Mass Spectrometry Characterization of the SDS-PAGE Protein Profile of Legumins and Vicilins from Chickpea Seed.

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) seed proteins show a lot of functional properties leading this legume to be an interesting component for the development of protein-enriched foods. However, both the in-depth proteomic investigation and structural characterization of chickpea seed proteins are still lacking. In this paper a detailed characterization of chickpea seed protein fraction by means of SDS-PAGE, in-gel protein digestion, high-resolution mass spectrometry, and database searching is reported. Through this approach, twenty SDS gel bands were cut and analyzed. While the majority of the bands and the identified peptides were related to vicilin and legumin storage proteins, metabolic functional proteins were also detected. Legumins, as expected, were revealed at 45-65 kDa, as whole subunits with the α- and ß-chains linked together by a disulphide bond, but also at lower mass ranges (α- and ß-chains migrating alone). Similarly, but not expected, the vicilins were also spread along the mass region between 65 and 23 kDa, with some of them being identified in several bands. An MS structural characterization allowed to determine that, although chickpea vicilins were always described as proteins lacking cysteine residues, they contain this amino acid residue. Moreover, similar to legumins, these storage proteins are firstly synthesized as pre-propolypeptides (Mr 50-80 kDa) that may undergo proteolytic steps that not only cut the signal peptides but also produce different subunits with lower molecular masses. Overall, about 360 different proteins specific of the Cicer arietinum L. species were identified and characterized, a result that, up to the current date, represents the most detailed description of the seed proteome of this legume.

Decentralized Sensor Fault-Tolerant Control of DC Microgrids Using the Attracting Ellipsoid Method.

System stability deterioration in microgrids commonly occurs due to unpredictable faults and equipment malfunctions. Recently, robust control techniques have been used in microgrid systems to address these difficulties. In this paper, for DC-islanded microgrids that have sensors faults, a new passive fault-tolerant control strategy is developed. The suggested approach can be used to maintain system stability in the presence of flaws, such as faulty actuators and sensors, as well as component failures. The suggested control is effective when the fault is never recognized (or when the fault is not being precisely known, and some ambiguity in the fault may be interpreted as uncertainty in the system's dynamics following the fault). The design is built around a derived sufficient condition in the context of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) and the attractive ellipsoid technique. The ellipsoidal stabilization idea is to bring the state trajectories into a small region including the origin (an ellipsoid with minimum volume) and the trajectories will not leave the ellipsoid for the future time. Finally, computational studies on a DC microgrid system are carried out to assess the effectiveness of the proposed fault-tolerant control approach. When compared with previous studies, the simulation results demonstrate that the proposed control technique can significantly enhance the reliability and efficiency of DC microgrid systems.

Nasal insertion overall satisfaction with EUS-b (NOSE): evaluating the feasibility of transnasal diagnostic EUS-b.

INTRODUCTION: Esophageal endoscopic ultrasound using an endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) bronchoscope (EUS­b) has become an important tool in many bronchoscopy units. The procedure is generally performed through the mouth and there are currently no studies published evaluating the feasibility of transnasal EUS-b nor comparing it to the transoral approach. We aimed to evaluate the technical feasibility, patient comfort and safety of transnasal EUS-b. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A single-centre prospective study enrolling patients undergoing diagnostic EUS-b was conducted. Nasal insertion was attempted in all cases. Procedure difficulty and perceived patient's comfort were reported by the bronchoscopists. Comfort, overall satisfaction and willingness to repeat the procedure were reported by the patients. Data regarding demographics, procedure details, patients' comfort and overall satisfaction, histological analysis and final diagnosis were collected and analysed. RESULTS: A total of 119 patients were consecutively enrolled. Nasal insertion was successful in 87.4% and the mean duration of the procedure was 15.7 ± 4.9 minutes. No severe complications were reported. Procedure difficulty was usually graded as "simple" or "very simple" (71.4%). Mean values for bronchoscopists' assessment of patient comfort and patients' reported comfort were 4.2 and 4.1, respectively, on a 5-point scale. Only moderate correlation between these values was found (τb = 0.301, P = 0.001). Willingness to repeat transnasal EUS-b was very high (99.0%). Adequate samples were obtained in 88.5% of patients and overall diagnostic yield of EUS­b needle aspiration was 85.9%. CONCLUSIONS: EUS-b is an effective procedure that can be performed safely through the nasal cavity without significant discomfort for the patient.

