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In this work, we synthesize a series of push–pull compounds bearing naphthalimide as the electron acceptor and tetraphenylethylene (TPE)/triphenylamine (TPA)/phenothiazine (PTZ) as the electron rich/electron donor units. These moieties are arranged in highly conjugated quadrupolar structures. The structure–property relationships are investigated through a joint experimental time–resolved spectroscopic and computational TD–DFT study. The femtosecond transient absorption and fluorescence up–conversion experiments reveal ultrafast photoinduced intramolecular charge transfer. This is likely the key factor leading to efficient spin–orbit CT–induced intersystem crossing for the TPA– and PTZ–derivatives as well as to small singlet–to–triplet energy gap. Consequently, evidence for a delayed fluorescence component is found together with the main prompt emission in the fluorescence kinetics both in solution and in thin film. The weight of the Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence (TADF) is greatly enhanced when these fluorophores are used as guests in solid–state host matrices. TADF is interestingly revealed in the orange–red region of the visible. Such long wavelength emission is here observed with surprisingly large fluorescence quantum yields, thanks to the conjugation enhancement achieved in these newly synthesized structures relative to previous studies. Our findings may be thus promising for the future development of efficient third generation TADF–based OLEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this study we investigated how cell origin could affect the efficacy of an antimicrobial treatment (mild heating combined with terpenoids) in Listeria monocytogenes Scott A, considering cells from: 1. single colony, 2. glycerol stock, 3. cold adapted culture, and 4. fresh culture in stationary phase. After treatment, culturability on BHI medium and viability assessed by flow cytometry were evaluated. Our results showed that the cell origin significantly impacted viability and culturability of L. monocytogenes towards antimicrobial treatment. The mild heat treatment combined or not with terpenoids mainly affected culturability rather than viability, although the culturability of cells from single colony was less impacted. Therefore, to mimic the worst scenario, these latter were selected to contaminate Gorgonzola rind and roast beef slices and we evaluated the ability of L. monocytogenes cells to recover their culturability (on ALOA agar medium) and to growth on the food matrix stored at 4 °C for 7 days. Our results suggest that only Gorgonzola rind allowed a partial recovery of the culturability of cells previously heated in presence or not of terpens. In conclusion, we found a connection between the cell history and sensitivity toward an antimicrobial treatment, underlying the importance to standardize the experimental procedures (starting from the cells to be used in the assay) in the assessment of cell sensitivity to a specific treatment. Finally, our study clearly indicated that VBNC cells can resuscitate under favorable conditions on a food matrix, becoming a threat for consumer’s health.

Background: The diverse manifestations of Long-COVID have become increasingly important due to their significant impact on patients' lives. Telemedicine has emerged as an important tool for post COVID-19 follow-up. This study is part of a large cohort study involving COVID-positive patients monitored by the COD19 telemedicine platform operations center. We recontacted patients who were initially monitored from February 2020 to May 2020 to assess the presence of Long-COVID symptoms at a 2-year follow-up. Methods: We conducted interviews to evaluate Long-COVID symptoms at the 2-year mark and investigated whether patients had contracted a second COVID-19 infection between the 1-year and 2-year follow-ups, and recorded their vaccination status. Results: Out of 165 patients, 139 (84%) reported symptoms at the 1-year follow-up, while only 101 (61%) reported symptoms at the 2-year follow-up. Among patients with Long-COVID symptoms at the 2-year follow-up, the majority (80, 49%) had experienced Long-COVID at the 1-year follow-up, received the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, and had not experienced a second infection between the two follow-ups. Both having Long-COVID at the 1-year follow-up and contracting a second infection were significant risk factors for presenting with Long-COVID at the 2-year follow-up. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this study stands out as one of the few that includes a 2-year follow-up on Long-COVID symptoms using telemedicine. Telemedicine has proven to be an effective and innovative tool for long-term patient monitoring, early diagnosis, and treatment. Telemedicine represents a significant future challenge for healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulmonologists may be involved in managing pulmonary diseases in children with complex clinical pictures without a diagnosis. Moreover, they are routinely involved in the multidisciplinary care of children with rare diseases, at baseline and during follow-up, for lung function monitoring. Lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs) are a group of genetic diseases characterised by a specific lysosomal enzyme