Novel nitrogen plasma doping on CdS/GO compounds and their photocatalytic assessment.

Nitrogen-doping of cadmium sulfide nanostructured compounds was carried out under a nitrogen plasma source to produce CdS-N compounds. Once prepared, it was supported on graphene oxide sheets for producing CdS-N/GO photocatalysts, which were tested in the degradation of lignin and methylene blue (MB) molecules. Photocatalytic reactions were carried out under UV and visible (vis) energy irradiation. To provide insight on the catalytic behavior the CdS, CdS-N, GO, and CdS-N/GO compounds were characterized using different techniques including x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Raman, and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy allowed determining the chemical composition in samples. It was observed an outstanding performance in photocatalytic activity tests, attributed to the extended response towards the visible light regime, and the synergistic effect between CdS-N and GO particles. The catalytic activity tests, reveal that the CdS-N/GO compound achieved over 90% lignin degradation and 100% of MB degradation. In addition, a remarkable performance is observed in the CdS-N/GO compound which exhibited stability after performing several reaction cycles.

Ce, Eu incorporation through doping of ALD-ZnO thin films for enhancing their photoluminescent properties.

Nanostructured ZnO nanoarrays deposited on silicon oriented substrates is a very promising area in the study of the control of physicochemical properties, in which photoluminescence plays a crucial role. This optical property inherent to ZnO, can be favorably modified through the inclusion of doping elements, with the purpose of appropriately modifying their optical absorption and luminescence. Following this objective, in the present work we present the development of Zn(1-x-y)Ce(x)Eu(y)O nanostructured thin films. The samples were produced in two steps process by atomic layer deposition technique followed by a solvothermal synthesis. The purpose of Cerium and Europium incorporation into the ZnO compound is to enhance the photoluminescence in ZnO thin films. In a first stage textured thin films were obtained from diethylzinc at a temperature of 190 °C and a pressure of 3.29 × 10-4 atm, on silicon substrates (111). Subsequently, the perpendicular growth of nanostructures was induced under a solvothermal process, where Zn(NO3)2 was used as Zn precursor and hexamethylene-tetramine operating as a dual-ligand to promote the linking of Zn2+ ions. The growth of cerium-europium ZnO nanostructures was promoted with Ce(C2H3O2)3·H2O and Eu(NO3)3·5H2O. The obtained Zn(1-x-y)Ce(x)Eu(y)O nanostructured thin films, were examined through SEM-microscopy, x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and photoluminescence studies. The attained results show that it is feasible to produce Ce-Eu-doped ZnO nanostructures with tailored photoluminescence and crystal size. Interestingly the Ce-Eu doping induces a strong shift in comparison to the typical UV emission of ZnO; an effect that can be related with the increase of lattice defects in ZnO.

Columnar nitrogen-doped ZnO nanostructured thin films obtained through atomic layer deposition.

The present study was aimed to develop nitrogen-doped nanostructured ZnO thin films. These films were produced in a sequential procedure involving the atomic layer deposition technique, and a hydrothermal process supported by microwave heating. Employing the atomic layer deposition technique, through self-limited reactions of diethylzinc (DEZn) and H2O, carried out at 3.29 × 10-4atm and 190 °C, a high-quality ZnO seed was grown on a Si (100) substrate, producing a textured film. In a second stage, columnar ZnO nanostructures were grown perpendicularly oriented to the silicon substrate on those films, using a solvothermal process in a microwave heating facility, employing Zn(NO3)2as zinc precursor, while hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA) was used to produce the bridging of Zn2+ions. The consequence of N-doping concentration on the physicochemical properties of ZnO thin films was studied. The manufactured films were structurally analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction. Also, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman, and UV-vis spectroscopies were used to provide further insight on the effect of nitrogen doping. The N-doped films displayed textured wurtzite-like structures that changes their preferential growth from the (002) to the (100) crystallographic plane, apparently promoted by the increase of nitrogen precursor. It is also shown that nitrogen-doped films undergo a reduction in their bandgap, compared to ZnO. The methodology presented here provides a viable way to perform high-quality N-ZnO nanostructured thin films.

