Explore the vast range of titles available.

In recent years, sewage treatment plants did not effectively remove emerging water pollutants, leaving potential threats to human health and the environment. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have emerged as a promising technology for the treatment of contaminated wastewater, and the addition of catalysts such as heavy metals has been shown to enhance their effectiveness. This review focuses on the use of rare earth elements (REEs) as catalysts in the AOP process for the degradation of organic pollutants. Cerium and La are the most studied REEs, and their mechanism of action is based on the oxygen vacancies and REE ion concentration in the catalysts. Metal oxide surfaces improve the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide to form hydroxide species, which degrade the organics. The review discusses the targets of AOPs, including pharmaceuticals, dyes, and other molecules such as alkaloids, herbicides, and phenols. The current state-of-the-art advances of REEs-based AOPs, including Fenton-like oxidation and photocatalytic oxidation, are also discussed, with an emphasis on their catalytic performance and mechanism. Additionally, factors affecting water chemistry, such as pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, inorganic species, and natural organic matter, are analyzed. REEs have great potential for enhancing the removal of dangerous organics from aqueous solutions, and further research is needed to explore the photoFenton-like activity of REEs and their ideal implementation for wastewater treatment.

The emergence of colistin-resistant Enterobacteriaceae in food products is a growing concern due to the potential transfer of resistance to human pathogens. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of colistin-resistant Enterobacteriaceae in raw and ready-to-eat food samples collected from two regions of Italy (Apulia and Basilicata) and to evaluate their resistance phenotypes and genetic characteristics. A total of 1000 food samples were screened, with a prevalence of 4.4% of colistin-resistant Enterobacteriaceae. The majority of the isolates belonged to Enterobacter spp. (60%), followed by Moellerella wisconsensis, Atlantibacter hermannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Escherichia coli, among others. Genomic sequencing and antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed high levels of resistance to β-lactams, with most isolates exhibiting multidrug resistance (MDR). Notably, seven isolates harbored mcr genes (mcr-1, mcr-9, and mcr-10). Additionally, in four of them were predicted the IncHI2 plasmids, known to facilitate the spread of colistin resistance. Furthermore, 56 antimicrobial resistance genes were identified, suggesting the genetic mechanisms underlying resistance to several antibiotic classes. Virulence gene analysis showed that E. coli and other isolates carried genes linked to pathogenicity, increasing the potential risk to public health. This study emphasizes the role of food as a potential reservoir for colistin-resistant bacteria and the importance of monitoring the spread of AMR genes in foodborne pathogens.

Background Nutrition exerts a fundamental role in the prevention of obesity (OB). The aim of this study was to assess the extent to which well recognized risk factors for early OB can be associated to overweight (OW) or OB under a standardized nutritional approach and surveillance in toddlers. Methods The eligible population was represented by 676 toddlers aged 24–36 months, assigned to 18 primary care pediatricians trained on nutritional issues who shared a standardized nutritional approach. Six-hundred-twenty-nine children (333 boys), mean age 27.8  ±  4.2 months were effectively included in this observational study. Parents received nutritional advice with particular emphasis to proteins and sugar composition supported by leaflets and reinforced at each visit. Body mass index was assessed at the age of 24–36 months. The following individual and family risk factors were considered: gestational age, birth weight, eutocic/caesarean delivery, milk feeding history, household smoking or antibiotics exposure, parents’ weight, height and educational level. Prevalence of OW/OB was compared to a group of 742 toddlers (373 boys) under usual care. Results Under a standardized nutritional counselling, 28.1% toddlers were classified as OW/OB compared to 36.9% toddlers under usual care ( p  = 0.005). In unadjusted models, parental OW/OB was significantly associated to OW/OB in toddlers ( p  < 0.01), while high birth weight did not reach statistical significance ( p  = 0.07). In adjusted models, including all the explanatory variables studied, only paternal OW/OB vs. normal weight was significantly associated to OW/OB in toddlers (OR 2.035, 95% confidence interval 1.206–3.436). No protective effect of exclusive breast feeding during the first 6 months of age was demonstrated. Conclusions Toddlers under a standardized nutrition counselling focused to limit protein and simple sugars, showed lower prevalence of OW/OB compared to usual care. Healthy promotion activities should take into account the influence of paternal BMI on the offspring adiposity.

