Comparison Between Conventional and Vegetated Roof by Means of a Dynamic Simulation

Abstract In this paper, a dynamic simulation of a building located in the Campus University of Palermo, Italy, has been carried out. We considered two different scenarios; in the first one, the building as it is, with a conventional covering, while in the second one the roof was equipped with a green roof. The results of the two simulations have been compared, suggesting that such building component could contribute to the energy savings of the building. However, it has to be considered as part of other possible actions devoted to improve the energy efficiency of the whole building

Lipid Nanoparticles Loaded With Resveratrol And Glycyrrhetinic Acid As New Tool For Wound Healing

Skin and mucous membranes maintain the homeostasis of the full body and are the first barriers against microbial infections. Therefore, their integrity is crucial and any lesion or injury must be quickly treated. In healthy people, several steps, such as inflammation, production of pro-oxidative species, cells proliferation and remodelling, follow each other creating a cascade process that determine the total restoration of the injured tissue. However, even a single discrepancy in these phases can delay the wound healing or irreversibly compromise the tissue. A smart strategy to promote wound healing could be the administration of natural compounds such as polyphenols and triterpenoids which are characterized by strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, antimicrobial properties and low side effects. However, the beneficial effects of these molecules are limited by their disadvantageous physico-chemical properties (e.g., low solubility in water, degradation) that compromise their bioavailability and thereby their clinical use. Based on these considerations, the aim of this work was to prepare and characterize a novel drug delivery system in form of multicomponent lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) constituted by a complex mixture of PEGylated lipid, Glyceryl monoester and Menthol able to entrap the polyphenol Resveratrol (RSV) and the triterpenoid Glycyrrhetinic Acid (GA) in order to protect them from degradation and maximize their effectiveness so as to make them useful for the wound management. Following optimization of the lipid blend composition and excipient ratios, it resulted homogeneous, with a melting range temperature of 57-61°C and containing GA (2.73 ± 0.23%w/w) and RSV (4.56 ± 0.04%w/w) in the amorphous form. The LNPs, obtained by homogenization followed by high-frequency sonication, were characterized by DLS and SEM analyses resulting almost monodispersed (PDI: 0.267 ± 0.010), with spherical shape (by SEM), nanometric size (162.86 ± 3.12nm) and suitable Z-potential (-21.40 ± 7.33mV). The quantitative analyses showed high encapsulation efficiency for both RSV and GA having a suitable DR% (96.82 ± 1.34% and 99.6 ± 1.29%, respectively) and LE% (96.82 ± 1.34% and 97.15 ± 0.19%, respectively) values. RSV release studies highlighted a sustained and controlled pattern of discharge to different chemical environments simulating the wound conditions. Moreover, LNPs showed significant scavenger properties evaluated by the DPPH assay. Last, the biological evaluations (scratch assay) highlighted an enhanced fibroblasts proliferation and migration at extremely low doses (LNPs 22 μg/mL corresponding to RSV 5 μM). Furthermore, a promising antibiofilm effect against Staphilococcus aureus was observed in a dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, these novel multicomponent LNPs could represent a next generation carrier constituting a promising tool for wound healing purposes

Multicomponent Antibiofilm Lipid Nanoparticles as Novel Platform to Ameliorate Resveratrol Properties: Preliminary Outcomes on Fibroblast Proliferation and Migration

