Nuove prospettive nel monitoraggio biologico degli elementi metallici: l'esempio del cromo esavalente

L’industria galvanica è un settore importante su tutto il territorio nazionale, poiché i processi che la caratterizzano riguardano un gran numero di fabbricazioni industriali ed artigianali. Nella cromatura galvanica esiste un rischio chimico specifico dovuto all’esposizione a composti contenenti Cromo esavalente [Cr(VI)]. Il condensato dell’aria espirata (CAE) è stato usato per studiare l’esposizione acuta e a lungo termine a Cr(VI) in lavoratori addetti alla cromatura a spessore. Cr-CAE correla con specifici biomarcatori di stress ossidativo ed è possibile misurarne anche la frazione non ancora ridotta a Cr(III). Il CAE è quindi un fluido biologico promettente per il monitoraggio della dose assorbita a livello dell’organo bersaglio, della cinetica di riduzione polmonare di Cr(VI) e più in generale dei suoi effetti locali pneumotossici nelle lavorazioni galvaniche, con la possibilità di affiancare la sua raccolta e la sua analisi alle misure tradizionalmente fatte durante il monitoraggio biologico

The three-body recombination of a condensed Bose gas near a Feshbach resonance

In this paper, we study the three-body recombination rate of a homogeneous dilute Bose gas with a Feshbach resonance at zero temperature. The ground state and excitations of this system are obtained. The three-body recombination in the ground state is due to the break-up of an atom pair in the quantum depletion and the formation of a molecule by an atom from the broken pair and an atom from the condensate. The rate of this process is in good agreement with the experiment on $^{23}$Na in a wide range of magnetic fields.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev.

A Cretaceous carbonate delta drift in the Montagna della Maiella, Italy

The Upper Cretaceous (Campanian\u2013Maastrichtian) bioclastic wedge of the Orfento Formation in the Montagna della Maiella, Italy, is compared to newly discovered contourite drifts in the Maldives. Like the drift deposits in the Maldives, the Orfento Formation fills a channel and builds a Miocene delta-shaped and mounded sedimentary body in the basin that is similar in size to the approximately 350 km 2 large coarse-grained bioclastic Miocene delta drifts in the Maldives. The composition of the bioclastic wedge of the Orfento Formation is also exclusively bioclastic debris sourced from the shallow-water areas and reworked clasts of the Orfento Formation itself. In the near mud-free succession, age-diagnostic fossils are sparse. The depositional textures vary from wackestone to float-rudstone and breccia/conglomerates, but rocks with grainstone and rudstone textures are the most common facies. In the channel, lensoid convex-upward breccias, cross-cutting channelized beds and thick grainstone lobes with abundant scours indicate alternating erosion and deposition from a high-energy current. In the basin, the mounded sedimentary body contains lobes with a divergent progradational geometry. The lobes are built by decametre thick composite megabeds consisting of sigmoidal clinoforms that typically have a channelized topset, a grainy foreset and a fine-grained bottomset with abundant irregular angular clasts. Up to 30 m thick channels filled with intraformational breccias and coarse grainstones pinch out downslope between the megabeds. In the distal portion of the wedge, stacked grainstone beds with foresets and reworked intraclasts document continuous sediment reworking and migration. The bioclastic wedge of the Orfento Formation has been variously interpreted as a succession of sea-level controlled slope deposits, a shoaling shoreface complex, or a carbonate tidal delta. Current-controlled delta drifts in the Maldives, however, offer a new interpretation because of their similarity in architecture and composition. These similarities include: (i) a feeder channel opening into the basin; (ii) an excavation moat at the exit of the channel; (iii) an overall mounded geometry with an apex that is in shallower water depth than the source channel; (iv) progradation of stacked lobes; (v) channels that pinch out in a basinward direction; and (vi) smaller channelized intervals that are arranged in a radial pattern. As a result, the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian\u2013Maastrichtian) bioclastic wedge of the Orfento Formation in the Montagna della Maiella, Italy, is here interpreted as a carbonate delta drift

Biomimetic Modeling of Copper Complexes: A Study of Enantioselective Catalytic Oxidation on D-(+)-Catechin and L-( − )-Epicatechin with Copper Complexes

