Antioxidant activities and selenogene transcription in the European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) liver depend, in a non-linear manner, on the Se/Hg molar ratio of the feeds

Feeding 3.9 and 6.7 mg Hg/kg (Se/Hg molar ratios of 0.8 and 0.4, respectively) for 14 days negatively affected Dicentrarchus labrax growth and total DNTB- and thioredoxin-reductase (TrxR) activities and the transcription of four redox genes (txn1, gpx1, txnrd3, and txnrd2) in the liver, but a diet with 0.5 mg Hg/kg (Se/Hg molar ratio 6.6) slightly increased both reductase activities and the transcription of txn1, gpx1, and txnrd2. Feeding 6.7 mg Hg/kg for 53 days downregulated the genes of the thioredoxin system (txn1, txnrd3, and txnrd2) but upregulated gpx1, confirming the previously proposed complementarity among the antioxidant systems. Substitution of 20% of the feed by thawed white fish (hake) slightly counteracted the negative effects of Hg. The effects were not statistically significant and were dependent, in a non-linear manner, on the Se/Hg molar ratio of the feed but not on its Hg concentration. These results stress the need to consider the Se/Hg molar ratio of the feed/food when evaluating the toxicity of Hg.Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature. The work was supported by grants from the Spanish MINECO (RTC-2014–2837-2- “SELATUN: Minimización de la problemática del mercurio del atún y valorización del atún como alimento saludable, Programa Retos-Colaboración 2014” and CTM2012-40203-C02-01- “BMW: Biomarcadores estándar de base científica en mejillón para diagnosticar y monitorizar los efectos biológicos de la polución en el Golfo de Bizkaia: implementación de la DEME”), Euskampus Fundazioa-Campus of International Excellence (307615SAA2), and from the Basque Government Elkartek Grant KK-2016/00057- “MAROMEGA: Nuevas alternativas para la producción de omega-3 a partir de recursos marinos.

Are children playgrounds safe play areas? Inorganic analysis and lead isotope ratios for contamination assessment in recreational (Brazilian) parks

In city playgrounds, there is a potential risk of harming children’s health by contamination coming from anthropogenic activities. With the aim to determinate the sources and the risk of hazardous elements, soil samples were collected in 19 selected playgrounds of different urban and rural areas from the Rio Grande do Sul state (Brazil). The concentration of 23 metals and metalloids and lead isotopic ratios were determined by ICP-MS. The methodology proposed here, firstly, classified the parks according to the average metal content by means of the NWACs (Normalized-and-Weighted Average Concentrations) and assess the contamination risk determining the Contamination Factors (CFs). Finally, statistical tools (correlation analysis and principal component analysis) were used to identify the most important contamination sources. The statistical tools used, together with lead isotopic composition analysis of the samples, revealed that coal combustion is the main source of contamination in the area. Vegetation was identified as a barrier for the contamination coming from the city. Nonetheless, some of the soils present a possible toxicological risk for humans. In fact, Cr, Sb, and Pb concentrations were higher than the Residential Intervention Values (VIRs) defined by the Environmental Protection Agency of the State of São Paulo, also in Brazil

Influence of the oxidizing agent in the synthesis of graphite oxide

The oxidation capacity of several procedures described in the literature which use different oxidizing agents has been exhaustively studied in order to describe the best route for oxidation of this material. The oxidation capacities of different types of materials were evaluated in the synthesis of graphite oxide in an effort to obtain a product with similar characteristics to those provided by commonly employed methods. The results obtained show that graphite oxide structures are greatly influenced by the nature of the oxidizing agent used. It was concluded that it is possible not only to establish the number of oxygenated groups attached to the structure but also, and depending on the oxidizing agent used, to know the stability of graphite oxide. The different characteristics of each graphite oxide obtained could facilitate their use in multiple applications.La capacidad de oxidación de varios procedimientos descritos en la literatura que utilizan diferentes agentes oxidantes ha sido exhaustivamente estudiada con el fin de describir la mejor ruta de oxidación de este material. Se evaluaron las capacidades de oxidación de diferentes tipos de materiales en la síntesis de óxido de grafito en un esfuerzo por obtener un producto con características similares a las proporcionadas por los métodos comúnmente empleados. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que las estructuras del óxido de grafito están muy influenciadas por la naturaleza del agente oxidante utilizado. Se concluyó que es posible no solo establecer el número de grupos oxigenados adheridos a la estructura sino también, y dependiendo del agente oxidante utilizado, conocer la estabilidad del óxido de grafito

