OCTN1 (SLC22A4) as a Target of Heavy Metals: Its Possible Role in Microplastic Threats.

Microplastics represent a threat due to their ability to enter the food chain, with harmful consequences for living organisms. The riskiness of these particles is also linked to the release of other contaminants, such as heavy metals. Solute Carriers (SLCs) represent eminent examples of first-level targets of heavy metals due to their localization on the cell surface.

Evaluation of asbestos dispersion during laser ablation of rocks containing Naturally Occurring Asbestos (NOA).

Health risks are often overlooked when the short-term consequences are not immediately apparent. During restoration work, cleaning actions can generate particles that pose health risks to workers through inhalation. This is particularly true in the case of asbestos fibres that might be spread out from the laser cleaning of buildings or heritage artifacts made of stone, such as serpentinite and other ultramafic rocks, that have a high probability of containing asbestos (e.

Implementation of enhanced recovery protocols in patients undergoing cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy for metastatic ovarian cancer following neoadjuvant chemotherapy. A feasibility study.

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the implementation of the elements of enhanced recovery (ERAS) protocols in patients undergoing cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) for metastatic ovarian cancer. ERAS protocols have shown improvement in the perioperative outcomes of patients who underwent cytoreductive surgery for metastatic ovarian cancer by reducing the length of stay as well as the postoperative complications and by improving patients' postoperative experience

Methods: This is a feasibility study involving retrospective analysis from (31) patients who underwent cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC versus (35) a control group that underwent cytoreductive surgery only, prior to the introduction of the HIPEC programme for metastatic ovarian cancer. All patients had undergone neoadjuvant chemotherapy prior to surgery.

Assessing potentially toxic elements (PTEs) content in asbestos and related groundwater: A review of the levels detected.

This article provides a review of published literature on the concentration levels of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in asbestos minerals like chrysotile, actinolite, amosite (asbestiform grunerite), anthophyllite, crocidolite (asbestiform riebeckite) and tremolite and their potential to release PTEs into groundwaters worldwide. A large number of PTEs, such as Fe, Cr, Ni, Mn, Co and Zn, may be hosted by asbestos minerals, and their release in the lung environment can cause different health problems as well as their intake via drinking water. The review highlights that amosite is the phase with the highest PTEs content, followed by crocidolite, actinolite, anthophyllite, tremolite and chrysotile.

Functionalization of Artwork Packaging Materials Utilizing Ag-Doped TiO and ZnO Nanoparticles.

Most of the artworks stored in museums are often kept in inappropriate climatic and environmental conditions that facilitate the formation and growth of microorganisms, such as fungi, which are responsible for many types of biodegradation phenomena. To mitigate and prevent these deteriorative processes, functionalized packaging materials can be used for the storage and handling of artworks. The aim of this study was to develop a potential anti-biodeterioration coating suitable for packaging purposes.

A frugal CRISPR kit for equitable and accessible education in gene editing and synthetic biology.

Equitable and accessible education in life sciences, bioengineering, and synthetic biology is crucial for training the next generation of scientists, fostering transparency in public decision-making, and ensuring biotechnology can benefit a wide-ranging population. As a groundbreaking technology for genome engineering, CRISPR has transformed research and therapeutics. However, hands-on exposure to this technology in educational settings remains limited due to the extensive resources required for CRISPR experiments.

Mattel's ©Barbie: Preventing Plasticizers Leakage in PVC Artworks and Design Objects through Film-Forming Solutions.

The main conservation problem of p-PVC artworks is phthalate-based plasticizer migration. Phthalate migration from the bulk to the surface of the materials leads to the formation of a glossy and oily film on the outer layers, ultimately reducing the flexibility of the material. This study aimed to develop a removable coating for the preservation of contemporary artworks and design objects made of plasticized polyvinyl chloride (p-PVC).

Environmentally Friendly Photothermal Membranes for Halite Recovery from Reverse Osmosis Brine via Solar-Driven Membrane Crystallization.

