Different Lengths of Gestational Exposure to Secondhand Smoke or e-Cigarette Vapor Induce the Development of Placental Disease Symptoms.

Exposure to cigarette smoke is known to induce disease during pregnancy. Recent evidence showed that exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) negatively impacts fetal and placental weights, leading to the development of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Electronic cigarettes (eCigs) represent a phenomenon that has recently emerged, and their use is also steadily rising. Even so, the effects of SHS or eCigs during gestation remain limited. In the present study, we wanted to characterize the effects of SHS or eCig exposure at two different important gestational points during mouse pregnancy. C57/Bl6 mice were exposed to SHS or eCigs via a nose-only delivery system for 4 days (from 14.5 to 17.5 gestational days (dGA) or for 6 days (from 12.5 dGA to 17.5 dGA)). At the time of necropsy (18.5 dGA), placental and fetal weights were recorded, maternal blood pressure was determined, and a dipstick test to measure proteinuria was performed. Placental tissues were collected, and inflammatory molecules in the placenta were identified. Treatment with SHS showed the following: (1) a significant decrease in placental and fetal weights following four days of exposure, (2) higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure following six days of exposure, and (3) increased proteinuria after six days of exposure. Treatment with eCigs showed the following: (1) a significant decrease in placental weight and fetal weight following four or six days of exposure, (2) higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure following six days of exposure, and (3) increased proteinuria after six days of exposure. We also observed different inflammatory markers associated with the development of IUGR or PE. We conclude that the detrimental effects of SHS or eCig treatment coincide with the length of maternal exposure. These results could be beneficial in understanding the long-term effects of SHS or eCig exposure in the development of placental diseases.

Comparison of Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide Photocatalysts for the Inactivation of Escherichia coli in Water Using Slurry and Rotating-Disk Photocatalytic Reactors.

The application of photocatalysis for the disinfection of water has been extensively reported over the past 30 years. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) has been the most widely and successfully used photocatalyst to date; however, it is not without its limitations. Frequently observed long lag times, sometimes up to 60 min, before bacterial inactivation begins and the presence of residual microorganisms, for example, up to 104 colony forming units, remaining after treatment are ongoing challenges with this particular photocatalyst. It is therefore important to find alternative photocatalysts that can address these issues. In this study, we compared the disinfection capacity of TiO2 with that of zinc oxide (ZnO) using Escherichia coli as a model organism in both a suspended and immobilized catalyst system. Our results showed that ZnO was superior to TiO2 in a number of areas. Not only were bacterial rates of destruction much quicker with ZnO, but no lag time was observed prior to inactivation in suspended systems. Furthermore, complete bacterial destruction was observed within the treatment times under investigation. The greater efficiency of ZnO is believed to be due to the decomposition of the bacterial cell wall being driven by hydrogen peroxide as opposed to hydroxyl radicals. The results reported in this paper show that ZnO is a more efficient and cost-effective photocatalyst than TiO2 and that it represents a viable alternative photocatalyst for water disinfection processes.

A Multi-method Exploratory Evaluation of a Service Designed to Improve Medication Safety for Patients with Monitored Dosage Systems Following Hospital Discharge.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Medication safety problems are common post-hospital discharge, and an important global healthcare improvement target. The Transfers of Care Around Medicines (TCAM) service was launched by a National Health Service Trust in the North-West of England, initially focusing on patients with new or existing Monitored Dosage Systems (MDS). The TCAM service is designed to enable the prompt transfer of medication information, with referrals made by hospitals at discharge to a named community pharmacy. This study aimed to explore the utilisation and impact of the TCAM service on medication safety. METHODS: The evaluation included a descriptive analysis of 3033 anonymised patient referrals to 71 community pharmacies over a 1-year period alongside an assessment of the impact of the TCAM service on unintentional medication discrepancies and adverse drug events using a retrospective before-and-after study design. Impact data were collected across 18 general practices by 16 trained clinical pharmacists. RESULTS: Most patient referrals (70%, 2126/3033) were marked as 'completed' by community pharmacies, with 15% of completed referrals delayed beyond 30 days. Screening of 411 patient records by clinical pharmacists yielded no statistically significant difference in unintentional medication discrepancies or adverse drug event rates following TCAM implementation using a multivariable regression analysis (unintentional medication discrepancies adjusted odds ratio = 0.79 [95% confidence interval 0.44-1.44, p = 0.46]; and adverse drug events adjusted odds ratio = 1.19 [95% confidence interval 0.57-2.45, p = 0.63]), although there remained considerable uncertainty. CONCLUSIONS: The TCAM service facilitated a number of community pharmacy services offered to patients with monitored dosage systems; but the impact of the intervention on unintentional medication discrepancies and adverse drug event rates post-hospital discharge for this patient group was uncertain. The results of this exploratory study can inform the ongoing implementation of the TCAM service at hospital discharge and highlight the need to understand service implementation in different contexts, which may influence its impact on medication safety.

