Nanoformulations with exopolysaccharides from cyanobacteria: enhancing the efficacy of bioactive molecules in the Mediterranean fruit fly control.

The increasing demand for food has required intensive use of pesticides which are hazardous to the ecosystem. A valid alternative is represented by biopesticides; however, these molecules are often insoluble in water, and poorly bioavailable. Nanopesticides can be engineered to reach a selected target with controlled release of the active principle.

Effect of age and treatment on predictive value of measurable residual disease: implications for clinical management of adult patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

Measurable residual disease (MRD) is a powerful predictor of outcome in acute myeloid leukemia. In the early phases of treatment, MRD refines initial disease risk stratification and is used for the allocation to allogeneic transplant. Despite its well-established role, a relatively high fraction of patients eventually relapses albeit achieving MRDneg status.

Crystal structure of the monocupin ring-cleaving dioxygenase 5-nitrosalicylate 1,2-dioxygenase from Bradyrhizobium sp.

5-Nitrosalicylate 1,2-dioxygenase (5NSDO) is an iron(II)-dependent dioxygenase involved in the aerobic degradation of 5-nitroanthranilic acid by the bacterium Bradyrhizobium sp. It catalyzes the opening of the 5-nitrosalicylate aromatic ring, a key step in the degradation pathway. Besides 5-nitrosalicylate, the enzyme is also active towards 5-chlorosalicylate.

Pyrene-Containing Polyamines as Fluorescent Receptors for Recognition of PFOA in Aqueous Media.

The globally widespread perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is a concerning environmental contaminant, with a possible toxic long-term effects on the environment and human health The development of sensible, rapid, and low-cost detection systems is a current change in modern environmental chemistry. In this context, two triamine-based chemosensors, and , containing a fluorescent pyrene unit, and their Zn(II) complexes are proposed as fluorescent probes for the detection of PFOA in aqueous media. Binding studies carried out by means of fluorescence and NMR titrations highlight that protonated forms of the receptors can interact with the carboxylate group of PFOA, thanks to salt bridge formation with the ammonium groups of the aliphatic chain.

Correction: Concentration and temperature dependent interactions and state diagram of dispersions of copolymer microgels.

Correction for 'Concentration and temperature dependent interactions and state diagram of dispersions of copolymer microgels' by José Ruiz-Franco , , 2023, , 3614-3628, https://doi.org/10.1039/D3SM00120B.

Spectral Analysis of Quantum Field Fluctuations in a Strongly Coupled Optomechanical System.

With a levitodynamics experiment in the strong and coherent quantum optomechanical coupling regime, we demonstrate that the oscillator acts as a broadband quantum spectrum analyzer. The asymmetry between positive and negative frequency branches in the displacement spectrum traces out the spectral features of the quantum fluctuations in the cavity field, which are thus explored over a wide spectral range. Moreover, in our two-dimensional mechanical system the quantum backaction, generated by such vacuum fluctuations, is strongly suppressed in a narrow spectral region due to a destructive interference in the overall susceptibility.

Downward-Growing Neural Networks.

A major issue in the application of deep learning is the definition of a proper architecture for the learning machine at hand, in such a way that the model is neither excessively large (which results in overfitting the training data) nor too small (which limits the learning and modeling capabilities of the automatic learner). Facing this issue boosted the development of algorithms for automatically growing and pruning the architectures as part of the learning process. The paper introduces a novel approach to growing the architecture of deep neural networks, called downward-growing neural network (DGNN).

Addition of Spirulina to Craft Beer: Evaluation of the Effects on Volatile Flavor Profile and Cytoprotective Properties.

SPME-GC-MS and PTR-ToF-MS techniques were applied to describe the content of volatile flavor compounds in a craft beer before and after adding spirulina. The obtained results showed that the volatile profile of the two beer samples differed. Furthermore, to chemically characterize biomass spirulina, a derivatization reaction followed by GC-MS analysis was performed, highlighting a high content of molecules belonging to different chemical classes, such as sugars, fatty acids and carboxylic acids.

