Ingestion of chitosan-starch blends: Effect on the survival of supralittoral amphipods.

Sandy beach ecosystems are particularly affected by plastic pollution. Supralittoral amphipods are important components of the food web in sandy beaches and their ability to ingest microplastics and bioplastics has been assessed. Chitosan, a polysaccharide obtained by deacetylation of chitin, the second most abundant polymer in the world, represents an interesting component to produce novel bioplastics in combination with other biopolymers like starch.

A new biphenol-dipicolylamine based ligand and its dinuclear Zn complex as fluorescent sensors for ibuprofen and ketoprofen in aqueous solution.

In this work, the study of the new ligand 3,3'-bis[,-bis(pyridine-2-ylmethyl)aminomethyl]-2,2'-dihydroxybiphenyl (L) is reported, where a central 2,2'-biphenol (BPH) fluorophore was functionalized at 3,3'-positions with two dipicolylamine (DPA) side arms as receptor units. Following the synthesis and full chemical-physical characterization, the acid-base and Zn-coordination abilities of L were investigated through a combination of potentiometric, UV-Vis, fluorescence, NMR, XRD and DFT measurements. The optical properties of the ligand turned out to be strongly dependent on the pH, being straightforwardly associated with the protonation state of the BPH moiety, whereas its peculiar design allowed to form stable mono and dinuclear Zn complexes.

Polyphosphoester-stabilized cubosomes encapsulating a Ru(II) complex for the photodynamic treatment of lung adenocarcinoma.

The clinical translation of photosensitizers based on ruthenium(II) polypyridyl complexes (RPCs) in photodynamic therapy of cancer faces several challenges. To address these limitations, we conducted an investigation to assess the potential of a cubosome formulation stabilized in water against coalescence utilizing a polyphosphoester analog of Pluronic F127 as a stabilizer and loaded with newly synthesized RPC-based photosensitizer [Ru(dppn)(bpy-morph)](PF) (bpy-morph = 2,2'-bipyridine-4,4'-diylbis(morpholinomethanone)), PS-Ru. The photophysical characterization of PS-Ru revealed its robust capacity to induce the formation of singlet oxygen (O).

Altitudinal variation of microplastic abundance in lakeshore sediments from Italian lakes.

Microplastic (MP) contamination represents an issue of global concern for both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, but only in recent years, the study of MPs has been focused on freshwaters. Several monitoring surveys have detected the presence of a wide array of MPs differing in size, shape, and polymer composition in rivers and lakes worldwide. Because of their role of sink for plastic particles, the abundance of MPs was investigated in waters, and deep and shoreline sediments from diverse lakes, confirming the ubiquity of this contamination.

Ruthenium(II) Polypyridyl Complexes with Benzoxazole Derivatives and Non-Innocent Ligands as Effective Antioxidants in Human Neuroblasts.

Ruthenium(II) polypyridyl complexes continue to raise increasing interest for the encouraging results in several biomedical areas. Considering their vast chemical-physical repertoire, in particular the possibility to switch from the sensitization of reactive oxygen species (ROS) to ROS-scavenging abilities by tuning the nature of their ligands, it is therefore surprising that their potential as antioxidants has not been largely investigated so far. Herein, we explored the antioxidant behaviour of the novel ruthenium compound [Ru(dbpy)(2,3-DAN)Cl]PF (Ru1), featuring a benzoxazole derivative (dpby=2,6-bis(4-methyl-2-benzoxazolyl)pyridine) and the non-innocent 2,3-diamminonaftalene (2,3-DAN) ligand, along with the reference tpy-containing analogue [Ru(tpy)(2,3-DAN)Cl]PF (Ru2) (tpy=2,2':6',2''-terpyridine).

Photosensitizers Based on Bichromophoric Dyads Combining Ru(II)-Polypyridyl Complexes and Dissymmetric Perylene Monoimide Derivatives: The Nontrivial Role of Ligand Substitution.

