Enhancement of Ce/Cr Codopant Solubility and Chemical Homogeneity in TiO Nanoparticles through Sol-Gel versus Pechini Syntheses.

Ce/Cr codoped TiO nanoparticles were synthesized using sol-gel and Pechini methods with heat treatment at 400 °C for 4 h. A conventional sol-gel process produced well-crystallized anatase, while Pechini synthesis yielded less-ordered mixed-phase anatase + rutile; this suggests that the latter method enhances Ce solubility and increases chemical homogeneity but destabilizes the TiO lattice. Greater structural disruption from the decomposition of the Pechini precursor formed more open agglomerated morphologies, while the lower levels of structural disruption from pyrolysis of the dried sol-gel precursor resulted in denser agglomerates of lower surface areas.

A novel function for the DEAD-box RNA helicase DDX-23 in primary microRNA processing in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Primary microRNAs (pri-miRNAs) are cleaved by the nuclear RNase III Drosha to produce hairpin-shaped precursor miRNAs (pre-miRNAs). In humans, this process is known to be facilitated by the DEAD-box helicases p68 (DDX5) and p72 (DDX17). In this study, we performed a candidate-based RNAi screen in C.

Paper spray-MS for bioanalysis.

This Review provides a general understanding of paper spray-MS, including the methodology and theory associated with a number of different related applications. This method has become a direct sampling/ionization method for mass spectrometric analysis at ambient conditions and, as a result, it has greatly simplified and increased the speed of mass-spectrum analysis. It has now become an increasingly popular and important method for MS.

The use of a milli-whistle as a detector in gas analysis by gas chromatography.

This mini-review introduces a general understanding of the use of a milli-whistle as a gas chromatography (GC) detector in gas analysis, including our research on the methodology and theory associated with a number of different related applications. The milli-whistle is connected to the outlet of a GC capillary, and when the eluted gases and the GC carrier gas pass through it, a sound with a fundamental frequency is produced. The sound wave can be picked up by a microphone or an accelerometer, and after a fast Fourier transform, the online data obtained for frequency-change vs.

Monitoring temperature and light exposure of biosamples exposed to ultraviolet and low energy radiation.

We previously showed that T-lymphocytes produce catalytic amounts of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in a membrane-associated process when irradiated with narrowband ultraviolet B (UVB) light. This form of phototherapy is thought to be highly effective for treatment of inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis, but also includes the potential for severe burning and development of skin cancer. Consequently, information on the therapeutic mechanism of narrowband UVB phototherapy and its regulation is warranted.

Endogenous activation of nicotinic receptors underlies sympathetic tone generation in neonatal rat spinal cord in vitro.

Without the brainstem, thoracic spinal cords of neonatal rats in vitro spontaneously generate tonic sympathetic nerve discharge (SND) in the splanchnic nerves. Activation of nicotinic receptors in cords is known to alter a repertoire of neurotransmitter releases to sympathetic preganglionic neurons (SPNs). Using in vitro nerve-cord preparations, we investigated whether endogenous nicotinic receptor activity is essential for SND genesis.