Characterization of Volcano-Sedimentary Rocks and Related Scraps for Design of Sustainable Materials

This work started as a joint academia and company research project with the aim of finding new applications for domestically sourced volcanic products and related waste (pumice, lapillus, zeolitic tuff and volcanic debris from Tessennano and Arlena quarry) by creating a database of secondary volcanic raw materials and their intrinsic characteristics to help industry replace virgin materials and enhance circularity. In this context, accurate chemical, mineralogical, morphological, granulometric and thermal characterizations were performed. Based on the results presented, it can be concluded that due to their lightness, these materials can be used in the design and preparation of lightweight aggregates for agronomic purposes or in the construction field. Furthermore, due to their aluminosilicate nature and amorphous fraction, pumice and lapillus can play the role of precursor or activator for geopolymer preparation. With its porous nature, zeolitic tuff can be exploited for flue gas treatment. Due to the presence of feldspathic phase (sanidine), these materials can be used in tile production as a fluxing component, and with their pozzolanic activity and calcium content, they have application in the binder field as supplementary cementitious material or as aggregates

Pumice and lapillus scraps: New national environmental-friendly chance for the production of ceramic tiles

Italian pumice and volcanic lapillus scraps have been used in different percentages as alternative raw materials to foreign feldspars in porcelain stoneware mixtures. The aim of this work was to create naturally colored support to limit the use of artificial dyes while maintaining the technical properties of the reference product. For this purpose, the significant presence of chromophores (Fe and Ti in particular) in by-products from extraction of Italian volcanic pumice and lapillus was exploited. The work was carried out in collaboration with a company: the products were made on a laboratory scale and then they were glazed and fired within the industrial production cycle (48 min, 1210 ◦C). The resulting slip and the fired samples were characterized by measuring the efflux time, density, linear shrinkage, water absorption and tensile strength to evaluate the technological performance. In addition, thermogravimetric analysis (TG), differential thermal analysis (DTA), and optical and mechanical dilatometry were performed to study the thermal behavior of the formulations. The obtained products could be classified as porcelain stoneware and belong to the BIa group (WA 0.5%, B. S.>35 MPa) in accordance with UNI EN 14411 ISO 13006

Physical-chemical characterization of a galvanic sludge and its inertization by vitrification using container glass

Several industrial processes produce large amounts of heavy metals-rich wastes, which could be considered as "trash-can raw materials". The incorporation in ceramic systems can be regarded as a key process to permanently incorporate hazardous heavy metals in stable matrixes. In particular the aim of this work is to prepare and evaluate environmental risk assessment of coloured glass and glass-ceramic with the addition of chromium(III) galvanic sludge having a high content of Cr2O3 (15.91 wt%). Trivalent chromium compounds generally have low toxicity while hexavalent chromium is recognized by the International Agency for Research on Cancer and by the US Toxicology Program as a pulmonary carcinogen. The sludge has been characterized by ICP -AES chemical analysis, powder XRD diffraction, DTA, SEM, leaching test after different thermal treatments ranging from 400°C to 1200°C. Batch compositions were prepared by mixing this sludge with glass containers. The glass container composition is rich in SiO2 (69.89 wt%), Na 2O (12.32 wt%) and CaO (11.03 wt%), while the sludge has a high amount of CaO (42.90 wt%) and Cr2O3 (15.91 wt%). The vitrification was carried out at 1450°C in an electrical melting furnace for 2 h followed by quenching in water or on graphite mould. Chromium incorporation mechanisms, vitrification processability, effect of initial Cr oxidation state, and product performance were investigated. In particular toxic characterization by leaching procedure and chemical durability studies of the glasses and glass-ceramics were used to evaluate the leaching of heavy metals (in particular of Cr). The results indicate that all the glasses obtained were inert and the heavy metals were immobilized

New Perspective in HCV Clinical and Economical Management of the Current and Future Therapies

