Mesoscopic structural organization in fluorinated pyrrolidinium based room temperature ionic liquids

In this contribution the microscopic and mesoscopic structural organization in a series of fluorinated room temperature ionic liquids, based on N-methyl-N-alkylpyrrolidinium cations and on bis(perfluoroalkylsulfonyl)imide anions, is investigated, using a synergy of experimental (X-ray and neutron scattering) and computational (Molecular Dynamics) techniques. The proposed ionic liquids are of high interest as electrolyte media for lithium battery applications. Together with information on their good ion transport properties in conjunction with low viscosity, we also describe the existence of nm-scale spatial organization induced by the segregation of fluorous moieties into domains. This study shows the strong complementarity between X-ray/neutron scattering in detecting the complex segregated morphology in these systems at mesoscopic spatial scales and MD simulations in successfully delivering a robust description of the segregated morphology at atomistic level

Propagative material of grapevine: RFID technology for supporting traceability of "basic" and "certified" material along the wine production chain

Four main categories of propagative material in the European Union (EU) have been indentified for grapevine: the primary source, pre-basic, basic and certified material. Each type of material has to be periodically assayed for pathogens and each material stage is intrinsically characterized by increasing risks. Radiofrequency (RFID) can be considered an efficient and durable traceability system to provide retrieval of propagated material or check producer identity. RFID tagging of grapevines of different categories along the production line could establish a durable link between stakeholder and products. To evaluate this approach, histological observations and growth parameters of basic or certified RFID- tagged grapevine were performed, as well as requirement analysis for management of sanitary checks and for traceability of the wine production chain. Basic material can be safety tagged with RFID tags to establish mother plant vineyards; derived certified material can also safely be tagged. No detrimental performance in terms of vegetative growth and bud production were reported for mother plant vineyards from the first year of production life. Requirement analysis made it possible to individuate traceability objectives, materials and stakeholders involved, as well as the RFID-tagging steps and methods to collect sanitary and production data that are useful for traceability purposes

Propagative material of grapevine: RFID technology for supporting traceability of "basic" and "certified" material along the wine production chain

Four main categories of propagative material in the European Union (EU) have been indentified for grapevine: the primary source, pre-basic, basic and certified material. Each type of material has to be periodically assayed for pathogens and each material stage is intrinsically characterized by increasing risks. Radiofrequency (RFID) can be considered an efficient and durable traceability system to provide retrieval of propagated material or check producer identity. RFID tagging of grapevines of different categories along the production line could establish a durable link between stakeholder and products. To evaluate this approach, histological observations and growth parameters of basic or certified RFID- tagged grapevine were performed, as well as requirement analysis for management of sanitary checks and for traceability of the wine production chain. Basic material can be safety tagged with RFID tags to establish mother plant vineyards; derived certified material can also safely be tagged. No detrimental performance in terms of vegetative growth and bud production were reported for mother plant vineyards from the first year of production life. Requirement analysis made it possible to individuate traceability objectives, materials and stakeholders involved, as well as the RFID-tagging steps and methods to collect sanitary and production data that are useful for traceability purposes

Toxicological Findings of Self-Poisoning Suicidal Deaths: A Systematic Review by Countries

The use of illicit and non-illicit substances is widespread in suicides. The toxicological data may help in understanding the mechanism of death. This systematic review aimed to analyze autopsies related to suicides by consuming poison, focusing on the correlation between substance use and the country of origin to create an alarm bell to indicate that suicide maybe attempted and prevent it. The systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines, with the primary objective of identifying autopsies conducted in cases of suicide by consuming poison in specific geographic areas. Significant differences in substances were observed between low-income and Western countries that confirm previous literature data. In rural areas and Asian countries, most suicides by consuming poison involve the use of pesticides, such as organophosphates and carbamates. In Western countries, illicit drugs and medically prescribed drugs are the leading cause of suicide by self-poisoning. Future research should shed light on the correlation between social, medical, and demographic characteristics and the autopsy findings in suicides by self-poisoning to highlight the risk factors and implement tailored prevention programs worldwide. Performing a complete autopsy on a suspected suicide by self-poisoning could be essential in supporting worldwide public health measures and policy makers. Therefore, complete autopsies in such cases must be vigorously promoted

