Model study of modern oil-based paint media by triacylglycerols profiling in positive and negative ionization modes

Lipid binders have traditionally been determined in paintings by using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) to identify the characteristic profiles and ratios of fatty acids . However, the presence of mixtures in contemporary and modern oil paints makes the GC/MS determination of fatty acids insufficient to fully characterize the lipid binding media. In this study we prove that triacylglycerol (TAG) profiling by high-performance liquid chromatography with high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry, using ESI in positive and negative ionization modes is highly effective. We exploited this analytical approach to study the curing and degradation processes undergone by six plant oils used in the formulation of media in modern paints, using both natural and artificial ageing experiments. We believe that is the first time that a negative ionization mode has been applied for this purpose and that a survey with HPLC-ESI-Q-ToF has been carried out to study the ageing kinetics of plant oils. TAG profiling enabled us to study the evolution over time of the constituents of modern oils, with respect to curing and ageing. The data analyzed in this study demonstrate that our approach is efficient to study the oxidation of TAGs during ageing. The data also improve current knowledge on the properties of vegetable oils, which could lead to the development of new paint materials and conservation treatments for modern and contemporary works of art

Delivery Mode Shapes the Composition of the Lower Airways Microbiota in Newborns

Radical alterations in the human microbiota composition are well-known to be associated with many pathological conditions. If these aberrations are established at the time of birth, the risk of developing correlated pathologies throughout life is significantly increased. For this reason, all newborns should begin their lives with a proper microbiota in each body district. The present study aimed at demonstrating a correlation between the mode of delivery and the development of a well-balanced microbiota in the lower airways of newborns. 44 pregnant women were enrolled in this study. Microbiological comparative analysis was carried out on tracheobronchial secretions of babies born through vaginal delivery (VD) or caesarean section (CS). All samples showed the presence of bacterial DNA, regardless of the mode of delivery. No viable cultivable bacteria were isolated from the CS samples. On the contrary, VD allowed colonization of the lower airways by alive cultivable bacteria. The identification of bacterial species revealed that Lactobacillus spp. and Bacteroides vulgatus were the most common microorganisms in the lower airways of vaginally-delivered newborns. Data obtained from quantitative PCRs showed a significantly higher total bacterial load, as well as Firmicutes and Lactobacillus spp. amount, in VD samples than CS ones, while no statistically significant difference was found in Torque Teno Virus (TTV) load between samples. Taken together, our findings confirm the hypothesis that passage through the maternal vaginal canal determines more beneficial colonization of the lower airways in newborns

Anti-HPV vaccination in women treated for HPV-related lesions: effective vaccination strategy for achieving HPV-related diseases control

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination is able to reduce the risk of relapse in women undergoing surgery for HPVrelated lesions. The surgical treatment of these lesions can correlate with a greater risk of preterm parts. The extension of the recommendation of HPV vaccination to patients treated for a previous HPV-related lesion would entail a lower expense for the Health System. Therefore, an increase in the use of HPV vaccination is desirable also in this target population as well as the implementation of a care pathway dedicated to women treated for HPV lesions that includes vaccination in the prevention activities of relapses

Py-GC/MS applied to the analysis of synthetic organic pigments: characterization and identification in paint samples

A collection of 76 synthetic organic pigments was analysed using pyrolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). The purpose of this work was to expand the knowledge on synthetic pigments and to assess characteristic pyrolysis products that could help in the identification of these pigments in paint samples. We analysed several classes of synthetic pigments not previously reported as being analysed by this technique: some metal complexes, β-naphthol pigment lakes, BONA pigment lakes, disazopyrazolone, triarylcarbonium, dioxazine, anthraquinone, indanthrone, isoindoline and thioindigo classes. We also report for the first time the Py-GC/MS analysis of a number of naphthol AS, benzimidazolone, phthalocyanine and perylene pigments and other miscellaneous pigments including pigments with unpublished chemical structure. We successfully used the Py-GC/MS technique for the analysis of paints by artists Clyfford Still and Jackson Pollock to identify the synthetic organic pigments and the binding media

HPV Vaccination in Women Treated for Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia: A Budget Impact Analysis

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection. Its progression is related to the development of malignant lesions, particularly cervical intraepithelial neoplasias (CINs). CINs correlate with a higher risk of premature births, and their excisional and ablative treatment further increases this risk in pregnant women. These complications are also correlated with higher healthcare costs for their management. In Italy, more than 26,000 new cases of CINs are estimated to occur yearly and their economic burden is significant. Therefore, the management of these conditions is a public health priority. Since HPV vaccination is associated with a reduced risk of relapse in women surgically treated for HPV-related injuries, we estimated the economic impact of extending HPV vaccination to this target population. This strategy would result in a significant reduction in the general costs of managing these women, resulting in an overall saving for the Italian Health Service of €155,596.38 in 5 years. This lower cost is due not only to the reduced incidence of CINs following vaccination, but also to the lower occurrence of preterm births. Extending HPV vaccination to this target population as part of a care path to be offered to women treated for HPV injuries is therefore desirable