Improvement of the mechanical and flame-retardant properties of polyetherimide membranes modified with Graphene oxide

Polyetherimide (PEI) membranes doped with different amounts (1–5 wt.%) of Graphene Oxide (GO) were prepared through a solution casting method. The effect of the Graphene Oxide incorporation on mechanical and flame-retardant properties was investigated by XDR, FTIR and SEM analyses. Results showed that the addition of 5 wt.% of GO into the membranes caused a 30% of improvement in the tensile strength and a significant increase in the glass transition temperature. Flame-retardant properties were improved when the amount of Graphene Oxide into PEI membrane was increased. These improvements in the membrane composites expand its application for aerospace and building industries.Se prepararon membranas de polieterimida (PEI) dopadas con diferentes cantidades (1–5% en peso) de óxido de grafeno (GO) mediante un método de fundición en solución. El efecto de la incorporación de óxido de grafeno sobre las propiedades mecánicas y retardantes de llama se investigó mediante análisis XDR, FTIR y SEM. Los resultados mostraron que la adición del 5% en peso de GO en las membranas provocó una mejora del 30% en la resistencia a la tracción y un aumento significativo en la temperatura de transición vítrea. Las propiedades ignífugas mejoraron cuando se incrementó la cantidad de óxido de grafeno en la membrana PEI. Estas mejoras en los compuestos de membrana amplían su aplicación para las industrias aeroespacial y de construcción

Effects of oxidizing procedures on carbon nanofibers surface and dispersability in an epoxy resin

Different oxygen functionalities were introduced in fishbone-type carbon nanofibers (CNFs) using three different oxidation procedures. The differences between these procedures are mainly based in the oxidizing agent used and the acid medium in which the process was carried out. Potassium permanganate-, ferrate- and chromate-based approaches were employed in conjunction with exfoliation and subsequent reduction with hydrazine. A complete evaluation of the effects produced by the different oxidative treatments on the resulting materials was carried out. The obtained materials were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), EDX, RAMAN, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption/desorption measurements, particle size and thermogravimetric analysis. The results suggest that only those procedures in which H2SO4 was used as acid medium (i.e., potassium permanganate and ferrate processes) were fit to achieve intercalation of suitable species (SO42− ions) that weaken the van der Waals forces. The weakening of these forces facilitates the attack of the carbon skeleton by the strong oxidants MnO4− or FeO42–and, as a consequence, the fragmentation of the material occurs. Dispersibility of carbon materials are affected by functional groups and oxidation degree. Turbiscan stability index provide a useful tool in order to study the stability of carbon material into different solvents with different dipole moments: water, epoxy resin and decane.Se introdujeron diferentes funcionalidades de oxígeno en nanofibras de carbono tipo espina de pescado (CNF) utilizando tres procedimientos de oxidación diferentes. Las diferencias entre estos procedimientos se basan principalmente en el agente oxidante utilizado y el medio ácido en el que se llevó a cabo el proceso. Se emplearon enfoques basados ​​en permanganato, ferrato y cromato de potasio junto con la exfoliación y la posterior reducción con hidracina. Se realizó una evaluación completa de los efectos producidos por los diferentes tratamientos oxidativos sobre los materiales resultantes. Los materiales obtenidos se caracterizaron por microscopía electrónica de barrido (SEM), EDX , RAMAN, infrarrojo transformado de Fourier (FTIR), difracción de rayos X (XRD), medidas de adsorción/desorción de N 2 , tamaño de partícula yanálisis termogravimétrico . Los resultados sugieren que solo aquellos procedimientos en los que se usó H 2 SO 4 como medio ácido (es decir, procesos de permanganato y ferrato de potasio ) fueron aptos para lograr la intercalación de especies adecuadas (iones SO 4 2− ) que debilitan las fuerzas de van der Waals. El debilitamiento de estas fuerzas facilita el ataque de la estructura carbonada por los oxidantes fuertes MnO 4 − o FeO 4 2–y, como consecuencia, se produce la fragmentación del material. La dispersabilidad de los materiales de carbono se ve afectada por los grupos funcionales y el grado de oxidación. El índice de estabilidad Turbiscan proporciona una herramienta útil para estudiar la estabilidad del material de carbono en diferentes solventes con diferentes momentos dipolares : agua, resina epoxi y decano

