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Effective conversion of methane to a mixture of more valuable hydrocarbons and hydrogen under mild conditions is a great scientific and practical challenge. Here, we synthesized Zn-containing nanosized MFI zeolite for direct oxidation of methane in the presence of H2O and air. The presence of the surface hydroxyl groups on nanosized MFI-type zeolite and their significant reduction in the Zn-containing nanosized MFI zeolite were confirmed with Infrared Fourier Transform (FTIR) spectroscopy. Incorporation of zinc atoms into the framework of nanosized MFI zeolite is revealed by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, X-ray Diffraction a UV-Vis Spectroscopy. Unexpectedly, pure silica MFI zeolite exhibited the highest photocatalytic performance. Our finds demonstrated that large number of isolated silanol groups and silanol nests increase the formation of •OH, and enhance the productivity of oxygenate compounds and C2H6, while the Zn incorporated into the zeolite framework or attached to the silanol nests of the nanosized zeolites are less efficient. A mechanism of photocatalytic methane oxidation is proposed. These findings provide insights into developing active nanosized zeolite photocatalysts with extended amount of surface hydroxyl groups that can play a key role in photocatalytic methane conversion., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Background: Among infants needing urgent transfer after birth, very preterm infants are a high-risk sub-group requiring special attention. This study aimed to assess trends in early respiratory management in a large series of very preterm infants undergoing postnatal transfer., Methods: Trends in patient characteristics and early respiratory management were assessed in 798 very preterm infants who were transferred by the Eastern Veneto Neonatal Emergency Transport Service in 2000-2019. Trends were analyzed using joinpoint regression analysis and summarized as annual percentage changes (APCs)., Results: Proportion of neonates with birth weight less than 1 kg decreased from 33% to 16% (APC -3.82%). Use of nasal-continuous-positive-airway pressure increased (at call: APC 15.39%; during transfer: APC 15.60%), while use of self-inflating bag (at call: APC -12.09%), oxygen therapy (at call: APC -13.00%; during transfer: APC -23.77%) and mechanical ventilation (at call: APC -2.71%; during transfer: APC -2.99%) decreased. Use of oxygen concentrations at 21% increased (at call: APC 6.26%; during transfer: APC 7.14%), while oxygen concentrations above 40% decreased (at call: APC -5.73%; at transfer APC -8.89%). Surfactant administration at call increased (APC 3%-10%), while surfactant administration when arriving at referring hospital remained around 7-11% (APC 2.55%)., Conclusion: Relevant trends toward "gentle" approaches in early respiratory management of very preterm infants undergoing postnatal transfer occurred during the last twenty years. In addition, the proportion of transferred extremely low birth weight infants halved. Clinicians and stakeholders should consider such information when allocating assets to both hospitals and transfer services and planning regional perinatal programs., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Due to the frequent presence of inflammation in cases of carcinoma and its use as a parameter for the assessment of tumor aggressiveness, the role of inflammation in oral carcinogenesis was investigated. This was performed by evaluating the expression of cellular markers, cytokines and nuclear transcription factors that identify the cells that participate in the antitumor defense in cases of oral epithelial dysplasia (OED) and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). A semi-quantitative immunohistochemical analysis was performed for the transcription factors cluster of differentiation 8 (CD8), forkhead box P3 (FOXP3), transforming growth factor (TGF)-β, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and nuclear factor κ-light chain enhancer of activated B-cells (NF-κB), in cases of OED and OSCC. CD8, TGF-β, TNF-α and NF-κB participated in the processes of tumor transformation and progression. The presence of inflammatory infiltrate in cases of OED favors the transformation and invasion process when stromal TNF-α and NF-kB are overexpressed, as NF-kB activated by TNF-α during inflammation predisposes the lesion to transformation, functioning as a link between inflammation and cancer. The control of these inflammatory mediators may prevent malignant transformation in the oral cavity.

In childhood, hospital admission is frequently seen as something unexplanable and close to a "punishment". Involving parents/caretakers in the process of care is critical for the child to cope with the distress arising from hospital contacts and medical procedures. However, some grey zone remains for common procedures as venipuncture in hospital and ambulatory settings. We have conducted a literature review, searching for articles focused on procedural distress reduction/control in children. Several studies show that communication play a critical role and that children as young as 5 are able to "read" the way nurses and doctors interact with them and their approach is very important in reducing procedural distress. However, children attitude toward communication of health information may not be so linear, because they tend to continuously shift from a position of "passive bystander" to a "active participant" one, and viceversa. Nurse's role is crucial for the reduction of procedural distress because of her/his frequent contact with the young patients, but often she/he does not have the skills to help children to cope with procedural distress. Several approaches to this issue are discussed.

