Unreported resistance in the charge transport limits the photoconversion efficiency of aqueous dye-sensitised solar cells: An electrochemical impedance spectroscopy study

In this work, a thorough electrochemical impedance spectroscopy study is performed of both liquid and polymeric aqueous dye-sensitized solar cells (a-DSSCs), which are also compared with conventional organic solvent-based devices. The main purpose is unveiling phenomena limiting the efficiency of water-based photovoltaics. Indeed, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy spectra of a-DSSCs show two peculiar (and unreported) features that are not observed in organic-based DSSCs. The higher frequency one (R45°) is likely associated with a slowdown of the diffusion kinetics of the redox mediator: it is due to the breakdown of the hydrogen-bond network of the aqueous environment, which was also supported by density functional theory calculations. The lower-frequency feature is associated with the additional amount of energy required for the breakdown at the semiconductor/FTO interface of the adducts between protons (coming from the solvent) and electrons localized in the TiO2 surface trap-states. This ‘disruption energy’ results in a resistive element (RIC) that inversely correlates with the device efficiency. Very interestingly, RIC depends on the applied potential and becomes negligible only at much more positive values than VOC. Tailored equivalent circuits implementing simultaneously R45° and RIC are currently under investigation

Second messenger/signal transduction pathways in major mood disorders: Moving from membrane to mechanism of action, part II: bipolar disorder

The etiopathogenesis and treatment of major mood disorders have historically focused on modulation of monoaminergic (serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine) and amino acid [γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamate] receptors at the plasma membrane. Although the activation and inhibition of these receptors acutely alter local neurotransmitter levels, their neuropsychiatric effects are not immediately observed. This time lag implicates intracellular neuroplasticity as primary in the mechanism of action of antidepressants and mood stabilizers. The modulation of intracellular second messenger/signal transduction cascades affects neurotrophic pathways that are both necessary and sufficient for monoaminergic and amino acid–based treatments. In this review, we will discuss the evidence in support of intracellular mediators in the pathophysiology and treatment of preclinical models of despair and major depressive disorder (MDD). More specifically, we will focus on the following pathways: cAMP/PKA/CREB, neurotrophin-mediated (MAPK and others), p11, Wnt/Fz/Dvl/GSK3β, and NFκB/ΔFosB. We will also discuss recent discoveries with rapidly acting antidepressants, which activate the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and release of inhibition on local translation via elongation factor stimulation. Throughout this discourse, we will highlight potential intracellular targets for therapeutic intervention. Finally, future clinical implications are discussed

Home vegetable gardens and medicinal plants promoting voluntary work in different social levels

Necessário se faz a junção de esforços interinstitucionais para que se incentive a produção de alimentos para o próprio consumo e de plantas medicinais. Os trabalhos com hortaliças e plantas medicinais fazem parte de projetos de extensão, com oferecimento de Cursos práticos, ministrados nos fundos de quintal de diferentes Instituições. Dentre os inúmeros trabalhos realizados, ou em condução, têm-se 1) UFGD forma horta caseira com idosos; 2) UFGD e TV Morena, em Dourados, ensinam a cultivar hortaliças para combater o estresse de trabalho e melhorar o cardápio familiar; 3) Horta caseira e horto de plantas medicinais como forma de ocupação e de valorização da vida; 4) Horta escolar: a UFGD ensina a valorizar a terra e a melhorar a alimentação; 5) A Universidade e o CMO ensinam a militares e a civis a implantar hortas familiares e hortos de plantas medicinais, para combater a fome e melhorar a renda; 6) A Universidade e as hortas colaboram na erradicação do trabalho infantil; 7) Ensinamentos sobre produção de plantas medicinais em hortos familiares, em Dourados e 8) WORKSHOPS discutem plantas medicinais há 14 anos em Dourados-MS. Dentre os resultados obtidos nos diferentes trabalhos de extensão citam-se (1) a manutenção das hortas e dos hortos de plantas medicinais, para abastecer parte das necessidades da instituição e (2) mostrar aos alunos da UFGD e à sociedade douradense o valor de um trabalho social e da importância da UFGD na prestação de serviço, levando à melhoria do bem estar dos cidadãos.It is necessary to do a connection of inter-institutional efforts for motivation the production of for own consumption and of medicinal plants. The works with vegetable and medicinal plants made part of extension projects, offering practical courses which were performed at the backyards of different institutions. Among various works, which were performed or are performing, we have: 1) UFGD performs home vegetable gardens with old people; 2) UFGD and TV Morena, in Dourados, teach to cultivate vegetables for combating stress and for improving family’s menu; 3) Home vegetable garden and medicinal plant garden as way of occupation and of valorization of life; 4) School vegetable garden: UFGD teaches to valorize the earth and to improve food; 5) the University and CMO teach militaries and civilians to cultivate home vegetable gardens and medicinal plant gardens for combating hunger and for improving income; 6) The University and the cultivation of vegetable gardens contribute for eradication of child work; 7) Teaching on medicinal plant and home vegetable gardens in Dourados-MS; 8) WORKSHOPS discuss medicinal plants for more than 14 years in Dourados-MS. Among obtained results by differents works of extension, we can cite: 1) the maintaining of vegetable and medicinal gardens for supply part of institution needs and 2) to show to students of UFGD and to Dourados socity the value of a social work and the importance of UFGD in providing service and improving the well-being of citizen.Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestale

Home vegetable gardens and medicinal plants promoting voluntary work in different social levels

Necessário se faz a junção de esforços interinstitucionais para que se incentive a produção de alimentos para o próprio consumo e de plantas medicinais. Os trabalhos com hortaliças e plantas medicinais fazem parte de projetos de extensão, com oferecimento de Cursos práticos, ministrados nos fundos de quintal de diferentes Instituições. Dentre os inúmeros trabalhos realizados, ou em condução, têm-se 1) UFGD forma horta caseira com idosos; 2) UFGD e TV Morena, em Dourados, ensinam a cultivar hortaliças para combater o estresse de trabalho e melhorar o cardápio familiar; 3) Horta caseira e horto de plantas medicinais como forma de ocupação e de valorização da vida; 4) Horta escolar: a UFGD ensina a valorizar a terra e a melhorar a alimentação; 5) A Universidade e o CMO ensinam a militares e a civis a implantar hortas familiares e hortos de plantas medicinais, para combater a fome e melhorar a renda; 6) A Universidade e as hortas colaboram na erradicação do trabalho infantil; 7) Ensinamentos sobre produção de plantas medicinais em hortos familiares, em Dourados e 8) WORKSHOPS discutem plantas medicinais há 14 anos em Dourados-MS. Dentre os resultados obtidos nos diferentes trabalhos de extensão citam-se (1) a manutenção das hortas e dos hortos de plantas medicinais, para abastecer parte das necessidades da instituição e (2) mostrar aos alunos da UFGD e à sociedade douradense o valor de um trabalho social e da importância da UFGD na prestação de serviço, levando à melhoria do bem estar dos cidadãos.It is necessary to do a connection of inter-institutional efforts for motivation the production of for own consumption and of medicinal plants. The works with vegetable and medicinal plants made part of extension projects, offering practical courses which were performed at the backyards of different institutions. Among various works, which were performed or are performing, we have: 1) UFGD performs home vegetable gardens with old people; 2) UFGD and TV Morena, in Dourados, teach to cultivate vegetables for combating stress and for improving family’s menu; 3) Home vegetable garden and medicinal plant garden as way of occupation and of valorization of life; 4) School vegetable garden: UFGD teaches to valorize the earth and to improve food; 5) the University and CMO teach militaries and civilians to cultivate home vegetable gardens and medicinal plant gardens for combating hunger and for improving income; 6) The University and the cultivation of vegetable gardens contribute for eradication of child work; 7) Teaching on medicinal plant and home vegetable gardens in Dourados-MS; 8) WORKSHOPS discuss medicinal plants for more than 14 years in Dourados-MS. Among obtained results by differents works of extension, we can cite: 1) the maintaining of vegetable and medicinal gardens for supply part of institution needs and 2) to show to students of UFGD and to Dourados socity the value of a social work and the importance of UFGD in providing service and improving the well-being of citizen.Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestale

Home vegetable gardens and medicinal plants promoting voluntary work in different social levels

