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One of the goals of modern orcharding is to produce a high volume of fruits with uniform size, organoleptic parameters, and health characteristics. The aim of this work was to study various shoot types and their prevailing positions along the cane and to identify how shoot type can influence the quality of fruit from the Actinidia tree. The experiment was conducted over a two-year period in a commercial orchard of Actinidia chinensis, cv. Gold 3. The shoots along the cane were classified as follows: spur shoots (SPs), terminated shoots (TEs), non-terminated shoots (NTs), and cut non-terminated shoots (CNTs). The data were statistically processed using ANOVA and Principal Component Analysis (ACP). Four different categories of fruit were obtained from the four shoot types, and their various attributes were compared. The prevailing category (comprising 55% of the studied fruits) was TEs, which are characterised by a higher soluble solid content, sweetness, and excellent health characteristics, as well as the reduced hardness of their pulp, which would support the hypothesis that harvesting could be brought forward. The second most common category (comprising 19% of total fruit) with the lowest soluble solid content, but a high antioxidant capacity, was that which was detached from the CNTs, while 13% of the fruit was produced from NTs, which had the lowest health value but good sweetness perception. Finally, the category with the lowest fruit percentage over the total fruit harvested (10%) was SPs, which are characterised by their smaller size. It has yet to be determined what the performance of each category will be post-harvest; whether it is possible to assign the quality categories while harvesting the fruit or to differentiate the harvest time accordingly remains subject to debate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen combustion engine vehicles have the potential to rapidly enter the market and reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) compared to conventional engines. The ability to provide a rapid market deployment is linked to the fact that the industry would take advantage of the existing internal combustion engine production chain. The aim of this paper is twofold. First, it aims to develop a methodology for applying life-cycle assessment (LCA) to internal combustion engines to estimate their life-cycle GHG emissions. Also, it aims to investigate the decarbonization potential of hydrogen engines produced by exploiting existing diesel engine technology and assuming diverse hydrogen production routes. The boundary of the LCA is cradle-to-grave, and the assessment is entirely based on primary data. The products under study are two monofuel engines: a hydrogen engine and a diesel engine. The hydrogen engine has been redesigned using the diesel engine as a base. The engines being studied are versatile and can be used for a wide range of uses such as automotive, cogeneration, maritime, off-road, and railway; however, this study focuses on their application in pickup trucks. As part of the redesign process, certain subsystems (e.g., combustion, injection, ignition, exhaust gas recirculation, and exhaust gas aftertreatment) have been modified to make the engine run on hydrogen. Results revealed that employing a hydrogen engine using green hydrogen (i.e., generated from water electrolysis using wind-based electricity) might reduce GHG emission by over 90% compared to the diesel engine This study showed that the benefits of the new hydrogen engine solution outweigh the increase of emissions related to the redesign process, making it a potentially beneficial solution also for reconditioning current and used internal combustion engines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared to conventional fossil-fueled vehicles, electric vehicles offer several environmental benefits. However, even electric vehicles are not completely environmentally friendly because many of their parts are not recycled today. These parts, especially the magnets that power them, end up in landfills at the end of the vehicle's life cycle. This study aims to evaluate the environmental impacts of recycled (NdDy)FeB permanent magnets obtained by means of a novel hydrogen-decrepitation-based, magnet-to-magnet recycling technique. The Life Cycle Assessment methodology was used to compare, on a like-to-like basis, recycled and virgin permanent magnets. The core data provided by an industry partner served as the foundation for modelling the recycling process. Three different functional units were investigated based on three parameters, namely the magnet mass, magnetization coercivity, and energy product. Results revealed that the recycled magnet outperformed the virgin magnet in most impact categories. In terms of carbon footprint, recycling permanent magnets through hydrogen decrepitation would allow for an 18─33% reduction with respect to their production from virgin materials, depending on the assumed functional unit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fmoc-diphenylalanine (Fmoc-FF) is a low-molecular-weight peptide hydrogelator. This simple all-aromatic peptide can generate self-supporting hydrogel materials, which have been proposed as novel materials for diagnostic and pharmaceutical applications. Our knowledge of the molecular determinants of Fmoc-FF