Morphological modifications and surface amorphization in ZnO sonochemically treated nanoparticles

Application of nanoscale materials in photovoltaic and photocatalysis devices and photosensors are dramatically affected by surface morphology of nanoparticles, which plays a fundamental role in the understanding of the physical and chemical properties of nanoscale materials. Zinc oxide nanoparticles with an average size of 20 nm were obtained by the use of a sonochemical technique. X-ray diffraction (XRD) associated to Rietveld refinements and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to study structural and morphological characteristics of the samples. An amorphous shell approximately 10 nm thick was observed in the ultrasonically treated sample, and a large reduction in particle size and changes in the lattice parameters were also observed. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Neurotoxic action of permethrin in Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille, 1806) (Acari: Ixodidae) female ticks. Morphological and cytochemical evaluation of the central nervous system

Studies on the molecular bases of the neurotoxic action of acaricides are found in the literature; but there are no studies of this action on the nervous system of ticks at the cellular level. The present study describes the morphological and cytochemical changes in the synganglion of Rhipicephalus sanguineus semi-engorged females exposed to different concentrations of permethrin, a pyrethroid with recognized neurotoxic action. Permethrin induced the degeneration of the synganglion through a process of apoptosis involving autophagy, characterized by the condensation and margination of the chromatin, formation of blebs in the nuclear envelope and fragmentation of the nucleus, loss of shape of neural cells and integrity of cellular membrane, cytoplasmic shrinkage, and lower levels of acid phosphatase in the nervous tissue as the concentration of permethrin increased. This study provided further evidence of the neurotoxic action of permethrin, which impairs the metabolism of R. sanguineus nervous systems, and consequently the physiology of other systems, dependent on the neural control. These results provide cytochemical and histological confirmation of the neurotoxic action of permethrin, previously inferred from molecular and tick behavioral evidence. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Urethral striated muscle and extracellular matrix morphological characteristics among mildly diabetic pregnant rats: translational approach

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

Rearing temperature induces changes in muscle growth and gene expression in juvenile pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus)

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

Relative growth and morphological sexual maturity of the freshwater crab Trichodactylus fluviatilis Latreille 1828 (Decapoda, Trichodactylidae) from west central Sao Paulo State, Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

3D osteoarthritic changes in TMJ condylar morphology correlates with specific systemic and local biomarkers of disease

Objective: To assess 3D morphological variations and local and systemic biomarker profiles in subjects with a diagnosis of temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJ OA).Design: Twenty-eight patients with long-term TMJ OA (39.9 +/- 16 years), 12 patients at initial diagnosis of OA (47.4 +/- 16.1 years), and 12 healthy controls (41.8 +/- 12.2 years) were recruited. All patients were female and had cone beam CT scans taken. TMJ arthrocentesis and venipuncture were performed on 12 OA and 12 age-matched healthy controls. Serum and synovial fluid levels of 50 biomarkers of arthritic inflammation were quantified by protein microarrays. Shape Analysis MANCOVA tested statistical correlations between biomarker levels and variations in condylar morphology.Results: Compared with healthy controls, the OA average condyle was significantly smaller in all dimensions except its anterior surface, with areas indicative of bone resorption along the articular surface, particularly in the lateral pole. Synovial fluid levels of ANG, GDF15, TIMP-1, CXCL16, MMP-3 and MMP-7 were significantly correlated with bone apposition of the condylar anterior surface. Serum levels of ENA-78, MMP-3, PAI-1, VE-Cadherin, VEGF, GM-CSF, TGF beta b1, IFN gamma g, TNF alpha a, IL-1 alpha a, and IL-6 were significantly correlated with flattening of the lateral pole. Expression levels of ANG were significantly correlated with the articular morphology in healthy controls.Conclusions: Bone resorption at the articular surface, particularly at the lateral pole was statistically significant at initial diagnosis of TMJ OA. Synovial fluid levels of ANG, GDF15, TIMP-1, CXCL16, MMP-3 and MMP-7 were correlated with bone apposition. Serum levels of ENA-78, MMP-3, PAI-1, VE-Cadherin, VEGF, GM-CSF, TGF beta 1, IFN gamma, TNF alpha, IL-1 alpha, and IL-6 were correlated with bone resorption. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of Osteoarthritis Research Society International.