Role of inert gas in the Cvd-graphene synthesis over polycrystalline nickel foils

The role of the inert gas during CVD-graphene growth over polycrystalline nickel foils is reported. Nitrogen, hydrogen and methane were used as inert, reduction and carbonaceous gases, respectively. Graphene samples were characterized by using Optical Microscopy, Raman Spectroscopy and SEM equipped with EDX. Four different colors were distinguished over the optical microscope images. These colors were analyzed by Raman Spectroscopy and correlated to each type of graphene deposited over the foil (monolayer, bilayer, few-layers and multilayer). An Excel-VBA application was developed, which was used for computing the percentage of each type of graphene, resulting in an estimation of the graphene quality value. It was verified that the incorporation of the inert gas in the reaction step during CVD-graphene synthesis greatly influenced the quality of the obtained graphene. Different temperatures and percentages of nitrogen were studied in order to define the optimal reaction conditions. A factorial design study was performed to find the best experimental conditions leading to the highest quality graphene value, which resulted to be the following ones: 947 °C and 13 vol % of nitrogen in the feed stream, 1 min of reaction time, a relation between CH4 and H2 of 0.07 v/v, and a total flow of gases of 80 Nml/min.Se informa sobre el papel del gas inerte durante el crecimiento de CVD-grafeno sobre láminas de níquel policristalino . Se utilizaron nitrógeno, hidrógeno y metano como gases inertes, de reducción y carbonosos, respectivamente. Las muestras de grafeno se caracterizaron utilizando Microscopía Óptica, Espectroscopía Raman y SEM equipado con EDX .. Se distinguieron cuatro colores diferentes sobre las imágenes del microscopio óptico. Estos colores se analizaron mediante espectroscopia Raman y se correlacionaron con cada tipo de grafeno depositado sobre la lámina (monocapa, bicapa, pocas capas y multicapa). Se desarrolló una aplicación Excel-VBA, la cual se utilizó para calcular el porcentaje de cada tipo de grafeno, dando como resultado una estimación del valor de la calidad del grafeno. Se comprobó que la incorporación del gas inerte en el paso de reacción durante la síntesis de CVD-grafeno influyó mucho en la calidad del grafeno obtenido. Se estudiaron diferentes temperaturas y porcentajes de nitrógeno para definir las condiciones óptimas de reacción. Se realizó un estudio de diseño factorial para encontrar las mejores condiciones experimentales que conduzcan al valor de grafeno de mayor calidad, las cuales resultaron ser las siguientes:4 y H 2 de 0,07 v/v, y un caudal total de gases de 80 Nml/min

Different strategies to simultaneously N-doping and reduce graphene oxide for electrocatalytic applications

