Shape-Controlled Pathways in the Hydrogen Production from Ethanol Steam Reforming over Ceria Nanoparticles.

The ethanol surface reaction over CeO nanooctahedra (NO) and nanocubes (NC), which mainly expose (111) and (100) surfaces, respectively, was studied by means of infrared spectroscopy (TPSR-IR), mass spectrometry (TPSR-MS), and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. TPSR-MS results show that the production of H is 2.4 times higher on CeO-NC than on CeO-NO, which is rationalized starting from the different types of adsorbed ethoxy species controlled by the shape of the ceria particles.

Tuning the catalytic acidity in AlO nanofibers with mordenite nanocrystals for dehydration reactions.

Alumina (AlO) is one of the most used supports in the chemical industry due to its exceptional thermal stability, surface area, and acidic properties. Mesoscopic structured alumina with adequate acidic properties is important in catalysis to enhance the selectivity and conversion of certain reactions and processes. This study introduces a synthetic method based on electrospinning to produce AlO nanofibers (ANFs) with zeolite mordenite (MOR) nanocrystals (hereafter, hybrid ANFs) to tune the textural and surface acidity properties.

Cannabis adulterated with the synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonist MDMB-4en-PINACA and the role of European drug checking services.

Background: European drug checking services exchange information on drug trends within the Trans European Drug Information (TEDI) network, allowing monitoring and coordination of responses. Starting in Spring 2020, several services detected the synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonist MDMB-4en-PINACA in adulterated low-THC cannabis products.

Methods: Cannabis products suspected of adulteration were analyzed for the presence of MDMB-4en-PINACA by 9 services in 8 countries within the TEDI network.

Embedded fragments from U.S. military personnel--chemical analysis and potential health implications.

Background: The majority of modern war wounds are characterized by high-energy blast injuries containing a wide range of retained foreign materials of a metallic or composite nature. Health effects of retained fragments range from local or systemic toxicities to foreign body reactions or malignancies, and dependent on the chemical composition and corrosiveness of the fragments in vivo. Information obtained by chemical analysis of excised fragments can be used to guide clinical decisions regarding the need for fragment removal, to develop therapeutic interventions, and to better anticipate future medical problems from retained fragment related injuries.

Assessment of geographical variation in the respiratory toxicity of desert dust particles.

The health consequences of sand particle inhalation are incompletely understood. This project evaluated the respiratory toxicity of sand particles collected at military bases near Fort Irwin USA, in Iraq (Camp Victory, Taji and Talil), and Khost Afghanistan. Our primary focus was on assessing the role of soluble metals in the respiratory toxicity of the sand particles using in vitro and in vivo methods.