, a Transforming Growth Factor-beta (TGF-β) related growth factor, is associated with aggressive melanoma. Nodal expression in adult dysplastic nevi may predict the development of aggressive melanoma in some patients. A subset of pediatric patients diagnosed with giant or large congenital melanocytic nevi (LCMN) has shown increased risk for development of melanoma. Here, we investigate whether Nodal expression can help identify the rare cases of LCMN that develop melanoma and shed light on why the majority of these patients do not. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining results show varying degree of Nodal expression in pediatric dysplastic nevi and LCMN. Moreover, median scores from Nodal IHC expression analysis were not significantly different between these two groups. Additionally, none of the LCMN patients in this study developed melanoma, regardless of Nodal IHC levels. Co-culture experiments revealed reduced tumor growth and lower levels of Nodal and its signaling molecules P-SMAD2 and P-ERK1/2 when melanoma cells were grown in vivo or in vitro with normal melanocytes. The same was observed in melanoma cells cultured with melanocyte conditioned media containing pigmented melanocyte derived melanosomes (MDM). Since MDM contain molecules capable of inactivating radical oxygen species, to investigate potential anti-oxidant effect of MDM on Nodal expression and signaling in melanoma, melanoma cells were treated with either N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC), a component of the anti-oxidant glutathione or synthetic melanin, which in addition to providing pigmentation can also exert free radical scavenging activity. Melanoma cells treated with NAC or synthetic melanin showed reduced levels of Nodal, P-SMAD2 and P-ERK1/2 compared to untreated melanoma cells. Thus, the potential role for Nodal in melanoma development in LCMN is less evident than in adult dysplastic nevi possibly due to melanocyte cross-talk in LCMN capable of offsetting or delaying the pro-melanoma effects of Nodal via anti-oxidant effects of MDM.     

Gangliosides as Biomarkers of Human Brain Diseases: Trends in Discovery and Characterization by High-Performance Mass Spectrometry

Gangliosides are effective biochemical markers of brain pathologies, being also in the focus of research as potential therapeutic targets. Accurate brain ganglioside mapping is an essential requirement for correlating the specificity of their composition with a certain pathological state and establishing a well-defined set of biomarkers. Among all bioanalytical methods conceived for this purpose, mass spectrometry (MS) has developed into one of the most valuable, due to the wealth and consistency of structural information provided. In this context, the present article reviews the achievements of MS in discovery and structural analysis of gangliosides associated with severe brain pathologies. The first part is dedicated to the contributions of MS in the assessment of ganglioside composition and role in the specific neurodegenerative disorders: Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. A large subsequent section is devoted to cephalic disorders (CD), with an emphasis on the MS of gangliosides in anencephaly, the most common and severe disease in the CD spectrum. The last part is focused on the major accomplishments of MS-based methods in the discovery of ganglioside species, which are associated with primary and secondary brain tumors and may either facilitate an early diagnosis or represent target molecules for immunotherapy oriented against brain cancers.     

Integrating superstructure-based design of molecules,processes, and flowsheets

The key to many chemical and energy conversion processes is the choice of the right molecule, for example, used as working fluid. However, the choice of the molecule is inherently coupled to the choice of the right process flowsheet. In this work, we integrate superstructure-based flowsheet design into the design of processes and molecules. The thermodynamic properties of the molecule are modeled by the PC-SAFT equation of state. Computer-aided molecular design enables considering the molecular structure as degree of freedom in the process optimization. To consider the process flowsheet as additional degree of freedom, a superstructure of the process is used. The method results in the optimal molecule, process, and flowsheet. We demonstrate the method for the design of an organic Rankine cycle considering flowsheet options for regeneration, reheating, and turbine bleeding. The presented method provides a user-friendly tool to solve the integrated design problem of processes, molecules, and process flowsheets.     

A near-optimal Algorithm for H 8 identification of fixed order rational models

This paper presents a near-optimal algorithm for H     

Biopolymeric nanocomposites for potential biomedical applications

This review reports recent advances in the field of biopolymeric composites and nanocomposites for potential biomedical applications. These materials have attracted both academic and, for several composites, industrial attention because they exhibit properties required in the biomedical field. Herein, the structure, preparation and properties of biopolymeric composite blends are discussed in general, and detailed examples are also drawn from the scientific literature and practical work. In this review the most common natural polymers collagen, chitosan and their composites and nanocomposites with inorganic particles are discussed. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry     

Investigation on the non‐quasi‐static effect implementation for millimeter‐wave FET models

The present article analyzes in detail different intrinsic small‐signal models for transistors. Particular attention is devoted to the non‐quasi‐static effects, which play a crucial role at microwave and millimeter‐wave frequencies. The advantages and disadvantages of these different equivalent circuit topologies are analyzed from both theoretical and experimental standpoints. This study clearly proves that best choice among these model representations depends on the specific device technology besides the investigated frequency range. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE, 2010.     

Study on phenol adsorption from aqueous solutions on exfoliated graphitic nanoplatelets

In this study we report first data on exfoliated graphitic nanoplatelets (xGnPs) as a sorbent for phenol removal and preliminary evaluated the ability of different type of natural organic matter (NOM) to effectively disperse exfoliated graphitic nanoplatelets.     

Evaluation of antimicrobial effects of lauric arginate on reduction of Salmonella spp. in ground chicken

The efficacy of lauric arginate (LAE) on Salmonella survivability in ground chicken containing 9.8% fat was determined under refrigerated storage. The effect of LAE treatments on total aerobes, pH and objective colour were also assessed in ground chicken. LAE was highly effective against Salmonella in 0.1% peptone with no detectable survivors following treatment with 200 ppm and 400 ppm of LAE. No difference existed (P > 0.05) in the growth of Salmonella and total aerobes after treatment with 200 and 400 ppm of LAE in ground chicken inoculated with a four strain mixture of Salmonella. At these concentrations, LAE did not exhibit any treatment effect on the pH and colour of ground chicken (P > 0.05). In conclusion, although LAE possesses strong inhibitory (P < 0.05) effect against Salmonella in suspension in 0.1% peptone water, no inhibitory (P > 0.05) effect on growth of Salmonella was observed in ground chicken at the currently approved levels of 200 ppm of LAE.     

Organosoluble asymmetric aromatic polyamides bearing pendent phenoxy groups

This study focuses on the synthesis and characterization of new polyamides based on an aromatic asymmetric diamine‐containing phenoxy‐substituted benzophenone segment. Low‐temperature solution polycondensation reactions of this diamine with various aromatic diacid chlorides containing ether, hexafluoroisopropylidene or diphenylsilane groups resulted in polyamides with molecular weights in the range 102 900–113 200 g mol^?1. The structures of these monomers and the corresponding polymers were fully confirmed using elemental analysis and infrared and NMR spectroscopy. All polyamides were easily soluble at room temperature in polar aprotic solvents and even in less polar solvents such as tetrahydrofuran. The polymers showed excellent thermal stability, up to 385 °C, and displayed glass transition temperatures in the range 225–256 °C. All the polymers presented blue florescence upon irradiation with UV light and thus show promise for applications in electroluminescent devices. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry