Investigation of antibacterial activity of new classes of essential oils derivatives

Essential oils (EOs) have deserved much attention in the past decades for their antimicrobial activity, since many of them have demonstrated efficacy against food-borne pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms. Moreover, they have potential application in animal nutrition as multifunctional feed supplements, avoiding or diminishing the use of antibiotics in livestock. However, low solubility and bioavailability as well as volatility and marked aromatic note are important limitations in food and feed applications. In this study we present the synthesis, characterization and evaluation of the antibacterial activity of new thymol, carvacrol and menthol derivatives. The new compounds have been designed to overcome the limitations of the precursors, such as poor water solubility and volatility, still maintaining a good antimicrobial profile. We evaluated the activity of the synthetized compounds against pathogens causing important foodborne diseases, . i.e. . Clostridium perfringens, . Salmonella typhimurium, . Salmonella enteritidis and . Escherichia coli. The low MICs and MBCs values for some of the studied compounds, combined with water solubility and negligible cytotoxicity towards HT-29 human cells, confirmed the potential use for EOs derivatives in the food industry

RHINASTHMA-Adolescents: a new quality of life tool for patients with respiratory allergy

Background: Specific instruments for health-related quality of life (HRQoL) assessment in adolescents with rhinoconjunctivitis or asthma are available. None of them evaluates rhinitis and asthma together, although they often coexist. Our aim was to validate a HRQoL questionnaire for adolescents with rhinoconjunctivitis, asthma, or both. Methods: A pool of 38 items covering the main symptoms and problems related to respiratory allergy was generated based on literature review, clinical experience, and unstructured interviews to 54 adolescents. The items were randomly listed and presented to 88 consecutive outpatients (44 M; mean age 15.2 3.1). Patients had to indicate which item they had experienced and, for each selected item, its importance on a four-point scale (1 = not at all; 4 = very much). Twelve items were excluded from the list, because of low importance. In the validation phase, 102 patients (54 M; mean age 15.36 1.12) completed the KINDL, a generic HRQoL tool, and the new questionnaire (RHINASTHMA-Adolescents). Results: Factor analysis revealed a five-dimensional structure, which explained up to 71.23% of the total variance. Association between RHINASTHMA-Adolescents and KINDL scores was all in the expected direction. Internal consistency for the extracted factors was satisfactory: Upper Airways (0.81), Lower Airways (0.89), Emotions (0.85), Social Relationship (0.79), Daily life management (0.74). Reliability was good for all factors with a Pearson coefficient ranged from 0.91 to 0.99. Conclusions: RHINASTHMA-Adolescents is the first tool for evaluating HRQoL in patients with rhinitis and/or asthma. It provides a simple assessment and met the standards of validity, internal consistency, and reliability

A comprehensive environmental exposure indicator and respiratory health in asthmatic children: a case study

The primary goal of asthma management is to achieve and maintain asthma control, which can be influenced by environmental factors. This longitudinal study aimed to construct a comprehensive environmental indicator to predict asthma control in children with asthma in Palermo, Italy. The study included 179 asthmatic children aged 5–16 years. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was used to measure green cover, and the Coordination of Information on the Environment (CORINE) framework was used to assess land use based on each home address. A land use regression (LUR) model centered on the home address estimated NO2 exposure for each child using GIS. An environmental indicator, including environmental and personal exposure, was formulated using an additive value model approach. A logistic regression mixed model assessed the association between the environmental indicator and uncontrolled asthma. A probability map of uncontrolled asthma was constructed. In conclusion, a comprehensive environmental indicator proved effective in identifying areas at higher and lower risk of uncontrolled asthm

Bioplastics and Carbon-Based Sustainable Materials, Components, and Devices: Toward Green Electronics

The continuously growing number of short-life electronics equipment inherently results in a massive amount of problematic waste, which poses risks of environmental pollution, endangers human health, and causes socioeconomic problems. Hence, to mitigate these negative impacts, it is our common interest to substitute conventional materials (polymers and metals) used in electronics devices with their environmentally benign renewable counterparts, wherever possible, while considering the aspects of functionality, manufacturability, and cost. To support such an effort, in this study, we explore the use of biodegradable bioplastics, such as polylactic acid (PLA), its blends with polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and composites with pyrolyzed lignin (PL), and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), in conjunction with processes typical in the fabrication of electronics components, including plasma treatment, dip coating, inkjet and screen printing, as well as hot mixing, extrusion, and molding. We show that after a short argon plasma treatment of the surface of hot-blown PLA-PHB blend films, percolating networks of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) having sheet resistance well below 1 kω/□ can be deposited by dip coating to make electrode plates of capacitive touch sensors. We also demonstrate that the bioplastic films, as flexible dielectric substrates, are suitable for depositing conductive micropatterns of SWCNTs and Ag (1 kω/□ and 1 ω/□, respectively) by means of inkjet and screen printing, with potential in printed circuit board applications. In addition, we exemplify compounded and molded composites of PLA with PL and MWCNTs as excellent candidates for electromagnetic interference shielding materials in the K-band radio frequencies (18.0-26.5 GHz) with shielding effectiveness of up to 40 and 46 dB, respectively.Business Finland (project 1212/31/2020, All green structural electronics), EU Horizon 2020 BBI JU (project 792261, NewPack), and EU Interreg Nord Lapin liitto (project 20201468, Flexible transparent conductive f ilms as electrodes) and Academy of Finland (project 316825, Nigella)

