Current research on the effects of plastics pollution in marine and freshwater aquatic invertebrates

Plastics pollution in the aquatic environments represents one of the most critical worldwide issue. Every year, million tons of waste products are reversed both in marine and freshwaters, persisting for long timings and determining serious effects to living organisms. Here, these synthetic materials are fragmented in small particles, known as micro- and nanoplastics, under the effects of both biotic and abiotic factors. Due to their characteristics, smaller fragments are easier accumulated inside animal tissues and organs, risking to enter in the trophic chain. To date, despite the current situation, only a small amount of research has been conducted, especially on aquatic invertebrates, which can represent a suitable model for better analyzing the possible plastics dangerous effects. For this reason, in the present review we aim to collect the recent information about micro and nanoplastics effects on both marine and freshwaters invertebrates. In particular, we do not only focus the attention on the obtained results, but also, we report the main experimental methods and particle types used. Regardless of the heterogeneity present in literature, the actual data result fundamental for setting up the future research

Synthesis of plasmonic gold nanoparticles on soft materials for biomedical applications

Plasmonic metal nanomaterials are usually supported by rigid substrates, typically made of silicon or glass. Recently, there has been growing interest in developing soft plasmonic devices. Such devices are low weight, low cost, exhibit elevated flexibility and improved mechanical properties. Moreover, they maintain the features of conventional nano-optic structures, such as the ability to enhance the local electromagnetic field. On account of these characteristics, they show promise as efficient biosensors in biological, medical, and bio-engineering applications. Here, we demonstrate the fabrication of soft polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) plasmonic devices. Using a combination of techniques, including electroless deposition, we patterned thin membranes of PDMS with arrays of gold nanoparticle clusters. Resulting devices show regular patterns of gold nanoparticles extending over several hundreds of microns and are moderately hydrophilic, with a contact angle of about 80°. At the nanoscale, scanning electron and atomic force microscopy of samples reveal an average particle size of ∼50 nm. The nanoscopic size of the particles, along with their random distribution in a cluster, promotes the enhancement of electromagnetic fields, evidenced by numerical simulations and experiments. Mechanical characterization and the stress-strain relationship indicate that the device has a stiffness of 2.8 MPa. In biological immunoassay tests, the device correctly identified and detected anti-human immunoglobulins G (IgG) in solution with a concentration of 25 μg/ml

Pregnancy outcomes and cytomegalovirus DNAaemia in HIV infected pregnant women with CMV

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Is "option B+" also being adopted in pregnant women in high-income countries? Temporal trends from a national study in Italy

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Rate , correlates and outcomes of repeat pregnancy in HIV-infected women

Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess the rate, determinants, and outcomes of repeat pregnancies in women with HIV infection. Methods: Data from a national study of pregnant women with HIV infection were used. Main outcomes were preterm delivery, low birth weight, CD4 cell count and HIV plasma viral load. Results: The rate of repeat pregnancy among 3007 women was 16.2%. Women with a repeat pregnancy were on average younger than those with a single pregnancy (median age 30 vs. 33 years, respectively), more recently diagnosed with HIV infection (median time since diagnosis 25 vs. 51 months, respectively), and more frequently of foreign origin [odds ratio (OR) 1.36; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.10–1.68], diagnosed with HIV infection in the current pregnancy (OR: 1.69; 95% CI: 1.35–2.11), and at their first pregnancy (OR: 1.33; 95% CI: 1.06–1.66). In women with sequential pregnancies, compared with the first pregnancy, several outcomes showed a significant improvement in the second pregnancy, with a higher rate of antiretroviral treatment at conception (39.0 vs. 65.4%, respectively), better median maternal weight at the start of pregnancy (60 vs. 61 kg, respectively), a higher rate of end-of-pregnancy undetectable HIV RNA (60.7 vs. 71.6%, respectively), a higher median birth weight (2815 vs. 2885 g, respectively), lower rates of preterm delivery (23.0 vs. 17.7%, respectively) and of low birth weight (23.4 vs. 15.4%, respectively), and a higher median CD4 cell count (+47 cells/μL), with almost no clinical progression to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stage C (CDC-C) HIV disease (0.3%). The second pregnancy was significantly more likely to end in voluntary termination than the first pregnancy (11.4 vs. 6.1%, respectively). Conclusions: Younger and foreign women were more likely to have a repeat pregnancy; in women with sequential pregnancies, the second pregnancy was characterized by a significant improvement in several outcomes, suggesting that women with HIV infection who desire multiple children may proceed safely and confidently with subsequent pregnancies

Atazanavir and darunavir in pregnant women with HIV: Evaluation of laboratory and clinical outcomes from an observational national study

Background: Atazanavir and darunavir represent the main HIV PIs recommended in pregnancy, but comparativedata in pregnant women are limited.We assessed the safety and activity profile of these two drugs in pregnancyusing data from a national observational study.Methods: Women with atazanavir or darunavir exposure in pregnancy were evaluated for laboratory measuresand main pregnancy outcomes (e.g. preterm delivery, low birthweight, non-elective caesarean section and neonatalgestational age-adjusted birthweight Z-score).Results: Final analysis included 500 pregnancies with either atazanavir (n"409) or darunavir (n"91) exposure.No differences in pregnancy outcomes, weight gain in pregnancy, drug discontinuations, undetectable HIV-RNA,haemoglobin, ALT, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol were observed between the twogroups. At third trimester, exposure to darunavir was associated with higher levels of plasma triglycerides(median 235.5 versus 179 mg/dL; P"0.032) and a higher total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio (median 4.03versus 3.27; P"0.028) and exposure to atazanavir was associated with higher levels of plasma bilirubin (1.54versus 0.32 mg/dL; P<0.001).Conclusions: In this observational study, the two main HIV PIs currently recommended by perinatal guidelinesshowed similar safety and activity in pregnancy, with no evidence of differences between the two drugs in termsof main pregnancy outcomes. Based on the minor differences observed in laboratory measures, prescribingphysicians might prefer either drug in some particular situations where the different impacts of treatment onlipid profile and bilirubin may have clinical relevance

Good prenatal detection rate of major birth defects in HIV-infected pregnant women in Italy

What's already known about this topic? Exposure to antiretroviral treatment in pregnancy does not seem to increase the risk of birth defects, but there is no information on the rate of prenatal detection of such defects. What does this study adds? We provide for the first time, in a national case series, information about prenatal detection rate in women with HIV (51.6% for any major defect, 66.7% for chromosomal abnormalities, and 85% for severe structural defect

Standing genetic variation and the evolution of drug resistance in HIV

Drug resistance remains a major problem for the treatment of HIV. Resistance can occur due to mutations that were present before treatment starts or due to mutations that occur during treatment. The relative importance of these two sources is unknown. We study three different situations in which HIV drug resistance may evolve: starting triple-drug therapy, treatment with a single dose of nevirapine and interruption of treatment. For each of these three cases good data are available from literature, which allows us to estimate the probability that resistance evolves from standing genetic variation. Depending on the treatment we find probabilities of the evolution of drug resistance due to standing genetic variation between 0 and 39%. For patients who start triple-drug combination therapy, we find that drug resistance evolves from standing genetic variation in approximately 6% of the patients. We use a population-dynamic and population-genetic model to understand the observations and to estimate important evolutionary parameters. We find that both, the effective population size of the virus before treatment, and the fitness of the resistant mutant during treatment, are key-parameters that determine the probability that resistance evolves from standing genetic variation. Importantly, clinical data indicate that both of these parameters can be manipulated by the kind of treatment that is used.Comment: 33 pages 6 figure