New eco-composites based on polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) for marine applications

Bio-based polymers have attracted increasing attention over the last two decades, predominantly due to their environmental friendly nature and no dependence on petroleum resources. This type of polymers has got a growing consideration which has been so far focused specifically on starch based products, PLA (Polylactic acid), PHA (Polyhydroxylalkanoates) in particular PHB (Polyhydroxyl butyrate), cellulose derived plastics, etc. The production of these materials is based on renewable agricultural and biomass feedstocks. The degradability of bio-based materials not just in compost but also in different natural environments is an important property for sustainability and reduction of plastic pollution. In this work, blends of PHA and PHB with Posidonia Oceanica fibres were investigated to assess the feasibility of producing materials biodegradable in marine environment, varying the fiber percentage from 10 to 30 wt%. The chemical composition of the Posidonia O. fiber is similar to that of other lignocellulosic materials. It consists mainly of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Thermal, rheological, mechanical and morphological characterization of the developed PHA/PHB-fibre blends has been conducted in order to investigate the effect of the fibres on their processability and tensile properties. Biodegradability of the produced composites has been investigated in sea water in view of their use in marine environment

Effectiveness of chest physiotherapy and pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis: a narrative review.

Respiratory physiotherapy and rehabilitation are important therapeutic options in non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB). The aims of this review of clinical trials were to evaluate the safety and the effects on physiologic and clinical outcomes of airway clearance techniques (ACTs) and rehabilitation in NCFB patients, in comparison to usual care. The search was performed on March 2018 by using PubMed and PeDro databases. 33 studies were selected. The use of ACTs for NCFB were effective in increasing sputum volume although no benefit in quality of life (QoL) or pulmonary exacerbations were observed. There were no differences in effectiveness between the several techniques used. Humidification and saline inhalation were able to aid airway clearance. Hypertonic solution (HS) was more effective than isotonic solutions (IS) in improving expectoration and sputum viscosity. Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) was found to be associated with short term benefits in exercise capacity, dyspnea and fatigue. Exercise training seems to improve quality of life and lower exacerbation rate, but long-term data are not available. Further studies are necessary to identify the most feasible long-term outcomes such as QoL and exacerbation rate

Epidemiology and Management of Acute Haematogenous Osteomyelitis in a Tertiary Paediatric Center

Background: Paediatric acute hematogenous osteomyelitis (AHOM) is a serious disease requiring early diagnosis and treatment. To review the clinical presentation, management and organisms responsible for AHOM, and to explore risk factors for complicated AHOM, a large cohort referring to a single center over a 6-year period was evaluated. Methods: Data from children with AHOM, hospitalized between 2010 and 2015, and aged > 1 month, were retrospectively collected and analyzed. Results: 121 children (median age 4.8 years; 55.4% males) were included. Fever at onset was present in 55/121 children (45.5%); the lower limb was most frequently affected (n = 68/121; 56.2%). Microbiological diagnosis (by culture and/or polymerase chain reaction (PCR)) was reached in 33.3% cases. Blood and pus/biopsy culture sensitivities were 32.4% and 46.4%, respectively. PCR sensitivity was 3.6% (2/55) on blood, and 66.6% (16/24) on pus/biopsy sample. Staphylococcus aureus was the most commonly identified pathogen (n = 20); no methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was isolated, 10.0% (n = 2) strains were Panton-Valentine-Leukocidin (PVL) producer; 48.8% (59/121) cases were complicated. At univariate analysis, factors associated with complicated AHOM were: recent fever episode, fever at onset, upper limb involvement, white blood count (WBC) ≥ 12,000/µL, C reactive protein (CRP) ≥ 10 mg/L, S. aureus infection. At multivariate analyses S. aureus infection remained the only risk factor for complicated AHOM (aOR = 3.388 (95%CI: 1.061–10.824); p-value = 0.039). Conclusions: In this study microbiological diagnosis was obtained in over one third of cases. Empiric treatment targeting methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus seems to be justified by available microbiological data