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Supplementary Table 1 from Reversible Dysfunction of Wild-Type p53 following Homeodomain-Interacting Protein Kinase-2 Knockdown

About half of cancers sustain mutations in the TP53 gene, whereas the other half maintain a wild-type p53 (wtp53) but may compromise the p53 response because of other alterations. Homeodomain-interacting protein kinase-2 (HIPK2) is a positive regulator of p53 oncosuppressor function. Here, we show, by microarray analysis, that wtp53 lost the target gene activation following stable knockdown of HIPK2 (HIPK2i) in colon cancer cell line. Our data show that the stable knockdown of HIPK2 led to wtp53 misfolding, as detected by p53 immunoprecipitation with conformation-specific antibodies, and that p53 protein misfolding impaired p53 DNA binding and transcription of target genes. We present evidence that zinc supplementation to HIPK2i cells increased p53 reactivity to conformation-sensitive PAb1620 (wild-type conformation) antibody and restored p53 sequence-specific DNA binding in vivo and transcription of target genes in response to Adriamycin treatment. Finally, combination of zinc and Adriamycin suppressed tumor growth in vivo and activated misfolded p53 that induced its target genes in nude mice tumor xenografts derived from HIPK2i cells. Bioinformatics analysis of microarray data from colon cancer patients showed significant association of poor survival with low HIPK2 expression only in tumors expressing wtp53. These results show a critical role of HIPK2 in maintaining the transactivation activity of wtp53 and further suggest that low expression of HIPK2 may impair the p53 function in tumors harboring wtp53. [Cancer Res 2008;68(10):3707–13]

In the present paper, a novel composite Graphene–Gold (Gr–Au)/TiO2–SiO2 photocatalyst was synthesized and tested for the removal of methylene blue and rhodamine B in water solutions. First, Gr–Au nanoparticle composite was synthesized by simultaneous reduction and deposition of Au nanoparticles on Gr surface. The photodegradation of methylene blue and rhodamine B in aqueous solutions was studied using various photocatalysts, including neat TiO2–SiO2, Gr/TiO2–SiO2 and Gr–Au/TiO2–SiO2 composites. The Gr weight ratio in this research is 2% in the Gr/TiO2–SiO2 composites. Detailed characterization (field emission scanning electron microscope, Raman, Fourier transform infrared spectra and UV–vis absorbance spectroscopy) of such material was conducted. As a result, the uniform deposition of nanometer-sized Au NPs on the graphene sheets was observed. The Gr–Au/TiO2–SiO2 exhibited excellent photocatalytic efficiency because of the reduction of electron–hole recombination. The Gr2%–Au0.1%/TiO2–SiO2 composite had the highest photoactivity.

The aim of this work was to propose a mass-transfer model and scale-up procedure of the Fenton process of organic pollutants present in sludge produced in a municipal wastewater treatment plant. The sludge was collected at the end of anaerobic stabilization, sedimentation and filter press thickening and was firstly characterized by measuring the Total Organic Carbon on the whole sludge and on the liquid phase, the Chemical Oxygen Demand on the liquid phase, the viscosity, the pH, the Cu and Fe concentration and the water content. The optimal water content for the subsequent Fenton process was assessed basing on preliminary pumpability tests, and on Fenton process performances. The analysis of Fenton process was performed by evaluating, at 24 h, the optimal Fe(II) and hydrogen peroxide concentration with respect to the initial total organic content of whole sludge and of sludge liquid phase, as well as to the chemical oxygen demand of sludge liquid phase: the optimal parameters were H2O2/total organic carbon = 1.6 g/g, added Fe(II)/H2O2 = 0.1 g/g, water content = 75 %, through which a chemical oxygen demand and total organic carbon removal efficiency of 72 and 52 %, respectively, was achieved. Kinetic tests were carried out in a batch stirred tank reactor and the results were interpreted in light of a comprehensive mass transfer model to obtain suitable kinetic parameters necessary for reactor design and scale-up. Finally, a simplified process flow diagram was also proposed. Basing on the obtained results, a first real scale-up of the lab-scale reactors could be performed adopting optimal operating parameter values found in the present study, using axial-flow impeller and maintaining constant the Re number.

