Increasing espresso coffee brew antioxidant capacity using phenolic extract recovered from hazelnut skin waste

The simultaneous consumption of different classes of phytochemical antioxidants in the diet can result in more beneficial effects than when consumed alone. In the present study, the in vitro and in vivo antioxidative effects of espresso coffee brew (EC) (rich in chlorogenic acids) with added crude hazelnut skin phenolic extract (HSPE) from hazelnut skin waste (rich in flavonoids) were studied. Both post-brewing and pre-brewing phenolic-enriched espresso coffees (PE-ECs) were analysed for total phenols and screened for their in vitro antiradical ability. Moreover, the in vivo biological effect on the antioxidant potential of plasma in rats was evaluated. The PE-ECs showed increased both in vitro and in vivo antiradical activity proportional to the added HSPE. The in vivo experiments suggested that HSPE was much more antioxidant active than the phenolic fraction naturally contained in EC. Moreover, evidence of possible synergic effects of EC and HSPE phenolics was observed in vivo.     

Modeling and control of an airbrake electro‐hydraulic smart actuator

In this paper, an accurate model of an airbrake electro‐hydraulic smart actuator is obtained by physical considerations, and then different control strategies (variable‐gain proportional control, PT₁ control with switching integrator, and second order sub‐optimal sliding mode control) are proposed and analyzed. This application is innovative in the avionic field, and is one of the first attempts to realize a fly‐by‐wire system for airbrakes, oriented to its immediate employment and installation on current aircraft. The project was carried on with the participation of the Italian Ministry of Defense, and was commissioned to MAG, a leading provider of integrated systems and aviation services for aerospace. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley and Sons Asia Pte Ltd and Chinese Automatic Control Society     

Discovery of Ubonodin,an Antimicrobial Lasso Peptide Active against Members of the Burkholderia cepacia Complex

We report the heterologous expression, structure, and antimicrobial activity of a lasso peptide, ubonodin, encoded in the genome of Burkholderia ubonensis. The topology of ubonodin is unprecedented amongst lasso peptides, with 18 of its 28 amino acids found in the mechanically bonded loop segment. Ubonodin inhibits RNA polymerase in vitro and has potent antimicrobial activity against several pathogenic members of the Burkholderia genus, most notably B. cepacia and B. multivorans, causative agents of lung infections in cystic fibrosis patients.     

Novel Insights into Autophagy and Prostate Cancer: A Comprehensive Review

Autophagy is a complex process involved in several cell activities, including tissue growth, differentiation, metabolic modulation, and cancer development. In prostate cancer, autophagy has a pivotal role in the regulation of apoptosis and disease progression. Several molecular pathways are involved, including PI3K/AKT/mTOR. However, depending on the cellular context, autophagy may play either a detrimental or a protective role in prostate cancer. For this purpose, current evidence has investigated how autophagy interacts within these complex interactions. In this article, we discuss novel findings about autophagic machinery in order to better understand the therapeutic response and the chemotherapy resistance of prostate cancer. Autophagic-modulation drugs have been employed in clinical trials to regulate autophagy, aiming to improve the response to chemotherapy or to anti-cancer treatments. Furthermore, the genetic signature of autophagy has been found to have a potential means to stratify prostate cancer aggressiveness. Unfortunately, stronger evidence is needed to better understand this field, and the application of these findings in clinical practice still remains poorly feasible.     

Online Portable Microcantilever Biosensors for Salmonella enterica Serotype Enteritidis Detection

The micro- and nano-technologies coupled with a deep knowledge of organic/inorganic interfaces guarantee an exceptional sensitivity and specificity of the sensor, while the lab-on-a-chip platform reduces assay times and limits sampling and/or sample preparation, providing compact and portable objects. Therefore, the development of innovative biosensors such as antibody-immobilized microcantilevers can overcome the evident limits of nowadays technologies, such as time consuming, expensiveness, difficult automation, low sensitivity, accuracy, and precision for quantitative methods. The present study proposes two device designs for the detection of food pathogens, exploiting an antibody-immobilized microcantilever biosensors, a novel class of mass detectors. For the first one, we integrated the mechanical sensors on a microfluidic platform (lab-on-a-chip) to perform online analysis, directly in liquid environment. We showed that our portable biosensors could easily detect the presence of pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella enterica serotype enteritidis in concentration 10⁵ cfu/mL in just 40 min, without any enrichment and/or sample preparation. To increase the mass sensitivity of our analysis, we also fabricated microstructures optimized for vibrating in vacuum environment. Using a dip-and-dry technique, we showed that, in such configuration, the experimental limit of detection is as low as 10³ cfu/mL. Due to the extremely small volumes needed, our biosensors operating in vacuum have the potentiality of detecting the presence or absence of a single cell.     

