A Career in Catalysis: Laura Prati

This account celebrates the long and successful scientific career of Laura Prati, recalling her most important scientific achievements since the beginning of her work as a researcher in inorganic chemistry. Laura went through many aspects of liquid-phase heterogeneous catalysis, taking her first steps in the field of catalysts synthesis, where she pursued the development of innovative strategies for preparing catalysts until laying the foundations of the colloidal synthesis of metal nanoparticles, with particular interest in gold. Her investigations in colloids for catalysis had a natural outcome on catalysts synthesis and optimization. In her career, she dealt with liquidphase oxidation reactions, with particular attention to biomass valorization processes. According to this, she could not help to deal also with hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis reactions, to which she dedicated herself, especially in the more recent years. Her discoveries have influenced many researchers in the area of heterogeneous catalysis and design of materials

A social cost benefit analysis of grid-scale electrical energy storage projects: a case study

This study explores and quantifies the social costs and benefits of grid-scale electrical energy storage (EES) projects in Great Britain. The case study for this paper is the Smarter Network Storage project, a 6 MW/10MWh lithium battery placed at the Leighton Buzzard Primary substation to meet growing local peak demand requirements. This study analyses both the locational and system-wide benefits to grid-scale EES, determines the realistic combination of those social benefits, and juxtaposes them against the social costs across the useful lifecycle of the battery to determine the techno-economic performance. Risk and uncertainty from the benefit streams, cost elements, battery lifespan, and discount rate are incorporated into a Monte Carlo simulation. Using this framework, society can be guided to cost-effectively invest in EES as a grid modernization asset to facilitate the transition to a reliable, affordable, and clean power system

Yeasts and moulds contaminants of food ice cubes and their survival in different drinks

Aims: To evaluate the levels of unicellular and filamentous fungi in ice cubes produced at different levels and to determine their survival in alcoholic beverages and soft drinks. Methods and Results: Sixty samples of ice cubes collected from home level (HL) productions, bars and pubs (BP) and industrial manufacturing plants (MP) were investigated for the presence and cell density of yeasts and moulds. Moulds were detected in almost all samples, while yeasts developed from the majority of HL and MP samples. Representative colonies of microfungi were subjected to phenotypic and genotypic characterization. The identification was carried out by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of the region spanning the internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 and ITS2) and the 5·8S rRNA gene. The process of yeast identification was concluded by sequencing the D1/D2 region of the 26S rRNA gene. The fungal biodiversity associated with food ice was represented by nine yeast and nine mould species. Strains belonging to Candida parapsilosis and Cryptococcus curvatus, both opportunistic human pathogens, and Penicillium glabrum, an ubiquitous mould in the ice samples analysed, were selected to evaluate the effectiveness of the ice cubes to transfer pathogenic microfungi to consumers, after addition to alcoholic beverages and soft drinks. All strains retained their viability. Conclusions: The survival test indicated that the most common mode of consumption of ice cubes, through its direct addition to drinks and beverages, did not reduce the viability of microfungi. Significance and Impact of the Study: This study evidenced the presence of microfungi in food ice and ascertained their survival in soft drinks and alcoholic beverages

Analysis of Coplanar On-Chip Interconnects on Lossy Semiconducting Substrates

In this paper, a method for analysis and modeling of coplanar transmission interconnect lines that are placed on top of silicon-silicon oxide substrates is presented. The potential function is expressed by series expansions in terms of solutions of the Laplace equation for each homogeneous region of layered structure. The expansion coefficients of different series are related to each other and to potentials applied to the conductors via boundary conditions. In the plane of conductors, boundary conditions are satisfied at Nd discrete points with Nd being equal to the number of terms in the series expansions. The resulting system of inhomogeneous linear equations is solved by matrix inversion. No iterations are required. A discussion of the calculated line admittance parameters as functions of width of conductors, thickness of the layers, and frequency is given. The interconnect capacitance and conductance per unit length results are given and compared with those obtained using full wave solutions, and good agreement have been obtained in all the cases treated

Seismic preprocessing and amplitude cross-calibration for a time-lapse amplitude study on seismic data from the Oseberg reservoir

