Desenvolvimento e avaliação de uma fonte DC de alta tensão para utilização em sistema de deposição de filmes finos por pulverização catódica

RESUMO O trabalho em questão está relacionado ao projeto e construção de uma fonte de alta tensão em corrente contínua utilizando materiais e dispositivos adquiridos no comércio local visando sua aplicação no processo de pulverização catódica. Essa técnica permite a deposição de filmes finos de metais, óxidos e nitretos sobre substratos sólidos. Como teste de funcionamento e aplicação da fonte DC, com a mesma instalada em canhão de pulverização em alto vácuo, filmes finos de diferentes espessuras de cobre, aço inoxidável 304 e tungstênio foram depositados e estudados. Análise de espessura, morfologia, e resistência elétrica e resistividade foram conduzidas. Filmes com resistividade elétrica dependente das espessuras foram obtidos. A fonte DC se mostrou confiável em operação e permite a deposição de uma infinidade de materiais nas mais diferentes espessuras sobre vários tipos de substratos

Comparative antibacterial potential of selected aldehyde-based biocides and surfactants against planktonic Pseudomonas fluorescens

The antimicrobial efficacy of two aldehydebased biocides (glutaraldehyde, GTA, and orthophthalaldehyde, OPA) and two surfactants (cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide, CTAB, and sodium dodecyl sulphate, SDS) was tested against planktonic Pseudomonas fluorescens. The antimicrobial effects were evaluated by respiratory activity as a measure of the oxygen uptake rate, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) release, outer membrane proteins (OMP) expression and cellular colour changes. The results were compared with the bacterial characteristics without chemical treatment. Tests in the presence of bovine serum albumin (BSA), in order to mimic a disinfection process in the real situation under dirty conditions, were performed according to the European Standard EN-1276. P. fluorescens was completely inactivated with OPA (minimum bactericidal concentration, MBC = 0.5 mM) and CTAB (MBC = 5 mM) and was resistant to GTA and SDS. Only CTAB promoted cellular disruption and consequent ATP release. The antimicrobial action of the chemicals tested was significantly reduced when BSA was introduced into the bacterial cultures, increasing markedly the MBC values. Additionally, the presence of BSA acted as a disruption protective agent when CTAB was applied and stimulated the bacterial respiratory activity when lower concentrations of SDS were tested. The OMP of the bacterial cells was affected by the application of both surfactants. OMP expression remained unaltered after biocide treatment. Bacterial colour change was noticed after treatment with biocides and surfactants. In summary, P. fluorescens was extremely resistant to GTA and SDS, with antimicrobial action being quenched markedly by the reaction with BSA.Instituto de Biotecnologia e Química Fina (IBQF).Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - (Project CHEMBIO - POCI/BIO/61872/2004

Isoelectric point determination for glossoscolex paulistus extracellular hemoglobin : oligomeric stability in acidic pH and relevance to protein-surfactant interactions

© 2010 American Chemical SocietyThe extracellular hemoglobin from Glossoscolex paulistus (HbGp) has a molecular mass of 3.6 MDa. It has a high oligomeric stability at pH 7.0 and low autoxidation rates, as compared to vertebrate hemoglobins. In this work, fluorescence and light scattering experiments were performed with the three oxidation forms of HbGp exposed to acidic pH. Our focus is on the HbGp stability at acidic pH and also on the determination of the isoelectric point (pI) of the protein. Our results show that the protein in the cyanomet form is more stable than in the other two forms, in the whole pH range. Our zeta-potential data are consistent with light scattering results. Average values of pI obtained by different techniques were 5.6±0.5, 5.4±0.2 and 5.2±0.5 for the oxy, met, and cyanomet forms. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) experiments have shown that, at pH 6.0, the aggregation (oligomeric) state of oxy-, met- and cyanomet-HbGp remains the same as that at pH 7.0. The interaction between the oxy-HbGp and ionic surfactants at pH 5.0 and 6.0 was also monitored in the present study. At pH 5.0, below the protein pI, the effects of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) are inverted when compared to pH 7.0. For CTAC, in acid pH 5.0, no precipitation is observed, while for SDS an intense light scattering appears due to a precipitation process. HbGp interacts strongly with the cationic surfactant at pH 7.0 and with the anionic one at pH 5.0. This effect is due to the predominance, in the protein surface, of residues presenting opposite charges to the surfactant headgroups. This information can be relevant for the development of extracellular hemoglobin-based artificial blood substitutes.The authors are grateful to Brazilian agencies FAPESP, CNPq, and CAPES and to the Portuguese FCTMCTES for partial financial support.M.M.D. also acknowledges the Ph.D. fellowship SFRH/BD/41750/2007 from FCT-MCTES