Surface-enhanced Raman scattering and micro-Raman imaging of Langmuir-Blodgett films of rhodium phthalocyanine

Rhodium phthalocyanine (RhPc) was synthesized and ultra thin Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films of RhPc were successfully fabricated. The LB film characterization was carried out using both UV-vis absorption spectra and Raman scattering. The Raman spectroscopy was carried out using 633 and 780 nm laser lines. LB films were deposited onto Ag nanoparticles to achieve the surface-enhanced pre-resonance Raman scattering (pre-SERRS) and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) for both laser lines, respectively, which allowed the characterization of the RhPc ultra thin films. The morphology of the LB RhPc neat film is extracted from micro-Raman imaging. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Metafísica da luz em Marcílio Ficino.

The aim of the present dissertation constitutes to analyse the way in how light assumes the meaning of universal bond in the cosmovision of Marsilio Ficino, especially from his works Quid sit lumen, De Sole, De Amore and De Vita. The influence of Marsilio Ficino (1433-1499) in the history of occidental thought is impressive. Besides having translated to Latin the important texts of the neoplatonic tradition, Ficino presided over the Academy of Careggi, congregating important humanists in the top of the Renaissance. His treatises on love, beauty, light, magic and immortality of the soul have influenced strongly the production of other thinkers. The subject of light is of fundamental importance among his works since it is deeply related with all the other aspects of his philosophy. For him, light is spiritual emanation that perpasses everything without staining itself. Originated how the divine goodness, the light blows up in beauty in multiplicity, setting fire on the soul that truily contemplates it and that identifies whith it. The starting point of this loving relation between man and deity is, therefore, the physical world, that occults in itself the metaphysical light.

Biliary tract reconstruction using jejunal tube: an experimental study in dogs

BACKGROUND: To physiologically reconstruct the biliary tract, Crema et al suggested the application of the Monti principle to the biliary tract, already used in humans for the urinary tract. With this technique, a jejunal segment is transversely retubularized. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of jejunal tube interposition between the common bile duct and duodenum in dogs.METHODS: Thirteen dogs underwent a laparoscopic common bile duct ligature, followed by a biliodigestive connection by jejunal tube interposition after one week. The levels of glutamic-pyruvic and glutamic-oxalacetic transaminases, total bilirubins, alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyltransferase were assessed before surgery and thereafter weekly until euthanasia, which was performed 6 weeks after biliodigestive connection.RESULTS: Data on 9 dogs were analyzed statistically. The dogs presented with obstructive jaundice after common bile duct ligature, as confirmed by biochemical examination. They showed a statistically significant reduction in cholestasis after biliodigestive connection by jejunal tube interposition and were healthy until the end of the experiment.CONCLUSION: A statistically significant reduction was seen in total bilirubin and canalicular enzymes (alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyltransferase) in the 9 dogs 6 weeks after biliodigestive conviction by jejunal tube interposition.

Parasitic infection of the appendix as a cause of acute appendicitis

The association between parasitic infection of the appendix and acute appendicitis has been widely investigated. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the prevalence of parasitic infection of the appendix in a tropical area at southeast Brazil and to assess its possible relation to acute appendicitis in surgically removed appendices. of the 1,600 appendectomies performed during a 10-year period, 24 (1.5%) were found to have helminths within the appendix. Enterobius vermicularis was observed in 23 of the 24 specimens (95.8%), and Taenia sp. was detected in only one case. Sixteen patients (66.7%) were less than 10 years old; 15 patients were male and nine female; 21 patients were white, and three were nonwhites. Pathologic analysis disclosed acute neutrophilic inflammation in the appendix wall in 12 of the 24 specimens and lymphoid hyperplasia in 10 of the 24 appendices. Gangrenous appendicitis was diagnosed in three cases, and peritonitis was found in 11 of the 24 infected appendices. The results of the present study indicate that E. vermicularis is the commonest worm found in the appendix and that its presence can cause pathologic changes ranging from lymphoid hyperplasia to acute phlegmonous inflammation with life-threatening complications like gangrene and peritonitis.

Análise da fórmula SRK/T no cálculo de lente intra-ocular em cães portadores de catarata

Foram utilizados 20 cães de raças e idades variadas, machos e fêmeas, portadores de catarata e não diabéticos, os quais foram submetidos ao exame oftálmico. Posteriormente, realizaram-se mensurações oculares empregando-se um ecobiômetro ultra-sônico (ultra-sonografia modo-A) para o cálculo do poder dióptrico da lente intra-ocular por meio da fórmula SRK/T. O comprimento axial médio foi de 19,94±1,12mm. Todos os animais foram submetidos à facoemulsificação extracapsular. A lente calculada foi implantada no transoperatório da cirurgia de catarata, obtendo-se média de 37,33±3,05D. A avaliação pós-cirúrgica do erro refracional aos 60 dias de pós-operatório, pela retinoscopia, com a utilização da esquiascopia, foi de 5,57±1,59D. A fórmula SRK/T não ofereceu bons resultados.

The use of bone scintigraphy to detect active Hansen's disease in mutilated patients

Mutilation of extremities was very frequent in patients affected by leprosy in the past; although it is now much less common, it is still seen, mainly in patients with long-term disease. In general, mutilation of the nose and ears is caused by the bacillus and mutilation of the hands and feet a consequence of chronic trauma. Leprosy must be chronically treated and any decision to interrupt therapy is based on laboratory tests and biopsy. Scintigraphy is a non-invasive procedure which could be of great value in to determining disease activity. We studied eight patients (five males and three females, aged 64-73 years) who presented with mutilation of the nose (2), ear (1), feet (3) or foot and hand (2), Conventional three-phase bone scintigraphy (750 MBq) and X-ray examinations of the affected areas were performed in all patients. Bone scintigraphy was abnormal in four patients (the presence of bacilli was confirmed by biopsy in two of them), and normal in the other four. In all patients except for the one with ear mutilation, radiography only showed the absence of bone. We conclude that bone scintigraphy is very useful to determine disease activity in cases of mutilation caused by leprosy. It seems to be superior to conventional radiography and may enable bone biopsies to be avoided.

