Ofloxacin degradation over nanosized Fe3O4 catalyst viathermal activation of persulfate ions

In this work, an Fe3O4 catalyst was synthetized in a single step via electrochemical synthesis. The Fe3O4 catalyst was used to evaluate the degradation of Ofloxacin (OFX) using a heterogeneous advanced oxidation process with sodium persulfate (PS). PS activation was successfully achieved via thermal conventional heating directly and subsequently applied for the degradation of OFX. The degradation kinetics were studied under different conditions, such as catalyst and oxidant concentration and temperature. The results show that a higher reaction temperature, catalyst and initial PS dose strongly influence the degradation efficiency. Thermal activation of persulfate was tested at 20, 40 and 60 °C. At 60 °C, the half-time of OFX was 23 times greater than at 20 °C, confirming the activation of persulfate. Mineralization studies also showed that under optimized conditions (20 mM of persulfate, 1 g/L catalyst and 100 mg/L OFX), a 66% reduction in organic matter was observed, in contrast to that obtained at 40 °C and 20 °C, which was null. The reusability, as tested through the fourth reuse cycle, resulted in a 38% reduced degradation efficiency when comparing the first and last cycle. Furthermore, the electrosynthesized catalyst presented similar degradation efficiencies in both real water and MilliQ, mainly because of the (Formula presented.) generation at high (Formula presented.) concentrations that takes place in (Formula presented.) contaminated waterThis research was funded by the Madrid Government (Comunidad de Madrid-Spain) under the Multiannual Agreement with Universidad Autónoma de Madrid in the line of action encouraging youth research doctors, in the context of the V PRICIT (Regional Programme of Research and Technological Innovation), (SI1-PJI-2019-00366), and by the Spanish Ministry of Science and In-novation under project no. PID2021-123431OB-I0

Highly efficient Cu2O@CuxFeyO4 nanohybrid catalyst for the degradation of emerging pollutants

Cu2O@CuxFeyO4 nanohybrids (NHs) have been electrosynthesized by a simple and environmentally safe method to be used as catalysts for tetracycline degradation. NHs shown an average diameter of 14(5) nm and exhibit high crystallinity with spherical morphology. XPS results demonstrate a cuprite-enriched surface; meanwhile, the inner layer is composed by a nonstoichiometric copper spinel structure. The degradation has been monitored by UV–Visible spectroscopy, TOC analysis, and HPLC. The electrochemical characterization demonstrates the synergetic effect of Fe3+/Fe2+ and Cu2+/Cu+ coupling to enhance the activation of persulfate. This effect results in a greater degradation efficiency of NHs than other catalysts, namely, CuxOy, Fe3O4, and a mixture of both and Cu2O. It has been found that a previous adsorption stage before degradation does not improve the elimination of the pollutant and its length in time, with a TOC reduction of 72.6 % in 2 h. Conversely, conducting the oxidative process in a direct step resulted in a more rapid and efficient process, 82.3 % of reduction in 1 h. Through this method, the catalyst reutilization resulting in a decrease of 50 % in TOC degradation from the third use, while the TCY concentration degraded remains almost constant. This reduced catalytic activity with use might be a consequence of 1) the absence of the single Cu-oxide layer due to the leaching of mainly Cu ions but also Fe ions during the degradation tests, and, 2) the passivation of the outermost layer, mainly covered by C–O species and OH groups, which hinders access to active catalyst sitesThis research was funded by the Madrid Government (Comunidad de Madrid-Spain) under the Multiannual Agreement with Universidad Autonoma ´ de Madrid in the line of action encouraging youth research doctors, in the context of the V PRICIT (Regional Programme of Research and Technological Innovation) (SI1-PJI-2019-00366) and by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation under project PID2021- 123431OB-I00. FJP acknowledges financial support from Grant PID2021-126169OB-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/5011000110 33 and by “ERDF A way of making Europe”. The authors would like to acknowledge to L. Gutierrez and the Advanced Microscopy Laboratory (INA-Universidad de Zaragoza) for access to their instrumentation and expertis

