A "Nanopore Lithography" Strategy for Synthesizing Hierarchically Micro/Mesoporous Carbons from ZIF-8/Graphene Oxide Hybrids for Electrochemical Energy Storage.

Porous carbons derived from metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are promising materials for a number of energy- and environment-related applications, but their almost exclusively microporous texture can be an obstacle to their performance in practical uses. Here, we introduce a novel strategy for the generation of very uniform mesoporosity in a prototypical MOF, namely, zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8). The process, referred to as "nanopore lithography", makes use of graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets enclosing ZIF-8 particles as masks or templates for the transfer of mesoporous texture to the latter. Upon controlled carbonization and activation, nanopores created in the GO envelope serve as selective entry points for localized etching of carbonized ZIF-8, so that such nanopores are replicated in the MOF-derived carbonaceous structure. The resulting porous carbons are dominated by uniform mesopores ∼3-4 nm in width and possess specific surface areas of ∼1300-1400 m2 g-1. Furthermore, we investigate and discuss the specific experimental conditions that afford the mesopore-templating action of the GO nanosheets. Electrochemical characterization revealed an improved capacitance as well as a faster, more reversible charge/discharge kinetics for the ZIF-8-derived porous carbons obtained through nanopore lithography, relative to those for their counterparts with standard activation (no GO templating), thus indicating the potential practical advantage of the present approach in capacitive energy storage applications.

Synthesis, characterization and dye removal capacities of N-doped mesoporous carbons.

Nitrogen-doped ordered mesoporous carbons were synthesized by chemical vapor deposition, using acetonitrile as carbon and nitrogen source and SBA-15 as mesoporous silica template. Their porous texture, structural order and surface chemistry were studied as a function of the experimental conditions (acetonitrile stream concentration and deposition time). A non-doped ordered mesoporous carbon was also prepared by the same procedure using propylene as carbon source. Methylene blue, methyl orange and fuchsin acid were selected as probe molecules to investigate the dye adsorption behavior on the ordered mesoporous carbons. Both N-doped and non-doped ordered mesoporous carbons adsorbed large amounts of these three dyes demonstrating the importance of mesoporosity, especially for the adsorption of larger dyes (e.g. fuchsin acid). The presence of nitrogen functional groups was detrimental for the adsorption of the basic dye (methylene blue). On the other hand, the nitrogen functionalities improved the adsorption kinetics for both acid and basic dyes, and the N-doped samples achieved 100% of their maximum adsorption capacities in less than 15 min.

Variables asociadas a mejora funcional medida con el índice de Montebello en pacientes con fractura de cadera ingresados en una Unidad de Ortogeriatría / Variables associated with functional improvement measured by the Montebello index in patients with hip fracture admitted to an orthogeriatrics unit

Objetivo. Conocer las variables asociadas a una mejora funcional y su relación con el índice de Montebello (IM) en pacientes con fractura de cadera. Método. Estudio observacional y descriptivo de pacientes ingresados en una Unidad de Ortogeriatría durante 7 meses. Se analizaron variables sociodemográficas (edad, sexo, institucionalización), funcionales (índice de Barthel), cognitivas (índice de Pfeiffer), de comorbilidad (índice de Charlson), relacionadas con la fractura, la cirugía y el proceso rehabilitador. Como variable de resultado se utilizó el IM. Se realizó un análisis bivariante y multivariante. Resultados. Se analizaron 76 pacientes, el 83% de ellos eran mayores de 80 años con una situación funcional previa de dependencia leve (media del índice de Barthel 78,3 puntos) y con leve comorbilidad (media del índice de Charlson 1,20). El tipo de fractura más frecuente fue la de cuello femoral y el procedimiento quirúrgico la artroplastia (53,9%). La carga precoz se autorizó en el 88,1% de los pacientes. La recuperación de la pérdida funcional al alta medida con el IM fue de 0,42 (DE 0,26) y la ganancia media a los tres meses, de 15 puntos. El índice de eficiencia fue de 1,47 (DE 1,20). Una menor puntuación en el índice de Pfeiffer se asoció de forma estadísticamente significativa a una mejor puntuación del IM. Conclusión. La menor puntuación en el índice de Pfeiffer es el principal factor predictivo a corto plazo de mejoría funcional tras fractura de cadera intervenida en personas muy mayores. La introducción del IM en la práctica diaria podría contribuir a un mejor análisis de los resultados funcionales en Unidades de Ortogeriatría (AU)