: The well-being of skin and mucous membranes is fundamental for the homeostasis of the body and thus it is imperative to treat any lesion quickly and correctly. In this view, polyphenols might assist and enhance a successful wound healing process by reducing the inflammatory cascade and the production of free radicals. However, they suffer from disadvantageous physico-chemical properties, leading to restricted clinical use. In this work, a complex mixture of PEGylated lipid, Glyceryl monoester, 18-β-Glycyrrhetinic Acid and Menthol was designed to entrap Resveratrol (RSV) as the active ingredient and further produce lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) by homogenization followed by high-frequency sonication. The nanosystem was properly characterized in terms of particle size (DLS, SEM), zeta potential, drug loading, antioxidant power (DPPH), release behaviour, cytocompatibility, wound healing and antibiofilm properties. The optimized lipid mixture was homogeneous, melted at 57-61 °C and encapsulated amorphous RSV (4.56 ± 0.04% w/w). The RSV-loaded LNPs were almost monodispersed (PDI: 0.267 ± 0.010), with nanometric size (162.86 ± 3.12 nm), scavenger properties and suitable DR% and LE% values (96.82 ± 1.34% and 95.17 ± 0.25%, respectively). The release studies were performed to simulate the wound conditions: 1-octanol to mimic the lipophilic domains of biological tissues (where the First Order kinetic was observed) and citrate buffer pH 5.5 according to the inflammatory wound exudate (where the Korsmeyer-Peppas kinetic was followed). The biological and microbiological evaluations highlighted fibroblast proliferation and migration effects as well as antibiofilm properties at extremely low doses (LNPs: 22 μg/mL, corresponding to RSV 5 µM). Thus, the proposed multicomponent LNPs could represent a valuable RSV delivery platform for wound healing purposes

Incidentally discovered enteric duplication cyst: a case report

Enteric duplications are rare congenital diseases with heterogeneous clinical pictures ranging from an asymptomatic course to life-threatening consequences, most commonly arising at the ileal and ileocecal region. The antenatal discovery is possible when it concerns a voluminous cystic form enabling an early management. The radiologic examinations are nonspecific and no diagnostic tools can allow a certain diagnosis on its own. Sometimes, the diagnosis of intestinal duplication is only made during the surgical exploration and confirmed after a histopathological examination. We report a 4 years old girl with antenatal diagnosed ovarian cystic mass of about 4 mm. She was admitted to our unit for abdominal pain and constipation. Abdominal ultrasonography showed a cystic mass in the right iliac fossa. MRI revealed a well-defined cystic mass (6 x 4.2 x 5.4 cm) in the right mid abdomen displacing the bowel to the left, likely to be strongly adherent to the last part of the ileum. 99mtc pertechnetate scan was negative for ectopic gastric mucosa. A laparoscopic approach was eventually necessary and the diagnosis of duplication cyst was confirmed. Children with antenatal diagnosis of abdominal mass need a close follow up and enteric duplication should be considered as potential diagnosis. The laparoscopic approach has an important role in differential diagnosis between intestinal duplications and other mass

Interdural cavernous sinus dermoid cyst in a child: case report

Interdural dermoid cysts (DCs) of the cavernous sinus (CS), located between the outer (dural) and inner layer (membranous) of the CS lateral wall, are rare lesions in children. The authors report on a 5-year-old boy with third cranial nerve palsy and exophthalmos who underwent gross-total removal of an interdural DC of the right CS via a frontotemporal approach. The patient had a good outcome and no recurrence at the 12-month follow-up. To the best of the authors' knowledge this is the second pediatric case of interdural DC described in the literature

Combination of peripheral neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio is predictive of pathological complete response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients

The immune system seems to play a fundamental role in breast cancer responsiveness to chemotherapy. We investigated two peripheral indicators of immunity/inflammation, i.e. neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), in order to reveal a possible relationship with pathological complete response (pCR) in patients with early or locally advanced breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT). We retrospectively analyzed 373 consecutive patients affected by breast cancer and candidates to NACT. The complete blood cell count before starting NACT was evaluated to calculate NLR and PLR. ROC curve analysis determined threshold values of 2.42 and 104.47 as best cut-off values for NLR and PLR, respectively. The relationships between NLR/PLR and pCR, along with other clinical-pathological characteristics, were evaluated by Pearson's χ 2 or Fisher's exact test as appropriate. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using a logistic regression model. NLR and PLR were not significantly associated with pCR if analyzed separately. However, when combining NLR and PLR, patients with a NLRlow/PLRlow profile achieved a significantly higher rate of pCR compared to those with NLRhigh and/or PLRhigh (OR 2.29, 95% CI 1.22-4.27, p 0.009). Importantly, the predictive value of NLRlow/PLRlow was independent from common prognostic factors such as grading, Ki67, and molecular subtypes. The combination of NLR and PLR may reflect patients' immunogenic phenotype. Low levels of both NLR and PLR may thus indicate a status of immune system activation that may predict pCR in breast cancer patients treated with NACT

