Toxicity of thallium at low doses: A review

A mini review of the toxicity of Thallium (Tl) at low doses is herein presented. Thallium has severe toxicity. Although its acute biological effects have been widely investigated and are well known, its biological effects on human health and in cell cultures at low doses (<100 µg/L) due, for example, to Tl chronic exposure via consumption of contaminated water or foods, have often been overlooked or underestimated. Relatively few papers have been published on this topic and are herein reviewed to provide a focused scientific opinion in the light of current worldwide regulatory issues

Microbiological-chemical sourced chondroitin sulfates protect neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells against oxidative stress and are suitable for hydrogel-based controlled release

Chondroitin sulfates (CS) are a class of sulfated glycosaminoglycans involved in many biological processes. Several studies reported their protective effect against neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. CS are commonly derived from animal sources, but ethi-cal concerns, the risk of contamination with animal proteins, and the difficulty in controlling the sulfation pattern have prompted research towards non-animal sources. Here we exploited two microbiological-chemical sourced CS (i.e., CS-A,C and CS-A,C,K,L) and Carbopol 974P NF/agarose semi-interpenetrating polymer networks (i.e., P.NaOH.0 and P.Ethanol.0) to set up a release system, and tested the neuroprotective role of released CS against H2 O2-induced oxidative stress. After assessing that our CS (1–100 µM) require a 3 h pre-treatment for neuroprotection with SH-SY5Y cells, we evaluated whether the autoclave type (i.e., N-or B-type) affects hydrogel viscoelastic properties. We selected B-type autoclaves and repeated the study after loading CS (1 or 0.1 mg CS/0.5 mL gel). After loading 1 mg CS/0.5 mL gel, we evaluated CS release up to 7 days by 1,9-dimethylmethylene blue (DMMB) assay and verified the neuroprotective role of CS-A,C (1 µM) in the supernatants. We observed that CS-A,C exhibits a broader neuroprotective effect than CS-A,C,K,L. Moreover, sulfation pattern affects not only neuroprotection, but also drug release

The Italian document: decisions for intensive care when there is an imbalance between care needs and resources during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: In early 2020, the Italian Society of Anesthesia Analgesia Resuscitation and Intensive Care (SIAARTI) published clinical ethics recommendations for the allocation of intensive care during COVID-19 pandemic emergency. Later the Italian National Institute of Health (ISS) invited SIAARTI and the Italian Society of Legal and Insurance Medicine to prepare a draft document for the definition of triage criteria for intensive care during the emergency, to be implemented in case of complete saturation of care resources. Methods: Following formal methods, including two Delphi rounds, a multidisciplinary group with expertise in intensive care, legal medicine and law developed 12 statements addressing: (1) principles and responsibilities; (2) triage; (3) previously expressed wishes; (4) reassessment and shifting to palliative care; (5) collegiality and transparency of decisions. The draft of the statements, with their explanatory comments, underwent a public consultation opened to Italian scientific or technical-professional societies and other stakeholders (i.e., associations of citizens, patients and caregivers; religious communities; industry; public institutions; universities and research institutes). Individual healthcare providers, lay people, or other associations could address their comments by e-mail. Results: Eight stakeholders (including scientific societies, ethics organizations, and a religious community), and 8 individuals (including medical experts, ethicists and an association) participated to the public consultation. The stakeholders’ agreement with statements was on average very high (ranging from 4.1 to 4.9, on a scale from 1—full disagreement to 5—full agreement). The 4 statements concerning triage stated that in case of saturation of care resources, the intensive care triage had to be oriented to ensuring life-sustaining treatments to as many patients as possible who could benefit from them. The decision should follow full assessment of each patient, taking into account comorbidities, previous functional status and frailty, current clinical condition, likely impact of intensive treatment, and the patient's wishes. Age should be considered as part of the global assessment of the patient. Conclusions: Lacking national guidelines, the document is the reference standard for healthcare professionals in case of imbalance between care needs and available resources during a COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, and a point of reference for the medico-legal assessment in cases of dispute

Excitation of the 3.071mm Hyperfine Line in Li-Like 57-Fe in Astrophysical Plasmas

