Biomacromolecules: A sustainable approach for the design of fire retardants for textiles

Textiles are very hazardous materials when related to fires, because of the high surface to mass ratio and the open structure, which simplify the contact with heat and oxygen. Fabrics have a great impact on the development of fatal fires because of their easy ignition and high burning rate. For the flame retardancy of fabrics several strategies have been developed throughout the years, and nowadays additives and reagents are widely used for the different kinds of textiles. The most common commercial durable finishes for cotton fabrics contain phosphorous and nitrogen compounds. These products have been predominant in the field of flame retardants for cotton for 50 years, but recently the request for a reduction of environmental impact and of formaldehyde release during manufacturing and utilisation have pushed researchers towards new kinds of finishing. This Ph.D. work aimed at investigating the effectiveness and the possibilities of the use of biomacromolecules as fire retardants for cellulosic textiles (i.e. cotton). To this aim, three biomacromolecules were taken in consideration: whey proteins, caseins and nucleic acids. Whey proteins and caseins, derived from milk, were applied on cotton fabrics and their thermal and thermo-oxidative stability and fire behaviour were assessed through thermogravimetric analysis, cone calorimetry and horizontal flame spread tests. These biomacromolecules were effective in improving the fire retardancy of the treated fabrics, slowing down the combustion rate in flame spread tests and favouring the formation of a coherent carbonaceous residue (char). Then, the fire retardant behaviour of DNA was thoroughly investigated. First, commercially-available DNA from herring sperm and testes, having different molecular weights, were applied on cotton fabrics: the experimental parameters (i.e., molecular weight of the biomacromolecules, pH of the aqueous solution, number of impregnations needed for achieving the final dry add-on on the treated fabrics) were optimized in order to achieve the highest flame retardant effectiveness. The distribution of the nucleic acids on the underlying fabric was studied through SEM analyses. Thermogravimetric analyses, cone calorimetry and horizontal flame spread tests were carried out for assessing the thermal and thermo-oxidative stability and the fire behaviour of the treated fabrics. In detail, the low-molecular-weight DNA solution prepared either at pH 4 or 8 and applied on cotton with multiple impregnation steps was the most effective flame retardant treatment. Pursuing the research, the problem related to the high cost of commercially available DNA was considered: to overcome this drawback, a novel extraction method, starting from exhausted biomasses or agro-food crops, was developed. This method focused on the extraction of high quantities of nucleic acids, exploiting a low environmental impact approach. Overall, the recovered nucleic acids showed a fire behaviour similar to that of commercially-available counterparts. Finally, the washing fastness of the cotton fabrics treated with the biomacromolecules was considered: in fact, all the selected biomacromolecules are waterborne systems, which easily come off the fabrics when subjected to washing cycles, even in hot water only. This issue was taken on by treating cotton fabrics with nucleic acids and chitosan in mixture or as separate layers and also exploiting the layer by layer technique. The washing fastness of the treated fabrics was significantly improved by subjecting them to UV-curing, thus achieving the grafting of chitosan on cotton and, at the same time, entrapping the nucleic acid in the grafted chitosan coating. Notwithstanding the achieved fire retardancy, the fabrics treated with chitosan and nucleic acids also showed an antibacterial activity, due to the presence of chitosan. Furthermore, 30 bilayers of nucleic acids and chitosan provided the fabrics with self-extinction, either before and after a water washing cycle at 55°C. As far as the effectiveness of the treatments is concerned, all the selected biomacromolecules conferred fire retardant features to cotton fabrics. In particular, low-molecular-weight nucleic acids and caseins were the most performing biomacromolecules either in forced combustion or in flame spread tests. Cotton fabrics treated with nucleic acids or caseins were able to achieve self-extinction in horizontal flame spread tests, with a reduction of the burning rate and an increase of the residue left. Similar reductions in the HRR were also observed in cone calorimetry tests. The suggested approach is quite simple and does not involve the use of particular chemicals or expensive equipment; furthermore, the selected biomacromolecules are soluble/dispersible in water. In conclusion, the proposed flame retardants for cotton may represent a new sustainable approach to face the challenges related to the increasing awareness of the health and environmental impact of traditional products and processes