The biomimetic catalytic oxidations of the dinuclear and trinuclear copper(II) complexes versus two catechols, namely, D-(+)-catechin and L-( − )-epicatechin to give the corresponding quinones are reported. The unstable quinones were trapped by the nucleophilic reagent, 3-methyl-2-benzothiazolinone hydrazone (MBTH), and have been calculated the molar absorptivities of the different quinones. The catalytic efficiency is moderate, as inferred by kinetic constants, but the complexes exhibit significant enantio-differentiating ability towards the catechols, albeit for the dinuclear complexes, this enantio-differentiating ability is lower. In all cases, the preferred enantiomeric substrate is D-(+)-catechin to respect the other catechol, because of the spatial disposition of this substrate

A Glimpse in the Future of Malignant Mesothelioma Treatment

Malignant mesothelioma (MMe) is a rare neoplasm with few therapeutic options available. The landscape of effective therapy for this disease remained unchanged in the last two decades. Recently, however, the introduction of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICIs) led to small, but nevertheless, promising improvements. However, many efforts are still needed to radically improve the prognosis of MMe. In this review, we analyze all those therapeutic strategies for MMe that are still in a preclinical or early clinical phase of development. In particular, we focus on novel antiangiogenic drugs and their possible combination with immunotherapy. Furthermore, we describe also more complex strategies such as microRNA-loaded vectors, oncolytic viruses, and engineered lymphocytes

Controlling stereoselectivity by enzymatic and chemical means to access enantiomerically pure (1S,3R)-1-benzyl-2,3-dimethyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline derivatives

A chemoenzymatic strategy for the synthesis of enantiomerically pure novel alkaloids (1S,3R)- 1-benzyl-2,3-dimethyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines is presented. The key steps are the biocatalytic stereoselective reductive amination of substituted 1-phenylpropan-2-one derivatives to yield chiral amines employing microbial x-transaminases, and the diastereoselective reduction of a Bischler– Napieralski imine intermediate by catalytic hydrogenation in the presence of palladium on charcoal, leading exclusively to the desired cis-isomerFil: Orden, Alejandro Agustin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico San Luis. Instituto de Investigaciones en Tecnología Química; Argentina;Fil: Schrittwieser, Joerg H.. University of Graz. Department of Chemistry, Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry; Austria;Fil: Resch, Verena. University of Graz. Department of Chemistry, Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry; Austria;Fil: Mutti, Francesco G.. University of Graz. Department of Chemistry, Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry; Austria;Fil: Kroutil, Wolfgang. University of Graz. Department of Chemistry, Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry; Austria

Precision Measurement of the 29Si, 33S, and 36Cl Binding Energies

The binding energies of 29Si, 33S, and 36Cl have been measured with a relative uncertainty $< 0.59 \times 10^{-6}$ using a flat-crystal spectrometer. The unique features of these measurements are 1) nearly perfect crystals whose lattice spacing is known in meters, 2) a highly precise angle scale that is derived from first principles, and 3) a gamma-ray measurement facility that is coupled to a high flux reactor with near-core source capability. The binding energy is obtained by measuring all gamma-rays in a cascade scheme connecting the capture and ground states. The measurements require the extension of precision flat-crystal diffraction techniques to the 5 to 6 MeV energy region, a significant precision measurement challenge. The binding energies determined from these gamma-ray measurements are consistent with recent highly accurate atomic mass measurements within a relative uncertainty of $4.3 \times 10^{-7}$. The gamma-ray measurement uncertainties are the dominant contributors to the uncertainty of this consistency test. The measured gamma-ray energies are in agreement with earlier precision gamma-ray measurements.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figure

Monitoraggio ambientale e biologico dell’esposizione ad idrocarburi mono-aromatici ed a metil tert-butil etere in un gruppo di lavoratori addetti all’erogazione di carburanti

Lo studio è stato condotto per valutare gli indicatori biologici di esposizione a vapori di benzina in lavoratori addetti all’erogazione di carburante tramite un approccio combinato di monitoraggio ambientale e biologico. L’esposizione personale a benzene, toluene, etilbenzene e xilene (BTEX) e l’escrezione urinaria di BTEX, metil tert-butil etere (MTBE-U), degli acidi trans,transmuconico (t,t-MA) ed S-fenilmercapturico (S-PMA) e della cotinina sono stati valutati con tecniche cromatografiche accoppiate alla spettrometria di massa. I livelli di MTBE-U erano influenzati dalla sola esposizione professionale a vapori di benzina, mentre quelli di B-U ed S-PMA dipendevano da abitudine tabagica ed esposizione professionale