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Sustainable and on-going technological developments in the field of materials require the establishment of methods and tools for assessing, comparing environmental impacts and providing solutions to the problem of “resource criticality” by identifying a policy of an economic and ecological plan. Therefore, there is a clear need for prevention and provision of additional knowledge beyond the defined protocols to achieve the reduction of impacts. For this reason, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has been developed as a scientific technique that systematically assesses and evaluates the environmental impacts associated with all stages of a product's life. In this work, LCA was applied in a part of a highly innovative process of production of advanced Iron-Aluminum (Fe-Al) based intermetallics. LCA role is particularly crucial, since the produced intermetallics are bound to substitute stainless steel, in specific applications, providing solution in the problem of Cr and Ni; as a result, the environmental burdens and impacts, as well as application of alternative solutions to minimize them, will decide if such an innovative, from the technical point of view, approach is also applicable/sustainable in large scale.

The subject of this study is the synthesis and biological evaluation of anoplin-based (Gly-Leu-Leu 3 -Lys-Arg 5 -Ile-Lys-Thr 8 -Leu-Leu-NH 2 )-designed (lipo)-peptides, aiming at the development of new antibiotic substances. The design of synthetic compounds based on natural bioactive molecules is an optimistic strategy for the development of new pharmaceutics. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and (lipo)-peptides are two classes of promising compounds, with characteristics that allow them to express their activity by differentiated mechanisms of action. On this basis, anoplin, a natural AMP, was used as a scaffold to design five peptides and seven lipopeptide analogs of them. Substitutions were made on residues Leu 3 and Arg 5 of the interphase and on Thr 8 of the polar phase, as well as N-terminus conjunctions with octanoic and decanoic acid. The outcome of the biological evaluation revealed that some analogs might have substantial clinical potential. Specifically, Ano 1-F, Ano 3-F, Ano 4-C 10 , and Ano 5-F are strongly active against Gram-negative bacteria at minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 3 μg/ml, while Ano 4-F is active against Gram-positive bacteria at 1 μg/ml. Ano 2-C 10 , C 10 -Gly-Leu-Lys 3 -Lys-Ile 5 -Ile-Lys-Lys 8 -Leu-Leu-NH 2 , is the most promising compound (MIC = 0.5 μg/ml) for the development of new pharmaceutics. The conformational features of the synthetic peptides were investigated by circular dichroism spectroscopy, and their physicochemical parameters were calculated. Our study shows that appropriate substitutions in the anoplin sequence in combination with N α -acylation may lead to new effective AMPs., (© 2021 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Katiki Domokou is a traditional Greek cheese, which has received the Protected Designation of Origin recognition since 1994. Its microfloras have not been studied although its structure and composition may enable (or even favor) the survival and growth of several pathogens, including Listeria monocytogenes. The persistence of L. monocytogenes during storage at different temperatures has been the subject of many studies since temperature abuse of food products is often encountered. In the present study, five strains of L. monocytogenes were aseptically inoculated individually and as a cocktail in Katiki Domokou cheese, which was then stored at 5, 10, 15, and 20 degrees C. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis was used to monitor strain evolution or persistence during storage at different temperatures in the case of the cocktail inoculum. The results suggested that strain survival of L. monocytogenes was temperature dependent since different strains predominated at different temperatures. Such information is of great importance in risk assessment studies, which typically consider only the presence or absence of the pathogen.

The aim of this study is to investigate the changes of the pupil's light reflex (PLR) and mobility in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with and without cognitive disorder. Twenty two (22) patients (ten males, twelve females, mean age: 72.7+/-7.3 years) with identified PD entered the study. The patients were examined with the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Wechsler II Memory Scale (WMS II) and the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D17). Eleven (11) patients (five males, six females, mean age: 72.09+/-7.06 years) were free of any cognitive deficits and eleven (11) patients (five males, six females, mean age: 73.36+/-7.55 years) had cognitive disorder according to the aforementioned scales. None of the patients satisfied the DSM-IV-TR criteria for depression or anxiety disorder. The patients underwent a pupillometric study in both eyes with single flash stimuli of 24.6 candelas/m(2) intensity and 20 ms duration. The pupillometric parameters that were studied were: Latency for the onset of Constriction (T1), Baseline Pupil Radius (R1), Minimum Pupil Radius after the pupil reaction to light (R2), Amplitude (AMP, R1-R2), Time for maximum Miosis (T2), Maximum Constriction Velocity (VCmax) and Maximum Constriction Acceleration (ACmax). The pupillometric findings of each group were compared to those of an age and sex matched group of eleven healthy subjects. Furthermore, a comparison between the findings of the two groups was conducted. ACmax and VCmax were significantly lower in patients without (PD) and with coexisting cognitive impairment (PDC) compared to normal subjects (NC) (p<0.001). Patients with cognitive impairment (PDC) had significantly lower levels of ACmax, VCmax and AMP than patients without cognitive deficits (PD). Cognitive impairment in PD, which mainly reflects a central cholinergic deficit, may be a crucial pathogenetic factor for the decrease in the aforementioned pupillometric parameters. VCmax and ACmax can be considered as the most sensitive indicators of this central cholinergic deficiency.

