Electrodialytic recovery of tungsten and cobalt from an industrial residue – preliminary assessment

Critical raw materials (CRMs) have a significant importance for key sectors in the European economy. This importance will continue to grow due to the Green Deal, as the sustainable transition to carbon neutrality by 2050 is settled in modern technologies and renewable energies, which are closely linked to a need for many raw materials. Europe is very highly dependent on imports of most of the raw materials needed by European industries, with a set of CRMs presenting a high level of concentration in particular countries, some of them geopolitically unstable. For this reason, the supply chains security depends largely on efficient management of resources throughout the lifecycle and the commitment to recycling using secondary resources, such as industrial residues. Investing in CRMs' recycling processes and their sustainability is essential to maintain the supply chains. The present work is the first attempt to study the application of the electrodialytic (ED) process for recovery of two CRMs, tungsten (W) and cobalt (Co), from tungsten carbide (WC-Co) scrap powder resultant from end-of-life cutting tools. ED process consists of the application of a low-level electric current, in the presence of cation and/or anion exchange membranes, which promote the separation between compartments. In this specific work, acid desorption of W and Co from the matrix was carried out, followed by electromigration and electrodialysis. Eight experiments were carried out during 24h, using ED cells with three (3C) and two (2C) compartments to perform three assessments: the best electrolyte, the best solid:liquid ratio, and the best current intensity. The WC-Co matrix was placed in the central cell compartment in the 3C setup and directly in the anode in a 2C cell. The results show that the 2C cell setup with NaCl 0.02 M as catholyte and citric acid 0.4 M as anolyte, a solid:liquid ratio 1:25, and an initial current intensity of 200 mA presented the highest W (2194 mg; 99.6% of total W solubilized) and Co (558 mg; 81.3% of total Co solubilized) recovery. However, the current intensity was not completely optimized yet and needs further investigation. This dissertation will contribute to guide future experimental work to optimize the ED conditions for W and Co recovery.As matérias-primas críticas (CRMs) possuem uma importância significativa para setores-chave da economia europeia. Essa importância vai continuar a aumentar com o Pacto Ecológico Europeu, uma vez que a transição sustentável para a neutralidade carbónica em 2050 está assente em tecnologias modernas e energias renováveis, intimamente ligadas a uma grande necessidade de um vasto número de matérias-primas. A Europa depende largamente das importações da maioria das matérias-primas necessárias às suas indústrias, materiais esses altamente concentrados num conjunto de países específicos, alguns deles geopoliticamente instáveis. Por esse motivo, a segurança das cadeias de abastecimento depende em grande parte da gestão eficiente dos recursos ao longo do seu ciclo de vida e do compromisso com a reciclagem, recorrendo a fontes secundárias como resíduos industriais. Investir nestes processos, bem como a garantir a sua sustentabilidade, é fundamental para assegurar a manutenção das cadeias de abastecimento. O presente trabalho consiste na primeira tentativa de estudar a aplicação do processo eletrodialítico (ED) para recuperação de duas matérias-primas críticas, tungsténio (W) e cobalto (Co), a partir de um pó de carbeto de tungsténio (WC-Co) macerado, resultante de ferramentas de corte em fim-de-vida. O processo ED consiste na aplicação de uma corrente elétrica de baixa intensidade, na presença de membranas de troca catiónica e/ou aniónica, que promovem a separação entre compartimentos. Neste trabalho específico, foi realizada uma dessorção ácida de W e Co da matriz sólida, seguida de eletromigração e eletrodiálise. Cada uma de oito experiências foi realizada durante 24h, utilizando células ED com três (3C) e dois (2C) compartimentos com três objetivos: obter o melhor eletrólito, o melhor rácio sólido:líquido e a melhor intensidade de corrente. A matriz de WC-Co foi colocada no compartimento central da célula 3C e diretamente no ânodo na célula 2C. Os resultados mostram que a configuração da célula 2C com NaCl 0.02 M como catolito e ácido cítrico 0.4 M como anolito, um rácio sólido:líquido de 1:25 e uma intensidade de corrente inicial de 200 mA apresentou a maior recuperação de W (2194 mg; 99.6% do total de W solubilizado) e Co (558 mg; 81.3% do total de Co solubilizado). No entanto, a intensidade da corrente ainda não foi completamente otimizada, necessitando de mais investigação. Esta dissertação contribuirá para futuros trabalhos experimentais com vista a otimizar as condições do processo ED para a recuperação de W e Co

Effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and angiotensin receptor blocker initiation on organ support-free days in patients hospitalized with COVID-19

IMPORTANCE Overactivation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) may contribute to poor clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Objective To determine whether angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) initiation improves outcomes in patients hospitalized for COVID-19. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In an ongoing, adaptive platform randomized clinical trial, 721 critically ill and 58 non–critically ill hospitalized adults were randomized to receive an RAS inhibitor or control between March 16, 2021, and February 25, 2022, at 69 sites in 7 countries (final follow-up on June 1, 2022). INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomized to receive open-label initiation of an ACE inhibitor (n = 257), ARB (n = 248), ARB in combination with DMX-200 (a chemokine receptor-2 inhibitor; n = 10), or no RAS inhibitor (control; n = 264) for up to 10 days. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was organ support–free days, a composite of hospital survival and days alive without cardiovascular or respiratory organ support through 21 days. The primary analysis was a bayesian cumulative logistic model. Odds ratios (ORs) greater than 1 represent improved outcomes. RESULTS On February 25, 2022, enrollment was discontinued due to safety concerns. Among 679 critically ill patients with available primary outcome data, the median age was 56 years and 239 participants (35.2%) were women. Median (IQR) organ support–free days among critically ill patients was 10 (–1 to 16) in the ACE inhibitor group (n = 231), 8 (–1 to 17) in the ARB group (n = 217), and 12 (0 to 17) in the control group (n = 231) (median adjusted odds ratios of 0.77 [95% bayesian credible interval, 0.58-1.06] for improvement for ACE inhibitor and 0.76 [95% credible interval, 0.56-1.05] for ARB compared with control). The posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitors and ARBs worsened organ support–free days compared with control were 94.9% and 95.4%, respectively. Hospital survival occurred in 166 of 231 critically ill participants (71.9%) in the ACE inhibitor group, 152 of 217 (70.0%) in the ARB group, and 182 of 231 (78.8%) in the control group (posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitor and ARB worsened hospital survival compared with control were 95.3% and 98.1%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this trial, among critically ill adults with COVID-19, initiation of an ACE inhibitor or ARB did not improve, and likely worsened, clinical outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT0273570

Characterisation of microbial attack on archaeological bone

As part of an EU funded project to investigate the factors influencing bone preservation in the archaeological record, more than 250 bones from 41 archaeological sites in five countries spanning four climatic regions were studied for diagenetic alteration. Sites were selected to cover a range of environmental conditions and archaeological contexts. Microscopic and physical (mercury intrusion porosimetry) analyses of these bones revealed that the majority (68%) had suffered microbial attack. Furthermore, significant differences were found between animal and human bone in both the state of preservation and the type of microbial attack present. These differences in preservation might result from differences in early taphonomy of the bones. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved

Cardiovascular Efficacy and Safety of Bococizumab in High-Risk Patients

BACKGROUN

Observation of WWWWWW Production in pppp Collisions at s\sqrt s =13 TeV with the ATLAS Detector

International audienceThis Letter reports the observation of $WWW$ production and a measurement of its cross section using 139 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collision data recorded at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Events with two same-sign leptons (electrons or muons) and at least two jets, as well as events with three charged leptons, are selected. A multivariate technique is then used to discriminate between signal and background events. Events from $WWW$ production are observed with a significance of 8.0 standard deviations, where the expectation is 5.4 standard deviations. The inclusive $WWW$ production cross section is measured to be $820 \pm 100\,\text{(stat)} \pm 80\,\text{(syst)}$ fb, approximately 2.6 standard deviations from the predicted cross section of $511 \pm 18$ fb calculated at next-to-leading-order QCD and leading-order electroweak accuracy