Mechanistic Study of Glucose Photoreforming over TiO2-Based Catalysts for H2 Production.

Glucose is a key intermediate in cellulose photoreforming for H2 production. This work presents a mechanistic investigation of glucose photoreforming over TiO2 and Pt/m-TiO2 catalysts. Analysis of the intermediates formed in the process confirmed the α-scission mechanism of glucose oxidation forming arabinose (Cn-1 sugar) and formic acid in the initial oxidation step. The selectivity to sugar products and formic acid differed over Pt/TiO2 and TiO2, with Pt/TiO2 showing the lower selectivity to formic acid due to enhanced adsorption/conversion of formic acid over Pt/TiO2. In situ ATR-IR spectroscopy of glucose photoreforming showed the presence of molecular formic acid and formate on the surface of both catalysts at low glucose conversions, suggesting that formic acid oxidation could dominate surface reactions in glucose photoreforming. Further in situ ATR-IR of formic acid photoreforming showed Pt-TiO2 interfacial sites to be key for formic acid oxidation as TiO2 was unable to convert adsorbed formic acid/formate. Isotopic studies of the photoreforming of formic acid in D2O (with different concentrations) showed that the source of the protons (to form H2 at Pt sites) was determined by the relative surface coverage of adsorbed water and formic acid.

Enhanced Monitoring of Photocatalytic Reactive Oxygen Species: Using Electrochemistry for Rapid Sensing of Hydroxyl Radicals Formed during the Degradation of Coumarin.

Many recent research studies have reported indirect methods for the detection and quantification of OH radicals generated during photocatalysis. The short lifespan and high reactivity of these radicals make indirect detection using probes such as coumarin a more viable quantification method. Hydroxyl radical production is commonly monitored using fluorescence spectroscopy to determine the concentration of the compound 7-hydroxycoumarin, which is formed from hydroxyl radical attack on coumarin. There are, however, a number of additional hydroxylated coumarins generated during this process, which are less amenable to detection by fluorescence spectroscopy. Consequently, limitations and inaccuracies of this method have previously been reported in the literature. As an alternative approach to those previously reported, this work has developed an electrochemical screening method using coumarin as a OH radical trap, that is capable of in situ monitoring of not only 7-hydroxycoumarin, but all the main mono-hydroxylated products formed. As a result, this technique is a more representative and comprehensive method for the quantification of OH radicals produced by photocatalysts using coumarin as a probe molecule. Moreover, the electroanalytical method provides a portable, rapid, sensitive, and accurate in situ method for the monitoring of OH radical formation without the need for sample preparation.

Oxidation of Sulphur pollutants in model and real fuels using hydrodynamic cavitation.

Hydrodynamic Cavitation (HC) offers an attractive platform for intensifying oxidative desulphurization of fuels. In the first part of this work, we present new results on oxidising single ring thiophene in a model fuel over the extended range of volume fraction of organic phase from 2.5 to 80 v/v %. We also present influence of type and scale of HC device on performance of oxidative desulphurization. Further experiments revealed that oxidising radicals generated in-situ by HC alone were not able to oxidise dual ring thiophenes. External catalyst (formic acid) and oxidising agents (hydrogen peroxide, H2O2) were therefore used with HC. Based on our prior work with acoustic cavitation (AC), the volumetric ratios for H2O2 and formic acid were identified as 0.95 v/v % and 6.25 v/v % respectively. The data of oxidation of dual ring thiophenes with n-dodecane and n-hexane as model fuels and typical transport fuels (diesel, kerosene, and petrol) using these oxidant and catalyst is presented. The observed performance with HC was compared with results obtained from a stirred tank and AC set-up. The presented data indicates that HC is able to intensify oxidation of sulphur species. The presented results provide a sound basis for further developments on HC based oxidative desulphurization processes.