Nanostructured fluids confined into Highly Viscous Polymeric Dispersions as cleaning tools for artifacts: A rheological, SAXS, DSC and TOF-SIMS study

The development, and the structural and mechanical characterization of an new complex system composed by an oil-in-water microemulsion (μE) embedded in a aqueous 3D Highly Viscous Polymeric Dispersion (HVPD) of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) cross-linked by borax, is here presented together with its possible implications in paintings conservation. The HVPD/μE was characterized by Small Angle X-Rays Scattering (SAXS), Differential Scanning Calorimetric (DSC) and rheology to obtain information about the mutual effect of the μE and of the PVA network on both the nanostructure of the μE, and on the mechanical behavior of the system. Experimental data indicate that the nanostructure of the μE is retained even in the presence of the PVA/borax network whose mechanical properties are enhanced by the presence of the nanofluid. The effect of HVPD/μE on organic molecules thin films of varnish coatings usually used on easel paintings, was studied by Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier Transform InfraRed spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (TOF-SIMS). The results showed that an interaction occurred leading to the extraction of the organic molecules within the HVPD/μE. The applicative consequence was that the HVPD/μE complex fluid revealed itself to be a potential, very powerful and “green” tool for selective cleaning of easel paintings affected by artificial aged coatings, with very low environmental impact and leaving no residues onto the painting surface

Antiseptics and the Ocular Surface: In Vitro Antimicrobial Activity and Effects on Conjunctival and Corneal Epithelial Cells of a New Liposomal Ocular Spray Containing Biosecur® Citrus Extract

Introduction: The study aimed to evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial activity of a new liposomal ocular spray containing the antiseptic Biosecur® citrus extract (Oftasecur, OFFHEALTH, Florence, Italy) and its in vitro effects on cultured human corneal and conjunctival cells. Methods: Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentrations (MBC) of Oftasecur against Candida albicans and Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant strains, were determined. Human corneal and conjunctival epithelial cells in vitro were incubated for 10 and 30 min with Oftasecur or its components. The cytotoxicity was assessed through the release of cytoplasmic enzyme lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) into the medium; the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was performed to evaluate the cell viability. Results: Oftasecur was active at dilutions ranging from 1:2 to 1:16 and it displayed bactericidal and fungicidal effect against all assayed microorganisms. Most of the reduction of Staphylococcus epidermidis vitality (65%) occurred within the first minute of exposure. The cytotoxicity of Oftasecur was similar to its vehicle, and the cell viability was significantly reduced only by Oftasecur in its undiluted form. Conversely, Biosecur induced a significant cytotoxicity in all the experiments. Conclusion: Oftasecur showed a rapid and wide-spectrum antibacterial activity, with an optimal in vitro tolerability profile

Type 2 diabetes mellitus pharmacological remission with dapagliflozin plus oral semaglutide

Dapagliflozin, a sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitor and semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist, have both demonstrated efficacy in glycemic control, reducing blood pressure, body weight, risk of renal and heart failure in type 2 diabetes mellitus. In this observational, real-world, study we aimed to investigate the efficacy of the combination therapy with those two agents over glycemic control. We thus obtained the data of 1335 patients with type 2 diabetes followed by 11 Diabetes centers in Lombardia, Italy. A group of 443 patients was treated with dapagliflozin alone, the other group of 892 patients was treated with the combination therapy of dapagliflozin plus oral semaglutide. We analyzed changes in glycated hemoglobin from baseline to 6 months of follow-up, as well as changes in fasting glycemia, body weight, body mass index, systolic and diastolic pressure, heart rate, creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate and albuminuria. Both groups of patients showed an improvement of glycometabolic control after 6 months of treatment; indeed, the treatment with dapagliflozin plus oral semaglutide showed a reduction of glycated hemoglobin of 1.2% as compared to the 0.5% reduction observed in the dapagliflozin alone group. Significant changes were observed in body mass index, fasting plasmatic glucose, blood pressure, total cholesterol, LDL and albumin to creatinine ratio, with a high rate (55%) of near-normalization of glycated hemoglobin. Our real world data confirmed the potential of the oral combination therapy dapagliflozin with semaglutide in inducing pharmacological remission of type 2 diabetes mellitus