Rheology of Hydroxyapatite Dispersions

Hydroxyapatite (HA) is an interesting ceramic material for orthopedic applications, in particular for implant operations and bone regeneration, owing to its bioactivity and biocompatibility with the surrounding tissues. Even if different shaping processes can be used in order to obtain porous ceramic bodies with optimal final properties, the sponge impregnation method with aqueous HA dispersions is particularly suitable to achieve an appropriate macroporosity to bone regeneration. As for conventional slip or tape casting, the rheological behavior of HA suspensions must be properly fitted to process conditions and controlled through a satisfactory stabilization of the disperse phase, i.e., through an appropriate dispersant dosage and an accurate homogenization of dispersed powder. In the present work, HA powders with different crystallinity degree were used to prepare aqueous dispersions with different contents of solids and dispersant (ammonium polyacrylate). The specific surface area of HA powders is very high, and then special attention must be dedicated to the dispersant selection and the dispersion process since the rheology of HA suspensions is strongly influenced by the structural conditions of the disperse phase. Even small differences in dispersant concentration can lead to dramatic changes in the rheological properties also at relatively low values of solids volume concentration. Above a critical concentration, the viscosity drop associated with the apparently plastic behavior is confined within a very narrow stress range, a neat transition is observed in the linear viscoelastic properties, and the time-dependent effects induced by the shear history become quite important and crucial for the experimental characterization.     

PECVD of h-BN and c-BN films from boranedimethylamine as a single source precursor

Boron nitride (BN) thin films have been successfully synthesised via low pressure plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) by using boranedimethylamine, BH₃NH(CH₃)₂, as a single source precursor in the temperature range 280-550 °C in a nitrogen-argon atmosphere. The plasma power was optimised with the aim of obtaining suitable cubic/hexagonal phase ratios. The annealing of the h-BN films at temperatures up to 1000 °C in a nitrogen atmosphere, at normal pressure, gave rise to a complete transformation into the cubic phase. FTIR measurements provided a suitable method for identifying the structure of BN films. UV-vis spectroscopy was carried out in order to investigate the optical behaviour of the films.     

Robust control in presence of parametric uncertainties: Observer-based feedback controller design

This paper proposes a complete procedure for the design of a robust controller for a nonlinear process, taking into account the various issues arising in the design and using the main theoretical results from the Literature about this topic. An extended model is set up, linking performance and robustness to the control law: the H_∞ norm of the extended system in closed loop measures the achievement of the objectives. The result is a state feedback control law which guarantees robust performance. The problem of the design of an observer to estimate the state of the system is also addressed, as the complete knowledge of the state is required to calculate the control action; moreover, the implications of the use of the observer in the design of the controller are pointed out. The methodology is illustrated via simulation of a regulation problem in a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR). The application of this methodology to more complex systems will be discussed.     

Robust control of a reverse-flow reactor

This paper is focused on the design of a robust controller for a catalytic fixed-bed reactor with periodical inversion of the flow direction (reverse-flow reactor, RFR). The analogy between the RFR operated at infinite switching frequency and the countercurrent reactor is the basis of the simplified mathematical model of the reactor.The control system uses dilution and internal electric heating to ensure complete conversion of the reactants and to prevent overheating of the catalyst. As the state of the system is not fully available, apart from some temperature measurements, an observer is designed and used in the control algorithm. This is a typical case of nonlinear system with uncertainties. Following the procedure described in detail by Fissore [2008. Robust control in presence of parametric uncertainties: observer-based feedback controller design. Chemical Engineering Science, in press, doi:10.1016/j.ces.2007.12.019.], the extended model for the process is setup, thus taking into account all the simplifications of the model and linking performance and robustness to the control law, which is a simple state feedback. Simulations with randomly varying feeding concentration have been carried out in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control system.     

New Insight into Molecular and Hormonal Connection in Andrology

Hormones and cytokines are known to regulate cellular functions in the testes. These biomolecules induce a broad spectrum of effects on various level of spermatogenesis, and among them is the modulation of cell junction restructuring between Sertoli cells and germ cells in the seminiferous epithelium. Cytokines and androgens are closely related, and both correct testicular development and the maintenance of spermatogenesis depend on their function. Cytokines also play a crucial role in the immune testicular system, activating and directing leucocytes across the endothelial barrier to the inflammatory site, as well as in increasing their adhesion to the vascular wall. The purpose of this review is to revise the most recent findings on molecular mechanisms that play a key role in male sexual function, focusing on three specific molecular patterns, namely, cytokines, miRNAs, and endothelial progenitor cells. Numerous reports on the interactions between the immune and endocrine systems can be found in the literature. However, there is not yet a multi-approach review of the literature underlying the role between molecular patterns and testicular and sexual function.     

