Type-specific inflammatory responses of vascular cells activated by interaction with virgin and aged microplastics.

Microplastics (MPs) are recognized as a major environmental problem due to their ubiquitous presence in ecosystems and bioaccumulation in food chains. Not only humans are continuously exposed to these pollutants through ingestion and inhalation, but recent findings suggest they may trigger vascular inflammation and potentially worsen the clinical conditions of cardiovascular patients. Here we combine headspace analysis by needle trap microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-NTME-GC-MS) and biological assays to evaluate the effects of polystyrene, high- and low-density polyethylene MPs on phenotype, metabolic activity, and pro-inflammatory status of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells (VSMCs) the most prominent cells in vascular walls. Virgin and artificially aged MPs (4 weeks at 40 °C and 750 W/m2 simulated solar irradiation) were comparatively tested at 1 mg/mL to simulate a realistic exposure scenario. Our results clearly show the activation of oxidative stress and inflammatory processes when VSMCs were cultured with aged polymers, with significant overexpression of IL-6 and TNF-α. In addition, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including pentane, acrolein, propanal, and hexanal as the main components, were released by VSMCs into the headspace. Type-specific VOC response profiles were induced on vascular cells from different MPs.

IgM marks persistent IgG anti-human leukocyte antigen antibodies in highly sensitized heart transplant patients.

BACKGROUND: Sensitization to human leukocyte antigens (HLA) is a persistent problem in heart transplant (HT) candidates. We sought to characterize the anti-HLA antibody and circulating B cell repertoire in a cohort of highly sensitized HT candidates. METHODS: We assessed immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) anti-HLA antibodies using Luminex single antigen bead assays in a cohort of 11 highly sensitized (HS; calculated panel reactive antibody ≥ 90%) and 3 mildly sensitized (MS) candidates. We also performed B cell receptor repertoire sequencing (BCRseq) in HS candidates and 33 non-candidate controls. HLA antibody strength was measured by mean fluorescence intensity (MFI). RESULTS: We found that IgM anti-HLA antibodies were present in all HS candidates, but with a lower breadth and strength as compared to IgG. When anti-HLA IgG specificities intersected with IgM, binding strength was higher. In contrast, there were IgM but no intersecting IgG specificities for the MS group. In four candidates in the HS group, IgG anti-HLA antibodies decreased in both breadth and strength after HT, but the decrease in strength was smaller if the IgG possessed a specificity that intersected with pre-transplant IgM. BCRseq revealed larger B cell clonotypes in HS candidates but similar diversity as compared to controls. CONCLUSIONS: IgM marks IgG anti-HLA antibodies with higher strength before HT and persistence after HT. The presence of IgM intersecting IgG for an anti-HLA specificity may be a useful approach to determine which donor HLA should be avoided for a sensitized candidate.

A low-cost internal standard loader for solid-phase sorbing tools.

Solid-phase sorption is widely used for the analysis of gaseous specimens as it allows at the same time to preconcentrate target analytes and store samples for relatively long periods. The addition of internal standards (ISs) in the analytical workflow can greatly reduce the variability of the analyses and improve the reliability of the protocols. In this work, we describe the development and testing of a portable system for the reliable production of gaseous mixture of8D-Toluene in a 1L Silonite canister as well as its reproducible loading into solid-phase sorbing tools as ISs. The portable system was tested using needle trap microextraction, solid-phase extraction, and thin-film microextraction techniques commonly employed for the analysis of gaseous samples. Even though our specific interest is in breath analysis, the system can also be used for the collection of any kind of gaseous specimen. A microcontroller allows the fine control of the sampling flow by a digital mass flow controller. Flow rate and sample volume could be set either through a rotary encoder mounted onto the control board or through a dedicated android app. The variability of the airflow is in the range 5-200 ml min-1and it is lower than 1%, whereas the variability of the IS (8D-Toluene) concentration dispensed over time by the loader measured by selected-ion flow-tube mass spectrometry (MS) is <3%. This combination resulted in intra- and inter-day precision of the amount loaded in the sorbent tools lower than 15%. No carry-over was detected in the loader after the delivery of the8D-Toluene measured by gas chromatography-MS. The8D-Toluene concentration in the canister was stable for up to three weeks at room temperature.

Sweat analysis with a wearable sensing platform based on laser-induced graphene.

