Developing benign Ni/g-C3N4 catalysts for CO2 hydrogenation: Activity and toxicity study

This research discusses the CO2 valorization via hydrogenation over the non-noble metal dusters of Ni and Cu supported on graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4). The Ni and Cu catalysts were characterized by conventional techniques including XRD, AFM, ATR, Raman imaging, and TPR and were tested via the hydrogenation of CO2 at 1 bar. The transition-metal-based catalyst designed with atom-economy principles presents stable activity and good conversions for the studied processes. At 1 bar, the rise in operating temperature during CO2 hydrogenation increases the CO(2 )conversion and the selectivity for CO and decreases the selectivity for methanol on Cu/CN catalysts. For the Ni/CN catalyst, the selectivity to light hydrocarbons, such as CH4, also increased with rising temperature. At 623 K, the conversion attained ca. 20%, with CH4 being the primary product of the reaction (CH4 yield >80%). Above 700 K, the Ni/CN activity increases, reaching almost equilibrium values, although the Ni loading in Ni/CN is lower by more than 90% compared to the reference NiREF catalyst. The presented data offer a better understanding of the effect of the transition metals' small metal cluster and their coordination and stabilization within g-C3N4, contributing to the rational hybrid catalyst design with a less-toxic impact on the environment and health. Bare g-C3N4 is shown as a good support candidate for atom-economy-designed catalysts for hydrogenation application. In addition, cytotoxicity to the keratinocyte human HaCaT cell line revealed that low concentrations of catalysts particles (to 6.25 mu g mL(-1)) did not cause degenerative changes.Web of Scienc

Different modes of delivery and hormonal stress response

Objectives: The aim of the study was to determine how the type of delivery affects the stress response cycle and the level of cortisol, progesterone and corticoliberin. Material and methods: The study was conducted among 26 pregnant women admitted to the Gynecology and Obstetrics Ward due to an approaching delivery date or the onset of labor. The participants were aged between 20 and 41 years, with a mean age of approximately 30 years. After delivery, blood was drawn in parallel from the maternal antecubital vein, the umbilical cord vein and the umbilical cord artery. The levels of stress hormones were assessed by ELISA. The results were subjected to statistical analyses, and correlation coefficients were calculated for individual variable pairs. The analysis also examined the participation of pregnant woman in antenatal education. Results: A high correlation was observed between cortisol and progesterone levels in venous and arterial cord blood and physiological delivery. The mean cortisol level was 247.37 ng/mL in venous cord blood and 233.59 ng/mL in arterial blood and the respective mean progesterone levels were 331.81 ng/mL and 342.36 ng/mL. The highest cortisol concentration was determined in the primiparas umbilical cord blood (236.182 ng/mL in the vein, 230.541 ng/mL in the artery). Correlation between cortisol level in venous and arterial cord blood and prenatal education was also noted (venous cord blood: r = –0.5477; F = 10.2833; p = 0.0038; cord arterial blood: r = –0, 4436; F = 5.8789; p = 0.0232). Conclusions: The results obtained emphasize the importance of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis as one of the potential mechanisms actively involved in childbirth. The determined levels of cortisol and progesterone in the maternal and umbilical cord blood varied significantly depending on the type of delivery, with higher concentrations being observed in the case of natural delivery. In addition, the highest levels of cortisol were determined in primiparas; however, lowered umbilical cord blood cortisol levels were observed in pregnant women who had participated in antenatal education, regardless of the number of deliveries

A peptide factor secreted by Staphylococcus pseudintermedius exhibits properties of both bacteriocins and virulence factors

