Thermo-reversible sol–gel transition of TiO2 nanoparticles with surface modified by p-toluene sulfonic acid

In this paper an unprecedent thermo-reversible sol–gel transition for titania nanoparticles dispersed in a solution of p-toluene sulfonic acid (PTSH) in isopropanol is reported. The sol formed by the thermo-hydrolysis at 60 °C of titanium tetraisopropoxide (Ti(OⁱPr)₄) reversibly changes into a turbid gel upon cooling to room temperature. Turbidimetric measurements performed for samples containing different nominal acidity ratios (A = [PTSH]/[Ti]) have evidenced that the gel transformation temperature increases from 20 to 35 °C as the [PTSH]/[Ti] ratio increases from 0.2 to 2.0. SAXS results indicate that the thermo-reversible gelation is associated to a reversible aggregation of a monodisperse set of titania nanoparticles with average gyration radius of ≈2 nm. From the different PTSH species evidenced by Raman spectroscopy and TG/DTA of dried gels we proposed that the thermo-reversible gelation in this systems is induced by the formation of a supramolecular network, in which the protonated surface of nanoparticles is interconnected through cooperative hydrogen bonds between –SO₃ groups of p-toluene sulfonic acid.     

New optical material europium EDTA complex in polyvinyl pyrrolidone films with fluorescence enhanced by silver plasmons

In our search for efficient Luminescent Solar Concentrators (LSC) we have prepared polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) films incorporated by ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) complex of europium and co-doped with silver nanoparticles (NPs). Steady state fluorescence was studied under weak and strong excitation. Dynamical study was performed by second harmonic of Nd laser. Under weak excitation the fluorescence of europium co-doped with silver plasmons increased by a factor of three and excited by continuous laser by a factor of 50. The lifetimes of films doped by the complex were 755 μs and co-doped with silver nanoparticles 946 μs. This is the first finding that the photon density accumulates the number of plasmons interacting with electronic states of europium increasing its transition probability resulting in the strong intensification of fluorescence. In dynamical measurements of lifetimes a single pulse does not provide enough energy to create such number of plasmons.     

Novel Heterogenized Palladium(II) Complexes Anchored to Polymer Matrices Functionalized with Bis(diphenylphosphino)methane Moieties

The synthesis and structural characterization of a novel bidentate ligand such as bis(diphenylphosphino) methane bound to a cross-linked styrene/divinylbenzene resin and to linear poly(styrene) are reported. Moreover, the anchoring of palladium acetate to the above polymeric ligands is described and the structure of the heterogenized palladium(II) complexes obtained is proposed.     

The ParTriCluster Algorithm for Gene Expression Analysis

Analyzing gene expression patterns is becoming a highly relevant task in the Bioinformatics area. This analysis makes it possible to determine the behavior patterns of genes under various conditions, a fundamental information for treating diseases, among other applications. A recent advance in this area is the Tricluster algorithm, which is the first algorithm capable of determining 3D clusters (genes × samples × timestamps), that is, groups of genes that behave similarly across samples and timestamps. However, even though biological experiments collect an increasing amount of data to be analyzed and correlated, the triclustering problem remains a bottleneck due to its NP-Completeness, so its parallelization seems to be an essential step towards obtaining feasible solutions. In this work we propose and evaluate the implementation of a parallel version of the Tricluster algorithm using the filter-labeled-stream paradigm supported by the Anthill parallel programming environment. The results show that our parallelization scales well with the data size, being able to handle severe load imbalances that are inherent to the problem. Further more, the parallelization strategy is applicable to any depth-first searches.     

Surface morphology evaluation of polymer beads based on divinylbenzene by atomic force microscopy

Macroporous poly(styrene‐co‐divinylbenzene) and poly(divinylbenzene) beads were synthesized by modified suspension polymerization in the presence of different mixtures of toluene and heptane as porogen agent. Through atomic force microscopy, it was possible to identify the microspheres and the channels between them that constitute the bead pores. It was also possible to make a comparison with the results obtained by nitrogen desorption, a traditional technique used to determine the porosity of macroporous copolymers in the dry state. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 84: 541–551, 2002; DOI 10.1002/app.10290     

Spatial Quality Evaluation of Pedestrian Streets

This paper presents an assessment of the spatial quality of a pedestrian street located in downtown Bauru, S~o Paulo State, Brazil, from the application of some urban sustainability indicators. Multi-method was used to evaluate the thermal comfort quality of users, urban accessibility and preservation of architectural heritage. The results show that the sustainability indicators, apart from being effective tools in identifying problems, can assist local managers in decision making, planning and monitoring of pedestrian public space. These indicators contribute to a broad diagnosis of the pedestrian street and also the formulation of programs, projects and municipal policies, aimed at providing a better life quality for pedestrians.     

Preparation, characterization, and topical delivery of paromomycin ion pairing

Topical chemotherapy with paromomycin (PA) has been used as an alternative for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis; however, poor skin penetration of this drug limits the efficacy of formulations. The objective of this work was to study the ability of the PA free base to form ion pairing with organic acids, as well as evaluate the effect of these compounds on the topical delivery of PA. PA permeation across intact skin was low, while drug penetration into skin from PA ion pairing was the higher than that observed for the PA base. Data obtained on the stripped skin, a damaged skin model, clearly showed that the ion pairing presented a potential to improve PA skin permeation.     

Heterogeneity of V2O5(010) surfaces – the role of alkali metal dopants

Any solid oxide-originated catalyst is extremely heterogeneous due to several factors. First, it may consist of various phases, each exposing different surfaces characterized by different electronic, and thus catalytic, properties. However, even a particular surface of a chosen phase is heterogeneous as it consists of different chemical elements connected in polyhedra bonded with each other via corners and/or edges and/or walls. In addition, dopants and supports change properties of the surface by enriching its heterogeneity. In the following, the role of dopants as potential sources of surface heterogeneity is discussed, using vanadia as an example.     

Detection of GMO in food products in Brazil: the INCQS experience

Regulations for the use and labeling of genetically modified organism products and derived ingredients are being implemented worldwide, what demands reliable and accurate methods to detect genetically modified organisms (GMO) in raw materials and food products. This study aimed at monitoring products derived from GMO in the Brazilian market using detection methods for the presence of Roundup Ready soybean, Bt176 and MON 810 maize. The results demonstrate for the first time the presence of GM-soy in Brazilian food products, reinforcing the need for the development of accurate quantitative methods in routine analyses.