Solar-driven semi-conductor photocatalytic water treatment (TiO2, g-C3N4, and TiO2+g-C3N4) of cyanotoxins: Proof-of-concept study with microcystin-LR.

Cyanobacteria and their toxins are a threat to drinking water safety as increasingly cyanobacterial blooms (mass occurrences) occur in lakes and reservoirs all over the world. Photocatalytic removal of cyanotoxins by solar light active catalysts is a promising way to purify water at relatively low cost compared to modifying existing infrastructure. We have established a facile and low-cost method to obtain TiO2 and g-C3N4 coated floating photocatalysts using recycled glass beads. g-C3N4 coated and TiO2+g-C3N4 co-coated beads were able to completely remove microcystin-LR in artificial fresh water under both natural and simulated solar light irradiation without agitation in less than 2 h. TiO2 coated beads achieved complete removal within 8 h of irradiation. TiO2+g-C3N4 beads were more effective than g-C3N4 beads as demonstrated by the increase reaction rate with reaction constants, 0.0485 min-1 compared to 0.0264 min-1 respectively, with TiO2 alone found to be considerably slower 0.0072 min-1. g-C3N4 based photocatalysts showed a similar degradation pathway to TiO2 based photocatalysts by attacking the C6-C7 double bond on the Adda side chain.

Doctor owned investigation and treatment facilities: a conflict of interest or a pragmatic way forward?

Nil.

Quantifying OH radical generation in hydrodynamic cavitation via coumarin dosimetry: Influence of operating parameters and cavitation devices.

Hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) has been extensively investigated for effluent treatment applications. Performance of HC devices or processes is often reported in terms of degradation of organic pollutants rather than quantification of hydroxyl (OH) radicals. In this study, generation of OH radicals in vortex based cavitation device using coumarin dosimetry was quantified. Coumarin was used as the chemical probe with an initial concentration of 100 µM (15 ppm). Generation of OH radicals was quantified by analysing generated single hydroxylated products. The influence of operating parameters such as pH and type of acid used to adjust pH, dissolved oxygen, and inlet and outlet pressures was investigated. Acidic pH was found to be more conducive for generating OH radicals and therefore subsequent experiments were performed at pH of 3. Sulphuric acid was found to be more than three times effective than hydrochloric acid in generating OH radicals. Effect of initial levels of dissolved oxygen was found to influence OH radical generation. Performance of vortex based cavitation device was then compared with other commonly used cavitation devices based on orifice and venturi. The vortex based cavitation device was found to outperform the orifice and venturi based devices in terms of initial per-pass factor. Influence of device scale (nominal flow rate through the device) on performance was then evaluated. The results presented for these devices unambiguously quantifies their cavitational performance. The presented results will be useful for evaluating computational models and stimulate further development of predictive computational models in this challenging area.

Suppressing cyanobacterial dominance by UV-LED TiO2-photocatalysis in a drinking water reservoir: A mesocosm study.

Cyanobacteria and their toxic secondary metabolites present challenges for water treatment globally. In this study we have assessed TiO2 immobilized onto recycled foamed glass beads by a facile calcination method, combined in treatment units with 365 nm UV-LEDs. The treatment system was deployed in mesocosms within a eutrophic Brazilian drinking water reservoir. The treatment units were deployed for 7 days and suppressed cyanobacterial abundance by 85% while at the same time enhancing other water quality parameters; turbidity and transparency improved by 40 and 81% respectively. Genomic analysis of the microbiota in the treated mesocosms revealed that the composition of the cyanobacterial community was affected and the abundance of Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria increased during cyanobacterial suppression. The effect of the treatment on zooplankton and other eukaryotes was also monitored. The abundance of zooplankton decreased while Chrysophyte and Alveolata loadings increased. The results of this proof-of-concept study demonstrate the potential for full-scale, in-reservoir application of advanced oxidation processes as complementary water treatment processes.

