Suspended InAs Nanowire-Based Devices for Thermal Conductivity Measurement Using the 3<Emphasis Type="Italic">ω</Emphasis> Method

We demonstrated device architectures implementing suspended InAs nanowires for thermal conductivity measurements. To this aim, we exploited a fabrication protocol involving the use of a sacrificial layer. The relatively large aspect ratio of our nanostructures combined with their low electrical resistance allows to exploit the four-probe 3ω technique to measure the thermal conductivity, inducing electrical self-heating in the nanowire at frequency ω and measuring the voltage drop across the nanostructure at frequency 3ω. In our systems, field effect modulation of the transport properties can be achieved exploiting fabricated side-gate electrodes in combination with the SiO₂/Si?++?substrate acting as a back gate. Our device architectures can open new routes to the all-electrical investigation of thermal parameters in III-V semiconductor nanowires, with a potential impact on thermoelectric applications.     

Effects of the provision of solid feeds enriched with protein or nonprotein nitrogen on veal calf growth,welfare, and slaughter performance

The study compared the effects of enriching a basic solid feed mixture made of corn grain and straw with a protein source (extruded pea) or with urea on growth, health, behavior, and carcass quality of veal calves. Seventy-nine calves, divided according to their initial body weight (59.8 ± 6.9 kg) into 3 groups (5 pens of 5 or 6 animals per group), were allotted to 1 of 3 experimental feeding treatments: milk replacer plus an 85:15 (as-fed basis) mixture of corn grain and wheat straw (CGS); milk replacer plus a 72:15:13 mixture of corn grain, wheat straw, and extruded pea (CGS-EP); or milk replacer plus an 83.3:16:0.7 mixture of corn grain, wheat straw, and urea (CGS-U). All feeding treatments were targeted to provide 140 kg of dry matter (DM)/calf of solid feed during the 201-d fattening cycle, and the greater crude protein content of the mixtures supplemented with protein or urea was balanced by restricting to 96% the daily amount of milk replacer delivered to CGS. Results did not differ among feeding treatments for average daily gain or solid feed intake but, net of meal refusal events, the average daily intake of milk replacer was 1.73, 1.66, and 1.60 kg of DM/calf for CGS, CGS-EP, and CGS-U, respectively. The overall mean hemoglobin values from samples taken at d 11, 40, 83, 126, and 196 were lower for CGS-U calves (9.1 ± 0.2 g/dL) compared with CGS (9.8 ± 0.2 g/dL), whereas those of CGS-EP were intermediate (9.4 ± 0.2 g/dL). Behavioral observations showed a frequency of oral stereotypes <1.2% for all feeding treatments. Longer eating and chewing or ruminating time was recorded for CGS-U calves compared with CGS and CGS-EP calves. All carcasses had satisfactory color for the veal market and none of the carcass traits were affected by the feeding treatments. The proportions of tongues and lungs with signs of lesions, forestomach development, abomasal lesions, and rumen plaques did not differ among feeding treatments. Hyperkeratinization of rumen papillae was observed only in CGS-U calves with a prevalence of 11.3%. Based on these findings, providing a corn grain and straw solid feed mixture enriched with extruded pea or urea was an effective strategy to reduce milk replacer consumption, lowering total feeding cost per calf by 3.0 to 3.4% and 6.9 to 7.2%, respectively. This economic advantage was supported by the lack of detrimental effects on calf growth performance, behavior, and carcass quality. However, the occurrence of rumen papillae hyperkeratosis may raise some concerns about the use of urea.     

Liposome Formulation and In Vitro Testing in Non-Physiological Conditions Addressed to Ex Vivo Kidney Perfusion

This work focuses on formulating liposomes to be used in isolated kidney dynamic machine perfusion in hypothermic conditions as drug delivery systems to improve preservation of transplantable organs. The need mainly arises from use of kidneys from marginal donors for transplantation that are more exposed to ischemic/reperfusion injury compared to those from standard donors. Two liposome preparation techniques, thin film hydration and microfluidic techniques, are explored for formulating liposomes loaded with two model proteins, myoglobin and bovine serum albumin. The protein-loaded liposomes are characterized for their size by DLS and morphology by TEM. Protein releases from the liposomes are tested in PERF-GEN perfusion fluid, 4 °C, and compared to the in vitro protein release in PBS, 37 °C. Fluorescent liposome uptake is analyzed by fluorescent microscope in vitro on epithelial tubular renal cell cultures and ex vivo on isolated pig kidney in hypothermic perfusion conditions. The results show that microfluidics are a superior technique for obtaining reproducible spherical liposomes with suitable size below 200 nm. Protein encapsulation efficiency is affected by its molecular weight and isoelectric point. Lowering incubation temperature slows down the proteins release; the perfusion fluid significantly affects the release of proteins sensitive to ionic media (such as BSA). Liposomes are taken up by epithelial tubular renal cells in two hours’ incubation time.     

