Novel carbon nanostructured based materials for energy related catalysis and electrochemical sensing of small biomolecules

The interest for carbon nanostructure-based hierarchical materials for electrochemical applications has been growing continuously in the last decade, from both an energy and sensing perspective. The use of carbon nanostructures is permitting to explore new opportunities in these research fields. Graphene, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and single-walled carbon nanohorns (SWCNHs) can contribute to the design of revolutionary devices thanks to their special electronic and structural properties. This dissertation discusses the opportunity of carbon nanostructures integration into the assembly of hierarchical nanomaterials for electrochemical catalysis and electrochemical sensing applications. In particular, the major efforts have been focused in the use of SWCNHs due to their high purity, high conductivity, morphology and porosity, which can considerably aid to enhance performances. The hybrid materials have been synthetized using a hierarchical approach in order to achieve multicomposite-multifunctional nanomaterials able to orchestrate energy related processes such as O2 reduction reaction (ORR) and CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) or allow specific H2O2 sensing. In particular, two catalytic systems named t-Fe@MWCNTs (featuring Fe-filled functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes) and g-N-SWCNHs (featuring N-doped graphitized carbon nanohorns) have been employed for the O2 reduction reaction catalysis. On the other hand, ternary systems named Pd/TiO2@ox-SWCNHs (integrating oxidized SWCNHs, Pd and TiO2 in a precise hierarchical order) and NiCyclam@BMIM/p-SWCNHs (based on the heterogenization of molecular NiCyclam by embedding into pristine SWCNHs-supported ionic liquids) have been employed for the CO2 reduction catalysis. Finally, a catalyst based on the coating of oxidized SWCNHs with CeO2 (named ox-SWCNHs/CeO2) has been employed for the catalysis of H2O2 reduction exploited for H2O2 amperometric sensing. In all cases, the nanocarbon scaffold may play a multi-role, facilitating electron transfer steps, bringing up specific textural properties, and contributing to physically adsorb gaseous reactants. The result is an enhancement of the catalytic performance in terms of activity, selectivity and stability, which has been communicated through publication (or in the process of being published) in peer-reviewed journals

Understanding care relationships in diabetes practice. A psychodynamic interview-based exploratory study

ObjectiveTo explore the subjective experience of physicians working in diabetic settings about their care relationships in order to find some unique clues contributing to physician professional health and capacity to manage patients' adherence.Research design and methodsAn interview-based exploratory study has been carried out involving 18 physicians (77.8% female) with at least 3 years of clinical practice in diabetes care. In-depth interviews about the emotional experience with patients with diabetes were conducted and audio recorded. Interviews transcripts were analyzed through a computer-based text analysis which allowed the identification of thematic domains (Cluster Analysis) and latent factors (Correspondence Analysis) viewed through a psychodynamic and constructivist lens.ResultsSix thematic domains emerged respectively referring to: Concern (8.43%), Control (14.42%), Ambivalence (22.08%), Devotion (22.49%), Guilt (19.29%) and Strive for Achievement (13.30%). Moreover, three latent dimensions were taken into account, which explained 69.20% of data variance: Affect Repression (28.50%), Tendency to Repair (22.70%) and Anxiety Pattern (18.00%).ConclusionsOverall, the results of the present study confirm the challenging nature of diabetes care. In particular, physicians ongoing effort to restore patients' psychological integrity in chronic condition constitute the most novel finding above all. In this regard, the need for emotional labor in physicians' education and training is suggested in order to both prevent burnout symptoms (e.g. depersonalization) and promote shared decision making in care relationships. However, findings should be treated as preliminary given the convenience nature of the sample and its reduced size

Insulin requirements and carbohydrate to insulin ratio in normal weight, overweight, and obese women with type 1 diabetes under pump treatment during pregnancy: a lesson from old technologies

