Comparative Analysis of the Effect of the BRAF Inhibitor Dabrafenib in 2D and 3D Cell Culture Models of Human Metastatic Melanoma Cells.

Background/aim: Melanoma, a variant of skin cancer, presents the highest mortality rates among all skin cancers. Despite advancements in targeted therapies, immunotherapies, and tissue culture techniques, the absence of an effective early treatment model remains a challenge. This study investigated the impact of dabrafenib on both 2D and 3D cell culture models with distinct molecular profiles.

Application of supervised chemometric techniques and synchronized excitation-emission spectrofluorometric analysis for the verification of Maltese extra virgin olive oils.

Unlabelled: The authentication of virgin olive oil samples usually requires the use of sophisticated and very expensive analytical techniques. In this study, the potential of fluorescence spectroscopy for the authentication and discrimination of Maltese extra virgin olive oils was carried out using synchronized excitation-emission spectroscopy. Samples were collected from various producers around the Maltese islands.

Authoritative subspecies diagnosis tool for European honey bees based on ancestry informative SNPs.

Background: With numerous endemic subspecies representing four of its five evolutionary lineages, Europe holds a large fraction of Apis mellifera genetic diversity. This diversity and the natural distribution range have been altered by anthropogenic factors. The conservation of this natural heritage relies on the availability of accurate tools for subspecies diagnosis.

First Profile of Phenolic Compounds from Maltese Extra Virgin Olive Oils Using Liquid-Liquid Extraction and Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry.

This study presents the profile of phenolic extracts from different Extra Virgin Olive Oils (EVOOs) from Malta and is the first study that characterizes the phenolic profile of the Maltese EVOOs Bidni (B) and Malti (M) using liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) and Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS). The total phenolic content (TPC), ortho diphenolic content (TdPC) and flavonoid content (TFC) were determined using the Folin-Ciocalteau assay, the Arnow's assay and the Aluminium Chloride method respectively. Results show that the B variety had the highest TPC, TdPC and TFC.

Application of H and C NMR Fingerprinting as a Tool for the Authentication of Maltese Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

The application of H and C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) in conjunction with chemometric methods was applied for the discrimination and authentication of Maltese extra virgin olive oils (EVOOs). A total of 65 extra virgin olive oil samples, consisting of 30 Maltese and 35 foreign samples, were collected and analysed over four harvest seasons between 2013 and 2016. A preliminary examination of H NMR spectra using unsupervised principle component analysis (PCA) models revealed no significant clustering reflecting the geographical origin.

The First Identification of the Uniqueness and Authentication of Maltese Extra Virgin Olive Oil Using 3D-Fluorescence Spectroscopy Coupled with Multi-Way Data Analysis.

The potential application of multivariate three-way data analysis techniques, namely parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) and discriminant multi-way partial least squares regression (DN-PLSR), on three-dimensional excitation emission matrix (3D-EEM) fluorescent data were used to identify the uniqueness and authenticity of Maltese extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). A non-negativity constrained PARAFAC model revealed that a four-component model provided the most appropriate solution. Examination of the extracted components in mode 2 and 3 showed that these belonged to different fluorophores present in extra virgin olive oil.

Genetic flow among olive populations within the Mediterranean basin.

Background: The olive tree is a typical crop of the Mediterranean basin where it shows a wide diversity, accounting for more than 2,600 cultivars. The ability to discriminate olive cultivars and determine their genetic variability is pivotal for an optimal exploitation of olive genetic resources.

Methods: We investigated the genetic diversity within 128 olive accessions belonging to four countries in the Mediterranean Basin (Italy, Algeria, Syria, and Malta), with the purpose of better understanding the origin and spread of the olive genotypes across Mediterranean Basin countries.

Female gender and cardiovascular disease.

Despite a generalized belief that women are protected from cardiovascular disease, this remains the leading cause of death in women. This review focuses on differences in symptomatology, diagnostic modalities and therapeutic strategies in women with regard to cardiovascular disease.