Growth of TiO2 nanotube arrays with simultaneous Au nanoparticles impregnation: photocatalysts for hydrogen production

Um novo método para a fabricação de nanotubos (NTs) de TiO2 organizados e impregnados com nanopartículas (NPs) de ouro foi desenvolvido, e as propriedades estruturais, morfológicas e ópticas dos NTs obtidos foram investigadas. Os arranjos de NTs de TiO2 foram crescidos pela oxidação anódica de Ti metálico utilizando soluções eletrolíticas contendo íons fluoreto e NPs de Au. As estruturas resultantes foram caracterizadas por espectrometria de retroespalhamento Rutherford (RBS), difratometria de raios X com incidência rasante (GIXRD), microscopias eletrônicas de transmissão (TEM) e de varredura (SEM) e espectroscopia UV-Vis. Tanto os arranjos de NTs sem Au quanto os impregnados com Au mostraram atividade fotocatalítica boa e estável na geração de hidrogênio a partir de misturas água/metanol. Os nanotubos de TiO2 contendo Au foram mais ativos na fotogeração de hidrogênio do que os NTs de TiO2 sem Au.A novel method for the fabrication of TiO2 nanotubes (NTs) impregnated with gold nanoparticles (NPs) is reported. TiO2 NT arrays were grown by anodic oxidation of Ti metal using fluoride electrolytes containing Au NPs. Resulting structures were characterized by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), grazing incidence X-ray diffractometry (GIXRD), transmission and scanning electron microscopy (SEM and TEM) and UV-Vis spectroscopy. Au-free and Au-impregnated TiO2 NT arrays showed good and stable photocatalytic activity for hydrogen generation from water/methanol solutions. Au-containing TiO2 NTs presented higher hydrogen photogeneration activity than Au-free TiO2 NTs

Multi-Particle Collision Dynamics -- a Particle-Based Mesoscale Simulation Approach to the Hydrodynamics of Complex Fluids

In this review, we describe and analyze a mesoscale simulation method for fluid flow, which was introduced by Malevanets and Kapral in 1999, and is now called multi-particle collision dynamics (MPC) or stochastic rotation dynamics (SRD). The method consists of alternating streaming and collision steps in an ensemble of point particles. The multi-particle collisions are performed by grouping particles in collision cells, and mass, momentum, and energy are locally conserved. This simulation technique captures both full hydrodynamic interactions and thermal fluctuations. The first part of the review begins with a description of several widely used MPC algorithms and then discusses important features of the original SRD algorithm and frequently used variations. Two complementary approaches for deriving the hydrodynamic equations and evaluating the transport coefficients are reviewed. It is then shown how MPC algorithms can be generalized to model non-ideal fluids, and binary mixtures with a consolute point. The importance of angular-momentum conservation for systems like phase-separated liquids with different viscosities is discussed. The second part of the review describes a number of recent applications of MPC algorithms to study colloid and polymer dynamics, the behavior of vesicles and cells in hydrodynamic flows, and the dynamics of viscoelastic fluids

Benefícios para alguns, prejuízos para muitos: razões e implicações da adoção da dupla porta de entrada em hospitais universitários

Resumo A chamada dupla porta de entrada - uma para usuários do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) e outra para clientela privada - é fenômeno crescente nos serviços de saúde, sobretudo no estado de São Paulo, Brasil, onde diversos hospitais de ensino destinam parcela dos recursos existentes para atender pacientes de planos de saúde em suas dependências. O objetivo do artigo é compreender as razões que justificam a adoção (ou não) da dupla porta de entrada em hospitais vinculados a universidades públicas, buscando identificar suas implicações socioeconômicas. Os métodos incluíram pesquisa documental e a realização de entrevistas com representantes dos hospitais selecionados no período de abril a junho de 2014. Os resultados evidenciam a existência de duas narrativas divergentes sobre o tema. A narrativa favorável enfatiza o aporte adicional de recursos e a possibilidade de manter os médicos docentes integralmente dedicados à universidade; a narrativa desfavorável enfatiza as discriminações decorrentes da segmentação entre pagantes e não pagantes, assim como o uso de recursos públicos para o atendimento de clientela privada. Conclui-se que a adoção da dupla porta de entrada, ao enfatizar a solução de problemas estruturais mediante a privatização de serviços públicos, reforça as desigualdades existentes na sociedade

