Growth of few-wall carbon nanotubes with narrow diameter distribution over Fe-Mo-MgO catalyst by methane/acetylene catalytic decomposition

Few-wall carbon nanotubes were synthesized by methane/acetylene decomposition over bimetallic Fe-Mo catalyst with MgO (1:8:40) support at the temperature of 900°C. No calcinations and reduction pretreatments were applied to the catalytic powder. The transmission electron microscopy investigation showed that the synthesized carbon nanotubes [CNTs] have high purity and narrow diameter distribution. Raman spectrum showed that the ratio of G to D band line intensities of IG/ID is approximately 10, and the peaks in the low frequency range were attributed to the radial breathing mode corresponding to the nanotubes of small diameters. Thermogravimetric analysis data indicated no amorphous carbon phases. Experiments conducted at higher gas pressures showed the increase of CNT yield up to 83%. Mössbauer spectroscopy, magnetization measurements, X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and electron diffraction were employed to evaluate the nature of catalyst particles

The ERA-EDTA Registry Annual Report 2017 : a summary

Background. This article presents a summary of the 2017 Annual Report of the European Renal Association-European Dialysis and Transplant Association (ERA-EDTA) Registry and describes the epidemiology of renal replacement therapy (RRT) for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in 37 countries. Methods. The ERA-EDTA Registry received individual patient data on patients undergoing RRT for ESRD in 2017 from 32 national or regional renal registries and aggregated data from 21 registries. The incidence and prevalence of RRT, kidney transplantation activity and survival probabilities of these patients were calculated. Results. In 2017, the ERA-EDTA Registry covered a general population of 694 million people. The incidence of RRT for ESRD was 127 per million population (pmp), ranging from 37 pmp in Ukraine to 252 pmp in Greece. A total of 62% of patients were men, 52% were >= 65 years of age and 23% had diabetes mellitus as the primary renal disease. The treatment modality at the onset of RRT was haemodialysis for 85% of patients. On 31 December 2017, the prevalence of RRT was 854 pmp, ranging from 210 pmp in Ukraine to 1965 pmp in Portugal. The transplant rate in 2017 was 33 pmp, ranging from 3 pmp in Ukraine to 103 pmp in the Spanish region of Catalonia. For patients commencing RRT during 2008-12, the unadjusted 5-year patient survival probability for all RRT modalities combined was 50.8%.Peer reviewe

Geographical and temporal distribution of SARS-CoV-2 clades in the WHO European Region, January to June 2020

We show the distribution of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) genetic clades over time and between countries and outline potential genomic surveillance objectives. We applied three genomic nomenclature systems to all sequence data from the World Health Organization European Region available until 10 July 2020. We highlight the importance of real-time sequencing and data dissemination in a pandemic situation, compare the nomenclatures and lay a foundation for future European genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2

Successful endovascular treatment of a 13-month-old child with gastrointestinal bleeding due to Dieulafoy syndrome of duodenum

Dieulafoy disease can manifest itself with spontaneous massive recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding in children. We report a case of successful management of a 13-month-old child with Dieulafoy disease of duodenum when traditional methods of examination and treatment failed. Keywords: Dieulafoy, Gastrointestinal bleeding, Embolization, Pediatric

High SARS-CoV-2 load in the nasopharynx of patients with a mild form of COVID-19 is associated with clinical deterioration regardless of the hydroxychloroquine administration.

Because of the constantly growing numbers of COVID-19 infections and deaths, attempts were undertaken to find drugs with anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity among ones already approved for other pathologies. In the framework of such attempts, in a number of in vitro, as well as in vivo, models it was shown that hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) has an effect against SARS-CoV-2. While there were not enough clinical data to support the use of HCQ, several countries including Russia have included HCQ in treatment protocols for infected patients and for prophylaxis. In the current non-randomized, observational study we evaluated the SARS-CoV-2 RNA in nasopharynx swabs from infected patients 7-10 days post symptoms with clinically mild disease and compared the viral RNA load dynamics between patients receiving HCQ (200 mg twice per day according to the Ministry of Health of Russian Federation treatment instructions, n = 33) and a control group without antiviral pharmacological therapy (n = 12). We found a statistically significant relationship between maximal RNA quantity and deterioration of patients' medical conditions, and as well we confirmed arterial hypertension to be a risk factor for people with COVID-19. However, we showed that at the dose used in the study HCQ therapy neither shortened the viral shedding period nor reduced the virus RNA load

Superconducting critical temperature and softening of the phonon spectrum in ultrathin nb- and nbn/graphene hybrids

Superconductivity is studied in hybrids consisting of ultrathin superconducting film/few layer graphene. Two different superconductors are used for this purpose, Nb and NbN. An increase in the superconducting critical temperature Tc is observed when graphene is put into contact with Nb. The largest increase is obtained for the thinnest Nb layer, which has a Tc 8% larger with respect to the single Nb film. In the case of NbN the effect is not as pronounced. Experimental data are discussed by considering the possible modification of the phonon spectrum in the superconductor due to the presence of the graphene. Within an elementary one-dimensional model based on elastic coupling between nearest-neighbor atoms, we demonstrate that the phonon spectrum in the superconductor is modified at low energies with the subsequent enhancement of the effective electron–phonon coupling constant. While the strong oscillating nature of the electron–phonon interaction, α2(ω), in NbN could lead to the insensitivity of Tc on the low-energy phonons generated by the graphene, the almost constant behavior of α2(ω) in Nb favors the increase of the superconducting critical temperature