We measured circulating ADMA concentrations in a group of very premature newborns at birth and during the first week of life. ADMA levels resulted significantly higher in infants born to mothers with histologic chorioamnionitis than in infants delivered for other maternal or fetal indications, both at birth and through the first week of life. We speculate that ADMA might be involved in the complex biological events associated with fetal exposure to chorioamnionitis., (2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To compare the effects of intravenous ibuprofen and indomethacin for treatment of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) on urinary antidiuretic hormone (ADH) excretion, as a cause of oliguria., Study Design: Forty-four respiratory distress syndrome prematures (

Objective: To evaluate the impact of the laryngeal mask airway (LMA) on neonatal resuscitation policy., Design: We analyzed retrospectively the records of neonates requiring positive pressure ventilation (PPV) at birth before (1996) and after (2000) the introduction of the LMA into our delivery suites. In addition, the outcome of neonates treated with the LMA was compared with that of neonates matched for gestational age and mode of delivery who were resuscitated using a face mask., Results: During the year 2000, 95 out of 380 (25%) resuscitated neonates were treated with the LMA. The LMA was effective in 94 out of 95 (99%) of these infants. Over the same period, the percentage of neonates receiving tracheal intubation (TI) at birth (34%) was significantly reduced compared with the figure for 1996 (67%). There were no reported complications associated with the use of the LMA. Seventy-four out of the 95 neonates treated with the LMA were considered suitable for matching for gestational age and mode of delivery with 74 neonates treated with a face mask. No differences were found between the two groups for birth weight, Apgar scores, need for tracheal intubation, need for admission to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), primary diagnosis at discharge and primary outcomes. The LMA provided effective ventilation in four neonates in whom the face mask failed., Conclusions: The LMA is changing neonatal resuscitation practice in our Institution. Our data suggest that it is a safe and useful alternative method for respiratory support in neonates requiring PPV at birth, which merits further study.

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of visuomotor imagery training in the rehabilitation of unilateral neglect., Design: Before-after trial. Behavioral analysis of single cases., Setting: Neurologic rehabilitation unit of a university hospital., Patients: Two patients with acquired brain injury who were suffering from severe and long-lasting unilateral neglect consequent to large lesions of cortical and subcortical right-brain., Intervention: A behavioral training program consisting of visual and movement imagery exercises. Forty experimental sessions, each lasting 50 minutes, were delivered., Main Outcome Measures: Six neuropsychological tests evaluating unilateral neglect: seven "functional" tests assessing neglect behavior under daily life conditions; a questionnaire (filled out by the patients' relatives) concerning the patients' disability in the family context attributable to neglect. All the outcome measures were recorded at three different times: before, soon after, and 6 months after the end of the experimental training., Results: The visuomotor "imagery training" ameliorated the deficit in performance related to neglect in both patients. All the outcome measures (neuropsychological and functional tests and the questionnaire) were positively influenced by the treatment. Moreover, the improvement was stable over a 6-month period, suggesting that the treatment had a long-term effect., Conclusions: The results show the possible effectiveness of a training method based on visuomotor imagery in diminishing impairment and functional disability associated with contralateral neglect.

To evaluate the biocompatibility of an anionic exchange resin with active group trimethylammonium and charged with chloride ions an experimental study was performed with different tests to determine cytocompatibility, acute systemic toxicity, intracutaneous reactivity, allergic sensibilization, haemocompatibility and release of acetone, dichloromethane, quaternary amines and heavy metals (Pb, Cu, Cd) in eluate. Thus an anionic exchange resin can link all anionic substances; an ex vivo study on the participation of the dissociated sodic heparin in the anionic exchange was also conducted. In fact every time an extracorporeal circuit is made an anticoagulant must be administered to the patient and the removal of the drug could cause serious haemocoagulative problems. The results of the study showed a high biocompatibility of the resin that did not cause different significant reactions in comparison with negative control substances. The coating of the resin with poly-hydroxy-ethyl methacrilate with a separation phase technique avoided heparin removal from blood. Therefore adjustment of the dosage may not be necessary during further in vivo experiments. Future researches aiming to evaluate the the effectiveness and the biocompatibility of the sorbent in a living being will be performed in the next steps of the study.