Modern society and industrial development rely heavily on the availability of freshwater and minerals. Seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) has been widely adopted for freshwater supply, although many questions have arisen about its environmental sustainability owing to the disposal of hypersaline rejected solutions (brine). This scenario has accelerated significant developments towards the hybridization of SWRO with membrane distillation-crystallization (MD-MCr), which can extract water and minerals from spent brine.

Radial glia promote microglial development through integrin αβ -TGFβ1 signaling.

Microglia diversity emerges from interactions between intrinsic genetic programs and environment-derived signals, but how these processes unfold and interact in the developing brain remains unclear. Here, we show that radial glia-expressed integrin beta 8 (ITGB8) expressed in radial glia progenitors activates microglia-expressed TGFβ1, permitting microglial development. Domain-restricted deletion of in these progenitors establishes complementary regions with developmentally arrested "dysmature" microglia that persist into adulthood.

Interval Cytoreductive Surgery and Heated Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy for Ovarian Cancer: Report of a Single-center Experience.

Background/aim: Emerging data suggest that addition of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) at the time of interval cytoreduction for patients with metastatic ovarian cancer is associated with a survival benefit. However, the implementation of this treatment is affected by concerns related to its potential morbidity. We present data from the first centre in the UK implementing HIPEC as part of treatment for patients with advanced ovarian cancer undergoing interval cytoreductive surgery.

Analytical Investigations of XIX-XX Century Paints: The Study of Two Vehicles from the Museum for Communications of Frankfurt.

Over the centuries, humans have developed different systems to protect surfaces from the influence of environmental factors. Protective paints are the most used ones. They have undergone considerable development over the years, especially at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.

A Multianalytical Investigation to Preserve Wall Paintings: A Case Study in a Hypogeum Environment.

In the present study, a diagnostic approach was used to analyze the wall painting in the apse of the Sotterra church at Paola, in the province of Cosenza, Italy. The Sotterra church is nowadays located 6 m under the ground level. The presbytery area houses valuable pictorial evidence attributable to different phases.

Mattel's Barbie: Investigation of a Symbol-Analysis of Polymeric Matrices and Degradation Phenomena for Sixteen Dolls from 1959 to 1976.

Mattel's Barbie dolls are the most famous and iconic dolls since 1959. Today, they are being collected by individuals and often conserved in museum environments due to their cultural and historical significance reflecting everyday life and historical events. However, just like most museum objects made of plastics, both historical and more recent Barbies show evident degradation phenomena.

In Situ Application of Anti-Fouling Solutions on a Mosaic of the Archaeological Park of Ostia Antica.

Biodegradation is among the most common issues affecting Cultural Heritage stone materials in outdoor environments. In recent years, the application of chemical agents with biocidal activity has been the most usual practice when dealing with biofilm removal. In outdoor environments, the use of these biocides is not effective enough, since the materials are constantly exposed to environmental agents and atmospheric pollutants.

Nested epistasis enhancer networks for robust genome regulation.

Mammalian genomes have multiple enhancers spanning an ultralong distance (>megabases) to modulate important genes, but it is unclear how these enhancers coordinate to achieve this task. We combine multiplexed CRISPRi screening with machine learning to define quantitative enhancer-enhancer interactions. We find that the ultralong distance enhancer network has a nested multilayer architecture that confers functional robustness of gene expression.

NiSe and CoSe Topological Nodal-Line Semimetals: A Sustainable Platform for Efficient Thermoplasmonics and Solar-Driven Photothermal Membrane Distillation.

The control of heat at the nanoscale via the excitation of localized surface plasmons in nanoparticles (NPs) irradiated with light holds great potential in several fields (cancer therapy, catalysis, desalination). To date, most thermoplasmonic applications are based on Ag and Au NPs, whose cost of raw materials inevitably limits the scalability for industrial applications requiring large amounts of photothermal NPs, as in the case of desalination plants. On the other hand, alternative nanomaterials proposed so far exhibit severe restrictions associated with the insufficient photothermal efficacy in the visible, the poor chemical stability, and the challenging scalability.

