The one-pot production of succinic acid from glucose was investigated in pure hot water as solvent using Nb (0.02 and 0.05 moles%)-Beta zeolites obtained by a post-synthesis methodology. ...Structurally, they are comprised of residual framework Al-acid sites, extra-framework isolated Nb (V) and Nb₂O₅ pore-encapsulated clusters. The Nb-modified Beta-zeolites acted as bi-functional catalysts in which glucose is dehydrated to levulinic acid (LA) which, further, suffers an oxidation process to succinic acid (SA). After the optimization of the reaction conditions, that is, at 180 °C, 18 bar O₂, and 12 h reaction time, the oxidation of glucose occurred with a selectivity to succinic acid as high as 84% for a total conversion.
Olive oil, essential ingredient of the Mediterranean diet, is attracting a growing interest due to increasing evidence on its beneficial effects on human health. This study investigated whether extra ...virgin olive oil (EVOO) possess prebiotic properties. Twenty different monovarietal EVOO samples from 5 Marche region cultivars (Italy) were studied. The prebiotic activity of EVOOs was assessed monitoring the selective stimulation of gut bacterial species and the short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) production, using an
fermentation system. All EVOOs selectively stimulated
spp., with a stronger activity than that observed in the inulin fermentation (positive control). Also, the bifidobacteria population increased; this bifidogenic stimulation was of EVOOs from
cultivar. SCFAs appeared significantly higher after 24 h in all EVOO fermentations than in the control. Acetic and propionic acids production was particularly stimulated. Overall, most of the investigated EVOOs had a potential prebiotic activity, similar or stronger than inulin.
Aims
There is interest in using probiotics such as Lactobacillus species to control canine intestinal infections. The bacterial species should be of canine intestinal origin exhibiting host ...specificity. Bacterial strains were isolated from dog faecal samples and characterized to select specific probiotics as dietary supplements in feed, promoting health status.
Methods and Results
Bacterial strains have been screened for their probiotic properties including survival to gastric and pancreatic juices and bile salts, resistance to antibiotics and antipathogenicity. Five of 14 isolated Lactobacillus strains were tolerant to gastric stress. They were also resistant to clindamycin and with a significant antimicrobial capacity towards the pathogenic strains tested, variable according to the strain. They were identified by morphological and molecular characterization comparing the 16S rRNA gene sequence with the blast database. Three strains were identified as Lactobacillus reuteri and two as Lactobacillus johnsonii. Sugar fermentation profiles and adhesion to HT29 epithelial cells have been in vitro verified on L. reuteri AI, chosen as probiotic candidate. Resistance to freeze‐drying, production and subsequent in vivo administration evaluating strain permanence, were also performed. No loss of vitality has been recorded due to the freeze‐drying process. The average value of recovery percentage of L. reuteri AI at the end of the administration period and after 1 week of follow‐up was respectively 26·7 and 17·4% of the total Lactobacillus sp.
Conclusions
Among several selected probiotic strains, L. reuteri AI proved to be the best probiotic candidate to use as a supplement for dogs.
Significance and Impact of the Study
Control of intestinal pathogenic micro‐organisms in dogs is a growing concern and the selection of autochthonous probiotic bacterial strains to overcome some of the gut problems associated with the modern domestication of animals is a valuable tool.
Novel magnesium fluorides have been prepared by a new fluorolytic sol–gel synthesis for fluoride materials based on aqueous HF. By changing the amount of water at constant stoichiometric amount of ...HF, it is possible to tune the surface acidity of the resulting partly hydroxylated magnesium fluorides. These materials possess medium‐strength Lewis acid sites and, by increasing the amount of water, Brønsted acid sites as well. Magnesium hydroxyl groups normally have a basic nature and only with this new synthetic route is it possible to create Brønsted acidic magnesium hydroxyl groups. XRD, MAS NMR, TEM, thermal analysis, and elemental analysis have been applied to study the structure, composition, and thermal behaviour of the bulk materials. XPS measurements, FTIR with probe molecules, and the determination of N2/Ar adsorption–desorption isotherms have been carried out to investigate the surface properties. Furthermore, activity data have indicated that the tuning of the acidic properties makes these materials versatile catalysts for different classes of reactions, such as the synthesis of (all‐rac)‐α‐tocopherol through the condensation of 2,3,6‐trimethylhydroquinone (TMHQ) with isophytol (IP).
Novel sol–gel synthesis: Different magnesium fluorides have been prepared by a new fluorolytic sol–gel synthesis for fluoride materials based on aqueous HF. By varying the HF concentration, a fine tuning (e.g., see figure) of the ratio of Lewis to Brønsted surface sites is possible, resulting in a very promising new class of solid Lewis/Brønsted acidic catalysts.
Currently, carbon quantum dots (CQDs) have been widely investigated as an enhancing photocatalytic component of various nanocomposites. In this study, hetero-structures containing carbon quantum dots ...(CQDs) associated to zinc oxide were prepared following two one-pot procedures: (i) a hydrothermal approach in which commercial ZnO was used as carrier for CQDs; and (ii) an approach in which the ZnO/CQDs samples were produced in situ by adding zinc acetate to an aqueous suspension of CQDs. CQDs were prepared in advance by a low-temperature hydrothermal (LHT) treatment of useless humins wastes produced by the glucose dehydration in an acidic medium. These samples were characterized by several techniques such asadsorption-desorption isotherms of liquid nitrogen at 77K, X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared diffuse reflectance with Fourier transform (DRIFT) and UV-vis spectroscopy. The photocatalytic behavior of these materials was investigated in the degradation of methylene blue (MB). The obtained results revealed electronic interactions between CQDs and ZnO which have as an effect an enhancement of the charge separation and diminution of the charge recombination. In accordance, a correlation between the photocatalytic activity and the intrinsic properties of ZnO/CQDs has been evidenced. The highest photocatalytic activity corresponded to the heterostructure containing highly dispersed narrow sized CQDs onto ZnO. Under visible light irradiation and after 180 min of irradiation, MB was degraded by as much as 97.6%.
