Smoking cessation interventions in nurses and other health care workers

Introduction: Tobacco smoking can be considered an old and a new challenge for public health. The aim of this review was to analyse different smoking cessation interventions aiming at health care workers.Methods: A literature search of electronic journal databases for studies on smoking cessation interventions among health care workers was performed according to PRISMA criteria, using the MEDLINE and Scopus databases.Results: Smoking restriction policies shouldn’t be considered as actual interventions, being ineffective, unpopular and reducing willingness to quit smoking in many subjects. Even though pharmacological therapies based on bupropion SR and transdermal nicotine patches grant significant results on the short-term (weeks and months), smoking recurrence rates are high and individualised interventions should be preferred or integrated since they seem to grant better results on the longterm (years).Conclusions: There is evidence that smoking cessation interventions among health care workers can be effective. This is of particular interest both for reducing tobacco smoking prevalence among this type of workers and for helping them to be useful model for the general population

Deep Eutectic Solvents formed by chiral components as chiral reaction media and studies of their structural properties

We present the realization, the use as reaction media/chiral organocatalysts/acid catalysts and the structural properties of novel chiral Deep Eutectic Solvents. These liquids are formed by mixtures of chiral HBD and HBA molecules that are common, relatively cheap and commercially available (the two enantiomers of camphorsulfonic acid as HBD) or easily one-step synthesized molecules from commercially available compounds ((S)- and (R)-N,N,N-trimethyl-(1-phenylethyl)ammonium methanesulfonate as HBA). These liquids proved to be highly-structured as showed by different yields and enantiomeric excesses observed in a probe reaction, suggesting these liquids to form diastereoisomerically different liquids by changing one of the two enantiomers. Their structural features were analyzed via 1H Pulsed Field gradient Spin Echo (PGSE) NMR, NMR titration, 1H NMR analyses of formation and differences in the chemical shifts of the peaks of the liquids. Density Functional Theory (DFT) optimization helped to define the structures of these liquids. The methanesulfonate counterion of HBA molecule showed to be relevant in order to obtain these highly-structured liquids as it interacts specifically with the HBD. These chiral Deep Eutectic Solvents revealed to be promising novel high-structured media for enantioselective reactions

Infected pancreatic necrosis: outcomes and clinical predictors of mortality. A post hoc analysis of the MANCTRA-1 international study

: The identification of high-risk patients in the early stages of infected pancreatic necrosis (IPN) is critical, because it could help the clinicians to adopt more effective management strategies. We conducted a post hoc analysis of the MANCTRA-1 international study to assess the association between clinical risk factors and mortality among adult patients with IPN. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify prognostic factors of mortality. We identified 247 consecutive patients with IPN hospitalised between January 2019 and December 2020. History of uncontrolled arterial hypertension (p = 0.032; 95% CI 1.135-15.882; aOR 4.245), qSOFA (p = 0.005; 95% CI 1.359-5.879; aOR 2.828), renal failure (p = 0.022; 95% CI 1.138-5.442; aOR 2.489), and haemodynamic failure (p = 0.018; 95% CI 1.184-5.978; aOR 2.661), were identified as independent predictors of mortality in IPN patients. Cholangitis (p = 0.003; 95% CI 1.598-9.930; aOR 3.983), abdominal compartment syndrome (p = 0.032; 95% CI 1.090-6.967; aOR 2.735), and gastrointestinal/intra-abdominal bleeding (p = 0.009; 95% CI 1.286-5.712; aOR 2.710) were independently associated with the risk of mortality. Upfront open surgical necrosectomy was strongly associated with the risk of mortality (p < 0.001; 95% CI 1.912-7.442; aOR 3.772), whereas endoscopic drainage of pancreatic necrosis (p = 0.018; 95% CI 0.138-0.834; aOR 0.339) and enteral nutrition (p = 0.003; 95% CI 0.143-0.716; aOR 0.320) were found as protective factors. Organ failure, acute cholangitis, and upfront open surgical necrosectomy were the most significant predictors of mortality. Our study confirmed that, even in a subgroup of particularly ill patients such as those with IPN, upfront open surgery should be avoided as much as possible. Study protocol registered in ClinicalTrials.Gov (I.D. Number NCT04747990)

