Influence of hydrogen contamination by mercury on the lifetime of the PEM-type fuel cell

The subject of this study is the influence of traces of mercury present in the hydrogen originating e.g. from the amalgam technology of brine electrolysis on the lifetime of PEM-type fuel cell. Accelerated tests were used in order to record deterioration of laboratory fuel cells’ performance. The power output decrease observed was only partly reversible. As was proven by XPS spectroscopy, the cell performance deterioration originates from the interaction between mercury and the platinum catalyst. The lifetime of the fuel cell was assessed on the basis of the experiments performed as 7000 h for an average mercury concentration in the hydrogen of 10 μg N m⁻³. This is a sufficient value to permit utilization of the hydrogen from this source as a fuel for the fuel cell. It should be kept in the mind, however, that this value was obtained on the basis of the accelerated durability tests.     

Recurrent molar pregnancy after ovulation induction and repeat ovulation induction. A case report

BACKGROUND: Although hydatidiform mole is not commonly encountered following ovulation induction, patients who have already had molar pregnancies are at increased risk of developing further molar diseases with worsening histologic characteristics. That fact underlies the ethical dilemma of repeat ovulation induction. CASE: A 38-year-old woman, gravida 3, para 0, had three consecutive episodes of hydatidiform subsequent to clomiphene citrate and gonadotropin ovulation induction. She seems to be the first in the literature to develop three consecutive molar pregnancies without a normal intrauterine pregnancy. CONCLUSION: Although ovulation induction commenced again in this patient after she gave informed consent, the risks underlying the ethical dilemma persist.     

Palladium-Catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura Reaction Using Saturated N-Heterocarbene Ligands

Recent studies have pointed to the heptamethylbenzenium cation as a prominent intermediate in the methanol to hydrocarbons (MTH) reaction. The reactions of the heptamethylbenzenium cation in a H-beta zeolite was studied at 300 °C by feeding its corresponding base (WHSV = 0.4 h^?1). The reactant was converted completely into aliphatic products, polymethylbenzenes and coke under the employed conditions. The results testify that the proposed reaction intermediate yields the same product spectrum as methanol. The composition of the material retained in the catalyst micropores after 15 min of reaction was determined by dissolving the catalyst in 15% HF. Polymethylated benzenes (predominantly pentamethylbenzene), dihydro-trimethylnaphthalenes, and hexamethylnaphthalene were the major components. The results also support the idea that the lowest naphthalene derivative is formed from the heptamethylbenzenium cation by a molecular rearrangement. Hence, the heptamethylbenzenium cation is inherently linked to both product formation and catalyst deactivation in the MTH reaction.     

Diatomite silica nanoparticles for drug delivery

Diatomite is a natural fossil material of sedimentary origin, constituted by fragments of diatom siliceous skeletons. In this preliminary work, the properties of diatomite nanoparticles as potential system for the delivery of drugs in cancer cells were exploited. A purification procedure, based on thermal treatments in strong acid solutions, was used to remove inorganic and organic impurities from diatomite and to make them a safe material for medical applications. The micrometric diatomite powder was reduced in nanoparticles by mechanical crushing, sonication, and filtering. Morphological analysis performed by dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy reveals a particles size included between 100 and 300 nm. Diatomite nanoparticles were functionalized by 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane and labeled by tetramethylrhodamine isothiocyanate. Different concentrations of chemically modified nanoparticles were incubated with cancer cells and confocal microscopy was performed. Imaging analysis showed an efficient cellular uptake and homogeneous distribution of nanoparticles in cytoplasm and nucleus, thus suggesting their potentiality as nanocarriers for drug delivery.

PACS

87.85.J81.05.Rm; 61.46. + w     

Epicardial fat thickness is associated with impaired coronary flow reserve in hemodialysis patients

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the main cause of mortality in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Epicardial fat tissue (EFT) is a new risk factor in CVD. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between EFT and coronary artery flow reserve (CFR), which is an early indicator of endothelial dysfunction in coronary vessels of HD patients. We performed a cross‐sectional study including 71 chronic HD patients and 65 age‐ and sex‐matched healthy controls. Epicardial fat tissue was significantly higher in HD patients when compared to healthy controls (6.53 ± 1.01 mm vs. 5.79 ± 1.06 mm, respectively, P < 0.001). On transthoracic Doppler echocardiography, CFR values were significantly lower in HD patients when compared to healthy controls (1.73 ± 0.11 vs. 2.32 ± 0.28, P < 0.001). Correlation analysis showed CFR values to be inversely correlated with EFT (r = ?0.287, P < 0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis was used to define independent determinants of EFT in HD patients. Artery flow reserve, age, body mass index and total cholesterol levels were independently correlated with EFT thickness. This study demonstrated that EFT was significantly higher among HD patients compared to healthy controls. In addition, this study was the first to demonstrate an inverse correlation between EFT and CFR in this patient population.     

Liquid–Liquid Diffusion‐Assisted Crystallization: A Fast and Versatile Approach Toward High Quality Mixed Quantum Dot‐Salt Crystals

Here, a new, fast, and versatile method for the incorporation of colloidal quantum dots (QDs) into ionic matrices enabled by liquid–liquid diffusion is demonstrated. QDs bear a huge potential for numerous applications thanks to their unique chemical and physical properties. However, stability and processability are essential for their successful use in these applications. Incorporating QDs into a tight and chemically robust ionic matrix is one possible approach to increase both their stability and processability. With the proposed liquid–liquid diffusion‐assisted crystallization (LLDC), substantially accelerated ionic crystallization of the QDs is shown, reducing the crystallization time needed by one order of magnitude. This fast process allows to incorporate even the less stable colloids including initially oil‐based ligand‐exchanged QDs into salt matrices. Furthermore, in a modified two‐step approach, the seed‐mediated LLDC provides the ability to incorporate oil‐based QDs directly into ionic matrices without a prior phase transfer. Finally, making use of their processability, a proof‐of‐concept white light emitting diode with LLDC‐based mixed QD‐salt films as an excellent color‐conversion layer is demonstrated. These findings suggest that the LLDC offers a robust, adaptable, and rapid technique for obtaining high quality QD‐salts.