In this work halloysite (Hal) nanotubes were used as nanocontainers for salycilic acid (SA) in a perspective of its use in active packaging for food industry. The system Hal/SA was investigated for ...its ability to stabilize Hal suspensions by turbidimetry, its release kinetics in water by UV spectroscopy and its antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas fluorescens IMA 19/5 by Isothermal Micro Calorimetry (IMC). IMC is a sensitive and non-destructive technique and allows the study of a wide range of relatively slow processes (hours and days) in solutions. The system Hal/SA resulted to stabilize Hal suspension in water and to release SA in a controlled way over 50h. Moreover the SA released by Hal/SA showed an antibacterial activity at lower concentrations than free SA, likely due to the close contact of bacteria and Hal in the reaction vessel.
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•Study of salicylic acid (SA) loaded into halloysite (Hal) system in aqueous medium.•Hal/SA system stabilizes aqueous Hal suspensions.•Hal/SA system releases SA in a controlled way over 50h.•The antibacterial activity of Hal/SA system is tested by calorimetry.•Hal/SA system shows antibacterial activity at lower concentrations than free SA.
The surface Resistive Plate Counter (sRPC) is a revolutionary RPC based on surface resistive electrodes realized with Diamond-Like-Carbon sputtered on Apical® foil. Exploiting high granularity ...current evacuation schemes developed for resistive MPGD and using electrodes with low surface resistivity (down to ∼100MΩ/□), sRPCs standing particle fluxes up to several hundreds kHz/cm2 should be easily developed. The scalability of the technology allows the construction of detectors for large area applications at future high luminosity colliders.
The surface Resistive Plate Counter (sRPC) is a new RPC based on surface resistive electrodes realized with Diamond-Like-Carbon (DLC) sputtered on Apical\protect \relax \special {t4ht=®} foil. ...Exploiting the high rate resistive MPGD technology, detectors able to stand several tens of kHz/cm2 can be easily developed. The scalability of the technology allows the construction of detectors for large area applications at future high luminosity colliders.
Secondary metabolites may be affected by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), which are beneficial symbionts associated with the roots of most plant species. Bituminaria bituminosa (L.) C.H.Stirt is ...known as a source of several phytochemicals and therefore used in folk medicine as a vulnerary, cicatrising, disinfectant agent. Characteristic metabolites found in B. bituminosa are furanocoumarins and pterocarpans, which are used in cosmetics and as chemotherapeutic agents. Here we address the question whether AMF inoculation might affect positively the synthesis of these phytochemicals. B. bituminosa plants were inoculated with different AMF and several metabolites were assessed during full vegetative stage and flowering phase. Pigments (chlorophylls and carotenoids), polyphenols and flavonoids were spectrophotometrically determined; specific isoflavones (genistein), furanocoumarins (psoralene and angelicin), pterocarpans (bitucarpin A and erybraedin C) and plicatin B were assessed with HPLC; leaf volatile organic compounds were analysed using SPME and identified by GC-MS. During the vegetative stage, the inoculated plants had a high amount of furanocoumarins (angelicin and psoralen) and pterocarpans (erybraedin C and bitucarpin A). The analysis of volatile organic compounds of inoculated plants showed different chemical composition compared with non-mycorrhizal plants. Given the important potential role played by furanocoumarins and pterocarpans in the pharmaceutical industry, AMF inoculation of B. bituminosa plants may represent a suitable biotechnological tool to obtain higher amounts of such metabolites for pharmaceutical and medicinal purposes.
ObjectivesTo assess differences in the burden of caregivers of patients in Vegetative state (VS) and minimally conscious state (MCS).
Materials and methods
The Family Strain Questionnaire, Coping ...Orientations to Problem Experiences, Caregiver Needs Assessment, Short Form‐12, Beck Depression Inventory and State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory were used. Differences in psychological condition between caregivers of VS and MCS patients, with different disease duration and hosting facility were assessed with Kruskall–Wallis test and factors associated with the overall levels of burden with UNIANOVA.