aggregation is used as a guide to design new peptide-based gelators, with features for the development of improved tools. Here, we enlarge the plethora of Fmoc-FF-based hydrogelated matrices by studying the properties of the Fmoc-FFK tripeptide, alone or in combination with Fmoc-FF. For multicomponent matrices, the relative weight ratios between Fmoc-FFK and Fmoc-FF (specifically, 1/1, 1/5, 1/10, and 1/20 w/w) are evaluated. All the systems and their multiscale organization are studied using different experimental techniques, including rheology, circular dichroism, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Preliminary profiles of biocompatibility for the studied systems are also described by testing them in vitro on HaCaT and 3T3-L1 cell lines. Additionally, the lysine (K) residue at the C-terminus of the Fmoc-FF moiety introduces into the supramolecular material chemical functions (amino groups) which may be useful for modification/derivatization with bioactive molecules of interest, including diagnostic probes, chelating agents, active pharmaceutical ingredients, or peptide nucleic acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multicomponent hydrogels (HGs) based on ultrashort aromatic peptides have been exploited as biocompatible matrices for tissue engineering applications, the delivery of therapeutic and diagnostic agents, and the development of biosensors. Due to its capability to gel under physiological conditions of pH and ionic strength, the low molecular-weight Fmoc-FF (Nα-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl-diphenylalanine) homodimer is one of the most studied hydrogelators. The introduction into the Fmoc-FF hydrogel of additional molecules like protein, organic compounds, or other peptide sequences often allows the generation of novel hydrogels with improved mechanical and functional properties. In this perspective, here we studied a library of novel multicomponent Fmoc-FF based hydrogels doped with different amounts of the tripeptide Fmoc-FFX (in which X= Cys, Ser, or Thr). The insertion of these tripeptides allows to obtain hydrogels functionalized with thiol or alcohol groups that can be used for their chemical post-derivatization with bioactive molecules of interest like diagnostic or biosensing agents. These novel multicomponent hydrogels share a similar peptide organization in their supramolecular matrix. The hydrogels' biocompatibility, and their propensity to support adhesion, proliferation, and even cell differentiation, assessed in vitro on fibroblast cell lines, allows us to conclude that the hybrid hydrogels are not toxic and can potentially act as a scaffold and support for cell culture growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Hydrogel nanoparticles, also known as nanogels (NGs), have been recently proposed as alternative supramolecular vehicles for the delivery of biologically relevant molecules like anticancer drugs and contrast agents. The inner compartment of peptide based NGs can be opportunely modified according to the chemical features of the cargo, thus improving its loading and release. A full understanding of the intracellular mechanism involved in nanogel uptake by cancer cells and tissues would further contribute to the potential diagnostic and clinical applications of these nanocarriers, allowing the fine tuning of their selectivity, potency, and activity. The structural characterization of nanogels were assessed by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and Nanoparticles Tracking Analysis (NTA) analysis. Cells viability of Fmoc-FF nanogels was evaluated by MTT assay on six breast cancer cell lines at different incubation times (24, 48, and 72 h) and peptide concentrations (in the range 6.25 × 10−4 ÷ 5·10−3 × wt%). The cell cycle and mechanisms involved in Fmoc-FF nanogels intracellular uptake were evaluated using flow cytometry and confocal analysis, respectively. Fmoc-FF nanogels, endowed with a diameter of ~130 nm and a zeta potential of ~−20.0/−25.0 mV, enter cancer cells via caveolae, mostly those responsible for albumin uptake. The specificity of the machinery used by Fmoc-FF nanogels confers a selectivity toward cancer cell lines overexpressing the protein caveolin1 and efficiently performing caveolae-mediated endocytosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment focused on end-of-life (EoL) was conducted in this study for three configurations of a light-duty commercial vehicle (LDCV): diesel, compressed natural gas (CNG), and battery electric vehicle (BEV). The aim is to investigate the impact of recycling under two EoL scenarios with different allocation methods. The first is based on the traditional avoided burden method, while the second is based on the circular footprint formula (CFF) developed by the European Commission. For each configuration, a detailed multilevel waste management scheme was developed in compliance with the 2000/53/CE directive and ISO22628 standard. The results showed that the global warming potential (GWP) impact under the CFF method is significantly greater when compared to the avoided burden method because of the A-parameter, which allocates the burdens and benefits between the two connected product systems. Furthermore, in all configurations and scenarios, the benefits due to the avoided production of virgin materials compensate for the recycling burdens within GWP impact. The main