As(iii) removal through catalytic oxidation and Fe(iii) precipitation.

To remove arsenite (As(iii)) from wastewater effectively, the catalytic oxidation of As(iii) to arsenate (As(v)) and As(v) precipitation with iron ions (Fe(iii)) was investigated. The Pt/SiO2 catalyst functioned as a reaction site for As(iii) with oxygen in the atmosphere. The combination of the Pt/SiO2 catalyst and Fe(iii) precipitant improved the removal of As(iii) in the precipitate; Pt/SiO2 worked as both an As(iii) oxidation site and precipitation site with Fe(iii) precipitant.

Reductive removal of selenate (VI) in aqueous solution using rhodium metal particles supported on TiO2.

Selenium and its compounds in high concentration are toxic for humans, especially selenate (VI) is the most toxic due to its high solubility in water. To promote the reductive reaction of Se(vi) to Se(iv) or Se(0), which is relatively easy to remove in water, noble metal particles were added as reaction sites with a reductant. The highest removal performance of selenate in aqueous solution was achieved using rhodium particles supported on TiO2 (Rh/TiO2). Selenate was rapidly reduced with hydrazine on the metal particle, leading to a selenium deposition on the particle inhibiting the stable reductive reaction. On the other hand, when a weaker reductant such as formaldehyde was used for the selenate reduction, the selenium deposition was suppressed due to its low reactivity, resulting in a stable reductive reaction of selenate in water.

[Does the nutritional care plan and report upon discharge under the health care system substitute the nutrition support team summary at patient discharge?].

Our nutrition support team (NST) designed the NST summary for cooperation among personnel providing medical care for nutritional management of high-need patients in our area. After the introduction of the NST fee under the health care system, the number of summary publications decreased. The requested NST fee is necessary for publication of a nutritional care plan and report upon patient discharge. We hypothesized that the nutritional care plan and discharge report were being substituted for the NST summary at the time of patient discharge. We retrospectively investigated 192 cases with NST fee. There were only 13 cases of overlapping publication, and the NST summary was necessary for 107 of 179 cases in which no NST summary had been prepared. Since the space on the report form is limited, it can provide only limited information. However, the NST summary can convey detailed supplementary information. Therefore, there is a high need for the NST summary, and publication of NST summaries for the appropriate cases must continue.