Search

The objective of this work was to evaluate the development of Davidiella sp. and its asexual form, Cladosporium sp., under different environmental conditions in the rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis). Rubber tree leaves were inoculated with a spore suspension and kept in a humid chamber under different temperatures and wetness periods. The behavior of the fungi was evaluated using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and an ultraviolet light microscope (UV). In the images obtained in SEM, four hours after inoculation of the fungus, it was possible to verify the germination and penetration of conidia at temperatures of 10 to 20 °C. The formation of conidiophores was verified from six hours after inoculation, indicating that it is in the reproductive period. In the sexual phase, in SEM, from four hours after inoculation, it was possible to verify the formation of small protuberances at temperatures between 10 and 20 °C. These black dots evolve into circular, protruding black spots, like the symptoms of black crust, with apparent spore formation on them. The data obtained from the UV analyses corroborate those from SEM, showing that the fungus has good development in its two phases between temperatures of 20 and 25 °C and that the period of wetness on the leaf can contribute to the initial development of the pathogen.

Rising plastic waste from products such as contact lenses underscores the need for innovative recycling solutions. This study presents a sustainable approach to produce reusable photocatalytic hybrid nanocomposites for water treatment through the use of waste contact lenses. TiO2 nanoparticles were uniformly integrated into postused contact lenses via a controlled spray deposition technique, resulting in nanocomposites with different spray times (10, 15, or 20 min). The innovative polymeric hybrids were comprehensively characterized from a morphological, structural, and chemical standpoint using techniques such as scanning and transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction analysis, Raman spectroscopy, Z-potential analysis, UV–vis spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The UV-photocatalytic performance of the resulting systems was successfully tested on two common pollutants: methylene blue (a cationic dye) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (an anionic surfactant). The highest efficiency was obtained through the 20 min spray-coated lenses, able to degrade ∼100% of MB and ∼60% of SDS within 3 h of UV-light irradiation. The difference in the photocatalytic efficiency was attributed to the electrostatic interaction between the individual pollutant and the material's surface. In addition, the antibacterial activity was assessed on Escherichia coli , a well-known indicator of water fecal contamination. This research paves the way for recycling plastic waste through an affordable and cost-effective production method that aligns with the circular economy principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dysregulated NF-κB basal activity is a common feature of human thyroid carcinomas, especially in poorly differentiated or undifferentiated forms that, even if rare, are often resistant to standard therapies, and, therefore, are uncurable. Despite the molecular mechanisms leading to NF-κB activation in thyroid cancer being only partially understood, during the last few years, it has become clear that NF-κB contributes in different ways to the oncogenic potential of thyroid neoplastic cells. Indeed, it enhances their proliferation and viability, promotes their migration to and colonization of distant organs, and fuels their microenvironment. In addition, NF-κB signaling plays an important role in cancer stem cells from more aggressive thyroid carcinomas. Interfering with the different upstream and/or downstream pathways that drive NF-κB activity in thyroid neoplastic cells is an attractive strategy for the development of novel therapeutic drugs capable of overcoming the therapy resistance of advanced thyroid carcinomas. This review focuses on the recent findings about the key functions of NF-κB in thyroid cancer and discusses the potential implications of targeting NF-κB in advanced thyroid carcinomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon nanowires (Si NWs) represent one of the most promising platforms to be integrated into modern nanodevices. The fabrication of a dense array of vertically aligned ultrathin Si NWs using a low-cost, maskless approach and compatible with Si technology will be here demonstrated. Si NWs with efficient light emission at room temperature (RT) represent a great advance industry, paving the way for a wide range of unexpected photonic applications. In this work I will show the realization of a new hybrid material based on the luminescence of Si NWs and two different dyes for light-harvesting antennas applications, without any surface functionalization and with energy transfer efficiencies higher than 90%. The luminescence of Si NWs has also been used for sensing applications by the realization of highly sensitive sensors for the detecting of low concentrations of toxic gases. These sensors allow the detection of toxic gases below the threshold limits for human health, through both optical and electrical transduction. The achievement of light emission from silicon-based materials represents a revolution in the industrial field, as it paves the way for new Si applications.