Necessário se faz a junção de esforços interinstitucionais para que se incentive a produção de alimentos para o próprio consumo e de plantas medicinais. Os trabalhos com hortaliças e plantas medicinais fazem parte de projetos de extensão, com oferecimento de Cursos práticos, ministrados nos fundos de quintal de diferentes Instituições. Dentre os inúmeros trabalhos realizados, ou em condução, têm-se 1) UFGD forma horta caseira com idosos; 2) UFGD e TV Morena, em Dourados, ensinam a cultivar hortaliças para combater o estresse de trabalho e melhorar o cardápio familiar; 3) Horta caseira e horto de plantas medicinais como forma de ocupação e de valorização da vida; 4) Horta escolar: a UFGD ensina a valorizar a terra e a melhorar a alimentação; 5) A Universidade e o CMO ensinam a militares e a civis a implantar hortas familiares e hortos de plantas medicinais, para combater a fome e melhorar a renda; 6) A Universidade e as hortas colaboram na erradicação do trabalho infantil; 7) Ensinamentos sobre produção de plantas medicinais em hortos familiares, em Dourados e 8) WORKSHOPS discutem plantas medicinais há 14 anos em Dourados-MS. Dentre os resultados obtidos nos diferentes trabalhos de extensão citam-se (1) a manutenção das hortas e dos hortos de plantas medicinais, para abastecer parte das necessidades da instituição e (2) mostrar aos alunos da UFGD e à sociedade douradense o valor de um trabalho social e da importância da UFGD na prestação de serviço, levando à melhoria do bem estar dos cidadãos.It is necessary to do a connection of inter-institutional efforts for motivation the production of for own consumption and of medicinal plants. The works with vegetable and medicinal plants made part of extension projects, offering practical courses which were performed at the backyards of different institutions. Among various works, which were performed or are performing, we have: 1) UFGD performs home vegetable gardens with old people; 2) UFGD and TV Morena, in Dourados, teach to cultivate vegetables for combating stress and for improving family’s menu; 3) Home vegetable garden and medicinal plant garden as way of occupation and of valorization of life; 4) School vegetable garden: UFGD teaches to valorize the earth and to improve food; 5) the University and CMO teach militaries and civilians to cultivate home vegetable gardens and medicinal plant gardens for combating hunger and for improving income; 6) The University and the cultivation of vegetable gardens contribute for eradication of child work; 7) Teaching on medicinal plant and home vegetable gardens in Dourados-MS; 8) WORKSHOPS discuss medicinal plants for more than 14 years in Dourados-MS. Among obtained results by differents works of extension, we can cite: 1) the maintaining of vegetable and medicinal gardens for supply part of institution needs and 2) to show to students of UFGD and to Dourados socity the value of a social work and the importance of UFGD in providing service and improving the well-being of citizen.Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestale

NiO/ZrO2nanocomposites as photocathodes of tandem DSCs with higher photoconversion efficiency with respect to parent single-photoelectrode p-DSCs

The nanocomposites of nickel oxide (NiO) and zirconia (ZrO2) (NZNCs) are particularly effective photocathodic materials in p-type dye-sensitized solar cells (p-DSCs) and tandem DSCs (t-DSCs). The t-DSCs obtained from P1-sensitized NZNC as photocathode and nanostructured titania (TiO2) sensitized with squaraine VG10-C8 as photoanode display overall efficiencies of ca. 2% at their best and, more importantly, produced photocurrents that surpassed systematically the values obtained from the parent devices having one photoelectrochemical interface. Such a finding is a consequence of the diminished resistance of the electrolyte the thickness of which is systematically smaller in t-DSCs with respect to parent DSCs with a single photoelectrochemical junction and same interelectrodic separation. The results here reported demonstrate that a careful combination of photoelectroactive electrodes can lead to an increase in current density of more than 15% in the t-DSC with respect to single-junction DSCs employing the same photoelectrodes provided that the whole thickness of the t-DSC is the same as in the single photoelectrode DSC and the photoelectrodes in the t-DSC do not incur in short-circuit phenomena through the electrolyte. For the successful realization of t-DSCs another important aspect is the complementarity of the absorption properties of the chosen colorants with the sensitized electrodes having similar absorbance in their respective ranges of optical absorption. The latter condition in t-DSCs makes possible the achievement of photoactivity spectra with a uniform efficiency of conversion in the whole visible range. For the attainment of efficient t-DSCs the two different photoelectrodes from parent DSCs (i.e. the devices at a single photoeletrochemical interface), should generate anodic and cathodic photocurrent densities with very similar values. Such a matching of photocurrents requires a careful selection of the thickness values for the photoelectrodes especially in case of materials with considerably different characteristics of charge injection. The approach here considered is a promising one for the assembly of quasi-transparent photoelectrochemical tandem devices operating as smart windows that convert light into electrical power

Adubação verde no crescimento e na produção de Schinus terebinthifolius, Hibiscus sabdariffa e Jacaranda decurrens.

bitstream/item/68608/1/005-moreira-adubacao.pdfPublicado também no Cadernos de Agroecologia, v. 7, n.2, 2012