Influence of Drought and Salt Stress on Durum Wheat Grain Quality and Composition: A Review.

Durum wheat is a staple crop for the Mediterranean diet because of its adaptability to environmental pressure and for its large use in cereal-based food products, such as pasta and bread, as a source of calories and proteins. Durum wheat whole grains are also highly valued for their peculiar amount of dietary fiber and minerals, as well as bioactive compounds of particular interest for their putative health-beneficial properties, including polyphenols, carotenoids, tocopherols, tocotrienols, and phytosterols. In Mediterranean environments, durum wheat is mostly grown under rainfed conditions, where the crop often experiences environmental stresses, especially water deficit and soil salinity that may induce a hyperosmotic stress. In particular, changes in C and N accumulation due to these abiotic conditions, during grain filling, can influence starch and storage protein amount and composition in durum wheat caryopsis, thus influencing yield and quality traits. Recent advancements regarding the influence of water deficit and salinity stress on durum wheat are critically discussed. In particular, a focus on stress-induced changes in (a) grain protein content and composition in relation to technological and health quality; (b) starch and dietary fiber accumulation and composition; (c) phytochemical composition; (d) health-related grain micronutrient accumulation, such as Fe and Zn.

Changes in Antioxidant Defence System in Durum Wheat under Hyperosmotic Stress: A Concise Overview.

Durum wheat is one of the most commonly cultivated species in the world and represents a key commodity for many areas worldwide, as its grain is used for production of many foods, such as pasta, bread, couscous, and bourghul. Durum wheat grain has a relevant role in the human diet, providing carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, fibres, vitamins, and minerals, as well as highly valued bioactive compounds contributing to a healthy diet. Durum wheat is largely cultivated in the Mediterranean basin, where it is mainly grown under rain-fed conditions, thus currently undergoing drought stress, as well as soil salinity, which can hamper yield potential and influence the qualitative characteristics of grain. When plants suffer drought and/or salinity stress, a condition known as hyperosmotic stress is established at cellular level. This leads to the accumulation of ROS thus generating in turn an oxidative stress condition, which can ultimately result in the impairment of cellular integrity and functionality. To counteract oxidative damage due to excessive ROS production under stress, plants have evolved a complex array of both enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant mechanisms, working jointly and synergically for maintenance of ROS homeostasis. Enhancement of antioxidant defence system has been demonstrated as an adaptive mechanism associated to an increased tolerance to hyperosmotic stress. In the light of these considerations, this review provides a concise overview on recent advancements regarding the role of the ascorbate-glutathione cycle and the main antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidases) in durum wheat response to drought and salt stresses that are expected to become more and more frequent due to the ongoing climate changes.

Wireless implantable and biodegradable sensors for postsurgery monitoring: current status and future perspectives.

In in vivo postsurgery monitoring, the use of wireless biodegradable implantable sensors has gained and is gaining a lot of interest, particularly in cases of monitoring for a short period of time. The employment of biodegradable materials allows the circumvention of secondary surgery for device removal. Additionally, the use of wireless communication for data elaboration avoids the need for transcutaneous wires. As such, it is possible to prevent possible inflammation and infections associated with long-term implants which are not wireless. It is expected that microfabricated biodegradable sensors will have a strong impact in acute or transient biomedical applications. However, the design of such high-performing electronic systems, both fully biodegradable and wireless, is very complex, particularly at small scales. The associated technologies are still in their infancy and should be more deeply and extensively investigated in animal models and, successively, in humans, before being clinically implemented. In this context, the present review aims to provide a complete overview of wireless biodegradable implantable sensors, covering the vital signs to be monitored, the wireless technologies involved, and the biodegradable materials used for the production of the devices, as well as designed devices and their applications. In particular, both their advantages and drawbacks are highlighted, and the key challenges faced, mainly associated with fabrication techniques, and control over degradation kinetics and biocompatibility of the device, are reported and discussed.

Data set of enzyme fingerprinting of dietary fibre components (arabinoxylan and ß-glucan) in old and modern Italian durum wheat genotypes.