Silicon is the most diffused material in the industry; thus, considering its high capacity for energy storage, silicon‐based materials are well studied as battery anodes and supercapacitors. Si nanowires (NWs) emerge due to the high surface to volume ratio, its compatibility with a wafer processing typical of microelectronics, and are studied as anodes for lithium batteries as well as coupled with other materials for supercapacitor application. In this article, the synthesis and application are reported as a lithium anode of 2D fractal arrays of ultrathin Si NWs obtained by a thin‐film metal‐assisted chemical etching (MACE). These Si NWs exhibit a density of about 1012 NWs cm−2, maximizing the surface to volume ratio compared to silver‐salts MACE and other NW fabrication approaches. By using 2.7 μm long NWs, a pseudo‐capacitor behavior with a specific capacitance of about 274.2 μF cm−2 at a scan rate of 50 mV s−1 is obtained. This specific capacitance is two orders of magnitude higher than the one obtained in the same condition by using NWs synthesized by silver‐salt MACE. In this result, the route is opened toward the application of these fractal arrays of ultrathin Si NWs as substrate for supercapacitors with improved efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Therapy-induced senescence (TIS) represents a major cellular response to anticancer treatments. Both malignant and non-malignant cells in the tumor microenvironment undergo TIS and may be harmful for cancer patients since TIS cells develop a senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) that can sustain tumor growth. The SASP also modulates anti-tumor immunity, although the immune populations involved and the final results appear to be context-dependent. In addition, senescent cancer cells are able to evade senescence growth arrest and to resume proliferation, likely contributing to relapse. So, research data suggest that TIS induction negatively affects therapy outcomes in cancer patients. In line with this, new interventions aimed at the removal of senescent cells or the reprogramming of their SASP, called senotherapy, have become attractive therapeutic options. To date, the lack of reliable, cost-effective, and easy-to-use TIS biomarkers hinders the application of recent anti-senescence therapeutic approaches in the clinic. Hence, the identification of biomarkers for the detection of TIS tumor cells and TIS non-neoplastic cells is a high priority in cancer research. In this review article, we describe the current knowledge about TIS, outline critical gaps in our knowledge, and address recent advances and novel approaches for the discovery of TIS biomarkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), a siderophore-mediated iron binding protein, is highly expressed in human anaplastic thyroid carcinomas (ATCs) where it plays pleiotropic protumorigenic roles including that of a prosurvival protein. Here we show that NGAL inhibits FAS/CD95 death receptor to control ATC cell survival. FAS/CD95 expression in human specimens from patients with ATC and in ATC-derived cell lines negatively correlate with NGAL expression. Silencing of NGAL in ATC cells leads to FAS/CD95 upregulation, whereas NGAL overexpression determines the opposite effect. As a result, an agonist anti-FAS/CD95 antibody induces cell death in NGAL-silenced cells while it is ineffective on NGAL-overexpressing cells. Interestingly, the inhibitory activity of NGAL on FAS/CD95 is due to its iron carrier property given that perturbing iron homeostasis of NGAL-proficient and -deficient ATC cells directly influences FAS/CD95 expression. Accordingly, conditioned media containing a mutant form of NGAL unable to bind siderophores cannot rescue cells from FAS/CD95-dependent death, whereas NGAL wild type–containing conditioned media abolish the effects of the agonist antibody. We also find that downregulation of FAS/CD95 expression is mediated by iron-dependent NGAL suppression of p53 transcriptional activity. Our results indicate that NGAL contributes to ATC cell survival by iron-mediated inhibition of p53-dependent FAS/CD95 expression and suggest that restoring FAS/CD95 by NGAL suppression could be a helpful strategy to kill ATC cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon nanowires (Si NWs) are considered an outstanding material for several applications. We have realized quantum-confined and room-temperature luminescent Si NWs. These Si NWs exhibit a high-aspect ratio, and high sensitive and selective label-free detection has been demonstrated for proteins, small extracellular vesicles, and DNAs. The realization of a SARS-CoV-2 Si NW sensor able to detect a few virus copies and remain unaffected by the variant (such as Omicron) is reported, paving the way for new, cheap, optical label-free devices for the primary health care diagnosis with an industrially compatible approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An innovative biosensing strategy for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in human sera has been developed. The technology relied on a silicon flat substrate that was functionalized to perform a phage display detection of anti-amyloid beta (Aβ) antibodies, as AD markers, among the pool of IgGs of human sera. The substrate was derivatized with an interface able to bind and orient the IgGs for the detection operated by an engineered selective probe phage. The interface chemistry and its discrimination activity of healthy and AD sera have been fully characterized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]