Toward the Photocatalytic Valorization of Lignin: Conversion of a Model Lignin Hexamer with Multiple Functionalities.

The valorization of biomass via photocatalysis is an area of expanding research with advances in new technologies and materials with a view toward enhanced sustainability being reported. A significant challenge within this field, however, is understanding the impact photocatalysis has on more recalcitrant compounds present in biomass, such as lignin. Moreover, the current state of lignin model compound research is still largely focused on the breakdown of small models containing typically only one linkage. Described herein is the use of TiO2-mediated photocatalysis for the degradation of a representative hexameric lignin model compound which contains multiple linkages (e.g., 5-5', ß-5, and ß-O-4). The results revealed that while cleavage of the ß-5 and ß-O-4 occurred, the 5-5' appeared to remain intact within the identified reaction intermediates. To understand some of the more fundamental questions, a dimeric compound with a biphenyl linkage was synthesized and studied under photocatalytic conditions. The proposal of intermediates and pathways of degradation based on the studies conducted is presented and discussed herein.

Removal of single and dual ring thiophene's from dodecane using cavitation based processes.

Utilising cavitation for enhancing oxidative desulphurization has been investigated for nearly-two decades with recent investigations shifting focus from low-capacity acoustic cavitation (AC) to scalable hydrodynamic cavitation (HC). This work focuses on developing a viable means for removing thiophene's from fuels. In the first phase of this work, use of vortex based HC devices for removal of single and dual ring thiophenes from dodecane was investigated. HC was shown to be able to remove single ring thiophene from dodecane without using any external catalyst or additives. However, in absence of catalyst or additives, it was not possible to remove dual ring thiophenes such as dibenzothiophene using HC. Therefore, in the second phase of this work, various strategies based on use of catalyst or additives to augment cavitation based process were investigated. AC based experiments were opted for shortlisting suitable catalysts and additives for intensifying cavitation based processes. The influence of using oxidant (H2O2) and carboxylic acid catalysts on efficacy of removal of dual ring thiophenes is presented. Several conditions were tested, and the optimal volumetric ratios of 0.95 v/v % H2O2 and 6.25 v/v % HCOOH was identified and utilised throughout the remainder of the study. Regeneration of extractant which accumulates oxidised sulphur species from dodecane was also investigated using AC. The additives and process conditions reported in this work are useful for enhancing desulphurization performance.

Lordosis loss in degenerative spinal conditions.

PURPOSE: To establish whether common degenerative lumbar spine conditions have a predictable sagittal profile and associated range of lordosis. The spinopelvic balance of a normal population and normal ranges are well described in the literature. There is also evidence that certain degenerative conditions can lead to a preponderance of loss of lordosis at specific spinal levels. There is limited literature on the range and magnitude of loss of lordosis for known degenerative lumbar spine pathologies. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of prospectively obtained radiographs from a dual surgeon database was performed and imaging analysed for spinopelvic parameters. Degenerative conditions studied were; Lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis (L3/4 and L4/5 analysed separately), L5/S1 degenerative disc disease, L5/S1 isthmic spondylolisthesis. Pelvic incidence, sacral slope, pelvic tilt, segmental and global lumbar lordosis, vertebral lordosis and lumbar vertical axis were measured. RESULTS: The range of change in segmental lordosis was normally distributed for all studied degenerative spinal conditions except L5/S1 isthmic spondylolisthesis. L5/S1 degenerative disc disease affected younger adults (mean age 37), whilst degenerative spondylolisthesis at L3/4 and L4/5 affected older adults (mean ages 69.5 and 68.9 respectively). Removing an outlying high-grade L5/S1 isthmic spondylolisthesis made the data distribution approach a normal distribution. CONCLUSION: Most degenerative spinal pathologies cause a normally distributed spectrum of deformity which should be addressed and corrected with a tailored, individualised surgical plan for each patient. Universal treatment recommendations should be interpreted with caution.

Photocatalytic Reforming of Biomass: What Role Will the Technology Play in Future Energy Systems.

