The contribution of electrochemical methods to the knowledge of dynamic speciation of toxic trace elements in marine waters is critically reviewed. Due to the importance of dynamic considerations in ...the interpretation of the electrochemical signal, the principles and recent developments of kinetic features in the interconversion of metal complex species will be presented. As dynamic electrochemical methods, only stripping techniques (anodic stripping voltammetry and stripping chronopotentiometry) will be used because they are the most important for the determination of trace elements. Competitive ligand exchange-adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetry, which should be considered an equilibrium technique rather than a dynamic method, will be also discussed because the complexing parameters may be affected by some kinetic limitations if equilibrium before analysis is not attained and/or the flux of the adsorbed complex is influenced by the lability of the natural complexes in the water sample. For a correct data interpretation and system characterization the comparison of results obtained from different techniques seems essential in the articulation of a serious discussion of their meaning.
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•New electrochlorination system for antibiofouling applied to marine optical sensors.•Platinum nanoparticles impregnated into fluorine tin oxide for chlorine generation.•High ...transparency, high catalytic properties, high stability and cost-effective anode.•Long-term antifouling performance with low consumption (100–350 µW/cm2).
The concept of high electrocatalytic activity for chlorine generation has been pioneered through the development of a new system to prevent biofouling onto marine optical sensors surfaces. A combination of impregnated platinum (Pt) nanoparticles into the surface of fluorine tin oxide (FTO) was developed to create high optical transparent electrodes in glass substrates, with high catalytic properties, high durability, high stability and cost effectiveness, capable of generating sufficient biocide concentration (chlorine) with low electrical current. While chlorine generation, based on conventional electrodes with noble metal oxides, have been widely used for biofouling prevention, their difficulty of integration and their opacity makes them inappropriate for optical sensors protection. In the other hand, state-of-the-art FTO and ITO transparent films suffer from poor stability and durability in chlorine generation. This study highlights the effectiveness of creating simultaneous high optical transparent and high electrical conductivity electrodes, suitable for long-term electrochlorination and thus long-term monitoring in marine optoelectronic devices. Furthermore, their fabrication relies in an easy and low-cost process. The combination of specific Pt concentrations with FTO has been successfully proven for antifouling effect under seawater, exhibiting low consumption (100 – 350 µW/cm2), high catalytic activity with high binding stability of Pt nanoparticles against seawater properties. This new approach accelerates the search for high-performance antibiofouling strategies for marine optical sensors.
Obesity is a multifactorial disease, which in turn contributes to the onset of comorbidities, such as diabetes and atherosclerosis. Moreover, there are only few options available for treating ...obesity, and most current pharmacotherapy causes severe adverse effects, while offering minimal weight loss. Literature shows that metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) modulates central reward pathways. Herein, we evaluated the effect of VU0409106, a negative allosteric modulator (NAM) of mGluR5 in regulating feeding and obesity parameters. Diet-induced obese C57BL/6 mice were treated for 14 days with VU0409106, and food intake, body weight, inflammatory/hormonal levels, and behavioral tests were performed. Our data suggest reduction of feeding, body weight, and adipose tissue inflammation in mice treated with high-fat diet (HFD) after chronic treatment with VU0409106. Furthermore, a negative modulation of mGluR5 also reduces binge-like eating, the most common type of eating disorder. Altogether, our results pointed out mGluR5 as a potential target for treating obesity, as well as related disorders.
Electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient of freestanding paper of graphene oxide (GO) and GO reduced by heat treatment at 180 °C (rGO) are tuned by addition of carbon nanotubes (CNT). The ...electrical conductivity of rGO with 50% of CNT is raised to ∼2940 S/m from ∼613 S/m for pure rGO or ∼34 S/m for GO with 50% of CNT without reduction. Moreover, Seebeck coefficient of rGO increases with addition of CNT from −7.04 μV/K for pure rGO to −20.82 μV/K for rGO with 50% of CNT, presenting n-type conductivity. As result, calculated power factor PF is enhanced with increasing CNT concentration and the highest PF ∼1.28 μW/(K2m) is obtained for rGO with 50% of CNT.
•Big size freestanding rGO with CNT papers were easy obtained by vacuum filtration.•Conductivity and Seebeck coefficient can be changed/controlled by addition of CNT.•rGO+CNT shown a high enough power factor for the flexible thermoelectrics.
Abstract
Stellar rotation is a fundamental observable that drives different aspects of stellar and planetary evolution. In this work, we present an unprecedented manifold analysis of 160 B-type stars ...with light curves collected by the TESS space mission using three different procedures (fast Fourier transform, Lomb–Scargle, and wavelet techniques), accompanied by rigorous visual inspection in the search for rotation periodicities. This effort provides rotational periodicities for 6 new TESS B-type stars and confirmed periodicities for 22 targets with rotation periods previously listed in the literature. For the other 61 stars, already classified as possible rotational variables, we identify noisy, pulsational, binarity, or ambiguous variability behavior rather than rotation signatures. The total sample of 28 potential rotators shows an overlap of different classes of rotational variables, composed of
α
2
Canum Venaticorum, rotating ellipsoidal, and SX Arietis stars. The combination of the three techniques applied in our analysis offers a solid path to overcome the challenges in the discrimination of rotation from other variabilities in stellar light curves, such as pulsation, binarity, or other effects that have no physical meaning. Finally, the rotational periodicities reported in the present study may represent important constraints for improving stellar evolution models with rotation, as well as asteroseismic studies of hot stars.
This work aims at developing and optimizing a valuable oral delivery carrier for the cannabinoid derivative CB13, which presents a high therapeutic potential in chronic pain states that respond ...poorly to conventional analgesics, but also shows highly unfavorable physicochemical properties. CB13-loaded lipid nanoparticles (LNP) formulations were developed through solvent-emulsion evaporation and optimized in terms of physicochemical properties, long-term stability, integrity under gastric simulated conditions and in vitro interaction with NIH 3T3, HEK 293T and Caco-2 cells. An optimized formulation of LNP containing CB13 was obtained from a wide range of conditions assayed and analyzed. The selection of the lipid core, production conditions and the inclusion of lecithin proved to be key factors for the final properties of encapsulation, integrity and performance of the carriers. The LNP formulation proposed proved to be a promising carrier for the oral delivery of CB13, a cannabinoid with high therapeutic potential in chronic pain states that currently lack a valid oral treatment.
Introduction
Interconsultation with the psychiatry service is frequently requested from other specialties for the assessment and treatment of patients who present neuropsychiatric symptoms secondary ...to organic alterations. On the other hand (and in relation to this case), within the possible causes for the elevation of calcaemia figures, the most frequent are hyperparathyroidism and neoplasms, representing between these two entities 90% of cases (1).
Among the organic mental disorders, Delirium stands out, with an approximate prevalence between 1 and 2% (general population), which increases in hospitalized and elderly patients (2).
Objectives
Presentation of a clinical case about a patient with delirium secondary to hypercalcemia, with hallucinations and behavioral disturbance.
Methods
Bibliographic review including the latest articles in Pubmed about delirium (causes and treatment) and hypercalcaemia secondary to neoplasms.
Results
We present a 52-year-old male patient, who went to the emergency room accompanied by his wife, due to behavioral alteration. Two days before, he had been evaluated by Neurology, after a first epileptic crisis (with no previous history) that resolved spontaneously. At that time, it was decided not to start antiepileptic treatment.
The patient reported that he had left his house at midnight, looking for a cat. As he explained, this cat had appeared in his house and had left his entire bed full of insects. His wife denied that this had really happened, and when she told the patient to go to the emergency room, he had become very upset.
As background, the patient used to consume alcohol regularly, so the first hypothesis was that this was a withdrawal syndrome. However, although the consumption was daily, in recent months it was not very high, and at that time no other symptoms compatible with alcohol withdrawal were observed (tremor, tachycardia, sweating, hypertension…).
We requested a general blood test and a brain scan. The only relevant finding was hypercalcaemia 12.9mg/dL (which could also be the origin of the previous seizure). It was decided to start treatment with Diazepam and Tiapride in the emergency room, with serum perfusion, and keep under observation. After several hours, the patient felt better, the hallucinations disappeared, and calcium had dropped to 10.2mg/dL. A preferential consultation was scheduled, due to suspicion that the hypercalcaemia could be secondary to a tumor process.
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Conclusions
It is important to rule out an organic alteration in those patients who present acute psychiatric symptoms. Hypercalcaemia is frequently associated with tumor processes (1) due to secretion of PTH-like peptide (4), so a complete study should be carried out in these cases.
Delirium has a prevalence between 1 and 2% in the general population (2).
Psychopharmacological treatment is used symptomatically, with antipsychotics (3). For the episode to fully resolve, the underlying cause must be treated.
