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I Pazienti affetti da polmonite interstiziale da COVID-19 necessitano spesso di assistenza ventilatoria non invasiva. Obiettivo dello studio è quello di valutare retrospettivamente l'efficacia di un intervento infermieristico con team leader/case manager esperto in pneumologia/ventilazione rispetto ad assistenza standard nel favorire il ritorno ad una respirazione in aria ambiente e all'utilizzo di supporti di ventilazione non invasivi in un campione di pazienti con polmonite da COVID-19 ricoverati in terapia subintensiva (high dependency unit - HDU).

The interaction of water molecules with the surface of hybrid silica-based mesoporous materials is studied by 29 Si, 1 H and 13 C solid-state NMR and IR spectroscopy, with the support of ab initio calculations. The surface of aminopropyl-grafted mesoporous silica nanoparticles is studied in the dehydrated state and upon interaction with controlled doses of water vapour. Former investigations described the interactions between aminopropyl and residual SiOH groups; the present study shows the presence of hydrogen-bonded species (SiOH to NH2 ) and weakly interacting "free" aminopropyl chains with restricted mobility, together with a small amount of protonated NH3+ groups. The concentration of the last-named species increased upon interaction with water, and this indicates reversible and fast proton exchange from water molecules to a fraction of the amino groups. Herein, this is discussed and explained for the first time, by a combination of experimental and theoretical approaches.

Environment-friendly nanosponges, having a high content of carboxyl groups, were synthesized by crosslinking &beta, cyclodextrin and linecaps, a highly soluble pea starch derivative, with citric acid in water. Additionally, pyromellitic nanosponges were prepared by reacting &beta, cyclodextrin and linecaps with pyromellitic dianhydride in dimethyl sulfoxide and used in comparison with the citric nanosponges. After ion-exchange of the carboxyl groups H+ with sodium ions, the ability of the nanosponges to sequester heavy metal cations was investigated. At a metal concentration of 500 ppm, the pyromellitate nanosponges exhibited a higher retention capacity than the citrate nanosponges. At lower metal concentrations (&le, 50 ppm) both the citrate and the pyromellitate nanosponges showed high retention capacities (up to 94% of the total amount of metal), while, in the presence of interfering sea water salts, the citrate nanosponges were able to selectively adsorb a significantly higher amount of heavy metals than the pyromellitate nanosponges, almost double in the case of Cu2+.

The complexation of the bioactive compound oxyresveratrol (OXY) with a polymer called cyclodextrin-based nanosponge (CD-NS) and its application was studied.A new methodology is used to calculate, an apparent inclusion complex constant (KFapp) between a ligand and CD-NSs. Moreover, the KFapp of resveratrol was also evaluated and compared. The complex of OXY with the nanosponge β-CDI 1:4, was studied in vitro using DSC, TGA and FTIR techniques and its drug loading and release behavior were studied. An in vitro digestion showed higher protection of OXY complexed than free OXY. The bioactivity enhancing capacity of OXY was also studied against prostate (PC-3) and colon (HT-29 and HCT-116) cancer cell lines, where it showed stronger cell viability inhibition than the free drug. The findings as a whole represent a new opportunity for studying the complexation of drugs in CD-NSs and the use of oxyresveratrol as an ingredient in nutraceutical products.

A simple hemi-squaraine dye (CT1) has been studied as a TiO2 sensitizer for application in dye sensitized solar cells (DSCs) by means of a combined experimental and theoretical investigation. This molecule is a prototype dye presenting an innovative anchoring group: the squaric acid moiety. Ab initio calculations based on Density Functional Theory (DFT) predict that this acid spontaneously deprotonates at the anatase (101) surface forming chemical bonds that are stronger than the ones formed by other linkers (e.g. cathecol and isonicotinic acid). Moreover an analysis of the electronic structure of the hybrid interface reveals the formation of a type II heterostructure ensuring adiabatic electron transfer from the molecule to the oxide. DSCs containing hemi-squaraine dyes were assembled, characterized and their performances compared to state of the art cells. Experimental results (large incident photon-to-electron conversion efficiency and an efficiency of 3.54%) confirmed the theoretical prediction that even a simple hemi-squaraine is an effective sensitizer for TiO2. Our study paves the way to the design of more efficient sensitizers based on a squaric acid linker and specifically engineered to absorb light in a larger part of the visible range.

