Inflammatory resolution: New opportunities for drug discovery

Treatment of inflammatory diseases today is largely based on interrupting the synthesis or action of mediators that drive the host’s response to injury. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, steroids and antihistamines, for instance, were developed on this basis. Although such small-molecule inhibitors have provided the main treatment for inflammatory arthropathies and asthma, they are not without their shortcomings. This review offers an alternative approach to the development of novel therapeutics based on the endogenous mediators and mechanisms that switch off acute inflammation and bring about its resolution. It is thought that this strategy will open up new avenues for the future management of inflammation-based diseases

Photoluminescence in amorphous PLZ

Amorphous and crystalline powder of PLZ was prepared by using the polymeric precursor method. TGA-DSC (Thermal analysis and Differential Scanning Calorimetry) shows the decomposition of polymeric resin, an amorphous phase and the crystallization of powder. Raman scattering of powder shows an amorphous and semicrystalline phase at 450 and 550 degreesC, respectively. XRD (X-ray diffraction pattern) of powder shows high crystallinity at 700 degreesC/3 h. PL (Photoluminescence) analysis of powder at 300 degreesC/3 h shows a broad asymmetric peak at 585 nm and increases of calcining time led to intense peaks of PL at 300 degreesC/6 h. This emission could be attributed to Zr --> O from the oxygen-2p orbitals to the zirconate-3d orbitals. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd and Techna S.r.l. All rights reserved

Luminescence effect in amorphous PLT

Amorphous and crystalline powder of PLT phase was synthesized by using the Pechini method. Infrared (FTIR) analysis of the polymeric resin shows intense bands of organic materials from 250 to 1620 cm(-1). X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectra of calcined powder at different temperatures show amorphous phase at 450 degrees C/3 h, semi-crystalline phase at 550 degrees C/3 h and a crystalline phase at 800 degrees C/3 h. Luminescence effect was observed in amorphous powder calcined from 300 to 350 degrees/3 h with broad absorption peaks in 579 nm at 300 degrees C/3 h and 603 rum at 350 degrees C/3 h, respectively. The photoluminescence effect is attributed to emissions of Ti -> 0 directly from the oxygen 2p orbital (valence band) to the titanate 3d orbital (conduction bands). (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Photoluminescent BaMoO4 nanopowders prepared by complex polymerization method (CPM)

The BaMoO4 nanopowders were prepared by the Complex Polymerization Method (CPM). The structure properties of the BaMoO4 powders were characterized by FTIR transmittance spectra, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectra, photoluminescence spectra (PL) and high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HR-SEM). The XRD, FTIR and Raman data showed that BaMoO4 at 300 degrees C was disordered. At 400 degrees C and higher temperature, BaMoO4 crystalline scheelite-type phases could be identified, without the presence of additional phases, according to the XRD, FTIR and Raman data. The calculated average crystallite sizes, calculated by XRD, around 40 nm, showed the tendency to increase with the temperature. The crystallite sizes, obtained by HR-SEM, were around of 40-50 nm. The sample that presented the highest intensity of the red emission band was the one heat treated at 400 degrees C for 2 h, and the sample that displayed the 'highest intensity of the green emission band was the one heat treated at 700 degrees C for 2 h. The CPM was shown to be a low cost route for the production of BaMoO4 nanopowders, with the advantages of lower temperature, smaller time and reduced cost. The optical properties observed for BaMoO4 nanopowders suggested that this material is a highly promising candidate for photoluminescent applications. (C) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Photoluminescence in amorphous zirconium titanate

Photoluminescence at room temperature was observed in amorphous zirconium titanate obtained from the polymeric precursor method. This was the first time in which PL was noticed in an amorphous compound made of two network formers. The PL spectra could be deconvoluted into two bands, whose center 1 was located from 540 nm to 552 nm and center 2 from 625 nm to 641 nm. The co-existence of fivefold and sixfold oxygen coordination of titanium and/or zirconium could be the origin of the radiative recombination of electron-hole pairs in amorphous ZT, which may be responsible for the emission of the photoluminescence