The covalent modification of Ru(II) polypyridyl complexes (RPCs) with organic chromophores is a powerful strategy to obtain metal-based photosensitizer agents (PSs) with improved performance for application in photodynamic therapy (PDT). In this respect, perylene-imides are of particular interest due to their rich chemical-physical repertoire, and it is therefore quite surprising that their combination with RPCs has been poorly considered so far. Herein, we report on the photophysical behavior of two newly synthesized RPCs bearing a perylene monoimide appendant (PMI-Ad).

Ruthenium(II) Polypyridyl Complexes and Metronidazole Derivatives: A Powerful Combination in the Design of Photoresponsive Antibacterial Agents Effective under Hypoxic Conditions.

Ruthenium(II) polypyridyl complexes (RPCs) are gaining momentum in photoactivated chemotherapy (PACT), thanks to the possibility of overcoming the classical reliance on molecular oxygen of photodynamic therapy while preserving the selective drug activation by using light. However, notwithstanding the intriguing perspectives, the translation of such an approach in the development of new antimicrobials has been only barely considered. Herein, MTZH-1 and MTZH-2, two novel analogues of metronidazole (MTZ), a mainstay drug in the treatment of anaerobic bacterial infections, were designed and inserted in the strained ruthenium complexes [Ru(tpy)(dmp)(MTZ-1)]PF () and [Ru(tpy)(dmp)(MTZ-2)]PF () (tpy = terpyridine, dmp = 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline) (Chart 1).

Bioplastics on marine sandy shores: Effects on the key species Talitrus saltator (Montagu, 1808).

Talitrid amphipods are an important component of detritus web, playing a key role in the fragmentation of organic matters of marine and terrestrial origin, and it is well known that sandhoppers ingest microplastics. To assess the effective consumption of bioplastics and their effects on survival rate and on pollutants transfer (i.e.

A New Family of Macrocyclic Polyamino Biphenolic Ligands: Acid-Base Study, Zn(II) Coordination and Glyphosate/AMPA Binding.

In this study, the ligands 23,24-dihydroxy-3,6,9,12-tetraazatricyclo[17.3.1.

Synchronous occurrence of primary cutaneous B-cell lymphoma and cutaneous Rosai-Dorfman disease in distinct lesions: A unique association.

Rosai-Dorfman disease, also known as sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy (SHML), is a rare subtype of reactive histiocytosis which is seldom associated with Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. To date, the coexistence in the same patient of extra nodal SHML and primary cutaneous B-cell lymphoma (PCBCL) has been reported in the literature, as metachronous diagnosis in the anatomical area of the original PCBCL or synchronous occurrence in the same lesions. However, no data have been published as for synchronous occurrence of the two pathological entities in distinct anatomical sites.

Characterization of a Ruthenium(II) Complex in Singlet Oxygen-Mediated Photoelectrochemical Sensing.

A water-soluble ruthenium(II) complex (L), capable of producing singlet oxygen (O) when irradiated with visible light, was used to modify the surface of an indium-tin oxide (ITO) electrode decorated with a nanostructured layer of TiO (TiO/ITO). Singlet oxygen triggers the appearance of a cathodic photocurrent when the electrode is illuminated and biased at a proper reduction potential value. The L/TiO/ITO electrode was first characterized with cyclic voltammetry, impedance spectroscopy, NMR, and Raman spectroscopy.

Highly Charged Ru(II) Polypyridyl Complexes as Photosensitizer Agents in Photodynamic Therapy of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Cells.

Ovarian cancer recurrence is frequent and associated with chemoresistance, leading to extremely poor prognosis. Herein, we explored the potential anti-cancer effect of a series of highly charged Ru(II)-polypyridyl complexes as photosensitizers in photodynamic therapy (PDT), which were able to efficiently sensitize the formation of singlet oxygen upon irradiation ( and ) and to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) in their corresponding dinuclear metal complexes with the Fenton active Cu(II) ion/s ([Cu] and [Cu]). Their cytotoxic and anti-tumor effects were evaluated on human ovarian cancer A2780 cells both in the absence or presence of photoirradiation, respectively.