drivers of GWP reduction are steel recycling for all of the considered LDCVs, platinum, palladium, and rhodium recycling for the diesel and CNG configurations, and Li-ion battery recycling for the BEV configuration. Finally, the EoL stage significantly reduces the environmental impact of those categories other than GWP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generated by a hierarchical and multiscale self-assembling phenomenon, peptide-based hydrogels (HGs) are soft materials useful for a variety of applications. Short and ultra-short peptides are intriguing building blocks for hydrogel fabrication. These matrices can also be obtained by mixing low-molecular-weight peptides with other chemical entities (e.g., polymers, other peptides). The combination of two or more constituents opens the door to the development of hybrid systems with tunable mechanical properties and unexpected biofunctionalities or morphologies. For this scope, the formulation, the multiscale analysis, and the supramolecular characterization of novel hybrid peptide-polymer hydrogels are herein described. The proposed matrices contain the Fmoc-FF (Nα-fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl diphenylalanine) hydrogelator at a concentration of 0.5 wt% (5.0 mg/mL) and a diacrylate α-/ω-substituted polyethylene-glycol derivative (PEGDA). Two PEGDA derivatives, PEGDA 1 and PEGDA2 (mean molecular weights of 575 and 250 Da, respectively), are mixed with Fmoc-FF at different ratios (Fmoc-FF/PEGDA at 1/1, 1/2, 1/5, 1/10 mol/mol). All the multicomponent hybrid peptide-polymer hydrogels are scrutinized with a large panel of analytical techniques (including proton relaxometry, FTIR, WAXS, rheometry, and scanning electronic microscopy). The matrices were found to be able to generate mechanical responses in the 2–8 kPa range, producing a panel of tunable materials with the same chemical composition. The release of a model drug (Naphthol Yellow S) is reported too. The tunable features, the different topologies, and the versatility of the proposed materials open the door to the development of tools for different applicative areas, including diagnostics, liquid biopsies and responsive materials. The incorporation of a diacrylate function also suggests the possible development of interpenetrating networks upon cross-linking reactions. All the collected data allow a mutual comparison between the different matrices, thus confirming the significance of the hybrid peptide/polymer-based methodology as a strategy for the design of innovative materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New peptide-based hydrogels incorporating Gd(III) chelates with different hydration states, molecular structures and overall negative charges ([Gd(BOPTA)]2−), [Gd(DTPA)]2−, and ([Gd(AAZTA)]−) were prepared and characterized. N-terminal Fmoc- or acetyl-derivatized hexapeptides (K1, K2 and K3) containing five aliphatic amino acids (differently ordered Gly, Ala, Val, Leu and Ile) and a charged lysine at the amidated C-terminal were used for the formation of the hydrogels. Particular attention was paid to the investigation of the morphological and rheological properties of the nanoparticles, in addition to the assessment of the ability (relaxivity) of the confined complexes to accelerate the longitudinal relaxation rate of the water protons localized in the polymeric network. The relaxivity values at high magnetic fields (>0.5 T) of the paramagnetic hydrogels appear to be more than five times higher than those of isolated chelates in an aqueous solution, reaching a value of 25 mmol−1 s−1 for Fmoc-K2+[Gd(BOPTA)]2− at 0.5 T and 310 K. Furthermore, an interesting trend of decrease of relaxivity with increasing the degree of rigidity of the hydrogel was observed. The type of interactions between the various complexes and the polymeric network also plays a key role in influencing the relaxivity values of the final materials. Nanogels were also obtained from the submicronization of the hydrogel containing [Gd(BOPTA)]2− chelate. Circular dichroism, dynamic light scattering and relaxometric investigations on these nanoparticles revealed the formation of nanogels endowed with higher relaxivities (r1 = 41 mM−1 s−1 at 0.5 T MHz and 310 K) than the corresponding hydrogels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogels (HGs) are tri-dimensional materials with a non-Newtonian flow behaviour formed by networks able to encapsulate high amounts of water or other biological fluids. They can be prepared using both synthetic or natural polymers and their mechanical and functional properties may change according to the preparation method, the solvent, the pH, and to others experimental parameters. Recently, many short and ultra-short peptides have been investigated as building blocks for the formulation of biocompatible hydrogels suitable for different biomedical applications. Due to its simplicity and capability to gel in physiological conditions, Fmoc-FF dipeptide is one of the most studied peptide hydrogelators. Although its identification dates to 15 ago, its behaviour is currently studied because of the observation that the final material obtained is deeply dependent on the preparation method. To collect information about their formulation, here are reported some different strategies adopted until now for the Fmoc-FF HG preparation, noting the changes in the structural arrangement