Respiratory Effects of Exposure to Traffic-Related Air Pollutants During Exercise

Traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) is increasing worldwide. Habitual physical activity is known to prevent cardiorespiratory diseases and mortality, but whether exposure to TRAP during exercise affects respiratory health is still uncertain. Exercise causes inflammatory changes in the airways, and its interaction with the effects of TRAP or ozone might be detrimental, for both athletes exercising outdoor and urban active commuters. In this Mini-Review, we summarize the literature on the effects of exposure to TRAP and/or ozone during exercise on lung function, respiratory symptoms, performance, and biomarkers. Ozone negatively affected pulmonary function after exercise, especially after combined exposure to ozone and diesel exhaust (DE). Spirometric changes after exercise during exposure to particulate matter and ultrafine particles suggest a decrease in lung function, especially in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Ozone frequently caused respiratory symptoms during exercise. Women showed decreased exercise performance and higher symptom prevalence than men during TRAP exposure. However, performance was analyzed in few studies. To date, research has not identified reliable biomarkers of TRAP-related lung damage useful for monitoring athletes' health, except in scarce studies on airway cells obtained by induced sputum or bronchoalveolar lavage. In conclusion, despite partly counteracted by the positive effects of habitual exercise, the negative effects of TRAP exposure to pollutants during exercise are hard to assess: outdoor exercise is a complex model, for multiple and variable exposures to air pollutants and pollutant concentrations. Further studies are needed to identify pollutant and/or time thresholds for performing safe outdoor exercise in cities

Temperature increase inside LED-based illuminators for in vitro aPDT photodamage studies

Abstract Antimicrobial PhotoDynamic Therapy (aPDT) is an emerging strategy aimed at the eradication of bacterial infections, with a special focus on antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This method is easy to apply, not expensive and particularly interesting in case of bacteria that spontaneously produce the required photosensitizers. In the framework of a project aimed at the development of an ingestible pill for the application of aPDT to gastric infections by Helicobacter pylori, a LED-based illuminating prototype (LED-BIP) was purposely designed in order to evaluate the photodamage induced by light of different wavelengths on porphyrin-producing bacteria. This short paper reports about temperature tests performed to assess the maximum exposure time and light dose that can be administered to bacterial cultures inside LED-BIP without reaching temperatures exceeding the physiological range

Serum levels of total IgE and soluble CD23 in bronchial asthma

The aim of the present study was to compare, during the pollen season, serum levels of total IgE and soluble CD23 (sCD23) from patients with allergic bronchial asthma, with those from healthy subjects. Significantly higher levels of total IgE and sCD23 were found in patients with asthma compared to the control group. Both in normal controls and in asthmatic patients, a significant correlation was shown between the levels of these two molecules. In asthmatic patients, significant correlations were found for both total IgE and sCD23, with lung function measured as bronchial responsiveness to inhaled methacholine. These results suggest that in asthmatic patients, in addition to the study of total serum IgE levels, the assessment of sCD23 serum levels may be helpful in the evaluation of disease activity

Structure-properties relationships of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) filled PS nanocomposites

The polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) additivated polystyrene (PS) based nanocomposites were prepared by melt processing and the structure-properties relationships of the POSS-PS systems were compared to those of the neat PS. In order to investigate the effect of these structural parameters on the final properties of the polymer nanocomposites, five different kinds of POSS samples were used, in particular, POSS with different inorganic cage and with different organic pendent groups. The rheological investigation suggests clearly that the POSS acts as a plasticizer and that the processability of the PS was positively modified. The affinity between the POSS samples and the PS matrix was estimated by the calculated theoretical solubility parameters, considering the Hoy’s method and by morphology analysis. Minor difference between the solubility parameter of POSS and the matrix means better compatibility and no aggregation tendency. Furthermore, the POSS loading leads to a decrease of the rigidity, of the glass transition temperature and of the damping factor of the nanocomposite systems. The loading of different POSS molecules with open cage leads to a more pronounced effect on all the investigated properties that the loading of the POSS molecules with closed cage. Moreover, the melt properties are significantly influenced by the type of inorganic framework, by the type of the pendent organic groups and by the interaction between the POSS organic groups and the host matrix, while, the solid state properties appears to be influenced more by the kind of cage