The data presented are related to the research article entitled "Comparison of the dietary fibre composition of old and modern durum wheat (Triticum turgidum spp. durum) genotypes" (De Santis et al., 2018) [1]. This article provides details of the structures of the major dietary fibre components, arabinoxylan and ß-glucan, in semolina and wholemeal flour of old and modern Italian durum wheat genotypes grown in two seasons, determined by enzyme digestion followed by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography (enzyme fingerprinting).

Comparison of the dietary fibre composition of old and modern durum wheat (Triticum turgidum spp. durum) genotypes.

It has been suggested that intensive breeding has led to decreased contents of health-promoting components in modern wheats. We therefore compared the contents and compositions of the major dietary fibre components, arabinoxylan and ß-glucan, in semolina and wholemeal flour of old and modern Italian durum wheats. No differences in total arabinoxylan content were observed but the modern varieties had higher proportions of soluble arabinoxylan in wholemeals and of ß-glucan in semolina. The study therefore provides no evidence that intensive breeding has had negative effects on the contents of dietary fibre components in durum wheat. However, comparison of material grown over two years indicated that the content and composition of arabinoxylan and ß-glucan were more stable in the older than in the modern genotypes. The identification of modern cultivars with high viscosity associated with a high content of ß-glucan suggests that they are good sources of fibre for human health.

Differences in gluten protein composition between old and modern durum wheat genotypes in relation to 20th century breeding in Italy.

The impact of breeding on grain yields of wheat varieties released during the 20th century has been extensively studied, whereas less information is available on the changes in gluten quality associated with effects on the amount and composition of glutenins and gliadins. In order to explore the effects of breeding during the 20th century on gluten quality of durum wheat for processing and health we have compared a set of old and modern Italian genotypes grown under Mediterranean conditions. The better technological performance observed for the modern varieties was found to be due not only to the introgression of superior alleles of high (HMW-GS) and low molecular weight (LMW-GS) glutenin subunits encoded at Glu-B1 and Glu-B3 loci, but also to differential expression of specific storage proteins. In particular, the higher gluten index observed in modern genotypes was correlated with an increased glutenin/gliadin ratio and the expression of B-type LMW-GS which was, on average, two times higher in the modern than in the old group of durum wheat genotypes. By contrast, no significant differences were found between old and modern durum wheat genotypes in relation to the expression of α-type and γ-type gliadins which are major fractions that trigger coeliac disease (CD) in susceptible individuals. Furthermore, a drastic decrease was observed in the expression of ω-type gliadins in the modern genotypes, mainly ω-5 gliadin (also known as Tri a 19) which is a major allergen in wheat dependent exercise induced anaphylaxis (WDEIA). Immunological and 2DE SDS-PAGE analyses indicated that these differences could be related either to a general down-regulation or to differences in numbers of isoforms. Lower rainfall during grain filling period was related to overall higher expression of HMW-GS and ω-gliadins. In conclusion, breeding activity carried out in Italy during the 20th century appears to have improved durum wheat gluten quality, both in relation to technological performance and allergenic potential.

Differential Expression of Durum Wheat Gluten Proteome under Water Stress during Grain Filling.

Environmental stress during grain filling may affect wheat protein composition, thus influencing its final quality. A proteomic approach was used to evaluate changes in storage protein composition under water stress of two Italian durum wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum) cultivars, Ciccio and Svevo. The high-molecular-weight glutenin region increased progressively in both cultivars and under two water regimens. The L48-35 region, corresponding to low-molecular-weight (LMW) glutenin subunits, increased slightly during grain development and decreased under water stress in both cultivars. In particular, an s-type LMW related to superior technological quality was down-expressed in the early-mid period in Svevo and in the mid-late period in Ciccio. Finally, the L<35 region, corresponding to gliadin-like proteins, decreased slightly during grain development and increased under stress in both cultivars. Several α-gliadins, associated with immunological potential, increased their expression under water stress, especially in Svevo in the early-mid stage of grain filling.

Experimental evaluation of an ultrasound technique for the biometric recognition of human hand anatomic elements.