Photocatalytic reforming of biomass has emerged as an area of significant interest within the last decade. The number of papers published in the literature has been steadily increasing with keywords such as 'hydrogen' and 'visible' becoming prominent research topics. There are likely two primary drivers behind this, the first of which is that biomass represents a more sustainable photocatalytic feedstock for reforming to value-added products and energy. The second is the transition towards achieving net zero emission targets, which has increased focus on the development of technologies that could play a role in future energy systems. Therefore, this review provides a perspective on not only the current state of the research but also a future outlook on the potential roadmap for photocatalytic reforming of biomass. Producing energy via photocatalytic biomass reforming is very desirable due to the ambient operating conditions and potential to utilise renewable energy (e.g., solar) with a wide variety of biomass resources. As both interest and development within this field continues to grow, however, there are challenges being identified that are paramount to further advancement. In reviewing both the literature and trajectory of the field, research priorities can be identified and utilised to facilitate fundamental research alongside whole systems evaluation. Moreover, this would underpin the enhancement of photocatalytic technology with a view towards improving the technology readiness level and promoting engagement between academia and industry.

Effect of Ball-Milling Pretreatment of Cellulose on Its Photoreforming for H2 Production.

Photoreforming of cellulose is a promising route for sustainable H2 production. Herein, ball-milling (BM, with varied treatment times of 0.5-24 h) was employed to pretreat microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) to improve its activity in photoreforming over a Pt/TiO2 catalyst. It was found that BM treatment reduced the particle size, crystallinity index (CrI), and degree of polymerization (DP) of MCC significantly, as well as produced amorphous celluloses (with >2 h treatment time). Amorphous cellulose water-induced recrystallization to cellulose II (as evidenced by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and solid-state NMR analysis) was observed in aqueous media. Findings of the work showed that the BM treatment was a simple and effective pretreatment strategy to improve photoreforming of MCC for H2 production, mainly due to the decreased particle size and, specifically in aqueous media, the formation of the cellulose II phase from the recrystallization of amorphous cellulose, the extent of which correlates well with the activity in photoreforming.

Assessment of the acetabular version in relation to sagittal sacropelvic parameters.

The relationship between acetabular orientation and the sacropelvic parameters is of interest to both hip and spine surgeons as it is increasingly clear disease in one area can affect the other, including the outcome of surgical procedures. The aim of this study was to further clarify the relationship between measures of acetabular orientation and sacropelvic parameters. This study utilized a trauma CT database. A total of 100 scans on adult patients without overt hip or spinal disease were included. Measures of acetabular orientation included the acetabular sagittal angle (ASA) which uses the anterior pelvic plane as a reference and sacroacetabular angle which uses the sacral endplate as a reference (SA); spinopelvic parameters include the pelvic incidence (PI), sacral anatomic orientation (SAO) and pelvic thickness (PTH). Mean age 48.2 years (SD 18.0), 62% male. Mean values were: PI 50.5, SAO 50.7, PTH 106.4 mm, ASA-right 62.1, ASA-left 64.0, SA-right 67.2, and SA-left 65.4. There was substantial correlation between PI and SA (r = 0.628-0.630) and also between SAO and SA (-0.657 to -0.692). Liner regression determined SA was best predicted by the model: SA = 81 × SAO + 0.36 × PI. When using the anterior pelvic plane as a reference to define acetabular orientation, there does not appear to be any significant relationship between the sagittal orientation of the acetabulum and sacropelvic parameters. Using the sacrum as a common point of reference allows some further understanding of the interplay between pelvic parameters and the orientation of the acetabulum.

Risk Management Assessment Improves the Cost-Effectiveness of Invasive Species Prioritisation.

