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Over the last ten years, researchers' efforts have aimed to replace the classic linear economy model with the circular economy model, favoring green chemical and industrial processes. From this point of view, biologically active molecules, coming from plants, flowers and biomass, are gaining considerable value. In this study, firstly we focus on the development of a green protocol to obtain the purification of anthocyanins from the flower of Callistemon citrinus, based on simulation and on response surface optimization methodology. After that, we utilize them to manufacture and add new properties to bioplastics belonging to class 3, based on modified polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) with increasing amounts from 0.10 to 1.00%. The new polymers are analyzed to monitor morphological changes, optical properties, mechanical properties and antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra of the new materials show the characteristic bands of the PVA alone and a modification of the band at around 1138 cm−1 and 1083 cm−1, showing an influence of the anthocyanins' addition on the sequence with crystalline and amorphous structures of the starting materials, as also shown by the results of the mechanical tests. These last showed an increase in thickening (from 29.92 μm to approx. 37 μm) and hydrophobicity with the concomitant increase in the added anthocyanins (change in wettability with water from 14° to 31°), decreasing the poor water/moisture resistance of PVA that decreases its strength and limits its application in food packaging, which makes the new materials ideal candidates for biodegradable packaging to extend the shelf-life of food. The functionalization also determines an increase in the opacity, from 2.46 to 3.42 T%/mm, the acquisition of antioxidant activity against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhdrazyl and 2,2′-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radicals and, in the ferric reducing power assay, the antimicrobial (bactericidal) activity against different Staphylococcus aureus strains at the maximum tested concentration (1.00% of anthocyanins). On the whole, functionalization with anthocyanins results in the acquisition of new properties, making it suitable for food packaging purposes, as highlighted by a food fresh-keeping test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic substantially affected the lives of persons with inherited neuromuscular disorders (INMD), causing disruption in clinical and support services. While several studies have investigated mental health, distress and psychosocial resources in the general population during the pandemic, little is known about the experience of persons with INMD. Methods: This study was aimed to fill this gap by jointly investigating both psychopathological symptoms and psychosocial resources – specifically, resilience and perceived social support – among persons with INMD during the pandemic, taking into account demographic and clinical factors. Between April and December 2020, 59 participants with INMD (aged 15–59, 71.2% M) completed a questionnaire collecting demographic and clinical data, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Resilience Scale for Adults, and the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment. Results: Overall, participants showed good levels of resilience and perceived social support. A minority of participants reported clinically relevant psychopathological symptoms, 28.81% for anxiety and depression. Most psychopathological symptoms were negatively correlated with resilience (-0.347 < r < −.420), but not significantly associated with social support. Consistent with previous studies, regression analyses highlighted that participants with Duchenne muscular dystrophy were more prone to report anxious and depressive symptoms (B = 1.748, p =.028, OR = 5.744), and participants with myotonic dystrophy, attention problems (B = 2.339, p =.006, OR = 10.376). Resilience emerged as a potential predictor of lower anxious-depressive symptoms (B=-1.264, p =.012, OR = 0.283). Conclusions: The findings suggest the importance to investigate psychosocial resources in addition to psychopathology among persons with INMD, and to design interventions supporting resilience as a protective factor for mental health promotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of studying storage alterations in erythrocytes is highlighted by the need to understand changes that could potentially serve to optimize the storage system. With this aim, the non-equilibrium thermodynamic theory with internal variables was introduced, and perturbing the erythrocyte samples with a harmonic electric field some functions of the theory have been determined varying in the perturbation frequency. A frequency has been noted that acts as a separator element between two states showing a different entropy production above and below this frequency. In stored red blood cells compared to fresh ones, the increase in entropy production measured shows a greater state of disorder in the latter. Further alterations have been highlighted on the surface charge density of the stored erythrocyte membrane and on the speed of anionic kinetics. All these observations highlight the image of membrane structural and functional alterations of the stored erythrocytes and lead to the elaboration of a technique able to correlate a specific perturbation frequency with the aging time of red blood cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is characterized by progressive weakness and wasting of skeletal, cardiac, and respiratory muscles, with consequent cardiopulmonary failure as the main cause of death. Reliable outcome measures able to demonstrate specific trends over disease progression are essential.Purpose: To investigate MRI as a noninvasive imaging modality to assess diaphragm impairment in DMD. In particular, we sought to correlate MRI measurement of diaphragm structure and function with pulmonary function tests and with the abdominal volumes (VAB ) measured by optoelectronic plethysmography, being an index of the action of the diaphragm.Study Type: Cross-sectional study.Population: Twenty-six DMD patients (17.9 ± 6.2 years) and 12 age-matched controls (17.8 ± 5.9 years).Field Strength/sequence: 3-Point gradient echo Dixon sequence at 3T.Assessment: Images were acquired in breath-hold at full-expiration (EXP) and full-inspiration (INSP). INSP and EXP lung volumes were segmented and the diaphragm surface was reconstructed as the bottom surface of the left and the right lung. The inspiratory and the expiratory diaphragm surfaces were aligned by a nonrigid iterative closest point algorithm. On MRI we measured: 1) craniocaudal diaphragmatic excursion; 2) diaphragm fatty infiltration.Statistical Tests: Three-parameter sigmoid regression, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Spearman's correlation.Results: In patients, diaphragm excursion decreased with age (r2 = 0.68, P < 0.0001) and fat fraction increased (r2 = 0.51, P = 0.0002). In healthy subjects, diaphragm excursion and fat fraction had no relationship with age. Diaphragm excursion decreased with decreasing FEV1 %pred (r = 0.78, P < 0.0001) and FVC %pred (r = 0.76, P < 0.0001) and correlated with VAB (r = 0.60, P = 0.0002). Fatty infiltration increased with decreasing FEV1 %pred (r = -0.88, P < 0.0001) and FVC %pred (r = -0.88, P < 0.0001).Data Conclusion: The progressive structural and functional diaphragm impairment is highly related to pulmonary function tests and to VAB . The results suggest that MRI might represent a new and noninvasive tool for the functional and structural assessment of the diaphragm.Level Of Evidence: 2 Technical Efficacy: Stage 5 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2020;51:461-471. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]