Publications by authors named "Buffo A"
Article Synopsis
- Large language models (LLMs) like GPT-J-6B, Llama-3.1-8B, and Mistral-7B can learn chemical properties effectively through fine-tuning without specialized features.
- Fine-tuning these models often outperforms traditional machine learning methods in simple classification tasks, with potential success in more complex problems depending on dataset size and question type.
- The ease of converting datasets for LLM training and the effectiveness of small datasets in generating predictive models suggest that LLMs could significantly streamline experimental processes in chemical research.
Background: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is an aggressive tumor, difficult to treat pharmacologically because of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which is rich in ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters and tight junction (TJ) proteins. The BBB is disrupted within GBM bulk, but it is competent in brain-adjacent-to-tumor areas, where eventual GBM foci can trigger tumor relapse. How GBM cells influence the permeability of BBB is poorly investigated.
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- The research explores a new way to visualize nanoparticles in medical imaging using MRI and MRS techniques, specifically focusing on detecting natural proton signals in commonly used nanosystems.
- Three different nanosystems (lipid-based micelles, liposomes, and perfluorocarbon-based nanoemulsions) were created and characterized, with the perfluorocarbon-based nanoemulsion showing the best performance in signal detection.
- This method allows for the detection of nanoparticles without needing additional probes, indicating a significant advancement in non-invasive imaging for diagnostics and treatments in biomedical applications.
Article Synopsis
- Brain size and neural cell diversity depend on how multipotent neural progenitor cells (NPCs) grow and specialize, with mistakes in this process causing hereditary microcephaly (MCPH), which leads to smaller brain sizes and intellectual disabilities.
- Research identified specific genetic variants related to MCPH, but the exact role of CIT protein activity in brain development was unclear, prompting the creation of mouse models for study.
- Findings revealed that while the mouse models didn't mimic human microcephaly, they did show signs of cell damage and abnormalities; human organoids created from the models exhibited loss of structural complexity and issues with cell division, highlighting the importance of CIT functions in human brain development.
Article Synopsis
- - Adult neural stem cells (NSCs) were traditionally believed to be rare and mostly found in specific brain regions, but new findings suggest that parenchymal astrocytes (ASs) also play a role in neurogenesis, especially after brain injuries.
- - A study reconstructed the activation patterns of STR ASs following an excitotoxic lesion in mice, revealing that ASs have widespread neurogenic potential, primarily activated near the injury site alongside various reactive AS subtypes.
- - The research showed that, like in established NSC niches, local ASs undergo regular activation and quickly revert to a quiescent state, with their offspring expanding briefly, which implies that STR ASs have a comparable capacity for neural stem cell activity
Dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) is a widespread computational tool to simulate the behavior of soft matter and liquids in and out of equilibrium. Although there are many applications in which the effect of temperature is relevant, most of the DPD studies have been carried out at a fixed system temperature. Therefore, this work investigates how to incorporate the effect of system temperature variation within the DPD model to capture realistic temperature-dependent system properties.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEgg yolk contains several molecular species with emulsifying properties, such as proteins and phospholipids. In particular, these molecules have both polar and nonpolar parts and thus can act as surfactants. One of the most surface-active proteins from egg yolk low-density lipoproteins is the so-called Apovitellenin-1.
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- * In a study, hESC-derived striatal progenitors were implanted in rats with HD-like lesions, showing survival and integration into the brain, while also enhancing motor skills over six months.
- * Environmental enrichment (EE) helped improve the differentiation of grafted cells and their integration with the host brain but didn’t significantly enhance overall task performance when used alongside grafting.
Magnesium is a critical raw material and its recovery as Mg(OH) from saltwork brines can be realized via precipitation. The effective design, optimization, and scale-up of such a process require the development of a computational model accounting for the effect of fluid dynamics, homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation, molecular growth, and aggregation. The unknown kinetics parameters are inferred and validated in this work by using experimental data produced with a T-mixer and a T-mixer, guaranteeing fast and efficient mixing.
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- Glioblastoma (GBM) is a very dangerous brain tumor, and there isn't a good way to find or treat it early on.
- Researchers have created special fluorescent probes using curcumin that can specifically attach to a certain enzyme (ALDH1A3) found in glioma stem cells, helping to identify these tumor cells.
- These probes work well in recognizing GBM cells both in lab tests and in living organisms, which could help doctors see where to cut during brain surgery.
Article Synopsis
- Researchers studied how human neuro-glial precursors survive when transplanted into the cerebellum of mice and rats, considering the role of the host's immune system.
- Transplanted cells integrated well for about a month but were then rejected due to differences in the immune response, whereas they survived indefinitely in NOD-SCID mice (which lack a functional immune system).
- The study suggests that human cells take longer to differentiate than rodent cells, impacting the ability to develop immune-tolerance, and that maturity of the transplant or additional brain extracts can enhance survival.
Article Synopsis
- * Developmental differences among these OPCs impact their reactions to damage or stress as adults, particularly when exposed to DNA-damaging agents like cisplatin.
- * The study reveals that dorsal and ventral OPCs respond differently to injury due to their unique origins and varied activation of protective mechanisms, making them differently susceptible to issues arising from DNA damage.
