Synthesis, characterization and thermal behaviour of solid-state compounds of benzoates with some bivalent transition metal ions

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

Synthesis of slightly < 111 >-oriented 0.65Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O-3-0.35PbTiO(3) ceramic prepared from fine powders

Slightly < 111 >-oriented 0.65Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)03-0.35PbTiO(3) ceramic was prepared using fine powders obtained by means of an alternative and promising chemical oxide precursor method. High quality samples with improved structural, microstructural, dielectric and ferroelectric properties were obtained. The dielectric constant value (epsilon similar to 2577) measured at 1 kHz is compared to unpoled < 112 > grain-oriented ceramics while the remanent polarization (P-r similar to 19-1 mu cm(-2)) is compared with random grain-oriented ceramics. These results point out the viability to produce ferroelectric PMN-PT ceramics of very good quality using powder precursors prepared from this chemical method. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Influence of processing parameters on nanomaterials synthesis efficiency by a carbothermal reduction process

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

Effect of a leukotriene inhibitor (MK886) on nitric oxide and hydrogen peroxide production by macrophages of acutely and chronically stressed mice

We evaluated the effect of a leukotriene inhibitor (MK886) on nitric oxide (NO) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production by peritoneal macrophages of mice subjected to acute and chronic stress. Acute stress was induced by keeping mice immobilized in a tube for 2 h. Chronic stress was induced over a 7-day period by the same method, but with increasing duration of immobilization. The effects of MK886 were investigated in-vitro after incubation with peritoneal macrophages, and in-vivo by submitting mice to stress and treating them daily with MK886. Supernatants of macrophage cultures were collected for NO determination and adherent cells were used for H2O2 determination. Macrophages from mice submitted to acute or chronic stress showed no alterations in H2O2 production. However, macrophages of acutely and chronically stressed mice showed inhibition of NO after incubation with MK886 in-vitro. Administration of MK886 to chronically stressed mice increased generation of H2O2 and inhibited production of NO. Our data suggest an important role of leukotrienes in NO synthesis, which is important in controlling replication of several infectious agents, mainly in stressed and immunosuppressed animals.

Nitric oxide synthase activity in tissues of the blowfly Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius, 1794)

Although insects lack the adaptive immune response of the mammalians, they manifest effective innate immune responses, which include both cellular and Immoral components. Cellular responses are mediated by hemocytes, and Immoral responses include the activation of proteolytic cascades that initiate many events, including NO production. In mammals, nitric oxide synthases (NOSs) are also present in the endothelium, the brain, the adrenal glands, and the platelets. Studies on the distribution of NO-producing systems in invertebrates have revealed functional similarities between NOS in this group and vertebrates. We attempted to localize NOS activity in tissues of naive (UIL), yeast-injected (YIL), and saline-injected (SIL) larvae of the blowfly Chrysomya megacephala, using the NADPH diaphorase technique. Our findings revealed similar levels of NOS activity in muscle, fat body, Malpighian tubule, gut, and brain, suggesting that NO synthesis may not be involved in the immune response of these larval systems. These results were compared to many studies that recorded the involvement of NO in various physiological functions of insects.

Nitric oxide in plants: a brief discussion on this multifunctional molecule

Diversos estudos vêm sendo realizados com a finalidade de aumentar o conhecimento sobre a ocorrência e a atividade do óxido nítrico (ON) nas plantas. Nesse sentido, a presente revisão objetivou abordar alguns aspectos referentes ao on nas plantas, tais como propriedades químicas, vias de síntese, efeitos fisiológicos, ação antioxidante, transdução do sinal, interação com hormônios vegetais e expressão gênica. Nos últimos anos, muitos avanços têm sido obtidos em relação à síntese de on e seus efeitos fisiológicos nas plantas. Porém, os mecanismos moleculares que fundamentam seus efeitos permanecem pouco compreendidos. É sinalizada uma investigação em detalhes sobre as estreitas interações entre ON, Ca2+, ADP-ribose cíclica (cADPR) e proteínas quinases. Além disso, ainda não foi possível identificar uma enzima vegetal que apresente atividade semelhante à da óxido nítrico sintase (NOS). A elucidação de tais aspectos representa um desafio para futuros trabalhos.

