Effect of Pressure-Assisted Heat Treatment on Photoluminescence Emission of α-Bi2O3 Needles

Materials with high photoluminescence (PL) intensity can potentially be used in optical and electronic devices. Although the PL properties of bismuth(III) oxide with a monoclinic crystal structure (α-Bi2O3) have been explored in the past few years, methods of increasing PL emission intensity and information relating PL emission to structural defects are scarce. This research evaluated the effect of a pressure-assisted heat treatment (PAHT) on the PL properties of α-Bi2O3 with a needlelike morphology, which was synthesized via a microwaveassisted hydrothermal (MAH) method. PAHT caused an angular increase between the [BiO6]−[BiO6] clusters of α- Bi2O3, resulting in a significant increase in the PL emission intensity. The Raman and XPS spectra also showed that the α- Bi2O3 PL emissions in the low-energy region (below ∼2.1 eV) are attributed to oxygen vacancies that form defect donor states. The experimental results are in good agreement with first-principles total-energy calculations that were carried out within periodic density functional theory (DFT).This research was funded by The State of Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), Research Award No. CEPID 2013/07296-2. Author S. Schmidt is grateful to the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (Capes) for her doctoral scholarship. This work was also supported by Spanish MALTA-Consolider Ingenio 2010 Program (Project CSD2007-00045). The authors are also grateful to Prof. Juan Andrés for his collaboration in the preparation of this article

Efeitos Agudos e Crônicos Durante e Após a Exposição do Copepoda Tisbe biminiensis ao Cromo

Fêmeas ovadas foram expostas a quatro diferentes concentrações de cromo durante 96 horas. Posteriormente, as fêmeas foram transferidas para água de cultivo (descontaminação) durante oito dias. Na exposição foram observados parâmetros reprodutivos e mortalidade. Na descontaminação foi avaliado o sucesso reprodutivo das fêmeas (tempo para produção de saco de ovos e número de náuplios), desenvolvimento da prole e parâmetros populacionais. Durante a exposição não foram observadas mudanças significativas nos parâmetros avaliados. No bioensaio de descontaminação, as fêmeas do grupo controle demonstraram normalidade no comportamento reprodutivo, enquanto que as fêmeas expostas ficaram desovadas por mais tempo reduzindo a produção de náuplios. Com relação ao desenvolvimento, observou-se um retardo nas transições dos estágios larvais, sobretudo de copepodito para adulto, demonstrando uma menor densidade populacional. Portanto, concentrações subletais de cromo podem prejudicar a fisiologia reprodutiva, retardar o desenvolvimento e diminuir a densidade populacional de Tisbe biminiens

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

The Biopsychosocial Sphere of Women Victims of Violence: A Systematic Review

Objetivo: identificar la contribución de la investigación desarrollada a una esfera biopsicosocial de mujeres víctimas de violencia y el significado atribuido a estas experiencias en sus vidas. Método: revisión integradora realizada en las bases de datos MEDLINE / PubMed y LILACS, que cubre los años de 2009 a 2015. Resultados: se seleccionaron y analizaron 18 estudios, con los criterios de selección siendo las razones dadas por las mujeres para permanecer con un compañero violento, las razones para no buscar ayuda para romper el ciclo de violencia o el significado atribuido a esta experiencia en sus vidas, incluyendo el significado religioso, ético y moral, así como el sufrimiento derivado de la experiencia. Discusión: las intervenciones llevadas a cabo en las instituciones de salud permiten el desarrollo de estratificaciones para hacer frente a este problema. Una denuncia presentada por una esposa contra su atacante demuestra una ruptura temprana en el ciclo de violencia. Conclusión: los resultados evidencian aspectos que pueden ayudar a mejorar la calidad de la salud de estas mujeres y muestran la importancia de la investigación para apoyar las prácticas en el cuidado de las mujeres víctimas de la violencia

Effect of Pressure-Assisted Heat Treatment on Photoluminescence Emission of α‑Bi₂O₃ Needles

Materials with high photoluminescence (PL) intensity can potentially be used in optical and electronic devices. Although the PL properties of bismuth­(III) oxide with a monoclinic crystal structure (α-Bi₂O₃) have been explored in the past few years, methods of increasing PL emission intensity and information relating PL emission to structural defects are scarce. This research evaluated the effect of a pressure-assisted heat treatment (PAHT) on the PL properties of α-Bi₂O₃ with a needlelike morphology, which was synthesized via a microwave-assisted hydrothermal (MAH) method. PAHT caused an angular increase between the [BiO₆]–[BiO₆] clusters of α-Bi₂O₃, resulting in a significant increase in the PL emission intensity. The Raman and XPS spectra also showed that the α-Bi₂O₃ PL emissions in the low-energy region (below ∼2.1 eV) are attributed to oxygen vacancies that form defect donor states. The experimental results are in good agreement with first-principles total-energy calculations that were carried out within periodic density functional theory (DFT)