Energy transfer and frequency upconversion involving triads of Pr3+ ions in (Pr3+, Gd3+) doped fluoroindate glass

Blue and ultraviolet luminescence in (Pr3+, Gd3+) doped fluoroindate glass is studied for excitation in the red region (≈590 nm). Frequency upconversion (UC) is observed due to energy transfer (ET) among three Pr3+ ions initially excited to the D21 state corresponding to the ET process D21 + D21 + D21 → S01 + H53 + H53. Additionally, UC luminescence from states P 72 6 and I 72 6 of Gd3+ is observed for an excitation wavelength resonant with transitions of the Pr3+ ions. The characterization of the luminescence signals allowed to determine ET rate among the Pr3+ ions and provides evidence of interconfigurational ET between Gd3+ and Pr3+ ions. © 2006 American Institute of Physics.

Preparation of a silica gel modified with 2-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazole for adsorption of metal ions and electroanalytical application

Silica gel with a specific area of 382 m2 g-1 and an average pore diameter of 60 Å was chemically modified with 2-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazole, for the purpose of selective adsorption of heavy metals ions and possible use as a chemically modified carbon paste electrode (CMCPE). The following properties of this functionalized silica gel are discussed: selective adsorption of heavy metal ions measured by batch and chromatographic column techniques, and utilization as preconcentration agent in a chemically modified carbon paste electrode (CMCPE) for determination of mercury(II). The chemical selectivity of this functional group and the selectivity of voltammetry were combined for preconcentration and determination. ©2006 Sociedade Brasileira de Química.

Compressive fatigue in titanium dental implants submitted to fluoride ions action

The aim of this study was to assess the influence of a fluoridated medium on the mechanical properties of an internal hexagon implant-abutment set, by means of compression, mechanical cycling and metallographic characterization by scanning electronic microscopy. Five years of regular use of oral hygiene with a sodium fluoride solution content of 1500 ppm were simulated, immersing the samples in this medium for 184 hours, with the solutions being changed every 12 hours. Data were analyzed at a 95% confidence level with Fisher's exact test. After the action of fluoride ions, a negative influence occurred in the mechanical cycling test performed in a servohydraulic machine (Material Test System-810) set to a frequency of 15 Hz with 100,000 cycles and programmed to 60% of the maximum resistance of static compression test. The sets tended to fracture by compression on the screw, characterized by mixed ruptures with predominance of fragile fracture, as observed by microscopy. An evidence of corrosion by pitting on sample surfaces was found after the fluoride ions action. It may be concluded that prolonged contact with fluoride ions is harmful to the mechanical properties of commercially pure titanium structures.

Interaction between humic substances and metallic ions: A selectivity study of humic substances and their possible therapeutic application

The complexation capacity of humic substances extracted from peat samples taken from the Mogi River in Ribeirao Preto, SP, Brazil, was determined using metal ions (Al(III), Pb(II), Cr(VI) and Cd(II)), yielding the following order of affinity: Cr(VI)< Cd(II)

Influence of cerium (IV) ions on the inorganic and organic phase for preparation of a siloxane-PMMA based film on tin plate substrate

Tinplate is one of the most widely used food canning materials, however, there are significant problems related to the use of tinplate cans, such as alterations in sensory features affecting food quality and corrosion phenomena of the canning material. To avoid corrosion problems different methods have been used for the passivation of tinplate such protective lacquers or different kinds of corrosion inhibitors (chromate and dichromate). However, chromates and dichromates are extremely harmful to the environment and can cause carcinogenic tumors to humans. An option, protective coatings obtained by the sol-gel process, act as a physical barrier, which isolates the surface of metal protecting from the corrosive agents. The aim of this work is to study the influence of addition of cerium (IV) ions in the inorganic and organic part of sol-gel processing in the formation of hybrid coatings based on siloxane-PMMA on tin plate. The coatings were obtained by dip-coating technique and evaluated by open circuit and impedance measurements, linear polarization and polarization curves obtained in 3.5% NaCl solution. The results have clearly shown the improvement on the protective properties of the Ce 4+ modified film when added into the organic phase, which can be due to the formation of a more uniform and densely reticulated siloxane-PMMA film. © 2009 by NACE International.