Aim:The primary aim of this study was to assess insulin requirements and carbohydrateto insulin ratio (CHO/IR) in normal weight, overweight, and obese pregnant women withtype 1 diabetes across early, middle, and late pregnancy.Methods:In this multicenter, retrospective, observational study we evaluated 86 of 101pregnant Caucasian women with type 1 diabetes under pump treatment. The womenwere trained to calculate CHO/IR daily by dividing CHO grams of every single meal byinsulin units injected. Since the purpose of the study was to identify the CHO/IR able toreach the glycemic target, we only selected the CHO/IR obtained when glycemic valueswere at target. Statistics: SPSS 20.Results:We studied 45 normal weight, 31 overweight, and 10 obese women. Insulinrequirements increased throughout pregnancy (p < 0.0001 and <0.001 respectively) inthe normal and overweight women, while it remained unchanged in the obese women.Insulin requirements were different between groups when expressed as an absolute value,but not when adjusted for body weight. Breakfast CHO/IR decreased progressivelythroughout pregnancy in the normal weight women, from 13.3 (9.8–6.7) at thefirst stageof pregnancy to 6.2 (3.8–8.6) (p = 0.01) at the end stage, and in the overweight womenFrontiers in Endocrinology | www.frontiersin.orgFebruary 2021 | Volume 12 | Article 6108771Edited by:Elena Succurro,University of Magna Graecia, ItalyReviewed by:Cristina Bianchi,Azienda Ospedaliero-UniversitariaPisana, ItalyMaria Grazia Dalfra’,University of Padua, Italy*Correspondence:Camilla [email protected] section:This article was submitted toObesity,a section of the journalFrontiers in EndocrinologyReceived:27 September 2020Accepted:14 January 2021Published:25 February 2021Citation:Festa C,Fresa R,Visalli N,Bitterman O,Giuliani C,Suraci C,Bongiovanni M andNapoli A (2021)Insulin Requirements andCarbohydrate to Insulin Ratio inNormal Weight, Overweight, andObese Women With Type 1Diabetes Under Pump TreatmentDuring Pregnancy: A LessonFrom Old Technologies.Front. Endocrinol. 12:610877.doi: 10.3389/fendo.2021.610877ORIGINAL RESEARCHpublished: 25 February 2021doi: 10.3389/fendo.2021.610877 from 8.5 (7.1–12.6) to 5.2 (4.0–8.1) (p = 0.001), while in the obese women it remainedstable, moving from 6.0 (5.0–7.9) to 5.1 (4.1–7.4) (p = 0.7). Likewise, lunch and dinnerCHO/IR decreased in the normal weight and overweight women (p < 0.03) and not in theobese women. The obese women gained less weight than the others, especially in earlypregnancy when they even lost a median of 1.25 (−1−1.1) kg (p = 0.005). In earlypregnancy, we found a correlation between pregestational BMI and insulin requirements(IU/day) or CHO/IR at each meal (p < 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively). In latepregnancy, a relationship between pre-gestational BMI and CHO/IR change was found(P = 0.004), as well as between weight gain and CHO/IR change (p=0.02). Thesignificance was lost when both variables were included in the multiple regressionanalysis. There was no difference in pregnancy outcomes except for a higher pre-termdelivery rate in the obese women.Conclusion:Pre-gestational BMI and weight gain may play a role in determining CHO/IRduring pregnancy in women with type 1 diabetes under pump treatment

BRCA mutation carriers' perceptions on postmenopausal hormone therapy: An Italian study

Objective To evaluate the actual perceptions of postmenopausal hormone therapy (HT) in BRCA mutation carriers (BRCAmc) in comparison with women from the general population.Methods Questionnaire-based study of 83 BRCAmc and a control group of 89 women without a genetic mutation. Perceptions were evaluated by specific questions and Likert scales (-5-+5).Results Present and past users of HT were more frequent in the control group (p = 0.01), with a longer time of use (p = 0.03). The preferred route of administration of HT was 'oral' (54.6%). The most frequently reported adverse effect of HT was venous thrombosis (0.8), while a protective effect on bone health was reported. No noticeable beneficial effects of HT have been recognised for hot flushes (0.2) and vaginal dryness (0.1). The most frequently perceived beneficial and adverse effects of HT were not significantly different between BRCA mutation carriers and controls. The greatest oncological fear was breast cancer (1.0). The protective role of HT on colorectal cancer was not known (0.1). These oncological impacts were mostly overestimated in BRCAmc, however this was not significant. Few BRCAmc would think of taking HT after risk-reducing surgeries.Conclusions Knowledge of the effects of HT on BRCAmc is relatively poor and they are likely to overstate its negative effects and underestimate its health benefits; however, this is not significant in comparison to the general population. More and better information should be given to BRCAmc to allow them to make informed decisions about the use of HT, especially before undergoing risk-reducing surgeries

Association between type 1 diabetes and female sexual dysfunction

Background: This study aims to evaluate: 1) the prevalence of Female Sexual Dysfunction (FSD) in women affected by type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (DM) and the control group; 2) the correlation between duration of DM, HbA1C levels and sexual life quality; 3) the relationship between different methods of insulin administration and sexual life quality; 4) the correlation between FSD and diabetes complications. Methods: We selected 33 women with type 1 DM and 39 healthy women as controls. Each participant underwent a detailed medical history and physical examination and completed the 6-item Female Sexual Function Index questionnaire (FSFI-6). In patients affected by type 1 DM, the different methods of insulin administration (Multi Drug Injection - MDI or Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion - CSII) and the presence of DM complications were also investigated. Results: The prevalence of FSD (total score≤19) was significantly higher in the type 1 DM group than in the control group (12/33, 36.4% and 2/39, 5.2%, respectively; p =0.010). No statistically significant differences were found regarding FSD according to the presence of complications, method of insulin administration or previous pregnancies. Conclusions: This study underlined that FSD is higher in women affected by type 1 DM than in healthy controls. This could be due to the diabetic neuropathy/angiopathy and the type of insulin administration. Therefore, it is important to investigate FSD in diabetic women, as well as erectile dysfunction in diabetic men

