In this work, we present the synthesis of TiO
photocatalysts modified with different % mol of tin using the sol-gel method. The materials were characterized using different analytical techniques. The ...Rietveld refinement, XPS, Raman and UV-Vis techniques confirm the substitution of tin in the TiO
structural lattice due to changes in crystal lattice parameters, the low-energy shift of the Sn 3d
orbital, generation of oxygen vacancies and the decreased band gap and increased BET surface area. The material with 1 mol% tin shows superior catalytic activity compared to the references for the degradation of 40 ppm 4-chlorophenol (3 hours of reaction) and 50 ppm phenol (6 hours of reaction). Reactions fit pseudo first order kinetics in both instances. The increase in photodegradation efficiency was attributed to the generation of energy levels below the TiO
conduction band caused by the incorporation of 1% mol of tin, oxygen vacancies, and the heterojunction formed between the brookite-anatase-rutile, causing inhibition of the recombination of the electron (e
) and hole (h
) photogenerated species. The easy synthesis, low cost and increased photodegradation efficiency of the photocatalyst with 1 mol% tin have the potential to favor the remediation of recalcitrant compounds in water.
The Canary Island date palm (
Phoenix canariensis
) is one of the most representative tree species of the urban landscape of México City. However, since the last decade, severe foliar damage and ...decay has been observed, causing the death of hundreds of individuals in different boroughs of the city’s north zone. The symptoms observed in these affected palms were indicative of Texas Phoenix palm decline (TPPD), a serious disease associated with phytoplasmas of the 16SrIV-D subgroup. In this study, the use of nested-PCR and real-time PCR detected the presence of phytoplasmas of group 16SrIV in 21 out of 25 Canary Island date palms located in the Miguel Hidalgo, Benito Juárez, and Cuauhtémoc boroughs of México City. Sequencing the F2nR2 fragment of the 16S rRNA gene generated from the phytoplasma DNA samples of six positive palms, and subsequent in silico analysis, revealed that these phytoplasmas belonged to the 16SrIV-D subgroup. The presence of this phytoplasma strain in México City extends the range of known climates in which this pathogen and its vectors are capable of subsisting, in addition to evidencing an increase in the geographical distribution of this pathogen in recent years.
Introduction
Indomethacin, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory treatment used in various inflammatory diseases, is one of the drugs that has been related to the appearance of psychotic symptoms as a ...side effect.
Objectives
Point out the importance of knowing the possible psychiatric symptoms that some drugs can cause as a side effect.
Methods
Description of a clinical case and bibliography review.
Results
We present the case of a 71-year-old woman, with no previous mental health history, who is referred by her primary care physician due to the presence of auditory hallucinations and self-referential ideas. As a somatic history, the patient presented Rheumatoid Arthritis under control by rheumatology and acoustic neuroma, under control by neurosurgery. Treatment with Risperidone was started, up to 2 mg, which helped control her symptoms. After an exhaustive study of her situation, the possibility that her symptoms were a side effect of her usual treatment was raised. It was evidenced that the patient had taken a higher dose of Indomethacin than prescribed by the rheumatologist, reason why its daily intake was suspended, and subsequently an improvement and even suppression of symptoms was seen. Later, due to a misunderstanding, the drug was reintroduced, and symptoms appeared again.
Conclusions
The appearance of psychotic symptoms has been related to the intake of various drugs, including Indomethacin. It is essential to carry out a differential diagnosis if psychotic symptoms appear in the subject.
Disclosure
No significant relationships.
The enzyme delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALA-D) has been investigated as biomarker of lead (Pb) exposure in red mullet (Mullus barbatus) from the Spanish continental shelf. Concentrations of ...Pb and Zn in muscle and organosomatic indices were also measured to explore causality. Blood ALA-D assay conditions were optimized; the optimum pH for this species has been set to 6.5. Results showed that ALA-D activity ranged from 3.2 to 16.9 nmol PBGmin(-1)mg(-1). No significant differences on ALA-D levels between genders have been detected. ALA-D Baseline level and Background Assessment Criteria (BAC) for this species have been set to 9.1 and 6.6 nmol PBGmin(-1)mg(-1), respectively. There have been detected significant differences on ALA-D activity levels among areas, though the markedly low levels of Pb measured in fish muscle seemed not to be able to produce a relevant suppression on ALA-D. In spite of this, a weak inverse relationship detected between ALA-D and Pb concentrations pointed out the potential of this biomarker in red mullet to reflect Pb bioavailability in marine environment. Nevertheless, subsequent research on ALA-D in marine fish species is recommended to be limited to areas where environmental Pb is effectively accumulated by fish.
