Pancreatic cancer is a very aggressive malignancy that is often diagnosed in the advanced stages, with the implication that long-term survivors are extremely rare. Thus, developing new methods for ...the early detection of pancreatic cancer is an urgent task for current research. To date, nanotechnology offers unprecedented opportunities for cancer therapeutics and diagnosis. The aim of this study is the development of a new pancreatic cancer diagnostic technology based on the exploitation of the nano-bio-interactions between nanoparticles and blood samples. In this study, blood samples from 20 pancreatic cancer patients and 5 patients without malignancy were allowed to interact with designed lipid nanoparticles, leading to the formation of a hard "protein corona" at the nanoparticle surface. After isolation, the protein patterns were characterized by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS PAGE). We found that the protein corona of pancreatic cancer patients was much more enriched than that of healthy individuals. Statistical analysis of SDS-PAGE results allowed us to discriminate between healthy and pancreatic cancer patients with a total discriminate correctness rate of 88%.
Today, liposomes are an advanced technology of drug carriers with a dozen drugs in clinical practice and many more in clinical trials. A bottleneck associated with the clinical translation of ...liposomes has long been 'opsonization', i.e. the adsorption of plasma proteins at the liposome surface resulting in their rapid clearance from circulation. For decades, the most popular way to avoid opsonization has been grafting polyethylene glycol (PEG) onto the liposome surface. Recent studies have clarified that grafting PEG onto the liposome surface reduces, but does not completely prevent protein binding. In this work, we employed dynamic light scattering, zeta-potential analysis, one-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (1D-SDS-PAGE), semi-quantitative densitometry and cell imaging to explore the bio-nano-interactions between human plasma (HP) and Onivyde, a PEGylated liposomal drug that has recently been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). To properly evaluate the role of PEGylation, an unPEGylated variant of Onivyde was used as a reference. Collectively, our findings suggest that: (i) although PEGylated, Onivyde is not "stealth" in HP; (ii) surface chemistry is more important than PEGylation in controlling the bio-nano-interactions between Onivyde and plasma components. Of note is that the PC was found to boost the cellular uptake of Onivyde in the pancreas ductal adenocarcinoma cell line (PANC-1) thus suggesting its prominent role in its indication for PDAC treatment. Relevant implications for drug delivery and drug design are discussed.
In this contribution, small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) studies of the micro-structural radiation damage in technical steels, developed for application in future fusion reactors, are presented. ...The effect of neutron irradiation at 250 °C–450 °C, up to dose levels of 16 dpa (displacement per atom), has been investigated in the European reference ferritic/martensitic steel Eurofer97 (0.12 C, 9 Cr, 0.2 V, 1.08 W wt%), both in its standard composition and mechanically alloyed with B (up to 1000 appm) to enhance the helium production, via transmutations, and reproduce fusion relevant helium/dpa ratios. The obtained SANS results suggest that in the irradiated standard Eurofer97 micro-voids distributions are present, with very small average radii (a few Å) and volume fractions (around 0.01); such low values, close to the SANS resolution limit, are consistent with the good resistance of this steel to radiation damage, for low helium concentrations. In the irradiated B-alloyed Eurofer97, more complex changes are observed: the helium bubble distributions appear strongly dependent on the irradiation temperature and on the helium concentration; furthermore, micro-structural effects possibly related to modifications in the steel matrix are detected.
Pancreatic surgery is one of the surgeries burdened with the highest mortality and morbidity rate. This is due both to the aggressive biological nature of the pathology affecting the organ and to the ...technical difficulties associated with surgery. A further aspect on which research is focusing is represented by inflammation related to oncological pathology. Inflammation plays an important role in tumor progression, and growing evidence has confirmed that the fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio (FAR) is an important prognostic factor for overall survival (OS) in malignant tumors.
Inflammatory markers had demonstrated also a role in the prediction of postoperative complication after pancreatic surgery.
We speculate that FAR, as an easily available, cost-effective, and non-invasive prognostic indicator for pancreatic cancer patients, could help to identify patients at increased risk of postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF). We therefore retrospectively analyzed the data relating to 117 pancreatic resections relating direct and indirect markers of inflammation with the incidence of post-operative complications.
In this work, 3 types of ice cream were produced: a probiotic ice cream produced by adding potentially probiotic microorganisms such as Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus rhamnosus; a prebiotic ...ice cream produced by adding inulin, a prebiotic substrate; and a synbiotic ice cream produced by adding probiotic microorganisms and inulin in combination. In addition to microbial counts, pH, acidity, and physical and functional properties of the ice creams were evaluated. The experimental ice creams preserved the probiotic bacteria and had counts of viable lactic acid bacteria after frozen storage that met the minimum required to achieve probiotic effects. Moreover, most of the ice creams showed good nutritional and sensory properties, with the best results obtained with Lb. casei and 2.5% inulin.
A Ni–Cr anode, dip coated with Ce oxide for increasing the resistance to sulfur poisoning of high-temperature molten carbonate fuel cell, has been investigated by neutron diffraction. ...Crystallographic characterization of the phases present in this anode has been obtained by Rietveld refinement. In the substrate Ni–Cr is detected, with
Fm
m
structure and weight volume fraction of 68.50(46) wt %. Additionally, due to oxidation during coating also NiO is present (space group
Fm
m
), with weight volume fraction of 25.28(18) wt %. The thin protective layer consists of nanostructured CeO
2
(
Fm
m
), with an estimated massive volume fraction of 6.3(5) wt %. These results support the effectiveness of the adopted CeO
2
deposition procedure and show the usefulness of neutron diffraction also for investigating thin protective layers.