Two different approaches to simultaneously introduce nitrogen atoms within the graphene framework and, reduce graphene oxide nanoplatelets (GO), have been explored in order to improve the electrocatalytic activity of the resulting materials. Thus, a facile hydrothermal method using 2-chloroethylamine under conditions at 180 °C and, another one, based in the formation of polypyrrole (PPy) on graphene oxide nanoplatelets by in situ polymerization of pyrrole monomer in the presence of GO, were compared through a deep characterization of the final materials by SEM, RAMAN, FTIR, XPS, Zeta potential, XRD and TGA analysis. Physico-chemical properties of the graphene-based materials were subsequently related with their electron transfer efficiency and electrocatalytic activity. The as prepared rGO prepared by the PPy method showed an N content quite superior (~6–8%) than the rGO prepared by the hydrothermal one (~1%) being an important part of their nitrogen state pyridinic type. The electrocatalytic results showed that GO exhibited higher specific capacitance than rGO materials due to its intrinsic higher porosity. However, the presence of N species seems to have a positive effect on the ORR activity, although the N incorporation through the PPy-rGO synthesis method seems to be the preferred one according for the complete ORR pathway.Se han explorado dos enfoques diferentes para introducir simultáneamente átomos de nitrógeno dentro del marco de grafeno y reducir las nanoplaquetas de óxido de grafeno ( GO) con el fin de mejorar la actividad electrocatalítica de los materiales resultantes. Así, se comparó un método hidrotermal fácil usando 2-cloroetilamina en condiciones a 180 °C y otro, basado en la formación de polipirrol (PPy) sobre nanoplaquetas de óxido de grafeno por polimerización in situ del monómero pirrol en presencia de GO. una caracterización profunda de los materiales finales por SEM, RAMAN, FTIR, XPS , potencial Zeta , XRD yanálisis TGA . Las propiedades fisicoquímicas de los materiales a base de grafeno se relacionaron posteriormente con su eficiencia de transferencia de electrones y su actividad electrocatalítica. El rGO preparado por el método PPy mostró un contenido de N bastante superior (~6–8%) que el rGO preparado por el hidrotermal (~1%) siendo una parte importante de su estado nitrogenado de tipo piridínico. Los resultados electrocatalíticos mostraron que GO exhibió una capacitancia específica más alta que los materiales rGO debido a su mayor porosidad intrínseca. Sin embargo, la presencia de especies de N parece tener un efecto positivo sobre la actividad de ORR, aunque la incorporación de N a través del método de síntesis de PPy-rGO parece ser el preferido según la vía completa de ORR

Gas Separation Properties of Mixed Matrix Membranes based on Polyimide and Graphite Oxide

In this work, three different graphene-based materials, namely graphite oxide (GrO), thermally reduced graphite oxide (T-RGrO) and ascorbic acid multi-phase reduced graphene oxide (AMP-RGO), were synthesized and used to produce mixed matrix membranes (MMM) based on Matrimid®5218 for as separation. From the samples produced, a complete set of characterization was performed including XRD, FTIR, TGA and SEM to relate with the gas separation performance using H2, CO2, O2, N2 and CH4. For all the gases studied, the results showed that membrane permeability was inversely proportional to the gas molecular size. This behavior was associated to multi-phase reduced graphite oxide (AMPRGO) being an excellent gas barrier for large gas molecules, especially for CH4. The results showed that the H2/CH4 ideal selectivity increased to 231 which represents a 328% improvement for M/AMP-RGO 0.1 compared to the neat matrix. The CO2/CH4 selectivity was 79.8 for M/AMP-RGO 0.2 wt.% which represents a 344% improvement compared to the neat polymer. These results confirmed that these membranes can be used for methane separation such as in ammonia plants (H2/CH4) or biogas upgrading/natural gas purification (CO2/CH4).En este trabajo, se sintetizaron y utilizaron tres materiales diferentes a base de grafeno, a saber, óxido de grafito (GrO), óxido de grafito reducido térmicamente (T-RGrO) y óxido de grafeno reducido en múltiples fases de ácido ascórbico (AMP-RGO), para producir una matriz mixta. membranas (MMM) basadas en Matrimid®5218 para la separación. A partir de las muestras producidas, se realizó un conjunto completo de caracterizaciones que incluye XRD, FTIR, TGA y SEM para relacionar el rendimiento de separación de gases utilizando H2, CO2, O2, N2 y CH4. Para todos los gases estudiados, los resultados mostraron que la permeabilidad de la membrana era inversamente proporcional al tamaño molecular del gas. Este comportamiento se asoció a que el óxido de grafito reducido multifásico (AMPRGO) es una excelente barrera de gas para moléculas de gas grandes, especialmente para CH4. Los resultados mostraron que la selectividad ideal de H2/CH4 aumentó a 231, lo que representa una mejora del 328 % para M/AMP-RGO 0.1 en comparación con la matriz pura. La selectividad de CO2/CH4 fue de 79,8 para M/AMP-RGO al 0,2 % en peso, lo que representa una mejora del 344 % en comparación con el polímero puro. Estos resultados confirmaron que estas membranas se pueden utilizar para la separación de metano, como en plantas de amoníaco (H2/CH4) o mejora de biogás/purificación de gas natural (CO2/CH4)

