White Light and Multicolor Emission Tuning in Triply Doped Yb3+/Tm3+/Er3+ Novel Fluoro-phosphate Transparent Glass-ceramics

New Yb3+, Er3+ and Tm3+ doped fluoro-phosphate glasses belonging to the system NaPO3–YF3–BaF2–CaF2 and containing up to 10 wt% of rare-earth ion fluorides were prepared and characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, absorption spectroscopy and up-conversion emission spectroscopy under excitation with a 975 nm laser diode. Transparent and homogeneous glass-ceramics have been reproducibly obtained with a view to manage the red, green and blue emission bands and generate white light. X-ray diffraction as well as electron microscopy techniques have confirmed the formation of fluorite-type cubic nanocrystals at the beginning of the crystallization process while complex nanocrystalline phases are formed after a longer heat-treatment. The prepared glass-ceramics exhibit high optical transparency even after 170 h of thermal treatment. An improvement of up-conversion emission intensity – from 10 to 160 times larger – was measured in the glass-ceramics when compared to the parent glass, suggesting an important incorporation of the rare-earth ions into the crystalline phase(s). The involved mechanisms and lifetime were described in detail as a function of heat-treatment time. Finally, a large range of designable color rendering (from orange to turquoise through white) can be observed in these materials by controlling the laser excitation power and the crystallization rate.

Chromium in soil organic matter and cowpea after four consecutive annual applications of composted tannery sludge

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Mapping surface deformation in open pit iron mines of Carajas Province (Amazon Region) using an integrated SAR analysis

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

The homeostasis of iron, copper, and zinc in paracoccidioides brasiliensis, cryptococcus neoformans var. Grubii, and cryptococcus gattii: a comparative analysis

Iron, copper, and zinc are essential for all living organisms. Moreover, the homeostasis of these metals is vital to microorganisms during pathogenic interactions with a host. Most pathogens have developed specific mechanisms for the uptake of micronutrients from their hosts in order to counteract the low availability of essential ions in infected tissues. We report here an analysis of genes potentially involved in iron, copper, and zinc uptake and homeostasis in the fungal pathogens Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii, and Cryptococcus gattii. Although prior studies have identified certain aspects of metal regulation in Cryptococcus species, little is known regarding the regulation of these elements in P. brasiliensis. We also present amino acid sequences analyses of deduced proteins in order to examine possible conserved domains. The genomic data reveals, for the first time, genes associated to iron, copper, and zinc assimilation and homeostasis in P. brasiliensis. Furthermore, analyses of the three fungal species identified homologs to genes associated with high-affinity uptake systems, vacuolar and mitochondrial iron storage, copper uptake and reduction, and zinc assimilation. However, homologs to genes involved in siderophore production were only found in P. brasiliensis. Interestingly, in silico analysis of the genomes of P. brasiliensis Pb01, Pb03, and Pb18 revealed significant differences in the presence and/or number of genes involved in metal homeostasis, such as in genes related to iron reduction and oxidation. The broad analyses of the genomes of P. brasiliensis, C. neoformans var. grubii, and C. gattii for genes involved in metal homeostasis provide important groundwork for numerous interesting future areas of investigation that are required in order to validate and explore the function of the identified genes and gene pathways.

Identificação e caracterização de metagenomas e isolados bacterianos visando a biorremediação de solos de áreas de mineração

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Rochas calciossilicáticas e feldspáticas na região de Castro Alves e Rafael Jambeiro (BA)

The towns of Castro Alves and Rafael Jambeiro, central-east of Bahia state, are located in the east of São Francisco Craton, in granulite terrains of Salvador-Curaçá Belt, formed in Paleoproterozoic. The region of study contains ortognaisses of Caraíba Complex, metamafic and metaultramafic rocks of São José do Jacuípe Suite, metasedimentary rocks of Tanque Novo-Ipirá Complex, granitoids, pegmatites and alkaline rocks. The study carried out regional and detailed geological mapping in addition to petrographical and geochemical characterization of six areas in the search for targets of feldspar and white diopside, minerals used in ceramic industry. The areas consist of granitic ortognaisses interspersed with lenses of mafic granulite rocks, calc-silicate rock, banded iron formations, paragnaisses, quartzites, and bodies of quartz-feldspar or feldspar pegmatites and alkaline rocks that fill discontinuities. The region of study contains four deformations phases, with a predominance of ductile structures. The foliation Sn has N30E to N70W direction, high angle of dip and is characterized by compositional banding of granoblastic and felsic bands interspersed with nematoblastic or lepidoblastic mafic bands. A mineral or stretching lineation Ln is associated with Sn and has trend of S55E to S72E. The rocks have been suffered a regional metamorphism with granulite facies peak and partial retrogression to greenschist facies. Geochemical studies indicate that the green coloring calc-silicate rocks have lower SiO2, MgO and higher Fe2O3 content compared with white calcssilicate rocks. The alkaline rocks of the studied area have higher Na2O, SiO2 and lower K2O, Fe2O3 content compared with others Paleoproterozoic alkaline rocks of Bahia state. The targets of diopside are associated with white calc-silicate rocks, while the targets of feldspar are associated with paragnaisses, pegmatites and alkaline rocks