Disclosure of Interest
None Declared
Aims: Determine whether certain, natural phenolic compounds enhance activity of commercial antifungal drugs against yeast strains of Candida and Cryptococcus neoformans. Methods and Results: Twelve ...natural phenolics were examined for fungicidal activity against nine reference strains of Candida and one of C. neoformans. Six compounds were selected for synergistic enhancement of antifungal drugs, amphotericin B (AMB), fluconazole (FLU) and itraconazole (ITR). Matrix assays of phenolic and drug combinations conducted against one reference strain, each, of Candida albicans and C. neoformans showed cinnamic and benzoic acids, thymol, and 2,3- and 2,5-dihydroxybenzaldehydes (-DBA) had synergistic interactions depending upon drug and yeast strain. 2,5-DBA was synergistic with almost all drug and strain combinations. Thymol was synergistic with all drugs against Ca. albicans and with AMB in C. neoformans. Combinations of benzoic acid or thymol with ITR showed highest synergistic activity. Of 36 combinations of natural product and drug tested, none were antagonistic. Conclusions: Relatively nontoxic natural products can synergistically enhance antifungal drug activity, in vitro. Significance and Impact of the Study: This is a proof-of-concept, having clinical implications. Natural chemosensitizing agents could lower dosages needed for effective chemotherapy of invasive mycoses. Further studies against clinical yeast strains and use of animal models are warranted.
Introduction
Adult ADHD diagnosis sometimes represents a challenge for the clinician, due to the comorbid psychiatric diseases that are often associated and which complicate de recognition of the ...primary symptoms of ADHD. The prevalence of ADHD in adult populations is 2’5% and it is a relevant cause of functional impairment.
Objectives
Presentation of a clinical case of a male cocaine user diagnosed with adult ADHD.
Methods
Literature review on adult ADHD and comorbid substance abuse.
Results
A 43-year-old male who consulted in the Emergency Department due to auditory hallucinosis in the context of an increase in his daily cocaine use. There were not delusional symptoms associated and judgment of reality was preserved. Treatment with olanzapine was started and the patient was referred for consultation. In psychiatry consultations, he did not refer sensory-perceptual alterations anymore, nor appeared any signals to suspect so, and he was willing to abandon cocaine use after a few appointments. He expressed some work concerns, highlighting that in recent months, in the context of a greater workload, he had been given several traffic tickets for “distractions.” His wife explained that he had always been a inattentive person (he forgets important dates or appointments) and impulsive, sometimes interrupting conversations. In the Barkley Adult ADHD Rating Scale he scored 32 points.
He was diagnosed with adult ADHD and treatment with extended-release methylphenidate was started with good tolerance and evolution, with improvement in adaptation to his job and social environment. Since then, the patient has moderately reduced the consumption of drugs, although he continues to use cocaine very sporadically.
Conclusions
Early detection of ADHD and its comorbidities has the potential to change the course of the disorder and the morbidity that will occur later in adults. Comorbidity in adult ADHD is rather the norm than the exception, and it renders diagnosis more difficult. The most frequent comorbidities are usually mood disorders, substance use disorders, and personality disorders. Treatment of adult ADHD consists mainly of pharmacotherapy supported by behavioral interventions. When ADHD coexists with another disorder, the one that most compromises functionality will be treated first and they can be treated simultaneously. The individual characteristics of each patient must be taken into account to choose the optimal treatment.
Disclosure of Interest
None Declared
The performance of cement mortars using manufactured fine aggregates produced by cone crushing or impact crushing has been compared to that of mortars prepared from a natural sand control-sample. ...Samples from both crusher products have been additionally subjected to classification for partial removal of fines, being also used in preparing mortars. Particle shape analyses indicated that material produced by impact crushing presented intermediate sphericity and aspect ratio, between those found in natural fine aggregate and cone-crushed material, and that the aspect ratio of the cone-crushed material increased for finer particle sizes. The unclassified impact crusher product presented the highest packing density, and mortars produced from it had comparatively low porosity and low absorptivity and the highest unconfined compressive strength. The classified product from cone crushing presented low packing density and mortars were characterized by the highest porosities, absorptivities and lowest unconfined compressive strength, probably mostly due to its poor particle shapes. Modeling of the stress–strain response with scalar damage mechanics showed that manufactured aggregate produced from classification of the cone crusher yielded a mortar with highly inelastic deformation response, whereas mortars produced from unclassified product of impact crushing showed more elastic deformation response. Results were also analyzed in light of de Larrard's Compressible Packing Model.
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