Serum levels of soluble IL-2R, CD4 and CD8 in bronChial asthma

The aim of the present study was to compare serum levels of soluble forms of interleukin-2 receptor, CD4 and CD8, released by lymphocytes during activation of the immune system, in patients with allergic bronchial asthma, with those in healthy subjects. Significantly higher levels of soluble IL-2R and soluble CD4 were found in patients with asthma compared with the control group. In contrast, lower levels of soluble CD8 values were found in patients with asthma compared to the control group. Significant correlations were found for both sIL-2R and sCD4 and these two molecules, with lung function measured as bronchial responsiveness to inhaled methacholine. These results strengthen previous suggestions that in allergic bronchial asthma, activation of T cells plays a significant role in the disease pathogenesis

Development and Validation of A New Tool for Assessing Risk of Falls in Acute Psychiatric Settings

Aim:To create and validate a tool, in English and in Italian, to assess risk to fall in patients hospitalized acute psychiatric settings. Materials and Methods:upon literature review, a new scale was created and administered to the patients of two psychiatric services in different Italian hospitals. Validity and reliability of the scale were assessed by means of factor analysis, content validity index, and Cronbach\u2019s alpha coefficient. Results:The scale consists of 11 items (CVI-S = 90.9%); 7 clinical experts have positively judged comprehensibility and the uniqueness of the items. 123 patients were screened (at admission, and after 24 and 48 hours), 10 of them reported falls; with a cut-off of 11 points, the scale showed 100% sensitivity and 80.2% specificity. Inter-rater reliability was high (Pearson's r = 0.93). Conclusions: the new scale seems easy to use and capable of predicting falls in psychiatric patients admitted to acute hospital units

Flexible Perfluoropolyethers-Functionalized CNTs-Based UHMWPE Composites: A Study on Hydrogen Evolution, Conductivity and Thermal Stability

Flexible conductive composites based on ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) filled with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) modified by perfluoropolyethers (PFPEs) were produced. The bonding of PFPE chains, added in 1:1 and 2:1 weight ratios, on CNTs influences the dispersion of nanotubes in the UHMWPE matrix due to the non-polar nature of the polymer, facilitating the formation of nanofillers-rich conductive pathways and improving composites' electrical conductivity (two to five orders of magnitude more) in comparison to UHMWPE-based nanocomposites obtained with pristine CNTs. Electrochemical atomic force microscopy (EC-AFM) was used to evaluate the morphological changes during cyclic voltammetry (CV). The decrease of the overpotential for hydrogen oxidation peaks in samples containing PFPE-functionalized CNTs and hydrogen production (approximately -1.0 V vs. SHE) suggests that these samples could find application in fuel cell technology as well as in hydrogen storage devices. Carbon black-containing composites were prepared for comparative study with CNTs containing nanocomposites

Flexible Perfluoropolyethers-Functionalized CNTs-Based UHMWPE Composites: A Study on Hydrogen Evolution, Conductivity and Thermal Stability

Flexible conductive composites based on ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) filled with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) modified by perfluoropolyethers (PFPEs) were produced. The bonding of PFPE chains, added in 1:1 and 2:1 weight ratios, on CNTs influences the dispersion of nanotubes in the UHMWPE matrix due to the non-polar nature of the polymer, facilitating the formation of nanofillers-rich conductive pathways and improving composites’ electrical conductivity (two to five orders of magnitude more) in comparison to UHMWPE-based nanocomposites obtained with pristine CNTs. Electrochemical atomic force microscopy (EC-AFM) was used to evaluate the morphological changes during cyclic voltammetry (CV). The decrease of the overpotential for hydrogen oxidation peaks in samples containing PFPE-functionalized CNTs and hydrogen production (approximately −1.0 V vs. SHE) suggests that these samples could find application in fuel cell technology as well as in hydrogen storage devices. Carbon black-containing composites were prepared for comparative study with CNTs containing nanocomposites