Resolving the Nanostructure of Carbon Nitride-Supported Single-Atom Catalysts.

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) are gathering significant attention in chemistry due to their unique properties, offering uniform active site distribution and enhanced selectivity. However, their precise structure often remains unclear, with multiple models proposed in the literature. Understanding the coordination environment of the active site at the atomic level is crucial for explaining catalytic activity.

Covalent Functionalisation of rGO and Nanodiamonds: Complementary Versatility and Applicability of Azomethine Ylide, Nitrile Oxide and Nitrone.

The existing synthetic protocols for the direct functionalization of carbon-based nanomaterials often entail limitations due to their harsh reaction conditions, which require the use of high temperatures for extended periods. This study aims to overcome these limitations by developing mild and efficient synthetic protocols around 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition. Beginning with the well-established azomethine ylide derivatization, we progress to the utilization of nitrile oxide, and of nitrone derivatives for the functionalization of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) as well as of nanodiamonds (NDs).

In situ photodeposition of ultra-small palladium particles on TiO.

In situ and operando investigation of photocatalysts plays a fundamental role in understanding the processes of active phase formation and the mechanisms of catalytic reactions, which is crucial for the rational design of more efficient materials. Using a custom-made operando photocatalytic cell, an in situ procedure to follow the formation steps of Pd/TiO photocatalyst by synchrotron-based X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is proposed. The procedure resulted in the formation of ∼1 nm Pd particles with a much narrower size distribution and homogeneous spreading over TiO support compared with the samples generated in a conventional batch reactor.

Designing functionalized nanodiamonds with hyaluronic acid-phospholipid conjugates for enhanced cancer cell targeting and fluorescence imaging capabilities.

Nanomedicine aims to develop smart approaches for treating cancer and other diseases to improve patient survival and quality of life. Novel nanoparticles as nanodiamonds (NDs) represent promising candidates to overcome current limitations. In this study, NDs were functionalized with a 200 kDa hyaluronic acid-phospholipid conjugate (HA/DMPE), enhancing the stability of the nanoparticles in water-based solutions and selectivity for cancer cells overexpressing specific HA cluster determinant 44 (CD44) receptors.

Pt-TiO catalysts for glycerol photoreforming: comparison of anatase, brookite and rutile polymorphs.

We compared the H production from glycerol photoreforming for different TiO polymorphs, highlighting an increase of activity in the order Pt-rutile < Pt-P25 ≈ Pt-anatase < Pt-brookite with a different distribution of the reaction intermediates. We show that the highest ability to adsorb water and the different distribution of Pt active sites in brookite can positively influence its photoactivity.

Nanodiamond Effects on Cancer Cell Radiosensitivity: The Interplay between Their Chemical/Physical Characteristics and the Irradiation Energy.

Nanoparticles are being increasingly studied to enhance radiation effects. Among them, nanodiamonds (NDs) are taken into great consideration due to their low toxicity, inertness, chemical stability, and the possibility of surface functionalization. The objective of this study is to explore the influence of the chemical/physical properties of NDs on cellular radiosensitivity to combined treatments with radiation beams of different energies.

Physico-Chemical Approaches to Investigate Surface Hydroxyls as Determinants of Molecular Initiating Events in Oxide Particle Toxicity.

The study of molecular recognition patterns is crucial for understanding the interactions between inorganic (nano)particles and biomolecules. In this review we focus on hydroxyls (OH) exposed at the surface of oxide particles (OxPs) which can play a key role in molecular initiating events leading to OxPs toxicity. We discuss here the main analytical methods available to characterize surface OH from a quantitative and qualitative point of view, covering thermogravimetry, titration, ζ potential measurements, and spectroscopic approaches (NMR, XPS).

What do we know about the epidemiology and the management of human echinococcosis in Albania?

Echinococcosis is a life-threatening neglected zoonotic disease. Cystic echinococcosis (CE) due to Echinococcus (E.) granulosus usually involves livestock and dogs; alveolar echinococcosis (AE) due to E.

Persistence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA shedding and infectivity in immunized population: Prospective study along different epidemiological periods in Argentina.

During the pandemic of COVID-19, numerous waves of infections affected the two hemispheres with different impacts on each country. Throughout these waves, and with the emergence of new variants, health systems and scientists have tried to provide real-time responses to the complex biology of SARS-CoV-2, dealing with different clinical presentations, biological characteristics, and clinical impact of these variants. In this context, knowing the extent period in which an infected individual releases infectious viral particles has important implications for public health.

Relationship of the T-wave Tpeak-Tend interval with conduction system disorders in arterial hypertension.

Purpose: The Tpeak-Tend interval of the T wave has emerged as a new electrocardiographic marker of increased transmural dispersion of ventricular repolarization. We aimed to determine the presence of cardiac conduction system disorders in patients with systemic arterial hypertension (SAH) who have altered Tpeak-Tend interval of the T wave.

Methods: The 67 patients with SAH were divided into two groups.

Soil organic carbon, aggregation and fungi community after 44 years of no-till and cropping systems in the Central Great Plains, USA.

Implementing sustainable agricultural land management practices such as no-till (NT) and diversified crops are important for maintaining soil health properties. This study focuses on the soil health of three long-term (44 years) tillage systems, NT, reduced tillage (RT), and conventional tillage (CT), in monoculture winter wheat-fallow (W-F) (Triticum aestivum L.) and wheat-soybean (W-S) (Glycine max (L.

