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Background: Tactile maneuvers stimulating spontaneous respiratory activity in preterm infants are recommended since birth, but data on how and how often these maneuvers are applied in clinical practice are unknown. In the last years, most preterm newborns with respiratory failure are preferentially managed with non-invasive respiratory support and by stimulating spontaneous respiratory activity from the delivery room and in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), in order to avoid the risks of intubation and prolonged mechanical ventilation. Methods: Preterm infants with gestational age < 31 weeks not intubated in the delivery room and requiring non-invasive respiratory support at birth will be eligible for the study. They will be randomized and allocated to one of two treatment groups: (1) the study group infants will be subject to the technique of respiratory facilitation within the first 24 h of life, according to the reflex stimulations, by the physiotherapist. The newborn is placed in supine decubitus and a slight digital pressure is exerted on a hemithorax. The respiratory facilitation technique will be performed for about three minutes and repeated for a total of 4/6 times in sequence, three times a day until spontaneous respiratory activity is achieved; thus, no respiratory support is required; (2) the control group infants will take part exclusively in the individualized postural care program. They will perform the technique of respiratory facilitation and autogenous drainage. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of early respiratory physiotherapy in reducing the incidence of intubation and mechanical ventilation in the first week of life (primary outcome). Discussion: The technique of respiratory facilitation is based on reflex stimulations, applied early to preterm infant. Slight digital pressure is exerted on a “trigger point” of each hemithorax, to stimulate the respiratory activity with subsequent increase of the ipsilateral pulmonary minute ventilation

Citrate-capped gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were functionalized with three distinct antitumor gold(III) complexes, e.g., [Au(N,N)(OH)2][PF6], where (N,N)=2,2′-bipyridine; [Au(C,N)(AcO)2], where (C,N)=deprotonated 6-(1,1-dimethylbenzyl)-pyridine; [Au(C,N,N)(OH)][PF6], where (C,N,N)=deprotonated 6-(1,1-dimethylbenzyl)-2,2′-bipyridine, to assess the chance of tracking their subcellular distribution by atomic force microscopy (AFM), and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) techniques. An extensive physicochemical characterization of the formed conjugates was, thus, carried out by applying a variety of methods (density functional theory—DFT, UV/Vis spectrophotometry, AFM, Raman spectroscopy, and SERS). The resulting gold(III) complexes/AuNPs conjugates turned out to be pretty stable. Interestingly, they exhibited a dramatically increased resonance intensity in the Raman spectra induced by AuNPs. For testing the use of the functionalized AuNPs for biosensing, their distribution in the nuclear, cytosolic, and membrane cell fractions obtained from human lymphocytes was investigated by AFM and SERS. The conjugates were detected in the membrane and nuclear cell fractions but not in the cytosol. The AFM method confirmed that conjugates induced changes in the morphology and nanostructure of the membrane and nuclear fractions. The obtained results point out that the conjugates formed between AuNPs and gold(III) complexes may be used as a tool for tracking metallodrug distribution in the different cell fractions.

Citrate-capped gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were functionalized with three distinct antitumor gold(III) complexes, e.g., [Au(N,N)(OH)2][PF6], where (N,N)=2,2′-bipyridine; [Au(C,N)(AcO)2], where (C,N)=deprotonated 6-(1,1-dimethylbenzyl)-pyridine; [Au(C,N,N)(OH)][PF6], where (C,N,N)=deprotonated 6-(1,1-dimethylbenzyl)-2,2′-bipyridine, to assess the chance of tracking their subcellular distribution by atomic force microscopy (AFM), and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) techniques. An extensive physicochemical characterization of the formed conjugates was, thus, carried out by applying a variety of methods (density functional theory—DFT, UV/Vis spectrophotometry, AFM, Raman spectroscopy, and SERS). The resulting gold(III) complexes/AuNPs conjugates turned out to be pretty stable. Interestingly, they exhibited a dramatically increased resonance intensity in the Raman spectra induced by AuNPs. For testing the use of the functionalized AuNPs for biosensing, their distribution in the nuclear, cytosolic, and membrane cell fractions obtained from human lymphocytes was investigated by AFM and SERS. The conjugates were detected in the membrane and nuclear cell fractions but not in the cytosol. The AFM method confirmed that conjugates induced changes in the morphology and nanostructure of the membrane and nuclear fractions. The obtained results point out that the conjugates formed between AuNPs and gold(III) complexes may be used as a tool for tracking metallodrug distribution in the different cell fractions.

