Light-Based 3D Printing of Gelatin-Based Biomaterial Inks to Create a Physiologically Relevant In Vitro Fish Intestinal Model

To provide prominent accessibility of fishmeal to the European population, the currently available, time- and cost-extensive feeding trials, which evaluate fish feed, should be replaced. The current paper reports on the development of a novel 3D culture platform, mimicking the microenvironment of the intestinal mucosa in vitro. The key requirements of the model include sufficient permeability for nutrients and medium-size marker molecules (equilibrium within 24 h), suitable mechanical properties (G' < 10 kPa), and close morphological similarity to the intestinal architecture. To enable processability with light-based 3D printing, a gelatin-methacryloyl-aminoethyl-methacrylate-based biomaterial ink is developed and combined with Tween 20 as porogen to ensure sufficient permeability. To assess the permeability properties of the hydrogels, a static diffusion setup is utilized, indicating that the hydrogel constructs are permeable for a medium size marker molecule (FITC-dextran 4 kg mol⁻¹). Moreover, the mechanical evaluation through rheology evidence a physiologically relevant scaffold stiffness (G' = 4.83 ± 0.78 kPa). Digital light processing-based 3D printing of porogen-containing hydrogels results in the creation of constructs exhibiting a physiologically relevant microarchitecture as evidenced through cryo-scanning electron microscopy. Finally, the combination of the scaffolds with a novel rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) intestinal epithelial cell line (RTdi-MI) evidence scaffold biocompatibility.     

Two techniques for PIV-based aeroacoustic prediction and their application to a rod-airfoil experiment

In this paper, we discuss techniques by which the aeroacoustic properties of the turbulent flow in a rod-airfoil benchmark experiment can be inferred from time-resolved PIV measurement. While acoustic measurements can be made directly using microphones, the proposed techniques provide a means to directly link acoustic waves with specific flow events, which is invaluable in devising noise mitigation strategies. The approaches are possible thanks to recent improvements in digital and camera technology that can provide time-resolved measurements in air flows, necessary for the determination of unsteady flow quantities related to aeroacoustic production. Both techniques are based on Curle’s acoustic analogy, where one is based on Lagrangian determination of the required quantities, while the other requires all flow quantities to be converted into Fourier modes. Application of both techniques yields results that are in reasonable agreement with microphone noise measurements for the rod-airfoil experiment.     

Sulla risolubilita' degli operatori differenziali invarianti sul gruppo di Heisenberg

In questa nota si considera il problema della risolubilità per operatori del secondo ordine, invarianti a sinistra e omogenei, sul gruppo di HeisenbergH _n. Si presenta un approccio al problema basato sul prolungamento analitico dei coefficienti degli operatori, a partire dai risultati noti per il sub-Laplaciano. I dettagli sono contenuti in due articoli degli autori, in collaborazione con F. De Mari [DPR] e D. Müller [MPR]. Conferenza tenuta da F. Ricci il 25 ottobre 1995     

X-ray single-crystal structure and magnetic properties of Fe[CH(3)PO(3))] x H(2)O: a layered weak ferromagnet

The crystal and molecular structure of the layered weak-ferromagnet Fe[CH(3)PO(3)] x H(2)O has been solved by X-ray single-crystal diffraction techniques. Crystal data for Fe[CH(3)PO(3)] x H(2)O are the following: orthorhombic space group Pna2(1); a =17.538(2), b = 4.814(1), c = 5.719(1) A. The structure is lamellar, and it consists of alternating organic and inorganic layers along the a direction of the unit cell. The inorganic layers are made of Fe(II) ions octahedrally coordinated by five phosphonate oxygen atoms and one from oxygen of the water molecule. Each phosphonate group coordinates four metal ions, through chelation and bridging, making in this way a cross-linked Fe-O network. The resultant layers are then separated by bilayers of the methyl groups, with van der Waals contacts between them. The compound is air stable, and it dehydrates under inert atmosphere at temperatures above 120 degrees C. The oxidation state of the metal ion is +2, and the electronic configuration is d(6)( )()high spin (S = 2), as determined from dc magnetic susceptibility measurements from 150 K to ambient temperature. Below 100 K, the magnetic moment of Fe[CH(3)PO(3)] x H(2)O rises rapidly to a maximum at T(max) approximately equal to 24 K, and then it decreases again. The onset of peak at T = 25 K is associated with the 3D antiferromagnetic long-range ordering, T(N). The observed critical temperature, T(N), is like all the other previously reported Fe(II) phosphonates, and it appears to be nearly independent of the interlayer spacing in this family of hybrid organic-inorganic layered compounds. Below T(N), the compound behaves as a "weak ferromagnet", and represents the third kind of magnetic materials with a spontaneous magnetization below a finite critical temperature, ferromagnets and ferrimagnets being the other two types.     

Microwave-induced multiple functionalization of carbon nanotubes

We describe a new synthetic strategy to produce multifunctionalized carbon nanotubes using a combination of two different addition reactions, the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylides and the addition of diazonium salts, both via a simple and fast microwave-induced method. The presence of multifunctionality on the SWNTs has been confirmed using the most useful techniques for the characterization of carbon nanotubes. The doubly functionalized SWNTs can be considered potentially useful for many interesting applications.     

Antihepatotoxic and antioxidant activities of methanol extract and isolated compounds from Ficus chlamydocarpa

Free radicals, in particular radical oxygen species (ROS), play an important role in the aetiology and pathogenesis of various diseases. Current research in many countries focuses on the use of local medicinal plants as a promising source of liver protective agents. This paper describes the hepatoprotective effects of the methanol extract and four isolated compounds from Ficus chlamydocarpa on CCl4-induced liver damage, as well as the possible antioxidant mechanisms involved in this protection. The DPPH test, along with the beta-Carotene-Linoleic Acid Model System and Ferric-Reducing Antioxidant Power assays, as well as the inhibition of microsomal lipid peroxidation were used to measure radical-scavenging and antioxidant activities. Pretreatment of rats with the methanol extract of F. chlamydocarpa before CCl4 administration, significantly prevented serum increase of hepatic enzyme markers, glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) and glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT), in a dose-dependent manner. The hepatoprotection was also associated with a significant enhancement in hepatic reduced glutathione (GSH) and a marked decrease of liver malondialdehyde (MDA). Among the four compounds 1-4, isolated from the methanol extract, alpha-amyrin acetate (1) and luteolin (4) showed a significant hepatoprotective activity, as indicated by their ability to prevent liver cell death and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage during CCl4 intoxication.     

Semi-rigid analogues of the calcium antagonist verapamil: A molecular modelling study

Summary In this work the rigid-analogue approach has been used to obtain information on the active conformation(s) of the calcium antagonist verapamil. A series of semi-rigid analogues of verapamil were synthesized and their biological activities evaluated on guinea-pig heart and aorta. These molecules were analysed by means of molecular modelling techniques.On the basis of the pharmacological profile and conformational analysis of these compounds, two different models for negative inotropic and negative chronotropic activity are proposed. The two actions seem to be due to conformations of the molecules which differ in the orientation of their phenylethylamino groups.     

Twisted but Conjugated: Building Blocks for Low Bandgap Polymers

Here we report a novel twisted monomer based on a distorted C?C double bond for low bandgap conjugated copolymers. This new building block provides several unique characteristics when compared to classical planar systems such as high solubility, electron accepting ability, and isomeric tunability. The resulting copolymers exhibit broad absorption spanning both visible and near‐infrared regions leading to promising solar cell performance.