Catalytic hydrotreating of guaiacol as a model compound was investigated using bifunctional catalysts constituted of Ni supported on chemically modified zeolites with increased mesoporosity. In the reaction conditions, the hydrogen required for the process was generated in situ by the Zn–H2O redox system, which represents a promising green alternative to the use of gaseous hydrogen. The guaiacol hydrotreating conversion using as support zeolites with increased mesoporosity, is largely higher than that obtained with the original ones. The introduction of mesopores through desilication treatment with NaOH and TBAOH significantly increased the mass transfer of guaiacol and improved the accessibility of the active sites, accordingly enhancing the catalytic performance. The alkaline treatment notably increased the mesopore volume of Ni/HZSM-5 and Ni/HBeta by 5.6 and 3.8 times, respectively. Ni supported on desilicated HBeta zeolite displayed high hydrodeoxygenation and hydrodearomatization efficiencies with values of 69.37% and 62.82%, respectively. The reusability of this catalyst was investigated, showing a decrease in the performance after three consecutive runs due to the oxidation of Ni active site, coking and zinc oxide contamination. The main of guaiacol conversion products are cyclohexane, cyclohexanone, cyclohexanol, benzene and phenol. A reaction pathway of guaiacol hydrotreating using Ni-zeolites catalysts is proposed.

The usage of disposable face mask to control the spread of COVID-19 disease has led to the alarming generation of a huge amount of plastic waste in a short span of time. On other hand, face masks are made of high-quality thermoplastic polymers that could be recovered and converted into valuable products. The aim of this study is to investigate a complementary approach for the recycling of face mask in lab-scale plants: the mechanical recycling of the filter in polypropylene (PP) and the chemical recycling of the whole face mask. For this purpose, a new designed surgical face mask was chemically and physically characterized. The results shows that the face mask was composed of 92.3 wt% high grade PP (filter), very similar to virgin PP but with a high melt volume index (MVI, 385 cm3/10 min) due to its non-woven manufacturing. The PP from face mask was mixed with recycled virgin PP in order to obtain a MVI suitable for the extrusion process and recycled as filament for 3D printing. This filament was used to print a specimen with a very similar visual quality of that printed with a commercial PP filament. Simultaneously, the whole face mask underwent a pyrolysis process to produce new feedstocks or fuels. Low-cost catalysts derived from coal fly ash (CFA) were employed to enhance the production of light hydrocarbons. In particular, the synthetized acid X zeolite (HX/CFA) improved the yield of light fractions up to 91 wt% (79 wt% for thermal pyrolysis) and the quality of the light oil with the 85% of C6–C10 (55% for thermal pyrolysis). Furthermore, HX/CFA decreased the degradation temperature of PP to 384 °C versus 458 °C of thermal cracking.

Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common and lethal malignant tumours worldwide. Sorafenib (SOR) is one of the most effective single-drug systemic therapy against advanced HCC, but the identification of novel combination regimens for a continued improvement in overall survival is a big challenge. Recent studies highlighted the crucial role of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) in HCC growth. The aim of this study was to investigate the antitumor effects of three different FAK inhibitors (FAKi), alone or in combination with SOR, using in vitro and in vivo models of HCC. Methods The effect of PND1186, PF431396, TAE226 on cell viability was compared to SOR. Among them TAE226, emerging as the most effective FAKi, was tested alone or in combination with SOR using 2D/3D human HCC cell line cultures and HCC xenograft murine models. The mechanisms of action were assessed by gene/protein expression and imaging approaches, combined with high-throughput methods. Results TAE226 was the more effective FAKi to be combined with SOR against HCC. Combined TAE226 and SOR treatment reduced HCC growth both in vitro and in vivo by affecting tumour-promoting gene expression and inducing epigenetic changes via dysregulation of FAK nuclear interactome. We characterized a novel nuclear functional interaction between FAK and the NuRD complex. TAE226-mediated FAK depletion and SOR-promoted MAPK down-modulation caused a decrease in the nuclear amount of HDAC1/2 and a consequent increase of the histone H3 lysine 27 acetylation, thus counteracting histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation. Conclusions Altogether, our findings provide the first evidence that TAE226 combined with SOR efficiently reduces HCC growth in vitro and in vivo. Also, our data highlight that deep analysis of FAK nuclear interactome may lead to the identification of new promising targets for HCC therapy.

Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is a promising technology for the production of high quality bio- crude. Aim of this study is to investigate the effect of the addition of iron powder into the HTL process of oak wood biomass. Fe in HTL conditions should be oxidized by water into Fe3O4 producing H2 in situ which is responsible for the increase of bio-crude yield. Furthermore, the presence of Fe contributes to enhance bio-crude quality due to the presence of Fe3O4 which is recognized to have catalytic activity in hydrogenation reactions. Tests in presence of oxides containing Fe in higher oxidation number such as Fe3O4 and Fe2O3 were performed. The tests were conducted with water to biomass ratio of 5, in a range of temperature of 260–320 °C, the reaction time was set to 15 min and the catalysts were added in an amount of 10% with respect to the biomass weight. Highest bio-crude yields of about 40% were reached using zerovalent Fe. Tests performed in presence of Fe3O4 gave intermediate behaviour while no improvements were registered adding Fe2O3. These results confirmed the positive dual effect of Fe addition. In fact, the H/C ratio in the bio-oil increases of about 15% with respect to the reaction conducted without iron-based compounds and Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry analyses showed that the presence of aliphatic compounds is improved.

Dry reforming could become an effective route to mitigate CO2 emission. The process required high temperatures due to its endothermicity and its accompanied by coke formation; therefore, the development of suitable catalysts is fundamental. In this work, ternary perovskites type oxides, AZrRuO3, were synthetized and used in the methane dry reforming. The influences of the preparation method, modified citrate and autocombustion method, and of substitution of the A cation within alkaline earth metals (Ba, Sr and Ca) on the texture, physiochemical characteristics, activity and stability of the catalysts were evaluated. Tests were conducted in a fixed bed bench scale reactor in a temperature range of 600–750 °C. Catalysts synthetized by autocombustion method showed higher reducibility and major surface area and thus better performance in the methane dry reforming. Between them, SrZrRUO3 gave the best results in terms of conversion and stability during long duration tests (66 h). Furthermore, these catalysts showed very good resistance to thermal stresses as demonstrated by XRD analysis performed on used catalysts.

The spleen is the second major reservoir of B cells in the adult. In the spleen, cells, generated in the bone marrow, are selected, mature, and become part of the peripheral B-cell pool. Murine spleen comprises several B-cell subsets representing various maturation stages and/or cell functions. The spleen is a complex lymphoid organ organized into two main structures with different functions: the red and white pulp. The red pulp is flowed with blood while the white pulp is organized in primary follicles, with a B-cell area composed of follicular B cells and a T-cell area surrounding a periarterial lymphatic sheath. The frontier between the red and white pulp is defined as the marginal zone (MZ) and contains the MZ B cells. Because B cells, localized in different areas, are characterized by distinct expression levels of B-cell receptor (BCR) and of other surface markers, splenic B-cell subsets can be easily identified and purified by flow cytometry analyses and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS).Here, we will focus on MZ B cells and on their precursors, giving some experimental hints to identify, generate, and isolate these cells. We will combine the use of FACS analysis and confocal microscopy to visualize MZ B cells in cell suspensions and in tissue sections, respectively. We will also give some clues to analyze B-cell repertoire on isolated MZ-B cells.

Background: Breakthrough infections in fully vaccinated HCWs are considered a marker of waning immunity. Serum antibodies represent the most visible and measurable outcome of vaccine-induced B-cell memory. When antibodies decline, memory B cells are expected to persist and perform their function, thus preventing clinical disease. We investigated whether BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine induces durable and in vivo functional B-cell memory against SARS-CoV-2 3, 6 and 9 months after the second dose. Methods: We assessed the duration of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine-induced immunity by measuring specific antibodies and memory B cells 3, 6 and 9 months after vaccination. In fully vaccinated HCWs with breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infections, we evaluated the humoral and mucosal response of vaccine-induced memory B cells. Findings: Whereas specific serum antibodies decline, anti-Spike memory B cells continue to increase until 9 months after the last vaccine dose. HCWs with breakthrough infections had no signs of waning immunity on the day of the first positive swab. In 3-4 days, memory B cells responded to SARS-CoV-2 infection by producing high levels of specific antibodies in the serum. In the saliva, anti-Spike IgA also rapidly increased in response to the infection. Antibodies to the viral nucleoprotein were produced with the slow kinetics typical of the response to a novel antigen. Interpretation: SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies physiologically decline months after vaccination. By contrast, memory B cells persist and increase over time. Parenteral administered vaccines do not generate mucosal immunity and serum antibodies reach mucosal sites in small amounts by transudation. In HCWs with SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infections, memory B cells react by rapidly differentiating into antibody-producing cells and generating IgA for protection of mucosal sites. Funding Information: Italian Ministry of Health COVID-2020-12371817 grant and Ricerca Corrente 2021 “5 per mille”. Declaration of Interests: All authors declare no competing interests. Ethics Approval Statement: Ethics Committee of Bambino Gesu Children Hospital, Rome, Italy, Ethical approved the study. The study was performed in accordance with the Good Clinical Practice guidelines, the International Conference on Harmonization guidelines, and the most recent version of the Declaration of Helsinki.