Improvement of a popcorn population using selection indexes from a fourth cycle of recurrent selection program carried out in two different environments.

We estimated genetic gains for popcorn varieties using selection indexes in a fourth cycle of intrapopulation recurrent selection developed in the campus of the Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense. Two hundred full-sib families were obtained from the popcorn population UNB-2U of the third recurrent selection cycle. The progenies were evaluated in a randomized block design with two replications at sites in two different environments: the Colégio Estadual Agrícola Antônio Sarlo, in Campos dos Goytacazes, and the Empresa de Pesquisa Agropecuária do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (PESAGRO-RIO), in Itaocara, both in the State of Rio de Janeiro. There were significant differences between families within sets in all traits, indicating genetic variability that could be exploited in future cycles. Thirty full-sib families were selected to continue the program. The selection indexes used to predict the gains were those of Mulamba and Mock, Smith and Hazel. The best results were obtained with the Mulamba and Mock index, which allowed the prediction of negative gains for the traits number of diseased ears and ears attacked by pests, number of broken plants and lodging, as well as ears with poor husk cover. It also provided higher gains for popping expansion and grain yield than with the other indexes, giving values of 10.55 and 8.50%, respectively, based on tentatively assigned random weights.

Assessment of antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of Cymbopogon winterianus leaf essential oil.

The present study investigated the antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of the leaf essential oil (LEO) of Cymbopogon winterianus Jowitt (Poaceae). In the acetic acid-induced writhing and formalin tests, the LEO (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly reduced (p < 0.05) the number of writhings and paw licking times in the first (0-5 min) and second (15-30 min) phases, respectively. In contrast, the LEO did not alter the latency time for mice licking the rear paws in hot-plate test. The LEO inhibited the carrageenan-induced neutrophil migration to the peritoneal cavity in a dose-dependent manner (35.5%, 42.8%, and 66.1% at doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, respectively, p < 0.001). Moreover, LEO exhibited higher scavenging activity toward 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals with an IC(50) (12.66 ± 0.56 µg/mL). Our present results demonstrated that the LEO has antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties.

Photocatalytic performance of nitrogen doped ZnO structures supported on graphene oxide for MB degradation.

In the present work, the photocatalytic efficiency of a novel system based on ZnO doped with nitrogen (ZT) and supported on graphene oxide (GO) is investigated. ZnO synthesis and their N doping were carried out in a microwave reactor using thiourea as nitrogen source, while the GO was prepared through a variation of the Hummers' method. Structural, morphological and photochemical characterization of the developed material was performed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Vis spectroscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), analysis by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy. The compounds were used to photodegrade the methylene blue molecule, which confirms the efficiency of nitrogen doped supported system compared to pristine ZnO. The degradation percentage of MB under UV energy using nitrogen-doped ZnO/GO, in a time of 35 min, reached 98% degradation; while using visible light 93% of degradation was reached.

Genetic parameters in parents and hybrids of circulant diallel in popcorn.

With the aim of estimating genetic parameters and identifying superior popcorn combinations, 10 parents were crossed in a circulant diallel and evaluated together with the 15 resulting hybrids at two locations in two growing seasons for grain yield, number of broken plants, number of partially husked ears and popping expansion. The hybrids were less sensitive to environmental variations than the parents of the diallel in the 2003/2004 and 2004/2005 growing seasons. The genetic parameters suggested possible genetic gains for grain yield and popping expansion, mainly. Bidirectional dominance could have occurred for popping expansion. Heterobeltiosis for grain yield seems to be a common effect in popcorn. The intrapopulation breeding for popping expansion may offer superior genetic gains, but for grain yield, interpopulation breeding is required. The performance of UNB2U-C1 x BRS Angela indicated this hybrid for experimental cultivation in the northern and northwestern Fluminense region in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil.

