Graphene oxide electrodes enable electrical stimulation of distinct calcium signalling in brain astrocytes.

Astrocytes are responsible for maintaining homoeostasis and cognitive functions through calcium signalling, a process that is altered in brain diseases. Current bioelectronic tools are designed to study neurons and are not suitable for controlling calcium signals in astrocytes. Here, we show that electrical stimulation of astrocytes using electrodes coated with graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide induces respectively a slow response to calcium, mediated by external calcium influx, and a sharp one, exclusively due to calcium release from intracellular stores.

Efficiency in Carbon Dioxide Fixation into Cyclic Carbonates: Operating Bifunctional Polyhydroxylated Pyridinium Organocatalysts in Segmented Flow Conditions.

Novel polyhydroxylated ammonium, imidazolium, and pyridinium salt organocatalysts were prepared through N-alkylation sequences using glycidol as the key precursor. The most active pyridinium iodide catalyst effectively promoted the carbonation of a set of terminal epoxides (80 to >95% yields) at a low catalyst loading (5 mol%), ambient pressure of CO, and moderate temperature (75 °C) in batch operations, also demonstrating high recyclability and simple downstream separation from the reaction mixture. Moving from batch to segmented flow conditions with the operation of thermostated (75 °C) and pressurized (8.

Iatrogenic Acute Aortic Dissection in the Era of Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery - Experience of a Center and Review of Literature.

Introduction: Iatrogenic acute aortic dissection (IAAD) type A is a rare but potentially fatal complication of cardiac surgery.

Methods: The purpose of this article is to review the literature since the first reports of IAAD in 1978, examining its clinical characteristics and describing operative details and surgical outcomes. Moreover, we reviewed the recent literature to identify current trends and risk factors for IAAD in minimally invasive cardiac surgery procedures, often related to femoral artery cannulation for retrograde perfusion.

One pot synthesis of new cross-linked chitosan-Schiff' base: Characterization, and anti-proliferative activities.

Four novel chitosan hydrogels were successfully synthesized through the cross-linking reaction of chitosan with different concentrations of ethyl 5-(3,5-dihydroxy-1,4-dioxan-2-yl)-2-methylfuran-3-carboxylate. Their structures were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), C Cross polarization magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (CP/MAS C NMR), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA, DTA), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Cytotoxicity on hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG-2) cell line and a normal African green monkey kidney (Vero) cell line were studied using the MTT assay.

Minimally invasive tricuspid valve surgery without caval occlusion: Short and midterm results.

Objective: The use of minimally invasive or transcatheter interventions rather than standard full sternotomy operations to treat tricuspid valve (TV) disease is increasing. The debate however is still open regarding venous drainage management during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and wheatear or not superior and inferior vena cava should be occluded during the opening of the right atrium to avoid air entrance in the venous line. The aim of the present study is to report operative outcomes and midterm follow-up results of minimally invasive TV surgery performed without caval occlusion.

Particle-Bound PAHs and Elements in a Highly Industrialized City in Southern Italy: PM Chemical Characterization and Source Apportionment after the Implementation of Governmental Measures for Air Pollution Mitigation and Control.

The present study was aimed at determining airborne concentrations of PAHs, Nitro-/Oxy-PAHs and elements in industrial and urban areas of Taranto, a site of environmental risk in Southern Italy, after the issue of strategic measures for air pollution mitigation and control by the Italian Environment Ministry in 2012. A PM sampling campaign was carried out from 9 to 28 December 2014 at eight receptor sites, two placed in the urban settlement and five included in the high spatial resolution fence monitoring network of the biggest European steel plant. The integration of collected data with meteorological parameters and source apportionment analysis by Positive Matrix Factorization and bivariate polar plots allowed to discriminate among emission sources and estimate their contributions.

A community-built calibration system: The case study of quantification of metabolites in grape juice by qNMR spectroscopy.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) is an analytical technique extensively used in almost every chemical laboratory for structural identification. This technique provides statistically equivalent signals in spite of using spectrometer with different hardware features and is successfully used for the traceability and quantification of analytes in food samples. Nevertheless, to date only a few internationally agreed guidelines have been reported on the use of NMR for quantitative analysis.

Elucidating heteroatom influence on homonuclear J coupling constants by DFT/NMR approach.

We report the structural dependency of long range scalar J-coupling constant across four bonds as function of the dihedral angles Φ1 and Φ3. The calculated homonuclear coupling constants J( ), obtained at a density functional theory level, were measured between C(1)─X(2) and X(2)─C(3) bonds in three-term models, where C, N, O, and S were systematically used as the second atom of the alkyl structures (1-4). The J calculated values, tabulated for variation of 30° for both Φ1 and Φ3, have disclosed an unexpected detectable coupling constant ( J( ) ≥ 1 Hz) across heteroatoms, useful to provide valuable structural information.

Prevalence and Clinical Impact of Systemic Inflammatory Reaction After Cardiac Surgery.

Objectives: Cardiac surgery induces a systemic inflammatory reaction that has been associated with postoperative mortality and morbidity. Many studies have characterized this reaction through laboratory biomarkers while clinical studies generally are lacking. This study aimed to assess the incidence of postoperative systemic inflammation after cardiac surgery, and the association of postoperative systemic inflammation with preoperative patients' characteristics and postoperative outcomes.

External aortic cross-clamping and endoaortic balloon occlusion in minimally invasive mitral valve surgery.