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a progressive disease that infects more than 185 million individuals worldwide and is associated with persistence of viral replication and ongoing necroinflammation and fibrosis. To date 20% of patients chronically infected with HCV progress to cirrhosis. Epidemiological studies demonstrate that the incidence of HCV is not well known, because acute infection is generally asymptomatic. The global prevalence is about 2.2% and there is a large degree of geographic variability. Before the 2011, the gold standard of therapy for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) was based on the combination of pegylated Interferon (peg-IFN) and Ribavirin (RBV). However, several aspects related to safety profile limited their use in clinical practice. In the recent years, thanks to basic research on HCV structure and replicative cycle, it has been possible to develop direct acting antiviral drugs that have dramatically increased the viral clearance rate. Specifically, the advent of the triple therapy employing direct acting antivirals has dramatically increased the viral clearance rate, from less than 10%, with the initial regimen of IFN monotherapy, to more than 95% with the current therapy. Even though new medications for hepatitis C are effective disease modifiers and have the potential, in a long term perspective, to eradicate the pathology, the cost of new treatments are unlikely to be sustainable for the NHSs. The evidence documenting the effectiveness and tolerability of the new therapies for HCV and several pharmacoeconomic analysis, shows that despite the cost, the new treatments can be considered cost-effective in the long period. However, the health care systems are unable to compensate the height financial resources immediately needed for treating patients with the long terms savings that will be obtained from the eradication of HCV. Indeed, new pharmaceutical policy and a global commitment is required to improve strategies of treatment and price negotiation with pharmaceutical companies to move from a theoretical cost-effectiveness approach to a practical cost-sustainable reality

New technologies - new insights into the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a neuropsychiatric syndrome which frequently accompanies acute or chronic liver disease. It is characterized by a variety of symptoms of different severity such as cognitive deficits and impaired motor functions. Currently, HE is seen as a consequence of a low grade cerebral oedema associated with the formation of cerebral oxidative stress and deranged cerebral oscillatory networks. However, the pathogenesis of HE is still incompletely understood as liver dysfunction triggers exceptionally complex metabolic derangements in the body which need to be investigated by appropriate technologies. This review summarizes technological approaches presented at the ISHEN conference 2014 in London which may help to gain new insights into the pathogenesis of HE. Dynamic in vivo13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was performed to analyse effects of chronic liver failure in rats on brain energy metabolism. By using a genomics approach, microRNA expression changes were identified in plasma of animals with acute liver failure which may be involved in interorgan interactions and which may serve as organ-specific biomarkers for tissue damage during acute liver failure. Genomics were also applied to analyse glutaminase gene polymorphisms in patients with liver cirrhosis indicating that haplotype-dependent glutaminase activity is an important pathogenic factor in HE. Metabonomics represents a promising approach to better understand HE, by capturing the systems level metabolic changes associated with disease in individuals, and enabling monitoring of metabolic phenotypes in real time, over a time course and in response to treatment, to better inform clinical decision making. Targeted fluxomics allow the determination of metabolic reaction rates thereby discriminating metabolite level changes in HE in terms of production, consumption and clearance

Ammonia produces pathological changes in human hepatic stellate cells and is a target for therapy of portal hypertension

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are vital to hepatocellular function and the liver response to injury. They share a phenotypic homology with astrocytes that are central in the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy, a condition in which hyperammonemia plays a pathogenic role. This study tested the hypothesis that ammonia modulates human HSC activation in vitro and in vivo, and evaluated whether ammonia lowering, by using l-ornithine phenylacetate (OP), modifies HSC activation in vivo and reduces portal pressure in a bile duct ligation (BDL) model. METHODS: Primary human HSCs were isolated and cultured. Proliferation (BrdU), metabolic activity (MTS), morphology (transmission electron, light and immunofluorescence microscopy), HSC activation markers, ability to contract, changes in oxidative status (ROS) and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) were evaluated to identify effects of ammonia challenge (50 μM, 100 μM, 300 μM) over 24–72 h. Changes in plasma ammonia levels, markers of HSC activation, portal pressure and hepatic eNOS activity were quantified in hyperammonemic BDL animals, and after OP treatment. RESULTS: Pathophysiological ammonia concentrations caused significant and reversible changes in cell proliferation, metabolic activity and activation markers of hHSC in vitro. Ammonia also induced significant alterations in cellular morphology, characterised by cytoplasmic vacuolisation, ER enlargement, ROS production, hHSC contraction and changes in pro-inflammatory gene expression together with HSC-related activation markers such as α-SMA, myosin IIa, IIb, and PDGF-Rβ. Treatment with OP significantly reduced plasma ammonia (BDL 199.1 μmol/L ± 43.65 vs. BDL + OP 149.27 μmol/L ± 51.1, p <0.05) and portal pressure (BDL 14 ± 0.6 vs. BDL + OP 11 ± 0.3 mmHg, p <0.01), which was associated with increased eNOS activity and abrogation of HSC activation markers. CONCLUSIONS: The results show for the first time that ammonia produces deleterious morphological and functional effects on HSCs in vitro. Targeting ammonia with the ammonia lowering drug OP reduces portal pressure and deactivates hHSC in vivo, highlighting the opportunity for evaluating ammonia lowering as a potential therapy in cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension

Reactive gamma-ketoaldehydes as novel activators of hepatic stellate cells in vitro

Aims: Products of lipid oxidation, such as 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), are key activators of hepatic stellate cells (HSC) to a pro-fibrogenic phenotype. Isolevuglandins (IsoLG) are a family of acyclic γ-ketoaldehydes formed through oxidation of arachidonic acid or as by-products of the cyclooxygenase pathway. IsoLGs are highly reactive aldehydes which are efficient at forming protein adducts and cross-links at concentrations 100-fold lower than 4-hydroxynonenal. Since the contribution of IsoLGs to liver injury has not been studied, we synthesized 15-E2-IsoLG and used it to investigate whether IsoLG could induce activation of HSC. / Results: Primary human HSC were exposed to 15-E2-IsoLG for up to 48 hours. Exposure to 5 μM 15-E2-IsoLG in HSCs promoted cytotoxicity and apoptosis. At non-cytotoxic doses (50 pM-500 nM) 15-E2-IsoLG promoted HSC activation, indicated by increased expression of α-SMA, sustained activation of ERK and JNK signaling pathways, and increased mRNA and/or protein expression of cytokines and chemokines, which was blocked by inhibitors of JNK and NF-kB. In addition, IsoLG promoted formation of reactive oxygen species, and induced an early activation of ER stress, followed by autophagy. Inhibition of autophagy partially reduced the pro-inflammatory effects of IsoLG, suggesting that it might serve as a cytoprotective response. / Innovation: This study is the first to describe the biological effects of IsoLG in primary HSC, the main drivers of hepatic fibrosis. / Conclusions: IsoLGs represent a newly identified class of activators of HSC in vitro, which are biologically active at concentrations as low as 500 pM, and are particularly effective at promoting a pro-inflammatory response and autophagy

Recombinant Alkaline Phosphatase Prevents Acute on Chronic Liver Failure

The lipopolysaccharide (LPS)– toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4) pathway plays an important role in liver failure. Recombinant alkaline phosphatase (recAP) deactivates LPS. The aim of this study was to determine whether recAP prevents the progression of acute and acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). Eight groups of rats were studied 4-weeks after sham surgery or bile duct ligation and were injected with saline or LPS to mimic ACLF. Acute liver failure was induced with Galactosamine-LPS and in both models animals were treated with recAP prior to LPS administration. In the ACLF model, the severity of liver dysfunction and brain edema was attenuated by recAP, associated with reduction in cytokines, chemokines, liver cell death, and brain water. The activity of LPS was reduced by recAP. The treatment was not effective in acute liver failure. Hepatic TLR4 expression was reduced by recAP in ACLF but not acute liver failure. Increased sensitivity to endotoxins in cirrhosis is associated with upregulation of hepatic TLR4, which explains susceptibility to development of ACLF whereas acute liver failure is likely due to direct hepatoxicity. RecAP prevents multiple organ injury by reducing receptor expression and is a potential novel treatment option for prevention of ACLF but not acute liver failure

Preparation of low-cost nano and microcomposites from chicken eggshell, nano-silica and rice husk ash and their utilisations as additives for producing geopolymer cements

This work aims to prepare low-cost nanocomposite and microcomposite with lower molar ratio CaO/SiO2 (0.4). Nano-silica, rice husk ash and calcined chicken eggshell have been used as silica and calcium sources. Metakaolin has been separately replaced by 0, 10 and 20 wt% of each composite in order to study their behavior on the properties of geopolymers. The hardener used is sodium waterglass from rice husk ash. The surface area of nano-silica and rice husk ash was 54.40 and 4.08 m2/g, respectively. The cumulative volumes of the control geopolymer, the ones containing 10 wt% of microcomposite and nanocomposite are 119.71, 89.92 and 110.49 mm3/g, respectively. The compressive strength of the control specimen is around 64.02 MPa. The one using 10 wt% of microcomposite was 68.97 MPa. It drops to 42.88 MPa when metakaolin was replaced by 20 wt % of microcomposite. Whereas the one using 10 wt% of nanocomposite was 30.03 MPa and it decreases to 26.05 MPa when metakaolin was substituted by 20 wt% of nanocomposite. It can be concluded that 10 wt% of microcomposite could be mixed to metakaolin for strength development and nanocomposite does not recommend to use as an additive for producing high strength of geopolymer cements. © 2020, © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group