Hyaluronic acid: perspectives in upper aero-digestive tract. A systematic review

Background: To date, topical therapies guarantee a better delivery of high concentrations of pharmacologic agents to the mucosa of the upper aerodigestive tract (UADT). The use of topical drugs, which are able to reduce mucosal inflammation and to improve healing tissues, can represent a relevant therapeutic advance. Topical sodium hyaluronate (SH) has recently been recognized as adjuvant treatment in the chronic inflammatory disease of the UADT. Aims: The aim of our work was to review the published literature regarding all the potential therapeutic effects of SH in the chronic inflammatory disease of UADT. Methods: Relevant published studies were searched in Pubmed, Google Scholar, Ovid using ("sodium hyaluronate" and "upper airways") or Medical Subject Headings. Results: At the end of our selection process, sixteen publications have been included. Six of them in the post-operative period of nasal-sinus surgery, 2 of them in pediatric patients affected by recurrent upper respiratory tract infections, 4 of them in reducing symptoms and preventing exacerbations of chronic upper airways in adult population, 4 of them in patients with chronic inflammatory disease of UADT, including gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD). Conclusions: Topical administration of SH plays a pivotkey role in the postoperative phase of patients undergoing FESS and nasal surgery, and positive results are generally observed in all the patients suffering from UADT chronic inflammatory disease

A safe transoral surgical approach to parapharyngeal tumor arising from deep lobe of parotid gland

The management of parapharyngeal tumor is surgical, but the approach remains a challenge. Attention should be paid to avoidance intra-operative bleeding or cranial nerves damage. We report a case of a 67-year-old male complaining of left-ear fullness. A submucosal mass arising from the lateral wall of oropharynx on the left side was observed. Magnetic resonance imaging detected a mass arising from the parotid gland, in particular from the deep lobe, and a fine needle biopsy was compatible with "Warthin tumor." We performed a mini-invasive transoral approach under magnification, previous isolation of homolateral vessels. The decision on which surgical approach to be used is determined by site, size vascularity, and histology of the tumor. A literature review of the main surgical approaches was performed. We performed a combined transoral dissection under magnification with cervicotomic exposure of the neck vascular bundle allowing to dissect the tumor and manage any intra-operative complications

Removal of Diesel Oil in Soil Microcosms and Implication for Geophysical Monitoring

Bioremediation of soils polluted with diesel oil is one of the methods already applied on a large scale. However, several questions remain open surrounding the operative conditions and biological strategies to be adopted to optimize the removal efficiency. This study aimed to investigate the environmental factors that influence geophysical properties in soil polluted with diesel oils, in particular, during the biodegradation of this contaminant by an indigenous microbial population. With this aim, aerobic degradation was performed in soil column microcosms with a high concentration of diesel oil (75 g kg-1 of soil); the dielectric permittivity and electrical conductivity were measured. In one of the microcosms, the addition of glucose was also tested. Biostimulation was performed with a Mineral Salt Medium for Bacteria. The sensitivity of the dielectric permittivity versus temperature was analyzed. A theoretical approach was adopted to estimate the changes in the bulk dielectric permittivity of a mixture of sandy soil-water-oil-gas, according to the variations in the oil content. The sensitivity of the dielectric permittivity to the temperature effects was analyzed. The results show that (1) biostimulation can give good removal efficiency; (2) the addition of glucose as a primary carbon source does not improve the diesel oil removal; (3) a limited amount of diesel oil was removed by adsorption and volatilization effects; and (4) the diesel oil efficiency removal was in the order of 70% after 200 days, with different removal percentages for oil components; the best results were obtained for molecules with a low retention time. This study is preparatory to the adoption of geophysical methods to monitor the biological process on a larger scale. Altogether, these results will be useful to apply the process on a larger scale, where geophysical methods will be adopted for monitoring

