Temperature-Dependent Structural Properties of Nickel and Cobalt Selenite Hydrates as Solar Water Evaporators.

Solar water evaporation offers a promising solution to address global water scarcity, utilizing renewable energy for purification and desalination. Transition-metal selenite hydrates (specifically nickel and cobalt) have shown potential as solar absorbers with high evaporation rates of 1.83 and 2.34 kg∙m-2∙h-1, but the reported discrepancy in evaporation rate deserves further investigation. This investigation aims to clarify their thermal stability for applications and determine the underlying mechanisms responsible for the differences. Nickel and cobalt selenite hydrate compositions were synthesized and investigated via thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy to assess their temperature-induced structural and compositional variations. The results reveal distinct phase transitions and structural alterations under various temperature conditions for these two photothermal materials, providing valuable insights into the factors influencing water transportation and evaporation rates.

Protective role of exercise on breast cancer-related osteoporosis in women undergoing aromatase inhibitors: A narrative review.

Hormone therapy following surgery reduces the risk of breast cancer (BC) recurrence and progression of hormone-sensitive BC, especially in postmenopausal women. Despite the antitumor efficacy of hormone therapy, particularly of aromatase inhibitors, they cause long-term side effects, mainly bone density reduction. Exercise can slow the rate of bone loss, which reduces the risk of fractures from osteoporosis, and could be an integrative treatment able to mitigate the BC treatment side effects positively impacting bone health. This narrative review aims to discuss studies on the effect of exercise on bone health in BC women undergoing aromatase inhibitors, highlighting the possible role of exercise as complementary to conventional therapies. Additionally, according to the literature revision, exercise practical applications to improve bone health in these patients are summarized.

Frontiers in Photoelectrochemical Catalysis: A Focus on Valuable Product Synthesis.

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) catalysis provides the most promising avenue for producing value-added chemicals and consumables from renewable precursors. Over the last decades, PEC catalysis, including reduction of renewable feedstock, oxidation of organics, and activation and functionalization of C─C and C─H bonds, are extensively investigated, opening new opportunities for employing the technology in upgrading readily available resources. However, several challenges still remain unsolved, hindering the commercialization of the process. This review offers an overview of PEC catalysis targeted at the synthesis of high-value chemicals from sustainable precursors. First, the fundamentals of evaluating PEC reactions in the context of value-added product synthesis at both anode and cathode are recalled. Then, the common photoelectrode fabrication methods that have been employed to produce thin-film photoelectrodes are highlighted. Next, the advancements are systematically reviewed and discussed in the PEC conversion of various feedstocks to produce highly valued chemicals. Finally, the challenges and prospects in the field are presented. This review aims at facilitating further development of PEC technology for upgrading several renewable precursors to value-added products and other pharmaceuticals.

Highly Efficient Solar-Light-Driven Photodegradation of Metronidazole by Nickel Hexacyanoferrate Nanocubes Showing Enhanced Catalytic Performances.

Environmental pollution is a complex problem that threatens the health and life of animal and plant ecosystems on the planet. In this respect, the scientific community faces increasingly challenging tasks in designing novel materials with beneficial properties to address this issue. This study describes a simple yet effective synthetic protocol to obtain nickel hexacyanoferrate (Ni-HCF) nanocubes as a suitable photocatalyst, which can enable an efficient photodegradation of hazardous anthropogenic organic contaminants in water, such as antibiotics. Ni-HCF nanocubes are fully characterized and their optical and electrochemical properties are investigated. Preliminary tests are also carried out to photocatalytically remove metronidazole (MDZ), an antibiotic that is difficult to degrade and has become a common contaminant as it is widely used to treat infections caused by anaerobic microorganisms. Under simulated solar light, Ni-HCF displays substantial photocatalytic activity, degrading 94.3% of MDZ in 6 h. The remarkable performance of Ni-HCF nanocubes is attributeto a higher ability to separate charge carriers and to a lower resistance toward charge transfer, as confirmed by the electrochemical characterization. These achievements highlight the possibility of combining the performance of earth-abundant catalysts with a renewable energy source for environmental remediation, thus meeting the requirements for sustainable development.