University of Palermo

About: University of Palermo is a education organization based out in Palermo, Italy. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Medicine. The organization has 15621 authors who have published 40250 publications receiving 964384 citations. The organization is also known as: Università degli Studi di Palermo & Universita degli Studi di Palermo.

Photocatalytic Selective Oxidation of 4-Methoxybenzyl Alcohol to Aldehyde in Aqueous Suspension of Home-Prepared Titanium Dioxide Catalyst

Abstract: The photocatalytic oxidation of 4-methoxybenzyl alcohol to p-anisaldehyde (PAA) was performed in water with organic-free suspensions of home-prepared and commercial titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) catalysts. The nanostructured TiO 2 samples were synthesised by boiling aqueous solutions of titanium tetrachloride (TiCl 4 ), under mild conditions, for different times. The crystallinity increased with the boiling time. The 4-methoxybenzyl alcohol oxidation rate followed the same pattern but the highest yield (41.5 % mol) to PAA was found for the least crystalline sample, that showed a quantum efficiency of 0.116%. A comparison with two commercial TiO 2 samples showed that all the home-prepared catalysts exhibited a PAA yield higher than that of commercial ones. The only by-products present were traces of 4-methoxybenzoic acid and aliphatic products, carbon dioxide being the other main oxidation product.

A review of recent evidence in human studies of n-3 and n-6 PUFA intake on cardiovascular disease, cancer, and depressive disorders: does the ratio really matter?

Abstract: Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have been considered of great interest for human health due to their potential anti-inflammatory action that may protect from a number of chronic-degenerative diseases with an inflammatory pathogenesis. This review aimed to report the most updated evidence of both n-3 and n-6 PUFAs effect on cardiovascular disease, cancer, and depression in humans. Attention has been also paid to those studies exploring the effects of the ratio intake. Results from pooled analyses of human studies reported a general positive effect of n-3 PUFAs intake on all outcomes considered. In contrast, the role of n-6 PUFAs on human health needs to be better assessed in order to clearly identify which compound exerts beneficial/harmful effects. Only a limited number of clinical studies considered the n-3:n-6 PUFAs ratio, rather reporting contrasting results. A number of limitations when considering the ratio between these two families of PUFAs have risen.

Revival of quantum correlations without system-environment back-action

Abstract: Revivals of quantum correlations have often been explained in terms of back-action on quantum systems by their quantum environment(s). Here we consider a system of two independently evolving qubits, each locally interacting with a classical random external field. The environments of the qubits are also independent, and there is no back-action on the qubits. Nevertheless, entanglement, quantum discord, and classical correlations between the two qubits may revive in this model. We explain the revivals in terms of correlations in a classical-quantum state of the environments and the qubits. Although classical states cannot store entanglement on their own, they can play a role in storing and reviving entanglement. It is important to know how the absence of back-action, or modeling an environment as classical, affects the kind of system time evolutions one is able to describe. We find a class of global time evolutions where back-action is absent and for which there is no loss of generality in modeling the environment as classical. Finally, we show that the revivals can be connected with the increase of a parameter used to quantify non-Markovianity of the single-qubit dynamics.

Matrix-degrading proteinases are shed in membrane vesicles by ovarian cancer cells in vivo and in vitro.

Abstract: The in vitro release of matrix-degrading proteinases from breast cancer cells is associated in part with shed membrane vesicles To determine whether shed vesicles might play a similar role in ovarian cancer cells, we analyzed the shedding phenomenon in vivo and in vitro as well as the enzymatic content of their vesicles This is the first time that an immunoelectron microscopical analysis revealed membrane vesicles carrying tumor-associated antigen alpha-Folate Receptor (alpha-FR), circulating in biological fluids (ascites and serum) of an ovarian carcinoma patient These vesicles were trapped in a fiber network with characteristic fibrin periodicity An ovarian cancer cell line (CABA I) established from ascitic fluid cells of this patient, grew in Matrigel and formed tubular structures suggesting invasive capability Immunofluorescence analysis demonstrated strong cytoplasmic staining of CABA I cells with anti-matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and anti-urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) antibodies CABA I cells shed membrane vesicles, which were morphologically similar to those identified in vivo, as determined by electron microscopy Gelatin zymography of vesicles isolated both in vivo and in vitro revealed major gelatinolytic bands of the MMP family, identified as the zymogen and active forms of gelatinase B (MMP-9) and gelatinase A (MMP-2) By casein-plasminogen zymography we observed high-molecular weight (HMW)-uPA and plasmin bands Incubation of purified vesicles from CABA I cells with Matrigel led to cleavage of Matrigel components Taken together, our results point to a possible role of shed vesicles, both in vivo and in vitro, in proteolysis that mediates invasion and spread of ovarian epithelial carcinoma cells

Position paper on the management of patients with obstructive sleep apnea and hypertension: joint recommendations by the European Society of Hypertension, by the European Respiratory Society and by the members of European COST (COoperation in Scientific and Technological research) ACTION B26 on obstructive sleep apnea.

Abstract: This article is aimed at addressing the current state of the art in epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnostic procedures and treatment options for appropriate management of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in cardiovascular (particularly hypertensive) patients, as well as for the management of cardiovascular diseases (particularly arterial hypertension) in OSA patients. The present document is the result of the work done by a panel of experts participating in the European Union COST (COoperation in Scientific and Technological research) ACTION B26 on OSA, with the endorsement of the European Respiratory Society (ERS) and the European Society of Hypertension (ESH). These recommendations are particularly aimed at reminding cardiovascular experts to consider the occurrence of sleep-related breathing disorders in patients with high blood pressure. They are at the same time aimed at reminding respiration experts to consider the occurrence of hypertension in patients with respiratory problems at night.