Observation of WWWWWW Production in pppp Collisions at s\sqrt s =13 TeV with the ATLAS Detector

International audienceThis Letter reports the observation of $WWW$ production and a measurement of its cross section using 139 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collision data recorded at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Events with two same-sign leptons (electrons or muons) and at least two jets, as well as events with three charged leptons, are selected. A multivariate technique is then used to discriminate between signal and background events. Events from $WWW$ production are observed with a significance of 8.0 standard deviations, where the expectation is 5.4 standard deviations. The inclusive $WWW$ production cross section is measured to be $820 \pm 100\,\text{(stat)} \pm 80\,\text{(syst)}$ fb, approximately 2.6 standard deviations from the predicted cross section of $511 \pm 18$ fb calculated at next-to-leading-order QCD and leading-order electroweak accuracy

Observation of WWWWWW Production in pppp Collisions at s\sqrt s =13 TeV with the ATLAS Detector

International audienceThis Letter reports the observation of $WWW$ production and a measurement of its cross section using 139 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collision data recorded at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Events with two same-sign leptons (electrons or muons) and at least two jets, as well as events with three charged leptons, are selected. A multivariate technique is then used to discriminate between signal and background events. Events from $WWW$ production are observed with a significance of 8.0 standard deviations, where the expectation is 5.4 standard deviations. The inclusive $WWW$ production cross section is measured to be $820 \pm 100\,\text{(stat)} \pm 80\,\text{(syst)}$ fb, approximately 2.6 standard deviations from the predicted cross section of $511 \pm 18$ fb calculated at next-to-leading-order QCD and leading-order electroweak accuracy

Observation of WWWWWW Production in pppp Collisions at s\sqrt s =13 TeV with the ATLAS Detector

International audienceThis Letter reports the observation of $WWW$ production and a measurement of its cross section using 139 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collision data recorded at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Events with two same-sign leptons (electrons or muons) and at least two jets, as well as events with three charged leptons, are selected. A multivariate technique is then used to discriminate between signal and background events. Events from $WWW$ production are observed with a significance of 8.0 standard deviations, where the expectation is 5.4 standard deviations. The inclusive $WWW$ production cross section is measured to be $820 \pm 100\,\text{(stat)} \pm 80\,\text{(syst)}$ fb, approximately 2.6 standard deviations from the predicted cross section of $511 \pm 18$ fb calculated at next-to-leading-order QCD and leading-order electroweak accuracy

Observation of WWWWWW Production in pppp Collisions at s\sqrt s =13 TeV with the ATLAS Detector

International audienceThis Letter reports the observation of $WWW$ production and a measurement of its cross section using 139 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collision data recorded at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Events with two same-sign leptons (electrons or muons) and at least two jets, as well as events with three charged leptons, are selected. A multivariate technique is then used to discriminate between signal and background events. Events from $WWW$ production are observed with a significance of 8.0 standard deviations, where the expectation is 5.4 standard deviations. The inclusive $WWW$ production cross section is measured to be $820 \pm 100\,\text{(stat)} \pm 80\,\text{(syst)}$ fb, approximately 2.6 standard deviations from the predicted cross section of $511 \pm 18$ fb calculated at next-to-leading-order QCD and leading-order electroweak accuracy

Observation of WWWWWW Production in pppp Collisions at s\sqrt s =13 TeV with the ATLAS Detector

International audienceThis Letter reports the observation of $WWW$ production and a measurement of its cross section using 139 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collision data recorded at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Events with two same-sign leptons (electrons or muons) and at least two jets, as well as events with three charged leptons, are selected. A multivariate technique is then used to discriminate between signal and background events. Events from $WWW$ production are observed with a significance of 8.0 standard deviations, where the expectation is 5.4 standard deviations. The inclusive $WWW$ production cross section is measured to be $820 \pm 100\,\text{(stat)} \pm 80\,\text{(syst)}$ fb, approximately 2.6 standard deviations from the predicted cross section of $511 \pm 18$ fb calculated at next-to-leading-order QCD and leading-order electroweak accuracy