Long term outcome of functional hemispherectomy for refractory epilepsy: Experience from a single center / Resultado a largo plazo de la hemisferectomía funcional para la epilepsia refractaria: experiencia en un único centro

Background: Hemispherectomy has an established role as a treatment of last resort in patients with unilateral hemispheric lesions suffering from refractory epilepsy. Methods: Seven patients were evaluated at our Epilepsy Unit. We compared the seizure outcome at 6 months, 1, 2, 5 years post-surgery, as well as at end follow-up (mean 7.1 years) using Engel classification. Reduction of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) was also assessed utilizing equal time frames. Results: The mean age of seizure onset was 5.4 years. Engel I was achieved in 5 patients at 6 months (71.4%). Engel at 1 year was predicted by the Engel at 6 months (p=0.013) with a similar number of patients being classified as Engel I outcome. Engel at 2 years was also predicted by Engel at 6 months and at 1 year (p=0.030). At end follow-up only 3 patients (42.9%) remained categorized as Engel I outcome. There was a trend toward a stability in Engel classification. All patients with developmental causes for their epilepsy experienced some deterioration of the surgical outcomes. Conversely, all patients with acquired causes were stable throughout follow-up. Seizure outcome at 6 months was worse in the patients who had post-op complications (p=0.044). Adult and pediatric populations did not differ significantly in any tested variable. Conclusions: Hemispherectomy is a valuable resource for seizure control in properly selected patients. Engel patient's evolution could be predicted at 6 months interval. Hemispherectomy could be considered a useful attitude in difficult cases (AU)

Antecedentes: La hemisferectomía tiene un rol establecido como último recurso de tratamiento en pacientes con lesiones hemisféricas unilaterales que padecen epilepsia refractaria. Métodos: En nuestra Unidad de Epilepsia fueron evaluados 7 pacientes. Comparamos el resultado de la crisis epiléptica a los 6 meses, 1, 2 y 5 años posteriores a la cirugía, así como durante el seguimiento final (media 7,1 años) utilizando la clasificación de Engel. También se evaluó la reducción de fármacos antiepilépticos (FAE) utilizando marcos temporales iguales. Resultados: La edad media de aparición de la crisis fue de 5,4 años. Se logró Engel I en 5 pacientes a los 6 meses (71,4%). Engel a 1año fue predicho por Engel a 6 meses (p=0,013) con un número similar de pacientes clasificados como resultado Engel I. Engel a 2 años fue también predicho por Engel a 6 meses y 1año (p=0,030). Durante el seguimiento final solo 3 pacientes (42,9%) siguieron categorizados como resultado Engel I. Se produjo una tendencia hacia la estabilidad en la clasificación Engel. Todos los pacientes con causas evolutivas para la epilepsia experimentaron cierto deterioro de los resultados quirúrgicos. Por contra, todos los pacientes con causas adquiridas permanecieron estables a lo largo del seguimiento. El resultado de las crisis a los 6 meses fue peor en los pacientes con complicaciones posquirúrgicas (p=0,044). Las poblaciones adulta y pediátrica no difirieron significativamente en ninguna de las variables probadas. Conclusiones: La hemisferectomía es un recurso válido para el control de la crisis en pacientes debidamente seleccionados. La evolución del paciente de Engel pudo predecirse a intervalos de 6 meses. La hemisferectomía podría considerarse una actitud útil en casos difíciles (AU)

Bacillus anthracic meningitis.

Bacillus anthracis is an uncommon cause of meniningitis. The characteristic hemorrhagic features in two patients who died despite antibiotic treatment are presented and discussed.

Pharmacokinetics and safety of a phenytoin prodrug given i.v. or i.m. in patients.

ACC-9653, a prodrug of phenytoin synthesized to be water soluble, is converted to phenytoin by phosphatases. In this study, 43 patients received ACC-9653 IV or IM. Side effects were transient and minor. The conversion half-lives of ACC-9653 after intravenous and intramuscular administration averaged 8.4 and 32.7 minutes, respectively. Peak phenytoin concentrations occurred 42 minutes after IV and 151 minutes after IM administration.

Review of valproate monotherapy in the treatment of generalized tonic-clonic seizures.