GSK343, an Inhibitor of Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2, Reduces Glioblastoma Progression through Inflammatory Process Modulation: Focus on Canonical and Non-Canonical NF-κB/IκBα Pathways

Glioblastoma (GB) is a tumor of the central nervous system characterized by high proliferation and invasiveness. The standard treatment for GB includes radiotherapy and chemotherapy; however, new therapies are needed. Particular attention was given to the role of histone methyltransferase enhancer of zeste-homolog-2 (EZH2) in GB. Recently, several EZH2-inhibitors have been developed, particularly GSK343 is well-known to regulate apoptosis and autophagy processes; however, its abilities to modulate canonical/non-canonical NF-κB/IκBα pathways or an immune response in GB have not yet been investigated. Therefore, this study investigated for the first time the effect of GSK343 on canonical/non-canonical NF-κB/IκBα pathways and the immune response, by an in vitro, in vivo and ex vivo model of GB. In vitro results demonstrated that GSK343 treatments 1, 10 and 25 μM significantly reduced GB cell viability, showing the modulation of canonical/non-canonical NF-κB/IκBα pathway activation. In vivo GSK343 reduced subcutaneous tumor mass, regulating canonical/non-canonical NF-κB/IκBα pathway activation and the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Ex vivo results confirmed the anti-proliferative effect of GSK343 and also demonstrated its ability to regulate immune response through CXCL9, CXCL10 and CXCL11 expression in GB. Thus, GSK343 could represent a therapeutic strategy to counteract GB progression, thanks to its ability to modulate canonical/non-canonical NF-κB/IκBα pathways and immune response.     

Impact of Dysfunctional Adipose Tissue Depots on the Cardiovascular System

Obesity with its associated complications represents a social, economic and health problem of utmost importance worldwide. Specifically, obese patients carry a significantly higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease compared to nonobese individuals. Multiple molecular mechanisms contribute to the impaired biological activity of the distinct adipose tissue depots in obesity, including secretion of proinflammatory mediators and reactive oxygen species, ultimately leading to an unfavorable impact on the cardiovascular system. This review summarizes data relating to the contribution of the main adipose tissue depots, including both remote (i.e., intra-abdominal, hepatic, skeletal, pancreatic, renal, and mesenteric adipose fat), and cardiac (i.e., the epicardial fat) adipose locations, on the cardiovascular system. Finally, we discuss both pharmacological and non-pharmacological strategies aimed at reducing cardiovascular risk through acting on adipose tissues, with particular attention to the epicardial fat.     

Machine Learning With Data Assimilation and Uncertainty Quantification for Dynamical Systems: A Review

Data assimilation (DA) and uncertainty quantification (UQ) are extensively used in analysing and reducing error propagation in high-dimensional spatial-temporal dynamics. Typical applications span from computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to geoscience and climate systems. Recently, much effort has been given in combining DA, UQ and machine learning (ML) techniques. These research efforts seek to address some critical challenges in high-dimensional dynamical systems, including but not limited to dynamical system identification, reduced order surrogate modelling, error covariance specification and model error correction. A large number of developed techniques and methodologies exhibit a broad applicability across numerous domains, resulting in the necessity for a comprehensive guide. This paper provides the first overview of state-of-the-art researches in this interdisciplinary field, covering a wide range of applications. This review is aimed at ML scientists who attempt to apply DA and UQ techniques to improve the accuracy and the interpretability of their models, but also at DA and UQ experts who intend to integrate cutting-edge ML approaches to their systems. Therefore, this article has a special focus on how ML methods can overcome the existing limits of DA and UQ, and vice versa. Some exciting perspectives of this rapidly developing research field are also discussed.      

Calibration-Free and High-Sensitivity Microwave Detectors Based on InAs/InP Nanowire Double Quantum Dots

At the cutting-edge of microwave detection technology, novel approaches which exploit the interaction between microwaves and quantum devices are rising. In this study, microwaves are efficiently detected exploiting the unique transport features of InAs/InP nanowire double quantum dot-based devices, suitably configured to allow the precise and calibration-free measurement of the local field. Prototypical nanoscale detectors are operated both at zero and finite source-drain bias, addressing and rationalizing the microwave impact on the charge stability diagram. The detector performance is addressed by measuring its responsivity, quantum efficiency and noise equivalent power that, upon impedance matching optimization, are estimated to reach values up to ≈2000 A W⁻¹, 0.04 and ≈${10}^{-16}\mathrm{W}/\sqrt{Hz}$, respectively. The interaction mechanism between the microwave field and the quantum confined energy levels of the double quantum dots is unveiled and it is shown that these semiconductor nanostructures allow the direct assessment of the local intensity of the microwave field without the need for any calibration tool. Thus, the reported nanoscale devices based on III-V nanowire heterostructures represent a novel class of calibration-free and highly sensitive probes of microwave radiation, with nanometer-scale spatial resolution, that may foster the development of novel high-performance microwave circuitries.     

Boronic Acid Moieties Stabilize Adhesion of Microalgal Biofilms on Glassy Substrates: A Chemical Tool for Environmental Applications

Photosynthetic organisms such as diatoms microalgae provide innovative routes to eco-friendly technologies for environmental pollution bioremediation. Living diatoms are capable to incorporate in vivo a wide variety of chemical species dispersed in seawater, thus being promising candidates for eco-friendly removal of toxic contaminants. However, their exploitation requires immobilization methods that allow to confine microalgae during water treatment. Here we demonstrate that a biofilm of Phaeodactylum tricornutum diatom cells grown on the surface of a glassy substrate bearing boronic acid protruding moieties is stably anchored to the substrate resisting mechanical stress and it is suitable for removal of up to 80 % metal ions (As, Cr, Cu, Zn, Sn, Pb, Sb) in a model polluted water sample. Control experiments also suggest that stabilization of the biofilm adhesion occurs by interaction of boronic acid surface groups of the substrate with the hydroxyl groups of diatoms extracellular polysaccharides.