Anti-Inflammatory Role of Netrin-4 in Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is characterized by dysfunction of the retinal vascular network, combined with a persistent low-grade inflammation that leads to vision-threatening complications. Netrin-4 (NTN4) is a laminin-related secreted protein and guidance cue molecule present in the vascular basal membrane and highly expressed in the retina. A number of studies inferred that the angiogenic abilities of NTN4 could contribute to stabilize vascular networks and modulate inflammation. Analyzing human specimens, we show that NTN4 and netrin receptors are upregulated in the diabetic retina. We further evaluated a knock-out model for NTN4 undergoing experimental diabetes induced by streptozotocin. We investigated retina function and immune cells in vivo and demonstrated that NTN4 provides a protective milieu against inflammation in the diabetic retina and prevents cytokine production.     

Driving Force of Crystallization Based on Diffusion in the Boundary and the Integration Layers

Crystal growth rates are notoriously difficult to predict and even experimental data are often inconsistent. By allowing for mass and energy diffusion through the molecular and thermal layers surrounding a growing crystal and for the heat effect of crystallization, a new model of crystal growth from solution is proposed and applied to crystallization of potassium chloride from aqueous solution. The driving force for crystal growth was calculated using the solubility at the interface temperature in contrast to the conventional one based on bulk temperature. A positive heat effect at the crystal interface as well as the resistances to the mass and energy transfer processes to and from the crystal surface can reduce the conventional driving force for crystal growth by more than 20 %.     

Green pies: The flavonoid rich Greek snack

The health benefits of the traditional Mediterranean diet are universally recognised. However, data on the nutritional and phytochemical content of the traditional foods of the Mediterranean diet is necessary to further elucidate the impact of this diet on health. This work presents the flavonol, flavone and flavan-3-ol content of a Cretan green pie recipe, kaltsounia with greens and cheese, and of the individual greens used in the preparation determined by Reverse Phase HPLC. The fact that the highest contents of the three flavonoid classes studied were found in three different greens, points out the nutritional value in consuming a mixture of greens rather than individual ones. Traditional foods such as green pies are particularly rich in flavonoids, which makes this specific food of the traditional Greek diet a healthy, nutritious, delicious daily snack.     

Empirical Correlations for Slightly Heated Decaying Passive-Grid Turbulence

For homogeneous isotropic turbulence approximated by grid turbulence, velocity and temperature fluctuations decay under the effects of viscosity and thermal diffusivity of the fluid. In the self-similar region of grid flow, there is no mean shear and no turbulence production, and the decay rate is well represented by a power law; this is supported by the present measurements in three different grid flows and by previously published data for passive-grid turbulence obtained over different ranges of streamwise distance and/or Reynolds number. The grid flow is slightly heated so that temperature acts as a passive scalar. From dimensional analysis and empirical power-law correlations, relations for basic flow parameters, such as the Kolmogorov, Taylor, and Corrsin microscales, and the Reynolds and Péclet numbers, are established as functions of the normalized streamwise distance downstream of the grid. With these relations, it is possible to determine the flow parameters for a specific passive-grid geometry or, more generally, a specific set of initial conditions.     

Iron salen‐catalysed oxidative coupling of phenol derivatives: formaldehyde‐free access to amphiphilic polymers

The oxidative coupling of 4‐tert‐butylphenol ( 1 ), 2,6‐di‐tert‐butyl‐p‐cresol ( 11 ) and 4‐cyanophenol ( 10 ) in the presence of iron salen catalysts (salen = N,N′‐bis(salicylidine)ethylenediamine) and the influence of amine additives on the conversion of 1 were investigated. Furthermore, the activity of the iron complexes was correlated with the substituents at the 5,5′‐positions of the salen ligands. Mechanistically conclusions based on dimer formation in the reaction between 10 and 11 are presented. In the second part of the study the obtained hydrophobic poly(4‐tert‐butylphenol) was modified with Jeffamine^® M‐600, M‐1000 or M‐2070 to give amphiphilic copolymers (18a–c). The amphiphilic copolymers were characterized via size‐exclusion chromatography and dynamic light scattering. The concentration dependence of the cloud point appearance in water of amphiphilic copolymer 18c was analysed via turbidity measurements. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry     

Evolution of endoglucanase activity in olives during ripening and storage and its relationship with cellulolytic microorganisms

Summary Cellulolytic enzymes are responsible for many of the changes associated with the ripening process in olive fruits (Olea europaea). Evolution of endoglucanase activity (EC 3.2.1.4.) was studied in olives during their ripening and softening, both on the tree and after being picked and stored, and was related to the presence of microorganisms. The time course of cellulolytic activity was measured for four stages of ripeness (green, turning colour, black and ripe black) and was related to the total number of cellulolytic bacteria. The increases in activity during ripening and storage gave an indication of how normal flora influences during the olive ripening process.

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Aktivität der Endoglucanase-Entwicklung der Olive während der Reifung und des Weichwerdens und die Beziehung mit cellulolytischen Mikroorganismen

Zusammenfassung Die cellulolytischenEnzyme sind für viele Veränderungen während des Reifens der Olive verantwortlich. Es wurde daher die Aktivität der Enzyme während der Entwicklung der Olive bei der Reifung und dem Weichwerden studiert, und zwar am Baum, nach der Ernte und nach dem Lagern, was auch in Beziehung zu der Gegenwart von Mikroorganismen steht. Es wurde die cellulolytische Aktivitätsentwicklung während der vier Reife-Zustände (grün, farbenwechselnd, schwarz und zartes schwarz) studiert und auf die Gesamtzahl der cellulolytischen Bakterien bezogen. Der Aktivitäts-Zuwachs während des Reifens und Lagerns gibt einen Hinweis, wie die normale Flora auf das Reifen der Oliven einwirkt.