12-tungstosilicic acid (SiW12) and decavanadate (V10) are polyoxometalate compounds (POMs) exhibiting biological activity. In vitro studies of the influence SiW12 and V10 on synaptic plasma membrane (SPM) acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and Na,K-ATPase, respectively, showed that these POMs inhibit the enzyme activities in submicromolar concentrations. As Na,K-ATPase and AChE are membrane associated enzymes, the inhibition of their activities can result from the membrane changes induced by the inhibitor binding. Thus, the effect of SiW12 and V10 on the membrane structure was investigated by using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) technique. The obtained results demonstrated that the calculated average roughness values for SiW12 and V10 treated SPM were significantly higher (about 6 and 1.5 times, respectively), compared to untreated SPM preparation. The obtained changes indicate that both investigated POMs bind to the plasma membranes, and consequently their approved strong inhibitory potencies toward the membrane bound enzymes might be assigned to the induced membrane modifications.

Using a scanning near-field optical microscope coupled to an infrared free electron laser (SNOM-IR-FEL) in low resolution transmission mode, we collected chemical data from whole cervical cells obtained from 5 pre-menopausal, non-pregnant women of reproductive age, and cytologically classified as normal or with different grades of cervical cell dyskaryosis. Imaging data are complemented by demography. All samples were collected before any treatment. Spectra were also collected using attenuated total reflection, Fourier-transform (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, to investigate the differences between the two techniques. Results of this pilot study suggests SNOM-IR-FEL may be able to distinguish cervical abnormalities based upon changes in the chemical profiles for each grade of dyskaryosis at designated wavelengths associated with DNA, Amide I/II, and lipids. The novel data sets are the first collected using SNOM-IR-FEL in transmission mode at the ALICE facility (UK), and obtained using whole cells as opposed to tissue sections, thus providing an “intact” chemical profile. These data sets are suited to complementing future work on image analysis, and/or applying the newly developed algorithm to other datasets collected using the SNOM-IR-FEL approach.

Using a scanning near-field optical microscope coupled to an infrared free electron laser (SNOM-IR-FEL) in low resolution transmission mode, we collected chemical data from whole cervical cells obtained from 5 pre-menopausal, non-pregnant women of reproductive age, and cytologically classified as normal or with different grades of cervical cell dyskaryosis. Imaging data are complemented by demography. All samples were collected before any treatment. Spectra were also collected using attenuated total reflection, Fourier-transform (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, to investigate the differences between the two techniques. Results of this pilot study suggests SNOM-IR-FEL may be able to distinguish cervical abnormalities based upon changes in the chemical profiles for each grade of dyskaryosis at designated wavelengths associated with DNA, Amide I/II, and lipids. The novel data sets are the first collected using SNOM-IR-FEL in transmission mode at the ALICE facility (UK), and obtained using whole cells as opposed to tissue sections, thus providing an “intact” chemical profile. These data sets are suited to complementing future work on image analysis, and/or applying the newly developed algorithm to other datasets collected using the SNOM-IR-FEL approach.

Using a scanning near-field optical microscope coupled to an infrared free electron laser (SNOM-IR-FEL) in low resolution transmission mode, we collected chemical data from whole cervical cells obtained from 5 pre-menopausal, non-pregnant women of reproductive age, and cytologically classified as normal or with different grades of cervical cell dyskaryosis. Imaging data are complemented by demography. All samples were collected before any treatment. Spectra were also collected using attenuated total reflection, Fourier-transform (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, to investigate the differences between the two techniques. Results of this pilot study suggests SNOM-IR-FEL may be able to distinguish cervical abnormalities based upon changes in the chemical profiles for each grade of dyskaryosis at designated wavelengths associated with DNA, Amide I/II, and lipids. The novel data sets are the first collected using SNOM-IR-FEL in transmission mode at the ALICE facility (UK), and obtained using whole cells as opposed to tissue sections, thus providing an “intact” chemical profile. These data sets are suited to complementing future work on image analysis, and/or applying the newly developed algorithm to other datasets collected using the SNOM-IR-FEL approach.

Using a scanning near-field optical microscope coupled to an infrared free electron laser (SNOM-IR-FEL) in low resolution transmission mode, we collected chemical data from whole cervical cells obtained from 5 pre-menopausal, non-pregnant women of reproductive age, and cytologically classified as normal or with different grades of cervical cell dyskaryosis. Imaging data are complemented by demography. All samples were collected before any treatment. Spectra were also collected using attenuated total reflection, Fourier-transform (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, to investigate the differences between the two techniques. Results of this pilot study suggests SNOM-IR-FEL may be able to distinguish cervical abnormalities based upon changes in the chemical profiles for each grade of dyskaryosis at designated wavelengths associated with DNA, Amide I/II, and lipids. The novel data sets are the first collected using SNOM-IR-FEL in transmission mode at the ALICE facility (UK), and obtained using whole cells as opposed to tissue sections, thus providing an “intact” chemical profile. These data sets are suited to complementing future work on image analysis, and/or applying the newly developed algorithm to other datasets collected using the SNOM-IR-FEL approach.

