[Mortality and hospital discharges in the population of Biancavilla (Sicily) contaminated by natural fibres].

Objective: The volcanic area of Biancavilla (Sicily Italy) has been included by the Italian national law among the areas of "environmental reclamation" due to the presence of amphibole fluoro-edenitic fibres in the environment. The aim of the study was to evaluate the health of residents in the area, through the analysis of the mortality registry and the hospital discharge records.

Design: Age, cause and gender specific indirect standardized mortality ratios SMR (1995-2000) and morbidity ratios SHR (2001-2003) were computed with 95% confidence intervals, using the population of surrounding municipalities as reference.

[Mortality (1995-2000) and hospital admissions (2001-2003) in the industrial area of Gela].

Aims: the area of Gela (Sicily Italy) has been included by the Italian national law among the "areas of environmental concern", due to several industrial plants located in the area: a refinery, a petrolchemical plant and an industrial waste disposal. The aim of the study was to evaluate the health of residents in the area, through the analysis of the mortality registry and the hospital discharge records.

Design: cause and gender specific indirect Standardized Mortality (1995-2000) and Morbidity (2001-2003) Ratios were computed, with 95% confidence intervals, using the population of surrounding municipalities as reference.

Structure influence on biophenols solubility in model biomembranes detected by differential scanning calorimetry.

The protective effects of some foods, in particular fruits and vegetables, against cardiovascular disease and cancer are believed to be due to the presence of antioxidant substances such as hydroxyaromatic compounds. The aim of this work was to study (i) the interaction of three biophenols derived from benzoic acid (p-hydroxybenzoic acid, vanillic acid, syringic acid and benzoic acid) with model biomembranes and (ii) their transfer through an aqueous medium to be absorbed into a lipid bilayer, investigating the effect they exert on the thermotropic behaviour of model membranes represented by dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine multilamellar vesicles using differential scanning calorimetry. The compounds, when dispersed in liposomes during their preparation, at pH = 4, were found to modify the gel to liquid crystal phase transition of the lipid vesicles, causing a temperature shift towards lower values.

Biomimesis of linolenic acid transport through model lipidic membranes by differential scanning calorimetry.

Multienoic fatty acids, such as linolenic acid, show their ability to interact with and to penetrate into model biomembranes by biomimetic experiments performed to support the absorption route followed by n-3 fatty acid in cells. The thermotropic behavior of model biomembranes, that is, dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine multilamellar or unilamellar vesicles, interacting with linolenic acid was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry. When dispersed in liposomes during their preparation, the examined biomolecule was found to interact with the phospholipid bilayers by modifying the gel to liquid-crystal phase transition of lipid vesicles; this modification is a function of the fatty acid concentration.

Interaction of melatonin with model membranes and possible implications in its photoprotective activity.

It is well known that administration of antioxidants represents a successful strategy for preventing the occurrence and for reducing the severity of UV-mediated oxidative damage. Melatonin was recently shown to be an efficacious photoprotective agent. The aim of the present study was to better investigate the interaction of melatonin with model membranes and the possible implications in its photoprotective activity.