•Microbial dynamics along sourdoughs natural fermentation were evaluated by a polyphasic approach.•The impact of fermentation on volatile organic compounds formation was evaluated by means of ...GC/MS.•PCA on VOCs profiles pointed out the effect of microbial fermentation on sourdoughs.
The aims of this study were the monitoring of the microbial dynamics by means of a polyphasic approach based on conventional isolation techniques and PCR-DGGE-based methods in different chestnut-based sourdoughs and the evaluation of the impact of fermentation on volatile organic compounds formation during sourdoughs ripening. Members of the Lactobacillus plantarum group and Pediococcus pentosaceous dominated the sourdough ecosystems. Nevertheless, RAPD-PCR allowed recording a relevant genotypic biodiversity among strains coming from gluten-free flour combinations. Volatile compounds were characterised by GC/MS. A total of 59 volatile compounds were identified, mainly alcohols, esters, acids, aldehydes and ketones. Principal component analysis of samples at the beginning and at the end of ripening offered a good separation of the samples and highlighted the effect of fermentation on the sensorial profile.
Neural oscillations are linked to perception and behavior and may reflect mechanisms for long-range communication between brain areas. We developed a causal model of oscillatory dynamics in the face ...perception network using magnetoencephalographic data from 51 normal volunteers. This model predicted induced responses to faces by estimating oscillatory power coupling between source locations corresponding to bilateral occipital and fusiform face areas (OFA and FFA) and the right superior temporal sulcus (STS). These sources showed increased alpha and theta and decreased beta power as well as selective responses to fearful facial expressions. We then used Bayesian model comparison to compare hypothetical models, which were motivated by previous connectivity data and a well-known theory of temporal lobe function. We confirmed this theory in detail by showing that the OFA bifurcated into 2 independent, hierarchical, feedforward pathways, with fearful expressions modulating power coupling only in the more dorsal (STS) pathway. The power coupling parameters showed a common pattern over connections. Low-frequency bands showed same-frequency power coupling, which, in the dorsal pathway, was modulated by fearful faces. Also, theta power showed a cross-frequency suppression of beta power. This combination of linear and nonlinear mechanisms could reflect computational mechanisms in hierarchical feedforward networks.
AIMS: Consumers' demand for innovative probiotic products has recently increased. In previous studies, chestnuts were evaluated as substrate for the growth of lactobacilli and chestnut extract was ...found to enhance acid tolerance of probiotic strains. The main objectives of this study were to evaluate the suitability of chestnut extract as carrier for spray drying of two probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus strains and to develop a probiotic food chestnut based. METHODS AND RESULTS: The optimal settings for the spray‐drying processes were defined and the loads of undamaged cells in the dried powders were quantified. Spray‐dried cultures were incorporated into an anhydrous basis for chestnut mousse developed ad hoc. In this form, viable cells remained stable over 10⁸ CFU g⁻¹during a 3 months long storage at 15°C. Sensorial analysis did not highlighted significant differences (P < 0·05) in preference between probiotic‐supplemented and control mousses. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that chestnut mousse, a food product naturally rich in antioxidant compounds, may represent an excellent carrier for probiotics delivering. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: To authors' knowledge, this is the first information on the survival of lactobacilli in an anhydrous basis for dessert.
•Neutron diffraction utilized for stress determination in a nuclear TIG AISI316L(N) weld.•Weld probed down to 16 mm depth, 2 mm resolution, strain and stress uncertainties ± 42 μm/m ...and ± 12 MPa.•Stresses vanish rapidly outside the HAZ but rise to 400 MPa at weld center.•Obtained stress distributions across and inside the weld have will serve for improving weld preparation and performance.
The stress distribution in a model weld developed for nuclear application has been determined non-destructively by means of neutron diffraction, in the frame of the Horizon 2020 Project Generation IV Materials Maturity (GEMMA). The investigated sample is a narrow gap Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) austenitic 316L(N) steel weld, prepared following RCC-MRx Code specifications. Two lines perpendicular to the welding direction, at the middle of the sample, were scanned at 6 mm and 14 mm depth; additional measurements were carried out in the middle of the weld, down to 16 mm depth. At 6 mm depth and within ± 5 mm distance from the weld centre, marked tensile stress gradients are found, with the residual stresses reaching maximum values up to 400 MPa in the longitudinal direction. At 14 mm depth, the stresses decrease to around 200 MPa for the longitudinal component and get compressive for the transverse and normal components, down to −200 MPa for the transverse one, with smoother stress gradients around the weld. The in-depth measurements inside the weld confirm that the main integrity concern for the investigated sample may arise from the tensile longitudinal stresses. Additional micro-structural information has been obtained by qualitative comparison of diffraction line profiles in the weld and in the base metal. These experimental results are discussed with reference to the expected service conditions of such welds and to their capability to fulfill Gen IV safety goals and requirements.
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