3D printed monoliths: From powder to an efficient catalyst for antibiotic degradation

To improve the effectiveness and durability of wastewater treatment technologies, researchers are showing a growing interest in 3D printing technology. This technology has attracted significant interest owing to its ability to fabricate challenging complex geometries using different material compositions. This manuscript is focused on the development of 3D monoliths from noncommercial filaments, i.e., a powder blend of iron oxide and polylactic acid (PLA) at 15 wt% of the former. Different monolith designs have been prepared to improve the fluid dynamics of the process, so a simple cylinder (15-Fe3O4@PLA) and a cylinder with double the length and an internal mesh (15-Fe3O4@PLA-DM) were used. These monoliths were characterized by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Mossbauer ¨ spectroscopy, then used for water-based ofloxacin degradation in a continuous down-up flow configuration. Additionally, computational fluid dynamics simulations were performed to estimate the degradation rate constants and analyze the distribution of fluid velocity and pollutant concentration along the 15-Fe3O4@PLA-reactor. The oxidant dose was also optimized to develop the highest degradation rate. The degradation of the target pollutant for those monoliths was 55 and 82 % under optimized conditions. In addition, the 15-Fe3O4@PLA-DM monolith was operated for long term experiments, keeping the degradation performance at a good 67 % for up to 120 h. Finally a fixed-bed reactor was mounted with printed pellets of the mixture (15:85), Fe3O4:PLA, after being ground in a range of 125–200 μm. Under this setup configuration, we observed the total degradation of ofloxacin. 3D printing technology is cheap, reproducible and time saving in the development of supported catalysts in comparison with conventional deposition techniques. Moreover, the leaching of active sites on streams was largely diminished. In fact under continuous operation the leached Fe concentration is below 0.1 ppm, corroborating the good adhesion of the catalyst in the PLA supportThis research has been supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation thorough the project PID2021-123431OB-I0

Small-bowel capsule endoscopy with panoramic view: results of the first multicenter, observational study (with videos).

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The first small-bowel video-capsule endoscopy (VCE) with 360° panoramic view has been recently developed. This new capsule has a wire-free technology, 4 high frame-rate cameras, and a long-lasting battery life. The present study was aimed at assessing performances and the safety profile of the 360° panoramic-view capsule in a large series of patients from a multicenter clinical practice setting. METHODS: Consecutive patients undergoing a 360° panoramic-view capsule procedure in 7 European Institutions between January 2011 and November 2015 were included. Both technical (ie, technical failures, completion rate) and clinical (ie, indication, findings, retention rate) data were collected by means of a structured questionnaire. VCE findings were classified according to the likelihood to explain reason for referral: P0-low, P1-intermediate and P2-high. RESULTS: Among 172 patients (94 men; median age: 68 years, IQR: 53-75), 142 underwent VCE for obscure (32 overt, 110 occult) GI bleeding (OGIB) and 28 for suspected (17) or established (2) Crohn's disease (CD). Overall, 560 findings were detected; 252 of them were P2. The overall diagnostic yield was 40.1%; 42.2% and 30.0% in patients with OGIB and CD, respectively. The rate of complete enteroscopy was 90.2%. All of the patients but one, who experienced capsule retention (1/172: 0.6%), excreted and retrieved the capsule. VCE failure occurred in 4 of 172 (2.3%) cases for technical problems. CONCLUSION: The present multicenter study, conducted in clinical practice setting and based on a large consecutive series of patients, showed that DY and safety profile of 360° panoramic-view capsule are similar to those of forward-view VCEs