BackgroundPediatric high-grade gliomas (pHGGs) are among the most common and incurable malignant neoplasms of childhood. Despite aggressive, multimodal treatment, the outcome of children with high-grade gliomas has not significantly improved over the past decades, prompting the development of innovative approaches.MethodsTo develop an effective treatment, we aimed at improving the suboptimal antitumor efficacy of oncolytic adenoviruses (OAs) by testing the combination with a gene-therapy approach using a bispecific T-cell engager (BiTE) directed towards the erythropoietin-producing human hepatocellular carcinoma A2 receptor (EphA2), conveyed by a replication-incompetent adenoviral vector (EphA2 adenovirus (EAd)). The combinatorial approach was tested in vitro, in vivo and thoroughly characterized at a molecular level.ResultsAfter confirming the relevance of EphA2 as target in pHGGs, documenting a significant correlation with worse clinical outcome of the patients, we showed that the proposed strategy provides significant EphA2-BiTE amplification and enhanced tumor cell apoptosis, on coculture with T cells. Moreover, T-cell activation through an agonistic anti-CD28 antibody further increased the activation/proliferation profiles and functional response against infected tumor cells, inducing eradication of highly resistant, primary pHGG cells. The gene-expression analysis of tumor cells and T cells, after coculture, revealed the importance of both EphA2-BiTE and costimulation in the proposed system. These in vitro observations translated into significant tumor control in vivo, in both subcutaneous and a more challenging orthotopic model.ConclusionsThe combination of OA and EphA2-BiTE gene therapy strongly enhances the antitumor activity of OA, inducing the eradication of highly resistant tumor cells, thus supporting the clinical translation of the approach.

The spleen is the second major reservoir of B cells in the adult. In the spleen, cells, generated in the bone marrow, are selected, mature, and become part of the peripheral B-cell pool. Murine spleen comprises several B-cell subsets representing various maturation stages and/or cell functions. The spleen is a complex lymphoid organ organized into two main structures with different functions: the red and white pulp. The red pulp is flowed with blood while the white pulp is organized in primary follicles, with a B-cell area composed of follicular B cells and a T-cell area surrounding a periarterial lymphatic sheath. The frontier between the red and white pulp is defined as the marginal zone (MZ) and contains the MZ B cells. Because B cells, localized in different areas, are characterized by distinct expression levels of B-cell receptor (BCR) and of other surface markers, splenic B-cell subsets can be easily identified and purified by flow cytometry analyses and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS).Here, we will focus on MZ B cells and on their precursors, giving some experimental hints to identify, generate, and isolate these cells. We will combine the use of FACS analysis and confocal microscopy to visualize MZ B cells in cell suspensions and in tissue sections, respectively. We will also give some clues to analyze B-cell repertoire on isolated MZ-B cells.

Breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infections in fully vaccinated individuals are considered a consequence of waning immunity. Serum antibodies represent the most measurable outcome of vaccine-induced B cell memory. When antibodies decline, memory B cells are expected to persist and perform their function, preventing clinical disease. We investigated whether BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine induces durable and functional B cell memory in vivo against SARS-CoV-2 3, 6, and 9 months after the second dose in a cohort of health care workers (HCWs). While we observed physiological decline of SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies, memory B cells persist and increase until 9 months after immunization. HCWs with breakthrough infections had no signs of waning immunity. In 3-4 days, memory B cells responded to SARS-CoV-2 infection by producing high levels of specific antibodies in the serum and anti-Spike IgA in the saliva. Antibodies to the viral nucleoprotein were produced with the slow kinetics typical of the response to a novel antigen.