Cathodic protection monitoring of buried carbon steel pipeline: measurement and interpretation of instant-off potential

The criterion used to verify the cathodic protection condition of a structure is based on structure-to-electrolyte potential measurement, which can include an ohmic drop contribution. Among the available techniques, the use of potential probes with internal reference electrode and of corrosion coupons with a so-called soil-access tube represents the most appropriate way to measure the IR-free potential, eliminating the ohmic drop contribution. An alternative is represented by on-off technique if equalising, galvanic or stray currents are not present. Laboratory tests have been carried out in soil-simulating solution on cathodically protected carbon steel in order to evaluate the effectiveness of off-potential for the assessment of cathodic protection. Instant-off potential is not reliable in overprotection condition; moreover, the accuracy of the measurement is strongly influenced by the presence of external current as galvanic or equalising currents. The effect of low-pass filter in the data acquisition system on the potential reading is discussed.     

Design and Characterization of Myristoylated and Non-Myristoylated Peptides Effective against Candida spp. Clinical Isolates

The increasing resistance of fungi to antibiotics is a severe challenge in public health, and newly effective drugs are required. Promising potential medications are lipopeptides, linear antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) conjugated to a lipid tail, usually at the N-terminus. In this paper, we investigated the in vitro and in vivo antifungal activity of three short myristoylated and non-myristoylated peptides derived from a mutant of the AMP Chionodracine. We determined their interaction with anionic and zwitterionic membrane-mimicking vesicles and their structure during this interaction. We then investigated their cytotoxic and hemolytic activity against mammalian cells. Lipidated peptides showed a broad spectrum of activity against a relevant panel of pathogen fungi belonging to Candida spp., including the multidrug-resistant C. auris. The antifungal activity was also observed vs. biofilms of C. albicans, C. tropicalis, and C. auris. Finally, a pilot efficacy study was conducted on the in vivo model consisting of Galleria mellonella larvae. Treatment with the most-promising myristoylated peptide was effective in counteracting the infection from C. auris and C. albicans and the death of the larvae. Therefore, this myristoylated peptide is a potential candidate to develop antifungal agents against human fungal pathogens.     

Molecular Mechanisms and Physiological Changes behind Benign Tracheal and Subglottic Stenosis in Adults

Laryngotracheal stenosis (LTS) is a complex and heterogeneous disease whose pathogenesis remains unclear. LTS is considered to be the result of aberrant wound-healing process that leads to fibrotic scarring, originating from different aetiology. Although iatrogenic aetiology is the main cause of subglottic or tracheal stenosis, also autoimmune and infectious diseases may be involved in causing LTS. Furthermore, fibrotic obstruction in the anatomic region under the glottis can also be diagnosed without apparent aetiology after a comprehensive workup; in this case, the pathological process is called idiopathic subglottic stenosis (iSGS). So far, the laryngotracheal scar resulting from airway injury due to different diseases was considered as inert tissue requiring surgical removal to restore airway patency. However, this assumption has recently been revised by regarding the tracheal scarring process as a fibroinflammatory event due to immunological alteration, similar to other fibrotic diseases. Recent acquisitions suggest that different factors, such as growth factors, cytokines, altered fibroblast function and genetic susceptibility, can all interact in a complex way leading to aberrant and fibrotic wound healing after an insult that acts as a trigger. However, also physiological derangement due to LTS could play a role in promoting dysregulated response to laryngo-tracheal mucosal injury, through biomechanical stress and mechanotransduction activation. The aim of this narrative review is to present the state-of-the-art knowledge regarding molecular mechanisms, as well as mechanical and physio-pathological features behind LTS.     

Strain engineering in single-, bi- and tri-layer MoS2, MoSe2, WS2 and WSe2

Nano Research - Strain is a powerful tool to modify the optical properties of semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides like MoS2, MoSe2, WS2 and WSe2. In this work we provide a thorough...