Glyphosate sensing in aqueous solutions by fluorescent zinc(II) complexes of [9]aneN-based receptors.

Herein we describe the binding abilities of Zn(II) complexes of [12]aneN- (L1) and [9]aneN-based receptors (L2, L3) towards the herbicides -(phosphonomethyl)glycine (glyphosate, HPMG) and 2-amino-4-[hydroxy(methyl)phosphoryl]butanoic acid (glufosinate, HGLU), and also aminomethylphosphonic acid (HAMPA), the main metabolite of HPMG, and phosphate. All ligands form stable Zn(II) complexes, whose coordination geometries allow a possible interaction of the metal center with exogenous anionic substrates. Potentiometric studies evidenced the marked coordination ability of the L2/Zn(II) system for the analytes considered, with a preferential binding affinity for HPMG over the other substrates, in a wide range of pH values.

Solitary fibrous tumour of the pleura: an incidental finding.

We herein report a relatively rare case of a woman in her 30s with an incidental lung finding. She subsequently underwent resection for what was considered to be a solitary fibrous tumour of the pleura (SFTP). SFTPs are rare, slow-growing neoplasms from mesenchymal origin.

Rare case of a synchronous pleural solitary fibrous tumour and a thymic cyst.

We present a unique case of a 41-year-old man with an anterior mediastinal mass and a pulmonary nodule, found incidentally on a thoracic CT. Further evaluation with an MRI revealed a thymic cyst which was multiloculated with several septations. Biopsy of the pulmonary nodule was performed and histology was consistent with a solitary fibrous tumour (SFT), on the benign spectrum.

SPECT/CT-Guided Surgical Removal of a Positive External Iliac Sentinel Node in Primary Umbilical Melanoma: Report of a Case, and Up-to-Date Review of the Literature.

Primary umbilical melanoma is rare tumor, representing about 5% of all umbilical malignancies.The lymphatic drainage from the tumor is challenging and can be to inguinal, axillary and retroperitoneal nodes. Dynamic and static lymphoscintigraphy with single-photon emission tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) and sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is a widely validated technique in patients with clinically localized melanoma to search for and quantify nodal spread of cutaneous melanoma.

Nitroimidazole-Based Ruthenium(II) Complexes: Playing with Structural Parameters to Design Photostable and Light-Responsive Antibacterial Agents.

5-Nitroimidazole (5NIMH), chosen as a molecular model of nitroimidazole derivatives, which represent a broad-spectrum class of antimicrobials, was incorporated into the ruthenium complexes [Ru(tpy)(phen)(5NIM)]PF () and [Ru(tpy)(dmp)(5NIM)]PF () (tpy = terpyridine, phen = phenanthroline, dmp = 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline). Besides the uncommon metal coordination of 5-nitroimidazole in its imidazolate form (5NIM), the different architectures of the spectator ligands (phen and dmp) were exploited to tune the "mode of action" of the resulting complexes, passing from a photostable compound where the redox properties of 5NIMH are preserved () to one suitable for the nitroimidazole phototriggered release () and whose antibacterial activity against , chosen as cellular model, is effectively improved upon light exposure. This study may provide a fundamental knowledge on the use of Ru(II)-polypyridyl complexes to incorporate and/or photorelease biologically relevant nitroimidazole derivatives in the design of a novel class of antimicrobials.

Efflorescence of acquired epidermodysplasia verruciformis due to immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome-like mechanisms following anti-HPV vaccination in a HIV-positive patient.

Epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV) is a rare cutaneous pre-cancerous condition characterized by presence of flat, scaly macules, verruca-like papillomatous papules, seborrheic keratosis-like lesions, and pink-red pityriasis versicolor-like macules. The disease is caused by abnormal susceptibility to certain specific beta-HPV subtypes, most commonly 5 and 8. Classic EV is genetically determined, but in immunocompromised individuals, an acquired form can occur.