Cancer cells are able to release high amounts of extracellular vesicles, thereby conditioning the normal cells in the surrounding tissue and/or in distant target organs. In the context of bone cancers, previous studies suggested that osteosarcoma cancer cells produce transforming extracellular vesicles able to induce a tumour-like phenotype in normal recipient cells. Indeed, phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) enzymes are differentially expressed in osteosarcoma cell lines with increasing aggressiveness, thus providing helpful insights to better define their role and functions in this bone tumour. By confocal microscopy analysis, we demonstrated that osteosarcoma-derived extracellular vesicles convey all the assessed PI-PLC isoforms, and that they localize into cell membrane bubble-like structures, resembling extracellular vesicles about to be released, as conveyed and/or membrane protein. Cytofluorimetric analysis confirmed the presence of PI-PLC isoforms in the extracellular vesicles collected from conditioned media of osteosarcoma cells. These findings suggest the feasibility to use circulating extracellular vesicles as biomarkers of osteosarcoma progression and/or the monitoring of this distressing disease.

The coal fly ash (CFA) from a coal gasification plant was used as raw materials for X zeolites synthesis by fusion and hydrothermal method and the ability of CFA-derived zeolites to adsorb CO2 was studied. After characterization of CFA, factors affecting the synthesis of different zeolites from this CFA, i.e., NaOH/CFA weight ratio, crystallization temperature and crystallization time were investigated. X-ray powder diffraction showed that only the experimental conditions corresponding to 1.2 NaOH/CFA, 7 h and 90 °C have led to a mixture composed by NaX and amorphous compounds without the formation of other crystalline structures. This product has a specific surface area of 498 ± 4 m2/g and exhibits a CO2 adsorption capacity of 2.18 molCO2/kg, corresponding to 57% of commercial 13X. Results showed that this feature is directly related to this specific crystalline product and not to other zeolitic forms or to amorphous phases. The design of experiment, named central composite full factorial, was accounted to optimize these synthesis parameters in order to maximize the CO2 adsorption capacity of the CFA-derived zeolites. Thermogravimetry experiments showed that the experimental setting corresponding to 1.4 NaOH/CFA, 80 °C and 7 h has led to a material with an adsorption capacity of 3.3 molCO2/kg, the 86% of commercial 13X. Furthermore, results highlighted that all the examined synthesis parameter are significant for the purpose of improving CO2 adsorption capacity of CFA-derived zeolites but too high values entail the production of more stable and useless (for this purpose) zeolites.

Hydrothermal liquefaction of oak wood was carried out in tubular micro reactors at different temperatures (280–330 °C), reaction times (10–30 min), and catalyst loads (10–50 wt%) using metallic Ni catalysts. For the first time, to enhance the catalytic activity of Ni particles, a coating technique producing a nanostructured surface was used, maintaining anyway the micrometric dimension of the catalyst, necessary for an easier recovery. The optimum conditions for non-catalytic liquefaction tests were determined to be 330 °C and 10 min with the bio-crude yield of 32.88%. The addition of metallic Ni catalysts (Commercial Ni powder and nanostructured surface-modified Ni particle) increased the oil yield and inhibited the char formation through hydrogenation action. Nano modified Ni catalyst resulted in a better catalytic activity in terms of bio-crude yield (36.63%), thanks to the higher surface area due to the presence of flower-like superficial nanostructures. Also, bio-crude quality resulted improved with the use of the two catalysts, with a decrease of C/H ratio and a corresponding increase of the high heating value (HHV). The magnetic recovery of the catalysts and their reusability was also investigated with good results.

