Search results for "ARTICLES"

Sea urchin deciliation induces thermoresistance and activates the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway.

2003

In this study, we demonstrate by a variety of approaches (ie, morphological analysis, Western blots, immunolocalization, and the use of specific antibodies) that hyperosmotic deciliation stress of sea urchin embryos induces a thermotolerant response. Deciliation is also able to activate a phosphorylation signaling cascade the effector of which might be the p38 stress-activated protein kinase because we found that the administration of the p38 inhibitor SB203580 to sea urchin deciliated gastrula embryos makes the hyperosmotic deciliation stress lethal.

Drosophila adult and larval pheromones modulate larval food choice

2014

Insects use chemosensory cues to feed and mate. In Drosophila , the effect of pheromones has been extensively investigated in adults, but rarely in larvae. The colonization of natural food sources by Drosophila buzzatii and Drosophila simulans species may depend on species-specific chemical cues left in the food by larvae and adults. We identified such chemicals in both species and measured their influence on larval food preference and puparation behaviour. We also tested compounds that varied between these species: (i) two larval volatile compounds: hydroxy-3-butanone-2 and phenol (predominant in D. simulans and D. buzzatii , respectively), and (ii) adult cuticular hydrocarbons (CHs). Dro…

Developing Antibiofilm Fibrillar Scaffold with Intrinsic Capacity to Produce Silver Nanoparticles

2022

The development of biomedical systems with antimicrobial and antibiofilm properties is a difficult medical task for preventing bacterial adhesion and growth on implanted devices. In this work, a fibrillar scaffold was produced by electrospinning a polymeric organic dispersion of polylactic acid (PLA) and poly(α,β-(N-(3,4-dihydroxyphenethyl)-L-aspartamide-co-α,β-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-L-aspartamide) (PDAEA). The pendant catechol groups of PDAEA were used to reduce silver ions in situ and produce silver nanoparticles onto the surface of the electrospun fibers through a simple and reproducible procedure. The morphological and physicochemical characterization of the obtained s…

Photocatalytic activity of N-doped TiO2-based materials embedded with gold NPs for applications in antibacterial photodynamic therapy (aPDT)

Antibacterial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) is a potential treatment for antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. It is based on the photosensitization of bacterial cells with exogenous agents that, when exposed to light, produce reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as OH-, O2-, H2O2. ROS can induce complex oxidative-reductive chains of reactions, resulting in damage of cellular components in target tissues1. Photocatalysts, like inorganic semiconductor oxides, represent an interesting class of materials to design new strategies for aPTD. As exposed to light of proper wavelengths, photocatalysts induce the formation of electron-hole pairs capable of producing a cascade of reactions suitable …

Cancer‐associated venous thromboembolism: Treatment and prevention with rivaroxaban

2020

Abstract Cancer‐associated venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a frequent, potentially life‐threatening event that complicates cancer management. Anticoagulants are the cornerstone of therapy for the treatment and prevention of cancer‐associated thrombosis (CAT); factor Xa–inhibiting direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs; apixaban, edoxaban, and rivaroxaban), which have long been recommended for the treatment of VTE in patients without cancer, have been investigated in this setting. The first randomized comparisons of DOACs against low‐molecular‐weight heparin for the treatment of CAT indicated that DOACs are efficacious in this setting, with findings reflected in recent updates to published guidan…

Search for low-energy neutrinos from astrophysical sources with Borexino

2019

We report on searches for neutrinos and antineutrinos from astrophysical sources performed with the Borexino detector at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso in Italy. Electron antineutrinos ($\bar{\nu}_e$) are detected in an organic liquid scintillator through the inverse $\beta$-decay reaction. In the present work we set model-independent upper limits in the energy range 1.8-16.8 MeV on neutrino fluxes from unknown sources that improve our previous results, on average, by a factor 2.5. Using the same data set, we first obtain experimental constraints on the diffuse supernova $\bar{\nu}_e$ fluxes in the previously unexplored region below 8 MeV. A search for $\bar{\nu}_e$ in the solar ne…

Borexino’s search for low-energy neutrino and antineutrino signals correlated with gamma-ray bursts

2017

International audience; A search for neutrino and antineutrino events correlated with 2350 gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) is performed with Borexino data collected between December 2007 and November 2015. No statistically significant excess over background is observed. We look for electron antineutrinos ( ν¯e ) that inverse beta decay on protons with energies from 1.8  MeV to 15  MeV and set the best limit on the neutrino fluence from GRBs below 8  MeV. The signals from neutrinos and antineutrinos from GRBs that scatter on electrons are also searched for, a detection channel made possible by the particularly radio-pure scintillator of Borexino. We obtain currently the best limits on the neutrino f…

In Vitro Antioxidant Activity and In Vivo Topical Efficacy of Lipid Nanoparticles Co-Loading Idebenone and Tocopheryl Acetate

2019

Idebenone (IDE) is a strong antioxidant that has been proposed for the treatment of skin disorders, including skin ageing. Unfavorable physico-chemical properties make IDE a poor skin permeant where effectiveness could be improved by its loading into suitable delivery systems such as solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC). In this work, we designed novel IDE-loaded NLC containing tocopheryl acetate (VitE) as a liquid component to obtain a synergic effect between IDE and VitE. The resulting NLC showed small particle sizes (24&ndash

A novel TiO2-assisted magnetic nanoparticle separator for treatment and inactivation of bacterial contaminants in aquatic systems

2014

Ferromagnetic nanoparticles (Fe-nanoparticles) have been functionalized with recombinant poly- Glu [glutamic acid]-tagged silicatein, a biomineral-synthesizing enzyme from siliceous sponges that forms the inorganic silica skeleton of those animals. The biocatalytic activity of silicatein was used to form a titania (TiO2) shell around the iron nanoparticle core, using the water-soluble non- natural substrate titanium bis(ammonium lactato)-dihydroxide (TiBALDH). Thereby the diameter of the nanoparticles increases from 7 nm to ≈22 nm. This procedure also allows the layer-by-layer fabrication of titania/silica- Fe-nanoparticles. SEM/EDX analysis confirmed the presence of the Ti and Si signals i…

Chromogenic Detection of Aqueous Formaldehyde Using Functionalized Silica Nanoparticles

2016

Silica nanoparticles functionalized with thiol reactive units and bulky polar polyamines were used for the selective colorimetric detection of formaldehyde. The reaction of thiols groups in the nanoparticles surface with a squaraine dye resulted in loss of the pi-conjugation of the chromophores, and the subsequent bleaching of the solution. However, when formaldehyde was present in the suspension, the thiol-squaraine reaction was inhibited and a chromogenic response was observed. A selective response to formaldehyde was observed only when the thiol and polyamine groups were anchored to the silica surface. The observed selective response was ascribed to the fact that bulky polyamines generat…