Hybrid catalysts for CO ₂ conversion into cyclic carbonates

The conversion of carbon dioxide into valuable chemicals such as cyclic carbonates is an appealing topic for the scientific community due to the possibility of valorizing waste into an inexpensive, available, nontoxic, and renewable carbon feedstock. In this regard, last-generation heterogeneous catalysts are of great interest owing to their high catalytic activity, robustness, and easy recovery and recycling. In the present review, recent advances on CO2 cycloaddition to epoxide mediated by hybrid catalysts through organometallic or organo-catalytic species supported onto silica-, nanocarbon-, and metal–organic framework (MOF)-based heterogeneous materials, are highlighted and discussed

Note Illustrative della Carta geologica d'Italia alla scala 1:50.000 Foglio 204 Portomaggiore. Servizio Geologico d'Italia.

Note illustrative redatte per il Foglio geologico n. 204 Portomaggiore della Carta Geologica d'Italia alla scala 1:50.000. 98 pp

Characteristics of a Cold-Adapted L-glutaminase with Potential Applications in the Food Industry

L-glutaminases are enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of L-glutamine, producing L-glutamate and ammonium, and they have promising applications in pharmaceutical and food industries. Several investigations have focused on thermo-tolerant L-glutaminases; however, studies on cold-adapted L-glutaminases have not been reported. These enzymes could be useful in the food industry because they display high catalytic activity at low and room temperatures, a valuable feature in processes aimed to save energy. Besides, they can be easily inactivated by warming and are suitable to prevent decomposition of thermo-labile compounds. The objectives of this work were to characterize the L-glutaminase from the Antarctic bacterium Bizionia argentinensis and analyze its capability as flavor enhancer of protein hydrolysates. The enzyme was heterologously expressed and purified from Escherichia coli, obtaining optimum and homogeneous yields. Kinetic parameters Km and Vmax were located at the lower and upper range of values reported for L-glutaminases, suggesting high catalytic efficiency. Optimum temperature was 25 °C, and the enzyme conserved around 90% of maximum activity at 0 °C and in presence of 15% (v/v) ethanol and methanol. In saline conditions, the enzyme conserved around 80% of maximum activity in 3 M NaCl. Analysis of structural model suggested cold-adaptation features such as low Arg/(Arg+Lys) ratio and fewer intramolecular interactions than mesophilic and thermo-tolerant L-glutaminases. This work provides a novel cold-adapted L-glutaminase with promising features in the food industry.Fil: Ferreira, Flavia Vanina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia de Entre Ríos. Universidad Nacional de Entre Ríos. Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia de Entre Ríos; ArgentinaFil: Herrmann Andrade, Andreina M.. Universidad Nacional de Entre Rios. Facultad de Cs. de la Alimentación. Departamento de Cs. de Los Alimentos; ArgentinaFil: Binolfi, Andrés. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Calabrese, Carla D.. Universidad Nacional de Entre Rios. Facultad de Cs. de la Alimentación. Departamento de Cs. de Los Alimentos; ArgentinaFil: Mac Cormack, Walter Patricio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Nanobiotecnología. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Nanobiotecnología; ArgentinaFil: Musumeci, Matias Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia de Entre Ríos. Universidad Nacional de Entre Ríos. Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia de Entre Ríos; Argentin

Impact of a mediterranean dietary pattern and its components on cardiovascular risk factors, glucose control, and body weight in people with type 2 diabetes: A real-life study

This study evaluates the relation of a Mediterranean dietary pattern and its individual components with the cardiovascular risk factors profile, plasma glucose and body mass index (BMI) in people with type 2 diabetes. We studied 2568 participants at 57 diabetes clinics. Diet was assessed with the EPIC (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition) questionnaire, adherence to the Mediterranean diet was evaluated with the relative Mediterranean diet score (rMED). A high compared to a low score was associated with a better quality of diet and a greater adherence to the nutritional recommendations for diabetes. However, even in the group achieving a high score, only a small proportion of participants met the recommendations for fiber and saturated fat (respectively 17% and 30%). Nonetheless, a high score was associated with lower values of plasma lipids, blood pressure, glycated hemoglobin, and BMI. The relationship of the single food items components of the rMED score with the achievement of treatment targets for plasma lipids, blood pressure, glucose, and BMI were also explored. The study findings support the Mediterranean dietary model as a suitable model for type 2 diabetes and the concept that the beneficial health effects of the Mediterranean diet lie primarily in its synergy among various nutrients and foods rather than on any individual component

Essential Oils’ Potential in Breast Cancer Treatment: An Overview

Essential oils are widely used in the pharmaceutical industry for their antimicrobial, antiviral, antifungal, antiparasitic, and insecticidal properties. Their anticancer activity has been increasingly explored as the natural constituents of essential oils play an important role in cancer prevention and treatment. The chemical composition of essential oils includes monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, oxygenated monoterpenes, phenolic sesquiterpenes, and others. Several mechanisms of action such as antioxidant, antimutagenic, antiproliferative, enhancement of immune functions, modulation of multidrug resistance, and synergistic mechanism of volatile constituents are responsible for their chemotherapeutic properties. This review focuses on the activity of essential oils and their chemical composition in regard to breast cancer