The biomass conversion into more valuable fuels represents one of the most viable routes for the exploitation of this material. Hydrothermal liquefaction is currently considered one of the most efficient processes to convert wet biomass into a bio-crude, which however requires expensive upgrading treatments to be used as biofuel. The use of catalysts able to directly improve bio-crude yield and quality during the reaction is of fundamental importance to increase the overall process efficiency. Homogeneous alkaline catalysts are the most studied, but they are not recoverable at the end of the process and so cannot be reused. The use of heterogeneous catalysts allows to overcome this issue making the recovery and reuse possible, maintaining anyway high activity and selectivity in the bio-crude production. The aim of this review is to critically summarize the effect of heterogenous catalyst addition on the hydrothermal liquefaction of lignocellulosic biomass, looking specifically at the improvement in bio-crude yield and quality. On the basis of literature data about the effect of heterogeneous catalyst addition on bio-crude yield and quality in the hydrothermal liquefaction of lignocellulosic biomass, a common catalytic action was identified allowing to group the several catalysts into four classes (alkaline metal oxides, transition metals, lanthanides oxides and zeolites). The hydrodeoxygenation activity of the catalysts, their effect on bio-crude yield and quality and the operating conditions used are highlighted. The highest bio-crude yields are reported using transition metals and lanthanide oxides which are able to guarantee, at the same time, a high-quality bio-crude.

The problem of the production of tar along with syngas in gasification processes limits the diffusion of this technology. In this work, the tar abatement capacity of four bed materials was investigated. The bed materials, namely, activated carbon, aluminum oxide, olive residue char, and pumice stone, listed in order of decreasing surface area, were chosen to investigate their effect on the abatement capacity. Furthermore, the deactivation of these materials with time on stream was measured, and the results were used to develop a kinetic model. The tar abatement capacities were highly influenced by the surface area. Activated carbon presents a removal capacity of about 97%, while pumice stone presents a removal capacity of 80%. A correlation between the surface area and tar abatement capacity was found.

Summary: Memory B cells (MBCs) epitomize the adaptation of the immune system to the environment. We identify two MBC subsets in peripheral blood, CD27dull and CD27bright MBCs, whose frequency changes with age. Heavy chain variable region (VH) usage, somatic mutation frequency replacement-to-silent ratio, and CDR3 property changes, reflecting consecutive selection of highly antigen-specific, low cross-reactive antibody variants, all demonstrate that CD27dull and CD27bright MBCs represent sequential MBC developmental stages, and stringent antigen-driven pressure selects CD27dull into the CD27bright MBC pool. Dynamics of human MBCs are exploited in pregnancy, when 50% of maternal MBCs are lost and CD27dull MBCs transit to the more differentiated CD27bright stage. In the postpartum period, the maternal MBC pool is replenished by the expansion of persistent CD27dull clones. Thus, the stability and flexibility of human B cell memory is ensured by CD27dull MBCs that expand and differentiate in response to change. : Grimsholm et al. show that CD27dull and CD27bright represent sequential MBC developmental stages. T cell- and germinal center (GC)-independent CD27dull MBCs are the plastic source of strongly selected and GC-dependent CD27bright MBCs. CD27dull MBCs, able to expand and differentiate in response to change, ensure stability and flexibility of human B cell memory. Keywords: memory B cells, pregnancy, immunological memory, CD27, VH repertoire, immunodeficiency, aging, spleen, vaccine, germinal center

TiO2-SiO2 mixed oxides have been prepared by the sol–gel technique from tetrabutyl orthotitanate and tetraethyl orthosilicate. The prepared materials were characterized by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, nitrogen physisorption, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results indicate that the TiO2-SiO2 mixed oxides have a large surface area and a nanoscale size. FT-IR spectra show that Ti atoms are bonded to silica by oxygen bridging atoms in Ti-O-Si bonds. The titanium valence states in TiO2-SiO2 mixed oxides were investigated by XPS, and their spectra report the presence of Ti2+ and Ti3+ cations for high silica concentration, suggesting the formation of oxygen vacancies. The photocatalytic activity of the prepared materials has been evaluated for the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB). The mixed oxides were activated by means of a UV light source, and the concentration of MB was monitored by UV–Vis spectroscopy. The synthesized TiO2-SiO2 shows significantly higher MB removal efficiency in comparison with that of the commercial TiO2 Degussa, P25. In this paper, we observed three valence states of titanium: Ti4+, Ti3+ and Ti2+ in TiO2-SiO2 40%. This issue has not yet been reported. XPS analysis show that the content of Ti2+ and Ti3+ amounts to 25.26 at.% and 13.08 at.%, respectively, while the concentration of Ti4+ is 61.72 at.%, much lower than in the TiO2-SiO2 9% sample. This behavior is explained observing that in TiO2-SiO2 40%, Ti4+ is reduced to Ti3+ and Ti2+ to a larger extent with respect to TiO2-SiO2 9%.