Cervical cancer remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality among women, especially in the developing world. Increased synthesis of proteins, lipids and nucleic acids is a pre-condition for the rapid proliferation of cancer cells. We show that scanning near-field optical microscopy, in combination with an infrared free electron laser (SNOM-IR-FEL), is able to distinguish between normal and squamous low-grade and high-grade dyskaryosis, and between normal and mixed squamous/glandular pre-invasive and adenocarcinoma cervical lesions, at designated wavelengths associated with DNA, Amide I/II and lipids. These findings evidence the promise of the SNOM-IR-FEL technique in obtaining chemical information relevant to the detection of cervical cell abnormalities and cancer diagnosis at spatial resolutions below the diffraction limit (?0.2 \ensuremathμm). We compare these results with analyses following attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy; although this latter approach has been demonstrated to detect underlying cervical atypia missed by conventional cytology, it is limited by a spatial resolution of ~3 \ensuremathμm to 30 \ensuremathμm due to the optical diffraction limit.

Cervical cancer remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality among women, especially in the developing world. Increased synthesis of proteins, lipids and nucleic acids is a pre-condition for the rapid proliferation of cancer cells. We show that scanning near-field optical microscopy, in combination with an infrared free electron laser (SNOM-IR-FEL), is able to distinguish between normal and squamous low-grade and high-grade dyskaryosis, and between normal and mixed squamous/glandular pre-invasive and adenocarcinoma cervical lesions, at designated wavelengths associated with DNA, Amide I/II and lipids. These findings evidence the promise of the SNOM-IR-FEL technique in obtaining chemical information relevant to the detection of cervical cell abnormalities and cancer diagnosis at spatial resolutions below the diffraction limit (?0.2 \ensuremathμm). We compare these results with analyses following attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy; although this latter approach has been demonstrated to detect underlying cervical atypia missed by conventional cytology, it is limited by a spatial resolution of ~3 \ensuremathμm to 30 \ensuremathμm due to the optical diffraction limit.

Cervical cancer remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality among women, especially in the developing world. Increased synthesis of proteins, lipids and nucleic acids is a pre-condition for the rapid proliferation of cancer cells. We show that scanning near-field optical microscopy, in combination with an infrared free electron laser (SNOM-IR-FEL), is able to distinguish between normal and squamous low-grade and high-grade dyskaryosis, and between normal and mixed squamous/glandular pre-invasive and adenocarcinoma cervical lesions, at designated wavelengths associated with DNA, Amide I/II and lipids. These findings evidence the promise of the SNOM-IR-FEL technique in obtaining chemical information relevant to the detection of cervical cell abnormalities and cancer diagnosis at spatial resolutions below the diffraction limit (?0.2 \ensuremathμm). We compare these results with analyses following attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy; although this latter approach has been demonstrated to detect underlying cervical atypia missed by conventional cytology, it is limited by a spatial resolution of ~3 \ensuremathμm to 30 \ensuremathμm due to the optical diffraction limit.

The paper presents the results of the experimental and theoretical study of 3,3-disulfopropyl-5,5-dichlorothiacyanine sodium salt (TC) adsorption and J-aggregation on the surface of citrate-capped silver nano particles (AgNPs) with an average particle size 10 nm. Various nanospectroscopy techniques such as UV-vis, TEM, AFM, DLS, zeta potential, and fluorescence measurements were carried out in order to characterize the hybrid system. Besides this, a set of simple density functional theory calculations (DFT) was performed and this suggested that TC dye, from the thermodynamical point of view, most likely interacted with AgNPs via oxygen atom from SO3- groups. The methods, which considered AgNPs as the macromolecule with several binding sites and TC dye as the ligand, were applied for the analysis of saturation curves constructed from the fluorescence data to obtain the binding constant (K-a = 1.5 x 10(6) M-1) and the average number of TC dye molecules bonded per AgNP (similar to 330). Moreover, TC fluorescence was quenched in the presence of AgNPs on the concentration dependent manner, yielding the linear Stern-Volmer relation accounting for both static and dynamic quenching with the quenching constant K-sv = 2.5 x 10(8) M-1. Kinetic measurements of J-aggregation as the dependence of AgNPs/TC concentration ratio confirmed that the J-aggregation occurred via a two-step process, the first of them being the initial adsorption of dye on AgNPs surface, followed by dye molecules rearrangement and the consecutive growth of TC aggregate layers.