Achondroplasia (ACH) represents the major cause of dwarfism and is due to mutations in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) gene. The cellular mechanisms involved in the reduced growth have been mainly described for in vitro or in vivo models, but few data have been obtained for humans. Thirteen children with ACH were enrolled in the study; the presence of FGFR3 mutations was determined by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis and sequencing, whereas protein expression in cartilage biopsy was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Chondrocytes in cartilage biopsies of ACH children were characterized by the presence of growth arrest mediated by STAT activation (both STAT1 and STAT5) and increased expression of p21 and cyclin D1, whereas no expression of either p53 or cyclin D3 could be detected. This mechanism was present in ACH children carrying the G380R mutation but also in a patient in whom no mutation could be detected in the entire coding region of the FGFR3 gene. These data thus demonstrate the presence of a common final mechanism involving p21 and possibly leading to a block in chondrocyte proliferation.

No data exist as to Th2 chemokines in erythema multiforme (EM) and Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS)/toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). To evaluate thymus- and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC), macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC) and regulated upon activation, normal T-lymphocyte-expressed and secreted chemokine (RANTES) expression in EM and SJS/TEN and to correlate with the serum levels of the Th1 promoter interleukin (IL)-12 and soluble Fas ligand (sFasL). IL-12, sFasL, TARC, MDC and RANTES expression were analyzed by ELISA techniques in 31 untreated EM (n = 24) or SJS/TEN (n = 7) patients and in 28 healthy donors (HD). EM and SJS/TEN exhibited significantly higher levels of TARC, IL-12 and sFasL with respect to HD. TARC upregulation paralleled both the IL-12 (p = 0.0225) and sFasL increase (p = 0.0194). Our results support a role of TARC in the pathophysiology of EM/SJS/TEN and confirm the coexistence of a Th2 response in addition to the predominant Th1 profile.

This study explores the potential use of ChatGPT, an AI-based language model, in assessing herbal-drug interactions (HDi) to enhance clinical decision-making. HDi can pose significant health risks by reducing drug efficacy or causing unwanted side effects. Clinical pharmacists play a key role in identifying these HDIs, and currently, there are limited tools available for checking drug interactions. The research focuses on a case study of a rectal adenocarcinoma patient treated with capecitabine and 26 supplements, which contain a total of 80 herbal substances. ChatGPT 3.5 was asked three questions regarding potential HDIs: “Are there possible HDIs?”, “What is the pharmacokinetic mechanism?”, and “What is the bibliographic source of the interaction?”. The results were reviewed by an oncology clinical pharmacist and compared to existing databases and independent bibliographic research. The findings highlight ChatGPT’s advantage in processing large amounts of data quickly, with 16% of interactions classified as “unlikely”, confirmed by the pharmacist. However, 73% of the suggested mechanisms were false positives, and 4% were categorized as “hallucinations”. Additionally, most of the bibliographic sources provided by ChatGPT were outdated or unavailable. While ChatGPT proves useful for initial HDI screening, its limitations include outdated data (last updated in January 2022), lack of access to private databases, and occasional inaccuracies. Further applications of AI in this area are recommended, though expert validation remains essential in the clinical decision-making process.

Background: No data exist as to Th2 chemokines in erythema multiforme (EM) and Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS)/toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). Objective: To evaluate thymus- and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC), macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC) and regulated upon activation, normal T-lymphocyte-expressed and secreted chemokine (RANTES) expression in EM and SJS/TEN and to correlate with the serum levels of the Th1 promoter interleukin (IL)-12 and soluble Fas ligand (sFasL). Materials and Methods: IL-12, sFasL, TARC, MDC and RANTES expression were analyzed by ELISA techniques in 31 untreated EM (n = 24) or SJS/TEN (n = 7) patients and in 28 healthy donors (HD). Results: EM and SJS/TEN exhibited significantly higher levels of TARC, IL-12 and sFasL with respect to HD. TARC upregulation paralleled both the IL-12 (p = 0.0225) and sFasL increase (p = 0.0194). Conclusions: Our results support a role of TARC in the pathophysiology of EM/SJS/TEN and confirm the coexistence of a Th2 response in addition to the predominant Th1 profile.