Presence of synthetic antioxidants in organic and conventional milk

Samples of conventional (n = 11) and organic (n = 81) milk, both raw and heat-treated, were analysed for the presence of synthetic antioxidants (butylated hydroxytoluene, butylated hydroxyanisole, dodecyl gallate, propyl gallate and octyl gallate) to verify whether those labelled as “organic” corresponded to EU Regulations on the use of additives in such products. The analysis detected only the antioxidant BHT and its aldehyde BHT–CHO in all 11 conventional milk and in 18 of 81 organic milk samples. The investigation highlights the importance of strict control of organic dairy production, since synthetic antioxidants added to feedstuff to prevent rancidity can be transferred to milk.     

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of New Compatibilizers Based on EBAGMA‐LDPE and EBAGMA‐PET Masterbatches for LDPE/PET Blends

The present paper is aimed to evaluate the efficiency of two masterbatches, i.e., EBAGMA/LDPE (MB1) and EBAGMA/PET (MB2) with 50/50 w/w composition, prepared by melt mixing and used as new compatibilizers for blends of LDPE/PET. The morphology, the mechanical and the thermal properties of LDPE/PET/MB1 and LDPE/PET/MB2 ternary blends have been investigated. Morphological investigation by SEM of LDPE/PET/MB1 ternary blends showed a finer dispersion of PET in LDPE matrix with a better interfacial adhesion compared to those of both LDPE/PET/MB2 and binary LDPE/PET blends. The results also indicated a substantial improvement in both elongation at break and impact strength, while the Young's modulus decreased. Moreover, the thermal properties showed a decrease of the crystallization phenomena of PET in LDPE/PET/MB1 blend, thus confirming the good dispersion of PET particles into the continuous phase of LDPE matrix, leading to the conclusion that MB1 could be an efficient compatibilizer for LDPE/PET system.

     

Viscoelastic properties and morphological characteristics of polymer‐modified bitumen blends

The state of dispersion, the viscoelastic properties and the mechanical properties (such as Young's modulus, ductibility, penetration, and Fraas breaking point) of polymer‐modified bitumen are investigated. Bitumen was modified with low‐density polyethylene from processed bags (PE_bags) and styrene‐butadiene random block copolymer (SBR). The blends were characterized by optical microscopy, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), and other conventional methods. Photomicrographs indicated that different morphologies were obtained; PE_bags gave dispersions with almost spherical polymer particles; whereas in the case of SBR, fibrillar domains were observed. DMTA measurements indicated significant changes of the storage and loss moduli of modified bitumen; depending on the polymer content in the bitumen matrix, these values were three to four times higher compared with neat bitumen. Blends with SBR showed a significantly increased resistance to cracking at low temperatures due to decrease of the glass transition temperature from ?14 to ?34°C. Contrary, PE_bags gave better results at higher temperatures where as a result of the increased resistance to permanent deformation the softening point of modified bitumen was shifted from 52 to 73°C. It was also investigated the influence of mixtures of PE_bags/SBR on the properties of bitumen as function of the composition and ratio between PE_bags and SBR. It was found that the best improvement in deformation resistance, permanent deformation, and cracking of bitumen was achieved with the addition of PE_bags/SBR mixture as the rubber increased the bitumen properties at low temperatures and the polyolefin at high temperatures. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Efficient two-step Positronium laser excitation to Rydberg levels

Antihydrogen production by charge exchange reaction between Positronium atoms and antiprotons requires efficient excitation of Positronium atoms up to high-n levels (Rydberg levels). A two-step optical excitation, the first from ground to n=3 and the second from this level to a Rydberg level, is proposed and a suitable laser system is discussed. The requirements on the energy and bandwidth of the excitation laser suggest the use of optical parametric generation technology for both wavelengths. The laser system is composed by two subsystems: one for the generation of 205 nm radiation and the other for the generation of 1670 nm radiation. We have separately developed and tested the laser sources and results are here presented.     

The Environmental Pollutant Cadmium Promotes Influenza Virus Replication in MDCK Cells by Altering Their Redox State

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal that is considered an environmental contaminant. Several sources of human exposure to Cd, including employment in primary metal industries, production of certain batteries, foods, soil and cigarette smoke, are known. Its inhalation has been related to different respiratory diseases and toxic effects, among which alterations of the physiological redox state in individuals exposed to the metal have been described. Host-cell redox changes characteristic of oxidative stress facilitate the progression of viral infection through different mechanisms. In this paper, we have demonstrated that pre-treatment with CdCl₂ of MDCK cells increased influenza virus replication in a dose-dependent manner. This phenomenon was related to increased viral protein expression (about 40% compared with untreated cells). The concentration of CdCl₂, able to raise the virus titer, also induced oxidative stress. The addition of two antioxidants, a glutathione (GSH) derivative or the GSH precursor, N-acetyl-l-cysteine, to Cd pre-treated and infected cells restored the intracellular redox state and significantly inhibited viral replication. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that Cd-induced oxidative stress directly increases the ability of influenza virus to replicate in the host-cell, thus suggesting that exposure to heavy metals, such as this, could be a risk factor for individuals exposed to a greater extent to the contaminant, resulting in increased severity of virus-induced respiratory diseases.     

