Recently, studies on microplastics (MPs) have increased rapidly due to the growing awareness of the potential health risks related to their occurrence. The first part of this review is devoted to MP occurrence, distribution, and quantification. MPs can be transferred from the environment to humans mainly through inhalation, secondly from ingestion, and, to a lesser extent, through dermal contact. As regards food web contamination, we discuss the microplastic presence not only in the most investigated sources, such as seafood, drinking water, and salts, but also in other foods such as honey, sugar, milk, fruit, and meat (chickens, cows, and pigs). All literature data suggest not-negligible human exposure to MPs through the above-mentioned routes. Consequently, several research efforts have been devoted to assessing potential human health risks. Initially, toxicological studies were conducted with aquatic organisms and then with experimental mammal animal models and human cell cultures. In the latter case, toxicological effects were observed at high concentrations of MPs (polystyrene is the most common MP benchmark) for a short time. Further studies must be performed to assess the real consequences of MP contamination at low concentrations and prolonged exposure.

Low molecular weight thermoplastic PES :\ud PEES (polyethersulfone : polyetherethersulfone) copolymer,\ud bearing amine reactive end groups, was blended with a\ud diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (EPON828) epoxy resins.\ud Two different curing agents, MDEA [methylene bis(2,6-diethylaniline)]\ud and 3,3DDS (3,3-diamino diphenyl sulfone),\ud were used separately to compare flow behavior, curing kinetics,\ud and morphology of the final samples. Emphasis was\ud placed on different phase behaviors of the cured systems,\ud attributed to different solubilities of thermoplastic in the\ud thermoset system as well as to the reactivity of the two\ud curing agents. The presence of PES : PEES was shown not to\ud affect the reaction rate of epoxy blends with respect to the\ud neat resin by the reactive nature of its end groups

Endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) as emerging contaminants have accumulated in the aquatic environment at concentration levels that have been determined to be significant to humans and animals. Several compounds belong to this family, from natural substances (hormones such as estrone, 17β-estradiol, and estriol) to synthetic chemicals, especially pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and plastic-derived compounds (phthalates, bisphenol A). In this review, we discuss recent works regarding EDC occurrence in the aquatic compartment, strengths and limitations of current analytical methods used for their detection, treatment technologies for their removal from water, and the health issues that they can trigger in humans. Nowadays, many EDCs have been identified in significant amounts in different water matrices including drinking water, thus increasing the possibility of entering the food chain. Several studies correlate human exposure to high concentrations of EDCs with serious effects such as infertility, thyroid dysfunction, early puberty, endometriosis, diabetes, and obesity. Although our intention is not to explain all disorders related to EDCs exposure, this review aims to guide future research towards a deeper knowledge of EDCs’ contamination and accumulation in water, highlighting their toxicity and exposure risks to humans.

Bloodstream infections (BSIs) are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, among infectious diseases. Local knowledge of the main bacteria involved in BSIs and their associated antibiotic susceptibility patterns is essential to rationalize the empiric antimicrobial therapy. The aim of this study was to define the incidence of infection and evaluate the antimicrobial resistance profile of the main pathogens involved in BSIs. This study enrolled patients of all ages and both sexes admitted to the University Hospital “San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d’Aragona”, Salerno, Italy between January 2015 to December 2019. Bacterial identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing were performed with Vitek 2. A number of 3.949 positive blood cultures were included out of 24,694 total blood cultures from 2015 to 2019. Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) were identified as the main bacteria that caused BSI (17.4%), followed by Staphylococcus aureus (12.3%), Escherichia coli (10.9%), and Klebsiella pneumoniae (9.4%). Gram-positive bacteria were highly resistant to Penicillin G and Oxacillin, while Gram-negative strains to Ciprofloxacin, Cefotaxime, Ceftazidime, and Amoxicillin-clavulanate. High susceptibility to Vancomycin, Linezolid, and Daptomycin was observed among Gram-positive strains. Fosfomycin showed the best performance to treatment Gram-negative BSIs. Our study found an increase in resistance to the latest generation of antibiotics over the years. This suggests an urgent need to improve antimicrobial management programs to optimize empirical therapy in BSI.

Thermomechanical and morphological properties of blends of epoxy monomers and hydroxyl and epoxy functionalized hyperbranched polyesters have been studied. Different properties of the blends were found by changing the cure cycles (a precure step followed by a postcure at higher temperature). All the blends showed phase separation with a particulate morphology. Through the addition of the hydroxyl-ended modifiers, rather than the epoxy-ended, an increase of the viscosity and of the reactivity of the uncured blends was obtained. The blends containing the epoxy functionalized polymer showed some liquid-liquid transitions in the rheological traces, probably because of the phase separation phenomena. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 46:1502-1511, 2006.