Paslahepevirus balayani (formerly known as hepatitis E virus) is an emerging cause of foodborne disease in Europe, transmitted mainly by the consumption of raw or undercooked pork. Since little is ...known about the presence of the virus in several pork products that are eaten uncooked, our aim was to evaluate the prevalence of Paslahepevirus balayani in groups of commercial pork products intended for human consumption subjected to different processing techniques. A total of 1265 samples of pork products from Spain were divided into four groups and tested for the presence of Paslahepevirus balayani RNA: unprocessed pig and wild boar meat frozen at −20 °C (n = 389), dry-cured pork products (n = 391), dry-cured and salted pork products (n = 219), and boiled products (n = 266) (none of these products contained pork liver). Five samples were positive for Paslahepevirus balayani RNA (overall prevalence: 0.4%; 95% CI: 0.17% - 0.92%). All positive samples were from unprocessed meat stored at −20 °C, with a prevalence in this group of 1.3% (95% CI: 0.42–3.44); two samples came from pigs (1.1%; 95% CI: 0.13–3.81) and three from wild boar (1.5%; 95% CI: 0.31–4.28). None of the pork samples in the other groups was positive. In conclusion, Paslahepevirus balayani was found in unprocessed swine products form Spain, but not in processed products intended to be consumed undercooked, demonstrating that transmission of this zoonotic virus by eating these pork products should be more seriously considered.
•Analysis of Paslahepevirus balayani RNA in raw meat and processed pork products.•Absence of viral detection in cured, salted and cured, or boiled pork products.•Consumption of unprocessed pork products implies risk of transmission of P. balayani.•Future studies to determine the viability and infectivity of the virus in unprocessed pork products.
•In the AlCoCrCuFeNi High-Entropy Alloy, copper was replaced by titanium for hardening effects.•Samples were synthesized following a solid-state route (mechanical alloying and vacuum ...sintering).•Hardness and elastic modulus were determined using nanoindentation testing.•Evidence shows a clear correlation between composition/crystalline structure and final mechanical properties.•Prepared samples were composed of three main phases and nanometric precipitates.
The concept of High-Entropy Alloy (HEA) expanded the research field of advanced metallic materials for various applications, like the development of ultra-hardness ballistic protection materials for national security. Although there can be hundreds of compositions, carefully selecting the constituent is mandatory to improve their mechanical behavior, keeping in mind their microstructural array based on chemical composition. In the present study, the AlCoCrCuFeNi HEA was modified, replacing copper with titanium, looking for the formation of a Ti-rich BCC phase for hardening effects. Samples were prepared following the powder metallurgy route, including mechanical alloying favoring the generation of a nanocrystalline microstructure. Studies based on structure, microstructure and nanoindentation testing on each phase of the alloy were performed to determine the correlation between their composition, crystalline structure and mechanical properties. Evidence showed the formation of three main micrometric phases (two BCC and one tetragonal) coexisting with a nanometric dispersion of rounded precipitates. Nanoindentation testing shows that the main hardening effect was related to the tetragonal phase formation by a solid-solution strengthening mechanism. This phase reached the highest hardness (14.9 GPa); meanwhile, the richest Ti phase showed the lowest elastic modulus, titanium favors the material ductility.
The greenhouse gases and black carbon emission inventory from IPCC key category Energy was accomplished for the Mezquital Valley, one of the most polluted regions in Mexico, as the Mexico City ...wastewater have been continuously used in agricultural irrigation for more than a hundred years. In addition, thermoelectric, refinery, cement and chemistry industries are concentrated in the southern part of the valley, near Mexico City. Several studies have reported air, soil, and water pollution data and its main sources for the region. Paradoxically, these sources contaminate the valley, but boosted its economic development. Nevertheless, no research has been done concerning GHG emissions, or climate change assessment. This paper reports inventories performed by the 1996 IPCC methodology for the baseline year 2005. Fuel consumption data were derived from priority sectors such as electricity generation, refineries, manufacturing & cement industries, transportation, and residential use. The total CO2 emission result was 13,894.9Gg, which constituted three-quarters of Hidalgo statewide energy category. The principal CO2 sources were energy transformation (69%) and manufacturing (19%). Total black carbon emissions were estimated by a bottom-up method at 0.66Gg. The principal contributor was on-road transportation (37%), followed by firewood residential consumption (26%) and cocked brick manufactures (22%). Non-CO2 gas emissions were also significant, particularly SO2 (255.9Gg), which accounts for 80% of the whole Hidalgo State emissions. Results demonstrated the negative environmental impact on Mezquital Valley, caused by its role as a Megacity secondary fuel and electricity provider, as well as by the presence of several cement industries.
•First GHG & black carbon inventory for Mezquital Valley: Mexico City energy supplier•Energy industries caused the largest CO2 and SO2 emissions from residual fuel oil.•Diesel transportation was the main black carbon source.•Mezquital Valley has the main GHG emissions' sources in the state of Hidalgo: 75%.
In this work, a method for the preparation and anchoring of polymeric monoliths in a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) tubing as a column housing for microbore HPLC is described. In order to assure a ...covalent attachment of the monolith to the inner wall of the PTFE tube, a two-step procedure was developed. Two surface etching reagents, a commercial sodium naphthalene solution (Fluoroetch®), or mixtures of H2O2 and H2SO4, were tried and compared. Then, the obtained hydroxyl groups on the PTFE surface were modified by methacryloylation. Attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed the successful modification of the tubing wall and the stable anchorage of monolith to the wall, respectively. Special emphasis was also put on the reduction of the unwanted effects of shrinking of monolith during polymerization, by using an external proper mold and by selecting the adequate monomers in order to increase the flexibility of the polymer. Poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-divinylbenzene) monoliths were in situ synthesized by thermal polymerization within the confines of surface-vinylized PTFE tubes. The modified PTFE tubing tightly held the monolith, and the monolithic column exhibited good pressure resistance up to 20 MPa. The column performance was also evaluated via the isocratic separation of a series of alkylbenzenes in the reversed-phase mode. The optimized monolithic columns gave plate heights ranged between 70 and 80 μm. The resulting monoliths were also satisfactorily applied to the separation of proteins.
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•Successful surface etching of PTFE inner wall tubing was done.•The modified PTFE support was next methacryloylated with GMA.•Organic polymeric monolith was in situ prepared in the functionalized PTFE tube.•The monolithic columns gave suitable pressure resistance and separation of proteins.
B cell-activating factor (BAFF) is an essential cytokine in primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS) physiopathology. It has been reported that pSS patients develop germinal center-like (GC-like) structures ...in their minor salivary glands (MSGs). BAFF, BAFF-R, TACI, and BCMA expression was analyzed in MSGs from 29 subjects (nonspecific chronic sialadenitis and focal lymphocytic sialadenitis with the presence pSS-GC(+) or absence pSS-GC(−) of GC-like structures). Twenty-four percent of patients showed ectopic GC-like structures and a high focus score
p
< 0.001
vs
pSS-GC(−). BAFF serum levels (sBAFF) were high in pSS patients (
p
= 0.025
vs
healthy subjects). However, the pSS-GC(−) group showed higher sBAFF levels than pSS-GC(+) patients. BAFF and BAFF-R glandular expression levels were higher in pSS-GC(+) patients, without significant differences compared to pSS-GC(−) patients. Soluble levels of BAFF correlated with anti-La/SSB antibodies and disease duration. Our results showed that BAFF could contribute to focal lymphocytic infiltration. The role of BAFF-binding receptors in MSGs is proposed as a mechanism for the possible establishment of ectopic GC-like structures and disease progression in some patients. In conclusion, this study supports previous evidence that considers the active BAFF system role in the pathogenesis of pSS and the need for strong biomarkers in this disease.
•We outline a framework including different construction types for an environmental comparison.•The influence of the structural material used regarding the environmental impact of the building.•The ...study shows a comparison of conventional and unconventional materials for load bearing walls.•LCA is presented as eco-design tool to be taken into account when designing the building structure.
According to recent studies, the manufacturing and construction of the structural elements of buildings (for example, columns, beams and load-bearing walls) represent the largest proportion of embodied impacts. Some of these reports highlight the need to analyse the materials and techniques used today in order to make the building sector more sustainable. This paper presents the results of embodied energy and global warming potential, using life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology, for load-bearing walls, being these one of the most common types of structures for buildings. This study analyses through an eco-design tool new options for materials used in the construction of structural load-bearing walls. The research aims to examine the environmental performance of each material alternative assessed: fired clay brick masonry (FC), concrete block masonry (CB), reinforced concrete-based wall (RC), and stabilized soil block masonry (SS); stabilized with natural fibers and alginates. These conventional and new materials – especially those with a low level of embodied energy, such as earth blocks – are evaluated from the point of view of their environmental consequences.
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