Objective. To determine the variables associated with functional improvement and their relationship with the Montebello index (MI) in patients with hip fracture. Method. An observational, descriptive study was carried out for 7 months in our orthogeriatrics unit. We analyzed sociodemographic (age, sex and institutionalization), functional (Barthel index), cognitive (Pfeiffer Questionnaire), comorbidity (Charlson index), surgical type, hip fracture and rehabilitation-related variables. The MI was used as the endpoint. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed. Results. A total of 76 patients were analyzed, of which 83% were older than 80 years. Previous functional status showed mild dependency (mean Barthel index: 78.3 points) and mild comorbidity (mean CI: 1.20 points). The most common type of fracture was fracture of the femoral neck and the most frequent type of surgery was arthroplasty (53.9%). Early weight bearing was authorized in 88.1% of the patients. Functional gain at discharge measured by the MI was 0.42 (SD 0.26) and the mean functional gain after 3 months was 15 points. The effectiveness index was 1.47 (SD 1.20). In the bivariate analysis, the only variable significantly associated with a higher MI score was a lower PQ score. Conclusion. The main factor for the prediction of short-term functional improvement after hip fracture surgery in our oldest population was a low PQ score. The use of the MI in daily practice could help to improve analysis of functional results in orthogeriatrics units (AU)

Intensity of the humoral response to cytomegalovirus is associated with the phenotypic and functional status of the immune system.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection exerts an enormous effect on human immunity, as it is associated with an immune-impaired response, a variety of chronic diseases, and overall survival in elderly individuals. Levels of anti-CMV antibodies may be associated with the differentiation degree of T cell subsets. Titers are significantly higher in the elderly and positively correlated with specific CD4(+) T cell responses to CMV. In the elderly, antibody titers are associated with the degree of differentiation and the T cell receptor excision circle (TREC) content in CD4(+) T cells, with other features of the immune risk profile, and with a reduced ability to respond to immunization in vivo. Associations may be absent in young subjects because their anti-CMV antibody titers are lower than those of the elderly. However, comparing young and elderly individuals with similar antibody levels reveals differences in their highly differentiated and naïve T cells. These are more marked in individuals with high titers. In parallel with the increase in anti-CMV antibodies, the elderly experience a significant reduction in absolute counts of naïve CD4(+) T cells, which may be a strategy to compensate for the expansion of differentiated cells and to avoid an increase in total T cells. In summary, our results show that titers of anti-CMV antibodies, and not only CMV seropositivity, are related to differentiation status and immunocompetence in the elderly, making this as an important prognostic marker of the status of immune system function.

Activated carbon fibers with a high heteroatom content by chemical activation of PBO with phosphoric acid.

The preparation of activated carbon fibers (ACFs) by phosphoric acid activation of poly(p-phenylene benzobisoxazole) (PBO) fibers was studied, with particular attention to the effects of impregnation ratio and carbonization temperature on porous texture. Phosphoric acid has a strong effect on PBO degradation, lowering the temperature range at which the decomposition takes place and changing the number of mass loss steps. Chemical analysis results indicated that activation with phosphoric acid increases the concentration of oxygenated surface groups; the resulting materials also exhibiting high nitrogen content. ACFs are obtained with extremely high yields; they have well-developed porosity restricted to the micropore and narrow mesopore range and with a significant concentration of phosphorus incorporated homogeneously in the form of functional groups. An increase in the impregnation ratio leads to increases in both pore volume and pore size, maximum values of surface area (1250 m(2)/g) and total pore volume (0.67 cm(3)/g) being attained at the highest impregnation ratio (210 wt % H(3)PO(4)) and lowest activation temperature (650 °C) used; the corresponding yield was as large as 83 wt %. The obtained surface areas and pore volumes were higher than those achieved in previous works by physical activation with CO(2) of PBO chars.

Neumonitis intersticial crónica del lactante / Acute interstitial pneumonitis of the unweaned baby

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Tuning of texture and surface chemistry of carbon xerogels.

The influence of different activation processes on the textural and surface chemical properties of carbon xerogels was studied. Carbon xerogels were prepared by the conventional sol-gel approach using resorcinol and formaldehyde; two different pHs of sol-gel processing led to carbon materials with distinct pore size distributions. The materials were subjected to controlled activation by three different methods: activation by oxygen plasma, activation by HNO(3), and activation by diluted air. Treatments with HNO(3) and diluted air created oxygen groups on the external surface as well as inside the pore channels, whereas plasma is more suitable for introducing oxygen groups selectively on the external surface. Nevertheless, it was shown that samples with wider pores can be oxidized to some extent on the pore interiors by plasma. Significant changes in total surface area by air activation were observed.

