Electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction as an alternative source of fuels and chemicals

Cost-effective electrochemical CO2 recycling (ECO2R), is the holy grail of green chemistry. ECO2R combines just three inputs: CO2, water, and electricity, and converts them into useful products. At commercial scale, this technology could eliminate our dependence on fossil resources by providing an alternative source of carbon-based compounds for fuels and commodity chemicals. However, commercial fuel and chemical production via ECO2R is challenging, because the current state of the technology is not cost-effective enough to compete with conventionally manufactured fuels and chemicals already on the market. The key cost-drivers of ECO2R are the energy efficiency, product selectivity, and current density. Based on these metrics, we have developed a model for the cost of ECO2R-derived compounds. We will use the model to compare the cost to fuels and chemicals derived from traditional sources and identify the technical barriers that need to be overcome to reduce the cost, including challenging electrocatalysis[1-3] and difficulties in achieving the high current density needed for a cost-competitive process because of limited carbon dioxide solubility. To overcome barriers to commercialization, Opus 12 is developing novel electrocatalysts and a proprietary reactor design. Improved catalysts possess low overpotentials (higher energy efficiency) and high product selectivity and our reactor design is capable of high current densities with minimal voltage losses (higher energy efficiency). We will present our technical progress in terms of the key cost-drivers. Using these metrics, we can estimate the current cost of ECO2R and present a roadmap of improvements needed to further reduce costs to compete with traditional chemicals and fuels derived from fossil resources

Insulin versus Lipid Emulsion in a Rabbit Model of Severe Propranolol Toxicity: A Pilot Study

Background and objective. Beta-blocker overdose may result in intractable cardiovascular collapse despite conventional antidotal treatments. High dose insulin/glucose (ING), and more recently intravenous lipid emulsion (ILE), have been proposed as potentially beneficial therapies in beta blocker intoxication. We compare efficacy of the novel antidotes ING, with ILE, in a rabbit model of combined enteric/intravenous propranolol toxicity. Methods. Sedated, mechanically ventilated and invasively monitored New Zealand White rabbits underwent mini-laparotomy and enterostomy formation with 40 mg/kg propranolol instilled into the proximal small bowel. At 30 minutes propranolol infusion was commenced at 4 mg/kg/hr and continued to a target mean arterial pressure (MAP) of 50% baseline MAP. Animals were resuscitated with insulin at 3 U/kg plus 0.5 g/kg glucose (ING group), or 10 mL/kg 20% Intralipid (ILE group). Results. Rate pressure product (RPP; RPP = heart rate × mean arterial pressure) was greatest in the ING group at 60 minutes (P < .05). A trend toward greater heart rate was observed in the ING group (P = .06). No difference was observed in survival between groups (4/5 ING versus 2/5 ILE; P = .524). Conclusions. High dose insulin resulted in greater rate pressure product compared with lipid emulsion in this rabbit model of severe enteric/intravenous propranolol toxicity

Clinical applications of contactless photoplethysmography for vital signs monitoring in pediatrics: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Background: Contactless photoplethysmography (PPG) potentially affords the ability to obtain vital signs in pediatric populations without disturbing the child. Most validity studies have been conducted in laboratory settings or with healthy adult volunteers. This review aims to evaluate the current literature on contactless vital signs monitoring in pediatric populations and within a clinical setting. Methods: OVID, Webofscience, Cochrane library, and clinicaltrials.org were systematically searched by two authors for research studies which used contactless PPG to assess vital signs in children and within a clinical setting. Results: Fifteen studies were included with a total of 170 individuals. Ten studies were included in a meta-analysis for neonatal heart rate (HR), which demonstrated a pooled mean bias of −0.25 (95% limits of agreement (LOA), −1.83 to 1.32). Four studies assessed respiratory rate (RR) in neonates, and meta-analysis demonstrated a pooled mean bias of 0.65 (95% LOA, −3.08 to 4.37). All studies were small, and there were variations in the methods used and risk of bias. Conclusion: Contactless PPG is a promising tool for vital signs monitoring in children and accurately measures neonatal HR and RR. Further research is needed to assess children of different age groups, the effects of skin type variation, and the addition of other vital signs