Daclatasvir-based regimens in HCV cirrhosis: experience from the Italian early access program

We reported the efficacy and safety data for daclatasvir (DCV)-based all-oral antiviral therapy in patients treated in the Italian compassionate-use program. 275 patients were included (202 male-73.5%, mean age: 57.4 years, 62 HIV-coinfected, 94 with recurrence of hepatitis C post-OLT). Forty-nine patients (17.8%) had Child-Pugh B, Genotype(G) distribution was: G1a:72 patients (26.2%), G1b:137 (49.8%); G3:40 (14.5%) and G4:26 (9.5%). Patients received DCV with sofosbuvir(SOF) (n\u2009=\u2009221, 129 with ribavirin(RBV) or with simeprevir (SMV) or asunaprevir (ASU) (n\u2009=\u200954, 19 with RBV) for up to 24 weeks. Logistic regression was used to identify baseline characteristics associated with sustained virological response at week 12 post-treatment (SVR12). Liver function changes between baseline and follow up were assessed in 228 patients. 240 patients achieved SVR12 (87.3%), post transplant and HIV co-infected patients were equally distributed among SVR and no SVR (35% vs 34.3%; p\u2009=\u20090.56 and 24.2% vs 11.4%, p\u2009=\u20090.13, respectively). SVR rate was significantly higher with the combination DCV\u2009+\u2009SOF compared with DCV\u2009+\u2009SIM or ASU (93.2% vs 63.0%, p\u2009<\u20090.0001). Bilirubin value (OR: 0.69, CI95%: 0.54-0.87, p\u2009=\u20090.002) and regimen containing SOF (OR: 9.99, CI95%: 4.09-24.40; p\u2009<\u20090.001) were independently related with SVR. Mean albumin and bilirubin values significantly improved between baseline and follow-up week 12. DCV-based antiviral therapy was well tolerated and resulted in a high SVR when combined with SOF either in pre-transplant and in OLT patients and in "difficult to treat" HCV genotypes. Regimens containing DCV in combination with NS3 protease inhibitors obtained suboptimal results

Open-source games for health, multiplayer and gamepads. Co-creating fun care with children with asthma, young adults with cystic fibrosis, elders with COPD

Without air pollution, our life expectancy would increase by 34 months. With a commons-based economy, each and every human could afford medical care (vs one in two today). How not to produce risks? How to foster mutual care? We, people across regions and disciplines, get engaged to value pluralism and collective wisdom. We embrace play as a natural way to experiment, socialize, learn. We document and share our work so that everyone can freely use, study, improve, adapt it. In traditional medtech, corporate experts build a technical tool to manage a disease. Sealed in a black box, its price make it unaffordable to some. At Breathing Games, volunteer, diverse contributors co-create an evolving, rewarding, immersive story to promote holistic health. Free to use, study, improve, its gratuity helps develop solidarity. We present here our games (Asthma Heroes, Asthmonautes, Rise); controllers (Spirotroller enhanced, Spirotroller gaming, Breathing gamepad); creation as research (game testing, controller testing, games co-creation, translations); our next steps (international study, game accessibility via Raspberry Pi, link to air pollution sensor); and our advocacy activities for health as commons

Mutual care taking: collectively creating our respiratory wellbeing with open sciences

Background: Worldwide, 6 people out of 10 have no access to treatment, or are not encouraged to follow it. Air pollution alone kills 7 million people yearly, reduces our life expectancy by 20 months, and costs 6% the gross world product. Devices to assess lung capacity remain often unavailable in low / middle income countries. Actions: We co-create inclusive, open science knowledge: open source breath and air quality controllers, and libre / gratis education to reduce risks and make care fun. Learnings: Awareness: breath as a way to feel life, from childhood. Universal health: mutualizing resources to end poverty. Partnership: reducing barriers with remote participation

The ABC130 barrel module prototyping programme for the ATLAS strip tracker

For the Phase-II Upgrade of the ATLAS Detector, its Inner Detector, consisting of silicon pixel, silicon strip and transition radiation sub-detectors, will be replaced with an all new 100 % silicon tracker, composed of a pixel tracker at inner radii and a strip tracker at outer radii. The future ATLAS strip tracker will include 11,000 silicon sensor modules in the central region (barrel) and 7,000 modules in the forward region (end-caps), which are foreseen to be constructed over a period of 3.5 years. The construction of each module consists of a series of assembly and quality control steps, which were engineered to be identical for all production sites. In order to develop the tooling and procedures for assembly and testing of these modules, two series of major prototyping programs were conducted: an early program using readout chips designed using a 250 nm fabrication process (ABCN-25) and a subsequent program using a follow-up chip set made using 130 nm processing (ABC130 and HCC130 chips). This second generation of readout chips was used for an extensive prototyping program that produced around 100 barrel-type modules and contributed significantly to the development of the final module layout. This paper gives an overview of the components used in ABC130 barrel modules, their assembly procedure and findings resulting from their tests.Comment: 82 pages, 66 figure