The effect of chloride ions and A. ferrooxidans on the oxidative dissolution of the chalcopyrite evaluated by electrochemical noise analysis (ENA)

It is believed that the dissolution of chalcopyrite (CuFeS2) in acid medium can be accelerated by the addition of Cl- ions, which modify the electrochemical reactions in the leaching system. Electrochemical noise analysis (ENA) was utilized to evaluate the effect of the Cl- ions and Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans on the oxidative dissolution of a CPE-chalcopyrite (carbon paste electrode modified with chalcopyrite) in acid medium. The emphasis was on the analysis of the admittance plots (Ac) calculated by ENA. In general, a stable passive behavior was observed, mainly during the initial stages of CPE-chalcopyrite immersion, characterized by a low passive current and a low dispersion of the Ac plots, mainly after bacteria addition. This can be explained by the adhesion of bacterial cells on the CPE-chalcopyrite surface acting as a physical barrier. The greater dispersions in the Ac plots occurred immediately after the Cl- ions addition, in the absence of bacteria characterizing an active-state. In the presence of bacteria the addition of Clions only produced some effect after some time due to the barrier effect caused by bacteria adhesion. © (2009) Trans Tech Publications.

Optical and transport properties of rare-earth trivalent ions located at different sites in sol-gel SnO2

Photoluminescence and photo-excited conductivity data as well as structural analysis are presented for sol-gel SnO2 thin films doped with rare earth ions Eu3+ and Er3+, deposited by sol-gel-dip-coating technique. Photoluminescence spectra are obtained under excitation with various types of monochromatic light sources, such as Kr+, Ar+ and Nd:YAG lasers, besides a Xe lamp plus a selective monochromator with UV grating. The luminescence fine structure is rather different depending on the location of the rare-earth doping, at lattice symmetric sites or segregated at the asymmetric grain boundary layer sites. The decay of photo-excited conductivity also shows different trapping rate depending on the rare-earth concentration. For Er-doped films, above the saturation limit, the evaluated capture energy is higher than for films with concentration below the limit, in good agreement with the different behaviour obtained from luminescence data. For Eu-doped films, the difference in the capture energy is not so evident in these materials with nanoscocopic crystallites, even though the luminescence spectra are rather distinct. It seems that grain boundary scattering plays a major role in Eu-doped SnO2 films. Structural evaluation helps to interpret the electro-optical data. © 2010 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Thermal behaviour of succinic acid, sodium succinate and its compounds with some bivalent transitions metal ions in dynamic N 2 and CO 2 atmospheres

Thermal stability and thermal decomposition of succinic acid, sodium succinate and its compounds with Mn(II), Fe(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) were investigated employing simultaneous thermogravimetry and differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA) in nitrogen and carbon dioxide atmospheres and TG-FTIR in nitrogen atmosphere. On heating, in both atmospheres the succinic acid melt and evaporate, while for the sodium succinate the thermal decomposition occurs with the formation of sodium carbonate. For the transition metal succinates the final residue up to 1180 °C in N 2 atmosphere was a mixture of metal and metal oxide in no simple stoichiometric relation, except for Zn compound, where the residue was a small quantity of carbonaceous residue. For the CO 2 atmosphere the final residue up to 980 °C was: MnO, Fe 3O 4, CoO, ZnO and mixtures of Ni, NiO and Cu, Cu 2O.

Charged Brownian particles: Kramers and Smoluchowski equations and the hydrothermodynamical picture

We consider a charged Brownian gas under the influence of external and non-uniform electric, magnetic and mechanical fields, immersed in a non-uniform bath temperature. With the collision time as an expansion parameter, we study the solution to the associated Kramers equation, including a linear reactive term. To the first order we obtain the asymptotic (overdamped) regime, governed by transport equations, namely: for the particle density, a Smoluchowski- reactive like equation; for the particle's momentum density, a generalized Ohm's-like equation; and for the particle's energy density, a MaxwellCattaneo-like equation. Defining a nonequilibrium temperature as the mean kinetic energy density, and introducing Boltzmann's entropy density via the one particle distribution function, we present a complete thermohydrodynamical picture for a charged Brownian gas. We probe the validity of the local equilibrium approximation, Onsager relations, variational principles associated to the entropy production, and apply our results to: carrier transport in semiconductors, hot carriers and Brownian motors. Finally, we outline a method to incorporate non-linear reactive kinetics and a mean field approach to interacting Brownian particles. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Charged particle transverse momentum spectra in pp collisions at √s = 0:9 and 7 TeV

The charged particle transverse momentum (pT) spectra are presented for pp collisions at √s = 0:9 and 7TeV. The data samples were collected with the CMS detector at the LHC and correspond to integrated luminosities of 231 μb-1 and 2.96 pb-1, respectively. Calorimeter-based high-transverse-energy triggers are employed to enhance the statistical reach of the high-pT measurements. The results are compared with leading and next-toleading order QCD and with an empirical scaling of measurements at different collision energies using the scaling variable xT - 2pT=ps over the pT range up to 136 GeV/c. Using a combination of xT scaling and direct interpolation at fixed pT, a reference transverse momentum spectrum at √s = 2:76TeV is constructed, which can be used for studying high-pT particle suppression in the dense QCD medium produced in heavy-ion collisions at that centre-of-mass energy. Copyright CERN.

