Reactive magnetron sputtering deposition of bismuth tungstate onto titania nanoparticles for enhancing visible light photocatalytic activity

Titanium dioxide − bismuth tungstate composite materials were prepared by pulsed DC reactive magnetron sputtering of bismuth and tungsten metallic targets in argon/oxygen atmosphere onto anatase and rutile titania nanoparticles. The use of an oscillating bowl placed beneath the two magnetrons arranged in a co-planar closed field configuration enabled the deposition of bismuth tungstate onto loose powders, rather than a solid substrate. The atomic ratio of the bismuth/tungsten coatings was controlled by varying the power applied to each target. The effect of the bismuth tungstate coatings on the phase, optical and photocatalytic properties of titania was investigated by X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area measurements, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and an acetone degradation test. The latter involved measurements of the rate of CO2 evolution under visible light irradiation of the photocatalysts, which indicated that the deposition of bismuth tungstate resulted in a significant enhancement of visible light activity, for both anatase and rutile titania particles. The best results were achieved for coatings with a bismuth to tungsten atomic ratio of 2:1. In addition, the mechanism by which the photocatalytic activity of the TiO2 nanoparticles was enhanced by compounding it with bismuth tungstate was studied by microwave cavity perturbation. The results of these tests confirmed that such enhancement of the photocatalytic properties is due to more efficient photogenerated charge carrier separation, as well as to the contribution of the intrinsic photocatalytic properties of Bi2WO6

Practical efficacy and safety of Konsilar D24 in patients with hypertension: data from the KONSONANS program

Aim. In practice, to evaluate the efficacy, safety and long-term adherence to therapy with a fixed-dose combination of ramipril/indapamide (Konsilar-D24) in patients with grade 1-2 hypertension (HTN) who have not achieved blood pressure (BP) control with prior therapy or have not taken antihypertensive therapy.Material and methods. This multicenter open-label observational program included 524 patients with grade 1-2 HTN who did not take antihypertensive therapy or did not reach the target BP level with mono or dual antihypertensive therapy, as well as patients shifted to Konsilar-D24 therapy no later than two weeks before the start of the program. All patients signed a written informed consent to participate in the program. The safety analysis set includes all patients who have taken at least one dose of a fixed-dose combination of ramipril/indapamide and have visited physician at least once during the program. The effectiveness analysis set included all patients in the safety population who completed the study in accordance with protocol (n=511). Clinical systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP) and heart rate were assessed at baseline, as well as at 0,5, 1, 3 and 6 months of treatment. A post hoc subgroup analysis of changes in BP and heart rate was performed depending on age, sex and baseline body mass index.Results. The fixed-dose combination of ramipril with indapamide significantly reduced SBP and DBP after 2-week treatment (-20,9±10,1 mm Hg; pConclusion. Despite the limitations inherent in observational studies, the KONSONANS program has demonstrated high efficacy and safety of fixed-dose combination of ramipril/indapamide taken once a day in hypertensive patients. Ramipril/indapamide fixed-dose combination therapy significantly improved BP control and achieved even lower individual target BP levels in the majority of hypertensive patients

Titanium silicalite-1 macrostructures for photocatalytic removal of organic pollutants from aqueous media

Titanium silicalite-1 (TS-1) structures in the form of macroscopic beads with hierarchical porosity were prepared by the resin templating method. The Ti content within the samples was varied between 1 and 7 wt%, with corresponding surface areas ranging from 725 to 350 m2 g−1, respectively. The samples contained a large amount of amorphous material, which was necessary to achieve high mechanical stability of the beads. The TS-1 macrostructures were used as catalysts for the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB), and results were compared to the results for a commercial anatase nanopowder (CristalACTiV™ PC500). All TS-1 beads showed similar MB degradation rates independently of their Ti content, which was linked to variations in the surface areas and structure. The macroscopic shape of the TS-1 beads allowed easy recovery from the mother liquor upon decolouration of the MB solutions, which was highly beneficial compared to the reference anatase nanopowder. The TS-1 beads could be reused in subsequent photocatalytic cycles after decanting exhausted solutions and replacing with fresh MB solutions without any energy-consuming regeneration steps involved. The samples were tested in five consecutive cycles and MB degradation rates remained broadly unchanged during all tests