The indirect effect of nectar-inhabiting yeasts on olfactory responses and longevity of two stink bug egg parasitoids

Adult parasitoids are well known to feed on sugar-rich resources such as floral nectar. Recently, an increasing body of evidence has shown that nectar is ubiquitously colonized by microorganisms and, as a consequence, microbial metabolic activity can affect several traits of floral nectar. Yet, how the fermentation of nectar by yeasts impacts the olfactory responses and performance of parasitoids is largely understudied, especially in the case of egg parasitoids. In this study, we investigated whether fermentation by the nectar yeasts Metschnikowia gruessii and M. reukaufii affects the olfactory responses of Trissolcus basalis and Ooencyrtus telenomicida, two egg parasitoid species associated with the southern green stink bug Nezara viridula. We also investigated how yeast fermentation affects the longevity and survival of the egg parasitoids. Results of static four-chamber olfactometer tests showed that nectar fermented by M. gruessii (but not by M. reukaufii) was attractive to both egg parasitoid species, whereas no significant yeast-mediated effects were found in terms of wasp longevity. Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) showed a clear separation of the volatile profiles among M. gruessii, M. reukaufii and non-fermented control nectar supporting the results of the insect bioassays. The results of our study highlight the need to consider the role of microbes when studying interactions between flower nectar and egg parasitoids and could have implications from a conservation biological control perspective

Climate and landscape composition explain agronomic practices, pesticide use and grape yield in vineyards across Italy

Context Worldwide, organic farming is being promoted as one of the main alternatives to intensive conventional farming. However, the benefits of organic agriculture are still controversial and need to be tested across wide environmental gradients. Objective Here, we carried out an observational study to test how agronomic practices, pest management, environmental impact and yield of conventional and organic vineyards changed along wide climatic and landscape gradients across Italy. Methods We used a block design with 38 pairs of conventional and organic vineyards across Italy. Results and conclusions Most agronomic practices did not differ between conventional and organic vineyards. By contrast, landscape composition and climate were strong predictors of management in both systems. First, increasing semi-natural areas around the vineyards reduced pesticide pressure and related environmental impacts, but was also associated with lower yield. Second, irrespective of the farming system, a warm and dry climate was associated with reduced fungicide pressure. Conventional farming had a yield gain of 40% in cold and wet climate compared to organic but the yield gap disappeared in the warmest regions. Significance In both farming systems, we observed a large variability in management practices that was mainly explained by climate and landscape composition. This large variability should be considered when evaluating the benefits and drawbacks of different farming systems under contrasting environmental contexts

Acromegaly is associated with increased cancer risk: A survey in Italy

It is debated if acromegalic patients have an increased risk to develop malignancies. The aim of the present study was to assess the standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) of different types of cancer in acromegaly on a large series of acromegalic patients managed in the somatostatin analogs era. It was evaluated the incidence of cancer in an Italian nationwide multicenter cohort study of 1512 acromegalic patients, 624 men and 888 women, mean age at diagnosis 45 \uc2\ub1 13 years, followed up for a mean of 10 years (12573 person-years) in respect to the general Italian population. Cancer was diagnosed in 124 patients, 72 women and 52 men. The SIRs for all cancers was significantly increased compared to the general Italian population (expected: 88, SIR 1.41; 95% CI, 1.18-1.68, P < 0.001). In the whole series, we found a significantly increased incidence of colorectal cancer (SIR 1.67; 95% CI, 1.07-2.58, P = 0.022), kidney cancer (SIR 2.87; 95% CI, 1.55-5.34, P < 0.001) and thyroid cancer (SIR 3.99; 95% CI, 2.32-6.87, P < 0.001). The exclusion of 11 cancers occurring before diagnosis of acromegaly (all in women) did not change remarkably the study outcome. In multivariate analysis, the factors significantly associated with an increased risk of malignancy were age and family history of cancer, with a non-significant trend for the estimated duration of acromegaly before diagnosis. In conclusion, we found evidence that acromegaly in Italy is associated with a moderate increase in cancer risk