The scientific community has shown increasing interest in laser scribing for the direct fabrication of conductive graphene-based tracks on different substrates. This can enable novel routes for the noninvasive analysis of biofluids (such as sweat or other noninvasive matrices), whose results can provide the rapid evaluation of a person's health status. Here, we present a wearable sensing platform based on laser induced graphene (LIG) porous electrodes scribed on a flexible polyimide sheet, which samples sweat through a paper sampler. The device is fully laser manufactured and features a two layer design with LIG-based vertical interconnect accesses. A detailed characterization of the LIG electrodes including pore size, surface groups, surface area in comparison to electroactive surface area, and the reduction behavior of different LIG types was performed. The bare LIG electrodes can detect the electrochemical oxidation of both uric acid and tyrosine. Further modification of the surface of the LIG working electrode with an indoaniline derivative [4-((4-aminophenyl)imino)-2,6-dimethoxycyclohexa-2,5-dien-1-one] enables the voltammetric measurement of pH with an almost ideal sensitivity and without interference from other analytes. Finally, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was used to measure the concentrations of ions through the analysis of the sweat impedance. The device was successfully tested in a real case scenario, worn on the skin during a sports session. In vitro tests proved the non-cytotoxic effect of the device on the A549 cell line.

Electric conductivity measurements employing 3D printed electrodes and cells.

The electric conductivity is one the most routinely inspected characteristics of aqueous media, being employed in monitoring drinking water quality and determining thermodynamic properties of electrolytes. In this work, we utilize fused deposition modelling 3D printing (3DP) to manufacture a platform composed of supporting cells and sensing electrodes for electric conductivity measurements of aqueous solutions. For the first time, the electric conductivity of liquid electrolytes is sensed by 3DP electrodes, employing a direct electrode/electrolyte contact. Conductivity measurements performed in the presented 3DP platform are controlled by an electronic circuitry developed employing a programmable system on chip prototyping kit. The entire conductometric setup was validated employing commercial conductance standards as well as in-lab prepared aqueous solutions of potassium chloride and formic and acetic acid as representatives of strong and weak electrolytes. Conductivity measurements enabled the correct determination of limiting molar conductivity (for potassium chloride) and dissociation constants (for the two weak acids). Finally, the functionality of the presented platform was confirmed by measuring conductivity of various bottled water samples. Results obtained in this work pave the wave for further development and applications of conductometers based on 3DP electrodes and cells.

Thymus and meat physicochemical measurements to discriminate calves treated with anabolic and therapeutic doses of dexamethasone.

To preserve the Europe consumers' health, the use of glucocorticoids as growth promoters is prohibited in cattle fattening. In 2008, the Italian Ministry of Health associated to the official control a national monitoring plan based on the histological thymus analysis to identify animals illegally treated with corticosteroids. However, since corticosteroids are authorized and widely used for therapeutic purposes, it is necessary to verify whether the thymus histological test and some physicochemical traits in meat are able to discriminate doped calves from dexamethasone therapeutic treated ones. The aims of this study were (i) to establish whether the therapeutic and illicit corticosteroid treatments of calves could be differentiated through histological evaluation of thymus and by physicochemical meat traits; (ii) to identify a restricted number of physicochemical traits that could differentiate dexamethasone treated from untreated calves. Three groups of 15 calves each were included in this study: group dexamethasone therapeutic treatment treated with dexamethasone 21-phosphate disodium salt at a therapeutic dose (2 mg/kg of live weight for three consecutive days); group dexamethasone anabolic treatment orally treated with dexamethasone 21-phosphate disodium salt according to a presumed anabolic protocol (0.4 mg/day per animal for 20 days); group placebo control treated with a placebo served as control. Results demonstrated that groups could be easily discriminated by thymus microscopy as well as by two meat markers, namely, cooking loss and shear firmness or Warner-Bratzler shear force. The combination of thymus microscopic features and meat physicochemical traits could be used as a practical, economic and accurate screening strategy to discriminate between meat from illegally and therapeutically treated calves. This new reliable and simple tool could contribute to identify animals treated with dexamethasone in those countries where glucocorticoids are illegally used as growth promoters. More in general, this system could be included in the framework of official controls, and applied to verify suppliers' reliability by the meat industry.

The novel Mechanical Ventilator Milano for the COVID-19 pandemic.

This paper presents the Mechanical Ventilator Milano (MVM), a novel intensive therapy mechanical ventilator designed for rapid, large-scale, low-cost production for the COVID-19 pandemic. Free of moving mechanical parts and requiring only a source of compressed oxygen and medical air to operate, the MVM is designed to support the long-term invasive ventilation often required for COVID-19 patients and operates in pressure-regulated ventilation modes, which minimize the risk of furthering lung trauma. The MVM was extensively tested against ISO standards in the laboratory using a breathing simulator, with good agreement between input and measured breathing parameters and performing correctly in response to fault conditions and stability tests. The MVM has obtained Emergency Use Authorization by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in healthcare settings during the COVID-19 pandemic and Health Canada Medical Device Authorization for Importation or Sale, under Interim Order for Use in Relation to COVID-19. Following these certifications, mass production is ongoing and distribution is under way in several countries. The MVM was designed, tested, prepared for certification, and mass produced in the space of a few months by a unique collaboration of respiratory healthcare professionals and experimental physicists, working with industrial partners, and is an excellent ventilator candidate for this pandemic anywhere in the world.