Psychological treatments and psychotherapies in the neurorehabilitation of pain. Evidences and recommendations from the italian consensus conference on pain in neurorehabilitation

BACKGROUND: It is increasingly recognized that treating pain is crucial for effective care within neurological rehabilitation in the setting of the neurological rehabilitation. The Italian Consensus Conference on Pain in Neurorehabilitation was constituted with the purpose identifying best practices for us in this context. Along with drug therapies and physical interventions, psychological treatments have been proven to be some of the most valuable tools that can be used within a multidisciplinary approach for fostering a reduction in pain intensity. However, there is a need to elucidate what forms of psychotherapy could be effectively matched with the specific pathologies that are typically addressed by neurorehabilitation teams. OBJECTIVES: To extensively assess the available evidence which supports the use of psychological therapies for pain reduction in neurological diseases. METHODS: A systematic review of the studies evaluating the effect of psychotherapies on pain intensity in neurological disorders was performed through an electronic search using PUBMED, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Based on the level of evidence of the included studies, recommendations were outlined separately for the different conditions. RESULTS: The literature search yielded 2352 results and the final database included 400 articles. The overall strength of the recommendations was medium/low. The different forms of psychological interventions, including Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, cognitive or behavioral techniques, Mindfulness, hypnosis, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Brief Interpersonal Therapy, virtual reality interventions, various forms of biofeedback and mirror therapy were found to be effective for pain reduction in pathologies such as musculoskeletal pain, fibromyalgia, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, Central Post-Stroke pain, Phantom Limb Pain, pain secondary to Spinal Cord Injury, multiple sclerosis and other debilitating syndromes, diabetic neuropathy, Medically Unexplained Symptoms, migraine and headache. CONCLUSIONS: Psychological interventions and psychotherapies are safe and effective treatments that can be used within an integrated approach for patients undergoing neurological rehabilitation for pain. The different interventions can be specifically selected depending on the disease being treated. A table of evidence and recommendations from the Italian Consensus Conference on Pain in Neurorehabilitation is also provided in the final part of the pape

What is the role of the placebo effect for pain relief in neurorehabilitation? Clinical implications from the Italian consensus conference on pain in neurorehabilitation

Background: It is increasingly acknowledged that the outcomes of medical treatments are influenced by the context of the clinical encounter through the mechanisms of the placebo effect. The phenomenon of placebo analgesia might be exploited to maximize the efficacy of neurorehabilitation treatments. Since its intensity varies across neurological disorders, the Italian Consensus Conference on Pain in Neurorehabilitation (ICCP) summarized the studies on this field to provide guidance on its use. Methods: A review of the existing reviews and meta-analyses was performed to assess the magnitude of the placebo effect in disorders that may undergo neurorehabilitation treatment. The search was performed on Pubmed using placebo, pain, and the names of neurological disorders as keywords. Methodological quality was assessed using a pre-existing checklist. Data about the magnitude of the placebo effect were extracted from the included reviews and were commented in a narrative form. Results: 11 articles were included in this review. Placebo treatments showed weak effects in central neuropathic pain (pain reduction from 0.44 to 0.66 on a 0-10 scale) and moderate effects in postherpetic neuralgia (1.16), in diabetic peripheral neuropathy (1.45), and in pain associated to HIV (1.82). Moderate effects were also found on pain due to fibromyalgia and migraine; only weak short-term effects were found in complex regional pain syndrome. Confounding variables might have influenced these results. Clinical implications: These estimates should be interpreted with caution, but underscore that the placebo effect can be exploited in neurorehabilitation programs. It is not necessary to conceal its use from the patient. Knowledge of placebo mechanisms can be used to shape the doctor-patient relationship, to reduce the use of analgesic drugs and to train the patient to become an active agent of the therapy