Background: Minimally invasive cardiac surgery has increasingly been used for patients with valvular pathology. Two techniques of aortic occlusion are utilized with this technique: transthoracic aortic clamp (TTC) and endoaortic balloon occlusion (EAO). Both possibilities present peculiar advantages and limitations whose current evidence is based on few observational studies.

Trans Lipid Library: Synthesis of Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) Monotrans Isomers and Regioisomer Identification in DHA-Containing Supplements.

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is a semiessential polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) for eukaryotic cells that is found in natural sources such as fish and algal oils and widely used as an ingredient for omega-3 containing foods or supplements. DHA effects are connected to its natural structure with six cis double bonds, but geometrical monotrans isomers can be formed during distillation or deodorization processes, as an unwanted event that alters molecular characteristics and annihilates health benefits. The characterization of the six monotrans DHA regioisomers is an open issue to address for analytical, biological, and nutraceutical applications.

Reliability of Percutaneous Pulmonary Vent and Coronary Sinus Cardioplegia in the Setting of Minimally Invasive Aortic Valve Replacement: A Single-Center Experience.

Objectives: Evaluating the efficacy of 2 new percutaneous devices specifically designed to be placed through the right internal jugular vein, therefore named "necklines," for achieving retrograde cardioplegia and pulmonary venting in the setting of minimally invasive aortic valve replacement (MIAVR).

Design: Case series.

Setting: University-affiliated private hospital.

Transcatheter Simultaneous Double-Transapical Access for Paravalvular Mitral Leak Closure Using the Occlutech PLD.

A 67-year-old patient with rheumatic heart valve disease had undergone two cardiac surgeries at the age of 30 years, then re-do with mitral valve replacement at 50 years. She presented with congestive heart failure and hemolytic anemia. Doppler echocardiography showed moderate-severe mitral regurgitation due to paravalvular mitral valve leak (PVML) and severe pulmonary hypertension.

Development of near-infrared photoactivable phthalocyanine-loaded nanoparticles to kill tumor cells: An improved tool for photodynamic therapy of solid cancers.

Conventional photodynamic therapy has shown to be beneficial in the treatment of a variety of tumors. However, one of its major limitations is the inadequate penetration depth of visible light. In order to overcome this constraint, we developed 80nm poly-methylmethacrylate core-shell fluorescent nanoparticles (FNP) loaded with the photosensitizer tetrasulfonated aluminum phthalocyanine (Ptl).

Discontinuous and Continuous Indoor Air Quality Monitoring in Homes with Fireplaces or Wood Stoves as Heating System.

Around 50% of the world's population, particularly in developing countries, uses biomass as one of the most common fuels. Biomass combustion releases a considerable amount of various incomplete combustion products, including particulate matter (PM) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The paper presents the results of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) measurements in six houses equipped with wood burning stoves or fireplaces as heating systems.

An integrated approach using high time-resolved tools to study the origin of aerosols.

Long-range transport of natural and/or anthropogenic particles can contribute significantly to PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations and some European cities often fail to comply with PM daily limit values due to the additional impact of particles from remote sources. For this reason, reliable methodologies to identify long-range transport (LRT) events would be useful to better understand air pollution phenomena and support proper decision-making.

Percutaneous Coronary Sinus Catheterization With the ProPlege Catheter Under Transesophageal Echocardiography and Pressure Guidance.

Objectives: Percutaneous catheterization of the coronary sinus (CS) to enable the administration of retrograde cardioplegia may play an important role in minimally invasive cardiac surgery. A new specially designed device (ProPlege; Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA) is described that can be placed under transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and pressure guidance with a high rate of success and low rate of complications.

Design: Case series.

Polymer nanoparticles with electrostatically loaded multicargo for combined cancer phototherapy.

We have developed a multifunctional polymer-based nanoplatform for bimodal cancer phototherapy. It was achieved by electrostatic entangling of two anionic photoactivable components, a commercial porphyrin and a tailored nitro-aniline derivative, within the cationic shell of polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) based on polymethyl methacrylate. The combination of steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopic and photochemical techniques shows that the two photoresponsive agents do not interfere with each other while being in close proximity in the same polymeric scaffold and can thus operate in parallel under the exclusive control of light stimuli.

Thiophene-based compounds as fluorescent tags to study mesenchymal stem cell uptake and release of taxanes.

Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) are multipotent cells that display the unique ability to home and engraft in tumor stroma. This remarkable tumor tropic property has generated a great deal of interest in many clinical settings. Recently, we showed that hMSC represent an excellent base for cell-mediated anticancer therapy since they are able to internalize paclitaxel (PTX) and to release it in an amount sufficient to inhibit tumor cell proliferation.

PM10 and gaseous pollutants trends from air quality monitoring networks in Bari province: principal component analysis and absolute principal component scores on a two years and half data set.

Background: The chemical composition of aerosols and particle size distributions are the most significant factors affecting air quality. In particular, the exposure to finer particles can cause short and long-term effects on human health. In the present paper PM10 (particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter lower than 10 μm), CO, NOx (NO and NO2), Benzene and Toluene trends monitored in six monitoring stations of Bari province are shown.

Indoor air quality (IAQ) assessment in a multistorey shopping mall by high-spatial-resolution monitoring of volatile organic compounds (VOC).

In order to assess indoor air quality (IAQ), two 1-week monitoring campaigns of volatile organic compounds (VOC) were performed in different areas of a multistorey shopping mall. High-spatial-resolution monitoring was conducted at 32 indoor sites located in two storehouses and in different departments of a supermarket. At the same time, VOC concentrations were monitored in the mall and parking lot area as well as outdoors.