Chronic diseases are strongly associated with sickness absences in a sample of Italian public employees

Abstrac

Infrared nanospectroscopy depth-dependent study of modern materials: morpho-chemical analysis of polyurethane/fibroin binary meshes

Infrared scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy (IR s-SNOM) and imaging is here exploited together with attenuated total reflection (ATR) IR imaging and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to depict the chemical composition of fibers in hybrid electrospun meshes. The focus is on a recently developed bio-hybrid material for vascular tissue engineering applications, named Silkothane & REG;, obtained in the form of nanofibrous matrices from the processing of a silk fibroin-polyurethane (SFPU) blend via electrospinning. Morphology and chemistry of single fibers, at both surface and subsurface level, have been successfully characterized with nanoscale resolution, taking advantage of the IR s-SNOM capability to portray the nanoscale depth profile of this modern material working at diverse harmonics of the signal. The applied methodology allowed to describe the superficial characteristics of the mesh up to a depth of about 100 nm, showing that SF and PU do not tend to co-aggregate to form hybrid fibers, at least at the length scale of hundreds of nanometers, and that subdomains other than the fibrillar ones can be present. More generally, in the present contribution, the depth profiling capabilities of IR s-SNOM, so far theoretically predicted and experimentally proven only on model systems, have been corroborated on a real material in its natural conditions with respect to production, opening the room for the exploitation of IR s-SNOM as valuable technique to support the production and the engineering of nanostructured materials by the precise understanding of their chemistry at the interface with the environment

Riduzione degli infortuni relativi alla movimentazione carichi/pazienti in un'Azienda Sanitaria Locale: analisi degli interventi preventivi prima e dopo

Aims. To evaluate the effectiveness of two training programs on the reduction of injuries from manual handling of patients in five hospitals under the district of Ferrara. Materials and Methods. We analyzed injuries that occurred between 2002 and 2010. In 2004/2005 and 2008/2010 the health-care workers underwent to two different training programs. In 2007, the hospitals purchased assistive devices. Results. In 2006 there were 82 accidents. After the acquisition of the assistive devices (2007) and the new training program (2008/2010), the accidents dropped to 32. Conclusions. The results highlight the effectiveness of the combined training programs and assistive devices in reducing the number of accidents

Comparative study of technique to obtain stem cells from bone marrow collection between the iliac crest and the femoral epiphysis in rabbits Estudo comparativo da técnica para a obtenção de células tronco pela coleta de medula óssea entre a crista ilíaca e epífise do fêmur em coelhos

PURPOSE: To assess the technique for the collection of rabbit bone marrow stem cells from different regions to be used as an experimental model in regenerative medicine. METHODS: Thirty rabbits were allocated into 2 groups: GROUP A, n=8, animals that underwent bone marrow blood (BMB) harvesting from the iliac crest; and GROUP B: including 22 rabbits that underwent BMB harvesting from the femur epiphysis. After harvesting, mononuclear cells were isolated by density gradient centrifugation (Ficoll - Histopaque). The number of mononuclear cells per ml was counted in a Neubauer chamber and cell viability was checked through Tripan Blue method. RESULTS: Harvesting from the iliac crest yielded an average of 1 ml of BMB and 3,6.10(6) cells/ml over 1 hour of surgery, whereas an average of 3ml of BMB and 11,79.10(6) cells./ml were obtained in 30 min from the femur epiphysis with a reduced animal death rate. CONCLUSION: The analysis for the obtention of a larger number of mononuclear cells/ml from rabbit bone marrow blood was more satisfactory in the femur epiphysis than in the iliac crest.<br>OBJETIVO: Avaliar a técnica mais promissora para a coleta de células tronco adultas de medula óssea de coelhos para a utilização do mesmo como modelo experimental na medicina regenerativa. MÉTODOS: Foram utilizados 30 coelhos divididos em 2 grupos: GRUPO A, n=8, onde realizamos a coleta de sangue de medula óssea (MO) da crista ilíaca e grupo B, n=22, onde realizamos a coleta de sangue da medula óssea da epífise do fêmur. Após as coletas, realizamos a separação das células mononucleadas através do gradiente de densidade (Ficoll-Hystopaque). Através da câmara de Neubauer realizamos a contagem das células mononucleadas por ml. Testamos a viabilidade celular através do método Tripan Blue. RESULTADOS: Na coleta de sangue de MO na crista ilíaca obtivemos a média de 1 ml durante 1 hora de procedimento cirúrgico, obtendo a quantidade de 3,6 .10(6) células/ml, enquanto que a punção na epífise do fêmur obtivemos a média de 3 ml durante 30 minutos de procedimento cirúrgico obtendo a quantidade de 11,79.10(6) cél./ml diminuindo o óbito dos animais. CONCLUSÃO: A análise para a obtenção de maior número de células mononucleadas/ml de sangue de medula óssea de coelho foi mais satisfatória na região da epífise do fêmur em comparação com a crista ilíaca

Adsorbent-adsorbate interactions in the oxidation of HMF catalyzed by Ni-based MOFs: A DRIFT and FT-IR insight

The three Ni-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) Ni(BDP), Ni(BPEB), and Ni3(BTP)2 [H2BDP = 1,4-(4-bispyrazolyl)benzene; H2BPEB = 1,4-bis(1H-pyrazol-4-ylethynyl)benzene; H3BTP = 1,3,5-tris(1H-pyrazol-4-yl)benzene], possessing square planar, potentially accessible metal sites, were preliminarily tested as catalysts in the base-free selective oxidation of hydroxymethylfurfural to 2,5-diformylfuran (DFF). While Ni(BDP) undergoes degradation, Ni3(BTP)2 is the most active of the three MOFs, yielding 27% DFF after 24 h with a selectivity close to 100% under relatively mild reaction conditions (120 \ub0C, 30 bar O2, water as solvent). Upon flowing a model probe, in situ DRIFT and FT-IR spectroscopy were employed to rationalize the different performances of Ni(BPEB) and Ni3(BTP)2 in terms of adsorbate-adsorbent interactions: Not only hydrogen bonds are at work between the hydroxyl functionality of the probe and the pore walls of the MOF, but also and more importantly, bands ascribed to Ni-OR stretching are detected, denouncing the insurgence of Ni-probe interactions. The different intensity of these bands in the two cases confirms the different accessibility of the metal centers, as suggested by crystal structure analysis and catalytic tests

Biomarkers of oxidative-stress and inflammation in exhaled breath condensate from hospital cleaners

Objective: We studied the impact of chlorinated agents exposure on exhaled breath condensate (EBC) biomarkers in cleaners. Methods: Malondialdehyde (MDA), 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), nitrites (NO-2 ), nitrates (NO-3 ), pH, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and ammonium (NH+3 ) were tested in EBC of 40 cleaners and 40 non-exposed controls. Pentraxin-3 (PTX3) and soluble type II receptor of IL-1 (sIL-1RII) were analyzed also in plasma. Results: Levels of MDA-EBC, 4-HNE-EBC and NO-3 -EBC were higher, while pH-EBC values were lower, in cleaners. MDA-EBC was associated with 4-HNE-EBC, NO-3 -EBC and pH. 4-HNE-EBC correlated with PTX3. Conclusion: Professional exposure to chlorinated agents increases EBC biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation