Adsorption of malachite green and alizarin red s dyes using fe-btc metal organic framework as adsorbent

Synthetic organic dyes are widely used in various industrial sectors but are also among the most harmful water pollutants. In the last decade, significant efforts have been made to develop improved materials for the removal of dyes from water, in particular, on nanostructured adsorbent materials. Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are an attractive class of hybrid nanostructured materials with an extremely wide range of applications including adsorption. In the present work, an iron-based Fe-BTC MOF, prepared according to a rapid, aqueous-based procedure, was used as an adsorbent for the removal of alizarin red S (ARS) and malachite green (MG) dyes from water. The synthesized material was characterized in detail, while the adsorption of the dyes was monitored by UV-Vis spectroscopy. An optimal adsorption pH of 4, likely due to the establishment of favor-able interactions between dyes and Fe-BTC, was found. At this pH and at a temperature of 298 K, adsorption equilibrium was reached in less than 30 min following a pseudo-second order kinetics, with k” of 4.29 × 10−3 and 3.98 × 10−2 g∙mg−1 min−1 for ARS and MG, respectively. The adsorption isotherm followed the Langmuir model with maximal adsorption capacities of 80 mg∙g−1 (ARS) and 177 mg∙g−1 (MG), and KL of 9.30∙103 L∙mg−1 (ARS) and 51.56∙103 L∙mg−1 (MG)

Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Regulates Hippocampal GABA(A) Receptor Delta Subunit Gene Expression.

Chronic ethanol consumption causes structural and functional reorganization in the hippocampus and induces alterations in the gene expression of gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptors (GABAARs). Distinct forced intermittent exposure models have been used previously to investigate changes in GABAAR expression, with contrasting results. Here, we used repeated cycles of a Chronic Intermittent Ethanol paradigm to examine the relationship between voluntary, dependence-associated ethanol consumption, and GABAAR gene expression in mouse hippocampus. Adult male C57BL/6J mice were exposed to four 16-h ethanol vapor (or air) cycles in inhalation chambers alternated with limited-access two-bottle choice between ethanol (15%) and water consumption. The mice exposed to ethanol vapor showed significant increases in ethanol consumption compared to their air-matched controls. GABAAR alpha4 and delta subunit gene expression were measured by qRT-PCR at different stages. There were significant changes in GABAAR delta subunit transcript levels at different time points in ethanol-vapor exposed mice, while the alpha4 subunit levels remained unchanged. Correlated concurrent blood ethanol concentrations suggested that GABAAR delta subunit mRNA levels fluctuate depending on ethanol intoxication, dependence, and withdrawal state. Using a vapor-based Chronic Intermittent Ethanol procedure with combined two-bottle choice consumption, we corroborated previous evidences showing that discontinuous ethanol exposure affects GABAAR delta subunit expression but we did not observe changes in alpha4 subunit. These findings indicate that hippocampal GABAAR delta subunit expression changes transiently over the course of a Chronic Intermittent Ethanol paradigm associated with voluntary intake, in response to ethanol-mediated disturbance of GABAergic neurotransmission

The La Luna/Río Negro(.) Petroleum system at the Urdaneta West Field, lake Maracaibo basin, NW Venezuela: ID basin modelling and secondary oil migration

This paper investigates the timing of hydrocarbon generation in the northern part of the Urdaneta West field in the NW of the Lake Maracaibo Basin, NW Venezuela, based on ID basin modelling at three wells referred to as wells X, Y and Z. Kitchen areas were identified and secondary migration directions were inferred based on analyses of the thermal and burial history of the Upper Cretaceous La Luna Formation source rock and the geochemistry of 20 oil samples from the Río Negro Formation reservoir. Aliphatic hydrocarbons in the oil samples were analysed by gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC-MS) while the vanadium- nickel and sulphur contents were determined by energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy, respectively. Bulk and molecular characterizations indicated that the oils originated from a marine carbonate source rock containing oil-prone Type II kerogen, consistent with generation by the La Luna Formation. Burial and thermal history modelling in the study area indicated that the La Luna source rock at wells X, Y and Z reached the oil window during the late Eocene, mid-Eocene and early Paleocene respectively. ID model results from the three wells showed that hydrocarbon generation began in the early Eocene. The transformation ratio of the La Luna Formation source rock in the modelled wells reached values of 35%, 98% and 100% by the end of the Eocene. In the Urdaneta West field, two different oil charges appear to have mixed in the Río Negro reservoir. Both oil charges were generated by the La Luna Formation source rock but at different times. A first charge of less mature oil occurred in the middle-late Eocene (Phase 1 generation), and a second, more mature oil charge took place in the Miocene - Quaternary (Phase 2 generation). The kitchen area for the first oil charge is inferred to have been located to the north and NE of Urdaneta West; that for the second oil charge to the south of the field. This migration model is supported by observed variations in the geochemical compositions of the oil samples analysed from different wells in the Urdaneta West field.J.G. Diaz acknowledges the support of the PDVSA Western Exploration Project Management and the University of Zulia. The authors are grateful to Iván Chirino and Patricia Marín for their scientific assistance. We are also grateful to the JPG referees (Karla Quintero-Bonilla, Katya Reategui and anonymous) whose comments helped to improve the original version of this manuscript. Carlos Boente obtained a post-doctoral contract within the program PAIDI 2020 (Ref 707 DOC 01097), co-financed by the Junta de Andalucía (Andalusian Government) and the EU