The knowledge of cellulose behavior in hydrothermal conditions assisted by different transition metals, represents a necessary step towards a full comprehension of the more complex lignocellulosic biomass liquefaction mechanism and the consequent effect on the yield and quality of the bio-crude produced. Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of cellulose was carried out with the addition of the metals Ni, Fe and Zn. Ni is a well-known hydrogenation catalyst while Fe and Zn are considered potential indirect hydrogenating agents, producing active hydrogen in situ through redox reaction with water. Among the tested metals Fe showed the best performances, by increasing the bio-crude yield from 17.4 % of the blank test to 26.5 % and by raising its higher heating value (HHV) from 27.0 MJ/kg to 29.7 MJ/kg. Using Zn an increase of the water-soluble products was obtained but only a slight increase in the bio-crude amount was observed. With all the tested transition metals the H/C ratio and HHV of the obtained bio-crude was significantly raised. Fe and Zn reduced furan derivatives and increased the 2-cyclopenten-1-ones and aromatic compounds in the bio-crude. The possible reaction pathway of cellulose HTL was also reported in this article.

Hydrothermal liquefaction is a promising process for the production of high quality bio-oil from biomass. Aim of this study is to investigate the effect of temperature and biomass composition on the yield and quality of bio-oils produced from three different biomass such as natural hay, oak wood and walnut shell. The hydrothermal liquefaction of cellulose was also investigated. The experimental tests, conducted in water sub-critical conditions, were carried out in a microreactor in a temperature range of 240–320 °C with a reaction time of 30 min. All the products of the process were analyzed and characterized by elemental analysis and GC–MS. It was observed an increase of the bio-oil yields with the lignin content of biomass, being the maximum bio-oil yield obtained for walnut shell and the minimum one for cellulose. This trend is representative of the obtained bio-oils composition, where the phenolic compounds are the major constituents, while the other identified compounds were mainly alcohols, ketones and aldehydes.

This work evaluates the impact of bitumen modification using a crumb rubber material obtained from scrap tires through a new high pressure water jet (HPWJ) technique. This crumb rubber has smaller particle sizes than the material obtained through more traditional processes, which could improve some relevant properties of the rubber-modified bitumen. The impact of different modification dosages on the basic and rheological properties of a base bitumen were evaluated, and the dynamic modulus, indirect tensile strength and resistance to permanent deformation of asphalt concretes fabricated with the new HPWJ asphalt rubber were quantified and compared with those obtained for conventional asphalt mixtures. The results suggest that the new crumb rubber is a high-quality material that could be used in road construction applications.

Ni-CeO2, Ni/Co-CeO2, and Ni-Ca12Al14O33 were synthesized by the auto-combustion method and tested as catalysts in the steam reforming of tar model compounds in a fixed bed reactor. Toluene, phenol, and n-heptane were chosen as representative of the different classes of organic compounds that can be found in tar. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and temperature-programmed reduction (TPR). From XRD analysis it was observed in all the synthesized catalysts the presence of two phases, NiO and CeO2 or Ca12Al14O33. A stronger interaction of NiO with mayenite structure, compared to that of NiO with CeO2, was also shown by TPR analysis. The best performances in terms of conversion and stability were obtained when Ni supported on mayenite was used, confirming the higher redox properties of this support that confers to the catalyst a better resistance to deactivation by carbon deposition. The lower performances observed for Ni supported on CeO2 in terms of conversion and activity were substantially improved by partial substitution of Ni with Co, confirming its ability to increase the Ni catalytic activity and to enhance the reforming of oxygenated species. The apparent kinetic parameters calculated for all the catalysts and the model compounds confirm the obtained experimental results.

Memory B cells (MBCs) epitomize the adaptation of the immune system to the environment. We identify two MBC subsets in peripheral blood, CD27

Four nickel/mayenite catalysts were synthesized. Mayenite was prepared from different precursors, namely boehmite (AlO(OH)) + Ca(NO3)2·4H2O and gibbsite + Ca(OH)2, for each couple a specific procedure was followed. The effect of the Ni addition method was also evaluated, comparing wet impregnation and direct inclusion of nickel precursor during mayenite preparation. The obtained catalysts were characterized by XRD, BET, SEM/EDS and TPR. The Ni/mayenite catalysts were tested in steam reforming of toluene and pyrocatechol, chosen as tar model compounds. The experiments were conducted in a fixed-bed lab-scale atmospheric reactor, evaluating carbon conversion, hydrogen selectivity and stability. Characterization of the spent catalysts after toluene steam reforming experiments by XRD and DTG-TPO were performed to assess structural changes and carbon deposition. Kinetic parameters of toluene steam reforming were determined for the different catalysts.