A microscopic view of physical and chemical activation in the synthesis of porous carbons.

The nanostructure and porosity of activated carbon fibers (ACFs) prepared by physical activation with CO2 and by chemical activation with H3PO4 of the highly ordered polymer poly(m-phenylene isophthalamide) have been investigated and compared by means of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and gas adsorption measurements. In general terms, both types of activation led to porous carbons with similar nanometer-scale structure, which consisted of relatively ordered and homogeneous arrays of platelets below 10-nm wide, the porous structure being mainly comprised by the network of narrow trenches present between neighboring platelets. This similarity was attributed to the influence of the crystalline structure of the polymeric precursor, which should favor a homogeneous, uniform transformation of the polymer into the final carbon material. Such influence was only lost in chemical activation with the use of very large amounts of activating agent. A comparison of samples before and after physical activation allowed a direct identification of the local areas where gasification (activation) took place. For chemical activation, the STM measurements suggested that porosity was developed at a lower temperature than the highly cross-linked nanographitic structure of the final ACF. This result was discussed in terms of the thermal transformation mechanism of the precursor polymer into a carbonaceous solid in the presence of H3PO4.

[Factors associated with the use and adaptation of hospitalization in people over than 64 years of age]. / Factores asociados con el uso y adecuación de la hospitalización en personas mayores de 64 años.

BACKGROUND: Some social, medical or functional aspects are associated with a greater use of health care resources, although this does not necessarily imply an inappropriate usage of the same. The aim of this research is that of ascertaining the influence of health condition on hospital stays and inappropriate stays among the population over 64 years of age. METHODS: A cohort representative of the population over age 64 in the Judicial District of Toledo (n = 3214) whose health condition had been previously evaluated was studied over an eighteen-month period identifying the income and length of stays at the public hospitals, the appropriateness of which was evaluated by the Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol. Associations analyzed were those of the cohort socio-demographic characteristics, health condition-related variables and morbidity with frequency and hospitalization rates and with inappropriate stays and admissions. RESULTS: During the 18 months of study 410 individuals were hospitalized, who generated 546 admissions (frequency rate = 17.0 admissions/100 rooms) and 7015 stay days (hospitalization rate = 218.3 stays/100 rooms), 18.9% of the admissions and 49.9% of the stays were evaluated as inappropriate. Hospitalization was associated with a worse health condition, institutionalization, male sex, certain pathologies and previous health services usage. Patients characteristics were not associated with the percentage of inappropriate stays. 97.5% of inappropriate stays were attributed to hospital scheduling problems and physicians' practices. CONCLUSIONS: Socio-demographic factors, morbidity, health condition and previous health service usage are shown as good hospitalization predictors for senior citizens, but these factors are not related to inappropriate hospitalization usage.

[Senior citizen health conditions and hospitalization on geriatric, general and surgical floors, a population study conducted in Toledo]. / Estado de salud de las personas ancianas y hospitalización en servicios geriátricos, médicos y quirúrgicos. Estudio poblacional en Toledo.

BACKGROUND: The health condition and some clinical aspects configure a group of senior citizens in need of further care who could benefit from specialized geriatric care, although no consensus exists as to how to identify these patients. The aim of this study is to describe the profile of those patients over 64 years of age who are hospitalized in a geriatric unit and to compare this profile to the senior citizens hospitalized in general medical and surgical units. METHOD: A cohort representative of the population over age 64 in the Judicial District of Toledo (n = 3214) was studied over an eighteen-month period for the purpose of identifying the income and length of stays at the public hospitals in the health care district in question. The health condition-related variables were gathered by means of personal interviews, and the income and the different aspects thereof by way of hospital admissions department data. RESULTS: A total of 410 individuals were admitted (12.8%), 168 patients (30.7%) in geriatrics, 204 (37.3%) in medical units and 174 (32.0%) in surgical units. In geriatrics, the average age was significantly higher (age 77.4), there being no differences in the average length of stay (12.8 days; CI 95%) 10.6-14.0), 44 patients (8.1%) having died, 26 (59.1%) hospitalized in geriatrics. More females, younger patients having minor vision and hearing impairments were admitted to the surgical units. In geriatrics, as compared to the medical units, more patients over 80 years of age, living in senior citizen living facilities, having no spouse, moderate-to-severe functional dependence, impaired cognitive function, depression, poor quality of life and scanty social resources. CONCLUSIONS: No differences were found to exist between the health conditions of those over age 64 who were hospitalized in non-surgical and surgical units. In geriatrics, as compared to the other groups of units, the patients were older, in worse condition, had a higher death rate and similar average length of stay.