As noted first by Sunyaev & Churazov (1984), the 3.071 mm hyperfine line from $^{57}Fe^{+23}$ might be observable in astrophysical plasmas. We assess the atomic processes which might contribute to the excitation of this line. We determine the intensity of the hyperfine line from an isothermal, coronal plasma in collisional ionization equilibrium and for a coronal plasma cooling isobarically due to its own radiation. Comparisons of the hyperfine line to other lines emitted by the same ion, Fe$^{+23}$, are shown to be useful for deriving the isotopic fraction of $^{57}$Fe. We calculate the ratios of the hyperfine line to the 2s--2p EUV lines at 192 \AA and 255 \AA, and the 2s--3p X-ray doublet at 10.6 \AA.Comment: 28 pages text+figures, Accepted to ApJ in Jan 98, also at http://www.astro.virginia.edu/~nld2n/research.htm

Identification of Rosellinia species as producers of cyclodepsipeptide PF1022 A and resurrection of the genus Dematophora as inferred from polythetic taxonomy

Rosellinia (Xylariaceae) is a large, cosmopolitan genus comprising over 130 species that have been defined based mainly on the morphology of their sexual morphs. The genus comprises both lignicolous and saprotrophic species that are frequently isolated as endophytes from healthy host plants, and important plant pathogens. In order to evaluate the utility of molecular phylogeny and secondary metabolite profiling to achieve a better basis for their classification, a set of strains was selected for a multi-locus phylogeny inferred from a combination of the sequences of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS), the large subunit (LSU) of the nuclear rDNA, beta-tubulin (TUB2) and the second largest subunit of the RNA polymerase II (RPB2). Concurrently, various strains were surveyed for production of secondary metabolites. Metabolite profiling relied on methods with high performance liquid chromatography with diode array and mass spectrometric detection (HPLC-DAD/MS) as well as preparative isolation of the major components after re-fermentation followed by structure elucidation using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and high resolution mass spectrometry (HR-MS). Two new and nine known isopimarane diterpenoids were identified during our mycochemical studies of two selected Dematophora strains and the metabolites were tested for biological activity. In addition, the nematicidal cyclodepsipeptide PF1022 A was purified and identified from a culture of Rosellinia corticium, which is the first time that this endophyte-derived drug precursor has been identified unambiguously from an ascospore-derived isolate of a Rosellinia species. While the results of this first HPLC profiling were largely inconclusive regarding the utility of secondary metabolites as genus-specific chemotaxonomic markers, the phylogeny clearly showed that species featuring a dematophora-like asexual morph were included in a well-defined clade, for which the genus Dematophora is resurrected. Dematophora now comprises all previously known important plant pathogens in the genus such as D. arcuata, D. bunodes, D. necatrix and D. pepo, while Rosellinia s. str. comprises those species that are known to have a geniculosporium-like or nodulisporium-like asexual morph, or where the asexual morph remains unknown. The extensive morphological studies of L.E. Petrini served as a basis to transfer several further species from Rosellinia to Dematophora, based on the morphology of their asexual morphs. However, most species of Rosellinia and allies still need to be recollected in fresh state, cultured, and studied for their morphology and their phylogenetic affinities before the infrageneric relationships can be clarified.Fil: Wittstein, Kathrin. Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung GmbH; Alemania. German Centre for Infection Research; AlemaniaFil: Cordsmeier, Arne. Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung GmbH; Alemania. Universitat Erlangen Nuremberg; AlemaniaFil: Lambert, Christopher. Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung GmbH; Alemania. German Centre for Infection Research; AlemaniaFil: Wendt, L.. Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung GmbH; Alemania. German Centre for Infection Research; AlemaniaFil: Sir, Esteban Benjamin. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto de Bioprospección y Fisiología Vegetal. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet Noa Sur. Instituto de Bioprospección y Fisiología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Weber, J.. Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung GmbH; Alemania. German Centre for Infection Research; AlemaniaFil: Wurzler, N.. Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung GmbH; Alemania. German Centre for Infection Research; AlemaniaFil: Petrini, Liliane E.. Via al Perato 15c; SuizaFil: Stadler, Marc. Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung GmbH; Alemania. German Centre for Infection Research; Alemani

