Photocatalytic Selective Oxidation of 4‐Methoxybenzyl Alcohol to Aldehyde in Aqueous Suspension of Home‐Prepared Titanium Dioxide Catalyst

The photocatalytic oxidation of 4‐methoxybenzyl alcohol to p‐anisaldehyde (PAA) was performed in water with organic‐free suspensions of home‐prepared and commercial titanium dioxide (TiO₂) catalysts. The nanostructured TiO₂ samples were synthesised by boiling aqueous solutions of titanium tetrachloride (TiCl₄), under mild conditions, for different times. The crystallinity increased with the boiling time. The 4‐methoxybenzyl alcohol oxidation rate followed the same pattern but the highest yield (41.5 % mol) to PAA was found for the least crystalline sample, that showed a quantum efficiency of 0.116 %. A comparison with two commercial TiO₂ samples showed that all the home‐prepared catalysts exhibited a PAA yield higher than that of commercial ones. The only by‐products present were traces of 4‐methoxybenzoic acid and aliphatic products, carbon dioxide being the other main oxidation product.     

Extraction of a Simplified Model for Street Corner Loss in Microcells from Ray-Tracing Simulation

Microcellular propagation follows different laws than the well-known traditional models, and it is strongly affected by the street and building layout. A well-known and evident phenomenon is the street-corner effect, which consists of a sudden decrease of received field strength as soon as a mobile turns into a side street. Predictions based on ray optics, which can be applied to this case, are accurate but time-consuming. Hence, they cannot be used extensively, e.g., to plan a microcellular network in a city. In many cases, a simplified model would be suitable to give account of field strength behaviour in the transition region between line-of-sight (LOS) and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) propagation, and could be used as a basis of a complete microcellular field prediction tool. Following this approach, we propose a simple parametrical model for propagation around a corner: the parameter values have been tuned to fit the considered environment. The tuning process can be accomplished by means of either measurements or simulations. In order for the model to be as general as possible, it needs a large amount of reference data: for this reason, we used simulations performed with a validated ray-tracing software tool in a variety of situations. These simulations allow one to derive values of the various parameters as functions of the local topology (e.g., street width, distance from the street corner, etc.). The model thus tuned is compared with measurements, showing a good agreement between estimated and measured path loss. This model is shown to behave satisfactorily when compared with measurements, and it is suitable to characterise the street-corner effect in a variety of cases. Finally, this model, along with a simple model for LOS propagation (double slope, with a breakpoint caused by reflections on the ground and on building walls), is aimed at building a complete, modular prediction tool for the microcellular environment.     

The dynamics of coastal landslides: insights from laboratory experiments and theoretical analyses

Laboratory experiments have been carried out to study the dynamics of landslides commencing sub-aerially and ending inside a water basin. A comparison between experiments with and without water shows differences in the final deposits. In the subaqueous experiments the grains did not spread out from the mass in the same way as in the subaerial movement. It is suggested that air can be trapped inside the mass which, released during the final stage of the underwater mass propagation, modifies the buoyancy forces. Other effects observed during the air to water transition include the “jumping” and “tilting” of grains. It is concluded that the air to water transition plays a key role in the dynamics of combined subaerial/subaqueous landslides. The information obtained from the experiments may also be useful in the consideration of tsunami generation and the sedimentological analyses of landslide deposits.     

Detection of Hen Lysozyme on Proteic Profiles of Grana Padano Cheese through SELDI-TOF MS High-Throughput Technology during the Ripening Process

Lysozyme is used in cheese manufacture in order to prevent blowing in cheeses caused by Clostridium tyrobutyricum. Being an egg derivative, the presence of lysozyme must be included on the label for residual allergenic risk (2003/89/CE). The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of lysozyme on proteic profiles of typical Italian cheeses such as Grana Padano through surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The proteolytic activity of ripening (from 0 to 24 months), confirmed by a decrease in casein, did not influence the intensity of lysozyme peaks. Furthermore, ripened Grana Padano cheese could be differentiated on mass profiling from immature Grana Padano by the presence of particular signals that are probably related to casein proteolysis.     

Molecular Classification and Pharmacogenetics of Primary Plasma Cell Leukemia: An Initial Approach toward Precision Medicine

Primary plasma cell leukemia (pPCL) is a rare and aggressive variant of multiple myeloma (MM) which may represent a valid model for high-risk MM. This disease is associated with a very poor prognosis, and unfortunately, it has not significantly improved during the last three decades. New high-throughput technologies have allowed a better understanding of the molecular basis of this disease and moved toward risk stratification, providing insights for targeted therapy studies. This knowledge, added to the pharmacogenetic profile of new and old agents in the analysis of efficacy and safety, could contribute to help clinical decisions move toward a precision medicine and a better clinical outcome for these patients. In this review, we describe the available literature concerning the genomic characterization and pharmacogenetics of plasma cell leukemia (PCL).