Interplay between Fe-Titanate Nanotube Fragmentation and Catalytic Decomposition of C2H4: Formation of C/TiO2 Hybrid Interfaces

This paper reports the synthesis of Fe-titanate nanotubes by means of the conventional ion-exchange method with iron nitrate solutions. As the iron-rich nanotubes were found to contain the catalyst precursor intrinsically dispersed in their structures, the unprecedented possibility of using this kind of materials for building carbon nanostructures, firmly attached at the surface of the forming TiO2 nanoparticles, was verified. The catalytic decomposition of ethylene, used as a carbon source, was performed at a relatively high temperature (750 °C) when the nanotubes undergo an irreversible phase transformation to form anatase and rutile nanoparticles. Due to the different amounts of Fe ions in the nanotubes, distinct types of carbon/TiO2 hybrid interfaces were formed, ranging from amorphous (lower Fe3+ concentration) to the more crystalline graphitic domains (higher Fe3+ concentrations), as documented by the microstructure of the treated samples. The present approach is of potential interest for (photo)catalytic and energy conversion/transport applications

Sulfur-doped TiO2: Structure and surface properties

A comprehensive study on the sulfur doping of TiO2, by means of H2S treatment at 673 K, has been performed in order to highlight the role of sulfur in affecting the properties of the system, as compared to the native TiO2. The focus of this study is to find a relationship among the surface, structure, and morphology properties, by means of a detailed chemical and physical characterization of the samples. In particular, transmission electron microscopy images provide a simple tool to have a direct and immediate evidence of the effects of H2S action on the TiO2 particles structure and surface defects. Furthermore, from spectroscopy analyses, the peculiar surface, optical properties, and methylene blue photodegradation test of S-doped TiO2 samples, as compared to pure TiO2, have been investigated and explained by the effects caused by the exchange of S species with O species and by the surface defects induced by the strong H2S treatment

Few-Layer MoS₂ Nanodomains Decorating TiO₂ Nanoparticles: A Case Study for the Photodegradation of Carbamazepine

S-doped TiO2 and hybrid MoS2/TiO2 systems have been synthesized, via the sulfidation with H2S of the bare TiO2 and of MoOx supported on TiO2 systems, with the aim of enhancing the photocatalytic properties of TiO2 for the degradation of carbamazepine, an anticonvulsant drug, whose residues and metabolites are usually inefficiently removed in wastewater treatment plants. The focus of this study is to find a relationship between the morphology/structure/surface properties and photoactivity. The full characterization of samples reveals the strong effects of the H2S action on the properties of TiO2, with the formation of defects at the surface, as shown by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and infrared spectroscopy (IR), while also the optical properties are strongly affected by the sulfidation treatment, with changes in the electronic states of TiO2. Meanwhile, the formation of small and thin few-layer MoS2 domains, decorating the TiO2 surface, is evidenced by both high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and UV-Vis/Raman spectroscopies, while Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectra give insights into the nature of Ti and Mo surface sites. The most interesting findings of our research are the enhanced photoactivity of the MoS2/TiO2 hybrid photocatalyst toward the carbamazepine mineralization. Surprisingly, the formation of hazardous compounds (i.e., acridine derivatives), usually obtained from carbamazepine, is precluded when treated with MoS2/TiO2 systems

Emerging perspectives on laminopathies

Giovanna Lattanzi,1,2 Sara Benedetti,3 Maria Rosaria D'Apice,4 Lorenzo Maggi,5 Nicola Carboni,6 Emanuela Scarano,7 Luisa Politano8 1National Research Council of Italy, Institute for Molecular Genetics (CNR-IGM), Unit of Bologna, 2Rizzoli Orthopedic Institute, Laboratory of Musculoskeletal Cell Biology, Bologna, 3Laboratory of Clinical Molecular Biology and Cytogenetics, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, 4Fondazione Policlinico Tor Vergata, Rome, 5Neuromuscular Diseases and Neuroimmunology Unit, IRCCS Neurological Institute C Besta, Milan, 6Division of Neurology, Hospital San Francesco, Nuoro, 7Pediatric Endocrinology and Rare Diseases Unit, Department of Pediatrics, S Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, University of Bologna, Bologna, 8Department of Experimental Medicine, Cardiomyology and Medical Genetics, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy Abstract: Laminopathies are a group of inherited disorders caused by mutations in the lamin A/C gene, and can affect diverse organs or tissues, or can be systemic, causing premature aging. In the present review, we report on the composition and structure of the nuclear lamina and the role of lamins in nuclear mechanics and their involvement in human diseases, and provide some examples of laminopathies and current therapeutic approaches. Keywords: lamin A/C, emerin, laminopathies, Emery–Dreifuss muscular dystrophy, Hutchinson–Gilford progeri

From Polymer to Magnetic Porous Carbon Spheres: Combined Microscopy, Spectroscopy, and Porosity Studies