Management of Microbiological Contamination of the Water Network of a Newly Built Hospital Pavilion

The good installation, as well as commissioning plan, of a water network is a crucial step in reducing the risk of waterborne diseases. The aim of this study was to monitor the microbiological quality of water from a newly built pavilion before it commenced operation. Overall, 91 water samples were tested for coliforms, Escherichia coli, enterococci, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Legionella at three different times: T0 (without any water treatment), T1 (after treatment with hydrogen peroxide and silver ions at initial concentration of 20 mg/L and after flushing of water for 20 min/day for seven successive days) and T2 (15 days later). Coliforms were detected in 47.3% of samples at T0, 36.3% at T1 and 4.4% at T2. E. coli was isolated in 4.4% of the samples only at T1, while enterococci appeared in 12.1% of the samples at T1 and in 2.2% at T2. P. aeruginosa was isolated in 50.5% of the samples at T0, 29.7% at T1 and 1.1% at T2. Legionella pneumophila serogroup 8 was isolated in 80.2% of the samples at T0, 36.3% at T1 and 2.2% at T2. Our results confirmed the need for a water safety plan in new hospital pavilions to prevent the risk of waterborne diseases

Impact of lockdown on the microbiological status of the hospital water network during COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic started in China in early December 2019, and quickly spread around the world. The epidemic gradually started in Italy at the end of February 2020, and by May 31, 2020, 232,664 cases and 33,340 deaths were confirmed. As a result of this pandemic, the Italian Ministerial Decree issued on March 11, 2020, enforced lockdown; therefore, many social, recreational, and cultural centers remained closed for months. In Apulia (southern Italy), all non-urgent hospital activities were suspended, and some wards were closed, with a consequent reduction in the use of the water network and the formation of stagnant water. This situation could enhance the risk of exposure of people to waterborne diseases, including legionellosis. The purpose of this study was to monitor the microbiological quality of the water network (coliforms, E. coli, Enterococci, P. aeruginosa, and Legionella) in three wards (A, B and C) of a large COVID-19 regional hospital, closed for three months due to the COVID-19 emergency. Our study revealed that all three wards' water network showed higher contamination by Legionella pneumophila sg 1 and sg 6 at T1 (after lockdown) compared to the period before the lockdown (T0). In particular, ward A at T1 showed a median value = 5600 CFU/L (range 0-91,000 CFU/L) vs T0, median value = 75 CFU/L (range 0-5000 CFU/L) (p-value = 0.014); ward B at T1 showed a median value = 200 CFU/L (range 0-4200 CFU/L) vs T0, median value = 0 CFU/L (range 0-300 CFU/L) (p-value = 0.016) and ward C at T1 showed a median value = 175 CFU/L (range 0-22,000 CFU/L) vs T0, median value = 0 CFU/L (range 0-340 CFU/L) (p-value < 0.001). In addition, a statistically significant difference was detected in ward B between the number of positive water samples at T0 vs T1 for L. pneumophila sg 1 and sg 6 (24% vs 80% p-value < 0.001) and for coliforms (0% vs 64% p-value < 0.001). Moreover, a median value of coliform load resulted 3 CFU/100 ml (range 0-14 CFU/100 ml) at T1, showing a statistically significant increase versus T0 (0 CFU/100 ml) (p-value < 0.001). Our results highlight the need to implement a water safety plan that includes staff training and a more rigorous environmental microbiological surveillance in all hospitals before occupying a closed ward for a longer than one week, according to national and international guidelines

Efficacy of sildenafil and high-dose anakinra in an MIS-C patient with pulmonary vasculitis: A case report

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a newly identified clinical entity still not very well known in terms of epidemiology, pathogenesis, and long-term outcome. Pulmonary involvement with acute respiratory failure is an unusual life-threatening complication of MIS-C, often a reason for admission to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and the use of mechanical ventilation. We present a case of a 7-year-old male patient, previously healthy, hospitalized for MIS-C, treated with intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG), high dose methylprednisolone, and anakinra. After 2 days of the aforementioned therapy, the patient presented with hypoxia (SatO2: 85% in ambient air room) and breathing difficulties. A chest computed tomography (CT) scan showed the presence of multiple bilateral basal parenchymal thickening and small basal pleural effusion and an arterial blood gas analysis revealed severe hypoxia (PaO2/FiO2 ratio, 170 mmHg). Because of a worsening of respiratory distress, the patient was transferred to the PICU, where invasive mechanical ventilation and a continuous infusion of anakinra (12 mg/kg/day) were started. An echocardiogram was performed, which showed an increase in pulmonary pressure (40 mmHg) with normal heart ejection fraction (55%), and the hypothesis of pulmonary vasculitis involving the pulmonary arterioles was made. Therefore, therapy with sildenafil (0.15 mg/kg/day) was promptly set up, with an immediate improvement of the clinical picture of respiratory failure, reduction of pulmonary pressure (23 mmHg), and subsequent extubation at 36 h with a regular clinical course until discharge. As far as we know, our case represents the first report of pulmonary vasculitis in an MIS-C patient. The use of sildenafil and high-dose continuous anakinra may represent a rescue therapy in cases of MIS-C with pulmonary vasculitis or with difficulty in extubation, allowing a short-term hospitalization in intensive care and improving the long-term outcome in these patients