Syntheses of bismuth titanate templates obtained by the molten salt method

Bismuth titanate templates (Bi4Ti3O12) were synthesized by the molten salt method in Na2SO4 and K2SO4 fluxes, using an amorphous Bi4Ti 3O12 precursor and a mechanically mixed Bi 2O3+TiO2 mixture as the starting materials. The templates were characterized by means of X-Ray Diffraction, FT-IR, FT-Raman, FEG-SEM and TEM. The templates are free of secondary phases and present orthorhombic structure with orientation in the c-plane. FT-IR suggests no traces of sulfate groups revealing that the molten salt synthesis was beneficial for elimination of inorganic species and for the arrangement of individual nanocrystals into ordered lattices. FEG-SEM analyses of BIT templates revealed that most of the grains were homogeneous with a length of 3.1 μm and a width of 0.3 μm and had plate-like morphology. TEM investigations show that the c-axis of the perovskite units is parallel to the thickness direction of the grains and no liquid-phase was formed during BIT phase formation. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l.

Electrical Properties of Textured Niobium-Doped Bismuth Titanate Ceramics

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

Desenvolvimento de cerâmicas texturizadas de titanato de bismuto puro e dopado com nióbio

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

A Nonstaining and Tasteless Hydrophobic Salt of Chlorhexidine

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

The role of salt abuse on risk for hypercalciuria

Background: Elevated sodium excretion in urine resulting from excessive sodium intake can lead to hypercalciuria and contribute to the formation of urinary stones. The aim of this study was to evaluate salt intake in patients with urinary lithiasis and idiopathic hypercalciuria (IH).Methods: Between August 2007 and June 2008, 105 lithiasic patients were distributed into 2 groups: Group 1 (n = 55): patients with IH (urinary calcium excretion > 250 mg in women and 300 mg in men with normal serum calcium); Group 2 (n = 50): normocalciuric patients (NC). Inclusion criteria were: age over 18 years, normal renal function (creatinine clearance >= 60 ml/min), absent proteinuria and negative urinary culture. Pregnant women, patients with intestinal pathologies, chronic diarrhea or using corticoids were excluded. The protocol of metabolic investigation was based on non-consecutive collection of two 24-hour samples for dosages of: calcium, sodium, uric acid, citrate, oxalate, magnesium and urinary volume. Food intake was evaluated by the three-day dietary record quantitative method, and the Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated and classified according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Sodium intake was evaluated based on 24-hour urinary sodium excretion.Results: The distribution in both groups as regards mean age (42.11 +/- 10.61 vs. 46.14 +/- 11.52), weight (77.14 +/- 16.03 vs. 75.99 +/- 15.80), height (1.64 +/- 0.10 vs. 1.64 +/- plusorminus 0.08) and BMI (28.78 +/- 5.81 vs. 28.07 +/- 5.27) was homogeneous. Urinary excretion of calcium (433.33 +/- 141.92 vs. 188.93 +/- 53.09), sodium (280.08 +/- 100.94 vs. 200.44.93 +/- 65.81), uric acid (880.63 +/- 281.50 vs. 646.74 +/- 182.76) and magnesium (88.78 +/- 37.53 vs. 64.34 +/- 31.84) was significantly higher in the IH group (p < 0.05). There was no statistical difference in calcium intake between the groups, and there was significantly higher salt intake in patients with IH than in NC.Conclusions: This study showed that salt intake was higher in patients with IH as compared to NC.

Osmotic dehydration of apples in sugar/salt solutions: Concentration profiles and effective diffusion coefficients

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

An improved bait method for collecting Hymenoptera, especially social wasps (Vespidae: Polistinae)

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

Salting kinetics and salt diffusivities in farmed Pantanal caiman muscle

A criação de jacaré do Pantanal (Caiman crocodilus yacare) em cativeiro tem sido estimulada, e entre as técnicas de processamento de sua carne, a salga é um processo de conservação relativamente simples e de baixo custo. O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar a cinética de difusão de cloreto de sódio em carne de jacaré do Pantanal criado em cativeiro, durante a salga úmida. Foram utilizados volumes limitados de salmoura e os experimentos foram realizados com relações salmoura/músculo de 3, 4 e 5, com concentrações de salmoura de 15%, 20% e 25% em peso e temperaturas de 10, 15 e 20ºC. A solução analítica da segunda lei de Fick, considerando difusão unidimensional em uma placa infinita em contato com uma solução bem agitada de volume limitado, foi utilizada para calcular os coeficientes de difusão efetivos de sal e estimar o conteúdo de cloreto de sódio nos filés. Obteve-se boa concordância entre o modelo analítico considerado e os dados experimentais. As difusividades do sal nos filés ocorreram na faixa de 0,47x10-10 a 9,62x10-10 m²/s.

Indirect cathodic-stripping voltammetric determination of ceftazidime as a mercury salt

At accumulation potentials close to +0.1 V at a hanging mercury drop electrode, ceftazidime is accumulated at pH 9.5, probably in a hydrolysed or otherwise chemically altered form, in an anodic process to give an adsorbed mercury salt. The accumulation of this mercury salt allows the indirect cathodic-stripping voltammetric determination of ceftazidime using the reduction peak of the mercury salt at -0.70 V. The high sensitivity of the method coupled with high sample dilution allows ceftazidime to be determined in milk samples at the 28 mu g ml(-1) level without prior separation. In order to determine lower levels of ceftazidime in milk (ca. 10 ng ml(-1)) a separation process would be required. (C) 1998 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.

First-order-like transition in salt-induced macroion-polyelectrolyte desorption

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Hormesis method for increasing oat straw with a view to viability of direct-seeding systems

In conservation agriculture, mainly under direct seeding, maintaining the vegetation ground cover is essential, since this serves as a reservoir of nutrients which are slowly released to plants by microorganisms. Some authors have sought to study increases in the amount of straw in the soil, in addition to slowing down the process of decomposition, with hormesis being one of the techniques used. This technique states that all chemical substances are both poisonous and nonpoisonous, with only the dosage determining whether they are lethal or not. This study aimed to evaluate the dry weight and agronomic characteristics of a crop of black oat subjected to hormesis. The experimental design was of randomised blocks, with 12 treatments and 4 replications, giving a total of 48 experimental lots. The treatments were: Haloxyfop-R Methyl Ester at dosages of 0.625, 1.25 and 2.50 g ha(-1); Glyphosate at dosages of 12.50, 25.00 and 50.00 g ha-1; 2,4-D dimethylamine salt at dosages of 100.00, 200.00 and 300.00 g ha(-1); Alterbane at a dosage of 500.00 g ha(-1); Salicylic acid at a dose of 100 g ha(-1); and a control. It was concluded that for the subdosages under test, the herbicides 2,4-D at medium dosage and Verdict at low dosage were shown to be the best treatments for conserving straw as ground cover under direct seeding.