Improving the Process Ability of Poly (3-Hydroxybutyrate) by a Polyphenolic Natural Additive

The severe environmental issues generated by the non-biodegradability of most polymeric materials has fostered the search for more eco-friendly solutions. Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), produced by bacterial cells and easily hydrolyzed is one of appealing choice but its properties are still not competitive with those of standard polymers. Among others, one reason is related to the fact that the high processing temperature (due to the high crystallization point) is responsible for severe thermal degradation. In this paper, the effect of Tannic Acid (TA) as a thermal stabilizing processing agent for HPB is investigated by rheological as well as calorimetric techniques under conditions similar to those used in real processing applications. The results show that TA is effective in improving the thermal stability and processability of PHB, while keeping its biodegradable attitude. Compared to neat PHB, TA containing samples show a lower and delayed thermal degradation. FTIR measurements support the hypothesis that stabilization is determined by TA/PHB crosslinking

Water buffalo mozzarella cheese stored in polysaccharide-based gels: correlation between prolongation of the shelf-life and physicochemical parameters.

An innovative packaging system has been developed, based on natural gels, that has shown the peculiar characteristic to strongly increase the shelf life of water buffalo Mozzarella cheese. To explain the mechanism of action of the gel, measurements of Ca and Na in the cheese and in the storage liquid were carried out, together with pH determination. A correlation has been found between the constant level of Ca and pH in the cheese and the prolongation of nutritional characteristics; in fact, both parameters diminish significantly in the absence of gel. At the same time, the weight of the cheese in gel remained constant for as long as 30 d. Confocal laser microscopy gave direct evidence of the persistent physical structure of proteins and lipids of Mozzarella when stored in gel

A digital twin for 64Cu production with cyclotron and solid target system

One method for finding reliable and cost-effective solutions for designing radioisotope production systems is represented by the "digital twin" philosophy of design. Looking at cyclotron solid targets, uncertainties of the particle beam, material composition and geometry play a crucial role in determining the results. The difference between what has been designed and what can be effectively manufactured, where processes such as electroplating are poorly controllable and generate large non-uniformities in deposition, must also be considered. A digital twin, where the target geometry is 3D scanned from real models, can represent a good compromise for connecting "ideal" and "real" worlds. Looking at the 64Ni(p,n)64Cu reaction, different Unstructured-Mesh MCNP6 models have been built starting from the 3D solid target system designed and put into operation by COMECER. A characterization has been performed considering the designed ideal target and a 3D scan of a real manufactured target measured with a ZEISS contact probe. Libraries and physics models have been also tested due to limited cross-section data. Proton spectra in the target volume, 3D proton-neutron-photon flux maps, average energies, power to be dissipated, shut-down dose-rate, 64Cu yield compared with various sources of experimental data and beam axial shifting impact, have been estimated. A digital twin of the 64Ni(p,n)64Cu production device has been characterized, considering the real measured target geometry, paving the way for a fully integrated model suitable also for thermal, structural or fluid-dynamic analyses

Enhancement of interfacial adhesion between starch and graftedpoly(epsilon-caprolactone)

[EN] The use of a modified poly(Epsilon-caprolactone) (gPCL) to enhance polymer miscibility in films based on ther-moplastic starch (S) and poly(Epsilon-caprolactone) is reported. PCL was functionalized by grafting with maleicanyhdride (MA) and/or glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) by reactive blending in a batch mixer. gPCL basedmaterials were analysed in terms of their grafting degree, structural and thermal properties. Blends basedon starch and PCL (wt. ratio 80:20) with including gPCL (0, 2.5 and 5 wt.%), as a compatibilizer, wereobtained by extrusion and compression moulding, and their structural, thermal, mechanical and bar-rier properties were investigated. Blends containing gPCL evidenced better interfacial adhesion betweenstarch and PCL domains, as deduced from both structural (XRD, FTIR, SEM) and bulk properties (DSC, TGA).Moreover, grafted PCL-based compatibilizers greatly improved functional properties of S-PCL blend films,as pointed out from mechanical performance and higher barrier properties, valuable to meet the foodpackaging requirements.The authors gratefully acknowledge the project MAREA, "Materiali Avanzati per la Ricerca ed il comparto Agroalimentare"-in the frame of National Operative Program (PON 2007-2013) and Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (Spain) throughout the project AGL2013-42989 for their research financial support. They would like to thank the laboratory of electron microscopy "LaMEST" CNR, in the person of Maria Cristina Del Barone for the kind technical assistance in performing SEM analysis. R. Rodrigo Ortega-Toro thanks the Conselleria de Educacio de la Comunitat Valenciana for the Santiago Grisolia grant (GRISOLIA 2012/001) and to Short-Term Scientific Missions (STSM) from European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST).Ortega-Toro, R.; Santagata, G.; D Ayala, GG.; Cerruti, P.; Talens Oliag, P.; Chiralt, A.; Malinconico, M. (2016). Enhancement of interfacial adhesion between starch and graftedpoly(epsilon-caprolactone). Carbohydrate Polymers. 147:16-27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2016.03.070S162714