International agreements commit nations to control or eradicate invasive alien species. The scale of this challenge exceeds available resources and so it is essential to prioritise the management of invasive alien species. Species prioritisation for management typically involves a hierarchy of processes that consider the likelihood and scale of impact (risk assessment) and the feasibility, costs and effectiveness of management (risk management). Risk assessment processes are widely used, risk management less so, but are a crucial component of resource decision making. To assess the cost-effectiveness of prioritisation, we considered 26 high-risk species considered for eradication from Great Britain (GB) with pre-existing risk assessment and risk management outputs. We extracted scores to reflect the overall risk to GB posed by the species, together with the estimated cost and the overall feasibility of eradication. We used these to consider the relative reduction in risk per unit cost when managing prioritised species based on different criteria. We showed that the cost-effectiveness of prioritisation within our sample using risk assessment scores alone, performed no better than a random ranking of the species. In contrast, prioritisation including management feasibility produced nearly two orders of magnitude improvement compared to random. We conclude that basing management actions on priorities based solely on risk assessment without considering management feasibility risks the inefficient use of limited resources. In this study, the cost-effectiveness of species prioritisation for action was greatly increased by the inclusion of risk management assessment.

Comparison of UV-A photolytic and UV/TiO2 photocatalytic effects on Microcystis aeruginosa PCC7813 and four microcystin analogues: A pilot scale study.

To date, the high cost of supplying UV irradiation has prevented the widespread application of UV photolysis and titanium dioxide based photocatalysis in removing undesirable organics in the water treatment sector. To overcome this problem, the use of UV-LEDs (365 nm) for photolysis and heterogeneous photocatalysis applying TiO2 coated glass beads under UV-LED illumination (365 nm) in a pilot scale reactor for the elimination of Microcystis aeruginosa PCC7813 and four microcystin analogues (MC-LR, -LY, -LW, -LF) with a view to deployment in drinking water reservoirs was investigated. UV-A (365 nm) photolysis was shown to be more effective than the UV/TiO2 photocatalytic system for the removal of Microcystis aeruginosa cells and microcystins. During photolysis, cell density significantly decreased over 5 days from an initial concentration of 5.8 × 106 cells mL-1 until few cells were left. Both intra- and extracellular microcystin concentrations were significantly reduced by 100 and 92 %, respectively, by day 5 of the UV treatment for all microcystin analogues. During UV/TiO2 treatment, there was great variability between replicates, making prediction of the effect on cyanobacterial cell and toxin behavior difficult.

Heterologous immunization with Covishield and Pfizer vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 elicits a robust humoral immune response.

Understanding the efficacy and durability of heterologous immunization schedules against SARS-CoV-2 is critical, as supply demands and vaccine choices become significant issues in the global vaccination strategy. Here we characterize the neutralizing antibodies produced in two subjects who received combination immunizations against SARS-CoV-2, first with Covishield (Oxford-AstraZeneca) vaccine, followed 33 days later with a second dose (booster) shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Serum samples were collected 25 days following the primary vaccination and 13 days after the secondary Pfizer vaccination. Both subjects exhibited increased levels of isotype IgG and IgM antibodies directed against the entire spike protein following immunizations. These antibodies also exhibited increased reactivity with the receptor binding domain (RBD) in the spike protein and neutralized the infectivity of replicating vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) that contains the COVID-19 coronavirus S protein gene in place of its normal G glycoprotein. This VSV pseudovirus also contains the reporter gene for enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP). Antibody titers against the spike protein and serum neutralization titers against the reporter virus are reported for the 2 heterologous vaccinated individuals and compared to a positive control derived from a convalescent patient and a negative control from an unexposed individual. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine increased antibody binding to the spike protein and RBD, and approached levels found in the convalescent positive control. Neutralizing antibodies against the VSV-S pseudovirus in the 2 subjects also approached levels in the convalescent sera. These results firmly validate the value of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in boosting immunity following initial Covishield inoculation.

Isotope Effects in Photocatalysis: An Underexplored Issue.

In order to improve the performance of well-established photocatalysts and to develop new potential photocatalyst materials, an understanding of the underlying mechanisms of photocatalytic reactions is of the utmost importance. An often neglected method for studying the mechanism is the investigation of isotope effects. Although just a few studies related to isotope effects exist, it has been shown to be a powerful tool for exploring mechanisms of photocatalytic processes. Most of the reports are focused on TiO2, which is the most studied photocatalyst, while there is a lack of data for other photocatalyst materials. This mini-review represents an overview of research utilizing isotope effects in the area of photocatalysis. The benefits and the importance of these studies will be highlighted, and the potential for these processes to be applied for the study of further photocatalytic reactions and different photocatalyst materials will be shown.