ABSTRACT
Modern life-style is creating an indoor generation: human beings spend approximately 90% of their time indoors, almost 70% of which is at home – this trend is now exacerbated by the lockdowns/restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That large amount of time spent indoors may have negative consequences on health and well-being. Indeed, poor indoor air quality is linked to a condition known as sick building syndrome. Therefore, breathing the freshest air possible is of outmost importance. Still, due to reduced ventilation rates, indoor air quality can be considerably worse than outdoor. Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), air filtration systems and a well-ventilated space are a partial answer. However, these approaches involve only a physical removal. The photocatalytic mineralization of pollutants into non-hazardous, or at least less dangerous compounds, is a more viable solution for their removal. Titanium dioxide, the archetype photocatalytic material, needs UVA light to be ‘activated’. However, modern household light emitting diode lamps irradiate only in the visible region of the solar spectrum. We show that the surface of titanium dioxide nanoparticles modified with copper oxide(s) and graphene has promise as a viable way to remove gaseous pollutants (benzene and nitrogen oxides) using a common light emitting diode bulb, mimicking real indoor lighting conditions. Titanium dioxide, modified with 1 mol% CuxO and 1 wt% graphene, proved to have a stable photocatalytic degradation rate, three times higher than that of unmodified titania. Materials produced in this research work are thus strong candidates for offering a safer indoor environment. © 2022 Elsevier Ltd
ABSTRACT
Background and aims: COVID-19 related acute neurological phenotypes have been reported in over 30% of hospitalized patients. However, multicentric studies providing a population-based overview are still lacking. Methods: We conducted a retrospective multicentric study in five hospitals in Northern Portugal, between March 1st and June 30th 2020. Patient e-records were systematically revised using a standardized form to identify neurological manifestations stratified by type and severity. Results: From a total of 13,144 persons diagnosed with COVID-19 in the northern region, 2,795 (21.3%) required hospitalization. We reviewed a sample of 1,261 (45.1%) hospitalized patients and found a rate of 362 neurological manifestations per 1000 admitted COVID-19 patients, estimating a total of 1009 hospitalized patients with a neurological manifestation in the Northern Region. Patients with neurologic manifestations were younger (p=0.002), and the most frequent neurological symptoms were headache (13.4%), delirium (10.1%) and impairment of consciousness (9.7%). We observed a rate of 7.8 severe neurological events per every 1000 COVID-19 infected patients, including stroke, seizures, Guillain-Barre syndrome and myelopathy. The fatality among patients with neurological manifestations was 19.8%, and 15.6% had a modified Rankin Scale of 4-5 at hospital discharge. Conclusion: We characterized the population of hospitalized COVID-19 patients from the northern region of Portugal and found that neurological symptoms are common and associated with a high degree of disability. CNS involvement with criteria for in-hospital admission was observed in a significant proportion of patients. Neurology support is highly relevant in the multidisciplinary care of COVID-19 patients.