Features of radionuclide research after thyroidectomy at the thyroid gland cancer

Aim To clarify the possibility of postoperative radioisotope studies in determining the remnants of thyroid tissue in patients with thyroid carcinoma. Materials and methods The work is based on the study results of surgical treatment and postoperative examination of 120 patients with thyroid cancer, at the Botkin hospital during the period from 2007 to 2013. All patients were performed extrafascial intervention. 118 (98.3%) patients were provided thyroidectomy (including lymph node dissection). For all patients in the postoperative period after 2–4 weeks were performed thyroid and whole-body scan with iodine and technetium, as well as ultrasound and computed tomography of the neck and the chest cavity. Results During the research, 16 (13.3%) patients after scanning with 123I (7 (5.8%) patients), 131I (3 (2.5%) patients), 99mTs-Pertechnetate (6 (5%) patients) and applying them consistently (6 (5%) patients) received the accumulation of the radiopharmaceutical in the operation area, as in the midline in the area of the isthmus, and the locations of the right, left and pyramidal thyroid share. These facts were interpreted as an accumulation of the isotope in the remnants of thyroid tissue after surgery. With additional research methods were revealed swelling and infiltration of tissues in 10 (8.3%) cases in the sterno-hyoid and sterno-thyroid muscles, and in 6 (5%) cases – in the paratracheal and paralaryngeal areas. After fine-needle aspiration biopsy from infiltrative zone was received cytology of nonspecific inflammation. All patients received antiinflammatory and antibiotic therapy with a positive effect. Control ultrasound noted a gradual reduction of the inflammatory infiltrate. After 6 months of thyroid scan was recorded decrease area of uptake, and a year later its complete disappearance. Conclusions Thus, postoperative radionuclide scanning in patients with thyroid gland carcinoma in some cases gives false-positive results, regardless of the type of used radiopharmaceutical

Transient THz Emission and Effective Mass Determination in Highly Resistive GaAs Crystals Excited by Femtosecond Optical Pulses

We present comprehensive studies on the emission of broadband, free-space THz transients from several highly resistive GaAs samples excited by femtosecond optical pulses. Our test samples are characterized by different degrees of disorder, ranging from nitrogen-implanted to semi-insulating and annealed semi-insulating GaAs crystals. In our samples, we clearly observed transient THz emissions due to the optical rectification effect, as well as due to the presence of the surface depletion electrical field. Next, we arranged our experimental setup in such way that we could observe directly how the amplitude of surface-emitted THz optical pulses is affected by an applied, in-plane magnetic field. We ascribe this effect to the Lorentz force that additionally accelerates optically excited carriers. The magnetic-field factor η is a linear function of the applied magnetic field and is the largest for an annealed GaAs sample, while it is the lowest for an N-implanted GaAs annealed at the lowest (300 °C) temperature. The latter is directly related to the longest and shortest trapping times, respectively, measured using a femtosecond optical pump-probe spectroscopy technique. The linear dependence of the factor η on the trapping time enabled us to establish that, for all samples, regardless of their crystalline structure, the electron effective mass was equal to 0.059 of the electron mass m0, i.e., it was only about 6% smaller than the generally accepted 0.063m0 value for GaAs with a perfect crystalline structure

Magnetically and optically tunable terahertz radiation from Ta/NiFe/Pt spintronic nanolayers generated by femtosecond laser pulses

We generate terahertz (THz) transients by illuminating a few-nanometer-thick Ta/NiFe/Pt nanolayers with a train of linearly polarized 100-fs-wide laser pulses. The transients are ∼1-ps-wide free-space propagating bursts of electromagnetic radiations with amplitudes that are magnetically and optically tunable. Their spectral frequency content extends up to 5 THz, and the 3-dB cutoff is at 0.85 THz. The observed transient electromagnetic signals originate from the NiFe/Pt bilayer, and their amplitude dependence on the external magnetic field, applied in the sample plane, very closely follows the static magnetization versus magnetic field dependence of the NiFe film. For the same laser power, excitation with highly energetic, blue light generates THz transients with amplitudes approximately three times larger than the ones resulting from excitation by infrared light. In both cases, the transients exhibit the same spectral characteristics and are linearly polarized in the perpendicular direction to the sample magnetization. The polarization direction can be tuned by rotation of the magnetic field around the laser light propagation axis. The characteristics of our THz spintronic emitter signals confirm that THz transient generation is due to the inverse spin Hall effect in the Pt layer and demonstrate that ferromagnet/metal nanolayers excited by femtosecond laser pulses can serve as efficient sources of magnetically and optically tunable, polarized transient THz radiation