High-temperature ferromagnetism in Co-doped CeO2 synthesized by the coprecipitation technique.

The aim of the present study is to check the influence of annealing under vacuum and a mixture of N(2)-H(2) atmosphere on the magnetic properties of polycrystalline Co-doped CeO(2) diluted magnetic oxides (DMOs) with Co concentrations of 5 at% synthesized using the coprecipitation technique. X-Ray diffraction (XRD) patterns and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed for all samples the expected CeO(2) cubic fluorite-type structure and that Co ions are uniformly distributed inside the samples. Room-temperature Raman and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopies indicate an increase in the concentration of oxygen vacancies upon Co doping and further annealing. Field dependent magnetization measurements revealed a paramagnetic behavior for as-prepared Co-doped CeO(2), while a ferromagnetic behavior appears when the same samples are annealed under vacuum or N(2)-H(2) atmosphere. Temperature dependent magnetization measurements suggest that the observed ferromagnetism is due to the presence of metallic Co clusters with nanometric size and broad size distribution. These results are supported by electron paramagnetic resonance studies.

Characteristics of children's agricultural tasks in Hmong farming communities.

Hmong farm children perform different work tasks, have different roles and responsibilities, and are thus exposed to different hazards than most North American farm children. Hmong children perform tasks in four time-related phases: pre-harvest, harvest, post-harvest, and product marketing. Standard health and safety educational materials, including the North American Guidelines for Children's Agricultural Tasks, are not widely accepted by Minnesota Hmong farmers. This qualitative work is a precursor to the creation of culturally and contextually appropriate materials and guidelines to address the health and safety needs of Hmong children working on their family's production acreage. Methods used include literature review, focus groups, semistructured interviews, and field observations.

Formation of a phosphorus-phosphorus bond by successive one-electron reductions of a two-phosphinines-containing macrocycle: crystal structures, EPR, and DFT investigations.

Chemical and electrochemical reductions of the macrocycle 1 lead to the formation of a radical monoanion anion [1](*)(-) whose structure has been studied by EPR in liquid and frozen solutions. In accord with experimental (31)P hyperfine tensors, DFT calculations indicate that, in this species, the unpaired electron is mainly localized in a bonding sigma P-P orbital. Clearly, a one-electron bond (2.763 A) was formed between two phosphorus atoms which, in the neutral molecule, were 3.256 A apart (crystal structure). A subsequent reduction of this radical anion gives rise to the dianion [1](2)(-) which could be crystallized by using, in the presence of cryptand, Na naphthalenide as a reductant agent. As shown by the crystal structure, in [1](2)(-), the two phosphinine moieties adopt a phosphacyclohexadienyl structure and are linked by a P-P bond whose length (2.305(2) A) is only slightly longer than a usual P-P bond. When the phosphinine moieties are not incorporated in a macrocycle, no formation of any one-electron P-P bond is observed: thus, one-electron reduction of 3 with Na naphthalenide leads to the EPR spectrum of the ion pair [3](*)(-) Na(+); however, at high concentration, these ion pairs dimerize, and, as shown by the crystal structure of [(3)(2)](2)(-)[(Na(THF)(2))(2)](2+) a P-P bond is formed (2.286(2) A) between two phosphinine rings which adopt a boat-type conformation, the whole edifice being stabilized by two carbon-sodium-phosphorus bridges.

The antioxidant role of bile pigments evaluated by chemical tests.

Bilirubin, biliverdin and their serum albumin complexes were tested as oxyradical scavengers (superoxide generated by the xanthine/xanthine oxidase system and peroxyl radical-trapping antioxidant ability). As superoxide scavengers the free bile pigments showed activities near to that of serum albumin, higher than the water soluble vitamin E analog Trolox and lower than ascorbic acid. The peroxyl radical-trapping antioxidant abilities of the tested bile pigments were much higher than those of the serum albumin and of the same order as their serum albumin complexes. This interaction with peroxyl radicals showed different stoichiometric factors for bilirubin (approximately 2) and biliverdin (approximately 4).