and behaviour in terms of stiffness, matrix porosity, and stability induced by the different formulation strategy on the final material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) shuttle proteins, RNA, DNA, and lipids crucial for cell-to-cell communication. Recent findings have highlighted that EVs, by virtue of their cargo, may also contribute to breast cancer (BC) growth and metastatic dissemination. Indeed, EVs are gaining great interest as non-invasive cancer biomarkers. However, little is known about the biological and physical properties of EVs from malignant BC lesions, and even less is understood about EVs from non-malignant lesions, such as breast fibroadenoma (FAD), which are clinically managed using conservative approaches. Thus, for this pilot study, we attempted to purify and explore the proteomic profiles of EVs from benign breast lesions, HER2+ BCs, triple–negative BCs (TNBCs), and continuous BC cell lines (i.e., BT-549, MCF–10A, and MDA-MB-231), combining experimental and semi-quantitative approaches. Of note, proteome-wide analyses showed 49 common proteins across EVs harvested from FAD, HER2+ BCs, TNBCs, and model BC lines. This is the first feasibility study evaluating the physicochemical composition and proteome of EVs from benign breast cells and primary and immortalized BC cells. Our preliminary results hold promise for possible implications in precision medicine for BC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of an environmental assessment of a Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt (NMC) Lithium-ion traction battery for Battery Electric Light-Duty Commercial Vehicles (BEV-LDCV) used for urban and regional freight haulage. A cradle-to-grave Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) of NMC111 is provided, operation and end-of-life stages are included, and insight is also given into a Life Cycle Assessment of different NMC chemistries. The environmental impacts of the manufacturing stages of the NMC111 battery are then compared with those of a Sodium-Nickel-Chloride (ZEBRA) battery. In the second part of the work, two electric-battery LDCVs (powered with NMC111 and ZEBRA batteries, respectively) and a diesel urban LDCV are analysed, considering a wide set of environmental impact categories. The results show that the NMC111 battery has the highest impacts from production in most of the impact categories. Active cathode material, Aluminium, Copper, and energy use for battery production are the main contributors to the environmental impact. However, when vehicle application is investigated, NMC111-BEV shows lower environmental impacts, in all the impact categories, than ZEBRA-BEV. This is mainly due to the greater efficiency of the NMC111 battery during vehicle operation. Finally, when comparing BEVs to a diesel LDCV, the electric powertrains show advantages over the diesel one as far as global warming, abiotic depletion potential-fossil fuels, photochemical oxidation, and ozone layer depletion are concerned. However, the diesel LDCV performs better in almost all the other investigated impact categories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work reports on the design and the synthesis of two short linear peptides both containing a few amino acids with disorder propensity and an allylic ester group at the C-terminal end. Their structural properties were firstly analyzed by means of experimental techniques in solution such as CD and NMR methods that highlighted peptide flexibility. These results were further confirmed by MD simulations that demonstrated the ability of the peptides to assume conformational ensembles. They revealed a network of transient and dynamic H-bonds and interactions with water molecules. Binding assays with a well-known drug-target, i.e., the CXCR4 receptor, were also carried out in an attempt to verify their biological function and the possibility to use the assays to develop new specific targets for CXCR4. Moreover, our data indicate that these peptides represent useful tools for molecular recognition processes in which a flexible conformation is required in order to obtain an interaction with a specific target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autoimmune endocrine disorders, such as type 1 diabetes (T1D) and thyroiditis, at present are treated with only hormone replacement therapy. This emphasizes the need to identify personalized effective immunotherapeutic strategies targeting T and B lymphocytes. Among the genetic variants associated with several autoimmune disorders, the C1858T polymorphism of the protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 22 (PTPN22) gene, encoding for Lyp variant R620W, affects the innate and adaptive immunity. We previously exploited a novel personalized immunotherapeutic approach based on siRNA delivered by liposomes (lipoplexes) that selectively inhibit variant allele expression. In this manuscript, we improved lipoplexes carrying siRNA for variant C1858T by functionalizing them with Fab of Rituximab antibody (RituxFab-Lipoplex) to specifically target B lymphocytes in autoimmune conditions, such as T1D. RituxFab-Lipoplexes specifically bind to B lymphocytes of the human Raji cell line and of human PBMC of healthy donors. RituxFab-Lipoplexes have impact on the function of B lymphocytes of T1D patients upon CpG stimulation showing a higher inhibitory effect on total cell