Chemical and Structural Changes by Gold Addition Using Recharge Method in NiW/Al2O3-CeO2-TiO2 Nanomaterials.

NiWAu trimetallic nanoparticles (NPs) on the surface of support Al2O3-CeO2-TiO2 were synthesized by a three-step synthetic method in which Au NPs were incorporated into presynthesized NiW/Al2O3-CeO2-TiO2. The recharge method, also known as the redox method, was used to add 2.5 wt% gold. The Al2O3-CeO2-TiO2 support was made by a sol-gel method with two different compositions, and then two metals were simultaneously loaded (5 wt% nickel and 2.5 wt% tungsten) by two different methods, incipient wet impregnation and ultrasound impregnation method. In this paper, we study the effect of Au addition using the recharge method on NiW nanomaterials supported on mixed oxides on the physicochemical properties of synthesized nanomaterials. The prepared nanomaterials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, BET specific surface area, X-ray diffraction, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy in the UV-visible range and temperature-programmed desorption of hydrogen. The experimental results showed that after loading of gold, the dispersion was higher (46% and 50%) with the trimetallic nanomaterials synthesized by incipient wet impregnation plus recharge method than with impregnation plus ultrasound recharge method, indicating a greater number of active trimetallic (NiWAu) sites in these materials. Small-sized Au from NiWAu/ACTU1 trimetallic nanostructures was enlarged for NiWAu/ACT1. The strong metal NPs-support interaction shown for the formation of NiAl2O4, Ni-W-O and Ni-Au-O species simultaneously present in the surface of trimetallic nanomaterial probably plays an important role in the degree of dispersion of the gold active phase.

El impacto de la pandemia del COVID-19 en la utilización de los servicios urológicos de urgencias / The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the utilization of emergency urological services

OBJETIVOS: Comparar el número de pacientes que acuden al Servicio de Urología del Centro Hospitalario Universitario de Oporto (CHUP), así como sus características demográficas, los motivos de ingreso, la gravedad clínica según el sistema de triaje de Manchester (MTS) y la necesidad de cirugía de urgencia u hospitalización, durante la pandemia y el período equivalente en 2019. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Se recogieron datos de pacientes que acudieron al servicio de urgencias de Urología del CHUP durante tres semanas -del 11 de marzo de 2020 al 1 de abril de 2020 -y del mismo período del año anterior (del 11 de marzo al 1 de abril de 2019). Los resultados: Durante la pandemia, el número de visitas a nuestro servicio de urgencias de urología se redujo en un 46,4% (122 vs 263). No hubo diferencias considerables en la media de edad ni en el número de pacientes de la tercera edad (con 65 años o más) entre los dos períodos. Sin embargo, un número significativamente menor de pacientes femeninos acudió al servicio de urgencia durante el período de la pandemia COVID-19 (32,7% vs.14,8%, p < 0,05). No se observaron diferencias significativas entre los distintos grupos de gravedad clínica en el marco del MTS. En2019, un número significativamente menor de pacientes requirió hospitalización. Las razones más comunes de admisión, durante ambos períodos, fueron hematuria, cólico renal e infecciones del tracto urinario (ITU). Los autores reconocen que el estudio tienevarias limitaciones, a saber, las inherentes a su carácter retrospectivo. CONCLUSIÓN: COVID-19 influyó significativamente en la actitud al solicitar atención urológica. Con base en los resultados de este estudio, tenemos razones para especular que las necesidades de las personas en materia de servicios urológicos podrían crecer de forma explosiva en el período posterior a COVID-19. Se requieren más estudios sobre el estado real de los servicios urológicos a largo plazo y las consecuencias que esta pandemiapuede tener en términos de tasas morbilidad y mortalidad indirectamente relacionadas con el virus