Staphylococcus pseudintermedius is a common commensal bacterium colonizing the skin and mucosal surfaces of household animals. However, it has recently emerged as a dangerous opportunistic pathogen, comparable to S. aureus for humans. The epidemiological situation is further complicated by the increasing number of methicillin-resistant S. pseudintermedius infections and evidence of gene transmission driving antibiotic resistance between staphylococci colonizing human and zoonotic hosts. In the present study, we describe a unique peptide, BacSp222, that possesses features characteristic of both bacteriocins and virulence factors. BacSp222 is secreted in high quantities by S. pseudintermedius strain 222 isolated from dog skin lesions. This linear, fifty-amino-acid highly cationic peptide is plasmid-encoded and does not exhibit significant sequence similarities to any other known peptides or proteins. BacSp222 kills gram-positive bacteria (at doses ranging from 0.1 to several micromol/l) but also demonstrates significant cytotoxic activities towards eukaryotic cells at slightly higher concentrations. Moreover, at nanomolar concentrations, the peptide also possesses modulatory properties, efficiently enhancing interferon gamma-induced nitric oxide release in murine macrophage-like cell lines. BacSp222 appears to be one of the first examples of multifunctional peptides that breaks the convention of splitting bacteriocins and virulence factors into two unrelated groups

Self-reporting molecularly imprinted polymer with the covalently immobilized ferrocene redox probe for selective electrochemical sensing of p-synephrine

Article simultaneously imprinting the p-synephrine 1 template and covalently immobilizing a a ferrocene redox probe in a (bis-bithiophene)-based polymer. The resulting molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was deposited on the Pt electrode as a thin film to form a redox self-reporting MIP film-based chemosensor

Penilaian Kinerja Keuangan Koperasi di Kabupaten Pelalawan

This paper describe development and financial performance of cooperative in District Pelalawan among 2007 - 2008. Studies on primary and secondary cooperative in 12 sub-districts. Method in this stady use performance measuring of productivity, efficiency, growth, liquidity, and solvability of cooperative. Productivity of cooperative in Pelalawan was highly but efficiency still low. Profit and income were highly, even liquidity of cooperative very high, and solvability was good

Juxtaposing BTE and ATE – on the role of the European insurance industry in funding civil litigation

One of the ways in which legal services are financed, and indeed shaped, is through private insurance arrangement. Two contrasting types of legal expenses insurance contracts (LEI) seem to dominate in Europe: before the event (BTE) and after the event (ATE) legal expenses insurance. Notwithstanding institutional differences between different legal systems, BTE and ATE insurance arrangements may be instrumental if government policy is geared towards strengthening a market-oriented system of financing access to justice for individuals and business. At the same time, emphasizing the role of a private industry as a keeper of the gates to justice raises issues of accountability and transparency, not readily reconcilable with demands of competition. Moreover, multiple actors (clients, lawyers, courts, insurers) are involved, causing behavioural dynamics which are not easily predicted or influenced. Against this background, this paper looks into BTE and ATE arrangements by analysing the particularities of BTE and ATE arrangements currently available in some European jurisdictions and by painting a picture of their respective markets and legal contexts. This allows for some reflection on the performance of BTE and ATE providers as both financiers and keepers. Two issues emerge from the analysis that are worthy of some further reflection. Firstly, there is the problematic long-term sustainability of some ATE products. Secondly, the challenges faced by policymakers that would like to nudge consumers into voluntarily taking out BTE LEI

Severe early onset preeclampsia: short and long term clinical, psychosocial and biochemical aspects

