The electrooxidation of chemisorbed co on polycrystalline platinum: A mechanistic interpretation of the anodic current peak multiplicity

The electrooxidation of CO on polycrystalline Pt in 1 M HClO4 at 23°C under potentiodynamic conditions exhibits a double current peak. Whether a single or a double current peak is formed depends to a great extent on the amount of CO surface coverage. The present report attempts to explain the behaviour of the electrochemical reaction in terms of a single model involving the participation of two CO adsorbed states on polycrystalline Pt.Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y AplicadasFacultad de Ciencias Exacta

The electrooxidation of chemisorbed co on polycrystalline platinum: A mechanistic interpretation of the anodic current peak multiplicity

The electrooxidation of CO on polycrystalline Pt in 1 M HClO4 at 23°C under potentiodynamic conditions exhibits a double current peak. Whether a single or a double current peak is formed depends to a great extent on the amount of CO surface coverage. The present report attempts to explain the behaviour of the electrochemical reaction in terms of a single model involving the participation of two CO adsorbed states on polycrystalline Pt.Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y AplicadasFacultad de Ciencias Exacta

Role of rare earth elements and entropy on the anatase-to-rutile phase transformation of TiO2thin films deposited by ion beam sputtering

The role played by oxygen vacancies and rare earth (RE) elements in the anatase-to-rutile (A−R) phase transformation of titanium dioxide (TiO2) is still a matter of controversy. Here, we report the A−R transformation of TiO2 thin solid films as obtained by ion beam sputtering a RE-decorated titanium target in an oxygen-rich atmosphere. The samples correspond to undoped, single-doped (Sm, Tm, and Tb), and codoped (Sm:Tb, Sm:Tm, and Sm:Tb:Tm) TiO2 films. In the as-prepared form, the films are amorphous and contain ∼0.5 at. % of each RE. The structural modifications of the TiO2 films due to the RE elements and the annealing treatments in an oxygen atmosphere are described according to the experimental results provided by Raman scattering, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and optical measurements. The A−R transformation depends on both the annealing temperature and the characteristics of the undoped, single-doped, and codoped TiO2 films. As reported in the literature, the A−R transformation can be inhibited or enhanced by the presence of impurities and is mostly related to energetic contributions. The experimental results were analyzed, considering the essential and stabilizing role of the entropy of mixing in the A−R transformation due to the introduction of more and multiple quantum states originated in vacancies and impurities in the anatase phase.Fil: Scoca, Diego L.S.. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; BrasilFil: Cemin, Felipe. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; BrasilFil: Aldabe, Sara Alfonsina. Universidad de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Química, Física de los Materiales, Medioambiente y Energía. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Química, Física de los Materiales, Medioambiente y Energía; ArgentinaFil: Figueroa, Carlos A.. Universidade de Caxias Do Sul.; BrasilFil: Zanatta, Antonio R.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Alvarez, Fernando. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; Brasi

Kinetics and mechanism of oxygen desorption from anodized polycrystalline platinum electrodes under open circuit in carbon monoxide saturated 1 M perchloric acid

The open circuit potential decay of polycrystalline platinum electrodes which were previously anodized in 1 M perchloric acid saturated with carbon monoxide is studied. The amount of electroadsorbed oxygen is measured by combining the potential decay measurements with electroreduction voltammograms. The kinetics of the open circuit anode potential decay are interpreted in terms of a Langmuir-Hinshelwood-type mechanism where two simultaneously adsorbed species, namely oxygen atoms and linear carbon monoxide, are involved.Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicada

The electrooxidation of chemisorbed co on polycrystalline platinum: A mechanistic interpretation of the anodic current peak multiplicity

The electrooxidation of CO on polycrystalline Pt in 1 M HClO4 at 23°C under potentiodynamic conditions exhibits a double current peak. Whether a single or a double current peak is formed depends to a great extent on the amount of CO surface coverage. The present report attempts to explain the behaviour of the electrochemical reaction in terms of a single model involving the participation of two CO adsorbed states on polycrystalline Pt.Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y AplicadasFacultad de Ciencias Exacta

Altered expression and activation of signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs) in hepatitis C virus infection: in vivo and in vitro studies

BACKGROUND: Signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs) play a critical role in antiviral defence. STAT3 is also important in cell protection against inflammatory damage. STAT proteins are activated by interferons and by hepatoprotective cytokines of the interleukin 6 superfamily, including cardiotrophin 1. METHODS: We analysed the status of STATs in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected livers and the relationship between expression and activation of STATs and HCV replication in Huh7 cells transfected with HCV genomic replicon. RESULTS: STAT3alpha expression was reduced in HCV infected livers showing an inverse correlation with serum alanine aminotransferase. In patients with HCV infection, nuclear staining for phosphorylated STAT3 was faint in parenchymal cells (although conspicuous in infiltrating leucocytes), in contrast with strong nuclear staining in hepatocytes from control livers. Expression and activation of STAT1 (a factor activated by both interferon (IFN)-alpha and IFN-gamma) were increased in HCV infected livers, particularly in those with high inflammatory activity. Conversely, phosphorylated STAT2 (a factor selectively activated by IFN-alpha) was undetectable in livers with HCV infection, a finding that was associated with marked downregulation of the two functional subunits of the IFN-alpha receptor. HCV replication in Huh7 cells caused STAT3alpha downregulation and blocked STAT3 phosphorylation by either IFN-alpha or cardiotrophin 1. HCV replication in Huh7 cells also inhibited STAT1 and STAT2 activation by IFN-alpha while there was no impairment of STAT1 phosphorylation by the proinflammatory cytokine IFN-gamma. CONCLUSIONS: STAT3 is downregulated in HCV infected livers and in Huh7 cells bearing the full length HCV replicon. HCV replication is associated with impaired Jak-STAT signalling by antiviral and cytoprotective cytokines. These effects may favour viral replication while facilitating the progression of liver diseas

Hepatitis C virus infection of primary tupaia hepatocytes leads to selection of quasispecies variants, induction of interferon-stimulated genes and NF-kappaB nuclear translocation

Systems for in vitro culture of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) are essential tools to analyse virus-cell interactions and to investigate relevant pathophysiological aspects of HCV infection. Although the HCV replicon methodology has increased our understanding of HCV biology, this system does not reproduce the natural infection. Recently, tupaia (Tupaia belangeri chinensis) hepatocytes have been utilized for in vitro culture of HCV. In the present work, primary tupaia hepatocytes infected in vitro with HCV were used to analyse the evolution of HCV quasispecies in infected cells and the ability of the virus to influence antiviral and proinflammatory responses in cells sustaining virus replication. The results confirmed the potential of tupaia hepatocytes as a model for HCV infection, although this system is limited by rapid loss of differentiated cell phenotype in culture. These findings revealed an extraordinary plasticity of HCV quasispecies, which underwent rapid evolution to tupaia-tropic variants as early as 24 h after infection. It was also shown that HCV could activate interferon-sensitive genes, albeit modestly in comparison with other viruses such as Semliki Forest virus. Importantly, HCV activated NF-kappaB in primary hepatocytes and upregulated NF-kappaB-responsive genes including the chemokines MCP-1 and CXCL2 (MIP-2). This effect may play a role in induction of the hepatic inflammatory reaction in vivo. In summary, HCV quasispecies adapt rapidly to the specific biology of the host and HCV stimulates a blunted interferon response while inducing a proinflammatory phenotype in the infected cell

Animal models of chronic hepatitis delta virus infection host–virus immunologic interactions

Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) is a defective RNA virus that has an absolute requirement for a virus belonging to the hepadnaviridae family like hepatitis B virus (HBV) for its replication and formation of new virions. HDV infection is usually associated with a worsening of HBV-induced liver pathogenesis, which leads to more frequent cirrhosis, increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and fulminant hepatitis. Importantly, no selective therapies are available for HDV infection. The mainstay of treatment for HDV infection is pegylated interferon alpha; however, response rates to this therapy are poor. A better knowledge of HDV–host cell interaction will help with the identification of novel therapeutic targets, which are urgently needed. Animal models like hepadnavirus-infected chimpanzees or the eastern woodchuck have been of great value for the characterization of HDV chronic infection. Recently, more practical animal models in which to perform a deeper study of host virus interactions and to evaluate new therapeutic strategies have been developed. Therefore, the main focus of this review is to discuss the current knowledge about HDV host interactions obtained from cell culture and animal models

Four-particle condensate in strongly coupled fermion systems

Four-particle correlations in fermion systems at finite temperatures are investigated with special attention to the formation of a condensate. Instead of the instability of the normal state with respect to the onset of pairing described by the Gorkov equation, a new equation is obtained which describes the onset of quartetting. Within a model calculation for symmetric nuclear matter, we find that below a critical density, the four-particle condensation (alpha-like quartetting) is favored over deuteron condensation (triplet pairing). This pairing-quartetting competition is expected to be a general feature of interacting fermion systems, such as the excition-biexciton system in excited semiconductors. Possible experimental consequences are pointed out.Comment: LaTeX, 11 pages, 2 figures, uses psfig.sty (included), to be published in Phys. Rev. Lett., tentatively scheduled for 13 April 1998 (Volume 80, Number 15