OBJECTIVES: To compare the number of patients attending the Urology ED of Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto (CHUP), as well as their demographic characteristics, the reasons for admission, the clinical severity under the Manchester triage system (MTS), and the need for emergency surgery or hospitalization, during the pandemic and the equivalent period in 2019. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data were collected from patients attending the Urology emergency ward of CHUP during three weeks -from March 11th 2020 to April 1st2020 -and from the same period the previous year (from March 11thto April 1st2019). RESULTS: During the pandemic, 46.4% fewer patients visited our urological ED (122 vs 263). There was no significant difference of the mean age or the number of old patients (with 65 or more years old) between the two periods. However, significantly fewer female patients sought emergency urological services during the COVID-19 pandemic period (32.7% vs.14.8%, p < 0.05). No significant differences were noted between different clinical severity groups under the MTS. In 2019, significantly less patients required hospitalization. The most common reasons for admission, during both periods, were hematuria, renal colic and urinary tract infections (UTI). The authors recognize that the study has several limitations, namely, those inherent to its retrospective nature. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 significantly influenced people's urological care-seeking behaviour. Based on the results of this study, we have reasons to speculate that people's requirements for urological services might grow explosively in the post-COVID-19 period. There should be further studies about the real state of long-term urological services and the consequences that this pandemic may have in terms of morbimortality not directly related to the virus

2-Chlorophenol degradation by catalytic wet air oxidation using copper supported on TiO2-CeO2-ZrO2.

In this work, we describe the morphological, electronic and catalytic properties of support TiO2-CeO2-ZrO2, prepared by sol-gel method, which was impregnated with copper at 5 and 10% by weight, in order to obtain efficient catalysts in the catalytic wet air oxidation (CWAO) of 2-cp. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM-EDS), UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and nitrogen physisorption by the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method. The activity of the materials used in this study revealed that without the presence of Cu, the SCO2 is low and with a content of 10% this metal shows the best catalytic behaviour; conversely, a reaction mechanism is proposed that describes the complete oxidation of 2-cp in this case.

Treatment of phenol by catalytic wet air oxidation: a comparative study of copper and nickel supported on γ-alumina, ceria and γ-alumina-ceria.

Cu, Ni, CuO and NiO catalysts, prepared by wet impregnation with urea and supported on γ-Al2O3, CeO2, and Al2O3-CeO2, were evaluated for Catalytic Wet Air Oxidation (CWAO) of phenol in a batch reactor under a milder condition (120 °C and 10 bar O2). The synthesized samples, at their calcined and/or their reduced form, were characterized by XRD, H2-TPR, N2 adsorption-desorption, SEM-EDS and DR-UV-Vis to explain the differences observed in their catalytic activity towards the studied reaction. The influence of the support on the efficiency of CWAO of phenol at 120 °C and 10 bar of pure oxygen has been examined and compared over nickel and copper species. The SEM-EDS results reveal that the spherical crystalline Cu and Ni were successfully deposited on the surface of γ-Al2O3, CeO2, Al2O3-CeO2 within 16-90 nm and that they were highly homogeneously dispersed. It was found that catalysts prepared from impregnation solutions of Cu(NO3)2·3H2O and Ni(NO3)2·6H2O with urea addition had different textural characteristics and degrees of dispersion of Cu and Ni species. The urea addition in the traditional wet impregnation method was essential to improve the reducibility and degree of dispersion in Ni, and to a lesser extent, in Cu. According to the characterization analysis of H2-TPR and UV-VIS RD a structure-activity relationship can be determined. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) and GC analyses confirmed the effect of calcined and reduced species for Cu and Ni applied to the catalytic oxidation of phenol, showing their significant impact in the final performance of the catalyst.

Pesquisa de anticorpos para IBR em amostragem de demanda no Estado de Minas Gerais, 1990-1999

A survey of antibody to IBR was performed by serum neutralization test and ELISA in cattle sera supplied on demand sampling in Minas Gerais State, during the period of 1990 to 1999. Out of 5511 tested samples, 3206 (58.2%) were positive and out of 335 evaluated counties, 313 (93.4%) had at least one positive result. It was noted an increasing interest by farmers and practitioners on IBR serological diagnosis since 1995, when the amount of animals and counties submitted to test greatly increased in comparison with past years. The role of serology in adequate diagnosis of IBR is discussed.