Simple Summary Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Drug resistance is a serious problem in the treatment of HCC. Therefore, it is of high clinical impact to discover targeted therapies that may overcome drug-related resistance and improve the survival of patients affected by HCC. In the present study, we investigated the role of Isoform D of type 4 phosphodiesterase (PDE4D) in HCC development and progression. We found that PDE4D is over-expressed HCCs in vitro and in vivo and the depletion of the gene by silencing or the pharmacological inhibition of protein activity exerted anti-tumorigenic activities. Abstract Isoform D of type 4 phosphodiesterase (PDE4D) has recently been associated with several human cancer types with the exception of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here we explored the role of PDE4D in HCC. We found that PDE4D gene/protein were over-expressed in different samples of human HCCs compared to normal livers. Accordingly, HCC cells showed higher PDE4D activity than non-tumorigenic cells, accompanied by over-expression of the PDE4D isoform. Silencing of PDE4D gene and pharmacological inhibition of protein activity by the specific inhibitor Gebr-7b reduced cell proliferation and increased apoptosis in HCC cells, with a decreased fraction of cells in S phase and a differential modulation of key regulators of cell cycle and apoptosis. PDE4D silencing/inhibition also affected the gene expression of several cancer-related genes, such as the pro-oncogenic insulin growth factor (IGF2), which is down-regulated. Finally, gene expression data, available in the CancerLivER data base, confirm that PDE4D over-expression in human HCCs correlated with an increased expression of IGF2, suggesting a new possible molecular network that requires further investigations. In conclusion, intracellular depletion/inhibition of PDE4D prevents the growth of HCC cells, displaying anti-oncogenic effects. PDE4D may thus represent a new biomarker for diagnosis and a potential adjuvant target for HCC therapy.

Around 65% of primary immunodeficiencies are antibody deficiencies. Functional tests are useful tools to study B-cell functions in vitro. However, no accepted guidelines for performing and evaluating functional tests have been issued yet. Here, we report our experience on the study of B-cell functions in infancy and throughout childhood. We show that T-independent stimulation with CpG measures proliferation and differentiation potential of memory B cells. Switched memory B cells respond better than IgM memory B cells. On the other hand, CD40L, a T-dependent stimulus, does not induce plasma cell differentiation, but causes proliferation of naive and memory B cells. During childhood, the production of plasmablasts in response to CpG increases with age mirroring the development of memory B cells. The response to CD40L does not change with age. In patients with selective IgA deficiency (SIgAD), we observed that switched memory B cells are reduced due to the absence of IgA memory B cells. In agreement, IgA plasma cells are not generated in response to CpG. Unexpectedly, B cells from SIgAD patients show a reduced proliferative response to CD40L. Our results demonstrate that functional tests are an important tool to assess the functions of the humoral immune system.

In recent years dry reforming of methane has received considerable attention as a promising alternative to steam reforming for synthesis gas (H 2 and CO) production, yielding a syngas with a H 2 /CO ratio close to 1 and thus suitable for many chemical processes. The major drawback of the process is the endothermicity of the reaction that implies the use of a suitable catalyst to work at relatively low temperatures (923–1023 K). In this work methane dry reforming over three ternary perovskite type oxides BaZr (1-x) Me x O 3 using Rh, Ru and Pt as metal was studied at atmospheric pressure and in a temperature range 850–1150 K. Experimental tests at different temperatures were performed in order to analyze and compare the performances of the catalysts and to carry out a detailed kinetic study. Furthermore, long duration tests were conducted to evaluate the possible deactivation of the perovskites. Rhodium-perovskite catalyst shows the highest activity for dry methane reforming while the Pt one the lowest. No deactivation of the catalysts was observed meaning that the perovskite structure is very stable and allows to minimize the carbon deposition that is the main responsible of catalyst deactivation in this process.