deficiency. Despite varying pathogen and organ involvement, they are linked by the pathological accumulation of exceeding substrates, leading to cellular toxicity and subsequent organ damage. Less severe forms of LSDs can manifest during childhood or later in life, sometimes being underdiagnosed. Respiratory impairment may stem from different pathogenetic mechanisms, depending on substrate storage in bones, with skeletal deformity and restrictive pattern, in bronchi, with obstructive pattern, in lung interstitium, with altered alveolar gas exchange, and in muscles, with hypotonia. This narrative review aims to outline different pulmonary clinical findings and a diagnostic approach based on key elements for differential diagnosis in some treatable LSDs like Gaucher disease, Acid Sphingomyelinase deficiency, Pompe disease and Mucopolysaccharidosis. Alongside their respiratory clinical aspects, which might overlap, we will describe radiological findings, lung functional patterns and associated symptoms to guide pediatric pulmonologists in differential diagnosis. The second part of the paper will address follow-up and management specifics. Recent evidence suggests that new therapeutic strategies play a substantial role in preventing lung involvement in early-treated patients and enhancing lung function and radiological signs in others. Timely diagnosis, driven by clinical suspicion and diagnostic workup, can help in treating LSDs effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Breastfeeding or standard infant formulas, alongside phenylalanine (Phe)-free protein substitutes, constitute the dietary management for infants with PKU to guarantee protein requirements are met in compliance with metabolic tolerance. This work aims to analyse the nutritional composition of Phe-free infant protein substitutes, in terms of macronutrients, micronutrients and functional components, available for PKU dietary management in Italy. A total of seven infant Phe-free protein substitutes were included in this review, six powder and one liquid. A second analysis was conducted to compare them to the composition of formulas intended for healthy infants, taking into consideration the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/127 and Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/128 for micronutrients. The analysis revealed heterogeneity among protein substitutes suitable for infants with PKU. The energy and protein equivalents (P.Eq.) content are different; all of the substitutes contain docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA), while eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) and nucleotides are not present in all the substitutes. More attention should be paid to these infant products to ensure metabolic control of PKU, and also promote proper growth, cognitive neurodevelopment, favourable gut microbiota composition, and immune system health, while reducing the risk for non-communicable diseases (NCDs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we report the synthesis of a series of six new push–pull compounds, bearing naphthalimide as the electron acceptor and phenothiazine or phenothiazine dioxide as the electron donor, arranged in dipolar or octupolar molecular structures and showing either a single bond or a phenyl spacer as the linker between units. This synthetic effort allowed a detailed investigation of the structure–property relationships and of the key factors enabling thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) in these fluorophores, performed through a joint advanced time-resolved spectroscopic and TD-DFT computational approach. Our ultrafast spectroscopic results showed larger push–pull degree for the phenothiazine compared to the phenothiazine dioxide derivatives. This resulted in negligible energy gap between the intramolecular charge transfer S1 and the naphthalimide localized T1 excited states, and thus lead to effective reverse intersystem crossing and TADF only in the case of the oxygen-free compounds. The increased conjugation in the octupolar relative to the dipolar systems as well as in the phenyl-bridged structures allowed higher fluorescence efficiencies to be achieved. The red TADF of these luminophores, less common and more difficult to achieve than blue and green TADF, was found to be enhanced in their aggregates produced both in water dispersions and in thin films. The observation of intense red TADF in the solid state makes these new all-organic materials highly promising for applications in third generation OLED devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fermented foods are of great importance for their role in preserving nutrients and enriching the human diet. Fermentation ensures longer shelf life and microbiological safety of food. Natural bioactive compounds have been paid attention as nutraceuticals or functional ingredients, which have health-promoting components since polysaccharides, especially chitosan, chitin and their derivatives, are biocompatible and biodegradable, biorenewable, without toxic properties and environmentally friendly. They have been applied in several fields such as medicine, agriculture, and food industry. This chapter provides information on polysaccharides obtained from crustacean as bioactive compounds as well as their effects in fermented foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]