High temperature oxidation of iron-iron oxide core-shell nanowires composed of iron nanoparticles.

This work describes an oxidation process of iron-iron oxide core-shell nanowires at temperatures between 100 °C and 800 °C. The studied nanomaterial was synthesized through a simple chemical reduction of iron trichloride in an external magnetic field under a constant flow of argon. The electron microscopy investigations allowed determining that the as-prepared nanowires were composed of self-assembled iron nanoparticles which were covered by a 3 nm thick oxide shell and separated from each other by a thin interface layer. Both these layers exhibited an amorphous or highly-disordered character which was traced by means of transmission electron microscopy and Mössbauer spectroscopy. The thermal oxidation was carried out under a constant flow of argon which contained the traces of oxygen. The first stage of process was related to slow transformations of amorphous Fe and amorphous iron oxides into crystalline phases and disappearance of interfaces between iron nanoparticles forming the studied nanomaterial (range: 25-300 °C). After that, the crystalline iron core and iron oxide shell became oxidized and signals for different compositions of iron oxide sheath were observed (range: 300-800 °C) using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and Mössbauer spectroscopy. According to the thermal gravimetric analysis, the nanowires heated up to 800 °C under argon atmosphere gained 37% of mass with respect to their initial weight. The structure of the studied nanomaterial oxidized at 800 °C was mainly composed of α-Fe2O3 (∼ 93%). Moreover, iron nanowires treated above 600 °C lost their wire-like shape due to their shrinkage and collapse caused by the void coalescence.

Endogenous infection and hospital's civil liability - a case study.

The subject matter of this publication is the legal assessment of endogenous infection - the specific type of hospital infections. The main aim of the publication is to answer the question of whether medical and legal grounds exist for civil liability for endogenous infections and for treating those infections as cases of medical malpractice or medical events. The research method adopted is a case study. The authors have analysed a civil lawsuit for compensation instituted by an infected patient against a Polish hospital, adjudicated in 2013. The main conclusion of the publication is to postulate distinguishing medical malpractice from complications resulting from the reactions of the human body to treatment. The authors argue that endogenous infections should be treated as the latter-mentioned of these two cases.