The Association between serum cytokines and damage to large and small nerve fibers in diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is a frequent complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and may involve small and large peripheral nerve fibers. Recent evidence suggests a role of cytokines in DPN. The paper is aimed at exploring whether the serum concentration of cytokines is associated with small and large nerve fiber function and with neuropathic pain (NP). We recruited a group of 32 type 2 DM patients who underwent serum cytokines (TNF-α, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, and IL-10) dosage as well as electrodiagnostic and quantitative sensory testing (QST) assessment to explore damage to large and small nerve fibers. Raised serum levels of IL-6 and IL-10 correlated with markers of large nerve fiber sensory and motor axonal damage. Raised IL-10 serum level was associated with signs of motor nerve demyelination. No differences were found in pain characteristics and electrodiagnostic and QST markers of small nerve fiber function in relation to cytokines serum levels. IL-6 and IL-10 serum levels were associated with large nerve fiber damage but not to small fibers function or NP. IL-6 and IL-10 cytokines might play a role in the pathogenesis of nerve fiber damage or represent a compensatory or neuroprotective mechanism

Is minor salivary gland biopsy more than a diagnostic tool in primary Sjorgren's syndrome? Association between clinical, histopathological, and molecular features: A retrospective study

Objectives: Several histological scoring systems, including the focus score, performed in minor salivary glands (MSGs) by hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining, have been employed in clinical practice to assess the inflammatory infiltrate and provide the diagnosis of primary Sjorgren's syndrome (pSS). Aims of this study were to integrate different scoring systems and identify potential differences in the molecular profile of lymphoid cytokines related to germinal center (GC) formation and clinical subsets in pSS. Methods: Overall, 104 pSS patients and 40 subjects with sicca non-pSS were retrospectively evaluated. MSG biopsies were evaluated by H&E and immunofluorescence to assess histological pattern, Chisholm and Mason grading system, Tarpley score, a grading for the severity of inflammatory infiltrate, T-/B-cell segregation, and the presence of GC. MSGs from 50 pSS patients and 30 sicca non-pSS patients were processed by real-time PCR to assess LTα, LTβ, BAFF, CXCR4, CXCL12, CXCR5, CXCL13, CCR7, CCL19, and CCL21. Results: GCs presence was associated with anti-Ro/SSA and anti-La/SSB antibodies, hypergammaglobulinemia, salivary gland swelling, higher Tarpley score and focus score, and extraglandular involvement but, at multivariate analysis, only extraglandular involvement was independently associated to GC. pSS patients displayed higher level of all cytokines compared to those with sicca symptoms. GC+ pSS patients displayed higher level of all cytokines compared to those GC-. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that different histopathological patterns, including GC presence, reflect different cytokine expression and different clinical subsets. We believe that the combined immunofluorescence/molecular approach in MSGs would help to tailor diagnostic and therapeutic approach for different subsets of pSS patients

Survey of the needs of patients with spinal cord injury: impact and priority for improvement in hand function in tetraplegics\ud

Objective: To investigate the impact of upper extremity deficit in subjects with tetraplegia.\ud \ud Setting: The United Kingdom and The Netherlands.\ud \ud Study design: Survey among the members of the Dutch and UK Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Associations.\ud \ud Main outcome parameter: Indication of expected improvement in quality of life (QOL) on a 5-point scale in relation to improvement in hand function and seven other SCI-related impairments.\ud \ud Results: In all, 565 subjects with tetraplegia returned the questionnaire (overall response of 42%). Results in the Dutch and the UK group were comparable. A total of 77% of the tetraplegics expected an important or very important improvement in QOL if their hand function improved. This is comparable to their expectations with regard to improvement in bladder and bowel function. All other items were scored lower.\ud \ud Conclusion: This is the first study in which the impact of upper extremity impairment has been assessed in a large sample of tetraplegic subjects and compared to other SCI-related impairments that have a major impact on the life of subjects with SCI. The present study indicates a high impact as well as a high priority for improvement in hand function in tetraplegics.\ud \u

Effect of Polydispersity and Anisotropy in Colloidal and Protein Solutions: an Integral Equation Approach

Application of integral equation theory to complex fluids is reviewed, with particular emphasis to the effects of polydispersity and anisotropy on their structural and thermodynamic properties. Both analytical and numerical solutions of integral equations are discussed within the context of a set of minimal potential models that have been widely used in the literature. While other popular theoretical tools, such as numerical simulations and density functional theory, are superior for quantitative and accurate predictions, we argue that integral equation theory still provides, as in simple fluids, an invaluable technique that is able to capture the main essential features of a complex system, at a much lower computational cost. In addition, it can provide a detailed description of the angular dependence in arbitrary frame, unlike numerical simulations where this information is frequently hampered by insufficient statistics. Applications to colloidal mixtures, globular proteins and patchy colloids are discussed, within a unified framework.Comment: 17 pages, 7 figures, to appear in Interdiscip. Sci. Comput. Life Sci. (2011), special issue dedicated to Prof. Lesser Blu