An Introduction to the Project BLASCO - Blending LAboratory and Satellite techniques for detecting CyanObacteria

Algal blooms can have an impact on health care costs, on the costs associated with the treatment of water intended for human consumption and on the tourism industry. The implementation of early warning systems would reduce these costs and the efforts needed to face and control the harmful effects of an algal bloom. A system for monitoring the quality of the waters, which operates on a large scale and at high frequency, would allow to keep under control the evolution of a bloom. The observation by satellite allows such a monitoring: in particular, the project is focused on the development of techniques for the analysis of satellite images, in order to detect the specific phytoplankton species potentially responsible for bloom formation in lakes. To reach this goal, it is necessary to analyse the spectral response characteristic of cyanobacteria and to develop algorithms to be applied to the analysis of satellite images. New calibration algorithms for the interpretation of satellite images will be obtained in lab experiments, using algal cultures. The developed algorithms will be tested through the analysis of remote sensing images, with particular attention to the bloom events occurring in the lakes of Lombardy and Piedmont. Field data on water optical properties and phytoplankton samples will be also collected. Moreover, different approaches will be applied and compared to quantify the amount of cyanobacteria (HPLC, counting, in vivo fluorimetry, spectroradiometry). Among the main results there will be the creation of a dataset of spectral signatures of some cyanobacteria taxa, as well as the development of calibration curves for the qualitative and quantitative estimation of the blooms. In general, we expect that it will be possible to distinguish, in natural conditions, the spectral signatures of cyanobacteria, even at low concentrations and within mixed populations of phytoplankton

Total- and semi-bare noble metal nanoparticles@silica core@shell catalysts for hydrogen generation by formic acid decomposition

AbstractCatalysts are involved in a number of established and emerging chemical processes as well as in environmental remediation and energy conversion. Nanoparticles (NPs) can offer several advantages over some conventional catalysts, such as higher efficiency and selectivity. Nowadays, versatile and scalable nanocatalysts that combine activity and stability are still lacking. Here, we report a comprehensive investigation on the production and characterization of hybrid nano-architectures bringing a partial or total bare surface together with their catalytic efficiency evaluation on, as a proof-of-concept, the formic acid decomposition reaction. In this regard, formic acid (FA) is a convenient and safe hydrogen carrier with appealing features for mobile applications, fuel cells technologies, petrochemical processes and energetic applications. Thus, the design of robust catalysts for FA dehydrogenation is strongly demanded. Due to this, we produced and evaluated nano-architectures with various equilibrium between the size-increase of the active part and the barer catalytic surface. Overall, this work paves the way for the development of new approaches for green energy storage and safe delivery

Effect of fluoride, chlorhexidine or Nd:YAG on the progression of root dentin demineralization after removal of the demineralized organic matrix

Quantification of collagen degradation is an important parameter to evaluate dentin caries for preventive aid. Objectives: Evaluate preventive methods against root collagen degradation by the hydroxyproline assay (HYP) and microradiography technique (MRT). Methodology: Five bovine root dentin blocks were obtained and subjected to an artificial demineralization process by acetate buffer (pH 5) to induce carious lesion formation. Samples were subjected to the following therapeutic treatments: 1) 0.12% chlorhexidine for 1 min, 2) 2% fluoride for 1 min, 3) Nd:YAG Laser (400 μm diameter optical fiber, 10 Hz frequency, 60 mJ/pulse energy, 48 J/cm2 energy density, in noncontact mode for 10 s), 4) deionized water (control) for 1 min, 5) MRT control group (without treatment and removal of collagen). Samples were exposed to degradation by a collagenase enzyme for five days. The enzyme solution was collected, by colorimetry in a spectrophotometer, from the collagen matrix for the hydroxyproline release analysis. The same samples were subjected to an additional two days of demineralization to induce the progression of mineral loss. Samples were analyzed by MRT for the visualization of their degraded areas (estimation of lesion depth and mineral loss). ANOVA was applied to compare hydroxyproline release rates. MRT data were subjected to the Kruskal-Wallis test, followed by the Dunn’s test. Comparisons between the initial five-day and the subsequent two-day demineralization processes were performed by repeated t-test or Wilcoxon (p<0.05) measurements. Results: The amount of HYP released from the dentin samples failed to show significant differences among the groups (p=0.09). Fluoride and chlorhexidine were able to interact with the samples, reducing the progression of dentin caries after removal of the demineralized organic matrix. CHX was the only treatment able to show significant lower lesion depth than the negative control. Conclusion: Chlorhexidine and fluoride were effective in reducing root caries progression