Continuous Electrical Current and Zinc Sulphate Administered by Transdermal Iontophoresis Improves Skin Healing in Diabetic Rats Induced by Alloxan: Morphological and Ultrastructural Analysis

Purpose. Evaluated the effects of continuous electrical current (CEC) or zinc administrated by transdermal iontophoresis (Zn+TDI). Methods. 120 male Wistar rats were submitted to an incision surgery at the anterior region of abdomen and distributed into 6 experimental groups with 40 animals: 3 diabetic groups and 3 normal groups, untreated and treated with CEC alone or with Zn+TDI. Each group was further divided into 4 subgroups with 10 rats each to be evaluated on the 4th, 7th, 14th, and 21st day after surgery. In each period, clinical and laboratory parameters from the animals were analyzed. Results. The analysis by optical and scanning electron microscopy showed a delay in the phases of wound healing in diabetic rats without treatment in all periods of the experiment; breaking strength (BS) was significantly reduced in skin scars of untreated diabetic rats when compared to other groups. In contrast, BS in skin scars of nondiabetic groups and diabetic rats treated with Zn+TDI showed significant increase in those, besides not presenting delayed healing. Conclusion. Electrical stimulation of surgical wounds used alone or in association with zinc by TDI is able to consistently improve the morphological and ultrastructural changes observed in the healing of diabetic animals.

Toxoplasmosis: morphological and morphometric evaluation of spinal cord neurons from nonsymptomatic seropositive dogs

The aim of this work was to analyze the neuron morphology and morphometry of cervical, thoracic and lumbar areas of nonsymptomatic seropositive dogs’ spinal cord for toxoplasmosis. Twenty indefinite-breed adult dogs were used; ten dogs were healthy, with negative serology for toxoplasmosis, and were used as the control group (group 1), and ten dogs were nonsymptomatic but seropositive for toxoplasmosis (group 2). After the microtomy, with interval of 100 micrometers (µm), the histological 5-µm-thick cuts were dyed by hematoxylin-eosin and Masson's trichrome techniques. The glass slides were analyzed under light microscope to examine the neuron morphology. The parameters considered for the morphometric analysis were area, perimeter, maximum diameter, minimum diameter and shape factor of cytoplasm and nucleus of neuron. The results were statistically analyzed by Student’s t test at 5% probability level. The morphological characteristics between the two groups were similar and according to literature. The morphometric results showed that there were changes in neurons size and structure, and increase and loss of star shape were noticed in seropositive animals. The results suggest that the neurons of these dogs, yet nonsymptomatic, can have lost their conductor function.

Evaluation of early changes induced by diuron in the rat urinary bladder using different processing methods for scanning electron microscopy

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

Changes in nuclear morphology and chromatin texture of basal keratinocytes in melasma

BackgroundThe pathogenesis of melasma and the role of keratinocytes in disease development and maintenance are not completely understood. Dermal abnormalities, the expression of inflammatory mediators, growth factors, epithelial expression of melanocortin and sexual hormones receptors suggest that not only melanocytes, but entire epidermal melanin unit is involved in melasma physiopathology.ObjectivesTo compare nuclear morphological features and chromatin texture between basal keratinocytes in facial melasma and adjacent normal skin.MethodsWe took facial skin biopsies (2mm melasma and adjacent normal skin) from women processed for haematoxylin and eosin. Thirty non-overlapping basal keratinocyte nuclei were segmented and descriptors of area, highest diameter, perimeter, circularity, pixel intensity, profilometric index (Ra) and fractal dimension were extracted using ImageJ software.ResultsBasal keratinocyte nuclei from facial melasma epidermis displayed larger size, irregular shape, hyperpigmentation and chromatin heterogeneity by fractal dimension than perilesional skin.ConclusionBasal keratinocytes from facial melasma display changes in nuclear form and chromatin texture, suggesting that the phenotype differences between melasma and adjacent facial skin can result from complete epidermal melanin unit alterations, not just hypertrophic melanocytes.