Xanthenylacetic Acid Derivatives Effectively Target Lysophosphatidic Acid Receptor 6 to Inhibit Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Growth

Despite the increasing incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) worldwide, current pharmacological treatments are still unsatisfactory. We have previously shown that lysophosphatidic acid receptor 6 (LPAR6) supports HCC growth and that 9-xanthenylacetic acid (XAA) acts as an LPAR6 antagonist inhibiting HCC growth without toxicity. Here, we synthesized four novel XAA derivatives, (±)-2-(9H-xanthen-9-yl)propanoic acid (compound 4 – MC9), (±)-2-(9H-xanthen-9-yl)butanoic acid (compound 5 – MC6), (±)-2-(9H-xanthen-9-yl)hexanoic acid (compound 7 – MC11), and (±)-2-(9H-xanthen-9-yl)octanoic acid (compound 8 – MC12, sodium salt) by introducing alkyl groups of increasing length at the acetic α-carbon atom. Two of these compounds were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction and quantum mechanical calculations, while molecular docking simulations suggested their enantioselectivity for LPAR6. Biological data showed anti-HCC activity for all XAA derivatives, with the maximum effect observed for MC11. Our findings support the view that increasing the length of the alkyl group improves the inhibitory action of XAA and that enantioselectivity can be exploited for designing novel and more effective XAA-based LPAR6 antagonists.     

Integrated Genomics Identifies miR-181/TFAM Pathway as a Critical Driver of Drug Resistance in Melanoma

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are attractive therapeutic targets and promising candidates as molecular biomarkers for various therapy-resistant tumors. However, the association between miRNAs and drug resistance in melanoma remains to be elucidated. We used an integrative genomic analysis to comprehensively study the miRNA expression profiles of drug-resistant melanoma patients and cell lines. MicroRNA-181a and -181b (miR181a/b) were identified as the most significantly down-regulated miRNAs in resistant melanoma patients and cell lines. Re-establishment of miR-181a/b expression reverses the resistance of melanoma cells to the BRAF inhibitor dabrafenib. Introduction of miR-181 mimics markedly decreases the expression of TFAM in A375 melanoma cells resistant to BRAF inhibitors. Furthermore, melanoma growth was inhibited in A375 and M14 resistant melanoma cells transfected with miR-181a/b mimics, while miR-181a/b depletion enhanced resistance in sensitive cell lines. Collectively, our study demonstrated that miR-181a/b could reverse the resistance to BRAF inhibitors in dabrafenib resistant melanoma cell lines. In addition, miR-181a and -181b are strongly down-regulated in tumor samples from patients before and after the development of resistance to targeted therapies. Finally, melanoma tissues with high miR-181a and -181b expression presented favorable outcomes in terms of Progression Free Survival, suggesting that miR-181 is a clinically relevant candidate for therapeutic development or biomarker-based therapy selection.     

Extensive Placental Methylation Profiling in Normal Pregnancies

The placental methylation pattern is crucial for the regulation of genes involved in trophoblast invasion and placental development, both key events for fetal growth. We investigated LINE-1 methylation and methylome profiling using a methylation EPIC array and the targeted methylation sequencing of 154 normal, full-term pregnancies, stratified by birth weight percentiles. LINE-1 methylation showed evidence of a more pronounced hypomethylation in small neonates compared with normal and large for gestational age. Genome-wide methylation, performed in two subsets of pregnancies, showed very similar methylation profiles among cord blood samples while placentae from different pregnancies appeared very variable. A unique methylation profile emerged in each placenta, which could represent the sum of adjustments that the placenta made during the pregnancy to preserve the epigenetic homeostasis of the fetus. Investigations into the 1000 most variable sites between cord blood and the placenta showed that promoters and gene bodies that are hypermethylated in the placenta are associated with blood-specific functions, whereas those that are hypomethylated belong mainly to pathways involved in cancer. These features support the functional analogies between a placenta and cancer. Our results, which provide a comprehensive analysis of DNA methylation profiling in the human placenta, suggest that its peculiar dynamicity can be relevant for understanding placental plasticity in response to the environment.     

Effects and Mechanism of Pre-ozonation on Sand Filtration Performance

Diatoms were shown to be responsible for clogging the sand filtration tanks in the waterworks of Beijing treating reservoir source water. The effect of pre-ozonation on the performance of the sand filter was investigated using a continuous-flow (200 L h^?1) pilot experimental system. At the optimum ozone dose of 1.0 mg L^?1, the filter run time was prolonged 2.7–2.8-fold, the number of 2–5 μm diameter particles decreased from 353–829 ml^?1 to 53–269 ml^?1 and the turbidity in the filtrate decreased from >0.2 NTU to < 0.1 NTU. Laboratory tests showed that ozone was able to break the cells of the diatoms, including Fragilaria sp., Diatoma sp. and Navicula sp., into smaller particles, and the optimum ozone dose was also 1.0 mg L^?1. Decomposition of algae is likely to be the main reason for the significantly improved performance of filtration.     

Electrical ac and dc behavior of epoxy nanocomposites containing graphene oxide

This article deals with the investigation of electrical properties of epoxy‐based nanocomposites containing graphene oxide nanofillers dispersed in the polymer matrix through two‐phase extraction. Broadband dielectric spectroscopy and dc electrical conductivity as a function of electric field have been evaluated in specimens containing up to 0.5 wt % of nanofiller. Nanocomposites containing pristine graphene oxide do not show significant changes of electrical properties. On the contrary, the same materials after a proper thermal treatment at 135°C, able to provoke the in situ reduction of graphene oxide, exhibit higher permittivity and electrical conductivity, without showing large decrease of breakdown voltage. Moreover, a nonlinear behavior of the electrical conductivity is observed in the range of electric fields investigated, i.e. 2–30 kV mm^?1. A new relaxation phenomenon with a very low temperature dependence is also evidenced at high frequency in reduced graphene oxide composites, likely associated to induced polarization of electrically conductive nanoparticles. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 41923.