proliferation and IgM+ plasma cell differentiation than the not functionalized ones. These results might open new pathways of applicability of RituxFab-Lipoplexes, such as personalized immunotherapy, to other autoimmune disorders, where B lymphocytes are the prevalent pathogenic immunocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peptide-based hydrogels (PHGs) are biocompatible materials suitable for biological, biomedical, and biotechnological applications, such as drug delivery and diagnostic tools for imaging. Recently, a novel class of synthetic hydrogel-forming amphiphilic cationic peptides (referred to as series K), containing an aliphatic region and a Lys residue, was proposed as a scaffold for bioprinting applications. Here, we report the synthesis of six analogues of the series K, in which the acetyl group at the N-terminus is replaced by aromatic portions, such as the Fmoc protecting group or the Fmoc-FF hydrogelator. The tendency of all peptides to self-assemble and to gel in aqueous solution was investigated using a set of biophysical techniques. The structural characterization pointed out that only the Fmoc-derivatives of series K keep their capability to gel. Among them, Fmoc-K3 hydrogel, which is the more rigid one (G' = 2526 Pa), acts as potential material for tissue engineering, fully supporting cell adhesion, survival, and duplication. These results describe a gelification process, allowed only by the correct balancing among aggregation forces within the peptide sequences (e.g., van der Waals, hydrogen bonding, and π–π stacking). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, nanogels have been identified as innovative formulations for enlarging the application of hydrogels (HGs) in the area of drug delivery or in diagnostic imaging. Nanogels are HGs-based aggregates with sizes in the range of nanometers and formulated in order to obtain injectable preparations. Regardless of the advantages offered by peptides in a hydrogel preparation, until now, only a few examples of peptide-based nanogels (PBNs) have been developed. Here, we describe the preparation of stable PBNs based on Fmoc-Phe-Phe-OH using three different methods, namely water/oil emulsion (W/O), top-down, and nanogelling in water. The effect of the hydrophilic–lipophilic balance (HLB) in the formulation was also evaluated in terms of size and stability. The resulting nanogels were found to encapsulate the anticancer drug doxorubicin, chosen as the model drug, with a drug loading comparable with those of the liposomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly-aromatic peptide sequences are able to self-assemble into a variety of supramolecular aggregates such as fibers, hydrogels, and tree-like multi-branched nanostructures. Due to their biocompatible nature, these peptide nanostructures have been proposed for several applications in biology and nanomedicine (tissue engineering, drug delivery, bioimaging, and fabrication of biosensors). Here we report the synthesis, the structural characterization and the relaxometric behavior of two novel supramolecular diagnostic agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique. These diagnostic agents are obtained for self-assembly of DTPA(Gd)-PEG8-(FY)3 or DOTA(Gd)-PEG8-(FY)3 peptide conjugates, in which the Gd-complexes are linked at the N-terminus of the PEG8-(FY)3 polymer peptide. This latter was previously found able to form self-supporting and stable soft hydrogels at a concentration of 1.0% wt. Analogously, also DTPA(Gd)-PEG8-(FY)3 and DOTA(Gd)-PEG8-(FY)3 exhibit the trend to gelificate at the same range of concentration. Moreover, the structural characterization points out that peptide (FY)3 moiety keeps its capability to arrange into β-sheet structures with an antiparallel orientation of the β-strands. The high relaxivity value of these nanostructures (~12 mM−1·s−1 at 20 MHz) and the very low in vitro cytotoxicity suggest their potential application as supramolecular diagnostic agents for MRI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peptides of natural and synthetic sources are compounds operating in a wide range of biological interactions. They play a key role in biotechnological applications as both therapeutic and diagnostic tools. They are easily synthesized thanks to solid-phase peptide devices where the amino acid sequence can be exactly selected at molecular levels, by tuning the basic units. Recently, peptides achieved resounding success in drug delivery and in nanomedicine smart applications. These applications are the most significant challenge of recent decades: they can selectively deliver drugs to only pathological tissues whilst saving the other districts of the body. This specific feature allows a reduction in the drug side effects and increases the drug efficacy. In this context, peptide-based aggregates present many advantages, including biocompatibility, high drug loading capacities, chemical diversity, specific targeting, and stimuli responsive drug delivery. A dual behavior is observed: on the one hand they can fulfill a structural and bioactive role. In this review, we focus on the design and the characterization of drug delivery systems using peptide-based carriers; moreover, we will also highlight the peptide ability to self-assemble and to actively address nanosystems toward specific targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]