Crystallization of some anorthite-diopside glass precursors

Anorthite and diopside have been obtained from complete devitrification of glasses belonging to the quaternary system MgO-CaO-Al₂O₃-SiO₂. Microstructure, the natural trend of the nucleation mechanism and kinetic studies on the crystallization phenomenon have been investigated by means of optical and electron microscopies, thermal and thermomechanical techniques and X-ray powder diffractometry. All the glasses investigated show a complete crystallization starting from a simple surface nucleation process. The activation energy for the crystallization process proved to be higher than that for viscous flow, leading to an important aspect modification in the sample during ceramization. Thermal stability and physical properties of both glass and glass-ceramic materials have been tested, suggesting the possible use of these materials in industrial application.     

Retinoic acid conjugates as potential antitumor agents: synthesis and biological activity of conjugates with Ara-A, Ara-C, 3(2H)-furanone, and aniline mustard moieties

In a dual targeting approach, to explore the ability of tretinoin (all-trans-retinoic acid) to behave as a covalent carrier for cytotoxic entities, conjugates of retinoic acid with a few representative molecules, being important examples of antitumor pharmacophores (i.e., nucleoside analogues and alkylating agents), have been synthesized and tested for their cytostatic and differentiating activity. All compounds were stable to in vitro hydrolysis in human plasma and more lipophilic than the parent compounds, thus consenting enhanced uptake into the cells. Among the nucleoside analogues the Ara-C derivatives 3 and 6 and the Ara-A derivative 7 proved the most cytostatic (IC50 < 0.32 microgram/mL) resulting from 25- to > 144-fold more active (Ara-A derivatives) or at least as equally active (Ara-C derivatives) as compared to the parent nucleosides. Compound 3, endowed with a highly lipophilic silyl moiety at the 3' and 5' positions, showed the highest differentiating activity (54% and 44% differentiated HL-60 cells at 0.2 and 0.05 microgram/mL respectively). With regard to the retinoic acid conjugates of alkylating agents, compound 10 was the most cytostatic agent (IC50 < 0.32 microgram/mL) and the most potent differentiating agent (33-34% at 0.32 and 0.08 microgram/mL). These structures may also be regarded as analogs of either retinoic acid or the cytotoxic compound.     

Hardness evaluation of epoxy resin filled with mineral waste

The care of the world environment poses many challenges to the proper disposal of mineral wastes. Particulate wastes can be used to modify the properties or lower the cost of polymers. The influence of an iron–silica rich waste on the hardness of an epoxy resin is evaluated in this work. It is shown that the hardness values are polymer dominated for volume fractions of waste lower than 0.30, but for higher volume fractions a useful increase in the hardness numbers can be achieved. The coarser the particles are the more heterogeneous is the microstructure of the composite. Nevertheless, particulate rich layers increase the hardness of the material several times. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 84: 2178–2184, 2002     

The Landscape of microRNAs in βCell: Between Phenotype Maintenance and Protection

Diabetes mellitus is a group of heterogeneous metabolic disorders characterized by chronic hyperglycaemia mainly due to pancreatic β cell death and/or dysfunction, caused by several types of stress such as glucotoxicity, lipotoxicity and inflammation. Different patho-physiological mechanisms driving β cell response to these stresses are tightly regulated by microRNAs (miRNAs), a class of negative regulators of gene expression, involved in pathogenic mechanisms occurring in diabetes and in its complications. In this review, we aim to shed light on the most important miRNAs regulating the maintenance and the robustness of β cell identity, as well as on those miRNAs involved in the pathogenesis of the two main forms of diabetes mellitus, i.e., type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Additionally, we acknowledge that the understanding of miRNAs-regulated molecular mechanisms is fundamental in order to develop specific and effective strategies based on miRNAs as therapeutic targets, employing innovative molecules.     

Precision Oncology via NMR-Based Metabolomics: A Review on Breast Cancer

Precision oncology is an emerging approach in cancer care. It aims at selecting the optimal therapy for the right patient by considering each patient’s unique disease and individual health status. In the last years, it has become evident that breast cancer is an extremely heterogeneous disease, and therefore, patients need to be appropriately stratified to maximize survival and quality of life. Gene-expression tools have already positively assisted clinical decision making by estimating the risk of recurrence and the potential benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. However, these approaches need refinement to further reduce the proportion of patients potentially exposed to unnecessary chemotherapy. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolomics has demonstrated to be an optimal approach for cancer research and has provided significant results in BC, in particular for prognostic and stratification purposes. In this review, we give an update on the status of NMR-based metabolomic studies for the biochemical characterization and stratification of breast cancer patients using different biospecimens (breast tissue, blood serum/plasma, and urine).     

Processing of a Silicon-Carbide-Whisker-Reinforced Glass-Ceramic Composite by Microwave Heating

A calcium magnesium aluminosilicate-based glass that contained 10 wt% of silicon carbide whiskers (SiC _w ) as reinforcement was prepared by tape casting, followed by sintering either in a conventional furnace or in a microwave oven. The results were consistent with retardation of glass sintering through whisker bridging. The glass, by itself, was sintered to almost-full density at 750°C for 4 h by conventional furnace sintering; the best sintered composite, with an estimated density of ∼90%, was obtained at 800°C with a dwell time of 4 h. Sintering at a temperature of >800°C did not improve the densification but rather resulted in severe whisker oxidation. A reduced densification rate was observed for the samples that were sintered in nitrogen. By contrast, in the microwave oven, almost-full density for the glass and ∼95% of the theoretical density for the composite were obtainable at 850°C for 15 min, which represented a reduction of ∼10 h of the total processing time and a reduced SiC _w oxidation.     

The effect of ionising radiation on photosynthetic oxygenic microorganisms for survival in space flight revealed by automatic photosystem II-based biosensors

Photosynthetic microorganisms are expected to be useful to maintain an oxygenic atmosphere and to provide biomass for astronauts in the International Space Station as well as in future long-term space flights. However, fluxes of complex ionizing radiation of various intensities and energies make space an extreme environment for the microorganisms, affecting their photosynthetic efficiency. To automatically monitor the photosynthetic Photosystem II (PSII) activity of microorganisms under space conditions an optical biosensor, which utilizes chlorophyll fluorescence as biological transduction system, was built; the PSII activity was monitored by the biosensor during balloon flights at stratospheric altitudes of about 40 km. The effect of space stress on quantum yield of PSII varied among the tested species depending on the growth light conditions at which they were exposed during the flights.     

A State of the Art of Antioxidant Properties of Curcuminoids in Neurodegenerative Diseases

Neurodegenerative diseases represent a set of pathologies characterized by an irreversible and progressive, and a loss of neuronal cells in specific areas of the brain. Oxidative phosphorylation is a source of energy production by which many cells, such as the neuronal cells, meet their energy needs. Dysregulations of oxidative phosphorylation induce oxidative stress, which plays a key role in the onset of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). To date, for most neurodegenerative diseases, there are no resolute treatments, but only interventions capable of alleviating the symptoms or slowing the course of the disease. Therefore, effective neuroprotection strategies are needed. In recent years, natural products, such as curcuminoids, have been intensively explored and studied for their therapeutic potentials in several neurodegenerative diseases. Curcuminoids are, nutraceutical compouns, that owen several therapeutic properties such as anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. In this context, the aim of this review was to provide an overview of preclinical and clinical evidence aimed to illustrate the antioxidant effects of curcuminoids in neurodegenerative diseases. Promising results from preclinical studies encourage the use of curcuminoids for neurodegeneration prevention and treatment.