Short Comments on an Energy Pumping Levels in a MEMS Gyroscope Vibrating Problem, by Using of an Global and Local Optimal Linear Control Design

This paper deals with an energy pumping that occurs in a (MEMS) Gyroscope nonlinear dynamical system, modeled with a proof mass constrained to move in a plane with two resonant modes, which are nominally orthogonal. The two modes are ideally coupled only by the rotation of the gyro about the plane's normal vector. We also developed a linear optimal control design for reducing the oscillatory movement of the nonlinear systems to a stable point.

Synthesis of (Ca,Nd)TiO3 powders by complex polymerization, Rietveld refinement and optical properties

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

The interaction between atoms of Au and Cu with clean Si(111) surface: A study combining synchrotron radiation grazing incidence X-ray fluorescence analysis and theoretical calculations

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

A simple and green analytical method for determination of glyphosate in commercial formulations and water by diffuse reflectance spectroscopy

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

An environmentally friendly reflectometric method for ranitidine determination in pharmaceuticals and human urine

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Detection of propranolol in pharmaceutical formulations by diffuse reflectance spectroscopy

This paper describes an analytical reflectometric method that has an objective not only the industrial quality control but also to detect possible falsifications and/or adulterations of propranolol in pharmaceutical formulations. The method is based on the diffuse reflectance measurements of the colored product (III) of the spot test reaction between propranolol hydrochloride (I) and 2,6-dichloroquinone-4-chloroimide (II) using filter paper as solid support. Spot test conditions have been investigated using experimental design in order to identify and optimize the critical factors. The factors evaluated were DCQ concentration, propranolol solvent and DCQ solvent. The best reaction conditions were achieved with the addition of 30 mu L, of propranolol solution in ethanol 35% (v/v) and 30 mu L of DCQ solution at 70 mg mL(-1) in acetone, in this order. All reflectance measurements were carried out at 500 nm and the linear range was from 8.45 x 10(-4) to 8.45 x 10(-2) mol L-1 (r= 0.998). The limit of detection was 1.01 x 10(-4) mol L-1. No interference was observed from the assessed excipients and drugs. The method was applied to determine propranolol in commercial brands of pharmaceuticals. The results obtained by the proposed method were favorably compared with those given by the British Pharmacopoeia procedure. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Infecções parasitárias do apêndice cecal e suas relações com apendicite aguda

Investigou-se a prevalência de infecções parasitárias do apêndice cecal e suas relações com a apendicite. Dos 1.600 apêndices estudados 24 (1,5%) apresentaram infecção parasitária. Enterobius vermicularis foi encontrado em 23 casos (95,8%) e Taenia sp em apenas um (4,2%). Dezesseis pacientes (66,7%) eram menores de 10 anos; 15 eram masculinos e 9 femininos. A análise histopatológica demonstrou inflamação aguda supurativa em 12 casos (50%), eosinofilia em 13 (54,2%) e hiperplasia linfóide em 10 (41,7%). Complicações como peritonite ocorreram em 11 e gangrena em 3 casos. As infecções parasitárias do apêndice são causa pouco freqüente de apendicite aguda em crianças e adolescentes.

Técnicas cirúrgicas para urolitíase obstrutiva em pequenos ruminantes: relato de casos

Relataram-se dois casos em que a penectomia com transposição peniana perineal foram as técnicas cirúrgicas de escolha e que resultaram em 50% de sucesso. Quatro casos em que as cistotomias seguidas de cistostomias apresentaram 100% de sucesso, um caso em que só a cistotomia foi realizada e não se obteve sucesso, um caso em que apenas o tratamento clínico foi eficiente e dois casos em que houve 100% de insucesso, independentemente da técnica cirúrgica utilizada, devido ao quadro avançado de azotemia e choque toxêmico dos animais. O estudo foi realizado durante os anos de 2003 a 2005, com a casuística de urolitíase obstrutiva em caprinos e ovinos, de forma a descrever as causas e as conseqüências das decisões terapêuticas empregadas.

Spectroscopic investigation of a new hybrid glass formed by the interaction between croconate ion and calcium polyphosphate

In this work, a new organic-inorganic hybrid material has been synthesized by the incorporation of croconate ion into a calcium polyphosphate coacervate. The hybrid so obtained was characterized by means of electronic and vibrational spectroscopies. The material is a homogeneous mixture described by a structural model, which includes helical chains of polyphosphate ions, where the calcium ion occupies the internal vacancies of the structure. The croconate ion appears to be occupying the regions outside the polymeric structure, surrounded by several water molecules. The electronic spectrum of the incorporated material shows a broad band peaking at the same wavelength region (363 nm) observed for the aqueous solution of croconate ion, and manifesting the Jahn-Teller effect as evidenced by the doublet structure of the band. The infrared spectrum is widely dominated by the absorption bands of the polyphosphate ion and the appearance of the carbonyl stretching band at ca. 1550 cm(-1) indicates the presence of croconate ion incorporated in the structure. The Raman spectrum of the material shows several vibrational bands related to the oxocarbon moiety; most of them are shifted in comparison with the free ion. These shifts can be understood in terms of strong hydrogen bonding interactions between water molecules and the oxocarbon moiety. The low temperature methodology proposed here can be well used in the preparation of new phosphate glasses containing organic moieties opening the route to an entirely new class of hybrid glasses. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.