A computational approach identifies two regions of Hepatitis C Virus E1 protein as interacting domains involved in viral fusion process

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The E1 protein of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) can be dissected into two distinct hydrophobic regions: a central domain containing an hypothetical fusion peptide (FP), and a C-terminal domain (CT) comprising two segments, a pre-anchor and a trans-membrane (TM) region. In the currently accepted model of the viral fusion process, the FP and the TM regions are considered to be closely juxtaposed in the post-fusion structure and their physical interaction cannot be excluded. In the present study, we took advantage of the natural sequence variability present among HCV strains to test, by purely sequence-based computational tools, the hypothesis that in this virus the fusion process involves the physical interaction of the FP and CT regions of E1.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Two computational approaches were applied. The first one is based on the co-evolution paradigm of interacting peptides and consequently on the correlation between the distance matrices generated by the sequence alignment method applied to FP and CT primary structures, respectively. In spite of the relatively low random genetic drift between genotypes, co-evolution analysis of sequences from five HCV genotypes revealed a greater correlation between the FP and CT domains than respect to a control HCV sequence from Core protein, so giving a clear, albeit still inconclusive, support to the physical interaction hypothesis.</p> <p>The second approach relies upon a non-linear signal analysis method widely used in protein science called Recurrence Quantification Analysis (RQA). This method allows for a direct comparison of domains for the presence of common hydrophobicity patterns, on which the physical interaction is based upon. RQA greatly strengthened the reliability of the hypothesis by the scoring of a lot of cross-recurrences between FP and CT peptides hydrophobicity patterning largely outnumbering chance expectations and pointing to putative interaction sites. Intriguingly, mutations in the CT region of E1, reducing the fusion process <it>in vitro</it>, strongly reduced the amount of cross-recurrence further supporting interaction between this region and FP.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results support a fusion model for HCV in which the FP and the C-terminal region of E1 are juxtaposed and interact in the post-fusion structure. These findings have general implications for viruses, as any visualization of the post-fusion FP-TM complex has been precluded by the impossibility to obtain crystallised viral fusion proteins containing the trans-membrane region. This limitation gives to sequence based modelling efforts a crucial role in the sketching of a molecular interpretation of the fusion process. Moreover, our data also have a more general relevance for cell biology as the mechanism of intracellular fusion showed remarkable similarities with viral fusion</p

Linguistic adaptation and validation of Italian version of OSA-18, a quality of life questionnaire for evaluation of children with obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAS).

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Circulating levels of AGEs and soluble RAGE isoforms are associated with all-cause mortality and development of cardiovascular complications in type 2 diabetes: a retrospective cohort study

none10noopenSabbatinelli, Jacopo; Castiglione, Stefania; Macrì, Federica; Giuliani, Angelica; Ramini, Deborah; Vinci, Maria Cristina; Tortato, Elena; Bonfigli, Anna Rita; Olivieri, Fabiola; Raucci, AngelaSabbatinelli, Jacopo; Castiglione, Stefania; Macrì, Federica; Giuliani, Angelica; Ramini, Deborah; Vinci, Maria Cristina; Tortato, Elena; Bonfigli, Anna Rita; Olivieri, Fabiola; Raucci, Angel

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus pregnancy by pregnancy. early, late and nonrecurrent GDM

Aims: To assess the GDM recurrence rate in a cohort of pregnant women with prior GDM, to compare two consecutive pregnancies complicated by GDM, to compare women with nonrecurrent and recurrent GDM and to stratify the latter in women with early and late recurrent GDM.Methods: Retrospective study including 113 women with GDM in an index pregnancy (G1), at least a postindex pregnancy (G2) and normal glucose tolerance in between. The GDM recurrence rate was assessed, and maternal and neonatal outcomes and pancreatic beta cell function of the index pregnancy were compared with those of the postindex pregnancy (G1 vs. G2). Women with nonrecurrent GDM were compared with those with recurrent GDM.Results: The GDM recurrence rate was 83.2% and the minimum prevalence of early recurrent GDM was 43,4%. The pregravid BMI of women with recurrent GDM increased between the two pregnancies (27.3 +/- 5.98 vs. 28.1 +/- 6.19 kg/m(2), p &lt; 0.05). Women with recurrent GDM had a higher prepregnancy BMI than those with nonrecurrent GDM either at the index (27.3 +/- 5.98 vs. 23.1 +/- 4.78 kg/m(2), p &lt; 0.05) or the postindex pregnancy (27 +/- 6vs.24 +/- 4,4 kg/m2, p &lt; 0.05).Conclusions: GDM shows a high recurrence rate in our cohort of slightly overweight women, with an early GDM minimum prevalence of 43.4%

Mutations, Clinical Findings and Survival Estimates in South American Patients with X-Linked Adrenoleukodystrophy

In this study, we analyzed the ABCD1 gene in X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD) patients and relatives from 38 unrelated families from South America, as well as phenotypic proportions, survival estimates, and the potential effect of geographical origin in clinical characteristics