| 1. |
- Galstyan, V., et al.
(författare)
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Fabrication of pure and Nb-TiO 2 nanotubes and their functional properties
- 2012
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Ingår i: Journal of Alloys and Compounds. - : Elsevier BV. - 0925-8388 .- 1873-4669. ; 536:SUPPL.1, s. S488-S490
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- TiO 2 and Nb-doped TiO 2 nanotubes were obtained on flexible polymeric substrates (Kapton HN) and alumina with high roughness (alumina substrate with granular surface). Nanotubes were prepared by electrochemical anodization of a Ti thick film. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to investigate the morphology of the structures and the roughness of the substrates. The functional properties of tubular arrays obtained on flexible and rough substrates were investigated towards two applications, namely, chemoresistive gas sensors and flexible dye sensitized solar cells. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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| 2. |
- Galstyan, V., et al.
(författare)
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Fabrication of TiO 2 and TiO 2 nanotubular arrays and their gas sensing properties
- 2011
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Ingår i: Procedia Engineering. - : Elsevier BV. - 1877-7058. ; 25, s. 757-760
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Pure TiO 2 and TiO 2 nanotubular arrays were successfully sensitized. Nanotubular arrays were prepared by electrochemical anodization of thin films of Ti and of Ti-Nb deposited on alumina substrates with two different roughness. Morphological characterization and functional properties are presented. The gas sensing properties of TiO 2 and TiO 2 nanotubes with different gases have been tested in a wide range of operating temperatures. © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
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| 3. |
- Lai, De-Hua, et al.
(författare)
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Solanesyl Diphosphate Synthase, an Enzyme of the Ubiquinone Synthetic Pathway, Is Required throughout the Life Cycle of Trypanosoma brucei
- 2014
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Ingår i: Eukaryotic Cell. - 1535-9778 .- 1535-9786. ; 13:2, s. 320-328
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Ubiquinone 9 (UQ9), the expected product of the long-chain solanesyl diphosphate synthase of Trypanosoma brucei (TbSPPS), has a central role in reoxidation of reducing equivalents in the mitochondrion of T. brucei. The ablation of TbSPPS gene expression by RNA interference increased the generation of reactive oxygen species and reduced cell growth and oxygen consumption. The addition of glycerol to the culture medium exacerbated the phenotype by blocking its endogenous generation and excretion. The participation of TbSPPS in UQ synthesis was further confirmed by growth rescue using UQ with 10 isoprenyl subunits (UQ10). Furthermore, the survival of infected mice was prolonged upon the downregulation of TbSPPS and/or the addition of glycerol to drinking water. TbSPPS is inhibited by 1-[(n-oct-1-ylamino)ethyl] 1,1-bisphosphonic acid, and treatment with this compound was lethal for the cells. The findings that both UQ9 and ATP pools were severely depleted by the drug and that exogenous UQ10 was able to fully rescue growth of the inhibited parasites strongly suggest that TbSPPS and UQ synthesis are the main targets of the drug. These two strategies highlight the importance of TbSPPS for T. brucei, justifying further efforts to validate it as a new drug target.
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| 4. |
- Trepo, E., et al.
(författare)
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Association Between the PNPLA3 (rs738409 C > G) Variant and Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Evidence From a Meta-Analysis of Individual Participant Data
- 2014
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Ingår i: Hepatology. - : Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health). - 0270-9139. ; 59:6, s. 2170-2177
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is increasing in Western countries. Although several clinical factors have been identified, many individuals never develop HCC, suggesting a genetic susceptibility. However, to date, only a few single-nucleotide polymorphisms have been reproducibly shown to be linked to HCC onset. A variant (rs738409 C>G, encoding for p.I148M) in the PNPLA3 gene is associated with liver damage in chronic liver diseases. Interestingly, several studies have reported that the minor rs738409[G] allele is more represented in HCC cases in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and alcoholic liver disease (ALD). However, a significant association with HCC related to CHC has not been consistently observed, and the strength of the association between rs738409 and HCC remains unclear. We performed a meta-analysis of individual participant data including 2,503 European patients with cirrhosis to assess the association between rs738409 and HCC, particularly in ALD and CHC. We found that rs738409 was strongly associated with overall HCC (odds ratio [OR] per G allele, additive model = 1.77; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.42-2.19; P = 2.78 x 10(-7)). This association was more pronounced in ALD (OR = 2.20; 95% CI: 1.80-2.67; P = 4.71 x 10(-15)) than in CHC patients (OR = 1.55; 95% CI: 1.03-2.34; P = 3.52 x 10(-2)). After adjustment for age, sex, and body mass index, the variant remained strongly associated with HCC. Conclusion: Overall, these results suggest that rs738409 exerts a marked influence on hepatocarcinogenesis in patients with cirrhosis of European descent and provide a strong argument for performing further mechanistic studies to better understand the role of PNPLA3 in HCC development.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Fahimi, A., et al.