Measuring performance on the Healthcare Access and Quality Index for 195 countries and territories and selected subnational locations: A systematic analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016

Background A key component of achieving universal health coverage is ensuring that all populations have access to quality health care. Examining where gains have occurred or progress has faltered across and within countries is crucial to guiding decisions and strategies for future improvement. We used the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2016 (GBD 2016) to assess personal health-care access and quality with the Healthcare Access and Quality (HAQ) Index for 195 countries and territories, as well as subnational locations in seven countries, from 1990 to 2016. Methods Drawing from established methods and updated estimates from GBD 2016, we used 32 causes from which death should not occur in the presence of effective care to approximate personal health-care access and quality by location and over time. To better isolate potential effects of personal health-care access and quality from underlying risk factor patterns, we risk-standardised cause-specific deaths due to non-cancers by location-year, replacing the local joint exposure of environmental and behavioural risks with the global level of exposure. Supported by the expansion of cancer registry data in GBD 2016, we used mortality-to-incidence ratios for cancers instead of risk-standardised death rates to provide a stronger signal of the effects of personal health care and access on cancer survival. We transformed each cause to a scale of 0–100, with 0 as the first percentile (worst) observed between 1990 and 2016, and 100 as the 99th percentile (best); we set these thresholds at the country level, and then applied them to subnational locations. We applied a principal components analysis to construct the HAQ Index using all scaled cause values, providing an overall score of 0–100 of personal health-care access and quality by location over time. We then compared HAQ Index levels and trends by quintiles on the Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a summary measure of overall development. As derived from the broader GBD study and other data sources, we examined relationships between national HAQ Index scores and potential correlates of performance, such as total health spending per capita. Findings In 2016, HAQ Index performance spanned from a high of 97·1 (95% UI 95·8–98·1) in Iceland, followed by 96·6 (94·9–97·9) in Norway and 96·1 (94·5–97·3) in the Netherlands, to values as low as 18·6 (13·1–24·4) in the Central African Republic, 19·0 (14·3–23·7) in Somalia, and 23·4 (20·2–26·8) in Guinea-Bissau. The pace of progress achieved between 1990 and 2016 varied, with markedly faster improvements occurring between 2000 and 2016 for many countries in sub-Saharan Africa and southeast Asia, whereas several countries in Latin America and elsewhere saw progress stagnate after experiencing considerable advances in the HAQ Index between 1990 and 2000. Striking subnational disparities emerged in personal health-care access and quality, with China and India having particularly large gaps between locations with the highest and lowest scores in 2016. In China, performance ranged from 91·5 (89·1–93·6) in Beijing to 48·0 (43·4–53·2) in Tibet (a 43·5-point difference), while India saw a 30·8-point disparity, from 64·8 (59·6–68·8) in Goa to 34·0 (30·3–38·1) in Assam. Japan recorded the smallest range in subnational HAQ performance in 2016 (a 4·8-point difference), whereas differences between subnational locations with the highest and lowest HAQ Index values were more than two times as high for the USA and three times as high for England. State-level gaps in the HAQ Index in Mexico somewhat narrowed from 1990 to 2016 (from a 20·9-point to 17·0-point difference), whereas in Brazil, disparities slightly increased across states during this time (a 17·2-point to 20·4-point difference). Performance on the HAQ Index showed strong linkages to overall development, with high and high-middle SDI countries generally having higher scores and faster gains