The cross-calibration of different vintage data is an important prerequisite in attempting to determine the time-lapse seismic effects induced by hydrocarbon production in a reservoir. This paper reports the preprocessing and cross-calibration procedures adopted to modify the data of four seismic vintages (1982, 1989, 1992 and 1999) from the Oseberg field in the North Sea, for optimal conditions for a time-lapse seismic amplitude analysis. The final results, in terms of time-lapse variations, of acoustic impedance and of amplitude-versus-offset, are illustrated for selected data sets. The application of preprocessing to each individual vintage data set reduces the effects of the different acquisition and noise conditions, and leads to consistency in the amplitude response of the four vintages. This consistency facilitates the final amplitude cross-calibration that is carried out using, as reference, the Cretaceous horizon reflections above the Brent reservoir. Such cross-calibration can be considered as vintage-consistent residual amplitude correction. Acoustic impedance sections, intercept and gradie nt amplitude-versus-offset attributes and coherent amplitude-versus-offset estimates are computed on the final cross-calibrated data. The results, shown for three spatially coincident 2D lines selected from the 1982, 1989 and 1999 data sets, clearly indicate gas-cap expansion resulting from oil production. Such expansion is manifested as a decrease in acoustic impedance and a modification of the amplitude-versus-offset trends in the apical part of the reservoir

Synergistic Effect in Au-Cu Bimetallic Catalysts for the Valorization of Lignin-Derived Compounds

The selective oxidation of veratryl alcohol as lignin-derived compound was studied under mild conditions, using Au-Cu catalysts synthesized from pre-formed nanoparticles with different Au:Cu molar ratios. Bimetallic catalysts show higher activity compared to monometallic counterparts, highlighting a clear synergistic effect. By comparing the physico-chemical surface properties of catalysts supported on carbon and Al2O3, we were able to establish a strong support effect, with alumina-based catalysts being more active than carbon-supported ones. Moreover, TEM and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses showed a different composition of nanoparticles (NPs) and metal exposure, and we established that Au is the active phase of the reaction. The co-presence of Au and Cu species, and their different interaction with the support, enabled obtaining more than 70% conversion of veratryl alcohol to veratryl aldehyde as a unique product. Moreover, the Au1Cu1 supported on alumina catalyst was recovered by filtration and reused without significant loss of activity and selectivity up to four times

Treatment of Hepatitis C virus genotype 3 infection with direct-acting antiviral agents

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 3 is responsible for 30.1% of chronic hepatitis C infection cases worldwide. In the era of directacting antivirals, these patients have become one of the most challenging to treat, due to fewer effective drug options, higher risk of developing cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma and lower sustained virological response (SVR) rates. Currently there are 4 recommended drugs for the treatment of HCV genotype 3: pegylated interferon (PegIFN), sofosbuvir (SOF), daclatasvir (DCV) and ribavirin (RBV). Treatment with PegIFN, SOF and RBV for 12 weeks has an overall SVR rate of 83-100%, without significant differences among cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic patients. However, this therapeutic regimen has several contra-indications and can cause significant adverse events, which can reduce adherence and impair SVR rates. SOF plus RBV for 24 weeks is another treatment option, with SVR rates of 82-96% among patients without cirrhosis and 62-92% among those with cirrhosis. Finally, SOF plus DCV provides 94-97% SVR rates in non-cirrhotic patients, but 59-69% in those with cirrhosis. The addition of RBV to the regimen of SOF plus DCV increases the SVR rates in cirrhotic patients above 80%, and extending treatment to 24 weeks raises SVR to 90%. The ideal duration of therapy is still under investigation. For cirrhotic patients, the optimal duration, or even the best regimen, is still uncertain. Further studies are necessary to clarify the best regimen to treat HCV genotype 3 infection491

Hepatitis C virus in monozygotic twins

É relatado o caso de paciente grávida, com hepatite C crônica que deu à luz dois gêmeos monozigóticos. Um recém-nascido apresentou positividade para o RNA do vírus da hepatite C (RNA-VHC), no sangue venoso, coletado de veia periférica doze horas após o parto. O outro recém-nascido apresentou-se negativo para o RNA-VHC logo após o nascimento, porém tornou-se RNA-VHC positivo na amostra coletada aos três meses de idade. Os resultados permitem supor que um dos gêmeos provavelmente foi contaminado no período intra-uterino, enquanto o outro adquiriu a infecção no período perinatal. Ambos foram negativos para a presença do RNA-VHC e para os anticorpos anti-HCV em todas as amostras séricas coletadas após os nove meses de idade. Os exames laboratoriais dos gêmeos não mostraram a presença de infecção crônica pelo VHC durante o acompanhamento de 29 meses .A case of a pregnant patient with chronic hepatitis C who gave birth to monozygotic twins that were infected with HCV is reported. One of the newborns was positive for HCV-RNA in blood sample collected 12 hours after delivery. The other newborn was negative for HCV-RNA at birth, but was detected HCV viremia at three months of age. The results have led to the conclusion that one of the twins was probably contaminated in the intrauterine period, while the other acquired the infection in the perinatal period. Both were negative for HCV-RNA and for anti-HCV in the serum samples collected at nine months of age. The report describes the changes in the laboratory tests conducted in mother and twins until 29 months after delivery

A Clinical, Epidemological, Laboratorial, Histological And Ultrasonographical Evaluation Of Anti-hcv Eia-2 Positive Blood Donors.