Common and rare variant association analyses in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis identify 15 risk loci with distinct genetic architectures and neuron-specific biology

A cross-ancestry genome-wide association meta-analysis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) including 29,612 patients with ALS and 122,656 controls identifies 15 risk loci with distinct genetic architectures and neuron-specific biology. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease with a lifetime risk of one in 350 people and an unmet need for disease-modifying therapies. We conducted a cross-ancestry genome-wide association study (GWAS) including 29,612 patients with ALS and 122,656 controls, which identified 15 risk loci. When combined with 8,953 individuals with whole-genome sequencing (6,538 patients, 2,415 controls) and a large cortex-derived expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) dataset (MetaBrain), analyses revealed locus-specific genetic architectures in which we prioritized genes either through rare variants, short tandem repeats or regulatory effects. ALS-associated risk loci were shared with multiple traits within the neurodegenerative spectrum but with distinct enrichment patterns across brain regions and cell types. Of the environmental and lifestyle risk factors obtained from the literature, Mendelian randomization analyses indicated a causal role for high cholesterol levels. The combination of all ALS-associated signals reveals a role for perturbations in vesicle-mediated transport and autophagy and provides evidence for cell-autonomous disease initiation in glutamatergic neurons

La resilienza del sistema finanziario alle crisi di liquidità degli intermediari e al rischio sovrano

La rapida crescita del settore non bancario ha fatto sì che gli strumenti di politica monetaria convenzionale — quali l’aumento dell’offerta di moneta e l’accettazione di ulteriori garanzie reali — non risultassero sufficienti ad immettere liquidità nel sistema non bancario. In un contesto finanziario così variegato, il connubio più funzionale di policies implica l’acquisto da parte della Banca Centrale di attività di lungo periodo per stabilizzarne ulteriormente i prezzi attraverso un effetto di equilibrio generale. Ciò suggerisce che, anche nel caso in cui siano particolarmente onerose, tali acquisizioni di long–term assets possano avere effetti benefici per l’economia quando il funzionamento del mercato della moneta è compromesso ed il settore non bancario è particolarmente diffuso. Per tali ragioni, il Consiglio Direttivo della Banca Centrale Europea nel 2020 ha lanciato il Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme (PEPP), il cui solo annuncio ha immediatamente instillato fiducia e stabilizzato i mercati finanziari, riducendo il rischio sistemico. La profondità e la persistenza dello shock generato dalla pandemia enfatizzano alcune fonti di rischio: i tassi di interesse resteranno ridotti per un periodo di tempo più duraturo rispetto a quanto anticipato prima della crisi, stimolando comportamenti “azzardati” di assunzione di rischio da parte del settore non bancario. Infatti, attualmente, gli istituti finanziari non bancari hanno ribilanciato i propri portafogli verso attività a più alto rendimento, ma più rischiose e potenzialmente meno liquide. Durante il primo trimestre del 2020, le non–banks hanno venduto una parte significativa del proprio debito BBB–rated, un segmento in cui downgrading potenziali avrebbero causato “fallen angels”2. I titoli di debito venduti dai fondi di investimento durante le turbolenze dei mercati nel primo trimestre del 2020 avevano, in media, un rating superiore rispetto agli acquisti del secondo trimestre dello stesso anno. Il recente aumento nell’acquisto di titoli di debito con rischio di credito superiore è in parte dovuto ai rinnovati afflussi nei fondi corporate bonds, attraverso i segmenti ad alto rendimento e investment–grade, che hanno più che compensato i deflussi a cui erano andati incontro durante il marzo 2020. Alla luce di tali considerazioni, il volume 8° della collana di studi scientifici Finance & Development si pone come obiettivo lo studio della resilienza del sistema finanziario alle crisi di liquidità degli intermediari (bancari e non bancari) e al rischio sui titoli sovrani dei paesi più fragili finanziariamente ed economicamente