Naphthalene Detection in Air by Highly Sensitive TiO Sensor: Real Time Response to Concentration Changes Monitored by Simultaneous UV Spectrophotometry.

Volatile low-weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are known to be potentially toxic to humans and animals. Their detection in ambient air has been of great interest in recent years and various detection methods have been implemented. In this study, we used naphthalene as a basic model of such compounds and constructed our own version of a titanium oxide-based sensor system for its detection.

Outcomes of acute kidney injury in a nephrology ward.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a global problem which predicts immediate and long-term adverse outcomes. We evaluated the AKI progression to end-stage renal disease, as well as the mortality associated with AKI and the in-hospital readmission rate because of a cardiovascular event in AKI patients admitted in a nephrology ward. A 5-year retrospective study was set in a nephrology department, with a follow-up period of up to 8 years.

A sensitive crude oil bioassay indicates that oil spills potentially induce a change of major nitrifying prokaryotes from the archaea to the bacteria.

The sensitivity of nitrifiers to crude oil released by the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in Gulf of Mexico was examined using characterized ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and archaea to develop a bioassay and to gain further insight into the ecological response of these two groups of microorganisms to marine oil spills. Inhibition of nitrite production was observed among all the tested ammonia-oxidizing organisms at 100 ppb crude oil. Nitrosopumilus maritimus, a cultured representative of the abundant Marine Group I Archaea, showed 20% inhibition at 1 ppb, a much greater degree of sensitivity to petroleum than the tested ammonia-oxidizing and heterotrophic bacteria.

A screening technique useful for testing the effectiveness of novel "self-cleaning" photocatalytic surfaces.

We describe a screening methodology that can be used to quickly determine the effectiveness of newly synthesized photocatalysts. We were particularly interested in measuring the destruction of organic molecules painted onto a photocatalytic surface by spraying, with destruction proceeding in ambient air (as a model for airborne toxin destruction). Our method can utilize photocatalysts that are synthesized as powders (such as doped and undoped titanium oxide) and which are then calcined onto a glass substrate disk at 600°C.