Transformations of crude oil into tar: a case study from a plastitar-contaminated site in NE Sicily, Italy (Western Mediterranean).

This study examines the aging of industrial crude oil to simulate the chemical transformations that occur when it is exposed to environmental conditions over time. It was triggered by the finding of plastitar - a mixture of tar and plastic waste - on the coast of Milazzo, Sicily. Research began with a chemical characterization of the tar component of plastitar, followed by aging experiments designed to simulate environmental conditions such as seawater, UV light and sunlight.

A combinatorial culture strategy to develop pseudomyxoma peritonei organoid models.

Background And Objectives: Few preclinical models of pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) have been developed, probably due to the tumor's low incidence and its peculiar characteristics of slow growth. Therefore, there is a need to develop more refined PMP models that better reflect its characteristics. The aim of the study is to develop a culture strategy to generate organoid models derived from PMP patient samples.

Extracellular Vesicles: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Applications in Cancer.

In recent years, knowledge of cell-released extracellular vesicle (EV) functions has undergone rapid growth. EVs are membrane vesicles loaded with proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, and bioactive molecules. Once released into the extracellular space, EVs are delivered to target cells that may go through modifications in physiological or pathological conditions.

Plastic pellet pollution in the Aeolian Islands UNESCO site (Italy, Western Mediterranean Sea): results of a comprehensive characterization and monitoring study.

The archipelago of the Aeolian Islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea is a globally important natural laboratory. The archipelago, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its unique geology and biodiversity, offers a unique opportunity to study plastic pollution. This study presents an initiative to assess the occurrence of plastic pellets on the beaches of five Aeolian Islands.

Effects of Bergamot ( Risso) By-Product on Growth Performance and Meat Quality of Growing Rabbits.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of feeding dried bergamot pulp to rabbits on animal performance and meat quality. Thirty rabbits were assigned to two groups (balanced for body weight, 804.4 ± 2.

(5S)-5-Benzylswainsonines as potent and selective inhibitors of Golgi α-mannosidase II: synthesis, enzyme evaluation and molecular modelling.

Development of novel anti-cancer therapeutics based on Golgi α-mannosidase II (GMII) inhibition is considerably impeded by an undesired co-inhibition of lysosomal α-mannosidase leading to severe side-effects. In this contribution, we describe a fully stereoselective synthesis of (5S)-5-[4-(halo)benzyl]swainsonines as highly potent and selective inhibitors of GMII. The synthesis starts from a previously reported aldehyde readily available from l-ribose, and the key features include an intramolecular reductive amination with substrate-controlled stereoselectivity and a late-stage derivatisation of the benzyl group via ipso-substitution.

CAD-CAM and heat-press: Comparison of internal and marginal fit of lithium disilicate copings.

The aim of this in vitro study is to compare the performance of digital and conventional methods in the manufacture of single copings in terms of the internal and marginal fit. Twenty-four prefabricated titanium Cone Morse Exact abutments of the lateral anatomical type were used to manufacture 24 lithium disilicate copings in the CAD-CAM Ceramill (n = 12) and heat-press (n = 12) systems. The copings were cemented using a self-adhesive resin cement (RelyX U-200; 3M ESPE) and then cut vertically.

Dietary combination of linseed and hazelnut skin as a sustainable strategy to enrich lamb with health promoting fatty acids.

This study investigated the effect of the inclusion of extruded linseed and hazelnut skin on fatty acid (FA) metabolism in finishing lambs. Forty lambs were divided into 4 groups and fed for 60 d with: a conventional cereal-based diet, or the same diet with 8% of extruded linseed, or 15% of hazelnut skin, or 4% of linseed plus 7.5% of hazelnut skin as partial replacement of maize.

iRhom2 regulates ectodomain shedding and surface expression of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I.

Proteolytic release of transmembrane proteins from the cell surface, the so called ectodomain shedding, is a key process in inflammation. Inactive rhomboid 2 (iRhom2) plays a crucial role in this context, in that it guides maturation and function of the sheddase ADAM17 (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase 17) in immune cells, and, ultimately, its ability to release inflammatory mediators such as tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα). Yet, the macrophage sheddome of iRhom2/ADAM17, which is the collection of substrates that are released by the proteolytic complex, is only partly known.

Characterization of an undocumented CO2 hydrothermal vent system in the Mediterranean Sea: Implications for ocean acidification forecasting.

A previously undocumented shallow water hydrothermal field from Sicily (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy) is here described, based on a multidisciplinary investigation. The field, covering an area of nearly 8000 m2 and a depth from the surface to -5 m, was explored in June 2021 to characterise the main physico-chemical features of the water column, describe the bottom topography and features, and identify the main megabenthic and nektonic species. Twenty sites were investigated to characterise the carbonate system.

PD-L1 immunohistochemical expression in bladder urothelial cancer with SP263, SP142 and 22C3 antibodies: A comparative study.

Programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) is currently the only biomarker used for the selection of patients with bladder urothelial cancer for immunotherapy. Several platforms, antibodies and scores are currently available for the evaluation of the expression of PD-L1 in immunohistochemistry (IHC). In this study three different antibodies (SP263, SP142 and 22C3) were compared to establish their performances and concordance rates.

Proof-of-Concept Study on the Use of Tangerine-Derived Nanovesicles as siRNA Delivery Vehicles toward Colorectal Cancer Cell Line SW480.

In the last years, the field of nanomedicine and drug delivery has grown exponentially, providing new platforms to carry therapeutic agents into the target sites. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are ready-to-use, biocompatible, and non-toxic nanoparticles that are revolutionizing the field of drug delivery. EVs are involved in cell-cell communication and mediate many physiological and pathological processes by transferring their bioactive cargo to target cells.