Modulation of synapse-related gene expression in the cerebellum and prefrontal cortex of rats subjected to the contextual fear conditioning paradigm.

The contextual fear conditioning (CFC) paradigm is the most productive approach for understanding the neurobiology of learning and memory as it allows to follow the evolution of memory traces of a conditioned stimulus and a specific context. The formation of long-term memory involves alterations in synaptic efficacy and neural transmission. It is known that the prefrontal cortex (PFC) exerts top-down control over subcortical structures to regulate behavioural responses.

Effect of Composition and Freeze-Thaw on the Network Structure, Porosity and Mechanical Properties of Polyvinyl-Alcohol/Chitosan Hydrogels.

We report the synthesis and characterization of poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/Chitosan (CT) cryogels for applications involving the uptake and entrapment of particulate and bacterial colonies. In particular, we systematically investigated the network and pore structures of the gels as a function of CT content and for different freeze-thaw times, combining Small Angle X-Ray Scattering (SAXS), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and confocal microscopy. The nanoscale analysis obtained from SAXS shows that while the characteristic correlation length of the network is poorly affected by composition and freeze-thaw time, the characteristic size of heterogeneities associated with PVA crystallites decreases with CT content.

The use of polarized light in the zonal orientation of the sandhopper Talitrus saltator (Montagu).

It is well known that the celestial polarization is used as a compass cue by many species of insects and crustaceans. Although it has been shown that the sandhopper Talitrus saltator perceives polarized light and possesses an arrangement of the rhabdomeres that could allow e-vector interpretation and utilization, T. saltator does not use the e-vector of the skylight polarization as a compass cue when making excursions along the sea-land axis of sandy shores.

The role of the distal cavity in carbon monoxide stabilization in the coproheme decarboxylase enzyme from C. diphtheriae.

This work focuses on the carbon monoxide adducts of the wild-type and selected variants of the coproheme decarboxylase from actinobacterial Corynebacterium diphtheriae complexed with coproheme, monovinyl monopropionyl deuteroheme (MMD), and heme b. The UV - vis and resonance Raman spectroscopies together with the molecular dynamics simulations clearly show that the wild-type coproheme-CO adduct is characterized by two CO conformers, one hydrogen-bonded to the distal H118 residue and the other showing a weak polar interaction with the distal cavity. Instead, upon conversion to heme b, i.

Concentration and temperature dependent interactions and state diagram of dispersions of copolymer microgels.

We investigate by means of small angle neutron scattering experiments and numerical simulations the interactions and inter-particle arrangements of concentrated dispersions of copolymer poly(-isopropylacrylamide)-poly(ethylene glycol methyl ether methacrylate) (PNIPAM-PEGMA) microgels across the volume phase transition (VPT). The scattering data of moderately concentrated dispersions are accurately modeled at all temperatures by using a star polymer form factor and static structure factors calculated from the effective potential obtained from simulations. Interestingly, for temperatures below the VPT temperature (VPTT), the radius of gyration and blob size of the particles significantly decrease with increasing the effective packing fraction in the non-overlapping regime.

Complexities in the structural evolution with pressure of water-ammonia mixtures.

The structural evolution with pressure of icy mixtures of simple molecules is a poorly explored field despite the fundamental role they play in setting the properties of the crustal icy layer of the outer planets and of their satellites. Water and ammonia are the two major components of these mixtures, and the crystal properties of the two pure systems and of their compounds have been studied at high pressures in a certain detail. On the contrary, the study of their heterogeneous crystalline mixtures whose properties, due to the strong N-H⋯O and O-H⋯N hydrogen bonds, can be substantially altered with respect to the individual species has so far been overlooked.

Amyloidogenic and non-amyloidogenic molten globule conformation of β-lactoglobulin in self-crowded regime.

Molecular insights on the β-lactoglobulin thermal unfolding and aggregation are derived from FTIR and UV Resonance Raman (UVRR) investigations. We propose an in situ and in real-time approach that thanks to the identification of specific spectroscopic markers can distinguish the two different unfolding pathways pursued by β-lactoglobulin during the conformational transition from the folded to the molten globule state, as triggered by the pH conditions. For both the investigated pH values (1.