The facile preparation of polymer waste-derived microporous carbon microspheres (SBET ~800 m2/g) 100–300 μm in size, is reported at first. We have taken advantage of both, the crosslinked nature and the porous texture of the poly(4-ethylstyrene-co-divinylbenzene) microspheres, which allow the incoming anions and cations present in liquid media to enter and to remain segregated into the pores of the polymer microspheres as soon as the solvent is removed. Interestingly, the ZnCl2 phase, when incorporated in the microporous molecular architecture of the polymer, prevents the collapsing of the pore structure of thermosetting polymer spheres during the pyrolysis occurring at 800°C and acts as an activating agent of the carbon phase under formation, being responsible for the formation of an extended meso- and macroporosity (30–200 and 300–1,000 Å ranges). More interestingly, porous carbon microspheres with magnetic properties have been prepared from the ZnCl2-activated porous carbon spheres after impregnation with Fe nitrate solution and thermal treatment at 800°C. A multi-technique methodology to characterize more extensively carbons at the micro/nanoscale is reported in the paper. More in detail, the morphology, structure, porous texture, and the surface properties of the carbon and of the magnetic carbon microspheres have been investigated by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, N2 physisorption, diffuse reflectance UV-Vis, Raman and infrared spectroscopies. Furthermore, magnetic properties have been revealed at the nano- and at the macroscale by magnetic force microscopy and simple magnetically guided experiments by permanent magnets. The multi-technique methodology presented in the paper allows in elucidating more extensively about the different characteristics of activated carbons. Notwithstanding the huge amount of literature on activated carbons, the precise control of both the structure and the surface has, for the most part, hidden the relevance of other properties at the molecular scale of the assembled architectures. On the other hand, recent studies indicate that by molecular design, nanostructured, and porous carbonaceous materials could also be rationally proposed

Diarrhea Is a Hallmark of Inflammation in Pediatric COVID-19

: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a pathogen with enteric tropism. We compared the clinical, biochemical and radiological features of children hospitalized for acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, classified in two groups based on the presence of diarrhea. Logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the variables associated with diarrhea. Overall, 407 children were included in the study (226 males, 55.5%, mean age 3.9 ± 5.0 years), of whom 77 (18.9%) presented with diarrhea, which was mild in most cases. Diarrhea prevalence was higher during the Alpha (23.6%) and Delta waves (21.9%), and in children aged 5-11 y (23.8%). Other gastrointestinal symptoms were most commonly reported in children with diarrhea (p < 0.05). Children with diarrhea showed an increased systemic inflammatory state (higher C-reactive protein, procalcitonin and ferritin levels, p < 0.005), higher local inflammation as judged by mesenteric fat hyperechogenicity (adjusted Odds Ratio 3.31, 95%CI 1.13-9.70) and a lower chance of previous immunosuppressive state (adjusted Odds Ratio 0.19, 95%CI 0.05-0.70). Diarrhea is a frequent feature of pediatric COVID-19 and is associated with increased systemic inflammation, which is related to the local mesenteric fat inflammatory response, confirming the implication of the gut not only in multisystem inflammatory syndrome but also in the acute phase of the infection

Culture-negative infective endocarditis (CNIE): impact on postoperative mortality

AbstractIntroductionPoor postoperative outcomes have been reported after surgery for infective endocarditis (IE). Whether the absence of positive cultures impacts the prognosis remains a matter of discussion. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of negative cultures on the prognosis of surgically treated IE.MethodsThis was a single-center, retrospective study. From January 2000 to June 2019, all patients who underwent valvular surgery for IE were included in the study. The primary endpoint was early postoperative mortality. A covariate balancing propensity score was developed to minimize the differences between the culture-positive IE (CPIE) and culture-negative IE (CNIE) cohorts. Using the estimated propensity scores as weights, an inverse probability treatment weighting (IPTW) model was built to generate a weighted cohort. Then, to adjust for confounding related to CPIE and CNIE, a doubly robust method that combines regression model with IPTW by propensity score was adopted to estimate the causal effect of the exposure on the outcome.ResultsDuring the study period, 327 consecutive patients underwent valvular repair/replacement with the use of cardiopulmonary bypass and cardioplegic cardiac arrest for IE. Their mean age was 61.4 ± 15.4 years, and 246 were males (75.2%). Native valve IE and prosthetic valve IE accounted for 87.5% and 12.5% of cases, respectively. Aortic (182/327, 55.7%) and mitral valves (166/327, 50.8%) were mostly involved; 20.5% of isolated mitral valve diseases were repaired (22/107 patients). The tricuspid valve was involved in 10 patients (3.3%), and the pulmonary valve in 1 patient (<1%). Fifty-nine patients had multiple-valve disease (18.0%). Blood cultures were negative in 136/327 (41.6 %). A higher postoperative mortality was registered in CNIE than in CPIE patients (19% vs 9%, respectively, p = 0.01). The doubly robust analysis after IPTW by propensity score showed CNIE to be associated with early postoperative mortality (odds ratio 2.10; 95% CI, 1.04–4.26, p = 0.04).ConclusionsIn our cohort, CNIE was associated with a higher early postoperative mortality in surgically treated IE patients after dedicated adjustment for confounding. In this perspective, any effort to improve preoperative microbiological diagnosis, thus allowing targeted therapeutic initiatives, might lead to overall better postoperative outcomes in surgically treated IE