Sustainable PHBV/CuS Composite Obtained from Waste Valorization for Wastewater Purification by Visible Light-Activated Photocatalytic Activity

The persistency of antimicrobial compounds in the water cycle accelerates the issue of antimicrobial resistance. Therefore, effective wastewater remediation approaches, which can be implemented on a large scale, are urgently required. This study aims at preparing a sustainable organic/inorganic composite material that can photo-catalyze the degradation of organic pollutants in wastewater by using visible light. Specifically, films and porous composites are composed of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) as supporting material, and copper sulfide (CuS) as active photocatalyst. It is noteworthy that the proposed composite can be fully produced from waste valorization, since PHBV is a polymer, which can be obtained by fermentation of vegetable wastes, and CuS is synthesized from industrial sulfur wastes. The produced composites show remarkable capabilities in the photodegradation of tetracycline and methylene blue, selected as model organic pollutants. Moreover, the PHBV/CuS composites can be reused multiple times with minimal loss in photocatalytic efficiency. The suggested approach is not only sustainable and cost-effective, but also solves issues occurring in the application of the photodegradation techniques currently reported, such as the consumption of fossil-based chemicals and photocatalyst removal from the purified water using with expensive procedures

Reciprocal association between social support and psychological distress in chronic physical health conditions: A random intercept cross-lagged panel model.

The onset of a chronic physical health condition (CHC) can highly impact individuals' well-being and mental health. Social support has been shown to help people rebound after the onset of a CHC. Nonetheless, little is known about the longitudinal pattern of social support and its reciprocal association with mental health in CHC. This study aimed to illustrate the longitudinal pattern of perceived social support and to examine the reciprocal association between perceived social support and psychological distress across 6 years. Two random intercept cross-lagged panel models were conducted, one for emotional and one for practical support, using yearly assessments of 582 Swiss Household Panel's participants reporting a CHC. A reciprocal association was found, with psychological distress 1 year after the onset being linked to less emotional support in the following year and vice versa, more emotional support being linked to less psychological distress the following year. A unidirectional association was found for practical support, with more psychological distress 1 year before the CHC onset being linked to more practical support at the onset year. This study underlines the importance of involving the social environment of individuals living with a CHC, especially around the first year after the onset

Psychological distress trajectories in chronic physical health conditions

Objective: The onset of a chronic health condition (CHC) can have a severe impact on an individual’s life, affecting mental and physical health. This study’s goal was to investigate psychological distress trajectories starting from 1 year before to 4 years after the onset of a physical CHC. The specific aims were to identify the number and shape of longitudinal psychological distress trajectories and to test health-related, psychological, social, and demographic factors predicting these trajectories. Method: Two samples were drawn from the Swiss Household Panel data set: a CHC sample (n = 361) and a 1-to-1 matched comparison sample of healthy individuals. Latent growth mixture modeling was used to identify psychological distress trajectories over 6 years. Factors predicting trajectories were then tested using multinomial logistic regression. Results: Four psychological distress trajectories were identified in the CHC sample: resilience (53.9%), chronic (22.2%), delayed (15.0%), and recovery (8.9%). In the comparison sample, two trajectories were identified: low psychological distress (90%) and elevated psychological distress (10%). Protective factors associated with resilient trajectory membership in the CHC sample were higher emotional stability, higher relationship satisfaction, and male gender. Conclusion: Individuals living with a CHC had an increased risk of vulnerability compared with a sample of healthy individuals. This advocates awareness of mental health issues following the onset of a CHC. In this regard, biopsychosocial factors (gender, emotional stability, and relationship satisfaction) offer prevention and intervention opportunities for more vulnerable individuals

Does regretting first vaginal intercourse have an effect on young adults' sexual behaviour?

Background The aims of this research were to determine personal differences depending on the reason for regretting or not first vaginal intercourse and its effects on sexual behaviour later on among young adults, and to assess the association between reasons for engaging in first vaginal intercourse and regretting it. Data were drawn from the 2017 Swiss national survey on youth sexual behaviours among young adults (mean age 26 years) living in Switzerland. Out of the 7142 participants, 4793 (51% females) answered the question 'Looking back now to the first time you had vaginal intercourse, do you think that…' with five possible answers: (1) I should not have done it (6.7%); (2) I should have waited longer (7.7%); (3) I should have done it earlier (7.4%); (4) It was about the right time (67.9%); and (5) I don't know (10.3%). The five groups were compared on sociodemographic and sex behaviour-related variables, analysed separately by gender. One-third of participants regretted their first experience. In the multivariate analysis, compared with the 'right time' group, all other groups were more likely to find their first experience unpleasant and to have done it with a casual partner. Those in the 'I should not have done it' and 'I should have waited longer' groups were also more likely to have done it because of external pressure, especially among females. The study results underline the significance to choose the right time and the right partner for first vaginal intercourse and the importance of including partner respect and avoiding external pressure as part of sexual education