Relative growth and morphological sexual maturity of the mangrove crab Aratus pisonii (H. Milne Edwards, 1837) (Decapoda, Brachyura, Sesarmidae) on the southern coast of the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil

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

Diagnostic index of three-dimensional osteoarthritic changes in temporomandibular joint condylar morphology

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

Influence of morphological variables in photoelastic models with implants submitted to axial loading

Purpose: This study used 12 photoelastics models with different height and thickness to evaluate if the axial loading of 100N on implants changes the morphology of the photoelastic reflection. Methods: For the photoelastic analysis, the models were placed in a reflection polariscope for observation of the isochromatic fringes patterns. The formation of these fringes resulted from an axial load of 100N applied to the midpoint of the healing abutment attached to the implant with 10.0mm x 3.75mm (Conexão, Sistemas de Próteses, Brazil). The tension in each photoelastic model was monitored, photographed and observed using the software Phothoshop 7.0. For qualitative analysis, the area under the implant apex was measured including the green band of the second order fringe of each model using the software Image Tool. After comparison of the areas, the performance generated by each specimen was defined regarding the axial loading. Results: There were alterations in area with different height and thickness of the photoelastic models. It was observed that the group III (30mm in height) presented the smallest area. Conclusion: There was variation in the size of the areas analyzed for different height and thickness of the models and the morphology of the replica may directly influence the result in researches with photoelastic models.

Timing of ontogenetic changes of two cranial regions in Sotalia guianensis (Delphinidae)

Despite the fact that heterochronic processes seem to be an important process determining morphological evolution of the delphinid skull, previous workers have not found allometric scaling as relevant factor in the differentiation within the genus Sotalia. Here we analyzed the skull ontogeny of the estuarine dolphin S. guianensis and investigate differential growth and shape changes of two cranial regions the neurocranium and the face in order to evaluate the relevance of cranial compartmentalization on the ontogeny of this structure. Our results show that, even though both cranial regions stop growing at adulthood, the face has higher initial growth rates than the neurocranium. The rate of shape changes is also different for both regions, with the face showing a initially higher, but rapidly decreasing rate of change, while the neurocranium shows a slow decreasing rate, leading to persistent and localized shape changes throughout adult life, a pattern that could be related to epigenetic regional factors. The pattern of ontogenetic shape change described here is similar to those described for other groups of Delphinidae and also match intra and interspecific variation found within the family, suggesting that mosaic heterochrony could be an important factor in the morphological evolution of this group. (C) 2012 Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Saugetierkunde. Published by Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Structural, morphological, and magnetic characterization of In1-xMnxAs quantum dots grown by molecular beam epitaxy

In this paper, we present a method to order low temperature (LT) self-assembled ferromagnetic In1-xMnxAs quantum dots (QDs) grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The ordered In1-xMnxAs QDs were grown on top of a non-magnetic In0.4Ga0.6As/GaAs(100) QDs multi-layered structure. The modulation of the chemical potential, due to the stacking, provides a nucleation center for the LT In1-xMnxAs QDs. For particular conditions, such as surface morphology and growth conditions, the In1-xMnxAs QDs align along lines like chains. This work also reports the characterization of QDs grown on plain GaAs(100) substrates, as well as of the ordered structures, as function of Mn content and growth temperature. The substitutional Mn incorporation in the InAs lattice and the conditions for obtaining coherent and incoherent structures are discussed from comparison between Raman spectroscopy and x-ray analysis. Ferromagnetic behavior was observed for all structures at 2K. We found that the magnetic moment axis changes from [110] in In1-xMnxAs over GaAs to [1-10] for the ordered In1-xMnxAs grown over GaAs template. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4745904]