Hollow ZnO microspheres functionalized with electrochemical graphene oxide for the photodegradation of salicylic acid.

Hollow ZnO microspheres were successfully synthesized by a hydrothermal method and then functionalized with graphene oxide (GO) flakes, previously obtained through electrochemical oxidation. Their photocatalytic activity toward the photodegradation of salicylic acid under UV light irradiation was evaluated by UV-Vis spectroscopy. Unfunctionalized microspheres and ZnO functionalized with chemically oxidized graphene were also studied as comparative terms.

Ethanol triggers neural crest apoptosis through the selective activation of a pertussis toxin-sensitive G protein and a phospholipase Cbeta-dependent Ca2+ transient.

Background: Alcohol is a potent neurotoxin that triggers the selective apoptosis of neuronal populations in the developing fetus. For neural crest cells, clinically relevant ethanol levels (0.3%) rapidly elicit a phospholipase C (PLC)-dependent intracellular Ca2+ transient that is sufficient to activate apoptosis.