Adsorption of heavy metals on silica-supported hydrophilic carbonaceous nanoparticles (SHNPs).

This paper reports experimental results on the removal of Cd(II), Ni(II) and Pb(II) ions using hydrophilic carbon nanoparticles (HNPs) supported over silica beads to enhance their separation from treated water. The supported HNPs (SHNPs) exhibit high removal efficiencies especially at neutral pH and low temperature (10 °C), conditions that commonly occur for natural water remediation and for some types of industrial wastewater. The maximum adsorption capacity of the SHNPs at a reference concentration of 0.2 mM is 0.042 mmol g-1, 0.027 mmol g-1 and 0.055 mmol g-1 for Cd(II), Pb(II) and Ni(II) ions, respectively. Modelling analysis on the adsorption isotherms revealed that the free Gibbs' energy of interactions between the sorbent and Ni(II) and Pb(II) ions is higher than that of Cd(II) ions indicating that the sorbents are more affine to intermediate acids, as Ni(II) and Pb(II) ions, than to soft acids, as Cd(II) ions. The sorbents exhibit appreciable adsorption capacities per gram of active phase (0.54 mg g-1 for Cd(II) ions, 13.48 mg g-1 for Ni(II) ions and 8.87 mg g-1 for Pb(II) ions) at the corresponding quality limit admitted by Italian regulations on wastewater, suggesting their possible use in water treatment plants.

Proinflammatory effects of diesel exhaust nanoparticles on scleroderma skin cells.

Autoimmune diseases are complex disorders of unknown etiology thought to result from interactions between genetic and environmental factors. We aimed to verify whether environmental pollution from diesel engine exhaust nanoparticulate (DEP) of actually operating vehicles could play a role in the development of a rare immune-mediated disease, systemic sclerosis (SSc), in which the pathogenetic role of environment has been highlighted. The effects of carbon-based nanoparticulate collected at the exhaust of newer (Euro 5) and older (Euro 4) diesel engines on SSc skin keratinocytes and fibroblasts were evaluated in vitro by assessing the mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1 α , IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α) and fibroblast chemical mediators (metalloproteases 2, 3, 7, 9, and 12; collagen types I and III; VEGF). DEP was shown to stimulate cytokine gene expression at a higher extent in SSc keratinocytes versus normal cells. Moreover, the mRNA gene expression of all MMPs, collagen types, and VEGF genes was significantly higher in untreated SSc fibroblasts versus controls. Euro 5 particle exposure increased the mRNA expression of MMP-2, -7, and -9 in SSc fibroblasts in a dose dependent manner and only at the highest concentration in normal cells. We suggest that environmental DEP could trigger the development of SSc acting on genetically hyperreactive cell systems.

[Meigs syndrome with bilateral hydrothorax]. / Sindrome di Meigs con idrotorace bilaterale.

The co-existence of pelvic tumor, hydrothorax and ascites has been known since the last century. The features of this disease were described by Meigs and Cass in 1937; in the same year Roads named it Meigs syndrome. According to the original description this syndrome only included, as pelvic involvement, an ovarian neoplasm; at present it is accepted that hydrothorax and the ascites can also be associated with a uterine tumor, like a fibroma. The existence of either an ovarian or a uterine neoplasm distinguishes the typical Meigs syndrome from a pseudo-Meigs syndrome. The most likely pathogenesis of Meigs syndrome ascribes the formation of the peritoneal and pleural effusion to the filtration of interstitial fluid in the peritoneum through the tumor capsule, and the diffusion to the pleural space, generally at the right side, through the diaphragm lymphatic vessels and the foramen of Bochdalek. Dockerty reported that at least 40% of ovarian tumors had a diameter of more than 6 cm when associated with hydrothorax and ascites. The entity of pleural and peritoneal effusion can be moderate or massive. The effusions generally derive from a transudative process, but they can occasionally contain blood cells. The connection between the pelvic tumor and the effusion is demonstrated by the regression of the latter when the neoplasm is excised. When the pelvic tumor has an ovarian location it derives from the connective tissue of the hilus, it appears during fertile age and has a slow growth, the clinical signs becoming evident in elder age.