Upregulation of muscarinic receptors by long-term nitric oxide inhibition in the rat ileum

1. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of long-term nitric oxide (NO) blockade on contractions of the rat ileum induced by muscarinic agonists.2. Male Wistar rats received the NO synthesis inhibitor N (G) -nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME; 20 mg/rat per day) in drinking water for 7, 15, 30 and 60 days. Concentration-responses curves to methacholine and carbachol were obtained and pEC(50) values were calculated. Saturation binding assays were performed in membranes prepared from rat ileum after 60 days of l-NAME treatment and the dissociation constant (K-D ) and maximal number of binding sites (B-max ) were determined by Scatchard analysis.3. The NO synthase activity of the ileum was markedly reduced in all l-NAME-treated groups. At 60 days after l-NAME treatment, a significant increase in the potency of methacholine (fourfold) and carbachol (threefold) was observed. In binding studies, we found a significant increase in B-max for [(3) H]-quinuclidinyl benzilate of approximately 57% in the l-NAME treated group without any significant change in K-D values. The contractile response to methacholine was not modified by the soluble guanylate cyclase inhibitor 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo-[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (3 mumol/L). No morphological alterations in the rat ileum were observed in l-NAME-treated rats.4. Our findings suggest that treatment with l-NAME for 60 days induces a marked increase in the potency of methacholine and carbachol, as well as an increase in receptor number in the rat ileum.

Synthesis and characterization of lead zirconate titanate powders obtained by the oxidant peroxo method

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

The effect of cooling rate during hydrothermal synthesis of ZnO nanorods

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

Influence of Hydrothermal Synthesis Conditions and Device Configuration on the Photoresponse of UV Sensors Based on ZnO Nanorods

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

Design of hierarchical porous aluminas by using one-pot synthesis and different calcination temperatures

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Iron Oxide Versus Fe55Pt45/Fe3O4: Improved Magnetic Properties of Core/Shell Nanoparticles for Biomedical Applications

In this paper, synthesis of the Fe55Pt45/Fe3O4 core/shell structured nanoparticles using the modified polyol process combined with the seed-mediated growth method is reported. Iron oxide shell thickness was tuned controlling the Fe(acac)(3)/FePt seeds in the reaction medium. Annealing of the core/shell structure leads to iron-rich layer formation around the hard FePt phase in the nanoparticle core. However, the 2 nm Fe3O4 shell thickness seems to be the limit to obtain the enhanced magnetization close to the alpha-Fe and preserving an iron oxide shell after annealing at 500 degrees C for 30 min in a reducing atmosphere. The presence of both the oxide layer on nanoparticle surface and an intermediate iron-rich FePt layer after annealing promote strong decreases in the coercive field of the 2-nm-oxide shell thickness. These annealed nanoparticles were functionalized with dextran, presenting the enhanced characteristics for biomedical applications such as higher magnetization, very low coercivity, and a slightly iron oxide passivated layer, which leads an easy functionalization and decreases the nanoparticle toxicity.

Efficient microwave-assisted hydrothermal synthesis of CuO sea urchin-like architectures via a mesoscale self-assembly

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

Synthesis and characterization of CuO flower-nanostructure processing by a domestic hydrothermal microwave

The synthesis and characterization of CuO flower-nanostructure processed in domestic hydrothermal microwave oven was presented. Phase analysis was carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and micro-Raman scattering (MRS) and the results confirmed the CuO flower-nanostructure as a single-phase. The field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FEG-SEM) was used to estimate the average spheres diameter while transmission electron microscope (TEM) to observe the thorn of the flower-nanostructures. The mechanism of CuO flower-nanostructures formation is proposed and explained. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Structure study of Bi4Ti3O12 produced via mechanochemically assisted synthesis

Nanosized bismuth titanate was prepared via high-energy ball milling process through mechanically assisted synthesis directly from their oxide mixture of Bi2O3 and TiO2. Only Bi4Ti3O12 phase was formed after 3 h of milling time. The excess of 3 wt% Bi2O3 added in the initial mixture before milling does not improve significantly the formation of Bi4Ti3O12 phase comparing to stoichiometric mixture. The formed phase was amorphized independently of the milling time, The Rietveld analysis was adopted to determine the crystal structure symmetry, amount of amorphous phase, crystallite size and microstrains. With increasing the milling time from 3 to 12 h, the particle size of formed Bi4Ti3O12 did not reduced significantly. That was confirmed by SEM and TEM analysis. The particle size was less than 20 nm and show strong tendency to agglomeration. The electron diffraction pattern indicates that Bi4Ti3O12 crystalline powder is embedded in an amorphous phase of bismuth titanate. Phase composition and atom ratio in BIT ceramics were determined by X-ray diffraction and EDS analysis. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.