Combined Use of Non-Invasive and Micro-Invasive Analytical Investigations to Understand the State of Conservation and the Causes of Degradation of (1901) by Plinio Nomellini.

In this study, the investigation of the oil painting on canvas made by Plinio Nomellini in 1901 is presented. The aim of the research was threefold: the examination of the state of conservation in view of the restoration treatment, together with the identification of the causes of degradation and the study of the artistic technique. During the years, the artwork underwent several cleaning and fixing interventions, resulting in a patchy appearance of the surface.

Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs): Preliminary Results for Their Use Such as Biocides in the Building Cultural Heritage.

Biodeterioration is an increasingly widespread process of degradation in the context of the conservation of cultural heritage, which involves a combination of physical and chemical damages together with an aesthetic alteration of materials. For biological damage on monuments caused by pathogens, macro- and microorganisms, chemical treatments are generally used, most of the time dangerous for the environment and for the operator. In this context, new eco-friendly products represent necessary tools for the treatment of biologically deteriorated stone surfaces and represent a new challenge in the field of restoration and conservation of materials of cultural interest.

In-Situ Comparative Study of Eucalyptus, Basil, Cloves, Thyme, Pine Tree, and Tea Tree Essential Oil Biocide Efficacy.

Bio-colonization is a dynamic and multiphasic process headed by microorganisms. Conventional treatments to process affected stone materials include chemical biocides, whose formulations are mainly composed of quaternary ammonium salts(QAs), reported to be toxic for human health, dangerous for the environment, and not biodegradable. Accordingly, novel green and eco-friendly products are a promising alternative to treat stone materials deteriorated by microorganism colonization.

Preliminary Study of the Mural Paintings of Sotterra Church in Paola (Cosenza, Italy).

A multi-analytical approach was employed to study wall paintings located in the church at Paola, in the province of Cosenza, Italy. The site is an underground church (hence the name of Sotterra, which means "under the earth") rediscovered in the second half of the 19th century, during the building works of the church on the same area. This underground church preserves valuable mural paintings having different styles.

Broad-spectrum CRISPR-mediated inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 variants and endemic coronaviruses in vitro.

A major challenge in coronavirus vaccination and treatment is to counteract rapid viral evolution and mutations. Here we demonstrate that CRISPR-Cas13d offers a broad-spectrum antiviral (BSA) to inhibit many SARS-CoV-2 variants and diverse human coronavirus strains with >99% reduction of the viral titer. We show that Cas13d-mediated coronavirus inhibition is dependent on the crRNA cellular spatial colocalization with Cas13d and target viral RNA.

Antifouling Mortars for Underwater Restoration.

This research has focused on the assessment of the compositional features and mechanical and antifouling performances of two different mortars formulated for an underwater setting, and which contain Mg(OH) as an antifouling agent. Regarding the mechanical characterization, the uniaxial compressive strength and flexural strength were measured. The composition of the materials was explored by differential thermal/thermogravimetric analysis (DTA-TG), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRPD), and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) coupled with EDS microanalysis.

Protection of Urban Art Painting: A Laboratory Study.

Urban art is a form of artistic visual expression and communication that is created in the street and generally in the public dimension of urban spaces. Often these kinds of artworks are in outdoor environments, and they usually suffer from atmospheric weathering and anthropic vandalism. Recently, several strategies have been used to limit or remove the effects of such vandalism.

Antarctic Fish as a Global Pollution Sensor: Metals Biomonitoring in a Twelve-Year Period.

Antarctica represents a unique natural laboratory for ecotoxicological studies as it is characterized by low internal pollutants emissions but high external contamination levels. Indeed, warm temperatures promote pollutant evaporation (low latitudes), while cool temperatures (high latitudes) promote its deposition from the atmosphere on land/water. Metals are the most important pollutants in ecosystems and represent a serious and global threat to aquatic and terrestrial organisms.