Functionalized PCL/HA nanocomposites as microporous membranes for bone regeneration

In the present work, microporous membranes based on poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and PCL functionalized with amine (PCL-DMAEA) or anhydride groups (PCL-MAGMA) were realized by solvent-non solvent phase inversion and proposed for use in Guided Tissue Regeneration (GTR). Nanowhiskers of hydroxyapatite (HA) were also incorporated in the polymer matrix to realize nanocomposite membranes. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) showed improved interfacial adhesion with HA for functionalized polymers, and highlighted substantial differences in the porosity. A relationship between the developed porous structure of the membrane and the chemical nature of grafted groups was proposed. Compared to virgin PCL, hydrophilicity increases for functionalized PCL, while the addition of HA influences significantly the hydrophilic characteristics only in the case of virgin polymer. A significant increase of in vitro degradation rate was found for PCL-MAGMA based membranes, and at lower extent of PCL-DMAEA membranes. The novel materials were investigated regarding their potential as support for cell growth in bone repair using multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) as a model. MSC plated onto the various membranes were analyzed in terms of adhesion, proliferation and osteogenic capacity that resulted to be related to chemical as well as porous structure. In particular, PCL-DMAEA and the relative nanocomposite membranes are the most promising in terms of cell-biomaterial interactions

Biodegradable mulching spray for weed control in the cultivation of containerized ornamental shrubs

Abstract Background Weed control represents a major issue in plant cultivation in containers. Manual weed control is very expensive and the use of chemical herbicide or plastic mulch films has a large environmental impact. The aim of this study was to test the efficacy of an experimental biodegradable chitosan-based mulching spray in controlling weed growth in containers. This research also studied the effect of this mulch on the growth of Viburnum lucidum Mill. plants to test for possible phytotoxic effects. Results The study compared a total of six treatments derived from three types of weed control (no weed control; herbicide, oxadiazon; mulching spray) applied in containers either filled only with the sterile substrate or filled with the sterile substrate and then artificially inoculated with seeds of the weed species [Sonchus asper (L.) Hill subsp. asper and Epilobium montanum L.]. The mulch controlled the weeds effectively for more than 2 months after its application even under severe weed infestation. The mulching spray controlled the emergence of S. asper more efficiently than E. montanum plants, probably because the latter has a stronger capacity to penetrate the mulch film during emergence. Conclusions Three months after its application, the mulch started to degrade and this allowed some weeds to emerge in the containers, but, in general, the mulch performed better than the herbicide. The chitosan-based mulch did not have any negative effective on the growth of V. lucidum plants

CHARGE syndrome and congenital heart diseases: systematic review of literature

CHARGE syndrome (CS) is a rare genetic disease that affects many areas of the body. The aim of the present systematic review was to evaluate the prevalence and types of congenital heart diseases (CHDs) in CS and their impact on clinical outcome. A systematic review from 1981 to September 2022 was conducted. Clinical studies that reported the association between CS and CHDs were identified, including a case report of a rare congenital anomaly of the aortic arch (AA) with persistent fifth aortic arch (PFAA). Demographic, clinical and outcome data were extracted and analyzed. Sixty-eight studies (44 case reports and 24 case series; n=943 CS patients) were included. The prevalence of CHDs was 76.6%, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) 26%, ventricular (VSD) 21%, atrial septal defects (ASD) 18%, tetralogy of Fallot 11%, aortic abnormalities 24%. PFAA has not been previously reported in CS. Cardiac surgery was performed in more than half of CS patients (150/242, 62%). In-hospital mortality rate was about 9.5% (n=86/900) in case series studies and 12% (n=5/43) in case reports, including cardiovascular (CV) and non-CV causes. CHDs and feeding disorders associated with CS may have a substantial impact on prognosis. CHDs were usually associated with CS and represent important causes of morbidity and mortality. PFAA, although rare, may also be present. The prognosis is highly dependent on the presence of cardiac and non-cardiac developmental abnormalities. Further studies are needed to better identify the main causes of the long-term outcome of CS patients

Bio-materiali per il corpo umano. Museo Interattivo del corpo umano Corporea

Cura e Responsabilità scientifica, con Mario Malinconico dell'esposizione “Bio-materiali per il corpo umano” nell'ambito del museo interattivo del corpo umano Corporea inaugurato il 4 marzo 2017