The peppermint breath test: a benchmarking protocol for breath sampling and analysis using GC-MS.

Exhaled breath contains hundreds of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which offer the potential for diagnosing and monitoring a wide range of diseases. As the breath research field has grown, sampling and analytical practices have become highly varied between groups. Standardisation would allow meta-analyses of data from multiple studies and greater confidence in published results. Washout of VOCs from ingestion into the blood and subsequently breath could provide data for an initial assessment of inter-group performance. The Peppermint Initiative has been formed to address this task of standardisation. In the current study we aimed to generate initial benchmark values for thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS) analysis of breath samples containing peppermint-derived VOCs using data from three independent European research groups. Initially, headspace analysis of peppermint oil capsules was performed to determine compounds of interest. Ten healthy participants were recruited by each three groups across Europe. The standard Peppermint protocol was followed. In brief, each participant provided a baseline breath sample prior to taking a peppermint capsule, with further samples collected at 60, 90, 165, 285 and 360 min following ingestion. Sampling and analytical protocols were different for each group, in line with their usual practice. Samples were analysed by TD-GC-MS and benchmarking values determined for the time taken for detected peppermint VOCs to return to baseline values. Sixteen compounds were identified in the capsule headspace, and all were confirmed in breath following ingestion of the peppermint capsules. Additionally, 2,3-dehydro-1,8-cineole was uniquely found in the breath samples, with a washout profile that suggested it was a product of metabolism of peppermint compounds. Five compounds (α-pinene, ß-pinene, eucalyptol, menthol and menthone) were quantified by all three groups. Differences were observed between the groups, particularly for the recovery of menthone and menthol. The average time taken for VOCs to return to baseline was selected as the benchmark and were 377, 423, 533, 418 and 336 min for α-pinene, ß-pinene, eucalyptol, menthone and menthol respectively. We have presented an initial set of easy-to-measure benchmarking values for assessing the performance of TD-GC-MS systems for the analysis of VOCs in breath. These values will be updated when more groups provide additional data.

A sampler prototype for the simultaneous collection of exhaled air and breath condensate.

Exhaled air and breath condensate contain a large number of health biomarkers, such as volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds, proteins and lipids. Nowadays, the collection of breath samples is carried out by commercial or lab-made sampling systems that collect only one type of sample (e.g. gaseous or condensate phase), thus limiting the diagnostic capability of breath tests. This work presents a portable prototype optimized for the simultaneous collection of gaseous exhaled breath and exhaled breath condensate within five minutes. The system is fully portable and has a total weight of about 1 Kg. An illustrative determination of ethanol, isoprene, acetone, isopropyl alcohol, 1-propanol, 2-butanone, 2-pentanone, toluene and xylenes in breath, and cortisol and 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α in breath condensate is discussed.

Determination of carbonyl compounds in exhaled breath by on-sorbent derivatization coupled with thermal desorption and gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

A reliable method for the determination of carbonyl compounds in exhaled breath based on on-sorbent derivatization coupled with thermal desorption and gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry is described. The analytical performances were optimized for a mixture of C2-C9 aldehydes and C3-C9 ketones, particularly interesting for clinical applications, by using an internal standard and applying a 23 full factorial design. A volume of sample (250 ml) was loaded at 50 ml min-1 into a Tenax GR sorbent tube containing 130 nmol of O-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl)hydroxylamine hydrochloride. All compounds showed a limit of detection lower than 200 pptv. The yield of the derivatization procedure was normalized by adding to the sample a known amount of 6D-acetone as an internal standard. This allowed halving the relative standard deviation to 10% and 15% for the mono-and di-carbonyl compounds, respectively, thus improving reliability. The optimized method was applied to the determination of carbonyl compounds in 12 breath samples collected from four patients suffering from heart failure during hospitalization.

Determination of volatile organic compounds in exhaled breath of heart failure patients by needle trap micro-extraction coupled with gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

The analytical performances of needle trap micro-extraction (NTME) coupled with gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry were evaluated by analyzing a mixture of twenty-two representative breath volatile organic compounds (VOCs) belonging to different chemical classes (i.e. hydrocarbons, ketones, aldehydes, aromatics and sulfurs). NTME is an emerging technique that guarantees detection limits in the pptv range by pre-concentrating low volumes of sample, and it is particularly suitable for breath analysis. For most VOCs, detection limits between 20 and 500 pptv were obtained by pre-concentrating 25 ml of a humidified standard gas mixture at a flow rate of 15 ml min-1. For all compounds, inter- and intra-day precisions were always below 15%, confirming the reliability of the method. The procedure was successfully applied to the analysis of exhaled breath samples collected from forty heart failure (HF) patients during their stay in the University Hospital of Pisa. The majority of patients (about 80%) showed a significant decrease of breath acetone levels (a factor of 3 or higher) at discharge compared to admission (acute phase) in correspondence to the improved clinical conditions during hospitalization, thus making this compound eligible as a biomarker of HF exacerbation.