The paper presents the results of the experimental and theoretical study of 3,3-disulfopropyl-5,5-dichlorothiacyanine sodium salt (TC) adsorption and J-aggregation on the surface of citrate-capped silver nano particles (AgNPs) with an average particle size 10 nm. Various nanospectroscopy techniques such as UV-vis, TEM, AFM, DLS, zeta potential, and fluorescence measurements were carried out in order to characterize the hybrid system. Besides this, a set of simple density functional theory calculations (DFT) was performed and this suggested that TC dye, from the thermodynamical point of view, most likely interacted with AgNPs via oxygen atom from SO3- groups. The methods, which considered AgNPs as the macromolecule with several binding sites and TC dye as the ligand, were applied for the analysis of saturation curves constructed from the fluorescence data to obtain the binding constant (K-a = 1.5 x 10(6) M-1) and the average number of TC dye molecules bonded per AgNP (similar to 330). Moreover, TC fluorescence was quenched in the presence of AgNPs on the concentration dependent manner, yielding the linear Stern-Volmer relation accounting for both static and dynamic quenching with the quenching constant K-sv = 2.5 x 10(8) M-1. Kinetic measurements of J-aggregation as the dependence of AgNPs/TC concentration ratio confirmed that the J-aggregation occurred via a two-step process, the first of them being the initial adsorption of dye on AgNPs surface, followed by dye molecules rearrangement and the consecutive growth of TC aggregate layers.

Cervical cancer remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality among women, especially in the developing world. Increased synthesis of proteins, lipids and nucleic acids is a pre-condition for the rapid proliferation of cancer cells. We show that scanning near-field optical microscopy, in combination with an infrared free electron laser (SNOM-IR-FEL), is able to distinguish between normal and squamous low-grade and high-grade dyskaryosis, and between normal and mixed squamous/glandular pre-invasive and adenocarcinoma cervical lesions, at designated wavelengths associated with DNA, Amide I/II and lipids. These findings evidence the promise of the SNOM-IR-FEL technique in obtaining chemical information relevant to the detection of cervical cell abnormalities and cancer diagnosis at spatial resolutions below the diffraction limit (≥0.2 μm). We compare these results with analyses following attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy; although this latter approach has been demonstrated to detect underlying cervical atypia missed by conventional cytology, it is limited by a spatial resolution of ~3 μm to 30 μm due to the optical diffraction limit.

Student farms and gardens are part of a movement concerning local food systems and direct connections between producers and consumers. Although student farms began decades ago, recently their numbers and impacts have increased. Campuses have integrated student farm and garden projects, offering authentic experiential learning opportunities for students, as successful measures of sustainability. This study explores student perceptions of the campus food systems related to the Virginia Tech (VT) Dining Garden and the Farms & Fields project venue in a main campus dining hall. A twenty question survey was created to assess student-awareness and interest in the VT Dining Garden using mixed quantitative and qualitative methods and analysis. The survey was conducted in two dining halls, over two time periods, lunch and dinner, to ensure a broad range of consumers. Surveys (n=600) were distributed with a total response rate of 50.3%. Results overall showed 55% consumer awareness of the project. Close to this same response level, 51% reported they were more likely to utilize the Farms & Fields campus dining option knowing its connection to the VT Dining Garden. Relatively little importance of organic or local procurement versus nutritional value, portion size and variety of choice was indicated from the survey response. Student motivations for volunteering in the garden were tracked identifying opportunity to work outdoors, gain horticultural skills and participate in local food systems as highly rated factors. Qualitative data showed positive responses toward the community aspect of the project and perceptions of higher quality and healthier options available. Based on these results, continued outreach for student engagement in the project could focus on community and university partnership development at the VT Dining Garden.