Sprayable Thermoset Nanocomposite Coatings Based on Silanized-PEG/ZnO to Prevent Microbial Infections of Titanium Implants

Post-surgery microbial infections are still one of the main reasons for implant failure, which results in very high physical and psychological pain for the patient and an increased cost for the healthcare system. A polymer nanocomposite antibacterial coating on titanium implants represents a valuable alternative to the more expensive and energy-consuming technological solutions nowadays used. In this regard, a sprayable thermoset nanocomposite composed of silanized-terminals polyethylene glycol (PEG)/ZnO nanoparticle is herein proposed. Initially, PEG's terminals' solvent-free silanization and curing are studied by Fourier Transform Infrared and mu Raman spectroscopies. Scanning Electron Microscope investigations and scratch tests have shown that the spraying procedure optimization and the oxidation treatment of the titanium substrate lead to a homogeneous coverage and improved adhesion of the coatings. The antibacterial activity is tested against not only both S. aureus and P. aeruginosa bacterial American Type Culture Collection strains, but also using very aggressive antibiotic-resistant clinical strains. Interestingly, antibacterial activity, evaluated by time-killing tests, is observed for all tested bacterial strains. Live/dead tests further confirm that 5 wt% of ZnO allows obtaining a bacteriostatic activity within 24 h, whereas a complete growth inhibition (bactericidal activity) of both tested strains is observed for coatings with 20 wt% of ZnO nanoparticles

New sustainable routes for gas separation membranes: The properties of poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) cast from green solvents

The gas separation performance of biopolymers is still scarcely characterized, mostly because of their poor thermomechanical properties and high crystallinity which is associated to low permeability. In this work we characterize the gas transport in a poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) random copolymer, that has a relatively low crystallinity and good mechanical properties, combined with a renewable origin, biodegradability and biocompatibility. In the study we also compared several solvents for membrane casting, with different toxicity levels. We found that dimethyl carbonate allows the production of polymer films with transport properties similar to those obtained with the more toxic CHCl3, and it leads also to stable crystallinity of the samples over time. PHBV films show a size-sieving gas separation behaviour, as the permeability decreases significantly with the gas kinetic diameter. However, the strong energetic interactions of CO2 with the polymer matrix, confirmed by the Flory-Huggins model, induce a marked solubility-driven CO2/N2 and CO2/CH4 selectivity, which could make the material potentially interesting for CO2 removal processes

IL-1 and senescence: Friends and foe of EGFR neutralization and immunotherapy

Historically, senescence has been considered a safe program in response to multiple stresses in which cells undergo irreversible growth arrest. This process is characterized by morphological and metabolic changes, heterochromatin formation, and secretion of inflammatory components, known as senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). However, recent reports demonstrated that anti-cancer therapy itself can stimulate a senescence response in tumor cells, the so-called therapy-induced senescence (TIS), which may represent a temporary bypass pathway that promotes drug resistance. In this context, several studies have shown that EGFR blockage, by TKIs or moAbs, promotes TIS by increasing IL-1 cytokine production, thus pushing cells into a "pseudo-senescent" state. Today, senotherapeutic agents are emerging as a potential strategy in cancer treatment thanks to their dual role in annihilating senescent cells and simultaneously preventing their awakening into a resistant and aggressive form. Here, we summarize classic and recent findings about the cellular processes driving senescence and SASP, and we provide a state-of-the-art of the anti-cancer strategies available so far that exploits the activation and/or blockade of senescence-based mechanisms

Does the Primary Resource of Sex Education Matter? A Swiss National Study.

Sex education (SE) remains a subject of debate, including controversies on resources. The purpose of this paper was to determine the main SE resource during adolescence and its associations with personal characteristics and sexual behaviors of youths. Data were obtained from a self-administrated Swiss national survey on sexuality among young adults (mean age 26.3). Participants (N = 4978) were divided into six groups according to their main SE resource during their adolescence: Friends (1939; 38.9%), Parents (1361; 27.3%), School (n = 949; 19.1%), The Internet (399; 8.0%), Nobody (172; 3.5%) and Other (157; 3.2%). Groups were compared on sociodemographic, first sexual experiences, pregnancy, risky sexual behaviors, and undesired sexual experiences data. Males and non-heterosexual participants were overrepresented in the Internet group while, females more often reported their parents as their main SE resource. Participants in the School group reported the lowest rates of sexually transmitted infections and Friends the highest. Compared to the School group, those in the Friends, Internet, Nobody, and Other groups were more likely to report undesired sexual experiences. Few differences appeared between parents and school. Even though some resources such as friends or the Internet presented negative outcomes when they were assessed individually, we cannot deny the important place that they occupy in the lives of some youths