Colorectal Cancer Stage at Diagnosis Before vs During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy

IMPORTANCE Delays in screening programs and the reluctance of patients to seek medical attention because of the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 could be associated with the risk of more advanced colorectal cancers at diagnosis. OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic was associated with more advanced oncologic stage and change in clinical presentation for patients with colorectal cancer. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This retrospective, multicenter cohort study included all 17 938 adult patients who underwent surgery for colorectal cancer from March 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021 (pandemic period), and from January 1, 2018, to February 29, 2020 (prepandemic period), in 81 participating centers in Italy, including tertiary centers and community hospitals. Follow-up was 30 days from surgery. EXPOSURES Any type of surgical procedure for colorectal cancer, including explorative surgery, palliative procedures, and atypical or segmental resections. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was advanced stage of colorectal cancer at diagnosis. Secondary outcomes were distant metastasis, T4 stage, aggressive biology (defined as cancer with at least 1 of the following characteristics: signet ring cells, mucinous tumor, budding, lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion, and lymphangitis), stenotic lesion, emergency surgery, and palliative surgery. The independent association between the pandemic period and the outcomes was assessed using multivariate random-effects logistic regression, with hospital as the cluster variable. RESULTS A total of 17 938 patients (10 007 men [55.8%]; mean [SD] age, 70.6 [12.2] years) underwent surgery for colorectal cancer: 7796 (43.5%) during the pandemic period and 10 142 (56.5%) during the prepandemic period. Logistic regression indicated that the pandemic period was significantly associated with an increased rate of advanced-stage colorectal cancer (odds ratio [OR], 1.07; 95%CI, 1.01-1.13; P = .03), aggressive biology (OR, 1.32; 95%CI, 1.15-1.53; P < .001), and stenotic lesions (OR, 1.15; 95%CI, 1.01-1.31; P = .03). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This cohort study suggests a significant association between the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the risk of a more advanced oncologic stage at diagnosis among patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer and might indicate a potential reduction of survival for these patients

Acid-base responsive probes for mercury(II) ions in aqueous solution

A simple ratiometric optical method for mercuric ion sensing has been developed using an ensemble of an indicator, such as 7-hydroxy-4-methylcoumarin (7H4MC) and bromothymol blue (BTB), and a receptor, such as N,N-bis(p-methoxybenzyl)-3,6-dioxaoctane-1,8-diamines (bis-pMDODA) and cryptand [2.2.2] (C222), in aqu- eous solution. The equilibrium between indicator and receptor is perturbed by adding Hg2+ ions (0.8–80 μM), due to the formation of a receptor-metal complex, resulting in a change of the UV/Vis spectra. Both sensitivity and selectivity are explained in terms of association constants between receptor and metal ions and equilibrium constants of the reaction between indicator and receptor. Indicator bromothymol blue has also presented a color variation from light blue to yellow upon coordination of Hg2+ to the receptor, which allows a metal naked-eye detection. The detection limit of the system was found to be about 3 μM and the relative standard deviation for five measurements of 20 μM concentration was 5.6%. BTB/7H4MC arrangement showed a particular selectivity over different interfering cations, suffering only interference from Cu2+ ions for Hg2+ sensing

Role of anionic micelles in self-assembling of fluorescent acridinium-based chemosensors for the detection of mercury (II) ions

novel off-on fluorescent sensing system for Hg2+ ions was prepared through self-assembly, by anionic surfactant micelles, of different combinations of 10-alkylacridinium perchlorates (as fluorophores, with a methyl or an n-octyl chain) and N,N-bis(p-alkyloxybenzyl)-3,6-dioxaoctane-1,8-diamines (as receptors, with a methyl or an n-dodecyl chain) in water solution. The fluorescence quenching observed in the absence of metal ions (“off” state), likely due to a photoinduced electron transfer (PET) mechanism from diamine to acridinium moiety, has demonstrated that a communication between the binding site and the signaling unit actually occurs. The addition of Hg2+ resulted in its incorporation in the micelle with the formation of a receptor-metal complex in competition with the PET process, accordingly the fluorescence emission of acridinium was restored (“on” state). The experimental data suggested that compartmentalization effects in the different micellar microenvironments, due to the different hydrophobic degree of the components, can affect the fluorescence response of the sensor and therefore its sensitivity. These systems showed good sensitivity in Hg2+ sensing and its concentration can be linearly determined according to the fluorescence quenching