Hyperbaric oxygen treatment in autism spectrum disorders

Traditionally, hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT) is indicated in several clinical disorders include decompression sickness, healing of problem wounds and arterial gas embolism. However, some investigators have used HBOT to treat individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). A number of individuals with ASD possess certain physiological abnormalities that HBOT might ameliorate, including cerebral hypoperfusion, inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress. Studies of children with ASD have found positive changes in physiology and/or behavior from HBOT. For example, several studies have reported that HBOT improved cerebral perfusion, decreased markers of inflammation and did not worsen oxidative stress markers in children with ASD. Most studies of HBOT in children with ASD examined changes in behaviors and reported improvements in several behavioral domains although many of these studies were not controlled. Although the two trials employing a control group reported conflicting results, a recent systematic review noted several important distinctions between these trials. In the reviewed studies, HBOT had minimal adverse effects and was well tolerated. Studies which used a higher frequency of HBOT sessions (e.g., 10 sessions per week as opposed to 5 sessions per week) generally reported more significant improvements. Many of the studies had limitations which may have contributed to inconsistent findings across studies, including the use of many different standardized and non-standardized instruments, making it difficult to directly compare the results of studies or to know if there are specific areas of behavior in which HBOT is most effective. The variability in results between studies could also have been due to certain subgroups of children with ASD responding differently to HBOT. Most of the reviewed studies relied on changes in behavioral measurements, which may lag behind physiological changes. Additional studies enrolling children with ASD who have certain physiological abnormalities (such as inflammation, cerebral hypoperfusion, and mitochondrial dysfunction) and which measure changes in these physiological parameters would be helpful in further defining the effects of HBOT in ASD

Catalog and distribution atlas of the Scarabaeoidea (Insecta: Coleoptera) of El Salvador

Menos del 1% de la literatura sobre la biodiversidad de El Salvador es sobre invertebrados terrestres, lo que limita nuestro conocimiento de la diversidad, riqueza y distribución de este grupo en el territorio. Los Scarabaeoidea son megadiversos en múltiples ecosistemas y cumplen muchas funciones. Este trabajo tiene como objetivo catalogar los Scarabaeoidea en El Salvador. Se realizó una revisión exhaustiva de la literatura publicada y se revisaron numerosas colecciones entomológicas con material relevante. Se construyeron mapas para visualizar la distribución conocida de cada especie en el país. Existen 295 especies de escarabajos (incluyendo 19 nuevos registros en el país) representando 106 géneros en 7 familias en El Salvador. Se conocen seis especies precursoras. Veintidós especies se descartan como presentes en El Salvador, ya sea porque no son especies válidas o por identificaciones erróneas o registros dudosos. Este trabajo es la primera aproximación al conocimiento de los Scarabaeoidea en El Salvador, un territorio que usualmente se considera de nula importancia para la conservación de la biodiversidad regional debido a su reducida superficie, alta tasa de deforestación y sobrepoblación. Los resultados de este trabajo refuerzan la necesidad de realizar prospección biológica en el territorio para conocer, conservar y proteger la biodiversidad remanente. 2023 Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Todos los derechos reservados.Less than 1% of the literature on El Salvador s biodiversity is about terrestrial invertebrates, which limits our knowledge of this group s diversity, richness, and distribution in the territory. Scarabaeoidea are megadiverse in multiple ecosystems and perform many functions. This work aims to catalog the Scarabaeoidea in El Salvador. We conducted an exhaustive review of published literature and reviewed numerous entomological collections with relevant material. Maps were constructed to visualize the known distribution of each species in the country. There are 295 scarab beetle species (including 19 new country records) representing 106 genera in 7 families in El Salvador. Six precinctive species are known. Twenty-Two species are discarded as occurring in El Salvador, either because they are not valid species or because of misidentifications or dubious records. This work is the first approach to knowing the Scarabaeoidea in El Salvador, a territory that is usually considered of no importance for the conservation of regional biodiversity due to its small area, high rate of deforestation, and overpopulation. The results of this work reinforce the need for biological prospecting in the territory to know, conserve, and protect the remaining biodiversity. © 2023 Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico. All rights reserved

Sick Britain: A call for mandatory Health Impact Assessments across government with the support of a dedicated ‘Health in All Policies’ support unit

Health is affected by a wide range of factors, from income, employment, and education, to pollution, access to green space and social networks. Health gaps arise through the unequal distribution of the wider determinants of health. Many of these factors are outside the direct control of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). Working cross-government for health improvement is likely to lead to better designed and implemented policies which improve every aspect of society. A Health in All Policies (HiAP) approach describes how health and health equity can be improved through embedding consideration of health in multi-sector decision making. Health Impact Assessments (HIAs) are a mechanism for delivering an HiAP approach across national and local governments, creating the conditions for healthy lives

Severe Pneumonia Associated with Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Outbreak, San Luis Potosí, Mexico

Severe pneumonia developed in young adults who had no identifiable risk factors