Introduction
Falls are one of the major public health problems and a leading cause of injury-related morbidity and mortality globally. Around of 80% of fall deaths occur in low- and middle- income ...countries. Falls are the most common cause of hospitalization among the population aged 65 years and older. According the data from Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study in Georgia, DALYs from falls exceed the average in LMICs. The aim of this observational study was to explore epidemiological characteristics of fall-related injury among hospitalized elderly patients in Georgia in 2020.
Methods
This study was designed in the framework of the project iCREATE: Increasing Capacity for Research in Eastern Europe' funded by the NIH (2D43TW007261). All patients aged 65 and older admitted to hospital settings due fall-related injury in 2020 were identified from the Hospital Registry (included a total of 152 hospitals in the country) of the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health of Georgia.
Results
A total of 7159 injured patients age 65 and above were admitted to hospitals in Georgia, and among them 4213 were hospitalized due to the falls (60%). Males comprised 30,7% of cases and females - 69,3%. The most common source of hospital arrival was ambulance 2791 (65,0%), followed by private/public transport 1432 (33,3%). The highest number of injuries (43,5%) occurred in Tbilisi (capital of Georgia). The leading cause in fall-related hospitalization was fall on same level. Pelvis and the head were the most common body regions injured accounting for 48,0% and 22,9% of cases, respectively. The highest LOS was 2014 (SD 6,161). 111 patients died due to falls related injury during the study period.
Conclusions
This study indicates that fall- related injury prevention among elderly population should become a key priority area in Georgia. There is a need for elaborating relevant preventive interventions of falls injuries in population aged 65 years and older.
Key messages
* Falls are the leading cause of hospitalization of patients 65 years of age and older.
* Fall risk awareness campaigns should be the first step to fall prevention among elderly.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) represents a generalized myopathic process affecting both ventricular and atrial myocardium. We aimed to assess left atrial (LA) function by two-dimensional speckle ...tracking echocardiography and its relation with left ventricular (LV) function and clinical status in patients with HCM.
We prospectively enrolled 37 consecutive patients with HCM and 37 normal subjects with similar age and gender distribution. Longitudinal LV strain (ε) and LA ε and strain rate (Sr) parameters (systolic, early diastolic, and late diastolic during atrial contraction) were assessed.
Peak LAε and LA Sr parameters were significantly lower in patients compared with controls (P ≤ .001 for all). In patients, all LA function parameters correlated with LVε (P < .003 for all). Indexed LA volume, LA function parameters, and mitral regurgitation degree were the main correlates of New York Heart Association class; late diastolic strain rate during atrial contraction was the only independent predictor of symptomatic status.
In patients with HCM, LA function is significantly reduced and related to LV dysfunction. Moreover, LA booster pump function emerged as an independent correlate of heart failure symptoms in this setting.
The types and methods of use of antibiotics in poultry farms in Cameroon, residual levels and potential microbial resistance were determined.
A questionnaire-based survey identified the different ...antibiotics used and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to determine residual levels of antibiotics.
Pathogens were isolated, identified by use of commercial API kits and minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) was determined.
Oxytetracyclin, tylocip and TCN (oxytetracycline, chloramphenicol and neomycin) were the most frequently used antibiotics. Antibiotics screened by HPLC were chloramphenicol, tetracycline and vancomycin. All of them except vancomycin were detected, and the concentration of these antibiotics was higher than the maximum residual limits (MRL) set by regulatory authorities.
No residues of various antibiotics were found in egg albumen or yolk. The concentration of tetracycline was significantly higher in liver (150 ± 30 µg/g) than in other tissues.
Foodborne pathogens, including Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus spp., Listeria spp., Clostridium spp. and Escherichia spp., were identified. Most of the pathogens were resistant to these various antibiotics tested.
These findings imply the need for better management of antibiotic use to control sources of food contamination and reduce health risks associated with the presence of residues and the development of resistant pathogens by further legislation and enforcement of regulations on food hygiene and use of antibiotics.
The value attributed to the forests in developed countries has shifted from commercial wood production towards carbon reduction, habitat for wildlife, scenery and recreation. With the increasing ...perceived benefits came more concern and effort towards better forest management. There are many research and development initiatives aimed at effectively using the latest technologies to monitor forest environment, forest wildlife, forest incidents such as fires, illegal logging, poaching etc. This paper presents an expert system that we designed, developed and tested for forest environmental protection applications. The system includes remote sensing hubs and a central cloud server with several capabilities that are briefly presented. We detail a new approach of using Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensors placed at ground level to acquire useful data from forest environments. Implementation details and considerations are presented together with test results obtained in a forest environment.
A series of niobium-modified aluminum hydroxide fluorides (denoted Nb@AlF3), prepared via a fluorolytic sol–gel synthesis was investigated for the catalytic one-pot conversion of cellulose to lactic ...acid. The structure of the new acid catalysts is the result of the dispersion of niobium fluoride in an aluminum hydroxide fluoride matrix. The calcination of the catalysts at a relatively low temperature (350 °C) stabilized this structure. Catalytic performances in terms of lactic acid yields are directly correlated with the niobium content.
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