Between 1992 and 1997, 790 blood donors with anti-HCV EIA-2 strongly reagent (relationship between the sample optical density/cut-off > 3) detected at the blood bank serological screening, were evaluated in ambulatory environment. They were all negative for Chagas disease, syphilis, hepatitis B (HBsAg) and AIDS. Blood samples were collected at the first ambulatorial evaluation, for hemogram, biochemical tests and new serological tests for HCV (anti-HCV EIA-2). In blood samples of 226 repeatedly reagent anti-HCV EIA-2 blood donors, supplementary immunoblot test for HCV (RIBA-2) was used. In 209 donors, the presence of HCV-RNA was investigated by the PCR test. The abdominal ultrasonography was realized in 366 donors. In 269 patients liver biopsy was performed for the histopathological study. The follow-up of blood donors showed that 95.6% were repeatedly EIA-2 reagent, 94% were symptomless and denied any hepatitis history, with only 2% mentioning previous jaundice. In 47% of this population at least one risk factor has been detected for the HCV transmission, the use of intravenous drugs being the main one (27.8%). Blood transfusion was the second factor for HCV transmission (27.2%). Hepatomegaly was detected in 54% of the cases. Splenomegaly and signs of portal hypertension have seldom been found in the physical examination, indicating a low degree of hepatic compromising in HCV. Abdominal ultrasound showed alterations in 65% of the subjects, being the steatosis the most frequent (50%). In 83. 5% of the donors submitted to the liver biopsy, the histopathological exam showed the presence of chronic hepatitis, usually classified as active (89%) with mild or moderate grade in most of the cases (99.5%). The histopathological exam of the liver was normal in 1.5% of blood donors. The RIBA-2 test and the HCV-RNA investigation by PCR were positive in respectively 91.6 and 75% of the anti-HCV EIA-2 reagent donors. The HCV-RNA research was positive in 82% of the RIBA-2 positive subjects, in 37.5% of the indeterminate RIBA-2 donors and in 9% of the negative RIBA-2 donors. Chronic hepatitis has also been observed in 50% of the histopathological exams of the anti-HCV EIA-2 reagent donors which were indeterminate RIBA-2. Among 18 blood donors with minimal changes histopathological exam 11 (61%) were HCV-RNA positive. Our blood donors anti-HCV reagent generally had clinical, laboratorial and histopathological features observed in patients with chronic HCV hepatitis and a high proportion could be identified in interviews and medical evaluation realized in blood blanks. Generally, these HCV infected donors are identified and discharged only by the serological tests results.42147-5

Anemia and acute coronary syndrome: current perspectives

Reference hemoglobin (Hb) values for the definition of anemia are still largely based on the 1968 WHO Scientific Group report, which established a cutoff value of <13 g/dL for adult men and <12 g/dL for adult nonpregnant women. Subsequent studies identified different normal values according to race and age. Estimated prevalence of anemia on admission in the setting of an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is between 10% and 43% of the patients depending upon the specific population under investigation. Furthermore, up to 57% of ACS patients may develop hospital-acquired anemia (HAA). Both anemia on admission and HAA are associated with worse short- and long-term mortality, even if different mechanisms contribute to their prognostic impact. Baseline anemia can usually be traced back to preexisting disease that should be specifically investigated and corrected whenever possible. HAA is associated with clinical characteristics, medical therapy and interventional procedures, all eliciting cardiovascular adaptive response that can potentially worsen myocardial ischemia. The intrinsic fragility of anemic patients may limit aggressive medical and interventional therapy due to an increased risk of bleeding, and could independently contribute to worse outcome. However, primary angioplasty for ST elevation ACS should not be delayed because of preexisting (and often not diagnosed) anemia; delaying revascularization to allow fast-track anemia diagnosis is usually feasible and justified in non-ST-elevation ACS. Besides identification and treatment of the underlying causes of anemia, the only readily available means to reverse anemia is red blood cell transfusion. The adequate transfusion threshold is still being debated, although solid evidence suggests reserving red blood cell transfusions for patients with Hb level <8 g/dL and considering it in selected cases with Hb levels of between 8 and 10 g/dL. No evidence supports the use of iron supplements and erythropoiesis-stimulating agents in the setting of ACS