Search results for "PET"
showing 10 items of 12749 documents
NOVEL COMPOSED GALACTOSYLATED NANODEVICES CONTAINING A RIBAVIRIN PRODRUG AS HEPATIC CELL-TARGETED CARRIERS FOR HCV TREATMENT
2013
In this paper, we describe the preparation of liver-targeted nanoparticles potentially able to carry to hepatocytes a ribavirin (RBV) prodrug, exploiting the presence of carbohydrate receptors in the liver (i.e., ASGPR in hepatocytes). These particles were obtained starting from a galactosylated phospholipid-polyaminoacid conjugate. This latter was obtained by chemical reaction of ALPHA, BETA -poly(N-2-hydroxyethyl) (2-aminoethylcarbamate)-DL-aspartamide (PHEA-EDA) with 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-(succinyl) sodium salt (DPPE), and subsequent reaction with lactose, obtaining PHEA-EDA-DPPE-GAL copolymer. To enhance the entrapment into obtained nanostructures, a hydroph…
Climate variation during the Holocene influenced the skeletal properties of Chamelea gallina shells in the North Adriatic Sea (Italy)
2021
Understanding how marine taxa will respond to near-future climate changes is one of the main challenges for management of coastal ecosystem services. Ecological studies that investigate relationships between the environment and shell properties of commercially important marine species are commonly restricted to latitudinal gradients or small-scale laboratory experiments. This paper aimed to explore the variations in shell features and growth of the edible bivalve Chamelea gallina from the Holocene sedimentary succession to present-day thanatocoenosis of the Po Plain-Adriatic Sea system (Italy). Comparing the Holocene sub-fossil record to modern thanatocoenoses allowed obtaining an insight o…
Variability of shell repair in the Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum affected by the Brown Ring Disease: A microstructural and biochemical study
2011
11 pages; International audience; For more than two decades, the Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum has been regularly affected by Brown Ring Disease (BRD), an epizootic event caused by the bacterium Vibrio tapetis and characterized by the development of a brown deposit on the inner face of valves. Although BRD infection is often lethal, some clams recover by mineralizing a new repair shell layer, which covers the brown deposit and fully isolates it from living tissues. In order to understand this specific shell repair process, the microstructures of repaired zones were compared to those of shells unaffected by BRD. In addition, the organic matrix associated with unaffected shells and to r…
Multi-isotopic and trace element evidence against different formation pathways for oyster microstructures
2021
Geochimica et cosmochimica acta 308, 326-352 (2021). doi:10.1016/j.gca.2021.06.012
The evolution of metazoan α-carbonic anhydrases and their roles in calcium carbonate biomineralization
2014
The carbonic anhydrase (CA; EC 4.2.1.1) superfamily is a class of ubiquitous metallo-enzymes that catalyse the reversible hydration of carbon dioxide. The ?-CA family, present in all metazoan clades, is a key enzyme involved in a wide range of physiological functions including pH regulation, respiration, photosynthesis, and biocalcification. This paper reviews the evolution of the ?-CA family, with an emphasis on metazoan ?-CA members involved in biocalcification. Phylogenetic analyses reveal a complex evolutionary history of ?-CAs, and suggest ?-CA was independently co-opted into a variety of skeleton forming roles (e.g. as a provider of HCO3? ions, a structural protein, a nucleation activ…
Effects of halloysite content on the thermo-mechanical performances of composite bioplastics
2020
Abstract The aim of this study is the design and preparation of Mater-Bi/halloysite nanocomposite materials that could be employed as bioplastics alternative to the petroleum derived products. The biocomposite materials at variable halloysite content (from 0 to 30 wt%) were prepared by using the solvent casting method. We investigated the mechanical behaviour and the thermal properties of the prepared nanocomposites in order to estimate their suitability as biocompatible packaging materials. The thermo-mechanical characteristics were correlated to the nanocomposites' morphologies, which were studied by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). As a general result, the physico-chemical performance…
Multivariate analysis of sites using water invertebrates and land use as indicators of the quality of biotopes of Mediterranean relic plant (Petagnae…
2007
Petagnaea gussonei is a rhizomatous, perennial scapose hemicryptophyte species belonging to a monospecific genus of Apiaceae. It lives only along woodland rivulets and is a Tertiary relic localized in the restricted area of the Nebrodi Mountains (NE Sicily, Italy). Ecological indicators have been employed to understand the status of eight localities (intermittent rivulets) where the species occurs. In order to evaluate both the rivulets' water-quality and landscape use, index of anthropisation (Ia), water fleas bioassay (TU), and analyses of water macroinvertebrates have been employed. The results obtained for the level of toxicity exclude the presence of macropollutants (TU < 0.001), where…
Syntaxonomy, diversity and distribution of the vegetation of rock crevices, clefts and ledges in the colline and montane belts of Central Pamir-Alai …
2021
Mountain areas are very often considered to be biodiversity hotspots. Rocks are one of the most unique habitats and serve as a suitable biotope for many endemic and specialized plant species. Here we present the results of the vegetation studies conducted in central and eastern Pamir-Alai and the south-western Tian Shan mountains in 2013‒2019. Based on 334 phytosociological relevés we propose a synopsis of the rock communities of the montane and colline zones of eastern Middle Asia. As a result of our research, we distinguish 17 communities defined into five groups of petrophytic vegetation within the Caricion koshewnikowii alliance. We describe 11 new associations: Feruletum bucharicae, Sc…
Environmental impact on historical monuments: The black crusts of the Venice lagoon
2020
Black crusts are typical decay forms on calcareous rocks in polluted urban environments. Their origin is due to “sulphation” reaction of calcium carbonate substrates (CaCO3), as a consequence of pH value decrease caused by SO2 in the polluted atmosphere. They can be therefore defined as a passive air pollution sampler. For the purpose of this work, samples from the historic center of Venice were analyzed. The city of Venice suffers in particular maritime and industrial pollution (Marghera industrial zone). By means of minero-petrographic and geochemical analyses, it was possible to obtain information on the mineralogy of the crust and its interaction with the underlying substrates, other th…
Teaching Competences Through ICTs in an English Degree Programme in a Spanish Setting
2012
In this chapter I shall describe the ways in which a group of lecturers in English language and linguistics have attempted to help students acquire competencies using ICTs in an English Studies degree programme in Spain. The introduction of competence-based learning constitutes a major paradigm shift brought about by the convergence of degree systems in the European Higher Education Area, and is part of a concerted effort to make our degrees less teacher-centred with a view to giving students greater opportunities to participate in their own learning process, both inside and outside the classroom. I will outline how general and discipline-specific competences are acquired through the use of…