In this work the moving ultrasound linear array technique has been used to perform 3D echographic images of different human hands, in order to evaluate this technique to biometric recognition purposes. An automated set up, based on a commercial echographic machine provided with a high frequency (12 MHz) linear array, has been built up. The probe is moved in the direction orthogonal to the array and at each step a B-scan is performed and stored to form a 3D matrix representing the under skin hand volume. B-scan and C-scan images of the hand of different users were analysed and compared. The results have shown that, in the analysed region (about 10mm under the palm skin), there are several anatomic elements (including hand bones, bending tendons, muscle tissue, blood vessels) that can be exploited for measurements of biometric parameters. The characteristics of the proposed technique are compared with those of the 2D optical hand geometry, which is a well established biometric technique, and its possible advantages are underlined and discussed.

[Hepatopulmonary syndrome: case report and literature review]. / Síndroma hepatopulmonar: Relato de um caso clínico e revisão do tema.

Hepatopulmonary syndrome is an important complication of chronic liver disease occurring in 16 24% of patients. It is characterized by an increase in alveolar -capillary gradient, with or without hypoxemia, due to intrapulmonary vasodilatation. The course of the disease is progressive and associated with increased morbidity and mortality. There is no effective medical treatment and liver transplant is a priority. To exemplify the authors present the case of a 39 year -old male patient sent to the Pulmonology outpatient clinic and presenting with secondary polycythemia and progressive exertional dyspnoea. Clinical investigation identified a hepatopulmonary syndrome.

[Shrinking lung syndrome: case report and literature review]. / Síndroma do pulmão encolhido: Relato de um caso clínico e revisão da literatura.

Respiratory complications of systemic lupus erythematosus may involve every element of the respiratory system and are relatively common as the initial manifestation of this disease occurring in 60 -80% of patients during the course of the disease. The authors report a case of a lupic patient with a respiratory manifestation rarely recognized which diagnostic approach and treatment still represents a clinical challenge.

Large mediastinal thoracic duct cyst.

Thoracic duct cysts of the mediastinum are extremely rare. The etiology is related to a congenital or degenerative weakness in the wall of the thoracic duct. Symptoms may arise from compression of adjacent structures. Surgical resection is recommended and allows a definitive histological diagnosis. Postoperative chylothorax is the most frequent complication. We describe a 30-year-old female who presented to us with a history of dry cough and hiccups within the last four months.

[Allergic rhinitis and related diseases]. / Rinite alérgica e doenças associadas.

Allergic disease prevalence including allergic rhinitis has increased. It's relationship with other allergic diseases including asthma makes imperative it's diagnosis as well as co- -morbidity identification and associated complications. The most recent classification of the disease highlights the duration of symptoms and it's interference in the quality of life. The therapeutic strategy presented is based on eviction measures, pharmacological treatment, immunotherapy and, in selected cases, surgery. Pharmacological treatment should be done by "steps" according to the severity of the disease.

Max Frei theory revisitation: does really strokes depth change along time?

A serious problem in questioned document examination is to establish the age of written lines. With respect to paper dating, in the past, Max Frei theory (based only on microscope analysis) claimed that strokes are time-dependent. Therefore, according to this theory, it has been asserted that from the analysis of the strokes depth changes it is possible to try to date the handwritten document (to find out that the document is older than ...). In the present work, we investigate the strokes depth change by a laser profilometer considering not only the time but also microclimatic variations. First, we analyze the stability of stroke characteristics along the time. In particular, we demonstrate that if the document is preserved without change of temperature and humidity, the depth of the strokes has not appreciable changes. In this way, we have the purpose to verify the real possibility of documents dating by means of Max Frei theory. Subsequently, we test how the 3D profile of strokes changes in connection with the microclimatic variations. In particular, we test humidity variations. With this experiment, we show that humidity variations reduce the strokes depth. Moreover, this effect shows a non-linear trend, leaving a hysteresis on the depth. Finally, we show that the analysis of 3D stroke profile is unable to determine the age of documents.

[SAPHO syndrome--clinical report]. / Síndroma de SAPHO--caso clínico.

SAPHO Syndrome (Synovitis, Acne, Pustulosis, Hyperostosis, Osteitis) was first described in the 80s by Chamot and Kahn. This disease affects both skin and bones, mainly in the costal area and anterior chest wall (Skin-Bone Disease). Clinical symptoms vary according to the age of onset and response to the treatment is uncertain. This is considered a rare disease, although its real prevalence is not known. SAPHO syndrome may occur in any age and both sexes are equally affected. In this article, we present a case of SAPHO Syndrome and review the most relevant aspects of the literature.