De la mano de los libros

Este proyecto consiste en crear una biblioteca de centro para resaltar la importancia de los libros, la lectura y la escritura en el desarrollo intelectual y emocional del alumno. Por tanto, los objetivos son fomentar el hábito de la lectura como recurso para la obtención de información y la adquisición de aprendizajes, así como recurso para el ocio y el tiempo libre; valorar el libro como un bien común y de provecho que debe tener un uso correcto y evitar su deterioro; iniciar a los alumnos de cursos superiores en la catalogación de libros; dar a conocer y respetar las normas básicas para el uso correcto de la biblioteca; favorecer el análisis crítico de los textos y desarrollar valores como la solidaridad, la igualdad o la paz; transmitir la importancia de la compresión lectora y sensibilizar en la importancia de la escritura como transmisora de ideas, pensamientos y creencias. La actividad se desarrolla desde lo más elemental, buscar un espacio donde ubicar la biblioteca, seleccionar, adquirir y colocar la colección de ejemplares, además de poner en práctica actividades propias de este entorno como encuentros con autores de libros, exposiciones de trabajos, lecturas públicas, celebración del día del Libro y talleres de escritura. El proceso de evaluación es cualitativo y se lleva a cabo en reuniones de profesores algunas de las cuestiones a plantear son la adecuación del espacio seleccionado, funcionalidad del mobiliario y de la ordenación de fondos, utilidad de las actividades seleccionadas e interés de los alumnos. Se aporta un CD-ROM como anexo que contiene fotografías..Madrid (Comunidad Autónoma). Consejería de Educación. Dirección General de Mejora de la Calidad de la EnseñanzaMadridMadrid (Comunidad Autónoma). Subdirección General de Formación del Profesorado. CRIF Las Acacias; General Ricardos 179 - 28025 Madrid; Tel. + 34915250893ES

Subcutaneous anti-COVID-19 hyperimmune immunoglobulin for prevention of disease in asymptomatic individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised clinical trialResearch in context

Summary: Background: Anti-COVID-19 hyperimmune immunoglobulin (hIG) can provide standardized and controlled antibody content. Data from controlled clinical trials using hIG for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19 outpatients have not been reported. We assessed the safety and efficacy of subcutaneous anti-COVID-19 hyperimmune immunoglobulin 20% (C19-IG20%) compared to placebo in preventing development of symptomatic COVID-19 in asymptomatic individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: We did a multicentre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, in asymptomatic unvaccinated adults (≥18 years of age) with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection within 5 days between April 28 and December 27, 2021. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to receive a blinded subcutaneous infusion of 10 mL with 1 g or 2 g of C19-IG20%, or an equivalent volume of saline as placebo. The primary endpoint was the proportion of participants who remained asymptomatic through day 14 after infusion. Secondary endpoints included the proportion of individuals who required oxygen supplementation, any medically attended visit, hospitalisation, or ICU, and viral load reduction and viral clearance in nasopharyngeal swabs. Safety was assessed as the proportion of patients with adverse events. The trial was terminated early due to a lack of potential benefit in the target population in a planned interim analysis conducted in December 2021. ClinicalTrials.gov registry: NCT04847141. Findings: 461 individuals (mean age 39.6 years [SD 12.8]) were randomized and received the intervention within a mean of 3.1 (SD 1.27) days from a positive SARS-CoV-2 test. In the prespecified modified intention-to-treat analysis that included only participants who received a subcutaneous infusion, the primary outcome occurred in 59.9% (91/152) of participants receiving 1 g C19-IG20%, 64.7% (99/153) receiving 2 g, and 63.5% (99/156) receiving placebo (difference in proportions 1 g C19-IG20% vs. placebo, −3.6%; 95% CI -14.6% to 7.3%, p = 0.53; 2 g C19-IG20% vs placebo, 1.1%; −9.6% to 11.9%, p = 0.85). None of the secondary clinical efficacy endpoints or virological endpoints were significantly different between study groups. Adverse event rate was similar between groups, and no severe or life-threatening adverse events related to investigational product infusion were reported. Interpretation: Our findings suggested that administration of subcutaneous human hyperimmune immunoglobulin C19-IG20% to asymptomatic individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection was safe but did not prevent development of symptomatic COVID-19. Funding: Grifols