CLIP-ACCORD: focus on full-dose combination

In CLIP-ACCORD study, 6000 patients from 21 cities of Russia, Ukraine, and Belorussia are participating. Aim. To study antihypertensive efficacy and safety of fixed-dose combination of enalapril and thiazide diuretic hydrochlorthiazide (Co-Renitec ®) among patients with arterial hypertension (AH) and high or very high risk of cardiovascular complications (CVC), in real-world clinical practice settings. Material and methods. CLIP-ACCORD is a multi-center, international, open prospective program. At present, 4224 AH patients (37% of males, 63% of females, aged 20-85 years; mean AH duration 8.4±7.6 (0-50) years) completed study protocol. The program included AH patients with high or very high CVD risk; antihypertensive therapy, if any, was ineffective. Co-Renitec® was administered once per day, at 8-10 AM. If target blood pressure (BP) level was achieved 4 weeks later, therapy in the same dose continued for another 8 weeks. Otherwise, Co-Renitec® dose was increased, and/or other antihypertensive agent was added. Full data were available for 4203 participants. Results. At baseline, BP was at Stage I AH level (National Cardiology Society classification, 2004) in 3% of patients; at Stage II level – in 67%; and at Stage III level – in 30%. After four-week Co-Renitec® treatment, complete BP normalization was achieved in 41% of participants, Stage I BP was registered in 40% of patients, Stage II – in 18%, and Stage III – in 1%. Co-Renitec® dose was increased in 26% of patients; other antihypertensive medications were added in 15%. After 12 weeks of Co-Renitec® treatment, target BP levels were achieved in 82% of patients. AH clinical symptoms improved in 98% of participants. After program end, 98% of participants continued CoRenitec® intake. Conclusion. Co-Renitec® antihypertensive therapy in AH patients with high and very high CVC risk was effective in full-dose combination, and facilitated target BP level achievement in 82% of patients

Isolated systolic arterial hypertension

The review focuses on various aspects of isolated systolic arterial hypertension (ISAH). Main principles of ISAH diagnostics and treatment in the elderly are presented

Angiotensin II receptor antagonists – we have moved closer to the patient

Aim. To investigate antihypertensive efficacy of losartan (Lozap®), as monotherapy and in combination with a diuretic hydrochlorothiazide (Lozap® Plus), according to its influence on circadian blood pressure profile (CBPP) in patients with arterial hypertension (AH). Material and methods. In 25 patients with Stage I-II AH, the influence of 8-week Lozap® monotherapy (n=12), 50 mg/d, and its fixed-dose combination with hydrochlorothiazide, Lozap® Plus (n=13), on CBPP was studied. Office BP (BPo) measurement, and 24-hour BP monitoring (BPM) were performed. Results. After 4 weeks of Lozap® monotherapy, BPo decreased by -8.4±10.7/-11.2±10.7 mm Hg (p<0.001); target BP level was reached in 48% of participants. By Week 8, BPo decreased by -13.0±9.0/-5.8±9.2 mm Hg (p<0.0001/0.01); target BP level was achieved in 92% of the patients. According to 24-hour BPM, daytime BP decreased by -22.3±12.1/13.8±11.2 mm Hg (р<0.0001), nighttime BP - by -25.9±16.7/16.4±11.3 mm Hg (р<0.0001). Daytime, nighttime, and 24-hour target BP levels were reached in 80%, 72%, and 88% of the participants, respectively. Т/Р ratio 71.6%/72.9% is an evidence of sufficient, even antihypertensive effect of Lozap® and Lozap® Plus. These medications significantly increased nighttime BP decline and normalized BP circadian rhythm (CP) in most patients. The therapy was well tolerated, with minimal adverse reactions, and side effects. Conclusion. Antihypertensive therapy with Lozap® and Lozap® Plus provides prolonged and even antihypertensive effect, corrects CBPP by reducing pressure workload, pulse BP, and improving BP CR. The maximal-dose therapy gives an opportunity to achieve target BP levels in 92% of the patients

Russian Study on Optimal Blood Pressure Reduction (ROSA 2). Two-year follow-up. What is the result?

