Rational approaches to engineering polydopamine films with tailored properties for surface coating and functionalization are currently challenged by the lack of detailed information about the polymer structure and the mechanism of buildup. Using an integrated chemical and spectroscopic approach enables the demonstration of: a) a three-component structure of polydopamine, comprising uncyclized (catecholamine) and cyclized (indole) units, as well as novel pyrrolecarboxylic acid moieties; b) remarkable variations in the relative proportions of the cyclized and uncyclized units with starting dopamine concentration; c) the occurrence of oligomer components up to the tetramer level; d) the covalent incorporation of Tris buffer; and e) the role of dopamine quinone as a crucial control point for directing the buildup pathways and tuning the properties. The importance of the uncyclized amine-containing units in polydopamine adhesion is also highlighted. The proper selection of substrate concentration and buffer is thus proposed as a practical means of tailoring polydopamine functionality via control of competing pathways downstream of dopamine quinon

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A variety of environmental agents has been found to influence the development of autoimmune diseases; in particular, the studies investigating the potential association of systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases with environmental micro and nano-particulate matter are very few and contradictory. In this study, the role of diesel exhaust particles (DEPs), one of the most important components of environment particulate matter, emitted from Euro 4 and Euro 5 engines in altering the Normal Human Bronchial Epithelial (NHBE) cell biological activity was evaluated. NHBE cells were exposed in vitro to Euro 4 and Euro 5 particle carbon core, sampled upstream of the typical emission after-treatment systems (diesel oxidation catalyst and diesel particulate filter), whose surfaces have been washed from well-assessed harmful species, as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to: (1) investigate their specific capacity to affect cell viability (flow cytometry); (2) stimulate the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-18 (Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay -ELISA-); (3) verify their specific ability to induce autophagy and elicit protein citrullination and peptidyl arginine deiminase (PAD) activity (confocal laser scanning microscopy, immunoprecipitation, Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate-PolyAcrylamide Gel Electrophoresis -SDS-PAGE- and Western blot, ELISA). In this study we demonstrated, for the first time, that both Euro 4 and Euro 5 carbon particles, deprived of PAHs possibly adsorbed on the soot surface, were able to: (1) significantly affect cell viability, inducing autophagy, apoptosis and necrosis; (2) stimulate the release of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-18; (3) elicit protein citrullination and PAD activity in NHBE cells. In particular, Euro 5 DEPs seem to have a more marked effect with respect to Euro 4 DEPs.

A high quality eumelanin thin film featuring efficient reversibility of the water induced conductivity switch and high biocompatibility was obtained,viaammonia-induced solid state polymerization of a 5,6-dihydroxyindole thin film.