Novel low viscous, green and amphiphilic N-oxides/phenylacetic acid based Deep Eutectic Solvents

Four novel Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs) were prepared by mixing phenylacetic acid (which is a natural mole- cule present in honey) with amine N-oxides, which are molecules easily biodegradable in nature. Three of these N-oxides are amphiphilic. The novel DESs have very low freezing points (from −34 °C to 20 °C) and they have very low viscosity, much lower than the most common and used DES in literature so far (choline chloride/urea mixture). The conductivity values resulted low and the ionicity analysis showed these DESs to be “super ionic”. Their polarity resulted high enough and it can be compared with other commonly used solvents or ionic liquids

Effect of Surfactant Structure on the Superactivity of Candida rugosa Lipase

In this work, we present the effects of ionic and zwitterionic surfactants on the hydrolytic activity of Candida rugosa lipase (CRL), one of the most important and widely used microbial lipases. A series of amine N-oxide surfactants was studied to explore the relationship between their molecular structures and their effect on catalytic properties of CRL. These zwitterionic amphiphiles are known for their ability to form aggregates that can increase their size, thanks to a sphere−rod transition, without any additive. Enzyme activity seemed to be improved by morphological changes of micelles from spherical to rod-like, and the structure of the monomers played a crucial role in this transition. In fact, all the amine oxides investigated provoked superactivation, but the CRL activity increased by lengthening the alkyl chain of N-oxide surfactants, whereas it decreased in the presence of bulky head groups Superactivity was mainly because of an increase in kcat (0.57 s−1 in buffer, 0.80− 1.99 s−1 in surfactant solutions) and, in some cases, a decrease in KM (2 × 10−3 M in buffer, 1.08−4.28 × 10−3 M in surfactant solutions). Micelles seemed to play a dual role: superactivity occurred at surfactant concentrations higher than their critical micelle concentration, but, on the other hand, micelles subtracted the substrate from the bulk, making itunavailable for the catalysis

structure effects of amphiphilic and non amphiphilic quaternary ammonium salts on photodegradation of alizarin red s catalyzed by titanium dioxide

The role of surfactants such as single- and double-tailed tetraalkylammonium bromide and various non-amphiphilic tetraalkylammonium salts was investigated on the TiO2photocatalyzed degradation of Alizarin Red-S under UV light irradiation

aquo-DESs: WATER-BASED BINARY NATURAL DEEP EUTECTIC SOLVENTS

Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs) are a class of solvents that are increasing their relevance in the research activity thanks to their environmental-friendly features as well as to their structural characteristics and catalytic properties. Formed by no-solvent mixing of two substances, namely a hydrogen bond donor and a hydrogen bond acceptor, DESs are finding fruitful applications in many different topics as alternatives to common organic compounds. In this work the realization, the characterization and the solubility applications of a novel water- based class of DESs are proposed. These innovative liquids, called aquo-DESs, are binary mixtures of water with glycolic acid (GA) and with trimethylglycine (TMG): GA/H2O (1/4 molar ratio) and TMG/H2O (1/5 molar ratio). The DES identity of these mixtures was demonstrated by: shifts both in terms of the molar fraction and of the melting points in the experimental melting point curves from the theoretical ones; amounts of components over their reported maximum solubility in water; thermogravimetric profiles compared to the pure substances. The aquo-DESs were characterized in their viscosity and ionic conductivity in the temperature range 20-55 C, showing really low viscosity and low ionic conductivity, with a peculiar behavior of the ionic conductivity of GA/H2O DES. The solubilizing properties of aminoacids, phenols and carboxylic acids showed peculiar really high values whenever the solute can participate to the DES as DES component itself