Warming Can Boost Denitrification Disproportionately Due to Altered Oxygen Dynamics

Background: Global warming and the alteration of the global nitrogen cycle are major anthropogenic threats to the environment. Denitrification, the biological conversion of nitrate to gaseous nitrogen, removes a substantial fraction of the nitrogen from aquatic ecosystems, and can therefore help to reduce eutrophication effects. However, potential responses of denitrification to warming are poorly understood. Although several studies have reported increased denitrification rates with rising temperature, the impact of temperature on denitrification seems to vary widely between systems. Methodology/Principal Findings: We explored the effects of warming on denitrification rates using microcosm experiments, field measurements and a simple model approach. Our results suggest that a three degree temperature rise will double denitrification rates. By performing experiments at fixed oxygen concentrations as well as with oxygen concentrations varying freely with temperature, we demonstrate that this strong temperature dependence of denitrification can be explained by a systematic decrease of oxygen concentrations with rising temperature. Warming decreases oxygen concentrations due to reduced solubility, and more importantly, because respiration rates rise more steeply with temperature than photosynthesis. Conclusions/Significance: Our results show that denitrification rates in aquatic ecosystems are strongly temperature dependent, and that this is amplified by the temperature dependencies of photosynthesis and respiration. Our result

Investigating large-scale brain dynamics using field potential recordings: Analysis and interpretation

New technologies to record electrical activity from the brain on a massive scale offer tremendous opportunities for discovery. Electrical measurements of large-scale brain dynamics, termed field potentials, are especially important to understanding and treating the human brain. Here, our goal is to provide best practices on how field potential recordings (EEG, MEG, ECoG and LFP) can be analyzed to identify large-scale brain dynamics, and to highlight critical issues and limitations of interpretation in current work. We focus our discussion of analyses around the broad themes of activation, correlation, communication and coding. We provide best-practice recommendations for the analyses and interpretations using a forward model and an inverse model. The forward model describes how field potentials are generated by the activity of populations of neurons. The inverse model describes how to infer the activity of populations of neurons from field potential recordings. A recurring theme is the challenge of understanding how field potentials reflect neuronal population activity given the complexity of the underlying brain systems

Photosensitised Degradation of Organic Dyes by Visible Light Using Riboflavin Adsorbed on the Surface of TiO 2

A degradação de soluções aquosas de índigo carmim (IC), azul de metileno (MB) e laranja de metilo (MO) assistida pela luz visível foi conseguida sobre a superfície de nanotubos (NTs) de TiO2 impregnados com riboflavina (RF). Soluções aquosas diluídas de RF na presença de RF-NTs TiO2 irradiados com luz UV produziram O2, CO e CO2 como principais produtos gasosos. As mesmas soluções quando irradiadas com luz visível mostraram que o O2 foi o produto principal obtido. Esta geração de O2 in situ com luz visível permite a degradação dos corantes, sem a necessidade de borbulhar ar ou oxigênio no sistema de reação. A degradação fotocatalítica de MO, MB e IC pode ser descrita por um modelo de cinética de pseudo-primeira ordem obtendo ca. 100% de degradação de MB, MO e IC em menos de 3 h de iluminação de luz visível. Os resultados aqui apresentados são altamente promissores em vista da potencial aplicação dos catalisadores RF‑TiO2 NTs preparados com dois compostos ambientalmente corretos na degradação de poluentes utilizando radiação solar.Visible light-assisted degradation of indigo carmine (IC), methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) aqueous solutions has been achieved on the surface of TiO2 nanotube (NT) arrays impregnated with riboflavin (RF). Diluted RF water solutions in the presence of RF-TiO2 NTs irradiated with UV light produced O2, CO and CO2 as main gas products. On the contrary, the same solutions irradiated with visible light evolved O2 as a main product. This in situ O2 generation under visible light absorption allows the degradation of the dyes without the necessity to bubble air or oxygen in the reaction system The photocatalytic degradation of MO, MB and IC can be described by a pseudo-first-order kinetic model obtaining ca. 100% degradation of MB, MO and IC in less than 3 h of visible light illumination. The results provided here are highly promising in view of various photocatalytic applications of the prepared RF-TiO2 NTs catalysts by two environmentally friendly compounds in the degradation of pollutants using solar radiation