for non-communicable diseases. Nonetheless, countries across the development spectrum saw substantial gains in some key health service areas from 2000 to 2016, most notably vaccine-preventable diseases. Overall, national performance on the HAQ Index was positively associated with higher levels of total health spending per capita, as well as health systems inputs, but these relationships were quite heterogeneous, particularly among low-to-middle SDI countries. Interpretation GBD 2016 provides a more detailed understanding of past success and current challenges in improving personal health-care access and quality worldwide. Despite substantial gains since 2000, many low-SDI and middle- SDI countries face considerable challenges unless heightened policy action and investments focus on advancing access to and quality of health care across key health services, especially non-communicable diseases. Stagnating or minimal improvements experienced by several low-middle to high-middle SDI countries could reflect the complexities of re-orienting both primary and secondary health-care services beyond the more limited foci of the Millennium Development Goals. Alongside initiatives to strengthen public health programmes, the pursuit of universal health coverage hinges upon improving both access and quality worldwide, and thus requires adopting a more comprehensive view—and subsequent provision—of quality health care for all populations.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Spatial, temporal, and demographic patterns in prevalence of smoking tobacco use and attributable disease burden in 204 countries and territories, 1990-2019 : a systematic analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background Ending the global tobacco epidemic is a defining challenge in global health. Timely and comprehensive estimates of the prevalence of smoking tobacco use and attributable disease burden are needed to guide tobacco control efforts nationally and globally. Methods We estimated the prevalence of smoking tobacco use and attributable disease burden for 204 countries and territories, by age and sex, from 1990 to 2019 as part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study. We modelled multiple smoking-related indicators from 3625 nationally representative surveys. We completed systematic reviews and did Bayesian meta-regressions for 36 causally linked health outcomes to estimate non-linear dose-response risk curves for current and former smokers. We used a direct estimation approach to estimate attributable burden, providing more comprehensive estimates of the health effects of smoking than previously available. Findings Globally in 2019, 1.14 billion (95% uncertainty interval 1.13-1.16) individuals were current smokers, who consumed 7.41 trillion (7.11-7.74) cigarette-equivalents of tobacco in 2019. Although prevalence of smoking had decreased significantly since 1990 among both males (27.5% [26. 5-28.5] reduction) and females (37.7% [35.4-39.9] reduction) aged 15 years and older, population growth has led to a significant increase in the total number of smokers from 0.99 billion (0.98-1.00) in 1990. Globally in 2019, smoking tobacco use accounted for 7.69 million (7.16-8.20) deaths and 200 million (185-214) disability-adjusted life-years, and was the leading risk factor for death among males (20.2% [19.3-21.1] of male deaths). 6.68 million [86.9%] of 7.69 million deaths attributable to smoking tobacco use were among current smokers. Interpretation In the absence of intervention, the annual toll of 7.69 million deaths and 200 million disability-adjusted life-years attributable to smoking will increase over the coming decades. Substantial progress in reducing the prevalence of smoking tobacco use has been observed in countries from all regions and at all stages of development, but a large implementation gap remains for tobacco control. Countries have a dear and urgent opportunity to pass strong, evidence-based policies to accelerate reductions in the prevalence of smoking and reap massive health benefits for their citizens. Copyright (C) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.Peer reviewe