Short-Term Outcomes of an ESDM Intervention in Italian Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder following the COVID-19 Lockdown

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a temporary lockdown period in Italy, during which the delivery of in-person treatment for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in public health services was discontinued. This occurrence represented a crucial challenge for both families and professionals. We assessed the short-term outcomes of a sample of 18 children who received an early intervention with the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM), delivered at low intensity over one year in the pre-pandemic period, after six months of interruption of in-presence treatment due to lockdown restrictions. Children who received the ESDM treatment maintained their gains in sociocommunicative skills and did not exhibit any developmental regression. Additionally, there was evidence of a decrease in the restrictive and repetitive behavior (RRB) domain. The parents, who were already familiar with the principles of the ESDM, only received telehealth support from therapists that aimed to sustain the gains already achieved. We believe that it is always helpful to support parents in their daily lives by implementing interactional and play skills with their children to integrate and consolidate the results obtained in the individual interventions conducted by experienced therapists

RECUPERAÇÃO DE BANHOS DE CROMO VI PELA TÉCNICA DE ELETRODIÁLISE

A vasta utilização do cromo e seus compostos pelas indústrias modernas resulta na descarga degrandes quantidades desse elemento no ambiente. As tecnologias convencionais de tratamento deresíduos têm estado, tradicionalmente, centradas na destruição dos contaminantes contidos nosmesmos, nas chamadas “tecnologias fim de tubo”. Este trabalho tem por objetivo geral a purificaçãodos banhos de cromo contaminados com Cr(III) e Al pela técnica de eletrodiálise. Foram testadassete membranas catiônicas de diferentes marcas (Nafion, Selemion, Ultrex, Ionics, Ionac e PCA). Foiutilizada uma célula de teflon de dois compartimentos, na qual o compartimento anódico continha80 ml do banho contaminado com alumínio e o catódico 80 ml de H2SO4 20%. A corrente aplicadafoi de 100 mA. O tempo de ensaio foi de 6 horas e foram coletadas amostras no período de 1 horano compartimento catódico. O Cr(VI) foi analisado porque durante os ensaios se notou coloraçãoamarelada da solução no compartimento catódico, evidenciando a difusão do Cr(VI) através dasmembranas. Os resultados indicam que há difusão de Cr(VI) através das membranas utilizadas, come sem aplicação de corrente. A passagem de Cr(III) e Al é influenciada pela corrente aplicada e pelotipo de membrana utilizada

Avaliação de polimorfismo de nucleotídeo único em gene promotor da citocina inflamatória IL6 quanto à susceptibilidade em doenças pulmonares

Acredita-se que fatores genéticos podem modificar o risco individual tornando os indivíduos mais susceptíveis a certas patologias. Polimorfismos de nucleotídeo único (SNP) em genes de mediadores inflamatórios estão fortemente relacionados a esta propensão. Objetivou-se relacionar a presença de SNP em gene que codifica uma citocina pró-inflamatória com susceptibilidade às doenças pulmonares. Foi realizado um estudo do tipo caso-controle em indivíduos com doença pulmonar obstrutiva crônica (DPOC), câncer de pulmão (CP) e tuberculose (TB). Foram realizadas coletas de dados epidemiológicos e ainda de material biológico para genotipagem do polimorfismo rs1800795 do gene IL6 através da técnica de reação em cadeia da polimerase (PCR) em tempo real. Para as análises estatísticas foram avaliadas a frequência (%), média e desvio-padrão e o teste x2 para as variáveis categóricas. Observou-se o predomínio do sexo masculino, bem como a maioria dos indivíduos se autodeclarou caucasiano. Quanto à frequência alélica para o polimorfismo rs1800795 do gene IL6, a presença foi maior no alelo considerado de risco em todos os grupos de casos, mas ao comparar estes achados a um grupo controle, não foi observada diferença estatística significativa, fato que demonstra que não há relação entre as frequências genotípicas e alélicas e presença do polimorfismo em IL6 com a susceptibilidade a doenças pulmonares nesta população