Article Synopsis
- This study aims to quantitatively assess how much Gadolinium (Gd) is retained in the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral organs of mice with an immune-mediated model of Multiple Sclerosis (EAE) compared to control mice, as well as how the timing of Gd injection affects retention levels.* -
- EAE mice received three doses of Gd at different stages of disease progression, and following a set period, their organs were analyzed for Gd levels using advanced techniques such as Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry and Transmission Electron Microscopy.* -
- Results showed higher Gd accumulation in the spinal cord of EAE mice shortly after injection, while levels decreased significantly over time; G
Article Synopsis
- Elovl5 is an enzyme responsible for elongating 18-carbon fatty acids, which are crucial for maintaining the structure of myelin, the protective layer around nerves.
- In studies involving Elovl5-deficient mice, researchers observed myelin structural changes and reduced sciatic nerve conduction velocity, indicating a potential defect in nerve signal transmission.
- The lipid analysis showed an imbalance in fatty acid composition, highlighting Elovl5’s vital role in ensuring normal myelin structure and function in the peripheral nervous system.
Article Synopsis
- The formation of the cerebellum involves well-coordinated development of specific cell types, including astrocytes and oligodendrocytes from progenitor cells with astroglial-like characteristics during mouse postnatal development.
- A specific subset of astroglial-like progenitors in the prospective white matter (PWM) can produce both astrocytes and interneurons, but distinguishing their fates has been challenging until now.
- The discovery of astrocyte cell surface antigen-2 (ACSA-2) serves as a new marker that, along with GLAST, allows researchers to differentiate between two distinct groups of postnatal progenitors: one committed to producing astrocytes and another that is multipotent and can
Article Synopsis
- * The study found that knocking out the MAPK isoform JNK1 significantly reduces myelin in the cerebral cortex and corpus callosum during postnatal and adult stages, leading to higher OPC density and proliferation early in life.
- * JNK1 knockout OPCs have smaller territories and simpler structures, and although differentiation seems normal, both knockout and treated OLs have reduced surface area, highlighting JNK1's crucial role in OPC function and myelination.
Article Synopsis
- Epidemiological studies indicate a significant link between air pollution, especially particulate matter (PM), and an increased incidence of Multiple Sclerosis (MS), leading to more hospital admissions and relapses.
- PM exposure affects the immune system and creates an oxidative-inflammatory response while also impacting processes like myelin repair in the central nervous system (CNS).
- Research shows that in a mouse model simulating demyelination, exposure to fine PM after injury negatively affects myelin regeneration and increases the activity of glial cells, suggesting PM may worsen demyelinating diseases by impeding the CNS's healing abilities.
Article Synopsis
- Researchers transplanted human neural precursor cells from stem cells into the brains of mice and rats, observing that the cells successfully survived and differentiated for about a month before being rejected.
- The transplants lasted longer in NOD-SCID mice, which have a compromised immune system, suggesting that immune tolerance played a role in cell survival.
- Mixing the human cells with partially differentiated cells or a cellular extract from adult rat cerebellum improved the longevity of the transplants, indicating that adjusting the developmental stage of the cells may enhance immune tolerance during transplantation.
Article Synopsis
- Transplanted mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSC) were found to improve conditions in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS) by reducing inflammation and demyelination through interactions with immune and neural cells.
- MSC were shown to prevent harmful changes in astrocytes (a type of brain cell) related to MS, reducing inflammatory cytokines and promoting a healthier environment for recovery.
- The study suggests that MSC may enhance the ability of astrocytes to adopt stem cell-like properties, which could support healing and protection in the brain following injury.
Article Synopsis
- Reactive astrocytes in Alzheimer's disease (AD) are linked to neuronal loss and cognitive deficits, with their role in neuron changes still not fully understood.
- Oxysterols, crucial for cholesterol metabolism in the brain, correlate with AD progression and may drive astrocyte reactivity, impacting neuronal health.
- Research found that oxysterols cause morphological changes in astrocytes and increase the release of markers like lipocalin-2 (Lcn2), which negatively affects synapses and neuron health.
Article Synopsis
- In genetic diseases, abnormal gene expression often leads to issues, and drugs that correct these gene levels can help treat the diseases.
- Researchers developed a screening strategy using a special dual-reporter system to find drugs that can modulate protein levels, focusing on a rare disorder called autosomal dominant leukodystrophy (ADLD) linked to the overexpression of the LMNB1 gene.
- Through screening over 700 compounds, they identified alvespimycin, which significantly reduces LMNB1 levels in various cell types, and propose this method as a way to discover potential treatments for genetic disorders, moving towards clinical trials.
The Critical Care Nurse Communicator Program: An Integrated Primary Palliative Care Intervention.
Crit Care Nurs Clin North Am
June 2020
Twenty percent of Americans die in an intensive care unit (ICU), often incapacitated or requiring assisted decision making. Surrogates are often required to make urgent, complex, high-stakes decisions. Communication among patients, families, and clinicians is often delayed and inefficient with frequent missed opportunities to support the emotional and psychological needs of surrogates, particularly at the end of life.
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- * Researchers explored using human embryonic stem cells to replace damaged cells in HD, and successfully demonstrated that these cells could integrate into the brain and form connections in a rat model.
- * Their findings also showed that these transplanted cells improved the rats' sensory-motor tasks for up to two months, highlighting a promising therapeutic potential for this treatment method.
This review article discusses the solution of population balance equations, for the simulation of disperse multiphase systems, tightly coupled with computational fluid dynamics. Although several methods are discussed, the focus is on quadrature-based moment methods (QBMMs) with particular attention to the quadrature method of moments, the conditional quadrature method of moments, and the direct quadrature method of moments. The relationship between the population balance equation, in its generalized form, and the Euler-Euler multiphase flow models, notably the two-fluid model, is thoroughly discussed.
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