We report the synthesis and surface functionalization of MCM-41-like mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) with spheroidal shape and particle size of 141 ± 41 nm. The success of surface functionalization with aminopropyl and sodium ethylcarboxylate groups (giving amino-MSN and carboxy-MSN, respectively) was ascertained by infrared spectroscopy and ζ potential measurements. The former showed the decrease of surface silanol groups and the corresponding appearance of signals related to NH2 bending mode (δNH2) at 1595 cm(-1) and COO(-) stretching (νas and νsym) at 1562 and 1418 cm(-1). The latter showed a change in surface charge, in that the isoelectric point (IEP) changed from pH 3-4.5 to 8.5 when the MSN was functionalized with the amino groups, while carboxy-MSN showed a more negative charge in the whole pH range with respect to MSN. The hydrophilic character of the prepared materials was ascertained by quantitative microgravimetric measurements, allowing the calculation of the average isosteric adsorption heat (q[combining macron]st). This was found to be 51 ± 3 kJ mol(-1), 61 ± 4, and 65 ± 3 kJ mol(-1) for MSN, amino-MSN, and carboxy-MSN samples, respectively. The increase in q[combining macron]st after functionalization can be ascribed to the specific interaction of water molecules with the functionalizing agents, in agreement with a higher basicity with respect to silanol groups. Moreover, the possibility of multiple H-bonding interactions of water molecules with the carboxylate anion is put forward to account for the higher water uptake with respect to parent MSN.

The inclusion of fluorescent molecules within the pores of an inorganic host system is one of the most common ways used for the preparation of highly fluorescent nanosystems. The confinement of labile molecules usually leads to better performances mainly due to their protection against environmental parameters which can concur with the deactivation of the fluorescent ones. In this work the protective effect of the siliceous mesoporous host on photo oxidation of fluorescent guest molecules has been investigated under different experimental conditions, highlighting an outstanding photostability if compared to the performances exerted by the fluorescent dye in solution.

To promote biobased products for industry, six biosurfactants (BS) isolated from green and food urban residues aged under aerobic digestion for 0–60 days were investigated for their chemical composition, surface activity properties and detergent performance in fabric washing in comparison with commercial anionic and nonionic surfactants (CS). The BS exhibited a range of chemical composition and surface activity properties presumably related to their different biomass sources. Surface tension data for these substances correlated meaningfully with performance data in fabric washing. It was found that BS have similar performances as CS when used neat, but the 1:1 w/w BS–CS mixes are characterized by significant synergy. High sensitivity to water hardness and fabric yellowing were found to be the main deficiencies for the BS. However, both effects are minimized or are not critically evident when the BS are used together with CS and/or in common detergents formulations. The results indicate that when used above critical micellar concentration, no significant or critical performance differences are evident within the whole group of BS or between BS and CS. These facts encourage expectations for industrial production and real commercialization of BS as components of detergents formulations.

From waste came forth surfactants: Humic acid like substances isolated from 0-60 day-old compost display excellent surface activity and solvent properties. These biosurfactants were used to solubilize a dye in water below and above their critical micellar concentration. The biosurfactant unimers appear to have higher dye-solubilizing power than the corresponding micelles.Humic acid like substances isolated from compost show potential as chemical auxiliaries. In the present study, three surfactant samples were obtained from green waste composted for 0-60 days to assess aging effects of the source on the properties of the products. The surface activity, dye solubility enhancement, and chemical nature of these substances were compared. No differences in performance were established among the samples. They lower water surface tension and enhance the dye solubility upon increasing their concentration. However, the ratio of soluble dye to added surfactant is higher in the premicellar than in the postmicellar concentration region. Structural investigations indicated the humic acid like substances to be amphiphiles with molecular weights in the range of 1-3 x 10(5) g mol(-1). The surfactant samples were also compared to sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate, polyacrylic acid, and soil and water humic substances. The results encourage the application of compost as a source of low-cost biosurfactant.