Search for a light charged Higgs boson in top quark decays in pp collisions at √s = 7 TeV

Results are presented on a search for a light charged Higgs boson that can be produced in the decay of the top quark t → H +b and which, in turn, decays into τ +ν t. The analysed data correspond to an integrated luminosity of about 2 fb -1 recorded in protonproton collisions at √s = 7 TeV by the CMS experiment at the LHC. The search is sensitive to the decays of the top quark pairs tt̄ → H ±W ∓bb̄ and tt̄ → H ±H ∓bb̄. Various final states have been studied separately, all requiring presence of a τ lepton from H + decays, missing transverse energy, and multiple jets. Upper limits on the branching fraction B(t → H +b) in the range of 2-4% are established for charged Higgs boson masses between 80 and 160 GeV, under the assumption that B(H + → τ +ν τ) = 1.

Search for Higgs boson production in oppositely charged dilepton and missing energy events in pp̄ collisions at √s=1.96TeV

We present a search for the standard model Higgs boson using events with two oppositely charged leptons and large missing transverse energy as expected in H→WW decays. The events are selected from data corresponding to 8.6fb -1 of integrated luminosity in pp̄ collisions at √s=1.96TeV collected with the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. No significant excess above the standard model background expectation in the Higgs boson mass range this search is sensitive to is observed, and upper limits on the Higgs boson production cross section are derived. © 2012 American Physical Society.

A search for a doubly-charged Higgs boson in pp collisions at √s=7 TeV

A search for a doubly-charged Higgs boson in pp collisions at √s=7 TeV is presented. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 4. 9 fb-1, collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC. The search is performed using events with three or more isolated charged leptons of any flavor, giving sensitivity to the decays of pair-produced triplet components Φ++Φ--, and Φ++Φ- from associated production. No excess is observed compared to the background prediction, and upper limits at the 95 % confidence level are set on the Φ++ production cross section, under specific assumptions on its branching fractions. Lower bounds on the Φ++ mass are reported, providing significantly more stringent constraints than previously published limits. © 2012 CERN for the benefit of the CMS collaboration.

Crystal structure of Jararacussin-I: The highly negatively charged catalytic interface contributes to macromolecular selectivity in snake venom thrombin-like enzymes

Snake venom serine proteinases (SVSPs) are hemostatically active toxins that perturb the maintenance and regulation of both the blood coagulation cascade and fibrinolytic feedback system at specific points, and hence, are widely used as tools in pharmacological and clinical diagnosis. The crystal structure of a thrombin-like enzyme (TLE) from Bothrops jararacussu venom (Jararacussin-I) was determined at 2.48 Å resolution. This is the first crystal structure of a TLE and allows structural comparisons with both the Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix Protein C Activator and the Trimeresurus stejnegeri plasminogen activator. Despite the highly conserved overall fold, significant differences in the amino acid compositions and three-dimensional conformations of the loops surrounding the active site significantly alter the molecular topography and charge distribution profile of the catalytic interface. In contrast to other SVSPs, the catalytic interface of Jararacussin-I is highly negatively charged, which contributes to its unique macromolecular selectivity. © 2012 The Protein Society.

Synthesis, characterization and thermal study of solid mandelate of some bivalent transition metal ions in CO2 and N2 atmospheres

Solid state M-L, where M stands for bivalent transition metals (Mn(II), Fe(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II)) and L is mandelate, were synthesized. Simultaneous thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry, elemental analysis and complexometry were used to establish the stoichiometry and to study the thermal behaviour of these compounds in CO2 and N2 atmospheres. The results show that all the compounds were obtained in the anhydrous state and in agreement with the general formula ML2. The thermal decomposition of the compounds occurs in a single (Cu(II)), two (Ni(II)) three (Fe(II), Co(II)), four (Mn(II)) and five (Zn(II)) steps. The results also provided information concerning the ligand's denticity, thermal behaviour, final residues and identification of gaseous products evolved during the thermal decomposition of these compounds. © 2012 Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, Hungary.