Search results for "Process"

Hybrid Quantum Mechanics/Molecular Mechanics Simulations with Two-Dimensional Interpolated Corrections:  Application to Enzymatic Processes

2006

Hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) techniques are widely used to study chemical reactions in large systems. Because of the computational cost associated with the high dimensionality of these systems, the quantum description is usually restricted to low-level methods, such as semiempirical Hamiltonians. In some cases, the description obtained at this computational level is quite poor and corrections must be considered. We here propose a simple but efficient way to include higher-level corrections to be used in potential energy surface explorations and in the calculation of potentials of mean force. We evaluate a correction energy term as the difference between a high-level …

Phosphorylation of cytochromes P450: First discovery of a posttranslational modification of a drug-metabolizing enzyme

2005

Cytochromes P450 (CYP) are important components of xenobiotic-metabolizing monooxygenases (CYP-dependent monooxygenases). Their regulation by induction, most commonly by transcriptional activation, mediated by xenobiotics, normally substrates of the corresponding CYP, is well known and has been widely studied. Our team has discovered an additional important regulation of xenobiotic-metabolizing CYPs pertaining to posttranslational modification by phosphorylation. Individual CYPs are phosphorylated by different protein kinases, leading to CYP isoenzyme-selective changes in the metabolism of individual substrates and consequent drastic changes in the control of genotoxic metabolites. Best stu…

Colloidal stability of halloysite clay nanotubes

2019

Abstract The colloidal stability of halloysite clay nanotubes dispersion is reviewed showing the strategy and the mechanism to obtain stable systems in water and apolar solvents. The selective modification of halloysite inner/outer surfaces can be achieved by exploiting electrostatic interactions. The adsorption of anionic surfactants onto the halloysite cavity allows generating inorganic cylindrical micelles that can be separated from the solvent. On the other hand, the functionalization of halloysite shell by positively charged surfactants drives to obtain stable water-in-oil emulsions. The interactions with ionic and nonionic polymers alters the dispersability of halloysite due to electr…

PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF BIOPOLYMERIC POROUS STRUCTURES FOR ADVANCED APPLICATIONS

Porous biopolymers received an increasing academic and industrial interest finding application in several fields such as tissue engineering, bioprocess intensification and waste removal. Tissue engineering combines the knowledge of materials science and bioengineering in order to develop structures able to substitute and restore the normal function of injured or diseased tissues. In this context, polymeric 3D or 2D scaffolds are widely investigated as temporary cell guidance during the tissue restore. Porous biomaterials can offer a versatile and cost effective way for immobilization of filamentous microorganisms in submerged fermentation processes for the production of biologically active …

Intra-operatively obtained human tissue: Protocols and techniques for the study of neural stem cells

2009

The discoveries of neural (NSCs) and brain tumor stem cells (BTSCs) in the adult human brain and in brain tumors, respectively, have led to a new era in neuroscience research. These cells represent novel approaches to studying normal phenomena such as memory and learning, as well as pathological conditions such as Parkinson's disease, stroke, and brain tumors. This new paradigm stresses the importance of understanding how these cells behave in vitro and in vivo. It also stresses the need to use human-derived tissue to study human disease because animal models may not necessarily accurately replicate the processes that occur in humans. An important, but often underused, source of human tissu…

Cleavage of endometrial α-integrins into their functional forms is mediated by proprotein convertase 5/6.

2012

Background Proprotein convertases (PCs) post-translationally activate a large number of protein precursors through limited cleavage. PC5/6 (PC6) in the human endometrium is tightly regulated during receptivity for embryo implantation. Integrins are transmembrane glycoproteins, some of which play an important role in the adhesive interactions between the trophoblast (blastocyst) and uterine epithelium at implantation. Integrins require PC cleavage for post-translational modification. We hypothesize that pro-integrin-αs in the endometrial epithelium are post-translationally cleaved by PC6 into functional subunits for the binding of blastocyst and adhesion of extracellular matrix proteins. Met…

Assessing autophagy in archived tissue or how to capture autophagic flux from a tissue snapshot

2020

This article belongs to the Special Issue Autophagy in Cancer.

Bioresource technology for bioenergy, bioproductsenvironmental sustainability.

2022

The 3rd International Conference for Bioresource Technology for Bioenergy, Bioproducts & Environmental Sustainability (BIORESTEC) was held online from 17 to 19 May 2021. More than 120 participants from all over the world participated in this conference. The conference was studded with nine plenary lectures, ten invited lectures as well as more than 50 oral presentations along with several poster presentations. The purpose of the conference was to foster the exchange of knowledge and ideas among researchers in academia and industry as well as policymakers working on various aspects of biorefinery to discuss the progress made during the intervening three years and the latest trends in bio…

Neurocognitive endophenotypes in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder: A systematic review of longitudinal family studies

2018

Although there is substantial evidence supporting the existence of neurocognitive impairment in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BD), few studies have explored the field from an endophenotypic perspective. The present systematic review sought to identify longitudinal family studies exploring suitable neurocognitive endophenotypes in unaffected relatives of patients with SZ and/or BD. Following the PRISMA statement, only five follow-up studies met the inclusion criteria, comprising 79 SZ patients, 159 SZ unaffected relatives of SZ, 131 BD patients, 77 unaffected relatives of BD, and 248 controls. Verbal memory, auditory attention, face memory and emotion proce…

On the modelling of an Acid/Base Flow battery: an innovative electrical energy storage device based on pH and salinity gradients

2019

The Acid/Base Flow Battery (AB-FB) is an innovative and sustainable way to store electric energy. It can theoretically guarantee an energy density of about 11 kWh/m3, which is higher than that provided by pumped hydropower, osmotic energy storage and compressed air. The AB-FB stores energy as pH and salinity gradients by employing a stack provided with (i) channels, hosting the solutions at difference pH and concentrations, separated by (ii) monopolar and bipolar ion exchange membranes. Two different membrane processes are involved: the Bipolar Membrane Electrodialysis (ED-BM) as charging step and its opposite, Bipolar Membrane Reverse Electrodialysis (RED-BM) as discharging step. The prese…