HMG CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) to treat Epstein–Barr virus-driven lymphoma

While statins have been highly effective for lowering serum cholesterol and reducing the incidence of coronary events, they have multiple other effects. Certain statins block the interaction of adhesion molecules that are important for cell–cell interactions including those between EBV-transformed B cells. These same statins inhibit NF-κB activation in the cells and induce apoptosis of transformed B cells. Studies in severe combined immunodeficiency mice show that simvastatin delays the development of EBV-lymphomas in these animals. These statins might be considered for the treatment of EBV-lymphomas in selected patients

Physicochemical Characterization of Passive Films and Corrosion Layers by Differential Admittance and Photocurrent Spectroscopy

Two different electrochemical techniques, differential admittance and photocurrent spectroscopy, for the characterization of electronic and solid state properties of passive films and corrosion layers are described and critically evaluated. In order to get information on the electronic properties of passive film and corrosion layers as well as the necessary information to locate the characteristic energy levels of the passive film/electrolyte junction like: flat band potential (Ufb), conduction band edge (EC) or valence band edge (EV), a wide use of Mott-Schottky plots is usually reported in corrosion science and passivity studies. It has been shown, in several papers, that the use of simple M-S theory to get information on the electronic properties and energy levels location at the film/electrolyte interface can be seriously misleading and/or conflicting with the physical basis underlying the M-S theory. A critical appraisal of this approach to the study of very thin and thick anodic passive film grown on base-metals (Cr, Ni, Fe, SS etc..) or on valve metals (Ta, Nb, W etc..) is reported in this work, together with possible alternative approach to overcome some of the mentioned inconsistencies. At this aim the theory of amorphous semiconductor Schottky barrier, introduced several years ago in the study of passive film/electrolyte junction, is reviewed by taking into account some of the more recent results obtained by the present authors. Future developments of the theory appears necessary to get more exact quantitative information on the electronic properties of passive films, specially in the case of very thin film like those formed on base metals and their alloys. The second technique described in this chapter, devoted to the physico-chemical characterization of passive film and corrosion layers, is a more recent technique based on the analysis of the photo-electrochemical answer of passive film/electrolyte junction under illumination with photons having suitable energy. Such a technique usually referred to as Photocurrent Spectroscopy (PCS) has been developed on the basis of the large research effort carried out by several groups in the 1970’s and aimed to investigate the possible conversion of solar energy by means of electrochemical cells. In this work the fundamentals of semiconductor/electrolyte junctions under illumination will be highlighted both for crystalline and amorphous materials. The role of amorphous nature and film thickness on the photo-electrochemical answer of passive film/solution interface is reviewed as well the use of PCS for quantitative analysis of the film composition based on a semi-empirical correlation between optical band gap and difference of electronegativity of film constituents previously suggested by the present authors. In this frame the results of PCS studies on valve metal oxides and valve metal mixed oxides will be discussed in order to show the validity of the proposed method. The results of PCS studies aimed to get information on passive film composition and carried out by different authors on base metals (Fe, Cr, Ni) and their alloys, including stainless steel, will be also compared with compositional analysis carried out by well-established surface analysis techniques

Thermal reactions in mixtures of micron-sized silicon monoxide and titanium monoxide: redox paths overcoming passivation shells

Směsné oxidy a kompozity oxidu TiO2/SiO2 byly intenzivně studovány, zatímco kekich protějšky oxidu titanatého (TiO) a oxidu křemnatého (SiO) stále zůstávají neprozkoumány. Tato studie odhaluje strukturální změny ve zahřátých směsích SiO-TiO. Změny složení ve smísených mikro-částicích TiO a SiO zahřívaných při 1000 ° C byly zkoumány pomocí FTIR, UV-Vis a Ramanovy spektroskopie, rentgenové difrakce a elektronové mikroskopie (SEM a TEM). Ukazuje se, že dochází k úbytku krystalického TiO a tvorbě suboxidů titanu (Ti2.5O3, Ti2O3), rutilu, elementárního křemíku, silicidu titanu Ti5Si3 a amorfních binárních SiOx, TiOx a ternárních nanostruktur SixTiyOz. Tvorba tohoto Si/Ti/O kompozitu je vysvětlena disproprciací SiO, redukcí TiO křemíkem, přenosem kyslíku (redoxní reakce) mezi TiOx a SiOx a kombinací Ti a Si k získání silicidu titanu. Vytvořený Si/Ti/O kompozit absorbuje viditelné světlo a jeho fotokatalytická aktivita ve slunečním záření byla testována na odbarvování methylenové modři (bBlue) a porovnávána s práškem nezahřátého SiO, TiO a Ti5Si3.Silica–titania mixed oxides and composites have been extensively studied, whereas the titanium monoxide (TiO)–silicon monoxide (SiO) counterparts still remain to be explored. Here, we report on structural changes in heated SiO–TiO mixtures. The changes in composition in intimately mixed μm-sized particles of TiO and SiO heated at 1000 °C were examined by FTIR, UV–Vis and Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and electron (SEM and TEM) microscopy. They are shown to involve depletion of crystalline TiO and formation of titanium suboxides (Ti2.5O3, Ti2O3), rutile, elemental silicon, titanium silicide Ti5Si3 and amorphous binary SiOx, TiOx and ternary SixTiyOz nano-structures. These constituents of the developed Si/Ti/O composite are explained by SiO disproportionation, reduction of TiO by silicon, oxygen transfer (redox) reactions between TiOx and SiOx species and the combination of Ti and Si to obtain titanium silicide. The produced Si/Ti/O composite absorbs visible light and its solar-light photocatalytic activity in decolorization of methylene bBlue is compared to that of the unheated SiO, TiO and Ti5Si3 powders