Student farms and gardens are part of a movement concerning local food systems and direct connections between producers and consumers. Although student farms began decades ago, recently their numbers and impacts have increased. Campuses have integrated student farm and garden projects, offering authentic experiential learning opportunities for students, as successful measures of sustainability. This study explores student perceptions of the campus food systems related to the Virginia Tech (VT) Dining Garden and the Farms & Fields project venue in a main campus dining hall. A twenty question survey was created to assess student-awareness and interest in the VT Dining Garden using mixed quantitative and qualitative methods and analysis. The survey was conducted in two dining halls, over two time periods, lunch and dinner, to ensure a broad range of consumers. Surveys (n=600) were distributed with a total response rate of 50.3%. Results overall showed 55% consumer awareness of the project. Close to this same response level, 51% reported they were more likely to utilize the Farms & Fields campus dining option knowing its connection to the VT Dining Garden. Relatively little importance of organic or local procurement versus nutritional value, portion size and variety of choice was indicated from the survey response. Student motivations for volunteering in the garden were tracked identifying opportunity to work outdoors, gain horticultural skills and participate in local food systems as highly rated factors. Qualitative data showed positive responses toward the community aspect of the project and perceptions of higher quality and healthier options available. Based on these results, continued outreach for student engagement in the project could focus on community and university partnership development at the VT Dining Garden.

The growing interest for the physicalproperties of graphene and its chernical functionalization is triggering a renewed attention to other more complex forms of sp2 nanostructured carbon, e.g., carbon schwarzites. The structural complexity of these forrns prevents in rnany cases the possibility of ab-initio calculations of their electronic and vibrational properties. On the other hand in systems with a certain level of conjugation many of these properties depend primarily on the topological features of the structure - notably on the graph describing the bonding network and the associated adjacency matrix. In this work, specifically devoted to planar schwarzites, it is shown that their vibrational spectrum as obtained from the diagonalization of the adjacency matrix (topological phonons) reflects the main features of ab-initio calculations. Thus the method is suitable to the study of thermodynarnic and spectral phonon properties of defective schwarzites which involve integrals over the unperturbed phonon density of states. Calculations of the phonon density of states smallest planar schwarzites and the effects of various type of local perturbation are presented and thoroughly discussed.

EPIOPTICS-7, Item does not contain fulltext

EPIOPTICS-7, Item does not contain fulltext

EPIOPTICS-7, Item does not contain fulltext

EPIOPTICS-7, Item does not contain fulltext

This dissertation analyses the development of democracy and the pension system in Italy in relation to the goals of a welfare state. The aim of the thesis is to determine whether Italian democracy and social policy (through the study of a specific case: the pension system) have moved towards greater equality or whether old privileges and inequalities still remain. The thesis examines the development of democracy in relation to three models - exclusive, semi-inclusive and inclusive democracy - and of the pension system in relation to three models of social policy - marginal, meritocratic (or corporative) and universal social policy. Of these, inclusive democracy and universal social policy contain the prerequisites of a welfare state. The framework of this thesis is based on the power-resources approach with a corrective borrowed from the Gramscian theory of class hegemony. An intra-regional (within the sphere of an intra-national context) comparative method is adopted with an emphasis on class and gender both within and between regions. With this method it is possible to determine the degree of equality in the country with respect to class and gender and to confirm whether this is due to regional differences in economic development or to a special type of politics. In both scholarly and political contexts it is often claimed that, owing to the ideology of the Christian Democratic Party and the Catholic Church, the Italian welfare state is a conservative one, and further that this party has used social policy to develop strong patronage structures and a political clientele. This study concludes that democracy and the pension system in Italy have not moved towards the ideals of a welfare state, that class and gender inequality are still strong, and that these inequalities cannot be explained by regional economic differences. The findings do not confirm that the existing state of affairs in Italy can be attributed solely to the long period of Christian Democratic gover

The overall shape and membrane surface of human erythrocytes (RBCs) in the presence of nifedipine (a dihydropyridinic drug used in the clinical treatment of hypertension and angina pectoris) were imaged by contact-mode atomic force microscopy. Nifedipine induces in RBCs relevant morphological changes the extent of which increases as a function of drug concentration and incubation time. The modifications have been interpreted as mainly due to insertion of nifedipine into the outer layer of the RBC membrane. The potential effect of nifedipine as a hemoglobin denaturant has been ruled out by x-ray absorption near-edge structure and optical spectroscopies. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(00)01024-X].

The surface electronic structure of the clean Si(100)-(2x1) surface at room temperature is studied by high-resolution electron-energy-loss spectroscopy. Main absorption edge is detected at similar to 0.4 eV, which corresponds to the energy gap of the system, further structures are singled out at 0.8 and 1.25 eV and ascribed to interband electronic transitions between dimer-related levels. The paramount importance of cleanness is addressed showing and quantifying the effect of the residual gas atmosphere (that can be present in ultrahigh vacuum) on the electronic structure.