Elucidating NO Surface Chemistry at the Anatase (101) Surface in TiO Nanoparticles.

Understanding NO chemistry at titania nanoparticle surfaces is important for photocatalytic environmental remediation processes. We focus on this problem and put forward an experimental-computational approach based on vibrational spectroscopy grounds. Temperature-dependent IR experiments of NO adsorption on shape-engineered nanoparticle (101) anatase surfaces are paired with power spectra obtained from Born-Oppenheimer trajectories.

Top-Down Preparation of Nanoquartz for Toxicological Investigations.

Occupational exposure to quartz dust is associated with fatal diseases. Quartz dusts generated by mechanical fracturing are characterized by a broad range of micrometric to nanometric particles. The contribution of this nanometric fraction to the overall toxicity of quartz is still largely unexplored, primarily because of the strong electrostatic adhesion forces that prevent isolation of the nanofraction.

Diamond-based sensors for in vitro cellular radiobiology: Simultaneous detection of cell exocytic activity and ionizing radiation.

The investigation of secondary effects induced by ionizing radiation represents a new and ever-growing research field in radiobiology. This new paradigm cannot be investigated only using standard instrumentation and methodologies, but rather requires novel technologies to achieve significant progress. In this framework, we developed diamond-based sensors that allow simultaneous real-time measurements with a high spatial resolution of the secretory activity of a network of cells cultured on the device, as well as of the dose at which they are exposed during irradiation experiments.

Sentiment and Emotional Analysis of Risk Perception in the Herculaneum Archaeological Park during COVID-19 Pandemic.

This paper proposes a methodology for sentiment analysis with emphasis on the emotional aspects of people visiting the Herculaneum Archaeological Park in Italy during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. The methodology provides a valuable means of continuous feedback on perceived risk of the site. A semantic analysis on Twitter text messages provided input to the risk management team with which they could respond immediately mitigating any apparent risk and reducing the perceived risk.

A quest for a fair schedule: The International Young Physicists' Tournament.

The International Young Physicists' Tournament is an established team-oriented scientific competition between high school students from 37 countries on 5 continents. The competition consists of scientific discussions called Fights. Three or four teams participate in each Fight, while rotating the roles of Presenter, Opponent, Reviewer, and Observer among them.

Molecular recognition between membrane epitopes and nearly free surface silanols explains silica membranolytic activity.

Inhaled crystalline silica causes inflammatory lung diseases, but the mechanism for its unique activity compared to other oxides remains unclear, preventing the development of potential therapeutics. Here, the molecular recognition mechanism between membrane epitopes and "nearly free silanols" (NFS), a specific subgroup of surface silanols, is identified and proposed as a novel broad explanation for particle toxicity in general. Silica samples having different bulk and surface properties, specifically different amounts of NFS, are tested with a set of membrane systems of decreasing molecular complexity and different charge.

[Out-of-hospital care setting in a Febrile Emergency Unit of suspected Covid 19 patients].

Introduction: In 2019, a new infection was reported in China. This coronavirus was named SARS-COV-2, causative of the 21st-century pandemic, COVID-19. Health systems adopted different strategies to cope with it.

From gaseous HCN to nucleobases at the cosmic silicate dust surface: an experimental insight into the onset of prebiotic chemistry in space.

HCN in the gas form is considered as a primary nitrogen source for the synthesis of prebiotic molecules in extraterrestrial environments. Nevertheless, the research mainly focused on the reactivity of HCN and its derivatives in aqueous systems, often using external high-energy supply in the form of cosmic rays or high energy photons. Very few studies have been devoted to the chemistry of HCN in the gas phase or at the gas/solid interphase, although they represent the more common scenarios in the outer space.

Watershed and fire severity are stronger determinants of soil chemistry and microbiomes than within-watershed woody encroachment in a tallgrass prairie system.

Fire can impact terrestrial ecosystems by changing abiotic and biotic conditions. Short fire intervals maintain grasslands and communities adapted to frequent, low-severity fires. Shrub encroachment that follows longer fire intervals accumulates fuel and can increase fire severity.

Microbial Volatile Organic Compound (VOC)-Driven Dissolution and Surface Modification of Phosphorus-Containing Soil Minerals for Plant Nutrition: An Indirect Route for VOC-Based Plant-Microbe Communications.

We investigated the ability of microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) emitted by (a well-known MVOC producer) to modify the dissolution kinetics and surface of hydroxyapatite, a natural soil mineral. Facilitated phosphate release was induced by the airborne MVOCs in a time-dependent manner. Use of each standard chemical of the MVOCs then revealed that acetic and oxalic acids are crucial for the phenomenon.

Interaction of Nanodiamonds with Water: Impact of Surface Chemistry on Hydrophilicity, Aggregation and Electrical Properties.

In recent decades, nanodiamonds (NDs) have earned increasing interest in a wide variety of research fields, thanks to their excellent mechanical, chemical, and optical properties, together with the possibility of easily tuning their surface chemistry for the desired purpose. According to the application context, it is essential to acquire an extensive understanding of their interaction with water in terms of hydrophilicity, environmental adsorption, stability in solution, and impact on electrical properties. In this paper, we report on a systematic study of the effects of reducing and oxidizing thermal processes on ND surface water adsorption.