Photo‐Cured Epoxy Networks Functionalized With Fe3O4 Generated by Non‐hydrolytic Sol–Gel Process

Magnetite nanoparticles were prepared by a non‐hydrolytic sol–gel (NHSG) process in the presence of benzyl alcohol. The obtained magnetite suspensions were mixed with an aliphatic epoxy resin and the formulations were photo‐polymerized to achieve composite materials with magnetic properties. The prepared magnetite nanoparticles and epoxy composites were fully characterized in terms of their magnetic properties.     

Linear β-amino alcohol catalyst anchored on functionalized magnetite nanoparticles for enantioselective addition of dialkylzinc to aromatic aldehydes

A linear β-amino alcohol ligand, previously found to be a very efficient catalyst for enantioselective addition of dialkylzinc to aromatic aldehydes, has been anchored on differently functionalized superparamagnetic core–shell magnetite–silica nanoparticles (1a and 1b). Its catalytic activity in the addition of dialkylzinc to aldehydes has been evaluated, leading to promising results, especially in the case of 1b for which the recovery by simple magnetic decantation and reuse was successfully verified.

The catalytic activity of a linear β-amino alcohol ligand anchored on functionalized magnetite/silica core–shell nanoparticles has been evaluated in the addition of dialkylzinc to aldehydes leading to promising results.     

Additive manufacturing techniques for the production of tissue engineering constructs

‘Additive manufacturing’ (AM) refers to a class of manufacturing processes based on the building of a solid object from three‐dimensional (3D) model data by joining materials, usually layer upon layer. Among the vast array of techniques developed for the production of tissue‐engineering (TE) scaffolds, AM techniques are gaining great interest for their suitability in achieving complex shapes and microstructures with a high degree of automation, good accuracy and reproducibility. In addition, the possibility of rapidly producing tissue‐engineered constructs meeting patient's specific requirements, in terms of tissue defect size and geometry as well as autologous biological features, makes them a powerful way of enhancing clinical routine procedures. This paper gives an extensive overview of different AM techniques classes (i.e. stereolithography, selective laser sintering, 3D printing, melt–extrusion‐based techniques, solution/slurry extrusion‐based techniques, and tissue and organ printing) employed for the development of tissue‐engineered constructs made of different materials (i.e. polymeric, ceramic and composite, alone or in combination with bioactive agents), by highlighting their principles and technological solutions. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Risk of Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes in Women with CKD

CKD is increasingly prevalent in pregnancy. In the Torino-Cagliari Observational Study (TOCOS), we assessed whether the risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes is associated with CKD by comparing pregnancy outcomes of 504 pregnancies in women with CKD to outcomes of 836 low-risk pregnancies in women without CKD. The presence of hypertension, proteinuria (>1 g/d), systemic disease, and CKD stage (at referral) were assessed at baseline. The following outcomes were studied: cesarean section, preterm delivery, and early preterm delivery; small for gestational age (SGA); need for neonatal intensive care unit (NICU); new onset of hypertension; new onset/doubling of proteinuria; CKD stage shift; “general” combined outcome (preterm delivery, NICU, SGA); and “severe” combined outcome (early preterm delivery, NICU, SGA). The risk for adverse outcomes increased across stages (for stage 1 versus stages 4–5: “general” combined outcome, 34.1% versus 90.0%; “severe” combined outcome, 21.4% versus 80.0%; P<0.001). In women with stage 1 CKD, preterm delivery was associated with baseline hypertension (odds ratio [OR], 3.42; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.87 to 6.21), systemic disease (OR, 3.13; 95% CI, 1.51 to 6.50), and proteinuria (OR, 3.69; 95% CI, 1.63 to 8.36). However, stage 1 CKD remained associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes (general combined outcome) in women without baseline hypertension, proteinuria, or systemic disease (OR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.27 to 2.79). The risk of intrauterine death did not differ between patients and controls. Findings from this prospective study suggest a “baseline risk” for adverse pregnancy-related outcomes linked to CKD.     

Development of a Microarray-Based Tool To Characterize Vaginal Bacterial Fluctuations and Application to a Novel Antibiotic Treatment for Bacterial Vaginosis

The healthy vaginal microbiota is generally dominated by lactobacilli that confer antimicrobial protection and play a crucial role in health. Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most prevalent lower genital tract infection in women in reproductive age and is characterized by a shift in the relative abundances of Lactobacillus spp. to a greater abundance of strictly anaerobic bacteria. In this study, we designed a new phylogenetic microarray-based tool (VaginArray) that includes 17 probe sets specific for the most representative bacterial groups of the human vaginal ecosystem. This tool was implemented using the ligase detection reaction-universal array (LDR-UA) approach. The entire probe set properly recognized the specific targets and showed an overall sensitivity of 6 to 12 ng per probe. The VaginArray was applied to assess the efficacy of rifaximin vaginal tablets for the treatment of BV, analyzing the vaginal bacterial communities of 22 BV-affected women treated with rifaximin vaginal tablets at a dosage of 25 mg/day for 5 days. Our results showed the ability of rifaximin to reduce the growth of various BV-related bacteria (Atopobium vaginae, Prevotella, Megasphaera, Mobiluncus, and Sneathia spp.), with the highest antibiotic susceptibility for A. vaginae and Sneathia spp. Moreover, we observed an increase of Lactobacillus crispatus levels in the subset of women who maintained remission after 1 month of therapy, opening new perspectives for the treatment of BV.