Pectin-based bioinks for 3D models of neural tissue produced by a pH-controlled kinetics

Introduction: In the view of 3D-bioprinting with cell models representative of neural cells, we produced inks to mimic the basic viscoelastic properties of brain tissue. Moving from the concept that rheology provides useful information to predict ink printability, this study improves and expands the potential of the previously published 3D-reactive printing approach by introducing pH as a key parameter to be controlled, together with printing time. Methods: The viscoelastic properties, printability, and microstructure of pectin gels crosslinked with CaCO3 were investigated and their composition was optimized (i.e., by including cell culture medium, HEPES buffer, and collagen). Different cell models representative of the major brain cell populations (i.e., neurons, astrocytes, microglial cells, and oligodendrocytes) were considered. Results and Discussion: The outcomes of this study propose a highly controllable method to optimize the printability of internally crosslinked polysaccharides, without the need for additives or post-printing treatments. By introducing pH as a further parameter to be controlled, it is possible to have multiple (pH-dependent) crosslinking kinetics, without varying hydrogel composition. In addition, the results indicate that not only cells survive and proliferate following 3D-bioprinting, but they can also interact and reorganize hydrogel microstructure. Taken together, the results suggest that pectin-based hydrogels could be successfully applied for neural cell culture

Hexavalent chromium release over time from a pyrolyzed Cr-bearing tannery sludge

Pyrolysis in an inert atmosphere is a widely applied route to convert tannery wastes into reusable materials. In the present study, the Cr(III) conversion into the toxic hexavalent form in the pyrolyzed tannery waste referred to as KEU was investigated. Ageing experiments and leaching tests demonstrated that the Cr(III)–Cr(VI) inter-conversion occurs in the presence of air at ambient temperature, enhanced by wet environmental conditions. Microstructural analysis revealed that the Cr-primary mineral assemblage formed during pyrolysis (Cr-bearing srebrodolskite and Cr-magnetite spinel) destabilized upon spray water cooling in the last stage of the process. In the evolution from the higher to the lower temperature mineralogy, Cr is incorporated into newly formed CrOOH flakes which likely react in air forming extractable Cr(VI) species. This property transforms KEU from an inert waste to a hazardous material when exposed to ordinary ambient conditions

New Examples of Flux Vacua

Type IIB toroidal orientifolds are among the earliest examples of flux vacua. By applying T-duality, we construct the first examples of massive IIA flux vacua with Minkowski space-times, along with new examples of type IIA flux vacua. The backgrounds are surprisingly simple with no four-form flux at all. They serve as illustrations of the ingredients needed to build type IIA and massive IIA solutions with scale separation. To check that these backgrounds are actually solutions, we formulate the complete set of type II supergravity equations of motion in a very useful form that treats the R-R fields democratically.Comment: 38 pages, LaTeX; references updated; additional minor comments added; published versio

Influence of attention alternation on movement-related cortical potentials in healthy individuals and stroke patients.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we analyzed the influence of artificially imposed attention variations using the auditory oddball paradigm on the cortical activity associated to motor preparation/execution. METHODS: EEG signals from Cz and its surrounding channels were recorded during three sets of ankle dorsiflexion movements. Each set was interspersed with either a complex or a simple auditory oddball task for healthy participants and a complex auditory oddball task for stroke patients. RESULTS: The amplitude of the movement-related cortical potentials (MRCPs) decreased with the complex oddball paradigm, while MRCP variability increased. Both oddball paradigms increased the detection latency significantly (p<0.05) and the complex paradigm decreased the true positive rate (TPR) (p=0.04). In patients, the negativity of the MRCP decreased while pre-phase variability increased, and the detection latency and accuracy deteriorated with attention diversion. CONCLUSION: Attention diversion has a significant influence on MRCP features and detection parameters, although these changes were counteracted by the application of the laplacian method. SIGNIFICANCE: Brain-computer interfaces for neuromodulation that use the MRCP as the control signal are robust to changes in attention. However, attention must be monitored since it plays a key role in plasticity induction. Here we demonstrate that this can be achieved using the single channel Cz