Energy decay for the linear Klein–Gordon equation and boundary control

In this work we study the asymptotic behavior of the solutions of the linear Klein–Gordon equation in R^N${\mathbb{R}}^N$, N?1$N?1$. We prove that local energy of solutions to the Cauchy problem decays polynomially. Afterwards, we use the local decay of energy to study exact boundary controllability for the linear Klein–Gordon equation in general bounded domains of R^N${\mathbb{R}}^N$, N?1$N?1$.     

W/O/W Multiple Emulsions Obtained by One‐Step Emulsification Method and Evaluation of the Involved Variables

The effects of some composition variables on the development of multiple emulsions by one‐step method were evaluated and their morphology characterized. The formulations that remained stable during the period of the test were submitted to centrifugation and thermal stress tests. The stability and the morphology of multiple droplets were affected not only by the type and concentration of the surfactants employed, but also by the water/oil ratios used. The results suggest that the formation of multiple droplets could involve a combination of transitional and catastrophic phase inversions. The results provide improved knowledge about the one‐step emulsification method, a simplified process to prepare multiple emulsions when compared to the two‐steps method.     

Concentrations of ions and metals in blood of amateur and elite runners using NAA

Intense physical training is known to be associated with increased mineral losses through sweating (during the exercise) and also through urine (after the exercise). Nowadays physical training is recognized for adapting or damaging the muscles, depending on the intensity and duration of the effort, provoking detectable metabolic alterations in blood, mainly in the content of some ions. In this study Br, Ca, Cl, K, Mg, Na and S levels were investigated in blood of Brazilian athletes that were submitted to constant physical exercise, at Laboratório de Bioquímica do Exercício (LABEX/UNICAMP) using Neutron Activation Analyses technique (NAA). The blood samples were collected from male amateurs and elite athletes, ranging from 18 to 36 years old. The blood samples were irradiated in the nuclear reactor (IEA-R1, 3–4.5 MW, pool type) at IPEN/São Paulo-Brazil. The concentrations data were compared with the control group (subjects of same gender and age but not involved with physical activities). These data can be useful for evaluating the performance of endurance athletes during the period of competition preparation as well as to propose new evaluation of protocols not yet reported.     

Electrochemical Behavior of Gold Nanoparticles Generated In Situ on 3‐(1‐Imidazolyl)propyl‐silsesquioxane

Gold nanoparticles of different morphologies have been synthesized on a silica‐based organic‐inorganic hybrid material for catalytic applications. The gold nanoparticles formations proceed through in situ chemical reduction of the AuCl₄^? anions previously adsorbed on 3‐(1‐imidazolyl)propyl‐silsesquioxane, which plays the role of substrate and stabilizer. Two distinct reducing agents, sodium citrate and sodium borohydride, were employed to generate gold nanoparticles of different sizes. UV‐vis diffuse reflectance as well as transmission electron microscopy were employed to evaluate the particle’s morphology. Modified carbon paste electrodes were prepared from these materials and their electrochemical behavior investigated using potassium ferrocyanide and 4‐nitrophenol as redox model compounds. Both AuNPs‐modified electrodes decreased the overpotential of 4‐nitrophenol reduction by around 90 mV compared to the unmodified electrode as evidenced by cyclic voltammetry experiment. However, the smaller diameter particles (borohydride‐reduced) produced more significant catalytic effect as a consequence of their large surface area. Regarding the sensing parameters, the sensitivity is higher for the borohydride‐reduced AuNPs while the values of limit of detection are of the same order of magnitude. Thus, the detection limit and sensitivity are 70.0±0.6 nM and 187 µA/mM for the citrate‐reduced AuNPs; and 75.0±2.2 nM and 238 µA/mM for the borohydride‐reduced AuNPs.     

Pulsed current electrodeposition of Zn–Ag2S/TiO2 nanocomposite films as potential photoelectrodes

Nanocomposite Zn–Ag₂S/TiO₂ and Zn–TiO₂ films were prepared by pulsed current electrolysis from acidic zinc sulphate solutions on a titanium substrate. The influence of the nanoparticles' nature on the structural and morphological characteristics of the metallic electrodeposit was also investigated. The electrodeposits were characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Using transmission electron microscopy, it was possible to conclude that the chemical treatment applied to the commercial TiO₂ particles promotes the formation of Ag₂S/TiO₂ composite nanoparticles, with Ti, Ag, S and O in its composition. This was also was confirmed by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. These particles absorb visible light radiation which makes them promising materials for photoelectrocatalytic processes. Moreover, the modification in nanoparticle composition plays a remarkable influence on the coating morphology and Zn crystallite size. When TiO₂ is added, a change of Zn texture was observed along with a decrease in crystallite size. In contrast, the metal matrix nanocomposites prepared with Ag₂S/TiO₂ exhibit a spongy Zn morphology with a lower average Zn crystallite size. The nanocomposite films were tested in the photoelectrodegradation of ibuprofen and the best results were obtained for Zn–Ag₂S/ TiO₂ photoelectrodes.     