Investigation of rpoS and dps genes in sodium hypochlorite resistance of Salmonella Enteritidis SE86 isolated from foodborne illness outbreaks in southern Brazil

In Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil, Salmonella Enteritidis is one of the principal microorganisms responsible for foodborne disease. The present study was conducted to compare the sodium hypochlorite resistance of Salmonella Enteritidis SE86 with that of other strains of Salmonella Enteritidis isolated from different regions of the world and to investigate the involvement of the rpoS and dps genes in resistance to this disinfectant. We tested five Salmonella Enteritidis wild-type (WT) strains isolated from different countries, two mutant strains of Salmonella Enteritidis SE86, and two tagged (3XFLAG) strains of Salmonella Enteritidis SE86 for their resistance to sodium hypochlorite (200 ppm). The survival of the WT and attenuated strains was determined based on bacterial counts, and tagged proteins (Dps and RpoS) were detected by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting with anti-FLAG antibodies. None of the WT strains of Salmonella Enteritidis were totally inactivated after 20 min. The SE86 strain lacking dps was more sensitive to sodium hypochlorite than was the WT SE86 strain, with a 2-log reduction in counts after 1 min. The RpoS and Dps proteins were actively expressed under the conditions tested, indicating that in Salmonella Enteritidis SE86 these genes, which are expressed when in contact with sodium hypochlorite, are related to oxidative stress.     

Activation of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells and Leptin Secretion: New Potential Role of Interleukin-2 and High Mobility Group Box (HMGB)1

Activation of innate immunity and low-grade inflammation contributes to hyperglycemia and an onset of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). Interleukin-2 (IL-2), leptin, High Mobility Group Box-1 (HMGB-1), and increased glucose concentrations are mediators of these processes also by modulating peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) response. The aim of this study was to investigate if HMGB-1 and IL-2 turn on PBMCs and their leptin secretion. In isolated human PBMCs and their subpopulations from healthy individuals and naïve T2DM patients, leptin release, pro-inflammatory response and Toll-like Receptors (TLRs) activation was measured. After treatment with IL-2 and HMGB1, NK (Natural Killer) have the highest amount of leptin secretion, whilst NK-T have the maximal release in basal conditions. TLR4 (TAK242) and/or TLR2 (TLR2-IgA) inhibitors decreased leptin secretion after IL-2 and HMGB1 treatment. A further non-significant increase in leptin secretion was reported in PBMCs of naive T2DM patients in response to IL-2 and HMGB-1 stimulation. Finally, hyperglycemia or hyperinsulinemia might stimulate leptin secretion from PBMCs. The amount of leptin released from PBMCs after the different treatments was enough to stimulate the secretion of IL-1β from monocytes. Targeting leptin sera levels and secretion from PBMCs could represent a new therapeutic strategy to counteract metabolic diseases such as T2DM.     

Extracting High-Level Information from Location Data: The W4 Diary Example

Services for mobile and pervasive computing should extensively exploit contextual information both to adapt to user needs and to enable autonomic behavior. To fulfill this idea it is important to provide two key tools: a model supporting context-data representation and manipulation, and a set of algorithms relying on the model to perform application tasks. Following these lines, we first describe the W4 context model showing how it can represent a simple yet effective framework to enable flexible and general-purpose management of contextual information. In particular, we show the model suitability in describing user-centric situations, e.g., describing situations in terms of where a user is located and what he is doing. Then, we illustrate a set of algorithms to semantically enrich W4 represented data and to extract relevant information from it. In particular, starting from W4 data, such algorithms are able to identify the places that matter to the user and to describe them semantically. Overall, we show how the context-model and the algorithms allow to create an high-level, semantic and context-aware diary-based service. This service meaningfully collects and classifies the user whereabouts and the places that the user visited.

Interaction of Artemisinins with Oxyhemoglobin Hb–FeII,Hb–FeII,CarboxyHb–FeII,Heme–FeII,and Carboxyheme FeII: Significance for Mode of Action and Implications for Therapy of Cerebral Malaria

In line with the enhancement of antimalarial activities of the current clinical artemisinins against parasites cultured under CO, the artemisinins are unaffected in vitro by carboxyhemoglobin (CO–Hb–Fe^II) or CO–heme–Fe^II, but are competitively decomposed by Hb–Fe^II or heme–Fe^II. In the latter case, the heme studies are greatly facilitated by solubilization of the heme in aqueous medium by use of arginine. None of the Hb species has an appreciable effect on artemisone, or on other aminoartemisinins, and antimalarial activities are either less affected or remain essentially unchanged against parasites cultured under standard microaerophilic conditions or under CO. The findings not only indicate that artemisinins do not require Hb–Fe^II or heme–Fe^II for promotion of antimalarial activity, but are also important in relation to the therapy of severe/complicated or cerebral malaria.     

Cyclic RGD‐Containing Functionalized Azabicycloalkane Peptides as Potent Integrin Antagonists for Tumor Targeting

Vitronectin receptors α _v β ₃ and α _v β ₅ have emerged as potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of osteoporosis, restenosis, ocular disease, tumor‐induced angiogenesis, metastasis, and sickle‐cell anemia. Among a collection of compounds, a new potent integrin antagonist was synthesized, and its binding toward the α_vβ₃ and α_vβ₅ receptors was evaluated. This molecule is a suitable candidate as a vector for therapeutics and diagnostics.