Well-controlled prospective studies have shown the benefits of converting treatment for patients with epilepsy from polytherapy to monotherapy. Results of trials with valproate have demonstrated its efficacy as monotherapy in patients with generalized tonic-clonic seizures. Several studies have found no significant differences between valproate and phenytoin and carbamazepine in the treatment of partial seizures. In studies in which patients were diagnosed as having one of the primary generalized epilepsies, the response rate of tonic-clonic seizures to valproate establishes valproate as the drug of choice in the epilepsy syndromes with primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures.

Cysticercotic encephalitis: a severe form in young females.

Clinical and computerized tomography findings in patients with miliary infestation of cysticerci in brain parenchyma are presented. Cysticercotic encephalitis produces a severe and frequently fatal neurological disorder. Although parenchymal cysticercosis is common in endemic areas, in the cases reported here, the pathology is induced by a severe inflammatory response in brain parenchyma rather than by the physical presence of multiple cysts. As a result of diffuse brain edema, all cases develop subacute severe intracranial hypertension and compromise of visual function. One important feature of this form of neurocysticercosis is that it particularly affects young women.

Generation of memory CD4+, CD8+, CD45RO+ and CD16- lymphocytes activated with IL-2, INF-gamma, and TNF-alpha with specific cytotoxicity against autologous cervical cancer cells in a mixed leukocyte-tumour cell culture.

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) specific against autologous human cervical cancer cells were generated in vitro from peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) from four patients with non-keratinized epidermoid carcinoma. For this purpose, these patients' PBL were co-cultured for 28 days either with IL-2 or a mixture of IL-2, IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha in the presence of autologous tumour cells (ATC). Our results showed that these CTL were highly cytotoxic for ATC, weakly cytotoxic for heterologous cervical cancer tumour cells, and not cytotoxic for carcinoma cell lines, normal cervix cells nor autologous PBL. Proliferation and cytotoxicity against ATC were greater when the PBL were activated with the three cytokines. These CTL had a CD4:CD8 ratio of 1:1, were CD16- and CD45RO+ and their killing activity was inhibited by antibodies against CD3, CD8 and MHC-class I but not by antibodies against CD4, CD16 or HLA-class II. The possibility of generating specific CTL in long term cultures for cervical cancer therapy is also discussed.

Extradural hematoma associated with traumatic middle meningeal artery pseudoaneurysm: report of two cases.

Two new cases of extradural hematoma associated with traumatic middle meningeal artery pseudoaneurysm are presented. Sixteen such cases have previously been reported in the literature. A 22-year-old man and a 17-year-old woman each developed marked neurological deficits after head injury. In each case percutaneous common carotid angiography demonstrated a conspicuous aneurysmatic sac on the middle meningeal artery, as well as displacement of major intracranial vessels and a surrounding avascular area. At operation the extradural clot was removed and the middle meningeal artery sac was verified. Both patients recovered uneventfully. Histological analysis of one of the specimens was performed.

In vivo NMR imaging and T1 measurements of water protons in the human brain.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) proton density images of the human brain have been made by the FONAR method. Spin-lattice relaxation times, T1, of water hydrogen protons have been determined at random positions within frontal and temporal regions of the human brain. The primary purpose of this ongoing research is to accumulate a large data base of normal T1 values for water protons in normal human brain tissue. Our experience to date includes 31 measurements on 18 volunteer subjects, and the mean value +/- standard deviation is 215 +/- 42 msec. In addition, two metastatic lesions of the brain were studied and found to have T1 values longer than those for normal brain tissue.

Coexistence of bilateral aneurysms of the internal carotid arteries and an arteriovenous malformation of the left frontal lobe.