A breath sampling system assessing the influence of respiratory rate on exhaled breath composition.

This work presents a computerized system to monitor mouth pressure, tidal volume, exhaled airflow, respiration rate and end-tidal partial pressure of CO2 during breath collection. The system was used to investigate the effect of different respiratory rates on the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) concentrations in exhaled breath. For this purpose, VOCs with well-defined biochemical pathways and different chemical and physical properties were selected as biomarkers related to metabolism (acetone and isopropyl alcohol), cholesterol synthesis (isoprene) and intestinal microflora activity (ethanol). Mixed breath was collected from a nominally healthy volunteer in resting conditions by filling a Nalophan bag. The subject followed a regimented breathing pattern at different respiratory rates (10, 30 and 50 breaths per minute). Results highlight that ventilation pattern strongly influences the concentration of the selected compounds. The proposed system allows exhaled breath to be collected also in patients showing dyspnea such as in case of chronic heart failure, asthma and pulmonary diseases.

The rationale for long-term prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism.

Prophylaxis for venous thromboembolism (VTE) after surgery has traditionally been given from the time of surgery until hospital discharge, typically ranging from 5-14 days. Recently, there has been a trend toward shorter periods of hospitalization. Furthermore, a number of prospective studies have demonstrated that a significant proportion of patients develop deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE) up to 5 or 6 weeks following general or orthopedic surgery. Therefore, prolonged prophylaxis during the post-discharge period may provide clinical benefits in high-risk patients. However, the optimal duration of prophylaxis for VTE after surgery remains unclear. In elective hip replacement, four studies of prolonged prophylaxis with low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) for 3- 4 weeks after hospital discharge demonstrated a significant reduction in the incidence of venography-confirmed DVT. These results support the use of prolonged thromboprophylaxis in the outpatient setting. Effective outpatient prophylaxis must be safe and convenient for patients to maximize compliance and clinical benefits. Low-molecular-weight heparins are safe and effective when given at a fixed daily dose, and pharmacoeconomic studies suggest that prolonged prophylaxis with these agents may be cost-effective. Key challenges for the future include identifying the patients who require prolonged prophylaxis and determining the duration of treatment.

Increased number of thromboxane A2-prostaglandin H2 platelet receptors in active unstable angina and causative role of enhanced thrombin formation.

The current study was designed to investigate the number and affinity of platelet thromboxane A2/prostaglandin H2 (TxA2/PGH2) receptors in patients with unstable angina and, if any, the role played by the increased thrombin formation that is a common finding in these patients. Measurements taken during active unstable angina but not those taken during inactive angina showed an increase number (p < 0.001), without changes in affinity, of platelet TxA2/PGH2 receptors, evaluated as the binding capacity of iodine 125-PTA-OH, a stable TxA2 analogue. Moreover patients with active angina had higher plasma concentrations of fibrinopeptide A (FPA) (p < 0.0001), which were significantly related to the number of platelet TxA2/PGH2 receptors (r = 0.76; p < 0.01). Heparin infusion but not aspirin treatment promptly normalized the number of TxA2/PGH2 receptors and significantly reduced plasma FPA concentrations. In an in-vitro study thrombin in a concentration similar to that found in vivo significantly increased the number of platelet TxA2/PGH2 receptors (p < 0.01), whereas heparin did not affect TxA2/PGH2 receptors. These results have important therapeutic implications and indicate the preferential use of heparin rather than aspirin during the acute phase of unstable angina.

Plasma endothelin and renal endothelin are two distinct systems involved in volume homeostasis.

This study of seven healthy young subjects was designed both to establish whether endothelin-1 (ET-1) is involved in the homeostasis of blood volume and to clarify the relationship between plasma and urinary ET-1. Acute volume expansion (+17%) caused increases in venous blood pressure (+4.4 mmHg) and the plasma concentration of ET-1 (+129%) and a decrease (-99%) in the urinary excretion of ET-1. Volume depletion (-8.5%) provoked an increase in the plasma concentration of ET-1 without altering the urinary excretion of ET-1. Passive elevation of an arm resulting in a local decrease of venous blood pressure (-17 mmHg) elicited an increase of the local formation of ET-1, with a 10-fold increase in the venous-arterial gradient compared with the opposite arm, which lay at the level of the heart. The increased local formation of ET-1 was blunted by volume expansion. The results indicate that 1) plasma ET-1 and urinary ET-1 represent two different endothelin-generating systems, both of which are involved in the regulation of blood volume, and 2) plasma ET-1 appears to be an important mechanism for the long-lasting adaptations of venous wall tension to changes in blood volume.