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy specific disorder commonly defined as de novo hypertension and proteinuria after 20 weeks gestational age. It occurs in approximately 3-5% of pregnancies and it is still a major cause of both foetal and maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide1. As extensive research has not yet elucidated the aetiology of preeclampsia, there are no rational preventive or therapeutic interventions available. The only rational treatment is delivery, which benefits the mother but is not in the interest of the foetus, if remote from term. Early onset preeclampsia (<32 weeks’ gestational age) occurs in less than 1% of pregnancies. It is, however often associated with maternal morbidity as the risk of progression to severe maternal disease is inversely related with gestational age at onset2. Resulting prematurity is therefore the main cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity in patients with severe preeclampsia3. Although the discussion is ongoing, perinatal survival is suggested to be increased in patients with preterm preeclampsia by expectant, non-interventional management. This temporising treatment option to lengthen pregnancy includes the use of antihypertensive medication to control hypertension, magnesium sulphate to prevent eclampsia and corticosteroids to enhance foetal lung maturity4. With optimal maternal haemodynamic status and reassuring foetal condition this results on average in an extension of 2 weeks. Prolongation of these pregnancies is a great challenge for clinicians to balance between potential maternal risks on one the eve hand and possible foetal benefits on the other. Clinical controversies regarding prolongation of preterm preeclamptic pregnancies still exist – also taking into account that preeclampsia is the leading cause of maternal mortality in the Netherlands5 - a debate which is even more pronounced in very preterm pregnancies with questionable foetal viability6-9. Do maternal risks of prolongation of these very early pregnancies outweigh the chances of neonatal survival? Counselling of women with very early onset preeclampsia not only comprises of knowledge of the outcome of those particular pregnancies, but also knowledge of outcomes of future pregnancies of these women is of major clinical importance. This thesis opens with a review of the literature on identifiable risk factors of preeclampsia

Measurement of associated W plus charm production in pp collisions at √s=7 TeV

Peer reviewe

Alignment of the CMS muon system with cosmic-ray and beam-halo muons

This is the Pre-print version of the Article. The official published version of the Paper can be accessed from the link below - Copyright @ 2010 IOPThe CMS muon system has been aligned using cosmic-ray muons collected in 2008 and beam-halo muons from the 2008 LHC circulating beam tests. After alignment, the resolution of the most sensitive coordinate is 80 microns for the relative positions of superlayers in the same barrel chamber and 270 microns for the relative positions of endcap chambers in the same ring structure. The resolution on the position of the central barrel chambers relative to the tracker is comprised between two extreme estimates, 200 and 700 microns, provided by two complementary studies. With minor modifications, the alignment procedures can be applied using muons from LHC collisions, leading to additional significant improvements.This work is supported by FMSR (Austria); FNRS and FWO (Belgium); CNPq, CAPES, FAPERJ, and FAPESP (Brazil); MES (Bulgaria); CERN; CAS, MoST, and NSFC (China); COLCIENCIAS (Colombia); MSES (Croatia); RPF (Cyprus); Academy of Sciences and NICPB (Estonia); Academy of Finland, ME, and HIP (Finland); CEA and CNRS/IN2P3 (France); BMBF, DFG, and HGF (Germany); GSRT (Greece); OTKA and NKTH (Hungary); DAE and DST (India); IPM (Iran); SFI (Ireland); INFN (Italy); NRF (Korea); LAS (Lithuania); CINVESTAV, CONACYT, SEP, and UASLP-FAI (Mexico); PAEC (Pakistan); SCSR (Poland); FCT (Portugal); JINR(Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan); MST and MAE (Russia); MSTDS (Serbia); MICINN and CPAN (Spain); Swiss Funding Agencies (Switzerland); NSC (Taipei); TUBITAK and TAEK (Turkey); STFC (United Kingdom); DOE and NSF (USA)

Measurement of the B-s(0) ->mu(+)mu(-) branching fraction and search for B-0 -> mu(+)mu(-) with the CMS experiment

The article is the pre-print version of the final publishing paper that is available from the link below.Results are presented from a search for the rare decays B0s → m+m- and B0 →m+m- in pp collisions at at √s = 7 and 8 TeV, with data samples corresponding to integrated luminosities of 5 and 20 fb-1, respectively, collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC. An unbinned maximum-likelihood fit to the dimuon invariant mass distribution gives a branching fraction B(B0s→m+m-) = (3.0 +1.0-0.9) x 10-9, where the uncertainty includes both statistical and systematic contributions. An excess of B0s → m+m- events with respect to background is observed with a significance of 4.3 standard deviations. For the decay B0 → m+m- an upper limit of B(B0→m+m-) < 1.1 x 10-9 at the 95% confidence level is determined. Both results are in agreement with the expectations from the standard model