Occurrence of Natural and Synthetic Micro-Fibers in the Mediterranean Sea: A Review.

Among microplastics (MPs), fibers are one of the most abundant shapes encountered in the aquatic environment. Growing attention is being focused on this typology of particles since they are considered an important form of marine contamination. Information about microfibers distribution in the Mediterranean Sea is still limited and the increasing evidence of the high amount of fibers in the aquatic environment should lead to a different classification from MPs which, by definition, are composed only of synthetic materials and not natural. In the past, cellulosic fibers (natural and regenerated) have been likely included in the synthetic realm by hundreds of studies, inflating "micro-plastic" counts in both environmental matrices and organisms. Comparisons are often hampered because many of the available studies have explicitly excluded the micro-fibers (MFs) content due, for example, to methodological problems. Considering the abundance of micro-fibers in the environment, a chemical composition analysis is fundamental for toxicological assessments. Overall, the results of this review work provide the basis to monitor and mitigate the impacts of microfiber pollution on the sea ecosystems in the Mediterranean Sea, which can be used to investigate other basins of the world for future risk assessment.

Graphene-based nanomaterials in the electroplating industry: A suitable choice for heavy metal removal from wastewater.

The presence of various heavy metal ions in the industrial waste waters has recently been a challenging issue for human health. Since heavy metals are highly soluble in the aquatic environments and they can be absorbed easily by living organisms, their removal is essential from the environmental point of view. Many studies have been devoted to investigating the environmental behaviour of graphene-based nanomaterials as sorbent agents to remove metals from wastewaters arising by galvanic industries. Among the graphene derivates, especially graphene oxide (GO), due to its abundant oxygen functional groups, high specific area and hydrophilicity, is a high-efficient adsorbent for the removal of heavy and precious metals in aquatic environment. This paper reviews the main graphene, GO, functionalized GO and their composites and its applications in the metals removal process. The influencing factors, adsorption capacities and reuse capability are highlighted for the most extensively used heavy metals, including copper, zinc, nickel, chromium, cobalt and precious metals (i.e., gold, silver, platinum, palladium, rhodium, and ruthenium) in the electroplating process.

Occurrence and characterization of microplastic and mesoplastic pollution in the Migliarino San Rossore, Massaciuccoli Nature Park (Italy).

Microplastics pollution is progressively threatening natural parks across the world. In the framework of monitoring this concerning trend, the present study focuses on the occurrence and identification of mesoplastics (MEPs) and microplastics (MPs) in sand samples collected before and after the summer season from the beach of the Nature Park of Migliarino San Rossore Massaciuccoli (Pisa, Italy). Meso- and microplastics were identified using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy 2D Imaging, and detected in all samples with average concentrations of 207 ± 30 MPs/kg d.w., and 100 ± 44 MEPs/kg d.w., respectively. Seasonal changes of flow of the Arno River, industrial activities, and urban footprint were considered as the major sources of plastic pollution. Our results showed the occurrence of both natural and synthetic polymers including cellulose, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamides, polyethylene terephthalate, and acrylonitrile.

Accuracy of Digital Impressions in Fixed Prosthodontics: A Systematic Review of Clinical Studies.

PURPOSE: To determine the accuracy of direct digital impressions in vivo and compare it to that of conventional impressions in order to assess whether intraoral scanners could be a legitimate alternative for the manufacturing of fixed prosthodontics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An electronic systematic search was conducted in the PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases using query terms such as digital impression; intraoral digital impression; intraoral scanner; intraoral digital scanner; conventional impression; analogue impression; and accuracy. The outcomes were the trueness and precision of digital impressions in comparison to those of high-precision conventional impressions in vivo. RESULTS: Six studies matched the inclusion criteria. Four studies investigated the precision of digital impressions, while two studies focused on their trueness. Even if all the authors agreed that conventional impressions were more accurate than digital impressions in vivo, they gave different opinions on using intraoral scanners in a clinical context without causing misfit of the final restoration. CONCLUSION: According to the results of the present review, conventional impressions performed using high-precision impression materials showed greater accuracy than digital impressions. However, additional studies assessing the accuracy of digital impressions in a wider variety of clinical situations are highly recommended.

Adhesion to Zirconia: A Systematic Review of Current Conditioning Methods and Bonding Materials.

Background. Reliable bonding between resin composite cements and high strength ceramics is difficult to achieve because of their chemical inertness and lack of silica content that makes etching impossible. The purpose of this review is to classify and analyze the existing methods and materials suggested to improve the adhesion of zirconia to dental substrate by using composite resins, in order to explore current trends in surface conditioning methods with predictable results. Methods. The current literature, examining the bond strength of zirconia ceramics, and including in vitro studies, clinical studies, and a systematic review, was analyzed. The research in the literature was carried out using PubMed and Cochrane Library databases, only papers in English, published online from 2013 to 2018. The following keywords and their combinations were used: Zirconia, 3Y-TZP, Adhesion, Adhesive cementation, Bonding, Resin, Composite resin, Composite material, Dentin, Enamel. Results. Research, in PubMed and Cochrane Library databases, provided 390 titles with abstracts. From these, a total of 93 publications were chosen for analysis. After a full text evaluation, seven articles were discarded. Therefore, the final sample was 86, including in vitro, clinical studies, and one systematic review. Various adhesive techniques with different testing methods were examined. Conclusions. Airborne-particle abrasion and tribo-chemical silica coating are the pre-treatment methods with more evidence in the literature. Increased adhesion could be expected after physico-chemical conditioning of zirconia. Surface contamination has a negative effect on adhesion. There is no evidence to support a universal adhesion protocol.

Predictors of recovering ambulation after hip fracture inpatient rehabilitation.

BACKGROUND: Despite progress in surgery and care, hip fracture (HF) remains a catastrophic event, burdened with high risk of mortality and disability. This study aims at identifying predictors of recovering ambulation after intensive inpatient rehabilitation within the Tuscany Region HF rehabilitation pathway. METHODS: All HF patients referred from acute care to the two Massa-Carrara Rehabilitation facilities January 2015-June 2017 were enrolled. Comorbidity Total Score (CIRS) defined high- or low-care setting referral. Recovery of ambulation, with or without aid, (assessed by SAHFE) was the primary outcome. Personal data, comorbidity, cognitive (MMSe) and pre-fracture function (mRANKIN) were recorded on admission. Outcomes included hospital readmission, length of stay (LOS) and home discharge. Urinary catheter, bedsores, disability (modified Barthel Index-mBI), communication disability (CDS), trunk control (TCT), pain (NRS), and ambulation were recorded (admission-discharge). RESULTS: Of 352 patients enrolled (age 83.9 ± 7.1; 80% women), 1 died and 6 were readmitted to acute-care hospital; 97% patients referred to high-care, and 64% referred to low-care, presented moderate-high comorbidity on admission. Median LOS was 22 days; 95% patients were discharged back home; daily functional gain (mBIscore/LOS) was 1.3 ± 0.7. Patients who recovered ambulation on discharge were 84%. Older age, higher comorbidity, bladder catheter, impaired trunk control, worse cognitive and functional status on admission, and pre-fracture disability were associated to poor outcome, but only higher comorbidity and impaired communication on admission predicted failure to recover ambulation on discharge. CONCLUSION: In HF patients entitled to intensive inpatient rehabilitation, moderate-high comorbidity and impaired communication are frequent findings and predict rehabilitation failure.