High levels of hypusinated eIF5A in leiomyoma and leiomyosarcoma pathologies: a possible novel therapeutic target.

Research Question: Is the hypusinated form of the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (EIF5A) present in human myometrium, leiomyoma and leiomyosarcoma, and does it regulate cell proliferation and fibrosis?

Design: The hypusination status of eIF5A in myometrial and leiomyoma patient-matched tissues was evaluated by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting as well as in leiomyosarcoma tissues by immunohistochemistry. Myometrial, leiomyoma and leiomyosarcoma cell lines were treated with N1-guanyl-1,7-diaminoheptane (GC-7), responsible for the inhibition of the first step of eIF5A hypunization, and the proliferation rate was determined by MTT assay; fibronectin expression was analysed by Western blotting. Finally, expression of fibronectin in leiomyosarcoma tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry.

Communicating radiation dose in medical imaging: How to best inform our patients?

Background: The newly adopted European directive DE59/2013 mandates adequate patient information in procedures involving ionising radiation. Patient interest in knowing about their radiation dose and an effective communication method for dose exposure remain poorly investigated.

Purpose: This study is aimed at investigating both patient interest in radiation dose and an effective method to communicate radiation dose exposure.

Inorganic anion recognition in aqueous solution by coupling nearby highly hydrophilic and hydrophobic moieties in a macrocyclic receptor.

Receptor L, composed of a tripropylenetetramine chain linking the 2 and 7 positions of an acridine unit methylene bridges, behaves as a pentaprotic base in aqueous solution. The first four protonation steps occur on the tetra-amine chain, while the acridine nitrogen protonates only below pH 4. The penta-protonated receptor assumes a folded conformation, resulting in a cleft delimited by the aliphatic tetramine and acridine moieties, in which anions of appropriate size can be hosted.

Gut microbiota and oleoylethanolamide in the regulation of intestinal homeostasis.

A vast literature strongly suggests that the endocannabinoid (eCB) system and related bioactive lipids (the paracannabinoid system) contribute to numerous physiological processes and are involved in pathological conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and intestinal inflammation. The gut paracannabinoid system exerts a prominent role in gut physiology as it affects motility, permeability, and inflammatory responses. Another important player in the regulation of host metabolism is the intestinal microbiota, as microorganisms are indispensable to protect the intestine against exogenous pathogens and potentially harmful resident microorganisms.

Exergy of an open continuous medium.

Exergy is a very important thermodynamic quantity in several fields such as economy, engineering, and ecology and yet it has attracted little attention in pure physics. One of the main problems of the currently used definition of exergy is its dependence on an arbitrarily chosen reference state, which is the thermodynamic state of a reservoir the system is supposedly in contact with. In this paper, starting from a very general definition of exergy, a formula is derived for the exergy balance of a general open continuous medium without any reference to an external environment.

Ice phonon spectra and Bayes inference: A gateway to a new understanding of terahertz sound propagation in water.

Understanding how molecules engage in collective motions in a liquid where a network of bonds exists has both fundamental and applied relevance. On the one hand, it can elucidate the "ordering" role of long-range correlations and inspire new avenues to control such order to implement sound manipulation. Water represents an ideal investigation case to unfold these general aspects, and, across the decades, it has been the focus of thorough scrutiny.

Bloodstream infections due to Gram-negative bacteria in patients with hematologic malignancies: updated epidemiology and risk factors for multidrug-resistant strains in an Italian perspective survey.

Bloodstream infections (BSI) caused by Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) in patients with hematological malignancies (HM) have been associated with high mortality rates, particularly with infections caused by antibiotic-resistant strains. A multicenter cohort study including all consecutive episodes of GNB BSI in HM patients was conducted to update the epidemiology and antibiotic resistance patterns (compared to our previous survey conducted between 2009 and 2012) and investigate risk factors for GNB BSI due to multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolates. A total of 834 GNB were recovered in 811 BSI episodes from January 2016 to December 2018.