Results
In total, 487 participants were enrolled. Daily hours of care‐giving is significantly associated with the overall level of burden perceived by caregivers (F = 4.099; P = 0.018). Strain, needs and frequency of use of coping strategies are substantially similar regardless of the patient's condition and distance from the acute event. Caregivers of post‐acute patients reported low scores in mental health (median = 33.8; IQR = 23.1–47.6) and higher state of anxiety (median = 54; IQR = 45–62), whereas caregivers of long‐term patients expressed more needs in social involvement (median = 19; IQR = 15–22).
ConclusionsBurden and distress were high for all caregivers of VS and MCS patients. As care‐giving is a long‐term commitment process, support to the caregiver should be guaranteed throughout the duration of the relative's disease despite the patient's diagnosis or place where the patient is hosted.
Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the burden of caregivers of patients with disorders of consciousness (DOCs), considering psychosocial difficulties, health condition and financial ...aspects.
Design: This is an observational multi-centre study. Four hundred and eighty-seven participants were assessed using the Caregiver Needs Assessment, Family Strain Questionnaire, Short Form 12, Spielberger State Trait Anxiety Inventory-Y, Beck Depression Inventory, Prolonged Grief Disorder Questionnaire and Coping Orientations to Problem Experiences.
Outcomes and results: The sample had lower scores both in Physical (M = 49.85, SD = 7.66) and Mental (M = 39.37, SD = 12.90) health and a higher level of anxiety (p < 0.001) in comparison to the Italian normative sample. More than half of the sample manifested a high level of depressive symptoms (59.5%) and 27.6% satisfied criteria for Prolonged Grief Disorder. This sample reported needs to know the disease of their beloved, high needs for information and communication, several problems in social involvement and in emotional burden. The most frequently adopted coping strategies are acceptance, turning to religion, positive reinterpretation and planning. Finally, 40.2% of caregivers report to earn a net income of less than 17 000 euros per year.
Conclusions: These results showed a high burden related to providing care to patients with DOCs. This study sets the scene to plan comprehensive support strategies for caregivers in order to diminish level of burden.
High space resolution μ-RWELL for high particle rate Bencivenni, G.; De Oliveira, R.; Felici, G. ...
Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment,
04/2020, Letnik:
958
Journal Article
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The μ-RWELL is a single-amplification stage resistive MPGD. The amplification element, realized on a polyimide foil micro-patterned with a high density blind-holes (wells), is embedded through a thin ...resistive film, in the readout PCB. The introduction of the resistive layer affects the charge spread on the readout electrodes and suppresses the transition from streamer to spark giving the possibility to achieve large gains (>104). As a drawback the capability to stand high particle fluxes is reduced. In order to get rid of such a limitation different resistive layouts with prompt current evacuation schemes have been designed. In this work we present the study of the performance of the high rate layouts done at PSI, together with the measurement of the space resolution for orthogonal and inclined tracks performed at CERN.
Tomato fruit has assumed the status of 'functional food' due to the association between its consumption and a reduced likelihood of certain types of cancers and CVD. The nutraceutical value of ...tomatoes can be affected by the cultivation conditions, e.g. the phytochemical content of the fruits may increase with the establishment of beneficial mycorrhizal symbioses in the plants. A multidisciplinary study was carried out to gain knowledge on the antioxidant, oestrogenic/anti-oestrogenic and genotoxic activity of tomato fruits produced by mycorrhizal plants. The present results showed that the symbiosis positively affected the growth and mineral nutrient content of tomato plants and enhanced the nutritional and nutraceutical value of tomato fruits through modifications of plant secondary metabolism, which led to increased levels of lycopene in fruits obtained from mycorrhizal plants, compared with controls. Moreover, such changes did not result in the production of mutagenic compounds, since tomato extracts induced no in vitro genotoxic effects. Fruit extracts, both hydrophilic and the lipophilic fractions, originating from mycorrhizal plants strongly inhibited 17-β-oestradiol-human oestrogen receptor binding, showing significantly higher anti-oestrogenic power compared with controls. The present study shows that beneficial plant symbionts, such as mycorrhizal fungi, can lead to the production of safe and high-quality food, which is an important societal issue strongly demanded by both consumers and producers.
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