In the present work, survival of Listeria monocytogenes in the traditional Greek soft, spreadable cheese Katiki was studied throughout the shelf life of the product. Samples of finished cheese were inoculated with a cocktail of five L. monocytogenes strains (ca. 6 log CFU g(-1)) and stored at 5, 10, 15, and 20 degrees C. Acid-stress adaptation or cross-protection to the same stress was also investigated by inoculation of acid-adapted cells in the product. The results showed that pathogen survival was biphasic. Various mathematical equations (Geeraerd, Cerf, Albert-Mafart, Whiting, Zwietering, and Baranyi models) were fitted to the experimental data. A thorough statistical analysis was performed to choose the best model. The Geeraerd model was finally selected, and the results revealed no acid tolerance acquisition (no significant differences, P > 0.05, in the survival rates of the non-acid-adapted and acid-adapted cells). Secondary modeling (second-order polynomial with a(0) = 0.8453, a(1) = -0.0743, and a(2) = 0.0059) of the survival rate (of sensitive population), and other parameters that were similar at all temperatures (fraction of initial population in the major population = 99.98%, survival rate of resistant population = 0.10 day(-1), and initial population = 6.29 log CFU g(-1)), showed that survival of the pathogen was temperature dependent with bacterial cells surviving for a longer period of time at lower temperatures. Finally, the developed predictive model was successfully validated at two independent temperatures (12 and 17 degrees C). This study underlines the usefulness of predictive modeling as a tool for realistic estimation and control of L. monocytogenes risk in food products. Such data are also useful when conducting risk assessment studies.

Atypical antipsychotics, including olanzapine, were originally expected to reduce the risk of haematological toxicity and to be safe alternatives to clozapine. We report a case of patient who developed leucopenia and neutropenia during treatment with olanzapine.

Two mixed-valence Mn(III)Mn(II) complexes and a homo-valence Mn(II) trinuclear manganese complex of stoichiometry Mn(III)Mn(II)Mn(III)(5-Cl-Hsaladhp)(2)(AcO)(4)(MeOH)(2).4CH(3)OH (1a), Mn(III)Mn(II)Mn(III) (Hsaladhp)(2)(AcO)(2)(5-Cl-Sal)(2)(thf)(2) (3a) and Mn(II)Mn(II)Mn(II) (AcO)(6)(pybim)(2) (1b) where H(3)saladhp is a tridentate Schiff base ligand and pybim a neutral bidentate donor ligand, have been structurally characterized by using X-ray crystallography. The structurally characterized mixed-valence complexes have strictly 180 degrees Mn(III)-Mn(II)-Mn(III) angles as required by crystallographic inversion symmetry. The complexes are valence trapped with two terminal Mn(III) ions showing Jahn-Teller distortion along the acetate or salicylate-Mn(III)-X axis. The Mn.Mn separation is 3.511 Å and 3.507 Å respectively. The mixed-valence complexes have S = (3)/(2) ground state and the homovalence complex S = (5)/(2), with small antiferromagnetic exchange J couplings, -5.6 and -1.8 cm(-1), respectively, while the powder ESR spectra at 4 K show a broad low field signal with g approximately 4.3 for Mn(III)Mn(II)Mn(III) and a broad temperature-dependent signal at g = 2 for Mn(II)Mn(II)Mn(II). Crystal data for 1a: [C(36)H(60)O(20)N(2)Cl(2)Mn(3)], triclinic, space group P&onemacr;, a = 9.272(7) Å, b = 11.046(8) Å, c = 12.635(9) Å, alpha = 76.78(2) degrees, beta = 81.84(2) degrees, gamma = 85.90(2) degrees, Z = 1. Crystal data for 3a: [C(48)H(56)O(18)N(2)Cl(2)Mn(3)], monoclinic, space group P2(1)/n, a = 8.776(3) Å, b = 22.182(7) Å, c = 13.575(4) Å, beta = 94.44(1) degrees, Z = 2. Crystal data for 1b: [C(36)H(36)O(12)N(6)Mn(3)], triclinic, space group P&onemacr;, a = 13.345(6) Å, b = 8.514(4) Å, c = 9.494(4) Å, alpha = 75.48(1) degrees, beta = 75.83(1) degrees, gamma = 76.42(1) degrees, Z = 1.