(författare)
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Poultry litter ash characterisation and recovery
- 2020
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Ingår i: Waste Management. - : Elsevier Ltd. - 0956-053X .- 1879-2456. ; 111, s. 10-21
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper reports a complete characterisation of poultry litter ash and its potential use as a heavy metal stabiliser. We propose a novel approach, in which the ashes deriving from municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) are combined with poultry litter ash, rather than with coal combustion flue gas desulfurisation (FGD) residues. Heavy metals stabilisation was demonstrated by comparing the elemental concentrations in the leaching solutions of the starting raw and stabilised materials: leachable Pb and Zn showed a reduced solubility. The characterisation was conducted by total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), micro-Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy combined with energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDX). The results showed that the poultry litter ash was Ca-, P-, K- and S-rich (>29 g/kg). It contained amorphous materials (i.e. fly ash economiser (FAECO) 73% and fly ash cyclone (FACYC) 61%) and soluble phases (e.g. arkanite and sylvite; up to 13% FAECO and 28% FACYC), as well as resilient crystalline (up to 2% of FAECO and FACYC) and amorphous phases (e.g. hydroxyapatite). After two months, the Pb and Zn concentrations in the leachate solutions were below the limit set by the European regulations for waste disposal (<0.2 mg/L and 1.5 mg/L, respectively). We propose a mechanism for the heavy metals stabilisation based on the carbonation process and high amounts of P, Ca and reactive amorphous phases. In conclusion, it is demonstrated that poultry litter ash can be an effective secondary source of heavy metals, allowing their immobilisation through P- and Ca-based reactive amorphous phases.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Lucchini, Roberto G., et al.
(författare)
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Inverse association of intellectual function with very low blood lead but not with manganese exposure in Italian adolescents
- 2012
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Ingår i: Environmental Research. - : Elsevier BV. - 1096-0953 .- 0013-9351. ; 118, s. 65-71
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Pediatric lead (Pb) exposure impacts cognitive function and behavior and co-exposure to manganese (Mn) may enhance neurotoxicity. Objectives: To assess cognitive and behavioral function in adolescents with environmental exposure to Pb and Mn. Methods: In this cross sectional study, cognitive function and behavior were examined in healthy adolescents with environmental exposure to metals. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) and the Conners-Wells' Adolescent Self-Report Scale Long Form (CASS:L) were used to assess cognitive and behavioral function, respectively. ALAD polymorphisms rs1800435 and rs1139488 were measured as potential modifiers. Results: We examined 299 adolescents (49.2% females) aged 11-14 years. Blood lead (BPb) averaged 1.71 mu g/dL (median 1.5, range 0.44-10.2), mean Blood Manganese (BMn) was 11.1 mu g/dL (median 10.9, range 4.00-24.1). Average total IQ was 106.3 (verbal IQ= 102, performance IQ= 109.3). According to a multiple regression model considering the effect of other covariates, a reduction of about 2.4 IQ points resulted from a two-fold increase of BPb. The Benchmark Level of BPb associated with a loss of 1 IQ-point (BML01) was 0.19 mu g/dL, with a lower 95% confidence limit (BMLL01) of 0.11 mu g/dL. A very weak correlation resulted between BPb and the ADHD-like behavior (Kendall's tau rank correlation=0.074, p=0.07). No influence of ALAD genotype was observed on any outcome. Manganese was not associated with cognitive and behavioral outcomes, nor was there any interaction with lead. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that very low level of lead exposure has a significant negative impact on cognitive function in adolescent children. Being an essential micro-nutrient, manganese may not cause cognitive effects at these low exposure levels. (c) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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| 9. |
- Vomiero, Alberto, et al.
(författare)
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Flexible dye sensitized solar cells using TiO 2 nanotubes
- 2011
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Ingår i: Energy & Environmental Science. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 1754-5692 .- 1754-5706. ; 4:9, s. 3408-3413
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The growth of TiO 2 nanotube arrays on plastic flexible substrates is researched. The approach uses anodization of a titanium thick film for obtaining nanotubes directly on poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and Kapton HN substrate. The morphological features of the tubes can be finely tuned by varying the preparation conditions, and tube morphology affects the functional properties of the nanotube array. Crystallization of the anatase phase in nanotubes on Kapton HN substrate is obtained via post growth annealing. The nanotube arrays have been dye-sensitized using the commercial Ru-based N719 dye. The system was tested as photoanode in a flexible dye sensitized solar cell. Photoconversion efficiency of 3.5% was obtained. © 2011 The Royal Society of Chemistry.
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