Blood Thiol Redox State in Chronic Kidney Disease

Thiols (sulfhydryl groups) are effective antioxidants that can preserve the correct structure of proteins, and can protect cells and tissues from damage induced by oxidative stress. Abnormal levels of thiols have been measured in the blood of patients with moderate-to-severe chronic kidney disease (CKD) compared to healthy subjects, as well as in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients on haemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis. The levels of protein thiols (a measure of the endogenous antioxidant capacity inversely related to protein oxidation) and S-thiolated proteins (mixed disulphides of protein thiols and low molecular mass thiols), and the protein thiolation index (the molar ratio of the S-thiolated proteins to free protein thiols in plasma) have been investigated in the plasma or red blood cells of CKD and ESRD patients as possible biomarkers of oxidative stress. This type of minimally invasive analysis provides valuable information on the redox status of the less-easily accessible tissues and organs, and of the whole organism. This review provides an overview of reversible modifications in protein thiols in the setting of CKD and renal replacement therapy. The evidence suggests that protein thiols, S-thiolated proteins, and the protein thiolation index are promising biomarkers of reversible oxidative stress that could be included in the routine monitoring of CKD and ESRD patients.     

Cancer-Related Cachexia: The Vicious Circle between Inflammatory Cytokines,Skeletal Muscle,Lipid Metabolism and the Possible Role of Physical Training

Cachexia is a multifactorial and multi-organ syndrome that is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in late-stage chronic diseases. The main clinical features of cancer-related cachexia are chronic inflammation, wasting of skeletal muscle and adipose tissue, insulin resistance, anorexia, and impaired myogenesis. A multimodal treatment has been suggested to approach the multifactorial genesis of cachexia. In this context, physical exercise has been found to have a general effect on maintaining homeostasis in a healthy life, involving multiple organs and their metabolism. The purpose of this review is to present the evidence for the relationship between inflammatory cytokines, skeletal muscle, and fat metabolism and the potential role of exercise training in breaking the vicious circle of this impaired tissue cross-talk. Due to the wide-ranging effects of exercise training, from the body to the behavior and cognition of the individual, it seems to be able to improve the quality of life in this syndrome. Therefore, studying the molecular effects of physical exercise could provide important information about the interactions between organs and the systemic mediators involved in the overall homeostasis of the body.     

On the Efficacy of ZnO Nanostructures against SARS-CoV-2

In 2019, the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19), related to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), started spreading around the word, giving rise to the world pandemic we are still facing. Since then, many strategies for the prevention and control of COVID-19 have been studied and implemented. In addition to pharmacological treatments and vaccines, it is mandatory to ensure the cleaning and disinfection of the skin and inanimate surfaces, especially in those contexts where the contagion could spread quickly, such as hospitals and clinical laboratories, schools, transport, and public places in general. Here, we report the efficacy of ZnO nanoparticles (ZnONPs) against SARS-CoV-2. NPs were produced using an ecofriendly method and fully characterized; their antiviral activity was tested in vitro against SARS-CoV-2, showing a decrease in viral load between 70% and 90%, as a function of the material’s composition. Application of these nano-antimicrobials as coatings for commonly touched surfaces is envisaged.     

The Fight against Cancer by Microgravity: The Multicellular Spheroid as a Metastasis Model

Cancer is a disease exhibiting uncontrollable cell growth and spreading to other parts of the organism. It is a heavy, worldwide burden for mankind with high morbidity and mortality. Therefore, groundbreaking research and innovations are necessary. Research in space under microgravity (µg) conditions is a novel approach with the potential to fight cancer and develop future cancer therapies. Space travel is accompanied by adverse effects on our health, and there is a need to counteract these health problems. On the cellular level, studies have shown that real (r-) and simulated (s-) µg impact survival, apoptosis, proliferation, migration, and adhesion as well as the cytoskeleton, the extracellular matrix, focal adhesion, and growth factors in cancer cells. Moreover, the µg-environment induces in vitro 3D tumor models (multicellular spheroids and organoids) with a high potential for preclinical drug targeting, cancer drug development, and studying the processes of cancer progression and metastasis on a molecular level. This review focuses on the effects of r- and s-µg on different types of cells deriving from thyroid, breast, lung, skin, and prostate cancer, as well as tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, we summarize the current knowledge of the impact of µg on cancerous stem cells. The information demonstrates that µg has become an important new technology for increasing current knowledge of cancer biology.     

The Ni/ZrO2 catalyst and the methanation of CO and CO2

The Ni/ZrO₂ catalyst is one of the most active systems for the methanation of CO to be employed in the hydrogen purification for PEMFC. This contribution aims to study the effect of ZrO₂ on the methanation of CO and CO₂. The catalytic behavior of Ni/ZrO₂, Ni/SiO₂, a physical mixture comprising Ni and ZrO_2, and a double-bed reactor were evaluated. The TPD of CO and CO₂, TPSR and the cyclohexane dehydrogenation reaction were carried out to describe the catalysts and the reactions. The high activity of Ni/ZrO₂ catalyst toward the methanation of CO is related to the presence of active sites on the ZrO₂ surface. The methanation of CO occurs on ZrO₂ due to its ability to adsorb CO and also because of the hydrogen spillover phenomenon. Apparently, the effect of ZrO₂ is less relevant for the methanation of CO₂. Ni/ZrO₂ is a very promising system for the purification of hydrogen.     

Changes of the cell surface hydrophobicity of Lactobacillus acidophilus La‐5 in response to pH,temperature and inulin

The main topic of this study was to study how cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH) could change in response to pH, temperature and inulin; Lactobacillus acidophilus La‐5 was used as a model microorganism. pH, temperature, inulin and incubation time (exposure to prebiotic or incubation at pH 4.0 and 9.0) were combined through a full factorial design and a Central Composite Design; the results were analysed using a multifactorial anova (first step) and a stepwise regression (second step). Temperature and pH significantly affected CSH: an increase in the temperature determined a significant increase in CSH, whereas the correlation pH vs. CSH was negative, as an increase in pH caused a significant decrease in CSH. Inulin played a significant role, but its effect could be influenced by temperature, pH and exposure time. This study is the first approach on the effects of some environmental factors on CSH and suggests that the culturing conditions and/or the exposure to some prebiotics could modify it with positive or negative effects.     

Empowering cultural heritage professionals with tools for authoring and deploying personalised visitor experiences

User Modeling and User-Adapted Interaction - This paper presents an authoring environment, which supports cultural heritage professionals in the process of creating and deploying a wide range of...     

Digitalisation and employment in manufacturing

The present work tackles the issue of the effects of digitalisation on employment. This issue has been attracting a growing interest, in particular because of the anxiety generated by the idea that digital technologies could cancel a large number of jobs. Although I agree with argument put forward in opposition to the existence of a causal link between technological innovation and increased productivity at the macroeconomic level, I believe that the novelty and pervasiveness of digital technologies require more in-depth micro-level analysis in order to understand the extent to which new digital technologies are currently employed by leading manufacturing companies and the ways new technologies are affecting employment. The empirical findings show that among the different technologies included under the umbrella of Industry 4.0, mainly robots have received a great deal of attention so far, while the current application and employment impact for other emerging technological opportunities such as 3D printing, Internet of Things, Augmented reality, Big data Analytics have not been studied yet. In relation to the qualitative changes of the labour market, our empirical research confirms that there are new types of skills that will be demanded in the future in manufacturing, in particular in relation to service provision and software development.