LinguAPP: An m-Health Application for Teledentistry Diagnostics

An Android/iOS application for low-cost mobile devices to aid in dental diagnosis through questionnaire and photos is presented in this paper. The main purposes of our app lie in the ease of use even for nonexperienced users, in the limited hardware requirements that allow a wide diffusion, and in the possibility to modify the questionnaire for different pathologies. This tool was developed in about a month at the beginning of the COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic and is still in use in Italy to allow support to patients without going to the hospital, if not strictly necessary

Collagen gene variants and anterior cruciate ligament rupture in Italian athletes: a preliminary report

several studies have investigated the role of genetics in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture, often returning conflicting results. the present pilot study aimed to analyze the association between six Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs1800012; rs12722; rs13946; rs240736; rs970547; and rs4870723, located on the COL1A1, COL5A1, COL12A1, and COL14A1 genes), and ACL rupture, among Italian athletes. A hypothesis-driven association study was conducted. In total, 181 male and female athletes (n = 86 injured; n = 96 non-injured) were genotyped for the prioritized variants. All polymorphisms were genotyped using PCR RFLP, with the only exception being the rs1800012 on the COL1A1 gene, which was detected using MTPA PCR. The allele frequency distribution fell within the worldwide range. Despite the evident population variability, no selective pressure signals were recorded using PBS analysis. No significant difference was detected between the cases and controls for any of the SNPs (rs1800012; rs13946; rs240736; rs970547, and rs4870723) included in the analyses (p > 0.008, Bonferroni-adjusted for multiple comparisons). Moreover, no significant differences were found when males and females were assessed separately. Further investigations based on a larger sample size are needed, in order to draw solid conclusions for the influence between collagen genes and ACL rupture

Seven-day ischaemic preconditioning improves muscle efficiency during cycling

Ischaemic preconditioning (IPC) has emerged as a potential non-invasive ergogenic aid to enhance exercise performance. Repeated application of IPC has demonstrated clinical efficacy, therefore our aims were to investigate its effect on endurance cycling performance and muscle efficiency. Twenty participants undertook 7-d repeated bilateral lower limb occlusion (4 x 5-min) of IPC (220 mmHg) or sham (20 mmHg). Prior to and 72-h following the intervention, participants performed submaximal cycling at 70, 80 and 90% of ventilatory threshold (VT) followed by an incremental exercise test. IPC had no effect on VO2max (P = 0.110); however, time to exhaustion increased by ~ 9% and Wmax by ~ 5 % (IPC pre 307 ± 45 to post 323 ± 51 W) relative to sham (P = 0.002). There were no changes in gross efficiency (GE) (P > 0.05); however, delta efficiency (DE) increased by 3.1% following IPC (P = 0.011). Deoxyhaemoglobin (HHb) was reduced following IPC ~ 30% (P = 0.017) with no change in total haemoglobin (tHb). Repeated IPC over 7-d enhanced muscle efficiency and extended cycling performance. The physiological effects of repeated IPC on skeletal muscle efficiency explains the notable improvements in endurance performance

Assessing simulated arm lymphoedema by a prototype of bioimpedance spectroscopy device. Possible implication of its use in the follow up of patients who underwent extensive breast cancer surgery

The aim of this research was to enable women after breast cancer surgery, in which arms lymphoedema often occurs, to self-monitor this disease using in-home an easy-to-use-device which assesses the arm’s resistance ratio, considered an indirect, non-invasive index of increased extracellular water volume in those limbs. An homemade equipment based on the bioimpedance spectroscopy technique, was tested on 20 healthy volunteers which, by means of two ECG disposable electrodes, connected to the device both their dominant and auxiliary upper arms and changes in electrical resistance were assessed while an alternate current of low intensity and sweeping frequency from 15 to 75 kHz had be injected. In the same volunteers, an arm lymphoedema with about 100 ml excess of extracellular water was simulated by subtracting 0.8% from measured resistance values in each arm. The arms’ resistance ratio against the increasing frequency gave rise to a parabolic branch visible on a mobile phone screen and, when the arm lymphoedema was simulated, the corresponding curve appeared positioned below that of the one without oedema. The patient’s self-awareness, due to the device’s self-management, could allow these subjects to actively approach the disease while sharing their results remotely with clinical specialists by an internet connection