Twenty centers from 19 Russian regions took part in ROSA 2, following the first ROSA study. Aim. In arterial hypertension (AH) patients, to compare efficacy, safety, and impact on cardiovascular event (CVE) incidence for two treatment strategies: intensive stepwise therapy with four classes of antihypertensive agents (Group A), and non-standardized antihypertensive therapy (Group B), during two-year follow-up. Material and methods. The study was national, multicenter, open, prospective, and included 1355 patients with AH, randomized into Groups A (n=697) and B (n=658). In total, 87.2% of the participants completed the study: 634 individuals from Group A, and 547 patients from Group B. There were 39.9% of males and 60.1% of females; mean age at baseline was 53.6±9.1 years, mean AH duration – 8.8±7.4 years. In Group A, patients received nifedipine retard monotherapy for 4 weeks, with 4-week intervals before adding enalapril, hydrochlorthiazide, and metoprolol. After target blood pressure (BP) level achievement, patients received the therapy at which this level was reached. Group B continued the same antihypertensive treatment that was administered before study recruitment. Results. After two years of stepwise therapy with 4 classes of antihypertensive agents, target BP level was achieved and maintained in 98.3% of Group A patients, and 53.9% of Group B participants (р<0.0001). In Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients, these figures were 42.9% and 29.6%, respectively (р=0.05). During two-year follow-up, secondary endpoint was registered in 6.3% of participants: 0.9% in Group A, 5.4% in Group B (p<0.0001). In Group B, acute myocardial infarction (p=0.01), acute stroke or transitory ischemic attack (p=0.005), and hypertensive crises (p<0.0001) were significantly more frequent than in Group A. Drop-out rates were 12.8% for the whole group, 4.6% for Group A, and 8.2% for Group B (p=0.0001). Among drop-outs in Groups A and B, there were 2.7% and 4.4% refusals to continue the treatment (р=0.006); 1.8% vs 2.6% adverse effects (р=0.09); 0.1% and 1.2% secondary endpoint registration, respectively (p<0.001). Conclusion. Stepwise antihypertensive treatment, comparing with non-standardized antihypertensive therapy, was more effective in achieving target BP level and CVE risk reduction, without increasing adverse effect rates

TiO2 supported natural zeolites as biogas enhancers through photocatalytic pre-treatment of Miscanthus x giganteous crops

Miscanthus giganteous is probably the most fast growing and low nutrient bioenergy crop among lignocellulosic feedstocks. Despite its significant content in fermentable sugars, currently Miscanthus biomass is not used for biogas/methane production due to the high-lignin and low moisture content in the winter/spring harvest as well as cellulose crystallinity, which limit access to enzymatic action for all lignocellulosic feedstock. This study identified that a photocatalytic pretreatment prior to anaerobic digestion helps increase the substrate's biodegradability by oxidising the lignin fraction, leading to increased methane yield up to 46% compared to the untreated. A novel photocatalyst was manufactured by reactive magnetron-sputtering deposition of TiO2 particles onto natural zeolite supports, which provided important trace elements for the anaerobic digestion process and retained a large surface area that acted as biofilm to boost growth of the microbial community. A load of 2% w/w catalyst in the bioreactor after 3 h of photocatalytic treatment led to 220 mLN gVS−1, with a net energy balance that is achieved for the whole process when treating the dispersed phase suspension at concentrations above 10 g L−1