Boltzmann equation and hydrodynamic fluctuations

We apply the method of invariant manifolds to derive equations of generalized hydrodynamics from the linearized Boltzmann equation and determine exact transport coefficients, obeying Green-Kubo formulas. Numerical calculations are performed in the special case of Maxwell molecules. We investigate, through the comparison with experimental data and former approaches, the spectrum of density fluctuations and address the regime of finite Knudsen numbers and finite frequencies hydrodynamics.Comment: This is a more detailed version of a related paper: I.V. Karlin, M. Colangeli, M. Kroger, PRL 100 (2008) 214503, arXiv:0801.2932. It contains comparison between predictions and experiment, in particular. 11 pages, 6 figures, 2 table

Small farmers' perception of factors influencing regional chemical control of Diaphorina citri

Regional Control Areas (RCAs) have been implemented in Mexico as a strategy to delay the spread of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus, the causal bacterium of the disease known as Huanglongbing (HLB). The implementation of an effective management of the vector insect, Diaphorina citri in the RCAs requires the knowledge, acceptance and coordinated engagement of small agricultural producers. This research assessed the perception and knowledge of 62 citrus growers regarding the operational, sociocultural and environmental factors influencing chemical control of D. citri in four RCAs within Veracruz State. According to their responses, the following factors have been identified as the operational factors with the highest influence on the effectiveness of insecticides against D. citri within RCAs: the lack of knowledge about the use of surfactants, application speed, poor calibration of sprayers and incorrect water quality. The most significant sociocultural factors are the general unawareness of the pest and the safe and proper application of pesticides. The most relevant environmental factors during application: temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed. Sociocultural index correlated with the perception of effectiveness. Therefore, it becomes necessary to consider differences among citrus growers in each region and setting out the most appropriatestrategies for vector and disease management. Highlights Some operational practices that citrus growers are not aware of may influence their perception of chemical control. The sociocultural context of growers determines their decision-taking on insecticide applications. During the application of insecticides in regional control areas (RCAs), growers do not take into account weather conditions. The effective management of D. citri requires a coordinated engagement of small growers' in RCAs.Regional Control Areas (RCAs) have been implemented in Mexico as a strategy to delay the spread of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus, the causal bacterium of the disease known as Huanglongbing (HLB). The implementation of an effective management of the vector insect, Diaphorina citri in the RCAs requires the knowledge, acceptance and coordinated engagement of small agricultural producers. This research assessed the perception and knowledge of 62 citrus growers regarding the operational, sociocultural and environmental factors influencing chemical control of D. citri in four RCAs within Veracruz State. According to their responses, the following factors have been identified as the operational factors with the highest influence on the effectiveness of insecticides against D. citri within RCAs: the lack of knowledge about the use of surfactants, application speed, poor calibration of sprayers and incorrect water quality. The most significant sociocultural factors are the general unawareness of the pest and the safe and proper application of pesticides. The most relevant environmental factors during application: temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed. Sociocultural index correlated with the perception of effectiveness. Therefore, it becomes necessary to consider differences among citrus growers in each region and setting out the most appropriatestrategies for vector and disease management. Highlights Some operational practices that citrus growers are not aware of may influence their perception of chemical control. The sociocultural context of growers determines their decision-taking on insecticide applications. During the application of insecticides in regional control areas (RCAs), growers do not take into account weather conditions. The effective management of D. citri requires a coordinated engagement of small growers' in RCAs

Altered interaction with environmental reinforcers in major depressive disorder: Relationship to anhedonia

Anhedonia—defined as loss of interest or pleasure—is one of two core symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD). Anhedonia may involve decreased enjoyment of potentially rewarding activities and decreased motivation to engage in such activities. Increased engagement with reinforcers—activities with the potential to be positive experiences—is a frequent target of cognitive-behavioral therapies. Nevertheless, how environmental reinforcers are perceived, and how decisions to approach or avoid them are made by individuals with MDD, is largely unknown. We developed an experimental Behavioral Approach Motivation Paradigm to study how activities are evaluated and approached in MDD. Twenty-one MDD participants and 23 healthy controls performed an experimental task that rated activity words for their hedonic value, then engaged in an approach-avoidance joystick task with each individual’s unique set of ‘liked’ and ‘disliked’ activity words. A negative correlation was observed between anhedonia and the number of ‘liked’ activities across participants. No significant difference between approach and avoidance behavior was found in direct comparisons between healthy controls and MDD participants; however, weaker avoidance and greater approach toward ‘disliked’ activities was found in MDD participants. This suggests negative bias in selecting environmental opportunities, potentially further compromising access to hedonic experiences in MDD