Superhydrophobic lab-on-chip measures secretome protonation state and provides a personalized risk assessment of sporadic tumour.

Secretome of primary cultures is an accessible source of biological markers compared to more complex and less decipherable mixtures such as serum or plasma. The protonation state (PS) of secretome reflects the metabolism of cells and can be used for cancer early detection. Here, we demonstrate a superhydrophobic organic electrochemical device that measures PS in a drop of secretome derived from liquid biopsies. Using data from the sensor and principal component analysis (PCA), we developed algorithms able to efficiently discriminate tumour patients from non-tumour patients. We then validated the results using mass spectrometry and biochemical analysis of samples. For the 36 patients across three independent cohorts, the method identified tumour patients with high sensitivity and identification as high as 100% (no false positives) with declared subjects at-risk, for sporadic cancer onset, by intermediate values of PS. This assay could impact on cancer risk management, individual's diagnosis and/or help clarify risk in healthy populations.

Synthesis and antioxidant evaluation of lipophilic oleuropein aglycone derivatives.

Oleuropein is the most important phenolic compound present in olive cultivars, but it is scarcely present in extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) due to its high hydrophilicity and degradability. Thus, a set of oleuropein aglycone derivatives were synthesized by transacetylation under mild conditions with the aim of circumventing these drawbacks and making the active moiety in oleuropein suitable to be added to food fats. The oleuropein aglycone (closed ring form) is obtained by hydrolyzing oleuropein using Lewis acid catalysis. Then, the permeation profiles as well as the antioxidant capacity of the oleuropein aglycone derivatives were evaluated by ORAC, DPPH assays and by ROS formation using the SH-SY5Y cell line. The biological activities of the obtained compounds exhibited a dependence on their level of lipophilicity.

The occurrence of pesticides and persistent organic pollutants in Italian organic honeys from different productive areas in relation to potential environmental pollution.

Bee products, such as honey, are widely consumed as food and consumer interest is currently oriented towards organic foods. Regarding this, the European Commission establishes that the qualification of organic honey and other beekeeping products as being from organic production is closely bound with the characteristics of hive treatments as well as the quality of the environment. Agricultural contamination with pesticides is a challenging problem that needs to be fully addressed, in particular in the field of organic production systems. In this study, the occurrence of different classes of contaminants selected as representative of potential contamination sources were investigated in 59 organic honeys: organochlorines, OCs; organophosphates, OPs; polychlorobiphenyls, PCBs and polybromodiphenylethers, PBDEs. A method based on Accelerated Solvent Extraction with "in line" clean-up and GC-MS/MS detection was developed to detect contaminants. Residues of many pesticides were found in most of the samples investigated. The majority of honey samples contained at least one of the pesticides, even if their concentrations were found to be lower than its MRL. Diazinon, Mevinphos, Coumaphos, Chlorpyrifos and Quinoxyfen were the residues frequently detected in samples coming from the apple and citrus orchard areas. Furthermore, the results of the present study show that the presence of the residue in organic honey may also be affected by the geographical area (e.g. the presence of an agricultural system) confirming honey bee and beehive matrices as appropriate sentinels for monitoring contamination in the environment. The optimised method proved to be simple and rapid, requiring small sample sizes and minimising solvent consumption, due to the ASE having an "in line" clean-up step.

[The association of lung cancer with asbestos and tobacco smoking]. / L'associazione asbesto-fumo di sigaretta nel cancro polmonare.

This work summarises the potential association link for lung cancer between asbestos and smoking. This link emerges not only from different epidemiological and experimental studies, but also from a wide data collection carried out by an omogeneous Italian industrial group. The examination of the data set has led to the conclusion that the simultaneous exposition to asbestos and tobacco's smoke entails a factor, usually multiplicative and also partially additive, in relation to lung cancer; on the other hand, it does not seem to have a great relevance for mesothelioma pleurico. On the basis of this evidence, the Authors focus in particular on the measures of prevention in the contest of work conditions, in order to highlight the impact of the two carcinogenic agents in workers.

[Functioning of the sterilization equipment used in the surgical departments of a Roman hospital]. / Funzionamento degli impianti di sterilizzazione nei reparti operatori di un ospedale romano.

The Authors describe the results of a surveillance program on the efficacy of autoclaves used in the surgical wards of a large hospital in Rome. Data show that only 2.8% of the tests performed with UNI methodology was unfavourable, while the percentage rise to 12.5% for autoclaves following the "flash cicle". In conclusion, the Authors suggest to expand the routine surveillance to all autoclaves of the hospital and to use the "flash cicle" only for the emergency.

[Cadmium in the total diet of the typical Italian collective]. / Il cadmio nelle diete totali di tipiche collettivita' Italiane.

An inquiry, by the "Duplicate Portion" technique, has been made to estimate the daily assimilation of cadmium in various collectivities of Rome, representative of different economical-social and sanitary realities. At this regard, 132 complete meals, coming from a hospital canteen, a nursing home for old people, a big company, a community of students and an agricultural firm, have been examined. The sample has been mineralized to white ashes and analyzed in spectrophotometry at A.A. with a little oven of graphite. The data about cadmium assimilation, that we have obtained, are included between 12 and 25 micrograms/day and they are placed at medium-low levels, if we compare then with an assimilation of 15-60 micrograms/day, carried from studies on various populations. No daily data exceeded the limit of tolerability of 57-71 micrograms/day suggested from the W.H.O. Our data, coming the point, do not indicate a particular situation of danger for the groups of population we have studied.