A 44-year-old right-handed man was hospitalized because of a subarachnoid hemorrhage. He was drowsy on admission and exhibited a left partial third nerve palsy, right hemiparesis, and selective motor aphasia. A large subcortical arteriovenous malformation involving the left frontal lobe was demonstrated by angiography. The malformation filled from either carotid system and from the vertebrobasilar system as well. In addition, there were two bilaterally symmetrical (mirror) aneurysms of each internal carotid artery. Computed axial tomography revealed a left intratemporal-intraventricular hematoma. Deterioration of the patient's clinical condition occurred a few days after admission. Improvement was obtained after removal of the hematoma at a left subtemporal craniectomy, at which time the ruptured aneurysm arising from the left internal carotid artery was clipped. Sixteen months later, the intact aneurysm of the right internal carotid artery was clipped, and the arteriovenous malformation was radically excised through a bifrontal (Pool) craniotomy with microsurgical technique and with the aid of intraoperative angiography. The patient remained with a fixed neurological deficit, as observed preoperatively.

[Costs of interventions for patients with chronic renal disease]. / Costos de intervenciones para pacientes con insuficiencia renal crónica.

INTRODUCTION: The results of a study which identified the cost of health interventions in the management of patients with chronic renal disease are presented. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The costing method was based on a consensus technique and the instrumentation of case management through the identification of the materials used and functions of production for the demand of each service solicited. The interventions included: peritoneal dialysis, hemodialysis, and renal transplant. RESULTS: The cost per event in U.S. dollars was $3.71, $57.95, and $8,778.32, respectively. The annual cost of case management was: Peritoneal Dialysis $5,643.07, Hemodialysis $9,631.60 and renal transplant $3,021.67. CONCLUSIONS: The information generated from the costs of the events differed considerably from the information that was generated by the annual cost of case management. These differences are significant for the design and evaluation of patterns for allocating resources.

[Cost-effectiveness of interventions for end-stage renal disease]. / Costo-efectividad de intervenciones para insuficiencia renal crónica terminal.

OBJECTIVE: The study reports the cost-effectiveness results of end-stage renal disease (ESDR) patients in Mexico in terms of years of life gained and quality of life and the economic cost with regards to three treatment alternatives that could be considered mutually exclusive: continuous peritoneal ambulatory dialysis (CAPD), hemodialysis (HD) and renal transplant (RT). METHOD: The economic costs were calculated by using the average cost case-management methodology and further, the probable of life expectancy and the quality of life were cross-sectionally assessed by means of the Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALY) measured by the Rosser Index. RESULTS: The results show that economic costs in US$ of the three treatment alternatives were: CAPD $5,643.07, HD $9,631.60, and RT $3,021.63. The probability of life expectancy for CAPD and RT for the first and third year were: 86.2% and 66.9%, and 89.9% and 79.6%, respectively. The QALY scores for patients were: CAPD 0.8794, HD 0.8640, and RT 0.9783. CONCLUSION: The intervention with the highest cost-effectiveness coefficient was the renal transplant (3,088.69), followed by the CAPD (6,416.95) and HD (11,147.68). A significant difference was found between the transplanted patients and patients undergoing dialysis. Finally, this study concluded that the RT offers the least expensive alternative and the greatest number of years of life gained as well as providing significant changes in the quality of life of ESRD patients.

[Dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors]. / Tumores disembrioplásicos neuroepiteliales.

INTRODUCTION: The dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors tend to occur in young patients, with partial complex partial seizures which is refractory to medical treatment. These are stable lesions, with defined histological features, specially with clinical data corroboration. CLINICAL CASES: The clinical, imagiological, operative, and histopathological data of six patients with proved dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors were reviewed. All patients had seizures with age at onset ranged from 7 to 27 years. Five lesions were located in the temporal lobe and one in the parietal lobe. Common features included cortical to subcortical location, low density in CT-scan, very low signal intensity on T1-weighted images and high signal on T2-weighted images. Calcification occurred in two lesions, and three showed contrast enhancement. Complete resection of the tumor was performed in three cases, and subtotal resection in other three cases. Pathological features included oligodendroglial-like cells, glioneural component, and few cases showed dysplastic cortical disorganization. The postoperative period of follow-up ranged from 2 to 18 months. Four patients were seizure free, two of which had subtotal resection of the lesion. The remaining two patients maintained seizures. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical, imagiological and histopathological data of the six cases presented are generally compatible with those of the reports reviewed by the authors. The imagiological features are nonspecific. Surgical treatment permits histological diagnosis and epilepsy control.