Performance and meat quality in pigs fed hydrolysable tannins from Tara spinosa.

This study aimed to assess the effect of dietary tara (Tara spinosa (Feuillée ex Molina) Britton & Rose) hydrolysable tannins on performance and meat quality of finishing pigs. Twenty barrows (crossbred PIC × Piétrain; age: 125 ± 5 d; bodyweight: 60.8 ± 3.

Hierarchical synchrotron diffraction and imaging study of the calcium sulfate hemihydrate-gypsum transformation.

The mechanism of hydration of calcium sulfate hemihydrate (CaSO·0.5HO) to form gypsum (CaSO·2HO) was studied by combining scanning 3D X-ray diffraction (s3DXRD) and phase contrast tomography (PCT) to determine the spatial and crystallographic relationship between these two phases. From s3DXRD measurements, the crystallographic structure, orientation and position of the crystalline grains in the sample during the hydration reaction were obtained, while the PCT reconstructions allowed visualization of the 3D shapes of the crystals during the reaction.

Incidence and Predictors of Gastric Neoplastic Lesions in Corpus-Restricted Atrophic Gastritis: A Single-Center Cohort Study.

Introduction: Corpus-restricted atrophic gastritis is a chronic inflammatory disorder leading to possible development of type 1 neuroendocrine tumors (T1gNET), intraepithelial neoplasia (IEN), and gastric cancer (GC). We aimed to assess occurrence and predictors of gastric neoplastic lesions in patients with corpus-restricted atrophic gastritis at long-term follow-up.

Methods: A prospective single-center cohort of patients with corpus-restricted atrophic gastritis adhering to endoscopic-histological surveillance was considered.

Awareness and attitude of ENT surgeons towards various dental implants or oral surgery procedures: a cross-sectional survey in the UK.

Objective: To assess the level of awareness and attitude of ENT surgeons towards dental implants and oral surgery procedures that involve the maxillary sinus.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a closed-ended questionnaire on 40 UK-based ENT surgeons.

Results: Within the study population, 45 per cent of ENT surgeons were not aware of sinus lift augmentation in implant dentistry.

Colorectal cancer-derived small extracellular vesicles induce TGFβ1-mediated epithelial to mesenchymal transition of hepatocytes.

Background: Metastatic disease is the major cause of cancer-related deaths. Increasing evidence shows that primary tumor cells can promote metastasis by preparing the local microenvironment of distant organs, inducing the formation of the so-called "pre-metastatic niche". In recent years, several studies have highlighted that among the tumor-derived molecular components active in pre-metastatic niche formation, small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) play a crucial role.

Synthesis, α-mannosidase inhibition studies and molecular modeling of 1,4-imino-ᴅ-lyxitols and their C-5-altered -arylalkyl derivatives.

A synthesis of 1,4-imino-ᴅ-lyxitols and their -arylalkyl derivatives altered at C-5 is reported. Their inhibitory activity and selectivity toward four GH38 α-mannosidases (two Golgi types: GMIIb from and AMAN-2 from , and two lysosomal types: LManII from and JBMan from ) were investigated. 6-Deoxy-DIM was found to be the most potent inhibitor of AMAN-2 ( = 0.

Deacetylation of Arabinofuranosylated Xylopyranosyl Residues Related to Plant Xylan: Significant Differences Between Xylan Deacetylases Classified into Various Carbohydrate Esterase Families.

A chemical synthesis of two novel phenyl glycosides of trisaccharides related to acetylarabinoxylan is described. The trisaccharides bear acetyl and arabinofuranosyl moieties at the non-reducing-end xylopyranosyl residue, which is substituted at positions 2 and 3. Both compounds were treated with various xylan deacetylases classified in different carbohydrate esterase (CE) families and significant differences between the families were found.

Disparities in Sexually Transmitted Infection Testing and the Need to Strengthen Comprehensive Sexual Health Services for Trans Women.

Purpose: Few studies have examined the importance of improving the sexual health delivery system beyond HIV among trans women. We assessed survey data from the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance Transgender Woman (NHBS-Trans) Study in San Francisco to characterize the utilization of sexual health services among HIV-negative trans women and to explore opportunities to improve sexual health services for trans women.

Methods: Trans women were recruited through respondent-driven sampling from July 2019 to February 2020.

Long-Term Effectiveness of BNT162b2 Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA-Based Vaccine on B Cell Compartment: Efficient Recall of SARS-CoV-2-Specific Memory B Cells.

At present, there is a lack of clinical evidence about the impact and long-term durability of the immune response induced by the third dose of mRNA vaccines. In this study, we followed up the B cell compartment behavior in a cohort of immunocompetent individuals three and six months after the third dose of vaccine. During this period, some subjects contracted the virus.

Analysis of the Specific Immune Response after the Third Dose of mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines in Organ Transplant Recipients: Possible Spike-S1 Reactive IgA Signature in Protection from SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

Several studies have indicated that anti-SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccinations are less effective in inducing robust immune responses among solid organ transplant recipients (SOTRs) compared with the immunocompetent. The third dose of vaccine in SOTRs showed promising results of immunogenicity, even though clinical studies have suggested that immunocompromised subjects are less likely to build a protective immune response against SARS-CoV-2 resulting in lower vaccine efficacy for the prevention of severe COVID-19. Serological IgG and IgA were analyzed through CLIA or ELISA, respectively, while Spike-specific T cells were detected by ELISpot assay after the second and third dose of vaccine in 43 SOTRs.