Search results for "120"

Antibacterial PEGylated Solid Lipid Microparticles for Cosmeceutical Purpose: Formulation, Characterization, and Efficacy Evaluation

2020

The development of efficacious means of delivering antioxidant polyphenols from natural sources for the treatment of skin diseases is of great interest for many cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies. Resveratrol (RSV) and Limonene (LIM) have been shown to possess good anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus infections responsible for many skin disorders, such as acne vulgaris. In this study, solid lipid microparticles are designed as composite vehicles capable of encapsulating a high amount of trans-RSV and enhancing its absorption through the stratum corneum. A microparticulate system based on mixture of PEGylate lipids, long-chain alcohols and LIM is a…

Functional Fibronectin Adsorption on Aptamer-Doped Chitosan Modulates Cell Morphology by Integrin-Mediated Pathway.

2019

A decisive step in cell-biomaterial interaction is represented by the adsorption of proteins at the interface, whose fine control may be useful to trigger proper cell response. To this purpose, we can selectively control protein adsorption on biomaterials by means of aptamers. Aptamers selected to recognize fibronectin dramatically enhance chitosan ability to promote cell proliferation and adhesion, but the underlying biological mechanism remains unknown. We supposed that aptamers contributed to ameliorate the adsorption of fibronectin in an advantageous geometrical conformation for cells, thus regulating their morphology by the proper activation of the integrin-mediated pathway. We investi…

The indigenous settlement of Monte Iato (western Sicily): an ethnoarchaeometric approach for outlining local Archaic ceramic productions

2021

AbstractAn ethnoarchaeometric approach has been followed to identify the textural and compositional characteristics of the ceramic pastes produced in ancient Iaitas/Ietas, an indigenous site located in western Sicily on Monte Iato, a few tens of kilometres from Palermo. This approach was primarily motivated by the lack of discovered Archaic kilns or production sites/workshops and the inability to identify reference groups. Raw clays were sampled in the territory of San Cipirello and San Giuseppe Iato (today’s municipalities both sited on the northern slopes of Monte Iato), together with representative historic tiles and bricks locally produced until fairly recently. Grain-size analysis and …

From pedologic indications to archaeological reconstruction: deciphering land use in the Islamic period in the Baida district (north-western Sicily)

2013

Abstract The aim of this work was to detect imprints on soil properties from former Islamic land use (9th to 11th century) using a multi-method, soil-chemical approach. Four soil profiles (with buried horizons) found in the vicinities of former Islamic settlements in Sicily were analysed for phosphorus (total, organic and inorganic), nitrogen (total, NO 3 − and NH 4 + ), carbon compounds (δ 13 C, lipids, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and functional groups), physical and chemical C-fractions and the state of soil weathering. Two soil profiles contained ceramic sherds from the Islamic period. Inorganic nitrogen forms, phosphorous and the PAH content indicated strong impacts from trad…

BIOMECHANICAL FACTORS TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT TO PREVENT INJURIES AND IMPROVE SPORTING PERFORMANCE ON ARTIFICIAL TURF

2009

This article reviews existing knowledge concerning the epidemiology, instruments and regulatory criteria currently used to evaluate artificial turf soccer pitches. Recent years have seen tremendous growth in the use of artificial turf as a playing surface for sports (rugby, soccer, American football…) and the problems traditionally associated with artificial turf and its relationship with a higher percentage of injuries seem to be disappearing. The contribution of biomechanics to the development of new techniques and instruments for analysing the properties and characteristics of grass pitches has contributed towards close collaboration with the regulatory bodies of different sporting organ…

Dissensuality and Affect in Education

2021

Magnetic fields of relativistic jets in active galactic nuclei

2011

The motivation of my work is to understand the role played by the magnetic field in the dynamics and emission of relativistic jets. In order to achieve this objective I have been carrying it out in two parallel ways. In the first of them I have performed numerical magnetohydrodynamic and emission (eRMHD) simulations of relativistic jets. The simulations have been performed in collaboration with the Relativistic Astrophysics Group in the University of Valencia, using a numerical code that solves the RMHD equations in conservative form and cylindrical coordinates with axial symmetry (see Leismann et al., 2005, for more details). I have focused the study on the role played by the magnetic fiel…

Improvement of balance in a 7-year-old child through a six-week learning programme

2018

Given that human beings are constantly subjected to equilibration processes, developing basic perceptual motor skills, especially balance, is important. The main purpose of this study is the validation of the tasks and the progression of activities that form the learning programme for balance development in a six-week didactic unit of 12 sessions (2 sessions per week), for 6 to 9 year old children (1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade of elementary school in Brazil). The changes in balance after applying the programme are also analysed through a new measuring protocol using baropodometry. Although the session was put into practice in a class of 28 children, data were extracted from a 7-year-old child. T…

Making Every "Point" Count: Identifying the Key Determinants of Team Success in Elite Men’s Wheelchair Basketball

2019

Wheelchair basketball coaches and researchers have typically relied on box score data and the Comprehensive Basketball Grading System to inform practice, however, these data do not acknowledge how the dynamic perspectives of teams change, vary and adapt during possessions in relation to the outcome of a game. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the key dynamic variables associated with team success in elite men’s wheelchair basketball and explore the impact of each key dynamic variable upon the outcome of performance through the use of binary logistic regression modelling. The valid and reliable template developed by Francis, Owen and Peters (2019) was used to analyse video footage in S…

Effect of Graphene Nanoplatelets on the Physical and Antimicrobial Properties of Biopolymer-Based Nanocomposites

2016

In this work, biopolymer-based nanocomposites with antimicrobial properties were prepared via melt-compounding. In particular, graphene nanoplatelets (GnPs) as fillers and an antibiotic, i.e., ciprofloxacin (CFX), as biocide were incorporated in a commercial biodegradable polymer blend of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and a copolyester (BioFlex®). The prepared materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and rheological and mechanical measurements. Moreover, the effect of GnPs on the antimicrobial properties and release kinetics of CFX was evaluated. The results indicated that the incorporation of GnPs increased the stiffness of the biopolymeric matrix and allowed for the t…