Large‐Area Plasmonic Substrate of Silver‐Coated Iron Oxide Nanorod Arrays for Plasmon‐Enhanced Spectroscopy

One‐dimensional iron oxide materials fabricated on conducting glass substrates and their unique properties make these nanostructures promising candidates for a wide range of applications. Herein, vertically oriented α‐Fe₂O₃ nanorod arrays synthesized under hydrothermal conditions over a large area are described, as an active platform for surface‐enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS) and surface‐enhanced fluorescence (SEF). From scanning electron microscopy images the formation of a homogeneous distribution of vertically oriented rods in a large area is confirmed. For activating the localized surface plasmon resonances, which are responsible for SERRS and SEF, a 6 nm layer of Ag is deposited onto the α‐Fe₂O₃ nanorod arrays by physical vapor deposition to form Ag islands.     

Use of two different coating temperatures for a cold fiber headspace solid‐phase microextraction system to determine the volatile profile of Brazilian medicinal herbs

In this study, the experimental extraction conditions on applying headspace solid‐phase microextraction and cold fiber headspace solid‐phase microextraction (CF‐HS‐SPME) procedures to samples of six medicinal herbs commonly found in southern Brazil were optimized. The optimized conditions for headspace solid‐phase microextraction were found to be an extraction temperature of 60°C and extraction time of 40 min. For CF‐HS‐SPME, the corresponding values were 60°C and 15 min. In the case of the coating temperature for the CF‐HS‐SPME system, two approaches were investigated: (i) Temperature of 5°C applied during the whole extraction procedure; and (ii) the use of two fiber temperatures in the same extraction procedure with the aim of extracting the volatile and semivolatile compounds, the ideal condition being 60°C for the first 7.5 min and 5°C for the final 7.5 min. The three extraction procedures were compared. The CF‐HS‐SPME procedure had good performance only for the more volatile compounds whereas the strategy using two coating temperatures in the same procedure showed good performance for all compounds studied. It was also possible to determine the profile for the volatile fraction of each herb studied applying this technique followed by GC‐MS.     

NSAIDs interactions with membranes: a biophysical approach

This work focuses on the interaction of four representative NSAIDs (nimesulide, indomethacin, meloxicam, and piroxicam) with different membrane models (liposomes, monolayers, and supported lipid bilayers), at different pH values, that mimic the pH conditions of normal (pH 7.4) and inflamed cells (pH 5.0). All models are composed of 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) which is a representative phospholipid of most cellular membranes. Several biophysical techniques were employed: Fluorescence steady-state anisotropy to study the effects of NSAIDs in membrane microviscosity and thus to assess the main phase transition of DPPC, surface pressure-area isotherms to evaluate the adsorption and penetration of NSAIDs into the membrane, IRRAS to acquire structural information of DPPC monolayers upon interaction with the drugs, and AFM to study the changes in surface topography of the lipid bilayers caused by the interaction with NSAIDs. The NSAIDs show pronounced interactions with the lipid membranes at both physiological and inflammatory conditions. Liposomes, monolayers, and supported lipid bilayers experiments allow the conclusion that the pH of the medium is an essential parameter when evaluating drug-membrane interactions, because it conditions the structure of the membrane and the ionization state of NSAIDs, thereby influencing the interactions between these drugs and the lipid membranes. The applied models and techniques provided detailed information about different aspects of the drug-membrane interaction offering valuable information to understand the effect of these drugs on their target membrane-associated enzymes and their side effects at the gastrointestinal level.     

Electroanalytical Performance of (SiPy+Cl−/CuTsPc)5 LbL Film for Detecting Promethazine Hydrochloride

A (SiPy⁺Cl^?/CuTsPc)₅ layer‐by‐layer film was employed for the electroanalytical determination of promethazine hydrochloride in BR buffer pH 5.0 with peaks at 0.48 and 0.79 V. After optimisation of the square‐wave parameters (f=100 s^?1, a=40 mV and ΔE_s=2 mV), the peak at 0.79 V was used for quantification and a detection limit of 8.71×10^?9 mol L^?1 and a quantification limit of 9.31×10^?8 were calculated. The applicability of this procedure was tested on commercial formulations of promethazine hydrochloride by observing the stability, specificity, recovery and precision of the procedure in complex samples, without any preliminary treatment.     

High-temperature XRD study of thermally induced structural and chemical changes in iron oxide nanoparticles embedded in porous carbons

Magnetic carbon-based nanomaterials have promising applications in many fields owing to their biocompatibility and thermal/mechanical stability. This study describes a high-temperature X-ray diffraction (XRD) study of the chemical and structural transformations suffered by superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles embedded in porous carbons. The nanoparticles were prepared from the decomposition of iron pentacarbonyl over porous carbons, resulting in nanometer-sized iron oxides homogeneously dispersed into the carbon matrix. The thermally induced changes in these materials were followed by in situ high-temperature XRD, using synchrotron radiation. The growing of the nanoparticles and of the carbon crystallites were first observed, followed by the reduction of the iron oxides to form α-Fe (at temperatures as low as 400 °C in some cases) and γ-Fe(C). The temperatures at which these chemical reactions occurred were dependent on the total time spent on heating and on the nature of the iron oxides formed in the as prepared materials. A noticeably large thermal expansion coefficient was also observed for the iron oxide nanocrystals. The formation of austenitic iron, stabilized by the presence of carbon, was found to be only partially reversible upon cooling.